Chapter 4

After taking a slow day of rest, I walked through the town.

Last night, I fell asleep without having dinner, so this morning, the inn staff was worried about me. Honestly, I’ve been used to skipping a meal since childhood, so I was surprised to be so worried about it.

At my in-laws, I ate three meals a day, but at my parents' house, it wasn’t always possible.

Walking through a place with so many people is enjoyable.

I’m glad I asked the inn staff for directions to the library. If I hadn’t asked properly, I might have gotten lost. It was also good to see a map, which helped me memorize the town’s layout.

And the library I finally reached is—where I’ve always wanted to visit.

The largest library in this town, known as the City of Knowledge, is said to house books from all over the continent. The building looks enormous from the outside, but it’s even bigger inside, expanded by magic.

Many people from various countries visit here to seek knowledge. This is the place.

—I love reading books.

They have given me knowledge and taught me about the outside world.

Many noble children attend school. My older sister, younger brother, and sister all attended a school for nobles. But I wasn’t allowed to go.

Even though I could have attended without being able to use magic, my family decided not to let me go out.

I never had a proper tutor.

Books were what taught me everything. The library at home had many books, and I spent my time reading them.

I really wanted to attend school, to interact with people my age and read books in a large library... but it wasn’t allowed, so I stayed in the territory until I got married.

I spent most of my time reading books.

That’s where I learned about this town’s library.

I had always wanted to visit it since I first heard about it. But I had given up, thinking I wouldn’t be able to go. However, now that I’m free from the name of Symphogia, I decided to come.

My heart raced as I stepped into the library, a place I had always wanted to visit.

"Is this your first time using the library?"

"Y-Yes!"

The woman chuckled at my nervous response. Books cannot be taken out of the library; it’s protected by multiple magical spells, so any unauthorized removal would be immediately detected.

I can’t use magic, so I don’t understand the details, but I think it’s amazing.

I know the incantations and mechanisms of magic from books, but I only know them theoretically.

There are so many books in front of me, written in various languages.

So many books I’ve never read, and they never run out.

How wonderful, I thought, feeling excited. After all, there are so many books here that I couldn’t get at home.

I should be able to gain a lot of knowledge I don’t know!

I need to look for a place to live and a job, but since I’ve finally come to this dream place, I thought it would be okay to take my time today.

So, I decided to spend the whole day reading books.

I brought the books I wanted to read and sat down on a chair in the library. Several books that caught my eye were on the table.

I immersed myself in reading.

At my in-laws, I couldn’t read books like this. When I read difficult books, people would say, "You don’t understand it anyway." Since I didn’t attend school, they thought I lacked such knowledge.

First, I was often accused of having ulterior motives. I wasn’t given any responsibilities. After my daughter was born, I was busy in a good way.

So, it’s enjoyable to be able to read books as I like.

I can progress through knowledge I’ve never seen before.

How delightful it is.

I read books until closing time.

On my way out, I found a poster.

It said they were hiring staff.

Looking at those words, I felt a desire to challenge it, even though it might be difficult.