The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 127

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 127
Looking down, it seemed my foot had barely grazed the tip of his shoe.
“Oh, sorry.”
“Sorry? Sor-ry? SORRY?”
Haberus seized upon my words and dragged them out.
“You step on a nobleman’s foot and think ‘sorry’ fixes it? Do you have any idea how much these shoes cost?!”
“…Huh? Well, if I apologize, isn’t that enough? What else am I supposed to say?”
I asked genuinely perplexed. After all, I hadn’t even stepped on his foot—I’d merely brushed it. Why was he being so oversensitive?
“Wow, unbelievable.”
“I’m not exactly brimming with belief either….”
“You!”
Unable to contain himself any longer, Haberus suddenly raised his hand.
I tried to dodge backward, but my feet tangled and I bumped lightly against the wall.
“Ugh….”
My back stung….
“Pfft, serves you right.”
That guy, seriously.
“Ugh, seriously!”
In that moment, Void’s voice rang out nearby.
“Lend me the book already. I don’t skip my sword training!”
“Oh no.”
He was getting closer!
My shoulders jolted upward.
A wall behind me, Haberus in front, and a pillar gap right beside me!
Like a pressed hotcake, I squeezed myself tightly into the narrow gap.
“What are you doing?”
“Look, um, uh, what was I saying? Anyway, I didn’t really step on your foot—I just barely grazed it, but if that felt like an impact to your delicate feet, then I’m truly sorry! There, satisfied? Now please move!”
Despite my objectively factual and thorough apology, Haberus’s face inexplicably flushed red and then pale.
What the—! What’s wrong with him!
“Void, as your older brother, let me give you some advice: if you’re going to hold something, hold a pen instead.”
“No way! But what about your sword anyway? I haven’t seen you with it lately?”
“Well, let me think….”
At that moment, Liam slowly lifted his head from the book he’d been buried in.
“But ever since a while ago….”
With a sharp sound, he closed his book and his legs moved with long, purposeful strides.
Haven glanced to the side, sensing the ominous aura emanating from him.
‘Now’s my chance!’
I didn’t miss the opportunity and slipped right through the gap.
“Wh-what? Oh no, the Duke of Zebert….”
It was the same moment Liam grabbed Haven’s shoulder and spun him around.
“No….”
Deep violet eyes swept methodically behind the pillars.
“Brother, what’s wrong?”
“Why am I suddenly so irritated…?”
Liam tilted his head in confusion.
“…There’s nothing here. That’s strange.”
The space beneath the decorations was completely empty.
“Listen. You weren’t in the middle of enthusiastically tormenting or pestering someone, were you?”
Liam gripped the young boy’s shoulder firmly. The boy’s grip strength was considerable for someone who appeared to have only ever held a pen.
“Ow, ow! I, I didn’t do anything! I haven’t…! Huh? But where did….”
“What?”
Haven seemed to have just remembered something, and as he glanced nervously around the empty space, he caught sight of the dark-haired boy before him and quickly shook his head in fear.
“N, no! I’m telling you, no!”
“…Something feels off.”
Liam tilted his head and reluctantly released his grip.
Just then, Void, who had been glancing around the area, interjected with an animated expression.
“By the way, are you a camp participant?”
“Yes? Y-yes….”
“Then have you seen my sister?”
“Your sister?”
Haven blinked and shook his head.
“Didn’t the young lady come?”
At that, both Liam and Void’s expressions froze identically blank.
“Huh?”
“That can’t be right….”
“Wow, if she had come, I would have taken care of her kindly! I, I’m the second son of the Abelus Marquis Family…!”
Haven spoke whatever came to mind in a rush.
He was trying to escape the situation, but strangely the atmosphere around him grew cold and heavy.
“What are you saying.”
Liam and Void closed in on him from both sides. The startled boy hiccupped in surprise.
“Who are you to look after our Rubian?”
“I, I’m the second son of the Abelus Marquis Family….”
“Mind your own appearance instead.”
Liam carefully adjusted his glasses and gestured with his chin.
“Don’t take interest in someone else’s precious one.”
“My thoughts exactly. Only we older brothers have the right to look after Rubian. Understand?”
“Y, yes…. I understand….”
She wasn’t even coming anyway.
Haven responded hesitantly. By now, several children around them were watching with curious gazes.
“Make sure you don’t even look at our precious one, and don’t speak to him. Got it? You have this strange way of irritating people.”
“No, I’m telling you, he didn’t come….”
