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The Seven Mysteries of the Magic School (2)
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With the frightened Patrick-kun joining our group, we decided to investigate the remaining six of the Seven Mysteries. Patrick-kun seemed to be a dormitory student, so there didn’t seem to be a concern about him going home. I had never imagined that the first of the Seven Mysteries was a rumor created because of me. However, if that was the case, I had a bad feeling about the other six as well.
Well, the goal had always been to investigate, so we decided to go ahead and do it quickly! I unfolded the memo that listed the Seven Mysteries. There was only this left, looking like this.
＝[Barwitch Magic School’s Seven Mysteries]＝
《1》The ghost of a boy crying in the boys’ restroom of the third building.
The true identity is Patrick-kun, who was crying in the restroom. He had simply lost his confidence about whether he could make it in the magic school because of me.
《2》The locked room in the basement of the practical training building.
From the locked room, at night, the groaning of monsters could be heard.
《3》The red soul floating in the training building.
In the training building, which was under renovation and empty, a man-eating red soul floated. It ate the souls of witnesses.
《4》The piano that plays by itself in the entrance hall of the first building.
A female teacher who had committed suicide due to a broken heart played a tragic melody on the piano.
《5》The cursed ritual taking place in the thicket on the schoolyard.
A man performed a cursed ritual in the thicket. By morning, traces of the ritual remained on the tree trunks.
《6》The black ghost appearing in the library at midnight.
In the library’s second-floor archive, there was a heavy safe. When someone tried to break into the safe, a black ghost appeared and killed them.
《7》The abduction by gods.
Those who learned the secrets of the other six were abducted by gods.
＝＝＝
Even after looking over it again, there are a few things that ring a bell… Could it be that, like the first one…? No, it’s just an investigation.
I shook my head, thinking of starting over.
Let’s investigate from the top, one by one.
—
《2》The Locked Room in the Basement of the Practical Training Building
Rinalee and Patrick-kun both knew where the practical training building was located. However, as they were still new students, they didn’t know what kind of building it was. We decided to head to the building and explore the hallways. Since it was in the basement, I thought that if we explored the first floor, we would eventually find it. I reflected on myself for thinking so lightly.
There had been no basement. I had found stairs. But there was only a staircase leading to the second floor, and there was no way down. Originally, the hallway of this practical training building had been a simple straight path. Once you entered the building, a wide hallway stretched straight ahead.
There were several large rooms on both sides of the hallway, so it wasn’t difficult to explore. At the very end, there had been a staircase, but it only led up to the second floor. The three of us, me, Rinalee, and Patrick-kun, stood there in a daze, witnessing this scene. Patrick-kun seemed to have a relieved expression.
“Hmm… So, there’s no basement after all?” (Jack)
“Y-Yes! It was probably just a rumor! L-Let’s move on to the next one!” (Patrick)
Patrick-kun said, urging the two of us to hurry. He was probably scared. I could clearly sense his eagerness to wrap things up quickly.
“This doesn’t sit right with me.” (Jack)
“Eh…?” (Patrick)
Noticing that I was persistent, he hung his head.
“Even though there’s no basement, would a rumor have been made assuming there’s a basement?” (Jack)
“Th-That’s probably just a baseless rumor!” (Patrick)
“…Hmm” (Jack)
Something’s bothering me. When I think of stairs, I imagine a hallway, but could it be that one of the classrooms lined up has stairs that go up and down?
“Let’s check each room!” (Jack)
“Let’s check them!” (Rinalee)
“Eh… Eh?” (Patrick)
Rinalee and I had nothing left to fear. We were a little let down by the first of the Seven Mysteries. But Patrick-kun was still frightened.
—
We checked each room. In each room of the practical training building, there were many valuable reagents stored for practicing magic. I thought the rooms would be locked, but strangely, they were open.
