Chương 70: Chapter 68: Libraries and Memories

An elf-woman in her mid-thirties stretched her arms toward the ceiling, releasing a lazy yawn.

"Today's work is going to be looong…" Her fingers reached out as if to grasp the morning light filtering through the library's high, arched windows. A single monocle caught the sun, dangling over one of her black eyes, while her brown hair was pinned back into a tight bun. The building was a vertical labyrinth where information was the only currency that mattered. From the ground up, each floor was a layer of deeper truth—the higher you climbed, the more the secrets seemed to breathe.

This was one of the libraries of Cirelith. Umel lowered her arms, her gaze drifting toward a group approaching through the aisles of the fourth floor. Mmm? New customers already?

"So, like, there were actually zero dead bodies left in those kingdoms?" Noa asked as they walked, his gaze drifting toward Jain.

"Could it really be human trafficking, or—" <Shhh~ don't reveal too much to them, > Vionette's voice cut through his mind.

"…Or?" Jain blinked, her eyebrows knitting together in a look of puzzled concern.

"Or… umm…" Noa's eyes darted around the room, landing on a gargoyle statue before he pulled an excuse.

"Or it could just be… extra-strength human trafficking. Obviously." The group finally reached the archivist's desk. Behind the leading trio of Noa, Vionette, and Jain, Rose maintained her perfect maid's posture. Beside her, Kaelen and Nill were locked in a silent war of glares, their shared space humming with tension.

"We're here for some research. How does the system work in this place?" Vionette asked, leaning one hip against the counter in her usual, carefree manner.

"Welcome. My name is Umel Retraigor, the archivist in charge of this floor." She placed a slender hand over her heart in a practiced gesture.

"You are free to peruse shelves one through twelve." She gestured to the towering wooden bookcases around her.

"But please, do not wander into the restricted zones—anything numbered thirteen and above is off-limits."

"Restricted, huh?" Noa murmured, his eyes scanning the shadows of the deeper aisles.

"Yes, only archivists or those with high-level clearance may tread there." Umel offered a playful, somewhat mysterious smile.

"And remember, your fee is calculated based on the volume of knowledge consumed. We track every page turned with magic and skills—so don't think you can sneak a peek for free." Noa's shoulders slumped, his jaw hanging open. Great… pay-per-view books. Fantastic. As his gaze wandered, he spotted a figure moving among the restricted shelves.

"Wait, why is she allowed back there, then? Is she some kind of library VIP or something?" He pointed a finger toward a girl barely half his height. She had short, violet hair styled in a neat bob. She wore slim white trousers and a long-sleeved violet shirt finished with a tidy bow, while a simple watch wrapped around one wrist. Two small, bat-like wings sprouted from her back—a subtle mark of her demonic heritage.

In one hand, she balanced a stack of books so tall it obscured her face; with the other, she slotted them onto the shelves with mechanical precision. Sensing the pointed finger, she turned toward the group, her gaze quiet and perfectly neutral. But for a split second, reality shifted for the girl. The library's stone floor melted into a swaying grassland. She saw a cliff overlooking a sunlit river. On the edge sat a little girl with hair as white as fresh snow, staring at the water below.

Beside her sat a black-haired boy of the same age, their shoulders touching as they shared a smile that felt like the only warm thing in the world. The vision shattered like falling glass, and the girl snapped back to the dusty air of the library. Her neutral expression remained perfectly intact, though a faint ache lingered in her chest. That…

"That's Rin, my assistant. She's staff, so she's allowed wherever the work takes her," Umel explained, watching Rin with a fond smile.

"She doesn't talk much, so just ignore her and do your thing." Rin offered a tiny, almost imperceptible bow before turning back to her towering stack of books. She's definitely one of those—a kuudere loli... well, a demon kuudere, Noa thought, shaking his head.

"Let's go hunting for info then," Vionette said, nodding to Umel. As she turned to leave, she paused, flashing a bright, seemingly random smile.

"By the way, did you know my maid's name is Rose? Fitting for her hair color, right?" Umel stared at her, completely unable to process why this young woman was suddenly offering trivia. Even Rose looked at her mistress with a confused,'Why am I being mentioned?' expression.

"…Yes, I… I suppose it is very fitting." Umel let out an awkward, dry laugh, the sound echoing uncomfortably in the quiet space. Vionette tapped the archivist's shoulder with a boisterous laugh, her eyes sparkling with secret amusement.

"Right? I knew you'd get it!" The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Umel looked around frantically for a way to break the awkward tension, her eyes landing on her assistant.

"O-oh, yeah! Rin! That book you were asking about? It should be arriving soon."

"Thank you, Mrs. Retraigor," Rin replied, her voice low and firm. … Noa sighed as he flipped through a tome titled'Aether Principles.' He scanned a page, found it too dense for his liking, and slammed the book shut faster than he had opened it, sliding it back onto the shelf with a disgruntled huff.

"Mister, can you step aside?"

"W-what the?!" Noa nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden, low voice beside him. He looked down to see Rin standing there, already reaching for the space he was blocking. She moved with a singular focus that made him feel like a mere obstacle in her path.

"Uh—yeah. My bad. Rin, was it?" Noa crouched down until he was at eye level with her.

"So, what are you actually doing? Just organizing?"

"Shelving," Rin replied blankly, not even looking at him as she sorted the books.

"So look, I'm kind of struggling here," he said, offering a friendly smile.

