Chapter 6: So You Like That Kind of Thing

“Is anyone there?”
In a dimly lit bookstore tucked away in a corner, the red-haired girl stood clutching a scroll, looking around.

“Oh? Little Phyllis! Come in!”
A middle-aged man’s voice carried a hint of surprise from inside.
“What brings you here all of a sudden?”

“Heh, Uncle Tyr, I need your help identifying something.”

“Identifying?”
The man glanced at the scroll in Phyllis’s arms, taking it from her to examine it closely.
“This is no small thing. Where’d you get it?”

Phyllis never lied to him.
“Snatched it from someone, heh.
We both wanted this scroll. He probably thought it was just some ordinary manual, but I could feel its aura—it’s from the Mistmoon Cult.
We offered the same price, couldn’t agree, so we settled it with a fight.”

She spoke casually, but Tyr saw through her bravado.
“Little Phyllis, be careful next time… Don’t get yourself hurt.”

He knew why she’d risked everything for this scroll—
To avenge her family, wiped out in a rainy night long ago.
It was a wound she’d never overcome.

But Tyr, ever observant, noticed something else driving her today.
Not just revenge, but another emotion—something that could keep her going.

“Aw, Uncle Tyr, don’t worry about me! If you’re really worried, just hurry up and crack this scroll’s secrets.”

“Alright, alright, I’m on it.”
The man sighed, opening his toolbox, which held most of what he’d need.

For a simple transcription, it would’ve been enough.
But this scroll was specially sealed, requiring high-level destruction magic to break it.

Tyr pulled a golden gem from his drawer—his secret weapon.
Channeling magic into it, a palm-sized array spread out, enveloping the scroll.

Layer by layer, the seals unraveled until the final glow faded, and the text on the scroll transformed.
The original words became obscure symbols, making Phyllis shake her head.

“What’s all this say?”
She knew these were the Mistmoon Cult’s coded symbols, and she’d come to Tyr because he could read them.

He’d once been part of the cult himself and had saved her life, giving her a second chance.
“Let me see… Looks like a pretty nasty mind-control spell.”

“Mind magic?”

“Yep, and not just any kind—legendary-tier, high-level stuff.”

“For real? Legendary? Isn’t that super rare? And I just happened to snag it?”
Phyllis fired off questions in a frenzy.

Legendary magic was the strongest in the world, wielded by only a handful in any kingdom, each capable of city-level destruction.
“Little Phyllis, where’d you find this?”
Tyr’s gut told him this was trouble.

“Some wandering merchant? He didn’t seem like a bad guy… He sold it to me fair and square.
Wait—oh no, was that axe-wielding guy the real contact? No wonder he was so strong!”

This was bad.
The Mistmoon Cult would definitely come after her.

“How’d you beat him, then?” Tyr asked, puzzled.

“Well, I ran into an old friend who helped out from the sidelines. I don’t know what magic she used—she won’t admit it—but that guy got flung away like nothing.”

“Can you still find her? We need to move to a safer spot.”

“Heh, of course I can! I put a tracking spell on her—I know exactly where she is.”

Tyr blinked. “?”
‘Don’t say something that creepy so casually!’

“Forget that for now. Where is she?”

“Hm, right at the door.”
Phyllis sensed a familiar presence and looked outside, spotting two figures browsing books.

“Tina dear! What’re you doing here?”
She bounded over like an eager puppy, oblivious to Althea’s increasingly odd expression.

“Haha, just checking on you, you know.”
And, of course, the investigation’s progress.

“I knew you were the best, Tina dear! Once I sort this out, I’ll get you away from that awful woman.”
Phyllis threw her arms around Tina, leaving her flustered.

In her past life, she’d been a nerdy cook, not exactly a ladies’ man.
“That’s enough, little redhead.”

Althea elbowed Phyllis aside, her expression stern.
“Tina?” Tyr emerged from the back, catching the name.
“You’re the Everson family’s young lady?”

“Huh? You know me?” Tina had no memory of him.

“Haha, we’ve never met, but little Phyllis talks about you all the time, so I know a bit about you.
So, you’re the one who helped her out of that mess? Thank you kindly.”
Tyr gave a polite bow.

“It wasn’t really me… It was her.” Tina gestured to Althea.

“?” Althea paused, then caught on.
“Yes, I helped. Do you have any questions about it, sir?”

“So, you’re aware the man you took down was a Mistmoon Cult member?”

“Him?” Althea quickly pieced together Tyr’s angle—
The scroll was tied to the cult, and it had landed them in hot water.

He wanted to use their strength—the kind that could defeat a cultist—to stay safe for now.
“Where are you planning to go, Mr. Tyr?”

“I’ve got an empty house near the inner city’s black market, plus some connections. It’ll be safer there.”

“Alright, how can we help?”

Tyr glanced around.
These books had been his companions in the underground for nearly a decade.

“Pick out any books you like and take them. I’ll grab a few myself, and the rest… I’ll deal with later.”
If he ever came back, that is.

“Thank you, then.”

Everyone started browsing for books.
Althea gravitated toward a classic fairy tale collection she loved.

Back in the palace, and even now, it held special meaning.
It wasn’t just the stories—it was the person who’d read them to her, the warmth of those moments.

Even if that past was gone forever.
“What about Tina? What kind of books does she like?”
As a friend, Althea figured she should care.

But Tina was nowhere to be found, like she’d vanished into thin air.
“Tina, where are you?” Althea called out.

“!”
A thud came from a corner, and a bookshelf wobbled.

“What’re you doing?” Althea rounded the shelf.

“Uh, haha, just reading!”

“What kind of book? Can I see?”
Althea’s curiosity piqued at Tina hiding the book behind her back.

What was so good that it had her completely engrossed?
“Come on, it’s not really your thing, Your Highness.”

“Why not?”

“Uh…” Tina fumbled, unable to give a straight answer.

“Fine, if you want to keep it a secret, I won’t push.”

“Phew—” Tina exhaled in relief.
‘Didn’t expect her to be so understanding.’

But as she went to gather the stack of books behind her, she accidentally kicked a stool, sending them tumbling to the floor.
“Tina?”

“No, no, it’s fine, I got it!”

Tina scrambled to pick them up at lightning speed, but one book slipped through—
And it was open.

Althea caught the page.
On the left, a girl was upset, comforted by another.
On the right, they’d talked all night, moving from the couch to the bedroom.

They’d resolved some kind of “issue” in the end.
What kind, exactly, was anyone’s guess.

“Let me explain, Althea!”
Tina knew the moment she said it, it was too late.

Althea’s mouth hung open, her mind blank.
“So… you’re into this kind of thing?”

‘My reputation’s ruined!’