Amara Bloodberry.
If I say this, it’ll really complete the sentence, but…
I only found out today that Esme’s mother actually had a proper name.
Esme’s pitiful and tragic “family history” was a valid reason for her to hate the Demon Race, and it served as a “plausible backstory” to either hinder or help players who wanted to become heroes.
The game never went into detail about what her mother’s name was or exactly why she was killed by demons. I only found out today, thanks to Nicasia, that there was even a proper will.
There wasn’t even a related quest, nor were there any books or documents to speculate about the setting. So, the fact that Esme was holding a will with such secrets hidden in it genuinely surprised and excited me.
“Oh my… It seems Mother really used magic on this will.”
“I don’t know much about magic, but the contents of the will have completely changed, and there are even ‘photos’ attached? This isn’t ordinary magic, is it?”
“No, this is absolutely… absolutely not the kind of magic you can use lightly.”
Esme carefully examined the photos neatly attached to the will and then covered her mouth with her left hand.
“Oh my…”
The photos showed a dignified lady with braided brown hair and a dark-skinned maid, posing together happily.
“Mother was…”
Esme scrutinized the photos and then gently pushed the will toward me.
“I think I need to read this with Murmur.”
“With Murmur?”
What on earth could it be about?
The opening sentence was definitely, “To my beloved daughter, my gem, Esme, who has made a precious friend unlike any other.”
“…If you’re reading this, it means you’ve become friends with a descendant of Nectar, just as I did.”
After reading the sentence, Esme looked at me.
“I didn’t tell Esme, but… Mother had a truly precious friend. This friend taught Mother many spells, helped her meet Esme’s father, and supported her through many hardships that couldn’t be put into this letter.”
“Esme, you must remember this. Mother didn’t introduce this friend to everyone because she was ashamed. No, it wasn’t because Mother was ashamed.”
Esme stared at me intently.
“…Mother probably couldn’t introduce her. Even though there are demons who work silently in the Imperial Palace, the number of nobles who insult them far outweighs those who praise them.”
“…I won’t deny it, even if it’s embarrassing. If Esme’s mother had introduced her precious friend to everyone, they would have rushed to insult that friend or tarnish the difficult path of magic Mother had built.”
Nicasia let out a long sigh. Esme tightly gripped the will again.
“If the photos are properly attached, be sure to look at them. You’ll see how close Mother and Lelaje were…. Ah, you’re talking about these photos.”
Esme showed us the photos that were naturally attached to the will.
“They must have been together since they were very young.”
“Mother’s friend… ‘Lelaje’ didn’t age or grow at all.”
The memories captured in the photos were touching, even to someone who didn’t know the circumstances.
A demon maid holding a small child.
A lady using water elemental magic to put out a fire on a birthday cake.
A friend cheering on a blushing lady in front of a young master.
Even a scene of them sitting on a blue magic circle, gazing at the night sky together.
“…Mother and Lelaje were truly friends. I had no idea she was like this.”
“Esme, do you remember?”
“Um… I do. She was always by Mother’s side as a maid. She was kind and took good care of me… but I never imagined she was a demon.”
Esme sniffled once.
“Do you remember the magic book Mother always said, ‘We’ll read it together when you grow up’? That book was actually a gift from Lelaje to Mother… Oh my… What a coincidence…”
“A magic book gifted by a demon?”
“Yes… And that magic book is… the heirloom Murmur asked to borrow from me today.”
So that’s why Esme was so adamant about not lending it.
If it was a magic book she was supposed to read with her mother when she grew up, I’m actually grateful she said I could read it every weekend.
“…Colette Bloodberry couldn’t have known this. The magic Mother prepared only reacts to someone who has made friends with a demon.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, a magic book gifted by a demon… Esme, I’m not saying this in a bad way.”
Esme shook her head.
“I’ll say it. First, thank you, Princess Nicasia. Ahem, Murmur? I’ll explain since you might not know. Magic books created by demons are basically classified as forbidden books. No matter how safe the knowledge is… it’s not something an individual mage can judge.”
Esme placed her hand on her chest and spoke.
“That’s why they must… be classified as forbidden books and sent to the Mage’s Tower to have their knowledge verified. They research whether the magic is safe for humans to use or if it’s something we can handle.”
“Let’s keep this story between us.”
Nicasia tightly held our hands and whispered.
“If the Mage’s Tower sends people and starts researching the magic book… there could be truly insulting remarks about Esme’s mother.”
“…I can imagine that. I want to keep it a secret. But if the magic book contains truly dangerous knowledge…”
Esme let out a long sigh. Esme was still young, but the look in her eyes right now was mature.
“…I’m the head of the Bloodberry family. If this magic book is truly dangerous, I have a duty to classify it as a forbidden book and send it to the Mage’s Tower.”
