64: Library

Library

Sorry for not uploading for almost a week, I have been hospitalized due to worsened flu and fatigue. I put this announcement on my discord but i kinda forgot to put it here as well. I thought it was corona again but I guess I was wrong?

I will be released tomorrow and the chapters will resume to normal.

https://discord.gg/qpDTvSj3TC

https://pa treon.com/StickSwinger

***

"Jean, dear, from what I've discovered, these Crimson Crystals could very well end everyone in Mondstadt. So far the casualties from Stormterror were minimal, however, if it were to utilize this poison, it could truly be the end for all of us."

Jean shook her head, her blonde curls followed the movement, "Look, Lisa...As I was just saying...we can't slay one of the Four Winds...I understand your concern and I respect you and your wisdom, but just...give me some time. I will surely think of something..."

There was no way Jean would accept such a cruel way of dealing with things.

She was the Acting Grand Master. There had to have been something she could do.

A plan where everything would work out well without Stormterror dying.

Fatui were already putting pressure on Mondstadt, and if they were to lose even their guardian, it would be over for them.

As long as Stormterror was alive, the Fatui wouldn't wage war against Mondstadt, and right now, war was something Jean wanted to avoid at all cost.

The Grand Master Varka left on an expedition with his elite army half a year ago, so if someone declared war on them, they would be decimated.

"... Alright, if that's what you wish, then I won't interfere. However, bear in mind that it could be a fatal decision." Lisa left her with those words and went to make herself a herbal tea.

"..."

Jean let her friend's words sink in.

Still, she decided she would save the dragon, somehow...

Stormterror was currently injured and they still had some time before it might start attacking again.

She will have to formulate a flawless plan, but before that...

"Um...Lisa..." Jean slowly walked towards her.

"What is it, dear?"

Lisa noticed her shy expression and immediately knew what she wanted.

"Y-You know...are 'those' books ready?"

"Ah you mean 'those'? Of course! [The Feel Of Your Hair In My Embrace] and [I'm In Love With My Scary Secretary's Divine Body] arrived a few days ago from Fontaine. They were quite expensive. I was truly surprised." Lisa gave her a knowing smile and went ahead to package them for her.

"L-Lisa!! Not so loud!" Jean urgently looked around the library, but luckily no one was nearby so she let out a sigh of relief, "I will give you Mora for that later...But please don't talk about this in public..."

"You're way too afraid, my dear. It's just a piece of fiction anyway. While most people would look at you as if you were rabble, scum or a vermin, and their opinion on the Acting Grand Master would considerably change for the worse, I will always treat my friends with respect, no matter what weird and disgusting fetish they might have." Lisa covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Her words hurt, but there was nothing Jean could do.

"...Is it... really that bad? Am I a lost cause?"

Lisa shot her a sad look that said 'Yes'.

"..."

Last few weeks, Jean wanted some kind of distraction.

She heard about the fact that if you work endlessly, without a hobby or without relaxing, the quality of your working ability will heavily decline.

That's why she chose her new hobby. Reading.

Seemingly a standard hobby for quite a lot of people. At least it used to be like that in the past.

Currently, only Lisa and the researcher named Ella Musk spent their time reading in the library so the hobby was pretty much dying.

As such, she decided to try it out but even she had to agree that reading through [An Algorithm Of Magical Interference] and [Magical Circuits In Theory] was not fun.

There were plenty of books like that in the library.

No wonder many people didn't read, as they were too complicated to understand and not enjoyable.

Not to mention almost no one had access to the library. At one point she considered opening the library to the public, but it held way too much private information and it would take too much work to filter out which books was safe to read and which was not.

That was when she met with the beauty called novels.

She looked for copper and she found gold...

Romantic novels, which then turned into a hot, steamy and fantasy love. Super romantic.

A completely new experience for the inexperienced Jean.

But there were millions of books and it was way too hard to search for those kinds of novels herself, so she asked her dearest friend, Lisa, to help her.

"Frankly, the city of Mondstadt is the city of freedom. You know that the best out of everyone, Jean... However...with some of these titles... I'm sorry, even the Archon Barbatos might vomit."

Hearing her friend's honest opinion, Jean collapsed on a nearby shelf full of books.

Just then, the door to the library was kicked open and Fischl entered the library with high spirits.

***

"So this is the library."

The room leading to the library was right in front of Jean's office, which made things easier for them.

At least they didn't need to search for it in this huge complex.

One of the Knights who was guarding the entrance gave them a suspicious stare, but then he saw a certain girl within the group and let them in.

Upon witnessing the entrance to the holy land, Fisch's complexion somehow turned for the better, "Ah…Library…Mein...sweet home…"

It turned out that Fischl was actually one of the regulars there.

Her high rank from Adventurer's Guild gave her permission to peek inside and take whatever she wanted at any time.

Of course, she had to return it within the specified time just like anybody else.

(Might as well ask her to steal some books for me to read, although it would still be better if I got access to the library myself. That's for sure.) Yomite thought.

"Mein dear acquaintance Lisa, the bewitching terminator awaits in the next quarters! We have no time to lose! Let's enter the sacred kingdom!"

"You do know we are going there for Jean and not Lisa, right?"

Ignoring Yomite's last remark, she opened the door with a clatter and slipped past Yomite before he could stop her.

"Hail, Lisa! I've come forth to confabulate with you!" She announced as she entered the library.2

The group followed her inside.

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