Chapter 98: Once upon a time…

Chapter 98: Once upon a time…

Apparently Skelia had gotten the library usage permission on behalf of Faima shortly after yesterday’s meeting. The permission starts the next day, which is today.

Kakurd and Rand are stationed at the entrance of the library.

Kiska is escorting Faima while also serving as an assistant in her research.

For the rest, -me, Agatt and Skelia- we are patrolling to make sure there are no suspicious person or object within the library.

It might be called only an archive inside the Imperial Palace but the interior is just as large as a library. Rows of bookshelves filled with books are lined up from one end to the other not only on the first floor but also on the second floor.

Managing all these books appears to be difficult but it seems that a magic tool is used to control the humidity, preventing the books from being damaged. For the more valuable books, magical measures are applied to the book itself and Faima taught me that unless it is damaged directly, its quality would be kept semi-permanently. This method of preservation seems to be commonly used in facilities above a certain scale in any country.

I’m walking along the aisles between bookshelves while keeping an eye on the surroundings.

Although I’m judging only by the titles, there are a lot of genres kept here. Some looks like academic in nature while some are leisure novels. Some are even written in moon runes2.

「…………Hmm.」

I take out a book from its shelf.

「This is……intriguing. Highly intriguing.」

The contents of this book is sucking me in. Ever since coming to this world, this is the first book to have fascinated me this much.

「Oo………hoo?………uwooooo~!?」

ーーーThe title is [My rising legend: partaking the queen and the princess in a delicious oyakodon].

I’ll be frank. It’s a sensual{erotic} novel.

「Hey, what are you reading in the middle of your duty, bastard!!」

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A shock ran from the back of my head.

Ouch.

Agatt who was checking other areas happen to pass by. A blow to the back of my head was his tsukkomi.

「Y’know, in line with my duty as an escort, I gotta check the contents of books that would adversely affect ojou-sama’s education……」

「What are you saying with a straight face! You just wanted to read it yourself, bastard!」

Can’t say no to that.

Agatt is already used to our skit, so once he put in a tsukkomi, he regained his composure. He breathes out a small sigh and begins to talk.

「Good grief, can’t you act a little more seriously……」(agatt)

「Even though I’m like this, I am seriously paying attention.」(kanna)

「So you say but you took a blow just now though?」 Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

「Because I noticed you too.」

I reply while returning the book to its shelf. I resigned myself to Agatt’s tsukkomi because I didn’t sense any bloodlust from him.

「No problem on your side?」(kanna)

「If there were, I won’t be having such a carefree conversation.」

「Ya got me there.」

I’m a-ok as long as there’s no conspicuous abnormality{event}.

So far, we haven’t heard a word from the Genryuu Knights’ headquarters. I could tell that they haven’t extracted any information from the spy. If it bears fruit, I hope we could use that information to unearth the vines all the way to the mastermind in one fell swoop.

I part ways with Agatt and resume patrolling.

If I find another interesting title, I’ll make sure to remember its position. I’ll check with Skelia if I can secretly read it later.

………And then, a book on a bookshelf caught my attention. But it’s not a repeat of the previous event.

「The Immaculate and The Gifted……?」3

What I pulled out from the bookshelf is an extremely worn-out fairy tale book. Driven by curiosity, I open the book.

『Once, there was an [immaculate] person.

He cannot bring forth fire.

He cannot locate water.

He cannot manipulate the wind.

He cannot plow the soil.

He cannot generate ice.

He cannot induce lightning.

He cannot create inventions.

He cannot soar in the sky.

He cannot do anything but he had many friends.

A friend who could bring forth fire.

A friend who could locate water.

A friend who could manipulate the wind.

A friend who could plow the soil.

A friend who could generate ice.

A friend who could induce lightning.

A friend who could invent.

A friend who could fly.

He alone cannot do anything.

Nevertheless, he was happy to be with his many friends. His friends also cherished him very much. The Immaculate graced his friends with all the gratitude he could impart and his friends likewise, bestowed unconditional love upon him.

Before long, there were many people surrounding him, other than his friends. Those people respected him, the person with many friends. Eventually, those people fostered bonds with his friends through him and they went on the path of coexistence with each other.

And then, a youth appeared.

He brought forth fire.

He located water.

He manipulated wind.

He plowed the soil.

He generated ice.

He induced lightning.

He created inventions.

He soared through the sky.

People came to call him [The Gifted].

People gathered around him, the one who was able to do everything without the help of The Immaculate’s friend. Many among them were those who were once by The Immaculate’s side.

