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Chapter 105

After school, the first thing I did was head to the library to get an access card from the librarian.

The librarian scanned my face when I revealed that I was Holy Name of Charity and requested for a Central Library access card.

"Holy Name of Charity? Are you the new student who got elected?"

I nodded. "Yes, I was elected recently."

"What is your business today at the Central Library?"

"I need to view some articles to do research for a proposal that I’m completing on behalf of the student council."

"Ah, a proposal... I see."

The librarian\'s tone was very stern. Even though it was our first time meeting, she seemed to be extremely nervous. I couldn\'t understand why the librarian was so on edge. Perhaps there were strange rumors circulating about me, or maybe the librarian had a naturally rough personality.

As the squinting librarian typed on the keyboard, she suddenly raised her eyebrows as if she remembered something.

"By the way, did you bring your permit?"

"Permit? What do you mean?"

"You need to get a permit from an elder, chairman, principal, or vice-principal. Due to the recent change in policy, I can’t let you enter if you don’t possess one."

"Ah."

To enter the Central Paladin Order, you needed a recommendation letter from a clergyman of an archbishop rank or higher, and to access the Central Library, you needed another permit. It seemed that in order to enter a place with the word Central attached to its name, one always needed the help from a higher up.

The system was structured in a way where one couldn\'t do anything unless they had a reliable force helping them or was exceptionally good at kissing ass.

[The system might be in place to maintain hierarchy within the Church. They may also be trying to create a sense of community by supporting and helping one another.] Legba spoke as I walked aimlessly around the library, feeling a bit bummed. [Moreover, don\'t you have a close relationship with the chairman? If you use that connection, you’ll be fine.]

"..." I nodded silently.

I was somewhat familiar with Chairman Chang-Won, and with his permission, I would be able to enter the Central Library without any problem. So, I immediately headed toward the chairman\'s office because I needed to complete the proposal by tomorrow.

Thump.

"Ah! ... My bad."

In the process of making my way toward the chairman, I almost tripped over something that resembled a rock. I quickly apologized in an effort to tame the sharp gazes of the studying students and looked to identify the object that tripped me.

The object was a foot that had peeked out from under the desk of its sleeping owner. The owner of the foot was leaning far into her chair, her hair covering her face like a blindfold. She looked like she was so deep in sleep that she wouldn\'t even notice if she was picked up and carried away.

[That posture would end up destroying the back and twisting the neck. Youngsters these days need to start fixing their sitting posture...] Legba lamented.

I felt a big generation gap from Legba when he said "youngsters these days," and it was a bit uncomfortable to hear, but he wasn\'t entirely wrong.

"Hey." I tapped the person’s head to wake her up.

"Hmm..." In-Ah made a strange sound and barely managed to get up from her seat.

She roughly brushed her messy hair and stared at me with sleepy eyes. She was frowning and seemed to not be able to see well.

In-Ah had been slowly adjusting her posture when she exclaimed in surprise, “Hmm... Hmm? Oh! Wait!"

The sharp gazes of the other diligently studying students in the library were upon us once again. In-Ah lowered her voice and apologized, bowing her head to those around her.

"Um, let\'s just head outside for now..." In-Ah whispered in my ear while glancing around.

I nodded and quickly followed her out of the library. Even as we were leaving, I could feel the cold glares of the studying students.

Clunk!

In-Ah pulled out two cans of instant coffee from a worn-out vending machine next to the library entrance. She opened one and drank it right away, and gave the other one to me. Brushing off the yellowed, dried leaves with her sleeves, In-Ah sat down on the bench and looked up at me.

“Did you always come to the library? This is the first time I\'ve seen you here."

"It’s my first time coming here today."

"Right? I would’ve remembered if I ever saw you..." In-Ah paused before finishing her sentence. "Sit down! Why are you standing like that? You’re making me anxious."

"Why are you so angry all of a sudden..."

"Just take a seat!"

Unable to resist her urging, I reluctantly sat down next to her. In-Ah held the can of coffee tightly with both hands, bowed her head, and then looked up at me while taking a sip of her coffee.

"So why did you come to the library? To study?"

"No, I came here to do some research for the student council."

"Ah, the student council... I thought our Sun-Woo had finally decided to start studying from today. But of course, what was I thinking!"

Her face briefly darkened when I mentioned the student council, but then brightened up with an awkward smile. Her joking voice trembled slightly, and her tone was also somewhat awkward. It seemed like she was not pleased with me taking part in student council activities.

"Did you come to study?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

In-Ah nodded vigorously, crossing her legs. "Yeah, if I have nothing planned, I come to the library to study, usually for the whole day."

"Really? Are you sure you don’t come here to take a nap?" I asked playfully.

In-Ah avoided eye contact and brushed her hair back in a flustered manner.

"I-I was just a little sleepy, so I took a twenty-minute... no, ten-minute nap. Before that, I was studying really hard."

"More like sleeping really hard."

"...I take short but deep naps. You know, managing your stamina is important for studying. I take a nap in the afternoon so that I can study until late at night," In-Ah muttered.

