Library Sit-in Incident (4)
I walked down the library corridor. Not alone—Ariel Tianis, the princess, walked beside me. I wondered why we'd been paired like this, but this combination was perfect for scouting out opportunities. I knew where the opportunities were hidden, and the princess excelled at sensing her surroundings. Meanwhile, we'd left Rana behind to handle food distribution. Three people couldn't feed ten thousand. Sure, others would help, but Rana alone could manage the workload of five hundred.
That's when Ariel Tianis signaled with her hand. I acknowledged it, erased my presence, and hid. Thud! Thud! Moments later, a golem appeared. A slender, speed-type model focused entirely on velocity. Its detection abilities were subpar. Once the golem vanished from sight, the princess signaled again after a long wait. Only then did I release my stealth.
"No one's coming near here for a while."
If she said that, it meant the area was safe. I relaxed and pulled out armloads of books from the shelf, repeating the process until an entire section stood empty.
"Is there really something here? I can't sense anything."
"Do you think that person was ordinary? Of course you can't detect it."
Not even a naturally perceptive princess like her could sense 10th-circle magic. That might change once she reached Master level, though. I concentrated mana at my fingertips and tapped specific points in sequence. The points connected, emitting light, and the wall dissolved into mana vapor. After a brief wait, a small safe appeared inside the bookshelf.
I inserted the key into the lock without hesitation. It was stiff from disuse, but a bit of force opened it with a click. Inside lay a faded chalice.
"This... the Holy Grail...?"
"Yes, that's right."
This was a key item for tackling the lich. The holy power within would weaken undead forces. Of course, it wasn't the one from the Holy Kingdom. This was a replica crafted by Kiran Tianis after the original—one-time use only, vanishing after deployment.
"Haa... Kiran. How could you hide something like this in the library...?"
The princess pressed her forehead against the oncoming headache. She didn't know it was a copy, but a Holy Grail was still a national treasure of the Holy Kingdom. Its power was genuine. If the faithful learned of this, they'd swarm the academy like bees.
"It disappears after one use anyway. Don't worry about it."
"How could I not? It's the Holy Grail. And Shasha never mentioned it—it's not even in our ancestor's diary. How did you...?"
"Forget those trivial details. Just think of how much this will help us."
"The Holy Grail is hardly triv— Hoo, fine. I'll let it go. Solving this crisis is what matters now."
"Good thinking."
The princess still seemed uneasy, but given the circumstances, she let it slide. We pressed on, hunting more opportunities. Kiran Tianis was playful and capricious, but no fool. He'd prepared countermeasures against world-threatening threats. The Holy Grail was one; others were on par or tailored against specific foes. With them, we could drop an 8th-circle lich down to low Master level.
We wandered the library for about seven hours. It wasn't easy. Some opportunities, like the Grail, required prerequisite keys—eight out of ten did. We covered floors one through seven, dodging golems and traps scattered throughout. Once, even after securing an area, a trap triggered, nearly killing us, but quick wits saved the day.
The library's traps were infamous even in the game. Their variety and ingenuity sparked gamers' challenges, spawning countless strategies. Mine were a bit rumpled, but they worked.
"Is that everything?"
The princess's voice lacked any energy. No wonder—she hadn't eaten while running around.
"Yes. We've gathered everything needed for the lich."
A smile bloomed on Ariel Tianis's weary face. She must have been exhausted. But I ruthlessly shattered her brief relief.
"Now we'll hunt the others."
"...Pardon?"
After a long silence, she spoke. My words had pulled her into escapism; even back to reality, she couldn't focus.
"Y-you're joking, right? By your own account, this should be enough...!"
"What are you saying, Princess? Our foe is a lich. This isn't sufficient."
Her panic was obvious as she met my eyes. I replied flatly, confirming my sincerity. Her voice trembled.
"N-no, it is. You're just teasing me, right? Right? Kyle Arden—no, Kyle...!"
"Let's go. Time's short."
I ignored her desperate pleas and moved on. She followed, chattering nonstop. I tuned her out. Truth be told, we had more than enough—overflowing, even. I wasn't toying with her out of malice. The journey had clearly worn her down; half a day of nonstop running would do that. But there was a reason.
The 'Library Sit-in Incident' wasn't a mere side episode. It tested weapons and enabled growth via opportunities. No need to explain the weapons—new gear demands a showcase. The real focus was growth, especially for the heroines. This arc existed for that.
The library brimmed with opportunities: over 1,000! Martial arts tomes, spellbooks, elixirs, mysterious abilities, contract formations for special beings, treasure maps—the works. Not just for protagonist Evan; companions Rana and Ariel benefited too. Their growth was slowest by design, so this bridged the gap.
