Dark Library (4)
A path opened along with the suggestion of whether interpretation of the strange characters was needed.
A dark passage created as enormous bookshelves split apart in all directions.
Atop a massive hill of information built by piling up all kinds of books and parchments, someone stood with their back turned, silently moving their hand.
A skeleton draped in worn rags.
Compared to the other librarians managing the archive, its appearance was shabby and pitiful, rattling as if it might collapse at any moment.
The light leaking from between its bones was also exceedingly faint and dim compared to the other librarians.
Its movements were so slow and static that one could not even be certain it possessed intelligence. Gestures devoid of will or passion, like a machine. Standing with its back turned, it held a quill in its bony hand, writing something atop a book.
Creak, creak………………
The moment he thought about borrowing a book, a path had opened.
Then that must mean this one was the librarian responsible for lending books here.
Lennok carefully stepped forward, stood behind the skeleton, and slowly opened his mouth.
“Excuse me.”
[······.]
“I’d like to borrow a book.”
…
‘Come to think of it, a skeleton had no eardrums.’
As Lennok wondered if he should write it down instead of speaking, the skeleton turned its head. Glancing back at Lennok over its shoulder, it spoke in a low voice.
[Skeleton Quiz]
“…What?”
At the completely out-of-place remark that didn’t match its heavy voice at all, Lennok asked back with a baffled expression.
[Try to guess what I am doing.]
But the skeleton spoke without stopping its scribbling with the quill.
Its faint eye-light seemed to briefly scan the several grimoires Lennok was holding.
[If you answer correctly, I will allow you to borrow the other books you brought as well.]
“…….”
The Black Divine Demonic Art and Hellfire Illusory Palace that Lennok had picked up while wandering the archive.
Did that mean it would allow him to borrow those as well?
A conversation only possible if it already knew from the start that Lennok intended to borrow a celestial spell.
After thinking that far, Lennok raised his head and asked.
“What happens if I fail to answer correctly?”
[You will have to help me organize books together.]
The skeleton replied in a gentle low tone.
[Classifying and organizing the archive’s grimoires and books. There are too many, so I have been receiving help from others.]
“Then… those librarians?”
[Kind people who enjoyed an interesting quiz and are personally helping me.]
So the skeleton librarians were people who failed to borrow books and ended up trapped here.
He had thought this wasn’t an ordinary subspace, but assigning penalties to borrowing books was something he had never heard of.
“I’ve never heard that borrowing grimoires requires a special price.”
Lennok tilted his head as he spoke.
“Does everyone normally go through a similar procedure to borrow books?”
[No. The spell you wish to borrow is excessively heavy, so it takes time to process.]
The skeleton replied with a faint smile in its voice.
[As I must stop my original work to assist you, would it not be appropriate to enjoy a brief diversion?]
…
For some reason, it seemed that borrowing a book required some effort.
And this skeleton was saying that if Lennok solved the quiz, it would allow him to borrow the books.
The skeleton’s sudden proposal of a quiz to someone visiting the archive for the first time was absurd enough, but what was stranger was how naturally its hand moved between parchments and books.
Even while conversing with Lennok, it never seemed to lose focus for even a moment—an alien sight.
Scratch.
Having just finished its task, the skeleton set down its pen and finally turned fully toward Lennok.
[Now, answer me. What was I doing just now?]
What did this skeleton want by asking such a question?
It was certainly no ordinary being, but guessing its true intent was not easy.
Still, if cooperation was required to borrow the celestial spell, he would have to answer at least once.
Above all, Lennok already knew the answer.
Letting out a small sigh, Lennok set down the celestial grimoire and said.
“You were translating a grimoire written in the language of the Old World into the language of this world.”
[Oh? Why do you think so?]
“This archive has existed for decades, yet they’re still organizing books like that.”
Lennok gestured toward the skeleton librarians bustling around.
“If they were only organizing newly acquired grimoires, they wouldn’t need that many librarians. One possibility is… the information inside the archive is constantly being updated.”
“If the contents of the grimoires are continuously updated, then rather than renewing books, it would be rewriting already existing information.”
Lennok’s gaze, fixed on the skeleton, sharpened.
“More importantly, you asked me if I needed interpretation of the grimoire. That’s because you are responsible for translating the strange characters written in them, isn’t it?”
[Exactly so.]
At that moment, the skeleton’s answer seemed to carry immense weight.
[The transmission and propagation of knowledge can never occur without the connection of language and script. Thus, translation is an extremely important task in conveying disconnected time.]
…
[Understanding the languages of two worlds, examining both cultures and customs, and translating with appropriate nuance. A complex and profound task that values the original above all, yet cannot ignore the translator’s own perspective and values.]
Smiling contentedly, the skeleton reached out toward the celestial grimoire.
[Bring the grimoire. I shall personally translate this great celestial spell for you.]
“Here it is.”
As Lennok handed it over, the skeleton gently brushed the cover.
[It has been quite a while since I last touched one… was this how it felt?]
“Even with only bones left, you can still feel?”
[No…]
The skeleton spoke in a distant voice.
[I am sensing the memory of the soul that remains.]
“The memory of the soul?”
The skeleton gave no further answer.
It simply lifted its quill again, opened the celestial grimoire, and began writing new characters.
Scratch, scratch.
Each time the quill softly scraped the paper, a sound like peeling fruit echoed quietly.
The contents, once written in incomprehensible characters, gradually transformed into something understandable.
Writing over the existing characters, translating them into the continent’s common language.
[Celestial Spell: Model Garden is originally a degraded interpretation of Cheon’s Heavenly Displacement technique.]
