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Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Deceased…? Did they recover the body?”
“No, technically it’s just a provisional death designation, really. With the help of the Ascles Church, we initiated an investigation, but her mansion was completely deserted.”

After a brief pause to reset, a few minutes passed as we waited in a different room. The guild staff, having washed up and regained some color in her face, returned with freshly printed documents in hand.

“And when we tracked the traces, they led us to the wall by the sea—where they completely disappeared.”
“…The same fate as Syntu, huh? Though, without the Saint’s prayers, her end might be even crueler.”
“B-But… there’s still a chance she’s alive, right?”
“They say crossing that wall is an automatic death sentence, Momo. You’d better be careful not to jump over it yourself.”
“What’s out there, in that sea…?”
“Ask one of the guild staff later. Apparently, it’s common knowledge in this town.”

I casually brushed off Momo’s trembling as I looked over the documents in my hand. Thanks to some kind of magical tool, the handwriting was perfectly uniform, and the detailed drawings appeared almost like exact transfers, making the report very easy to read.

At a glance, the report contained much the same information as what the guild staff had already told us. As expected, the traces led to the wall, where they disappeared.

“…Just to confirm, there’s no possibility that she faked her traces and made an escape?”
“Of course, we considered that possibility and have surrounded the city gates with barricades. Honestly, if she’s hiding, her… rather, uh, generous figure won’t hold out for long.”
“That’s a rather delicate way of putting it. Well, as long as you’re keeping up the vigilance, that’s fine.”

Though I’d only met her briefly in the guild once, her large figure left a lasting impression. It wouldn’t be easy for someone like her to sneak out of the city unnoticed. If there’s no report of her being found, it might be safe to assume she and her sons have already become part of the ocean.

“And what about Stell?”
“No need to worry. I can cure her Magic Crystallization Syndrome anytime. Right now, she’s exhausted and resting peacefully.”
“Phew, thank goodness! Oh, and speaking of Stell, the assassins who targeted her… they’ve been handed over to the guards, and it seems they’re singing like birds now.”
“That’s to be expected. With their employer dead, they have no loyalty left. Make sure the guards squeeze every bit out of them for the trouble they caused.”
“I also heard that Momo saved the day, didn’t she?”
“Hehehe, it wasn’t really a big deal…”
“You just pointed the finger.”

By ‘finger,’ I meant a simple type of curse known as The Finger of Death. More accurately, it’s the most basic form of curse magic—nothing more than pointing at a target to vaguely determine their location.

Its precision, duration, and range vary significantly from person to person, so its usefulness is limited. If you manage to figure out even the general direction of the target for a few minutes, you’re lucky.

Despite the overly grand name, The Finger of Death was still a simple spell, easy enough for anyone to use. It was often the first spell parents taught their children with the lesson, “Don’t point at people.”

Incidentally, I was absolutely terrible at using this magic. In fact, I couldn’t use magic at all. But since I was a magecraft user, it didn’t bother me—not one bit.

“I’ll admit, you used the spell I taught you at that moment, but speaking as a wizard…”
“Let’s leave it at that… Oh right, I have a few more questions I’d like to ask the both of you.”
“Sure, but could you ask Momo instead? I’ve got a small errand to run.”
“Huh? Where are you going, Master?”
“Nowhere far. I’ll be back soon. Or are you worried without me?”
“Well, it’s not that, but… Are you hiding something from me again?”
“Haha, what are you talking about?”

✦✧✦✧✦

“…She’s got sharp instincts, as always.”

I left the guild and arrived at the client’s mansion. As always, its sheer size was overwhelming.

Come to think of it, both Syntu and Cozmiki had their own private mansions. Were all of the wives given separate houses? I couldn’t help but wonder if Aldebaran had enough land for this.

“Ah, welcome, Instructor. The Madam is waiting in her usual room.”
“Thank you. …Did she say I was coming?”
“Yes, wasn’t your visit planned?”
“Honestly, this is the second time now.”

It felt as if I was being played, and it didn’t sit well with me. But since she was predicting my movements so accurately, there wasn’t much I could complain about.

I passed through the gate easily, recognized by the guard, and walked through the heavy doors. Inside, I saw a few servants scattered about, though their numbers seemed fewer than yesterday.

Perhaps it was due to this that the mansion, already far too large for just a mother and her child, felt even more hollow and eerily quiet.

“…This way, please”
“Hey, seems I’ve kept you waiting.”

After knocking a few times on the door I had always been led to, the voice on the other side responded with a tone devoid of emotion. It seemed she had already figured out who her visitor was.

Undeterred, I opened the door. Inside, there were no servants—just Stell’s mother, waiting alone. The fiery passion I had seen when we first met at the guild had vanished. Now, her face bore an expression as unreadable as a mask.

“…From the look on your face, I assume you’ve already heard. Syntu and Cozmiki are dead.”
“Yes, the rumors have reached me already. I am deeply grateful to you, Instructor. I’ll ensure you are well-compensated for your efforts.”
“I only did it because it was part of the request. No need for thanks, and I didn’t come here to collect money.”
“……”
“There’s something I want to ask. This entire situation has been shrouded in mysteries from the start.”

Her expression didn’t change—not even a twitch of her brow—but the atmosphere in the room shifted noticeably.

There was something unsettling about Syntu and Cozmiki’s end. Even if they were trying to escape, anyone who lived in this city would know how terrifying the “sea” was. So why did they, almost as if drawn in, head toward that wall?

“Madam, Syntu and Cozmiki’s self-destruction—it was your doing, wasn’t it?”

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