\u201c…and this is how we completed the mission, Miss Larna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After hearing the report of my subordinate Guy Handerson through the new, improved version of the magic communication tool, it took a good amount of effort on my part not to laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was no joke. It was a serious, dire situation,\u201d she told me angrily, realizing how much fun I was having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI mean… she tried to fend off a gigantic creature with rocks and sticks… That\u2019s just too funny…\u201d I said. Unable to resist any longer, finally burst out laughing. I had heard the rumors about Katarina Claes being a unique<\/em> noblewoman for a long time, but she just never stopped being entertaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell,\u201d Laura said, irritated that I was still laughing, \u201cthe report is over. I will give you more details once we are back at the Ministry. And I expect some explanations about these newcomers.\u201d She switched off the communication tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura (and Nathan Hart, who was also on that mission) ended up seeing Katarina use her Dark Familiar. I\u2019d have to explain her involvement with Dark Magic once they came back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura was one of the most physically and magically skilled employees in the whole Ministry, and Nathan was one of the smartest. They had been chosen as examiners for that group for this very reason: the Ministry couldn\u2019t risk anything bad happening to a precious Light Magic user and a duke\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, they had come to know about Dark Magic, so I owed them an explanation. I looked at the transcript of Laura\u2019s report that I\u2019d written down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll have to investigate this as soon as possible…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I immediately went to ask for the help of someone close to me who was very good at this kind of thing. A few days later, while I was organizing some documents in my room in the Ministry, I heard someone knock on the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man who walked in normally had silver hair, but today his hair was dyed a darker color and he was wearing unusually plain clothes as a disguise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was Jeffrey Stuart, first born of the king and fianc\u00e9 of Susanna Randall, which was my public identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHi Larna. I\u2019ve come to give you some news about the investigation you asked me to conduct,\u201d Jeffrey told me with his usual giddy smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, but why come all the way here yourself? Couldn\u2019t you just send me the report?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lovely little brothers are going to be at the Ministry today, so I thought I\u2019d come here to see them, and that just made it faster to bring you the report myself. That\u2019s all,\u201d he said, grinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was affectionate towards his brothers to the point of perversion. Coming to the Ministry just to look at them was part of it, but he also had their portraits hung up in his room, and even asked me to create magical tools that he could use to spy on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Oh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy brothers, really, you know, they just…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh no, he\u2019s going to start one of his speeches about how wonderful his brothers are!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCan you tell me about the investigation first?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeffrey looked a bit disappointed, but he took out something that looked like a report and started reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s see… the creature that attacked your subordinates seems to be a \u2018dragon.\u2019 I went to the Biomagic Department to confirm it with Delius, and he treated me to an hour-long explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone as knowledgeable about animals as Delius said that it was a dragon, then it had to be true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA dragon, huh? I\u2019ve seen them in books, but I didn\u2019t think they really existed… My subordinates told me that it disappeared into smoke. Do you know anything about that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n None of the books I knew talked about dragons disappearing like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, about that… This is just my theory, but I believe that this \u2018dragon\u2019 creature was very similar to the Dark Familiar belonging to Miss Katarina Claes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA Dark Familiar? But it was huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Katarina\u2019s familiar also became huge at one point, so maybe they can change size at will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had a point \u2014 that was possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd then there\u2019s the unconscious man that your people brought back… His debilitated condition was very similar to that of Thomas, the boy who kidnapped his stepbrother, Keith Claes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was the one whose vitality had been sucked out to power Dark Magic, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. He has no wounds, no discernible illness, and we\u2019re giving him food and medicine, but he just keeps getting weaker. The doctor has no idea what\u2019s going on. And also, a woman resembling Sara, the Dark Magic user involved in Keith\u2019s kidnapping, has been witnessed around the forest. I think it\u2019s safe to assume that the dragon creature was created through Dark Magic. The forest was probably disturbed in the process, making the animals run away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeffrey\u2019s theory seemed sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, but we have no proof,\u201d I said. \u201cIf only that man would wake up, then he could help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat could be difficult. We couldn\u2019t save Thomas, either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite our best efforts, Thomas had lost his life after being captured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo much for Sara\u2019s Dark Familiar, though, as it was defeated by Katarina\u2019s,\u201d Jeffrey said, giggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina had called out her Dark Familiar dog and defeated the dragon. According to my subordinates, who had seen the beast\u2019s last moment, it had stopped breathing shortly after its neck was bitten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat Miss Katarina\u2019s really incredible,\u201d Jeffrey commented. \u201cNot only did she tame a Dark Familiar, but she also made it turn giant and used it to fight…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I agreed wholeheartedly. \u201cShe said that her puppy had just gotten bigger, but all the others said that it was more like a huge, terrifying wolf.