“I don’t care. Just nod along. And don’t pick fights with anyone. You have this strange quality about you that seems to invite trouble.”
“Sigh…. I understand…. Please just go….”
Who do they think they are….
But Haven had no choice but to nod frantically, as if thorns were lodged in his ears.
“….”
And I heard everything as I crawled awkwardly behind a pillar, witnessing the entire scene.
* * *
‘Oh no.’
I almost got caught.
I had slipped into some random archive I could see. I brushed the dust from my clothes as I thought.
‘Well, it’s not like I was doing anything wrong.’
Whenever I see my older brothers, I’ve instinctively started hiding—the consequences of hide-and-seek, I suppose….
‘But wait, isn’t this supposed to be class time?’
What are those two doing wandering around?
I resolved to report this situation to Mother and Father without fail.
They really ought to know about my older brothers’ academic progress. Obviously.
“But… where am I?”
I exhaled a short breath and looked around.
Unlike the Children’s Archive, this place was profoundly quiet.
Bookshelves stretched endlessly, reaching all the way to the ceiling.
Dust motes drifting in the sunlight streaming through the windows. The scent of aged paper. Air as if time itself had stopped.
“This is the largest archive in the Imperial Library. Geographically, it’s also the very heart of our Academy.”
I suddenly grasped the truth of the professor’s words.
‘There might be something here in this library.’
But then I felt a bit deflated.
‘Wait, isn’t it strange that the Babylon Academy library would hold secrets about magic…?’
In a nation so lacking in magical power?
‘But then, I don’t have any other leads anyway.’
I rolled up my sleeves. Since thinking alone wouldn’t yield answers, I decided to start moving.
First, I needed to figure out what kind of archive this was.
That’s when it happened.
“Is someone there?”
The door opened and footsteps drew closer. It seemed to be the Librarian.
‘Oh no.’
I can’t be discovered yet!
As I flailed about looking for a hiding spot, a hand suddenly jutted out from somewhere among the complex bookshelves.
“…!”
“Shh.”
A finger gently pressed against my lips.
My breath caught in my throat.
Tousled blue-black hair fell softly around his face, and sharp eyes surveyed the surroundings with keen awareness. The two small marks beneath his eyes were positioned far too close together.
At that same moment, the Squirrel squeaked and bolted away.
“Oh dear. It must have come in from outside.”
Come here, come here. The Librarian coaxed the Squirrel along, closed the open window, and left the archive.
Silence fell.
I carefully bit down on my upper and lower lips.
I tapped Kalid’s shoulder lightly, and only then did he turn to look at me.
“Phew, I almost got caught….”
Please… save… me….
“Oh.”
He startled and quickly withdrew his hand.
“Why were you holding your breath?”
“Gasp. Huff, huff.”
I braced myself against the ground and drew in the breath I’d been holding back.
“You told me to be quiet!”
“No, that meant… to be silent, not to stop breathing….”
But somehow, breathing had become difficult!
I couldn’t bring myself to say that much, so I let my body go limp. Kalid wore a somewhat aggrieved expression before pulling back slightly.
“But what are you doing here?”
I curled myself small behind the bookshelf and asked.
“Investigating.”
“Huh? Doesn’t your class have afternoon activities?”
“Yeah, I said I wasn’t feeling well and skipped.”
Wow, that method?
‘He’s quite resourceful, isn’t he.’
I looked at Kalid with newfound admiration.
In his Academy uniform, Kalid looked like just another student his age—neither a mercenary boy nor a young knight.
‘Come to think of it, I never could have imagined this.’
That we, who once wandered battlefields, would end up sitting side by side in a school library wearing uniforms.
Of course, we didn’t actually come here to study….
Life truly is full of surprises.
“But Rubian, how did you end up here? You gave me quite a fright.”
Just then, the young boy who had been leaning against the bookshelf met my gaze. I flinched, as if caught stealing a glance at him.
“Huh? Oh…! I was looking around the library, spotted my older brothers, and ran away.”
“Ah.”
Kalid nodded as if he understood.
“So? Did you find anything?”
“No. This archive doesn’t seem to have anything special. It was only history books.”
I see….
As I pondered the matter, a thought suddenly surfaced, and I spoke.
“You know, Kalid, this library apparently has a restricted access section.”
“A restricted access section?”
“Yes. Don’t you think there might be something there?”
He wore a contemplative expression for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement.
“Let’s go check it out.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————