Inside a certain library, a pair of boys stood, with a dumbfounded expression, in front of a girl who was nonchalantly reading a book while seating on a corner of the library.
Though the girl was beautiful, that wasn’t the cause for their expressions.The reason was because of how the girl looked similar to a person in their memories. Though that girl was exiled from the country, the resemblance she had was enough to make anyone mistake them for being the same person.
The two stared hard at the girl as they compared her to the exiled girl from 5 years ago. Though some slight differences were noticed, the girl generally looked the same as the one who was exiled.
Both had the same sparkling long blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. They were also similar in their doll like faces and their fragile looking appearance. What’s more, the aura of dignity she emanated from the girl was the same as from that of their memories.
The only difference that she showed were her height and her clothes.
Seeing as how similar she was to the person who was banished, one of the boys was swallowed up with fury and asked the girl in a crude, rough and disrespectful manner.
“Oi, you’re Crest Luccedias Arcentol, right? Weren’t you supposed to be in exile! Why the hell are you here!?”
Hearing the boy’s question, the girl placed a bookmark on the book and closed it before meeting the boy’s eyes.
“It is true that my name is Crest, however, I don’t remember ever having a surname or the likes of that. I think you’re mistaking me for a different person. Also, please be quiet inside of the library.”
The girl made a gesture using her index finger and her mouth in an attempt to silence them.
“Are you mocking me!?”
“No, I am not. I don’t even know you in the first place nor do I wish to be acquainted with you.”
The girl replied with a reproachful and cold voice before standing up from her seat. She gave the pair of boys a slight bow before going to the library clerk’s desk.
^^^^
As I approached the gates of the royal capital, a guard, who was stationed near the gates, went near me. Cold sweat trickled down my back as the thought of him knowing my circumstances crossed my mind.
“Can you show me your identification card?”
The question that the guard asked me threw me into a disarray. Strength left my legs, forcing me to sit on the ground.
“Are you perhaps tired? Once you’ve showed me your identification card, would you like me to guide you to an inn?”
For a guard, he was quite polite. It wasn’t all that rare in the countries I have been, but the way how the talk turned into him guiding me was quite strange.
“Ah, no thanks. I was just surprised by your appearance.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I stood up from the ground and patted my miniskirt before opening my back pack to get the things he wanted. I took out six cards from it and considered which of them was appropriate.
“Can any of these do?”
I showed the guard three cards. These three were from the countries that were near the country of Estria.
“Let me see.... Ah, the ones from Lesius and Thralt are okay, but the one from Gardecia isn’t.”
“Why?”
“From what I heard, relations with Gardecia has become quite tedious?”
“Eh? What happened?”
“Dunno.”
“I-I see...”
By the way, Lesius, Thralt and Gardecia were the other three countries that were founded after the collapse of the old empire 400 years ago. If we go by the direction, Lesius is south, Estria is east, Gardecia is north and Thralt is west.
Since I lived for quite a while in Lukia, I had a lot of acquaintances living in Gardecia. My bonds with the people who lived there were quite strong due to the events that transpired while I lived there, so my worry for their safety was quite founded.
Let’s hope nothing happens to them.
I know, let’s visit their embassy if I have time. A certain great person from their did say to contact him through their embassy if needs be. Un, let’s do that.
While making a mental note as the guard checked my cards, once he judged that nothing was wrong with them he allowed my entry. Also, as I entered the gates, I noticed that he wanted to chat with me more, but because he was no more than a stranger for me, I refused most of his invitations. He was quite nice to invite me to dinner though.
From here, the things I did follow a pattern I was used to. Finding an inn, ordering food at a store and rested at my room. Actually, I didn’t know when this habit was formed, however, it was quite effective. I usually do this whenever I stayed at a town for a first time.
“First time staying huh....”
Staring at the inn’s ceiling, the melancholy and nostalgia I felt came crashing down to me. If you were me, why wouldn’t you, right? I was born at this country, raised here by my parents and exiled from here in the end.
If I was talking to another person, he may say, ‘Why now? Why are you experiencing those feeling now? You’ve been in this country for days already. So, why now?’
My answer to that question would be, ‘Back when I lived here, the places I could go to were quite limited. Most of my time were spent studying, learning manners, and practicing how to dance. The only days I wouldn’t be doing those things are those days when my mother would organize a party or we’ve been invited to one.’
