Satori Quest II - Earth Spirit Festival

[Hanzo K.]

>Look over to Patchy. "Well, shall we peruse them? Maybe we'll find books we haven't obtained yet."
>Let's head over there and start perusing them.

[Nekomata-chan]

>Look over to Patchy. "Well, shall we peruse them? Maybe we'll find books we haven't obtained yet."
>Let's head over there and start perusing them.

>Patchouli nods, "We shall~"

>You head over to the bookshelf and begin looking at the books.
>There are so many different books, and a lot of them are from the same series.
>There are 10 volumes of elemental magic books, 15 volumes "About Gensokyo and Her Features", several different history books...
>You notice there is one book about the width of your arm, and the length of your head. The spine is too damaged to read what it says.

[Hanzo K.]

>Any copies of Journey to The West? Or perhaps Romance of The Three Kingdoms? We have been in need of new stories to read after all, and maybe Okuu would appreciate a bedtime story or two.
>But with how Gensokyo is, odds are pretty good that the Monkey King is wandering around somewhere as we speak.
>Chuckle. "Miss Knowledge, I've located something rather interesting, but the spine is too damaged to make out clearly."
>Pull the book from the shelf and examine it carefully. Never know what it could be.

[Nekomata-chan]

>Any copies of Journey to The West? Or perhaps Romance of The Three Kingdoms? We have been in need of new stories to read after all, and maybe Okuu would appreciate a bedtime story or two.
>But with how Gensokyo is, odds are pretty good that the Monkey King is wandering around somewhere as we speak.

>No, not today. It seems they got a lot of non-fiction volumes, instead.
>Chuckle. "Miss Knowledge, I've located something rather interesting, but the spine is too damaged to make out clearly."
>Pull the book from the shelf and examine it carefully. Never know what it could be.

>Patchouli looks away from the end of the bookshelf she was at, and walks over.
>Koakuma looks over your shoulder at the book.
>You examine the book.
>It has blue leather binding, with brown string tied around it. The spine has pretty much fallen off, as the string is the only thing keeping it attached to the book.
>Patchouli looks at it, "Huh... I swear I've seen a book like that before..."
>Koakuma fistpalms, "I have seen it before! In the library! An exact replica... well, not as tattered as this one, but... you know. I can't remember what it was called exactly... something like "Dictionary"..."
>Patchouli frowns, "A bit big for a dictionary, don't you think?"

[Hanzo K.]

>Hand it off to Patchy. "You should be able to disarm any spells on it in the event that there are protective spells on it, yes? Seeing as you work with these sorts of things on a regular basis."

[Nekomata-chan]

>Hand it off to Patchy. "You should be able to disarm any spells on it in the event that there are protective spells on it, yes? Seeing as you work with these sorts of things on a regular basis."

>Patchouli takes the book with little strain, despite it's weight.
>She frowns, "There aren't any protective spells on this. Thankfully."

>She inspects the book, examining it fully, short of opening the book itself.

[Hanzo K.]

>Breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good, I half expected something of the sort to be the case. Seeing as how the identity of this book is a mystery."

[Nekomata-chan]

>Breathe a sigh of relief. "That's good, I half expected something of the sort to be the case. Seeing as how the identity of this book is a mystery."

>Patchouli continues examining it, "It seems extremely old to still be intact.. I mean..."
>She blows on the cover, and a lot of dust flies onto the shelf, "...it's very dusty."

>Koakuma walks over to the Oni at the counter, cranking up the cuteness, "Um, excuse me, is there a 'what you read, you buy' policy here? Because, um, we're very interested, but maybe we'd like to know what's in the book~.. would that be okay with you, sir?"
>The Oni just about swoons, "A-absolutely! Go ahead, take all the time you need! Ahaha, I'll just be back here if you need me, yeah?"
>Koakuma smiles, "Thank you~!"

>She walks back over, "Have to be thorough, right?"
>Patchouli smirks, "Always a charmer, aren't you?"

[Hanzo K.]

>Chuckle. "I had a feeling he was vulnerable to something like that. Most men are."
>"But at any rate, let's see what's inside, shall we?"

[Nekomata-chan]

>Chuckle. "I had a feeling he was vulnerable to something like that. Most men are."
>"But at any rate, let's see what's inside, shall we?"

