Just as Dark was casually absorbing knowledge, Emma Mortis walked into the reading room, pouting.
She arrived at the library almost a step behind Dark but spent more time among the bookshelves than he did.
Emma was born into a scholarly family; her father taught children to write in the church, and her mother was a disciple of a sage.
After humans eradicated the demon race, they entered a Renaissance period. With the Valkyrie becoming a world-renowned female figure, women's voices gained unprecedented prominence, and many outstanding women emerged in various fields, even in combat, where they were not inferior to men.
Moreover, being a magician is gender-neutral, and the existence of female magicians further elevated women's status.
Emma, influenced by her parents from a young age, loved books and had a strong thirst for knowledge, inheriting her mother's independent personality.
It's not that she wasn't good at making friends, but since entering the academy, she found her peers too immature and wasn't interested in interacting with them.
Besides, St. Marian has the kingdom's largest library, which is her dream paradise!
Immersed in the excitement of seeing precious books, she couldn't help but linger among the bookshelves.
Unlike Dark, who only took one "Magic Spirit Anthology," Emma carried out a whole stack of books.
She wobbled forward with the books, a slight blush on her cheeks.
Everything went smoothly.
Emma found an empty table near Dark, placed the books down in a tall stack, and eagerly started reading.
In her deep immersion, she didn't notice Dark just a few meters to her left.
Two newly enrolled students quietly read their books, only a few meters apart.
...
The library offers snacks to stave off hunger, but unlike the "scentless red tea," all snacks must be eaten in the snack room.
Around six o'clock, Dark went to eat two syrup cakes, dared not eat his favorite chocolate scone, and only drank a small cup of milk before returning to the reading room.
"Magic Spirit Anthology" is also a kind of compendium, but it introduces interesting spirits, is quite miscellaneous, and the descriptions are very humorous, with colored illustrations.
Dark gradually realized that reading this kind of entertainment-oriented book was different from reading textbooks; as long as there wasn't a strong purpose, it wouldn't trigger [Greed].
Moreover, "Magic Spirit Anthology" also contains some knowledge, so it's not considered slacking.
Then he quickly realized that if there were popular novels for sale here, he might be in big trouble...
The desire to chase updates without delay would be seen as [Greed].
Sneaking a peek at a mindless, formulaic novel would be [Sloth].
Reading a mindless popular novel might incur double penalties!
That's too scary!
...
Around seven o'clock.
A group of noisy kids rushed into the library.
Vitt Gold was surrounded in the middle, with the freshmen of the Knight House excitedly asking the hero's son all sorts of questions, completely unaware of the negative impact their behavior had on the quiet library.
Robert was left out, like an ugly duckling abandoned by its companions.
The two of them summoned their familiars one after another, ready to consult the library for information.
But contrary to Dark's guess, Vitt's familiar wasn't a stag, and Robert's familiar wasn't a hound...
The librarian, Pandora Dragon, looked at this group of unruly kids and couldn't help but furrow her beautiful brows.
Immediately, Vitt and the others felt a breeze pass by, and all their voices disappeared!
"Silence Card?"
Vitt quickly shut his mouth and then saw the girl behind the counter with a stern look.
The girl's skin was exceptionally fair, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall, and beneath her eyes was a heart-shaped, scale-like mark.
She leaned forward slightly, and her motherly figure was deformed by the triangle formed by her body and the table, her raised hips outlining a perfect curve, and her legs under the skirt were astonishingly long.
"Mama!"
The effect of the [Silence Card] just wore off, and the word Vitt blurted out was exceptionally clear and abrupt.
Everyone turned sharply to stare at him!
Vitt's cheeks instantly turned red, wishing he could lower his head to his chest—of that senior sister.
"Come here to register."
Pandora said expressionlessly.
These freshmen left a bad impression on her.
Aren't freshmen supposed to be like that cute, innocent, shy little blonde boy from before?
The kind that lowers their head shyly when approached by a big sister, showing a small animal-like expression... slurp~ Pandora quickly tightened her lips, glaring more fiercely at the kids in front of her.
Especially the leader, what does "mama" mean?
Do I look like his mother?
Could it be...
So young and already so lecherous, what will become of him in the future?
Pandora's first impression of Vitt was very poor!
...
Vitt was still blushing even after entering the library.
The other students dispersed, leaving only Robert by his side.
Robert couldn't help but ask, "Vitt, why did you call her mama back then?"
Vitt took a breath and pulled out a delicate pendant from his collar, his most treasured possession.
"Click."
He opened the pendant, revealing the photo inside.
"This is my mom. I look at it every night, imagining what she looks like."
Robert quickly leaned over.
For some reason, the photo only showed a silhouette.
And it was a silhouette taken from a distance.
Although the silhouette was a bit blurry, it still showed Vitt's mom's curvy figure and her signature long black hair.
Indeed, she bore some resemblance to that senior sister.
Robert thought for a moment and suggested, "How about I go ask that senior sister's name for you?"
Vitt hesitated for a while but eventually shook his head, "Better not."
Then he quietly started looking for information.
...
The thoughts of young boys and girls are always hard to guess.
It's like how Vitt said to forget it, but he kept thinking about it.
Or how Emma finally noticed that the person reading in front of her was Dark and thought how annoying he was, always lingering in her line of sight.
But deep down, she couldn't help but feel a bit of joy.
After all, among the freshmen of the Mage House, there really weren't many people like them who "seriously" studied.
Dark was the only one she felt wasn't so immature.
...
At exactly nine o'clock in the evening.
Dark glanced at the clock, closed the "Magic Spirit Anthology," and got up from the table.
Emma was still engrossed in her book, and Dark pretended not to see her.
He found the bookshelf by the remembered number, returned the "Magic Spirit Anthology" to its place, and then glanced at another spot.
"Into the Abyss" had been taken.