< 93. Shoot for the dawn (6) >
#93
“…The third daughter of the Grancia family.”
“yes?”
Ronan frowned. For a moment she thought she had heard wrong. They said that if she was the third daughter of the Grancia family she was Schlieffen’s younger sister.
Suddenly the conversation between Schlieffen and Asher in the club building flashed through my mind. She said she had a younger brother who was a wizard who was training for her to enter Phileon. Was the Dawn Magic Tower where she received her training? Ronan tilted her head.
“Why does she do something like that because she lacks something?”
“I’m not sure about that…it really happened a little while ago.”
“What the fuck is going on?”
“Oh wait a minute!”
He ran away leaving Ayre behind. The murmur was getting louder. Before long people gathered in the center of the library came into view. Most of them were wizards wearing red robes.
“Oh my god Ms. Zion. Why do you do this…”
“This is nonsense. “I have to file a formal complaint with the Grancia family… ugh!”
“Let’s pass by.”
Ronan pushed past the talking wizards and headed forward. There was a little boy standing in the middle of the crowd. She was a young girl who looked to be only ten or eleven years old at most.
Her unkempt dark blue hair stood up in frizz. Her silky poofy nightgown had a simplified bear’s face embroidered on it.
“her.”
Ronan laughed when he saw the face of the girl named Shion. Even though they were siblings she looked so much like that. It was no exaggeration to say that she was just Schlieffen with her bright eyes and her long hair.
“Confess gently Sion Siniban de Grancia. Why did you try to commit arson in the Hall of Sacred Knowledge!”
“I told you this all along…! I don’t know anything… I woke up and suddenly I was in the library…!”
“Wasn’t it enough to try to shoot down another airship?”
“I really…really…!”
But her personality seemed very different. Her large eyes were watering. The voices of the wizards chasing her were getting louder.
“hmm?”
At that time Ronan smelled the familiar scent of roses and turned his head. Her Sword The girl with purple hair was glaring at her Shion with her arms crossed next to her own. Ronan tapped her shoulder.
“Erzebet.”
“Surprise Ronan?!”
Hergé Bet turned her head and her eyes widened. Funny enough even though they were right next to each other they didn’t notice each other. Her eyes were slightly swollen indicating that she too had jumped out of her sleep. Ronan asked shrugging his eyebrows.
“What exactly happened? “Do you know anything?”
“… The abominable Grancia has finally revealed her true colors.”
Erzsebet clicked her tongue. She continued her words with her eyes wide open. Ronan frowned at her after hearing her explain the situation.
“So… that rat-sized kid shot a fireball at the airship? “Just now she tried to set fire to the library?”
“yes. “I saw the comparison of magic waves a little while ago.”
I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak. It was only thirty minutes ago that something happened. A janitor discovered and stopped Shion dressed in pajamas from using fire magic in the library.
Naturally there was an uproar and the wizards curious as to what might happen compared her mana with the mana detected during the airship incident.
The results were surprisingly consistent. Shion who was arrested as a red-handed criminal denied both crimes saying she did not know about them. Erzsebet muttered through gritted teeth.
“I have to report this to the head of the family as soon as I return. “This is clearly an assassination attempt.”
“Do you think he was shooting at you?”
“There is no particular reason other than that. “It’s truly scandalous to drag a child like that into a fight.”
The voice seething with anger was cruel. Of course it was a situation that could have been misunderstood. In fact Grancia and Acalusia were enemies and in the past when their relationship was not as good as it is now they often sent assassins to each other.
‘Things are getting bigger.’
If we were not careful it could have developed into a problem that would shake the entire continent. Meanwhile the wizards’ questioning continued. Shion who was under constant pressure eventually burst into tears.
“Huh! “I didn’t really do it believe me!”
“You know this isn’t something you can get over by crying. “If you don’t properly explain the circumstances it will only put you at a further disadvantage!”
Nevertheless the wizards did not stop. In the first place he didn’t seem to have any intention of listening to anything Shion said. It’s not that I couldn’t understand his feelings but it wasn’t a very nice sight to see.
‘I don’t remember.’
Ronan recalled what happened in the Forbidden Library a little while ago. No matter how I looked it didn’t seem like Shion was lying. After observing the situation for a moment he parted the crowd and stepped forward.
“Let’s do this in moderation.”
“What are you doing?”
“It’s not a child. “You guys need to calm down a little.”
Ronan slowly approached Shion and stood in front of her. Shion who was sobbing with her head down looked up at him.
“Who are you…?”
“Huh they really look alike.”
It was surprising how cute he looked like that unlucky guy. Suddenly Ronan covered her ears with both hands. Shion’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing…? “Please let go!”
Sion stirred but Ronan did not loosen his hold on her. He opened his mouth looking around at the dumbfounded wizards.
“You guys are pooping in the wrong place. “It’s not this little boy that needs to be caught now.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“The books in the basement are controlling people. I almost fell over just now. “There is a high possibility that he was also harmed by those damn pieces of paper.”
“I can’t understand. Outsiders please leave out!”
Ronan sighed. It was not easy to persuade the angry wizards. It was the car where he tried to speak again.
“Stop.”
Suddenly a loud voice came from behind. Everyone at the scene turned their heads at the same time.
Aun Pilar was striding from the other side of the hallway. Beside him a contemplative Aire was following floating in the air.
“Tap owner?”
The wizards retreated in embarrassment. The rough mana that can only be seen when entering battle was blooming on his shoulders. After taking a quick look at the scene Aun Pilar opened his mouth.
