Tosho Meikyuu:Volume1 Chapter2

936 Pages until Memory Loss

◇◇◇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…)

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, I said yesterday that Calmia is fine 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 says so. 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.

◇◇◇927 Pages until Memory Loss

After reaching the huge brick lecture tower, you turn a few times in the wide corridor and arrive at a narrow corridor lined with countless doors.

Each and every single one of them has a number on it, and they probably represent the class number. Calmia stands before one of them and turns around with a cheerful smile on her face.

"…Nyafufu! We’re here, nya!

"Haa, haa…e-erm, classroom 1032, right?"

""Unya! This is the classroom 1032 where Okutsuki will be studying with us!. Teacher Yuzu is probably explaining what you need to revise, so get the introduction ready, Okutsuki!"

Calmia says with a smile and enters classroom classroom 1032. You’re left alone on the corridor, muttering to yourself while trying to calm the heart down that’s racing as you have just ran..

"Haa, haa, phew—…I’m turned into a vampire, but my heart’s still beating so quickly.”

"…You may have received immortality from I, but you still about seventy percent human…the reason for your racing heart is the mental strain rather than the physical.""'

"Vampire…well, it's been five years since I've been to the ‘Apothecary’. I’m certainly nervous."

You imagine the future that awaits you beyond this door, and your subsiding palpitations starts to hasten again.

As aforementioned, you practically lost the memories you have prior to five years ago. Even if it’s a transfer, you are basically re-enrolled into this school. It is normal to worry that you may not be able to adjust to your new class.

(…But I’m more excited because of it. I’m standing in the ‘Apothecary’, where Father once studied magic…!)

You touch the talisman on your chest and recall your father's face.

"I want to regain my memory and magic, and become someone who can save others."

Joining the ‘Apothecary’ will be the prelude in your life to fulfilling this wish.

"…Nyafufu! I'm back, Teacher Yuzu!"

"Nyafufu! Calmia-chan! Have you found Okutsuki-kun~?"

"I found him! He's waiting outside the door now!"

"…The owner of this voice is your form teacher, ‘Yuzuriha Daphniphyllum Walla."

As you overhear the conversation beyond the door, Arteria whispers to you softly.

(What? This childish voice with a lisp…is the form teacher?)

"Truly. The voice may sound like a little girl’s, but she is definitely one of the Doctor Magnas."

"Ehhhh? Do-Doctor Magna?"

You shout in shock once you hear the rank of the form teacher.

‘Doctor Magna’ is the third rank of the four major guilds in Library City Alexandria, and also the degree and position granted as a title, only to the best explorers in the ‘Apothecary’.

In other words, ‘Teacher Yuzu’ is a superhuman who excels in all aspects of Labyrinth exploration, magical combat, book research, and the training of future generations. She will instantly eradicate you with her impressive magic the moment the fact that you are a vampire is exposed.

"As you can hear from the voice, your form teacher has an appearance and age unfitting for a teacher. But don't act all surprised and go all ‘she’s a little girl!!’, you know? She was the contact person for the ‘Apothecary’ who welcomed you at the port yesterday. If you act suspiciously…"

I may be suspected of being a vampire because I lost my memory, and end up executed…! It’s scary…!!)

"…Now all that’s left is to welcome the transfer student! Okutsuki-kun, please come in!"

As you tremble in fear, a young voice calls out through the door.

(Hii, the teacher’s calling for me…vampire, don’t you talk to me suddenly in the classroom.)

"Mmm, how rude of you! It is rare of I to provide a suggestion. Go ahead with your failure of a self-introduction and embarrass yourself in front of the humans!"

(I-I don't care if I fail. I didn’t return to the ‘Apothecary’ just to enjoy school life. I’m here to regain my memory and magic, and become a Doctor Magna. …!)

You quietly refute the vampire's anxiety-inducing words.

Well, compared to losing your memory in eight hours, the class atmosphere and your relationship with your classmates may indeed be of lesser importance.

"Alright." You mutter to yourself and and open the door to the classroom.

(…This is the lecture room of the best academic institute in the world, the ‘Apothecary’…!)

