Chapter 54

Listening to the librarian’s relaxed words made Roan feel as if his head were throbbing.

“No, really. Do guys who can’t even pass a trial where you just have to watch silently deserve to obtain an authority? You can’t even call it a trial in the first place.”

That was true.

Though he gritted his teeth, he had no choice but to admit it.

Except for the first phase, there was no need to perform any actions in the trial for the Administrator of the Forbidden Library.

One simply had to watch silently, and it would pass on its own.

Indeed, it couldn’t really be called a trial.

“This is the Forbidden Library, full of black magic books. If guys who can’t even endure that level of temptation enter, it would be the end of the world.”

“…”

It was a style of speech that oddly left him speechless.

Just then, the librarian suddenly narrowed his eyes and asked.

“By the way, don’t you know too much about the trial?”

‘Oops.’

He had let it slip simply because he felt too wronged.

Roan casually made an excuse.

“I heard about it elsewhere.”

“The last time someone came here was about 400 years ago…”

“I read the records.”

“Hmm…”

The librarian seemed to still have some doubts, but he soon let it go without thinking deeply.

“Anyway, aren’t you a black mage? Is it a problem for a black mage to come and read black magic books? There’s no particular reason to block you.”

“In the first place, is a black mage obtaining an authority… no, more importantly, how did you know I am a black mage?”

“Hey, entering here means you’ve received my recognition, and once you’ve received my recognition, you and I are already connected. Do you think an authority is a joke?”

The librarian sneered as if mocking Roan.

Roan clenched his fists without realizing it.

Although it was the first time he had seen the librarian speak, communicating with him brought a strange, familiar vibe.

“And, for a guy who brought an authority in the first place, what do you mean a black mage and an authority… Wait.”

“…?”

However, the librarian, who had been scratching Roan’s nerves without rest, suddenly stopped talking.

He then narrowed his eyes and glared at Roan silently.

As if that wasn’t enough, the librarian even began to circle around Roan.

Then, suddenly.

“Oh my gosh, elder broootheeer!”

Shouting a bizarre scream, he fell flat on the ground.

‘I really want to hit him on the back of his head.’

Roan clicked his tongue, thinking so.

Either way, an authority was an authority.

Roan wrote the word patience three times in his heart and asked.

“…Why are you doing this?”

“What do you mean why! Oh, elder brother! How did you end up in such a state! Where indeed did your majestic figure go!”

The librarian only spat out words that made no sense.

However, a reaction soon arose from within Roan as well.

Hummmm—

Yes, you recognized me. Little brother.

Unlike usual, the False Divinity vibrated with extreme solemnity.

Only then did Roan seem to understand the inner workings of this situation.

“Are you friends with this guy by any chance?”

“How dare you call him ‘this guy’! Relying only on your talent… well, it is a talent to rely on, indeed… it would be strange not to, but…”

For some reason, the librarian seemed to hesitate to speak as he glared at Roan.

But he soon blushed and shouted solemnly.

“Anyway! A green horn who goes wild despite being young! Civilization begins with respecting the past and honoring the ancients! Show some respect!”

…But Roan felt as if he had seen this display somewhere before.

Hum— Hum—

‘Did you see that? This is my level in the world of authorities.’

The False Divinity, having met someone who sided with it, mocked Roan annoyingly.

Just then, Roan asked the librarian.

“May I ask your name?”

“Me? I am Ludiac Wicronon.”

“…”

The moment he heard that name, Roan clenched his fists so hard that his palms almost bled.

Blonde hair and a pale face.

An annoying tone that somehow left him speechless, and a figure that suddenly changed to be full of dignity.

An oddly friendly attitude toward black magic.

‘I should have realized sooner.’

Ludiac Wicronon.

He was the first ancestor who raised the Wicronon family.

And in terms of active period alone, he was a contemporary of Harden.

Meaning he was the very person Harden had repeatedly mentioned was similar to Demona.

