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The sudden clink disrupted Mia’s thoughts.

When she looked for the source of the sound, she saw a plate being placed on the table in front of her.

“Ah—”

There were a colossal number of cookies on the platter and they were the ones that Lorenz was eating earlier! It appeared like Bisset had taken away her empty tart plate and put a cookie tray in its place.

What outstanding butlering! This person is very skilled at what he does!

She was ready to grab for them right away, but the unexpected realization dawned on her. There were several eyes on her, and this stopped her action. Even Dion was watching her intently. And a smile that strangely failed to express the same sense of humor that a frown would.

U-Uh oh. I have a feeling that this is not the time for playing around.

She groaned. She reluctantly forced her gaze away from the cookies.

It’s alright. The cookies aren’t going to flee. Later, I can always eat them. I just need to wait for the appropriate time. I need to practice patience right now.

She compelled her brain’s dormant clockwork to restart. It remembered the specifics of their continuous conversation as it did so with a crunch.

The book is titled “Those Who Crawl the Earth.” The title brought back memories.

“I recall Rafina-sama discussing that. Didn’t that Jem guy have a copy with him? She didn’t look through it personally, but she recalled being uneasy around it.”

Even in her recollection, she couldn’t help but get the chills whenever she thought back on the book. She was shaking her head when she heard a crunch.

“Yes,” Lorenz replied. “Although it wasn’t the original, as you indicated, he did have a copy.”

“What kind of a book is it?”

He gave a headshake.

“Sadly, I’ve never actually seen the book. Only the transcription of ‘Kingdombane’ Jem used to have,” he added before chuckling wearily. “Barbara never really trusted me enough to reveal any other details. Which, given the long-planned betrayal I just pulled on her, was definitely deserved.”

“I see… That’s unfortunate. However, the way you describe it seems like magic because of the way it unites and subdues individuals.”

Mia questioned, recalling that such things had occurred in Elise’s drafts.

Is The Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth actually some sort of magical tome?

She pursed her lips in thinking, and then there was a… crunch.

“Magic… is it…” Lorenz scowled with surprise at the notion. But he quickly cracked a grin.

“Oh? Did you realize something?”

“No, no. Simply put, I was taken aback when Your Highness used the word ‘magic.’”

Then, his expression turned grave.

“But, maybe you’re right. Even wise to refer to the book as magical. It’s close to becoming the ideal description. It does, after all, have a really mystical effect on the psyche, turning regular people into order-destroyers. Given how profoundly it affects those it touches, it might be appropriate to think of such magic as power sorcery.”

When he saw Ludwig’s reaction, he held up his hands and said, “Oh, Ludwig, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not claiming that wizards and warlocks exist. especially since it is entirely possible to influence people’s hearts using considerably more worldly methods.”

“How is it?” Mia questioned, “How would one go about achieving that?”

Lorenz laughed at her doubtful expression.

“Hmm… Your Highness reads books, right?”

“Well, I read for sure. I’d say more than most.”

She crunched the books she had just finished reading with her fingers. She replied, becoming more animated as the conversation moved to a subject she was knowledgeable about, “Recently, I’ve been enjoying a number of romance novels I borrowed from a friend. This one in particular about a knight and a princess falling in love is just— Hnnngh! It’s very good! There’s this scene by a lake.”

“I see, ha ha ha. Let me rephrase that. Did you ever wish you could experience such love for yourself when reading that book?”

“That would be really great, I suppose.” Mia pictured herself and Abel taking a moonlit stroll alongside a lake, gazing up at the stars and moon as they engaged in sappy conversation.

Yes! Yes! Oh my moons, that sounds incredible!

The novel immediately and significantly influenced her.

“Now imagine a book that inspired everyone who read it to desire love. Could you therefore claim that this book was a magical text with the ability to sway readers’ thoughts?”

“Huh. Well…” She was forced to give the query some serious thought. Regular novels would undoubtedly qualify as magical if having the power to sway people’s minds was a requirement. Mia leaned back and dipped into her memories, which caused a crunch.

