"T-they all say horrible things about h-him and he doesn't get a chance to say anything back. N-now h-he said something back and it's all his fault? I-it's unfair." She vented while tears were forming on the edge of her eyes.
"G-grandpa… sometimes he says mean things. To me too. A-and it h-hurts. I-I think the mean things Grandpa says is why the t-townsfolk say those things but..." She trailed off, trying to find the right words.
Her hands and legs were shaking now. She looked like she was holding herself together with nothing but a thread of courage.
"B-but he doesn't mean it." She said finally. "H-he doesn't say the right things… but he cares. I know he does."
Silvia blinked once, then again, like she was seeing Magia for the first time. The fight in her eyes didn't disappear—it just melted into something warmer. Sadder.
"I c-can't explain it. But he's kind. J-just in a… hard way." She choked.
The girl sniffled, her voice small and broken. "He's… the kindest person in the world to me. So please. D-Don't hurt him."
Silvia bent down, her arms surrounding the little girl. "There there," she whispered. "You did the right thing, sticking up for your Grandpa."
For a moment, the girl didn't move. Her small frame shuddered. Then she broke, her sobs loud and unrelenting in Silvia's embrace.
Something about the way Magia clung to Silvia made it hard to swallow. I hadn't known her for more than ten minutes, but now I wanted to protect her too.
It was a disturbing reminder of how rumours could eat away at a person and affect not just them but the people around them too. It was said that the shop keeper lived alone, so the girl must not have been with the shopkeeper for so long.
Having to hear about how everyone looked down on and dismissed - perhaps her only - family was bound to take a toll on anyone, especially a young child. Maybe there are more similarities between the people of Butter Town and the inclusive dwarves of the Far East than people would like to admit.
The old shopkeeper said nothing. Maybe silence was his own way of thanking his granddaughter for speaking up for him.
"What's your name, little girl?" Silvia asked gently.
"M-Magia." She whispered.
Her tears had mostly stopped now—three minutes later.
"Don't worry Magia your Grandpa will be safe and sound." She reassured her with a smile that had reassured me on many occasions. Magia smiled, Silvia's words getting through to her after their heartfelt hug.
"Don't let what the townsfolk say get to you okay?" Silvia said. "Remember, no one knows your Grandpa as well as you do." Her words were maternal - a type of reassurance a mother couldn't help but dish out.
"O-okay." Magia spoke quietly but her face brightened up.
"Magia, you're amazing." Silvia smiled.
"T-thank you!" Magia replied, her smile just as bright. "Grandpa, I'll show them around, s-so…" she turned towards the counter, "p-please don't say anything mean again."
Silence.
"...Argh."
"Yay!" Magia cheered, "That means he won't be mean again today!"
We all exchanged glances. 'In what world does that grunt mean okay?' was probably the shared thought.
"Different families, different rules, I guess…" I muttered. Glyffe nodded.
"Y-you said the fairy-tale section, right?" she asked, trying to sound professional.
"Mhm," she replied.
Silvia smiled in approval – it was clear she'd taken a liking to Magia.
"O-Okay, any specific book?" She further asked.
"The Heroic Tales of The Paladin Hero." I said.
She paused, as if adjusting to the fact that not only Silvia would reply.
"G-great, I'll lead the way so follow m-me."
As we followed behind her, I realised it was hard not to admire how well she navigated the maze of bookshelves. From the way she knew the place like the back of her hand, she had to be a fellow bookworm.
"It's this aisle." She pointed. It looked exactly like every other aisle. "The Heroic Tales of The Paladin Hero is right up here. If I could just r-rea—
"Here. There you go." I reached over her and grabbed it for her.
"Ehh—" she stumbled back in surprise, tripping slightly on my foot.
Oh no. I dropped the book and reached out—
Clasp.
I caught her.
"Are you alright, Magia?" I asked.
She nodded, blushing furiously.
"Oho," Glyffe murmured.
"Oh my." Silvia covered her mouth with a hand—then gave me a thumbs up.
Huh?
"I-I'm a-a-alright!!" she suddenly blurted as I helped her up. Then, she picked up the book and darted forwards. She turned back, her face still rosy.
"I'll t-take you all to the till now!" She said loudly, clearly trying to brush off the moment. Was she that embarrassed from tripping? I didn't think falling was such a big deal. If anything, it was my fault for surprising her.
"Reno, you…" Glyffe started, then trailed off with a knowing smile.
"R-R-Reno..." Magia repeated softly. "N-Nice n-name."
"Thanks, Magia. I think you have a lovely name too," I replied.
Her ears turned bright red.
Was she really still embarrassed from earlier… or was it something else?
"Ahahahaha!" Glyffe suddenly bellowed. "Reno, you... ahahaha!"
"Glyffe." Silvia said.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop."
Silvia placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye.
"Mama approves."
Huh? Don't tell me she thinks...
"Pfft—Ahahahaha!" Glyffe howled again. "You want me to stop laughing and then you say something like that?"
Silvia's glare shut him up instantly.
"We've arrived." Magia said, calming herself.
Magia looked more relaxed now, her stutter nearly gone. Something about being around her Grandpa must've made her feel at ease.
"Grandpa, can you appraise this, please?" Magia asked softly, placing the book on the counter. She spoke into the till, but no one seemed to be there. It was empty.
