I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

The smile etched across the child's face was profound, her cheeks turning pinkish, as she watched Iron lead everyone toward the mansion.

Raiden had forgotten about his doubts at this point. Well, who cared about paranoia, anyway?! Before him was the cutest thing he had ever seen, resembling a cute doll rather than a human.

But still, Raiden couldn't help but wonder: was she really the Laughing Princess? The Man God?

"No…" Iron wore a soft smile. "This is Meeka."

The moment Iron spoke, an elegant woman between the ages of twenty-six and twenty-eight, clothed in a black tank top with silver armor covering her chest and fetal joints. Her long white hair flickered in the gentle breeze as she brushed it off her shoulders.

Raiden gulped. He hadn't been the type of person to dwell on others' looks, but this… this was something he couldn't ignore. Noelle and Aeris had their share of alluring beauty, but this woman, with her light skin and glowing blue eyes, was every bit as captivating.

Even so, something peculiar nagged at him. The woman's armor was fashioned from what looked like aluminum foil, arguably the most brittle metal he'd ever seen. Yet she wore it with complete assurance.

Was she that assured because she had no aura?

"Uhh… speak of the devil." Iron muttered. "This is the Laughing Princess."

He shrugged his shoulders. "The Joker or Man God, if you will."

Her strange demeanor began making sense to Raiden. An Elusive, and the ruler of the absolute domain they existed in; no wonder she was so assured.

"Oh, come on," The Laughing Princess said, walking down the stairwell. Her voice was the perfect definition of succulent: tender in its simplicity. "Quit filling their heads with jargon."

She approached them and wrapped her hands around Noelle's neck with a big smile, as though they knew each other. But Noelle, still lost in her own abyss, remained detached and unapproachable.

But the Laughing Princess wasn't bothered. Not at all.

"Call me Dainty." Her savory voice echoed once more. "You must be weary. Please, join us inside."

Raiden glanced around, a knowing smile crossing his face at the scene. The blissful looks on their faces and their eager compliance said it all—it was obvious he wasn't the only one caught in Dainty's web.

Raiden had anticipated the Laughing Princess would share his level of madness, if not exceed it, given her reputation. But now he questioned what he thought he knew. Still, he was grateful to be here. This was far from a dead end.

Following Dainty's lead past the stairwell into the mansion, they yanked a stone door, its weight indescribable from the deep sound it sent through the air despite Iron pushing it with ease.

That's a hell of a gap in strength.

Raiden's thoughts mimicked his insecurities as he glanced at his grips, wondering if he could push the door at all.

However, his thoughts were interrupted. A cold breeze swept through the air, grabbing his gaze to dart into the room as goosebumps surged beneath his skin. Everything in there was chilly, as though they lived in the snowy mountains.

But what piqued his mind the most was the furniture. Victorian sofas spread across the broad room in countless colors, each accompanied by a polished stone table. A massive chandelier hung over the ceiling, its burning lights flashing in the distance, and the room's vital point was a chimney, its majestic flames burning slowly.

Raiden could count about seven sofas from his position, and judging by how they stretched in the distance, he knew there were more. But still, he couldn't tell where exactly the freezing cold was coming from.

"Make yourself at home," Dainty said and gestured toward the sofas.

The environment contradicted everything Raiden believed, coming to the absolute domain. And sincerely, he was glad the tranquil sensation he felt upon his arrival was right.

But now, the Laughing Princess stood before him, a moment three of his comrades had sacrificed their lives for. He couldn't just lean into the serenity; who knows, each second might lead to losing everything.

The moment the others took their seats, gazing around in awe, Raiden turned his attention to Dainty.

Before her stood Meeka, as her hands rested on her shoulders, both wearing a welcoming smile. To her left was Iron, who was finally putting on a shirt.

Raiden squinted his eyes, bracing himself to ask the question his comrades had seemingly forgotten. However, before he could speak, Dainty spoke:

"So… you're the Bookkeeper of Persia, aren't you?"

Raiden raised a startled eyebrow and took a step back, glancing at himself. Was there something that gave his identity away? His mind wandered, his bewilderment unmistakable.

"Uh—

The words struggled to come out, despite his attempts to force them out. Dainty's gentle blue gaze alone was enough to deepen his uneasiness.

"Don't worry, we will talk about the pages." Dainty's voice cut through Raiden's struggles. "I've got a lot I want to talk over with you, Bookkeeper."

Raiden's expression grew a little darker, his uneasiness slowly fading away. He couldn't tell what caused it; he knew the mention of the pages shifted something within him.

"And you are the Rulekeeper," she added, causing Raiden to turn around—there stood Noelle.

Noelle's dark expression grew even darker. "What are you?" She commanded, her voice saw and unfiltered. "Before it was him, and now you."

Despite her rudeness, Dainty managed to meet her with her usual majestic smile. "'Him'?… you mean Klein el Seer, correct?"

The topic of Klein interested not just Noelle but Raiden as well. The Rulekeeper had no intention of taking a break at this point.

Dainty could tell that, and from a soft shrug, Raiden knew she was willing to start a conversation. With a gentle brush on her brow, she gestured toward Iron to take Meeka away.

Iron responded with a firm nod. "Can I speak with your guardian?" He asked, tilting toward Noelle before walking away with Meeka.

The moment they did, Dainty let out a soft sigh. "I know little of El Seer… just that he's the last member of the Elusive."

Raiden's eyes went wide with shock. He had envisioned Klein el Seer as a formidable presence but never suspected he was an Elusive. Too casual and free-spirited, aside from his mysterious appearance, he could be mistaken for a lonely drunkard. And he… he was the last member of the Elusive?

Dainty placed her on Noelle's shoulder. "Rest assured, Rulekeeper, I will tell you everything."

"You are the very first Rulekeeper to bear the true Rule Domain." She smiled, her long lashes making her blinks seem as though they were in slo-mo. "How can I refuse your request?"

Raiden found her words worth listening to, but from the way Noelle's knuckles popped in her clenched fists and her face contorted, something deeper than their discussion was clearly troubling her.

Her eyes dropped to the ground. "Then why?" Her voice cracked, making Raiden slightly anxious about her words. "If you knew us… why did you let them die?"

"Ash… Ash died because of you!" She yelled, her voice shaking.

Raiden's chest constricted, his eyes shifting restlessly. He hadn't known she loved Ash so much—losing her had genuinely devastated Noelle. But he couldn't escape his own guilt. Ash died because of his choices. The blame belonged to him, not Dainty.

Even through the thick atmosphere, Dainty wore a welcoming expression, her hand still resting on Noelle's shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she pulled Noelle in her embrace. "I don't know what happened out there, but if the Reader were alive… none of this would've happened."

Her words brought Noelle comfort, but Raiden spotted inconsistencies in what she said. How could she know Ash died in the Reader's absolute domain while insisting she knew nothing else?

He couldn't quite discern whether she was telling the truth… or if he even had the ability to. So, what exactly was happening?