Adam walked through the aisles after going through the paint. Everything seemed as normal as always, and the market's calmness indicated that the purge probably wouldn't happen today either. However, the wizard was quite real, and his warning seemed genuine, so it was better not to ignore it.
Upon reaching the stairs, the guards seemed unconcerned, just observing people going up and down. Occasionally, they randomly stopped someone to ask for identification, as if to demonstrate their usefulness, but they didn't appear worried about an imminent attack.
Seeing everything was in order, Adam descended the stairs a bit more relaxed and walked until he reached the shelf of the eyeless old man. As he arrived, the young man noticed that the shelf was slightly different from how he remembered.
He hadn't bothered to look at it when leaving the cave, so he hadn't noticed the changes in the eyeless old man's decorations before.
Multiple mini-mushrooms of various colors adorned the entire shelf, and in the middle of the shelf stood a statue shaped like Adam. It was the most eye-catching part of the shelf, making it easy to notice.
Additionally, the eyeless old man had surrounded the statue with large and colorful mushrooms, as if trying to make the statue stand out even more to the librarians' sight.
The eyeless old man materialized on the shelf and took out his eyes to look Adam up and down:
—Finally, you decide to embark on your ascent to the upper floors, young hero?
—Yeah— Adam replied gruffly —I came across a wizard who told me the purge would be today, so it's better to go find my father soon.
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—If you get caught up in the conflict, remember you can't enter my cave— the eyeless old man warned with concern —I doubt anything bad will happen to you during the purge, but just in case, be careful and try to escape! There won't be any safe haven on these floors.
—Thanks for the advice— Adam commented with a smile —I guess we won't see each other again: I don't plan on coming back to these floors in the future...
—If you really care for me: Never return, young man!— the eyeless old man shouted with a joyful smile —Instead, read the black book and create as many maps as you can, spend your life creating maps, and I'll be happy.
—I'll probably end up reading it just to add to my collection of magical books— Adam remarked, though he currently had no plans to study another language from scratch.
—That's the spirit, young man!— the eyeless old man commented cheerfully —You'll know everything about your past when you visit your father.
—I guess it's time to face the truth...— Adam murmured, feeling a little nervous about the encounter.
—Don't worry too much— the eyeless old man said with a smile —I'm sure you'll feel a weight lifted off your shoulders once you learn about your past.
As the eyeless old man said that, the monk started forming on his shelf and said to Adam with a smile:
—Good luck on your adventure, young man. The destiny of librarians is to uncover the secrets of this library. I'm glad you've finally grown to the point where you decide to travel and discover those secrets.
—Thanks for helping me on so many occasions, monk— Adam commented.
—Good luck uncovering your past, Adam— the eyeless old man said with a hint of ink in his eyes.
—Thanks, old man, you helped me in many difficult moments, and I'll always remember it— Adam said with a joyful smile and tears in his eyes.
When Adam said goodbye, the old man hid within his shelf. He seemed not to be fond of farewells, so he didn't want to drag things out. But to his surprise, the monk began to laugh and said with some irony:
—It seems the old man was more concerned about warning that sheep about your departure than saying goodbye to you, young man. Do me a favor and tell the guards to come to my shelf before you descend the stairs.
—Alright— Adam said, feeling a bit dazed.
With that, Adam began to walk towards the stairs. The boy was somewhat bewildered, reflecting on the monk's words on the way. However, before he could reach any significant conclusion, he came across the stair guards looking at him with suspicion.