Chapter 116: The Library (3)
Chapter 116: The Library (3)
“By the way, where do I go to see the smut? Should I ask that golem from earlier?”
“Yandel… you really can’t read the room, can you? You’re supposed to be more moved by the atmosphere!”
Elisha slapped the back of my hand repeatedly, looking utterly exasperated.
But… honestly, I was dying of curiosity.
Think about it. Creative works, especially the erotic kind, always involve a degree of fantasy.
It’s only natural to fulfill one’s own or someone else’s dark desires, so it’s nothing new.
But where were we?
This was the Eurelia Continent, a place where various races lived together and where—though taboo—hypnosis magic actually existed.
Carla and Elisha might not realize it since they were born and raised here, but to me, this entire world was a fantasy in itself.
Fantasy within a fantasy world? How could I possibly resist that?
“Got it? This is strictly an academic pursuit driven by curiosity.”
“Yes, yes. I’m sure it is. But don’t get your hopes up too high, Yandel.”
“Why?”
“Well… from my experience, the ‘play’ I do with you is much more stimulating than reading about it in a book.”
“…….”
Elisha spoke in a crawling voice, her face flushing deep red.
What was this? Was she seducing me?
Part of me wanted to pin her down right here and make her report exactly which parts were better by comparing them one by one to the books she’d read…
But since we were in a library, I settled for giving her butt a firm squeeze when no one was looking.
“Pyat?!”
Of course, Elisha, caught off guard by the sudden grab, jumped in place with her signature shriek.
Her voice shattered the silence, drawing the immediate attention of everyone nearby.
As if to put on a show, I scolded her with a feigned air of sternness.
“Shh! You have to be quiet in the library, Elisha!”
“You… you really are…!”
Elisha glared at me resentfully while clutching her backside…
But a High Elf and former noble lady with ringlet hair acting like that wasn't threatening at all; it only poked at my sadistic side.
Chuckling, I tilted her chin up. I took my time admiring her from various angles, savoring the sight.
“Kuh….”
She clearly wanted to snap back, but as our faces drew close, she shyly averted her gaze.
“That’s cheating. This is cheating….”
“So, we’re going to see the smut now, right?”
“We’re going! We’ll go, so please just let go of me.”
I gave her cheek a light pinch before finally releasing her.
Seeing Elisha fidgeting with her cheek with a dazed expression brought a satisfied smile to my face.
I made Elisha blush! I can control Elisha’s emotions!
While I was busy snickering to myself, Carla suddenly puffed out her cheeks and linked her arm with mine.
Her slender arm wrapped around me, and I felt the soft pressure of her chest against it.
However, curiosity hit me before the pleasant sensation did.
“Carla? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“Please give me some attention too, Master. Otherwise….”
“Otherwise?”
I tilted my head as if daring her to finish, and Carla stood on her tiptoes to whisper in my ear.
“I’m going to get down on all fours and bark like a dog.”
“…Right here?”
“Yes. Right here.”
Elisha had already drawn enough eyes; if Carla started barking next, the attention would be unbearable.
Even for me, that was a bit much….
“Th-then shall we head over right now? We just need to ask the golem, right?”
“Uh… we could, but the golems use voice recognition. It’s a bit embarrassing to say it out loud, isn't it? I know the way, so just follow me, Master!”
“Aha? Then I’ll leave it to you, Carla.”
I followed Carla as she led me deeper into the bookshelves.
*
Carla didn't stop until we were quite deep inside.
The reason was simple. The bookshelves, which had been neatly lined up in rows until now, were standing in a jagged, irregular mess from this point forward.
“…It looks like the entrance to a maze.”
“Aha. I thought the same thing at first. The inside really is like a maze, too. But there’s a reason for it.”
“Oh? Is that so? I just assumed it was because it’s a secluded corner.”
Carla turned to Elisha, who was twitching her ears with interest, and asked, “Elisha, how did you feel when you first came here?”
“How did I feel… I was just wondering what kind of misunderstanding could have possibly broken you so badly that you’d crawl on the cafeteria floor begging for food, Carla.”
Ah. Come to think of it, Elisha wasn't the type who would normally have any reason to come here.
But then, shocked by how Carla and I were acting at the start of the semester, she had asked her attendants and ended up self-studying in this library.
Elisha let out a huff, still finding the memory absurd.
Carla’s lips curled into a smirk at Elisha’s reaction.
“Then what about the second time? You’d already figured out most of what you were curious about, so what were you thinking when you came back?”
“Ugh! Th-that’s….”
Carla nodded knowingly as Elisha hesitated.
“You wanted to see, but you felt embarrassed for no reason. Yet, you also thought that since you’re an adult now, you should be able to look at them proudly, right?”
“…….”
“It’s okay! I felt the same way. But what if you arrived at the adult section with a fluttering heart, only to run into someone you know? Or what if someone saw you going in?”
“Ah.”
Elisha’s mouth hung open as the realization finally dawned on her.
It made sense. Since they had to live at the Academy, meeting a familiar face in a place like this would make things awkward for a long time.
