Lu Li, now sowhat familiar with the continent's history and knowing the nas and locations of most countries, could now attempt to read more detailed books, such as The History of the Clotian War and The Historical Records of the Bensenkfort Principality.
First and foremost, he needed to learn the history of the Allen Peninsula.
The bookshelves stretched into the distance, but Lu Li still couldn't find the right book among the countless others. Just then, the book ghost reappeared.
"I need a book on the history of the Allen Peninsula," Lu Li asked at once.
The book ghost's distorted face nodded, and it pointed a finger upward, toward the highest row of shelves. "The one with the gray cover."
Lu Li raised his head and looked in the indicated direction. At a height of over three ters, there was little light, and in the gloom, he could only make out vague outlines.
Lu Li moved to the end of the aisle, rolled a ladder over, and, climbing to the third step, reached for the gray book on the top shelf.
He still couldn't quite reach, so Lu Li rose slightly onto his tiptoes, pinched the book between two fingers, and slid it from the shelf.
The ladder swayed slightly beneath him. Below, the book ghost unexpectedly stretched out a spectral hand and steadied the wobbling ladder.
A soft thud sounded as Lu Li planted his left foot on the floor, then his right. As expected, the book ghost had vanished again.
"Thank you," Lu Li said to the empty space, knowing the book ghost was still sowhere nearby.
The Chronicles of the Allen Peninsula.
The book looked quite ancient.
The cover depicted a map of the Allen Peninsula. It was clean, but when Lu Li opened it, a fine dust, like sand, rose from the pages, coating the yellowed paper in a light veil.
Although the books stored here were regularly cared for, this one had clearly not been opened in a very long ti.
Lu Li brushed the dust from the title page. There was nothing special, just the table of contents.
The first settlers, or rather, colonists of the Allen Peninsula, ca from the main continent, from the Kingdom of Ellen, which lay on the other side of the swamps.
When people discovered the land across the swamps, they began sending settlers, and the territory beca part of the Kingdom of Ellen.
Back then, the Allen Peninsula did not yet bear that na. It was only several centuries later that the new heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Ellen granted his brother, Macdonald I, with whom he had vied for power, the title of Grand Duke and sent him to the Allen Peninsula as a viceroy.
A hosick Macdonald I renad the land the Duchy of the Allen Peninsula, developed its fishing and trade, and founded the city of Belfast at the foot of Sugard Mountain.
After Macdonald I's death, his place was taken by Macdonald II, who inherited the title of Grand Duke and proved to be an even more talented ruler than his father. He established Port Roadster, built sailing ships for trade with the outside world, and gradually lifted the Allen Peninsula out of poverty.
In the following years, the Duchy of the Allen Peninsula continued to develop along this path. However, the subsequent rulers of the Macdonald line lacked the energy of the first two, and their lineage weakened due to bloody power struggles.
The Kingdom of Ellen, which by then had beco a parliantary republic, decided to revoke the autonomy of the Duchy of the Allen Peninsula and transfer governance of the region to a Council of Elders.
Nevertheless, the na Duchy of the Allen Peninsula was preserved.
The book also contained interesting details, such as the unusual hobbies of Macdonald II, the fact that the King of Ellen held only ceremonial power, and that the thirteen mbers of the Council of Elders represented different regions of the kingdom.
By the ti Lu Li read the last page and closed the book, an hour and a half had passed.
It was approaching noon, and Lu Li decided to return to the detective agency for lunch, then continue his reading afterward.
Climbing the ladder, he returned the book to its place, descended, and erged from the dark, narrow passages between the stacks into the library's main hall.
The people reading by the shelves had changed, but they were all still strangers.
Reys was sitting behind the counter, reading a thick, palm-sized book. Noticing Lu Li, he looked up and nodded. "Find what you were looking for?"
"Yes. How do I get out of here?" Lu Li asked, picking up his umbrella from the counter.
"Follow ," Reys said, standing up. Despite his white hair, he moved with surprising vigor. He led Lu Li to a huge, ornately decorated door, like one you would find in a church.
Set within this large door was a smaller one of ordinary size. Reys opened it, and before Lu Li lay a dark, narrow alley.
The alley was dark and damp, its brick walls covered in inscrutable graffiti. An unpleasant odor drifted in from outside—a mixture of stench and urine, typical for such places.
It was as if two different worlds existed on either side of the door.
"If you follow this alley, you'll co out near the Lilac and Aroma districts," Reys said with a smile, as if he enjoyed showing newcors this exit, though the reason was unclear.
Lu Li nodded and stepped out of the library.
The door closed behind him. Lu Li stopped and turned around.
His gaze t a cold stone wall. It was a dead end; no one would ever have guessed there was a door in that wall.
Lu Li looked up. From the outside, the True Library appeared to be a strange, tall stone building.
Lowering his gaze, he snapped open his umbrella and headed toward the end of the narrow alley.
As soon as he erged from the alley, he was hit by a wave of sharp perfu and won's voices.
The alley connected two streets on different levels, so the stone-paved path was uneven, with potholes in so places.
Brightly dressed won in revealing outfits stood in doorways, sheltered from the rain, calling out to the n passing by.
Lu Li understood now why Reys had acted so strangely.
...
After avoiding the won's insistent attention, Lu Li returned to the detective agency half an hour later with groceries. As he set the bags down in the kitchen, he noticed that labels had appeared on the salt and sugar jars.
Yesterday's argunt had brought an unexpected benefit.
After eating the lunch Anna had prepared—this ti with no special ingredients—Lu Li headed back to the headquarters, drank a glass of milk, and returned to the True Library through the passageway.
Returning to the sa bookshelf, Lu Li saw the book ghost again, who helped him find histories of the other countries on the continent.
Two hours later, Lu Li closed the last book, returned it to its place, and approached Reys.
"It seems you've learned a great deal," Reys remarked with a smile.
Lu Li nodded. "The book ghost was a great help."
To Lu Li's surprise, upon hearing these words, a look of genuine bewildernt appeared on Reys's face.
"What book ghost?"
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