After school, Sylvia returned to the mansion and was skimming through the letters she had received.

Astra, who was more thorough than anyone when it came to remembering and repaying favors, had quite a few members in the legal profession.

Perhaps due to this family motto, there were indeed many individuals associated with the law in Astra.

However, as a result, there were occasionally letters sent to Sylvia, known grandly as Astra’s heir, asking her to speak well of certain people, accompanied by gifts, especially on days like today.

To be blunt, it was nothing less than illegal solicitation.

‘They call me an heir, yet I have no real power in the family affairs.’

Of course, even if she could influence the rulings, she had no intention of looking kindly at those who sent such requests.

For Sylvia, merely witnessing the schemes of those who acted so dishonorably was a chore.

‘If you’ve committed a crime, you should be prepared to accept the consequences.’

Sylvia stifled a laugh in her mind as she ripped the letter apart, then used spirit magic to dispose of the pieces without leaving a trace.

“Miss, should I return everything that came today just like we’ve done before?”

“Please do that. It seems like I’ve been receiving more of these letters lately. I hope no one from the family ends up embarrassed by receiving such things.”

“Would that even be possible? I assure you, there are no fools within the Astra family who would act in a way that tarnishes our name.”

Sylvia nodded with a smiling face, mirroring the grin of her attendant.

The Astra family, who once held the world in their hands, were obsessed with their honor above all else.

Thus, as the attendant said, the name Astra wouldn’t be tarnished.

Even if someone were to accept such requests, it would never be discovered by anyone.

Moreover, if ever such a thing were to come to light, the one who received the bribe would vanish overnight, and by none other than their own family members.

Sylvia was well aware that if such a situation were to arise, she would be the last to know.

While she was handling various tasks as an heir, she roughly understood that the crucial matters were determined internally by the family.

But she had no choice.

Within the family, she was merely a symbol of the glory lost to time, and the title of heir was just another term for a figurehead.

Feeling exhausted, Sylvia yawned and stretched unconsciously.

“Oh!,” she flinched and quickly glanced at her attendant.

Worried about being seen in such a disheveled state, she feared they might remark on it, but the attendant simply looked at her with concern.

“Miss, you seem tired. Should I prepare a tea that’s good for fatigue?”

“…Please do. I’ve been feeling a bit worn out lately with everything going on.”

“Fortunately, it looks like there are no particular plans today, so you should be able to rest in the evening. I’ll go brew the tea in the kitchen, so please wait a moment.”

Grateful that today was a day of rest, Sylvia plopped her head down on the desk.

With the burden of recent difficulties, both physically and mentally, this was a precious moment of relaxation.

Lying there, she suddenly thought that she shouldn’t waste such a valuable break.

‘Since I have some time, I might as well read a book.’

Knowing it would take a little while before the attendant returned with the tea, Sylvia stepped out of her room to fetch a book from the mansion’s library.

—

The library was somewhat distant from her room.

On the way to the library, passing by the corridor near the meeting room, Sylvia overheard someone engaged in conversation.

The discussion was between one of the elders, who practically held the family’s real power, and her uncle Sator.

It was a rare combination.

Feeling curious, Sylvia stopped and eavesdropped from a spot where she couldn’t be seen.

Sator’s voice was raised, filled with frustration, and loud enough to be heard even from a distance.

“You want to stop now? Do you have any idea how much time and resources we’ve invested in this? We’ve gone through trial and error, and next time, we can surely produce results!”

“I’ll say it again, Sator. The plan is halted. I understand your disappointment, but we have decided not to pursue the results. Furthermore, it’s said that the research facility was destroyed in a fire. Just consider everything you’ve invested as sunk costs and let it go.”

Conflict.

That was the word that floated into Sylvia’s mind upon witnessing the scene.

She had never imagined such a term would come up between them, making it quite a surprising sight.

What could cause Sator, who was always busy with research and seemingly uninvolved in family affairs, to confront an elder?

