Chapter 82
Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Librarian Ernst (2) - The Librarian of the Unopenable Coffin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Aldridge's eastern district.
Even as she walked toward the Unopenable Coffin, Eris harbored some doubts.
'But why would a merchant house build something like a library?'
At least in Eris's view, a library wasn't a facility suited for making money.
For starters, books themselves were expensive items, so acquiring them required a substantial upfront investment. Yet there weren't many ways to recoup those costs other than charging an entry fee.
Lend out books and charge rental fees?
'Nobles would buy books outright rather than rent them cheaply—it'd seem stingy. And most commoners lack the credit. Even if they don't steal on purpose, if the book gets taken or damaged by someone else, they'd probably can't compensate properly.'
Thus, in most countries, 'libraries' were either attached to educational institutions or consisted of nobles or wealthy individuals opening their private collections to the public.
In other words, not a field a profit-driven merchant house would typically venture into.
The most reasonable explanation she could think of was that they were targeting long-term gains from the students of the Aldridge Training Camp.
After all, as long as national policies didn't change, new students would keep arriving at the camp, and some—like Eris now—would end up visiting the library.
Thud.
Lost in such thoughts, Eris reached her destination and examined the library's exterior.
At least from the outside, nothing had changed much.
One might expect a merchant house reopening after a long hiatus to spruce up the facade and hawk their wares, but the building was remarkably serene and quiet.
With half doubt and half curiosity, Eris cautiously reached for the entrance. Contrary to its nickname of the Unopenable Coffin, the main door opened smoothly.
And at the sight that unfolded before her, Eris let out an involuntary gasp of admiration.
The largest and most substantial book collection she'd ever seen was the royal archive in Lavellosia, which she'd visited with her mentor.
Yet the feast of books before her now didn't pale in comparison.
No, lacking the royal flair of ornate decorations and grandeur, but in sheer volume of holdings, this place even felt overwhelming.
Eris's eyes sparkled.
She'd come thinking it'd be a fine way to kill time, but a collection this size might even have rare magic tomes.
As she moved to head toward the stacks, she remembered she hadn't paid the entry fee yet and stopped.
Turning to look at the counter, she saw a man sitting in a chair, reading a book.
Curly golden hair and glasses. He wore a suit that was neatly put on as a matter of basic courtesy, but it lacked any sharp edges.
His sharp-jawed face was handsome enough to earn high praise, but his eyes were so coldly piercing that they made one hesitate to approach.
No matter how she looked at it, this wasn't the face for a reception desk dealing with crowds.
The timid might not even dare ask a question and slink away after gauging the mood.
But Eris was as far from timid as one could get.
She approached the man confidently and spoke.
"I'd like to use the library."
Glance.
The man's eyes, which had been on his book, flicked toward Eris. She barely suppressed the urge to step back involuntarily.
It felt like being pierced by an arrow turned into a gaze.
Less 'watched' and more 'skewered'—his eyes were that sharp.
"Are you looking for a specific book?"
His tone was polite yet businesslike.
As if denying that she'd been momentarily intimidated by a mere librarian, Eris replied in a slightly edged voice.
"I'd like to browse slowly first. How much is the fee?"
"One eastern copper coin."
"...Per hour?"
"No. Once you enter, you can stay until you leave without additional charges."
Eris was speechless.
Because it was outrageously expensive?
No, the opposite.
'They've gathered all these books, and the price is just that?'
Even after massive paper imports from the eastern continent improved things, books remained pricey.
Yet the fee here was equivalent to a single small bun in Aldridge prices.
Unlike bread that vanished after eating, books could be reread endlessly, but still—to Eris, it bordered on charity.
She felt an odd unease, but if the library insisted on that rate, it was awkward for a patron to complain.
Eris pulled a single eastern copper from her slightly upscale leather pouch—fancier than the common cloth ones—and offered it. The librarian accepted it calmly and continued his explanation.
"Please refrain from making noise in the library, and no eating or drinking. Books must not be removed from the premises. Don't reshelve books yourself—bring them to this counter. If you're looking for something specific or have questions, let me know."
With that, the librarian lowered his head back to his book.
At his impassive demeanor, Eris let out a hollow chuckle.
With her striking looks, exceptional talent, and the halo of being a grand archmage's disciple, she'd always drawn excessive attention.
To her, the librarian's cold, indifferent attitude was refreshingly novel.
Well, it wasn't a bad situation for Eris either.
Having someone sneak glances or try sly moves while she browsed would have been far more tiring.
Without hesitation, she turned from the counter and began scanning the shelves from the corner.
And realized something.
'...It's incredibly well-organized.'
History, technology, literature, art, nature, languages, society, philosophy, religion, general works.
The books were neatly categorized by theme, and within each, alphabetized by Central Continent languages for easy finding.
Even the Lavellosia royal archive only dusted shelves and protected against humidity—it hadn't done such meticulous classification.
It suited Eris's dislike of waste perfectly.
'Still, no magic section, as expected.'
Not surprising.
