"Kyaaaaaaa!"
At the shrill scream, I slowly opened my eyes.
Milo was thrashing. I gave him a light kick.
"......Huh?!"
Only after being kicked in the rear did Milo come to and check the situation.
The surroundings were full of book-built ramparts and armed books. The world made of books — the Central Library.
Tring! A crisp sound. A quest alarm. I tensed in spite of myself.
You have cleared the surprise quest, "The Demon Knights"! A record for shortest time! You have achieved a remarkable feat! A reward will be granted!
Warning! Growth has reached its limit! Stats cannot be granted!
Additional stats are now unlocked! Please choose your desired stat!
Strength / Agility / Intelligence / Stamina / Lifespan / Charm / Looks / Luck
Mercifully, 'Glory' didn't appear this time. I picked at once.
You have selected Luck. A reward will be granted.
'A Fragment of the Outer Gods plus Luck. Practically a double event.'
A Rift's reward really is certain, as much as it's hard. The reason I couldn't yield a Rift. I intended to monopolize Rifts going forward, too.
The way to monopolize Rifts was simple.
'Just follow Evangeline around.'
When I turned my gaze to Evangeline, I let out a groan.
Evangeline and Andy were tangled together in an ugly heap.
"Move! You're heavy!"
"Heavy?! How impudent!"
"I said move!"
"Gwah!"
Andy kicked Evangeline off. She rolled across the floor. A scene fit for a cheap comedy sketch.
Just then, the books strode closer.
"Motherf—, the nerve of mere books—"
As if to vent his frustration, Milo rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
"Milo."
"Leave it to me. I'll handle them."
Milo loosened his shoulders and smirked.
A foolish notion. The Central Library is half a Rift too. It's existed so long it's half-mixed with reality, but it is unmistakably an A-rank Rift. Even I can't guarantee an A-rank Rift, and he says leave it to him—
Just then, aura rose from a sword made of book-pages. The cocksure look on Milo's face went pale.
"Wh-what kind of book raises aura!"
"Raising aura would be the least of it. There are even Sword Masters."
"A book that's a Sword Master — what kind of damn joke is that, sir."
"Joke?"
I laughed softly.
The Central Library's setting is an ancient kingdom that was cursed and all turned to books. Deep within, there were even Sword Masters.
"You're saying a book is really a Sword Master?"
"To be precise, a Sword Master who was cursed into a book."
Of course, being cursed, it was weaker than a true Sword Master, but a Sword Master is a Sword Master. The reason the Central Library was classified as an A-rank Rift.
"A-ahem."
Milo cleared his throat and slyly slipped behind me.
Clicking my tongue, I turned my gaze toward Evangeline.
A dazzling, resplendent crown had appeared on her head at some point.
"Evangeline, wear the crown properly."
"Huh? It's back!"
Evangeline grabbed the crown and shook it, treating it like a toy. I hurriedly repeated myself.
"Evangeline, wear the crown properly."
"Don't wanna!"
Evangeline retorted curtly. When I scrunched my eyes, Milo bellowed.
"Wear it properly, you brat!!"
Startled, Evangeline hurriedly set the crown straight on her head.
"Why are you shouting! And I was going to wear it anyway! Not because you told me to! Because I'm the Queen!"
Crowned, Evangeline lifted her chin. Thanks to looks that were the continent's finest, the splendid crown suited her very well.
A resplendent light scattered from the crown. At that, the approaching books halted dead. They lowered their pages and bowed toward Evangeline, as if granted an audience with their king. Soon the books all around prostrated themselves.
"I am the Queen. Heh heh heh—"
Evangeline let out a sly laugh. Her usual reject self.
"Queen, nothing. You're just a library Librarian."
"Am not! I'm the Queen!"
"A Librarian. A bottom-rung 2nd-class Librarian, at that."
"But I'm wearing a crown and everything?! A grand, magnificent crown!"
"If you don't believe me, ask it yourself."
I jerked my chin at the biggest book. It was a book, but somehow I could feel it wore a relieved expression.
"The book that gave me the crown!"
"Right, ask it."
"Hey there! Is it true I'm a Librarian?!"
The book spread open from left to right.
"Hah! It says no!"
"Books are read left to right. Meaning, it said yes."
"What're you on about! It's no, right? I'm the Queen, right?"
Frrrt. This time it spread from right to left.
"Spreading in reverse means no."
"I'm not the Queen, but a Librarian?"
Frrrt.
"Left to right — that means yes."
"Stop explaining! I get it!"
"Oh, smarter than I expected."
"......Just what do you take me for?!"
Blockhead? I swallowed the word that climbed to my lips.
Evangeline's face was full of turmoil. She really did seem disappointed at not being the Queen.
"A Librarian, depending on rank, can access the books within the Central Library. Just picture the book you need and it comes to you on its own. It'll be a very great help with assignments and exams in particular."
I stressed 'very great help.'
Elysium Academy was famous for its many exams and assignments. At an Elysium like that, a Librarian's ability to find books was a kind of cheat. An ability the blockhead Evangeline would absolutely need to graduate.
"Picture the book you want and reach out your hand."
"The book I want—? Ah!"
Had she grasped a Librarian's value? Evangeline lit up.
"The Librarian commands! Come forth! Hiyaaah!"
