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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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The frenzied onslaught of questions finally subsided around lunchtime.
I doubted they understood my explanations… they were probably just hungry.
After being tossed around like that, it was only natural.
“Whew, that was hell.”
I muttered, wiping the sweat from my brow.
Why were they so interested in my personal life?
Was their academic life lacking excitement?
Well, this was a world without smartphones or even the internet, so it was understandable.
Black Wolf hadn’t reappeared by the end of class, so I had lunch with Aile.
He then headed to the commercial district to retrieve his belongings.
His dormitory assignment had finally come through, albeit late.
Black Wolf had also been assigned a room, so last night’s… incident shouldn’t happen again.
“So, this is the library.”
I murmured, arriving at one of Minerva’s famed landmarks.
The library occupied an entire building, a testament to its vast collection.
There were many students coming and going, as expected, but I also noticed several professors and even some outsiders.
‘Is it open to the public?’
I wondered, stepping inside.
A reception desk, reminiscent of a hotel, greeted me.
“Professor Allen, I presume? Are you here to use the library?”
A man in a suit, wearing the owl badge, asked with a smile.
“You know me?”
“Of course. How could I not know someone as famous as Professor Allen? In fact, I’ve memorized the names and faces of all Minerva faculty members.”
“Impressive memory.”
I complimented.
He smiled sheepishly.
“That’s how I landed this job. Outsiders need to leave their identification, but you can proceed directly, Professor. Please be sure to read the guidelines before entering.”
“Thank you.”
I turned to where he pointed and saw a neatly written list of guidelines.
It was quite lengthy, but as with most guidelines, it contained mostly common sense: no damaging the books, no loud conversations, and even a rule against using magic.
‘What kind of lunatic uses magic in a library?’
I shook my head and entered the main area.
The sheer volume of books was breathtaking.
“…Wow.”
‘How am I supposed to search through all of this?’
I sighed, both impressed and overwhelmed.
‘I’ll start with the ‘Curse’ category.’
With this many books, I was bound to find at least a small clue.
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“Hmm, this is troublesome.”
I muttered, surrounded by stacks of books.
The library’s comprehensive collection meant there were countless books related to curses.
I had skimmed through a few, but…
“Nothing useful so far.”
It seemed they had simply gathered every book they could find, regardless of relevance.
There were even novels mixed in, and one had been so captivating that I… had read the entire thing in one sitting.
I was beginning to understand the difficulty of finding specific information in such a vast collection.
Even Aerius hadn’t found a solution, so what chance did I have, just flipping through a few books?
My mood began to sour, when suddenly, I felt a vibration on my wrist.
—Humm!—
The serpent bracelet I had obtained from the Imperial Palace.
Or rather, the shape-shifting treasure.
Aerius had called it a Star Relic, supposedly crafted from fragments of stars.
I hadn’t properly used it yet, so I still didn’t fully understand its capabilities.
“What is it? You’ve been quiet until now.”
I murmured.
It hadn’t reacted since absorbing Lux’s curse.
Why was it suddenly active in the library?
Was it reacting to my frustration?
—Humm! Humm!—
The vibrations continued.
I focused my senses and realized the vibrations were coming from a specific direction, as if pointing me somewhere.
“Are you telling me to go that way?”
—Hummm!—
This time, the entire bracelet vibrated.
It was strange.
The bracelet had never been in the library before, so how did it know where to point me?
It seemed to understand me, though, so I decided to trust it.
Besides, it would probably keep vibrating until I moved.
“Fine, fine.”
I conceded.
—Humm!—
I followed the direction indicated by the bracelet, greeting students as I walked.
I soon arrived at a staircase.
“Up?”
—Hummm!—
“Down?”
—Humm!—
It even answered my questions.
I checked the sign:
‘They have enough ancient documents to fill an entire basement?’
Well, they were probably categorized.
Click, clack.
I descended the stairs and found another entrance.
Opening the glass door, a wave of cool air washed over me.
Some kind of magic was at work.
I paused, intrigued, and the bracelet vibrated intensely.
