ANIMT - Episodes 33-35

ANIMT - Chapter 33. Preparing for the Cultural Festival!

“That’s it for today. Time to go. Clear out, clear out!”

At the sound of Yamadori-kun’s voice, all of my classmates replied “Yes!” in unison.

I wiped the sweat off my face with a towel and packed up my Shirotama doll.

Today’s after-school rehearsal for the cultural festival only lasted an hour. Practicing on stage required permission and with that came time restrictions. As a result, we did not have time to go through the entire script.

I was sitting on stage, with my legs hanging down and my Shiratama doll on my lap, while everybody else was getting ready to leave. As much as I wanted to get changed and quickly leave myself, I was thoroughly exhausted from excessive use of matter manipulation magic. Deciding to enjoy the hustle and bustle of my classmates departing, I took a break until the crowd thinned out. Sitting on the stage gave me a slightly higher vantage point to watch the chaos unfold.

“Oh, you’re ready early, Yamadori! Heading back to the dorms already?”

“No, I’m not. I’ve got a show to put on at my club too, so I have to practice for that. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

As he quickly picked up his bag and strode out the door, Yamadori-kun waved goodbye to everyone with the same liveliness as ever. As he did so his refreshingly green eyes met mine and I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

I waved back awkwardly, inwardly chastening myself for making him wait for my response. He smiled slightly, though it was hard to tell from a distance, which made my heart skip even more.

I’m not used to this kind of thing, and it’s really bad for my heart.

While I was caught up in the moment, I felt a glare from the three dumpling sisters who were headed out too. They hadn’t bothered me since the mock battle, but every now and then they leveled a withering gaze at me. I’m not afraid of them though.

I’m neither scared nor annoyed, but rather impressed by their childish antics.

Maybe I’ve changed slightly? Reflecting on these interactions, perhaps I’ve become quite brazen?

“Oh, come on, Nobanacchi!”

As I was absentminded, I heard someone call out from behind before a cold sensation caressed my cheek.

“What?” I involuntarily screamed as the offender laughed like a child that had successfully pulled off a prank.

It was Uminari-san, who had been practicing with me until just a moment ago, standing with a chilled plastic bottle in hand, peering down at me from where she stood.

“I’ll give you this. I bought an extra. Oh, can I sit here too?”

I accepted the bottle with thanks and agreed to her request, causing her to cheerfully sit down next to me.

Uminari-san is an innocent girl who belongs to the drama club. Her distinguishing features are a lovely snaggle tooth and her distinctive orange hair, which she always does up in a ponytail with an interesting scrunchie. Today’s had a bun pattern.

As the voice of the Shirotama doll in the play, she spends a lot of time practicing with me, so we’ve had more opportunities to talk like this lately. It wasn’t long ago that some of my classmates gave me the nickname Nobanacchi.

I’m secretly conflicted about whether I should return the favor by calling her Uminaritchi.

“Nobanacchi, do you have plans later today? I’d like you to accompany me if you are free.”

“Oh… sorry. I have to make a quick stop after this.”

“Oh, really? Well then, I guess I’ll see you later!”

I apologized, but thankfully declining the invitation did not seem to offend Uminari-san. She flashed me a carefree smile that only served to intensify my regret.

“Actually, the seniors in the drama club were all harassing me about wanting to see you operate that puppet in person. I’d like you to visit the drama club. Even if it’s just the once.”

“They want me to operate the Shirotama doll there… ?”

“They saw a glimpse of it during the magic mock battles and would really like to see it again. They have permission to use magic and go off campus several times a month to put on plays at kindergartens and such. After seeing your doll in action, they’re really interested in putting on a magic puppet show, so they wanted to learn your techniques.”

This felt like such an exaggeration of my capabilities, but I was so happy that my magic was being recognized that before I could stop myself I said, “I can do it next week!”

Uminari-san was so thrilled that she hugged me, almost causing us both to roll off the stage.

“Look out, Uminari-san!”

