— Gisei!
— Gisei!
— Gisei!
In the distance a boy's voice is heard shouting.
"I hope Gisei turns around soon."
Gisei seems to realize that she is being called and proceeds to turn towards the direction where the sound is coming from. Turning her gaze, she realizes that it is the boy she met the day before, and the two of them approach until they are close enough to talk normally.
— Hello, Hikaru, what a surprise to see you here," says Gisei, as she puts a finger on her cheek.
- Actually, Gisei, I was just finishing training and was thinking of going to the library, but I have no idea where it is.
— Oh, really? What a coincidence, I'm on my way to the library just now. If you want, we can go together," he mentions with a smile.
— Thanks, I really didn't know who to ask about this and I didn't want to get lost.
— Don't worry, it looks like you're lucky today because I'm here. Good, let's go.
We start walking towards the direction of the library while having a little chat.
— Hey, Hikaru, why do you want to go to the library?
— Umm, I guess I'd like to know what it's like. Where I come from, there aren't many libraries, and the ones there are are very small.
— Then don't worry, I will help you. You will be amazed to see the library; it is the largest on this continent and perhaps the largest in the world. You'll see it when we get there.
— It looks like you've been there before, hahaha.
— I actually went there yesterday after the introductory class, and I was very surprised at how wonderful it is. I've been to great libraries before, but this is definitely the best one I've seen," she says with a pleased look on her face.
— Do you like books very much, Gisei? -I ask with a puzzled face at the way she talks so passionately about the library.
— I don't just like them, I love books. Books are a human's best friend; they are records of things that have passed and should not be lost. To me, books are invaluable.
"He really gets very excited about books, his eyes even sparkle, hahaha."
— Tell me, Gisei, what are you doing in the library today, are you studying any special subject?
— I don't study anything special. I just read the first book that catches my attention. I don't care about the subject: whether it's history, the system or even a romance novel. As long as it's interesting, I like to read anything.
After a while more walking and chatting about books, we arrived at the library.
— This is, Hikaru, contemplates the great library of Thrace.
In front of us was a huge library. I had never seen anything like it, maybe even bigger than the auditorium. The entrance is large in a mostly white color, and seems to be built of marble. The facade exudes a touch of elegance and wisdom. As I enter, I see that it is even more spacious, seemingly four stories high, filled with bookshelves made of a dark wood, each with hundreds of books. It was amazing. On the ceiling, there was a painting of a sky with numerous stars. The walls had large windows through which natural light poured in. Despite its imposing size, there were no students inside; everything was very calm and quiet.
— It's amazing, isn't it? The first time I walked in I had the same expression as you, haha.
— This is bigger and better than I imagined. It's... fabulous.
— The first thing we have to do is check you in. Well, come on, there's the reception; let's talk to the person in charge.
We approached the reception desk, which was almost at the side of the entrance. A girl could be seen reading as she sat there. She was wearing a light and airy looking dress that covered her completely, from neck to legs, which looked antique, as I had not seen that kind of dresses before. It was a single set in creamy pink tones, embroidered with some black details. The shoulders and back looked bare. As we got closer, I realized she was not human; she had a pair of white feathered wings on her back, resembling those of an angel, and long pink hair. When she became aware of our presence, she hid her wings, making them disappear. As she turned her gaze, I could see the beautiful face of a young woman in her 20s or 24s. She seemed to be looking only at me; with her eyes wide open and shining, she was staring at me. Captivated by her gaze, I noticed that her eyes were different colors: one was yellow and the other blue. In those beautiful eyes, where the pupil should be, there was a small bright cross, but when we got closer she also closed her eyes. Still amazed by her beauty and without taking our eyes off her, we reached her. As we approached, Gisei began to speak to her.
— Good afternoon, Librarian. Please, I would like to register my friend.
She after looking at me so deeply turned her head still with her eyes closed to Gisei. With a sweet and relaxed voice, almost to the point of being divine, she spoke.
— Welcome to the great library of Thrace. I will be happy to help you. I just need your student card," there was a faint smile on her face, as she looked back at me.
I took my student card out of my pocket, still enraptured by her presence, and gave it to her. After receiving it, she imbued it with power with the help of the system.
— Light System: Hon," her words echoed through the library.
After using the system, my card glowed for a brief moment.
— Here you go," he held out his hand to hand me the card. Since you are F class, I won't be able to lend you books to take with you, but you can come as many times as you want so you can use the books inside here.
Still unable to say anything, I just took the card and nodded with my eyes. After that, Gisei spoke to me.
— Hikaru, how nice! Now let's go look at the books, come on.
She took me by the hand and led me to the second floor, where there were more books. As we were walking up the stairs, I turned to where the receptionist was and saw that she was looking at me again with wide eyes and an angelic smile. When I realized that, I turned around and blushed a little. Once we were on the second floor, I asked Gisei about the manager.
— Hey, Gisei, what race is the manager? I mean, she didn't look human after all.
— Did you notice? She is of the Fylkas race, they are very rare to see. The first time I came, I realized that she is of that race when she slightly opened her eyes. I was very surprised.
— Just by the eyes? Didn't you see its wings?
— Wings? What do you mean? -she asks confused. They don't show their wings to just anyone. I'm not sure why, but I'm pretty sure they don't.
— When we arrived, she had wings on her back. Didn't you see them?
— Hahaha, I think you dreamed it, you looked silly just staring at her hahaha, tell me, were you captivated by her beauty? -says Gisei with a mocking face.
This fool is just laughing at me. I'd better not tell her more about it.
— Hey, while we're here, what books do you recommend? Are there any interesting ones?
— Yes, of course there are. I saw an interesting one yesterday. Come," with a face radiating joy, she pulled me along with her.
"This place is huge. At times you'd think I was lost. Everything looks so much the same that we seem to be going around in circles, but I guess with her I won't get lost."
— She's in this section.
As you look at the sign, it says "History and Culture."
— Is the book you liked about history? -I ask, a little confused.
— Of course it is, history narrates events from the past, aren't you curious about what happened before the dragon god's calendar?
— No, I didn't even think about why it's called that. It's not something that keeps me awake at night," I answer ironically.
"She's looking at me angrily. She probably doesn't like it when people talk bad about the books."
— Listen to me carefully, Hikaru. History is a very important treasure for mankind. It is the fruit of so many decades of knowledge. It is not something to be underestimated -she tells me, angry-. The first thing you should do, since you are here, is to nurture your basic knowledge.
After telling me that, he started looking through the shelves for a book. After a few moments, he grabbed one and handed it to me.
— Look, this one will help you with the basics. It's about the nine races that inhabit the earth. It will do you good to read it, since you don't even know how to recognize one of the strongest races, such as the Fylkas.
— I think you are right. I should read about the races -I take the book he holds in his hand.
— Well, what do you say we sit at a table over there? -Before I know it, she already has another book in her hands.
So we walked to some tables not far from where we took the books and sat down to read.