Edo, leaving the library, was clearly embarrassed by what he had seen in Leni's hands. The title of the novel was… peculiar, and the enthusiasm with which she was reading it made him feel even more awkward. To clear his mind, he decided to explore the castle a bit — despite having spent some time there already, it still felt unfamiliar to him.
Earlier, during breakfast, he had noticed a variety of personalities, but he hadn't seen any court mages. Only two Court knights had shown up: Klein, and the lizardman Toru, who didn't eat anything and simply passed by, piercing Edo with a cold, icy stare.
"Must've been late already… Yeah, I probably came for breakfast way too late," Edo thought, trying to rationalize their absence.
When he left the library, the sun was shining brightly through the massive windows — plenty of daylight left.
"Ehh… I left too early. I could've stayed and learned more… But since I'm out already, maybe I'll take a look around the outer areas. This castle *is* a fortress after all," he said to himself and headed toward the exit.
He passed by many people — some in armor, others wearing dignified, ceremonial garments. Everyone seemed to be heading somewhere, busy with their duties.
As he reached the gates, he passed Toru again. The lizardman didn't even glance at him, but his presence was palpable. Edo's heart quickened, but he didn't stop. He kept moving forward, saying nothing, and left the castle through the massive golden doors.
***
The walk around the castle took him over an hour. The fortress was huge and self-sufficient. He saw enormous barracks where knight units were stationed, and courtyards where training was actively taking place. Edo watched their strength and determination with envy. He himself now wanted to join Nolan's unit and gain the power that might help him return home.
At one point, he reached the forge. The craftsmen worked tirelessly, forging weapons and armor that fueled the might of the fortress. Their rhythmic hammering was almost hypnotic.
When he returned to the castle, the silence surprised him. Outside, there were sounds of hammers, training, life — but here… almost nothing. Despite many people being around, there was an air of deep focus.
"I didn't expect this kind of silence. I thought a castle like this would be much livelier," Edo muttered, heading toward the stairs to explore the upper floors.
Right by the entrance, to the right was the dining hall, to the left the library, and straight ahead stood massive doors leading to the throne room, where the Elder Council was currently in session. On either side of the great doors, staircases led to the upper levels.
Passing by the library, Edo glanced through the slightly open doors. Leni was still sitting in the same spot, entirely engrossed in her "novel."
"She's still reading that erotic trash…" Edo thought with resignation, looking at Leni, who was staring at the book with such seriousness, as if she were analyzing philosophical treatises and not something that — judging by the title — sounded like a hentai parody. He sighed. "Actually… I've got a question for Leni, so I can leave the upper floors for later… if I even feel like exploring them at all."
With slight hesitation, he started walking toward her. Leni, glancing up from her book for a second, energetically waved her hand. He nodded in return and sat on the tall chair beside her, trying his best not to look at the… *bold* title on the cover.
"So… uh, how's that… *ahem*, book?" he asked awkwardly, sneaking a look at the title but not daring to say it aloud.
Leni turned a page and replied without much emotion,
"Well, it's not exactly a masterpiece."
Edo raised an eyebrow and let out a quiet snort. With mock surprise, he answered,
"Really? That's hard to believe. I thought it was a literary classic."
"Never judge a book by its cover. You can always learn something interesting," she muttered, eyes still glued to the text.
Edo admitted she had a point — though not without resistance. The title alone could land a webnovel author in some *very* awkward conversations about whether author actually read stuff like that — not to mention the readers, who didn't always understand what they were reading and often jumped to the wrong conclusions. In the end, he waved it off and said:
"I agree… But alright, I won't dig any deeper. Everyone likes what they like. Maybe books like this are your thing. I've got my own guilty pleasures too… but actually, I've got a question for you."
Leni closed the book with a soft *clap*, gently placed it on the desk, then rested her elbow and leaned her head against her hand. She gave him a small smile.
"Sure, ask away."
"So… I've got a question about geography," Edo began cautiously.
"Boooo… geography again? Seriously, Edo?" Leni groaned theatrically, rolling her eyes.
Edo made a surprised face, then raised his hands in a defensive gesture.
"I know, I know you're not a fan of the topic… because as a child you mostly had geography books and read them over and over, but… I really need to know this. It's about a small country on the continent… well, actually within the Quri Empire. The whole continent is controlled by them, but there's this tiny country — Rekon. There's barely any information about it. Why does it even exist, when it's completely surrounded by the Quri Empire, which is known for its aggression? And strangely — it doesn't even border the Tygon Empire."
Leni raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised.
"Well, well… you picked the most interesting topic in geography. You deserve a round of applause," she said with recognition, and then began speaking seriously:
"Rekon used to share half the continent with Quri. But six thousand years ago, everything changed. The Quri Empire, which was called Huto back then, created an elite group of thirty generals. They were led by the King of Quri — yes, the empire is named after him. This group became the most powerful military force in the country. They launched a great war against Rekon… and quickly began to dominate."
Leni paused for a moment. Her gaze lost focus, and her face hardened. Edo immediately realized what was happening — it was the Quri Empire that once attacked her village. He was about to change the subject, but Leni continued on her own:
"Despite their enormous power, Quri never managed to fully conquer Rekon. For some reason, a small part of the country still resists. For years, no outsider has entered, and the inhabitants never leave — not even for a moment. It's one of the world's biggest geopolitical mysteries.
