The Wizarding World's Forbidden Book Administrator

Chapter 101 The Voice of Forbidden Books

"Hey, look over there!"

"What's wrong? That girl? I think her name is Anne Booker."

It was a self-study period, and Annie sat upright in her seat, quietly reading a book.

In this small classroom, any whispered discussion can be easily heard by everyone.

Anne could clearly hear two classmates talking about her behind her back.

"And yet another comprehensive school recommends women to the literature academy; I wonder what they're thinking."

"Yes, it's a complete waste of the precious spots at the Herald Academy. Women are short-sighted creatures; they're not much smarter than animals. You can see the whole picture from the female graduation rate at the Herald Academy."

"I've also heard that 80% of women are expelled from the academy because of pregnancy, and of the remaining 20%, only a quarter manage to complete all the courses. And women recommended to become emblem artists are extremely rare, appearing only once every few years."

"That being said—ha, I don't think this woman is here for academic purposes."

"You mean..."

"Hehe, that's right, and look, she really is both beautiful and cute. I bet she'll get pregnant within a year."

I bet six months...

Anne remained unmoved by these offensive remarks, as if she hadn't heard them at all.

She wasn't completely indifferent; however, she understood very well that powerless arguments and resistance could not eliminate prejudice and discrimination.

Most people in the world believe that women are useless in learning and cannot achieve academic success.

It seems that serving one's husband at home is the only thing a woman should do in her life.

Anne didn't think this was right, and she also knew that it wasn't something she could change on her own.

However, she refused to admit defeat.

Anne has been at the Herald Academy for over a month, during which time she has endured countless taunts and ostracism.

She saw this as a test for herself, and since she was determined to go against the current, she had to overcome these challenges.

But sometimes, the insults people hurled at her were just too nasty.

She would only secretly shed a few tears under the covers, never revealing her weakness to outsiders.

The college was rife with discrimination and persecution against her.

Begging and tears will not win sympathy or pity; they will only embolden the other party to become even more aggressive.

Anne knew very well that only by becoming so powerful that no one dared to provoke her could she completely change the current situation.

If I'm really upset and feel a tightness in my chest, I'll write it down and vent my emotions through words.

He put the letter in an envelope, went outside the college, and dropped it into the stone Lola had specified.

However, Anne had no idea how or when Lola would receive and read her letters.

However, after complaining to her sister from afar, most of her dissatisfaction and anger were immediately released.

It is only now that Anne truly empathizes with Lola's situation.

Lola is not only a woman, but also a green-eyed person.

The injustices she suffered on this continent must have been many times, even dozens of times, greater than what Anne is currently enduring.

Anne felt sad and worried for her sister, and was also grateful that she had always stood in front of Lola.

Now that she has left the library, Lola may also leave.

Therefore, Anne prayed that Lola would never be bullied or targeted again, no matter where she went.

Only after Anne left that ancient library did she realize how cold and heartless the outside world was.

During this time, Anne met and got to know many people, and the more people she learned about, the more Anne felt how precious Aaron was.

Aaron does not judge people with prejudice, does not let rumors sway his will, and does not bully the weak.

Anne knew how learned Aaron was, and she was also aware of how powerful he was.

However, Aaron always maintained a humble and respectful demeanor, was polite to everyone, and never flaunted his talents to gain a worthless sense of superiority. But upon reflection, no one else was worthy of being compared to Aaron!

Having figured these things out, Annie stopped having expectations or demands of others.

Since Aaron is not by her side now, she has to rely on herself for everything.

Anne doesn't possess the extraordinary talent of Laura or Henry, but this is the Herald Academy, which has its own rules and standards of value.

If she wants to prove herself, she has to follow the methods here.

Herald Academy is a unique university.

It is world-renowned, and the heralds masters it has trained are scattered all over the world, truly a garden full of talents.

Since the heraldsmen recommended from this school are all top talents, the reliance of various territories and organizations on heraldsmen has become increasingly higher.

This led to a rapid rise in the status of heralds, and as long as they could complete their studies, they could basically get very lucrative job opportunities.

They might even become the right-hand man of a high-ranking nobleman, thus achieving upward social mobility.

Therefore, countless people want to come to the Herald Academy for advanced studies and to enhance their credentials.

However, the Herald Academy is not only strict in its graduation requirements, but also in its admission requirements.

The school has extremely high recommendation standards; just being recommended to be a student there is enough to prove Annie's excellence.

But isn't everyone sitting here the same? Anne would never be a little agitated by this.

