Chapter 7
“Luferen Duchy’s Central Library!”
I shouted inwardly. I had never seen so many books in my life.
Endlessly long bookshelves, intricately carved with delicate woodwork, lined the entire space. Here and there, soft-looking sofas seemed inviting, as if just sitting on them would make you melt into relaxation.
The second and third floors of the library were open in the middle, overlooking the lower levels.
Curious, I peeked over the railing, and the sight below was even more dazzling than the third floor. In the central resting area, servants were moving around.
Wow…
I raised my head again, not wanting to miss a single thing, and gazed at the books lined up beside me. The titles of the books and their appearance were extraordinary.
There were books about the history of kingdoms that had perished hundreds of years ago, books written in now-extinct languages, and even forbidden texts that one should never touch without permission.
This library was leagues ahead of the Crown Prince’s collection.
Though my family was somewhat of a mess, the wealth and scholarly resources accumulated by the Luferen Duchy were on another level entirely.
For the first time, a bit of pride in my family pierced my chest, even if it was small.
“History, swordsmanship, geography… huh?”
I was only a few meters away from the corner I had been aiming for, but my feet stopped in a completely unexpected spot.
No, it wasn’t that I had stopped on my own. It felt like an invisible force had suddenly rooted me to the spot, and I couldn’t move at all.
Magic.
The large, dark brown bookshelves filled with ancient-looking books had the name of the corner inscribed in glowing golden letters.
My feet were firmly stuck in front of that section, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t step forward.
“They say stubborn magic books exist…”
I had heard that powerful mages often leave traces of their magic, which get absorbed by the things around them. If a normal person takes a mage as a lover, they might feel a faint trace of magic themselves. Or if a magic book is handwritten by a mage, their essence can seep into the pages.
It’s said that if the author of such a book is particularly stubborn, the book might even hold the person who tries to read it until it’s finished.
This was the first time I had ever felt that power, though. No magic book had ever shown an interest in me before.
Considering my previous life, I didn’t have any magical power in my body.
“It’s a stubborn magic book…”
The force that had stopped me was so strong that I could feel it physically.
Suddenly, a thick, old book slipped from the shelf and fell right into my hands.
“Time and… magic.”
This was the book that had called me.
I had been about to leave when a sudden curiosity led me to open the book. The title intrigued me deeply.
I set the book down on the floor and began flipping through the pages quickly. Theon raised an eyebrow from a distance, but I wasn’t bothered.
He probably just thought I was another curious child interested in magic.
“…Is this it?”
I flipped through the pages until I found one that immediately captured my attention. The title below it was written in bold, clear text.
“Reversal – The Myth of It”
The same force that had stopped my feet now pulled my gaze down to the following text:
“It has not been confirmed whether the magic to erase time and return to the past truly exists.”
“Is this what stopped me?”
My heart began to race a little faster. It felt like the book knew I was a time traveler, as though it had recognized me.
“Time Reversal?”
This was an idea I had never heard of in my past life. I had proven it was possible with my own body, but to think that someone had actually researched it?
Although the next few lines seemed more like a legend than a theory…
“The only theoretically possible method is to combine the magic of the mythical gem, ‘Dragon’s Eye,’ with the powerful magic of a human mage. However, the Dragon’s Eye, which supposedly transcends time and space, is widely considered to be nothing more than a myth… Even if it did exist, finding it and meeting the conditions to use it would be nearly impossible.”
“Dragon’s Eye.”
It was a legendary gemstone that was said to grant wishes and even possess healing powers. Such stories were from hundreds or thousands of years ago.
I turned the page.
“Even if one were to find it, someone with powerful magic would have no reason to use it. The memories would not remain after traveling back in time, so one would have to face the same future—or an even worse one—again…”
The author continued to explain that the idea of time reversal was mostly a fantasy, and it was best not to obsess over it but to cherish the time one had.
“You can’t keep your memories?”
“Did you learn ancient languages?”
Startled from my thoughts, I heard a voice from above. I looked up to find Theon gazing down at me, his gray eyes sharp.
“Hmm?”
“The book. You’re reading it.”
I quickly looked down at the book again and realized it was written in the ancient language.
“Ah… Right. It’s ancient language.”
