Prologue: Erika Aurelia, Destined to Die

Once upon a time, in a faraway place, there lived a young girl. She was the daughter of a ducal house famed for its alchemy. Her name was Erika Aurelia.

Only two months ago, the girl had suddenly awakened to memories that were not her own. What’s more, if her conjecture was right, the world she was living in belonged to Liber Monstrorum: The Winter Maiden and the Phantasmic Beasts, a game she had played in another life. In this game, Erika Aurelia was the first victim of a serial murder.

Huh? Wait, if I enter the academy six years from now, won’t I be the first to die?

Erika’s life in the game was a tragedy. A villainess whose pathetic death served as just desserts for all her lying and cheating—that was the fate of Erika Aurelia.

However, this Erika—who carried regrets from a life where she was unreasonably stabbed over a love affair she didn’t even remember having—was determined to use her memories of Liber Monstrorum as a weapon to survive no matter what.

She was soon visited by her first death flag, the game’s first potential love interest. His name was Claus Hafan, and he was the heir to a house of magic.

In the plot of the original game, Erika antagonized Claus’ sister, Anne, and lured her to the dangerous Seafarer’s Ruins, where she would ultimately die. This event would force Claus to live with inescapable regret and sorrow. Inescapable, at least, until he met the heroine and learned to move on. Erika, on the other hand, would be the first to be killed by Anne, who was possessed by the evil spirit of the ruins.

This time around, Erika had deepened her friendship with Anne and tried to steer her away from the ruins. Unfortunately, owing to the curse on her necklace, both Claus and Anne had ended up in the danger zone.

Relying on the magic items her brother and talented alchemist Eduard left behind, Erika had plunged into the ruins alone to search for the siblings. She’d found Claus easily enough, but as the two of them looked for Anne, they got lost in the winding corridors, sprung a death trap, suffered a floor collapse, and accidentally revived an ancient monster.

Erika had managed to save Claus, Anne, and even the soul of the lonely beast sleeping in the innermost depths. Her life hanging by a thread, she had broken down her first death flag, but it would not be long before the next came creeping toward her.

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The story begins at the Spring Palace, in the Wunderkammer of Eduard Aurelia. A Wunderkammer was the studio of an alchemist, a showcase of the world’s natural history stuffed to the brim with special ores and the body parts of many a beast, phantasmal or otherwise.

At the work desk in the center of the room sat Eduard, a young man with blond hair and gentle green eyes. Beside him was Erika, who shared these same features, staring at his work with deep intrigue.

There was a shallow box on the table, its exterior an inconspicuous black and its interior upholstered with plush, ultramarine velvet. Atop the velvet rested a row of beautifully decorated wands, each about the length of a conductor’s baton. They were all alchemists’ wands embedded with magic spells.

The alchemists of this world cast magic from such wands, which had been imbued with their spells in advance. One wand could only contain one spell, and it had anywhere from fifty to a hundred charges. While this limited alchemists in comparison to their magician counterparts, they did not have to chant and could easily utilize convenient magic with the simple swing of a wand.

Of the orderly row, Eduard first lifted up the Magic Missile wand.

The wand’s shaft was golden oak carved with spiraling grooves. Its wick was a mix of charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter while its handle was silver with an obsidian pommel. The tip was flint ornamented with more silver.

Eduard stared at the wand, confirming its quality before opening his mouth.

“A splendid wand. It should serve you well.”

He took out a case just big enough for a single wand and put the Magic Missile away. Next, he picked up the Hail of Stone wand. He carefully scrutinized this one as well before tucking it into its own container.

“Magic Missile and Hail of Stone are good choices. They compensate for each other’s weak points.”

“That’s a relief to hear, Eduard.”

Eduard had asked Erika to pick out some wands in the name of self-defense.

“With those two, you won’t just be able to protect yourself; you should be able to fight off a vicious beast.”

“I simply wanted to take precautions. You never know what might happen. Was it a tad excessive?” Erika asked.

“No, it’s always good to be cautious,” Eduard said as he handed over the two wand cases.

Erika meekly accepted them. She handed them to the miniature armored golem keeping a low profile beside her, and the golem, with exceedingly organic movements, tucked them away in a leather bag.

“You chose Jump and Levitate for emergency maneuvers. Well thought out on your part.”

“Yes, I heard there were many tall buildings in the capital.”

“And in preparation for natural disaster, you picked Disintegrate, Wall of Stone, and Barbed Wire. The Disintegrate wand is especially dangerous. You have to be very careful with it.”

“Of course.”

“Finally, a Magic Map wand for if you get lost. The capital can be quite confusing, after all.”

“I heard there are lots of ancient ruins underneath it as well.”

“Okay, I think you chose an optimal selection. I should give you a few fundamental wands too.”

Offering some courteous advice, Eduard handed over box after box.

“Thank you so very much, Eduard.”

Erika thanked him from the depths of her heart. Only with her brother’s generosity could she assemble so many different wands. With such a wonderful assortment at her disposal, she would not want for any sort of magic she might need.

However, even Eduard was unable to arrange for an Urðr-Sight wand—a wand that had performed so magnificently in her last exploration. The materials simply wouldn’t make it in time.

But now I’m prepared to deal with my next death flag.

Erika breathed a sigh of relief, and yet, as her mind wandered to her previous escapade, a shadow was cast over her face.

“Are you anxious about the royal capital? Father will be with you, so you should be fine unless something terribly drastic happens.” Eduard gently stroked the top of her head. He must have noticed her expression.

“Yes, let’s hope so.”

House Aurelia had received an invitation to a festive banquet hosted by Ignitia’s royal family. Their father, Duke Ernst, was obligated to attend. Erika’s heart swirled with fear and anxiety, dreading their departure.

August, First Prince of Ignitia, would raise her next death flag. Unsavory rumors about the “Foolish Prince” had even reached the ears of young children such as herself.

“I’d like to lend you my bag too, if I could, but—”

“Oh no, that bag is important to you. You have serious business to attend to, don’t you? You won’t make it in time if you have to repack.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Eduard had to set out somewhere to take part in some kind of investigation. Erika hadn’t asked about the details, but considering it took precedence over a royal invitation, she could tell it was significant. The worrywart that he was, Eduard had given Erika the tools to protect her in his stead.

“I need to get going. Another time, Erika.”

“Have a safe trip, Eduard.”

“Tell me all about your adventures when I get back.”

Eduard kissed Erika on the cheek and left the workshop, his bag in his hand.

“Good grief, what a secretive man.”

The voice raising this complaint did not belong to Erika.

“He must have his circumstances. It’s not our place to intrude. Besides, I’m not all that different, am I?”

“Heh heh, point taken.”

A laugh rumbled from within the golem-esque figure at her side. He was one of Erika’s secrets, and a powerful ally. Not a golem she made, but a monster from ancient times.

This was the evil spirit Erika had met in the Seafarer’s Ruins on that spring night two months prior—more precisely, the philosopher’s stone created by Aurelia’s ancestor, a twin-horned homunculus similar to a dragon. After losing in combat, he had been sealed away, and now he was one of Erika’s closest friends.

Once a nameless monster, he now chose to be the guardian beast of the girl who had offered him the name “Tirnanog.” However, only Erika knew of any of this. If the truth came out, it was possible he would be sealed away again, so he was instead disguised as a starsteel golem.