Entering back into the library I was greeted with the familiar atmosphere as before. Many more people were browsing at this time as people were coming and going more frequently. I noted the clock above the librarian's counter in the center of the room, indicating two in the afternoon.

This time, however, I had a specific goal in mind. I was looking for a book on the history of this new world. The interesting man Zhiff from earlier today had said something about more accurate books on the second floor.

As I made my over to the staircase near the counter the librarian greeted me with a warm smile. "Good afternoon sir," she said. "Is there anything I can help you with today?"

“No, I should be ok” I replied. It was the same lady from earlier today who offered me drinks. Hopefully, she doesn’t remember me, she probably wondered where I went after bringing me tea earlier when I left.

I made my way up the stairs, ascending to the second floor. The shelves here weren’t as high and had a lot fewer books to look at. It wasn’t as spacious up here as it overlooked the ground floor from its indoor balcony-like structure that surrounded the outskirts of the building inside.

Upon a short browse, the bookshelves were filled with works on various subjects, from mythology to politics and war. I began to scan the spines, searching for specific books on the history of this place.

After a few minutes of browsing, I finally found a book on Goldeen. The book was large and rather new looking, the cover made of aged leather. The title, "The Kingdom of Goldeen," was embossed on the front in large letters. It was different from the one before as this was on general history rather than magic, and it was much newer too.

“This should be a good start.”

I carefully pulled the book from the shelf and walked over to one of the empty desk seats next to the window overlooking the town in front of the library. As I sat down the librarian came up the stairs holding a cup and saucer, and walked over to me. I’m guessing she does remember me.

“Here’s your tea from earlier, you left before I got the chance to give it to you.” She placed it down in front of me on the desk as steam emanated from the glass.

As she was walking away I compellingly asked, “Excuse me miss, can I get your name?”

“Sorry, we don’t give out that information” she replied as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and continued down the stairs.

That was a little strange but they probably have their reasons to keep it private. Back in my world workers would usually have name tags, offering their services with their name, but I guess this world is different in that aspect.

I went back to my book and opened it to the first page as I picked up the hot glass of tea to take a sip. The writing was still old and ornate for a rather new book, the ink slightly faded with age. But despite its inward appearance, the book was in good condition.

Excitement filled me as I began to read. Goldeen had always been a global superpower, having all the other countries in their grasp. However, they didn’t feel the need to expand their kingdom. Goldeen, the capital city of Ercadium, was currently ruled by the Soren family and had been for generations.

The book went further into the details of the city on its large wealth, the grand status of its people compared to the rest of the world, and its magnetic architecture as well. It sounded rather intimidating just reading about it, although I should be used to that kind of lifestyle. I was part of a very wealthy family back in my old world too.

It also talked about Goldeen’s enforcer unit, who are trained at their prestigious schools and could go on to work for very successful people, such as royals, great families and politicians too.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

As the afternoon wore on, I became more and more engrossed in the book. I barely noticed the passing of time or the people coming and going around me. The world of the book had become my own, and I couldn't wait to explore more of it.

Skimming further through the book, there were again pages missing. Did somebody really not like books, or were they trying to get rid of something? Was there information in these books that someone or something didn’t want available publicly? But if it’s sensitive information, why would it be in a regular library book in the first place?

I skimmed past some of the points I wasn’t worried about missing and looked for information on the town of Leode and its relevance in the grand scheme of things. I took another sip of my tea while gazing out the window at the late afternoon view, observing the town gradually winding down as the sun was beginning to set.

From the information in the book, Leode looked to be a rather large, well-kept town in a conurbation of various places with the capital city, Goldeen as its cornerstone. Leode is a pretty well-off city compared to other cities such as the farming city of Aurich in the north, and the mining city of Bellhall in the east. But Leode was still nothing under the wealth of Goldeen.

As I continued reading the sun started to set behind the town’s horizon and the noise of the town went still.

Eventually, the clock above the librarian counter chimed, eight in the evening, signalling that the library was closing. Reluctantly, I closed the book and put it back in its place on the shelf, promising myself that I would come back soon to continue to read more at a later date.

What I wanted to do now was figure out more to do with this pin. None of the history books had anything on it. Was it involved in those missing pages? Maybe I would have to look more into Goldeen in person, but I would need money and a way to even get there.

The librarian waved me off as I walked out the door of the library into the cool evening, I was the last one to leave. It was already quite dark outside and there were very few people around.

“Hello there.”

A voice came from the shadows to the right of me as I stood outside and could you guess who it was, Caius, fluttering his fingers at me cheekily.

“How’d you know I was here, and why would you wait outside if you already knew?”

“Honestly, where else would you be? And I was being polite, I didn’t want to disturb your peace like last time heh.”

I sighed. I’m half glad he’s here since I can get him to show me to a cheap place to stay for the night. A crumby, drab place to stay is all I can likely afford and it’s not something befitting for someone like me, but I’ll have to stick it out for a while as I get my bearings here.

“I’m sure you know a few places still open this hour, any that I can stay the night? For cheap?”

Caius nodded, a friendly smile on his face. “Of course I know, who do you think I am? You know I can probably sneak you into mine for the night if you want instead?”

“And spend the night with you? I’d rather spend a bit on a place by myself.”

“Suit yourself,” Caius shrugged. "There's a boarding house just a few blocks from here that's run by a very kind lady. The rooms are small, but they're clean and affordable. I can take you there now if you'd like."

“That’ll do,” I nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief wash over me.

As we strode through the darkened streets, the silence was only broken by the distant hum of streetlights and the muffled babble of voices from nearby buildings. The night was still and eerie as if the very air itself was holding its breath.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down my spine, and my arm hairs stood up as if the chilly night air had turned frigid. The sensation was enough to set my heart racing as a foreboding sense of danger washed over me. Caius must have sensed the same ominous feeling, as he was scanning the surroundings, his expression tense with concentration.

Just as I was about to speak up, a deafening crash erupted from the building beside us, shattering the silence like a thunderclap. A dark figure hurtled backwards through crumbling brickwork, showering us with a cascade of debris and broken masonry landing right at our feet. With a jolt of terror, I saw that the figure was a man, his dark hair and clothes soaked in blood and his body covered in cuts and bruises.

Caius sprang into action, his usual friendly expression morphing into one of concern as he rushed to the man's side. "Are you alright?" he asked urgently, but the man only glared at us with a wild, desperate expression.

Of course he wasn’t ok! Did you seriously not see what just happened?

The man took a glance at me and widened his eyes. "You shouldn't be here!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and ragged.

A chill once again crept down my spine at his response, warning me that danger lurked in the shadows around us. We were not safe here.