The classroom you enter is various spacious, and a Japanese terakoya can’t compare..

The classroom is built with runes reinforced building materials, and the seats descend like stairs towards the podium at the back of the room. The blackboards, nearly five meters wide, are connected together with pulleys, designed to be raised and lowered at will.

The long desks, two students for one, are very wide, and allow stacks of textbooks. The entire room is brightly lit by sunlight shining through the light absorbing windows, and the artificial light pouring down from the ‘self-illuminating book’ on the ceiling.

(…No, now’s not the time to be observe. I need to greet everyone properly so that people don't suspect my identity!)

You walk down the stairway between the desks, receiving a mixture of curious and expectant stares. You walk onto the podium and turn to face your classmates.)

"Erm…nice to meet you, I'm Sōshi Okutsuki! I've been away from Library City Alexandria for five years, so I probably have lots of things I’m still not used to. Please take care of me!"

You bow politely and scan the classroom while you greet heartily

—Gashan!! And,

You hear the sound of a chair that was kicked down.

"Eh?"

The eyes there are staring at you turn towards the noise in unison. They are looking towards a girl at the far right corner of the corridor, one who’s frozen in place.

—Now, then, allow me to write down some very important information you need to remember.

After all, the class atmosphere and the classmates’ personalities are important in any situation.

Even though you are not half a vampire, or have a thousand pages worth of memory, these are aspects you can never take lightly under any circumstances.

Why?

Y-you, you…! "

"Wait, you…are you!"

Because amongst your classmates, there may be murderers or vampires.

"You're yesterday's vampire!!!"

"You’re yesterday’s murderer!!!"

The screams of you and the girl echoed throughout the lecture tower of the Apothecary’.

"Wh-why are you here!?"

There was no way you could have mistaken her

She has changed her clothes from black to a dark blue robe, but the lush swirls of blond hair, the ominous horns and the icy glare of the blue eyes definitely belong to the culprit who murdered you.

"T-that’s my line! I definitely killed you thoroughly!"

It appears the murderer has not forgotten the face of this failed prey. She puts her hand into the sheet metal armor covering her right shoulder and howls at you, intending to pull out a grimoire.

"I didn’t think a murderer is a student in the ‘Apothecary’! You disguised yourself to escape the magic criminal inquisitors of the ‘Cathedral’, didn’t you!?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I got no reason to be slandered by a vampire disguised as a transfer student! You filthy bloodsucking demon!"

"Whose fault do you think it is!? You’re no different yourself, you murder! My life’s ruined because of you! make sure your crimes are exposed to the light of day!!"

"You’re never alive to begin with. Don’t speak as though you have a ‘life’! I was just intending to eliminate the vermin that were hurting people and heroes!"

"Er-erm…Okutsuki, Eri? Are you two friends nya…?"

""Huh?""

Calmia timidly tries to stop you two as you two appear to be on the fighting each other. She’s probably trying to fulfil her responsibility as the class president…but she merely stokes the flames.

"Friends? You’re joking, Calmia! He’s a vicious and indiscriminate killer! He should be dragged to the court of justice and given a harsh trial!"

"Calmia-san, please don’t be fooled by her nonsense! She’s a monster beneath that human skin! She’s the embodiment of evil, the vampire who should be purged from this earth immediately!"

Your conversation devolves into unruly insults, and then…

"—Y-you’re violating school rules!

The immature voice of what clearly sounds like a girl interrupts you. "!!"

"H-how dare you start calling each other a vampire or a murderer. This should not be the attitude a student of the ‘Apothecary’ should have! This Teacher will be angry now!"

Flailing her hands and expressing her anger was a Doctor Magna who appears to be ten years old.

"T-Teacher Yuzu…?"

Your form teacher, Teacher Yuzu, looked like a perfect little girl herself.

Her chestnut hair that almost reaches her waist retains the light sheen characteristic of a young child. If it hasn’t been for what Calmia has briefed you, it’ll be absolutely impossible for you to recognize her as a teacher.

""…Do calm down for now. Even I cannot guarantee protection if you battle here.."

