Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Located at the northern end of Acherandir’s buildings was the ‘Elont Grand Library.’

However, contrary to the name of a grand library, its exterior was a very ordinary three-story building.

Rather, looking at the size alone, it looked even smaller than the dormitory, Panroa Hall.

An exterior of a sort that would make a freshman look suspiciously and wonder, ‘Is this really a library?’

Roan headed for the entrance without hesitation.

‘Inside the library, the area of a single floor is as large as the entire grounds of Acherandir.’

Because he knew the reason the name ‘Grand Library’ was attached to this place was due to a fearsome space distortion.

Even the space distortion here was not due to some trivial miracle like the Forest of the Holy Spirit, but was the genuine holy magic of Harden.

No matter what Harden’s usual attitude or personality was like, he was a principal who was more serious about education than anyone.

Wooooong—

Upon entering the entrance, along with the nausea characteristic of the space distortion holy magic, the vast interior was finally revealed.

“Are you a freshman?”

The paladin guarding the library asked, looking at Roan’s school uniform.

On his right arm was an armband that read ‘On Duty.’

“Yes.”

When Roan replied, he handed him a parchment scroll.

“Make sure to familiarize yourself with this content before using the library.”

“Thank you.”

Roan bowed his head and passed him.

The fairly thick scroll was precisely the rules of use for this library.

——— Elont Grand Library Rules of Use ———

Due to the ultimate space distortion holy magic, various strange phenomena occur in this library.

Please familiarize yourself with these rules to ensure no problems occur during use.

The school takes no responsibility for any consequences arising from behavior that violates the rules.

———

“Hmm.”

Roan, unfolding the scroll, nodded.

It was the exact same texture and content as what he had seen as an item within “God & Devil.”

Rules of use that felt, so to speak, like a ‘rules creepypasta.’

———

1. This rule sheet must be received from the paladin wearing the ‘On Duty’ armband at the entrance.

2. Never accept a rule sheet handed to you by a priest or paladin inside, and ignore them completely even if they speak to you. If you happen to receive one, discard it immediately by any means necessary.

3. Every floor of this library is shaped in the form of the Chinese character ‘,’ consisting of a main corridor and auxiliary corridors. If there is another corridor within an auxiliary corridor, never enter it.

4. Stairs leading to other floors are only located at the end of the main corridor. Never ascend or descend stairs located elsewhere.

5. If, the moment you place a book on a shelf, you find yourself standing before a bookshelf in a completely different corridor, sit down immediately, close your eyes, and call the librarian. Even if they are very late, they will surely come.

6. No portrait of Headmaster Harden is hung inside this library. If you happen to spot a portrait, take care not to make eye contact, and report it to the librarian immediately.

.

.

.

———

Provisions of this sort were packed tightly on the quite long scroll.

At first, because of the rather complex and unsettling content, one would open the rules item with every step they took, but.

‘Honestly, even if you violate them, there’s no major problem.’

Roan already knew the consequences of violating these rules.

Mostly, it was either something that made the librarian extremely annoyed.

Or a trap where one was summoned to the principal’s office or a remote corner of the school after falling into Harden’s trap.

In particular, if one entered the principal’s office, they had to listen to his lecturing for hours on end.

Saying something like never letting one’s guard down in learning.

At any rate, since it was all clear to Roan, he didn’t need to pay much attention.

‘If I follow them well, I can also earn talents little by little, so it’s not bad.’

Roan entered the main corridor of the library, thinking that.

The main corridor, spacious enough to evoke a plaza, also served as a reading room, so many students were sitting and studying.

Of course, there were no freshmen like Roan.

— Look over there. A freshman.

— Isn’t that him? Roan Darc?

— Ah, that fellow from the admission ceremony?

The enrolled students also whispered like this, finding it quite novel to see a freshman in the library.

Roan had become ‘that fellow from the admission ceremony’ before he knew it, but it was a familiar reaction now.

Roan passed by the seniors and began to seek his way.

The place he had to go was the highest floor, the third floor.

