Chronicles of Forgotten Extra Chapter 370: Apparently, the Only Way Into the Library Is Becoming a Professor?!

Soon enough, the caravan arrived on the first floating island. Up close, it was even more expansive than it had appeared from below.

Countless buildings stretched across the island, some were modest homes while others were grand shops.

Wide and immaculately clean roads connected every district while right ahead was a bustling intersection.

Children ran through the streets laughing while adults watched over them from nearby shops and benches while strange birds Alden had never seen before competed over the crumbs an elderly man scattered before the bench where he sat.

Everything looked remarkably clean and almost... too idyllic and peaceful. It made Alden wonder if all the other islands were just as well maintained.

"Don’t be too amazed just yet, Damien." Ruru smiled proudly. "My father’s merchant guild is located on the Fourth Ascension Island."

She pointed farther into the sky.

"This one is only the first of the seven islands, meant for commoners and tourists."

"The fourth island?"

Alden repeated her words, unable to hide his curiosity.

Sensing his interest, Ruru’s smile widened.

"Yes! Our Kingdom of Rosarco was once built upon the lands below. We were famous for our innovative magic but we were also destined to wage endless wars against the monsters of the northern lands but everything changed when the father of our current Emperor found a way to make life easier for everyone."

"He created these floating islands."

Her voice filled with admiration.

"To this day, not even our greatest scholars fully understand how he did it or how these islands continue floating with what seems to be an endless source of energy."

"But thanks to him, we no longer have to fight those endless wars."

She proudly raised eight fingers.

"He created a total of eight islands."

"The first three are for commoners, the fourth and fifth are home to merchants, influential families and major guilds while the sixth is reserved exclusively for nobles. The seventh is known as the Grey Zone, where criminals are imprisoned and at the very center..."

She pointed toward the largest island towering above all the others.

"...lies the Imperial Capital. It houses the Imperial Palace and the greatest academy among the surrounding kingdoms and also contains Rosarco’s largest library."

"My elder brother studies there to become a scholar."

Her face brightened noticeably when she spoke about him but Alden’s attention had already shifted elsewhere.

In his timeline, the human empire was more or less unified under the rule of the Vallorian Empire. So, he was surprised to learn about there being so many kingdoms and empires.

His gaze slowly drifted toward the towering central island.

"Oh? Rosarco’s largest library?"

Alden muttered, and Ruru immediately took it as an invitation to continue.

"Yep!"

She nodded enthusiastically as if happy to explain.

"It’s said to contain almost every piece of knowledge that isn’t considered confidential, collected and preserved over countless generations."

Her voice dropped to an excited whisper.

"Some people even say it holds records about dragons, demons, major historical events and influential figures from across the entire Human Continent."

Aemirya, who had been pretending to sleep just to escape Ruru’s endless chatter, twitched ever so slightly upon hearing that.

Meanwhile, Alden’s smile slowly widened.

He had a feeling the library would hold at least one clue and even if it didn’t, it would surely point him toward where to search next.

"It must be difficult to gain access to a library like that, isn’t it?" Alden asked, deliberately bringing up her brother again. "Your brother must be quite the genius to earn that opportunity."

As the carriage continued across the First Ascension Island, it eventually reached the route leading toward the second.

Meanwhile, Ruru puffed out her chest proudly.

"One can only gain access to the library by becoming a member of its staff, a student or faculty of the Academy of Honours or a scholar who has graduated from it."

She continued in the same tone.

"Although I do feel lonely ever since he left, I am very proud of my big brother because even becoming a student of Academy of Honours isn’t easy. Unless you are a high noble granted direct admission, you have to pass the entrance examination."

She puffed out her chest even further.

"And my elder brother... he passed that examination, which is considered the most difficult entrance exam in all of Rosarco and entered the Academy of Honours at the age of sixteen and now, at just eighteen years old, he has already created a spell of his own."

Her excitement only grew as she continued.

"My father says that if he keeps this up, he will graduate as the youngest scholar in the academy’s history, maybe..."

She giggled.

"He might even be granted a noble title."

Seated beside her, the maid merely offered a faint, bittersweet smile as she watched Ruru speak but the subtle expression didn’t escape Alden’s notice.

Still, he ignored it, thinking that maybe the maid was simply happy to see her young miss chatting so enthusiastically.

"Ahh, I see." Alden nodded thoughtfully. "So unless someone is a student or a member of the staff, it’s practically impossible to visit the library."

He let out a disappointed sigh.

"That’s a shame since I really do enjoy reading."

"Well, those are the rules."

Ruru chuckled.

"In the Kingdom of Rosarco, knowledge is taken very seriously and books are treated almost like holy scripture. Breaking any rules regarding them is considered quite a serious crime."

"I still remember hearing that just last month, two fools were caught trying to sneak into the academy." Her expression turned slightly dramatic. "They had their limbs cut off for the offense. After all, even if the academy looks ordinary from the outside... it’s actually the most heavily guarded place in the entire kingdom."

"But you know, Damien..."

Ruru suddenly smiled.

"If you really, really want to read those books, maybe you could apply to become a professor at the academy."