Chapter 1: The Spring Palace

1

As the name implied, the Spring Palace was where House Aurelia took up residence in springtime.

“Lady Erika! Where are you, Lady Erika?”

The voices of maids searching for Erika echoed throughout the spacious white and gold halls. It was the day House Hafan, one of the nation’s most influential noble houses, was due to visit. As the eldest daughter of House Aurelia, Erika would have to attend the welcoming banquet.

On this terribly important day, Erika was stifling her breath as she hid away in the study.

Real sorry... I need to prepare just a little more. Sorry, everyone!

Safely out of sight, Erika continued her research. At the moment, she wanted to know more about this world’s prominent nobles, Duke Hafan included. She needed to cram in all the necessary information before her time was up.

Once she felt the maids’ voices had grown distant enough, Erika spread a map and some books across the carpet.

☆

Lucanlandt was a country of harsh winters. It lay on the northern edge of the Ichthyes continent and was also called the “Land of Ice and Snow.”

Erika knew of the tragedy that had taken place in these lands; she had seen it in a past playthrough.

A member of House Lucanlandt had gone insane and murdered the entire household; not even the servants were spared. According to rumors, it wasn’t insanity but lycanthropy which had consumed them.

Truth be told, there had been a single survivor of the Lycan Massacre: Chloe Lucanlandt, who would later become the heroine of Liber Monstrorum.

After the incident, Chloe was taken in by an affluent merchant, and her name became Chloe Cloacina. Seven years from now, in the fall of her fourteenth year, she would enroll in the Academy of Magic in the city of Lindis and get swept up in yet another bizarre event.

There were seven possible love interests. Each hero had his own individual storyline, but only one was available from the start. It was the sort of game where a new route would unlock every time the previous one was cleared.

In her past life, Erika had only been partway through the game; she had just finished the first two routes and started the third. Her tragic stabbing had occurred only three days after the game’s release, putting a permanent halt to her progress.

Hahaha, how harsh.

Erika heaved a sigh and decided to focus on compiling what little knowledge she had. She spread out the large sheet of parchment and peered at the world map.

The continent of Ichthyes was primarily divided into four regions: Lucanlandt in the north, Hafan in the east, Ignitia in the south, and Aurelia—the territory of Erika’s father—in the west. The regions all retained the names they’d had as sovereign nations. At present, Ignitia had brought them together into a united kingdom, with the former royal lineages of Lucanlandt, Hafan, and Aurelia falling to the status of retainers despite maintaining control of their lands.

Lucanlandt was the oldest and the first to be inhabited by humans. The cold, harsh climate had forged a brave and sincere temperament in its people. This region was home to an abundance of daring swordsmen and skilled medics. As the magic of this world did not branch into healing, the treatment of heavy injuries was often based on medicinal practices with roots in Lucanlandt.

Hafan had been developed by the second wave of people to migrate to Ichthyes. A majority of it was covered in dense woodland, while the rest was composed of grassy plains and grain fields. Hafan was known for turning out talented magicians in great numbers.

In Ignitia, knights rode dragons rather than horses. The people of Ignitia had come up from a continent in the south during a time when the wicked nation of Casquetia ruled over Ichthyes with an iron fist. Ignitia destroyed Casquetia with the immense power of their dragon knights and gained total control of all the nations. They were proud conquerors indeed.

Aurelia had been the last to emerge. It was a country of alchemists formed by the Seafaring Tribe. While it was not yet possible to turn base metals into gold, ever since they’d stumbled upon a large, natural gold vein, they had become the continent’s most affluent region.

The current ruler, Duke Ernst Aurelia, was Erika’s father. The Duchess had died before Erika turned three, and Ernst remained a widower, never remarrying.

Whatever memories Erika had of her mother were terribly vague. The warmth when she held Erika in her arms, her gentle singing voice, the soft and loving sensation of her fingers when they traced her daughter’s face... Erika could only recall such fragmentary snippets. She attributed this to the difficulty for memories to take root in such tender years, but it still saddened her that they were few and far between.

“Lady Erika! Are you there, Lady Erika?”

Once again, the voices of the maids searching for her echoed from beyond the door. Erika had nearly drifted off to a realm of reminiscence, but she shook off such thoughts, knowing now wasn’t the time.

I don’t have time to get emotional.

Very soon, an event would take place that would raise her death flag.

She continued making her way through the books, bolstering her knowledge as she gathered information on Aurelia and Hafan. As she was fishing through a pile of documents, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her.

“Oh, there you are. You shouldn’t trouble the maids too much, Erika. What’s wrong?”

It was Eduard. Erika hurriedly returned her books to the shelf. She couldn’t exactly tell him she was gathering information to avoid her inevitable demise.

“Hello, Eduard. I wasn’t trying to hide or anything. I just had some business to attend to.”

“Hmm, what sort of business?”

“It’s a secret.”

When she did her best to play the part of a spoiled, sulking child, Eduard’s expression softened.

“Hehe, it must be important. Did you finish your business yet?”

“I did.”

Eduard smiled gently and held out his hand.

“Then let’s get going. They’re all waiting for you.”

Today she would meet someone closely connected with her own death. If her memories hadn’t caught up in time, Erika feared she would be barreling straight toward irreversible tragedy and a fated conclusion. Just one more day, and perhaps she would have made a mistake she could never take back.

House Hafan contained the first love interest of Liber Monstrorum. His name was Claus Hafan.

From what Erika could remember, Claus was a sixteen-year-old, omnipotent magician; he had sharp, imposing features and a cold personality. Though hailed as a genius, he was filled with indelible regret and general disillusionment with humanity. His eyes were dark... So terribly dark. Even though his bio listed his eye color as blue, his in-game art depicted them as deeply, boundlessly black.

Why had Claus become such a person? Well, it was because he thought his younger sister, Anne, had died because of his own mistake.

However, it had actually been Erika who caused Anne’s death. To be more precise, Erika had, just for a bit of fun, invited Anne to a very hazardous place. Even if it wasn’t directly, one could say it was Erika’s fault that Anne had died.

And that kinda leads to my death six years later.

Erika recalled the scenario from Liber Monstrorum.

The messenger owls had all been killed, and after the city of Lindis, home to the Academy of Magic, was cut off from the rest of the world, Erika was the first to be found dead, her entire body turned to gold. This was the first storyline in the game, the onset of the Gold Rush Murders.

