Chapter 67

Lucy Mayril (4)

The winter night air is strangely different from that of spring and summer, and does not have the characteristic dampness of the forest. The cold that enters the lungs is rather refreshing.

The sound of walking through the leaves tickles my ears. I adjusted the rope wrapped around one shoulder. At first, I thought about making a crude ladder, but I thought it would be deeper than I thought and it would take all day just to make it. So I just prepared a rope to ride down.

“Why are you following me to this place?”

I was thinking that things were particularly strange today.

Lucy, who is still clutching my sleeve and following me, doesn’t seem to show any immediate changes just by looking at her expression or appearance.

After reaching the outskirts of the forest, you can see the hole Lucy dug.

It was closer to a hand-to-hand assault with a bundle of magical power that could not even be called magic.

Thanks to this, the hole at the entrance is not that big. Lucy’s body itself was so small that no matter how much magical power she compressed, there was a limit to her size.

I tied one end of the rope to a nearby tree and threw the entire rope into the hole leading underground.

A well-rolled rope unfurls and opens a new path.

I pulled the rope a few times to check that it was tightly tied.

“We can go down together with my magic.”

“It’s okay. I told you before I came here, but I’m not going to go down just once, so I have to make sure I can go up and down with the rope myself.”

It’s not like I can bring Lucy with me every time I come to the library.

After telling Lucy to follow along with some magic, I grabbed the rope and pushed myself into the hole.

It slips once in a while and goes down into the hole as if climbing a wall.

In case I missed the rope or broke it completely, I concentrated on quickly supporting the inner wall with both arms. However, the rope itself is so strong that I don’t think that will happen.

It was really strange that Lucy followed along on the rope when she could have just gone first with space magic.

After going down for a while, I finally came to the main hall of the library.

There are few light sources in the dark library hall. I had to wait a long time before my eyes completed dark adaptation.

Soon, various places are seen collapsing due to the aftermath of Lucy’s magic.

Most of it was buried in the marble that supported the inner wall... but there seemed to be quite a few magical engineering supplies and recipes that still looked intact.

There is no need to pick them up one by one just because you want to take them all with you right away. Since the entrance to the secret lab has been closed anyway, there is no one worth visiting this library right now. Time is leisurely.

I just headed towards the table in the center of the library.

I removed the table and noticed a strange crack on the floor. As I pried open the crack, I could see the keyhole at a glance.

Lucy, who followed me while holding onto her sleeves, tilted her head.

“Why did they install a secret safe in a place like this and even manage the key separately?”

“I don’t know.”

I took the key out of my pocket and inserted it into the hole. The key turns clockwise with a clanging sound, and the marble floor begins to slide aside.

– Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Wind pours in from inside.

The magic power that had been concentrated in a closed space was released at once as the space opened.

After enduring the shock and clearing my vision again... I saw a golden piece of magical engineering in the middle of a small underground space. It was the size of a thumb.

*

“Hehehehehehe...”

It’s obvious, but the difference in stamina when going down and going up couldn’t be the same.

As I pulled the rope and kicked my feet toward the ground, sweat began to flow profusely.

Lucy offered to help, but I refused. What’s the point of checking to see if you can climb up and down with a rope if you don’t actually climb up there?

Thinking it was physical training, I pulled the rope firmly and pulled myself up.

Far above, Lucy is hanging on a rope with one hand. Perhaps because it is covered with all kinds of lightweight magic, it feels like it is hanging rather than hanging.

“If it’s like this... it’s worth going up...”

The depth of the basement where the library is located is not as deep as I thought. I guess the physical training I’ve been doing for the past year wasn’t in vain. Even though it was a bit hard, I didn’t feel like I was overdoing it.

If I felt tired while climbing, I could lie down on the protruding part of the outer wall and take a rest while holding on to the rope.

Anyway, it seems a bit unreasonable to go through the rope every time. I will have to use rope for the time being, but I also feel the need to make or purchase a proper ladder.

I think it’s time to get the magic engineering supplies I asked for from Lortel... Couldn’t I just get a reasonably long ladder as a service?

I’ve thought about that, but... I don’t think I’ll give it away for free. No matter what, I am a merchant.

“We’re almost there. We’ll be outside soon.”

“Yes... I know... Phew...”

He wiped off the sweat once and took out a phoenix-shaped ring from his pocket.

A golden phoenix ring forged with Aspect magic.

It was clearly a masterpiece of a lifetime that Professor Glast must have spent years creating.

“So what is that?”

Lucy’s voice is heard from far above. Before I knew it, Lucy had reached the edge of the entrance and was waiting for me.

——————————————– [ Glast’s Golden Phoenix [Ring]

Grade: Legendary Number of uses: No limit Production difficulty: ●● ●◐ Sensitator: Ed Ross Taylor A magic tool that twists the timeline and brings the magic granted to the future self into the present.

The legendary magical engineering item ‘Golden Phoenix Ring’ is imbued with the power of star-level magic and high-level time magic.

Temporarily increases the wearer’s magical power. You can use magic that consumes more magic power than the amount of magic power in your body only once.

When using magic that requires more than the maximum magic power, the use of magic power is suppressed for a long period of time in proportion to the amount of magic power exceeded.

Once magic suppression begins, the ring’s power cannot be used until the suppression is removed.

——————————————–

“Why is this magic trick in the library? “I think I know why he secretly stored school supplies and carried keys separately.”

I quietly looked up at Lucy. Was he at least curious? Or is there still no interest?

As always, the blank face is hard to see. The moonlight and starry sky shining behind Lucy create shadows on her face.

