\u3000When I reached the Ministry the next day, Larna greeted me with a shocked expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMiss Katarina, why did you bring your brother with you?\u201d she asked, looking at Keith, who was standing by my side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I told him that it wouldn\u2019t take me that long, he insisted on tagging along…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was planning to go out to spend time with him after coming back from the Ministry, but he said that if it wasn\u2019t going to take me that long then he might as well come with me. I tried to talk him out of it, but I never stood a chance at winning against him in a debate, so he ended up coming to the Ministry. I was embarrassed at being accompanied by my brother, but he didn\u2019t seem to either notice or care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI shall not bother you while you work \u2014 I will wait quietly by the side as you perform your tasks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn that case, please wait in the guest room until we\u2019re done,\u201d Larna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually Cyrus, Maria, Dewey, and Sora showed up. Leaving Keith behind, we all went to the garden where we\u2019d first found out about the lost magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour brother must be worried about you,\u201d said Sora, who was walking alongside me as he always did during work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorried about what?\u201d I asked. Now that I was a working woman, I thought that I was able to handle myself just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d he said mockingly, refusing to explain himself any further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We then reached the garden and approached the magic stone, taking a path that didn\u2019t go through Cyrus\u2019s field so that nobody would notice it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs this the one? It just looks like an ordinary stone to me,\u201d said Dewey, sounding confused. This was his first time seeing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood! Now, let\u2019s try activating it!\u201d Larna said excitedly as soon as we were there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Calm down. Shouldn\u2019t we check it more carefully before we do that?\u201d Cyrus said, sporting the stern expression that he seemed to reserve exclusively for Larna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ve already checked it thoroughly,\u201d she said, implying that she\u2019d already investigated the place when she was here without us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis white rock is probably a switch of sorts. The last time the stone was activated, Katarina was touching this rock while Maria used Light Magic on her, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d Maria replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about it, and, taking into consideration other magic-activation conditions, I\u2019ve reached the conclusion that when Light Magic flows into the stone, the lost magic is activated, summoning the user into another dimension,\u201d Larna explained as she stretched her hand towards Maria. \u201cLet\u2019s test my hypothesis. Maria, place a hand on that stone and use your Light Magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes…\u201d Maria said, taking Larna\u2019s hand and walking towards the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait a second, why are you holding Maria\u2019s hand?\u201d Cyrus asked Larna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just want to go to that other dimension together with Maria. Katarina was transported together with her, and I\u2019m sure that this was because she was touching her at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI agree that that\u2019s probably the reason… but I\u2019m not so sure Maria will be safe going together with you. I\u2019ll come along as well,\u201d Cyrus said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, since Maria already had one hand on the stone and the other hand inside Larna\u2019s, he stopped, unsure what to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt probably doesn\u2019t matter what part of her body you\u2019re touching. Just grab her somewhere,\u201d Larna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Grab her… somewhere…\u201d said Cyrus, blushing and freezing still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had become able to talk with Maria, but touching a young girl \u2014 and one he liked, at that \u2014 was probably still a bit too much for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You still have so much to learn…<\/em> I thought, feeling like an old woman looking at her grandson, but apparently his hesitation was not as well received by Larna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you waiting for?\u201d she asked, before releasing Maria\u2019s hand, grabbing her arm instead, and then pulling Cyrus\u2019s hand onto Maria\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMaria, do it,\u201d she ordered enthusiastically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY-Yes,\u201d Maria replied, activating her magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light started flowing out of the hand that she had placed onto the stone, and then Maria, together with an excited Larna and a blushing Cyrus, disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…It really worked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The three of us left were awed at what had just happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI knew this was supposed to happen, but damn, they really disappeared. I gotta admit that I\u2019m surprised,\u201d Sora said, looking shocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat can only be described as disappearing into nothingness…\u201d said Dewey, who sounded thrilled about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was together with Maria last time, so I didn\u2019t know how it\u2019d look from the outside,\u201d I murmured, impressed. Larna was talking about another dimension, but I wondered where they had gone to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I walked closer to the stone and took a good look at it. Except for the white sparkly rock coming out of it, it had nothing out of the ordinary. That other dimension couldn\u2019t be inside the stone itself, could it? It was a big stone, but not that <\/em>big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curious, I tried going around it and knocking on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStay still and wait until Maria and the two directors return. It could be dangerous,\u201d Sora said as I was circling the stone. Lately Sora was always scolding me, and he was starting to sound like Keith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019m just looking!