Is this a passage, a story, or a poem?

Any either of those probably would give us some sort of lead to anything in this. I’m not the brightest person so I probably need everyone’s cooperation. However, this story sounds so familiar with something I’ve read a long time ago.

“Asagao, it looks like this is only the page one. There may be some page leading to more.”

“Ah, you’re right! It’s really blurred but there’s a number, huh.”

That was very inattentive of me, or rather, how could I miss such simple detail? No matter, at the very least, we already have a lead.

I called out to everyone and showed them this piece of paper.

“So, everyone, there might be a similar paper like this throughout the whole room. Let’s find them and find out what we need to know. Along the way, gather as much information as you can too. Also, exercise caution.”

Everyone nodded with vigor from my word and confirming that they got my words, I turn around to look on the place I tasked myself with, however, the panel in the floor sticking out like a sore thumb got my foot.

“Uwah!”

I stumbled on the pile of books and dust arises as my face met with the ground. A dull pain came to my forehead that fortunately struck the books. Even though any wounds and scratch will just go away in a matter of second, painful is still painful!

“Exercise caution!~”

“You don’t have to rub that one on me, Topaz…”

“Oh, there’s a page stuck on your clothes.”

“…Wow.”

I immediately flipped the page stuck on my clothes, specifically, stuck in the collar of my shirt and my chest. The way it sounded makes it seem like a pervert planned this.

Having no time to dawdle in this thoughts, I immediately read the passage aloud for everyone to hear.

“And so, the chivalrous king succumbs to his wounds inflicted by a treacherous comrade. In his fleeting moment, he could not imagine anything but the regressing regrets.”

“…Asagao, what page is that?”

“Page five. It seems we got the end of the passage. Aren’t we lucky to know that there’s only five page and we got to find three more.”

Mimi, who asked the question, lit up in relief and started doing her own search. Daisy gleefully turned around and starts rummaging in loads of chests and pots lying around while the twins started peering at the books teeming with dust and molds. Topaz also helped by carefully looking at the crevice of each other furniture inside the room.

Since there are a lot of shelves with books, I also started skimming through the contents of each. Since this is still a valid labyrinth, I’ll stash in any book that looks useful. In that way, I won’t look like a robber and more like a treasure hoarder.

It’ll be a good gift for Violetta.

Although I said that, I can’t even find any useful books, less, anything readable because of the book’s age. They are either full of molds, too rotten to read, or just ripped off.

But all of it wasn’t for naught as Hibiscus came to me holding a book in her hands. It seems like it was a book unburdened much by time.

“Asagao, I saw you trying to find useful in your search for clues too. I found this completely intact but I can’t read any of the letters.”

“Ah, let me see.”

The book has a green cover and it’s a bind with a press technique that can be found back in my world but it is no exaggeration to say that this is an old published book, a really old one that it looks similar with this world’s current bookbinding.

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I’ve read a lot of books before, immersing myself with a lot of literature of fictions and I’ve come across books about history from time to time. Some of those books even described how books are manually made back in olden times.

It is common sense that all the books back then are handwritten that it makes it precious and the papers are called parchment, something made out of animal skin. Stitching it together through thread was the most common way to put them together.

The books in this world are also handwritten but because of the existence of magic, binding them together with something like adhesive from alchemy and put them together and strengthen them with magic.

This one definitely dates back…

Upon my deep thoughts about it, I open the book and immediately felt a pang in my head. It was painful enough to make me crouch on spot.

“Kuh…”

“Asagao!”

“I’m fine! It’s just that…”

I look at the letters again and my vision distorts a little, however, before turning away from it again, I got a glimpse of the written letters.

It was classic English.

Are you kidding?! English was too hard for me too back then and now, it’s giving me a headache by just looking at it now?!

I flipped open the book and showed it again to Hibiscus.

“Hibiscus, what can you make out of this page or anything written on this book?”

“Umm…ah…it’s just letters that I can’t understand. They are made out of lines and some uses curves.”

“Eh…?”

It’s been a year now since we came into this world but…

No one really thought about how can we read the letters or even speak the language native here. No one really questions it because every word, every letter that we read, came to us as something natural. It’s more to say that we can use this world’s common knowledge such as reading and writing without restriction.

But, how could an alphabet native from our world, can induce such a headache?

“For now, any book that you find like these, please bring it to me.”

“Yes, but, please don’t force yourself to read them if you can’t.”

For now, I put the book in my dimensional storage.

Considering that every common book here will be like this, it’s useless to try and to learn from them. Also, this mysterious headache that I get just from trying to read them, what could it mean?

