Laila lowered her head to look at the name Myuge pointed out. It was in the kingdom’s ancient script. But she could read it.

“Ernes.”

Laila softly whispered, repeating the name. Eustar followed by reading the words written below.

“Left the city.”

It was a brief phrase. Neither the purpose of leaving nor the destination was recorded. Next to it, the word ‘Nameless’ was visible, and it too only said ‘Left the city’.

Myuge raised her head.

“We’ve checked this once before. The record of why he was excluded from the summons, where is it?”

“It’s here!”

The spirit chirped proudly while opening an enormously thick book.

“This is the book that records all the verdicts issued in the city! Here’s the verdict excluding Ernes from the city’s summons.”

With one movement of the blue hand, the pages turned by themselves and stopped on one page.

While Myuge moved aside a bit so Laila and Eustar could see the book, she slowly began to read aloud the words filling the page.

“Ernes Celerk, magician of surface, underground, and water. For plunging the city into chaos and attempting to deceive the good, he is excluded from the summons. From this hour forth, no one shall exchange knowledge with Ernes Celerk, nor share friendly greetings.”

The verdict continued at length below, but it was all similar content. Before Eustar and Laila, who didn’t understand the situation, could ask Myuge questions, the spirit chirped in an arrogant tone:

“Issuing verdicts is the elders’ job! All of them must agree for a verdict to be passed! The decision is made only when all of them issue the same verdict!”

Come to think of it, while the content of the verdicts was the same or similar, the handwriting was different for each. There were six in total, which meant there were six ‘elders’.

Myuge said:

“There are a total of six elders in charge at the city of magicians, including Sigrid. Everyone agreed to this verdict… But I’m troubled by how vague this Ernes fellow’s charges are. Plunging the city into chaos and attempting to deceive the good?”

Eustar said:

“Could he have incited some kind of rebellion?”

Myuge, who had been deep in thought, chewed on her lower lip.

“Well, that’s possible. But verdicts aren’t usually written this vaguely. They usually specify exactly what crime was committed… To prevent other magicians from interpreting it as they please.”

“We need to go to the elders, Miss Myuge! If we go to Sir Sigrid, we’ll know!”

Myuge’s expression visibly crumpled. Sigrid. Laila repeated that name in her mouth. The very magician who created Myuge. The one who created Myuge and rose to the position of elder, and then sent her to the royal palace.

But Olga is reluctant to meet him. Laila thought.

She had no idea what their relationship was like, what had happened, or even anything about this magician called Sigrid, but it was clear that Olga strongly disliked meeting him, and that made her curiosity grow.

What kind of person could he be?

“Yeah, I guess we have to do that. Damn, I’m starting to think this whole thing is that guy’s trap.”

Myuge grumbled as if displeased. The spirit made another chirping sound while anxiously circling around her.

“Sir Sigrid is in the elder council now. If you go to the elder council, you can see him right away. He’ll be very pleased, surely…”

“Whether that old man is pleased to see me or not is none of my concern.”

At the sharp retort, the spirit’s shoulders drooped dejectedly. Though it had said a few spiteful words towards her, Laila felt a bit sorry looking at the deflated spirit.

Myuge said:

“I’ll go meet Sigrid. You two wait here. There’s nothing good that can come from meeting the elders.”

Eustar looked as if that was nonsense, but Laila was rather glad for those words. Because the book she wanted to find would be right here.

“Olga, about that book I mentioned…”

“Tell this one to find it. Remember. Don’t go into the stacks without this spirit. Stay here. If you get lost, it’ll take an age just to find you. Unless you want to starve to death among books you can’t even chew on. And you, Kristrad.”

Laila looked at Myuge with a tense expression. However, Myuge’s eyes were more worried than ever before. Surprisingly so.

“You must never wander the stacks alone. I told you, didn’t I? That it would be hard to endure the energy of this place. You’re not feeling well even now, are you?”

At that moment, Eustar’s gaze fixed directly on Laila.

Laila was about to shake her head to deny Myuge’s words, but it felt like her head would burst if she shook it. She had been suffering from an unbearably heavy and vivid headache since earlier.

“Laila, are you not feeling well? Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because it wouldn’t have made any difference, right, Olga?”

Myuge clicked her tongue.

“Yeah, that’s right. It wouldn’t make any difference. Kristrad isn’t a magician, but she’s close to being one. That’s why she’s more affected by the library’s energy. Magicians are used to this flow so it’s no problem, but for someone experiencing it for the first time, it’s a pain like your head is being crushed.”

