Chapter 16. That Annoying Bastard

“At this rate, I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Yona grumbled. He didn’t grab my hand or wrist but placed his arm lightly around my back, close enough to guide me without touching.

“Thanks for getting me out of there, Director.”

“Call me Yona when we’re outside.”

“All right. Thanks, Yona.”

The streets, still buzzing from the earlier excitement, had become chaotic after the terrorist attack. All that remained of the parade were shredded bits of paper trampled under hoofprints and swirling rumors.

“You’ve got terrible taste. If you knew what kind of man that young general is, you’d lose all interest.”

Yona seemed to have assumed I was one of Neumonte’s admirers.

“Don’t you know Neumonte’s got a filthy thing for women? Pretends to be noble and clean, but he reeks like a sewer.”

Yona’s voice boomed, earning a few glares from passersby. Not that anyone dared confront a towering man exuding such a commanding aura.

Regardless, his brazen remarks made it clear whose side he was on. I’d suspected as much from his barely concealed disdain for Neumonte earlier.

“You really don’t seem to like the general, Yona.”

“Don’t get me started.”

“Why? Because he’s promiscuous?”

“Didn’t I say don’t get me started?”

Yona snapped, yanking me toward him just as a reckless carriage barreled down the road. Children playing in a puddle screamed and scattered. Yona hurled curses at the carriage’s retreating form.

“Crazy bastard!”

“Th-Thanks.”

“Hmph. You should watch yourself too. You seem pretty fond of good-looking faces, don’t you?”

“Well, if it’s just admiring from afar, being handsome isn’t a bad thing.”

“Neumonte isn’t just some handsome potato.”

“…What?”

Before I could ask what he meant, we arrived at ‘Livre Bookstore’, the largest in Tepenn. The whimsical red-brick building was adorned with magically sprouting ivy. The thick, sturdy iron doors looked like they belonged to a dwarf’s treasure vault but were enchanted to open effortlessly, even for a child.

Pulling the door open, Yona gestured for me to enter.

“Citizens have responsibilities, you know. Go on, get inside before you catch a cold.”

Yona’s mix of brusque and considerate behavior left me unsure whether to find him annoying or kind. He seemed far more complex and abrasive than his depiction in ‘Bitten by a Mad Dog’.

I glanced up at him, a feeling of gratitude stirring unexpectedly. While I’d reread Nexiard’s sections endlessly as he was my favorite, Yona had only been someone to “use” briefly for his resources. Yet in reality, he was far more captivating—a living, breathing person, both exasperating and kind in his own way.

“What are you staring at? My arm’s about to fall off.”

“Thank you.”

“You’d better be grateful! Don’t go thinking my generosity is something you can take for granted.”

Despite his sharp words, his actions betrayed a genuine concern. Smiling faintly, I stepped through the door he held open.

❖　❖　❖

I loved bookstores. The smell of paper, the endless rows of bookshelves, the time spent deciding what to read—it was all enchanting.

In truth, I was a voracious reader, devouring anything with text. During my university years and into my first job, I’d burned through countless web novels.

Novels had made me laugh, cry…

Even when I lost my family and became completely alone, books were my only comfort. I barely left the house back then, let alone visited a bookstore.

I inhaled deeply, savoring the sweet, bustling air of the Livre Bookstore. Half bookstore, half toy store, it was beautifully decorated for the upcoming holiday season.

This world had its version of Christmas, a holiday that originated during the Ying Empire. It commemorated the death of the empire’s founder, the Sun King.

Legend had it the Sun King lived to be one hundred years old—not particularly impressive by the standards of the world I came from—but he famously predicted the exact day of his death.

When the day came, he rode his beloved white elephant into the sea, becoming sea foam. Thus, the holiday’s colors were gold, representing the Sun King, and white, for his elephant. Families displayed white elephant figurines adorned with shimmering gold decorations in place of Christmas trees.

Livre Bookstore was festively adorned for the occasion. In the toy section, a slide shaped like an elephant’s trunk stood at the center, and children in yellow woolen hats played on it like cheerful little chicks.

