The day after Cyrus fell in love with Maria, I went to the field together with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I waited for her after work, and Dewey looked envious when he saw us together. I would have gladly asked him to come along if it were my field, but I couldn\u2019t do the same with Cyrus\u2019s field. Maria was an exception, since she was part of my plan to help him overcome his fear of girls, but I had no such excuse for Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I apologized to him in my heart, as he looked at the two of us walking away with a sad expression. He\u2019s always so cute though. Makes you want to pat his head.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, though, Dewey was one of the characters who was supposed to bring Katarina (that is, me) to her doom… But how? Unlike Cyrus, he couldn\u2019t use magic, was shorter than me, and, most importantly, he was so cute. If anything, I think I could even win against him in a fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs anything the matter?\u201d asked Maria, noticing that I was spacing out while thinking about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right, Maria\u2019s been working alongside Dewey all this time. I\u2019m sure she knows a lot about him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I was just thinking… Dewey\u2019s cute and small, but, uhm, can he like… lift heavy stuff and such?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is he actually stronger than he lets on? Would I win against him in a fight? <\/em>Is what I actually wanted to ask, but that would raise too many questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, Dewey is a boy, so he would take offense to being called cute and small,\u201d she said with a dry smile. \u201cAnd despite his looks, he is quite strong. He used to do a lot of manual labor at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was surprising, but I guess you shouldn\u2019t judge a book by its cover. Now that I thought about it, I remembered hearing about him being raised in a poor, troubled household, and also about how he was picked on because of how smart he was… Maybe he was stronger than I had originally thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ugh! And I thought I could defeat him easily! My only hope is training to become stronger!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We finally reached the field, where Cyrus was already waiting, though he looked more gussied-up than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHello there,\u201d he greeted us with an unusually radiant smile. Actually, he was probably mostly greeting Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romance novels say that people change when they fall in love, but this was just incredible. Cyrus\u2019s fear of girls is cured, isn\u2019t it?<\/em> I thought, but unfortunately he still looked nervous when talking to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She started skillfully helping with the field, explaining that, \u201cI often helped Lady Katarina when she was farming at the academy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s wonderful!\u201d he commented happily, showing that he had made at least some <\/em>progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that \u2014 possibly because of the power of love <\/em>\u2014 Cyrus more or less kept talking with Maria. I was positive that at this rate, he\u2019d overcome his fear in no time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For our usual break, the blanket we were sitting on was larger than normal to make space for our new guest, and there were also sweets to go with the tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m feeling some disparity in our treatment here… Oh well, a farming buddy can\u2019t compare with the girl you like, I guess.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, curious, tried the pickles. \u201cI have never tried anything quite like this. It is delicious,\u201d she said, munching on them with a smile. I was happy that she also liked them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We then talked about pickling practices, Cyrus\u2019s hometown, rice, and more, after which Maria started looking around herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cApart from the field itself, the whole place seems to be cared for. Did you do all of this, Mister Cyrus?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that she mentioned it, the area around the field, despite the lack of a proper pathway, had a well-trimmed lawn and no large rocks lying around. It was surprising, considering how hidden away this place was. Was it Cyrus\u2019s doing, like Maria said?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I couldn\u2019t really manage such a large place all by myself. It was like this to begin with,\u201d he said, shaking his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you mean that this place was just cared for all along?\u201d Maria asked, confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. It seems that back in the day there used to be a garden here. There was a magic spell in place to keep it tidy, and it must still be working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA spell to keep the garden tidy?! That kind of spell exists?!\u201d I asked, interested by this type of magic I\u2019d never heard anything about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah. But it\u2019s Lost Magic now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLost Magic?\u201d I asked. I\u2019d never heard of that expression before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are lots of different types of magic, right? As magic changes with the times, new types come along, and some old types become extinct. Didn\u2019t you learn about it at the academy?\u201d he said, chuckling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned to Maria, and she was looking flustered. Yup, turns out we did learn about it at the academy. I guess that\u2019s one downside to my \u201cforget everything I learned right after the test\u201d policy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut then, why did the garden disappear?\u201d I asked, trying to change the subject to take attention away from my ignorance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. The Ministry has a long history, with new things being built and old things being torn down all the time. The garden must be something left over from a project that was abandoned a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, the Ministry was as old as the kingdom itself, and a lot must have changed since its establishment. Maybe even this place, which was now empty and forgotten, had been different in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight now it\u2019s just empty land,\u201d I said, looking around, \u201cbut if it used to be a garden, did it have like a pond or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s a circle made of stones right over those bushes. Maybe there used to be a pond in the middle,\u201d said Cyrus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d like to see it,\u201d I said, and he looked at me like a tired father hearing his child\u2019s troublesome request. But then Maria added that she wanted to see it too, and he immediately stood up to guide us there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We followed him and reached the place that he was talking about. It was a conspicuous circle of stones around what probably used to be a pond, but it had either been filled up or had naturally dried up. The pond looked as if it had been considerably smaller than the one in the Claes garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the stones reached up to around my knee, but there was one that was wider and about as tall as me \u2014 it kind of looked like a tombstone from my previous world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curious whether there was a name or something written on it, I started cleaning the large, dirty stone with my handkerchief, but with very poor results. It was some really<\/em> stubborn dirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, what exactly are you doing?\u201d asked a confused-looking Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I was just wondering if there was anything written here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWritten? On the stone?\u201d she asked, even more confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had never seen a tombstone in this world, so maybe they didn\u2019t exist here. That would explain her confusion. It would also mean that there probably wasn\u2019t anything written on this stone here, but I figured that I might as well keep cleaning it up just to be extra sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After some serious rubbing and scrubbing, I finally managed to get rid of most of the dirt on the stone, but there was nothing written on it. However, I noticed that there was something sparkly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh? Is it a jewel or something?