Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. – Chapter 59 – D-Rank Labyrinth – Library of Sin (2)

Author: Cireng

Chapter 59: D-Rank Labyrinth – Library of Sin (2)

“I’m only going to explain this once, so listen carefully.”

Pendrick listened attentively while holding Astrimia in his arms.

“Before we clear the labyrinth, we’re going to find the hidden piece of the [Library of Sin].”

The dark mage Bartimir.

A suspicious-looking demon with most of his face and upper body wrapped tightly in bandages walked between the bookshelves as he spoke.

“According to our Bibliophile Mage Tower’s estimates, since the labyrinth is set in a library, the hidden piece is most likely related to books. The prevailing theory is that only a handful of the countless mystical books can trigger unique events.”

His voice was gloomy, befitting a demon, and his tone couldn’t have been more curt.

Given his bizarre appearance, it was only natural for people to instinctively feel even more wary of him.

“But wouldn’t that make it way too advantageous for those Cultists of Twisted Truth over there to find those books? That’s why I’m going to look for a different hidden piece.”

“Huh? There are two types of hidden pieces?”

“That’s what our Mage Tower’s analysis suggests. We don’t know exactly what they are. We only figured it out by analyzing mana fluctuations.”

Bartimir casually pulled out a book from his robes.

“Based on our findings, I brought a few books from the Mage Tower’s library. Only those with especially cruel content that would suit the [Library of Sin]. I’ll handle everything myself, so you guys just do what I tell you. Don’t bother wracking your brains over it.”

He was clearly far from friendly.

And yet… for some reason, he kept giving off the impression of being considerate and thoughtful.

Thinking it might just be his imagination, Pendrick asked Astrimia.

The beautiful Ego Sword seemed to feel the same.

”I thought demons were scary… but he doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

“Right?”

”He’s like Sir Karr, who’s a cultist but isn’t deceitful. He’s both a dark mage and a demon, yet he doesn’t seem wicked. Though… he definitely looks incredibly evil.”

“Hey. Are you two paying attention or not?”

While they were quietly chatting, Bartimir irritably pointed at them.

Then he suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“Are you two dating or something? Why are you so close?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right. Asmi and I have nurtured our love ever since we were in the Eastern Continent.”

“Huh? Seriously?”

The demon stared blankly with his mouth hanging open before slowly nodding.

“A handsome guy and a pretty sword… Yeah, I guess you two suit each other.”

Even while looking dissatisfied, he still gave them warm words.

Pendrick gently stroked Astrimia’s hilt and whispered,

“I knew it. He’s not a bad person after all.”

”Yep!”

“Ah, damn it. I said be quiet!”

Just as Bartimir exploded in irritation once more…

‘Grrrrr…’

A low, ferocious growl echoed out as a pack of monsters emerged from between the bookshelves.

Hellhounds.

Monsters Pendrick had fought to the point of exhaustion in the [Nightmare World].

But these looked slightly different.

”Their bodies are books.”

Their four legs and their tails. Even their torsos looked as though they had been made by bundling together books of various sizes.

Oddly enough, their otherwise normal heads felt like the strangest part of their appearance.

“Library Hounds.”

Scratching his chin absentmindedly, Bartimir stepped forward.

“They’re Level 3 monsters. Ugly as hell, and more violent than regular Hellhounds.”

“…”

Rosalia, holding her Crimson Blade Dagger, looked toward the demon.

“What? You want to kill them yourself?”

‘Nod.’

“No. Leave it to me.”

“U-Um… Captain Bartimir? If I may ask… what level is your soul?”

“Level 2.”

So a Level 2 individual intended to wipe out a pack of Level 3 monsters alone?

And he was a mage… a class whose physical abilities were inferior enough that they normally hid in the rear.

“Will you be alright?”

“I’ll be fine. Stay put.”

“Why insist on fighting alone? Do you not trust us?”

“No. My level should be increasing soon.”

Bartimir calmly replied as he began unwrapping the bandages from both hands.

At the same time, the Library Hounds charged.

‘ROAR!’

Compared to ordinary Hellhounds, they were far faster, with sharper fangs and claws.

Pendrick exchanged a quick glance with Rosalia and prepared to intervene if necessary.

However… He soon realized there was no need.

CRACK!

A sickening explosion.

The sound of flesh and bone bursting apart.

The fists that had smashed a Hellhound’s head in one blow were enveloped in a murky green aura.

“Now ‘that’ has a satisfying impact!”

The demon briefly shivered with delight before instantly crushing the heads and torsos of the monsters rushing him one after another.

He moved so quickly they lost track of him for an instant.

And it wasn’t merely speed.

Every punch and kick sent another monster tumbling across the floor.

Crunch! Craaack!

Even the larger specimen only took two blows before collapsing helplessly.

His attacks were disciplined. Bold.

Exactly the sort of fighting style any warrior would want to learn.

