CHAPTER 18

Looking back, I realized I needed to properly investigate my comrades' past actions.

Previously, I had been too agitated and dismissed it as unimportant, but now, no matter how I looked at it, it was strange that both Lin's biography and Lin's diary had ended up here.

Fortunately, Rain was currently in the perfect place to gather information. No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say the best place in the Empire.

The Central Library.

As the largest library in the Holy Human Empire, it housed 58,422 ancient books and 274,443 volumes in total. Among them were numerous historical records and biographical dictionaries.

Those without clear identification had no right to access these materials, but for students, everything was available except for the Level-0 Forbidden Archive.

"I'm looking for these books. Where should I go?"

I visited the library after school.

The First Literature and Information Room of the Central Library was a multi-story structure with a ceiling that stretched high into the distance, and the bookshelves themselves reached a staggering 3.5 meters in height.

To prevent fire hazards, there were no artificial lighting fixtures, but since all the facilities were made of dragonbone stone, which brilliantly reflected sunlight and moonlight, the library was always as bright as midday.

"This way."

A librarian with an intellectual demeanor adjusted his glasses and skillfully climbed up and down a ladder to retrieve the requested books.

『The Life and Achievements of Kies, the Saint of the Bow.』

『About Friedé, the Priestess of the Fire Dragon.』

As I looked at the book titles and their thickness, echoes of the past surfaced, and a wistful smile involuntarily crept onto my lips.

— Let's make a bet. Whose biography will be thicker in the future?

Three hundred years ago… Friedé had suddenly made that absurd remark. I remembered sighing in exasperation.

— Why does it matter what some stranger wrote just to make money? Let's just say you win, Friedé.

Then Friedé had covered her mouth and laughed mischievously.

— Oh my, are you backing out? Are you intimidated by the legendary priestess, Friedé? Puhuhu!

— Oh yeah? Then let's do it.

As I furrowed my brows in irritation, Rista, who was training by repeatedly swinging the Supreme Starblade Sylpheng with a massive boulder tied to its blade, suddenly spoke up.

— Then I'll bet on Lin.

Friedé shook her head, saying that wouldn't make for a fair wager, but Rista, wiping sweat from her face with a towel, gazed at us with an oddly wistful expression.

— I'm a Feiquorier, so I won't live long. Kies is the oldest in our party, so he'll die after me. But Lin… is young.

— ...

— Lin will live longer than any of us. So, his biography will be the thickest.

Whenever Rista spoke about the future, her usual cheerful demeanor disappeared, replaced by a sorrowful smile that was impossible to describe.

— I hope the day comes when I can read Lin's biography.

A trivial yet precious moment on that sweltering summer day, with mirages rising in the polar region.

How absurd.

Contrary to Rista's prediction, I was the first to die in our party… So without even checking, my biography was probably the thinnest.

'Congratulations, Friedé. You won. Unfortunately, I won't be able to pay up.'

For reference, when I compared the biographies of Friedé and Kies, Kies's was slightly thicker. Perhaps because it was published in the Empire.

[Year 1114: Established the Royal Archery Festival.]

Kies had been revered as a saint of the bow and, after getting married, had opened a dojo to train numerous disciples.

'Idiot. If you had taught people how to drink instead, you'd have made a fortune.'

Apparently, Kies had the same thought.

No, he took it even further—he taught both archery and drinking at the same time. He founded a school called Drunken Archery, where one shot arrows while intoxicated.

'The world has gone mad.'

Shockingly, the effectiveness of this school was so great that it disrupted the longstanding balance in archery and became one of the three dominant styles in the Empire.

'This scoundrel even married a noblewoman twenty years younger and had children…?'

His descendants had inherited the title of the school's master for generations. It was reassuring to know he had lived happily and passed away surrounded by family.

Kies's life was simple. Friedé's, however, was unusual. Her death was uncertain.

After the expedition ended, she spent many years traveling between the Red Mountains and the Scarlet City, , leading the Republic as a priestess. That much was clear. But in 1168, she vanished without a trace.

[Since she did not reappear by 1200, the Republic's Witch Association officially declared Friedé deceased.]

It was strange that this flamboyant and attention-seeking psycho had met such a quiet end. Did her personality change in her later years?

"Should I check the Republic's records instead?"

Just then, I sensed someone approaching and looked up. The same librarian placed another book on my desk.

"If you're interested in Rista's party members, you might want to read this as well. It's a personal recommendation."

A story about Rista?

I didn't need to read that.

I scratched my head awkwardly, but the moment I saw the book's cover, my mind went blank, and my pupils trembled.

『The Life and Achievements of Tureina, the Ash Maiden, Disciple of Lin and Friedé.』

At that moment, a distant memory flickered in my mind—a young girl with sky-blue hair wildly flying behind her as she ran through a field of flowers.

— Master! Master Lin!

That tiny, mischievous brat had become a priestess…?

In the Empire, there were wizards. In the Republic, there were witches who commanded spirits using the Dragon's Tongue.

Witches were categorized as apprentice witches, witches, great witches, and at the very top—priestesses. Only two priestesses could exist at any given time.

'Did she… become Friedé's successor?'

More shocking than her sudden rise was the length of her lifespan.

[1094 – 1413]

Is this even possible? Could a human live this long?

Did she develop a spell for immortality? And if she lived until 1413… that meant she was still alive when Rain was a baby.

My mind reeled, and my fingertips trembled slightly. I swallowed hard and was about to turn the page when—

Ding… Ding… Ding…

The clock tower rang, signaling 6 PM. Normally, I would have ignored it and continued reading.

"Sigh."

But today, I had a date with a cheeky junior. There was no helping it.

Why did Rista have to act so out of character…? It was such a nuisance.

Cursing my past self, I searched for the librarian, who was using magic to clean the bookshelves.

"Is that book popular?"

"It's not unpopular. Not checked out every day, but still read often."

"Can you hold onto it for me?"

First-year students weren't allowed to check out books. Only from the second semester onward.

"I have something to do. I'll be back soon. Can you manage that?"

The librarian glanced at the clock with slight hesitation before eventually nodding.

"I can't hold it for too long. Only until someone else requests it."

"Don't worry. I won't take long."

Rain waved dismissively and turned away.

"At most, fifteen minutes?"