When Lily woke up I was finally relieved from my duty as a hug pillow and so we went down to eat some breakfast while discussing what we would be doing for the day.

“I really wish the bookstore better books in it.” (Kenos)

“Maybe you should visit the library?” (Lily)

What?

“What?” (Kenos)

“The library. Oh… You… didn’t know about it?” (Lily)

I cannot believe this.

“Wow… how do YOU know about it anyway?” (Kenos)

“This town’s library is famous in the whole country. One of the previous lords was apparently completely in love with books so he built that library where he held his entire collection for anyone to enjoy it if they want to. Though… since he died it’s acquired an expensive entrance fee. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard. It happened before dad’s time.” (Lily)

So that’s why the bookstores around here were small and didn’t seem like they were getting much business… If only I knew earlier I would have gone there rather than the bookstore.

“I’ll be going there then. What about you?” (Kenos)

“Can you teach me swordsmanship? I’ll just practice while you’re out.” (Lily)

Oh… I’m glad she’s taking this seriously but…

“I can’t let you do that. If I’m not here to correct you, you might pick up a wrong posture and bad habits are hard to fix. Why don’t you read that book I bought you yesterday and practice body strengthening instead?” (Kenos)

“Alright I do that then.” (Lily)

With that decided and our breakfast done we split up. After I asked for directions to the library from the innkeeper I went straight there. Needless to say I was excited.

The reason I hadn’t seen the library yesterday when we were wandering around town is because it was close to the lord’s mansion and I was staying away from there. When I was searching it during the night I wasn’t quite paying attention to the buildings around me either.

The building could be described as large and simple. It didn’t have any decorations and it looked to be made of simple stone. Though it was painted in a white color. The windows were large to let in enough light for the customers to not feel bothered reading in the dark though for me it didn’t matter.

I approached the guard at the front who requested five gold as an entrance fee. It wasn’t honestly that expensive for access to a huge well of knowledge. The lack of knowledge of this world was honestly my biggest weakness before but with this I would be able to fix that.

The inside was again huge. There were many rows of shelves filled with books. Interestingly enough there was no receptionist but in return I felt like the books were enchanted. Maybe they could be tracked in some way so people aren’t as worried about theft? The lack of a receptionist also confirmed that I could not take books out and I would have to return and pay day by day if I still had books left that I wanted to read.

Not wanting to waste too much time I quickly started inspecting the books on the shelves one by one taking every single one I was interested in. History, Geography, Magic. The library had it all. For now I pick up a few books on magic, a few on geography and a few about history. I even found a map of the continent tucked away behind one of the shelves.

Magic was… interesting. From what I read in these books magic seemed to be omnipotent but the people of this world don’t really… realize it. They use magic in basic and simple ways. Why hasn’t someone with the lightning element tried creating pure plasma? Why hasn’t someone with the metal element tried to create metal the way the other elements can be created from nothing? Why doesn’t gravity magic exist? Spacial magic then?

The way the people of this world use and understand magic Is too constricting… too boring. They’ve bowed down to the laws of nature. The very laws magic is supposed to be able to bend to their wills. As I’m reading the books I silently shake my head with a disappointed expression. Maybe it just isn’t written here. Maybe if I find some more advanced books on magic there’ll be things these books didn’t contain.

But before that I read the history. It was mostly boring and most parts were made out so that the humans are the absolute good while their enemies are always evil. Typical propaganda. I shook my head disapprovingly once more but at the very end of one of the newest-looking books I picked up I was surprised.

The king had passed away from illness four years ago and his son had taken the throne. Brul seemed to have forgotten to mention that it was the previous king that ordered the military around five years ago. I sure hope this new one knows what the fuck it was about or one of his brothers will be very pleased to have an empty throne to place their ass on.

Lastly I looked at the map for about a minute, inserting the information on it into my head. It was quite the detailed map for such an undeveloped world. Whoever managed to make this has honestly earned my admiration. After inserting the knowledge into my head I compared it with the books on geography I got as well as learning about the climate of different places.

The country of Astrain which I was currently in was close to the central part of the continent but was still considered to be in the southern part. Honestly it was a frontier country. North of here were the Beastlands where… well the beastkin lived. Ah yes. Every other world needs a race with animal ears. Even a tyrant such as I would probably melt at the ultimate cuteness that is animal ears.

… *Ahem*.

Anyway. Further north from that is the elven country. Not much was written about it in the human books around the place but as expected from the lord who I have decided to now call the library lord he even had a few elven books. Though I doubt many humans would be able to read it as it is written in elven I myself had no problems with it as I had already learned the languages of all the races in my time in the Garden of Piece.

The beastkin apparently didn’t have a country. They lived in the Beastlands as separate tribes and clans though they didn’t waste time uniting if ever there appeared a common enemy. The humans proved that concept when they could barely hold their own against them in a few wars with them in the past.

