Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Librarian Ernst (18) - Eris's Farewell
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"You're leaving...? You?"
"Yes. I've been reassigned elsewhere."
"I... I see."
Ernst's voice was utterly flat.
As if he were merely stating an ordinary matter, nothing remarkable or surprising about it.
Employees of a massive trading company moving from post to post wasn't exactly rare, so objectively speaking, there was nothing strange about it.
But not for Eris.
She had vaguely assumed that Ernst would stay here indefinitely.
In the outskirts of Aldridge.
She'd thought he'd remain forever in this quiet, cherished space that few people ever reached.
So even though her departure for Sky Academy was drawing near, she'd felt a touch of regret but nothing desperate.
She'd figured that after a few years of classes, she'd return to Aldridge and see him again.
But if that wasn't the case.
If this parting was truly the last.
'...No, that can't be.'
Eris caught herself slipping into negative thoughts and forced them back.
"Where are you being reassigned?"
"I'm sorry, but that's confidential for work reasons."
"Is the posting of a mere employee really such a trade secret?"
"That's just how it is, it seems. Apparently, the higher-ups don't see me as a mere employee."
Of course it was.
The world generally rated Rank 5 as 'domain-level power' and Rank 6 as 'national-level power'.
A Rank 5 knight could storm a lord's castle and take the lord's head. A Rank 5 mage could incinerate an entire village in the domain with sheer firepower.
They couldn't win against a group's total mobilized forces head-on, but as individuals, they moved with remarkable freedom.
If the enemy showed signs of gathering strength, they could simply slip away, bide their time, or strike elsewhere.
And Rank 6 could pull off those tactics against entire nations.
Meaning they could take the king's head instead of a lord's, or raze a city instead of a village.
To counter that, you'd need equivalent Rank 6 power or, even if slightly inferior, amass as much quality and quantity as possible.
Even mighty neighboring nations stronger than little Ravellosia didn't dare mess with it carelessly, all because of Delphinarris.
With the royal family already fretting over her eventual passing and scrambling to raise a successor, having a Rank 6 in a mere trading company—even if the top in the kingdom—was utterly absurd under normal circumstances.
Ernst downplayed himself as a half-baked sort who couldn't cast a single spell without his customized workshop after years of tinkering, but even accepting that and downgrading his rating, he was still Rank 5. Impressively high.
It wouldn't be odd for royal scouts to come knocking the moment his skills went public. How could anyone treat such a talent like a 'mere employee'?
No, even before that.
'Why on earth was someone like this playing librarian out here?'
The true answer was 『He created a new job and identity just to read whatever books he wanted endlessly, without a care for practicality, and occasionally share impressions with the rare visitors』, but Eris, the top student at the Aldridge outpost, hadn't reached that mad conclusion.
She thought rationally and sensibly.
The reason a Rank 6 powerhouse was stuck in this backwater. And now leaving.
There could only be one explanation.
'Demon extermination. Yes, that was the goal from the start!'
The moment she realized the truth, a thrilling shiver ran down Eris's spine.
The old her would've locked in the conclusion right there, but the more seasoned Eris—shaped by her experiences—chose caution and the virtue of communication one more time.
"Ernst. Answer me seriously."
"Yes?"
"Is the reason you're leaving really just the company's orders? Nothing else—like having finished the 'work' you had to do?"
"......"
Ernst stared at Eris, wondering what she meant, then suddenly recalled how she'd once called his 'reading books' his 'work'.
Borrowing her phrasing where reading was 'work', he supposed having read every book in the library meant he'd indeed 'finished the job'.
He shrugged and replied.
"Personally, I wouldn't call it 'work'... but if we're using the customer's phrasing, then yes. I've finished the work I had to do here."
His affirmation made Eris's eyes tremble wide.
She carefully lifted the grimoire she'd just received from him—likely made from demon materials—and asked.
"Does that have to do with this... thing?"
"What else but that book?"
At this point, it was practically spelled out.
At least, that's how Eris saw it.
But doubts lingered.
Why would a mere company employee go hunting demons?
「The perfect superhuman Crown Prince...? Hmm, sounds like a misunderstanding. The empire's Crown Prince I know loves slacking off more than you'd think.」
「A man so fixated on royal duties he wouldn't glance at any other path? The Grand Mage must be mistaken.」
「No exaggeration—he really is. Rate him that highly, and you'll only be disappointed by the reality.」
Suddenly, a past conversation with Ernst flashed through Eris's mind.