“Oh no, sorry, sorry. I was just happy to think how the seniors would react. I really think Nobanacchi is a good girl. So, I have one more request for you.”

I shuddered slightly at the premonition of something troubling coming my way.

“You know… Futaki-kun… is it still too difficult to bring him here?”

“Yeah… ”

My eyes widened when his name unexpectedly dropped.

“In terms of stage effects, the wind attribute magic that Futaki-kun can wield is very versatile. It’s a class event, and I’d like to see him participate too. Before, everyone was afraid of him, but when they saw him talking to Nobanacchi during the mock battles, their impression of him changed. I think it’ll be a good chance for him to fit in with the class now.”

“Uminari-san… ”

“He seems to have a soft spot for his partner. I hope you’ll reach out to him if you’re feeling up to it.”

I was both flattered and a little embarrassed by Uminari-san’s concern for him. I had so much on my plate that I had forgotten to pay attention to Kitora, whom I hadn’t seen since the incident with Yamadori-kun. Unsurprisingly, he had not attended a single rehearsal for the play.

I’m sure Uminari is right. This is a very important event. It’s a great way to get to know your fellow students.

“All right, Minari-san! He’ll probably be reluctant, but I’ll do whatever I can to persuade him to come. I’ll bring Kitora even if I have to put a noose around his neck!”

“Oh! You’re so reliable, Nobanachi! I hope this is not too much of a burden. Handling Futaki-kun and doing the drama club a favor… ”

I grinned and held up the water she had gifted me, saying, “Leave it to me.”

Uminari-san was puzzled at this outburst, before breaking out into an infectious smile. These two side quests had appeared out of nowhere, but completing them will be fun.

Truthfully though, the last day of the Cultural Festival would also be the day of my life. Just two months remained, but I don’t have time to worry about that.

I vowed once again that I would not waste time worrying about it, and instead enjoy this festival to the fullest extent possible.

* * * *

Leaving behind Uminari-san and the training building, I walked alone down the corridor of the special-purpose building. The areas around the music and home economics rooms were crowded, but this corridor that led to the library was far removed from them, and thus remained quiet and empty.

There were two reasons why I had to go to the library.

The first was to do some self-research into forbidden magic.

Although I said I would leave it up to Kusaka-sensei, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to check on my own, with a focus on books about medicine.

Our school’s library was so vast that it had become a selling point in its own right, even mentioned on the school enrollment brochure. It had a reputation for containing many rare books, making it the ideal environment to look for the information I needed.

I briefly considered the idea of returning to that room with Pochitaro’s teleportation again, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was too risky, and I didn’t want to have another scary experience like that again.

I also wanted to see Kokomi, who seemed to be on book duty today. We have both been busy with preparations for the cultural festival lately, and although we still saw each other, we hadn’t been able to spend much time together.

Her class is doing a magical girl themed cafe. Kokomi was not only a waitress but also the chef in charge of making the sweets. Whenever she could find the time, she would often head to the home economics room to make prototype treats with her classmates. I couldn’t help but smile when she let me know. Thanks to the cultural festival, Kokomi seemed to be getting to know her classmates.

I missed walking back to the dorms with her. It would be nice to do so today after she was done with her work for the day.

I walked down the hallway, bag in hand, looking out the window at the clear autumn sky.

“Hmm… ?”

Almost at my destination, I stopped dead in my tracks, blocked by a woman standing in the middle of the hallway, staring intently at a picture on the wall.

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 34. Encounter with the Chancellor

The woman blocking my way wore a burgundy suit that accentuated her slender figure. I could not see her full face, but from the side, it looked neat with a high nose and long eyelashes. Her golden hair reflected the light, done up in vertical rolls.

I’m going to repeat it because it’s important: her hair was done up in vertical rolls.

“Oh, you there… ”

I was deeply moved by witnessing a hairstyle I had only seen described in books when the person in question noticed me. Taking in her figure from head-on, she was even more beautiful than I realized. Her most striking aspect is her ruby-red eyes, which give off a powerful look.

