Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

Quest 61- The Library

After returning to Orario he went and updated his status.

"There you go," Astraea said, giving him the update sheet.

Cirrus Zephyr

Lv. 5

Strength: D500→550       Endurance: C680→ B700

Dexterity: C610→ 621      Agility: A899→ S902

Magic: S989→ SS1003     Mage: F

Immunity: H        Martial Arts: G

Crush: I

"Well, I should get going. I rather not be here when your children return."

Cirrus puts on his shirt and cloak.

"Do be careful Cirrus."

"I’ll do my best." Cirrus said walking to the door.

"I am being serious! You are my child and I do worry for you." Astraea said with worry in her voice.

Cirrus turns to see a worried look on Astraea.

'Haa... Fine.'

"Alright. I'll promise I'll be careful. Is that enough?"

"Of course! Good luck my Little Lone Star!" Astraea said waving him goodbye.

Cirrus by now just lets her call him what she liked then to get into a argument.

He puts on the hood, turning invisible and leaves the Astraea Familia home.

Walking through the streets, Cirrus still wore his hood but was no longer invisible. He went to the Southeastern section of the city. Nox, at the moment, was enjoying her day off before leaving to regroup with Artemis.

‘It’s been a long time; I wonder if they have new books?’

Walking down a set of stairs and turning a right he’s met with a sturdy door.

"(Exousía, Adorn: Ceryneian)."

With only his mask on, he knocks on the door. A gravelly voice spoke up as they opened a slide to see the person.

"What’s the password?"

"Red fish, blue fish, what are you doing? Kill them."

The door opens up.

"Welcome to The Library, young White Beast. It's been a while since you came."

Cirrus enters the room and finds it massive, filled with several books and people simply reading the books and drinking tea, which was served in a separate room. The aesthetic of the room itself was that of several kinds of cultures, from Greek to even Eastern to African.

"I’ve been busy, D. Did you get new books?"

D, a man covered by a cloak that reminded Cirrus of Fels, but far more ragged.

"Talk with Lord Anansi. He is at the bottom."

"Thanks." He nods and walks away.

"We appreciate your generosity." He said as Cirrus went downstairs.

Walking down the long set of stairs, he could see each floor containing numerous bookshelves and people reading them around.

When reaching the bottom, there was a straight long path with a gold embroidered red carpet with fire-lit torches lighting the corridor. At the end of the torch-lit corridor was an elegant door with engraved handles.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in."

Creaaak!

Entering the room, Cirrus sees Anansi reading a book in the middle of it. The room was filled with books upon books lavished in silk and gold embroideries and tapestries.

Anansi himself is a handsome god with skin as beautiful as the night sky and eyes as bright as the sun. He’s dressed in a lavish purple silk suit with a spider lapel; he looks like a highly refined intellectual that would be the most popular professor at a college.

"Ah! Zephyr! The Golden Hide of Solingen! Feared Golden-Horned Demon of the sands! Where is your holy familiar? I do not hear them?" he said with a charming African accent while reading a book.

"She’s enjoying herself before we leave tomorrow," Cirrus said, walking up to his desk and standing in front of him as he reads his book.

"So, are you here for some reading? Or maybe some research?"

"… Seems you know something of my quest, Lord Anansi. I came here to see if there were any new books added to your collection? But since you asked, I might as well indulge my curiosity?"

Anansi made a slight smile as he closed his book and got up.

"You know the price for knowledge, Zephyr."

"Yeah, yeah." Cirrus tosses him another bag of Valis.

Anansi feels the bag and his smile grew slightly bigger. He walked to the right side of the room and took out a book and looked at Cirrus.

"This book is one of my making, a first edition if you will. I made it after some humans came and asked for some books and a few months ago, a monster mentioned in said books popped up. I took it upon myself to… refined it with some of my knowledge, seeing as this knowledge would be… valuable."

"Avaricious as always."

"One needs money to get a collection as fine as this!" he said, holding his hands out to show the grandeur of his collection.

"So long as you know, one's greed can lead to their inevitable demise."

Anansi puts his hands down, and behind his back, walks toward Cirrus.

"Here, I hope you find it to your liking." He holds the red book out.

"Hm."

Cirrus grabs it and walks away, back to the main room.

"Same as always," Anansi said quietly as he goes back to his desk, opens one of his drawers, and placed the money in them, sitting back down. "A very valued customer and one with wit and a deadly thirst for peace." He then opens up his book and reads where he left off.

The Library, a secret of Orario that only mortals have access to. It was founded and run by the Anansi Familia, a group of once-adventurous, now-knowledge seekers. They share their library with all but gods. You have to be either recommended or invited to join them. Contribution to its expansion in some form or way grants you a free pass to come and go. You still need to pay for specific knowledge, which is very steep even for contributors.

Their god Anansi has remained unbiased to everyone and everything, as anyone who messes with The Library, will be hunted by all of its members.