I quickly shook my head.
‘No, there’s no way.’
If that were true, Dad wouldn’t be suffering like this.
This time, suspicion turned towards my deceased mother.
That’s because, usually, the people involved in these kinds of things are often not of this world.
I repeated what Granny Horulu had told me.
‘The little ladies’ fate charts seem to be very closely related to the Imperial Family.’
I tried my best to force a positive outlook, but the conclusion leaned towards playing it safe.
The mark that had appeared on my hand might have disappeared without a trace now, but there was no knowing when it might reappear.
Unless I could control it perfectly with my own will.
‘I’m finally getting close to my sister, and I don’t want to be branded a witch.’
I searched through all sorts of thick books, trying to find even the smallest clue about the Imperial Family’s mark.
And I began to read in earnest.
[The shape of the Triangle (▼) resembles the territory of the Kite Empire. Also, the inverted triangle mark is also called a shield shape. It symbolizes the guardian who protects the empire from the forces of evil.
The Kite Empire has won many wars because of God’s blessing. And at the center of it is the Imperial Family.]
I was curious about how the first Triangle manifested, but there was no clear description of it.
All it said was that it had been manifested from the Imperial Family’s bloodline since the founding of the empire.
‘What is this? It’s all just glorifying the Imperial Family.’
The ancient books constantly emphasized that the Kite Empire had achieved remarkable growth based on the Imperial Family.
Of course, I knew that this content was a means to gain the blind trust of the empire’s citizens.
The problem was that, as I read, there were quite a few parts that described the Emperor as if he were a god.
This is totally crossing the line, isn’t it?
‘Who the heck is this historian?’
I stopped reading and examined the front and back of the book.
I smell something fishy, I smell it.
If not, the writer must have been heavily intoxicated with national pride.
‘Heese Toryon?’
What kind of name is that?
But the catch is, I don’t know who this person is even when I see the name.
Damn it. How much did he get paid by the Emperor for writing this?
‘Am I trash for thinking like this?’
My capitalist-tainted mind couldn’t shake the feeling that the content of the book was biased.
In any case, the book concluded with the statement that the Imperial Family was striving to produce excellent bloodlines.
But it’s clear that it’s just their own little league.
‘The more excellent bloodlines there are, the more people will covet the throne.’
In the end, factions will be divided, and internal divisions will break out.
That was an immutable law that never failed to appear in the course of history.
As my train of thought led me there, my temples throbbed.
I picked up another book to clear my head.
[Triangles have grades.]
‘Grades?’
The first sentence was quite stimulating.
The manifestation of a Triangle was already a huge deal, but there was something that differentiated them.
‘I’ve never heard of this before.’
The content became more and more interesting as I read.
The grades of Triangles were not like leveling up in a game, but were determined by the heavens, it explained.
In particular, there were various conditions required to become Emperor, but there was a theory that those who were granted the highest grade of Triangle were at an advantage. It was also said that when a top-grade person was born, only the current Emperor knew about it and kept it a secret.
It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
‘If the grade is exposed, the Emperor’s position could be in danger.’
Even in real history, countless lives were lost in the battle for the throne.
They were even a scary bunch who would kill their own families in the face of power.
A chill ran down my spine for no reason.
[Therefore, the current Emperor may keep the highest-grade Triangle person by his side and make them an ally. The close aides will keep each other in check, hoping that an opportunity might come to them. Perhaps the only way to avoid catastrophe is the inheritance of the highest grade. Whether the heavens will give such an opportunity is something that you, including me, who are reading this, should watch closely.]
‘Come to think of it, there was an Imperial succession while I was playing this game.’
There was only one.
And that was at the very end.
So it’s no wonder I didn’t pay much attention to it.
The Imperial succession has nothing to do with the gameplay.
After that, the book mainly consisted of stories that shed light on the lives of the Imperial Family who had manifested Triangles.
‘What? Is that all?’
I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
Nowhere in the book could I find any mention of Triangles manifested on other parts of the body, nor did it discuss the phenomenon of Triangles disappearing.
Nothing was being resolved in a satisfactory way, which made it even harder to give up.
My intuition, which had collected countless endings, told me.
‘Maybe the mark is the key to this ending.’
I continued to expand my search to not only history books but also magic books.
Really, I read and read the letters until my eyes were so dry that I wanted to pluck them out.
How long had I been concentrating like that?
Rustle.
I heard someone sitting across from my desk.
Taking that sound as a signal, I was finally able to take a breather.
‘Ugh, my neck!’
I massaged my stiff neck and raised my head.
“Gasp!”
I was so startled that I almost fell backward.
“Oh my! Miss, please be careful.”
“Anne, what brings you here?”
Anne carefully lifted a basket and whispered softly.
“You left your lunch box behind.”
“Oh, right! I was so out of it this morning that I forgot.”
