89. Library

89. Library

Library.

A library is a place where many, many books are gathered.

Of course, most of them are probably boring and uninteresting books, but there might be some fun picture books.

Who knows, there might even be a book praising the greatness of wolves.

Regardless of my dislike for books, it’s definitely worth exploring. I grabbed Lucy’s hand and lifted it high into the sky.

The gentle sunlight of the North Pole shone on our hands.

“Let’s go!”

——

“Huk.”

The library was big.

Very big.

Well, books are inherently large objects, so I can understand to some extent, but this library is just too big.

No matter how much I crane my neck, or stand on my tiptoes, I can’t see the entire library. I have no idea how big it really is.

… Or maybe it’s just because I’m small. To me, who is still only 118cm tall including my ears, everything in the world seems huge.

But I’m not worried. Because I am a proud Arctic wolf suin, and one day I will grow as tall as Sister, Father, and Mother.

It bothers me that I’m still shorter than others my age… but genetics don’t lie.

I shook off my unfounded worries and slightly opened the lid of my bag, saying to Seol-gu.

“Seol-gu, it’s huge, isn’t it!”

“Kkang.”

“Yes, yes, it feels huge to me, a wolf, so it must be unimaginable for you, a tiny little thing. I understand.”

“Kkang!”

When the difference is too great, you can’t truly grasp the gap. How big do you think an ant perceives a human to be? It probably just feels like a wall.

Seol-gu is the same. For a small and cute Arctic fox like Seol-gu, a building this large would be completely incomprehensible.

I patted Seol-gu’s head, as if I understood everything, and Seol-gu, annoyed, bit my hand.

“Kkae-aeng!”

“Kkang.”

You bad fox.

A wolf is worried about you, and instead of being grateful, you bite a person’s hand?

I puffed out my cheeks and stuck out my tongue at Seol-gu.

Beh.

I’m sticking my tongue out at you, fox.

At that moment, Seol-gu stuck out his tongue at me as well.

“Kkang.”

“What….”

Is he sticking his tongue out at me?

Seol-gu always sticks his tongue out like an idiot, but this time it felt different. This was clearly meant to mock me, his owner.

This…!

“Meringue!”

“Kkang.”

“Meeeeeringue!”

“Kkang kkang.”

“Eeeek.”

I shouted to Lucy, who was watching nervously from the side.

“Lucy! Scold Seol-gu!”

“Uh, uh?”

If Seol-gu and I are evenly matched and a winner can’t be determined, we can borrow the power of an external force. I grabbed Lucy, and soon Lucy and I were facing off against Seol-gu.

Lucy hesitated and then opened her mouth.

“Um… Seol-gu? You should yield a little.”

“Kking….”

“Thank you!”

I don’t know what she meant by ‘yield,’ but it was effective. Seol-gu retracted his silly tongue and went back into the bag.

It’s my victory!

“Let’s go in now, Lucy!”

“Yeah.”

Lucy and I pushed open the door of the large library together. Creak, with a slightly creepy hinge sound, the door swung wide open.

“Wow.”

The interior was no different from the exterior.

An incredibly large library. Bookshelves packed densely with books stood from one wall to the opposite wall.

There were even second and third floors, and surprisingly, stairs that moved up and down slowly connected each floor. It looked perfectly like what one would call an escalator.

Wait a minute, could that be… an elevator?

With a ding, the elevator doors opened. A person carrying a pile of books descended and disappeared somewhere.

Good heavens! It’s a real elevator.

The library has an old-fashioned feel overall, but the presence of such sophisticated mechanical devices here and there creates a sense of disharmony. How strange.

My tail flapped. My eyes sparkled.

I hurried into the depths of the library.

I was about to run in….

“Hey.”

“Kkang?!”

My tail was suddenly grabbed. My running body stopped, and soon I was dangling in the air.

Turning around in that state, I saw a tall, slender man wearing glasses looking at me with a frown.

“You’re shedding fur.”

“Huk!”

Now that I think about it, that’s true. My tail is my pride and joy, the super-duper tail that makes everything around me furry even when it’s still. It’s even worse when I wag it around like this.

As I whimpered, tucking my tail, the man clicked his tongue.

“This is why suins….”

“Are you insulting my tail right now?”

I don’t care if you insult me. But I can’t stand it when you insult my tail. I flailed my limbs, expressing my anger, and the man lightly hit my head.

“Kkang!”

“Don’t come in until you’ve solved the fur shedding problem.”

Whoosh, the man threw me out of the library. Seol-gu popped out of the bag from the impact and tumbled onto the ground.

His lack of consideration for a suin. I’m very angry, but since I was the one shedding fur, there’s nothing I can do.

Lucy said, looking at me with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m a wolf, so I’m very sturdy, don’t worry.”

I brushed off the snow from my clothes. I didn’t have any injuries, but the biggest problem was that I couldn’t enter the library like this.

