Chapter 8.3

“Miss Diashi, you seem to like books like this. It looks difficult even at a glance. What’s it about?”

“Mysteries that the magical academia hasn’t solved yet! It’s a book that collects and organizes various hypotheses. Isn’t that cool?”

“Mystery?”

Diashi’s eyes sparkled as she nodded.

“Yes, like why wizards absorb each other’s mana, or soul-binding magic, or death as a wizard…”

Soul-binding magic. Brienne’s gaze deepened as she looked at the book. She’d tried to learn about soul-binding magic during her time at the library, but hadn’t been able to read any books with detailed information.

Old books owned by temples or academic materials were kept in special sections, and freshmen who hadn’t even attended the entrance ceremony couldn’t access them.

With trembling hands, Brienne carefully opened the book and asked,

“Miss Diashi… Do you know much about soul-binding magic?”

“Ah, so Miss, you are interested in that magic too?”

“Rather than interested…”

Brienne trailed off with an ambiguous smile. How could she explain this? She couldn’t just blurt out that Herace was caught up in soul-binding magic.

Diashi, interpreting Brienne’s ambiguous smile as shyness, leaned against the shelf and said,

“Hey, you can be honest. Soul-binding magic is the top interest among freshmen every year. I mean, isn’t the idea of lovers’ souls being bound romantic?”

“Well, yes…”

“Alright. I’m not that interested in it myself, but if you are curious, I can tell you a bit.”

Diashi laughed aloud and pointed to the table of contents page Brienne had opened.

“In this book, it explains the process and conditions for soul-binding magic to activate.”

“Process and conditions?”

“Yes, here…”

Diashi flipped through to the page listed in the table of contents.

“This magic activates when the caster feels strong emotions for the other person. One of the conditions is physical contact.”

“What? Physical contact…”

“Like a kiss or a hug.”

Love, then a kiss.

That day suddenly came to mind. The moment Brienne had kissed Herace in front of Kaiden, as if to show off.  

If this were really true, then perhaps at that time…

‘No, I know my own heart best.’  

Brienne shook her head in denial as she looked at Diashi.

“But, but you said earlier it was a mystery. This is just a hypothesis too, right?”  

“No? This much has been officially announced by academia. From the next page on, it’s a hypothesis.”  

“But…”  

Confusion appeared on Brienne’s face as her lips parted nervously.  

‘…That can’t be true.’  

At that time, she hadn’t sorted out her feelings for Kaiden. In such a situation, there was no way she could have felt love for Herace.  

She had simply thought her chest felt tight from time to time.

“Why? Is this a bit different from what you thought?”  

Diashi, watching her reaction, asked cautiously.  

“Ah, no. It’s not that.”  

Brienne shook her head and turned her gaze back to the book.  

In fact, before having a proper conversation with Herace, Brienne wanted to find out why a soul-binding spell had been cast between them. Since she had used magic on him without permission, she couldn’t just pretend not to know about it because she liked him.  

So she kept postponing her answer.  

But even after finding out what she wanted to know, her heart felt restless.

“It’s just… I was a little surprised.”  

Brienne carefully turned the page and forced a smile.  

“Miss Diashi, then could you explain what happens when souls are bound?”  

“Of course!”  

Diashi turned her gaze to the book and pointed to an illustration. The drawing across two pages depicted mana circuits flowing through the human body like blood vessels.

“The mana flowing through our bodies all has different properties. Some are as cold as ice, some as hot as fire.”  

Diashi spoke as she turned to the next chapter.  

“But soul-binding magic assimilates each other’s mana properties. It mixes two different manas, making them gradually take on the same nature.”  

In the illustration of two people standing face to face and holding hands, the mana leaking from them glowed purple.

“The same nature…”  

Diashi nodded as she looked at Brienne, who muttered blankly.  

“That’s why people say they become lovers who can be together. In this world, only those two have the same mana properties.”  

“I can understand that. But… why call it soul-binding?”  

Diashi glanced at Brienne, closed the book, and slowly looked around. After confirming there was no one nearby, she spoke in an even quieter voice.  

“That’s because there’s an unofficial study saying that wizards whose souls are bound can die in each other’s place.”  

“…What?”  

To die in each other’s place?  

Why did her heart sink at a hypothesis that might sound romantic? Brienne lowered her gaze to hide her trembling eyes.  

She didn’t even need to think deeply to know the reason—it was because she had unknowingly used such a dangerous spell.  

Being able to be with Herace was a good thing, but she couldn’t accept such a dangerous spell.

“Then, Miss Diashi, do you know how to cancel this spell?”  