“That’s understandable. By the way, our Miss, I love seeing you like this.”
“Huh? What?”
“Being buried in books like this. I see there’s imperial history, politics, and even magic? Wow, how proud would Master be if he saw this.”
Oh.
It would be hard to have such a perfect misunderstanding.
The thought that this fact would be conveyed to Dad made me feel like I was already sweating.
I reflexively stood up from my seat.
“Anne, let’s get out of here first.”
We sat down on a bench in the library’s backyard.
I accepted the basket and expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you, Anne. For bringing my lunch box all the way here.”
I had been dealing with the old woman since morning, so I had completely forgotten about the lunch box.
Besides, I was so focused on finding information related to the Triangle that I didn’t even realize I was hungry.
Growl.
Was it because I was relaxed?
I was finally feeling hungry.
“Oh my, I arrived just in time.”
Anne gave a proud smile.
“I guess so. By the way, Anne, you haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Want to eat together?”
“Oh, no. I had a late breakfast, so I’m still full. And I only packed a lunch box for you, Miss. So don’t worry about me and eat quickly.”
Anne repeatedly waved her hands and then left, saying she had to go to the market now.
‘Okay, let’s fill my stomach first.’
When I opened the basket, it was filled with sandwiches, peach juice, and fresh fruits.
“Wow!”
It was truly a heartfelt lunch box.
Touched by Anne’s sincerity, I took a big bite of the sandwich.
“Wow, this is really good!”
The combination of sweet and savory flavors blended perfectly, making me feel uplifted.
I stuffed my mouth full of the sandwich and took a sip of the peach juice, and it created another harmonious taste.
After filling my stomach, I returned to my seat.
‘I have to finish what I was looking at.’
The more I needed to concentrate on one thing to reduce distracting thoughts.
Among the many books piled up in front of me, I opened a magic book with a hardcover this time.
‘There are more pictures than words in this one?’
That’s even better.
I decided to take my time and look through the pages one by one to digest my food.
Anyway, the important thing was to find a clue to the mark that was engraved on me.
I was concentrating on the magic book, looking at the geometric patterns and their explanations.
Buzz, buzz.
I felt a slight vibration on the desk.
It was the sound of the hardcover rubbing against the surface of the desk.
My brow furrowed instantly.
Unless someone was using magic, there was no way the book would move on its own.
The strange thing didn’t end there.
‘Huh?’
Soon after, the books in front of me began to ripple like waves.
My body and mind seemed to be shaking along with them.
‘What’s going on?’
Thud!
Unable to withstand the physical force, the books crashed to the floor.
“Aah!”
“Earthquake, it’s an earthquake!”
I was jolted awake by people’s screams.
‘Earthquake?’
I hadn’t expected it at all.
If I had known that an earthquake would occur at this time, there was no way I would have been here.
And the situation worsened.
‘……!’
In an instant, people were entangled, and the library was a mess.
Everyone, without exception, lost their minds and ran wildly.
How many people had come in here?
Everyone was desperate to get out of here, but their reckless actions combined to create an even bigger barrier.
As people pushed and shoved each other, a brawl broke out, and bookshelves began to fall one by one.
I wondered if this was what a zombie horde looked like, as a human tsunami rushed in.
‘This is crazy!’
Eventually, the entrance was blocked.
My head throbbed at the dizzying sight.
What should I do now?
I kept biting my innocent lips.
‘I should have gone home earlier if I had known this would happen.’
Regret washed over me, but it was already too late.
I reflexively raised a book over my head.
‘I can’t die here.’
Aside from anything else, I had to protect my head.
The most important part of the human body is the head, and if the central processing unit that is responsible for all of the game data breaks down.
‘Then the ending and everything else is over!’
So snap out of it, Chasey!
I reminded myself and decided to do the best I could with what I could do now.
And I faithfully recalled the earthquake evacuation tips I knew.
‘What kind of campaign was it.’
Anyway, I remembered seeing it on TV.
First, I decided to go under the desk to protect myself and watch the situation.
If an aftershock occurred in a defenseless state, it could lead to a secondary accident.
At that time, I saw a little kid squatting near a pile of books, trembling.
“Hey, kid!”
The child turned his head from side to side, looking for the source of the sound.
“Over here, over here!”
The eye level of the child and me matched exactly.
The fact that both of us were stuck to the floor wasn’t very pleasant, though.
But the child didn’t come forward easily.
He even narrowed his brow like a hedgehog with its quills raised.
‘This is a big problem.’
I waved my hands urgently and raised my voice.
“Hey! I’m not a bad person.”
Can’t you tell by looking?
I shouted loudly once again.
“Kid, it’s dangerous. Come here!”
I had forgotten until this point.
That my body was also that of an eleven-year-old, not much different from that child.