The only problem… was that this demon’s class wasn’t Martial Artist.

It was Dark Mage.

”…What in the world am I looking at?”

Hearing his lover mutter blankly, Pendrick grinned.

“So that’s why the Captain had no intention of recruiting ordinary explorers?”

“…”

Rosalia glanced repeatedly between Pendrick and Astrimia before silently nodding.

“Phew. That was a little rough.”

Not long afterward, Bartimir leisurely walked back after finishing off every Library Hound.

“Excellent work. That was impressive.”

Pendrick smiled as he spoke…

Then his body stiffened.

The demon’s hands, which had become like stone… were cracking apart.

“…Are you alright?”

“Ah, don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Was a mage’s overflowing curiosity enough to consider ‘that’ perfectly fine?

As Pendrick hesitated, unable to find the right words…

The hands that had completely shattered regenerated.

Still looking as hard as rock.

“…Huh?”

“It’s a disease called [Petrifying Body].”

Bartimir casually wrapped the bandages around his hands again.

“It starts with the hands and feet, then gradually turns your entire body into stone. It becomes incredibly hard, so I can use it offensively like earlier.”

” …Does that disease also regenerate lost body parts?”

“As if. That’s the effect of the curse [Treacherous Companion]. It strengthens and preserves every disease affecting my body. Since my hands breaking apart counted as ‘healing,’ the curse simply restored them.”

The explanation made sense.

Accepting it, however, was another matter entirely.

He spoke as though he had deliberately afflicted himself with diseases and curses.

“Enough. Let’s keep moving. Oh… and if you spot any books that constantly emit miasma, let me know.”

”Why?”

“Because reading one lets you learn mystical arts so malicious they’re practically curses. The miasma itself is useful too.”

”…”

So he really had intentionally accepted the disasters of both body and mind.

Watching the demon walk ahead, Pendrick quietly said to Rosalia,

“He certainly is an unusual person, wouldn’t you agree, Miss Assassin?”

“…”

For some reason, the taciturn elf merely looked back and forth between Pendrick and Astrimia before shaking her head and walking ahead first.

“Why’s she acting like that, Asmi?”

”I wonder…?”

Neither of them could make any sense of her reaction.

***

A section packed tightly with towering bookshelves.

The siblings and I took a short rest in a circular clearing before resuming our search.

Walking quietly behind me, Abel whispered,

“Why has it suddenly become so dark?”

“This labyrinth becomes pitch black once night falls.”

Only moments ago, the library had been as bright as midday.

Now it was completely swallowed in darkness.

‘Fwoosh.’

I lit a candle and attached it above my head with spider silk.

“At night, the monsters’ physical abilities increase slightly as well. So we have to move even more carefully than during the day.”

Slowly. Calmly. Without panicking.

As long as you followed those three principles thoroughly, you could successfully conquer almost any labyrinth.

Granted, now and then, you’d still run into a completely unfair situation that no amount of composure could overcome.

But in times like that, it was better to think of it the other way around, that perhaps you were lucky, and move on.

‘Rattle-rattle-rattle!’

As we quietly searched the library, the nearby bookshelves suddenly began shaking violently.

And not just the shelves.

Every tightly packed book resonated with them, trembling in unison.

‘Grrrr!’

Then… Books burst down from the ceiling, fluttering as they charged toward us.

[Small Grimoire (Level 2)]

[Its level is low, but there are many of them, and they are extremely ferocious. Do not let your guard down.]

“Kids, get ready.”

My right hand transformed into black lightning with [Black Lightning Blossom], while my left prepared to unleash flames.

“From here on out… you’ll witness the true nature of the [Library of Sin].”

Every monster inhabiting this labyrinth was nocturnal.

Fwoooosh!

The Grimoires flying around chaotically instantly became kindling, igniting before crashing to the ground.

“They burn so well!”

Wildly swinging the dagger [First Breath] and continuously throwing the hidden blade [Last Breath] to cut down the swarm of Grimoires, Marlin suddenly asked worriedly,

“But… won’t the whole library burn down like this?”

“It’s fine. The [Library of Sin] automatically restores itself. It’s basically a building-type artifact.”

Slash!

Abel was also displaying dazzling skill alongside Marlin.

Using the masterpiece kitchen knife [Devouring Fang], he cleanly sliced every Grimoire rushing toward him.

“Patron. These books surprisingly contain internal sections that qualify as ‘living organisms.’”

“Since you brought that up, I simply have to tell you about the demon race’s publishing techniques! You see, it involves a special method of mixing mana stones into paper–”

“Stop explaining and start running!”

Sadly, thanks to Marlin’s interruption, my educational lecture ended before it could even begin.

I sprinted forward, burning books with flames in my left hand and black lightning in my right.

‘Squirm…’

The snake tattoo, biting down on the [Ember of Glory], grinned continuously.

Lriria was clearly delighted that, after such a long time, his believer was finally engaging in proper “religious devotion” again.

