Tetsu quickly regained his composure and asked Lucian. "Wow, that was such a powerful attack! How did you do that?"
Lucian looked at him with curiosity. "Haven't you seen channeling before?"
"I have, plenty of times from the seniors." Tetsu replied excitedly. "but your attack was as strong, if not stronger, than theirs!"
"Do you know how to perform channeling?" Lucian asked, intrigued.
Tetsu hesitated before admitting. "No, I don't. I understand the theory, but I've never tried to learn it seriously. Most of my time has been spent working on blacksmithing." His voice was low, and he seemed a bit disappointed in himself.
Seeing Tetsu's hesitation reminded Lucian of himself and his past life. "There's no need to feel bad about that." Lucian reassured him. "You'll definitely learn it in time, and if you need help, I'll be there."
"Really? Thank you, Senior, for such an opportunity." Tetsu said, bowing respectfully.
"Don't worry about it. Now, let's get going to the library before it gets too late." Lucian replied, already heading toward the building.
Tetsu followed, and soon they arrived at the wagon, setting off for the library. After about fifteen minutes, they reached the massive city library, its long staircase leading up to a towering entrance. As Lucian stepped out of the wagon, he could truly appreciate the library's impressive scale.
"Alright, boys." Galen said seriously. "no leaving the library until I come to pick you up, no talking to strangers, and remember, danger could be anywhere. Be careful, okay? Tetsu, keep Lucian and yourself out of trouble."
"Don't worry, Mr. Galen. I'll keep Lucian and myself safe." Tetsu assured him.
"Yeah, we'll stay in the library, Promise." Lucian added.
Galen looked at them both, still a bit concerned but sensing their sincerity. "Just be safe." he repeated, handing Lucian a small leather pouch. "There are a couple of copper sols in here for the library fee and to rent a book. Alright, I'll be off." With that, Galen drove away, and Lucian and Tetsu began climbing the stairs.
At the top, they approached a small counter, where a beautiful woman in an elegant black dress sat. Her attire covered her fully except for her face and hair, her hands clad in black silk gloves, with golden patterns woven into her dress.
Lucian found himself mesmerized, but Tetsu's tap on his shoulder quickly snapped him out of it. "Where'd you drift off to?" Tetsu chuckled.
"Two tokens, please." Tetsu requested from the woman at the counter.
She retrieved two tokens from beneath her desk, each with a different number. "Here you go. That'll be two copper sols. Don't lose these, they're required for renting and returning books, And no weapons are allowed inside. Please hand over your weapons, they will be returned to you when you exit the building." Lucian handed his dagger and short sword to the lady, while Tetsu, carrying only his bag, had nothing to surrender.
Before Lucian could pay, Tetsu quickly placed the two copper sols on the counter and took the tokens. "Since senior promised to help me, please let me cover this," Tetsu said with a smile, handing Lucian one of the tokens.
They entered the library, and Lucian turned to Tetsu. "Hey, why is the token required when returning the book? I understand it for renting, as proof of payment, but why for returns?"
"The token serves multiple purposes." Tetsu explained. "First, as proof of payment, like you said. But they also enchant the book and token with a spell, so the token informs them of any changes or damages to the book. If the damage is severe, they'll charge you for it."
"Smart system." Lucian mused, looking around curiously at the various books of all sizes. "Are we allowed to rent any book we want?"
"No, only books on this first level are accessible to us. Higher levels require special permission." Tetsu replied.
"I see. Where should I start, then?" Lucian asked, glancing at the shelves brimming with books.
Tetsu thought for a moment, then pointed to a nearby shelf. "Why not start there? Those are history books. When I first came, the staff recommended those to me."
'History books, huh? The one Amara brought was helpful, but it mostly covered the academy's history, not the continent or the world. Maybe these will have better information.' Lucian thought, deciding to explore them. "Thanks, Tetsu! What about you? What will you be reading?"
"Oh, I'm here to continue some research of my own." Tetsu said excitedly. "Let's grab our books and find a bench to read."
Lucian nodded and headed to the shelf, scanning the rows of books. Though initially overwhelmed, he eventually noticed one that intrigued him. Unlike the others, it wasn't particularly eye-catching, but the title, 'Hunger of the Dead', seemed more like a fantasy novel than a history book, which piqued his curiosity.
Tetsu returned with his own book and noticed Lucian's choice. "Ah, so that one caught your attention too?"
"Have you read it before?" Lucian asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I have. It left quite an impression," Tetsu replied with a hint of nervousness, as though the book held unsettling memories.