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I scrubbed the sparkly portion even harder \u2014 so hard, in fact, that my hand slipped and I ended up scratching my skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOuch!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was literally just a scratch, but it stung a lot, and I was bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina! Are you okay?!\u201d Maria asked while running towards me, then taking my hand into hers. \u201cYou are bleeding! I will heal you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She probably meant to use her Light Magic to heal me, but I felt bad having her use her powers for such a small wound (that was also entirely my fault).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, it\u2019s nothing,\u201d I said, but she shook her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt could get worse, and I wouldn\u2019t want for you to be left with a scar,\u201d she replied, so I happily accepted her offer. I let Maria grab my hurt right hand while my left one still rested on the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A faint light appeared out of Maria\u2019s hands. I\u2019d already seen this happen a few times, but I was excited because this was the first time I was the one actually being healed. I stared at the faint light… and all of a sudden, it turned into a blindingly bright flash. I shut my eyes, and even when I reopened them, all I could see was white light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n White above, white below, white left, white right. Nothing but white as far as I could see. White, empty space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was in front of that stone just a few seconds ago… Where is this?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was stunned, but thanks to Maria, who was still holding my hand, I managed to stay on my feet. However, she was staring at her surroundings too, looking as surprised as I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cL-Lady Katarina… Wh-What happened to us?\u201d she asked me nervously, her voice shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve got no idea either. Where are we?\u201d I asked, and noticed that my voice was a bit shaky as well. I was too scared and confused to move, but the silence made it all the scarier, so I kept talking. \u201cJust a few moments ago, we were standing in front of the stone, and…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suddenly, a second flash of light forced me to close my eyes again. I fearfully opened my eyes, and saw an orb of concentrated light floating in the air. It was smaller than my head, and kind of looked like a light bulb. But unlike a light bulb, it wasn\u2019t suspended from the ceiling \u2014 it was just levitating in mid-air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is going on? What\u2019s with this light bulb?\u201d I asked, puzzled at the absurdity of this series of events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLight bulb? What\u2019s that?\u201d asked… the light bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n D-Did the light bulb just speak?! What?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEek! It talked! It\u2019s a ghost! Ghooost!!!\u201d I screamed, terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s a mighty rude thing to call someone,\u201d said the voice from the light bulb, sounding slightly displeased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sure of it this time! The voice came from it!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt talked agaaain!!! What kind of ghost are you?! Begone! Begone!\u201d I shouted at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo me a favor and shut up, will you? We won\u2019t get anywhere if you keep shouting,\u201d it said in an annoyed tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I suddenly found that I couldn\u2019t open my mouth anymore. I was trying as hard as I could, but my lips were sealed together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m just making sure you\u2019ll stay quiet for a while,\u201d it explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This thing has terrifying powers! It looks like a normal light bulb, but it\u2019s actually one heck of a ghost!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd now that I look at you, you aren\u2019t even a worthy one!<\/em> You just slipped up in here by mistake, didn\u2019t you? What a troublesome kid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t see the thing\u2019s face, but I was pretty sure that it was mocking me. How dare it?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But I was feeling a bit calmer now. Maybe it was because I\u2019d screamed the fear out of my system, or maybe because I couldn\u2019t scream anymore. Either way, I looked at the light bulb which, even upon closer inspection, definitely looked like nothing but a light bulb. It didn\u2019t even have any mouth. How was it speaking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then, after forcefully shutting me up, it started speaking to Maria. \u201cOh, it seems that you\u2019re a worthy one, young girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Worthy one? What\u2019s it talking about?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…M-Me? Worthy?\u201d Maria asked, obviously scared and confused as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s such a polite girl though. A light bulb starts speaking, and she just replies to it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA worthy one, yes \u2014 a Wielder of Light,\u201d it explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I still have no idea what it\u2019s talking about, but what I know is that I really don\u2019t like this thing\u2019s condescending tone.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I am <\/em>a Wielder of Light…\u201d Maria said with a thoughtful expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know. Do you long for greater powers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGreater powers? You mean… more powerful magic?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo. It\u2019s not about making your magic more powerful, it\u2019s about learning how to control it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will teach you all I know about controlling magic. And that<\/em> will make you much more powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore… powerful…\u201d Maria said, looking at the orb and then, inexplicably, at me. Her eyes were staring into mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria…? What\u2019s up?<\/em> I couldn\u2019t speak, so I had to communicate by blinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria nodded at me, as if to say that everything would be alright, before looking back at the light bulb. Her expression went from scared and confused to intense and fierce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want greater powers,\u201d she said clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The light bulb grinned. Well, it didn\u2019t have a mouth, so it didn\u2019t really grin, but it felt like it did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see…\u201d it said, satisfied. \u201cIf that\u2019s the case, find the covenant and come back to me. Then, I will teach you everything I know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What? She has to do stuff for him before getting her powers? And what\u2019s a covenant?<\/em> My head was full of questions, but since my mouth was sealed, I had to keep them to myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me, this covenant you speak of…\u201d Maria started speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the light bulb interrupted her, simply saying \u201cI\u2019ll be waiting,\u201d and there was yet another flash of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we opened our eyes, we were back in front of the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was that just now?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and I looked at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, Maria… that thing just now…\u201d I started saying, but then Cyrus came running towards us, visibly shaken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey! Are you two okay?! Where did you disappear off to?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said that he saw Maria and me disappear instantly, and then he\u2019d started running around to look for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd when I looked back at the stone, you were back there… what happened?