Hold Me Tight, For I Am Unlovely

Chapter 19 : Sub Rosa

Chapter 19 : "Ad Meliora"

When I stuck my hand experimentally to the mirror, I saw my expression reflected back at me. A face that was full of uncertainty was certainly not a good thing to see, especially the fact that it's mine doesn't help, but I sucked it up seeing that nothing happened to my hand even after being knuckles deep inside.

I closed my eyes as I walked through, the feeling was like gently submerging unto a pool of water. And I could feel a strange power running through me.

It was hard to describe the feeling of mana, or magic as one would call it.

The essence of mana flowed through the very fabric of existence. Including here, especially here. Describing the sensation of mana was akin to grasping at ephemeral wisps of starlight; it was a power beyond mortal comprehension.

But I felt it.

To me, being surrounded in this felt like a feeling comprehensible only after you transcend all beings. And I could get why people would dedicate their entire life trying to understand this feeling. Because grasping this was like grasping the very essence of nature. It was addicting.

The allure soon brought me to open my eyes.

And what greeted me first was a huge open tome, and then, I took a look around and found numerous tomes floating around.

"Is this what they call a library?" I muttered befuddled, surrounded by floating tomes, ancient grimoires, magical scrolls, sacred scriptures, and weathered parchments. The sheer magnitude of the library's expanse left me breathless.

I stood in awe, trying to trace the endless expanse full of magical arcane knowledge that disappeared into the ethereal mist, briefly, I wondered if I could see the end of this library. But I had a vague inkling that I wouldn't be able to in this lifetime.

I turned my attention behind me, and saw the mirror- akin to the one outside- floating silently. I was standing on a large block of earth now that I finally took the time to notice.

"How do I get to those things? This is still a library right?" The more I spent time in this chaotic expanse, the more I started to question the practicality of having the reading materials floating around for a person who has no idea how to wield magic. The library existed so that knowledge could be shared to anyone that it lets inside right?

That includes talentless people like me right?

"Uhuhhh, riiight." Slowly, I could not help but nod my head even though nothing was making sense at the moment. "I hope my parents thought things through when they sent me here."

Instead, I turned to look at the only thing that I was able to reach. And that was the singular tome that was five times larger in size than all the other tomes in sight.

Walking up to it, and realising that I wasn't about to die because of a collapse of the space around me— I reached the time and gingerly touched the opened page on it only realising that upon further inspection, the page itself as a whole was blank.

When I flipped over to the next page, it was the same. The blank page stared at me as if it was waiting for me to do something.

"How is this supposed to work?" I muttered hole trying to move the tome, only to find that it was stuck floating like that in mid air. "Am I supposed to drop my blood on this or something?" I thought about all the cliché possibilities that could occure at the present situation. And found that hurting myself outweighed my curiosity for knowledge.

Choosing a page, I placed both of my palms on it trying to steady the bobbing/floating tome. But was surprised when the pages glowed after I put both my palms on it. Steadily, and in that instance, there was in instinct inside of me guiding me in the mechanics of this whole library.

It was fairly simple, I just had to ask aloud what book I want to have with both of my palms laying flat on a page.

Closing my eyes, I swallowed my embarrassment of doing something like speaking aloud as if I'm some type of middle schooler, and inwardly placated myself that nobody was around to see me anyways.

"Beginner's magic guide." When I spoke aloud, a few dozen books floated towards the platform that I was on.

"Guide to mastering your fire element."

"Scoldoviens magic beginnings"

"Magic sorcery, a beginners introduction to Archibald's discovery"

"Water dune (beginners magic)"

"Arctishpoh (beginners magic)"

Glancing at the titles that floated like a neon light above each books in front of me. I shook my head. Half of the people that were mentioned in the title of these books almost made my head spin in trying to pronounce it inwardly.

I decided to change my wordings instead.

"Magic for babies." Some of the books that were floated started dispersing, and a few more books took its place. Seeing that there was a reaction, I decided to add some more. "Arcane for dummies, magic for morons, magic theory for idiots, introduction to the arcane; common sense edition."

The more I degraded myself, the more useful books came out and replaced the ones that I didn't want. Ignoring how my face burned in embarrassment. I decided to usher five books unto the platform that I was on.

"Common magic theories, introduction to magic for babies, types of magic tools for dummies, a fools guide to mana circles and finally an idiot's guide to implementing mana." Once the books was on the platform, I let go of the large tome and went to read the titles of the books that was no longer floating.

The other books that I didn't choose, chose to disperse themselves, and I gathered the books that I picked onto my arms.

"I went here to get some knowledge, I didn't expect to degrade myself while I was at it." I grumbled under my breath in embarrassment. But I had no one to blame aside for myself, and the past Leticia that didn't bother to study this despite having parents that basically work with it.

Soon, I stepped out of the portal with the book secure between my hands. And with that, I headed straight to my room.

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"So what did the Royal family say?" Leonardo gazed at the magical hologram as he sat inside his office with folded hands.

On the other side of the hologram, Vittoria messaged her temples with an irritated look on her face. Behind her, the knights that was serving under her looked beyond awkward.

"Well, you were right. They acted dumb about it."

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[Authors note: HIIIII so like, I'll update when chapter 1 and 3 gets "5 ⭐" just a little goal hehehehe.]