Carol turned her head, wandering between the rows. She stopped in front of shelf after shelf, searching for anything useful among the decaying spines. Meanwhile, Sarah walked back to where she had been sitting. She picked up her novel from the table and gently brushed the cover, her expression softening with a hint of sympathy.
"Uhm, Sarah? Do you know where the history books are kept?" Carol asked, her voice booming across the silent library.
At Carol's request, Sarah closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, her expression had returned to its usual flat, unreadable state. She tucked her novel into a small pouch at her waist and responded to the call. "I think I know where that book is!" Sarah shouted back.
Saria was the last to enter the library. She looked around at the dusty, neglected archives, her gaze eventually falling to the floor. "It’s been that long, huh? I wonder when I stopped coming here..." she mumbled to herself, a small, sad grin touching her face.
Noticing Saria had finally joined them, Carol called out. "Hey, Saria! What took you so long?"
"O-oh... I was just... taking a moment to breathe. It’s been a long time since I walked into this place," Saria stated, chuckling as she brushed the back of her head in embarrassment.
From a distance, Sarah watched Saria with a hardened expression. She snorted in disappointment before turning her focus elsewhere to continue the search for Carol.
When Sarah moved downstairs into another section of the library, she waded through the shelves, continuing her search. She stopped, her eyes analyzing the titles across the rows, until she caught a glimpse of the word 'History' on a weathered spine. She pulled it out and gazed upon the book's true title.
"History book..." Sarah mumbled to herself. Her mind drifted elsewhere as she gripped the book tightly, a sign of the frustration lingering within her.
"Are you sure you want to wait any longer, Executioner?" a voice echoed within Sarah's mind. A dark, small bird flew above her before landing, its claws gripping her left shoulder. "As much as you miss your 'old friend' here, you cannot afford to delay your purpose. We don't have much time left."
"I know," Sarah replied in a flat tone, closing her eyes before opening them with a cold gaze. "But we have to be careful. One wrong move and our existence might be erased by that damn tree."
"I suppose so," the voice inside her mind said. "Though, it still surprises me. The Underworld’s Child isn't as monstrous as I thought she would be."
"You could even say that this 'Carol' is different from our 'Carol'," Sarah stated, opening the book and flipping through the pages to analyze the content. "More calm, reasonable, and mature than mindless, abomination of tragedy."
Hearing Sarah's statement, the voice fell into a thoughtful silence before speaking once more as a reminder. "...Regardless, don't forget why we came here, Executioner. All of this is happening because of your wish."
With that, the bird on her shoulder dissolved into thin air. Sarah let out a deep, hollow sigh afterwards. "Wish, my foot. Those words really get on my nerves sometimes," she said, closing the book as she turned to walk back upstairs to meet Carol and Saria.
Noticing Sarah holding the book in her left hand, Carol called out. "Is that what I think it is?"
Sarah responded with a slight nod. She walked toward the worn table she had used previously. Carol and Saria followed, stopping once they were gathered around the desk.
"Here," Sarah said, handing the book to Carol, who opened it and began flipping through the pages in confusion.
"This is weird," Carol noted, closing the book after flipping through every page and setting it back on the table. "Why are there no words in it?"
"N-no words..?" Saria said nervously, reaching a hand toward the book. "But... how? There’s no way the content could just be removed like that..! It must be a trick or something..!"
At that moment, the book began to glow with a brilliant light, as if reacting to Saria’s proximity.
"Well, I guess Saria was right," Sarah interrupted. Her gaze shifted to the book, along with Carol and Saria, who focused their attention as well.
Carol’s expression hardened. She grabbed the book once more and opened it to find a surprise; the pages were now filled with the content she had been searching for—a detailed history of everything related to the Child of Light.
"Seems like this book reacts to your Holy Magic, Saria. Or should I say... the Child of Light?" Carol teased for her own amusement, gently bumping her elbow against Saria’s arm.
Saria’s face turned as red as a cherry from embarrassment, while Sarah simply snorted in pure disgust.
"Anyway, let’s just read, shall we?" Carol refocused on the book, while Sarah and Saria leaned in to look as well.
In their perspective, the text read as follows:
"The Child of Light. An embodiment of radiance that shines for humanity. The one who called themselves the first ever Margias, yet never used the title to boast. For they were regarded by their true title: the 'Sheep for our Lord'."
(That phrase again. But why does this book say the Child of Light is the sheep, and not the children the armored guy mentioned yesterday?) Carol thought, confused. Despite her doubts, she decided to continue reading where she had left off:
"As a sheep, the Child of Light is an offering to God—an individual chosen by the Divine to endure the world's ugliness with their own blood. Hence, Holy Magic is bestowed only upon those with a soul of high purity, capable of balancing the weight of the entire world."