Not just romance books, though. She was the best at understanding how even the most straightforward stories could leave an impression on someone’s heart. Elise’s story had been a dim but brilliant light in the gloom of her miserable stay in the prison. It had unquestionably changed her outlook on life, taking what had and would have continued to be endless days of sadness and making them slightly better.

“But without a doubt, it lacks the ability to alter objective reality. It sounds a little over the top to call it magic.” Ludwig said.

At this criticism, Lorenz grinned and shook his head.

“I believe, Ludwig, that you have a small misunderstanding. You also wouldn’t be the first. The same mistake is made by a lot of intelligent people. The connections between our minds and the outside, objective universe are much greater than you would imagine.”

He averted his gaze.

“Think about the planet. What makes it up? People. Towns are built. Then building kingdoms. Establish cultures. Gather information. What then serves as a guide? What influences how they behave? The way they think. Or you could say their beliefs, morals, and philosophies.”

“So you want to suggest that those who read this Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth, the Serpents’ bible, have a desire to destroy order ingrained in their minds?” Ludwig scowled as he made his own remark.

“But hold on, if memory serves, the copy that Jem was holding was more of a methodology dissertation on how to overthrow a monarchy.”

Rafina’s copy was more of a how-to manual that described strategies for bringing down a monarchy. Nothing in it appeared to be an effort to brainwash the reader.

This seeming conflict was easily confirmed by Lorenz.

“You’re entirely correct. The actual procedures one should follow to overthrow the type of government we know as a kingdom were written in that text. It’s a how-to, not a manifesto, as you pointed out. But Ludwig, think about this. Which approach do you think would be more likely to motivate you to act—offering you a sword and tempting you to kill someone you despise, or giving you nothing and just ordering you to do it?”

It came down to effectiveness. Writing a call to action that amounted to “go out there and wreck yourself some kingdoms” was one thing, but offering a thorough guide for how to do it was quite another. The latter was unquestionably better.

“I see,” a reflective Mia responded. “Who would have imagined such a thing existed? Where may these duplicates be?”

“It is reported that the Serpent Shamans I previously mentioned always carry a copy with them. Probably to be used when evangelizing their beliefs. However, they only include a section of the complete book. I’ve also heard that the contents of the book have been learned and can be spoken off-hand by higher-ranking shamans. As for where the book is located exactly, it is still a mystery.”

Mia was put off by this response, but she perked up when Lorenz proceeded in a softer but more persuasive voice.

“However, I’ve heard that the Serpents also have their own icon who inspires the shamans, just as the Central Orthodox Church has Saint Rafina. The high priestess is the name given to her.”

“The Chaos Serpents’ high priestess?”

“Yes, and I have a sneaking hunch that this person is in possession of the Book of Those Who Crawl the Earth’s original manuscript.”

Mia’s hand moved across the table toward the plate as she gasped at the foreboding information.

Gulp…

She may have gulped for other reasons.

She deliberately avoided glancing down as she moved in order to avoid calling attention to herself. For the record, it wasn’t because she had chosen the most advantageous time. She simply ran out of patience. She grabbed for the dish, thinking she had waited long enough to deserve at least one bite, but all she felt was empty space.

Huh? M-My… That’s odd. Where did all those cookies that looked so good go?

She looked at the platter with surprise, wondering where they could’ve gone…

“Milady… You’ve consumed way too much food,” Anne scowled. “Five full cookies and a tart… You had been crunching on them while on the conversation the entire time.”

“…Huh?” Mia arched an inquiring brow.

Crunching? When?

It sounded ridiculous. At least, that is, until she touched the corner of her mouth and felt what felt eerily like a big crumb. She bit down after forcing it into her mouth. An audible crunch was heard.

However, how? What time did I—?

“If you continue to eat, you will begin to gain weight again…”

She had eaten the cookies subconsciously and had no idea what they tasted like. A single cookie was offered to her just as her face started to grow sad.

“Oh, milady,” Anne remarked in a sympathetic but slightly reprimanding tone. “One more, okay?”

She grinned. Mia smiled.

“Oh, Anne, you really are the best! My most reliable subject without a doubt!”

…Same old Mia, same old exchange. Some things never change.