Iris placed her hands on the window frame. Beyond the third floor on which she stood, a beautiful, calming landscape emerged. Houses and stores, like flowers amidst the grassland, called attention to themselves. Their picturesque rooftops reflected the setting sun's orange dusk light, painting the pale sky with cool yet warm shades.
Across the horizon, instead of the mountain ranges and boundless forests of the Central Continent, the Eastern Continent only had the vast oceans surrounding it. On the swirling waves, ships, fueled by natural winds and glowing magical engines, sailed along and against the currents. Below the clouds, aircraft, built with exotic woodcrafts and metallic motors, drifted from one vantage point to another.
So, this is what a living civilisation of this world looks like.
Iris took a deep breath. Cool wind entered her lungs, seeped into her flesh, and tingled her extremities. She felt like she had returned to when she was Elizabeth, the Eldest Young Miss of Goodwill Family.
The way of living between the Monster Girls and the Pure Races were incomparable. The Pure Races were the true ruler of the world. They occupied most of the landscapes, transforming them into lands of comfort and order.
Only the Broken Empire, the paradise for Monster Girls, could compete with the Pure Races.
"You’ve never been to a city before?"
Ludmint walked towards Iris, stood close, and observed her curiosity. The two were so close that Iris could smell the scents of medicines and chemicals from Ludmint. Not only those scents, but also the ethereal fragrance of perfumes, herbs, sweats, and passions.
Iris held her breathes, her arms tingling. Something about Ludmint gave her a chill. She still couldn't figure what type of Monster Girl Ludmint was, but she was too shy to ask, and it seemed that Ludmint wanted her to keep guessing.
"I've been to a few cities before, but they are not like this," Iris said. "This place looks like it comes from the collective dream of the mass. Everything looks orderly despite how chaotic it should be."
"That's a strange assessment, as expected from you." Ludmint smiled. "In your eyes, I see no awe. Have you ever seen something more beautiful than this?"
"I've been inside an incomparably ancient ruin. Just the wreckage alone has shown me something I thought impossible."
"How envious." Ludmint flicked her hands. A quill and a journal manifested in her hands. "The Eastern Continent are mostly islands and seas. It is exceedingly rare for us to find any ancient ruin or sunken island. They also decay over time, making it even more difficult to find them intact."
Iris looked at Ludmint, whose eyes glittered like a child eager for a bedtime story. Though they had been together for a short time, they had felt their limits and personalities already. As long as one did not ask any sensitive question about their identity, the other would gladly answer the question.
It was also a way of exchanging information. After all, Iris came from the Central Continent, which, to Ludmint, was a faraway land full of magical stories.
"I can tell you, but what can you tell me?" Iris smiled. "Ever since I began travelling across the land, searching for my place, I've come to realise how little I knew about this world. It is so big, yet I am so small, insignificant, powerless."
Ludmint fell silent. Her hands, which gripped on the quill and the journal, trembled. Though Iris didn't know what the story behind Ludmint was, she knew her words resonated with Ludmint.
"We're but mere mortals, subjected to the whim of the strong," Ludmint said. "If not for the Corruption Power coursing through my soul, I would still be a fragile woman who can only drift across the sea throughout my life."
Iris remained silent. Inside the room, only the ambient noises disrupted the contemplation between two Monster Girls, whose past weighted on them throughout their lives.
"Getting emotional, how embarrassing of me," Ludmint said. Her aura returned to its previous liveliness. "If you want to find out more about the world, I can give you a few recommendations. My human identity is a famous scholar with many connections."
"There is no need for you to go through such length for me. I'm a foreign person, whom you couldn't have known. It will only draw attention if you suddenly give me special privileges. Just tell me their names and locations."
Ludmint paused. Her eyes flashed. Iris didn't miss it, but she pretended not to see anything.
If she accepted the offer, she would have been in debt of Ludmint as well as the Court of Indulgence. She didn’t know what kind of place it was. If possible, she didn’t want to rely on it too much. She had to build her path in the case where everything went wrong.
"So long as you don't regret it." Ludmint chuckled. "In Donhalgen, there are three places renounced for their collections: the Prime Archive of the Knoffvegent Imperial Family, the Royal Magic Academy of the Elemental Council, and the Vault of Scriptures of the Church of Knowledge. You probably don't want to go near the last one, so you should focus on the first two. In my opinion, the Royal Magic Academy is the easiest, but it also takes the longest."
"What about the Prime Archive?"
"It is the largest library of the Garcient Kingdom, funded by the imperial family itself. Because of its lax requirement for membership, it's also one of the biggest institutions of the Eastern Continent. If you have extraordinary talents or unprecedented findings, you can publish it in the Prime Archive and gain the membership."
"They don't do background checks?" Iris took a deep breath. Both choices are troublesome, but I must gain membership. If I don't take on the proactive role, I'll forever be on the passive side. "What is the minimum requirement for the membership of both institutions?"
