Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Villain's Manners
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Five consecutive failures? Does that even make sense?
Hiding in the corner of the library corridor, she pressed her forehead against the wall with a gloomy expression. It was literal headbutting. Anguished headbutting.
Thud. Thud.
Just like the wall being chipped away by horns, the pride of this body was shattering alongside it.
"Why, why, why does it always end up like this..."
All her evil deeds flipping backward into praise. How was she supposed to explain this cursed situation?
"If this body weren't the superstar of the villain world with the King's DNA, she'd probably have burrowed under the covers and lain there for a week!"
Bending her knees and squatting down, she sobbed quietly.
"The neighborhood uncles who used to ignore me are overflowing with joy, the standoffish librarians are getting all emotional, the mystery novel reading club is wandering around searching for my traces... and even my orcas are riding the trend!"
A sigh leaked out on its own.
"I can't give up like this. Mark my words—this body will become the greatest villain in history!"
She propelled herself to her feet, steeling her resolve once more. Stroking her horns, she fell deep into thought.
"Thinking about it... the problem was the target of my evil deeds."
A sudden flash of insight struck her.
"That's right! The key isn't individuals—it's the system! Up until now, this body has been tormenting ants, but what matters is the anthill!"
She shot to her feet, scanning her surroundings with eyes blazing with determination. This was her chance to commit true evil at last.
"I have to wreck the library system itself! What's the most important system in this library?"
As she looked around, the information desk caught her eye. Next to it sat a small box.
'Book Request Box'
"That's it!"
The book request box was the heart of library operations. The books requested here became the library's new resources! This was the system's Achilles' heel!
"What if this body fills the library with books that have zero academic value? Won't the sacred image of the hall of knowledge come crashing down?"
Target the system. Debase the library's prestige with harmful books, not good deeds!
Glancing warily in all directions, she approached the desk without raising suspicion. The librarian was absorbed in typing away on her laptop, not lifting her head.
Without running into the enemy, she slyly snatched up the book request forms. Not just one, but several! She grabbed about ten sheets.
"Kakakat! Now it's time to plant the seeds of true evil in this library!"
She slipped into a quiet corner and pulled out a ballpoint pen.
"Alright, what books should I request? Ones with no academic value... books like that..."
After a moment of deliberation, an idea bubbled up.
"Manga!"
Things this body secretly adored! Things that didn't belong in the hall of academia! The one drug permitted by the nation!
"If it's packed with manga like this instead of all those cultured books, the image of a knowledge sanctuary will collapse! Kyakya kak!!"
Scribble scribble—
She filled all ten forms. Titles of manga she usually enjoyed—no, that this body had been reading for 'research'—were crammed in densely.
"Kakakat! This time, I'll drag the library's authority into the dirt! This evil deed is on a whole different level from before!"
She crept back to the desk with the request box. Seizing the moment when the librarian stepped away briefly, she swiftly shoved the forms inside.
"This time, my evil deed will succeed! A library overflowing with hero manga and magical girl stories instead of science and history books! Just imagining it is so satisfying!"
The operation was complete now. Time to make a quick exit!
"Ah! Excuse me!"
It felt like her heart had stopped. The librarian's voice, right behind her.
"Hiiik! C-caught...?"
"Did you just submit book requests?"
The librarian had already pulled her forms out of the box and was examining them.
"Team leader! Take a look at this!"
A middle-aged female librarian approached and peered at the forms together.
'It's over... I got caught after all... Now they'll spread rumors that I'm a villain who loves manga...!'
The two librarians' faces filled with astonishment. And then their words followed...
"What incredible timing! Next week is 'National Manga Day', and we were racking our brains over what manga to stock!"
"Manga... Manga Day...? There's a day like that?"
"Teens haven't been coming to the library much lately, so it's an event to introduce them to the joy of reading through manga."
Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, like a goldfish in a bowl.
"This list is fantastic! Our staff don't know much about manga and were worried, but you came along with this perfect recommendation list right on cue! You must have some real deep knowledge of manga!"
While she was utterly speechless, the two librarians dove in enthusiastically, using her requests to compile an order list.
"Oh, right! We should credit you as the idea provider on the poster. What's your name?"
"Gr-Grimoire..."
"Ms. Grimoire! What a cool name. Thank you for starring in the Manga Reading Project for Everyone!"
Manager Kim boldly wrote 'Idea Provided by: Grimoire' on the poster.
"Th-this... that's not what I..."
"Would you consider mentoring the library manga club too? The students would absolutely love it!"
"What? What club? This body is a villain—mentoring and teaching others is..."
"Villain? Oh, you must like stuff like 'Villains Live On'! You really get into character! That's awesome!"
It felt like all the words went in one ear and out the other. Her mind went completely blank.
At this point, she gave up on speaking altogether. Everything coming out of her mouth kept getting twisted into the exact opposite.
"I was trying to ruin the library by stuffing it full of books without any academic value!"
"Exactly! You've shattered the fixed idea that only academia has value! It's high time we recognized manga as a legitimate form of literature!"
"Gyaaaak...! Whatever! Think what you want!"
Another fatal blow to her villainous reputation.
Sitting at the circulation desk, she drummed her fingers on the table. With her horns drooping, a heavy sigh escaped.
She glanced up at the library clock. 2:30 p.m.
From her bag, she pulled out her most treasured secret weapon.
The crown jewel of her preparations: a horn-shaped stamp. Everlin had specially crafted it, modeled after her own horns—a custom item for villains.
