Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Aleksei might not be able to win against his sister, but everything after that was entirely his stage.
One of the academy’s rooms—a conference room slightly smaller than the office Aleksei usually used—had been assigned for the Capital Guard’s questioning. When they entered, they found not only three guards in uniform but also the headmaster (strictly speaking, the principal) and the vice principal waiting inside.

Judging from their stern faces, it looked like they were about to give a lecture. Something like *“It was dangerous for students to confront a magical beast on their own.”* Well, they had to say that, given their positions—but it really couldn’t be helped, so if possible, I’d rather be spared the scolding. Maybe that’s why her brother had tried to send her back earlier.

Once the three of them—Mikhail, Aleksei, and Ekaterina—sat down on the sofa, Aleksei took the initiative.

“I’ve been waiting for your report.”

The headmaster, who had just opened his mouth to speak, froze.
Understandable. Onii-sama, that’s not something a *student* says. That’s the kind of line a *superior officer* would use, just with extra polite phrasing.

“Ah… a report… you mean?”

“The current state of the investigation. What steps have been taken, what has been discovered, and what remains unknown. There likely hasn’t been much progress yet. I’m not asking for results—but I would like to hear the policy moving forward.”

Yep. Total boss behavior.

“Uh…policy, you say… A-anyway, since this occurred within the academy, we would prefer that you leave the matter to us.”
“I have no intention of taking command. However, His Highness currently resides within the academy. How do you intend to report this incident to His Majesty? If His Highness must ultimately be the one to inform him, then it would be necessary to keep His Highness updated at this stage—and as developments arise. Furthermore, that magical beast appeared during a class attended by my sister, Ekaterina. The House of Jurnova cannot help but take an interest in this matter. Please understand that I am monitoring this investigation not as a student, but as the Duke of Jurnova.”

The Imperial Prince. The Imperial Majesty. The Duke.
The sheer royal and noble pressure was overwhelming.
The headmaster’s face was turning pale… I mean, what do you even say when someone drops *“How will you report this to His Majesty?”* on you? Poor man.

As the headmaster and vice principal hung their heads, Aleksei turned his gaze to the three members of the Capital Guard.

“Forgive me for delaying the main topic. You wished to request information regarding the magical beast’s appearance, I believe?”
“Yes, sir!”

The three of them straightened their backs instantly.
And so, the stage remained entirely Aleksei’s. Still a student, but completely in command. That’s Onii-sama for you.

Then Ekaterina noticed Mikhail sitting across from Aleksei, looking at her with a faint smile.
His expression seemed to say, *“See what I mean?”*
Ekaterina quickly averted her eyes and focused on the guards instead.

What do you mean *“see”*!? What!? You can’t just make eye contact with me like that, you handsome royal!
Was this about how he’d once said that Onii-sama’s lectures hit harder than any scolding from adults? So he’s always been like this, huh. Though even then, little Onii-sama must’ve been adorable. Heh.
Still—Prince, could you *not* get too close to the villainess?
You’re such a good boy that I seriously don’t know how to handle you. Doom flags are terrifying.

.

Three days later, the Capital Guard completed a thorough search of the academy grounds, looking for any hidden magical beasts or traces of rituals—but found nothing of note.

“It turns out that type of magical beast is rare but has been sighted in swamp regions. However, there’s no evidence that anyone transported one from there to the capital. The academy’s internal investigation will continue on a smaller scale, but from here on, they intend to study the summoning techniques said to have existed in the Astra Empire. Jurmagna has reportedly offered full cooperation in that area.”

That was what Aleksei told her after receiving the official report.

The report had been delivered in the academy’s conference room, but now, on his way back to his dorm, Aleksei had called for Ekaterina and Flora. They were talking near the girls’ dormitory, at a gazebo surrounded by blooming azaleas.

By their side stood Mina, Ekaterina’s maid, and Yvan, Aleksei’s valet. Mina could have stayed in the dorm, but she’d insisted, “I must remain by my lady’s side.” The day the magical beast appeared, her usually cool and beautiful face had twisted in rare anger: *“To think I wasn’t by milady’s side when she was in danger…”* Since then, she’d followed Ekaterina like her shadow.

A few guards trailed at a distance as escort, keeping watch over the area and ensuring Aleksei’s safe passage back to his dorm.

Incidentally, this gazebo had briefly appeared in the original otome game. True to form, it was elegantly built, surrounded by azaleas now in full bloom. The sight of the dignified Aleksei seated at a small round table with two lovely girls looked almost like a painting.

“To put it plainly, then, there’s little hope for further progress. But why is Jurmagna involved?”
“Because since its founding, Magna has maintained a research institution focused on the Astra Empire. Their archives are said to be among the richest in the world. They’ve likely poured immense wealth into that pursuit.”
“My goodness…”

So basically… they’re the Tokugawa Mito branch.

I’ve always thought the Three Great Ducal Houses are kind of like the Tokugawa Gosanke—and now it feels like you could even assign which daimyo corresponds to which duke.

.