"No need for a battle cry. Just picture it."
"But then it loses all its flavor!"
"A novel point of view."
"Hiyaah!"
Books came flying toward Evangeline. A mystical sight — but the problem was the books' titles.
'The Prince's Private Affairs. What Did His Majesty the Emperor Swallow. What the—'
Blatantly indecent titles.
"Awesome! Better than being Queen!"
Evangeline's eyes sparkled as if she'd found treasure. The bigger problem was that Andy wore a similar expression. I pressed my temple.
"Anyway, a Librarian can find any book she wants like this. In exchange, there's a duty."
"A duty?"
"Where there are rights, there are duties."
"I don't want duties!"
She was saying something shameless, ever so boldly. I clicked my tongue.
"You're a Librarian, so you do a Librarian's work."
"What's a Librarian's work?"
"Periodically tidying the books, and handling problems that arise in the Central Library."
"Sounds like a pain just to hear it. What if I don't do it?"
At Evangeline's habit of planning to skip out before she'd even started, I was purely impressed. There was no reject quite like this reject.
"You'll become a book."
"Become a book?"
"Yes, like them."
I pointed at the surrounding books. Following my finger, Evangeline's face went pale.
"Then these were originally—"
"Yes."
When I nodded lightly, Evangeline bit her lip hard. Deep pity rose in her eyes.
Soon, though, she put on her usual foolish smile. As if donning a mask.
"At least they won't be lonely!"
Evangeline tilted up the corners of her mouth. I nodded once more.
"Now let's leave."
"Wait. Let's make a deal."
Evangeline said in a crooked posture.
"A deal?"
"Yes. We each trade one thing we want."
"Seems there's something you want."
"Yeah, keep it secret that Andy came into the Central Library. Andy got dragged in because of me."
Evangeline said it in a crisp voice that didn't suit her.
In truth, I'd meant to keep it secret anyway. No — I had to, by force. My objective is Evangeline's graduation. If anything, I was in a position where I had to work to get her bonus points.
"All right. I'll keep it secret that you both came in."
"......Really?"
"Yes. But there's a condition."
The corners of Evangeline's mouth stiffened.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Study hard."
"Huh?"
"Study hard, I said."
"......Hold on! That's far too hard a condition!"
I forced myself to ignore Evangeline's shrill cry.
"Let's get going. They'll be looking."
"Looking for who?"
"The two freshmen who fled the entrance ceremony and vanished."
"Who fled—. Ah!"
Evangeline's and Andy's faces went pale.
"L-let's hurry!"
Evangeline waved frantically. A carriage of books came running.
Hurry, hurry! Andy and Evangeline shouted at the same time.
"Ah, let's take the back gate."
"Why?!"
"Because there'll be flies swarming the front gate."
The headmaster, Vice-Headmaster, and Chairman who'd absorbed Fragments of the Outer Gods would have noticed the Rift opening by now. The Vice-Headmaster in particular might have moved Karel right away.
Of course, since I'd speedrun it there'd be no running into anyone, but just in case.
"You're scared of flies?"
At Evangeline waggling her eyebrows, I couldn't hold back a sigh. Andy nodded as if he understood the feeling completely.
***
'Quick, quick.'
Karel muttered, looking at the firmly shut front gate of the Central Library.
"There's no need to fret."
Just then, a gentle voice came from beside him. Professor Elena.
"The only ones who can sense a Rift opening are the headmaster and the Chairman. The headmaster can't move, and the Chairman won't, so we'll be the fastest."
"Yes, understood."
Karel forced himself to calm down.
"It's open!!"
The firmly shut door of the Central Library slowly opened.
"We'll enter at once. We'll be the fastest, so don't move hastily. In the name of God—"
"In the name of God—"
Everyone made the sign of the cross. Pure white light blazed resplendently. Cloaked in divine power, they entered the Central Library.
The Central Library was packed with books from floor to ceiling. A structure easy to get lost in.
"Check the Rift Compass."
At Elena's order, Karel checked the compass in his hand. A compass plated in pure white and gold — but the needle at its center was a ghastly piece of flesh. Made from a Fragment of the Outer Gods.
"This way."
Karel led the way by the Rift Compass. They hurried their steps.
Soon they reached the spot the Rift Compass pointed to. The problem was that there was nothing there.
"The Rift Compass is pointing to this place. There was definitely a Rift here."
Flustered, Karel spoke in a shaking voice. The tip of Elena's brow rose.
"Are you saying someone closed the Rift in the meantime? A Rift isn't something you can break with force alone. To close even a low-grade Rift in that brief span — that would be impossible even for Sen Vandro himself."
At Elena's rebuke, Karel examined the Rift Compass in his hand again. It was still spinning round and round.
"I think the Rift Compass is broken."
"Broken—. A Rift Compass doesn't break. You must still be unskilled at reading it and gotten lost, so I'll check."
Clicking her tongue, Elena took Karel's Rift Compass.
"The Rift Compass needle points in the direction of a Rift. When you reach the Rift's location, the needle spins round and round. Like th— ......huh?"
The needle of the Rift Compass in Elena's hand kept spinning. And kept spinning—
"......I-is it broken?"
Elena turned her head, avoiding Karel's gaze.