4 Rena

"Who's there!? Come out and show yourself!!"

Nigel wasn't an idiot who would listen to the command of an obviously dangerous person, so he immediately ran out of the convenience store. He ran as far as possible, only stopping when he eventually ran out of breath. While he was recovering his stamina, he surveyed his surroundings if there were any black-robed men following him.

Surprisingly, he found himself in front of the university. He was preoccupied in running away from the black-robed men that he did not notice where he was going. Catching his breath, he went inside the university and began to act normally to avoid any suspicion. He was sure that there were definitely students in the university who were members of the cult of the black-robed men, proven by the fact that the guy who fell from one of the buildings in the university is a student.

While observing his surroundings for anyone suspicious, he decided to kill some time in the library. He wasn't going to go home immediately as he might encounter the cult members on the way home.

'I might also need to modify my daily morning routine. I have to avoid passing by that convenience store.'

Nigel thought as he opened the library's door. He promptly went inside, not aware that a person was also going out from the library.

"Ugh..."

"Ouch..."

Nigel collided with someone, making both of them fall to the floor.

"Ugh… damn, bad luck. Hey, are you okay?"

"Uh… yes, yes! I'm fine!"

Seeing who he collided with, it was actually the librarian that helped him earlier. He wasn't paying attention to how she looked like earlier as his brain was preoccupied with Dr. Perchard's book and research, but now that she was directly in front of him he noticed that she was, in fact, a beautiful maiden.

Her hair was golden blonde tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were bright blue, reflected by the clear glasses she was wearing. She was wearing an open jacket over her dark violet long sleeves, and a skirt to cover her legs. A stereotypical look of a nerdy girl, but this girl brought it on to a new level.

"Uh…"

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Umm… our position… embarrassing…"

"O-oh, sorry!"

While he was appreciating the girl's overall look, he forgot that they were in fact still on the floor. Not only that, he was actually above her in a very intimate position. Sensing the gaze of the people in the library, some whom he felt contain jealousy and envy, he quickly stood up from his position while pulling her up as well.

"Sorry about that, I was not paying attention to my surroundings."

"N-no, it's fine. I-I was also at fault for being distracted."

Apologizing to the librarian, he noticed the books scattered all over the floor. 'She must have been carrying these when I collided with her', he thought. Since it was his fault for this accident and also having nothing else to do but to kill time, he decided to help her.

"How about I help you carry these books as an apology."

"N-no, you d-don't have to. I-I'm fine, I don't n-need help."

"A frail-looking girl like you shouldn't be carrying these many thick books, okay?"

Not taking no for an answer, Nigel began to collect the books on the floor slowly forming into a small tower in his hands. Upon seeing that Nigel was totally ignoring her denials of help, she felt helplessness and just decided to accept his help.

"So, where were you going? By the way, my name is Nigel. "

"I was about to deliver these books to the archaeology department. My name is Rena, and thanks for helping me deliver these books."

She had finally recovered her composure, stopping herself from stuttering while speaking to Nigel which honestly disappointed him for a bit. 'She was really cute when she was stuttering', he thought while observing her from behind as she guides him towards the archaeology department.

"By the way Nigel, are you a student of the archaeology department?"

"What makes you think so?"

"Well, earlier you asked for Dr. Perchard's book."

"Aren't there many students in the campus who also asked for his books? After all, the university always required freshmen to read about his autobiography and research."

"Yes, that is true but the book that you first borrowed is a special case. Nobody borrows it at all aside from Prof. Miyashima's students, well them and now you."

"Just for the record, I'm from the computer science department. I borrowed that book for personal interest."

"Eh, seriously!? You don't look like a person who stares at a computer all day long."

While they were talking along the university's hallway, Nigel was startled by the new information that Rena gave him. While she might have casually informed him about this tidbit, his brain was working full time linking this new information with what he already knows.

When they have arrived in front of the archaeology department, Nigel immediately noticed the symbols carved on the floor of the department's office. These were the same symbols found in the stone carving on Dr. Perchard's statue, but there was one huge difference. The door has another symbol in place of the "First One".

"Interesting, right? The archaeology department has always been infamous for weird and eccentric office design and furniture."

"Yes…, eccentric indeed."

"Well then, let's go inside. You'll definitely be shocked at what you're about to see."

Nigel was still occupied with his thoughts when he was awoken from his stupor by Rena, who was urging him to enter the office with her. Upon going inside, he was astonished on what the office looked like. He felt that he was going inside a museum rather than an office. There were tons of artifacts being used as decorations. There were a variety of statues in the office, from mythical beings like dragons to religious artifacts.

"Nigel, please put the books over here."

"Okay…, there ya go."

"Thank you again. Those books were heavy."

"No problem, but you should have really asked for helped in the first place."

"Ugh… I wanted to but I'm the only librarian there. Also, the library did have a cart but it was missing two of its wheels."

