"Hey, Ernesto... Why hasn’t Isuke come back?"

"For the fifth time, I’ve told you—I don’t know!" Tired of my questions, Ernesto got up from his chair.

"I’m worried."

"Oh? Really? I hadn’t noticed!"

Catching the sarcasm in his voice, I continued my monologue.

"It’s been two days... Two days! What could that bastard be doing?"

"Something productive!" he interrupted. "Unlike you, he’s out there chasing his goals. Can you leave me alone now?"

Heading to the counter, Ernesto sat far from me. The library was enormous—stacks of books piled high on what seemed like endless shelves. The spot where Ernesto and I were was the reception area.

"You’ve got nothing to do anyway. Nobody’s here."

"That’s because you’re here!"

"No," I shook my head. "This place was already empty before I came in. And with that face of yours—"

"Alright, alright! Don’t start," he said, throwing a notebook at me.

Naturally, I dodged it with ease. Not in a million years could this guy challenge me. He was just a brainiac—a bookworm. No, calling him that might be an insult to bookworms.

"You’re immature."

"No more than you." Grabbing another book from his desk, he started reading. "How much do you need, anyway?"

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Hey! Don’t put it like that..." I looked away.

"Should I say it in Old Tongue?"

Annoyed by his comment, my tail twitched instinctively.

'Oh, Ernesto… Should I just kill you?' I sighed, trying to calm myself. 'Be patient. Just... endure it.'

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself.

"They’re expensive. I need you to help me cover half."

Ernesto stayed silent after my comment. For several minutes, he focused on his book. I noticed him glancing at me from time to time. It wasn’t until he finished reading an entire page that he responded.

"Besides the gear you gave him… did you buy anything else? You should be able to afford this on your own."

"If I could do it on my own, I wouldn’t be asking for your help, idiot!"

"Fair point." Closing the book, he pulled out the glasses from his pocket and looked at me. "Alexa, be careful not to drown in debt."

"I know! Will you help or just keep talking cra—"

Tossing me a small dark leather pouch, Ernesto turned his gaze to the entrance as he put on his glasses. An older man I recognized immediately had walked in. His clothes looked expensive—both his shirt and pants were made of high-quality yellow leather.

"Welcome, Boss." Bowing his head, Ernesto paid his respects to my grandfather.

"Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Tucking the pouch into my left pocket, I ran over to greet him.

"Not at all! What’s up? Did something happen? Is Isuke here?"

Frowning at the mention of that name, he replied coldly,

"No. Although I’ve already called the search team… are you sure about this?"

Scouring the Azir Desert was certainly dangerous due to the goblins swarming the area. The costs were steep; only nobles could afford a search mission of this scale.

"Of course! He’s a friend—a friend who’ll figure out how to pay me back!"

Sighing at my response, Grandpa stepped further into the library. Examining the shelves, he began browsing through several books.

"Boss, those are..."

They were erotic books.

"Yes, I know… I’m picking one up for someone else."

Ernesto took a step back upon hearing this.

"S-sir… don’t tell me... is it for your successor?!"

Grandpa laughed at his reaction.

"As sharp as ever, Ernesto." Slipping one of the books into his pocket, the Boss continued, "Keep working hard, but don’t forget to rest."

"Thank you! Oh, but if you need to store that, I think it’d be better if…"

I watched as Ernesto handed Grandpa a green leather pouch. I smiled slightly to mask my discomfort.

'Men...'

Turning my gaze to the window, I bit my lip softly.

'What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, Isuke?'