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Chapter 156

They would probably have a sleepless night, but come morning, their minds might be clearer.

However, some people did not need time to sort out their thoughts, and they stayed in the hideout.

It was close to midnight, now.

Under the dim light, Sellen said, “I’m about to talk about something important...” Sellen’s gaze fell on Evan as she intentionally trailed off.

I understood that look.

Placing a hand on Evan\'s shoulder, I made up an excuse to support him. “He’s trustworthy,” I said. “In fact, it was only thanks to Evan that we learned about the puppets’ existence.”

Although it had been Leone who actually gave us that crucial piece of information...

Still, Evan was the one who had told me about the demon lord being summoned and made me realize the urgency of the situation, so it wasn’t a complete lie.

From Sellen’s perspective, though, I could see why she might not approve of him.

Sellen had only spoken to Evan a few times, so she probably couldn’t tell whether she could really trust him.

“Is this about the princess?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Evan suspected the royal family even before I brought it up.”

At that, Sellen turned her gaze toward Evan. She raised an eyebrow as if to ask, Really?

Evan scratched the back of his head somewhat sheepishly.

Seeing him react so naturally like that still felt unreal considering he had already awakened.

While I was lost in thought, Sellen began to speak slowly. “...Fine. Remember what I said before? About how, when the sun sets, the princess always locks herself away in the research wing?”

“I remember.”

“I searched every room in the research wing, and not a single one belonged to her.”

Blink...

The lights inside the tavern flickered on and off at an odd rate. This place’s interior felt slightly chilly as well, as if the heater wasn’t working properly, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“I even checked the ledger in the staff office, just in case,” Sellen said. “The ledger said that the princess rented Room 104 in Research Building 12, but when I went there, it was long abandoned.”

Surprised, I asked, “You didn’t go at night, did you?”

“No, I went during the day. It wasn’t intentional, but I was a little wary of the ghost stories myself.”

Her cautiousness might have saved her life. Perhaps that was another quality a hero needed.

Sellen continued, “Anyway, the room was filled with creepy dolls and occult items, and strange symbols and writing covered the walls. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in months.”

“Symbols and writing?”

“I copied them down.”

Of course, thorough as ever.

I took the paper Sellen handed me and unfolded it.

“...Hmm.”

I couldn’t make sense of the writing, let alone the symbols.

They don’t feel anything like what I saw in the Gem Mountains.

I discreetly showed them to Evan as well, but all I got was his characteristic awkward smile, suggesting he had no clue either.

I couldn’t tell if he genuinely didn’t know or if he was just playing coy in front of Sellen, though. I’d have to ask him later, when we were alone.

“So where on earth did the princess spend the night?”

“I didn’t have any classes yesterday, so I followed her around all day.”

“And?”

“I lost her.”

I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes slightly at that.

As I’d said before, Sellen’s skills were far beyond the average young hero’s.

If someone like her had lost her target, it probably wasn’t carelessness or a simple mistake on her part.

“She headed to the research wing around dusk, but as soon as she stepped into Building 12, it was like she vanished into thin air.”

“Then?"

“I checked inside the building just to be sure, but only the professor was present.”

“Hmm...”

“The darker it got outside, the more uneasy I felt, so I had to turn back. The princess, however, was nowhere to be seen for the rest of the day, but she attended class the next day like nothing had happened.”

“The princess wasn’t a doll, right?”

“Yeah, I already confirmed she was breathing.”

“Then it’s pretty much confirmed: The princess is part of the church,” I said. Then I told them what had happened with Glenn in the morning.

After listening to my story, Sellen nodded in agreement.

“Glenn Scarlet\'s behavior was suspicious, but that confirms it. It seems he’s just gathering his own faction within the academy. It doesn\'t seem directly related to this situation.”

I paused for a moment, then held up the note. “Mind if I hold on to this?” I asked.

“Got a hunch about something?”

“Kind of.”

Sellen nodded readily. “Keep it, then.”

* * * * *

* * * * *

Sellen went back to her dorm, leaving only myself and Evan in the hideout.

I still had something to discuss with him. However, Evan had wandered off to the kitchen, complaining about being hungry, and he still showed no sign of coming back out.

“What the heck are you doing?” I called out.

“Luan! Look at this!” Evan said shortly before he emerged with a delighted expression, holding something in his hands.

“That’s...?”