If ordinary books were something even commoners could scrape together for, magic tomes were beyond most nobles' easy reach.
Finding even one or two in this vast library would be a jackpot, let alone dedicating a whole section.
As Eris surveyed the library thoroughly, she soon noticed something and tilted her head.
In the corner of the library.
The space that structurally should house stairs to the second floor was sealed tight with a thick door.
Objectively, not that strange.
Staff lounges, storage, or other private areas were common in shops where customers shouldn't wander.
But Eris couldn't just pass by that door easily.
Beyond the door.
More precisely, from the second floor, she sensed unidentified mana.
Not one source, but several.
"Excuse me. What's up there? Are there books on the upper floor too?"
To her question, the librarian looked up again and answered.
"Yes, there are books."
"Then I'd like to go up."
"You can't."
His immediate refusal without hesitation furrowed Eris's brows.
"Why not?"
"The books there are grimoires still awaiting classification. To avoid accidents from exposing them to the unskilled, they'll be placed here on the first floor after inspection."
At the word 'grimoires,' Eris's eyes sharpened further.
She'd vaguely guessed from the aura alone, but confirmation from the librarian made it harder to stay put.
"If it's not safe for the unskilled, that doesn't apply to me. I'm a student at the Aldridge Training Camp."
The Aldridge Training Camp was for both commoners and nobles.
But since noble students mostly strutted around the nearby streets, the public impression was that attending meant nobility.
For an ordinary librarian, that should be enough to change his tune—
"Is that so? But no means no."
—but it wasn't.
A crack formed in Eris's facade.
She forcibly smoothed her souring expression and continued.
"Are you worried about what your boss at Braun Merchant House might say? If so, contact them. I'll speak to them directly. You won't bear any responsibility."
"This is indeed the Braun Merchant House library, but I have full authority over internal operations. Thus, contacting them would be pointless."
Eris nearly snapped about whose disciple she was, but swallowed the words rising to her throat.
If they were going to fawn over her status, fine—but she wouldn't cheapen Grand Archmage Delphinarius's name over something trivial.
"If you have full authority over this library, doesn't that mean you decide how to handle the books? If you let me up, I won't forget to show some 'appreciation'."
Eris pulled out her pouch again and placed it entirely on the counter.
The librarian stared at it blankly, then reached out and grabbed it.
Of course, Eris smirked inwardly.
Until he handed the pouch right back.
"...Not enough?"
"It's not about the amount. But it does show your determination."
With that, the librarian continued.
"Here's the deal: once a day, if you solve the problem I give you, I'll let you take one book from the second floor. Library rules prohibit removal, but a book won fair and square can be taken out as long as you return it later."
Eris eyed the librarian with displeasure.
Not ideal terms.
But she wasn't barbaric enough to threaten him and force her way upstairs.
"Fine. But if you try to trick me with nonsense questions, be prepared."
"Understood. I'll prepare problems with clear answers."
The librarian pulled out a sheet of paper, scribbled something with a pen, and handed it to Eris.
She took it with a bored expression.
She planned to protest immediately if it was something vague like 'Describe the author's feelings in this sentence' or absurd like 'What did I have for breakfast?'.
[Q. The two magic circles below differ in details but produce the same effect. Describe their effect and the differences between them.]
[Image of two magic circles]
Eris's reactions were varied.
First, she raised an eyebrow as if questioning the nonsense. Then, she peered closely, thinking 'Hmm, this seems legit.' Finally, she clamped her mouth shut and stared piercingly at the circles.
For about five minutes.
"...Heating magic circles. A generates flames using mana as fuel, while B passes electrified mana through a material to produce heat via resistance. A is superior in mana efficiency, but B excels in precise temperature control and stability. Right?"
"Correct."
At the librarian's declaration, Eris felt both pride and puzzlement.
Magic circles were delicate arts where a single angle or rune placement could drastically alter effects.
Yet the ones on the paper he'd just drawn were flawless enough to activate with the right catalyst.
And a mere librarian drew them? In mere moments?
"Who are you, really?"
"Librarian Ernst."
"That's not what I meant."
"Even so, here I'm just the librarian."
He replied curtly, then held out the book he'd been reading—or rather, had just finished.
"What's this?"
"The Life and Bizarre, Astonishing Adventures of Roland Gambison, a Sailor from Ariand, Who Survived Alone for 28 Years on an Uninhabited Island Near the Dakiren River on Kronsha Continent After His Shipwreck, with All Crew Lost, and Was Miraculously Rescued by Pirates."
"Why give me this garbage?"
"You wanted a book from upstairs?"
Eris felt a momentary daze.
Then fury surged.
"Th-there's no way! I wanted a grimoire from the second floor!"
"Even so, the bet didn't specify 'grimoire'."
The librarian continued impassively.
"Come back tomorrow for a new book. Oh, and the next problem will come from the one you're holding."
As if irked by her calling it 'garbage,' his words dripped mischief.
Yet his face remained coldly expressionless—an utter mismatch.
Only then did realization dawn on Eris.
'This guy... I really, truly hate him...!!'