"Alright, alright. Everything happens slowly… Today, he 'accidentally' touches your forehead. Tomorrow, maybe your hand. Step by step, that's how closeness grows," Suna said with a mischievous grin.
"No way! I won't let him touch me like that."
"You'll see. Oh, and let's go eat. You haven't even had breakfast yet. Strong girls attract boys. Attu likes you; that's why you need to start eating better."
Anna closed the book and rested her head on the table, thinking.
[Does he really like me?] she thought, her cheeks flushing again.
The day came to
An end, and night fell. I returned to the library again, and sure enough, Anna was still there reading a book.
I quietly approached a nearby shelf and began looking for an interesting book to read. I examined the titles and covers, but nothing caught my interest.
[What kind of books are these? Miguel de Cervantes: Don Quixote — definitely a foreign author. The Adventures of Robin Hood — no author listed.]
"Are there any books about fighting or magic here?"
"I don't know. Maybe if you look closely, you'll find some. I've never been too interested in combat or battle magic."
I started searching between the shelves for books that could help me improve my magic or fighting skills. That's when a certain title caught my eye. It said "The History of Mankind" on the cover. I pulled the book from the shelf, placed it on the table, and began to read.
"What book did you pick?"
"It's called The History of Mankind."
"Oh, I know that one. It talks about ancient kings and the most powerful mages and Elestars of their time."
"Sounds interesting just by the title."
I opened it and began reading from the first page. Right from the beginning, the book talked about the first emperor.
[So it starts off with the story of the first emperor…
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Name: Unknown
Lifespan: Unknown
Title: Emperor (Famous as the First Emperor)
Place of Birth and Death: Unknown
Magic Affinity: Elestar
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Very little is known about this person, but according to some preserved accounts, he is said to be the first man to unite humanity and build a great empire. That's not the only thing that made him special—he is also credited with founding the modern Elestar school of magic. Some sources suggest he lived approximately 10,000 years ago.]
[But wait… Master once told me it was a hundred thousand years ago. Is this a mistake in the book, or was my master wrong?]
Maybe I should ask Anna.
"Anna."
"Yes?"
"How long ago did the First Emperor live?"
"In the books I've read, it said around ten thousand years ago."
"Got it." — she replied and continued reading.
Even though I could read the book, I didn't understand all of it—some parts were simply too complex. Still, I managed to grasp a few important things.
I learned that there were great sorcerers and Elestars in history who once defeated a Demon King. Not only the First Emperor, but three other legendary mages were also mentioned.
The book turned out to be fascinating—rich with historical knowledge and full of intriguing stories. When I finally finished it, I closed the book and glanced at Anna.
Somehow, while I was completely immersed in reading, I hadn't noticed that Anna had fallen asleep beside me, her head resting gently on a book.
She was sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want her to get cold. I quietly took off my outer coat and laid it over her like a blanket. Then, without making a sound, I left the library and returned to my room.
The next morning, I rose and began my training as usual. Seeing how I wielded the sword, Master said I needed more focus on technique and had me practice strictly with the blade.
"…Eight hundred ninety-eight, eight hundred ninety-nine… and nine hundred."
As always, Master sat nearby, observing every movement I made.
"Do a hundred more sword strikes."
"Yes, sir!" I shouted and continued swinging.
After completing the extra hundred strikes, I sparred with my master—just like every other day—and, as always, ended up flat on my back after a beating.
While I lay on the cold ground, worn out and aching, Gustav appeared before us.
"Here it is, Master Valorant. The sword you requested," he said, handing the weapon to my master before taking his leave.
"Thank you! Attu, catch!" Master said, tossing me the sheathed blade.
I caught the sword and slowly drew it from its scabbard. As it came into the light, I was stunned by its gleam—shining like sunlight. I gave it a couple of test swings and felt the balance.
"This sword feels incredible."
"Well, of course! It cost fifty gold coins! It'd better be good."
Hearing that, I nearly lost my grip—the sword suddenly felt like fifty pieces of pure gold in my hands. I held it as delicately as I could and carefully sheathed it again.
"Why'd you put it away?" Master asked. "You're not done training with your new blade."
"I'm doing fine with my old one… I don't think I can handle this sword yet."
"Take it out again!" he shouted, throwing a stick at me.
"Where do you even keep finding these sticks?" I grumbled, unsheathing the new sword once more.
"Now channel your mana into it."
I did as he asked and focused my mana into the blade—until something strange happened.
"It absorbed my mana... Wait, what? I can feel energy flowing from the sword itself."