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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Tina! Did you hear the rumor? They found the entrance to the hidden archive!”
“…I heard about it, but I think it’s just a baseless rumor.”
Martina smiled wryly, watching Shuri’s tail wagging excitedly. Rumors often spiraled out of control, but this one was different.
‘The entrance to the hidden archive suddenly appearing… It doesn’t make sense.’
No one had ever found the entrance since the academy was founded. And now, a rumor about its discovery, complete with a relatively accurate location, was spreading?
It was too specific to be a mere coincidence. Martina suspected someone was deliberately spreading the rumor.
There was no other explanation for the sudden increase in detail.
‘I wonder who’s behind this.’
The rumor about the hidden archive itself had been circulating among the students for a while, but this was the first time she had heard anything about its location.
Martina couldn’t help but worry about a potential trap.
“I heard about it too. But it’s just a rumor. Don’t get too caught up in it.”
“But wouldn’t it be okay to check it out?”
“Are you that curious?”
“But this is the first time we’ve had such a clear lead! If it doesn’t work, we can just come back!”
Martina glanced down at Shuri’s frantically wagging tail. She really wanted to go.
Martina knew she would sulk if they didn’t go.
“Let’s stop by on our way back. Miss Elisa too.”
“Yes! Miss Elisa should come too!”
Martina, having mentioned Elisa, who usually walked home with them, looked at the empty seat beside her with concern.
‘She’s late today.’
Had something happened?
Shuri, noticing Martina’s worry, smiled brightly and said,
“Maybe something came up, and she’s running late?”
“…Yes, that’s probably it.”
But why did she feel so uneasy?
It shouldn’t be a big deal if Elisa was just a few minutes late, but a sense of foreboding lingered in her mind.
She instinctively scanned the lecture hall.
‘Marie, Kenneth, Royan, Victor… Where’s Bella?’
A chill ran down Martina’s spine. Both Bella and Elisa were absent. It was an unsettling combination.
Martina stood up abruptly.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to get Miss Elisa.”
Martina forced a smile, hiding her anxiety.
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“Oh my, what a coincidence. Meeting you here.”
“B-B-Bella…?”
As Elisa was walking towards the next lecture hall after lunch, she was startled by the sight of a familiar face and instinctively cowered.
A girl with sharp features and an equally sharp personality. Bella approached Elisa with a graceful smile. She scanned Elisa from head to toe, then said with a smirk,
“How’s your love lesson going?”
“Huh…?”
“It seems you haven’t made much progress.”
Why was she suddenly bringing this up?
Elisa, flustered by the unexpected intrusion, lowered her head.
Bella sighed, seeing Elisa’s submissive posture.
‘To think I lost to this girl…’
Bella disliked Elisa.
Shuri, with her undeniable talent, was one thing, but this gloomy girl… For someone who strived to be the best, Elisa was even more irritating than Shuri.
Shuri was openly brilliant, but Elisa… no one even knew she existed until the exam scores were posted.
An unknown student.
The fact that she had lost to such a student had been a source of constant stress for Bella throughout the first semester.
‘To think I lost to a girl who can barely cast third-tier magic…!’
She couldn’t accept it. She had consistently placed third, always just a hair’s breadth behind Elisa, both in theory and practical exams.
Why did the professors give Elisa higher scores in the practical exams?
She couldn’t understand it.
So, Bella couldn’t bring herself to like Elisa.
“At this rate, someone else will snatch him away.”
“Snatch him… away…?”
Bella, feigning concern, planted a seed of doubt in Elisa’s mind.
She had been observing Elisa for the past few days and knew exactly how to manipulate her.
‘Why does that man have so many admirers?’
She had been baffled by the number of girls surrounding Johann. He wasn’t handsome or particularly charming.
Yet, four girls were vying for his attention.
And one of them was the Saintess. Elisa’s chances seemed infinitesimally small.
Bella had decided to exploit this situation and approached Elisa during her lunch break.
