From the second-floor balcony, Ludger looked down over the ballroom.
The contest had ended, but the ball was still in full swing.
Pairs of students, hand in hand, waltzed across the floor.
Everywhere, he could see shy girls lowering their heads or boys blushing bright red.
Among them were some rather unusual pairings.
Aidan, moving awkwardly with hesitant steps, and Taishy Friad, leading him with a smile that said she couldn’t help it but was still pleased.
Nearby, Iona and Leo were also dancing together.
Despite the difference in their height, Iona naturally matched her steps to Leo’s.
Ludger’s lips curved in a silent smile as he watched them.
It was a fresh, peaceful scene—
A place that didn’t suit someone like him, full of lies.
Still, for this one moment, simply watching could be allowed.
The festival night was far from over.
* * *
“Ugh...”
Gregoryum groaned, clutching his aching head as he pushed himself upright.
The blanket covering him slipped to the floor.
“...Where is this?”
An abandoned carriage, empty but for him.
Gregoryum had no idea why he was lying here.
His mind was hazy and sluggish, as if he’d woken from a long dream.
“Ah, right... First, I should head home...”
Muttering to himself as though something had just come to mind, he stepped down from the carriage.
Picking up his belongings, he began walking slowly toward the train station.
Watching from the rooftop of a nearby building, Zero Order turned to his subordinate.
“How long has it been?”
“Exactly three days.”
“Hmm. Three days, huh.”
“What do you think?”
At the question from the subordinate—who had been disguised as the coachman—Zero Order smirked and shrugged.
“To be honest, it’s right on the edge. If he’d woken any earlier, I’d have dismissed the idea. Any later, and I’d have been certain. But this... the timing’s too perfect to be coincidence.”
His eyes narrowed.
“At the very least, I can tell the seal’s weakened. I knew it was about time, but it’s still not a good sign.”
“...Is that ‘Apostle’ really so dangerous?”
Zero Order gave a small shrug.
“All Apostles are dangerous. Their innate Authorities are never something to take lightly. But him—especially so. We Apostles don’t get along particularly well, but we’re not outright enemies either.”
“I see.”
“But he’s different. He’s hostile to all of us, and all of us are hostile to him. We pursue the same thing, yet not in the same way.”
And most of all, the most dreadful thing was his Authority.
“He’s a sly, cowardly bastard. If it’s not to his advantage, he won’t even bother engaging. That’s why I sent Canary, but... this is a disappointingly tame result.”
“Then should I go and take a look?”
“No.”
Zero Order’s answer was sharp.
It was a tone utterly unlike his usual do as you like attitude—
Which only meant that approaching the Apostle of Dreams was dangerous to an extreme degree.
“Even for a Dreamwalker like you, you wouldn’t stand a chance against him. Not even if your entire school joined forces. Go, and you’ll die.”
“Then what will you do about Gregoryum?”
“Leave him for now. He’s been asleep a long time, but the fact he came back means he never actually encountered him.”
Zero Order’s gaze lingered on Gregoryum’s retreating figure.
“...Still, we’d better put a tail on him, just in case.”
* * *
Time passed after the grand ball came to an end.
Even in daily life, changes continued to unfold.
The biggest of them was tied to [House of Verdi].
The overwhelming display of Rine’s magical dress at the ball had spread like wildfire.
Considering how many attendees had been nobles, it was only natural.
In every social circle, the House of Verdi’s dress was the talk of the day. Requests from people wanting to wear a magical dress poured in without end.
Violetta was busier than ever, but her expression was brighter than it had ever been.
Recently, other brands had even approached her for collaborations, and her fame was climbing day by day.
Another noticeable change concerned Rine herself.
As the newly crowned Miss Contest winner, she had quickly become one of the hottest topics at Seorn.
Even at the start of the semester, she’d been quietly known for her mysterious and beautiful looks, all the more striking for a commoner.
But after the ball—wearing that magical dress, boldly asking Ludger for a dance, and openly spending time with Erendir—she had secured the top spot as the school’s most talked-about figure.
Which meant that every day, Rine had to endure wave after wave of students trying to act familiar with her.
Wouldn’t it make her happy to receive the kind of treatment she never had before?
Not at all.
Rine valued genuine connections with people.
But when their intentions are that obvious, how could I possibly get close to them?
Logically, she knew she could still interact with them.
Relationships weren’t always built on pure goodwill.
A polite smile, a bit of small talk, and keeping the right distance would be enough.
But Rine couldn’t manage it.
Her innate discernment—her judging eye—made it feel almost like a physical aversion.
Ugh... exhausting.
She had gotten attention before, during the clinical trials for the mana suppressant, but this was far more draining.
The only saving grace was that, thanks to Erendir and Freuden, no one dared to approach her too openly or aggressively.
“Are you okay?”
Beside her, Erendir asked with concern, though there was a faint glimmer of envy in her eyes.
...No, surely not.
Rine decided not to doubt her senior’s pure goodwill.
“I am tired, but it’s been calmer lately, so it’s better.”
“Well, that’s understandable.”
Erendir nodded knowingly.
Since the contest at the ball, Rine’s popularity among the male students had skyrocketed.
The fact that she was a commoner made her seem more approachable, which added to it.
And yet—no men approached her.
That was because of Freuden Ulburk and Henry Presto.