However, it may be no surprise that she exuded such an aura. Because this person was…

“I was just passing through. But tell you what, I’ve been thinking about this portrait for a while. It doesn’t look much like me, does it? I’m the face of this school, so it really needs to capture more of my beauty.”

----This is the Chancellor of Sakuranomiya Magic High School, Sakuranomiya Sakurako herself.

She is the eldest daughter of the famous magic family, the Sakuranomiya family. While still in her early thirties, she runs this school while also assisting her siblings with their companies.

It goes without saying, but her magic skills are top-notch, and the magic mock battles system and the partner system that she devised are highly regarded by headmasters and teachers at other schools.

By the way, among the students, meeting her at school is said to be somewhat of a miracle. She hardly ever makes an appearance. I’ve only seen her from a distance at school events, so I never thought I’d encounter her face to face.

“Come on, don’t stand so far away. Come over here and take a look with me.”

“Oh, yes, yes!”

She seemed to have a very strong personality, just like the rumors said.

I hurried over to her side and looked at the portrait hanging on the wall. The artist must have been very skilled since it covered the entire wall and accurately depicted the beauty of the Chancellor next to me from every angle.

“How do you like it?”

“Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it… ”

“Yes, I knew you’d think I should redo it too. It’s going to be seen by the general public at the cultural festival. Let’s ask them to redo it as soon as possible. Thank you, that’s enough.”

I felt my cheeks twitch. This person… they don’t listen to others at all.

“By the way, are you a freshman? What’s your name?”

The Chancellor turned around and suddenly began interrogating me. She really was a free spirit. The moment I faced her, the scent of an adult woman filled my nostrils as I opened my mouth, causing me to feel a little awkward.

“Well, I’m a first year student, and my name is Nobana Mitsuba.”

“… ! Nobana… Mitsuba?”

When I said my name, for some reason the Chancellor’s red eyes widened slightly, as if she were surprised.

“Yes. You’re the one who asked… ”

She brought her face close and stared intently as if inspecting me.

I didn’t think I was ugly, but I knew all too well that I was clearly not an outstanding beauty. Since coming to this school, I had gotten somewhat used to dealing with beautiful men and women like Kitora, Kusaka-sensei and Kokomi, but the Chancellor’s beauty was on a whole different level.

“… I see. You’re quite lovely. Now then, may I ask you one more question, Nobana Mitsuba-san?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Are you glad that you enrolled in this school? Glad from the bottom of your heart?”

I was at a loss for words for a while as she asked me straightforwardly with very serious eyes. My brain slowly spun into gear as I attempted to find my words.

If it had been the me from before… before I was given six months to live, the answer would have been a resounding no before I even gave it a thought. If I had somehow managed to catch myself, I might have been able to force out a lie. Standing in the presence of this Chancellor was nerve-wracking, so I probably would have had time to consider my words and fake a vague smile.

But the me of today is different from then.

I now have friends that I can rely on. The teacher I disliked turned out to be not so bad, after our misunderstandings were cleared up. My classmates, with the exception of a few, are all wonderful people once you get to know them. I’m glad that Porchitaro has grown fond of me for some reason or another. I also got to meet my favorite people, Umetaro, and Shirotama.

The time spent training my magic with Kitora and Kokomi is one of many good memories. I was really moved after coming in fifth place at the magic mock battles. The celebratory party was fun, and our preparations for the cultural festival are fulfilling.

Thanks to all of them, I was able to answer the Chancellor’s question with a smile. “I’m glad that I enrolled in this school. I like it a lot.”

The Chancellor’s bright red lips parted in a smile.

“… As expected.”

I thought to myself, ‘She really cares about the school… ’

“It was nice to talk to you like this. I’m sorry to keep you. Farewell.”

I guess the Chancellor had lost interest in the portrait.

Left stunned for a few seconds by the suddenness of it all, the typhoon-like presence of the woman retreated. I quietly bowed my head towards her diminishing figure.

* * * *

“Onee-sama, you met the Chancellor? That’s great. As expected of my onee-sama!”

