The Invincible Little Lady: Volume 6 E-Book

Chatsufusa

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: The Invincible Little Lady
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 351

Beschreibung

Despite uncovering the truth of a long-forgotten legend and exploring a distant ancient ruin, Mary still hasn’t found a topic for her research project! However, she was left with one lead to pursue—according to her archeologist acquaintance, an ancient elven town known as Kairomea may have a solution. The town is said to be a repository for all manner of primeval knowledge, for its inhabitants maintain a massive library known as the Grand Archival Tower, where they study and preserve a trove of aged documents; surely, Mary believes, she could find magic to suppress her powers there, of all places! But the depths of the world’s knowledge aren’t the only mystery in Kairomea, and Mary and her friends aren’t the only ones seeking answers to questions that can alter life as they know it... Can Mary piece together the truth behind the town’s enigmas before its dormant magic falls into the wrong hands? Or will her academic career (and the library town itself) meet an untimely end?

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Chapter 1: Academy Arc—The Grand Archival Tower Incident Part 1

Chapter 2: Academy Arc—The Grand Archival Tower Incident Part 2

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Table of Contents

Color Illustrations

Chapter 1: Academy Arc—The Grand Archival Tower Incident Part 1

1. Finally, a Long Trip

“Finally, a long trip. I’m looking forward to it,” I said, gazing out the carriage window with hope brimming in my chest.

I was currently in my carriage and headed for the Karshana domain. Myself, Tutte, Magiluka, and the prince were on board, and Safina and Sacher were already waiting for us in the Ancient Forest.

I’d recently heard that Safina was helping out with her house to gain more experience, but I never would’ve expected Sacher to be with her— Nah, actually, it wouldn’t have surprised me to see him happily tagging along once he’d heard she was going to be training. Perhaps it was nothing for me to be surprised about.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Magiluka said. “We went to the Relirex Kingdom last year, but we got wrapped up in all sorts of things, and you couldn’t leisurely tour the place.”

“Right,” I replied. “I don’t want to be involved in any more messes.”

I felt a touch melancholic as I remembered the sad incident that’d caused my odd nickname of “Argent Holy Woman” to spread far and wide throughout the kingdom. But I managed to quickly switch gears and think about our goal for this outing.

“I didn’t expect Mr. Falgar to be so famous,” I remarked.

A few days prior, I’d been to a hot spring—ahem, an ancient ruin—and I’d met a pervert—I mean, a beefy archaeologist.

“It seems he’s been traveling around the world in search of all manner of ruins, relics, and precious items,” Magiluka explained. “He’s apparently famous among both archaeologists and adventurers. I hadn’t studied much about the field.”

We’d only learned about Mr. Falgar’s fame when the prince had told us at a later date. I had thought that he was no average guy, but I hadn’t realized he was all that amazing, and I felt like we’d treated him rather rudely. Still, considering all those times we’d been in danger of seeing some...sensitive parts, I figured we and he could call it even.

Now then, why did I bring him up, you ask? Because he’s related to our trip, of course. As we’d parted ways with Mr. Falgar, he’d recommended we visit a certain place called Kairomea. Since ancient times, it’d served as a trove of learning, responsible for collecting, managing, researching, and decoding old scripts, books, stone tablets, and the like. A very educational town indeed. One theory suggested that the town was responsible for informing the world about the existence of eighth-order spells.

The reason we’d decided to visit such a superb place was to find a topic for my report; it almost brought tears to my eyes when I realized how unfitting my motives were. It’s my fault that I asked Mr. Falgar for a recommendation—I guess a world-renowned archaeologist can only recommend the cream of the crop.

Still, you may wonder, was my embarrassing lack of a report topic the only reason we were making this trip? Well, besides taking care of my report problem, I also had hopes of completing that you-know-what objective I’d always been wanting deep down. And, well, Magiluka had been dying to visit the town too. I do wonder why Magiluka mumbled, “I see... This is also fate...” when Mr. Falgar recommended this place?

“Since Kairomea is deep within the Ancient Forest and is apparently ruled by elves with whom we have no serious trade relations, our kingdom lacks substantial information about the place,” the prince explained. “This seems like a great opportunity to broaden my horizons.”

“I didn’t expect Mr. Falgar’s letter for the guide he had ties to to be addressed to Shelly,” I said with a dry laugh, stopping my train of thought. “I was so surprised. It’s a small world, really.”

Shelly was the elf magus smith responsible for the prince’s gender flip incident. And, well, we were familiar with her thanks to all the fuss that caused.

“I suppose the only issue is if nomadic Miss Shelly is still in that village,” Magiluka wondered.

“Well, since Safina and Sacher are already there, we can only pray that they’re keeping her tied down,” I replied. “Worst case, even if she’s gone, I’m sure we can ask others.”

