Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The Serpent Dragon of the Forbidden Archive
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‘That startled me.’
I was fairly confident in my courage, but for a moment, a shiver ran down my spine.
The owner of such an appearance was bound to have that effect.
The first thing I saw was jet-black hair.
No matter how black, hair usually has some lightness when it catches the light, but this hair seemed to absorb it all.
The hair was also incredibly long.
Even by a rough estimate, it looked to be several meters long.
Naturally, the hair flowed down the body, spreading out like seaweed on the shallow, pooled water.
Even the bangs were unkempt, obscuring the face, but the briefly revealed figure was smaller than I expected.
It didn't seem like a being to be judged by appearance, but for now, it was a kid.
“Has it been nearly forty years since the last guest…?”
The slow tone held no particular hostility, but.
My instincts had been sounding alarm bells ever since I encountered this mage.
‘This… feels like I'm screwed.’
I wiped my sweat-drenched palms on my clothes.
The overwhelming pressure of an absolute being, like the Iron-Blooded Duke and Asad.
The sense of awe felt when facing a divine being like the Demon King.
A different kind of pressure, distinct from those two, emanated from this mage.
First, I bowed my head respectfully.
“My name is Ruan Bednicker.”
Despite my polite introduction, the mage replied with an indifferent voice.
“I am aware… that the blood of Bednicker flows in that body. What this one wants to know now is one thing. How did you solve all the problems? They were not the kind that could be answered simply by being clever.”
The tone itself wasn't slurred, but it felt strangely unnatural.
Like someone who hadn't had a conversation in a long time.
‘They did say it's been forty years since the last guest, so I guess it's not that strange.’
For some reason, I had a feeling the guest right before me might have been the Iron-Blooded Duke.
In any case, their attitude wasn't oppressive, nor did they seem to be trying to intimidate me, but I couldn't let my guard down.
I gathered my thoughts and answered slowly.
“I have always been deeply interested in forgotten eras and unrecorded history.”
“Hmm.”
The mage tilted their head.
“That Delac fellow, when he brought up a son I'd never heard of, I thought he'd finally gone mad… Yes. You at least possess the minimum qualifications.”
“…”
I'd met a few people who called the Iron-Blooded Duke by his name so easily, but this was the first time I'd encountered someone who openly disparaged him.
I asked cautiously.
“Excuse me… are you the librarian of the underground library?”
“I do hold such a position.”
The mage spoke in a placid voice, then sat on a mountain of books and reached out a hand.
A book floating on the water's surface was drawn into a pale hand.
The mage flipped through the book and said.
“You were the one who requested entry to the library.”
“Yes.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Information about the Demon King.”
Seemingly not having heard this part from the Iron-Blooded Duke, the mage's gaze, which had been on the book, turned to me.
“The Demon King.”
“Yes.”
“With your level of skill, that is not a name you should be uttering.”
That's probably true.
As I stood there without replying, the mage spoke.
“Are you of the bloodline of a [Great Family], despite your youth?”
Not really.
Of course, the events at the training retreat made me sick of demons and cults…
But separately, the reason I'm trying to get information on the Demon King now is because of my Eldest Martial Brother.
“There is nothing more dangerous than premature knowledge… but you have solved the problems I prepared and earned a total of 35 points. This means you can borrow books worth 35 points from this place.”
‘Aha.’
So that's how this works.
It seems the mage before me didn't prepare difficult problems simply to mess with intruders.
Of course, considering they mentioned eyeballs and fingers every time I got a question wrong, I couldn't say they had a good personality, even as a compliment.
“How many books can I borrow with 35 points?”
“That would depend on the book you seek. Each tome has a vastly different value.”
As if performing in a play, the mage extended one hand elegantly and said.
“This is a tomb of forbidden books. The tomes related to the Demon King you seek are of course stored here, but their danger is especially high, even among forbidden texts. The least valuable of them would cost at least 10 points.”
