The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 82: Librarian Ernest (3). Step by Step

Eris had a clear standard for evaluating the value of a book.

It was simply about how practical the knowledge written in it was.

While magical knowledge was her top priority, she didn’t shy away from books that weren’t directly related to magic as long as the knowledge was practical.

On the other hand, she absolutely disliked books that didn’t meet her standards of practicality.

She couldn’t understand why noble young ladies would get excited reading romance novels, squealing with joy, and felt disgusted seeing young noblemen acting all heroic and idealistic in their stories about knights and heroes.

The reason was simple—such stories weren’t real.

Everything about them was fantasy and fiction, and reading them didn’t increase one’s magical abilities nor help in real life.

If there was any use for such topics, it might be a conversation starter with the other students, but that held no value for Eris.

The reason she didn’t raise a fuss with the other students at the training school was ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) simply because she didn’t want to lose her reputation as an exemplary student and wanted to meet the conditions to attend the Sky Academy.

As long as she could maintain the minimum necessary relationships with others, the rest didn’t matter, so she didn’t feel the need to read books she had no interest in just to cater to their tastes.

“And how did I end up with this...?”

Returning to her dormitory, Eris glared down at the book she had received from the librarian.

It was the ridiculous book with a long, unnecessary title starting with something like "Shipwreck and Survival," one she would never willingly choose to read.

This kind of book was lightyears away from Eris’s usual reading preferences, but she couldn’t afford not to read it.

Because the librarian had said the next question would be based on this book’s contents.

Normally, Eris would have laughed off whatever a mere librarian said, but she couldn’t do that this time.

‘The magical energy I felt from the second floor wasn’t just one or two sources... If I could get my hands on those...’

In the field of magic, Eris was deeply driven.

It could almost be called an obsession.

She could feel that her skills had stagnated lately, partly due to the increasingly lazy days at the training school.

And now, there was a potential clue that could elevate her to a much higher level, one she couldn’t just ignore.

She briefly considered using force to take the books, but she quickly dismissed the thought. If her beloved master found out she had resorted to violence against a mere librarian to steal a book, he would be heartbroken.

No, more than that, the very idea of tarnishing her master’s reputation was something Eris couldn’t allow herself to do.

“Hmm...”

Alright, this wasn’t a waste of time.

Just like a long journey requires a lengthy path, this was merely a process on the way to obtaining a magical book.

Had a certain great demon seen this, he might have thought, What’s with all this self-justification for just reading one book? But after convincing herself, Eris reached for the despised book.

Luckily, memorization was her specialty.

She didn’t need to understand the content; she could simply store the text itself in her mind.

“30 minutes should be enough.”

And roughly three hours later...

***

“Well, everything’s correct. You seem to have read it well.”

“That’s nothing.”

Eris answered with a haughty tone as the blonde librarian spoke.

“Compared to high-level magical texts, this is barely a child’s game. I didn’t go over it in great detail, but I think it took me less than 10 minutes to read.”

“I see. Oh, but it seems there’s a slight mistake in your answer here, regarding the part where the protagonist rescues his companion.”

“What? That can’t be true! I reread that part...”

Eris’s words trailed off as she grew flustered.

The librarian, leaving her to flounder, flipped through the pages of the book she had returned and nodded after finding the section.

“Ah, I see. As you said, you’re right. My apologies.”

Eris fell silent.

Had the librarian been mocking or teasing her, she might have gotten angry. But with his utterly indifferent expression and simply going about his business, she couldn’t bring herself to do that.

Though she’d been apologized to, for some reason, she felt the humiliation of having lost.

As she trembled slightly, the librarian casually pulled out another book and handed it to her.

This time, however, it was two books.

[The Relationship Between Water Magic and Ice Magic]

[The Relationship Between Water Magic and Ice Magic – Annotated Edition]

“...Again, not magical texts.”

Eris’s face visibly showed her frustration and disappointment.

Books on magic were generally divided into three categories.

The first category was “spellbooks,” which detailed how to use specific spells.

These books explained how to manipulate mana, what timing to use, and how much mana to channel to produce the desired effect, making it possible to cast the spell simply by following the instructions.

Those known as “wild mages” or “self-taught mages” usually started with spellbooks, and those who studied more systematic magic like Eris didn’t consider them true mages.

If it’s hard to understand, think of it like a cooking recipe.

Can someone who simply follows a recipe to make a dish really be considered a proper “chef,” if that’s the only dish they can make?

Mages who learn magic through spellbooks often don’t even understand the structure of the spells they use, which is why they never reach a high level.

The second category was “theory books,” which analyzed and discussed magic itself.

These books were much more theoretical and systematic than spellbooks, and understanding them was far more challenging.

However, if a mage wanted to truly reach a high level, studying theory books was essential.

Among high-ranking mages, those who learned through theory books were overwhelmingly more common than those who used spellbooks alone.

