Chapter 150. < Prologue. (3) >
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Translator: thursdays Editor: Yahiko
4.
-Ooh, awesome library.
In ancient times, there was a being called ‘The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories.’ Humans could not p.r.o.nounce the name of this being properly. ‘The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories’ was just an arbitrary, fict.i.tious name.
The real p.r.o.nunciation was ■■■■■. Just as humans do not care about what a cricket may call them, ■■■■■ did not feel the need to use the humans’ designation. The most simplified p.r.o.nunciation of the being’s name would be close to something like ‘Hamustra’.
-The atmosphere is pleasant, and the collection is excellent, too.
Hamustra.
That was what the humans called ‘The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories.’
-I gladly acknowledge it, ■■■■■.
But the human before him was different.
-This is the best library that my humble self has visited.
This human could use Dragon Speech at will. That in itself was fascinating. The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories was an existence with great curiosity to begin with. There was a high chance that he would like and be interested in this little being.
n.o.body had stepped foot in this library thus far except for this human, his first visitor.
-Who are you?
The human before him was emitting a truly vulgar smell. It was weird. The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories could smell a dragon, but the being before him was not a dragon. It gave off a G.o.dlike aura, but the being was not a G.o.d, either.
The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories had never seen a being like the human in front of him.
-How did you come here?
Naturally, there was a vigilance to his tone.
-I never allowed your entrance. This is my world. Reveal your purpose, stranger.
-I’m not a book thief. Please don’t be too wary.
The human snickered.
-I am a sort of traveling insurance agent. I am visiting every existence like you and to persuade you.
-I asked about your purpose.
-I am building a house. No, should I call it a villa?[1] If I am the landlord, I am trying to convince you to become my tenant.
The human snickered again.
-……
The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories was annoyed. He felt annoyed for the first time in thousands of years, or maybe more than double that. He loved all characters in books, not discriminating between the good and evil; he treated the luckless and the fortunate equally; but real life was different.
The Pond of Acc.u.mulating Memories was a great being. The definition of greatness was subjective, but in the Pond’s opinion, greatness was the ability to hit or kill those that annoyed him.
-Pest. Go away.
The Pond decided to use his greatness today as well. He lightly exhibited his power.
In the library, the Pond’s strength was absolute. Tough guys who had reached transcendence, and ordinary people, of course, could only be torn apart and turned into dust. The Pond was confident. A long time ago, before he had become as great as he was now, he had disintegrated many things.
-Ah. I’m sorry.
The human before him did not turn to dust.
The human was fine.
-I just ruined the mood. But can’t you speak with me just a little more? I worked hard to make it all the way here. Phew. The roads were blocked, and they were in poor shape, too…
The Pond was surprised that its greatness had no effect.
It was a huge shock.
It was such a huge shock that the Pond fled from reality. His attack just then didn’t show his power? It was invalid. He was treating it like it hadn’t happened. The Pond finished excusing himself and attacked the human again.
-Now that I brought it up, I have to ask. Is there no door in this library? Is this some sort of grave? You should poke out some windows, at least. It’s stuffy and suffocating.
The human was still all right.
-Should I make some for you?
Even worse, the human blew a hole in the library. While smiling a little.
-Ah. The air’s finally flowing now.
The Pond’s mind went blank.
-What the f.u.c.k?
It was the first time he cursed in thousands and thousands of years.
The library wasn’t just a simple area for books. It was like the body and soul of the Pond. The fact that the human could pierce a hole through the library walls meant the human could easily cut up his underbelly. The Pond was capable enough to connect the dots, and he was smart enough not to want to be slashed.
-I get it! I surrender. What do you want from me?!
-I want your everything…
-I’d rather die!
-Ah. Should I? Can I kill you?
-……
The Pond was quite clever. At least, he was intelligent enough to realize the human in front of him was f.u.c.king insane.
-As expected, you don’t want to die, right? Of course not. Life is a precious thing. Now, my humble self also wishes to help you. Please sign here to keep your precious life.
It was unfortunate for the Pond that the nut job had unimaginable power.
-What is this…?
-It’s a contract.
-Can I ask what sort of contract it is…?
-Yes, of course. I’m not a gangster.
Even if the human wasn’t technically a gangster, the human wasn’t very far from one. But the Pond did not point it out. Again, the Pond was smart. He knew what he could and could not say.
-I am building a tower.
Tower.
-I will bring in beings like you. I will also allow the beings you consider insignificant creatures to enter.
The Pond cautiously read the contract. As he did, his expression changed.
At first, he thought that the human was a crazy ruffian here to steal from his library. The ruffian part was right. So was the crazy part.
But the human was not a thief.
The contract was filled with enticing offers.
-You’re going to let me peek inside all worlds? Really?
-Not all worlds. Only the worlds I have a hand in.
-…These confidentiality clauses.
-You must absolutely keep them.
The Pond didn’t need long to decide.
However, his curiosity deepened.
-Why are you starting this business?
It was interesting.
-What is it for? What advantage does it bring you?
-n.o.body chooses to be born.
The human smiled.
-Everyone should be able to live one more life. It may not be the life they want, but they would live because they chose to live.
The Pond couldn’t understand the human’s smile.
-Someday, you too will live another life, Mr. Corner Librarian.
He couldn’t understand those words, either.
5.
“……”
The Librarian looked up at me blankly.
Did he not understand me? Or did it just not hit him yet? Either way, it was all right. I did not rush the Librarian and waited for him.
“You want me to climb the Tower with you,” the Librarian murmured after a long time had pa.s.sed.
