As Unwan hurried to take his first step inside, he instinctively glanced around, checking who had already received their grimoires. Unfortunately, those who had entered first were standing in the way.
The teenagers who had been in the middle was nowhere to be seen, and as for Fred and his friends, there was no need to even mention them. Of course, the dim lighting inside didn't help either. Still, it seemed that roughly six out of every ten people had already obtained one.
Watching them, Unwan felt a quiet longing stir within him, a desire to have a grimoire of his own. And at the same time, thoughts rained down inside his mind, trying to crush both that desire and the fragile hope tied to it. Though conflicting emotions clashed within him, Unwan kept smiling. He remembered the conversation from earlier.
'For the first time… the first time someone spoke kindly to me. Look at that, I've grown so used to harsh words that kindness itself makes me uncomfortable.'
'What's so surprising about that? It's obviously fake. Bitter truth is better than sweet lies.'
'That only sounds like a lie if you've eaten bitterness your whole life. And when bitterness becomes my daily meal…'
'Are you saying an illusory sweetness is better than real bitterness?'
'What nonsense. One side of my mind says kindness is good, the other insists it's a lie…'
'It's not kindness. It's sweet deception—'
'Enough. Shut up.'
Unwan felt good, genuinely good. And he wasn't willing to let that feeling be destroyed, not even for a second. Not now. Not yet. He was ready to take that first step inside.
'Try to stay on good terms with Clara. Your fate is in her hands, otherwise, three people will be waiting for you outside.'
Unwan stepped forward. His foot touched the old floor, aged, yet not rotten, almost as if it were new. At that moment, two identical, strange sounds echoed.
Clunk. Clunk.
'What was that sound?'
He wanted to think about it, but the sight before him stole his attention. His gaze instinctively lifted upward. No grimoire was flying toward him. But something else shocked him.
The shelves holding the grimoires were far more numerous than Unwan had imagined, nearly three times more.
Still, he didn't dwell on it. He slowly looked down again, scanning the hall, until he spotted Clara at her semicircular counter that resembled a bar, just as Derang had described. He walked over.
— Hello. Mr. Derang sent me here. Are you the supervisor?
Clara looked at him with mild surprise, then replied with a manager-like smile.
— Yes. How may I help you?
— Could you tell me about the available jobs?
— Hm… of course. We have various positions, everything from cleaning to cooking.
— Uh, yes, by the way. I need a place to sleep, food, and water. You can deduct it from my wages. I don't care.
— Oh, did you come because of the notice at the counter? That won't be a problem. We're well supplied.
— Then… which job would you recommend?
— If you have knowledge about grimoires or Readers, I'd suggest a Supporter role. It's very important, especially valuable to Owners. Or, if you're physically strong, the cargo division might suit you.
'But neither of those fits me… Well then… I'll join the cleaning crew. And, ah, right.'
— Derang asked me to pass along a message.
Clara's smile faded slightly.
— Is it about SUP - 1?
— Yes. Exactly.
— …Ah. You should've said that earlier. The internal committee is calling for me. Please wait a moment, I'll be right ba...
Suddenly, the entire hall lit up. It was as if sunlight had poured in from nowhere. Unwan turned around to see what had happened.
And there it was, how lucky.
The boy who had been among the examinees now stood alone. A faint smile appeared on his face, barely noticeable, but unmistakably one of satisfaction.
And before him… The Grimoire of Infinity was descending. Because of the overwhelming light, its symbol couldn't be discerned, only its golden color was visible. The grimoire floated down slowly, stopping before its owner's hand, then gradually dimmed its glow.
Unwan froze.
That boy possessed a fifth-tier grimoire, but
Unwan had nothing. He was of noble lineage, but Unwan was from nobody. He now had royal privileges, but Unwan had nothing.
'Can the world really be this unfair?'
He stood there so long, so completely frozen, that he didn't notice Clara leaving or even returning. She had spent nearly ten minutes inside.
— Hey, sir?
Unwan snapped back to reality.
— Ah, yes. What should I do?
— I'm very sorry, but we can't hire you. The previous shift worker already filled the position. My deepest apologies.
— Oh…
'How fair the world truly is.'
— …It's alright. At least I'm grateful you listened.
— Of course. And we hope… something like that falls to you as well.
"Thank you," Unwan said with a faint smile. He slowly turned and headed toward the exit.
'What happens now? Will Fred kill me? …Wait. Where is Fred?'
He scanned the hall. Many people had already left, those who failed to receive a grimoire. The rest were lining up to be registered. At the very front stood that strange boy.
As Unwan approached, he caught a glimpse of the symbol on the grimoire.
'What? A sideways eight? Why eight?'
'You were looking for Fred.'
Unwan shifted his attention, searching the line. Fred wasn't there. Neither were his friends.
'Please… let them have left already. Please.'
He looked toward the door.
And at that very moment, his spirit broke.
Fred and his friends stood there, grinning at him with cruel smiles. They stared for several seconds. Then walked away.
'I'm dead. Fate and injustice killed me. Luck too. Can one person really have so much turned against them?'
Clunk. Clunk.
As Unwan stepped outside, the sound no longer mattered to him. He didn't know that it came from the very top shelf, from a grimoire locked away, forcibly sealed.
The grimoire inside was so powerful, and its desire to reach its true owner so overwhelming, that neither seals nor simple locks truly mattered.