\u201d Hart and Handerson had been taken aback at seeing how Katarina had petted that giant monster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA huge wolf? I\u2019d like to see that. But when did it gain that ability? This is the first time, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All that Katarina\u2019s familiar had been able to do so far was play fetch in the garden, and we didn\u2019t know if he had any powers, or how to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it\u2019s because of Katarina\u2019s magical tool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat magical tool?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI let all the examinees borrow some tools from the warehouse before going on the mission. I had built a tool to act like the one that Katarina accidentally bought some time ago, the one that can influence Dark Magic. And, by coincidence, she took that one with her. I only built that on a whim, but I think it really worked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina had even said that she could feel it warm up inside her pocket before hearing the familiar\u2019s voice, so it was very likely that the tool had something to do with the dog\u2019s newfound power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, that\u2019s incredible. I also heard that Miss Maria Campbell had a tool with her which amplifies Light Magic…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, and her powers were all the stronger for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe coincidences never end. And what happened to that tool?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI let those two have them. There aren\u2019t many people who can use them anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo their powers will stay as strong as they were during that mission. That\u2019s wonderful. But to think that they\u2019d both just so happen to choose the one tool that amplifies their own powers…\u201d he said, and then thought to himself for a moment before speaking again. \u201cWas it really a coincidence?\u201d he asked with a serious expression which, for him, was really rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t know how to reply, because I, too, had thought that it had all played out too well to be sheer coincidence. I felt like we were being involved in a very eerie incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n After passing an incredibly difficult test, I, Dewey Percy, started working at the Magical Ministry in the spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I left the house that I had lived in since I was born to go and live in the Ministry\u2019s dormitory. While I intended to send part of my (presumably lofty) salary back to my home, I had no plan to go back there. That place held no good memories for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a poor household, probably the poorest in town. My terrible parents gave birth to child after child, sending them to work while they enjoyed themselves. My siblings were the only breadwinners, and since they were so busy working, they couldn\u2019t even go to the cheapest of schools and never even learned to read or write. In turn, this limited their career prospects, cursing them to a life of low-income occupations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what little they did earn, my parents would take to use for their own entertainment. We worked hard, but we could only afford to cover ourselves in rags and were constantly made fools of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My siblings had come to accept that this reality was inescapable, but I had not. I remembered hearing the rumors about Maria Campbell, a girl from this town who, in addition to being smart, wielded Light Magic. Her talents had basically already secured her a future at the Magical Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had heard about the \u201cMagical Ministry\u201d before, but I wasn\u2019t so sure about what it actually was, so I did some research and found out that it was the country\u2019s most prestigious organization. I imagined that it would offer pay to match. If I could work there, I would be able to escape my life of poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the only way to be hired there would be to either be a talented magic user or to pass a difficult examination. Since I could not use magic, I was left with only the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I asked my siblings to let me go to school, promising that I would keep working as normal. Between working and studying, I barely had any time left to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My clothes were little more than dirty rags, and my books were old and battered used copies that I had had to beg for. At school I was insulted and bullied for this, but I did not give up and kept applying myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, the girl I had heard so much about \u2014 Maria Campbell \u2014 came to talk to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHi! You\u2019re a really diligent boy, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said something to that effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Light Magic user, gifted from birth… The two of us were nothing alike. She had probably approached me out of pity, but I coldly sent her away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat would a chosen one, a Light Magic user, want to do with me? Leave me alone,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did not want the fleeting sympathy of the privileged, because I would feel hurt and betrayed after expecting more and receiving none. I was the only one looking out for myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All