Although it seemed like it would take a very long time since the area of a single floor was as large as the entire Acherandir grounds, space distortion was a convenient holy magic in many ways.

If the user wished, their footsteps would also leap across space until reaching the destination!

Of course, those unfamiliar with it were prone to motion sickness, and often overshot the destination or got lost, but.

For Roan, it was just a bit of awkwardness, and even that he got used to quickly.

It was not particularly different from the interface of “God & Devil.”

Whoosh—

— ? Wasn’t that a freshman just now?

— Don’t talk nonsense.

— Right?

Occasionally, seniors who spotted Roan’s yellow points tilted their heads, but that was all.

Roan passed the main corridors of the first and second floors in an instant and reached the third floor.

Since books needed for academic study were usually gathered on the lower floors, there was almost no one on the third floor.

‘That place was corridor Az-359 on the third floor…’

Just as Roan was walking while checking the number of each corridor.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Clang—!

A somewhat loud noise for a library began to be heard from the opposite direction.

It was the sound of the torches for humidity control on the main corridor walls being lit.

And in the middle of it was a huge book flying rapidly through the air, fluttering open.

‘It’s the librarian.’

Grasping the situation at once, Roan calmly slowed down.

The only one who could make such a commotion in the Elont Grand Library was the administrator, the librarian.

———

35. If the librarian approaches from the opposite direction, slow down. This is library etiquette.

———

And among the rules of use, parts related to the librarian required special caution.

If violated, it would not end with just quietly listening to a lecture.

The book ridden by the librarian approached Roan, trailing brilliant flames.

Although one might be anxious that sparks would fly onto the books, the fire power, though looking rough, was delicately controlled to only clear the moisture and did not go anywhere near the bookshelves.

Then, at some point, just as the torches ceased to light up.

Rumble—!

The book accelerated rapidly, almost charging at Roan.

Roan stood still and waited calmly for the librarian.

Stop—

The book finally braked abruptly right in front of Roan’s nose.

The librarian atop the book, who had not been properly visible due to being obscured by intense flames, finally revealed himself.

‘Librarian Molley.’

Flames burning in streaks along his spine.

Sparks fluttering from his eyebrows.

Down to his long, smoldering fingernails.

The librarian, possessing characteristics not very suitable for a library, opened his mouth toward Roan.

“……Yooooouuuu……”

“…”

It was an extremely slow tone of speech.

Molley was a hybrid of a fire elemental and a sloth spiritual beast.

Yet, when facing his unique, hazy gaze whose thoughts could not be known.

Roan also had no choice but to be slightly tense.

‘If I let my guard down, it could be dangerous.’

Unlike his lax appearance, during his beginner days in “God & Devil,” Roan had also been given a hard time by Molley several times.

“……Freesshhmaannn……”

Roan, who was already prepared, countered calmly.

“Yes, Librarian.”

Flare—

“……Whaaattt……”

“I did not intend to look at you, Librarian.”

Flare—

“……Ggoooo……”

“Yes, thank you for the words. I will go down immediately.”

Flare—

Every time Roan replied, Molley’s eyebrows flared up.

It was a habit that appeared when he succeeded in conveying his intent.

Meaning Roan understood all his words and gave appropriate replies!

Molley had tried to warn him that it was dangerous for a freshman to come to the third floor, so he should go down quickly.

…Of course, it wasn’t such a kind expression.

Meanwhile, the upperclassmen in the vicinity were astonished.

— D-Did he just have a conversation with Librarian Molley?!

— A f-freshman?

— Did the librarian even finish saying his words in the first place?

And for good reason, because Molley was a bizarre character whose notoriety rose the higher a student’s grade was and the more frequently they visited the library.

Coincidentally, a second-year male student with red points approached Roan and Molley.

“Excuse me, Librarian.”

He then called Molley politely.

Slide— Molley’s book turned slowly toward him.

‘Is he someone visiting the library for the first time?’

Roan clicked his tongue inwardly and slinked away from Molley.

