Chapter 8 – Defense

R̀ëãd̃ ̈​ön̂​ ̂K̂ãt́R̈è​ád̃ìn̈ǵC̃​áf̈​ê​

 

The peaceful silence of the library was shattered when the door exploded with a deafening crash.  

In other words, it was a flash of light.  

**Boom!**  

The massive door was blown apart, sending shards of wood flying in all directions.  

*Flutter, flutter~*  

The butterflies, startled by the shock, fluttered their wings and scattered in every direction.  

“Sigh…”  

I exhaled slowly and rose from my chair.  

*Thud, thud!*  

The sound of heavy boots echoed from beyond the doorway.  

Soon, armed figures clad in black armor and thick leather flooded into the library.  

Their faces were hidden behind thick iron masks, and they wielded sharp swords, heavy hammers, and maces.  

The cold air that followed them instantly froze the warm atmosphere of the library.  

“What the hell are you!?”  

The man at the front shouted at me.  

He slammed his hammer on the ground and glanced around.  

“Is this the place where ‘all the books are gathered’?”  

I slowly walked toward them, dragging the hem of my black dress.  

*He called me a girl. Damn it…*  

This sucks.  

The fact that these bastards saw me as a real woman made me feel disgusted.  

As a butterfly enthusiast, I had no intention of doing anything, but being called a witch and having this female body was already grating on my nerves. And now, these idiots were adding fuel to the fire.  

A few butterflies, perhaps trying to calm me down, remained perched on my shoulders, fluttering their wings.  

The intruders hesitated for a moment when they saw me.  

“What, what is this? A witch?”  

“No way. Witches were wiped out over 30 years ago.”  

“Some say they went extinct. Tsk…”  

“But seeing this place between the three nations, it’s not impossible that she’s a witch.”  

They threw out various speculations, defining me as a ‘witch.’  

Then, their leader, who seemed to be in charge, calmed his subordinates and looked at me.  

“Huh?”  

He tilted his head and spoke.  

“Who are you? The owner of this place?”  

“That’s correct.”  

I answered calmly.  

“This is the Butterfly’s Library, and I am its librarian. Who are you, and what do you want?”  

“What? A librarian?”  

He laughed mockingly at my words.  

“Pfft. Funny. Then it’d be great if you could give us the books we want.”  

I felt dirty being mocked and wanted to curse him to his face, but I was too tired and frustrated. Instead, I swallowed my anger and looked him straight in the eye.  

“What book are you looking for?”  

“Hmm… Alright. I’ve heard about something called *Gwangyeom Sonata* by a painter named John Menard. I want a book similar to that. Just give me that, and I’ll leave on my own.”  

I fell into thought for a moment.  

*This library must have… the book they’re talking about…*  

But the rules of this library were clear.  

“Books, that is, knowledge, are open to everyone. But they are not permitted to those who use violence. In any form.”  

As soon as those words left my mouth, his expression darkened.  

“So, you’re refusing?”  

He raised his hammer threateningly.  

“Fine, then we’ll just have to take it by force. How about that?”  

His subordinates began to advance all at once.  

The sound of blades being drawn and maces being swung echoed through the air.  

I slowly raised my hand.  

“Stop. The Butterfly’s Library dislikes violence. It is a peaceful place that does not welcome such things.”  

But they ignored my warning and continued to advance.  

 

*****  

 

When the door exploded into pieces, I finally realized that humanity’s endless greed had once again found its way here.  

They were always like this.  

Always wanting more, always trying to take the easy way out, always justifying their greed.  

That’s what humans are.  

Whether on Earth or here, they’ve always been this way, and that’s why they’ve always been so despicable.  

I spoke calmly and even respected them.  

I even explained the rules of this place.  

But they laughed at my words, and their leader gave orders to his subordinates.  

“Prepare! Destroy anything that gets in our way!”  

The sound of their swords being drawn tore through the library’s silence.  

*Annoying.*  

I had finally found a peaceful life, but why does life have to be so cruel?  

“Human greed…”  

I muttered, instinctively raising my fingertips slightly.  

Then, the butterflies hidden in the bookshelves began to flutter their wings subtly, trembling.  

I could feel that trembling.  

*Not fear, but preparing for defense…?*  

「…Let’s fly.」  

And I shouted.  

Instinctively.  

*Flutter~!*  

As if responding to my call, the butterflies began to spread their wings and scatter.  

Their fluttering created a wind, stirring the air.  

Soon, the library was engulfed in darkness.  

“What kind of trick is this—”  

Before the leader could finish his sentence, the library’s light dimmed further, and the butterflies began to glow in the darkness.  

As the butterflies attacked the soldiers with their sharp wings, the intruders panicked, moving their heads frantically and resisting.  

“What the hell is this!?”  

The leader shouted.  

“The library is not just a repository of knowledge,” I said quietly.  

“It is a space where stories and truths live and breathe, a sacred place that cannot be tainted by greed and violence. It is for everyone, but not for the corrupted.”  

As soon as I finished speaking, the butterflies took flight in unison.  

The light-filled butterflies streaked across the air like shooting stars, their movements disorienting the intruders.  

As if recalling the moment the library’s door was shattered, countless fragments flew into the air, and dust filled the space, obscuring the bookshelves.  

I slowly raised my head amidst the chaos.  

Tears were streaming from my eyes.  

「Let’s fly…」  

Those two short words felt like a vow to myself, or perhaps a warning to suppress me.  

But was there any need to hold back any longer?  

Humans are always like this.  

Their thirst is endless, they always crave something, and if they can’t obtain it, they seek to destroy it.  

I already knew what they wanted, and so I shouted.  

“This knowledge will not be permitted to those like you.”  

