Chapter 6 - The Forbidden Archive
And so, I went and poached Miss Fiona from the Ministry of Magic.
Her personality was absolute garbage, but her skills were undeniably top-notch.
I had been wondering if there was some way to headhunt her... and that wicked Hollow brain of mine came up with a brilliant idea in an instant.
To put it simply, I ratted Miss Fiona out to the Ministry for embezzlement.
Her crimes would have inevitably come to light in the course of advancing along the main route.
It was a fixed event, set in stone by fate—by the scenario itself.
If she was going to get caught anyway, then better while the crime was still relatively light... or so I thought.
Based on my tip-off, an investigation was carried out, and sure enough, Miss Fiona’s embezzlement was exposed.
The Ministry of Magic immediately demanded that she repay the funds, warning that if she failed to do so within a week, she would be handed over to the proper authorities.
Given her final notice, Miss Fiona went on a spree, borrowing money from anyone she could, and headed straight for the royal capital’s racetrack.
I thought, No way—but it turned out to be exactly that.
She placed a single-bet wager on a long shot.
Oh yeah, this woman was a real man at heart.
My curiosity got the better of me, so I watched the race unfold.
The result? A crushing defeat.
“Wh-why... how could this happen...?”
Miss Fiona burst into big, fat tears, caring nothing for the eyes around her.
It was the first time I had ever seen a human’s face melt like “gu-nyaa~.”
A security guard at the track gently consoled her, but honestly... that scene was more tear-jerking than a cheap movie.
Having lost her money, her job, her hope, her credibility, and her future, she bought some cheap booze and trudged back to her shabby apartment.
People were at their weakest when they were down.
Judging the timing to be just right, I visited her and proposed a certain deal.
"Fiona, I’ve got a good offer for you.”
“W-what is it...?”
"Work for the Heisenberg family as my tutor and as a magic researcher. If you do, I’ll lend you sixty million gold—interest-free, to be repaid once you’ve made a success of yourself."
“R-r-really!?”
Fifty million gold from her embezzlement, plus another ten million borrowed from loan sharks.
The total of sixty million gold was admittedly a hefty sum...
But for one of the Four Great Noble Houses, the Heisenbergs, it was hardly a crippling blow.
I had already cleared it with my father in advance, so there was no problem.
And besides, this was a loan, not a gift.
The money would be paid back—eventually.
Of course, I already had a plan for how she would repay it.
Fiona Seder’s abilities as a magic researcher were first-class.
In the years to come, she would achieve multiple groundbreaking inventions that would go down in magical history.
With the patent royalties from those, recovering the principal would be easy.
In other words, I had essentially acquired the best magic researcher for free.
There was no sweeter deal than this.
In Ronzolkia, the most crucial factor in developing one’s territory was—capable people. This was definitely where I should be spending funds.
As the next head of the Heisenberg family, I intended to keep recruiting excellent talent in line with the progress of the main story.
■
A year passed in the blink of an eye since I had started my magic training, and I turned eleven.
My height continued to grow steadily, and I now stood at 146 centimeters.
My perspective on the world had literally risen.
Two years had flown by since I reincarnated in Ronzolkia. I had completed the basics of both swordsmanship and magic.
In the original story, Hollow would meet the protagonist on April 1st, H.C. 1015—the entrance ceremony for Redrick Academy of Magic.
That left about four years.
I would make the most of that time to acquire strength that could rival the protagonist’s... strength that could defy fate itself.
Well then, time for my morning workout.
I was just about to head to the garden when—
“Damn it... why...!”
—my father’s angry voice rang out from beyond my room.
What’s going on...?
When I made my way to my father’s study, I found Mister Orvin standing before the door.
“Orvin, has something happened to my father?”
“No, there’s no change. He’s been flying all over the country, day and night, trying to break the curse on the mistress. However... it seems the matter is proving rather difficult to resolve.”
“I see...”
If I listened closely, I could hear my father’s voice.
“I’m sorry... Layla... Ahh... why... why did I ever let you go alone that day...!”
Like a broken record, his voice repeated words of remorse and regret.
His mind had clearly reached its breaking point.
“By the way, Orvin—what day is it today?”
“It is May 1st, my lord.”
“I see... so it’s already that time of year...”
I had been having so much fun with swordsmanship and magic that I had completely forgotten.
In the original story, the earliest Hollow could die was May of the Holy Calendar Year 1011—yes, this very month.
If I don’t hurry, things will get bad.
If my memory served me right, the weekend’s Star-Reading Festival was the deadline.
If I didn’t break my mother’s curse by then, the story would forcibly plunge straight into the Bad Ending.
About eight years ago, in the original story, Hollow’s mother Layla had failed to slay Heaven-Eater, one of the Four Calamity Beasts. She had been struck by a wicked curse and confined to bed ever since.
His father, Daphnes, had since then scoured the land for a way to dispel it, exhausting every possible option... But in the end, he failed.
With no recourse left, he grasped at straws and turned to the heretical cult, the Great Magus Church.
While the royal capital was caught up in the joy of the Star-Reading Festival, Father had secretly contacted one of the cult’s executives and received a false “curse-removal” spell.
Robbed of sound judgment, he had cast the magic with eager hope—and indeed, the curse of Heaven-Eater vanished and Mother awoke.
But what he had been given as “curse-removal” was, in truth, the Secret Rite of Demonization.
Turned into a demon, she set the capital she so dearly loved ablaze.
Even as countless people perished, my mother wept tears of blood, destroying everything in her path, until the Holy Knights—once her companions—struck her down. At the very end, she regained her humanity, apologized for her sins, and breathed her last.
Not long after, Father’s dealings with the cult were exposed, triggering the judgment event.