I found myself laughing unintentionally. Perhaps it was because she looked cute, chirping like a little bird while pouting her lips. Her mood seemed to worsen because she was upset about me laughing, and she glared at me with narrowed eyes.

"Why are you laughing? There’s no reason to laugh."

"Okay, okay. Got it. I won’t."

"Y-you’re talking to me like you would to a kid..."

"Alright, I got it. I won\'t laugh."

"...You\'re still laughing!" In-Ah said, blushing.

She was wearing an oversized ivory-colored hoodie over her school uniform, and whenever she got angry, her clothes fluttered like wings, making it even harder to hold in my laughter.

She pouted, biting her lip. Eventually, In-Ah sighed deeply, seemingly tired of being angry. She bowed her head down and took a sip of her coffee. Suddenly, she frowned and grabbed her waist.

"Is your back okay?"

"Yeah, it\'s not that bad. Um, maybe just a little bit... Maybe I studied too hard?"

In-Ah forced a smile, but her fingertips trembled in pain.

"Isn\'t that because of your bad posture?"

"Huh? Maybe...?"

"Even now, you have your legs crossed, and I noticed it when you were sleeping earlier, your posture..."

After hearing my words, In-Ah subtly straightened her back and adjusted her skirt. "It doesn\'t hurt anymore! So stop nagging."

"I’m not nagging. I’m worried for you."

"Who asked you to worry about me? You\'re always getting admitted into hospitals yourself."

I had nothing to say.

"...That\'s beside the point."

"What do you mean besides the point? You\'re just changing the subject because it\'s inconvenient for you. And I\'m really fine. I learned a new technique recently." As In-Ah said that, a faint light flowed from her fingertips. It was a minuscule amount of divine power that would go unnoticed if one didn\'t concentrate.

She drew a small blessing array the size of a thumbnail and another blessing array the size of her palm. The blessing arrays came together not long after, and the emitted light wrapped around her waist.

"Ta-da! Now it really doesn\'t hurt."

"...What did you do?"

I couldn\'t understand what she had done. I couldn\'t even distinguish whether she had used a blessing array or a healing array.

In-Ah put on a smug smile as if to boast. "I combined the blessing of regeneration with some healing properties. The divine power ratio was about seven to three. This way, it relieves pain, gradually heals the body, and has almost no drawbacks."

"Can you adjust the ratio?"

"Yeah. Just do this and this."

I didn’t know what adjusting the ratio of divine power would do, nor did I know how to do so in the first place. I couldn\'t comprehend what she was saying at all. Her explanation was too vague and complicated, making it impossible to understand what she meant.

She looked at me and smiled bashfully. "Anyway, isn\'t it amazing? I\'m going to participate in the essay competition with this as my topic. I’m going to win first place and receive an award. I’ll be able to get first place, right?"

"It’s cool, but first place...?"

"Come on, can\'t you just tell me that I’ll get first place? At least give me some reassurance," In-Ah whined as she tapped my shoulder while her sleeves fluttered about. She had a mischievous smile.

I laughed along with her.

"You have a unique topic. I think you might be able to get first place."

"The things you have to do for one compliment..." In-Ah muttered to herself with a bitter laugh. She lowered her head and looked at her wristwatch, then opened her eyes wide in surprise.

She suddenly stood up but bent over in pain as if her back was hurting again. "Oh, no. I\'ve been out for too long. I\'m running short on time..."

"Why don’t you take a break if you’re feeling unwell?" I said as I pointed at In-Ah\'s back.

She shook her head.

"No! If I rest today, I\'ll want to rest tomorrow too,” she said with a determined face.

"Can\'t you take a day off? Do it so that you can be in good condition."

“Hm... Now that you’re saying it like that...” In-Ah stopped in her tracks and fell into deep thought.

She had been noticeably losing weight lately. It was clear that she had been focusing on studying without eating properly during the exam period. I found out last time that she had a bad habit of skipping meals when she was engrossed in something or depressed.

"But I still want to finish the studying I started today. I think I\'ll rest tomorrow. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," In-Ah said with a bright smile.

I suggested she take a break because, at this rate, I thought she would end up collapsing again, but she seemed determined to finish her studies for the day. A sigh involuntarily escaped my lips.

“What if you get sick on the day of the exam?"

"Oh, no. That won\'t happen. I’m good, don’t worry. And I\'m studying hard for this exam because I want to get first place. After the exam, I\'m going to let loose."

"First place?"

In-Ah\'s goal seemed to be ridiculously high. Well, maybe it wasn\'t entirely ridiculous, considering how hard she was working. Anyway, it was a bit puzzling. She didn\'t seem like the type to obsess over studying or be driven by ambition.

"You know, maybe if I get first place in the F.A. exam, the paladins will listen to me a bit more... I just wanted to set a big goal. If I aim for first place, I’ll be able to get around twentieth place, right?" Her bright smile gradually faded into an increasingly somber smile.

I was unable to find the right words to respond with and averted my gaze. It seemed that her ambition to get first place in the midterm exam was to overcome the frustration and defeat she had felt when she went to the Paladin Order to find her younger sister.

