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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Missing Girl
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“Predator!”
At the mention of hunters, the rabbit’s ears shot up in alarm.
“Predators are very bad. They can find us, just like Ceria could, but they can’t set us free. They’re supposed to send us on our way according to the natural order, but they’re too greedy to let us go.”
“Oh no! Then what happens?”
“It’s a disaster. Instead of coexisting with us, they forcibly extinguish us, steal our powers, and build their family fortunes for generations. And they try to harm special beings. They think of you all as obstacles.”
Just from the rabbit’s description, I could tell they were bad people.
“Did those people hurt Mom?”
The rabbit shook its head.
“I don’t know about that. I only know that Ceria is no longer in this world.”
Somehow, the rabbit’s voice sounded dejected.
My shoulders slumped too.
We both stared at the floor for a long time, lost in our memories of her.
*No. Mom told me I shouldn’t cry.*
*I have to be strong, no matter what.*
I lifted my head sharply.
“But you said you all disappear. Why are you still here?”
“Because I couldn’t say goodbye to Ceria.”
“Then… you can never disappear?”
“That’s not it. When an Indagator disappears, we become free after a certain period. But I decided to stay because Ceria asked something of me.”
I didn’t understand everything, but I felt like I was starting to get the difference between Indagators and Predators.
They were similar, yet different.
I asked the rabbit.
“I think I’ve gained the power to see the future. Is this… one of your powers too?”
“Did you see the serpent’s eye?”
“The serpent’s eye?”
“Serpens! Among the ones Ceria awakened, only Serpens could see the future. It had the form of a serpent, and one of its eyes was red.”
The rabbit lifted its front paws and shot up onto its hind legs.
“It was the necklace, right? The one Ceria found and treasured.”
I nodded so hard my head felt like it would fall off.
“Yes! Mom took a red gem out of the necklace.”
Though I wasn’t sure if the necklace she took it from was actually a serpent.
“I told Ceria she had to awaken that power. But it seems she gave it to you instead. I told her she’d be safer with it. Where is it now?”
Where was it…
“I ate it…”
“You ate it?”
“Yeah, Mom gave it to me, so I swallowed it.”
The rabbit then mumbled something like, “So she forced the power out.”
“Did it hurt?”
I told it I didn’t know because of the accident.
When I said I couldn’t remember anything, the rabbit’s ears drooped even more.
“I see… The power of Serpens is a very rare one, even among us. It served one of the highest gods. Unlike me, who is bound to a stone tablet, it was a jewel. You’ve awakened that power.”
Then, the rabbit suddenly leaped up, bumping its nose against mine, and landed in my arms.
Startled by the touch of its damp nose, I fell backward, landing on my bottom.
The rabbit pressed its small paws firmly against my chest, near my heart.
I was a little surprised, but it was so light that it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
“But you can only use the ability. Serpens is inside you, but it hasn’t properly awakened. This means you won’t be able to use the power correctly.”
At those words, I recalled my past frustrations and confessed.
“That’s right! I suddenly see the future when I don’t even want to. I can’t control it then. Mom told me to keep it a secret, but it keeps happening, and I don’t think I can.”
“Then let’s awaken it now.”
“How?”
“Well, even if an Indagator doesn’t recognize us right away, being near them draws us to their power, and we regain consciousness on our own. Then we call out desperately to the Indagators.”
“Oh…”
“But for the ones who can’t awaken on their own, the Indagator has to find their name and call it. Otherwise, they have no choice but to wait until the next Indagator finds them.”
The rabbit leaned against me in my arms and continued.
“They’re literally waiting for fate. Until they meet a very proactive Indagator.”
“Fate…”
“I already told you its name is Serpens, right?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s already inside you, and you know its name, so all you have to do is call it. That’s the easiest way.”
“Just call its name?”
“Focus all your thoughts. Picture the gem you swallowed. And then call out to it earnestly. Until it answers your call.”
“Ah, okay. I’ll try it slowly later. I just have to do what you said, right?”
“Later? Now!”
“N-now?”
“Right now!”
The rabbit shot up and shoved its face close to mine.
