Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Magic Confrontation (4)
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Pharenchia Academy's most heavily guarded location wasn't the girls' dormitory or the Chairman's office—it was the library.
Having learned from the Great War when the royal library burned down, the place housing tens of thousands of books was protected by special magic.
Specifically, it was linked through magic to the capital's rebuilt library and all its materials.
The two libraries, existing in different spaces at the same time, held equal status, so even if a book vanished from one, its copy could be preserved in the other.
Conversely, if an unauthorized person tried to steal a book, the same applied. If theft occurred in either Thessalon or Pharenchia, alarms would go off at the seven magic towers managing ancient texts.
The reason for such stringent management of the library was that the books inside weren't mere scraps of paper.
There were magic tomes detailing forbidden spells, the few remaining scrolls holding lost ancient magic, and even classified documents not even royalty could casually open.
In a library even professors used, the range of books students could access was extremely limited.
After applying for a book loan, Erzebet followed the librarian's guidance into a cramped room less than a square yard in size.
Closing her eyes and waiting, the entire room floated up gently, and one wall slid open to reveal the book she had requested.
Even a simple blueprint warranted a high rating because knowing the academy's exact internal structure posed a terrorism risk.
A pentagonal bird's-eye view from above. The canteen was positioned right in the center.
Unable to find anything special from that alone, Erzebet put the book back, then grabbed the doorknob to leave the room.
Clunk!
"Huh?"
But the space beyond the door was completely different from before.
It wasn't the library interior anymore—it looked like a single room in an inn.
"Come on in, Princess."
And sitting there ahead of her was Lehel, with an irritated expression.
"Looks like you and I have some talking to do."
In Penheim, a grand duke's position was absolute. Founding one's own magic path meant establishing a world on one's own terms.
For Erzebet, who hadn't even gone through royal succession yet, the Reincarnation Duke's visit was a painful blunder.
"Why did you poke at Louis's mood?"
"That's..."
"Testing the waters since you were there?"
"...Yes."
How had things spiraled like this? Erzebet belatedly realized the incident had expanded beyond her expectations.
Politics was about setting down one apple in your hands to grab a bigger gain.
In this situation, it was like she'd lost her wrist without even knowing what she was grasping for.
And the result she'd gained instead seemed to fit her goal at first glance, yet was utterly trivial.
Terra Ernisten said to use the canteen. Her father said to be wary of it. The canteen owner told her to get out of his house. So she'd tried to take the canteen.
But—
"The important thing... wasn't the canteen after all."
The Chairman's words had confirmed it. The layout blueprint Erzebet saw had the causality backward.
It wasn't that the center of the academy was important. The academy was important because of him.
"Then... who exactly is the canteen owner?"
"Ask him yourself if you want to know."
"He wouldn't tell me."
"Then find out on your own. Just don't mess with the canteen like this time."
"..."
Watching Erzebet, who knew she'd erred but still yearned to know, Lehel fell into thought.
The value of magic came from pursuing mysteries.
It was a fine mindset for a mage, but too naive for politics.
And as a leader—
'The kingdom isn't ready for war.'
If Louis's existence were revealed to the world again, it wouldn't be the "small war" close to a cold war—it would spark a real war with the Holy Kingdom.
Lehel didn't want to wake next time to find Penheim turned into Helzev like that, whether from war or Louis running amok.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes..."
Thus, the one thing Lehel could tell Erzebet was just this.
At least with this, Erzebet wouldn't rile Louis further—a somewhat casual hope.
"Louis, you see... is your fiancé."
"Pardon...?"
"Piy—?"
Erzebet, who had kept her head bowed, lifted her gaze to Lehel.
Her head tilted slightly. Her expression showed confusion from information too incomprehensible for her brain.
"Ah, to be precise, your ex-fiancé. When I was at the palace, I heard King Baor promised to marry you off to Louis. Something about it being the national custom."
"N-No. Wait...! What do you mean...!"
"It's fuzzy since it was so long ago, but you were six then? The guy who brought it up got slapped for being a punk and carted off with a broken neck?"
Startled, Piy flapped its wings, tousling Erzebet's golden hair every which way. Regardless, she gaped, doubting her own ears.
"It's true. Want a mana oath? Should I swear on it? In the name of the Reincarnation Duke, everything I just said is without a shred of falsehood..."
"N-No, no, don't! Please!! Then it would really be true!"
Erzebet, who had moments ago clung to pursuing truth, now turned her eyes away from it.
Lehel clicked her tongue and opened the door again.
"Anyway, Princess, have a good night. Don't forget my warning."
Truth was cruel by nature.
If Erzebet wanted to know about Louis, she needed to know the truth he harbored too.
