Chapter 3: Spring Palace (part three)

The tour of the garden ended pleasantly.

Ann was very happy.

She looked very surprised at the improved flowers in Aurelia and enjoyed the tour.

I remembered to return to the gardener on my way back to bundle the flowers Ann had picked up and have her room decorated with them.

She will be pleased when she gets to her room.

As I was about to return to my room before the dinner party began, I came across a surprising scene.

“…Haah, not yet, another round…!!”

“This in an embarrassment. Aren’t you already out of breath, Klaus? I’m already hungry, so let’s stop this here…”

It seems that Klaus and my older brother Eduart have been sparring in the courtyard of the palace.

Klaus has a staff which is used by the mages of the East, while Eduart-oniisama has a wand which is used by the alchemists of the West.

Apparently, Eduart-oniisama is winning.

As expected of Onii-sama.

No, wait, your sparring partner is a child so go easy on him, you 20-years-old man.

The lawn of the courtyard has been hollowed out, no way~

“Oh, Erica. How was it on your side?”

Eduart-oniisama came over with a look like ‘I’m saved’ when he found me.

I saw Klaus tremble in surprise as he heard Eduart-oniisama’s voice……

I guess he didn’t want anyone to see the scene of him being thoroughly defeated like that.

“Well, Ann-sama was very pleased. Have the two of you been bonding with each other?”

“Aah, Klaus-kun said he wanted to try my strength. Well, he’s very good. I was defending against him.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

I was hoping for your continued humility.

It is better for you to be careful as exaggerating humility feels unpleasant to see, Onii-sama.

Perhaps he invalidated all aggressive magic Klaus sent at him with a calm face?

“Tch……!”

See, the trembling Klaus has turned red.

In the first place, in this spar Klaus was in a disadvantage, if you think about it.

Basically, mages far outperform alchemists with their degrees of freedom and variation of spells.

However, the physical and mental burden is correspondingly high.

That is because mages generate the spell that they construct within their own body to perform magic.

Things like inexperienced body and an unstable mind will obstruct everything.

Conversely, the magic composed by evoking a strong emotion becomes enormously powerful.

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Alchemists first come up with a spell construction, then store instances of that spell using all sorts of materials by charging them with magical power.

Afterwards, they reform and release this magic as necessary.

Neither physical condition nor mental health is relevant.

The question is whether or not they prepared for the situation properly.

As a result, between the alchemist Eduart who stored items sufficiently, against the mage Klaus who did not complete his physical maturity, it would not even be a match.

By the way, I, Erica am an inferior student who was rarely found in the Aurelia family in recent years.

The fatal thing is, I can’t construct spells nor store them anywhere using magical power.

I can barely use the items created by other alchemists.

Actually, that can be done by any human, even if they aren’t alchemists…but…hahaha.

Harsh!

Right now I am under the patronage of my father and older brother, but what will happen when I enter the academy!?

Apart from that.

“Both of you, the dinner party will start soon. Isn’t it better to use the time to prepare?”

I passed on my calm brother who was not sweating and looked at Klaus’ body.

“That’s why, Klaus-kun. This game is a draw, so time out.”

“…Tch, I will not lose next time…”

“Oh, that’s right. I was called by my friend from school a few days ago. After dinner party I will be returning to Lindis Magic Academy.”

“What did you say……!?”

“Well, I’m sorry. Klaus-kun.”

This is my first time hearing that my older brother will return to Lindis Magic Academy tonight.

I guess Eduart-oniisama used this chance to flee from Klaus.

“That’s so sudden, isn’t it possible to stay, at least while the Hafan’s people are here?”

“This is urgent. Make friends with Klaus-kun for my part too, Erica.”

“Eh……? Alright.”

And then Eduart-oniisama left.

Klaus and I were left behind.

This is awkward.

I glanced at Klaus and caught him scowling at me openly.

As I smiled while thinking about what to do, he scowled at me even more.

“……I apologize for saying something rude before.”

He stopped scowling at me and was just looking at me with honest eyes.

“It’s fine, Klaus-sama.”