“Everyone disperse. “Miss Zion is not guilty.”
“yes…?”
“However she may be manipulated again so please have two wizards of the 4th circle or higher serve as Miss Zion’s guardians and accompany her. “The details of the situation will be explained at an emergency meeting to be convened soon so please follow along without asking any questions.”
Aun Pillar instructed again. The wizards could not bear to refute the solemn tone reminiscent of a wartime situation and dispersed. He said looking at Ronan.
“And Ronan would you please accompany me for a moment? “I heard a brief explanation from the librarian but… I don’t know what’s going on.”
Aun Pilar’s face was more serious than ever. Ronan who took his hand off Sion’s ear nodded his head.
“It just worked out. “I also had something to ask.”
****
Sion Siniban de Grancia was given protection rather than detention or interrogation. Aun Pillar imposed a temporary lockdown on the library.
Ronan and Aun Pilar Aire headed straight to the entrance of the forbidden book area. Aun Phila who had been drooling all this time opened his mouth.
“…First of all thank you for rescuing Miss Parte. “The mental erosion is so advanced that it would have been dangerous if it had been a little later.”
“thank god.”
Parte was a missing person rescued by Ronan. Ronan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that he was safe. Aun Pilar asked back in a voice filled with anxiety.
“I just heard it… but I need to check it again. “Did you really find her in her forbidden area?”
“That’s right. “I was even attacked by a talking book.”
“How could something like that happen… could you explain the situation in detail?”
Ronan nodded. He started explaining the shitty incident that happened a while ago. He woke up from his sleep and accidentally saw a woman who had gone missing. He followed her and entered her forbidden area. A book that spoke to her mind and the fact that she was attacked by a woman controlled by the book. Aire who heard the story said she was shocked.
“It doesn’t make sense. I confirmed that there were no security issues until yesterday…! “Did you see any shields or alarm spells while passing through the passage?”
“There was nothing like that?”
Ronan shrugged his shoulders. The hallway which was dizzying like a maze was clearly empty. Ayre’s face turned pale. Aun Pillar twisted his lips.
“…It’s a big deal.”
The expression on his face was unusual. There was something in the forbidden book area that made even the 7th Circle wizard nervous. Ronan tilted his head.
“Is this really that serious?
“exactly. “There are beings in the forbidden book area that should not be allowed out.”
“That book called Vajra or something?”
“Even Bajura is dangerous. but….”
Aun Pillar trailed off his horse. No one spoke for a long time so only the sound of three people’s footsteps echoed in the library. In the end they arrived at the entrance to the Forbidden Library while maintaining silence.
“If you don’t want to talk say it later. “Let’s go in first.”
Ronan pulled out a book without hesitation. It was a book called ‘Stepping Back’ that opened the entrance. Ayre who saw the light movement as if she was opening her own door muttered as if she was amazed.
“…I guess I should switch to another book.”
The three people entered the bookshelf where the substance disappeared. After going down the long stairs for a while they eventually reached the maze-like forbidden book area. Ronan’s eyes widened.
“Huh?”
Dozens of thick mana shields were blocking the passage. The translucent membrane overlapped so much that it was impossible to see beyond the hallway.
Magic circles with boundary magic engraved on them were evenly engraved on the walls ceiling and floor. It was a magic that made a loud noise the moment you stepped on it or flew you somewhere else. Ire tilted her head.
“What are you okay?
“…This can’t be happening?”
It looked completely different from when Ronan came and went. If he hadn’t suffered from episodic dementia he definitely shouldn’t have had any defensive magic. The conversation I had with Aun Pilar at that time flashed in my mind.
‘no way…?’
He said that during the non-fair incident an invisible fireball appeared the moment he swung his sword. Widespread perception-impairing magic. Ronan’s sword strike that cuts through mana.
Ronan suddenly grabbed the hilt of his sword and swung his sword in the air. Suddenly! With the feeling of cutting through the wind the shape of the mana shield lined up in layers began to disperse like smoke. The two people’s eyes widened.
“This…!”
“also.”
The boundary magic circles also gradually disappeared. It seemed like it was some kind of illusion magic. Considering that neither Aire nor Aun Pillar noticed it was not an extremely powerful spell.
When I first came in it seemed like the magic had been lifted the moment I pulled out the La Mancha to light up the front. Ire covered his mouth with both hands.
“This doesn’t make any sense. Since when…!”
“Things don’t look very good.”
Ire nodded her head. The fact that the defense spell was lifted meant that the seals placed separately on particularly dangerous banned books were also likely to have been lifted. Ronan continued holding the hilt of his sword.
“It must have been done by the same guy who undermined people’s awareness back then right?”
“…I think so.”
“The fact that it has been activated again means that there is still a caster in this area. Damn it.”
Ronan cursed. There was definitely someone playing pranks around. Aun Phila who had been silent all along opened his mouth.
“…I have sinned against everyone.”
“What do you mean by that out of the blue?”
“I told you that there are beings that shouldn’t come out of the forbidden book area. “That is Tower Lord Lardan.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. What he wanted to ask was about the tower owner. I certainly didn’t expect Aun Pillar to speak first. Aire asked in a confused voice.
“Tap owner…what do you mean?”
“I’m sorry for deceiving you Ayre. “The owner of the tower has not left to practice.”
“then…?”
Aunpila closed his eyes tightly. A miserable voice came out from between his parted lips as if announcing the death of his parent or spouse.
“…Tapju was eaten by Vajra last winter.”
