Ariel made her presence felt before leaving, leaving quite an impression. While Ariel herself was noteworthy, the reactions of others were even more remarkable.

They looked at Arwen with pitying eyes, as if they completely understood her feelings, occasionally patting her shoulder lightly.

The situation, where a single person was instantly turned into a piece of trash, was so absurd it was hard not to laugh.

Of course, Arwen spent that day trapped in guilt and depression.

It wasn’t just because Ariel had uncovered her inner thoughts, but because the very act of having such thoughts made her feel like utter garbage.

In any case, Ariel left with the two women, heading back to the Minerva Empire. She planned to return directly to the dormitory to explain everything to her father and Adelia.

Who knows how the two of them would react, but it’s safe to say they’d be deeply shocked. After all, it wasn’t just any other race but an angel who had shown up.

Meanwhile, Arwen and I had the rest of the time to ourselves, free to enjoy it as we pleased.

Since two days were wasted on Ariel’s unexpected situation, the schedule would be extended. Frankly, a week had always felt too short to fully enjoy this.

The reason for visiting Alvenheim wasn’t just to strengthen my connection with Arwen but also to explore its various institutions.

Having already visited the World Tree and Elodia, the only remaining destination was The Sanctum, the world’s first library said to house every book in existence.

Today was the day we had decided to visit The Sanctum.

“Wow…”

Arriving at The Sanctum with Arwen, I couldn’t help but gasp at the breathtaking sight before me.

Libraries are supposed to be quiet, but the grandeur of The Sanctum was so overwhelming that I completely forgot about the need for silence.

The ceiling stretched high above, with shelves that nearly reached its heights. The shelves were packed with countless books.

There wasn’t even the musty smell usually associated with books. Instead, the air was filled with the fragrance of blooming flowers.

Even without anything else, this place truly deserved its reputation as the world’s greatest repository of knowledge. However, what stood out even more were the floating shelves.

It seemed like magic was at work, as massive shelves drifted through the air within the vast space of The Sanctum, which was about the size of a soccer field. It was nothing short of a fantastical spectacle.

“If the World Tree is a blessing and gift from the gods, then The Sanctum is a source of pride created by us elves,” Arwen explained proudly as she accompanied me, taking in the awe-inspiring sight.

She was leaning slightly against me, unable to fully support herself after the previous night’s exhaustion.

If I relaxed even a little, she might collapse onto the floor. Of course, staying in bed all day wasn’t a viable option either.

Unlike the first night, she had somewhat adjusted, and her condition wasn’t so bad that she couldn’t walk at all. She was pacing herself to ensure she wouldn’t overdo it.

With no need to worry about prying eyes, we could enjoy a quiet date. Though the library wasn’t the most romantic location, it was more than enough for us.

“How is it organized?”
“The basic structure divides books into centuries. The floating shelves above contain ancient texts recorded when civilizations were first established. However, they are written in ancient languages and would require translation.”
“Wow. And the rest?”
“History, which you enjoy so much, is classified by era and species. The books Sirius has been delivering so far are only a tiny fraction.”

Hearing exactly what I’d hoped for, my excitement grew. The floating shelves were already a delight to the eyes, and their design was beautiful.

Even at a glance, the scale was much larger than a soccer field, with a pristine white aesthetic that emphasized cleanliness.

Although centuries had passed, there were no signs of wear or discoloration; everything was spotless white.

Preservation magic had undoubtedly been applied. For elves, magic was as natural as breathing, so maintaining such preservation was likely easy.

“Was The Sanctum designed to be this grand from the start?”
“Indeed. Receiving the blessing of the gods meant that our Alvenheim would never fall to outside invaders. If such an event were to occur, the world would have already ended.”
“Come to think of it, during the Demon Wars, Alvenheim preserved its forces, didn’t it?”
“Instead, humans and beastfolk bore the brunt of the sacrifices.”

As Arwen explained, during the Demon Wars, humans and beastfolk acted as frontline tanks, with dwarves desperately supporting them.

That’s not to say elves avoided sacrifices entirely. Humans and beastfolk simply had far larger populations due to their prolific reproduction, while elves paid a steep price in their own way.

However, humans had only recently established their civilizations, and the beastfolk lived in tribal societies, leaving them unprepared to defend themselves.

Without the timely birth of the World Tree, humans and beastfolk might have gone extinct—a terrifying hypothesis widely discussed among scholars.

‘But this library is surprisingly lively for a library.’

Despite the rule of maintaining silence, The Sanctum seemed to have a different atmosphere. Discussions and debates were taking place everywhere.

