On the day the exam results were announced, after class had ended, Luna walked to the library alone.

Before joining the student council, she and Rudy had gone to the library together almost every day.

Now that they were apart, the empty space felt more pronounced.

"Rudy... Is he alright?"

Rudy hadn't managed to secure the top spot this time.

Luna knew him as a friend who was entirely focused on his studies, never shifting his attention elsewhere.

He must have wanted the top seat badly.

"His expression wasn't good."

Rudy usually didn't have much variation in his facial expressions.

However, today was different.

His usually sharp gaze seemed slightly blurred, and the corners of his mouth twitched.

It was a complicated expression, difficult to describe.

He was undoubtedly upset.

On the other hand, Luna's grades had improved significantly.

She had achieved good results, studying daily with Rudy.

Although she was happy about her improvement, she felt guilty.

Rudy had been supporting her tuition fees and giving her an allowance, in exchange for her research.

Yet, she hadn't been of any help.

"…You idiot! What's the point of just studying?!"

Luna roughly ruffled her hair.

She had conducted other research while preparing for exams, but she hadn't achieved any significant results.

She hadn't even managed to create the magic circle Rudy had requested.

Instead, Rudy had asked Professor Cromwell questions and provided her with various pieces of information, which helped her greatly.

"Ah…"

Professor Mcguire had given her a deadline, but Rudy hadn't.

It was because he trusted her.

He believed in her potential.

She didn't want to betray that trust.

There wasn't much Luna could do for Rudy now.

She didn't think any words from her would comfort him.

The only thing she could do was show him the results of her research.

To distract him from his thoughts by presenting him with fascinating research.

She believed that was the best way she could comfort him.

Now that midterms were over, she had plenty of time.

Rika and Ena had invited her to a restaurant near the Academy tomorrow.

But she wouldn't go anywhere unless she produced research results!

Luna made a firm resolution.

Midterms were over, and classes had ended early, so she had plenty of time for research.

"I'll…focus on my research!!"

A little later…

"Ugh…"

Luna lay sprawled across the library desk.

Beside her were stacks of books and papers.

They were evidence of her efforts.

"Is this not it either…"

Luna flipped through the research papers.

"Sigh… Should I start from the beginning again…"

Luna began skimming through the books once more.

She had already discarded three or four research projects.

Some of the research was beyond her abilities, while others were fundamentally flawed.

"Now, I don't even know where to begin…"

She had already read the beginner magic books several times.

However, these fields had already been thoroughly researched, and Luna couldn't see any room for further study.

So, she focused on intermediate magic circles.

Even someone who could only use basic magic could cast more advanced spells with a well-drawn magic circle and scrolls.

But it was much more difficult.

"There are no more books to read..."

The library had countless books, but the number of books related to her specialities and level of understanding was limited.

That's when Luna's eyes fell on the grimoire given to her by her benefactor.

"...Can I understand it now?"

When she first saw it, she had no idea what the contents were about.

However, a lot has changed since then.

She could now slowly read the magic circles related to intermediate magic.

-Open the grimoire when you can handle it properly.

Suddenly, she recalled the letter from the person who gave her the grimoire.

But she still didn't understand the meaning of those words.

When she first read those words, she was scared.

She thought something strange might happen if she opened the grimoire.

One day, out of curiosity, she couldn't resist opening it.

But nothing happened.

She just couldn't understand the contents.

Luna took out the grimoire after a long time.

For a moment, she stared at the cover and pondered.

"What's the harm?"

Luna opened the grimoire.

She started flipping through the pages, scanning them one by one.

She could understand some of the contents, but most of it was still unknown to her.

"Ugh..."

There were even parts she couldn't read at all.

"It's difficult..."

As she continued flipping through, Luna came across an eye-catching magic circle.

"...A square."

It was a square magic circle, just like the one she first drew.

"Did I come up with that magic circle after seeing this...?"

She never knew there was such a magic circle in the grimoire before.

But looking at the magic circle, she felt disappointed.

Rudy had praised her for coming up with a brilliant idea, but it wasn't that brilliant after all.

Perhaps the magic circle she saw as a child unconsciously remained in her mind, allowing her to create it.

"Was it just...good luck...?"

Luna stroked the square magic circle with her hand.

It was undoubtedly the same square magic circle, but she couldn't read it at all.

