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The Seven Mysteries of the Magic School (4)
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Suddenly, I came to my senses.
It seemed even the moon had hidden itself, and the library was ruled by the dark of night. It was not much different from the scene earlier. However, the trembling of the air, the dusty smell, the scent of old books, and the sound of wind from outside,
these were contrasting with the earlier scene and had a sense of reality. There was no doubt that this was the library.
Gradually, my eyes grew accustomed, and I could make out my surroundings even in the darkness. I had collapsed pathetically onto the floor. It seemed I was on the second floor of the library, and I could see the first floor through the open atrium.
In front of me, a large trunk was lying on the ground. It was unnatural for such a suitcase to be lying around in the library. I examined the trunk. I could not tell the exact color, but the tone was dark. It was not particularly ornate. There were gray geometric patterns on the surface, which looked somewhat like a magic circle.
…This must be the Black Grimoire.
It seemed I had been inside this trunk, talking with Medna-san. Beyond this point lay a vast space, and further beyond that, it connected to the other world where the dead resided. The very thought made my skin crawl.
But, if I go inside again, maybe I could see Medna-san once more?
Driven by curiosity, I tried to open it, but the case seemed to be locked, and the lid did not budge at all.
“…” (Jack)
I felt a disturbance in the air. It was an unnatural disturbance. It was the strange sensation of something new appearing, pushing aside the surrounding atmosphere.
“!?” (Jack)
I quickly turned around. Standing there was the Black Ghost. I could understand what Medna-san had meant. The Black Ghost standing before me was truly pitch black from head to toe. There was no white part at all. However, that was because it was cloaked in black mana. The swirling darkness hid its slender body, transforming its figure into something bizarre.
“…Kuh!” (Jack)
Sensing danger, I instinctively grabbed the trunk handle and leapt from the second-floor railing down into the open atrium. I twisted my body and managed to land skillfully, then glanced up at the second floor where I had just been. However, the Black Ghost was already gone.
In the next instant, a phantom came rushing at me from the side.
I swung the trunk around, blocking the silent and swiftly approaching blow of the black shadow’s attack. A dry sound echoed through the library. It seemed that the Black Ghost had already anticipated my landing point and had beaten me there.
“…!” (Jack)
I stumbled from the force of the blow and barely managed to steady myself by stepping backward. Although it looked almost motionless because of its eerie stillness, it had actually attacked with incredible speed. Swaying slowly, the Black Ghost sheathed its sword. The longsword at its waist, the visor that covered its face, the black magic power—
I had seen this Black Ghost twice before. The first time was when I visited the Aldridge mansion. The second time was when I bought my first lute at the instrument shop.
I had thought it was just my imagination, but now I was certain. The visor covering its face tilted slightly. It seemed to be looking not at me, but at the trunk case I was holding tightly.
“Hand over the Grimoire to the Black Ghost without resistance.” (Medna)
I recalled the words Medna-san had told me just moments before.
Am I supposed to hand over this case to this suspicious figure? I am worried.
“…” (Jack)
While we stood silently facing each other,
—Don, Don Don, the sound of someone banging on the door behind the Black Ghost.
Directly across from me, behind the Black Ghost, was the entrance to the library.
“Onii-san! I brought the principal!” (Patrick)
“Jack-kun, it is me! Gwayne Alberti! Hang on, I am opening the door now!” (Gwayne)
It was Patrick-kun’s voice, and the voice of Principal Gwayne. It seemed they had realized the emergency and had gone to fetch a teacher.
Nice job, Patrick-kun.
Upon hearing their voices, the Black Ghost immediately moved with smooth, silent steps to the side of the door. Then, drawing the sword from its waist, it raised the blade straight above its head in front of the door. It seemed it intended to strike the moment the door opened.
“Gwayne-sensei, you must not!” (Jack)
“Hang on!!” (Gwayne)
“It is dangerous if you come in now!” (Jack)
The door seemed to have been unlocked, and with a clattering sound, it began to open.
If he comes in now, he would be cut in two.
The Black Ghost stood quietly, waiting with its sword ready. Even if I tried to stop it now, I might not be able to match that speed.
Yet, if I leave it be, Patrick-kun and Gwayne-sensei would…
“Tch…!” (Jack)
At this moment, there was only one way to deal with it. It was something I had already been troubled about.
If I hand over the Black Grimoire, I would be saved. Medna-san had told me that there might come a time when I would have to do so.
Cornered, I made the decision to accept Medna-san’s advice.
“Here, this is what you want, right!!” (Jack)
I threw the trunk case. Right in front of the Black Ghost. With a loud crash, the trunk fell before the door.
“――――” (??)
