Chapter 1: Spring Palace (part one)

I don’t have a schedule for this series. Wait, actually I don’t really have a schedule for any series lol. But I want to release all 6 chapters of the Spring Palace. Just to keep people interested in this series, you know? Well, enjoy the chapter!

TL: clover

ED: clover, eristol

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On the northern edge of Ichthyes¹ continent where we live, there is a country named Lucanrant.

Due to its harsh winter, it is called Lucanrant, the Land of Ice and Snow.

I know about the tragedy that happened in Lucanrant from the memories of my previous life.

A member of the Lucanrant Ducal Family had gone insane and massacred the entire household. Even the servants were not spared.

—It is rumored that he wasn’t insane, instead he had transformed into a werewolf, and that whispered rumor somehow seems very plausible.

Actually, there is one person who survived this ‘Werewolf Massacre Incident.’

That person is the heroine of Liber Monstrorum, Chloe Lucanrant.

After this incident, Chloe was taken in by a wealthy merchant’s family and she took the pseudonym Chloe Cloacina.

Seven years after that tragedy, she would enter the Lindis Magic Academy in the Fall of her fourteenth year, and would be involved once again in a series of bizarre incidents.

I am quite certain there were seven capture targets. And each hero had an individual scenario.

It was the type of game where scenarios were unlocked one after the other once you cleared the initial scenario.

I was still in the middle of playing this game and had only cleared up two scenarios.

I had just started the third scenario in the commuter train on my last day.

Yeah, I have not completed the game.

I was stabbed three days after the release date!

Hahaha, painful, isn’t it!

That aside.

First of all, I have to summarize information from the memory of my past life and the current one.

I should spread out a map and confirm the geography of this world.

This continent is roughly composed of four regions.

Lucanrant to the north, Hafan to the east, Aurelia to the west and Ignitia to the south.

These names were passed down from the time these regions reigned as sovereign kingdoms. At present, the former kingdoms are united under Ignitia’s sovereignty as a single kingdom, and the ruling family of each land were relegated to the status of retainers, though they still retain full control of their lands.

The northern Lucanrant is an extremely old country. It is the first land in Ichthyes to be inhabited by people who migrated north. The cold, harsh climate has forged a daring temperament in its people. Lucanrant is the home to many brutal swordsmen and skilled healers.

The eastern Hafan is the second oldest country in Ichthyes, founded by an ethnic group who migrated to this continent. It is located deep within the forestlands. Hafan is renowned for producing talented mages.

The southern Ignitia is a country of dragon knights who posses the ability to ride dragons.

They came to the southern region of Ichthyes when a wicked country called Casketia ruled this continent.

Ignitia destroyed Casketia with the might of the dragon knights and conquered the southern part of this continent.

They are proud conquerors.

The western Aurelia is the country of alchemists founded by the 〈Visitor’s Clan〉 who were the last to arrive on this continent.

Though it is still impossible to turn base metals into gold, but since we discovered enormous gold veins, it is the wealthiest region.

The current Duke of Aurelia is my father.

My mother died when I was three years old. Since then, my father remained single without remarrying.

I don’t remember my mother that well.

I can only remember her gentle singing voice and the touch of a gentle fingertip on my cheek.

Is it because I was an unfeeling child or is it because it is hard to establish memory before reaching the age of three years old?

“Erica-sama~~ where are you~~?”

I heard the voice of the maid who was searching for me.

I was caught up in the sentimentality about my mother, but now, not so much.

An event that would probably trigger my death flag might start anytime soon.

Right now I want detailed information about Aurelia and Hafan.

I would like to reinforce the knowledge I acquired while living as Erica Aurelia.

Especially, because—

“Oh, found you. Don’t trouble your maid too much, Erica.”

I was found by my older brother.

By the way, this is my older brother’s study.

So, it is not impossible for him to find me here.

“Onii-sama, I wasn’t hiding or running away. Before triggering my death flags, I have to collect information and be prepared!”

“Death flag…?”

Oops, my mouth slipped.

“Ah, no, never mind.”

“Hm, well then, let’s go. Everyone is waiting for you.”

I didn’t think that I would meet that person the next day after recalling the memories of my previous life.

I have just barely passed the safe line.

I would have committed an irreparable mistake and charged straight to my doom if I were late by another day in remembering my past life.

Today is the day when the eastern Hafan family is scheduled to visit the western Aurelia family.

House Hafan has the capture target of the starting scenario of 『Liber Monstrorum』– Klaus Hafan.

The Klaus who I know, that is, the Klaus who was one of the game’s capture targets, had these traits:

A versatile mage at sixteen.

Dignified, sharp, and imposing features.

A cold personality.

He was a boy with dark eyes filled with indelible regrets and disillusionment with humanity.

Although he was supposed to have blue eyes and black hair according to the game setting, in the CG his eyes were depicted as close to black as possible.

How did he become such a person?

That was because he thought Ann Hafan, his sister, was killed due to his fault.

But, the one who actually caused Ann Hafan to get killed, was me.

To be precise, it was me I, Erica, who brought Ann to a place where the danger of death was hanging in plain sight just for fun.

