"Ahhh~ Today's work is going to be looong…"
An elf-woman in her mid-thirties stretched her arms toward the ceiling, her hands reaching out as if to grasp the morning light that filtered through the high, arched windows of the library. She let out a wide, unhurried yawn, her slim build shifting under a dress that spoke of modest elegance. A single monocle caught the sun, dangling over one of her sharp black eyes, while her brown hair was pinned back into a tight, professional bun that looked as if it hadn't moved in years.
Mmm? New customers already?
Umel lowered her arms, her gaze drifting toward a group approaching through the aisles of the fourth floor. This was no ordinary archive; the building was a vertical labyrinth where information was the only currency that mattered. From the ground up, each floor was a layer of deeper truth—the higher you climbed, the more the secrets began to breathe.
"So, like, there were actually zero bodies left in those kingdoms?" Noa asked as they walked, his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze drifting toward Jain. "Could it really be human trafficking, or—"
"…Or?" Jain blinked, her eyebrows knitting together in a look of genuine, puzzled concern.
"Or… umm…" Noa's eyes darted around the room, landing on a gargoyle statue before he pulled an idea out of thin air. "Or it could just be… extra-strength human trafficking. Obviously."
The group finally reached the archivist's desk. Behind the trio of Noa, Vionette, and Jain, Rose maintained her perfect maid's posture, a silent shadow of lethal grace. Beside her, Kaelen and Nill were locked in a silent war of glares, their shared space vibrating with a tension that felt like a coiled spring.
"We're here for some research. How does the system work in this place?" Vionette asked, leaning one hip against the counter with a casual, carefree.
"Welcome. My name is Umel Retraigor, the archivist in charge of this floor." She placed a slender hand over her heart in a practiced gesture of greeting. "You are free to peruse the shelves numbered one through twelve," she said, gesturing to the towering wooden monoliths behind her. "But please, do not wander into the restricted zones—anything numbered thirteen and above is off-limits."
"Restricted, huh?" Noa asked, his black-purple eyes scanning the shadows of the deeper aisles.
"Yes, only archivists or those with high-level clearance may tread there." Umel offered a playful, slightly mysterious smile. "And remember, your fee is calculated based on the volume of knowledge consumed. We track every page turned with magic and skills—so don't think you can sneak a peek for free."
Noa's shoulders slumped, his jaw hanging open in a look of exaggerated despair.
Great… pay-per-view books. Fantastic.
As his gaze wandered, he spotted a figure moving among the restricted shelves.
"Wait, why is she allowed back there then? Is she some kind of library VIP?" He pointed a finger toward a small girl.
The girl was barely half Noa's height, built with a slim fragility that matched the head archivist. She had short, violet hair cut into a sharp bob that framed her face, her bangs falling in a perfectly aligned fringe above matching violet eyes. She wore slim white trousers and a long-sleeved violet shirt, finished with a tidy bow that made her look like a doll brought to life. A tiny and simple watch was warped around her one arm. Two small, bat-like wings sprouted from her back, a subtle mark of her demon heritage.
In one hand, she held a stack of books so tall it obscured her face; with the other, she was slotting them into the shelves with mechanical precision. At the feeling of a finger pointing her way, she turned, her gaze neutral and quiet.
But for a split second, reality for the girl didn't look like a library. The stone floor beneath her feet turned into lush, swaying grassland. She saw a cliff overlooking a sparkling river, and on that cliff sat a little girl with hair as white as fresh snow, staring at the water below. Beside her sat a black-haired boy of the same age, their shoulders touching as they shared a smile that looked like the only warm thing in the world.
!!!
The vision shattered like falling glass. The girl snapped back to the dusty air of the library, her neutral expression remaining perfectly intact, though her heart hammered against her ribs.
That…
"That's Rin, my assistant. She's staff, so she's allowed wherever the work takes her," Umel explained, watching Rin with a fond smile. "She doesn't talk much, so just ignore her and do your thing."
Rin offered a tiny, almost imperceptible bow before turning back to her tower of books.
She's definitely one of those—a kuudere loli... well a demon kuudere, Noa thought, shaking his head.
"Well, let's go hunting for info then," Vionette said, nodding to Umel. As she turned to leave, she paused, flashing a bright, seemingly random smile. "By the way, did you know my maid's name is Rose? Fitting for her hair color, right?"
Umel stared at her, completely unable to process why this young woman was suddenly offering trivia about her staff with such high energy. Even Rose looked at her mistress with a confused, 'Why am I being mentioned?' expression.
"…Yes, I… I suppose it is very fitting. Hahahah… hah." Umel let out an awkward, dry laugh, the sound echoing uncomfortably in the quiet space.
"Hahahah! Right? I knew you'd get it!" Vionette tapped the archivist's shoulder with a boisterous laugh, her eyes sparkling with a secret amusement.
Umel looked around frantically for a way to break the awkward tension, her eyes landing on her assistant.
"O-oh yeah! Rin! That book you were asking about? It should be arriving soon."
"Thank you, Mrs. Retraigor," Rin replied, her voice low and firm, carrying a weight that belied her tiny stature.
…
Noa sighed as he flipped through a heavy tome titled 'Aether Principals.' He scanned a page, found it entirely too dense for his liking, and slammed the book shut faster than he had opened it, sliding it back onto the shelf with a disgruntled huff. He wasn't a 'book person,' and forcing himself to be one felt like trying to swallow a handful of dry sand.
