Night had dragged on longer than I anticipated. After a quick exchange of information, I sent the hero disciples off so they could collect their thoughts. Most of them would probably stay up until dawn, but at least their minds would be clearer by morning. The ones who didn't need time to reflect stayed behind in the hideout.
The hour had grown late. In the faint light, Seren broke the silence.
"From this point on, what I'm about to say is important..." She paused, her gaze fixed on Evan. I understood her unspoken question. I placed a hand on Evan's shoulder and offered an explanation. "He's reliable. Evan was the one who first tipped me off about the puppets."
Technically, Leone had given me the key information. Still, Evan was the one who warned me about the demon king's descent. It wasn't exactly a lie.
Of course, Seren's nervousness made sense. She had only spoken to Evan a few times and wasn't sure if he could be trusted.
I changed the topic. "Are you going to talk about Princess Perist?"
"That's right."
"Evan suspected the imperial family long before I mentioned it," I said.
Seren's eyes narrowed at him. Her expression seemed to ask, "Really?"
As I watched his carefree reaction, it was hard to believe this guy had awakened as a Young Dark Pope.
Before my thoughts could wander further, Seren spoke again, her tone slow and deliberate. "Okay. Remember I told you last time? Once night falls, Princess Perist locks herself in the research wing."
"Yes."
"However, I searched every building in the research wing and couldn't find her."
At that moment, the lights flickered. The heat wasn't working properly, and the air inside the shop took on a faintly eerie feel.
"I even checked the ledger in the professor's office, just in case. It listed Princess Perist in Room 104 of Research Building 12. I went there and found it was a room abandoned long ago," Seren revealed.
"You didn't go at night, did you?" I asked, surprised.
"No, it was daytime. I didn't plan on it, but those ghost stories rattled me a little," she said.
That kind of caution had probably saved her life. Maybe that was another trait heroes needed.
Seren continued, "Anyway, the room was full of creepy dolls and occult artifacts. There were strange patterns and symbols on the walls, like someone had abandoned the place months ago."
"Patterns and symbols?"
"I took notes."
True to form, she was thorough. I took the note from Seren and unfolded it. I didn't recognize the patterns or the characters. This doesn't look like the cipher I saw in the Jewel Mountains.
I showed it to Evan, but he gave me his usual sheepish smile. I couldn't tell whether he genuinely didn't know or was just playing dumb in front of Seren. I'd ask him later when we were alone.
"So where did Princess Perist stay in the middle of the night?" I asked.
"Yesterday was a day without classes, so I shadowed her from morning," Seren replied.
"And?"
"I lost her along the way."
At this point, I couldn't help narrowing my eyes slightly. I had said it before that Seren's skills were beyond what you'd expect from a hero disciple. If such a person lost her target, it wouldn't be due to her own carelessness or mistake.
"I went to the research building near dusk. The moment I stepped into Building 12, she vanished like smoke."
"And then?"
"I searched the building thoroughly, but only professors were there. The darker it got, the more uneasy I felt. I had to turn back halfway through. I never saw her that day. The next morning, Princess Perist showed up for class as usual," she answered.
"So, Princess Perist isn't a puppet?"
"Yes, I confirmed she's breathing."
"Then I think it's almost certain. Princess Perist is a member of the church," I concluded and then summarized what happened with Glenn earlier that morning.
Seren listened carefully and nodded in agreement. "Prince Glenn's movements were suspicious. So he's been gathering his own faction within the academy. Doesn't seem related to our issue, though."
After a pause, I held up the note. "Can I keep this?"
"Found something?"
"Maybe."
Seren nodded calmly. "Fine."
***
Seren returned to her dormitory. Now, it was just me and Evan in the hideout. We had stayed behind because there was something I needed to discuss with him.
Evan said he was hungry and headed to the kitchen but didn't come back right away.
"What are you doing?" I called out.
A moment later, Evan emerged with a grin, holding something in his hands. "Luan! Look at this!"
"That—"
"They're cookies," he said. "I found them tucked away in the corner of the kitchen."
I was rendered speechless.
"See the label? I think it's De Marlin Refreshments. I heard you have to book at least a month in advance to buy anything from them," he explained.
I considered telling him to put them back but decided against it. Cookies or not, I'd paid 100 gold coins to rent the bar. I wasn't about to pick a fight with him over a few of the owner's snacks, so we sat together and ate.
"They're amazing," Evan said, eyes wide.
"Yeah."
Come to think of it, how long has it been since I had a treat like this? I grabbed a few of the sweet, crispy cookies, then pulled out the note Seren had given me and handed it to Evan. "Have you seen this before?"
"Of course," he said with a nod. "It's demon language. I think those markings are a black magic circle."
"Can you interpret it?"
"Nope."
"You're a Young Dark Pope, but you can't even read this?"
Evan smiled, unfazed by my criticism. "Do you know how many demon languages exist? Even the priests who deal with evil scriptures can't translate them. They just memorize and recite what they're taught. The only one who's fully mastered the language is the Dark Pope. Still, this does seem closely tied to a magic circle. If I can decode the pattern, I might get a sense of what it's for."
He added with a shrug, "I'm not that skilled in black magic."
His words made me pause. Black magic...
"Got an idea?" Evan asked.
"Maybe." I nodded, then snatched the half-eaten cookie bag from him. "Stop eating."
"J-just one more..." he pleaded.
I gave him a look of mock pity when I caught the regret in his eyes. "No. The owner might cry, you bastard."
Figuring he'd just steal the bag again if I hid it in the bar, I decided to keep it on me for now. I'd hide it somewhere he couldn't find later.
Before we called it a night, I told Evan to stay in the hideout. We'd agreed to go together to Research Building 12 and Room 104 at dawn. Even after poring over the patterns and characters on the note, seeing the room with our own eyes could possibly reveal something Seren had missed.
