It was an old man with white hair, thin and elegant, dressed plainly and neatly, and looked personable, which made people feel good. The presence of such a person in the Blandi Library was quite natural and unremarkable, but Ed was so surprised that he almost tripped over the grass the moment he saw him.

He couldn't have been mistaken—it was Jay Oylan.

How dare a necromancer appear in full view of everyone in such a grand manner...... But who here will recognize him?

"Your Excellency?" Sensing his sudden hesitation, Giron asked respectfully, "Do you need a break?"

"Oh no. Ed smiled a little embarrassedly, "I just need to find a place to make it easier......"

He refused Girrod's courteous accompaniment, walked a section in the direction Girrod had pointed out, and when he was sure that his figure was obscured by the trees, he immediately turned a corner, and cautiously pursued Oylan who was gradually disappearing from view.

Cautious as Oylan doesn't appear here for no reason. And...... He still had so much more to figure out.

He had to admit that he had mixed feelings about Oylan. What the old man left behind in the back of his head still haunts him to this day, and he will never be able to accept what has made Oylan a necromancer—a disregard for and defilement of the lives and souls of others.

But in many ways, Jay Oylan is worthy of respect...... Or at least something to be admired.

The old man walked calmly, and didn't seem to notice that he was being followed, but Ed was so nervous that he began to sweat after a while.

One after the other, they moved to the backyard. The courtyard of the Blanti Library is divided into two parts by the main building. The front yard has manicured lawns and shrubs, as well as tall spruce trees that seem to spread out haphazardly. People come and go, but the backyard is verdant, more natural and quieter. That allowed Ed to hide better, but it was also easy to follow.

But in the blink of an eye, Oylan disappeared from his sight.

Ed hesitated for a moment before stepping out of his hiding place, looking around cautiously.

He suspected that Oylan had spotted him, but the old man had appeared behind him and sneered at him like a ghost. Tell him "long time no see", and he can only bite the bullet and continue to search.

He didn't find Oylan, but found one at the end of the trail. A wooden door hidden under a stand of roses that are quietly pulling out new sprouts.

It looked like a side door to the library, lazily ajar, like some kind of casual invitation.

Ed looked over, and the door was dimly lit. Not as bright as the rest of the library. There seemed to be some danger hidden in the calm—he could even feel some faint but familiar aura...... The breath of magic.

It doesn't seem like a place to trespass...... But it also seems to be something that Oylan would be interested in.

Ed licked his lips and ventured in.

The neat staircase stretched downward, and after passing through a corridor, the ancient aura lingered more and more strongly on the end of the nose, slightly choking. Behind another open wooden door, neat rows of bookshelves stand in a soft light that does not occur naturally, making it seem like another world.

Ed lowered his steps and walked among the bookshelves with amazement. Most of the shelves are not books. Instead, they are carefully spread out and covered with some kind of light fabric as a protective roll. Bookshelves. There were rows of cabinets against the wall, and his shadow flickered on the inlaid glass of the cabinets, which made him feel ashamed to feel like an uninvited thief.

- Maybe in the eyes of others, he is indeed a thief at this time.

This is supposed to be the place where the Blandi Library houses rare ancient books, and no one will be allowed to enter or leave it casually...... What are Oylan looking for here?

It was so quiet that the slightest noise was enough to catch his attention—there was a rustling sound on the right, sounding like a tiny bug crawling between the pages...... But Ed figured the Guardians probably wouldn't allow any unlicensed creatures to roam the area.

He walked over quietly, and unsurprisingly saw Oylan's figure.

The old man stood in front of a bookshelf, carefully unfolding a roll of parchment on the wooden shelf. Ed looked cautiously a few times, and was about to retract behind the bookshelf he was hiding behind when the old man suddenly turned back without warning.

Eyes met, and Ed froze there in embarrassment.

Oylan nodded at him very casually, as if they were just two familiar but close friends who had met at the bazaar.

Ed stood for a moment and walked out in a daze.

Oylan continued unhurriedly. He carried a small cloth bag, and every time he put away a roll of paper on the wooden shelf, he would replace it with another, and his movements were not fast, but he was extremely skilled, and it was obviously not the first time he had done such a thing.