“Quite right. Unlike back then, I’m sure it’s possible now. Hee hee, it’s at the behest of the Argent Holy Woman, after all,” Magiluka said teasingly.

“Awww, that again? Hmph! Don’t be a meanie.”

Magiluka giggled mischievously, so I knew that she was half joking, but I couldn’t resist puffing up my cheeks and pouting. The prince watched us banter with a troubled smile while Tutte gazed at us warmly.

2. The Grand Archival Tower of Kairomea

Deep within the vast Ancient Forest, where the foliage was so dense that it was difficult to see more than a few meters in any direction, was a massive lake that looked strikingly out of place, as if a hole had been gouged out of the thick vegetation and filled with water—and above this lake was the floating island town known as Kairomea, a settlement that had been sewn into the fabric of history long before humankind had even been a bobbin on the loom.

The buildings atop its levitating foundation had all been stone-built, and the largest among these was a mountainous tower taking up half of the total landmass—although this tower wasn’t tall enough to pierce the sky, it was nonetheless awe-inspiringly colossal. The tower’s majestic interior comprised a central atrium, whose impressively high ceiling stretched to the tower’s apex, with surrounding floor space separated into rooms. Countless documents were archived in this grand library tower; fittingly enough, the structure had been named the Grand Archival Tower by Kairomea’s residents.

Kairomea’s remaining land unoccupied by the tower was used for such purposes as a residential area, a town square, a shopping district, farmland, and other necessities that enabled its inhabitants to thrive.

Thanks to the town’s unique location levitating above a lake, its only connection to the outside world was through a single large bridge. The bridge safeguarded the town proper with its massive gates and a wall, and the town used it to carefully restrict which outsiders were allowed to visit. It was via this bridge that Kairomea conducted a bare minimum amount of trade exclusively with nearby elf villages—residents rarely ventured outside the Ancient Forest to interact with others, so, overall, the town was almost completely isolated from the outside world.

The residents of Kairomea were mostly elves, but their appearances were a bit different from the other elves living in the forest, as they had dark skin, white hair, and scarlet eyes. They resembled a species known as dark elves, yet Kairomeans were far more powerful than dark elves from outside the town—one notable difference lay in Kairomeans having shorter life spans, however.

It was unclear if Kairomeans were truly related to the dark elves. Why did they have a shorter life span? Was it because of their species, or were there environmental factors at play? The truth was still unknown.

As the sun started to reach its peak, Kairomean scholars were diligently trying to decode a collection of books within the great hall of the tower. Among them was a young lady sitting on a ladder in front of a bookcase, earnestly poring over a book.

She had long white hair, and she wore an adorable beret and an elegant white cape. This cape signified that she was a librarian of the Grand Archival Tower, and hers in particular implied that she had the highest rank of chief librarian. She had a bit of a childish charm to her appearance, as she looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old by human standards—an elf’s age naturally wouldn’t correspond to such an evaluation, but it was clear that she wasn’t a fully matured adult yet.

A woman approached this young lady with a weary look. “Sita, you’re reading in the middle of cleaning up the books again.”

“Ah, sis—I mean, Rachel,” Sita said while hastily closing the book she’d just been nose-deep in. “I-I just wanted to confirm a few things, is all. I’m not slacking off or anything.”

The woman called Rachel was a head taller than the petite Sita, and she looked to be a mature lady. In contrast to her bewitchingly womanly appearance, her long white ponytail swayed much like an animal wagging its tail, lending her a touch of girlish adorableness. She was also wearing a librarian’s cape like Sita, indicating she was in the same line of work—in fact, Rachel was in charge of assisting the chief librarian’s duties and guarding her.

“Hmm...” Rachel smiled impishly, clearly seeing through the young lady’s lies. “I noticed you started to read an hour ago, so I wonder if you’ve finished your checks...”

“Urgh...” Sita said, her eyes wandering. “W-Well...”

Rachel skipped the usual formalities when she spoke with the chief librarian. This was at Sita’s request, and it was thanks to the two’s background. Sita had lost her parents in an accident when she was young, and Rachel, her relative, had taken her in. To Sita, Rachel was a sisterly figure, and she didn’t want their relationship to grow distant because of their jobs, so Sita selfishly requested that Rachel continue to talk to her like they were at home.

If Sita could’ve been allowed to be especially greedy, she would’ve wanted to call Rachel “sister” during work hours, but Rachel had rejected that as bringing personal matters into work. And so, Sita reluctantly called her sister by her name.

“Heh,” Rachel chuckled. “So, what book have you been so passionately reading?”

“Oh, it’s called The Golden Princess and the Hydra,” Sita replied. “Shelly gifted it to me.”

