The First Day and a Royal Appearance

Upon hearing this, Iordera finally understood why the library’s hiring conditions were so casual, with no apparent concern about important books being stolen by inside agents.It turned out Hecate was responsible for inspections.Before Hecate’s arrival, other formidable mages had stood guard, and most of the odd-jobbers were ordinary people, making management effortless.

“As for the activity areas, the second and third floors of the library are designated ‘Quiet Study Zones,’ where loud noise and food are strictly prohibited,” Mrs. Sanders explained. “However, the first-floor hall has no such restrictions. In fact, students often gather there to hold tea parties and discuss school matters.”

Iordera nodded her small head repeatedly, exclaiming, “I see!”

‘This means working at the library isn’t boring at all,’ she thought. ‘Beyond reading, I can also listen to students’ chatter.’

“Susan, Iordera,” a voice called out from the doorway, summoning them both. “The opening ceremony has begun. Come quickly and watch!”

The opening ceremony was held in the academy’s grand plaza. Although the venue itself was vast, the academy only admitted around a hundred students each semester, resulting in a total student body of merely a few hundred, making the plaza appear exceptionally spacious.

The library staff settled into the public seating at the plaza’s periphery, observing the year’s matriculation ceremony from afar.

First, Headmistress Louisa ascended the stage, delivering a lengthy, generic speech that could have been uttered anywhere. All those sleep-inducing words distilled down to a single sentence.

‘Reflecting on the glorious past, looking forward to a bright future.’

Then, the new students for the semester came onto the stage in a continuous stream. They didn’t introduce themselves individually, but rather appeared in groups, simply standing for a moment without needing to speak.

Even so, the onlookers were abuzz with chatter.

“Oh, that girl, she must be from the Count’s family, isn’t she? So beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as our security guard.”

“I know that young lady. Look at her beautiful green hair; she must be from the Grand Duke’s family.”

“Hmm, not as beautiful as our security guard.”

“Oh, this one… never mind, still not as beautiful as our security guard.”

Listening to her colleagues’ discussions, Iordera fell into a profound contemplation of life.

She didn’t recognize a single new student on stage; it was as if they were all there simply to compete with her colleagues in beauty.

“Oh, this one’s quite good,” Mrs. Sanders remarked aloud. “While not as beautiful as our security guard, she is… truly stunning, even more so than the previous girls.”

“Indeed, and she possesses a certain aura, that particular temperament, you know?”

“A graceful beauty, elegantly captivating. Her form like a sword, capable of toppling kingdoms,” Mr. Charlie couldn’t help but recite a poem.

Hearing them gush so extravagantly, Iordera couldn’t help but take a closer look herself.

Indeed, a strikingly beautiful young woman stood on stage, her elegant posture poised and slender, yet not delicate; rather, she exuded a certain coolness, like the highest rarity swordswoman characters in mobile games from her previous life.

She possessed flowing golden hair, and her height… well, judging by the surrounding figures, she was considerably taller than Iordera, perhaps even reaching one hundred seventy centimeters.

As for her physique, it was a bit smaller than Hecate’s C++ (TL Note: A humorous, slightly lewd comparison of breast size, equating ‘C++’ to a large size and ‘C Language’ to a moderate size, playing on programming language names.), probably more of a C Language (TL Note: A humorous, slightly lewd comparison of breast size, equating ‘C++’ to a large size and ‘C Language’ to a moderate size, playing on programming language names.).

All in all, she was indeed a flawlessly stunning young woman, and it was no wonder her colleagues lauded her so highly.

The beautiful young woman soon descended the stage, replaced by another group of new students. This time, not only the library staff but even the other students in the plaza gasped aloud.

“Is that… Oh my goodness, it can’t be.”

“It’s him, no doubt about it.”

Iordera was once again bewildered. “Who is he? Is he famous?”

From afar, she couldn’t discern him clearly, but he certainly exuded a fine demeanor; he seemed to be a handsome young man.

‘Could he be some boy band star in this world?’

“He’s the son of a certain prince, the empire’s young prince,” Mrs. Sanders whispered, explaining. “He’s a truly significant figure.”

Iordera nodded, acknowledging her words.

While princes were typically sent to their fiefdoms to live out their days, far from the central seat of power, this one was, nonetheless, a member of the imperial family, of noble lineage and eminent status.

With the young prince’s striking appearance, the new student matriculation ceremony gradually drew to a close. Headmistress Louisa returned to the stage, delivering a closing address alongside the dean of students.

Mr. Charlie couldn’t help but sigh once more, “In the prime of their youth, these are all future pillars of the empire!”

Iordera stifled a yawn.

‘Honestly, there’s nothing particularly interesting to see.’

“They study, we work,” Mrs. Sanders concluded with a final flourish. “We all have a bright…”

The matriculation ceremony concluded, and the group returned to the library. Being the first day of classes, students were preoccupied with familiarizing themselves with the campus and dormitories, so hardly anyone visited the library.

The odd-jobbers had a leisurely day, and Iordera even more so; with nothing to do, she simply lounged in an armchair all day long.

She harbored her own small ambitions, but for now, it was too soon. After all, she was entirely unfamiliar with the library, and in her current position, she certainly couldn’t access the restricted section.

‘Slowly, then,’ she resolved, ‘I’ll embrace my work and steadily climb the ranks.’

Her first day of work left Iordera feeling as if she had simply drifted through it, much like Nina. That evening, back at home, her two maids inquired about her day.

“Nothing much to report, just my first official day,” Iordera answered truthfully. “There wasn’t much work, but my colleagues were all very kind to me.”

Nina spoke up, “My lady, you misunderstand. We were asking if the Witch Lady was satisfied with you today.”

Iordera furrowed her brow. “What does she have to do with me? Stop calling her ‘Witch Lady’ all the time; we each have our own lives.”

‘Don’t ask, we’re really not close.’

After dinner, she rested, then rose early the next morning to catch the first tram to the academy, her life now governed by a clear, regular routine.

For a moment, Iordera felt as though she had returned to her previous life, once again a simple, confident office worker.

There was one distinction, however: upon arriving at the academy, Iordera didn’t head directly to the library. Instead, she first went to the back mountain—a special activity area for students, rarely frequented by others.

“Roar—!”

After the intense high-pressure air currents dissipated, Iordera comfortably returned to work.

The library today was largely as it always was, with few visitors; those who did come were merely borrowing books as usual.

It wasn’t until after lunch, during the pleasant afternoon rest, that a few new students arrived in the first-floor hall, carrying an assortment of items.

Sweets and black tea—it was clear at a glance that a tea party was about to commence.

Iordera had been resting on the second floor, about to close her eyes for a nap, when Mrs. Sanders specifically came up to rouse her.

“They’ve started a tea party in the hall. Come quickly and listen!”

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

Iordera leapt from her armchair and dashed downstairs with a flurry of steps.

Students gathering for tea parties in the library, gossiping about school life, was indeed the greatest delight for the library staff.