CHAPTER 153: THE BOOK

Jae sat across from Lord Shane, the advisor’s sharp gaze holding him still even as the quill in his hand danced across parchment. The smell of old ink and wax candles filled the cramped study, blending with the faint mustiness of paper that had sat untouched for too long.

The stacks of documents and scrolls that hemmed them in gave the impression of a man half-buried alive in duty, yet Shane’s voice carried a weight that made it clear he was not lost in the papers but commanding them.

"You want answers about the attacks," Shane said, finally setting his quill aside. "So do I. I have suspicions, yes, and threads I would rather tug at with both hands, but in this palace, action is rarely as simple as intent."

His tone shifted, the words clipped but deliberate. "The king’s directives bind me. Without confirmation, I cannot act openly, nor can I risk moving against shadows that might turn out to be illusions. The danger of being wrong is greater than the danger of waiting."

Jae leaned forward, hands curled into fists against his knees. "So you’re saying you won’t move at all until it’s too late?"

Shane shook his head slightly. "I am saying that patience is sometimes the sharper blade. Our enemies thrive when we act blindly. But I assure you, every scrap of evidence is being gathered. The truth will surface."

The weight of his certainty settled over Jae, though it did little to ease the restlessness coiling in his chest.

Shane straightened a stack of notes before continuing. "There is another matter. The Duke of Inos has expressed... interest in meeting you."

Jae froze. "The Duke?" The name alone carried a reputation that stretched across the kingdom. The Duke was one of the most influential nobles, his power second only to the royal family itself. "Why would someone like him want to meet me?"

Shane’s lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "You’ve made yourself visible, Jae. Rapid growth always catches the eyes of those who shape the kingdom’s future. Do not mistake it as a warning, nor as a threat. It is an opportunity. When the time comes, and it will, you should be prepared."

The flicker of nervousness in Jae’s chest refused to fade. The idea of standing before a figure like the Duke made him feel smaller than he had in years, like the farm boy he once was rather than the mage he had become.

Still, he bowed his head respectfully. "I’ll be ready."

"I expect nothing less." Shane’s voice softened as he picked up his quill again. "For now, continue to grow. The kingdom will need that strength sooner than you think."

Jae rose, offered his thanks, and departed, leaving Shane to his endless mountain of papers.

The corridor outside was quiet, the stone floor polished enough to reflect faint traces of the golden sconces burning along the walls.

As Jae made his way back to his quarters, he tried to shake the unease curling around his chest. Dio’s recognition, Shane’s suspicions, and now the Duke’s interest, it felt as though invisible threads were drawing him deeper into a web he hadn’t agreed to enter.

When he finally reached his room, he dropped onto the bed with a sigh, rubbing his temples. That was when the faint shimmer of blue light appeared at the edge of his vision. His system had triggered.

[Quest: Knowledge of the Shadows]

Locate: "Chronicles of the Old Wars"

Reward: Expanded Insight on Rune Interference

Jae blinked. "A book?" he muttered aloud. "Now?"

The system didn’t answer, of course. It never did. He exhaled, then rose and stepped back into the hall.

As he wandered down the corridor, he caught sight of a maid carrying a tray. She moved with quiet grace, her uniform pressed neatly, her hair tied in a bun.

Jae’s gaze lingered a fraction longer than it should have, admiring the easy curve of her stride. The realization hit him, and he straightened immediately, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Excuse me. Could you point me toward the library?"

The maid startled slightly, her cheeks coloring before she regained her composure. "O-of course, sir. Take this hall to the end, turn left, and follow the staircase up two levels. The library will be through the double doors."

Jae gave her a small smile, bowing his head just enough to be polite. "Thank you."

She hurried off, tray rattling faintly, while Jae continued on his way, hiding a faint smirk at the encounter.

The palace library was larger than any space he had imagined. Vast shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, some so high they required ladders to climb.

The air smelled of parchment, leather bindings, and faint incense meant to keep the moths at bay. Tall stained-glass windows filtered sunlight into kaleidoscopic patterns across the stone floor.

For a moment, Jae simply stood there, dwarfed by the ocean of knowledge surrounding him.

The system guided him with its subtle glow, nudging him past rows of histories, arcane theory, and records of royal decrees until he stopped before a heavy tome resting on a central table. The title etched across its spine read: Chronicles of the Old Wars.

He pulled it open carefully, the pages brittle with age, and began to read.

The words painted a grim history. Centuries ago, before the kingdom had risen, the world had trembled beneath the rule of a being known as the Shadow Monarch. He had not been human, nor entirely of this world. Interdimensional, the book called him, a ruler who crossed the boundaries of existence itself to bring dominion over Earth.

His reign was an age of terror, cities swallowed by darkness, armies reduced to husks under his command.

But resistance had risen. Warriors and mages of old had banded together, wielding relics now long lost. After years of struggle, they had succeeded in defeating the monarch, banishing him beyond the veil of dimensions. His body could not be destroyed, but his throne was broken, his dominion shattered.

Jae’s breath caught as he turned a page. The text shifted to the cults that had followed in the monarch’s wake. They had never vanished entirely. For generations, fragments of his believers lingered in secret, keeping alive rituals that promised his return.

To bring him back, the book read, two things are required: the fragmented pieces of his transport artifact, scattered across the realms, and a summoning ritual performed in unity by loyal hands.

The page showed a hand-drawn sigil, jagged and curved like twisted claws. Jae froze. It was the same pattern that had glowed along the cave wall during the academy’s escape, the runes that had burned into his memory.