Our strategy in Aramsass was essentially to acquire knowledge.
It was said that the Academic City's famed Library contained all the knowledge in this world — or at least, that's what the Academic City claimed.
And they had every right to boast. The Library was the largest building in the entire Academic City. Multiple expansions had been carried out over the years, giving it a mismatched, eclectic look — but that was perfectly in keeping with the city's character.
They mainly held private lectures there, and there were plenty of training halls, so I fully intended to show my face. But ultimately, my real objective was the Library.
Above all else —
"So this is the legendary Library... The building certainly is impressive. I have high hopes for what's inside."
The Third Generation was in high spirits.
The ancestors were all voracious when it came to absorbing techniques and knowledge, but the Third Generation showed the most enthusiasm of all.
Novem and Aria had left early this morning, so today it was just me.
"To read the precious books, I need to deposit five silver coins and become a registered member..."
A notice board near the Library entrance displayed instructions for first-time visitors.
If you only wanted to read the general collection, a single copper coin for the usage fee was enough.
But for the valuable books, you apparently had to pay five silver coins to register as a member before you could access them.
Even so, there were certain books in the Academic City that would never be shown to outsiders, no matter what.
"Good thing I brought money, at least..."
Five silver coins for lifetime access — when you thought about it that way, it was cheap.
I took five silver coins from my wallet and headed to the reception desk to register.
The Second Generation was quietly observing the atmosphere around him.
"There are an awful lot of young people here. When you consider that this many people can actually read and write, you really grasp how different this era is from ours."
Back in the Second Generation's time, how many of the fief's peasants could actually read and write...
There were certainly fewer than there are now.
The fief had taken in people who were too busy just surviving to learn anything—people who had lived like barbarians until then.
I was sure they'd struggled a great deal in that regard.
The Seventh Generation spoke.
"Still, it truly is remarkable. They're keeping books in a building this size?"
Whether she had never visited in person before, even the Seventh Generation seemed impressed upon seeing the place firsthand.
Once I finished the registration, I headed straight for the section with the specialized texts I'd gained access to.
But the building was enormous, so I decided to check the map near the reception desk.
"Too many choices makes it hard to decide what to read."
While I was thinking about where to settle in today, a girl coming out from the reception area called out to me.
"Excuse me?"
"...Yes."
She was a quiet girl.
She was short and had a delicate, slender build.
If anything gave her a womanly air, it was her chest, which pushed against her clothing in contrast to her otherwise petite frame.
She had dark navy-blue hair, and whether from a lack of care about her appearance or simply her natural state, it looked as though she'd just run a comb through it by hand.
It fell to about shoulder length, with the ends frizzing outward in a tousled mess.
Her half-lidded eyes, which gave her a sleepy look, were red.
If she hadn't come from the reception desk, I would have definitely mistaken her for a child.
The clothes she wore gave more of an "it's what I had on hand" impression than a fashionable one.
She had on a shirt with a slightly short skirt.
(...This isn't some kid from back in the day, right?)
While harboring that rude thought, I asked my question.
"I'd like to get to this place — which way should I go?"
When I pointed at the map on the bulletin board, she glanced at it, then looked up at my face.
"...I'm headed there as well, so I'll show you. It's part of my job."
"O-Oh."
Watching the girl respond in such a flat tone, I was reminded of a Guild receptionist. To be fair, her attitude wasn't worse than that particular clerk's.
If anything, she just looked too young for me to help it.
For a staff member, she seemed so childishly young that I felt like I was being guided by a kid.
As we walked down the hallway, her silence got to me, so I spoke up.
"That said, there sure are a lot of books here. I only recently came to Aramsass, but I'm guessing there are still plenty of people coming from outside?"
At that, she answered in the same even tone.
"Yes. Most people ask the same question. I've replied 'Everyone asks the same thing' to that question more times than I can count."
Hearing that, my smile froze.
