“The hero of the Empire... could it be...?”

Oesten furrowed his brows and peered closely at Yuder. Then, quite suddenly, he gasped and widened his eyes in shock.

“You’re that Awakener from the Cavalry—who slew a monster the size of the imperial palace alone, reshaped the southern landscape with a flick of his hand, and treated the Second Prince like a kitten while making him dance a lady’s waltz?!”

“...That rumor sounds rather exaggerated.”

Yuder replied calmly.

“I am indeed an Awakener affiliated with the Cavalry and did something similar, but many of the details you mentioned are inaccurate.”

“Good heavens!”

But it seemed Oesten didn’t even hear him. His eyes sparkled with awe as he examined Yuder like a creature from legend, speaking rapidly and excitedly.

“You’re quite different from what I imagined based on the rumors. I thought ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) you’d have fists even larger than His Highness’s. But that’s not to say the difference is disappointing! Heroes, after all, always surpass the imagination of common folk—so many books have said the same! I used to think that if I ever had a duty outside the library, I’d want to glimpse you from afar at least once, but to think such an opportunity has already come! This must be what scholar Deutch meant when he said, ‘Opportunities come like morning dew.’”

“......”

“Were you looking for a book, perhaps? Or old records, or lost materials? Whatever it is, just say the word—I’ll fetch it at once. Even a hero would find it difficult to search through ten million volumes alone.”

“......”

Ten million volumes?

Yuder had heard before that the imperial library was considered the finest on the continent, but still—ten million? With the thick greenery filling the halls like a forest, the place hadn’t felt so vast. He was stunned.

“Oh no, I’ve completely lost my manners. I spend so much time buried here I forget myself. Just now, I lost my temper and showed a bit of roughness—that’s not the real me. Would you like a drink? There are about seven beverages here selected by generations of librarians to pair best with reading. Whatever you choose, you’ll be satisfied. For reference, I personally prefer coffee pressed with black Tutti seed oil...”

Oesten was quite the talker. He had a knack for speaking so quickly that it was nearly impossible to follow.

When Yuder looked over his shoulder, Kishiar finally straightened up from where he’d been hiding and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha. That’s enough, Oesten. Today’s lucky guide through the inner library for Yuder is me. Anyone else will have to wait their turn.”

“What? You, Your Highness?”

“Yes. You think I’m unqualified?”

“......”

Oesten fell silent, his face sinking in deep disappointment.

“...His Highness the Second Prince knows the layout of all the sections and every book’s location nearly as well as I do.”

“Indeed. I’m proud to say that when we played that game of matching titles to locations, I never lost to you.”

“And with that memory, you barged into the Forbidden Archive daily, giving the librarians endless grief.”

“I only read quietly and left. Exaggerations, really.”

“You kept reading restricted texts—that’s why! If you were even half as composed as the First Prince—His Majesty—who never touched a forbidden volume...”

“Hmph. But I was curious.”

Kishiar answered like a mischievous child, and Oesten sighed deeply in exasperation. But Yuder could tell: he looked at Kishiar like a doting grandparent watching a troublesome but beloved grandchild.

And clearly, Kishiar knew it too—he was deliberately acting like a petulant young prince on purpose.

“Phew... Anyway, it’s an honor to finally meet the person I’d heard so much about. I can’t keep scolding you now that you’ve come with the Empire’s hero. Go on.”

Oesten waved his hand.

“Yes. As always, thank you, Oesten. Oh—and one last favor.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s just pretend we weren’t here today. Even if His Majesty asks.”

“What? You’re not just here for a tour? Then what are you planning...?!”

Kishiar grabbed Yuder’s wrist and swiftly pulled him away. They slipped between towering trees and shelves so swiftly that Oesten’s figure faded in an instant.

“Your Highness...!”

Oesten’s anxious shout echoed behind them but quickly faded.

“He grumbles, but he’ll keep the secret. He always does. Librarians are weak to people who love books—especially if they’re children.”

After turning past a few more shelves and trees into the depths of the library, Kishiar spoke cheerfully.

“He still sees you as a young prince, even now that you’re the Duke. Even calls you that...”

Even after all this time as the Duke of Peleta, he was still addressed as the Second Prince. Yuder wondered if it was just habit from knowing Kishiar before the title change. Kishiar answered without hesitation.

“Oesten was one of the people who took it the hardest when I became Duke. Others accepted it, even if they were upset. But Oesten... he couldn’t even bring himself to accept the title. He swore he’d keep calling me ‘Your Highness’ until he died.”

Though it had been the Emperor who appointed Kishiar as Duke of Peleta—likely under political pressure—calling him a prince still went against imperial command. Yet none of the royal family ever punished the librarian for it.

So even after Kishiar returned from his long stay in Peleta, the librarian continued to call him “Second Prince.”

“Well, Oesten is known for never leaving the library or his home. He’d have no reason to call me anything else. And no one else would’ve heard it—until now.”

Meaning Yuder was the first witness.

In a way, it was a rather sad story. But Kishiar’s expression, as he spoke, was as bright and fresh as ever. Yuder quietly nodded, watching his smile.

“Thank you for sharing that.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. If you’re curious about anything else, just ask.”

Even as he spoke, Kishiar’s steps continued without pause, leading them deeper through the twisting library paths. Yuder followed, observing his surroundings.

“Um... where exactly is the Forbidden Archive?”

“We’ll have to find it now.”

“...Excuse me?”

“The door and the space themselves are in a fixed location, but the path to get there changes every time.”

“I’d heard it was magically hidden... but I assumed just the entrance was concealed. Having to find a new path each time is a bit surprising.”

“Really? Well, I suppose that would be the common assumption.”

Kishiar said, turning past another shelf to the right.

“So then... how do we find the path?”

“By following the markings the librarian left behind. That’s actually one of Oesten’s main duties. Ah, found one.”

Kishiar stopped walking. He tapped his fingers lightly on a book placed just above eye level.

“Here. Do you see anything? With your magical sight?”

To the naked eye, it was just an ordinary book. But the moment Yuder summoned the power of wind, a golden glow flickered in one of his eyes, revealing something that hadn’t been visible before.

There’s a... firefly on the spine? 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The library was full of fluttering green magical fireflies. Normally, Yuder knew, they didn’t land—they simply floated through the air. But now, the soft glow was dusted across the book spine like glitter.

When he released the power and the magical sight faded, the firefly vanished. It was just a normal book again.

“So it did show up under magical sight.”

“What’s the difference between magical fireflies you can see normally and ones only visible through magical sight?”

“There’s not much. They’re the same fireflies. But ones that land on certain scented marks will suppress their visible glow.”

Kishiar gently stroked the spine of the book as he continued.

“But because they’re made of magic, those with the ‘right to access’ can still see their true light. I’ve heard that some exceptionally gifted mages, even without the proper status, could see them naturally—so they flooded the place with visible ones to throw people off. But looking at you, I can see it really works.”

“...That’s a deceptively simple yet complicated system.”

So the key to the Forbidden Archive had been scattered throughout the library this entire time?

If that whining librarian from Yuder’s past life, the one who claimed he’d never been given a key, had heard this—he might’ve fainted in sheer frustration.

“I thought the same. But even if you can see the fireflies on the spines, knowing how to follow them is another matter entirely.”

Kishiar smiled, then started walking again.

“Come on. Let’s keep going this way.”