Volume Six: What She Lost and What I Gained Chapter 520: A Sudden Ending and a New Protagonist
"So, in order to save our wallets, I've decided to become an idol!"
That's what I said.
Haoyue looked at me like I was an idiot.
"... Xiao Ye, are you serious? Don't you know I've never sung in tune?"
"You can practice! Besides, idolizing the main character is an inevitable trend, not to mention you can become famous! Don't you think so, Xiao Wu... Xiao Wu?"
There was no response.
Xiao Wu, who usually always makes sarcastic remarks, didn't respond at all.
"... Xiao Wu?"
Suddenly, I smelled blood.
A chill suddenly ran down my back.
"Xiao Wu!?"
I turned around immediately and saw everything.
Xiao Wu lay on the ground, covered in blood, as if her skin had been peeled off. My face was reflected in her lifeless eyes.
Sin Annihilation, Little Ying, the Sick Spider, and Givinia were in the same state—no, even worse. Their bodies had been reduced to bloody, mangled pieces, with countless rusty barbed wires tightly wrapped around them, creating an indescribably grotesque and disgusting sight.
They are dead.
Before I could even begin to wonder "why this happened," "who did it," or "how they did it," the fact that my comrades were dead had already pierced my heart.
"How... how... Bright Moon?"
When they turned back, Haoyue was also lying on the ground, a silent corpse. Her death was extremely distorted, as if all the bones in her body had been crushed.
A figure so familiar stood beside her, its white hair stained with blood, its one murky gray eye fixed on me.
"Where is Yu Suo...?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ye."
He tilted his head and revealed a sinister smile.
"I'm so sorry for this sudden, but... I'm fed up. It's best to end your story quickly."
What are you saying?
Pfft!!!
A sharp pain pierced my chest, and countless barbed wires burst from my heart. My vision instantly turned blood red, then rapidly plunged into darkness.
"Nailed it."
Yusuo Zai wiped the blood from his face and spoke to someone in the darkness.
A young man of about twenty years old emerged from the darkness. He was of average height, dressed in ordinary clothes, and neither handsome nor ugly. He looked at the corpses on the ground and nodded with satisfaction.
"Thank you for your hard work, [your location]."
"It's not hard work. After all, it's the author's request, so of course I'll handle it actively."
"Not bad, not bad. I like men like you who know how to handle things. We should do more business together in the future."
"It's my honor, but why do you suddenly want them dead?"
"Do you even need to ask? I've really had enough of them! Every single day it's just writing about their own petty squabbles. Give other people a chance!"
"You mean... no way, you're going to change the main character?"
"Not only the protagonist, but the 'superpower' setting also needs to be changed! The world view needs to be changed too! The 'gender-swapped into a girl' setting, which is fine no matter what, is completely abolished! Okay, let's begin the new story!"
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Close your eyes.
You can hear the chirping of insects.
That is a message from the microscopic world to nature.
It is ancient and long-standing, yet few people pay attention to it.
Simply because they are too insignificant.
Are insects weak creatures?
My answer is "yes".
However--
Why did this happen...?
The three brown-haired men were speechless, the three women with the same hair color covered their faces and wept, the red-haired girl collapsed to the ground, the blue-haired youth clenched his teeth, and Nirilis also opened her mouth wide.
The morning sunlight streamed into the hall through the floor-to-ceiling windows, its rays fragmented by the window bars and the trees outside, resembling shattered gold leaf. In the center of the hall, a small, semi-congealed Blood Pool gleamed eerily in the fragmented sunlight.
At the center of the Blood Pool stood a burly man with short, dark brown hair, whose imposing physique alone exuded boundless majesty. But this very man—the biological father of Nirilis and her siblings—lay flat on the ground, his expression ferocious, his eyes closed, his body covered in blood, already a corpse.
The most bizarre thing was that there was a large, bloody hole in his chest, completely empty; his heart had been ripped out by someone.
A chilling atmosphere permeated the air, with everyone expressing their shock and fear in their own way.
"Who... did this?!..."
The incident happened yesterday --
"So, here is the breakdown of magic crystal production for this week."
"Thank you for your hard work, Third Miss."
"Please double-check if my statistics are correct."
"Not at all, we have complete faith in your abilities. In all this time, when have you ever made a mistake, whether it's a big or small matter?"
"That's settled then, to save some trouble. It'll be a three-day holiday starting today. I hope everyone has a good time."
"Thank you, Miss Third!"
In the dimly lit mine, the miners, led by their captain, gave Nirilis a simple bow. Although she knew it was just a formality, she still felt a little strange seeing these burly men bowing to her.
"Then, Miss, let me see you out."
"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer. Thank you for your trouble."
Guided by the lantern-bearing mining captain, Nirilis and he slowly walked through the dark mine tunnels toward the outside.
After the two men were some distance away, the miners, who had been behaving somewhat respectably just moments before, suddenly sat down on the ground with a "whoosh," took off their vests to fan themselves, and the crowded, dark space was immediately filled with the stench of sweat.
"Oh, finally, it's time for vacation!"
"My wife and kids are probably getting impatient."
"Why is this project taking so long?"
Who knows?
Once the team leader and the "Third Miss" they were talking about left, everyone relaxed a bit.
"I must say, this third young lady is really dedicated... She's out here in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of rough men like us, and she hasn't uttered a single complaint."
"Maybe she just doesn't show it in front of us; she's probably fed up with it all along. After all, she's a noblewoman."
"Who knows? Even if that's the case, it's commendable enough that a nobleman's son doesn't put on airs in front of us."
"But why was such a young and beautiful girl assigned to this run-down place as a statistician? She's supposed to be a noble lady!"
"He's not favored by the Patriarch."
"I really don't know what that old man, the Patriarch, is thinking... She's well-educated, reasonable, mature, and never makes mistakes. How come such a good girl isn't well-liked?"
"Who knows! But if the Patriarch intends to make his descendants suffer a bit... hehe, why not send the Fourth Miss instead?"
A miner suddenly gave a disgusting, perverted smile, looking like he was having lewd thoughts.
"Fourth Miss? She's the apple of the Patriarch's eye! How could she possibly come to this godforsaken place?"
"But if I could meet them up close... hehehehe, I'd be willing to keep myself busy for an extra month."
"You pervert!"
"The men who covet the Fourth Miss's beauty could line up outside the city; how could it be your turn?"
"Look at what you're saying, as if the Fourth Miss is some kind of seductive and alluring woman. I saw her once from afar, and her aura was truly otherworldly! Unlike the Third Miss..."
"The third young lady is quite nice too; she's both gentle and beautiful."
"But... it just doesn't interest me."
"Yes, I'm not interested."
"Can't get it up."
"What are you saying! Keep your voices down! It won't be good if someone hears you!"
"That's enough for now. I'll walk the rest of the way myself."
"But Miss..."
"It's alright, there are no wild beasts or bandits along this road, and the other servants must be getting impatient."
"Then please excuse me, Third Miss."
"Okay, goodbye."
I caught the smugness of no longer needing to escort someone, the anticipation of the holiday, and the slight worry that something might have happened to the young lady at home and he would be blamed—all these emotions were in his eyes. He bowed to me and hurried back.
