Seeing the troubled expression you had earlier, this article doesn't seem so unsympathetic.
"Ugh..."
The knight flinched and took a step back.
He seemed to pity me greatly.
Please, just let me off once. Okay?
However.
"I'm sorry, but no one is allowed to enter."
The knight shook his head firmly.
I barely suppressed a sigh that was welling up inside me.
Instead, I drooped my shoulders dejectedly and muttered.
"I have no choice. It's my fault for not bringing the book earlier. The head butler is going to be very angry, but..."
For the record, Ligrin has a more gentle personality than people think, so he wouldn't get that angry over this.
But I'm the only one who knows that Ligrin is quite lenient, so using Ligrin as an excuse worked well on the people in the estate who were afraid of him.
"I need to tell the head butler why I couldn't bring the book, but could you at least tell me why you're suddenly doing an inspection?"
I know it's a ridiculous excuse.
From the start, there was no way that Ligrin, the head butler of the estate, wouldn't know about the library inspection.
But...
'I'm ten years old.'
I might not know about those circumstances.
The sympathy-inducing tactic seemed to work to some extent, as the knight's eyes wavered.
I didn't miss the opportunity and made my eyes shine even brighter.
"Ugh..."
The knight took a step back and then.
"...I understand."
In the end, he surrendered.
Soon, he told me the reason for the inspection.
And I was shocked to hear the reason.
As I walked back the way I came, I mulled over the knight's words.
'We are conducting a preliminary inspection for the magical enhancement of the library. The inspection period will be at least one month, and no one will be allowed to enter during that time.'
"So the library's magical enhancement is happening around this time."
I turned my head to look at the building.
On the outside, it looked no different from before, but the inside must be busy with preliminary inspections for the upcoming large-scale magical enhancement.
Magical enhancement.
It refers to the work of applying magic to the entire library building, literally.
The Rodbel Duchy, which had reached a highly advanced level of magic next to the Magic Tower, pursued convenience using magic instead of the old-fashioned manual system.
The library was included in that.
There was no need for people to come out and manage it, the best condition was maintained, and you could find the books you wanted right away.
Security was also much safer. There was no reason not to proceed with magical enhancement.
Rather, it was a bit late.
And because of this magical enhancement.
'Giles Smore becomes a stablehand.'
To be more precise, when the magical enhancement made the librarian no longer needed, Rodbel offered Giles Smore a different position.
Acknowledging his past efforts, he offered him a higher position than the librarian, but Giles Smore refused the offer and volunteered to work in the stable where the library was most visible.
'A stubborn man.'
The news that a once high-nosed figure who had managed the library, known as Rodbel's greatest legacy, had become a stablehand overnight spread quickly throughout Rodbel.
The servants gossiped that he was crazy, and there were not a few who went to see if he had really become a stablehand.
Nevertheless, Giles Smore didn't care.
He just stood there steadfastly, only looking at the library that he could no longer enter.
One nickname was attached to such Giles Smore...
'Okay.'
What does that matter now?
The important thing is that I won't be able to enter the library for at least a month.
Squeak, squeak.
I paused for a moment, stepping on the accumulated snow.
I was flustered by the unexpected news of the magical enhancement, but I quickly regained my composure.
That's because.
'But it's a failure.'
Due to an unexpected variable that no one expected.
'Anyway, a month...'
Unexpectedly, I have some free time.
First of all...
'I need to tell Aen about this.'
Squeak, squeak.
'She's going to be very disappointed, right?'
Aen must have been waiting for this moment.
Squeak, squeak.
I need to explain it well so that she can be reassured.
Squeak, squeak.
By the way...
I stopped walking and looked down at my feet.
Only my footprints remained on the road that looked like it was covered with a white, thick carpet.
When I took another step on the road, I heard a "squeak" and my foot went in.
If I hadn't been wearing boots, the snow would have gotten into my shoes.
I liked the feeling of the snow compressing under the soles of my feet.
"...This is fun."
It was the first time I had stepped on snow so casually.
It was fun to walk leaving footprints.
'Anyway, I don't have anything to do when I go back right now.'
I've already read all the books I borrowed from the library, and there are no classes for the time being.
Marin will be busy cleaning, and Ligrin...
'He also looked very busy.'
Whether it was because of the accident that occurred during the qualification exam or the aftermath of the meeting held after the ceremony, I haven't seen a strand of Ligrin's hair since then.
For similar reasons, it's difficult to meet Aen without making an appointment in advance.
I don't really have any hobbies, so even if I go back as it is, there's nothing to do.
"I feel strange."
I felt strange about the free time in the middle of the day that was suddenly given to me after running breathlessly since I returned.
Something feels awkward and uncomfortable. I feel like I have to find something to do...
Hmm...
"Eek."
Since it's a rare opportunity, I decided to walk a little more to take a break.
Should I go to a place I've never been before?
Looking at the white road, it felt like I could go anywhere.
I turned my steps in the opposite direction from the way I was going.
Squeak, squeak. How long did I walk leaving footprints on the snowfield?
"Ah."
Suddenly, my nose became cold and I looked up.
It had started snowing again in the meantime.
Seeing that the snowflakes were already quite thick, it seemed like it would soon turn into heavy snow.
Besides, I had unknowingly come to the entrance of the forest west of the library.
I turned around to go back in order to avoid getting lost if I went in the wrong way, at that moment.
"Sniff, waaaah..."
An unidentified sound grabbed my ankle.
What is this sound?
I looked back at the inside of the forest where the sound was coming from.
I tilted my head.
Did I hear wrong?
"Waaaaah..."
But as if I hadn't heard wrong, the sound became clearer.
It was a sound like something was sobbing...
For some reason, I had a feeling that it would become quite annoying.
'Let's just ignore it.'
I was about to turn back to avoid getting involved unnecessarily.
"Jaaaaayles Smooooore... waaaaaaah!"
"...Haa."
The voice became clearer and somehow familiar, so I sighed deeply.
I really want to ignore it, but...
'Let's just check it out.'
I feel like it would be uncomfortable to go back like this.
I sighed deeply and reluctantly moved my steps into the forest.
Squeak, squeak...
The sound of stepping on snow echoed softly.
How much had I passed the entrance like that.
I stopped walking and muttered.
"I found it."
In the distance, a man was sitting with his head bowed and his shoulders drooped.
It was dark because of the dark clouds, so I couldn't see his appearance well, but I recognized him at once.
"...Giles Smore."
The man who was demoted to stablehand and was called the 'Ghost of the Library'.
"Waaah..."
He, who was full of pride and self-esteem, was currently hiding in a place where no one set foot and sobbing.
'I roughly expected it, but.'
The servants called Giles Smore, who couldn't leave the library and volunteered to be a stablehand, the 'Ghost of the Library'.
It was a nickname that suited him well.
When I heard that story at the time, I didn't feel sorry for him.
Even if he was kicked out of the library, he was still an object of fear to me.
But now, the Giles Smore in front of me...
"Sniff, sob..."
"..."
It was neither a scary being who raised his eyes fiercely and chased me away, nor an arrogant figure full of pride and confidence, nor a stubborn man who steadfastly guarded the stable even though he was laughed at as a ghost.
It was just a Giles Smore who was pathetically abandoned, that's all.
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