Chapter 52 The Librarian’s Nightmare and the Evil Heir’s Surprise Delivery at the Magical Grimoire Grand Library
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The world they call Alysphia is full of these weird, little alternate worlds and hidden places.
And every one of those worlds, those places, they’ve all got a front and a back side to ’em, you know?
The Grimoire Grand Library that we headed to is one of ’em. By morning, it’s a calm, quiet, huge library. By night, it’s a bustling, dangerous one.
See, the Library at night is what you’d call a black workplace where peculiar fairy-like beings hustle and bustle like their lives depend on it! It’s all so hectic!
(Inside the Night Grimoire Grand Library)
”Ugh! I’m swamped! Ugh! I’m swamped! This librarian work is never-ending, I swear! Director Grimoire! We gotta hire some of them Goblin from Godz Mountain or those adorable Rabbit-Eared folk from the Shalfarma Plateau! If we don’t, my workload’s never gonna drop!” Ketto-shi, the library’s stressed-out librarian, practically wailed.
”Don’t be an idiot, Ketto-kun,” Grimoire Grand Library’s Director, Grimo, grumbled. “The Goblin on Godz Mountain are clever, but they’re too sly and shifty. And you’ll never even meet the Rabbit-Eared folk from the Shalfarma Plateau—they’re too elusive. Besides, this place, the Grimoire Grand Library, ain’t got the cash to hire anyone.”
”But, but, but, Director! Since the Albion Empire’s authorities suddenly changed, all these scholars from the Western Magic Kingdoms started writing speculation papers about the unexpected event and publishing them! We’re getting new additions piled on daily!” Ketto pleaded, throwing his brown, furry hands up in the air.
”That can’t be helped. The motto of the Grimoire Grand Library is to hold the records of all the world… Still, you’ve got a point about the staff shortage. Is there no suitable talent growing out in some field somewhere?” Grimo muttered, his deep grey hood shrouding his face.
”No way, what’re you even saying, Director Grimo? Even if this is the Seyfried Territory, a land famous for gathering people and good harvests, you can’t expect folks to just… sprout up…”
Rumble… BOOM! SP-THWOOM! POP-POP-POLYSPOON!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The sudden appearance of the bodies caused an immediate uproar.
”G-Gkigoh?! Swallowed by the darkness…” “Why’s there a kid here this late at night?” “Weren’t you supposed to be keeping watch?!”
”Gyaaaaah!! A bunch of shady, half-dead people just appeared in a pile out of a weird spatial tear!” they all screamed.
Rumble…
”Here’s a souvenir for ya, Director Grimo-san! They were makin’ suspicious moves around the Grimoire Grand Library, so I went ahead and got-chya’d and brought ’em along.” I announced, stepping out of the flickering spatial distortion.
”…Hmm? Oh, it’s just Hyde’s evil-doer boy. You gave me quite a fright, you know.” Grimo sighed beneath his hood.
”Watch your mouth! Seyfried! Don’t you know better than to startle people? You’re still that badly-mannered Seyfried brat, aren’t you?” Ketto hissed, a low rumble in his throat.
”Fssshhhhaaa! Don’t insult my Master, nyaa! Ketto!!” Luna—my Cat-Eye spirit—shrieked from my eye.
SCRATCH!
”Gyaaaah! Luna’s big bro?! Why are you with this evil-doer?!” Ketto screamed, clutching his face.
Well, well. My Luna-kun, who lives in my right eye, suddenly leaped out and clawed the face of the brown, furry, bipedal cat, Ketto-shi-kun. Scary, scary.
”So, the Cat-Eye Luna is with you, too. What is it? You show up after all this time, looking for research, I imagine? And these unconscious people… are they Lax Empire followers? Hmm…” The old man, whose gray hood fell deeply over his face, looked at the pile of shady people and me alternately.
”Yep. I need to check out the Restricted Archive for a bit, concerning Lax. That pile is your souvenir, Grimo-san. You can do whatever you want with them.” I shrugged.
”…Whatever I want, you say. I’d rather not get involved with Lax, truly. Are these just expendable errand runners?” Grimo asked warily.
”Exactly. They’re like day laborers. I tried to befriend them, and after a gentle punishment—I mean, after I passionately listened to their story—they spilled the beans that they were hired devotees. They were trying to sneak into the Grimoire Grand Library just for a free meal.”
”That Imperial Nation is facing a food shortage because of the White Night they’re in now… I suppose these are immigrants who flowed toward the Seyfried Territory, our food storage. No choice but to hire them, then.” Grimo concluded with a heavy sigh.