Of course, given its age, the book was written in the ancient language of the empire. I had rushed through reading it, so I didn’t realize at first.
But why?
In my previous life, I had taught myself the ancient language, but not as a child. It had been because I had received no formal education before running away.
As long as you understood a few basic rules, you could relate it to modern empire language, so it didn’t take long to learn.
Clain had never found it impressive and would often mock me for being a slow learner.
“The worst Empress in the empire’s history.”
Afterward, he often used me to interpret magic books, citing headaches as the reason, but I didn’t mind.
“I’ve seen it in another book before.”
I shrugged and explained.
Theon stared at me for a while, arms crossed. His furrowed brows stayed that way for a long time, as if he had found something he couldn’t quite understand.
Even after I turned my attention back to the book, Theon didn’t move. He stood still until I finished reading the entire page.
“I’m done.”
With a slight internal cheer, I closed the heavy magic book and returned it to its shelf. With a flick of my finger, the book slid smoothly back into place.
It was just as I expected. The Luferen Library had all kinds of fascinating books.
The contents were only two pages, but they were hard to believe. My current situation as a time traveler was far from what the book described.
I had no powerful magic, nor had I ever seen the Dragon’s Eye, yet I had returned without issue—and with my memories intact.
One of two things had happened: either the information in the book was wrong, or my method of reversal was different from what was described.
In either case, the contents of the book didn’t seem to apply to me.
I shook my head, trying to clear the complicated thoughts.
What mattered now was the book’s conclusion.
“Make the most of the time you are given.”
That was true. I would live well this time. I would fight and survive.
For that, I needed to find what was in the 3rd floor of the library. I remembered my original goal.
“Theon, I want to see the empire map.”
Theon, who had seemed ready to question why I needed it, surprisingly nodded without hesitation and pointed to a bookshelf several meters ahead.
“I’ll fetch it for you. It’s high up.”
With his long legs, Theon led the way, pulling down the thickest book from the shelves.
“Wow, this is beautiful.”
The book, covered in white with intricate golden designs, gleamed as though it had just been published.
Considering that the borders of the empire were often blurred and changing due to ongoing territorial conflicts, this map would be invaluable.
In my previous life, I had traveled with the Crown Prince across many regions. However, those were forced journeys, and I could never connect the dots on locations, their environments, and specific regions.
But with a proper map, I was certain I could match it with my memories and figure out the geography of the entire continent.
I still remembered the villages and castles Clain had burned down.
“Thank you.”
I politely accepted the book and smiled inwardly.
Perfect.
I had a rough plan.
First, I’d figure out which regions would survive the war between Clain and Callista ten years from now and how to get there. Then, I’d steal some of the family jewels and gather money.
Yes, this expensive book would be helpful.
And once I carefully dodged all the assassination attempts Callista had made in the past, I would escape somewhere in the far corner of the empire without crossing paths with Clain.
Then, whether Callista and Clain tore each other apart or not, I’d live comfortably.
That was the plan I had come up with in the past few days.
I opened the first page of the map with excitement. And the next moment, I couldn’t hide my confusion.
“…What is this?”
Under the title “The Map of the Empire” was a complex collection of lines, shapes, and incomprehensible symbols.
I had expected a simple, easy-to-read map, but this looked like it was written in a language I could barely understand.
“Is this… the empire?”
At the very least, I had expected a map that could identify the shape of the continent, but instead of the familiar round, flat continent, the map seemed to depict a heart-shaped continent with strange, colorful bumps all over it.
What was this? Was the book broken?
Theon, with a confused look, tilted his head.
“Can you not read the Akases method?”
“Akases… method?”
“It’s a method developed by the great magician and geographer Akases. This map doesn’t just reflect geographical locations, but also the specific properties of each region. It’s highly accurate, but difficult to create, which is why only a few families, including the Luferen family, use it.”
“Properties?”
“There are magical currents flowing throughout the continent. Sometimes, space folds or distorts, causing regions that should be far apart to become connected. You understand, right?”
“Yes…”
“The Akases method shows those connections, so they can be seen at a glance.”
Theon explained with such casual expertise that I didn’t fully grasp it all.
I blinked, listening to his explanation, but my mind was already racing with more questions about this butler and the enormous library.
Why was such a rare invention, unknown even to the royal family, sitting right here?