>Koakuma giggled, "Eh, true~..."

>You have a look inside the book.
>A heck-load of dust falls from the pages and onto your skirt and feet.

>When you look closer at the writing, it is written in some sort of haphazard scrawling which looks too messy and smudged to even begin to interpret.
>But, on the page you are on, which is incidentally the first one, the title is just barely legible:

Forbidden Literature ~ Spells of the End Days

>Patchouli reads it the same time you do, and you can hear her yelp quietly, "So it exists."

[Hanzo K.]

>"....Why did I get the feeling it was going to be something like this?" Facepalm.
>"While I respect books as much as the next youkai in search of more information, even I know that this is bad news. We should get it now, before someone else does, so that it's in good hands."

[Nekomata-chan]

>"....Why did I get the feeling it was going to be something like this?" Facepalm.
>"While I respect books as much as the next youkai in search of more information, even I know that this is bad news. We should get it now, before someone else does, so that it's in good hands."

>Patchouli nods, "It's more coveted than you think. I've had several people looking for the Forbidden Literature in my library. It wasn't there, of course. Some of those spells are really hard to read, so you couldn't do much with it without some help or... if it was your own handwriting."

>The Oni at the counter cranes his neck, "So, are you interested? Selling it cheap, since it's on the "Found" rack, would 850 be a good enough price for you's all? That's pretty expensive for stuff over on those shelves, to be honest, it'd be normal if you say no, 'nd all."

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "I'll give you 1500. For someone like myself, a price like that is nothing at all."
>Let's shell out the cash.

[Nekomata-chan]

>Nod. "I'll give you 1500. For someone like myself, a price like that is nothing at all."
>Let's shell out the cash.

>He whistles, "Swanky. Something in there catch yer' eye, then?"

>You shell out the cash for the book, and he grins, "Pleasure doin' business with ya'!"

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "More or less."
>"Miss Knowledge, we should be going now. This puts a rather...Unpleasant crimp in my plans for our little day out."
>Let's roll.

[Nekomata-chan]

>Nod. "More or less."
>"Miss Knowledge, we should be going now. This puts a rather...Unpleasant crimp in my plans for our little day out."

>Patchouli sighs, "It didn't put that much of a damper on things for me... I know that the book that people keep pestering me for not only exists, but is in safe hands."

>Let's roll.

>You leave the shop, and the Oni waves you out cheerfully. If only he knew.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, it's the matter of the contents that has me worried. It would be no trouble at all for someone like yourself to decipher it."
>Sigh. "I just wonder where I should store it so that nobody will ever locate it. A book like this is too dangerous to leave out in the open."

[Nekomata-chan]

>"Well, it's the matter of the contents that has me worried. It would be no trouble at all for someone like yourself to decipher it."

>Patchouli sighs, "Well, I can try. I can't promise anything, as it's the handwriting. If it's symbols from a foreign language, I have books on that..."

>Sigh. "I just wonder where I should store it so that nobody will ever locate it. A book like this is too dangerous to leave out in the open."

>Koakuma blinks, "You've got a safe, right? Maybe you need a guard of it, or something similar to that."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Well, with how Marisa broke in easily enough a day or two ago, I'm doubting that anything like that will keep a determined thief out."

[Nekomata-chan]

>"Well, with how Marisa broke in easily enough a day or two ago, I'm doubting that anything like that will keep a determined thief out."

>Patchouli thinks for a while, with an intense expression.
>Suddenly, she clicks her fingers, "Magical seal."

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "That should work, but it needs to be powerful enough to repel even Marisa. Who knows what could happen if that hothead gets her hands on this book."

[Nekomata-chan]

>Nod. "That should work, but it needs to be powerful enough to repel even Marisa. Who knows what could happen if that hothead gets her hands on this book."

>Patchouli sighs, "Yes, yes... but even Marisa isn't that stupid. Yes, raw power is her strong point, but Reimu wouldn't dare let Marisa do anything along those lines. That magician would hit the ground harder than a full bookshelf."
>Koakuma grins, "What about a combined one? Lady Patchouli, you have a recognition-based seal for things, don't you? To stop anyone that isn't you from accessing some of  your books."
>Patchouli nods, "Yes, that old cupboard. I've upheld that magical seal for as long as I can remember. That spell ought to work, but it takes a while to get it right."

