Taking the high-speed train, I finally arrived at the library. From the outside, it appeared dilapidated, but inside, everything seemed perfectly normal.
What made this branch of the Guild special was Kazok himself—the young master and heir to the Guild's leadership.
According to the game's lore, Kazok had chosen to settle in such a small branch because he was bored with everything. With the Moonlit Guild's unmatched ability to gather information, he had access to everything, leaving him disinterested in the world around him.
'Tsk, what a wasted talent who thinks he knows it all.'
Having come this far, I planned to commission him to uncover everything that happened during the first half of the school year that I had missed.
As I pushed the heavy oak door open, it groaned in protest, revealing the dimly lit interior. The musty scent of old books hung thick in the air, and the creak of the wooden floor echoed in the silence. Kazok sat cross-legged in his usual spot, and with an exciting voice, he spoke.
"Welcome, dear customer!" he greeted with a smile.
A thought crossed my mind.
'...how should I get him interested in me?'
Should I mention his name? Or should I just proceed with the commission like any other customer?
Weighing my options, I decided to keep it straightforward and commission him normally. If things didn't go as planned, I could always leverage the information I held.
Pausing for a moment, I replied, "Mind giving me some of your time?"
He responded eagerly, "Sure."
I walked over and took the seat he had prepared for me. Up close, his face was etched with deep wrinkles, giving him an appearance of extreme old age. Yet, I knew it was all a facade. He wore a human mask, hiding his true identity from anyone who might pry.
"Is there something on my face, miss?" he asked.
"No," I replied, dismissing his question.
Expanding my mana, I searched for any hidden presences in the room.
Nothing.
But I was certain there was always an -ranked individual lurking somewhere in the shadows.
Without wasting more time, I spoke. "I'd like to commission you."
A brief pause ensued as bewilderment and amusement flashed across his face. He clasped his fingers together and leaned forward, his gaze locking onto mine.
"How interesting. Young lady, how did you know?" he asked, intrigued.
I offered a polite smile. "Such things are meaningless."
He burst into laughter, the sound echoing around the room before his grin returned.
"Okay, young lady, I wonder what you have in store for us?"
"Information," I said calmly.
Another mocking laugh erupted from him. I waited patiently until he settled down, but his expression quickly turned disdainful.
"What kind of information are you talking about? Even the royal families don't dare to bargain with us using information."
My patience wore thin. Cutting him off, I stated, "Kazok."
There was no turning back now, but I didn't expect an immediate death.
In an instant, a sword was at my throat, held by his Shadow.
"Now, can we speak on even ground?" I said, keeping my composure.
Kazok looked at me in shock. Only his father and his aide should know that name. How did a girl like me know who he was?
He spoke up, "Remove the sword and stand by."
The Shadow obeyed, swiftly moving aside. I felt warm blood trickling down my neck.
'Why can't they just keep the sword a bit farther from my neck?'
Letting out a sigh, I continued, "You'll have to pay for this injury, you know?"
I pointed to the small cut on my neck.
'I have to take advantage of everything I can.'
I could sense his inner world crumbling. Smirking, I began to speak again.
"Setting this wound aside, I need you to find out everything that happened before Freshman mid-term, up to the entrance exam, and about the Valenhearts."
With a defeated look, he asked, "What's your payment? The contents of your first request are cheap, but the second one is expensive."
"Payment can wait. I'm not done yet. I also request a [Black Token], information on the latest trends of demons in Eclipsia, and finally, you."
He stared at me in a daze. A full minute passed before he regained his composure.
"You need me? I don't accept any commissi—"
I raised my hand, silencing him with a single finger.
"Whereabouts on your father."
Kazok's eyes widened, his mask of indifference slipping for just a moment. Disbelief and fear flickered across his face, emotions he hadn't felt in years. How could I, a mere girl, know about that?
'I can feel his inner world unraveling.'
He slumped back in his chair, his voice more subdued as he asked, "...how can the information be accurate?"
I raised another finger, making it two.
"Breakthrough method that works for everyone."
"We already know the method for Masters—"
"Grandmaster."
I smirked, knowing that I'd completely dominated this transaction.
Again, he was left in shock.
"..How can I make sure that you will speak the truth-"
I cut him off again. It was pretty fun cutting such an exceptional individual over and over again.
"I swear upon the Goddess of Light, that I will tell you the truth about the breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm, as well as the whereabouts of your father."
I continued, letting the weight of my words hang in the air
"There. If you wish to complete this transaction, make yourself a transfer student to class S-1. I believe that you will be able to handle it."
Kazok stared at me, a flicker of disbelief and reluctant admiration in his eyes. I could see the gears turning in his mind as he contemplated the implications of my request.
Unable to resist a smirk, I giggled softly and stood up. Walked my way towards the door and with a casual wave of my hand, signaling a goodbye, I pushed the door open and stepped outside, leaving Kazok to mull over the deal.
