Deathbound Duke’s Daughter: Volume 1

by Terasu Senoo

  “You’ll have to curse my cautious ancestors for that one.”

  While Claus was also carefully reading each label, it seemed he didn’t have any brilliant ideas. Still, it was too soon to give up. She persisted in her search until she noticed a faint light—different than that of a star crystal—pouring from its depths.

  “That’s... the moon-gallnut ink.”

  “We use it in Hafan quite a bit.”

  There was a material called moonbeam ore that could only be found in Hafan. It glowed with a faint light come moonrise, only to lose its glimmer at moonset. When clouds were cast over the moon, the moonbeam ore would likewise be obscured. It was quite a peculiar stone.

  Since ancient times, Hafan magicians had used its special properties to create ink that would glow in sync with the moon.

  “If the moon is up... I’d say it’s just past eight o’clock.”

  The small vial rippled with yellow light kissed by a hint of blue. It was considerably faint compared to the star crystal lanterns; the night sky outside was probably quite cloudy.

  “Claus, that’s...”

  When she covered her lantern to stare at the fleeting light of the moon-gallnut ink, Erika noticed something else shimmering in one corner of the room. What’s more, it waxed and waned at the same time as the ink.

  “Ah, you noticed it too?”

  “Yes, it’s glowing just like the ink.”

  The fluctuation of the light presumably corresponded with a stream of thin clouds flowing in front of the moon—and it was thanks to this that they were able to notice at all.

  Erika shut her lantern away in her bag, and Claus covered the end of his staff with his sleeve. Now that these stronger light sources had been cut off, the faint light of the writing on the walls grew stronger.

  A crescent moon was drawn on the wall, and below it was some familiar handwriting.

  This was a message left by their predecessors, the previous explorers of this dungeon. Yes, the golden light of the moon truly was the silver lining on the dark cloud hanging over them.

  3

  “It says... ‘Through the crescent-moon gate, search for the twin half-moons.’”

  “This is my brother’s... Eduard’s handwriting.”

  “That guy?!”

  Erika was deeply relieved to find some trace of her brother in the Seafarer’s Ruins. It was as if she had stumbled upon Buddha in the depths of hell. She pictured Eduard with an archaic smile on his face, waving for her to follow.

  “He might have left this hint for himself while he was exploring,” she thought aloud.

  “Then we might as well follow it.”

  “Right.”

  The two children returned the boxed wands and other tools they had spread across the floor to the bag and sprung up. In accordance with the message, they found a doorway with a crescent moon seal drawn over its arch, and they quickly passed through it.

  After walking down a dim corridor maybe thirty meters long, they came across another inscription written in moon-gallnut ink. This one had half-moon shapes side by side; these were undoubtedly the twin half-moons.

  “There it is!” Claus exclaimed.

  “There’s some more writing.”

  “‘The path will open when the full moon rises to the center.’ ...?”

  “Full moon? I don’t see a circle anywhere. Do you?”

  “Wait. The message says it will rise to the center, which means...”

  Once again, they heard the grating of gears and a heavy, metallic clank—the sound of nearby rooms shifting around.

  “I believe this hint was written in anticipation of the shifting of the labyrinth,” said Claus.

  “So that sound means one of the rooms around us has become the ‘full moon’... the room where the next hint is.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking. And at the center... Normally, when the moon is at its zenith, it points south.”

  “Oh, shoot. How could I have forgotten something as basic as a compass?”

  “Just leave it to me. I can’t use powerful or wide-range magic, but I can still perform a simple cantrip.”

  Claus held a wand perpendicular to the floor and began to chant. He was still using the ancient language of Hafan, but unlike before, his words carried the gentle tone and cadence of a nursery rhyme.

  When he let go, the enchanted wand spun somewhat unnaturally before uneventfully falling flat in the direction they had just come from.

  “That’s south.”

  “That was a bit anticlimactic.”

  “It’s just a simple old charm, but it’s surprisingly convenient.”

  The two of them headed back down the path they had come from. Eduard’s hint implied that it wasn’t only the passage of time that caused the maze to change shape. The layout had shifted the moment they’d reached the twin moons, meaning there were likely weight sensors at play as well.

  If they had started off by splitting up to search the ruins, perhaps Erika and Claus would never have reunited. This thought caused Erika to grab Claus’ hand as they headed south through the dim corridor. Now and then, they would put their lanterns away to check for markings, proceeding with the utmost caution.

  After walking for a while, they spotted a faint, circular light through the darkness.

  “A circle... That must be the full moon!” shouted Erika.

  “And no message as far as I can see.”

  “Do you think this is the destination, then?”

  “What was your brother trying to accomplish by leading us here?”

  The passage marked with the full moon was furnished with a brand-new wooden door. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked. Bracing themselves for anything hostile that might be lurking behind it, Erika and Claus slowly pushed the door open.

  “Now, this is...”

  “Huh. It’s full of trunks.”

  Inside the room were around five largish wooden trunks, the kind one might pack with clothing for a long voyage. They were sturdy, reinforced with metal frames, and fitted with built-in locks. Stashed away in ruins like these, they almost looked like treasure chests.