The Herald Academy exists for only one purpose: to train Herald Masters.

The basic requirement for a herald is the ability to independently help the master manage the territory or organization in an orderly manner.

This necessitates that heralds possess a vast amount of knowledge, covering various fields.

Therefore, the standard by which the Herald Academy measures a student's value is intellect, wisdom, and knowledge.

Coincidentally, these are precisely the things Anne excels at.

As for how to verify it, the school had just held an entrance exam for freshmen not long before the exam.

The purpose is to test the freshmen's thinking ability and past knowledge reserves.

However, Annie felt that since the exam was not held in the first few days of school, but instead gave students a month to prepare, it was a good thing.

So it's very likely that the college also intends to assess students' learning initiative and self-learning ability.

So during this time, whenever Annie had free time, she would go to the library to study on her own.

She already loved reading, which ironically brought her a unique kind of enjoyment at school.

This was Annie's first chance to prove herself, but the battle had been over for some time, and the exam results were still not announced. There were only a few hundred freshmen this year, so logically, those papers should have been graded long ago.

Just as she was thinking this, a teacher walked into the study room carrying a pile of test papers.

He scanned the crowd:

"Everyone's here, that's good. When the entrance exam results are released, those whose names are called should come up and collect their answer sheets."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Then, the teacher began calling out the students' names.

As Annie watched her classmates get up to collect their exam papers, she felt a pang of sadness herself.

She had prepared for this exam for a long time, and if the results were not ideal, she would probably be very disappointed.

Even so, Anne was determined not to give up!

"arrive!"

A student whose name was called responded and left his seat to go to the podium to collect his graded answer sheet.

Anne was the only girl in her class, and the school was rife with discrimination against women, so she had never interacted with any of her classmates until now.

So Annie can't remember her classmates' names, and she didn't hear the teacher calling out names because she was distracted.

But just from that one "Here," Anne could tell that this was one of the two men who had been talking badly about her behind her back.

Anne stared at the man as she watched him confidently walk onto the stage.

When he received the answer sheet from the teacher, his expression instantly darkened.

Anne noticed that the man's lips were moving, as if he were muttering some vulgar words.

After the man returned to his seat, Annie heard a quiet conversation coming from behind her.

"How did your exam go?"

"good."

"Then let me see it."

"What are you looking at? It's just a score."

"Didn't you just look at mine too? —"

Then Annie heard a commotion of fighting, which prompted the teacher to scold her:

"Quiet!"

The noise immediately stopped, but the conversation continued:

"What? Three points? You call that 'okay'?"

"You only got a four out of ten? You have the nerve to criticize me?"

"But my score is indeed higher than yours, and you just laughed at me quite a bit. I thought you could get a much higher score!"

"What do you know? She's just new to school and hasn't adjusted to the pace yet."

"Alright, alright, I hope you're not last."

"Haha, there's no need to worry about that."

"Oh?"

"Have you forgotten? Look, over there."

"Ha, that's right, there's a woman in our class too!"

Anne listened silently without saying a word.

Then, she heard her own name called:

"Annie Booker!"

Anne immediately stood up and walked to the podium.

The teacher stared at Annie for a long time. He glanced at the test paper, then lowered his head and glanced at Annie again.

Anne felt uncomfortable under his gaze and couldn't help but ask:

"Teacher, what's wrong?"

"You're Anne Booker?"

"Yes, it's me."

"girl?"

Isn't it obvious?

Anne nodded.

The teacher hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

"The Herald Academy has not produced any outstanding women for many years."

"Teacher, what do you mean?" Annie tilted her head in confusion.

Upon hearing this, the teacher suddenly smiled and said loudly to Annie:

"Congratulations, Annie, you did very well on your entrance exam."

After hearing this, Annie froze on the spot.

When she came to her senses, she shuddered, her heart filled with both surprise and joy, but she could only utter one word:

"Huh?!"

The teacher's expression softened: "You got nine points on this test."

"oh."

At that moment, perhaps because the teacher's words were so shocking, a sudden gasp rippled through the classroom.

Clearly, none of the students present achieved a score of nine, and the gap was significant.

It's understandable that they would be surprised.

Looking at the answer sheet handed to her by the teacher, Annie quickly took it and checked the comments.

Yes, it is indeed a nine out of ten.

Anne took a deep breath, otherwise the little girl would probably have jumped and cheered with joy.

If Aaron were here with her right now, she would definitely do the same.

The teacher continued, "Furthermore, you are the only student among all the new students to get a nine, which means, Annie, you are number one in the grade!"

