The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 81: Librarian Ernest (2). The Librarian of the Sealed Coffin

East of Aldridge.

Even as she walked toward the Sealed Coffin, Eris couldn’t shake off her curiosity.

‘But why would a trading company build something like a library?’

At least in Eris’s mind, a library wasn’t the kind of facility designed to turn a profit.

For one, books were expensive. Just acquiring and placing them required a considerable amount of capital, and there weren’t many ways to recoup that investment—aside from charging an entry fee to those who came in.

Charging rental fees for borrowing books?

‘Nobles would rather buy books than look cheap by borrowing them, and most commoners don’t have the credit. Even if they don’t mean to steal them, they could get stolen by someone else or damaged, and they wouldn’t be able to properly compensate for the loss.’

So in most countries, “libraries” were either attached to educational institutions, or private collections opened to the public by nobles or wealthy individuals.

In short, it wasn’t a field the profit-driven trading companies would typically touch.

If there was any remotely rational explanation, it might be that the company was aiming for long-term gains by targeting the students of the Aldridge Training School.

After all, as long as national policy didn’t change, new students would keep coming to the school, and some of them, like Eris now, would find their way into the library.

Step.

Lost in thought, Eris arrived at her destination and took a moment to examine the library’s exterior.

At a glance, nothing much had changed.

You’d expect a grand reopening by a trading company to involve a flashier exterior and active promotion, but the building was cloaked in an almost eerie stillness.

Eris, half skeptical, carefully reached for the entrance, and despite the place being nicknamed “The Sealed Coffin,” the library doors opened with surprising ease.

And then, the sight that unfolded before her drew a soft gasp from her lips.

The most expansive and well-stocked place she had ever seen that was related to books had been the royal archive of Ravellocia, which she’d once visited with her master.

Yet now, the book-lined interior before her eyes didn’t fall short in comparison.

No, though it lacked the extravagant decorations and grandeur unique to a royal institution, in terms of sheer volume of books, it almost felt like this place outclassed it.

Eris’s eyes sparkled.

She had only come here expecting to pass the time, but with a collection this vast, there might actually be some rare magic tomes among them.

As she started toward the shelves, Eris suddenly paused—she hadn’t paid the entrance fee yet.

Turning her head toward the counter, she spotted a man seated and reading a book.

Curly golden hair and glasses. A formal suit, just tidy enough to count as proper, though not especially crisp or sharp.

His face, with its sharp jawline, left nothing to be desired in terms of looks—but his eyes were so cold they made one hesitate to approach.

No matter how she looked at it, his was not the kind of appearance suited for a front desk where one had to greet many people.

The faint of heart would likely fail to even muster the courage to ask a question and would simply slink away after some nervous glances.

But Eris, who was bold rather than timid, was not the type to be fazed by that.

With a confident stride, she approached the man and spoke.

“I’d like to use the library.”

A glance.

The man reading the book shifted his gaze toward her, and Eris barely stopped herself from taking a step back.

If a stare could become an arrow, it might feel like this.

His eyes weren’t just “looking”—they were piercing. The word “drilling” felt more appropriate.

“Are you looking for a particular book?”

Polite yet detached, his tone was purely professional.

Refusing to be cowed by the fact that she’d just felt overpowered by a mere librarian, Eris responded with a slightly sharper voice.

“I’d like to browse for now. What’s the usage fee?”

“One Central coin.”

“...Is that per hour?”

“No. Once you enter, you may stay as long as you like without any additional charge.”

Eris was momentarily speechless.

Because it was absurdly expensive?

No, quite the opposite.

‘He prepared all these books, and the fee is only that?’

Even after the massive influx of paper from the eastern continent, books were still expensive.

Yet here, the rental fee was equivalent to the price of a small loaf of bread, based on Aldridge’s market standards.

Bread disappears once eaten. A book can be read over and over again. Even so, from Eris’s perspective, this seemed almost like charity.

She felt a strange unease, but since the library was the one setting the price, she didn’t see any reason to complain as a customer.

From a slightly more refined leather pouch than the cloth ones most people used, she pulled out a single coin and handed it over. The librarian accepted it and began to explain in a calm voice. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

“Please refrain from making noise in the library, and eating is also prohibited. You may not take any books outside. When you finish reading, do not reshelve the books—please bring them here to the counter. If you are looking for a specific title, or have any questions, feel free to ask.”

With those final words, the librarian returned to his book, lowering his head without another glance.

His indifferent attitude made Eris chuckle under her breath.

A handsome face, undeniable competence, the prestige of being a grand mage’s disciple.

Eris had always received excessive attention everywhere she went, so the librarian’s cold and indifferent demeanor was, in a way, refreshing.

Well, it wasn’t a bad situation for her either.

If he’d been watching her the entire time she browsed or trying to make some sleazy move, that would’ve been truly annoying.

Without hesitation, Eris turned her gaze from the counter and began scanning the shelves from the far end of the library.

And then she realized—

‘...Everything is so neatly organized?’

History, technology, literature, art, nature, language, society, philosophy, religion, general works.

The books were all perfectly sorted by theme, and within each theme, they were ordered by Central dialect, making it easy to find what you were looking for.

Even the royal archive of Ravellocia, which had taken pains to prevent dust or moisture from damaging the books, hadn’t gone this far in categorization.

For Eris, who disliked inefficiency, it was a deeply satisfying level of order.

‘Still, I guess there’s no section for magic books.’

That wasn’t surprising.

While an ordinary book might be attainable even for a commoner with enough effort, magic books were difficult to obtain even for nobles.

If this vast library had even one or two such books, it would be remarkable—but enough to warrant their own dedicated section? That was unrealistic.

As she continued browsing through the library, Eris soon noticed something odd and tilted her head.

