Chapter 34: The Underground magical document. Obscured pasts.
Opening 2: Asura's Wrath – In Your Belief
(Play Zero no Tsukaima OST – Tense Situation)
Henrietta was in a bind. The reason was due to two important figures of the Kingdom of Tristain. One was an elderly man, appearing in his early 50s. His face, though showing crevice lines and few wrinkles, still shows he was still capable of being agile. His hair was already silver-white in color. He was wearing a white priest's robe with black outline. There was a black and white priest hat on his head. The elderly man's eyes were a soft gray color. The other was a younger man. He had brown hair and a long moustache that spread out from his philtrum. His eyes were a sharp, but soft blue color. He was wearing an indigo robe that covered a red medieval uniform. The Queen was looking at a document presented to her on the table she was sitting next to.
"A 'Declaration of War…'" Henrietta read out.
"Yes… The officials have wished to declare war with Albion, considering of the events in the theatre 3 days ago." The elderly man explained briefly.
"It seems that the events have indeed led to this decision, Bishop Madolene." Henrietta agreed with the elderly man.
"Germania is willing to aid us in this fight. They agreed to declare war and are awaiting your decision." The younger man followed.
"I know they're willing to fight Reconquista, but I still haven't made a decision by my word yet. I need some time to think, General Bowachi." Henrietta addressed to the younger man.
"This is a matter of war, Your Highness. I fear that reasoning with Albion is fallen into deaf ears. We have no choice…" Madolene said with disdain.
Henrietta read the document in a daze, debating whether to sign it to declare war against Albion, or risk having her kingdom in threat of Reconquista.
"Your Majesty, preparation to invade Albion are complete! We're ready to hear your orders!" Bowachi said.
Henrietta looked to the Bishop to ask a question.
"Bishop Madolene, are you willing to go to war so desperately?" She asked.
"No, Your Majesty. I detest causing such bloodshed. I also understand your love for peace and I wish the citizens could understand." Madolene sympathized.
"What are the citizens requesting?" Henrietta questioned.
"After hearing from the common folk in Tristania, they are all shouting to go to war. They're practically requesting military action against Albion." Madolene answered.
'This is indeed troubling… If I don't sign the declaration, problems will arise that will put my friends at risk. But signing up for war may make the risk higher…' Henrietta internally debated.
"If you don't sign the declaration, a coup d'état may happen, which could leave us vulnerable. The worst case is, they may throw in jail and the royal family's authority will plummet." Madolene followed.
"I will not allow such actions to happen in my kingdom…! If that were the case, I would not immediately agree to start a war!" Henrietta stated.
"Your Highness, please forgive me for saying this, but the times have changed for the worst. We have to focus on…" Bowachi said, before being interrupted by Madolene.
Madolene raised his hand to tell him that he will try to convince her to sign the declaration.
"Should an aggressive ruler come into power, the war will only escalate. No one would be able to stop it. With your presence, we can reduce the bloodshed to bare minimum." Madolene followed.
Henrietta looked conflicted, not wanting to let her trusted friends lay their lives in battle. It was a difficult time for her to make the decision.
"I can garner what your mind is thinking. You don't want the pointless bloodshed, hence why your heart is in turmoil. However, this is your decision to make. Please make your choice." Madolene begged.
Henrietta had to sigh heavily. Seeing there was no other choice, she picked up her quill.
"Bishop Madolene. General Bowachi." Henrietta began.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Both men responded.
Henrietta signed the document, confirming her resolution.
"I, Henrietta, as Queen of my home Tristain, shall declare war against Albion, now known as the State of Reconquista!" She finished, signing her name on the document.
(Tense Situation OST ends here)
######
Within Tristania, everyone was cheering. The first battle with Tristain's forces versus Albion's forces occurred. It was a victory for Tristain, due to the overwhelming allied forces against Reconquista. Shadow and his friends were at the square. Though Louise was happy to hear Tristain winning the war, the others weren't. Shadow had a silent, lamented expression on his face. Tiffania didn't like the sound of war happening, seeing how Shadow looked as though he was sad. Saito looked depressed, looking down on the ground. Charlotte and Silver didn't show much of an expression, save for a silent depression.
'My predictions seem to come true, no matter how much I wish they shouldn't… Since the case with Richemont 3 days ago, everyone in Tristania was requesting for war.' Shadow thought.
Louise finished reading the notification board. She turned, only to see depressive expressions on her friends.
