Chapter 218 – Episode 218: Date!
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The library was lined with massive bookshelves, filled with countless books. Looking up, it seemed to have at least seven floors.
Though few in number, some people were reading at the desks set up in the library.
We walked to the reception desk in the center of the library.
There was a short-haired man with glasses at the reception desk.
“Excuse me…”
“Welcome. What brings you here?”
“We’d like to use the library.”
“You’re new users, I see. Would you like an explanation about the library?”
“Yes, please.”
“The usage fee is 5 silver per month. Rentals are for a maximum of 4 days, after which an additional rental fee will be charged. Once you pay the fee, you can come to the library at any time and read any book you wish.”
5 silver.
Even 5 silver a month was a burden for novice adventurers.
I took out 10 silver from my inventory and handed it to the receptionist.
“Here, for two people.”
“Ah, Rent! I’ll pay for my share…”
“It’s okay, Elsie. Let me do this.”
“…I’m sorry, it always seems like Rent is paying.”
“It’s for my beloved Elsie, so I’m happy to pay.”
“Re, Rent♡”
Despite the display of affection unfolding before him, the receptionist maintained a blank expression and continued speaking.
“I’ve received 10 silver. Please take these.”
The receptionist handed us each a silver card.
“What’s this?”
“This is your library membership card. With this card…”
The receptionist took out a crystal ball from below.
“Please infuse this crystal ball with magic. That will complete your membership registration.”
Elsie and I took turns holding the cards and infusing the crystal ball with magic.
“Registration is complete. If you wish to borrow a book, please bring it here and infuse the crystal ball with magic as you just did. If you take a book without going through this process, an alarm will sound.”
“That’s amazing.”
“This system was built with the cooperation of the mages of the magic city. By the way, this technology also has a tracking function, similar to the magic tools you two are wearing on your arms, which were recently introduced in the dungeon.
If you borrow a book and don’t return it, no matter how much time passes, we can track it immediately.”
The process of infusing magic just now seemed to be to memorize the member’s magic in the crystal ball.
“So, please refrain from any untoward behavior.”
“Yes. Thank you for the kind explanation.”
“Then, may you find the knowledge you seek in this library, or encounter new knowledge. And please try not to make too much noise. When looking for a specific type of book, please refer to the guide board next to this reception desk.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
Elsie and I bowed to the receptionist and immediately went to the guide board next to the reception desk.
Looking at the guide board, the first floor had books on general life knowledge, and it seemed that the myths and legends we were looking for were mainly on the second floor.
“Ah, Rent. It says there are various myths and legends on the second floor.”
“Looks like it.”
But there was a sentence that caught my eye.
On the guide board, the section marked as the 6th floor only said “Category of Life and Creation.”
Clearly, life and creation were related to Solishin.
Could there be religious books there?
“Let’s go up to the second floor, Rent.”
“Yeah. Ah, Elsie, go up first. I have something to ask the receptionist.”
“Then I’ll wait with you.”
“No, go ahead… and see if there are any good books.”
“Ah, okay! I understand, Rent! I’ll find some myths and legends that Rent will enjoy reading!”
Elsie went up to the second floor, and I moved in front of the receptionist.
“Is there something you wanted to ask?”
“Yes. Well…”
I leaned in slightly and asked the receptionist in a small voice.
“Are there any… adult books?”
The receptionist, still with a blank expression, leaned in slightly like me and said in a small voice.
“They’re on the 6th floor.”
“Huh? The place marked as ‘Life and Creation’? Isn’t that where the religious books are?”
“Those are on the 2nd floor. ‘Life and Creation’ on the 6th floor is a euphemism… it’s where books related to the creation of life are. Some customers complained that it was unsightly to write ‘pornographic books’ as is, so it was changed.”
It was certainly a bit of a funny euphemism, but it was a much better name than “pornographic books.”
…I’ll have to use it when I come alone later.
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
“It’s part of my job.”
Since I was done asking questions, I went up to the second floor.
After walking a bit on the second floor, I saw Elsie looking around at the books on the shelves.
“Wow! This is the founding history of Bridan! This is a collection of the achievements of the past Holy Maidens of Solario. Ah! And a hero’s tale of the Abyss’s Demon Lord! Even such rare things!”
Elsie looked very happy.
“What would Rent like? Maybe the story of the most famous first hero? No, Rent might like the founding history of Bridan… Ugh, I can’t decide.”
“I like anything, Elsie.”
“Ah, Rent! Are you done asking your question?”
“Yeah. They answered kindly.”
“What did you ask?”
Should I just gloss over it here? But I decided to answer honestly.
“It was written on the guide board, right? That there are books about life and creation on the 6th floor.”
“Yes. Aren’t those religious books? Of course, the main content will be about the religion of Solishin… but I’ve heard that each race and country has other beings they believe in.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The perception that Solishin is the mother of all things is the same, but separately, they also believe in other lower gods who watch over them. For example, some beastmen have a culture of worshiping the spirits of their ancestors.”
It was like an ancestral spirit custom.
“I see. But I asked, and they said those religious books are on the 2nd floor.”
“Is that so? Then what kind of books are on the 6th floor…”
I leaned in and whispered in Elsie’s ear.
“Adult books.”
“Haa!”
Elsie’s face turned red in an instant.
Yeah, I’m glad I told her honestly.
I’m satisfied to see Elsie’s cute reaction.
Elsie glanced at me and asked.