“Cookies! I found them hidden in the corner of the kitchen.”

“...”

“See this brand? I think they’re from De Marlin Confectionery. I heard you have to book at least a month in advance to buy their products.”

I was about to tell him to put them back, but I stopped myself. Cookies were certainly a luxury... but I’d paid a hundred gold to rent this place.

Surely he wouldn’t make a fuss over a few hidden cookies?

We sat side by side, munching on cookies.

Crunch.

“Not bad.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty good.”

How long has it been since I last ate something like this?

As I ate a couple of the crunchy, sweet cookies, I pulled out the note from Sellen and showed it to Evan.

“Do you recognize this?”

Evan nodded. “Yeah, that’s demon tongue. The symbols look like they’re from a dark-magic circle.”

“Can you interpret it?”

“No.”

“You’re a vice-cult leader and you can’t even do that?”

Evan just laughed, unaffected by my jab. “Do you know how many dialects of demon tongue there are? Even high priests who study the Wicked Scriptures don’t actually translate this stuff directly, they just recite what they have memorized. The only one who has completely mastered the demon tongue is the cult leader.”

“Mm...”

“Still, it looks like it came from a magic circle, so if we can interpret the symbols, we might get some clues, but...” Evan shrugged. “I\'m pretty bad at dark magic.”

But his words made me pause for a second.

Dark magic...

“What is it? Did you think of something?”

“Maybe.” I nodded, then snatched the half-empty bag of cookies. “Stop stuffing your face already.”

“J-just one more...” said Evan.

“No.”

You’re gonna make the owner cry, you little brat.

I glanced at Evan, who was visibly disappointed.

If I hid the cookies somewhere in this hideout, there was a good chance he would find them, so I decided to keep the cookies on me for the timing. I would hide them somewhere he wouldn’t find later.

Afterward, I told Evan to stay in the hideout for the night.

Early tomorrow morning, we would head to Room 104 in Research Building 12.

I had looked over the notes on the writing and symbols, but going there in person might help us catch something Sellen had missed.

This place wasn’t an inn, but there was a small resting area with a cot in the back of the kitchen.

It wasn’t massive, but there was enough room for two people to sleep.

Of course, I wasn’t planning on sleeping just yet.

After sitting up for a moment to collect my thoughts, I checked to make sure Evan was asleep before quietly getting up.

The place I was headed for was the pantry.

It was the most important place in the restaurant, so I was sure I\'d find what I was looking for there.

“I knew it.”

There was a keyhole in the door.

I couldn’t help but smile as I reached into my pocket and pulled out the unnaturally cold key.

But this wasn’t the pantry key the owner had given me.

Click.

The key fit into the lock perfectly, as if it belonged there, and with a creak, the door opened.

“...”

Beyond was not the pantry. Instead, ahead lay a pitch-black void, one I couldn’t see into at all.

It looked like a mass of darkness or thick mud—or perhaps like the surface of the ocean at night.

A feeling of unease washed over me, but I shook it off and stretched my leg forward.

Almost immediately, I felt an indescribable energy envelop my body, a strange intangible something wrapping around me.

Splash.

I was standing in a puddle of cold water up to my ankles, and floating on the surface were dry books.

In the middle of this area was a mountain of books...

And sitting atop it was a small childlike figure.

“Hello.”

“...”

The librarian of House Bednicker’s Underground Library.

Lise Ladygoth Oll Haimudd looked at me.

Was it because it’d been a while? I felt a strange pressure, so I awkwardly blurted out, “It’s been a while.”

“...”

Lise turned her attention back to the book she was reading.

I worried that I would be completely ignored, but thankfully, she decided to honor me with her attention.

“ ‘It’s been a while’? Did we not meet just recently?”

“It’s been about half a month already.”

“That is but a moment,” Lise responded, uninterested and nonchalant.

I looked around the room.

The dimly lit underground space made it hard to tell the passage of time. Moreover, Lise Ladygoth was an ancient being who had lived for at least several hundred years. It made sense that a mere fifteen days would likely feel like the blink of an eye to her.

Suddenly, I wondered if Lise Ladygoth was truly content with the way things were. There was something about her demeanor that suggested to me a strange sense of resignation, as if she had made peace with this situation.

“You, descendant of Kuset, do you have some business with me?”

This isn’t the time to be worrying about others.

