4.7.

"The library is in one of these rooms apparently," Linton muttered.

There were many students making their way to and from the wide passageway. The illumination of daylight coming from the huge abstract glass windows, creating streaks of light on the red carpeted floor.

Melty eyes left her book and focused intently on the double door leading to her haven.

"Let's try this one," Linton had the same thought as she did.

Pushing the golden handle, they were met with a scene out of a historical textbook.

An ancient library.

Multi-floor shelves, hundreds of tables, hundreds of thousands of books, sparsely arranged green potted plants, a glass roof allowing natural daylight in, the librarians' counter beautifully carpenter with wood and gold, sigils installed to maintain temperature and organization labels to the different category of books.

The students who frequented this place were usually those in the field of magic research, engineering, politics, management, and other science-related topics.

Melty eye's sparkled. But before she went in, she read the rules etched into the gold plate stuck on one side of the wall.

While not as much of a voracious reader as Melty, Linton himself was curious about what kind of books he could find in a place like this. Was there anywhere that he could find ancient grimoires from the Last Era? If he could get his hands on something like that..

Together, they spent the first hour exploring the library, mostly in the magic section as they were both mages.

"A catalog of system gifts for reference.. what the.. a gift like this can exist?" Linton eyes shot wide open.

Melty slid her finger over the spine of the books. While she hadn't made her pick, there were already a few candidates in mind. The width of some books were thicker than even her own hand.

"Let's go up one more floor."

They made it to the topmost shelf. Looking down, Linton gawked at the height. While he might not lose his life falling from this height, he wouldn't be left unscatched either.

Melty scanned the books one by one, Linton looked across the aisle, and the students passing below.

'It's so vast, you could literally get lost here.'

In the end, Linton chose a book regarding methods in coming up with better impromptu spells; meanwhile, Melty took a book on magic circles fundations, a book on sigils magic integration and a book of spell catalogs for the period of the Last Era.

Sitting at the main reader hall, the sound of turning papers were the only things that filled their ears. A hand supported his chin as Linton scanned the pages. The novelty of the place wore out pretty quickly. The next thing that came to mind was what food he would like to try for lunch later.

He felt a chill.

He turned in a certain direction.. finding nothing.

Confused, he gave a double take. Yet, there was no one there..

Intermittent chills came often. It was obvious that someone.. or something was following him. That maid from earlier? But there was no one so conspicuous here. Everyone in the library had their heads hung low like lanterns.

'Calm down, calm down. If someone is actually following me, at least I'm at a place where there are a lot of people. The person won't be able to get away with it so easily..'

"Melty, I'm going somewhere for a bit," he whispered quietly.

She responded with a curt nod, eyes still affixed to her own book.

Lancet left the library for the washroom, for one, and two, to test if the chills persist even after leaving the reading hall. If yes, then it's clear that he's being followed.

'But why?'

The chilly sensation didn't happen once through his journey to relieve himself.

'Okay? So my stalker isn't a pervert.. well, it's probably a she..'

Returning to the library, the uncomfortable sensation returned once more. He picked up his book once more and began to read, hoping to drive away this sensation. He wondered when Melty would finish her books; it was boring here.

"Melty, don't you find the place odd?" he whispered.

She flipped to the next page, saying nothing.

"I think that maid earlier is following us."

A curt nod was given.

"Do you think we should report this to our instructors? I don't know where that maid even is though.."

Melty shifted her seat closer to Linton and leaned against him.

"..."

It was her way of reassuring him that she would be there should anything occur and.. to prevent him from going away. Bear with it a little longer, I want to read my books– was what she would say.

An hour or two passed. Linton felt his cheeks being pulled. When he opened his eyes, he found Melty looking at him.

"Did I pass out?"

She shook her head. She wanted to say that he slept, but to save on saliva, she simply said:

"Lunch."

"Right.. let's go.."

'I slept. Then that means the presence is gone..'

As there was a risk of students placing the books back into the wrong area, all books taken are to be returned to the counter. The sorting will be done by the staff later.

They pushed the heavy doors–a maid with dark red hair stood right outside the entrance, waiting for them. All hairs on Linton's body stood on end.

'I knew it!'

"Follow me," she said and began walking.

"Huh?"

She didn't even turn around to confirm if the two would follow her. Melty looked at her disinterestedly and walked the other direction.

'W-Wait?! What?! Where do I go? Where do I go?!'

Linton's gaze bounced between the two girls. Before his mind could catch up to anything, his instincts reacted first. His feet took a step towards Iona's direction.

Melty also paused at this time and turned around. A rare expression of surprise flashed across her face. She chased after him.

Linton followed Iona, Melty followed Linton.

"There's something here," Linton said against Melty's resistance.

She adjusted her glasses and gave him a glare.

