It was fully nighttime when Marco entered the library with a very pushy royal girl in tow.
"Now lead me to the books on potions," she said as she shoved him along.
"Alright, just...wait a moment," he snapped back. He went to a cabinet near the entrance and fished around for a lamp.
It was pitch black inside the library at this time. After all, old man Sebastian tended to retire to bed once Marco left for the day. With no one working and no one needing books in the middle of the night, there was no need to keep the lamps on. Fortunately, Marco knew the place well enough to make his way to the nearest lamp, even in the dark.
He grabbed it and turned to the figure of the girl. "Don't suppose you have fire magic?"
"No, but I have a knife." Marco vaguely saw her flip it around in the moonlight. "So get moving."
Marco grumbled as he went back outside. "I can't find anything if I can't see." He carefully used one of the torches hanging near the entrance door to catch the lamp's candle on fire. He brought it back inside, where it illuminated his companion. He could now see her expression, one of annoyance, and the way she seemed unable to stand still.
"Take me to potions books now," she said.
"Look, milady," he said as he guided her down a hallway. "I'm all for helping you. Even without you threatening me. And even without your earlier promise of a reward. Which you have yet to make good on, by the way."
"You did nothing worthy of reward," she replied.
"I saved your life!"
"You took advantage of a magic book. I wouldn't exactly call you a Hero."
'I am a Hero' is what Marco thought, but he could see that this girl wasn't in the mood to humor him. Better to just get the job done and bring up the reward again afterwards. "Alright, your highness. Just tell me exactly what potion you need."
"Impossible," she immediately replied.
Marco wanted to scream. "I can't just show you every book we have on potions. There are hundreds."
"Just take me to the forbidden archives. I know what I need."
"The forbidden–!? Do you know why they call it that? Not even a royal like yourself has permission to go taking things from the forbidden archives," said Marco.
"I have a knife."
"I know you have a knife," he replied, no longer even trying to hide the exasperation in his voice. Reward or not, the girl was asking too much. "But can you cut my throat before I scream for help? The library's master lives here. If he awoke to discover his worker dead on the floor and some girl going through the forbidden archives, he would call the city guard over. And he's very, very big and strong. You couldn't stop him. I imagine whatever it is you're doing is meant to be secret, so can you really risk being caught?"
For once, she didn't have a reply right away. She met his gaze hard, and there was a pause that seemed to last a lifetime. Then, she put away her knife.
"Fine, you make a fair point," she finally said. "But I shall tell you only what you need to know. No more questions after that. I am Reina, the Second Princess of Irelios. As you are probably aware of, I am locked in a constant competition for the throne that can sometimes be...fierce."
That was putting it lightly. Even the commoners heard the many stories of the battle for the Irelian throne. When the time came for a king to pass on, the first-born child did not succeed him automatically. Instead, whichever of his children had done the greatest deeds in service of the kingdom would take the throne. The female children were entirely eligible to become the reigning Queen, even without a husband by their side. However, while the focus of the contest was supposed to be doing deeds of merit, it was not uncommon for the royal siblings to attempt to sabotage one another. As such, tales of the battle for the Irelian throne were just as notable for bloodshed and cruelty as they were for bravery and heroism.
"I have been put under some sort of spell by one of my siblings," Reina continued. "It is slowly killing me. I spent a great deal of my limited resources to seek out a mage who was not aligned with my brothers or sister to break the spell. He told me that a certain potion, contained in the records of the ancient Master Mace, was the only way to break the spell."
"And the only copies of Master Mace's writings are in this library," Marco finished.
"Correct," she replied. "So I apologize for my violent coercion, but time is of the essence. I need that potion recipe, and I cannot let anyone else at the palace know that I'm seeking it. As you saw, someone already hired some unsavory characters to attack me. I will compensate you for that, by the way. And for helping me find the potion recipe. But please, we must hurry."
"Understood," Marco said with a smile. "You have my word, Princess Reina, we will find Master Mace's potion and save your life!"
****
Despite the fact that Princess Reina's life was in immediate danger, Marco couldn't help but feel excited.
He was being a Hero again!
Alright, so he was just finding a book. But as they briskly walked through the darkened halls of the library, Marco couldn't help but think back to that day five years, where he rushed through Monument Tower. There was someone in peril, and he was on his way to save them. Only this time, he would get recognition for his deeds.
What would the princess give him as a reward? Gold was a sure bet. But Marco felt he could do better. Land perhaps? A nicer home than the shack he shared with his parents? Or what if…
Reina could be his Patron!
The thought took over Marco's mind so much that he actually walked right into a pillar.
"Uh, are you alright?" Reina asked.
"Yes, it's just...really dark in here." Marco rubbed his forehead and looked around. "Actually, we're here."
In front of them, behind a big locked door, were the forbidden archives of the Irelios library. Marco quickly produced his key and opened the door. Reina ran in as soon as he opened it.
"Where do we start?" she asked eagerly.
