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 185. A Piece On The Board

──And so, the future envisioned by the Archbishop was complete.

That night, as the brainwashing was completed, the Geass of Constraint was also discarded, making it possible to issue a murder command to Nina.

From there, he once again foresaw the future, confirming in his dreams that the scene unfolding was exactly as he had imagined, and he proceeded to execute his plan.

First, he predicted the actions of Lilliana, the only one he couldn’t read, as much as possible based on the people around her and his own experience. He judged that targeting the Northern Union according to theory was the best course of action, while also──making every effort to separate Lilliana and Hermes, arranging things so that irregularities wouldn’t interfere.

Lilliana’s magic, while certainly surprising, was mostly within expectations. The situation progressed without deviating from the Archbishop’s assumptions, and finally──just as predicted, Hermes forcefully charged at him, only to be intercepted by Nina, who had already been brainwashed.

(──I’ve won.)

Johann was certain.

Hermes… seemed to have barely escaped before the charm took full effect, but it was futile.

Nina wouldn’t let her prey escape in that state. Hermes must have known that too, and while he likely assumed he would eventually be caught by Nina, he still tried to deliver a shot at Johann──

(That too, I’ve foreseen.)

The Archbishop knew that too would be futile.

The reason was the magical tool he carried with him at all times, which had just blocked Hermes’ [Mistle Teinn].

It was the same type of magical tool that Rose had brought to the Trakia family──an ancient artifact.

Its excellence lay in its ability to instantly generate a barrier without the lag of incantations, like bloodline magic. Thus, as long as he remained vigilant, he could easily block any attack.

From his position, it was only natural to consider assassinations, and he had repelled them countless times with this tool.

Therefore, all that was left was to watch as the other side was cornered.

Even so, Hermes desperately resisted, trying to find a way out. Watching the foolish boy’s struggle with scorn, the Archbishop muttered to himself.

“I’ll admit your tenacity, but it’s futile. …Ah, you must have worked so hard to get here, you must have moved so many people.”

Hermes’ footsteps, from the moment he became a target of suspicion, and from the foresight, he understood. How much Hermes had built up to get to this point.

…But, ironically. The stronger he became, the more he was dancing in the palm of the Archbishop’s hand.

Truly, it was laughable how everything had gone exactly as predicted.

Johann did not believe in goodwill.

And he also understood, from the strength of the charm magic Hermes was now under, how much Hermes had built up those feelings, how much he had moved those who followed him, those who trusted him──

──And now, from the strength of the charm magic Hermes was under, he understood it all too well.

“Then, let that goodwill be your death.”

The Archbishop delivered the final words.

Everything you’ve built up, everything you’ve created. It has now become the power of the magic binding you.

The fragility and transience of goodwill that the Archbishop believed in. He demonstrated it with the greatest irony and the highest pleasure. That was the final reason he had chosen this method of killing.

Know this. What you’ve believed in exists only to be destroyed like this.

As he muttered that message in his heart and watched.

Finally, as Hermes, unable to move due to the restrictions and exhaustion, stood before him. Nina, without hesitation, closed in and raised her sword──

──And pierced Hermes’ chest without a moment’s hesitation.

“…Ha.”

The Archbishop laughed. Without surprise, with arrogant certainty, he watched the scene unfold.

Because he had known.

From the day he had reworked his plan.

──This scene alone had remained unwavering in his foresight.

The sword was pulled out. Blood spilled. Hermes collapsed powerlessly to the ground, and Nina stood motionless.

“Ha ha, ha ha ha ha!”

The scene of the conclusion, confirmed countless times. The best possible outcome, exactly as foreseen.

It had now, unmistakably, been recreated before his eyes. The foresight had come true without the slightest deviation, and the Archbishop laughed uproariously.

──The fact that he had not foreseen ‘what came next’ became his greatest downfall.

“Now, Herm-kun.”

Before Nina’s──voice, filled with clear intent, could reach the Archbishop.

Hermes… who should have been collapsed, raised one hand while still on the ground, pointing his finger at the Archbishop──

“──[Hlidskjalf]”

The bloodline magic.