\u201d he asked, but I was still too confused to explain it properly, so Maria started talking instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTo be honest, I am still trying to understand it myself…\u201d she started, and went on to tell him what we had seen \u2014 the flashes of light, the white space, and the floating orb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m so glad she was with me. I\u2019d never be able to explain something that weird so well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t seen you two disappear with my own two eyes, I\u2019d have a hard time believing you,\u201d Cyrus said. \u201cBut after seeing how you vanished and then reappeared in the blink of an eye, it makes sense that you were transported… somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He reflected silently for a while before speaking again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…This could be Lost Magic as well. It could be a spell placed here by the very person who built this garden way back when. That\u2019d explain why the garden is being magically kept tidy to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo was it true, what the light orb said? Could it really grant me greater power?\u201d Maria asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no proof, but I\u2019d say it\u2019s likely. As technology has advanced, magic users have become fewer, and their powers have become weaker. A lot of magic has been lost to time… If you could get some of that back, you\u2019d definitely become more powerful, no doubt about it,\u201d Cyrus said, and Maria\u2019s face relaxed into a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. If so, I want to try my best to obtain that power. I will have to look for the covenant that the orb was talking about. I wonder where it is… If it is a book of some kind, perhaps it is in the library…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold your horses. Do you want to go to the library right now? It\u2019s already closed at this hour. And how do you plan on looking for something that you know nothing about?\u201d Cyrus stopped Maria, who looked ready to run to the library that very second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…That is true. I should ask that light orb once again,\u201d she said, making for the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, it\u2019s too late today. If you want to do that, wait until tomorrow,\u201d he said, and we decided to go rest for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and Cyrus saw me to the carriage. They both lived in the dormitory, so they would be going back there together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria Campbell looks tame, but she can be intense, huh?\u201d Cyrus whispered to me. He was probably talking about how she wanted to go look for that covenant right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. She isn\u2019t just some docile girl!\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was the protagonist of an otome game, after all. She was a strong girl who didn\u2019t just wait to be saved, but who ran straight into danger when she had to protect her friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll have you know that my friend is cute <\/em>and strong, sir.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I left my two colleagues and rode back home, thinking of the weird events of that day. A white, empty space. A talking light bulb. Maria\u2019s sudden eagerness. Just as Cyrus said, she could be intense at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, today she sounded even too eager, as if she were in a rush. Or was that just my imagination?<\/p>\n\n\n\n She already has the ring made by Larna to increase her powers, so why would she need to become stronger? She\u2019s always working so hard… She should learn how to relax. What kind of otome game protagonist works harder than the love interests? I wish that Cyrus would learn from her and try a bit harder to overcome his fears without running away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah! I just left those two alone, but did Cyrus properly see Maria back to her room? I was so confused with all that stuff going on that I forgot about that… I hope he did.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was so worried about it that I didn\u2019t even manage to fall asleep on the carriage like I always did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n After seeing Katarina off to her carriage, Mister Cyrus and I walked back to the dormitory together while talking about my plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example we discussed how, if I really could achieve the powers that the light orb talked about, the Ministry itself could be interested in aiding my search. But unfortunately, I had no proof that what I\u2019d heard was true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mister Cyrus told me that he would report to his superiors and look into it, and that I should not do anything rash in the meantime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to gain from scrambling ahead. There are too many unknown variables to this whole thing \u2014 diving in head first could be dangerous,\u201d he told me with a serious expression that left me no option but to agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnyway,\u201d he said right before we parted ways, \u201cyour Light Magic is already much stronger than anybody else\u2019s. Why do you even want greater powers?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought for a bit before replying. \u201c…I do not want others to protect me anymore. I want to be the one to protect them,\u201d I said, looking him straight in the eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I-I see,\u201d he said, before saying goodbye and making for his room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went back to mine, where I changed clothes and prepared for the next workday. I was too tired to go to the dining hall, so I made do with the sweets I had in my room before going to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s strange events had left me exhausted. I had been so happy to be able to spend time with Lady Katarina after so long, and then all of a sudden we were transported to that mysterious place, hearing those incredible things… It all seemed like a strange dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it was not. Lady Katarina experienced the same things, and Mister Cyrus also saw the two of us disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The covenant…<\/em> I did not know what that was, but I wanted to find it and become more powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the time we first met at the Academy, Lady Katarina had always been the one protecting me. Every time I was in danger of being hurt, either physically or mentally, she would come out of nowhere to rescue me. Even when I was kidnapped, she was the first one to show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even during the examination, when we fought that dragon creature… That was so scary. Not the dragon, but thinking that Katarina could have died because of me. Had that happened, I doubted that I could have kept on living as before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did not want Katarina to stand in front of me to protect me, but I knew that she would never hesitate to do so, over and over. I knew that she was that kind of person, and that was one of the reasons why I held her so close to my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wanted the power to protect her. I needed much stronger magic, and I had reason to need it as soon as possible. Ever since the examination ended and we came back to the Ministry, I could ever so slightly feel an aura, a presence \u2014 an evil one. And I got the feeling that this presence was out to get Lady Katarina. It could all be my imagination, but I could not help but feel scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the academy, Lady Katarina was once publicly shamed for things that she had never done. We later found out that it was all part of someone else\u2019s plan, but the feeling that I had at the Ministry reminded me of the one from back then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It felt as if the universe was conspiring to take a loved one away from me. I absolutely did not want to lose Lady Katarina. I was ready to fight anyone \u2014 even the universe itself \u2014 in order to avoid that, and that was why I needed power. Lots of it. And fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hoped in my heart that I could quickly find the covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n\n\n The day after meeting the lightbulb, I visited Maria\u2019s department during lunch break because I was curious about what she planned to do next. I had Sora come along with me, in case we\u2019d be eating lunch with Maria and Dewey like on the previous day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMister Cyrus reported to his superiors this morning, and now we are waiting for their reply before doing anything,\u201d she explained to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. So you\u2019re not going to start moving just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Exactly,\u201d she said with a disappointed look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria, I\u2019ve told you this already, but don\u2019t push yourself too hard, okay? Learn how to relax. Breathe in, breathe out. In, in, out. In, in, out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat does that have to do with anything?