Volume 8 Chapter 2 Part1 (1/2)
The one to first notice the abnormal situation was the Armed Librarian Mattalast Ballory
He came to know of it at the deepest parts of Bantorra Library’s underground, in the Second Sealed Labyrinth
But let us put that aside for a while
During the same time as Mattalast ca else happened in the Acting Director’s Office at the top of Bantorra Library
An iron blade suddenly appeared in the air There was nothing to warn of it It appeared as if some movie’s special effect The dia It had no handle or any decorations
It h the air and stabbed into Ha sound it started carving letters atop the oaken surface
After engraving a short sentence of two lines, the diamond blade completely vanished without a trace
During that time Hamyuts was asleep on the sofa in the break room next to the office
During the same time…
In the faraway capital of the Ismo Republic, an event also happened in the headquarters of the New Indulging God Cult led by Minth Chezine On the second floor of the s, a diamond-shaped blade appeared above Minth’s desk the same way
It also carved letters and then disappeared
There was no one in the headquarters during that tiht at Ismo The False Men or other workers were not there, and Minth was resting in a room on the third floor
Both Ha
After Mattalast, the next one to notice what happened were the new Armed Librarians Rizzly Kalon and Tena Tarno, as well as the veteran Luik Hartaine
They were at the center of Bantorra Library - the back of the Sixth Sealed Archive, connected to the Sealed Labyrinth’s entrance
“Hmm Am I the first person today?”
Cracking his neck, Luik came down to the Labyrinth’s entrance In one hand he carried the leftover applications for browsing Books On his back was a huge spear rams
“Well then, I wonder if today’s gonna be tough”
Luik said and started so exercise in front of the door
He was the biggest ahed about as h to reach the ceiling of a normal house Furthermore his body was covered by thick, black hair, so he seehtly war some steam
There was no excite the Labyrinth was a mission that risked his life, but for him as a middle-class Armed Librarian, this was all in a day’s work
“Tena went inside before”
The new Arraph room He was a short boy who didn’t even reach Luik’s chest With a slender body and a puppy-like face he didn’t look like an Ar from his waist made him seem like a warrior at all
He had been stationed in the telegraph rooes within the Labyrinth
“Ooh, she got up early Getting up early is good”
“I hate it though… Ah, I’m so sleepy When will Mirepoc-san come already…”
Rizzly said and yawned
“Don’t co awake for a day or two Hoeak”
Saying so, Luik put a hand to the door
“I’ weak”
Well then, shall I play with the Guardian Beasts today as well? Thinking this, Luik opened the door At the other side was a wide staircase that went on for long, next leading to a space about as large as three tennis courts From there were about twenty corridors all connected to the routes of the Fifth Labyrinth
The moment he set foot inside, Luik was surprised
“Oh, so sudden!”
Just before he had opened the door the Guardian Beast known as Cavalry the Guardian Beasts protecting the Fifth Layer, it was the weakest kind It was still obviously a lot stronger than norh
“Are you fine?”
“Obviously”
Luik stopped Cavalry’s spear with one hand and lifted him up Just like that he threw hi over 500 pounds, started rolling down the staircase Luik didn’t even need to use the large spear on his back
“Recently the Guardian Beasts are also quite enthusiastic about their jobs I want them to set an example to the Director”
Saying so, Luik went to check whether he finished it off or not
Guardian Beasts - thethose officially confir creatures in the world Fighting against them was the daily job of Armed Librarians
But the Guardian Beasts were not the Armed Librarians’ enemies They only existed to protect the sealed Books from any and all intruders
The Guardian Beasts were protecting Bantorra Library ever since it was created 2000 years ago They wandered around the Sealed Labyrinth, indiscri every intruder they could find
Those who could not win against the Books Only warriors who could break through the Guardian Beasts were allowed to handle the, just the Armed Librarians
The deeper one went into the Labyrinth, the ly, the Guardian Beasts also grew stronger
If talking about the Guardian Beasts protecting the Fifth Level, those around the level of Cavalryman, Rhino, or Needle Wolf, then about several dozens of heavily armed normal humans would be able to beat them The Fourth Level’s Elephant Soldier or Blade-Haired Lion could crush tanks and armored vehicles
In the Third Level, even mid-class Armed Librarians would have to risk their lives Trainees or intelligence agents had no chance of winning there Reaching the Second Level, one would find Guardian Beasts equal in strength to Armed Librarians like Volken or Kyasariro
It was probable that if all Guardian Beasts were to asseer than the entire Arht even be able to rival all the armies of the world
They were certainly strong eneainst the Indulging God Cult, the Guardian Beasts alot out of the Labyrinth Neither would one encounter them above their determined level
For the Ar enemies but also their comrades at the same time They helped the protection of Bantorra Library after all
“Mm?”
The collapsed Cavalryain Froht, but it seemed oddly tenacious He was puzzled
“Hrown lax over the holidays?”
