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“Predator!”
At the mention of the hunter, the rabbit raised its ears and became wary.
“Hunters are very bad. They can find us like Seria, but they can’t set us free. According to the natural order, they should let us go, yet they are greedy and won’t let us go.”
“Gasp! What if that happens?”
“Of course It’s a big deal. Instead of coexisting with us, they forcibly annihilate and steal only our abilities to accumulate wealth from generation to generation. And try to harm a special being. They think you’re a hindrance.”
Just by listening to the rabbit, I could tell they were bad.
“Did those people hurt Mom?”
The rabbit then shook its head.
“I don’t know. I know Seria is no longer in this world.”
For some reason, the rabbit’s voice sank.
I also drooped my shoulders.
We just stared at the floor and for a long time we were locked in memories of each other and Mom.
No. Mom said I shouldn’t cry.
I have to be strong no matter what.
I raised my head.
“But you said you were going to go. Why are you staying?”
“Because I couldn’t say goodbye to Seria.”
“Then… You can’t disappear forever?”
“That’s not right. When the seeker disappears, we are free after a period of time. But I decided to stay because Seria asked for something.”
I don’t understand everything, but I thought I knew about seekers and hunters.
The two are similar yet different.
I asked the rabbit.
“I think I have the power to see the future. Maybe this is also… your abilities?”
“Did you see the snake’s eyes?”
“Snake eyes?”
“Serpens! Of those awakened by Seria, Serpens is the only one who can see the future. It had the form of a snake and one of its eyes was red.”
The rabbit lifted his front paws and straightened his body.
“It’s a necklace, right? Seria found it and cherished it.”
I nodded my head off.
“That’s right! Mom took a red jewel from her necklace.”
I don’t know if the necklace she pulled out at that time was exactly a snake’s.
“I told Seria that she must awaken that power. But Seria seems to have given it to you. I told Seria that she would be safer with that. Where is it now?”
Where that is…
“I ate it…”
“You ate it?”
“Yeah, Mom gave it to me, so I gulped it.”
Then the bunny muttered something, “You forcibly pulled out the power.”
“Wasn’t that painful?”
I replied that I didn’t know anything after the accident.
When I said I couldn’t remember everything, the rabbit’s ears drooped even more.
“I see… Serpens’ ability is a very rare one among us. It followed the Most High of the Gods. Unlike me who belonged to the slate, it was a jewel. You have awakened its power.”
Suddenly, the rabbit came out, bumped its nose, jumped up, and came into my arms.
As soon as it touched my wet nose, I was startled and sat down with my butt on the back.
The rabbit pressed its little paws near my heart.
I was a little surprised, but it was so light that it wasn’t difficult at all.
“But you can only use my abilities. Serpens is inside you, yet you haven’t woken up properly. This way, you won’t be able to use your power properly.”
At those words, I poured out, recalling the unfair past.
“That’s right! Suddenly I see the future, even though I didn’t want to. At that time, I can’t do what I please. My mom told me to keep it a secret, but that keeps happening, so I don’t think I can keep it.”
“Then let’s wake it up now.”
“How?”
“Well, even if we don’t immediately recognize the seeker, when they’re around, we’ll be drawn to it and come to our senses. Then we will call the seeker anxiously on our own.”
“Ah…”
“But for those who haven’t awakened on their own, the seeker has to find out and call us by name. Otherwise, we have no choice but to wait for the next seeker to find us.”
The rabbit leaned into my arms and continued talking.
“It’s really waiting for fate. Until we meet a very aggressive seeker.”
“Fate…”
“Didn’t I tell you that its name was Serpens?”
“Mm.”
“It’s already in you and you know its name, so now all you have to do is call it by its name. It’s the easiest way.”
“Can I just call it?”
“Concentrate all your thoughts in one place. And remember the jewel you ate. and earnestly call. Until your call is answered.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll try slowly one more time later. Can I just do what you said?”
“Later? Now!”
“N-Now?”
“Right now!”
The rabbit, which sprang up, pushed its face closer.
The rabbit’s pea-like eyes shone fiercely.
I was puzzled.
No, at least I have to prepare my heart, you know?!
