"What do you want, trespasser?" With her hands on her waist and a harsh look on her face, the mage inquired.
Although alarmed that he didn't even have time to react to this woman's blow, Kaizen smiled and replied:
"I'm just looking for interesting books."
The woman frowned and looked at him as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"So, you are here to steal books?
"I wouldn't use the word 'steal'. What I'm going to do is 'borrow'."
"What book?" The woman asked.
"None specifically, but if you have any good books about other worlds and particularly interesting regions of Midgard, that would be great. Ah! I'd also like to know if there are any Advanced Mages or Shaman here, I've been wanting to find one for a while, but I'm not having any luck."
The woman was apparently surprised by Kaizen's answer, and when she looked at him more closely, she seemed to have realized that he was no ordinary enemy, at least not like most of the looters who have already entered the library.
Then she sighed and, after putting the book back in her purse, she said:
"I didn't imagine I would get visitors so soon, but that's okay." She placed her right hand on her chest. "My name is Alina and I am the current librarian here. If you are looking for a book, I can help you."
At that moment, Kaizen realized that behind Alina was a cart with several books and that it was the sound of its wheels sliding on the floor that captured his attention. In addition, Kaizen also understood that the reason she was crouching near the shelves was because she was organizing them because she was the librarian, not because she was looking for a book.
Kaizen wrung out his black shirt to wipe some of the large amount of water as he asked:
"Do you have any other shirts I can borrow? Mine is soaked thanks to your attack."
"Solving that is not a problem." She said and began to twirl her right index finger.
Next, Kaizen began to feel a light breeze coming from her feet and this gradually became stronger as a few moments passed. Soon a gale blew with such force that Kaizen's hair was thrown back.
When Kaizen was able to open his eyes again, he saw that his shirt was dry.
"Thank you." He thanked her, in awe.
Alina said nothing more about it and just shook her head at him, indicating that this was nothing.
"Then please follow me, I will take you to the visitors part of the library." She said and started walking down the long corridor with white quartz floor.
Kaizen followed her and soon they came to a hallway that was more than ten meters wide and had shelves that went all the way to the ceiling. These shelves were completely crammed with books, and looking at this scale, Kaizen couldn't help but be amazed at how similar this corridor was to all the others. It would not be unusual for someone to get lost in this library.
"How many books do you have here?"
"I don't know for sure, but it must be over a million." Alina replied casually.
"A million?" Kaizen repeated, surprised.
"That's right. As you may have realized, this is a very special place."
"I didn't know how much," Psyker spoke up. "But now that you've told me, I'm impressed."
"I'm the one who is impressed by someone showing up in this library after so long. That's something you don't see every day." Alina didn't even look back as she spoke and moved on. "I didn't imagine that anyone other than myself would set foot here so soon. The fact that you were able to get as far as I am, from so many other places, in this giant labyrinthine library...is also interesting."
While looking at the shelves in awe, Kaizen smiled at Alina's comment and said:
"I believe I am lucky to have found you."
At the same time, Kaizen stopped in front of a shelf of thick books.
Alina noticed the unexpected visitor stopped, so she stopped walking as well and turned to see what he was doing.
"I don't mind you rummaging among the books, but there is nothing of your level that you can read here, stranger." She said with a nonchalant countenance.
Even with the woman's warning, Psyker dared to pick up a book from the shelf. The moment he opened the book in half, he saw that the pages were filled with runic symbols that he could not identify. Apparently, these were characters from an unknown language. However, as he looked at them, Kaizen began to glimpse understandings of the meanings of each of those symbols, as if despite having no idea what they were, they had meaning.
[Title effect 'Master of Languages' activated].
[You can now understand 30% of any language.]
[Thanks to the title 'Talented', you can now understand 50% of any language].
For a few seconds, he felt again like a child who is still just becoming literate.
"You need at least a basic understanding of runic language to read these books." Alina said.
Kaizen then closed the book, causing some dust to fly, looked at the symbols on the cover, and then looked at the librarian. "Solution for cell enhancement potions focusing on stem cell development written by the illustrious alchemist Ziakae... Am I right?" He read the title on the book cover to.
Alina's gaze narrowed and she looked more seriously at the man before her again. Although what Kaizen said was not the exact title of the book, it was very close.
"Do you know ... the runic language?"
"Yes, a little... I have an interest in learning things that most don't know." Kaizen said with a smile and returned the book to the shelf.
"I suppose so." Alina replied and looked genuinely surprised.
"Let me ask you something else." Kaizen said and started walking again, this time in front of the woman.
"What is it?"
"Is the entire library protected by a single person?"
"That's right. There is no one here but me."
"So... if I wanted to steal a book, no one could stop me?"
"You can't do that." Alina said firmly. "This is a sacred place and the books that are here are priceless treasures."
"You are right. You shouldn't steal anything here." Kaizen agreed. "But if I really wanted to, no one could stop me."
"Well, actually, there is a way." Alina replied.
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I can stop you." The woman said with a confident look.
"Okay, okay. I'm sure you're pretty strong and could manage that, so don't worry, I swear I'm not a threat to you. I'm just curious." Kaizen said, looking up again with enormous admiration. He couldn't get enough of watching the stairs above the library move.
"Can I ask you something, trespasser?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Alina smiled in a friendly way for the first time. "A few times a year, some adventurers explore the Mage Tower, but almost none of them manage to find this place. Obviously, most of those who do this are only after riches, so they get kicked out or killed. In this way, I can see that you are different from ordinary people just because you have already managed to get here. However, your background seems to be beyond what is only considered as 'special', doesn't it?"
Kaizen stopped walking. "Past, eh...? To be honest, no, I don't think I'm special. I've always lived a normal life and just try a little harder than most to think, always relying on a lot of luck as well. However, I want to stop relying on luck all the time, so I came here to increase my Intelligence." He said, placing his right hand on the back of his head. This time he wasn't smiling.
The librarian's intuition detected something different looking at this man at that moment. 'Is he being completely sincere?'
She then sighed and said:
'You are a stranger... but I like your humility. For the first time since I became a librarian, I will be helping someone as a guide."
"Guide?"
"Yes. As I promised when I became librarian, I will show you the books that those righteous of mind and soul seek, then I will help you find the information you are looking for and also answer all your questions. You said you wanted to find a Shaman or an Advanced Magician, didn't you? I am the only Mage with an Advanced Mage title currently living in the Mage Tower." Alina turned on her back and started walking again.
Kaizen was surprised by the revelation, but soon followed.
"So why are you looking about special places in a library instead of just unraveling the world?"
"Blindly exploring the world like most do? I've tried it. It is fun. However, it takes a lot of time and if I find information here about places that almost no adventurers have ever ventured, I bet it will be a lot more exciting." Kaizen replied.
Although, Alina said nothing after that answer from Psyker, she thought:
'This man indeed is not normal. And this imposing and weak aura at the same time.... I wish I knew what Master Nidrog would do in that situation...'
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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