"What happened to you all? Aren't you glad that Tristain was able to be victorious in the first battle?" Louise asked.
"I understand your enthusiasm… However, regardless of what side we chose, war is something that we shouldn't go through with." Shadow said.
Louise gasped, realizing what he was implying. Recalling the past battles before arriving in Halkeginia, it made Shadow uncomfortable, even starting to lament. She felt ashamed for herself.
"I know for a fact Her Highness was also against this as well… She probably had no choice, but to do so. I think all the officials like the general, finance, even the church would agree." Shadow commented.
Hien was appearing in a dull red flame. This is due to Shadow's current emotion, which made it look weak.
"Shadow, why don't you fix yourself up? Your constant grief is making me feel weaker." Hien complained.
"Sorry… I'm just not in the best mood at the moment…" Shadow remarked.
Shadow had several flashbacks of the incident of the ARK. He tried to block off the memory, but was having a tough time in doing so.
######
Walking across town, the group tried to suppress the inevitable thought. Alas, it proved difficult.
"I know for a fact that Albion, now State of Reconquista, had been the cause of pain for everyone. It's not just Her Highness… It's also on Danielle, Tiffania, me, even you and Saito." Shadow said to Louise, breaking the harsh silence.
Louise remembered the forced wedding with the former Lord Wardes. The memory of seeing that horrific event when Shadow turned into his Dark Fire form was forever engraved in her mind. Everyone else could sympathize with Shadow and the Queen. One was due to the loss of Prince Wales, while the other was due to physically feeling Shadow's anger and self-hurt. It was a time everyone couldn't forget, especially when Tiffania was almost killed.
"Surely, Her Majesty must have been dealing with a painful decision." Louise said, trying to alleviate the tension.
"That might be true… However, let's not forget. A leader of a kingdom or country is responsible for his or her forces. This also means being responsible for the lives lost in war." Silver followed.
Louise remained quiet, having understood what Silver explained. Walking their way through the clothes shopping area aimlessly, this got everyone aware of where they are.
'Maybe this might be a good place to shop clothes for Tiffania or Danielle… I don't know much whether the clothes they provide might fit for them…' Shadow thought, looking at the variety of clothes.
Louise and the others were curious of why Shadow was looking at the clothes. Upon seeing a small shirt he picked up, they surmised he was buying some clothes for Danielle. A ghost of a smile graced everyone, recalling Shadow was a foster parent for the young girl.
'This shirt is roughly the same size for her. Might as well buy it for her. She does have several clothes, but this one can be used in case Tiffania and I want to have a family picnic.' Shadow thought.
######
Back in Tristain Academy, Agnès was livid. She was walking outside near one of the five towers of the academy.
"Damn it! I have privilege from the Queen herself to go to the underground document vault! How ludicrous…" Agnès spat with anger.
While walking her way to the tower, she almost didn't see Julio till he called her name.
"Agnès." Julio said, getting her attention.
This snapped Agnès of her anger, allowing her to calm down.
"Is something troubling you?" Julio questioned.
"Well…" Agnès paused, unable to disclose the details.
######
(Play Zero no Tsukaima OST – Passed Away)
Sometime later, Shadow, Tiffania, Saito, Louise, Silver and Charlotte were all summoned in a large house. It was the headquarters of the Musketeer Force. The group was all summoned to listen to Agnès of her current predicament.
"I won't beat around the bush with a comment so let's get straight to the point… Why were we summoned?" Shadow asked.
"Straight to the point… Very well. I was intending to find top secret documents from a magical document vault that is underground." Agnès reported.
"A magical document vault… Sounds pretty serious." Saito noted.
"I'm afraid so… Beneath this academy, a vault was built there to contain top secret documents. I received the Queen's permission to gain access to the vault. However, Headmaster Osmond said he didn't receive any order to unlock it. Thus, he refused to do so." Agnès explained.
"How oxymoronic… Clearly, you're given rights to access the vault, but Headmaster Osmond refuses to open the vault without the Queen's consent…" Shadow frowned.
"Yes… My thought exactly. However, it is evidently dangerous. The vault was built over thousands of years ago. Few know of the mysteries that lie within it. I also heard a spell was cast on the vault. It was most likely intended to be a security measure. If one would enter carelessly, it would take their life." Julio warned.
Agnès banged her hands on the desk in defiance.
"I'm a knight! I fear nothing, not even death!" Agnès shouted.