Eustar’s expression fell.

“Then we should get Laila out of here.”

Myuge glanced at him.

“How much help do you think that would be? Besides, if someone sees you while I’m gone, it’ll most likely cause an uproar. You don’t want that, do you?”

“But…”

“I’m fine, Eustar.”

Laila cut off Eustar’s objection. She couldn’t just stand around on the empty roadside waiting for Myuge to return. Time was of the essence…

“I’m fine, so please go ahead, Olga.”

“Remember what I said. You, blue one, keep a good eye on these two. Don’t bother them.”

And then, without even saying how long to wait, Myuge walked off between the vast bookshelves. Left behind, Laila and Eustar glanced at the spirit looking at them with curious eyes.

As soon as she disappeared, the spirit promptly said:

“A witch and a descendant of Hyanmorik. It’s surprising that you two came to this city. It’s a combination that shouldn’t match at all, yet strangely fits together, which makes me feel bad. Ugh, blue one doesn’t feel good.”

The small blue shoulders trembled. As Laila took a step closer, the spirit made a small ‘eek’ sound and flew up to a place where her hand couldn’t reach.

“But I won’t chase you away because it’s Miss Myuge’s order! Neither the witch nor the foolish descendant of Hyanmorik!”

Laila said:

“My name is Laila. And this person’s name is Eustar.”

“Blue one isn’t interested in human names.”

“I know. But you should call us by our proper names. Right, Eustar?”

As Laila turned around blinking her eyes, Eustar said:

“Yes, you should. Because we are Myuge’s friends. If you care for Myuge so much, shouldn’t you naturally be obedient to us, her friends?”

Then greenish spots appeared on the spirit’s body. It seemed that its body color changed when its emotions fluctuated. Was it that they turn bright red when they lie, or something like that…? Anyway, it was undoubtedly a strange species.

The spirit, pretending to stomp its feet in the air, puckered its oddly shaped lips.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll do it! But you have to stay put here. Otherwise…”

“I’m looking for a book.”

At Laila’s words, the spirit’s eyes widened.

“What kind of book?”

“A book of witches. A very old one… A book that can decipher demonic letters. Olga said it’s here. That I could find it here.”

The spirit let out an ‘eek’ sound.

“A book of witches! That makes me feel bad!”

“It’s here, isn’t it? Is it here or not? Answer me.”

Spirits cannot lie. Even if they do lie, they’re immediately caught because their appearance distorts, their color changes, or they shrink right away. The spirit, twisting its body, said:

“It’s here. Everything is recorded here. Even the graffiti Laila and Eustar made on the wall is made into a book.”

“I need to find that book. Can you help me?”

The sound of flapping wings continued. The spirit, hovering in the air as if pondering, flew right up to Laila’s face. Strangely, it smelled of the fresh scent of newly picked blueberries.

“Okay, I’ll help. Blue one can find anything. But if you lose me, you’ll be in big trouble.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

Laila turned to Eustar.

“Eustar, let’s go together. I can’t bear to leave you here alone.”

A slight smile appeared on Eustar’s lips.

“That’s my line, Laila. I can’t let you go alone. It would be terrible if that strange spirit fell for you and took you somewhere out of my sight.”

“Eek! Blue one doesn’t do such things! I won’t… take Laila to any strange places! I’m not interested in humans! Blue one only likes Miss Myuge!”

As the spirit jumped up and down in anger, its entire body was covered in blue spots. Figuring this was enough small revenge for its spiteful words, Eustar laughed quietly.

The library was incredibly quiet. Although no one was visible, the constant feeling of a presence made one’s spine chill occasionally.

The building’s interior was completely different from how it looked from the outside, as if the exterior was just a convincing illusion and the reality was more like a giant maze.

“Is there really no one here besides us?”

When Eustar asked, the spirit fluttering between the bookshelves snorted through its small nose.

“That’s not true. There are an enormous number of magicians here right now. And an enormous number of blue one’s friends too.”

“But I can’t see any of them.”

The spirit sighed, “Ehyu.”

“Why are all humans who aren’t magicians so stupid?”

Eustar, raising one eyebrow slightly, leaned towards Laila as if to whisper. But though his posture suggested it, his voice wasn’t lowered at all.

“Laila, that tiny spirit keeps mocking us. How about we grab it and roll it up like a blue ball?”