In the far corner of the library.

Structurally, it looked like there should be a staircase leading to the second floor, but it was tightly sealed behind a thick door.

Rationally speaking, there was nothing unusual about that.

It could be an employee lounge, a storage room, or any number of restricted areas not open to customers—something every establishment had.

But Eris couldn’t just walk past that door.

Beyond that door.

***

Exactly speaking, it was because she had sensed an unidentified magical energy coming from the second floor.

And not just one source—several.

“Excuse me, but what’s up there? Are there books on the upper floor too?”

In response to Eris’s question, the librarian looked up again and answered.

“Yes, there are books.”

“Then I’d like to go up.”

“That’s not allowed.”

The instant reply—completely devoid of hesitation—made Eris furrow her brows.

“Why not?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Because what’s up there are magical texts that haven’t been classified yet. We plan to sort and move them downstairs once they’re verified, so as to prevent any accidents caused by exposing them to those who lack the necessary ability.”

The moment the word “magical texts” was mentioned, Eris’s eyes sharpened.

She had already suspected as much from the lingering energy, but now that the librarian had confirmed it aloud, it was much harder to suppress her desire.

“If they’re dangerous to those who aren’t capable, that doesn’t concern me. I’m a student of the Aldridge Training School.”

The Aldridge Training School accepted both nobles and commoners.

However, since the students loitering around the nearby streets were mostly nobles, the general perception was that attending the school equaled being a noble.

For an ordinary librarian, that claim alone would’ve been enough to prompt a change in tone—

“Is that so? Regardless, what’s forbidden remains forbidden.”

—But not in this case.

A crack formed in Eris’s composure.

She forced herself to keep her expression in check, pushing back the urge to scowl.

“Are you afraid of what your boss at the Brown Trading Company would say? If that’s the issue, go ahead and contact them. I’ll speak to them myself. You won’t be held responsible.”

“This library is indeed operated by the Brown Trading Company, but within its premises, I’ve been given full authority. So any attempt to escalate the matter wouldn’t be particularly effective.”

Eris barely resisted the urge to snap, Do you even know whose disciple I am?

If someone else had brought it up first, that would be one thing—but she wasn’t about to sell the name of Grand Mage Delphinaris so cheaply over something like this.

“If you have full authority over the library, then that means you also have the discretion to decide how the books are handled, correct? If you allow me upstairs, I’ll be sure to show a token of gratitude.”

She pulled out the same wallet she had shown earlier—this time, placing the entire thing on the counter.

The librarian stared at it in silence, then slowly reached out and grasped it.

I knew it, Eris scoffed to herself.

Until the moment the librarian returned the wallet back to her.

“...Is it not enough?”

“That’s not the issue. But I can see how determined you are.”

Then, as if proposing a deal, the librarian continued.

“Once a day. If you can answer a question I give you correctly, I’ll let you choose one book from the second floor. Normally, books in this library are not allowed to be taken outside. However, if you win the bet, you may borrow the book—so long as you eventually return it.”

Eris stared at him with a face full of discontent.

It wasn’t a condition she liked.

But she wasn’t barbaric enough to resort to violence and force her way to the second floor.

“Fine. But if this ends up being some nonsense question just to make a fool of me, you’d better be prepared.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare one with a clearly defined answer.”

The librarian pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled something on it with a pen, then handed it to her.

Eris received it with an indifferent expression.

If it was something like “Describe the author’s emotions when writing this line,” where answers could be manipulated at will, or something like “What did I eat for breakfast today?”—utterly impossible to deduce with logic—she intended to protest immediately.

[Q. The two magic circles drawn below differ in minor details, but share the same effect. Describe the function of the circles and explain the differences between them.]

Eris’s reaction was... varied.

At first, she looked ready to scoff and complain—What kind of nonsense is this?

Then, she paused. Hmm? This actually seems legit...

Finally, she shut her mouth and began intently analyzing the two magic circles.

She stared for about five minutes.

“...Heat generation magic circles. Circle A converts mana directly into flame, while Circle B converts mana into electricity and uses that current to generate heat through resistance in the material. A is superior in mana efficiency, but B excels in precision temperature control and stability. Is that correct?”

“Correct.”

At the librarian’s declaration, Eris felt both pride and confusion.

A magic circle is an incredibly delicate construct—changing even a single angle or the placement of a single character can cause its effects to shift drastically.

And yet, the magic circles the librarian had handed her were so precise that, with the right catalyst, they could activate immediately.

And he’d drawn them in mere moments?

“You... what are you?”

“I’m the librarian, Ernest.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Even so, within this place, that’s all I am.”

With that curt reply, the librarian handed her the book he had just finished reading—or rather, had finished mere moments ago.

“What’s this?”

“‘The Strange and Wondrous Tale of Roland Gambison of Ariande, a sailor who, after losing all his crew in a shipwreck, survived alone for 28 years on a deserted island near the Daqiren River of the Cronsha continent, and was finally rescued by a passing pirate ship.’”

“...And why, exactly, are you giving me this ridiculous book?”

“You said you wanted a book from the second [N O V E L I G H T] floor, didn’t you?”

Eris felt a sudden rush of light-headedness.

Then came the anger.

“That—! That’s not what I meant!! I was talking about a magical text from the second floor!”

“Even so, the word ‘magical’ wasn’t part of the conditions of our bet.”

The librarian’s tone remained flat.

“If you want another book, come back tomorrow. And just so you know, the next question will be based on the book you’re holding now.”

A mischievous warning, clearly aimed at punishing her for calling the book “ridiculous.”

And yet his face remained as cold and emotionless as ever—an absurd contrast.

It was only then that Eris reached a firm conclusion.

‘This man... I seriously, truly, absolutely hate him...!!’