The Book's Secret Inner Circle
The librarian, a woman referred to as the goddess's homunculus, gazed at the five demi-human children standing before her.
All the children before her were strangers she had never seen before today, yet the librarian knew exactly who they were.
‘First up is Arin, then Kana, Riana, Shaty, and Pina. Their origins are unusual, but they are nothing more than ordinary lifeforms.’
The book that records every story of every living being in the world and the legendary Record Library that houses it.
As the librarian responsible for managing this Record Library, she had already memorized information on nearly every living being in the world, with the exception of just a few.
The stories of Arin, Kana, Riana, Shaty, and Pina were no different. Since the five of them were recorded in the book as expected, she had already read and memorized them all.
And if she were to summarize the five stories she had read, one could not help but describe them as ‘ordinary tales that differ in no way from any other.’
Simply put, the five of them were recorded in the book as just another run-of-the-mill story.
The heroic tale of a warrior who defeats the Demon King, the tragic story of failing to save those they cherish most, or even a third-rate extra’s bad ending that barely holds one’s interest.
These were the total assessments the librarian gave the five of them, stories she had to read as a librarian but would not have bothered picking up if laid out as ordinary books.
Yet it was precisely because they were ordinary that the librarian found herself surprised.
‘The script….’
The letters that had once burned red when she grasped them now appeared as ordinary black ink before the five children.
The five Irregulars who the goddess Iriel had brought to this world, stories that were undoubtedly meant to be written in red ink so only the worthy could read them, had changed to black ink.
Just to be sure, she pointed each child at the book one by one, but the script never turned red again.
In other words, all five of them who had arrived here possessed the qualification to read the Irregulars’ stories.
Thus, the librarian, unable to contain her excitement, greeted the five of them for the first time in her life.
“Welcome, welcome to the Record Library! I am the librarian who manages this place. I have no name to speak of, so please feel free to call me the librarian. I would be most grateful.”
“The librarian…?”
“One moment, before that— is this really the Record Library?”
“No way. We’ve just entered the Record Library that no one has ever set foot in before?!”
At her greeting, the children before her first tilted their heads with dazed expressions, then quickly began chattering in confusion and embarrassment.
The sight of such foolish children having obtained the qualification was almost suspicious.
‘But it can’t be wrong.’
No matter what anyone said, the book that created the Demon King before he was born was made by the goddess of choice, Iriel.
Since the book could not possibly be wrong, the librarian shook off the unnecessary doubts rising in her mind and once again looked down at the page of the book that had turned black.
‘Red ink is the story only those with the qualification can read.’
Up until now, only seven stories had been written in red ink in this book.
The five Irregular stories told by the children before her eyes, and the other two.
And reading these red-ink stories was something the librarian could describe as no less than her lifelong wish.
The task given to the homunculus librarian created by the goddess Iriel was to protect and manage this library.
At the same time, it was to continuously stuff her mind with stories newly written at the rate of one per unit time.
Stuffing her mind with the stories of every living being living in the world. In a sense, this sounded like torture, but to the librarian it was a blessing.
For an extended period, the librarian had been locked away in the library, and the only thing that kept her from boredom was the constant injection of new stories into her mind.
However, the fact that this was something that gave the homunculus librarian, who was so excellent that the goddess created her, interest did not last long.
Because ordinary black-ink stories, no matter how different every moment, were as boring as quietly locked away in the library.
Thus, the librarian lost interest in receiving new stories.
And while losing that interest, the librarian lived with one thing she clung to.
‘The red-ink stories.’
The red-ink stories.
Stories unknown even to her, which she could not even bring herself to read a single letter of.
Whether a century had passed or a thousand years had passed since she, as a homunculus, discarded most of her emotions and devoted herself only to the goddess’s commands.
In the end, the expectation, interest, and curiosity toward these red-ink stories in the librarian’s heart never faded.
Yet the red-ink stories she herself could desire were only one of the two.
For this reason, the librarian felt the holy flame of emotion that had burned within her continually flare up to the heavens when a new red-ink story—the story of the five Irregulars—was recorded in the book.
It was that only one story she could desire, but five stories had been added to it.
After discarding her emotions, her expression had dried up and she could not show joy on her face.
Yet deep inside, she had been overjoyed.
And that was why.
“Finally… I can read it….”
The moment she had longed for her entire life had arrived, and even though it was less than a century later, a deep smile spread across the librarian’s dried-up face along with cheers.
The qualification required to read the red-ink stories would likely be related to the story’s owner.
Yet this connection was not something as simple as sharing stories often in daily life or a priestly relationship that cherishes someone greatly.
The connection the book required here was nothing more than a direct tie to the story owner’s entire life itself.
Moreover, the standards for this connection to one’s entire life were extremely strict, which was why the librarian had never even considered this qualification until now.
‘And yet five people have obtained this qualification….’
Suspicious.
Since the book could not be wrong, she believed it, but still found it suspicious.
She was certain something hidden between the five of them and these Irregular stories was something she could not even imagine.
Thus, the librarian quietly erased her smile and opened her eyes a little hazily.
But that was for just a moment.
The librarian soon erased those doubts and let the smile rising from the deepest part of her heart spread across her face with genuine sincerity.
‘Whatever it is, what is it?’
Yes, whatever it is, what could it be. After all, what mattered now was simply that she could read this book.
In exchange, she could humbly kneel on one knee before the five children who had kindly granted her the qualification.
Thus, the librarian pushed aside unnecessary thoughts and opened her mouth to the five children while keeping the smile that refused to vanish on her lips.
“Then from now on, I will recommend to you the stories you can read.”
The first story is ‘The Tale of Swordswoman Aria’.
I want to read every story as quickly as possible, so let us begin reading at once.
Do not worry.
I will watch over your reading right beside you.
***
Outside the Record Library.
Thanks to the barrier she had woven, Idea sat in front of the library entrance in complete silence, undisturbed by any sound.
After the previous great explosion shattered the original barrier around Meiel, she had woven her own barrier in its place.
Powerful curses had been scattered around as well, so the soldiers of the Undersea Kingdom who had rushed here after hearing the explosion had all died from the curses.
A few had tried to enter through teleportation magic, but even they had been torn to shreds by Idea’s hands or barely escaped with limbs severed.
After that, only the peaceful silence of the barrier remained inside.
“Hmph~ hmph~”
And in that silence, Idea hummed an old song that had lingered only in her childhood memories.
She slowly opened her closed eyes at the presence she felt from ahead.
Mana in the air twisted, and someone appeared from there.
Undeniable teleportation magic.
Just in case it was one of the ordinary Undersea Kingdom soldiers like before, Idea narrowed her eyes, but soon picked up her staff and stood from her seat.
The ones who had teleported into her barrier this time were, without a doubt, the two she had been waiting for.
“Welcome inside my barrier.”
“Idea….”
“You were waiting for us.”
The two who descended from above, Meiel with her dark blue wavy hair and Aria with her rose-red hair, were still wearing their usual relaxed expressions.
Those faces annoyed her greatly.
But since they would change soon enough, Idea barely managed to suppress her irritation.
Imagining their new faces, she felt her expression naturally relax.
She then slowly raised her staff and showed a faint smile.
“No need for long words, right?”
Further conversation was unnecessary.
Especially toward humans of the demon race who had taken something precious from her.