Ch.35The Eve of the Storm (3)

# BANG!

Nia Ryan stared helplessly at the shattered glass bottle. Small glass fragments hit the barrier and fell to the ground with a clatter.

“Ugh, that was my third attempt!”

When she cried out in frustration, Isabella from the Alchemy Department sitting next to her snickered.

“Did you get enchanted by Dellin’s Fairy?”

“Maybe… that really might be it.”

Nia tugged at her platinum blonde hair. Her experiments hadn’t been going well since meeting Ruide earlier. Perhaps she’d talked too much while trying to show off? Nia wondered if she should postpone the experiment until tomorrow.

“I’m going to take a quick break.”

“Sure. Don’t push yourself too hard—”

“I know…”

Nia walked outside with her body slumped. Breathing in the fresh outdoor air instead of the stale laboratory air cleared her head somewhat.

Nia pressed her temples firmly with both index fingers.

“Something must be wrong with my head. Why am I making such basic mistakes… hmm.”

Nia Ryan.

Also known as the black sheep of the Ryan family.

Even excluding the fact that she was a mage from a knight family, her small stature was unusual for the typically tall Ryans.

But don’t be mistaken. Though her speech and appearance were childlike, Nia was quite clever.

She simply acted childish because it offered many advantages.

In reality, her inner thoughts were much darker and gloomier. But that wasn’t the persona that suited her. This was Nia Ryan’s survival strategy.

Recently, she’d been experiencing a peculiar feeling. She’d met someone her “mask” didn’t work on.

That person was Ruide Christopher Windsor, a fellow—though genuinely young—person.

“No, no. I shouldn’t feel this way. He’s a Windsor… a fairy lord.”

Nia shook her head vigorously to erase her momentarily darkened expression.

The emotion Nia felt toward Ruide wasn’t interest or curiosity.

It was envy. He clearly didn’t have what most would consider a good personality. Unlike other nobles who were reluctant to show their true selves, he fully displayed his emotions and acted as he pleased.

Yet nobody at the Academy disliked him. Rather, everyone regarded him with affection. Why? Nia thought it was because of his overwhelming background that no one dared challenge.

The Windsor family gave orders rather than taking them—

Unlike her situation where even a slightly negative reputation would be troublesome, his freedom created a unique atmosphere that worked in his favor.

‘I want… to live like that too. Without worrying about others’ opinions, being honest.’

Though Nia had such thoughts, she knew there was a huge gap between them.

Because of this, Nia felt stress building up. And when stressed, Nia always resorted to her not-so-great coping mechanism.

“Is there anything fun to do?”

Finding something to satisfy her interest. In these moments, Nia didn’t care about anyone’s opinion.

Occasional pranks were a charming child’s prerogative. Everyone had allowed her that much so far.

“Why not? This is a place everyone should be able to use!”

“It’s the Magic Standing Committee’s decision. Are you defying an Expert’s words?”

“M-Magic Standing Committee?”

“It was passed unanimously by all 24 Experts. Commons and below are not allowed to use the Every Library.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Damn it, Lady Ovillion. Could you stop shouting? My ears hurt.”

‘That person…’

Nia recalled something that had caught her interest a few days ago.

‘She asked for help, didn’t she? Said she was going to occupy the library.’

A lovely child who stands up for commoners out of compassion! Nia had accepted while imagining this.

She’d completely forgotten about it after meeting Ruide—

“You’ll regret this. I’ll make you regret it! This was your final warning!”

‘But Ovillion…?’

Catherine had indeed come asking for help, but Nia hadn’t known her name. Could she really be from the famous Ovillion family?

Nia scratched her head and was about to turn back. It looked interesting, but she didn’t want to side with an Ovillion. Weren’t they a filthy black mage family?

But at that moment, a brilliant idea struck her.

‘Ovillion… black magic… black mage’s minion?’

—Is that a chimera made from the Flower of Adrane? Eek! Get rid of it quickly. It looks just like a black mage’s familiar.

A few days ago, an experimental subject made from the Flower of Adrane.

Isabella had advised her to dispose of it quickly, saying it looked like something a black mage would create and could lead to disciplinary action.

So Nia had no choice but to dispose of experimental subject 005.

‘When my experiment failed earlier, the magical amplification suddenly increased significantly. What if I combined that with this?’

Nia stroked her chin, a pose she often made when magical inspiration struck.

‘I won’t know until I try, but it should be extremely powerful. What if I release it in the library?’

Nia’s eyes widened.

Her brain worked rapidly, imagining various scenarios.

Who would people think released the chimera?

Most likely, they’d think it was Lady Ovillion who did it out of resentment toward the Experts, wouldn’t they?

‘Oh, this could be fun.’

The risk was quite high, but pranks were more fun when they were a little dangerous.

Nia ran back to the research lab with a bright smile. Time was tight if she wanted to execute her plan.

It seemed this prank would be—a bit larger in scale than usual.

**

“Why did you look for me, Ruide Christopher?”

