15. Is this the imperial security?

1.

Unsurprisingly, the two men and women going down the stairs to the basement were quiet without a single conversation. Adele had many thoughts of her own, and Luke was concentrating on detecting the magic around her in preparation for any traps she might have.

I am especially wary of alarm-type magic.

I don’t know if there is another way to get out from inside the library, but if we assume that this staircase is the only way to come and go, the moment the existence of the intruder is known, it will be virtually impossible to get out through this passage.

As long as we know that Adele brought her here because she thought her magic would be useful, when it’s time to leave after finishing her work, in case something goes wrong, I’m not sure if she has enough magic left to travel with her. I didn’t even know

That’s why Luke made every effort to prevent such an accident in advance, and Adele was also considerate of him and didn’t say anything unnecessary.

“If I remember correctly, there will be a red enemy’s barrier a little further down from here. I think it’s probably the kind of thing that identifies people who aren’t of imperial lineage. Of course, I’m not that familiar with magic, so I can’t be sure.”

At Adele’s words that broke the silence, Luke nodded her head. It was just after he had descended ten more steps down the stairs that the existence of magical powers, that is, a barrier, had been applied to his senses.

“Adele, stop.”

Detection and signal transmission.

Those two concepts were all clumsy enough for Luke to understand very simply.

“Is this the imperial security…?”

“I guess it wasn’t the barrier I had in mind..?”

Seeing Luke’s ridiculous expression, Adele smiled awkwardly and said. I think I’m wrong and I’m a little embarrassed.

“It is a low-level barrier that has the function of sending a signal to another barrier connected to this barrier the moment a creature with magical powers passes through this barrier. Perhaps when someone from the imperial family visits this place, even if they receive this signal, they just ignore it. If not, would you put a message in advance before coming here?”

In the first place, the entrance was openly placed in a public place such as a library, so unless it is late at night, it is impossible to enter and exit without being seen by others. Luke couldn’t easily believe that the security in such a place was this lax.

“Um… Luke’s help is in the back of the library, so don’t look so openly disappointed. The last time I came, I hurriedly moved because I thought I had touched something wrong here, so I cut all the barriers with my sword, but the resistance was stronger than I thought.”

“Yes, I can’t believe this is the end of this shabby barrier. First of all, I will neutralize this barrier.”

Luke’s magic penetrates the barrier. The magic that composes the barrier strongly opposes it, but even so, it was only a low-level barrier, so it couldn’t prevent it from being seized by Luke’s magic.

“All right. This barrier no longer recognizes the two of us. It will operate as usual, so there will be no delay later.”

“As with the previous incident, I dragged you… No. I think I did a good job bringing him.”

“Are you bringing me? It’s true that you brought it.”

“Yes, but thank you for coming with me.”

Adele, who expressed her gratitude by lightly passing Luke’s tip, smiled and started to descend again leading the way.

Until we reached the end of the spiral staircase, the barrier caught by Luke’s senses was all in the middle. The moment he stepped into the space presumed to be a secret library located in the basement of the Imperial Library, Luke looked around and admired it.

“Wow, that is small.”

“How grand were you expecting? Even the imperial family would not be able to fill a space larger than this with rare books, right?”

It was a hexagonal prism-shaped room. The bookshelves filling the walls on all five sides, the luxurious chair in the center presumably placed for reading, and the entrance on one side where Luke and Adele just entered.

It wasn’t a very large space. Rather, the library prepared in the mansion of the island where Luke now lives was bigger than that, so I said it all.

“Of these, four bookshelves hold books related to history, theology, magic, and martial arts, and the remaining one holds other books.”

As soon as the word magic came out of Adele’s mouth, Luke’s eyes twinkled for a moment, but the interest quickly cooled.

“On which bookshelf are the theology books kept?”

Luke looks through the five bookshelves. It was easy to notice that the level of the barrier that scattered soft light on the window covering the front of the bookshelf was so high that it could not even be compared to the one he had just destroyed.

“Surprisingly, you don’t seem to have much interest in magic books, do you? Usually wizards are crazy about things like that.”

When Adele said as if she saw all kinds of strange things, Luke smiled bitterly and said.

“I don’t really think of magic as a science. I used to say that I studied magic diligently, didn’t I say I studied? I think it’s less wasteful to just read one more novel than a book related to magic.”

“Aha…So a romance novel.”

“Because it’s not really…”

Adele laughed at the sight of Luke gritting her teeth, shook her head, and approached the bookshelf on the second wall to the left from her entrance.

“This is it.”

As soon as he properly inspected the barrier, Luke’s first thought was that maybe this would be a little difficult.

