Chapter 10
On the day I promised to go to the secret room with Isolet.
Since I had applied for cleaning duty, I had to stay in the library after all lectures ended.
Rustle, rustle.
I turn the pages with my fingers. My gaze is fixed on the sentences, unwavering.
Sitting at the table with a straight posture, I quietly read through the book.
'This is surprisingly worthwhile.'
Although it's called cleaning duty, I can't just clean mindlessly.
When there are users, cleaning is meaningless as it gets messy again, and it can also lead to complaints about noise.
Therefore, until closing time, I can focus on reading too. Thanks to this, I can study for written exams, which is great.
Well, it's not like I'm completely idle either.
─Sigh. This is difficult.
─If you cast a spell once, it takes more mana to cast it again. This is called cooldown...
─Damn. Who's already borrowed it?
Noises heard from various parts of the library.
Tiny mutters, whispered conversations, even the rustling of clothes.
Not a single sound escapes my ears.
My hearing is extremely heightened.
'I need to stop any trouble in the library.'
Maintaining silence is the duty of a library committee member. As it's volunteer work, I should perform it diligently.
For this reason, I've made my sight and hearing work separately.
This is also a form of training.
'There's no harm in sharpening my senses.'
The body is both an asset and a weapon.
Since sensory organs are my lifeline, the more I train them, the better.
It's a time where I gain a lot in various ways.
─Oppa. Are we really going to do it here?
─Don't worry. This attic is well soundproofed. No one will know.
─But still... Aahn.
Of course, there are times when interruptions like this occur.
"Sigh."
Tap.
I gently close the book.
I was about to close it roughly out of irritation but held back. As a library committee member, I should set an example.
Those brats should learn from this.
There are attic rooms in Olympia's library.
These attic rooms are designed to be soundproof so that one can focus solely on studying.
It's so difficult to detect any presence that even if someone falls asleep while studying, no one would know.
Some even deliberately use it as a sleeping room.
Anyway, the problem is that there are scoundrels who engage in intimate acts instead of studying as they should.
Thud, thud.
I stand in front of the attic room where I heard the conversation.
Even though I'm deliberately making footsteps, the rustling of clothes doesn't stop.
I have no choice. I have to intervene.
Slide!
"W-What!"
"Kyaaa!"
The couple who were about to expose themselves by unbuttoning freeze.
Seeing them look at me with shocked faces, I said one thing.
"This is a library. Please maintain silence."
"W-What..."
They must have felt my contemptuous gaze.
The male student, who looked like a 4th year, flared up in anger.
"Who are you? In front of a senior far above you..."
"Senior or not, don't engage in obscene acts here. Aren't you ashamed in front of your juniors?"
"Eek..."
They try to retort with reddened faces, but.
"......"
As I glare at them without saying a word, they gradually avoid my gaze.
It's a sad habit of mages.
'Good students are weak to this kind of thing.'
When someone a bit stronger intimidates them, those who only wield pens tend to get scared.
Having recently started exercising, Herak's body is incomparable to other Magic Department students.
In the end, the 4th year senior grabbed his lover's hand and ran away.
"Damn it. We'll see about this."
"Oppa, let's go together!"
'Tsk tsk.'
That gentleman leaves in an unsightly manner even as he goes.
I sigh once and enter the attic room.
I was going to clean later, but this place seems urgent.
"Oh?"
Just as I was about to clean the attic room.
Someone called out to me.
"Herak. What are you doing here?"
"Hm?"
I stop wiping and turn my head.
There stood Penel with wide eyes and.
"......"
Berry, slightly peeking from beside her.
"I heard some commotion earlier and came to check... Are you cleaning?"
"I'm on the library committee. I'm on cleaning duty today."
"Ufufu. I didn't expect there to be someone who voluntarily does cleaning duty. How surprising."
Her elegant laugh with her finger to her lips is quite graceful.
As expected of a duke's daughter. It's probably her influence that makes Penel speak like an older sister.
Come to think of it, it's a strange thing.
'I remember Berry wasn't a noble.'
They're friends, but their social status is worlds apart.
How did Berry, a commoner, become close to Penel?
In < Song of Sword and Magic >, Berry was an extra character, so it was unknown.
"But what brings you here? Coming all the way to the library."
"Ah, that? Umm─."
Penel trailed off.
Her awkward expression suggests she's reluctant to answer.
Berry, who was beside her, added:
"We were studying magic. To prepare for the Inter-year Exchange Competition."
"Oh my, Berry. Why did you say that?"
"Penel, get it together. We need to improve our skills as quickly as possible, we should grab any lifeline we can."
Pat, pat.
Berry enters the attic room.
She sits down quietly next to me as I'm wiping. With a serious expression, she whispers:
"Can you help Penel?"
"What?"
"I'm asking if you can teach her some magic."
...Is it trendy these days to get taught by a loser?
Not reading my expression, she spilled her thoughts.
"In this Inter-year Exchange Competition, Penel must win. No, even if she can't win, she needs to show a good performance."
"Berry. You shouldn't say such things..."
"You know too, Herak. How Penel is treated in the Magic Department. Those shitty remarks about how Apollon will win anyway."
The evaluation scores for the Inter-year Exchange Competition depend on how good a performance one shows.
Even if you don't actually win, if you fight well in a matchup where you're outclassed, you can get a good score.
Therefore, if you can 'reverse the previous record against an opponent', that also creates a possibility of winning.
In simple terms.
In the battle between the top students of the 2nd year Knight and Magic Departments, Apollon is overwhelmingly leading.