I was all alone on the mountain path.
"Call..."
I took off the thick-soled boots I had prepared for going down into the mine and held them in my hand, then stood barefoot on the ground. The slightly damp soil, the soft wild grass, the small pebbles mixed in with the soil—all these tactile sensations traveled through the nerves in my feet to my brain. I liked this feeling.
"Um?"
A new sensation came over me; something crawled from the ground onto my foot. It was small, soft, sticky, and a little ticklish. I knew what it was; it was something I knew all too well.
Looking down, I saw a foreign object on my pale, smooth foot. It was grayish-white, soft, and had a small foot. It was quietly wriggling on my foot.
It's a common worm.
Although it is a small but tenacious creature, if it continues to stay on my feet like this, I might accidentally step on it and kill it.
Bring some up--
As I thought this, the worm trembled slightly, as if it had received some kind of signal. It crawled shakily across my foot, around my ankle, and finally onto my calf. It didn't dare to go any further, probably because it was shy.
After standing there for a while, I put my thick-soled boots back on, since the road ahead wasn't easy to walk on, and I didn't want my feet to get blisters.
There are two roads leading from the mining area to the outside world: one is the main road built for transporting ore, and the other is the mountain path I'm walking on now. Crossing mountain streams and passing through thickets, the temperature here is a bit chilly, but I feel quite comfortable. Taking walks in undeveloped mountains or forests and feeling the breath of nature is one of my few hobbies. With just a little concentration, I can sense the tiny lives hiding among the grass and leaves.
"Come out..."
As I softly called out, the insects hidden in the shadows emerged quickly and in an orderly fashion. There were common insects such as caterpillars, worms, moths, butterflies, flies, and ants, as well as a few that barely reached the threshold of the lowest-level magical beasts, such as fire needle bees and false butterflies. These insects were usually either timid, ferocious, or peaceful, but now they all moved around me in an orderly fashion. Flying insects danced within a two-meter radius, while crawling insects moved back and forth within the same area, like guards.
This is certainly not the result of my domestication, although it would be easy for me to do it if I wanted to.
Innate magic, insect magic.
Communicating with and manipulating lower-level insects is the most basic skill.
Of course, just imagine how a woman would scream in terror if she saw a caterpillar crawling on her favorite clothes, and you'll know this is hardly a welcome magic trick.
In fact, decades ago, insect magic and its various branches were classified as "black magic," and were not only unpopular, but even private research was not allowed. It wasn't until later, when the old magicians of the Sky-Reaching Tower carefully reviewed the magic that had been designated as black magic and redefined it, that many spells, including insect magic, were unbanned.
If I had been born a hundred years earlier, I probably wouldn't have been able to freely use my talents. In fact, even now, it's best not to use them casually. Although many so-called black magics have been exonerated, they are still not well-received because people's impressions of them have been so long established. In order to distinguish them from magics that were originally white magic, they have even been given the strange title of "gray magic."
This is indeed unfair, because some people's innate magic is these dark and gray magics, and all sorts of prohibitions and prejudices prevent these people from fully utilizing their talents, ultimately leading to their unfulfilled potential.
The world is vast, and the types of magic are numerous. Over countless years, various magical systems have merged and intertwined, like the roots of an old tree, inseparable. This makes it extremely difficult to classify or define a precise magical system; to this day, no one has been able to provide a reasonable classification method. The simplest classification is "white magic" and "black magic." To laymen who don't understand the underlying principles, magic that feels "normal" is white magic, and magic that makes them uncomfortable is black magic. It sounds ridiculous, but it is precisely because of this that the distinction between black and white magic exists.
Elemental magic other than darkness, some beast taming techniques, less eerie barriers, divination, and so on are all considered white magic, while dark elemental magic, human sacrifice, corpse magic, soul manipulation, and other such miscellaneous things are considered black magic.
It was so simplistic and crude that it left people speechless.
However, it has been proven that black magic is indeed far more harmful than white magic. If abused, it can even cause the collapse of existing social order and severely damage nature. Furthermore, those who specialize in black magic are ultimately a minority. Long ago, a massive movement was launched, killing and arresting black magicians, controlling and banning all books related to black magic, and destroying all societies led by black magicians. This ancient movement, which lasted for hundreds of years, is known as the "Great Purge." Thanks to it, almost all magicians now practice white magic, ensuring social stability and maintaining order.
Magic is the crystallization of human wisdom. The most primitive magic was derived by ancient magicians from nature, from the orbits of planets, from the growth of all things, and from the depths of their hearts.
In modern times, while the types and systems of magic are difficult to categorize systematically, the education and advancement of magic have long been systematized. Children are tested for aptitude to become magicians after reaching a certain age. If they are qualified, they become magic apprentices, learning the basics of magic. Passing examinations, they become novice magicians, then intermediate magicians, advanced magicians, grand magicians, sorcerers, great sorcerers, sages, great sages, and even legendary figures like the Archmage, Demon Emperor, and God of Magic...
As for me?
I'm sorry, I'm just a magic apprentice and haven't taken the beginner magician exam.
A seventeen-year-old magic apprentice—if I came from a poor family, this might be considered average; but as a member of a noble family with fiefdoms, manpower, and abundant resources, it's really a bit unacceptable.
"Ah... we're almost there, everyone should head back now."
The insects obediently left my side. Now, a long downhill slope appeared before me, and from the top, I could see the scenery of Falling Moon Valley. Although I was only on the edge, the valley covered in green was still quite magnificent.
Considering the physical limitations, the noble family of Zerah naturally wouldn't allow their members to traverse the valley on foot, hence the existence of the cable car. This toy, suspended from the cable, resembles a carriage, but much smaller. Both the carriage and the cable are covered with intricate runes and magic circles, and there's a small slot. I took out a high-purity magic crystal and inserted it into the slot; the runes and magic circles immediately glowed, and the rumbling cable car carried me across the valley. Although I'm used to it, I still can't help but marvel at its convenience every time I ride it. No wonder the kingdom has been so actively encouraging the training of magic craftsmen in recent years.
A region in the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Aaron, including the Al Mountains, the Sunset Valley, vast farmlands and pastures, and the ten thousand households residing in Al City on the Sunset Plain, was entirely under the jurisdiction of the Zerah family. The Zerah family's ancestors were great contributors to the founding king, and after the establishment of the kingdom, they were naturally ennobled as high nobles and granted land. Although this territory was relatively remote, it was vast, rich in resources, and its agriculture and mining industries were very prosperous, bringing the Zerah family immeasurable wealth. In fact, a considerable portion of the military provisions and mineral resources in the national treasury were contributed by the Zerah family, demonstrating their significant status.
I am honored to be a member of this family, Nirilis Zelach.
She was the third of four sisters of the same generation and was usually called "Third Miss" by the servants.
Zelach's mansion--
This luxurious estate, nestled against the Al Mountains and facing the Sunset Plains, is the home of us, the direct descendants. There are no other residents around the mansion. Standing in front of the gate, one can see lush green meadows and a smooth road leading straight to the gate. The simple yet pleasant scenery perfectly matches the Zerah family's motto of "noble but not extravagant".
