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She sniffled, sobbed and tears streamed down her childlike face as she tried unsuccessfully to move away, as there was a tree behind her preventing her from going back. She was completely cornered. For some reason, she felt she should distance herself as much as possible, even if it was an almost insignificant act. Perhaps this was a natural reaction of a body fighting to stay alive, for as long as possible, above any rational logic.
"N-No! Go away! G-G-GET AWAY!"
Her fate would end there.
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The smell of old books hung in the air, as if possessing the place. This smell had become familiar to the girl who was there. She elegantly closed the book, the sound of the pages echoing through the room. A warm sigh escaped her delicate lips as she looked at the book she had just read.
Around her were several shelves with countless titles. She sat in a wooden chair, in the deepest part of the library. Her name was Louise Flyer, and she was the only daughter of her parents, who were responsible for this majestic library in the Northern City of the Kingdom of Forthen. Her long hair had a reddish hue that, in a way, resembled fire, and her eyes sparkled like the blue sea on a sunny day. She wore elegant clothes - a majestic crimson dress with puffy sleeves and expensive fabrics covered her childlike skin - even for this daily reading session.
Closing her eyes and with a smile that few saw, she said:
"Indeed, nothing beats a good romance."
She was alone in the library. She knew the reason. It was an unconventional time for most people. But for Louise, it was the best time to read.
"Hm..."
She stretched her arms lazily. Another gesture that few ... or rather, no one could see. She did it precisely because she was alone. At that time, adults worked and children would be in school. But for her, it was not a problem. She studied what she wanted, every day, wherever she was.
"I think I'll take a walk."
Getting up from her chair, she walked slowly towards the large wooden door that served as the exit of that room filled only with novels. Although this was the only literary category in the environment, it was still enormous. There were little more than 10,000 fiction books there alone. In the entire library, there were more than 100,000 books of various genres, and around 70,000 copies of documents. She knew this because her parents were always proud to manage the largest library in Forthen.
In general, there were 4 cities and a capital. They were named: Northern City, Southern City, Eastern City, Western City, and Central Capital. Each had its distinct characteristics.
"Ow..."
Leaving the dimly lit room, she felt a pain in her eyes when she faced the brightness of the outside world. In a failed attempt to shield her eyes from the assaulting light with her hands, she walked down the hall squinting. She preferred not to leave, but she could reflect better on what she read while walking.
The sound of her footsteps echoed slowly and elegantly on the floor. But she realized that, unlike where she was before, it was cold. A brief blast of cold wind made her shiver. She would take advantage of the fact that she could still go out without worrying too much about it and go to her usual place, a little further away.
"Winter is coming..."
In winter, people usually traveled to the hot springs in the Eastern City. It would be an excellent time to be alone in that huge library.
Each region had its peculiarities:
The Northern City, where Louise was, was responsible for everything related to paper, from land documents to copies of great literary works. It was also the most developed in terms of education and learning. The schools and universities coveted by everyone were installed there.
The Southern City, responsible for mining in general, no longer had any notable attractions.
The Eastern City was a place with precious hot springs. The people who lived there were the richest, but nothing prevented a middle-class family from spending their vacations in a hotel or rented house, once a year. In addition to being the main place chosen by newlyweds to spend their honeymoon.
The Western City was responsible for exporting food to all other regions. There were large harvests of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and cereals. In addition to having the best quality, there was also a good amount of livestock.
The Central Capital was where general commerce was located. It received exports from other regions and sold to people from everywhere. There were also numerous professions, and even artisans and blacksmiths gathered there, thanks to the ease of obtaining materials. Not to mention that the military power was mostly located in that place.
All of this existed on a kind of island. There was no information about anything beyond the sea that surrounded them. Around Forthen, there were fierce magical beasts that devoured everything that had mana. A large magical barrier, erected even before the first people existed, protected them from these beasts. That little girl had discovered all of this through the information in the books she had read.
While walking calmly, she arrived at the main hall.
"It seems like today is going to be a busy day," she thought. Although it wasn't crowded, it was rare to see so many people in the hall at that time. She believed that the reason was the approaching winter. With the cold weather coming, people stayed at home longer, so they would "borrow" some books to pass the time.
"Oh, you left early today, didn't you?" a woman called out to her.
"Hm?"
The woman next to her, behind the library counter, who responded as the librarian, was named Nathalya. She was a young, skinny girl with her hair tied up and a gentle look in her eyes. They didn't talk much, but they met every day.
"Yesterday, I was a little sleepy, so I left a few things to do today."
"And then? Did you read something interesting?"
"I'm sure that's none of your business, is it?"
"Well... I saw that you were reading The Chronicles of Hongsta. If you're finished, can you lend it to me?"