my efforts bore fruit, and I was able to graduate school and take (and pass) the Ministry\u2019s examination earlier than planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then my life changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had prepared thoroughly for the entrance ceremony, studying how to properly speak and behave around superiors. However, on my way there I met a group of people who, resenting me for having entered the Ministry at such a young age, picked a fight with me. As a result I did not make it in time for the ceremony, and only reached the Ministry during the tour of the premises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In any case, I was now in the Ministry, and my new life there had started. I could barely contain my excitement as I passed through the building\u2019s gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My excitement was, however, quickly spoiled by seeing the very girl I had so coldly rejected years prior \u2014 Maria. She reminded me of the old life which I had left behind, making me extremely uncomfortable. I wanted nothing to do with her, but she looked at me as if she wanted to say something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I ignored her, because there was nothing that I<\/em> wanted to talk about with her, neither now nor later. Unfortunately, when we were sorted for the examination, we ended up being in the same group. The way she looked at me, obviously wanting to start a conversation, was very annoying. And there was someone else even more annoying in the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina Claes, daughter of Duke Claes. When I heard about her rank I started wondering why she would want to work at the Ministry, since I had been taught that noble women, once they were of age, would get married and stay in the house without working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely there would be some important reason \u2014 for example, she maybe had incredible magic powers. But she did not. The rumors said that she was just here to pass the time until marriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had spent so much time and effort to come here, but she had entered the Ministry on a whim, owing her success only to her rank. That was infuriating, and I could not help but hate her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never thought that I would have to travel in a group with those two people. With Katarina around, Maria\u2019s stare was even more difficult to stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the mission, I was expecting her to bother everyone by acting like an arrogant, spoiled aristocrat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before reaching our objective, we had to stop for lunch in a small \u201cmom and pop\u201d restaurant. The place was not dirty and the food was not bad, but it was not exactly fit for a duchess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I imagined that Katarina would complain about the down-to-earth cuisine we were served, but she ate it with delight while praising it profusely. I stared at her, shocked, and for some unfathomable reason, she offered me some of her bread from her plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I refused, and voiced my surprise at how she was enjoying the food. However, she just said that she loved this kind of cuisine. Maybe she was not the kind of noble I thought she would be…<\/p>\n\n\n\n After cleaning her plate, she had to be stopped by Maria and Sora from ordering seconds, and the restaurant\u2019s owner even gave her some more food to take with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more time we spent together, the less she seemed like what I imagined her to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what if she isn\u2019t that arrogant and is kind to commoners? She is the kind of person to work at the Magical Ministry just to kill time! <\/em>I told myself this every time the image I had of her in my mind started to falter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, when we happened to be alone, she asked me what I had against her, and I unwittingly spoke the \u2014 offensive \u2014 truth. Even if she was friendly with commoners, that was no tone to use with a noble. Only after I was finished speaking did I realize that I had risked being severely punished for what I had said, but it was too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I waited for Katarina\u2019s response like a prisoner waiting for judgment… but Katarina did not reply, and just looked at me with a troubled face, making me feel very awkward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After reaching the location for our mission, I proposed the most efficient solution, but nobody agreed with me. Katarina\u2019s carefree suggestion angered me, and I ended up voicing my complaints once again. And, like before, she replied only with an unsatisfactory silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We went to check the fields, and they were full of animals, many more than we had expected. Their eyes were full with fear… This fact lingered with me. I had trouble sleeping that night, and I woke up very early the following morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went for a stroll to clear my mind, but I ran into the person that I least wanted to see \u2014 Maria Campbell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She greeted me, and my face immediately betrayed how annoyed I was. I asked her what she was doing there, doing my best to convey that I wanted to be left alone, but she was unfazed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was just strolling, taking in this beautiful morning, and then I saw you. I was wondering what you were doing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She admitted to having followed me, and then said that she wanted to talk. I could not stand the way she looked at me anymore. I wanted her to state her business and leave as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, you know, we grew up in the same town, but we\u2019ve never talked much. I thought it would be fun to get to know each other,\u201d she proposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was absurd and unnecessary. I had to fight on my own, and nobody would ever lend me their help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think that maybe, if one is feeling down, or stressed about something, it can help to have someone to talk about it with,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no such problem. Please leave me alone. If that was what you wanted to talk about, there is no need for further discussion,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stop looking at me like that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut lately you\u2019ve been looking so much more tired than you used to…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shut up! What do you care?