I cast magic? ? Thinking back, I couldn't recall anything that obviously suggested I might have done anything like that, but the Librarian suggested otherwise.
"Oh! Perhaps it is different from the sort of magic you imagine, and that's because it is, but whenever you enter the Library on your own, and whenever you summon this Assistance nu before you, these are indeed feats accomplished through magic cast by your very own self!"
Hearing that cleared things up a little.
"Ah... Well, it doesn't really feel like magic, but when you put it like that, I guess so."
I suppose it kind of made sense that those things―things that would never happen in a solely non-magical world―would be related to magic... but, did I really cast magic to make those things happen?
The forr was achieved through that key-turned-tattoo, and even though I retained the ability to enter the Library when the key was absorbed into my body, could that really be classified as my own power? At the end of the day, it was still the power of the key.
As for the latter, well... wasn't that also just achieved by the tattoo?
Having probably literally read my mind, the Librarian answered these questions for , tilting her head awkwardly.
"Mmmmh~ Both of these are rather unusual cases, I must admit! The source of each are a specialised magic that sanctions access to the Illusory Library, and a specialised magic that sanctions the use of the Assistance nu! These are both unique magics you are permitted to cast by the will of the Spirit of the Illusory Library, and it is through the Mark of the Illusory Library that you are able to cast them without mana expenditure by using it as a dium."
Facing normally again, she put on her previous beaming smile.
"I suppose we could summarise it by saying you are casting the magic by sending your will that you want the magic to happen, and the Library does all the heavy lifting by receiving that will and making the corresponding magic happen, which it achieves automatically through the link established by the Mark!"
"...Uh-huh."
So, basically, I borrowed the magic of this Library. Right? That was all. The Library casts the magic, and the Mark on my hand was the dium to cast it, whilst my body was the object that hosted that dium.
That effectively established a chain link, allowing to connect my will indirectly to the Library's source of magic?
Compartntalising it like that, it really didn't seem that complicated after all...
'I guess going to such lengths is necessary if you want to use magic as a manaless person.'
I was curious as to what other thods there were to use magic, and it was sothing I was actually keen to get started on as a standard fantasy fanatic, but that could wait for another ti.
After all, if I couldn't use it right now anyway, then there was no point discussing it in depth.
Thus, we moved on.
"Next is 'Spiritual Synergism'! This represents your ability to connect and resonate with spirits! Mmh, there are an abundance of ways in which this quality may manifest itself, or the varying implications, but until you et a spirit directly, this won't be sothing for you to be concerned about, so―fret not, I suppose!"
'Spirit...'
Needless to say, even if she told not to worry, I would still worry.
I had no idea what spirits even were or what they did, so I actually think it's quite an important piece of information for to know... but well, since it's classified as 'Nonexistent' anyway, I guess it really doesn't matter how much I know if that knowledge would be useless either way.
My specs were so trash that there wasn't even a point in knowing what they were.
Still, I had a question.
"What about that Spirit of the Library? If I've been able to cast magic through that spirit's help, then how do I have zero synergy with it?"
The Librarian answered without hesitation and with the sa ear-to-ear, radiant smile as always.
"―By the will of the Spirit of the Illusory Library, individual 'Enki Valentine' is permitted authority to cast the specialised anti-illusionnt and transportation magic, 'Key to the Library of Illusory Worlds', as well as the specialised summon, illusion and communications magic, 'Summon: Antagonist Protection Service Specialised Authority & Assistance nu - Assistant Tier'. Furthermore, by the Authority of the Library of Illusory Worlds, individual 'Enki Valentine' does not require the direct permission of the Spirit of the Illusory Library to cast these specialised magics. Direct communication between the individual and the Spirit of the Illusory Library is also unnecessary."
"These laws have been observed by the Spirit of the Illusory Library and permission to regulate and carry them out automatically has been confird for as long as Authority is maintained."
"Therefore, regardless of the individual's level of Spiritual Synergism, the aforentioned specialised magics may be cast unconstrained."
The Librarian, whose tone suddenly altered into one that made her sound like a robotic lawyer, spewed verbal vomit at length in response to my question which, upon listening to everything she had to say, felt like it could have been answered in under twenty words.
Repeatedly was I reminded that she was, evidently, not an ordinary person.
"...Are you done?"
"Certainly! Was that a satisfactory explanation? To clear things up neatly and with brevity, I took the liberty of reciting the official decree of the Spirit of the Illusory Library!"
'I don't think there was much 'brevity' there, though?'
Glancing at that innocuous smile, sothing so innocent that didn't at all match the level of vocabulary soone of her outwards age would ever use, or even her basic manner of speaking, I chose to withhold my thoughts.
In any case, following that ss of a "clarification" about the Spiritual Synergism thing, which my brain seed to imdiately refuse to comprehend completely, the Librarian continued going through my Status with .
"Would you like an explanation for 'Protagonists Dispatched'?"
"Uh, no, I think I know what that one ans."
Incidentally, I did find the terminology used here interesting; was the word 'dispatched' simply more professional than saying 'killed' or 'assassinated'? I supposed as much, but anyway, the wording wasn't really important.
Beside the words, a number was displayed.
Protagonists Dispatched : 1
"..."
Gazing at the simple statistic for a while, I recalled my final monts of the past two days.
At the ti, it felt like my heart would explode from beating too fast, but the instant I returned ho, I felt strangely composed again. Like everything was a dream.
Of course, I knew that wasn't actually the case, but it was hard to convince my brain that everything was in fact real.
Unknown if I was being a bit too obvious with my quiet contemplation, regardless, the Librarian spoke up at my silence.
"You need not let yourself be overco with remorse for your actions, Enki. The Protagonists are veritable evil beings that must be culled, and under no circumstances will that not remain true. Sincerely, I would be vexed to see a colleague be swallowed by guilt or undeserved lantation as a result of purely malicious parasites."
Looking at her through the transparent screen as she spoke with a peculiar sense of candour, I faintly felt the ends of my lips curl up for a mont.
Wiping over my face with a hand, I shook my head.
"No, I know that. I don't really... regret anything."
This was also odd. If the Librarian's words were to be trusted, then I would be saving countless people by eliminating the Protagonist.
It's not exactly a hard trolley problem to solve, and that's assuming the Illusory Worlds were real in the first place, which was alone doubtful.
Honestly, I don't think it has anything to do with if a random, fake other world is destroyed or not, but...
...Suppose it were real, then considering how monuntal it would be for such a world to be destroyed, if blood on my hands was the price to pay for saving it, then...
So be it, I guess?
I wouldn't face any consequences for doing it, and I don't think there's anything particularly hard about taking on that role.
I've already done it once――
"I see! That's very comndable! Then, at the end we have Skills, Traits, and Blessings! I'll go through them in order, alrighty?"
The Librarian's voice interrupted my thoughts. At the sa ti, I moved my gaze to the sections of the Status she ntioned.
Finally, we'd arrived at the things I'd been waiting for the most.
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