  The trunks were carved with the sea and the star, the heraldic symbols of House Aurelia. While the attached labels were in Eduard’s handwriting, they seemed to be coded.

  If Erika had to take a guess, the trunks contained supplies Eduard had set aside for exploring the maze. There were two blankets and traces of a fire beside them.

  “It looks like he set up a simple camp here.”

  “He must like to stay on top of things. I’d expect no less from your brother.”

  “There might be something we can use.”

  “I should hope so.”

  Despite their best efforts to open the trunks, they were all locked tight.

  It really is like Eduard to be so thoroughly prepared, Erika noted, somewhat impressed.

  “I’m sorry, Claus. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring a skeleton key with me...”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve recovered enough mana for an unlocking spell.”

  “Then, if you would.”

  “Yeah, just leave it to me.”

  Claus placed his staff over a trunk and chanted a spell. Unlike wands, the staves of Eastern magicians were magic amplification devices. Claus needed to cast even the most elementary of spells through his staff if he wanted to triumph over the ruins’ magic obstruction.

  Erika watched him anxiously as the burden of low mana was placed on him yet again.

  Once Claus had finished his chant, a faint, light-pink magic circle enveloped the trunk. The circle slowly rotated, gradually shrinking until it was concentrated on the lock mechanism. This was followed by a stiff, solid click.

  “Alright, looks like it worked.”

  “Let’s open it.”

  “Way ahead of you.”

  Claus threw open the heavy lid of the trunk while Erika held up her lantern to make out the numerous items within it.

  “A few magic scrolls
, some preserved food, bottled water... Oh, this one’s a lifesaver.”

  “Did you find something nice?”

  “Take a look. Mana-replenishing potions.”

  The box contained a number of sky-blue-tinted glass vials, lined up in an orderly fashion.

  Once again, Erika had to thank her brother from the depths of her heart. Now Claus would be able to put a stopper on his rapidly deteriorating condition.

  “With this many, we won’t have to keep relying on your wands. We can have a bit more flexibility, too.”

  “That really is a lifesaver.”

  All of a sudden, Erika was struck by a realization: if an alchemist was never at risk of running out of mana, why were these here? Why had her brother stored so many mana potions? Were they for the friend who’d come with him? Was Eduard’s friend not an alchemist?

  Erika snapped back to her senses. Checking the supply was her current priority.

  After downing a vial, Claus immediately began unlocking trunk after trunk. He seemed to be on cloud nine now that his mana was topped off, like a fish back in the water. By the time Erika noticed, he was already lifting the lid on the fourth trunk, and she hurriedly reached out for the last unopened one.

  “Leave this one to me.”

  Just as she swung open the last box, a sinister, purple circle spread out around her. An ominous twang sounded out as the weak protective magic sewn into the sleeve of her clothes with magic thread was blown away.

  Oof! This is clearly some sort of curse.

  She hurried to dodge it, but the circle shattered far faster than she could react, its many fragments coiling around her like a chain.

  “Huh?!”

  “Crap! It’s a trap!”

  I knew it!

  Despite her panic, she was cognizant enough to understand the situation. If Eduard was going to leave all his supplies in the ruins, of course he was going to put up some anti-theft measures. It was entirely possible that some outlaw would illegally enter the Seafarer’s Ruins for a good bit of graverobbing.

  Claus immediately activated his Glámr-Sight and stared fixedly at Erika. He seemed to be checking the details of the curse placed upon her. It wasn’t long before his eyes swayed in torment, the complexion visibly draining from his face. Once he was finished analyzing her, he looked miserably at the ground.

  What’s with him? He’s acting like a doctor who has to tell a patient they have an incurable disease.

  His attitude terrified Erika. Try as she may, she could only imagine the worst possible scenario.

  “I’m sorry, Erika. This is a curse of death.”

  How wonderful, she quipped through her abject resignation.

  The people of Aurelia were known to be obsessive artisans who took great pride in their work. Most alchemists were extremely harsh on thieves.

  “It was cast by my brother, right?”

  “Yeah, the creator is listed as the one and only Eduard Aurelia. It was set about a month ago.”

  Claus’ expression was dark, and each time his eyes met Erika’s, he would bitterly furrow his brow.

  Wait, hold up, am I going to die? Right here, right now?! She could feel her heart loudly drumming like an alarm bell.

  “It’s the Curse of Merciful Death... This magic brings about a swift, painless death after a set period of time.”

  “How long are we talking?”

  “Generously, twelve hours. Worst-case scenario, eight.”

  “Really?!”

  This was far more time than Erika had anticipated, and she had to pat her chest in relief.

  “The delay is probably in place to inflict as much psychological suffering upon the victim as possible. We will need some very specific catalysts if we want to dispel it. Perhaps the intent was to give even a burglar a chance of salvation if he begged the caster for forgiveness.”

  Erika once again admired Eduard’s thoroughness. He did have the darkest smile of the game’s seven love interests, after all. No doubt, her brother had prepared quite a savage retribution.

  I only see his kind and soft side, so this is rather refreshing. It really is a shame that I never got to play Eduard’s route.