At one point, those gathered under The Gifted began to hurt those who adored The Immaculate. The Gifted was not satisfied with his power and coveted The Immaculate’s beloved friends.

Alas.

In the end, The Immaculate lost his life at the hands of The Gifted.

Those who adored him sunk deep into despair. Above all else, the friends who lost their most beloved person disappeared amidst their sorrow.

Over time, the number of those who knew the existence of The Immaculate’s friends diminished and the world was thereafter ruled by the hands of The Gifted.』　

…………………………。

……………。

……。

「Damn it, bad ending………」

I got goosebumps due to the bad aftertaste after reading to the end. It’s a story about a selfish, narcissist prick who raided people who lived in peace and took everything away from those people. Not exactly a great choice for children’s storytelling.

「Ara Kanna, I thank you for your hard work.」

Faima and a book-carrier Kiska came over.

「Yo, how’s your research going?」

「All things considered, the amount of books a country hold is not to be underestimated. Even among the ones perusable by an outsider such as myself, there were a lot of books that are not available in Yulfilia.」

「And, your research?」

「………………」

The ojou-sama shifts her eyes away from mine.

Behind her, Kiska has a troubled smile on her face. I guess she found an interesting book and went nuts over it, ignoring her original purpose.

「B-By the way Kanna. What manner of book would that be? For some reason, you were earnestly reading it.」

I present the book I was reading to Faima.

「『The Immaculate and The Gifted?』First time I have ever heard such a title.」

「The content is quite a revolting story. I guarantee its bad aftertaste.」

「A guarantee I do not really desire………」

When Faima takes the book from my hand she goes… 「Hn?」…with one eyebrow raised.

「What’s up?」

「It is faint but there are traces of magic. Apart from the preservation spell………recognition inhibitor?」

「Recognition inhibitor?」4

「Exactly what the words meant, a spell that inhibits human’s recognition. Even if the object is right in front of you, you will not be able to perceive its existence.」

Faima puts her hand on the cover of the book and closes her eyes to concentrate. All for the purpose of finding out more about the spell.

「What is this……… It looks simple but it incorporates a fairly advanced spell. Without a doubt, this is a spell casted by a distinguished magician. Measures were placed to restrict browsing permission.」

The book caused Faima to have goosebumps as well, in a different sense than mine.

「Would it be fine for me to borrow this book? I would like to examine it a touch further.」

「Why would I even wanna refuse. Rather, what about your research?」

「I was planning to further my research using the archive for a period of time anyways, making a detour for a day or two shouldn’t matter much. Besides, as a researcher, I’m very interested in the magical formation incorporated in this book. Also, I’d be disqualified as one engaged in the pursuit of magic if I were to ignore something hanging before my own eyes.」

After excitedly leaving those words, she quickly ran off.

Hey, weren’t you taught not to run inside the library? The face of her parent who taught her……

…feels like I’m gonna poke a hornet’s nest, so I’d better not imagine him.

「Your master is the same as ever, rushing headlong into anything that piques her interest.」

「At any rate, milady’s conduct are not unlike her usual self.」

「From the looks of it, still a long ways off for her research to be completed huh.」

「Part of it was your responsibility though?」

「That’s for sure.」

Kiska and I who were left behind shrug our shoulders as we look at each other.

「Speaking of which, Kanna-kun. Actually, I found this book earlier.」

Kiska skillfully pulls out a book from the stack in her hands. I regret receiving it by reflex when I read the title.

ーーーMy (♂) rising legend: partaking the king and the prince in an oyakodon.

「The hell! Isn’t this a BL{yaoi} book!?」

No doubt that it’s an oyakodon but the title has too many swords, dangit!

Maybe it got the same author as the book I was reading earlier? The titles are similar after all.

「I couldn’t help but wonder for a while now. Why do men prefer love between women but shuns love between men?」

「Heck if I know! …………Isn’t it because the lack of breasts?」

Either way, I’m in the faction against yuri. Though I’d welcome a harem route in which a yuri couple falls in love with a man.

「I can go both ways. Be it bara or yuri, bring it on. Ah, the target of my romantic interest will always be a man, so don’t worry. Even though I look like this, I do have proper boobs after all and if it’s Kanna-kun, you’re always welcome.」

「I don’t need such a trivia! And don’t just casually insert an invitation!」

Looking at Kiska raising her thumb with a refreshing smile caused a slight murderous intention to rise up within me. Despite being a woman, she looks handsome enough to be mistaken as a man, which makes me twice as irritated.

Due to the commotion, Skelia and Agatt got angry at me for making too much noise in the library (not to mention, during the mission).

It’s not fair.