—Humm!—
‘Are you telling me to hurry up?’
I sighed and continued, figuring it must be important if the bracelet was this insistent.
“Don’t let this be a waste of time.”
I muttered.
—Hummm!—
The bracelet continued to guide me, and I surveyed my surroundings as I walked.
The air was thick with the scent of old paper, befitting a collection of ancient documents.
The basement seemed even larger than the main library.
Perhaps because of their lack of popularity, there were very few people here.
I continued walking and came across a suspicious-looking door.
“…It says ‘Do Not Enter.’”
I pointed out.
—Hummmm!—
‘Just go in, you idiot!’
I could practically hear the bracelet yelling at me.
‘Now it’s telling me to commit a crime.’
I checked my surroundings, ensuring no one was around, and cautiously opened the door. Thankfully, no alarms blared.
“Whew. Another basement?”
A seemingly endless staircase, shrouded in darkness, stretched before me.
Perhaps because of the “Restricted Area” sign, it felt like I was entering some evil lair.
The bracelet continued to vibrate, however, so I had no choice but to descend into the abyss.
“
”
I chanted, illuminating the darkness with a basic spell.
After descending for what felt like an eternity, I finally reached the bottom.
A heavy iron door, covered in intricate magical seals, blocked my path.
‘What kind of dangerous books are they keeping down here?’
I wondered, setting aside my curiosity.
“This is… the end of the line. I don’t think we can go any further. It looks dangerous just to touch it.”
I said to the bracelet.
I had considered breaking the seals, but that seemed too risky.
Even without the magic, I would probably need to use aura or even divine power to break through the iron door.
I could risk collapsing the entire basement.
And it was a crime, to boot.
“Whatever’s in there, let’s just give up.”
—Hummm!—
The bracelet vibrated vehemently, as if rejecting my suggestion.
It then transformed, slithering up my arm and changing shape until it resembled a key.
‘Seriously?’
I cautiously inserted the key into the lock, and—
Click!
‘It opened?’
I stared at the bracelet in disbelief.
“What are you, exactly?”
—Humm.—
“…Whatever. Just change back into a bracelet.”
—Humm!—
Whether the magic was deactivated by the key or simply overridden by the bracelet, the door was now open.
Having come this far, I figured it was best to ignore the consequences and proceed.
Creak…
The air inside was heavy and ominous.
I swallowed nervously and stepped inside.
A strange, unfamiliar scent filled the air.
I slowly illuminated the room with my light magic and saw a book encased in a transparent container.
Judging by the atmosphere, it was undoubtedly the forbidden text.
The table supporting the container, the magic circle etched into the floor, the surrounding decorations… it all seemed to form some kind of altar.
“How are we supposed to get through this?”
I asked the bracelet.
The material of the container looked impenetrable.
Touching the book seemed impossible.
—Hummm!—
The bracelet vibrated confidently, then suddenly began absorbing my mana.
“Making yourself at home, I see.”
I muttered.
I could have stopped it, but I was curious to see what it was planning.
After draining a significant amount of my mana, the bracelet transformed back into its serpent form and floated into the air.
—Humm! Humm!—
It glowed faintly, resembling a miniature dragon.
Then, its eyes flashed red, and—
Flip, flip, flip…
The pages of the forbidden text began turning rapidly, as if caught in a gust of wind.
The book then began to glow, resonating with the bracelet.
“…!”
I shielded my eyes from the blinding light.
When I opened them, a strange sight greeted me.
“My name is Mimir, guardian of the well of infinite wisdom.”
A giant, formed from mist emanating from the book, declared.
It resembled a fairy from a children’s storybook I had read in my past life.
“You have awakened me, and I shall grant you three questions.”
Even the reward was the same.
Was this a parallel world?
“What troubles you?”
Despite my confusion, one thing was certain.
‘You… you’re a lucky charm!’
I thought, smiling at the dragon-like bracelet.
—Hummm!—
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[Damn ngl the bracelet is kind of a GOAT, hard-carrying the entire novel rn]
Thanks for the chapter