The Hidden Library
“Why can’t they enter?” How strange. First, I climbed out of the hole to let the rest of the party know the area was safe. That was when I learned the astonishing truth: none of them had heard the shout I’d let out after descending. Assuming my silence meant I was in danger, the leader had tried to jump down after me—only for the hole to seal itself shut.
“Seeing as it only permits priests, I suspect divine power is the requirement,” the leader said.
The hole had reopened when Sister Melody arrived. Even then it had stayed closed at first, but after she followed the leader’s advice and channeled divine power into the statue, it opened again.
“Since this is a temple, it isn’t strange that there would be a secret passage reserved for priests alone.”
“Hmm…”
“In that case, it seems the only option is for Sister Melody to search alone.”
We had considered opening the hole with our own divine power and lowering the rest of the team, but we couldn’t risk it. We had no idea how the passage might react to strangers lacking divine power. At the same time, I could not accept sending Melody in by herself to face unknown dangers. In the end I persuaded the others and decided to accompany her.
“You still don’t like this idea?”
“How can you follow me here without knowing what dangers await?”
“That’s precisely why I came. If anything happens to you, I can heal you immediately.”
There was no way I could send Sister Melody alone. If the place truly was dangerous, my presence was all the more necessary. I would need to report back to the team, wouldn’t I? Still—
“Since divine power appears to be the only criterion for entry, there probably isn’t any real danger.”
It was only a possibility. I hadn’t followed her because I expected trouble. Sister Melody took the lead, walking ahead through the passage. The steep staircase ended sooner than I expected, giving way to a long, winding corridor that stretched deep into the earth. We followed it until the path suddenly stopped and a ladder leading upward appeared.
“Looks like we climb. Perhaps this is some kind of shelter.”
“I’ll go first. If you hear nothing, follow after thirty seconds.”
“Understood.”
Sister Melody opened the door above her and slipped through. I counted thirty seconds in my head, then climbed the ladder. As I emerged, she offered her hand.
“Thanks!”
“No danger apparent.”
“Yes, it doesn’t seem so. There couldn’t possibly be anything dangerous here.”
That was true. Both of us were simply overwhelmed by the sight before us. What on earth was all this?
Stretching out ahead was an overwhelming library. I would have to open the volumes to be certain, but every book here had to be at least three hundred years old. After all, the place had been sealed for exactly that long.
“How are we supposed to move all of these?”
“We should manage if we prioritize the rare ones.”
Why would anyone store this many books inside a labyrinth? No matter how I turned it over, it made no sense.
“The terrain changes every three months. Why invest so heavily in a single location?”
“Perhaps because there is a way to reach this spot regardless of those changes.”
“I suppose that must be it.”
Our ancestors from three centuries ago must have known a method we had yet to discover. If there truly was a way to return here even when the labyrinth shifted, it would be an incredible find.
In essence, it would be no different from establishing a forward base inside the labyrinth itself. We would no longer have to shiver in fear wondering when the maze might turn against us. If we stocked this place with sufficient supplies, surviving here for an extended period would become entirely feasible.
“Among all these books, do you think any of them describe this location?”
“It’s possible. But the two of us could never search them all.”
“You’re right. We’ll need the others’ help to go through everything.”
The problem was that the entrance responded only to divine power. I wasn’t even sure how the rest of the team would react to these ancient tomes. There was only one answer.
“We’ll have to bring people here.”
“Look around while I’m gone. I’ll return after informing the others.”
“All right.”
Perhaps because my eyes had been sparkling a little too brightly at the books, Sister Melody volunteered to handle the troublesome errand herself. Thanks to her, I was free to wander among the shelves and examine their contents.
“This is a first edition… you’ve got to be kidding.”
What kind of madman would place a priceless first edition inside a labyrinth? Sadly, the only people who could enter were priests, which meant the culprit had to be someone from the Holy Empire. The realization was almost comical.
“There really are many books I’ve never seen before. I suppose that’s what three hundred years will do.”