“Ah, that book’s been a hot topic since last year. But why read it now?”

“Falgar gave me a letter mentioning the Argent Holy Woman, so I was tempted to reread it.”

“The Argent Holy Woman, huh...? So she really does exist.”

“And according to his letter, she’s coming to visit Kairomea! Ah... I wonder what kind of lady she is. I’d love to have even a glimpse of her!”

Sita excitedly showed Rachel the book before clutching it close to her chest and letting out an enchanted sigh. The chief librarian looked like a little girl indulging in her fantasies.

“All right, all right,” Rachel scolded. “Then you should work hard every day, living up to your title as chief librarian so that you don’t embarrass yourself. Come on, don’t just sit around and read. Work! Work!”

“Okay...” Like a little sister, Sita slumped her shoulders and returned the book to its place.

“Ah, by the way, is today’s unlocking in the same place?” Once she finished cleaning, she approached her older sister.

“Yep,” Rachel replied, already headed for her destination. “There are a lot of ancient texts stored in the basement archives, so many people are waiting for it to be unlocked. Good luck, Sita.”

“Ugh... I-I’ll do my best.” Sita followed close behind.

Because the Grand Archival Tower had stood for many years, numerous important books were stored there. To prevent theft and to maintain the state of the books, a few of the tower’s rooms were locked, and it was the role of the chief librarian to unlock the doors. The key used for this purpose was a legendary-class magic item and had a unique property: only the chief librarian—or, more accurately, only Sita and her ancestors—were able to use it. This was the main reason she was chosen as the chief librarian despite her young age.

“Why, if it isn’t Rachel and Sita,” a middle-aged man said in a kind tone as Sita was deep in thought.

“Ah, Pastor Thomas,” Sita replied with a smile, halting her thoughts. “Hello.”

The man who stood in front of her wasn’t an elf, but a human. In fact, this pastor hadn’t come from Kairomea, but rather the Einholst Papacy. He’d arrived in Kairomea twenty years ago to gift the town with an extremely precious book, then he’d decided to stay to propagate his religion. Ever since, he volunteered to listen to the woes of outsiders and serve as a mediator. After he handled troublesome tasks for many years, his earnest actions had won him the trust of the residents. Sita had only been able to hear stories about the outside world and gain interest in it thanks to him, and she was grateful that he’d given her the opportunity to meet Falgar and Shelly.

“And where are you two ladies headed?” Thomas asked.

“To the basement archives,” Sita replied. “I’m challenging myself to open the ones that I haven’t been able to yet.”

“Ah, that’s wonderful to hear,” a man boorishly interjected, causing Rachel to glare at him with disdain. “If possible, I’d like you to quickly open them all up. I’ve been waiting for many years, and it’s been quite a nuisance.”

Hiding behind the pastor was a rotund middle-aged man with a mocking grin plastered on his face. He gazed at the young chief librarian.

“Gillan, you’re being unfair,” the pastor admonished. “Sita has been doing her best every day despite having nothing to guide her.”

Gillan looked away with displeasure and closed his mouth. Sita felt a bit down, thinking that he had a point, but she knew that some people, like the pastor, appreciated her efforts and would jump in to defend her. She didn’t blame herself too much. And so...

“I’ll do my best!” Sita said optimistically. She was undaunted by Gillan’s sarcastic remarks. “Wait just a bit longer, okay?”

“S-Sure,” Gillan nodded and replied awkwardly, intimidated by her sunny disposition.

With the pastor and Gillan in tow, Sita made her way through the Grand Archival Tower and descended its spiral staircase. The basement archives had especially precious documents, and to prevent theft, only certain individuals were allowed inside. No one had any complaints with Thomas entering because he had built up so much trust over the years. Some may have disapproved of Gillan’s presence, since he would cause trouble at times, but he had been a peddler selling quality products for many years now. People may have been dissatisfied with his personality, but it behooved them not to be too vocal about it.

The quiet tower became deathly silent as the group arrived at the basement archives. Encouraged by Rachel, Sita stood in front of a set of large, three-meter-tall double doors. She reached into the pochette around her waist and took out a key about ten centimeters long, the tip of which sported a complex design—upon closer inspection, one could see that the key could change shape. In fact, this single key could allow Sita to open every door in the tower.

However, this was a key that changed shape on command—even if she could use it to access one room, the same shape wouldn’t necessarily allow her to unlock a separate door. The key could shift into tens of thousands of patterns, and when unlocking a door, Sita had to test out every combination without so much as a hint. Naturally, this meant she didn’t know how to open all the doors in the archives.

To the right of the double doors was a metallic, circular column that stood about seventy centimeters tall. She stuck her key inside the upper area of this pillar.