"Mister, can you step aside?"
"W-what the?!"
Noa nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden, low voice right at his elbow. He looked down to see Rin standing there, already reaching for the space he was blocking. She was moving with a focus that made him feel like a mere obstacle in her path.
"Uh—yeah. My bad. Rin, was it?" Noa asked, crouching down until his knees were bent and he was at eye level with her. "So, what are you actually doing? Just organizing?"
"Shelving," the reply came back blankly.
Rin didn't even look at him, her hands moving like a blur as she sorted the volumes.
"Look, I'm kind of struggling here," he said, offering a friendly, lopsided smile. "I have no idea what kind of book I'm even looking for. Think you can help a guy out?"
"Name?" she asked, finally turning her head to look him in the eye.
What weird eyes, she thought, staring into the depths of his black-purple eyes.
"Well, it's this thing called a 'Fable Mark.' Ever heard of it?"
"No. Sorry."
"Hahah~ No worries, it was a long shot." Noa reached out, impulsively patting her small head with his hand. Her hair was surprisingly soft, like fine silk. "Then let's talk about what you like. I heard Umel say you wanted a specific book. Is it something useful for your work?"
"A lot. It's about creatures from the past."
Noa froze, his hand still resting on her head. He had been expecting her to say a novel, or maybe a study guide for magic, but 'creatures from the past' sounded way more intense than he'd anticipated.
---
Vionette leaned casually against the side of a mahogany bookshelf, the dark wood cool against her back. She had one ankle crossed over the other, her posture a masterpiece of relaxed authority. In one hand, she held a book titled simply 'Skills,' while her other arm was wrapped around her own waist like a coiled snake. A few feet away, Jain was scanning the titles, though she was careful not to actually open anything—Vionette had made it clear she wasn't paying for Jain's 'curiosity' today. Rose stood at Vionette's side, a silent, ever-ready pillar of support.
So this Fable Mark thing isn't a skill? Kaelen doesn't have any skills at all, so the chances of it being a skill itself are basically zero, Vionette thought, her eyes narrowed as she turned a page. Is it a physical technique? A mastery? It doesn't really fit the profile of a standard sword-art either.
As a woman walked past, Vionette's eyes locked onto her.
"Wait, madam," she said, extending a hand to stop her.
The woman turned. She was dressed in a long, flowing white gown with sleeves that hid her hands, her golden hair falling in waves over her shoulders. A wide-brimmed brown hat sat atop her head, casting a shadow over her face.
"You were at the fifth bookshelf area at 2:30 PM today, right?" Vionette asked.
"No, I wasn't there at that time," the woman, her hands full of books, shook her head slowly.
"Aha… that's interesting." Vionette leaned in closer, a sly, predatory smile spreading across her lips. "There aren't any clocks in this library, and I don't see a watch on your wrist. So… how did you know it was exactly 2:30 PM when you 'weren't' there?"
The woman went rigid, her breath hitching for a fraction of a second.
"I-it's just my own way of telling time. You don't need to know about that!"
"I'll ask again. You were at the fifth bookshelf at 2:30 PM, right?"
"No. I was not there at that time," the woman replied.
"Fine, keep your secrets." Vionette closed her book with a definitive snap and handed it to Rose. "Then can you at least tell me where it is? I'm totally lost in this maze."
"It's that way." The woman pointed a finger toward a far corner. "Go to the end, turn left, and just keep walking."
"Got it. Thanks a bunch~" Vionette chirped, walking away with a graceful wave of her hand. "Let's go, Rose. Let's see if we can find even one scrap of info on that knight's power."
The woman in the white gown watched Vionette walk away. Her face remained a mask of prideful, arrogant calm, but inside, her mind was a storm of static and fear.
She's a bit strange with her words, but she's dangerous. She's leading those Church people like they're pets… I need to be incredibly careful around her. And…
"Knight…" she whispered to herself.
At the word, ancient memories began to crawl into her mind like ivy over a tombstone. They were fragments of a life she shouldn't remember, flickering like dying candles in a drafty hall.
'The Kingdom of Seimara.'
'For her majesty the queen! For Queen Ilyra!'
'Your majesty… may I take your hand?'
'KYAAAAH!'
A tall, mighty castle piercing the clouds; a beautiful princess being crowned as a queen; a knight winning that Queen's heart with a single, loyal bow… and then, the screams. The fall. The fire.
The woman clutched her books tighter, her knuckles white, as the ghosts of a fallen kingdom clawed at her soul.
***
"So we're really leaving with nothing?" Noa asked, his arms extending in a dramatic arc of disappointment.
"Who is 'we'? You didn't do a damn thing," Vionette countered with a scowl. "Anyway, it's true. We're heading to the upper floors." She turned to Umel, who offered a practiced bow as she secured the gold.
Must be high-born with that much coin, the archivist thought.
As they stepped toward the stairs, Vionette paused and turned back, her expression unreadable.
"By the way, did you know my maid's name is Rose? It matches her hair perfectly, right?"
Umel looked up, her face a mask of polite, bewildered annoyance.
"Madam… you already told me that. Did you actually manage to read any books with a memory like that?"
"Hahah—right, I did." Vionette offered a flighty, carefree laugh. But as she turned away to continue her walk, her eyes went cold and sharp.
Mmm… she passed.