CH 18

Chapter 18: I’ve had enough of love

Anastasia enters the library’s hidden room and finds Brandt already there.

Anastasia caught Brandt’s attention as he was reading a book. Then his well-groomed face became cloudy.

“…Anastasia-san, what happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve got dirt on your feet.”

Anastasia looks at her feet. There is a bit of dirt on her feet, which she thought she had cleaned off.

“Oh, this is…”

“By any chance, Keira?”

Brandt tells Anastasia the name of the perpetrator as she ponders how to explain.

Anastasia gasps, and Brandt seems to take that as confirmation. A fierce light flashes in Brandt’s eyes.

“I had a feeling… She was acting strangely. So she tried to harm Anastasia-san… I have no other option but to… crush her.”

“N-No, it’s not a big deal, so it’s all right.”

Anastasia intervenes to prevent Brandt from saying anything dangerous.

She considered Keira an enemy, but she didn’t hold enough resentment against her to crush her.

“…What did she do to you?”

“Well… She used [Buried] at me after saying some incomprehensible things to me.”

Anastasia replied honestly to this question in a certain tone of voice.

“[Buried]? In some cases, this could result in death. After all, I’m going to crush her.”

“N-No, I took the magical formula and returned it to her, so everything is fine—the reason why the soil was attached was to learn how well it would work on me… I could have destroyed the magic formula before it was activated if I had wanted to. Anyway, it’s not even a competition, so don’t worry about it.”

Anastasia explains honestly, attempting to keep Brandt on a safe path.

Then the faint light disappears from Brandt’s eyes, and is replaced by astonishment.

“…Keira is a complicated character, but she’s the real deal—and she can’t even compete with you? And you mentioned how quickly you took her magic formula… but that’s not something they teach at the academy—even teachers, I don’t think they can do it.”

“Is that so…?”

Anastasia is surprised to learn from Brandt that this magic formula is not covered in school. She had only attended the academy up to the second year in her previous life, so she assumed it would be taught in the third year.

—But thinking about it, I remember that the method of taking the formula came from the knowledge of the demon tribe.

When fighting opponents who used magic, it was just a matter of course to make sure that spells with long-lasting effects couldn’t be easily changed, so I had forgotten about it.

“I also know how to use other people’s magic formulas—but it was my mother who taught me, not the academy.”

“Brandt-senpai’s mother…?”

“Yes, my mother was a magician. She taught me when I was very young, so I’m only now learning how to use it. However, when I was taught magic at the academy, I noticed that it was not the same as what my mother had taught me.”

When Anastasia heard Brandt’s story, the word [Demon Tribe] was the first thing that came to mind.

Anastasia’s advanced magic spells are all derived from demons. And many of Brandt’s magic spells are in the same vein.

If Brandt’s mother taught him the same magic that Anastasia did, it raises the possibility that his mother is a demoness.

Brandt, on the other hand, seemed to despise demons. It would be foolish to speak up so quickly.

“My parents eloped, and I have no idea where they came from. But after seeing Anastasia’s magical spells, I began to wonder if my mother came from the same family.”

Anastasia is stunned by what follows.

Anastasia appears to have received an answer to a question she had been pondering.

However, demons’ magic spells are similar to ancient magic spells. Brandt’s mother could have used ancient magic spells.”

“…where is Brandt-senpai’s mother now?”

Anastasia attempts to deflect the topic slightly in order to conceal her inner impatience.

“She’s no longer alive—monsters attacked me when I was very young. My parents shielded me, and they both died as a result. The monster leader had red and black wings. So… I resolved to defeat him one day.”

Anastasia is surprised by this response, as she should have guessed from the story about Brandt’s mother teaching him magic spells when he was a child.

Anastasia regrets being distracted by other things and asking impolite questions.

At the same time, she understands why Brandt is so opposed to demons. It could only be a demon with red-black wings and leading monsters.

“Oh…Don’t worry; that was a long time ago—I apologize for talking so much.”

When Brandt notices Anastasia’s expression, he smiles reassuringly at her.

Then, as if to change the subject, he claps his hands.

“Originally… Keira’s story is where it all began—after all, I think I should crush her.”

“…Do you really want to crush her that badly?”

Anastasia is taken aback and asks.

It’s clear that Keira has feelings for Brandt. Despite this, Brandt’s attitude is so callous that she feels sorry for Keira.

“Well… All of these assumptions are exhausting. We don’t really communicate… We’ll have to wait until she graduates to find out. I’m sorry, but I’m unable to meet her expectations.”

Brandt lets out a disgusted sigh.

From what she recalls, Brandt is so popular with women that he has his own fan club. But if he’s hanging out in his secret room like this, he’s probably not dating anybody.

Anastasia wonders if he isn’t interested in someone other than Keira.

“… What kind of person do you like? Brandt-senpai?”

“Anastasia-san.”

Anastasia inquired casually, but the response came in an instant.

She had expected no answers, but she had not expected to be told so to her face.

Of course, Anastasia likes Brandt as well, but what should she do in this situation with someone who is both a senpai and a friend with whom she discusses magic?

Anastasia’s mind is racing, and she can’t gather her thoughts.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about Anastasia-san since she appeared in this hidden room that day—I’d never met anyone who knew so much about ancient magic spells, and I’d never really had anyone to talk to, so I assumed it was fate.”

“S-So that’s how it goes… That’s right, it’s difficult to find someone to discuss ancient magic spells with…”

In the following words, Anastasia smiles dryly as she regains her composure.

In other words, she is the type of person he would want as a comrade.

She was embarrassed by her misunderstanding, but also relieved.

Anastasia’s heart had been broken by the betrayal of the person she had thought was her lover in her previous life. Not wanting to be betrayed again, the cowardly spirit believes that the source of the betrayal should be kept at bay.

Anastasia has had enough of love.