CH 117

“……”

“Go on, read it. If you look carefully, there are many soft books that are suitable for the level of humans. I plan to give a prize to one human being who writes a good book report, so work hard.”

Elantia turned her back without regret, it was possible to hear her humming as she walked away.

“Your Grace……”

The captains, who roughly took one book from nearby, came to me again. Rex asked first, with a serious expression on his face.

“Do I really need to write a book report? Please say no, I hate book reports.”

“……Sir Rex, that’s not the point.”

Clovis added something as if Rex was pathetic and then turned to me.

“Your Grace, as you can see, everyone has their aura and divine power sealed due to the debuff. I think Your Grace should use Descent.”

[‘The World-building God’ raises an eyebrow at the audacity with which he talks about using Descent of Divinity.]

I’m not particularly angry because he’s saying this not knowing about the penalty. Besides, using a transcendence skill will break the debuff, so it’s a reasonable suggestion.

However, now was necessary to follow the rules of the dungeon instead of using cheat keys.

“It’s not a good idea to start a battle in the library. This place is the favorite dungeon of the Demon King Inferinos. Surely you don’t want to face the 3rd place from the demon realm in here, right?”

“Huk. Then, what should we do? Do we write book reports?”

“We have to take the fight elsewhere. Peacefully while using the dungeon rules.”

After I finished speaking, I left the knight captains behind and moved on. I tiptoed to the side where Elantia was sorting out the library books.

She looked back at me at first and soon had a little surprised look.

“Well? Among the visitors, seems like there was a human with a fairly high level of readership. I can feel the aura of reading quality literature from you.”

“……”

What is this? I was praised by a demon all of a sudden.

[‘The Scales that Judges the Soul’ whispers that it seems to have felt the energy of the 19+ novels in your integrated library.]

……Kh-hmm.

“What did you read, Eli?”

Thesilid, who had been following me before I knew it, asked quietly from the side. I pretended not to hear.

It was then burdensomely followed by Elantia’s voice which was filled with favorability. 

“So what’s going on? Do you need help finding a book? Or do you want a recommendation?” 

“Chief Librarian Elantia.”

“Yes, go ahead. I’d like to hear your preference for a recommendation. In detail.”

“I will challenge the qualifications to open the ‘Bible of Truth’.”

“……Hoo?”

Her eyes, which had been bent in the shape of a half-moon until a while ago, opened wide, and the pupils in her red iris were torn vertically. 

“To mention the Bible of truth on a human subject. Do you know what that is?”

“It’s an item that proves the qualifications of the Chief Librarian.”

“That’s right. Then do you know what the challenge method is?”

“I just need to beat you in a one-on-one magic battle.”

“Correct.”

It’s a simple and straightforward rule, but behind my back, there was an uproar.

“No, what is Her Grace talking about…”

“There are no wizards among us, so how are you going to do that…”

In the first place, divine power and magic are powers that cannot be learned together. It was nonsensical to say that those who awakened the divine power would engage in magic warfare.

However, the dungeon rules made it possible and Elantia spoke further about this.

“The low-level humans who came with you don’t seem to understand, so an explanation is needed. Even if you’re new to magic, don’t worry. The special books hidden throughout the Library of All Things will help.”

She took out a book nearby and opened it. A red magic circle was drawn in the middle of the page.

Elantia read the title of the book.

“‘All about the traditional ceremonies of the demon realm using sacrifices’.”

Whirik.

At that moment, the magic circle moved as if it had been given life, attracting and rearranging mana around it. The spell had been activated.

Roaring!

A small fireball appeared and orbited around Elantia.

“Some of the library’s books function as magic scrolls. The challenger who can’t use magic will be given enough time to collect these books. This rule was approved by the great Demon King Inferinos, so I won’t interfere. Do you want to prove it with a contract?”

“Of course.”

The original has enough info on this arc.

This is the Demon King’s territory. Therefore, Elantia, a temporary boss, was also bound by rules established by Inferinos.

And Inferinos was famous as a Demon King obsessed with rules and formalities.

“I like it when there’s no increase in unnecessary paperwork.”

Elantia, who laughed contentedly, grabbed the fireball in the air. The 3rd circle of basic magic faded from her grasp with a sizzle.

An explanation followed.

“The way to find a scroll book is simple. If you open the book to pages 6, 66, and 666, you can see it right away.”

“Okay.”

“Hidden Scrolls cover a variety of types and circles. Who knows? If you look carefully, you might be lucky enough to discover a 9th circle magic.”

Hopeful words. But.

‘Yeah, there’s no such thing.’