I entered through the side gate of the courtyard wall instead of the main gate, firstly because it was closer, and secondly because I don't like to attract attention. Inside the courtyard wall, directly opposite the side gate, are several small nurseries where some rare herbs are grown. It is said that this side gate was originally set up to facilitate the entry and exit of herbalists.
But there are no herbalists here now, and only a handful of gardeners and florists, who are tidying up their tools and chatting quietly.
"Ah, Miss Third, you're back."
One of the gardeners noticed me passing by, looked up and greeted me. The other gardeners, seeing that someone had already greeted me, didn't look up again.
"Yes, things at the mine are all done."
"You've worked hard."
"You should all get some rest for the next three days."
Thank you for your concern.
The brief exchange ended abruptly. I continued on my way, and he lowered his head, ignoring me.
"There's no need to be so formal when you see the Third Miss in this house; just be casual." This was common knowledge among the servants and guards. To put it kindly, it meant the relationship between master and servant was harmonious; to put it bluntly, it meant the servants didn't respect their master.
It doesn't matter.
I am generally a quiet person.
"Oh, right, Third Miss."
"What's wrong?"
It's really strange that he called me back again.
"That... Fourth Miss is up ahead, playing with her... guards."
"Oh, thanks for reminding me."
The garden behind the mansion was lush with flowers and fragrant grass, meticulously tended by countless gardeners and florists.
Eight robust men stood in a circle, each exceptionally handsome, dressed rather provocatively, their muscle definition clearly visible, their leather pants so tight that the outlines of their limbs were clearly discernible.
Surrounded by them in the center was a young girl a year younger than me. She had long, light brown hair, a pretty and charming face, and a pair of bright, youthful eyes. Compared to other girls her age, she had a more curvaceous figure. Probably eight out of ten people would fall in love with her at first sight.
She has received more than a dozen accolades, including "Pearl of Al," "Star of Zerah," "Peerless Beauty," and "Heaven's Chosen One." Her charm as a woman completely overshadows all the ladies and young women in the Al region and even other noble fiefdoms. Even the most arrogant young talents would be captivated by her and rush to fawn over her. The men who consider her their dream lover could line up from here all the way outside Al City.
In fact, she is the apple of the eye of the current head of the Zelach family, my sister, the sixteen-year-old fourth young lady, Lilian Zelach.
She was now lounging lazily in a wicker chair, enjoying the evening breeze and the service of her handsome male servants.
"Little Yi, give me some snacks."
The handsome leading man immediately served up exquisite delicacies as if by magic.
"Waiter, give me some wine."
The second handsome man hurriedly offered him a glass of fine wine, his eyes filled with infatuation.
"Hey mistress, massage my feet."
The third handsome man was shocked. He could hardly believe that he had received such an honor. The other handsome men were looking at him as if he were their father's killer.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up!"
"Ah, yes, yes!"
Number Three immediately knelt down respectfully, took off her gorgeous sandals inlaid with gold and silver, carefully picked up her fair, jade-like feet, and gently massaged them.
Lilian glanced at Number Three, enjoying the pleasure of being served, and suddenly felt a mischievous urge.
"Hello, Number Three..."
"Hmm? What are your orders?"
"Would you like to serve me in bed tonight?"
Pfft—everyone almost burst out laughing, and Number Three was especially excited. He never expected to be so lucky; he would actually have to go to the temple to pray after returning to his hometown.
"Hey, um, sister!"
At this point, the skinny boy who had been blocked by the handsome men finally couldn't stand it anymore.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, my lovely Nia ~ I completely forgot you're jealous~"
As she spoke, Lilian's alluring eyes glanced at Nia's crotch, and the youngest son of the Zerah family immediately blushed and fell silent.
Nia Zerah, the youngest son of the Zerah family, is not very capable or opinionated, and always obeys his fourth sister Lilian, whom he relies on the most. He has a rather frail appearance and a thin build, but even so, he has a strength.
Judging from the size that even his loose trousers couldn't conceal, this young man, though unremarkable in appearance, possessed great potential.
So he was honored to be chosen as his older sister Lilian's exclusive sex partner.
Their relationship wasn't exactly a secret. Although they were severely punished by the Patriarch when it was accidentally exposed, the Patriarch —our father—ultimately joined in keeping it a secret. After all, if such a scandal got out, it wouldn't just be a matter of embarrassment. So, after the storm had passed, Lilian would still secretly be intimate with her obedient daughter, Nia, behind her father's back. Her servants and guards kept their mouths shut.
After teasing her male lover and younger brother, Lilian's languid eyes swept over the surrounding flowers—and then she spotted a random passerby.
"Oh...?"
A fox-like smile appeared on her face.
"Oh my! Isn't this Third Sister? What a rare guest!"
They were discovered after all.
"... Ah, hello Lilian, I was just passing through, please don't mind."
"Hey~~ Can I pass by?"
She sat up from the recliner, circled me, and gave me an uncomfortable look.
"Look at your clothes... Did you just come out of the mine? They're really awful!"
"Indeed..."
She's right. As a statistician, I have to go down into the mine to supervise. Naturally, I have to wear work clothes when I go down the mine, and those drab gray jumpsuits and thick-soled shoes are hardly attractive, even if you try to flatter me.
"You look tired~ Look, you're still covered in dirt. Did you come back without showering?"
Yes, that's right.
That was true. Outside the mine, there was a makeshift bathroom built with spring water, where the miners washed up. Although the men weren't particularly interested in me, it wasn't a good look for a young woman to bathe with a group of strong men, so I only washed my face with the stream on the way back, and the rest of me was still covered in dust.
"Tsk tsk, you already reek of insects, and with the smell of dirt on top of that, I don't even dare to come near you."
I'm so sorry.
I disagree a bit with that. There is definitely a soil-like smell, but the smell of insects is unlikely, as humans can't smell the body odor of most insects.
He looked at my body again and frowned without any attempt to hide it.
"Oh dear, Third Sister, have you been eating too much lately? You've gained a little weight."
"I really have trouble controlling my eating habits, I'm sorry you had to see that."
That's completely unreasonable. I'm slimmer than my peers, including Lilian, with a thinner waist, but my bust and hips are larger than hers, barely bordering on "full-figured".
This is probably just women's pointless jealousy and competitive spirit. Oh well, let's just go along with her.
She squinted slightly, scrutinizing my face. Not seeing the expression she wanted, her brow furrowed even more, and she threw down the next card.
"Speaking of which, guess what happened when I went to the capital with my father last time? The Fourth Prince Carlos openly confessed his love to me! I was shocked, and by the time I came to my senses, I had already rejected him. He looked so dejected! When we got back, my father scolded me for not giving him face..."
This is indeed true; all the servants were talking about it at the time, and the eldest brother who was present also testified to it.
But it doesn't matter to me anyway; I have no interest in matters of men and women.
But in order to extricate myself, I decided to go along with her.
Judging from her expression, mere verbal agreement wouldn't be enough. It's time for my usually expressionless or faintly smiling face to finally move.
"Eh!? Really? That fourth prince, known as the White Moon Knight?"
Make your voice a little louder, widen your eyes slightly, and open your mouth a little wider, but not too much, otherwise it will seem artificial.