“Hmm... It’s not this shape,” Sita mumbled. “I thought I had it, but I guess I was wrong. Hrmmm... I wonder what shape it is?”

She felt the key stop midway and wasn’t able to insert it all the way through. While cocking her head to the side, she removed the key and stared at it pensively. It started to faintly glow, and the tip of the key changed shape in accordance with Sita’s magic and visualization.

“Good grief, this again?” Gillan grumbled in annoyance. “Did your predecessors not make any documents or reference sheets for their descendants?”

“I’ve considered that possibility, but I never had the opportunity to consult my father about such a thing. I’ve searched all over, and I’ve never found any guides or lists of configurations,” Sita said, not at all deterred by the man’s tone. She was deep in thought. “Besides, there aren’t enough documents about Kairomea. There’s especially nothing about how this place was built. Everyone here should know the importance of documenting the process, yet no one, not a single soul, knows how this key and these doors were created.”

“Sita, stop with the complaints for now and focus,” Rachel said.

“All right. Then how about I try this shape, which I haven’t thought much about before? Hiyah!”

As Sita chattered away, she dug up the image of a key that she had in the corner of her mind. It was a fragment from her childhood memories, but it was so foggy that she wasn’t sure if it was a part of reality.

“Ah. It went in!” she gasped.

Luckily, this door she had struggled to unlock for numerous days had been opened by a random memory she had. The key sank into the hole, and she turned it until she was greeted by a loud clack. Once Sita removed the key, the circular pillar emitted a ray of light that traveled across the floor and up the doors; with another loud clack that signaled that the lock had been undone, the massive doors slowly started to groan and open wide. Sita was completely stunned as she gazed at the scene, shocked by how surprisingly easy it was.

“I-I did it!” she squealed. “It opened! It’s open! Look! Look, Rachel!”

“Okay, okay,” Rachel said, calming her sister down. “Don’t be so excited. Sita, do you remember the shape of the key?”

“Huh? Wait! Ack! I’m about to forget! I need to write it down! Pen and paper, please!”

Once Sita removed the key, it had reverted to its default shape, completely different from the form used to unlock the doors. Sita had been overjoyed by the unexpected result, but thanks to Rachel, the young chief librarian soon realized that she hadn’t been thinking too deeply about the shape. The image she’d retained in her memories was quickly fading away, so she hastily stuck out a hand and waved it about, hoping to jot down the key shape on a piece of paper. Rachel gave a weary sigh as she handed Sita a paper and pen before heading inside the archives.

As the pastor saw Rachel leave, he glanced at Sita, who was curled up on the floor while gliding her pen across the paper with furrowed brows.

“Are you not entering, Sita?” Pastor Thomas inquired.

“Sorry, can you not talk to me right now?” Sita replied. “My mental image is fading away!”

“Pastor Thomas, since we’ve got the opportunity, why don’t we go inside?” Gillan said with an unrefined chuckle. “We might come across something valuable.” He didn’t wait for a response as he quickly headed inside.

“Gillan never learns,” Sita said as she finished writing. She gave a look of exhaustion as she gazed at the doors. “Only certain individuals are allowed inside the archives, so I’m sure he’ll be chased out by Rachel.”

“Indeed...” the pastor replied.

The two continued to stare and waited for the ill-tempered man to be chased out, but there were no signs of such a thing occurring.

“Huh? I wonder what happened...” Sita muttered quizzically.

She entered the archives with the pastor. They soon found Rachel deep inside, standing in place, while Gillan was staring beside her. The pair were facing away from Sita and had failed to notice her entrance.

“What’s wrong, you two?” Sita asked.

She popped up behind Rachel’s back to take a peek at what they were staring at. What greeted her was a storage box containing a single book. It was easy to tell at a glance that this was no normal book—it was enveloped in copious amounts of magical energy. It resembled a grimoire, but Sita intuited that this mysterious book was something even greater.

“I knew it...” Rachel murmured. Her voice contained a tone of shock and elation. “It was here...”

“Rachel?” Sita asked in confusion.

“The Book of Orthoaguina...”

As Rachel mumbled to herself, even Sita couldn’t hide her astonishment. “You mean that legendary book? The only item the founder of Kairomea left behind?” Sita whispered. “I didn’t know that it actually existed.”

“Wonderful!” Gillan’s booming voice echoed throughout the room. “If that’s real, it’s an incredibly expensive item!”

“Ack, Gillan!” Rachel cried, snapping back to her senses. A bit too late, she proceeded to shoo him away. “Only certain individuals are allowed in here!”

Sita was left behind as she returned her attention to the book. “The book that was created when Kairomea was founded... Maybe this will provide some insight to the Grand Archival Tower’s construction and allow me to open all the doors here.”