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I made to leave, and she tried to stop me by grabbing my sleeve. I shook her hand off without a second thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat would you know about that? You barely even know me! Leave me alone!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She knows nothing!<\/em> I always struggled, and nobody ever helped me. Everyone only insulted and bullied me, and I was left on my own. Ever since I was a child, I would have to hug myself and cry alone. That was how lonely I was. Life has taught me that I am alone. Nobody will help me. As if someone who was born with the gift of Light Magic could understand that! Leave me alone!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I rebuffed all she said… but she grabbed my hand again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I was just like you…\u201d she mumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Light Magic user? Just like me? That cannot be right,<\/em> I thought, but her stare was so intense that I realized that she could not be lying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI thought that I had to do everything on my own… I can\u2019t leave you alone, Dewey,\u201d she said, holding onto my hand. Her hand felt so warm… It was the first time someone had touched me so kindly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this alone. You can rely on us,\u201d she told me with a gentle smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For all my life, no matter how much I was struggling, nobody had ever helped me. My parents only thought of me as a tool, my brothers were too busy staying alive, and everyone else, far from lending me a hand, would just make fun of me. Even when I could not stand that lonely, tough life anymore and tried to rely on people, they would turn their backs on me. That was why I had sworn to live alone, without relying on anybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeave me alone\u201d <\/em>is what I\u2019d said… but I did not want to be left alone. I wanted someone to be kind to me. And it was only then, in that moment, that I realized that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The warmth from Maria\u2019s hand ran through my body, melting away the layer of ice that had kept me apart from the rest of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was so simple. A warm touch, a few kind words, a gentle smile. This was enough to open what I had kept closed for so long, and it felt so pleasant, so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I cannot let anyone think less of me. Everyone is an enemy. I am alone…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n All these words, one after the other, melted away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at Maria\u2019s eyes, and being stared at did not feel unpleasant or annoying anymore. It felt good. We then went back to the house together, but there was something I had wanted to ask her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSay, Campbell…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust call me Maria. You don\u2019t need to be formal with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes… So, Maria…\u201d I said, blushing, and she giggled with a gentle smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy are you friends with Lady Claes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two of them had looked friendly with each other during the trip, and I did not understand why a commoner, and a powerful Light Magic user at that, would befriend a girl like Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mean Lady Katarina?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. This may be rude to say, but you two have very different ranks, and I heard that she is not that powerful of a magic user. I do not even know why she is in the Ministry to begin with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could not outright say that she \u201ccame to the Ministry as a pastime\u201d to someone who seemed to be her friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s amazing. Just talk to her and you\u2019ll realize it,\u201d she said with a mysterious smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Really?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was not a very satisfying answer, but I could not argue with that smile… and it did not take long for me to understand what she meant. I put myself in harm\u2019s way to protect Maria from a beast the likes of which I had never seen before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was close to losing consciousness after hitting my head, and I saw Maria come running towards me. She took me in her arms, despite the monster threatening to attack her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had tried to protect her, but ended up endangering her all the more… I was ashamed of myself. I told her to leave me there and run away, but she did not listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I prayed inside my heart that someone would save her, and it was then that I heard a voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey you! Over here!