Episode 10. ghost

The black hallway of Kiruna Magic School with no one around. Someone was blocking the way for the sparsely lit candles to shine like threads.

An unknown man holding a lantern approached me.

“it’s a good night. Could you please verify your ID?”

The guards standing guard in the hallway didn’t seem particularly wary of me.

“we are here. You suffer in the middle of the night like this.”

“hahahaha, no. Professor Ian, your identity has been confirmed. Are you immersed in your research until this late?”

“yes. I plan to use the library for about an hour.”

“Yeah. Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

It is safe to say that there are no students who use the central library at night except for extremely exceptional cases.

Students who want to do personal research at night sometimes use the student lab on the first floor, but most students tend to use the library in the dormitory at night because the procedure is complicated and the use is limited.

That’s why very few students wander around the school until dawn like this… . I mean, I’m a professor.

Is there a crazy professor who suddenly wants to find materials in the central library at night when there is no librarian?

there are sometimes

So I was able to pass the interrogation naturally like this.

“Are you really only visible to me?”

“If you can’t even do this, would you be a goddess? Trust me.”

“It should be moderately hot.”

“Uh huh-”

With guidance from Elma, a light only visible to me, I was able to find the central library of this school.

“What… great. Let’s go to a liberal arts class right away.”

No matter how much I think about it, there is no one at this school who can teach me the etiquette of a nobleman.

‘Since there are no people, I’ll have to visit even a ghost.’

* * *

“Teacher, I’m already scared…” .”

Befitting the title of the world’s largest magic research institute, the scale of the Kiruna Library was so huge that it was impossible to measure with the naked eye.

It has a spiral-shaped structure with an open center, so it feels like a luxurious museum, and there are more than 1,000 bookshelves.

If I had come during the day, I would have had a pleasant time enjoying the view of the library and smelling the smell of books and trees.

In the middle of the night, the central library gave off a bloody atmosphere, as if there was nothing strange about a ghost or two.

The open structure and the cacophony of silence without a single wind noise overlap with the darkness that touches the skin, making me want to turn around right away.

“It is very wide. Where is the book rental stand?”

“excuse me.”

“Five… .”

I looked at the library use rules placed in a corner of the book lending desk.

There were a lot of small letters, but I didn’t want to read them all. I’m looking for some of these.

…

21-37) Do not light candles around bookcase 781. keep in mind Under no circumstances are flammable substances allowed in the library.

…

41-95) Those who use the library at night for unavoidable reasons are permitted to use light or fire magic on a limited basis. However, all damages caused by this shall be borne by the parties. If an accident happens at night, the library will not protect you.

…

98-11) I have prepared a lamp in the dark place where the light of the library does not reach. Users who want to sit down and read can light a candle and use it.

“Everyone can see that bookcase number 781 is suspicious.”

“eww… . What’s this?”

“School Ghost Story.”

Inconsistent manuals and gossips like legends.

“About 150 years ago. There was a family of wizards called ‘Stella’. Originally, they were very popular nobles, but one of them is said to have been obsessed with blood magic, which is taboo.”

There’s not much difference in perception from now, but blood magic at the time was an object of fear, vigilant enough to be punished with 100 lashes just for mentioning it.

When two magicians from the Stella family came out to study it in earnest, it was said that the emperor himself ordered the extinction of the Stella family.

“A girl from the Stella family who was in middle school, who lived in a school dormitory and didn’t know anything about her parents’ situation, was assassinated while reading a book in this library… . What kind of story is that?”

It was as quiet as a mouse, and I felt as if my voice resonated throughout the library.

When I explained it to Elma, at least I felt less fear, so I talked to myself as I carefully took one step after another.

Before I knew it, I arrived at bookcase number 781. It’s obviously not much different from other bookshelves, but somehow it felt darker around here.

To be precise, even though my eyes were obviously in a state of adaptation to darkness, as I looked at the bookcase number 781, I had the illusion that its shape was gradually distorting.

Even though I knew the identity of the other person, my heart raced.

“There is a lamp.”

“By the way, teacher. Did you bring any matches? You can’t use magic.”

“no. I don’t know what will happen to me when I light it here. If you can see ghosts, why take the risk?”

“ah.”

“Let’s just call it out here.”

The protagonist of the library ghost story.

Originally, with the start of the Stella family episode, she is naturally a supporting character who ends up appearing in only about 2 pages.

If that’s the case, it’s much better for me to spend frugally.

To be honest, I’m reluctant, but I can’t help it. this is the best i can think of

“Meriel Stella.”

There was no response from the bookshelf. No, even if there was a reaction, it was too dark to see well.

“I can’t. Elma, call me.”

“Meriel-!!”

Along with Elma’s lion’s roar, a book fell from the library.

A light illuminated the title of the book.

‘On the Necessity and Pleasure of Blasphemy – Religious Liberation for Cultural Freedom’

“… this. Just call all the Holy Knights and turn them upside down!? hem!? I don’t think I can!!!”