The third category was “magical books,” which were books that themselves contained magical power.

The content might be a spellbook or a theory book, but the book was protected by preservation magic to prevent the contents from being damaged. Simply reading it could teach a specific spell, or, as an auxiliary device, it could enhance the owner’s mana.

The types of magic contained in these books were vast and varied, making magical books the most valuable among all magic-related books.

What Eris had originally intended to seek in this library were magical books.

If a magical book that enhanced one’s magical abilities existed, it would be a jackpot. Even if the content was just a spellbook or theory book, the value would be high because it would have been preserved with protective magic.

But the librarian had handed her an ordinary theory book.

Of course, this book was useful and important in its own right, but after learning that magical books existed on the second floor, it felt somehow lacking.

“The true value of a book can only be known once it’s read, don’t you think?”

It seemed as though the librarian could see right through Eris’s thoughts, as he spoke.

His attitude, as if telling her to at least try reading before complaining, made Eris turn the pages of the book with a slightly curt expression.

[The Relationship Between Water Magic and Ice Magic] was a typical theory book that Eris had encountered many times before.

In other words, it was full of horribly complex and hard-to-understand content.

‘...Well, it’s not bad.’

Though it was a mass of text with no regard for the reader, the content itself was useful enough.

It would take a fair amount of time to fully interpret it and make it her own, but once that work was done, her magical ability would surely increase.

She only felt dissatisfied because her mind was preoccupied with magical books, and if she had encountered this book in normal circumstances, it would have easily excited her.

Not something to rush through in one sitting, Eris closed the book for now and reached for the other one, labeled Annotated Edition.

Compared to the old, worn original, this one felt surprisingly new.

However, Eris didn’t have much hope for this book.

It was common for attempts to simplify complex original works to result in the distortion or loss of the original content.

In fact, some interpretations were so bad that it was better not to read them at all.

With the mindset of just seeing what was written, she turned the pages.

Flip.

She turned another page.

Flip.

She turned yet another.

Flip.

As the pages kept turning, Eris’s face gradually turned blank.

She couldn’t help but mutter aloud.

“What’s this?”

The annotated editions Eris knew were basically extra notes on the original work.

But this was different.

Not only was the content rewritten to make it easier to understand, but there were also sections where vague parts of the original were filled in or clarified.

It felt like a student’s crude paper had been reconstructed by a professor with richer knowledge and clearer language.

Eris quickly checked the author of the book.

The original work’s author was a well-known 5th-tier mage from several hundred years ago, and the annotated edition had no author listed.

“What will you do? Would you like me to change the book for you?”

The librarian spoke in an entirely businesslike and indifferent tone, showing no reaction to seeing Eris’s changing expressions.

Eris squinted for a moment, then, still frustrated, responded.

“No, this book is fine. But does the second floor have more... like this?”

“Well, we won’t know unless we look. But if you prefer a version with the annotations, I can get that for you.”

The librarian added, almost casually.

“Though, of course, this is assuming you answer the quiz correctly.”

“...Is the next quiz based on these two books?”

“No, it will come from this book.”

With that, the librarian handed her another book.

This time, it was a completely impractical novel, miles away from Eris’s tastes.

Eris’s face scrunched up.

“What’s your gain in making me read this useless story?”

“Don’t you know? A truly interesting book isn’t something you enjoy alone; it has the power to make you want to recommend it to others. I’m simply intoxicated by that power.”

“You might enjoy it, but I don’t find it interesting at all. I don’t get why you’d force me to read something I hate.”

“Well, then you don’t have to read it.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The librarian’s attitude, as though he had nothing to lose, made Eris’s fist clench tightly.

She was frustrated—extremely frustrated—but she knew that right now, she was the one who had something to lose.

With a gaze that could almost pierce through the librarian, Eris grabbed the book he had offered.

“If you don’t provide a reward worth my time, you’d better be prepared. You’re a nasty librarian.”

The librarian, without responding, simply curled the corner of his mouth slightly.

It wasn’t a smile—it was too artificial, and it held something sinister.

As her dislike for him hit rock bottom, Eris left the library.

***

“Miss Eris, you seem a bit tired. Are you okay?”

At the question from a fellow student, Eris gave a graceful smile, as though nothing was wrong.

“Thank you for your concern. I got so absorbed in a new book I got that I lost track of time.”

“Oh, is it another new theory book? I get a headache just reading the basic textbooks, but you’re amazing!” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

“Well, you know.”

Behind the soft, innocent smile, Eris suppressed a twinge of guilt.

She had vowed to never let anyone find out that she had stayed up all night reading a novel instead of a theory book.

After all, she had only read it out of necessity, but if others found out, they might misunderstand.

That was all there was to it.

Anyway, that was how it went.

Here is Eris as seen by the other students!