Shadow heard how she wasn't afraid of death. He banged his left hand on the wall, creating a visible dent. This got everyone's attention.
"Don't start talking as though you would throw your life in such a manner… Once you die, there's no future, no nobility, no wealth, and no hope after. Is it worth throwing it away just because you found a possible lead to finding the people responsible of your cursed past!?" Shadow bellowed.
Agnès and everyone chose to remain silent for a moment. The tension between Agnès and Shadow was evidently thick. However, the Captain of the Musketeer Force gave up, knowing Shadow's reasoning was true.
"In any case, what documents are you looking for Agnès?" Saito questioned.
"It's what Shadow already suspected. It's about my former village and the incident that occurred 20 years ago. It pertains to a foe." Agnès answered.
(Passed Away OST ends here)
"A foe? Richemont wasn't lying when he mentioned of the vault hidden underground. It seems we have to go there ourselves." Shadow said.
"Since a comrade of mine is in trouble, I figured I would help. I didn't think you would attempt to help as well, Shadow." Julio admitted.
"Don't think for a moment I'm easily forgiving… Agnès may have dealt with the feeling of vengeance for 20 years, but I've dealt with mine about 50 years…" Shadow reminded.
Julio and Agnès gasped, hearing how much time had passed for Shadow to deal with his revenge.
"How…? How were you able to cope with that amount of time…!?" Agnès questioned.
"Let's just say someone imprisoned me in suspended animation for 50 long years. Though, I was released 10 years ago from my world, the time of my dormancy made me think of taking the lives of the people responsible for an incident… The memories of that time were overwhelming, leaving with me endless nightmares as I remained 'asleep'. However, I recalled a dear friend whom guided me back to see that revenge was never the answer. Though this friend passed away, the memory of her begging me to give people a second chance was forever engraved in my mind. I'll never forget it till the end of time itself…" Shadow answered.
Agnès remained silent, now having more respect for Shadow. Julio could sympathize with the person in front of him. Hearing such a dark history shared from Shadow was enough for him to rethink of his opinion. The rest already knew of his past, except Charlotte. All didn't need to be reminded of such details.
"Guess, this is the reason you called us all in, Julio. It's not about us giving a pep talk to Agnès here. It's about the underground vault." Shadow deduced.
"You're correct… From hearing your accurate deductions, you and I could be best buddies to help each other out." Julio commented.
"Don't try to assume that you can instantly be a friend with me… I'm still on guard with you around." Shadow rebuffed.
"Such a wary person… Though I can't blame you." Julio sympathized.
He turned to Louise and Tiffania.
"Louise, Tiffania. You two are capable of special magic that allows you both to dispel any spells." Julio pointed out.
"It's possible to unlock the way to the vault if we used Dispel… However it requires concentration." Louise realized.
"Well, we both have a lead then." Derflinger commented.
"I couldn't agree more… If a Void Mage can do it, then it's possible." Saito agreed.
"It appears that would be the case." Shadow followed.
"You two are confident enough to trust your masters' powers of the Void?" Julio asked.
"Do you need to question their potential?" Shadow countered.
"Still, we may need some help in case we trip a magical safety spell. If a lock was suddenly opened, it would probably have something to prevent it, unless the lock was supposed to be unlocked the proper way." Silver said.
"Silver's right… I think I know who may have what we're looking for." Louise said.
######
At the first floor, Éléonore was conducting a potion research till she heard the door being knocked on.
"Who is it?" She called out.
"It's Agnès. We came here to ask some help from you, Éléonore." Agnès answered.
Éléonore opened the door to see 8 people coming inside. Other than Agnès, Shadow, Tiffania, Saito, Louise, Silver, Charlotte, and Julio all came inside.
"I can understand if one person needs help, but why are a bunch of youngsters here to help?" Éléonore questioned.
"We were summoned to help a comrade. The main thing is, do you know of any spells to unlock magical locks?" Shadow questioned.
"I'm knowledgeable enough to know of the spell." Éléonore answered.
"Well then, we request your aid for an important mission that I need help with. I need to access the underground vault to look for a personal report." Agnès briefly explained.
"Very well then. I do not know the way to reach the vault. Can you guide us?" Éléonore requested.
"I know the way. It's in the servant's quarters. We have to pass the women's restroom." Agnès said.
'Placing a secret passage within a restroom is one way to hide it…' Shadow remarked mentally.
######
The group walked to a smaller building compared to the headquarters Agnès established. This was the servant's quarters.
