MDHO 55

Chapter 55

“Right. It makes no sense to transmigrate and not use the original novel to my advantage.”

Unlike other transmigrated heroines, I don’t remember the original story perfectly—so I need that candy’s help.

But first, I have to figure out where the candy even is….

The company commander confiscated it, if I remember correctly.

Then it should be either in his office… or maybe the supply storage?

Honestly, wherever it is, the commander has probably forgotten all about it. Even if I quietly steal it back, he wouldn’t notice.

And since he knows dark magic comes with a price, there’s no way he’d try using that artifact himself….

“First, I’ll ask Sanchez.”

I decided to find Sanchez in order to ask where the artifacts were stored—and to test him about the price of using dark magic.

“Sanchez, you know those artifacts you brought before that got confiscated!”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“One of them was a candy that makes memories clearer, right?”

“Yes.”

It was a sudden topic, but Sanchez listened without question. The loyalty of someone who follows his master—Sanchez wouldn’t report me to the seniors just because I brought up dark magic artifacts.

“So how do you use it? What’s the price?”

“…Are you planning on using it?”

“Yes. There’s something I need it for. And listen—no one can know what I just said. Swear it on your master’s honor.”

“…If that is the case, I will keep the secret.”

As expected of Sanchez. His loyalty to Benny is something else.

“For that candy, you recall the memory you want to make vivid, and melt the candy completely in your mouth. The memory becomes clearer over time.”

“And the cost?”

“You must pay with another memory. Since you are sharpening one memory, you must offer another one as tribute.”

“Another memory? Like… it disappears at random?”

“No. You may choose which memory to give up. However…”

Sanchez’s wolf-like gray eyes locked onto mine.

“It must be a precious memory. Something extremely important—something you would never want taken.”

“A very precious memory…”

I blinked slowly. Talking about ‘dark magic’ like this, so different from the real world I came from, made my head feel slow.

“How does it take the memory? I still don’t really get how dark magic works.”

“The candy itself is infused with dark magic. Once the conditions are met, the spell activates. As you melt the candy while recalling the memory you seek, there will be… a signal. When you feel it, you speak aloud the memory you offer as the price. Then the magic takes effect.”

“And this ‘signal’—what’s that supposed to mean?”

“That is difficult to explain… but once you experience it, you will understand. Dark magic works in such ways.”

I still didn’t fully get it—but like he said, once I use it, I’ll find out.

…And I already knew what my most precious memory was.

Whether I could actually give it up was another matter.

But right now, the important thing was recovering the original story’s memories. It could save Altair, Yuri—and help my future self.

Whether I actually use the candy is something to decide after I get it.

“Sanchez, then do you know where the commander took those artifacts after confiscating them?”

“If I did, I would have stolen them back already.”

“…Wow. XX strong mentality, huh.”

Then think—who would know where the artifacts are?

The company commander.

…Too obvious. Pass.

“Maybe someone in our platoon?”

I’d been avoiding admitting it, but there was someone who might know.

Winter.

He’s the one who found the artifacts in Sanchez’s belongings, he has the commander’s trust, and he comes and goes through the headquarters building all the time. He might know.

But the problem is—I know better than anyone that asking Winter was impossible.

Sure, after I helped bring down Gagne’s power, Winter started cutting me slack.
He’d look the other way when Altair rearranged my duty schedule to nicer hours, and he forgave little mistakes.

Considering how rigid and rule-bound he normally is, that alone was shocking. Anyone could see he treated me like one of “his people.”

But no matter how much he favors me, Winter would never overlook something related to dark magic artifacts.

That’s basically treason against the Empire. He might break small unwritten military rules, but he would never break the laws of the Adolphe Empire.

So I need to think.

I can’t be honest with him. So how do I ask?

“Sarubia-nim, by the way—”

“Hold on, I’m still finishing my thought, I’ll play with you after—”

I shoved aside Caron, who was pestering me for attention as always—and suddenly realized something.