They want to overcome that in this opportunity.
"...Penel needs help to reverse the evaluation that she can never beat Apollon. Not just improving her skills, but something special."
"Well, I understand what you're saying... But why are you looking to me for this?"
"You completed the [Introduction to Elementology] assignment, right? I don't know how you did it, but you must have had some secret technique... Can't you share it?"
So that's what this is about.
'Geez.'
I understood why Berry, who usually pestered me, was making this request.
It seems she was deeply impressed by my boulder-breaking demonstration in [ Introduction to Elementology ].
'I didn't really have any special thoughts about it.'
I didn't deliberately use an amazing technique.
If I had to say, I might acquire a similar technique from this hidden piece, but at least at that time, it was purely my body's ability.
It certainly wasn't magic.
"......"
"Umm. Herak? Don't worry too much about it. Berry just spoke out of concern. Berry, you shouldn't suddenly..."
As Berry and I exchange silent glances.
Penel is saying something, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.
I thought about how to answer, but in the end, this seems to be the most appropriate:
"I can't teach you magic."
"...Why?"
"Because it's impossible."
"...!"
Berry's eyes flare up.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, taking it as an insult to Penel─
"But don't worry. I can make sure Apollon doesn't win."
"What? How?"
"I'll win."
"...?"
Berry tilts her head.
Penel behind her was the same.
Both women looked like they had heard something absurd.
"...You're joking, right?"
"If it sounds like a lie, just wait and see."
I move my hands again.
As I'm spraying water and wiping with the cloth, Berry speaks haltingly.
"How, how can you be so sure? How can you promise that?"
"My life."
"...!"
"I bet my life on winning. So stop worrying and sleep easy."
I didn't say it with any particular intention.
If I don't win the Inter-year Exchange Competition, I'll be expelled, and if I'm expelled, I'll leave the academy, and then I'll die.
Since I'm destined to die if I fail anyway, I just said I'm betting my life on winning.
...However, neither Berry nor Penel can easily open their mouths.
It carried that much weight.
'Life.'
The weight of the price a man has put on the line aiming for victory.
...Or perhaps, put on the line for a woman who said he must win.
"Herak. That's..."
Flush─
Penel's cheeks turn bright red.
Such determination in this situation. No matter how you hear it, it can't help but sound meaningful.
Berry suddenly rubbed her forehead.
"...If you say it like that here, there's nothing left to say."
"I didn't say it expecting anything though."
"That's even more of a problem... Sigh, just look at Penel. She's completely smitten."
Berry, who was looking at her friend behind her with displeasure.
In the end, she also put her own stake on the line.
"Fine. Then I'll promise too, if you win. I won't stop you from being close to Penel."
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Hmph. Don't bother refusing. I'm saying I'll turn a blind eye to what you do."
...No, I didn't particularly want a reward, so why is she drinking kimchi soup on her own?
Even as I look at Berry with a dumbfounded face, she just glares at me with a resentful expression.
...What's really going on here?
***
Night fell.
After closing time, all users had left.
As I was focusing on cleaning alone, just as I was about to finish, I heard someone at the door.
Click.
When I opened the door, a woman entered from the other side.
"...Hello, senior."
"Hey."
Silver hair shining brightly in the dim darkness.
Isolet smiled softly at me.
"You really did volunteer work. I'm surprised."
"You suggested it, didn't you?"
"Of course, but honestly, I didn't expect you to do it so readily..."
I step forward, leaving Isolet behind.
Heading towards the deepest part of the library.
To the bookshelves filled with books that are rarely touched by students, almost for storage.
"Do you already know where the entrance to the secret room is?"
"I looked around a bit before you came. Then I found it."
"That's amazing. As expected of you, senior."
...It's troublesome even if you praise me like that. I'm just following what was shown in the original work.
Thud, thud.
Finally, we arrived at our destination.
The huge bookshelf reaching the ceiling is filled with countless books, making it look difficult to push recklessly.
"Hmm... I heard we need to push the bookshelf, but it doesn't look easy."
"There's a trick to it."
I reach out and grab the fourth shelf from the bottom of the bookcase.
Feeling around there, I find a round magic stone.
"This is it."
Press─
The moment I press it, there's a reaction.
Rumble...
With a heavy noise, a gap opens between the previously seamless bookshelves.
It's really amazing even as I watch. There wasn't even a pinhole before, but now a space is forming.
Is this what they call magic?
"I believed in you, senior."
"Yeah, yeah."
What on earth does Isolet think of me?
Isn't she trusting me more than her Knight Department seniors?
...Rumble.
Finally, the bookshelf fully opened.
As the cliff of books that filled our vision disappeared, what we saw before us was pitch-black darkness.
It was so dark that we couldn't even see a foot in front of us, let alone know where to go.
"How should we enter?"
"Just go inside and stand still for a moment."
The method of entering the secret room.
Enter that darkness and stand on the floor.
Then the floor will gently sink and take you down.
It's easier to think of it as an elevator without walls.
"That's amazing. Did you hear about that in rumors too?"
"Um... Let's go with that."
I vaguely deflect and step inside.
A pitch-black darkness where even the five senses become blurry.
Perhaps slightly nervous, I took Isolet's hand as she walked in slowly.
"Here."
"...Thank you."
Her faintly smiling face is like a picture.
As expected of a protagonist. She's pretty indeed.
"Just stay like this."
How many minutes did Isolet and I stand on the floor?
Finally, with a whirr─ sound of magic stones activating.
The elevator carrying Isolet and me began to descend.
It's time to get the hidden piece.