I AM NOT THE LOVE INTEREST!

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Libracia and the Innocent Tourist

Chapter 21: Libracia and the Innocent Tourist

—CELIA—

The moment the carriage stopped, I knew this place was absurdly important.

I slowly stepped down from the carriage and immediately froze.

"Oh my gosh..."

Ren stepped down after me before offering his hand politely. "My lady?"

I stared upward in complete disbelief. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Libracia stood before us like something pulled directly out of an expensive cinematic universe.

The building itself was enormous, far larger than any structure I had seen since arriving in this world. Massive white towers spiraled toward the sky while countless bridges connected different sections of the academy high above the ground. Silver runes glowed faintly across the walls like veins of light flowing beneath marble, pulsing slowly and rhythmically as though the building itself were alive.

And above all of it, a transparent barrier covered the entire structure.

I gasped.

"IT HAS A SHIELD."

Several nearby scholars turned toward me immediately.

Ren blinked slowly beside me. "My lady... please lower your voice."

"But it has a shield," I whispered loudly.

"It is a magical barrier."

The barrier shimmered faintly overhead, reflecting sunlight in waves of blue and silver. Every few moments, glowing symbols appeared across its surface before disappearing again like ripples moving through water.

It looked unbelievably cool.

My modern brain was losing the battle against fantasy excitement very quickly.

I pointed upward immediately. "Why does it have a barrier? What is the purpose of that?"

Ren followed my gaze toward the shimmering dome above the academy. Up close, the magical barrier looked even more unreal. Thin streams of silver light moved across its surface like flowing water while countless tiny symbols flickered in and out of existence around the edges.

"It protects Libracia," he explained calmly. "The academy contains ancient magical texts, artifacts, and forbidden records gathered over centuries. Some of the books stored here are considered dangerous even when unopened."

He paused briefly before looking at me with mild confusion.

"I am rather surprised you do not know this, my lady. Everyone in the kingdom knows about Libracia."

I flinched internally so hard my soul almost detached from my body.

Right.

Of course they did.

Meanwhile I was out here reacting like a tourist discovering fantasy infrastructure for the first time.

Which, technically, I was.

I laughed awkwardly almost immediately. "Ahahaha... well..."

My mind began panicking at dangerous speed.

I cannot exactly say ’Sorry, I came from a modern world and my only previous experience with magic libraries involved movies and video games.’

Ren continued looking at me politely, though I could tell he was waiting for an explanation now.

Unfortunately for him, explanations were not my specialty.

Improvised survival tactics, however...

Excellent.

I straightened slightly and placed one hand near my chest with forced dignity.

"I simply never paid attention before," I declared solemnly.

That part was technically true.

"Libracia did not particularly interest me in the past."

Ren blinked once. "Did it not?"

"No," I replied confidently. "I was young."

I paused seeing he was not quite convinced.

And so I sighed and added, "And foolish."

Ren’s expression finally softened slightly in understanding. "I see."

"Yeah..." I laughed awkwardly while avoiding his gaze, praying he would not question me any further.

Honestly, living inside another person’s body was already difficult enough without constantly worrying whether I accidentally sounded like someone who had fallen from another dimension.

I quickly redirected my attention before my thoughts spiraled again.

"This place is incredible though..." I whispered instead, my eyes widening further as more details revealed themselves the deeper we walked in.

The entire academy looked alive.

Students dressed in elegant dark robes crossed the enormous staircase leading toward the entrance, their long cloaks flowing behind them while glowing symbols occasionally flickered beneath their feet.

Some carried floating stacks of books beside them while others casually held conversations about magical theories as though discussing the weather. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

Which was deeply unfair.

Meanwhile, I still reacted to enchanted doors like a frightened villager encountering technology for the first time.

Above us, floating lanterns drifted gracefully through the air despite it being broad daylight.

Their soft golden glow reflected against the white marble structures surrounding the academy grounds, giving everything a dreamlike appearance.

And then suddenly, there were the birds.

I stared openly at the glowing blue creatures flying between the upper towers with scrolls tied carefully to their legs.

The creatures shimmered beautifully, their translucent wings leaving trails of glowing particles behind them each time they moved.

One of them swooped gracefully overhead carrying what looked like six rolled scrolls at once.

I pointed upward immediately.

"I am guessing..." I began carefully, still staring at the glowing creature in complete fascination, "...those are familiars?"

Ren followed my gaze before smiling faintly and nodding.

"They are, my lady. Messenger familiars specifically. Libracia uses them for communication between departments and towers."

I continued staring upward.

"...This place really looked at regular methods and said ’absolutely not.’"

Ren looked at me briefly, clearly accustomed to my increasingly strange commentary by now.

Honestly, impressive adaptability on his part.

By the time we fully entered the main library halls, I had already accepted one important truth.

This place operated entirely on magic.

The interior was somehow even larger than it appeared outside. Endless shelves stretched upward toward impossibly high ceilings while glowing chandeliers floated peacefully through the air without chains or support. Some staircases shifted slowly on their own, rearranging pathways between different levels whenever students approached.

I watched one staircase physically move itself across the hall.

No one reacted.

Not one person.

Meanwhile, I nearly pointed at it like a medieval peasant witnessing electricity.

A group of scholars passed by us while discussing advanced magical theory with frightening seriousness.

"...if the mana compression continues to destabilize the rune formation..."

"The third circle should compensate for that."

"No, because the astral alignment..."

I stared after them.

"Ren."

"Yes, my lady?"

"I suddenly feel very uneducated."

He looked mildly amused. "You are not uneducated."

"I do not even know what astral alignment means."

"That is advanced magical theory."

I sighed dramatically.

I let my gaze slowly drift around the massive halls again, and despite my complaints, excitement bubbled quietly inside me.

I loved this place already.

Honestly, if someone locked me in here for three days, I would probably come out speaking ancient prophecy by accident.