Chapter 251 : Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Outsiders

She ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍stood there without moving.

All ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍focus had vanished from her violet eyes as she stared blankly at the filthy stone table ahead.

It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍felt as though the blood in her body had frozen in an instant, only to be violently churned a moment later by some terrible force, crashing through every limb and every bone.

A ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍dull ringing filled her ears. Every sound from the outside world disappeared, leaving only the heavy, slow, yet seemingly explosive thud of her own heart inside her chest.

Serandil...

Great ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Sage...

Hero against catastrophe...

Guide...

Volunteer No. 47... infant elven sample... pregnant female subject in mid-gestation... my youngest sister, Lyra... successfully bore the fifth one... seventeen seconds... ascension...

Word after word, image after image formed from cold lines of text, spun madly through her mind, colliding, tearing, and shattering against the elegant frontispiece portrait from the exquisite biography outside—the silver-haired elder with golden eyes, wise and benevolent.

“Urgh—!”

A violent wave of nausea surged up from her stomach. Ilyss could no longer hold it back. She doubled over and retched.

But her stomach was empty. Only acid and bitter bile burned at her throat.

She braced one hand against the wooden rack beside her, her knuckles white with force, her body trembling uncontrollably.

A sage of light? A pioneer who led an age?

No.

This was a devil. A madman. A monster wrapped in the outer skin of wisdom and benevolence, whose insides had long since been consumed by a deranged hunger for knowledge and an obsession with transcendence.

He had used the trust of his own people, using elven flesh and souls as the steps of a ladder toward his own insane delusions.

Those elves who died in agony, those kinsmen he called “subjects” and “samples,” even his own younger sister...

In his eyes, they had likely been nothing more than a cold serial number in an experiment log, a single entry marked success or failure.

Faith collapsed before her eyes. An idol turned in an instant into a festering swamp.

A wave of dizziness overtook Ilyss, along with a cold so deep it seemed to seep into her bones, and fear just as deep.

Just moments ago, she had been reverently placing that biography praising his greatness into the preservation case.

How ironic.

How laughable.

No. She could not remain here. Not for one more second.

She straightened abruptly, not even bothering to wipe the filth from the corner of her mouth. Refusing to look again at the mountain of manuscripts on the shelves—those papers that recorded countless crimes and unimaginable suffering—she turned and stumbled toward the narrow opening.

She squeezed herself out sideways as though fleeing a nightmare. Behind her, once she had left, the bookshelf silently slid back into place, sealing away once more that secret chamber reeking of blood and madness.

Standing once more beneath the library’s cool, gentle light, breathing the old but clean air, Ilyss felt no warmth at all.

She leaned back against the restored bookshelf, pale as paper, her chest rising and falling sharply. Only after a long while did the sickening dizziness and icy revulsion fade a little.

She lowered her head and looked at the fingers that had just touched those manuscripts, then furiously wiped them against her clothes as though something unclean still clung to them and would never wash off.

Calm down, Ilyss. Calm down.

She forced herself to breathe deeply.

The Royal Princess’s task was not yet complete. The books outside were innocent. They were the true treasure.

As for what lay inside... those manuscripts...

A look of struggle crossed her eyes. In the end, she clenched her teeth and reopened her Storage Magic Tool.

She could not leave those things behind.

Those manuscripts recorded Serandil’s deranged experiments, especially the sections involving details of the elven royal family. If such things were to spread, it would be a devastating blow to the already declining elven remnants. They would also become a fatal threat to her own hidden identity.

And besides, the experimental data concerning the Elven Gospel... though evil, perhaps... perhaps under certain circumstances...

She refused to think further.

She quickly returned to the hidden bookshelf and once more activated the mechanism with her blood.

The narrow opening appeared again. Fighting down her disgust, she swiftly swept every loose manuscript, notebook, and leather-bound journal from the wooden racks into her Storage Magic Tool. She did not care what was written in them. She simply took everything.

She moved quickly, avoiding reading a single line.

Once it was done, she left the chamber again and sealed the mechanism shut. Then, without a backward glance, she hurried toward the library entrance, the rotating stone door faintly visible ahead. Her steps were unsteady. She wanted only to leave this place as quickly as possible—a place that had overturned everything she believed and left her heart in chaos.

Just as she neared the entrance and the rotating stone door came into view, familiar voices drifted faintly in from outside.

...

Ilyss gave a brief account of her actions inside the ruins.

She instinctively concealed the horrifying records of the Gospel experiments. She only mentioned that she had passed through a place resembling a library, brought out many valuable documents, and then, after opening a door, ran into Ryan and the others.

What followed was one battle after another—the Illusion Spider, Parker’s group, and finally that Witch.

She did not hide Ryan’s incomprehensible state at the end, because more than she alone had witnessed it.

“In the end, Ryan collapsed from exhaustion and fell. At that moment... I had no other choice. I used an elven secret art and forcibly teleported everyone away. Vera saw my elven form. Ryan, Lillian, and Rex all saw it as well.” Her gaze turned to the Royal Princess. “Your Highness, my identity... Vera is one of the Gale Duke’s people. She surely understands what that means. Should certain measures be taken?”

She did not say it outright, but the implication of silencing or controlling them was already unmistakable.

An elf wandering in the human Empire, and hidden beside the Royal Princess no less—if that secret were exposed, the uproar would be impossible to imagine. It would be a disaster for both her and her people.

Cecilia listened quietly the entire time. There was almost no expression on her face, only the occasional glint of thought flickering deep within her ice-blue eyes as Ilyss spoke.

Only when Ilyss asked that question did she slowly raise her eyes to look at her.

“No.”

The Royal Princess’s voice was perfectly calm.

“No?” Ilyss froze. Then emotion flared up in her at once. She pushed against the bed as though to sit straighter, tugging painfully at her injuries and bringing a flush to her pale face. “Your Highness, you promised me that you would protect the secrecy of my identity! If the Gale Duke—or someone higher—finds out—”

“I said no.” Cecilia cut her off, her tone still steady.

She looked at Ilyss. In that single glance, there was no emotional ripple at all in those ice-blue eyes, only calm control and the poise of someone who held everything firmly in hand.

When Ilyss met that gaze, the surging heat of her emotions was like boiling water doused with ice.

It stopped instantly.

She stared at the Royal Princess, and a dreadful thought suddenly pierced her mind. Her pupils shrank, and all color drained from her face.

Cecilia seemed to see straight through her shock, yet offered no explanation. She only said lightly:

“I told you. Your identity will not be known to outsiders.”

She did not put particular force on the final word.

And yet the moment she said it, Ilyss’s heart sank violently, and a chill began creeping up her spine.