This isn’t the original Faerns National Library…
I quickly noticed something unusual, but before I could examine my surroundings, a languid voice interrupted my thoughts from nearby.
“Yawn, it’s been a while since someone passed my trial. Well done, adventurer.”
A beautiful purple-haired girl, delicate as a fairy, tossed aside the history book in her hand and yawned. Her gaze landed on us, but she quickly sensed something off. “Wait, why are there two of you?”
It felt like she’d booked a room for one person, only for them to show up with a friend—I mean, like an esports hotel for a gaming session.
Of course, the real reason was that this was meant to be a solo trial. She probably never expected Syl, standing beside me, to be not a player but a bug-level demon maid.
Just as I thought that, I was proven wrong.
“No, you’re not ordinary adventurers.” The girl, apparently an expert at spotting inconsistencies, noticed something amiss. “Who exactly are you?”
“We’re epic adventurers.”
I was about to quip, but Syl did something unexpected.
She dispelled the magical disguise on her arm, revealing her demon horns. “My name is Syl, serving the nineteenth Demon King of Herentis…”
I froze, then scrambled onto a nearby chair, covering Syl’s mouth and addressing the purple-haired girl, who was now staring thoughtfully. “W-We’re just playing a game of Demon King and Hero! I’m the hero, pretty awesome, right…?”
But before I could finish, I felt my cat-ear disguise being removed, and Syl’s voice rang out again. “This is the current Demon King of Herentis, though she doesn’t seem very reliable.”
“…What do you mean ‘not very reliable’? Don’t say unnecessary things!”
I was about to lecture Syl on not airing family laundry—or rather, not showing weakness to the enemy—but mid-rant, I realized something and nervously glanced at the figure nearby.
Being discovered as the Demon King in the bright faction’s territory, especially in the capital of a human empire, I could already imagine being dragged to the Church for an interrogation bathed in holy light.
But her response was surprisingly simple.
“Oh, I guessed right.”
That’s it?
I stared, dumbfounded, at the purple-haired girl lounging on a mahogany chair, completely unfazed. “You’re not going to do anything to me?”
She gave me a quick once-over, lingering briefly on a certain area with a look like a merchant eyeing subpar goods. “No interest.”
Even though I didn’t care about combat prowess, I felt a strong sting of personal insult.
Thankfully, Syl’s voice provided an explanation. “She has no allegiance to order and doesn’t care if we’re from the dark faction. To her, only knowledge matters.”
“Is that correct, Ancient Relic, Eternal Library?” Syl said lightly, her pale gray eyes fixed on the golden figure across from us. “Or should I call you a Fragment of the Eternal Library?”
“Eternal Library?”
I froze for a moment before my memories clicked into place.
Ancient Relics were artifacts from ancient times, said to be born from the fusion of divine power and faith. Each possessed extraordinary abilities—some rivaling divine artifacts in destructive power, others with unique capabilities.
In my past life, the leader of the top guild in the Konstantin Empire wielded an offensive Ancient Relic, using it during a fortress siege to send thousands of enemy guild players to “admire the Goddess of Light’s undergarments.”
A testament to the allure of undergarments… I mean, the power of relics.
I knew solving the Winter Lake Puzzle would yield a powerful item, but I never imagined it’d be an Ancient Relic—and a humanoid one at that. From Syl’s words, though, it seemed she’d lost most of her power.
That made sense. Something that could disrupt game balance wouldn’t be handed to players so easily.
“That war centuries ago stripped me of most of my power. That’s not entirely wrong,” the Eternal Library said coolly, as countless pages rustled on the surrounding shelves, like an invisible beast roaring.
Clearly, this was a show of force. The purple-haired girl paused. “But if you’re willing to help me recover my remaining fragments, I won’t be stingy with my power.”
“You’ve proven your worth by solving my puzzle.”
System: Accept the quest [Search for the Fragments of the Eternal Library]?
A hidden tsundere, huh.
And a hidden tsundere with an overt sharp tongue.
I was tempted to leave this snarky relic to fend for herself, but that wouldn’t align with my magnanimous Demon King persona. So, graciously, I forgave her earlier rudeness.
