The library became brighter in an instant.
The light was just like a white current of water. It moved like it was alive. [■■■■■]. The light-water torrentially poured from Hamustra's Apocalypse. The waves of life swept over our surroundings, spilling between the bookshelves.
The light flooded.
[Stage clear.]
The Apocalypse did not stop spewing light. Chwaak! Whooosh! The level of the light-water quickly rose, submerging the building-high bookshelves of the Great Library. Even the forbidden books, which had not seen light for a thousand years, were brilliantly illuminated.
A white flood.
A pure white pond.
[Today.]
We stood in the center of the flood of light that drowned the world.
[The 30th floor stage has been cleared.]
The screams of Hunters faraway entered my ears.
"Kyaaaak!"
"W-what is this?!"
They must have been caught off-guard by the unexpected flood of light. But thankfully, my reliable colleagues were in the library. There were many of them. For every panicking Hunter, there was someone to console them.
Though I couldn't see their faces behind the bookshelves, I could make out each of their voices.
"Good grief! I'm dying! I thought my vision was going dark these days, but it's completely gone the other way! Eesh. Oh, my. You! Shouldn't a youngun make some medicine for an old man without being asked?"
Medicine King.
"Yes, b-but we have to distribute medicine to the people who need it first. I'm sorry, but you don't seem to need it much, Medicine King… What about getting fitted for new glasses instead…?"
Alchemist.
"Ahh, this is just the stage being cleared. It's merely light. You guys may not have experienced this before, but I've seen it several times already. A mysterious thing… you become accustomed to it the more often it occurs. Anyway, I'm saying that you shouldn't act rashly."
"Ohhhh! Master!"
"We believe in you…!"
Venomous Snake and his peons.
"Huh? Oh? Did the 30th floor clear on its own? Aha. I'm happy that we saved some time. Guild members of the Ten Thousand Temple, prepare to transmit! We need to catch up on our work as soon as we return to Babylon!"
Heretic Questioner.
"How troubling. I have no experience working as a librarian."
"I know the basics, Kim Yul-ssi. I'll help you."
"…Please."
The Constellation Killer and the director.
That wasn't all. The Black Dragon Master, the Count, and the Crusader's voices were there, too. People's voices—some far, some quite close—passed through the bookshelves filled with thick hardcover books.
Yes, the whispers of the people in the library all came to me. It was as if the surge of light was drawing in the sounds.
By my side, the small Librarian was shaking.
[Announcing to everyone again.]
[Today, the 30th floor stage has been…]
Bzzzzz—
A static noise was mixed with the Tower's voice.
The Librarian, who had already been trembling, flinched.
[Warning!]
[An abnormal challenge has been detected.]
[Giving a warning to 'The Corner Librarian.']
"Ugh."
The Librarian grabbed my sleeve.
"I-it doesn't matter. I've chosen ■■■■■ as the 30th stage. I stand by this as the administrator of the 21st to 30th stages. As the Constellation governing ■■■■■, I acknowledge the stage as being cleared…"
[Repeating the warning.]
['The Corner Librarian' will receive an immense penalty if the stage clear is announced.]
[Confirming whether to proceed with the stage clear nonetheless.]
My sleeves were scrunched with more force.
"..."
The Librarian's shoulders were stooped in. Usually, he looked bigger than he was because of the oversized clothes he wore. He didn't look big now. He was small. The space that the Librarian took up in this world was trifling.
Leaning against my chest, the Librarian looked up at me.
"…I don't care."
He was speaking to both the Tower and me.
"I," said Hamustra, "I'm going to live in this Tower. Please… accept my resignation, Lord of Manseng."
For a moment, it was quiet. Then—
[Announcing to everyone again.]
The white noise cleared away from the Tower's voice.
[Today, the 30th floor stage has been cleared.]
The announcement was received with an outburst of triumphant cheers. The library was still flooded with light, but the Hunters heard the announcement. They were elated by the thought they had finally succeeded.
But there was a voice that only Hamustra and I could hear.
[The Corner Librarian cannot maintain his authority.]
[Starting class modification.]
I had heard this phrase a long time ago.
They were the same words as when Preta lost her shell of being the Devil King of Fall Rain.
[The Corner Librarian is being stripped of his title.]
At that time, Preta had screamed, 'No!' She had been dismayed at losing her status as a Constellation. She had struggled to stop her descent.
Hamustra's reaction now was different.
Without a word, he squeezed his eyes shut.
[Announcing once again.]
[The Corner Librarian is being stripped of his title.]
[The Corner Librarian is being stripped of his authority.]
The Apocalypse that Hamustra and I held in our hands slipped. Maybe I should say that it 'melted away' instead. Drip. Drip. The cover of the book turned into mushy slime and plopped down, and the papers became like melted wax as they dripped down too.
[May luck be with you.]
Then, the Apocalypse turned into light and disappeared.
"..."
For a while, Hamustra didn't say anything. He quietly breathed in and breathed out. As his small torso rose and fell repeatedly, Hamustra, who had been trembling in fear, slowly calmed down.