She’d finally found a sliver of light shining into the tunnel of her hardship. As her heart swelled with hope, a question popped up in her mind. “Such a precious book was placed here for all the world to see. Why did no one talk about it? Its existence became a thing of legend. I wonder...”

Sita failed to discern an answer to her innocuous query. As it continued to bother her, she unconsciously reached out and gently touched the book. Suddenly, there was a static screech, and a massive dark shadow flashed through her mind. She swiftly took her hand away.

“Wh-What...was that?” Sita mumbled.

“Sita, what’s wrong?” Rachel called.

“Uh, nothing!” the chief librarian replied with a forced smile. She switched gears and headed back to the doors. “In any case, we must tell father about this.”

“Good grief... We’re in the middle of work. Call him the ‘clan chief’ instead of father.”

However, Sita’s hopes for an end to her struggles were soon dashed. The following day, the basement archive doors—which only Sita should’ve been able to open—were completely ajar, and the Book of Orthoaguina had gone missing.

3. It’s Been a While

We arrived at the elf village. And, of course, no one was waiting for us with their bows drawn at the entrance. Nothing occurred—and I mean nothing (this is important!)—as we safely made it inside.

“Welcome, Argent Holy Woman.” Schweiz greeted us the moment we entered. “Your visit is most... Hmm... I suppose I won’t be meeting my fated beloved this time around... I was looking forward to it too.”

He’d managed to greet us formally enough, but he soon let his true colors show when he glanced around and couldn’t find what he was looking for, slumping his shoulders in disappointment. Schweiz was the chief elf of the village, and though he looked to be a diligent, handsome person, he would fall in love quite easily, attributing it all to fate. He was disappointed this time because we didn’t have any new ladies tagging along with us.

“I’m delighted to see that you appear to be doing well,” I said with a strained smile at his behavior. “But I believe I’ve requested for you to stop calling me by that nickname.”

This was an important request for me to make. I knew by experience that failing to nip these issues in the bud would only cause rumors to spread even further without my knowledge. I decided to doggedly pursue the problem so that my mental state wouldn’t crumble.

“B-But... Then what shall I call you?” Schweiz asked.

“Uh, just call me Mary like a normal person,” I replied.

“Ha ha ha! You jest!”

“No, wait, what? ‘Jest’? I’m just asking you to call me by my name!”

“I see... In other words, you must have a deep reason behind this.”

“No, wait, what? I just want to be called by my name.”

“Um...” Magiluka interjected, ending my vain attempt to reason with the elf. “May I know where Safina and Sacher are? And is Miss Shelly here as well?”

I was tempted to double down just a bit more, but I didn’t want to make others wait, so I stopped myself.

“Hmm? Oh, those two are listening to my younger sister’s selfish requests,” Schweiz replied. “They seem to be having a hard time.”

He didn’t seem particularly bothered by the segue as he glanced in the direction of his sister. He sounded a touch tired as he appeared to be recalling Shelly’s antics, then he proceeded to walk ahead, guiding us to our friends.

As we followed close behind, Schweiz made to switch topics, possibly trying to prevent us from talking about Shelly any further. “I see the divine beast isn’t with you,” he noted.

“Ah, yep,” I replied with a conniving smirk. “I’m having Snow stay at home.”

“Hmm?”

He looked at me with befuddlement, and Magiluka and the prince, equally confused about the beast’s absence, glanced at me.

“Er, well, you know...” I whispered so that only Magiluka and the prince could hear me. “It recently occurred to me that I got the dangerous-sounding nickname people keep calling me because I’m always with Snow, so I decided to leave this time without telling her.”

The two stared back at me awkwardly before averting their gaze.

“E-Er, I see...” Magiluka said. “I didn’t realize that was your plan. I thought they’d come before or after us...”

“Indeed,” Reifus added. “And if I had to pick one, I’d probably go with before...”

“Huh?” I looked at them dubiously.

“Um, my lady,” Tutte whispered. “I apologize for dampening your look of triumph, but is that not Lady Lily running toward us?”

“Huh?!” I gasped pathetically.

I turned in that direction and saw an adorable fluffy snow leopard cub running toward us energetically.

“Wh-Why are you here, Lily?” I said as I hugged the cub, unable to hide my shock.

“Because I’m heeere!” A voice I dreaded echoed in my head, and the large creature who accompanied it descended from the sky with a deafening thud.

“Ugh, Snow!” I grumbled.

“My lady, you mustn’t act unladylike,” Tutte chided me. I didn’t have it in me to keep my cool under these unexpected circumstances, however.

“Wh-Why are you here, Snow?” I asked. “I thought I kept this a secret.”