Naturally, Roan had seen his face a few times in holy paintings, but because of the unique, simple drawing style, he hadn’t recognized him.

‘Now that I see it, he is the spitting image of Demona.’

Roan gritted his teeth and glared at the librarian.

“…You don’t have to look at me that scarily, though.”

The librarian flinched and took a step back.

It was Ludiac, who now openly advertised that he was Demona’s ancestor.

‘Should I just close the gate?’

Unless one was crazy, ‘discarding an authority’ was unthinkable.

But Roan began to ponder seriously.

Demona in reality, and an older Demona inside the authority?

If so, even discarding it would be understandable.

Then a sudden question arose.

‘But why does he call you elder brother?’

The False Divinity vibrated vaguely.

Hummm—

Do not dig too deep…

***

Although the name alone made Roan grind his teeth.

In fact, Ludiac Wicronon was a great figure no less than Harden.

Since the four great families of the Empire weren’t positions obtained through some childhood game, and they couldn’t be maintained without significant achievements.

During his lifetime, he was famous as a walking miracle, no less than Harden.

Also, a famous achievement was that he was the person who created the holy war.

‘If you can call such a thing an achievement, that is.’

Of course, Roan thought so.

Anyway, the established theory was that after the Empire stabilized, Ludiac gathered his family members out of boredom and held a match to choose the strongest spirit beast, which was the beginning of the holy war.

…Some historians even valued Ludiac higher than Harden for that reason alone.

However, other than that, there was nothing else left in the records.

Previously, since he was a very ancient figure, he thought he had naturally faded from history, but Roan now seemed to know why.

“Do you know how to use ‘Shadow Cloak’?”

“Yes.”

“Whoa, whoa! What about ‘Bloody Steps’?”

“If I learn it, I’ll use it.”

“Kyaha! Amazing! What about ‘Rotten Hand of the Dead’?”

“If I learn that too…”

“As expected!”

What do you mean as expected.

As expected of Demona’s ancestor, Ludiac clung to Roan’s side the entire time, chattering to ask if he knew black magic.

No matter how great a figure he was, at this rate, they would have thought, ‘Is it okay to leave such a person in the records?’

By this point, Roan was also curious about something.

“But why did you become the librarian here?”

“Huh? There’s a lot of black magic here!”

“…”

“When I died and went up, Lord Hiloa put me in this authority as the librarian.”

Roan clicked his tongue as he looked at Ludiac boasting innocently.

‘Well, that is quite the right person in the right place.’

To think that the unidentified, mysterious librarian was such a geek.

Who could have ever guessed?

Furthermore, Ludiac turned out to be a Holy Spirit despite being a black magic enthusiast!

In fact, it was normal for most Holy Spirits to dwell in some holy relic or ability like this.

Harden, who was bound to the vast land of Akerandir, was just excessively great.

‘I had resolved not to get entangled with Wicronon anymore…’

It was a resolution Roan had made secretly after experiencing the shocking future in the Garden of Dawn.

But what was this situation now?

He had to live as roommates with the living Wicronon for four years, and his soul was bound to the dead Wicronon through an authority.

Roan felt as if he could understand why Professor Kaina said a dead black mage was the best.

Compared to these holy men who were crazy about black magic, being a black mage from the start was much better!

…Of course, Kaina hadn’t meant it in that sense.

“Anyway, I came here to find black magic books.”

“Wow! Black magic books! Truly amazing!”

“…”

Either way, Roan could not adapt to Ludiac’s vastly different appearance.

The person who used to only get annoyed now giggled and made a fuss whenever he opened his mouth; there was no way he could adapt.

“What should I find for you? What magic do you need? Do you know any books?”

Rather, it was so friendly and burdensome that it made his skin crawl.

“…It’s disgusting, so speak from a distance.”

Roan shook off Demona… no, Ludiac, who practically hugged his arm while asking questions rapidly.

Looking closely, even their facial features seemed similar.

“You won’t be able to find it without me! Do you know how wide this place is? Besides, the positions of the books keep changing.”