"Phew, that's right, he's the dream lover of countless high-society ladies. To be honest, I never expected my reputation to reach the capital. It must have been my father talking about it at a banquet there. Oh well, what can I do?"
"That's amazing..."
Close your eyes slightly more than before, open your mouth into an "O" shape, and your tone must contain 60% admiration and 40% jealousy.
"Hehe, that's it. I'm actually a little envious of some people who can't attract men and are happy to have nothing to do with each other~"
Yes, that's right...
Okay, that's it. She looked quite satisfied.
Next, I said I needed to go back to my room to freshen up, and she would say things like, "Hmph~ hurry up and leave, don't make a mess of the garden," and let me go, and then nothing happened.
But--
"Third sister, fourth sister, third brother, you're all here."
An unexpected change has occurred.
We all turned our heads away, and Lilian's male lovers immediately dropped what they were holding and hurriedly left.
"Ah, York, hello there~ You must be tired after a long day~" ← Lilian
"Hello, big brother..." ← Nia
"Good morning, Brother York." ← Me
The newcomer was a young man with long brown hair, around 25 years old, with a handsome and intellectual appearance, truly a dashing young man. This was our eldest brother, and also the eldest son of the Zelach family, the next heir to the Patriarch — York Zelach.
What are you doing here?
"Oh, York, I was just taking a walk to clear my head and catch up with Third Sister~"
York stared at us silently for a few seconds, then shook his head as if he had a headache.
"You are all sisters... harmony is the most important thing. As the eldest brother, of course I don't want to see anyone targeting anyone else. Especially you, Lilian, if I hear that you're getting involved with anyone from anywhere, don't blame me for disciplining you according to family rules."
As he spoke, he glanced sharply at his third brother, Nia, who immediately trembled and shrank behind Lilian.
York Zerach, though lacking talent as a mage, excels in all other areas, and the Patriarch has been grooming him as his successor. Furthermore, he seems to be the only sexually normal male who can resist Lilian's irresistible charm, a point that deserves special praise.
After he finished speaking, he stepped aside, revealing the man standing behind him.
Nia and I immediately straightened our backs, while Lilian flashed her brightest smile.
He was a burly middle-aged man with a very square face and short, dark brown hair like a lion's mane. He had an imposing presence that commanded respect from everyone, including us.
"Greetings, Father."
"Father! Ah... um... hello..."
The Patriarch Klafa Zerah, glanced at us briefly, but gave the third young master a sharp glare that made him tremble.
A smile only appeared on his face when he saw Lilian.
"I'm back, Lilian."
Welcome home!
Lilian nestled into Klafa's arms like a fledgling swallow, all traces of her previous arrogant, dissolute, and gluttonous demeanor vanishing.
"My dear daughter, how are you at home? Do you miss your dad?"
"Of course! I love Daddy the most!"
"But... why are you getting involved with Nia again?"
Seeing Klafa's expression turn serious, Lilian hurriedly explained, "Dad, really, you can't think of things in a positive light! I just happened to run into Nia in the garden, that's why I didn't do anything shameless!"
"Yeah..."
"Never mind that, Dad, look!"
Lilian giggled as she left his embrace. She narrowed her eyes, opened her palm, and chanted a spell in a clear, melodious voice. Even the most difficult and obscure spells became pleasant to hear when she chanted them. A large amount of extremely pure fire elemental material transformed into a dazzling fireball in her hand, like a small sun.
"Go!"
With a flick of her wrist, the fireball shot into the sky, exploding into countless smaller fireballs that rained down, covering the entire garden. Just as the fiery rain was about to hit everyone's heads, she waved her hand again, and the fiery rain vanished without a trace.
"How are you, Dad?"
"Fire Rain spell, the control over its power and range is superb... Lilian, you've become an intermediate mage?" Klafa asked with delight.
"How could that be, Dad? I'm not that good yet~ But at this rate, I'll be able to pass the intermediate magician exam in less than six months!"
"She truly is my wonderful daughter!"
Klafa vigorously ruffled his daughter's hair, his face beaming with pride. Among nobles, young novice mages were common, but most intermediate mages were over thirty. Lilian, on the other hand, was still just a girl, not even seventeen in six months. A sixteen-year-old intermediate mage—that would definitely make him proud.
"Very good! But remember not to be arrogant. Look at your eldest and second eldest sisters, they're only in their twenties and they're already high-level mages!"
"Don't worry, Lilian will definitely keep working hard! My sisters have always been my role models! Ah, except for someone, of course..."
As she spoke, she glanced at me sideways, and Klafa followed her gaze and looked at me as well, her eyes becoming much more indifferent. I immediately bowed again.
"Nirilis... how have you been lately? Are you still a magic apprentice?"
"It is my foolishness that has disappointed you, Father."
"What about the statistics from the magic crystal mine?"
"It's all compiled into a table, please take a look." I took a file folder out of my coat and handed it to Klafa. He opened it, glanced at it, and nodded slightly.
"Hmm, the harvest is alright."
Then he looked away and stopped looking at me.
Rather than saying I was disliked, it's more accurate to say I was simply ignored.
This is the normal situation; my father and brothers all treat me this way, except for Lilian, of course.
"Alright, all of you go back and get ready. It's almost dinner time, and Zane and the Freyon family's children will be here soon."
""""Yes.""""
"Thank you, just leave it there."
Upon hearing Nirilis's command, the flying insect placed a thick stack of books in the corner. This type of flying insect was quite large, resembling a small snake with insect wings, and had many small hooks on its underside suitable for grasping things, making it ideal for carrying objects.
She stretched and looked around the room—books, books, books, so many books! The large bookshelves against the wall were completely full, and the pages in the corner were piled up like a small mountain. Reading was one of her few pleasures. The books here were mostly academic books, covering a wide range of topics, and she spent most of her free time reading them.
The furniture was much simpler: a single bed, a desk, a chair, a bedside table, a small wardrobe, a simple dressing mirror, and a petting tank. That was all. The styles were all very simple, and the color scheme was all black, white, and gray, all colors that Nirilis liked.
After washing away the dirt and grime, I changed into a dark gray turtleneck sweater and a plain long skirt, finally feeling presentable enough to be seen by others.
"Um..."
She looked at herself in the fitting room mirror.
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Unlike her siblings, she had shoulder-length silver-gray hair, with only a long tuft hanging down at the back. Her eyes were azure, slightly upturned, with long eyelashes. Her skin was pale, and her lips were thin. Her features were exquisitely beautiful, perfectly complementing her face shape. Nirilis wasn't narcissistic, but objectively speaking, her appearance did possess a dreamlike, ethereal beauty; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a beauty one in a million.
Looking further down, her body is slender compared to her peers, with delicately thin shoulders, arms, and waist, long legs, and breasts and hips that could barely be described as "full." While such a figure might not be considered exceptionally beautiful, it would be quite remarkable among the upper-class aristocracy.
But she still had little presence and no appeal to others. The miners even whispered among themselves that "the Third Miss's charm as a woman is completely inadequate," a stark contrast to Lilian.
The difference lies not only in charm or popularity, but also in talent. Lilian is only one step away from becoming an intermediate mage, while Lillian is still just a magic apprentice who has never taken the exam.
