Chapter 1694: Witch of Book Summoning
It was only then that I understood why I couldn’t feel her magic. She had already dispersed all her magic into the library’s barrier, allowing her to pose as an ordinary female student in front of us.
Now it was time for the magic to return. Thick books flew out of the bookshelves one by one, opening automatically and floating in mid-air.
Some opened pages sprouted bronze eyes, while others extended countless transparent claws, drawing immense magic from the books and channeling it into Revital.
This was her true self. She truly lived up to the name Witch of Book Summoning. Seeing her surrounded by books, I felt that fighting her in this library would be a hard battle.
Moreover, the third floor was now sealed off by a barrier. I could see students and mage apprentices who were still perusing books around us, but they seemed completely oblivious to the commotion here.
After the magic returned, what stood before us was a witch possessing a massive amount of magic power. The fluctuations of her magic resonated slightly with the library, feeling like an ocean to my senses.
However, in terms of appearance, she had merely donned a witch’s hat and was still wearing her school uniform, maintaining the image of an honor student with glasses.
“So, what do you intend to do, Your Excellency?” Karina stared at her vigilantly, but without fear. Someone who dared to Plunder a national treasure in the Palace would not fear fighting a witch in a library.
“I don’t intend to do anything. The library is a place of tranquility, not a battleground. As the Dean, I merely heard that guests have arrived, so I came to welcome you, as I missed the last opportunity.” Revital retracted her magical aura, and the books flew back to the bookshelves.
However, I felt that the books had not stopped their silent observation. Eyes were still hidden within their pages, secretly scrutinizing me, a gaze that sent shivers down my spine.
“Of course, we will not disturb the peace here. We are just here to read. We will leave after we are done, and will not bother the students and apprentices who are reading here,” Karina also relaxed herself, secretly retracting her hand which had just been opened, indicating she had no intention of fighting.
Seeing that Revital had no immediate intention of fighting, I let out a sigh of relief. I was originally just here to check information and had no intention of fighting her on the spot. It would be easier if she was willing to talk.
Of course, the prerequisite for her willingness to talk was our sufficient strength. The incident at the Palace had already proven the strength of Karina and me. She, as just the Dean, absolutely could not stop us.
If it were an ordinary person, she certainly wouldn’t be this polite. She would have been captured and interrogated.
“Please, sit down,” the Dean made an inviting gesture. Karina and I sat down at the long table. Two books flew over, opened, and a cup of steaming black tea was handed out from within them.
Looking at the claw holding the teacup, it was identical to the claws that had extended from the books earlier—skinny as a rake, appearing like the claws of a reanimated corpse, yet semi-transparent.
I knew this was actually the Invisible Hand, the same one I used. However, the Invisible Hand manifested differently for everyone. In my hands, it turned into creepy insect legs, while in her hands, it became an arm extending from between the book pages.
It could be said that each had its own advantages and disadvantages. My insect legs were sharp and could be used directly as knives. Hers were numerous, with countless Invisible Hands scattered densely across the surrounding bookshelves, but they had to be anchored to books and extend from their pages.
Karina and I both unhesitatingly took a sip of the black tea they offered. The Church of Gluttony never worried about poisoning, and even curses, hypnotic drugs, and the like were useless to us.
“This is really good black tea, Dean. I have a question: how did you know we entered? Was it detected by the library’s barrier, or were we spotted as soon as we entered the city?” Karina asked curiously.
She felt her stealth was quite good, no less than the Dean’s, and she hadn’t expected to be recognized from the start, which was completely unexpected.
“Heh heh, it’s fine to tell you. It wasn’t any barrier or detection spell. It was purely your library card. Miss Reya issued it to you, and it’s been tagged. So, the moment you used that card to enter, I immediately received a report.”
Hearing the Dean’s words, Karina and I exchanged glances. It seemed those courtiers had finally realized that Karina’s various passes were issued by the Princess, and as long as she used them, her whereabouts would be known.
However, Karina was indifferent to it. Being under their surveillance could make them feel more at ease, and even if they decided to turn hostile, she wasn’t particularly afraid.
“So, you dressed in this school uniform to test us and see what we wanted to do…” I looked at Revital’s school uniform. The thought that she might be a witch who had lived for decades, or even centuries, made me feel very awkward.
Simply put, she was an old woman pretending to be young here, and she acted so youthful and vibrant, performing the role of a student with almost no sense of incongruity. Of course, I only thought this in my mind and dared not say it out loud.
“Heh heh, do you two think I specifically put on a school uniform and pretended to be a student to test you?” Revital asked, seemingly a little smug.
“Uh, is there a problem? If you feel offended, we can stop talking about this,” I was a bit puzzled by what she was thinking.
“There’s nothing we can’t talk about. I usually dress like this. I just came directly upon hearing you arrived, without specifically changing clothes or disguising myself. Of course, seeing you searching for books made me think of approaching you as a librarian to talk.” Revital said.
“As the Dean, you usually wear student attire?” I looked at Revital speechlessly. Earlier, she had suggested shortening the girls’ skirts, and her tone suggested she was serious.
“Yes, I am a graduate of the National Academy after all. And by being with the students as a student, it’s easier to understand what they truly need,” Revital said with a smile.
Yikes! This means this Dean not only likes wearing school uniforms herself but also pretends to be a student to interact with other students. What a peculiar hobby!
Imagine during class, when students are distracted, sneaking snacks, or complaining with the boys, the girl next to them is the Dean. It feels quite terrifying.
There are also some lucky ones who might get opportunities for special tutoring because the Dean noticed them, which really sparks the imagination!
“Alright, don’t just ask about me. Weren’t you looking for information? You can start now. If you don’t understand anything, you can ask me. I know a bit about that period of history,” the Dean said.