“It hasn’t been lost! We recently found what we thought was gone! Elder, all I need is your permission! Are you really planning on abandoning Astra’s secret wish?”

“Sator, that’s not Astra’s wish, it’s yours alone. Time has passed, and the circumstances have changed. The elders who once agreed with your opinion have all changed their minds. Sator, you should give up now. Even if you were to find it again, everyone agrees that it should be discarded.”

Words like plans and Astra’s secret wishes were mentioned, but Sylvia had no clue what they were discussing.

It seemed Sator was pursuing something against the elders’ wishes.

What that plan was, she didn’t know, but surely if the elders who held Astra’s real power told him to stop, he would have no other choice.

Even so, Sator shouted back.

“That’s unacceptable!”

“Sator, are you refusing to obey the elders’ wishes?”

As the elder pressed, Sator stared at him, speechless.

Scratching his neck with his gloved hand, his eyes twitched ominously.

Seeing those eyes, Sylvia had a strong intuition that if this continued, it could lead to an incident.

“Elder, Uncle, what’s going on here?”

So she approached them as if she had just spotted them.

Sylvia did not miss the fleeting moment of surprise that crossed the elder’s face.

They appeared to be discussing something they didn’t want her to hear after all.

“It’s nothing, Miss Sylvia. Just a little work-related matter.”

The elder spoke calmly, as if nothing were going on, but Sator’s expression remained tense.

Like a reprimanding glance, the elder looked meaningfully at Sator.

“Isn’t that right, Sator?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

Fortunately, it seemed Sator had calmed down.

What a tension-filled situation that had been seconds away from boiling over.

It was absurd, but since the atmosphere had settled down, she decided to let their little performance slide.

“I’m relieved. I thought you two were about to have a fight.”

As Sylvia smiled, the elder let out a hardy laugh and turned to Sator.

“Haha, surely not. Sator, I trust you will understand our decision.”

That was a word implying that the decision had already been made, and he would just have to follow along.

Worrying that their voices might rise again, Sylvia felt reassured that Sator slowly nodded in agreement.

“…Understood.”

“That’s a relief. I’ll take my leave now. Getting older, I tire quickly with even minor movement. Haha.”

As the elder left, Sator turned to Sylvia, his face still showing signs of slight irritation.

“…Miss Sylvia, did you know that there was once a position called Patriarch in the Astra family that all members followed?”

Slightly taken aback by Sator’s sudden remark, Sylvia responded.

“I’ve read about it in storybooks. It was a tale from over 500 years ago.”

It was a story that had become legend.

The Great Astra’s Patriarch had been directly chosen by the World Tree.

However, the last Patriarch of Astra had delivered a final blow to the Wrathful Witch and burned alongside her, and he was said to have perished in the end.

Naturally, with the World Tree burned, the position of Patriarch had naturally vanished from Astra thereafter.

“Sometimes, I wonder what it would have been like to have someone worthy of trust and following, like those Patriarchs in the stories. Someone like you, Miss Sylvia, would be a person I could follow wholeheartedly…”

“Uncle, please keep such thoughts to yourself. If the elders hear this, it might land you in serious trouble.”

Sator’s words indicated dissatisfaction with the current elders leading Astra.

The very notion of thinking this way was stifling, and warning him only caused Sator to burst out laughing.

“Haha, I’m joking, I’m joking. By the way, Miss Sylvia, where were you heading?”

“I wanted to read, so I was going to the library to fetch a book.”

“Reading, now that’s a fine hobby. Since I’m here, shall we go there together?”

It was an unexpected company, but having no valid reason to decline, Sylvia ended up going to the library with Sator.

Stepping into the library filled with shelves packed with books, she slowly scanned the racks until she spotted a familiar title.

It was a book she had read multiple times during her childhood, titled [Stories for Growing Heroes].

It was a highly influential book in her desire to join Aegis Academy.

Thinking back, some of the stories might have been a tad frightful for a child, yet it was a book that adapted true tales for younger audiences, which made them even more vivid and exciting.