As soon as it saw that, the Black Ghost sheathed its longsword at incredible speed and seized the trunk. At the same time, Gwayne Alberti-sensei charged into the library. The Black Ghost froze the moment it had the Grimoire in its hands.
“Gi-gyahhh!! The black… ghost… of the library…!!” (Patrick)
Patrick-kun screamed in horror at the sight.
“T-This thing… it is from the other day…” (Gwayne)
It seemed that Gwayne-sensei recognized it.
“…” (??)
The Black Ghost, upon seeing the principal, immediately placed its hand once again on the sword hilt at its waist. Apparently, securing the Grimoire alone was not enough. It looked like it was about to attack the principal at any moment.
—Thump, thump, thump… my heartbeat quickened.
The Time Control skill, which I had not used in a long time, activated. The surrounding scenery slowed down, and I could clearly see the Black Ghost stepping forward. I had to help. I transformed one of the many scattered books nearby into a thick paper-made replica sword and kicked it at the ghost. A paper sword was nothing more than a toy. It could only serve as a distraction.
“―――!” (??)
The Black Ghost noticed the thrown sword, half drew its blade, and blocked it. But I did not stop there. While the projectile was still flying, I closed the distance between me and the Black Ghost at full speed.
If this enemy is some sort of demonic being, then perhaps my right arm weapon could destroy it.
I pulled back my right fist and struck at its face. However, it was blocked by the flat side of the sword. Even though time was accelerated, which should have made my speed incredible from its perspective.
“Gu… Gugu…” (Jack)
We grappled, my fist and its blade clashing at close range. I felt like I had seen this shadow somewhere before.
“To… ma…” (??)
“…?” (Jack)
For the first time, the shadow spoke something resembling a word.
Does it have some rationality?
It seemed to slow down slightly. But it lasted only an instant, and right after, it swung the trunk case at me, sending me flying. I stumbled backward from the impact. Then, the Black Ghost made a tremendous leap, soaring up to the second floor in a single bound.
From there, it leapt again, crashing through a window and escaping the library. Shards of broken glass rained down, and a breeze passed through the building. Left behind, I could only stand there, stunned, thinking about the Black Ghost’s movement and the word it had uttered.
“Abyaaaaaaa…” (Patrick)
Patrick-kun’s deafening scream echoed through the library, disrupting my thoughts.
Afterward, he fainted from sheer terror.
“What was that thing?” (Jack)
“Did it… take something with it…?” (Gwayne)
Gwayne-sensei was clearly bewildered. I would have to apologize to him.
“I am sorry, Sensei.” (Jack)
“No, more importantly, are you alright, Jack-kun?” (Gwayne)
I was swaying slightly.
It was only after being asked by Gwayne-sensei that I realized it. Perhaps due to the effects of being inside the Black Grimoire, I was feeling dizzy. Seeing my condition, Gwayne-sensei stepped forward and supported my body.
“What did that thing take with it?!” (Jack)
“The trunk case…” (Gwayne)
“W-What?!” (Jack)
The panic was understandable.
According to Medna-san, that was Gwayne Alberti-sensei’s possession. If it was taken, it was natural to be in a state of panic. Furthermore, if it was something personal and secret, it would be even worse. Since I handed it over, I should apologize honestly.
“I’m sorry, I handed it over.” (Jack)
“What?!” (Gwayne)
I was probably going to get scolded. But it was also a decision made to protect Principal Gwayne.
“…No, in that situation, it couldn’t be helped… That thing was going to be taken sooner or later…” (Gwayne)
I thought so, but I was relieved that he remained remarkably calm. I was glad I told him the truth. I let out a sigh of relief.
—Still, taken sooner or later? Had Gwayne-sensei known about that Black Ghost beforehand? His earlier comment, “This one is from the other day,” was also troubling. And did he know that the Black Ghost was after the Black Grimoire?
“Waahhh!! Onii-chan!” (Rinalee)
Afterward, Rinalee also rushed into the library. She clung to my waist.
“I’m so glad… I was scared that my big brother might disappear.” (Rinalee)
Tears filled Rinalee’s eyes as she looked up at me.
How cute. To think she cares about me this much…! Ah, what is this feeling of happiness? Even though she’s not my real sister, I guess this is the charm of having a sister. No, I should just say Rinalee is my real sister! She’s my sister!
“It’s okay. Onii-san won’t just disappear on his own.” (Jack)
“Yeah… Promise me!” (Rinalee)
“Leave it to me!” (Jack)
I gently stroked Rinalee’s red hair. It was soft and felt wonderful to touch. I got lost in stroking Rinali’s red hair.
