Section 7: Letter from Chaldea

I'm sorry to interrupt your break, everyone!

But we have an emergency!

Fo!?

Wh-wh-what happened!? Yeowch! I spilled my tea!

Several Cursed Books have destroyed the library's shutters from the outside! It looks like they broke right through the shutters' magecraft resistance!

They're somewhere inside the underground library as we speak... And that's not all!

I'm also getting emergency calls from Blackbeard and the Valkyries!

Yeah, we found one of those monster books! We tried to punch its lights out, but it gave us the slip!

It appears to have run off towards the back of the library. To be blunt, it got away from us.

I WISH it was just one or two books! I can't even count how many I saw!

The original must have continued to make more while we were inside the library... This is terrible...

Well, actually...

I found a single Cursed Book in the hall right before I finished my scan of the whole library.

I was just about to tell you about it when the shutters were destroyed...

You think that's the original?

It's very possible. I'm looking at the readings for all the Cursed Books that broke into the library...

...and they're all headed straight for the one that was hiding in the hall!

Fooou!

I-is this... Are we getting to the final battle? Sh-should I even be here!?

Of course you're going to help us fight. Now come on! I'll show what it means to bring a story to a satisfying conclusion!

Yes, that's right!

？！

Please be careful, everyone!

Here! The hall is right up this way!

J-just a second! The Cursed Book Signal is showing some strange activity...!

Lady Mash?

All the individual Cursed Book Signals seem to have coalesced into a single book...

I can tell they've all met up in the hall...but now they're headed to the space behind it!

It looks like this is

...The archive?

Let me pull up a map; it'll be faster. Yup. There's some kind of archive right behind the hall.

So this is where these books are now?

This reminds me of something. It feels like...I'm looking at a beehive, or an ant colony!

These books are perfectly positioned to build a nest around their queen!

Now I see. So this queen book roamed the base creating offspring of a sort, and now they're all coming back to the nest. Well that's easy to grasp.

A homing instinct, huh. That's definitely a possibility.

？！

At any rate...this is also our best chance to take these things down for good. Master!

Too late! We're under attack right now!

Huh? What's going on?

A battle! Master's already spotted them! Now get ready to fight, quickly!

？！

I'm seeing more magical energy...no, Cursed Book Signals! A small group from the archive is headed your way!

Kyaah!

Then I shall meet them on the field of battle! It's time to clean up this mess I made once and for all!

...It's quiet. Too quiet.

Even after all those Cursed Books flooded the halls earlier, I don't see so much as a page now. Looks like their leader knows when to reign in the troops.

Where's the entrance to this archive?

Right over here. I usually keep it hidden with one of my spells...

Fou!?

Wow! To think there was a secret passageway behind those shelves! It's like a mage's workshop, or a masked vigilante's secret base...

It's nothing special, really. Just an ordinary archive. All I do is try to keep it from drawing attention.

... ...

...Thank you all so much for everything. You've been a tremendous help to me.

Now that my mess is almost cleaned up, I'll be doing this last part

？！

What he said. It's not like he's got anything better to do, after all. Nor is he the type to give up and go home after coming this far.

So you may as well give up and let him keep helping you.

What? You still feel sorry for getting us wrapped up in all this? Well too bad.

You're a Chaldean Heroic Spirit now, so you'd better get used to others getting in your business, whether you like it or not.

Besides, it's not like this is a Holy Grail War where lives are on the line. There's nothing wrong with a Servant leaning on their Master.

...All right.

I won't resist your efforts to help me any longer.

I would be glad to have you all accompany me to the very end...Master.

？！

Okay!

Fooou!

I'm picking up a large magical energy signal...! This is definitely the biggest Cursed Book we've seen to date!

Everyone, please be careful!

What an enormous Japanese-style bound book... It's as though it were the king of all books, or a dragon in book form.

Wow, it's dekahuge! Super dekahuge! I-I mean Mecha Eli-chan is bigger...!

...but it's still really, really dekahuge! Are you sure we can fight it at human scale!?

Great! So now we're up against a Great Cursed Book that feeds on human feelings! Can WE really bring it down? We don't exactly have any heavy hitters here!

That's it. I'm certain this is the original Cursed Book!

？！

Fou fou! Kyaaau!

Very well then! Let's bring this last Cursed Book to heel right now!

Now's your chance! Take it down!

Okay!

Bound as I am...

...these mourning robes are dyed but a shallow shade of gray...

...Yet there are depths where the tears have made pools on my sleeves....

...Releasing Noble Phantasm, Tale of Genji, Aoi, Evil Spirit.

Cursed Book...the last, and first, of your kind... Return to me now.

The Cursed Book has been recovered! Checking its magical energy now, and...Oh!

This is great! All of the chocolate resources have been restored!

Indeed, I can confirm as much myself. Everything the Cursed Book took has been returned.

Despite that woman's wailings about making a mess, I see no reason to be dissatisfied with these results.

Well, well. That's quite merciful for an empress so notorious for being harsh. I'd even call it sweet. Whoa.

...If you so much as mention the word "chocolate," little scribe, I will have your head off where you stand.

Who, me? Don't worry. I'd never be so foolish as to say that the stronger and scarier a woman is, the more susceptible she is to sweets.

Fou fou, fooou!

Phew, I'm exhausted. You must be too, Murasaki-senpai! Congratulations on a job well done!

And to you. I can't tell you all how grateful I am for your help.

？！

...Oh, yes. I did indeed. The letter is firmly back in my possession.

Thank you, Lord Fujimaru!

It would seem all is well now. That silly Da Vinci even said...

"Go ahead and make as many magical energy-replenishing chocolates as you like, just like last year! No point in leaving any spare resources behind!"

Well, I suppose even they could use a break now and then.

I'm so glad things turned out okay. Really.

There doesn't seem to have been any real damage, so I'd say this was mild as far as Valentine's Day happenings go.

Do not get smart with me.

By the way, Assassin, you wouldn't happen to know where the Holy Grails

No.

...The Holy Grails

Do not make me repeat myself.

If you are so eager to have something, then try looking for it yourself, like what's-her-name did with the letter.

Hahaha, you've got me there.

... ...

...There you are.

...

You must have been dreadfully worried when I lost that precious letter...

I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had so much help finding it.

I am so deeply sorry for the trouble I caused you.

Please, don't be...

I was there the whole time, seeing how hard you searched for it...

Then, please...allow me to return the letter you left in my care.

I kept it in my bag after making my final corrections.

At last...I can finally return it to you.

...Thank you.

I'd never written a letter before...but you showed me everything I needed to know.

You taught me how to put my thoughts and feelings into words.

If it hadn't been for you...I don't think I'd have ever finished it.

So, thank you. Believe me, what happened afterwards was no trouble at all.

That's very kind of you... But no. I will not forget how my carelessness led to this mishap.

And I promise I will take the utmost care never to let anything like it happen again.

So I hope I will continue to see you here at the library, as well as in my writing class.

Of course! I'd love to join you again.

...Valentine's Day is coming up soon.

I'm told we celebrate it by giving form and voice to the feelings we harbor every day.

It needn't necessarily take the form of chocolate. Whatever feelings you may have, you may write down in a letter...

...be they gratitude, or affection, or anything else you may find yourself thinking of between missions...

...I hope that letter successfully makes its way to its intended recipient.

G-good morning, Senpai.

I, uh... I have something for you...