| "This academy—no, this country—has a lot of ghost stories. There's even an occult department in the political world. Everyone loves ghost stories." —Cecile Lafitte, Episode 01 |
Sauville has been noted for its interest in the supernatural and its strong beliefs in various urban tales and legends. Most of these urban tales are usually dark in nature, involving malevolent creatures and people alike, although there are other stories which involve mystery which are not automatically classified as occult.
This article lists down the various urban myths and stories which feed the superstitious minds of the citizens of Sauville.
The Springtime Reaper[]
The Springtime Reaper or the Reaper who Comes in Spring (春来る死神, haru-kitaru shinigami) is the urban tale pertaining to a person who arrives in Spring. According to this story, a person who arrives in a certain place (in the case of the students, the school) brings misfortune, and in other interpretations, death.
The tale originated from Kuiaran the Second, who tagged the original Kuiaran, Maxim, as the Springtime Reaper due to his habit of visiting his alma mater every Spring, oftentimes bringing with him misfortune to the school due to his nature as a thief. Coincidentally, in his last visit to the school, one of the students in Saint Marguerite Academy, Millie Marl, died due to a terminal illness.[1]
Kazuya Kujo is later linked to this urban tale, as he also arrives in Saint Marguerite in Spring; however, he is called the Dark Reaper (黒い死神, kuroi shinigami) due to his black hair and brown eyes, features which are considered as alien to the blond-haired blue-eyed students of Saint Marguerite.
Queen Berry, the Phantom Ship[]
Based on an event that happened in 1914, the story revolving around the sunken vessel Queen Berry tells about the vessel becoming a ghost ship.
Ten years ago, the fortune-teller Roxane conducted an "experiment" that involved eleven innocent orphans in a battle royal that would predict the future of many countries in Europe and beyond. The ship was known to be risen by the souls of the dead orphans onboard there. It only appears during the night or heavy storms and sinks again when the sea calms.
One of the survivors of that experiment, Julie Guile, creates a replica of the same ship and uses it to stage an act of vengeance, killing the people who have been involved in the "Running of the Hares" that happened in 1914 on the original Queen Berry. Lee one of the survivors too revenged by killing the fortuneteller who used them as hare in 1914.
Leviathan, the Alchemist[]
In the library of Saint Marguerite Academy, Kazuya has read books telling about various ghost stories and urban myths which originated from Sauville. Among them is the story of Leviathan, an alchemist who draws gold from the intestines of the dead. The book Kazuya read also includes the ghost ship Queen Berry and an intelligent gray wolf that can speak human language.
Later events soon reveal the existence of another book related to Leviathan. This time, it is a pop-up book written by none other than the alchemist himself, retelling the story of his life.
The Gray Wolf who Speaks in the Human Tongue[]
Gray wolf
Among the more mysterious of the urban tales in Sauville, it talks about an intelligent gray wolf who is able to speak to using the human language.[2] Avril later tells Kazuya that her version of the story portrays the gray wolf as someone who likes shiny things.
This tale can be linked to the Kingdom of Saillune, whose inhabitants are also called "gray wolves" (灰色狼, hai-iro ookami). Victorique reveals that Saillune is composed of a certain kind of people who possess extraordinary abilities, and is rumored to have vanished in the 15th Century after conquering a vast majority of Europe using their superior intellect.
Surprisingly, Victorique de Blois and her mother Cordelia Gallo are inhabitants of Saillune, and Victorique has been referred to by Grevil in a few occasions as a "gray wolf". Later events also reveal that the Science Academy's president Jupiter Roget is himself from Saillune, a fact that is yet to be discovered by the public.
Thirteenth Step on the Stairway to Heaven[]
It is a myth famous throughout the students of Saint Marguerite Academy, based on the rumors of a man who hanged himself in a staircase located on the religious texts section of the library tower. It is said that a person who stops on the thirteenth step will be dragged into the underworld, and this myth is followed by many of the students and faculty members.
Kuiaran the Second uses the belief of the students with regards to the myth to hide the book where the Penny Black is attached. However, Victorique was able to determine where she hid the book with ease, as she is the only one in the school who does not believe in superstitions.
The Golden Fairy of the Library[]
A variation of the story La fée dorée de la haute tour (English: The Golden Fairy of the High Tower), the myth about the Golden Fairy of the Library pertains to Victorique as a fairy who, similar to the golden fairy in the story, possesses a wealth of knowledge that she shares to troubled person in exchange for that person's soul.[3]
Kuiaran the Second suspects that Kazuya's soul has been taken by Victorique in a similar way to the people who fell victim to the golden fairy of the high tower. Victorique later debunks her suspicions.
Millie Marl's Spirit Lies in the Abandoned Warehouse[]
One of the many myths revolving on Saint Marguerite Academy, it involves the ghost of Millie Marl haunting the abandoned warehouse inside the school premises. Like the myth of the Springtime Reaper, Kuiaran the Second used the myth of Millie Marl's haunting to avoid curious students from venturing into the place where the real Avril Bradley is located.
The Cannibal Department Store[]
Based on several disappearances of women and children in a department store in Saubrème, the urba tale involves victims who are "eaten" by a man-eating department store. However, it turns out that the story is an exaggeration of the disappearances, which are initially unable to be connected to any person or location.
With the help of Kazuya and the keen sense of memory of a boy named Luigi, the Cannibal Department Store is revealed to be Jeantan Department Store, which "devours" women and children so they can be sold on the black market as slaves.
The Felling Maria[]
The mystery revolving around the Felling Maria is one of the greatest mysteries at the time of the First World War.
The story tells about a squadron of German bomber planes who attacked the Beelzebub's Skull and a nearby convent in Lithuania. There are many casualties resulted by the bombing, and while the nuns begin to retaliate by chanting curses at the attackers, a gigantic image of the Virgin Mary appeared on the sky. It resulted in the deaths of the entire squadron, who ended up crashing into each other or at the Beelzebub's Skull itself.
At the night of the Phantasmagoria festival, Victorique discovers that the apparition has someone responsible for it, and that person is none other than Brian Roscoe, assisted by President Jupiter Roget of the Sauville Science Academy.
Queen Coco Rose and the Philosopher's Stone[]
An urban tale related to the story of Leviathan, it tells of the queen Coco Rose, a woman who after becoming close to the alchemist received the Philosopher's Stone from him. According to the story, the Philosopher's Stone granted her the ability to be invisible, and she was able to leave the comfort of her country house and enjoy life without any worries.
Monstre Charmant[]
Monstre Charmant
In Saubere, there was a monster who took the form of a little girl, And at her side was a rabbit .Who worked for her benefit.The rabbit used his awesome might to eliminate anyone who would come near the monster with intentions of capturing her. The monster would give charity to the unprevileged and the rabbit would be at her side. As a result, a lot of people loved the monster. In time though, a person of power set his sight of the monster, determined to capture her to "prove" his power. The man and his followers killed the rabbit when it tried to protect the monster. With nothing in its path, he had the the monster, or so he thought. But the monster had died, for the rabbit was the monster's heart. The monster and the rabbit were two forms but one being. By killing the rabbit, the man had killed the monster.
Naturally, the monster is supposed to symbolize Victorique and the rabbit pertains to Kazuya.