There Is No Place For Fakes [EN]: Chapter 94

It was quite a while before Philomell put the diary back in her bag.

“Let’s take the diary back for now. Talk to Lexion or Jeremiah about it, too.”

“Kadin isn’t helpful, though.”

“…No, that’s not exactly what I meant.”

Le Guin pointed to the men still lying on the floor.

“What should we do with these guys? Just leave them here?”

Philomell looked around.

The place was a mess, with the men and their belongings all tangled together.

“I wish there was a way to make sure these people never steal from Ellensia’s house again.”

Le Guin gave a sinister smile.

“Trust me. It’s a good opportunity to test out the new mental magic I’ve been developing.”

Philomell decided not to ask about the details of that magic.

Now that the people were dealt with, the problem was the belongings.

Household items that reflected the years of Katrin and Ellensia were scattered haphazardly everywhere. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to just leave them there.

When Philomell suggested putting the items back in the house, Le Guin said, “You’re too kind,” but helped anyway.

As they walked through the forest, the two soon found a village.

Shortly after, they entered Ellensia and Katrin’s house.

Philomell picked up items that seemed to belong to Ellensia and headed to the second floor. Le Guin took charge of the first floor.

But there was already a visitor in Ellensia’s room.

“D-Don’t move! You think you can mess with us in this village and get away with it!”

It was one of the guys who had escaped earlier. He held out a small knife with a trembling hand.

“I knew you’d come here. You’re after Ellensia’s things, aren’t you?”

He seemed to think Philomell and Le Guin were the same kind of thieves as them.

‘This is really annoying. He should have just run when I let him.’

She put the items she was holding on the floor and said,

“You’d better stop. It’s dangerous to have something like that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! The guy who was using some kind of weird magic was with you!”

“So, you’re not scared of me because I’m nothing?”

“Y-Yeah!”

The man seemed flustered by Philomell’s calm demeanor.

Up close, he looked younger than she thought. More like a boy who had just become a young man than a man.

Philomell gave one last warning.

“You’d better put the knife down.”

“D-Don’t act tough like you’re scared of getting hurt! Even if you scream, I’ll kill you before that guy comes!”

Hah, she chuckled.

“You’re the one who’s scared. A coward who doesn’t even have the guts to take on someone stronger than you.”

“Eeeeeek… !”

Even though he was holding the knife, the man rushed at her as if he was being pushed.

Pababababat!

At that moment, the air around Philomell rippled, and intense sparks flew.

“Keuheok!”

The man’s body bounced off and crashed into the wall. His convulsing body soon became still, as if he had lost consciousness.

It was the automatic defense magic that Le Guin had cast on her before. The magic boasted the same power as when it was last tested.

That was why Philomell could stand in front of the knife-wielding man without even blinking.

Looking down at the man, she muttered.

“I told you it was dangerous. For you, not me.”

* * *

“Hmm, so this guy tried to take your life?”

Le Guin’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he looked at the man.

The man, who had barely regained consciousness a moment ago, trembled and then collapsed forward.

“I’ll do anything! Please, just spare my life!”

Le Guin asked Philomell.

“He says he’ll do anything. Is there anything you want him to do?”

“No.”

“Then without hesitation.”

Light poured from the tip of Le Guin’s finger.

“Ah, wait a minute. I have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I want to ask about Ellensia. This person lived in the same neighborhood. He might know something.”

Le Guin gestured to the man.

“Did you hear that? If you don’t give us any useful information, you’re…”

“I’ll tell you everything I know! You need information about the princess that isn’t well known, right? I’m about the same age as her, so I was practically like an older brother to her.”

That sounds like a lie.

But since we’ve come this far, I decided to listen.

The man quickly continued.

“The princess’s hobby was climbing mountains and observing wild animals. What she liked was delicious food, especially high-end desserts that aren’t available in this rural village. And also…”

Philomell said to Le Guin.

“There’s nothing special. Do whatever you want.”

“Aaaagh! There’s more! There is! I know a place where the princess often went in secret!”

That was a bit tempting.

“Where is it?”

“If you go down that way a little, there’s a pond, and next to it, there’s a Shooting Star Rock. I’ve seen the princess sitting on the Shooting Star Rock, deep in thought, several times!”

“How far is it?”

“It’s about five minutes away.”

At that distance, we can go and come back quickly. Philomell started walking in the direction the man pointed.

