Chapter 3 (light novel 7)

The Girls’ Long Night
Chapter 3 Episode 26: The Countdown
Japanese Name	少女たちの長い夜
Romanized Name	Shōjo-tachi no Nagai Yoru
Volume	7
Release Date	December, 2010 (The Sneaker)
Pages	64
Adaptation	N/A

"The Girls’ Long Night" is the 3rd chapter of The Mystic Archives of Dantalian light novel, volume 7. It's divided into eight parts and contains two illustrations. The chapter is labeled as Episode 26 in the story line.

Dalian is called by Miss Roedean to collect some Phantom Books. Jessica is tasked to keep her company. The girls' troublesome night starts when they realize that one of the Phantom Books was taken.

Summary

In the south part of the kingdom, there’s an all-girls boarding school where young ladies from rich families study. The students live in large five-story dormitories. Eve Coen is a remarkable student, admired by teachers and other girls due to her intelligence and athleticism. One night, she woke up and, feeling uncomfortable, jumped out of the bed. Her nightdress and bed sheet were wet. Panicked, she decides to get rid of the evidence. However, her friend turns on the light to check what had happened. For Eve’s despair, the roommate loved to chat and gossip.

Part 1

Jessica had slept during class, so she was scolded at the teacher’s room. Principal Roedean also gave her a correctional task. Jessica has to keep company with a guest. That’s why Jessica heads to the library. The place has a rich collection of books, rumored to be a donation from a famous bibliomaniac, a relative of Miss Roedean. At the library, she finds Dalian, who’s seems offended to have Jessica as company. For Jessica’s disappointment, Hugh is absent. Miss Roedean took him to an evening party, since she’s not married yet.

Jessica tries to touch Dalian's Phantom Books.

The girls talk loudly, attracting the attention of the librarian and other students. Dalian offends Jessica, as always. Jessica decides to read, but Dalian tells her not to touch her books. After all, they are Phantom Books collected by Miss Roedean. One of them, the Pioneer Book, can't be sealed during the day. Jessica’s classmates approach them. The four girls surround Dalian, admiring her beauty. The Biblioprincess tries to run away, but she stumbles into a book cart. The books fall on the floor. The librarian shows up to demand silence. The classmates walk away, pretending to be innocent. Dalian and Jessica start to organize the books. Jessica notices that one of the four Phantom Books is missing.

Part 2

Dalian explains that they should find the Phantom Book before evening. The Pioneer Book has immense power between that night and the next new moon. Magic will easily escape. Everyone who let such power be released in the past died. Jessica wonders if her classmates took the Phantom Book by mistake. Jessica and Dalian go to the stables, where Sandra and Beth practice horse-riding. Dalian asks them where the book is. Jessica pours the contents of their bags onto the floor, but finds no Phantom Book. One of the horses becomes interested in Jessica’s ponytail. The animal bites the back of her head, covering her in saliva. Dalian leaves the stable, followed by Jessica.

Part 3

Afternoon is almost over. Dalian kicks open the door of the cricket club, looking for Lynn Ambrose. Jessica, still with a slobbery hair, checks Lynn’s locker. Dalian rummages through her bag. Lynn also has no Phantom Books. Dalian and Jessica run to the exit. Furious, Lynn hits Jessica’s head with a cricket ball.

Vinny, the last girl, may be found in the dormitory. On their way, Dalian and Jessica find the librarian. The latter had just closed the library. Jessica tells the librarian about the book they are searching. The librarian reveals that the book was taken by Professor Morgridge. The book strangely had no inventory number, but the librarian let him borrow it anyway. Dalian rudely asks about his address. Jessica covers the Biblioprincess’ mouth. Jessica runs away, holding Dalian by the hand.

Part 4

Jessica requests Morgridge’s address to a clerk at the teacher’s room, but the young woman has no permission to share such information with the students. Dalian leads Jessica to the corner. Jessica obeys Dalian and removes the other Phantom Books from inside her bag. The Collection of Visions allows readers to see distant places that they have visited in the past, the Book of the Ritual of the Migratory Locusts removes weeds from fields, and the Atargatis Scripture calls a handful of drinking water. Jessica becomes disappointed due to such limited powers, making Dalian furious. Jessica uses the Collection of Visions to check the document on the clerk’s table and find Morgridge’s address. Jessica fells very tired. After all, she’s not the reader chosen by the Phantom Book. Outside, they find a roadster bicycle. Jessica and Dalian ride to the city.

