Chapter 78: The Third Day of the Festival (VII).
Analissa grits her teeth angrily after finding out about the crown prince's erotic painting collections of her just casually being in his walls.
Lord Ein sighs in disappointment, knowing that it was in her right to feel that way and regrets not telling her friend about this sooner. "Have you... calmed down?"
"Hah... yeah, I am grateful for you telling me about this, worry not. I won't do anything irrational, in fact I don't think I have much of a choice but to ignore and try to sleep knowing that the crown prince has erotic materials on me." The heroine decides to drop that subject down, besides she can't really be surprised it would be in the crown prince's nature to have that kind of possession.
It just feels both insulting and disgusting.
'I really want to burn his whole room but that would only lead not only me but others in trouble, especially if the crown prince thinks it's Lady Evelyn's fault.' She could do what she can, which is making sure that Lady Evelyn would not be the target of his evil deeds. The code of being a horrible love interest is still there. 'But for Lord Ein.'
Analissa turns her head to face the blue haired boy.
Lord Ein could only offer the blonde girl an apologetic smile and promise to help in any trouble that may arise in the future. "By the way, now that you know what Lady Alarie's feelings are, if you ever need any help I'll be here to lend you some aid. After all, we're friends now aren't we?"
Analissa blinks in thought, Lord Ein has changed and even until now she doesn't know the reason how he suddenly just became 'normal'. Perhaps if he finds out what made the masochist snap out of whatever coded trance he's in, she could do the same to the crown prince and the other love interests.
"I appreciate it, Lord Ein but I don't think I'll be needing your help any time soon when it comes to Lady Evelyn. I like the way we are now, and besides I was told that if I ever pursue this kind of love I'll only end up hurting her... and they're right." The person who gave her such insight was the villainess' maid Liara. They had a conversation from before that if she ever pursues her master they'll be in a lot of trouble. "I'm not from any noble family, I don't have much influence nor wealth to be proud of... I guess the only thing I have is this light magic that's gotten me this far into the academy."
"Miss Analissa, you are exactly what that girl needs. I know her well enough that wealth and noble status doesn't bother her so. Ever since we were children, I have rarely seen her smile and if she did it was merely for politeness." (Lord Ein) remembers the time when they were children, oh how hard she was to impress and how cold she is to anyone that doesn't matter to her.
A person who is very hard to open.
"But when I look at the two of you, she looks the happiest she's ever been. She's recently become a lot easier to approach, I say it's all thanks to you."
The villainess... has finally found love.
"O-Oh..."
Suppose that's why Lord Ein wanted for the two of them to be together, making these silly scenarios for them... just helping them be fruitful of their love.
But the heroine is unsure on how to move accordingly. This... is not in the game. Originally every otome game has a choice, she has the choice to restart if she made a mistake on everything. She could quit, save and load.
But now that Lady Evelyn is somehow becoming a new love interest... how can she tread even more carefully so as not to hurt her? Or raise any red flags that would lead to her doom?
Lord Ein could see that his words were not making Analissa happy; she even looked troubled by the thought. "But what you said before was right, my meddling has hurt you not only that I've betrayed your trust. I promise to never do it again. Or if I'm going to do something, I'll let you know beforehand now that you're aware of Lady Alarie's feelings."
"Not helping your case." She pats his arm teasingly and the anger that she had before him slowly goes away looking at the top of his head, where the injury took place. "Still, thanks Lord Ein. You make it hard to stay mad at you, you've already done a lot for me so just treat me to a meal when we get out of here as your apology."
"It will be a lavish one." He already plans on reserving a good table on one of the finest high class restaurants near the academy but Analissa shakes her head, anything fancy makes her nervous.
"No need for a lavish meal, we can just hang out in the city with the others. The expensive places make me nervous, I don't know how to erm... eat and dine with proper manners yet I don't want to embarrass myself I hope you understand." The Japanese streamer prefers eating with chopsticks instead if she's being honest and the whole time she was in this world she was lacking one thing that her people loved the most.
