Part 4
“It’s open. Come on, this way.”
By moonlight, a pair of shadowy figures creeps into the library through a window.
It’s Alexia and Claire.
Alexia goes in first and inexpertly surveys the scene.
Then…
“Hey, you’re in the way.”
“Ow!”
…Claire lands on her from above.
“What do you think you’re doing? The whole plan was for me to make sure things were safe first,” Alexia quietly grumbles from beneath Claire’s feet.
“Dawdling puts us in more danger of getting found out than anything. Moving with haste gives the plan a fast pace.”
“Oh, forget it. Just get off me already.”
After shoving Claire aside, Alexia stands back up.
“Come on, Alexia, let’s get moving. We need to make this work, no matter what.”
“Well, someone’s motivated.”
“I’ve got a reason why I can’t afford to lose. I’ve got somewhere I need to return to now.” Claire squeezes her fists tight, eyes full of conviction.
“…I don’t really follow, but it’s good to hear you’re motivated.”
Alexia takes the lead, heading deeper into the library and unlocking a door over in the back.
“Where did you get your hands on that key?” Claire asks her.
“Being a princess has its perks.”
“Nice. And this is the forbidden section?”
Inside, the room is lined with tall bookshelves.
“No, this is just a storeroom. The forbidden section is farther back.”
Alexia walks over to one of the bookshelves.
“That thing is massive,” Claire remarks. “Is that ancient script?”
“This bookshelf is a magical artifact, and one of the stories my father read to me as a child had the incantation for it.”
“The what?”
Alexia takes a deep breath. “Bippity boppity, open sesame!”
The ensuing silence is deafening.
“Please stop screwing around.”
“I-I’m not screwing around! I’m being serious here! The incantation is supposed to open it up!”
“This is ridiculous.”
“I might’ve gotten the chant wrong. Could it have been ‘schlongity dongity’—?”
The moment the words leave her mouth, the bookshelf loudly rumbles open.
“Wait…that actually worked?”
“Looks like it was supposed to be schlongity!” Alexia says with a smug grin.
“Surely it was the first one, and it just took a while ’cause it’s so old.”
The two of them head through the open bookcase.
““Whoa…””
When they enter the forbidden section, they let out cries of amazement. There’s a gorgeous chandelier lighting up the towering bookcases within, and while the books they house are old and weathered, that only serves to give them more character.
“So how do we tell what book is about the academy’s history?” Claire asks.
She traces her gaze across the seemingly endless array of book spines. If they have to go through them one by one, they’ll end up burning through the whole night.
“We pray,” Alexia says.
“This is no time to be messing with me.”
“I’m not, I swear! We just have to do this…” Alexia begins waving her arms by the side of her head like a lunatic.
“What in the world do you think you’re doing?”
“Building the mood. Academy history book, academy history book, academy history book… Schlongity dongity!”
“This is ridiculous.”
The next moment, however, a ray of light shoots out, and a book comes soaring down. It comes to a stop in front of Alexia’s face, then opens to its first page all on its own.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“See? I told you.”
“What a stupid artifact. I have half a mind to just smash the thing.”
“Please don’t. It’s so cute and so helpful.”
Claire frowns in annoyance. “So what’s it say in the book?”
“I dunno. I can’t read it.”
“Let’s see here… Ah, ancient script again.”
“I can read simple stuff, but this is a bit beyond me. What about you?”
“I just know the basics, myself. It’s not a very popular subject. Pretty much only the science-track kids take it.”
“Yeah, figures.”
“So what do we do?”
“I think this calls for… Schlongity dongity, please translate for us!” Alexia cries out in a cutesy voice and makes a heart shape with her hands.
“Ew, don’t be weird. There’s no way that’d ever work.”
“We won’t know until we try. Who knows what sort of handy functions it has?”
A creepy voice echoes out from the forbidden section. “Y-y-you want a translation, do you? Hurr-hurr-hurr…”
“Wait—it talks?!”
“Who’s there?”
Claire and Alexia look around, but they’re the only ones there.
“I-I-I’m the spirit of the forbidden stacks. I—I can translate for you.”
“Well, hey, that’s the academy’s prized artifact for you.”
“Ugh… It sounds like a total fatso.”
