Chapter 111
Chapter 111
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Scandal's Bookmark (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“It might sound cliché to all of you who've already finished one semester, but what exactly is magic? From ancient times, there have been countless personal opinions, debates, duels, and even wars about it. In the end, though, there's only one thing everyone agrees on. Magic is an act that's extremely close to creation itself.”
Throughout Lehel's pre-meal lecture, Caroline's mind was elsewhere.
It was because of the note delivered to her by the 'contact' who had informed her that he was taking on her protection duty under Michelan's orders.
“The problem is that this creation is originally an act not permitted to humans. There's only one thing we can create, after all. You're all working hard to continue your family lines, right? Please refrain from such acts inside the mana carriage. The soundproofing here isn't great.”
The note contained the church's directive for what Caroline must do upon arriving in Scandal.
Specifically, to uncover the location of one of the empire's four great secret realms, the 'Sacrear Dragon's Nest,' where all the treasures of the world are said to gather.
The record of it had already been lost in modern times, but it meant there were surely clues within Uzet.
“So, this is the important part! You there, no sleeping! Humans pulled magic into the realm of 'thought' and 'calculation.' What was needed in that process? Anyone want to answer?”
“The 'Three Primal Elements.'”
“Yes, well done, Miss Liv. Excellent. In this day and age where magic is commonplace, it might seem like grasping at clouds, a bit philosophical, but originally, magic wasn't something that 'existed' for humans. No one had ever created it before. That's why we took the three things that must inevitably exist in this world as the foundation for the phenomenon called magic. The sky must have wind blowing, so we created wind.”
Why had the church, which sent her to Pharenchia to find the holy relic, ordered her to dig up information on Sacrear?
The clacking of the prayer beads on Lehel's finger rang in her ears.
“So, during this training trip, I hope you all reflect deeply~ on what I just said. It's not just about luxury and indulgence; throwing yourself into a world that no longer exists is a rare experience. It might even... become an opportunity to broaden your own vessel.”
At that moment, Caroline spotted Louis leading Ansen out from the end of the dining car.
'What? Do they know each other?'
She wanted to follow their suspicious behavior, but with no one else standing up, it would be too conspicuous for the saintess to go alone.
Besides, she couldn't predict what troublesome revelation might come down if she made contact with Louis again.
“Now, next, I'll explain the guidelines for behavior when the mana carriage starts passing through Scandal city. Everyone have your bookmarks? First, after a relaxing bath, lie down in bed and...”
In the end, she had to listen to the chairman's talk all the way through, with cooling roast beef right in front of her.
While picking out only the vegetables to avoid unnecessary fat on certain areas.
“Really? You're the church's contact?”
“Yes, more precisely, it's like I'm the 'original me.' My family has deep ties to the temple.”
“Then what you just passed to Caroline was?”
“The directive given to her.”
The story I heard from Ansen piqued my interest quite a bit.
He didn't seem to know the details of Caroline's purpose or abilities since he was just a simple contact, but he knew the contents of the letter.
Sacrear Dragon's Nest, huh.
“What if she fails?”
“Well... from the rumors in the church, her position seems pretty precarious. Since she's the saintess, they'll probably overlook it once or twice. But as someone from the Bloodletter Knights, she knows what happens if failures pile up.”
“...”
“You're not surprised?”
Ansen glanced briefly toward the dining car beyond and asked.
“Did you already know?”
“Her identity? I had a rough guess.”
“No, not that...”
Was it the doppelganger's razor-sharp intuition, sensitive to anything survival-related?
Or was it because he'd directly experienced my cold-to-the-point-of-cruel side through his own existence?
He mustered his courage without quite meeting my eyes.
“Lady Caroline... I mean, the saintess doesn't seem like much of a threat to you.”
“...”
Just as he said.
I'd never considered Caroline Magdalena a threat worth more than necessary caution.
If I had deemed her dangerous, I would have taken appropriate measures.
