She was Azela, the young lady of the house. Turan introduced himself, and she asked which house he was from.
He replied that for personal reasons it was difficult to say, which only increased her curiosity.
Then, unexpectedly, Azela released her mana, and Turan responded in kind. The clash between the two of them was so intense that the maids around them would not have been able to withstand it, and had to be protected.
When it ended, Azela was impressed, and even joked, asking whether he wanted to marry her.
Turan was left speechless, and she laughed and said it was only a joke — though he could think about it.
When she left, Turan noticed that his hand was trembling. Her mana was at the same level as his, perhaps even stronger, and he did not know whether that was normal for someone her age.
Later he went to the office of the man in charge of the city, Lord Rug Valtus, who asked whether he wanted to use the library. He explained that many people came to Oren chasing rumors about ancient magic or secret knowledge, and made it clear that there was nothing of that sort here.
Turan said that was not what he was looking for.
Even so, Rug Valtus stated that he would not stop him, and that there was no confidential information in the library. Since it was already late, he suggested that Turan come back the next day, and Turan agreed, saying he would not forget the kindness.
The next morning his access was confirmed, and Turan was finally able to enter the so-called Sky Library.
The name fit it perfectly. It was a gigantic tower that seemed to reach the heavens, with sunlight illuminating everything from above.
Right at the entrance he was greeted by a librarian, who seemed a bit young for the job. Even so, she explained that by order of the lord she would go over the usage rules with him. Turan found it odd, and wondered whether that child was really the one in charge, but she continued as though nothing about it were strange.
The first rule was that any damage must be compensated. The second was that no book could leave the premises. There were no loans. In addition, she warned him that she would be watching him at all times while he was inside the library.
Turan commented that this might be a little uncomfortable, but accepted it. Then he asked whether she could help him find some books, and the librarian replied confidently that this was exactly what she was best at.
She asked what he wanted to read. Romance, history — or something more adult, since he seemed to be at that age.
He refused, and said that he wanted to learn the basics about the world.
So she brought him a huge collection of books, explaining that most of them were hundreds of years old and not very up to date, but that the material would still be very helpful.
That was how Turan began reading for the first time in his life.
From then on it became his routine in Oren. Every day he went to the library and studied without stopping. Over time he came to understand the world's geography, the different races, the etiquette among mages, how items were crafted and processed, and he learned about monsters and about relics from the era of the ancient empire. Each new piece of knowledge made the world, once completely unknown to him, much clearer and more real.
After some time, Rug Valtus remarked that Turan had made excellent use of the library, and that he trusted he understood the situation. Allowing someone to use it, especially while being treated like a noble, was an act of goodwill — and because of that, he expected something in return.
Turan replied that he only had to say what he wanted.
Rug Valtus explained that a monster had appeared to the north of Oren and had been attacking travelers. Four knights had already been sent, and none of them had come back. Normally a noble would have to deal with something like this personally, but his house could only mobilize two people at the moment.
Turan agreed to help, saying that protecting people was also a mage's duty.
Even so, he found it strange, since mages, and nobles in particular, do not usually get directly involved in this kind of problem. Rug Valtus explained that the northern route was an important trade road, and that it had been blocked for ten days now and needed to be cleared as soon as possible.
That was when Turan realized this had been happening even before he arrived in the city, and was probably one of the reasons they had allowed him to use the library at all.
Later he set out alongside a group of mages and knights to hunt the monster.
Azela was leading the party, and she commented, somewhat irritated, that her father must be desperate to involve even a guest in this, as if they themselves were not trustworthy. She made it clear that she was not blaming Turan, but that the whole situation felt messy to her.
Another mage in the group questioned whether she was not exaggerating, speaking that way about her own lord.