"No helping it. I didn't want to use this one! Time to unleash the power of this horn stamp!"
She picked up a borrowing card and inked the horn stamp red. Pressing it firmly onto the card left a cute horn print. Beside it, she wrote in tiny letters.
[Indefinite Loan Approval - Grimoire]
What was the essence of a library? 'Lending' and 'returning'. If that cycle broke down, the library would lose all purpose!
"Now, with this horn stamp, I'll turn every book's loan period into 'indefinite'! If nobody returns their books, the shelves will empty out, right? The library goes broke! Kakakat!"
A short while later, the first hopeful borrower approached. She looked like a college student in her early twenties.
"Hello, I'd like to borrow this book."
She slid 'Understanding Modern Psychology', a textbook, in front of her. Normally good for a two-week loan with one extension.
"Hmm, you like this book? Then take it! I'll specially lend it to you indefinitely!"
"Indefinitely? Is that allowed?"
"Of course! This body approved it, so any book stamped with this horn is yours to keep for as long as you want!"
Squish—
She firmly stamped the book's first page.
"This is a special loan! No need to return it! Spread word of this body's grace to the other pathetic humans too!"
"Thank you so much!"
One, two...
As time passed, the rumors spread.
"They've got a special loan program!"
"That horned volunteer is doing it!"
"Indefinite loans!"
The rumors flew fast, and in no time, a long line snaked in front of her.
"Kakakat! Humans really are fools! They have no idea they're accomplices in destroying the library!"
People brought their favorite books, and she stamped 'indefinite loan' on every single one.
She must have stamped at least fifty books by now. The library's downfall was a done deal! She could practically hear the librarians' tears and despair ringing in her ears!
But two hours later, the unthinkable happened.
Off in the distance, a familiar face appeared. The girl who'd borrowed a book earlier was coming back.
"I'm here to return the book I borrowed earlier."
What...? Returning it after just a few hours?
"But that was an indefinite loan, remember? I said you didn't have to return it."
"Yeah, and that's exactly why I felt even more responsible. You lent it to me specially, so I figured I should read it quick and let others have a turn. It was such a great experience!"
Another person stepped up behind her to return a book.
"Me too, returning mine. A special loan means you trust me enough to lend it indefinitely, right? That makes me want to treasure it all the more. I can't betray that trust!"
"Trust? Who said anything about trusting you!? This body really meant for you not to return it..."
Then yet another returner appeared.
One, two...
Her horns began to droop little by little. How could this be...? Her plan was veering completely off course in the opposite direction.
In public libraries, returns were usually right on the deadline or even overdue as a matter of course, but the books she'd lent were coming back in mere hours! So fast—way too fast!
The librarians returned and noticed the situation.
"What's going on here? Today's return rate is way higher than usual!"
The librarian checking the loan stats couldn't hide her shock.
"Wow, the books with that special stamp have a 15% higher return rate than normal! This is incredible!"
The head librarian approached her in admiration.
"Looks like the volunteer student came up with a civic responsibility campaign. Impressive! 'Special Responsibility Loan'... what a fresh idea."
"Th-that's not... this body..."
"I get it. Rather than always tying people down with rules and deadlines, it's an educational push to get them acting on their own conscience and sense of duty, right?"
She was at a complete loss for words. Her scheme to stop returns had boosted them instead? What kind of irony was this?
The head librarian closely examined her horn stamp and broke into a bright smile.
"This unique horn design really stands out. What if we make it an official library program? We could call it the 'Grimoire Special Loan System'?"
An educational program named after her...
"N-no... don't..."
She mumbled it like squeezing it from her throat. But no one paid any heed to her despair.
"Let's launch it officially next week! Grimoire, thank you so much!"
The last flicker of hope for invading the library crumbled away completely. She couldn't take it anymore.
She bolted up from the circulation desk. She headed for the central reading room. Rage boiled up from her chest.
Why, just why did this body's evil deeds always twist into this?
Seven attempts at evil, seven transformations into good deeds.
Was she really a villain at all?
Standing tall in the middle of the reading room, she clenched her fist. A faint gray light began seeping from her horns. Anger and frustration surged through her entire body.
"No... no...!"
Her low mutter grew louder and louder.
"No! No! No!"
Her voice rose steadily, drawing puzzled stares from those around her. But she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Why do this body's evil deeds always turn into good deeds?!"
The gray light pouring from her horns grew even more intense.
"This body... this body..."
It exploded in a throat-shredding scream.
"This body is a villain!!!"
Her voice echoed throughout the entire library. It was as if time had frozen. Every eye locked onto her.
And then, suddenly, everyone around her simultaneously pressed a finger to their lips and hushed her.
"Shh!"
The sound hit like thunder.
"Please be quiet in the library!"
The librarian's icy reprimand flew her way. In that instant, all her momentum shattered. The gray light from her horns faded away just as quickly.
"Uu..."
Dozens of cold stares pinned her down. Her pride as a great villain crumbled in a heartbeat.
Her shoulders hunched involuntarily. Her face burned red.
What had she just done? Yelling in a library!
She bolted to the nearest table and slammed her head down. Shame made her tremble. With her horns fully limp, she collapsed right there.
Being quiet in the library was basic etiquette even a child knew... and she'd just...
"Hiiing... this body hates the library!"
This body had failed in the library—completely, thoroughly, and utterly.
The lesson learned today... the villain's path is long and treacherous.
And you have to be quiet in the library.