The Fourth Generation had said —
"This type of person has her own world, so even if Laiel is a little kind to her, she won't be swayed."
(It's not like I'm trying to hit on her or anything...)
I wanted to tell the Fourth Generation — who would no doubt claim I was flirting with a girl — to look at the situation first.
I can only imagine what Novem would say if she found out I was hitting on a young girl... I'd rather not think she'd encourage it.
When I followed her to the designated location, it turned out to be a room filled with specialized books on agriculture.
Inside, quite a few people were seated at desks, reading and copying from the books.
They all seemed to be studying with intense concentration.
"They're really dedicated, huh?"
"...Please refrain from talking inside here. Even when no one else is around, please keep your voice down. If you need a break, there's a space further down the hall."
"S-sorry. Speaking of which, are these books available for checkout?"
When I asked that, she shook her head.
"Checkout is, in principle, prohibited. Many of these are rare books, more valuable for their existence than their contents, and quite expensive."
I nodded and headed towards the shelves.
She followed behind me.
The Third Generation was calling out titles that caught her interest, so I picked them up and decided to read them.
'*I want to dive into this for a while, but I don't have the time... Laiel, could you slow down your reading pace?*'
My reading pace seems fast enough that the Successive Heads actually suspect I'm not truly reading them. I think I understand the content, though...
As I was about to take a seat at an empty desk, I looked around.
Then I tilted my head.
"...What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
The staff member who had been guiding me—someone who was supposed to be a normal employee who just picked up a book and was about to sit down—looked at me with slight surprise.
(Well, *I'm* the one who's surprised, actually.)
After staring at each other for a while, she simply sat down in the chair and started reading her book.
Even the Third Generation seemed surprised by this.
"Huh~? What's going on here?"
It looked like the Third Generation had asked the Fourth Generation for confirmation, but even he seemed puzzled.
"How would I know? Is this work, or isn't this just a break?"
I forced myself to accept that explanation, sat down in the empty seat next to her, and started reading.
I wished I'd prepared something to take notes with as I turned the pages.
The library was so quiet you could hear the sounds someone would make when taking notes.
I could even pick up the sound of footsteps in the hallway, but once I focused on reading, they stopped bothering me.
For a while, I read the book while listening to the Successive Heads exchange their opinions about it.
"If I'd had this in my era!!!"
The Sixth Generation spoke to the Second Generation, who was shouting.
"This only really became widespread in my era, so I'm afraid it's a bit late for that."
The Seventh Generation agreed.
"Moreover, in my era, new methods had also become widespread."
The Second Generation lamented upon hearing this.
"...Why are you guys so indifferent about this?! Isn't this revolutionary?!"
Even among the Successive Heads, opinions differed when it came to technology.
Up until the Third Generation, they had truly lived by farming, so they were hungry for agricultural technology like this.
But the moment the conversation veered off-topic, the Second Generation would instantly fall silent—as if he couldn't follow—becoming quiet as a mouse. That was just like him too.
What struck me after hearing all those opinions was—
(They're so noisy... Well, it is interesting, I guess.)
I finished the book in my hands, and since it was about time, I put it back and turned to leave.
But then I noticed that the woman beside me—the staff member—was still reading her book, and it caught me off guard.
"...Don't you have work to do?"
She looked up from her book and tilted her head.
"Work? No, I'm off today, so..."
Then why did she offer to show me around?
Maybe she's actually a pretty decent person.
She seemed to have finished reading too, because she stood up and went to put the book back in its place.
I went to return mine as well, and noticed that most of the people sitting around reading had changed since we'd arrived.
"Quite a bit of time has passed."
I didn't have a pocket watch, so I couldn't tell the exact time, but judging by how much we'd read, it had to be past noon.
I'd told Novem I'd be eating out, so it wasn't a problem, but I was starting to get hungry.
That was when I heard a stomach growl nearby.
I could feel eyes on me from the surrounding area, but that sound hadn't come from me.