\u201d Sora asked, making Maria laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that, we called for Dewey and the four of us went to eat lunch together again. I finished my lunch (today\u2019s special: stew) while chatting with Maria and the others, and before I knew it lunch break was over. Once I was back in the office and was preparing for that afternoon\u2019s work, Larna came back out of nowhere and told me and Sora to come to her desk because she had to speak with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first I feared that we\u2019d done something wrong and that she was going to scold us, but Larna looked pretty happy. As Sora and I walked towards her, I wondered what she wanted to speak to us about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI actually just received a mission from the higher-ups, and I want you two to help,\u201d she said, grinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat mission would that be?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s about looking for lost magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lost magic again. I\u2019ve been hearing those words a lot since yesterday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd the mission will be undertaken jointly by our department and the Magical Powers Research Department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Magical Powers Research Department? Wait… could it mean that we were looking for <\/em>that lost magic?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I stared at Larna, eager to hear the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina looks like she already knows what\u2019s going on. It\u2019s just what you think it is \u2014 the lost magic you and Maria ran into yesterday,\u201d she said, before quickly explaining the details to Sora, who knew nothing about that incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou got in trouble again?\u201d he murmured in my direction. I tried to explain that it wasn\u2019t my fault this time. I mean, it never was my fault \u2014 trouble just seemed to follow me around! I couldn\u2019t do anything about it! Anyway, Sora just sighed wearily at my explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna, who wasn\u2019t really interested in our little quarrel, went back to talking enthusiastically about the mission. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to recreate some kinds of lost magic as far as keeping places tidy and such goes, but I\u2019ve never heard of one that can transport people to another dimension. This is so interesting!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d heard from my older colleagues that Larna was so into magic that she always went crazy about rare or interesting types of it. I\u2019d also heard that when that happened, she forgot about everything else \u2014 including work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing how excited she was, I started worrying for the department\u2019s wellbeing. \u201cLet me explain about this mission,\u201d said Cyrus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After hearing Larna\u2019s explanation, we moved to a conference room. Maria, Dewey, and Cyrus had come from the Magical Powers Research Department to join Larna, Sora, and me. Apart from the two directors, the rest of us were all newcomers. I wondered why that was \u2014 maybe it was some kind of test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Cyrus told us that there weren\u2019t enough people available to dispatch on a mission that was based on such dubious information. Looking very sad, he added that he would still be attending to his normal director responsibilities, and that he couldn\u2019t help us that much throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Cyrus, I\u2019ll take responsibility here,\u201d said Larna, who was oozing enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat about your responsibilities as department director?\u201d Cyrus asked, perplexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have very talented employees to whom I can entrust everything. I\u2019ll focus on looking for the lost magic,\u201d she explained casually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere you go again… Raphael Wolt is going to get fed up with you,\u201d he said, his face having gone from perplexed to stern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to worry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd on what basis can you say that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbsolutely none.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSpeaking with you stresses me out…\u201d Cyrus said with a sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone could tell that these two were incompatible. Larna was too unconcerned about everything, and Cyrus too concerned. My department colleagues had already assured me that \u201cYou can mostly ignore whatever Larna says when she\u2019s not talking about work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI asked for your help because you\u2019re the most knowledgeable about lost magic around here, but let\u2019s just operate independently as two departments. We\u2019ll both gather information and then compare and contrast here,\u201d said Cyrus, who obviously didn\u2019t want to work with Larna, and we started working as he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had been looking forward to working together with Maria, so I was a bit sad about that. But we would still be able to meet when exchanging information, so I decided to do my best regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut where are we even going to look for information?\u201d I asked once we were out of the meeting room, unsure of what we were supposed to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst of all, we\u2019ll go see someone who\u2019s an expert on lost magic,\u201d Larna said joyfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know such a person?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. He chases down lost and rare types of magic. He\u2019s sort of a weird guy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone as weird as Larna was saying that, I could only wonder what kind of guy that could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe doesn\u2019t live in the Ministry, so we\u2019ll have to ride on a carriage,\u201d she said before starting to march away, with Sora and I doing our best to keep up with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The carriage brought us to a residential district not far away from the castle. The people living there weren\u2019t nobles, but they were definitely well-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna knocked on the door of a house that\u2019s size made it stand out even among the many large ones of that neighborhood. Someone, probably a servant, came out to greet us. They recognized Larna, bowed to her, and led us inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs the professor doing well?\u201d Larna asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, he is as full of energy as usual,\u201d the servant replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So we were here to see a professor. Larna had said that this man was an expert in lost magic, so maybe he was a teacher at a magic school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deep inside the house, we reached a closed door. The servant stopped in front of it and started speaking to someone on the other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaster, you have visitors. May I open the door?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of a parlor, the servant led us directly to the professor\u2019s room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, hold on a second,\u201d a man inside the room replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We heard rumbling and rattling. After a short while, the same man said, \u201cThere, come in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was all that noise just now?