Like with Ansen, who threatened Adella twice and even dragged me into his blackmail.
I debated lighting a cigarette, then changed my mind.
“Do you know the criteria for selecting a saintess?”
“Huh? Isn't it someone with a lot of divine power or who acts in accordance with the goddess's will of goodness?”
The first was wrong, the second right.
“If Lady Caroline is from the Bloodletter Knights, she could never be saintess material. There must be some secret...”
“There isn't.”
And the standard of 'goodness' must never be judged by human measures.
I dismissed his speculation—there was no need to explain—and pushed off the wall.
“Report to me if anything else comes up.”
And returned to the dining car.
But—
“What? Where's my food?”
“Over there.”
The half-eaten food and dishes had all been cleared away.
Following Mark's pointing finger in my bewilderment, I saw Lehel eating alone, greeting me.
Thanks to her continuing her nagging lecture even during mealtime, no one had joined her table.
On the seat opposite her sat the platter I'd been eating from.
“Boss~! Come on over!”
“You want to eat with me?”
“Yes, sit here. Did you hear everything I said earlier?”
I hadn't paid close attention, having talked with Ansen midway.
Something about the existence of magic?
When I'd told her Earth had no magic, Terra had said something similar.
She'd suggested maybe we use magic simply because we believe it exists.
“Yeah, well... more importantly, Chairman.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you personally leading this training trip?”
“Oh, that?”
Until now, Lehel hadn't exactly shown much professional ethics as Pharenchia Academy's chairman.
Her daily routine was just watching Monster King Tournament reruns and gambling.
When I asked why she was suddenly boarding the mana carriage to lead the students myself, Lehel puffed out her chest proudly.
“To gamble!”
“What?”
“Uzet has a casino! A massive one for a thousand people! Imagine, all the empire's gold in your hands... Eek! D-don't cut! Listen to me!!”
When I brought the knife I'd been cutting meat with to her wrist, she freaked out and threw herself onto the table.
The tablecloth shifted, sending dishes crashing, but the noisy dining car didn't draw much attention.
“Y-you can't take the winnings out anyway! It's just virtual fun, a midsummer night's dream!”
“All lame excuses. Don't you know virtual stuff is more dangerous? No bottom to it. I'll reattach it in a week, so let's just cut.”
“Eeeek! B-but! Buuuut...!”
Sauce, wine, and meat grease made her hand slippery.
As I debated just detaching her wrist entirely, I noticed her hand trembling.
Come to think of it, had she gone without gambling the whole break?
“Can't hold back again?”
“Y-yes...”
I pondered for a moment.
Wasn't it impressive she'd reported diligently?
And even though she didn't know I'd come along, she'd volunteered as escort, probably planning to indulge.
Commendable, yet a bit ridiculous.
Pretty ambiguous.
“How'd you know about the casino there?”
“Well... I've been there before.”
“You mean before the empire fell?”
“I-I can't say!”
Lehel slumped over the filthy table, hat pulled low.
Rubbing her still-captured white hand, it was slick with mixed fluids.
Interlacing fingers transferred her warm body heat.
I didn't know her exact age, but to me, she was just a flighty woman.
“B-boss... your hand, please...”
“Go.”
“Huh?”
“Go satisfy it. But don't come crying to me if you lose it all like last time.”
“Really!? Th-then wanna come with me, boss?”
Her grip tightened.
But I had no interest, and with Erzebet here, no leisure for gambling.
“I'm good. Might as well win some while you're at it. If you rake it in, share with me.”
“H-ha...! Yeah, our assets are joint... anyway. I'll come find you at your place later! Loaded!!”
I nodded reluctantly to her, sauce on her nose, eyes sparkling.
Looks like no Lehel for a week.
After the meal, students headed to their rooms one by one.
I went with Erzebet to the front of the mana carriage.
Lying on the wooden floor, I pulled out the necklace she'd given me. The magic stone embedded in one corner of the brass triangle was shattered.
