After Eric and Mr. Tia left, they remained in my office.


    ''So, is that Eric available?''


    Anne asks me that question.


    ''Yes, he''s strong,''


    ''Heh, maybe we should make him quit if he doesn''t want to.　It''s going to slow some of us down if we''re not prepared for it.


    It''s not like he''s ready for it.


    Liberto said as he leaned his back against the wall.


    ''It''s just that they were prepared to be different from us, and they''re going to leave accordingly.


    Wow, what kind of a commitment is that?


    Yelle, explain it to him.


    Liberto is a pain in the ass, or maybe he''s just talking to me.


    I sigh a little and explain to Anne, who hadn''t heard you earlier, Eric, that I hadn''t been listening to you.


    ''Do you want to go see Elena Millwood who betrayed you?　Is that why you were trying to leave?　Is he stupid?


    Yeah, you''re an idiot.


    What''s the point of meeting him? You''re going to kill a traitor?


    ''No, they want to know how Elena Millwood really feels, apparently.


    I don''t know, did you allow that to happen?


    Yeah, we can''t let you leave.


    Anne puts a hand to her head and sighs deeply.


    ''''You deserve special treatment. Even if you were capable of surpassing Liberto.''''


    That''s certainly true.


    It''s safe to say that this is a treatment that is almost unheard of in the history of the Order of Begonia.


    Eric, you are worth it, me and Liberto think that you are worth it.


    It can''t be helped that Anne doesn''t understand that because she hasn''t seen that ability with her own eyes.


    That''s why I''m complaining, Eric, but it''s the same for Anne that''s troubled by Mr. Eric''s absence.


    ''''Anne, if Eric-kun leaves, Tina-san will certainly leave as well.


    ''　Why...?


    ''Mr. Tina has made it her goal to stand next to you, Eric. You have no use for the Order in this country without him.


    ....


    No matter how much you, the Commander, try to hold them back, there''s no way.


    When I went to their village, Tina told me that


    ''I want to stand next to Eric, and I want to join the Order of Magic immediately.


    That''s what she said.


    Perhaps she is someone who likes Mr. Eric and wants to fight with him on an equal footing, not just to be protected.


    It is impossible for her not to follow Eric, who is leaving the group and leaving this country.


    ''''The one person who will have trouble with Eric-kun leaving the group is you, too. Don''t you think so when you see what Tina-san is capable of?


    Well you''re right.


    Think of Anne''s assessment of Ms. Tina as the assessment that me and Liberto are making of you, Eric.


    Just like Eric has a talent that surpasses Liberto, the strongest of the Order.


    Just as Tina-san has a talent that surpasses Viviana-san, the strongest person in the Order of Magic.


    Well, that''s a good decision.


    Yulina is quite strong, too. She''s one of those people we can''t afford to lose.


    Liberto doesn''t remember a lot of people''s names, but he does remember the names of the strong ones.


    Yurina seems to have fought before and that''s how she remembers them.


    ''Well, fine. So, was the traitor''s name Elena Millwood?　Are you sure about that?


    I guess that''s what I''m wondering about, after all.


    Eric-kun said that, but we can''t take it for granted.


    We have to make sure that we are sure.


    ''A few people I''ve been researching that could be traitors. I''m certain that Elena Millwood was among them.


    Okay, so do you have a deal then?


    I don''t know yet, but I''ll have to look into things.


    ''It''s a pain in the ass. So why don''t they just keep people from joining the club if they aren''t backed up?


    Anne said as she looked at the papers on my desk.


    The fact that they are not backed up means that we don''t know their identities.


    What Anne is trying to say is that only those whose identities are clear should be allowed to join the group.


    The only few people who could be traitors are those whose identities are not clearly known.


    Elena Millwood is one of them.


    ''''The Order of Magical Knights doesn''t allow anyone who can''t be backed up to join. If the Knights did that too, there wouldn''t be any traitors like this one.


    Yeah, you''re right.


    Why don''t we use this opportunity to get rid of those people?


    Even this raid might not have happened if they hadn''t let Elena Millwood join the team.


    If you''re not really careful when you allow someone who doesn''t know what''s going on behind the scenes to join the group, there''s a high possibility that something like this will happen again.


    But allowing someone who doesn''t know what''s going on behind the scenes to join the group has to be done as long as I''m the leader of the group.


    Because--.


    ''''-- Then I''ll have to resign from the group as well, won''t I?


    ''　No, I mean... I didn''t mean...


    Anne chokes on her words when she hears me say it.


    I was a little bit mean to her.


    ''No, it''s okay. I understand.''


    I''m sorry.


    No, I''m sorry, too.


    An uncomfortable silence settles over the Oval Office.


    ''Well, Jere, me and Anne are going to go now.


    ''　Yeah, yeah, yeah. I will.


    Liberto, who had been silent until now, called out to him.


    ''''Yes, thank you for your help.''''


    Hey, you get some rest.


    Thanks again.


    As they leave the office, they hear a few voices from the hallway.


    ''Baka, you stepped on a land mine.''


    ''Ugh don''t say that, I''m sorry.''


    The corner of my mouth goes up a little when I hear such a voice.


    I''m sorry I made Liberto feel uncomfortable.


    I''m sure he''s aware that he''s doing something he''s not used to doing.


    I then continued to work in my office.