“C’mon, Claire, don’t be mean.”
“ Snff… N-now I don’t feel like translating anymore…”
“Look, it’s sulking.”
“All right, all right! I’m sorry.”
“Mr. Forbidden Stacks, would you pleeease translate for us?”
“Hunf, hunf, hunf… I-I’ll do my best! Wh-what part do you want done?”
“Well, we were hoping to figure out where Diablos’s right arm is sealed.”
“O-o-oh, it’s beneath the school. Down in the underground ruins.”
“Uh…okay, then. That was easy…”
“I’m surprised at how competent it is.”
The floating forbidden book’s pages turn, and the translated text glows in midair before it.
“O-once upon a time, Diablos fought the heroes here. Its arm got cut off and sealed away here. A bunch of other stuff happened, and now the area is in ruins.”
“What kind of other stuff?”
“Apparently, people fought over the arm. The book doesn’t have many details, but it ended with the underground ruins getting hidden away.”
“How do we get into the ruins?”
“Th-there’s a sealed church somewhere on campus. All you have to do is go there.”
“And where exactly is ‘somewhere’?”
“Hunf, hunf, hunf… I—I can’t tell you anything that isn’t written in the book.”
“Tch, you’re useless…,” Alexia snaps. “Well, at least now we know what the Cult is after. They’re trying to unseal the right arm.”
“Then why are they kidnapping students?”
“To undo the seal with, probably. It’s easier to unseal these things with magic that’s similar to the mana used to make the seal in the first place.”
“So they’re hunting down students to try to find people with compatible magic. Should we look for the sealed church?”
“…Before that, I need to talk to my sister.” There’s a clear note of resolve in Alexia’s voice.
“Oh, that’s right, you’re part of the royal family. Why didn’t you just do that from the start?”
“You seriously think I didn’t?”
“Huh?”
“I tell her about this stuff constantly. I told her about the incident at the school, about what happened at the Sanctuary, everything.”
“Alexia…”
“But this time… This time, I finally have proof, and Iris will finally believe me.”
“I-I’m rooting for you, Alexia!”
“Shut up, fatso.” Alexia glares with a look in her eyes that could kill.
“E-eep…!”
“Alexia…we should get out of here. If we stay too long, someone will find us.”
“Good call. Before we do that, though, does this place have any books about the Cult of Diablos?”
There’s a brief silence.
“…Not here, no.”
“Okay… Then I guess that’s that, then.”
“Later.”
“B-bye-bye… Take care, you two…”
Claire and Alexia find their bodies enveloped in magic, and the next thing they know, they’re back in the original storeroom.
“Once she sees this book, Iris will have no choice but to—,” Alexia says, clutching the contraband to her chest and stepping out of the room. As soon as she does…
“And what do you think you’re doing, taking a forbidden book without permission?”
“ ?!”
Alexia and Claire whirl around in unison.
There’s a tall old man standing behind a bookcase. His face is long and narrow, and his eyes are sunken and practically goggle out of his head as he glares at them.
“Y-you’re the head librarian…” Alexia hides the book behind her back, but it’s far too late for that.
“Taking a forbidden book without permission is a heavy crime, Your Highness, even for one such as you. And that goes double for your non-royal accomplice.”
Claire scowls when the man’s gaze lands on her.
She’s going to get suspended, maybe even expelled. Her brother might even take some collateral damage.
“Should we kill him…?” she asks quietly. There’s no hesitation in her eyes.
Alexia hurriedly pushes her aside. “L-look, Mr. Librarian, we’ve got a really good reason for this! Would you at least hear us out?”
“For you, Your Highness, how could I possibly refuse?”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“I know somewhere we can talk. Follow me.”
With that, the head librarian leaves the library.
As Alexia follows him, she shoots a hushed question back over her shoulder to Claire. “Okay, so what the hell was that about?”
“If I get arrested, people will pick on Cid! They’ll bully him and say that his sister’s a criminal! He’s so delicate, he might even end up killing himself…”
“He won’t. He really, really won’t.” Alexia lets out a sigh.
“Do try to pick up the pace, Your Highness,” the head librarian urges.
“Don’t worry, we’re coming.” Alexia pulls Claire along by the hand and jogs after the man.
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