"Purity of soul, huh..." Saria mumbled to herself. Sarah’s expression hardened with a silent, simmering fury. Yet, they continued to read, despite how much the words hurt:
"However, for such a chosen one who is supposed to be a hero, this destiny translates to endless torment. So long as the 'Hero' lives, they shall fight until their last breath. If the Leviathan can revive endlessly from one person to the next, then so too shall the Child of Light."
With that, Carol closed the book and let out a light sigh. "Let’s just stop here. That kind of information is helpful, yet not at the same time." She turned her head toward Sarah. "Hey, you don't mind if I tak—"
Sarah suddenly covered Carol’s mouth, startling her.
"W-what are yo—" Before Saria could finish her question, Sarah hissed, placing a finger over her own lips in a gesture for silence.
Outside, numerous armored figures, just like the ones Saria and Carol had encountered the day before, were patrolling the area around the library. It was a clear sign that they, too, were searching for something.
"They found us," Sarah whispered, her expression hardening.
Carol moved Sarah’s hand away from her mouth, speaking in a low, quiet tone. "More like someone has been watching us from the start. Whoever is behind this must have a lot of authority in this territory."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
"A lot of authority... I knew it," Saria mumbled to herself, clenching her hands in frustration. "We have to go back. That person is no joke..!"
"What do you me—"
Before Carol could finish, a massive explosion tore through the library. Thick smoke blinded Carol, Saria, and Sarah as the blast incinerated the cobwebs and sent shelves trembling, dumping countless books onto the floor.
"Here you are, Child of Light," a female voice said calmly. A silhouette slowly materialized as she stepped through the smoke.
"That voice..." Saria opened her eyes as a flicker of light cut through the haze. With a sharp flick of her hand, the silhouette commanded the light to banish the smoke completely.
As the air cleared, Carol and Sarah saw a girl with long, light-blue hair in nun’s attire. However, her vestments were far more majestic than any they had seen before, featuring a prominent yellow cross across her cloak. Behind her, dozens of armored figures flooded the library, surrounding the trio with no intention of letting them retreat.
"Saria," Carol said, slowly pulling out her wand. "Is she an ally or a foe?"
"I..." Saria gazed into the nun’s cold, yellow eyes. The woman gave her a flat, chilling look that made Saria recoil in fear. But it wasn't enough to make her break. Clenching her fists, Saria found her resolve. She pulled out her wand and morphed it into her signature bow, aiming a glowing arrow directly at the nun.
Sarah watched Saria’s sudden defiance with surprise.
"Heh, that’s more than enough of an answer for me," Carol said, her signature smile returning.
"I see. So that is the path you've chosen," the nun said. Several glowing yellow keys began to float around her, and a tome hovered open before her chest. "But it’s alright. It’s not too late to repent, Child of Light. Simply come to the Royal Church with me, and your treason shall be forgiven."
"No... I don't want to be forgiven. This is my choice, and I won't let you take it away from me," Saria countered, her grip tightening on her bow.
"But you cannot simply neglect your duty." The nun looked at Saria with pure contempt. "After all... you are the reason your life went downhill in the first place."
The words struck like a physical blow. Saria’s eyes widened in horror. In her mind’s eye, a scene of a burning room reappeared, her parents arguing in bitter hatred. Her bow began to fracture, her Vergus spell flickering as her emotions spiraled. Seizing the opening, the nun’s keys surged forward to strike the defenseless Saria.
"Oh no, you don't!" Carol lunged forward, her wand morphing into her violet sword. She intercepted the keys with the flat of her blade, the metallic clang echoing through the ruins of the library.
Saria looked at Carol, her fear replaced by shock. "Why..?"
"Instead of asking that, how about we beat this stupid nun and get out of here!" Carol demanded, struggling against the pressure of the magical keys.
Saria didn't hesitate for long. She tightened her grip on her bow, forcing herself back into the fight.
Seeing Saria’s renewed resolve, the nun clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Guards! Attack and retrieve the Child of Light! We cannot let these outsiders influence her any longer!"
The armored figures charged as a response.
"Heh, I never thought a nun would act like a battlefield commander," Carol said, channeling grey, swirling wind energy into her blade. "You know... being a fake nun is also a sin!" She swung heavily, a gale-force wind sending the keys flying back at their owner. The nun quickly manifested a barrier, deactivating the keys as they clattered to the floor.
Annoyance flashed across the nun’s face. She dropped the barrier and summoned a volley of yellow chains. They moved with blinding speed, but Carol stood her ground. As the chains struck, a cloud of dust erupted, but the nun realized Carol was no longer there. Carol reappeared instantly in front of her, swinging her enhanced sword. The nun barely managed to conjure a shield in time, the impact slamming her back into the library's stone structure.
