Chapter 17 – The Dream of the Red Demon (1)

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“Can you tell me about the outside world?”  

A very polite tone, a languid voice, and even a smile.  

Finally, her hands neatly folded in front of her.  

*Damn, she’s really acting like a girl now.* (T/N: I’m not sure, but I think that’s an author’s note.)  

Internally, I was disappointed by the failure of my attempt to emphasize my masculinity, but at the same time, I couldn’t escape the contradiction of acting like a woman because of my current form.  

So, using the persuasiveness of this appearance, I packaged myself as someone who, ignorant of the world but possessing immense power, had created this massive library called the “Magic Tower.”  

 

“Even if you say ‘the outside world’… it’s nothing you don’t already know.”  

“Still, please tell me.”  

“Hmm…”  

Shuji scratched her head, slightly flustered, then shrugged her shoulders as if she were about to say something obvious but found it amusing.  

“As you know, this is an uninhabited zone. There have been so many wars that this area has been saturated with biochemical weapons. The water is undrinkable, and farming is impossible. The Hanseatic Empire, the United States of Greater America, and… one more country whose name isn’t even known, so we just call it the Holy Kingdom. Originally, it came from the Sagwa Empire, but after the empire dissolved, it’s been a three-nation system ever since.”  

 

As she said, her words had to be true, but assuming they were, the library was right in the middle of a lawless wasteland.  

“And it hasn’t been noisy because…”  

“Well, there aren’t any idiots who’d start waving guns around at a suddenly appearing magic tower.”  

“I see.”  

 

For another world, it felt quite modern, and from the mention of guns, I could roughly guess.  

A vast world, three nations, advanced technology, but common sense still exists.  

And the feeling that it’s not much different from the Earth I know wasn’t wrong.  

However, since I couldn’t leave the library, I had to learn about the outside world from those who came here, which was a bit sad if you thought about it.  

 

“So, were there other countries besides those three?”  

“I’m not sure about the Holy Kingdom, but there were quite a few countries before. The two nations were formed after the Unification War.”  

“I see.”  

 

This might not be particularly important information, but I thought it might be useful for the Floor of History.  

I stroked my chin thoughtfully as I looked at the second floor, the Floor of History.  

*Snap—!*  

When I flicked my finger, Yu Hae appeared beside me in a flash of golden light.  

*Poof—!*  

“Sta— Huh!? Wh-what’s this?”  

Yu Hae, who had been reading a book just moments ago, looked around in confusion, stepping back.  

“Ah, this is that teleportation thing. Why did you call me again…?”  

“It seems new books will be added to the Floor of History.”  

I looked at Shuji.  

“…Me?”  

“Yes. You should finish it. It’s a shame to leave it just with the butterflies.”  

“But still…”  

“You wanted to, didn’t you? To find out what happened to John Menard and how it all went down.”  

“Well… yeah.”  

 

She had no choice.  

After all, she’d had her nape bitten by a butterfly for that very purpose.  

And that purpose remained unchanged.  

To fulfill that purpose, a butterfly with red wings flew out from between the distant shelves and fluttered toward us.  

“D-do I have to get bitten? Honestly, is there another way—”  

“There’s a way to bite the head. You’d have to crush the skull to get in—”  

“I’ll get my nape bitten.”  

*Chomp—!*  

At that moment, the butterfly bit her nape without hesitation.  

 

***  

 

The story resumed from Sirius’s perspective.  

The space here was dark and quiet, but the conversations inside were growing increasingly heated.  

“So… the ‘library’ you’re talking about, Mr. Artist, is literally a library, but at the same time, it’s a place where immense knowledge is accumulated. And that knowledge translates into money, right?”  

Sirius spoke in a low, calm tone.  

His words carried sharp analysis.  

Though it was more of a summary based on what he’d heard rather than true sharpness.  

He seemed to be judging whether this was just empty boasting or a story worth exploring.  

 

“That’s right! Even if the PMC ruins its reputation and everything goes to hell, if we can just secure one book, making a living won’t be hard! These aren’t just ordinary books. They contain completely new knowledge, treasures unlike anything in this world!”  

John Menard couldn’t hide his excitement, raising his voice.  

His eyes were filled with fervor.  

It was less about greed for money and more like the obsessive madness of someone who’d discovered something worth exploring.  

 

“Hmm…”  

Sirius fell silent for a moment, looking at him.  

He stroked his chin as if organizing his thoughts.  

Then he let out a quiet sigh.  

“It seems you don’t understand.”  

John Menard laughed mockingly, crossing his arms.  

“You should know this. Catching kidnappers and having the Alpha Legion harvest them thousands of times won’t even come close to the money one book can bring!”  

“But at the same time, doesn’t that mean the risk is just as great? If it’s knowledge that doesn’t exist in this world, its value to others would be immense. That means there’d be forces trying to protect that knowledge, like the witch, right?”  

“Ahem…”  

John Menard nodded as if conceding Sirius’s point, then coughed awkwardly.  

“Of course! If it’s knowledge no one knows about, there’s no legal issue with us taking it and selling or using it, right? That’s how valuable it is!”  

 

As John Menard finished speaking, Sirius’s gaze turned to Maria, who was sitting beside him.  

