[Day 15 of Daily Mission]
[Easy Level: Dayshift - 7 hours of duty in the Library of Capital City]
"Ate Clydelle, I'll start with the final row," I suggested, my voice a bit shaky from a mixture of fatigue and excitement. The library was my sanctuary, a maze of stories and secrets.
"Alright, and tell Frank that there's still a pile of books to stack on the shelf," she added, her eyes not leaving the teetering stacks she was organizing. With a quick nod of approval, I was off, a woman on a mission to conquer the last frontier of unorganized books.
My first task was the dreaded Mariana's Wrath. Just seeing its spine on the topmost shelf was enough to make me groan. It wasn't a book; it was a brick— as dense as an encyclopedia and twice as heavy. The mere thought of carrying it up the rolling ladder was exhausting. I dragged the tall wooden ladder over, its wheels groaning in protest against the polished floor. Each step I took was deliberate, my hands gripping the rails tightly. I carefully placed the book in its rightful place, nestled between Volumes II and IV, feeling a small sense of triumph.
On my way back, I passed Frank and Tyler, who were pushing a cart piled high with books. "And this one is on the fifth shelf from here, in the Research section," Ate Clydelle said, handing me the final cart. On it rested five truly gigantic books. My jaw dropped.
"This is the only time in my life that I have ever seen a book the size of a window type aircon," I gasped, just looking at it makes me faint; it was a hundred times worse than Mariana's Wrath.
"Be careful with that; the book is rumored to be cursed, according to what I've heard," she said, a playful but serious glint in her eyes.
"Cursed—?" I whispered to myself, a shiver running down my spine. "Ughh, I'm starting to hate this world."
"Keep moving, Sari. The clock is ticking," she urged, and I hurried toward the Research section, where my job would be complete. Four of the five volumes were placed with relative ease. Only one remained, the cursed book. I smiled to myself, seeing its designated spot—and then my smile vanished. The last book belonged on the highest shelf of a nineteen-foot-tall bookshelf.
My legs began to tremble as I approached the ladder. I have an extreme phobia of heights, and the sheer size and weight of the book in my arms didn't help. "This mission really wants us dead, huh?" I groaned, preparing to climb.
Just as I reached the top, a voice startled me. "If I were you, I'd be extremely careful with that book because it curses anyone who doesn't know how to handle it properly," a man said from below. I nearly dropped the book in shock, but managed to regain my composure. He was leaning against a shelf on the other side of the aisle, staring up at me with an unnervingly serious expression.
"Excuse me, I know what I'm doing, okay?" I snapped, taking a step higher. But I misjudged the distance between the steps, and my foot slipped. Time seemed to slow as the book, my hands, and I all plunged toward the ground. I closed my eyes, convinced this was the end.
"What a reckless, stupid girl you are," I heard him scold, but the impact I was expecting never came. When I opened my eyes, I found our faces were inches apart. He had caught me, but the sudden momentum had sent us both crashing to the floor, the cursed book landing on the ground next tp us.
"It's your fault!" I argued, scrambling to my feet and picking up the book.
"Are you out of your mind? You're the one who fell," he retorted, looking absolutely infuriated.
"I wouldn't have fallen if you hadn't spoken to me."
"When did I tell you to pay attention to me? Professional librarians shouldn't be easily provoked, and look what you did to the book! You didn't take care of it!" he exclaimed, trying to push himself up from the ground. A sharp groan of pain escaped his lips as he clutched his wrist. "You also broke my wrist, you stupid girl," he spat, his face twisted in pain.
I was torn between my bruised pride and a flicker of genuine concern. He had saved me, after all. "Look, I'm truly sorry; I had no intention of causing you any harm," I apologized, offering him a hand.
He ignored it. "Bring me to your manager," he said, his voice cold and solemn.
"The manager isn't here, so my cousin took over."
"Then just bring me to a place where I can seek medical care," he said, clearly annoyed.
I brought him to Ate Clydelle, who, to my relief, wasn't angry. She just shook her head, a glint of worry on her face, and gave me permission to take him to a nearby clinic.
"Take care," she waved as we left.
"How is he?" I asked the doctor, a healer mage who looked at me with a kind smile.
"It's not that serious, so don't worry," she said, her smile widening. "Just remember to take good care of your boyfriend."
"Huh?" I was completely flustered.
"You kids should be more careful next time," she laughed, winking at me. "Youths these days..."
My boyfriend? The man who called me stupid and blamed me for breaking his wrist?
I shook my head in disbelief as he emerged from the examination room, his wrist in a temporary sling.
"Now we're even," I stated, trying to put the bizarre series of events behind us.
"Not yet, girlfriend," he joked, a smirk on his lips as he brushed a stray piece of hair from his forehead.
"Yes, we're finished— and what— girlfriend?" I sputtered, my face flushing.
"I overheard your conversation with the healer; I can't believe she thought of us as a couple," he said, clearly enjoying my embarrassment.
I quickly changed the subject. "I don't care— we're even now, okay? I already brought you here, so there's no need for you to file a complaint with the manager."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
"What is it then?"