<\/em> I thought to myself, but I discovered the answer the second the servant opened the door and we walked inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stared in awe with my mouth hanging open. The whole room was full of stacks upon stacks of books and documents, so many that anyone who was inside it during an earthquake would be buried under an avalanche of paper. That noise was probably the professor shoving some of those books aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And there he was, near the door: an old man with white hair and a white, bushy moustache, looking somewhat like Santa Claus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, Miss, it\u2019s been a while. How have you been?\u201d he said upon seeing Larna, beaming at her with a smile so large that he looked like he was squinting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell. And I am glad to see you doing fine as well, Professor,\u201d Larna replied with a smile. \u201cI have come here with some of my subordinates because there is something that I would like to ask you. May we have some of your time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see,\u201d said the old man. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit messy, but be my guests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He pointed to a table in the center of the room with some chairs around it. The servant who had welcomed us had quickly cleaned it up so that it was the only surface not completely covered in books. I was touched by the speed-cleaning when I noticed that the servant had also prepared tea and snacks for us. Impressive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We sat down facing the professor, and Larna introduced us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese are my subordinates, Katarina Claes and Sora Smith.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am Katarina Claes. It is my pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am Sora Smith. It is my pleasure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man in front of us then spoke. \u201cI am Morris Hyde. The pleasure is mine. People call me \u2018professor\u2019 and \u2018doctor\u2019 and whatnot, but I\u2019m nothing more than an old man. Call me Morris, or Hyde, or whatever you like,\u201d he said, laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked like a pleasant, kind old man. But since it wouldn\u2019t be polite to call him by his name or give him a new nickname, Sora and I decided to follow Larna\u2019s example and just call him \u201cprofessor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora and I told him about our backgrounds while drinking tea. I said that I was the daughter of a duke, and Sora talked about his story of scraping by as an orphan. This story was enough to surprise most people, but the professor didn\u2019t bat an eye and just kept nodding and listening intently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also heard a few things about him, giving me the impression that he was a close acquaintance of Larna\u2019s and that he was not an ordinary person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cprofessor\u201d nickname, he told us, stuck with him because he used to work as a private teacher for noble children even though he had never actually taught in a school. The \u201cdoctor\u201d one was given to him by some of his friends to taunt him for being so passionate about researching lost magic, but he wasn\u2019t a researcher by trade and only looked into things that caught his interest as a hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After chatting for a while, he took a sip of his tea and asked Larna what it was that she wanted to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou see, we have just found an unheard-of type of lost magic on the Ministry\u2019s grounds…\u201d she said. Then as if she\u2019d been waiting all along for the opportunity to do so, she explained about how Maria and I were transported into another dimension and how a floating light orb had told Maria to find a covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She explained everything in such detail that Sora started worrying. \u201cExcuse me, Miss Larna, but is it appropriate to disclose all of this to people outside the Ministry?\u201d he whispered to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry. I\u2019ve got permission. And the professor\u2019s from the Ministry too, anyway. His name is still on the records, but he\u2019s already retired, as you can see,\u201d she said nonchalantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy name is still on those records? I\u2019ve retired! Tell them to erase that, will you?\u201d the professor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat is out of my jurisdiction,\u201d she said, deflecting the request. \u201cMore importantly, do you know anything about this lost magic? That is your specialty, is it not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore importantly…? Miss, you should learn to be a bit more… Ah, never mind, it\u2019s too late for that. A different dimension, a light orb, and a covenant, you say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The professor started thinking while staring at the ceiling. After a while he stood up, walked to a bookshelf (the whole room was basically a giant bookshelf, to be honest) and started looking for something. Not wanting to disturb him as he seemed so concentrated in his search, we waited while silently drinking our tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, here it is! Found it!\u201d he said after a while, bringing a book back with him to the table. \u201cA friend gave this to me many years ago, and I made a translation into our modern language. The content was so unrealistic that I just left it to collect dust on a shelf, but here, take a look,\u201d he said, opening up the book and moving it towards us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than the usual magic manuals that we saw at the Ministry, this looked like a fairy tale book, aimed at what in my previous world would be called \u201cgrade-schoolers,\u201d with pictures and all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me… Isn\u2019t this a made-up story, like a fairy tale?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly,\u201d said the professor. \u201cIt\u2019s from a very old book of stories for children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as I thought. How could that help us?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut forget that and take a look. Here,\u201d he said, pointing to a specific part of the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the Prince was led into the garden which had been created with magic. There he met the shining goddess, who told him, \u201cIf you want greater powers, find the covenant and come back here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will do so,\u201d replied the Prince.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The content of the story was exactly the same as what had happened to me and Maria on the previous day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…But why? Isn\u2019t this supposed to be fiction?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The professor laughed at my surprised reaction. \u201cSometimes, old books talk about magic that was the norm back then and only just so happens to be lost now. Of course, some of them are pure fiction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cProfessor, when was this written, and by whom?\u201d asked Larna, leaning forward with eagerness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss, I understand your passion for magic, but please calm down. I\u2019ll explain everything from the start,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cThe only information I have on this story is that it\u2019s very old. I don\u2019t know who wrote it, or when. The book that my translation comes from was given to me by a friend in the first place. This friend knew his way around magic, and was convinced that the story was based on magic that once really existed. However, no matter how much I searched for evidence, I found none. I just translated it so that children could read it, seeing as it\u2019s a children\u2019s book anyway, but I\u2019d completely forgotten about it until today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you know nothing about the book… What about your friend?\u201d Larna asked promptly, but the professor shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf he were to hear of what happened, my friend would surely be ecstatic knowing that the magic is actually real. However he\u2019s not with us anymore, and I know nothing about how he got that book.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich means that we have no information at all…\u201d Larna said, visibly disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI told you to calm down. You really haven\u2019t changed at all, Miss!