"I have no idea what kind of book I'm even looking for. Think you can help a guy out?"

"Name?" she asked, finally turning her head to look him in the eye. What weird eyes, she thought, staring into his black sclera and purple irises.

"Well, it's this thing called a 'Fable Mark.' Ever heard of it?"

"No. Sorry." Noa laughed softly.

"No worries, I wasn't expecting a kid to know it anyway." Reaching out, he impulsively patted her small head.

"Then let's talk about what you like. I heard Umel say you wanted a specific book. Is it something useful for your work?"

"A lot." She nodded.

"It's about creatures from the past." Noa froze. He had been expecting her to say a novel, or maybe a study guide for magic, but 'creatures from the past' sounded far heavier than he'd anticipated. <Didn't expect that, did you? The kid is definitely smarter than you, > Vionette mocked from inside his head. <Shut up…> Jain then joined the two from the side, Nill following closely behind her.

"Lord Noa, did you find—" She spotted Rin.

"Oh! Isn't this the little assistant from before? How are you doing?"

"Fine," Rin replied. Jain stared at her awkwardly.

"…Alright?"

"Don't worry, that's just how these types are." Noa tapped Jain's shoulder.

"Anyways, what were you about to say?" Jain let out a breath.

"I've gathered some books that I think might have some info about this thing you're searching for." She gestured toward Nill, who held a hefty stack in his hands.

"No—nope! I ain't reading all that!" Out of nowhere, Rin tapped Noa's side while glancing at her watch.

"It's late. Mister, can you help me finish this quickly?"

"Uhh, okay…?" Noa looked over his shoulder at Jain as he followed Rin toward a different aisle.

"Give those to Vionette if you want. She can read a book in a flash."

"…She can? How?" Jain stared after him as he walked away.

"Nill, let's go to Lady Vionette, then."

"Yes."

Vionette leaned against the side of a tall bookshelf, the dark wood cool against her back. She had one ankle crossed over the other, her posture a masterpiece of relaxed authority that completely defied any noble etiquette. In one hand, she held a book titled simply'Skills,' while her other hand rapidly flicked through the pages, not even pausing a second on each one. So this Fable Mark isn't a skill? Kaelen doesn't have any skills at all, so it makes sense. Her eyes narrowed as she snapped the book shut.

Is it a physical technique? An Art? Then, as a woman walked past, Vionette's eyes locked onto her.

"Wait, madam," she said, extending a hand to stall the stranger's path. The woman turned. She was dressed in a long, flowing white gown with draping sleeves that swallowed her hands, her long golden hair tumbling in waves over her shoulders. A wide-brimmed brown hat sat atop her head, casting a deep shadow over her emerald eyes.

"You were at the fifth bookshelf area at 2: 30 PM today, right?" Vionette asked. The woman, her hands full of books, shook her head slowly.

"No, I wasn't there at that time."

"Really… that's interesting." Vionette leaned in closer, a sly, predatory smile curling her lips.

"There aren't any clocks in this library, and I don't see a watch on your wrist. So… how did you know it was exactly 2: 30 PM when you weren't there?" The woman's gaze sharpened, a flash of irritation slipping through her composure.

"It's just my own way of telling time. You don't need to know about that!"

"I'll ask again." Vionette extended a hand toward her.

"Were you at the fifth bookshelf area at 2: 30 PM today?"

"No. I wasn't there at that time," the woman replied firmly.

"Fine, keep your secrets." Vionette casually tossed her book to Rose, who stood nearby.

"Then can you at least tell me where the fifth bookshelf area is? I'm totally lost in this maze."

"It's that way." The woman pointed a finger toward a far corner.

"Go to the end, turn left, and just keep walking."

"Got it. Thanks a bunch," Vionette chirped, walking away with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Let's go, Rose. Let's see if we can get some info on our knight's cheatcode." The woman watched Vionette walk away and meet up with Jain, who handed over a fresh stack of reading material. She's a bit strange with her words, but she's dangerous. She's leading those Church people like they're pets… I need to be careful around her.

"Knight…" she whispered to herself. At the word, ancient memories began to crawl into her mind. They were fragments of a life she knew, flickering like dying candles in a drafty hall.

"The Kingdom of Seimara."

"For Her Majesty the Queen! For Queen Ilyra!"

"Your Majesty… may I take your hand?" A mighty castle piercing the clouds; a beautiful princess with golden hair crowned as queen; a knight winning that queen's heart with a single, loyal bow… and then, the screams. The fall. The fire. The woman clutched her books tighter as the ghosts of a fallen kingdom clawed at her soul. This feeling again… Why is it still not mine?!

"So after all this hard work, we're really leaving with nothing?" Noa asked, his arms extending in an exasperated arc.

"Who is 'we'? You didn't do a damn thing," Vionette countered with a scowl.

"Anyway, it's true. We're heading to the upper floors." She turned to Umel, who offered a practiced bow as she secured the payment. Must be high-born with that many gold coins, Umel thought. As they stepped toward the stairs of the upper floors, Vionette paused and turned back, her expression unreadable.

"By the way, did you know my maid's name is Rose? It matches her hair perfectly, right?" Umel looked up, her face a mask of polite, bewildered annoyance.

"Madam… you already told me that. Did you actually remember anything you read with a memory like that?"

"Oh… right, I did." Vionette offered a flighty, carefree laugh. But as she turned away to continue her walk, her eyes went cold and razor-sharp. Mmm… she passes.