With classes out of the way I set my sights on Leon who was already heading for the door. Seeing him try to slip out quietly immediately after class ended made me want to laugh. 'Sorry you can't back out cause I need you.' I called out to him loudly.
"Lee wait!"
I rushed to him but he was speed walking out, thankfully Dirius with those long legs of his caught up to him quickly.
"No Dice Leon you already promised Orphy and she's not the type to back down easily."
"And I should care why!?"
By the time I caught up to them they'd made it half way across the courtyard.
"Leon please I really need to know about Ethros."
"Why is it so important? Cause the two of you are cursed?"
"That's part of it."
There could be a way we can learn how to use our magic, I knew that we just started at the academy but we were still so far behind. My overthinking and skepticism couldn't just be ignored.
Dirius sighed rubbing his temples and walked up to Leon. 'He's definitely going to try something underhanded.'
"So you're telling me that breaking into a dusty little book room is too much for you? What would Alan think about you breaking promises to your friends?"
"Who's Alan?" I intercepted.
"But we're literally committing a crime!?"
'Not my entire question being ignored....but okay have your moment boys.'
"Yes those who commit a crime are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."
Dirius added with the shounen character classic talk no jutsu. I stood there blankly as my brother was gaslighting this poor dude into helping us. On one hand I felt bad for him but on the other hand. 'A win is a win.'
"Fine....we should go into the library from now since we can't be out past curfew at ten."
I reached out and hugged him.
"Thanks Lee~! Let's get going."
I gave Dirius a wink and a sly grin formed on his face. Thanks to his bullshit I'd get what I want, guess I could finally forgive him for getting us chased out the pub that night we were gathering information.
We went into the library and began to walk through some aisles acting naturally.
"Psst. Anything specific we looking for here."
"Yeah, because obviously a 'Secret passage' would be easy to find."
Leon's sarcasm had completely flown over my head as I doubled down on my question.
"So out in the open Lee?"
He sighed exasperatedly.
"Secret passages are meant to be inconspicuous! You two idiots sure talk a lot!"
Him whisper shouting from getting so fed up with us already was making me want to bother him even more, but it seemed like Dirius and I were once again on the same wavelength.
"Oh don't be like that Leon you know you like talking with us."
"Yeah Lee, don't you get a kick out of having to explain everything to us since we're 'idiots'? You get to be our wise old sage~."
"Precisely sis! Don't royalty like to hear the sounds of their own voice."
We finally made it a secluded portion of the library where there wasn't anyone else. I could also swear I saw steam coming out of Leon's head. 'Poor thing is trying his best ignore our teasing.'
"We're here, thankfully this one doesn't seem crowded."
So he was looking for a secret passage that would be away from others. 'Figures there'd be multiple.'
"So that means you studied the entire layout of the school before coming here?"
I asked wanting to gauge the scope of his knowledge on the matter.
"Yeah I did in fact. You never know when it may come in handy."
"Finally someone good with directions, keep an extra eye on Orphelia though, girl gets lost even with a map."
'Bruh.'
"Why do you always say that!? I'm not that bad! I get where I need to get to, unlike you who's easily distracted by a pretty face!"
"What do my hobbies have to do with your lack of an internalized compass? Don't get me started on how five minutes equate to thirty for you."
"Excuse me!?"
Leon bursted out laughing clutching his chest lightly.
"While I enjoy not being at the center of your comedic machinations, we can't waste anymore time. We need to get back to the task at hand you two."
"Right."
We replied in unison. He then pulled a book and the passageway opened.
"Ladies first."
"Are you serious Dirius? I don't think it's haunted you know."
"Thousand year old magic academy, secret tunnel to a forbidden library. Yeah no. You take the curse I'm too young to die, plus in there looks musty."
"Clowns."
Leon walked in first followed by me and a reluctant Dirius. The door closed behind us after a few seconds.
"Well, it's good that we won't be followed...but doesn't this also mean we're trapped?"
"Way to state the obvious Dirius."
Leo scolded Dirius for his astute observation.
There didn't seem to be any Fortuna crystals; only a few torches that weren't even lit, if I could even make that out clearly.
"I can barely see shit."
"We should've brought a lighter at least."
"Wait Lee, can't you just use your light magic?"
"Wait- Yeah I can."
'He forgot didn't he?'
As we continued down the path Leon used a small sphere of pure light in his hands to guide our way. We'd been walking for a while, after Dirius made me feel bad earlier I wasn't even going to try pulling an estimated time out my ass.
To lighten the dull mood we were currently facing, I did what I wanted to do since we got here.
"Two lovers forbidden from one another. A war divides their people."
"Orph you can't be serious."
His eyebrows furrowed but I couldn't give a rats ass at this point. I saw a perfect opportunity for a song that fit our environment.
"Shush and enjoy my glorious sonnet o yee uncultured one."
I inhaled before I got to the good part.
"Secret tunnel. Secret tunnel! In the bookshelf, secret secret secret tunnel!"
With my slightly tweaked lyrics was satisfied.
"Orphelia I have had it up to here with your bullsh— "
As Leon's voice got louder, his light orb expanded. However, he had no time to rein is his anger as
Squeak.
"Run!"
A swarm of bats descended from the ceiling.
"Lee turn off the light!"
As we ran blindly through the dark halls I began bumping into things, and in classic Dirius fashion it was every man for himself.
"Don't leave me you guys I have teenie legs!"