“Fine, I’ll reluctantly accept.” But I couldn’t lose in terms of attitude.
After accepting the quest, the Eternal Library officially came under my command, and her stats appeared before me.
Eternal Library [Fragmented]
Item Description: An ancient relic born from 36,900 ancient tomes, infused with the faith of truth-seekers and divine power. No one knows the full extent of her knowledge, which has been growing since over a thousand years ago.
Stats: Holder gains +20% Spirit, +10% Intelligence, +10% Constitution, +10% All Elemental Resistance, +10 Will, +10 Insight, +10 Resilience
Attached Skills:
– Knowledge Retrieval: Analyzes and stores a target’s skill in the library’s slot, enhancing its damage. Cooldown calculated independently per stolen skill. Current slots: 1.
– All-Seeing Eye: Gains enhanced insight based on stored books, improving equipment identification and knowledge acquisition speed. Passive skill.
Usage Restrictions: None
Even in her fragmented state, the Eternal Library’s effects as an Ancient Relic were impressive. Clearly, as I collected the fragments she mentioned, these already strong stats would grow even more powerful.
While I reviewed her stats, the Eternal Library, for some reason, began eyeing Syl with great interest.
“Since we’re on the same side now, I have a request. Would you be the protagonist of my next novel? I have a feeling it’d be a bestseller.”
“I’m afraid I must decline,” Syl replied without hesitation, then seemed to recall something and turned to me. “Your Highness, she might be able to help you.”
I instantly grasped Syl’s meaning, my eyes gleaming as I looked at the purple-haired girl. “Oh? You’re a writer too?”
“Just a small hobby.” Slightly disappointed by the rejection, she quickly regained her composure.
Without a hobby, enduring such long years would be tough—or rather, surviving so long naturally fosters some interests.
Her casual revelation surprised me. I’d assumed someone who’d witnessed such vast ages would be a rigid, scholarly type, not someone with such lively ideas.
“Perfect, I need your help with something.” This could solve my dungeon storyline issues.
But before I could elaborate, she cut me off as if she’d anticipated my request. “Forget it. No way.”
???
Before I could sprout a head full of question marks, she continued, unfazed.
“Even if you beg, I won’t make you the protagonist. A flat-chested Demon King? That trope screams low readership.”
No wonder she’d given me that capitalist sneer earlier—my “tag” was apparently dirt-cheap in her eyes.
“…And a busty maid is guaranteed to be popular?!” Feeling my dignity slightly insulted, I retorted. Given the power gap, physical intimidation was out, so I resorted to verbal sparring in a weird direction.
Syl, inexplicably dragged into the fray, raised an eyelid but remained stoic, unmoved.
“Do I even need to explain? No man can resist the allure of a busty figure.”
“Did flat chests eat your rice or something?!”
“Compared to a calm, still pond, most men prefer to conquer a raging sea.”
The weird metaphors kept coming.
If a certain red-haired dummy were here, she’d be fuming.
So I decided to stand up for Satacia. “What do you mean ‘still pond’? Even a pond hides depths as unfathomable as the Mariana Trench!”
But her comeback was a critical hit.
“A depth that’s just a dent?”
Choked and unable to retort, I watched her smug, punchable expression. “Do you think someone like me, Kshalya, one of the Alwyn Empire’s top novelists, would misjudge?”
This girl’s so bored she even gave herself a pen name.
I was about to roll my eyes in disdain when her pen name caught my attention.
That name… why does it sound familiar?
After a moment’s thought, I pulled a certain book from my inventory—part of the Legend of Arano’s Desires series.
The author’s name on the cover was none other than that familiar name.
“That’s right, I wrote it.” Far from embarrassed, she was utterly shameless, even promoting her work to a minor like me. “Don’t let the title fool you—this series is a bedtime staple for many teens in the Alwyn Empire.”
“…”
What kind of deranged parents would allow that?!
And with such bizarre tastes, wouldn’t this mislead kids onto the path of “Dragon Knights”? I don’t want the final light-dark battle to be a mosaic-filled nightmare!
But given the power gap, I could only tug at Syl’s sleeve discreetly. “This girl seems super unreliable.”
Syl paused for a moment.
“More importantly, Your Highness, where did you get that book?”