“I mean, sure, you kept it a secret from me,but you were having a blast telling everyone else about it. You thought I wouldn’t notice? Are you stupid?”

“Grrr... I was so excited about getting to go on a long trip I didn’t think things through...” I said through gritted teeth.

Snow patted my head with her soft paws as I grappled with my strategic failure. It suddenly made sense why Magiluka, the prince, and even Schweiz had all been looking at me awkwardly. The elf had asked why the divine beast wasn’t with me because Snow had already arrived first. No wonder he looked confused at my nonsensical reply... This is so embarrassing...

I gritted my teeth and inadvertently started squeezing Lily tighter, so she hastily escaped from my clutches and jumped into Magiluka’s arms. It was then that I had an idea.

“Hmm... Not bad,” I mumbled.

“You have a mischievous grin on your face,” Magiluka said. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, y’know, I just thought that if I had Lily and Snow tag along with you, you might become a holy woman too.”

“That won’t happen,” she instantly replied with a look of exasperation. “It’s not that simple.”

“Uh, well, you don’t know that! Nothing wrong with testing it out! Tag along with them during our trip.”

“Why...?”

“Come on! Pleaaase! You know the type of character I’m aiming for!” When in doubt, crying to Magiluka had become my default strategy.

“H-H-Hey! I’m holding Lady Lily. Please don’t latch on to me!” She stepped away from me while protecting Lily. I stared at her silently.

“All right, all right!” Magiluka finally relented. “Don’t give me that lonely look!”

I honestly couldn’t hold a candle to Magiluka—she always gave in to my requests, and I knew that she was too good of a friend to me. So, whenever she’s in trouble, I’ll always be prepared to go all out and use all the powers at my disposal to save her. I clenched my fists with renewed determination.

“I’m fine with it, but will Lady Snow be?” Magiluka asked.

“Fair question,” I replied before turning to the divine beast. “Any thoughts, Snow, Lily?”

I wasn’t sure if Lily was aware of the circumstances or if she simply didn’t care, but she gave a wide yawn within Magiluka’s arms.

“Oh, I don’t mind!” Snow said. “I was thinking it was high time for Lily to start interacting with other people. She’s started to become a little too mischievous these days—probably because she’s been watching you all the time. As an older sister, I want her to become a little more graceful, you know? I think I can count on Magiluka for that. Unlike you, she won’t be unreasonable, and I suspect that she’ll treat me better.”

“I’m grateful that you’re on board, but you definitely dissed me in the middle of your long monologue,” I replied.

“Yep, I sure did.”

“Usually, you’re supposed to go ‘No, you’re just imagining things!’ or something and play it off!”

“How am I supposed to know that?!”

I grabbed Snow and cuddled her fluffy body as she tried to resist and step away from me.

“Lady Mary, I’d like to change locations,” a voice called from the front. “People are starting to stare at us.”

“Ah, right. I’m sorry,” I replied. I stopped fooling around with Snow and swiftly backed off from her, then I hung my head, red-faced from embarrassment.

We walked ahead and further distanced ourselves from bystanders until we arrived at a clearing. Various weapons and wooden dummies were scattered about, so it was apparent that this was some sort of training arena. In the middle, surrounded by several elves, were Safina and Sacher. They were both armed and seemed to be sparring. A familiar elf was watching over them nearby—Shelly. At least we know that she’s here.

As I heaved a sigh of relief, Safina disappeared from view for a split second. She’d run at Sacher, and he could only barely keep up with her speed, just managing to raise his shield to counter her sword slash. Flames danced from Safina’s blade as she struck Sacher’s shield, and a sharp clang rang through the air as he braced himself. However, he couldn’t completely absorb the impact, so he slid back.

“Gh...” he grunted. He smiled as he brought his shield back in front of him. “I’ve gotten used to your speed, but not your raw power. That magic sword should be against the rules.”

“Hmm... This shield didn’t split in half or burst into flames,” Shelly noted analytically. “I guess I got out what I put into it! Whew, that little fox put together quite the little number.” She seemed to be lamenting the prowess of a certain magus smith who wasn’t present.

“Sister, the Arg— Ahem, Mary and her friends have arrived,” Schweiz called out.

“Oho. My, my...” Shelly said with a smile as she turned toward us. “Welcome, everyone. You’ve come at just the right time.”

“Lady Mary!” Safina shouted, dashing at us.

I could hardly believe this was the same girl who’d unleashed that fiery attack just moments before. She ran up to me excitedly, and I petted her like a dog.

“Lady Mary, you came already?” Sacher said while checking out his shield. “I’m still in the midst of making some adjustments.”

“Oh? Are there any issues?” Shelly inquired with interest.