His smirk vanished. "The cursed book— you failed to care for it properly."
"You believe in that?"
"Of course! I know someone who is still engulfed by its curse," he said, his voice serious.
"As long as that person is still alive, it's fine, so bye!" I turned to leave, but he caught my arm.
"Miss—"
"What?" I asked, impatient. "I still have to do my job."
"Do me a favor and listen to me..." he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "First, let's go somewhere safe."
Before I could protest, he was pulling me along, leading me out of the clinic and into the heart of the plaza garden, stopping inside a beautiful white gazebo. He raised a hand and began to chant in a language I didn't understand. "Eclipse Magic: Protection Barrier."
A shimmering dome of light enveloped us.
"What exactly are you doing?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"I cast a barrier spell to protect you from the thing," he replied, his eyes scanning the horizon as if expecting an attack.
"Oh...kay? Uhh— and what about your friend who got hurt?" I asked, hoping to get him to calm down.
"It began when my friend was pursued by a strange shadow figure for a week, followed by a high fever and his skin gradually turning pale. Eventually, all his emotions were gone," he replied, his gaze distant, lost in a painful memory.
"And you think there's a shadowy creature following me, and that's why you did this?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Let's just wait until it's gone."
"Why are you doing this? It's my fault I'm being followed—and you should be grateful that I'm willing to face the consequences of my actions."
"I wouldn't want other people to suffer as much as my friend does as a result of that damned book," he said, his expression grim.
"We're strangers, but you cared, I appreciate you for that," I said, a little warmth creeping into my tone. "But— I'm confident that I could get rid of that shadow man." I tried to walk through the barrier, only to bounce off it as if hitting an invisible wall. "What the hell— what's wrong with this barrier?"
"It was created so that no one can enter or leave, and it is a complete defense spell against an enemy attack. It can only be used three times a year by the royal family in the Eclipse Kingdom," he explained, a hint of pride in his voice.
"And when will this barrier disappear?"
"Only if the spell acknowledges that there are no dangerous creatures nearby."
I sighed deeply and slapped my hand against my forehead. I hate this...
"Ah—! Now I remember!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening. "You're the mortal one loved by mana, the one Stephen befriended."
"And you are that typical cold prince with him?" I squinted, examining his face more closely.
"Uhh— yeah?" he replied hesitantly, a little taken aback by my blunt description. "And my name's Marco."
"You two are completely opposites," I said with a laugh.
"Yeah, I know— he's always that reckless, boastful, and loud guy."
"And you're the exact opposite—but at least he's approachable, unlike you," I retorted.
His brow shot up, "Excuse me?" he challenged, the silent question, who are you to judge me? hanging in the air.
I shrugged, a mischievous smirk playing on my lips. "You may pass."
"What?" he asked, his gaze unwavering.
"You may pass," I repeated, a little louder this time.
"Ugh, what?" he asked, a look of utter confusion on his face. He looked so baffled that I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing, smacking his arm playfully.
"Never mind, idiot."
He winced at the contact, pulling his arm back as if I'd scalded him. "I'm not as stupid as you think; I just don't get your stupid jokes, and please don't touch me with your stupid hands," he grumbled, rubbing the spot I'd hit.
I sighed, my laughter dying down. He didn't like being called unapproachable, but he sure acted the part. I took a step back, a hint of desperation in my voice. "I really need to get going. Is there any way you could break this spell?"
He shook his head, his expression softening slightly. "As I mentioned earlier, this spell will only be broken if there is no danger nearby."
I was so done with this guy and this whole situation. "Didn't I tell you that you didn't have to do this?" I frowned, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.
"I know, but I just want to help," he said, sounding earnest. "And there's nothing you can do."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Hah! Well, thank you for helping me fail my mission!"
"What exactly do you mean?" he asked, completely lost.
"That thing I was doing a while ago? That was our mission."
"An easy-level one?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"Yeah, because we're not allowed to take on any medium or hard missions for a week."
"Why? What happened?" he pressed.
"It's a long story," I said, my shoulders slumping.
"I'll listen. Getting rid of this barrier is going to take a long time anyway," he offered, a flicker of genuine curiosity in his eyes.
I ended up telling him everything. Not just about the sea monster, but about how we got here, about our journey, about everything. He listened intently, and for the first time, I felt like someone was truly hearing me.
"Oh, so that Mr. M brought you here because that was your grandmother's dying wish?" he asked, his voice gentle.
"Yeah," I replied, a small smile on my face.
"Giving you so many responsibilities at such a young age..."
"She was a wonderful person," I said, a wave of pride washing over me. "Anyway, thanks for listening." I thought I saw the tips of his ears turn a faint shade of red when he gave me a surprised look.
Just then, the oppressive hum of the barrier vanished, replaced by a sudden, jarring silence. He didn't say a word, simply got up, and motioned for me to follow him. He accompanied me to the library and even stayed for an hour while I finished up my tasks, claiming he had a book to finish.
Fortunately, we got all three badges for this mission.
This day has been so exhausting that I'm not sure if I want to stay here or not. This is far more stressful than our normal lives, and I can't help but wonder if it's all worth it.