“Cancel?”  

Diashi blinked as if she hadn’t expected the question. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head.  

“I don’t really know about that. There are so few known cases.”  

So that meant she would have to start searching for a way to undo it now…

“I see. Thank you for telling me, Miss Diashi.”  

“Yes, if you have any more questions, just ask! I’m always an open door to knowledge.”  

Diashi smiled cheerfully and playfully lifted her chin. Brienne closed the book and hugged it to her chest, smiling.  

“Thank you for the explanation and the recommendation. I’ll be sure to read it all when I get back.”  

“I’m the one who should thank you for listening so eagerly! Now, shall we go?”  

Diashi, leaving the bookshelf, pointed to the counter.  

“Yes, all right.”  

Brienne gathered the books she had carefully selected and followed Diashi. But then, for some reason, after finishing her purchase, Diashi suddenly turned around as if she had just remembered something, eyes wide.

“Oh? Come to think of it, Miss, where’s your bag?”  

“Pardon?”  

Diashi’s gaze fell on the tower of books in Brienne’s hands. A bag? Brienne’s eyes widened as if she hadn’t even considered it.  

“A bag… Do I need one?”  

“Of course! Were you planning to carry all those books by hand? Just like that?”  

“Ah, I just assumed they’d be sent to the Academy…”  

At the bookstores in Rontiano she used to visit with Kaiden, purchased books were delivered to the mansion. Moreover, even if it wasn’t books, Marie always took care of anything she bought, so Brienne had never once bothered with a bag.

When Brienne trailed off with a flustered face, Diashi pressed her forehead and sighed deeply.  

“…You sound just like Shylo! I should have told you in advance, sorry.”  

“No, it’s my fault for not thinking of it.”  

“Hmm, in that case, we need to buy a bag before buying books. Excuse me, Sir, can we leave these books here for a moment?”  

Dragged by Diashi, Brienne had already grown exhausted from stopping at so many shops. But Diashi showed no sign of tiring.

“Miss Diashi… I can’t walk anymore. I’m too tired.”  

“Oh, come on! We haven’t walked that much! If you tire out this easily, you won’t be able to study. You need to build up your stamina.”  

“But we already have the bag…”  

“Oh, right!”  

Diashi, who had been walking ahead, turned to Brienne, who was awkwardly holding the bag strap.  

“What about your uniform? Did you get it fitted?”  

“Ah, Lusell said he would send it. It should arrive before the entrance ceremony.”  

“What?”  

Diashi’s eyes widened in surprise.  

“Wow, what are you talking about? You have to try on a uniform before buying it!”  

“Is it really necessary? I already gave them my measurements.”  

“Measurements aren’t enough. You have to see how it fits! Lusellion is just… This is why nobles have no life skills.”  

“Miss Diashi…”  

“All right, then our next destination is decided.”  

With a grin, Diashi suddenly grabbed Brienne’s hand.  

“Let’s go get your uniform!”

* * *

No one had told her she would have to wear such clothes to get measured at the tailor’s. Brienne, in an embarrassingly thin and light outfit, blushed as she looked at herself in the mirror.  

Standing there awkwardly, she looked utterly foolish. And her body flinched every time the seamstress touched her.  

Brienne, who had only ever worn dresses made by Madame Rosie, had only ever been measured in her own room. Getting measured outside for the first time was incredibly embarrassing.

“Oh my, looks like we’ll need to make some alterations. There’s nothing that fits you perfectly, Miss. For now, would you like to try that one on so I can check the fit?”  

The seamstress, who had quickly finished measuring, sighed and pointed to a mannequin.  

Brienne, with an awkward smile, finally followed the seamstress’s gaze and looked around the shop. Having come in in a daze following Diashi, and then getting measured right away, she hadn’t had time to look around before.

‘…This is my first time seeing a girl’s uniform.’  

The navy ribbon tie and the modest skirt that reached below the knees caught her eye. It wasn’t a uniform that was strikingly pretty, but she wanted to give high marks for its neat design. After passing the row of full-body mannequins, Brienne’s eyes landed back on the seamstress.  

“Ah, yes. Please do that.”  

Receiving the neatly prepared uniform, Brienne walked awkwardly into the small fitting room attached to the shop.

‘There’s no door…’  

She’d thought the same when changing out of her clothes earlier, but it was still hard to believe. Brienne fumbled with the flimsy lace curtain and looked at the mirror attached to the fitting room wall.

Why was that?  

Everything was so unexpected, yet she didn’t feel bad. Shopping with Diashi was a bit tiring, but it was definitely fun.