Ed's mouth opened and closed, a little overwhelmed for a moment.

"If you don't have anything else more important, maybe you can do me a favor?" Oylan said indifferently without looking back.

“...... Tell me, what reason do I have to help you instead of catching you?" Ed finally regained his voice.

"Because even you doubt you have that ability - I know you're recovering well, but instinct has probably told you that it's not a good idea to use magic here...... You are right. Experience tells you that although you are much younger than me, if you choose hand-to-hand combat, you will probably not be able to beat me. So, are you going to convince me to be caught, or are you going to simply shout, 'Catch the thief!'" Oylan replied leisurely.

Judging from the tone, he was in a good mood, but Ed couldn't help but feel depressed.

He hated being seen through like this—he used to be happy to hear his friends praise him for his innocence, but in front of Oylan, the simplicity he wanted to hide more and more was stupid!

"I helped you!" he asked stiffly, "and what did you give me in return?!"

"I'd rather call it a 'cooperation' or a 'deal'—I did as I promised, and let the little blonde prince come back to you, didn't I?" said Oylan quietly, "though not completely...... But that's not my fault. ”

Ed stared at his back in silence.

Rosa was suspicious that when Ed found Sergio beneath the ruined city, the old necromancer had taken the boy out of his prison and hid him somewhere else as a test subject...... and as some kind of bargaining chip in his own hands, which he did succeed in using to get Ed to take the risk of cooperating with him.

It was reasonable speculation, but Ed always felt that something was wrong.

But he was also unsure how much he could believe what Oylan said.

"Of course, if you want, I can tell you why that boy ended up like that, and even tell you if he can still recover ......" Oylan paused slightly, moved to another bookshelf next to him, and still didn't look back: "So, another deal...... How?"

Ed didn't say anything. But he couldn't deny that he had followed so secretly without trying to tell anyone "There's a necromancer here!", indeed because he still had a faint glimmer of hope that Oylan would save Sercio...... And this old man will not help him "selflessly" in any situation where he is compelled to do so, and even if he has to, he will make him pay a heavier price while helping him.

Judging the possible consequences of each different choice, he could only ask helplessly, "What do you want me to do?"

"I usually judge the time well, but at one point, it seemed like something wasn't where they should be...... I think the mages in ridiculous robes are probably going to notice the anomaly here, and my work isn't done yet, so I'd appreciate it if you could help distract them. Oylan replied politely, but his hand did not stop for a moment.

“...... I can help you. Ed said angrily, "But you can't take anything from here, they don't belong to you!"

Oylan finally glanced back at him, as if he felt a little ridiculous.

"Some of them do belong to me—at least they were. "As for others," he said, "how many do you think they are truly worth......? Besides, I'll always come back, and while I don't want to admit it, the guys here at least know how to protect them. ”

Ed had nothing more to say.

Holding his sulk, he turned his head to the door, and suddenly turned back.

"Where am I going to find you?" he asked, exasperated.

"You can't find me. Oylan said, "I'll go find you." ”

- Of course.

Ed gritted his teeth and walked away silently.

"Be careful. Oylan's nonchalant voice came from behind him, "Those mages are probably almost out the door...... They are not known for their kindness and patience. ”

...... He wasn't wrong at all.

As soon as he ran up the steps, Ed saw the elongated figure thrown in through the door.

His heart shuddered involuntarily - the name of the Battle Mage of Beranti, he had heard of it.

He looked up, and outside the door, a man dressed in a robe decorated with blue and white stripes, with a gold star emblem pinned to his chest, was staring at him in surprise, his gaze quickly darkened, and the top of the staff in his hand was embedded with a gem in a shape very similar to the crystal spire of Beranti.

In that moment of silence when they looked at each other, Ed sensed danger.

Although he didn't chant the incantation, the mage hid under the wide sleeve and moved the fingers of his left hand slightly...... It was a spell that had been prepared for a long time.

...... Don't even start by asking, "Who are you?"?

Ed sighed to himself and had no choice but to hit his head over.

(To be continued......)