"Your Majesty?"

Selimia turned her head, and her eyes widened upon discovering Clay.

"Did you come looking for me?"

"Yes."

Clay approached her side.

"No matter how I think about it, it seems like it wouldn't be easy for you alone."

"For me alone?"

"Finding out who you are."

"Ah."

Selimia let out a small sigh.

"It was like that. I wasn't sure what to do first."

As she said that, she pointed to her own head.

"If a clue came to mind, I could do something, but besides living in Hanumayer, I don't have any particular memories."

"That clue, it seems it's not entirely absent."

Clay said.

"I confirmed the details of Lin's investigation about you."

"Investigation?"

"She called it a check-up, but I was actually the one who asked her to investigate your body. You probably already knew, didn't you?"

"I wasn't unaware, but I didn't expect you to tell me directly, Your Majesty."

Selimia smiled faintly.

"So, may I ask what that clue is?"

"Lifespan."

Clay answered softly.

"You say you only have memories of living in Hanumayer, but according to the investigation, it's estimated that your lifespan was longer than that."

"Lifespan..."

Perhaps because it was an unexpected piece of information, Selimia let out a slight groan.

"Could it be that Lin made a mistake in her investigation? I don't feel like I've lived for a long time."

"In this area, I don't think she would have made a mistake."

Clay didn't bother to explain that Lin hadn't mentioned the word 'lifespan' and had immediately brought up the possibility of her being a divine entity.

'It would be better to approach it step by step.'

Considering her long lifespan and the probability of being a divine entity, the current Selimia had some strange aspects.

It was impossible for her to only have memories of living in Hanumayer.

Unless her memories had been wiped out by some incident, there was also the possibility that she was deliberately suppressing them.

'If she is deliberately suppressing them...'

It could be because it would cause some kind of problem. If he didn't approach it carefully, instead of gaining a new card, he could end up with irreversible damage.

"I suppose that's true."

Selimia said with a sigh.

"I don't think Lin would make a mistake in this area. In any case, it's a bit shocking that my lifespan is longer than my memory."

"I suppose so."

"Do you know a way to find out why that is, Your Majesty?"

Selimia stared intently at Clay.

"I don't know exactly how to find out your identity either, but there is a way we can try together."

"What kind of..."

"To go to the Demon King's library in Barungenia."

A place only the Demon King could open. Fortunately, after the coronation ceremony, Beatrice had helped him receive the facility access rights for Barungenia, so there should be no problem getting in.

'Come to think of it, that means it wasn't a place only the Demon King could enter.'

The fact that she had transferred the authority meant that Beatrice could also enter on her own.

'It would be nice if I could ask for her help if she were here.'

If she had ever entered the library, finding information would be much easier.

'Of course, just because she had the authority doesn't mean she would have looked at things freely.'

He cleared his thoughts and extended his hand to Selimia.

"Will you go with me?"

The answer was as good as given.

***

♧

The library of Barungenia.

What was there were giant bookshelves that seemed to touch the ceiling.

'Did he have no intention of reading?'

Clay let out a hollow laugh at the sight that appeared as soon as he opened the door.

'It's all covered in dust.'

As much as it was inefficiently arranged, there were no signs of anyone's touch. Clay walked inside, looking to his side. Selimia was there.

"Wow."

She simply let out a sound of admiration.

"I've never seen such a large archive before."

"The archive in the palace of Hanumayer shouldn't be small either."

"Still, it's not this big."

The library of Barungenia, located underground, certainly boasted an overwhelming size. The bookshelves were visible to the very end of Clay's line of sight. It was impossible to immediately gauge how far they extended.

'But at this rate, it might take an eternity just to find anything.'

When he saw the Akashic Records, he was purely amazed by its grandeur, but looking at the library here, which boasted a considerable scale though not comparable to that, he only felt a sense of gloom.

"Your Majesty?"

As Clay stood still, Selimia spoke up. Clay immediately shook his head.

"It's nothing. Let's go inside."

As they walked deep into the library together, Clay discovered a stone monument between the bookshelves.

'This is?'

On top of the monument was a large orb. Clay unconsciously reached his hand toward it.

Zzzing.

It reacted.

『What are you looking for?』

A concise question.

At the voice coming from the orb, Clay let out a small sigh.

'So there was something like this after all.'

To just be told to find the information you want in this vast place was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Fortunately, it seemed the previous managers of this library hadn't been so foolish.

"Selimia."

Clay turned his head back and said.

"Come over here for a moment and place your hand on this."

"Yes? On that orb, you mean?"

"Yes."

