LP 2.5 The Lizard with a Tied Tail

“But the archive in the first tower of the East Wing is different. It originally contained the Queen’s personal collection, so it’s slightly off the radar. Fewer eyes on it, you could say.”

It was still a story Kosha couldn’t make heads or tails of, but this time he quietly nodded along.

“After the Queen died, the Eldest Daughter inherited it all, and she happens to be away from the castle. Thanks to that, security in the East Wing is a bit lax. Especially at night.”

“…….”

“So, what I’m saying is, I can take you there now.”

To the Mage, who seemed utterly unable to grasp the courtly, roundabout way of speaking, Mylotte drove the point home as if hammering in a wedge.

The slow-to-react Mage had to flutter his eyelashes several times to catch up with the rapid flow of words.

“His Highness is, well, so helpless at night, what can you do? That’s probably why he was being reserved with you, right? Honestly, I don’t really know, though.”

“…….”

“So, are you going or not?”

The impatient Mylotte pressed, and Kosha blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“W-well, I don’t know what books might be there.”

“I don’t know either. But do we have any other choice than to search there immediately?”

“Y-yes, that’s true…. So, I do want to go and see.”

“But?”

Even in the midst of his nervousness, a question arose, born of lessons ingrained in him since early childhood.

“But, um… Do we not need His Highness’s permission?”

Check, check, and check again. Whose responsibility it is, whose will it is. Words he had heard until his ears were sore. At court, such things were important.

Of course, Mylotte was Lucian’s closest confidant, so Kosha didn’t think their positions were different, but…

Uncharacteristically, Mylotte kept a brief silence before answering slowly.

“Well, yes. Why wouldn’t it be okay? If there’s a problem, I’ll take responsibility for that too.”

“…….”

“I think we can’t let this situation drag on any longer. Correcting one’s lord’s mistakes is also a retainer’s duty.”

It was a vague, somewhat ambiguous statement. Kosha, unable to get a handle on it, glanced at Eydrick. But he, too, seemed to be in a position where it was difficult to openly oppose Mylotte.

“Lord Mylotte has decision-making authority when His Highness is absent. And if we are to move towards the East Wing, now is indeed the most opportune time.”

He added with a somewhat awkward smile.

“If you do go, I will accompany you as well.”

But wouldn’t that mean imposing additional work on him? He wondered if he was really in a position to decide such an important matter…

But Mylotte’s words were also absolutely true. Treatment was important, and the foolish Kosha needed magic tomes. Most magic tomes could only be read by those with mana, so to find the necessary books, he had no choice but to go himself.

…Treatment was important. No matter how much his mind kept wandering off, making him want to stay by Lucian’s side a little longer, he must not forget his primary duty.

In the end, Kosha had no choice but to nod.

The path to that archive, said to be in the first tower of the castle’s East Wing, was quite long.

They had to follow the castle’s western wing, shaped like a bird with spread wings, to near the shoulder area, and from there, cross a long, corridor-like bridge that stretched to the main tower.

The bridge directly connecting the East and West Wings was wide and stable in form but dizzyingly high, with strong winds blowing between the pillars. Autumn seemed to be almost over, as the air was quite chilly. Kosha shivered, worrying about the geese’s well-being.

Eydrick, misunderstanding it was due to the cold, held Kosha’s shoulder, but it didn’t soothe his longing for the geese.

The eastern wing of the castle extended from the end of that bridge. There were five towers soaring along the wing, and to reach the first one, they had to pass through a maze-like path, going down a winding staircase for a long time and then climbing back up.

Kosha was simply in awe of Mylotte, who navigated this gloomy castle unhesitatingly with just one lantern.

And just before turning a corner, Mylotte draped a black cloth over the lantern. The surroundings instantly darkened, and from then on, Kosha had to hold onto the hem of Mylotte’s clothes and follow him.

Turning the corner, a dimly lit, shabby wooden door came into view. Two torches hung on the wall were burning faintly, almost spent.

“It’s natural for discipline to slacken a bit after the original owner leaves.”

Mylotte whispered lightly.

“I told them to go drink or something, so I sent them away for a while, but who knows when they’ll be back. Eydrick, stay outside and keep watch.”

Eydrick tapped the tower wall several times with his hand as if checking something.

“Is this tower built around the same time as the main tower?”

“As far as I know. We should be able to use the passageway.”

“The location isn’t ideal, but it can’t be helped.”

Serious words Kosha couldn’t understand were exchanged. Mylotte pulled the dazedly standing Kosha.

“And we’re going in. Don’t take too long. Taking a few books won’t be noticeable, but taking too many would be problematic.”

“Yes.”

