Floating Stone (2)

TL/ED: Lolz

Ian carefully placed the floating stone in his pocket.

Then, he called Danya, who was sniffling in one corner of the room.

"Danya, what are you up to?"

"Nyah! Oh, I haven't done anything. Just taking a little break, maybe?"

"Really? Anyway, thanks for helping with the experiment today. Oh, and here, consider it a reward and a gift."

Ian tossed a Mana Flytrap Elixir, obtained from the last expedition to the undiscovered dungeon in the northern mountain range, to Danya.

Danya's eyes widened as she received the elixir.

"I-Is this, um, for me? Are you sure you want me to have it?"

"I already had one before, and it had no effect on me. Keep it. We'll start the rank measurement tomorrow. Taking it now will have the greatest impact."

Most of the heroines had left the front lines, but having someone like Danya as a companion was beneficial for Ian as well.

Touched, Danya's expression seemed on the verge of tears.

"T-Thank you so much, nyah."

"Don't mention it. Comrades should always help each other."

With that response, Ian prepared to leave.

Danya immediately asked.

"But what are you going to do?"

"I'm heading to the library. You can rest or do whatever you want."

Whenever there was something to be curious about, the library was the go-to place.

Ian shook hands with the bewildered Danya and left the lodging.

Arriving at the library, he noticed the librarian sitting in the usual spot, flipping through books.

' Does she even eat?’

He wondered momentarily.

She was always sitting in the same posture, whether it was weekdays or weekends, morning or afternoon.

Was she attending classes?

Was she really a student, or perhaps an android doll?

Maybe even an AI?

But those questions quickly faded.

"..."

Feeling somewhat annoyed by the interruption, the librarian, with sky-blue eyes, raised her gaze toward Ian.

"I'm looking for a person."

—Blink.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then pointed downward with her finger.

At the bottom of the information desk was a piece of paper with very neat writing.

[Miscellaneous inquiries and confessions, love matters prohibited.]

"No... I'm not here to confess!"

The librarian's head moved slightly from side to side.

A very subtle movement.

Of course, Ian could easily recognize that gesture.

Following her slender, white finger, he lowered his gaze again.

Beyond the paper saying 'love matters prohibited’.

[Loan, return, and book-related inquiries.]

The notice caught his eye.

"Yeah, of course. Since this is a library, librarians should only handle inquiries related to books."

A very subtle nod.

Ian spoke.

"But I'm not here for a librarian. I want to borrow your wisdom. Somehow, I feel like you might know something."

Ian took out a sketch from the information desk and handed it over to her.

A brief portrait of a three -second rule girl he encountered before.

"The researcher vibe was strong. I'm sure she’s been to the library a lot. The face similar to this..."

He emphasized the dark circles under the eyes in the drawing.

"The height is average."

—Blink, blink.

The librarian's semi-transparent eyebrows moved like a camera shutter.

"I see."

She said and handed him a note.

In summary, it went like this:

Name: Christina

Major: Mana Engineering

Location: Likely in the Mana Engineering students' research building.

"Thank you."

"Wait."

"...?"

"Again, there."

"Uh-huh?"

"A student looking for you."

She handed him another note.

"Saint Candidate. Given by Aria."

...Aria Lumines Bell?

Why would that girl suddenly be involved?

Ian took the note from the librarian and unfolded it.

It seemed overwhelmingly agitated.

The hastily written sentences lacked a coherent message.

"...It seems meaningless?"

"Even blanks carry meaning."

At the librarian's words, Ian scrutinized the note again.

Fragments of characters that almost formed words.

Horizontal lines scribbled multiple times.

Occasionally, parts of the paper were pierced with force.

A sense of perpetual instability and a psychological state seemingly cornered were vividly conveyed.

The reason she handed this to Ian, though...

'I can make a rough guess, but...'

Let's not worry about that for now.

There were more pressing matters that need attention right away.

Firstly, express gratitude to the librarian who helped.

"Thanks for your help. Do you know everything?"

"Only the things I need to know."

'Then why did you dodge before?'

Ian hesitated before speaking out loud.

She had immediately lowered her head into a book.

[Saved by the tyrant who ruined my family.]

At least this time, it seemed like a normal book compared to the last one.

Ian expressed his thanks with a slight nod.

◆

Magic, Knight, Priest, and Reconnaissance Departments.

In addition to the four departments, Lichten Academy had various research fields.

Mostly, exchange students or students who remained in school after graduation delved into those research areas. Mana Engineering was closely linked with nearby schools, making it a sizable research field.

Mana Engineering Research Building.

‘Is this Lichten Academy?’

The building looked like it would collapse at any moment from the outside.

However, the inside was better than expected.