“No, I was just walking and ended up meeting her… ”

We chatted at the librarian counter, right by the door of this large library. Until just moments ago, Kokomi had been busy dealing with a steady stream of students and only now did she finally get some free time. The library, a two-story building crammed with bookshelves, was sparsely populated after the rush, so she could talk without hesitation while lowering her voice.

“But I heard that meeting the Chancellor is an event as rare as seeing a tsuchinoko. To meet such a person, and even to talk to her… What amazing luck, onee-sama.”

“Well, even if I did talk to her, I only answered her questions. It really wasn’t a big deal. Oh, but since I’m here, I came to ask Kokomi something.”

I beckoned to Kokomi, and she leaned forward over the counter. Putting my mouth close to her small ear, and in a somewhat hushed voice, I began to explain my business.

“The books in the library are here and upstairs. Just those two places, right?”

“Ha, yes. There are some that are on loan, of course, but you can find that out with the freely available search system. Onee-sama, you were seriously using the search system just now, are you looking for something?”

While Kokomi was busy, I had indeed been attempting to find a book about forbidden magic, my primary objective for coming here.

The first thing I tried was entering keywords into the search system located a short distance away from the counter but this returned nothing. I also looked through all the magic-related shelves in order, but there was no mention of forbidden magic.

I thought that there might be one or two books related to it, but it seems that I was wrong. There was no way that something that had been completely erased from education could be in a place where it could be easily accessed.

I would now have to get permission to go out on weekends and visit a library or bookstores in town. But this had me worried about whether this was something that could be found like this. The internet had a vast amount of information too, but there was too much fishy stuff there as well. Compounded by the fact that I had no idea what I was looking for… I guess I’m an analog person by nature.

As a last-ditch effort, I asked Kokomi, a member of the library committee, but it seemed that this library didn’t have books on such topics.

“Yeah. I’m looking for books or research material that isn’t widely available. But if you don’t have any, it’s okay. I’m sorry for asking such a strange question.”

“No, no! That’s perfectly fine. Is this research important for you, onee-sama?”

“Yes, very important. I can’t go into much detail, and it’s hard to explain why this is so urgent, but… ”

“If it’s hard to explain, is it about that drug again?”

I could have told her about visiting that room due to Pochitaro from the beginning, but it would have taken too long and it wasn’t something I could speak freely about in public, so I panicked and my words got jumbled up.

Suddenly, this petite girl on the other side of the counter bowed her head vigorously, startling me.

“W-What’s wrong with you, Kokomi… ?”

“I’m sorry, onee-sama! Actually, when I said all the books in the library are here and upstairs, there was something I neglected to disclose. This is something that only a few of us on the library committee know about, and we are not allowed to share it with anyone else… ”

This time, Kokomi paid close attention to her surroundings before once again leaning over to whisper something.

“Actually, on the second floor of this library, behind the large picture hanging on the wall, there is a hidden room. It is the Forbidden Library, sealed by magic.”

“The Forbidden Library… !”

I couldn’t help but exclaim, but Kokomi quickly shushed me, so I hurriedly clamped my mouth shut.

I had no idea our school had a hidden room like in a manga. No, I guess it isn’t that strange after encountering that Chancellor. This was definitely something I could picture her installing in the library.

“There are all kinds of books and research material in there. Perhaps what onee-sama is looking for is in there too.”

“But… that’s not an easy place to get into, is it? I’d need to get permission, and I’m sure there’s a whole bunch of other requirements… ”

“Yes. First of all, its existence is kept secret from most students. Only a few teachers, the head librarian, and a select group of trusted members of the library committee know how to get in and out of the restricted section, for cleaning and organizing. Therefore… ”

Kokomi’s words trailed off before she said something truly outrageous in a clear and powerful voice.

“… I know how to do that. I will guide onee-sama into the Forbidden Library.”

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 35. In the Forbidden Library

“Give me a minute, onee-sama.”

“Uh-huh.”

My voice rang out loudly in the quiet, dimly lit library. It was now past closing time, and no one else remained inside.

