Chapter 27 Corner, Spring Girl
"Ugh, another damn miss."
Hey there, this is Hiiro, the protagonist, reporting in.
I've been running around bookstores in Asgardam since morning, and this is my tenth stop.
Uh, unfortunately, I haven't found anything at all.
(I mean, Quollio said it was rare and all, but I didn't think it would be this hard to find.)
I thought it would be easy to find, but after the fifth store, I started to feel like I was throwing my chances away.
Hmm. Maybe I was too optimistic.
It must be a really special book. Even in a big bookstore, when I asked about the title, they just looked confused.
"Sigh..."
I let out a sigh and adjusted my crooked shoe.
In today's world, you could just check online or call a bookstore to see if they have it, but in this world, there's no such convenience.
If I don't even know if it's there, I have no choice but to keep searching on foot. But with no luck, I started to feel a bit anxious.
"...Next, I gotta take a left after three alleys, yeah?"
I was probably feeling a bit stressed from not finding anything.
As I hurried along, mumbling the directions to other bookstores I heard from the last one, I didn't have time to stop.
"Whoa!"
"...Huh?"
As I turned the corner, I felt a light bump in my stomach.
It might sound like I was hurt, but it was just a small bump, like getting hit by a ball.
I didn't realize I had bumped into someone until I saw a small girl sitting on the ground in front of me.
"Ouch, ouch. I hit my nose..."
Looks like she bumped her nose. A girl in a big military jacket with a hood was looking down, rubbing her nose.
Every time she did that, her long twin braids swayed gently.
With the hood and the ears on it, she looked just like a little kitten washing its face.
"Hey."
"Huh?"
When I called out, the girl looked up at me with a surprised face.
Her big eyes were curious, but what caught my attention was the color of her eyes. It was a gradient of cherry blossom pink and blue sky.
They looked like they were holding the beauty of spring.
"Um, are you okay?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Really, I'm unhurt."
"Unhurt... oh, I see. Here, let me get you up."
"Okay. Thank you."
I started to worry about her.
Saying she was unhurt sounded a bit naive. Even while sitting on the ground, she was worried about me, which made me think she was a bit clueless.
But I couldn't just leave her sitting there. I scratched my head and offered my hand, and she grabbed it shyly.
As I helped her up, her soft pink hair floated like cherry blossoms.
"Well then."
"Ah, okay."
It was hard to apologize properly with my Hiiro filter on.
At least when I raised one hand, the girl nodded her head, hood and all. Thankfully, it seemed like she wasn't hurt.
Normally, I should be more careful and apologize properly, but sometimes I have to prioritize other things.
After all, I skipped training to come look for this book. I need to finish my goal quickly and get back, or things will get worse. I have to hurry.
But just as I got my thoughts together, I stopped after just a few steps.
"Was it the third alley? Or the second? Right turn... or left?"
Oh no. This is a crisis.
Because of the sudden accident, my mental notes were all erased.
This is bad. The path looks a bit complicated, and if I get lost, it could take a long time.
"Um."
"Huh?"
"Uh, is something wrong? You look a bit troubled."
I was holding my head in confusion, but maybe it was the protagonist luck. The girl who picked up my important thing was always by my side.
"Yeah, I kinda am. I'm looking for some place called Gelman Hall."
"Gelman Hall, the nearby bookstore?"
"Yeah. You know it?"
"Yeah, I like books. It's this way."
The girl leading the way must be showing me around. She looks pretty young, maybe around 13 or 14.
What a nice kid! If I could, I'd want to give her old body a good kick. And maybe the stuck-up nobles too.
"So, you want to go to Gelman Hall? Are you looking for a book?"
"Yeah, that's the plan. Don't think it fits my image, huh?" (Well, it really doesn't.)
"Uh, I didn't mean it like that..."
She has a look that says she can't lie.
Since she's being nice, I didn't want to get upset over something small.
"Tch, it's not like I'm reading it myself. It's for a friend who's a total bookworm."
"Oh, I see."
"It's called The Pleiades Star Beast Catalog. I've searched ten damn stores, and no luck. It's driving me crazy."
"The Star Beast Catalog, huh?"
The girl who was leading suddenly stopped, like she tripped on something.
Her eyes, a mix of blue and pink, stared at me curiously.
"What's up?"
"Uh, I mean... searching for a book in over ten places? You're a really nice person."
"Huh? Tch, no way. I'm just stubborn, that's all."
What is she saying? I guess I do look like a tough guy who doesn't belong with books or kindness.
If I were nice, I wouldn't even need to look for a book in the first place.
"Pleiades is the name of a scholar from Vestri, right? If it's a rare Western book, it might not be available in Asgardam."
"What?! You're telling me I can't get it?!"
"Well, I think so. There are still small fights at the border with Vestri, so books about ideas and studies are probably stopped at the checkpoints. The central library in Asgardam might have it, though."
"Yeah, figures. No wonder I can't find it. The library's useless. I can't buy it there, and it's pointless if I can't get it to him. Damn it, what now...?"
Wait, seriously? I can't believe this bad news is hitting me now.
My mouth feels dry. But even though I just met her, the kind book-loving girl made a good point.
If that's true, getting the book seems pretty hopeless. What should I do? I'm pumped to search, but if there's no stock, it'll all be for nothing.
Reality hit me hard, and I found myself looking up at the sky.
"Um, excuse me, mister."
"What now?"
"Well, I can't say for sure, but I might know someone who has the book you're looking for..."
The girl who picked up my eraser was also reaching out to help me.
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