The bar wasn't an inn, but the kitchen had a small resting area with a cot. It wasn't spacious, but it could hold two people. I didn't plan to sleep right away. I sat for a while, gathering my thoughts, then got up once I was sure Evan had fallen asleep.
Next, I made my way to the food warehouse. In any establishment that handled ingredients, that was usually the most critical area. If my hunch was right, this one would have what I needed: a keyhole in the door.
"As expected." I smiled and took a distinctively ornate key from my pocket. This wasn't the key the owner had given me—it was something else entirely.
The key slipped into the lock as smoothly as if I were unlocking my own front door. A faint squeak echoed, and the door swung open. What lay beyond wasn't the warehouse interior. Instead, I found myself staring into a void so dark I couldn't see a single step ahead.
It looked like a lump of black mud or the surface of a night sea. A strange discomfort settled in my chest, but I stepped forward without hesitation. Almost instantly, a sensation unlike anything I'd felt before washed over me. It was as if invisible energy wrapped around my entire body.
When I came to my senses, I found myself in a room where an ankle-deep puddle covered the ground, and books floated across the surface without getting wet. At the center stood a mountain of books, and perched at the top was a child.
The librarian of the Badnikers' underground library, Lise Ladygoth Ol Haimud, gazed down at me. Perhaps because it had been some time since our last meeting, I felt a sudden pressure and blurted, "Hello. It's been a while."
Lise glanced back at her book. I expected to be ignored, but her voice came, low and grumpy. "What do you mean, it's been a while? I saw you just recently."
"I think it's been half a month," I said.
"That's barely a moment," she muttered, sounding irritable.
I looked around. The soft lighting in the underground chamber made it nearly impossible to sense the passage of time. It was the kind of place where hours slipped by unnoticed. And Lise, despite her youthful appearance, was an ancient being who had lived for centuries, perhaps longer. For someone like her, a month probably felt like the blink of an eye.
Suddenly, I wondered if she was truly content with her current condition. Her attitude hinted at resignation, as if she had surrendered and settled.
"Kuset's descendant, do you seek an audience with me for a reason?"
This wasn't the time to get lost in speculation. I pulled myself together and answered, "I came to consult you."
"Consult me?" she echoed.
"It's about magic."
"What kind of magic?"
"You mentioned before that you're well-versed in curses, demonic contracts, and necromancy."
Lise nodded without emotion. "Yes."
"I wanted to ask if you know anything about black magic and the demon language," I said.
She closed her book and looked at me. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, just barely visible beneath her hair.
"A descendant of the Badnikers, asking about black magic and the demon language..." Her voice carried a hint of interest. "How interesting. Tell me."
I took out the note without delay. "Here it is."
Lise did not move or reach for it, Instead, a strand of her long hair stretched out and transformed into a black snake, which slithered over and took the note gently in its mouth. The paper landed in Lise's hand, and her mesmerizing violet eyes swept over the contents with ease.
A pleased hum escaped her.
Now openly smiling, she said in her low, dreary voice, "This concerns the seventeenth demon language, Hadenaihar's black magic, the formation of the Otherworld, and the establishment of its laws. Fascinating..."
Had she grasped it all in one glance? I felt a flicker of admiration. Though she looked like a child, Lise was still a monster that rivalled the might of a Seven-Colored Archmage.
"I see. You wish to understand the meaning of this demon language and the purpose behind the black magic," she said.
"Exactly. Is it possible?"
"It isn't difficult but..." I had an ominous feeling as Lise smiled. "The counsel of a skilled mage is worth more than 1,000 gold coins. Young Badniker, surely you didn't think you could get Lise Ladygoth Ol Haimud's wisdom for free, right?"
"Can't you help your poor assistant just this once?" I tried to appeal to the bond we'd built, hoping for a trace of compassion.
Lise only snorted and laughed. "I'm sorry, but I am a mage. When it comes to deals, I treat family and enemies the same."
"I see." I had anticipated this, so I pulled out an item. "How about this?"
Lise eyed the item I pulled out and smiled. "The mask of the Linchals? Looks like it's inscribed with transformation magic. Rare, but useless to me."
"Then what about this?"
"Spirit Jade. If it were flawless, I could use it as a material, but you've already drained most of its power. I have no use for it."
"How about this then?"
"A serpent-scale belt. Could double as a whip, I suppose. Still..."
"Or if you want money—"
"You have it already, don't you?" she cut in with a wicked grin. "Something far more valuable than a worn-out mask, excrement left behind by spirits, or a belt made from an animal carcass."
I nearly groaned as Lise leaned in and whispered, "Did you think you could hide it from me, Young Badniker?"
A soft hiss reached my ears. A snake, woven from strands of Lise's hair, slithered through the water and started to coil up my leg.
"The underground library is my domain. From the moment you stepped inside, I knew everything you possess," she claimed.
Shit. She'd known all along. She was aware I had Archmage Alderson's greatest treasure—Amon's Scissors, a sacred relic and by far the most precious thing I possessed.
Goosebumps spread across my skin as the snake coiled higher. It felt too real. Its scales were cold and slick, just like those of a living serpent. Was this really made of her hair?
I suddenly recalled Assad's warning about Lise. "It's not that hard, but you'll have to risk your life. In a way, she's more dangerous than a priest."
I had managed to become her assistant, but that did not mean I should treat her as an ally. I paused for a moment, weighing the cost, but I had no real choice. Amon's Scissors were one of the world's rarest treasures, yet they were not worth ignoring the disaster that would follow if the demon king descended.
Just as I reached for them, the tiny snake slithered into my pocket. A moment later, Lise plucked the item out with a grim laugh.
To my surprise, it was the leftover cookie bag!