It was the young villainous lady Erica Aurelia, who was the cause of Klaus’ sister’s death.

(This part will become the cause of my death six years later.)

Every owl used to deliver letters were killed, the land where the magic academy was located had become a solitary land cut off from the rest of the world.

And then, with her whole body turned into gold, the corpse of Erica Aurelia was discovered.

This was the beginning of the first scenario, ‘The Gold Marauder Murder Case.’

If I have to spoil it, Ann went into the ancient ruins of Aurelia and was possessed by an evil spirit as she died.

The evil spirit of the ancient ruins was a legendary alchemist.

He, who was the only one to succeed in creating the Philosopher’s stone, had been murdered by his compatriots who were after the secret of its creation.

The evil spirit driven by vengeance, nostalgia, love and hatred caused a series of inexplicable deaths by ‘the Curse of Midas²’ at the academy.

Ann, who had been revived after fully assimilating with the evil spirit for six years, aimed first for me who had gotten her killed and killed me in turn.

Yes, I understand where she is coming from.

So.

Today I will meet that pair of brother and sister, Klaus and Ann!

I don’t feel bad, but I don’t know what might happen and I am afraid of dying!

What if when I meet Klaus and Ann, I wake up as a villain?

Like the original Erica, I might become a villainous lady who pushed a person into a trap – I can’t stop trembling when I think about everything that can go wrong.

“Erica, are you okay? Are you cold, you seem to be trembling…”

My gentle older brother carefully put his hand on my forehead.

Thank you very much, brother.

He continues to treasure his younger sister who has awakened the memory of her past life without change.

“I’m okay, Onii-sama. I will be seeing Hafan’s people for the first time, so I am a bit nervous.”

“You can rest assured, Erica. Eastern people are gentle and kind. Oh yes, Duke Hafan has a son who is older than you by two years, while his daughter is a year younger than you.”

“Yes, I have heard from Otou-sama. Klaus-sama and Ann-sama, right?”

“Exactly, I hope all of you will get along.”

“Yes.”

In truth, eastern nobles are notorious for being xenophobic, but seeing my brother trying to give me courage calmed me down.

I will do my best.

It was yesterday when I awakened the memories of my previous life, so the countermeasures haven’t been prepared properly.

Still, it isn’t good to be crushed by the tension right off the bat.

“Aah, that’s right. I have something for you. The stone has a spell to inspire courage in the wearer, so even a shy girl like you can surely make new friends.”

As he said that, my older brother hung a necklace around my neck with a stone shimmering in faint blue light.

(This is, a star crystal…)

The star crystal is a mineral unique to Aurelia.

It is also known as the 〈Sailor’s Star〉.

This special ore would resonate with even the feeblest trace of magical energy, glowing brighter in proportion to the surroundings’ darkness.

A fragment the size of a pinky nail placed in a glass tube is enough to create a lamp with the same degree of brightness as a candle.

Such star crystal lamps are installed all over the 〈Spring Palace〉.

However, I have never seen star crystals so large in size and flawless like the one in this necklace.

“Onii-sama, this is–”

“This is a secret from father, okay? This is the result of the research of my friend from the magic academy into the Ruins of Visitor. I thought that it would be a good gift for you. So, I had the stone cut and tailored into a necklace. Star crystals of this size and quality, you won’t find them anywhere in the world except in those ruins.”

“Eeh…!?”

Ruins of Visitor.

The moment I heard those words, I stiffened.

“Onii-sama, thank you very much. But Otou-sama said that the ruins are dangerous, right…?”

“That’s why, keep this a secret from father.”

〈Ruins of Visitor〉 is the place where Ann would lose her life as well as the resting place of that evil spirit.

The reason why Ann snuck into the Ruins of Visitor in the game『Liber Monstrorum』was the star crystals.

Ann was entranced by this beautiful gemstone, and the young Erica, in a fit of spite, directed her to the dangerous ruins.

Erica’s line in the game played in my head with her character’s voice.

(This is an important stone from Onii-sama! If you want it, you can find it yourself!)

This is–! This is my true death flag!!

I almost threw the necklace out of the window just now, but I couldn’t do such a thing to the present from my older brother and his friend.

If possible, I would like to avoid wearing it too noticeably when I meet the Hafan family.

I continued speaking with my older brother calmly and cautiously to conceal my internal unrest.

“Onii-sama, I’m very happy, but…it’s too obvious. Won’t Otou-sama notice?”

“Hmm, as expected it’s no good.”

“Then, perhaps I can hide it under my dress?”

“Ah, I see! That’s a fine idea.”

I will steadily strike down the death flags.

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¹ Ichthyes (イクテュエス): means Pisces in Greek. The more you know lol.

² Midas: it was a story about a king who was so greedy and wished that everything he touched turn into gold. Meaning, the Curse of Midas is where people died by turning into a gold statue.

Edit 25/08/2018:

From now on, Harvan will be Hafan, as the official pronunciation dictated. Hafan means ‘shelter’ or ‘haven’ in Welsh.

Leandez will be Lindis, it came from Lindisfarne Gospel.

Edit 31/10/2018:

Cascadia will be Casketia.

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