Damon crossed his legs with an annoyed expression. He smirked at the fox sitting on Ruide’s shoulder.

“A fitting pet for you. It appears small and docile at first glance, but inside lies a talent for ferocious violence.”

‘Did he recognize it?’

Ruide took a fresh look at Damon. Perhaps reading his gaze, Damon spoke with displeasure.

“Don’t be impertinent. Do I look like such a fool that I couldn’t even recognize that much?”

“Yes.”

“…Still an audacious fellow.”

“I was joking.”

“I knew that. My rival wouldn’t say such things.”

Ruide genuinely wondered where that confidence came from.

“You maintain quite a domineering attitude, Prince Damon.”

“You’re calling me prince too? That title disappeared long ago, so drop it.”

Damon waved his hand dismissively. Hersy spoke with a blank expression.

“I thought our families had been in contact for three years. Were we that close?”

“A day is enough to make a friend.”

“Is it the same for courting women?”

Damon raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“…Sophia’s dormitory isn’t over there. Leaving someone you’re engaged to—”

Damon clicked his tongue and looked at Ruide.

“Women are truly troublesome, don’t you think? The arrogant delusion that one woman could possess a man like me.”

Hersy stood up and shouted.

“Don’t teach Ruide strange things!”

“…Our Ruide?”

Damon looked back and forth between Ruide and Hersy, then raised the corner of his mouth.

“Your relationship seems to have progressed quite a bit. Congratulations, Hersy. You’ve gained a connection you couldn’t obtain even if you were reborn a hundred times.”

Ruide listened to the conversation with a languid expression and thought.

‘Ah, this won’t work.’

The protagonist in novels grows quickly through trials.

Since Hersy, the original trial, was out of the picture, he needed to find a new villain.

That way, even if he just lounged around, Justin would take care of all the annoying tasks…

But this trial seemed too harsh.

Thinking about it, if Damon became the villain, was there any way to deal with him?

Unlike Hersy, Damon didn’t hesitate to abuse his power. Sometimes he even did things the Emperor wouldn’t do.

“Anyway, let’s get to the point. You have some favor to ask of me, don’t you?”

Damon continued.

“It’s true that an impudent commoner caused trouble—but it’s also true that I unintentionally ruined your presentation. Speak. I’ll personally listen.”

“That part is fine. I got a different compensation.”

Damon frowned.

“I’m the one who ruined the presentation, so why are you getting compensation from someone else? Unacceptable.”

“…Then grant me one request.”

“Of course!”

Damon slammed the table with a bang.

“Say anything. In the name of Damon Kairos, I’ll grant whatever it is!”

‘…He’s really strange.’

As Damon’s face came closer, Ruide pulled his chin back in disgust. Hersy protected Ruide with her body.

Seeing Hersy glaring at him, Damon sat back down.

Ruide spoke.

“Just… keep doing what you’re doing.”

“What?”

Ruide turned his head away, feeling oddly guilty.

“Keep… causing trouble like you are now. Especially to commoners.”

“Hmm, I understand. You want me to torment commoners?”

“…I didn’t say it like that.”

“I know, Ruide. You may look proper, but no one hates commoners as much as you do.”

“I keep telling you that’s not it…”

“I’ll make their lives miserable. It’s my specialty, so don’t worry.”

Before Ruide could say anything more, Damon stood up and trudged away.

Ruide’s eyes met Hersy’s.

“That’s impressive.”

“It really is.”

**

Originally, Ruide had planned to ask Damon to be the library’s caretaker for a while.

The librarian, “Isabella Crimson,” was scheduled to be sick that day, so they would need a substitute.

But he gave up on the idea.

Instead of helping Justin grow, Damon might permanently break one of his limbs—

Above all, Damon was far too unpredictable.

Better to just let Justin target Damon on his own.

Anyway, he still needed a final boss to provide trials for Justin.

‘Should I use the fox?’

Ruide looked at Miho. If he could control its strength, it might provide an appropriate trial, but he didn’t want to reveal its existence.

‘…Or should I do it myself?’

Wouldn’t that be too unbalanced?

Since Ruide was possessing someone, he was inevitably inexperienced.

Controlling his power was too difficult. Plus, this library contained too many rare items.

If he caused trouble here, wouldn’t the chancellor cry?

Ruide was a dutiful boy who knew how to respect the elderly.

Most importantly, it would be troublesome.

So what remained was…

“Hersy.”

Only the original villain from the story.

“Mandrake is actually expensive.”

“…What?”

“You need to earn your keep, right? Do me one favor.”

Hersy was momentarily flustered but nodded obediently.

“Even without the mandrake, if it’s Ruide’s request… what is it?”

He was reluctant to entrust this to Hersy.

But not as reluctant as doing it himself.

Most importantly, delegating work to others is the best.

“You, be the final boss.”

‘I should prepare popcorn in advance.’

After delegating to Hersy, he would hide in some corner and watch.

Ruide smiled contentedly.