In Liber Monstrorum, six years before the scenario began, Anne was possessed by an evil spirit in the Aurelia Ruins and perished. The spirit belonged to a legendary alchemist who had been the first to successfully create a philosopher’s stone only to be killed by their compatriots, who were after their secrets.

Driven by revenge, homesickness, love, and hate, the spirit would go on to cause a series of mysterious deaths at the academy. Six years later, Anne, revived after fully assimilating with the alchemist’s spirit, targeted Erika, the one responsible for her death.

Yes, I can really see where Anne is coming from here.

If someone had lured her out and let her die, she would definitely have come back as an evil spirit to curse them to death.

Today happened to be the day she was fated to meet the Hafan duo, Claus and Anne. Naturally, Erika had no intention of inviting Anne out anywhere dangerous, but there was no telling what would happen. She couldn’t rule out the possibility that her inner villainess would awaken the moment she met them.

If I become the sort of evil lady who leads people into traps...

The thought made her silence all the more solemn.

“Erika, are you okay? You’re not looking too well.” Kind as always, Eduard touched a worried hand to her brow.

Thank you, dear brother of mine.

She quietly offered her heartfelt gratitude. Her past-life memories were making her act all too suspiciously, yet Eduard was interacting with her as tenderly as ever. She didn’t want to worry her brother any further.

Erika desperately formed a natural smile. “I’m perfectly alright, Eduard. It’s just... I’m meeting the Hafans for the first time, so I’m a little anxious.”

“Be at ease, Erika. The people from the east are calm and gentle. Ah, that’s right; Duke Hafan has a son who’s two years older than you, you know.”

Truth be told, Hafan nobles were known to be callous and xenophobic, but Eduard had told his sister a little white lie to give her courage. Realizing this, Erika smiled even wider so he wouldn’t have to worry.

“Yes, I already heard from Father. Claus and Anne, correct?”

“Precisely. I do hope you all get along.”

“Me too.”

Talking with her brother allowed her to finally regain her composure.

I have to do my best! she scolded herself.

She’d now had all of her past-life memories for two days running. While she hadn’t set up any decent countermeasures yet, she couldn’t let herself be crushed by the pressure before it even began.

“Oh, that’s right. I’ve got something for you. This pendant is charmed to inspire courage in the wearer, so even a shy girl like you can surely make friends.” With that, he hung a pendant around Erika’s neck. It gave off a faint blue glow.

This is a star crystal.

Its light reflected off of Erika’s limpid emerald eyes.

Star crystal was a mineral unique to Aurelia. It was also known as the Sailor’s Star. This special ore would resonate with even the feeblest of magical energy, glowing brighter the darker its surroundings.

A fragment the size of a pinky nail placed in a glass tube would create a lamp with the same degree of brightness as a candle. Such star crystal lamps could be found stationed all over the Spring Palace.

However, Erika had never seen a flawless crystal so large as the one dangling from her neck.

“What’s this?”

“You have to keep it a secret from Father. I found it while exploring the Seafarer’s Ruins with a friend. I thought it might be a nice present for you, so I had it faceted and made into a necklace. Outside of those ruins, you won’t find a star crystal of this size and quality anywhere in the world.”

“Huh?!” Erika froze the moment she heard him mention the Seafarer’s Ruins. “Thank you, Eduard. But Father has told us time and time again that those ruins are dangerous.”

“That’s why you have to keep it a secret, okay?”

The Seafarer’s Ruins were the site of Anne’s death and the resting place of the ancient evil spirit in Liber Monstrorum, and this very star crystal was the reason Claus and Anne had snuck into the Seafarer’s Ruins together. Anne was entranced by such a beautiful gemstone, so the young and wicked Erika spitefully directed her to the dangerous wreckage.

This scene, and even the voice track, played back in Erika’s head.

“This is a precious stone I received from my brother, Eduard! If you want one so badly, then find it yourself!’”

Erika clenched the gemstone. This was the real death flag. Though she was touched by the urge to throw it out the window right this instant, she maintained control of herself. She couldn’t treat the gift her brother and his friend had found for her so callously right in front of his eyes.

No matter what, she had to make sure it went unnoticed during Duke Hafan’s visit. Keeping her internal unrest hidden beneath the surface, Erika cautiously and calmly proposed, “It pleases me greatly, Eduard, but won’t Father notice it?”

“Hmm, I suppose you’re right. I guess it won’t work out.”

“Perhaps I might hide it on the inside of my dress?”

“Ah, I see! That should be fine.”

One down, Erika thought, feeling the sensation of her first death flag being plucked away.

2

In the entrance hall of the Spring Palace, Duke Aurelia’s household awaited the arrival of House Hafan.

Erika’s father, Ernst, was in his forties, his swept-back blond hair dappled with white. He sported a short, well-kempt goatee. Both his features and personality were reminiscent of Eduard. He tended to be terribly soft on his family, but he was also a proud military man.

Lined up beside him were Eduard and Erika in full formal dress.

After some time, the Hafan couple and their two children stepped in.

When Duke Hafan—who was only in his thirties—stood next to Duke Aurelia, the contrast was staggering. Duke Hafan gave off a rather sharp impression, though his features were fine and youthful. His black hair and gray eyes matched his pale gray magician’s robe. While his clothing seemed plain and frugal at a glance, closer inspection revealed intricate silver embroidery, making it a classy, eye-catching ensemble.

The duchess was in her late twenties, and she was a woman who brought the words “robust” and “spry” to mind. She wore a light-blue, unornamented dress, and her black hair was tied up neatly over her deep blue eyes. Anyone who saw her would consider her countenance blessed with both high-class beauty and endearing charm.

Then came the firstborn, Claus, and his little sister, Anne.

Claus wore a black formal uniform with an abundance of silver thread; Anne wore a prim and proper white dress decorated with silver embroidery. The two of them strongly took after their father, but they had their mother’s eyes. Handsome faces, straight black hair like fine silk, and vivid blue irises.

Erika was surprised to see that Claus was completely different from how he appeared in Liber Monstrorum. He was lacking his signature dark aura and instead appeared to be a healthy young boy whose expression befitted a child his age. His strong-willed eyes made him seem quite dignified.

