There was only one person who Mei respected among the outer disciple section of the academy and that was the librarian who helped her study since she was young. Tomo wasn’t particularly talented enough to be an elder, but was skilled enough to continue working as the safeguarding of tomes and scrolls in the academy.

The Man was in his mid-thirties with brown hair and small reading glasses that always slipped down his face. Half of his face was always shoved in a tome or scroll whenever Mei saw him.

Looking up from the current tome he was reading he smiled towards Mei who was marching towards him. Tomo wasn’t particularly handsome, but wasn’t ugly either. It had always surprised her that he never gotten married considering as a cultivator he could easily find a commoner even who would want to be with him.

“Why hel–no! Nonono!” he said as he saw Mei’s look of determination. Her tiny frame was significantly shorter than Tomo, but she still managed to mildly intimidate Tomo despite him clearly being stronger than her.

Stopping in front of him with her arms crossed he gave him a stern look. “Tomo. I need access to the second floor.”

The words fell out of her mouth. Tomo sat there for five seconds before he busted out laughing. “Bahaha! I thought we had already discussed this Mei. I like you. Of all the kids who come through this place you put more effort than any of them, but I am not going to let you onto the second floor of the library.

“Listen Tomo I need to get up there and read up on more deities. How am I supposed to find one that suits me if I’m wasting my time on the minor deities we read about on the first floor of the academy library.” Mei pouted.

“You just need to trust your instincts like all the other students do.” Tomo reassured.Mei looked at him raising her eyebrow “You can’t be this naive! Do you think the wealthy kids from even minor clans don’t have their parents getting them resources or information on whatever they requested? They get to leave the academy unlike the commoner kids. Yet when I want one small advantage it is a step too far?”

Tomo rubbed the bridge of his nose as he thought “follow me.”

A brilliant smile blossomed on her face as she followed Tomo through the spiral staircase that led up to the second floor. Tomo stopped just before it and turned to her. “You will not enter the second floor, but I can’t help it if you accidentally look through a tome I drop from there.” Tomo bent down to her height and whispered “you got five minutes to read the tome I bring down do we understand?”

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Mei nodded as she waited for him to return as the door slid shut behind him.

After five minutes passed the door opened just enough for Tomo to slip back through “Listen Mei the blessing ceremony isn’t supposed to be you picking the deities you think are best. They pick you.”

“Ehh Tomo you worry too much. All I am doing is making a list of gods major and minor who I think will be great fits and put them as a priority to visit that is all.” Mei said, waving her hand.

“Ahh you may come to regret this Mei” he sighed admitting defeat to her sheer determination, besides it was better for him to do it then have her trying to sneak up there and doing it herself.

Handing the tome to Mei who quickly ripped it from his grasp and opened it up. The old leather binding had splits and cracks forming on it from age, but the pages were broadly intact. As her finger glided over the names she read out the ones that stuck out to her. “Bishamonten goddess of war, Philalar god of light, Yiseri forest goddess of the Northern forest” she spoke each name quietly to herself, committing those who she felt attached to.

“Femir.” She whispered her voice dripped with hatefulness. Shaking her head she moved past the name flipping through the tome rapidly until she found a page it naturally opened to. Why choose a god that doesn’t even protect those who honored him the most?

Tomo stood over her leaning up against the wall waiting for her to finish. So far she ahd found six that sounded decent to her; they all had numerous disciples and based on the tome descriptions were extremely popular. Finally she got to her last pick, but who would she choose? Mei’s eyes darted left to right, up and down the pages trying to find any popular deity that sounded up her alley.

“Time is up Mei” Tomo spoke through his teeth as he keep his eyes on the stairway anticipating someone coming any second.

“Aww Tomo just one more?” she begged.

“Mei…” Tomo said a vein ready to pop out of his forehead “Just pick one you have three seconds” Tomo growled at her.

“Fine” looking down she decided to look at the last page in the tome. The page was detached from the rest of the tome and had no small amount of water damage so she couldn’t make out the description, but the name was Vasu-Jin god of— just as she was about to read out the last word Tomo snatched the tome back and fled back into the second floor.

“Tomo! Wait, I almost finished reading it!” It was too late. Tomo was already deep into the second floor behind the doorway.

Mei stood slightly disappointed that she couldn’t make out the last name was any good for her.

“Oh well, I found some decent picks for myself if I do say so!” she was quite proud of herself for bullying Tomo into submission.

After several minutes Tomo came back and escorted Mei back out who proceeded to give him a hug and a small peck on the cheek. “Thank you Tomo! You are the best'' she whispered to him before turning away and running out of the library.

Tomo smiled as she ran off. That girl is sure a funny little thing he thought laughing to himself.