It had been three days since I was expelled from the hunter's base. Since then, I hadn't run into any of the Dark Night members. Not even Dimas. I had no idea what he had been doing. This city wasn't very large, so we should have easily crossed paths, especially since Aunt Saantya's clinic wasn't far from the base. Maybe he had already forgotten about his friend who had been kicked out.
To be honest, I was feeling quite lonely. I couldn't trouble Shella or the others. They were all working during the day. Only hunters had free time under the blazing sun. But of course, I couldn't simply visit them. The Old Bastard would surely throw me out.
I sighed deeply, staring out the window of my room on the third floor of the large building behind the clinic. There wasn't much to see from here—just a collection of tightly packed buildings and people passing by below. I had considered going shopping to lift my spirits, but that thought quickly faded when I checked the contents of my leather pouch. One silver coin and two bronze coins. I was completely broke—what I called "Kanker," my empty purse.
Being a hunter was enjoyable because it always offered a challenge, but the pay wasn't enough. Most of the money made from selling the hunted animals went into the group's coffers—or was eaten up by Grussel himself. The remaining amount was distributed among the members, whether they participated in the hunt or not.
I could easily find another job to improve my situation. My friends often offered me opportunities. For instance, Vani and Vian, the twins, had offered me a job as a waitress at the restaurant where they worked. The pay was fourteen silver coins a month. That would have been enough for me to buy whatever I wanted. There were also offers to work at the City Bureau of Glafelden's Transportation Office. But I couldn't accept them.
There were two main reasons that kept me from quitting my current job. The first reason was my current race, Haier-Elvian. If I switched jobs, it was only a matter of time before my new coworkers would discover my true identity. They would probably refuse to accept me, just like the Dark Night members did. They would consider me different and discriminate against me. That was a strong enough reason not to get further involved with people in the city. The second reason was that as a hunter, I could travel anywhere I wanted. Maybe that way, I could find answers to the phenomena I had been experiencing. Perhaps I could find a way back home.
Though the chances of that were slim, I...
"Anggi, you're up!?"
Suddenly, a voice startled me from behind. I turned to look at the door, and there stood Shella, holding a basket full of freshly washed and neatly ironed clothes.
"Eh, Kak Shella! Yes, I'm up," I responded.
"Did you wash your face?"
I nodded.
"But your face is still wrinkled," she remarked, glaring at me.
"S-Sorry, I've been thinking too much," I mumbled.
"Thinking about what?"
I shook my head. "Nothing important. Forget it! By the way, aren't you supposed to be on duty at the clinic?"
"My shift starts later this afternoon. So I used the morning to wash clothes. If you need more clothes, just let me know. I'll get them for you."
"No need! I don't want to trouble you again," I said quickly.
Shella fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Anggi... you think something small like this would trouble me? Compared to everything you've done for me and the others? Come on! You don't need to be shy. Just ask for help if you need anything. I'd be happy if you leaned on me now."
I sighed. When I thought about it, I realized it didn't feel right to keep refusing someone's help. Besides, Shella seemed determined to make me rely on her when I was in need.
"Well, alright then. I want to go to the city library, Kak! Could you lend me a nice outfit? Oh, but nothing too flashy like the one from before!"
"Got it! I'll find something that suits your taste!" She responded cheerfully.
Half an hour later, I was out the door, dressed in the new clothes Shella had prepared for me. A brown tunic made of wool, decorated with flower embroidery, and a decorative belt worn at the waist, as was customary. I also wore a knitted hat to cover my ears. This outfit was much more normal and less attention-grabbing than the one I wore before. Though the fashion here resembled something from the medieval era, it wasn't too bad. At least the fashion here was slowly but surely improving.
My footsteps blended with the hundreds of others when I stepped onto the city streets. People passed by on the sidewalks I walked, though not as many as during rush hour. Most of them were either at the market, in school, or at work.
It didn't take long for me to reach the city library. As soon as I passed through the massive double doors made of teakwood, rows of books greeted me. Bookshelves filled every corner of this large, grand room. I didn't know what the library's previous managers were thinking, but the bookshelves were arranged in a labyrinth-like pattern. Fortunately, the shelves were only shoulder-high. If they had been three meters tall, people would surely get lost here.
I approached the reception desk right in front of the large doors. The desk was long, with several receptionists behind it. They served visitors who wanted to borrow books or ask about the catalog. I chose one receptionist who had no line at the moment.
"Hey, Anggi! What a surprise to see you here. Where have you been lately? You used to come here almost every day," the receptionist said.
"I've been busy lately. I'll probably come more often in a few days when I have some free time." I laughed lightly.
"Why? Did they fire you from your job?"
"Ha! No way! I just took a leave of absence, alright? A leave," I said a bit louder than I meant to. The receptionist laughed at my response.
"Are you planning to borrow books today?"
"I just want to browse for a bit. If something catches my interest, I'll borrow it."
"Do you need help with the catalog?"
I shook my head. "I've got it memorized. Don't worry! I just came to say hello to you."