If I compared those memories to June’s memories, the childhood I had was quite stale and monotonous. Everyday, I would repeat those things, not by my will but by the will of my parents and by those around me. Whenever I remember June’s childhood, I would feel envy to him.
He spent his playing around with friends, being surrounded by them and being wrapped by the warmth of his parents. His was exactly the opposite of mine. Anybody who was in my position would feel envious of how he spent his.
“Huh...?”
My thoughts were disturbed when my cheeks got wet from something. I placed my hand to see what it was, only to discover that the cause came from my eyes.
“... I’m crying? Why?”
Throwing a question to no one, I stared hard at my hand, which became wet because of my tears, before forcefully going to sleep.
^^^^^
The sound of people moving about and the bright light from the window woke me up. I quickly changed my clothes and asked for food from the inn manager before going outside.
Though last night was quite depressing, being down doesn’t serve any purpose. Positive thinking is the way to success! I’m not the same Crest as I was in the past!
While I was pumping myself up, I realized that I had already finished all the preparations I needed to start the day.
“Now then...”
I took an orb-like object from my bag pack and applied magic to activate it. Runic symbols and arcane numbers appeared from within the ball. The symbols and numbers combined, showing me a direction to follow. I followed its direction single-mindedly, while avoiding collisions and obstacles, before coming to a halt in front of a uselessly massive gate.
The gate was quite huge. It was around 10 meters tall and 6 meters wide and had a uselessly expensive look because of the designs and carvings it had. If I compared it to the gates from other countries. It did give out a majestic feeling, but still, if a horde of monsters were to attack this city, the designs and that majestic feeling would be useless.
Ah, my thoughts strayed off.
Anyways, I stood in front of the gate with an expression of shock. I wasn’t shocked because of how useless its designs were, but I was shocked because I knew what was behind the gate.
“No way, it’s inside there? The Royal castle?”
Yes, if I were to enter the gate, I would easily arrive to Estria’s Royal Castle. I didn’t really have good memories regarding that place, so the feeling of disgust was quite strong within me.
Pacing near the gate, I contemplated whether I should sneak inside or give up the quest. However, because giving up wasn’t the option, it meant that the only option would be for me to sneak inside that.
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“For now, let’s make that the last resort. First, let’s go to the national library, there may be some clues about the magic circle.”
As I decided what to do, I headed to the national library without hesitation.
This time, because I wasn’t looking at the magic tool, because I (thankfully?) still know the direction where the national library generally was, I was now able to observe my surroundings.
Comparing the current state to that of my memories in the past, the expression that the people who lived here was quite different. They looked more desperate and high-strung.
...
Now that I think about it, the person who manages the inn also had a very scary expression.
Hmmm? I just realized something. Was the manager a man or a woman? Was he old or young? Let’s confirm it later. Thinking about it, didn’t I move like an automaton last night? Moving according to pre-established orders without regard to the surroundings. Oh my god, habits... they’re scary.
Ah, my thoughts strayed again.
Anyways, while I was pondering why the people had very stiff expressions, I managed to safely arrived at the national library. I observed the library from the roof to its base and concluded that it was quite humble if compared to the other national libraries I had visited.
It was 2 story high and 6 lots wide. Quite small if I do say so myself. I’d be insulting the national libraries of Lukia’s and the Clockwerk’s if I were to compare this to those. Though the libraries of other nations were quite big if compared to this, the libraries that those two nations had were bordering impossible. Especially the Clockwerk’s national library.
Lukia’s library was attached to a really large tree, which by the way was a hundred times larger than the Sequioa trees in June’s world. The library was placed on the side of it’s bark and branches. What’s more. according to an elf I knew, the library encompassed all the branches that the tree had.
It’s branches were already uncountable. So my point of it bordering ridiculous was understandable.
However, in the case of the Clockwerk’s library....
Well... how do I put it. The very first impression I had when I first arrive their was, ‘Impossible!’. When I asked an automaton stationed there regarding the size of their library it answered that it had gone past what was spacially efficient.
The hell with. ‘gone past what was spacially efficient’!
It said that because they lived in an island, increasing the size of the library ‘city’ was not economical. As such, their engineers had devised a way to keep the library ‘city’ compact by exploiting the space between dimensions to increase the size of their library.
By the way, you may have noticed that I attached.the word ‘city’ to their library. Since it’s quite obvious what a city is, I won’t dive into it any further.