If he grows up without incident, thought Erika, he will become a handsome, refreshing young man.

Once formalities were exchanged, Duke Hafan and Duke Aurelia made for the parlor. They had much to discuss regarding the reason for this visit—the development of the silver vein that lay on the border between their territories and the resources in the forests that surrounded it.

The duchess was shown to the guest rooms by Eduard, while Erika and the Hafan siblings were told to have fun playing in the Spring Palace gardens. It was the season where the Spring Palace came to life as the plants all across its estate flowered spectacularly. The most beautiful space on the palace grounds was their Grand Garden of One Hundred Blooms, which was composed of a knot garden, a parterre garden, and the rose gardens.

Erika turned to Claus and Anne with a smile.

“Allow me to be your guide through our—”

“Look here, woman. I have absolutely no intention of getting along with you.”

Her smile grew stiff. What sort of ten-year-old boy referred to a girl two years his junior as “woman”...?

No, wait, Liber Monstrorum’s Claus wasn’t much better.

Claus hadn’t just been cold and dark; he had also been pompous and sadistic.

I can’t let myself be led astray by his looks, Erika reminded herself.

“Don’t get me wrong; it’s not you. I can’t stand this entire visit! Why must my father come all the way out here to gab with some uppity neophytes in the west?”

“I don’t know how to respond to that...”

Erika was truly at a loss for words. The reason this discussion was taking place in the Spring Palace was that it contained transfer gates to various parts of the western region, making it the ideal place to survey the mines and forests.

Transfer gates were a type of spatial circle—a magical door of sorts that connected spaces by means of ley lines. During a war many years ago, all the ley lines and transfer gates in the west had been destroyed. The Seafaring Tribe had eventually restored them, and thus House Aurelia held a monopoly over teleportation throughout the region.

This was something both dukes’ families should have been well aware of. What’s more, the Seafaring Tribe had arrived on the continent over six hundred years ago. Calling them “neophytes” simply made her confused.

“Hmph, I have no interest in this place. Your flowers are worthless.”

“Brother, please don’t act so spoiled. You’re being rude to Miss Erika!”

Just as Erika was contemplating how to reach an amicable settlement, she was abruptly thrust a helping hand from Claus’ younger sister.

“Erika is offering to show us around the Spring Palace’s famous gardens! How could you be so ungrateful?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to be seen with you either, Anne. If I stick around you, I’ll catch your weakness.”

“I see. Very well, then, Claus; do as you please. I’ll give Anne a tour of the gardens,” Erika said, parrying his utter disregard with a smile.

That’s right; he was that kind of guy. I see, I see. I knew it; the opposite sex is best observed through a computer screen, she thought to herself while maintaining her cool.

Still, given his unhealthy attachment to his sister in the first scenario of Liber Monstrorum, Claus’ attitude took Erika by surprise.

“Naturally. I’ll be doing just that.”

And so, Claus left Erika and Anne behind, returning to the palace as quickly as possible.

Yeah, do what you want, but what exactly are you supposed to do by yourself in someone else’s house?

Flustered as she was, Erika decided it didn’t really matter. Entertaining Anne was—for appearance’s sake—her objective. Not keeping Claus in a good mood. Her ulterior motive, and top priority, was to keep Anne safe and make sure she was never tipped off about the existence of the Seafarer’s Ruins.

When Erika shifted her gaze to Anne, the girl apologized on her brother’s behalf. “My humblest apologies, Erika. My brother has committed a terrible discourtesy.”

“It’s alright, I don’t mind. I do hope we get along, Anne.”

“Likewise.”

Erika couldn’t help but smile a little wider. She was fostering quite a favorable impression of the courteous young girl. Upon seeing Erika’s surprisingly gentle expression, Anne let out a sigh of relief.

“I was quite looking forward to this. I’ve heard all sorts of rumors. Are the gardens here really so vast that it would be impossible to see everything at once?”

“Oh, is it your first time seeing this sort of garden?”

“Yes, the east has no gardens with the trees trimmed so low. It all seems so unusual! I now see that beauty can take on all sorts of shapes.”

“I know what you mean.”

“I can also see that our cultural differences show in which gardens we prefer,” Anne added with a soft smile.

In Hafan, where the trees were sacred, there were plenty of natural havens, but few made with meticulous landscaping. By contrast, Aurelians preferred well-planned, artificial beauty. For Anne to perceive a cultural difference simply from the layout of a garden at the age of seven, Erika determined she was quite a clever girl.

“Ah, what’s that flower?!”

The peculiarities of the garden’s flowers kept Anne’s interest in flux. Whenever the younger girl had a question, Erika politely and dutifully provided the answer. After venturing through the knot garden, which consisted solely of evergreens, they moved on to the parterre garden with its wide variety of blooming flowers. The different make of each individual garden was a feast for Anne’s eyes.

“It’s lavender. We’ve selectively bred it to get these large flowers.”

“The pale purple is stunning... Ooh, what about that white, layered flower?” Anne next took a liking to the rose garden even further down the path.

“That’s a breed of species rose. Shall I tell the gardener to pluck some of the flowers you like?”

“Would that be alright?”

“Of course. Have as many flowers as you like.”

To Erika, hearing out the wishes of a small child wasn’t the worst thing in the world. In fact, she was always of the opinion that she should be overly sweet on kids, especially the well-mannered ones.

“Are you sure? Is it really, really okay to take them?”

“Why, Anne, you’re our precious guest,” Erika said with an enticing, elegant smile. Anne’s cheeks flushed as red as poppies.

“Thank you.”

She’s honest and cute, unlike Claus over there, thought Erika as she narrowed her eyes. But, well, I guess not being upfront is Claus’ selling point.

There was a demand for this type of guy, or at least, there had been in her former world. One by one, Erika’s brain revived memories of a world where Anne had passed away.

I definitely can’t let that happen. This girl can’t be allowed to die.

Of course, her motivation partially stemmed from her own survival instinct. Erika unequivocally had no desire to die from Anne’s curse after she was possessed by an evil spirit.

3

Anne’s Erika-guided tour of the garden ended without issue. She seemed greatly satisfied to be able to see the peculiar ways flowers were modified in Aurelia.

On the way back, Erika begged the gardener to prune a few select flowers and use them to decorate Anne’s guest room. Seeing them would surely delight her.