The Mito Tokugawa family, since the era of that famous man who became the model for the *national drama*, had been endlessly compiling a great historical chronicle called *The Great History of Japan*. It’s just a popular story, but I once read that the money spent on that project was said to be about *one-third of the Mito domain’s GDP*. If you applied that to modern Ibaraki Prefecture, that would be over *one trillion yen*.
And since the Mito Tokugawa family wanted to match the prestige of the other Tokugawa branches, they officially set their domain’s income rating (*kokudaka*) higher than it actually was, which made all sorts of expenses even heavier—in short, they were basically poor. Similarly, the House of Jurmagna seems to be financially strained not only by maintaining their Astra Empire research institute but also by keeping their founding-era Grand Knight Order active even today. The spirit of martial encouragement and the nostalgic “let’s return to the age of Astra” attitude—it all feels very *Mito-domain-like* to me.
Just my personal impression, of course.

It seems that Pavel, the founder of Jurmagna, was a man of arms who also aspired to excel in scholarship—the type of person who’d say *a noble ideal that one must master both the pen and the sword!*
Research on the Astra Empire is considered one of the most prestigious scholarly pursuits, and it’s said to be the pride of the Magna family itself. Still… it kind of gives off *“you’re pushing yourself too hard”* vibes.

And if Jursein, the one with the port, corresponds to the *Owari Tokugawa*, then Jurnova, rich in forest resources, would be the *Kii Tokugawa*
This has been an utterly pointless piece of self-satisfaction for a history buff.

“I’m uneasy that we still don’t know the cause of the magical beast’s appearance, but Lady Flora has awakened to her own magic now. I’m sure nothing like that will ever happen again.”
“Yes, indeed.”

Receiving the sibling’s gaze, Flora blushed.

“If I can be of help in any way, then I’m happy.”
“There’s no need to feel pressured. Just the existence of someone with the ‘Holy’ magic attribute in the Empire is said to suppress the activity of magical beasts. It’s a blessing for all citizens of the Empire, but that doesn’t mean you bear any responsibility. You should simply live as you always have.”

That’s right, Flora’s magic attribute had finally been revealed.
Her attribute is Holy.
A super-rare attribute that appears perhaps once in a generation.
I knew this from the otome game, but actually seeing it happen is really moving!

This wasn’t explained in the game, but apparently, those who possessed the Holy attribute were revered even back in the Astra Empire.
Because it often manifested in women, they were sometimes called Holy Maiden and served as priestesses who could calm even the most powerful magical beasts—creatures on the level of the Black Dragon.
So now, she shouldn’t have to go through anything that terrifying again!
And if Flora-chan and the prince could just get together, the doom flag countermeasures would be perfect!

…At least, that’s what I believe…
Though, come to think of it, in my previous life I only ever played the Imperial Prince route.
Since I’ve been making little deviations from the game’s events, maybe I’ve already branched into a completely different route…
Can’t help but wonder a little…

“Thank you, Lady Ekaterina. However, since there’s no one else with Holy magic right now, I’ve been told I’ll have to rely on old texts and figure out control methods on my own. —Still, Holy magic is well-documented because of its fame, so it’s not as bad as it could be. For truly rare attributes with almost no records, people have had to invent their own control methods—or never even realize their attribute was unique. So I’ll do my best to study the documents and find ways to control it myself.”
“Lady Flora, how admirable. Those with rare magic must indeed endure such hardships.”

As expected of serious, diligent Flora-chan.
Even in the academy’s training grounds, the facilities are naturally best suited for the more common attributes. If your type appears only once in a generation, it’s no wonder even the instructors might not know how to teach you.

“There may be records concerning the Holy attribute in the Jurnova family archives. I’ve heard that in the past, someone with that power once stayed in our domain to help subdue magical beasts. I’ll have someone look into it.”
“Thank you very much. Someday… I hope I can be of service to the Jurnova family.”
“That would be most welcome.”

In the Jurnova territory, where magical beast damage is severe, someone with Holy magic—capable of subduing or purifying such creatures—would be invaluable. A perfect *win–win* situation.

“Speaking of which, Ekaterina, the tutor who taught you about dealing with magical beasts—I showed that letter of his to the captain of the knight order. He seems interested. They might hire him as a strategist for anti-magical beast measures in the Jurnova Knights.”
“Oh my!”

Professor Mardov, going from a private tutor (non-regular employment) to a knight order officer (full-time position)?
That’s wonderful news!

“Professor Mardov is a capable man. I hear he has a young daughter, so I’m sure his family will be happy if he gets a stable position. Please, Onii-sama, do put in a good word for him.”
“If you say so, I will. How kind of you to think about your tutor’s family as well.”

Aleksei smiled beside her, while Flora smiled too.

No, really—caring about the well-being of someone you know is just normal. In my previous life, there was even a saying: *‘Even brushing sleeves creates a bond.’*
Maybe it’s a little different in a class-based society, though.

Wait—no. What am I even saying now?
It’s just that my brother’s evaluation of his sister is way too generous, that’s all. Yeah.