The rooms had various structures depending on their purpose. There were spacious rooms with only the bare minimum of tables, books, and reagent bottles. On the opposite end, there were rooms where reagent bottles and pickled creatures were lined up on shelves, and tables were crowded with high density. There were rooms with things resembling spinning wheels. There was a room with just a magic circle drawn in the center. There was a room full of columns, and on those columns, many magic circles were drawn.
I had no idea what they were used for, but probably this building was for indoor magic experiments and practice. Compared to the training building, it seemed to be for non-combat type magic. That aside, there still wasn’t any staircase leading to the basement. I thought there might be a hidden passage under the floor, so I searched the floor thoroughly, but I couldn’t find anything.
“Could it really not be here?” (Jack)
Looking around, I noticed that it had gotten pretty dark as the day had fallen.
“That’s right~. Rinalee-chan has a long way to go home, so I think it’s best to head back quickly.” (Patrick)
“That does make some sense.” (Jack)
“See!” (Patrick)
Now that I think about it, the fact that we didn’t find anything after exploring this much might actually serve as the conclusion. The fact is, there’s nothing here.
“Alright, let’s go then.” (Jack)
“…Phew…” (Patrick)
Just as I called out to the two of them and gave the order to leave the column-filled practice room,
—Giiiii…Gatan…
I heard the sound of a rusty iron door slamming shut forcefully.
“Beeehh!!” (Patrick)
Beehh… Patrick-kun, you’re scared way too much. His repertoire of screams is way too vast.
“Onii-chan! It’s from outside!” (Rinalee)
“Good job, Rinalee!” (Jack)
Rinalee and I, in a cheerful mood, left the room.
“Wa, wa, wait! Don’t leave me behind!” (Patrick)
The sound of the door opening and closing came from outside, right by the window of the column practice room. Rinalee and I, undeterred by the darkness, went from the practice room through the hallway and out the door. Patrick-kun had been left behind. I was the first to jump out from the hallway to the outside and, as I circled around the outside of the practical training building,
“Wa!” (Jack)
“Ugh!” (Rinalee)
I bumped into someone right around the corner. With a dull collision sound, it seemed the person I collided with had fallen on their bottom.
“Ahh… I’m sorry.” (Jack)
When I looked at the person, it was none other than an acquaintance. There, lying on the ground, was Dwayne.
“Huh?! Dwayne!” (Jack)
“Ugh… Oh, it’s you, Jack-kun… That was quite a shock. I thought I was hit by a cannon… I’m not running down the hallway, but I’d prefer if you walked outside too.” (Dwayne)
I offered a hand to the sarcastic Dwayne and helped him up.
“What’s Dwayne doing here of all places?” (Jack)
“I’m getting some reagents. Dark magic requires a lot of consumption of mana, so using catalysts is more efficient.” (Dwayne)
“Getting reagents? In this practical training building?” (Jack)
“Yeah.” (Dwayne)
When I helped him up, I noticed that his face was covered in band-aids. On closer inspection, it seemed that there were also things like patches on his exposed chest.
“Did something happen?” (Jack)
“…Ahh~ No, it’s nothing serious.” (Dwayne)
He probably injured himself again from a failed experiment. Since Dwayne could also use healing magic, it probably wasn’t anything serious.
Oh right, I should ask Dwayne about the basement in the practical training building. He’s a teacher here, so if I ask him if there’s a basement and he says no, that will settle it.
“Dwayne, I have something I want to ask. Is there a basement in this practical training building?” (Jack)
“Hmm~? …Why do you ask that?” (Dwayne)
“It’s fine, just tell me.” (Jack)
Dwayne seemed troubled by my question, as he put his hand on his chin and thought.
“I don’t really want to tell you, but there is one.” (Dwayne)
“Huh, there is?!” (Jack)
“Yeah, it’s my room.” (Dwayne)
“…Dwayne’s room? Is there anything else, like a room that’s called the ‘locked room’ or something?” (Jack)
“Other than my room, there isn’t. Locked room… Could it be about my room?” (Dwayne)
“Eh…?” (Jack)
—
The three of us were led by Dwayne and brought to the edge of the outer wall of the practical training building.
