Chapter 14: Nobody Cares About Xie Bai
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14: Nobody Cares About Xie Bai
A deafening roar echoed as a hole was blasted through the corridor.
Thick smoke from the explosion billowed through the library's interior, quickly drawing a large contingent of city guards who arrived to cordon off the area.
It wasn't until the smoke rose high above the library that the people outside realized something was wrong.
"Holy crap, we’re doomed!"
"What happened? Why are we doomed?"
"It... it blew up!"
"What blew up?"
"The library blew up!"
"Say what? The library was bombed?"
"What?! How could the library even get bombed?!"
In an instant, the streets were flooded with talk of the explosion.
"Didn't His Majesty just issue a war order? Who has the guts to attack the library at a time like this?"
"Exactly. To pull a stunt like this right now—are they stupid?"
"Crap, I just remembered I haven't returned my books yet! If the library is locked down because of this, my return date is going to pass!"
"Seriously, of all the places to bomb, why the library? It’s a spiritual landmark second only to the Imperial Palace. Aren't they afraid of His Majesty’s retribution?"
"The library is the face of Carlos Lilanka! It houses almost all the world's knowledge. Attacking it is like spitting right in our faces!"
"I remember there are many precious books collected by Master Roland in his youth stored there. If they were damaged, Master Roland is going to be livid."
"If you ask me, whoever caused this mess is in for a world of hurt."
"Hey, stop talking for a second. Look, Master Roland is here!"
"That fast?!"
"What? Where? Where is Master Roland?"
"There, in the sky."
High above, Roland’s figure materialized in the air.
Looking down at the smoke rising from the library, he knit his brows. Then, amidst the gasps of the crowd, he raised a hand to disperse the smoke and descended toward the scene.
The area had already been evacuated, leaving only a squad of city guards maintaining the perimeter.
"City Lord, you’ve arrived."
The captain of the city guards stepped forward and saluted Roland.
Glancing past the captain, Roland saw two people lying unconscious on the ground.
One was a purple-haired girl with an Assassin Association tattoo on the back of her neck, a poisoned black dagger still gripped in her hand.
The other was a blonde man splayed out on his back.
"Edward?"
Roland blinked, stunned.
He hadn't expected to see his disciple in a situation like this—especially not in such an undignified posture.
Roland’s brow furrowed as a headache began to form. Then he looked back at the unconscious purple-haired girl.
In an instant, he felt like he understood everything.
Seeing Roland’s expression shift to one of realization, the captain asked tentatively, "City Lord, do you already know what happened here?"
"I do."
Roland pondered for a moment, then turned to the captain and explained with a straight face, "The suspect behind the explosion is this purple-haired girl. She is a member of the Assassin Association and was plotting a terrorist attack to blow up the Royal Library. Fortunately, my disciple, Edward, discovered her plot in time and engaged her in a series of tragic, desperate struggles. Although he failed to stop the explosion entirely, he managed to control the situation, preventing the destruction of the entire Royal Library and even capturing the culprit. It is a magnificent achievement. Unfortunately, he has been severely injured and must be sent for treatment immediately!"
Upon receiving Roland’s orders, the captain snapped a salute.
"Yes, sir!"
The captain ordered several guards to carry Edward away, then turned back to Roland. "City Lord, how should we handle the suspect?"
Roland looked at the unconscious Cecilia. "She is from the Assassin Association. To be able to infiltrate Carlos Lilanka without me noticing is no small feat. I will take her back to the Astrology Tower myself. You go and notify the head librarian to begin repairs."
"Understood!"
The captain left a group behind to keep the area sealed and led the rest away.
Once the surroundings were quiet, Roland looked closely at the tattoo on Cecilia’s neck.
"A thirteen-petaled black flower... She’s actually the thirteenth-ranked expert of the Assassin Association. Since when did my idiot disciple get targeted by someone like this?"
"And yet, Edward actually managed to go one-for-one with her, making sure she couldn't escape."
"Looking at it this way, the boy isn't as simple as he seems."
After a brief moment of reflection, Roland lifted Cecilia into the air with a gesture. After placing several seals on her, he departed the scene.
*
Back at Edward’s residence, the forgotten Xie Bai was slumped weakly on the floor, looking as if she might starve to death at any second.
After Edward had left, Xie Bai had been struck by a sudden whim to clean up the mess she had made.
To her surprise, once she finished cleaning, her body was hit by an overwhelming hunger, demanding a massive amount of food.
But Edward still hadn't returned.
"Ugh... so tired... so hungry..."
"Where is that kid? If he doesn't come back soon, I’m really going to starve."
Xie Bai lay sprawled on the floor. After the physical exertion of cleaning, her body was so weak she felt she was on the verge of becoming the first powerhouse in history to die of starvation.
"I only sent him to borrow a book. How can it take this long?"
Xie Bai struggled to roll over.
"Seriously... if he’s not back soon, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind."
She had no idea what was happening outside. Roland’s ability to control the narrative was excellent; residents even a short distance from the library had no idea an explosion had occurred. Many were kept in the dark, let alone a shut-in like Xie Bai.
"Mmm..."
Almost instinctively, Xie Bai opened her inventory interface.
[Spirit Mass * 1519]
[...If you are truly desperate, this is technically edible...]
Spirit Masses?
Xie Bai suddenly remembered that she had obtained a massive amount of Spirit Masses after using Judgment to kill the Chaos Bishop. Since her current damage output was already severely overkill, she hadn't felt the need to use them to strengthen her Funeral Rites yet.
The vast quantity of Spirit Masses had remained in her bag.
Xie Bai stared blankly at the item description.
Do I really have to eat this stuff?
This disgusting crap that tastes like gel mixed with lime?
She had tried it once before and sworn never to touch it again. Then she had acquired Edward as her personal chef, causing her to almost forget the existence of this foul substance.
Xie Bai looked at the Spirit Masses with a pained expression.
She never imagined there would come a day when she’d actually be facing death by starvation. If there was any other choice, she really didn't want to eat them.
"But if I don't eat... I’m going to die..."
Staring at the Spirit Masses that held her fate in the balance, Xie Bai fell into a life-or-death dilemma.
*
"Ugh... throat’s so dry... water..."
Edward struggled to push himself up from the bed. He instinctively reached for a warm cup of water on the nightstand and took a gulp.
"Phew, I’m alive... Ow, damn!"
Edward winced, clutching his waist in pain.
"You’re awake?"
A gentle girl with twin braids draped over her shoulders sat before him.
"This is the hospital. You’re covered in injuries, so don't move around so much now that you've just woken up."
She picked up a bowl of vegetable soup and carefully blew on it to cool it down.
"I made this soup myself. Since it’s hard for you to move, let me feed you."
"Uh... wait a second, who are you...?"
Faced with the girl’s meticulous care, Edward felt a strange sense of familiarity. When he finally got a clear look at her face, he cried out in shock.
"Ellie?!"