“It’s much lighter and sturdier than the other materials, which is great, but it’s too light, so it’s easier to knock back. I’d prefer a heavier material.”

“That, I can’t do. Any heavier and the shield wouldn’t be fit for that functionality I was so proud I could give it.”

“Wow,” I said. “Did you make that shield, Shelly?”

“I did. I saw Safina’s sword and heard Fifi made it. It seems to be a marked improvement over her previous iterations, and seeing that quality lit a passionate competitive fire in my heart. I figured I could make a shield that would blunt her blade in no time at all, but that fox... Everything I put in front of it split down the middle or caught fire. I struggled more than I thought. Ha ha ha.”

She’s laughing, but it looks like the light’s left her eyes. I hope I’m just imagining things.

“The way I saw it, that kid had excellent talent when it came to craftsmanship, but she severely lacked imagination,” Shelly said. “I must have underestimated her, thinking she’d only come up with normal items. I wonder what went wrong to convince her to create such a unique weapon.”

“Well, that’s because Lady Mar— Ngh!” Safina tried to happily answer the question, but I hastily covered her mouth and laughed.

“I-I wonder! Ah ha ha ha!” I said, swiftly changing subjects. “D-Do you have any points you’re proud of regarding your shield?”

“Huh? Heh heh heh,” Shelly chuckled with pride. “I’m glad you asked. It’s not really a point as much as it is the entire shield. Sacher, answer them!”

“Aw... Why me?” he replied with reluctance.

“Wait, why are you backing off there?” I asked. “Is it a power so horrid that you don’t want to say it?”

“Well, no, not exactly...” Sacher replied.

“Then stop being coy and tell us.”

This shield was something that even Shelly was proud of. I was dying to find out the shield ability that Sacher, despite his interest in weapons, was reluctant to divulge.

“It...comes back,” he mumbled.

“Huh? Pardon?” I asked, acting like a certain protagonist.

“The shield. It comes back to my side if I call out to it.”

“Huh. Wow, I see. And?”

“That’s it.”

“Huh?”

“That’s it.”

Upon hearing Sacher’s firm response, I turned to Shelly, who was nodding with satisfaction.

“Heh heh heh.” She chuckled before proudly explaining, “Even lazy shield users will be happy with this! You never have to go fetch it, and even if you forget it somewhere, you can call out and it’ll come flying back!”

“Flying back?” I asked with confusion.

“Yep...” Sacher replied. He shuddered at the memory. “When I called out to it, it came hurtling back to me like a boomerang. It was fast enough to kill anyone who’d call for it. When I first saw it in action, I barely managed to dodge, and it sank into the tree behind me.”

“Er... If there’s an obstacle between the shield and the user, will it swerve and dodge the obstacle?” the prince asked.

“It can’t maneuver so nimbly!” Shelly replied, still oddly triumphant. “It just comes straight back, pure and simple, as fast as it can toward the user. That’s what this shield does! How laudable! It’s totally different from a certain sword that only knows how to cut things down! It’s totally different!”

I was at a loss for words. Right... If the circlet incident taught me anything, it’s that Shelly has no interest in making anything except unique tools with strange effects. I feel like she’s headed in a completely different direction than Fifi, so there’s probably not much sense in them competing...

I proceeded to consider superior uses for the shield than defending yourself. “Isn’t that more like a projectile than a shield? Why not just place the shield a distance away, put your opponent between you and it, and call out to it? I feel like it’d be effective.”

“I see...” Sacher said in amazement like a light bulb had gone off over his head. “I guess I could use it like that. You’re amazing, Lady Mary.”

“No, that’s not the purpose of this shield,” Shelly objected, cutting into our conversation. “If you use it for such a boring purpose, the materials that I secretly used will be—”

“Ah, there you are! Shelly!” Roy called out, approaching us.

At first, I’d found Roy to be incredibly stubborn and wary toward me and my friends, but he’d ended up being the most normal out of all the elves that I’d met—and his reward for that was always having to clean up after Schweiz’s, Shelly’s, and a certain vampire’s messes.

“Aw, crap... He found out already,” Shelly muttered awkwardly.

Roy continued to run toward us with a fierce look on his face. A tinge of anxiety plagued my mind. I feel like I’m about to get dragged into another troublesome mess... Am I just imagining things?

4. The Book of Orthoaguina

Sita and Rachel went to the chief librarian’s office to discuss the theft of the Book of Orthoaguina. It wasn’t as though this was the first time that a book had been stolen—over the years, the library had improved management and security, but it was still difficult to completely prevent all burglary attempts. Usually, this wasn’t much of a call for concern, but the situation was different this time around: only the chief librarian should’ve had access to the archive the thief had broken into, and the thief had stolen the extremely precious Book of Orthoaguina. Needless to say, Sita hadn’t forgotten to lock the place; in fact, the doors to the room would automatically lock once it was closed.