\u201d I said, but I knew that Sora would get mad at me if I spent too much time loitering near the stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before leaving it alone, I tried to put my ear on it, exactly behind where the white rock was on the front, to see if I could hear any sound coming from the inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Out of nowhere, Pochi stuck his head out of my shadow and barked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPochi! You know that you\u2019re not supposed to leave my shad\u2014\u201d I started saying, when all of a sudden I couldn\u2019t see anything anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is going on?! <\/em>I thought, confused. I blinked repeatedly until I finally saw my body, but nothing else. I was inside a large empty space, with nothing but pitch-black darkness all around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I got a feeling of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu… Something just like this had happened to me recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, yeah. The other dimension that I was teleported to together with Maria.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That other dimension was white and blindingly full of light, but this one was full of darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light and dark, like two sides of the same coin…<\/em> I thought to myself, and my vision went completely dark once again. When I was able to see again, I noticed a black orb in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you long for greater powers?\u201d the orb asked with a chillingly cold voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That wasn\u2019t the first time I\u2019d heard that phrase. Maria had gone into the light<\/em> dimension, which meant that I was probably in the dark<\/em>, evil one. Not a good place to be in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be honest I liked Pochi as it was now, and I didn\u2019t really want any more power. The last thing I want happening is to get incredible dark powers and turn into a bona fide villainess headed for doom. I\u2019ll just be honest with the orb guy!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t long for power,<\/em> I meant to say, but before I could open my mouth, the orb spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you want greater powers, find the covenant and… Oh, I see that you already have the covenant with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excuse me? Covenant?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t have that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI found a truly worthy candidate this time around. You have the potential to engulf the whole world in darkness,\u201d the orb said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you, I guess, but I don\u2019t really want to do that. What\u2019s up with this orb anyway? It just keeps talking and doesn\u2019t listen to a single thing I say. The light one was kind of condescending, but this one isn\u2019t any better.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReally, I…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cVery well. I shall impart all of my knowledge unto you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, I\u2019m trying to say that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I could finish speaking, my bag, which was still hanging from my shoulder, started floating in mid-air. It then opened by itself, and a book came flying out of it. It was the same ancient script book that I\u2019d accidentally brought back home with me the previous day from the warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A black mist started coming out of it, and I understood what that book was \u2014 the Covenant of Darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the most surprising thing was that it was all a coincidence: how I\u2019d chosen that book, how I\u2019d brought it back with me, and how I\u2019d entered this dark dimension while it was still in my bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dark orb, oblivious to my shock, spoke again. \u201cTake it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as I heard those words, I saw a shower of black arrows coming out of nowhere and aiming for the floating book. Neverending coils of black letters were raining down in front of my eyes. I felt dizzy, as if I had motion sickness, but the letters kept on pouring down, one after the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t take this…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I lost consciousness in the midst of that black storm. Pink walls, a black table, a metal-framed bed with azure duvets and blue cushions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, this is the familiar sight of Acchan\u2019s bedroom. I must be having that dream again… This is a chance to take a look at FL2! Please, Acchan, play the game! I need as much information about it as possible!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe my prayer reached her, because the TV, where the game was already on, entered my vision. The screen showed Cyrus, who had a troubled expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes! I\u2019ll be able to learn more! Thank you, Acchan, my friend!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s no need for you to do anything that dangerous. Let me protect you,\u201d Cyrus said, sounding melancholic and looking handsome. It looked like Acchan had already succeeded in making him fall in love with the protagonist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What scene is this?<\/em> I wondered while focusing on the screen, where Cyrus\u2019s line was followed by the protagonist\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do not want to endanger you either, Mister Cyrus. I will fight too… I want to do more than just be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That really sounded like something that Maria would say. I could easily imagine her, the strong and kind friend who I was so proud of, saying that in reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine. Let\u2019s go then,\u201d Cyrus said, stretching his hand out to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I hadn\u2019t been watching from the start, all I knew about this scene was that the two characters were in danger, and that they were going to fight against someone or something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The screen faded into the next scene, showing a robed girl with a hood over her head… in other words, it was FL2\u2019s antagonist and villainess, Katarina Claes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow that I have this new power, I\u2019ll finally be able to take my revenge on her!