TYHL 136

~Chapter 136~

All the books in Liam’s arms slipped and fell with a crash.

“Little fairy!”

He quickly ran and picked up Rubian.

“Ah, the books! The books!”

“What’s going on? How did you end up here? Aren’t we supposed to pretend we don’t know each other?”

“It’s true! It’s a secret! This is a secret meeting between big brother and me…”

“Secrets just between us are the best.”

Liam hugged Rubian tightly.

While looking at his little sister after a long time, he noticed her short, black hair.

“But…”

He squinted his eyes under his glasses.

“Just like the rumors, your hair looks like you poured sea monster’s poison on it…”

“It’s not! It’s not squid ink!”

Rubian protested, but Liam just thought she was cute.

“You want to go inside the old library?”

Liam pushed up his glasses with both hands. I nodded while sitting on a chair.

“Yes. I asked Professor Yuliophe, but… he said no.”

Unlike the children’s library, the chairs and desks here were high. My feet didn’t touch the floor, so my legs swung back and forth.

“Do you know how, big brother?”

When I carefully asked, Liam’s eyes shone as he looked at me.

“Of course I can get you the old library key easily. I even know the patrol schedule of the guards and professors…”

“Wow.”

“Anything’s possible.”

Liam pushed up his glasses, looking smart.

Long live bookworms! Long live otaku teens!

“But… Professor Yuliophe comes to the old library almost every night.”

“Huh, really?”

“Yes. I don’t know what he does, but for the last month, he’s been staying all night… it was annoying.”

My eyes blinked.

‘So when I snuck in before, I was really lucky.’

I thought again.

That night, it really was Professor Yuliophe who suddenly came to the library. If the timing was off, I might have been caught.

“Oh no, what should I do? I only have less than ten days here…”

Plus, I might need more time to see the inside.

“Don’t worry.”

“Huh?”

“Two nights from now, he won’t be there.”

“Really?”

“That’s the anniversary for his colleagues who studied ancient language with him. He’ll probably go out that night.”

Wow, this is my chance!

‘Wait, hold on.’

I suddenly became curious and looked at Liam closely.

“But how do you know Professor is there every night? The library closes at 7…”

Liam suddenly stood up.

“Anyway, since you need it, I’ll get you the key.”

Hmm, that’s a little suspicious.

But Liam is on my side, so I decided not to question him more. I just thought I’d add it to my secret report on both brothers’ academy life.

“How will you get the key? Don’t tell me you’re going to steal it?”

“What do you take me for? I’ll just get it from the staff office. Of course, every borrowed key gets logged… but sometimes people make mistakes.”

“Amazing.”

I was honestly impressed.

And a little tired.

‘Just how much of a library geek is he to get a full access pass at that age?’

“Okay, let’s meet two nights from now, after 7.”

“Uh…”

I hesitated a little. Liam seemed excited to go with me to the old library.

‘It’s best to investigate alone…’

Well, for now, my goal is just to get inside.

“Alright, big brother!”

I smiled and nodded.

Liam patted my head as if I was really good. Then he opened a book and made me study.

To sum up, two nights later,

Liam couldn’t come with me to the old library.

“Liam! The analysis of the magic beast claw you brought is finished! We made an amazing discovery! We should be done by the evening in two days—are you free then? We’re about to make history in biology!”

A senior professor suddenly burst in and said this. Liam hugged the professor with a grateful face.

“I trusted you, Professor!”

“Good! Will you join our university research team? I’ll stamp the contract!”

“Anything, anything!”

Ah… Liam had crossed the point of no return.

“Oh, but I already have an appointment two nights from now…”

“Big brother, it’s okay. Go do your research. Your studies are more important!”

“Little fairy…”

In the end, Liam happily told me where the key was and gave me the guards’ patrol schedule (how does he never get caught?!).

He told me to use his name if I ran into trouble.

‘The library isn’t dangerous anyway.’

I was glad Liam understood my burning desire to study.

After dinner, I pretended to go to bed, then sneaked out of the dorm and headed for the library.

Since I knew the guards’ and staff’s schedule, it was easier to sneak in than before.

“Wow, an oak drawer by the magic beast patterned table.”

Khalid, who was with me, muttered. He was holding the golden key that a squirrel had brought.

“Seriously, how do you find anything in this mess?”

Khalid turned around and asked for my agreement.

“Shouldn’t someone complain about this? Why does the staff bring so much sleeping stuff to the office?”

I just whistled, pretending I didn’t know.
Somehow, I felt like I knew the real culprit.

‘Report update…! More content for my investigation on my brother living in the library!’

Anyway, I walked quickly.

After a while, my legs slowed down.

‘Ouch, it stings…’

I’d scraped my knee in gym class that morning. It wasn’t much, but walking fast made it hurt a bit.

‘If he finds out, he’ll nag…’

I decided to stay quiet. That’s why I wore a long dress.

Luckily, Khalid didn’t notice since he walked ahead.

I carefully walked on. Soon, the big old library door appeared before me.

“It’s open.”

Khalid turned the key, and the big lock clicked open.

“Let’s go inside.”

“I’ll go first.”

This time, we made it all the way to the center of the old library, which I hadn’t seen before.

‘The magic filling this place must be preserving the books.’

I felt the air and thought.

Professor Yuliophe called it the “perfect place to preserve old books” or a “mysterious blessing.”

Ordinary people who can’t feel magic just say there’s some mysterious power here.

We went deep into the maze of shelves.

Suddenly, Khalid stopped.

“Ruby. Look at this.”

He looked back at me with a strange expression.

“What is it?”

“There’s a tree in the middle of the old library.”

“A… tree?”

I hurried forward.

The deeper I went, the stronger the magic felt.

At the very heart of the library, there was a small courtyard like a glass greenhouse.

“What is this…?”

A huge old tree caught my eye.

Moonlight poured through the big window in the ceiling, making the tree gently sway.

I walked closer, almost as if I was hypnotized.

When I placed my hand on the rough trunk, the blue leaves trembled slightly.

“Khalid, this tree…”

When I turned to Khalid beside me, my red eyes reflected in his clear ones.

“Why is there a tree here?”

I answered in a low voice.

“…It’s a sealing tree. I think it keeps the magic trapped in this space.”

“So that’s why the old library was filled with magic.”

Khalid nodded, then frowned.

“But, does that mean the reason the capital Bamilon has no magic…”

I nodded slowly.

“Maybe there are things like this all over the capital.”

But who could have done this?

I put my hand on the tree to try to learn more, but I couldn’t figure out anything else.

‘But just touching it makes me feel calm.’

I closed my eyes and quietly felt the swirling magic.
It was so gentle and warm.

‘Was it thanks to this sealing tree that the books were preserved so well?’

But something was missing.

Magic is just the source of power.

On its own, it’s hard to make it do something special. That’s why you need different magic circles.

“Ruby, there’s a strange stone slab here.”

Just then, Khalid’s voice came from behind the tree.

‘No way?’

I hurried over.