Chapter 176: Records
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 176: Records
The Ancient Potions Society classroom.
Muen first inquired with the faculty advisor in charge of the clubs, only to learn that there were no spare keys to this room other than the one held by his Senior. He was forced to resort to his LV8 Lockpicking skill once more, picking a lock that was clearly a custom job by his Senior and normally impossible to open.
"I feel like I’m getting way too good at this," Muen muttered to himself with a self-deprecating smile as he pushed the classroom doors open.
There was no breeze; the pale curtains were drawn tight, plunging the entire room into deep shadow. It felt cold, silent, and oppressive.
In the past, whenever Muen opened the doors to the potions classroom, he did so with a sense of anticipation and joy. But this time, as his eyes fell upon the instruments and ancient texts that still seemed to bear the touch of her slender, delicate hands, a sharp pang of grief shot through his chest.
The familiar classroom remained unchanged.
The only thing missing was that "Little Devil" Senior, who would usually be there with her hair pinned up, smiling playfully.
*
Muen stepped into the room. The precision potion-making instruments were still spotless, and the ancient texts on the shelves remained neatly arranged. He walked over to a bookshelf and pulled an ancient volume at random, flipping through the pages with extreme care for fear of damaging it.
Complex ancient scripts crawled across his vision like tadpoles. These profound symbols would likely baffle even a veteran potioneer, let alone a complete novice like Muen, who hadn't even begun to grasp the basics of the subject.
"No good. I can't understand a word of this. If I keep going like this, I'll never find anything."
He looked at the rows of books. "Searching through these one by one would take forever."
However, as Muen’s gaze swept over the neatly stacked volumes, a flash of realization crossed his eyes. Knowing his Senior’s personality, she wouldn't just leave something truly important lying around in the open.
But where would she put it?
She couldn't have kept it on her person, or the Silence Bureau would have found it long ago.
Muen slowly backed away until he reached the classroom door again, scanning the entire room from the entrance. Clubrooms were generally quite large. Even though his Senior had partitioned off a specific area for experiments and storage, the remaining space was still quite vast.
Yet, a classroom was still just a classroom—four walls and a floor. There weren't many places to hide something.
Could it be that it’s not here?
No, from the perspective of both convenience and secrecy, this was undoubtedly the best location.
Then...
Muen paced the room, lost in thought. Without realizing it, he drifted toward the window and pulled back the curtains, pushing the window open.
A breeze and warm sunlight flooded in instantly, dispelling the shadows. The classroom became bright and radiant once more, looking exactly as it did in his memories.
Muen looked out the window. The bare branches swayed in the wind against a backdrop of dusky mountains and a clear blue sky. From this vantage point, one could look past the solemn, imposing buildings of the Academy and see far into the distance.
He remembered that his Senior loved leaning against this window, gazing at the scenery outside.
But what was so special about this view? Didn't such a vast, empty expanse only serve to highlight one's own loneliness?
The more he failed to understand the girl’s heart, the more he felt an overwhelming sense of pity for her.
Muen sighed softly, his hand instinctively resting on the desk where his Senior usually sat, as if trying to feel the lingering warmth of her presence.
Wait.
Where she usually sat?
An idea struck him, and his eyes lit up. He hopped onto the desk and sat down. He wasn't doing it to indulge in some perverted desire to catch a lingering scent; rather, he wanted to scan the room from her perspective.
From this position, the entire classroom was laid bare. He could even see the white wall at the back of the room through the gaps specifically left between the uniquely arranged bookshelves.
The marble-like tiles on that section of the wall looked brand new, emitting a jade-like luster. Yet, every other part of the classroom showed clear signs of age.
Could it be...?
Following his intuition, Muen walked over to the wall. He drew Elizabeth and began tapping the wall inch by inch.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Ting.
"Found it!"
Excitement surged through him. He ran his palm over the tile that had produced the distinct sound. There was no visible mechanism, not even a seam. Even if there were a mechanism, he had no way of opening it; his lockpicking skills were useless against something without a keyhole.
In that case...
"Forgive me, Senior," Muen whispered in his heart. He gripped Elizabeth tightly and let the pure white blade sweep across the wall.
As if cutting through tofu, the wall was sliced open with ease, revealing a hidden compartment behind it.
Muen leaned down to look inside. Potions of various colors were neatly arranged in a square space slightly larger than a safe.
The potions were labeled.
Suppression.
Suppression.
Suppression.
Failure.
Failure.
Failure.
...
Except for the first row, everything was labeled as a failure. Although there were no detailed explanations, Muen could guess what they were failures of.
"So, Senior really has been conducting experiments on this all along."
The Ancient Potions Society likely wasn't just a club for recreating old recipes; it was his Senior’s sanctuary for self-salvation. Though it appeared her efforts hadn't yielded results yet, the fact that she was trying meant she had seen hope somewhere.
Muen’s gaze shifted lower. On the bottom shelf lay an inconspicuous, thin notebook.
At the sight of it, Muen’s breath hitched. This had to be it.
With trembling hands, he picked up the notebook and slowly opened it.
Experimental Records for the Treatment of Snake Transformation Disease.
Those were the opening words. He continued flipping through the pages.
*
Year 1057 of the Life Calendar. First potion experiment after entering St. Maria Academy.
Materials taken from a second-year student, Don Rogerd. To win his girlfriend's favor, he once decorated an entire teaching building with a thousand bouquets of roses.
Experimental Result: Failure.
Note: Don Rogerd abandoned his girlfriend two months later to pursue someone else.
*
Year 1057?
Four years ago?
That meant his Senior had started this way back then. But didn't Snake Transformation Disease usually take one to three years to fully manifest after the first symptoms appeared?
"As I thought, Senior is special. And I have a feeling there’s more to her than just that."
Muen continued reading.
*
Third Potion Experiment.
Materials taken from a first-year junior. She frequently asked me for advice on how to get the boy she liked to notice her. Her eyes were very pure; I thought there was a slight possibility.
Experimental Result: Failure.
Note: The two broke up a year later. The reason was that the girl couldn't stand the boy's smelly feet.
*
Seventh Potion Experiment.
Materials taken from a pair of childhood sweethearts. They grew up together and have been by each other's side for over a decade.
Experimental Result: Failure.
Note: They are still together, but they seem to be drifting apart. Or is it possible that my understanding is flawed?
*
Eleventh Potion Experiment.
This experiment was not successfully carried out.
A graduating senior confessed his feelings to me. I could see the sincerity in his eyes. If I had agreed, I might have obtained the materials I needed.
But I refused.
Oh, Anna, Anna... you are destined to become a freak loathed by all. You have no right to be loved.
...
Note: That senior later started spreading rumors about me, so I gave him a beating.