Collecting Information I

As we stepped out of the dining room, Lily's soft voice broke the silence. "Where would you like to go now, young master?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

I thought for a moment. What should I do now? Well, I needed to know more about myself and the estate. The Ludwig family wasn't mentioned much in the game, so I didn't have much information to go on. The best place to learn about the history of the estate would be... the library.

I turned to Lily. "Is there a library in the mansion?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Of course there is! The Ludwigs have the finest collection of books on all subjects," Lily replied enthusiastically. "Are you going to learn magic spells or sword techniques, young master?"

"Ah... yes... yes," I said awkwardly, trying to keep up the act. I couldn't exactly tell her I was just trying to gather information on my own estate.

"That's fantastic! Follow me, young master, I'll guide you there!" Lily said excitedly.

I followed her through the grand corridors until we arrived at a room guarded by two men in full knight armor. They straightened up when they saw me, bowing deeply.

"We greet the young master, Arthur."

"Okay... okay..." I muttered awkwardly. Watching two grown men bowing to me felt awkward and out of place.

"What brings you here, young master?" one of them asked.

Before I could respond, Lily chimed in haughtily, "The young master is here to study. What else could he do in a library?"

"Ah, yes... of course," the other guard said, a bit flustered, and they opened the large wooden door for me.

I stepped inside, my breath catching for a moment. The library was enormous. Rows upon rows of books stretched as far as the eye could see, neatly arranged on polished wooden shelves. The room was vast and quiet, with the scent of old paper lingering in the air.

How am I supposed to find what I'm looking for in this jungle of books? I thought. Asking Lily for help wasn't an option—she thought I was here to study magic.

I turned back to her. "How will I be able to find what I'm looking for? There are so many books here."

"You can always order me, young master," she said with a smirk.

"No... I need some alone time. You're too distracting," I said, glancing at her from bottom to top.

"Fu fu... young master, you are so naughty. I understand," she teased.

"You don't need to search for anything yourself," she added, pointing toward a platform in the center of the library that looked like a counter. "This library is enchanted. You just need to state your request there, and the books will come to you."

Damn, that's some high-tier technology... I thought.

"Alright. You can wait outside the room; I'll come out when I'm done," I said.

"Okay, young master. Please call me if you need anything. I'll be waiting outside." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Now, I was all alone in the vast, eerie library. I made my way to the platform Lily had pointed out, where a black rectangular box sat on the podium. As I approached, the box suddenly lit up. 'Why does it look like a computer?' I thought, puzzled. Then, words appeared on the screen: "State your request." "Um... something with information on the Ludwig family," I said aloud.

And then new words appeared on the screen: "Please wait patiently. Requested books will arrive soon."

A moment later, a few books floated off the shelves, their covers glowing faintly as they gently hovered toward me. I grabbed them, reading the titles: The History of Ludwig, History of Hestia Empire, Ludwig Family Tree.

Taking a seat at a nearby table, I opened the first book, The History of Ludwig. I skimmed through the pages. There wasn't much information, but the key details stood out.

To summarize:

The Ludwig family is one of the six duke houses of the Hestia Empire, ruling over the northern region. Their territory includes Cheasall, a vibrant city flourishing under the Ludwig family's leadership. Neil Ludwig, the founder of the dukedom, was one of the six companions of the first emperor. Together, they conquered the scattered tribes, establishing the empire. The six companions were rewarded with the title of duke, and from that time, the Ludwigs have been ruling the North. They are now known as the "North Wall" of the Hestia Empire, guarding the empire from constant demon attacks. The knights guarding the northern border were called the Ironwall Knights, a simple yet fitting name, as the northern border had never been breached. Their reputation was as solid as their name suggested.

So this is what Father meant when he asked if I wanted to enlist with the Ironwall Knights. Well, I've made my decision—I'll be joining the academy. This isn't a game anymore. I could actually die on the frontlines. Why would I choose the harsh life of a knight, where death could come at any moment, over the comfort of academy life?

Having made up my mind, I returned to my thoughts. My father, Lucious Ludwig, is the current Duke and one of the strongest people in the empire—a sword grandmaster.

That's why there wasn't much about the Ludwigs in the game, I realized. The family had never been involved in the central power struggles. They stayed in the North, their sole focus on fending off invaders and protecting the empire's borders. Meanwhile, the game's story centered around the capital city, where all the political intrigue and drama unfolded. No wonder the Ludwigs were only a footnote in the game's plot—they were too far removed from the core conflict.

As for me, or rather the original Arthur Ludwig... it seemed like something had happened even before the plot started. He disappeared from the plot altogether. Did he die before joining the academy? Or did he die just last night, and I took over his body? If that's true, it makes sense that Arthur never appeared in the game. But then another question arose: Did he die naturally, or did someone kill him?

Well, I'll brew on that later, I thought as I closed the book, trying to piece together the puzzle.