Alex stretched back in his seat and gazed at the classroom that had almost emptied. All of today's classes had ended and students were making their way to the dormitory or to wander around the academy grounds, familiarizing themselves with the environment.
Eldric and his minions had not dared to create any ruckus so far, and Alex would like to keep it that way. He did not want to be bullied or beaten while he struggled to even land a single hit on them. It had not been a good experience, and if possible, he would have liked to take revenge, or at the very least defend his ground and not be torn left and right at their mercy.
Shaking the distaste from his mouth that he felt as he remembered Eldric and Nack, Alex rose from his seat and made his way toward the hallway, where he found Bella standing beside the door with a smile on her face.
Bella immediately looped her arm through his and started walking, pulling him along not caring for whether he wished to follow or not. Alex wanted to stop and step away from her, having seen well enough that the princess had not looked pleased with the dissolution of their marriage agreement, but there were too many eyes in the hallway, so he held his tongue and followed her.
"What punishment did you get?" Bella asked.
"I have to volunteer in the library after academy classes end," Alex replied, then turned to her. "Can you show me where the library is?"
"Sure, but I was hoping I could show you around the academy and familiarize you with the environment and all the other buildings." Bella pouted, and for a brief moment Alex genuinely thought she was sad, but he shoved that thought aside and reminded himself that she was only acting. She seemed to be a girl who could wear any expression she pleased, and he had already seen enough of her performances, even though he had only truly become acquainted with her the very morning.
"I think I have gotten a fair enough understanding of the academy building already, and as for the other buildings, I will grow familiar with them in time," Alex replied. He thought he could explore on his own without any trouble. There was no need to wander around with a girl he had only just met today. If he were to be honest with himself, he would much rather have walked with the princess.
Bella made a sullen face and pouted, but a smile soon returned to replace it. "Sure, then at least let me take you to the library," she said.
"Sure," Alex nodded.
They exited the academy building and stepped outside, where the sky greeted them in warm hues of orange and yellow, the sun sinking steadily toward the horizon and casting a calm and peaceful glow over everything around them.
"Is the library in a separate building?" Alex asked. He had not spotted any sign pointing toward a library during his time inside the academy, and despite having explored the corridors during the breaks between classes, he had already half-suspected it was not housed in the main building. Now it was confirmed as they walked along the cobblestone path having exited the main building already.
"Yes, it is a standalone building. Even the library at my home pales in comparison to it," Bella said.
Alex felt a flicker of excitement at her words. If even Bella's home library could not measure up to the academy's, then his own home's library, which was likely around the same size as hers, would certainly pale as well. The thought made him genuinely happy, because it meant there was a real chance he could stumble upon a book that held something useful, something that might help him solve the problem of his leveling.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Bella asked, turning her head toward him. Her white eyes, pale as freshly fallen snow, seemed to try and pierce through every layer of him.
Alex looked away. "Nothing."
"Hmm," Bella said, not sounding the least bit satisfied, though she chose not to press any further.
***
Soon, Alex found himself standing with an awestruck expression on his face. Before him rose a building whose spires pierced the very heavens, vast and far taller than anything he might have expected from a library. It was dressed in shades of dark brown and black, the color of wet soil after a heavy rain, and at its centre stood a grand entrance framed wide and tall enough to allow even a giant to pass through without bowing its head. The great doors were thrown open and students moved in and out in a steady stream, some alone, some in pairs, and some walking close together as couples.
"Alex, I have nothing to do inside the library," Bella said, drawing his attention back to her. "I will leave you here."
"Alright," Alex nodded. "Thank you for your help."
Bella nodded, and with a face that had settled into the stillness of a poker player wearing only the faintest trace of a smile, she turned on her heels and walked away. She had returned to her usual composed self. On the walk over, he had explained to her that he could not continue their act any longer, that he had come to feel he was doing something that would only hurt the princess further, and that he did not wish to go on with it. He had made sure to tell her that he believed they had already achieved what they set out to do, that he had seen the expression on the princess's face, torn between sadness and worry, and that continuing further would only make things worse. He explained everything as thoroughly and carefully as he could and had taken care to thank her sincerely for her help and her kindness throughout the day.
Alex did not quite know why, but Bella had grown noticeably downcast after he told her he would not be continuing the act. Perhaps she had enjoyed the performance of it all, or perhaps she was simply the kind of girl who took pleasure in stirring up trouble for others and making them uncomfortable. He did not know the answer, and no matter how long he lingered on the thought, he suspected he would not find one.
So he tucked it away into the back of his mind and stepped through the entrance of the library. As he walked inside, he noticed many pairs of eyes stealing glances at him from different directions. The constant attention was beginning to crawl under his skin, and part of him wanted nothing more than to stop and tell every last one of them to stop staring at him as though he were something they had never laid eyes on before. But he held himself back, knowing it would only make him look worse, and he already carried enough of a bruised image as it was, what with being known as a level one student and a bastard child, words he had not missed hearing whispered among the other students. Doing something rash like raising his voice at them would only give the rumours more to feed on.
Alex passed through the entrance and spotted, seated at a circulation desk tucked into the corner of the hall, a familiar old man he had seen once before.
***
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