Editing Tosho Meikyuu:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

===◇◇◇936 Pages until Memory Loss===

"Nyafufu…well~ that was really embarrassing…"

"No, no, don't worry about it! It's my fault for oversleeping!"

You’re on the aerial corridor leading to the main lecture tower of the ‘Apothecary’, and while trickling cold sweat, you answer the cat girl who’s tickling her cheek in embarrassment—Calmia Loadtokson, the class president.

"I didn’t think I’d get knocked out by a door that’s slammed over. Hanyaa~… "

"Y-you really didn’t have to mind that. I don’t mind either!"

So you say with a wry smile, but deep inside, you feel like you're walking a tightrope over a precipice. If the lie you say gets exposed, it may lead to your expulsion, and also the potential revelation that you’ve been turned into a vampire (a death sentence).

(…Phew, looks like I managed to bluff her…)

You put on the dark blue robe, and put your 'book' (me) beneath your shoulder armor. Calmia woke up from the coma that lasted for at least ten minutes after her memory was sucked out.

You took advantage of the memory gap and lie to her that ‘when you rushed out of the door, the opened door slammed into her, and knocked her out’.

(She came all the way to wake me up. I guess she’s a kind girl…but If the ‘Apothecary’ finds out that I’ve been turned into a vampire, I’ll be executed in a way that I can’t be revived again…)

[[Image:ToMei_v1 Illustration 03.jpg|thumb]]

You gulp your saliva as you imagined yourself being executed.

"Mo-more importantly, Calmia…san? Can you tell me stuff about our class? I don’t know what kind of people are there, so I’m a little nervous."

"Nyamumu, didn't Calmia say that Calmia will do so nya! Munya, now then, I’ll introduce you to the classmates as apology for making you take care of me, Okutsuki!"

Calmia corrects that overly courteous address of yours angrily, and smiles cheerfully as she continues on. Her expressions vary greatly, and she does have the vibe of a fickle cat.

"Okutsuki, the class you’re transferring into, my class, is the ‘Apothecary’ 10th grade. Let’s see, the Japanese system that Okutsuki mentioned yesterday is erm…high school? Am I right?"

"Yes. Given the new school system, I’d probably be a first year in high school. How many are there in the class, more or less?"

"There are 43 of us, including Okutsuki. The pure humans and demi-humans amount to about half each nya~? There are a lot of demi-humans in Alexandria, so you might be confused at first nya."

The triangular ears on her dark brown hair twitch.

They prove that she’s of a different tribe from humans—she’s a ‘demi-human’ whose bloodline is related to the creatures of the Library Labyrinth

"Don’t worry, I’m not someone with such rigid thoughts."

You look into the amethyst purple crystal eyes and answer sincerely.

Some purebloods do discriminate against demi-humans, but you are not one of those racial supremacist.

"Thank goodness nya. People used to get bullied just because they have beast ears or tails…but nya know, I won’t let any bully get away with it!"

There’s definitely a slight different between pure humans and demi-humans, but they both do have human hearts. It’s very important to exhibit the ideals of the ‘Apothecary’ and respect each other's individuality equally.

"Nyafufu, well, the ideal of the ‘Apothecary’ is that ‘even demons or reapers will be accepted as students as long as they have the will to study’ nya."

Calmia stares forward at the aerial corridor and whispers quietly. Her pretty sidelong face seems to show her desire of this ideal.

"…Yes, I think that’s a great ideal too…anyway, just to ask, can this ideal accept ‘vampires who wish to learn’…? "

"Vampires? Of course they’ll be executed nya."

However, every ideal has its limits.

"Eh? B-but you say that it’ll accept demons and reapers…so why not vampires?"

"Of course not nya. Unlike demons and reapers, vampirism corrupts easily. You may end up transformed into a vampire, so how can you study together with one nya?"

"…So a vampire’s ranked lower than a reaper…"

Library City Alexandria is home to a myriad of demi-humans, and although there were conflicts in the past, demi-humans are now considered human, no different than the purebloods.

In order to establish a society where pure humans and demi-humans can live together, there is a need to mark a clear distinction between demi-humans and Labyrinth creatures. Those that do not meet the condition of ‘being human’ will be deemed as monsters and certain to be ostracized.

"Understand human words, feed on things aside from human flesh and blood, and obey the law and the covenant. If these three conditions can’t be followed, you can’t live with others nya.

"…I-I think vampires are dangerous monsters too, but…"

"But those vampires were mostly killed off decades ago in that war against vampires. Even if there are any vampires left, they can be executed or cured nya."

"C-cured!? Erm…just to ask! This got nothing to do with me or a real person at all, it’s just a what-if question—but can vampirism be cured?"

"Nnya! If that person can get a ‘book to cure vampirism’ or be roasted in fire for 39 years and then be blessed for fifty five years while being boiled in sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide for 55 years…"

"…Fi-first one aside, wouldn’t the latter like…kill someone…?"

"Yep. If you don’t pull the person out once the vampirism is lifted, he'll be transformed into melted black charcoal in the sulfuric acid bath nya. Well, either way, the vampire dies nya~!"

"Yyeah, haha! It’s fine that vampires die either way, ahahahaha!!"

Calmia’s cheerful tone sounds strangely cruel and merciless to you. Sweat trickles profusely from your head in tension as you barely eke a smile.

(Now there’s no way I’m letting anyone know that I’ve transformed into a vampire now…! I need to pretend to be an ordinary student as much as possible, and not let anyone have the slightest of suspicion…!)

The fear of dying as black coal terrifies you, and you form a tragic resolve in your heart…

(…What does this useless cat think vampires are. I shall punch her up good.)