I waved at her as I left the reception desk. She waved back with a smile. When I first came to this world, the library was my first stop to gather information. I visited this place so often that I knew all the staff here. They were all friendly to talk to. Of course, I made sure to keep my distance. I was always worried that someone might discover my true identity.
I climbed the stairs to the second floor, which was higher than the ground floor. The first floor contained books on literature, mostly poetry, romance, folktales, and epics. When I first found out that this world had fictional books like novels and comics, I was shocked. The quality wasn't the same as the ones from my original world, but I still enjoyed some of the titles. The second floor, where I was headed, contained books on religion, science, biography, medicine, astronomy, and history. This was where I usually spent my time.
I had always enjoyed reading here because it was where I could learn the most about this world. Without this library, I wouldn't know about the lands outside of this kingdom, the different races other than humans and Elvians, the monsters, strange plants, and the fascinating history of the past.
There was just one thing missing from this place. They didn't have many books about Esze, just a few that could be counted on one hand. And those only briefly mentioned it. I was hoping for a book that went into more detail about Esze, its types, how to master it, and its history. I understood, though. This was a human library that didn't have the ability to control Esze. It was unlikely they would write about something they couldn't do themselves.
I was curious about the Western Elvian Kingdom. Maybe their library had more books on Esze. But, thinking about it, there was no point in worrying about that.
After picking out several books from the shelves, I headed toward a corner of the room with tables. There weren't many visitors today, so there were plenty of empty spaces to choose from. I chose one of the tables by the wall near the window.
It was the best spot to read. Not only did I get enough sunlight, but I could also breathe in the fresh morning air by opening the window slightly. Letting the breeze caress me while reading made everything more comfortable and peaceful.
Five hours passed before I realized how quickly time had flown by. It was already past lunchtime, but I wasn't hungry. Reading had become my priority over food. The information I was learning was so captivating.
The books I chose were about the gods and goddesses worshipped in this world. After witnessing the Sun Festival and the Festival of Rubiel a few months ago, I became interested in the other deities. It turns out that this world believes in twelve gods and goddesses, including the Sun God Lillio and the Moon Goddess Lunaris. They were known as the Twelve Sacred Gods, led by the Supreme God, Inggra.
The book explained that the gods and goddesses originally lived in the heavens, separate from the beings on the surface of the earth. Humans, the most intelligent creatures on the surface, were struggling to survive under the shadows of monsters and giant beasts. They were often preyed upon, and the death rate far exceeded the birth rate. The human population shrank to just around ten thousand, down from a million.
At a critical moment, the Supreme God Inggra commanded all the gods and goddesses to descend to Earth. He instructed them to save humanity. With their immense powers, the gods and goddesses defeated the monsters and giant beasts that dared to devour humans. They then created three continents on the Earth. The Blue Continent for humans, where I currently lived. The Green Continent for mystical creatures. And the Black Continent for monsters and giant beasts. Inggra separated each continent with vast oceans, ensuring they wouldn't interfere with each other.
This collection of books once again engulfed me in its world, making time pass in an instant. The evening approached. The sky turned orange, and the clouds filled the air. The sun was about to set in the west. Flocks of birds flew overhead, chirping as they headed home. Just as they should.
I had to go home before nightfall, or I'd miss dinner. After finishing my reading, I was about to close the book when something on the page caught my attention. "Indemnius Soul Crystal of the Gods."
I squinted my eyes to make sure I had read it correctly. There was nothing wrong with the text. The only strange thing was that this was the first time I had ever heard that term. Even in the books I had just read about the gods, none of them mentioned this. My curiosity overcame me, and I ignored the nightfall, flipping to the next page.
According to this book, the Indemnius Soul Crystal was a sacred artifact belonging to each god and goddess. Each god and goddess had one. This object was what maintained the stability of the world from the past to the present. Although it was called the 'soul crystal,' it didn't actually look like a piece of crystal.
For example, the Soul Crystal of Wind, Vitruj, belonged to the Weather Goddess Alina. It took the shape of a cloak worn by travelers in the desert. This artifact had the power to control wind and weather. An incredible power, in my opinion. The other soul crystals were similar. Suddenly, my eyes locked onto a particular point on the page.
'... the most extraordinary isn't the soul crystal of God Inggra or Goddess Alina. It is the Soul Crystal of Hope called Nadzieja. Owned by Goddess Shakilla, the Goddess of Hope. A goddess who possesses a heart full of purity and kindness among the gods and goddesses. Nadzieja has the power to grant any wish, even if it seems impossible.
'This soul crystal is the smallest of all the others. It takes the shape of a pin with an eight-pointed star engraving, making it a symbol of hope for humanity.'
I was stunned. I closed my mouth as I read that part. I reread the last section and tried to understand it.
No way. An eight-pointed star pin? Isn't that the object I picked up a year ago from the river during the club initiation?
Once again, I was stunned. My legs went weak. "That means... I was brought to this world because of that soul crystal?"