Because I'd lied in answering Caroline's question in the smoking room.
'Two more times.'
Mouthing an unlit cigarette, I pictured the saintess's bewildered face, thrown into fate's whirlpool.
Since falling into this world, my two most hated words were 'fate' and 'uncle.'
She probably wouldn't understand.
Why she'd been elevated to saintess.
The goddess always embraced and loved the saintess, while finding heroes distasteful.
Even at humanity's moment of extinction's brink, she hadn't summoned a hero.
Only after finding the imperial secretary, forcibly summoning and binding the soul, and offering sacrifice to the Ruby Shrine did she reluctantly give revelation.
Pointing light north to the demon king's castle—save humanity.
One of the hero's three power sources, that oracle—I still kept it.
Clunk, clunk—
The interior lights went out, the mana carriage shook, and Erzebet's breathing from beyond the door filled the chilly room.
As worry for Adella, probably crying at the academy even now, crept in, I sensed something off.
Clunk, clunk...
Was the mana carriage always this slow?
It was supposed to run at supersonic speeds, smashing anything in front, but now it was truly train-like.
As I cautiously tried to rise, Erzebet's voice reached my ear.
—I left food here, so eat properly. Got it?
—No pranks. Oh, Louis is fine to ask. Just not too much to hurt him.
“Princess?”
I knocked, and she, in pajamas, rubbed her eyes and drew the curtain.
“Louis? Not asleep? What are you doing?”
“Something weird. Why's the speed dropped so much?”
“Huh? Didn't you hear in the dining car?”
“Explanation?”
I'd missed most of Lehel's words talking to Ansen.
Erzebet panicked, then opened the door and patted me down.
“Bookmark! Where's the bookmark from departure!?”
“That? Probably with my luggage...”
“Oh my god! I told you to keep it on you! Hurry and get it!”
“What's going on? Aren't we going to Scandal?”
She looked out the window and yelped in shock.
“We're already in Scandal!!”
“What?”
“Uzet city no longer exists in reality. Only a week's record found by an adventurer in a burned history book remains!”
“Then how do we go there?”
“Sleep while the mana carriage passes through Scandal. Then this place becomes a book, and we're the bookmarks inside it.”
One week a year, the city of Scandal.
The empire's magic bound to that specific moment in time and space.
I realized why Mark had stopped me from breaking Boris's leg.
Why Lehel called Scandal a waypoint.
“It wasn't something happening in reality from the start.”
“Now you get it—go sleep! If we pass Scandal like this, only we'll miss Uzet!”
“Can't sleep...”
“You burn...! Right! Sleep magic!”
Erzebet hastily pulled out her wand and cast sleep magic on me.
But my mind only felt slight fatigue, no loss of consciousness.
“Wh-why!?”
“I have good magic resistance. Insomnia too—even if someone touches me while sleeping, I wake right up...”
“I didn't ask!”
As she bit her nails in worry, the mana carriage slowly turned.
Then, resolute, Erzebet grabbed my hand and pulled me to her bed.
“G-get in and lie down...!”
“For real?”
“No time—hurry!”
Softness on a whole other level from the sofa in my canteen's second floor.
And a warm spot in the middle, from her recent occupant.
Erzebet lay beside me shyly, voice clear even in the dark room.
“Ugh, move over a bit.”
“It's a single bed—narrow.”
“Your hand's touching...! Put it on your belly!”
“What about lying sideways?”
“If you can sleep like that, go ahead... Why lie facing me!?”
“You asked for protection. How if you turn away?”
She fidgeted, then flipped over abruptly, mumbling tiny as an ant.
“...Do what you want.”
Curled like shrimp, we tried to sleep.
Her hair's scent tickled my nose, unlike the soft blanket.
If I really couldn't sleep, it'd be big trouble as she said, but strangely, consciousness faded bit by bit.
Unconsciously reaching out, grasping strands of golden hair and the glowing bookmark, I fell asleep.