\u201d the professor said, frustrated but amused. \u201cI may not know about the book\u2019s origin, but the way to obtain the covenant is written right here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally?! Where?!\u201d Larna asked enthusiastically, and the professor reached for the book and started flipping its pages. After he found what he was looking for, he showed it to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goddess told the prince how to find the covenant so that he may obtain the power that he wanted.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe covenant will draw to itself those who truly wish to find it. And, as soon as you find it, you will know.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The prince thanked the goddess and left the garden.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo… we just have to start looking for it and then we\u2019ll just find it?\u201d I asked, with my head resting on one hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat seems to be the case,\u201d the professor said while stroking his moustache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t tell us a lot about how to obtain it, though…\u201d I said, unsure how to feel about that non-answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFurthermore,\u201d the professor continued, \u201cwe can\u2019t tell whether all that the book tells is true. The author may have embellished the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought we\u2019d finally found a hint, but we\u2019re back at square one…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you know of anything else that could help us?\u201d Larna asked, trying to find even the smallest piece of information to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but this is all I know,\u201d he said, but he let us borrow the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We thanked him and made to leave the Hyde manor. Right before we did so, the professor told us something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if knowing this would be useful to you, but in the story, the prince found the covenant in the form of a book in the largest library in the kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that, Larna said that she would go questioning people who potentially held useful knowledge, and Sora and I were appointed to search the kingdom\u2019s largest library: the one in the Magical Ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe professor\u2019s room was so full of books and documents and all kinds of papers,\u201d I said while we were still in the carriage. That had impressed me the most out of anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s always loved collecting old and rare documents and manuscripts for his research. He has a research room, but it\u2019s completely full of papers,\u201d Larna explained. He had enough texts lying around to fill his research room and overflow into his study and guest rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHis wife lives with him, but she doesn\u2019t want him to dump any more paper inside the rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Living in a house so full of books and documents must be hard. But there was something else I was wondering about…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Larna, you\u2019re on really friendly terms with the professor, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She knew about his family, and she spoke very politely when addressing him. What\u2019s more, the professor looked at her with the same kindness as a grandfather looking at his granddaughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna giggled, squinting slightly in a way that reminded me of the professor. \u201cYeah, we\u2019ve known each other since I was a child. I used to go to his research room all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This explained the way he looked at her. He really did have the eyes of a grandfather thinking \u201cYou\u2019ve grown so much!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo if you didn\u2019t become acquaintances at the Ministry, how did you two first meet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since she said that he\u2019d known her since she was a child, that must have been before she started working at the Ministry. There were sometimes people around the Ministry who didn\u2019t work there, but it certainly wasn\u2019t a place for children to play around in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI used to know one of his friends. One day I was bored, and he told me he\u2019d bring me to an interesting place, which happened to be the professor\u2019s research room. I was so excited seeing all those books about magic around me,\u201d she explained with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWere you already interested in magic back then?\u201d I asked, recalling what my colleagues had told me about her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cResearching magic is something of a life mission for me,\u201d she said with an innocent smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The carriage finally reached the Ministry, and Sora and I went to the library while Larna was asking more people for information. Sure, going to the library is the easy part, but now what? This place is huge and full of books… How are we going to find a single one which we don\u2019t even know anything about?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince we have no clue, what do you think about beginning from the start and looking through each book in order?\u201d I said, but Sora looked at me in dismay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s never going to work,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should at least narrow our options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut how? Even if we, say, ignored all romance novels and just looked at the books on magic, most books here are about magic anyway…\u201d I said, pouting, and Sora sighed while putting a hand to his forehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not what I meant… We\u2019re looking for an ancient magic book, right? So it can\u2019t be among recent books. We should ask where they keep the oldest books and start searching from there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right! Sora, you\u2019re so smart!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not. You should just use your head a bit more…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Sora\u2019s suggestion, we asked the librarian sitting at the counter where the oldest books were being kept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh? You two are also looking for ancient books? What a coincidence. Usually nobody ever cares much for those,\u201d she told us, implying that someone else had already visited that area today. \u201cI think the other people are still there, so try to cooperate and not take up all the space, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We went in the direction that she guided us to and found Maria and Dewey concentrating on reading some books. They were probably \u2014 well, definitely \u2014 looking for the covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as Sora and I stepped near them, they noticed us and looked up from their books. \u201cLady Katarina! Sora!\u201d Maria said in surprise. Dewey, too, was staring at us with fluttering eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, hi Maria, hi Dewey. We\u2019ve come here to look for the covenant too.\u201d I looked around, but didn\u2019t see Cyrus anywhere. \u201cIsn\u2019t Mister Cyrus with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe has gone to question some people who may have useful information, and he also has his normal duties to attend to,\u201d Maria explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As newcomers, the four of us could focus entirely on our search, but the directors had to balance this mission with their usual day to day work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That must be tough. Wait, that\u2019s true for Cyrus, but Larna said something about entrusting her work to subordinates… So it\u2019s the people left at the department who have it tough.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My imagination went to Raphael and his desk, barely visible under a mountain of documents, and I decided that I had to find the covenant as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy are you two in the library? Pray tell, have you found any useful information?