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66.

Over the ‌‌‌course of a week, not a single person had brought forth a properly drafted petition, and the Emperor clicked his tongue in disapproval at the ‌‌sight.

'To think the Empire lacks talent to this degree—what a catastrophe, what a disaster!' ‌‌‌
‌‌
Anyone could tell he was speaking loudly enough for the nobility to hear.
As a result, those who had been droning on about how my abilities were insufficient or undeserved fell silent, their pride thoroughly ‌‌wounded.
Once the most troublesome issue had ‌‌‌‌been resolved, the remaining procedures progressed swiftly thanks to my relentless efforts.
Before I knew it, the morning of the title conferment ceremony had arrived.
Having suffered through late nights the day before, I felt no excitement whatsoever about the title ceremony—I simply closed my eyes and opened them to find it was morning, lamenting how brief my sleep had been....
"...What is this?"
My sleep time truly couldn't have been this short!
The moment such futile thoughts crossed my mind, a magical scroll was hovering before my eyes.

What is ‌‌‌this bait-like "Read More"? As if I ‌‌‌‌would— ‌‌‌

—click it.
The text seemed to understand me far too well.
The moment I tapped "Read More," the magical scroll unfurled with a rustling sound, and I ‌‌‌let out a hollow laugh.
There were only two lines of unnecessary flourish at the top, and below that, only the purpose was written—making it clear that whoever wrote this was determined to make me read the contents no matter what.

?? Reward, they said.
What kind of nonsense is this?
Even as I found ‌‌it absurd, I felt a different, chilling sensation—unlike when I had firmly refused the Flare Dragon's offer—and I continued reading.

Is this ‌‌really happening?
I swallowed when it ‌‌‌‌was sweet and spat when it was bitter, but now this bastard of an original author is holding my money hostage!
In other words, they're saying they'll make me out to be a fraud if I don't experience those seven ‌‌near-death crises?
I can't just sell off the things that came from the Lair and pretend I know nothing about it.
How could anyone try to turn a person into such garbage?
Unable to comprehend the absurdity, I narrowed my eyes and stared quietly at the scroll, when something strange caught my attention.
What stood out most was the text written in the upper left corner in a color nearly identical ‌‌to the scroll's background.
'...Fate Designation Document (for real for real final revision ‌‌‌absolutely final)?'
Why do I suddenly feel such a strong sense of kinship with the garbage who sent this magical scroll?
Seeing a filename ‌similar to ones I used to use made me even more uneasy, so I began to meticulously search through the magical scroll.
'Huh...?'

I could faintly see three dots enclosed in an ellipse, and when I brought my hand to it with an unsettled feeling, this time even text appeared.

Thinking I might as well confirm what I suspected, I tapped the faint text and fell into silence as I read the contents.
I ‌‌‌‌deeply regretted the brief sympathy I'd felt, thinking they must have gone through revision after ‌revision without getting confirmation.
These mysterious villains are trying to coerce me into working without even paying me a stipend?

*

The strange spam mail from this morning was just spam, and reality was reality.
I hastily dismissed the magical scroll I couldn't immediately ‌‌‌‌resolve—it came with a pointless convenience option ‌‌‌‌that meant I could summon it anytime since it was bound to me—and began preparing ‌‌for ‌work.
Even though there was a title conferment ceremony this afternoon, the fact remained ‌‌that this special event wouldn't erase the immediate tasks before me.
"I ‌‌‌‌remember that this morning's paper didn't have anything that would particularly upset Roselita."
I was consoling myself reasonably well as I entered the office, when Cassian Artez started to smile before faltering and opening his ‌‌‌mouth.
"Who has troubled your mind?"
For some reason, my superior's voice sent a chill down my spine.
I had come here maintaining my usual expression so no one would notice my state, yet his ability ‌‌‌‌to perceive my psychological condition was terrifyingly acute.
I wished the people who sent that spam mail this morning had been half as perceptive.
At ‌‌his keen observation, ‌‌the tension that ‌‌‌had gripped my neck and shoulders since the moment I woke up gradually melted away.
As I gazed at him with a slight loss of composure, ‌‌‌tinged with embarrassment and sorrow, the sharpness in ‌‌‌his expression softened a little.
"I am always prepared to listen to whatever you wish to share."
He quickly finished the documents ‌‌he was holding, then ‌‌approached me.
"If that isn't necessary, I'll prepare your beloved americano and delicious desserts instead."
"...Can't I have both?"
At my honest words brimming with desire, Cassian Artez let out a small laugh.
"Why ‌not? It's hardly a difficult task."

*

This morning, I naturally pressed the mysterious '...' to check the ‌‌contents.
And what lay beneath it was absurdly the email ping-pong history before confirmation from those who had sent me ‌‌‌‌something like a Quest.
The file name felt strangely familiar, and the ping-pong contents were chilling enough to give me goosebumps.

The contents were so horrifying that I nearly recalled all ‌‌my memories from my past life.
Whether it was the administrator's mistake or some lingering resentment that stirred the pot, thanks to it I could verify the authenticity of the ridiculous spam ‌‌email sent to me. ‌‌
Regardless of whether their Ping-Pong records were true or false, it was certain that I had to resolve all seven trials.
After all, I couldn't become a fraud no matter ‌‌what.
I wasn't ‌‌‌‌‌some incompetent Mage either!
But it was also true that checking the Ping-Pong email made me furious.
"So to summarize, you were actually in a position to ask Roselita for help, yet you threatened her?"
"That's right."
They were the ones in need, yet they dared to lay hands on my precious personal property?
From the start, I had no intention of keeping the magical scroll secret from Cassian Artez, so I explained the trials vaguely and showed it to him.
Cassian Artez's face crumpled immediately ‌‌as he verified the scroll and my story.
"I really don't understand why everyone is so interested in Roselita."
He placed his hand on his temple and fell silent in thought before asking me.
"So ‌‌‌‌will Roselita simply comply with what they want?"
"Of course not!"
Since this insane original work was forcing the trials to occur, I planned to resolve them for my own safety regardless of what they said.
But if there were things mixed in ‌that I didn't necessarily have to do?

I didn't check the contents of their first email and investigate various places ‌‌for nothing.
They clearly said to save the "world," but so far the targets of the trials I've experienced were limited to me, Cassian Artez, ‌‌Wilhelmina Lopez, and those close to me.
Even in the ‌‌‌‌‌‌original work I knew, there was no grand story with a scale as large as world destruction.
So I had a feeling something else was there, which is why I dug into it.
In fact, the fate designation documents they sent weren't limited to seven—there was more after that.
It wasn't some multi-level pyramid scheme.
Of course, I had no ‌‌‌‌‌intention of meekly falling for their fishing.
Probably those spam email senders had caused some accident, but because I came to own the Flare Dragon Lair, it seemed I had proven I could even clean up after them.
"So here's the thing, ‌‌Your Majesty."
"Mm."
Cassian Artez sent me a smile mixed with anticipation, as if urging me to speak, seeing my face with combat power ‌‌‌‌‌fully raised.
"I'm planning to request the Criminal Mages under our command to track this magical scroll."
If they caused an accident, they should take proper responsibility instead of burdening ‌‌‌others with unnecessary complications and free labor.

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