After parting with Anne, Erika decided to return to her own room before the banquet, only to come across an unexpected sight along the way.

“Ngh! Not yet; one more match!”

“Now this is troubling. You’re already gasping for air, Claus. I’m getting famished myself, so don’t you think it’s about time we put this to rest?”

She had stumbled upon Claus and Eduard competing in the inner courtyard. Claus was armed with the longstaff of a Hafan magician, and Eduard wielded a favorite wand of Aurelian alchemists.

Judging by the atmosphere, Eduard was the clear victor.

I’d expect no less from my brother. No, wait, how about letting up a bit against a child; you’re twenty years old.

How very, very immature of him. She sighed upon noticing that the turf of the inner courtyard had been almost completely stripped away.

“Oh, hello, Erika. How are things going on your end?” The moment Eduard noticed her, he immediately called out with an expression that read, “I’m saved.” Erika saw Claus trembling in the corner of her eye.

He probably didn’t want anyone to see his overwhelming loss.

Feeling just a little bit sorry for him, Erika pretended not to see.

“Simply wonderful. Anne seemed terribly pleased. Were the two of you having a match?”

“Yes, Claus here said he wanted to put his abilities to the test. Dear me, he really is something. He had me on the defensive the entire time.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Erika smiled, but in her heart, she retorted, How very modest. You must take care, Eduard; excess modesty simply turns to cynicism.

It wasn’t difficult for her to discern what had actually happened. In all likelihood, Eduard had nonchalantly and accurately dispelled and disintegrated every offensive spell Claus had thrown at him. No doubt, Claus came out feeling terribly humiliated from the ordeal.

“Grrr!”

The conversation between the siblings made Claus a mess of quivering scarlet. Erika already felt restless. No matter how she looked at it, Claus was at a clear disadvantage in this particular bout.

Generally speaking, the freedom and variety of spells a magician could use far exceeded that of an alchemist. However, this placed a larger burden on the body and mind. The spells constructed by a magician were generated from their own body and immediately put to use. An immature body or an unstable mind would obstruct the process. On the other hand, magic generated by strong emotions could be frighteningly powerful.

By contrast, an alchemist assembled spells from various materials, which were then concentrated and stored in a tool, such as a wand. The spell could later be called from the tool when necessary. Physical and mental health were both irrelevant; the problem was simply whether or not one had properly prepared for the situation.

A magician’s chant and an alchemist’s loaded wand apparently used very different types of mana—magical energy, that is—but the same spell would generally have the same range and effect. That being said, between an alchemist who was sufficiently charged and a magician who was physically immature, the result was clear from the get-go.

Incidentally, Erika was completely inept at magic. An unskilled alchemist was a rarity in the modern-day House Aurelia. This was not so easily rectified, as she could neither construct spells nor concentrate them into a wand. She did have mana, for what it was worth, but she didn’t have the constitution to use it.

At most, she could operate the tools produced by other alchemists. However, doing so didn’t require her to be an alchemist herself. This was something anyone could do as long as they had the proper equipment.

This really is harsh.

Erika grew glum as she carelessly spiraled into self-deprecation. Though her capacity for magic was slim, she could still make a golem by physically carving sigils into ceramic or the like, which just barely allowed her to call herself an alchemist. This was her sole salvation.

She would be fine while under the protection of her father and brother, but she worried what would become of her once she enrolled in the academy.

Indeed, thinking about the future put a damper on Erika’s spirits, but she was quick to change gears. If she didn’t handle this situation properly, she wouldn’t have a future to begin with.

“It’s almost time for the banquet. Shouldn’t the two of you be getting ready?”

“You heard her, Claus. We’ve run out of time, so we’ll have to call this match a draw,” said Eduard, still completely unfazed.

“I-I won’t lose next time,” grumbled Claus, his body still in a frenzy.

“Oh, that’s right. I received a summons from my friend a moment ago. I’ll have to return to Lindis right after the banquet.”

“What?!”

“I’m really sorry, Claus.”

This was the first Erika had heard of his urgent voyage as well.

The city of Lindis was right at the center of Ichthyes, and Eduard was a student at the Academy of Magic there. At this rate, Eduard would be running off with an unsettled score.

“That’s quite sudden. Shouldn’t you stay here at least for as long as House Hafan is with us?”

“It’s urgent business, you see. Oh, but please do get along with Claus in my stead, Erika.”

“Huh? Um, yes, of course.”

Eduard scurried off, leaving her stuck with the disagreeable boy. She stole an awkward glance at him, only to find he was blatantly glaring at her. Erika tried smiling, wondering what she should do, but this only intensified his scorn.

“That’s unfortunate. My brother is a very busy person.” She tried her best not to be intimidated by his attitude, making some curt small-talk.

“I see. So it wasn’t just that he didn’t want to deal with me.”

“Yes. He might seem elusive, but he does his best to be sincere with these things.”

“Uh-huh.” Claus dropped his gaze from Erika, apparently lost in thought.

After taking another peek at his handsome features, now shadowed by the evening sun, Erika was about to be back on her way when a voice called out behind her.

“Umm... I’m sorry for being so rude.”

Erika turned back to see Claus making a timid, awkward face.

“That’s alright, Claus.”

“It appears I was too weak to talk about catching weakness from anyone.”

He was acting like a kicked puppy. Just what had Eduard done to him to bring about this sudden change? Erika was at a loss for words.

“You’re his sister, so you must be a skilled alchemist in your own right.”

“No, I have absolutely no talent for alchemy.”

“What is with you Aurelians and your humility?”

Having spoken after Eduard, Erika realized how shameless she must have sounded.

“No, it’s true in my case. Unfortunately, the mana in my body to chant spells, or cast any magic at all, is wholly obstructed.”

“I-Is that so? My condolences.”

Erika lowered her gaze, a bitter smile on her face. It was a harsh condition to have in Aurelia, but it would probably be even worse in Hafan. Claus’ eyes had all of a sudden softened and become compassionate.

Absorbed in her self-reflection, Erika was now sincerely and miserably worried about her future.

Perhaps the Erika in Liber Monstrorum went astray due to her inferiority complex.

For a few moments, she contemplated the paths in life she could have tread.

“But, ah... I don’t mean to pry—this is just a simple question—but I sense traces of an unusual magic about you. If it isn’t your magic, then what might be the source?”

