Sunlight shone through the stained glass that adorned the upper part of the library's windows, refracting the golden light into flowers made of iridescent glow on the rows of bookshelves. The colorful flowers gave a mysterious and magical impression to the library. Its quiet atmosphere cast a serene yet somewhat eerie feeling.

I loved reading, but I didn't have many chances to visit a library in my past life. Libraries always make me excited but scared at the same time. The thoughts of how the books could hide various secrets and how you might find something unwanted in an unexpected place; it's somehow unsettling. I realized it was a weird baseless feeling, but I couldn't help it.

The Bellux Family's library was built 600 years ago. It held all of our accumulated knowledge in magic and various other fields, obviously, it was very spacious. Holding at least a hundred thousand books, it occupied the entire second and third floor of the west building. I remembered I had the same dumbfounded reaction as Theo's when I first came here. It's so vast I still hadn't finished exploring it until now. Our ancestors always adhered to the saying "knowledge is treasure" so this place was the Bellux's treasure trove. It's needless to say that the collection of our library was on par with the Royal Palace's library.

It always reminds me of how amazing Father is.

Speaking of treasure, I wanted to start the 'treasure hunt event' tomorrow. Unfortunately, the treasure I was looking for was not in here, but a clue leading to it was. That's why I was screening the bookshelves now, trying to find a particular book namely our Great-grandfather’s diary. 

Hmm, it's not here either. Where the hell did he put it?

After racking my brain for some clues, I remembered Grandfather had told me stories about his grandfather when I was little. He apparently had a hobby of writing a diary, and it just hit me that this might be the only lead I had. After all, he was the Mage before me, so I believed his diary contained the clue I needed to find the legendary wand. 

I inherited all the previous Mages' memories. I should have been able to go straight to the wand's hiding place without bothering to solve riddles like this. But this was a test, and somehow, my predecessors managed to blur any memories associated with it.

…Did they use memory manipulation magic?

The first Mage had defined that magic which could mess with people's minds was taboo. Legends said that anyone who dared to inquire about it would be cursed by misfortunes all their lives and fall into hell once they die, no matter the circumstances. Thus, it was classified as one of the forbidden dark arts of magic, or often called "Forbidden Magic" for short. It was also an ancient magic that was said to be one of the causes that brought destruction to the advanced civilization in the distant past. But even with those scary legends, there were always fools who wanted to play with fire.

Then, what about my thoughts-hearing ability? It's an ability to eavesdrop on people's minds, didn't it fall in the same category? It was terrifying to learn about the taboos, what if I was accused as a heretic? The villainess was a master of Forbidden Magic, didn't this make me even similar to her? I wanted to avoid anything related to her more than I already had, but it proved to be difficult in more than one way.

First of all, this ability was strange. None of the previous Mages have possessed such an ability before. I called it an "ability" despite its a world of "magic" because I've never heard of any magic that has the same capabilities or characteristics, even among the Forbidden Magic or in the game. At least, all mind-related Forbidden Magic that I've known had a bold purpose, such as memory erasure, mind control, or mental breakdown. Also, based on the experiments I've done so far, it didn't consume any Magic Energy. There's a possibility that I just didn't feel it because its consumption was too low, but it's unlikely to be the case.

In the past, some people succeeded in developing a Magic Amulet with similar functions. It could produce a phenomenon similar to telepathy, where the wearer could send their thoughts to another wearer. But the burden on the sender was severe. It forcefully enchanted the wearer's brain waves, plaguing them with an extreme headache. Moreover, it consumed a huge amount of Magic Energy. It could drain up a Magic Stone the size of an adult's fist in one go. In the end, because of its inefficiency and health risks, it was banned and no one used it anymore.

Aside from that Magic Amulet, other Magic Items whose function related to mind transfer, telepathy, or anything similar all had an immense energy consumption. That's why I doubted this ability's energy consumption is low. It either did not consume any Magic Energy at all or it drained a lot of it. Unfortunately, I didn't know how to prove or disprove my doubt.

