The “Quest System”

—

Novis Town.

Compared to the blasted-apart first floor, the “Morning Star” cottage’s second floor was tidy and clean, though coated in dust. Snowflakes had drifted in through the open window, melting into faint water stains on the floor.

Finally, the three of them remembered.

There was a forgotten mystery about the Will they loved…

That red-covered journal he never let out of his sight, the one he filled with his own handwriting, the one he guarded so carefully from them.

“Eir remembers,” Eir began, “Young Master would read that book carefully every night, and write new things in it.”

“During class, he always kept it close,” Leah added. “One hand on the textbook, the other covering that book.”

“…Even at the palace, he never abandoned that book, not for a single afternoon,” Treya finished.

They discussed, each remembering the red-bound journal. Will had never even told them its name.

But…

It seemed it wasn’t that important. He never mentioned its contents. And he didn’t even take it with him when he left to meet Shuna.

They walked slowly.

Very slowly.

Though it was just one flight of stairs, they seemed to drag their feet.

They had found an incredibly important clue, yet a part of them hesitated to unlock it. It was as if a spell protected the book; whatever secrets it held, once revealed, would change something fundamental.

Second floor.

Will’s Room.

Only this door was spotless. The name “Will” written on it had been meticulously cleaned by Eir. Yet, the crack beneath the door revealed a thin layer of dust inside.

Eir reached for the doorknob, but Leah grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Before we go in, let’s… clarify what we know. You two, answer me this…”

“What?” Eir’s hand dropped from the knob.

“Be honest. Have you read that book? To what extent? Now… we’ve already fought. No need for secrets.”

A brief silence fell over them.

“Eir saw it. Not the middle, just the last few pages,” Eir admitted. “Because… Young Master didn’t want Eir to see it, so Eir didn’t dare turn more pages.”

“I only remember seeing the very last page,” Leah added. “It was full of… heroines. That was strange.”

“…I haven’t read it,” Treya said flatly. “I saw no reason to, before now.”

Two out of three.

Silence descended again.

No one opened the door.

Under the silent moonlight, they pondered.

Did they actually know Will less than they thought? Had they only ever seen one side of him? Did they even truly care about his own desires?

Even now…

After Will had changed their lives and sparked such intense affection in them, only now did they realize…

Behind their own madness, selfishness, and desire for attention—behind the very reason Will had made them this way—lay…

His own obsession, foresight, and cold calculation.

He gave too much, planned too far, yet asked for nothing.

He was honest and open, yet held the deepest secrets.

All these mysteries seemed to be hidden in this room. In that small book.

Leah, the most direct and impulsive, broke the silence. She placed her hand back on the doorknob, turning to face the others.

“Alright. So, none of us secretly read it beforehand to trick the others. We… are equals.”

“The secrets of Young Master’s book will be… revealed by us, equally.”

“Open the door.”

They reached out together, pushing Will’s door open.

Will’s room seemed untouched since he left. His wardrobe stood open, but he hadn’t meticulously chosen clothes; he’d simply grabbed the summer outfit they had picked for him.

He had left in summer, it seemed.

Otherwise, the room, though not perfectly tidy, was undeniably minimalist. His weapons were gone, taken by Leah. No other equipment or extraneous trinkets remained.

The bedsheets lay neatly folded, just as Eir would have left them after he awoke.

The windows were closed, uncleaned for months, bearing faint streaks from autumn rain and winter snow.

If not for the thick layer of dust, one might think he had just stepped out.

And then, the most important thing…

Their eyes simultaneously fell upon the book, sitting in the center of the desk.

The red-covered journal, which they held in such high regard, surely hid the “secrets” Will had never revealed.

“The book’s right there,” Eir said calmly, walking towards it. “We all see it. Now, we can only hope it tells us what we need to know.”

Leah followed her, slowly.

Eir stopped before the book, then pulled out a pair of white gloves from her pocket and put them on, as if opening this book required a special ritual, a display of reverence.

“Wait. Don’t open it yet.” Treya called out, stopping Eir’s outstretched hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s the title?”

“Hmm. I remember he wrote a title. He never hid it; you could often see a corner… The only problem is…”

“Quest System…”

As they discussed, Eir, already ahead, flipped the book over and read the title aloud.

“…Is that the name? Eir didn’t… misread it, did she?”

The title was written clearly on the front cover.

“Quest… like Adventurer’s Guild quests? Makes sense. But ‘System’?” Leah looked at Treya. “Empress, you’re good with history. What do you think?”

“‘System’… A structured whole? Does it mean… a collection of all tasks?”

“Too complicated! Say something Eir can understand… Besides, isn’t ‘System’ also Young Master’s family name?”

For all three, the individual words made sense. But together, they formed a never-before-heard title. Analyzing it now, it only deepened the mystery surrounding Will.

“No need to overthink. Just open it.”

Treya, decisive as ever, strode to the desk, touched the silvery cover, brushing off some dust, and opened it—a little roughly.

Inside, she saw a familiar script.

On the very first page, dominating the entire surface—Will’s own handwriting. The letters were a little shaky, suggesting he was quite young when he wrote this.

[Maid Eir Chapter.]

“Huh?”

“Wait, wait, wait—! Th-Th-Th-That’s Eir’s name!”

Eir, watching from beside them, slapped her gloved hand over the page.

“If Young Master wrote it specially for Eir… then only Eir can read it!”

Treya was about to protest, but Eir instinctively lashed out, a chilling coldness radiating towards Treya’s throat.

“Eir, we’re on the same side now. You should show us.”

“No!”

“Calm down,” Treya said in her coldest voice. “Perhaps it’s not just for you. The first page is a ‘chapter’…”

She paused, grabbing Eir’s wrist and moving her hand away. Treya possessed considerable strength.

Then, she flipped to another page, one that seemed special—marked with a small sticker, as if Will intended to quickly find it.

That page, too, filled the entire space.

[Witch Leah Chapter.]

“…See? It’s my part! I told you, he’s like that. He… he definitely—”

Leah wanted to say, “He definitely wouldn’t forget any of us!” But then a wave of jealousy washed over her—she wanted to be the only one in his mind. She sputtered, unable to finish.

But Treya’s pale fingers smoothly slid across the yellowed page, finding another of Will’s stickers.

“He wouldn’t forget any of us.”

[Princess Treya Chapter.]

Treya gazed at the words “Princess Treya Chapter,” a rare hint of satisfaction gracing her usually impassive face.

“So… why are these chapters named after the three of us? And… linked to our professions?”

Eir’s ears drooped, but she couldn’t hide her surprise at being the book’s opener.

“I don’t know. But we agreed, our own chapters…”

“Our own chapter, only we can read. This is a loose-leaf binder, so it’s fine.”

“Do you ever speak without finishing my sentences?”

“Eir agrees!”

“But it’s not just us…”

Treya’s eyes narrowed, her finger drifting towards the very end of the Quest System.

After Treya’s chapter, only a few pages remained—less than ten.

But the book held a fourth chapter.

She turned the page.

And before them, they saw—

[Cannon Fodder (crossed out)
Young Master (crossed out)
Magic Academy Elite Student (crossed out)
Strategist (crossed out)
Captain
Will Chapter]

—