What could it be? thought Erika, glancing over her body and dress.

“Oh dear, I haven’t noticed it in the slightest.”

There were times where Erika would use an item to cast defensive magic on herself, but right now, she was inside the Aurelian Spring Palace. She had no need to use such magic on her home turf.

“Well, it bothers me. My apologies, but could I inspect you up close?”

“Hm? Yes, of course.”

Claus stood right in front of her and began staring, long and hard.

“I see. Found it.”

Was that really enough? Erika was rather impressed. As expected of the future omnipotent magician.

“It’s coming from your chest. You must be wearing an accessory with some sort of special magic.”

Oh, that thing! Erika finally recalled that she had hidden the star crystal necklace under her dress.

“I received it from my brother this morning. I didn’t know it contained magic.”

While she couldn’t show it to Anne, Erika determined Claus would act sensibly enough and slipped the necklace out over her clothes.

It was evening by now, and as the light grew dim, the stone filled with the glowing blue light one might see from a star.

“It’s beautiful. I see, so this is Aurelia’s famous star crystal...”

“He told me it was a charm to make friends,” Erika said doubtfully.

Maybe it wasn’t just a good-luck charm. Did he seriously cast a spell on it?

As a matter of fact, Claus was staring into the star crystal as if he were enchanted.

“This isn’t your brother’s magic. Forget that—I’ve never sensed anything like this before. It’s not of Hafan, and it doesn’t seem to be of Aurelia either.”

“I heard he found it in the Seafarer’s Ruins. It might be something ancient.”

“The Seafarer’s Ruins, eh?”

“Yes, they’re quite famous in Aurelia.”

“Hmm, how intriguing.”

Oh crap, thought Erika. The mere fact that the keyword had slipped into the open air felt like a prelude to something awful.

“But why didn’t my brother notice the magic cast on this stone, I wonder?”

“It was so feeble, I thought I was just imagining it. The fact that it’s magic I’m unfamiliar with means it’s considerably rare.”

As a skilled magician, Claus perpetually had a spell called Glámr-Sight deployed. It allowed him to sense traces of magic as visual phenomena. His eyes, enchanted with the spell, were precisely what had allowed him to notice the necklace’s magic in the first place.

Alchemists of the west couldn’t react to situations beyond what they had prepared for, so Eduard’s inability to notice was no mystery.

Even so, Claus sure is confident in himself, Erika thought. He had yet to enroll in the Academy of Magic, yet he claimed to have knowledge of all its forms, Eastern and Western.

“Still, it’s pretty amazing that you know so much about it, Claus.”

“Naturally. That’s why I’ve been training every day.”

Claus’ eyes were sparkling. Erika wondered if true talent came from intense hard work and investment that had transformed into insatiable greed.

“I want to check out the ruins. Will you take me there?”

I have nothing but bad feelings about this.

A detestable chill ran down her spine. She inferred that she was about to raise her own death flag. In Liber Monstrorum, Anne was the one who entered the ruins and was consequently possessed by an evil spirit. If Claus went in her place, then perhaps it was Claus who would curse her to death.

“I can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

“But Eduard went there without issue, did he not? Are you saying I’m incapable?”

Whoa there. I rubbed his rivalry the wrong way.

Erika was immediately filled with regret. She couldn’t just tell him, “That’s right.” It would only hurt his pride and make the situation even worse.

4

Erika just barely managed to elude Claus’ interest in the ruins before making way for the banquet. As she had expected, the boy brought up the topic right at the height of their meal, but Duke Hafan issued him a terribly dignified reprimand. There was no way he could give a boy like Claus permission to enter such a dangerous place. Meanwhile, Erika herself feigned ignorance.

Despite Eduard’s nonchalant air, she detected some confusion on his part. Of course, Erika had made sure to properly put a gag order on Claus so that Eduard wouldn’t be scolded for his own exploits in the ruins.

When the banquet was over, Eduard headed to the cellar of the Spring Palace. He planned to use the transfer gate there to head to the Royal Academy of Magic in Lindis at the center of the continent. Despite its name, the academy wasn’t limited solely to magic; its studies encompassed medical practices and alchemy as well.

Transfer gates could be found beneath various important structures. They connected spaces with magic, allowing users to warp between them. Operating a gate required the use of a consumable item known as a one-time key, one of which Eduard had received from his father after dinner. One-time keys were managed by whichever ruling noble was in charge of the gate, and they could not be reproduced by anyone else.

Erika met Eduard in the hall once he had finished collecting his belongings. If she had learned anything from Claus, it was that the crystal Eduard had given her was imbued with some form of magic.

“Eduard, I do apologize for stopping you when you’re in such a hurry, but could I ask you about this necklace?”

“Hmm, what about the necklace, Erika?”

“Claus seemed to recognize the magic cast on it. Awfully rare magic, he said.”

“Rare magic, is it...? Let me see.”

Eduard stared at the crystal, a faint wrinkle on his brow. He crouched down on the spot and swung open the leather briefcase in his hands.

“That bag was your Wunderkammer?”

The repository which housed all the items an alchemist had prepared was known as a Wunderkammer. It seemed the inner space of his briefcase had undergone some expansions, and Eduard had set up shop inside.

“Getting space-tampering magic was pretty expensive, you know,” Eduard muttered, looking out into the distance.

“Right...”

Just the wands and materials he had stored inside would be worth a considerable sum already.

How much money did you waste on that, Eduard?

Erika did her best to estimate. She couldn’t come to an exact number, but it was plausible that her brother would have to sell off one or two of the silver veins he’d inherited to pay it off.

“Now, let’s look into this.”

Out of the numerous wands in the bag, Eduard selected one made from a branch of sugar maple. There was an emerald embedded at its tip. The ornaments of its handle made use of nacre to imitate the sheen of a peacock, meaning the central wick was probably peacock feather.

The wand was just about as long as a conductor’s baton. Such a small tool could presumably hold around fifty casts, though a wand of the highest quality could hold over a hundred.

While wands could be terribly convenient, a single wand could only contain a single spell. If one wanted to be prepared for all sorts of situations, they would have to carry many different varieties of wands at a time. That was what made preparation so important to western alchemists.