"This is the way… Let us proceed." Agnès said.
The group followed her in the restroom, much to Saito's, Shadow's and Silver's chagrin. Agnès lead them to what appeared to be a storage room.
"This is where the path to the underground vault is. Don't be fooled by its façade." She said.
Agnès pushed through the wall, causing it to open a hidden door. Everyone, even Julio, was surprised. The group made their way down to the passage.
######
(Play Zero No Tsukaima OST – Akujo)
The group walked their way through the underground stairs. All could feel a sudden excitement to see the vault.
"Be careful, everyone. This tunnel may be filled with traps." Agnès warned.
"To think this place was carved thousands of years ago… The records of any file must be very old from the old timeline." Shadow remarked.
"That's true, but they may also be documents that were left there recently for a purpose. It's to record the past and teach the future generations of the mistakes wrought by everyone." Julio surmised.
"I'd say that's the purpose of an archives building. Like the underground vault, these kind of buildings hold files of historical events in my world. Each country has an archive place for government officials, like soldiers or even their rulers, to access." Saito remarked.
"Since technology in our world became advanced, everything with flash drives, hard drives, or even discs, can contain classified data that cannot be leaked. The government can't allow a possible leak, lest they risk opposition of their own country." Shadow followed.
"The underground vault was built for the purpose of preventing anything from being leaked out. I must say that the knowledge of such places from you two seems to be coincidentally similar." Julio commented.
"We grew up in different worlds, but they always have archives to record events and possibly rectify past mistakes." Shadow answered.
"Fair enough. But wouldn't be better to burn the documents instead of hiding them?" Louise questioned.
"Once made official, they can't be disposed. It's just as Saito and Shadow described." Éléonore replied.
"I guess there's a saying… 'Hiding behind the sun makes the day gloomy.' Shadow remarked.
"What do you mean by that proverb?" Silver asked.
"The more a kingdom or country tries to hide their dark deeds, the more it becomes corrupt. It's possible that the past rulers of Tristain, and possibly from the neighboring countries, have dealt with such actions." Shadow answered.
"Sometimes your wisdom frightens me…" Éléonore commented.
"I could say the same for myself…" Shadow agreed.
"Government officials were never one to make sense of, even before the present time from thousands of years ago." Éléonore said.
The group stumbled upon a magical door. It was sealed with three locks that had magical circles. Éléonore used special goggles to see the locks through their magical aura.
"Hmm… This door is magically sealed by three locks." She said, observing the locks.
"Is it possible to unlock?" Louise asked.
"It is possible. However, simply unlocking the seals won't do. They have a failsafe in case a combination of the lock is not provided, preventing the door from opening. I'll unlock the door by using the spell I know of." Éléonore said, pointing her wand to the door.
"Is it possible to open the locks without triggering the failsafe?" Agnès questioned.
"It's possible. Let me concentrate so I can unlock this door." Éléonore responded.
Everyone remained silent as Éléonore began channeling her magic. Soon, she commanded the door with a spell.
"The bindings of the door before me… Unlock through my command. Unbind!" Éléonore said.
Soon, the seals of the locks began flashing before all three locks opened up simultaneously.
"Awesome job, Éléonore." Louise said, praising her elder sister.
"I'm thankful for your help. I must proceed through this passage alone." Agnès said.
"Nothing doing, Agnès. We're going with you through this passage." Shadow said, standing his ground.
"Still…" Agnès paused, insisting everyone not to follow her.
"You said it yourself… The passage might be filled with traps. It's more of a reason for us to join you." Silver countered.
"I'm also curious of what practices the people of the past have done. I'm equally curious to see for myself." Éléonore said.
Agnès was unable to refute. She felt thankful for the group caring for her safety.
"Thank you." She said.
"In any case, let's be on our way." Julio said.
(Akujo OST ends here)
"Where you all heading to?" A voice echoed in the tunnel.
Everyone turned to see Colbert descending from the stairs.
"Professor Colbert? What are you doing here?" Louise asked.
"I'm the one who should be asking that question… Agnès, the headmaster already told you that he won't allow anyone to come down here." Colbert said.
Agnès frowned, not wanting to be stalled by anything.
"I do not take orders from cowards. This is my quest I need to do." Agnès chided.
She pushed the door open, rushing through the hallway. Shadow teleported in front of her to momentarily stop her.
"Don't go rushing in. Let us help you to the vault." Shadow said.
"You guys! Stop!" Colbert ordered.
