After Lark left the Merchants Guild, Big Mona summoned several of his men. “Investigate that man,” said the fat merchant. “Make sure you aren’t spotted.”

The men bowed and disappeared from sight. Big Mona knew their capabilities. Their ability to acquire information from a target was second only to the information merchant. As long as the opponent was not a knight or a Royal Court Magician, they would be able to retrieve information in the end.

Big Mona stared at the small crystal. Even now, it was still emitting bright light. It was as though the sun had descended into this room, illuminating everything with a bright azure glow. He could not believe this phenomenon would continue for several more hours. A normal kalrane stone would have started dimming after emitting such energy.

He noticed the peculiar symbols carved on the petals of the crystal, probably engraved using a chisel or a knife, though he was not sure.

Still, he knew those symbols must be responsible for this peculiar phenomenon.

If what the lord of that small town was saying was true, then this would have a great potential market in the future. Big Mona could already see it—a world devoid of night. A world where people could work normally throughout the day. A city filled with unending sun.

“Of course, this should be monopolized by the Merchants Guild.” Big Mona licked his lips. “If he refuses to sell them exclusively to us, we’ll just have to kill him and take over the kalrane mine. He’s just the lord of a small town, after all.”

Big Mona was aware that Lark Marcus had been exiled by his father to that remote town. He was sure that even if that noble were killed, his family would not bat an eye. Rather, they might even reward the merchant for finally getting rid of such a nuisance.

“But of course, if he proves himself useful, being partners might be the better deal,” said Big Mona. “Let’s wait and see.”

***

After leaving the Merchants Guild, Lark felt several men following him. He had expected this given how shrewd the head of the Merchants Guild was.

Only seven of them?

Lark almost chuckled. They couldn’t even properly hide their presence. For now, Lark would enjoy their tail. After all, even if they followed him throughout his stay, they would not be able to glean anything useful. On the contrary, it would be beneficial for this information to be passed on to the fat merchant.

“Go back to the inn,” he said to Clarkson and the rest of the servants. They had been waiting for him outside the Merchants Guild. “There’s somewhere I have to visit.”

“But, sir—” protested one of the guards.

“That is an order. Go.”

Under his piercing gaze, the guards and the servants conceded. They started boarding the carts.

“Here.” Lark gave the Head of the Guards a pouch. “Some pocket money. Once you’ve secured the kalranes in the inn, go and look around the city. Have some fun.”

The guards looked at each other. Who would have thought a day would come when the young master would be this benevolent to his subordinates? They had noticed before, but slowly, the young master was changing. The demonic noble who would harass commoners had disappeared.

“What? Don’t want it?” Lark chuckled seeing the surprise on his men’s faces.

“Ah, of course.” The Head of the Guards took the pouch. A soft clanking sound rang out. “Young Master, thank you.”

“No need to thank me.” Lark waved a hand. “I’ll be there for dinner. Be sure to be back at the inn by then. Of course, some of you have to stay behind to look after the goods we brought with us. But don’t worry, you’ll have your turn tomorrow.”

After seeing the carts off, Lark raised his hands and stretched his limbs. He smiled broadly. This was a fairly large city, around fifty times the size of Blackstone Town. Although it was vastly inferior to the Magic Empire from his previous life, it was leaps and bounds more prosperous than his small town. Numerous stalls peppered the street, with merchants and customers haggling with each other. The roads were cobbled. Every now and then, a group of soldiers would patrol the streets. Over all, this place was peaceful.

Five guys left huh?

Out of the seven guys that were tasked to tail him, two had disappeared to follow Lark’s servants. He did not really worry about them stealing his goods, since it would not benefit the fat merchant. They were probably tasked to only observe him.

“Now then, I’m getting a bit hungry,” he mumbled. He could smell roasted meat. Looking around, he noticed a stall selling grilled food. He licked his lips and went there.

“How much?”