At his instruction, Selimia lightly placed her hand on the orb. Then Clay spoke to the orb.

"Can you collect any information about this woman who has her hand on you right now?"

『Are you requesting an indexing operation?』

"Whatever is fine. As long as you can find related information."

He was half in doubt. To search for information about Selimia, this orb had to be able to grasp Selimia's physical condition.

It was when Clay was lost in thought, wondering if it had such a function, or if not, how he should request the information again.

『...Emotion in the basic domain, impossible.』

『Species classification, failed. Using mana detection technique, failed.』

...

...

『Attempting re-search in mythology.』

『1 related item found.』

The orb muttered to itself and emitted a light, then said something that made Clay flinch.

『Please check BB1-2871.』

It worked.

He didn't know how it worked, but the orb had read at least one piece of information about Selimia.

'Mythology, it said.'

Information that existed in a different domain, not common sense.

Clay took the first step.

"Let's go together!"

Selimia followed after him. While feeling her presence, Clay's eyes continued to search for the bookshelf the orb had indicated.

And before long, he found it.

That place.

'What is this?'

Clay, who had stopped, frowned.

What was there was not a bookshelf. It was a door of some kind. On it was written the number BB1-2871.

'Is it inside here?'

He didn't know why there was a separate door, but he could interpret it to mean that it was not easily accessible information.

Clay walked over and tried turning the doorknob.

Spin.

It spun freely.

"Selimia. Step back for a moment."

He didn't have time to play along with such tricks now. He drew Excalbren and swung it at the door.

Kaaang!

"!"

As Excalbren failed to break the door and bounced off, Clay staggered back greatly.

"Your Majesty!"

Selimia caught Clay to keep him from falling.

"...I'm fine."

Clay straightened himself up again, hiding his embarrassment.

'What is this?'

He had definitely struck it hard with Excalbren. But the door, which looked like it was made of nothing more than thick wood, did not break.

'Is it protected by magic?'

If so, he should be able to break the protective barrier with a few attacks due to the limit of its stored mana.

Clay raised his sword again.

"Hmm?"

Then he immediately lowered his sword again.

Thud.

A small window-like thing at the bottom of the door opened, spit something out, and closed again.

"Your Majesty, that is..."

Leaving Selimia, whose words trailed off, Clay picked up what the door had spat out.

It was a book.

It was a suspicious object, but this was the library of Barungenia. If it was in the form of a book, it couldn't be meaningless.

It could be related to Selimia, so he immediately checked the contents inside.

—I warn you.

Those words were written on the first page.

—This may be of no help to you at all.

A familiar handwriting.

Clay instantly recognized who had written this.

'The previous Demon King.'

His handwriting, which he knew from the records left in Barungenia. Clay held his breath slightly.

'It might be of no help at all?'

What in the world was inside?

—If you have picked up the body of a divine being created without knowing its identity, cast it out immediately. It is a being that will be of no benefit to our demon race.

"!"

Clay unconsciously stood with his back to Selimia. Fortunately, Selimia did not show any suspicion towards Clay.

—She erased her own memories. She could not bear the shame of having had to cooperate with the enemy in order to be born.

—If she regains her memories and power, there is no telling when she might commit a vile act again.

—Her soul also contains Elhaen's power. In the end, it will be the act of reviving one more of Elhaen's minions.

That was as far as Clay read. There was nothing more to read.

His gaze turned to the door again.

'I see.'

He had guessed what was inside that door.

Hatred for Elhaen.

He could see how far the previous Demon King's feelings towards humans had reached.

It seemed he had hoped that the next person to sit in his place would also not make the mistake of releasing what was inside that door.

'It seems he couldn't get rid of it.'

Why hadn't he tried to eliminate it?

He had a guess as to the reason for that as well. Clay turned his head to Selimia.

She was looking at him with anxious eyes.

"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

She asked as if she knew nothing, in a state where she actually knew nothing. Clay couldn't give any answer and just looked at her.

"Selimia."

"Yes?"

She tilted her head with a questioning expression. Clay had something he wanted to ask her, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.

'Perhaps, this Selimia could be seen as being in the same situation as me.'

Clay used magic to set fire to the book he was holding.

"Y-Your Majesty, why are you setting fire to that..."

"It wasn't content worth looking at again."

Leaving the flustered Selimia, Clay dusted the ashes from his hands.

"Let's go."

As Clay started to walk, Selimia hurriedly blocked his path.

"Selimia?"

"Your Majesty."

She looked up at Clay and asked.

"You found out what's inside there, didn't you?"

Silence fell between them like a curtain.

(End of Chapter)