Tia’s Smooth Life After Regression - Chapter 69
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Tiya’s Smooth Regression Life
Chapter 69
The staggering opponent fell backward, landing hard on their bottom.
Valentina’s eyes flashed as her foot slammed down next to the opponent’s hand with a thud.
Not stopping there, she looked down threateningly and warned in a grinding voice.
“Call me by that horrible name one more time. I’ll make sure you can never lift your face again…”
Suddenly, Valentina closed her mouth.
The moment they fell, the hood of their cloak fell back, revealing the opponent’s face completely.
Jet-black straight hair flowed down over their shoulders, and golden eyes within cat-like gentle features stared up at Valentina.
“Never lift my face again…? What comes next?”
“…”
In the end, he couldn’t continue his threat and rubbed his face with one hand, muttering.
“Ha, why does she have to look like that.”
The moment he faced a face that looked exactly like Tiya’s, Valentina experienced for the first time in his life having his mouth stiffen and refuse to move.
“…Making comments about how someone looks.”
“Whatever. From now on, don’t acknowledge me even if we run into each other. If you acknowledge me next time…”
“If I do?”
“…”
This time too, Valentina couldn’t say anything and just glared at the woman who resembled Tiya before turning away sharply.
Then he began to distance himself as if fleeing.
Tiya hurriedly got up and followed Valentina.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself. Heh, I’m called Seolpyo. Whenever the baby kitten comes to this place, I’ll be happy to accompany you, so if you have any questions about magic—”
“Librarian, there’s an adult causing a disturbance over there.”
Tiya’s steps came to an abrupt halt.
The librarian who heard Valentina’s report pushed up his glasses and stared sharply at Tiya.
Th-this isn’t right.
Meanwhile, Valentina slipped away, but facing the librarian’s murderous gaze, she didn’t have the courage to chase after him.
* * *
“If there are any more complaints or if you cause another disturbance, your library privileges will be restricted. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yees. I’m sorry.”
Tiya answered dejectedly to the meticulous librarian’s warning that left no room for argument.
Having barely escaped from the librarian, Tiya trudged over and plopped down heavily in a corner chair.
Both her head and heart felt tattered.
Glancing to the side, she saw Winter with his head down, shoulders trembling.
‘Is, is he angry?’
Belatedly, she realized she had acted too selfishly.
But at the time, she had been anxious. She wondered if Valen might need help.
‘And yet, I failed in the end.’
Tiya cautiously gauged Winter’s mood.
“Um, Winter?”
【…Pfft.】
“Wh-what did you say?”
【Puhup.】
A small sound of air escaping.
The next moment, Winter began to burst into laughter.
【Ah, baby kitten, kheup, baby kitten! Did you see how completely disgusted that brat was? I’ve never seen such a satisfying sight in my entire life!】
“Disgusted… Valen was just embarrassed, that’s all.”
Tiya spoke hesitantly as if making excuses, but seeing that Winter didn’t seem to be in a bad mood, she soon began to smile slyly along with her and raised her voice.
“How was my acting? I’m the aloof and cold Seolpyo, right? And I absolutely can’t just pass by someone who looks like they need help. I guess I got so immersed in the role that I ended up stepping in without realizing it.”
【It was satisfying, but that doesn’t mean you did well, so reflect on it.】
“Yees.”
Tiya dropped her head gloomily with a guilty expression.
And 3 seconds later.
“Reflection complete!”
【That’s annoying. Reflect more.】
“Yees.”
Only after repeating this routine about five times did Winter forgive Tiya.
【By the way, how was it? What did you think of seeing that guy’s true nature?】
“True nature?”
【Rude, rough, and impolite. That’s his real self. He’s been deceiving you all this time.】
That was true.
The Valen that Tiya saw here was indeed very delinquent-like, as Winter said, like some back-alley thug.
At first, Tiya was also flustered, but she could soon understand Valen’s situation.
