If someone asked what it’s like to get caught sleeping in class by a teacher, I’d probably have a firsthand answer.
Because right now, this situation feels pretty close—or rather, it’s like falling asleep in the headteacher’s class and getting caught red-handed.
“Your Highness, were you just sleeping?” After all, staring at a book without turning a page for ages would make anyone suspicious, and Syl was no exception.
Saying I logged off to eat would probably sound even worse than sleeping.
After seriously considering the consequences, I decided being an honest kid wasn’t the best move.
Thankfully, years of honed crisis instincts helped me come up with a decent excuse.
“No way! I was just thinking about how to weave this content into the dungeon storyline and got lost in thought.”
“I see. I shouldn’t have doubted Your Majesty.”
My excuse seemed flawless, as Syl’s expression turned guilty, her tone full of self-reproach.
“No, no, it’s fine!” Feeling guilty myself, I quickly changed the subject, handing her the book. “Why don’t you take a look and see if it’s suitable, Syl?”
If you’re going to act, go all in. I hadn’t really read the text, but since Syl had picked out books related to Soma Town and the Gruin Region, they should give me something to work with.
Syl took the book and softly read the first paragraph on the left page.
“You are more than that. I can feel that familiar pulse. Come, let my weapon melt in your crucible, then strike it with your passionate hammer…”
“…”
???
What is this, the history of metallurgy in Gruin?
Syl seemed equally puzzled, pausing before turning her gaze to the next paragraph.
“Septin parted the twin anvils before him, thrusting his already-hardened sword into the scorching furnace. Livs: ‘Oh, heavens… your sword is sharper than your brother’s… more penetrating… but your son is as fierce as a Nord lancer.’”
“…”
“…”
If the previous passage was confusing, this one screamed Type-Moon Heavy Industries vibes. All doubts were cleared when I instinctively glanced at the cover—
The Legend of Arano’s Desires II: The Spirited Dragonkin Maid
After a long silence, Syl closed the book and said, “I believe this knowledge is still too early for Your Highness.”
It was July, the height of summer, and outside the library, the sky was bright, the sun casting warm rays freely.
Yet I suddenly shivered.
After having my Cataloging Skill copy confiscated and enduring Syl’s lecture on healthy growth for minors, I fully understood what it felt like to get caught sleeping in class and reading a dirty book.
For the entire afternoon, I could only obediently read the books Syl brought, not daring to make any sneaky moves.
Thanks to this, though, I started forming a rough idea for the dungeon storyline, though it felt like something was still missing.
“Hm?”
As I yawned and reached to turn the next page, something caught my eye, and I let out a soft “Oh?”
Syl noticed my reaction and asked, “What’s wrong, Your Highness?”
“The Cataloging Skill stopped for some reason.”
“Perhaps it’s finished cataloging all the books in the area,” Syl said without hesitation, her tone flat.
But I shook my head, blinking at the skill panel.
“No, it says there are still over ten thousand eight hundred books left to catalog.”
“…Where did it stop?”
“The Eternal Chronicle of Aegwana.” Looking at the book’s title in the system message, I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d heard it somewhere before.
Upon hearing the name, Syl paused, as if deep in thought. “Does Your Highness remember what I told you about the Cataloging Skill’s general rules?”
“It automatically catalogs books within a certain range, but only regular ones. Some special books require manual review…”
I looked up, recalling her words, and quickly caught her meaning. “Are you saying this is a special book?”
“It’s possible, or it could be another situation.”
“Another situation?”
My barrage of questions made my cute face look even more confused.
Syl didn’t answer directly. Instead, she closed the reference book we’d been studying together and rose elegantly from her seat.
“Let’s go see it for ourselves, and we’ll know.”
Using the library’s record magic, we quickly located the book on the fourth row of shelves.
“Doesn’t seem all that special?” I flipped through the book titled The Eternal Chronicle of Aegwana.
Slight signs of age were hard to conceal, even on its unassuming brown cover. The pages were yellowed, with peeling, discolored edges, and faint dust clung to the golden floral trim.
It looked like nothing more than a dusty old history book.
Yet the name etched on the cover gave me a faint sense of familiarity, though I couldn’t place it.
“Your Highness didn’t receive any prompts?”
“None.” I shook my head. According to Syl, special books could be stored in the Grand Library, granting various buffs upon completion of reading.
But even after holding the book for a while, I received no system message, which was puzzling.
“If it’s not a special book, it could be a unique case—like sealed equipment or a quest item.”
Even the knowledgeable Syl looked thoughtful.
A quest item?
Curious, I flipped open the cover, intending to skim it and see if it triggered anything.
But at the front of the book, I found a passage of gilded text—
The Titans fall, the sage slumbers in the valley’s depths; the stars emerge, the white raven’s shadow tilts northwest, guiding the lost; the seven orders align, and the gods bestow the crown.
“…Crown.”
As I softly read the passage, something stirred in my mind, but before my thoughts could unfold, a system message suddenly appeared.
System: Winter Lake Illusion triggered.
With the ding of the system prompt, the surroundings underwent a dramatic transformation. The library disintegrated into countless particles, reforming into an entirely different world.
Under a night sky veiled by clouds, a tranquil forest stretched out.
Through gaps in the dense shrubs and branches, I could see a pristine lake, its surface like a mirror.
It looked like an ordinary forest, but when I noticed the magic circle beneath my feet and the stone slabs carved with various patterns around me, my interrupted thoughts snapped back.
Combined with that sense of familiarity and the system’s prompt, I realized something.
“This is… the Winter Lake Puzzle?”
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