Xeris exhaled, the day's lessons finally behind him. Four had been useful; two were noise. Better than Earth – at least these lecturers aimed at substance.
He looked out from the sun-aligned wing. If he wanted books worth reading, he had to move now.
With this thought, he turned and walked toward the center of the institution.
From here, he made his way up to the third floor, which was the base of the library.
A sign beside the entrance read: Three books per student.
Huh, what a pain. But it makes sense; I wonder if there is a checkout time limit.
Xeris entered the library.
If I can only check out three books, then I need one about awakening the Aris, another about Myr, and my last one should be about Halcyon Sect.
There were a few students who were also in the library, walking around quietly.
Xeris made his way toward the first section. As he entered, he passed a boy and a girl who were both holding a large, black, and gold-rimmed book. Xeris caught a glance of the title.
"The Aris, by Director Eldric"
He continued walking forward until he saw three more books, which were identical to those in the students' hands.
Xeris picked up one of them and opened it.
Three more copies sat ahead. Xeris opened one; the prose was polished, the content soft. Xeris's expression started to furrow slightly. Before he closed the book, he put it back on the shelf.
He continued to look around this area. As he looked, two more students came, also grabbing the large book on Aris. There was only one left.
Xeris looked at it again, picking it up and holding on to it while he continued looking around.
He grabbed another book titled "Growth of Aris, for both types, by Ormin." It was large and dark green.
Xeris opened it.
Verbose and unfocused.
However, he forced himself to read a little more before concluding that this was also not the book he wanted.
As he was about to put it back, he saw a dark, black book that had fallen behind all the other books.
Xeris's eyes flashed with interest.
Looking it over before he opened it, he frowned. It had no title and no author, and the cover and pages were worn.
However, when Xeris opened it, he found that the way this was written was much better than the other books he had been looking at.
At this moment, two girls ran into the aisle where Xeris stood.
Out of breath, one said, "I hope we weren't too late!"
They both stopped a short way from Xeris and started scanning the shelf intently.
"No, no, no! None of these are right; it's supposed to have gold on it."
Xeris put the dark green book back on the shelf. At this moment, the two girls looked at him. Seeing that he had the book they wanted, one of them asked, "Hey, excuse me. Where did you find that book?"
Xeris stared at them for a moment before pointing towards a large gap in the shelf next to them.
Their expressions sank. One of them said, "Oh, thanks." They turned away from Xeris, looking over the rest of the shelf, trying to find a different book that was centered around Aris.
Xeris walked to another section of the library and found a book about Myr. He then found his fourth and final book on the history of Halcyon Sect before turning to head toward the exit.
He walked up to the checkout station, getting in line behind a student.
A moment later, the two girls from earlier got in line behind him. They each held in their hands the dark green book that Xeris had put back.
Finally, it was Xeris's turn to check out. The clerk, a non-cultivator like the guards, asked for his name and room.
Xeris first set the large black-and-gold book down on the desk.
"Xeris Vaeth, room 523," he said.
She started writing on her clipboard, glancing up to write the title of the first book he had placed on the desk.
Xeris placed his second book on top of the first; it was the one on Myr. As he did this, he asked, "Is there a set return time?"
The clerk glanced up, reading the title of the second book Xeris had placed, and said, "All books must be returned at the end of the semester; other than that, you only have to return books if you want to swap them out. Each student can only check out three books at a time."
Xeris was a little surprised by this. Behind him, one of the girls had dropped her books. Turning to look at her, she had fallen to her knees and was about to start crying.
Her brown hair draped down, and her hands covered her face.
Xeris placed the third book on the table, still holding onto the black book in his hand. He turned to the girl kneeling, asking her if she was okay.
The librarian noted Xeris's third book, then hurried to the girl.
The girl had begun to cry, and the three tried their best to console her.
"I am so sorry! Haha, she will get over it, okay. She just needs a minute." Her friend was saying.
Her friend was a contrast to the brunette on the ground; this girl had blonde hair. However, it was clearly dyed and was not real.
Xeris spoke to the friend, "I don't want to intrude, but do you mind me asking what's happened that is making her so upset?"
Xeris was not an idiot; he knew exactly why she was upset. It was because they were too late and did not get to check out the book on Aris that was written by the current institution head. And now that they realized that people did not need to return it by a set time, they knew people would hold onto it, making it extremely hard to get.
"Oh, it's just we both had hoped to get our hands on that book," she pointed toward the black and gold book on the table behind Xeris, "But we were too late, and now I don't know if we will be able to."
