Interview

The journalist stood up with a soft smile, the look she had displayed moments earlier vanishing as if it had never existed.

"Hello, Mr. William, I'm Pauline from the *Wonder Times*, delighted to finally meet you~," she said in a cheerful tone.

Did I imagine that look? William questioned the glance he thought he had seen. "Hello," he replied.

"You're taller than I expected. One should never rely on rumors or first impressions. That's what I've learned after several years in journalism. One day, I heard a rumor predicting a rise in wine prices. That day, I almost bought barrels in preparation, but luckily I checked before buying, and the price of wine actually decreased in the following weeks. From that day on, I never believed in rumors without verifying them multiple times."

"I'm the type to make decisions very quickly, hehe~ in just a few seconds, I can make a crucial decision. It was really fortunate that I didn't buy those barrels."

Pauline suddenly put her hand over her mouth and said, "Of course, I never heard any rumors about your height. I just happened to see you from afar once, and I thought you were much shorter at the time."

William gently replied, "I understand, relying on hearsay is indeed a bad habit."

"Isn't it?" she answered with a happy expression. "I'm glad you agree. It's one of the most important qualities for a journalist, in my opinion: we must separate the image we've created of a person or situation to relay it as close to reality as possible, without inserting our own opinion."

"Of course, that's very difficult. Even if we think we have no opinion or emotions on a subject, we always have a subconscious bias, whether positive or negative."

"I must admit that even I can't fully apply what I just said, but I do my best every day. A journalist must convey reality to the readers, no matter the situation. That's my creed."

William nodded, raising his hand to interrupt her: "If you don't mind, could we start the interview? I have work to do; we can chat later."

Pauline sat down again, looking apologetic: "Oh, of course, let's do that. We can continue this discussion after the interview."

She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a notebook and a pen. "I've already prepared my questions."

William straightened up a bit in his seat, ready to answer the questions and lie if necessary.

"So~," Pauline touched her lips with her pen. "First question~ in your thesis, you present a new energy source for spells: the energy of nature. Can you tell me how you came to discover this energy?"

Great, that's not a difficult question, William celebrated internally before answering enthusiastically.

"I'm glad you asked. You see, one day I wondered why the success rate of a magic circle was higher in certain places rich in mana. I know that current theories state that mana naturally strengthens the spell, but I think certain aspects of the circle influence this. So I..."

William answered with enthusiasm for the rest of the interview. Pauline's questions seemed very appropriate; he could clearly feel her dedication. They were very in-depth questions about his work.

Her expression now seemed much more reserved compared to earlier. Perhaps this is the impartiality of a journalist that she mentioned before.

After about 45 minutes of Q&A, Pauline suddenly closed her notebook with a neutral expression. "We're done."

"Oh, I see," William replied, disappointed. It was the first time he could talk so much about his work; he had really enjoyed it.

"If you have any other questions, feel free to come back or send a letter," he added.

"I see, I'll do that." she responded, lost in thought.

"Would you like to stay for some tea or coffee?" William asked politely.

"No, thank you, I... I need to return to the office and write the article for Monday. Besides, I have to visit some of my contacts."

"I see, what a pity." William shook his head in disappointment. "In that case, let me accompany you to the exit."

Pauline gave him a blank look. She thought for a few seconds before nodding. "Thank you."

She stood up, putting her notebook back into her bag, her behavior seeming very different from the start of the interview.

The two of them headed towards the manor's door, walking quietly through the corridors for several minutes. Suddenly, Pauline spoke.

"I recently pondered a question. Perhaps you can help me find an answer," she said with a distant air.

William gave her a curious look: "Go ahead."

"Hehe~ Well, let's imagine you've been working on a spell for several months. All your research proves that it works as you intended, and you've verified everything several times. However, when you use the spell for the first time, it fails."

Pauline stopped walking, forcing William to do the same a few steps ahead.

"Would the spell's failure make you question your research, or would you persist, believing in your own abilities and research, and try the spell again in a different way?"

Hmm, this question is very similar to my current situation; it's even quite specific. William looked at the journalist, filled with doubt.

There's no proof that she has any information about my body switch. Her question could be a trap; however, let's answer as William would.

"There's no need to discuss it. If I created my spell from scratch, there's no way it would fail. I don't need to answer this kind of question," William said arrogantly.

After a few seconds, Pauline's smile deepened: "I see, I understand. In the first place, the spell doesn't fail... That's a mentality I appreciate!"

The journalist chuckled softly before walking past William and opening the manor's door wide. She bowed slightly: "With that, I must take my leave. It was a pleasure."

William responded curtly with a nod, his thoughts elsewhere.

As the heavy door closed with a "clang," William turned around, a heavy expression on his face as he considered a possibility that could change everything.

"The magic circle I created at that time had no problem; I made sure of it several times. The problem doesn't lie there. No, there's one possibility I hadn't considered."

William quickened his pace towards the study. "If the problem doesn't come from me, someone or something must have interfered with my circle intentionally!"

...

Outside the door, Pauline the journalist observed the manor with a cold smile.

"If that method didn't work, I'll just find another one."