The Curse Called Nightmare
With Minel's permission for the curse called Nightmare, half of Ceres Reinhardt's kidnapping plan was as good as solved.
"You think so?"
I'd never had a proper conversation with Ceres, so would she even listen to me? Wouldn't it be better to leave it to Minel?
"Yeah. There's a chance right now."
Since the Second Prince hasn't been born yet.
"Uh... the Second Prince is born next year..."
A 20-year age gap?
"No, it's not about preferring older women or anything. He was just collecting them."
Unlike my current one and only crown prince, who was bright and kind-hearted by nature, the Second Prince had been addicted to the taste of power since childhood and was way too indulgent with women. From what I'd heard right before he got killed by monsters, he had nine wives and nearly twenty concubines.
"Anyway, that's enough about Ceres. I'll leave most of the middle steps to Minel."
What mattered more was the fight with Zenovia Aphiliano. She'd definitely come prepared with something.
"In a straight-up duel based on pure skill, there's no way I'd lose."
But interference from outsiders, differences in weapons, and borrowing magic tools from inside the Imperial Knights could change things.
"As for what the Imperial Knights here might have right now..."
The demon sword Durandal would probably be with the knight commander by now, so no worries there. Any other enhancement-type magic tools wouldn't be a big issue for Zenovia in her current weakened state. She wouldn't have the techniques, traits, or skills she does later.
"Still, better to prepare for the one-in-a-million chance."
It was hard to imagine that stubborn knight handing over Durandal unless she lost, but preparation was key.
"That's why right after swordsmanship class ends today, we've got somewhere to go."
"Today?"
"Yeah. The 'contract' is in three days from now."
"Contract? What's that?"
Minel took a sip of the coffee Lianne had brought her and asked me about the contract. Makes sense—she was a straight-laced knight type, unlike me or Rain, so she wouldn't know much about contract magic.
"It's a master-servant contract spell. One of the privileges given to students entering the Arcade Academy."
"Each student forms a master-servant contract with one summon."
It was a cheat-level spell that forcibly contracted spirits, Spirits (Juling), monsters, demons, angels, or even otherworldly beasts, but most went with spirits or monsters.
"The ranks go from the highest Special Grade, then 1st through 4th, and finally the 5th grade that most students end up with."
"Most students get 5th grade?"
"Yeah. Even talented academy cadets get scrutinized for talent, personality, and even soul when summoning. Summons that have tasted ancient heroes won't settle for just any average student."
"Hmm... So what's the connection between this contract thing and what we're doing?"
"Most students get 5th grade, but if you have a 'catalyst' for the summon during the ritual, it draws the matching one."
If you brought a splinter from wood burned by a fire spirit, you'd get that spirit itself or something connected to it.
"Of course, catalysts for 3rd grade or higher don't circulate in normal markets. Even black market ones go for absurd premiums, so most rely on luck and their own talent."
"So you're going to the black market to buy something?"
"Nah, not buying."
Minel tilted her head at my words.
"Didn't you say you were going for a catalyst?"
"No, I'm going to find one."
A catalyst for a Special Grade Spirit, no less.
*****
Spirits (Juling) are a type of monster born from accumulated curses. There are artificial ones made by necromancers or black mages, but naturally formed ones, built up over ages of curses, are on a whole different level.
"So now we're looking for an item from a Spirit's previous life."
Finding remains of a Spirit officially exterminated about ten years ago by this timeline was near impossible. But traces from before it became a Spirit could be found even here at the academy.
"The item we're after is a relic from someone called Nero in her living days—a Special Grade Spirit."
"Nero...?"
Minel and Rain racked their brains, but no way they'd recall the name. The Spirit's official name wasn't her birth name, Nero—it was Nightmare, for her omnipotent powers.
"They say her traces were erased, but something remains here at the academy."
As the daughter of a baronial family, she wouldn't have extravagant luxuries, but a ring, necklace, or even baby clothes might still exist. The problem was this was my first time searching for it myself.
"By the way, spirits or monsters would be way easier to handle... Why a Spirit?"
"Because they're strong."
Curses have no limit to how strong they can get. Negative emotions fuel them more easily than positive ones, so Spirits born from the darkness in people's hearts grow by feeding on it—faster than anything that eats mana or demonic energy.
Especially since the emotion that turned Nero into a Spirit meshed so well with me... If I could contract her right, she'd outclass even the spirit kings and golems I'd bound before.
"Let's start at the library."
"Yes."
"Got it."
The library we reached via mana-lit paths glowed as brightly as ever, but hunting for Spirit traces gave it an eerie chill.
"What should we look for here?"
"Rain, check the romance section for any books mentioning someone named [Nero]."
"Understood."
"Minel, in the ghost and undead section, look for books authored by someone named [Nephilos]."
"Simple enough."
I watched Minel and Rain split off, then headed straight to the third floor, sifting through past memories to find the hidden room.
"It was definitely here..."
Third floor, L-91 shelf, starting from the left—the fifth book from the top.
Vampire Survival Guide
"The key."
Click.
Pulling the book from the top produced a turning sound, but the shelf didn't change.
"You think they'd hide a secret room that sloppily?"
A secret room wouldn't open from just one book. This was only the first trigger.
"Next one."
On the second floor, D row, tenth desk drawer—pull out the second drawer entirely, reach inside, and inject mana into the differently textured wood.
"Next."
Back to the third floor, toss a fairy tale into the water basin.
And finally.
"Chant with mana on the rooftop."
"Apparently, the principal had it secretly added when the library was built. She got bored and asked the designer on the sly."
Even I only found it in my fifth life. It was a drunken story from Skaya during the war—by my fifth go, I finally pieced together how to access the secret space, but never got a good look inside. The moment I learned the omnipotent worst nightmare 'Nightmare' had once lived there, I lost all interest in going in.
"Alright then..."
I filled my throat with mana and recited the chant Skaya had spat out in my memory.
She'd normally nag about why mana instead of magic power, but... since I couldn't use magic power right now, I was grateful as I began.
"May bright dreams fill the dark night,
even if they slowly devour reality like a curse.
I shall become a dream as bright as light and consume the dark reality."
⟨ Nero's Chant ⟩
They said Nero herself had added that chant part, which wasn't original.
Rumble...
As the vibration hit, the door behind me vanished, revealing a side passage big enough for a small animal.
Correct.
Crawling through on all fours led to a surprisingly spacious room.
"...That must be it."
The room, decorated with dolls and ornaments that clashed with the dark vibe, was thick with dust but clearly once inhabited by a human.
"The ring..."
On the small desk sat a silver ring embedded with a diamond no bigger than half a pinky nail, gleaming softly.
The public story was that Nightmare, the omnipotent nightmare, became a curse due to bullying. Academy students saw the talentless girl who'd somehow gotten in as a toy and tormented her until she sacrificed her soul to become a curse.
But what I'd heard from Skaya, who subjugated her, was a bit different.
"..."
I picked up the silver ring and cautiously slipped it onto my finger.
[...Th...e...re...]
"Ugh..."
A voice like a little girl's yet unnaturally low echoed directly in my head.
[There...]
And before my eyes, the 'curse' slowly approached.
[There......]
A 'monster' with a black body like hellfire revealed itself.
And the omnipotent nightmare asked me this.
[Do you love me?]