The Chaotic Owl Bookstore
Ian and Zenon finished their meal and stepped out of the restaurant, exchanging a brief farewell.
“I need to head toward the main road.”
“Understood. I’ll be taking the back alleys.”
“Alright. Let’s meet again when the chance comes.”
True to his experienced adventurer nature, Zenon melted into the crowd on the southern boulevard like a ghost, leaving not a single footstep behind. Ian watched his retreating back and the pair of coldly gleaming twin blades hanging at his waist for a moment before turning toward the narrow alley that led to Dream’s Shelter Inn.
He had been in this world for less than a week, yet the number of people he knew was growing faster than expected. Strangely enough, the feeling wasn’t unpleasant. As a complete outsider who had felt somewhat adrift, the new acquaintances he made seemed to anchor him firmly to the ground, giving him a sense of stability.
And so, the third day of his life in this other world drew to a close. As Ian stepped into the inn, a particularly clear and pale silver moonlight bathed the top of his head.
“Ugh… Aigoo, I’m so stiff.”
Ian stood in the middle of his spotless room—one he had meticulously cleaned with Perfect Bubble until not a speck of dust remained—and began a light set of calisthenics.
It seemed a thick fog had settled that morning. The sunlight streaming through the window was dimmer and gloomier than usual. Those hazy rays illuminated Ian’s face as he twisted his neck with a grumpy expression.
As expected, the aftereffects of spending several hours bent over in the flower bed yesterday were considerable. Even after a deep sleep, his neck and lower back felt tight, and every movement sent his muscles throbbing and protesting in unison.
“This won’t do. I need to soak in some hot water.” The corners of Ian’s mouth lifted smoothly with anticipation.
By now, he had completely mastered the operation of the mana-powered magic shower. Pressing the button and requesting the desired temperature would release lukewarm or warm water for a full thirty minutes. Even the water that fell to the floor vanished instantly thanks to its magical effect—the very reason the inn’s bathroom stayed free of even a single speck of mold.
After washing away his fatigue under the hot stream, Ian changed into the tunic and leather pants he had bought two days earlier and headed down to the first-floor dining room.
Perhaps because it was Dawn Day (Monday), the dining room was already more than half full of guests eating breakfast despite the early hour. Since this was the first time Ian had seen the place so crowded, he looked around with curious eyes even as he settled into an appropriate seat.
At the people’s feet lay tools like pickaxes and shovels, modified to be far sturdier than ordinary ones. Judging by their rough knuckles and dirt-stained clothes, they appeared to be laborers from the city’s construction sites. Even if the pay isn’t great, working as a laborer might be better. An errand boy’s income is just too inconsistent…
He was lost in thought when Grandma Masa brought out a mouthwatering ham sandwich and a steaming bowl of cream soup.
“Wow, this looks delicious. Thank you, Grandma! I’ll enjoy it.”
“That’s good. Don’t rush—chew slowly and thoroughly.”
Grandma Masa smiled kindly and was about to hurry back toward the kitchen when Ian, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, quickly called her back.
“Um, Grandma. Is there a place nearby that sells books cheaply or lets people borrow them?”
“Hmm?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, she turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.
“Why? Do you want to study?”
“Ahaha. Not exactly… The truth is, I’ve come across some information I’d like to learn about herbs. It seems essential for carrying out errand boy requests.”
At Ian’s answer, Grandma Masa gazed at him intently through her glasses before speaking.
“Hmm… No matter how cheap a book is, you’ll still need at least ten gold per volume.”
“What? They’re that expensive?”
“Of course. Even if you use the Binding skill, it still has to be done by human hands one by one.”
Ian’s eyes widened into perfect circles at the unexpectedly high price. Ten gold was a hefty sum, equivalent to a week’s lodging at a decent inn.
“Then… is there a library or a bookstore where I could borrow books?”
“If you go deeper into the alley where our inn is, there’s an old shop called the Owl Bookstore. But the owner is terribly disorganized. Finding even a single book you want will be quite the ordeal.”
“Wow, that’s perfect! As long as I can find the books I need.”
“Really? Then eat a hearty breakfast and go take a look.”
“Yes! Thank you, Grandma.”
Ian smiled brightly and took a big bite of the ham sandwich. The harmony of crisp vegetables and savory ham was, as always, superb.
But… at that moment, Ian had no idea. He didn’t yet understand why Grandma Masa had hesitated so much before recommending the bookstore, or what kind of scene awaited him behind her kind reluctance.
It was only after he arrived in front of the Owl Bookstore that he experienced the reason with his entire body.
Whoa! What is this? The stacks of books are so high they’ve completely blocked the entrance!
The bookstore resembled a massive paper tomb. From the entrance all the way to the ceiling, unidentified old books were piled precariously, leaving not even enough space for a single person to pass. As Ian stood there, unsure what to do, and carefully reached out to move a book wedged tightly near the entrance—
The long-accumulated dust on the book’s spine scattered in all directions, immediately triggering a violent sneezing fit.
“Achoo! A-a-choo! Aigoo… Achoo!”
While he was sniffing hard enough to make his eyes and nose run, frantically wiping his nose, a young woman’s voice came from the dark interior beyond the layered book piles.
