AFP_Writer

This one is not.

The plan to pass as nobles worked out pretty well: the guards didn’t care checking us due to the exquisite outfits, while the nobles didn’t bother checking the new ‘country bumpkin’ faces.

To solidify the convenient misunderstanding, we also started approaching other nobles who looked somewhat rich.

“Good day to you.” The goddess in tuxedo was radiating confidence.

“Whatever you need, sir…?” The noble we approached glanced at us, not even trying to hide his irritation.

“We are…” We bamboozled him for as long as we were allowed to.

We were trying to get all friendly with him, until his patience broke.

“Leave me alone! What do you, bumpkins have to do with me?! Go bother someone else!” Rinse and repeat.

But, thanks to that, us approaching the largest library of the city did not look too suspicious. After all, we headed exactly where we were finding rich and powerful of this place.

Just like that, we could walk through the entrance, unhindered by anybody.

‘Creeeak’

“That’s quite a library they’ve got…” Upon seeing the library, I was quite at a loss.

“Mine expectation were surpassed too…” The kitsune gazed at the interior, unable to hide her amazement.

If we considered the space this library takes, it should be around 5000 square meters. A football field under a roof.

The problem is, this football field’s worth of space is occupied by exactly 10 shelves of books, and the rest are tables and armchairs for the rich and powerful to chat and socialize…

[Hey, are you sure this is the place…?]

‘Should be…?’ When even the goddess showed her disappointment, I understood that we are not going to make any progress whatsoever.

But while I was being amazed by this place, somebody pushed me from behind.

“Stop standing in the doorway!” I glanced back, and saw a noble with a very irritated expression. He happened to be one of those we annoyed on the way.

“Well, sorry about that. We were just…”

“… too excited.” The fox continued with a bright smile.

[Yeah, if you say so…]

But it didn’t stop the noble from being irritated.

“No matter how much of a bumpkin you are, what makes you think that troubling other people is a good thing?!” We stepped aside to let the noble through, but then he started walking at us.

“Who even dared letting you in? Who?! Listen here, fools, this is not a place for somebody like yourselves! So, please, ‘esteemed’ guests, LEAVE.” The noble hit Akagi-sama’s side with his palm.

I immediately guessed, that we are in for something bad…

After being pushed a step away, the foxgirl gazed at the side she was hit, then she gazed up at the noble. But, somehow, she way yet to do anything more than frown.

If that is what you wish.

All my insides trembled from her voice.

At the same moment, all nobles in the building jumped from their seats, startled by the unknown pulse of energy.

Spurts of blue flame started dancing around the fox, as her anger boiled.

Deliver them.

I felt my guts shrink, but instead of hurrying to ‘deliver’ them, most likely of their lives, I tried to calm the gushing nightmare.

[We are going to get into a lot of trouble later, if you continue! Try calming down! It’ll hinder the search, and make it harder to find the artifact! That guy might even go into hiding!]

Matters not.

As the silent voice of the goddess resounded through the building, the nobles inside got more and more scared.

But, the instigator has already fled.

Only when the goddess noticed that too has she calmed down.

‘Go search.’ With a slight push, she sent me towards the few shelves, while remaining by the entrance, away from the shivering mass of people.

Under the all-seeing gaze of my divine patron, I started looking through the shallow contents of the library, finding mostly romance novels and theology books. And only at the very last shelf I found another novel, but this one had at least a faint relevance to our problem.

“Life and adventures of archmage…?” The fox flipped the pages at the speed which would only be considered counting how many pages there are.

“This is such a frivolous text… Well, a friend of mine might like it. What is important, we now have a faint idea of what we can search for.” (A)

“I am all ears.”

“I can make you one giant ear, if you want.

This… thing… contains little useful information, but it theorizes that elves may have high enough affinity to sense mana, and if we can catch a trace of archmage, then with an elf’s aid we can even track down the Bestower.” (A)

[Can’t you do it yourself then…?]

“Why should I? If I did it all myself, then should I eat your soul here and now?” When she coldly glanced at me, I immediately started shaking my head.