The librarian carefully examined Lie's Adventurer's ID in silence.
Please work, Lie thought, anxious.
After a moment, the librarian hummed. "Hmmm." She then looked up at Lie with a smile. "You do know using your ID like this is against the rules, don't you?"
"I—" Lie held her tongue. Crap, she knows!
The librarian began circling her like a shark. "Doing this could get your license suspended… or even revoked completely."
Lie's shoulders slowly sunk. She shoved the ID back into her pocket, A look of frustration came over her face, yet she wasn't frustrated at the librarian she was frustrated with herself. "I'm so, so sorry. If you wish to report me, I—I understand." She clenched her fists tightly as the librarian completed her slow lap around her, stopping once again in front of her.
Then, to Lie's surprise, the librarian patted her shoulder.
"Follow me," she said.
Lie's stomach sank. Is she taking me to the guild?! The thought of Rion seeing her there only made the thought even more embarrassing.
But she had no real choice. With a sigh, she followed the librarian out the door. To her surprise, the librarian wasn't leading her downstairs but instead leaned casually against the balcony railing.
"What are you doing?" Lie asked cautiously.
The librarian gestured for her to come closer. "C'mere."
Lie hesitated before stepping forward, leaning slightly against the railing beside her.
The librarian stood there in silence for a moment until she slowly lifted her finger and traced it along the horizon before it stopped at a tall, white structure—the lighthouse. Lie gasped, quickly turning to face her. The librarian smirked.
"That's where the owner lives," she said. "Feel free to bother them, Miss Adventurer."
"T-Thank you!" Lie exclaimed. She turned to leave but then stopped herself, glancing back. "Why did you tell me?"
The librarian simply shrugged. "You seem like a good person… and even if you aren't, you're Class Four. I don't think you could hurt her if you tried."
Lie chuckled. "Is that right? Haha, in that case, I'm even more excited to meet her!" She grinned. "Goodbye, Miss Librarian."
"Goodbye, Miss Adventurer."
With that, Lie hurried off toward the lighthouse.
—
"What's with me and stairs lately?!" Rion groaned between breaths as he continued his ascent up the lighthouse.
It had been ten minutes since he arrived. When he first reached the lighthouse's entrance, there was no one around and it was silent aside from the waves and the seagulls.
A small country home had sat to the left of the lighthouse—made of white-painted wood with a grey pointed roof, completely different from the rest of the city's architecture.
The lighthouse itself however was constructed from the same white clay-like material he had seen throughout Waneir. When Rion approached the lighthouse's metal door, gripping the knob. He gave it a push, and the door creaked open without issue.
Stepping inside, he was met with a bright, illuminated interior. As he tilted his head up, he saw a spiral staircase winding all the way to the top.
—
"Ah, I'm almost at the end!" Rion panted as the top of the stairs finally came into view.
Summoning the last of his strength, he sprinted up the remaining steps. And at the top, he was met with a door. He took a moment to catch his breath, then slowly reached for the handle.
With one push the door creaked open… To his surprise, on the other side sat a woman in a chair, reading a book. Hearing the door open she looked up and their eyes met….
(And thus, Rion's adventure continues...)