I snapped out of it and said, “I’ve come to seek your advice, Lady Lise.”

“Advice?”

“It is related to magic.”

“What magic?”

“You mentioned before that you are knowledgeable about curses, demonic contracts, and necromancy.”

Lise nodded readily. “Indeed,” she said.

“I was wondering if you might also have insight into dark magic and the demon tongue.”

With a soft thud, Lise closed her book and looked at me, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly beneath her disheveled bangs.

“The bloodline of Bednicker comes seeking advice on dark magic and the demon tongue...” She paused. “How interesting. Go ahead, humor me, ” Lise said, her raspy voice carrying a faint hint of curiosity.

I immediately took out the slip of paper from my pocket. “I have this.”

Lise didn’t move to take it herself.

Instead, a long strand of her hair transformed into a black serpent and slithered forward to take the note in its mouth.

Lise unfurled the note held in the serpent\'s grasp.

Her eerie, violet eyes quickly scanned its contents.

She made a small noise of amusement. “Hmph...” Now smiling openly, Lise said in a wintry voice, “The seventeenth demon tongue and the dark magic of Hadenaihar, concerning the formation of the Veiled Side and the establishment of its laws. Quite interesting...”

“...”

Can she understand it at a glance?

I couldn’t help but marvel.

Though she appeared as a child, Lise Ladygoth was indeed a monster who rivaled the Archmages of Seven Colors.

“I see. You are curious about the interpretation of this demon tongue and the direction of the dark magic\'s influence.”

“That’s correct. Is it possible?”

“It isn’t particularly difficult...” Lise\'s lips stretched ominously into a wide grin. “But a renowned mage’s advice is worth more than gold, young Bednicker. I hope you did not expect to receive the invaluable advice of Lise Ladygoth Oll Haimudd without giving something in return... did you?”

“...Can’t you just think of it as helping out your poor assistant?” I asked, trying to appeal to the bond we’d built.

But Lise let out a strange snort. Evidently, she found my words funny. With a smile, she said, “Sorry to let you down, but I am a mage. When it comes to deals, I hold family and foe both to the same standard.”

“...Hmm.” I had expected this response, so I reached inside my outer clothing and pulled something out. “How about this?”

Lise glanced at the item and smirked. “A mask of the Linchal tribe? It seems to be etched with a transformation spell. A rare item, perhaps, but to me it has no use.”

“Then how about this...”

“A mystic bead? If it were an unblemished gemstone, I could use it as an ingredient, but I see it has already been used quite a bit, so no.”

“Then this?”

“A belt made of serpent scales. I suppose it could double as a whip, but... well, no thanks.”

“...Or, maybe, I’m kind of loaded, so—”

“You already have and know what I want.” Lise\'s wicked grin widened. “Something far more precious than that old, tattered mask, or the feces left behind by a spirit, or a belt made of animal carcasses. Did you really think you could hide it? Foolish, foolish little Bednicker,” Lise whispered in a sly tone, and I gulped involuntarily.

Hissss...

The sound of a snake filled the air.

Before I knew it, a jet-black serpent made of Lise’s hair had glided across the water and slithered up my leg.

“This underground library is my domain. The moment you stepped inside, I became aware of everything you carried.”

...Well, fuck me.

So she’d known about it the whole time.

The crown jewel of Archmage Alderson’s collection and undoubtedly the most valuable item I possessed...

The divine artifact known as the Scissors of Amon.

Sssssssss...

All the hairs on my body stood on end as I felt the sensation of snakes slithering across my body.

Were these really made from her hair?

The cold, scaly texture was unmistakably reptilian.

—You’d better tread carefully. In a way, she’s even more dangerous than a high priest.

I suddenly remembered Asad’s warning about Lise.

Sure, I’d managed to talk my way into becoming her assistant, but trusting her as an ally? That would be a fatal mistake.

I briefly weighed my options, but the truth was, I had no choice.

No matter how priceless the Scissors of Amon might be, they weren’t worth holding on to at the cost of leaving unchecked the catastrophe that would result from the demon lord’s summoning.

After taking a moment to make my decision, I was about to take out the scissors when an unusually small snake slipped into my pocket.

“Kekekeke...” With Lise Ladygoth’s sinister cackle, the serpent snatched it away.

The half-empty bag of cookies.

“...”

“...”

“...?”

____