Chapter 45: School Trips, Part 3

“You’re saying… there’s someone… who might know about Vanity…?”

“…It’s not a person, but… a source of information…”

In their lodgings, located a short distance from Ravakion’s central district, Leviathan responded to Carmel’s question with a hint of annoyance.

While not directly asking Greed for help, seeking information from her hoard was a blow to Leviathan’s pride.

She’d once mocked Greed for collecting useless trinkets and information, sparking a conflict between the two demons that nearly escalated into a full-blown war.

“…The problem is… I don’t know exactly where it is…”

Leviathan frowned, swinging her legs as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“What are you looking for? I have some connections in Ravakion…”

“Connections?”

Ciella flinched slightly at Carmel’s question, her tone implying, “You? Connections?”

“…There’s a Magic Tower branch in Ravakion… due to the abundance of high-quality monster materials…”

“Ah. Magic Tower connections.”

Carmel nodded, and Ciella, while slightly offended, didn’t argue.

Carmel’s assumption was correct. Aside from one senior, Ciella had no close friends in Ravakion.

Her acquaintances at the Magic Tower were mostly research colleagues, and even then, their differing fields of study limited their interactions.

“Anyway, if you know the name of what you’re looking for, I might be able to help. I’ve made quite a few connections through acquiring materials for the Magic Tower.”

“…Hmm. Then…”

Leviathan struggled to recall a centuries-old memory.

A rather skilled thief, whom she’d taken as a subordinate, boasting about creating a vault during a gathering of demons…

Avarice had been slightly annoyed, but ultimately hadn’t interfered.

“It had a rather… pretentious name…”

“That narrows it down… academics love grand-sounding titles…”

Leviathan paused, then spoke.

“The Akashic Records, I believe.”

“…Excuse me?”

“…A library containing all knowledge, supposedly. A bit much for a world with only a few thousand years of history…”

“W-wait, the Akashic Records?!”

Ciella’s eyes widened as she lunged at Leviathan, interrupting her criticism of Greed.

Leviathan, annoyed, pushed her away.

“Personal space, please.”

“…Ah, sorry…”

Leviathan lowered her opinion of Ciella, observing her sudden excitement.

She usually acted so reserved and cautious, yet she became overly enthusiastic whenever a familiar topic arose.

Perhaps she should have maintained her adult form.

It might have prevented such… uncomfortable situations.

But her current child-like form was a consequence of her weakened state, a situation she couldn’t easily reverse.

She sighed.

She needed to find that merchant and return to the demon realm, Lucia be damned.

“So, do you know anything about it?”

“…How could I not…?”

“Huh?”

This time, it was Carmel who spoke, her expression confused.

“It’s a legendary library, the one the Magic Tower scholars have been searching for. That’s why their insignia is a bookshelf.”

“B-but it’s in Ravakion…? Really…? Then why haven’t they found it…? And where did you even hear about this…?”

“…Oh dear.”

She’d suspected that idiot would brag about it to anyone who would listen.

And if it had reached legendary status, he must have been quite thorough in his publicity efforts.

How was she supposed to explain her knowledge of the legendary library to these humans?

Leviathan pondered her options.

Knocking them unconscious and going alone would be easier, but this place was too vast to search alone, especially in her weakened state. She had to conserve her mana.

And if Lucia completely succumbed to Vanity’s influence, crossing the point of no return… it would be disastrous.

“Sigh…”

Leviathan looked at the empty bed, the only one untouched among the four in the room.

Lucia’s bed. She’d vanished as soon as they arrived in Ravakion.

Why did that human fall for such an obvious trick…?

It had been a frustrating day.

***

While there weren’t many suitable locations in Ravakion to hide a library, there were also… countless possibilities.

Ravakion was a city built on labyrinths.

Labyrinths were essentially elaborate, trap-filled storage units created by demons, thieves, and mages to hide their treasures.

While magic circles and vaults were more common now, in the past, monster-infested labyrinths had been the most secure storage method.

There had to be several labyrinths created by Leviathan herself.

Of course, while she often plundered the human realm, she wasn’t a hoarder, so the number wouldn’t be significant.

So, the trio found themselves in the bustling marketplace, hoping to find clues related to the library among the adventurers.

However, their only lead was a suspicion that it was connected to Greed’s hidden hoard, information Leviathan couldn’t share, making their search even more difficult.

“…Have you heard about the recent murders…?”

“Yeah, I heard the victims are all… shady characters…”

“That’s right. The merchants are calling it… the return of Argen…!”

Lilith, Vanity, and herself…

While she’d been summoned, not actively participating, the recent increase in cult activity suggested Greed was also involved. Greed hated being left out.

Leviathan listened intently to the conversations around her, hoping for a useful lead, but to no avail.

While the “murderer targeting only villains” reminded her of someone, such individuals weren’t uncommon.

It wasn’t a significant clue.

And the constant interruptions from well-meaning humans, mistaking her for a lost child, further fueled her frustration.

“Looking for someone… looking for someone…”

Just as she was about to give up, a small girl, about Leviathan’s size, caught her eye.

She was nervously handing out flyers.

A faint, unsettling aura emanated from her.

Similar to the divine aura of a divinity user, but… different.

It was closer to the essence of divinity itself, like the scent she’d encountered at the food stall.

“Ah…! E-excuse me, could you—Kyaa!”

“…You…”

The girl, initially smiling, let out a startled yelp as Leviathan grabbed her necklace and yanked her closer.

“…Tsk. Wrong.”

Ignoring the stares of the surrounding people, Leviathan examined the necklace, then released it, her expression one of disappointment.

While it carried a faint trace of divinity, it was merely a residual aura, a lingering scent.

The girl herself possessed no divine power.

Such a strong reaction, despite the complete absence of divinity…

Could it be… a divinity user operating in the human realm?

Leviathan frowned and turned to leave.

“Levi…! What did you just do…!”

“…Let go…”

“No, you need to apologize…!”

Carmel had returned, grabbing the back of Leviathan’s head.

***

Both Carmel and Ciella’s searches had yielded no results.

While their progress should have been neutral, it felt like a setback.

“Will you… really help me…?”

“Of course! Our companion was rude. We should help.”

“…Tsk.”

Carmel, much to Leviathan’s annoyance, had brought back the girl with the flyers and offered to help her find someone.

Leviathan was already preoccupied with finding information to save Lucia.

Helping another human was just another unnecessary burden.

If it weren’t for Kayleen’s warning against harming academy students and the promise of dessert from Carmel, Leviathan would have left already.

“Thank you…! Thank you so much…!”

The adventurer, Hermia, bowed repeatedly to Carmel.

Disappearances were common in the Labyrinth City, so finding someone willing to help was a rare blessing.

She continued expressing her gratitude until Carmel, flustered, finally convinced her it was unnecessary.

“So, what’s the name of the person you’re looking for?”

“…Asera. She’s… our party’s priestess…”

Leviathan, enjoying her dessert, paused as Hermia mentioned the name, her expression darkening.

“Sigh…”

A fitting name for that fly’s creation… she thought.