However, the pages that we got here are all written using this world’s letter. I think it’s safe to assume that the nameless wizard really did come from a world similar to us and learned this world’s literature for his own convenience.

Since it’s useless to think of these things, I immediately went back on our search for clues and pages for the passage. We left the miniature model of a city alone as we don’t want to mess it up.

I started flipping books after books and saw nothing notable aside from all of it are full of soot and burns.

“A-Asagao…t-this book…”

“What is it, Mimi, that book is—Geh?!”

Mimi bashfully held out a book and flipped it open in front of me while she sank her head a little low. What she showed to me is basically a…

How do I say this…?

A book about sex education with illustrations and it doesn’t even stop there. She flips it into another page and shows a list of various…ehem…various play and styles…

Because the images are too descriptive to the point that even censoring is totally unavailable, my face lit up in a mild flush. However, since I am not that foreign to this kind of knowledge, I gave it a bit more look.

“Can we keep this?”

“Of course…it’s seems like it is rare even in this world.”

“Really? Well, now that made this search a little more worthwhile, I guess.”

Mimi smiled at me. Who in the world smiles cheerfully upon finding a porn magazine?

But what I said is true though. The magazine itself seems relatively foreign to this world, not the content but the paper-wise. It’s truly something you cannot across anywhere but in my former world.

How did it end up here anyway?

The mystery upon the nameless wizard grows deeper.

I stash the magazine into my dimensional storage quickly so the others won’t notice it. It will only be mine and Mimi’s little secret. Actually, I’ll read this ahead of time before giving it back to her.

The search goes on and I am tinkering at nothing at all. That’s when Topaz came to me with a particular book in hand and an awfully delighted face and a little drool spilling from her mouth. Upon getting a glimpse of the cover of the book, I immediately knew what was coming.

“Asagao! Look at this!”

“Yeah, it’s a cookbook, I see. You found something you like too, huh?”

“There are manuals to create sweets and garnish meats in flavorful sauces and herbs. Do you mind if you learn how to cook?”

“You jumped from one point to another. For now, how about asking me to keep it in my dimensional storage? Learning comes later after we are done with our objectives with this labyrinth and the war between the elves and dwarves.”

“Yes! Please keep this! I’ll try a little bit harder now!”

Feeling motivated now, aren’t we?

How could I not think of controlling Topaz’s behavior with food up until now? No, I don’t want that to be the basis of our relationship…

That’ll be just like a…pet and owner…

I immediately kept the book in my dimensional storage and press on with our objective.

“Asagao!”

I haven’t even started yet again and now, Daisy’s voice rang out like a bell.

“What is it, Daisy?”

“Why are these two guys kissing?”

“……”

Nameless wizard, what in the name of tarnation is wrong with you, keeping a book like this?!

The book is nothing as severe as it is a novel, however, it is written in classic English too so I get this pang in my head again. Then again, Daisy started flipping the book to show the various illustrations kept inside. In the first place, why are this kind of mundane books are kept healthily like this?

“I don’t quite understand though. Isn’t it a fact that men and women are meant to be and now the same gender? Why do these two men show an affectionate act with each other? Is it a trend or something?”

“No, stop Daisy. Anymore question will just get us further from our objective! F-For now, let me keep that for you, alright?”

“Ah, yeah! We are finding something after all!”

Daisy handed me the book and I stashed it away in my dimensional storage.

I really don’t know why but as a former man, I disgusted and at the same time, piqued. I can’t even fathom what these feelings are but it is very conflicting that I can feel my heart starting to turn into a void of nothingness.

“Asagao!”

I heard Casablanca calling out to me…

I wonder what kind of book is it now.

With a slumped back, I turn to Casablanca who then sprouted a cheery smile.

“I found all of the three passages in one bundle.

“…Now that’s just good.”

What the hell, nameless wizard?! Did you get lazy trying to find a place to put all five separately and just bundled three of them in one place?

This defeats the purpose of an actual thrill of searching and thinking all the while in the process of the trial.

This is why I’m inclined to avoid the most eccentric fellows. Though, I can’t exactly say I am not surrounded by them once in a while.

Casablanca happily presented it to me so I put on a smile despite my misgivings about the situation. I gave her a good pat on the head.

“Good girl, Casablanca.’

“Eh, this feels wrong but also a little pleasant. You can praise me more if you want.”

“You’re cute.”

“That’s extremely stale but also acceptable, thanks.”

See here, I’m not used on doing this so I might not be the best person to give a compliment but I at least know that Casablanca is at least pleased with my words.

Since we completed the first thing we need to do in this room, I gather everyone to read the passage aloud from the start to the finish.

“Okay, here I go.”