\u201d Katarina said with an evil laugh. A mysterious shadow, looking like a wolf, was standing behind her, and she had a black book in her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The person that Maria and Cyrus are going to fight against is… Katarina?! No way!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And that thing behind her, is that Pochi?! And that book, the one in her hand, is it…?!<\/em> I jumped up, and the first thing I saw as soon as I opened my eyes was the white curtains surrounding my bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where am I? Why was I sleeping in here? Why was I even sleeping in the first place?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Struggling with the pain of the strong headache I\u2019d woken up with, I was trying to figure out how I\u2019d gotten here when the curtain in front of me opened slightly and I saw two beautiful ruby-colored eyes look at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you\u2019re awake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSophia? Where is… Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is the Ministry\u2019s infirmary. I happened to be here to help with some work today, and you\u2019re here because you lost consciousness,\u201d she explained, having somehow understood my question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d heard that Sophia mainly helped out at the infirmary on the days when she came to work at the Ministry. Today must have been one of those days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to her answer, my memories started coming back little by little. I remembered that I\u2019d gone to that garden together with Maria and the others so that she could find the lost magic, and then…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister, how do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Katarina, are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, are you well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith, Larna, and Maria appeared one after the other through the curtains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind them I could see Cyrus, Sora, and Dewey, all looking worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid you find the lost magic already?\u201d I asked them, and Maria nodded with force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Thanks to the help of everyone here, I was able to obtain it. But when we came back, we found you lying unconscious on the other side of the stone… How are you feeling now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah, they found it! That\u2019s great news. And then they found me unconscious… Unconscious? Why?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut why was I unconscious…?\u201d I asked, struggling to remember, and Sora replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen Miss Campbell and the two directors disappeared into the stone, you started walking around it to take a closer look. I tried stopping you, but you said not to worry. Then I could not hear your voice anymore, and when I went to check, you were not there anymore. I continued to look around, and eventually you reappeared behind the stone, unconscious,\u201d he explained, speaking as politely as he could, but I got the feeling that what he ultimately meant was Can\u2019t you learn to do as you\u2019re told just once in your life?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, he said that I had disappeared and then reappeared… just like Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was then that I remembered a terrifying image: black letters pouring down from above, one after the other. Just thinking about it was enough to make my head spin, and I put both my palms against my temples. Was that reality, or was it just a dream?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLady Katarina, you are extremely pale. Do you need help?\u201d Maria asked while looking at my face with concern in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just felt weird for a second, but I\u2019m fine now… Say, did I have a book with me?\u201d I asked, wanting to make sure that what I had seen was real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, it is right here. You were holding it when we found you,\u201d said Sophia, handing it to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was no doubt \u2014 this was the very book that I\u2019d brought back home with me the previous day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the book was really there… but that wasn\u2019t what mattered. What mattered was the book\u2019s content. If it was really full of those letters I\u2019d seen back then…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I slowly and cautiously opened the book, but the only thing on its pages was the same ancient script that I\u2019d unsuccessfully tried to read in the warehouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that was just a dream. I must have fallen unconscious because of how excited I was, or maybe I was a bit anemic,<\/em> I thought to myself, relieved, but Larna started speaking while staring at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMiss Maria obtained the lost Light Magic in that white dimension, as is now written on the covenant that she found yesterday. However, just opening the book won\u2019t work… You need to use Light Magic on it. Miss Maria, show miss Katarina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It seemed that they had had time to research these things while I was knocked out. It was good that they\u2019d learned how to read the book, but why would they show that to me all of a sudden? I couldn\u2019t understand Larna\u2019s motives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d Maria said while I was still thinking about it. She took the covenant out of her bag and used her Light Magic on it, at which point the book started glowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow! So this is what the lost magic looks like,<\/em> I thought while peeking inside the book. Hm? All I see is the usual ancient script. I imagined there would be magic light letters or something.