Part 5

The girls attract the attention of everyone while riding through the resort city. Dalian complains about Jessica’s riding skills. The student is riding badly, especially with the extra weight in the form of Dalian. They reach Morgridge’s house. Jessica knocks on the door, but there’s no one home. Dalian kicks the door, trying to go inside. Jessica joins her. Morgridge shows up accompanied by a prostitute. He suddenly freezes, realizing that he left his bag in the cab. Jessica and Dalian return to the bicycle to chase the cab.

Part 6

Jessica and Dalian run from the plant released by the Pioneer Book.

A red moon is already shining in the sky. The Pioneer Book will release its dangerous magic at any moment. The heavy bicycle can't catch up with the horse-drawn cab. Fortunately, the cab stopped to let a passenger out. Jessica screams, telling the driver to wait. The scared driver whips his horse and takes off. Dalian reads the Atargatis Scripture to hit him with water. Jessica stops the bicycle in front of the cab. Dalian finds no Phantom Book inside the cab. Apparently, another passenger took Morgridge’s bag. Jessica wants to look for the person, but Dalian gives up. They have no time left. The driver points to a huge dark mass growing at the center of the city. The cabman runs away. Jessica grabs Dalian’s hand and runs uphill on steep stairs.

Part 7

A huge plant covers part of the city. It was release by the Pioneer Book. It’s trying to terraform its surroundings. It rebuilds everyone it captures, making the victims adapted to a different environment. Jessica and Dalian are surrounded by long vines. Dalian reaches inside Jessica’s bag. The Biblioprincess reads the Book of the Ritual of the Migratory Locusts. Thousands of dark insects gather in a flock to attack the plant. Dalian sinks to the ground, exhausted. Since she’s not the true owner of the Phantom Book, she has no strength to keep the magic active. The locusts disappear. Hugh, as a key-keeper loved by the Phantom Books, will be able to read the Book of the Ritual of the Migratory Locusts. He probably is already looking for the girls. Jessica wonders how she can tell Hugh about the right location.

Jessica can't open the Labyrinth Library, and the other two Phantom Books available seem useless. However, Jessica elaborates a plan. She reads the Collection of Visions, then the Atargatis Scripture. Dalian tells her to stop. If Jessica is carried away, she may lose her mind, or even die. Jessica rests in Dalian’s arms, exhausted after using the Phantom Books. Jessica is trying to protect her friend. The vines are almost reaching them. While holding the unconscious Jessica, Dalian hears the sound of an engine. Hugh had finally found them. Dalian wonders how he knew where to find them. Hugh points to the school in the distance. The dormitory has some lights on. The bright squares form letters. Hugh opens the Labyrinth Library. He reads a Phantom Book, enveloping the city in fog.

Part 8

Jessica sneezes. She feels very cold. She’s resting on the passenger seat of Hugh’s car. He had used the Hymn of Hel to freeze the plant. The vines became fragile, breaking into tiny fragments at the slightest touch. Some people had suffered frostbites. The Pioneer Book had been severely damaged. Hugh is driving to the school’s dormitory. The windows formed the message “JD on hill”. Dalian expresses her gratitude to Jessica. The latter had used the Atargatis Scripture to pour water on her classmates, making them lit up their rooms and, in the process, create a message for Hugh. Jessica did everything from a distance, thanks to the Collection of Visions.

It was almost sunrise when they reached the school’s dormitory. There is a student trying to jump from the roof. She's ashamed, believing that she had wet herself in her sleep. Fortunately, other students are holding her. The whole dormitory seems in turmoil. Hugh and Dalian leave Jessica in front of the dormitory. Hugh accelerates, ignoring the confusion caused by the Phantom Books. Jessica chases after the car, calling Dalian a traitor. The schoolgirl will have a long day.

Trivia

• The roadster bicycle is a type of utility bicycle once common worldwide, and still common in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and some parts of Europe. As described in the chapter, it has a diamond-frame. The ladies' version had a step-through frame so that women, with their dresses and skirts, could easily mount and ride their bicycles.
• Jessica mentions "Noblesse oblige" to explain why she risked her own life to save her friend Dalian. The Biblioprincess laughs, remembering that Hugh did the same in Turn-Up Book.