Second, I had no idea why I had this ability. The game didn't mention anything about the villainess having another special ability except for the Mage’s power. She indeed used that power to master various Forbidden Magic, but I was sure none was like this one. Then, what was this ability? The answer was, I don't know. I only knew that I was born with it, and just like a curse, it continuously flooded my mind with other people's thoughts since I was three. Therefore, please don't tell me that this ability was a "cheat" given to me because I was reincarnated. I had many bad experiences with it, I lost count on how many times I wished I didn't have it.

Well, that was until now. Now that I more or less could control this ability, I wanted to use it to help people. Be it forbidden or heretic, an ability was just an ability after all. I believed how and for what purpose the person possessing it used the ability, were the things that determined if it's good or evil. Still, it was a pain to have people suspicious of me because of it, so that was one more reason to hide it.

Back on topic, I couldn't find any details about memory manipulation magic in the inherited memories. But there's a chance that part was also blurred using magic after the wand is hidden. My best guess was that the legendary wand itself was the key to answering this mystery.

 [―I think this problem can be solved with this procedure from the "Basic Magic Circuit Arrangement" volume II. Here, it's this one in the fourth chapter.]

[Oh, thank you. I'll try to do it now.]

[What's next? This one about the Third Emperor?]

[Yes. We are tasked to analyze the Third Emperor's―]

While searching, I was listening to the conversation between Theo and Clara. I had left him to help Clara finish her remaining homework. As for how it became like that, let's get back to the moment when we just entered the library.

"...Excuse me, Lady Eira. About the summer homework, there are also some problems that I have yet to solve. If the problems the Lady has are the same as mine, then I'm afraid that I wouldn't be of any help."

As soon as we stepped our foot inside the library, Clara declared so. She's been troubled ever since I mentioned the homework. Seeing her dejected face, I felt guilty because I'd lied and because I was pleased with her honesty.

Clara was not only a cheerful, kind, and honest girl, but she's also smart. Even so, she knew her limit and unfortunately often underestimated it. Still, honest personality and kind heart were the two things that attracted the in-game Theo to the heroine. So, for her to have these was nothing but a blessing. Really, it was cruel to make her just a "Female Student" in the game. 

"If that's the case… why don't we discuss it together?" Well, I actually have finished all my homework. I'm sorry I lied, Clara.

"Is that alright?"

"Of course. We can find the reference books we need here. You brought your homework with you, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did! Thank you, Lady Eira!" (Oh, how kind of her! As expected of Lady Eira!)

Clara happily brought out her homework, notebooks, and stationary from her small Magic Bag, then put it on one of the tables. Her eager eyes were urging me, so I had no choice but to pull out my notebook and stationery too. Seeing that, her face immediately bloomed with a bright smile, and she briskly pulled a chair to sit down.

I must say that this side of her resembles her father.

Theo silently joined us. He pulled a chair but then he looked at me, telling me with his eyes to sit on it. When I did as he wanted, he pushed the chair carefully as I was sitting down...

…What's with this gentlemanly behavior?! Since when― no, wait. I was the one who taught him the basic etiquette… But, shouldn't you be doing this for the guest?!

I gave him a disbelieving look, but he only tilted his head in question, then nonchalantly settled on another chair beside me. Why was he sitting next to me again? Didn't his impression of Clara improve already? Or was it me who's too demanding because I wanted them to chat more familiarly right away? Anyway, it seems like I had to do one more round of etiquette lessons for him later.

And let's have Grandma join us too when we are at it. 

My tutor mode switched on thanks to Theo's lack of awareness. If your students didn't understand, then you had to teach them until they understood. Giving up wasn't a choice, if necessary you could use a more interesting and exciting method to teach them. This was Grandmother's and Father's way of teaching. It sounded nice, but in reality, it wasn't. They became a total Sparta when teaching, and it was hell. I was considerably lucky that Madam Morgan took over all of my lessons, except for etiquette and mannerisms.