Small laboratories lined both sides of the high-ceilinged corridor, and occasionally, zombie-like figures emerged, all of them fatigued humans.

Although the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy and grim, recalling the research labs at the university in his previous life made it perfectly understandable.

"Here it is."

A torn piece of paper on the door.

[Christi◎]

The writing was badly crumpled and hard to decipher. But considering the casually pasted tape and the red strawberry jam stains below it, Ian felt confident he had found the right place.

Moreover.

-Pow!

With a sound, a familiar voice echoed from inside, and without bothering to knock, Ian entered.

"Cough, cough!"

As the door opened, a girl covered in smoke and dust emerged.

Originally, was her hair auburn?

With pale skin and prominent dark circles, it was the girl he had met before.

The librarian had mentioned her name was Christina.

Upon spotting Ian, Christina shouted.

"Hey, you're the rude one from earlier!"

"You're the one picking up fallen bread?"

After a somewhat cliché romantic comedy-like exchange and a slightly awkward conversation, Ian briefly recalled their first meeting.

'Why am I the rude one?'

Had he done something wrong?

Nothing came to mind.

"But why am I the rude one?"

"Because you ignored the 3-second rule!"

"Well, that's...."

He was about to say that 3 seconds had already passed but decided against it.

If she was this type of person, she would somehow...

‘Are you going to challenge my theory that picking up food from the floor within 3 seconds is safe?’

He expected her to say something like that.

Typically, those who conducted research in such basements had some loose screws.

Fortunately, Ian was accustomed to dealing with this type.

A damaged ego at the end of endless research.

If he could fill it even a little, these types would easily open up.

"Sorry. I was short-sighted. You're right."

Interest and endless patting.

Without any resistance, acknowledging that she was right.

For researchers used to being refuted and criticized in every paper, this was what they desperately needed.

"...Hmm?"

With a puzzled expression, the girl's mouth curled up.

Then, she said,

"Since there's no one inside right now, want to come in for a moment?"

"I’d be an honor."

Grinning.

Christina, who kept raising her mouth corners, closed the research lab door as soon as Ian entered.

Then, she immediately took Ian's hand.

"Come this way."

She gestured toward a corner table in the lab. C

hristina took a seat first.

"Is it a secret from others?"

With one eye closed, Christina brought her finger to her lips.

"It's something I show only to special people."

She reached into her coat and pulled out a small stone fragment.

‘It's the same as the one I picked up earlier.’

Christina placed it directly on the table where an experiment apparatus was set up.

It began floating halfway, emitting a faint glow.

"Wow."

Although Ian had seen this phenomenon before, he pretended to be surprised.

Christina's eyes, which were half-dead before, sparkled like jewels now.

"How is it? Amazing, right?"

"Yeah, it is. But, um..."

Ian's face showed a brief moment of contemplation. Christina narrowed her eyes.

"Heh. Do you also think this is a scam? This is a levitation stone, something that existed only in legends."

"Levitation stone?"

"Yeah. I actually want it to float a bit more, but it's not easy. I'm thinking about some conditions, and if improved, it might float perfectly."

At the mention of the fascinating compound, Ian's eyes lit up.

His goal was precisely the formula for that compound.

"Indeed, impressive research. I've thought from our first meeting that you're not ordinary."

"Hehehe..."

Christina, receiving praise like oil on her lips, became a bit teary-eyed.

Seizing the opportunity, Ian asked.

"About that formula...."

"Sorry, but I can't tell you that."

Her gaze turned serious in an instant.

"Okay. You've probably tried hundreds or thousands of times to create it. I shouldn't have asked so casually."

“No, well... You might be curious, right? I feel sorry for not being able to answer."

Indeed. Ian hadn't expected her to reveal it willingly.

It would be stranger if she did.

'Hmm, rather than...'

A tilted piece standing on the table.

Ian tilted his head.

"Is this all that's floating?"

"Yeah. It doesn't float perfectly."

"Not at all?"

"Yeah. I tried really hard, but this was the limit."

Ian recalled what he had seen a few hours ago.

There was no point going back.

The stone fragment he had seen then was clearly floating.

'Hmm. Did it get influenced when I tested other mobility experiments earlier?'

He decided to ponder later and focus on the demonstration for now.

Ian took out the stone fragment from his pocket.

"It was floating perfectly earlier."

"Huh? It can't be...!"

He placed it on her experiment table.

Swoosh.

The stone fragment hovered silently.

"...H-how did you do this?"

Christina's eyes filled with complete astonishment.

"...Who are you? Wait, no, what are you?"

Ian shrugged in place, pretending not to understand.

Christina swallowed dryly.

Then, in an even softer voice.

"Um, excuse me. Can you tell me how you did it?"

Snickering, Ian's mouth curled up.

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