Late at night, three in the morning.
In the corridors of Roswaal's mansion, Shendu had changed into a white gothic dress as she walked forward step by step.
The twin maids had indeed warned that wandering at night was forbidden. But that restriction only applied to ordinary people. For Shendu, it was hardly a problem.
Moonlight poured over her figure. Her silver-white hair, crimson eyes, and finely shaped features made her resemble an elf beneath the moon.
Unfortunately, that was merely her outward appearance. Once she transformed into her draconic form, a pair of dragon horns would emerge from her head, revealing an entirely different posture.
Strolling through the empty corridor, Shendu pondered the identity of that drill-haired girl.
Judging from the level of magical power alone, she was certainly not an ordinary human or mage.
It was more likely she was something akin to Puck—yet in human form. That alone made the situation rather peculiar.
Most spirits in this world did not possess humanoid forms.
Only beings such as half-elves had a certain possibility of maintaining a human appearance.
As for the detailed plot of this world, Shendu could not recall it clearly. She only remembered in broad strokes that the girl called Beatrice—this drill-haired loli—undoubtedly knew quite a number of secrets.
With that thought, Shendu stopped before a door. Though the room was invisible to ordinary perception, her draconic eyes easily discerned the connecting point at a glance.
"Spatial Gate."
Upon locating the junction, Shendu lightly extended a finger. A violet spatial portal overlaid the door, linking it to the magical network.
There were techniques one could use to enter an unseen room.
But to Shendu, resorting to tricks was meaningless.
Her mastery of magic could be considered among the very pinnacle of this world. With such overwhelming power, why should she bother pretending to rely on common techniques?
That was simply impossible.
Once the connection to that nonexistent space was established, Shendu stepped inside.
In an instant, what unfolded before her eyes were bookshelves stretching beyond sight.
They were arranged neatly, resembling a vast library from her previous life. The space was enormous, and every shelf was packed densely with all kinds of books.
Faint strands of magic emanated from the volumes, yet the text upon them was written in the language of this other world—utterly unreadable to her.
"These books are rather interesting. Could they be that girl's collection?"
Curiosity stirred within Shendu as she pulled out one of the books and opened it.
Naturally, she understood absolutely nothing. The crooked, unfamiliar script left her completely at a loss.
"Oh, I nearly forgot—I have other methods, don't I?"
Realizing she could not decipher the words, Shendu tapped her small head. In the blink of an eye, her blood-red pupils deepened into a darker crimson.
This was one of the basic abilities she possessed after becoming Shendu—an ability known as the Eye of Truth.
Through these eyes, she could perceive the essence of written language. The meaning behind the text would flow directly into her mind, making it an invaluable auxiliary skill.
After briefly skimming the book, Shendu understood it to be a basic magic manual. It described how a person could open the "gate" within their body, gaining the opportunity to become a mage.
She flipped through several more volumes, but her interest quickly faded. Closing the Eye of Truth, she could not help feeling slightly disappointed.
She had expected the magic of this world to be far more intricate.
Apparently, it was nothing remarkable.
A trace of disappointment appeared on her face.
...
"Boring, low-tier magic books. It seems the one guarding this place must be a fool as well."
Placing the book back onto the shelf, Shendu muttered to herself.
"Hmph! Entering the library without the owner's permission is not something a lady should do."
"And what's even more infuriating is that these are magic books that are nearly impossible to obtain within the kingdom. Yet you call them low-tier!"
"And worst of all, you dare to call Betty a fool?"
From the distance came a childish voice tinged with anger, clearly brimming with dissatisfaction as it fired off its complaints.
"Oh? Did I say something wrong?"
Shendu's cool expression carried a trace of seriousness, which only made Beatrice even more irritated.
Before her stood a blonde loli wearing a gothic pleated dress. Her adorable face had flushed red with anger as she glared fiercely at Shendu.
"Low-tier is low-tier. If you're guarding such a low-tier library, then if you're not a fool, what are you?"
Shendu looked at her blankly, appearing perfectly earnest. Inwardly, however, she was suppressing a laugh, curious to see what reaction this adorable blonde loli would display.
"Hmph! Betty refuses to speak to you!"
Beatrice shot her a glare. Though this woman was quite pretty, her tongue was simply too vicious.
Every word struck at her temper. In her hundreds of years of existence, this was the first time she had been angered so thoroughly by someone like this.
When quiet, Beatrice appeared exceptionally refined. She picked up a book and began reading carefully. Who knew how long she had remained here, so fond of her books?
"By the way, I'm merely curious about you. I wanted to come in and chat. I assume you would be willing to answer a few of my questions?"
Shendu walked over slowly and stopped in front of Beatrice, speaking as though it were the most natural thing in the world. There was no way she would retreat in embarrassment simply because the host disapproved.
"Betty refuses. This is a room that belongs solely to Betty. Don't push your luck."
"I have no obligation to answer any of your questions."
"You are not Betty's friend. Leave at once!"
A vein bulged on Beatrice's forehead as she rejected her sternly, her anger clearly approaching its limit.
Yet Shendu acted as though she had heard nothing. She reached out and gently stroked Beatrice's hair, smiling as she continued,
"As the saying goes, strangers become acquaintances, acquaintances become friends. We're friends now, aren't we?"
A playful smile curved Shendu's lips. Her crimson eyes fixed upon Beatrice, thoroughly enjoying teasing this little spirit.
"Ahhh! Betty can't stand this anymore! Don't think that just because you're a guest you can be so rude! Do you believe Betty won't teach you a lesson?"
Even a clay figure has a temper. As for this spirit who had lived for hundreds of years, her temper was anything but small.
After enduring Shendu's repeated provocations, she was like a lit powder keg, ready to explode.
"Oh? If you think you can manage it, be my guest."
As Shendu spoke, she lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her foot.
In an instant, an immensely powerful anti-magic field spread outward, enveloping the entire library.
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