“We just found the Book of Orthoaguina yesterday... I didn’t think it’d be stolen immediately...” Sita said in disbelief.

“It happened a bit too quickly for a planned attempt,” Rachel replied. “And even if it’d been planned, it means the thief knew where the book was stored.”

“But if it could’ve been stolen at any time before I’d opened the doors, the timing is a bit odd, don’t you think? Why would they choose to act only after I finally managed to unlock the archive?”

“You’re right. Which means our suspects can be narrowed down to those who learned of the book’s existence yesterday.”

“The only people who knew were father, who I reported to yesterday, and the pastor and Gillan, who were present when I unlocked the doors.”

“I don’t quite understand what the clan chief would have to gain from stealing this book, but I’ve asked all three to come here, just in case.”

“I knew I could rely on you! You’re so quick to get things done!” Sita was impressed by how her sister had accurately predicted her train of thought and worked ahead.

“Did anything odd happen yesterday after our visit here?” she asked.

“Hmm... Well, a mysterious monster invaded the town, but that’s about it,” Rachel replied.

“Huh... A monster...? Normally, I wouldn’t give it any thought, but there’s been a whole slew of monsters showing up in town recently.”

Sita wasn’t particularly surprised by Rachel’s report—despite Kairomea being situated in the middle of a lake, it was still part of the Ancient Forest, so they were constantly plagued by the threat of monsters. It wasn’t unusual for monsters to get inside town.

However, it was curious that the monsters that’d popped up recently were oddly shaped and difficult to make out. What exactly were they? When the town consulted a monster expert, they replied that they’d “never seen it before” and that “it might be a new type of chimera.” The clan chief—that is, Sita’s adoptive father—was considering launching a thorough investigation if the town started having too many sightings.

“If a monster had simply invaded the town, it wouldn’t have been worth noting, but this one managed to enter the Grand Archival Tower,” Rachel explained.

“A monster entered the tower?” Sita asked in befuddlement.

“Well, I’m not too sure. Someone on patrol said they saw it. It wasn’t too strong, so they were able to slay it by themselves, and they claimed that there were no signs of it breaking in from the outside.”

“Hmm... Maybe I should leave the monster issue to father. We should focus on the book and the door.”

Sita was feeling like she and Rachel wouldn’t find their answer anytime soon as she closed her eyes and folded her arms in front of her with a groan.

“Honestly, I hardly know anything about the Book of Orthoaguina,” Sita confessed. “I’m not sure if it’d be worth anything to anyone either. When I was searching for clues to unlock the archives, I stumbled upon the name, but all I saw was that it’s an ancient book from Kairomea.”

“Yeah, I’m not too sure on the details either,” Rachel replied. “People say it was made from magic in old Kairomea in ancient times. I did a bit of research and found that it’s likely the oldest book in existence—it might contain the lost wisdom of old Kairomea.”

“Th-That’s amazing! It might even be possible to take control of the archives with something like that!”

Rachel’s sources may have been a bit dubious, but if anything she’d said were true, then the value of the book would skyrocket for Sita. Sita felt a strong determination to retrieve the book welling up in her chest.

“It might,” Rachel replied. “But I’ve heard that the book can only be read using a certain procedure. Apparently, it’s so difficult to decipher that amateurs shouldn’t even get near it, and in the worst case, doing it wrong could even cost you your life.”

“Huh? It’s that dangerous?” Sita asked. She thought back to the time when she’d first touched that precious book and a massive shadow had loomed in her mind. She shuddered and decided to avoid thinking about it any further.

“Oh, it’s only if you know nothing about it,” Rachel hastily added upon noticing her little sister’s trembles. “I’m guessing that the Book of Orthoaguina was created by elves, so I imagine if you go to the domain of the spirit tree, you can receive protection to read the book. It’s nothing too dangerous.”

“W-Well, that makes me curious, but leaving all that aside, I’m intrigued by how someone other than myself was able to open these doors,” Sita replied, feeling guilty for making her sister act so reserved and choosing to switch topics. “If others can open the archives, I’d like to know how. In fact, I’d love to find out.”

“I’m sure you’re aware that there is a method that allows one to open the doors without using you, right?”

“Huh? There is?” Sita tilted her head to one side and racked her brain. Unfortunately, no solution came to mind.

“Don’t you remember that outrageous thing you did a few years ago?” Rachel reminded her wearily.

“Ah, right. Yeah. The idea came to mind and I’d wanted to test it out—if I couldn’t open the doors from the outside, I wanted to try it from the inside. You were furious and scolded me so harshly that I cried out of fear.”