novelraw Chapter 157 : Chapter 157
Chapter 157 : Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Ian, having passed through the mirror, looked at the hundreds of bookshelves filling his view and documents scattered chaotically everywhere, muttering.
“A library……?”
“If you know that, why don’t you be a little quiet.”
Ian, startled by the blunt voice coming from beyond the bookshelf, gripped his sword and tried to move his mana, but the owner of the voice spoke as if complaining.
“Are you a rookie? You humans really risk your lives on useless things. Truly a race devoid of manners and common sense.”
Except for a slight annoyance, a voice devoid of any emotion continued.
“It seems you’re also a human from another dimension, but I’m busy, so ask that System thing or whatever about anything you’re curious about. Since it’s bothersome for both of us, don’t come this way.”
And then, the sound of a page turning—rustle—followed.
‘…Is he angry?’
Ian, awkwardly letting go of his sword, only then looked around.
‘So, there are other humans from other dimensions besides me?’
At least it was certain that the owner of the voice beyond the bookshelf had met them.
And that they came here earlier than him.
‘Calling me a rookie, and he knows about the System. Other players came before me!’
Thinking there were other players made his heart pound as if it would burst.
Where did they come from? Earth?
Are they really players of 『Lost Chronicle』?
Or perhaps from a dimension other than Earth?
‘No, that’s not what’s important.’
There were players who arrived in this world before I possessed Ian’s body.
Holding onto information and secrets no one else knows.
‘It matters how much time has passed. If there was enough time, they would have had more than enough time to establish a kingdom. If there are factions of players created earlier, I might be able to get help…….’
Ian, pondering the possibility that he could clear the game without struggling, bearing a title close to a curse, suddenly stopped.
“…….”
The protagonist of 『Lost Chronicle』 is me.
Ian de Moner, the worst scoundrel in history.
‘Then who did the others possess?’
The more he thought, the more anxiety surged.
‘There are players, but nothing has changed?’
From the perspective of this world, a player is close to a prophet or a regressor who has experienced the future.
They know roughly what will happen in the future, and who will succeed and who will become a hero.
It was thanks to information that the Golden Goblin Merchant Guild, which was nothing more than peddlers, could grow into a small to medium-sized guild in just a few months.
‘Moner is the same. No longer interfered with by the Royal family, swallowing the assets of three Counts, and steadily increasing military power.’
Other players must have had similar opportunities.
There should have been noticeable changes.
No, there must have been.
Yet, the fact that the information known from the game and the information of this world are not different means.
‘Either there are no living players.’
Or it means they are hiding.
‘No, maybe they are just hiding that they are players.’
When he was racking his brain over the question with no answer, the voice from beyond the bookshelf asked.
“Ahem. Hey, are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“If you’ve seen everything, I’d appreciate it if you left now. I don't know about rude humans, but we have something called privacy here.”
Ian pondered for a moment, and one of the books scattered on the floor caught his eye.
《Relative Knowledge and Absolute Lies》
It was a title that looked boring at a glance, but what caught Ian’s eye wasn’t the title, but the phrase on the sticker attached to the bottom of the book.
《Must return to the Librarian after reading!》
Indeed, thinking this was a library at first wasn’t a coincidence.
‘Since it’s a library, of course there must be a librarian.’
- Swish, Ian stood up and picked up the scattered books one by one.
From headache-inducing books like 《Introduction to Dimensions》, 《How to Avoid Destruction》, 《Two Sides of God》 to cookbooks like 《Condiment Recipes》, 《101 Dishes Made with Pepper》.
‘Did the players who came here read these?’
Seeing empty spaces on nearby bookshelves, it seemed they only pulled out books that were nearby.
‘It seems they were trying to find Hidden Pieces.’
Seeing that the whole place wasn't overturned, it seems they gave up halfway.
‘Well, there seem to be well over ten thousand books just in sight; even I wouldn't have thought of reading all of this.’
