Compared to the "Council of Twelve Witches" or Capone's municipal hospital.

Buildings like city libraries, of course, wouldn't choose to be open at night.

Moreover, Ronald wasn't some pirate, nor did he plan to steal in a place where books could be borrowed legitimately.

So even after considering Swift's suggestion.

Ronald still, taking Il and Costate, returned to their cabin to rest.

Until the next day's sunrise, the three got up and enjoyed breakfast on the steamship. Only then did they pack up and head to the library Swift mentioned last night.

As a port city.

The residents of Capone had started their busy day even before sunrise. So as Ronald and the others walked through the morning streets, the city appeared extremely busy to them.

Carriages transporting goods, vendors hawking their products at the intersections, and the noisy work sounds from various docks were constantly visible and audible.

Walking for almost half an hour towards the city center.

When the hustle and bustle started to subside, Ronald and the others finally saw their destination for the day—the city library—at the end of the street.

It was an ancient building.

The feeling of the historical wear and the old smell could almost be sensed without stepping inside, merely by observing it from outside.

An arched wall firmly protected the two-story building in the middle, and on the walls, the patches from repeated repairs showed the incongruity of different brick colors.

"..."

Gazing at the library before them.

Il, who had just arrived, immediately expressed her declaration about it:

"Boss, this is my first time coming to a library?"

Ronald turned to Il with a smile:

"This is your first time coming to a library for yourself, which certainly counts as a wonderful experience."

Il was quite intrigued by Ronald's words:

"Boss, from what you said, your first visit to a library had other purposes?"

"..."

Il's question sparked a memory in Ronald of his past.

Remembering the reason for his very first library visit in his childhood, Ronald couldn't help but smile:

"Ha, it's actually pretty amusing."

"My first library visit was because I happened to see an advertisement for the city library on the street, and a year's free borrowing card cost just ninety bucks..." Realizing the different currencies between worlds, Ronald corrected himself, "Basically, the price for a night in a modest inn."

"So back then, with a mindset of getting something cheap, I went into the library and got a borrowing card."

"And then?" Il curiously urged him to continue.

"And then I discovered the beauty of books and couldn't escape anymore."

Smiling while speaking to Il, Ronald then stepped forward, leading the way into Capone's city library.

The library in front of them.

Probably opened its doors around eight or nine in the morning, welcoming people for reading.

Unfortunately, due to the general level of education.

The literacy rate in Capone was low.

So when Ronald and the others entered the library, besides seeing two well-dressed men nearby, they couldn't find any other person there to read.

The library's internal structure, much like its circular outer walls, matched the rounded design. Standing in the entrance hall greeting borrowers, Ronald's gaze passed across the central reading area, directly viewing the vast, unobstructed book repository at the back.

Countless curved bookshelves surrounded the circular walls, filling every corner of the building. Except for a few empty shelves on the ground floor reserved as spares, every inch of space within sight was filled with books.

The long history and excellent management.

Combined, these resulted in the library they had before them.

And for Ronald, this was undoubtedly a surprise.

He hadn't expected to find such a well-stocked library in Capone, a seemingly unremarkable port city.

But regrettably, considering the fleet would depart in two days.

Ronald felt a bit downcast.

He feared he might not have a good chance to enjoy reading there.

To truly enjoy the wealth of books here, he'd have to return on a future leisurely occasion to remedy this regret.

"..."

"Sir, miss, is there any specific book you're looking for?"

While the three of them marveled at the library and were astonished by its collection.

The librarian responsible for overseeing the library approached them.

He assessed the three young individuals before him.

Searching his memory, he couldn't recall any literates in the city of Capone matching this trio's description. As someone who's managed the library for years, he practically knew every scholar in town!

Yet, despite not recognizing Ronald and his companions.

The old man's attitude remained exceptionally cordial.

Simply by observing Ronald and the others' appearance and attire, it was clear they weren't ordinary citizens, not to mention they were people actively seeking books.

"If you need any books, feel free to tell me."

"I can basically recall the location of every collection within the library."

With someone stepping forward to offer help, Ronald naturally responded with a smile:

"Sir, here's the thing."

"We're here to look for some rather old historical books, ideally those documenting diseases and plagues."

"Old… diseases… plague outbreaks…"

Upon hearing Ronald's request.

The elderly librarian frowned in thought.

As the request was quite specific, he quickly asked Ronald for further clarification:

"Doctors in Capone are quite adept at dealing with diseases, so this city hasn't really faced plagues. How old do you need the books to be?"

Recalling the information provided by the hospital head earlier, Ronald quickly responded:

"As far back as before the founding of the country of Eirene."

"That far back?" The old man was a bit surprised by Ronald's request, yet with the criteria specified to such an extent, he promptly identified the scope of the books, "Before the foundation of Eirene, not even annual chronicles or historical records were published yet."

"To understand that era, you'd have to rely on some ancient travelogues and adventure notes to barely glimpse some of the real history."

With that said, the elderly librarian pointed to the upper level of the library's stacks:

"The books you're seeking are on the sixteenth bookshelf upstairs."

"Just remember to read quietly and avoid damaging any books. But if you plan to borrow them, do register with me at the front desk."