“I won’t go all the way inside. If you hear me call, come out immediately. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Then Mylotte took a key from inside his coat. For such an important archive key, it looked very ordinary, and as Kosha was staring at it curiously, Mylotte volunteered the information.

“It’s the same as the key that locks your room door. Not many people know this place was originally servant quarters. Seems they just left it as is because calling a locksmith would cause rumors.”

Kosha wasn’t that curious, but he quietly opened his mouth in admiration for his knowledgeableness.

When they opened the door and entered, a musty smell of dust assaulted them. It had clearly been neglected for who knows how long, and he felt a sneeze coming, involuntarily making a “huh, huh” sound, but Mylotte urged him.

“Can’t you be quiet?”

As he said this, he was already covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

Kosha also scrunched up his face and covered his mouth with his hand, suppressing the sneeze. Mylotte gestured as if hurrying him, and Kosha, handed the lantern, groped his way into the dark room.

The room lined with bookshelves stretched quite far back. He thought it would be a personal collection, maybe a few dozen books at most, but even roughly estimating in the dark, it seemed to hold hundreds.

However, not all the books were magic tomes. Academic texts about the Age of Myths or research books on ancient species made up a considerable portion.

For a moment, Kosha was at a loss, then placed his hand on a bookshelf and channeled mana into it. A dizzying feeling, as if something inside him was being sucked out.

Magic tomes created after the Age of Myths often were made so only Mages could open them from the start. Most had seals placed on them that required mana infusion to open, and the amount of mana needed varied depending on the creator’s skill and the book’s scale.

Trying to open several books at once, and urgently at that, consumed more energy than expected. Moreover, many of the books he managed to open were filled with unnecessary content.

His vision spun as if he had suddenly lost a lot of blood, but this wasn’t a situation where he could afford to catch his breath.

After selecting only about three books from the first and second shelves, Kosha staggered further inside. He passed the third shelf meaninglessly, and when he finally placed his hand on the fourth shelf.

Right there, ‘it’ was looking at Kosha, glowing in the darkness as if it had been waiting for this very moment.

Two yellow circles.

For a moment, Kosha thought they were fireflies. But there was no way fireflies could be in a place like this, they were too small and motionless to be fireflies, and they were too close together.

At that moment, long vertical lines, like reptile pupils, appeared over the yellow circles.

Kosha’s gaze was stolen by it. Forgetting the fact that he needed to check books, he was completely captivated.

And it… glowing with a cursed mineral-like green hue, walked out step by step from the darkness of the bookshelf. And then it hopped onto the book Kosha had opened.

“……!”

It was a small green lizard. Small enough to fit on Kosha’s palm.

Startled, Kosha tried to step back but bumped his head thump against a bookshelf. In the process, trying to swallow a scream, he even bit his tongue hard. A hushed voice came from near the door.

“What is it, is something wrong?”

The taste of blood filled his mouth, but swallowing tears, Kosha shook his head vigorously.

“N-no. A s-sneeze.”

“Be careful, please.”

Mylotte scolded, but Kosha was so absorbed in the creature before him that it didn’t even register.

Kosha generally didn’t much like scaly things. Because when he first raised geese, several died from snake bites.

But this lizard… was it a lizard? It looked like a salamander too. It was very small, didn’t seem poisonous… and above all, it was glowing faintly in the dark.

A glowing lizard!

Forgetting his task, he stared blankly, and the lizard that had hopped onto the back of his hand climbed over his shoulder and swiftly hopped onto the opposite bookshelf. The lizard felt like it had no weight at all, as if it were merely a mass of light without substance.

Then the lizard dangled from a book inserted on the bookshelf. As if asking him to read it, Kosha pulled out the book as if entranced.

The lizard designated several books in the same way. Among them were books that didn’t seem like magic tomes, but Kosha obeyed the lizard’s will with strangely docile compliance.

It was when about eight books had piled up. The lizard suddenly leaped and turned its head. Kosha also turned his head in the same direction. At the same time, a murmuring sound came from near the door. Along with the sound of hinges, Eydrick’s familiar voice rang out urgently.

“I think you should come out. —Oh, dear.”

Mylotte’s short curse followed. A booming voice echoed from a bit further away.

“Who’s there?”

“Damn it, Mage—, ugh.”

Thump thump footsteps were rapidly approaching from afar. Even someone as oblivious as him could tell this wasn’t a very desirable situation.

Amidst this, the lizard hopped up and down on the pile of eight books Kosha had separated. In that instant, Kosha… thought he understood why Lucian had made him practice those ‘exercises.’

Even if that wasn’t his intention.

“Don’t move. Stay right there.”

“What are you talking about? We’re from the palace department.”