She hadn't taken it seriously at the time.
A library clerk wouldn't know much about the empire's Crown Prince.
But now that she knew his power, it was different.
What if those weren't idle words?
What if Ernst truly knew the man and spoke from experience?
Then it all made sense.
A Rank 5 talent was a priceless gem for a small kingdom like Ravellosia, but continental superpowers boasted multiple Rank 6s and could field Rank 5s in groups.
To nations with full-fledged Rank 6s aplenty, an 'imperfect' one like Ernst might be valuable but not irreplaceable.
If he was part of some imperial organization, observing the Crown Prince from afar and knowing his character... it all fit.
Her voice shaking, she asked.
"Have you been doing this kind of thing all along?"
"Not quite. This is the first time I've hunkered down in one spot so deliberately."
"So you have done it before."
A brief silence fell.
Eris hesitated, choosing her words, then asked with resolve.
"Is there no way I can help you?"
Demon slaying was incredibly dangerous.
And if Ernst really was an imperial agent, his missions might involve more than just demons.
Plus, Eris had her own plans to enter Sky Academy.
Helping him meant shouldering all those risks and upending her future.
Still, Eris had to say it.
She wanted to help him, even at that cost.
Ernst tilted his head, trying to read her intent.
To Eris, he looked like someone unused to such offers of aid, bewildered by it.
Soon, he answered.
"You've already helped me. Reading the same books, sharing impressions. That was one of my deepest wishes, after a life of constant pursuit. No more help is needed."
Such humble gratitude from a demon slayer felt almost too modest.
Eris's chest ached.
She knew it.
His words weren't an excuse to brush off her offer.
He meant every bit that those quiet, simple times with her were exactly what he'd craved.
Suppressing tears, she said.
It took everything to keep her voice steady.
"If it's just that, I could do it anytime. Meeting in person like this. Or letters if not."
"In-person meetings are difficult. Letters too."
His coldly cutting words made her bite her lip.
But he wasn't done.
"However, if you refine the unique incantation I taught you to its peak and merge it fully with the grimoire in your hands—turning it into a true 『library』—our libraries might connect as one. Then we could exchange books. With notes of impressions tucked in."
Eris let out a hollow laugh.
Sharp as she was, she gauged the hurdles to make his words reality.
The incantation he'd created and shared was revolutionary enough to seed a new school of magic.
Using it was one thing; mastering it, let alone dominating and fusing a demon-forged grimoire, was territory even her mentor Delphinarris might not conquer.
In plain terms, Ernst was saying:
If she meant it, go surpass her master.
"Ha. Haha."
Dry laughter escaped her.
Her voice, soaked in gloom and sorrow, had dried into searing heat.
Strength flared in Eris's green eyes.
The flame in her heart reignited.
But it differed from her old fire.
Tenacious yet not cloying, it fueled endless vitality instead of burning her from within.
"Fine. Get ready. I'll dump so many books on you at once, you'll get sick of reading."
"I'll look forward to it."
Despite her resolute declaration, Ernst's reply stayed flatly even.
Even if this might be their last talk, he didn't drop his businesslike demeanor.
Did it mean parting with her held no regrets? Or was he so sure they'd meet again that there was no need for fuss?
Hoping for the latter—forcing it to be the latter—she resolved as she turned to leave the library.
Then, from behind, Ernst asked.
"By the way, customer. May I ask one question?"
Eris paused.
"What?"
"Was I a good librarian?"
Eris pondered briefly before answering.
"No. Objectively, you were pretty out of line in a lot of ways."
"I see."
"But."
"...?"
Eris continued calmly.
"For me, it wasn't bad."
Ernst blinked once, then twitched the corner of his mouth upward.
Too awkward and sinister for a true smile, but entertaining in its own way.
This time, Eris asked.
"Was I a good customer?"
"By the rules, not really. This library doesn't allow outside books, but you mostly read unregistered ones, so you were always an exception."
"I see."
"But."
Ernst added plainly.
"Personally, it wasn't bad."
Eris smiled.
Unlike his awkward grin, hers was breathtaking enough to steal breaths.
For a moment, the delinquent librarian and his delinquent patron smiled together.
Then the patron turned and stepped out of the library.
Resolved to make this not their final farewell, should it be.