“…”
“Child, if you carry the blood of Bednicker, you must be a martial artist. Depending on how you use them, your points could allow you to borrow lost alchemy formulas or martial arts manuals of formidable power. Do you still wish for the books on the Demon King?”
“I do.”
They were words that would tempt any martial artist, but I nodded without any particular agitation.
“Hmm… Very well. Which Demon King are you looking for?”
“The Colorless Demon King.”
“And the information you desire?”
“Everything.”
The mage immediately retorted.
“Not enough.”
“Pardon?”
“Child, it seems you were told nothing about this place.”
The moment the mage waved their hand, strange clusters of light began to drift around.
They looked like simple fireflies, but also felt like the will-o'-the-wisps I'd seen on Spirit Mountain.
In any case, thanks to those unidentified lights, the surroundings brightened… and I was finally able to see the true nature of this space.
“The number of books stored here totals over two hundred and thirty thousand volumes.”
“Ah…”
I realized at a glance that this underground space was much larger than I had imagined.
The faint blue streaks of light falling gently onto the shallow water looked just like a moonlit lake at midnight.
“-It's not a small number. Among them, even a curated selection of books on the Colorless Demon King would exceed 1,000 volumes. Calculating at a minimum of 10 points each, you would need ten thousand points to borrow them. Your score is a mere 35. It means you are far from having enough.”
“I see.”
This place stored far more books than I'd thought.
I had no choice but to take a moment to collect my thoughts.
Eldest Martial Brother… What information about the Colorless Demon King should I ask for first?
Appearance, personality, traits, the martial arts he learned, the weapon he uses…
Coincidentally, I'm probably the one who knows the most about him in this world.
However, that doesn't mean I can ignore the information here.
What I know well is Haru, the First Supreme Sword, the first disciple of Baek Rogwang, not the Colorless Demon King.
I needed time to think, so I changed the subject slightly.
“Mage, do you happen to know much about divine beasts?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I asked the Family Head for advice on contracting a divine beast. He mentioned five of them, and I chose the snake.”
“Why did you choose the snake?”
“…Because it seemed like the best fit for me.”
I phrased it a bit vaguely, and the mage fell silent.
After a slight pause, I continued.
“I heard that you might know about the snake. Could you arrange a contract?”
“…Kukuku.”
At that moment, the mage let out a sinister laugh, and I discreetly clenched my fists.
Unlike the languid, transcendent atmosphere they'd shown so far, this laugh was filled with palpable malice.
“Did Delac tell you that?”
“Yes.”
“Did he add anything else?”
I carefully recalled my conversation with the Iron-Blooded Duke and replied.
“I heard that since the dark elf Kuset, no one has made a contract with the snake.”
“That is correct. I have no intention of making a contract with anyone.”
“…”
I have?
In that instant, I snapped to my senses.
“Does that mean…”
“It seems Delac told you nothing about me.”
Ssshhh…
The corners of their barely visible mouth stretched wide like a crescent moon, and the hair floating like seaweed rippled as if it had a will of its own.
Chwaaak-.
The hair soon became dozens of snakes.
Not a metaphor. Literally.
The swarm of snakes surrounded me, flicking their long tongues.
It was, without a doubt, a critical situation, but…
the absurd thought that I'd been terribly entangled with these damn snakes ever since the Jewel Mountains also crossed my mind.
“My name is Riseradigos All Haimud. The Serpent Dragon that swims through the deepest darkness, and the Mage of the Black Heaven, whom even the seven colors that streaked across the sky could not taint.”
“…”
I'd heard the name Riseradigos before, but.
What caught my attention even more was this being's middle name.
All.
As far as I knew, that middle name was permitted to only one race on this vast continent.
A race that had now vanished from the continent, and the ancestors of the Bednickers.
“A dark elf…”
So the mage before me…
was a mage, a divine beast, and a dark elf all in one?
‘What kind of hybrid is this—’
Riseradigos said.
