Library
"Saving my sister is already more than enough. I'm grateful for that."
He looked overwhelmed, almost panicked at the sight of so much money.
------------------------------
Bell stepped forward and grabbed Alex's arm, placing the coins firmly into his hand.
"If you're truly grateful, then accept this."
Alex looked conflicted.
"Why… why give this much to me?"
Bell smiled calmly.
"Obviously, this isn't for free. You can consider it an investment."
"Investment?" Alex repeated.
"Ooo?" Marc tilted his head.
Bell continued, "Earlier, I noticed there were books about capitals and politics. It's unusual for someone your age to be that focused on topics like that."
Alex lowered his gaze.
"It's because… I want to create a safe place for people in situations like mine. So no one would have to suffer like we did. I want to live peacefully with my mom and sister."
Bell stepped closer and gently closed Alex's fingers around the coins.
"Then I'll invest in that."
Alex looked up and met Bell's eyes. There was no mockery. No pity. Only certainty.
After a deep breath, Alex nodded and accepted the coins.
Bell, Marc, and Juro prepared to leave.
Marc waved cheerfully.
"Bye, Alex!"
Just before Bell stepped out the door, Alex called out one last time.
"Don't get your hopes up on me though…"
Bell turned back slightly and smiled.
"I usually don't make mistakes when it comes to investing."
Then they left.
As they walked down the quiet path, Marc moved closer to Bell.
"Have you ever made investments before, Bell?"
Bell simply shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Juro glanced down at him with interest.
"Do you think he'll succeed?"
Bell replied calmly, "Whether he succeeds or not depends on his dedication and skill."
He placed his hands behind his head casually.
"And if he does succeed, we gain a massive advantage in the future."
Juro blinked in surprise. That answer didn't sound like it came from a child.
Then he laughed and ruffled Bell's hair.
"You're really something else."
"eugh.." Bell then fixed his hair and checked his pouch.
Twelve silver coins. Nine gold coins remaining.
Marc stared at the gold coins in awe.
"I can't believe I'm actually seeing real gold coins in front of me…"
Bell looked at Marc's excitement and casually handed him two gold coins.
"Here. Hold onto these."
Marc's eyes widened.
"Really??? Alright! Count on me! I'll keep them safe!"
He clutched them like priceless treasures.
Bell smiled faintly and said,
"Don't use the gold coins unless it's really necessary."
"Alright!" Marc replied enthusiastically.
Juro began coughing.
Then coughing louder.
He slightly opened one eye to glance at Bell, only to see Bell's expression completely blank as he continued walking forward.
Juro walked behind them sulking.
As they moved through the street, a group of men approached from the opposite direction. One of them was holding a mug of beer.
Bell and Juro exchanged a quick glance.
Without a word, Bell lightly pulled Marc to the side.
"Woap?" Marc exclaimed in confusion.
In the next instant, Bell and Juro smoothly stepped aside in perfect coordination.
The group stumbled into each other instead, spilling beer all over their own clothes.
One of the men turned around angrily.
"Hey! Watch where you're go— ing????"
He blinked.
The three of them were already several steps ahead, walking away calmly.
"Woaa… what was that about?" Marc asked.
"Scammers," Juro replied. "They pretend to bump into people and spill drinks on themselves, then demand compensation."
"Oooo, that's why you moved me," Marc said.
Bell nodded.
. . .
They returned to the inn.
Juro closed his eyes with a wide smile.
"Hey, why don't you kids sit down and I'll order us some food?"
He slowly opened one eye.
"Soooo, Bee— eh?"
Bell was gone.
Marc awkwardly laughed and pointed toward the counter, where Bell was already placing an order.
Juro sulked as he sat down.
( ´-｀)
. .
At the counter, Bell spoke calmly.
"We'll take three goatder thigh meats, one bowl of beef soup, and three yellow rice, please."
The woman behind the counter smiled.
"Good choice! That will be twenty five silver coins."
Bell handed her one gold coin.
She gasped slightly and immediately straightened her posture.
"H-here is your four hundred seventy five silver change, sir."
She handed him a medium sized pouch.
"I'll bring your meals once they're ready."
Bell returned to the table.
Seeing Juro still sulking, Bell sighed. He opened the pouch, took out seventy five silver coins, then handed the remaining four hundred silver to Juro.
Juro's mood instantly brightened. He smiled widely and ruffled Bell's hair.
Bell brushed his hand away.
"I won't be giving you more than this."
Juro chuckled.
"aweee, come onnn. That's not how you talk to your teacher, hehe."
Bell stared at Juro blankly.
Before the silence could stretch any longer, Marc turned to Bell and asked,
"How much is a single gold coin compared to silver coins?"
Bell replied calmly,
"One gold coin is equal to five hundred silver coins."
Marc's eyes widened dramatically.
"Soooo I'm holding one thousand silver coins right now??????"
Bell nodded.
Marc immediately clutched the two gold coins tighter, his expression turning extremely serious.
"I must protect these with my life…"
Then Marc looked at Juro.
"Teacher Juro, since there's a difference between magic and mana magic… what about spells? Or is spells just magic but a different name?"
Juro smiled.
"That's a good question, kid. To answer it shortly, spells are not magic. Spells are an entirely different system."
Marc leaned forward, intrigued.
Juro continued,
"As we know, magic is when you channel mana and use your imagination to shape it into something. The more familiar you are with a certain magic, the easier it becomes to cast. You can also use incantations to make it even easier."
He crossed his arms.
"Then there's mana magic. Mana magic requires a huge mana pool and insane control. Unlike normal magic, you manually control everything. The amount, the density, the texture, the shape, the size, even its purpose."
He smirked slightly.
"If you had enough mana and control, you could even create a soft, bubbly mana cloud to sit on."