”Eeh?! What are you saying, Director Grimo! They’re humans! Are you serious? If you make them work here in the Night Grimoire Grand Library, the books are going to eat them alive!” Ketto shrieked in disbelief.
”We’ll make them work in the Day Grimoire. They have nowhere else to go… Hoo, truly, the number of immigrants from the Lax Empire to the Seyfried Territory has only increased these past few years. Normally, accepting immigrants causes trouble, but those who convert from the Lax faith to the Shin-kyō (Religion of Shin) zealously grow crops and bring prosperity to the land… What exactly did you do, evil-doer boy?” Grimo demanded, his eyes narrowing.
”Hm? I barely touched anything concerning the Shin-kyō, so I wouldn’t know. Maybe it’s just because our talented perverted M-type Saintess is working hard and putting all her energy into crop cultivation?” I wondered aloud.
”The Saintess of the Shin-kyō… Ah, that cute girl with the pink hair? The one who looks so much like a Lax Imperial family member… You haven’t sheltered her, have you, evil-doer boy?” Grimo glared at me with his huge, enormous eyes. They look like a devil’s eyes, and it’s kinda scary, honestly.
”Nyaa… Grimoire. Say one more bad thing about Master, and I’ll report you to Chris, nyaa.” Luna warned, bristling.
”Chris… that is trouble. Cat-Eye Luna… Still clinging to the Seyfried family, are you? Do you have no pride as a High Fairy?” Grimo scoffed.
”I won’t take that from Grimoire, who’s trapped in a Grand Library, nyaa. And your human disguise is still terrible, nyaa,” Luna shot back.
Even though they’re insulting each other, they look happy to see one another. Luna-kun and Director Grimo must be good friends, huh?
”Evil-doer boy. In exchange for your unwanted souvenir, I shall permit you entry to the Restricted Archive. Go quickly.” Grimo conceded.
”Yes, yes! Oh, wait. Director Grimo-san.” I stopped, recalling something.
”…What is it, evil-doer boy?” Grimo replied impatiently.
”If those people aren’t working here by tomorrow morning, I might just have to call in the Black Dragon for a visit, so you better take care of them, yeah? Bye-bye! Let’s go, Luna-kun.” I said with a sweet smile.
”Yes, nyaa. Master! I’ll follow you anywhere, nyaa! Thank you, Grimoire, nyaa!” Luna chirped.
With that parting shot to Director Grimo, I left the scene.
”Director Grimo. Was it wise to let him into the Restricted Archive? You could have consumed him if you hadn’t shown a moment of weakness. And he still has a ridiculously vast amount of magic power, that one…” Ketto-shi fumed.
”…He’s truly troublesome. It would be terrible for him to know any more of the book world, but that Black Dragon, Rave… He has such a nuisance as an ally, that evil-doer boy. Honestly.” Grimoire Grand Library’s Director, Grimo, smiled a knowing, unpleasant smile, and then, along with Ketto-shi and the intruders, he vanished from the spot.
* * *
(The Night Grimoire Grand Library’s Restricted Archive)
”Hmm? I can’t seem to find any good research materials on the Lax Empire, Luna-kun.” I puzzled.
”Nyaa~, you’re right, nyaa. Master, when this happens, you should try asking Yulize-yuli who lives in your body, nyaa. The Albion Empire and the Lax Empire are allies, so Yulize-yuli should know quite a bit about Lax, nyaa.” Luna-kun, perched on my shoulder, offered that brilliant suggestion.
”Ask Yulize-chan? …You’re right. Yulize-chan should be active near my rear end at this hour, so she’s probably awake. Come forth! Yulize-chan! Come on out!” I called out.
Yulize-chan, the Dragon Miko and highest authority of the Albion Empire. She’s currently leaving her country to a body double, Chucky-kun, and having a grand old time living in my body as a lizard mark¹—ahem, I mean, as a pervert—nyaa, she’s enjoying herself.
I still have no idea what she finds so fun about living in my body, honestly.
WOOOM!
”Hahh, hahh, hahh… Shin-kun’s rear end… it’s the best. I love Shin-kun… Hahh, hahh, hahh.” Yulize-chan, whom I’d called out of her lizard mark form and into her human one, was completely naked and panting with ragged breaths.
Her body was oddly soaked in sweat, and steam was rising off her. What exactly was she doing near my rear end?
”Wow! You’re looking perverted today!” I exclaimed.
”…Why are there only perverts around Master, nyaa?” Luna sighed dramatically.
”It’s because I’m a pure-hearted gentleman who emits strange pheromones, of course.” I replied smugly.
”Absolutely not, nyaa. It’s because Master is a pervert, so other perverts flock to you, nyaa!” Luna denied vehemently.