The elves were united under one banner but they weren’t united on the inside. There were several separate factions and stuff. You know. The ordinary. On the other side. Elves were gifted in mana manipulation. Enchanters seemed to be much more common in elven lands than in human ones and they also seemed to be good at strengthening their bodies.

Honestly looking at this the elves seemed to be sort of elites. They were better than humans at absolutely everything. Their warriors were stronger, their mages more educated. They even had better culture and more beautiful cities from what I’m reading. It was so weird I started to think it might be propaganda again before I noticed one simple fact about why elves can’t defeat the other races.

They’re low in numbers. Elves have low fertility when compared to humans, their pregnancy periods last longer and they mature slower. I don’t know about the other races but compared to beastkin and humans the elves were definitely short on manpower.

Finishing the final book I leave the books where they previously were as well as return the map. Looking outside it was already past noon so I had been in here for what now? Six… seven hours? Well whatever. I started my second search for books.

There were many intelligent races in this world. Not just six or seven. Humans, Beatkin, Elves, Dwarves, Demons, Celestials, Dragons, Faeries, Giants. The list goes on. A single day just wasn’t enough for me to learn about all of them but if I really wanted I could just visit the library during the night. I had nothing to do while being Lily’s pillow anyway.

While I was thinking I had finished picking out my second batch of books. A few encyclopedias. The rest were all about magic. Magic, magic, magic. Why not learn as much as I can when I can control it like breathing right?

The encyclopedias had information on different plants, animals and monsters. The one on monsters had me more intrigued. All of them had a rank like adventurers. Interestingly goblins were E though the quest I completed was C. It was probably C rank because of the sheer number of them. Dragons were S or SS… the lesser dragons that is.

Ugh it took me three more hours going through the encyclopedias and I was going full speed. If someone saw me they probably wouldn’t be able to believe how fast I was going through these books. Finally I could get to the magic.

I read through all the books. I learned how incantations work. About enchanting which I would definitely be sure to try out later. And alchemy.

I still had a bit of time before the library closed so I picked up a few more books on alchemy which had interested me. Again this had a lot more potential than the humans in this world were making use of.

After a bunch of reading on alchemy it had gotten dark out and I left the library. I felt really refreshed. Now I knew a bit about this world. Knowledge I sorely lacked now I had. I wasn’t done yet though. I still have around a hundred more gold coins still and that’s twenty more visits to the library as far as I’m concerned. In fact I think I should visit the adventurer guild and get some… I think I’m forgetting something…

Oh… Oh right! The lord! I was going to kill the lord! Ugh… do I really want to bother with having his slaves killing him? I would need to organize a few things… I guess I’ll look into slave crests and stuff tomorrow when I visit this library again. The lord isn’t even back yet so I have a bit of time.

Walking to the inn I felt a weird atmosphere around town. Like it was gloomier than before. Hard to believe I know. As I approached the tavern the innkeeper was standing outside. Seeing me she ran up to me. I have a bad feeling about this.

“I-I’m so sorry. Y-your companion-“ (Innkeeper)

Right. Good. Of course this happens. Can’t I take a single day to relax and read some books? Why am I so used to this? I don’t feel like I should be used to this. I’m quite annoyed at being used to this.

“Calm down and speak coherently please.” (Kenos)

“I… The girl who was with you. She-“ (Innkeeper)

“What happened to her?” (Kenos)

“The lord took a liking to her and took her away.” (Innkeeper)

Why… am I so unfeeling over this? I feel like I should be really angry but… I can’t… well it makes no difference. Point is there’s a change of plans. I’m going to be the one killing him after all. I turned around towards the lord’s mansion but stopped before taking a step after hearing something behind me.

“Holy shit! Did you see that bitch? I can’t believe she actually tried to draw her sword on us! HAHAHA!” (Dead guy #1)

“I know right? She couldn’t even strengthen her body and she tried to fight us! HAHAHA. I’m sure the lord will “punish” her for it later! Maybe he’ll even give some of us a turn too!” (Dead guy #2)

I once again turn around and head to inside the inn.

“Sorry.” I quietly apologize to the innkeeper for the mess she’s going to have to clean up soon. I could erase their bodies completely but that would not be satisfying enough. I need to see the blood spraying from their freshly decapitated bodies before I can be satisfied.

“I wasn’t really here so I didn’t get to see her? She got a good ass?” (Dead guy #3)

“Oh did she! I would love to break her myself but the lord took interest in her so I have to give up.” (Dead guy #1)

I walk into the inn and walk over to the cafeteria or whatever you would call the eating are of the inn. Who even cares? There are a few people in the room which I recognize from last night and they seem to be looking at me worriedly.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the fact that you’re worried about me even though we don’t even know each other. The fact that there are people like you at all restore my faint hope in humanity just a tiny bit. I silently thank them in my head before walking up to the dead men walking who are still talking about vulgar things involving Lily. One of them sees me and speaks up.