There was an iron door that was installed diagonally, sticking out from the ground. The lock was firmly secured, and Dwayne unlocked it using a key. When it opened, the rusty metal sound I heard earlier echoed. It seemed that beyond this outer wall was the same room filled with columns from earlier. When the diagonal door was pulled upwards, a staircase leading to the basement appeared.
“Basement stairs!” (Rinalee)
Rinalee’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes. My room is at the bottom of these stairs.” (Dwayne)
Apparently, there were no other basements in this building. Now that I think about it, there was also a basement in the old Liberta hideout, and Dwayne used to perform something called “underground experiments” every night. At that time, strange, unidentified moaning sounds reached the ears of other Liberta members who were staying on the second floor.
How nostalgic.
“Could it be that Dwayne is… doing ‘underground experiments’ in this room?” (Jack)
“Of course. I can’t live without experiments, you know.” (Dwayne)
“I hear there are moaning sounds coming from here…” (Jack)
“What I’m doing is a secret.” (Dwayne)
In other words, the true identity of one of the Seven Mysteries of the Magic School, the “locked room,” was Dwayne’s underground experiments.
So, this iron door was the “locked room”?! Were the monster’s moaning sounds real…? Since Dwayne is keeping it a secret, there’s no way to verify this rumor.
“What exactly do you do in those ‘underground experiments’?” (Jack)
“I can’t tell you that.” (Dwayne)
“Ah, I see.” (Jack)
Just like that.
《2》The Locked Room in the Basement of the Practical Training Building.
The moaning sounds of monsters heard every night from the locked room. The truth behind it was that it came from Dwayne’s day and night underground experiments.
… I have a bad feeling about this, but let’s move on, next.
—
《3》The Red Soul Floating in the Training Building.
Since Rinalee had destroyed it with the quasi-divine magic “Fireball” (common name), the Training Building had been under renovation. Students were prohibited from entering. The entrance had also been sealed, with ropes and “No Entry” signs hanging down. It was said that a red soul wandered there, and anyone who witnessed it was eaten by the soul. Because entry was prohibited, there was absolutely no sign of anyone around. The large facility, silent in the evening dusk, was indeed a little eerie.
Well, could it be that the red soul is actually…
“Hey, Rinalee…” (Jack)
“What is it, Onii-chan?” (Rinalee)
Rinalee seemed to be in a good mood. She seemed to enjoy seeing the Seven Mysteries gradually being solved. And the Seven Mysteries here were about to be solved right away.
“Have you been coming here a lot lately?” (Jack)
I voiced what I was thinking. Rinalee responded exactly as I expected.
“Yeah!” (Rinalee)
Just as I thought.
“Are you practicing Fireball here or something…” (Jack)
“Huh… how did you know?” (Rinalee)
Hehehe, how did I know? Because your magic has become one of the Seven Mysteries!
“Can’t you read this? The Training Building is still off-limits.” (Jack)
“Eh~” (Rinalee)
Well, she probably can’t read it. She’s five years old after all. Her logic for action is based on whether or not it’s fun for her. Once she realized she could play with magic in the Training Building, she couldn’t suppress that urge.
“Anyway, you’re not allowed to come here anymore.” (Jack)
“Eh~… but it’s the only place I can play properly!” (Rinalee)
“That’s not the point. You have to follow the school rules!” (Jack)
“Muu~” (Rinalee)
With Rinalee sulking beside me, I left the Training Building.
What a ridiculous rumor.
“Onii-chan, what about the practice?” (Rinalee)
“It’s already over!” (Jack)
“Ehh~~!” (Rinalee)
“Ah, as expected of Rinalee-chan’s Onii-san! Now, let’s go quickly to the next place.” (Patrick)
Patrick-kun seemed to want to go home as quickly as possible and didn’t even try to ask about what had really happened.
By the way, the red soul supposedly eats the soul of the person who witnesses it… Could it be that Rinalee did something reckless here?
