Chapter 130 In The Libra：re
In general, it's common sense to be quiet in a library.
But the Aegil Library, which has 3 floors, is the biggest in the Yumillion continent, so it has a huge number of books and materials. Many of the books are also very valuable and usually can't be borrowed.
So, people who use the library have to read the books inside, but not everyone comes here just to read quietly.
Many visitors come to the library for quick research or to check something. You can even see knights in armor flipping through books in front of the shelves. In such a busy space, a little bit of talking is actually pretty normal.
"Hey, did you hear? Sir Leonhardt seems to be doing great again!"
"Is it about the northern expedition? It's amazing that he defeated the Star Crown Beast!"
"Really! He's strong and cool, such a wonderful knight order leader. Ah, Sir Leonhardt..."
In this library where manners have become a bit meaningless, whispers that sound like sweet talk you'd hear on the street are not unusual. Normally, Quollio wouldn't care much, but maybe he was curious about the topic, as he lifted his gaze from the book.
"Oh, Quo, are you interested? You are interested!"
"...Well, a little."
"Oh, Quo, you're not so easy to overlook! So, which one do you prefer? The cute girl with braids? Or the stylish short-haired one?"
"Why are we talking about my type? I'm interested in the content of the conversation!"
Quollio has a funny way of reacting strongly to jokes. Nodding with satisfaction, Sham placed a finger on her chin.
"The Star Crown Beast, huh... It's said to be so strong that even a hundred knights would struggle to defeat it."
"Yeah. By the way, the one the leader defeated was the Star Crown Beast 'Gil Scorpio.' It's a beast named after the scorpion's constellation, with huge pincers and a body, plus it releases a heat poison from its tail that can even dry up the sea. I've heard its regeneration ability is amazing too, so I really think it was impressive that it was defeated without any favoritism."
"Wow, you really know a lot. As expected of Quo."
"Well, I just happened to come across it again."
"Huh?"
"Just my thoughts, you don't need to worry about it."
Thinking of a title that had been a big turning point in his life, Quollio smiled wryly. It was an interesting reaction. However, Sham seemed to feel that it wasn't the right time to dig deeper, so she just said, "Hmm."
"Star Crown Beast, huh? That sounds kind of intriguing... It might be something amazing, but honestly, I kind of want to see it."
"You sound like you've never seen it before."
"Of course, you can't just see something like that easily."
"What are you talking about? If it's just to see it, you can do that right away."
"Huh?"
The breath she had held in slipped out like air from a popped balloon.
For a moment, Sham's eyes widened in confusion, and Quollio sighed, standing up and walking away with the stack of books he was holding.
"Hey, Quo! What's going on all of a sudden?"
"Could it be that you've never seen that thing in this country...? Oh, wait, knowing you, maybe you don't even know what that thing is? You're quite the unique one."
"That thing? ...Wait, that's downstairs. Are you going home already?"
"It's already past noon, so I think it's fine to take a break. I was thinking of checking it out on my way home."
"Ch-check it out...?"
As he answered the rapid-fire questions, Quollio quickly returned the books to the shelf.
Then he headed down from the second floor to the entrance on the first floor. However, instead of heading to the exit, his feet somehow moved deeper into the first floor.
What was he planning to do? Sham hurriedly chased after Quollio's steady back.
"Look. That's it."
"Huh? That?"
They arrived at the very back of the first-floor entrance. In this space, which opened up to 3 floors, there was an altar set up.
It was also backed by a huge stained glass window that reached the ceiling, depicting the World Tree, making it feel like that spot was a sacred space.
But what Quollio pointed to was an object on the altar.
Seeing that, Sham's eyes widened.
"...A scale?"
What was placed on the altar was a slightly larger scale. It looked shiny silver, maybe made of silver, but the support had emerald-colored lines running through it like veins, softly glowing.
The two plates were empty and perfectly balanced, not moving at all. To an outsider, it seemed like a strange scale, but Sham felt a weird pressure from its presence.
"That is the star beast of the scale. It's the real deal, the 'Libra:RE,' which the former Einherjar Knights managed to place in this Aegir Library."
"The star beast of the scale..."
Sham blinked in surprise at the brief but complicated introduction.
The star beast. One of the 12 constellations said to have power that even a hundred knights couldn't match was that scale.
Even though his heart recognized its presence, his mind couldn't quite grasp it.
"But, isn't the star beast a pretty dangerous thing? Is it really okay to have it here?"
"Well, it's probably not good. The star beast is a name for a beast that stands apart. Even the Hrimfaxi that Hiiro defeated before doesn't compare to its power."
"Huh? Was there such a thing? I don't remember."
"How forgetful can you be? Anyway, back to the topic, it doesn't matter how dangerous it is. Apparently, that 'Libra:RE' itself stays there because it feels comfortable."
"Oh, so that scale itself does. It's an interesting story, but it's kind of nerve-wracking. I wonder if it will move somewhere else."
"Yeah, probably. But it seems we can't just force it to move. Even though it's a scale, it's still a star beast. If we mess with it and upset it, who knows what could happen."
"It has feelings too?"
"Yeah. According to the documents, if the two plates aren't balanced, it gets upset. And the tricky part is, once you put something on one plate, it stays upset until you put something that balances it. That's why knights are keeping watch like that, to make sure the balance isn't broken."
"Oh, the two standing by the altar... I thought they were just slacking off."
"Not like you would do that."
"Ow!"
Found a favorite spot and settled in, feeling a bit moody, and everyone around was getting caught up in that vibe.
Sham chuckled, holding back a laugh, thinking it was kind of like a cat. She wanted to show it to Lyam too, but her smart little sister probably already knew about it.
On the flip side, it was funny that she had visited this place several times and still didn't know about it. Remembering Quollio's reaction, she scratched her head with a wry smile.
"But, to see a star crown beast so easily like this? If they sold 'Libra: RE: Manju' at the entrance, they'd make a fortune, right?"
"Wow, that's a sudden materialistic thought from you."
"Well, actually, I'm a bit hungry."
"...Sigh. 'Dango over flowers' is what they say about someone like you."
"Hehe."
She said she wanted to see it, so he showed it, but now her interest seemed to have shifted to her stomach. Her carefree attitude was even more than that scale, and Quollio rubbed his forehead in disbelief. But instead of getting annoyed, he just shrugged it off, showing he was getting used to being the one who got tossed around.
Now, where should they have lunch? While lost in thought and feeling a bit exasperated, Quollio accidentally bumped into a guy.
"Oops, sorry about that."
"No, it's my fault."
"Kuku. My bad..."
Ah, so this is the star crown beast everyone's talking about.
He must be a tourist. Not really paying attention to the apologies, Quollio made a sour face at the guy who was curiously looking at the scale.
Sham had joked about selling manju, but the 'Libra: RE' that doesn't harm if not harmed is already a tourist attraction in Asgardam. That's why people come to visit from far away Western countries, and this aspect helps keep the library lively instead of quiet.
"..."
A beast with the name of a star being treated as a tourist attraction. It could be seen as very peaceful, but Quollio couldn't shake the feeling that something about this situation was off.
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