My Dream is to Get My Own House - Chapter 81

Episode 81

Duke Saboia rushed into Alfred’s room, followed by Mung Mungi and Claude. As Mung Mungi glanced around the room, his greedy eyes shone with excitement.

“This is where the deity’s power is stored!”

While Mung Mungi was excitedly running around, Duke Saboia searched through various items in Alfred’s room, handling them roughly and causing them to make clunking sounds as they broke.

Claude, who couldn’t stand it anymore, tried to stop Duke Saboia.

“For now, please calm down. We need to search calmly…”

“I can’t calm down.”

On the contrary, Claude was surprisingly calm, and Duke Saboia seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes half vacant. 

Just as the items containing the deity’s power were haphazardly scattered on the floor, Duke Saboia’s gaze fell to the ground. 

He lowered his head and chanted softly.

The sparkling marble floor began to shimmer. 

In an instant, Duke Saboia’s expression turned cold. 

A small box floated up through the light.

“Wow!”

Mung Mungi almost drooled but quickly wiped his mouth.

“It’s amazing!”

He then transformed into a puppy and bounded around happily.

“Stop! Stop!”

Normally, Duke Saboia would have warned Mung Mungi to be careful, saying, “My lord, you should be cautious.” 

But he couldn’t do that now. 

It would have been natural for Claude to care for Mung Mungi at this moment, but…

“Is it there? The key to finding Diana?”

Even he was half out of his mind. But, as expected, obstacles arose just as naturally.

The <Code Book>, which looked like a secret diary, had a lock on the first page, making it impossible to open the book.

Then, Duke Saboia’s eyes suddenly seemed to grasp something. 

He raised the lock and chanted briefly. 

In an instant, a natural wave of light struck the lock. 

Alfred Saboia seemed to have allowed only his own bloodline to open the Code Book. 

Naturally, Duke Saboia’s power was compatible with the magic contained in the book. 

As he infused mana into it, the lock split open.

“Stop!”

As the secret was about to be revealed, Mung Mungi’s jelly front paws were sweating nervously. 

But even if the <Code Book> was opened, finding the content of the magic ritual was another matter altogether.

“Alfred… Lord Alfred…”

Alfred Saboia, who erected the mausoleum, was undoubtedly a genius in magic rituals. 

The only legacy he left behind related to the magic rituals was the <Code Book>. 

Although much of its contents were lost, they must have been in his memory. 

Duke Saboia’s hands trembled as he checked the <Code Book>.

[Duke…]

Duke Saboia didn’t respond. He kept staring at the <Code Book> without blinking.

“I can’t see anything.”

Except for the <Table of Contents>, all the pages were blank.

“Maybe he just wrote down the table of contents and discarded it.”

There was nothing written, so what could they do? 

Even with the power of the Archmage or Duke Saboia’s bloodline, this was an insurmountable challenge.

Duke Saboia tightly closed his eyes with a sense of disillusionment. 

At that very moment, Claude whispered quietly, “[As expected, there is no such thing as death for people.]”

“What do you mean?”

Claude pointed to the very first page. 

“[…It’s here.]”

Showing the first page of the <Code Book>, Claude whispered, “It’s the Table of Contents.”

“The Table of Contents?”

Claude calmly continued, “[The <Table of Contents> is a list summarizing the entire theme of the book.]”

“So?”

“<The Nursery Student Management List> is also a list summarizing the single theme of ‘Nursery Students.'”

“Both use a similar format for their rituals.”

“Yes. The Table of Contents and the Nursery Student List are both ways of listing something.”

Duke Saboia stared at the Table of Contents. 

The ritual in the <Code Book>.

<ul>

      <li>A</li>

      <li>B</li>

      <li>C</li>

   </ul>

The ritual for the Nursery Student List.

<???>

      <???>P</???>

      <???>D</???>

      <???>X</???>

   </???>

As Claude had said, the two looked like they had the same format. 

They faithfully transcribed the ritual from the <Code Book> onto the list. 

And finally, a magnificent light gathered over the ritual. 

An illusion-like image appeared through the cluster of white light. 

It was a success.

