Chapter 23
Ding-dong~
“Oh my, Alben, you’re here!”
As I entered Manchaek Bookstore, Anna greeted me with her usual bright smile.
“Hello, Noona.”
“Hehe. Alben, did you know you’ve been coming here every single day for a week now without taking a break? You like books more than I do, don’t you?”
“I like books, but I enjoy talking with you even more.”
“Oh my… You always say such sweet things, Alben.”
The interior of the bookstore was much tidier compared to the first day. This was the result of Anna and I working hard to clean it up as part of the “Bookstore Cleaning” quest on the fourth day.
And now, it’s already been a week.
“Oh, by the way, Alben. A new set of books just arrived. Would you like to take a look?”
“Take a look?”
“I managed to get a few rather rare books at a bargain price.”
Finally, I was able to receive the long-awaited “Secret Quest.”
[! Secret Quest]
<Three Books>
“…Sure!”
My mouth was already watering in anticipation.
“This is it.”
The three books Anna took out from storage were quite worn out.
It seemed the previous owner hadn’t taken good care of them. The covers and pages were covered with black stains, making it difficult to read the contents.
It was impossible to even guess how old these books were, as they seemed to be from a very distant past.
‘But…’
It felt inappropriate to dismiss them as merely old books.
The energy emanating from them was quite mystical.
Knowing their ‘true identity’ only made my heart race even more.
“I bought them from a passing merchant yesterday. What do you think? Don’t you feel some sort of mysterious energy coming from these books?”
Anna smiled proudly as she spoke.
Well, it’s not that I don’t sense that energy.
‘But Anna just loves books for their own sake.’
She tends to buy any old or special-looking book without hesitation.
She says it’s the duty of a bookstore owner to collect books, or something like that.
“They’re definitely not ordinary books.”
“Oh my, as expected, Alben, you have a keen eye. My friends scolded me, saying, ‘Why would you spend money on something like that?’…”
Honestly, if I hadn’t known the full story, I would’ve said something similar.
These books, to put it mildly, are in terrible condition.
Even the parts not covered in stains are written in some unknown language, making it impossible to understand the content.
“So… Alben, can I ask you a small favour?”
“Anything.”
“Oh my.”
Anna chuckled, covering her mouth at my immediate response.
“You said you’ll be leaving for the academy soon, right? Could you take these books with you and have them restored there?”
It was here.
“I heard that Polaris has a famous ‘Book Restorer’ as a professor. If it’s that person, they might be able to uncover the true value hidden within these books…!”
With those words, Anna placed the three books in front of me.
[Red-Covered Book]
[Blue-Covered Book]
[Gold-Covered Book]
I nodded with a wide grin.
“Understood.”
[You have accepted the Secret Quest, <Three Books>!]
***
There are countless builds in Valdeon Saga.
Although there are only distinctions between a mage and a swordsman, there are no rigidly defined classes. This allows players to freely build and customize their characters as they see fit.
Some even run two or three builds simultaneously, switching between different combat styles as they please depending on the situation.
‘But among these builds…’
There is one that boasts overwhelmingly broken performance.
The so-called “Endgame Builds.”
These transcendent builds were created for new players or those with poor control to enjoy the game comfortably.
There are three such builds each in both the mage and swordsman categories.
「Great Archmage」
「Necromancer」
「Time Manipulator」
「Sword Master」
「Hero」
「Dragon Knight」
Each of these builds is immensely powerful.
Naturally, they are not easy to achieve.
They require acquiring hidden skills or completing special achievements to obtain quests.
‘And for the 「Dragon Knight」 build…’
This “Three Books” is a requirement.
‘Right now, they’re just shabby books covered in stains.’
But once restored, their value will become immeasurable.
After learning their contents, you can even use the ‘Dragon’s Power.’
Achieving mastery of this power and incorporating it into swordsmanship is what makes the endgame build, 「Dragon Knight」.
“It’s better to prepare in advance.”
With the possibility of unforeseen circumstances in the future, I can’t just sit idly by.
My goal is to complete all three endgame builds.
“…I’ve never even done that in the game before.”
If possible, I’d like to awaken my Mana Heart and dabble in magic as well, but that’s lower on the priority list.
First, I need to unlock all the Danjun stages and safely elevate my levels.
