She descended the staircase with quick feet. The spell theory books in the living room were stored into the bottom of the nearest bookshelf, which was quite empty. Perplexed by her behavior, Kane decided to stay on the second floor. It was not a bad idea to eavesdrop from afar. His presence in the restricted library would raise suspicion, after all.

The double doors were pushed open, accompanied by low chatter and footsteps. Kane could determine that there were two people based on the number of auras he could detect. He leaned against one of the bookshelves and closed his eyes.

“Oh, you’re here as always, Liana,” said a girl with an unenthusiastic tone. Kane recognized the voice. It was Sharon, despite the vast difference in tone. He was relieved that he gave an honest answer. Liana could have introduced him to other Class’s students, which would cause more problems.

“Hello, Sharon. Come to borrow another book?” There was a pause before she spoke again. “You too, Hymar?”

“Of course… My desire for knowledge hasn’t been satiated since the renovation began…” A hoarse male voice spoke slowly.

Sharon then spoke, “Let’s do the usual, shall we. Liana, fetch me ‘The Dovanos’s Philosophy’, please. What about you, Hymar?”.

“Today I crave for a water rank 2 spell theory book… Any spell will do…”

“I’ll be right back.” She scurried into the bookshelves area.

Does she work as a librarian in this area? Kane wondered why Liana obeyed their orders even though they were in the same league. Aside from that, Hymar’s words piqued Kane’s interest. His words confirmed the existence of rank 2 spell theory books in this library, though he wouldn’t bother learning them yet.

“Heh… she hasn’t changed at all,” said Hymar.

“As the most useless class S student, it is natural for her to serve the stronger ones. We are already merciful enough to let her be,” replied Sharon.

“True enough… Her only strength is memorizing this entire library’s books…”

“And compliant with us too. Besides, her perfect memory is nothing if she can’t fight at all!” They laughed in unison.

A moment later, Liana arrived with the books. She then placed them on the table before going upstairs while Kane took a brief peek of the two. Sharon’s appearance was the same as the last time they met whereas Hymar, he was quite unusual because he belonged to an uncommon demi-human race called Rubea. His face was an amalgamation between humans and frogs while his hair was similar to a human’s slicked-back black hair. He had a pair of big round yellow eyes with vertical pupils and blue skin complexion. His torso and limbs were nothing too unusual except for his fin-like hands. Usually, Rubeans had high compatibility with water and ice elements, which explained the reason why Hymar asked for a rank 2 water spell.

Liana’s face was less bright than before. When she looked at Kane, her mouth formed a hollow smile before going elsewhere. He had an urge to chase her, but then Hymar and Sharon resumed their conversation.

“Have you found a replacement for ‘that’, Sharon…?” asked Hymar.

“I did. I found someone interesting recently. Perfect for that purpose. I need more time to prepare, however,” said Sharon.

“Good… Does that mean I can stop searching, then? It’s so troublesome…”

“You can, Hymar. I appreciate your effort to find good candidates in this school,” said Sharon.

“I merely do it because I owe you in the past… I have no interest in your twisted hobby…”

“That’s fine. I cannot expect everyone to have a… refined taste such as myself.”

“Refined taste, my arse…” He spat. “Whatever… I shall not inquire about this matter again…”

What is she planning? I hope it doesn’t involve me… Kane stopped listening to them as they returned reading their book with silence. He walked toward where Liana was. However, she was nowhere to be found, as though she disappeared into thin air.

He noticed a protruding book on one of the shelves on the far end. When he pushed the odd book, the bookshelf slid left, occupying the empty spot. It revealed a hidden passage that lead to the upper floor. Kane trod the spiral stairs with caution. The bookshelf returned to the previous position after he reached certain steps, closing the exit.

Kane arrived in an open space. The first thing he saw was the expansive blue sky, and then the flat concrete rooftop. As he walked forward, a gentle breeze blew against his skin. The entire campus could be seen from there, along with the city of Rabrond. On the far north was a house with a wall made entirely of glass while the rest were made of white bricks. It showed the interior clearly: a long, red couch on the corner, a set of dining furniture, and another fireplace that was connected to the same chimney as the fireplace from before. Liana was lying on the sofa, rifling through the green book.

When she glanced outside, her eyes bulged as she saw Kane. She dropped the book and headed outside to approach him. Walking slowly, she shouted, “How did you find this place!?”