Of course, Lehel had no desire to delve into what happened in Helzev's heart maze, which even she found tiresome.
Clunk!
"..."
"Piy—."
"Quiet, Piy. Keep your beak shut."
"Pi..."
With the door closing, Erzebet returned to her original spot.
'Fiancé...?'
The words from the Chairman lingered in her mind, leaving her frozen in place for a long while.
Pharenchia Academy's Bayu Pavilion was renowned even within Penheim Kingdom for its elegant, antique design.
Atop a gentle hill in the spot with the best view, the building housed fine dining venues, the Great Hall for academy-hosted balls, and even lodging and hot springs.
Among them, the third-floor cafeteria featuring the capital's most famous Gourmond Confectionery required special reservations even for academy members.
At 6 p.m., the golden hour offering a glimpse of Pharenchia's sunset vista.
The premium loge seat on the terrace with the absolute best view of the sunset.
Beneath that lavish splendor—costing over 8 gold just to reserve, half the price of a suburban apartment—Hafen Zahar, the second son of the Cloud Viscount, greeted the Luhillen Viscount who had invited him.
"Sorry I'm late, Lord Cloud."
"V-Viscount..."
"What is it."
"Are you alright? Was it some kind of ambush...?"
Hafen had to ask cautiously.
Because the Luhillen Viscount looked a total mess, like she'd tumbled around inside a carriage.
Looking closer, her cheeks were puffed up like they'd been pinched, with small tears welling in her eyes.
"It's nothing... Ahem! Just ran into someone leaving the mansion, got a bit of a scolding."
"A scolding...?"
Who in Penheim, the richest woman in the kingdom, could scold her?
He'd heard the previous head of Luhillen—Darling Tokarev's parents—had passed seven years ago.
First, he bowed his head in courtesy.
"To think Pharenchia's lord would welcome me so warmly—I'll cherish this as my house's honor."
"Warm welcome. I only ever drink tea from this seat. Don't mind it."
Indeed, a house like Luhillen treated such extravagance casually.
Who could have foreseen that Luhillen house, a mere frontier lord until the Great War ended, would rise this high?
They were both viscounts, but their foundations were hardly comparable.
As the two sat, dessert trays and herbal teas were carefully placed before them.
Darling, holding a steaming teacup, broached the topic first.
"The canteen's rights are out for this confrontation."
"..."
"... Ahem!"
"A-Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Without deferring graduation, this was my last year anyway. Such a shame."
Her gaze lingered briefly on the Officier 4th Class medal pinned to his chest.
Luhillen house hadn't earned notable military honors. Their magical achievements were slightly above average, but never representative of a year.
Thus, Darling had early on devised a way to solidify her position in the academy.
Winning over other nobles, especially houses merited in the Great War.
"Still, I'll keep my promise to you. For the next two years, all fur from Cloud Viscountcy will trade through Pharenchia. We'll handle transport too."
"You don't have to go that far when we got nothing..."
"It's fine. If you win, demand whatever—magic tomes from the library or other plots."
"...Thank you."
Hafen bowed deeply. Business done, but with a question burning, he hesitated before speaking.
"Um, Lady Luhillen. May I ask one thing?"
"As long as it's not empty talk of marriage proposals."
A warning that he was reaching above his station, but Hafen wasn't so foolish as to ignore his place. He was purely curious.
"Why do you want the canteen's ownership so badly? Sure, it's the most advantageous spot in the academy, but with Bayu Pavilion included, doesn't Luhillen house already control most rights on the grounds?"
"Hm..."
Darling gazed at the sunset, then stepped down from the footrest under her chair.
Her twisted cheek still stung from before coming here.
"How many do you think have sat in this seat so far?"
"Not that many, I imagine."
"Right. But almost none look at this view and don't crave returning."
Hafen agreed fervently.
Space carries class. People's worth may be equal, but the gold standard isn't.
To him, distant from power or capital despite handling sword and magic decently, this petite magnate before him felt like a being above the heavens.
"What I want isn't the canteen."
Yet that law didn't apply to everyone.
Darling recalled the one man who, to this day, hadn't wavered even with her most cherished view at his feet.
"Least of all the academy's center."
The amount he'd demanded to sell back his plot in the past: a whopping 48,000 gold.
Nearly five years' revenue for Pharenchia territory, exactly half of Darling's assets—including royal notes—managing Luhillen house's entire fortune.
He'd scoffed at the price and left.
Without looking back, casually saying to drop by for bread sometimes.
And never climbed up here again.
"What Luhillen wants is just one thing."
Money couldn't, nor could the debt of heart from tolerating her arrogance keep him by her side.
"The one thing we haven't obtained yet."
But she would never give up.