Lost World-Chapter 55: Library

The morning after his successful dungeon run, Yamamoto woke with a weight settling in his chest. Though he had been living as though nothing was up, the oath Ludger had him swear was still in effect, and with every passing day, time was genuinely running out.

That being said, time hadn’t stopped for his convenience, and the binding contract with Ludger had a three-month limit.

’Time’ll keep going until I don’t have much time left and I die.’ He thought to himself.

The Codex of Eternal Flames wasn’t something he could simply acquire. In the game, it had been a legendary artifact tied to late-game content. He was not even level 20 yet, there was no need to even think of getting such an item. This one a few other ways not to die from the oath he had sworn.

He knew of a few items that could break such oaths and binding contracts, and as for the ones he knew, he only knew of three in three separate locations... The problem was getting them—certainly not as he currently was. This meant none of the items he needed would work within his timeframe.

This meant, he needed information. He needed to do some research and understand the nature of somethings, some history.

As for this, Mashlow had the perfect thing for him.

The Grand Library. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

It occupied an entire city block in Mashlow’s academic district, a massive stone structure with architecture that suggested it had been built and rebuilt over centuries. It was three stories of visible construction, plus rumors of basement archives that extended even deeper underground. Now there was no way to validate it, except for the streamer who glitched through the floor back then, and the fact that another library had one.

Now, back then, there was almost no need to enter a library, except for the purpose of exploration, but now things were different.

On getting to the library, the main entrance was as imposing as it could be up-close, but the real surprise came after he entered. Inside, the space opened into a cathedral-like atrium. Shelves stretched in every direction, climbing toward a vaulted ceiling painted with astronomical diagrams. The smell of old paper and leather permeated everything, and for some reason, it didn’t smell or feel old, but rather, refreshing.

’This has to be magic, right? And to thing the view would open up through to the last floor.’ He was outstanded.

Dozens of all kinds of people filled the space, going about, and somehow, there was almost no noise at all... it was amazing to experience.

Yamamoto approached the main desk, where an elderly woman sat reviewing what appeared to be a catalog. She looked up as he approached, her eyes sharp behind wire-rimmed spectacles.

"Welcome to the Grand Library," she said, her voice carrying unexpected warmth, audible and clear but not loud to disturb. He had thought she’d be cranky or something. "Oh my, quite a stalk aren’t you? First time visiting, by your expression. I’m the Head Librarian Thessaly. How may I assist you?"

She was perhaps in her sixties, with silver hair pulled back in a neat bun and clothes that were practical rather than fashionable, but yet elegant in their make and fit. Even then, there was an energy to her, a vitality that suggested age hadn’t diminished her enthusiasm for her work. This was someone working for the joy of it rather than pay.

’Is she perhaps some noble lady?’ He thought to himself, as that was one fine way to classify Thessaly.

"Oh yes, please. I’m looking for information on magical contracts and binding oaths," Yamamoto said. "Specifically, methods to nullify or break them."

Thessaly’s eyebrows rose. "Oh my. Someone’s gotten themselves into trouble, haven’t they? Let me guess—you made a deal without fully reading the terms, and now you’re looking for the fine print escape clause?"

"Something like that." Yamamoto answered with a smile.

"Well, you’re not the first and won’t be the last." She stood, gesturing for him to follow. "Magical contract law is a complex subject. We have three sections that might help—general magical theory in the east wing, legal texts in the west archive, and practical applications in the second floor restricted section. Though for that last one, you’d need proper credentials..."

She led him through the library, talking continuously as they walked. Yamamoto quickly realized that Thessaly loved to talk—not in an annoying way, but with the enthusiasm of someone who genuinely loved sharing knowledge.

"Now, binding oaths specifically are tricky," she continued, navigating between towering shelves. "They tap into fundamental magical principles—intent, consequence, cosmic balance. Breaking them isn’t like picking a lock. It’s more like trying to convince the universe to change its mind about basic mathematics."

"Are there any recorded cases of successful nullification?"

"Oh, several! Though most involve either extremely powerful artifacts, divine intervention, or the death of one party. Not particularly helpful options, I imagine."

"Not particularly, no." He said, thinking of how complex and difficult real world issues got.

They turned down another corridor, and Yamamoto realized he was completely lost. The library’s layout was labyrinthine, shelves creating a maze that defied the building’s external dimensions.

"The trick is understanding what the oath is binding," Thessaly said, stopping at an intersection. "Is it your word? Your intent? Your life force? The specifics matter. Hmm, let’s see... magical contract theory would be this way, I think. Or is it that way? The fire magic section reorganized last month and I still haven’t memorized the new layout..."

She stood there, muttering to herself, before decisively choosing a direction. "This way. Probably. If not, we’ll have an adventure!"

Yamamoto followed, wondering if he’d made a mistake asking for help, but as they walked, Thessaly’s continuous narration provided some insights and also helped make the journey around the library feel short.

"You know what’s fascinating about binding oaths? They’re almost always exploited by the powerful against the desperate. It’s almost always someone with no leverage makes a promise they shouldn’t, and suddenly they’re trapped. Used to see it all the time in the Mage Tower politics back then, seen several young talents coerced into service contracts, forbidden from sharing their research or teaching others... Absolutely despicable practice."

’Mage Tower politics?’

Just then, they turned another corner, and suddenly they were in a section devoted entirely to fire magic, with thick tomes lining the shelves, titles in multiple languages Yamamoto didn’t recognize, and a lot more rather strange things for a library to be holding... almost looked like a museum.

"Uhm, perhaps we missed it." Yamamoto said.