The Villain Purchased the Heroine

"Hmm…."

A small girl, fixated on Alicia from afar, shot her a piercing gaze. You'd think sticking her head out like that next to the stone wall would hurt her legs or back, but her spirit was unyielding.

The girl, who stayed near the Village Chief's house where her party was lodged, had firmly decided that Alicia was a princess and visited every morning to seize an opportunity.

Unable to bear the intense stare any longer, Alicia paused her chores and approached her, speaking gently to prevent the vigilant girl from running away, treating her like a small animal.

"How about you come inside and sit for a bit…? No one will hurt you."

With a firm grip, the girl took Alicia's hand and pulled her in, her face momentarily flushed with effort. Alicia's body hesitated under the pressure but then resisted, planting her feet firmly.

"And I've told you several times, I'm not a princess. The one I serve isn't some evil magician leader either."

"Ugh…! I have to go, princess! You're being tricked right now!"

"…I really am not. Edel, come inside and at least talk for a bit. There's delicious cake!"

"Cake…?"

At the mention of cake, the girl's ears perked up.

Edel, as the girl was called, widened her eyes and mouth, and her grip loosened. With a dazed expression, she faced Alicia.

"Yes, it's cake. A delicious snack with soft bread and sweet cream on top!"

"That's the kind of food you eat every day in the castle! I know that!"

Whether they actually eat cake every day in the castle was debatable, but at least she seemed willing to listen now. Alicia's master had instructed her to ignore such pesky little ones, but it certainly wasn't easy to dismiss a girl who showed up every single day.

If she could clear up the misunderstanding and make her realize that Alicia didn't need rescuing, perhaps the visits would stop.

'Hmm…?'

As those thoughts crossed her mind, Alicia felt a strange dissonance.

'Now that I think about it, this is odd. Normally, she would just tell me to ignore it and get back to work, or she'd have made sure this girl couldn't come at all or enforced some strong measures…'

"Don't!"

The girl's sudden shout interrupted Alicia's train of thought.

"Don't, don't! Edel, get a grip! We have to save the princess. Bad magicians are coming soon!"

"Yes, no. Edel, get a grip! We have to save the princess. Bad magicians will be coming soon."

Edel slapped her cheeks with her tiny hands, giving herself a stern pep talk. It was kind of impressive that she wasn't swayed by temptation despite being a child, but right now, it would be nice if she could just give it a rest.

Edel grabbed Alicia's hand again. The small child's high temperature and slight sweat could be felt.

'What should I do about this?'

Just as she pondered that, a woman came sprinting from the direction of the girl's house, horrified. She looked like she'd been working in the fields, with dirt smeared on various parts of her clothes, but she darted over when she noticed her daughter's antics.

She scooped up Edel with both hands, blocking her view of Alicia. Edel strongly protested.

"Let me go, Mom! We need to save the princess!!"

"I told you not to cause a fuss when I come here! Why won't you listen?"

"But the princess…"

"The princess is busy right now. You're making her unable to do what she needs to do!"

"Because of me…?"

Edel, who had been squirming, suddenly froze, losing strength like a fish out of water. She slowly lifted her head to look at Alicia, the firm determination in her eyes fading away.

"Princess, am I getting in trouble with the bad magicians because of me…? Am I being bullied because I came here?"

Oh no, her tear-filled eyes looked like they were about to burst at any moment.

"Oh dear, what's wrong with the child?"

Noticing the signs, the girl's mother thought she shouldn't make things worse and patted Edel's back, trying to hold back her own tears. She had to do that.

Though she didn't know the details, she had heard that the dignitaries from the clan who came to the village were of very high status. Until that moment, she thought it had nothing to do with her… Just had to be careful about how she acted outside, that was all.

But sure enough.

Her eldest daughter, who had just been playing outside with her little brother, was spilling something utterly shocking.

When Edel proudly revealed that she pesters that place every morning, it was so unbelievable it almost made her faint.

"I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry. My child is so thoughtless, I'm truly sorry."

"It's okay…! I'm fine."

Alicia waved her hands at the constantly apologizing woman, saying it was unnecessary to apologize so much.

Whether she realized the situation or not, Edel still looked like she was about to cry. She seemed deeply dejected, lacking energy.

Alicia noticed that Edel's gaze no longer pointed at her. Watching the girl slumped in the woman's arms, she suddenly came to a realization.

Ah. So that's it.

It wasn't just about rescuing.

Alicia reached out her hand to the little girl.

She stroked Edel's head, which held a beautiful color like ripened rice. From top to bottom. Gently, like combing her hair.

Then, Edel lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with tears, but they hadn't yet fallen, just pooling there.

"I'm not a princess, and I'm not captured by a bad magician. But it's true I have a lot to do."

"Well, it's not like I have a tongue or anything. But it's true that there's a lot I need to do."

Edel blinks her eyes.

Every time Alicia's hand reaches out, she closes her eyes once.

"I'll come visit Edel's house once I finish everything. Can you wait just a little longer until then?"