‘Maybe I should revisit this now that it’s been a while,’ she thought, and as she picked it up, Sator exclaimed, noticing her choice.

“Oh, is that the book? I read it a lot when I was young too. It’s been a bestseller for ages. Doesn’t it also have the story of the last Patriarch of Astra?”

Indeed, the tale of the last Patriarch of Astra, who sacrificed himself to defeat the Wrathful Witch, was included in that book.

“When I was a kid reading that book, I imagined a lot about the forest where elves lived when the World Tree was still alive, and the figure of the Patriarch leading Astra. And I was so furious at the Wrathful Witch for taking all of that away.”

Because it was a story that members of Astra could resonate with, Sylvia nodded.

She had also thought, when she read it for the first time, that the Wrathful Witch was indeed the villain.

Sator smiled and then pulled out a worn, unadorned book from a dusty corner shelf.

As he removed it, dust flew out, causing Sator to frown, revealing his dislike for untidiness.

‘Is he perhaps a bit of a neat freak?’ she pondered.

Regardless, the cover of the book he took out only simply read [Wrath].

“And so, this is the book I found while searching for information about the Wrathful Witch. Have you seen it before?”

When Sylvia shook her head, Sator slightly waved the book and continued.

“This was written by a member of the Astra family several hundred years ago. There are only a few copies, so not many people know of its existence. So, there are also some lesser-known stories contained within.”

As he slowly flipped through the book, he continued.

“Originally, it’s said that no one knew how the Wrathful Witch looked like since she always surrounded herself with flames, but this book actually has her appearance and name from her human days. Written based on testimonies from the sole survivor who barely escaped her village, I found it to be quite plausible. It might differ slightly from reality, though.”

Sator offered the book to Sylvia.

“You mentioned that reading about the great Astra made you angry at the Wrathful Witch. How about giving this book a read as well? I found it quite profound.”

“Then I’ll check it out tonight.”

As she replied in agreement, Sator smiled back.

“By the way, Miss Sylvia, I saw a red-haired girl the other day wearing a ring just like yours. She’s your friend, right?”

Did he see Scarlet?

Nodding, Sator slowly scratched his reddened neck, lighting up with a mischievous grin.

“I believe you will understand my decision.”

Leaving those cryptic words, Sator departed from the mansion.

Sylvia thought his smile felt rather unpleasant.

—

Upon returning to her room with the book, the attendant brought the tea shortly afterward.

“Miss, you’re still reading these storybooks…”

Noticing the storybook on the desk, the attendant remarked.

‘It’s not a crime to read a children’s storybook at my age!’

Thinking this, Sylvia tried to maintain a blank expression, but watching the attendant stifle a grin at her made her inexplicably irritated.

“Could you leave me alone? I’d like to take a break.”

“Of course, I’ll do that.”

Ah, he definitely laughed while leaving.

No matter how long he had been by her side for over a decade, was that too much?

Feeling slightly rebellious, Sylvia took a sip of tea and opened the book recommended by Sator titled [Wrath] instead of her storybook.

And after just five minutes with it, she closed the book again.

It was a book where even just glancing through transmitted the author’s intense fury toward the Wrathful Witch, almost as if it was soaking into her.

‘What’s this? This book is purely infuriating.’

Feeling a bit nauseous, she gulped down more tea.

‘To be so moved by a book like this, my uncle surely can’t be normal,’ she thought, and then opened [Stories for Growing Heroes] instead.

While they may have been desperate in reality, the stories were adapted for kids, and thus slightly softened.

In those pages were filled with thrilling adventures and fateful encounters.

‘Yep, this is definitely my style,’ Sylvia thought.

That night, she dreamed of a silver-haired elf and a red-haired girl fighting against a witch.

—

One day, a girl with black hair and red eyes came to the village.

The only thing she seemed to know was her name, Evangeline.

At that moment, no one knew.

That the damned witch would burn down our entire village.