Grandmother alone was already super strict, if Father also personally tutor me, I wasn't sure what would happen to me. He surely would come up with interesting and exciting teaching methods, except that his idea of "interesting and exciting" was a tad different from normal people. I could imagine that my stress level would be amplified for several thresholds. Adding that to my poor mental condition due to my ability… I should stop imagining it.

"Then, let's see which problems you can't solve first." 

"Yes! It's this problem, this, and this one too―" (This reminds me of our time in school. It feels a bit surreal that we're doing this in this magnificent library, but this is exciting. Lady Eira is still so cool when she's teaching!)

Even though I was seriously listening to her, Clara had to go and distracted me. I just commented on how she resembles her father, and now I started to worry that they would become even more identical in the future. I hoped the shame she felt when watching her father would prevent that. 

Checking her homework, I found that all the tasks she had difficulty with were indeed a bit tricky to solve without good reference books. How lucky of her because we had it all in here. So, after briefly explaining how to solve one of the problems, I went to fetch the reference book. Deliberately leaving Clara alone with Theo, I didn't forget to remotely switch on his bracelet.

Although I knew exactly which shelf the book was on, I took my sweet time to wander around first. I wanted to give them room to chat for a bit. Unfortunately, even after I waited for a few minutes, there's still no sound coming from the receiver. I've found the book and was wondering if I should return to my seat. But if I returned now, they might find it harder to start a conversation. Should I wait longer? Why couldn't I hear anything from the receiver? It’s too quiet, is this amulet broken or―

"[Elder Sister?]"

Eeek!! 

Out of the blue, Theo’s voice was coming from behind me. He startled me to the point that I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. I commended myself for not screaming out loud, we were inside a library after all. With a thumping heart, I slowly turned to him. Seeing him standing there with an innocent face, I swallowed my desire to scold “don’t sneak behind me like that!” with difficulty. 

It's not something to brag about, but it's hard for people to play a prank on me. I could hear their thoughts loud and clear, so I could always stay calm and react as needed. Unfortunately, since everything was accounted for, I had a hard time being spontaneous. Moreover, I wasn't very good at acting, my face would go stiff most of the time and people would just assume I was angry.

Now that I thought about it, could that be the reason they called me "Boar Princess"? I mean, I was fat and often had an expressionless or angry face... Sounded much like a boar... Remembering something unpleasant, I started to get depressed. It helped my heart to calm down, though.

"...What is it?"

"It’s unusual for Elder Sister to take a long time to find a book, so I wondered if you need any help."

"I'm fine. I've found the book. Here."

I handed over the book to Theo and he flipped over the pages briefly after glancing at the title. It's an encyclopedia about Magic Stone that I told him to read when I first tutored him about Magic Circuit. When he was sure that it's a book he had read and mastered its contents, a smug smile appeared on his face. 

(Yes, I win!)

In what?! 

Once again, I commended myself for not rebuking him out loud. Really, what's wrong with this brat? Why was he competing with Clara? Even though I could hear people's thoughts, I still had a hard time understanding them.

Oh, I reflexively turned it on because he startled me earlier. …If he has that much confidence in his abilities, how about we just let him help Clara? "Theo, why don't you bring the book to Clara? I'll go look for another reference book."

Not waiting for his response, I turned to walk away and disappeared behind a bookshelf. But then I wanted to add some more, so I stopped and poked my head over the shelf. Chuckles almost slipped out of my mouth when I saw Theo's dumbfounded face.

"Also, if she has questions, please answer her in my stead. You already know the contents of that book by heart, don't you? I’m counting on you."

This time too, I left without him being able to say anything back. As I walked, I switched his bracelet off so I could hear his thoughts more clearly. I expected to receive some protests since I just forcefully ordered him to interact with Clara. But his mind was repeating the "I'm counting on you" part of the order instead. 

He often did this repetition in a daze in the last two days. At first, I thought he was doing it because he was finally touched by my efforts to be a good big sister, but lately, I found it a bit creepy. That 'voice' didn't surface ever since that one time our conversation led to his mother, so this was still better… right?