With those two openly shielding her, anyone without exceptional nerve wouldn’t dare get close.
Freuden dealt with it all quietly, out of Rine’s sight, and she had no idea it was happening.
Erendir thought of him and shook her head.
He denies it, but he really is like the Duke of Ulburk.
If Freuden heard that, he would have grimaced in disgust—he didn’t get along with his father.
“Oh, right.”
Just then, Rine lifted her head as if she’d remembered something.
“I have somewhere to go. I’ll get going first.”
“Where?”
“Mr. Ludger’s office!”
“What?”
The moment Ludger’s name came out, Erendir’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Don’t tell me you already... I knew something seemed off at the ball that night.”
“Huh?”
Rine looked at her in confusion, then, realizing what she meant, her face flushed scarlet.
“I-it’s not like that! You’ve got it all wrong!”
“Then why go to his office?”
“To learn Source Code Magic, obviously. There are several of us going, not just me.”
“Oh.”
Erendir nodded, seemingly convinced.
“Once we get this framework, that’s the end of it.”
“So in the end, it’s proof you’ve consistently stayed in the top ranks. Just how hard have you been studying?”
“Huh? Well... it’s a student’s duty, isn’t it?”
“...A duty. Right.”
Erendir’s expression dimmed.
After all, she hadn’t exactly been living up to that duty herself.
“I’ll be going now!”
It was a chance to learn a new magic.
With a heart full of excitement, Rine headed toward Ludger’s office, where he was /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ waiting.
Along the way, students recognized her, but she made a point of ignoring them.
When she arrived, there were already quite a few people waiting inside.
At the center of it all—
Sitting at his desk—Ludger stood out the most.
“You’re here.”
Even though this was a moment where he would be handing out his own original magic, Source Code, his voice was as indifferent as ever.
Rine recalled the warm tone he had used with her at the ball.
Like grains of sand slipping away, the memory—though vivid and real—felt as distant as a dream.
“Everyone’s here. As you know, this is where I’ll be giving you the fourth framework of my Source Code magic.”
Ludger’s gaze swept over the students from left to right: Flora Lumos, Julia Plumehart, Taishy Friad, Leo—
And finally, Rine, who had just arrived.
“As promised, I’ll give each of you the final framework containing the formula for my Source Code magic. Step forward in the order I call your name.”
The students approached him, each filled with tension and anticipation.
Keeping his word, Ludger presented each of them with the framework.
With that, the students who had consistently ranked high all semester gained the right to use his Source Code.
“Any questions?”
“Can we share this with others?”
The one who spoke was Julia Plumehart.
Everyone turned to look at her, surprised she would ask such a thing here.
But Julia, as usual, wore that unreadable smile, gazing at Ludger as if wondering how he would react if his treasured magic were freely spread to others.
“I don’t mind.”
The answer was enough to shock them even more.
“Do you mean that?”
Even Julia, who had asked, sounded cautious, clearly not expecting it.
“Do I have any reason to lie here? You could go out right now and spread it as far as you like. In fact, I’d even encourage it.”
“Why?”
This time it was Flora who asked, her eyes blazing with genuine incomprehension.
“This is magic you created yourself.”
“Yes. I created it, and I gave it to you.”
“Isn’t a magician’s original magic supposed to be a closely guarded secret?”
“If I truly didn’t want anyone else to know it, I wouldn’t have given it to you in the first place.”
“But...”
“You can share it with others, or break down the Source Code entirely and reconstruct it in your own way. Do whatever you like—it’s your freedom. The only thing I’d prefer is that you don’t sell it for money.”
Even so, the students still looked unconvinced.
“What if there’s a way to use the Source Code that I don’t know about?”
“Is that even possible? For someone else to know something the creator himself doesn’t?”
“Why are you so sure that just because I created it, it’s perfect?”
“Well... because it’s something you made.”
“You think I’m perfect?”
Flora closed her mouth at that, though her slightly sulky expression seemed to say, Then aren’t you?
“I appreciate you thinking highly of me, but I’m still someone who makes mistakes and fails. What I know isn’t always the whole truth or even necessarily correct. If you believe otherwise, I recommend you change your thinking.”
“To avoid limiting the scope of thought, right?”
This time, it was Rine who spoke.
Ludger nodded, satisfied.
“Exactly. The moment you believe my magic is perfect, the Source Code ends there. No further progress will be made. But if you keep assuming it’s flawed and look for ways to improve it, that’s when it truly begins.”
Exchanging opinions, clashing, finding common ground, and seeking the best solutions—
That’s how the world has developed.
Magic was no different.
“Let me give you an example. There’s a rumor that in the remote south, there’s a tribe of beastkin that eats humans. The claim came from an adventurer who explored the wilds. Do you think people would believe him?”
“Probably not?”
“Even if there’s no evidence, just his testimony?”
“Well... no, I guess not.”
“But what if the exact same claim—that man-eating beastkin exist—came not from an adventurer but from a renowned archaeologist or historian? Someone of exceptional reputation in the academic world.”
After a moment’s thought, all the students gave the same answer.
“Well, then everyone would believe it.”
“And why do you think that?”
“Because that person’s reputation in academia would lend credibility. If someone like that claimed it, even without evidence, it would carry tremendous weight.”
Ludger nodded.
“But what if that person had intentionally spread false information? Then what?”