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Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“…Alright, that settles the quest.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!!”

After confirming the quest form had been stamped with the approval seal, I tucked my copy into my coat.

My stay in this city would be a long one, but considering the reward, the deal wasn’t bad. More importantly, sweets—no, having a steady income was a good thing.

“Are you sure about this, Master? You were so hesitant, and now you’re taking it on so easily.”
“What, Momo? You thought I accepted just because of the sweets?”
“Yes.”
“Haha, you didn’t even hesitate to answer, you little— I considered other benefits too. Having unrestricted access to the library is a huge advantage.”

Annoying as it was, modern Rigel was a city of considerable scale. And if the pursuit of knowledge was taken seriously here, it was only natural that the academy would house high-quality books.

I couldn’t accomplish it in Aldebaran, but in this city, I might be able to research the mysteries of Babel or the abnormal situation of Momo.

“More importantly, your goal is to return to your original world, isn’t it? There’s bound to be books written about Outlanders. You should do your own research as well.”
“But, Master, I suffer from an incurable condition where I get sleepy after three minutes of reading a book full of words.”
“I see. Then finish reading in three minutes.”
“Yes…”
“Anyway, Guildmaster, when will I be able to enter the academy?”
“Ma’am! While your official employment begins tomorrow, we have already made arrangements to welcome you today, Lady Laika!”

As expected of the guildmaster, the preparations were swift.

…No, actually, they were too fast.

I had a hunch—was Axio behind this? Had preparations been made under the assumption that I would accept from the start?

“Just to confirm—I’m only a temporary replacement until you find new personnel. I won’t be staying in this city indefinitely.”
“Of course. We will fully respect your circumstances, but…”
“I have a contract as well. I intend to fulfill my duties for the minimum employment period. If I break the agreement, I’ll pay the penalty fee.”

With that verbal confirmation, both sides were satisfied with the terms. Ideally, all aspects of the job would go this smoothly, but things were never that convenient.

“By the way, we have also made arrangements to hire Lady Momose as a temporary cleaner.”
“Yes! I will do my very best!!”
“Do not lay a single finger on anything valuable.”
“Why does it feel like I’m starting with negative trust from you, Master!?”

If she truly had no idea why, then she had the memory of a bird, and I was almost impressed.

If she caused any damage, the responsibility would be entirely on her. I had to make that crystal clear now.

“Lady Laika, do you have time after this? If you’d like, I can guide you through the academy right away.”
“Hmm… Momo, what do you think?”
“I don’t see why not. I don’t have anything urgent to take care of.”
“We do have a matter we need to resolve soon… but I suppose a little detour wouldn’t hurt.”

An institution dedicated to teaching magecraft—such a concept hadn’t existed in my time. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. Besides, this would be a good opportunity to gauge the level of modern magecraft.

“Alright then, lead the way.”
“Understood! I shall prepare a carriage at once.”
“Good for you, Master. Walking must’ve been getting rough by now, right?”
“…No comment.”

Truthfully, I was just about at my limit when it came to walking, but how did my disciple know that?

✦✧✦✧✦

“We have arrived! This is Yuri Academy, the pride of Rigel’s Magecraft District.”
“It’s bigger than I expected…”
“Big enough that just walking around it would drain all your strength, Master.”

After a bumpy carriage ride, we finally arrived at our destination.

The Umravolf estate was massive, but even if you packed several of them together, it still wouldn’t match the sheer size of this place. It looked like over thirty percent of the Magecraft District was taken up by this academy—an indication of just how much effort they put into training future generations.

“But Yuri, huh… No way.”
“Master? Something about the academy’s name bothering you?”
“The origin of the name, perhaps? Excellent question!”

I hadn’t actually asked, but the Guildmaster suddenly stepped forward, practically brimming with enthusiasm. He must have been really proud of the academy’s name, though I had a bad feeling about this.

“I’d love to explain, but first, let us pass through the main gate. It’ll be much easier to tell the story once you’ve seen it for yourself.”
“Ohh, I wonder what it is! This is exciting, Master!”
“Can I go home?”
“Why are you suddenly so unmotivated?”

Ignoring my resistance entirely, the carriage passed through the grand, open gates. The academy’s entrance was lined with a well-manicured garden, and at its center stood a grand fountain.

I could also spot several golems at work, trimming even the tallest branches with ease—something human hands wouldn’t be able to manage.

“Wow, it’s like a theme park! Look, Master! There are giant people working!”
“They’re golems. Same as Koutei. These ones are just crude clay dolls with far worse performance, though.”
“Ohh, they’re kinda cute… Oh! There’s a huge statue over there too!”
“Sharp eyes! That, my friends, is the statue of the great hero who once saved Rigel!”

The Guildmaster, stroking his beard with pride, pointed toward a statue standing beyond the fountain.

It depicted a person holding a strangely shaped staff in one hand, while the other arm was adorned with a bizarre bracelet threaded with 108 small spheres. The face—smug and irritating, even in bronze—had clearly been idealized, but I still recognized her.

“…Yuuri Rin.”
“Oh! As expected of you, Lady Laika! You know of her?”
“There’s no way I wouldn’t. …I just never imagined I’d still be looking at this idiot’s face a thousand years later.”
“Wait—a thousand years? Master, you knew her?”
“Knew her? She’s the one who taught me magecraft. Half against my will, at that.”
“Whaaa… huh? …EH!?”

Yuuri Rin. She’d introduced herself as “Yuri” to match this world’s pronunciation.

A fool of a do-gooder.

Someone who punched dragons barehanded, talked demons into submission, drank with vampires… and in the end, was killed by the malice of mankind.

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