*Gasp* "But―!" (Why me?!)

Suddenly, Theo snapped out of his daze and shouted in protest. Well, he managed to hold the rest of his protest, so it only came out inside his mind. Still, it was satisfying enough that the chuckles I held back came out as a big grin plastered across my face. I ordered him for the sake of my plan, but it was also to get back at him for surprising me earlier. I wondered if it was childish? 

After grumbling for a moment, he obediently brought the book to Clara. I quickly switched his bracelet back on, worrying that it still wasn't working. But this time it was working just fine, and I could hear Theo's reluctant voice come out of it. 

Thus, that's how he ended up helping Clara. Theo was a good boy, after all. He didn't only answer Clara's questions on that one problem, but he even helped her with other problems without me asking. I guessed he just couldn't leave her after seeing how in trouble she was. His voice still had a hint of reluctance and sounded a bit curt, though.

On the other hand, Clara sounded like a mouse being at the mercy of a cat. Even without hearing her thoughts or seeing her myself, I knew that she was quivering on her chair. Presumably, screaming out my name inside her mind, seeking some help. But there's no sign that Theo would do something dangerous, so I would leave them alone for now.

I'm sorry, Clara. You two have to talk if you want to know each other better.

The afternoon tea was a disaster, so I wasn't sure I could do this. But seeing how things slowly moved to the goal, maybe I was cut out for this match-making job. At the very least, I had the perfect tool to support myself. Now that the second phase was successfully advancing, I had to finish the preparations for the third phase.

Speaking of phases, that didn't mean I've actually planned everything down to every detail. I thought of doing it without much planning, as this was my first time doing something like this. In addition, the implementation of this plan was highly dependent on Theo's mental and emotional state. If something unexpected happened, I would change the plan or even cancel everything. 

Well, the plan was going more smoothly than expected, so maybe I should be more serious about this henceforth. The first phase, which should be safely completed, was to make a good first impression on both parties. The second phase, which was currently underway, was to bring the two parties closer together by increasing the interaction between them. The third phase, which would take place simultaneously with the treasure hunt event, was to strengthen the friendship that was expected to have been created in the second phase, into one that had the potential to develop into a romantic relationship. The fourth phase, well, I guessed it depended on both of them from there onward.

[―Thank you, Young Master. My apologies for bothering you.]

[Hmph. It's fine. No need to apologize.]

[Um, I wonder if Lady Eira is alright? She doesn't come back at all...]

[I'm sure she is. Let's look for her.]

Looked like Clara had finished her homework. I heard some rustling and rattling sounds, they must be tidying up the notebooks and stationeries on the table. After that, the sound of their footsteps started to echo in the library. I thought the awkward silence would come back, but who would have thought that Clara was now confident enough in starting a conversation. And surprisingly, Theo was also more responsive towards her words. That one and a half an hour study session was really worth it. I wanted to praise the best girl, Clara.

Good going, girl! Keep it up!

[Is that true? Elder Sister has saved you from some mean upperclassmen?]

[Yes! Lady Eira was really cool at that time! She drove those scary girls away with such an overwhelming presence!]

Hmm?

[I see, as expected of Elder Sister. She's also really kind to me when I first arrived here.]

[Isn't she? Lady Eira is truly a kindhearted person. If not, she wouldn't stand in front of some commoner girl and defend her. Unfortunately, it seems that many people misunderstood her.]

Hmmmm? Hey, wait a minute...

[Ah, so it's really like that, huh? I had the impression that something like that could happen to her. *chuckles*]

[*chuckles* I see that the Young Master also knew what I meant. But I think that is also one of Lady Eira's charms.]

[I agree.]

Wait a minute, you two?! I'm glad that you two now can even laugh together, but why are you talking about me?! And isn't this way too fast?! You kids are the scarier ones compared to those hypocrites...