A high-level magic circle.

If only I could use such a magic circle...

Wouldn't it help Rudy too?

"Huh...?"

As she had that thought, the magic circle began to emit a bright light.

"What's this...?"

Luna's mana drained from her body.

-Crackling...!

"Ah..."

As the spark burst, her vision blurred.

-Kwaaaaaang!!!

Then, strong winds and flames erupted from Luna's body.

***

"Luna...!"

Flames erupted from the library.

They didn't seem to have spread outside.

I rushed straight to the library.

It had to be Luna.

She had said she would study in the library today.

But something was off.

The scale of the flames wasn't what I had seen in the game.

Had the incident been delayed?

Come to think of it, the magic I saw last time was strange too.

When I tried to use magic on Locke, it seemed more powerful than I expected.

I was able to use magic at a level similar to his.

Of course, I didn't delve deep into a single attribute, so the power of each spell was weaker.

Even so, I was still among the stronger students.

"Luna's level in magic must be higher higher than in the game."

This wasn't good.

Luna had been able to avoid punishment in the game because the situation was small.

Though there were many books in the library, protection magic had prevented any damage, and the incident had occurred late at night without casualties.

There had been no significant damage, so she could avoid punishment.

But now, the situation was serious.

As I approached, many people were watching the scene in front of the library.

The student council members were preventing people from getting too close, and a familiar face was at the forefront.

"Astina, senior."

Astina turned around upon hearing my voice.

She had arrived before me, despite being further away.

It seemed like she had used magic to get here.

"Rudy"

Astina looked back at the library.

"The fire isn't too strong. It doesn't seem like the library itself is burning."

Astina roughly explained the situation.

She was right.

Luna's mana wouldn't be enough to burn down the entire library.

The protected library couldn't burn that easily.

Astina began to move her mana.

"I'll put out the fire."

As Astina reached out to use magic, I grabbed her wrist.

"You can't."

"What?"

Astina looked at me, her expression full of confusion.

-Thud!

"Look! Someone's coming out!"

Hearing someone's shout, I turned my gaze to the library door.

As the door opened, someone stumbled out.

"Ugh..."

Astina and I rushed over to the person.

Upon seeing their face, it was the librarian in charge of the library.

"Are you alright?"

I asked, and they gave a slight nod.

"Is there anyone else inside?"

"I...I was the only librarian... But... Luna, the student..."

"Luna? Luna Railer?"

Astina asked the librarian, who nodded.

"Yes... I saw that student studying earlier, but I haven't seen her since..."

"Oh, if it's Luna, she's fine. She was with me just a moment ago."

"What?"

Astina and the librarian looked at me.

"Ah... you're the friend who's always with Luna... In that case, there's no one left inside the library."

The librarian sighed in relief.

However, Astina wasn't convinced and stared at me intently.

"One of the student council members! Please take this person to the infirmary."

"Yes!"

Upon my shout, someone came and escorted the librarian away.

"Rudy Astria, didn't you show up just now?"

Astina asked me with a face full of suspicion.

I told her the truth.

"Luna is inside."

We started conversing in hushed tones, so no one around could hear.

"But why did you say she was somewhere else?"

"Luna started the fire."

"What? The fire? Luna Railer can only use beginner-level magic, right?"

Astina looked at the flames consuming the library.

It wasn't a fire that Luna could have caused.

However, there was a possible explanation.

"It's a mana explosion. It happened due to mental corruption from dark magic."

A mana explosion is a common symptom when using dark magic improperly.

All the mana within the body is expelled outward.

However, pure mana cannot be expelled, so all the spells the body can use are cast haphazardly.

And since she loses consciousness in the process, she can't control the magic that surges out of their body.

"How do you know this?"

Astina looked at me incredulously.

"I'll explain everything later. For now, we can't extinguish the fire immediately. If we do, the student council will enter the library to assess the situation, and we won't be able to save Luna."

"You're worried about Luna Railer being punished?"

"That's part of it, and there are other complications as well."

If such a fire occurred, they would thoroughly investigate the interior, and traces of Luna causing the incident would be left behind.

Those traces needed to be erased.

There were several other reasons, but explaining them now would only waste time.

It was crucial to act quickly.

"I'll go inside."

"What?"

Astina frowned at my words.

