Chosen by the Grimoire

"Ke-Keres!!!" I shrieked the moment I managed to squeeze myself back through the window and into my room.

"What is the matter, my lady?" Keres asked, acting as though absolutely nothing out of the ordinary was happening amidst this chaotic and terrifying turn of events. I couldn't tell if she was just incredibly easygoing or if something of this scale truly meant nothing to her!

"The—the Armonomicon! It's on my waist...! Look!" I pointed frantically at the book clinging tightly to my hip, but Keres merely continued to calmly and neatly fold a blouse.

"I see it, my lady."

"Don't just say 'I see it'! Th-this! It wasn't there when I went to Laura's room, but now it suddenly went poof and appeared!"

Keres paused her hands and quietly looked at me.

"It is my belief, my lady, that you have been chosen by the Armonomicon."

"Ch-chosen? Suddenly? Why? How?!" Was this even a choice I was allowed to accept in the first place? Wasn't the Armonomicon some kind of... what was it, the Demon King's whatever-it-was?!

"There could be many reasons, my lady, but most of all, you have consistently offered tributes that have highly satisfied the Armonomicon."

"So that's different from actually being chosen, right?"

"Indeed, it is. Right now, my lady, you have piqued the Armonomicon's 'interest.' The grimoire has chosen you to witness the amusement of how much further you can entertain it, deciding to bestow even more diverse knowledge upon you."

"B-but why...?" I grabbed the Armonomicon bound to my waist with both hands and lifted it.

Zzzzt, zzzzt! Just holding and lifting the grimoire made my heart throb dangerously. Was this really okay? Was it safe to accept the choice of a grimoire overflowing with the Demon King's wisdom and magic?

...M-maybe it doesn't matter. My life was already over anyway. My impoverished existence living under a bridge had ended when Laura killed me. And what about my life as Ramnusia Yuno? To be honest, this one wasn't normal either. I was constantly looked down on and bullied by the students of Cosmos Academy. Maybe being chosen by the Armonomicon was actually a good thing.

"B-but Keres. I still don't understand why the Armonomicon chose me."

"I suspect it is because you did something quite severe to Lady Laura."

"Uh... even if you call it severe..." I swallowed hard. "All I did was use my finger to tear the hymen of a sleeping Laura without casting any magic, and then smear the bleeding blood onto her brand-new panties before leaving."

Keres stared at me in silence, her lips curving into a wide smile. She bowed her head slightly, then raised it again.

"I believe that alone is more than enough audacity to earn the Armonomicon's selection, my lady."

"Is... is it really that big of a deal?"

"Of course, my lady. Tearing her hymen—and without any safety measures or magic to boot? You have committed an utterly absurd act."

Now that I thought about it, was it? Hearing her explain it made it sound a bit like that.

"Heh, hehehe... Anyway, the m-most important thing is that the Armonomicon will teach me new magic, right?" Smiling brightly, I grabbed the cover of the book and opened it. "Last time I learned the Hypnosis Sigil magic, so this time... Urgh, ah...!"

I had only flung the grimoire open, but my hands felt like they were on fire.

"Hah, haah...!" Was this happening because my body couldn't handle the sheer mana erupting from the grimoire? I didn't know, I couldn't tell...!

"Ah, aaaah...! It's ho-hot...! It hurts...! Ah, haah...!" My heart pounded as if it were about to explode. My lower abdomen twitched violently, making it difficult to breathe.

"Lady Ramnusia. If the pain is too severe, you may simply let go of the Armonomicon," Keres said, looking down calmly at me as I writhed and rolled on the floor.

"N-no..." I didn't want to. I could feel it instinctively. I was currently absorbing the magic carved into the Armonomicon with my entire body. To use an analogy, it was like tilting a bottle filled with fruit juice to fill a glass named Ramnusia Yuno. No matter how cold the glass became or how much it shook, the bottle must not be pulled away until every last drop was poured.

"N-no... absolutely not... I, haah...!" Desperately clutching the Armonomicon with both hands, I pulled it tight against my chest.