And then, I heard another cute little rumble.
"Um... are you hungry by any chance?"
I couldn't help but speak up to the staff member, who had just put her book back and was already picking up a new one.
She nodded.
The Third Generation speaks up.
"Why not treat her to a meal as thanks? You've got money, right?"
It was the Fourth Generation who objected.
"Don't do anything that'll give her the wrong idea! Besides, Lyle confessed to Aria without even realizing it!"
Hearing that, I was the one who was more surprised.
"Huh?"
When I blurted that out, she picked up her book and headed toward her seat.
"...Sigh. Um, if you don't mind, I was wondering..."
I decided to invite her to a meal.
I could hear the Fourth Generation's voice.
"Aaand he invited her. I told you he'd give her the wrong idea for sure."
The Second Generation speaks up.
"Doesn't look like that type to me, though."
The Fourth Generation scoffs.
"Nobody said 'this girl' would get the wrong idea. I meant Novem would get the wrong idea, you know."
Hearing that, the Seventh Generation speaks.
"Hmm... A fine face, and the mind might pass muster too, but everything else is questionable."
The motto of House Walt.
It was the criteria for choosing a bride.
A joke made over drinks—that anyone who cleared all six criteria would be taken as a bride—had been passed down through the generations, and it was one of House Walt's most closely guarded secrets.
The Seventh Generation had apparently figured that if she couldn't clear the conditions, Novem wouldn't care so much. But the Fourth Generation disagreed.
"…If she had dinner with a girl who didn't meet the conditions, I wonder what little Novem would think."
Hearing that, even I had to admit it might be a bit of a problem.
(R-R-Right, it'll be fine… Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine. It's just dinner!)
Reassuring myself, I decided to leave the library with her.
[Clara Bloomer].
That was the name of a girl with dark blue hair and red eyes.
Apparently, she worked at the library.
She had registered as an adventurer and earned money doing support jobs to get by in Aramsass.
She had taken on a part-time clerk request from the library and helped out when things got busy.
I treated her to a meal at a small restaurant on the street, and I was able to ask her all sorts of things.
"A former academy student? But you're fifteen, right?"
She was the same age as Novem and me—fifteen—and Clara nodded as she sipped her post-meal tea.
"I skipped ahead a grade. It's pretty common in the lower years where they teach the basics. Some students had already received an education beforehand, and people pick up reading, writing, and arithmetic at different rates."
I nodded along, but inwardly I wondered if the difference could really be that big.
She was an adventurer who had no job lined up after graduation and was taking on requests from the library.
Becoming a permanent staff member was possible, but she seemed to have turned it down because she was too busy.
When I asked her why—
"…I'd have less time to read books."
It was exactly the kind of reason the Third Generation would agree with.
Moreover, she was a support-type Skills holder.
"You have Skills, but you're adventuring alone? Don't you team up with anyone?"
I knew it was rude to ask, but I was looking for companions myself.
I wanted to know about Aramsass's situation.
However, I was able to surprisingly get her to tell me about the contents of her Skill.
"My Skill is reading books. It's no use in combat, and Skills like this are held by many people who work as library staff."
Skill: Reading.
A Skill that reads text—it could apparently translate and read anything, whether it was in a foreign language or an archaic tongue.
The Third Generation looked envious.
"I wish I had a Skill like that too."
Then the Sixth Generation spoke in an exasperated tone.
"The Third Generation's Skill is the worst out of all of ours, you know... It was useful for that much, at least."
The Third Generation's Skill seemed to be considered the worst among the seven.
I was curious, but since I couldn't ask now, I decided to bring it up another time.
"That's an amazing Skill, isn't it?"
"Well... whether it's amazing or not, I'd say it is, but there are a lot of people who have it. Besides, I don't like reading using a Skill."
She believed that books should be read with your own eyes.
Perhaps that was exactly the kind of person she was, which was why the Reading Skill had manifested for her.
