Youngest 130
by Cristae130
Licht pretended not to hear and stepped closer to look down at Khalid. He seemed to have grown into an even more infuriatingly smug face over the summer.
“Hello?”
“Does this look like a time for pleasantries to you?”
“Well, close enough. More importantly… Rubian is at the Academy, right?”
“I don’t see any reason I should answer—”
“There is.”
The elegantly curved eyes of the prince were thoroughly annoying.
Khalid gave a short, derisive laugh and turned his head away, only to lock eyes with Liam, who had crouched beside him.
‘Damn.’
Turning his gaze in the other direction, he met Void’s eyes this time…
“Ugh, what a pain!”
Right in front of him was Licht, whose face he hated the most!
Truly, these were the real nuisances!
In his mind, Khalid clawed at his hair in invisible frustration.
“Hurry up and answer. Why has our commander of Team Zevert suddenly become so hard to find?”
Liam demanded in a stern voice.
As a result, Khalid had no choice but to explain to the three of them what had happened up to now.
“Ah, so that’s what happened.”
Only then did Licht back off slightly, murmuring under his breath.
“Hm. I guess I can return to the palace now.”
Apparently, he’d just dropped by because he was curious about Rubian’s whereabouts. Typical, really.
“She’s hiding her identity for a while to adjust to the Academy? Good grief, Ruby really never gets it together. So timid.”
Void, who had been listening, shook his head.
“I really don’t see any choice but for her big brother—that is, me!—to stick close all day and watch out for her and help her and take care of her and—”
“Hold on, Void.”
Liam chided him lightly.
“We also need to respect the fairy’s wishes. She needs to adjust to this place… and wouldn’t that make her want to enroll here next year?”
“Oh… right.”
Liam sternly pushed up his glasses and added,
“For the time being, it’s best if we simply watch from afar. Sooner or later, everything will come out when our parents attend the final exhibition, anyway.”
“Wait, aren’t Father and Mother away from the capital, though? Liam, you said you got a letter from Father at the townhouse.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Liam looked over at Void.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a short father-daughter dance scheduled for the final exhibition…?”
Would Father make it back by then?
Void muttered, clearly displeased.
“If the Duke isn’t there… then who is Ruby supposed to dance with?”
As Khalid asked the question, a short silence fell over the group.
“Well, obviously…”
‘Me, of course.’
‘Naturally, me.’
‘Ugh, I guess it has to be me.’
‘Hmm, I wouldn’t mind…’
Each boy conjured his own dream in his mind.
Ahem! Liam cleared his throat loudly and said,
“Anyway, don’t bother our fairy. If you want to help her, do it quietly from behind the scenes. Understood?”
“You should take your own advice.”
“I always do.”
And so, everyone silently agreed to keep Rubian’s secret.
Step, step.
Light footsteps echoed through the dark library.
After dinner, I had pretended to go to bed, then slipped out of the dormitory.
‘I need to check that magic lock from earlier again. And the inside of the archive as well.’
Unlike the brightly lit library by day, the interior now was shrouded in gloom. It felt entirely unfamiliar.
As I walked the long corridor, I glanced around. Unable to stand it, I pressed close to the back of the person ahead of me.
“The library at night is really scary.”
A soft whisper; Khalid glanced back at me.
He’d been chased from the infirmary earlier that day, and his face looked distinctly sullen—had he run into an enemy on the way?
“Be careful in the dark.”
Even in his foul mood, he watched me closely.
When I raised my head, I met the eyes of the squirrel perched on his crown. With those bright eyes, it sniffed the air in my direction…
‘So cute…’
I finally felt my tense shoulders relax a little.
‘But… has it gained some weight?’
Its cheeks were noticeably rounder.
‘Maybe I gave it too many acorns…’
But autumn is the season for fattening up, after all…
Before I realized it, I fished an emergency acorn from my pocket and discreetly offered it.
At that moment, Khalid muttered ahead,
“I have no idea where the key could be.”
“Huh? The archive key?”
“Yeah. I did search the custodian’s office…”
He glanced up at the squirrel.
“There was just so much junk. Couldn’t find a thing. Sleeping bag, tables, armchairs… It would take a month to check every item in there.”
