Chapter 31

Chapter 31

I turned and gasped at what I found. There were strange markings on the wall.

“What are those lines?” A large, perfect rectangle had been drawn from the floor almost to the ceiling. I made my way over to inspect it more closely. There was another loud thumping sound, and I was now certain it was coming from behind this wall. I rushed over and ran my fingers over the lines that formed the rectangle.

“Wait...” They weren’t lines, but cracks. I realized that it was the outline of a door, probably a secret entrance. “So, you really are a mage after all, huh?”

The idea that I’d found a secret passageway—the kind you’d usually only find in books and movies—made my heart pound with excitement. In the game, Winter would appear whenever the heroine was feeling sad or upset and performed fancy little magic tricks. What the developers had intended for Winter’s character was pretty obvious.

Whenever you’re feeling down, he appears out of nowhere and acts cute, kind of like a novelty keychain.

They’d probably been going for someone that was fun, but ultimately just flashy. The game was very easy in normal mode and pursuing Winter’s ending was especially so. Unlike the other picky love interests, he had been genuinely fond of the duke’s daughter from the moment he met her. That was why I hadn’t eliminated him as an option since he seemed to have a gentle nature.

Now he’s nothing but my backup plan.

I laughed bitterly to myself, then frowned as I scanned the cracks in the wall once more. “How do I open it?” There was no doorknob and no indent—like one would find in a sliding door—that I could fit my fingers into. There were only the thin lines that formed the outline of a door.

“This can’t be just for decoration, can it?” I rubbed my chin, wondering what to make of it. Then I felt along the wall again. Maybe there was a hidden button. I was groping the wall when a white dialogue window appeared.

<SYSTEM>

Hidden quest unlocked! [Uncover the Sorcerer's Secret!]

<SYSTEM>

You have discovered the sorcerer's secret chamber. Would you like to enter? (Reward: Unspecified.)

[Accept / Decline]

“What the?” I wasn’t expecting to find a secret quest, and I stared at the notification with wide eyes. This quest hadn’t existed in normal mode. I glanced at the reward and frowned.

“Damn it!” Hidden quests, by their nature, never told you in advance what the reward would be. It was similar to the dialogue on and off feature—both came with unknown boons.

“Should I accept?” I wondered, staring at the buttons hovering at eye level. I only really cared about Winter’s affection score and had no interest in uncovering his secrets. Everyone was entitled to their privacy, after all. What use was it sticking my nose where it didn’t belong?

It’s not like the reward is an increase in affection score or anything. I might end up losing more than I gain. Darn it!

I was reaching for the “Decline” button when another loud banging noise made me pause. The sound, accompanied by low vibrations, came again, and this time I was able to see the wall shaking. “But then again... If this suspicious entrance leads to a secret chamber, Winter might be inside.”

Some time had passed since I’d arrived, and he had yet to appear. Maybe this was one of the mandatory hard mode quests I’d be forced to complete anyway. I read the hovering notification again carefully. There were no penalties for failing the quest, only the promise of a mysterious reward. I could only assume that meant everything would be okay even if I failed. Probably.

“All right. I came all this way so I should at least see him before I leave.” Making up my mind, I accepted the quest.

Without further ado, the rectangular segment marked on the wall slid aside, revealing a secret passageway. I entered without hesitation. Beyond the wall was a dark, broad corridor that stretched into the distance. Looking at this building from the outside, it should not have been physically possible that it contained such a long tunnel.

I felt a surge of excitement like I was going on an adventure in a movie. I heard another loud thumping sound accompanied by the same faint tremors as before. Frowning, I covered my ears.

What in the world is he up to?

The noises were coming from the end of the corridor where a bright light was emanating from the room beyond. With my ears covered, I began making my way down the long passageway. I slowed to a stop when I reached the doorway.

There was a huge, sprawling room inside, probably as big as the property that stretched out behind the duke’s manor. Countless bookcases lined every wall, each filled with various tomes. The duke’s study housed an impressive collection of literature, but this was on par with a national library.

