Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Runaway Necklace
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When Lucillea came to a sudden halt, Cookie asked.
[What is it, Lucy?]
*...The Silent Verdure?*
It stood out. No, it was more that its unnaturalness was jarring.
The lone green book among the reddish-brown tomes asserted its presence so strongly that she wondered why she hadn't noticed it sooner.
As if enchanted, Lucillea reached out and pulled the book from the shelf.
*The Silent Verdure: Memories of the Lost Forest*
*The Silent Verdure: Memories of the Lost Forest*
She was perplexed.
This was a shelf for books on the empire's systems and economy, yet here was a book about nature.
Lucillea quickly returned to her seat and carefully turned the first page.
A strange feeling washed over her.
It felt as though she were awakening something that had slumbered for ages.
*Chapter 1, The World Where They Answered.*
*Chapter 1, The World Where They Answered.*
*-In those days, we were not alone.*
*-In those days, we were not alone.*
*-In those days, we were not alone.*
*The trees had names, and the passing wind held warmth.*
*The trees had names, and the passing wind held warmth.*
*We asked them the way, and they answered with the seasons.*
*We asked them the way, and they answered with the seasons.*
*Something resembling water and wind, fire and earth, spoke to us, and we called them ‘Spirits’.*
*Something resembling water and wind, fire and earth, spoke to us, and we called them ‘Spirits’.*
*In a communion that blossomed before words, we lived alongside them.*
*In a communion that blossomed before words, we lived alongside them.*
*Spirits?!*
In that moment, she recalled what Mei had said about a spirit user.
"Long ago, there was a notoriously... no, a very powerful and genius spirit user."
"Long ago, there was a notoriously... no, a very powerful and genius spirit user."
"Long ago, there was a notoriously... no, a very powerful and genius spirit user."
That unfamiliar piece of lore was being mentioned again here.
Lucillea then took out the necklace she had tucked inside her clothes.
The peridot leaf glittered, catching the light from the library's lamps.
"That spirit user decorated their magic wand with this peridot, and for a while after, it was very popular among mages and spirit users."
"That spirit user decorated their magic wand with this peridot, and for a while after, it was very popular among mages and spirit users."
"That spirit user decorated their magic wand with this peridot, and for a while after, it was very popular among mages and spirit users."
Lucillea gazed for a moment at the world tree-shaped pendant on the chain before setting it down.
*I thought it was just a legend, like the bedtime stories my grandmother used to tell.*
So spirit users really existed?!
Seeing it written in an old tome kept in the grand duke's library, it seemed the story wasn't entirely baseless.
*I'm sure there was no mention of spirits or spirit users in the original novel.*
The story primarily focused on the male lead, Serdian, and his aura, and the female lead, Cynthia, and her divine power.
*Mages appeared once in a while, but only in passing.*
Spirits...
Lucillea decided to read a little more of the book.
From Chapter 2 onward, the atmosphere changed drastically from the mystical and peaceful tone of the first chapter.
*Mages with a high affinity for nature became spirit users, and they served as intermediaries between spirits and humans.*
*Mages with a high affinity for nature became spirit users, and they served as intermediaries between spirits and humans.*
*However, their happy companionship did not last long.*
*However, their happy companionship did not last long.*
*The waters dried up, and the trees withered. Glimmering laughter vanished, the wind fell silent, and the earth cracked.*
*The waters dried up, and the trees withered. Glimmering laughter vanished, the wind fell silent, and the earth cracked.*
*The spirits began to slowly disappear.*
*The spirits began to slowly disappear.*
*Then one day.*
*Then one day.*
*The last spirit user met their death.*
*The last spirit user met their death.*
*And so, the spirits vanished completely.*
*And so, the spirits vanished completely.*
So it was written on the final page of the book.
*Once all the spirits disappeared, spirit users could no longer be seen.*
The last spirit user.
Why was she the last? Why did the remaining spirits vanish after that spirit user died?
The book didn't go into detail about the last spirit user's death.
It merely mourned the death.
*Ugh, what an unsatisfying ending...*
She had read it from the beginning because she loved stories about nature and spirits, but the ending left a bad taste in her mouth.
The thought that it was a true story only amplified that feeling.
*Tsk.* Lucillea closed the book with a sense of disappointment.
