Akatsuki Translations

Proudia boasts the most famous grand library in this world. It is located in 【True Babel】, where the Wise Heavenly King resides. However, its position is not on the upper floors, but in the underground levels that stretch downwards. The underground levels of Babel extend endlessly from the first basement floor. There exists a grand library that stores every book, grimoire, and forbidden text from this continent without exception, utilizing all of these underground levels.

This place was called the 【Spiral Library】.

Of course, given its location, there are restrictions. Even for citizens of Proudia, access is limited to only the first basement floor. While this alone houses an enormous collection of books, it’s merely a fraction of the whole.

The subsequent levels are restricted to those with official ranks. Even then, limitations apply depending on one’s rank in the hierarchy. The deepest place, the lowest level of Babel, is likely accessible only to the 【Wise Heavenly King】 himself.

Hence, this place is sometimes referred to as the graveyard of knowledge.

Scholars sardonically laugh, saying that once something is stored here, it often never sees the light of day again. Of course, no one dares to openly mock this so close to the Wise Heavenly King, so they do so quietly.

Digression aside, despite being such an immense library, those with official ranks from other cities are allowed some degree of access. Therefore,

“…Hmm,” Echelle, who holds the fourth-rank title of Loin, was also permitted to use this place.

Although not publicly acknowledged, she was a survivor of the Caraleigh family, said to have instigated the Uuga upheaval. She had thought her entry might be questioned, but that wasn’t the case.

While she was restricted to the areas she was originally allowed to access according to the rules, Echelle couldn’t reasonably complain about this. She picked up books from the permitted collection and then,

“…Hmmmm…” She was troubled. Buried under a mountain of books she had taken out.

“Echelle-sama. You shouldn’t strain yourself too much,” said Kalkara.

“Yeah… Kalkara,” Echelle replied, looking up at Kalkara, who was helping her research, and pausing her work for a moment.

However, even though she paused, her worries weren’t resolved, and her expression remained clouded. She was researching about her spirit, 【The Mirror and Usurper Spirit, Miralphyne】.

“I thought I’d understand a bit more by now…” she muttered.

【The Mirror Spirit, Miralphyne】

The primary reason why she was persecuted by the Caraleigh family. A fearsome usurper who steals the light of the sun. Echelle had already overcome her aversion to this. And if there was a need to use this power in the future, she had no intention of hesitating.

“Considering the trials that await,” one could never be too prepared.

However, having overcome the psychological issues, Echelle now faced practical problems in dealing with the 【Evil Spirit】.

“There’s no information anywhere…” she sighed.

As expected of the continent’s greatest library, there was plenty of information stored here about spirits. There were encyclopedias listing spirits from all times and places, sometimes even including the names of spirits that cause truly minor phenomena.

But when it came to Miralphyne, or evil spirits, the information suddenly became extremely scarce. Even if the term ‘evil spirit’ appeared, the details were completely lacking.

This was to be expected, in a way. Evil spirits became classified as such because it was deemed dangerous for them to be worshipped, revered, and have their power amplified by humans. If knowledge increased faith, they would grow stronger even if that faith was born of fear.

Information was regulated.

“Is it in a place only accessible to higher-ranking priests?” Echelle wondered, turning her gaze towards the eternal hole continuing downwards at the center of the library, the heart of the 【Spiral Library】. The bottomless pit seemed to stretch on forever. She was currently on the second basement floor, but it was impossible to tell at a glance how far down it went.

Feeling as if she might be sucked in and fall endlessly, Echelle shuddered, stepped back, and let out a sigh.

“I wonder about that,” Kalkara said.

“Is that not the case?” Echelle turned to Kalkara with a puzzled expression. She had simply thought that in deeper areas, places accessible to higher-ranking priests, there would be knowledge about evil spirits. After all, where she was now was hardly different from areas accessible to ordinary citizens.

“Echelle-sama. The higher the rank of a priest, the stronger their power of prayer,” Kalkara explained.

“Ah…” Echelle’s voice trailed off.

