Chapter 6-1:
The Seven Luminaries
“I MAY BE NOMINATED TO BECOME A PART OF THE Seven Luminaries,” Alice said.
It had been some time since my engagement with the crown prince had been called off in secret. The Seven Luminaries were an order comprising the top seven mages within the kingdom. Mana, abilities, accomplishments, and other factors were taken into account for one to become eligible for the title of Luminary. It was very unusual for someone as young as Alice to be considered.
Alice had been at the top of the sorcery class ever since she entered the academy, and during her time there, she had created numerous new spells. She could absorb knowledge from books as easily as she breathed, and combined with her capabilities, it wasn’t a stretch for her to become a part of the Seven Luminaries.
However, something just didn’t feel right.
“Was there an open seat in the Seven Luminaries?” I asked. “If memory serves, I thought all seven of them were still alive and well. Did someone retire?”
One could only join the coveted ranks if a member had stepped down. When one of the Seven Luminaries retired or passed away, there would be an open spot for someone to claim. If there was no vacancy, one couldn’t join them, no matter how skilled they were.
“No one retired,” Alice replied. “There has actually been an open seat among the Seven Luminaries for a long while now, and they finally decided to select candidates. I was simply nominated as a potential contender.”
This wasn’t news to me. In my previous life, there had been a meeting to select candidates…
Wasn’t there? Wait, was there a meeting held? I asked myself. Who was chosen as a candidate in my previous timeline? I couldn’t recall, but in my head, that person ultimately became a part of the Seven Luminaries.
“Alice, could you tell me the names of the other candidates?” I asked.
“Of course,” Alice replied. “There are four candidates other than me. First is Arcanas, who achieved a feat of valor in the border conflict five years ago. There is also Elianna, renowned for her research in dark magic. Next is Layla, who made it to the final rounds of candidates in the previous selection of the Seven Luminaries. Finally, there’s Sephiroth, who has helped invent many new spells.”
None of those names rang a bell, but someone must have joined the Seven Luminaries in my previous timeline as well. And I knew exactly who that mage was—for some inexplicable reason, I was very confident that I did.
Since that person became a part of the Seven Luminaries, they must have been capable of using very powerful magic. Yes… For example, they could grant me a second chance at life.
It always struck me as odd—I’d been supposed to die. Why was I able to redo my life? When I was initially born again, I thought it was the will of God. I was tragically forced into my untimely death, and I assumed that God took pity on me and gave me a second chance. However, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. My death was no tragedy.
I was an eighteen-year-old girl who didn’t understand the world and abused power and influence that I wasn’t used to wielding. As a result, I was forced to face the consequences of my actions. I was a duke’s daughter who only knew how to be selfish and arrogant; not once had I attempted to do any sort of good deed.
God wasn’t going to answer any prayers from me. I had no right to expect the grace of a higher being. I surmised, then, that someone in the Seven Luminaries from my previous timeline had allowed me to receive a second chance at life. I didn’t know their name, but I felt like the scattered pieces in my mind were beginning to fit together. As the pieces began to fall into place, they opened a new door to one of my memories.
“Serena, this is an amazing book,” someone, a person from the previous timeline, said. I was shown a book. “This book is an artifact called Record. It won’t be affected by any physical phenomena, spells, or time. In other words, this book will continue to persist no matter what and will never cease to exist. It’ll remain in memories too, even if the realm crumbles away or magic transforms this world.”
“What the heck?” I replied. “That’s not amazing at all. That sounds meaningless.”
I glanced at the Record and quickly lost interest. Back then, I was ignorant of magic and couldn’t find the value in a book that did nothing except exist. Hence, I found that tidbit to be a meaningless piece of information and shoved it into the dark recesses of my mind. It left such a small impression on me that I wasn’t able to recall it until now.
That book was supposed to have existed, yet was no longer there. But I knew where it had gone. I’d wanted a spell to turn back time so that I could redo my life. Spells required something in return. To redo one’s life, the price had to be something of equal value—that is, the life of the spellcaster.
Within my mind, I could practically hear the various pieces clicking into place.