In a place strewn with the debris of a collapsed building, Dwight Ninehart, a boy with golden eyes, quietly murmured as he surveyed the ongoing recovery efforts at the disaster site.

“…It’s completely fallen apart.”

This was the site of the magical purification facility he had once visited with Florene and Scarlet. The place where the building stood was now utterly in ruins. A twinge of sadness welled up within him at the loss of a place filled with memories, but Dwight suppressed those feelings in silence.

He had not come here to lament over the fallen structure.

“…”

Dwight collected his thoughts, striving to keep his emotions in check as he took in the objective scenery before him. All that remained was the wreckage of the building.

At first glance, it might seem like an unremarkable sight, but—

“…Seven.”

For Dwight, who had witnessed a similar scene seven times already, it didn’t feel that way at all. Several facilities in the city had suffered considerable damage due to high-ranking demonic beasts that had recently attacked. Among those was the magical purification facility, classified as one of the city’s key establishments.

As a result of the attacks, the city lost a total of seven magical purification facilities, complicating the disposal of the corpses of the high-ranking demonic beasts they had defeated for some time.

While everyone was contemplating how to recover from the damage once the situation had calmed down, Dwight entertained different thoughts. Instead of considering how to deal with the consequences, he pondered why such disasters had occurred in the first place.

As he mulled this over, a hypothesis suddenly emerged in his mind—one he could not dare mention to anyone else. Just the very fact of forming such a thought could lead to condemnation.

Though normally, it was best to ignore such notions, Dwight Ninehart was a magician. He believed only what he could see with his own eyes. That was his personal rule as a magician. Thus, he decided to investigate alone.

If his hypothesis turned out to be wrong, it would be a relief. However, if there was even the slightest chance that it was correct…

He didn’t even want to imagine what that might entail.

Yet the more he continued his investigation, the more—

“…This is maddening.”

Dwight felt his own hypothesis gaining more credibility. As a result, half of him wanted to deny it, while the other half earnestly desired to find assurance in it; thus, he made the unprecedented decision to request assistance in his solo investigation.

“…Please, Rhea.”

In response to Dwight’s plea, Rhea Abella, an investigator from the Department of Public Safety, emerged to rummage through the building’s debris. She was a psychometrist capable of reading memories tied to places or objects.

After concentrating for a considerable time, to the point of a nosebleed, Rhea eventually uncovered a somewhat preserved piece of paper within the rubble and held it out to Dwight with a pale face.

Upon receiving the paper and hearing what Rhea had to say, Dwight couldn’t suppress his emotions and twisted his expression.

“…Damn it.”

It seemed that his hypothesis was not wrong after all. The paper with the signature of a renowned hero trembled in his hand.

*

An interrogation regarding the allegations of treason was about to commence. Those gathered in the interrogation chamber wore expressions of confusion, each looking equally bewildered. The reason for their astonishment? The alleged suspect was none other than Dolos.

What kind of house was Dolos, you ask? It was one of the three major houses of the city, along with Aegis and Astra. They were not merely called a major house due to their large influence. Aegis had defeated the Witch of Gluttony and Astra had vanquished the Witch of Rage. Dolos was a hero house that had once led a company of seventy in defeating the Witch of Lust.

Furthermore, it was common knowledge that they’ve continually contributed to humanity’s wellbeing throughout history, so it was natural for everyone to refer to Dolos as one of the three major houses. This established trust in Dolos ran deep.

So, to present allegations of treason against such a house? It would not be surprising for one to question who dared to make such claims.

All eyes turned to the current head of the house, Diakonos Dolos, and the other members of Dolos who sat at the table.

“Allegations of treason against us, Dolos…”

Diakonos murmured, his tone flat but sending chills that felt like a biting winter breeze through the room. It was surely unpleasant to be suspected, and while most attendees anxiously watched Diakonos, one person spoke up in defiance.

“Do you have a problem with my being here?”