“Th, then Rent… are you going to the 6th floor? You, you like that kind of thing…”
“No, I’m definitely interested… but today is a fun date with Elsie, so I’ll go to the 6th floor next time.”
Today is a fun library date with Elsie.
Of course, it would be exciting and a good situation to look at adult books with Elsie, but today, let’s go in the direction that Elsie enjoys more.
“Elsie, were there any books that looked interesting?”
“Yes! But there are so many interesting books… what genre does Rent like?”
“I think any myth or legend would be interesting… yeah, maybe legends about heroes? I’ve only seen stories about heroes in fairy tales, so I’m curious how they’re written in other books.”
“Th, then read this!”
Elsie took out a book titled “The Adventures of the First Hero Leo” from the bookshelf.
“It’s the story of the first hero, who was a human. It’s not a fairy tale, so you can learn more about the hero in detail!”
“Thank you. I’ll read this then.”
As I took the book, Elsie looked at it with sparkling eyes.
“…Shall we read it together?”
“Yes!”
On each floor of the library, there were spaces with desks where you could read books.
Elsie and I took “The Adventures of the First Hero Leo” and went to a place with desks.
Since we were going to read together, I thought it would be nice to sit together, so I created a large chair with my mana weapon and sat down.
“Elsie, sit here.”
I slightly spread my legs to make space for Elsie to sit.
“Ah… Y, yes♡”
Elsie sat between my legs.
The fragrant scent of Elsie wafted over, and her soft body pressed against mine.
It felt different from when we hugged naked, a kind of cozy warmth.
I reached out and opened the book.
「This book is a collection of stories gathered by the author while tracing the footsteps of the first hero Leo, arranged in chronological order, and includes the author’s speculations about the hero Leo’s feelings. I hope that the readers of this book will also remember the path that the hero Leo has taken. Author, Regin Payson」
Starting with the short preface, Elsie and I began reading.
“Elsie, if you want me to turn the page, gently tap my right thigh.”
“Yes, Rent.”
Elsie liked stories and had read a lot of books, so she read quickly.
For example, by the time I had read about half, Elsie would tap my thigh.
Each time, I used Zone to quickly read the remaining content at my own pace and then turned the page.
Each time Elsie’s hand gently tapped my thigh, it made me feel sweet and good.
The content of the book was, as the preface stated, a record of the life of the hero Leo.
Leo, who was originally a commoner and grew up in a peaceful village.
Leo received a revelation from Solishin, awakened his dormant blessing, and set out on an adventure.
Along the way, he met the Holy Maiden Leila, who had received the same revelation, and also met various other companions, and together they defeated the Demon Lord.
Usually, fairy tales would end with “they defeated so-and-so,” but this book included the author’s descriptions of the relationships between the hero and the Holy Maiden, and the formation of bonds between their companions, so I became interested not only in the hero himself but also in the people around him.
And in the middle of obtaining the holy sword Excalibur and defeating the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings, the book described the hero’s inner struggles.
The worry of whether he, who was originally an ordinary boy from an ordinary village, could really defeat the Demon Lord.
The Holy Maiden gently embraced and comforted the hero, and the hero regained his strength from her comfort and encouragement, which made it feel like a romance novel.
And after defeating the Demon Lord, the hero Leo’s adventure came to an end.
That’s how it would usually end, but this book even described the hero’s emotions exploding after defeating the Demon Lord, leading to a passionate kiss with the Holy Maiden.
This description was very… sensual.
Descriptions that would only appear in adult novels appeared without fail, such as the Holy Maiden’s scent tickling his nose, the sensation of her lips making the hero’s blood rush through his body, and the hero’s desire for the Holy Maiden, which he had been suppressing, awakening.
It almost made me think that the author had become so immersed in the hero Leo that he had written a fantasy of the hero’s kiss with the Holy Maiden.
And it would have been better if it had ended there, but as an epilogue, it described the hero and the Holy Maiden’s passionate lovemaking in the first village they visited after defeating the Demon Lord.
From here on, it was just an adult novel.
The hero and the Holy Maiden became one and became husband and wife after defeating the Demon Lord.
It didn’t end simply with that, but starting from the part where the Holy Maiden entered the hero’s room after dinner, it described the first night of the innocent hero and Holy Maiden, who gradually touched each other’s bodies and mixed their bodies like beasts, as if they were releasing all the desires they had been suppressing, for about 30 pages.
I wondered why this book wasn’t on the 6th floor.
From the moment this part started, Elsie’s ears turned completely red.
But her hand tapping my thigh didn’t stop, and she continued to read.
In fact, the tapping speed became faster.
The book ended with the hero and the Holy Maiden having many children and living happily ever after.
I closed the book with a thud.
“…It was a detailed book about the first hero, Elsie. I enjoyed it.”
I thought it was a wholesome book, but the last part was full of adult novel-like developments, so I felt very embarrassed.
“Y, yes… um, Rent…”
“Yeah.”
“Y, you’re… hard…”
“Ah.”
I was so relieved that we were in the library that I hadn’t used my suppression magic.
I had been so focused on reading that I had forgotten that I had gotten hard from the adult content.
My hard penis was pressed against Elsie’s buttocks and waist through my clothes.
“Sorry, Elsie.”
“N, no, it’s okay. Rent… I want to get up.”
“Yeah.”
I put down the book I was holding and got up from my seat.
Elsie got up from her seat and put the book back where it belonged.
Then, Elsie held my hand tightly and said.
“P, please come this way.”
She led me to a place on the second floor where people didn’t seem to go often.