‘For now, let’s…’
Focus on safely completing the next inevitable event.
“Hmm… Nng…”
I shook the sleeping Angela awake, who was drooling in her sleep.
“We’re almost there. You need to wake up.”
“Hehe… Husband… Is this the right place? You’ll never leave my side again….”
“Wake up.”
“Ah!”
Angela, who had been smiling oddly in her sleep, quickly woke up. She turned her small head to look around.
This was inside a Magical Train.
It’s a train that connects various regions within Centinium.
The ticket price is cheaper than a carriage, and it’s faster and safer.
It could be considered a kind of welfare system for people living in the Central Continent.
‘In the game, this was just vaguely explained as a fast-travel feature.’
Riding it in person, the experience felt quite different.
“We get off at the next station.”
“Chuup… We’ve… arrived, Lan.”
She wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, her face turning red.
Through the glass window of the train, a vast complex of grand buildings came into view.
It almost looked like a massive city.
-This is Polaris A Building. Polaris A Building.
This entire area is Polaris Academia.
It’s not just a few buildings; it’s an entire district dedicated solely to the academy.
‘As expected from the Empire’s and Continent’s greatest educational institution.’
The sheer scale was overwhelming.
Ssshhk-!
The train gate opened, and a flood of people, including us, poured out.
Among them, there were many students wearing uniforms that resembled Polaris uniforms.
“A Building is where the admission office and information desk are located. It’s a place accessible even to those not affiliated with Polaris.”
“I see.”
“So, we have to part ways here for a while.”
“Wha- What?!”
Surprised by my words, Angela widened her eyes, her hair standing on end.
Though it was hard to see due to her sunglasses, I could tell that’s what it looked like.
“A… Ahhh… Wh-Why? You said you’d stay by my side….”
She seemed to be trying her best not to sound upset, but her voice was already quivering.
“Is it because I’m useless? Is it because you can’t follow a pathetic woman like me…?”
“It’s not that. It’s all for your safety, Princess.”
“For… my safety?”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the names of royal family members are automatically added to Polaris’s admission list the moment they are born.
And Angela is no exception.
“You’re already a new student of Polaris. You just haven’t attended the entrance ceremony yet. But you already have the right to use Polaris’s internal facilities.”
In fact, some students move into the dormitories before the entrance ceremony to get accustomed to campus life.
‘But I’m not eligible for that.’
That’s only possible for those who don’t need to take the entrance exam.
In other words, it’s a kind of privilege granted to high-ranking nobles.
“So, Princess, it’s much safer for you to enter Polaris now and be protected inside. You also need to formally report back to the royal family.”
Unless it’s in some remote southern region, it’s unlikely anyone would dare harm her while she’s being protected as a student of Polaris and while the royal family’s eyes are wide open.
“So, we must part here for a while.”
“No…!”
“It’s alright. We’ll see each other again soon.”
I’ve already decided to keep Angela by my side.
There’s no chance I’ll fail the entrance exam, so I’ll be reunited with Angela soon enough.
I’m sure she knows that too.
“…Even if reality separates us now, we’ll meet again, won’t we?”
“Pardon?”
“I will surely come to find you. Once I shed this pathetic self, I will proudly stand by your side.”
The way she’s talking, it’s like we won’t be able to see each other for the next ten years.
We’ll be reunited in just a week or two at the most.
“So… please don’t forget me.”
She grasped my hand and shed a single tear that trickled down her cheek.
“Goodbye then, my knight….”
With her face covered, she ran toward the building in front of us.
“…Well, anyway.”
That settles that, for now.
I made sure she entered the building safely before boarding the train again.
‘Before checking in at the admissions office for the exam application.’
I need to create a temporary identity first.
Right now, I’m not “Alben,” but “Lan Black.”
“Haa…”
I fiddled with my black bangs, letting the train’s swaying motion carry my body.
Fidget, fidget…
‘…Hmm?’
That’s when I felt a sensation near my rear.
‘What’s this?’
I initially thought someone might’ve accidentally bumped into me.
Squeeze!
But I felt a hand blatantly groping my butt.
Moving up and down, side to side, as if kneading dough.
‘Seriously, what the hell?’
It was absurd.
More than surprising, it was just downright baffling.
‘Is this… a molester?’
In a world where gender roles are reversed.
I really can’t get used to this.
—
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