Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Librarian Ernst (5) - Two Out of the Four
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Eris clutched her head and let out a silent scream.
'So what happens next?!'
She wanted to read the next volume.
She wanted to check the continuation as soon as possible.
But the only reason Eris was reading this novel was to pass that sharp-eyed librarian's 'test' and obtain magic-related books.
She hadn't even fully absorbed the theory books she'd just received, so returning them to get a new test novel would be putting the cart before the horse.
'If I could just know whether he lives or dies, I'd feel less on edge!'
That librarian seemed to have a peculiar fondness for making her read novels, so he might just hand over the next volume if she asked outright.
However, Eris couldn't bring herself to choose that option.
She could already picture his reaction all too clearly.
「Ah, that's why I recommended reading to the end... Well, no helping it. Here, the next volume. I do hope you'll follow the proper order this time.」
Grit.
Eris ground her teeth without realizing it.
Imagining Ernst chattering away with that calm, expressionless face—as if it were no big deal—while subtly lacing his words with mockery made her blood boil with frustration.
"You think I'll cave to a cheap trick like this...!?"
Eris glared and reached for the stack of theory books.
First, she had to master all of them.
Only then could she legitimately(?) wrench the next volume from Ernst.
If the Eris from before she got tangled up with the library had seen this, she'd have called it utter nonsense and talked herself out of it, but unfortunately, she had no way to communicate with her past self.
What she needed to cut back on was sleep.
Eris burned the midnight oil.
"It's... done...!"
Three days later.
Eris trembled with the sense of accomplishment from devouring all the theory books.
For an ordinary student at the academy, each one would have taken over half a year; even for Eris herself, it would have taken at least a month. Mastering two volumes worth at such an astonishing speed was truly remarkable.
She'd benefited greatly from the rare editions, but no less so from the passion she'd poured into it.
As if on cue, it was a holiday at the academy today.
Without a hint of hesitation, Eris strode boldly into the library first thing in the morning.
"Librarian, right now—"
She'd meant to habitually demand the next book at the front desk, but she froze mid-sentence.
"Thank you so much, sir! That book you recommended last time was so much fun!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Shall I recommend something new right away?"
"No, I came to give you this today. Please take it."
"Those look like tasty cookies. Eating inside the library is forbidden, but I'll have them after work. Thank you."
"No need to thank me!"
Despite the seemingly perfunctory words of gratitude, the girl beamed with delight over whatever pleased her so much.
Caught off guard by the utterly ordinary scene—as if she'd witnessed something impossible—Eris stood frozen in place.
Oh, right. This was a public library, after all.
She'd never seen other patrons during her visits and had forgotten, but this wasn't her personal space.
It was perfectly normal and sensible.
And yet...
What was this uneasy feeling?
As Eris furrowed her brow in confusion at her own strange emotions, the girl left the library. Only then could Eris finally approach the librarian and speak.
"Returning the books. And here for new ones."
Even Eris herself flinched at how coldly the words came out, but the librarian's response was impassive.
"Welcome, patron. Did you enjoy the work?"
Eris bristled for a moment but soon feigned composure.
"Eh, it was decent enough."
"I see. Glad it met with your approval."
"Don't you know what 'decent enough' means?"
"It means it wasn't bad, does it not? Is there some other meaning?"
"……"
She had nothing to say to that.
Whenever she stood before this librarian, she always felt her pace thrown off, she thought as she returned the books.
The librarian predictably offered a test sheet, and Eris twitched an eyebrow at its contents.
[Is there anything about the protagonist's personality, behavior, or hobbies that needs fixing? If so, why?]
Eris tried to scribble some spiteful criticism, but her pen soon faltered.
The detective protagonist in the story wasn't without flaws.
In fact, he had quite a few.
But stripping them all away would kill off the peculiar charm and uniqueness that drew her to him.
In the end, the only line Eris managed to squeeze out was this.
[He shouldn't die there. I'd forgive him if he lives.]
Upon submitting her answer, the librarian nodded up and down several times, looking noticeably satisfied.
Feeling oddly embarrassed by it, Eris snapped.
"Hurry up and bring the next book."
"Very well."
With that, he handed her two books.
One appeared to be the next volume of the novel she'd read, while faint magic emanated from the other.
"A grimoire!"
Eris's eyes widened as she opened it.
And promptly grew flustered.
About two-thirds of its pages were grayed out and blackened, with only the remainder filled with glowing blue text.
As Eris examined the blue letters closely, portions faded to gray, and the magic within them flowed into her.
At the same time, vitality surged through her weary body from consecutive all-nighters.
Eris realized what this book was.
"A recovery grimoire. The more you read, the more its embedded magic restores the reader."
Unlike the previous theory books, which held only knowledge without inherent magic, this one offered no knowledge of its own but benefited its reader simply by being read.
Eris's eyes flashed with interest and desire, but they soon dimmed with resignation.
"This is a consumable that loses value with every use. I can't borrow something like this."
Reading it on loan would damage it, and not reading it defeated the purpose.
