151. Tell Me Your Wish (6)
151. Tell Me Your Wish (6)
"Tina! Did you hear the rumor? They found the door to the Secret Archive!"
"...I did hear about it, but isn't it just a groundless rumor?"
Martina smiled wryly as she watched Shuri, whose tail was wagging wildly and eyes were sparkling. The rumor had become a hot topic lately, so it was common knowledge that rumors fed on themselves and grew out of control, but this case was a little different.
'The door to the Secret Archive was suddenly discovered? That made no sense.'
It was a door no one had found since the academy was built. And now a rumor was going around that the door had suddenly been discovered? It wasn't just any rumor—it even included a relatively detailed location.
A rumor detailed enough that anyone could go look at the door out of curiosity was bound to be suspicious. That was why Martina suspected someone had deliberately spread it.
There was no way the details of the rumor would have become so specific so quickly otherwise.
'Where had this unnaturally detailed rumor originated?'
The library's Secret Archive had always been a rumor quietly passed among the students, but this was the first time she'd heard a rumor that even specified a location. Martina couldn't help but worry that it might be some kind of trap.
"I heard it too. But a rumor is only a rumor. You shouldn't be too swayed by rumors."
"But wouldn't it be okay to go check it out just once?"
"Are you that curious?"
"This is the first time we've heard such specific instructions. Don't you want to try them once? If it doesn't work, we can just turn back!"
Martina glanced down at Shuri's tail, which was wagging like mad. She figured Shuri really wanted to go—if she didn't go with her, Shuri was going to sulk.
"We'll stop by on our way home. Elisa can come with us."
"Okay! We've gotta bring Elisa too!"
Having mentioned Elisa, who had been walking home together with them lately, Martina looked at the still-empty seat beside her with worried eyes.
'She was late today.'
Was something going on?
When Martina's unconcealable worry showed in her eyes, Shuri grinned and said,
"Maybe something came up and made her late?"
"...I suppose so. That's probably it."
But why did she feel so uneasy?
She knew that being a few minutes late didn't mean anything had happened, yet for some reason, anxiety sprouted in her mind. Instinctively, her gaze swept across the entire lecture hall.
'Marie, Kennis, Royan, Victor... Where was Bella?'
Shudder—
Goosebumps rose on Martina's back. Of all people, the ones missing were Bella and Elisa. Wasn't that a terribly unsettling combination? Before she knew it, Martina rose from her seat.
"I'll be back in a moment."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go meet Elisa."
Martina concealed her anxiety and put on her usual elegant smile.
----------
"Oh my, what a coincidence. Meeting you here like this."
"B-B-B-Bella...?"
Around the time lunch period was ending, Elisa, who had been quietly heading to the lecture hall where the next class would start, jumped in surprise and shrank back when she happened to run into someone.
Bella was a sharp-looking student with a personality to match. She approached Elisa with an elegant smile, looked her up and down, and then spoke with a slight smirk.
"Are your love lessons going well?"
"Huh...?"
"Looking at you, you don't seem to have made much progress."
Why had she suddenly brought this up? Overwhelmed by the unsolicited interference, Elisa lowered her head. Bella sighed at the sight, as though she were scolding her.
'To think a bitch like this stole second place from me...'
Bella hated her. She could maybe accept Shuri—who had ridiculous talent—but to be pushed down in the rankings even by this gloomy girl? For Bella, who had striven to be the best, Elisa was even more distasteful than Shuri.
If she'd flaunted her genius the way Shuri did, that would be one thing, but Elisa was a student she hadn't even known existed until the exam results were posted on the bulletin board.
A student she hadn't known existed.
The fact that she had been beaten by such a student had stressed Bella out for the entire first semester.
'I lost to a girl who even struggled with Third-Class Magic. This was absurd!'
Whether in practical or written examinations, Bella had repeatedly placed third by the narrowest margin, and she simply could not accept it. Why had the professors awarded Elisa higher practical marks? No matter how she considered it, she couldn't understand.
And so, Bella could not bring herself to like Elisa.
"If you go that slowly, someone else will snatch him away."
"S-Snatch...?"
Bella dredged up concern she did not truly feel and slowly fed Elisa's insecurity. After observing her for several days, Bella understood the situation and had already decided how to shake her resolve.
'What was so special about that man that he had so many women after him?'
She had been dumbfounded when she looked into the people around Elisa. A man who didn't even seem good-looking or charming had four women entangled with him.
And among those rivals was even the Saintess. No matter how you looked at it, Elisa's chances of winning were practically 0%. Bella had concluded she could make good use of this situation and had approached this timid girl at this hour.