* * *

Inside a very tiny orphanage, two little girls were busily digging in the dirt and chatting.

“Hello? I’m Dana!”

“Huh? Dana?”

“Yup! I’m Dana!”

“Nice to meet you! Where are you from?”

“Um, I don’t remember much! I’m not sure! My name is Dana; that’s all I know!”

“I see. Let’s get along anyway!”

The little girls exchanged light-hearted greetings with smiles on their faces. 

However, Duke Saboia and Claude couldn’t say a word. 

They couldn’t take their eyes off the face of the little girl who called herself ‘Dana.’ 

Even though she didn’t know she was Diana now… 

They could tell just by looking at her features. 

That Dana was indeed Diana. 

They stared quietly at Dana.

A faint light flowed from the list. 

Suddenly, the story behind little Dana, or rather, the nursery student Diana, began.

* * *

“Dana, why does your face keep changing?”

“Well, I think that’s how it’s always been with me!”

“Your eyes change from sharp to almond-shaped!”

“Whoop! My face is a little strange!”

Dana smiled innocently as if it didn’t matter.

“But it’s only with you!”

“…Right. I’m the only one who looks at your face closely.”

“Yeah, so it’s really okay!”

“Since the headmaster doesn’t know our faces anyway, it’s fine.”

“That’s right, the headmaster doesn’t know our faces.”

Dana and the other child laughed while prancing around. 

The adventurous tale of ‘Dana’ continued. 

Amidst it all, Dana’s face kept changing incessantly.

The eyes that were once fox-like and sharply torn became round.

The violet eyes transformed into a lighter shade of green.

Even the golden hair gradually changed to a different color.

It looked as though some kind of magic had been cast.

But apart from one of Dana’s friends, no one else knew the truth.

Not even the staff at the orphanage who filmed the video.

The orphanage director had no interest in Dana’s daily life.

The video is briefly cut off.

Suddenly, Dana, with her round green eyes and slightly radiant golden hair, appeared.

As she diligently cleaned the orphanage with her small body, Dana accidentally tipped over a bucket of water and fell.

“Ah, h-heuk.”

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“…I’m sorry. Headmaster!”

“Sorry? Just sorry?”

The little girl, Dana, who used to be always cheerful, gradually lost her energy as she grew.

“I’m really tired…”

Her cheerful and lovely expression disappeared a long time ago.

Seeing the exhausted ‘Dana,’ Mung Mungi made a sympathetic sound, “Mmm.”

However, nobody paid any attention to Mung Mungi.

Everyone was focused on the illusion of ‘Dana,’ even Mung Mungi, who had made the sound.

The video continued, and finally, the day came when Dana was adopted.

“Dana, today is the day you find a new family.”

The orphanage director smiled, revealing rare yellowed teeth.

Feeling instinctively repulsed, Dana shrank her body and asked, “Why did you call me?”

“You have something to eat. Come on, ah.”

“What-“

With a sinister smile, the orphanage director forced a small potion into Dana’s mouth.

“No, I don’t want it!”

Dana struggled fiercely to avoid taking the potion.

But her rebellion was of no use against the adult man.

The sticky potion flowed down Dana’s esophagus.

“Somebody wishes for you to lose all your memories until now.”

Dana finally regained her senses after coughing violently.

“…What is this? Who on earth wants this?”

The orphanage director did not respond to her question.

At that moment, the door of the orphanage opened, and Elon Lorelei entered.

“Oh, so you are Dana.”

“What…?”

Dana strained to open her blurred pupils and glared at the man.

“I suppose I should treat you better as my real daughter.”

“What do you mean…?”

“It’s just a cliché.”

With her mind becoming fuzzy, Dana struggled with all her might.

Elon Lorelei grinned maliciously.

“I want you to be loyal to our family for your entire life.”

To make her believe, expect, trust, and adore as if he were her real father.

“So, I will erase all your memories.”

“…You bastard.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be your father.”

It was when Claude, who had been glaring at Elon, finally exhaled angrily.

Finally, all the illusions disappeared.

And one ritual written in the list glowed brightly.

      <li>D……</li>