Meanwhile, Saria fired arrows at the encroaching guards, but one managed to slip past her guard. As he leaped at her, Sarah rushed in. She morphed her wand into a lethal scythe mid-leap, slashing through the guard with a swift attack. Blood spattered across her cheek, but her expression remained flat and cold as she landed.
"Still with us?" Sarah asked casually as Saria panted heavily.
Saria pressed her lips together and gave a firm nod.
In response, Sarah acknowledged the answer with a grunt.
(This damn girl! How is she so fast?!) the nun thought, gritting her teeth. She extended her palm, commanding her chains to surround Carol. It was useless. Carol parried them with a blurred series of strikes and charged forward. Desperate, the nun tried to morph her book into a clock-like sword, but she wasn't fast enough. Carol batted the book aside and kicked the nun squarely in the stomach, sending her flying into the wall. The nun coughed up blood as the dust settled.
Thinking she had the upper hand, Carol walked toward her, only for the chains to suddenly lash out and bind her arms and legs. The nun smiled widely, savoring her apparent victory.
Carol simply looked at her with pure disappointment. She closed her eyes and reopened them, her pupils turning into hollow red voids. Dark Ender surged from her body, causing the holy chains to rust and shatter instantly.
She extended a palm toward the nun, launching a volley of dark spikes. An explosion of shadow and smoke enveloped the nun, blinding her.
"Sarah! Saria!" Carol shouted. "Let's go! There's no point in fighting any longer!"
Sarah morphed her scythe back into a wand, ran and snatched the history book from the table. A remaining guard tried to intercept her, but Sarah met them with a gaze of absolute contempt. Massive spikes of grey light erupted from the floor, paralyzing the guards in their tracks.
Saria, reverting her bow to a wand, watched in shock.
"Don't be surprised. Those spikes won't kill them," Sarah said, walking past her.
Decided to let it be, Saria shook her head and followed. At the same time, Carol blinked, her eyes returning to normal as she suppressed her Ender. "Did you get the book?"
Sarah nodded and handed it over. Carol took it with a relieved smile.
With Saria at their side, the three of them retreated into the night as fast as they could, moving before reinforcements could arrive.
As Carol and Saria caught their breath, Sarah sighed and turned toward a different path. "Seems like this is where we part ways."
"What... do you mean by that..?" Carol asked, still struggling to find her breath.
"I have some unfinished business to do here," Sarah stated. "Don't worry. I just have a feeling we're going to meet again."
"But... I want to bring you... back to our place..." Saria responded. "You don't have anywhere to sleep, do you..?"
Hearing Saria’s offer, Sarah fell into deep thought, only to snort in amusement. "I... don't think they would like to see me."
Saria fell into silence, unable to find the words she wanted to say.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Sarah said, walking away. Her figure slowly began to fade from their sight. "Good luck uncovering the mysteries here, Saria, Carol." Her voice echoed through the windy evening as she disappeared completely.
As night fell, the nun walked slowly and painfully through the corridors of the Royal Church. She was badly injured and panted heavily, trying to endure the pain Carol’s attack had inflicted upon her. When she reached the massive gates of the inner sanctum, she knocked; the doors groaned open in response. Before her, Pope Zen was holding a quiet meeting with several subjects of the Church.
Noticing The Nun’s battered state, Pope Zen clapped his hands a few times—a signal to end the meeting. His subjects stood and left the room immediately, without so much as a glance toward the injured nun.
"How did your expedition go, Rizia? Did you manage to retrieve that book?" Pope Zen asked. He walked toward her and knelt down.
"N-no... I'm afraid I couldn't retrieve it, Pope Zen..." Rizia groaned in pain.
Seeing her condition, Pope Zen decided to use his Light Magic. He began to slowly knit her wounds back together.
"Can you speak properly now?" Pope Zen asked. His voice was so full of tranquility that Rizia finally managed to calm herself.
"I believe so, Pope Zen..."
"Good. Now answer me. Did you manage to retrieve the history book?"
Rizia shook her head, feeling the weight of her incompetence. "The outsiders managed to take it. Not only that, it seems the Child of Light is actively working with them," she answered briefly.
"Is that so?"
Rizia looked directly into the Pope’s eyes and asked, "What should we do, Pope Zen? What if they find out what we've been doing in the shadows?"
"Let them be. As long as you are alive, that is more than enough for me," Pope Zen said, offering a hand to help Rizia up.
"Pope Zen..." Rizia took his hand and stood, her eyes glittering with a new hope.
"In fact, I have a much better role for you to play. Can you do it?"
"Of course, Pope Zen!"
He drew a smile of relief, yet it was wider and sharper than before. "Good. Get some sleep and prepare for tomorrow. For your role from here on will be most special... even more so than the Child of Light."