######
Within the passage, Shadow, Tiffania, Louise, Saito, Silver, and Charlotte began explaining to Colbert the reason why Agnès went inside the tunnel. Agnès and Colbert had lamps, but Shadow used his pyrokinetic abilities to create a fireball to provide light for everyone else. Hien was burning brightly to help illuminate the dark passage.
"A foe from the past?" Colbert questioned.
"Yes. For some reason, she's seeking to fulfill her quest of vengeance. Since the incident of Richemont, this vault she's seeking seems to have links of what she's searching for." Saito said.
"How can you be sure of her seeking a quest for vengeance?" Colbert questioned.
"She possesses the same look I had when I was looking for revenge… Though her length of time is justified, mine would drive any normal person insane…" Shadow reluctantly answered.
"How long was the difference?" Colbert asked.
"Agnès has dealt with this for over 20 years, her whole life. I've dealt with mine for about 50 years." Shadow answered.
Colbert gasped, knowing the large difference. For 20 years, it would take anyone's purpose of their young life. For over 50 years, it was a lifetime focused in hate and anger. Colbert truly wished Shadow hadn't suffered from such a cursed fate.
"Just to remind everyone, I cannot age. Even if I were not in suspended animation or lived over 100 years, I would not become an old person." Shadow said.
"You're immortal then?" Colbert questioned.
"A fact that I want nothing to do with… Alas, I'm constantly reminded of it." Shadow confirmed.
Charlotte moved up to Colbert, showing concern.
"He has taught me of the path of vengeance and guided me away from it. Though I had suffered for almost my childhood, it pales in comparison to either Agnès or Shadow." Charlotte said.
"We've all know of his past. Days after he and Saito fought Guiche, Shadow told us of his past. It… was a scary story to hear." Tiffania followed.
Colbert didn't want to ask any further, seeing that Shadow looked peeved. He decided to ask Agnès of her next actions.
"Once you have accomplished your quest for vengeance, what will you do?" He asked.
"I'll continue serving Her Majesty till I die, either from battle or from age." Agnès answered.
"What about right now?" Colbert asked.
"Once today passes, I'll go to the front lines of the war. Her Majesty will be there as well. Once our forces have seized Albion's ports, it'll be a strategic victory." Agnès responded.
"Her Highness is within the front lines!?" Louise asked in shock.
"Yes. She requested to be there herself, claiming that she won't stay in a safe place. She feels responsible for every soldier in the battlegrounds being forced to risk their lives to protect us." Agnès answered.
"But who is your foe though?" Colbert asked curiously.
"It is a lead that Richemont, one of the conspirers, told me of. He was partially responsible for the destruction of my home, but there was no clear reason. That dead man claims a coup was about to be staged, but no records of it were found. Disregarding his lie, he gave me this lead before Shadow and I killed him." Agnès said.
"You two killed Richemont?" Colbert asked with some concern.
"It was fitting, since he was not willing to be reasoned. That traitor deserved to die." Agnès spat.
Soon, a hidden switch was tripped. Colbert stepped on the switch on the ground without knowing it. Everyone was alerted by the sound of a faint groaning from the ceiling till it grew loud. A sudden cave in occurred. Everyone leaped out of the way, barely dodging a pile of rocks that covered the passage back.
"Great… A hidden trap…" Shadow commented.
"Looks like we won't be able to go back out with this cave in…" Saito said.
"We'll worry about it later. For now, we need to head to the vault." Agnès said, disregarding the cave in.
The group continued walking their way through the underground tunnel. Colbert, feeling curious, decided to ask Saito and Shadow of their world.
"Saito, Shadow… Before you two came here in Halkegnia, how was your world?" Colbert asked.
"It's relatively peaceful. There isn't any war and people are just living their lives." Saito answered.
"My world is just like Saito's, but there's always conflict from a mad scientist who always want to take over the world. His name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, but everyone calls him Eggman, due to his appearance. My friends and I often clash with him whenever he conducts his plans for domination, which always fail." Shadow remarked.
Saito stifled a laugh, barely holding his amusement. Colbert sounded curious and even liked hearing Shadow's tales of ensuring peace. He also wanted to see Saito's world.
"I'm jealous of such peaceful countries… Since Halkeginia is being involved with war, I truly wish it didn't happen." Colbert remorsefully commented.
"Don't get the wrong idea. The time in our world when we left was a time of peace. It doesn't mean that war doesn't exist. There were wars in the past that involved the world. These world wars were more damaging than any you may see." Shadow explained, frowning.
