Under the bright capital sky, Arvin finally set foot right in front of the main gate of the Victoriaz Academy.
The youth stood for a moment, glancing at the grand building standing firmly in front of him, before finally stepping into the academy area.
The atmosphere in this academy felt slightly different from Astoria, but the hustle and bustle of students passing by carrying books still gave a strong academic impression. While walking casually past the front garden, Arvin's thoughts began to wander to the storyline of the 'BL Game: The Sign of Destiny'.
If the storyline doesn't change, there should be two romantic targets in this academy. Where are the two of them now? I'm getting a little curious about their true appearances if seen for real in this world. Arvin thought, calmly analyzing the situation around him.
While walking down one of the academy's main corridors which was quite deserted, his steps stopped when he crossed paths with a female student carrying several stacks of parchment.
"Excuse me, I want to ask." Arvin greeted in a polite tone. "Where is the library in this academy located?"
The female student stopped in her tracks and began to observe the youth standing upright in front of her. Her eyes quickly caught the tournament participant badge with the Astoria Kingdom emblem pinned neatly on the academy uniform Arvin was wearing. Realizing that the person in front of her right now was an official delegation from the neighboring kingdom, her attitude became very polite.
"Oh, you are from the Astoria delegation, right? The direction is a bit confusing if only explained. I will accompany you there." the woman answered with a friendly smile.
Accompanied by the female student, Arvin walked beside her down the interconnected academy hallways.
"What is your name?" the woman asked, striking up a conversation to break the silence while continuing to walk casually.
"I am Arvin Vedegra." he answered amicably without the slightest hesitation. "And what is your name?"
Hearing the last name that was just spoken, the female student instantly turned her head with a stiff movement. Her eyes widened broadly, and her footsteps halted for a moment. She truly did not expect that the delegation who had been walking casually beside her and asking her for directions was a descendant of the Vedegra family, whose reputation was highly famous across the entire continent.
"I-I... I am Vanny, nice to meet you." the woman answered with a voice that suddenly became a little nervous. "I am a third-year student at this academy."
Seeing Vanny's sudden stiff change in attitude, Arvin only smiled faintly. "Okay, Vanny. Nice to meet you too."
Arvin looked straight ahead again while continuing to walk. Seeing her reaction just now... it seems I don't always need to introduce myself with my full name in a public place like this. Arvin thought, holding back his laughter, feeling entertained by the pale expression of the woman walking beside him.
It didn't take long for them to finally arrive in front of a towering double wooden door. Arvin said his thanks and parted ways with Vanny, who had to quickly run back to her class.
The youth pushed the doors slowly and walked into the library. The atmosphere inside the room was so quiet, calm, and filled with the distinct aroma of old paper and ink. Giant-sized bookshelves lined up neatly like a labyrinth.
An adult woman who was a library staff member was sitting at the front desk. She noticed the presence of a student in a foreign uniform coming from another academy.
"Good afternoon, is there anything I can help you with?" the woman greeted amiably as Arvin approached her desk.
Arvin turned and nodded respectfully. "Good afternoon. May I come in and read the books in this library?"
The librarian's eyes glanced toward Arvin's left chest. "Are you one of the tournament participants from the Astoria Kingdom delegation?"
Arvin nodded in confirmation.
"Of course you may!" the staff answered with a warm smile. "This facility is open to delegation guests. Please search and read whatever you want to read here."
After obtaining official permission from the librarian, Arvin wasted no more time.
He immediately stepped inside toward the towering bookshelves in the deepest area. His hands deftly began tracing the rows of book spines, taking several thick literatures on high-level magic, ancient history, to alchemy theories that he wanted to read, then placing them on an empty wooden table in the corner of the room.
With absolute calmness, he sat down and opened the pages of the books he had stacked. His eyes moved quickly and focused, absorbing every piece of complex information written there. Every time one book was finished being read, he would get up and continue to take a new stack of books from the shelves.
Time continued to pass in the silence of the library.
However, after he spent hours reading and scanning dozens of thick books in that large library, not a single book contained information or mentioned cloning magic, the magic he desperately needed right now.
A feeling of frustration slowly began to creep up and haunt his feelings. He massaged his temples softly. And once again, his lengthy search only yielded zero results.
With his feelings already very exhausted and his hope starting to thin, Arvin got up from his chair. He walked unsteadily toward the very last bookshelf aisle in the darkest corner of the room.
However, right as he stepped his foot and walked in front of that row of worn-out shelves...
Thud!
The bouncing sound of a very different footstep was caught by his sharp sense of hearing. The sound seemed heavier and echoed.
Arvin stopped his steps instantly. To assure that there was no mistake in his hearing due to exhaustion, he shifted a step and deliberately stomped his foot on the wooden floorboard on the other side.
Tap! Tap!
The sound of that footstep sounded normal, solid without any echo.
The youth shifted back to the initial floor spot he had suspected earlier. With a serious expression, he slowly stomped the tip of his shoe on that spot again.
Thud! Thud!
The sound appeared again. A very clear hollow resonance.
There is a cavity under here. Arvin thought, his eyes narrowing sharply staring at the arrangement of wooden floorboards beneath his feet. It seems there is a secret room deliberately hidden behind this library floor. I am becoming very curious about what is hidden inside the enclosed room under this floor.
In the blink of an eye, the feeling of disappointment and exhaustion that previously weighed down his shoulders seemed to just evaporate.
Tonight, I will ask for Alvein's help to accompany me in sneaking into this place.
With his enthusiasm rekindled, Arvin turned his body around. He took the remaining books on the table, tidied them back onto their original shelves, then walked out leaving the library with a faint smile on his face.
Time continued to pass until the afternoon sky turned into night.
Arvin had now arrived and was inside the house. The atmosphere inside the first-floor hall was quite crowded with students who were relaxing. The youth walked across the room and directly approached the place where his four spouses and also Kylen were sitting gathered, discussing something.
Arvin looked straight at his fourth spouse.
"Alvein," Arvin called in a calm tone, "tonight, can you accompany me to go out for a short walk just the two of us?"