"You’ll be executed!?"

You can’t help but shout in respond to the voice that suddenly rings at your ear.


"Hanya!? O-Okutsuki!? What’s wrong nya! Who are you talking too nya…?"

Calmia reacts in shock and looks up at you with a worried face.

"I-it’s nothing. Erm, I thought I heard something!?"

''"You hear me? Punch! punch! I shall educate this little girl!""''

"Okutsuki…the long journey really wore your out nya. Yes, I understand nya."

"No no that’s not it Calmia! My mind isn’t weird or anything."

The amethyst purple eyes Calmia show gradually becomes one of pity.

Well, it’s no wonder, for you can hear a voice '''no one else can detect'''.

(…Oi vampire, don’t suddenly speak into my ear!)

''"Is a normal way of talking easier? This arrogant cat girl may hear me"''

(I’m telling you to shut up.)

You shout in your mind. No, you do not have the ability of mental telepathy. You can’t see her, but the High Daylight Walker Arteria is by your side.

(Mu, what do you mean by shut up? For I am giving you this opinion of I!)

The silvery white bat peeks its head out from the hood of the robe, gnawing at the hair at the back of your head.

Arteria’s using an ability of a vampire, the ability to ‘transform into a bat’ as she hides in your clothes and moves along with you. She can extract memories from your body warmth and be aware of the surroundings.

And you, as her subordinate, can understand any word from our master in any language (even if it’s supersonic)!

"Okutsuki~…if you’re not feeling well, it’s better to take leave for today nya~"

"N-no, I’m fine! I’m completely fine! Really!"

''"What now? Do you intend to show yourself in class? With the power of this High Daylight Walker, it shall be easy to explore the Labyrinth, you know?""''

(…I’m not intending to borrow the power of a vampire. And it’s not easy to enter the Labyrinth if I’m not a student of the ‘Apothecary’. I should attend lessons properly so that I get to gain knowledge to explore.)

As aforementioned, your memory can only be maintained at a thousand pages. If you waste your memory, the tragic fate of being imprisoned in oblivion shall await you.

However, if the question is whether your ability allows you to reach the depths of the Labyrinth, the answer is no. It is more prudent to use the classes and facilities of the ‘Apothecary’ to improve your exploration efficiency.

(…I didn't come back to Library City Alexandria to be turned into a vampire and lose my memory. I returned here to find out the truth of what happened five years ago…!)

Through the fabric of your robe, you put your fingertips on your father's talisman and think of the new life that awaits you in the ‘Apothecary’ at the end of this aerial corridor.

And then, in seemingly response to your sentiments, the Mediterranean sea breeze blows aside the stratus cloud covers the corridor before you.

"Ah, lookie look Okutsuki, over there! You can see the main lecture tower nya~!"

"Eh?"

The ‘Apothecary's lecture tower, hidden by the clouds, reveals itself to you.

"…W-woah…!"

The tallest building of the ‘Apothecary’, the Great Alexandria University Apothecary, appears like a great tree stretching to the sky.

The main lecture tower reaches into a sky like a trunk growing into the heavens, and there are countless branches-like corridors stretching from it, the greenery of the small botanical gardens connecting to them, depicting the entire Apothecary like a giant tree.

It is the ‘Tree of Wisdom’ that absorbs the wisdom of the gods lying in slumber within the Library Labyrinth, growing together with humanity.

The Great Apothecary of Alexandria, the explorer guild of the ‘Apothecary’, is the culmination of of humanity's efforts, an artificial great stone tree that provides shelter in times of peril.

(…I've returned. The ‘Apothecary’, the explorer guild Father belonged to…!!)

The lush greenery of the botany remains in the sky. The majestic sight of the Great Apothecary of Alexandria makes you forget about your fear of becoming a vampire or having memory loss.

This ‘Apothecary’ was built by the wishes of those who prayed for human development and future, along with the efforts of countless people. As long as you keep challenging the Library Labyrinth without giving up, you will be able to cure your memory loss, regain your memory and magic, and learn the truth of what happened five years ago.

(… Yes, this is the capital of Library Labyrinth. I can find any grimoire here as long as it’s anything humans dream and work hard for. This is the city of divine relics…!!)

The search guild that populate the Library City Alexandria isn’t just a mutual aid group for Labyrinth explorers, but also serve to collect and share the technology and culture that were left by the gods, to be shared with all of humanity.

The technology unearthed from the Library Labyrinth and circulating through the Tree of Wisdom will eventually be privately appropriated by the guilds under their control, supporting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

The great artificial made tree stretches to nearly one thousand meters above sea level above the Library Labyrinth.

The ‘Apothecary’ your father dedicated his life to is the symbol of humanity’s development and wisdom.

(…I’ll get them back. I’ll find the ‘book’ from the Library, get back my memory and magic, and become a Doctor Magna like Father…!)

"…Nyafufu, Okutsuki, you look like you want to be Doctor Magna nya! Well, you wouldn’t have transferred into the Doctoral Candidate course if you hadn’t planned on it, nya?)"

Calmia put her hands on her hips and hunches over, exhaling a breath.

"Alright! Now that you’ve bucked up, let’s hurry to the classroom nya!. Let’s go over there before teacher Yuzu gets too impatient with us—ready, run!!!"

"Eh!? Ah wai-wait Calmia! I don’t know where the classroom is though!?"

"Nyahahaha! If you get lost in the outermost area, you'll starve to death!"

"Starve to death!?Wa-Wait, I don't want to die yet!"
Calmia laughs like a whimsical cat as she runs off down the aerial corridor. You give chase after her, towards the ‘Apothecary’ that stands before you.