"I know… I just don't want any young person, regardless of whether sides they belong, be a victim of war." Colbert remarked with a sullen tone.
Agnès stopped. She clearly felt crossed from Colbert's words.
"Like it or not, we're in the middle of war… Isn't it your job to teach the students to fight for their country or their homes?" Agnès retorted.
"Do not be ludicrous! Your words may be convincing but have you truly seen what war really is!?" Colbert asked in anger.
Shadow punched through a stone wall, alerting everyone. They looked at his eyes, which showed a red glow, hinting of his anger.
"Don't talk as if you know what war truly is…" Shadow said.
"Have…you experienced war, Shadow?" Agnès questioned.
"I had… Once you get involved, it's forever stuck in your mind. Never to cease, never to fade. Everything you do, whether to destroy an enemy territory, take another life or execute a prisoner of war… It's a nightmare no one should endure. I have fought a threat beyond my home world that lived beyond the stars in space. Several thousands of innocent lives were lost at the time." Shadow said, recalling the attack of the Black Arms.
"Forgive me. My words must have stirred up memories you didn't want to recall." Colbert apologized.
"Be sure you do so… I rather not be forced to share any more details of such events about war." Shadow warned.
Agnès silently thought of what Colbert said.
'The event of my home town was no war. 'Massacre' would be the right term to describe what happened.' She thought.
Looking at Shadow, she knew that Colbert's words triggered an unpleasant reaction. She didn't want to make him recall such memories.
'I rather keep my mind in retrospect to not trigger any bad memories. The recent ones were tragic enough.' Agnès thought.
Memories of her former home came. The inferno that burned her home and family was vivid. She could practically remember feeling the fire touching her body as she watched the horrific event.
'The so-called insinuating acts of treason 20 years ago was only a hoax. Richemont staged it, killing every innocent person living there. There was no rebellion that was about to take place in my home town. Despite that, he gained political power and corrupted it. All my friends and family… Every person was burned to death. I was the only one who survived. Someone saved me from that time. From that day forth, I vowed revenge on everyone who staged the burning of D'Angleterre.' Agnès thought.
Her mind was still shaken of finding more details of the awful event. Colbert noticed her hidden trembling, knowing why.
'There's no mistake… She's a survivor from that time…' Colbert thought.
"Richemont was one of the many whom I'm hunting down. You already know that Shadow and I killed him. However, I need to find more details to find my true foe. Henceforth…" Agnès said.
"You're trying to find any leads for any potential targets to find who orchestrated the horrific time in your home." Colbert finished.
"I want to find them, whether they're alive or not. I want them to pay for robbing me of all the people I once knew and destroying my home. They deserve my wrath for what they have wrought." Agnès replied.
"Seeds of hatred. Whoever was foolish in causing you so much pain, we'll find them and ensure nothing like your past happens again." Shadow said.
"Let's continue. The vault is up ahead." Tiffania said.
######
Walking their way through the tunnel, a bright light illuminated their way. Rushing their way to the light, the group made their way to see a large stone building built on top of an underground butte. A single stone bridge was shown, allowing a person length wise to cross it safely. A large pit was below the bridge, dark with seemingly no end in sight.
"Quite a way to hide the records of every action the government has done." Shadow remarked.
He kicked a rock down the pit. As it fell all the way through the darkness, nothing was heard. Tiffania quickly held on to Shadow, scared of the depth of the pit.
"Let's us proceed, but whatever you guys do, don't look down." Shadow warned.
"He's right. We might get dizzy or fall off." Silver realized.
"My point exactly… Let's go." Agnès commanded.
The group had to tread carefully. Since there were no handrails or anything to prevent them from falling, they were all forced to walk slowly. They had to focus on the bridge without looking down the abyss below them, which proved difficult due to the temptation and curiosity in looking down. Tiffania was left at the cliff with Shadow.
"Is this okay, Shadow?" Tiffania asked.
"Everyone managed to walk on the bridge just fine. Just focus on looking at my face as I guide you." Shadow said, helping Tiffania.
"I… I can't!" She said, clearly afraid.
"I guess there's another way… Just hold on to me tightly. I'll make sure we get across the bridge." Shadow suggested.
Tiffania nodded, going on to Shadow's back. He could feel Tiffania pressing on him, but he suppressed the thought, focusing on the bridge. Everyone near the vault watched as Shadow provided a piggyback ride to ensure her fears.