"This is not a pain an ordinary person can endure, my lady."

"B-but...! I have to endure this to get the new magic...!" Blood began to trickle from my nose. A burning agony flared in my head, and I couldn't even move a single finger at will.

Keres watched me in silence. She looked down at me as I pressed my forehead against the floor and rolled around, blood dripping with every breath I took, without offering a single hand to help.

"Ha, haah...! Haaah!" The seemingly endless agony came to an abrupt halt. The fiery mana that had been radiating from the Armonomicon vanished.

Clatter, snap! The Armonomicon, which had fallen to the floor, rolled around like a piece of iron drawn to a magnet before sliding perfectly back into the case at my waist on its own.

"Hah, haah..."

"You have done well, Lady Ramnusia." Keres approached me as I drenched in cold sweat, supporting my waist and back. She brought a small vial to my lips and tilted it.

Gulp... mgh, gulp...! It was a healing potion. It had to be, considering how the burning sensation in my stomach completely vanished after just a few drops of the liquid.

"You did splendidly. Learning magic as a matter of pure talent is a truly, truly grueling endeavor." Last time, I had thought she was just flattering me, but lately, after learning about 'magic' in the classroom, I had come to understand her words all too well. I still didn't really know how to cast magic. I could somehow manage to create a small light in my palm, but anything beyond that gave me a splitting headache.

"The magic you have learned, my lady, is—"

"P-Psychological Domination Magic..." I blurted out the name before Keres could even tell me.

"Oh my."

"Psychological Domination... New Order... Revision... Magica's Sorrowful Wish..." Like a child who had just learned how to shoot a bow explaining how to draw the bowstring, I painfully gasped out the names of the spells engraved into my mind—spells that had crossed over into the realm of pure talent.

"S-suddenly... sigh. Such incredible spells have fallen into my hands, yet I... I know exactly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how to use them. To think such magic was written in the grimoire..."

"These are spells that can absolutely never be forgiven, my lady. You must use them with the utmost caution," Keres advised me with a warm, gentle smile. The spells that had seeped into my mind and body were truly, truly terrifying. To think I now possessed magic that could place a person's entire life in the palm of my hand to toy with as I pleased.

Gulp... I unconsciously swallowed hard and looked up at Keres. Keres, with her glossy black hair and a face overflowing with pure elegance. Keres, who always did anything and everything for me. I had never tried using my magic on her before, and she herself had said it wouldn't work on her, but what about the spells I had just learned? Should I test them just once? Even if it works, I won't do anything too cruel! I'll just order her to take off her panties and hand them to me!

"Phew..." I took a deep breath and moved my hands. My heart fluttered wildly at the thought of using my new magic on a woman I had never been able to touch before. Anyway! Psychological Domination Magic is—

"Huh...?" I tried to cast Psychological Domination Magic, which felt like catching a flying bird with both hands and locking it away, but my hands wouldn't move. How should I describe this? What stood before me was no mere little bird. How on earth could I put this into words? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Was I trying to reach out and pluck a star floating in the high heavens with my bare hands?

"Lady Ramnusia's magic has no effect on me." Pinch! Keres grabbed my nose and gave it a gentle twist. She was actually smiling! Her eyes looked as if she were merely watching the adorable tantrums of a beloved niece!

"Ugh, ah...! Keres...?!"

"If you wish to use Psychological Domination Magic, why not try it on Lady Laura tomorrow? I believe she would make an excellent practice partner." Faced with Keres's incredibly composed suggestion, I could do nothing but nod.

Provoking Laura, who had been in a terrible mood since morning, into being alone with me as soon as lunchtime arrived was incredibly easy.

"Ramnusia!! How dare you do that and run away?!" It was simple. I pretended to make a mistake and lightly tapped Laura's butt with my hand. Laura, who was already highly sensitive after having her hymen forcibly torn last night, glared at me as if she wanted to murder me. Of course, I didn't stop there. Pretending to be utterly shocked, I threw a slice of bread covered in grape jam right at Laura's chest. Her pristine white blouse was instantly ruined, and the moment I saw it, I shrieked an apology and bolted. That performance was more than enough. Laura chased after me, looking ready to lift me up and hurl me out of a window.