“Esme… Are you okay?”
“Huhuhu, of course. Don’t think I’m too weak, Princess Nicasia. Even though I look like this, our family’s ambition for magic is quite serious!”
Esme spoke confidently, but she must be feeling complicated inside. I want to tell her that the magic book isn’t dangerous and that it’s just about ‘Dual Casting,’ but…
It doesn’t make sense logically to say I already know the knowledge of a magic book I couldn’t read and asked to borrow…
“Anyway… the end of the letter says, ‘Please read the magic book I promised to read with you with your one and only precious friend.'”
“It seems Esme’s mother wanted her to explore the knowledge in that magic book.”
Esme looked at me with slightly anxious eyes.
A child who wants to fulfill her mother’s dream, something she naturally believes in, is standing before me.
Maybe I should endure a little hardship.
“Esme, are you worried the magic book might be dangerous?”
“Yes, to be precise… I’m scared of the insults about Mother that might come after it’s classified as a forbidden book.”
“Murmur will handle it.”
Nicasia and Esme both looked at me in surprise.
Is it that surprising?
“Huh… How?”
“Murmur can read the magic book. Just lend it to me for a day.”
“But you couldn’t read it earlier? With Mother’s words and my peace of mind, I can lend it to you for as many days as you need.”
“There should be books on ancient demon language in the library. Murmur can read the magic book while referencing those.”
Actually, Armonia will decipher it, so I don’t plan to borrow books from the library.
And strangely, I don’t think the knowledge in this book is just about ‘Dual Casting.’
If Colette had read and understood the knowledge in a book that requires a demon’s help to read, wouldn’t that be weird? There must be something more.
“Is there… such a book?”
“There’s a class in the high school section that teaches lost or rarely used languages… so there should be.”
“Alright. Then I’ll read it with you.”
“No. The magic book might be dangerous.”
Esme pouted.
“If the magic book is dangerous, isn’t it weirder to let Murmur read it alone?”
“Murmur is a demon. If the magic book is truly dangerous, she might not be affected at all.”
This was a sort of “hidden trait” that wasn’t shown in the game but worked in the background.
Curses, traps, and such in forbidden books or magic books have no effect on demons.
Come to think of it, I got a strange trait last time, didn’t I? I should check that too…
“Ah… I’ve heard about that, but is it really true?”
After saying that, Esme grabbed my hand with a very anxious look.
“Then… Murmur, can I ask you a small favor?”
“Sure, I’ll do anything for Esme.”
“Please decipher the magic book Mother mentioned. And if it’s safe magic, read it with me. Promise me.”
“Okay, Murmur promises. If it’s safe magic, I’ll read it with Esme. If it’s a dangerous book, I’ll let you know.”
Esme finally relaxed and hugged me tightly, rubbing her cheek against mine.
Am I a dog? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?
“Uuuu…!! I’m really sorry, Murmur!!”
“Ah, no… It’s fine…”
“You’re doing something dangerous for me, right? Even studying ancient demon language? Thank you. Thank you! Murmur, you’re truly my precious friend!”
“T-That’s why. Let go and talk… Ugh!”
Nicasia, who was watching the situation, also came over and hugged me with her arms wide open.
“L-Let go… Wait, I can’t breathe…!”
“It’s really a relief. Esme! Murmur! You two can stay close friends!”
“Of course, Princess. The three of us will stay good friends forever!”
Squeezed between the two brightly smiling girls, I genuinely struggled to breathe.
“Uuuu… I, I can’t breathe…”
Anyway, I’ve properly secured the reward for defeating Colette and gotten closer to Esme, so it’s a bigger harvest than I thought!
* * *
A man in a butler’s uniform, steeped in pitch-black darkness, had an aura of charisma that radiated even when he stood silently. His white hair suited his experienced eyes perfectly.
“Miss, Princess Nicasia, Lady Murmur, and Miss Esme Bloodberry have returned to the academy.”
The man, who didn’t seem like someone who would serve anyone, bowed respectfully and whispered to the lady enjoying her tea time.
The red-haired lady, finally hearing the news she had been waiting for, tapped her intricately twisted hair reflected in her hand mirror.
“Well done, Balkan. Is the gold ready?”
“Of course. However… it might be better to gather a bit more information.”
“In this world, there’s nothing money can’t buy, and a merchant must always move faster than anyone else.”
The red-haired lady put down her hand mirror and watched Murmur, who was playfully pushing Esme away in the distance.
“If the rumor about the Demon God’s kin is true, we must move faster than anyone else.”
What awaited Murmur upon her return to the academy was the immense desire of a child too accustomed to the stiffness of adulthood.
