Normally, I'd need special permission, but after I was revealed to be a Divine Beast, Theo took care of things in advance so I could go anywhere comfortably.
Moreover, my appearance was as good as proof of my existence, so I could go anywhere I wanted within the Imperial Palace without any special ID or permit.
In fact, anyone who believed in the gods couldn't help but like me, especially the people of the Artes Empire, who were closely related to the gods.
So, except for a select few, no one shunned me or deliberately blocked me, making things difficult. If anything, they were impatient to welcome me.
The librarian at the Imperial Library was no different. As soon as she saw me, her mouth dropped open like a well, and she immediately started spilling TMI.
I thought I was good at avoiding people, but it was my fault for not realizing that there would naturally be a librarian in a library. If I had known, I would have sneaked in through the window...
"Oh my goodness, I'm meeting a Lord Divine Beast! I'm Moroa Riddle, the librarian of the Imperial Library. I'm also a follower of Arentio, the god of abundance. When I was young, our territory suffered from severe blight, and the priests of the Arentio Order rolled up their sleeves and helped. Since then, I've been serving Arentio with a faithful heart!"
Uh... okay... I didn't know if I should say she must have had a hard time with the blight or that she was admirable for being a faithful follower, so I just smiled awkwardly.
She seemed happy just by my smile, and her face looked like she was about to cry.
"It's an unprecedented honor for my family to meet a Lord Divine Beast. May I humbly ask from where your noble bloodline flows? This Moroa Riddle must offer prayers at the temple in return for this honor, so I implore you."
...What is she even talking about? Where did what flow from? What is she asking me to teach her? As I just stared at her, puzzled, the librarian, who introduced herself as Moroa or Moraine or whatever, realized her mistake and politely bowed, adding,
"Oh, dear, I spoke in the manner of humans without realizing it. To rephrase it in a way that's easier for Lord Divine Beast to understand, I was asking for the name of the god who is the source of your birth, your parents in human terms."
I suddenly remembered the faces of my family when I was human and froze in surprise.
Yes, when I think about it, even gods and Divine Beasts, though their methods of birth are not the same, have parents like humans.
The same must be true for me. Moreover, gods and Divine Beasts live forever. Although they can get sick and die like ordinary humans for special reasons, it also means that the god who is my parent is likely still alive.
'Could my family be here too?'
The question suddenly popped into my head, and my heart pounded. I hid my agitation and shook my head vaguely.
"Uh... no, it's okay."
"But I want to make a donation and offer prayers to show my gratitude for this honor..."
"Just use it for other good things."
It was just a random answer because I didn't know what to say, but Moroa nodded with a deeply moved expression.
"I see... Indeed, unlike mere humans, you are generous and wise. I will remember and follow that teaching for the rest of my life."
"Uh... yeah..."
I smiled awkwardly again. I nodded at her offer to let me know if I needed anything while reading, and only then was I able to enter the inner part of the library.
She wasn't a bad person... but she was a difficult type to deal with in a different way.
It was early, so the inside of the library was empty. Fortunately, it seemed like I could find books in peace without having to avoid people.
True to its reputation for having every book, the inside of the library was very large, and there were so many bookshelves taller than a person that I couldn't count them all.
Fortunately, the areas were divided by subject, so it didn't seem like it would take too long to find what I was looking for.
'If I want to learn about Divine Beasts, I should look in mythology or religion, right?'
After looking around a bit, I soon found the subject I was looking for. However, even though mythology and religion were grouped into one category, it was only one bookshelf.
Considering that some subjects had as many books as a small library, it was clearly a very small amount.
Why are there so few books? Is there no information, or do I have to go somewhere else to see it? I was flustered, but I decided to check the titles one by one to find something to read.
"'Proof of Mythology?' I don't know what it is, but let's take it. 'Understanding Religion and Divine Power' is related to Divine Power, so should I read it? 'The Correct Interpretation of Divine Teachings' doesn't seem necessary...'
It was hard to tell from the titles alone if they were the right books for what I was looking for, so I decided to sit down and read a few first. I have plenty of time anyway, so I'll know if I read them.
