The old man heard Maria's voice and merely raised his eyes slightly, glancing at the questioning Maria, then shifted his gaze.
"It's not you I'm looking for."
The other party spoke, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness, like a shut-in during the New Year suddenly encountering a relative's child he couldn't hit, who had snuck into his room full of figures. His frown was so deep it could trap a fly.
"...I... I don't know how I got in either?" Maria felt wronged. She was just chatting nicely with Sister Noah, when suddenly her head buzzed, and she was pulled into this place, only to be looked at with disdain by an old man.
The old man had no intention of dealing with Maria. He seemed to still be researching something, occasionally falling into thought, and sometimes writing furiously. Maria was bored just waiting around, so she simply wandered through the library. She had to admit, she couldn't understand most of the books here. Not just books, but also all sorts of musical instruments. The decorating style was also quite classical. Maria walked around, sighing—this place looked more like a noble's mansion than her own home.
Her own home never had so many books and decorations...
After walking two circles, Maria started to feel bored again. In this palace, she didn't seem to feel hunger or thirst, but the mental boredom was constant. She returned to the old man's side again, watching him engrossed in his research, and suddenly had a thought—could it be that this old man had been here for a very, very long time?
As soon as this thought emerged, it seemed to be confirmed many times over. The old man had only said one sentence to her from beginning to end, and it was that he wasn't waiting for her. Did that mean he had been waiting for someone else all this time?
Maria suddenly started to worry about the old man's mental state. If she were locked up in a place like this for a few days, she would go crazy first. So she took the initiative to step forward and said, "Old man, do you have any knight novels here?"
"..." The old man slowly turned his head, his eyes showing a complex emotion, both annoyance at being interrupted from his research and a hint of confusion. "Novels? How could my library have such things?"
"...Then how long have you been here?"
"...How long?" The old man frowned, thought for a while, then shook his head. "Haven't counted carefully."
"Been here all this time? And no novels to read?"
"...Mm."
"Then you're too pitiful, aren't you?"
"...What are you saying?" A hint of confusion appeared in the old man's eyes. How many years had it been since someone called him pitiful? "Do you know who I am?"
"No matter who you are, it's pitiful to stay here for so many years without any entertainment!" Maria said righteously, "Can we get out of here? Old man, I'll take you out, how about it?"
"...We can't get out of here." The old man was stunned, then shook his head. "This is my palace. Where else would I be if not here?"
"Wow, then you must be very rich. I feel like Sister Noah couldn't afford such a big palace." Maria nodded, somewhat sighing, "But can you really not get out?"
"..." The old man was already a bit bewildered. It wasn't that he hadn't considered someone coming in, but those people either sought power or knowledge from him. This was the first time he had met someone like Maria who just wanted to chat. This palace was located in the center of the wasteland; ordinary people couldn't get in at all. Only those who truly understood the key he left behind had a chance to enter here through a dream.
So, those who entered here were either madmen obsessed with Stone source art, or ambitious individuals seeking power. He, engrossed in studying Asia Space, never considered what these people might want. If they asked, he gave. As for their fate after receiving, he didn't care, nor did he want to care. Day after day, year after year, he immersed himself in this vast and boundless space, and this palace had long since become his prison.
And this time… something seemed to have gone wrong.
The person who came in was neither a madman nor an ambitious individual; in fact, her entry here was an accident.
So, the first thing he said when she found him was, "I am not waiting for you."
But the other party did not give up on communicating with him. He, already old and frail, looked at the child before him, who seemed to have inherited the Golden Pegasus bloodline, and asked in confusion, "Are you not here to seek wisdom?"
"…Huh?"
"Then… are you here to seek power?"
"It seems… not really?"
"Then are you someone obsessed with music?"
"I'm tone-deaf."
"Then what can I give you?" he asked, puzzled. "Why are you here?"
"I told you, I'm lost," Maria answered honestly. "I don't know why I came here. You're the first living person I've seen here."
"…"
The old man finally gave up asking. He casually opened a door and said to Maria, "If you don't want anything, then leave here. Go back to where you belong."
"What about you?" Maria looked at the open door behind her. Her intuition told her that if she just walked through it, she could return to her familiar place. But she didn't leave immediately; instead, she turned and asked, "Aren't you coming out with me?"
"I can't leave here." The old man shook his head. "I have already become like this palace, a fragment at the edge of this world. I cannot return to reality, and there's no need to return to reality. Everything I need to study is already here."
"…Then can I come to see you?" Maria blinked and asked, "Since you don't want to leave, how about I come to see you?"
"…Why?" The old man looked at the young girl in front of him again. "Since you don't want anything, why do you want to find me?"
Maria looked into the old man's eyes, scratching her head. For her, the reason really wasn't that important.
"Maybe, I just feel like you must be very bored staying in this place all the time. Next time, I'll bring Knight novels to read with you—" Maria said frankly, "as long as you don't find it annoying."
"…" The old man fell silent again, but he quickly waved his hand, and a huge force enveloped Maria, sending her flying towards the door behind her. Before she completely left, Maria heard his words.
"I am not waiting for you."
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