Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2.
Logaris examined the package in his hands.
It was strange.
There was no magical mark on the package.
The package was very light.
After casting a divination spell to confirm that there was no danger, Logaris simply tore open the wrapping.
Inside the box lay a notebook with a black cover.
There were no words or patterns on the cover. The material felt like some specially treated beast hide, cold to the touch.
Logaris frowned.
His first reaction was that this was another prank from some bored enemy.
The Church’s group of stubborn old fossils?
Unlikely.
If those rockhorn sheep wanted to deal with him, they would never use such roundabout methods. Given their temperament, they would most likely deploy armed forces directly to capture him, the “blasphemer.”
Then was it Sylvia?
Also unlikely.
If that woman wanted to mess with him, she would certainly use a much more direct method—she would simply start insulting him.
Logaris shook his head and opened the notebook.
The first page.
Blank.
The second page.
Still blank.
The third page.
Finally, there were words.
A line of crooked handwriting appeared on the page. The strokes looked unfamiliar, unlike the handwriting of anyone he knew.
[Hello, Professor Logaris.]
Logaris raised an eyebrow.
He continued reading.
[This is a book of prophecy.]
[Within the next seven days, the events recorded in this book will occur exactly as written.]
[You may choose to believe it, or you may choose to doubt it.]
[But no matter what, please stop that “accident” before the seventh day arrives.]
Logaris stopped reading.
His mind began to work rapidly.
A book of prophecy?
Such things did indeed exist in magical theory.
However, true high-level divination magic required an enormous amount of magic power and mental strength. It was practically impossible to fix such magic inside a book and turn it into a magical item.
As a professor of the academy, Logaris also knew a little about divination spells. However, his expertise was rather specialized. He mainly excelled at predicting matters related to objects, while he understood absolutely nothing about predicting the fate of people.
Logaris narrowed his eyes.
“Interesting.”
He continued turning the pages.
The fourth page.
[At 3:20 PM, on the third floor of the academy library, Assistant Alchemy Instructor Allen will accidentally kick over a bottle of “Bursting Potion” after falling asleep, triggering a small explosion.]
Logaris glanced at the magical clock on the wall.
2:53 PM.
Twenty-seven minutes remained.
He stood up, grabbed the notebook, and strode out of the research room.
—
Academy Library, Third Floor.
Logaris stood beside a bookshelf, pretending to flip through a textbook. In reality, all his attention was focused on Allen nearby.
Allen was a typical night owl.
The dark circles under his eyes were so deep that they looked as though they had been painted with ink. He slumped over the table with a lifeless expression, surrounded by alchemical materials and experimental notes.
3:10 PM.
Allen’s eyelids began to droop.
3:12 PM.
His head finally dropped completely, and he began to snore.
3:14 PM.
His legs started moving restlessly beneath the table.
3:20 PM.
Allen’s right leg suddenly twitched and struck a small glass bottle beneath the table leg.
The bottle rolled out, fell to the ground, and shattered. Red liquid splashed across the floor.
In the next second—
Flames burst upward.
Allen woke up in shock and tumbled from his chair, covered in soot.
The gray-haired library director rushed upstairs from below and began shouting furiously while pointing at Allen’s nose.
“Allen! You idiot! How many times has this happened already?! Have you even memorized the 《Alchemical Safety Regulations》?! Copy it one hundred times! No, two hundred times!”
Allen looked as though he was about to cry.
Standing behind the bookshelf, Logaris lowered his head and quietly turned to the next page of the notebook.
[At 4:00 PM, in the main hall of the academy building, the principal will announce a new regulation: students are forbidden from conducting private magical experiments inside their dormitories. The reason is that a student nearly blew up the entire dormitory building last night.]
Logaris checked the time.
3:45 PM.
He turned and quickly walked toward the main building.
—
4:00 PM.
The main hall of the academy building.
The principal stood on the platform with a livid expression.
On the wall behind him hung a burnt oil painting. It was the “memorial” left behind after some unlucky student nearly blew the dormitory into the sky the previous night.
“Students, starting today, the academy will strictly prohibit any student from privately conducting magical experiments inside their dormitories!”
The principal’s voice echoed through the hall.
“From now on, anyone who violates this rule will face severe punishment!”
The students below the stage began whispering among themselves.
Logaris stood at the very back of the crowd and continued flipping through the notebook in his hand.
The second verification was also correct.
Logaris found it increasingly fascinating.
Could this notebook truly predict the future?
Logaris turned to the final page of the notebook.
There was only one line written on it.
[One week later, Sylvia Van Astrelia will die in an “accident” aboard the magitech train while traveling to the Northern Territory.]
Logaris felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity.
“You must be joking.”
Logaris muttered quietly, “How could that woman possibly die so easily?”
—
Meanwhile, inside the Royal Council Hall of the Astrelia Kingdom’s capital, Silverglow City.
A long conference table was surrounded by nobles, and Sylvia sat in the third seat on the left side.
“Your Highness the Princess, you privately approved another one hundred thousand Golden Lion Coins in military funding last month.”
The Minister of Finance opened a ledger, speaking in an unhurried tone.
“This is already the sixth time this year. Do you not think this money could be used more meaningfully elsewhere?”
Sylvia raised her head.
“Elsewhere? For example, building a new estate for your third mistress?”
The Minister of Finance’s face instantly turned red.
“You—”
“Every military expense I approved has a clearly recorded purpose.”
Sylvia interrupted him.
“On the other hand, the spending you approved last month for the ‘festival celebration’—I looked through the documents for a long time and still could not find how those expenditures had even a Copper Sparrow Coin of connection to the National Founding Day.”
The Minister of Finance opened his mouth, then closed it again.
The Minister of War sitting opposite them coughed lightly.
“Her Highness the Princess certainly has enthusiasm for military matters.”
His voice sounded steady, but there was a barb hidden within his words.
“However, does the equipment designed by Professor Logaris truly have practical value in battle? I heard that during the last test, one of the magitech cannons exploded and nearly flattened the entire firing range.”
Soft laughter spread around the table.
Sylvia did not respond immediately. She merely turned her head to look at him.
“You are correct. That cannon did explode.”
She nodded.
“Then Professor Logaris improved the design in three days. Now that cannon has twice the range of traditional artillery and three times the power. Would you like to visit the firing range and test it yourself?”
The Minister of War’s expression stiffened.
“As for practical value—”
Sylvia continued speaking.
“During last month’s bandit suppression operation, my guard unit used those weapons to eliminate a group of fifty bandits. Our side suffered zero casualties. I have already submitted the report to my father.”
The atmosphere around the conference table grew even colder.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs beside the main seat coughed lightly.
“Speaking of the border, the Valeria Empire has been making increasingly frequent moves recently.”
He opened a confidential report.
“They recently reinforced their border with three thousand additional troops and constructed two new military fortresses near the Blackwater River. Should we consider sending a diplomatic delegation for negotiations?”