“Enough about the contract. Ask again about the Demon King.”
It was the attitude of someone dealing with a troublesome, unwelcome guest.
I considered pressing further about the contract, but my primary goal was the Demon King, not the divine beast, so I spoke.
“Could you perhaps tell me yourself, without me having to borrow the books?”
“What do you mean?”
“I have heard that the duty of a proper librarian begins with reading every book in the library they manage. And I am certain that you, Mage, have read every book in this place.”
“On what grounds?”
I hid my true thought—*It looks like a place with absolutely nothing to do, so you must have read a ton of books*—and answered.
“Because the Family Head himself called you the [Librarian of the Underground Library]. You may not know, but the Family Head's standards are strict. He won't acknowledge even a mere servant if they don't meet his criteria. For someone like him to call you a librarian without a hint of hesitation…”
“So you're choosing to trust Delac's judgment?”
“As far as I know, the Family Head is the most impartial and just person in the Bednicker family.”
From this point, my words could be taken the wrong way, so I spoke in a cautious tone.
“…So, would it be possible for you, Mage, to summarize the information from the books I need and tell it to me?”
“…”
After a brief silence, Riseradigos let out a small laugh.
“You have a silver tongue. Everyone who has visited this place until now was only obsessed with the forbidden books…”
“…”
“To respect the profession of a librarian, rather than me… It's not very Bednicker-like, and quite amusing.”
Chwaaak…
And the black snakes that had been glaring at me turned back into hair and settled onto the water.
The pressure I had felt until just a moment ago vanished as if washed away.
Only then did I let out a sigh of relief internally.
“Very well. Then I shall tell you information about the Colorless Demon King, based on my own discretion and prejudice. Exactly 35 points' worth of information.”
“If I have questions about anything you say, may I ask for more detail?”
“You may.”
Riseradigos spoke in a calm voice.
“First… the Colorless Demon King is the most independent of the Demon Kings. No one has ever seen their face because of the jet-black armor that covers their entire body, but in terms of form and physique, they are the most human-like.”
Armor.
I didn't see it when I encountered him in Hell. Does he usually wear something like that?
“Even in Hell, they are known to move alone, without forming a faction or holding territory. Furthermore, the faction that worships the Colorless Demon King no longer exists within the cult.”
I was a little surprised and asked.
“Does that mean… they've become a completely separate force from the cult?”
“Not quite. There is little interaction between them, but a point of contact remains, and they show signs of following the Pontiff's orders to some extent… They are just not as active as the other factions.”
“I see…”
“The faction that follows the Colorless Demon King is the smallest and most secretive. They are harder to find than the cultists. Their relationship with the Demon King is also one-sided; it's said that not even a High Priest can communicate with them directly.”
A stream of information, more precious and valuable than I had imagined, came forth.
‘So, it means there is a cult that follows Eldest Martial Brother, even if their numbers are small.’
To me, Eldest Martial Brother is still Eldest Martial Brother.
To hear that there's a group that worships such a person as a god filled me with very complicated feelings.
‘…I'd like to meet them once.’
Of course, finding even a regular cultist is difficult, so finding a cultist of the Colorless faction, said to be the smallest and most secretive, would be nearly impossible.
For some reason, I have a feeling I might run into them once before I have a full-blown confrontation with Eldest Martial Brother.
‘It's just a hunch with not a shred of evidence, though.’
I thought for a moment, recalling Tangtata whom I'd seen in Hell, and asked.
“What about their relationship with the other Demon Kings?”
“Neither particularly good nor bad. Though that's generally the case for Demon Kings.”
“Then, do you happen to know the Colorless Demon King's objective?”
“As of now, nothing has been revealed.”
“Hmm…”
“Lastly, regarding the current whereabouts of the Colorless Demon King.”
I was startled.
‘They're even telling me this?’
Furthermore, the mage's next words delivered a shock incomparable to what had come before.
“The Colorless Demon King is currently on Spirit Mountain.”