It was as if he was silently asking, *What’s your opinion?*  

“Sigh…”  

Maria shook her head and sighed.  

Her expression was twisted, as if suppressing her emotions.  

“Mr. Menard isn’t the type to lie. At least, his actions so far prove that.”  

But even as she spoke, her eyes wavered.  

Her expression was a mix of trust and doubt.  

 

Sirius pondered her words before speaking again.  

“That’s only true in the art world, client. No, actually…”  

He paused for a moment, then looked directly at Maria and asked bluntly,  

“How long has it been since your son’s funeral? And you’re already diving into such reckless endeavors?”  

 

As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the room froze.  

It felt like all conversation had stopped.  

And what broke the silence was Maria’s unexpected answer.  

“There’s no harm in trying.”  

She spoke in a calm voice.  

But beneath it was deep despair and obsession.  

“Who knows? There might be a way to bring my son back to life in that place.”  

 

*Clap, clap, clap—!*  

At that moment, John Menard jumped up from his seat, clapping vigorously and exclaiming,  

“That’s it! That’s the core of what I wanted to say! Lost magic! One of the forbidden magics only witches could use—resurrection magic—might be there! Right! The library has that cute and beautiful nymph… ah, no. The witch, right? It’s not an impossible assumption! The witch would know!”  

 

At his words, Maria’s eyes lit up.  

As if clinging to even the faintest hope, she looked at Sirius with a desperate gaze.  

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Wilhelm von Albert sighed deeply on the screen and shook his head.  

“I’ll step back from this. This isn’t the purpose for which I sought the library’s knowledge.”  

With that, he disappeared from the screen.  

 

Now, only three people remained in the room.  

After a brief silence, Sirius glared at John Menard.  

“The payment had better be substantial.”  

At that, John Menard regained his smile and opened a bag he’d prepared.  

Inside was a stack of bills.  

“50 billion Hwan in total. That should be enough, right?”  

 

Sirius glanced at the money in the bag, then crossed his arms and leaned back, muttering,  

“As an advance payment, it’s perfect.”  

But then he immediately changed his tone and added,  

“But it’s still not enough.”  

John Menard looked puzzled.  

“Not enough?”  

Sirius quietly bowed his head and spoke in a low voice.  

“We’re going into an unknown place. Butterflies, books, the library, the witch… and knowledge. The goal is knowledge, which means books. To get that, we’ll have to raid the place. And there’s something we mustn’t forget.”  

His eyes darkened.  

“It’s true that the witches were wiped out during the Unification War. But if the witch in the library is guarding it, the story changes.”  

 

John Menard’s expression wavered.  

Sirius looked at him as if warning him and added one final caution.  

“If there’s resurrection magic there, there’s also a high chance that one of the lost magics of the witches, the ‘Annihilation Magic,’ exists as well. In other words…”  

He took a deep breath.  

“This mission is far more dangerous than you think. If it’s as dangerous as I suspect…”  

Then, Sirius exhaled and continued,  

“If I die, make sure to spread the word so no one ever approaches the library again. If the Annihilation Magic, which is only spoken of in legends, truly exists, and my men are torn apart by it, that is.”  

 

***  

 

“Gah!? Ugh!!! Cough!?!”  

As soon as Shuji woke up after viewing the memories, she began coughing up blood and clutching her chest.  

“Ugh… W-witch.”  

“You’ve worked hard. Did you find out anything?”  

“Yes…”  

Shuji sat down, holding her head.  

“How much did you see?”  

“…It was during the conversation. At the end, he said to spread the word if he died so no one would approach the library.”  

“You saw a lot. There’s still a bit more after that.”  

At those words, Shuji made a horrified expression.  

“I think I can guess what happens next without seeing it.”  

“Right?”  

“Yeah…”  

Shuji hung her head and sighed.  

Then she tried to wipe the bloodstains from her mouth with her sleeve.  

“Use this.”  

I handed her a tissue brought by a butterfly from midair, smiling brightly.  

“Th-thank you, Witch.”  

She made a slightly pained expression but smiled gratefully as she wiped the blood from her mouth.  

 

“……”  

Silence fell.  

It was brief, but the silence was broken when Shuji carefully turned her head to look at me.  

“Witch…”  

Then she asked me in a cautious tone,  

“Witch… do you know how to use Annihilation Magic?”  

“……”  

“I learned about it in history class. During the Unification War, one of the reasons the witches were wiped out was because they overused Annihilation Magic, which led to entire cities being destroyed in horrific wars. Ah, no, right? You’re not that kind of bad witch, are you…?”  

 

I couldn’t answer.  

I just closed my eyes and lowered my head.  

*What’s Annihilation Magic?*  

I really didn’t know.  

 

*Clang—!*  

“Comrade Witch!”  

At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and one person—no, several people—entered.  

“Don’t listen to this guy! Dreams always come true!!!”  

“Oh, my. But ideals and reality are different, aren’t they?”  

“You dare speak to your master like that!?”  

“I’m the fool for accepting you as my master!!!”  

A hairy man and a bald man were fighting fiercely, and beside Wilhelm von Albert, someone was shaking their head, trying to lead Albert inside.  

 

“Welcome to the Butterfly Library.”  

As always, I greeted them warmly.