“Can’t you see these tables are occupied jackass? If you want to eat somewhere why don’t you walk over to the others over there?” (Dead guy #4)

Haha. Funny there are still 4 open tables on your side of the room.

“Nah boys I think this is the guy remember? The innkeeper told us that she was travelling with someone right?” (Dead guy #2)

“Oh I get it. Her love-“ (Dead guy #1)

I was sick of hearing their voices. So I simply willed the shadows to slice their necks off. The men who were six in total were now all decapitated corpses. Satisfied with my handiwork I leave the inn once more ignoring the gasps and shocked expressions of the rest of the people in the room.

I arrive at the mansion soon enough walking towards the front gates two guards try to stop me but they die. The gate is closed but I simply turn my body into my immaterial form and pass through the bars of the gate as they do not matter to me.

A few more guards witness this spectacle and either blindly run at me or shoot me with arrows. The arrows pass through me harmlessly while the men running at me are decapitated by my blades before they even get in range to stab me. The archers are dispatched with a single void spear each. The whole time I don’t stop walking.

I know the layout of the mansion. I know where that disgusting room is. I walk through the mansion while under constant attack from the guards but every single one of them die. Some people command the slaves to sacrifice themselves to slow me down while I run away but using my newfound knowledge in magic I easily break the slave crests controlling them and kill the ones who commanded them unreasonably. I may have killed the lords sons in the process. Aww well. Too bad… for him.

I still don’t stop walking. I reach the room of the lord and the door is shut so I simply tear it to shreds with my void blades. Inside the lord was cowering behind his desk but there was no sign of Lily. I once again used my void blades to tear the lord’s desk to shreds while also using an arm which came out of my shadow to raise the shitbag by his collar.

“Where is Lily?” (Kenos)

“Wh- What? Who?” (Shitbag)

“The girl you took today. Where is she?” (Kenos)

I tightened my grip on him to the point where he was suffocating and he pointed to the hidden room the broken women were in before.

“What did you do to her?” (Kenos)

I lessen my grip so he is able to speak.

“I- I haven’t done anything yet I swear.” (Shitbag)

“I hope for your sake that you’re not lying… who am I kidding? I’m not hoping for your sake. You’re gonna get killed anyway.” (Kenos)

I let him go and he falls to the ground face-first before he gets bound by me. Ignoring his surprised and pained scream from the fall I walk over and uncover the hidden room. Walking in I see Lily with shredded clothes and tears forming at the corner of her eyes. I walk up to her and hug her, hoping that her excuse for hugging me when sleeping was true and that this would somehow make her feel calmer.

I wasn’t actually expecting it to work but it seemed like it did as she hugged me back.

“Are you okay?” (Kenos)

“That’s the second time you’ve asked me that.” (Lily)

“Let’s just hope there isn’t a third.” (Kenos)

She nodded quietly. I formed clothes for her as her newly bought clothes were torn and barely covered anything up. What a waste. I’ll have to buy new ones for her again. We separated and I stood up.

“Come on let’s go.” (Kenos)

“What… about the others?” (Lily)

I looked around to see the dead-eyed women. They were still there. Not even daring to move. Some of them were dead, probably of dehydration or starvation.

“They’re too far gone to be saved but I guess I can at least offer them a quick death.” (Kenos)

“Not… all of them.” (Lily)

Looking around again I noticed something. There was another door in the room. Why hadn’t I noticed it before? The answer was simple. It had magic on it that kept it out of sight of people. More like it seemed like it rendered people unable to register it in their sights. Whoever Lily was talking about she was probably beyond that door.

Before I walked up I simultaneously summoned void blades which were unhindered in this dark room and decapitated the women with dead eyes all at once. I made sure to check for one who had the will to live still left in them but… There were none.

I walked over to the door which I had at first failed to notice. Now that I was focusing a bit I easily discerned it. Darkness attribute magic also worked for creating illusions and that was used here as well. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it earlier really.

Slashing apart the locked iron door the inside was even more pitch-black than the room we were just in. There was not even a single light in the entire room. To me it did not matter but Lily had to actually hold onto my cloak in order to move through the darkness.

Inside the deep darkness was a single cage. Inside the cage a single girl. The girl looked to be around twelve or thirteen but gave off a bewitching atmosphere unbefitting of her young appearance. She had beautiful features and long pale-blonde hair. She had crimson-red eyes and in her currently slightly open mouth I could see fangs where her canines were supposed to be placed.

“A vampire?” (Kenos)