Chapter 45

***

Dust fluttered from the chair. I hurriedly opened the small window.

How many books should I read in this dust pit, and what could I find out by looking at it?

I wanted to take them home to read, but remembering the librarian who glared at me, it didn’t seem possible to borrow them.

Anyway, I had to read as many books as I could, as soon as possible.

I took a deep breath to get myself together, took a seat, and flipped through the first book.

[Theory and Reality of Black Magic.]

The purpose of this book was to define black magic, which was still not properly known to the world.

The author had studied black magic for many years, and as a result, he came up with a plausible theory.

[…Black magic is the product of a contract with a demon. It is the price of selling one’s soul, a taboo that no honest person would consider.

…The greatest wizard of all time, the Western Tower Lord, has also expressed his willingness to share the author’s opinion.]

What is this?

I opened my mouth in bewilderment. It was very biased even if I didn’t read it carefully…

It was stupid. Furthermore, the last sentence was almost like taking advantage of the popularity.

This is a book?

When I went back to the first page to see what kind of person wrote this book. Suddenly, I heard a roar.

“What the hell is that?”

I trembled in surprise and looked toward the sound. The chair I was sitting on was in the corner of the room. There was a large bookshelf in front of it, but the sound seemed to be coming from beyond it. I heard a crash, and then the sound of a door closing. It sounded like someone had come in.

It was also very hurried. Who was it? I thought the librarian said that only authorized people were allowed in here.

It wasn’t dangerous, was it?

I headed for the doorway, careful to be ready to run away if anything happened. Then a figure suddenly jumped out.

“I’m sorry, I was just… Lady?”

I opened my eyes wide, not expecting to see someone whom I was looking for. Standing by the door breathing heavily was Pelos in armor.

“…Pelos?”

I blinked quickly. Pelos? Why is he here?

“Well, I don’t think there is a certain way for people to die.”

He strode towards me. Then he started to crawl under the table.

“What…… What the hell are you doing?”

It wasn’t enough that he suddenly appeared, he went to hide under the table.

“How did you get in here? I heard that only the imperial family or the central aristocrat can enter. No, if you’re Kibeon, I’m pretty sure it’s the central nobility. ………….”

I couldn’t believe that he, who was not on good terms with his family, had taken the trouble to use that last name.

“And what’s with that getup! Pelos!”

Pelos laughed awkwardly as he curled up in his armor under the table.

“Because this is all about keeping the Lady alive.”

“What?”

I heard more and more knocking on the door.

The momentum was uncanny.

“Don’t tell me someone comes to find you?”

“Hahahaha…”

“Pelos…What the hell are you doing?”

“Lady, you didn’t forget that I helped you out in the hallway earlier, did you? I actually have a disease that prevents me from talking to more than three people at the same time.”

Boom boom.

While he was babbling, I heard the roar again.

“But I dealt with that large number of maids for Lady, right? Lady!”

Pelos clasped his hands together and drooped his eyebrows.

Still, he couldn’t even beg properly in that small place, but he looked miserable.

“Ha…”

I closed my eyes and breathed slowly.

It was true that Pelos helped me before. I was grateful. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to do this…………

I sighed at the absurd situation.

It couldn’t be helped. It was time to show the skills I had honed at Count Diego’s house. I grabbed the handle with all my might.

When the door was opened vigorously, the soldiers huddled in the hallway stepped down in embarrassment. I pretended to be angry, crossing my arms and raising my eyes.

“Why is it so noisy?”

“That’s …..”

The soldiers looked at each other. One of them said to me while throwing his spear on the floor.

“I’m Hapelk, 3rd Infantry Division of the Kingsguard.”

“No need for introductions, what’s going on?”

“I was in pursuit of a fugitive who broke into the Imperial Palace without permission. We need to search the library.”

I gently interrupted.

“That’s impossible. I can prove to you that there is no one in the archives.”

“I do not know which family the Lady is, but you do not have the authority to do so.”

“Lady?”

I raised my eyebrows.

I felt the soldier hesitate a little at my cold tone.

“Let’s go to the librarian right away and find out who I am. After that, let’s see if you can still speak so profanely.”

It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been to a social gathering or two, and I knew that the right thing to do in a situation like this was to come on strong and unconditionally.

And it wasn’t baseless bluffing, either.

The person in front of me signaled with his eyes, looking behind him.

