Chapter 31: The Library (1)
“Ugh...”
The faint ticking of a clock echoed in my ears before fading away.
A groan slipped from my lips without my consent. My breathing turned ragged, and cold sweat dripped down my forehead, hitting the ground below.
The sensation of dying—no matter how many times I experienced it—was impossible to get used to. Getting used to something like this would be even stranger, wouldn’t it? It would mean losing the natural human fear of death.
Taking deep breaths, I barely managed to calm my rapidly pounding heart.
“Hah... Hah...”
I hadn’t let my guard down.
Even though I had deployed a shield spell and maintained vigilance, I died in an instant. I could accept that failing to detect any presence was due to my lack of skill. But even so, the shield spell I had cast hadn’t been broken. I couldn’t begin to grasp what had actually happened.
When I lifted my head, the brilliant sight of a library filled my vision.
‘Before entering the library...’
If I backed out now, it seemed I could avoid that death. Honestly, I wanted to turn around and run without looking back. Fleeing in the face of death is a natural human instinct, after all.
‘...I have to go in.’
I must.
The death I had just experienced was undoubtedly unnatural. For the young lady of a count’s family to die at the hands of an assassin in the imperial library? Even I, the person involved, would have dismissed such a story as baseless nonsense if I had heard it as a rumor.
‘There must be a clue.’
The assassin must be tied to Abel’s rebellion, the secret the imperial family is hiding.
To uncover why he chose betrayal, I had to investigate.
Creak.
The massive wooden door moved with the sound of its old hinges. With a bit more effort, I pushed it open, and the same scenery as before unfolded before my eyes.
The interior was steeped in the scent of old paper. Countless bookshelves stood arranged in a peculiar formation, like an army in perfect formation.
At first, I thought nothing of it, but now I couldn’t help but wonder—was this structure designed for the assassin’s concealment?
It might sound like a groundless idea, but still.
“History, the history section...”
The keyword was history.
Wasn’t it because I had been reading a book about the imperial family that the assassin killed me? If not, there was no way an assassin would dare to wreak havoc in an imperial area in broad daylight.
‘Seven o’clock direction.’
A response came immediately.
I clenched my trembling hands, biting my lips. Feigning the appearance of an innocent young girl, I walked toward the bookshelves labeled “History.”
The sensation of a presence following me sent chills down my spine, but I suppressed my reaction. As soon as I reached the bookshelf marked “History,” a chilling bloodlust brushed against my back.
Whoosh.
Black hair scattered in the air. If I had been even a little slower, that would’ve been my shoulder. Before my thoughts could spiral, I extended my right hand.
“Shield.”
With a short incantation, a three-layered shield materialized. The assassin, caught off guard by the sudden spell, was thrown back. Yet, without showing any hint of surprise, the assassin threw the dagger in his hand.
‘...Could it be?’
A terrible premonition struck, and I hastily turned my head. Feeling the trickle of blood running down my cheek, I gritted my teeth. My worst fears were confirmed.
That dagger—it ignored the shield spell.
To think it would bypass my shield so effortlessly. It was only now that I understood how I had died earlier despite having a shield in place.
“Damn it.”
Before I could finish processing my thoughts, the shield shattered with a single punch from the assassin.
I hadn’t expected it to hold out for long, but I hadn’t thought it would break as easily as glass.
Squelch.
Before I knew it, the blade had pierced my abdomen.
Through his mask, I locked eyes with his emotionless gaze. Crimson eyes devoid of any emotion, consumed only by the intent to kill.
They were so hollow it made me question whether he was human.
‘I’ve seen eyes like this before.’
The faint ticking of a clock resounded in my ears.
As heat spread from the blade lodged in my organs, my consciousness faded again.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The now-familiar sound of the clock accompanied the inversion of my vision. This time, I was lucky enough to die almost instantly, so the pain wasn’t too unbearable.
But with this death, I couldn’t bring myself to step forward toward the library again.
Usually, I returned to an ambiguous moment before escaping danger, but this regression was different. It saved me right before entering the library, as if giving me the option to quit at any time.
Most people might have given up and walked away, but unfortunately, I had a rebellious streak.
Crack.
‘Let’s keep going until it works.’
At the history section bookshelf, and as expected, the flying dagger. This time, I rolled to the side to dodge it and extended my right hand again.