I want to ride the escalator. And the elevator.

“Ugh….”

Are all human adults like this?

Lucy is such a good child, so I thought the adults would be good too, but it seems like every adult I meet has less than a quarter of Lucy’s personality.

Lucy asked.

“Should we just go somewhere else? Or maybe we can play on something other than the swings at the playground….”

“No. I have a good idea.”

If they complain about my tail fur, I’ll just eliminate the reason for their complaints. Then that man won’t have anything to say.

Of course, I don’t mean I’ll pull out all my tail fur. That would be too horrible.

The solution I came up with is….

“Ta-da! Tail cover!”

“Wow! But what is that?”

“It’s like a coat that covers your tail to prevent fur from shedding!”

… Honestly, I don’t know why this is in my bag. I thought it wouldn’t be there, so I opened the bag, but for some reason, the tail cover was covering Seol-gu like a blanket.

I never pack things like this. Did Seol-gu bring it secretly?

I don’t want to disturb Seol-gu’s warm sleep, but I have no choice but to use this now.

I picked up the tail cover without hesitation.

Hoo hoo hoo, deep breath.

Tail cover. I really, really don’t want to use it, but I have no choice.

A true man knows when to endure.

“Haaap…!”

I let out a battle cry and put on the cover. As my tail was compressed, an incredibly uncomfortable sensation enveloped me.

This is, yes… like wearing clothes that don’t fit. Or like walking around wrapped in a thick blanket.

No matter how much I wag my tail, the uncomfortable feeling doesn’t disappear. I already feel like giving up and running back to the playground, but I’m determined not to give up until I ride the escalator.

“Let’s go!”

“Uh, yeah.”

I need to hurry before my resolve wavers. I took Lucy and re-entered the library.

The man who chased me out earlier, likely the librarian of this library, frowned again when he saw me enter, but then tilted his head, looking at my tail cover.

“How is it! My tail fur isn’t shedding anymore! Can I come in?”

“Ah… yes.”

No matter how much I wagged my tail, the fur didn’t scatter. Realizing this, the librarian sighed and reluctantly nodded.

Having received permission, Lucy and I happily trotted inside.

From afar, the librarian shouted.

“Don’t run!”

“Yes!”

Tsk, what a stingy person.

“Okay, Lucy. Let’s go to the escalator.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Strictly speaking, I don’t know if the escalator’s name is really ‘escalator,’ but since the meaning is well conveyed, the translation magic seems to be very, very excellent.

I silently thanked the stone.

Thank you, stone!

“Hoo hoo hoo.”

Whirring. The escalator moves at a slow speed. One going up and one coming down are side-by-side.

I carefully observed the timing and then powerfully jumped with both feet onto the step.

My body heading to the second floor. My heart pounded on its own.

Lucy, as if accustomed to it, walked up the escalator and followed me.

“Is it fun?”

“Yeah!”

Why isn’t there anything like this in my village? It seems perfect as a playground equipment.

I rode the escalator a few more times, going up and down between the first, second, and third floors. Sometimes I moved in the opposite direction of the escalator, and sometimes I rode on the handrail.

Even though it’s nothing special, and even though I’ve used it a lot in my past life, it’s somehow fun. Is it because my body is young again?

“Seol-gu, you’re having fun too, right?”

“Kkang kkang.”

Seol-gu also seemed to be enjoying the playground equipment that moved on its own. After riding the escalator for a while, I said to Lucy.

“I want to try the elevator too!”

“Okay.”

I wonder what the elevators of the Magi Republic are like.

With a pounding heart, I pressed the elevator button, and with a whirring sound, the elevator came up from the lower floor.

Ding dong, the doors open with a bell sound.

“Wow.”

A small rectangular space. The walls and floor are made of wooden planks, and the door is a folding iron gate. Apart from minor details, it looks no different from the elevators I know.

And next to the door, there was a familiar-looking button. Buttons to go between the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors.

My eyes sparkled as I pressed the 1st-floor button, and soon the doors closed, and the elevator began to move.

The surrounding scenery changed in an instant.

Soon, the elevator stopped smoothly, and with a ding dong, the doors opened.

“Wow!”

Cool.

Excited, I pressed the elevator buttons repeatedly. 1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor, then 1st floor, 2nd floor, 3rd floor….

Then, clunk, the elevator stopped.

“Huk.”

“Huk…!”

No matter how many times I pressed the buttons, the elevator showed no sign of moving.

Fortunately, the doors remained open on the first floor, so there was no problem getting out.

After getting out of the elevator, I pretended I hadn’t done anything and took the escalator to the second floor. Then I whispered to Lucy.

“Lucy, we didn’t do anything, okay?”

“Uh, uh?”

Lucy nodded in agreement.

Good, now Lucy is an accomplice. And Seol-gu too, of course.

Haha.

Should I… read a book?