It doesn't matter how big Endorod City is, there is only one building of Adventurers Guild. It was only a matter of time before we meet. When we visited guild before, I usually picked only his old scent, but this time Blaze was here in a flesh.

Hmm, what should I do? If we beat him, we might feel a bit better, but this won't solve problems with rumors. Something more serious isn't an answer as well, especially after I learned about pixies. Hmm .. Pixies!

After a quick glance around, I didn't find any and started to check a scent in the air. There, one was here and left not long ago.

"I will be back shortly." I rushed out of the guild, leaving a surprised Phoenix.

It was easy to track her by a scent, and I caught her before she left the city. After short negotiations, I convinced her mage to help me and we returned to the guild. I was just in time.

There was now a crowd of people gathered and in the center of it all was Phoenix with Blaze.

".. then let me ask you this. Why none of you reported to the guards?" glared Phoenix at him with anger.

"And how do you suggest we prove what's inside your dimension?! It's not a bag of holding, no one can reach inside and look for themselves. You can just summon what you want and tell this is all!" shouted Blaze.

"It's a sad thing there are people like you who can get away with their crimes." joined a friend of Blaze who was a dwarf.

"We should teach him a lesson. He will think twice before attempting something like this again." joined a human, clearly a party member of Blaze.

"And where is a proof that your friend isn't a liar?" stepped in Cloud.

"I am curious. Have you ever told your story in a presence of pixie?" I asked while slowly walking forward.

Blaze looked at me for a moment while trying to remember who I was. In the end, he gave up and after a quick glance around continued with his farce.

"We never had a chance. He is a slippery bastard, after he scammed us of our stuff we rarely see him. As you can see, there are no pixies nearby. If there was, I would even pay for their help to expose him in a public!" shouted Blaze.

"I think you misunderstood me, or just purposely twisted my words. All those times you spun your story to people .. was there a pixie nearby even once to confirm your words?" I asked with a calm voice.

"I think there were some at least few times." said Blaze while looking around.

"Oh? how nice. Then you won't mind telling your story in front of another. Just like you said before, this is a perfect opportunity to 'expose' him in a public." I asked with a smile and stepped to the side allowing a dwarf mage with pixie sitting on his head to enter his sight.

As Blaze noticed pixie, his face paled and drops of sweat started appearing here and there. Just as I thought, when he spread those rumors, he was always careful none of them were around.

"What happened? Why suddenly so silent? Don't tell me it was all just a bluff?" I asked with an evil smile and then looked at pixie.

"When he said they were scammed of their stuff, he was lying. Just as when he said that there should have been some pixies nearby when he told his story." said pixie with a disgust on her face.

"Wait! What does it mean? Don't tell me all this time you were lying?" a dwarf friend of Blaze looked at him with a surprised face.

"Of course he was lying! I can discern those two-faced bastards just with one look." another adventurer stepped in.

"Maybe that pixie was paid to lie for him?" a friend of Blaze tried to defend him.

"Pfff... an idiot! If a pixie ever lies, only a death awaits her. I thought even kids know this." summoner looked at him as if he was a moron.

I will never tell anyone that I learned this only recently. When we have some free time, just as I teach the knowledge of my world, Phoenix teaches me some of this as well. But it's too slow. There are still too many gaps in what I know. For an example, the county we live in is an Empire called Lodelia. But even if it's called Empire, Lodelia doesn't have Emperor or Empress and is ruled by a Council of Seven Elders. I have no idea what our neighbor countries are nor our relationships with them.

"What happened 'friend'? Is running your mouth is the only thing you are good at?" asked Phoenix with a grin and placed both hands behind his back.

"Don't get full of yourself you fake mage!" shouted Blaze and swung his arm at him.

Phoenix leaned to the side and easily avoided it, both of his feet still in the same place and hands behind the back. Blaze got angry and attacked again. Phoenix avoided with a lean of his body to another side and after one more swing leaned backward. As he straightened the body with a quick movement, he ended it with a headbutt and knocked Blaze off his feet.

