Chapter 149 The Silent Library
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Ashraf, the Teleportation Demon, approached me with an offer. He wanted me to meet someone. Curiosity got the better of me, so I went.
Our destination: the Demon Realm. Apparently, the person in question was a demon.
Following Ashraf, I teleported to a vast desert in the Demon Realm.
The moment my vision cleared, the dry heat bit at my skin like sand thrown by the wind. Fine grit scraped against my cheeks. Above, a swirl of dim purple clouds blanketed the sky.
It had been the same ever since I arrived in this world: the sky always covered in clouds. I still didn’t know if the Demon Realm even had a sun.
The sand beneath my feet was a red so dark it was nearly black.
…Strange place. The air clung to my skin like molasses. The distant dunes shimmered faintly, even though there was no heat haze.
”Hm. The flow of time here seems… ambiguous,” I muttered.
Ashraf answered, “Indeed, Xenos-sama. You noticed immediately. Yes–this is a special region in the Demon Realm where time itself stagnates.”
A place where time flows drastically slower than outside, then.
The sky was dim, but the heat was real. The air felt dry, yet somehow thick and heavy. And it was unnaturally quiet. Even the wind sounded like it was echoing from somewhere far away.
In the middle of that desert stood a single stone building. It looked weathered, exposed to thousands of years of wind and rain, yet strangely intact. As if it had been rejected by the passage of time itself.
Ashraf observed, “This is a place all Demon Realm inhabitants avoid, my lord. They fear that once you enter, you’ll never leave alive.”
Ehh… don’t invite me to a place like that…
I kept the thought off my face. With a cool expression, I asked, “So the person you want me to meet lives here?”
I nodded toward the building, which gave off a scary feel.
”Yes, my lord. An old acquaintance of mine. The Time Demon, Alucardus, resides here. He’s an expert in time-manipulation sorcery.”
An acquaintance of his…
I’d suspected Ashraf wasn’t just some ordinary demon. But a demon who controlled time? That was something else.
Really not eager to meet him.
Still, I couldn’t back out now. I followed Ashraf inside.
Inside, the building was cool, a relief after the desert heat. The air was dry and smelled of old stone and aged paper.
There was no door. The entrance opened straight into the interior.
The first floor appeared to be a living space, well-used but neatly maintained, with polished furniture and everyday necessities. A staircase led up to the upper floors.
At the central table sat a man reading a thick leather-bound book.
He was young-looking, with long silver hair that caught the light like moonlight and a monocle over one eye. He looked really smart. The real kind. If my acquaintance Elliot was a fake intellectual, this man was the real deal.
The mana around him was quiet and deep. A different type from Ashraf’s, but just as refined. I sensed centuries of training. An abyss of power.
Ashraf announced, “Alucardus. I’ve brought Xenos-sama, as requested.”
At Ashraf’s call, the man slowly looked up and met my gaze. The lens of his monocle caught the dim indoor light. He studied me for a moment, then spoke in a calm, resonant voice.
”Hoh. So this is the ‘gem’ who survived your gauntlet? Interesting. Very interesting.”
Gauntlet? Survived? What the hell…
Ashraf confirmed, “Indeed. Xenos-sama nullified all one hundred and forty-nine types of magic attacks I launched at him. Furthermore, he has now even used a sorcery that manipulates time.”
Alucardus observed, “Hoh. Remarkable. To reach that level at such a young age–no wonder you brought him here.”
…One hundred and forty-nine types?
My mind went blank for a second.
Come to think of it, every time I called Ashraf, he’d always appeared behind me. I remembered feeling a strange chill each time.
Was he trying to kill me? Every single time? Over a hundred times? He varied the attack each time.
This bastard was attacking me that many times?
Without my cheat ability [Magic Seal], I’d have been dead a long time ago.
Of course Ashraf’s demonic mana felt scary. Of course having him appear behind me put me on edge. I’d noticed the bad vibes but never thought much of it. He always followed orders, so I assumed he wasn’t hostile. But now I had no idea what he was after.
For someone so obedient, he was awfully persistent with the assassination attempts.
In my future vision, I’d seen Ashraf kill Prince Liam, and then he muttered, almost disappointed:
”…Surprisingly fragile, weren’t they.”
Was he looking for someone who could survive his gauntlet?
Well. I’d always known he was suspicious. Demons’ words couldn’t be trusted. They were good at tricks.
Maybe digging into his true motives now was a waste of time.
Alucardus closed his book, stood, and offered an elegant bow. “Pleased to meet you, Xenos-dono. I am Alucardus, the Time Demon. I look forward to knowing you.”