──The magic he had been chanting while being pierced by Nina, was unleashed.

A rain of light poured down on the Archbishop.

“Gah──────!?”

As if to say it was only natural, Johann reacted instantly, trying to deploy a barrier.

But, it was a hair too late. The rays of light reached him before the barrier could be fully deployed, striking him with a blow that, while not fatal, was still severe.

And most importantly… just as intended. One of the rays struck the barrier-activating magical tool, completely destroying Johann’s means of defense.

…Of course, under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t have happened. In front of the vigilant Archbishop, any long-range attack would have been blocked by the magical tool.

But, in this moment. The greatest foresight had been realized, victory had been assured, and Johann, having let his guard down, was struck──no.

It was only in this moment that Johann had let his guard down, as Nina had ‘foreseen’.

“What──how──impossible──”

Johann, barely managing to block the remaining rays, stood up despite his severe injuries. He muttered in disbelief at the completely unexpected turn of events.

What had happened.

He quickly tried to make sense of the situation. The magic that had just struck him was [Hlidskjalf]. Why Hermes could use that witch’s magic was unclear… no, that wasn’t it. More importantly, there was a far more significant and obvious point, which was──

“Hermes is──alive!?”

Staggering, he stood up and looked ahead.

There… despite being on the verge of death from the stab wound to his chest, Hermes stood up. His emerald eyes unwavering, fixed on the Archbishop.

He, while blood spilled from his mouth, spoke calmly and with clear intent, in one breath──

“──I thought you’d come at me like that.”

◆

(──Guiding the Archbishop’s movements.)

That was, for the final battle.

What Hermes had envisioned in his heart… but couldn’t tell anyone due to the fear of being foreseen, the final move to bring about the conclusion.

The initial… and stated goal of ‘delivering a future that couldn’t be avoided even if foreseen’ was still valid, but given the overwhelming informational advantage on the other side, it was undeniably unstable.

Thus, to ensure a certain victory, Hermes had secretly been working on this.

The way the Archbishop moved the situation was reminiscent of a board game.

It was likely due to his ability to foresee, but his determination to make everything move according to his expectations was something Hermes, who had been on the receiving end, understood all too well.

And Hermes also had experience with board games. During his training, he had often played them with his master, Rose, as a form of mental training.

Based on that experience and his knowledge of magic, he began to formulate his plan.

(……First, understand the opponent’s goal. What is their ultimate objective?)

That much was obvious.

To kill Hermes. That was the Archbishop’s primary objective in this northern rebellion. Given the flow of events so far, there was no doubt about that.

Then, next──what means would they use to achieve that?

The initial plan of using sheer numbers and distrust to exhaust Hermes had already failed. Given that, if they wanted to ensure Hermes’ death now, the options were limited.

First, rather than numbers, they would likely bring in individuals… people with the personal ability to kill Hermes.

Thus, at this point, the possible moves the Archbishop could make were narrowed down to two.

One of them, involving Lucius, wasn’t impossible, but since it was the most obvious move, Hermes was also on high alert. Additionally, by avoiding direct confrontation with Lucius in the final battle, the likelihood of the Archbishop using him directly was extremely low.

Thus, only one move remained.

(──’Have Nina kill me’. Almost certainly, this is what they’ll do.)

Of course, under normal circumstances, it would be unthinkable.

But Hermes had already seen through the Archbishop’s ‘brainwashing’ bloodline magic, which was far from ordinary. …He had also considered the possibility that the Archbishop hadn’t realized the first rule of mind-altering magic──’it doesn’t work on those with the same type of magic’──and that it might bypass that rule.

By controlling Nina and setting her on Hermes, they could catch him off guard, and if the charm took effect, his chances of winning would be even lower than against Lucius.

Additionally, given the Archbishop’s tendency to thoroughly destroy bonds and compassion… the likelihood of him taking this approach was extremely high.

Through this process, Hermes had read the Archbishop’s hand.

──Then, what needed to be done next was simple.

(Undo Nina’s brainwashing. Or, make it seem like she’s brainwashed when she isn’t.)