Theo sounded a lot more cheerful, and Clara was more relaxed too. It was clear that they were already more comfortable with each other. It revealed that we've achieved the second phase's goal smoothly. Although, I wasn't sure that I was happy with their conversation. That was embarrassing, why would they talk about me? Was it that thing when you met a friend of your friend and had nothing in common to talk about, so you talk about the mutual friend? Wait, did anyone even do that?

"[There you are, Elder Sister.]"

"[Lady Eira, I have finished my homework.]"

Whoa!!

Their voices, that both came from behind me and through the receiver, echoed strangely in my ears and shocked me. I switched the bracelet off in a hurry while unconsciously rubbing my ticklish right ear. This afternoon seemed to be full of "surprise moments". It was kind of new experiences for me, and I concluded that it wasn't good for my heart. 

"Good work, both of you."

“What book are you looking for?"

Theo asked as he handed over my notebook and stationery that I left on the table before. Clara stared at me with a worried look. She was still concerned about "my problem that needs her help". My guilt emerged again, I guessed it's not good to continue lying.

"Well, I am thinking of what we can do together while Clara is here." 

"What? But Lady Eira, what about the problems that need my help?"

"Ah, yes. That's actually the problem that I need your help for."

And the silence followed. Even their minds went blank for a moment. I waited, and Theo was the first to ask the question.

“Elder Sister, have you finished your homework?”

“Yes, I have...”

“When?”

“Two days ago.” Theo, isn't that tone a bit rude? Are you interrogating me? Well, I did lie...

Another silence followed. Well, on the outside at least. Clara’s mind was singing praises as her eyes were sparkling despite I just lied to her. She was becoming more and more like her father by the minute, and I was seriously anxious now. Contrary to her, Theo realized that I did my homework at the same time as I tutored him. He was beating himself up about burdening me. Seeing Theo’s pale face, I knew I had to break the silence, or that 'voice' might surface. But the strong feeling of Deja vu had made this scene look funny, I got distracted.

"Anyway, that's how it is. Now that Clara has finished her homework too, let’s do something fun to enjoy the summer vacation."

I declared as I clapped my hands to get their attention back. Clara was genuinely excited while Theo decided to follow all my wishes in return for burdening me. Even if I said that he’s not a burden at all, Theo would be unlikely to accept it, so I won't force him either. 

"So, what are we going to do?"

"I thought it would be fun if we went on a treasure hunt."

"A treasure-hunt?"

I told them my idea and they both had a confused look. People outside the Bellux family usually didn't even know that the Legendary Wand still existed up until today. Theo joined the family only recently, so naturally, he didn't know yet. But I guessed the term "treasure hunt" itself was also unfamiliar in this world. 

"You two know about the history of the Bellux and the Mage, don't you? Grandfather used to tell me stories about our great-grandfather, the last Mage."

When the topic of the Mage entered, their confused looks immediately turned curious. The children around the world grew up with the heroic tales of the Beloved Child of God and his companions. It wasn't exaggerating to say that these heroes were lifetime idols who had inspired many children. Heck, even adults idolized them. 

"Our Great-grandfather was the last Mage? What kind of person was he?"

I never saw Theo so excited like this before, not even when he talked about those books that chronicled the heroism of the Founding Emperor. He was on his tiptoes; he might jump for joy at any moment. I knew he admired the Hero, but I just found out that he idolizes the Mage too. Somehow, I got some mixed feelings...

"Like the other predecessors, he was a great person. But what intrigued me the most was the story about how our Great-grandfather had hidden the Legendary Wand somewhere in this mansion."

It was cute how both of their cheeks blushed in excitement while their mouths opened wide in an "O" shape. Unconsciously, a mischievous grin appeared on my face.

"Grandfather said that our Great-grandfather has left some clues as to where he hid it. If we can find those clues, we might be able to find the wand. How about that? Sounds fun, right? Let's do a treasure hunt!"

DearanWan

Thank you for reading, and I'm sorry for the late release.
Time was not on my side last month.
I tried to draw a character design for Eira if anyone is interested.