Leave a comment

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Yes, I’ve received your entrance fee. Please enjoy your time.”
“Thanks.”

With a quick presentation of the guild card, which served as identification, and the payment of a small amount of coins, I was easily granted access to the library.

The accumulated scent of paper hit my nose, and my eyes were overwhelmed by the sheer number of bookshelves.

Tables and chairs were arranged for reading, and the entire space embodied the concept of a ‘place to read.’

“This is amazing…”
“Right? I was really impressed the first time I came here, too.”
“So, how long are you planning to stick with me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“Well, since I’m already here, I figured I’d tag along. I don’t have anything better to do, hehe.”

Trailing behind me was the guild staff who had sneakily completed the registration process while I was doing mine.

I could sense some mischievousness, but since I had asked for guidance in the first place, I couldn’t really treat her coldly.

“You’re here to do some research, right? Let me help you with that! Just let me know what you need!”
“I got it, but don’t make a scene here. First things first, do you know where the section on history books is?”
“Let’s see… if I remember correctly, the history books start in the 900s… Over there, on that bookshelf. I’ll take you there!”
“I appreciate the detailed organization… Hey, you don’t have to carry me, though!”

Before I could react, the guild staff naturally slid her hand under my arm and lifted me up.

I couldn’t exactly resist, as using magecraft in a place like this was out of the question, and physically overpowering her was also beyond me.

“Hehe, little Laika can’t reach the high shelves, so it’s my lucky day!”
“That doesn’t mean you have to carry me around! Put me down!”
“Don’t make a fuss, little Laika! Hehe, you’re so light and tiny… I kinda wanna take you home!”
“Damn… Should I have waited for Momo to finish her quest…?”

To others, our interaction might have appeared like a playful squabble between cousins, and no one seemed inclined to help.

Before I knew it, I was brought to a secluded corner of the library, a shadowy area with few people and even fewer books.

“This seems to be the area with books related to history… but there aren’t that many.”
“Books chronicling history might contain classified information. They’re likely keeping the more valuable ones in a separate room.”

I slipped out of the guild staff’s grip and grabbed a random book, which had an anti-theft chain attached to it. Even though there were only a few books available for browsing, it was still better than nothing. I hadn’t expected much from the start.

Right now, I needed to learn anything I could about history up to the present day. I knew far too little about this world, 1,000 years into the future.

“Sorry, but as you can see, I won’t be moving from this shelf for a while. Why don’t you go and find something you’d like to read?”

The chain linked to the book clinked as I moved it. Naturally, it wasn’t long enough to carry the book all the way to the reading tables. It would be boring for her to just sit around watching me, and she had every right to enjoy her day off.

“Hmm, I could watch you for hours, but… if you insist, I’ll go look around.”
“Yeah, see you later.”

I watched the guild staff head off toward another section, then returned my attention to the book in my hands.

The content was something like a chronological table, listing various events that had taken place in Aldebaran over the past 100 years. The amount of detail was impressive, as evidenced by the book’s considerable thickness.

“…I can read this.”

The issue wasn’t the content itself, but rather the fact that I could recognize the written language. I picked up a few other books, but there wasn’t a single one I couldn’t read. The influence of Babel was clearly working.

This shelf held books as old as 150 years, but no matter how worn or faded the letters were, I could still understand them.

“The condition of the letters doesn’t affect the translation… Does the problem lie in when the letters were carved?”

I recalled the inscriptions I saw on the stone slabs in the Umravolf family’s underground chamber. At the very least, none of the characters here matched the “form” of those symbols.

I had formed several hypotheses regarding the conditions under which Babel’s influence didn’t apply, but one theory I wanted to test was whether it depended on the “time” when the text was created.

If texts from before Babel’s influence were immune to its effects, then I might be able to deduce the construction period of Babel by working backward.

“Still, it won’t be that simple, will it?”

The truly rare and older volumes were likely kept under strict protection, or they had been lost long ago. To trace history 1,000 years back, I would probably need to unearth something akin to the stone slabs I saw at the Umravolf estate. However, if I could just find a book documenting Babel itself, I wouldn’t have to go to such lengths… but this section didn’t even seem to mention the name ‘Babel.’

“Sigh… I came here to solve a mystery, but it’s only getting deeper.”

It was a bit too unsettling to dismiss this as a mere coincidence. Babel was an enormous structure that tampered with something as fundamental as language—surely, someone must have tried to investigate it. The complete lack of any writings about it was suspicious.

Were people’s interests in Babel intentionally diverted, or was the information simply erased?

“…Um, little Laika? It’s about lunchtime.”
“Hm? What? It’s already that time?”

I’d lost track of time while engrossed in my research and analysis. Sure enough, the sun outside the window was now high in the sky. I had an agreement with Momo and the guild staff, so maybe it was time to take a break.

“Alright, let’s go get lunch. Huh, what’s that book you’re holding?”
“Oh, this? It’s a book on handicrafts. Hehe, I thought I’d borrow it since it caught my interest.”
“What? You can borrow books here?”
“Yep! If the spine has a red mark, that means it’s available for checkout.”

The book the guild staff was holding had a small red circle painted discreetly on its spine, so as not to ruin its appearance. Unfortunately, none of the history books in this section had the same mark, but this was good to know. I’d have to pick out a few books to borrow as well.

“Sorry, just give me a little more time. But… you’re into handicrafts?”
“I-It’s just a hobby… Before I came here, I used to make clothes for my beloved dolls—uh, I mean, for cute little things.”
“Hmm…? I don’t really get it, but it’s not a bad hobby. Better than chasing after little girls while breathing heavily.”
“Th-That’s not it! I just have a weakness for cute things, and little Laika, you’re like a real-life doll… I mean, aren’t you basically a doll already?”
“What’s gotten into you? It’s too early in the day to be losing your mind.”

I might have brought up a topic I shouldn’t have. The gaze I felt from behind me suddenly turned from normal to something more… intense, as if it was licking me from head to toe.

In the end, without much time to carefully select anything, I grabbed two or three random books, and we left the library.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.