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Chapter 5
After finishing her meal, Jaina walked toward a different place this time.
She headed for the library of the Magic Tower.
As she walked down the corridor, she let out a soft sigh of admiration.
‘Amazing. No wonder this is the Magic Tower.’
The dining hall had been luxurious and impressive, but the library was on a completely different level.
Although it was clearly located underground, the internal garden in the same area made it feel completely open, never stuffy.
Natural light streamed in through the large windows, illuminating the library.
Beyond the shrubs, there was a blue pond. The sight of warm light shimmering across its rippling surface was extremely beautiful.
“Haah.”
A few people who had stepped out of the library to take a break let out audible sighs.
“The research submission period is coming up soon. If I don’t pass, I’ll be kicked out of the Magic Tower. Is there any good material?”
“Even if I search through all the library books, I don’t think anything worthwhile will come up. Surely other magicians have already done it.”
“Something that hasn’t been studied yet isn’t going to just fall from the sky, is it?”
‘The research submission period,’ Jaina thought. She had read about it in The Sword of Vengeance. It was the time when the magicians of the tower were most sensitive, and accidents often occurred.
‘So that’s why there are so many people.’
Given the timing, the library was crowded with magicians. She seemed to be the only one there just for reading.
If they found out she was a dragon, it would cause a commotion, but unless someone close had read the letter she had sent to the Tower Master, they wouldn’t know—so there was little need for concern.
When she opened the library doors, the air was quiet and serene, a stark contrast to the corridors.
The round bookshelves were stacked with books all the way to the ceiling, surrounding the library.
Magicians sat at each spot, reading.
‘But how do they even reach the books placed so high up?’
As Jaina looked up at the shelves, a soft light that had been floating through the library appeared in front of her and pulled down the book she had been reaching for.
Her eyes lit up with excitement.
‘No wonder this is the Magic Tower.’
Jaina bowed slightly in gratitude toward the light. It flickered a few times before softly vanishing.
‘I’ll make sure to use this next time too.’
Jaina then sank into a plush sofa. Her short legs dangled, but the sofa soon seemed to shrink to fit her frame.
It was comfortable and cozy.
Naturally, thoughts of her past life arose. Reading had always been a long-time hobby of hers.
‘But the school library was lacking, and there was no library near home. I wish there had been a library like this back then.’
With a flip, she opened a book. The pages contained a mix of ordinary script and magical script. Not knowing magical script, she closed the book and stood to select another.
There were so many books that she could simply pick another if she got stuck. The abundance of choices made it delightfully difficult to choose.
“Hello.”
Just as Jaina picked up a thin book and was about to sit, a voice called out.
“The book in your hands doesn’t have magical script, but it’s quite difficult. Aren’t you getting stuck anywhere?”
A man approached, smiling warmly. Jaina turned her gaze from the book and asked,
“Who are you?”
“Ah, I’m a magician of the Magic Tower. I’m not suspicious. I saw a young one like you alone and was concerned…”
Jaina replied politely.
“Thank you for worrying about me. But I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“Still, you’re a child. Isn’t there anything I can help with?”
“May I know your name? I’m Jaina.”
“I’m Moben.”
Jaina had no recollection of him from her readings; he was not a significant figure in The Sword of Vengeance. He appeared to be just an ordinary magician of the tower.
After introductions, Jaina stared at him silently. Moben scratched his head, looking embarrassed.
“It’s the research period, so it’s crowded, and many magicians are sensitive. Being alone here isn’t ideal. Despite appearances, this place is quite dangerous.”
It made sense that a young child wandering the Magic Tower alone would appear strange. The Tower Master wouldn’t allow even his own children to come freely.
Earlier, the stares she had received in the dining hall weren’t without reason.
The man likely approached out of concern, seeing a child wandering alone.
‘I don’t need a protector. I can’t say the Tower Master is my father.’
Given how she had been nearly driven out by Diamid, mentioning his name recklessly would be unwise. It could provoke the magicians and irritate Diamid.
“How did you know I came to the library alone?”
Jaina asked casually. Moben flinched slightly, as if guilty, and averted his gaze.
“Ah, I saw you earlier with Mikael in the dining hall. But you didn’t come with him just now…”
At that moment, Mikael’s earlier words crossed Jaina’s mind:
– Dragons are rare materials. But adult dragons are strong, so they usually target young, unawakened dragons. Adult dragons protect young ones until they awaken—and you don’t have a guardian.
She doubted that Mikael had guessed her connection to dragons just from her eating a bit too much. Information about dragons was secret; only those involved could know. Besides, she had been seated in a corner under soundproofing magic, so it was unlikely anyone overheard her conversation with Mikael.
‘Then why does this feel so suspicious?’
“…I see.”
“Shall I take you to Mikael? What’s your relationship with him?”
Her instincts, honed from a past life of continuous vigilance, whispered: You’re in danger.
“…”
After a brief pause, Jaina composed herself, forced a smile, and responded with the innocent demeanor of a child:
“It’s okay. Mikael said he’s busy right now.”
“O-older brother?”
Jaina deliberately raised her voice.
“Yes! Of course he’s older than me, so he’s my older brother.”
“No, I didn’t mean that.”
“You don’t even know that? A magician of the Magic Tower, yet not very clever!”
“Uh… well, I see you’re close. There’s no one else in the tower who could address him so casually…”
“Excuse me, but it’s a bit noisy.”
The reaction was immediate. Moben didn’t know what to do, realizing all eyes were on them.
“I’m sorry. We’ll leave immediately. We must’ve been too noisy.”
But Jaina didn’t move.
Moben, frustrated, tried again in a lowered voice:
“I said let’s go together.”
Jaina, expressionless, kept her gaze on the book. Her innocent demeanor from earlier was gone.
“Didn’t hear me… hmm.”
Unable to force her to leave due to surrounding attention, Moben leaned closer and asked quietly:
“So, what exactly is your relationship with Mikael?”
“…”
Jaina stayed silent, eyes on the book. Moben lingered, unsure, but eventually left the library. Jaina quietly watched him leave, lost in thought.
‘Am I being too sensitive?’
Perhaps Moben was merely concerned. He might have acted impulsively out of worry.
It could even make sense.
‘Moreover…’
She might not stop dragons from trying to kill her, but having a small protective barrier here could make adapting easier.
If Moben approached out of goodwill, he might have served that role.
But Jaina shook her head. It was past. There was no regret or longing. She had always struggled alone. Never once had she been repaid with trust or affection.
It was better to abandon expectations than to hope.
That was why Jaina hadn’t resolved to survive in this world relying on others.
After spending a long time in the library, Jaina emerged, thinking Moben must have left.
As the day darkened, the sunlight-flooded corridor now glowed with magical lamps.
“I have been instructed to guide you to a place where you’ll be least noticed by Mikael.”
Creak.
The door groaned from lack of oiling. Jaina followed the maid into the room.
“This room was originally a storage area for various supplies. It is currently unused and hasn’t even been cleaned.”
The maid seemed unsure of the room’s intended purpose.
– The Tower Master hasn’t officially recognized you as his daughter yet. He can’t assign a lavish room.
The room assigned by Mikael was far from the central tower—essentially an empty room in the servant storage area.
“Do you like the room? If you need it for another purpose, we can change it to a more suitable one.”
“No, this room is fine.”
Jaina examined every corner of the room with a calm expression.
The room felt desolate and long-unused. There was no furniture at all.
The large window was a plus, but cold drafts seeped in from the walls.
