Leon genuinely looked surprised—like he had no idea either. He stared at the date on the label and began rummaging through the archives from a hundred years ago. But nothing from that period remained on the shelves.
The oldest document I could find was from thirty years ago. It was just a registry listing village births and deaths. I flipped through other files too, but it was the same story.
A few records about major village events still existed, but even those only went back twenty years.
Twenty years… anyone who knew Kalz was cursed would’ve passed away by now.
In other words, it was completely useless to me. I let out a long, exasperated sigh. Just picturing Kalz smugly saying “Told you there’d be nothing” made my blood boil even more.
“Sorry, this didn’t help much, did it?”
Leon stood beside me, clearly at a loss—like a puppy nervously watching its owner after knocking something over.
He didn’t need to feel bad, though. It’s not like the missing records were his fault. I forced a small smile and shook my head.
“No, it’s fine. I guess this is everything the village has, right?”
“Hold on—just in case, I’ll ask the butler!”
Before I could respond, Leon zipped out of the room. He moved so fast, it was clear how eager he was to help. A few moments later, he returned, looking dejected, his eyebrows drooping.
“I asked. This really is all we’ve got. Right after my father became lord, he decided the old records weren’t necessary and got rid of them.”
“I see…”
That explained it. For a place with such history, the lack of documentation had felt off. With the library being this small, it made sense they’d cleared things out to save space.
It was a shame, honestly—but it couldn’t be helped. Instead, I turned to something that had been on my mind.
“Hey, what are those books over there?”
“Huh? Which ones?”
I pointed to a small bookshelf tucked beneath the desk—barely visible unless you were looking for it. I’d spotted it while glancing around the study after Leon had stepped out.
Unlike the cold, formal vibe of the rest of the room, that shelf was crammed with colorful books. Leon caught sight of it and gasped.
“Oh…! So that’s where it was. Wow, I can’t believe it—it’s still here.”
“You know it?”
“Yeah. I used to read these when I was really little. I remember throwing a tantrum one day—I hated studying and wanted to read fairy tales like the other kids. I got scolded, but the next day, this shelf appeared in my room. I thought my dad had thrown it out years ago…”
Watching Leon run his fingers fondly across the spines made something twist in my chest. I felt a little envious. So his father was just a gruff softie who doted on his son in secret, huh? The whole scene was so warm I couldn’t help but smile as I scanned the titles.
Conquering the Fear Within, Tales of the Monster in the Woods, The Courage to Walk Alone, How to Become a Great Leader…
“…”
The titles were… intense. They looked like kids’ books, sure, but they gave off a weirdly heavy vibe. Like they were training manuals for future lords. Was this what being a successor was like?
Then one title caught my eye.
An Amazing Collection of Spells and Charms.
Before I knew it, my hand reached out. The cover showed a cute kid stirring a cauldron—definitely made for children. Inside, it was half pictures, half text.
Still, it laid out ingredients and spellcasting steps in surprisingly good detail. I flipped to the table of contents—and there it was: Transformation. My heart jumped. I turned to Leon.
“Hey, can I borrow this?”
“Huh? Which one… oh, that?”
Leon looked at the book in my hands and gave me a strange, unreadable expression.
“Bell… you don’t actually believe the spells in that book work, do you?”
“Of course not. It just looked fun, that’s all. I never got to read stuff like this when I was a kid. Is it okay if I borrow it? Or do I need your father’s permission for that too?”
“Well, it was my book to begin with, so it should be fine. Go ahead and borrow it.”
“Thanks, Leon!”
I beamed and hugged the book close. No, I didn’t actually think a kid’s spellbook would contain legitimate magic. But still—who’s to say it didn’t have something?
This world had already proven that magic was real—Kalz was living, growling proof of that. Whoever wrote this must’ve had at least a little knowledge or interest in spellcraft. Worst case, I’d learn something weird and useless. Best case? It might actually help.
I hadn’t found the witch’s records like I hoped, but this little discovery wasn’t bad at all. Feeling somewhat satisfied, I followed Leon to the marketplace. When he saw the shopping list my senior had handed me, his jaw nearly hit the ground.
