I followed Ragnar down the library corridors. The Dvergar Loremaster happily hummed as he hugged the Lost Sage's Encyclopedia. He even stroked his long black beard a few times, a sign he was in a really good mood, if my understanding of Dwarven culture was any good.

Yeah, fuck that notion that the Dvergar weren't dwarves. Eight-foot-tall dwarves, nonetheless. Despite not seeing a single pickax or smith's hammer so far, everything about them but the body size screamed dwarf. The architecture was softer than the brutalist utilitarianism back in Windemere but it was still practical, even though the latter lacked the sculptures and frescoes.

My mind wandered and I observed the bookshelves. They were mostly made out of stone, with triangular notches for scrolls sharing the space with flat shelves for leatherbound tomes. The few spines that held text were either in Futhark, the Nordic runic alphabet, or in a flowing cursive that I associated with some sort of Elvish language. Not a single speck of dust or a strand of spider silk could be found among them. A faint magical aura made me attribute such cleanliness to subtle enchantments placed on the bookshelves.

In strategic spots between the rows of bookshelves, comfortable couches or large pillows hosted a few dozen Dvergar who were fully absorbed in the materials they were reading. Yet, the library looked almost empty, so big it was. I noticed the lack of tables or lecterns to hold the books and scrolls. Those who had more than one item to read had them either on their lap or on a small carpet I suspected was brought by the visitor for exactly that purpose.

Ragnar noticed my attention. "Though you only see Dvergar today, this library has guests of all sizes and heights. You can imagine how hard it would be to find a desk or table that would sit comfortably each and every guest."

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. I doubted it would be hard for me to enchant a table to always stand at the optimal height for the guest. We had a population most diverse in Windemere; sizing furniture was never an issue. Unless they frowned upon using enchantments, which I doubted. I didn't voice my objections, just took his explanation at face value.

We walked in silence for another minute or two, before stopping at a set of double doors near the back of the library.

"Here we are," Ragnar said with a bit of pride. "Welcome to my office." He opened the door for me and closed it behind himself. "Now that we are away from prying ears, we can be at ease and talk. Say, Haru, do you have any questions?"

I nodded and stared up, meeting his eyes. "Why did you accept to tutor me? What did Loki promise you? Aren't you afraid I'm going to steal your secrets?"

Ragnar laughed in good spirits. He shook his head. "A loremaster's job is to share the knowledge, not to hoard it. As for the second question, you already delivered on what Loki promised me," He raised the Encyclopedia. "And no, you may feel free to try and steal my secrets. I promise you I won't hold it against you. Now a question of my own, if that's not much trouble."

I nodded.

Instead of asking straight away, he stopped before a door and unlocked it with a key that appeared as if by sleight of hand. He gestured me to enter the sitting room. It was lavishly decorated and would not be out of place in the most lavish palaces back in Yznarian. This was a place to impress guests. Ragnar gestured for me to take a seat, then settled opposite to me.

I expanded my senses and detected some enchantments to the room. One of them was a faint but insidious compulsion to be truthful, that affected everyone in the room, not only the guests. In fact, now that I was aware of it, it was affecting Ragnar more intensely than me. I didn't doubt Ragnar could wield magic but my willpower was honed and refined through dozens of lives and adversity. It made a small bead of pride swell inside of me. Perhaps I wasn't so weak out here as I first believed.

It would still be a long way to unravel the knot of worry and fear I felt ever since I was removed from Yznarian. Ever since the System ceased to be. Maybe I should ask to go hunt some monster or creature after I have settled here. Seeing how I fared against the denizens of this dark realm would do wonders to my self-esteem.

"What is your question?" I prompted.

The Loremaster leaned forward. "What does Loki want from me? What are his real goals?"

I chucked ruefully. "Your guess is as good as mine, Loremaster. I am at odds with Loki for his heavy-handed way of dealing with some recent events back home. He seemed very impatient. That said, the answer is that I don't know. Loki didn't tell me what he wanted, so I assume it is something I would accomplish by myself, even without knowing what it is. Or it might be a red herring, his real goals aren't even in this library, he just wanted me off-world for a few years. Or it is something entirely unrelated to either. But if I had to make a guess that involves your demes... library," I corrected myself.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"It would have to do with the magical properties of the Lost Sage's Encyclopedia. That book can copy the contents of any book that comes in contact with it. And it can hold an infinite amount of knowledge. Given enough time and effort, we could make it copy this entire library. If I'm correct, Loki can later find what he wants in there, after my tenure here. So, don't let the Encyclopedia touch any books you don't want copied."