Usually in times like this, one tends to pick out the most eye-catching book nearby. Wouldn’t 《Two Sides of God》 be such a case?
‘Then they probably moved somewhere else thinking it was a waste of time.’
Ian, with his view blocked by the books piled up in his arms one by one, moved like an acrobat towards the next bookshelf.
“What the, Human! I told you not to come this way!”
Ian, neatly ignoring the complaint that popped out as if expected, answered over the pile of books.
“I’m here to return some books.”
* * *
“Give that here quickly before you drop it! You ignorant and foolish race that doesn't know the value of books!”
As he put down the pile of books at the grumbling voice, a somewhat familiar librarian came into view.
A short, three-heads-tall body, a belly swollen as if to burst, a chubby tail, and adorably short legs.
‘Calua?’
No matter how you look at it, what was in front of him was a gold version of Calua.
Of course, unlike Calua who trudged around naked, this one was wearing a stylish suit and horn-rimmed glasses.
“…Are you perhaps a dragon?”
“Oh! Compared to those guys who asked what I was, you are a somewhat smart human! Correct! This body is the great Gold Dragon!”
Excited that he was recognized as a dragon, the Librarian held his head high and flapped his wings, then stopped abruptly and drooped his wings, continuing.
“…Not, but just a library librarian. Just call me Librarian.”
The Librarian, who made a statement suggesting some tremendous circumstances, twinkled his eyes as if asking to be asked.
Just as Ian was considering asking what happened because he looked pitiful, Calua suddenly came to mind.
‘As expected, getting involved would be troublesome.’
One lizard at home is enough.
Besides, that lizard also looks like a lizard cherished and raised by the person who created this space.
‘Right, right. Touching someone else's pet recklessly is not polite.’
He sent a desperate look as if implying he wasn't here by choice, but Ian lightly ignored it and sat down in front of the Librarian, saying.
“Yes, Librarian. Understood.”
“As expected! I knew you would list……! Huh?”
“I will call you Librarian. Since I’ve never seen a dragon, I must have been mistaken.”
“No, that’s…….”
The Librarian shook his head vigorously and desperately claimed to be a dragon, but.
“As expected, there’s no way a dragon would have such a small form. Wouldn’t a dragon look much bigger and stronger?”
“That is true, but…….”
“There’s also no way a dragon famous for maintaining a lair more beautiful than the Emperor’s palace would be managing a library in such a mess.”
“That is……!”
The Librarian, spreading his whole body as if aggrieved, tried to protest, but Ian’s answer was faster.
“So, Librarian. Could you explain slowly, one by one, where this place is and what it is for?”
* * *
Only after promising to help organize the library could he extract information from the Librarian, who resisted with a sullen face.
“Really, if I help you just up to here, you’ll answer everything I ask?”
“Of course! It’s a promise made by this body personally!”
It was an answer that didn't inspire much trust, but thinking that organizing books was cheap for a dragon's promise, he helped organize.
“Where should I put this book?”
“Hmm, a book written by Lutines? Put it in the third shelf from the bottom of row D over there. Ah! The book below that too.”
“This isn’t written by the same author, is it?”
“No, it’s because he changed his pen name in the middle.”
After organizing books for a long time, Ian sat on the ground to rest for a moment, and the Librarian scurried over and hovered beside him.
“Bothersome human, you can just ask the System, why must you ask me?”
His voice was full of annoyance, but Ian knew it wasn't sincere.
Perhaps he was curious why Ian was helping him through trouble instead of asking the System.
The problem was that even knowing the opponent's intention, there was no suitable answer.
First of all, he couldn't say ‘The System is currently out of service.’
‘For now, until I can be sure whether that dragon is an enemy or an ally, it would be better to hide the fact that the System is updating.’
Even if he looks similar to Calua, isn't the opponent a dragon?
Ian, rolling his tongue to find a suitable answer, spoke casually.
“Just, because you are here, Librarian.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know who sent me here, but wouldn’t there be a reason for sending me here? It must have meant for me to borrow the Librarian’s wisdom.”