“Who is it!”
Ian, who had barely stopped sneezing, shouted toward the book stacks.
“I’m a customer here to borrow books! The entrance is completely blocked by books so I can’t get inside!”
At his voice, he heard someone inside sharply inhale. Clear signs of panic followed, then a loud clatter, the sound of collapsing book piles, and a short scream.
“Kyaa!”
“Did you fall?! Are you okay?!”
When Ian called out again in concern, a breathless reply came back moments later.
“…Ah! Yes! I’m fine! Please wait a moment!”
Before long, the second-floor veranda window of the Owl Bookstore opened, and a woman appeared.
She was a very cute yet capable-looking young woman wearing a vivid blue dress with a gray apron over it. She carefully tucked her disheveled orange hair behind her ear, then looked down at Ian with sparkling clear green eyes.
“Hello! I’m Pelua. I’m the bookstore owner’s granddaughter. I took over this place last month.”
“Ah, I see.”
“But what should we do? The first-floor entrance is impossible to clear right now. It looks like you’ll have to climb a ladder up to the second-floor veranda.”
“Really?”
Ian’s eyes widened for a moment, but after glancing again at the book piles blocking the entrance like a fortress wall, he had no choice but to accept it.
“No other way, then. Please lower the ladder!”
“Yes, just a moment!”
Pelua lowered a wooden ladder and secured it firmly to the railing with rope. Thanks to that, Ian was able to climb the steady ladder and safely reach the second-floor veranda. But the moment he saw the scene inside the room beyond the window, he was once again rendered speechless. Even though there were clear signs that Pelua had worked hard to clean it, the room was still packed with books so densely that there was barely room to stand.
“That’s… really impressive.”
“You don’t have to force yourself to compliment me. I know the situation is quite serious.”
“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how have you been handling all these books until now?”
Pelua gave a bittersweet smile that looked almost like a pout as she answered.
“I have an 8th-grade Obliteration skill. After checking each book, I obliterate the ones that can’t be saved or whose knowledge is too outdated to be valuable.”
“Wow… I see.”
Ian let out a small sound of admiration and nodded. But a corner of his heart ached with sympathy. The look in Pelua’s eyes as she gazed at the old books in the room was dripping with deep affection for them. Even if they were worn and neglected, he could imagine how heartbreaking it must be for her to erase their very existence with her own hands.
After thinking for a moment, Ian made a suggestion in a firm yet gentle voice.
“Before we start obliterating books, it seems more urgent to clear out the tangled piles first. I’ll help you. Let’s start by moving some of the books from this second-floor room out to the veranda.”
“What?! I can’t possibly ask a customer to do something like this.”
“It’s fine. At this rate, I won’t be able to find the books I want anyway. Oh, my name is Ian River.”
“Ah, yes. Ian.”
“And I have a cleaning skill that completely removes dust. I promise I won’t damage the books at all. Would you trust me and give it a try?”
“What? Excuse me?”
This time, Pelua’s clear green eyes widened into perfect circles.
After hesitating for a moment, she spoke with a grave expression as if making one final confirmation.
“You really won’t damage the books, right? Swear it. Absolutely.”
“Yes. I swear it.”
She pondered very seriously for a long time before finally making up her mind and answering.
“Huu… Alright. I’ll trust you this once.”
When Ian stepped into the room, he clicked his tongue inwardly. The dust billowing out must have exhausted Pelua more than he thought. Otherwise, there was no way she would have accepted such a baseless proposal from a man she had just met.
Still, she trusted me. Time to show what I can really do.
Ian lightly shook out both hands, then instantly created three dazzling Perfect Bubble orbs. The fluffy bubbles rose pleasantly, shimmering at his fingertips.
Splat. Splosh— Splash!
With practiced movements, he sent the bubbles flying. They scattered throughout the room and landed precisely on the book piles. The pure white bubbles spread out like living things in an instant, swallowing the terrible layers of accumulated dust. Glowing with a deeper blue light than ever before, the bubbles absorbed every bit of contamination and then shattered into brilliant fragments of light that vanished into the air.
Ian inhaled deeply. A refreshing, clean scent and pure air flooded his lungs. Instead of the stale, musty odor that had tormented his nose, the room was now filled with a crisp freshness like a forest at dawn.
Ian turned to Pelua with a pleased smile. She had been covering her face with her hands just outside the veranda door, too afraid to look in case her precious books had been damaged.
“Pelua, it’s done.”
“What? R-really? Already?”
“Yes. You can open your eyes now.”
At Ian’s urging, she cautiously lifted her head. As Pelua scanned the room with a mix of doubt and hope, her green eyes began to tremble violently with shock and joy.
The book piles were still precariously stacked, but their surfaces now gleamed as smooth and clean as newly printed books. Instead of the damp smell of mold, they gave off a faint, elegant paper scent. Pelua couldn’t close her mouth at the sight.
“Kyaa! Oh my goodness! This is amazing! I can’t believe it!”
Coming back to her senses, Pelua jumped up and down like a child before rushing into the room and hugging each book pillar one by one. As she rubbed her cheek against the dust-free bookshelves in pure delight, Ian watched with a proud smile and let out a soft chuckle.