It was then.
*Vrrrrrr—!*
The necklace suddenly began to vibrate.
*Huh? What's wrong with it?*
[Lucy! The necklace is buzzing!]
*I know. It's vibrating all of a sudden.*
The moment Lucillea looked down at the vibrating necklace.
As if it had been waiting, the necklace shot up into the air.
*Whoosh—!*
The force of it yanked Lucillea forward.
"Gah!"
A startled Lucillea reached for the necklace, but it deftly dodged her grasp, as if toying with her.
Then, it suddenly dropped, striking the top of her head with a loud *thwack!*
"Ow!"
Lucillea stared at the necklace, dumbfounded.
*What the? Did I just get hit by that necklace?*
[L-Lucy! It's coming again!]
*Huh?*
Just as Cookie warned, the necklace rose high again before dropping onto Lucillea's head.
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
"Ouch! Ow! Ugh!"
Lucillea was helpless against the necklace's assault.
The top of her head and her forehead throbbed. Then, a surge of anger flared up inside her.
*Has it lost its mind?!*
Deciding she couldn't just take this, Lucillea endured the blows to her head while waiting for the right moment to strike back.
And finally, *smack—!*
*Got you, you little pest!*
Lucillea barely managed to grab the violently shaking necklace and rubbed her stinging scalp.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
*You! The moment we leave this library, I'm going to melt you down!*
But, as if it had read her mind.
The necklace's vibrations intensified, and it shot into the air again. At the same time, Lucillea's body, which was holding onto it, was lifted up as well.
*Agh!*
[Wow! Lucy! You can fly too?!]
*I'm being dragged, you idiot!*
At that moment.
"Agh!"
Lucillea suddenly let out a short scream.
The necklace had started flying forward, cutting through the air with her dangling from it.
"What—what's happening?!"
[Lucy!]
A startled Cookie fluttered into the air, while Lucillea was helplessly dragged in the direction the necklace was going.
The necklace sped straight through the aisles of bookshelves. Its movements were decisive, as if it already had a destination.
It was moving so fast that Lucillea's hair and the hem of her dress billowed behind her, and books from the shelves they passed rained down.
*The library is going to be a mess!*
Lucillea was less worried about being dragged somewhere by a necklace and more terrified of being kicked out of the grand duke's household.
Lucillea quickly called for Mei.
"Mei!"
*Oh, right. Mei is outside the door!*
Other than the librarian, no one was allowed in this library unless they were chosen by the Elite Corps.
Besides, the door was quite far, so she couldn't hope for Mei's help.
Lucillea looked around frantically, but there wasn't even a shadow of another person.
"Is anyone there?!"
She shouted quite loudly, but no one appeared.
The librarian she had greeted on her way in seemed to be gone as well.
She tried to let go of the necklace. But.
*It won't come off!*
For some reason, her hand gripping the necklace was frozen solid and wouldn't budge.
Just then.
[L-Lucy! The door! Door! Doooooor!]
*What?!*
[We're gonna crash!!]
At Cookie's voice, she looked ahead and saw a massive wooden door rapidly approaching.
*We're going to hit it!*
Lucillea squeezed her eyes shut.
*Craaash—!*
A loud crash erupted as they hit something, and Lucillea's body was sent flying from the impact.
A moment of silence followed.
But something was strange.
She should have collided with that huge door, but she didn't feel any pain.
In fact, it felt... warm.
*Don't tell me I died again...?*
Lucillea slowly opened her tightly shut eyes.
Her vision was still dark, but a sharp voice cut through the silence from above her head.
"Are you insane?"
She looked up at the sound of the voice and saw a familiar face.
Black hair, red eyes.
And an expression that didn't hide his displeasure.
"...Huh? Serdian?"
"..."
Serdian's brow furrowed deeply, and he dropped Lucillea as if tossing her aside.
"Owowow."
Back on the floor, Lucillea grabbed a nearby bookshelf to steady herself.
Her legs were still trembling.
*From the looks of it... I think Serdian saved me...*
Just then, Cookie answered from atop a bookshelf.
[That's right! He flew in like a handsome prince from a storybook, swooped you up in his arms, spun around, and saved you! I saw it! I saw it!]
Cookie mimicked Serdian, twirling in the air.