Chapter CXLII - Castle Above The Floating Island (part 2)

After entering the front gate, there are four junctions. To the left is the ground for the mages of Xyphon, or rather their headquarters. To the right is for the people who wish to see more on the island, sightseeing to be exact. There is a park there, but it's not that good looking compared to the back park.

Going straight, I am welcomed by the sight of the castle from the front side. The castle is like one huge cathedral with four large towers reaching to the skies. 

There are a couple steps of stairs leading down to the road below, but at the end there is another step that leads up to the front door of the castle. On the right and left side of the road is a large pool filled with beautiful fishes that look really bright and colourful. And should I mention that the road is also quite colourful and made out of marble??

Everything about this place is just magical… And it's not even sickeningly colourful, it's just colourful enough to feel that it is magical.

I walked downstairs and arrived on the road. Aside from me, there are also other important people with some businesses on this island. And since this island is owned by the king and queen of Xyphon, not just anyone can enter. Only high ranking magicians or people with some important business with the royal family can enter.

Me? I have a business with the arch-mage, who is known to be the highest person in the military of Xyphon.

Xyphon doesn't really have knights, they have only mages. And the arch-mage Julius is the highest ranking one, like he is their general or something.

I walked up the stairs and entered through the gigantic door, into one large lobby.

The lobby's floor is made out of golden marble, and it shone like it was new. I can see a reflection of myself every time I look down. At first, I didn't even want to step on it because it looks so damn gorgeous, but then I realized it is a floor for a reason.

The ceiling is at least fifteen meters high, with five giant chandeliers placed on the ceiling. One chandelier is larger than the other four, and is placed in the middle, right above the circular receptionist desk.

On the right and left is the staircase that leads to the higher floors. Both of them are guarded by the guards on a mage outfit, preventing any unimportant person from entering.

At the end of the room is a gate that leads to the back side of the castle. The back side of the castle is simply where all the beauty is at. There is a large park back there, with a ton of flowers and places to chill. 

But sadly, not just anyone can enter because it is also guarded by the guards. 

I know what is back there because I had a glimpse from the library's window on the second floor. It was a quite good looking park indeed.

This lobby is where most people do their businesses. They talk with the receptionist on the desk in the middle of the lobby, or they simply meet up with the higher ups on this island, right here in the lobby.

I simply walked to the receptionist lady and told her that I am here to visit the library. She quickly realized who I was and wrote my name on a book. Then she let me go upstairs.

I nodded at her and went to the stairs. The guards stopped me to see my identity card, and I showed my academy's ID card. They let me up right after.

The library is on the second floor, and the door is right in the middle of the room. Since it is quite large, there are tons of books here, and I can spend hours here a day, just reading through an entire bookshelf. I entered the library and met the librarian in the middle of the room.

"Ah, Rize? Free time, huh?"

"Haha, don't mind me. I'm the least busiest person in the academy."

That was a lie. I'm a bad council president.

"Okay then. If you want a coffee, we finally restocked it just this morning."

"R-Really?! That's great!"

Luckily this librarian isn't so unfriendly like the one at Mazino. She is surprisingly nice and soft. She offered me coffee and tea every time I came to read. Though just last weekend, the coffee ran out and she apologized for not being able to bring me coffee.

Surely, I was disappointed. But I wouldn't openly tell her that.

I'm not sure why she is this friendly, but I expected it's because it's probably rare for people to come to the library, and she must have felt lonely.

That, or because Julius bribed her. 

I think that reason is more likely than the former, but whatever.

"I'll go and read first, I'll take the coffee later."

"Sure thing! Careful with the hot water, though."

I left her and went into the sea of books. There are two floors in this library, with one giant hole on the second floor right in the middle of the room. Thanks to that, I was able to shout downstairs to the librarian whenever something happened.

It only has two floors, but it is very large. Plus, the books aren't exactly low quality either. And since there's not that many people visiting the library (most of the time, it was only me), it is completely okay for me to shout.

I was able to get my hands on even more important books, like the secrets to dungeons and monsters, or stuff like super advanced magic. But, those aren't the ones I am looking for.

I couldn't find any books about other worlds. Though, that would make sense, because normal people shouldn't even know about the existence of other worlds.

But if a library of a magic kingdom like Xyphon doesn't have anything regarding it, then the other libraries of other kingdoms probably won't.

I managed to get my hands on books about the gods and kings of this world, and I was able to understand at least a quarter of what was going on. The book managed to tell everything in detail, like the gods' connection with each other, and their roles in history.

Now I know that the god of creation is only a mere underling to his leader, the goddess of restoration. The reason he couldn't tell me much is probably because of the goddess.

But who is she…? And why does she know me?

After reading that book, I got even more questions aside from answers. I ended up hating myself for it.

But, at least now I have a glimpse of what is happening in this world a little bit.

There are three sides that the gods have chosen. The good side that protects life and everything above this continent, the bad side that wants to control it and destroy anything annoying, and the neutral side that doesn't take any sides at all.

The god of creation, Altin was a part of the good side that is being led by the goddess of restoration. That is why a lot of churches in the kingdoms are praying to the goddess, because she is the leader of the good side.

The bad side... is led by someone called the god of death, and he controls many underlings.

Everything started to connect slowly after I read the book, but more and more questions popped up in my head, and it made me feel more sick. One time, I ended up trying to buy the book from the library so I can read it later in my free time, which makes the librarian confused because these are the royalty's books.

And today, I am here to learn about spatial magic. I saw the book on one of the newly arrived bookshelves that just came last weekend, and I'm planning to read it now.

I picked the book from the bookshelf, and just when I took it out, the ground shook.

No, the entire island… shook.

A shake that is very powerful.

The very wave that pulled hell into me.

The beginning of an event that will forever… change me.