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can see characters of light appearing in the book, but nobody else seems able to,\u201d explained Maria, who had probably guessed what I was thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was probably something that only the people who had received the light orb\u2019s power could do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt really is a magic book!\u201d I said, impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, Miss Katarina,\u201d Larna said, \u201ccould you get your dark familiar out now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh? Why?\u201d I asked, confused by her sudden request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou heard Miss Maria. You need to use magic to see the characters hidden in the book. Which is why you need to use Dark Magic to read your Dark Covenant,\u201d she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat, wait, why? This book…?\u201d I said, shocked, stringing words together as they came to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou mean to ask why we know that your book is the Dark Covenant? We took a look at it before you woke up, and we realized that it\u2019s very similar to Maria\u2019s. It\u2019s a book on basic magic written in ancient script, with a black stone on the cover in the same place as the white one on her book. I have no idea where you found that, but it\u2019s almost an opposite version of Maria\u2019s covenant. The logical conclusion is that while we found the lost Light Magic, you obtained lost Dark Magic. Am I right?\u201d Larna was speaking so fast, without even stopping to breathe, that I was left astonished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So they hadn\u2019t only examined Maria\u2019s book, but also the reason why I was unconscious. This would explain why none of the people around me were as surprised as I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t help but be impressed by Larna\u2019s reasoning. For as problematic of an employee as she was, her intelligence couldn\u2019t be denied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid I get anything wrong?\u201d she asked, cocking her head to one side as I took my time to reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cN-No, I think you are right…\u201d I said, and I went on to describe how I had brought that book from the warehouse back with me by coincidence, the black letters pouring down in the black dimension, and how I\u2019d felt dizzy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…But it all felt so distant, like a dream. I was just asking myself whether it really happened or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I imagined. You probably thought that it was all just a dream, so you could put the book back in the warehouse and stop thinking about it… right?\u201d Larna said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuh?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can she even read minds?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know, Miss Katarina, you\u2019re the type who just shows everything she\u2019s thinking on her face,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd if it really was a dream, then we can all stop thinking about it. But if it wasn\u2019t, that book could be useful for the Ministry. Could you try out what I said?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be honest, the memory of what happened in that dark dimension was so scary that I didn\u2019t feel like reliving it, but not knowing whether it really happened or not was unpleasant in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, I will. Pochi, come out,\u201d I said, mustering my courage and summoning Pochi as I opened the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWoof!\u201d he said, happy to come out of my shadow, and I saw a faint dark mist appear around the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure enough, the page I had opened the book to was full of those black letters. More than just being written on the paper, it looked as if they were floating on top of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJudging from your face, you see the dark characters,\u201d Larna said, looking at my shocked expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Yes,\u201d I said without taking my eyes off the book. I remembered being scared by them when I saw them pouring down from above, but now that they were neatly arranged on the pages, they only looked eerie and mysterious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow that we\u2019ve figured that out, that\u2019s enough for today,\u201d Larna said while forcefully closing the book in front of me. Now that I looked at it, Maria\u2019s book had been closed as well. \u201cCyrus and I are fine, but you two have directly received the lost magic, so we can\u2019t ignore the possible physical burden. Miss Katarina\u2019s frighteningly pale, and you, Miss Maria, aren\u2019t looking much better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking at Maria\u2019s complexion, I had to agree with her. I couldn\u2019t see it, but my face probably looked the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe covenant is not going anywhere, so we can look into it in a couple of days. You two just go home and rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We were dismissed by Larna, who said that it was probably better for Maria and I to keep our respective books. I put mine into my bag and prepared to go home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria was heading to the dormitory with Cyrus and Dewey, and I was heading back to Claes Mansion with Keith and Sora. We all walked out of the infirmary together and split up in front of the meeting room. Larna said that she\u2019d stay in the Ministry since she had to look into some things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister is always getting herself into trouble no matter how much people warn her,\u201d Keith, to my right, said with a sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe really is. If she had waited patiently in front of the stone, this would not have happened,\u201d replied Sora, to my left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh no! At this rate, I\u2019m going to be scolded bilaterally!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I found that lost magic, so it was worth it, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d I said, while walking a couple of steps forward to strategically protect my flanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was then that I felt something \u2014 a cold, intense stare going through my back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is this?