Chapter 782: Siegfried and Cinderella

Cinderella, the fairy tale, is one of the most well-known stories worldwide, originally collected and adapted by the French writer Charles Perrault and the German Brothers Grimm.

In some versions, Cinderella is both the title and the name of the main character. While the details may vary between versions, the core story remains consistent.

Cinderella is a kind but unfortunate girl. After her mother's death, she suffers constant mistreatment from her new family members and is forced to do heavy labor, often getting covered in ashes, which earns her the nickname Cinderella. One day, with the help of a magical force (possibly a fairy godmother or a wishing tree), Cinderella transforms into an elegant lady, unrecognizable even to her own family, and attends the prince's ball, eventually finding happiness.

For ordinary people with no connection to the mystical, this is just a fairy tale with a happy moral. However, in the world of mystery, this magical transformation takes on a new meaning, as transformation itself is a form of magecraft. Carina's transformation from a servant into the Golden Princess perfectly aligns with this process.

Of course, given the uniqueness of the Golden Princess, the standard Cinderella spell alone wouldn't suffice. A special magical item was needed, which was the source of the conflict between Galliastra and Iselma—the sacred relic auctioned at that underground auction—the Bloodstained linden leaf with dragon's blood. This leaf was from the moment Siegfried killed Fafnir and bathed in dragon's blood, only to have a single leaf fall on his back, leaving him with a fatal vulnerability.

Because of this Bloodstained linden leaf, Siegfried's invulnerability was compromised, and the leaf absorbed the concept of immortality from the dragon's blood.

As Lorelei said:

"Siegfried bathing in dragon's blood symbolizes his rebirth from a mortal to an immortal hero. This kind of fundamental transformation is enough to elevate the Cinderella spell, making it the perfect magical medium. However, since it was steeped in dragon blood, it's impossible to extract the concept from the medium using ordinary methods. At least Iselma couldn't do it. Only Lord Valualeta and Touko Aozaki could achieve it."

Shinji could have done it too, but since he never showcased his ability to extract concepts in front of Lorelei, he wasn't considered.

"Lord Valualeta, as the biggest loser in this incident, obviously wouldn't do anything to tarnish the Valualeta family's reputation."

Because of Atrum's attack, the fact that the Golden Princess was dead could no longer be hidden. Along with the news of her death, the Iselma forgery incident also spread throughout the Clock Tower. As the main family behind Iselma, the Valualeta family was also implicated and suffered a damaged reputation.

The only two beneficiaries were the El-Melloi Classroom, which successfully made a name for itself and gained some benefits from the Valualeta family, and the aristocrats who opposed democracy—an enemy's loss is our gain.

In the end, only Touko Aozaki remained, a master of both puppetry and human transformation.

"If I remember correctly, you had already roped Touko Aozaki into your plans. Did you—by any chance—play a role in this incident as well?"

"I didn't," Shinji shook his head.

Seeing he wasn't lying, Lorelei continued, "Then, did you have a falling out with her? You went so far as to involve the entire Rune system and even owed a favor to the Second Magician. What happened to cause a rift between you?"

"Why do I feel like you're enjoying this?"

Shinji frowned.

Lorelei mimicked Shinji's earlier reaction, shaking her head in denial: "I'm not."

Shinji sighed, rolling his eyes: "We didn't have a falling out. We're doing just fine. You can check the immigration records if you want—she boarded a flight from London to Osaka a few hours ago. My father is sending someone to pick her up, and Sakura and Fujino are probably preparing her room as we speak."

"Then what's going on? She couldn't have lost her memory."

"Lady, you really should consider becoming a detective. You'd be better than Weber."

Lorelei was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly asked, "Did she lose her memory? I was just guessing."

"To be precise, her memory was impaired by a drug, so she couldn't remember."

"…"

Lorelei fell silent again. There are many ways to interfere with memory, and one of Iselma's collaborators was a highly skilled pharmacist. The Department of Policies also had several experts in this field. However, no matter the method, one principle must be followed: the higher the target's magical ability, the harder it is to succeed, and the more cautious the target, the more difficult the interference. The Grand Puppeteer, who had evaded executioners multiple times, was undoubtedly the most difficult target. How did they manage it?

Seeing that Lorelei was starting to overthink, Shinji quickly revealed the answer:

"It wasn't like you think. She took the drug voluntarily; it was one of the conditions of the contract. The reason, of course, was to conceal the fact that the Golden Princess was dead. As long as there was a chance to revive her, Byron was willing to pay any price, including opposing Galliastra and fighting over the Bloodstained linden leaf."

"A pointless obsession. Even though he knows reaching the Root is impossible, why does he persist?"

"For Iselma's reputation. Besides that elusive goal, all magi care about is the continuation of their lineage. Without the Golden and Silver Ladies, Iselma's decline is inevitable. You, of all people, should understand this."

Lorelei sighed. As one of the oldest families in the Clock Tower, the Barthomeloi had witnessed the rise and fall of many magus families. Even from her position at the top, overlooking the entire world of mystery, Lorelei couldn't judge the rights and wrongs of it all.

"Why would Touko Aozaki agree? She must have known how risky it was to interfere with her memory."

"She knew, but risk has never been a concern for her. As long as the commission is interesting enough, she wouldn't hesitate to cut open her brain. That's just the kind of hopeless person she is. Here's another piece of information for you: the Bloodstained linden leaf was Touko's payment. She felt that using Byron's funds and materials would lower the quality of her work, so she insisted on using the leaf even if it meant forfeiting her payment. As a result, even she didn't realize the Golden Princess at the banquet was a fake. When Waver presented the ash from the Bloodstained linden leaf that had been burned using a special method, the expressions on Byron and Atrum's faces were priceless."

For Touko, interest comes first, and the quality of her work is paramount. Everything else is secondary. This mindset allowed her to reach the pinnacle of modern magecraft, but it also worried her family and friends. Because of this incident, Shinji used the force of the contract for the first time to teach Touko a lesson. What it was, however, is a private matter. Feel free to use your imagination.