"Ramnusia...!!! Do you have any idea how precious this blouse is?! It was made by a master craftsman whose clothes a trash noble like you couldn't get even if you waited a lifetime...!" Laura huffed as she threw open the door. Following Keres's recommendation, I had fled into an abandoned room in the dormitory, and Laura had burst right in without a single shred of hesitation.

"Ramnusia!!! This... shirt...!"

"U-u-uaah...! L-Laura..."

"This is a garment a trash noble like you could never hope to compensate me for! You better wash it perfectly using magic!! Bring it back looking brand new!" Laura grabbed me by the collar, breathing heavily as if she wanted to tear me apart.

"In the first place! Today! I've been feeling strangely unwell since this morning, and I was already annoyed to death! But a piece of trash like Ramnusia dared to...! Dared to!! Not only touch my butt, but ruin this precious, special blouse of mine...!"

"Heh, hehehe, heh, Laura... heh, heh... It's not just that you're feeling 'unwell,' is it?"

Laura's brow furrowed slightly. "What does that..."

"Your pussy hurt, didn't it?"

Laura's eyes widened, and she fell completely silent. Since I had only wanted to see this stupid look on her face, I decided to end the teasing here. I swiftly pulled out the handkerchief I had tucked into my breast pocket and unfurled it right in front of her eyes.

"Ah..." Just as expected, Laura fell victim to the Hypnosis Sigil magic with pathetic ease.

"Phew... First, let's suppress her recent memories..." Since I had wanted to try my new magic on Laura during the entire lunch break, I had already asked Keres for a few favors beforehand. Keres sensibly shutting the door the moment Laura stepped into the room was part of those preparations.

"Now then... shall we try Psychological Domination Magic?" It was a spell cast with the sensation of catching a flying bird with both hands and locking it away, which made 'neutralization' absolutely crucial. How could a human catch a bird that was frantically flapping its wings? It had to at least be a bird resting on a branch for someone to trap it in their hands.

"Phew... If this magic w-works, I'll be able to do wh-whatever I want from now on..." Taking a deep breath, I looked at Laura, moving my hands as I visualized the scene in my mind. Let's trap a pink-feathered bird dozing off on a branch inside my hands. Since this pitiful little chick ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is asleep, there's absolutely no need to rush. Just slowly, very slowly, close my hands around it, and it's done.

"...Laura." I closed my slowly moving hands around the bird. A shimmering aura of mana flared around Laura's body before vanishing—proof that the Psychological Domination Magic had taken hold perfectly.

"Now, the next step." Psychological Domination Magic possessed the power to place the target's psyche entirely within my grasp. Once caught in this spell, their mind would fall completely asleep, and they wouldn't remember a thing. But I wanted more than that. Just having her stand there blankly like a doll was something I could already achieve with the Hypnosis Sigil magic!

"New Order...!" What I 'desired' from the bird trapped in my hands was for it to chirp beautifully. Sometimes I wanted it to flap its wings, or cutely sway its body side to side. The spell New Order possessed the power to make those desires reality.

I felt ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my mana drain away to the point where my legs trembled, but it didn't matter. This heavy feedback, conversely, meant that my New Order had succeeded.

"Hah, haah...! Laura. Answer me. Why did you feel unwell this morning?"

Without so much as twitching an eyebrow, Laura opened her mouth. "There was a small amount of blood on my underwear, and I kept feeling a strange sensation of a foreign object in my genitals. It stung so much that it was difficult to focus during my morning classes."

Her eyes were hollow as she answered in a completely emotionless voice. But in the end, she had given me exactly the answer I wanted. Which meant...

"I-it worked...! It works...! It's a success! It actually worked, ahahaha...!!!" The new magic taught to me by the Armonomicon was so 'perfect' it made me want to scream with joy.