episode_0016

“This one was written by Viscount Erisong, it’s a typical travelogue with a cheerful protagonist. It’s nice to see a wandering poet as the main character.”

Chin.

“Oh, this one is good for beginners too. It’s by an unknown author, and it’s about a mercenary group. They have adventures with cool comrades and solve various incidents.”

Chin.

“Right. And this one! The ending is really good, the plot twist is well-designed, so if you like novels with twists, this one is perfect.”

Chin.

“Oh, this one is missing! It’s a novel inspired by the Great Knights, it’s a touching story about the knights’ fiery loyalty. You have to read this one.”

Chin.

Already on the 4th volume.

From the beginning of the Pure Literature Corner, 4 books have started to pile up, and it seemed like they were heading towards a heavenly realm of old-timers, so a request for structure had to be made.

“Hey, Ariel? I think this should be enough.”

“Huh? Really?”

Ariel’s excitement subsided, but even this level of favor was too much.

It’s easy to get carried away by the offerings thrown by old-timers.

Moreover, during the stay, they had to balance reading with practical training with Rachel and exploring the Northern Command City, so they couldn’t spend too much time reading.

These were books proven by the old-timers.

They would surely be of higher quality than the 7 books the newbie had brought to skim through, so 4 books were already too much favor.

Of course, everyone has different tastes, but trusting the old-timer’s choice after analyzing preferences with just a 7-story book tower was not a doubt.

Ariel sighed as she put back the book she had picked up.

“Then let’s stop here for today… Oh, no.”

“…Today?”

“Oh, no.”

Ariel mumbled and seemed embarrassed.

It seemed like the old-timer’s generosity, instilled in her through raising the newbie, had left her feeling unsatisfied with the short-lived time.

He understood perfectly.

He would have done the same.

Sharing one’s experiences and emotions, gaining empathy, forming bonds and intimacy, and boosting self-esteem through it were natural human psychology.

He had received great help by chance.

If it weren’t for Ariel, he might have just skimmed through things and missed out on a lot.

And if you received help, it was only right to repay it in some way.

“Will you visit the library tomorrow too?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah! I’ve been coming every day, right? I’ll probably keep coming for a month. There are still a lot of books I haven’t read.”

“Hmm. What time?”

“Me? I’m here from morning to evening…”

Ah.

He asked an obvious question.

But wait, there’s no separate dining space for outsiders in the Grand Library.

Moreover, it’s not like there’s a modern convenience store in a medieval library.

“How do you solve lunch then? There doesn’t seem to be a place to eat around here.”

“Uh…”

Ariel hesitated for a moment before answering.

It was just out of curiosity, but it seemed like she wanted to change the subject.

With a hesitant expression, Ariel replied.

“I, I starve.”

“You starve?”

“Yeah.”

Miss Yeong-ae, the noblewoman who starves herself.

It was an unimaginable and incomprehensible act in the aristocratic society of unparalleled power, truly a unique and unprecedented lady.

It was hard to believe, so he had to ask.

“You starve all day? Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m a little hungry… but there’s nothing to do outside, and I love reading books so much that I just endure it.”

“Quite impressive.”

“If I go out to eat and come back, it takes too much time.”

“Why not just rent?”

It was probably the look I gave Ariel just now.

“What nonsense is this?” Ariel raised an eyebrow, looking at me incredulously.

“Isn’t borrowing books for when you can’t help it or when you’re going home?” I guessed roughly what Ariel meant by ‘when you can’t help it.’

Natural disasters, short trips, or being unable to go out due to illness, things like that, I thought.

And for a bookworm, this library must be a perfect reading environment with its faint, soothing scent and peaceful atmosphere.

Maybe it’s because the desire to read is stronger than the desire to eat, but still, there was an unanswered question.

“Then why not ask the maid to pack you a lunch?”

Ariel delayed her response with a puzzled expression once again.

Her answer, when she finally gave it, seemed truly absurd.

And thinking about it, I could recall that I had never seen Ariel eating at the academy cafeteria.

As I remembered, each memory added up one by one, which was quite ironic.

“I feel a bit awkward eating alone… but I didn’t want to bother the maid by asking her to eat together. I’ll just eat when I get back to my dorm. I hate being a burden.”

I could fully understand that sentiment.

If a lower-ranking employee wants to impress the boss, they have to be careful not to make any mistakes.

Anyway.

It seems like the newbie who received help from a veteran has found a way to repay that kindness.

During her stay, I would need her help to find interesting novels.

Especially in the largest library in the Northern Territory, there are rare books waiting to be discovered.

In a place where replication technology is lacking, interesting and rare novels are like pearls in the mud.

Before leaving for the Grand Castle, it was almost essential to have the veteran’s help to explore those books.

“So, shall we have lunch together? If you come with me, you can dine at the Great Hall as my acquaintance. It’s close to the library too.”

For me, meaningful reading time was more important than meaningless small talk, so it was a natural promise and a token of gratitude.

Where would a newbie who rejected the support of a veteran be?

Ariel blinked her eyes and asked, “Really? Why?”

“Well, I don’t have anyone to eat with either.”

She shrugged her shoulders while holding the fourth-floor book tower.