Eduard vigorously waved the wand like he was raising an orchestra from the dead. A magic circle deployed around him, enveloping him in a pale green light, before condensing around his eyes. With that, he was temporarily placed under the effects of Glámr-Sight.

What this world considered an alchemist’s magic required quite a bit of grunt work.

“I see. This is interesting,” Eduard said after his eyes had been fixed on the star crystal for some time. With Glámr-Sight, he could see everything about the spell: its construction, range, effective time, creator, and practitioner.

“How does it look?”

“I found it in the Seafarer’s Ruins, so I assumed it would be from that time period... But it’s actually even older than that. At the very least, it’s from before Ignitia came from the south and took over the continent.”

The founders of Aurelia, the Seafaring Tribe, arrived roughly 650 years ago. 150 years prior to that, the founding king of Ignitia brought ruin to Casquetia. That made the magic at least 800 years old.

As legend had it, Casquetia was a country of vampyres. It had been a land of darkness where the vampyric royalty and nobility ruled over the humans like they were livestock. This meant there was a high possibility the magic cast on the stone had originally belonged to a Casquetian vampyre. How detestably sinister.

“So you’re saying it’s a vampyre’s magic?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

By now, vampyres were no more than a specter from eight centuries ago. They had all long since died out. However, Erika had heard that in the routes of Liber Monstrorum she had never conquered, vampyres still lurked in waiting.

“Luckily, it should be safe for us. Westerners such as ourselves aren’t really sensitive to this sort of magic. On the other hand, it will probably have a tangible influence on anyone from the east or the north.”

“What sort of magic is it?”

“It’s close to a charm spell, but more... Yes, it seems to be magic that brings out one’s desires. I believe I should hang onto the stone for a little longer.” Eduard tucked the necklace into his briefcase.

A magic that brings out desires?

Erika recalled the tragedy of Claus and Anne. Why had Anne, who was usually so very courteous, yearned so desperately for the necklace Erika wore? Could that have been a desire dragged out by the curse cast upon it?

As Erika fell into an anxious silence, Eduard kindly called her back to her senses.

“Erika, I don’t know how useful it will be, but please take this.”

What he handed her was the key to his repository. For an alchemist, his storage of items was just as valuable as his life. It was likely a spare key, but it was still extremely precious.

“This is the key to your storage, isn’t it? Eduard, why are you giving me something so important?”

“You look terribly anxious. I need to go to Lindis for a friend. Honestly, I would love to stay by your side, but this matter is a race against time.”

“Eduard, I...”

“It’s fine. Unless something drastic happens, I should be back early tomorrow morning.”

And with those words, Eduard was off to the transfer gate and on his way to Lindis. Erika made for the guest room to check up on Claus and Anne. Paying no heed to the long dress getting tangled in her legs, she ran earnestly through the darkened corridors of the palace.

The events of the day crossed her mind one after the other.

Anne blushing among the bright, blooming flowers.

Claus’ glimmering eyes as he investigated the star crystal necklace.

A faint yet suspicious blue light emanating from the necklace, which turned out to be enchanted with the magic of a vampyre.

Erika needed to see Anne’s smile and Claus’ frown right this second, or she would never be at ease.

☆

The room provided for Duke Hafan’s children had been decorated with an ample amount of flowers from the gardens, and their sweet scent permeated the air. By the time Erika reached the room, however, Claus and Anne were nowhere to be found.

The maids in service to Duke Hafan had all fallen into a magical slumber. Erika made doubly sure Anne wasn’t mixed in among the sleeping maids, but she was definitely gone.

This has to be Claus’ doing.

All the maids here were from House Hafan, which meant they all had a decent knowledge of magic and had learned how to resist it.

Surely the only one who could cast a sleep spell powerful enough to incapacitate all of them was Claus, considering his extraordinary talent.

But how long ago did he do it?

Erika took another look around. It bothered her that Claus wasn’t alone—that Anne had disappeared as well. She was almost entirely sure Claus was headed to the Seafarer’s Ruins. If luck was on her side, perhaps Anne had gone to her parents instead.

I should hurry and report this to my father and Duke Hafan, shouldn’t I?

It would be terrible if she allowed the situation to become gossip and cause panic in the palace. Erika closed the door behind her and walked down the corridor toward her father’s room.

After fifteen minutes of walking, Erika should’ve long since reached her father’s room, and yet, here she found herself at the same door as before. By this point, Erika had realized she was completely lost in the palace she was oh-so-familiar with.

A spell had been cast to turn the place into a labyrinth.

However, even Claus shouldn’t have been skilled enough to distort space.

This must be a phantasmal maze, she surmised.

This spell messed with the sense of direction of whomever passed through, trapping them in an illusion and forcing them to wander about as if they were in an endless labyrinth.

Thanks to the magic, it seemed the Spring Palace had been divided into districts. Erika couldn’t reach the adults’ rooms, and the adults likely couldn’t reach the children’s rooms either. Erika could hardly conceal her surprise at Claus being able to use such complex magic at the age of ten.

You’re way too scrupulous, kid! Talk about a waste of talent!

The missing kids were already an emergency, and now she had this maze to deal with. Still, knowing that this sort of situation required that she keep a cool head, Erika sucked in a deep breath.

“My apologies, Eduard, it looks like I’ll be putting this to use right away.”

Erika’s eyes shot to the key she had received from him. She braced herself, inserted the key into the nearest keyhole, and turned. The key itself was simply a tool to connect any door in the Spring Palace to her brother’s repository.

The next moment, the door swung open to reveal the Wunderkammer of Alchemist Eduard Aurelia.

5

This was the first time Erika had ever set foot in her brother’s Wunderkammer. This was both the workshop of an alchemist and a showcase of magical artifacts gathered from all over the world.

In the center was a large table, presumably a workbench. It was splattered here and there with burn marks and distinct chemical stains. The surface was covered with various pieces of experimental and processing apparatuses. Glass test tubes, stills, burners, oil lamps, and more were meticulously arranged in an orderly fashion.

A cabinet to her right was stuffed with the body parts of various beasts. Out of all of them, the ones that stood out the most were the unicorn horn he’d procured from Hafan and the basilisk fossil he’d ordered from the southern continent. A majority were fossils, but there were also a considerable number of specimens suspended in alcohol.

