The Soldier and The Novelist

Between the Bookshelves

I haven’t been much of a reader in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever finished a book completely. It’s not that I dislike books, I just never found myself compelled to read much before.

Despite this, bookstores have always been familiar to me. As a mercenary, I was constantly on the move. Whether it was for guarding or transportation, having a map was crucial. Whenever I had a mission, I would always stop by a bookstore to pick up a map of the place I was heading to.

Paul’s bookstore can be found tucked away in a quiet back alley, a bit of a distance from the bustling new commercial district. Despite the modest size of the store, it appears to be hemmed in on either side by towering and disparate buildings, as though it’s been squeezed tightly in a vise all year long. While it used to serve as the official bookstore for Sunset Union, it’s safe to say that it’s not exactly the trendiest of establishments.

At the entrance, a sign catches the eye with its bold proclamation: “FORESTER’S NEW BOOK IS NOT IN STOCK.” It’s not often that you come across signs like this; most tend to advertise what’s currently available. But this particular store isn’t afraid to be upfront about what it doesn’t have.

As I stepped into the store, the scent of old paper and ink tickled my nostrils. Since it was sandwiched between two buildings, no sunlight could penetrate through, and the store was dimly lit with lamps. I could only spot three customers in the store, and it amused me to see that it hadn’t changed much over the years.

At the entrance cash register, an elderly man with white hair sat on a chair, dozing off. I remarked, “You shouldn’t fall asleep at the counter, shopkeeper, it’s careless.”

The old man lifted his head, squinting his eyes and looking a bit dazzled. He adjusted his glasses and focused on my face, finally curling the corner of his mouth. “Unfortunately, I only have cheap books. Even if they’re stolen, it’s not a big deal.”

“This is a sketchy area, and you should be more cautious. You never know when you might get robbed.”

“Hmph, it seems like even trendy thieves are afraid of me and won’t break into my store. It’s a needless worry.” The sly old man lifted the corner of his mouth defiantly.

“Anyway, it’s been a while, Sword.”

“I’m relieved that you’re not dead yet, Paul.”

The store owner, John Paul, laughed heartily at my sarcasm. “I have an unfinished novel to read. I’m not going to die anytime soon.”

“You’re such a downer, old man.”

“You’re still as sharp-tongued as ever. So, what brings you here? As the sign outside says, I don’t have Forester’s new book.”

“I don’t even know who Forester is. What’s up with that sign? Don’t you want to do business?”

Old Paul let out an unenthusiastic snort. “Forester’s new book is in short supply everywhere. Even this shady bookstore is getting a lot of inquiries. If I don’t put up a sign at the entrance, I won’t be able to read leisurely.”

I inwardly groaned at the thought of reading books during work. Then, I glanced at the book he had on the desk, still with a fresh cover that read “B. Forester.” What a shrewd old man.

“So…” Paul stood up from his chair, placing his hand on his back as he headed towards the back of the store. “Where are you headed next? Let me grab a map for you. The invoice will go to the union as usual…”

“Oh, no, I didn’t come here today to look for a map.”

Paul furrowed his brow and turned to look at me. “What then? The hell are you planning to buy besides a map?”

“Do you have any exam preparation books for the Church Knights selection test?”

The old shopkeeper froze, confused, with his mouth hanging open. I helped him back into his chair and explained the situation. He silently listened to my story while sipping on his half-finished coffee.

“I see. That’s unfortunate, Sword.”

“No, it’s a disaster. Yesterday, I lost my job, and today, because of that bastard Gold, I almost lost my future job too. This is the worst.”

The morning’s selection test briefing ended without incident. I had been worried about having my qualifications revoked because I was sitting next to Gold, but thankfully, I was given my test ticket before leaving.

By the way, Gold left the Church during the briefing. He had apparently only come to mock us from the beginning. He’s nothing but a jinx.

“But… The mercenary union…” Old Paul stared off into the distance with a distant look in his eyes. I sensed what he was thinking and was at a loss for words.

Paul’s bookstore also benefited greatly from the mercenary unions in Ixlaha, which served as a significant source of income. For quite some time, the store had been providing maps to nearly all of the unions. If they were to suddenly vanish, the store’s business would suffer a significant blow.

“Well, well, I should’ve read newspapers as well, not just books. If you keep living in a misanthropic way, you’ll lose touch with the world,” said Paul with a self-deprecating smile.

I involuntarily lowered my head a little. “I’m sorry. It’s because of our incompetence that we caused trouble for you too.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just the flow of time. Nothing can be done,” he replied.

Old Paul stood next to the entrance, gazing out at the alley from the store’s only window. “The transcontinental railroad and the new cityscape… Before I knew it, even this street is now called an alleyway.”

