“…In the worst case, someone could just wear the armor and impersonate him.”
As I pieced it together, I felt like I’d unlocked something.
If I considered the behavior of the Mardol who received the Queen of Hearts, his raw emotional response was far too human for an impostor.
But still, doubts lingered.
“His trauma must be Magic Hat… It wouldn’t be strange if he thought she was dead.”
The Demon Lord of Truth, known as the mad magician, had committed unspeakable atrocities throughout the story.
Just like how she had creepily called me “husband” despite us having no prior connection, she was just as unsettling in Grand Hearts Academia.
This was also the first time I had ever taken a card away from her. In the game, there was no such feature.
‘The one I met now is probably the real Lupus.’
If the Lupus from the sequel turned out to be an imposter, it would be just like Fantasia Games to surprise the players.
They loved their Easter eggs.
Even after taking a sharp turn with the direction of the sequel, they hadn’t abandoned that aspect.
“…Come to think of it, he really is one nasty guy.”
If this Lupus wasn’t an imposter, then his broken personality was likely the result of his crushing defeat back then.
He must have resorted to every possible means to challenge the Demon Lord of Truth, gathering every max-level character he could.
But to reveal the reason for that obsession in the prequel? That was unexpected.
“…Does this even make sense?”
If I had played Lupus’s route, would I have seen something different? I wouldn’t be piecing together vague fragments of information like this.
I cut my thoughts off there. Any further, and I’d be straying into wild speculation instead of deduction.
“Lastly… he eats a lot.”
Whether it was the speed at which he cleared his plates at the bakery or the way he devoured the stew I cooked, it was clear.
Lining up his traits like this, I started to feel more certain.
The one I had known before was the fake, and the man I was seeing now was the real Lupus.
His personality, actions, speech, and overall atmosphere were too different.
Maybe I’d been caught in a confirmation bias because of Master Drake’s letter.
The Glass Knight had protected Kainel and Ariel in my absence and had never done anything cruel to others.
Sure, he could be a little odd, but he wasn’t a bad person.
“There was also the Grand Route… and the love line…”
While organizing my thoughts, a realization suddenly struck me.
“…No matter what, I can’t give up our Saintess.”
After all, one day, Lupus would become my rival over the Nameless Saintess. I’d seen the illustrations in the beta tester invitation mail.
If that was how it was going to be, I had to aim for the Mana Rose in the year-end exams. I needed to prepare gifts in advance—items I knew the Saintess would love.
He’d definitely want the Dragon Heart since he had an obsession with power.
Besides, Lupus’s class was Magic Swordsman, a combat role that specialized in fighting with both sword and magic.
“Even if the Saintess receives a Dragon Heart, she wouldn’t be able to use it.”
Unlike Lupus, the Saintess wasn’t a fighter. She wouldn’t like grotesque items, nor could she use weapons.
With the techniques I’d learned from training with the Heavenly Horse, I could also plant a flag to prevent Lupus from getting close to the Saintess.
“…I can afford to be a little generous.”
After eating that delicious chocolate cake, I felt like I owed him one.
***
A man and a woman were having a conversation.
“…Magic Hat. Where did you get those injuries?”
“Not telling~! It’s mine alone to keep!”
The man, a gentleman with a monocle, frowned as he gazed at the white-haired magician, her body covered in wounds. He didn’t like it when his subordinates acted on their own.
“So you even overlaid a false image to prevent my Omniscience from seeing it?”
“Haha, you caught me!”
The Demon Lord of Omniscience, known as Head, clicked his tongue. He detested this type of behavior.
“Didn’t I tell you? Kidnapping the princess had the highest probability of success. Stop acting alone from now on.”
“Princess? Did we have one of those? I only met the prince~.”
“Don’t play dumb. No matter how well Roque hides it, do you think I wouldn’t know?”
Even as Head lectured her, the magician wearing a large hat glanced at her reflection in the mirror, smiling with eyes brimming with madness. She stared at her wounds with a twisted blush on her face.
“I don’t care~. Proving my love is more important right now!”
“Rest however you like, Magic Hat. My visions tell me it’s almost time.”
With a sigh of resignation, Head turned away. This sort of thing happened too often for him to be surprised anymore.
“Oh, wait, Head! Take this!”
Magic Hat handed him a black mask.
“A mask? Why should I hide my identity?”
“Hehe, you’ll see!”
“…”
With a suspicious look, the Demon Lord accepted the mask and began walking away.
—Clack.
After closing the door behind him, he reached into his coat and pulled out a book, flipping through its pages.
“No matter how I think about it, something doesn’t add up. My calculations were wrong?”
Sitting at a desk, he clicked his pen repeatedly, scribbling notes on a sheet of paper.
“Magic Hat returned with injuries. If I assume it was because of an oversight in my Omniscience…”
There were no variables.
He had already confirmed that Nex Aureus would obtain the Phoenix Cradle, and that prophecy had been fulfilled.
“With the Apostle of Lust gone, I have six followers left… Is that enough to achieve my goal?”
He clicked his pen once more, his face sour. He would need to recruit a traitor to minimize future damage.
Equivalent exchange. He had to find a way to save as many lives as possible. But every time he failed, a weariness settled in his heart.
“…Do I need to visit the Academy in person?”
He ran his hand over the red revolver sitting on the desk.
He already suspected Magic Hat’s destination. She had been obsessing over Charitines lately, and it was obvious where she’d go next.
“There are two possible explanations.”
If a Demon Lord like Magic Hat returned covered in wounds after going to the Grand Hearts Academia, two things could have happened.
Either she was beaten by one of the Ten Greats, or there was a third party involved.
But the Ten Greats wouldn’t lose to Magic Hat.
He’d made sure that Dennis wouldn’t act on his own, and he’d locked White Magnolia away in ignorance.
He’d designed the perfect strategy to keep both 2nd place and 3rd place in check. So it couldn’t have been them.
Moreover, Magic Hat, being the Demon Lord of Truth, could easily erase her wounds if they were fake. But this time, she didn’t. That was odd.
“There’s something there.”
To Head, the mere existence of unknown information was a threat. If something unexpected had occurred, he needed to eliminate the source immediately.
“…Time to recalculate everything.”
He stood in front of a large chalkboard, scribbling every possible scenario.
He was searching for the person who had blocked his Omniscience.