However, the strongest species, Arteria, appears to be able to sense the magic power hidden in her young body.

She is a mage whose ability is such that even the High Daylight Walker will flat out admit that ‘she cannot protect you’. If the fact that you were converted into a vampire is revealed, a subordinate like you will be charred in an instant.

"N-no, this is…"

"B-But Teacher, this guy…!!"

You feel infuriated to see the murderer who brutally killed you…but this is the teaching block of the ‘Apothecary’, the headquarters of the Labyrinth explorers that have overwhelming combat strength. It is not prudent to escalate matters here.

"O-oi, vampire…" "What did Erika do to be insulted as a murderer?" "I don’t think it’s likely, but he probably won’t be a true vampire, right…" "…how suspicious..."

"Mugu…!"

Your classmates, who have been listening to your faceoff, start to chatter about the true identity of this new student. At this rate, your true identity may end up exposed.

(Ku…! If I'm exposed as a vampire, I'll be punished with a fate worse than dying in a sulfuric acid bath! The indiscriminate murderer who killed me is in this ‘Apothecary’…!)

Truth be told, you have no intention to be in the same room as the murderer for even a second…but it appears you have no other means of survival aside from suppressing your feelings.

You bow your head to Teacher Yuzu, wary of the murderer’s grimoire.

"I'm sorry about that, Teacher…I was impulsive."

"A casual apology won’t do. Okutsuki-kun, please apologize to Eri-chan."

The teacher puffs her cheeks, urging you to apologize to the murderer. . You find it ridiculous to be apologizing to the one who killed you. But if people are to discover that you have been turned into a vampire, perhaps you will be executed with no way to revive.

Left with no choice, you turn to the girl called ‘Eri-chan’.

"…Sorry, it’s my fault. Erm… "

"…’Erika K. Austral’…me too, pardon me for my rudeness."

You apologize, and with a disgusted, anguished look on her face as though she has bitten on a bitter bug, the murderer introduces herself as ‘Erika’.

Though you are worried that she might reveal your identity as a vampire right away—

"…"

(…Huh? Sh-She didn’t say anything?)

The murderer Erika merely lowers her head in silence, shooting a hostile glare at you. Truly, it shows that she has intentions to kill you once again, but she does not show signs on acting again.

(Why? She could have killed me right away if she reveals my identity as a vampire…)

"…Is she one of the feuding parties…?"

"Looks like you two have calmed down. Now then, Okutsuki-kun, please take a seat,"

"Eh, ueehhh!?"

Before you can question the murderer’s actions, the teacher urges you to take a seat.

Before you know it, you find yourself in the middle of the classroom, with you classmates staring at you.

"Oh…-I-I’m sorry, Teacher! I’ll get seated right—"

You look around the classroom…the only empty seat available is the one ""next to the murderer"".

"…Erm, Teacher? I think there's only one seat available?"

"Hurry up and sit down. You’re the only new student, Okutsuki-kun."

"But, actually, my religion forbids believers to sit on chairs."

"That's an odd doctrine. Please defy that teaching though."

"And…erm, I can’t think of an excuse not to sit in that chair."

"You can think about it after you sit down."

You try to fool the teacher, but fail.

You lament your cruel fate and stagger across the classroom to sit down next to the murderer.

"…Cherish the last few hours of your life."

(S-someone just proclaimed my murder and remaining lifespan!)

"I’m happy. Now then everyone, please give assist to Okutsuki-kun is in trouble.)

You're in trouble and you want everyone to help you, but all you can hear is a ‘nyafufu~’ from somewhere at the front of the classroom, and no one is offering you a helping hand.

You pretend to fold your arms, posing as though you can immediately pull the ‘book’(me) out of your right shoulder.

"Once class is over, prepare yourself. I’ll definitely send you to the netherworld."

For the left side of your body is basking in sufficient killing intent to pierce through you outright.

(…Vampire, if this fellow next to me does anything strange, please let me know right away.)

"Do be at ease. This is what I shall do""

And so the second day of your memorable boarding school begins in the worst way possible.