The entire Heisenberg family was sentenced to death, and the cold guillotine fell.
A conclusion where no one was saved—the Judgment Guillotine Ending.
Three days left until the Star-Reading Festival.
Alright... I think it’s about time.
A year for swordsmanship.
A year for magic.
Time to test the culmination of all I had learned so far.
"Orvin, I’m going out for a bit."
"Where to, sir?"
"The Klein Royal Library."
Before long, swaying in the Heisenberg family’s carriage, I arrived at the Klein Royal Library.
"You don’t need to pick me up. I’ll just grab a horse for the way back."
"Yes, my lord. Please take care."
The coachman bowed politely before setting off for the estate.
I turned on my heel and stepped toward the massive structure looming before me—the Klein Royal Library.
Whoa... this is incredible...
Books, books, books—everywhere I looked, nothing but books.
This was the largest library in the Kingdom of Klein, said to house over a hundred million books.
For a book-lover, it was nothing short of paradise.
Let’s see... if I remember right, it’s this way.
Guided by my knowledge of the original story, I navigated the labyrinthine corridors.
And here it was.
Standing before Bookshelf No. 33333, I pulled out a plain white book with no title and whispered the secret passphrase—
“—Found you, miss fairy.”
In the next instant, white light filled my vision—and when it cleared, I was standing in a bustling main street.
Warm sunlight poured down, a pleasant breeze swept past, and lively voices rang from all around.
Looking left and right, I saw colorful stalls lined up, selling cotton candy, pizza, roast pig, sushi, dragon fruit, tacos, bolognese... The food selection was utterly incoherent, yet crowds of customers jostled to buy them.
Just like in the original... what a fun place.
This was the Fairy’s Way Home.
Everyone here but me was some sort of strange being—a giant bipedal tanuki, a walking paper umbrella, a chatty turtle shell... All of them were fairies, higher beings of unique appearance.
“Oh my, a human.”
“What a rare sight... did he get lost, I wonder?”
“Play? Play together?”
Passing by the varied fairies, I strolled along the path for a while—
Oh, there he is.
I spotted a flamboyant clown with a huge red nose.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm~”
Running a Western-style food stall, he hummed to himself while shaking a pan.
“Hey.”
“Welcome! What’ll it be?”
“One special kids’ meal—with caramel pudding.”
“...With a flag?”
“Make it the cutest one you’ve got.”
The clown grinned and began cooking with practiced ease.
One minute later—
“—Here you go!”
On a paper plate sat fried shrimp, hamburger steak, octopus-shaped sausages—every top-tier side dish in formation—and atop the chicken rice stood an adorable pink flag.
A truly special kids’ meal.
“Come along, this way,” he said.
The clown opened the door of an old, weathered house behind the food stall.
Keeping my shoes on, I stepped inside. Plate in hand, I ate my kids’ meal while walking down a pitch-black hallway with my eyes closed.
With nothing else to do, I simply kept chewing, bite after bite, until the food was gone before I knew it.
Just as I used magic to burn away the disposable chopsticks and paper plate, something strange began to happen.
First, the sound of my footsteps changed—
from the hard clack of wood to the soft press of earth beneath my feet.
Then, the smell shifted—
from the bustle and aromas of the city to the fresh, green scent of grass and leaves.
Birdsong rang out. As dazzling light brushed against my eyelids, I slowly opened my eyes—and before me stretched an immense natural library.
This was the Forbidden Archive, a repository where every book in the world gathered.
What an incredible sight... It already looked beautiful in the original, but seeing it in person is on a whole other level!
While I stood there, awestruck, a voice like silver bells drifted toward me.
“My, my... what an adorably unexpected little guest we have.”
At the heart of the lush, verdant library sat a table shaded by a parasol, and in that chair was the owner of the voice.
She was Entia, the Witch of Knowledge, guardian of the Forbidden Archive.
She looked to be about twenty years old—165 centimeters tall, with a lean, toned figure and a chest that spoke with its own undeniable presence.
She was a vision of peerless beauty—long pastel-pink hair, jet-black wings sprouting from her waist, large round eyes with a charming curl to them, and skin so pure white and fine-textured it seemed almost unreal.
On top, she wore a white blouse that bared her shoulders completely—what was it called again? An off-shoulder, I think. Below, a black long skirt with a daringly deep slit, revealing glimpses of her thigh in a way that was nothing short of seductive.
“This is our first meeting, I believe. I am Hollow von Heisenberg.”
“Of course I know you. The trueborn son of Daphnes and Layla—the lazy, arrogant noble of ill repute.”
She snapped the book in her hands shut and regarded me with gentle amusement.
“I am Entia, the Witch of Knowledge. Since you’ve come here, there must be something you wish to know.”
“That’s right.”
What I sought was the Secret Tome of Amour, hidden within the Forbidden Archive.
It was a work penned by the ancient high priest Amour, containing the curse-breaking spell <Stellar Purification Light>.
I already knew its name, its effects, and its full magical formula—and yet, no matter what I tried, I had been unable to reproduce it.
Most likely, it was locked behind this very event—as if to remind me that this world was both reality and a game.
“To receive the wisdom of the Witch of Knowledge, you must first pass the Witch’s Trial. You understand that much, yes?”
“I do.”
“I’m afraid I’m not very good at holding back... Will you be alright?”
]
“Of course. Hold nothing back.”
“O-Oh, good.”
Entia rose gracefully to her feet, a sadistic smile curling her lips.
“You’ve got quite the expression. Not a shred of doubt that you’ll win. Oh... I can’t wait to see that confidence twist into agony!”
Six black wings unfurled from her back.
Oh, come on—going all-out from the start?
“Now then... let us begin the Witch’s Trial.”
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