Alicia's hand, which stopped stroking, had only her pinky finger extended. Edel knows well enough what that means.

"Mm…"

So, that's one more promise from Alicia.

*

"Haah… Haah… Young Master… At this point, could you at least tell me why we're doing this? I'm pouring out so much of my mana… I should at least know the reason, right?!"

Paula leans on her large staff, struggling to keep upright. Her tongue hangs long, and her body repeatedly contracts and expands as if nausea has hit her, showing her fatigue.

Because of Paula's usual conduct, it's often overlooked that she is quite talented and holds the position of professor at Academia.

She has a significant amount of mana, and to see her this exhausted from using it is quite the rarity.

But—

"Shut up."

I'm aware of Paula's complaints, but revealing the meaning of our current situation could jeopardize my plans.

Thus, my conclusion is that I can't tell her.

Not pleased with my response, Paula straightens up from leaning on her staff and sharply raises her eyebrows.

"If you keep making everything a secret, I won't help you anymore! Even if I'm a tutor, this is tyranny! Tyranny!"

"30 gold."

"Don't change the subject! What are you even saying to someone who's angry right now!"

Do you not understand?

Should I elaborate a little more?

"It's the money the tutor receives each month from Schugenharz."

"Well, that… is undeniable."

The sparks that were about to explode within Paula begin to dwindle. The undeniable reality has set in.

"I hope you're not expecting a clear explanation?"

"…Ugh."

Paula grinds her teeth, trying to resist, but soon she deflates like a popped balloon.

She knows. Without needing a long explanation, the amount Paula receives is significant.

It's the same for being a professor at Academia. Considering that a starting professor's monthly salary is 10 gold, the weight of the sum she receives becomes apparent.

Furthermore, in Paula's case, she's in a situation where her salary has been significantly reduced due to the various problems she's caused at Academia. She might even be earning less than during her initial days.

"If you put it that way, I suppose it's only right that I do as required… Haah… I see. I was wrong. What right do I have to complain about receiving 30 gold a month? I should just shut up and do it."

After a brief moment of silence, Paula, for some reason, finds it hard to open her mouth.

"…Then, I'll just ask you one thing."

The angry expression she had moments ago, mixed with a hint of mischief, disappears, replaced by concern.

"Are you planning to kill Alicia?"

Paula continues speaking. I let her words bounce off my ears as I pour the mana contained in the vial into the object rooted in the ground.

He poured the magical energy into the grounded object.

Drip, drip. A liquid flowed from a transparent bottle, aided by a bit of magic to allow the blue liquid to deeply penetrate.

"That's… the mana from Miss Alicia we got from that Scavenger Bug pit, isn't it?"

It's a liquid with an extremely high concentration, boasting a density that can't even be compared to the mana floating in the air.

Having drawn the power of the extraordinary genius named Alicia all the way to the root, even if it's compressed, it's still a considerable amount. And it's not even in a completed form yet.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Young Master, but I know there will be a significant backlash on Miss Alicia… Moreover, the more intense the experience used as a material, the closer it brings you to death."

Though her current field and what she was doing were somewhat different, Paula was a specialist in magical spells. While the materials she had confirmed weren't the entirety of this spell, she probably grasped the rough context.

So that's why she's been such a bother to me.

From the start, Paula wanted to prevent my actions. Her expressing difficulty and anger was merely a convenient shield. As someone who dislikes the atmosphere turning heavy, she likely tried to handle things lightly, just like always.

"Weren't you protective of Miss Alicia? She has plenty of potential for the future even without this method…!"

"Do you know the future, Professor?"

"What?"

Paula's mouth dropped open, indicating she couldn't fathom my words. I could almost hear her mentally asking why I was saying such a thing now, just like moments ago.

"I asked if you know the future."

"Young Master, I'm asking seriously right now!"

"Paula."

I called her name.

With a face full of things she wanted to say, Paula glared at me.

"If you don't act, that would be the same as a failed outcome."

This wasn't said to share a proverb or teaching. She wouldn't fully comprehend what I was saying. But there was no need for her to worry. That was a normal thought process and nothing strange at all.

"..."

Though Paula didn't understand the reason, she seemed to realize my conviction and let out a long sigh. Then she bit her lip, her eyes filled with melancholy.

Finally, she spoke.

"If something happens to Miss Alicia, won't that 'outcome' be unreachable?"

Paula's powerless question didn't seek my answer. She knew I would proceed as I wished, regardless, and she didn't plan to oppose it.

Yet, the reason she posed such a question was like a last shred of conscience. Her relationship with Alicia had compelled Paula to voice her thoughts.

That's quite a pained expression, Paula. Could it be that you've already come to care this much?

This is why emotions can be terrifying. The irrational tends to devour reason and seeks to control. Once consumed by emotion, a person, no different from an animal, desires pleasure.

However, I shall never fall for such things.

If I can't use Alicia, won't I reach my outcome? That's just laughable.

"I'll just use another method then."