A soldier at the end of the line quickly ran down the corridor.

All the while, I glared at each of them.

It was to somehow weaken their spirits.

The soldier returned in a flash. He saluted to Hapelk and whispered. Hapelk’s eyes went wide as he alternately stared at the soldier and me. He must have checked for Astrilla’s seal.

I smiled.

The highest authority in the Imperial Palace was naturally the Emperor, but the highest authority in the Kingsguard was the Crown Princess.

In extreme cases, they could even cut off the emperor’s head if the Crown Princess ordered it. Their direct superior was her.

“You’re looking for a fugitive?”

“Yes.”

“Do you still feel like going into the archives? I don’t know which family’s lady I am in the archives.”

Hapelk hesitated and saluted me.

“I’m sorry. I’m simply asking by procedure, are you certain that no one has entered there?”

I thought he would step down at this point, but he was quite stubborn.

“I’m sure.”

I tapped him on the shoulder. Now it was my turn to give him a carrot instead of a whip.

“Thank you for your hard work. Let’s not tell Her Highness about this.”

“Thank you….”

My words were a warning that he had crossed a line, and that I could tell the Crown Princess at any time.

Hapelk was a quick witted man. He bowed his head and the soldiers standing behind did the same.

I nodded in satisfaction.

“You can leave now.”

“…… Yes.”

It was not until they saluted once more that they disappeared.

I hurriedly slammed the door and locked it.

“Haaaa….”

My heart was pounding. When was the last time I had tried something like this?

I leaned against the door and caught my breath, then lifted my head and trudged to the back.

“Pelos!”

I shouted, and Pelos, sitting in his chair with a nonchalant expression, raised his hand in greeting. When in the world had he crawled out from under the table and sat down?

“Long time no see, Lady. We only encounter very dramatic moments. I’ll pretend that you didn’t owe me last time with this.”

“What on earth are you walking around doing? And the debt had been paid. I even sold the Crown Princess’s name!”

Pelos shrugged his shoulders.

“I never thought that I would meet the Lady here.”

“That’s what I’m trying to say. What are you going to do if I leave!”

“Were you investigating the priests?”

“Excuse me?”

His brow wrinkled and he pointed to a stack of books.

It was obviously books about black magic, but what did he mean ‘priests’?

I looked at him blankly, forgetting to pursue my suspicions.

I knew it was a topic he brought up to change the subject, but i caught him.

“You said ‘priests’. What made you think that?”

Pelos said with a smirk.

“Aren’t all the books here written by past priests? So it’s only natural that I would think so.”

…What? I opened my mouth wide.

He was a uniformly casual man.

He probably has the best talent in the empire for conveying shocking information in a casual manner.

****

Pelos smiled and skimmed through the books on the table.

“Black magic, huh? You don’t want to die, right, Lady?”

didn’t quite want to die, did you, lady?”

“Of course. I don’t live my life with my head shoved under the guillotine unlike someone else. Instead of wearing armor and sneaking into the imperial palace, I proudly carried the seal of the Crown Princess.”

“That’s legitimacy! I’m envious. Legitimacy is something that is welcomed everywhere. But it’s not a word I’m familiar with.”

Pelos flipped through the book quickly.

I asked, reflecting on the shocking remarks he made.

“By the way, about what you just said. Are you saying that the author of this book, Gwyndella Nio Yousav Volteria von Marciotel Rios XVII, is the High Priest?” (*I’m not sure about the name lol)

“Yes. No way, you didn’t know his name?”

“I knew it was Marciotel Rios. I just couldn’t read the long author’s name written so tightly in such small letters.”

I didn’t even get a chance to read it properly, and Pelos made a commotion.

“This is better than the High Priest in the previous generation. His name was almost 30 characters.”

Pelos closed the first book, The Theory and Reality of Black Magic.

“Hmm….you must have been in a hurry. Unlike usual, he gave big names and poor evidence.”

“…… Don’t tell me you’ve already finished reading it?”

“I just looked. Because in the Temple, you often have to read a book quickly.”

I shook my head, and Pelos now opened the second book.

[The Origin of Black Magic.]

“It’s here. It’s the long name of that High Priest.”

There was a longer name written on it.

If the last name wasn’t Marciotel Rios XVI, I wouldn’t have known he was a high priest.

Were the authors of all these books really the past High Priests?