“What are you staring at so wistfully?”

Yona asked with a hint of annoyance.

“Nothing, just… The kids are cute.”

“Hah, you’re so small you could probably use the slide too.”

“…You’re just tall, Yona. And I’m bigger than a squirrel.”

“To me, squirrels and you are about the same.”

We moved past the toy section into the bookstore proper, where the atmosphere was calmer and more refined.

Livre Bookstore organized its sections using the Ying Empire’s early numbering system. Yona navigated through the shelves with ease, stopping at a counter in the Irpa-1 section. The clerk there, likely dressed for the season, wore a gold party hat topped with a glowing white star.

“I’m looking for a book,” Yona said.

“Of course, sir! What’s the title?”

“《The Fall of the Ying Empire》. Not the first edition—the second.”

“Understood. It should be in the archives. Please, follow me!”

The staff member was polite and bubbly, chatting non-stop as they led us through the labyrinthine bookstore. “Cold weather today, isn’t it?” and “Have you seen Livre’s famous ‘Birthday Books’ display? We showcase books written by authors who share your birthday!” Despite the small talk, they guided us with the precision of a seasoned navigator through the maze-like rows of bookshelves. For a first-timer, finding the way would’ve been impossible.

“This place feels like the library in ‘Beauty and the Beast’,” I murmured.

“What? Beauty? Hmph. At least you know you’re pretty.”

“…What?”

The employee came to a halt in front of a revolving door.

“Here we are. Please, go ahead!”

Don’t they usually keep regular customers out of the archives?

And more importantly, why were we looking for ‘The Fall of the Ying Empire’ when we came here to meet Ralpido?

Curious questions bubbled up, but I doubted Yona would answer, so I didn’t ask. He stepped through the revolving door first, his strides confident.

‘Will I enter a whole new world on the other side?’

Considering the enchanted nature of the building, it wasn’t impossible. Holding onto a vague sense of excitement, I pushed the door.

“Wow…”

Contrary to my expectations, it was just an ordinary archive. The staff member told us to wait briefly, then fetched a ladder twice their height. Climbing up, they scoured the high shelves until they exclaimed, “Found it!” and retrieved ‘The Fall of the Ying Empire’.

“Stick close,” Yona said suddenly.

“What?”

“I said, stick close. Don’t be alarmed.”

Without waiting for a reply, he placed his arm around my back and gently pulled me closer. Before I knew it, I was practically in his embrace.

“Why all of a sudden—oh?”

A rumbling noise, like distant thunder, filled the air, and the ground began to tremble. The staff member, having just descended the ladder, bowed politely.

“Down we go!”

The shaking stopped for a moment before the floor gave way with a metallic clunk.

“Gah!”

I gasped, instinctively gripping Yona’s coat. His arm tightened around my shoulders as I lost my balance and accidentally stepped on his foot.

“S-Sorry!”

“What are you saying? I don’t understand a word,” he said, tilting his head.

The low hum of machinery filled the air. It turned out the archive was a hidden elevator.

I had no idea how deep it descended, but it felt like an eternity before the secret elevator came to a halt. Another revolving door awaited us.

“Please, go on through,” the staff member gestured.

As we stepped through the door, we entered a bright, pristine space that looked like someone’s office. Unlike the chaotic, cluttered room Yona had back at the Arabek Appraisal Center, this room was meticulously organized—almost obsessively so. The symmetry in the furniture arrangement and room design was near perfect, and if not for the warm lighting, the space might have felt downright intimidating.

“Tch, still utterly tasteless,” Yona muttered, critiquing the decor as he scanned the room. Without warning, he shouted,

“Ralpido! The great Yona has graced this shabby place with his presence! Stop pretending to be busy and come out!”

“…”

If anyone spoke to the owner of the house like that, they’d surely get thrown out.

Right on cue, there was a rustling sound behind a bookshelf on the right, and a figure emerged.

“Get lost, you annoying bastard.”

See? I knew it.