By Zephyria Librarians repeatedly appeared and disappeared between the bookshelves that soared to the ceiling. A pungent smell of disinfectant wafted through the scent of old books. And a subtle smell of blood. Had they taken in patients? The scenery seen in the Fragment of the Destroyed world overlapped. Collapsed bookshelves, books pouring out, Hunters sitting on the books with exhausted faces. The library that had become the last bastion.
Clack, the librarian placed a cup of steaming coffee and a neatly arranged plate of cookies on the table. Eui-jae bowed his head in greeting. Though he wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway since he couldn’t take off his mask.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. The Guild Master asked if you could wait a little longer, is that alright?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Can I read a book while I wait?”
“Of course. Is there a particular book you’re looking for? I can help you find it, but…”
“Ah, I don’t have anything in mind. I’ll just look around.”
“Understood.”
The librarian bowed politely and disappeared into the bookshelves. Eui-jae stood up without touching the coffee. He walked through the gaps in the bookshelves, looking at the books that were densely packed to the ceiling. Had Nam Woo-jin read all the books here? Eui-jae picked out a book at random without even looking at the title and opened it. Perhaps because it was so old, the cover and pages were rough and rustling, and the inside was filled with unreadable letters. It was a script he had never seen in his life.
“…….”
Eui-jae narrowed his eyes and turned the page. He really didn’t understand anything. As he flipped through the pages, something like an illustration caught his eye. It was a drawing depicting a pattern with delicate lines, but somehow it looked familiar. He traced the pattern with his finger. Complexly intertwined lines and dots. Eui-jae frowned.
‘Why does it look familiar?’
“You’re the first guest to find that book. Do you recognize it?”
A clear voice asked. Eui-jae glanced down. A boy in a white coat was looking up at him silently. His two hands were clasped politely. His clear, green eyes, like glass beads, reflected Eui-jae as he was. The owner of the library, Nam Woo-jin’s Marionette.
“That book was found in a Dungeon. No one has recognized the letters. It was a language of our world, but whether it was distorted by the magic of the Dungeon, or whether it was a language of another world, we do not know. For safety, the Seowon Guild is keeping it.”
“This illustration?”
“Don’t you already know?”
“…….”
“The Artisan, Hong Ye-seong Hunter’s Emotional Eye pattern. We do not know why the Emotional Eye illustration is in that book, however.”
Ah. Only then did Eui-jae examine the illustration again. Perhaps because he only ever saw the Emotional Eye spinning around, he didn’t recognize the stopped pattern at once. Eui-jae asked the boy.
“But how do you know?”
“I understand the contents of all the books in the library and record their locations. So that I can bring them immediately when Master looks for them.”
The boy replied as if it were obvious. Eui-jae looked through the book a little more, but there was nothing familiar other than the Emotional Eye pattern. He pointed to the book.
“You couldn’t decipher it either?”
“My knowledge is based on the knowledge of Master, Nam Woo-jin Hunter. I cannot know what Master does not know.”
Not omnipotent, huh. Eui-jae put the book back on the bookshelf. The boy watched his every move and then lowered his head.
“Master told me to listen to your business, and if it is a problem that I can solve, to solve it for you. For reference, Master is unable to leave his post immediately due to urgent business.”
“How urgent could it be?”
“He has obtained valuable data and is studying it. He probably won’t be out for a while.”
Eui-jae stared at the Marionette’s face. The boy was waiting for his answer with clear eyes. Could he trust him? No, it might be a good thing. The boy wouldn’t pry like his Master. Eui-jae took out a crumpled memo from his pocket and handed it over.
“I came here today with two things to discuss. The first is… I heard that some people I know are working at the Seowon Guild. I want to meet them.”
“Are these the people written here?”
“Yeah.”
The green eyes quickly scanned the letters on the memo. Soon, the boy nodded.
“Yes, they are members of the Seowon Guild. I will call them if you wish. What is the second matter?”
“Where is Lee Sa-young?”
“…….”
The boy looked at him with an unreadable expression. Eui-jae stood crookedly.
“Nam Woo-jin Hunter is Lee Sa-young’s doctor, right? He must have stopped by here.”
The silent boy opened his mouth.