But of course, it doesn't matter; in fact, it's better this way.
The progress of magic lies in the accumulation of knowledge, the understanding of the world and one's own heart, and communication with nature. Compared with these three, the amount of Magic Power or the proficiency in spells can only be considered secondary.
This is something mentioned in every beginner magic textbook, but few people care about it anymore. After all, with a mature grading system, accessible meditation methods, and formulaic advancement processes, who would spend too much time exploring the world and their own inner self?
Today, Nirilis Zelach also spent her free time before dinner reading.
Lilian was carefully getting ready in her room.
Although it was just an old and boring festival, and everyone who came was an acquaintance, Lilian would not allow herself to have the slightest flaw in her appearance.
(I'm perfect just like that today~♪)
Lilian chuckled to herself at the thought of the fervent adoration from men and even some women.
However—although she enjoyed the feeling of being admired by countless people, the more popular she became, the more uneasy she felt deep down.
Even publicly humiliating a certain silver-gray-haired guy couldn't quell this inexplicable restlessness.
(Should I increase the dosage...? No, it shouldn't be related to the amount used, right?)
After touching up her makeup, Lilian touched her clothes while lost in thought.
Today, that book is still safely tucked away in the lining of my clothes.
I wouldn't feel safe leaving it anywhere, so it's best to carry it with me at all times.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey, Ni'er, what kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I never thought about it."
"Huh, why?"
"Probably because it's meaningless, and besides, I'm closer to an insect than a human."
"That's true, but I prefer you as a human to a heartless, emotionless worm."
"Whatever you like."
"Sigh, they remained so indifferent until the very end. Weren't we friends?"
"Friends... Indeed, if you're not my 'friend,' then I probably have no friends in this world."
"Phew, I'm so happy to hear you say that~~ Ah... it's time."
"... Are you leaving?"
"Yes, my people have arrived. Goodbye, Nier."
"..."
"Oh, right."
One last time, the long-haired girl looked at the short-haired silver-gray girl and gave her a bright smile.
"When you become strong enough someday in the future, come find me."
Then, like morning dew in the sunlight, she vanished without a trace.
The annual Ansuona Festival, also known as the Harvest Festival, has arrived as scheduled this year.
The day is the harvest season of each year. On this day, people take stock of the year's harvest, give themselves a long holiday, and worship the great and benevolent goddess of fertility, Ansuona.
... Although, even now, those three days off are what people really care about; the worship of the goddess and the like are just formalities.
Local laws explicitly stipulate that during the annual harvest festival, everyone, regardless of social status, has the right to enjoy three days of complete freedom. No one, whether a highly respected sage or a street vendor, can force them to do any work they do not want to do during these three days.
The Zerah family, being a prominent noble family, is no exception. During these three days each year, all the guards, servants, craftsmen, gardeners, apothecaries, miners, farmers, and herdsmen under the Zerah family enjoy three days of complete freedom, without having to worry about not getting paid.
The dining room on the first floor of Zelach's mansion.
The dishes on the table looked somewhat out of place. According to the tradition of the Harvest Festival, everyone must cook their own dinner on the first day, preparing at least one dish each, to show that they haven't wasted the bounty bestowed upon them by the goddess of abundance. Of course, this tradition has long lost its former solemnity and is now more for entertainment. Usually, nobles would have their cooks prepare the meals for the next few days before going home for the holidays, and cooking for themselves was just a formality, since most nobles' cooking skills were atrocious.
Ten people are sitting around a round dining table, hands clasped together, silently reciting praises to the goddess of abundance, which is, of course, part of the tradition.
Sitting clockwise in order of age, they are --
Dark brown short-haired middle-aged man – Patriarch Klafa Zelach;
The eldest son, York Zelach, 25, is a strikingly intelligent-looking brown-haired young man.
Eldest daughter Ellen Zelach, 23 years old, is a fit, short-haired woman.
The long-haired woman in a robe—the second daughter, Chloe Zelach, 21 years old;
A tall, thin, dark brown-haired young man—the second son, Lux Zelach, 19 years old;
I'm the only one in the Zelach family who doesn't have brown hair— Nirilis Zelach, 17 years old;
A girl as beautiful as a fairy—the fourth daughter, Lilian Zela, 16 years old;
Nia Zelach, a small and frail boy, is 15 years old.
These eight people are all direct descendants of the Zelach family; the remaining two are from other families.
A young man and a young woman sat in two special seats.
The young man was tall and slender with a very handsome face and unusual light blue hair. His name was Anhas Freyon.
The girl was petite, with a slightly chubby, harmless face, but her hair was bright red; her name was Molly Zane.
Although this vast territory is governed by the Zerach family, it doesn't mean there are no other nobles here. There are many minor nobles, most of whom are dependent on the Zerach family. However, the Fryon and Zane families are different; their wealth and status are not to be underestimated. The ancestors of the Zerach family were great contributors to the founding king, while the ancestors of the Fryon and Zane families were the right-hand men of the Zerach family's ancestors. Naturally, they also benefited from the rewards bestowed upon the Zerach family. For hundreds of years, the three families have maintained a very harmonious relationship, with the older and younger generations frequently visiting each other and jointly managing this vast fiefdom.
For this reason, during each harvest festival, the Patriarch would visit the Zerach family for dinner, where they would chat and laugh together.
Anhas Fryon and Molly Zane—until a year ago, these two were the eldest son and daughter of the Fryon and Zane families, respectively. A year ago, the Patriarch of both families retired early, and they officially became the new Patriarch. Although still somewhat inexperienced, they are quickly learning the necessary knowledge. Klafa Zelach, however, is a cautious man and does not approve of passing on the position of Patriarch so early, so our eldest brother is still a "prospective Patriarch."
Since everyone knew each other, there were no rigid formalities or restrictions, and everyone was chatting freely.
The four daughters, Lilian and Molly; Anhas; Eldest daughter Ellen and second daughter Chloe; Eldest son York and second son Lux; Patriarch Klafa and youngest son Nia.
I sat there alone, observing them.
"... And then, guess what? The Fourth Prince suddenly pulled out a huge bouquet of flowers for me! I was so surprised!"
"Huh!? Really? And then what?"
"I panicked completely at the time, after all, he was a prince! So without thinking, I humbly and fearfully refused."
"Ah... what a pity... the Fourth Prince is the idol of countless young girls..."
"There's nothing I can do... it's because they weren't mentally prepared."
The one boasting animatedly about her trip to the capital was naturally Lilian, while the one listening intently to her story was the red-haired Molly Zane. Molly was a good girl; her earnest expression showed that she was genuinely captivated, not just being polite.
As for those beside them--
"Well, well, now I can only learn all sorts of things while practicing magic. I shouldn't have agreed to take over my father's position so early." The blue-haired youth, Anhas Freyon, shrugged and sighed. Although he was sighing, there was a hint of pride in his eyes.
"Hahaha, Anhas- chan is pretending again. You're clearly enjoying it too, aren't you? If we're talking about being busy, my Knights are training every day!" Laughing as she downed her drink, it was Ellen Zelach, our eldest sister, whose tone was as refreshing as her short brown hair.