“Whoa...” I stared in awe at the magical expanse, which I hadn’t encountered while playing the game. Besides the book-lined walls, there were many other curiosities housed inside the enormous room. There were large glass display cases scattered around the area, showcasing gems, accessories, or mysterious minerals that I couldn’t identify. I could also see the stuffed pelts of creatures I’d never seen before and reconstructed large skeletons—perhaps once belonging to dinosaurs.

“This place... It’s like a museum,” I murmured dreamily. “It’s so lovely.”

I never expected to find a vast space filled with so many mysterious things behind that secret door! Deciding to venture deeper inside to explore, I lowered my hands from my ears. With a skip in my step, I made to look around but was promptly interrupted. The loud slamming and thumping noises, momentarily forgotten, rudely pulled me back to reality.

“You idiot! Aim for that spot!” A small voice cried.

“L-like this?” A different tiny voice asked.

“Like that!” There was the sound of a small explosion then a crunch.

“Oh god! Watch out for the shards!”

A group of children was fleeing from one corner of the room, sharp ice fragments pouring out in great spikes after them. The children were all wearing animal masks. There was a lion, a cat, a squirrel, a puppy, and a pig.

“Dang it! Be careful! If we damage the box, he’ll kill us!” shouted the lion-masked child. He narrowly escaped being skewered by a spear of ice by tumble-rolling and springing back to his feet.

“All right. I’ll try hacking away at the ice on the edges then...” muttered another child glumly, raising the object in their hand.

A staff? Are they mages?

A different child approached the ice and raised their staff too. “You take the left side this time! I’ll take the right!” they shouted.

A total of five children now surrounded the chunk of ice as it towered over them. I eyed the jagged, cold mass carefully. I could see something encased within the ice, and I had a feeling I’d seen it before. If my memory served correctly, it was...

An ancient sorcerer’s relic!

Acquired: an ancient sorcerer’s relic!

This necklace was discovered by Winter in the north. It’s an artifact frequently used by ancient sorcerers. It changes color when toxic material is detected in the vicinity...

...all of the surrounding artifacts were destroyed during its excavation from the ice, leaving only the necklace remaining. Acquiring this item, due to its rarity, leads to a rise in Winter’s affection score of...

I couldn’t remember the exact percentage by which his affection score would rise if I managed to get a hold of the artifact. This is the event that caused all the other artifacts to be destroyed! My musings were interrupted by one of the children chanting.

“Non perdanon fero thum!” called the child in the pig mask, speaking in a strange language. A white ray of light, resembling a laser beam, shot out of their staff. As soon as the light made contact with the ice, it erupted in a huge explosion. The children shrieked.

“Get out of the way!” They all fled. When the smoke cleared, a chunk of ice near the chest had been blasted away.

“Wow, guys, look! The corner’s sticking out! We did it!”

“You’re right. Let’s try that again, together this time!” You idiots! Artifacts need to be treated with the same care as a newborn baby! I was horrified by the children’s misplaced enthusiasm. If they continued as they were, they would destroy the ice and the box inside it.

“Kids!” I cried, rushing over to them.

“Nom perdanon...”

“Hey, stop!” I said, hastily stepping in front of the child preparing to cast another spell. “What are you doing?”

They appeared to be maybe 10 or 11 years old. I was suddenly being scrutinized by many pairs of clever little eyes. The child with the lion mask pointed his tiny staff at me. “What the? Who are you, ma’am?”

“Don’t call me ma’am!” I protested.

“But your mask is painted like a noble lady’s face!” yelled the boy.

“That’s right! That’s a scary noblewoman’s face!” cried another of the children. I realized I was still wearing the mask.

Why are they saying it looks like a noblewoman, though? I wondered what the children meant. Then I realized that the white smiling mask probably reminded them of a noblewoman’s white makeup.

“It’s nothing like that. I’m here as a guest,” I said, forcing myself to calm down and explain like an adult. Then I asked, “Who are you?”

“We’re the guild master’s pupils,” one of the children answered.

“Idiot! You can’t tell her that!” another cried.

“But guests aren’t allowed in here!”

“That’s right, guests can’t come in here! How’d she come inside?”

The children all started speaking at once. I’d never been good with children, even in the real world. I watched the children shouting over each other and a memory from my days in kindergarten suddenly came to me.

“Kids! Stop, stop! Everyone, clap your hands!”