Collecting all 1,000? Impossible. The founding emperor wasn't stupid. He limited each person to two, registering names in the library system to prevent hoarding. The ten I'd grabbed were exceptions—categorized for specific crises, like this monster unsealing. Opportunities were for all students, not just leads: a mercy for the talentless, environment-poor, or background-lacking who toiled endlessly here. Canon even had a no-talent mage ascending to transcendent via a grimoire.
Anyway, I'd find and deliver opportunities suiting Evan and the heroines. I remembered all thousand. They'd differ from canon, but these were optimal.
And I'll snag mine too.
I couldn't miss this. Rapid growth demanded it. Two more hours passed. Using a thin membrane from Rana's hair, I extracted the final opportunity. A library system exploit—it learns and blocks after a few uses.
"Done. Let's head back."
"Really, truly done...?"
After nine grueling hours, the princess looked half-dead. Her utterly relaxed state was rare—visible only in extremes, a precious sight.
"Yes."
"Haa... thank goodness."
She sighed in relief and shuffled along. Familiar paths made it easy. We returned to our hideout.
"Kyle! You're so late!"
"Bro, aren't you hungry?"
They greeted me warmly.
"Ugh! Leaving all the hard stuff to us—you jerk!"
I ignored Shasha.
Back at the hideout, things simplified. We filled empty stomachs, distributed the opportunities, and absorbed them. Time flew to midnight—the day's end. The ten thousand slept, as did the heroines, tossing in the unfamiliar space but soon drifting off.
I stayed awake, pulling out one opportunity: shadow spirit essence, a stone holding its traits. I'd brew the library-clearing potion with it. I erected a barrier to block noise.
"Not ideal conditions, but it'll do."
Perfection like Ruina Lindel's workshop was impossible here. Make do. I deployed her alchemy. No talent, but I'd reached practical use.
Extract components, isolate harmful properties, refine.
"Haa, tough stuff..."
Easier said than done—exhausting and slow. Ruina would finish in under five minutes; it took me an hour. The result? Crude. Impurities everywhere, 30% efficacy. Sigh-worthy, but usable. Shorter duration, but fine for the princess.
Midway through lich prep, Rana arrived, frowning sleepily.
"Ung... Kyle..."
"What's up?"
"My nose hurts too much to sleep..."
Mixed scents tormented her. Even near Evan before bed wasn't enough.
"If it's bad, sleep next to me."
"Yaaawn... okay..."
She yawned her way over. Her face relaxed.
"Kyle's scent is the best. Wanna smell it forever..."
"No weird talk. Sleep."
"Yeah... you too, quick..."
Clutching her summon, Rana's eyes closed. Exhausted, she dozed off mid-sentence. I worked carefully to avoid waking her.
Then:
"What are you making at this hour?"
The princess's sudden voice made me drop my item. I snatched it back and turned.
"...Why are you up at this dawn hour, Princess?"
"Just checking. Someone might be anxious."
Ridiculous—she needed rest for tomorrow's assault.
"Go sleep. You'll need energy tomorrow."
"Shouldn't you?"
"..."
She had me there.
"Mind if I sit?"
"...Go ahead."
I continued alchemy. She didn't pry, gazing at sleeping Rana.
"She was tossing earlier. Sleeps well by you, though."
"Too many scents mixed. She said Evan helped, barely."
"...Rana's a kind, pitiable girl. Take good care of her."
"I will."
Silence stretched. I finished up. Still quiet, so I asked:
"Something on your mind?"
"..."
As I moved to send her off:
"Thanks... for today."
"I see."
"Yes. I focused on students, ignoring others. My judgment slipped. They're empire citizens serving the academy too..."
She stared into space. A shooting star streaked, illuminating the hidden world.
"I told Father once... I don't want our people suffering. I want joyful, happy lives in the empire. That's why I push this hard."
Quintessential princess talk—why she'd claim the throne. But dangerously naive.
"Princess, that's an impossible dream."
"I know. A futile ideal."
"Worse than that."
Her idealism risked self-sacrifice. Rana-like death once; she might throw her life away then.
"Princess, priorities exist. Sometimes one life outweighs a hundred."
"Wrong. How could a hundred...?"
"Then, for the masses' happiness, would you kill His Majesty? Or family?"
"That's..."
Ariel fell silent. I pressed on.
"My example's extreme, and I won't call your ideal wrong. But Princess—no one, not even the founding emperor, can fulfill it perfectly. Happiness via sacrifice doesn't last."
I knew—such fragility shatters easily.
"Perfection's impossible, but we can approach it. Don't waste energy. Bedtime."
She stared blankly, then:
"...Got it. Goodnight. You too..."
"I will."
"..."
She returned to her spot. Production done, I tidied and lay down.
Hope she rethinks it a bit...
She must realize her value. Her life as lead outweighed ten thousand extras. They were replaceable; Ariel Tianis was not.
Lost in thought, I slept. Dawn broke.