Kays Translations

Chapter 21- At the Imperial Library

Ren continued to listen.

“I have been asked by a foreign trading company to invest further in a business in which our family is also involved. This business is centered on Viscount Clausel.”

"Is that what you mean ----? If that's the case, you should have approached Lessard-sama first instead of me....”

“I would normally do that, but this time the other party wants to meet with you. Of course, I will tell Viscount Clausel whatever your answer is.”

"......Eh?”

“I had a chance to talk to the chairman of a foreign trading company with whom we do business in Eupheim the other day. He knows who you are.”

“H-How did he know?"

Ren's stunned expression and the sound of his voice, which was as dumbfounded as his expression.

But there was something that made sense to him when he heard the story.

“The story goes back to the business that Viscount Clausel is leading. Actually, the trading company is involved in the project. I heard that the chairman himself went to Clausel once and saw the town.”

“...... I kind of guessed that. He heard about me in Clausel, didn't he?”

“Apparently so. Unfortunately, Viscount Clausel is in Elendil right now, so I haven't been able to meet him, but he said he was interested in you when he heard about you instead. But that's not all."

Ulysses mentions a merchant's request for an escort that Ren asked for in the winter before he entered the school.

When Ren was a student preparing for his entrance exam, he received a job offer.

“He was heading to Clausel territory, and I was taking him there via the magic ship, right?"

“That's right. You escorted the chairman's subordinate on that occasion.”

“That had something to do with it too. I understand that the chairman of the trading company heard about me, but what is it about me that interests him?”

“Well, it was the escapade we had during the Viscount Givens fiasco.”

At that time, many people saw Licia and Ren return to Clausel and heard about what happened in the past.

When the chairman heard of their heroic tale, he was struck by the news.

“He is a rare merchant who has risen from the ranks of knighthood. He heard about your exploits and said he'd love to meet you. I plan to tell Viscount Clausel about it in the near future.”

“I would like to ask, just to be sure, will Ulysses-sama be present as well?”

“Of course I will.  Naturally, I would like to have Viscount Clausel attend if he has time.”

However, the chairman doesn’t know about Asval's resurrection in the Baldor Mountains. The possibility of Asval's resurrection being leaked out to the outside world was extremely low because the number of people who knew about it was quite limited. But there is no one who knows the fact that Fiona was saved by Ren and went down the mountain. This is a fact that cannot be hidden.

“I'm sorry for not telling you until today. We had some adjustments to make.”

But he did not want to make sudden plans.

So Ulysses contacted Lessard separately from Ren to ask for a little time during the Lion King Festival.

"Hahaha! Ren, I heard he likes you a lot! It’s a great deal! Go tell one of your heroic tales!”

“No, do I look like the kind of guy who enjoys talking about that kind of stuff?”

“Kuku, even if you don’t see it, I think you have the kind of personality that you hide in reserve.”

"I know, but I'm not sure if I'm misjudging the value of the person I thought was my best friend.”

“I'm saying this because I think of you as my best friend. I, too, am as happy as if it were me that your success is spreading. ---- and besides."

Radius speaks to Ulysses in a tone of conviction.

“Ulysses, that trading company of yours is a pretty big one, isn't it?”

“You are right, as you have guessed. It’s one of the most prominent trading firms in the sky continent, boasting of its commercial materials, including materials for monsters.”

“Fufu…Well, this would be a good opportunity for Ren.”

“What do you mean?”

The reasons that Ren would normally have come up with are not as calm as usual now, or are too sudden.

Ren lacked his usual calmness.

“The Clausel family would be happy if they could make a good relationship with a big foreign trading company. It would be great if it was a big trading company in the sky continent.”

“I see. Come to think of it, you’re right.”

Hearing that, Ren was no longer confused.

"---- Ulysses-sama, can you tell me more about what kind of person the other party is?”

“Of course I will.”

Lessard would certainly agree.

Because it would certainly benefit Clausel.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

If you go through the main street and head to the center of the castle town, you will find the Imperial Library, which the Imperial City is proud of.

Inside, countless bookshelves are lined up along the walls of the atrium, and the multi-layered interior is majestic. It is one of the oldest buildings in the historic imperial capital, and is constantly visited by tourists from all over the world at any time of the year.

The Imperial Library has an important collection of books, so places where ordinary people can set foot are quite limited. Among them, the forbidden library that exists in the basement is exceptional. It had a high security system that was rare even in the imperial capital, and the place was protected by knights who used many magic tools and strong swords, and it was also a sanctuary that no one had ever allowed to enter

At ---- this time of the day, only the staff and knights were inside the Imperial Library.

The young male in the director's office at the back of the dark library was also getting ready to leave.

However, he was forced to interrupt his preparations.

“Are you there, Director-san?”

The door to the director's office was opened without knocking by a knight guarding the Imperial Library.

Concerned that an experienced and skilled knight would come in such a hurry, the curator furrowed his brow and said to the knight.

“Calm down. What's the matter?”