"Haha…"
Hamustra hopped in place.
"Look at this, Death King."
His long sleeves flapped. The sleeves were so long that he couldn't get them off the floor. As Hamustra jumped in place, the sleeves rose up very slightly but receded back down to the floor.
"I-I can't fly."
Hamustra looked at me and smiled.
"I can no longer fly in the air. But I loved watching the worlds from above, all day long. It was my hobby. Or looking out at the horizon for weeks. My hobbies have disappeared…"
"Yes."
"Many things are gone now too."
"Yes."
"My dream came true. My dream to enter a story myself came true, and I'm happy. I really am, but… I'm scared. I'm afraid. I love you and the others. I care for you all. I'm scared that you and the others will not like me. I want to be loved by everyone…"
"Hamustra."
I put my hand on Hamustra's shoulder.
"Stop dreaming about impossible things."
"..."
"Let's take it step by step. Your hobbies are gone, but you can find new ones. How about it? Is there anything you want to do to commemorate your fall as a Constellation?"
"Actually, I have two wishes."
"Tell me. If I can grant them, I will."
"First, please stop speaking formally to me…"
That was a wish I could fulfill.
"Okay. Sure. What's your other wish?"
"My second wish is a little expensive… It's so extravagant that you are certain to shudder like there is an earthquake, Death King…"
"What is it?"
Hamustra wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He sniffled. A long time later, when he lowered his arm, Hamustra was smiling.
"I want to drink a white mocha frappucino venti quadro shot java chip half and half chocolate drizzle…"
It really was an extravagant luxury.
But thankfully, that too was a wish I could grant.
6.
There was an afterword I want to share.
"I see. That was why my wife had died."
Raviel was speaking while wearing a school uniform and drinking cider.[1]
There.
Anyone in the know would understand how miraculous of a collaboration the previous statement was.
Look. [Wearing a school uniform], Raviel drank [cider].
Even the epic creation and destruction of the universe could not approach the sublime quality of that sentence. I was feeling the same emotions as a church member who witnessed with his own two eyes the creation of the…
"Gongja. You're shaking."
"I-I'm not."
"Is that so?"
Raviel, whom I was holding in a princess hold, tilted her head. Just so you know, it had been over three hours since I assumed this position. Using Aura was forbidden. Skills, too. I had to hold out with pure brute strength and mental fortitude.
"No matter how I look at it, you're shaking."
The tip of Raviel's mouth arched up.
"Ah. Could it be that I'm heavy?"
"You aren't heavy. You're as light as a feather, Raviel!"
"What kind of feather? A dinosaur feather? An archeopteryx feather?"
"You're lighter than the feather of a newly hatched chick!"
"Thank goodness. I almost felt so bad that I was going to leave my beloved's embrace. But since you say there's no problem, I will happily enjoy your wonderful grasp."
Raviel put the cider can against her lips. A drop of clear cider was daubed on her lips. Oh, how I hated that drop of cider. I wished it would evaporate. Evaporate and return to the embrace of Mother Nature…
To explain the situation, we were on the 29th floor, the world of [The Tale of the Ascending City – Side Story].
As Hamustra warned, the side story did not change the history of the outside world. It couldn't be a part of true history. Only the city, with Shinseo Middle and High School as the focus, was pulled out like a deserted island to become this stage.
The inhabitants of this world don't notice anything strange, almost magically.
When Hunters like us entered the 29th floor, they were automatically enrolled as middle or high school students. They could live as if they had always been a student in this world. There was also a university, but that was all.
It was literally a university town.
To sum it up, the stage was completely useless except for the fact that you could go to school, but…
"Public education is a wonderful thing."
That, too, was surprisingly useful.
"It is a place where even those who are less wealthy can learn to their hearts' content. Isn't it a dreamlike system? Our empire also plans to send talented individuals here for 'study abroad.' As expected, my love is more than qualified to be called the Moon of the Ivansia Duchy."
"Um. They probably won't be able to learn much…?"
"That doesn't matter. The purpose of education is to share common knowledge. A nation is an abstract concept that can slip into a delusion with a single misstep, so we must take action to ensure all members of the nation can share the same dream."
"The same dream…"
"Mm. I've been pondering how to put the people of the Tower in harmony with the empire's citizens. The imperial citizens who are educated here can bridge the two forces."
Raviel sometimes talked about difficult topics. She was so cool.
Anyway, the reason I was holding Raviel for over three hours was this.
"Well, let's continue talking politics later. Right now, I want to savor your punishment."
Right. I was currently being punished…
It was obvious why.
"I was really surprised, Gongja. Who wouldn't be if you regressed 24 hours while working in your office? I paused for a moment, but I figured out the situation soon enough. Ah, of course. My wife must have died somewhere again."
Raviel pulled out a golden card.
+
[A Regressor's Love]
Rank: EX
Effect: For a regressor, love is like poison. No matter how much you struggle, you can't share your time with the one you love. Thus, a certain regressor begged. 'Please retain my lover's memories.' That wish reached the Tower and became true.
