Chapter 34

The Witch of the Forbidden Archive
The Forbidden Archive, located in the academy library.
In this secretive place, there was someone who could heal the suffering Connie.

Her name was—the Witch of the Forbidden Archive.

It seemed she was a well-known figure among the students.
But I hadn’t heard of her at all, especially among the new students.

… Wait, is it just because I’m too much of a loner to hear the gossip?
Even though I’d felt like I had finally started to get along with others recently.

Well, anyway, I was wandering around the library trying to find this so-called Witch of the Forbidden Archive when suddenly, a girl’s voice echoed from somewhere.

"President Tricia… I told you before not to force open that door with your strength, didn’t I?"
"Apologies. But it’s faster than going through all the troublesome unlocking procedures."

President Tricia casually responded to the mysterious voice.

A girl appeared, with long pink hair, her bangs so long they covered her eyes.
Could she even see through that?

She seemed very familiar with President Tricia—no, maybe it was just President Tricia who was being overly familiar with her, but to an outsider, they certainly appeared close.

The sharp eyes of the girl, which had been focused on President Tricia, eventually turned toward me.

"Eh? W-who are you?"

The girl suddenly looked frightened.
Eh...? I haven’t even done anything yet?

"Sorry about that. She’s very shy. She has trouble attending classes, and after spending so much time alone here, the students started calling her the Witch of the Forbidden Archive."

So, she’s a socially awkward recluse, huh?

… I kind of feel a sense of camaraderie now.
Especially since I was also terrible at socializing in my past life.

Though I think I’ve gotten a bit better since I reincarnated and decided to live as a villain.

But can she really be the one to save Connie?

Anyway, time for introductions.
With someone like her, the first impression is important.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Lake Gallard. This is my attendant, Lucina."
"Hello."
"U-um, nice to meet you."

Maybe because I tried to act gentlemanly, she responded hesitantly, though she managed to say something.

"See? You should introduce yourself too."

With a little encouragement from President Tricia, the girl took a few deep breaths and then introduced herself.

"—l—i—e"

… I couldn’t hear a word.
This was going to take some time.

“Sigh… Even though you’re the daughter of the Mertzalo family, acting like this would surely trouble your father. You’re an excellent healer and herbalist after all."
"Mertzalo? That Mertzalo?"

The name sounded familiar.
Even though she’s a recluse, she was still a student at the Royal Academy.

The Mertzalo Sanctum.
A place where those skilled in healing magic and herbology gathered to heal those suffering from serious illnesses and injuries.
If I were to compare it to my past life, she was the daughter of the director of a large hospital.

Our company was on good terms with her father, the director of the Mertzalo Sanctum.

… Wait, could it be?

"Is it you, Claire?"
"Eh?"
"It’s me. Lake from the Gallard Company. We’ve met a few times at our houses, remember?"
"Ah… L-Lake?"

It seemed like she finally recognized me.

"Oh? You two know each other?"
"Our parents were close, and when we were little, we played together often."
"I only met her about a year before entering the academy, so you two must have known each other longer."

That’s right.
If we’re talking about who knew her first, it was me.

… But at some point, we stopped meeting.

However, our company’s relationship with the Mertzalo Sanctum hadn’t soured. We still had a good relationship.

But I never asked my father why we stopped meeting Claire.
There was just this unspoken tension in the air, like it wasn’t something I should ask about.

I’d assumed it might be because she got engaged, but based on the situation, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Still, despite thoroughly going through the academy’s student list, her name wasn’t on it.

I thought for sure she must have been attending a different school.
If I had found her name, I’d have focused my efforts on recruiting her, just like with Connie.
After all, I had witnessed her excellence firsthand when we were young.

—So, maybe this reunion is some kind of fate.

"I’m really glad to see you again, Claire."
"Lake… Yeah, I’m happy we could meet again too."

This feels promising.
With her knowledge of healing magic and herbs, she’s definitely someone who could help Connie.
And most importantly, she could become a valuable ally for our company.

First, I need to explain the situation in detail and secure her cooperation.