A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 196. Discussion

The Church.

The one and largest religious organization in the Eustia Kingdom.

Its establishment is ancient. Its history is said to have begun almost simultaneously with the founding of the kingdom, and the power and influence it has accumulated over the long years are immense.

So much so that it rivals the royal family—this is evident from the fact that they can “summon” the royal family, as seen with Lilliana.

The reason the Church has summoned us at this time is—

“Simply put, we’ve caught their attention.”

After sharing the general organizational structure of the Church,

Jurgen resumed his explanation.

“It’s unclear whether the northern rebellion led by Archbishop Johann was his own decision or the collective will of the Church. But regardless of the process, they likely didn’t expect it to fail. Our role in stopping it has undoubtedly drawn their attention. Moreover—”

Pausing for a moment, Jurgen turned his gaze to Hermes and Lilliana.

“Those who accomplished it—Her Highness Lilliana and Hermes… or more specifically, the magic they wield—is something they cannot ignore, no matter how hard they try. Because…”

“…The Church has always defined Bloodline Magic as ‘a gift from the Star God’.”

“Exactly.”

Jurgen nodded without objection, agreeing with Hermes’s addition.

The Church has many doctrines, and over the long years, some of their claims have changed or been interpreted in completely opposite ways.

—However. Their stance on Bloodline Magic… or rather, their view of magic itself, has remained remarkably consistent throughout history.

“All magic, including Bloodline Magic, is a gift from the Star God. Those who do not understand or refuse to acknowledge this are relentlessly persecuted as heretics.”

“…”

“…Right.”

“Of course, researching magic is out of the question. In the past, there were movements aimed at the kingdom’s development that were met with entire regions being burned to the ground.”

“Wha…!”

“Tch!”

“Additionally, they strongly discriminate based on the ‘nature’ of Bloodline Magic. …When Katia first manifested [Soteira Trivia], it was condemned as an abominable magic… and that started with the Church’s inquisitors.”

“I see…”

Albert, Nina, Katia, Sara, and Hermes.

The children each reacted differently to the Church’s deeds being recounted.

Speechless, shocked, silent, convinced… the only common thread was that none of them held a positive impression.

And as Hermes began to piece things together from what was being said, Jurgen spoke again, as if anticipating his thoughts.

“That’s right. For the Church… the magic wielded by Hermes and Her Highness Lilliana, the Creation Magic, is…

—something they would ‘never allow, no matter what’.”

A summons from such a large organization with that mindset.

In other words—

“Let me be clear. …This will undoubtedly not end peacefully.”

We don’t even know what they plan to do after summoning us. At worst, they might try to ‘dispose’ of Hermes and Lilliana, who can use Creation Magic, and erase their existence. It’s like jumping into a tiger’s den or a pot of poison. Therefore—

“That’s why… ‘refusing the summons’ is also an option.”

“!”

Jurgen said this, as if aligning with Hermes’s thoughts.

“At the extreme, we could ignore the Church. We could continue preparing to retake the royal capital without involving them…”

Pausing again,

“—Her Highness Lilliana. The decision is yours.”

“Huh—”

The final decision was directed at the girl sitting next to Hermes.

Lilliana was flustered by the sudden responsibility. But… she quickly realized.

Given her position, it was only natural for her to make the final decision.

Moreover… Jurgen had recently been delegating decision-making authority to the children at key moments.

She understood his intent. …He was preparing them for the future, encouraging their growth. So that, in case of emergency, they could think and decide on their own.

This was something she hadn’t been entrusted with before meeting Hermes and the others. Feeling the trust placed in her and knowing she had to live up to it… Lilliana thought for a moment before speaking.

“…First, Master. May I hear your opinions…?”

She first turned to her subordinates. To fill in the gaps in her knowledge… and to gain insights that Jurgen had likely deliberately withheld, she sought the thoughts of the master she trusted most and his friends.

Hermes, who had been asked, placed a hand on his chin and after a moment…

“There’s one thing I’d like to confirm.”

He said this, then turned to Jurgen.

“—If we were to attack the royal capital with our current forces, could we retake it?”

“…It would be difficult.”

Without hesitation… or rather, with a faint smile at the expected question, Jurgen answered.

“Of course, the forces we currently have under our command, including the Harvest territories and the northern alliance, are quite powerful. But the First Prince of the royal capital also has a significant number of nobles on his side, and the strength of the organization led by his aide, Laplace, is unknown. Attempting to retake the capital now would be too risky.”

“Then, even if we ignore the Church, increasing our forces is essential…”

Next to speak was Albert. Since the discussion was in full swing, no one interrupted him as he spoke.

“In that case, we’ll need additional support. What about the ‘neutral nobles’ you mentioned earlier, Duke? If there’s someone who can rally them, perhaps we could negotiate…”

“Th-that might be difficult… I think.”

However, Sara interjected at this point. Albert didn’t seem offended and encouraged her to continue. Sara bowed slightly and spoke again.