"If I am a fake mage, then what that makes you? A fake warrior? No, something even worse, a fake warrior should be able to beat a fake mage in the brawl." smiled Phoenix with hands still behind his back.

"Hehe, when I heard the saying that 'you should fight with a head'', I doubt it was meant like 'this'." giggled Cloud nearby.

"Beaten by a mage in a brawl .. must be humiliating." some adventurers whispered.

Blaze quickly got on his feet and placed his hand on the sword. In response, I summoned my phantom claws and tail, and made my eyes glow.

Intimidation reached level 3.

"Out of my way!" angrily shouted Blaze and after pushing nearby adventurer, rushed out of the guild.

His elf slave grinned and then quickly followed after him.

"You are smart. Tell me... why haven't you done something like this on your own?" I looked at Phoenix with arms crossed on the chest.

"Ehem." I heard a sound from behind but ignored.

"Well, there were no pixies nearby when it could help, and you can't exactly expose people lying when all they do is retell the story heard from someone else .." started Phoenix.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we are in a hurry." said the dwarf mage with the pixie. It seems it was him who made that sound not long ago.

"Ah, that's right. There. Just as I promised." I tossed him a gold coin.

"Pleasure doing business." smiled the mage and then left the guild as well.

"Hey! Don't forget that I did all the work! You will have to buy me an apple." I overheard pixie.

"A gold coin? How they managed to get this much from you?" Phoenix looked at me surprised.

"Uhh. They said they are late and don't have time for me, I was in a hurry so..." I started to explain.

"Thank you, Kitty," whispered Phoenix.

"You are welcome .. no, wait! Don't think you will get away that easily..." and just as I wanted to tease Phoenix with some more I was interrupted by the summoner.

"His name was Blaze, right?" asked Darson.

The female orc wasn't the only slave he had. Seems that two elves of different gender and one male human were his slaves as well. They probably waited here as only the female orc was a participant in the test.

"Yes. A long time ago I even considered him as my friend," said Phoenix while looking at the doors leading from the guild.

"Backstabbers... you know what? I will help you. I will let him have a taste of his own medicine. He will soon know why nobles are to be feared when it comes to spreading a rumor." said the summoner with an evil smile.

Hmm, if we ignore his arrogance, this elf isn't so bad. I think I might even forgive him for the loss of that gold coin.

*

After we updated our rank to E, we chatted a bit with some adventurers from the test. It was the first time we entered a bar section of the guild. Tia suggested meeting here tomorrow and do a joint expedition to the dungeon.

I wasn't against it, but I don't know how our assault on assassins will proceed so I just said that if they don't see us, we are probably busy.

*

Next, we paid a visit to a captain of the guards. When we entered his office, we almost bumped into a dryad leaving the office. There were only four guards in the office as for the orc, he was at the table with a pile of documents as usual.

"Any news about the assault?" asked Phoenix when we got closer.

"Ah, it's you two. It might take more time than we thought. I suspect at least a few more days... if not more." said Magra after a quick glance at us and then continued reading his documents.

"Why? Was there some problems with the portal stone?" I asked.

"This isn't the case. Oh, that's right. There, we don't need it anymore." said the orc and placed the orb on his table.

Phoenix got closer and put it in his dimension.

"When they realized we have the orb, probably destroyed a portal on their end. Enchanter Arnis is working to make some modifications to the portal of Temple so it can teleport us to the coordinates from your orb even without a receiving portal," explained Magra.

"Have you raised your rank?" suddenly asked the orc.

"Yes, both of us are now at the rank E." answered Phoenix.

"Good, then it shouldn't be a problem to get permission from that old fart. Once everything is ready on our side we will send a signal to your guild badge. It will glow just like when the guild has an emergency request, only this time a yellow color instead of red. I think that's all." finished Magra and resumed reading his documents.

I still find it a funny sight - a reading orc. He he. Oh .. speaking about reading there is something I should have done long time ago.

"Hey, Phoenix. Does this city have a library?" I looked at Reveon as we left the office.