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "I was thinking, maybe it could be set on a keylock sort of system. Specifically, unless all of the sealmakers are opening the seal, it won't open."
>"...If the seal doesn't prove good enough, I may have to fall back on something I know we're both reluctant to do...Destroying the book."
>"It should be simple enough to set up a failsafe in the seal for that yes? That way, in the event that the seal is either broken, or bypassed by some means, the book will be utterly destroyed...That is, unless they know how to disarm the seal."
>"You see, when it comes to a book like this, as you know, it is never good to leave things to chance."
>"And that way, in the event that one of the sealmakers betrays the rest, they won't be able to get at it without the aid of the rest. Which will not be likely to happen."

[Nekomata-chan]

>Nod. "I was thinking, maybe it could be set on a keylock sort of system. Specifically, unless all of the sealmakers are opening the seal, it won't open."
>"...If the seal doesn't prove good enough, I may have to fall back on something I know we're both reluctant to do...Destroying the book."

>Patchouli nods, "If it comes to that, yes... I'm sure it wouldn't take much to destroy it, anyway, as it's certainly on one of its last legs."
>Koakuma frowns, "What I still don't know is... how it came to end up on a 'found' shelf in the Ancient City? Certainly a book containing the kind of stuff that it does shouldn't end up lying around like it probably did."

>"It should be simple enough to set up a failsafe in the seal for that yes? That way, in the event that the seal is either broken, or bypassed by some means, the book will be utterly destroyed...That is, unless they know how to disarm the seal."
>"You see, when it comes to a book like this, as you know, it is never good to leave things to chance."
>"And that way, in the event that one of the sealmakers betrays the rest, they won't be able to get at it without the aid of the rest. Which will not be likely to happen."

>Patchouli smiles, "And besides, I know a few people that wouldn't dare risk trying any of the spells, or letting anyone else. Reimu, for example. She'd guard that thing with her life to protect Gensokyo. And I mean that literally."
>Koakuma still frowns, "But I'm still puzzled as to how it was found and obtained by a secondhand shop so easily... maybe people disregarded it because it was so tattery."

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "That is rather strange, isn't it? I was wondering about that myself."

[Nekomata-chan]

>Nod. "That is rather strange, isn't it? I was wondering about that myself."

>Patchouli frowns, "Regardless of where it came from and how it got there, it's a damned lucky thing that we managed to run into it."
>Koakuma sighs, "I guess so. Still puzzling."
>Patchouli looks around. Several Oni that are walking by keep craning their necks to have a look, with rather big grins on their faces.
>"Maybe they're just curious because it's a big book..?" Koakuma quietly asks.

[Hanzo K.]

>"...Anyhow, let's return to the Palace, we can use the Bucket Tramway to get there."
>Let's lead them to the nearest Tram Station.

[Nekomata-chan]

>"...Anyhow, let's return to the Palace, we can use the Bucket Tramway to get there."
>Let's lead them to the nearest Tram Station.

>You head to the nearest Tram Station, where it seems Kisume is waiting for people.

>She sees you heading over and immediately leans out of her bucket to wave, "Hey, hey, hey! Come for a ride on the Kisume Tramway?"

[Hanzo K.]

>Grin. "These two are more staff members, Miss Knowledge here will be judging the Danmaku Contest, and her familiar, Koakuma, will be serving as a Tour Guide. I trust that you'll be working well with her come festival time."
>"Anyways, I trust that the line to Chireiden has been completed? Because I figured that I would kill two birds with one stone by using the tramway to get there."

[Nekomata-chan]

>Grin. "These two are more staff members, Miss Knowledge here will be judging the Danmaku Contest, and her familiar, Koakuma, will be serving as a Tour Guide. I trust that you'll be working well with her come festival time."

>Kisume salutes to Koakuma and Patchouli, "Always nice to meet new people!"

>"Anyways, I trust that the line to Chireiden has been completed? Because I figured that I would kill two birds with one stone by using the tramway to get there."

>She nods, with a grin, "Yep. Yamame had lines stretching to all of the major landmarks and areas of the Underground! Hop in!"