"Well," he responded. "The books are all arranged alphabetically so Master Mace should be...right here." He held up his lantern, illuminating a shelf of dusty old books and loosely bound scraps of parchment. "Master Mace dedicated his life to potion making, and we have his detailed findings and random notes scattered all over this shelf. Did your mage tell you which of his studies contains the potion recipe?"
Reina went to the shelf and started tearing at the books like a hungry dog getting a leg of meat. "I can't remember the name, exactly, but I'll know it when I see it."
"Just please be careful, these are old, one-of-a-kind books."
"Yes, yes," she said, barely paying him any mind. "Just hold the lantern here so I can see."
As she shuffled through the various tomes and scraps, Marco continued his earlier musings. In the competition for the throne, the royals employed warriors and mages to fight by their side. To quest in their name for merit and the love of the people. Eventually these figures came to be called Heroes in the stories, and the royals that took them in were called Patrons. Judging by her dire situation, Marco surmised, Reina had no Hero of her own. If she did, why would she be dying from a spell and left alone in some back alley to be attacked by brigands? For him to come to her aid in her time of need, and with her owing him a reward, perhaps this was his chance to finally become a Hero.
"Princess Reina," he began carefully. "I couldn't help but notice that you were alone when you were attacked tonight."
"What of it?"
"Well, as a royal vying for the throne, do you not have a Hero?"
Reina closed the book she was looking at. "This is not the one, either. Where is that Shaping Potion?"
"Shaping Potion?" Marco asked. The name immediately rang a bell. "That's one of Master Mace's lost potions. We were able to salvage the recipe, but no one actually knows what it-"
His question was interrupted by a light appearing in the hall outside. Someone was coming their way!
"You have to hide," he said quickly. When she opened her mouth to protest, he grabbed her and spun her around to see the approaching light. That was enough to convince her, and she quickly scrambled to duck behind a nearby shelf.
Marco, meanwhile, went back to the shelf of Master Mace's books. Within seconds, the light from outside was shining right on him.
"Sir!"
Marco greeted the figure in the doorway. It was Sebastian in green pyjamas and a sleeping cap.
"Marco? What are you doing here at this time of night? And in the forbidden archives at that?"
"Well, sir, I delivered the books to that mage as you asked me to. But he said that he also needed one of Master Mace's potion books." He took a book from the shelf and showed it to Sebastian. "I know it's irregular, but he demanded that he needed it immediately. And I gave some thought to what you said. I probably will be working in this library all my life, so I might as well become more familiar with the forbidden archives."
Sebastian looked at Marco, then the book in his hand for a moment. Then, he nodded. "I see. I'm glad you're finally taking your work seriously. Just don't ever, ever, go into these archives without me again. Take that book, don't touch anything else, and lock the door as you leave."
The old man turned to leave, and Marco almost sighed with relief.
"Also!" Sebastian turned back. Marco jumped. "Never come into the library alone or when I am indisposed. Maybe in ten more years you can work alone. For now, I need to look over your shoulder at all times. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Now get going!" Sebastian said and then sleepily shuffled off.
"That was your 'big and strong' master?" came a voice from Marco's side. Reina had come out of hiding, shaking her head. "If that's what you consider strong, no wonder you are so weak."
Marco glared at her as she went back to the books. "Perhaps this is what you were looking for, milady?"
He held up the book he had plucked from the shelf while talking to Sebastian. It was open, with the page bearing the recipe for Shaping Potion!
"Yes!" she grabbed for it, but Marco dodged her.
"I shall give it to you, but we must have words first," Marco spoke confidently. "It has become clear to me that you need a Hero at your side. And I would like to be that Hero. Please, be my Patron!"
Reina just looked at him for a moment in silence. Then, she burst out laughing. "You, my Hero?"
"I don't see why that's funny," Marco replied. "I already saved your life once. And now I hold the very potion you need to save it again."
"If you saw what I saw, you'd know why it's funny," she said through her laughter. "For I see a commoner with dreams of greatness, but nothing to back them up. You cannot fight. You don't know magic. The only thing that seems special about you is that you know a lot about books. Tell me, do you think you can win the battle for the throne with books?"
"I can fight! I was trained at the Dyon Academy. I helped save the Everlasting Flame from Galabast the Mad."
"You did not. Leo Baldew and his companions did, and they were honored by the king and became Heroes on the spot. None of them would be slaving away in a library. Unless…" Reina's face bore a look of realization at that moment. "That old man said your name was Marco. You are…"
"Marco Flores," he said.
"The coward?"
"I am not a coward! You don't know the true story of that day. Just, please, give me a chance and I will prove myself worthy."
She shook her head and grabbed for the book. He dodged again. "Please, your highness, I beg of you."
"Absolutely not!" She dove at him and got hold of the book. "Why would I want to be Patron to Marco the Coward?"
As they both tugged at it, Marco only had a grasp on a few pages. They ripped out, including the page for the Shaping Potion. As he held it in his hand he looked at Reina. She gave him a wild look and then moved as if come at him once more.
Quickly, so quickly that he didn't even fully comprehend what he was doing, he put the Shaping Potion recipe in his mouth and swallowed it whole.
"You're going to be my Patron because you have no other choice."