“Geez… The custodian needs to get it together. This is a library, not his house—why bring in so much household stuff?”
“My point exactly.”
I shook my head, marveling at the variety of odd people in the world.
“But actually, it doesn’t matter if we don’t have the key.”
Because I’m a mage!
Whoosh.
Just then, a damp wind rattled through a slightly open window. Shadows of bare tree branches stretched across the floor like long claws.
“But really, the library at night is so, so, so scary…”
I muttered.
“Do you think there are ghosts? Spirits?”
“They say there’s a ghost who died studying.”
“What? Really?”
A shiver ran down my neck.
“Yeah. Rumor has it, there was someone in the natural sciences building who studied so hard they died young… Ruby?”
“….”
“Are you cold?”
Khalid gave my shoulder a light squeeze. I jerked and answered quickly.
“N-no!”
“….”
“Hahah, I’m not s-scared at all. Because g-ghosts and such don’t exist!”
“They say there are, here.”
“No, there aren’t!”
“There—”
“Go home!”
I shoved Khalid’s arm aside and hugged my own.
Things without form were always more frightening, especially layered with this kind of atmosphere!
At least a Dark Beast releasing mana would be better.
“All right, all right. I’ll stop.”
Khalid grinned and held out his hand to me.
“Hm?”
I stared down at his pale hand in the moonlight.
“If you’re scared, want to hold on?”
Again?
“…But the custodian isn’t even here right now.”
“Who knows. Maybe there’s a ghost…”
At that moment, the window made a loud bang!
“Eek!”
Without thinking, I grabbed Khalid’s hand. I tried to pull away instinctively, but his grip tightened, not letting me go.
“So the master’s a scaredy-cat after all.”
He chuckled softly as he turned away.
Step, step. As he started walking again, there was a curious trace of delight in his back.
I pressed my pounding heart, trying to steady it.
‘Why does it keep feeling awkward between us…?’
It was such a strange thing.
The more time I spent with Khalid, the more self-conscious and awkward I started to feel around him.
‘…Is there something wrong with me?’
I bit my lip hard. It felt like wandering in a maze with no exit.
“We’re here.”
Just then, Khalid stopped.
Grateful for the interruption, I quickly let go of his hand and shook my head.
‘Later… I’ll think about it later.’
Right now, it was no time for distractions!
“I’ll check.”
I reached out and brushed my fingers over the lock; its surface felt cold beneath my touch.
Instantly, the structure of the magic circle floated into my mind. It was a design that no ordinary mage could easily break.
‘Hm, this one’s going to take a good bit of mana.’
I glanced at the needle spinning around the face of my wristwatch.
With a surge of power, I channeled the dispelling spell into the lock. With a solid click, it opened.
At the same time, my legs nearly gave out.
“Ruby!”
Khalid rushed to catch me from behind.
“Seriously… this accursed spell… it’s been so long…”
A surge of mana rushed through me, making my vision swirl.
Then.
“Hm?”
A gentle, warm energy flowed into my faltering body.
With a creak, the lock disengaged and the door slowly swung open.
I straightened and gave the handle a gentle push.
The tightly sealed archive swung open, revealing its interior…
“Stand back.”
Khalid instinctively stepped in front of me.
But I already knew.
This gentle, familiar energy.
“It’s mana.”
The inside of the archive was filled with unfamiliar magical energy.
“Unbelievable…”
I slowly took off my bracelet.
The capital of Babylon was a land poor in mana.
Without this bracelet, as a mage, I’d soon tire out from mana depletion.
“That there should be so much mana accumulated in here…”
And yet here, even without the bracelet, I felt fine. The air itself was so dense with mana.
“…How is this possible?”
Khalid and I exchanged glances.
We slowly scanned the dim interior. I fetched a lamp and lit it with magic.
The archive was larger than I’d expected.
Massive bookshelves were crammed with volumes, and the shelves themselves were scattered without order, making the path awkward to navigate.
“Why are the desks arranged like a maze?”
Khalid frowned.
“There’s only one reason to set up a maze at the entrance, isn’t there?”
I murmured.
“To make it harder to access the center.”