Martina stayed beside Elisa in the lecture hall, while the rest of her companions surrounded her during classes. The only time Elisa walked alone was immediately after lunch.
"Think about it. Are there only one or two people around you who like him? Do you really think you can push past all of them and win his love?"
Bella's words struck directly at Elisa's heart, and countless faces surfaced in her mind.
Karina, Millia, Reni, Sif, and Viola, who had recently begun acting suspiciously... every one of them was formidable. Millia was the only one actively competing with her for now, but she and Yohan were close enough to sleep in the same room.
"Do you think you can win his love with that sluggish attitude?"
"B-but..."
Bella's words stabbed into the timid Elisa like daggers. They were harsh, but not wrong. Elisa knew she could never survive the competition by doing nothing more than timidly clutching his sleeve and following him around.
"Sometimes you have to take a risk if you want to win."
Bella deliberately put on a gentle smile and offered her honeyed words. Her sharp features still made the expression look intimidating, but it was softer than before, and Elisa began to listen.
Because they were far too sweet to simply ignore.
And the fact that her own abilities weren't enough to brush them off played a part as well.
'How naive.'
Bella swallowed a sneer as she watched Elisa's attitude change. That contempt became fuel for the fire in her heart.
"Because of this bitch—"
"...Huh?"
"Nothing."
She concealed the inferiority and rage clinging to her heart and put her mask back on. Bella had long since become skilled at it. Sensing that the time was right, she finally broached the subject.
"Did you know? There's an object inside the Secret Archive that can grant wishes... For someone like you, Elisa, it would be worth attempting."
Negative emotions were highly contagious.
Bella knew that fact better than anyone.
"Th-The Secret Archive... i-it's just a rumor... isn't it?"
"The Secret Archive really exists. I'm telling you because I feel sorry for you, Elisa. And given Yohan's personality, wouldn't displaying your ability be more effective than some half-hearted attempt to appeal to him?"
"B-but..."
"Are you going to let yourself be pushed out of the competition? Sometimes you have to use whatever means are necessary to obtain what you want."
At those words, Elisa's body went still.
A one-sided love was already this painful. What would happen if she couldn't even reach him anymore? The moment Elisa faced the negative feelings she had been avoiding, her heart began to pound.
A wavering gaze.
A dazed expression.
Bella spun around and delivered the final blow.
"Go to the northwestern section of the library during the hour when vermilion and black mingle. There's a purple book with nothing written inside. Open it to page 231, and the door to the Secret Archive will appear."
'She would probably tell Martina.'
At most, Martina could only question Bella about it.
Bella deliberately didn't wait for Elisa's answer and disappeared down the hallway.
Only Elisa remained, standing motionless as she watched Bella disappear with a conflicted expression.
"Elisa? What were you doing here?"
"M-Martina..."
Martina appeared with timing so perfect it could have been staged, as though she were taking the baton from Bella, and looked at Elisa with concern.
Unable to hide her conflicted expression, Elisa spoke to her.
"W-Well..."
-------------------
"Yohan! Where are you going?"
"I've got somewhere to stop by for a moment. Go to sleep first."
"Can't I come with you?"
"No."
"Tch. Get back safe."
I opened the front door as Millia saw me off. The slightly chilly night air brushed my cheek and passed by. It was perfect weather for moving around.
I went straight to the workshop and entered the hidden tunnel I had dug. According to the rumor that had spread that day, Shuri or someone else would enter the Secret Archive within a few days. Before that happened, I intended to install the expensive surveillance device I'd purchased so I could monitor the situation.
Honestly, leaving Rue there would have been the easiest and most convenient option...
[Are you planning to stick me in a filthy, damp burrow?!]
...but she had protested, so I abandoned that plan.
It would have been easiest, though it would have required me to work harder during lectures.
In any case, I soon reached the tunnel I'd dug beneath the library.
The tunnel entrance was in the library's western section, some distance from the Secret Archive. I opened the door to the secret passage slightly and checked inside.
Good. No one was there.
I leisurely opened the library passage and stepped inside.
Because it was the middle of the night, the enormous library felt eerie. I doubted a ghost would appear, but I still needed to hurry. Escort duty began early the next morning, so I planned to install the device and leave as quickly as possible.
Moving carefully, I quietly checked my surroundings and approached the Secret Archive's location as I remembered it.
The bookshelf serving as the Secret Archive's door should have held a purple-covered book. If I attached the signal device nearby and waited...
Huh?
I stared at the purple book, which was shedding blue light.
It was a blue light visible only to those qualified to enter the Secret Archive.