King Nero’s words kept resounding in my head. I knew that this world was no problemless paradise, but I kept forgetting what Tethia being the only country with such strong magic could entail for the neighbors. If I became the queen I would be the one in charge of preventing that magic from being misused. I had always known this, but it felt different after the recent events.

As my mind continued to wander I took a break from working on management and headed outside. I hadn’t had much time to spend in it, but the garden here truly was beautiful. 

I made my way over to the gazebo and took a seat under the climbing rose trellis. The breeze felt nice, and the steady sound of approaching footsteps was even calming.

“My lady,” a male voice called out.

Wait, approaching footsteps? There wasn’t anyone here just before. I turned to face whoever called out to me, and it was none other than Lann’s out of place butler.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

He entered the gazebo. “I have been waiting for a chance to talk to you,” he said, “You know, don’t you?”

“I know what?” I asked cautiously.

“That the Headmaster is a traitor.”

I froze. This was a man from Beraud. Why did he know about a traitor in Tethia?

“My apologies,” he said, seeing my frozen state, “I am Alvis. You may be more familiar with me as the first Headmaster of Tethia and the creator of the Pavilion of Eternal dusk. I also created that book I gave to your friend. It was my original intention to become the head of medical research.”

“Can you prove it?” I demanded. He was definitely the creator of that book, but his claims were too bold to just be instantly believed. Caleb had said that the first Head Magician was still alive, but the headmaster?

“I can, but you probably don’t need that right now,” he told her, “and just Yuki and I are still alive. You don’t have to worry about the original king or queen popping up to haunt you.”

That was relieving but he was completely controlling the conversation here. I felt like i was being left behind.

“You need answers, yes?” Alvis asked, “I will tell you everything I know about the corruption of the headmasters and their goal in betraying Tethia. After that I will answer any questions you might have for me.”

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This all seemed a little too convenient but it couldn’t hurt to at least hear him out. Besides, I had a feeling deep down that he was the real deal and the reason he had come to me was because the rulers of Tethia were either in the headmaster’s pocket or would not believe him.

“Continue,” I prompted.

“Even I am not sure when it started, as after I passed on my position I left Tethia to travel,” Alvies began, “but upon returning I had been completely forgotten, and something about the headmaster position had been changing for a few generations. I should have realized something then, but I thought I was just getting grumpy for being written out of history. However, when I visited Tethia again, no one even knew what my beloved Pavilion of Eternal Dusk was. The headmasters had begun using it only for secret meetings with their favorite headmaster candidates and spread bad rumors, leaving the Pavilion lost in history along with me.”

“However, it wasn’t until the current headmaster that I realized what the goal was. As the headmasters have slowly been taking over the tasks from the others, I thought they were trying to control the kingdom, but I was too naive. Cassandra, every task they have taken over has to do with magic, magic creatures, and magic laws.”

“What are you getting at?” I asked, a chill running down my spine.

“The headmasters have been slowly stealing Tethia’s magic and storing it in the Pavilion. They have been using their sway to cover it up. Once I found that out it was a simple thing to look into the Records of Tethia, a book I originally created to observe that place. The headmasters want to slowly make the world forget about magic, and use it to become a deity here. They claim it is the wish of the first headmaster.”

“But you are the first headmaster,” I finished, “and if you wanted to be worshipped as a diety you could have gotten away with it a long time ago, right?”

“That’s right,” Alvis confirmed, “but the life of a deity is not as nice as many imagine. It is surrounded by greed, fear, and loneliness.”

“So you did try,”

“Moving on, are you aware of the purpose my Pavilion once served?”

“It allowed schooling to happen in an instant in reality, right?” I asked.

“Close. It can only go up to two years, and that two years are spent in a perfectly crafted simulation of the position that each student is aiming for. It includes all of the normal stress and hardships, but unlike reality it is over after just two years, and when you return time never passed, giving each student time to think about what they really want from their future.”

I was a little surprised by this one. That simulation sounded very nice. It would all but negate the first years of trial and error in a new position. However, things that sounded too nice always had a catch.

“However, the Pavilion can only be accessed by a headmaster or a headmaster candidate who has been granted the seal. The headmasters have also altered the seal, only allowing limited access to guests, and even themselves. They have not broken my room, but now I am the only one with the ability to use it properly,” Alvis continued, “I wish to help you and your friends like I did with the Gaia situation.”

“Wait, the Gaia situation?” I asked.

“I happened to let slip to Prince Lann the weaknesses I knew about, and he took advantage of them instantly without me even having to prompt him. He still has those weaknesses in his pocket so I am sure he will be fine. He would be a good boy if it weren’t for his overprivileged attitude and the bias the former butler taught him.”

“Why did you give us the Records of Tethia, even though we can barely use it?” I asked, “You clearly rely on it a lot to help us from the shadows.”

“I gave it to you because I intend to stop helping from the shadows,” Alvis answered.

“You’re going to stop helping?”

“Not at all,” Alvis chuckled, “I have been released from my position in Beraud. There is one butler for hire right here. All you need to do is take advantage of it.”

I wasn’t sure I trusted him yet, but Alvis was not someone I wanted as an opponent. “Very well,” I told him, “but if I hire you I expect you to work. You will help me with territory management on top of helping with the issue with the Headmaster.”

“Of course,” Alvis replied with confidence and bowed with perfect elegance.