<\/em> I thought, turning back, but there was nobody in sight. Did I just imagine that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I looked at my arm and saw that it was covered in goosebumps. I had sensed something evil…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you feeling dizzy again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith and Sora were worried about me, but I couldn\u2019t bring myself to explain what had just happened. I felt that if I told them, I wouldn\u2019t be able shake it off as \u201cjust my imagination\u201d anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. I must be tired,\u201d I said, and we left together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That must be it. I\u2019m so tired that I\u2019m imagining things,<\/em> I told myself while rubbing the goosebumps off my arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reached the carriage, thanked Sora for seeing me off, and left the Ministry without any more hint of that weird feeling from before. After reaching home and eating lunch, I went back to my room. When my stomach was full, I would usually fall asleep within seconds, whether in bed or in front of a desk. But I couldn\u2019t seem to get any rest today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This must have been because of the dream I just had. I had already seen FL2 in two dreams, one before joining the Ministry and one right after, so this made it the third time. I had gotten very little information out of it… but what little I learned was terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on the dreams and on the note I had found, I knew that Katarina Claes, after being exiled, had come back as FL2\u2019s villainess to take her revenge on Maria. Now I also knew that she\u2019d found the Dark Covenant and had a Dark Familiar \u2014 that wolf-looking shadow \u2014 with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This last bit of information reflected what had happened to me today. Obtaining Dark Magic and finding Pochi, my Dark Familiar, were both coincidences. So was finding the Dark Covenant… or was it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The events around me were starting to resemble the game\u2019s plot to a scary extent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back at the academy, I had been surprised when the other noble girls publicly shamed me in the dining hall despite how I\u2019d never bullied Maria, and I thought that this was the game forcing one of its scenes to happen through its mysterious influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Could the same have happened just now? And if so, how strong would that influence be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of my friends had been there to help me at the dining hall, but I didn\u2019t know whether I could count on that again. I felt that the game\u2019s influence had gotten stronger ever since I had happened to find Dark Magic, a Dark Familiar, and the Dark Covenant. Maybe I would slowly turn into the game\u2019s Katarina and use the dark powers at my disposal to do evil, throwing myself into one of the routes leading to doom…<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became, and I wasn\u2019t getting any sleepier. Rather than lay in bed doing nothing, I decided to go to the garden to get some fresh air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was sitting under a tree, enjoying the pleasant spring breeze and the sight of my vegetable field, when I heard a voice from behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBig Sister, didn\u2019t you say you were going to take a nap?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, Keith,\u201d I said, noticing my brother standing there. \u201cI tried to, but I couldn\u2019t fall asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou couldn\u2019t fall asleep?\u201d he repeated, surprised. \u201cYou, who always falls asleep minutes after eating?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was true, but maybe that wasn\u2019t something you should say to your sister\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Are you worried about something?\u201d he asked, staring into my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By sheer coincidence, I had followed the game\u2019s script and got my hands on Dark Magic, so I was worried about becoming a real villainess, losing all my friends, and having to face doom. Keith wouldn\u2019t be able to understand that, of course, since he didn\u2019t know that we were living in the world of an otome game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I obtained forbidden powers, and I\u2019m worried that I could become evil and be hated by everyone, and eventually… be doomed,\u201d I said, trying to explain my worries without mentioning the game. After all, all that mattered was what I was scared about: becoming evil, losing my friends, and winding up in a catastrophic scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I lowered my gaze and waited for Keith\u2019s answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou becoming evil and losing all your friends? That\u2019s something I have trouble even just imagining,\u201d he said with a troubled expression before sitting next to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cB-But look at all this Dark Magic stuff I\u2019ve been involved in… It\u2019s still possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, he didn\u2019t understand why I was so bothered. \u201cMaybe, but it\u2019s unlikely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnlikely, yes, but not impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure, but that could be said about most things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wondered about whether Keith would end up fighting against me and defeating me in real life, just as in the game. Whether he ended up putting me in prison or killing me, I was sure that he would stare at me with cold, hateful eyes when he did it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven if that happens, I\u2019ll always be by your side,\u201d he said, much to my surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven if I become evil? Would you still say the same thing then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He narrowed his blue eyes before replying. \u201cWhatever the case, unless you want me to, I\u2019ll never leave you. You were the one to tell me that first, remember? You said you\u2019d stay by my side even if I ended up hurting people because I couldn\u2019t control my magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that he mentioned it, I remembered saying something like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, I\u2019d try to keep you from turning evil, though,\u201d he said with a playful smile. The sight of it made the fear inside my heart shrink down by several sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, Keith. Please stay by my side, and make sure I don\u2019t do anything evil,\u201d I said, returning the smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really have a wonderful brother,<\/em> I was thinking to myself when I heard a rustling sound behind me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeith told us that we could wait in the mansion while he went to check on Katarina, so we should keep waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am afraid that we should do as Big Brother says.