CHAPTER 212: EX 212. THE LIBRARY

After Leon’s tale, the vessel grew quiet, its hum the only sound as it cut through the forest toward Shantel. Leon leaned against the railing, eyes widening as the ground blurred beneath them.

’This speed...’ he thought, astonished. ’Even if I burned ten thousand attack points at once, it wouldn’t be enough to keep up.’

Ten thousand points was nothing to him now, he could earn more than that in a single day of grinding, but he wasn’t foolish enough to waste it on a whim, not just to test himself against the winds. The vessel had one flaw: it took a moment to gather its momentum. But once it surged into full stride, it became a beast, a predator of speed that nothing short of magic could outrun.

At that speed, it didn’t take long before the silhouette of Shantel appeared on the horizon. As the vessel slowed, descending to a calmer pace near the gates, James stood and said, "We are here."

Leon rose, his eyes narrowing at the sight below. The town was far worse than he had expected. Streets that should have thrummed with life instead dragged on in silence. The people were thin, their faces drawn and sickly, clothes hanging loose on frail bodies. Houses leaned like broken teeth, some little more than wood patched together, barely fit to be called homes.

It was the look in their eyes that struck him most. That hollow, glassy emptiness, eyes that had stopped hoping, stopped resisting. People who had given up.

Leon narrowed his eyes as the vessel drifted closer. ’So this is what happens when a tyrant rules unchecked.’

James’ voice broke his thoughts. The mage’s eyes swept over the ruined streets, his tone heavy with a quiet pride. "Because of the tyrant’s reign, the people of Shantel have learned to be sufficient, to rely on what our lands produce. If not... we would not have survived this long."

Leon’s jaw tightened. He shook his head. "This... is not surviving," he said at last. His voice carried like iron in the wind, drawing James and his team’s eyes to him. "This will be a thing of the past. From this day forward, the town of Shantel will no longer exist in such dire straits. A new era has begun, and that era will bring nothing but prosperity."

For a heartbeat, silence hung in the cabin. Then James exhaled, his throat tightening. The reality that the tyrant bear was dead still felt surreal, but hearing Leon declare it... it stirred something deep. Hope. For the first time in years, hope had returned. James bowed his head, hiding his eyes. ’Thank you, Leon.’

The vessel landed at the docking platform with a metallic thud, steam hissing as its panels released pressure. James and his team disembarked first, stretching stiff limbs. He turned to Leon. "We will go and report the ordeal to our Lord. Crystal will lead you to the library."

Leon inclined his head. "Thank you."

It never crossed James’ mind to bring Leon before the Lord. Leon was a force unto himself, far beyond their station, someone who fought with the strength of a rank six at such a young age. It was the Lord who should be meeting him, not the other way around.

James and his men departed quickly, their steps brisk with purpose, leaving Leon and the lone female scout behind. Crystal adjusted her cloak, her gaze lingering on him a fraction longer than it should have.

"Sir Leon," she said at last, her tone steady though her eyes carried the weight of respect, "the library is this way."

Leon nodded and fell into step behind her, the echo of his earlier vow still ringing in his chest.

A new era begins.

****

Crystal led Leon through the streets until they reached a stone building tucked away at the edge of the inner district. The library of Shantel. Its heavy oak doors creaked when pushed open, releasing the scent of dust, ink, and parchment.

Leon’s first glance inside told him enough. Shelves lined the walls, filled but sparse compared to the endless rows he remembered in the Kael estate back home. His family’s private library was ten times larger and better maintained too, but this place... this place had the weight of age. Books and scrolls that had survived four generations without a proper update.

Still, Leon stepped inside without complaint. Information is information. Old or not, I’ll use what I can get.

He turned to Crystal, who lingered just behind him like a shadow. "Can you wait outside? I’d like some time alone."

Crystal hesitated for only a heartbeat before nodding. "As you wish, Sir Leon." She stepped out, closing the heavy door behind her. Silence claimed the room.

Leon exhaled slowly, running a hand across the nearest shelf. "No one else here. Not surprising. Who has time for books when survival is the only concern?" He traced the spines with his fingers, their leather cracked but intact. "It’s a miracle these are still in good condition at all."

He pulled a handful of tomes and carried them to the nearest table, their weight thudding softly on the wood. Seating himself, he muttered, "What I need to know first is the world. If I understand what I’m dealing with, I can start plotting from there."

His hands moved with practiced ease, flipping open the first book. The letters glowed faintly in his vision, trial resonance allowed him to read this world’s tongue as though it were his own. Writing, however, was another matter. That limitation didn’t bother him. Reading was more than enough.

"Now..." he leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table, "let’s see what you’re about."

Page after page slid beneath his fingers until a line made him pause. His brows furrowed, and he leaned closer, reading it again.

He blinked, then spoke the words aloud to be sure he hadn’t imagined them:

"The world of Pandora has four major races: the humans of the Arman Empire... the nature-loving elves of the Great Forest... the powerful dragons of Dragon Mountain... and the wild beastmen of the Beast Islands."

Leon’s voice lingered in the empty library, the names carrying a weight he hadn’t expected. He sat back in his chair, fingers drumming against the wood. Four major races... humans, elves, dragons, beastmen.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "This is going to be interesting."