The vendor flipped the skewered meat on the grill. “Nine coppers each.” Lark’s stomach growled. “Give me ten of those.” He handed him a silver coin.

The vendor grabbed several skewers of meat from the grill and placed them in a paper bag. He handed Lark his change.

“Keep it,” said Lark. “In exchange, could you tell me where I can find a library? Even a small one would do.”

The vendor quickly pocketed the change. “You’re not from here, huh?” He pointed at a tall tower that cast a shadow over the city. “See that over there? That’s the Tower of Pollux. There’s a library inside. It’s open to everyone as long as you pay several silvers, but the floors above it are restricted to the magicians of this city.”

“Tower of Pollux,” repeated Lark. It had a nice ring to it. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” dismissed the vendor. “Come again tomorrow. I’ll give you an extra.”

Lark chuckled. “I’ll do that.”

Still holding the bag filled with meat, Lark went in the direction of the tower. He could still feel the men following after him. It was amusing.

He leisurely strolled through the busy streets until he reached the tower. On closer inspection, it was far bigger than he thought. The entrance was open, with occasional cloaked figures coming and going. They all wore the same crests on their backs. Lark surmised they were the magicians the vendor was talking about.

Lark entered. A short man wearing an oversized coat came to him. He looked at Lark from head to foot.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you,” said the man. “I’ve a good memory, ya see. Been living in this city for several decades.” He glanced at the pouch on Lark’s waist. “A noble from another city?”

Lark did not answer. “I heard there’s a library here.”

The short man did not pursue his interrogation any further. “There’re three, actually. But only one’s available to the public. Ya need to pay fifteen silvers to enter.”

“Fifteen silvers,” muttered Lark. Considering the level of education in this world, it was a fairly cheap price. After all, books were almost non-existent in his domain. Of course, to commoners, they were a fairly expensive commodity. “How about the other libraries?”

“Don’t think about entering the higher floors.” The short man shook his head. “The magicians will rip you to shreds. They’re forbidden to outsiders.”

It was the same thing the vendor told him. For now, Lark decided that he would visit the library on the lower floor.

“Fifteen silvers. Pay upfront if you want to enter.” The short man opened his palm. Seeing Lark’s slightly surprised expression, he added, “What? I may not look like it but I’m a first-class warrior, lad. I’m here to make sure visitors pay.”

Lark fumbled through his pouch and took out exactly fifteen silvers. After receiving the money, the short man gave Lark a green card. “Here’s the pass. Green will give you access to the library on the second floor. You need a red card to access the other two above. But like I said before, don’t even bother trying to. You need to return the card to me when you leave.”

Visitors would need to pay fifteen silvers every time they visit the library. Lark was sure only nobles and merchants could afford such luxury.

After receiving directions, Lark climbed a flight of stairs and entered the second floor.

First-class warrior? He couldn’t even detect the five guys following me around. Even now, the men pursuing him were perfectly hidden from other people’s view. Even the short guy who had proclaimed himself a seasoned veteran failed to notice their presence. Lark was a bit disappointed. He wished the short guy had noticed them and created a commotion in the tower. It would have been a hilarious moment.

“So, this is the library?” he said to himself. Although the place itself was huge, the shelves were filled with very few books. Lark showed his green card to the man wearing a cloak next to the entrance.

“Enter,” said the man.

As Lark took a few steps inside, the man stopped him. “Wait.” Lark turned around. He stared at him. The man wearing a cloak frowned. He looked left and right, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Eventually, he said, “Nothing. Must be my imagination.” He waved a hand and allowed Lark to go on.

Lark was sure the man felt the presence of his pursuers as they entered the library.

“Books, finally!” He excitedly stepped to the nearest shelf. The people in the library could be counted on one hand, unsurprising considering the entrance fee.

Lark searched through different book titles. Eventually, he picked a particular book, went to a table and sat.

History of the Continent of Quanan

The title of the book would make any student cringe in disgust. But to Lark, it was a treasure trove. His first step in finding out the truth of this new world. He opened the book and dust flew everywhere. The smell of parched ground wafted through the air. Lark smiled.