"What are you going to do by going in? It's better if I go."

"No. Astina, you just need to make sure no one enters. It's dangerous for a student to put out the fire, so we'll wait for the faculty to arrive."

Honestly, no student other than Astina could put out this fire.

Third-year students usually spend their first semester interning elsewhere.

So, there was no one at the academy capable of extinguishing this fire now.

Professors and teaching assistants were likely out celebrating since exams had ended.

Waiting for them would buy enough time.

"Can't we use your title as the student council president to make it happen?"

"It might be possible to stall until the faculty arrives, but you're the problem. Even if you're exceptional, isn't it difficult to handle a mana explosion?"

Astina was right.

But I had to do it.

"I'll give it a try."

If I run out of time, it's a failure.

If I fail, Luna's spellbook will be confiscated, and she'll be punished.

Considering the current situation, it wouldn't be a minor punishment.

A severe penalty, like suspension, was possible.

The spellbook was important, but I didn't want Luna to suffer such punishment.

Luna was my first friend since coming to this place.

She had been friendly to me even when everyone else pointed fingers and insulted me.

I didn't want her to suffer.

With that thought in mind, I made up my mind.

It was better to try than to waste time here pondering.

"I'll go in right away."

"Eh~ Where are you going by yourself?"

Rie appeared through the gap between the disciplinary committee members that had formed a blockade.

They tried to stop her, but Locke, who was behind Rie, stopped them.

"I'm from the student council. She is as well."

Upon hearing Locke's words, the committee members looked to Astina for confirmation.

"That's right. You don't have to stop them."

With Astina's permission, they let Rie and Locke pass.

"Can you do it by yourself~?"

I wondered what Rie was talking about.

We had only whispered our conversation and hadn't shown any actions.

Seeing my puzzled expression, Astina spoke up.

"She probably knows our conversation, so it's fine."

"…What?"

I was confused.

"Rie can handle both wind spirits and wind attribute magic, so she can hear almost any sound even from a distance."

She could hear… our entire conversation?

This ability wasn't mentioned in the game.

I knew she had a special ability to handle both magic and spirits, but I didn't know she could use it like this.

"I knew about all your actions because she told me."

"Princess Rie… informed you?"

What's the relationship between Princess Rie and Astina?

I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I quickly regained my composure.

I don't have time for this.

"So, Princess Rie, you're going to help me?"

"Yes~ I'll help you. You mean going in there, right? Where Locke is... huh?"

I grabbed Rie's wrist while she was speaking and headed toward the library.

There was no time for idle chatter.

Still, it was fortunate that Rie was willing to help.

"Wait? No, no. I'll help, but Locke is the one who should go in─."

"Quiet. Follow me quickly."

Since I was in a hurry, I dragged Rie along and briskly walked toward the library.

"No. Listen to my conditions first......"

"Tell me whatever you want."

"Well, first of all, stop using formal speech......"

As Princess Rie was being dragged by me, she continued to speak.

"Fine, I'll speak casually. Hurry up. We're running out of time. I'll listen to your conditions once everything's done."

As I kept ignoring her words and pulling her along, Rie dropped her cheeky attitude.

"Hey! I'm not going in there, okay? I'm a princess! What if I get hurt going in there?!"

Rie complained with annoyance.

"I won't make you do anything dangerous. Just follow me quickly. I need your help, not his."

"Lo, Locke!!! Locke!! Stop him!"

As I continued to pull her without hesitation, Rie stuttered and searched for Locke.

Locke then approached me.

I looked at Locke and said,

"Hey, you've wronged me before, haven't you?"

It was the time when he had insulted me.

Locke stopped in his tracks.

"I haven't received an apology for that yet. I won't make a fuss about it, so just stay put. It would be even better if you could prevent others from entering here."

Locke's expression tightened.

He was that kind of guy.

Since he made a mistake with me, he would at least do one favor for me, no matter what Rie says.

"…Understood."

"Wha, what, what? Hey! Follow my order! Hey!"

"I apologize."

Locke bowed 90 degrees to Rie.

"Hey!!!!!!!!!!!"

"He won't be of any help if he goes in there. Just follow me obediently."

With that, I took the screaming Rie into the library.

***

4/4 for the week! I want to re-edit the novel before any advance chaps it'll be another week.

Enjoy the chappy!