“You didn’t notice, Winter. Valen is imitating being a boy. Just like how I’m acting as Seolpyo!”
【…Yeah, think whatever you want.】
Winter had completely given up on correcting Tiya’s misconception.
The two then began moving to find Aurel the Great Mage’s staff, as originally planned.
【Aurel is a great mage who received the blessing of the Star of Illusion, the Star of Protection, and the Star of Dimensions. Since one of his stars, the Star of Protection, has bloomed, his archive should have started activities for his successor.】
When a star blooms and becomes stronger, the power of mages and artifacts under that star’s influence grows stronger.
Winter planned to seize this opportunity to get her hands on Aurel the Great Mage’s staff.
The next blooming period would be far in the future.
“327-40, 327-41, 327-42. Here it is!”
Tiya, who had arrived at the library section Winter had told her about, looked around.
Perhaps because it was located at the far end of the Central Library, it was quiet without a soul in sight.
Tiya examined the bookshelf lined with books bearing boring titles and made a puzzled expression.
“No matter how I look, there’s no place that seems like an entrance.”
【Don’t worry. If the conditions are met, it will recognize you from that side.】
At that moment, she felt an intense gaze that made her skin tingle.
Whip, as Tiya turned her head, a book without a title written on it caught her eye.
Rather than discovering it, it felt more like being caught.
Tiya reached for that book as if bewitched. The red book was quite thick yet mysteriously light.
As if it were completely empty inside.
【Channel mana into the book’s surface.】
“Okay!”
Following Winter’s instructions, she placed her hand on the book cover and channeled mana into it.
Instantly, the book gained weight and became so heavy she couldn’t bear it.
Just as Tiya feared her hand might be crushed by the book and quickly pulled it away.
Whoooosh!
The book thrown into the air floated up and smoothly opened its cover.
Then the pages turned one by one, revealing a pure white blank page before Tiya’s eyes.
“Whoa!”
Startled, Tiya stepped backward.
Scratch scratch.
Soon, writing appeared on the blank page as if scratched out with a sharp pen tip.
O one who chose a path following desire. You stand at a crossroads of choice.
Ahead lies the tomb of mages where life and death cannot be guaranteed.
Even so, do you wish to enter Aurel’s Archive?
There was no need to ask Winter for her opinion.
Tiya raised her hand high and shouted.
“Yes! Me! I want to enter!”
Visitor, you are invited to the Infinite Library. May the guidance of the stars be with you.
“Infinite Library?”
Thud.
The moment the book closed again, as if cutting off Tiya’s question.
All sounds in the world disappeared.
Rumble.
The ground began to shake. Panicked, Tiya started making excuses first.
“Kyaaaah! Librarian! I, I didn’t do anything!”
However, there was no librarian present to listen to Tiya’s excuses.
The bookshelves standing on either side of Tiya began shooting upward, casting enormous shadows.
Night’s curtain fell beyond the glass dome ceiling, making the surroundings even darker.
As night arrived, hundreds of bookshelves filling the library grew wildly like ancient trees in a jungle.
The bookshelves became towering walls in themselves, forming a maze.
Only then could Tiya understand the meaning of ‘Infinite Library.’
“Wowwww!”
Tiya’s exclamation became an echo that reverberated in all directions.
As if only Tiya existed in this place, no other sound could be heard except for that echo.
“Amazing! So this is Aurel’s Archive!”
Tiya kept looking around her surroundings.
Thanks to firefly-like lights floating in the air, it felt cozy rather than dark.
【No. This is a fortress protecting Aurel’s Archive.】
“A fortress?”
【Remember how they said missing people are often found in the Central Library? Do you think that’s really just because the library is too vast and grand?】
“N-no way…”
That was exactly when it happened.
Thump.
From beyond the massive bookshelf packed with ancient books came the sound of someone’s, or rather something’s, footsteps.
Only then did Tiya notice the white bones scattered in every corner.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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