Its tiny, bean-like eyes shone fiercely.
I was flustered.
*Hey, I need some time to prepare, at least!*
“I’m scared. What if something goes wrong?”
“Something’s already gone wrong!”
***
Meanwhile, the Imperial Palace was in a quiet uproar.
Aika had vanished from the archives like a speck of dust.
After searching the bookshelves for a long time, Ruspe finally gave up and informed Zenda, who immediately told Gerard.
“We can’t find the young lady, no matter where we look.”
“Gerard, what do we do? She’s really not here.”
“She didn’t come outside. I’ll go in and search as well.”
The four of them joined forces and searched the archives again, but Aika was gone, as if she had truly evaporated.
Naturally, the news reached Cassel, Duke Valliat, and even the Emperor.
However, they were in the middle of several important meetings regarding the appointment of a new chancellor, so they first sent attendants and knights to search every inch of the archives.
As large as the archives were, it was still just a room within the Imperial Palace.
More than ten people entered the space, rummaging through all the old books and checking behind picture frames, under chairs, and in every place where not even an ant could hide, but Aika was nowhere to be found.
And all of this was being carried out quietly and thoroughly.
“She’s not here.”
“Not here either!”
“There’s nowhere to hide here.”
The archives didn’t even have the secret passages commonly found elsewhere in the Imperial Palace.
It was a room sealed by walls on all sides except for the entrance; it made no sense that she couldn’t be found even after deploying so many people.
The moment the meeting ended, Cassel went straight to the archives, and upon hearing the report, he lost his mind.
He caused such a scene that Gerard couldn’t stop him, and the Emperor, arriving late, was struck dumb by the sight before him.
It was utter devastation.
Knights had been stationed outside the building to prevent news from leaking, but the ones who had come inside earlier to stop him were all lying on the ground.
“…Your, Your Majesty. Forgive me. The Marquis was too… forceful.”
A knight belatedly picked himself up and corrected his posture.
As for what had happened, the knight had a gash next to his eye, and one of his shoulder pauldrons was dented.
It seemed he had been thrown while trying to stop Cassel.
He explained that he had tried to stop him for the sake of protecting the books, as Cassel was attempting to remove all of them from the archives.
“I-I apologize.”
“It’s alright. Go and rest for now.”
Winchester pressed a hand to his forehead and headed inside.
As he drew closer, he saw Aika’s maid kneeling in the distance, begging for forgiveness.
“Your Excellency, please, calm down. We’ve sent people to the gardens, so we’ll find her soon. If you would just calm down a little…”
“Get lost.”
Before Winchester could even step inside the archives, a knight came flying and crashed into the doorway.
The knight curled into a ball, groaning.
The fallen knights were, without exception, some of the most renowned men in the empire.
The Imperial Knight Order had been formed from their ranks, so setting aside their skills, even their basic physical attributes were exceptional.
To see them being tossed around so easily spoke of a truly ruthless and monstrous strength.
Gerard already seemed to have given up trying to intervene.
Winchester beckoned to a knight who was still standing.
“I’ll handle this. Have everyone withdraw.”
“Your Majesty, it’s too dangerous right now…”
“No one else can stop him, can they? Make sure no word of this gets out, and have everyone fall back. Forbid entry to this area as well.”
“…As you command.”
After everyone, including the people from the marquis’s residence, had withdrawn, Winchester stepped inside.
Precious old books were scattered across the floor, creating a chaotic mess.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
These were books he had managed more meticulously than anything else, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
But he, too, was at fault for this incident.
Perhaps he should have been more cautious.
A sense of guilt reared its head, wondering if he had been too hasty in handing over the key after seeing how much the child had grown.
“Cassel.”
The moment Winchester placed a hand on Cassel’s shoulder, it was slapped away.
“Move.”
“Cassel.”
Cassel let out a sigh without even looking at him.
In the instant Winchester let his guard down, Cassel grabbed him by the collar and slammed him violently against the wall.
Winchester grunted as he slammed into the wall with a loud thud.
“Don’t think for a second I won’t kill you.”