I couldn\'t decide whether to remain silent or to force a smile.

In-Ah awkwardly smiled at me. "Hey, why are you acting so awkward? It\'s not like this is my first rodeo."

"..."

"And who in the world doesn\'t have a story of their own? Whether it\'s you, me, or Jun-Hyuk, we all have at least one story... Well, anyway, it\'s not that big of a deal, so don’t get all serious about it. Got it?" she said in a playful and cheerful tone. It seemed like she was trying to cheer me up.

However, she wasn\'t in a position to comfort others, and I wasn\'t in a position to be comforted. She approached me with light steps and gently placed her glowing fingertips on top of my head.

"What are you doing—"

"Just stay still." Cutting me off, she swiftly moved her fingers above my head as if drawing a blessing array or a healing array.

Finally, a dazzling bright light enveloped my head. For a moment, I thought I was getting a bit dizzy, but soon after, my mind cleared, and my vision became sharp.

"How do you feel?"

"...What changed?"

"Does your mind feel clearer or less tired or something like that?"

Come to think of it, my mind did feel slightly clearer. It was as if a few heavy stones that had been weighing on my mind had been lifted.

As I nodded, In-Ah smiled innocently. "This is another new technique I learned! It\'s a combination between a blessing of peacefulness and healing, among other things. The concept of this technique is to heal the mind... How do you feel?"

"I feel great."

"Yeah? That\'s a relief." In-Ah let out a sigh. "I’ve developed this blessing array specifically for you. You\'ve been looking tired lately.”

“I look tired?”

“Yeah. You’ve been attending meetings and studying so much. So..." In-Ah paused and looked at her watch. "...Wow, time flies by when I talk to you. I really have to go! See you tomorrow!"

After In-Ah crumpled up the empty coffee can and threw it in the trash, she waved goodbye and entered the library.

After she completely disappeared from sight, I walked toward the chairman\'s office. As I was making my way toward the office, my throat felt dry, so I finished drinking all the coffee from the can. And as I did, I reminisced about what In-Ah had said to me.

"And who in the world doesn\'t have a story of their own?”

Strangely enough, I found comfort in those words. I often felt that In-Ah was skilled at comforting and taking care of others. I threw up in the bathroom thinking that her sibling would have been very happy to grow up with a big sister like In-Ah.

***

With heavy steps, I finally arrived at the chairman\'s office.

"Oh, the chairman is currently in a meeting..."

The one who greeted me was not the chairman but his secretary. The chairman was in the middle of a meeting due to an unidentified disturbance that had occurred within the school. The secretary told me that the meeting would likely end around seven o\'clock.

Since it was currently half past five, that meant that I wouldn\'t be able to meet the chairman for about an hour and a half. I couldn’t just sit and wait in the chairman\'s office for that long, so I decided it would be better to visit the underground chapel and come back later. Eventually, I left Florence Academy. and headed toward the underground chapel, making it to the desolate alleyway.

[What a waste of time,] Legba said as the sunset disappeared behind the clouds and the streetlights began to flicker alive one by one.

I couldn\'t help but laugh, feeling empty inside. There were days when things went surprisingly well and days when things didn\'t go well at all, and today seemed to be the latter.

Whoo!

As I walked aimlessly, a crushed can suddenly flew toward me. I ducked and avoided it. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a woman on the other side of the road, rummaging through a trash can and scattering garbage all around her.

"Plastic, cans, paper, metal, bottles..."

Clatter!

A soda can, a stack of papers, a nail, and a soju bottle. Some things could be brushed off, others would hurt if someone got hit, and some could even cause fatal damage. The woman didn’t discriminate. She rummaged through the trash bags scattered around the alley and haphazardly threw all the garbage she could grab in her hands. I couldn’t find a single pattern in her actions.

[She must be insane,] Legba muttered quietly.

The woman\'s appearance was truly that of a mad woman. Her hair was disheveled and scattered, her eyes were bloodshot without focus, and saliva dripped from her mouth...

Feeling uneasy, I quickened my pace. I planned to quickly escape the alley, being careful not to attract the woman’s attention.

Smash!

At that moment, a bottle of soju fell at my feet. The madwoman glanced at the scattered green glass shards on the ground, then looked at my face.

"Glass...?"

She then slowly approached me, her shoulders shuffling as she walked. Her empty eyes were glued to my face. The teeth visible between her partially open lips were sharp and pointed, like those of a wild animal. That alone was threatening enough, but the woman even held a broken glass shard in her left hand.

"Don\'t come any closer."

"Glass...? Glass..." Despite my warning, the woman ignored me and silently moved closer to me.

I sighed and looked at the ring on my left hand. The skeletal gem embedded in the center shimmered with a purple hue. The spell engraved on the skeletal gem was probably a curse of fainting or hallucination. Either way, it was enough to subdue the crazy woman.

"Ah, today... is not my day today."

It was incredible to see how everything was not working out today.

Crack!

I hit the ring against a lamppost and cracked the jewel. A thin strand-like fog started to slowly flow out of the cracks.