"Y-You have a visitor just now...!”

“A visitor? I don't have an appointment at this hour.”

“I am aware of that! But the gentleman said that he could only check on you at your leisure after normal business was finished.”

The director tilted his head with a sigh, not understanding what the knight was saying.

"Calm down again.”

He tried again to calm the knight by reprimanding him.

But the knight still did not calm down, and his breathing was erratic and sweat appeared on his forehead. Both of his eyes seemed to be wide open with nervousness, unlike the way he usually shows them.

It was not normal, after all. The director looked at the knight with a hard expression.

The knight, who had finally begun to calm down, swallowed hard. His throat had gone dry before he knew it and he felt sick, but he tried his best to speak.

“Please explain who is here.”

Before he could finish, he heard footsteps coming toward the director’s office.

It seems that a visitor is coming this way. It was easy to imagine from the knight's appearance that the visitor was of high status, but just how high was he?

The director squinted at the silhouette he saw in the dimness.

Who had come, the knight's voice was that which he had not imagined.

"The  S-Sword King ----!"

The director's eyes reflected the figure of a beautiful person.

The woman wearing a dark blue cloth with gold threads on the vestments is coming towards him with silver hair that is smoother than silk. The director, seeing the blue eyes as blue as the vestments, gasped at the pressure and beauty of the Sword King, as it was the first time he had ever seen her so close up.

Fifth in the order of the Sword King, the White Dragon Princess Lutreche.

The most powerful presence in Leomel was approaching them with the sound of her shoes.

“I apologize for the sudden visit.”

Her voice was as bell-like as her appearance.

“I am looking for a book.”

The director’s throat was dry as a knight's, but he couldn’t be rude in front of Lutreche.

Or, as if following his survival instincts, he opened his mouth,

“...... What kind of book are you looking for?"

“I'm sorry. I don't know what it is, so I'm going to ask you to just open up the place where I can find it.”

"...... Eh?"

It should not be that Zen-like.

Lutrache clearly has some purpose, and she seems to be visiting the Imperial Library with the conviction that there are books in the library that will help her achieve that purpose.

The bewildered director asks once more, nervously.

“A place where we keep valuable collection of books?”

“Yes. I have permission from His Majesty, so this is the place.”

Lutrache's face lit up in the light of the room as she came into the director’s office.

On the parchment she took out, there was an inscription in the emperor's handwriting that he would let her search for books as she wished, with the exception of the forbidden library.

The parchment was also printed with the emperor's name, and if the director checked it with his spectacle-type magic tool, he could see that the ink was also exclusive to the book. It was definitely the real thing.

"I see....! So, which of our books would you like to see first?”

“There are a few that interest me, and I'd like you to show me around.”

Lutrache left the director’s office and began to walk away.

The director watched her back and saw the knight standing dumbfounded at his side. The knight was told to wait here, and he went to guide Lutreche by himself.

The director rushed out and followed Lutrache without saying a word.

He descended several flights of stairs to the lower level. As they made their way through the long corridors, they were approaching the innermost part of the Imperial Library.

At this point, they came to a series of rooms where valuable books were stored. All of them require special permission to enter, but Lutrache was allowed to do so.

“With this, which bears His Majesty's permission, it is possible for me alone to enter, is it not?”

“Ha, yes! The printing is made with a special ink, and will probably remain in effect as a key for a few days.”

“I understand. I will look for it for a while. Thank you for your help in spite of my sudden visit.”

The bow was so polite that you could almost hear the sound of a bow.

The director was about to fall down when he was unexpectedly bowed to by the sword king, but he hurriedly asked her to lift up his head.

Lutrache heard his voice, raised her head, said, "Well then," unlocked the door, and entered the room.

“Wha --what is going on ......?"

The director's mutterings received no answer, and he was stunned for a while.

Meanwhile, Lutreche stepped into a room lined with precious books.

With the faint moonlight shining through the window, she began searching for the book she was looking for, and spent several hours walking around the room. Sometimes she would go to another room, and she would keep looking for the book she wanted.

Before she knew it, dawn had broken.

Lutrache noticed the passage of time in the morning sun streaming in through the window, let out a sigh, and closed the book for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

“It seems to have been thoroughly obliterated.”

She muttered to herself and headed for the window.

“The man, Givens, was the assistant minister of justice. If that man was interested in Ashton, I would have thought he would have learned something here at the Imperial Library...."

She put the tip of her finger to her lips and pondered.

“I guess... it might be in the forbidden library.”

The emperor allowed her only in the room where these precious books were kept, but not in the forbidden library. As neither a Leomel citizen nor a knight nor a civil servant, she wasn’t allowed to enter.

Although she didn’t find the information she was looking for until the end, Lutrache was convinced that the books and information she was looking for were in the forbidden library. Just knowing that would be a boon for her.

She wasn’t certain what her purpose was in this action, but .......

She put her fingertips to the window,

“---- Mother. What am I to do?"

After saying this, she fell silent and continued to stare out the window.

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