“Haven’t you been drinking too much at New Year’s? You’ve stuffed your belly too full”
Rizzly mocked him
“No way I have abs of steel”
Luik beat his fist on his stomach that was as hard as cement
“There, there, what’s wrong? Are you excited?”
Cavalry it to sleep, and lightly knocked it down
At that e
“Luik-san, another one’s co”
He raised his head and looked at the hall ahead Noas the Guardian Beast known as Rhino It rushed up the staircase of the entrance, its footsteps echoing around
It was a rare situation There were not many Guardian Beasts in the shallow parts of the Sealed Labyrinth They would fight more than one at the same time only about once a day Further that in the very entrance
But at the time he didn’t think of this as abnor unusual
“I’ve been growing dull fro all day, lemme help you”
Saying this, Rizzly drew his rapier this tihting strength He also displayed a belligerent expression not fit for his face
“I don’t need ya”
“Don’t be so reserved”
“Hey, these are my prey”
Luik voiced his dissatisfaction, but Rizzly prepared his rapier facing Rhino without listening to hi around nificently, but it wasn’t so
He lunged directly at Rhino’s charge Fro a tank shot in poas unleashed A big hole the size of a fist opened up in Rhino’s head, piercing all the way through his rear
“Oops, I tried holding back”
The overenthusiastic shockwave stabbed into the floor of the Labyrinth, gouging a hole in it
“Stopup the Labyrinth”
“Ahaha, I’ve been scolded”
Rizzly lent no ears to the voice shouting at hiht Luik, but at that moment…
They heard another voice Another Guardian Beast has appeared
This tiether - a Rhino and a Needle Wolf
“…”
The reason both Luik’s and Rizzly’s faces changed color was not due to any sense of crisis Even if ten Beasts appeared in front of them they would probably be able to handle them
However, it was rather unusual that four of them would appear in so short of a time Normally the Guardian Beasts would roaanized or attacked together with their comrades
Four Beasts in about ten minutes This was too much without a doubt
Soreatly amiss These words clearly rose to the pair’s minds
It was then that Hamyuts woke up in the break room
Ever since the new year started there was several days where she was busy working for the first ti care of the proceduresDirector to Yukizona
Recently there had been voices of dissatisfaction in various places about Hamyuts’s attitude towards her work It wasn’t just the Armed Librarians or the normal librarians; she received protests even froency as well
That was only natural Ha Director-like work recently Yukizona was essentially already working as the Director
Even her just sitting in her chair almost reached her liment call
“Haa… even handing overbut trouble And I can’t leave it to Matt”
In addition to passing along her work there were other foruration ceremony, all sorts of formal work and complicated procedures
I just need to have a bither days
Even after passing the baton, Ha at Bantorra Library Her reason was of course in order to fight
Although Kachua had been defeated, perhaps so She also had no idea how Olivia and her successor’s rebellion would develop from now on
There were still the seeds of trouble planted in the Library She couldn’t leave the best place like that
“Mm… my shoulders are all stiff”
Saying this, Haht of getting some coffee, her eyes settled on the abnormal condition of her desk
There were scratches she hadn’t seen there before going to sleep
At first she thought it was sihtly
“…!”
The nextto it
When she saw the written words her body trembled
“Ruruta…”
Hamyuts muttered She then unleashed Sensory Threads froround
At first they came in contact with the norht shi+fts Next, Luik and Rizzly in front of the Labyrinth Then Tena and the Guardian Beasts inside
Then Mattalast as deeper inside the Labyrinth
And…
“…A…ahahaha”
Ha She understood it all in a moment
“Ahahahah, I see, I get it Ruruta I’ve been surprised since you said it so suddenly You should’ve told ht, Ruruta? Do you hear me?”
Laughter She shook while laughing
Ha with fear and shock
Two Guardian Beasts were charging up the stairs Luik spoke while attacking them
“Is the Labyrinth today off limits?”
“Is that even a thing?”
“Who knows”
Luik caught Rhino’s body and crushed it with both hands Rizzly decapitated Needle Wolf using his rapier
The two exchanged glances, then exited the Labyrinth They left the door open so they could see the situation inside
“What should we do? Should we report this to the Director or someone?”
Rizzly said Luik hesitated; was this an incident or just a coincidence? If it was an incident, was it big enough to report? Thinking about the fact they simply battled four Guardian Beasts it wasn’t out of the ordinary
Still, it would be better to report this for the ti Luik then asked Rizzly
“Is the Director co off”
“The Director’s still in the Library, probably But she one home on a whim”
Saying so, they both sighed Frankly speaking, they wondered just when Hamyuts would finally quit
“What about Mattalast-san? I don’t expect to see hih”
“Matt-san… I don’t know When have you last seen him?”
“I think I saw hih”
“I haven’t one somewhere after the party was over?”
They both thought about their two unreliable superiors