In terms of learning ability and talent, Annie is confident that she is second to none.

However, in the Herald Academy's extremely exclusionary environment for women, Anne's self-confidence was inevitably affected.

She had indeed prepared thoroughly for the exam and believed her results wouldn't be too bad.

However, due to her mindset, she didn't actually have high expectations.

However, what she received in return was the result of being "first in the grade".

Anne was so excited she almost fainted, but she knew she absolutely couldn't do that.

She had to stand here upright as a female student, and then, with steady and confident steps, sit back in her seat with her head held high, under the gaze of those who had once looked down on her.

Anne thanked her teacher for the congratulations, then turned and started walking back.

She saw everyone staring at her, and she saw that everyone's faces were full of disbelief.

She deliberately looked at the two people who had spoken ill of her behind her back and sought their gaze.

After making eye contact, the two couldn't help but look away and unconsciously lowered their heads.

The person who was just mocking you is actually far more capable than you.

Annie scored nine points, while they were comparing themselves to others or feeling smug about getting three or four points.

They must have felt ashamed and embarrassed, and Anne was very curious about what their toes were doing at that moment.

Perhaps Aaron would choose to laugh off the slander and insults from others, completely ignoring them.

Anne thought to herself,

But I am not Aaron. The scars those insults left in my heart still throb with pain to this day. I will not forgive them!

This is exactly the scene Anne wanted to see, and it made her feel incredibly happy.

She sat back down in her chair, then forcefully opened the book and continued reading, trying her best to hold back her tears.

I can't cry, absolutely not, at least not here.

Anne said to herself,

If tears are shed here, it doesn't count as a complete victory.

She could only distract herself and focus on reading.

Anne, on the other hand, has always been good at immersing herself in books since she was a child.

"Annie?"

Suddenly, a call drew Anne's attention away from her book.

She looked up and saw that it was the teacher who had called her earlier.

"Teacher, is there something you need?"

The teacher smiled and said:

"Professor Joseph Sanders is in charge of this entrance exam. He is one of the most outstanding scholars in the Herald Academy and has trained many excellent Herald Masters. He likes outstanding and talented young people. Anne, and you are the top scorer in this exam, so Professor Sanders would like to meet you."

Anne pondered for a moment after hearing this, then asked:

"Do I really have to go?"

"Huh?"

The teacher was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Annie to give that answer.

"Well—it's not mandatory. You can refuse, Annie. Don't you want to go?"

Anne lowered her head and thought for a moment, then looked up and smiled:

"No, teacher, thank you for relaying the message, I will go."

She asked that question simply to find out whether the meeting was for official or private purposes, so that she could make appropriate expectations.

"Really?" The teacher smiled. "Then you should go there now. Professor Sanders should be in his office right now."

After they nodded to each other, the teacher left the classroom.

Annie looked around the classroom and realized that the self-study period was over.

Anne wasted no time, packed the books into her small cloth bag, and prepared to head to Joseph Sanders' office.

The Herald Academy is very large, with many buildings located within it.

The main building located on the central axis of the Herald Academy's main gate is the Herald Hall, which displays countless heralds categorized by type, and more will continue to be added.

Behind the Hall of Heraldry is the library of the Heraldry Academy.

The Teachers' Tower is located on either side of the library.

Sanders' office was in the North Tower, and Anne quickly found the room she was looking for.

She knocked on the door, and a voice quickly came from inside:

"Please come in."

Annie pushed open the door and immediately spotted an elderly man with white hair writing furiously at his desk.

She cleared her throat: "Excuse me, are you Professor Joseph Sanders?"

After speaking, the old man put down his pen, moved the chair he was sitting on, and turned it to face the side and back.

He squinted and scanned Annie up and down.

Annie was also sizing him up.

Joseph Sanders looked to be about seventy-five years old, with permed white hair parted in the middle and hanging down to his ears.

His right eye was fitted with a single lens, and the gaze behind the lens was sharp, showing no signs of aging.

After a moment, Joseph asked:

"You're this year's number one?"

Anne nodded.

Upon seeing this, Joseph laughed heartily:

"I never expected that Xiang would be a woman—come in, Ugly Mother, bring the door with you, and then we can sit down and talk."

Anne did as she was told and sat down in the chair in front of Joseph.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Joseph suddenly spoke:

"Oh, Mother, although I am surprised that you are a woman, I do not mean to discriminate against you. I only discriminate against fools and lazybones."

Anne nodded, pondering what Joseph was trying to say.

Soon, Joseph asked again:

"What score did you get?"