“It seems that I was originally weak even before I caught the weakness from the others.”

Klaus looks like a dejected puppy.

Eduart-oniisama, just what did you do……?

“You are the sister of that man. You must be a refined alchemist.”

“No, I have no alchemy talent at all.”

“……Do you guys like to humble yourselves like that?”

Aah, after Eduart-oniisama’s exaggerating humility, it will look suspicious.

“No, it’s true. Unfortunately, the magical power required for spells and magic gets obstructed inside my body.”

“……! I see, I’m sorry to hear that.”

Even in Aurelia this kind of constitution is considered a bit severe, but in Hafan this is quite a fatal constitution.

Suddenly, Klaus’ eyes that were looking at me turned sympathetic.

Reflecting on this, I was seriously concerned about my future.

Surely the Erica in the original game would have been distorted by her own inferiority complex in this area.

“But, ah……don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s a problem, I feel a trace of strange magic around you. If that is not your own magical power, I wonder what generates that magic?”

Oops, what is it?

“Oh my, I have not noticed anything at all.”

Of course, I also have items with defense magic.

However, this is the home of Aurelia family.

There is no need to use such magic in my home ground.

“That’s concerning. Sorry, can I come a little bit closer?”

“Eh? Yes, it’s alright.”

Klaus said so and came close to me.

He began to look at me closely.

“Hmm……”

Does he understand something?

As expected of someone who would be a versatile mage in the future.

“I understand, it comes from your chest. Are you holding some special ornaments with magical power?”

Aah, you mean that–!

The star crystal necklace I got from my brother.

“I got this from my older brother this morning. I didn’t know that such powerful magic was embedded within.”

I couldn’t show this to Ann, but since it is just Klaus there shouldn’t be any problem.

Having said that, I pulled out my necklace from under my dress.

Right now it is evening.

Blue light from the star crystal is overflowing in the dim surroundings.

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“……Beautiful. So this is the famous Aurelia’s star light……”

“This is a good luck charm for me to make friends.”

I thought it was just on the level of a good luck charm, but it seems that it seriously fascinates other people?

Klaus is staring at me as if he is fascinated.

“This isn’t your brother’s magic. On the contrary, this is a type of magic that even I don’t know. It doesn’t belong to Hafan or to Aurelia.”

“Well, I heard that this was found in the Ruins of Visitor. It may be some kind of ancient magic.”

“Ruins of Visitor, huh.”

Oh no, something went wrong.

Somehow the fact that the keyword itself came out, it feels like a prelude for bad things to happen.

“But, why didn’t Eduart-oniisama notice the magic inside this stone?”

“I also thought that it’s just my imagination since the magic is very faint. But, magic that even I don’t know, this is quite rare.”

This is Klaus who is an excellent mage.

He probably noticed it since he was using Glam Sight1 that could visually sense traces of magic.

Magic of Hafan’s mages activate automatically even subconsciously.

Unfortunately, we, western alchemists can’t respond to unexpected events.

It is no wonder that Eduart-oniisama didn’t notice this.

Even so, Klaus is surprisingly someone who has great ambition, huh~?

Although he has not entered the magic academy, he has covered the eastern and western magic.

“It’s amazing that you noticed that, Klaus-sama.”

“Naturally. This is the result of training to my utmost every day.”

I felt that Klaus’ eyes were glittering.

Talented people are curious and greedy about their favorite field.

“I also want to go to the ruins. Erica, will you show me the way?”

–This flow, I only have bad feelings about this.

Somehow my death flag seems to have been raised.

In the game, Ann was possessed by the evil spirit in the Ruins of Visitor.

If Klaus goes to the ruins instead of Ann, Klaus will be possessed by evil spirit, and then he will curse me~~!!

“That’s impossible. Because that is a dangerous place.”

“Wasn’t it possible for Eduart to go there without problems? Or, do you think it’s impossible for me?”

Oh no, I triggered a strange sense of rivalry in him!

I guess I will hurt his pride if I say that is the truth.

What should I do?

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1 I changed Gram Sight into Glam Sight. I think it makes more sense. Thank you for the suggestion, HFZ!