It’s rare to sit down for a meal with a villainous character and have a proper conversation.

As she said, it was not an easy task to bring pitiful commoners to the dining table.

And if eating alone was tiresome, it was even more so for Junwoo, who had to work hard to make ends meet and protect what little he had.

Above all, sharing a meal and chatting with those who share the same hobby often brings about a sense of joy and camaraderie.

She summed up these complex reasons and replied.

“A villain’s life is a lonely one.”

“Ah…”

Ariel sighed again, tacitly agreeing.

Quietly, she seemed to lack the exceptional talent for hiding her true feelings like a noble lady.

**

Swoosh.

Rustle.

Swoosh.

Rustle.

Swoosh.

Rustle.

Swoosh.

Rustle.

….

Rustle?

We were now sitting in the study room, me reading a recommended book and Ariel reading one she had chosen.

The problem was.

While it was nice to have received such a generous favor, it was a bit awkward to have the veteran look over every time the newbie turned a page.

With each page turn, Ariel would peek over the book like a meerkat and bury her head again.

I had already checked her ten times in the ten pages I had read.

I couldn’t help but be conscious of it.

Tak lifted his head as he put down the book, only to see Ariel hiding behind the book with a shy smile.

He didn’t need to ask why she was acting that way. It was clear enough.

“It’s fun.”

“Huh, really?”

“Yeah, I find it really fun. You seemed worried.”

He showed her the book.

It was the recommended [Loyalty Records of the Great Knights] from the fourth volume.

Although he had only read ten pages so far, the immersion was high from the beginning, just as the seasoned player had recommended.

Of course, it was difficult to judge the fun in the very beginning, but Ariel’s enthusiasm was evident, and that’s what she had told him.

It seemed like it would be enjoyable.

Immediately after, a relieved smile spread across Ariel’s face.

“Phew, I’m glad. I was worried. It’s the first time I’ve recommended a book to someone… Haha.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! There are no pure literature readers around me. Even the maids only read cheesy romances.”

Ariel lamented bitterly, sighing as if complaining about her unique taste, different from women who enjoyed cute pastel 2D RPGs and preferred adult full 3D RPGs.

It seemed like she had to enjoy her hobbies alone because of her unique taste.

Just like the modern Lee Jun-woo, who always read alone, but thanks to an anonymous community, he could share and empathize with the feelings he felt while reading the works.

Without that, he would have had to complain just like Ariel.

Enjoying solitude and contemplation is reading, but just as a shut-in needs to go out sometimes, there is also a need to discuss the impressions of the works read.

“It’s surprising that you don’t like romance.”

“It’s just not interesting. You know? To us, those dramatic love stories are just fantasies.”

[Us]

In the novel, it refers to nobles who should marry ‘people’ rather than ‘love’ as a shackle called a strategic marriage.

It seemed that the young lady who couldn’t eat alone enjoyed reality rather than fantasy.

In a fantasy world, stories like the friendship of mercenaries, the spirit of knights, the adventures of heroes, and wars between different races are more realistic.

For someone who had no love or relationships in their past life, both were fantastic stories.

“That’s true. So, do you only read pure literature?”

“I do read classics and myths, but mostly pure literature.”

“Oh, classics and myths… That sounds interesting too, right?”

“Really?”

As the newbie showed interest, Ariel’s blue eyes sparkled like the sun reflecting off the sea.

And my eyes sparkled in the same way.

Classical literature written in a fantasy world would be about the birth of continents, the founding of kingdoms, or heroic legends, while myths would be about ‘real gods’ who indirectly govern the continent, not the gods of modern imagination.

Just thinking about it made my mouth water.

I don’t know why there are so many things that look delicious.

“Once I finish reading the recommended ones, can I recommend myths or classics to you?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I’d love that!”

After a short reading time, I checked the clock.

It was almost time to train with Rachel.

I picked up the book and stood up from my seat.

“I should go now. I have training in the evening. I’ll read the recommended ones tonight, so let’s talk about it again tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll be waiting here tomorrow too!”

“Thanks for today.”

“Huh?”

A familiar expression appeared on Ariel’s face at the casual farewell.

It was the expression that Renler Ingam made when he was about to do something drastic.

Like ‘Elden Raphelion is —-!?’.

“T-Thank you. I also enjoyed being able to talk about novels like this.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Yeah!”

Ariel waved with a bright smile.

After awkwardly receiving it, she headed to the library entrance and borrowed four books.

But then, she realized…

“Where did the butler go who said he was going to get the magic theory books?”

It had already been over an hour since meeting Ariel.

Did he really go to the tower to get the magic theory books?

After waiting for a while without any sign of Rendell, she eventually had to ask the staff for help.

“Has an old butler with a mustache visited the magic book corner?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure.”

What the heck.

Where did he go?

**

“…Where on earth am I?”

Following his memory from his previous visit, the old butler Rendell confidently walked but ended up getting lost and arriving at the underground 4th floor warehouse.

“Uh, where should I go…”

Sniff.

Tears blurred the vision of the crybaby butler as he wandered around for a while, only to be arrested by the security guard for trespassing and finally meeting Elden.

Being directionally challenged was a brave act.