The day after Martina and her team reported on the miasma pool, a letter bearing the king’s seal arrived at the administrative department.
The letter contained three directives:
- Black haze suspected to be a miasma pool had appeared in the eastern forest.
- Martina was to be dispatched as a member of the investigation team to the forest.
- A notice was to be sent to all nobles, urging them to check if any miasma pools had appeared in their domains.
As the department head read out the contents of the letter, unease spread among the officials.
“Black haze that intermittently spawns monsters… Is the royal capital safe?”
“Clearly not, or we wouldn’t have received this letter. Chaos seems inevitable now.”
“We don’t even know how to eliminate it. This is terrifying…”
“Sending a notice to all nobles? The inquiries we’ll get afterward will be overwhelming.”
“We need more information about these miasma pools. Someone knowledgeable—oh, right, Martina’s here.”
At that comment, all eyes turned to Martina, who had been quietly listening in the back like a new recruit.
The letter specifically stated Martina’s inclusion in the investigation team, so the officials assumed she had the most information.
“Martina, why were you chosen for the investigation team? I heard you accompanied the knights yesterday. Is that related?”
“Yes,” Martina responded. “Yesterday, Sir Lambert, captain of the First Knight Order, acknowledged my knowledge of monsters and instructed me to accompany them to the field. After speaking with the knights on-site and witnessing the black haze myself, I identified it as a miasma pool. Sir Lambert and I then reported this to the Minister of Military Affairs. Since I was the one with the relevant information, I believe I was appointed to the investigation team.”
Although Martina kept her explanation concise and straightforward, the officials tilted their heads in doubt. They had yet to recognize her true abilities.
Only those who had worked closely with her, like Roland, or those who had directly witnessed her unique talents—such as Lambert and a few knights—truly understood Martina’s capabilities. Even Nadia, who often spent time with her in the library, hadn’t fully grasped the extent of Martina’s skills.
“This is my first time hearing the term ‘miasma pool,’ so why does Martina already know about it? And this ‘monster knowledge’ that even Sir Lambert praises—what exactly is it?”
At this, Roland, who was standing nearby, rubbed the back of his neck and spoke with a wry smile.
“Director, I think you’ll have a hard time believing Martina’s abilities unless you witness them firsthand. It’s well known that she aced the civil service exam with a perfect score, but what made that possible is… well, let’s call it her perfect memory.”
The term “perfect memory” drew skeptical expressions from the officials. They instinctively leaned back, thinking it was an exaggeration. Unfazed, Roland placed a hand on Martina’s shoulder and gently nudged her forward.
“Martina loves books. She’s read every single book in the public library and even countless others from second-hand stores. And she remembers all of them, word for word. Isn’t that right, Martina?”
“Y-yes… I remember them,” Martina confirmed nervously, nodding under the gazes of the many officials.
Unsurprisingly, few believed her immediately.
“That’s impossible.”
“No one can recall every word from a book.”
“Even remembering one book completely is unthinkable.”
Roland, undeterred, pointed to a shared bookshelf in the room.
“It’s faster to show than to explain. Martina, do you recognize any of the books here?”
Martina pointed to a thick book, a record of the knights’ expeditions. It detailed everything from expedition locations and the names of participating knights to the monsters defeated, the materials recovered, damaged equipment, and expenses incurred.
“I read that one a few days ago. Roland recommended it, saying it might be relevant to our work. I finished it.”
“Great. Then let’s test you. Feel free to ask her about anything in the book,” Roland said confidently.
The first to act was Sylvan , standing near the bookshelf. Displeased with Martina—a commoner—being chosen for the investigation team, he scowled at her as he opened the book.
“Alright, let me test you. Tell me what’s on page 152.”
“Page 152 describes an expedition by the First Knight Order to eliminate a herd of Big Boars sighted along a highway near the capital. While the initial report mentioned five boars, they encountered a group of twelve. The three units initially deployed couldn’t handle the numbers, so four additional units were sent. The delay extended the expedition time, increasing costs due to prolonged road closures. Additionally, a shield was damaged by a boar’s charge and sent for repair. As for materials, two of the boars were burned by fire magic, so their hides…”
“Stop! Stop right there!”