“Meriel Stella.”

Took.

‘How to have a polite conversation – Face-to-face with a lady’

“… Meriel Stella. I came to make you my teacher.”

I didn’t know what to say politely, so I got down on my knees.

“My name is Ian Laver. The Goddess has foretold that you are a teacher who will fill my shortcomings, so I came here inevitably.”

“Am I!?”

“Stay awhile.”

Took.

‘Raising monkeys’

“… .”

“There is no theft.”

A girl’s voice came from the empty air, and at that moment, Elma poured her light in the direction the voice came from.

* * *

‘Meriel doesn’t usually hurt people. However, if you look at Meriel in the light of a candle, you will see Meriel, who was horribly hacked to death. Then I will die.’

‘Hey… .’

‘Why are you scared of a goddess? As long as we naturally summon Meriel in a state that doesn’t harm people, we can wash Meriel’s thoughts with your light.’

‘Can’t I just shine my light on the library from the beginning?’

‘No. I’m usually in a state where I’m half sober and half-mindful, so if I openly act like I’m here to exorcise, I’ll run away.’

‘So, let’s bring it out naturally.’

‘yes.’

Elma and I had already come together in the faculty dormitory.

There was a reason why the central library had to explain the Stella family to Elma. No matter how small the visible light is, a goddess is a goddess.

A baptism of the purest light washed over Meriel, and a girl appeared, clutching the handle of a dark wooden school bag with both hands.

“Do you want me to accept you as my disciple?”

When I looked up from my knees, a girl who looked like a middle school student was looking down at me.

“no. I’d rather waltz with the monkey.”

“… ?”

Are your thoughts not washed away yet?

* * *

It’s 1:00 in the morning, and the library in the Agoge Dormitory is empty.

… Sometimes there are inferior students who try to break the conventional wisdom of the agoge dormitory, but it was Mina who turned off the light in the library today.

“Turn it off-”

Mina stretched out.

With no one around, only the cold dawn air seeped between her fingertips and toes.

The silence and cold that came after a long study had a strange magical power that made Mina feel happy, proud, and depressed at the same time.

In the end, there is a sense of accomplishment that I survived until the end, but I hate being alone because it is lonely.

When you are about to shed tears from the sudden loneliness.

-You are swaying like a blade of grass.

– Just be diligent! It’s okay to say that your road ahead is a failure.

– Then, someday… The day may come when you too will fly away beautifully like a butterfly.

Mina punished her weak self, who was about to become depressed for a moment, by slapping her on the cheek with a cold hand.

You need to get your mind right.

There are times when I get overly sentimental at dawn after I finish studying.

‘This is like a rebound after immersing myself in studying for 5 or 6 hours.’

If I think about the contents of the book I read here, I could have thought of Professor Ian out of the blue.

Mina packed up a bunch of books to return by tomorrow.

The conclusion I came to by going through a vast amount of data that was too much to finish in one day.

Unique magic was much more powerful than Mina expected.

In fact, I had only heard of it at first glance. For her, who has always been labeled an inferior student, the unique magic called the crystallization of her talent was of course not a big concern.

Besides, Professor Ian also showed a calm reaction, so there was no way she had an objective awareness of what kind of power she had.

There are just over 100 nationally certified unique magic users worldwide.

The magic they spread is evaluated as equal to or even better than the 9th circle magic, which is said to be developed after 30 years of all-out effort at a large magic research institute.

Unique magic can also be trained and strengthened, so if you are recognized as a unique magic user, you will receive a love call from a magic research institute that is said to be the best, regardless of the characteristics of that magic.

The quest for unique magic is also responsible for one of the pillars of the biggest homework given to wizards.

It was also because when magic turned out to be combat-related, unique magic users were treated as tactical decisive weapons.

… When she grasped the data up to that point, Mina felt a sense of fear.

‘Will I have the capacity to handle this much power?’

A monstrous blessing that came to her after living a life that was slightly less than normal.

In the past, when magic itself was hated because of the wounds received, it was rather a talent that someone would have feared that someone would find out and harm them. but.

-You have ambition. You want to hold it in your hand when everyone is just looking at the stars in the sky.

Perhaps because there were people who believed in me, the courage to take on the challenge quickly rose again.

“yes. I’ve come this far, but I’m going to put on the top one. Let’s go to Paideia!”

Mina walked out of the library alone at night with no one waiting for her. No matter what the end is, giving up will leave regrets and challenges will leave pride.

The moonlight was pouring down the hallway of the dormitory, so there was no need for additional lighting, and the stars were shining beautifully by the window.

* * *

“Did you say Professor Ian? It’s not just one or two problems.”

“… Hey, Meriel?”

“There is no dignity in standing. Are you a ghost too? Seriously, I think it would be more human to put up a scarecrow.”

“Hey… .”

“Get your clothes, too.”

“No, wait.”

“It’s like an uncle.”

is this kid?

“Hey!!!”

“Wow, that makes me angry.”