Author's Note:-

Dear readers, if you feel like I have something I could improve myself on, will you be so kind to show me that flaw, and give me a few tips to overcome it? I truly want to know, what is it I am weak at, so your help are very much appreciated!

Of course, simple comments are also more than welcomed!

Nevertheless, happy reading :)!

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Chapter 2 - The Bailune City

I walked alongside Quin and Regan, my curious gaze running up and down their body. Was humans of the past always this tall? They're already bypassed my father in term of height, and their magic are also outstanding. Well, at least Regan's.

Regan glances over his shoulder and notices that I'm staring at him. "Hm? You need something?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. I was just wondering, why do the two of you risks your life to hunt monsters?" Although not really what I had in mind, it was still one of a hundred question I wanted to ask.

"That's an odd thing to ask," said Regan, rising his eyebrows.

"Well, we're actually instructors at an academy. Regan teaches magic and so on, while I help students that are interested in close combats. The bull monster we hunted just now was a creation of one of our students, that went... well, you know what happened," replied Quin.

Instructors? Ah, true. Even in the past, there's academies dedicated to allow younger peoples to hone their abilities. I wonder how different is it from modern Magic Academies? And... that bull is a creation of one of their students? Ancient magic are terrifying.

"It was fairly strong, but because the bull had been under a restraining spell, it became an easy catch," Regan added.

An easy catch he says. A catch that almost robbed my life.

Taking the fact that there are academies in this world, they must have libraries as well. Maybe I can find some clues that will assist me in finding the amulet's creator. Perhaps even learn some new things. But... the thing that concerns me is... I can't use mana.

"Anyway, enough of us. Where do you come from, Liluca?" Quin asked.

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that. Your clothes and your magic... I never saw either of them before," Regan continued.

Ah... I expected this. Well, might as well devise up a fake background while I do it. Since I make use of ice magic, living in the snow mountains should be a good foundation to start on. Then, I'll just add up some random stuff on it.

"I came from a secluded village deep within the snowy mountain region. Since we were cut out from the rest of the world, our choices of clothes differ greatly from others. Even so, I had great interest in the world outside, so I decided to go on a journey. Never thought that it'll be this dangerous, though," I glanced over my shoulder and stared into the forest.

"At such a young age? I never thought girls from the Schwartz region could be this brave," Quin stated.

Schwartz region? I guess that is where snow rains on mountains. More importantly, I really need to fix their view on me.

"Before I say anything else, I should mention that I'm not a girl." It's annoying enough with my father trying to call me daughter, now I have to remind strangers that I'm not a girl.

"You what?! But... but, that long hair, that petite stature! Just because you have a flat chest doesn't mea-" Quin slapped Regan on the head.

"Shut up, you idiot." Quin glances at me. "You're a boy? That's unexpected. In any case, I apologize in behalf of myself and my stupid brother right here for calling you a girl."

The peak of a stone gate began rising in the horizon of my view. On top of it, I saw men with bows in their hands, their keen eye sight traversing throughout the forest before them. Seems like we're reaching the city.

"It's fine. By the way, is that the city?" I pointed my index finger toward the humongous gate.

Since I had no direction to travel into, I decided to follow Quin and Regan to the city. It wasn't much, but it does help save time rather than trekking through the jungle without any sense of goal.

"Yeah, it is. It's called Bailune City, if you're wondering. The academy that both of us teaches at are also here."

Step by step, we came closer to the gate. At first, I only saw the gate, scraping up into the sky as high as I could see. Then, the walls came along, just a bit shorter than the gate itself. I've seen a lot of tall buildings in the modern days, but this is just... majestic.

Following behind Regan and Quin, we arrived at the gate. Pointy spikes of what I assume the steel gate protruded on the ceilings, as if javelins had been stuck in there. The guards were also very friendly, waving at me thinking I'm still a child in primary school. Regan and Quin took a while as they went past the checking point, chattering with the guards happily.

And when my turn came to check the content of the bag that I had carried, the guards were confused. They saw many things that I had brought from my world, so it was natural they couldn't appraise any of them. Even so, I slipped by, using the excuse that those items were from my non-existant village.

"Okay, Liluca. This is where we both split on our own ways," said Quin, pulling his belt pouches upward as they were drooping down.

"I guess so. Thanks again for your help!" I started walking away.

"Wait, Liluca!" Regan's voice crept behind me.

I turned my heels. "Yes?"

"Take this." He throws an enveloped letter to me.

I caught it and stared at it, front and back. Nothing. "This is...?"

"You're supposed to open it! It's a letter of entry for our academy, in case you want to enroll."

"I see... well, thanks. I'll think about it." I stuffed the letter inside my pocket and then waved at the two before blending into the crowd. The academy huh... probably a place I should visit in the future.

The insides of the city was hectic, voices of merchants chattering with their customers, trying to avoid bargaining. It was also quite hot, the sun sitting right at the center of the sky. Not really a place of my choice, especially when I'm susceptible to fainting.