In addition, since the Clockwerk’s were quite technologically advanced in a magical sense, when I said ‘city’, the standard of how large a ‘city’ is isn’t the same for the rest of this world. The benchmark I used to came from June’s memories.
So, yeah. The Clockwerk’s were quite a ridiculous bunch of people. Though they’re quite selfish, when it comes to their knowledge and technology, they only did it to people who couldn’t grasp their level of IQ.
With that, I’m really thankful to June’s memories. The world in his memories were quite advanced in a scientific sense and thanks to that, I managed to go toe to toe with the clockwerk’s IQ.
Oops, I’m digressing again.
Well, let’s go back to what I’m currently doing.
While I was digressing, I managed to enter the library safely thanks to the identification cards and introduction letters I had. The clerk’s reaction to the cards were quite normal, but when she saw read the introduction letters that I had, the sweat falling off from her forehead was a great scene to behold.
Fufun, seeing this reaction always make me happy.
The reason why she became that panicked as she read those letters is simple. It’s because those introduction letters came from the [Wisemen] and the [Sages] I met during my travel. Though I met some of them in a very trivial and idiotic way, some of them were born from the fruits of my perseverance and stubbornness.
If you’re wondering how I met them and how I interacted with them, let’s save them for later, shall we..
Anyhow, I gathered the books that had the keywords; magic circle, teleportation magic and old magic arts from the library. What’s more, thanks to the introduction letters, I even managed to enter the restricted parts of the library.
Viva authority! Long live the [Sages]! Long live the [Wisemen]!
Though I do wish they’d fix their personalities though. Especially the [Sages]. Though they’re quite smart, they way the behave were quite strange. I can’t count the number of times they attempted to touch my butts, hips and breast.
If only they weren’t giant perverts, my respect for them would have reached the heavens. Incidentally, the difference between the two is quite obvious. The [Sages] study phenomenon which were not caused by magic while the [Wisemen] deals with things that are caused by magic.
“Oi, you’re Crest Luccedias Arcentol, right? Weren’t you supposed to be in exile! Why the hell are you here!?”
A voice from a stranger hailed me. Though I said I was called, I wasn’t really sure if it was me. It was because when he called my name, a few unfamiliar things were attached after it. But, because I felt no presence besides me in this corner, I deduced that he was calling me. So I closed the book I was reading and faced the boy.
“It is true that my name is Crest, however, I don’t remember ever having a surname or the likes of that. I think you’re mistaking me for a different person. Also, please be quiet inside of the library.”
I answered his question and even advised them the proper discipline while inside the library. However, from the furious look that he had, it seemed like he took my warning in the wrong light.
Haaa~
Though I managed to relax myself thanks to the books I was reading. Getting disturbed in such a rude and pertinent way can really dampen anyone’s mood.
“Are you mocking me!?”
Just because you’re a handsome, that doesn’t excuse your behavior you know. The way you behave is an embarrassment to all the handsome blonde people I’ve and will met you know. Even if you make such a scary face, it doesn’t scare me in the least you know.
I’ve experienced scarier things in my travels. Seen more terrible things with my eyes and felt more horrifying acts with my body. So no matter what face you make, you don’t scare me. Well, if it were me from three years ago, I’d be pissing in my underwear right about now. So I’ll praise you for that.
“No, I am not. I don’t even know you in the first place nor do I wish to be acquainted with you.”
I answered the boy in the coldest voice I could muster. Though I wanted to mix bloodlust within it, but because it’d be spoiling the atmosphere that the library provides, I held myself back for the sake of the books.
But still, being near such an impertinent boy can be quite annoying. Which is why, I decided to change locations. I headed towards the library clerk and asked for a private reading room.
Chapter 2 end.
Floatingfeather here,
Nice to meet you guys again, I've come to reply to a few questions. In regards to what SaraAlexiel said, he was quite correct. I overwrote my previous story and made this one. The reason why I did that was because if I updated the story from 4 months ago by now, it'd feel quite awkward for me, so I decided to overwrite the story.
Next, KK2, well, I've been editing chapter 1 and chapter 2 and found what you meant. I've changed it and also added a few details to it to add more meat to the story.
As for the rest of the people that pointed out the mistakes, thank you very much. I'm very grateful for it. Hopefully, I'll see you guys in the next chapter soon. :D