\u201d shouted Katarina while throwing rocks at the beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was trying to lure it towards herself to save us. I was shocked that she would put herself in such danger for us, a couple of lowly commoners… I could not lie to myself anymore. She was not that bad of a person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe I had known that for much longer, realizing that she treated everyone as her equal, and that she was not arrogant in the least \u2014 if anything, she was extremely kind. My envy for her privileged lifestyle had clouded my vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s amazing… <\/em>Maria\u2019s words from earlier that day resonated in my mind just as I lost consciousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I woke up only to find myself (much to my dismay) in Handerson\u2019s arms. I was told that the fight was over, and that Katarina had slain the beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story about her joining the Ministry to kill time until marriage was nothing but a rumor. She had just been hiding her true skills… After all, Maria would never compliment her like that if that was not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katarina was not only kind, but tremendously powerful as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so, I made peace with the fact that I would have to rethink my prejudices towards her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem at the village had been solved, all necessary clean-up had been done, and we were ready to go back to the Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI regret misunderstanding you. Please forgive my insolent behavior so far,\u201d said Dewey bowing deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After avoiding so much as looking me in the eye for so long, Dewey now approached me with a preoccupied expression, telling me about the \u201cwonderful personality he\u2019d refused to acknowledge\u201d and the \u201cincredible powers he\u2019d failed to recognize.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n …I didn\u2019t even know who he was talking about. Not really sure what was going on, I just nodded and agreed with him, and his expression became more relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, that only lasted for a second, and now he looked embarrassed. \u201cI-If you have forgiven me, I would like to ask you to… teach me your ways,\u201d he said, bowing again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had no idea what he was going on about, but I could guess that he didn\u2019t hate me anymore and wanted to make peace, which made me very happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course! Let\u2019s be friends,\u201d I said briskly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you! I will do my best,\u201d he said with a really cute smile, made even more powerful by the fact that, so far, I\u2019d only seen his annoyed expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as charming as you\u2019d expect an otome game\u2019s love interest to be. I wasn\u2019t into younger boys, but I felt like I was in danger of falling for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, I was really glad we were on friendlier terms now, as that could help me find new solutions to avoid doom. Doing as my grandmother in my previous life had told me was the right decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I can focus my energy on fighting the Catastrophic Bad Ends!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The trip home was really pleasant, since I was able to speak to a nice, smiling Dewey. We reached the Magical Ministry in the evening, and I was surprised to find all of my friends there. They said that they knew we would be coming back today, and had all come here to welcome us back. The fact that they had come both to see me off and welcome me back made me really happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our examination group then went to give our greetings and a simple report to our supervisor, which turned out to be Larna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laura and Hart remained there to give a more detailed report, and Sora said he had to go back to his own department. Dewey, who had been told to rest by the doctor, went back home. Maria and I went into an empty room to talk with the friends who had been waiting for us. The sun was almost set, but I wanted to catch up with them after being apart for so long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you hurt anywhere?\u201d said Sophia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have brought some medicine, just in case,\u201d added Mary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I don\u2019t have a single scratch,\u201d I said, rolling up my sleeves to show my arms and rolling up my skirt to show my legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister! What are you doing?! Stop!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not something a chick should do!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith, troubled, and Alan, embarrassed, scolded me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I just wanted to show my shins, it\u2019s not like I\u2019d roll my skirt up so much that they could see my underwear,<\/em> I thought, but I decided that actually saying that would just make them even madder at me, so I just apologized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am relieved that you are not wounded, but it surprises me that your first mission would involve staying the night in such a faraway place. What kind of mission was it?\u201d Jeord asked me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt first we had to get rid of tanuki, and then we had to get rid of a dragon,\u201d I replied proudly with my chest puffed out, waiting to be praised about how incredible that was… but nobody said anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Huh? Why?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I get the tanuki, but by dragon… do you mean the giant winged beast which looks like a lizard?\u201d asked Nicol after a while. His face showed the usual emotionless expression, but his voice sounded confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm? Yes. It was like a huge lizard with wings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder if they don\u2019t know about dragons. After all, even the other people in my group were surprised to see one.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre they rare beasts?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRare…? I\u2019m surprised they even really exist…\u201d Alan said in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have seen them in books,\u201d said Nicol, \u201cbut I also thought that they were fictional creatures.\u201d I\u2019d thought that dragons would be normal in this magic world, but apparently I was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnbelievable as it is, the worst part is that I can believe something like that happening to you… So, how did you defeat that dragon?\u201d asked Keith, looking appalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, Pochi got huge and fought it. He went all groarrr <\/em>and defeated the dragon.\u201d I tried my best to explain how incredible Pochi\u2019s fight had been… but again, I received no answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina… Pochi is the Dark Familiar that lives inside your shadow, correct? What do you mean \u2018got huge\u2019?