I pulled a few books that seemed closest to what I was looking for from the bookshelf, held them in my arms, and went to my seat to read them, but I ran into an unexpected person. It was Ricardo, who had returned from the subjugation earlier than Theo and me.
He looked somehow different from the last time I saw him... The first subjugation he experienced must have been quite difficult, as he seemed to have lost a lot of weight compared to before, but that wasn't it.
Maybe it was because of the antipathy I felt towards him. However, it was closer to antipathy towards Theo than antipathy towards me. He seemed to have reflexively thought of Theo as soon as he saw me.
"Does Lord Divine Beast also read such books?"
I suddenly looked down at the books I was holding. It was understandable that he was wondering why I was holding so many books related to religion and mythology.
"Yeah. I'm looking for something."
"What is it?"
"You know I don't have to answer, right?"
As someone who enjoyed the original story, the biggest feeling I had when I first met Ricardo was joy, but even so, now that I knew Ricardo had negative feelings towards Theo, I couldn't help but speak sharply. In the end, Theo was the most important thing to me.
"I know. I was just curious."
However, even with my sharp answer, Ricardo just smiled and replied in a gentle tone. Ricardo was still a gentle and kind male lead, but at the same time, he was just an ordinary person who could hate someone.
I said in a softer tone.
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Don't hate Theo. And don't hate yourself either."
A crack appeared on his gentle face for a moment.
"Theo hasn't done anything to you. He's never been cruel to you, not even once. You must know who was really cruel. Don't forget that."
Anyone can hate others. You can't love everyone you meet in life, and sometimes you hate people you've never even met.
Hating someone is so easy, and I know Ricardo is no different. I just didn't want Theo to be the target. I knew that no matter what I said, his feelings wouldn't change much, but I still said it.
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask."
I turned back to look at Ricardo, who was watching me pass by with a pile of thick books.
"What is it?"
"Lord Divine Beast... you cherish Theodore, don't you?"
"Yeah."
Ricardo, who was lost in thought for a moment at my answer without much hesitation, smiled bitterly.
"Could you tell me why?"
"Why?"
Why... I like Theo, but I've never thought about why. In the first place, liking someone isn't something you decide after thinking about each reason, but rather something closer to a sudden realization.
Like when you're sharing an umbrella on a rainy day and suddenly notice that one of your shoulders is wet, or when you see something good or eat something delicious, and you realize that you're always thinking of that person.
"I've never thought about it..."
But if I tried to find a reason to answer, there were many. I like the way he smiles as he calls my name gently, I like the way he hugs me softly with his strong arms, and I like the way he frets over me as if I'll be blown away by the wind.
"I like that he's kind and that he values me more than anything else."
Yeah, I actually like everything. There are so many reasons that I don't know what to say specifically. So I answered.
"I like his shiny black hair because it's soft and pretty, I like his red eyes because they're like a huge flame and cool, I like the sharp corners of his eyes that curve roundly whenever he looks at me, and I like the way he reaches out his hand without thinking, then hesitates because he's afraid I'll get hurt, and then slowly approaches me again."
I smiled unconsciously as I suddenly thought of Theo at that moment.
"It's funny, isn't it? There's no way I, a Divine Beast, could get hurt by that. But I like the way he acts like a scaredy-cat."
No matter how noble and important a Divine Beast is, is that as important as 'Theodore's Shuian'?
"Should I talk more?"
Ricardo's face, which had been hardening as I spoke, was now frozen cold. Maybe he was thinking of something else. I said casually.
"That's what liking someone is like. You like everything they do. So why would there be a reason to like them? It's faster to find the parts you hate. Next time we meet, ask me what I hate about Theo. I haven't really thought about that either, but if you ask me, I'll think about it in advance."
After saying everything, I couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded like a love confession, but it didn't matter.
I was originally going to read all the books in the library and leave, but I had no choice but to leave because of the uncomfortable atmosphere.
I'll just go to his office and read next to Theo. Now that I think about it, I have to come back here to return these.
That's so annoying... I don't want to run into people. Ah, but what do I say if Theo asks why I'm reading this?
Thinking about this and that, I left the library, leaving Ricardo standing there blankly.
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