The library was quite impressive in size.
[Capital National Library]
Looking at the nameplate at the entrance, Eddie nodded in understanding. Since it was built by the nation, of course it would be this impressive.
Eddie’s reason for visiting the library was simple.
He needed a justification for going out, and the library fit that purpose perfectly.
He had thought it was somewhere he would need to visit eventually. There weren’t exactly any books at the inn, but there weren’t any history books.
Naturally, 〈The Hero Doesn’t Hide Their Power Too Well〉 included brief mentions of this world’s history. But it didn’t elaborately explain all the history that made up this world. That would have been uninteresting content in a novel.
But for Eddie now, it was necessary information.
The thought that it would be good to know the history that the author had imagined or constructed occurred to him not long after being transmigrated into this world.
Thanks to this, when he was thinking about where to visit first to get used to going out, the library was the first place that came to mind.
What would the history of this world be like? Even the most meticulous author couldn’t have imagined all the history that constitutes a world, so how would this world fill in those blank parts? He was curious about that.
Well, before such curiosity, he also thought it would be good to learn the basic history that even ordinary commoners probably knew.
If there was a founding myth that everyone knew, but only Eddie didn’t, wouldn’t that seem suspicious?
For example, how suspicious would a Korean be if they didn’t know the Dangun myth! If they didn’t know that the Korean spirit originated from garlic and mugwort, they would naturally appear suspicious.
Indeed, transmigration without memories was inconvenient.
Ketron was looking around the fairly neat interior of the library. Though he seemed like someone who wouldn’t match with books at all, Ketron’s somewhat strangely ascetic atmosphere actually suited the library well.
Eddie wasn’t completely uninterested in what kind of books would interest him, but since Eddie had his own purpose today, it would be difficult to explore together. Swallowing his regret, Eddie said:
“Ket, I’m going to look around the history section.”
There weren’t that many people in the library, so being alone didn’t seem too difficult.
“Will you be alright?”
At Ketron’s question, Eddie nodded confidently.
“Yes, well. There aren’t many people either.”
Ketron was silent for a moment, examining Eddie’s expression. As if checking if he was putting on a brave face, looking for any trace of anxiety that would make him decide not to leave.
Eddie smiled.
After Augustine’s visit, Ketron had changed a little. More precisely, something in his attitude toward Eddie had changed slightly. Of course, it wasn’t a bad change.
Right now, it was his attitude toward Eddie, the closest person to him, that had changed, but Eddie hoped that he would gradually accept the world again.
My protagonist, the hero of this world. Eddie wanted Ketron to return to that role.
Eddie stroked Ketron’s head. Since Ketron was significantly taller than Eddie, who was already taller than average in this world, Eddie had to stand on tiptoes to do this comfortably, but he really wanted to.
Ketron’s gaze contained puzzlement. As if wondering why the sudden gesture.
“Just, somehow felt a bit happy.”
Ketron didn’t know why Eddie felt fear among people, and he had no intention of asking. But even so, he stayed by Eddie’s side. That was quite endearing.
And the way he didn’t particularly resist being petted was also cute.
“See you later.”
Ketron, having been thoroughly petted by Eddie, showed no particular interest in history and moved to another section.
Watching his retreating figure, Eddie headed toward the bookshelf labeled ‘History.’
And looking at the history section, which was smaller than expected, he tilted his head in confusion.
…What’s more, it seemed somewhat empty.
As Eddie peeked around, he noticed that only the history section was this sparse.
Seeing that fiction, education, and non-fiction sections were well-stocked, it didn’t seem like the library itself lacked books. Besides, shouldn’t a national library have more support for this kind of section?
Tilting his head once more, Eddie browsed through the sparse ‘History’ section and pulled out a random book.
“The History of the Continent”
The book, whose title alone seemed enough to induce drowsiness, was unusually thin for a history book.
Eddie opened it. He had opened it to a random middle page to see how the book was structured.
“…?”
But there was nothing written inside the book.
Seeing only blank pages fluttering, Eddie tilted his head in confusion. What is this, a printing error? The back part was all white, and only the front seemed to have some content, so Eddie opened the first page.
