Chapter 132 - Association of Mysterious Story Collectors (part two)

Inside the room designed for the 〈Association of Mysterious Story Collectors〉, on the top floor of a former guest house.

Two girls were in front of the mirror installed in the room.

They were Bort and Sigríður.

“I could see it clearly for a moment. You also……well, I can tell that you haven’t seen it.”

“What are you talking about?”

There were girls who look like us.

While leaving out such things, Bort said some ambiguous words.

For Sigríður, who was likely to swear a lifetime of celibacy due to her loyalty, that would only be an unwanted future.

If she said such a thing, it would undoubtedly be considered a lie to ridicule her.

To begin with, this magic mirror that originated from Hafan was not acceptable to the Northern people.

Sigríður came from a family of dragon knights and was from Ignitia.

However, because the court healer—her father came from Lucanrant, her sense of values was as Northern as his was.

It was said that all three of her older brothers were shaken off from their dragons and lost their lives, probably due to their dense Northern blood.

The sound of the door opening resounded when Bort was torn between how she should explain it to Sigríður.

“Your Highness.”

“Oya, Eléonore and Dolores. You guys are late.”

The ones who appeared were Princess Eléonore Ignitia and Dolores, daughter of Earl Wynt.

“You’re in front of the mirror again, huh. Did it perhaps successfully connect?”

“How awful! Why is it Bort again……!?”

Dolores approached and inspected the mirror before anything else, then she sighed loudly.

“The magical power has diminished……this is the same condition as before. Bort, did you see anything?”

“No, no, I was just teasing Sigríður a little bit.”

“That’s a lie. You’re lying right? You’re just trying to mislead us because you’re too lazy to explain, right?”

Bort’s attempt to brush it off did not work on Dolores.

Dolores pressed Bort who was averting her eyes and grabbed her by the neck.

“Now, please confess. When and what have you seen!?”

“Hahaha, I can’t compete against you, Dolores. The girl from last time appeared for a moment.”

“……from last time?”

“Yeah. That’s what I saw, but I didn’t see the big deal.”

Bort hid the fact that there was a girl who was very similar to Sigríður.

She didn’t say a lie, but she didn’t feel like telling the whole truth either.

Still, that seemed to be enough for Dolores, who started thinking about what Bort had said.

“Right, it’s thirty years in the future again……but, why is it only Bort……this is unreasonable.”

“Speaking of which, have you not heard of Eléonore’s conjecture yet?”

“Haa? What are you talking about……?”

Hearing Bort’s words, Dolores furrowed her eyebrows.

Seeing that, Eléonore smiled cheerfully.

“Hmm~ I wonder if I truly said that?”

“Stop teasing us, Eléonore.”

“Dolores, you said that the girl on the other side of the mirror could be Bort’s daughter.”

“Yes. I was also surprised that such a woman even reproduces.”

“I wonder if it’s really only that child who gets close to your mirror in the future……?”

Dolores released her hands from Bort and glared at Eléonore.

“……what do you mean?”

“You’re going to hide it in the heart of that corridor, right?”

“Yes, only those foolish and thickheaded barbarians can’t reach it, don’t you agree? This is the minimum requirement.”

“You need a huge amount of magical power to activate the mirror, right?”

“They are students of this academy—naturally they would be able to use magic, right? People who don’t temper themselves cannot be trusted.”

“It is easier to connect to people with blood ties, right? It cannot be with just anyone.”

“Yes. It’s essentially a magic tool that conveys information to offspring over a hundred years in the future.”

Eléonore nodded every time Dolores confirmed it.

“That means, the one who has the wisdom to break through the mechanisms of the corridor and has enough magical power in the immediate future, might only be Bort’s daughter. Say, Dolores. The students of this academy, whether they may or may not be able to arrive at the truth of the ghost story, or that they might not have enough magical power……have you ever considered that?”

“……!!”

“You, your standard is too high.”

“No way……”

Dolores overestimated the specs of the future students.

She was aware of that as well now.

“……If so, should I lessen the magical power requirement……? No, that’s not good, it will be easily exposed if the magical power overflowing from the corridor increases more than this……if it takes directly from the ley lines……then set it up in a simpler location……it’s useless……!!”

Dolores leaned against the wall and started mumbling.

She didn’t come back to reality for a while.

Seeing her appearance, Bort laughed.

“Haha, wouldn’t it be great if Dolores also gets married and has a child?”

“That won’t happen. That girl is planning to have her illegitimate brother become the successor and for her to remain single all her life.”

Eléonore answered with a troubled expression.

“That must have been difficult.”

“It’s not like she’s working so hard because she wants to.”