Once called the central shopping street, the street where Paul’s bookstore was located used to be bustling with people on weekends, and shops hanging out signs. However, at some point, the commercial hub had shifted to the new district in front of the Central Terminal, leaving the once-popular street in the dust.

Paul picked up a book from nearby and began talking. “Do you know how books were made before movable type printing became widespread?”

“Um, no?” I replied.

“Over three hundred years ago, before movable type printing became widespread, books were crafted by hand, with each page written and copied by scribes using their own pens. Monks in the church were often responsible for this laborious task. However, with the advent of movable type printing, book production became feasible and these scribes lost their jobs. As a result, they had more time to dedicate to their prayers, and the production of handwritten books dwindled.”

Paul smiled with a resigned expression and ran his hand over the book cover. “It’s the same thing, isn’t it? We just have to accept it and move on. Besides, I’ll have more time to read books now.”

“But is the store going to be okay?”

“Don’t underestimate me. I’ve got a solid reserve. It may be difficult to obtain new books, but we were never a popular store to begin with. My business won’t be affected by the lack of customers.”

And with that, the old and brave Paul laughed heartily. Once again, I couldn’t find any words to respond.

“Well then, wait here, Sword. I’m sure there are some past entrance exam preparation books in the back of the store. Let me go get them for you.”

“Ah, sorry about that.”

“I never thought the day would come when you’d buy a book from me. Why not start reading now?” the shopkeeper chuckled as he walked away.

As I watched him leave, I wrinkled my nose and shrunk back. I met old man Paul about seven years ago when I joined the Sunset Union. Back then, he didn’t seem as hunched over. His shrunken back now made me feel uneasy.

While I waited for him to return, I decided to explore the store. It felt like my first time in a bookstore like this. However, even as I scanned the shelves of books, I couldn’t find anything that caught my interest. I wasn’t much of a reader, so it was to be expected.

I reluctantly turned to the map shelf, the section I was most familiar with. The bookshelf in the back of the store was jam-packed with folded maps, and each map listed various place names in the Papal States of Yunaria on the spine.

As I followed the list with my eyes, memories of my time as a mercenary flooded my mind. Some memories made me shudder, while others brought warmth to my heart. Looking back, I had been to so many different places.

“The age of mercenaries is over.” Suddenly, I remembered the words of Chief Han. I felt a sudden wave of sadness.

I would never open these maps again.

I would never go to these places again.

Probably.

Despite feeling a sense of attachment, my hand was reaching for the bookshelf almost unconsciously. It was because I saw a place name that was too nostalgic.

Evilshaw, in the Old Sharp State.

Located to the north of Ixlaha’s home state, Grand York, was a region known as Old Sharp State. It took roughly three days by carriage to travel from the city to the state border. The Evilshaw mountain range situated in the northernmost part of the Old Sharp State also served as the boundary between the Papal States of Yunaria and the Aldanak Federation.

As a mercenary, this was the very first place I had visited. It was a quiet countryside, dotted with farmlands and coal mines. I remember Hugh and Gold were with me at the time, and we were transporting coal at the foot of a mountainous area. The journey was so boring that I remember we only talked about silly things on the carriage.

Has it already been five years since then?

As I reached for the map, I felt another hand reaching for it at the same time. I had been so lost in nostalgia that I didn’t even notice the other customer nearby. Our hands met in front of the bookshelf.

Looking up, I found myself face-to-face with a woman. Her striking hawk-colored eyes, clear as glass, met my gaze. Her porcelain white skin, black hair cascading down to the middle of her back, and slender frame, a head shorter than me, took my breath away. The black turtleneck she wore and slim blue jeans accentuated her feminine curves, making her all the more alluring. I couldn’t help but be captivated by her stunning beauty. Her well-defined features were almost statuesque.

“…”

“…”

Both of us froze with our hands stretched out. Silence descended between us for a while.

“Hmm…”

This was an unfamiliar situation for me, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. Should I just take the map since I saw it first? The other person was frozen, so taking it would be easy, but I didn’t really want to read the map. I only reached out for it because of nostalgia.

On the other hand, should I be a gentleman and give it to her with a smile and say, “Here you go, miss?” It wouldn’t be a problem for me to give her the map, but the idea made me feel nauseous. It just wasn’t something that I, as a person, would do.

While I was lost in thought, the woman made the first move. Part of it was my carelessness, but her actions were beyond my expectations. She slapped my outstretched hand down with swift and forceful motion, as if she was swatting away an annoying fly.

Looking at me in silence, she then picked up the map and started reading it with an innocent expression. I was left speechless, unable to comprehend what had just happened before my eyes.

What just happened…?

What did she just do to me…?

After contemplating the situation, I felt a wave of anger rising within me when I realized that she had essentially “stolen” the map from me.

“Hey, you…”

“Mm, thank you.”