“Truthy, find the book!”

[I am already reading the information of every single book with all my might!]

“Watch out!”

I blocked a Grimoire that was about to bite Marlin with my own body.

Abel immediately split it in half with his knife.

“Gaaah!”

While running through the swarm of Small Grimoires, we encountered another expedition team sprinting through the library just like us.

For a brief moment, the explorers’ faces lit up with hope.

Then they immediately darkened again.

Because another exciting encounter had arrived.

‘Grrrrr!’

Large Grimoires were flying toward us.

They flew noticeably faster than they had during the day.

At night, their level also rose by one to Level 8.

Though that was merely the difference between being trampled to death by a giant versus being trampled by an enormous golem, so there wasn’t much reason to care.

Fwoooosh!

I unleashed my strongest possible stream of flames.

While the scorched Large Grimoires writhed in pain, our group silently agreed to temporarily cooperate with the other expedition and continued running together.

The bald expedition leader running beside me suddenly brightened.

“A blond cultist… Could you be Karr, the Cultist of Twisted Truth, whom Valentin has been praising everywhere?”

“That’s correct.”

“Please lead us to a safe zone! We’ll reward you generously!”

“I don’t actually know where the safe zones are.”

“…What?”

If even the locations of the books changed every time, why would the safe zones stay fixed?

There was no way a labyrinth that refused to be kind to explorers would do that.

Naturally, even the handful of resting areas were randomly relocated.

“But if we work together–”

The bald leader suddenly stopped, his face twisting into despair.

‘Grrrrr!’

‘Krrrraak!’

Two Large Grimoires appeared ahead, blocking our path.

Meanwhile, the one I had burned earlier was rapidly catching up from behind.

Countless Small Grimoires continued chasing us as well.

Slash!

One of the expedition’s warriors desperately split apart the bookshelf wall with his axe.

Only for an even taller and sturdier bookshelf to appear behind it.

“…Damn. Lord Artein…”

The battered explorers squeezed their eyes shut or buried their faces in their hands.

In an ordinary labyrinth…

This was exactly how an expedition ended in total annihilation.

“…Karr.”

“Patron.”

But the siblings didn’t despair.

They called my name instead.

Because they believed without the slightest doubt that I would overcome this crisis.

“…Just trust me.”

And so I had no choice but to declare it confidently.

I had failed to live up to Yoonji’s expectations.

At the very least, I would never repeat that same mistake.

No matter what happened… I would protect Marlin and Abel.

“Don’t give up. Everyone, press yourselves tightly against the bookshelves on both sides first.”

“…What?”

“Hurry!”

Prompted by the siblings, the bald leader finally snapped out of it after staring blankly upward.

He immediately led his team to press themselves tightly against the shelves.

It would be cutting it close.

But explorers entered labyrinths prepared to die.

They could handle the rest themselves.

Honestly, I was only stepping in because of Marlin and Abel.

I had little interest in whether a group of complete strangers lived or died.

‘Grrrrr!’

I charged straight toward the Large Grimoire approaching from the front.

The pages spread wide open.

Tentacles shot out and seized my body.

CRUNCH. CRACK. CRAAAACK!

My entire body twisted. Shattered. Ripped apart. Split open. Crushed.

It had begun reading me.

The pain was beyond imagination.

For an instant, I nearly lost consciousness.

Had Truthy not activated [Veil That Defers Wounds ] in time, I would already have been dragged into the hell operated by the God of Goodness.

Clinging desperately to my fading consciousness against the agony of being read by a book, I bit my tongue and shouted,

“Run! Quickly!”

“Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!”

While the Large Grimoires concentrated on reading me, the bald expedition leader quickly led his companions away.

Good.

At least they didn’t hesitate out of pointless guilt.

“You two, go too!”

“…Karr.”

Marlin hesitated for only a moment before gritting her teeth, grabbing her younger brother’s hand, and running.

‘Grrrrr!’

Meanwhile, the Large Grimoire that had been chasing us from behind arrived.

It joined the other two in reading me.

Three Grimoires are reading me simultaneously.

Countless waves of agony tore through every inch of my body.

Yet I couldn’t help smiling.

Because… This was exactly the situation I had intended to create.

After confirming that the children and the expedition had gotten far enough away, I lowered my left hand and turned my palm upward toward the ceiling.

“…Want a taste of fire?”

FWOOOOOOOOOSH—!!

Flames erupted at maximum output.

A blazing inferno spread like a wildfire in an instant.

The swarm of Small Grimoires fell from the air, engulfed in flames.

Every bookshelf was consumed by fire.

‘Kiiiruk!’

‘Keeerrrk!’

The Large Grimoires reading me twisted violently in obvious agony.

Ordinarily, thanks to the tremendous resistance granted by their Level 8 status, my feeble flames wouldn’t have harmed them at all.

But there was one and only one moment when they became vulnerable.

When they were reading.