Chapter 11: It Seems Things Have Become Serious

—The Spirit Temple’s language hunts.

During the age of the Spirit Temple’s rule, the various languages that had differed from region to region in the ancient kingdom period were unified into the “common language.” Consequently, even if someone tried to decipher books from the ancient kingdom period stored in the depths of a library, ordinary methods wouldn’t work.

What a nuisance.

However, the method for resolving this problem could also be found inside the Temple’s old books.

“I acquired reference material for Ancient Classio. This should probably allow us to decipher the Temple’s books on ancient medical alchemy to some degree.”

As I spoke, I handed Garnet several books. The ancient-language materials had been created and carefully preserved by none other than the Temple itself.

Most were something like “common-language textbooks,” educational materials used to hammer the common language into people who lived using other languages. The Temple had used such materials to impose the common language on people and eliminate other languages by every possible means.

However, the teaching materials used at the time had bindings embedded with preservation spell circuits and were carefully stored in the back of the library. Once we obtained them, we could work backward to infer and decipher the ancient languages.

“I see… So this is how you decipher ancient books, Crow.”

“Yes. That said, the libraries I’ve infiltrated during my life are only a tiny fraction of those in this entire world. Convenient textbooks like these are rarely found. There are still many languages I can’t decipher, and when I consider the amount of information lying dormant, I think almost everything remains unknown. I doubt I could read all of it even if I devoted my entire life to the task.”

Deciphering a language meant gradually compiling my own ancient-language dictionaries, collections of usage examples, and similar materials. It was fairly difficult, but applying skills made the work itself considerably easier. Parallel Thought, Thought Acceleration, and Enhanced Learning were probably the three crucial ones.

While discussing such smaller details with Garnet, I looked around the Library again. With my subspace magic, infiltrating places was relatively easy.

Derivative magic—Teleportation.

As long as Mage Hand could reach a location, I could create a subspace entrance there. Therefore, I opened gates beneath my feet and at my destination, closed the entrance, and then dismissed the subspace. That expelled me through the exit—more or less.

Its usability as movement magic differed somewhat from Kiko’s Shadow Walk.

“I secretly placed a magic tool inside the Spirit Temple’s library to serve as a marker for Teleportation. I dug a narrow horizontal tunnel underground so Mage Hand could reach it, allowing me to take a shortcut from a vacant house near the Temple. I think I’ll be able to collect books more quickly from now on.”

“Hee-hee. You’re wicked.”

“I’m yakuza.”

As Garnet and I laughed together, Kiko suddenly emerged from the shadows after going out to gather information.

“Crow. Gimme candy.”

“Here. Say ah.”

“Ah… Mm. The best.”

As usual, Kiko accepted candy from my hand and looked satisfied.

I’d actually made a large supply of magical-element candy and stocked it inside Kiko’s Shadow Storage, but… for some reason, she said it tasted better when I fed it to her. I didn’t understand the logic. Well, it wasn’t any trouble, so I didn’t mind.

“So, Kiko. Why did you come back so suddenly?”

“Right. There’s a little trouble.”

Trouble… What could it be?

I had a bad feeling about this.

“The frontier count’s youngest daughter. Judith.”

“Yes?”

“She went to protest something at the Spirit Temple… and now the temple soldiers have detained her. She probably learned about the underground experiments somewhere. She was shouting about matters that would be rather dangerous to make public.”

Oh dear. How had that happened?

Incidentally, the six minority-race men and women who’d been victims of the experiments remained asleep in Garnet’s treatment facility. The homunculi were caring for them, but it would still take time for the enormous quantity of miasma forced into their bodies to dissipate.

From Judith’s position, she should’ve had no way of learning about those experiments.

Thinking sensibly, her source must have been the former boss of the Sapojira Family, whom we’d handed over to the frontier count. I didn’t know whether the information had reached her directly or indirectly, but after learning his testimony, righteous indignation had driven her to charge into the Spirit Temple and protest in person… That was probably what had happened.

“What’ll we do, Crow?”

“We have little choice… First, let’s visit the frontier count. Kiko, could I ask you to support us with your shadow magic?”

“Okay.”

We entered Kiko’s shadow and headed toward the territorial castle.

I’d had several intentions behind handing the former Sapojira boss over to the frontier count without interference. Naturally, I’d anticipated that information about the underground laboratory would leak from his mouth. In fact, I’d wanted the frontier count to know.

I wanted him to become wary of the Spirit Temple. Handing the man over meant Cineraria headquarters wasn’t involved in the affair. Judging from the several meaningful looks the frontier count and I had exchanged, I’d believed my intentions had been conveyed without words.

We reached the lord’s office inside the territorial castle. Once I confirmed that no one besides him was present, I emerged from the shadow.

“It seems things have become serious.”

“Sir Crow… How did this happen?”

“I came to find that out.”

Looking closely, the frontier count appeared terribly exhausted. The succession of new problems must have caused tremendous strain.

“You’ve just seen for yourself how I infiltrated this room… As a starting premise, I can rescue Judith whenever I wish.”

“Then—”

“Before that, however, there’s something I absolutely must confirm with you.”

I released my mana—though I controlled it so none leaked outside the office—and quietly pressured the frontier count as I questioned him.

“Elves, Farly, and Dragonewts… I rescued six victims, men and women, and I’m treating them. They haven’t awakened yet, but once they recover, I intend to return them to their homelands.”

“…So the matter involving the minority races was true after all.”

“Yes. It’s a fact that the Spirit Temple incited the Sapojira Family, filled this frontier with miasma, and used those people for inhumane experiments. This could easily become an international incident, and the Cineraria Family cannot overlook it. I handed the former boss over without tricks specifically because I intended to inform you and put you on guard.”

The frontier count listened, then silently nodded.

As I thought, he’d correctly understood our intentions.

“There’s one thing I want to confirm. This information should have been treated as a critical secret known only to the upper ranks of House Dandelion. How did it reach Judith… Do you understand what happened?”

In response, the frontier count shook his head.

“I restricted the information. Only a genuine handful of people knew the contents of his testimony regarding the human experiments. Furthermore, because the underground laboratory was empty, the testimony itself is being treated as a lie. Yet… I’d like to know how it leaked to Judith just as much as you.”

I see.

I couldn’t use mind-reading magic like Resina, so I had no way to tell whether he spoke the truth. But if he did…

“…I have an idea for how we should proceed.”

With that, the frontier count and I began formulating a plan together.