Martina’s seamless and detailed recall, as if she were reading from the book, left the department head scrambling to interrupt her. He turned to Sylvan , who was staring at the book in shock, his expression a mix of frustration and disbelief.
“Sylvan , was she correct?”
“…Yes. Everything she said was accurate.”
Upon hearing Sylvan ’s confirmation, a wave of astonishment rippled through the officials.
“What does this mean? Are we really supposed to believe she remembers everything after just one reading?”
“S-Sylvan ! Hand that record over here!”
What followed was a barrage of questions from the still-disbelieving officials, probing Martina about the detailed information scattered throughout the expedition records. Yet, Martina answered each question flawlessly, leaving everyone stunned and forcing them to acknowledge her extraordinary abilities.
“I see now. If she has this kind of memory, it makes sense she’d have extensive knowledge of monsters.”
“And it’s no wonder she’d know about miasma pools if she reads books with that level of memory…”
Amid the growing praise and admiration for Martina, the department head approached her.
“Martina, I apologize for doubting your abilities. It’s an honor to have someone as talented as you in the administrative department. I hope you’ll give it your all as a member of the investigation team, and I’d appreciate it if you could share any information you have about the miasma pools with us as well.”
Martina’s face lit up with joy at his words. While a few officials still seemed reluctant to fully accept her, the overwhelming admiration from the rest kept them from voicing dissent.
“Of course! I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you. We’re counting on you. Now, everyone, while Martina organizes her information on the miasma pools, prepare the notices to be sent to the nobles. Martina also has an investigation team meeting this afternoon, so let’s make sure she isn’t delayed.”
“Understood. I’ll have the information on the miasma pools prepared by this morning.”
“Good. I’m relying on you.”
With that, the officials dispersed to their tasks, and Martina returned to her desk with Roland.
“Thank you, Roland, for earlier.”
“No need to thank me. I just told everyone the truth about you. Finally, they know what I’ve been saying all along. Before, they all thought I was joking.”
“They did laugh about it, didn’t they?”
“Exactly! Now I get to tell them I was right all along!”
As Roland chuckled, Martina couldn’t help but smile. Just then, a voice called out from behind her—it was Nadia.
Nadia approached with her cheeks slightly puffed in mock frustration.
“Martina, you never told me your abilities were on that level.”
“…Didn’t I mention it?”
“You said you had a good memory and could quickly recall the contents of books, but I never imagined it was that extraordinary!”
“I guess… I didn’t think it was that important. I’m sorry.”
Seeing Martina’s apologetic expression, Nadia let out a small sigh and softened her demeanor.
“From now on, tell me everything, okay?”
“Of course! You can tell me anything too, Nadia.”
“I will.”
“Nadia! Get over here already!”
Just as their conversation ended, Nadia’s superior called out to her from across the room.
“Yes, I’m coming! Martina, good luck with your investigation team duties.”
“Thanks, Nadia.”
Martina and Roland watched Nadia gracefully yet hurriedly leave to meet her superior. Then, they returned to their desks to discuss the tasks ahead, quickly getting to work.
Afterword
Hello everyone, it’s been a while!
Thank you for coming back to read this update after such a long break.
Some of you may already know, but this story has won an award in the “Clever Heroine” mid-length contest and is set to be published by Kadokawa Books!
The book will be released on April 10, and the cover art has already been revealed. Pre-orders are open now, so I’d be thrilled if you could reserve a copy!
You can see the cover art here:
https://kakuyomu.jp/users/aoi_misa/news/16818023213257185746
From today until the book’s release, I’ll also be resuming updates on the web! These updates will feature the original manuscript I wrote for the web.
(The book itself has been significantly revised and improved for publication, with exclusive content available only in the printed version!)
Feel free to enjoy Martina’s story however you like—whether by reading the web version first or diving straight into the book.
Thank you for your support, and please continue to enjoy The Library’s Genius Girl!
— Aoi Misa