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have waited long enough. We cannot let them stay that cozy with each other. I will go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrince Jeord, please do not make such decisions on your own. And if anything, I should be the one to go, since I was the first one to reach the mansion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy only a few minutes! I am her fianc\u00e9, and as such, I should be the one to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou may be her fianc\u00e9, but I am her friend. We even slept in the same room of the castle not that long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, you mean that time when you did all you could to get between Katarina and me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou still think about that? I would have expected your skin to be tougher.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMary, Jeord, give it a break. This is no place for disput\u2014 Ahhh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I turned to the direction that the scream had come from and saw Prince Alan, with his silver hair and blue eyes, tripping out of some bushes a short distance from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrince Alan?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh… Hi,\u201d he said awkwardly while still lying on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrince Alan! Why would you go first like that?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExactly! You should let your older brother go first!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis wouldn\u2019t have happened if you two hadn\u2019t been pulling at each other so much inside that tiny bush! Why am I the one being scolded here?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mary and Jeord also came out of the bush, followed by Sophia and Nicol, who asked me how I was feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith mumbled something like \u201cI told you people to wait,\u201d but I couldn\u2019t quite catch what he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cExcuse me, why is everyone here?\u201d I asked, surprised at seeing my friends there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith was the one to explain, with a disappointed look on his face. \u201cSophia told everyone that you were feeling unwell, and they all came to visit. I thought that you were sleeping, so I told them to wait while I made sure…\u201d he said. Then, whispering so feebly that I couldn\u2019t hear it, \u201cIf I knew they would bother us like this, I\u2019d have sent them away at once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, they\u2019d all come to visit me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, everyone!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSince you are my fianc\u00e9e, it is obvious that I would be worried about you. And, just so you know, I will be by your side whatever may happen \u2014 forever,\u201d Jeord said with a smile, grabbing my hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Realizing that he must have heard the conversation between Keith and me, I felt a bit embarrassed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMe too,\u201d said Mary, pushing Jeord aside. \u201cI will never leave you. And I will be sure to scold you should you ever stray from the path of righteousness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So she also wouldn\u2019t leave me if I became evil…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think that forbidding her from eating sweets would be more effective than scolding her,\u201d said Alan, grinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf that happens, I will also stop lending you novels until you behave!\u201d Sophia, visibly pained by her own words, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhatever you end up doing, none of us will ever leave you. We will always keep supporting you,\u201d Nicol said with his dangerously attractive smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not just Keith… All of them will stay with me, letting me know if I\u2019m doing something wrong.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, all of you,\u201d I said from the bottom of my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fear that had burdened me so much had now completely disappeared. I couldn\u2019t do anything by myself, but, with the support of all my friends, I was sure that everything would be fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeling better, I kept chatting with them and then, that night, I slept like a baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the first day of the next week, I went to work with the covenant in my bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the way to the Magical Tool Laboratory office, I met some employees from other departments. When I greeted them, they greeted me back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I had first started working, most people had either been too formal because of my rank as a duke\u2019s daughter, or they had talked with me as if they\u2019d rather avoid me altogether, but lately, this had happened less and less. Even people who knew that I was Katarina Claes would talk normally with me, and this made me incredibly happy and motivated to work harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Larna and Sora were waiting for me in the office, and we walked together to the meeting room, where we met with Maria, Cyrus, and Dewey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once we were all sitting down, Larna took the two covenants from Maria and me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks to your efforts,\u201d she said cheerfully, \u201cwe have obtained not one, but two lost magic books. Early this morning I made a report to my superiors and got permission to study them further. Hence, since you all helped in finding these books, I would like you to proceed with their analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll these people working on just two books? Did you forget how much the Ministry is understaffed right now?