"Oh, sucks to be you then."

"Well, things like that are unavoidable. Besides, I really like what I'm doing."

"You mean being a librarian?"

"Yeah! Ever since I was a child, I have always loved reading. I started to some light novels, then I move on to heavier and more classical books."

"That's really impressive. When I was a child, I was busy playing in the mud with other kids."

"Really? It didn't think you'd be the outdoor type. While I did not think that you'd be a computer science student, I also could not imagine you being a type of person who likes to socialize with others."

"Well, appearance can be deceiving."

"True. I could have never imagined that James, who looks so happy a week ago, would commit suicide by jumping on top of a building."

"Wait, who?"

"I'm talking about the person who jumped from one of the university's building."

"Oh… that guy who was wearing a black-robed inscribe with a bunch of mystical symbols?"

"Yep him. He was a regular in the library and also a student here in the archaeology department."

Nigel was shocked by the information that he got from Rena. He noted the newly added information and began to process the possible scenarios and scrutinized his newly formed hypothesis.

'So if the black-robed guy is from archaeology department, does that mean that those black-robed people inside the convenience store are all from the archaeology department!? Wouldn't that mean that I am walking directly on to the enemy's territory?"

He immediately made his decision after reaching a conclusion from his streams of thoughts.

"Sorry Rena, I just remembered that I was supposed to be somewhere right now. Bye!"

"Oh hey! Ah, he left quickly. It must be absolutely important then…"

He left Rena inside the archaeology department and departed once again towards his house. He went on a different path this time, avoiding to pass by the convenience store.

…

"Hey Nigel, good morning! What's up?"

"Oh, hey Ian. Nothing much."

Ian greeted Nigel as they approach the gate of the university. It was early in the morning and the cool breeze was still lingering in the air as the morning dew is still present on the leaves of the plants planted around the university. Both of them were walking in the main hallway while discussing yesterday's events.

"Yesterday was really crazy! That guy who jumped out of the building, he was actually a cult member! Everyone in the university is being investigated for any clue or information about the cult."

"Yeah, that's been trending in my social media feed. Everyone's been talking about it, trying to be an internet detective and snooping around for information or gossips."

"Maybe I can use this situation to get myself close to some hot chicks. Ya know, scared girls will cling to anyone."

"Yeah, well good luck with that but I don't think anyone will cling to you even if it's the end of the world."

"Shut up!"

As both of them were arguing while walking in the hallway, someone was sneaking towards Nigel. Suddenly, Nigel's eyes were covered by somebody's hands causing him to stop from walking.

"Guess, who am I?"

"…dunno"

"C'mon, guess!"

"Let's see… small hands, fragrant smell of shampoo, shorter than me, and some soft circular object touching my back… Rena, that you?"

"W-what the!? What do you mean by that!? You're a pervert!!"

"Ah, so it is Rena. Also for the record, it wasn't me who suddenly jumped behind my back."

Nigel was joking around with Rena, not noticing that their surroundings have become quiet. Sensing something wasn't right, he looked around only to see that everyone was looking at them. Not sure what was happening, Nigel turned to Ian whose face was frozen stiff.

"Ian? What's wrong? What do you have a face of someone who has seen a ghost?"

"Ni-Nigel!! Why do you know her!? Tell me, how you knew her!?"

Ian grabbed Nigel's collar, lifting him. He looked eye to eye with Nigel and began to hysterically shake him.

"Do you not know who she is!? She is the RENA! The library fairy! One of the four goddesses in the campus! For Pete's sake, you don't even know her reputation and you were acting so intimate with her!"

Nigel, after hearing Ian's rant, finally realize why everyone was giving him a weird look. Some were looking at him full of curiosity, while most of them, primarily the men, were glaring at him full of hostility and jealousy.

'I didn't think that there'd be a day that I'll be experiencing something like this', Nigel thought.

"Nigel! Spit it out! What is your relationship with her!?"

"Shut up Ian! God damn it, I befriended her yesterday after some accident."

"Why is it you!? Why did it not happen to me!?"

Nigel broke away from his clutches, and then punched him right in his gut. Ian fell to the floor, holding his now-aching stomach. Rena stood there frozen, as she doesn't know how to react to the sudden sequence of events that has happened right in front of her.

"Will he be okay?"

"Don't worry. He has nothing else going for him aside from his sturdy body. Give a couple of minutes and he should be able to stand up again."

"Okay…anyway, I think it's better if we move to someplace else."

"Yeah, I agree. I'm not sure about you, but I am not comfortable with being stared at like an animal in the zoo."

"But where should we go?"

"Hmm…how about the rooftop. I believe no one should be there right now. Let me just wake this idiot up."

After deciding where they will go, Nigel began to repeatedly slap Ian in the face. Finally waking up while having his face swell from the repeated slapping, he went with Nigel and Rena towards the rooftop.