Chapter 137
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The next day, I headed to the Royal Library with Reno.
Last night, after continuing to examine the hidden quest, I discovered a term that was familiar but not well understood.
[<Hidden Quest> Trial of Qualification. (In Progress)
―Success: Linked Quest ‘Trial of Lublin’.]
‘Trial of Lublin…….’
I’d heard about it briefly from Killis before. It was when I asked about the laws for leaving the capital.
‘I definitely heard it would be possible when the Trial of Lublin begins, right?’
A test to determine crown succession candidates, conducted under Evgenia’s authority…….
Though it seemed unrelated to me at the time, now that it appeared as a quest, I decided I needed to learn more about it.
Killis would answer well if I asked, but there was a limit to just asking questions without any background knowledge. After all, you need some basic understanding even to ask questions.
So thinking I should find and read related books in the library, I prepared to go out. When I came out of the palace, Reno greeted me.
“Where are you going?”
“To the library.”
At my brief response, Reno learned my destination and grimaced, muttering “Ah, you really do love the library.”
It was a familiar complaint. Knowing he would quickly follow and hover around anyway, I smiled slightly and started walking.
‘Come to think of it, there was something I needed to tell Reno, but what was it?’
It seemed important.
I thought about it carefully on the way to the library, but couldn’t remember it by the time we arrived, so I ended up not mentioning it.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here.’
I found myself feeling nostalgic looking at the Royal Library. Who knew it would feel so fresh after just not visiting for a few weeks?
Just as I was about to enter the library with Reno, the guards at the entrance tensed up when they saw me.
“……?”
Since they usually ignored me, I looked at them curiously, and they immediately gave a stiff salute.
“We greet First Princess! May the Light of Lublin be with you!”
Eh…….
Taken aback, instead of properly responding, I just nodded vaguely as I passed them.
‘What’s going on?’
Why the sudden greeting?
It wasn’t just the guards acting strange. Shortly after I entered the library, librarians who had been far away came running breathlessly to greet me.
“Pr-Princess! No, we greet the First Princess!”
“Princess, m-may the Light of Lublin be with you!”
The librarians clutched their chests as they bowed. Their unstable breathing and loud voices were unsuited for a library that should be quiet.
However, they seemed unaware of this fact as they anxiously watched me and asked.
“M-might we ask the reason for your visit?”
Isn’t there only one reason to come to a library?
“To read books.”
Since it was such an obvious purpose, my answer came out a bit bluntly. Only then did the librarians realize they had asked a strange question and softly exclaimed “Ah!”
“O-of course! Books in the library…… Ahaha…….”
“B-books are obviously for reading. We apologize, ahem.”
If only one librarian was acting strange, I would have assumed it was just their personality. But it wasn’t just one, it was several of them, which was perplexing. Not just the librarians, but even the guards at the entrance were included.
‘Why is everyone acting like this?’
As I tilted my head in confusion at the incomprehensible atmosphere, a librarian who had finally collected themselves asked me politely.
“What book would you like to read? If you tell us, we’ll find it for you.”
“It’s fine. I can find it myself, you don’t need to worry…….”
“We cannot allow that!”
“That’s right! We cannot!”
Uh, what?
“At least allow us to guide Your Highness to the bookshelves!”
The librarians pleaded earnestly, looking as if they might grab onto my skirt. I blinked in surprise at their behavior.
What is really going on here?
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