\u201d asked Jeord, with a slightly concerned undertone to his smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cApparently it was because of the magic tool I borrowed… He just became as big as the dragon all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that the tool I had borrowed was a Dark Magic tool, and Pochi had somehow reacted to it. I was told that I could keep it, since almost no one else could use it anyway, but I thought that I wouldn\u2019t be using it for the time being. I didn\u2019t want Mother to scold me about bringing a huge dog into the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the same way, Maria had borrowed a Light Magic tool, which was why she could sense Dark Magic so well, and she also kept it after the mission. My tool was a clumsy-looking magnifying glass that could only be used to turn Pochi bigger, while Maria\u2019s was a cute golden ring that increased magical powers, which felt kind of unfair. Maybe that was the difference between the protagonist and the villainess… I wished that at least my tool had been an accessory too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think I understand. I think,\u201d said Jeord, looking resigned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Pochi was the one to fight the dragon, that means that you weren\u2019t in danger, right?\u201d asked Keith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Maria said at the exact same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn order to protect me, Lady Katarina tried to lure the beast her way by throwing rocks at it. She was lucky that Pochi happened to save her, but she was in extreme danger the whole time. I know that she did it for me, but…\u201d Maria explained, on the verge of tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone\u2019s expression changed as they heard this. They asked Maria for more details, and she obliged, including the parts where I tried to fend off the dragon with a stick and when I went against it a second time to save Pochi. The more she talked, the darker everyone\u2019s faces became.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-You see, Maria was in danger, so I just acted without thinking. But in the end we were all safe, so it\u2019s fine! Right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister… how many times have I told you to stay safe?\u201d said Keith, and everyone else followed with their own complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I knew that I\u2019d done something dangerous, so they were right in scolding me… I promised myself to be more careful going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was now night time, and I went back home with Keith for the first time in two days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so tired from the mission that I fell asleep as soon as I reached my bed. The next morning, Anne struggled to wake me up just in time to go to the Ministry. She said she\u2019d tried several times already, but that I just wouldn\u2019t wake up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I prepared in a hurry and made for the Ministry, where I would finally find out which department I was going to be assigned to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wonder where I\u2019ll end up… I hope it\u2019s the same department as Maria.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I arrived, still excited, I was told to wait for the announcement in the auditorium from the other day. On my way there, I heard someone call out to me from behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning, Lady Katarina!\u201d Sophia said gently. She was carrying some stuff around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood morning! Are you helping out today too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sophia had also been helping out at the Ministry yesterday as she waited for me to return. I\u2019d heard that she wouldn\u2019t be coming here every day, but I was happy that I could see my friend two days in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. I came along with my brother, who had some business to take care of here. I am very glad to be able to see you for two consecutive days, Lady Katarina!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe too. Back at the academy we\u2019d see each other every day, but now that we can\u2019t, it\u2019s kind of lonely!\u201d I said, and Sophia nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was thinking the very same thing! Please come to my home to visit when you are not working. I will give you the most wonderful novel recommendations!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sounded like a great idea. I wanted to borrow a new romance novel from her… Hm… Sophia… Romance novels… I think I\u2019m forgetting about something… That\u2019s right! The note about the game! The one in the book!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Right after finding something so unbelievable, I had been planning to ask Sophia, who was the owner of the book, about it. I was so busy that I\u2019d forgotten to, but now was the perfect chance! Thankfully, I had the note with me. I rummaged through my bag and took it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSophia, there\u2019s something I\u2019ve been meaning to ask you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat could that be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI found a note between the pages of the book you lent me. Do you know anything about it?\u201d I asked, showing her the note. She stared at it for a while, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me, but… are these letters?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs it a foreign language?\u201d she asked, tilting her head to one side and looking puzzled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I took another look at the note and realized that it wasn\u2019t written in this world\u2019s language, but in the same Japanese I used to read and write in my previous life. I was only able to read it because I had the memories of that world with me…<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a twist. <\/em>The fact that the note was written in Japanese meant that it was written by someone else who came from Japan… Did anyone else other than me reincarnate into the game?! Where were they?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina…?\u201d Sophia asked me, with a concerned look on her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cS-Sorry, I was just confused about something. Anyway, you don\u2019t know anything about this note?