I yank the sheet away. There is no one inside the study. Over the few days my visit and interaction with the Luveille family became so frequent that I more or less became a part of the Azalea mansion. A ghostly member that only the Luveille family and some other permanent resident of the household know of.
A few days ago, I borrowed a book from the mansion library. The library was so enormously big. Each part is sectioned and there are other books too. Thankfully, I know Roran, the state language of Croran kingdom. There are other kingdoms and states. I noticed that what we call country is kingdom to them. Even some countries that are not ruled by any royal families are still called kingdoms.
Croran has a total of six lands and a kingdom capital, just as Brianna told me on my first sane day. Now the memory looks so far away. The kingdom capital in directly under the royal family that goes by the same name as the kingdom. Their symbol is red rose, which is also used to open the connection to the capital.
And I am one of those people who can create these types of connections. A connector. A branch of spell and pattern magics.
When first created, connectors could easily turn a puddle or pool of water, or any solid metal into portals and cross great distances. But with time, they were more modified into today's version. They need a receiver on the other end of the portal. The mediums from both sides also need to be of the exact same size and materials. The gate would automatically close off the moment the connectors withdraw their mana supply. The people here don't usually use portals to travel. They rather enjoy the journey with nature. So the connection magic is mainly used in emergency or urgent cases. Every city and village of Croran has a point with the necessary equipments.
According to Rosemary, Silvaris and Cicile, the elf secretary of lord who pulled me out from my dimension when the Lord hit be back, my version of portal was one of the earliest one. It opened connections without the need of a receiver and I don't need to continuously give my mana to keep holding the portal open. What is more nonsense is that I probably am the only one who is actually from magic dimension but ended up emerging from the non-magical realm.
I learned basics of magic from Rosemary and Sandra. Thankfully, grandma taught me its-bits about the 1st language of magic. So I caught up with the spells in no time. But what actually managed to make me trip in this journey was pattern drawing. I still shudder whenever I remember those dark memories.
"You can't even draw a straight line and you are a CONNECTOR?"
"Ummm... I can draw them with a ruler, you know..."
"Are you going to carry that geometric shaped tools with you all the time?"
"...can't I?"
Thanks to Rose's incredible patience and teaching skills, I can now draw a perfect circle with my eyes closed. Silvaris was so pleased that he even bought a cake to celebratey success when I showed him how much I improved in arts. He really is something.
"Oh, Juniper? When did you come?" I greet cecile back and reply.
"Just a few minutes ago. Where's Silvaris?"
"He has his monthly council meeting today but he left early."
He left early? He did say that he needed to tell the news to the prince himself. There are many ears around. I just don't see why I have to keep a low profile like some petty thief. Aren't I, like, some sort of celebrity?
"I have to be there before the meeting begins. Miss Rosemary and Miss Sandra are both in the library. I hope you have a pleasant time."
I walk down the hallway. The mansion is enormous and it is equipped with magic to create an illusionary maze. But once you turn to the right doors, the illusion is broken. It is more like a password.
3rd left.
7th left.
2nd right.
5th left.
And here is the library. I knock on the massive wooden door three times and enter. I look around but see no one. Was Cecile sure that he saw them here?
"Ah! Juniper?"
"Yes it's me. But where are you?"
"Come to the couches near row 6."
Here they are! I come over.
"What's with the book in your hand?" Sandra eyes the object in my hand I mentally facepalm myself for forgetting its existence.
"I will just return it real quick." I turn on my heels to go to the required shelf but Rosemary stops me.
"Girl, just drop it in the red box. It will return by itself." I do as she says and sit on the couch.
Rosemary shuts her book with a long piece of paper that I assume is a bookmark. "Do you know there is a game match between Korrel and Danferra? I am so excited!"
I ask with wonder, "Are they both strong?" I read in that book that both are neighbouring kingdoms and both, along with five other kingdoms fought a battle against their own respective rulers. It is a big history but worth knowing.
"Yes, but more than that, both of them have been in an inner conflict for a really long time. So everyone is eager to know who will win." Like the international football matches. I wonder what the game is.
"It will be a draw again." Sandra says with boredom.
"I don't need spoilers, miss predictor."
Sandra's magic is prediction. It is also a branch of spell magic and much like mine that needs special extra training to master. She works in Royal administration. Rosemary is in security and handles the barrier management of both this mansion and the Falska capital.
"How does you magic work?" I ask Sandra.
"It's mathematical, and boring. At first I determine all possible results. Then I use dices, or cards or something equivalent and infuse my mana with it. All I get are just some probabilities. They are not always accurate even." she huffs but I think it is pretty cool.
"But they said that your predictions often hit the mark."
"Yes, but there are always exceptions. Prediction magic can only show you a few most likely outcomes, not the exact one. There are researchers trying to aim for prophecy magic. But they are not yet successful, or so it seems."
"Prophecy? Like their will be only one result instead of many?"
"Yep. Something like that. But it is still not possible yet. And my magic says there are 99.9996 percent chance it won't."
"So it is a no?"
"There are still 0.0004 percent left so... who knows?"
"... you are unexpectedly optimistic."
"Then Imagine how optimistic the others in Luveille family are. They call me the most pessimistic member in Luveille history."
Well, I might have got the wind of it from their carefree attitude and kind gesture towards others and strangers. I mean, would I have taken such good care of a stranger coming out of my mirror one day? Definitely not. If I were in his place, I definitely would have thrown her into underground prison with most wicked criminals of the decade.
I am pulled out of my thought when Rosemary suddenly stands up.
"What's wrong?" If the Rosemary I know has such a face, then something terrible has happened. I look at Sandra and see her knit her brows.
Rosemary doesn't say anything. In the odd silence, she looks like she is looking for something in the air, or trying to feel something distant. We stay quiet. She is probably doing something with her mana. Almost immediately, she opens her mouth and with trembling voice she says,
"Someone broke the barrier to his study."