  Her mind was preoccupied with such thoughts in her desperate bid to escape from reality.

  “Erika, are you feeling alright?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.”

  But upon seeing Claus’ worried face, she forced herself back to the real world.

  “Erika, let’s return to the palace. We can still make it in time. Your father probably has the necessary catalysts and scrolls to dispel this sort of curse, and I’m sure my father can—”

  “No, Anne comes first.”

  Erika decided to grin and bear it. Even if there were no monsters or ghosts, the Seafarer’s Ruins were dangerous enough. There was no guarantee Eduard or some other explorer hadn’t set another life-threatening trap. She couldn’t leave the young Anne in a place like this.

  Anyhow, I’m already used to terrible things happening to me.

  Erika put on a self-deprecating smile. It wasn’t something she wanted to be accustomed to, by any means, but she never had much say in the matter. Rather than being instantaneous, the curse’s eight-hour delay was the epitome of mercy, and she felt strangely thankful to her brother for it.

  She produced the crystal-powered pocket watch from her coat and checked the time. The needles indicated that it was a little past nine.

  “It’s alright. If we can make it out by five in the morning, we can still dispel it in time.”

  “Sure, you have time, but it’s still a curse of death! It won’t be too late to search for Anne after that...”

  “But Anne is alone, you know? You might not show it, Claus, but you’re awfully worried about her, aren’t you?”

  “Are you really okay with that? You’re—”

  “Tomorrow, we’ll go for a tour of the Spring Palace gardens, all three of us. You’re not worming your way out of it this time. It’s a promise, Claus.”

  Rude as it might have been, Erika cut him off and changed the topic. On the contrary, it would be more difficult for her if he started showing her genuine concern.

  Erika smiled at Claus. It’s always important to smile. I hope even the face of this little villainess can put him more at ease.

  “You’re so...”

  “With a time limit this lenient, I won’t be dying without considerably terrible luck. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m not sure how to tell you this, Erika... but when I look at you, I get the feeling that your luck kinda sucks.”

  She averted her eyes.

  He had a point there. For one, Erika had unknowingly played Russian Roulette with five chests and hit the jackpot on her one and only try. That definitely said something about her luck.

  4

  “Erika, does it hurt anywhere?”

  “I’m perfectly fine, Claus.”

  “I see. Then, do you feel sluggish? Cold? Anything?”

  “I said I’m fine!”

  “Alright. If anything feels off, just tell me. Don’t push yourself.”

  “Yes, I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop.”

  Erika and Claus had split up to classify the items from Eduard’s storage chests. With all the unknown wands and scrolls, it was possible they could carelessly activate some absurd magic, so analysis was indispensable.

  While Erika worked on the wands, Claus analyzed the scrolls and spell cards. At least, that was supposed to be the plan, but Claus frequently stopped whatever he was doing to cast nervous glances her way.

  “Erika, you really are...”

  She returned his pitying eyes with a mild glare.

  “You worry too much. I’m quite alright, so please concentrate on your work.”

  “Yeah... Sorry. My bad.”

  From Erika’s point of view, Claus was looking at her with the same eyes Eduard had once when she’d caught a mean cold. Were those two such worrywarts because they were eldest sons
with little sisters?

  Just as Eduard was a good person despite his dark, scheming smile, perhaps Claus was a good person beneath his sadistic tendencies.

  “How are things on your end, Claus?”

  “From what Glámr-Sight tells me, none of them are cursed. I should be able to use the spell cards for Hafan magic, no problem. Looking over the scrolls will take a little more time.”

  “That’s good news. Please don’t forget to replenish any lost mana with a potion.”

  “Yes, I know. How about you, Erika?”

  From her parchment, Erika read out the list of wands she had identified thus far: a Death wand, a Fire Bolt wand, a Lightning Bolt wand, and a Magic Missile wand. They had all been in the booby-trapped chest. While they didn’t have many uses left, they were powerful offensive wands.

  She couldn’t really blame Eduard for being so wary of theft.

  “Eduard’s hand-me-downs?”

  “The fact that his offensive wands have been used so many times must mean he was involved in some considerably large-scale combat.”

  “I see. I was wondering why I didn’t see any sign of monsters in these ruins... He must have taken care of them.”

  “Hopefully.”

  Right, the Seafarer’s Ruins had already been cleaned out. Erika mentally thanked her brother yet again. The maze’s mechanisms already troubled her enough; the thought of monsters prowling around on top of that sent a chill down her spine.

  “Oh! That’s a good one!”

  Claus had been quietly glancing down at his notes up to that point, but he suddenly cried out in excitement. He’d been in good spirits ever since his mana was restored.

  Erika took a break from stuffing things into her bag to take a peek at the scroll Claus had spread out before him.

  “Did you find some useful magic?”

  “It’s just what we need. This scroll is embedded with the Wall-Phase spell!”

  He pointed between the scroll and a page of his notes with feverish excitement. As she was unable to read Hafan terminology, Erika was a little bewildered, but she did her best to follow along.

  Claus’ notepad was crammed tight with the results of his magic research. Erika fondly remembered how Claus from Liber Monstrorum was never seen without his own thick, leather-bound tome.