In all episodes of the original work, whenever the main character came to this dungeon, he could not find a 7th or even a 8th circle, let alone the 9th circle magic.

He always had to struggle with Elantia by using magic scrolls below the 6th circle. It could be said to be an arc that clearly reveals the main character’s devastating luck.

“…Eli, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing.”

When I took out my mournful gaze from his handsome face, Elantia asked me.

“It seems to be the first time that humans have requested this challenge since the Library’s opening. If the purpose is not of becoming the Chief Librarian, is it because of the reward?”

“That’s right.”

“As expected. You have come to seek answers to questions that God does not answer.”

Elantia stared at me and unbuttoned her top a few times. Pushing her hand through the disheveled front, she pulled out a key necklace. 

“If the challenger wins, I will give you this key to open the Bible of Truth. But if I win……”

“……”

“The challenger must work as a librarian in this library for the rest of their lives. It’s a lifelong slave contract.”

She liked the word slave, befitting a demon. As if she had been spurred on by her own comments about the slave contract, Elantia’s eyes flashed with joy while looking at me. 

“Sigh…somehow you seem to do an excellent job organizing the collections here. Even so, I was in need of a librarian to read the novels carefully and classify detailed genres and keywords, everything seems to work just fine.”

“Oops, I forgot to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“The challenger is he, not me.”

Elantia frowned as I pushed Thesilid forward.

“You look like you don’t know how to appreciate the beauty of demonic literature. I don’t like you at all.”

She knows how to read people well.

“Can’t you just challenge me yourself?”

“No.”

“Please reconsider. I’ll sign a contract with you under the unconventional conditions of working only 2 hours a day and having fun with me for 14 hours. It is only limited to you.”

[‘The Eyes that watch over the chaos of all things’ eyes shines brightly without realizing it.]

[‘The Critic who adjusts the balance’ asks if you would sell your childhood friend’s stock.]

[‘The Eyes that watch over the chaos of all things’ averts its gaze in amazement.]

(Note: What I think it means -> buying stock in novel slang implies investing time and emotions in a specific character. For example, ‘I put all my stock in that sub-male lead’, means you are simping only for that male lead, no one else matters. In this case, it might imply that The Eyes of Chaos wants to sell Eli’s Stock (Eli becomes a slave), so he can take a shotgun ride in the free-service all-you-can-read lifetime in the library together with Elantia. )

“I will refuse. Because this is the person who needs the Bible of truth.”

“Ha, I would like it more if you were the challenger….”

“Let’s get started.”

“Then, be it.”

Elantia waved her hand in the air as she still fixed her lingering gaze on me.

Space shuddered and a large hourglass appeared.

“I will give you three hours to find the scroll books. Please come up to the library rooftop before the last grain of sand falls.”

The hourglass was turned over marking the start of the game.

“I’ll go ahead and wait.”

Her figure disappeared before our eyes.

It was time for a free treasure hunt.

“Your Grace……”

The paladins glanced at me, they had something to say, but I felt their hesitation. I thought I knew what it was, so I smiled and opened my mouth first.

“Knights of Grace and Knights Templar. Everyone, please gather around.”

“Yes! Your Grace!”

Nearly sixty knights surrounded the area as if they had been waiting. Their eyes shone bright, waiting for an order to do anything.

The magic battle with Elantia was one-on-one, but it didn’t matter if everyone in the group worked together to find books containing magic scrolls.

I took out the paper I had written earlier.

It was a list of scroll books that Thesilid found every time he attacked this dungeon in all episodes of the original work.

“Please find the books with the titles listed here.”

“Yes……omg!”

“Argh……!”

The paladins who confirmed the title were embarrassed and swallowed their breath. Well, not one book had a normal title after all.

“Yo-Your Grace.”

“What is it, Sir Rex?”

“That, your handwriting is beautiful.”

“Thank you. But I only have two copies, so I don’t know what to do.”

After speaking quietly, I waited for the reaction of the two captains. I thought it wouldn’t matter if they shrugged and backed off, but the answer I heard was different.

“The scriptures, everyone copy one by one.”

“It is the same with our Grace. Copy it faster than the Templars.”

“Yes, Captain!”

With a grim answer, everyone grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. 

After everyone finished transcribing one by one, each divided the area to explore and scattered in perfect order. 

Thesilid and I took the adjacent sections of the Non-Literature Corner. Thanks to this, I was able to have a conversation through the gap between the bookshelf.

Thesilid opened his mouth as he scanned the titles on the book spines with his eyes.

“Eli.”

“Yes.”

“The condition is that the two of us clear the dungeon alone, can we share the task of finding the scroll books with the paladins?”