But before I could voice my protest, the woman nonchalantly silenced me with her response. Her gaze fixed intently on the open map. I was momentarily caught off guard, but the anger I had repressed resurfaced when I realized that her words lacked any emotion, contrary to their meaning.

“No, that’s not it.” I stepped forward and raised my voice. “I was going to take that map first.”

“Can you provide a witness to prove that you were the one who noticed it first?”

What? I replied in frustration, “There’s no one else here to prove it. Just look around, there are hardly any customers in the store.”

Though I had thought I saw two other people, unfortunately, they seemed to be in a blind spot from where we were standing.

She let out a disappointed sigh for a moment before speaking up. “Then the validity of your statement is not established. It’s all just a theoretical discussion without proof.”

“No, it’s not just a theory. I noticed the map first. I was standing in front of this bookshelf before you.”

“That’s also just a theory. You should present evidence to support your claim. Besides, even if the act of ‘noticing’ as you put it gives you the right to take the map, unfortunately, the right belongs to me. I came to this store specifically for this map,” the black-haired woman said in a calm voice, still not looking at me.

Who is this woman?

She reminded me of Hugh, with her sharp words like the blade of a sword, but her blade was on another level entirely.

I wanted to say something back, but the words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. I was convinced that no matter what I said, it would just be doubled back at me. I’m not particularly skilled at this kind of argumentation to begin with.

Ignoring my silence, the woman in front of me immersed herself in reading a map. She acted as if she had no fault in the situation, with a confident demeanor.

I couldn’t let it go. I wanted to read that map, even if it was just out of stubbornness. I tried to come up with a countermove, but my mind couldn’t produce any clever ideas. Frustrated with my lack of wit, I grabbed another map from beside her and stood my ground.

What am I even doing? I felt disgusted with myself for taking such an unproductive action. It was foolish, yet I was drawn to it. I knew deep down that my stubbornness was pointless, but I couldn’t resist the urge to prove my point.

Reluctantly, I picked up the map of New Jace that I had just bought the other day. I sighed as I stared at the paper. I had studied it tirelessly two weeks ago. Or rather, I had bought it two weeks ago.

“That’s enough,” the woman suddenly said.

“Huh…?” I was taken aback. She then handed me the Old Sharp map she had been reading until just now, and I felt let down.

“Don’t you want it?” I asked her.

“I didn’t find the information I was looking for,” she replied and turned back to the bookshelf.

“But you said you came to the store specifically for that map.”

“To be exact, I came looking for information that I thought would be on that map.”

She opened and closed the map a few times before putting it back on the shelf with a sigh of disappointment. None of them had the information she was hoping for.

At her feet was a small travel bag made of cowhide, and from the craftsmanship of the fastener, it was clear that it was quite expensive. It occurred to me then that she was most likely a tourist who had come to see Independence Day.

“Exactly what map are you looking for?” I asked out of curiosity.

The maps on display here were published by the Holy See’s national land records bureau with a focus on accuracy and practicality. I didn’t think they would contain the kind of information a tourist would be looking for.

“I’m looking for a topographical map of the Evilshaw Mountains. Ideally, I’d like a hiking map, but I doubt there is one,” the woman answered in a casual tone.

“Are you planning to climb that mountain?”

“What of it?” she replied, looking at me with a curious expression.

I was puzzled by her response. “Stop…” I began to say, but she cut me off, looking annoyed.

“I’ve heard it all before,” she said. “Everyone’s first response is ‘don’t do it,’ but they never have any useful information to offer. Surely there must be someone who can give me helpful advice…”

“There is no map of Evilshaw,” I interrupted. It was up to me to stop her from doing something dangerous. I noticed a hint of surprise in her expression, followed by a look of amusement.

“I see,” she said, as if enjoying the conversation. “Is that information reliable?”

“It’s as reliable as it gets,” I replied. As a mercenary, knowing which maps exist and which do not was essential information.

But then I remembered that I was no longer a mercenary. “I heard it from a mercenary friend,” I added, smiling wryly.

The woman still seemed unconvinced and asked, “Even the national land records bureau doesn’t publish a map of that area?”

“They probably don’t want to,” I said. “Evilshaw serves as the border, with no checkpoints or anything. And beyond the border is the Aldanak Federation. The Holy See probably doesn’t want to create maps of a place like that and risk leading civilians astray.”

“What about private publishers?”

“That area is a gathering place for the fanged beasts who lost their habitats due to national land development. There’s no demand for a map of that kind of place. Besides, even if a private company sent surveyors, they wouldn’t be able to create a map. The death toll would just keep rising.” I explained, trying to dissuade her from going any further.

My excessively kind explanation made the woman place her right hand on her chin and ponder with a thoughtful “hmm.” While such actions would seem theatrical if done by others, for some reason, this woman’s gestures were elegant.

