Chapter 14: Ask me anything

After the joint class with Class E, the atmosphere in Class C became generally subdued.

Since most of them, except for a very small minority, were purely defeated in terms of skill by the commoners they had been ignoring.

It’s natural to feel a blow to their pride.

Now, those who will develop further through this opportunity will have a chance to grow even more.

And those who don’t will end up dropping out, clinging to their pride until the end.

But for me, all of that is currently out of my interest.

There are more important things piled up.

Characters who didn’t even appear in the comic and things like rebels suddenly appear.

The heroine, who should have been interested in the protagonist, shows no interest in Ed at all.

This is too strange to say that the future has simply changed a little.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

My complacent thought that this place would be peaceful because it’s a world inside a romance fantasy might be wrong.

If that’s really the case.

I need to confirm the truth.

After all classes were over, after school.

I immediately headed to the library located in the center of the academy.

Because I knew that there was a means to relieve my anxiety in this place where unexpected things keep happening.

A huge library where many students come and go.

By now, the time was getting close to night, but there were still many students exploring knowledge.

I came to the library to find one item here.

An item that appeared briefly in the comic and then did not appear after that.

The Sage’s Bookmark.

This item, which a male student who had a crush on Elena accidentally found in the library, has the strange ability to always give an answer to any question the user asks.

In the work, it was used only to confirm whether Elena had a loved one, showing an extremely romance-like usage.

Later, when the identity of the person who made the Sage’s item was revealed, the value of the item skyrocketed among readers.

“But where is the ancient book storage room…?”

I looked at the guide map that decorated one wall and searched for the location of the ancient book storage room where the Sage’s Bookmark was hidden.

But no matter how much I looked, there was no facility named ancient book storage room on the guide map.

Is it because it’s not a space for ordinary students?

Certainly, ancient books are not a topic that would be of interest to anyone other than professors or researchers writing related papers.

I had no choice but to ask the librarian, so I approached the counter and carefully spoke to the student who was turning his back and organizing the books.

“Excuse me….”

But I was surprised when I saw the face of the librarian who turned around at my voice.

“…Viola?”

Louis’s fiancée, Viola.

Why is a count’s daughter working as a librarian here?

It can’t be that she needs money.

“Why is Viola working as a librarian here…?”

“I like books.”

Aha. I see.

But even so, the question remains.

If she likes books, she could have just borrowed them or read them comfortably?

“There are quite a few books that only librarians can view. So I started.”

It seems that she really likes books.

To the point of becoming a librarian just to read books that only librarians can view.

“But what brings Louis here?”

At Viola’s question, I finally remembered the purpose of my coming here.

“Ah…! Do you know where the ancient book storage room is here?”

“The ancient book storage room…?”

Viola, tilting her head as if wondering at my words.

“I think it was on the first basement floor…. But did Louis have any interest in such things?”

“Ah, haha. I’ve recently become interested in such old books.”

“Hmm…?”

Despite my hurried excuse.

Her subtle gaze staring at me intently.

“Th-then I’ll be going.”

Unable to withstand the silent gaze, I hurriedly said goodbye to her and quickly left the counter.

I felt her persistent gaze following me to the end as I walked away.

But it’s probably just my imagination.

As Viola said, I immediately went down to the first basement floor.

When I went down to the basement, a slightly cool air greeted me, unlike the first floor.

“Records storage room…. Material storage room…. Ah, found it.”

Among the storage rooms classified according to each purpose.

I was able to find the destination I was looking for.

[Ancient Book Storage Room]

A kind of warehouse where unclear ancient books that have been handed down from a long time ago are collected.

An item I’m looking for is asleep here.

When I opened the door and went inside, the musty smell of old books, full of years, instantly stimulated my nostrils.

“Cough…!”

Oh, look at the dust.

As soon as I opened the door, I coughed lightly because of the rising dust.

The books were full of dust, as if they were not properly maintained.

It seems that the books whose value has already been recognized several times have all been moved to important warehouses, and the ancient books here are just being stored as if they were neglected.

There is an item hidden in such a place?

Normally, since experts have already inspected it once.

Of course, it is normal that there is no possibility of any item with special abilities existing.

But there is no such thing in the world of comics.

By chance.

Accidentally.

Incidentally.

There is only one item that has not been discovered due to some absolute force acting on the world.

I turned on the ventilation fan installed on the ceiling and waited for a while for the dust to settle before entering the storage room.

Old books that looked very old, filling the bookshelves.

Most of the books had titles that were partially erased and could not be properly recognized.

After looking around for a while, I was able to find the book I was looking for.

[Basics of Nature Magic]

A book with a fairly concise title.

This is it.

Before the current magic was established.

A book that records the natural magic created when the wind of magic began to blow in the empire.

Both the power and efficiency are not very good, so now it is a magic that is only mentioned in history books, saying that there was such magic in the past.

But.

The identity of the person who first created this magic is not at a level that can be easily ignored.

The founder of modern magic.

Taruan Asmond.

The magic he developed before he created the current magic was natural magic.

‘A genius of the century.’

And as always.

Geniuses are bound to do things that others don’t understand.

Especially Taruan, who is said to have had a lot of playfulness.

He used to hide his masterpieces here and there.

And that’s the same for the Sage’s Bookmark.

I first turned the page to the very back of the book.

And then I started to put the mana I have into the last page.

After a while.

Wooong.

The book begins to shine, resonating with my mana.

Soon, the pages quickly turn forward and stop in the middle.

And a magic circle began to appear on the spread book.

“Oh…?”

When I saw it as a comic, it was a very simple-looking production, but.

Seeing it directly with my own eyes, it was quite splendid.

As expected of a genius wizard.

He created a production that would excite the hearts of those looking for treasure.

Taruan.

It seems that he was a gentleman who knew a little about romance.

The magic circle was completed by now.

A metal bookmark fell below it.

The magic circle has finished its work and completely disappeared.

I picked up the bookmark on the book.

‘Is this the Sage’s Bookmark?’

Various hieroglyphs meticulously carved with an emerald embedded in the center.

As I’m not a magic major, I don’t know what all this is.

“But I know how to use it.”

The usage is simple.

After inserting the Sage’s Bookmark into the book.

If you ask a question, the letters written on that page float in the air and answer the user’s question.

It doesn’t tell the future.

It only gives a very short answer using all the knowledge that exists in the past and present of this world.

Of course, there is one fraudulent item that can clearly glimpse a fragment of the future, but.

‘I can’t get that right now.’

This is the best I can do.

I immediately took out a book I had brought in advance, opened the page, and inserted the bookmark.

And I started to ask questions.

“Is there currently a level of danger that could destroy this world?”

What I’m most worried about right now.

Whether or not there is an unexpected level of danger that could lead to destruction.

I came all the way here to find out.

As my question ended.

The letters began to float in the air and form words.

And the answer of the bookmark that appeared.

-Danger. None.

Phew….

I was worried for no reason.

With a 99.9% accuracy rate, the bookmark’s answer is.

Perhaps my worries were fortunately useless worries.

One question a day.

I can only ask the next question after 24 hours.

While I was satisfied with the answer and was thinking about what question to ask next time to get an answer about why the variables suddenly appeared.

-However.

“?”

My question should have been answered, but.

Why are letters still appearing?

Suddenly appearing letters.

I watched anxiously to see what words would appear.

-A few. Weak. Possibilities. Exist.

What does this mean…?

So.

There is no such danger at present, but.

There is a possibility of danger in the future?

I suddenly felt dizzy and closed my eyes tightly.

It seems.

My future will not be so peaceful.