IBML 25

Chapter 25

Damn it.

It’s a crude word, but nothing else suited the situation better than that.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

I rolled my eyes at the man in front of me, but the conclusion didn’t change.

A deep sigh escaped from my chest.

This is really bad.

The Infinite Library, which I entered easily with a free pass without any inspection, was truly a spectacle.

Even though I had visited a few times before, I still found myself marveling at it.

The circular bookshelves stretched up to the ceiling as if reaching the sky, wrapping around the central grand staircase like tree trunks.

The lights hanging in between gave a soft glow, easy on the eyes.

People carrying books, librarians, scholars focused on their work behind glasses, and academy students visible beyond the enchanted walls—all gathered below the library in a variety of ways, making my heart race.

After looking around at the interior, I excitedly made my way to the shelves where the old books were stored.

Books from recent decades were sorted by field, but those hundreds of years old—some destined for the archives, late 200s in age—were given no mercy.

I stepped between the shelves exuding that characteristic musty paper smell. They were taller than me, so I had to use a ladder.

I had Riventa and could handle my abilities, so a small ladder would have sufficed.

But remembering that I had once made Recalin bleed from the nose, I brought a sturdy ladder with wide steps.

So, I diligently searched for books.

Finding a book with only the keywords “spirit” and the name “Tom” was exhausting.

Even the spirits helped me.

We spread out in all directions—north, south, east, and west—immersed in the search.

But we still couldn’t find it. Not even when dinner time had passed and my stomach growled.

One person and three spirits, with two definite keywords, and we still couldn’t find it? A momentary anxious thought came to me.

Had it already been sent to the archives since it was published over three hundred years ago?

The thought made my expression involuntarily serious.

The archives were off-limits to ordinary people, even with a free pass.

I shook off the negative thought growing inside me.

Maybe it was set aside to go to the archives, but maybe it hadn’t been sent yet?

I clung to that hope and asked the librarian, but the reply was that it had just gone into the archives.

Stupid Lasha Verni… I should have asked first instead of searching blindly.

I walked on with a gloomy expression. The spirits quickly tried to cheer me.

[What’s wrong? You’re a capable contractor even without references.]
[Yes, it’s unfortunate, but you can improve a bit more.]
[Right, Lasha! I’m here, so cheer up!]

I smiled at their words and regained my composure.

Recalin had gone to the trouble of giving me a free pass, and now it was all for nothing.

Still, I decided to read a few books while I was here anyway.

As I slipped the free pass into my pocket, I bumped into someone and dropped it.

“Apologies.”

A deep, heavy voice reached my ears, and someone picked up the pass. Judging by the clipped tone, they seemed noble.

“Thank you… um?”

But he didn’t immediately return the pass.

He stared at it intently and muttered a few words.

“Recalin gave this to you?”

It was to himself, but a chill ran down my spine.

Every human has instincts that can raise hairs on end—and mine screamed like a siren.

After he looked long enough, he handed the free pass back, and I clutched it to my chest, staring at him with eyes wide as a trembling leaf.

He was clearly covered in a black robe, but I could see vivid red hair.

Wine-colored eyes mixed with red and purple were also visible.

Why come to a crowded place without a disguise?!

Maybe I was overthinking.

Maybe he just happened to resemble someone in appearance and arrogant speech.

But I didn’t want to ignore this instinct.

So, damn it.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Violette Le Din Hagaya.

Why are you here?

I looked at him in a daze but quickly composed myself.

My mind was tangled with countless thoughts.

I knew he would return for this week’s regular meeting, but why meet now?

Recalin and Calian weren’t that close yet—what would happen if Recalin reported to him?

How would I accelerate the Cupid Project now? And so on…

For now, I had to talk to him. Any disrespect could have consequences.

I held the free pass in a trembling hand, playing the role of an ordinary citizen meeting the emperor.

“Uh, excuse me, Your M—”
“That’s right. Sorry earlier. I was busy and in a hurry.”
“…”
“And it was also pleasant to hear my close friend’s name.”

I internally screamed at his slightly softened tone.

‘He really is the emperor… He’s really the emperor… Why couldn’t it have been someone else?’

I should have just pretended not to know and walked away. I wanted to turn back time to just a moment ago.

The emperor, oblivious, continued talking.

“Pass this to Duke Montenium.”

His shadow writhed like liquid, and a hand emerged from it.

I was about to scream but covered my mouth with my own hand.

Had I not done so, the emperor would have done it himself.

I really didn’t want that.

The hand from the shadow held an object.

At the emperor’s gesture, I took it. The hand returned into the shadow, and the shadow stopped moving after a brief squirm.

Right. The emperor always had shadow bodyguards.

Still, it was grotesque. Not Cthulhu-level, but close.

If anyone else had seen it, they’d have screamed, but fortunately, we were in a quiet part of the shelves.

The deep evening light faded, leaving only the library’s soft lights illuminating us.

“This is…”
“Don’t ask or open it.”

It was a letter envelope, the royal seal confirming it.

The emperor intended me to deliver it. I wasn’t particularly curious, but I hid my complaint with a gentle expression and put it in my pocket.

“C-can I deliver it?”
“If you value your life, yes.”

He was right. The emperor probably trusted me to deliver it properly and turned to leave without a word.

“W-wait!”
“What?”

I grabbed his robe.

“Will there be any reward? I’m delivering a letter to the Duke…”

If the emperor helped, I could easily find the book in the archives.

So I clung to him under the pretext of reward.

He furrowed his brow.

“The Duke will pay well, right? Or is the allowance for an assistant so little?”
“…What?”

The free pass had no personal information besides my name.

How did he know I was Recalin’s assistant?

Then the emperor’s shadow merged with the bookshelf’s shadow. I suddenly realized:

‘The shadows… they don’t only guard the emperor. They handle all sorts of secret tasks.’

Even placing someone in a friend’s house. Being able to merge with shadows made them hard to catch.

So they knew my information.

Harsh as it sounds, without the value of friendship, Recalin was a threat to the emperor.

Other high nobles probably had shadows embedded as well.

“It’s not money.”
“Then?”
“I want to find a book. But it’s already in the archives, so I can’t…”

After my long explanation, the emperor furrowed his brow and then spoke.

“I’ll lead the way.”
“Excuse me?”
“…I’ll go first.”

He strode toward the librarian, and I hurriedly followed.

With each step, his robe hood fell, curious groans followed, soft exclamations, startled screams, commotion, crowd…

“Your M-Majesty?!”

Before the crowd fully formed, the emperor stopped in front of the librarian with a soft smile.

It was the business-like smile I hadn’t seen in our private conversation.

His upward-tilted mouth now curved just right, and his eyes softened like flower buds.

Gasps and exclamations echoed around.

“Is there business, Your Majesty? Please instruct us!”
“Of course, but it’s not for me—”

He turned and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me in front of him. I ended up buried in his embrace by his overwhelming strength.

“This is troublesome.”

The leather glove brushing my cheek, the metallic smell in his embrace, and his gentle tone made me freeze.

Where was the careless stiffness from our conversation? His oily, teasing tone urged me forward.

“Ah, earlier…”
“You knew? Good then.”

The librarian recognized me, and the emperor patted my shoulder, satisfied.

Everything was theatrically calculated. Patted my shoulder? He more like slammed it.

I glanced at him. He could have just secretly called the librarian and delivered the message quietly, but he didn’t.

He clearly wanted to see my reaction.

Was he testing my courage for asking a reward?

Then I just had to show it.