“The source of the information was mercenaries, right?”

“Yeah. They’re suspicious characters by nature, but their geography knowledge is trustworthy.”

“The voices of people on the scene are reliable, no doubt about that.”

The woman lowered her head in contemplation. Seeing her like that, I felt a little relieved. By just saying that, she should realize that it’s not realistic to enter that mountain.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to give up on the map,” the woman sighed. “…I see. As I suspected, it doesn’t exist.”

She muttered to herself before raising her head. However, the expression on her face was not one of disappointment.

“In other words, it’s truly an unexplored territory,” she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her expression was like that of a child.

“An uncharted mountain, unexplored land, a den of monsters. It’s like a full course meal.” Her smile spread wider on her face. Caught off guard, I unconsciously took a step back.

What is up with this woman? Does she really have no intention of climbing it after saying all that?

“Hey, you…”

“Can you tell me one more thing while you’re at it? If it’s not too much trouble,” the woman interrupted before I could stop her. Her words were spoken in an exaggerated, theatrical tone.

“Is there any way to climb that mountain without a map?”

I was speechless. I doubted her sanity, but her hazel eyes were serious.

Finally, I let out a frustrated shout mixed with disbelief. “Are you stupid or something?!”

The woman widened her eyes in surprise. Seeing her expression of not understanding why she was yelled at only made me angrier.

“What were you thinking? Did I mention anything that gave you the impression that climbing that mountain was even possible? I explained it as clearly as possible, even giving you advice to give up on it. Or are you just too stupid to understand?” I ranted, letting my emotions out. However, my frustration did not dissipate.

“D-did you just call me stupid…?” The woman muttered in a daze, and anger slowly crept into her expression.

“How rude!” she exclaimed, lifting her travel bag and slamming it down forcefully on top of my left foot.

A sharp, intense pain shot through the top of my foot like I had been hit with a blunt object. It was an unusual weight for a bag. What on earth was inside it?

Moaning in agony, I glared at the woman. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I shouted.

The woman stared back at me firmly. “What kind of fool would dare address a lady in such a manner on a first meeting?”

A lady? I couldn’t help but retort. “Where in the world is there a lady who claps a man’s hand away on their first meeting?”

“I was simply teaching a lesson to an ignorant man who didn’t know when to show respect where it’s due. You should be grateful.”

Her haughty words caused my blood to boil. I couldn’t stay silent.

“Grateful? You hit your benefactor with a bag while he was kindly explaining things to you. It’s no wonder you can say such things with a straight face.”

“You were the one who spoke disrespectful words first. My response was justified retaliation.”

“Well, if that’s justified, then my words can also be seen as justified retaliation. Who could stay silent when their kindness is thrown back in their face?”

“Despicable people who use their kindness as a cover deserve to be thrown back. They deserve nothing less.”

It was clear that we were going back and forth with no end in sight. Other customers peered out from the shadows of the bookshelves, wondering what was going on. At this point, I didn’t care about anyone else. If I didn’t shut this woman up soon, my anger would continue to grow.

“Don’t use such dangerous words, woman. Maybe you should go to a convent and learn how to be more ladylike?”

“If you want to espouse male superiority and female inferiority, you should have been born half a century earlier. You’re a pitiful man who doesn’t realize he’s been left behind by the times.”

“Women like you always resort to excuses like that when you’re hit with the truth. You think you can win an argument by using complicated words.”

“Do you know the words of the playwright Lancequake? ‘No poison tongue can hurt the idiot.’ Do you understand?”

Our gazes clashed fiercely as we spoke. The tension in the air was about to boil over when an elderly man’s voice suddenly broke through.

“What’s going on, Sword? You’re causing a commotion in my store…” The old Paul, walked over from the entrance behind the woman.

I think the reason my attention was drawn over there was because of that. The person didn’t miss the momentary opening I gave them. It wasn’t the woman in front of me. It was a black shadow that had dashed past me.

“Ahh…!”

The unexpected attack by a third party caused the woman to fall on her butt. By the time she realized that one of the customers in the shop was the thief, they had grabbed her bag and rushed towards the exit. I shouted in the direction he was going.

“Paul!”

“What the… Argh!”

The pickpocket who rushed past me shoved Paul aside and darted outside the store.

“My bag!” The woman cried out desperately. As I tried to rush over to Paul who had been pushed aside, but he shouted at me. “Go chase after that bastard, Sword!”

“Huh?”

“You’re not going to let the bastard get away with stealing in my store, are you?”

His shout reverberated in the air and before I could think, I kicked off the ground. I ran through the narrow path that was trapped between the bookshelves and jumped out into the back alley.

“My bag!” The woman exclaimed.

“Shut up. I’ll get it back for you while I’m at it.” I clicked my tongue at the woman’s voice coming from behind me and started running after the thief.