《3》The Red Soul Floating in the Training Building.
The truth was Rinalee’s quasi-divine magic Fireball. The reason she was playing in the off-limits Training Building was the cause…
—
《4》The Grand Piano That Sounds on Its Own in the Hall at the Entrance of the First School Building
A female teacher who committed suicide over a broken heart plays a sorrowful tune on the piano.
We bypassed the school building from the Training Building, and arrived at the main entrance. This was the place where Rinalee’s homeroom teacher always stands and greets the students in the morning. When you entered from the main entrance, it led to a larger hall. The ceiling was also high.
In the corner, there was a grand piano, arranged like an interior piece. The piano in the evening dusk gave off a completely different kind of oppressive atmosphere. It was probably true that everything looked scary as it transitioned from evening to night. It made sense that new students, in a fresh environment, might have started spreading strange rumors.
Was it vintage? The black piano was overall a bit dull. It certainly gave off the vibe that it could have started playing by itself at any moment.
“Hiii…” (Patrick)
Patrick-kun screamed even though nothing had happened.
Is he scared even more than before? And Patrick-kun is really a scaredy-cat. He has slightly puffed-up body with his characteristic hair. Maybe he was pampered while growing up. He hasn’t trained his body enough. He definitely seems like someone who plans to focus only on magic.
“Well then, shall we investigate this right away?” (Jack)
“Eh? Onii-san, aren’t you scared?” (Patrick)
“What’s scary about a mere instrument like this! I’ll even play it myself.” (Jack)
“Hiii…” (Patrick)
I approached the piano and opened the keyboard lid with a grand motion. White and black keys were lined up. I confidently faced the keyboard, but I did not believe I could play a keyboard instrument. I should have learned at least the harpsichord from Medna-san.
To test it, I pressed a key.
—-Pong… A single sound echoed sadly in the entrance hall.
“Hmm…” (Jack)
Is this what makes noise on its own? Could it be some malfunction causing it to start playing by itself? Or maybe an animal sneaked in?
I carefully examined the piano. I checked the back and the roof parts for the strings. But there was nothing strange. It was hard to believe it could start making noise by itself.
“Onii-san, let’s stop… This place is really bad…” (Patrick)
“Wow, Patrick-kun, you’re more scared than before.” (Jack)
Patrick-kun swallowed nervously in response to my teasing.
“I… I heard it…” (Patrick)
“Huh? So, did you spread the rumors, Patrick-kun? All the ones up until now?” (Jack)
“N-no! It’s just that the 4th and 5th ones were things I experienced.” (Patrick)
“Really?” (Jack)
Hmm, what was the 5th one again? Oh well.
“So, what kind of music was it? Wasn’t it just a misunderstanding of a noise?” (Jack)
“No! It was really a song played on an instrument!” (Patrick)
“Something like this?” (Jack)
I pressed the piano keys casually with my fingers, producing a few sounds.
“More low-pitched than that… Not that high sound.” (Patrick)
“Low-pitched? Then is this it? How about this?” (Jack)
“More unpleasant! Not such a beautiful sound!” (Patrick)
After that, Patrick-kun desperately hummed the melody and tried to convey what kind of song it was. Then, I came to a conclusion.
That melody… I’ve definitely heard it before. No, it’s not just that I’ve heard it. I can play it myself.
The song Patrick-kun hummed was— “The Highlander’s Inferno”. The song I practiced while waiting for Rinalee after school. I placed the mandolin case I was carrying on my back onto the floor, took out the instrument, and gently positioned it.
“Patrick-kun… Could it be that the song you heard here was this?” (Jack)
I began playing the prelude.
“Ughhh!! That’s it!! That’s it!!” (Patrick)
“Like this? Is it like this?” (Jack)
I applied strength to the wrist that strummed the strings.