With Martina in the lecture hall and the others occupied with their own activities, Elisa was alone only during this time.
“Think about it. How many girls around you like him? Do you think you can win against them?”
Bella’s pointed question made Elisa recall the faces of her rivals.
Karina, Milia, Renny, Sif, and recently, the increasingly suspicious Viola… Each one was a formidable opponent.
While only Milia was actively pursuing Johann, she and Johann were close enough to sleep in the same room.
“Do you think you can win with your passive approach?”
“B-But…”
Bella’s harsh words, though cruel, struck a chord.
Elisa knew that simply clinging to his sleeve wouldn’t be enough to win his heart.
“Sometimes, you need to take risks to win.”
Bella forced a gentle smile and offered some empty encouragement.
Despite her intimidating appearance, the smile was softer than usual, and Elisa listened.
The words were too tempting to ignore.
And she was too insecure to dismiss them.
‘How naive.’
Bella smirked inwardly, seeing Elisa’s reaction. The smirk fueled the fire of resentment burning in her heart.
“Because of this girl…”
“…Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing.”
She hid her envy and anger behind a mask of civility. It was something she had become adept at.
Sensing the opportune moment, Bella finally revealed her true intentions.
“Did you know? There’s a wish-granting artifact in the hidden archive… It’s something worth pursuing, Miss Elisa.”
Negative emotions were contagious.
Bella knew this better than anyone.
“Th-The hidden archive… i-isn’t that just a rumor…?”
“The hidden archive is real. I’m telling you this because I pity you. Considering Mister Johann’s personality, wouldn’t demonstrating your abilities be more effective than subtle flirting?”
“B-But…”
“Are you going to give up? Sometimes, you have to be ruthless to get what you want.”
Elisa froze.
The unrequited love was already agonizing, but the thought of never even having a chance…
The suppressed negative emotions bubbled to the surface, her heart pounding in her chest.
Her eyes darted around nervously.
Her expression was vacant.
Bella turned and delivered the final blow.
“Go to the northwest section of the library at the hour when crimson and black intertwine. There, you’ll find a purple book with no title. Open it to page 231, and the entrance to the hidden archive will be revealed.”
‘She’ll probably tell Martina.’
But all Martina could do was question her.
Bella didn’t wait for Elisa’s response and disappeared down the hallway.
Elisa stood there, alone, her face a mixture of confusion and desperation, staring at the empty hallway.
“Miss Elisa? What are you doing here?”
“M-Martina…”
As if on cue, Martina appeared, her face etched with concern.
Elisa, unable to hide her turmoil, stammered,
“Um, well…”
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“Johann, where are you going?”
“I have somewhere to be. Go to bed.”
“Can’t I come?”
“No.”
“Fine. Be careful.”
I left, with Milia’s farewell echoing behind me, and opened the front door. The cool night air brushed against my cheeks.
Perfect weather for a stroll.
I went straight to the workshop and entered the hidden tunnel. According to the rumors, someone, likely Shuri, would enter the hidden archive within a few days.
I needed to install the expensive monitoring equipment I had purchased before that happened.
The easiest solution would have been to leave Rue there…
[You’re going to leave me in that damp, disgusting tunnel?!]
…But it had vehemently protested, so I abandoned that plan.
It would have been so much easier, even if it meant I had to work harder during lectures.
Anyway, I quickly reached the tunnel entrance in the library.
The entrance was in the western section, quite far from the hidden archive. I carefully opened the door and peeked inside.
Good, it was empty.
I slipped into the library.
The vast library was eerily silent in the dead of night. I doubted any ghosts would appear, but I still needed to hurry. I had escort duty in the morning.
I quietly made my way towards the hidden archive, my senses alert.
There should be a purple book on the bookshelf that acted as the entrance. I just needed to plant the signal device near it and wait…
Huh?
I stared at the purple book, emanating a faint blue glow.
The blue glow, visible only to those who were worthy of entering the hidden archive.
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