She recalled the struggle for control with Aesula. The fact that the usurpation had succeeded precisely because she had been misled by Shizuku’s words and had prayed in fear of 【The Mirror Spirit, Miralphyne】. Indeed, considering this, the existence of 【Evil Spirits】 must be concealed especially from high-ranking priests.

Just as mirrors were removed from within temples, if one had a strong affinity with spirits, it was all the more necessary to conceal information about evil spirits.

“That’s why you were ostracized by the Caraleigh family, Echelle-sama. At worst, all the prayers of the Shinra could have been concentrated on you.”

“…Yeah.”

“…I apologize for reminding you of unpleasant things. But please understand. Basically, ‘that’ is something that must be kept away from high-ranking priests above all.”

“So it’s not down below… Then, could it be around here somewhere?”

Echelle looked around. This was a place accessible to ordinary citizens and lower-ranking priests. Considering the nature of evil spirits, this area might be more suitable for storage. But Kalkara shook her head.

“They wouldn’t place it where people could easily come across it. It’s probably treated as a forbidden book.”

“Hmm…”

“Why do you want to know about ‘that’ in the first place?”

At Kalkara’s question, Echelle’s face took on a slightly troubled expression.

“In the upcoming battle, I’ll probably be controlling Uuga. I won’t be of much direct use…”

Proof of Uuga management ability, creating a track record.

Since she was being sent to battle for this purpose, Uuga would also be utilized in this fight. Inevitably, Echelle would become a key figure. Therefore, it was unlikely that she would expose herself outside the command center. There was no reason to reveal a weakness. She would be staying put in the safest place.

“But that’s an important role,” Kalkara pointed out.

“Yeah. But if possible, I want to increase what I can do besides controlling Uuga… There’s really so little I can do with Uuga’s operation.”

Even though she possessed the control formula, the instructions she could give to Uuga were very rough. Attack that. Stop. Move. Go there. That was about it. The rest was up to Uuga’s own judgment. Fine adjustments were Lynne’s job.

According to Lynne, this was probably a measure to reduce the burden on the control seal user when controlling Uuga’s enormous body.

But just waiting for results was honestly frustrating. Probably because Ur and the others would be out there fighting.

“But I think if I could use the spirit’s power, it might be a bit better,” Echelle said.

“Indeed, with the spirit’s power, there might be things you could do even from inside Uuga.”

“Right?”

Echelle was aware of her low combat ability. Compared to Ur and the others who had been through numerous battlefields, and Jain and his companions who were seasoned, first-class adventurers, her movements were clearly slower. She had improved in using magic rifles, but her body would freeze up in the face of danger.

Miralphyne was her only weapon.

A power from another dimension, completely separate from normal training or experience. A supernatural miracle that could never be reached by human means. She was convinced that this power could probably help him, who was trying to thrust himself into the forefront of the battlefield.

Pleased to have her conviction affirmed, Echelle looked happy. However, Kalkara shook her head.

“But it might be better to refrain from using ‘that’ power lightly.”

“W-why? I’ve gotten much better at controlling it, and it’s very powerful, isn’t it?”

【Reflection】 that repels all attacks, 【Duplication】 that mirrors and activates spells, and 【Usurpation】 that steals what has been mirrored, among others. Unlike magic, there was no need to inscribe spells, and it could wield powers impossible to reproduce with magic. It could even replicate Lynne’s 【White King Formation】, the crystallization of years of research, just as it was.

This power could be summed up in one word: “terrifying.” If one could control it, it would undoubtedly become an enormous fighting force.

“I will no longer refuse what you wish for. But with that in mind, I say this: ‘That’ should never be used lightly.”

“Is it because it’s an evil spirit after all…?”

Asked this, Kalkara quietly looked around. There were people in the 【Spiral Library】. It was the world’s largest library, after all. There were many users. But there was no one around her. The library was simply too vast, and people were spread out, with no one paying attention to Echelle and her companions.

Even so, Kalkara lowered her voice further and spoke.

“…Do you remember when you seized the control formula?”