Dolores’ father did not inherit the magic of the previous Earl Wynt who died young.

Therefore, Dolores had been carrying the role that her father should have been bearing since the age of eight.

Eléonore, who had been close with Dolores since childhood, had witnessed her hardship for many years.

“……Well, I’m listening.”

“There is something that has been bothering me. With how that girl set things up, if what she said is true, the mirror should lead to around a hundred years in the future.”

“Heeh, that’s true.”

“But it’s connected not to a hundred years in the future, but thirty years. And it has only succeeded twice.”

Cutting off her words, Eléonore stared at Bort with an air of importance.

Bort interpreted Eléonore’s comment in her own way.

“There is the first possibility. The mirror will be destroyed after thirty years.”

“Or, after thirty years all of us and our relatives will be dead. Otherwise, there is one more possibility……”

“Another one?”

“Mankind will not survive.”

“Eléonore, you say such scary things, huh.”

Dolores, who overheard the conversation between the two of them, glowered at Eléonore in annoyance.

“Good job noticing that. What an ugly and disgusting woman.”

Dolores told her as if spitting.

“Wynt’s witch1. Remember that the only reason why I don’t cut off your tongue is because of the disproportionate friendship you receive from Eléonore-sama.”

Sigríður, who was standing behind Eléonore, warned her with a silent bloodlust.

Sigríður’s loyalty to her Lady had a touch of fanaticism to it.

“That is alright, Sigríður. More importantly, hey, Dolores. Can you tell me the answer?”

“No way. Rather than that, how did you notice such a thing?”

“Because I believe in you.”

“Haah……?”

“If we assume that the spell is already successful, there may be another reason why we cannot see the future.”

While smiling innocently, the princess with a strong telepathic ability threw a question at her.

Even though she could read the mind of others as much as she wanted to, Eléonore never did that.

“In other words, this mirror is a mirror that predicts when the world of mankind will end, isn’t it?”

“……”

“Hey, Dolores?”

“Why wasn’t I born similar to Bort, I regret it now……”

As Dolores said so, she averted her eyes from Eléonore’s.

“Huh? Dolores, did you perhaps compliment me?”

“Aargh, if only I had a dishonest personality like this woman!”

“Ahaha, how harsh.”

Bort replied amiably, even though those words were cited with insulting implication.

“By the way, aren’t you guys going to explain it? You just said that the world of mankind is going to be destroyed right before our eyes.”

“The world is not going to end. I will change it, I’m betting my life on it!”

“How gallant, Dolores. You look like a Saint who would save the world.”

“How great would that be. But rather than a setting with Saints and Heroes……it’s the opposite!!”

With a loud sigh, Dolores looked at Eléonore.

“It’s okay. I believe in you, Dolores.”

Eléonore stopped smiling and said so with a serious expression.

“That, do you know that is the same as threatening me?”

“Yes, of course it’s a threat. After all, we are accomplices, right?”

“……you really are a disgusting woman……how dare you say that without even knowing how other people feel~~~~!!!”

Dolores shouted hysterically.

“And thus, the magic that the Wynt family bet their lives on saved the world of mankind from the shadows. How touching. I will do my best remembering the gallant Dolores’ secret achievement.”

Bort bowed down with an actress-like tone of voice.

“Now then, I will also believe in the future that Dolores has promised, so let’s give him my reply.”

“Huh? What?”

“My reply to the marriage proposal.”

“Haa?”

“I intended to refuse, but I have changed my mind.”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

Hearing Bort’s sudden declaration, Dolores and Sigríður were taken aback.

Only Eléonore had red cheeks and was putting her hand on her mouth.

“You are finally accepting Ernst’s proposal! How wonderful!”

“Yeah, I’m going to accept it. I thought that I would have a shorter life due to my ties to my older brother, but it looks like I will live for quite a long time.”

Bort said such unsettling words casually.

“Eeeeh~~~! I……I thought you hate that man……!”

“No, no, no. It’s just that he is too good for me.”

Like that, Bort easily passed by Dolores who was in a state of confusion.

“You, are you really going to marry into the former royal family……?”

“Aa, I’m really serious. Oh, I’ll have to pretend to be good and mask my true nature for a while though.”

Bort moved past Sigríður who seemed to want to say something about her true nature.

“That’s great. I’m sure you will be happy.”

Finally, Bort gently nodded to Eléonore’s words.

Leaving behind the other three, Bort ran down the stairs with light steps.

The treetops seen from the window were shining with the light of spring.

“……Well, I will have to go to the future to meet that girl.”

And so, Frederica Bort went to the promised place with Ernst.