"You're being too rude, Ellen Anhas hates rude women, doesn't he, Anhas?" Chloe Zelach, our second sister, covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed in a very ladylike manner. She wore a simple but finely made robe, with long, brown hair, the epitome of a well-bred lady.
"To be honest, I do dislike her, but—" Anhas's eyes darted around, noticing that Ellen's smile had frozen, and he immediately changed the subject at the most opportune moment, " —Ellen is an exception. This kind of temperament would be considered rude on other women, but on Allen it's just generous and magnanimous. A woman like that would be perfect to be the pillar of the family."
"Tch, what nonsense are you spouting!" Ellen patted Anhas on the shoulder as if he were angry, but his smile widened.
"Ugh~~~~~~"
Seeing that Chloe was unhappy again, Anhas immediately turned around and began to shower her with his usual empty sweet talk.
Well... it's a relationship that's pretty obvious.
Ellen, a high-ranking magical warrior, and Chloe, a high-ranking magician, are, considering their ages, truly the pride of heaven. Yet, these two geniuses have long since fallen for Anhas, constantly vying for his attention and engaging in subtle rivalry. Anhas, in turn, fully displays his playboy side, thoroughly enjoying himself.
What might seem like a ridiculous love triangle to outsiders is actually quite blissful for all three of them, as they all appear to be deeply immersed in it. Perhaps that's a kind of happiness in itself.
On the other side--
"So, big brother, you're planning to reduce the export volume of magic crystals next month?"
"Given the demand in neighboring markets and recent market conditions, reducing exports is the only way to potentially gain more profits."
"But high returns always come with high risks, so I think it's better to play it safe..."
Even at the holiday dinner table, their conversation inevitably revolved around the family business. The older, handsome York was the eldest, while the younger, tall, and somewhat rigid-looking Lux was the second Lux. Both were the type to be passionate about their careers. York, as the prospective Patriarch, possessed extraordinary talent in managing the territory and industries. Lux, on the other hand, was extremely serious and meticulous, always thinking things through before acting, making him a complementary pair to York.
The remaining two are the Patriarch Klafa and his youngest son Nia.
Sitting clockwise, the two of them were right next to each other.
"..." "..."
The head of the household, and his good-for-nothing youngest son who was (forced) to have sex with his beloved youngest daughter.
Neither of them uttered a word.
Klafa's dark aura was visible to the naked eye.
Nia's face turned so pale she looked like she was about to faint.
Amidst the harmonious atmosphere, "someone" secretly observed the reactions of others.
Everyone was chatting, except for one guy.
Listening to their mundane, everyday chatter, "someone" chuckled to himself.
This was truly the Last Supper.
You're the first one, Klafa!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The casual conversation finally ended, and the usual holiday activities began.
According to the tradition of the Harvest Festival, everyone must cook their own dinner on the first day, and each person must prepare at least one dish.
Everyone was mentally prepared, after all, these were nobles who rarely had any contact with the kitchen, so you can imagine what they would produce.
Therefore, the key is to figure out how to save face.
Lilian quickly made the above analysis.
Although this tradition has long been a pastime that nobody really cares about, she, being a perfectionist, would never allow herself to embarrass herself. To that end, she had already placed orders with several well-known restaurants in the area, and her requirements were all things that left the chefs speechless. "Make it as gorgeous and abundant as possible, while still looking like it was made by hand." In the end, she would choose the most suitable dish from the delivered dishes, ensuring there would be no mistakes!
"Then, as is our tradition, let's all show off our best work."
As soon as Patriarch Klafa finished speaking calmly, Lilian eagerly raised her hand. "Me! Me! Let's see Lilian's skills first!"
Then, with a smug look on her face, she lifted the lid of the plate in front of her—
It was a large, baked flatbread that looked quite substantial, topped with a variety of ingredients such as cheese, ham, shrimp, and diced vegetables. It was colorful and very appealing, making one's mouth water just looking at it.
""""""...""""""
However, the conversation fell silent.
Lilian was stunned when she didn't hear the praise she expected.
"Hey, Lilian ... this wasn't something you did, was it?" York said, rubbing his forehead.
"Ugh, what are you saying, brother? Of course, I did it myself—"
"But there aren't any ovens here for baking otherworldly food."
"... Eh?"
Otherworldly food?
Lilian looked at the "dish" she had carefully selected with surprise.
It's certainly novel, but it's not that strange, is it? Is this really something from another world?
York sighed and said, "Let me explain for now. This is a food called 'pizza,' which needs to be baked in a special oven. It originated from another world, specifically from a country in the base world. With the increasing frequency of cross-world exchanges, it entered the world around the same time as 'knife-cut noodles,' 'sushi,' and 'tacos.'"
"I see... Oh no, no! Actually, I secretly learned how to make this and baked it in an oven elsewhere!"
"... Okay, let's leave it at that. Moving on, next one."
After Lilian made a cute little blunder, everyone else followed suit and showed off their cooking. Although no one really cared, Lilian wished she could disappear into a hole. She'd really made a fool of herself in front of her father, other families, and even that annoying insect girl!
She glared hatefully at the silver-haired girl with an ethereal beauty beside her, but the girl only glanced at her before looking away. Was that ignoring her? It was infuriating!
The culinary demonstrations are still ongoing.
Ellen brought out bread and dried meat that looked like military rations; Chloe, while mocking Anhas, said, "Look at this, this is all the woman can make," while showing off a beautiful vegetable salad; York served a mediocre pan-fried fish fillet, a little burnt; Lux made a thick soup that was obviously made exactly according to the recipe, flawless but unappetizing; Klafa brought out a whole plate of roast chicken, which smelled delicious; Nia served the simplest sandwich, with only lettuce and ham inside; Anhas proudly boasted about the rare ingredients he used in his stew, which drew exclamations of admiration from Ellen and Chloe; Molly, a little embarrassed, brought out some handmade snacks that looked very cute.
"Very good," Klafa began the festival's standard salutation, though it wasn't exactly stellar, "Praise be to the merciful goddess of harvest, Ansuona, who bestows upon us food, and we repay her with the most sincere devotion. Here we have... pizza, rations, vegetable salad, fried fish, soup, roast chicken, sandwiches, stew, desserts, and we—hmm?"
Klafa stopped. He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
There are ten people here, but only nine dishes.
He paused for a few seconds before realizing someone was missing.
"... Nirilis? What about yours?"
For the first time tonight, he looked at the silver-haired girl who had been sitting silently next to Lilian. The girl immediately nodded slightly and pointed to something hidden in the shadow of the roast chicken.
"That's him, Father."
His expression was "somewhat apprehensive, yet not quite," and his tone was "calm with a hint of guilt."
"Let me see, that's..."
All eyes were drawn to it.
The roast chicken was moved aside slightly, revealing a simple white porcelain plate.
There were exactly ten bright green objects on it, each about the size of a fingertip, with smooth surfaces and a seemingly hard texture.
"This is... hard candy?" Lux raised an eyebrow.
"It's a mint," Nirilis explained.
"""""""..."""""""
"One of my favorite foods... and probably the only one." He added.
"... puff!"
Lilian finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Pfft, hahahahahaha!! Who are you trying to fool, my dear third sister! Who uses mints as food? And this wasn't even made by you!"