We stood in front of a huge painting on the wall at the far end of the stairs leading to the second floor of the library. I was filled with excitement while watching the scene unfold before me.

Kokomi was doing me a huge favor. If I was discovered, she would take all of the blame. Three days ago, when I asked Kokomi about forbidden magic, I tried to dissuade her from taking such a risk, but she refused. “I want to be useful to my onee-sama. Don’t worry, you won’t be caught!” were the words she used. She insisted that she needed to help her onee-sama.

After telling me that she needed to make some preparations in advance, we promised to return to the library after school in three days, when she would be on book duty.

I feel bad about putting her at risk, but I’m also very grateful, driven in no small part by my curiosity towards this so-called Forbidden Library. And that is why I am now standing in front of it.

“… Okay. With this, the door should be open.”

“Huh? Is that all you had to do?”

“Yes. Onee-sama, please put your hand on the book the woman is holding.”

I approached the painting, which did not appear unusual, and stretched out my hand as instructed. The space beneath my palm bent languidly before a powerful suction force latched onto my arms, dragging me into the painting.

“What!? What is this? Magic! Oh, it’s magic!”

“This is the entry point. All you have to do is step towards it and you will be taken into the Forbidden Library, which lies on the other side of this painting.”

I wonder how advanced this magic is. I couldn’t hide my excitement at a phenomenon made possible by a combination of advanced magic beyond anything I could understand.

Kokomi remained quite calm, though, bowing before quietly walking away.

“I’ll head downstairs and keep an eye out for anyone, just in case. I pray you find what you’re looking for, onee-sama!”

“Thank you so much, Kokomi. I’ll be back as quickly as possible. And I’ll buy you a drink sometime!”

After saying that, I leaped into the painting.

“This is the Forbidden Library… ”

The space beyond the painting was more modest than I had expected. It was more like someone’s study than a library.

In the center of the small room was a plain, white desk and chair, surrounded by bookshelves that covered all of the walls reaching up to the ceiling. The antique lighting seemed to turn on automatically on detecting someone entering. The pale orange light it emitted was enough to light my surroundings.

Glancing behind me, I saw a picture of a man reading a book on the wall I had come from. Placing my hand on the book in this picture would probably return me to the library.

I quickly scanned the bookshelves filled with books and research material, starting from the side closest to me and working my way up.

A sense of urgency drove me to search for anything relevant. I needed to take notes and leave as quickly as possible, so as to not impose on Kokomi. Before entering the room, Kokomi cautioned me to not take anything out, so I would have to take notes quickly and rely on my memory for anything I couldn’t write down.

There were some books with titles that made no sense, such as ‘The Dark Side of the History of Magic’ and ‘How to Make the Best Pancakes in the World’. Why pancakes, of all things?

Using a stepladder in the corner, I went through several bookshelves before finally coming across a relevant book. It was in such a bad state of disrepair that it looked more like a bound collection of paper than a book. The title was ‘A List of Forbidden Magic Types and Their Uses’.

That’s all that was written on the dull green cover, and I could find no author or publisher. Suspicious, but it was exactly what I needed. Spreading it out on the desk in a hurry, I flipped through the table of contents.

“Forbidden mind magic, forbidden healing magic… ”

The forbidden spells were broadly grouped by vague categories. Within each section were the detailed names of spells. I skimmed over the summary of each magic and skipped over the details pertaining to usage and rituals.

Next to the name of each spell were a number of skulls. As described near the start of the book, these were a rating system, by danger and difficulty to invoke, that spanned a scale of one skull to five.

I flipped through the pages one after another, looking for any spell that might be related to the research material I had seen in that room.

“Ah… ”

I stopped at a page that had nothing to do with what I was looking for. The spell recorded here was, “Forbidden life magic.”

I shook my head in an attempt to stop myself from looking at the back of my hand before reading everything about this spell from start to finish. This was an easy way to waste time I could not afford to.

----It was also a temptation that I could not succumb to. I don’t know why, but I instinctively knew this was something I should not even think about.