"Nine points."

"Nine points?"

Joseph exclaimed in surprise, his brows furrowing instantly.

"Have you received your answer sheet yet?"

Anne nodded.

"If you have it with you right now, and you don't mind, could I take a look at it?"

Without much thought, Anne took out the answer sheet and handed it to the energetic old man in response to Joseph's request.

Joseph took the answer sheet, read it carefully for a while, then suddenly nodded slightly and muttered to himself:

"Hmm—that's a very good answer—"

Suddenly, he looked up at Annie and said:

"I set this exam paper, and most of my questions are tricky, which is why most students at the Emblem Academy don't like me. I never intended for this year's freshmen to get high scores. I heard the average score was just over four points, which is pretty much what I expected. But I didn't expect the highest score to be nine points. Twin Sister, how did you do that?"

Anne replied, "I was just lucky; I happened to get a few of the questions I knew right."

"Hahaha,"

Joseph suddenly burst into laughter, leaving Anne completely bewildered.

"Ugly Mother, I don't know what you're worried about, but please rest assured, I don't mean anything by it, so please don't worry too much and just tell me the truth."

"The White Crow's personal crest is recorded only in a single, unique biography, and that copy is currently hidden in the academy's library."

Therefore, you couldn't possibly have known about this emblem before coming to the Herald Academy. However, you can accurately answer the related questions on the exam, proving that you've already read the book.

Hearing this explanation, Anne had no choice but to admit it:

"Yes, I have read it."

Why did you choose to read that book?

"I just happened to read it," Anne replied.

"But you also answered many questions correctly from his rare book," Joseph said. "Do you expect me to believe that you just happened to have read through the book I'm going to use for the exam before the test?"

Anne sighed and said:

"Professor Sanders, I'm not lying. I did just randomly pick a few books, it just so happens that they included the ones you used for the questions."

"How many?" Joseph Wood asked, raising his eyes. "How many exactly?"

"Please, I'll take two hundred copies," Anne said.

Joseph's eyes twitched, and the monocle in his right eye almost slipped out.

As he adjusted his glasses, he said in an unusual tone:

"Two hundred books? But the new students have only been enrolled for less than two months!"

"I read very fast, and I also enjoy reading."

"Just liking it?"

As he spoke, Joseph stared intently into Anne's eyes, clearly trying to glean some information from them.

Anne also knew that Joseph could detect any lie she made.

She could only tell the truth: "Not entirely. I suspect that this exam may not only test the knowledge learned in general schools, so I studied a little bit in advance."

"Oh?" Joseph asked with interest, "Why would you guess that?"

Anne said, "If the exam isn't going to cover anything new, it should be started as soon as possible. There's no need to wait a month."

"Hahaha!"

Joseph laughed loudly and slapped his forehead several times.

"I never expected that my thoughts would be seen through by a little girl—girl, what's your name?"

"Anne Booker".

"Annie Booker? I see, Booker, no wonder you're such a good reader,"

Joseph sat up straight and smiled as he spoke.

"Annie, I enjoy chatting with intelligent people, and you're clearly an ugly intelligent woman."

"Thank you for the compliment, Professor Sanders."

Anne, you seem flattered, so you speak rather cautiously.

"Haha, don't be nervous. Although there may be a big age gap between us, wisdom and knowledge are not limited by age. You can definitely treat me as a friend."

At this point, Anne was completely baffled as to what Joseph's true purpose was.

She could only ask directly, "Professor Sanders, may I ask why you summoned me here?"

"For no reason, Ugly Mother," Joseph said, "or rather, just to see what kind of person this year's best student really is."

"what?"

"Let me put it this way, Anne. I graduated from the Herald Academy in my early twenties and stayed on to teach. I've trained countless Herald Masters throughout my life, and I've also mentored many students who share your interests. Some people say I'm old and should retire and enjoy my remaining years, but I scoff at that."

As he spoke, Joseph even excitedly waved his arm, which he had been using to remove the tumor.

"What do you mean 'old'? My mind has never been as sharp as it is now. I immediately decided that I must train an even better emblem master than any of my previous students."

"For several years in a row, the students recommended to the Herald Academy have been quite mediocre. I hadn't held out much hope. But Anne, I now see hope in you."

"Me?" Annie couldn't help but point to herself.

"That's right, you," Joseph laughed, "Annie, although this is my first time meeting you, I haven't misjudged you; you're the best prospect I've ever seen!"

"but."

Since it was their first meeting, Anne wasn't sure of Joseph's true intentions, so she planned to make a few excuses.