To her left, another cabinet was packed tight with Aurelian ores. These weren’t just any ordinary ores; he had gathered special minerals with innate magical properties. Every item was carefully stored in a dedicated box or jar, each with a label indicating its properties and where it was found. Eduard’s penchant for organization was clearly on display.

These materials were, of course, used to create spells. The wands in which such magic had been stored ahead of time could all be found in a cabinet at the front of the room. It was piled top to bottom with countless small boxes, each containing its own wand.

Every small box was labeled with the details of the magic stored within and the materials used to make it. Two wands containing the same spell could differ in their output and effects depending on their components. Perhaps Eduard had been studying their differences, researching day and night which combination would draw out the most power.

Erika did her best to look through the myriad of wands, but there weren’t any that would dispel Claus’ maze. Having confirmed this, she decided on her next objective. It would be too difficult to seek help from her father and the other adults.

At the very least, I have to go after Claus and Anne myself.

She investigated the wardrobe in the corner. As was to be expected, it was also organized and labeled with care. It contained the clothes Eduard had used as a child. They were all imbued with defensive magic and hoarded by the man who had a bad habit of keeping anything and everything close at hand.

Using the labels, she searched out the box from when her brother was eight years old and threw it open. She practically turned it inside out as she yanked out an outfit.

Erika stripped off her dress and immediately donned the clothing. She tied her hair back with a ribbon, stuffed a crystal-powered, silver pocket watch into the breast pocket of her outer coat, and shoved her hands into leather alchemists’ gloves.

She changed into black leather boots and draped the largest leather bag she could find over her shoulder. They had both been waterproofed with oil. After that, she tossed two star crystal lanterns into the bag; they were guaranteed not to rust.

The most important part was to select which wands she would bring with her.

First, she chose a Glámr-Sight wand. This one was the same as the one Eduard had used. Its effect would last around thirty seconds.

Next, she picked out a Paralyze wand. It was made of amber, its end containing a Cockatrice fossil coated in plant resin. The handle was silver, engraved with a cross between a rooster and a snake. The wick was a dried Basilisk tail, and it had an effective time of three seconds.

She searched out whichever other wands might be useful, stuffing two to three of each into her leather sack.

Gust wand. Urðr-Sight wand. Levitate wand. Castling wand. Feather Fall wand. Lock wand. Grease wand. Mage Hand wand. Water-Walk wand.

As she was choosing wands, she spotted one that was sealed and tightly locked away: the Sailor’s Song wand.

This wand was special. If the wand were to be waved to a certain melody, it was said that the Alchemist’s Star would fall from the sky. In reality, the spell imbued in this wand could generate a meteor in the distant sky and send it plummeting to the ground. It was thanks to this magic that the Seafaring Tribe was also called the Aurelia of the Stars. Powerful as it was, this wand’s recoil was incomparable to all others. Should a mediocre alchemist go above his standing and attempt to use it, he would lose his life by bringing but a single stone down from the heavens.

Even if it weren’t sealed, it’s way too dangerous to use.

With that in mind, she returned the box containing the Sailor’s Song wand to its shelf. This wand was probably a memento of their dilettante mother. She could see no other reason why Eduard would have it here.

Erika then grabbed one animated rope. This rope, which had been processed in the same way as the wands, could be freely manipulated a set number of times.

She deftly packed away one bottle of obscuring mist, then one bottle of moon-gallnut ink, which was made from a special mineral found in Hafan. Any letters written with this ink would emit moonlight only so long as the moon was out. She couldn’t find any normal ink, so she settled for this one.

Finally, she gathered up the rest of her supplies: a fragment of chalk, a pen and as many scraps of parchment paper as she could squeeze in her bag, a bottle of distilled alcohol, a small box of chocolate just in case, and a single athame.

With her tools in order, Erika stepped out of the workshop, closing and locking the door behind her.

Let’s start by using Glámr-Sight.

When she waved the relevant wand, a pale-green magic circle manifested and then closed in around her eyes. The moment Glámr-Sight went into effect, the detailed information of the illusionary maze appeared right before her.

Creator unknown, practitioner Claus Hafan, and the magic had been activated around thirty minutes prior—right around the time Erika was seeing off Eduard.

She must have just missed him. Looking into the amount of mana Claus had used, she could tell that the spell would remain active for around three to four hours from when it had been cast.

It’s just as I feared.

Would it be too late if she just waited for it to run out and went to the Dukes for help?

Normally, when a magician chanted a spell, both the creator and practitioner would be the same individual. This time, the fact that they were different meant he had chanted from a spell scroll. Conversely, if the spell were cast from a wand, it would be possible to tell the creator but not the practitioner.

The magic was being maintained by both Claus’ mana and his spell cards. Several small cards had been set in all sorts of places throughout the palace.

Both spell scrolls and spell cards were common tools in Hafan. They served as blueprints and amplifiers for spells, respectively. The cards, laid out like a barrier, boosted the end result, which allowed for the sheer size of the maze.

Erika next determined she would have to investigate the transfer gate in the cellar. She burst into a sprint, only to recall what had happened when Edward headed off to Lindis.

Huh? Don’t you need a one-way key to use it?

It was only now that Erika began to question it. How did Anne go to the Seafarer’s Ruins in the original storyline? If she didn’t have a key, how was she able to use the gate?

6

Erika hurried down the palace stairs in the dark.

Yep, changing was the right answer. I feel so much lighter compared to running in a dress. Now that her memories from her past life were back, Erika found dresses a little suffocating. Maybe I’m just lacking in femininity, she chuckled to herself.

A while later, she was at the gate.

“They’re not here anymore.”

She’d had a faint hope that they might’ve given up in front of the transfer gate, but evidently, things would not be that easy.

The area was lined with rows upon rows of stone arches. These were the gates connecting to vital locations all around the country. Each gate was given a design to signify where it connected to.

A faintly glowing insignia was suspended in the center of each arch, slowly spinning in place. These were the seals, and they wouldn’t open without a one-way key.

Without hesitation, Erika made way for the gate farthest in the back. This one was the oldest, the gate to the Seafarer’s Ruins. Upon reaching it, she was in for yet another surprise.

“It’s... still locked.”

Not only was the seal still present, it even had a physical locking mechanism. Even if someone somehow managed to deceive the key system, it would be impossible to use the gate.

How anticlimactic.

