Chapter 1: Bibo (1)
The Tarantella National Library, located in the capital of Dantela, Zen, is the largest library in the country and the only one in both the eastern and western interiors to house a magical archives department.
Magical books, created by the hands of great wizards, are anything but ordinary. Most possess sentience and the ability to move, and some, when provoked, could even fly into violent fits. These books were difficult for ordinary people to handle, as they couldn’t hear the voices of the books, making it impossible to fully control these ticking time bombs.
Only wizards, and among them, only the rare few who could communicate with the books, could become librarians of the magical archives. These individuals were called “Phema.”
Due to the rarity of Phema, their services were highly valued, and as a result, the salaries of the librarians working in the magical archives were incomparable to those of regular librarians. Although occasionally dealing with troublesome books could be tricky, it was considered a minor inconvenience given the high pay.
Phema Ariel Elias was one such librarian, responsible for overseeing the magical archives of the Tarantella.
She was twenty-five years old. Her platinum hair, as if infused with both the brilliance of the sun and the soft glow of the moon, was cut in a precise bob. Her eyes, sharp and somewhat irritable, concealed blood-red irises so intense that they gave off a slightly unsettling aura. Overall, she had a fierce and formidable appearance.
To soften this intimidating image, Ariel always wore round glasses during work hours.
Though she had a cold demeanor that made it difficult for others to approach her, in truth, Ariel had a gentle and quiet nature. Because of this, the magical books in the archives all favored her the most among the librarians.
The magical archives were generally quiet. Non-wizards rarely visited, and even wizards didn’t frequently seek out the magical books. In reality, the archives were less a library and more of a prison for these books.
Ariel was enjoying a peaceful moment, sitting alone at her desk in the empty archives, resting her chin on her hand while reading the latest volume of her favorite novel.
[Enjoying it? Enjoying it?]
“Yes, it’s really fun.”
A childlike, innocent voice echoed in Ariel’s head, the voice of the book she was reading. Ariel, accustomed to this, smiled and laughed along.
In the midst of her focus, a low voice suddenly called to her from across the desk.
“Are you Miss Ariel Elias?”
Ariel looked up. A man stood there, holding a large brown leather bag.
It was unusual for anyone to ask for a librarian by name, so Ariel, suspecting the man had other business, glanced at the contents of the bag. Peeking through the slightly open bag, she saw what appeared to be stacks of letters. If they were letters…
Ariel’s stern expression softened as she nodded slightly and answered briefly.
“Yes.”
“This is urgent.”
‘Urgent?’
Ariel’s guess had been half correct. Urgent? Did someone need something? She accepted the letter the man handed her, both puzzled and excited. Having completed his task, the man politely excused himself and left.
There was only one person who would send a letter to Ariel. Her beloved younger brother, Aynkel Elias.
After the man left, Ariel examined the envelope with anticipation. Her name was written on the front, along with the name of the military unit her brother belonged to. A stamp was affixed in the upper right corner.
Everything was a bit fancier than usual, but there was no reason for her to find that odd. With trembling hands, Ariel carefully opened the envelope.
As her fingers touched the letter inside, an unfamiliar voice abruptly rang in her head. Unlike the book’s voice, this one was flat and emotionless.
[Do you even know what this is, Ariel?]
“What else could it be? It’s a letter from Aynkel. You sound a bit harsh today. I guess Aynkel wasn’t in the best mood when he wrote this.”
Despite the voice’s tone, Ariel thought the letter would still be filled with good news, as always. Aynkel wasn’t the type to put anything in a letter that would worry his sister, and Ariel, who appreciated her brother’s thoughtfulness, would always pretend not to notice. Though they didn’t see each other often, the two shared a close bond, looking out for one another as they were each other’s only family.
Ariel’s hands moved quickly, even as the voice tried to warn her. With practiced skill, she unfolded the letter and began reading with a broad smile.
But the smile didn’t last long. Ariel’s lips, once curved in a gentle arc, slowly faltered and dropped. A faint, bewildered sound escaped her.
“Wha…?”
Something was wrong with the letter.
It wasn’t just the fancy envelope. The handwriting wasn’t Aynkel’s neat, composed script but a hasty scrawl, as if written in a hurry. There was no affectionate greeting starting with “Dearest Rel,” as there always had been. And the letter, usually filled with page after page of joyful updates, barely contained a few lines.
