Chapter 17 One For The Books

The first thing that strikes me is the pungent scent of old pages worn well. The same high-arched windows in the test hall line the walls in the library, however stained glass in various patterns and colors let through a much more subdued light.

A winding staircase sits in the middle. Spiraling infinitely high, it takes perch onto each of the far walls and attaches itself to the encased books.

Breathless, all I see are books and books and books on books. I look up but it's more than the naked eye can see, it's a sea of books!

Exhilaration overwhelms me. Even if I were to sit here everyday for all three years, I wouldn't even make a dent in this collection.

A small smile peeks through. Why was I so down at already having learnt the full curriculum? Hehehe… After all, it would have gotten in the way of me reading all these books anyways!

“Erm, may I help you?”

Snapping out of my reverie, I see a mousy girl. Bespectacled with round glasses, it frames wide eyes and is perched on top of a small, pink nose. Her hair is fluff, looking soft enough to sleep in.

“Oh hello, are you the librarian?”

She nods a little shyly.

“I'll probably be requiring a lot of assistance from you, since there's so many books here.” I pause to stare in awe around me, “What a wonderful job you have.”

She looks a little surprised, but seems to relax as she settles into a smile. “Yes, I'm quite fortunate. The sheer amount of knowledge gathered here is unheard of in all of Gardein, or any other kingdom for that matter.”

In a way, her ambience is soothing to me and I end up relaxing as well.

“Also, as a student of Harthrow University, you're allowed to check out as many books as you wish.”

What!?

“Of course, if a book is lost or damaged, the person whose name it's under will have to compensate for it- Er, are you alright?”

“I'm so happy I'm a student here!”

“A-Ah yeah… Erm, your eyes are a little scary…”

...Hey, what's that supposed to mean?

“Excuse me, I've gotten ahead of myself.” I curtsy and introduce myself.

“O-oh right! My name is Este Roilèn, p-pleased to meet you.”

After speaking of various topics, I learn Este is the fifth daughter of the Roilèn military family - Her father is King Freyjr's personal strategist and all four of her elder brothers are knighted. One being promoted to the First Prince’s personal vanguard at the age of thirteen.

Since Este's family never had a daughter and her body was frail since young, she was raised in a sheltered environment.

“I wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near my father or brothers’ training, and I didn’t go out much either… But books allowed me passage to faraway lands and exciting adventures. Because of this, I cherish books quite a bit…!”

“...”

She gets a little embarrassed at the silence and squirms. “Oh, erm s-sorry if I’m only speaking about bland things-”

Clasping her hands, I look her straight in the eyes. “May we be friends, Este?”

“E-Eh?” She’s taken aback, her circular glasses tilting on her face with confusion. But she slowly gives a nod.

Hehe, I’m so happy right now that I can’t hold back the smile on my face. It's too embarrassing! I should make my escape.

“Anyways, please excuse me while I explore the library.”

“Oh of course! P-Please take your time!” Her face goes pink and she stutters this out before we both go scurrying away.