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 144.2. Reunion

He revealed something a little unexpected.

“This country can no longer survive as it is. I am the first prince, and I care more about this country than anyone else. I can no longer trust the church, whose only concern is preserving the status quo. That’s why I have to take action. So—”

Herc then shifted his gaze toward Liliana.

“—I have no reason to be hindered by some upstart faction.”

“O…onii-sama…”

“Whatever advice or schemes you may have— I’ll tell you now. It’s all a waste and a nuisance. So… leave. Or I’ll crush you.”

He delivered the same conclusion as Lyla. At this point, Liliana could only stare blankly at her siblings.

…I see. Liliana’s reaction is understandable. She couldn’t have expected this. There must be various reasons behind it, but in a way, it seems they’ve already made up their minds.

And. Even though it’s only been a few days since he met her, after hearing someone speak so harshly about the girl he’s formed a bond with. Considering everything that has happened, even a somewhat wiser Hermes—

—was not about to stay silent.

He glanced at Jurgen one last time, but there was no sign of him stopping him. In that case, it’s fine to proceed. With that certainty, he took a step forward to shield Liliana.

“…”

“What is it?”

Herc and Lyla both turned their gazes on him. Without flinching under the pressure of their stares, Hermes smiled serenely— the kind of smile that, to those who know better, reveals something different.

“It’s an honor to meet you both, Your Highnesses. My name is Hermes. Your noble intentions and speeches have deeply moved me. However—”

He spoke clearly.

“—that. In the end, it’s only the level that would lose to Prince Aster, isn’t it?”

There was a sharp sound, like the air being torn apart. As expected, his words must have struck a nerve with the royal siblings.

No matter what they say— —they’ve already allowed Aster to rise. From that fact alone, Hermes delivered a scathing irony, implying that their limits had already been exposed.

Lyla glared at him with unwavering eyes, and Herc ground his teeth as he stared at Hermes. Unfazed by their glares, Hermes continued to look down on the royals with cold eyes. From the start, he was never one to be intimidated by status.

“If you can’t even pretend to listen to Lily-sama’s words under those circumstances, then it’s not a conviction. It’s narrow-mindedness.”

Having an unyielding resolve is fine. But if you refuse even to pretend to hear her out, if you don’t care at all about what brought her here, there’s no way anyone could just stay silent.

“Especially you, Prince Herc.”

Hermes shifted his gaze toward the first prince.

“If you understand that ‘the same as before’ won’t work, why do you dismiss Lily-sama as an ‘upstart faction’?”

“…”

“That very thought proves you’re trapped in the ‘same as before.’ I’ve seen countless people like that.”

Perhaps because of the weight of his words, or because of the atmosphere Hermes created, Herc could do nothing but grit his teeth as Hermes was about to deliver another blow—

And then. He heard something surprising.

“—Hey now. Could you not bully our prince so much?”

“…Huh?”

Hermes stopped speaking instinctively. It wasn’t the content of the words. It was the voice—he never imagined hearing it here.

Unable to believe it, Hermes turned his gaze in the direction of the voice. And walking toward him was—just as expected—an unexpected man.

A figure whose age was hard to guess, with an inscrutable appearance. Dusky gray hair and blue eyes. A sharply handsome face that exuded a wild, dangerous charm.

The encounter was brief, but unforgettable.

This was the man who manipulated Clyde during the academy attack, and the man Hermes faced in the end— —one of the leaders of the organization that threatens the kingdom.

How could he be here—? That question was immediately answered by none other than Prince Herc’s voice.

“…Laplace-dono.”

With his name spoken, and with unmistakable trust embedded in Herc’s tone, everything clicked.

The rumor about members of the organization infiltrating both factions. The sudden surge in power within the first prince’s faction. The mastermind, unknown even to Jurgen’s investigations, behind their rise.

It all connected—unfortunately.

They hadn’t just infiltrated near the heart of the faction—they’d fully penetrated it to a fatal level.

As Hermes stared in shock, the man gave a polite bow and said,

“—Nice to meet you, Second and Third Princesses, and the hero of that academy incident.”

With the same unfathomable smile from that time, the man introduced himself.

“I’ve been assisting the first prince for some time now. The name is Laplace. Let’s make sure we’re well acquainted, at least until the time for resolution comes.”