IMPORTANT:
Edited
Chapter 6:
“Board Chairman Lioar” to “Board Chairman Lioarr”
*It may seem minor, but it affects Lily’s tone.
Chapter 11:
They’re probably more or less showing their learning attitude to the ill-natured Magician and demonstrating their proactiveness one way or another.
to
They’re probably more or less showing their eagerness to learn to the ill-natured Magician and demonstrating their proactiveness one way or another.
Unlucky
Mira＝Estheim, loved fairytales. If she walks while imagining, even walking the monotonous road while picking up firewood in the forest where not even the sunlight shines through isn’t boring. While humming in harmony with the birds’ chirps and the sounds of the trees shaking in the wind, while walking dancingly, she fantasizes about that world. For example, from the inside of that mountain road, a gallant knight on a white horse appears――
“Heh, how lucky. If it isn’t a first-class woman”
“……”
It was a bandit. Reality, constantly betrays the young girl’s expectations, and the fantasy stays a dream to the bitter end. She was already, used to it, used to living such days. And then, used to dealing with such desolated and colourless reality.
The young girl reflexively throws the firewood she’s holding, immediately changes her direction, and starts running away with all her strength.
“Ah, shit……wait the fuck up, you”
The coarse and aggressive voice echoes and makes her even more flustered. If she gets caught, in the end, she’ll become a plaything at the mercy of them.
All she could say was, she was unlucky.
She had been walking as usual, on the usual road. Her walking alone in the mountains with the sun about to set is also a usual thing. For the sake of eating day after day, her job is to pick up firewood from the forest and bring them to the church. Even if you say she’s careless, it’s not like she can quit her job, nor can she bring along bodyguards.
Hence, there are no other words that can express, her running away from the bandits that she coincidentally chanced upon.
The young girl called Mira is, all in all, unlucky.
The fact that she was born as the daughter of commoners, in a small remote village, in the Bardyst Holy Kingdom that has an absolute caste system in place.
The fact that her family could only afford school fees for the eldest son up until the second son.
The fact that because she’s born with delicately arranged facial features, powder snow-like mildly transparent skin, and silky sepia-coloured hair――because she’s born with looks so beautiful that there are only a handful even on the continent,
recently, her father and mother are having discussions on selling Mira off to some wealthy noble somewhere.
The fact that she ended up hearing, such discussions of her parents.
The fact that the bandits that are chasing her right now are, extraordinarily persistent, clingy, and sleazy.
The fact that where she arrived after running while wishing for help absorbedly was……the place the black-haired old man called Hazen warned her,『You mustn’t come here again』 , 8 years ago.
In front of her eyes are, as many gravestones as there are to fill the lawn. What’s in the center is a building built with cold black metal so enormous that one can even say that it’s like a fortress. Mira doesn’t remember, but without changing, that place had continued existing since 8 years ago.
The beautiful young girl was, overwhelmed by that ambience for a short while, but she immediately changed her thinking and entered the mansion. Amidst the bandits closing in, she’s not given the time to hesitate.
“Amazing……what’s this place……”
Whether or not to enter, Mira mutters.
The inside of the mansion was, as though, the mansion of a noble that comes out in fairytales. That capacious space is a given, the chandeliers, the drawings, the celadon porcelain pots――the numerous weighty and extravagant decorations. Everything is covered in dust, and one can guess that they haven’t been used for many years, but they look extremely valuable in the eyes of an amateur. However, the one and only thing that she feels out of place is, the bookshelves that were lined up in the entire place. Books, books, books, every nook and cranny, nothing but books.
However, that too was merely a glance. Thinking to herself again that it’s not the time to get distracted, she starts searching if there’s anything else right away.
“……is there……anybodyy!? Anybody……”
She tried shouting as such, but she could easily imagine that it’s empty from how dusty it is. She quickly gives up wishing for help, and looks for something that can stand up against them――a sword, a shield, even a knife will do. Even as she’s feeling bad, Mira looks around the room in sequence.
However, there are, only texts.
“……geezz! How much do you like books”
While grumbling about the mansion owner, who she supposes likes books, she rushed up the stairs and opened the sixth door. Inside, unlike the others, is quite spacious. All the curtains have been closed completely; this is the only place where light doesn’t shine in at all, and everything is covered in darkness.
“Hey……beautiful missy”
There should be no way she can see, but Mira undoubtedly caught his expression; the sight of a white-haired man bound by chains, showing a bright smile.
“Erm……”
“Oops, how can I……my apologies. My name is Asch＝Dahl. Pleased, to make your acquaintance. Not being able to bow, is something I ought to be shameful as a gentleman, but please do forgive me”
“Ha, haa”
At the formal greeting that’s unfitting for the situation, she ends up letting out a foolish voice unconsciously.
“Beautiful missy, won’t you tell me your name as well?”
“Err, it is……Mira. Mira＝Estheim”
Even though it’s not the time for that, she ended up being swept along and introducing herself.
“Hmm……the same name as the Goddess, who once ruled over eternity huh……I want to show my brimming sentiments, to your parents who gave someone beautiful like you such a fitting name”
After he stares around Mira’s figure for a bit, the white-haired man sighs, ‘fuu’.
“……”
“People address me with various alias like,『The Most Beautiful Man On The Continent』,『The Ultimate Gentleman』,『The Prodigious Dark Magician』, but call me whatever you like”
“……”
Mira, she thought.
‘What is, with this narcissistic fellow’
“Erm……why are you being bound in chains?”
It’s not the time to be asking such a question, but due to the overwhelming unnaturalness, she reflexively asked.
“I’ll ask you instead, why, are you not being bound in chains?”
“……”
Mira, she sensed it.
“Ah, it’s a person I shouldn’t get involved with”
And then, she simultaneously remembered that it’s not the time to be doing such things.
It’s not strange for the bandits to have already, arrived here.
“Weapon……some kind of……weapon……”
There’s no way she can be made into a plaything here without doing anything.
She thought that since there’s somebody, it won’t be strange even if there’s some kind of tool.
But, nothing.
Nothing, but books.
When Mira was halfway about to lose hope, the white-haired man opened his mouth.
“Shall I help you?”
The person she probably shouldn’t get involved with spoke to her.
“……”
Ignored.
“Hey, you……”
“……”
Ignore.
“Listen!”
“Wh, what is it, geez!”
“There’s nothing boorish like a weapon in my mansion. The only things here are, texts that are the culmination of human intellect”
“……aah”
Mira clutched her head.
“Hence, I shall help you”
“……really?”
She asks dubiously.
From the first impression, he’s completely, and utterly, untrustable.
“Of course. You are……lucky”
In a soft voice, Asch＝Dahl laughed.
“……”
Contrary to his words, Mira had a hunch that today will turn into the worst day.