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, this is the first time I have ever seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, Sophia knew nothing about the note, but that didn\u2019t tell me who had put it in the book. I had lost it and then found it later, which made everything even more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was it the person who found the book in the castle? Was it the one who was holding onto it? But it had been held in a place where everyone could see it, so that meant that it could have been anyone. I decided that my next course of action would be asking Jeord, who had brought the book back to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, everybody is already here,\u201d Maria, who was with Sora, called out to me from the auditorium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After being almost late to begin with, my little detour to talk with Sophia had made me completely late. I needed to know more about the note, but I also had to go to the auditorium as soon as possible!<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSophia, I\u2019ll come to visit as soon as I have a free day!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, please do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hurried towards Sora and Maria. I\u2019ll ask Jeord and the servants at the castle about the note later.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n All the newcomers were neatly arranged inside the auditorium, so I joined them right before the announcement started. Representatives from the different departments started reading everyone\u2019s names out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMagic and Magical Powers Research Department: Maria Campbell, Dewey Percy…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and Dewey will be in the same department, working under Cyrus…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After a while, my name was read too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMagic Tool Laboratory: Katarina Claes, Sora Smith…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some reason, all the people around me seemed to hold their breath for a second after hearing that. I wonder why.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately I didn\u2019t end up in the same department as Maria, but at least I was together with Sora, which made me feel a bit more confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all the names had been read, the department directors came to greet the newcomers, and I saw Cyrus approach Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, I was approached by Larna Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Miss Katarina. Welcome to my department,\u201d she greeted me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had plain brown hair and blue eyes, but, as a master of disguise, that was but one of her many looks. Ahh, so Larna is the director of the Magic Tool Laboratory.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t realize even though she lent you those magic tools?\u201d Sora asked under his breath, noticing my surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He had a point. I followed him and Larna into the Magical Tool Laboratory office, which was located near the warehouse I\u2019d visited a few days earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPlease, please, come in,\u201d she said, and I excitedly stepped into what would be my new workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, Katarina, sweetie, is that you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you ended up here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re that girl from the first day!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWelcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was welcomed by a crossdressing macho, a man who always managed to get lost, a flamboyant narcissist, and a woman who only talked through a puppet. As if those four weirdos weren\u2019t enough, there was a mad-scientist looking person holding a smoking beaker while smiling creepily, and another one who seemed to be curling a dumbbell up and down while working. That moving arm was all I could see peeking out from behind a pile of stacked-up documents. Is that person going to be okay under all those papers?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood there, frozen, and Sora whispered to me again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Larna just goes around gathering all the weirdest people. That\u2019s why we ended up like this. This is the department that newcomers want to go to the least.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, I remember the Biomagic Department being the second on that ranking… to think I\u2019ve come to the one in first place…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSora\u2019s already joined us as an apprentice, so he knows the place. Katarina, these are going to be your new teammates. Everyone, this is Katarina Claes. Be nice to her!\u201d Larna said, sounding like a teacher who was introducing a transfer student to her new grade school class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone responded with a \u201cWelcome,\u201d but if I was going to be surrounded by people like these while trying to avoid doom… Honestly, I was a bit scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wonder if I\u2019ll be able to fit in with these… unique people,\u201d I muttered to myself, and Sora heard me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou won\u2019t have any problem… if anything, you\u2019re even more unique,\u201d he whispered back, but unfortunately I didn\u2019t hear him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so I started my new life, ready to face the many adversities that would come with it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201c…and this is how we completed the mission, Miss Larna.\u201d After hearing the report of my subordinate Guy Handerson through the new, improved version of the magic communication tool, it took a good amount of effort on my part not to laugh. \u201cThis was no joke. It was a serious, dire situation,\u201d she told me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tak-berkategori"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3422"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3423,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3422\/revisions\/3423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n