Youngest 154
by Cristae154
The ‘second one’ jerked her head up.
‘Mana.’
It was faint, but this was clearly a mage’s presence.
Narrowing her eyes, she spotted a small party taking place near the large lake in the distance.
‘Is the seventh one over there?’
She hurried her steps.
Just then—
“Excuse me.”
A youthful voice sounded from behind.
“That way isn’t toward the library, you know.”
“……”
Turning slowly, she found herself face to face with a boy whose dazzling blond hair caught the light. He gazed at her intently.
He had gentle, soft features, yet there was an inexplicable chill about him.
“There’s an academy event going on near the lakeshore. Outsiders aren’t permitted.”
Licht spoke kindly, pointing toward the opposite path.
“Please turn back.”
He appeared to be an academy student.
The second one calmly smiled in response.
“Oh, I see. But I’m not a suspicious person, you know.”
“……”
She recalled overhearing Yuriope and Zenda Camel’s conversation at the café.
This woman had said her younger sibling was at the academy camp. Was the name… Zerdin Camel?
“I’m just checking in because my little brother is here. I work for the academy.”
She showed her temporary visitor’s badge.
“So could you step aside, kid?”
“You are…”
Licht tilted his head slightly.
“Are you really ‘Zenda Camel’?”
The second one flinched.
Why…? Did I say something wrong?
Licht approached, his gaze drilling into the ID she displayed.
“If you’re really Zenda Camel, there’s no way you wouldn’t recognize me…”
“Huh?”
“Did you forget? Ms. Camel, I once asked you to translate some foreign books to donate to the Southern Children’s Shelter.”
Oh, damn it.
Of all people, I had to run into someone she knew…
“That job delayed my return to the academy, actually…”
“Ah, well, about that…”
“And I don’t mean to boast, but because of the shelter project, I’m a bit well-known these days.”
The boy smiled sweetly.
“My portrait was circulated and all, so I thought you’d recognize me right away… Perhaps that was just vanity?”
Cold sweat streamed down her back.
Southern shelter. Portrait!
Putting those together with the youth’s appearance, only one conclusion emerged. She’d heard a bit about the Babylon imperial family while at the royal palace. So he was…
“…Ah, ah! Your Highness!”
She’d honestly never imagined meeting a prince in a place like this.
‘Seriously, if he’s royalty, why isn’t he just getting special lessons at the palace instead of attending the academy like a normal kid?!’
Awkwardly, she rushed to explain.
“Wh-when you mention it, yes! My eyesight’s not so good, you see. It’s the first time seeing you in person, so I only just realized…”
“Hmm. That’s not true.”
He replied with perfect composure.
The second one froze as if doused in cold water. The prince watched her for a long moment before softening his eyes in a graceful smile.
“I’ve never met you before, Ms. Camel. They don’t circulate royal portraits so casually, you know.”
“……”
“So I have no idea what you meant by ‘when you mention it, yes.’”
What a…
‘Absolute pain.’
Whether he sensed her annoyance or not, Licht raised his hand without hesitation. Instantly, the prince’s bodyguards, who had silently been surrounding them, stepped forward.
“Restrain her. She’s suspicious.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
She clenched her teeth.
‘That might be the seventh’s mana!’
The gentle energy was fluttering madly, like a butterfly. She couldn’t let it slip away.
“Put her in holding and consult with Principal Odely…”
Only one option remained.
She’d brought a few emergency magical tools when she left the kingdom.
Her hand slid silently into her pocket, fingers closing around a clattering, round object and a few thin slips of paper.
‘A firecracker magic tool… should be enough.’
She didn’t want anyone to get killed…
Carefully, she clasped the tool in her hand.
‘I can’t break the beast stone by mistake.’
The sealed magical beast stone was her last resort, to be used only if her life was truly in danger.
“Stay still!”
The knights roughly grabbed both her arms.
As the prince averted his gaze and began to turn away, the second one let the magical tool slip from her hand.
“What…”
Fwoooosh—
“Ah!”
Boom!
Startled, the knights flinched back.
Not missing her chance, the second one moved her mana slightly and summoned a gust of wind.
The sparks from the firecracker quickly caught on the dry leaves.
“Fire!”
Deng-deng-deng-deng.
Alarm bells rang from all directions.
A blazing wall of fire shot up, cutting off the path to the library.
‘Now!’
“Stop!”
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous!”
Turning her back on the frantic cries of the young prince, the second one ran for the central library.
Pwoooo—
“Huh?”
I lowered the horn I had just blown, blinking.
“…Didn’t you hear a strange noise just now…?”
Nothing?
I was sitting in the deepest part of the central library, in the rare book room.
