Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The long summer vacation has finally come to an end, and tomorrow Ekaterina and Aleksei will return to their dormitory at the Magic Academy.
Although Mina and the others had already packed and sent their luggage ahead, Ekaterina still had her own preparations to make. After a hectic day, she had finally settled into bed.

It was too dark to see clearly, but the canopy of her bed was painted with images of the gods of the celestial realm. When her memories of her past life resurfaced, the first thing she saw upon waking was that painting on the canopy. She fondly remembered mistaking it for heaven.

It’s been only a few days since she returned to the ducal mansion in the imperial capital, and while it’s a shame she must leave already, she’s looking forward to returning to the academy. She can’t wait to reunite with her friends, like Marina and Olga.
Or so I think.
Returning to the academy means returning to the otome game. During summer break, I was free from the game’s storyline and didn’t have to worry too much about the doom flag. But once the second semester begins, there will be all sorts of in-game events—like the school festival and the dance. I’ll likely spend my days on edge, trying not to trigger any doom flags during those events.

…Or so to think. I really do, but.
Still… After spending several months in this world and living out my days in the estate, there’s something I can’t help but wonder.

In the game, the villainous Ekaterina is condemned alongside her older brother, suffering the misfortune of having her title stripped, her family line extinguished, and her assets confiscated.
Could something like that really happen to me and Onii-sama…?

In the Jurnova domain, the Novadine and their cahoots have indeed been stripped of their titles and had their assets confiscated.
But you know…
And this isn’t me being conceited. The Ducal House of Jurnova is in a league of our own compared to other nobles.

You see, this is something I realized when the prince came to visit the Jurnova domain. It’s incredibly inauspicious—so ominous, in fact, that no one would ever dare speak of it.

But if something were to happen to the Prince and they need someone else were to inherit the throne—
I think there’s a very high chance Onii-sama would become the heir to the throne.

The three great ducal houses are of a standing that allows them to produce an emperor should the current emperor have no heir.
Each of those three families has a son of suitable age to succeed His Majesty.

I hear the Jursein family has two sons. The older one is around twenty-five, and I don’t know the exact age of the younger one, but he must be in his twenties as well.
Since it’s the Empress’ family of origin, it would be a natural fit for him to be adopted by Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress and inherit the throne. Even if one of the brothers were adopted into the imperial family, the other could still inherit the dukedom.
However, since Duke Dmitry’s wife is a princess who came from beyond the Summit of Gods, there is the issue of how to handle relations with her homeland.
And frankly, what seems to be the bigger problem is that their sons apparently have somewhat exotic features. That’s exactly why I’ve heard rumors from my classmates at school that they’re incredibly handsome.
In the 400-year history of the Jurgrahn Empire, there has never been an emperor with foreign features. Realistically speaking, it’s unclear whether he would be able to gain the support of the people…
Even in a certain “land of freedom” from my past life, the country’s leaders didn’t become racially diverse until the 21st century, did they… Well, it’s a bit of a sensitive issue, so I’ll leave it at that.

And then there’s the scion of the Jurmagna, Vladimir.
He possesses such a brilliant mind that he was called a child prodigy from a young age. Even now, he’s apparently never failed to come in first on the academy’s regular exams. In fact, he’s even published a paper as a researcher at Magna’s Astra Research Institute.
Since he is Magna’s only legitimate son, if he becomes His Majesty’s successor, the question of who will inherit the dukedom arises. But that can be resolved by having his younger sister, Lady Elizavetta, inherit it, or by having her husband inherit it.
More importantly, his biggest drawback is that he has been frail since suffering a serious illness in the past. I’ve heard rumors that he’s exempt from all martial arts training at the academy and that he’s bedridden for several days each month. That raises a big question mark as to whether he can handle the immense responsibility of being emperor.

Onii-sama of the Jurnova House, on the other hand, is physically robust and has a sharp mind.
Since he has already inherited the title of duke, he would need to cede it to someone else (the most likely candidate being me…) in order to become emperor, but just like with Vladimir, that isn’t a major issue.
Onii-sama’s major advantage is that an imperial princess—the damn old hag—married into our family, meaning the imperial blood runs thicker in us, more than Jursein and Jurmagna. I’m sure both the Magna and Sein Houses have also received imperial princesses as brides, but that was many generations ago.

I’ve never asked if the line of succession after the Prince is properly established. There’s just an unspoken atmosphere where you can’t ask such an ominous question.
It might even be that Onii-sama’s place in the line of succession is the second!

Stripping a title from someone like that—is that even possible?!
Confiscating their property and reducing them to commoners—is that even possible?!

I hear Pu Yi, the last emperor of China’s Qing Dynasty, lived out his final years as an ordinary citizen. But the historical context is different. That’s just too far-fetched!

So… regarding what I heard from the God of Death in the Jurnova territory about the Creator God, it’s become highly likely that this world is based on the original source material for the otome game I played in my past life, rather than being the otome game world itself. I mean, the idea of being reborn inside a programmed game just doesn’t make sense.

If that’s the case, then the condemnation and destruction that befell the villainous young lady in the game were likely added by the game creator in my past life, and nothing like that will happen to me or Onii-sama. There’s no way a “doom flag” would be raised—there’s no need to be afraid of something like that.
I should think that way.
…But. But still!

I’ve actually thought about this before, rambling to myself, ‘will the events from the game actually happen?’
Before the magical beast actually appeared at the magic academy, that is!
So yes, it appeared. Moreso, it looked exactly like the one in the game. In a place where, by this world’s standards, monsters shouldn’t have appeared.

No way! I can’t just tell myself, ‘it’s not going to happen’ and take my safety for granted!

.

Then, assuming it is possible, I’ll rethink that condemnation. I’ll consider what exactly would have to happen for my brother and I to receive such a punishment.