In response to Diakonos’s murmur, someone retorted. The gathering of people urgently turned their heads to find the one who dared speak out. They quickly understood who had orchestrated this interrogation.

It was Ninehart, a family of magicians with a reputation that rivaled the three major houses, though not quite there. The finest talent since the barrier-maker, Violet Ninehart—Dwight Ninehart leaned forward with an unflinching gaze towards Diakonos.

“…Dwight, did you make the accusations?”

A voice filled with shock asked as the identity of the orchestrator was realized.

“Yes, I did. Is there a problem, Marin?”

It was Marin Eloise, who had come along with her mother, Natalia, upon hearing the news of Dolos’s interrogation.

“You’re seriously asking if there’s a problem? You’re friends with Florene! What are you thinking, really!?”

Marin was furious with Dwight. She considered him a friend, yet he had suggested baseless accusations against Florene’s family.

In a corner, Florene gaped at Dwight in shock, prompting Marin to criticize him.

“Even if they are your friend’s family, there are lines to be drawn. I did what I had to do. If what you say is true and these accusations turn out to be completely unfounded, I’ll kneel down and apologize, but for now, can you just stay quiet?”

Dwight responded in a strictly businesslike manner, leaving Marin speechless.

At those words, Diakonos nodded and spoke.

“His point is valid. Whether it’s a friend or even family, these matters must be addressed. Earlier, you asked if I held any grievances. I have none. If the allegations arise, no matter who they’re against, they must sit in this chair. Of course, if the claims turn out to be unfounded, the one who raised them must take responsibility.”

Diakonos then turned his gaze at Dwight and added calmly.

“By the way, I, along with our Dolos, have always strived for the happiness of humanity. We have never once acted in a way that would cause harm to humanity.”

With that calm declaration, the crowd began to wonder if Dwight was in for a difficult time today. Diakonos’s assertion, which could not be filled with doubt, left no room for opposition.

Hearing those words from Diakonos, Dwight murmured with a conflicted voice.

“…I hope that’s really true.”

He muttered as he glanced at Florene in the corner. Reassuring himself, he tightly closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them to speak.

“Then, from now on, I will explain why I felt Dolos was suspicious.”

Dwight addressed the gathering.

“I’m sure you are all aware of the recent events. The city sustained significant damage due to the attack of high-ranking demonic beasts—there’s no way you wouldn’t know about it.”

As Dwight’s words drew the attention of the crowd, he waved his hand in the air.

In an instant, a magic circle illuminated, projecting a map into the space. The map displayed a brief outline of the damage caused by the demonic beasts.

“As you know, this damage occurred because the demonic beasts suddenly appeared in the boundary region. We speculated that a witch with teleportation abilities bypassed the teleportation disruption magic circle installed in the boundary region through some unknown means and brought those demonic beasts through.”

The outer boundary regions, particularly the frontline areas, were always under strict 24-hour surveillance by Astrape. Thus, it was impossible for high-ranking demonic beasts to cross over.

So far, the suspicion had been that it was a witch with the ability to summon previously encountered demonic beasts who had somehow gotten them into the city.

But—

“What if that wasn’t the case?”

It wasn’t as Dwight suggested. The gasps of the crowd filled the room as he addressed Diakonos directly.

“The teleportation disruption magic circle. I don’t think you are unaware of it, considering you led the project to install it throughout the boundary region. Yet, to say that somehow the demonic beasts were brought over via teleportation? It doesn’t make sense at all. While that magic circle is operational, it’s absolutely impossible. I understand its functionality better than anyone as I’ve studied the magic circle embedded in the barrier for several years. I’d stake the honor of a magician on it.”

The people fell silent at Dwight’s words, as he had invoked the very honor of a magician. If that were true, then where and how did the demonic beasts come in?

“Considering that, the answer becomes simple.”

Dwight continued.

“The demonic beasts didn’t invade; they originated from that very place.”