I and the Witch of Time Who Seeks the Past

Chapter 3 – The Magic Association (6)

As soon as Mr. Henry finished speaking, he did not continue, but instead allowed the silence to linger.

Everyone knew that this abnormal silence was, in fact, a silent roar.

"Mr. Will, please step forward to the Table of Truth."

What?!

I jolted as though waking from a dream—Mr. Henry had called my name? No... surely there must be another person named Will.

"Oh... my apologies, I misspoke. I meant: Miss Lijedahl's assistant, Mr. Will, please step forward to the Table of Truth."

It really was me. Heavens.

I quickly steeled myself, and under the astonished stares of the crowd, walked toward the Round Table—the Table of Truth.

At the edge of the table, I halted.

The thirty members of the Round Table fixed me with various gazes, and Henry promptly said.

"Please, step inside the Table of Truth."

Only then did I step over the boundary. The moment I drew closer, I felt a strange oppressive force weighing on me, making me slightly dizzy.

Though I didn't understand magic, I recalled Lijedahl once mentioning that this was the source of President Wolf's teleportation magic. Perhaps the power here was repelling me somehow.

But... that wasn't the problem. The real problem was how to walk with dignity to Lijedahl's side and stand properly behind her position.

Enduring the pressure, I used the formal step and movement I had once practiced for serious occasions, approached Lijedahl, and stood tall and silent behind her.

I noticed a subtle doubt flicker in the eyes of some Round Table members, though none openly expressed it. So I remained where I was, quietly waiting for the next instruction.

"Very polite, Mr. Will."

Mr. Henry gave me a courteous smile before explaining.

"Since Miss Lijedahl has no apprentices, no other trustworthy companions, and only you—her most trusted magical assistant—she has requested that you be allowed to assist her. Therefore, the meeting has decided that you will accompany Miss Lijedahl throughout these proceedings."

"Understood. Thank you for the explanation."

I bowed slightly in acknowledgment.

"Then, let us continue the meeting."

His face returned to its usual sternness. At that moment, the document was passed among the Round Table members for review, and finally reached Lijedahl.

She opened it, intending to tug at my collar to draw me into her analysis, but then she suddenly realized the formal separation of roles between us in this meeting. She pulled her hand back, read through it once, and only then passed it to me.

What I saw was written as follows.

"According to intelligence reports, the recent magical disturbances originated in London. While their exact source cannot be precisely located, it has been confirmed that magical fluctuations occur twice daily—between 3:00 AM and 7:00 AM. No consistent pattern can be determined, only the timeframe. Each surge releases a massive wave of magic that spreads outward from London across the nation.

Once the surge dissipates, the residual magic lingers in the clouds, triggering abnormal natural phenomena. The most severe of these is heavy, widespread rainfall, which destroys crops, blocks transportation, damages infrastructure, and creates disasters."

I skimmed through and prepared to lay the document flat on the table.

Suddenly, flames without heat erupted in my hands, consuming the paper. Startled, I almost cried out to report the document's destruction—until I noticed Mr. Henry's finger subtly pointing toward it. I understood at once: it was his magic.

I immediately regained my composure. The document had already burned to nothing.

"The abnormal magical fluctuations have shrouded our nation in disaster. Ordinary citizens' lives are being disrupted by these disturbances. We must identify the source of the problem. Mr. Helles, has your task force uncovered any intelligence regarding the magical fluctuations?"

The President's solemn voice carried an edge of urgency as he addressed a tall, elderly man. His skin was dark, his body gaunt, his face fierce, and both hair and beard already gray.

"Report to you, Mr. Wolf: This morning at 6:32, a surge of extraordinary speed occurred. My task force had already begun patrolling early, and at the moment of the surge, we attempted a capture and deduction. Though we still could not pinpoint the exact location, we have now confirmed that the disturbance lies within the triangular area formed by Tower Bridge, London Bridge, and the Tower of London."

"At last, the area has been narrowed down? Excellent news."

A woman, simply dressed yet carrying the refined charm unique to a mature lady, sighed as she spoke.

It was only then that I noticed—she was one of the Revivalists, while Mr. Helles belonged to the War Party.

It seemed that, when facing a common issue, they would not remain as divided as they had been last time.

"Yes, Miss Melina. I am glad we're close to uncovering the truth."

Mr. Helles spoke without expression, yet from his eyes I caught a glimpse of sincerity. It seemed he was simply not skilled at showing it on his face.

"We haven't found it yet. Don't be too optimistic. Let's allow the meeting to proceed."

Miss Vianna, the one who had earlier contradicted Mr. Ken, cut in with some impatience—then turned her gaze toward me.

"You're the first assistant in the Magic Association to stand at the Table of Truth. And... your master is also the first person to sit at such a position on her very first visit here."

She smiled mockingly. I only returned a polite smile, offering no reply.

"Miss Vianna, please refrain from making remarks irrelevant to the meeting."

Mr. Henry cautioned her.

"Fine."

She flipped through the letters she had brought, taking up a pen and busying herself with corrections.

There was no need for me to pry into her business. All I needed was to manage myself and properly support Lijedahl.

"Very well. Once the meeting is adjourned, send your task force to investigate. Best not to involve the police—they all belong to the Academy of Sciences. If they ask questions, just tell them—"

"No need, President Wolf. My real name is sufficient."

"Ah, yes. In that case, allow me to thank you for your service to the Magic Association, Mr. Helles."

"No need for that."

After speaking with him, the president's tone hardened again, his expression growing more solemn.

"Mr. Henry, you may sit."

Mr. Henry gave a slight bow before returning to his seat.

"Now then, regarding that extremely strong surge not long ago—the one that shook nearly every mage in Britain—has anyone determined its cause?"

Both Lijedahl and I instantly realized it was the event that marked our arrival here. We kept our composure, betraying nothing, and quietly waited for the meeting to continue.

Mr. Ken also remained silent. From the beginning of the session until now, he hadn't said a word.

"Mr. Igell, I recall that the surge occurred closest to your manor out of all of us. Do you have any clues?"

"It was indeed the nearest, but I took no action."

"And why not?"

"Have you forgotten? If not for your invitation letter, I would have ignored the affairs of this Magic Association altogether."

"... That is true."

"I know nothing of what followed. As I recall, the surge subsided after three days."

This matter was tied directly to us. If anyone besides Mr. Ken learned the truth, it would bring endless trouble and obstruct our search.

For now, the only choice was to feign ignorance. To say nothing.

"I just recalled—when did you first meet such a genius mage as Miss Lijedahl?"

I sat calmly, waiting for the answer to this dangerous question. If Mr. Ken exposed us, we would face serious trouble afterward.

"About three months ago. My two apprentices, Anna and Jona, encountered Miss Lijedahl and Mr. Will during one of their research walks. Later, I arranged for Anna and Jona to study under Miss Lijedahl. By now, Miss Lijedahl and Mr. Will have been teaching them for two months."

"I see."

President Wolf cast a suspicious look toward us. I, trained to conceal micro-expressions, remained unreadable—but I wasn't certain about Lijedahl.

Only when he finally withdrew that doubtful gaze did I allow myself a quiet sigh of relief.

"So, no one knows what caused it?"

"Correct."

"Very well. We'll leave that aside for now. It isn't the main concern. The real question is..."

President Wolf coughed lightly, his voice rising to command attention.

"How do we unite all the mages of Britain?"

The words rang out. Yet no one answered.

It seemed the storm of this meeting was about to break.