“Lee Sa-young Hunter visited the Seowon Guild yesterday. Together with Very Small Miracle Mingi Seo Hunter.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. He came to get a prescription for sleeping pills because he hadn’t been able to sleep properly for almost a week. He slept for about 20 minutes after taking the sleeping pills, and after waking up, he handed Master a tablet containing valuable data, saying…”
“Handed over?”
“He threatened Master to keep his mouth shut if someone came looking for him, curious about him. Master agreed because of the information on the tablet.”
But why are you telling me? Even though his expression couldn’t be seen, the gesture seemed to convey the question. A faint smile appeared on the Marionette’s expressionless face. He bowed politely.
“He only threatened Master, not me. In fact, Master ordered me to judge for myself and tell you if a curious guest came.”
“…….”
“Lee Sa-young Hunter said he was going to Incheon. He received two weeks’ worth of medicine, saying he would be away for a while. I have not heard anything more than that.”
“Incheon….”
What is in Incheon. Incheon International Airport and the West Sea Rift are there. Why, is he planning to run away overseas to avoid me? Or did he go to see the West Sea Rift again? Maybe to the Dungeon? No, what’s with not being able to sleep for a week? Did that bastard have a nightmare or something? Could it be because of Ga-young? Countless thoughts tangled together. Eui-jae rubbed the back of his neck irritably and asked.
“You haven’t heard anything more than that?”
“No, that’s all. Shall I call the people you came to meet now?”
“…….”
Eui-jae examined the boy’s face. The faint smile had disappeared without a trace, and no information could be read from his clear eyes. He nodded silently. The boy replied.
“The librarian will guide you to the reception room. Please follow him.”
After speaking, the boy disappeared between the bookshelves with quick steps. Soon after, the librarian who had given Eui-jae coffee and cookies appeared and bowed. Eui-jae followed him. He led him to a small, cozy reception room. A two-person sofa and a low table facing each other, and a vase in the center of the table. The flowers in the vase were fresh. The librarian brought new coffee and refreshments. Eui-jae didn’t touch the refreshments this time either, and sat on the sofa, crossing his legs.
When he closed his eyes, he remembered the voice of Mackerel fluttering the memo.
‘Actually, it wasn’t hard to find~ He didn’t really hide it, you know? He wrote it in big letters. Well, I guess it’s understandable since his work record is all part of his career.’
‘There are several teams in the Seowon Guild, but it seems he’s in the medical team. The Guild Master’s direct team.’
Not long after, the door to the reception room opened. An unfamiliar face, much older than he remembered, appeared. The middle-aged man looked around and gasped when he saw Eui-jae. He muttered in disbelief.
“J… J?”
“It’s been a while. Almost… 10 years?”
Eui-jae slowly read the name embroidered on the chest of the white coat.
“Jang… Min-jun.”
“…Oh, it’s been a while. I heard the news that you were back, but…”
Min-jun had an expression that was half welcome, half anxious. Eui-jae pretended not to notice and pointed to the sofa opposite him. He sat down with his legs together. He kept rubbing his palms on his knees. Eui-jae leaned back on the sofa and opened his mouth.
“You know someone named Ga-young, right.”
“…….”
“I want to know about her.”
Min-jun’s expression hardened. J added, putting his arm on the back of the sofa.
“Since you work at the Seowon Guild, you probably know about Prometheus too, right? I already know she’s affiliated with that organization.”
“…….”
“I won’t ask about things like her resume because it’s probably been fabricated. You worked on the same team, right? Tell me about Ga-young as you saw her.”
Min-jun bit his trembling lips and didn’t open his mouth. Ha, Eui-jae sighed and took his back off the back of the sofa. And he stared at Min-jun’s face silently. Jung-bin would forgive this much of a lie. …Probably.
“I’m here as an agent of the Awakened Management Bureau. That means I’m here on official business. So tell me.”
“…Why, why are you curious?”
“Why am I curious?”
Eui-jae replied nonchalantly.
“I want to know the source of the evil.”
“…….”
“So tell me quickly.”
Min-jun nervously clasped his hands together, repeatedly folding and unfolding his fingers. Soon, he muttered in a cracked voice.
“I think… she said her younger sibling died.”