She had already completely forgotten about the pizza incident.
"This was indeed handmade by me, but I didn't make many because it was a bit troublesome."
"Tch, who would believe you! To actually serve something like this? Do you think people who spend all their time with insects really have a unique way of thinking? Don't you agree, Anhas?"
"Hmm? Ah... right!"
Suddenly called by Lilian, Anhas, who had been handling the two sisters with ease just moments before, immediately turned into a lecherous lecher. Lilian's powerful charm, which appealed to both men and women, dealt him a fatal blow.
"Peppermints are really too cheap~ Lilian's are much better~"
"Right, right?" Lilian was quite satisfied, giving Nirilis a defiant look.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to have made you all laugh." The person being stared at simply stood up, bowed slightly, and whispered a polite apology.
Hmm... is this okay?
I sat back down in my seat and pondered.
Serving mints at dinner was indeed a bit odd; I'll be more careful next time. But I really do like mints.
Lilian was still looking at me smugly, while everyone else remained silent, except for --
"Hey, hey! Stop it, Lilian!"
Good girl Molly couldn't hold back any longer.
"We're all just having fun, there's no need to say... good or bad or anything. Besides, it looks pretty delicious, doesn't it, Nirilis?"
She smiled apologetically, quickly grabbed a mint and popped it into her mouth, then her eyes lit up.
"Mmm~~ It really is cool and sweet! It's delicious, thank you, Nirilis!"
"Yes, thank you too, Miss Molly."
I contorted my facial muscles to give a faint smile and nodded in acknowledgment.
However, in the end, no one except Molly touched my mints, while everyone else's creations were basically all eaten.
Holiday dinners always seem to last a long time.
By the time it was all over, it was almost bedtime.
Everyone went to bed early today, and Anhas and Molly will be staying overnight.
At 10 p. m., all the protective barriers around the house had been activated, and everyone had returned to their rooms, leaving the hall empty.
Everyone should be asleep—except for the two shadow servants of the Patriarch Klafa.
During the harvest festival, all the servants, guards, and even the steward of the manor were given a holiday, but the safety of the clan leader still needed to be protected. The two people in charge were the secret guards who only obeyed Klafa, whose true faces were almost never seen by others, and who protected his personal safety in the shadows 24 hours a day.
Even if Klafa falls asleep, these two absolutely loyal shadow servants will take turns hiding in the shadows to protect his life.
Ten past ten.
Nirilis put the book back on the shelf, checked the insect rearing tank, and went to bed.
Then, the next day arrived.
7:30 AM.
That's how the scene at the beginning came about.
In the early morning hall, Klafa Zerah, the biological father of the Zerah siblings, lay flat on the ground, his expression ferocious, his eyes closed, lying in a pool of semi-congealed Blood Pool, already a corpse.
His chest had a large, bloody hole, completely empty; his heart had been ripped out.
A chilling atmosphere permeated the air, with everyone expressing their shock and fear in their own way.
"Who... did this?!..."
The first to come to his senses was the eldest son York.
His bloodshot eyes blazed as he screamed frantically in an empty direction—
"Arian, Angre! Where are you? Come out!!!"
There was no response.
An ominous premonition began to form. He swallowed hard and shouted again, "My two shadow servants who serve and protect my father, Klafa Zerakh, Arian and Angre, I, as his eldest son, command you to appear and obey my command!"
There has been no response.
"... Tsk!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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7:40 AM.
Nine people—there were ten yesterday—are now gathered in the hall.
They stood or sat, their expressions ranging from fear and shock to grief and bewilderment. None of them uttered a word; each needed time to process their emotions and allow their reason to accept what had happened.
Klafa Zerah, the current Patriarch of the noble Zerah family, was found dead in the center of his mansion's hall on the first morning of the Harvest Festival. He lay in Blood Pool, his heart ripped out, beyond any hope of survival.
York, the eldest son, stood closest to the body; his face was pale, and his lips were almost bleeding from being bitten.
His second son, Lux, stood beside him, his face ashen, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, and tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.
Eldest daughter Ellen had been pacing anxiously since earlier, her eyes red and swollen, her fists clenched tightly.
The second daughter Chloe, leaned against the wall, her pale hand supporting her forehead, as if she might faint at any moment.
The four girls, Lilian, huddled in the corner, tears streaming down their faces, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Nia, the third son, hid beside Lilian, his face ashen, as if he were the next to die.
Anhas frowned, and like York, carefully examined the traces around the body.
Molly knelt on the ground, trembling, hugging her body tightly with both hands, sobbing quietly. This was the first time she had ever seen a corpse.
Nirilis, with a grave expression, stood a little distance away from York and the others, observing the corpse.
Looking at all this, at his own work, "someone" felt a weight lifted from his heart.
Very good.
The first person successfully completed the task.
The first step is often the most important, and it's great that nothing went wrong.
So what will they do then? Presumably, they'll first check the barrier, then, feeling hopeless, use tracking magic to find clues, and then... once the second person is successfully taken down, they'll have basically succeeded.
Don't rush, there will be a share for everyone.
Anyway, it doesn't matter the order in which we die; everyone will eventually die.
York practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.
"Everyone, stay here and don't move, and don't run around! This is murder, a very sophisticated murder! The nearest branch family and police station are several kilometers away, so get in touch with them first— Chloe!"
"Uh, eh?"
"Quickly use magic to send a message! Summon all the Zerah branch families and security forces within the territory! Even though it's harvest festival, they must come!"
"Ah, yes!"
Chloe, still pale-faced, hadn't recovered from the shock, but as a high-level mage, she wouldn't make a mistake because of it; after all, sending messages was a piece of cake for her.
She stretched out her hand, whispered a phrase, and immediately a beam of white light rose from her hand, circled once in the air, and then flew out at an astonishing speed—
"No! Something's not right!"
Chloe suddenly opened her eyes wide, her face filled with disbelief.
"What's wrong!?"
"The magic for sending messages... it can't fly out!"
"What!?"
York paused, then seemed to remember something.
"Ellen, Lux, come with me! Chloe, you stay here and protect everyone! You and Ellen are the strongest here!"
"But, but--"
"No buts! The shadow servants who were supposed to be protecting Father during the Harvest Festival haven't answered my summons. There are only two possibilities—either they were killed, or they are the murderers! In any case, everyone stay alert!"
The three of them immediately rushed towards the hall door—the door leading outside—at top speed. York whispered the command into the door, and it opened automatically. The three of them then rushed out.
For a moment, the hall fell into a deathly silence, save for Chloe, her face pale, muttering as she reached out and unleashed one ice ball and fireball after another. It was a kind of warning spell that took a short time to set up but was very effective; the ice balls and fireballs would automatically attack any enemies that came to attack.
Less than half a minute later, curses and rumbling sounds came from outside the door, lasting for almost a minute before quieting down. During this time, we could only wait silently in the lobby.
"... Hey everyone."
The silence lasted for a while, then was broken by Lux returning from outside, his face still ashen.
"Everyone, you'd better come out and see; things are getting complicated."
Barrier.
One of the oldest, most diverse, and most widely used forms of magic.