This wasn’t a letter.
「Urgent notice, death report.」
It was an obituary.
[Hmph, I thought I’d give you some time to prepare.]
The voice clicked its tongue in Ariel’s head, now hammering the meaning of the words into her, forcing her to comprehend what she refused to acknowledge.
Ariel’s red eyes clouded over. The joy that had flushed her cheeks moments ago disappeared entirely. Pale, she placed the letter on the desk with trembling hands and picked up the envelope again.
Surely, it couldn’t be real. Surely, it was a mistake.
But when she looked again, the name on the envelope confirmed the truth. It read ‘Ariel Elias.’ It was addressed to her, undeniably.
The envelope fell from her hands. She picked up the letter—no, the death notice—and forced herself to read the remaining lines.
「Aynkel Elias, age 20. Died November 22, 1789, during the campaign against the Giants near the northern border. The body is being transported to the Ken Temple with preservation magic. No personal belongings. Arrival expected at 6:00 PM, November 22. The body will be held at the temple for one month. Immediate collection by the family is advised. May the deceased rest in peace.」
The name ‘Aynkel Elias’ was written in bold just below the words ‘death notice,’ as if to drive home the reality, ensuring that the bereaved couldn’t escape into denial.
The two overlapping phrases seized Ariel’s gaze like a noose.
A reality too painful to accept, but too clear to deny.
Ariel’s world turned to ash.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The unyielding winter sun quickly sank, and by 6:00 PM, it was the night shift librarian’s turn. Ariel, whose shift had ended, stepped outside.
Since receiving the death notice, Ariel had spent the rest of the day in a daze. She completed her work purely out of habit, her mind on autopilot. She couldn’t even recall how she had declined her usual dinner invitation from the other librarians.
From then until now, her mind had been consumed by a single thought: ‘Aynkel, dead.’
She didn’t feel sadness, at least not yet. Instead, she was simply numb, as if the shock that had first struck her had yet to settle into something real.
Outside, heavy snow was falling.
Ariel tilted her head back and looked up at the sky. Snowflakes landed on her glasses, melting and creating small blotches that blurred her vision.
She took off her glasses and carefully wiped them with her glove before putting them in her pocket. Her fingers brushed against something crinkly inside. She didn’t need to look to know what it was. There was only one thing in her pocket.
The death notice.
Ariel took it out again and unfolded it gently.
Her eyes were drawn once more to the words ‘death notice’ and ‘Aynkel Elias,’ vertically aligned on the page. Her hand shook as she held the paper. Forcing her gaze away from her brother’s name, she read the next words.
6:00 PM, Ken Temple. The time and place where Aynkel’s body and belongings would arrive.
[What will you do? Will you go?]
“……”
The voice from the death notice spoke again. Ariel remained silent for a moment, deep in thought.
Is he really dead? My brother, Aynkel Elias? His body is at the temple? That can’t be true. Just a few days ago, he was fine, writing to me happily. There’s no way. My brother is out there, still serving at the border.
My brother isn’t dead. He can’t be dead.
[You’re just running from reality, Ariel.]
The death notice, attuned to Ariel’s thoughts, cut through her delusion with cold precision.
Ariel’s mind went blank. Taking advantage of the silence in her thoughts, the voice pressed on.
[If you keep avoiding the truth, your brother’s body will lie cold and decaying in the temple. Waiting for you.]
The words hit like a thunderclap.
Ariel flinched. She gripped the death notice tighter as the voice added one final sentence.
[If you care about your brother, you must face reality.]
With that, Ariel made up her mind. She couldn’t leave her brother alone. Gently, she brushed her fingers over his name on the paper, as if caressing the real Aynkel.
“Excuse me.”
For the first time since hearing the news, her lips moved. Her voice was resolute.
[Yes.]
“May I borrow some magic?”
[Gladly.]
“Thank you.”
Sensing Ariel’s resolve, the voice from the death notice softened its tone. Ariel recited the spell with her hand caressing the words ‘Ken Temple.’
A golden beam rose from her fingertips. The letters from the paper floated in the air, creating a magic circle, wrapping around her body. Ariel closed her eyes as she felt the magic surrounding her.
Soon, there was only light where Ariel had been standing.