That’s what we’ll do, Hermes resolved.

Because if that could be done, the board would flip entirely.

The Archbishop’s move would not only lose its meaning but become a fatal blunder, leading not just to complete victory but also preventing any further resistance, cornering the other side entirely.

And most importantly.

The moment one is certain of victory and delivers the final blow is when they are most vulnerable.

This principle applies not just to board games but to all situations, as Hermes had learned from his experiences with his master.

◆

──And so, the future envisioned by Hermes was complete.

Trusting Nina… and more importantly, from their countless sparring sessions at the academy, instantly recognizing that her attacks lacked killing intent, he had her miss his vitals by a margin so slight the Archbishop wouldn’t notice.

Just as predicted, the Archbishop, completely off guard, was struck by Hermes’ strongest attack, severely wounded, and his greatest means of defense destroyed.

The magic or tool that allowed him to foresee the future.

It was indeed a threat. A tremendous power. Undoubtedly, a power even bloodline magic couldn’t achieve.

But──Hermes, with pride in his own beliefs, path, learning, and evolution, answered in his heart.

After all, you don’t need magic to foresee the future──he declared.

That domain is not your exclusive privilege──he declared.

To the man who had arrogantly relied on an extraordinary magical tool, he demonstrated that he could perfectly read his every move.

…Archbishop Johann, with his power of foresight and position, must have moved countless people. Must have denied countless feelings.

This time too. He had treated the battlefield as a board, absolutely, madly. He had moved the situation exactly as he wished… fully believing himself to be the one ‘moving the pieces.’

Thus, Hermes. The boy who the Archbishop thought was the easiest to move, the most compliant, the perfect ‘pawn.’ Yet, even in that position, he had used everything at his disposal, and while still a piece on the board, he had ultimately guided the Archbishop’s movements──and with the signal for the counterattack, declared:

“──How does it feel to be moved by a pawn, Archbishop?”

“Y-you──!”

Archbishop Johann, with his sharp mind, instantly realized──no, he had to realize.

He had been moved. Guided… the one dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand was him.

But… Johann was in disarray.

Because even understanding the background──there was one enormous mystery he couldn’t comprehend.

Undoing Nina’s brainwashing.

Ah, it must have been done. Given the current situation, he had no choice but to admit it, and it was undoubtedly the most effective means.

However.

There was one simple reason he hadn’t foreseen it──no, hadn’t needed to foresee it.

“How did you do it!?”

──It should have been impossible.

His brainwashing, a combination of bloodline magic and conventional means, had never been broken before. Even Lucius had been under his control ninety percent of the time.

And yet, that girl──that powerless, seemingly weak-willed girl──shouldn’t have been able to resist, shouldn’t have been able to break free. If that was the case, then Hermes must have done something──but even if he had, it should have been impossible. Thus, he couldn’t even begin to guess.

“What did you do, when did you do it, how did you do it──no, more importantly!”

Yes, and more importantly.

If Hermes had done something──

“Why couldn’t I foresee it──!?”

Faced with the greatest mystery, the Archbishop could only stand in stunned shock.

“I have no obligation to tell you. It would take too long to explain──and besides.”

Hermes replied calmly… before his knees gave out.

While it had been necessary to lull the Archbishop into a false sense of security, the sword had pierced near his vitals. It was impossible for him to move properly, and further use of magic would be difficult. The only one who could heal such severe injuries, Sara, was currently unable to act.

…But, it didn’t matter.

Because now, on his side, was the most lovely and reliable──

Nina, freed from the Geass of Constraint that prevented her from attacking the Archbishop.

“──Please.”

“Okay.”

As if echoing the beginning of this situation.

Hermes called out to her, and Nina responded. But her tone was the complete opposite of when she had answered the Archbishop──filled with joy and warmth, sounding like a completely different person compared to when she was brainwashed… no, even before that.

As the Archbishop stood in stunned disbelief, wondering what had happened without his knowledge──she turned a defiant gaze toward him.

And thus, to finally bring down the root of the northern rebellion.

The most fitting girl to end it all raised her sword──and charged at Archbishop Johann to deliver the final blow.