They made it to the central area of the campus where the pagoda could be seen clearly. Iona walked right up to the long wooden bridge, usually off-limits to the people. Nonchalantly, she began to cross.

Linton froze up.

'I-Isn't this the hero's headquarters? She's related to the hero? W-What's going on?'

Melty gripped his sleeve tight as she planted her fit firmly on the ground. Their instructors had warned them very clearly that they should not ever take the bridge. Should anyone be found breaking this rule, it would bring shame to the academy.

The island in the center where the pagoda stood is a sacred ground, not some la-la land anyone can visit if they wanted to.

Chills crawled on his skin; his stomach churned.

"There must be a reason.."

Linton couldn't help but think that this had to be the work of the person who saved him last time. Just, he didn't understand how it all added up.

He stepped on the bridge.

"Linton," Melty voiced her resistance.

"You can stay here. I need to know what's going on."

Melty shook her head vehemently. Linton turned back to the front, Iona was also near the end. If he didn't move now, she would disappear from his sights and..

"Sorry–"

Linton shrugged Melty off and began running.

She stood there blankly, watching him set off towards the maid.

"Idiot."

If they were going to get in trouble, it would never be one, but together. Melty forced herself to follow him.

The ground was beautifully paved with large slabs of rock, well tended large bonsai plants in pots were arranged methodically along the splitting paths. A world that felt closed off from the rest, a nervousness as if he had just stepped into a sanctified zone was felt in his bones.

Linton was careful not to touch anything, squishing his presence, he followed Iona into the foyer.

The building had an elegance to it he had never seen anywhere else. The materials made to create the parts were unconventional. Paper instead of glass, interlocking wood beams instead of nails, and a unique beauty found in the simplicity of arrangements.

"Huh? Where did she.."

Linton found himself lost in the winding halls.

"Shit.. don't tell me.."

"Lin-ton," Melty's irked voice called out.

"Melty? I thought I told you to wait outside?"

"..."

".. What should we do now?"

'Why did she bring us here? Could she be.. trying to disqualify us? To use us? It doesn't feel like that..'

Linton looked upon the stairs.

'This is the only place she could've gone to.'

"Why is this place even empty in the first place.."

Linton grabbed the stair rail and advanced.

By this point, Melty had given up trying to stop Linton. It was a pointless endeavor for a quiet girl like herself.

"Nothing.."

Linton searched the halls of the second floor, even going out of the way to peeking into some of the rooms. There were patterns to the lights that were on, some portions of the floor were unlit. Linton took it as a clue, advancing upwards.

"There she is!"

He found Iona standing before a sliding door on one of the higher floors.

Iona's hazy face had become clear. A cool beauty with silver eyes which caused Linton to flinch a little.

"If you've come all this way, then it's likely she's the person you're trying to find inside," Iona said, stepping out of the way.

"The person I'm trying to find..?" Linton looked at the door.

'She knows..?'

Iona remained silent, further fueling Linton curiosity.

This beautiful maid had been eyeing him since earlier in the morning. Then she brought him all the way to the hero's headquarters. Now she's telling him that the person he seeks is beyond this door?

Linton gripped the indent.

And pulled it open.

In the dark room, a familiar presence struck his mind. On the ground tied up by black chains was a girl whose white hair scattered across the floor. She looked like she had exhausted all her energy, laying limpy. Clothes thrown into disarray, even her underwear was peeking.

Her weak crimson eyes turned to the entrance, eyes suddenly opened wide.

"L-Linzy?"

Instead of taking a step forward, he took a step back.

"W-What did you do to her?!" Linton panicked.

'Shit. She's going to kidnap me just like her?! I shouldn't have come!'

Linzy, the tied up like a worm, began to flail about wildy. Her mouth was gagged, she couldn't not speak, but her cries spoke for itself.

Melty took out her wand and pointed it at Iona.

"I'm not your enemy," Iona said.

"Hell!"

Linton's expression contorted in rage.

[Wind Magic: Time Gale].

Things seemed to stretch as a crushing wind pressure blew through the hall. The surrounding air warped, the door shutters to fluttered wildly–

"..."

Iona held a blade towards his neck, standing from behind him.

"Should any objects here break, you're accountable for it."

Linton threw himself backwards to knock Iona. However, he fell to the ground instead.

Melty, who wanted to fire a spell, noticed the next moment that something coiled over her body. Restrained, she was thrown harshly into the room. Fortunately Iona had aimed her towards the soft futon by the side,

Linton who just got up tried to attack Iona again– to which she responded by knocking him out cold. She also threw him into the room.

"Don't do anything rash."

Saying so, Iona shut the door on them.

…

Melty and Linzy's gaze met.

The mage felt like a prey being eyed by a beast.