Marc's eyes sparkled.
Juro continued,
"Now as for spells… think of it like reading a manual. If you go to a spell shop, you might find things like Flower Field Spell or Mana Ball Spell. You don't just imagine them freely. You need to understand their structure, their formula, and how they function."
He tapped his temple.
"And every time you cast a spell, a magic circle appears. The symbols vary depending on the spell. Each one is unique."
Bell: "You can also write the spell if you memorize the magic circle and its symbols perfectly."
Juro sighed dramatically.
"That's why I avoid high level spells. Too many symbols. It hurts my brain…"
Bell listened quietly.
"Hm. Not bad. He really isn't bad at explaining," Bell thought.
"Woaaa… now I get it…" Marc said in awe.
Just then, the receptionist arrived with their meals and placed them on the table.
All three began eating.
After a few bites, Marc looked at Juro again.
"Mastering even one of those seems difficult… Has anyone ever perfectly mastered all three? Magic, mana magic, and spells?"
Juro swallowed his food and smiled knowingly.
"Yes."
He leaned back slightly.
"And I'm sure you already know who."
Marc's face lit up.
Both Marc and Juro spoke at the same time,
"The Greatest Mage."
Juro laughed and ruffled Marc's hair.
Marc grinned brightly.
Bell, feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason, quietly continued eating.
As they were eating, Marc asked questions about what it means to be an adventurer. Bell replied first.
"To adventure."
Then Juro added, "To take on quests or tasks from the Adventurer Guild."
Marc said, "Ooo it sounds really simple."
Bell replied, "Well that's only the surface level of it."
Juro nodded. "Bell's right. From other perspectives, being an adventurer seems like a simple job. That's why you see millions of people signing up to become adventurers."
Marc's eyes widened. "Woaaaww millions???"
Bell continued, "But at the same time, millions of people are also quitting being an adventurer. Some even die before they can reach the dreams they wanted."
Marc looked down a little. "Oh.."
Juro then smiled and asked Marc, "Are you nervous about becoming an adventurer?"
Marc looked at Juro and smiled.
"Nah. Since I have you and Bell with me."
Juro laughed and ruffled Marc's hair.
He then asked the kids, "What do you all want to do after eating?"
Marc thought for a moment. "Hmm probably try to find a library."
Bell said, "Same. I'll be going with Marc to the library."
Juro chuckled. "Kids these days always want to be reading."
Marc suddenly asked, "Wait how old are you, Teacher Juro?"
Juro put down his spoon for a bit and crossed his arms with a grin.
"Guess."
Marc tapped his chin. "Hmmmmmmmmmm."
Then he said, "Around 30?"
Juro smiled widely. "Nope."
Bell replied calmly, "Around late 40's and soon to be in his 50's."
Juro was shocked because Bell was right. He cleared his throat and said,
"Yes that's right. I'm 47 years old right now."
Marc's eyes lit up.
"Woaaa that's so cool! Bell guessed it correctly! Wait then when's your birthday?"
Juro smirked. "That's a secret."
Marc groaned.
"Ehhhhhhh."
Marc sighed and continued eating.
.
.
.
After they finished eating, Bell went to the lady he ordered food from to ask if she knew where a library was. The lady talked with Bell and told him the direction to the nearest library.
Bell then returned to the table and told Marc that he knew where the library was.
Marc excitedly got up from the chair, but then he asked,
"Wait Bell, if you could just ask people here where the library is, then we could've also asked her where the Adventurer Guild is right?"
Bell nodded.
"Yeah we could."
Marc replied, "Then why didn't you?"
Bell answered calmly, "Well there was no rush to become an adventurer anyway."
Juro then chimed in, "Alright I'll handle that. You two go on with your books and stuff while I go look for the Adventurer Guild."
Bell replied, "Alright then. Let's go Marc."
Marc waved back at Juro as they left the inn.
As Bell and Marc walked through the village streets, Marc turned to Bell with excitement practically bursting out of him.
"Do you think we'll be able to find books about The Greatest Mage?" Marc asked, sparkles practically shining in his eyes.
Bell laughed awkwardly.
"I don't think they'll have any books about him. This village seems relatively new."
Marc pouted a little.
"Awww… you think so? Well, I still hope we find some books about him. Even if it's just two books."
After a short walk, they finally reached the library.
The two of them stepped inside and were a little surprised to see a decent number of books neatly arranged on shelves that filled the room. Rows of wooden bookshelves stretched across the library, giving the place a quiet and cozy atmosphere.
Bell and Marc walked up to the library clerk.
The clerk looked up from the desk and smiled politely.
"Welcome. Are there any specific books you're looking for?"
Marc leaned forward excitedly.
"Are there books about that one person???" he asked, his eyes shining.
Bell glanced between Marc and the clerk nervously.
"He probably doesn't know what Marc is talking about… "Bell thought.
"This village is new, and that clerk looks like he's only in his late twenties or early thirties. There's no way he'd know…"
The clerk rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmmm… that person… Oh!"
He snapped his fingers.
"Do you mean The Greatest Mage?"
Marc's eyes exploded with excitement.
"Yes!"
Bell's thoughts immediately froze.
"WHAT."
The clerk chuckled proudly.
"What kind of clerk who runs a library wouldn't own at least one book about The Greatest Mage?"
Marc's eyes sparkled even more.
"Where are they?!"
The clerk pointed toward the shelves.
"Fourth shelf, first row."
Marc quickly bowed his head.
"Thank you!"
He turned back to Bell with a huge smile.
Bell nodded toward the shelves.
"Go ahead. I have something else I want to read."
Marc nodded eagerly and hurried off toward the bookshelf, excited to read everything he could find about The Greatest Mage.
Bell quietly watched him go.