\u201d While I was busy thinking, Sora asked Maria and Dewey with the most polite speech he could muster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMister Cyrus told us to ask several researchers about it,\u201d Dewey said, \u201cbut none of them have ever heard of any magic like this, leaving us with no clue. We are looking through these old texts to see if there is any mention of a kind of magic like the one in the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you aren\u2019t looking for the covenant itself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, of course we would be more than happy to find it, but I doubt things will play out that well,\u201d Dewey replied calmly. He was so mature for a thirteen-year-old… At that age, I was romping around the mountains in my previous world and in the garden in this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was looking at Dewey, appreciating how much of a grown-up he was, when our eyes met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, did you happen to find anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy, yes, we found a children\u2019s book,\u201d I said, and both Dewey and Maria stared at me questioningly. I may have left out too much of the story there.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora, after aiming a look of disapproval in my direction, started explaining the whole story behind our coming to the library: our meeting with Professor Hyde, what he had told us, the book we read, and its contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat professor must be an incredibly smart person to be able to remember that book just by hearing your story!\u201d Maria said in admiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you have the book with you right now?\u201d Dewey asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Larna took it to do some more research, so you will be able to see it if she comes here,\u201d Sora replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat means that if we keep searching, we may just happen to find it. And if the covenant is really supposed to be in the largest library in the kingdom… I am glad to know that searching this place was not a terrible idea after all,\u201d Maria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She looked so relieved that I couldn\u2019t bring myself to tell her that the professor had said that we had no way of knowing which parts of the book were true, if any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that, Sora and I joined Maria and Dewey\u2019s search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow have you been looking through the books? In the order that they\u2019re placed on the shelves?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d said Dewey, surprised. \u201cWe have been looking at them in chronological order, from oldest to most recent. Since nobody had heard of that magic, it is likely that it is very ancient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDewey, you\u2019re so smart!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey blushed as he laughed off my comment, but Sora gave me one of his wry looks and whispered, so quietly that only I could hear it, \u201cI told you to use your head a bit more…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using my head has never been my forte. I think I can manage to look through some books though.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay then, we\u2019ll start searching with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sora and I went to the shelf that Maria showed us, the one that had the oldest books on it, and took some that hadn\u2019t been checked yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHm, these old books have no pictures or charts; they\u2019re so boring. Uh? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d Sora said, noticing how I wasn\u2019t moving at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t read this,\u201d I told him sadly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surprised, he looked at my book. \u201cAnd… why is that?\u201d he asked. That meant that he<\/em> was able to read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is ancient script!\u201d I replied. The book wasn\u2019t written in our modern, everyday language, but in an old one that I couldn\u2019t understand. \u201cDo you mean you can read it, Sora? How?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that I once fell in love with a girl who said she liked ancient\u2014 Er… I just learned it because I needed it for work. Didn\u2019t you learn how to read it at the academy?\u201d he replied with a further question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, there were lessons on ancient script at the academy, just like the ones on classical Japanese that we had in school back in my old world. But to be honest, I never liked either of those subjects. I only studied as hard as I could before tests, having my smart friends teach me the most important parts and just memorizing those. As soon as I passed one of those tests with the bare minimum of required points, the information I\u2019d crammed inside my brain would just evaporate, leaving nothing behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This had already been one of my special skills in my previous life \u2014 I called it \u201cforgetting useless stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of this, I couldn\u2019t read a single letter. Just to make it clear: not even word,<\/em> but letter<\/em>. Not a single one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since there wasn\u2019t much point in lying, I admitted to everyone that I couldn\u2019t read any of it. Maria and Dewey were also surprised, and the latter, just like Sora had done, asked me how that could be possible, since I was supposed to have studied that at the academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started feeling really bummed out, and I stared at the floor in a mixture of embarrassment and self-pity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut were you not able to read that old story at professor Hyde\u2019s place?\u201d Dewey asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, that was a modern translation that the professor had made so that children could read it,\u201d Sora explained for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I thought about it, that was obvious. There was no way that such an old story would be written in modern language, and I only had the professor to thank for being able to understand it. Back at his house, the thought just hadn\u2019t occurred to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut this is quite the problem. If she cannot read ancient script, she will not be able to check most of the books in this area,\u201d said Dewey, looking troubled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYup,\u201d said Sora, who, maybe because of how disappointed in me he was, had forgotten about using polite speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What am I going to do? I\u2019m completely useless!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf that is the case, you could check stories instead of these ancient books,\u201d Maria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStories? What do you mean?\u201d I asked as I looked up, noticing her smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe hint that you found was inside a story, so you could try checking other stories written in modern script. They could hold something valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria, my angel, why are you always so kind?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI guess that could be true…\u201d Sora said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, there is certainly a possibility…\u201d Dewey said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And thus, I started looking through stories. Thanks to Maria, I avoided being completely useless. She was such a good girl that I considered fighting off all the love interests to marry her myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thanked my beautiful angel for her kindness and made for the area where the story books were being kept. \u201cHm, it\u2019s all boring stories,\u201d I murmured to myself while flipping the pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story books were kept near the library\u2019s entrance, in a place easily visible from the librarian\u2019s counter. Most of the texts here were technical books on magic, but there were also normal story books, if only a few (of course there were no romance novels, though).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, these stories weren\u2019t particularly exciting \u2014 they were the kind of classical story that you\u2019d find in a school textbook. The writing was also full of metaphors, making it difficult to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh well, still better than those ancient books though. At least I can read these. Thank you, Maria…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of these stories had a prince as protagonist, and he would usually end up married to a kind and beautiful princess or other noble girl. The explanation of how the protagonist used magic to defeat the villain was always so lengthy and detailed that it made you forget about the story itself. Do we really need this many details?