This book is one of the fifteen records of the grand historian, Gustav Chavalion.

He flipped to the next page.

I, Gustav, have seen it all. The records of the old have been passed down to me through the Eye of Magic. I have seen wars in the eyes of soldiers, of demons, of beastmen, of divine creatures. Someone has to record this in history. Someone has to reveal to the world the truth that dawned upon the mortals.”

Much of the text had faded away, probably from age. Lark had no choice but to flip through the next few pages.

Shepard lost her life in the battle against the Demon Lord Kalkarus. The battle took a million lives. The Kingdom of Hanya has been ravaged to the ground. Those that survived fled to the far south, in the direction of the Land of the Savages. The Eye of Magic has told me that today’s not the end of humanity. The Eye of Magic has told me that the survivors will prosper in the Land of Savages and establish kingdoms anew. I will probably be dead by then, but humanity will rise once again.

Lark kept reading, unaware of how much time had passed.

…The Demon Lord Kalkarus began his slumber. The Institute of Magic founded by the Grand Magician Pollux has produced five heroes.

The demons are being wiped out one after another…

…In the far south, a new king ascended the throne. A beastman. He successfully conquered twenty tribes through his mighty strength alone.

The United Grakas Alliance has been born.

…I am slowly dying. The Eye of Magic has started eating away my soul. But I have no regrets. I still have time. I have written nine books.

I will keep writing the history of this world until my last breath…

…Three of the five heroes perished in battle. The demons have gathered their strength. The remaining heroes are desperately defending the front. The Institute of Magic has been ravaged to the ground.

There were blotches on the pages every now and then. Lark was sure it was blood.

“Time’s up,” said a voice. “We’re closing.”

Looking up from his book, Lark saw the same cloaked man from before. Through the windows, he noticed that it was already dusk. Time had flown by so fast as he was immersed in the book he was reading.

There was no longer anyone around, except for the cloaked man and Lark—and the still hiding pursuers.

It must have been really boring, watching a man read a book all day long.

Lark smiled to himself at this thought. He could only sympathize with those men hiding in the shadows.

“Damn. And I was so close to finishing it.” Lark stretched his arms. “Can I take it home?”

“Stop kidding around. We’re closing,” spat the man. He looked at the book on the table. “The History of Quanan? I’m pretty sure the antique shop near the border alley sells copies of that.”

“Copy?” Lark had not expected such technology would exist in this kingdom. After all, the people in his domain did not even know the proper concept of mana.

“You think that’s the original?” jeered the man. “That’s a copy, kid. Ever since the Magic Academy started using that book for their school, several copies have been released in the market. It became hot stuff a few years ago.”

“I see.” This explained why such an important book was stored away in this run-down library that almost no one entered. What amazed Lark the most was the quality of these so-called ‘copies.’ Even the blotches and the stains were copied onto these parchments, making him think it was the original.

“How much are these things selling for nowadays? Any idea?” said Lark.

“Several gold coins. Don’t ask me. Just go. We’re closing already, damn it.” The man took the book on the table and pointed at the door. “Leave.”

“I paid several silvers for this.” Lark sighed. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

After leaving the tower, Lark was filled with swirling thoughts. He was bothered by the names he had read in the book.

“Kingdom of Hanya,” he mumbled. “I can recall a city with that name before. But a kingdom? And the name Pollux was recorded in that book. If it’s him, it wouldn’t be surprising if he founded an Institute of Magic. But Pollux’s a fairly common name. It could be a coincidence.”

Lark ruffled his hair in annoyance. “Damn it! I need to read more of those history books!”

His sudden shout took the men hiding in the shadows by surprise. Lark felt one of them jump in reflex. He suppressed his urge to laugh.

Those guys are persistent. Isn’t it about time they return to the fat merchant? I’ll just go back to the inn and check on my men.