If you can use magic power from your future self, in theory, you can use high-level magic right now.

However, if that happens, you will be unable to fight for a long time equal to the amount of borrowed magic power. If you use it hastily, the cost will be enormous.

In the end, if you want to use it in battle, it becomes a special move that you have to make as a last move when you are cornered.

No matter which one you choose, there are pros and cons, and if the scale does not tip to one side in the end... ultimately, it is one last, very small weight that determines your choice.

No matter how insignificant and small it is, if the weight is slightly focused in that direction... a person chooses that direction.

“Can’t I go?”

This is a line that came out of Lucy’s mouth.

You can’t help but believe your ears.

However, I didn’t understand why... Lucy’s expression when she looked up was completely understandable.

“Going into the Dex building... I guess it’s easier to live in. It’s not crazy to live in the wild in this cold winter.”

After talking like that, I was so out of breath that I felt like I had to go up to the ground.

I tightened my grip on the hand pulling the rope.

Lucy, who was listening to the story, quietly looked up at the sky.

Although a starry sky is visible occasionally, most of the sky is filled with tracked dark clouds.

“I guess so.”

Soon, it seemed as if something had given up, or as if any line held within had been cut off.

As always, his expression was motionless, but I was surprised by the feeling of being intimidated.

It is a sky full of dark clouds that I have seen many times.

Lucy adjusted her hat and repeated in a whisper.

“Is it going to rain?”

I was dumbfounded and answered that question.

“no.”

“...?”

“It’s not the time.”

Soon I came up to the ground and lay down on the dirt floor.

As I take a deep breath and look up at the sky, a single snowflake falls and forms on the bridge of my nose. Considering the time, it was the first snow.

At this point, the rain season has passed. That’s why it’s so cold.

Lucy like a ghost can tell when it’s going to rain by judging the dark clouds in the sky and the moisture she can feel on the bridge of her nose... but there’s no way that’s always correct.

We cannot be sure that what falls from the sky is only tracked rainwater.

However, after a long rainy season, we end up thinking that it will rain. Even though the rain season has passed, we end up making the mistake because of our learned senses.

The number of snowflakes falling calmly increases little by little.

Tracking rainwater feels eerie and eerie for some reason, but snow falling at the right time gives a cozy feeling.

You could talk about the heat of coagulation that occurs when moisture in the air solidifies, but... it’s actually a problem that comes before that.

The rain that hits the body in a chase and the snowflakes that calmly fall as if covering the world are clearly different to anyone who sees them.

“by the way.”

I spoke quietly to Lucy, who was looking up at the snowfall blankly.

“There’s so much to do these days that I haven’t been able to secure enough firewood to last the winter.”

At those words, Lucy suddenly turned her head and stared at me.

“I don’t think I can handle it on my own, so please help me when you have time. You already told me that we don’t have enough firewood.”

“really?”

-Woe!

-Whoosh!

He climbs on top of my stomach, which was lying flat on the dirt floor, and sticks out his face while adjusting his hat.

“Really? Really? Really?”

“I have already completely adapted to camp life... If I improve the environment just a little bit, there are many more benefits to camp life.”

“...”

At those words, Lucy lifted her upper body again and looked at the snowy sky.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded by the way the corners of Lucy’s mouth turned up in a way that I couldn’t see in any other scene or route...

The aftermath of Act 2 has come to an end, and it is now Act 3 where the scale of the ordeal begins to grow in earnest.

When I close my eyes, the only thing that comes to mind is a truck.

Both Fenia, the princess of charity who is disillusioned with the corrupt academic inspection department and trying to take over the academic power as the student president, and Lortel, who is trying to enrich her pockets by encroaching on the university’s interests, are all formidable.

From Clarisse, a distrustful saint who wishes for the destruction of the Church of Telos, to Claude, an alchemist of disaster who becomes corrupted after drinking the blood of an evil spirit... each one is a formidable opponent, but in the end, the person standing at the end of this stage is no one else but that girl.

The final boss of Act 3 is Lucy Mayril, the ‘awakened one’.

After all the talk is over, let’s say hello again.

I’m sure we’ll both be alive and well.

* –

The documents placed down on the percussion table are thick.

There are more than one agenda item that needs to be dealt with within this week.

“Ugh...”

Assistant Professor Claire sat in her private lab and sipped coffee.

The vacancy in the tightly packed teacher’s seat is bigger than you might think. It’s a mystery how he managed such a heavy task and even conducted research on seals.

Still, most of the work was completed. If the conference agenda is handled well, all that remains is the class placement test for new students that will be held during vacation.

The notice has already been written. Since all new students’ addresses have been issued, they will gather at Aken Island to take the exam during the winter break.

I had a lot of concerns about the test content. I was thinking of just asking them to find a marble like last year, but if the test content is too similar, second year students may leak the content. I felt like I needed to think more about this part.

“Hmm~ Anyway... we’re short on workers as expected.”

Assistant Professor Claire scratched her head and sighed.

“As expected... I think we should ask for additional manpower among the scholarship recipients. I guess the academic department will take care of this, right? These days... I have an image of being the youngest professor who is busy with work... so it feels like everyone is listening to my requests to come or not. “So...”

I know it’s not a very good thing, but it was just a waste of time crying.

Anyway, Assistant Assistant Anis, who takes full charge of the work immediately, is also very neat in handling the work, so all that is left is a student who can take on simple supervision tasks.

Assistant Professor Claire fell into the swamp of work again, hoping that a smart student would come.