They might even feel too uncomfortable to ever visit the library again.
“So they intentionally twisted the bookshelves to prevent such disasters? So that people can’t easily see each other from the outside or the inside.”
“Exactly, Master! There are actually quite a few people here, so it’s common to run into someone… but unless your tastes are remarkably similar, it’s rare to run into someone you actually know!”
“That’s definitely a good system. But isn't it hard for first-timers to find their way?”
“Don’t worry. Our seniors have left behind some preparations for beginners!”
Carla rummaged through a bookshelf at the start of the 19+ maze for a moment before pulling out a thick volume.
Hidden behind it, a small booklet revealed itself.
“This is…?”
[Guide for Freshmen Traveling the Library]
“It’s a guide written bit by bit by our seniors for those visiting for the first time.”
“They really went all out to make something like this….”
I chuckled and flipped through the booklet Carla handed me.
It contained a map of the maze, sections divided by genre, how to get out if you got lost, and finally, recommended reading for beginners.
Good grief… just how serious were they about their smut?
I was dumbfounded for a moment, but after thinking it over, it started to make sense.
How many people were there who could enjoy the night as freely as I did?
Forget the attendants provided by the Academy; even the ones brought from home were difficult to touch recklessly.
Usually, the children of vassal families who had served the main house for generations took on the role of attendants.
Of course, in the case of great nobles, one of the two attendants might be brought specifically for sexual relief from the start…
But that only applied to powerful families, and even then, mostly to men.
Given the nature of this world, which placed a high value on chastity, a woman losing her virginity before marriage was a significant disadvantage.
Well, things supposedly loosened up after marriage… but how many married people were there at the Academy?
In the end, the only students who could satisfy their sexual desires whenever they wanted were a handful of noble male students.
The rest were likely handling it themselves somehow.
For students at the peak of their youth, trapped in the Academy for most of the week and living in close quarters with the opposite sex, this must have been a fairly critical issue.
It wasn't like Earth, where the internet was developed enough to watch porn at home whenever you wanted. In the end, the only method left was erotic novels.
That was likely why the smut section was so unusually vast and why so many people visited it.
I nodded to myself and put the booklet back in its place after confirming its contents.
“Alright. I’ve memorized it all, so let’s go in.”
“Yes! Oh, Master, would it be okay if I borrowed a book to read as well?”
“Do whatever you want. Class A has a generous borrowing limit anyway. Elisha, do you want to borrow a few things you want to see too?”
“Ahem. If you put it that way, Yandel, I won't refuse.”
Despite her feigned indifference, the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth suggested she was quite excited.
I suppose it made sense.
It was Carla’s first time back at the library since being kicked out of the Academy, and Elisha had just started getting into it before being sold off as a slave.
It wouldn't hurt to cater to them for the day.
“Let’s take our time looking around. Carla, what was the title of that book Elisha seemed to enjoy last time?”
“100 Days Until the Lady Becomes a Bitch!”
“C-Carla?! How do you know about that!”
“Because I read it too? Oh, did you know there’s a second volume?”
“…Really? Could you tell me a little bit about what it’s about? Melina was already broken in, so there shouldn't be much left to write about.”
“Hehe… Melina is like that, sure. But what about Melina’s younger sister?”
“Gasp! You mean the younger sister they briefly called out to before being separated at the beginning?!”
“Exactly. I can’t give too many details because of spoilers… but you can imagine the vibe, right?”
Nod, nod, nod.
Elisha nodded her head vigorously.
It was a pleasant sight to see the two of them chatting so harmoniously.
The fact that the topic was smut was a minor detail… but who cared?
If they were happy, I was happy.
It was actually quite heartwarming to see glimpses of their old, friendly relationship like this.
But just watching was a waste.
I squeezed into the small gap between them and wrapped my arms around both Carla’s and Elisha’s waists.
Now this is what you call a man intruding on a Yuri scene…! (Not really.)
“Is that book really that good? Should I give it a read too?”
“Hmm… it’s from the female protagonist’s perspective, so it might be a bit hard for you to immerse yourself in it, Master.”
“I just want to be able to talk about the same things as you two.”
“Heh… suddenly I really want to kiss you, Master.”
We chatted lightly like that, and occasionally, if I found a book with an interesting title, I’d pull it out and read a bit as we leisurely made our way through.
As we went deeper, the genres gradually became more hardcore. Just as the pure romance was ending and novels featuring training and discipline began to appear—
One book in particular caught my eye.
[I Picked Up a Self-Proclaimed Genius Mage]
If I had to shorten it, would it be Self-Proclaimed Genius?
The moment I reached out, drawn by a strange, inexplicable pull—
Grab.
“Huh?”
“Eh? Uh-huh?”
Someone else had grabbed the book a split second before me.
A hand so white it was pale. I couldn't even think to pull my hand away from where it overlapped with theirs as I asked stupidly:
“Professor Iona, what are you doing here?”
“Probably, probably! For the same reason as student Yandel…?”