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Pulling my bag firmly into my back, I walked across the crowd. Running was not a choice here because I could stumble against people easily, and my stamina couldn't possibly keep up. There was various kind of peoples, and various I meant by races and conditions.

I saw a few with bandages on their arms, probably a wound from a battle. There were also cat peoples, elves, dwarves, and so on. This is quite the shock. Peace between races have been formed since ancient times? Unbelievable! I was told of tales that each races never got along with others, until The End of the Ancient Times.

The End of the Ancient Times refers to the catastrophic event that befell the Earth when a gigantic meteor had pushed the reset button on the world. Very little information was left regarding the incident, so it was never known what had caused it in the first place.

Nevertheless, after much squeezing between flesh in the crowd, I finally got out of the hectic situation. There was a woman wearing a normal attire, blue blouse coupled with green skirt. As fashion never had been one of my strong point, I had trouble figuring out what these clothes were called.

I approached her. Even the woman was tall, so I had to tug her skirt to catch her attention. She jolted in surprise, probably thinking that there was a molester behind her. She glances behind her shoulder, nothing. Then, she looks down, and saw me.

"Oh, are you lost, little girl?" she said.

I'm too tired to revolt. "Do you know where the library is?"

"Self-studying at such an age? How cute! Anyway, you can find the public library right over..." her gaze runs all over the city and then halted at one point, "there. See that black tower? That's the public library. You can also find libraries inside academies."

I looked over my shoulder, and saw the tip of the said black tower. Sure is nice, to be tall and all.

"I see it. Thanks!"

"It's my pleasure," she replied, and then enters her house.

The black tower was not as far as I predicted. It took me a thirty seconds of walking, but I somehow survived and reached the place.

Standing before the black tower, it looked like a dark version of the tower where Rapunzel had been locked in. Windows without glass set everywhere on the walls of the tower, allowing light to travel inside. The bricks were also kind of mouldy, a cocktail mix of green unknown germ, and dusts kicked off the ground.

I step on the grey stairs, one at a time. The wooden door approaches me before long, greeting me with a sense of smell that reminds me of old, rotten wood infested with termites. I push it open, and the hinges creaked like mating mice.

Gosh, this reminds me so much of father's old and ancient door. How are they doing now, Claudia and father. I kind of miss them.

I stepped inside, and the door shuts on its own. The insides were far better than the outside, the grey floor brimming with light reflected from torches. Pillars of wood stood on four sides, each with a torch set on it and below the torch, a sign written 'Quiet or Die'. Wow, deep.

Laid before me was about six rows of table, each with a complete set of chair, sat by none but dusts. On the tables, lanterns trapped a dancing fire, unknown whether happy or sad for its fate. As expected, even in the old times, libraries were never a popular spot for peoples.

I looked upward, the swirling staircase providing path to those that seek books on the higher level. I do see some people, reading books while walking down, or just standing by the edge of the higher floor, placing their hands on the wooden guard while peeking down.

Oh, I take it back. Old time peoples like books.

As I was busy looking upward, a big hand taps on my shoulder. I was never fond of surprise, so I leapt away out of shock.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I surprise you?" a familiar voice blends in my ears.

"Brother Quin?" I turned around, and it was indeed him.

"Brother?" he said, tilting his head in curiosity while he crouched.

Oops. I accidentally brought my habit here. "Ah... my bad. It's a habit of mine, to refer anyone older than me, as brother. With exceptions, of course."

"I see... well, I don't mind if you want to call me that. But anyway, what are you doing here?" he stood up and looked around.

"Ah... I guessed that library is a good way to learn about something I've been really curious about. What about you, brother Quin?"

"I'm here to find books about cooking."

Did I just hear that wrong?

"Cooking? Why?" Unable to help myself, I asked him yet another question.

"Regan has been outside, or rather, he's been eating at bars. Those, to be honest, are not really a good place for him. Last time, he turned a guy into a bird and caged the bird-guy for a day before turning him back to normal, all because he troubled one of Regan's own students."

"I feel bad both for that guy, and the student. So brother Quin are trying to learn cooking to cook for him? Why not just make him marry someone?" I said, thinking back in the modern days of how I used to cook for my family. It was my job for a long time, so I couldn't help but to pity Quin.

"That's quite the matured way to think about it. However, it's not so simple. Regan actually dislike women."

... I feel imminent danger. I shouldn't have came close to these two.

Quin notices my expression. "Oh, don't worry. He never said that he preferred a guy. Just that he hates women."

"I-I see... in any matter, I should get going now. I want to find some books."

"Yeah, me too. Thanks for listening to my complaining," Quin said as he began walking away, probably to ask the librarian something.

I surveyed the surrounding of the library. On each floor, a letter was imprinted by their respective pillars. The ground floor was 'A', followed by the second with 'B' and so on. What I'm searching for is 'Time' so that would be... I began singing the Alphabet song and counting them with my finger, until I reached 'T'.

Oh god. Floor 20.