"We're here, Tiffania. It's okay now." Shadow reassured.
Tiffania had her eyes shut, afraid of looking down. After opening them, she noticed they were near the vault and climbed down Shadow's back. Before the group entered, they noticed runes inscribed on the entrance.
"I think I can read these runes… Let me see…" Shadow said.
"You can read them, Shadow?" Colbert questioned.
"These are runes of similar but ancient writing in both mine and Saito's world. They're called Norse runes." Shadow responded.
"We'll talk about that later… What do the runes say?" Saito questioned.
"They read, 'Those who alter, destroy, or remove the documents in this vault, as well as using magic will be punished.'" Shadow responded, reading the runes.
"So we can't use magic…" Louise said.
"I'm afraid so. Mages, leave your wands and staves outside. We don't want to trigger a possible trap." Shadow commanded,
"What makes you sure a trap is placed inside the vault?" Éléonore questioned.
"Would you rather risk your life to find out?" Shadow retorted.
Éléonore wisely remained quiet, knowing that arguing with Shadow would make him a foe. Reluctant, she placed her wand outside the vault.
"The same for everyone. Please leave your wands and staves. It's best not to have any Noble present use their magic here." Shadow ordered.
"I can vouch for Shadow here. Since the people during the ancient times often leave warnings, it's best to heed them. We can speak from experience." Silver said.
This convinced every Noble to place their wands outside of the entrance to the vault.
######
Inside the vault, the place was like a large library. Many books from old to new are shown in aisles for all to read.
"Alright, we need to find a particular document. Agnès, what does document show details of?" Shadow asked.
"It's about the incident of D'Angleterre. It occurred about 20 years ago." Agnès answered.
"Relatively new… Look for any of the documents from 20 years ago. There should be at least one stating about the name of the town." Shadow said.
"D'Angleterre, right? It'll be easy since most of us are from Halkeginia. They can find the name, but we may have to search carefully." Saito said.
"Alright. Split up and don't even think of disregarding the warning from the entrance. Just make sure the documents are not damaged." Agnès warned.
"This whole place is on par with Romalia's grand library. It would take a while to find the particular file of interest." Julio remarked.
"That's why we need to split to find it. This should cover more ground easily." Shadow said.
"Good point…" Julio remarked.
Everyone began searching the files. They all took careful measures to not cause any damage as they looked for the name. Shadow was with Tiffania, whom was also searching. They were at the first aisle.
"We've nearly cleared this aisle… None of them mention anything about D'Angleterre." Shadow said.
"I've searched too. I couldn't find the name." Tiffania followed.
"Keep looking. It's bound to be found somewhere…" Shadow said.
Saito, Siesta and Louise also searched in a different aisle next to Shadow and Tiffania. Both were unsuccessful.
"Nothing here… Our sides don't have the name." Louise said.
"Wish I could read the runes… It would help if I learned how to read and write the language..." Saito said with disdain.
"I can help teach you how to read the language." Siesta offered.
"Really? Thanks." Saito said.
Silver and Charlotte searched in the third aisle. They found nothing relating to D'Angleterre.
"This aisle doesn't have anything of the name." Charlotte said.
The fourth and last aisle was left for Colbert, Agnès, Julio, and Éléonore. The four adults were searching carefully for the name. Colbert was giving brief side glances to Agnès, whom was reading a document. Julio noticed and noted it seemed suspicious.
"You have been eyeing Agnès for a while… What is your reason?" Julio asked.
Colbert was caught off guard from the question. He couldn't immediately reply.
"Could it be you like her?" Julio teased.
"D-Don't be a fool." Colbert replied calmly.
"You were the one who was talking about love with her in the first place." Julio retorted.
"Don't get the wrong idea. She's too consumed with vengeance and I want her to find a future that she can redeem herself." Colbert replied.
Soon, Shadow quickly went to Agnès, whom looked surprised. She noticed the label of the file book.
"I believe this is what you're seeking." Shadow said.
Agnès read the title and was shocked to find it.
"Thank you, Shadow! Let me read this quickly!" Agnès responded, quickly opening the file.
Everyone soon stopped searching and paid attention to Agnès reading the report. All were curious to know of what was recorded. Colbert notably looked concerned.
"The incident 20 years ago was caused by a mercenary group. They were ordered to contain a plague that was happening in the village." Agnès read out loud.
"A plague? If that was the case, there would have been signs." Shadow remarked.
