Chapter 35

NOK One: For Whom Is It Made?

The library was quiet. The only visitors today were three elderly men who came to read the newspaper.

“Stop the Destructive Weapon! Execute the Traitor! No More War!”

That didn’t mean it was quiet outside the library. Even with all the reading room windows closed, the shouts of the protesters penetrated inside.

The problem was that their numbers had increased significantly, making them difficult to control. If anyone tried to intervene, they would be accused of being a ‘traitor!’

“Execute the traitor Nergal Galinne!”

“Capture him immediately for betraying the nation and defecting to Rando!”

She watched the protesters through the blinds. After the successful conclusion of Rando’s simulation, rumors about Nergal Galinne’s survival resurfaced in Toramde.

“Vivi?”

“…”

“Vivi!”

Turning her head, she saw Senior Webley staring at her.

“…Senior Webley.”

“Julia doesn’t look well, and neither do you. Are you feeling unwell?”

She shook her head at the question.

“I’m fine.”

She refocused on her remaining tasks. Today, the director was sitting in the middle of the office, so the other librarians couldn’t slack off.

They worked until lunchtime. Sitting, working, writing, checking… Her eyes followed the work, but her ears were listening elsewhere.

“Julia.”

The director called Julia. For some reason, Julia, looking deflated, flinched at the director’s call.

“Yes, yes?”

“It’s almost lunchtime. Buy some stew and sandwiches, including my share. You know I don’t like pickles, right? And make the sauce sweet. It might be too much to carry alone, so it’d be better if you went with Vivi.”

“…Yes.”

Julia immediately turned her head towards her. Julia’s expression, asking ‘Did you hear that?’ made her sigh softly.

* * *

She and Julia went out the back of the library. Julia didn’t want to run into the protesters, and for the first time, she agreed with Julia’s opinion.

“It’s tough being the youngest, right Vivi?”

Julia spoke with a shadowed face.

“That’s right.”

“You either have to quit this job or quickly build up your years of service. It seems like the former would be faster, though.”

Julia sighed deeply.

“It must be really hard for you, Vivi. You’re the youngest of the youngest.”

But Julia was only three months her senior.

“But unlike me, you seem like you’ll do this job for a long time. I’d probably not last and run away in the middle.”

Julia said.

“Why do you think that?”

“You seem to fit the librarian role. It looks like it suits you very well.”

They turned a corner and entered the city. When they saw the sandwich shop they frequented, three men in uniforms with stern faces passed by. On the opposite side, two men in black suits were coming in the same direction.

She and Julia stopped their conversation.

“…”

“…”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, their gazes turned that way.

Soon, a woman loitering in front of a fruit shop attempted to flee.

The woman, about her age, had blue eyes. As she ran, the men in uniforms and suits moved simultaneously.

“Catch her!”

“There she is!”

The woman didn’t get far before being caught. The men tied her wrists and searched her pockets to prevent her from escaping.

“No! No, it’s not me! I swear it’s not me!”

The caught woman sobbed pitifully. People around them whispered as they watched the scene.

“L-let’s go quickly, Vivi.”

Julia stammered.

“Yes.”

She nodded, hiding her pounding heart.

However, one of the men noticed them and turned his attention their way. Among the people around, the only young women were her and Julia.

‘…Please.’

She lowered her gaze slightly so the man wouldn’t see her eye color. Without sunlight, her blue eyes might appear darker than usual today. She wanted to close her eyes tightly and run away somewhere.

The man fixed his gaze on them and approached. Julia must have noticed too, as she tightened her grip on her arm.

“We’re conducting a brief inspection.”

The man showed them an ID with the agency’s logo before scanning them with sharp eyes. Her heart, which had been racing, felt like it would stop, and her body stiffened. She felt her hair stand on end, and her scalp began to tingle.

She pressed her lips together, feeling her fingertips tremble. Julia beside her was no different.

“What are your names and current occupations?”

The man scrutinized them with a sharp gaze.

“…”

“…”

They hesitated.

“If you don’t cooperate, we’ll have to take you to the agency for obstruction.”

The man urged them to answer with a low voice. She glanced at Julia’s tense face and spoke first.

“We’re just ordinary librarians. We work in the reading room at the National Library over there.”

“Names?”

“I-I’m Vivi Ferren, and… This is Julia Peredit.”

The man looked at Julia, who hadn’t answered.

“Could you both show me your IDs?”

“…”

Their eyes met. They hesitated before taking out their IDs from their pockets and handing them to the man.

It felt like climbing a cliff with a rope. There shouldn’t be any issues with the IDs.

Surely…

“How long have you both worked as librarians?”

The man glanced at them.

“…Both over a year.”

She answered again. The man then openly stared at Julia, not her.

“Julia Peredit.”

The man said Julia’s full name. Julia’s rigid body instantly turned cold.

Vivi was taken aback by Julia’s state, who was more nervous and restless than she was. Julia was sweating suspiciously, even to her eyes.

‘Julia?’

What’s going on?

“Julia Peredit. I’ll ask you. What are your parents’ names? Where were you born?”

The man asked detailed questions, looking at Julia, not her. The situation was taking a strange turn.

“Miss Peredit.”

The man called the silent Julia. Vivi was just as anxious. She hoped this inquiry would end soon.

“…Ju-Julia.”

P-please answer.

She also urged Julia. For some reason, Julia wouldn’t open her mouth.

‘Ju-lia…?’

Something was off. Something was strange.

Julia’s eyes began to shake anxiously. Just as she was about to speak to her with a heart full of dread, the man’s hand moved faster. He cuffed one of Julia’s hands with the handcuffs he brought.

“…!”

What’s happening? 

Vivi’s body froze as well.

“Miss Peredit. Please come with us to the agency.”

“What?”

She spoke without realizing it, shocked.

“Miss Peredit. I’ll ask you one last time. What is your father’s name?”

“…”

“Miss Peredit.”

“…My f-father passed away.”

Finally, words came out of Julia’s mouth. The man narrowed his eyes.

“When did he pass away?”

“Well, when I was young…”

“Please specify the date.”

Julia avoided answering, closing her eyes tightly.

“Let’s discuss this further at the agency.”

“I-it’s true. My father passed away!”

“Let’s discuss this further at the agency.”

“Vivi!”

Julia pulled her arm.

“Ju-Julia.”

“Vivi…”

Julia’s hand, which had been holding her, slipped away.

Watching blankly, Vivi couldn’t do anything. Only when the car carrying Julia disappeared did she realize she had been holding her breath.

Her feet, stuck to the ground, finally moved.

Julia was caught. Julia…

Julia’s voice, calling her name until the end, lingered in her ears.

And I…

I wasn’t caught. Had I spoken up to defend her, I would’ve been taken to the agency as well. I wasn’t just any spy. I was…

Her malfunctioning heart alternated between speeding up and slowing down.

Vivi was sure she’d be caught, but it was Julia, not her, who was caught.

She tried to organize her shocked feelings. She was surprised that Julia was caught instead of her, but also relieved that she wasn’t caught.

‘I am… the worst.’

It felt like her personality was disappearing.