"Was it okay to tell me?"
When I said that, Clara assured me it was no problem.
"I wasn't asked to read any important books, and the Reading Skill isn't all-powerful, either. I don't retain everything I read, you know."
So the skill wasn't all that convenient, and plenty of people had it, meaning it wasn't particularly rare or valuable either.
"What does support as an adventurer look like?"
"...I get asked that a lot, but I do basic things like carry luggage. People assume I can't handle the physical work because I'm small, but I can handle the basics. The rest is magical support — lighting up the dungeon, making fire, providing water. That's how I contribute as support."
She seemed genuinely hurt that people assumed she was unreliable just because of her size.
Still, asking such a small kid to haul heavy luggage did feel like a lot.
Looking more closely, her features were actually quite cute.
If someone styled her hair and dressed her up a little, she might really transform.
"...Riel, you're an adventurer too, right?"
"Yeah, I am. How'd you know?"
When asked again, Clara gave a brief answer: "I could tell."
"If you want information from me, I'll share. Consider it payment for the meal — ask me as much as you want. But I'm basically a support specialist who doesn't participate in combat, so there's only so much I can teach you."
She probably figured the meal was meant to be an information-gathering opportunity.
That might be why she had agreed to come along.
"I appreciate you getting straight to the point. Did you think I might be a bad person?"
Clara shook her head.
"The location is what it is, and you were genuinely reading a book... If I got tricked, that would be my own fault."
Seeing how Clara didn't seem particularly hung up about it, I just murmured, "Yeah."
After that, we made some small talk and left the shop.
Clara headed home, and I was about to head back to the inn when—
"Well, that's quite unusual."
When I turned toward the voice, Miranda was standing there.
Remembering what the Sixth Generation had said, I took a wary step back.
Seeing that, Miranda grinned.
"You didn't seem like the type back then, but could you be the fast-moving kind? Don't you go making Aria and that side-ponytail girl—"
"—cry, okay?"
With that mischievous grin on her face, she was surprisingly adorable for her age.
I was starting to let my guard down.
"That's not it. We met at the library, so we had dinner together... no, never mind." (I couldn't retort.)
Realizing what I was doing was no different from hitting on someone, I stopped trying to deny it.
At that, Miranda laughed.
"Just kidding. That girl is Clara, right? She's pretty well-known, so I'm sure she just had the meal and called it a day."
"Well, it was just a meal, after all."
Wondering what I was even saying, I glanced at the packages Miranda was carrying.
"What's that?"
The brown paper bags she was holding appeared to contain groceries and such.
"Oh, this? It's groceries. The person I'd been employing recently quit suddenly, so I've been doing the shopping myself. Even though the position comes with room and board and good pay, they just up and leave."
Seeing the troubled look on Miranda's face, I offered to carry her bags.
I reached out and took the groceries from the two large paper bags she had been holding.
"Sorry about that. Oh, while we're at it, let me show you the way home. It's a bit of a walk, but is that all right?"
"That's fine by me."
"…Hmm, so you really are the type who moves pretty fast, huh?"
Miranda teased me like that, and I hurriedly denied it.
"That's not it at all!"
And so, we set off toward Miranda's home.
The Fifth Generation's voice echoed in my mind.
"You're going on your own? Well, I'm sure you can handle yourself if anything comes up… but stay on your guard."
Miranda's family, House Cerclie, had a marriage alliance with House Walt two generations back.
Once the people involved passed away, those ties would naturally weaken.
But there might still be some lingering connection—and that could be why she reached out to me.
(Since Novem and Aria aren't around anyway, this might actually work out fine. If things get dangerous, I can just use my Skills to get through it.)
Miranda's Skills didn't register any hostile intent.
Still, I decided I wouldn't let my guard down.
"Well, here's hoping this turns out to be a case of unnecessary overcaution."
The Fifth Generation's voice sounded colder than usual.