But this surprise was a welcome one. Erika breathed a sigh of relief. There was no need to raid Eduard’s workshop to prepare for war.

I’d much rather be let down than horrified.

Just as she was on the verge of feeling completely at ease, a single question niggled at the back of her mind: then where did Claus go?

Just in case, she used Glámr-Sight to investigate the area... and immediately noticed the disaster.

Wait. This lock’s just an illusion!

Erika’s eyes went wide. Someone—or something—had destroyed the real lock. What’s more, the seal was also just an illusion.

The practitioner who’d made it so the lock appeared intact was Claus Hafan. The spell had been created and activated thirty minutes prior.

As for the illusion of the seal, it had been cast ten years ago by Duke Aurelia. The gate to the Seafarer’s Ruins was far older than any of the others. As one-way keys were a newer form of magic, Erika surmised he had been unable to install it on the antiquated facility.

Instead, he’d locked it by physical means and used an illusion to make it seem as though it had been sealed magically as well. It was valid camouflage in Aurelia, where simply casting Glámr-Sight would cost a small fortune. But against Claus, a magician skilled in concealment and illusion, it was completely meaningless. Claus had seen it and immediately noticed the seal was a fake.

After he had destroyed the lock, Claus took inspiration from Duke Aurelia. He hid his handiwork with yet another illusion. As a result, both physically and magically, the stoppers were all merely for show.

“Looks like I really do have to march in there and drag him out.”

Erika was genuinely terrified. Past life included, she had never been good with ghosts or scary stories. She dreaded going to the ruins where she knew such monsters actually existed.

Still...

She stared at the gate to the Seafarer’s Ruins.

“Just you wait.”

If the Hafan siblings were in such a place, she couldn’t just forget all about it. If they’d gone in without knowing who or what lurked in those ruins, she had to save them.

Erika took a step forward and entered the gate. The words to activate the warp magic were always a poem in praise of the destination. The poem was simply titled, “To Tír na nÓg.” She closed her eyes and read it out loud, as its words had been carved deep into the gate.

“My dear friend, won’t you come with me? Far, far beyond the distant sea?

For when we step upon new sand, a new name for our promised land.”

☆

Erika opened her eyes after a pang of dizziness. She was currently at the ruins’ ground level.

As was common practice in olden days, this transfer gate’s spell had simply been carved into the bare floor where she stood.

In contrast to the sturdy white stone that made up the Spring Palace, the ruins had been thrown together from piles of regular rock. It lay near the coast in the westernmost reaches of Aurelian territory.

Erika could smell the faint scent of salt.

It was quite late at night, but the area wasn’t in complete darkness. There were lamps of processed star crystal embedded in the walls, faintly illuminating the space with a weak, gentle, yellow-tinted light.

The clan who had developed Aurelia had come here, once upon a time. They were the last group of people to settle on the continent. Those who lived here before them called them the Seafaring Tribe. They were skilled sailors and adept alchemists. They were the men and women of a ruined country who had lost a land to call home.

Perhaps their fatherland had fallen to the extremes of alchemy. Some legends seemed to suggest this, but the details were unclear. Where had they come from? What was their origin? The answers to these questions had all been swallowed by the darkness of history.

There must have been some kernel of truth to the legend, as the people of Aurelia had expunged a number of techniques they once used, deeming them forbidden. This included the art of creating homunculi—artificial humans—which was only passed down in folklore. Now, only techniques to reproduce certain body parts remained.

It was thought that ancient alchemical arts still remained in the ruins, long forgotten.

Just to be sure, Erika used the Glámr-Sight wand to look around. At present, there weren’t any traces of magic apart from the transfer gate. She could breathe easy for now.

I’d be banging my head against the wall if he cast his illusions on the ruins as well.

Erika then went on to use her Urðr-Sight wand. This wand allowed her to witness past events, and she waved it five times to rewind a sufficient amount. The circle formed from its five points of white light enveloped the room whole before coming back like a reflected ripple to gather in her eyes.

Through her newly gained hindsight, she could see Claus’ back as he exited through the passage to her left.

“Claus came here alone.”

Erika continued to watch. A little while later, Anne used the gate to reach this room. She must have noticed something, as she inspected a specific point before going left as well.

With that, the magic concluded. Now Erika had a general grasp of the situation. After Claus came to the ruins alone, Anne noticed he was gone and chased after him. If only Claus had come here, Erika would’ve still felt a little optimistic, but now the situation looked grave.

Erika searched where Anne seemed to have found something and spotted a spell card. Its magic hadn’t been activated yet.

The card hasn’t had any mana put into it; that’s why Glámr-Sight can’t detect it, Erika thought as she picked it up. The card was made of parchment and seemed to be scrawled over with ancient letters of Hafan.

Erika was not the most proficient with languages, and she gave up on translating. Perhaps she would have gotten many more hints if she could read, but as she was now, she still had plenty of leads to follow. She could follow the unused spell cards Claus had left behind like the breadcrumbs of Hansel and Gretel.

After passing through the left corridor, Erika could see down a series of rooms made of the same depressing stone, topped off by a narrow corridor at the very end. There were a number of lamps stationed all over the place, so there was never any complete darkness.

Still, this place is ridiculously scary!

The Seafarer’s Ruins descended downward, almost like an underground dungeon. Erika could feel ceaseless chills running down her spine.

“Just tell yourself ghosts aren’t scary! And they’re not, they’re not... They’re definitely not!”

Erika spoke up in order to brush away her fear. She wrung out an insignificant drop of courage, using the Glámr-Sight and Urðr-Sight wands one after the other to follow the past specters of Claus and Anne.

Once she got around 200 meters from the entrance and climbed down her fourth staircase, her sense of direction was growing hazy. As she ran down the dark path, she was suddenly reminded of her past life.

She remembered the incident in high school, during which she was hit from behind in the darkness of the night. This wasn’t the sort of fear that caused her to freeze up; it was a gloomier emotion that clung to her with an unpleasant viscousness.

No, humans are a lot scarier. When I think about it that way, ghosts sound a little easier to handle.

The grudges, envy, and hatred of living humans—surely these were what she truly needed to fear. At the tail end of her flashback, she ran into someone. A living, breathing human being.

“Is that... Is that you, Erika?!”

There stood a haggard-looking Claus Hafan.