Ragnar stroked his beard, then grinned. "I see. Better keep this tome away from the restricted section, right?" My only answer was a nod. "Well, thanks for sharing that. If that's all, then we have little to fear. I appreciate your candor, Haru."

Damn, Ragnar was a solid good guy. His mood darkened as he spoke next.

"But since you were honest with me, allow me to share some of my deeper motivations. Centuries ago, when I was a young and foolish Dvergar, I made a blunder and drew the ire of Heimdall. The God punished me by showing me the fate of this building during Ragnarök. When Nidavellir falls, so will its library. I will survive the fall but will become an exile, doomed to never again set foot in this city or in Myrkheim ever again. So, you said this magical and indestructible Encyclopedia can store all the books in this library? I say we should start shoving all the knowledge in it today. This way, the library will survive Ragnarök. And you, my half-dwarf pupil, will succeed me as its next Loremaster. A fitting burden for a Goddess of Knowledge."

I gave him the 'are you sure' pen and paper Dungeon Master glare. Ragnar returned my gaze and winked.

"Loki is not the only one who consulted the Norns regarding this meeting. As I said before, I hold your candor in high regard."

My mind wandered back to my pact with Lorna and Fate like a bullseye arrow moving back through time only to hit the bowstring perfectly. The Norns could read Fate. Though I had no idea what Loki asked them, Ragnar's request was obvious. He had already made his mind way before we first met today.

"I promise I'll try to reciprocate the trust to the best of my ability. Though I'm under Loki's patronage, our relationship is transactional at best. There's no love lost between us. Lately, he had to force his hand to get me to do his bidding."

"For a God of Wisdom, Loki can be impatient sometimes," Ragnar mused.

Next, we tested the Encyclopedia with some books. I showed Ragnar that just a brief touch was enough for the enchanted tome. I also showed the ability to search for information.

"That feature is quite similar to the internet," Ragnar mused. "Too similar to be a coincidence."

"The internet?" I mumbled in shock.

Ragnar nodded as he let a small chuckle. "Yes, the Internet. We don't live under a rock, Haru," he jested. Because the Dvergar did live underground. Myrkheim had no surface. It was rock all the way up.

"You have computers in here?" I asked but the Loremaster shook his head.

"Magic disrupts nanometer semiconductors. The magic in most realms makes computer chips nothing but fancy blocks of silica. Nobody has ever found a way to recreate computers in a high-magic environment. The most successful attempts were either too slow to be practical or too focused to be considered a Turing-complete machine. With the same effort, one can create a set of divination enchantments that mimic a computer for a specific purpose."

He tapped the Encyclopedia's cover to punctuate his point. But what Ragnar said about the book made me suspicious.

"Tuisto, did Loki tamper with the creation of the Encyclopedia?" I asked in thought only.

The holographic AI appeared next to me. "Yes, he did. Everything regarding your incarnation as a book mimic was designed by him."

I stared at the hallucination. "Including the events leading to my imprisonment in the tome?"

Did the bastard make me waste two thousand years trapped in that cursed book? Yes, he did.

"Yes, that is correct. Now, I'll be gone before our host finds out about me," Tuisto said and vanished. No special effects, one instant I could see the projection, the next it wasn't there anymore.

Ragnar and I talked about other things and he seemed satisfied. We got nowhere near deciphering what Loki wanted but we hedged some possibilities. I also told the Loremaster about the dormant System core and Tuisto, to which he reacted with curiosity but dismissed my worries regarding the avatar.

"It doesn't matter if Tuisto is watching what happens near you, since the Encyclopedia is also chronicling your life. I'll make sure you don't have access to sensitive information," he said and then thought about it a bit more. "And I expect you won't use your talents at larceny to get into places I tell you to keep away."

"You have my word. I won't intentionally do that unless there's a really good reason, which I will attempt to convey to you before doing so." I summoned some origami bird messengers by combining one of Nethe's powers with the perk Yznera gave me back in the day. "If you see one of these with my symbol, you can be sure it's from me."

Divine symbols were hard to imitate as anything close enough to be mistaken by it would alert the deity. It could be faked but most often, it was not worth the hassle. It was a big faux pas among deities.

"Interesting. Now, let me show you to your room. I am sure you want some time to get settled before we start with our first lecture. I am also sure you want to visit the city. I'll have an acolyte serve as chaperone."

We stood up and left the truth room. Ragnar led me to anther door at the back of the grand library, the worker's living quarters. The room he prepared for me was nice but not fancy. It was meant for visiting scholars and a notch above the regular library disciple's room. I didn't care much about the luxuries. I had enough fancy furniture to furnish a dozen Royal Castles in my infinite item box. And more than a dozen castles too.