Rice, sushi, miso, ramen, natto... augh! So many more! Not to mention the cheap convenience store foods that's usually on sale that she can just order via app or the nearest walk to a konbini 8/12.
'Now that I think about it, I really miss my home country's food. I wonder if they have any Japanese food around in this world. I know one of the elven tribes was inspired by eastern culture.' (Analissa) ponders as he listens to Lord Ein talk.
"If that is the case, I have made a new friend while you two were having your date. I would like to invite her when we hang out together." He thought of Lady Harriot Yates, one of his recent comrades that would understand the thing he's trying to protect.
Their OTP.
The one true pairing that should be together.
She's one of a kind girl, not only that she is fun to be around with but she also proved to be useful. He still has to compensate her for treating him into a meal after he lost his allowance money in bribing the fourth year students in giving a reserved marriage for the two love birds.
"That's good for you! Making a new friend. You know it's my first time ever experiencing a school festival, everyone from the first years to the fourth has been nice-" She recalls all of the experience she had with the villainess, from the maid cafe, the cute expressions she made when getting scared of the poorly acting ghosts and most of all the marriage booth-
Ding!
"Ah! You little rascal-! I just realized!"
"W-What?"
Analissa glared at him once more, her eyes sharp with indignation. No one should dare underestimate how smart Japanese people are!
"You bribed those fourth years into giving us a wedding at the last booth!" She accused, pointing a finger at him, her voice laced with disbelief.
He froze, caught off guard by her sudden accusation. "...I don't know what you're talking about." His expression remained unreadable, but the slight twitch in his eye gave him away.
Analissa wasn't buying it. Her posture shifted, growing more confident as she leaned in closer, challenging him with her gaze. "Oh really? You expect me to believe that? I thought no more secrets, Lord Einsel Loucrat?"
Lord Ein was scared that she used his full first name and apologized. "Agh! Sorry! But you two were so cute together in that altar! I couldn't help it! What- as if you didn't enjoy it!"
The heroine stops and looked away to hide her flushed cheeks, "No- I didn't enjoy it."
The two argued as the light orb guided their way deeper into the hidden archives, its faint glow flickering against the dust-covered shelves that lined the walls.
Once the topic of the wedding booth settled, Lord Ein gathered the courage to ask what she was doing in a place like this. "What are you in here for, anyway? I'm surprised you knew that the hidden archives existed, this place has been forgotten by the academy and it only existed in legends. I don't even think the student council or anyone knows how to access the hidden archives."
"A-Ah! About that, I just... accidentally arranged a bookshelf in some weird order and was surprised to find a big door just ta-da! Revealing itself to me with a really erm..." (Analissa) stumbled over her words, clearly caught off guard by his sudden question. Right, Lord Ein just followed her inside on a whim of course he'll get curious on why she sneaked in the hidden archives.
He gave her a pointed look, arms crossed, clearly not buying the stammering excuse. "You managed to input the code on the first try? And I thought there would be no more secrets between us."
"Urk... Alright. I'll be telling you some of the truth," She began, her voice steadying as she spoke. "I know an ancient weapon is being kept here. I heard it from one of the... professors, who accidentally slipped it out."
It wasn't really one of the professors but just someone in her chat giving clues and guides on some of the easter eggs that could unlock other potential endings, not like she can say that so might as well blame it on one of the professors.
"I thought it was just a myth or some silly gossip at first, but curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to research on my own." Her gaze softened for a moment, but determination quickly took over. "It's supposed to be hidden, of course, but I couldn't pass up the chance. This is one of the only times the library would be empty, and the hidden archives would reveal itself. I need that wand of light!"
Lord Ein raised an eyebrow at the mention of the wand, his expression unreadable but clearly intrigued. "The wand of light, huh? I didn't realize you were after something so... important. But you do realize it could be dangerous, right? I understand why you're doing all of this then, it would only be compatible with you and the current saintess. After all, you two are the only light users that exist in the kingdom. I figured the wand would be lost."