The cool spring breeze greeted me as I emerged from the library, a welcome contrast to the stifling atmosphere inside. The air was crisp, carrying with it the faint scent of blooming flowers
But that fresh scent was soon tainted by the stench of the slums.
I took a deep breath to think about what I just did.
' ...I do have to say, speaking to him in such a manner was quite nerve-wracking'
Originally in the game, I couldn't do anything like that. My actions would have been dictated by the script, but here, with free will, I decided to make something up on the spot.
'Thankfully it worked.'
It was a dangerous game I was playing, one that could easily backfire if I wasn't careful. But lately, it seemed like I loved gambling, pushing the boundaries just to see how far I could go.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I dashed towards the station, took the train and, before I knew it, I was standing in front of one of the dorm buildings
I glanced at the time on my device.
[ 3:42 AM ]
'...fuck. My sleep schedule is all ruined.'
I thought, but the realization didn't come as a surprise. No, it had always been ruined ever since I found myself here, in this world that never seemed to give me a break.
Glancing around, with only the streetlights casting pools of dim light onto the deserted pathways.
But as I stood there, a wild thought crossed my mind, one that made my heart skip a beat.
'..Let's pay a visit to Ryder.'
---
"Shadow."
Kazok's voice trembled as he spoke.
His aide responded with a respectful bow.
"Do I trust her and follow her instructions?" Kazok asked, uncertainty lacing his words.
The Shadow remained silent.
The tension in the air thickened as time dragged on. A minute passed, then two, and finally, what felt like an eternity.
Kazok broke the silence, his decision made.
"Contact their Headmaster."
"Yes, sir,"
The Shadow replied, swiftly moving to carry out the order.
Kazok leaned back in his chair, exhaling a long sigh. He reached for a cigarette, igniting it with a flick of mana before taking a deep drag.
"Phew."
He let out a puff of smoke, watching it dissipate into the air.
"I haven't been this stressed in a long time."
---
Eilot noticed Alyssa slipping out of the infirmary without notifying anyone. He sighed and facepalmed.
"You're supposed to check in with the staff or at least leave a note,"
He muttered to himself.
Reluctantly, he left his cluttered room and headed to the infirmary, leaving behind a small note imbued with his mana signature.
"Does she not care about anything?" he thought, shaking his head. "Well, it figures, given the absurd tasks she's been burdened with."
Returning to his room, Eilot surveyed the chaos that surrounded him—documents piled high, books strewn across every surface. He was immersed in researching the existence of the 'Demon King,' yet to his frustration, not a single record about the entity could be found.
The only places that might hold such information were the Church archives or the Royal family's library, both of which were inaccessible to him, even as a Grandmaster.
He let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of the recent hectic days.
He had been awarded the title of Duke in the Karvia Empire, but no land had been granted since he declined the Emperor's offer.
"That sly guy is always up to something,"
Eilot mused, thinking back to the Emperor's relentless attempts to bind him.
But his thoughts kept circling back to Alyssa. Something about her had caught his attention. With his heightened sensitivity to mana, he sensed that her body was laced with something dark and sinister.
He had scoured all the books the academy provided to professors and found only one thing that matched what he felt—curses.
Curses, a forbidden branch of magic, banned by the Union since the founding of the Alliance. Yet, these curses weren't ordinary; they were of a complexity and power that required immense knowledge and skill to create.
"No wonder the Headmaster advised Alyssa to quit," he thought. "Even the Headmaster seemed puzzled by the nature of these curses."
It was deeply unsettling to think that such a young individual, not yet even an adult, had been subjected to such a disastrous and unfortunate series of events.
He sighed deeply, pushing aside his thoughts about Alyssa, and once again continued his research.
---
I moved stealthily through the dimly lit corridors, finally arriving at Ryder's room, 05201.
"So, this is where the hero lives," I thought quietly to myself.
Leaving the building, I made my way to the main hall and stepped outside into the cool night air. I scanned the dormitory's facade and located the window of room 05201. The architecture was thoughtfully designed, featuring ledges and protrusions that offered a natural path upward.
"Hehe," I whispered with a hint of mischief.
I began my ascent, carefully placing my hands on the ledges and leveraging my mana to enhance my grip and speed. Within moments, I reached the window.
'I could have forced a dramatic entry, but that would have made too much noise for a quiet night.'
With a final check to ensure no one was watching, I prepared to make my move.
I swiftly reached the window leading into his room. The curtains were left slightly ajar, allowing me to glimpse Ryder's face as he slept. His features were flawless, the kind that would make any girl swoon.
"Tsk. Such a perfect face, spoiled by his personality."
I tried to open the window, but I found out too late it was locked from the inside.
"What do I do now?"
I muttered, scanning for other possible ways of getting in.
There was none.
'I should probably just yank it hard enough to force it open.'
With my hand being ready to tear it apart, a voice interrupted.
[ I will open it for you. ]
"..."
[ … ]
"...What the fuck."