Just then, someone knocked on the door, interrupting their conversation.

"Please come in," Joseph said.

A man dressed as a gatekeeper pushed open the door and entered:

"Joseph Sanders, my mentor?"

"It's me, sir. What can I do for you?"

"Someone wants to see you."

"As he spoke, the gatekeeper handed over a letter."

Joseph took the envelope, looked at the name on it, and a bright smile instantly bloomed on his face.

He deliberately handed the envelope to Anne, excitedly saying:

"What did I say? This is my most prized disciple right now!"

Anne looked at the envelope, which read "Joannas Farrell" on the front.

Joseph explained, "Joannas is now the Chief Herald of the Heraldry of the Great Kingdom, and the youngest Chief Herald in the history of the Sinclair family. He is a talented young man, and I am not surprised at all that he has achieved such success."

Having said that, Joseph happily raised his head and asked the gatekeeper:

"Is the visitor's beard well-maintained?"

"A beard?" The gatekeeper frowned slightly. "Professor Sanders, if I'm not mistaken, the visitor doesn't have a beard."

"No beard?"

Joseph frowned upon hearing this, a hint of confusion appearing in his eyes.

He hurriedly opened the letter and carefully read the words inside.

After reading it, his expression became serious, and he said in a tone that sounded like a child's:

"This is indeed his handwriting. That kid, he didn't even come to see me in person. I'm already so old."

The doorman asked, "Mr. Sanders, would you like to see him? I'd like to go back and bring him in or send him away."

Joseph thought for a moment, then stood up.

He found a piece of parchment, sat back down at the table, and began to write something.

After he finished writing, he took out several seals and splattered fire lacquer on the lower right corner of the parchment.

Joseph handed a roll of parchment to the man:

"Why should I see him if he won't come himself? I'll use this to get rid of the person Jonas sent."

The gatekeeper reached out to take it, but Joseph suddenly snatched the paper back.

He took a few steps between the stone bricks before saying:

"No, since he's sending someone to act in his place, I need to send someone to act in my place too—"

At this point, Joseph suddenly turned to face Anne and fixed his gaze on her.

"Annie, I need to ask you for a favor."

Anne asked cautiously, "What is it?"

“Give this letter of recommendation to the person who wants to see me,” Joseph said, “and tell him that I sent you and that you are my new disciple.”

"disciple?"

"Yes," Joseph nodded decisively.

"lie?"

"I didn't mean for you to lie. I intend to train you personally," Joseph said. "Don't you want to? Anne, just ask around at the Herald Academy. Which instructor dares to claim they are better at training students than me? Don't worry, I won't let you down."

Annie was a little taken aback by the sudden invitation.

Why would Joseph do this? Is it just to spite his former star pupil?

Anne didn't want to interfere with Joseph's personality, but if he regretted it later, it might put Anne in an awkward position.

Considering all this, Anne said:

"Mentor Sanders, I can help with this, but regarding the matter of accepting me as a disciple, I hope you will consider it carefully. After all, this is only our first meeting, so let's at least get to know each other better first."

"Ugh—"

Joseph hesitated for a moment, his voice tinged with a hint of disappointment, "Since you put it that way—...alright—"

Anne nodded and accepted the letter of recommendation.

They immediately followed the gatekeeper to the main gate to find the visitor.

Soon, Annie spotted her target.

The person had thick, medium-length black hair, with a side-swept fringe that covered most of their forehead.

He had a high nose bridge, a long and pointed chin, and his face was completely clean-shaven.

The fitted and slimming suit made him look refined and approachable.

Anne asked, "Are you sent by the herald Johnny Farr?"

"Indeed," the man bowed to Anne, "Miss, may I ask who you are—"

"I am Anne Booker, and I am the new student of my mentor, Joseph Sanders."

"Ha, if I knew that I had a junior sister as beautiful and charming as you, I think Commander Jonas would be so excited that he wouldn't be able to sleep and would rush to the Herald Academy to see you overnight."

"I hope so," Anne thought to herself, "that way, when Joseph sees his old disciple, he'll put me aside."

Anne didn't say much, but directly handed the letter of recommendation to the civil servant:

"This is from your mentor, Sanders, who asked me to give it to you."

"I will personally hand it to Commander Jonas," the man said, bowing as he took it.

Anne nodded; her mission was complete, and she turned to leave.

Just then, she seemed to sense something trying to communicate with her.

She lowered her head and put her hands into her small cloth bag.

Besides the textbooks, there were two extra books inside.