Defense, sealing, vigilance, enemy detection... the uses are countless, and barrier magic can be found in everything from the most basic magic to the most profound forbidden spells.
Although barriers have evolved over thousands of years, some fundamental rules remain unchanged.
For example, assigning too many functions to the same barrier can lead to its instability; creating multiple barriers, each with only a single function, would be more effective.
For example, if a barrier wants to operate autonomously independently of its creator and exist indefinitely, it must have a central hub that can replace the creator.
For example, every barrier has its limits; once those limits are exceeded, the barrier will collapse... and so on, and there are many more.
As a noble family, the Zerah clan certainly wouldn't be careless in this regard. Their main mansion, far from the city, is shrouded in multiple layers of barriers: defensive barriers, sealing barriers, and alert barriers... each layer of barriers is like an inverted bowl, completely covering the mansion. During the day, some barriers are closed for easier passage, but at night all barriers are activated, providing comprehensive protection to prevent villains from entering.
It is something to be proud of that the Zerah family's barrier was created hundreds of years ago by the kingdom's court mage—not a magician, but an extremely noble being who surpasses high-level magicians and archmages—whose barrier is incredibly strong, stable, and sensitive, and remains highly effective even today, hundreds of years later.
Now, what was once the most impregnable city wall has become the most despairing prison.
A dazzling silver light burst forth, coalescing into a massive, silver-white Greatsword as tall as the user. Immense Magic Power poured into it, causing the light to become increasingly solid. Eldest sister Ellen gripped the hilt tightly, her eyes slightly closed, repeatedly condensing and compressing the power. At the moment of reaching her limit, she opened her eyes wide—
"Ha!!!!!!!!"
The Greatsword was swung out, unleashing a massive, silvery-white gust of wind that roared through the air, churning up the ground and causing the surrounding trees to sway violently in the storm. The next instant, the gust collided violently with the glass-like barrier, causing ripples to spread across its surface as if it were on the verge of breaking, but in reality, it remained remarkably sturdy. After a few seconds of struggle with the gust, the gust vanished first, and the barrier rippled a few times before returning to its original state.
"Huff... Huff... This move is quite powerful among the techniques I'm familiar with, but it still can't break through! Not even a crack was left! The barrier built by a Big Figure mage is indeed beyond the reach of a high-level magic warrior like me..."
Ellen, panting, helplessly wiped the sweat from his brow. The life-sized Greatsword in his hand quickly shrank back to its original form as a knight's sword.
A high-level magic warrior in his early twenties, equivalent to a high-level mage, is already quite remarkable.
So-called magic warriors can be seen as a variant of mages. After countless years of development, they are now on par with mages. Mages use magic to create miracles, while magic warriors are much simpler and more direct. They don't study advanced magic; instead, they refine their Magic Power within their bodies, channeling some into their entire being to strengthen their physique, and releasing the rest externally in combination with their martial arts skills. In battle, they primarily rely on their superior physical abilities, refined martial arts skills, and the direct release of Magic Power to kill their enemies.
In general, mages can develop in all aspects, while magic warriors focus on combat. A powerful magic warrior cannot destroy a city with a single move like a forbidden spellcaster, but in a one-on-one fight against a mage, the magic warrior's win rate is much higher, after all, they are a combat specialist.
Those magical warriors who are conferred titles or serve the nobility are often called knights. Ellen is an important member of the Red Ribbon Knights, the largest knightly order in the Kingdom of Aaron. She has outstanding strength at a young age and is highly regarded by many Big Figure.
However, even so, she was powerless to do anything about it; her attacks were completely ineffective against the barrier.
"It seems we really are trapped inside our own barrier..."
The mansion's defensive barrier is two-way: it defends against intruders from the outside and prevents thieves from escaping from the inside. The inside side is usually closed, but it's activated now, trapping everyone inside.
"You're the strongest in terms of pure combat power here, Ellen, but even you're powerless... Chloe!"
"--Uh, yes!"
Startled by York's sudden call, Chloe, still pale as a ghost, was taken aback.
"As you can see, the murderer has probably tampered with the barrier, making it impossible to get out. Why don't you give it a try, Chloe? Use your advanced magic to break it!"
"Alright, alright, please stand back a bit! Great Ice Queen, freeze the moment and eternity, the extreme cold storm..."
Dorothy chanted a spell softly, and a powerful chill gathered in her hand, causing everyone else to step back.
"... washing away all impurities, a shimmering frost-covered waterfall!"
The frozen water elemental transformed into an extremely powerful cold current that rushed towards the barrier. Although the cold air had been greatly compressed, the escaping icy wind still made the others' teeth chatter.
Hiss hiss hiss...
After the cold mist dissipated, a thick layer of frost formed around a certain point on the barrier. The very center of the barrier was eroded by the cold air and looked quite pitiful, but that was all. The barrier itself was not significantly damaged.
"It failed..." Lux murmured, York clicked his tongue.
"If one by one it's not enough... Ellen, Dorothy, do you think you could destroy it if you attacked together with all your might?"
The two women looked at each other in bewilderment.
"I'm afraid that won't work."
"I can't do what I say."
"If force doesn't work, what about a countermeasure, Dorothy— "
"--Impossible!"
It wasn't Dorothy who answered York, but Anhas, who was looking at him like he was an idiot.
"After all, it's a masterpiece by a mage, and Dorothy probably doesn't have much expertise in that area, right? Her main focus is on ice and fire elemental magic."
"..."
Dorothy, who was at a loss, looked at Anhas gratefully. Seemingly encouraged, Anhas' eyes showed a hint of pride.
"So, York, even though you're a complete novice when it comes to magic, you can't possibly be unaware of these basic facts, right? Don't keep making things difficult for me—"
"Shut up! It wasn't your dad who died!!"
Lilian, who had been silent until now, suddenly roared, startling everyone. Her shoulders were still trembling violently, her lips were pale, and she looked somewhat hysterical. For some reason, she kept clutching her lower abdomen.
"Um... Lilian?" Anhas was a little flustered after being yelled at by this little sister for the first time.
"Ah... no, it's nothing... I was just a little too excited... but please don't talk nonsense."
"... You seem to have a bit of a stomachache?"
"I was just too nervous! It's so annoying!"
After saying that, she went back behind Nia with a gloomy face and squatted down on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest.
A moment of silence fell over everyone.
York cleared his throat and said, "I know everyone is... very upset, and so am I. After all, this happened so suddenly. Before the grief even begins, just the doubt and fear are enough to make someone lose their composure. So I hope everyone will remain calm no matter what, understand?"
Everyone nodded.
"Just in case, let's all act together at the end and carefully check the edges of the barrier..."
"That's unnecessary. I was already done the moment you left," Anhas said. With a wave of his hand, seven exquisitely crafted dolls emerged from the shadows, gathered around him, and then shrunk to the size of a palm before returning to his pocket. Using dolls made with magical engineering as familiars was his research direction.
"According to the reports sent back, the edge of the barrier is flawless, without any defects or gaps, so the option of breaking through by force can be abandoned."
"Alright then, everyone, let's return to the main hall for now."
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Well... let's stop here.
Even a fool could tell this is an April Fool's Day bonus chapter.
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