*Stroke, stroke, stroke, stroke.*
There were many things that happened while investigating the Seven Wonders, but in the end, I was satisfied with just stroking Rinalee’s hair. Most of it was our doing.
But the sixth one… that is real, isn’t it? The Black Ghost… Who exactly is it? Is it part of the enemy that Medna-san mentioned?
“Oh, speaking of which, where’s Patrick-kun?” (Jack)
I looked toward the library entrance and saw Patrick-kun foaming at the mouth, collapsed. He had completely fainted.
“Hey, wake up.” (Jack)
I slapped his cheek, but there was no response.
Well, he had supported us this far, brought the principal here in an emergency, and his courage is something to behold. That is enough.
“Looks like we’ll have to send him back to the dorm.” (Gwayne)
“I’m sorry. I never thought it would become this dangerous.” (Jack)
Gwayne-sensei began to carry the small body on his back and walked away. Somehow, I felt bad. I had handed over the Black Grimoire, and the window of the library was broken. The goal had been to dispel Rinalee’s fear, but now I worried that it might make her even more scared.
” Rinalee, are you okay?” (Jack)
“Yeah? What is it?” (Rinalee)
“Are you scared of the school now?” (Jack)
“Hmm… As long as big brother is here, I’m not scared!” (Rinalee)
So cute. It’s no wonder that couple dotes on her so much. It’s not just that they’re doting parents, but from an outside perspective, Rinalee is absolutely adorable. “As long as Onii-chan is here,” huh?
I looked back at the Seven Wonders memo of the magic school.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
[The Seven Wonders of Barwitch Magic School]
〆《1》The boy ghost who cries in the men’s restroom of the 3rd building.
The true identity is Patrick-kun, who was crying alone in the restroom, losing his confidence in being able to stay at the magic school because of me.
〆《2》The unopened room in the basement of the practical training building.
The groans of a monster heard every night from the sealed room.
Its true cause was the underground experiments that Dwayne was carrying out day and night.
〆《3》The red will-o’-the-wisp floating in the training hall.
The true identity was the semi-divine level fireball cast by Rinali. She had been playing in the restricted training hall without permission.
〆《4》The grand piano that rings by itself in the hall at the entrance of the 1st building on the 1st floor.
It’s not a grand piano, but it’s the sound of a mandolin I play from the scrub forest.
〆《5》A cursed ritual carried out in the scrub forest of the schoolyard.
It’s not a cursed ritual. It’s my swordsmanship training.
〆《6》The black ghost that appears in the library at midnight.
There is a secure vault deep in the storage room on the second floor of the library. When someone tries to break open the vault, the black ghost appears and kills them.
〆《7》The disappearance by the gods.
Anyone who knows the other six secrets will be taken by the gods.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
I looked at the section 《7》 Disappearance by the Gods, and a chill ran down my spine.
Now, I have learned all of the other six secrets. Could it be that I would be taken by the gods from here on out? That can’t be, right?
“Onii-chan, I don’t want you to disappear!” (Rinalee)
Though it’s just a hunch with no real basis, I feel like a danger was approaching where my existence might be erased. Medna-san had also said it.
—In a sense, the enemy this time is a being like a “god”.
I only know one “god”. Could it be true?
—
Since it had gotten so late, Rinalee and I missed our return carriage. When I consulted Dwayne about having to stay overnight at the magic school, he said…
“It can’t be helped. This was something I prepared for emergencies, but I’ll just send you back to Soltair with teleportation magic.” (Dwayne)
He easily found a way for us to return.
“Then, why don’t you just use that to send Rinalee home every time, instead of a carriage?” (Jack)
“The transit circle for teleporting between Barwitch and Soltair? If I used that magic every day, my body would dry up.” (Dwayne)
So, the amount of mana the transit circle consumes is proportional to the distance being teleported.
Anyway, after teleporting to the Soltair square, Rinalee and I walked through the quiet town of Soltair, where only the sound of insects could be heard in the night. Eventually, Rinalee lost to sleep and I had to carry her on my back. We arrived at the Liberata hideout, which was located on a hill a little outside the town. By that time, Rinalee couldn’t stay awake any longer.
As soon as we arrived, Lindsey scolded me for being so late. After laying Rinalee in bed, I returned to the living room, only to be scolded again by Shia. Double trouble. Completely disheartened after being reprimanded twice, Alfred came over to encourage me.
“Don’t worry about it. Rinalee said she had fun! Thanks!” (Alfred)
Alfred must have been worried about Rinalee, too, but seeing him care about me and speak to me like this made me realize what a good guy he is. I thought to myself that I should also try to have this kind of generosity.
—I hope you can accept those people with a generous heart.
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