He’s distracting.

Caron is a master at scrambling my brain. He makes me forget what I was worrying about.

Then I can do the same.

“…Let’s scramble Winter’s brain.”

If Ishina heard this, she’d faint—she always lectures me about behaving calmly.
But this was a perfect plan.

“Winter! Winter! Winter!”

“Sarubia. When calling someone, use a lower tone and do it once.”

As usual, Winter started lecturing me, but I was used to it.

“Winter! That dark magic artifact the commander confiscated from Sanchez!”

“Dark magic artifact?”

The moment I said the words I shouldn’t, Winter’s expression went icy.
I felt the temperature drop.

“Y-Yes! That artifact! Is it in the commander’s office?!”

“…Why are you asking that?”

“There’s no time to just sit here!! It’s urgent!! Sanchez is about to break into wherever it is and take it back!!”

“…What? Explain.”

“There’s no time! March starts soon, everyone’s distracted, and I think he’s going to storm in right now! Is it in the commander’s office?!”

“…No. It’s not. More importantly—Sanchez is about to act?”

“What?! Then where is it?! I told Sanchez every possible location except the commander’s office because I thought it’d be there!”

My plan was simple: bombard Winter with so much nonsense that he has no time to think clearly.

“He might search the command room, the administration office—what if he finds the artifact? What then?!”

“…Did you mention the supply storage?”

“…No. I didn’t. …Wait! If we tell Benny, he could stop Sanchez! Sorry for making you worry!”

“…And why are you only realizing that now?”

“I don’t know! I panicked!”

“…This is the sixteenth time I’ve said this—before acting, think for five seconds first.”

Winter kept lecturing me, but this time, I was smiling on the inside.

Because he had reacted.
Which meant—

The artifacts are in the supply storage.

The commander keeping dark magic artifacts in the supply storage was a miracle.

He must have tossed them there randomly because he didn’t care—but that made it the easiest place for us to access.

If they were in the commander’s office, I’d have given up.
But everything was going smoothly.

And the person who would sneak in with me was obvious.

“Caron, you’re ready, right?”

“Yes!”

Always loyal—my dear junior, Caron. Already proven competent from the love-letter incident.

“When we finish this, will you really tell me about egalitarianism and the purpose of the state?”

“Y-Yes…”

Caron, having lost his memory, loves listening to the stories I tell him.

Unfortunately, I can’t talk about the world I came from, and I don’t know much about this world either…

So the only stories I can tell are… that kind of thing.
At least Caron enjoys them. He’s the kind of good kid who listens happily no matter what I say.

“…Does Caron even need his memory back?”

Honestly, he might need the candy more than I do. I wasn’t sure if I should be the one using it.

“Caron.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you need your memories back?”

“…Not really.”

He looked indifferent.
Really? He’s not curious?

“I’m happy as I am now!”

His optimism was almost frightening.

“O-Okay. But really? Why?”

“Because then you’ll pay more attention to me. Also…”

“…Huh.”

He’s actually developing into a little attention-seeker, isn’t he?

“And I don’t want to use a dark magic artifact.”

“Why? Because of the price?”

“I’m… not sure. I just don’t like dark magic itself.”

Caron didn’t know the exact reason, but I could guess.

In the original story, Caron was said to have excellent intuition.
Like animals sensing earthquakes, maybe he instinctively feels the dangerous aura of dark magic and avoids it.

Either way, it was time to begin.

“Keep watch!”

“Yes!”

While Caron kept lookout at the entrance, I searched the storage room thoroughly.

“…Is this it?”

In a dusty, shabby box that looked like it was full of trash, I found strange, suspicious items.

A folding fan, a small straw doll, a pink rabbit plush toy—

Sanchez actually carried these by himself? My god.

And finally—a candy wrapped in paper.

“I found it!”

But the moment I grabbed it—Caron raised his voice loudly from outside.

“Oh? Hello, sir!”