I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 183

“Forbidden magic—most of it can be used as long as the user’s magic is incredibly strong, right?”

“Really?” 

“Most of the magic that was forbidden, if used, would drain the user’s magic severely, threatening their life.” 

“Even the ancient magics?” 

“Some of them, yes.” 

“But the part about erasing memories in black… that’s something new I’ve heard.”

Despite agreeing with each other, everyone was still struggling with the lack of clues to move forward.

Illein too thought the theories being discussed were plausible. However, she knew that there were preconditions to consider.

At the very least, the person using this magic needed to have magic equal to or stronger than Edwin’s. It was something that wasn’t easily achievable. 

Edwin himself had been noticed by the imperial family as soon as he was born, due to his immense magical power. His power was so formidable that it was considered one of the strongest in the empire’s history.

Now, there was the possibility that someone else might possess magic on par with or stronger than Edwin’s? Someone whose name wasn’t even known. 

And someone who could reflect Edwin’s magic with excellent properties? It didn’t seem reasonable. No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

If all these assumptions turned out to be true…

Illein quickly dismissed her own musings. It simply didn’t add up, no matter how much she tried to make sense of it.

The whirlwind-like atmosphere in the classroom settled down as academy classes began. It seemed that the upcoming midterm exams were a big obstacle that everyone’s attention went back to their studies.

Although most of the students didn’t particularly have any reason to obsess about their grades, they still couldn’t entirely neglect that to pursue the culprit behind the horrific incidents.

After all, their primary role was still that of students.

Thanks to the calmer atmosphere, Illein, whose grades were a priority, felt more at ease at studying.

Furthermore, with Edwin now awake, her worries had eased, and she felt more at ease.

As usual, Illein carried on with her routine.

Just like every year before, after classes, she didn’t head home. Instead, she went straight to the library to prepare for the midterms.

In the past, during exam periods, Illein would stay late, studying all day and only returning to the mansion briefly to sleep. 

Having done this since her previous life, staying up all night studying during this time wasn’t difficult for her. In fact, she enjoyed the uninterrupted study time.

However, this time, things didn’t go entirely as she had hoped.

Perhaps because of the recent chain of murders, which Edwin himself had mentioned, Melias decided to join her on the walk to the library. 

Seeing this, Damon naturally followed suit, and their group of three became a bit of a problem for her who had been concentrating while studying alone.

The subtle tension between the two was exhausting, and the fact that she wasn’t alone made it hard for Illein to concentrate. Her nerves were on edge.

To break the tension, Illein stood up to look for the books she needed.

Or so it was…

“Huh?”

She was surprised by the sudden turn of events. She couldn’t understand how she ended up on the twelfth floor. She was supposed to be looking for books on the eighth floor, not the twelfth.

She thought she must have dozed off and unconsciously climbed to the twelfth floor. So she decided to quickly head back to the eighth floor to finish her search.

But then something unexpected happened.

Click, tap! Crackle!

Suddenly, the lights in the library that had been illuminating the space began to flicker out one by one. At the same time, the moonlight streaming through the windows became unusually bright.

“Uh?”

The sudden change startled Illein. It was an experience she’d never encountered during her time in and out of the library.

However, despite the suddenness, Illein thought that perhaps the change happening now was something special that only occurred on the twelfth floor.

She had never been to the twelfth floor of the library before, and that’s what made her think that.

The twelfth floor, being the top level of the library, mostly housed old newspapers and history books. There was no real reason for Illein to come here.

Most of the books she needed were on the tenth or eighth floors.

So, this change was something she was experiencing for the first time. As with anyone, a new unfamiliar place naturally creates a sense of unease.

It was inevitable to feel fear of the unknown.

Though she was in awe of the beauty of the moonlight shining more brightly as the library lights went out, Illein couldn’t help but feel tense.

Well it was also due to the timing.

Carefully, Illein drew her wand.

She wanted to be prepared if anything happened at any time.

Fortunately, the bright moonlight pouring in through the window made it easy to perceive her surroundings.

Illein quickly scanned the area. She was staying vigilant in case of any unforeseen danger.

But even with her alertness, there was something Illein failed to notice.