“Scary. What if it suddenly goes wrong?”
“It’s already wrong anyway!”
***
Meanwhile, the imperial palace turned upside down in silence.
Inside the ancient library, Aika disappeared like dust.
After looking around the bookshelves for a long time, Russphe couldn’t find Aika, so he informed Kamaye and Zenda, and Zenda immediately informed Gerard.
“No matter how much I search, I can’t find her.”
“Gerard, what should we do? She really isn’t there.”
“She didn’t come out. I will go in and find her.”
The four of them joined forces to search the ancient library again, yet Aika disappeared as if she had really evaporated.
Naturally, this fact reached Kassel, Duke Valliot, and even the Emperor.
However, since several important meetings were underway on the agenda of raising a new prime minister, first of all, servants and knights were sent to thoroughly search the inside of the ancient library.
No matter how large the ancient library was, it was a room inside the Imperial Palace.
More than ten people entered the space, searched through all the old books, and searched for picture frames, chairs, and other places where even ants couldn’t hide, yet Aika didn’t come out.
And all this was done quietly and thoroughly.
“There’s nothing here.”
“She’s not even here!”
“There is nowhere else to hide.”
The ancient library didn’t even have a secret passage that could be easily found in the Imperial Palace.
It was literally a place that was blocked off on all sides except for the entrance, and it made no sense that even with so many people put in, they couldn’t find her.
As soon as the meeting was over, Kassel immediately went that way to the ancient library and received the report, his eyes widened.
When the chaos erupted to the point that Gerard couldn’t stop it, the Emperor who came belatedly looked at the situation unfolding in front of him and made a stunned expression.
It was absolutely devastating.
Although the knights were moved to the outside of the building so that the news wouldn’t go out, those who had come to the inside to stop him were all gone.
“…Y-Your Imperial Majesty. I apologize. The Marquis is too stubborn.”
Belatedly, one of the knights straightened his body and corrected his posture.
What the heck happened, the knight had a torn side of his eye and a dent on one of his armored shoulders.
He must have been thrown out while trying to stop Kassel.
The Marquis was trying to get all the books in the ancient room, so they tried to stop him for the purpose of protection, and it happened like this, he said.
“I-I apologize.”
“That’s okay. Take a rest first.”
Winchester pressed his forehead and headed inward.
As he moved a little closer, in the distance, the maid who had been tending to Aika was on her knees begging forgiveness.
“Sir, please calm down. I’ve sent someone to the garden, so we’ll find her soon. Just calm down a bit…”
“You ain’t getting out of my way?”
Bangㅡ!
Before Winchester could even enter the ancient library, a knight flew in and crashed into the door of the ancient library.
The knight crouched over and groaned.
All of the fallen knights were said to be the best in the Empire.
They were gathered to form the Imperial Palace Knights, so their skills aside, their basic physical condition was extraordinary.
Tossing them around was a truly formidable and monstrous force.
It seemed that Gerard had already given up stopping him.
Winchester lifted his hand to summon the still intact knights.
“I’ll figure it out, so drive all people away.”
“Your Imperial Majesty, it’s too dangerous right now…”
“Isn’t anyone stopping him now? Keep your mouth closed so that it doesn’t leak outside as much as possible, and drive people away. You’re forbidden to enter this way.”
“…I will take your order.”
After all the people of the Marquis’ residence were driven away,Winchester went inside.
Valuable old books were scattered on the floor, making a mess.
He rubbed his brow.
It was bitter in his mouth because these were the books he had managed more thoroughly than anything else.
However, this time, he was also at fault.
Maybe he should have been a little more careful.
He raised his head with guilt, wondering if he had given the key too hastily after seeing the child who had grown so much that he didn’t recognize her.
“Kassel.”
As soon as Winchester put his hand on Kassel’s shoulder, he was thrown away with a thud.
“Move.”
“Kassel.”
Kassel sighed without looking up.
The moment Winchester was caught off guard, Kassel grabbed him by the collar and pushed him hard against the wall.
Thud!
Hitting the wall with a sound, Winchester groaned briefly.
“I don’t think I can kill you.”