She wasn't brazen enough to drain every drop of magic from a borrowed book, unless she owned it outright.
Yet the librarian declared calmly.
"Use it all you like."
"...You mean that?"
"As I said, the library's entire collection is mine. These are from the second floor—items too dubious to display downstairs. Gifting a few that were headed for the trash or storage won't cause any issues."
"You..."
Eris felt a touch moved.
She'd pegged him as just a nasty-tempered librarian, not expecting such a gift out of the blue.
"Fine, if you're giving it, I won't refuse. But if I become a grand mage someday, I'll repay this favor then."
"I appreciate the words, but best not make promises lightly. You might change your mind tonight."
"You think so little of my declarations? I'm not the type to go back on my word easily."
Declaring it proudly, Eris gathered the books and left for her dormitory.
She itched to dive into the novel's next volume right away, but regrettably, her mind wasn't clear enough now.
And using the consumable grimoire just for novel reading felt wasteful.
'Maybe a short nap.'
Thankfully, this book required no separate study, so a brief sleep of a few hours shouldn't be an issue.
Reading it with restored energy and a sharp mind would let her enjoy—no, grasp—the content better for the next test.
With that thought, Eris drifted off.
And that very night...
"...Not the waterfall continuation!? It's a flashback!?"
Then what happens after? Does the protagonist live or die?
Tormented by the questions swirling in her head, Eris kept turning the pages.
The mystery remained unsolved, but the fact that it was still fun made it all the more frustrating.
The library, now empty of people and wrapped in silence.
Ernst, who had been quietly reading under the bright lamplight, closed his book and stretched.
From his shadow, a stunning black-haired beauty emerged gracefully.
Lucidra watched Ernst roll his neck this way and that, her expression subtly odd.
It was akin to seeing someone rub sticks for fire when they had a perfectly good match.
"But seriously, why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean all of a sudden, patron?"
"Pa...tron?"
"I'm employed by Brown Trading Company, and you're a major client there. That makes you a patron."
What nonsense is this now?
She felt the urge to argue that he'd ordered her to do all that as Lucidra, but let it go.
As the crown prince had put it, the role in the story and the actor playing it—the TRPG character and the player—were distinct.
Pointing out to Librarian Ernst that he was really the crown prince would mean nothing.
"Fine, patron it is. But anyway, doesn't it take you just minutes to read a book? So why hold the same one for over an hour?"
To Lucidra's question, Ernst replied.
"Suppose two people eat the same meal. A wolfs it down, ignoring taste, to move on quickly. B savors each dish slowly. A saves time, but B enjoys the food."
Being able to do something quickly doesn't mean you should always rush.
Especially when it's tied to life's pleasures—a so-called 'hobby.'
Well-versed in desires as a demon, Lucidra grasped it immediately.
"So this 'thing' you're doing now is a leisurely investment to savor the hobby?"
The library was closed, but the day wasn't over.
It was just past dinner time.
He could read several more books, but instead of picking a new one, Ernst prepared paper and pen, scribbling intently.
His movements were lightning-fast, a far cry from the leisurely page-turning moments ago.
Though ink normally needs time to dry, his writing set instantly—drying in under 0.1 seconds—and the sheets stacked themselves neatly, as if guided by invisible hands.
Binding the contents together, adding a cover, and finishing with magic completed a book.
Mid-continent publishers, with their underdeveloped printing and binding tech, would have screamed foul play.
Lucidra said in disbelief.
"You'll quit and go full-time author soon."
"An intriguing hypothesis, but unlikely. What I'm doing is translating the original into suitable language and localizing parts for the setting. Hardly true creation. His Highness seems quite interested in distribution, though."
In fact, Ernst had never put his own name as author.
Half to tease Eris, half to share his thoughts on the work, but he'd never considered them his creations.
When Lucidra asked whose 'original' it was, he said the crown prince knew, and the crown prince casually mentioned reincarnation.
Of course, Lucidra didn't take it seriously.
It clashed with her common sense, and if true, the man was a monster who remembered books from his past life flawlessly to rewrite them later. That level of ability transcended mere talent into inhuman territory.
Hmm, she hummed, then reached for the finished book and began reading.
Leaning back as if on an invisible sofa in midair, rolling her eyes this way and that for a while...
"...I've thought this before, but ending the series opener with the protagonist falling off a waterfall, then starting the next with a slow flashback? Isn't that too much?"
Lucidra herself had read the completed series Ernst prepared, minimizing damage by bingeing to the revival scene.
But Eris was different.
She was probably trembling in anticipation of the ending right now.
To that, Ernst replied calmly.
"That's why I tweaked the order a bit. Makes them more curious for what's next, doesn't it?"
"You're totally a demon in human guise. A senior to even me."
"I'm a proud human, though?"
Doesn't look like it.
So thinking, Lucidra gazed at Ernst, who was already penning a new book.
"So, what's that one about? Not the detective series."
Ernst answered.
"The tale of four birds. But only two volumes' worth."
"......Ah, I see. Understood, senior."