A visit to library

On his second day in the capital city, Hiroto woke up still not knowing what to do with his time. He wanted to ask for permission to use the library, but who was he even supposed to ask?

He decided to just go and see for himself. Maybe he wouldn't need permission after all. After eating breakfast, he went straight to the library.

Finding it wasn't a difficult task. He asked a servant for directions, and after a moment of hesitation, the man guided him there.

The place was a real library—a massive, separate building dedicated entirely to books. It made the single-room library back at the Rodrick estate seem like a small closet. While the scale was impressive, Hiroto wasn't too surprised; on Earth, buildings of this size were a common sight. After taking a moment to admire the architecture, he entered.

The entrance itself wasn't guarded, but inside, he could see several soldiers standing watch. The vast hall was filled with people reading, and the absolute silence created the perfect environment for study.

Hiroto looked around and saw a man shelving books who appeared to be an employee. He walked over and called out to him. 

"Excuse me..."

The man glanced at Hiroto, raising an eyebrow.

"Do I need any special permission to read books here?" Hiroto asked.

The man said nothing. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward a large counter in the center of the hall—the one place Hiroto had hoped to avoid, as it would surely draw the most attention.

Hiroto looked back at the man, who was now just observing him with a blank expression.

"So... you want me to go over there?" Hiroto asked, stretching his cheeks awkwardly.

The man didn't react. After another beat of uncomfortable silence, he turned away and went back to his work, leaving Hiroto feeling completely confused. He wasn't sure he'd understood the silent exchange correctly, but he had his answer. With a sigh, he began to walk toward the counter where a young woman was sitting.

The young woman at the counter had vibrant orange hair tied up in a neat bun. The problem was, from Hiroto's angle, the bun was all he could see. Her head was facing straight down, and it quickly became apparent that she was dozing off.

Hiroto tried calling out to her softly, but she was in a deep slumber. He glanced around helplessly. 

Maybe I should have just waited for Sofia after all.

Hiroto let out a sigh. Just then, a guard who had been standing in the distance noticed his predicament. He approached with a steady gait. 

"You appear to be in some trouble, young sir."

Hiroto gestured toward the sleeping librarian. 

"I wanted to ask her a question, but..."

The guard glanced at the woman and didn't seem surprised in the slightest. This must be a common occurrence here, Hiroto realized.

"What did you need to know?" the guard asked.

"Well..." 

Hiroto explained that he was a guest of the royal family staying at the castle and wanted to know if he was permitted to access the library's books. Upon hearing this, the guard let out a brief chuckle. Hiroto looked at him, confused.

"You don't need any special permission for that," the guard explained kindly. "You just need to register with us. A name and a few details are all it takes."

Hiroto's expression immediately brightened.

"Just fill out this form." 

The guard reached under the counter, pulled out a registration form, and handed it to him. Hiroto happily took it.

"Just a few rules to keep in mind," the guard added. "Do not damage or lose the books, or you will have to compensate for them. Return everything on time, or you'll lose borrowing privileges in the future. At worst, you could be banned from the library entirely."

Most of the rules seemed like common sense, but Hiroto thought the penalty of being banned was a bit extreme. Pushing that thought aside, he quickly filled out the form. Hiroto handed the completed form back to the guard. The man gave it a quick check, nodded, and placed it on the counter beside the sleeping librarian.

"If you don't mind my asking, is there a particular kind of book you're looking for?" the guard asked with a friendly smile.

Hiroto didn't have anything to hide. It wasn't as if he was looking for something forbidden.

Reading about magic isn't illegal here... is it? 

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but he answered honestly. 

"I'm looking for books related to magic."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the guard's smile vanished. His friendly expression was replaced with one of confusion, which in turn made Hiroto confused. What was so strange about his request?

The guard finally spoke, his tone now cautious. 

"Well, we have a few basic texts on the subject." He paused, studying Hiroto's face. "But those books can be found in any city library. I have a feeling those aren't the ones you're looking for."

Hiroto had no idea what other kinds of magic books the man was talking about. 

"Well, I'll have to see for myself and decide," he replied.

The guard simply gave a curt nod, his earlier friendliness gone. 

"As you wish." 

He then turned and walked back to his post.

Now Hiroto was left with the real challenge: finding the books. In a library of this size, that was already a difficult task. For someone who was here for the first time, with no guide and no idea where to even start, it felt completely daunting.

History, novels, religious texts, fiction, children's books... Hiroto could see signs for all of them, but there was no mention of a magic section. While searching, he once again encountered the same quiet man who had pointed him toward the central desk.

Hiroto thought maybe he should ask him for help.

"Hello," he said, "can you tell me where the magic books section is?"

The man, who had been busy with his work, turned around. He looked at Hiroto in disbelief, as if he wasn't expecting to be spoken to at all. Hiroto felt awkward under his intense gaze. After a moment, the man gave a single, curt nod and started walking.

What? Do you want me to follow you? Hiroto wondered.

Unsure, he followed him. The man led him to the most remote corner of the library and stopped, pointing toward a dusty, shadowed alcove. Hiroto wondered who would ever venture into this forgotten part of the building. But what truly surprised him were the books that were placed there.

There were only three of them, and Hiroto had read all of them. He suddenly understood the man's look of confusion.

"Are there no other books?" Hiroto asked, his disappointment clear in his voice.

The man simply shook his head. Hiroto sighed. He thought that even his family's library had more books than these. Hiroto thanked the silent man and walked back to the central desk, where he found the same guard who had helped him before. He explained his situation and the library's disappointing collection of magic books.

The guard chuckled softly. 

"As expected," he said. "If you're looking for real magic books, you've come to the wrong place. You should have gone to the Magic Tower instead."

"The Magic Tower?" Hiroto asked.

"I don't know much myself," the guard admitted. "But if you want to learn about magic, your best bet would be the Magic Tower, wouldn't you agree?"

Now that Hiroto thought about it, the suggestion seemed obvious. Of course, the real texts would be kept in a place dedicated to magic. He thanked the guard again and went back to his room.

For Hiroto, it had been another unproductive day. But at least now, he had a new goal.