The girl on the ground stopped crying as much, looking up at Xeris. Xeris spoke, "I see, that's tricky given the return requirement, most people will probably return other books if they want to check out new ones." He paused, "Well, actually, after she calms down a little, how about you all come and find me, maybe we can work something out with this." He pointed to the book they both wanted.
He grabbed the three books he had checked out off the counter.
The blonde nodded, "Yeah, that would be great."
Xeris smiled, turning to leave.
"Hey, I. I thought we were only supposed to take three books. Why does he have four?" the girl on the ground spoke.
Xeris felt his heart jump, but did not react, only turning.
"Excuse me, sir." The librarian said, "Students are only allowed three books at a time; you also did not even try to check that out." She had a look of irritation on her face.
Xeris stared at them with a look of confusion.
"This is my notebook."
He picked up the black book. Turning it over in his hands, towards the girls.
The girl on the ground was still crying, "I saw him with that book on the shelf. He's lying."
They all looked back toward Xeris.
He lightly laughed, shaking his head. "Of course you would say that. You want it for yourself. Convenient, isn't it, to accuse me when you stand to gain?"
The librarian frowned. "Enough. Students are only allowed three books. If you don't hand it over, I'll call Director Eldric's office."
Xeris lowered his gaze slightly as if conceding, then lifted it with a faint smile. "You could. But when he learns you've wasted his time over a blank notebook, do you think he'll be pleased? Imagine explaining why you dragged him here – over nothing."
Xeris flipped the book open, angling it toward them. The first page read: Property of Xeris Vaeth.
He turned a few more blank pages, then snapped it shut.
The librarian frowned. The weight of suspicion that had been pressing on Xeris now shifted uneasily back onto the girl who had spoken.
After a moment of silence, the librarian apologized. However, there was a subtle air of embarrassment in her voice.
Xeris shook his head, "No need to apologize," he said smoothly. "But next time, remember – authority means little if it isn't fair. Always give the benefit of the doubt."
The librarian forced a thin, brittle smile. Xeris laughed internally, turning to leave.
Benefit of the doubt? Naïve.
Trust clouds judgment; judgment controls survival. Those who are honest need no defense. Those who defend themselves reveal intent. Let another hold the evidence, and you give them power. Control lies in who frames the truth, not in what the truth is.
The trick was simple. The book had blank pages at the back; inverted, it became a notebook. She came to expose me, and instead exposed herself.
I didn't prove innocence; I only broke her confidence. Embarrassment does the rest. Truth matters less than the shock of being wrong. That moment of shame is all the control one needs.
Had I turned a few pages more, the illusion would have shattered. They would all have seen that it was a real book. Ha ha.
Later, Xeris sat in the entry outside the library. He waited a moment before the two girls arrived, also leaving the library.
The girls approached.
"So what type of deal did you have in mind?" the blonde asked.
Xeris spoke evenly. "Simple. If you want to borrow the book, it will cost you Crescents. Nothing is free."
The brunette's face tightened. "Are you serious? That's ridiculous."
The blonde's voice sharpened. "You just saw her cry, and now you want to profit off it?"
Xeris's smile didn't waver. "Of course. Tears are a currency, too. I just don't trade in pity."
Xeris stood as if to leave.
"Wait!" both said quickly.
Xeris smiled inwardly, turning back.
"How much?" the blonde pressed.
He paused, measuring their impatience. "Sixty copies. Seven hundred students. Scarcity writes its own price. Others will take half your allowance – if they bother to lend. I'll take twenty."
"What?!" the brunette snapped. "That's too much!"
The blonde held her friend back. "It is high, but manageable. Twenty Crescents. We already don't spend our full allowance, it just means skipping a few meals."
Xeris gave a slight nod. "Good. I'll give you one day. Check your other options. Meet me here tomorrow if you want the deal."
They won't find a better deal. Few will lend at all, and those who do will charge around half their allowance.
With two borrowers, I can undercut the rest and still earn the same.
"Not letting them borrow the book for free, is that not selfish? Wanting someone to let you borrow the book for free, is that not selfish?"
Humans are selfish by nature. To deny it is only to mask it behind illusions of virtue. A "good deed" is merely selfishness in disguise – the desire to feel righteous, to be seen as kind. Even generosity is but another transaction, an exchange for reputation or self-satisfaction.
Selfishness is not evil. It is the root of progress. Desire breeds growth, greed drives competition, and struggle forces evolution. Without selfishness, there would only be stagnation.
Morality is an illusion. Only results remain.