“Ice Spear.”
With a small incantation, ice formed into a spear and shot forward. The assassin simply ducked to avoid it.
But as he moved to clench his fist at me, he stumbled and fell.
The improved version of my Ice Spear wasn’t meant for offense. It was a spell modified to immobilize opponents.
‘There’s no one else around.’
After pulling the dagger from the bookshelf, I charged at the assassin as he tried to get back on his feet.
In a proper fight, he might have had the upper hand, but in a desperate scramble like this, I was confident.
Buzz.
The dagger in my hand vibrated. Before I could even question it, the blade slipped out of my grip.
Somehow, the dagger ended up in the assassin’s hand. Without hesitation, he hurled it at me.
Before I could react, the tip of the blade was already in front of my face.
Squelch.
With the sensation of something piercing through my skull, my vision flipped once more.
The familiar ticking of the clock filled my ears, and the grand library came into view again.
“Hah!”
I gasped for air.
The nauseating sensation of flesh tearing and consciousness fading overwhelmed me more than I had expected. If I had eaten lunch, I probably would have thrown up right then and there.
“Hah... Hah...”
Even after repeating deep breaths, my racing heartbeat refused to calm.
I had died many times, but this was the first time my head had been shattered.
‘Pull yourself together...’
Refusing to collapse in pain or fall to my knees was an act of sheer stubbornness. If my body gave out now, I felt as though my resolve would crumble as well.
Such was the terror of death.
I raised my head and looked toward the library.
Clenching my trembling hands tightly, I stepped inside, feeling as though I were offering my hand into the jaws of a beast.
Though I had faced assassins before, this was the first time I encountered someone so singularly obsessed with killing.
‘Five o’clock direction.’
Heightened senses from my recent death pinpointed the assassin’s location. With my hearing on high alert, I crept between the bookshelves.
The assassin followed me, approaching slowly.
Had his stealth been so poor from the start? How could I have failed to notice his presence earlier? It made me question whether he even intended to hide.
Whoosh.
The dagger embedded itself into a bookshelf. Red eyes locked onto me, and his movements, seamlessly designed for killing, unfolded with terrifying naturalness.
I didn’t blink. I etched every detail into my vision.
Strengthening my wrist, I threw a punch.
“Shield.”
This time, I focused the shield spell on my fist alone. With the reduced area of effect, I could layer more shields over the same spot.
Using this principle, I unleashed a shield-enhanced punch that sent the assassin flying.
Thud!
The sensation of ribs breaking reached me through the shield. It was an idea I had devised after noticing how he had briefly recoiled during my first regression.
“Grahh...”
The assassin let out an inhuman growl but quickly got back on his feet as if nothing had happened. Of course, I wasn’t planning to sit idly by.
“Ice Spear.”
The ice spear flew toward his ankle, wrapping around it. Losing his balance, the assassin wobbled.
After catching my breath briefly, I pulled the dagger from the bookshelf and charged at him.
The blade vibrated violently in my grip, but I refused to let it go this time. Gripping the dagger tightly with both hands, I closed the distance between us.
“It’s over.”
Putting all my strength into my grip, I thrust the dagger forward.
The assassin, whose ribs were likely shattered, swung his right arm in retaliation. Ducking beneath the attack, I pushed forward.
Squelch.
The grotesque sensation of piercing flesh and tearing through organs traveled up my hands.
So this is what it feels like to take a life.
Though I had killed before, this was the first time I consciously chose to do so while in full possession of my faculties.
Not that I was entirely sure I was sane right now.
The assassin’s body trembled before finally collapsing. Kneeling and utterly powerless, he slumped to the floor.
Without realizing it, I dropped the dagger.
Even though the situation had been resolved, my hands continued to shake uncontrollably.
Whether it was the sensation of losing life or taking it, I would never get used to it.
“Hah... Hah...”
Thinking it was over, my legs gave out beneath me.
Buzz.
The dagger vibrated again.
Crimson eyes locked onto me once more.
Before I could react, the assassin, like a puppet with its strings cut, let out a creaking sound and rose to his feet again.
I turned my head. A woman with golden hair and familiar golden eyes smiled as she looked at me.
It was Princess Aria von Schufenheim.
“You’ve done well.”
With those words, my consciousness faded.
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
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