”The courtesy is appreciated,” I replied. “I’m Xenos Grimlock, heir to Margrave Grimlock. Likewise.”
I had no idea what I was agreeing to, but a polite greeting cost nothing.
”So, Ashraf,” I said, turning to him. “What’s the purpose of this introduction?”
Ashraf replied, “For your growth, Xenos-sama. Time-manipulation magic is very hard. Even for someone of your level, mastering it solo would take decades. This man is the best person to cut that time.”
Hm.
He was called the Time Demon, so he clearly knew his time-based sorcery. Made sense.
But what was Ashraf’s goal? Did he want to make me stronger?
I felt the question rise. But pushing for answers would have made me look petty. I let it go.
Alucardus added, “Additionally, this Silent Library houses many texts on time-based sorcery. An ideal place to study.”
According to Alucardus, this building was called the Silent Library, and it held a vast collection of books.
So there are books upstairs.
From the staircase above, I could sense dense silence and the scent of old paper.
Alucardus offered, “Xenos-dono, feel free to visit anytime. If you have questions, come to me. I believe I can be of service.”
They’re laying it on thick.
The hospitality was almost suspicious. But refusing such a chance would be stupid. I decided to accept.
—
Summary:
Xenos follows Ashraf to the Demon Realm’s Silent Library to meet the Time Demon Alucardus, learning the desert location has a stagnated flow of time. He discovers Ashraf secretly attacked him 149 times as a test of worth, and that Alucardus is being offered as an advisor to speed his mastery of time magic. The lingering question remains what Ashraf truly wants from Xenos’s growth and survival.
—
Trivia:
The Silent Library is a place feared by all Demon Realm inhabitants who believe once you enter, you’ll never leave alive.
Time flows drastically slower in the desert region outside the Silent Library than in the rest of the Demon Realm.
Ashraf has been testing Xenos with 149 different magic attacks without Xenos’s knowledge until this chapter.
Xenos’s [Magic Seal] ability automatically nullified all of Ashraf’s attacks, keeping him alive.
Alucardus is described as a “genuine” intellectual contrasting with Elliot who is a “counterfeit” intellectual.
Xenos’s future vision previously showed Ashraf killing Prince Liam and muttering about his fragility.
The air in the Silent Library smells of old stone and aged paper, with a cool interior contrasting the desert heat.
Alucardus wears a monocle and has silver hair like moonlight.
Notes:
• Ashraf – A Teleportation Demon who serves as the guardian of Xenos’s mansion, protecting it against potential attacks. They possess presence-concealing magic, which the protagonist copies and uses to infiltrate the tea party.
• Xenos – Job: Heir to a high-ranking noble house; Relationship: Owner of Lilia; Has romantic connections with Elenor, Cecilia, and Lizel; Item/Magic: Summoning magic, [Substitution Collars]; Note: Was caught up in a Royal Palace explosion and missed three days of school. Pragmatic and calculating personality. Job: Noble of Grimlock family, protagonist; Relationship: Manipulator of Princess Liliana, pursuing Serena; Item/Magic: [Ring of Transformation]; Note: Reincarnated villain with game knowledge, calculating and arrogant. Job: Theater Owner and noble of Grimlock family; Relationship: Fiancé to Cecilia; Item/Magic: Game knowledge/metaknowledge; Note: Reincarnated villain protagonist who knows the original game script.
• Alucardus – The “Time Demon” who resides in the Silent Library. A researcher of time-related magic with a thousand years of accumulated knowledge. Speaks with measured elegance and professorial authority. Views Xenos with professional curiosity and subtle assessment. Wears a monocle and exudes the refined detachment of a scholar.
• Elliot – Elliot Valias, a tall, slender, blue-haired noble and intellectual aide to Prince Liam, masks his deep, unrequited love for Elenor with crude, condescending arrogance. A pseudo-intellectual prone to quick accusations, he harbors murderous, freezing hostility toward Xenos Grimlock, driven by intense jealousy over Xenos’s intimacy with Elenor.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed Crown Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother, betrothed to Elisabeth, and liege to Elliot and Aldrick. Though possessing royal Light Mana and a sense of justice, he speaks with polished grace to hide a manipulative, calculating ambition. Scheme-driven to destroy his rival Xenos and obsessively steal Cecilia, he uses his authority to incite war.
• Margrave Grimlock – Xenos’s father. Title of nobility. Mentioned only as part of Xenos’s formal introduction.
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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