“You’re buying all of this? Are you sure you can carry it?”
“I’ll manage. Somehow.”
“It looks ridiculously heavy. Want me to help carry it up to the castle?”
“Hey now, didn’t I specifically tell you to stay away from the castle? Already forgot?”
“I was just worried about you, that’s all…”
Honestly, I couldn’t really blame him. Today was busier than usual—everyone had asked me to run errands. Most of the requests were for grooming supplies, of course. Fur-care was still all the rage.
“Ma’am!”
“Oh my, if it isn’t Leon! What brings you here today? Looking for a gift? Did you finally get yourself a girlfriend?”
“Haha, nothing like that. I’m just helping a friend pick up some things.”
Thanks to all the people who recognized Leon and stopped to chat, it took longer than expected to get to the store—but the upside was we got everything at a much better price.
Totally used Leon for this. No regrets.
A small gift for Marianne was doable with my pay, but this kind of bulk shopping was something else entirely. Looking at all the bags around me, I felt like some wandering peddler hawking mystery tonics.
“You really okay carrying all this by yourself?”
“I said I’m fine. Go on, get going. I’ll see you next time.”
“Alright. Be safe on your way back.”
I waved Leon off at the village gate like I was shooing away a clingy dog. Yeah, the bags were heavy—but when I thought about how happy everyone would be, it felt worth it. At least, until I hit the halfway point up the mountain.
Huff… huff… no way, I can’t go any further!
Even with the cold weather, I was sweating like crazy. I finally dropped to the ground, breathing hard.
This wasn’t something I could just push through with grit. I’d thought, how heavy could a few little bottles be? But clearly, I’d forgotten the golden rule: enough dust will bury you alive.
“Let’s rest… just for a bit.”
While catching my breath, I started rummaging through the bag to see if there was anything I could ditch.
Rustle, rustle.
From the bushes nearby came a familiar sound, and moments later, a black-furred face poked through the leaves.
“Grill!”
“I heard something and came to check. So it was you, Briel.”
Grill glanced down at the scene—me sprawled on the path, surrounded by bags—and raised one eyebrow.
“What on earth are you doing out here?”
“Ahaha… well, I went shopping in town, and I guess I went a little overboard. It got heavier than I expected, so I was taking a quick break. What about you?”
“I was on my way back from reporting to Lord Kalz. But… if you don’t mind, I’d be happy to help.”
“Really? But you’d have to go out of your way. I’d feel bad.”
“It’s no trouble. Patrolling is part of my job, after all. Let’s head up together.”
“Wow, thank you so much!”
It was like being thrown a rope while drowning—completely unexpected and deeply appreciated. I clasped my hands together and beamed at Grill in gratitude.
He was a bear, after all. That had to mean he was strong, right? Maybe he’d even carry my bags and me? Eyes full of shameless hope, I glanced at him—only for Grill to step forward in silence.
“……?”
He crouched slightly and turned his back to me.
Wait—was he asking me to load the bags onto him? Or… did he mean for me to get on? I hesitated, unsure, until Grill glanced over his shoulder.
“Climb on.”
Ah. So that was what he meant. I opened my mouth, ready to say he could just carry the bags—that I could walk just fine.
“Then… excuse me.”
But before I knew it, I was already easing myself onto his back. My body moved on instinct, betraying any pretense of pride. Not because my legs were jelly. And definitely not because I’d always been secretly curious about what it would feel like to ride on a bear’s back.
No, this was just me being polite—unable to turn down a kind offer. That’s all.
And so, Grill ended up carrying both my ridiculous pile of shopping bags and me all the way up the mountain.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Isn’t this too heavy?”
“Not at all. You’re so light, I barely notice.”
…Wait. Was that—was that flirting?
“I was a little concerned, seeing you sprawled on the ground like that. But I guess it wasn’t as bad as it looked.”
Nope. Not flirting. Just a roast, plain and simple.
He was absolutely mocking my weak, bag-crushed body for collapsing halfway up a hill.
Whatever. Let him tease. I was getting a free ride and saving my legs. Totally worth it.