First of all, it wasn’t that easy to understand the basic composition of the barrier. This is because the concept of hiding the essence of the barrier was included.

When he said that he did not consider Luke’s magic to be academic, he was completely sincere. After all, this ‘concept’ was just an unnecessary element created to simplify the process of drawing magic with images. At least that was the case for Luke himself. How can it be regarded as an academic study by those who spread the method, including the unnecessary process required due to lack of ability, to others as if it were orthodoxy?

It was the only subject on which Luke clashed with his father, the Duke of Isvant. However, there was one fact that Luke did not know. It was quite a long time ago that the Duke of Isvant acknowledged Luke’s ability, but he did not reveal it because of his childish pride.

However, magic created through a process that included such unnecessary elements was by no means inferior to Luke’s magic. In any case, it was the two components of the caster’s will and mana that ultimately determine the power of magic itself.

After all, it was a high-level barrier suitable for the secret library of the imperial family, and destroying all the barriers protecting the five bookshelves was impossible for Luke at the present time. However, if it was about one of them, although it was a little difficult, it belonged to the realm of possibility.

“How are you? Do you think it’s possible?”

Luke glanced at Adele who asked while biting his lower lip and asked back.

“Adele just cut this off? What did she do when the books were damaged by the repulsive force generated when the barrier was broken?”

“Luke, even if I look like this, I have a body that reached the level of a master at the age of 23. I even surpassed that in the last episode. If you cut a barrier like this with just a swipe, it splits open and doesn’t generate any repulsive force.”

Hearing those words, Luke felt anew the difference in power between himself and Adele. It was easier to neutralize it completely than to destroy it without leaving any traces, but it wasn’t as easy as she said.

Adele, who showed only her unreliable side today, is actually a warrior who is respected by everyone, not strange. She felt like a damn joke, but it was an undeniable reality.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t lightly break this barrier.”

When Luke grumbles, Adele, whose eyes are shining, teases him, breaking away from biting her lips in her anxiety.

“You really got mad this time.”

“…This is a barrier that only responds to members of the imperial family.”

As soon as the opportunity arises, ignoring Adele who tries to make fun of him, Luke uses her magical power to the fullest and starts breaking the barrier.

“It’s a barrier opened by a wizard of at least the level of the tower owner, so for me it would be much easier to destroy it and destroy it permanently than to rip and fix its contents.”

“Is it really that hard… If this is the case, maybe it’s better to just let the zodiac figure out this place and play the game now. After all, the important thing is to keep the original scriptures out of their hands.”

Luke looked at Adele for a while, who looked clearly disappointed, then smiled and said.

“For a very short time, I intend to deceive this barrier. Recognize anyone you come into contact with as of the imperial family.”

It was only then that Adele realized that Luke had been playing with her. How can you get back the karma you’ve been teasing a few times?

“What is it really? It’s true that I was upset…”

“I repeat, contrary to what Adele thinks, I have never pouted.”

“Okay, today we’ll do everything Luke says. If it’s the words of such a grateful person, even if beans taste like meat, you have to trust them.”

Upon hearing that, Luke shook his head. He did not know how to properly cook soybean meat.

“When I signal, touch the barrier. It doesn’t take long to deceive the barrier in this way without leaving any traces, so let’s go back and find the scriptures as quickly as possible.”

“Okay.”

But Luke was already concentrating on deceiving the barrier, so he didn’t hear the answer. Luke’s magical power interferes with the concept of ‘identification’ that constitutes the barrier. The backlash was stronger than expected, so it would be fortunate if I could fake it for 30 seconds.

“It’s only 30 seconds from now!”

Hearing those words, Adele’s hand touched the barrier, and the veil of soft light completely disappeared from sight, revealing the books and scrolls placed neatly inside the bookshelf.

Adele’s eyes go to the top of the bookshelf. What was placed there was neither a book nor a scroll, but a single thick slate.

The original scriptures of the zodiac, the Celestial Tablet.

The moment she took the heavy slate out of her bookshelf.

“Huh?!”

“Kuu!”

As soon as the slate emitted a bright light, it disappeared from her hand, and at the same time, the barrier was restored in front of her eyes. Luke, who was interfering with him, sat down on the floor frowning.

“Haa, the resistance is stronger than I thought. I didn’t expect you to last even 20 seconds.”

Luke, who wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, turns his head to Adele and continues the conversation.

“Did you find it? Wasn’t there enough time…?”

Luke stopped talking and smiled wryly as he looked at Adele’s empty hands.

“I’m sorry, Adele. My skills were lacking.”

“No, no. It’s not Luke’s fault, so don’t apologize. I must have found the scriptures… I found them, but they suddenly disappeared.”

None of them could find anything to say in this embarrassing situation.

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