"For the Prime Archive, a book that adds a unique view of magic, or an explanation of magical phenomena, or finding of the ancient time. There are many categories, but the minimum requirement is the approval of the Phenomenal Committee.
"For the Royal Magic Academy, if you pass their attribute tests and other written tests, you can become their students and gain access to their vast library of spells. Or you can pass their advance knowledge test and become their professors."
Iris nodded. "What do you want to know?"
Ludmint glowed like a star as she adjusted her posture to a comfortable writing position. Her hands grasped the quill and the journal, her heart racing. She transformed into another person when Iris spoke of her experience, of course, with modifications and withheld secrets.
Still, her unimaginable experience was enough to stun Ludmint. Just the cultures of the Central Continent, the architects of the Labyrinth of Love, and the vast landscapes of the Sinking Dark Forest were enough to fill pages after pages of the journal.
When Iris finished her little speech, an hour had passed. The sun went down the horizon a little further, but the sky was still bright. The rolling waves and shifting clouds persisted, same with the sailing ships and floating aircraft. Unlike the rural towns, Donhalgen was never asleep.
"Ludmint, I want to take a walk and visit a nearby library," Iris said. "Is there anything I should take note of?"
"No more stories?" Ludmint's voice dropped, but she quickly regained her composure. "The city has been quite peaceful for a while now; there aren't many patrolling guards or agents. You won't run into any problems."
"I hope it continue to be peaceful."
After a few minutes, Iris exited the house, donned in a long loose dress and a fluffy hat. Orange sunlight greeted her face, reflecting off her white dress, which danced along the currents of the chill dusk winds. The veil hanging from her hat concealed her eyes, but it could not conceal the smile on her face.
Ever since she came to this world, she had promised herself that she would one day return to the world of Humans, walk among the Humans, and regain her humanity. Though her personality and nature had changed, her promise remained.
The scents of the oceans drifted into her nose. She looked around. The houses and stores surrounding her exclaimed their magnificence in unison. Visitors, natives, guards, and tourists walked the packed streets, their shoes clicking against the brick pavement, producing chaotic rhythms that, though random, gave rise to something musical, something pleasant, soothing.
Iris glanced around and found that her clothes were still too eye-catching, but she could not turn back now. She stepped into the streets, her air shifting towards that of Elizabeth, the Eldest Young Miss of Goodwill Family. Even officials and nobles passing by had to stop to admire her demeanour, which instilled a sense of dignity into them.
As she walked, the crowd instinctively parted for her.
Have I overdone my entrance? I might have underestimated the natural charm of a Monster Girl, especially a Transformation Phase Monster Girl.
Because of the Corruption Power, Monster Girls all became extraordinarily beautiful, their auras made for seduction, corruption, and sensuality. To the ordinary Pure Races, such beauty was dream-like, unimaginable, and heart-gripping. Even when Iris disguised herself as her previous appearance, her aura remained.
Fortunately, she had memorised the location of the nearby library and didn't need to ask for directions. She kept her mysterious air and walked towards the library, giving her glance to no one, caring for nothing except herself.
Her cold, aloof attribute, though safe, attracted even more attention.
Throughout the journey, she maintained silence. As she entered the more secluded, sophisticated part of the city, the crowds gradually dispersed. With more magnificently dressed people gathered, Iris felt at ease. She walked along with nobles and officials, who knew better not to stare at strangers.
When she entered the library, her air transformed from cold indifference to fleeting ethereality. The background noises from the outside faded into obscurity, blocked by the sound isolation formation of the library. In here, serenity reigned.
"Miss, welcome to Auburn Leaf Library. Are you here to borrow or to read?" the librarian said. She adjusted her glasses and lowered her head, tensing. "If you don't have a membership card, there will be a fee for it, as well as a small monthly maintenance fee—"
"This is my first time, but I know the rules. A friend recommended me this place." Iris took out her purse and placed a few silver coins Ludmint gave her on the reception desk. "I don't need a VIP room. I'll just read at a public table."
The librarian quickly made a new card, engraved a small magic circuit on it, and checked for any mistake in the information. Iris intensely watched the process, learning about the applications of magic, which she found fascinating.
"Here's your card, Miss Iris," the librarian said.
Iris received the card. Her fingers playfully grazed the librarian, who shivered, her face turning red.
"Thank you, Miss Librarian." Iris smiled. "May I know your name? I've already told you mine. It’s only fair."
"My name is Tundra. I’m a Mage Apprentice working part-time as a librarian."
Iris nodded, took off her hat, and went into the inner part of the library. There were only a few people inside, but they paid no attention to others. Their eyes fixed on their books. Iris took out a book about the myths of the world and found a quiet place to sit. She gradually sank into the world of knowledge.