Both books were secretly taken out of Aaron's library by Anne.

Anne was indeed a little jealous that Laura was able to keep Aaron's treasured books with her at all times.

But Anne would never do anything to put Aaron in a difficult position just for that reason.

The real reason she took action was that she heeded the call of the book.

Anne learned to recognize and read at a very young age, and Aaron said that even children twice her age might not do better than Anne.

Aaron thought Anne was talented, and Anne did not deny it.

But she herself knew that every time she read a book, it was as if she were having a dialogue with the book, giving her a strong sense of interaction.

This allowed her to immerse herself completely in reading.

As Anne grew older, she realized that it wasn't a conversation, because she was able to distinguish that she truly didn't hear anything.

But Anne felt that the communication was not a delusion.

That is not communication through sound, but a more direct communication that works on the mind.

She had told Aaron about this many times, but he never seemed to understand Anne's feelings until the very end.

However, although Anne called this communication, the book did not answer any of Anne's questions, nor could it tell Anne what the first word on a particular page was.

It exists in Anne's heart only in a subtle sense.

This feeling, aside from enabling Anne to read more attentively and better absorb the knowledge in books, did not bring any further changes to Anne's life.

Therefore, she felt that there was probably this subtle connection between anyone who was good at reading and books.

Until the day Anne left, she received a definitive message.

As she passed in front of a certain book, she truly felt that the book was telling her:

"I·-."

Anne didn't understand what this meant at first, but the moment she held the book in her hands, the communication would instantly cease.

If Anne puts down the book and stays nearby, she can then receive:

"I-.

Anne then produced white, and this book seems to want to follow Anne.

And when Anne passed by another book, the first book told Anne:

"it."

It was for this reason that Annie took the two books from the library without permission.

Even now, she doesn't understand why she took them away, or what the point of doing so was.

Anne tried to learn the powers described in the two books, but as always, she couldn't grasp them.

She did not press the matter further, nor did she harbor any wishful thinking.

But these were Aaron's things after all, and Anne was afraid of losing them, so she took these two books with her wherever she went.

And just now, as she was about to turn and leave, she seemed to hear the voice of the first book again:

"he-.

Him? Who is he?

Anne looked around, until her gaze fell upon the man who had run errands for Jonas, and the book taught Anne another word:

"I---

"Him? Me?" Anne wondered to herself. Was he asking her to hand the book to this person?

Anne was a little confused. Although she wasn't sure, she wanted to give it a try.

"Wait a minute," Anne called out to the man who was about to turn and leave.

The man stopped what he was doing, smiled, and said:

"Is there anything else you need, Miss?"

Anne took out the book and handed it to the man:

"This book is for you."

The man clearly didn't understand Bai Anni's intentions. He tilted his head and asked:

"Was it also handed over to Lord Jonas?"

"No, it's for you."

"I?"

"Yes," Annie nodded vigorously.

The other person stared into Annie's eyes for a few seconds, seemingly unaware of anything amiss, and said with a smile:

"Although I don't know the exact reason, Miss, thank you for your kindness."

The man said this as he took the book.

And the book instantly stopped communicating with Annie.

As expected! A faint smile appeared on Anne's face.

The man was about to leave again when Annie called him back:

"Wait a moment?"

"Miss?"

"There's a library on the shore of O'Brien Bay, and this book is from there."

"I've got it. What's next?"

"You can go there and take a look around."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Because that's where you can find the answer."

"answer?"

"If there's anything in the book that you don't understand, you can ask the people at the library. Or, you can return the book to the library when you no longer want it."

"Hmm—.—"

The man sighed, but the pleading smile on his face remained unchanged. After a moment, he said,

"I've given birth to white hair, miss, I will."

"Yes," Annie nodded.

The man stood motionless opposite her, staring into her eyes.

Annie looked puzzled: "Aren't you leaving?"

"I'm afraid you'll say 'wait a minute' again."

Upon hearing this, Annie's face immediately turned red:

"That's all, sir. You can go now."

The man nodded, and then, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, bowed to Annie again.

"Well then, Miss, farewell."

The man then turned and left, gradually disappearing into the crowd.

Anne walked back to the college and put her hand in her bag, touching the remaining book.

She looked ahead at the Heraldry Palace, a magnificent and imposing structure, symmetrical on both sides, resembling a small mountain, exuding a strong classical atmosphere.

But in her eyes at this moment, all she saw was a small mountain piled with confusion and bewilderment.

At some point, she murmured:

"Am I, Immortal, right?"