Maggie's eyes widened in surprise as the items in the pouch disappeared after they were scanned. "Looks like Peter finally caved and got you a storage accessory!" she exclaimed. "You must be glad. I know you have wanted one for a long time."

He thought the bracelet the NPC gave him was just an afterthought of the DEVs to show him how inventories worked. However, now he knew it was actually relevant to his storyline. Taking everything into account it would make sense that Peter had it prepared for him as a birthday gift.

"Yes, he did. He gave it to me for my birthday. How did you know?" Lixin asked curiously.

"Simple really. If you didn't have a storage accessory the items wouldn't have disappeared," Maggie said with a knowing smile. "I'm glad you do. The more people with storage spaces, the less money I have to spend buying paper bags."

She chuckled lightly at her own joke, and Lixin followed suit with a small smile of his own.

"So tell me how Peter..." Before Maggie could continue their conversation, two men walked in and greeted her.

"Hey Mags, can you help me? I need four bundles of Kelterwood paper."

"Sure right away, just let me finish up here" she replied, turning back to Lixin. "I got to help these gentlemen but can you do me a favor and tell Peter hello for me and that he is welcome to stop by anytime?"

"Sure thing Ms. Maggie," Lixin said. However, he couldn't help but notice how red her ears were as she asked him to convey her message.

His mind swirled with questions as he left the shop. Did Maggie like Peter? Was there something more between them than friendship?

When he thought back to the information he received when he took over his persona's body he didn't remember seeing any interactions between the two. Plus he didn't see how Peter having a romantic subplot would fit into his storyline so he concluded that it was unlikely to happen.

'Maybe she was just cold,' Lixin naively thought, making a mental note to remember to tell Peter what she said.

Once he was outside the store, he opened the map function and activated the quest locator again. When he did so, a green circle appeared on the map marking where he needed to go.

However, because it was using the map Peter gave him, most of the town was obscured, making navigation difficult. As a result, he was glad he had a new map to refer to.

"Open Inventory!" Lixin muttered, not wanting to be heard by the NPCs walking past.

As soon as he said those words his bracelet glowed and a silver screen appeared in front of him. While he was glancing at the slots for the map he just brought his attention was drawn to the voucher he got from the previous quest.

"That's right, my armor voucher," he said, clicking on it. "I almost forgot all about it."

C-Ranked Armor Voucher: A thank you gift given by Francis and Delia Earhart. This voucher will allow you to get a free  custom-made armor set. To redeem, you must visit Earhart Tailory.

Lixin was surprised to see that Peter's friends owned a tailor shop. But it made sense. How else could they give him a voucher?

Curious about where the place was located, he pulled his newly purchased map from his inventory and unrolled it. Just like before the map started to shine in a bluish-gold color before disappearing.

[Cora:] [F-Ranked Map has been added to your Map Function. Would you like it to replace the current Azalea Cove map? Yes or No?]

Immediately after he selected yes, the map interface changed. Unlike before, he could see the entire town, and the buildings were clearly marked. Lixin couldn't believe how detailed everything was. If this was the interface for an F-ranked map, he could only imagine how it would be for a higher-ranked one.

'Well I will find out in due time,' Lixin thought as he scanned the map for Earhart Tailory. However, he saw that it was located on the other side of town.

He had been thinking about cashing in the voucher before heading to the library, but seeing how far away the shop was changed his mind. 'It's not like I will need it where I'm heading anyway.'

~

After a few minutes of walking, the pathway he was on abruptly ended, and an old set of steps led him down to a paved road to the library. It was not what he had expected. Instead of a large grandiose building, it was quite quaint. 

If he had to make a comparison, he would say it resembled a refurbished cottage. It looked like something out of an old movie.

Especially with the two stone columns that stood on either side of a pair of thick wooden doors that were intricately carved with woodland scenes complete with deer, foxes, bears, squirrels, rabbits, and birds. He didn't know why but the pictures reminded him of a child's drawing. But it would be in theme since he had a feeling that children would love this place.

After taking another look at the building he headed inside only to be stunned by how cozy it was inside. The place looked like it was made for maximum reading comfort. There were bookshelves filled with books from floor to ceiling, soft chairs and couches in every corner, and a fireplace in the middle of the room. Everything was arranged in such a way that it created a perfect atmosphere for reading and relaxing.

'If there were a library like this in the real world I would definitely read more,' Lixin mused as he looked around for the librarian.

Lixin scanned the room and his eyes settled on a woman sitting at an old wooden desk in the corner. Her face was etched with scowl lines and her eyes were heavy and sad, but there was a faint strength hidden beneath them.

There was an aura around her that warned others to stay away, so he was hesitant to approach her. He quickly brushed off the feeling and stepped forward to greet her.

"Hello," Lixin said brightly. "Are you Mrs. Mayflower?"

Instead of answering him, she shushed him harshly. "Quiet, this is a library."

Though taken aback by her brusque tone, he continued. "I'm sorry, I was just excited to speak to...”

She cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "Yes, I know. I'm Mrs. Mayflower. How can I help you?"

He paused before speaking, attempting to become more comfortable in the heavy silence that hung between them. “Peter told me you might be able to help me find information about the Huánghé Realm and Kakodaimōns."

A slight flicker behind her eyes caught his attention when he asked about that, but it disappeared as soon as it came. "I only have one book with the information you're looking for. However, it barely mentions Kakodaimōns."

"That's fine." Lixin had already expected not to learn much all at once. At most, he would only get glimpses of details as the story unfolded.

Nodding, Mrs. Mayflower grabbed a quill and parchment and scribbled something on it before ringing a bell on the desk.

A loud thud was heard from behind the book stacks followed by a young boy running out to them. He halted in front of Mrs. Mayflower and asked if she needed anything.

“Yes,” she replied, handing him the paper she had written on earlier. “Get this book for this young man here."

The boy gave Lixin an inquisitive glance before leading him away toward the bookshelves.

~

Author Says:

MomoCatt: Hey Lix, should I send Peter some Oysters?

Lixin: Why would you do that?

MomoCatt: They might come in handy when he talks to Maggie.

Lixin: Pft… as if those two…

MomoCatt: Just wait and see.