\u201d Cyrus complained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, of course. We will take turns and only do it in the free time between our official duties. However, I would like Maria and Katarina to have a more active role in this investigation, which could potentially become very useful for the Magical Ministry. Can I ask for your help?\u201d she said, looking at us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes!\u201d said Maria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes,\u201d I agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have a lot of time to spend on this meeting today. Would you start reading the content of the books?\u201d Larna asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria and I opened the respective books, after which she activated her Light Magic and I called out Pochi. The black letters appeared on the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHence I put forth the whole of my knowledge of Light Magic,\u201d<\/em> Maria shyly started reading, making Larna let out an enthusiastic \u201cOhhh!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then, everyone looked at me. Their stares were telling me to hurry up and read the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, I looked at the black letters in front of me and sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have to say it, don\u2019t I? Just because they can\u2019t see the book, I can\u2019t lie and make something up on the spot. It\u2019s going to be embarrassing, but…<\/em> I made up my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am sorry! I cannot read a single word of ancient script!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt the tension silently building up in the room. Had this been an anime, there would be a \u201ccrickets\u201d sound effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone had dropped their jaws, but Larna was the first one to get hers off the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes… I should have realized that. A book as ancient as this would be written in ancient script. And you wouldn\u2019t be able to read it,\u201d she said, disappointed, as I quietly nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen,\u201d she said, handing me paper and pen, \u201cjust write down the letters you see. You should be able to do that much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will!\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a second I was scared that they\u2019d force me to learn ancient script, so I was very relieved that I could just write it down for them to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I took the pen in my hand, placed it on the paper, and… uh?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…I-I can\u2019t write. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n My hand wouldn\u2019t move. I tried writing down some random modern letters, and I had no problem doing that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I try writing down the letters from this book, my hand just stops moving…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat figures…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? It does?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s magic on that book that prevents anyone but those with the right powers from reading it. I expected that it wouldn\u2019t let you copy its contents that easily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I see…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if I can\u2019t copy down the letters, that means…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKatarina,\u201d Larna said with the friendliest, most pleasant smile I\u2019d ever seen, as she put a hand on my shoulder. \u201cThis is for the good of the whole Ministry. Learn to read ancient script and analyze the contents of the book. Thank you in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhaaaat?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only did I have to study ancient script, of which, at that point, I couldn\u2019t read a single letter, but I also had to analyze the book itself. Have mercy!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHmmmmm…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to refuse, but Larna wouldn\u2019t allow me to anyway…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s do our best together!\u201d Maria, who was in the same boat as me (except for already being able to read ancient script), said with a smile that I could never say no to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My response was a single, prolonged moan of pain aimed at no one in particular. I thought I had been lucky to be assigned to a department where most duties were simple manual labor, but now, because of this covenant…<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stared at the book in my hands with contempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou could start by borrowing an ancient script dictionary,\u201d Dewey promptly suggested, but I didn\u2019t have enough energy left to reply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLosing time sitting here won\u2019t make things any better,\u201d Sora said, and I begrudgingly stood up from my chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The book still had the magic black letters on it \u2014 lots of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thinking that I had to translate all of that was enough to give me a headache, even if for different reasons than the one I\u2019d had inside the dark dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than any Bad End, it\u2019s probably this book that\u2019ll be the death of me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And thus began my next mission at the Ministry: \u201c \u3000When I reached the Ministry the next day, Larna greeted me with a shocked expression. \u201cMiss Katarina, why did you bring your brother with you?\u201d she asked, looking at Keith, who was standing by my side. \u201cWhen I told him that it wouldn\u2019t take me that long, he insisted on tagging along…\u201d I was planning […]<\/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-3465","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\/3465","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=3465"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3466,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3465\/revisions\/3466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novel.mdtaal-aminii.my.id\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nLearning to read<\/s> Deciphering and analyzing the covenant.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"