The skeleton spoke in a nostalgic voice.
…
[He was the most noble and arrogant Ascendant of the Second World… and a genius deserving of it.]
[He sought to grasp the flow of the heavens and stars, and even his arrogance inspired those who lived in the same era.]
Slowly turning the page, the skeleton continued.
[In particular, the secret of Heavenly Displacement he created—Model Garden—can be considered the original text of the Domain used by mages today.]
“…Model Garden was close to the prototype of the Domain?”
At that unexpected information, Lennok’s expression stiffened slightly.
In an instant, the skeleton finished translating the final page and set down the pen.
Thud.
Closing the grimoire, it handed it back to Lennok with a smile.
[He was a remarkable man. And a worthy rival.]
…
[As promised long ago, I shall lend you Cheon’s grimoire. Use it well, and return it properly to its place.]
The original owner of the celestial spell. The Ascendant of the Old World, Cheon.
Was he a monster who possessed both terrifying power and character befitting his title of ruling the heavens?
Why was the skeleton explaining his story at this moment?
Why did this shabby skeleton know such details so well?
As the suspicion rising in a corner of his mind turned into certainty, Lennok opened the celestial grimoire.
—In the name of Cheon, who embraces and oversees the heavens. All stars revolve and shine within our grasp. We shall create a Model Garden and preserve that beauty forever.
The once unreadable text had already been translated into the common language. This would be enough to learn the principles and theory.
[Since you answered the quiz correctly, I can translate the other grimoires you brought as well, if you wish.]
The skeleton gestured softly toward the other books.
[Black Divine Demonic Art and Hellfire Illusory Palace. They are nearly fully translated, but if you need help.]
“…No.”
Lennok said, pulling out another grimoire.
“Not those. Translate this one instead.”
[Fate Seal: AlouaAu]
At the title, the skeleton’s response abruptly stopped.
Lennok looked at it directly and asked.
“I want to know what’s written in this book.”
The ominous keyword ‘Fate Seal.’
And ‘beyond the fourth’ written inside.
There was a high chance this book was connected to him.
That was why Lennok had originally intended to steal it.
But against this skeleton, hiding was meaningless.
[This is… troublesome.]
The skeleton smiled bitterly.
Its faint eye-light seemed to bore into Lennok.
[To think you brought this book before me without forgetting it. It seems you are unaffected by the Curse of Diminished Recognition.]
[Sorry, but I cannot translate this book. It was not recorded in the era I lived in.]
“What do you mean… the era you lived in?”
[You already understand, don’t you?]
The skeleton shook its head.
[This is a book recorded in the future. An echo of memory that should not exist in this timeline.]
[Cause and effect continue, great causality cycles, stretching toward an infinite future… a letter sent from a nonexistent beyond.]
The skeleton whispered.
[Thus, we cannot possess or understand this book. Because this archive still belongs to this world.]
The future beyond.
Did the skeleton understand what it was saying?
A future book placed in Nox Biblio, an archive of Old World sorcery.
As Lennok pondered this, the skeleton set the book down.
[I will return it to its original place. It cannot be taken outside anyway.]
[If you wish, you may come back to read it anytime while you have access.]
Picking up its pen again, the skeleton pointed to the back of the archive.
[The exit is that way. I hope to see you again before the return deadline.]
With that quiet advice, it turned its back again and resumed writing, as if done with him.
Despite speaking with Lennok, it showed no impression of him.
As if deliberately choosing not to care.
But precisely because of that, Lennok was certain—it knew him.
…
Holding the grimoire, Lennok stared at the skeleton’s back.
Should he speak? Or leave as if they didn’t know each other?
Clearly, continuing this conversation wasn’t what the skeleton wanted.
But even so, Lennok felt this chance might not come again.
Curiosity, rather than regret, held him back.
Even knowing that speaking would make things irreversible—
“Translation connects two different cultures and languages, you said.”
Having made his decision, Lennok spoke.
“That also means connecting traces that existed in different timelines. A task of linking memories from two different worlds. Is that the answer you reached in this world?”
[……………I don’t know what you’re talking about.]
The skeleton replied in a slow low tone.
[But you should be careful. Time in this archive flows differently from outside.]
[Someone must be waiting for you outside. Is it fine to waste time with me?]
“I never said how I entered this archive.”
Lennok replied coldly.
“Nor why I came here.”
[······.]
“Drop the act and talk for a moment. You know we remember each other.”
The skeleton librarians bustling around had all stopped as if dead.
The scratching of paper and friction of pens vanished into silence.
Looking at the skeleton’s back buried in darkness, Lennok called its name.
“Naoiz Pen.”
Whooooosh…!!
A chilling wind that should not exist rushed through the archive.
Feeling the darkness brush his cheek, Lennok slowly raised his mana.
After a long silence, the skeleton set down its pen and turned.
[You know nothing of humility or restraint.]
Thud!
The skeleton’s eye-light, now facing Lennok, was filled with a bottomless darkness like the abyss of hell.
…
[Must I personally teach you that some things should be seen and ignored?]
After hearing Olivera’s explanation about Nox Biblio…
After encountering countless skeleton librarians…
After meeting this skeleton to borrow the celestial spell—
Lennok had already known.
That this skeleton was a great transcendent being who once challenged Ascension.
The memory of Ascension shared by Lennok, the High Priest, and the Leader.
The final moment of a great transcendent who challenged Ascension in the Second World.
The Level 9 necromancer, Naoiz Pen.
Lennok was asking him directly if he was the owner of Nox Biblio.
“Why is an Ascendant of the Second World acting as a librarian in a place like this?”