”Phew! That was satisfying… All I need to do now is go back to cuddling with Shin-kun while he sleeps… Wait?! Where am I?! And why am I naked?!” Yulize-chan gasped, finally realizing her situation.
”Ah! Looks like you finally noticed.” I noted casually.
”…Why are there only strange people around Master, nyaa?” Luna repeated, clearly exasperated.
I know, right? Surely, I, the innocent and pure-hearted, am the one with the most common sense around here.
”…Hmm? Ah, found it. A book on the Lax Empire… Next to it is The Threat of the Eight Sacred Generals? What is that? The author is… Lili Eushuria?” I whispered, reading the spine.
* * *
(The Night Grimoire Grand Library Rooftop)
”Sister, Sister, Schuna-nee-sama! All the signals from the lower-ranking followers just vanished,” Yuna murmured softly.
”Yes, yes, my dearest little sister, Yuna… Were they trapped inside a book, I wonder? Just like Lala-sama and the others who went missing a long time ago.” Schuna replied, her voice tinged with false sweetness.
”That incident was a very, very sad event, Schuna-nee-sama.” Yuna, the New Moon of the Lax Empire’s Eight Sacred Generals, whispered mournfully.
”Yes, it was a very, very sad event, indeed, Yuna. That’s why, to make sure that doesn’t happen again, we must scour and save all the little alternate worlds inside this place. As devout followers of the Lax faith.” Schuna, the Shadow Prison of the Lax Empire’s Eight Sacred Generals, declared with disturbing conviction.
At this time, I still didn’t know that the Lax Empire had seriously begun its invasion of neighboring countries because the Albion Empire’s military power was weakening…
—
Summary:
The villainous heir, Shin, drags a pile of captive Lax Empire agents to the chaotic Night Grimoire Grand Library, trading them for access to the Restricted Archive. He confronts the grumpy Director Grimo and his high-strung librarian, Ketto, getting his way by threatening to call the terrifying Black Dragon. Once inside, Shin tries to find research materials but decides to summon the powerful Dragon Miko, Yulize, from where she’s been happily residing in a perverted state inside his body as a lizard mark. The chapter closes on the library’s rooftop, where two of the Lax Empire’s Eight Sacred Generals are hunting for their missing agents, signaling a major imperial invasion is underway.
—
Character Insight:
Shin shows his true colors as a pragmatic and coercive leader. He sees powerful people, like the Lax Empire agents, as resources to be traded, not people to be pitied. His casual attitude toward threatening a powerful entity like Grimo with the Black Dragon shows just how much authority he secretly wields. His relationship with the perverted Yulize is revealed to be far more intimate and strange than a normal alliance.
—
Behind the Scene:
Shin’s delivery of the Lax Empire agents was a strategic move, not an act of kindness, as he needed to use the Library’s staff shortage to ensure Grimo would be too busy to fully oppose his entry into the Restricted Archive. The summoning of Yulize was a necessary step for information gathering, though her state upon arrival confirmed her single-minded obsession with Shin’s body, even while performing her duties as the Albion Empress in a temporary form. The Lax Empire generals are now closing in on Shin’s location.
—
T/L:
1 Lizard Mark (とかげあさ) A type of magical tattoo or ‘mark’ that allows a consciousness or even a body to be stored within another person. In this case, the Albion Empress is living inside Shin as a magical mark, which is pretty kinky stuff, if you ask me. ↩
Notes:
• Grimo – Director of Grimoire Grand Library, a wise elder who manages the mysterious libraries and hints at deeper world secrets.
• Shalfarma Plateau – Home of the ‘adorable Rabbit-Eared folk.’
• Godz Mountain – Home of the GōbuLin.
• Ketto-shi – Cat fairy serving as a librarian, often quarrels humorously with Luna and Grimo.
• Albion Empire – A nation to the east of Regain where dragonkind is revered as divine. It is currently locked in ‘bloody, territorial chaos’ with the new Demon King’s forces in Schwert.
• Lin – Alt’s mentor, described as the ‘Great Hero who sealed the ancient dragon, Albion, who resides in the Dragon Country.’ He is suggested as someone who might possess knowledge of a cure for the dragon race’s strange disease.
• Uru – The wolf.
• Chucky – A dilapidated puppet summoned by Master Raichi using Wonder Texture Key. Instantly sliced in half by Alexia’s Golden Axe before it could attack.
• Lala – Delusional saint candidate from the Lax Empire who becomes fanatically devoted to Shin, founding a religion in his name and often speaking with the quirky suffix ‘~desuwa’
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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