PDHTFV 36

~Chapter 36~

I should really ask Aydin to include the subject when he talks. Without it, I keep misunderstanding him.

Suddenly, awkwardness hung between me and Aydin.

We both realized that something had gone off in our conversation a moment ago.

While the awkward silence continued, Aydin spoke in a slightly higher voice than usual.

“You know the Day of Prayer isn’t just for the royal family, the emperor, and the pope, but also for more than half the people in the empire, right? It’s a huge event where everyone gathers.”

“Yes, well…”

I could see he was trying hard to ease the mood, so I just went along with it.

There’s no point in making things more awkward.

“Because of that, I can’t help but worry about the future. I really hope nothing bad happens during such a big event.”

“…Right, no one should get hurt.”

I realized the misunderstanding between me and Aydin was probably because our values are different.

For me, this isn’t my world, so I don’t care that much what happens. But for Aydin, this world is real, so of course he’s worried.

‘Let’s see… what happens on the Day of Prayer again…?’

Suddenly, I tried to remember the original novel. Even if it’s not my world, I didn’t like the idea of seeing anyone get hurt or killed.

But nothing major came to mind. I felt sure something happened, but… the story focused so much on Yushen, Idelia, and Henry that I couldn’t remember any background details.

I did remember that on that day, the heroine, Idelia, showed her power as a Saint and made a strong impression on the empire.

So I was only looking forward to seeing her cool moment, not really thinking about accidents or incidents.

‘I wanted to see Saint Idelia light up the dark with holy power…!’

If I said there was going to be an incident, I’d probably end up being stuck with the investigation team instead of watching the event.

Aydin had told me that unlike the other members, since I couldn’t fight, I could just enjoy the event. But if I said something bad would happen, they’d need every person, and he wouldn’t let me relax.

“…I see a bad omen for that day.”

“What?”

Still, I couldn’t just lie and say nothing would happen.

As long as I’m stuck in this world, my foresight ability can’t be doubted. It’s the only reason I’m allowed to stay in Luche.

And if there is an incident that could cause a lot of casualties, I have to stop it if I can—even if it’s not my world, it’s real to them.

“I don’t think I can say for sure right now. I need to be somewhere quiet and focus all my attention to see the future.”

Aydin nodded, showing he understood.

As a holy knight, he could use holy power, and since there’s little information about foresight, he seemed to believe me.

“I’ll report back after I finish my foresight about the Day of Prayer.”

I left it at that for now.

If only I remembered exactly what happened that day, but since I don’t, I’d have to keep trying to recall the original story until then.

Luckily, there was still some time left before the Day of Prayer. I hoped nothing terrible would happen.

Yesterday, after we left the palace, Aydin let me go home early. He said there wouldn’t be any work for me if I came back that day anyway.

This time, he had told me the department location, so I didn’t have to wander around the lobby looking for him.

I arrived at work on time and checked the nameplate next to the door just before entering the new office.

‘…Aydin’s group?’

The department name was so simple, it surprised me.

Maybe that’s just how it is here, or maybe naming the departments was too much trouble.

When I sat at my new desk and looked at the organization chart, I noticed something funny. Except for a few teams, like the medical team, almost every department was just named “someone’s group.”

I guess the first head of Luche couldn’t be bothered to think up department names, so they just used the leader’s name.

Honestly, I probably would’ve done the same. Even just glancing at the chart, there were way too many departments.

Anyway, I put the chart back and tried to start my work… but there was nothing for me to do.

Aydin told me to do whatever I wanted…

‘All I want, like every office worker, is to go home early!’

Of course, I couldn’t just leave, so I tried to find something to do. But I didn’t even know what my job was supposed to be.

This really made me realize how unneeded I was in this department.

‘If I’m not needed here… could I go somewhere else?’

I thought of the library, which I hadn’t had time to visit yet.

I’d been wondering when to go, so this seemed like the perfect chance.

“Sure, go ahead.”

When I carefully asked if I could go to the library, Aydin agreed right away.

He said the library was in the central temple, not in the Luche building, so I should take another member with me to show me the way.

To be honest, everyone but me looked really busy, so I felt bad. But I didn’t know the way, since I’d never been to the central temple before, so I pretended not to notice and accepted the suggestion.

The path to the library in the central temple wasn’t that complicated. I guessed it was because outsiders sometimes came there.

I didn’t know the name of the poor member who ended up coming with me.

So after thinking a bit, I carefully asked,

“Um… you must have a lot of work, right?”

“Huh?”

The member looked down at me, puzzled.

“Oh, it’s just that I memorized the way here on the way over!”

“…Really?”

“I know you’re busy, so you can go back first!”

He seemed totally confused, so I explained again.

After that, the member made a slightly relieved face.

I felt sorry for him—he’d just gotten unlucky. But since I really had memorized the way, I used my best smooth-talking to convince him.

“…Then I’ll head back.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll tell Sir Aydin, so don’t worry!”

I waved my hand at him as he walked away, then went inside the library.

People say this library has every book in existence. That wasn’t a lie—the place was even bigger than I imagined.

It felt a bit hopeless. How was I supposed to find a book on black magic in a place this huge?

There was a librarian, but there’s no way I could ask for a book on black magic in the central temple of all places.

Anyway, I had nothing but time, and I could come back later, so I decided to look around slowly.

I looked carefully so I wouldn’t miss a single book. I even found books written in letters I couldn’t read.

‘In other stories, you get a “possession buff” that lets you read all the new languages, but I guess that’s not guaranteed here.’

I guess I wasn’t meant to change specialties.

I wandered around for a long time, then finally slumped down against a bookshelf in a quiet corner.

After walking for over an hour, my legs were aching.

If I kept searching like this, who knew how long it would take? The place was huge, and with new books coming in all the time, my search might never end.

As I was racking my brain for a solution, something glittered on a shelf at eye level across from me.

At first, I thought I was imagining it, but it kept sparkling like it wanted me to notice.

Finally, I looked over.

“Huh?”

What is Black Magic?

It was the very book I’d been searching for.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure there would even be a book on black magic in the central temple.

But there it was, right in front of me at the perfect time! I was really happy.

‘But… isn’t that title a little too obvious?’

It was a little strange that a book on black magic would be sitting out in the open in the temple, where they hate the stuff.

But I couldn’t let the chance slip by, so I picked up the book and went straight to the table of contents.

It listed the origins of black magic, the basics, key components—honestly, if you took away the words “black magic,” it looked just like any basic holy power book.

But one chapter really caught my eye.

Types of Black Magic

I flipped right to the page.

“…Nothing.”

I muttered in disappointment. There was no easy answer.

There were so many strange and different kinds of black magic, but I couldn’t guess which one Leana had used.

Just in case, I checked from the beginning, but I still couldn’t figure out what kind of black magic had brought me to this world. There was nothing about being the “owner of black magic,” either.

There was only one that seemed even slightly likely.

Its name was “Call of the Species.”

Unfortunately, the book was old, so the instructions for using it were erased. At least the meaning was written below the name.

“Answer the call of your diligent master.”

“Answer the call,” huh…

I remembered Leana saying something like that when I first met her.

“I did call someone, but I didn’t pick you specifically.”

Leana said she’d used black magic to call someone.

In this book, this was the only magic for summoning someone. So it was most likely what Leana had used.

But why wasn’t there a way to send someone back? Usually, if there’s a way to bring someone, there’s also a way to send them home.

It felt like I was close to solving the puzzle, but still missing something. I groaned and finally let out a sigh.

“Is there a dog in the library or something?”