You share a timeline with your beloved. When your lover regresses a day, you go back a day. When you regress a day, your lover regresses a day. This is the covenant of the ring. This is the marriage of time.
May luck be with you both.
※However, the skill only works when you and your beloved love each other.
+
Right.
Because of [A Regressor's Love], when I died, Raviel also regressed 24 hours. When I was killed by the Constellation Killer, Raviel underwent the regression, too.
Of course Raviel knew that I died.
According to the Golden Silk, who was working as a servant for the Ivansia duchy, Raviel muttered, 'I don't know where, but a bitch just touched my wife,' as soon as she regressed.
With a blank face. A blank expression.
The Golden Silk felt cosmic horror that day.
"I'm sorry…"
"No. You needn't apologize," Raviel said calmly. "From what you say, you've worked more than hard enough. Didn't you try desperately not to die? If you died regardless, I couldn't blame you."
"R-right?"
"Ahh. I couldn't blame you if you jumped ahead to the 50th floor when you just made it to the 29th floor, picked a fight with the strongest person on the 50th floor, and pulled an aggro move on the entire floor. My love, everything you did was perfectly reasonable. Nothing about it was reckless at all. I understand."
"I'm really sorry…"
"Are you truly sorry? Do you know what you did wrong?"
Raviel pinched my cheek. Streeetch. My cheek lengthened like fresh mochi.
I was moved.
'Ahh, Raviel is pinching my cheek.'
My eyes beheld the sight of her in a school uniform. I held Raviel, in the uniform, in my arms. Was this really a punishment? Wasn't this a reward, instead? Maybe Raviel, my goddess, was praising me under the guise of discipline…?
"This is no good. This man…"
Raviel lamented.
"Your eyes have gone bad. Though your slightly strange tastes are charming, this has become serious."
"I love you, Raviel."
"I love you, Gongja."
Ah. The scent of cider.
I liked it…
I was so happy…
-Fuck.
The uninvited guest clamored behind me.
-Do I have to see this shit every time these guys meet? Huh? Can't be, right? This is kind of bad, isn't it? Love is said to be caused by hormones, but these two take that to the next level. What did I do wrong in my past life to witness this hell?!
[Shiny thinks that you must have committed many sins.]
-F-fuck…
A hero ought to ignore the peanut gallery.
While listening to my story, Raviel toured around Shinseo Middle and High School. I talked about who had killed me, what his past was, what he lost, and what he gained back. Raviel examined the classrooms and the rooftop as I led her.
"Mm."
Raviel nodded.
"Good job, Gongja. This was worth your time."
She understood. While I endured pain in my arms and heaven in my mind for three long hours, if I had to choose between my arms and my brain, I thought that it was an overall win. A huge win.
"Now, I should see the mug of the man who killed you myself."
"Raviel. I said this earlier, but that person is probably your ancestor…"
"That's even more disgraceful. An ancestor should kindly leave the work to their descendents, but he dared to touch the moon of the family? The current Ivansia belongs to me. I must crush him according to the family rules."
Sorry, Constellation Killer.
I'm sorry, Kim Yul.
You're dead meat now.
"And."
Raviel smiled. On the rooftop of Shinseo Middle and High School, the setting sun in the sky shone a red light on Raviel's lips.
"I want to greet the one who has raised you."
"..."
"Will you take me to them, Gongja?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
Then, with Raviel still in my arms, I whispered.
"Transmit."
Light enveloped us.
In the next moment, we were at the library on the 30th floor.
Though it had only been a few days, the library changed a bit. First of all, accessible and restricted areas were strictly divided. The bookshelves in the accessible area were decorated with ordinary books, and Hunters leisurely read at the tables.
It was a tranquil scene.
On the tables where the Hunters sat were coffee cups or glasses with drinks.
"Ah."
Hamustra, who had been going around the tables, noticed and approached us right away. Instead of his loose-fitting clothes, Hamustra was wearing a neat employee uniform.
"Welcome, Death King. Oh? The Silver-Plated Heart has come, too. Such dignified guests have all come together!"
A library cafe.
Hamustra had decided to work here for now. Though he didn't feel confident enough to go down to the city on the first floor, he had decided to slowly interact with the Hunters and live as a human.
"Yeah. Is Kim Yul around? Raviel wanted to see Kim Yul's face…"
"Mug, my wife."
"…Raviel said she wanted to see Kim Yul's mug."
Hamustra beamed.
"It's worth travelling so far to see Kim Yul's face. I understand. He should be organizing children's books right now, but I'll call him."
There was still a lot to talk about.
Who had taken over to manage the Great Library after Hamustra's downfall; how the Medicine King came to foot the bill to set up the cafe like he had bet everything; why, even now, the Medicine King was wearing a bartender outfit at the cafe counter and making coffee; etc. etc.
The story was far from over, but…
There would be other opportunities to talk about them.
"Then, I'll show you two to your seats!"
Like always, that story would continue on a stage a little higher than the last.