"Be my guest."
"Thank you! ...Speaking of which, have you taken a look at the book I lent you?"
"Something like that."
"I'm sure you'll like it a lot!"
"Okay..."
She revealed a forced smile. Based on the course of this conversation, Louise knew she would end up with more work. As the Flyer family was one of the most well-known in Forthen, it was common for many to try to "suck up" to her during the day. That's why she was being a bit cold with Nathalya... although much of her behavior was the result of her own personality.
She tried to leave as soon as possible.
"I'm going for a walk, see you later."
"Okay. Oh, and... if it's not a problem, could you..."
"No. See you later."
"W-wait! It's an exchange, this time it's an exchange, not a favor! I'm sure you'll be interested!"
"Ah..." Louise sighed. "What do you want?"
"It's nothing special. In exchange, I can bring bread and snacks from my husband's bakery every afternoon. What do you think?"
"..."
Louise raised an eyebrow. She knew that Nathalya's husband owned one of the most well-known bakeries in the region. In addition to producing excellent bread, they sold incredible cakes. She couldn't pretend to be disinterested in the idea of being able to eat sugary cakes every day. Although her parents wouldn't allow something like that, who needed to know, right?
Nathália, realizing she had piqued the girl's interest, continued, "You know Finn, my son? He's been... well, he's been getting bullied recently. Would you be willing to just keep an eye on him when you see him? You don't have to do anything special, just being by his side is enough. What do you think? It's a good deal, isn't it?"
"Hm..."
For Louise, people should be responsible for their own problems. She wouldn't make an effort to help someone who couldn't repay the favor. Not even if it was the youngest son of the receptionist - with whom she already had some familiarity. She had known Finn for quite some time, but as Louise didn't like to spend time with just anyone, he annoyed her, not that he was a bad person. ...But this time was different. It would be a good trade. Cakes and sweets were among the things she enjoyed most.
"I'll want different flavors every day, and also tea, very sweet."
"Really?! That's great! Don't worry, whenever Finn comes, I'll ask him to bring these things."
"Okay."
"Are you leaving now? See you later! Have a nice day!" Nathália said, smiling.
Louise, trying to hide her smile as she thought about the sweets, ran her hand through her hair and left before she could see the other woman's face. Even without seeing, she could feel Nathália sighing triumphantly, as if she had easily won something.
As she left the library, the sun was shining brightly and the cold winds of winter were already bothering many. Louise walked along the paved streets as she watched people come and go. It was probably around lunchtime, so it would be possible to see children returning from school and men gathered in restaurants. The North City was well known for its green decoration. Trees and plants were abundant in the scenery.
"Hm... Maybe I'll go to 'that place' anyway."
Deciding and immediately confirming her destination, the girl took a deep breath and quickened her pace. There was a place she always went to when she wanted to be surrounded by her thoughts or practice magic. It wasn't too far away, located in the center of a pleasant forest. She wasn't hungry, so she would skip lunch.
"Ah, young lady. It's rare to see you here at this time."
As she passed by one of the restaurants, a man - an apparent soldier of the kingdom - exclaimed. She already knew him. She met her uncle Vska, one of the guards of the border between the Black Forest and the North City. His job was to ensure that no carelessness passed through the barrier, but apparently...
"I see you're ignoring your work again."
"Haha!"
He replied with an eccentric laugh that didn't match the situation. He was skipping work, what was funny about it? Apparently, he was also drunk. His alcohol breath reached the girl's nose. Not only him, she also noticed that there were other guards in that establishment, all eating, drinking, or gambling. It was really disappointing. She didn't believe those were the guards who were supposed to watch the border.
"There's no one who would pass by there. Everyone knows that, after the barrier, there are those beasts. We have no reason to stay there, especially in this cold."
That was just a flimsy excuse to procrastinate at will. She was amazed to see an adult man acting so childishly.
"I am sure you are getting paid for this work. You are just making excuses to do nothing," she said.
Vska looked at her for a while and, after taking a large gulp of his drink, he replied with a somewhat melancholic look, "Believe me, at first I worked properly. I spent years, every day, watching the border. But even so, no one ever came close. Believe me when I say, there's no one crazy enough to cross it."
"Oh..." the girl sighed in resignation. There was no point in arguing with this man. Sometimes irrationality speaks louder to the weak. If he was being paid for it, if that was his job, he should continue doing it, no more, no less.
Then, a man called him from inside the establishment. Vska waved to him and turned again to the little girl he was talking to. He gently stroked his niece's head and said, "They are calling me inside. I have to go. And... come to think of it, shouldn't you be having lunch too?"
"It's none of your business! And take your smelly hand off my hair!"