“I’ll take a light stroll.”

Le Guin, who was holding the man by the collar, asked.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”

“I’m not a child. Besides, you cast magic on me, right?”

Not only that, but if the automatic magic cast on Philomell was activated, he would know right away.

“Okay. Be careful.”

He happily waved his hand, as there was something he wanted to take care of while Philomell was gone.

As Philomell went a little further in the direction the man pointed, a small pond appeared in front of her.

It was a charming pond with clear water.

And next to it…

“It looks like a star, so it’s called Shooting Star Rock. I thought a real shooting star had fallen.”

Surprisingly, the rock was in the shape of a five-pointed star.

“Oof.”

Philomell sat on the rock, just like Ellensia had done.

“Did I come for nothing? There’s nothing here except for the unusual shape of the rock.”

The surface of the rock was smooth, as if someone had deliberately carved it.

Feeling a little tired, Philomell lay down on the star-shaped rock.

‘Ellensia, what on earth were you thinking while sitting here?’

Who are you, really? A cool breeze blew from somewhere. Her eyelids grew heavy on their own.

And at that moment.

Tiriring. A cheerful melody that she had never heard before rang out from somewhere.

“… !”

Philomell’s vision blurred as she startled and tried to get up. The world was all pink.

But the change was only temporary.

“Huh?”

Her vision quickly returned to normal.

“What was that? What just happened…?”

Philomell stayed still in that spot for a long time, but nothing like what had happened before occurred.

‘Am I just tired?’

Come to think of it, she had used a lot of energy climbing the endless stairs of the East Tower this morning.

After much deliberation, Philomell concluded that she must have dozed off and had a dream.

“Still, I should remember it.”

After muttering that, Philomell got off the rock and headed towards Ellensia’s house.

* * *

Several days had already passed since she had visited Ellensia’s hometown.

In the meantime, Ellensia’s unexpected birthday party was held, but Philomell ignored the invitation that came to her.

There would be plenty of other opportunities to closely observe Ellensia’s actions.

‘There’s no need to go to a tiring party.’

The problem that Philomell was completely preoccupied with was something else. It was Ellensia’s diary, without a doubt.

Her round forehead furrowed as she stared at the diary.

“Ugh…”

Simply staring at it wouldn’t make the meaningless characters decipherable.

“Haa…”

She pushed the diary aside and sighed.

The identity of the mysterious characters in Ellensia’s diary was still veiled in mystery.

Lexion had also shaken his head, saying he didn’t know the characters when he saw them. Jeremiah was the same, and Kadin, well…

The cat that always guarded the room had not been seen recently either.

“I’ll search the magic tower’s library.”

Le Guin had left this place the day before yesterday, leaving only these words. Lexion also said he would do everything he could to find out. Philomell couldn’t just sit still while they were working so hard for her.

“The possibility is extremely low, but I have to try.”

She said resolutely and left the Namgung Palace.

Her destination was the Imperial Palace.

She intended to ask the Emperor to allow her to enter the Emperor’s private library.

The Emperor’s private library was where the records that had been passed down since the beginning of the Velerop Empire were kept.

From the contents of the secret oracle to the secrets of the empire’s founding, all sorts of national secrets, only permitted to the Emperor, were there.

‘Even if I think positively, there’s no way he’ll let me in.’

But there was no other way.

Among the records permitted to Philomell, she had already read all those that might be related to the mysterious language.

Philomell entered the Emperor’s office with the determination to try even if it meant being shattered.

But…

“Do so.”

The Emperor answered coolly. It was a moment that made Philomell’s resolute determination pale.

“Are you sure I can really go into His Majesty’s private library?”

“Yes.”

“Really, really?”

“Really, really.”

It was such an unreserved permission that I couldn’t help but ask.

“No, is it okay to just let anyone in like that…?”

“You are not just anyone.”

Philomell was happy but also slightly empty. If she had known this would happen, she would have come sooner.

In any case, she was grateful.

“Thank you! I’ll just look at the necessary materials and come out quickly!”

“You can stay as long as you want. I’ll tell the manager in advance.”

“Oh, I can’t possibly peek at national secrets as an outsider.”

“National secrets aren’t that special anyway… Come to think of it, there is one book you shouldn’t touch.”

‘A book I shouldn’t touch?’

Philomell tilted her head.