Not really I was like 5'6 but this body wasn't very athletic, something I'd have to fix. Leon thankfully slowed down a little and grabbed my hand.
***
"Whew! Thanks for saving me back there."
"Yeah no problem."
He let go of my hand and Dirius was already sprawled out on the floor. After catching my breath I finally I looked up to the giant brass door that had multiple locks on it and a three layer magic circle.
"So how do we open this thing?"
Dirius inquired, turning his body to face Leon and myself.
"Don't know."
"Obviously I knew you wouldn't Orphy I was asking the prince."
"I'm also not exactly sure. Most magical locks have some kind of password."
"Oh great, was beginning to wonder when the catch was going to come. The whole no monsters or traps thing was throwing me off."
"It's not a dungeon Orphelia, though, I get your point. When I first studied this passage in particular there were five traps listed. We avoided the first three because I was leading us carefully; however the bats threw me off guard, which should have led us to being caught in the other two."
"Hmmm, that's suspicious, that's weird."
Dirius shook his head before walking up to the door.
"Jokes aside that really is strange. It's like we were being intentionally lead here."
"It does seem that way but for what motive?"
"Guys, why don't we just push the door open? Sure security is tight... but y'know."
With that Dirius just pushed the door and it literally fucking opened.
"Okay? That was, very convenient. I'm scared."
"Could this be fate?"
"Leon that is corny as hell, don't ever do that again. We can't have you being a generic ass prince with a destiny hero complex."
"Hahahaha!"
Leon's face went red when I began laughing.
"Then what else can explain it!?"
"Obviously someone else got here before us and no one knew about it."
'For my mental health's sake I'll go with that narrative.'
It also wasn't too far fetched. Leave it to Dirius to use logic based reasoning.
When we entered, the entire room was surrounded by fortuna crystals that emitted a black light. Some had the engravings of a dragon. 'Alther's coat of arms.'
The room was about the size of our classroom and filled with books. The shelves were dark oak and at the center of the room was an enchanted catalogue.
"Well get on with it we don't got all day."
At Leon's nudge I went to the catalogue.
"Ethros."
One book appeared, it was dust battered book with a worn out brown leather cover. I walked to the side and opened the book, the pages were blank at first till the texts began appearing in red.
"That's an enchanted book. It only shows you what it wants to reveal to you."
"Wait really Lee?"
"If that's the case we should take turns reading it to get the most out of it."
"Kay."
When I read the book it told me that Ethros was the only other country beside Renza to be an Empire, it was the most influential of all the nations in terms of magical advancement and technology. The odos system was derived from their format and was later adapted into a religion by Renza which became the holy land.
The odras religion was formed by centering life and creation through Fortuna. Animals, monsters, humans, mythical creatures and even demons all have innate Fortuna that serve as their lifeforce. 'Like chakra or ethernano?'
Primera Fortuna being the main type of magic a person is able to use or control. While you're gifted with one, you can still obtain proficiency in another depending on the circumstance.
Ethros was also the first place to have a cursed person be born. Cursed people were said to be blights, forsaken by fortuna and have no place in living.
"Wait that's all I got!?"
"Stop bitching Orphy, it just doesn't like you. My turn to read."
Bang
"Cursed people tend to have magic that are associated with things that can't be seen, heard, felt or smelt. It has no correlation to the five senses instead related to obscurities and concepts like feelings, emotions, even the lines between life and death."
My eyes widened as Dirius read from the book.
"Yeah that's all I got, prince charming's turn."
He tossed the book to Leon who then began reading.
"The Ethros Empire was destroyed due to an uprising from the cursed when a civil war broke out. Those who didn't flee were subjugated by the cursed. While the cursed were admonished by the other six nations it was never to the extent of the brutality shown by Ethros who tortured, killed, experimented and hunted the cursed. So as such they didn't send any aid and left them to fall to the ruin of their own design for their inhumanity."
A silence filled the room when the words of the book stopped and we each shared the same disturbed glance.
"Wait that all you got!?"
"Yeah...that's all."
"Still more useful than the information Orphy got."
"Okay ouch."
I took the book back from Leon and did my best cutesy voice.
"Please bookie, just one more useful paragraph."
Surprisingly it obliged.
"Is that how you convinced me to help you break in earlier?"
"Nooooo."
I began reading trying to avoid having Leon catch on fully.
"With Odras being the doctrine of the world, those who are deemed as cursed were considered to be blasphemous and a stain that was forsaken by Fortuna and their very existence was deemed a sin."
"Yay~ another useless paragraph curtesy of Orphelia."
Dirius clapped his hands sarcastically.
"Whatever asshole."
The book flew back to it's shelf as Dirius walked up to the catalogue.
"What you doing?"
"Looking to see if there's any books on the cursed."
"Fine make it quick we gotta leave before we get found out."
As you'd expect there was not one fart. We made our way out the forbidden library through the same route and with great favor on our side. We weren't spotted.
"Thanks for helping us Leon. I know I was being difficult in asking you but I really needed to know."
"While I admit, you were annoying as hell, pushy, and stubborn. I'd already expected as much, I helped you because I wanted to. And I also learned valuable information I didn't know before. Don't sweat it, let's just say you owe me one."
He smiled softly scratching his head.
"Aww~ they're having a moment."
My eyes flit to the the source of the comment.
"Asshat."
The boys went their way and so did I. I was grateful that Ethros wasn't just some sort of plot hole but the idea of this world premise becoming deeper than I thought gnawed at me. 'Just what the hell is this?'