“If we ignore the Church’s summons… depending on the Church’s current state, they will almost certainly retaliate. They place the utmost importance on their authority, so those who defy their will… will likely be shown no mercy. If we can’t immediately move to retake the royal capital, and they attack our base while we’re away trying to gather more forces…”

“Even if we leave the others behind to hold the fort, we’d still take significant losses. Being in a constant state of readiness, not knowing when the enemy might strike, is exhausting… With the risk of a Church attack looming, things would be very difficult.”

Sara, who knew the Church well, and Nina, who understood the northern forces, added their thoughts. Their arguments were convincing enough that Albert didn’t object. Even though his idea was countered, he didn’t get upset and simply nodded, saying, “I see.”

“Albert’s idea of increasing our forces is something we’ll need to consider eventually. But… if that’s the case, it’s even more important to eliminate any threats behind us. At worst, we could be caught in a pincer attack between the Church and the royal capital’s forces during the retaking… which could lead to total annihilation.”

Finally, Katia, who as a duke’s daughter had studied these matters thoroughly, added her thoughts.

“Also. When we retake the royal capital, we’ll need to understand the circumstances behind Prince Herc’s coup… the background of the turmoil.”

“Right. In that sense… this time, it’s worth the risk to answer the Church’s summons. Rather than being ‘summoned,’ we should see it as ‘infiltrating’ to gather information. So, we should accept—”

Building on Katia’s words, Hermes summarized their conclusion.

“—That’s the conclusion we’ve reached. Does that align with your thoughts, Duke?”

“…Oh my.”

Jurgen smiled slightly, realizing that Hermes had seen through his test. With a wry smile and a shrug that carried an apology, he replied.

“Yes, my conclusion is the same. The considerations leading up to it are perfect. —The Church has been making some suspicious moves lately. In fact, this might be an opportunity.”

“…That’s the situation, Lily-sama.”

“—”

—Honestly, it was more than she had expected.

She had only wanted to hear their opinions as a reference, but they had engaged in a discussion far beyond her imagination. Essentially, the children alone had reached the same level of thought process and conclusion as Jurgen.

Once again, she realized… just how high-level her subordinates were in every sense.

“There are risks, but I think it’ll be fine. Unlike before, we now have a solid foundation and forces. Even if the opponent is the Church, they won’t be able to crush us so easily. And—if it comes to it. I’ll… no, we’ll protect you.”

“Ah…”

…Finally. The words she most wanted to hear were spoken.

Lilliana’s cheeks flushed, and she once again gripped the hem of his clothes… then raised her head.

“…I understand.”

She made her decision.

“Let’s go to the Church. We don’t know what will happen, but… we’ll gather the information we need and eliminate any threats. And… personally. There’s something I want to know as well…”

After firmly stating this,

Lilliana remembered as she spoke. …Whenever she heard the word “Church,” she couldn’t help but think of one of her family members.

Understanding her feelings, her dependable subordinates responded with strong assurances.

◆

After the decision was made and the meeting adjourned.

“Hermes, do you have a moment?”

As Hermes walked down the hallway, Jurgen called out to him.

“Duke, is something the matter?”

“Ah. There’s something I didn’t mention during the meeting… something too uncertain to bring up. But I thought I should tell you.”

“!”

From the tone of his voice, it seemed important.

Judging this, Hermes straightened his posture and waited for Jurgen’s words.

“…About the Church. I’ve been doing some personal research… and I found some records that might shed light on the true nature of the Church’s most secretive magic, the ‘inexplicable power’ you mentioned.”

“Eh—”

Hermes couldn’t help but gasp.

The technique… or perhaps true magic… that Archbishop Johann had used during the northern rebellion.

“The records are dubious, but there are some intriguing parts, so I decided to share them. The document I found said this—”

“…Yes.”

Listening intently, Hermes waited as Jurgen spoke.

“It is the absolute proof of the Church’s faith. A step above Bloodline Magic, a true magic bestowed by the gods. A power that can split the heavens and rend the earth, the very force that created the world.”

He revealed its name.

“It is called—Creation Magic.”

“—”

That.

Oddly enough, it bore the same name as the magic he wielded, Creation Magic.

No… was it really a coincidence?

Was it chance, or fate? Was it accidental, or intentional?

The one who had created this magic, Rose… what did she know, and how much? Had she named it with this in mind?

Of course, it could all be baseless worry. Given that Jurgen hadn’t mentioned it until now, it likely had little credibility. It would be easy to dismiss.

But. To do so… the name was far too familiar to him.

“…Hermes. This is just an intuition, but let me give you a warning.”

Seeing his reaction, Jurgen continued with a serious expression, despite his words.

“The Church is a terrifying place. So, if you get deeply involved with them… you might end up seeing something unimaginable, something beyond comprehension.”

“…”

“If that happens… please, don’t lose yourself.”

“…Yes. I understand.”

There was a strange weight to his words. Perhaps Jurgen, in his past, had experienced something similar.

So, Hermes accepted the advice of this respected elder and stored it in his heart.

And three days later.

The day finally came to depart for the Church headquarters, where many things were converging.