"Why would it be lost?"
"Didn't you know? The wand of light was owned by the very first light magic user and it's been passed down from generation to generation, but due to some circumstances with a powerful demon general it was lost nowhere to be seen. I never thought it would be in the academy, the hidden archives no less." Lord Ein's eyes gleamed with a mix of curiosity and excitement as he stepped a little closer, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. He's never bored whenever the heroine is by his side. "If you find it, you'll find it to be useful in our second year. That's where the wands will really be used. I'll be afraid of your progress by then, you'll be a beast with such a powerful item in your hands."
A wand of light in her hands! What other fun things she'll do with it is just exciting to see! Their year at the academy won't be boring with her around!
Analissa's fingers tightened around the orb of light, her grip almost instinctive as the gravity of the conversation settled in. "Mm, oh right- the current saintess that we have now was bought off from another kingdom, right?"
Lord Ein's gaze softened for a fraction of a second, before he straightened, his eyes hardening with resolve. He took a step closer to her, lowering his voice. "Almost more than a decade ago, yes, we didn't know when we'll get another light magic user until you. This is why the royal family isn't so inclined on having you fill in that position yet, but don't lower your guard down. I'm sure they still have their eyes on you one way or another."
The silence between them stretched as they walked side by side, the only sound being the soft shuffle of their footsteps on the ancient stone floor. The orb of light floated ahead of them, its gentle glow casting long shadows on the walls as they ventured deeper into the hidden archives. The atmosphere felt heavy, almost sacred, as if they were trespassing into a realm that had been untouched by time.
"..."
"..."
Neither of them spoke, the quiet filled only with the soft rustling of their clothes and the steady pace of their heavy footsteps. Lord Ein's expression was unreadable, yet his curiosity was palpable.
Analissa, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a growing sense of anticipation, the weight of what they were about to uncover pressing on her chest.
As they reached the end of the hall, the air seemed to shift. It was subtle at first- a faint hum in the atmosphere, a subtle change in the air pressure. But as they approached the final archway, they both stopped, eyes widening as the space before them revealed itself. The narrow stone passageway opened up into a vast, breathtaking scene.
What they had expected to find was an ancient library, full of dusty books and forgotten scrolls. But what lay before them was far beyond their wildest imaginations.
"Ugh...! What the-!?"
A living, breathing magical forest stretched out, its canopy high above, formed of shimmering branches that glittered like silver.
"Whoah!"
The air was thick with the scent of fresh moss and wildflowers, a stark contrast to the musty scent of the academy's corridors. Crystals of various sizes grew from the ground like plants, glowing softly in hues of blue, purple, and green, casting a mystical light that danced off the surrounding trees. The forest was alive with subtle movement- leaves rustling in an unseen breeze, tiny sparks of magic flickering in the air like fireflies.
It was as if they had stepped into an entirely different world.
Birds flew into the distance.
Analissa gasped in awe, her hand instinctively reaching out toward a nearby crystal that seemed to hum with energy and mana.
"This... this is the hidden archives?" Her voice trembled, caught between wonder and disbelief.
In the game... It feels so different compared to the splash art when unlocking this scene.
Everything here... is real.
Lord Ein stood frozen for a moment, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a rare look of astonishment. His eyes scanned the vast expanse before them, taking in the vibrant, living magic surrounding them. "I never imagined this... It's like we've stepped into another realm entirely."
The soft glow of the crystals bathed them both in light, casting eerie yet beautiful reflections on their faces. The sound of distant water trickling echoed through the air, and the faint sound of magical creatures- something between whispers and song drifted through the forest.
Neither of them could speak for a moment, the grandeur of the sight before them leaving them breathless. The hidden archives of the academy- what they had thought to be just a repository of knowledge was, in fact, an entire magical world, alive with untapped power.
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