“Your method of hiding the entrance is too common, not to mention the lack of any security measures to prevent strangers like me from entering,” replied Kane. He had seen a similar mechanism a couple of times in his life.

“Nobody has ever managed to reach here aside from Reynar and my parents, so I never thought about that. Once again, I’m amazed.” Liana uttered a sigh. “Since you’re here, you must’ve looked for me, right?”

Kane nodded. “I need your help.”

“For what? You’ve heard their conversation. They seem to forget that their voices are loud enough to reach the library’s end.”

“Perhaps to them, but not to me. I promise you that it doesn’t involve fetching books,” assured Kane.

“So you’re saying that… I’m not useless?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

Liana was taken aback. Her bright smile returned once again. “I… I’m really happy you said that.” Realizing something, she creased her brows. “Wait, what do you want me to do, Kane?”

“First, let’s go to your, er-” Kane pointed at the transparent abode. “-whatever that building is.”

“It’s my home,” said Liana.

They went into the house. It was warm compared to the outside. Making himself home, Kane plopped down with his leg crossed on the couch. Meanwhile, Liana poured a glass of water for her guest and placed it gently on the table. She then sat on one of the chairs.

“Ehmm… I’m sorry if my hospitality is limited. You’re the first student who has stepped into this place.” Liana blushed.

“I don’t mind.” Kane leaned forward. “Let me get straight to the point: I want you to read out loud some spell theory books.”

“Eh!? That’s too embarrassing!” She fidgeted. “Can’t you read them by yourself?”

“I’m not a fan of reading books, frankly, and I find your voice soothing. I think I will understand better that way,” he said.

Liana touched her throat “R-really? I always thought my voice was a bit weird. Wait, what will I get in return?”

“I will help you when you need a book that’s too high to reach,” offered Kane.

“Ohh, so it’s like a butterfly and a flower relationship? I’ll do it!” she said in high spirits.

“It’s a deal, then.”

“So, which books do you want? I remember every single letter of this library’s books… except for the ones on the top shelves.”

Kane shook his head. “Not now. I’m afraid I must return to the lobby. I’ll come here later.” He stood up and walked toward the door.

“Right, I also need some time to practice reading out loud. I’ll give you the smoothest experience you’ll ever hear!”

“You don’t need to be so excited…” muttered Kane. He then realized something. “Is there an alternative way to go down? I prefer not to be seen by others.

“There is, actually. Follow me, I’ll show you.” Liana gestured and walked toward the east of the house. Kane naturally followed her as he grasped his ax hidden behind his back. He must stay vigilant all the time.

She opened the door to a tiny space. A mirror that was engraved full with magic runes stood lonely. Facing the mirror, Liana chanted a long phrase in an unknown language. The reflection turned into a swirling, white light. The center was merely a black dot that seemed deep.

“A mirror portal, huh? Where does this lead to?” asked Kane.

“To the outside of this library, more exactly, the warehouse. I usually use this mirror when I’m feeling lazy.”

“Can you try going in and out?” Kane was a little suspicious of the portal.

“It’s a one-way portal. Also, I don’t want to go outside yet. You should hurry up before the portal is closing,” said Liana.

Kane took a deep breath and said, “Alright. I’ll trust you. Goodbye, Liana.” He extended his arm against the mirror. It then pulled him with great force. In just a blink of an eye, Kane disappeared from the library.

---

Darkness enveloped Kane’s vision for a brief moment. When he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by various gardening equipment. The room was cramped and dim. Grabbing the rusty door handle, he pushed it hard until it opened. He found himself in a place where colorful flowers bloomed and trees grew; it’s a garden. The large brick wall stretched from his most right to his most left. Following the paved path walk, Kane headed toward the exit from the garden.

The garden was adjacent to the library, only a few steps away. However, the entrance was crowded with people. Having no interest, Kane searched for another way in. Suddenly, a familiar voice called him.

“Kane! Over here!” It was Zumi, along with Athera and Brian who was carrying each of Kane’s books and theirs.

He approached her and asked, “Why are there so many people?”

“Before I answer that, you should answer mine first: where have you been?” she asked back.

“I was in the garden, just sightseeing and strolling,” replied Kane, hiding the truth.

“You took your time way too long, Kane. You almost missed the celebrities of this school!” shouted Brian.

“And why should I care?”

“Because they are pretty much the best young mages in this kingdom. They also very rarely come to the school since they spend their time practicing and battling,” he explained.

“Here they come!” Zumi nudged Brian and Athera.