“I-I am no an ordinary Constellation. Unlike the spirit possessing you or the holy sword tied to you, I am officially entrusted with this stage. Despite my looks, I am of a high cla.s.s… To belong to this particular Tower is… If I do…”
“If you do, what happens?”
“…I do not know. I don’t know at all. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the Tower.”
The Librarian’s shoulders shook.
“There are instances of Constellations being enthralled and acting as some warriors’ attendants. Quite a lot of them. And like how you swallowed [The Devil King of Fall Rain] with your [Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation], warriors have collected Constellations, too. But… But I have never heard of a Constellation becoming a Hunter…”
“Then you can be recorded as the first.”
“……”
“Hamustra. Don’t live in this sort of place.”
I looked around.
It was a tomb of books.
The traces of past worlds were gathered here. That was all. In this place, time did not flow. Only the breaths spilled by other people and stories of other worlds were sealed here.
‘It’s familiar.’
Just a place where you longed for and envied the worlds of others.
‘This place. It’s familiar to me.’
The room that I rented before regressing came to mind.
In my room, I had put up many pictures and interviews of the Flame Emperor.
The scale was pathetic compared to the Great Library, but…
‘In essence, it’s the same.’
That was why I could say this.
“Step up to the ring. Now.”
You had to come out of here.
“People get weirder and weirder when they stay in this sort of place.”
“I-I’m weird…?”
“A person’s life is recorded in an Apocalypse. You may think that you know everything about the person by reading it, but that’s not the case. Hamustra, do you remember what was written about the destruction of [The Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon]?”
The Apocalypse narrated my master’s death like this:
「The Heavenly Demon suddenly succ.u.mbed to the epidemic and died.」
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“……”
“It says nothing. Nothing at all.”
What expression Master wore at the end, the cultists’ voices as they mourned, how hard the children by the riverside worked to dig out the soft mud—you could never learn that from reading the book.
You couldn’t.
“H-however!” protested the Librarian. “I can see and observe them!”
“That’s true,” I accepted easily. “You can enter the worlds yourself to observe the events. When Master pa.s.sed on, you must have grieved as I did. Of that, I have no doubt.”
“T-then there’s no problem…!”
“But you wouldn’t have been sadder than I was.”
“……”
“You, too, must have held your breath when Master died in The Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon. You would have felt awe when the Sword Emperor struck. But the thing you felt? It was only ‘appreciation.’”
Squeeze.
I held the Librarian’s hand a little tighter and pulled him in closer.
“I bet you also love Raviel. You like her. But you know, you’ll never love Raviel as much as I love her.”
“……”
“You’ve only had a taste, sitting inside this library. You’ve never put your life on stage—you only lived as the audience. If you enjoyed a performance, you clap. If not, you yawn. That’s all.”
“I…”
“Come live with us.”
The Librarian twitched.
“I’m bound by a… strict contract. If I attach myself to a specific tower or violate the rules, I’ll definitely be punished by the Tower. I would probably lose all the authority of a Constellation… I would be useless like that. I would be of no use to you.”
“This isn’t that kind of story.”
“……”
“And you know it, too.”
“……”
“Hamustra.”
I looked straight at the person before me.
“Dying by the Constellation Killer’s hands one day was your dream. Throw away that dream now. I’ll give you a new dream. This dream won’t always be happy, and there will be many times when it feels like a nightmare instead. There will be many parts you want to erase. But if you want. If it’s what you desire, I’ll stay in that dream.”
I spoke again.
“Live a life with me.”
“……”
“You would appear in my dream, and I would appear in yours, and you and I can be ‘we.’”
The Librarian’s lips were trembling. And his left hand, which was shaking even more than his lips, reached into his pocket. He pulled out a book that was thinner than The Epic of Lefanta Aegim.
+
■■■■■
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I couldn’t read the t.i.tle.
It was the language of a world that we could not comprehend.
The Librarian—no, Hamustra—handed me the book that contained his life.
“Death King….”
“Yes.”
“I will give you my final advice as a reader. I’m your biggest fan. There is no reader who loves you as much as I, and there never will be. So please, remember this well.”
“I’ll listen.”
“If you overuse your flirting like this, someone may misunderstand. Please use that sort of language with only d.u.c.h.ess Ivansia. Otherwise, d.u.c.h.ess Ivansia will stab your heart and kill you, Death King…”
“I already died that way once, but I’ll heed your words.”
“Death King…”
“Yes.”
“Is living as a human enjoyable?”
The Librarian was frightened.
I smiled.
“It sucks.”
I grabbed hold of [■■■■■].
“It’s like hard taffy, but even taffy is delicious when you chew it. Your teeth may break sometimes, but I’ll help you.”
“d.a.m.n…”
The Librarian looked close to tears.
“To think something like this will make up the final lines of my Apocalypse…”
He held the spine of the book while I held the cover.
“Life doesn’t work so smoothly. It’s like a piece of art. Cope with it.”
We opened the final Apocalypse.
His voice was scared and tearful, but his words were firm when he spoke.
“Death King. Corner Librarian. I designate these two as characters of [■■■■■]. The difficulty of this Apocalypse is undecided. When you open your eyes, the highly acclaimed ending of the story will…”
“When we open our eyes, we’ll probably just be here.”
“…As you say.”
The Librarian looked up at me.
That moment.
“I declare this stage cleared.”
Fwoooos.h.!.+
White light wrapped around us.
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[1] There’s an untranslatable pun here. Villa is 별장, and the first syllable 별 can refer to stars (as in Constellations)