The scene that would unfold after this was vivid in his mind.

“I’m looking for a book called ‘A Study on Inanimate Blessings from the Beneus School.’ Where is it?”

As the oblivious male student asked innocently, Molley replied.

“……Meeeeee……”

It meant don’t ask him and get lost.

A librarian might pick up books dropped on the floor and shelve them, but would never spoon-feed book locations like a nanny!

Because that was Molley’s creed as the librarian of the Elont Grand Library.

…Of course, even so, throwing a book onto the floor in front of him was absolutely forbidden.

“……Ggoooo……”

At any rate, the student tilted his head and asked back.

“Pardon? Where is that?”

“……Sooooonnn……”

Molley spent a whopping four minutes conveying the words, ‘Don’t ask me about such things, get lost and look for it yourself,’ and.

The innocent male student only tilted his head, unable to understand those words at all.

— Tsk tsk, another classmate is going to the side of Lord Hiloa.

— A pity, a pity.

— Let’s just pray.

Since the upperclassmen knew the ending well, they each closed their eyes and offered a prayer.

And.

Finally, confirming that conversation did not work, Molley mobilized other means of communication.

Crackkkk—!

“U-Uaaah!”

He froze the student’s feet up to half of his legs without mercy.

Librarian Molley, who was a master of water and ice holy magic despite being a fire elemental hybrid!

Contrary to his appearance which looked ready to burn books at any moment, because he handled two opposing attributes, he was able to meticulously manage the humidity of this vast library.

Truly a natural library administrator.

Naturally, the opponent, who had no way of knowing that.

“Aaaah! A crazy librarian!”

Like an enrolled student relatively familiar with holy magic, he pulled out his legs in an instant and began to flee.

Pew— pew—!

Molley chased behind him riding the book, continuously firing ice holy magic.

No one in this library was more skilled at the space distortion phenomenon than him.

…Except for Roan.

‘Even for me, shaking off Molley in the library was only a year ago.’

Roan and the surrounding students watched their pursuit as if a fun spectacle had arisen.

“Pleeaaase! Someone save meeee!”

Pew—! Crack!

The male student managed to run away without getting hit by Molley’s magic attacks.

Moreover, realizing that he shouldn’t hope for external help.

“Take this!”

Whoosh!

He was even trying to counterattack with a holy attack spell in his own way.

— A useless gesture.

— Tsk, foolish junior.

Of course, as the reactions of other upperclassmen indicated, that attempt only worsened the situation.

The male student’s holy magic was neutralized without even getting near Molley.

Although he was a librarian managing the library, Molley was a character with combat power above the professor level.

He was even chasing the student while controlling all variables so that the holy spells wouldn’t affect the books.

To put it in perspective, it meant he was picking his nose with his pinky while playing with the opponent with the other pinky!

At any rate, it was best to avoid the librarian who inherited even that fiery personality from the fire elemental, without provoking him.

Roan turned away after seeing the male student flee in a hurry into a fake corridor where he must not enter.

‘The principal’s office, I never want to go there again!’

The male student was probably having a private audience with Harden by now.

Or he had fallen on his butt in some remote corner of the school.

‘I need to find the book quickly.’

Roan resolved never to fall into the traps hidden by the principal.

Az-359.

The number of the corridor Roan was searching for.

Of course, he hadn’t come to the library to get textbooks needed for class or other general education books like the other students.

‘This is the place where the passage to the secret library storing forbidden books is located.’

The forbidden books stored in Acherandir included the black magic books confiscated from black mages.

Why would there be troublesome gimmicks like suspicious corridors or portraits in the library?

It was precisely a countermeasure to mask the path leading to the place where the ‘real thing’ was hidden.

What Roan was trying to find this time was precisely the black magic book, ‘Deeper Darkness.’

Since he had already awakened black magic anyway, he had to become the best to open a path to survival.

‘And I have to use it in next week’s class too.’

Step—

Roan headed a bit deeper into the Elont Grand Library.