"Yes... but the entrance fee is fifty silvers," said Phoenix and then looked at me as if expecting something.

"Fifty silvers?! What the... How... Uhh. This is a robbery!" I started to complain.

"He he. You reacted just like me when I learned about it. There is a limit how much one can read in a short time, then if we add a problem of how much one can remember... for a regular adventurer, it's hardly worth it to spend this kind of money. But this shouldn't be a problem for us. With 'enhanced mind' if I concentrate, I can remember everything, even if it was just a glimpse. I am sure it's the same for you so we can gain a lot of knowledge... Should I show you the way?" asked Phoenix.

"Yes... no, wait! First, we will get something to eat! Lead me to a nice place where we can eat something delicious! Just don't forget that I am a cat! I hate salads." I said when remembered that it was already some time from our last meal.

*

After twenty silvers spent on the food, we left the human chef with an open mouth and large eyes. Seriously! What's with this exaggeration? So what if we ate more than we weigh ourselves? I am a growing Kitty!

After some time we reached the Library, and it was huge. The building was oval in shape and was at least ten stores high. It looked as if made from a monolith white stone. Wide stairs of stone lead to the entrance and few guards were staying at the sides.

After we showed our guild badges to the guards we entered inside. It was a medium size reception room with a fox beastkin woman sitting at the table.

"Welcome. First of all, I have to confirm if you know about the fee?" asked the fox.

"Yes. Fifty silvers, right?" answered Phoenix while giving a gold coin for both of us.

"Yes. There, attach this badge to your clothes so keeper knows you have right to be inside. Before leaving the Library, you will have to return it." said the fox while giving us a small badge each with a symbol of a book.

As we entered through the large doors behind her, I was surprised by the sight. Bookshelves were positioned in a circle in multiple rows. Five large, four meters in diameter, pillars were holding floors above us. Pillars were full of books within shelves. Though I have no idea, how the books higher above the ground could be reached.

Upper floors could be seen from below through the oval opening in the center and basically occupied only a half of the space. In the center of the first floor, there was a pedestal and above it floated a large sphere of blue energy. It gave a magical feel to the library and looked quite impressive.

I noticed a few nobles on the second and third floors but saw no sight of the keeper the receptionist has mentioned. This is troublesome, how I am supposed to find what I want in this maze?

"Hmm, security is a bit lax. What prevents people from stealing a book or two while no one is looking?" I asked no one in particular while looking around.

"That's because I wouldn't allow it." suddenly the sphere of energy spoke.

I was startled by unexpected and jumped backward, as I did so, I even summoned my phantom claws and tail. Phoenix was surprised as well, and a transparent barrier was surrounding him.

"This is an interesting ability, a Reaver? Hmm, I can't find a single record in my archives. How can this be?" the sphere left the pedestal and floated closer to us. As it did, I felt as if an invisible hand touched my mind and I had to use all my power to resist.

Mental Resistance reached level 8. Mental Resistance reached level 9. Mental Resistance reached maximum level.

I never thought there will come a day when I will have a trouble to keep my thoughts to myself. I looked at Phoenix and could see him frowning with drops of sweat covering the head. His enhanced mind was weaker than mine, so it was harder for him to raise mental resistance, and he had to do it from level zero.

"Huh? How you did that? Ah, mental resistance. Interesting.." spoke the sphere.

"What are you?" I asked while staying alert and activated analyze.

> Name: ???? Level: ???? Race: ???? Gender: ????

That didn't help at all. What the hell is this thing?

"Oh, how rude of me. Let me introduce myself. My name is Agama, I am a Keeper of this Library." answered the sphere while slowly circling around us.

"And what exactly are you?" I asked again with a bit of irritation.

"Just like I said, I am a Keeper of this Library. Ah, you probably never meet someone like me. Well, people call us a Spirit of Knowledge. Does this answer your question? No? Hmm, there, read this, this should answer some of them. Just ignore ramblings of the author at the page thirty-six. Eliada was simply in a foul mood when they meet." said Agama and from a nearby pillar supporting upper floors, a single book floated to us.