Then, like a zombie, a white-haired figure rose from the floor of the till.
He didn't so much stand as he did unfold into a long-limbed, scraggy creature of the night. His grey beard flowed down past his neck in long, smooth strands.
His eyes were sunken, but sharp—two polychromatic glassy marbles that glinted with either disillusionment or sleep deprivation. Possibly both. One brown eye and one green eye—must be heterochromia.
The robe he wore might once have been dark blue, but years of dust and magical residue had bleached it into something closer to 'library grey'. It shimmered faintly, like it was perpetually one spell away from disintegrating.
"G-grandpa you're s-shining today. You m-must've slept well." Magia said, stuttering again.
The three of us exchanged looks. Shining?
"Thanks." A croaky reply.
"C-can you appraise it please."
"M'kay." A lifeless response.
Ugh. He was so... vacant. And he was still talking informally too. That way of speaking must've been so deeply ingrained into him.
"D-Don't worry everyone. Grandpa always looks tired like this. He only really looks a-alive when he's writing or t-talking about his w-work." Magia reassured us. Not that it was very reassuring. We could all read the room though.
"Oh, right. That's... nice," I said. "Your grandpa seems really passionate about his work."
"He is!" Magia beamed, as if that was the best compliment she'd ever received, despite it being about her grandpa. "One day I want to be as t-talented and passionate as Grandpa!" There were stars in her eyes. Pure admiration.
"I wish more people could see Grandpa when he's working! He's... amazing. Like, the coolest person ever!" Silvia raised a brow. Glyffe looked doubtful. I smiled. "I'd love to see that one day. I'm sure you'll be just as talented, Magia."
Magia paused, then gave a smile so bright it almost glowed, "I h-hope so!"
"One thousand Teaves," the shopkeeper droned.
Before I could react, Silvia placed a note on the counter. Her expression was neutral. The librarian looked down at the money, then back at Silvia, before blinking.
"Thanks," he said.
He opened his mouth again. He paused, for a few seconds, deciding whether or not he wanted to say anything. Slowly, the words stuck in his throat stumbled out.
"And I'm sorry, kid."
His voice was rough and gruff, but honest.
"Sorry, young lady, too."
This was the first time his voice didn't sound like it belonged to a malfunctioning golem.
Silvia and Glyffe were taken aback. I think we all were—except for Magia, who just smiled, soft and soulful. Maybe he wasn't completely out of touch with reality.
Silvia spoke the three most powerful words in human history.
"I forgive you." She smiled. Silvia hadn't needed to say anything in the end. More than Silvia's complaint attempt, it felt like Magia's earlier words had stirred something in him.
For a moment, it looked like the old librarian might try to smile back but he just stared blankly at our trio.
"See 'em out please, Magia," he said, his voice returning to its usual flatness.
"O-okay!" Magia said brightly as she handed me the book and led the way.
We followed her down the winding aisles of the bookshop, leaving the old man behind.
"Thank you for guiding us around the shop, Magia." It was Silvia who spoke first.
"Thanks!"
"Thank you, Magia."
We all said our piece.
Her eyes lit up, and she beamed as she opened the door and gently ushered us out.
"P-please do visit again!"
"Wait, Magia." I stopped her.
"What's this?" Glyffe commented with interest.
"My my." Silvia's chirped in too.
"Y-y-yes R-R-Reno!?" she said, her cheeks a rosy pink.
"Is your grandpa's name... Asim. Asim Clevio?"
She froze, clearly shocked.
"Y-yeah how did you know?"
It was as I suspected. I knew the name Clevio but I just couldn't remember from where. But suddenly, it clicked.
"He wrote a book that taught me how to use magic."
"Y-you can use magic a-already!?" She gasped.
"Just a little." I held up a palm and conjured a small orb of water. It floated to the central fountain and popped over it.
"C-chantless." She whispered. "W-woah you're amazing, Reno!"
W-wait, chantless? I had used the spell casually without paying it much heed and I had managed to do it without using an incantation. But why—was it that meeting with Cindy?
Back then I used a fireball chantless because I felt like I needed to in order to survive. Was it something I could just do now? I would have to experiment with it at some later point in time.
"The reason I can use magic at all is your Grandpa Asim. Please tell him I said thank you!"
Her eyes welled with tears. I think, to her, hearing someone speak well of her grandfather meant more than the world—especially with the way people usually talked about him.
"T-thank you Reno! I'll let him know right now!" she cried, turning and sprinting back inside.
I smiled to myself. It felt good to leave on a high note.
"Alright, let's go." I said.
""You aren't going to wait for her to come back?"" they both asked in unison.
"You two..." I said, speechless.
"Why would I wait? I don't have anything else to say to her."
""Is that so?"" they echoed, perfectly in sync.
"Mhm."
"Well let's be off then." Silvia said.
We started walking, but something tugged at me -like I was missing something. I turned around.
"I'm going now Magia! Thank you! Goodbye!" I shouted as loud as I could.
I hoped it reached her.
No response.
It made sense. We'd walked quite far away by now, and my voice wasn't the loudest.
Slam.
"R-reno!" The shop door burst open.
"M-my Grandpa says thanks! Thank you for c-coming!" She gasped, her face red from all the running. She took one last deep breath in. "Please come and visit again soon!"
I smiled. Loud or not, I guess she still heard me.