"..."

At noon, Ronald's mood was quite complicated.

Because the elder introduced by the middle-aged caster had once again inherited the usual craft of the mysterious side—hiding underground.

Right next to a storeroom in the library.

There was a single entrance leading to the basement.

Ronald and the others were led down by Aye, and soon they saw an elderly man with white hair and beard guarding the entrance to the underground library.

"Lord Taylor!"

Upon seeing the elder, the caster who had brought Ronald and the others immediately stepped forward, greeting him with utmost respect.

After completing this courteous gesture, he introduced the identities of Ronald and his companions:

"These three are distinguished guests from Greid who have come to Capon, looking for content recorded in some ancient books."

Upon hearing this brief introduction.

The elder, named Taylor, slowly lifted his head, his gaze meticulously examining Ronald and the others. Furthermore, when he saw Il and Costate, he showed significant confusion.

"Are you looking for any precious books?"

"..."

Standing opposite the elder.

Ronald sensed the magic power stirring within him.

Not only was he using his eyes, but this elder was also using some mysterious means to judge Ronald's identity.

Elders of this age are seldom swayed by beauty.

It was likely that he had detected the non-human identities of Il and Costate, which is why he reacted this way.

— He's quite a skilled caster.

"..."

"Hello, I am Ronald Adler, from Kulpis near Yizi Forest."

Since they needed a favor, Ronald did not mind the elder using spells.

Considering the elder's age and status.

Ronald began with a self-introduction and stated his origin, then continued to express his purpose:

"We have come to Capon Library to find clues about a plague that occurred after the Dark Age, before the establishment of the country of Eirini…"

"Adler… Kulpis… Plague…"

Upon hearing everything Ronald said, the elder began to ponder deeply.

He evidently recognized Ronald's identity.

However, the elder's character was extremely composed, so even when he realized the identity of the visitor, he maintained his previous quiet and reserved demeanor.

During the elder's period of contemplation, the middle-aged caster who had brought down Ronald and the others whispered a few more words in the elder's ear.

Only then did he finally speak:

"Mr. Ronald, I know you are an esteemed guest, and I understand the greatness in your bloodline."

"Moreover, concerning the information you seek, indeed, the books here have detailed records."

The elder revealed his vast knowledge through his words, confirming that he indeed possessed the books Ronald was looking for.

But before Ronald could express his happiness about it, the elder proposed a condition:

"But due to ancient contractual provision, I cannot lend the books of Capon Library to foreigners without any cost. This is a rule established since the library's inception."

Ronald had no objection to this and even proactively asked:

"Then what do I need to do to gain access to borrow this part of the collection?"

"Complete a test." Seeing Ronald's straightforward approach, the elder bluntly continued, "To the northwest of the port, below the water, lies an ancient crystal relic. Though it comes with dangers, within it, there is a certain pink crystal of considerable value."

"No matter the means, whether purchasing or collecting it yourself, if you can bring back a pink crystal the size of a fingertip, I can authorize you to borrow any book from the library's collection."

"..."

"No problem!"

Ronald did not think long before immediately agreeing to the elder's condition.

After all, obtaining precious knowledge from such an ancient library warranted paying some price, which he believed was a completely reasonable request:

"Please tell me the details and identification method of this crystal."

"Otherwise, if I recklessly proceed, I might make errors."

Seeing that Ronald agreed to the requirement.

The elder didn't respond immediately, but instead pulled out a wooden box from the desk before him.

After opening it in front of everyone.

A pink crystal the size of a fingernail lay inside.

"You see, this is the sample."

"It has a texture harder than steel, yet it is not overly brittle. Also, when placing this crystal beside a light source, apart from the normal light passing through it, the light will gather into a spot at its core."

As he spoke, the elder moved the crystal next to the basement lamp.

Sure enough, as he said, the lamplight passed through the crystal, but also, under some magical influence, retained part of the light, forming a brilliant and beautiful spot in the center of the crystal.

"That's it…"

Ronald stepped forward to observe the crystal closely.

After receiving the elder's consent, he personally touched it, nodded, and then directly bid farewell to the elder:

"We cannot stay long in Capon, so with time limited, I won't continue to disturb you."

"Mr. Ronald, take care."

"..."

Thus the negotiation was completed.

Ronald left the library with Costate and Il.

But before they had gone far out in the street, he turned to instruct Costate:

"Costate, take Il to eat what she wanted just now."

"I'll go alone to search for the crystal on the sea, sparing as much time as possible."

"Sir, I understand!"

On hearing Ronald's instructions, Costate immediately bowed, signaling a promise to complete the task.

As for Il beside them…

She, on the other hand, quite wanted to dive into the sea to search for the crystal with Ronald.

After all, for Il, who grew up in Yizi Forest, even after two weeks of sea voyage, such an underwater exploration was an entirely fresh and exciting experience.

"Uhm… I want to… never mind! I don't want to."

Il was just about to request Ronald to take her along, ready to roll on the street in plea if necessary.

But as the thought of the food she saw on the street earlier crossed her mind, she hesitated for a few seconds, and eventually, she shut her mouth, stopping her request for Ronald to take her.

"..."

For Il's behavior, Ronald seriously watched her for over ten seconds until she turned away to avoid his gaze before speaking again:

"Let's leave it at that, we'll meet again later."

"Starting from the relationship between the whole earth and sky, will begin to construct our understanding…"

Temporarily saying goodbye to Il and Costate.

Ronald found a less crowded spot and began chanting a spell to fly into the sky.

At the same time, he activated the [Star Disk] to gather topography.

Thus, he directly flew over the sea northwest of Capon, and upon reaching the location the elder had mentioned, Ronald activated his ability to adapt to the underwater environment.

Splash—

Then, with a downward motion, he immediately plunged into the world of seawater.