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, I was looking for hints about lost magic, so I couldn\u2019t skip those parts… but most of the magic featured in the books was of the kind I\u2019d already heard about anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I was focusing on one of the books, someone entered the library and started talking to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Katarina? What are you doing here by yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked up and saw that it was Cyrus. \u201cOh, Mister Cyrus, are you done with work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot yet, but I wanted to check on Maria and Dewey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a proper, thoughtful boss.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. They\u2019re reading through ancient texts right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know that, but… Sorry to ask again, but what are you doing here by yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe? I\u2019m reading through these story books.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStories? And why would that be?\u201d he said, looking perplexed. I explained about the story that the professor had shown us, and Cyrus responded, \u201cHe showed you a book like that? As expected of Morris Hyde; he\u2019s so knowledgeable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s famous as a great scholar, you know. Well, he\u2019s also infamous for his difficult personality, which makes it difficult for people to talk to him despite his undeniable intelligence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was surprising to hear. \u201cWhat?! He wasn\u2019t like that at all! He let us in to talk to him in his room without a hitch!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s probably because Larna Smith was with you. I\u2019ve heard she used to live amongst royalty, so she must have lots of connections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe did say that she\u2019d known the professor since she was a child… Wait, did you say that she used to live with royalty?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite being her subordinate, I didn\u2019t know much about Larna apart from her knack for disguise and her passion for magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I heard so directly from her, but I don\u2019t know anything about her family. Some say that she\u2019s a noble, but nobody except for a few of the higher-ups knows for sure about her background.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that my superior\u2019s background was classified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are a lot of people like that in the Ministry, though. Just look at me. I come from a small farming village, but people treat me like a high-ranking noble,\u201d Cyrus said, laughing at himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he got back to the subject at hand. \u201cI understand why you\u2019d want to look through these books, but why are you doing it alone? There aren\u2019t that many here, so wouldn\u2019t it be faster if you all cooperated and got it over with quickly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ugh, this is so embarrassing… I wish I didn\u2019t have to explain it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, actually…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I told him about how I couldn\u2019t read ancient script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou graduated from the Academy of Magic, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd they teach ancient script there, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Confused, he looked at me silently. I felt so bad that I once again stared at the floor as I murmured, \u201cI could read it back then, but after the tests I just kind of… forgot all of it…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a few moments of unbearable silence, Cyrus spoke again. \u201c…I see,\u201d he said. \u201cKeep checking these books.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He then went off to the area where Maria and the others were looking at the ancient texts, so I followed his order and kept doing my best to flip through the pages. As the end of the workday grew closer, Larna came back and told us that she\u2019d already interviewed several people. We then went back to the same conference room where we had been debriefed in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cyrus, being the one in charge, spoke first. \u201cI have asked historians and ancient magic researchers in and around the Ministry, but all of them said that they had never heard of any such magic. I sent Maria and Dewey to research ancient magic texts \u2014 did you two find anything?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and Dewey looked at each other, and the latter spoke. \u201cWe have checked dozens of books on ancient magic, but none of them mentioned the spell we were looking for. However, there still are several books that we have not yet checked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see. Good work. Keep on searching those books, then,\u201d Cyrus said to Maria and Dewey, before turning to the people from the Magical Tool Laboratory. \u201cPlease tell us what you\u2019ve found.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019d already told them about the professor\u2019s book, but Larna explained everything in detail once more. She might have been a problem child of sorts within the Ministry, but she really was smart. Her explanation was comprehensive and easy to understand, so much so that Cyrus, who had only heard the story from me, was surprised by several points throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After leaving us, Larna had gone to find more information about the book, but, unfortunately, she had found none.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m planning to go farther from the Ministry tomorrow to ask more people about the book, but I don\u2019t expect to find anything. The story said that the covenant will draw to itself those who look for it, and the library in the Ministry is the largest one in the kingdom. Realistically, that\u2019s our best bet at finding it,\u201d she said, and so it was decided that we\u2019d be searching in the library on the following day as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The workday was now over, but Maria said that she would go back to the library to do some more research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s no rush,\u201d Cyrus said, stopping her. \u201cYou\u2019re still a newcomer, and you aren\u2019t used to working here yet. It\u2019s way too soon to overwork yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite what he said, Cyrus went back to his office to finish his own work. He probably wouldn\u2019t have time to tend to the field and relax for a while. Maybe because she was influenced by his diligence, Larna said that she\u2019d be going to her office too, leaving us four newbies in the meeting room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We prepared to go back home, and despite the fact that everyone but me actually lived in the dormitory, they all casually followed me all the way to the gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we walked there, the conversation was naturally drawn towards the topic of searching through the books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou guys are all so incredible, being able to read through all of those heavy, difficult books,\u201d I said in awe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI haven\u2019t read even half of what those two have. They\u2019re the awesome ones,\u201d Sora said. He wasn\u2019t trying to speak politely anymore, probably because he\u2019d gotten used to Maria and Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all,\u201d said Maria, smiling at her younger colleague. \u201cDewey has done much more than I have. He is so smart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dewey\u2019s face instantly turned red. Seeing his love grow in real time like that was really endearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We eventually reached the gate, and I hopped into the carriage. Tomorrow would be another long day of searching through books.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The day after Cyrus fell in love with Maria, I went to the field together with her. I waited for her after work, and Dewey looked envious when he saw us together. I would have gladly asked him to come along if it were my field, but I couldn\u2019t do the same with Cyrus\u2019s field. 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