                  ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

In response to Kalkara’s question, Echelle hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

“Not really… I was too caught up in the moment to understand what was happening.”

“At that time, ‘that’ had manifested its form.”

The manifestation of a spirit. A phenomenon that occurs when the power of prayer is concentrated.

Not just the bestowed blessing, but the spirit itself taking form. As a result, it became a power that could even break through the resistance of  the【Spirit of the Earth, Urigandin】, one of the four elemental great spirits. But originally, “such a thing should not be possible.”

“Spirit manifestations occur frequently within temples. It’s a place where the prayers of all citizens and priests converge. But ‘that’ manifested not just outside the temple, but outside the city.”

Miralphyne manifested in an area completely devoid of human presence, outside the realm of human habitation. It caused a miracle that could only occur if it had power equivalent to that of the four elemental spirits.

And in the end, it snatched victory from the Earth Spirit.

“…But at that time, it was because Aesula was instigated by Shizuku,” Echelle said.

“Aesula’s unintended assistance was significant. However…”

Kalkara closed her mouth.

Even for Kalkara, who had completed her training as a priestess and honed her skills, there was much she didn’t know about evil spirits. Information was heavily regulated even within the Temple to prevent it from becoming known. Otherwise, Kalkara would be teaching Echelle without the need for her to investigate like this.

So, she could only make guesses. But to be honest, she “didn’t have a good feeling about it.”

“Kalkara?”

“…It’s alright, Echelle-sama.”

Kalkara lowered her tense shoulders. She patted Echelle’s head, who was looking up at her with concern. Echelle seemed a bit surprised but relaxed, her cheeks softening with relief.

“…’That’ is distorted. It deviates greatly from its original function. Therefore, you must carefully train yourself to control it,” Kalkara explained.

“Myself…?” Echelle questioned.

“Even if it’s the power of a spirit, there are no easy paths.”

If an evil spirit was dangerous, no, precisely because it was dangerous, Echelle, who had already been granted power as a favored one, needed to acquire the ability to discipline herself. The containment that the Caraleigh had forced upon her was counterproductive. She already had the power. No amount of suppression would change that fact.

She needed to know the technique to hold the reins, and the technique to seal it when necessary. Otherwise, at worst, she could be possessed and killed by that distorted mirror. Kalkara was certain of this.

Echelle seemed to sense Kalkara’s concern and smiled reassuringly.

“…Then, should I undergo Kalkara’s basic training like the other attendants?”

“I won’t go easy on you,” Kalkara warned.

Echelle nodded.

There were many concerns. But Kalkara realized that Echelle’s own heart had become very strong. While it was a bit irritating that the reason for this was that man, it had no effect on her policy of doing what she could for Echelle’s sake.

To guide her to a fortunate place.

She had vowed to do what she could for that purpose.

“…Oh? Echelle and company, were you here?” a familiar voice was heard.

Kalkara stood in front of Echelle, who seemed a bit flustered. Fortunately, or perhaps it should be said, they had not found any books related to evil spirits. There was nothing to feel guilty about in this situation.

“What a coincidence, Vice-Captain of the Envy Strike Force,” Kalkara greeted Eckstein. For some reason, he bowed with a slightly exhausted face. Echelle also bowed from behind Kalkara.

“We were doing some research, but why are you here?”

Kalkara quickly ended her own explanation and directed the conversation to Eckstein. It wasn’t that she was particularly interested in his story, but simply that she found it troublesome for Echelle to be engaged in conversation.

However, she soon realized that this redirection was a mistake.

“Kahaha, well, it’s my duty to report to me. Though none of the information was as interesting as what you two were up to, eh?”

That man appeared languidly from behind him.

A youthful, handsome appearance characteristic of his race. But the expression he wore was malicious and cunning. A grinning smile designed to make others uncomfortable. Above all, the inexplicable aura he exuded. An air that instilled unease.

Although Kalkara had never met him before, she immediately understood who he was.

One of the 【Seven Heavens】, 【Greylei the Heavenly Demon】