“Waahhh!! That dissonance!! No doubt about it!!” (Patrick)
“Here, here, here, here!” (Jack)
“Aghhh!!! Waaahhhh!!! Ahhhhhh!!” (Patrick)
The fingers pressing the strings slipped. The wrist of the hand playing the instrument gracefully twisted.
“Aaaahhh!!” (Patrick)
“Is this what you mean?!” (Jack)
“Ha, haaa!! Uaaaahhh!!” (Patrick)
“How rude to call it dissonance!” (Jack)
When I finished playing the first movement, I punched Patrick-kun in the back of the head. It seemed that the sound Patrick-kun heard was also caused by me again.
—
Leaving the unconscious Patrick-kun behind, Rinalee and I left the main entrance. We circled around the perimeter outside. Right next to it was the schoolyard. And there, just nearby, was the thicket in the schoolyard where I wait for Rinalee after school. The wall of the hall where the piano was placed had ventilation windows, and those windows were wide open. Perhaps, the sound of “Highlander’s Inferno” that I played with my mandolin leaked through this window, making it sound like the song was coming from the piano.
In other words, the fourth of the seven mysteries was also caused by me.
《4》The grand piano in the first school building’s entrance hall that plays by itself.
It wasn’t the grand piano, it was the sound of my mandolin playing.
I had kind of expected that, though…
And while I was at it, I also confirmed 《5》 the curse ritual being performed in the thicket in the schoolyard.
Needless to say, it was my doing. The sword juggling game I had been doing in the thicket had caused many of the tree trunks to be scarred, like after nails had been hammered into them. This trace, combined with the testimony of the witness (Patrick-kun), apparently led to rumors that a curse ritual was taking place here.
How ridiculous…
—
Now, let’s take another look at the Seven Mysteries memo.
=【Barwitch Magic School’s Seven Mysteries】=
〆《1》The ghost of a crying boy in the boys’ restroom of the third school building.
The truth is, it was Patrick-kun crying in the restroom. He had just lost confidence in being able to survive in the magic school because of me.
〆《2》The closed room in the basement of the practical training building.
The monster’s groaning sounds that could be heard from the closed room every night. The truth is, they were the result of Dwayne’s underground experiments happening day and night.
〆《3》The red will-o’-the-wisp floating in the training building.
The truth is, it was Rinalee casting her semi-divine magic Fireball. It happened because I was playing around in the restricted training building.
〆《4》The grand piano in the entrance hall of the first school building that plays by itself.
It wasn’t the piano, it was the sound of my mandolin played from the thicket.
〆《5》The curse ritual performed in the thicket in the schoolyard.
It wasn’t a curse ritual, it was my swordsmanship practice.
《6》The black ghost that appears in the library at midnight.
There is a strict safe in the back of the library’s second-floor archives. If you try to break into the safe, a black ghost will appear and kill you.
《7》The abduction of gods.
Those who learn the other six secrets will fall victim to the abduction of gods.
＝＝＝
“Most of these were caused by me and Rinalee!” (Jack)
“Mu~?” (Rinalee)
The ghost’s true identity, or so they say. At this point, doing further investigations seemed pointless. Rinalee herself seemed to have completely forgotten the original goal, with a blank expression. I can hardly believe she was once scared of the Seven Mysteries of the Magic School.
“…Shall we just go home?” (Jack)
“Go home?” (Rinalee)
I was already frustrated and had lost my will to continue. The sun had completely set, and it was pitch black around us. Only the light leaking from the school building and the street lamps set up by the side of the schoolyard were lighting our way. It was getting risky to head back. At night, it was dangerous, and once the sun had fully set, they might not even have sent out the carriage.
“…What should we do, Rinalee? Want to take a quick look at the library?” (Jack)
“Take a look, huh!” (Rinalee)
Rinalee was completely back to her usual self. She had probably already forgotten about the ghost, returning to her previous brightness.
At this rate, she might sleep on the way back, so it would be easy. For now, let’s go wake up Patrick-kun. Since we’re at it, let’s have him join us for the final investigation. It’s probably nothing special, anyway.
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