Not every volume was valuable, of course. There were third-rate novels I’d never heard of and even children’s picture books. But those were the minority. Most of the books lined neatly on the shelves were—
“They researched this incredibly thoroughly…”
Compiled reports on labyrinth investigations had been discovered. These were worth far more than gold or jewels. Finding them felt like an absolute stroke of fortune.
“It seems the Holy Empire was quite active even three centuries ago.”
Part of me wanted to ignore the passage of time entirely—sit here for a month, a year, doing nothing but reading. But the single year I had been granted was not generous enough to waste in such luxury.
“Is this a map?”
I hadn’t expected maps to exist when the terrain changed so frequently. I had wondered how they managed to seal the labyrinth three hundred years ago, but seeing this, it suddenly seemed plausible.
“…!!!”
And then, among that mountain of books, I found something I should never have seen.
“This can’t be real. The Holy Empire actually did this?”
Several volumes with pitch-black covers, tucked away in the darkest, most inconspicuous corner of the shelf. The contents of the book I had chanced upon were horrifying, and the identity of its author was equally shocking.
“The situation was urgent—they had to close the labyrinth—but still…”
Dissecting monsters was one thing. But the records of attempts to transplant monster abilities into human subjects made my stomach churn. Worse, the experiments had apparently succeeded.
If this becomes known, won’t someone try to use it again?
Since the experiments had produced results, desperate people would inevitably remember them when the need arose. For now, I decided to take the books with me. Leaving them here only risked them falling into the wrong hands, which would be far worse. Fortunately there were only three thick volumes—enough for me to carry.
“Have I kept you waiting long?”
To conceal the horrifying experiment logs, I selected several other books of different content and wrapped them into a bundle. Right on cue, Sister Melody returned with reinforcements. She hadn’t brought the entire team; only Princess Reciel and the leader followed her inside.
“Remarkable.”
“To think such a place existed inside the labyrinth.”
The sight appeared to have shocked both Princess Reciel and the leader.
“How is this even possible?”
They seemed to be thinking exactly what we had thought. Human minds really do run along similar tracks.
“It’s only speculation, but there must be a fixed method of entry. Otherwise it would be impossible to maintain supplies of this scale inside the labyrinth.”
“Yes, I was thinking the same thing.”
“The method is probably hidden somewhere nearby, but it doesn’t look easy to find. In any case, it doesn’t align with our primary objective.”
We needed to conserve every moment. Still, we could sell this discovery at a high price to those who would rejoice at it. There were surely dangerous texts among these shelves. I could only pray there were no more records like the experiment log I had found.
“While we investigate, might we not discover helpful information?”
There were many labyrinth-related reports. It was possible one of them contained information about the curse Princess Canaby had suffered. We couldn’t rule out the possibility.
“That’s why I gathered a few volumes in haste. However, producing meaningful results this way will take considerable time.”
“Indeed. Reading all of them would take ages.”
“Reading isn’t the issue. Many of these books possess immense historical value, so we cannot handle them carelessly.”
Among all these volumes, was there not a single one that contained a method to save Princess Canaby? If such a book existed, I would have gladly abandoned every other duty and spent the entire year here reading. But I could not bet everything on an uncertainty. Besides, I did not even possess the right to read these books freely.
“We will continue according to the original plan. That said, we cannot completely ignore this place. If we request that any information gained here be shared with us as compensation, I believe they will agree.”
The discovery of this archive would undoubtedly lend our labyrinth exploration far greater momentum. Yet it saddened me to imagine this sacred, quiet sanctuary soon being stained by human greed. Still, we could not leave its mysterious secrets untouched forever. If we did not claim it first, someone else surely would. And I, too, was curious what else this temple might be hiding.
“The Holy Empire will covet this place.”
“Since it was originally a site that permits only priests, that is only natural. Moreover, was it not Priest Arthur who discovered the entrance? If the Holy Empire’s demands are reasonable, I am willing to accept them.”
I was grateful to Princess Reciel for recognizing my contribution, but I could not be certain the Deltrack Empire would view the matter the same way. The last thing we needed was another tense standoff between the two powers as they fought over interests.