Chapter 19
When Lucillea suddenly stopped walking, Cookie asked:
[What’s wrong, Lucy?]
‘…The Silent Grove?’
It stood out strangely. No—it wasn’t just noticeable, it felt unnatural, almost irritating.
Among all the reddish-brown books, one greenish book shone so obviously that she couldn’t understand how she hadn’t seen it earlier.
Lucillea, as if entranced, reached out and pulled it free.
“The Silent Grove: Memories of the Lost Forest.”
She frowned.
This was a bookshelf filled with books on the Empire’s systems and economy. Why would a book about nature be here?
Lucillea hurried back to her seat and carefully opened the first page.
Something felt uncanny.
Almost like she was waking something that had been asleep for a very long time.
**“Chapter 1. The World That Answered Us.
—Back then, we were not alone.
Even trees had names, and the passing wind carried warmth.
We asked them for directions, and they answered with the seasons.
Beings that resembled water and wind, fire and earth spoke to us, and we called them ‘spirits.’
Through communion that bloomed even before words, we lived together with them.”**
‘Spirits?!’
At once, May’s words about spirit-users came to mind.
“Long ago, there was a notorious… no, rather a genius spirit-user with an incredibly powerful gift.”
That odd bit of lore was now resurfacing here.
Lucillea pulled out the necklace she had tucked inside her clothes.
The peridot leaf glittered under the light of the library’s lamp.
“That spirit-user once decorated their magic wand with peridot, and after that, it became very popular among magicians and spirit-users for a time.”
Lucillea stared briefly at the World Tree–shaped pendant on the chain, then let it drop back down.
‘I thought it was just some old bedtime tale, like the ones grandmother used to tell…’
But did spirit-users really exist?
The fact that such a record was kept here in the Grand Duke’s library made it seem less like nonsense.
‘Spirits or spirit-users never appeared in the original story.’
That was because most of the plot revolved around Serdian, the male lead, and his aura, and Cynthia, the heroine, with her divine powers.
‘Sure, magicians popped up sometimes, but only fleetingly.’
Spirits, though…
Lucillea decided to keep reading.
From Chapter 2 onward, the tone shifted from mystical and peaceful to something very different.
**“Magicians with a strong affinity for nature became spirit-users. They served as mediators between spirits and humans.
But their happy companionship did not last long.
The waters dried up. Trees withered. Smiles faded, the wind fell silent, and the earth cracked.
The spirits began to disappear.
Then, one day—
The last spirit-user met their death.
And with that, the spirits vanished completely.”**
That was how the final chapter ended.
‘So once the spirits disappeared, spirit-users disappeared too.’
The last spirit-user…
Why had they been the last? After their death, why did the remaining spirits vanish as well?
The book gave no details. Only that their death was mourned.
‘Ugh, how unsatisfying…’
She had read it because she liked stories about nature and spirits, but the ending left her unsettled.
And the more she believed it might be true, the heavier that feeling became.
With a sigh, Lucillea closed the book.
That was when it happened.
Bzzzzzz—!
Her necklace suddenly began to vibrate.
‘Huh? What’s it doing?’
[Lucy! Your necklace is crying!]
‘That’s what I’m saying. It’s vibrating all of a sudden.’
As Lucillea stared down at it, the necklace shot up into the air.
Fwhoooosh—!
And she was yanked right along with it.
“Gah!”
She reached for it in shock, but the necklace dodged playfully, as if teasing her.
Then it dropped suddenly and smacked her on the head with a loud whack!
“Ow!”
Lucillea glared at it in disbelief.
‘W-wait. Did that thing just hit me?!’
[Lu-Lucy! It’s coming again!]
‘Eh?!’
Just as Cookie warned, the necklace flew up again—then came crashing down on her head.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
“Ow! Ow! Ugh!”
Lucillea had no choice but to endure the assault, her crown and forehead throbbing.
Finally, anger boiled over.
‘That’s it, you little…!’
Timing it carefully between blows, she lunged—
Snap!
‘Got you, you brat!’
She clutched the violently shaking necklace, rubbing her sore head with the other hand. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
‘Just wait. The second I get out of this library, I’m melting you down!’
Perhaps it heard her thoughts.
The vibration grew stronger, and once again it lifted into the air—dragging her with it.
‘Aaaah!’
[Wow! Lucy, you can fly too?!]
‘I’m being dragged, you idiot!’
At that moment—
“Eek!”
She screamed as the necklace carried her forward, slicing through the air.
“What the—what is this?!”
[Lucy!!]
Startled, Cookie flapped up after her while Lucillea was helplessly pulled along.
The necklace shot straight through the shelves, as if it already knew its destination.
The speed was so great that her hair and dress streamed behind her, books tumbling in their wake.
‘At this rate the library will be wrecked!’
More than the danger, Lucillea feared being kicked out of the Grand Duke’s house.
“May!” she cried.
Ah, right—May was waiting outside the door.
This library only allowed entry to librarians and those specially chosen by the elite order.
And the door was far away—May’s help was impossible.
Lucillea looked around desperately. No one was in sight.
“Is anyone here?!”
She even shouted loudly, but no answer came. The librarian she’d greeted earlier was nowhere to be found.
She tried letting go of the necklace—but…
‘It won’t come off!’
Her hand was frozen in place, as if glued to it.
Then—
[L-Lucy! A door! A doooor!]
‘What?!’
[Y-you’re gonna crash!!]
Cookie’s warning made her glance forward—just as a massive wooden door loomed rapidly closer.
‘We’re gonna hit it!’
Lucillea squeezed her eyes shut.
BOOOOM—!
There was a thunderous crash, and her body was flung away.
Silence fell.
But strangely… she didn’t feel pain.
In fact, it felt… warm.
‘Don’t tell me… I died again?’
She slowly opened her eyes.
It was still dark—until a sharp voice cut down from above.
“Are you insane?”
Startled, she lifted her head.
A familiar face came into view—
Black hair. Crimson eyes.
And an expression filled with thinly veiled irritation.
“…Huh? Serdian?”
“…”
Serdian scowled and all but dropped her to the floor.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
Lucillea stumbled, catching herself on a nearby shelf. Her legs still trembled.
‘From the looks of it… Serdian must’ve saved me…?’
Cookie, perched atop the shelf, piped up:
[That’s right! Just like a prince from a fairy tale, he swooped in, grabbed you tight, spun around, and saved you! I saw it, Lucy! I saw it all!]
Cookie twirled in the air, mimicking Serdian’s movements.