It was true.

Perhaps because of security, the positions of the books in the Forbidden Library were periodically rearranged.

To the extent that if one was unlucky, they would have to search for hours even for the same book.

In the end, Roan reluctantly listed the book names.

“The three books are: ‘Complete Edition of the Shackle of Ash Life’, ‘Introduction to Abyss Utilization’, and ‘Basics of Modern Blood Magic’.”

“D-Did we have such books?”

Ludiac broke out in a sweat and looked away.

Roan barely held back the urge to slap the back of his head.

“…Do you not know where they are?”

But perhaps feeling an unusual energy from just this question, Ludiac soon flew up into the air in a panic.

“Just wait a moment! I think I might remember!”

He then vanished among the bookshelves.

Roan clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Still better than Demona.”

If it had been Demona, he would have sat down saying ‘I don’t know~’, or would have gone reluctantly after getting hit on the back of his head and whining.

Also, if it had been another character, they would have gotten angry instead of trying to look for them directly.

Looking at it now, there was a very high probability that he had done so back then simply because he didn’t know where they were and found it troublesome.

Still, fitting for the name of a Holy Spirit and a librarian, Ludiac returned before long.

Holding the three books in his hands and waving them proudly.

“See! I told you I’d remember~”

The books he handed over were indeed the three Roan had requested.

“But why are you being so kind?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Ludiac tilted his head.

“Previously… that is, judging by what I saw in books, you only got annoyed and didn’t even show the way, let alone bring books…”

“Why would I care about those priest bastards?”

Ludiac grumbled.

Saying that they were guys who didn’t even know black magic properly.

Saying they were guys who had thrown away Hiloa’s teachings in the first place.

“…?”

To Roan, it was simply absurd.

Aren’t you also a priest?

Though his future hope might have been a black mage.

“In the first place, during my time, Lord Hiloa descended or gave revelations occasionally, but why do you think he doesn’t do so now? It means they are that eyesore, that’s why.”

“Hmm…”

Although that might not be the case, Roan kept his mouth shut since he wouldn’t listen anyway.

“And those guys borrow books and burn them, saying they are heretical. I am a librarian, a librarian!”

“Certainly, that must be the case.”

Ludiac stamped his feet as if he got angry just thinking about it.

Roan also thought it seemed like a reasonable reason this time.

But Ludiac spoke with a knowing smile, as if he had never raised his voice.

“Hmph, but those bastards don’t know that the burned books are consecrated back here. All the books here were gathered like that in the first place.”

“…”

Then why do you hate them in the first place?

Roan clenched and unclenched his fists, then spoke again.

“Then it’s not because I am a black mage or because I am close to your descendant.”

“Why would I care about that? What descendant, I don’t even know their face. Ah, of course, being a black mage matters.”

Ludiac replied as if asking why he was saying such an absurd thing.

At that moment, Roan resolved.

‘I must definitely bring Demona here later.’

He planned to lay him flat in front of his ancestor and beat him until dust flew.

Since he said he didn’t care, it should be fine.

Preferably the ancestor’s side too.

Hummmm—

The False Divinity stopped Roan.

‘Control yourself, the kid is good.’

“Ah, right! And since you serve the elder brother, I can do this much for you.”

“By the way, what do you mean by elder brother? What have you been talking about?”

“Eh? You don’t know?”

Ludiac tilted his head.

And just as he was about to speak, opening his mouth.

Hum—

The False Divinity suddenly vibrated shortly.

Roan couldn’t translate the meaning, but it seemed quite urgent and annoyed.

“Ah, no! I don’t know, looking closely, it’s an authority I don’t know at all!”

At that, Ludiac immediately shook his head violently.

Roan frowned.

It was a reaction of someone who knew, no matter how one looked at it.

And very well, too.

Hummm—

But the False Divinity also vibrated lightly.

Knowing will hurt.

‘Tsk, this guy or that guy…’

Anyway, there was not a single normal one among the authorities!