Their eyes changed.  

Even as they were being attacked, their eyes were filled with anger, disappointment, and mockery.  

“Who said we need permission? Knowledge should belong to everyone. That’s what we want! It will give us the power to make this world a better place!!!”  

His words sounded reasonable.  

No, they were meant to sound that way.  

“…Are you guests from the Hanseatic Empire? Or… why are you saying such things?”  

“What does it matter to you!!!”  

They always say the same thing.  

That if they get what they want, they can change the world.  

But the end of that change is always destruction and death.  

The change they desire is a lie.  

“Changing the world is just a way to justify your desires, guest,” I replied.  

“Do you truly know how the knowledge you seek will be used? Or are you just actors hired by someone for money?”  

The leader let out a short laugh.  

“You’re tearing us apart with just butterflies, and now you’re trying to persuade us? Are you a preacher!? A priest!!?”  

“But I can offer advice.”  

“Nonsense!!! We didn’t come here with such a weak mind to be persuaded by you! The power you hold! This library must be used. If we are prepared to use it, it belongs to us too.”  

I felt a deep fatigue at his words.  

It wasn’t just simple greed; it was the endless self-justification and hatred of humanity.  

“I’ll use a 9th-level spell!!!”  

With his shout, he raised his staff.  

“Captain!!!”  

“Hurry!!! Share your mana with the captain!!!”  

The soldiers began to share their mana with him, and those who couldn’t charged at me.  

The library’s floor echoed with the heavy footsteps of the armored soldiers.  

It was the sound of noisy boots.  

The mages began preparing their spells, engaging in a battle of strength with the library, and the library resisted their attacks even more fiercely.  

I raised my hand.  

“Let’s fly again.”  

At my words, the butterflies emitted light and took to the air.  

They seemed to rise from the bookshelves, filling the space and obscuring the enemies’ vision.  

“Please stop.”  

My voice echoed through the library.  

Of course, no one stopped.  

*Flutter, flutter~*  

A butterfly with red wings landed on the tip of my index finger.  

“…I don’t know. It feels like I’ve always known I had to do this.”  

I flicked the red-winged butterfly into the air.  

*Flutter, flutter~*  

The butterfly flapped its wings roughly and heavily, emitting light as it flew toward the soldiers.  

“Charge!!!”  

“Huh? What’s this butterfly?”  

“Huh?”  

**Boom!**  

And then it exploded.  

“Ahhh!!!”  

“My, my eyes—!”  

“My leg!!! Ah, ugh!!!”  

They screamed and retreated.  

Bones protruded, flesh was torn, burned, exploded, and crushed.  

Blood splattered everywhere, but I didn’t care.  

Since they were the ones who shattered the long-awaited peace, I decided to be generous and forgive them.  

“Knowledge does not exist for your desires. Knowledge is for everyone, and these books are for everyone. Those who seek to take them will be judged.”  

I raised my head and looked at the leader.  

The smile on his face was unbearably confident.  

“Judgment, huh? Do you think the power you hold can stop us? In the end, knowledge always falls into the hands of the strongest. No matter how much you protect this library, we won’t stop. Remember that.”  

He swung his staff once more.  

His spell shook the library’s space.  

The bookshelves collapsed, books fell to the floor, but the library did not tolerate it.  

*Swoosh~!*  

The books floated into the air.  

Then, they flew toward the soldiers.  

“Ahhh!!!”  

“What, what is this!!?”  

“Block it!!! Protect the captain!”  

The soldiers swung their swords to fend off the books, but the books were not mere physical objects.  

They contained everything the library held, and thus, they could not be destroyed.  

“If what you truly desire is knowledge, shouldn’t you first ask if you are worthy of it?”  

I said softly.  

He sneered in response.  

“Worthy? That’s just the talk of hypocrites. The world has always moved according to the will of the strong. There’s never been mercy for the weak.”  

As he spoke, he grinned, blood pouring from the holes in his body as he began to die, losing the battle of strength against the library.  

“Even if you stop us, this library will fall someday. It’s only natural. Humans always get what they want in the end. If I die, someone else will take my place and hunt down this library and its books.”  

And finally, he collapsed.  

*Thud, thud~!*  

Chunks of flesh, stripped of blood, were torn apart.  

At the same time, finely crushed bones, muscles, and flesh, along with blood, poured onto the library floor like rain.  

“Captain!!!”  

“How dare you!!!”  

“You—!”  

And the rest of them… met the same fate.  

I had protected the library.  

 

[Condition Achieved]  

<It is the librarian’s duty to stop those who disturb the library.>  

“…Huh?”  

A blue or white square appeared before me.  

Words began to form inside it.  

[Assistant Librarian]  

<The genre floors will be sequentially unlocked.>  

“Genre… floors?”  

As I voiced my curiosity, the library responded as if answering me, and more text appeared.  

[Future Enemies]  

<More individuals with impure intentions will come, and more guests will enter the library. Thus, an assistant librarian is indispensable.>  

“…So, you’re saying I need to create another librarian to protect the library?”  

[Correct]  

<Therefore, you may unlock a genre floor of your choice.>  

As the text ended, three options appeared before me, numbered 1 to 3.  

– History  

– Science  

– Art  

I naturally chose history.  

The reason was simple.  

It was the first option.  

*Click~!*  

[History Floor]  

<Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.>  

**Boom!**  

With a short explosion, a man stood in the middle of the blood-soaked library.  

“What, what is this place?”  

“Ah.”  

[Yu Hae (汝諧)]  

<Assistant librarians are important. If you wish to strengthen them, you must awaken their past.>  

With that explanation, the History Floor, a genre floor, was created.  

And it was over.