"How can I stop reading novels… it's really hard for me," Marcus sighed as he said this.
After finishing his lunch, he bid farewell to James and Lilian and headed back to his room.
"I sensed James laughing earlier… I thought he would have some kind of solution, but he's just like me, completely lost."
Before parting with James, Marcus had asked him for any method to improve himself, but everything he heard from James wasn't helpful at all, just ideas related to the strange creations he wanted to make based on novel concepts.
Marcus seemed lost in thought, unable to think about anything except finding a way to improve his current situation.
Since he was born, the only books he had ever read were classic novels, published and distributed by the Aton Kingdom. These novels were extremely popular throughout the entire kingdom, there was not a single person who didn't know about them.
Before Aton began producing novels, there were tale wanderer. These tale wanderer were wandering men who traveled from place to place, telling stories to children or to villagers.
But ever since the rise of novels, tale wanderer had become rare. People no longer needed to wait for a wandering storyteller to visit their village; it was much easier to simply read a book.
Marcus seemed unable to find any answer to his current situation as he stood up from his bed, looking deeply out the window.
As the window's silhouette reflected in his brown eyes, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
"Why don't I just change from reading superhero novels to other types of novels?"
As he thought of this, he couldn't help but cheer himself up.
There were countless types of novels. Other than superhero, there were genres like poem, philosophical, psycho, mystery, horror, motivation, and many more.
He quickly got off his bed and left the room, heading toward the library hall.
The Library Hall was one of the main halls in the First Area. It was filled with all kinds of books, and every novel Marcus had ever read came from there.
After a while, Marcus finally reached the Library Hall. The hall was very large, filled with rows of tall bookshelves, each about 2.5 meters high. In the center stood a rounded area with a circular table, this was the central control area.
There was also a second floor with pews for students to sit and read in peace. Bookshelves stood there as well, the same size as those on the first floor. The rooftop was embedded with emerald-colored glass inscribed with golden symbols.
Sunlight shone through the glass, illuminating the hall with a soft, faint glow.
The moment he saw this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquility. The room was very quiet; aside from faint footsteps, there weren't any sounds.
"No matter how many times I enter this hall, it always gives me a sense of peace," he said softly, then stepped forward and walked inside.
Inside the hall, the bookshelves were divided into different categories: psycho, language, story, fantasy, slice of life, etc.
Marcus walked through the language section and searched for the book he wanted.
There weren't many members inside the library hall.
"There are so many books here… which one should I choose?" He paced back and forth, unable to find the book he needed.
When we need something but there are too many options to choose from, it can make us even more hesitant.
This phrase perfectly suited Marcus's situation as he struggled to decide.
A female voice rang out beside him. He turned his gaze and saw that the owner of the voice was a young girl.
She wore a deep-blue tunic with a black skirt that reached just above her ankles. A silver belt cinched her waist, and brown leather boots covered her feet. Her black hair was tied in a mid bun, with a few loose strands framing her face, and round glasses rested over her calm, tranquil eyes.
Her glasses reflected Marcus's image. She seemed shy as she spoke, her voice faltering slightly. "Uhh, Mar… No, I mean, Lord's son, could you help me pick up the book above your head? I'm too short to reach it."
She was slightly short compared to Marcus, her height reaching only to his mouth.
Hearing this, Marcus quickly gathered his scattered thoughts and lifted his hand to take the book the girl had pointed at.
"Thank you very much..." she said softly. She clutched the book to her chest and was about to turn and leave when she noticed something. Marcus stood still, his eyes drifting across the nearby shelves, clearly lost and uncertain about what to choose.
She paused, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Uhh... are you trying to find a book to read?"
Marcus turned and stunned for a moment before answered, "Yes, I am trying to find a book, but I do not know which one to choose."
Hearing this, the girl gave a small nod before replying, "I have a book I can recommend to you. If you don't mind, I can take it for you."
Marcus almost refused, but after a moment of consideration, and after looking at the endless rows of books stretching through the hall, he accepted her offer with a nod.
"Wait… wait here. I will go and take the book for you."
With that said, she turned around and hurried toward the end of the bookshelf row, her steps light and quick.
After a short moment, she returned with a book in her hands. She held it out to Marcus and said, a little shyly, "He… here is the book. I already finished reading it, and it was pretty good."
Marcus opened his mouth, ready to thank her, but before he could speak, the girl suddenly spun around and walked away in a hurry, leaving the area and leaving Marcus standing alone with the book in his hands.
Marcus stood stunned on the spot, unable to form a single word. He slowly turned his head from where the girl had disappeared to the book she had handed him.
The book itself was nothing special—just an ordinary one. As he looked at it, he couldn't help but mutter, "What a weird girl."
It felt strange to him. Usually, when class ended, he would stay in his room or visit James, rarely stepping into the library hall. And whenever he did come here, he would leave with a pile of books, not just one or two.
During those times, there was never anyone to talk to or walk with, he was always alone. Yet, just moments ago, a girl had suddenly appeared and spoken to him.
He hadn't realized it before, since at that moment he was still lost in thought about which book to choose. But now, after thinking carefully, he found the whole situation truly strange.
"Why did she leave in such a hurry after handing me a book? It feels like I'm some evil god to her… at least leave a name," Marcus muttered in confusion.
"Come to think of it, she's kind of like that character in the novel I read, the nerdy girl who secretly likes the main character…" As the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but examine himself.
"Eh? Don't tell me my charm is already this powerful?" He shook his head slightly and started walking toward the center area.
The center area was where students borrowed books. If someone wanted to take a book back to their room, they needed to fill out an application there. But if they only wanted to read inside the library, there was no need, just pick the book, head to the second floor, read, and return it to the exact place they took it from when finished.
After arriving at the center area, Marcus spoke with a respectful tone, "Auntie Mela, I need to borrow this book for a while. I will return it when I'm done reading."
In front of him stood an elderly woman, seemingly in her fifties. She wore a simple dark gray dress with long sleeves, tied at the waist with a black sash. Her gray hair was neatly pinned into a low bun, and a pair of small round glasses rested on her nose, giving her a calm and watchful appearance.
She was addressed as Mela by Marcus. As an elder of the family, she was in charge of this place, and everything within the library was under her careful watch.
She smiled at Marcus and said gently, "Marcus, it's been a long time since you've come here. Are you already done with reading those books?"
Her tone was calm yet warm, carrying a sense of care like a mother's embrace, as if it flowed from the tranquility of the sea.
Hearing her voice, Marcus couldn't help but feel himself calm down. "I've been busy studying and reading, that's why I didn't come here," he replied.
Without waiting for her response, he quickly said, "I haven't finished reading these books yet, but I will finish them in a week or two. When I'm done, I will return them."
"Good boy," she said with a gentle smile. "Don't rush yourself when reading. You have to read slowly and try to absorb the meaning behind the words. If you rush, you're not truly reading the book, you're just looking at the paper." She laughed quietly as she took out a document and handed it to Marcus.
The document was an application to borrow the book. All he had to do was write down his name, room, date of borrowing, and sign it.
After completing the application, he handed the document to Auntie Mela with both hands, his actions is very respectful.
"Alright, you can borrow it now."
Marcus quickly bowed to express his thanks.
As he was about to return to his room, he seemed to think of something. He turned to Auntie Mela and asked, "Auntie, are there any other parts of the book The Fallen Hero here?"
Mela pondered for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "If my memory serves me right, there aren't any other books in that series. There's only this one. Maybe the next volume will be in stock next month. Have you finished reading it already?"
"Yes, I've already finished it. It was really good, but sadly there isn't a next chapter yet."
With that, he quickly bowed again and returned to his room.