[The Founding King’s Creation Myth]
It contained the founding myth of the Founding King, which had been mentioned before in 〈The Hero Doesn’t Hide Their Power Too Well〉
“Yes, and after that… I’m curious about the history after that, which wasn’t mentioned in the novel.”
As Eddie was about to check the table of contents of the book, his eyebrows twitched.
“What? Why is it empty?”
The table of contents had nothing written except for Number 1, The Founding King’s Creation Myth. What is this? It’s called “The History of the Continent.” It was just as Eddie was about to check the title of the book again.
At that moment, a strange phenomenon began before Eddie’s eyes.
“Huh?”
He felt the pages of the book fluttering. As if a strong wind was blowing. But the inside of the library was quiet, and no wind strong enough to make the pages flutter was blowing.
Is a window open somewhere? But there were no windows nearby where wind could enter.
After looking around briefly, Eddie shifted his gaze back to the book, and his eyes widened.
“…Hmm?”
The table of contents, which had clearly only contained Number 1, The Founding King’s Creation Myth, was now filled up to Number 10.
Number 2, The Birth of the Nation. Number 3, The Beginning of Agriculture…
Eddie quickly flipped to the middle of the book.
The pages that had definitely been blank and empty were now filled with dense historical content. Details of where wars broke out, how borders were reestablished, what myths and legends existed—all packed closely together.
“……”
As Eddie flipped through the pages, when he reached the end of the book, he belatedly realized that the book he was holding somehow felt heavier.
“Huh?”
The book that had definitely been thin was now as thick as an encyclopedia.
“What is this?”
He felt somewhat creepy, a chill running down his spine. He no longer wanted to hold this book. As he raised his head, intending to put the book back where it had been, Eddie’s gaze froze in astonishment.
Just like the book that had suddenly been filled, the ‘History’ shelf that had been empty was now densely packed with numerous books.
The wind had ceased by then.
* * *
Ketron was reading a book about sword maintenance techniques. It wasn’t particularly necessary knowledge, but this was the only kind of book in this library that could offer him anything useful.
It was Augustine who had taught him to read. There would have been no way for someone who grew up in an orphanage to learn reading otherwise.
“Couldn’t you give us easier books?”
Memories surfaced of Arthur, who had learned to read with him, complaining about the thick and difficult books Augustine provided, and of Augustine scolding them, asking if grown adults intended to learn from children’s books.
“You could have been great if you had pursued scholarship. Well, if you were stupid, you wouldn’t have been able to use magic at all.”
Augustine had said such things to Ketron. It was nice to hear praise about being quite intelligent, but he hadn’t particularly cared for it.
“Then you should have just become a regular priest.”
“Oh… don’t say such terrible things.”
The two had laughed about it.
When he was young, he was too busy trying to survive, and when he had the luxury of time, he lacked enthusiasm for scholarship.
Intellectual vanity, or whatever it was called—difficult books weren’t to Ketron’s taste. Politics, scholarship, history… these were things unrelated to him.
But the reason he came to the library with Eddie was simple: because Eddie wanted it.
Eddie didn’t like going out alone. More precisely, he feared it.
It seemed like something had happened in the past, but Ketron had no intention of prying until Eddie chose to tell him. Just as Eddie didn’t ask about his past.
For now, the fact that Eddie chose him over other people was satisfying enough.
“Hmm.”
Ketron closed the book he was reading. It was all information he already knew, with nothing particularly new.
Eddie had gone to browse the history section, so it would take a little more time. Though he couldn’t understand why Eddie was interested in history, whether it was a hobby or study, Ketron had no reason to stop him if that’s what Eddie wanted.
With no particular book he wanted to read, Ketron closed his eyes and gathered his thoughts.
He had decided to bring Arthur down. Having decided not to rush, there was no need to overthink. For now, he planned to do what he wanted to soothe his complicated feelings. He could think about what to do afterward more slowly.
He had never stood by idly when something of his was taken away. Without such fierce determination, the child who had left the orphanage wouldn’t have survived on the streets.
Moreover.
Wouldn’t it be more special to drop an opponent who thinks they’ve reached the top all the way to the bottom?
Just as Arthur had done to him.
A coldness that he had never shown to Eddie spread across Ketron’s face.