Blinking his eyes and looking at me, the Librarian’s tail wagged gently.
‘Hmm? Seems his mood improved?’
Perhaps the Gold Dragon, forced into the librarian job, particularly disliked humans because other players only looked for the System.
The Librarian, whose tail had been wagging for a while, shut his eyes tight and said.
“A, Ahem! Let me tell you in advance, I don’t have quests, helping me won’t give you achievements, and I can’t tell you information about Hidden Pieces.”
It was a voice so lacking in confidence that it was hard to believe he was a dragon.
Seeing him pinpoint quests or Hidden Pieces, other players must have asked about them.
Opening one eye slightly to look at me, the Librarian continued.
“So, in most cases, the System’s answer will be more accurate.”
The Librarian, who had been speaking rapidly for a while, suddenly jumped up and shouted.
“However! I am honest! I absolutely do not lie!”
Does that mean the System lies?
When I asked just in case, the Librarian shook his head with a troubled face.
“…No.”
“……?”
“Still, still…….”
I wanted to ask a lot, but thinking I shouldn't dig any deeper, I changed the question.
Since the dragon himself said he doesn't lie, there was no better condition for someone asking questions.
“First, could you tell me where this place is?”
* * *
Whether it was a trait of a Gold Dragon or thanks to the experience accumulated here, the Librarian was skilled at explaining.
“Community?”
“Yeah. You probably don’t know since you haven’t been in this world long, but from now on, once a month, on the day the third moon disappears from the sky, you will come to the Community. At that time, you’ll go to the Waiting Room, not the library.”
“Waiting Room?”
“Hmm… think of it as the place you were happiest on Earth. The Waiting Room is a manifestation of that place. One of the roles of the Community is to make sure you don't forget the dimension you came from.”
So, to summarize the main points, it’s like this.
Once a month, players are forcibly summoned to this Community.
First-time summoned people come here, to the library.
From the second time onwards, to their respective Waiting Rooms.
Players in the Waiting Room can choose whether to leave the Community immediately or attend the meeting.
“Then what happens if everyone chooses to stay in the Waiting Room?”
“That doesn't matter either. Instead, you need Community Points (CP) to stay in the Waiting Room.”
“How do you collect those CP?”
“Through the exchange of information, which can be said to be the purpose for which this Community was created.”
To stay in the Waiting Room, you need Community Points (CP), and CP can be obtained by exchanging information.
According to the Librarian, the activation of the Community is thanks to these CP.
“Because you can do anything with CP.”
That was the only explanation for CP.
Literally anything.
When asked how others use CP, the Librarian answered without a moment of hesitation.
“Food! It’s a bit different now, but people who come to the Community order food every day!”
Saying that, the Librarian recommended chicken.
That eating chicken would create a love for one's planet that didn't exist before and make one want to return to Earth.
‘…Really?’
As someone who isn't picky about food, it was a claim hard to agree with.
‘Handing over information just for food? Is this Community really running properly?’
When I asked a sudden thought, the Librarian laughed out loud and said.
“What? Do you know how much humans love the Community! New ice cream! Food they missed! Movies, comics, games they haven't seen! It’s a space where everything is possible!”
When Ian looked at the Gold Dragon with a sullen expression as if he couldn't believe it, the Librarian raised his front paw and said.
“As expected, seeing it yourself is best. Since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll specially take you to your Waiting Room. You won’t be able to help but like it.”
After Ian disappeared into the Waiting Room with a flash of light.
A woman appeared where the dragon had been and muttered in a voice full of interest.
“If he really came from another dimension, that is.”
Humming an unknown song, she rummaged through the papers scattered on the floor for a long time, then grabbed a paper and shouted.
“Ah! Found it!”
The page she quickly hid in her bosom contained only a single sentence.
[The class of ‘Ian de Moner’ is changed from ‘NPC’ to ‘Player’.]