I had just finally managed to chase out Professor Yuriope, who was becoming something of a fixture here.
“Miss Rubian! Perfect timing—I have a gift for you: this elephant horn! If you build up your lung capacity, it will help you not lose your breath running or jumping rope…”
“I don’t think now’s a good time for that, is it? Anyway, that’s not the issue—some boys were just hollering about heading to your study to look for treasure!”
“What?”
“Did you lock your office? You did, right?”
I pressed him frantically. Yuriope’s cloudy eyes spun anxiously.
“I…think I did? Or maybe not? Did I?”
He looked like a modern person tormented by whether they’d turned off the gas on their way out, nervously jiggling his knee.
That’s how it goes when someone puts you on the spot.
“What if they spill drinks everywhere while hunting for treasure—there are precious manuscripts in there! And what if your salary ends up stained too? What then?”
“No, no, I’m sure I locked it…”
“Really? Are you sure? One hundred percent?”
“…Ugh! I can’t take this! I’m going to check! If a new restorer comes, tell them to wait!”
“Okaaay.”
I watched him sprint away, then blew the elephant horn a few more times.
Unless I huffed and puffed with all my might, it barely made a sound, and the trunk rarely unfurled properly.
This thing really would improve my lung capacity…
‘Maybe it’s time I got moving.’
Peeking out, I confirmed the coast was clear and headed into the inner courtyard of the rare book room.
Sensing the mana of the tree, I plucked a few strands of my own hair.
“Was it this one?”
A blue magic circle floated up.
My eyes turned red the moment it appeared.
‘Huh, it’s working.’
Having borrowed Wizeria’s power to rewrite the magic formula, my mana no longer drained in huge bursts like before.
My hair was already turning silver.
‘I really restored it…’
As I savored the achievement—
‘Huh?’
The magic circle floating in the air widened slightly.
The surrounding mana thickened,
the area of effect changed, and soon all of my hair began turning silver.
“What the—!”
With a helpless look, I ran my fingers through the shining hair.
Was the purity of mana here too high?
Or was Wizeria showing off?
“All my hair is back to normal…”
How would I explain this?
Should I claim it’s some special shampoo…?
As I agonized, a soft, heavy thud signaled someone’s approach.
I hadn’t seen their face, but I knew.
‘Whew, well… she’s first up, I guess.’
I turned slowly.
“Haah, haah.”
A woman appeared, pushing through the labyrinthine bookshelves, gasping for breath.
“You… haah. So you are the seventh…”
She muttered at the sight of my pure silver hair, as I bent to pick up the elephant horn I’d dropped.
Reflected on the horn’s smooth surface, my eyes were a brilliant red.
“You know, you really don’t have much talent for tracking.”
“…Haah, haah.”
“What sort of pursuer ends up more out of breath than their quarry? People might think you’re the one being chased.”
The second one looked around in shock, too stunned to even catch her breath.
“What… is this place? So much mana… I’ve never heard of anywhere like this in the Empire…”
“Of course you haven’t. You never will, either.”
“…!”
The second one belatedly gathered herself and moved her mana.
But I was faster—my hand was already on the tree.
“Ugh.”
Roots burst from the floor, tightly ensnaring her.
With a hard thump, her knees were slammed down against the floor.
‘I brought her here for a reason.’
As long as I had enough mana, my magic circles would always manifest faster than the second one’s.
And now I was also borrowing Wizeria’s power.
In other words, here, at least, the second one didn’t stand a chance against me.
‘Of course, there’s the risk she’ll learn of this place…’
Well, that would soon be taken care of—by making it as if it never existed!
I approached the pale-faced second one.
“Now, just report that you found nothing at all in the Empire, all right?”
Then I blew the elephant horn with all my might.
The once-folded trunk slowly unfurled, and a round magic circle glimmered at its tip.
“You’re… going to erase my memory…!”
Pwooo, pwooooo.
Ugh. My lung capacity.
Why do I have to touch her for this…? Why is this so hard to get open?
“No! Wait! Give me a second! I—I didn’t come here to take you back to the kingdom, I swear!”
The second one shrank back in panic.
I paused mid-deep breath and retorted sarcastically.
“Oh really? Hard to hear a lackey’s plea from here.”
“The Crest!”
Her words stopped me for a moment.
“I—I brought records about the Crest!”
“……”
“I brought them for you!”
She desperately twisted her body.
Loosening the entangling roots a bit, she managed to pull her collar down with difficulty.
“Look.”
Below her jutting collarbone, a string of ancient characters was painstakingly inscribed.
“I stole this from the royal palace,” she said, voice trembling.