I had seen quite a few forbidden spells by this point, but this was the first category where seemingly all of the spells listed were at or near a five skull rating. These were forbidden spells that came with great cost and danger to the user.

In the end, I reigned in my curiosity and skimmed past the entire section, my hands trembling slightly. This was far beyond anything the school taught, and this would likely be my only opportunity to learn anything about it. That’s why… I don’t need to know anything about it.

Concentrating only on finding the magic I needed, I managed to get two-thirds of the way through the book, but I didn’t find anything close to what I needed.

I had no clue what category this magic would fall under, so I ended up making notes on a variety of spells that may hold further clues.

“I don’t know, this just doesn’t feel right to me… ”

It was hard to find any useful information, and I had tired faster than expected, so I put the book down. However, I quickly remembered that I was keeping Kokomi waiting, so I stretched lightly and got back to work.

There was no clock in this room, so I had no idea how much time had passed, but I couldn’t bother her any more than I already had. At any rate, I had to make it through this book alone and return as soon as possible.

With all the concentration I could muster, I turned the last few pages. Partway through, I stopped again.

“Huh?”

It wasn’t because there was something on the page that caught my attention. The page that should have been there, wasn’t. It had been roughly torn off. I lifted the book with both hands to inspect it closer and realized that three or four pages had been torn at once. I hurriedly flipped through the book while paying attention to the spine. There was one more page missing as well.

From the look of it, someone had torn out several pages and taken them. Two sections in total.

“Don’t waste time here… ”

I wrinkled my brow and muttered to myself.

For some reason, the missing pages really caught my attention. My sixth sense was screaming at me with a mysterious certainty that the information I needed was on these pages. However, there’s nothing you can do about what you don’t have.

Once again, I felt like I had come so close, but stopped just short.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment, so I closed the book, but flipped through it once again haphazardly. It dawned on me that I hadn’t even looked at the appendix at the end of the book, so I opened it in a desperate last attempt.

On the last page, I found that there was no proper appendix, however, there were five or six signatures from the authors of the book.

Staring blankly, my eyes widened as I recognized one of the names.

“Sakuranomiya… Umetaro?”

----Umetaro… Umetaro-san?

I stared intently at this name, truly surprised at this shocking finding. The flowing, slightly upturned handwriting definitely belonged to the Umetaro I knew.

But his last name was Sakuramiya, the same as the Chancellor’s.

I realized I never learned Umetaro’s last name, even after talking to him all this time. The teachers and students all called him Umetaro-san, and the nameplate in his dorm supervisor office only had his first name.

But why was he named as an author of this book? Umetaro-san supposedly had no magical aptitude.

“Onee-sama, did you find what you were looking for?”

“Wha!”

I was about to be swallowed up in a whirlpool of thoughts when I suddenly heard Kokomi’s voice from the other side of the painting.

“Oh, I’m sorry for startling you! It’s almost a dangerous time for us to leave.” I hurriedly closed the book and returned it to its original place.

As I replied to Kokomi, I made a decision. Tomorrow after school, the first thing I’ll do is visit Umetaro-san.

“Sakuranomiya… Umetaro.”

I muttered the full name of the person I held dear once more and slipped out of the forbidden library.

I prayed that he had nothing to do with the person who pushed me down those stairs.

----

Chapter brought to you by The Patrons.

TLC: Dima

RW: askinkov90

ED: Purplemen101

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This week's chapters were brought to you by: The Patrons.

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TL Note: Mald Frogs Club tries to capture the intent of the author when translating these chapters. This is not a literal translation and we can not guarantee the accuracy of it. We re-structure sentences to improve the flow and if we spot what appears to be an obvious error, we fix it as we go.

It was a long week but we got through it somehow. I'm grateful for the other members of the team that make these releases possible, and ofcourse you, the Patrons for supporting us!

This marks chapter 35 of ~65. More than halfway to what I hope is a nail-biting, tear-jerking, finale. My money is still on the cat being the murderer.