Partly because of this, Quri expanded in other directions. Since the ocean separates them from Serot, their direct neighbors were only the Kingdom of Satop and the Tygon Empire. But after ten years, they lost the war with them. Currently, they avoid attacking Satop because it is home to the most powerful knight in history — Voltan. But they've never stopped attacking the Tygon Empire, and continue to do so constantly."
Edo listened in silence, eyes wide.
"Incredible… You really are smart, even though you read… you know, those kinds of books. Thanks, I learned a lot."
Leni smiled proudly, beaming.
"I know. No need to tell me I'm amazing. Got any more questions? Ask away."
Edo squinted, trying to remember something from his notes, until suddenly it hit him.
"Yes! What happened to Serot's capital? Because… it's not on the map."
Leni answered almost instantly, as if she'd been waiting for the question:
"During the Great War between Serot and Ero, which happened two hundred years ago, chaos broke out. It started with an attack by an anonymous, powerful demonic mage, who launched an assault on Ero. The conflict spread like wildfire. Most cities were destroyed, including the capital.
Today, Serot no longer has a government or an official capital. Only villages and a few scattered towns remain. If it weren't for the Reaper of Serot — the one who single-handedly wiped out thirty Ero garrisons after a truce was formed — our country would've ceased to exist long ago.
That's the event that sparked the current fear of demons, especially those who wield magic."
Edo felt like his brain was about to overheat. So much information in such a short time...
"Thanks… really, I don't even know what…" he began with gratitude, but didn't finish. Leni suddenly turned her head and froze.
Surprised, Edo also looked in the same direction. A strange tension filled the air. The silence became too heavy for a crowded library.
"What's wrong, Leni?"he asked, raising an eyebrow.
The girl seemed uneasy. She stayed silent for a moment, then said with slight hesitation and worry:
"I felt like someone was watching us… I don't know. Maybe I imagined it…" she added, grabbing her temples like she was trying to shake off intrusive thoughts.
Edo sighed, relaxing his shoulders slightly.
"It's probably just the Royal Peeping Knight Klein. Don't worry about that clown."
Leni raised her head, tilted it slightly, and looked at him, confused.
"Klein? But why would he be spying on us?"
Edo shrugged and sighed more heavily than before.
"Never mind… Alright, I'm heading out."
He was just about to turn around when he heard from behind:
–Wait!
He turned, surprised, furrowing his brows.
–What is it?
Leni smiled widely, almost excitedly. Her eyes sparkled like a child's.
"I *have* to tell you about the book I'm reading right now! I saw that you were interested!"
Before Edo could protest, the girl had already launched into her monologue…
***
After a very, *very* long summary from Leni — one that resembled a full reconstruction of the entire plot, complete with side-character backstories, digressions about curtain colors in romantic scenes, and detailed descriptions of the characters' outfits — Edo was utterly exhausted.
He barely managed to drag himself to his chamber on the top, third floor of the castle. He turned the key in the lock and quite literally collapsed inside. He didn't even take off his elegant outfit — he fell face-first onto the bed like a corpse on a battlefield.
"Ugh… yeah… you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover," he mumbled into the pillow. "Despite the title… the content was… interesting. But why did she have to go on for *so* long?! Ah well. I made her happy. That's what matters…"
His stomach growled loudly in protest.
"Damn… I'm starving… but I really don't feel like getting up now. Tomorrow I'll eat as much as I can for breakfast!..."
He smiled to himself and finally closed his eyes. Within seconds, he slipped into a deep, stone-like sleep.
***
The sound of a door creaking open echoed through the chamber. A slim figure stepped inside, moving nearly without a sound.
"Hehehe… tomorrow I'm gonna elbow him in the gut so hard he won't know what hit him," Leni muttered to herself, smirking mischievously. "Good thing I have a key to this room… after all, it *is* the guest room for my student. You know… if I ever had one."
She paused for a moment, gazing at the sleeping Edo — arms sprawled out, still in his clothes.
"Eh… he reminds me of both of them… Saron and Aron…" she thought.
"I miss my brothers."
A shadow of sadness passed over her face. A moment later, she quietly shut the door and disappeared into the corridor.
***
The night continued on.
The door opened again, this time completely silently. But the figure crossing the threshold now was different — heavier, more dangerous.
The silhouette moved slowly, each step silent but deliberate. In one hand, it clutched something — a thin, glimmering dagger. Its eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
The figure stopped at Edo's bedside, leaning over him. The boy slept peacefully, completely unaware that his life now hung by a thread.
The attacker raised their hand, the blade catching a sliver of moonlight… and then—
The attacker froze. Someone had grabbed their wrist from behind.
"Hey. What do you think you're doing?"
The voice was cold. Cold as steel.
"You think behavior like this is fitting for the Eighth Court Knight?" said a young man with brown hair, who had silently appeared in the room. His tone was calm and refined — but his words were sharp. Sharper than any insult, and perhaps even sharper than the dagger the attacker had planned to plunge into the sleeping boy.
The lizardman hissed with hatred.
"Klein Ardeb… damn you to hell…"