The man with the thumping footsteps seemed to have reached the door by now. At the sound of what seemed like a confrontation with Mylotte, Kosha’s heart raced. Could he transport magical objects like magic tomes? How should he calculate the necessary mana?

“Palace department? At this hour?”

“We came to retrieve books included in the gift list for the meeting with the Mage Tower.”

Mylotte’s brazenly retorting voice was heard. Again, the lizard hopped urgently, and Kosha realized he had no time. Calculations be damned.

Mana was sucked out from his hand placed on the pile of books. Along with a faint, fading feeling in his feet, the lizard’s form also seemed to blur strangely for a moment.

And then space crumpled like paper. Kosha’s body swayed unsteadily in the place where the eight books had vanished without a trace.

“I haven’t received any such notice.”

“Would they inform a mere steward like you about the schedule of a secret meeting?”

“Anyway, not a single item from here can be taken out without the Princess’s permission.”

“Ha! Is the Princess even planning to return?”

The atmosphere was gradually turning hostile.

Crouching and hiding between the innermost fourth shelves, Kosha instinctively sensed it. A sensation similar to distinguishing poisonous mushrooms in the forest. A brief foreboding of misfortune—if he was discovered here, something very unpleasant would happen.

Since misfortune was the default in Kosha’s life, it probably wouldn’t end with just something mildly unpleasant.

The lizard hopped again. And then it turned and started scurrying away. The shape of its tail swishing behind seemed oddly blunt and strange, but there was no time to examine it. Kosha crawled on all fours after the lizard, suppressing all sound as much as possible.

The sound of footsteps near the door increased. Murmuring voices mixed chaotically, but his own pounding heart was louder, making it hard to discern.

The green lizard stopped before a wall and looked back at Kosha. Groping around there, he felt something catch. It felt like some kind of handle…. The moment he unconsciously applied pressure with his fingertips.

The floor sank with a whoosh. For a moment, he thought it was mana deficiency dizziness, but no. The floor was really descending. And with a clunk, it opened.

“Huh.”

The moment Kosha’s mouth fell open, the lizard leaped into his mouth. Then, as if the lizard was blocking his throat, no sound came out.

Unable to even let out a proper scream, Kosha tumbled down head over heels.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a terribly rough tumble. Surprisingly so.

Floating down slowly like a feather, Kosha watched with a somewhat surreal feeling as the floor—now the ceiling—that had sent him tumbling closed slowly.

The landing on his bottom was very slow and gentle.

The ceiling had already closed seamlessly.

Panting, he looked around, and the lizard slipped out of his mouth. He felt nothing, so he had momentarily forgotten he had a lizard in his mouth.

The lizard shook off its saliva-drenched body and started walking away with a squelch squelch*. Of course, the lizard had no substance or mass, so no actual footsteps were heard.

Kosha simply followed the lizard in the dark. This situation was so unbelievable that he began to suspect he might be dreaming.

If it’s a dream, from where? …Had he already been captured and tortured until he went mad? That was too horrible. Or… earlier in his bedroom, had he ultimately been unable to refuse the offer to sleep over and had fallen asleep together?

The moment he had that thought—as if to tell him to wake up from the dream—Kosha banged his forehead squarely against the wall.

“Oww….”

Rubbing his forehead and looking to the side, the lizard perched on a doorknob was staring intently at Kosha. A lizard couldn’t possibly have an expression, but somehow it seemed like a look of pity.

Could it read his thoughts?

Feeling embarrassed, he averted his gaze and pulled the doorknob the lizard was on.

This time, the door opened easily too.

Outside was a corridor with one side completely open. Looking down over the railing, it was dizzyingly high, at least three stories or more. To the right, he could see the bridge they had crossed to come to the East Wing. It seemed two or three stories higher than where Kosha was now.

Should he move to the right and look for stairs? Kosha looked around. But the lizard had suddenly disappeared.

“…Lizard?”

He called softly, but there was no response. Worried he might have left it behind, he stuck his head through the door crack he had opened and looked around, but the room inside was still pitch black, and there was no trace of the glowing lizard.

Left alone in the empty corridor, Kosha shivered a little by himself.

He couldn’t just stay still because the lizard was gone. It was an unfamiliar lizard anyway, and he didn’t need to be told that this place was like enemy territory to Lucian.

Kosha began to move diligently. He wasn’t particularly skilled at finding his way…. He planned to look for stairs towards the main tower and go up until he reached the bridge.

…But was it an overly confident plan?

When the corridor ended and he could no longer gauge his position by looking at the outside scenery, the stairs going up felt unusually endless. When he began to feel that, far from reaching the bridge at the end, he seemed to be getting pulled deeper inside the main tower, Kosha had no choice but to stop right there.