"Precisely… How were you able to know, Shadow? You weren't here 20 years ago." Agnès questioned.
"That's because the plague was all it was given… No details of a disease, nor any cases of a patient checked in of any illnesses. It was as though the 'plague' never existed." Shadow answered.
Agnès gasped, now able to have a clearer picture. Something was there that caused the village to be burned down. Whatever it was, it dragged everyone in D'Angleterre in the problem. Her anger grew, now realizing it was a false accusation.
"Your deductions never cease to surprise me, Shadow. How you were able to figure that out?" Julio asked.
"I'm not a detective, but I can point out facts of what's supposed to be there when it is not present." Shadow answered.
"Fair enough." Julio replied.
"I'm almost there in finding the name…" Agnès pointed out.
She kept turning the page, reading every sentence to find more answers.
"The leader of the mercenary group that burned my home…" Agnès read out.
Turning the page, Agnès was shocked. The page, supposing to list the names of the captain and of the mercenary force was partially torn. This left her visibly upset, unable to find any links to her past.
"Damn it! Someone has torn the page to reveal the names!" Agnès shouted with defiance.
"Hmmm… I smell a rat lurking in this place, and it's possible someone has been here." Shadow said.
"But who could it be?" Tiffania asked.
Everyone began thinking for a moment, not noticing Colbert looking nervous. Soon, a heavy crash got everyone's attention. Several files collapsed, creating a dust cloud.
"You foolish maid! Didn't I tell you to stack them correctly?" Éléonore said, spatting at Siesta.
She pulled out a secret wand from one of her pockets and nearly performed magic.
"STOOOOOOP!" Shadow bellowed.
This made Éléonore freeze, allowing Shadow to quickly grab the wand and throw it out in the abyss. Éléonore was angry of her second wand being thrown off, till she saw Shadow's angered expression.
"Didn't you read what the entrance SAID!?" Shadow bellowed, clearly not liking what was about to happen.
"I-I shouldn't use magic right…?" Éléonore said, stuttering.
Shadow, in an angry fit, grabbed Éléonore and literally flew to the other side of the bridge and dropping her to the exit.
"Stay here and learn that your actions almost took our lives!" Shadow said.
He soon conjured 3 sphere of distorted space. They stayed on the bridge, both on the sides and the path. They were shown creating blades that were swinging wildly. Éléonore wisely moved back, knowing she nearly made a fatal mistake.
"Those distorted spaces will slice anything to dust the moment it is touched. Don't try hanging from the ledges either. I've also made sure no one can hang from them. It's a long way down…" Shadow warned.
Flying back to the vault, Shadow didn't send a glance to Éléonore, angry of her actions.
"What did you do to my sister, Shadow?" Louise asked reluctantly.
"I reprimanded her of her actions… Anyway, we may have help Agnès in searching for clues of her past. There's nothing we can do from here." Shadow said.
######
After a few minutes, Agnès placed the book back in its place before leaving with everyone from the vault. Shadow provided the wands to every Noble present. He even cancelled the distorted spaces, making them dissipate. However. he gave Éléonore her wand back with an unpleasant action. He rudely shoved it to her hand, turning his face away from her.
"C'mon, Shadow… You shouldn't be this angry with her…" Saito said, trying to alleviate Shadow's anger.
"I'll make sure she understand humility. Don't think your pride will shield you from it. It's the truth of what you were about to do." Shadow said.
"Setting that aside, the incident of D'Angleterre was due to a supposed epidemic. An outbreak suddenly occurred, according to what the report said. Thanks to Shadow deducing the contents, it's possible the staged incident was given false info. Richemont lied, since there never was a coup in the first place." Agnès said, recalling the info she got.
"It's possible the mercenaries were not given the full truth." Colbert surmised.
"I believe so… As pessimistic as it sounds, which I hate to admit, the document was partially ripped. It didn't look like a recent tear as well." Silver noted.
"That means the culprit who was hiding the names is long gone…" Saito followed.
"It's possible. Maybe the captain of the mercenary group might have been responsible." Shadow said.
"Either way, we'll find the culprit… People who have done such actions, even under false pretenses, won't run forever. There will be a time they will pay, even the one whom ordered the actions." Shadow said.
Colbert looked concerned, knowing the group was talking about the mercenary group that burned D'Angleterre.
'If only you realized your own words, Shadow… I truly didn't know at the time…' Colbert somberly thought.
Ending 2: Diamond - Alan