(17) Beware of Librarians: 02

Subaru had always been curious. It was in her nature to poke her nose where it didn't belong, and the Mathers estate was just begging to be explored. So, when she stumbled across a door that seemed to beckon her with an air of mystery, she pushed it open without a second thought.

What she found inside, however, made her pause.

Shelves upon shelves of books stretched into the shadows, their spines lined with strange symbols and titles she couldn't decipher. A library. A massive one at that.

Great. Just great. As if she could read the language here. She huffed, already turning to leave when her eyes caught something in the centre of the room—a petite figure with blonde curls, sitting amidst a pile of books like a queen upon her throne.

Subaru squinted. A kid? No, a loli.

"Oi!" Subaru greeted casually, stepping into the room. "Nobody told me there was a nerd living here! Who are you? A bookworm?"

The blonde girl—no, loli—lifted her head, revealing a pair of piercing blue eyes that scrutinised Subaru as though she were a particularly bothersome insect.

"Who are you, I suppose?" the girl asked, her voice haughty, though tinged with a childish lilt.

"I am the Hero Knight Natsuki Subaru!" Subaru declared proudly, puffing out her chest. "Currently serving as Emilia's bodyguard!"

The loli's expression didn't change. "Okay. Get lost."

"...Aw, come on, don't be so rude!" Subaru whined, stepping closer. "I was just trying to be friendly."

The girl didn't even bother looking at her again, her eyes already back on the book in her hands.

Subaru pouted, crossing her arms. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Don't ignore me, loli!"

The loli—her patience clearly wearing thin—finally sighed, snapping her book shut with a sharp thud. "Betty is Betty, I suppose. Not Loli!"

"Yeah, yeah, Betty," Subaru said dismissively. "Why are you hiding in here? You some kind of recluse?"

Before Betty could respond, Subaru suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine—a split-second warning that made her instincts scream. Without thinking, she raised her hand.

In a flash, a dagger materialised in her palm, but it didn't stay a dagger for long. The weapon glowed brilliantly before elongating and reshaping itself into a pristine white sword.

Subaru barely had time to register her own surprise before a powerful gust of wind surged towards her. She planted her feet firmly, her cape fluttering wildly, but the attack merely ruffled her hair.

"Hey!" Subaru shouted, glaring at the culprit.

Betty stood with one arm extended, her delicate fingers glowing faintly with residual magic. Her frown deepened as she eyed Subaru warily. "That's... Shadow Inventory, I suppose. Interesting. Are you a Yin user?"

"We're missing the point here!" Subaru barked, pointing her sword accusingly at the tiny mage. "Why'd you attack me?!"

"You are annoying, I suppose!" Betty snapped back, crossing her arms as if that explained everything.

Subaru let out a frustrated groan but noticed her sword still in hand. She glanced down at it, then willed it to vanish. To her amazement, the weapon dissolved into shimmering particles, disappearing as if it had never been there.

"Cool," she muttered under her breath, momentarily distracted by her newfound power.

Betty, meanwhile, had closed the distance between them. She extended her hand towards Subaru, her expression unreadable.

Subaru instinctively flinched, stepping back. "Don't try anything smart, loli!"

"I told you, I am Betty, I suppose!" Betty snapped, her small hand glowing faintly as she placed it on Subaru's arm.

Before Subaru could protest further, a blinding light engulfed them.

The light was as red as Subaru's flowing hair, swirling with intensity before fading just as suddenly as it had appeared.

Betty was sent flying backwards, landing amidst a cascade of fallen books. Despite the chaos, her face bore a strangely satisfied expression, as though she had just tasted the finest meal of her life.

Subaru, on the other hand, stood frozen, her blue eyes wide and bewildered. "Huh?"

Betty sat up slowly, her small frame dwarfed by the mess of books surrounding her. She pressed a hand to her lips, muttering to herself in a daze. "So much... mana. Tasty. So large, I suppose..."

"What?" Subaru blinked, scratching the back of her head. "What are you talking about, loli—er, Betty?"

Betty looked up at her, her gaze filled with something akin to reverence—or perhaps greed. "You... you're an anomaly, I suppose. A most peculiar one."

Subaru crossed her arms defensively. "Uh, thanks? I think?"

Betty's lips curved into a faint smirk. "We'll see, I suppose."

Subaru had no idea what to make of this strange encounter, but one thing was certain: the library was far more interesting than she had initially thought.

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