Rather than a library, it seemed more like a hall for exchanging knowledge and ideas. After all, The Sanctum was an exclusive institution accessible only to authorized individuals.

During the manuscript theft incident, I hadn’t asked Arwen for books from The Sanctum without reason.

“How do you retrieve the floating shelves?”
“We elves use magic to fly up and retrieve them. Humans like you can simply ask other scholars for help.”
“Oh. By the way, do many human scholars visit here? Are they ever discriminated against?”

Considering the stereotype of elves, it was a valid concern. Alvenheim’s requirements for recognized scholars were stringent, and surely humans faced even stricter scrutiny.

Surprisingly, Arwen shook her head firmly in denial. She looked around and pointed to a group engaged in a discussion.

Among them were two elven men, whose ages were impossible to discern, locked in what seemed to be an intense debate.

Behind them, there were humans and elves mingling together. To my surprise, their proportions were roughly equal, with individuals from both races actively participating in the conversation.

“As you can see, there’s little discrimination when it comes to academia. Setting foot in The Sanctum signifies that you transcend racial boundaries and contribute to scholarship. Thus, there’s no room for prejudice.”
“I see. But wouldn’t the elves still hold more influence? Humans, with their shorter lifespans, must possess far less accumulated knowledge than the elves.”
“You’re correct. However, humans possess something that elves lack.”
“Something we lack?”
“An innovative perspective.”

That one phrase immediately made sense. Elves, with their longevity and exceptional memory, accumulated vast knowledge, but they were notoriously conservative.

Humans, on the other hand, had a strong drive for progress and a fearless spirit of challenge. Combined with their remarkable adaptability, they grew stronger with each passing generation.

While this often put their lives at risk, they never stopped striving forward.

“That spark of innovation has shaken entire fields of study more than once. The most striking example is astronomy—the realization that this planet revolves around the sun, rather than the other way around.”
“Oh, that’s… wait, what?”

I blinked in surprise and looked at Arwen. She had just mentioned heliocentrism, one of the most famous theories in astronomy.

Something felt off. Given the timeline, this world’s people should logically believe in geocentrism rather than heliocentrism.

Yet, not only did the books I’d read support heliocentrism, but even the academy professors endorsed it.

‘That doesn’t make any sense.’

In my previous life, the heliocentric theory was only proven after significant struggle during the modern era. It was a hypothesis gradually uncovered following Newton’s laws of universal gravitation.

Even that was surprising enough, but a much larger issue remained—the existence of "gods."

Luminus symbolized light and thus represented this world’s "sun," while Mora symbolized the "moon." Lastly, Hirt represented the planet itself, as the goddess of nature.

Naturally, Hirt would be considered the center, with Luminus and Mora orbiting around her. The belief in geocentrism was primarily due to the influence of these gods.

“Surely the church must have put up a fierce opposition? Didn’t it cause problems?”
“There was an uproar, to say the least. Many were immediately executed for blasphemy. But the man who first proposed it refused to back down until the end.”
“And yet, the heliocentric theory… no, that science was adopted?”
“There was an elven scholar who delved deeply into that theory. Over the course of 300 years of research, he uncovered numerous truths: why objects fall vertically despite the planet’s rotation, why we cannot perceive the planet’s movement, and so on. He even calculated distances through 300 years of studying lunar and solar eclipses. Eventually, everyone came to accept it.”

What kind of obsessive elf would do such a thing? I was dumbfounded, but I had to give him credit for his relentless determination.

Even after witnessing the execution of the first proponent for blasphemy, he fearlessly pursued his research. Despite the conservative and stubborn nature of elves, this particular characteristic seemed to work in their favor in this case.

As I listened, I couldn’t hide my admiration, but a question suddenly popped into my mind, and I asked her.
“Then what about theology? It must have caused a huge upheaval in theology too.”
“They began to distinguish between symbols and scientific facts. Even that scholar didn’t deny that the gods are the ones who guide mortals.”
“There must have been many fights over this.”
“Indeed, it’s why the religious and scientific communities despise each other.”

It followed a path similar to my previous world, though with some differences. In times when science was scarce, people saw lightning in the sky and trembled in fear, believing the gods had descended.

But as science advanced and provided logical explanations for these phenomena, the power of religion diminished.
In my previous world, religion had become closer to true faith, something that didn’t matter whether one believed or not, resulting in a rise in atheism.

However, things were different here. The religious and scientific communities would likely continue fighting until the end of the world.

“The Sanctum contains knowledge you might find fascinating. From the concept that the brain controls the body and organs to the idea of invisible microorganisms threatening our lives, there’s so much that it’s hard to decide where to start.”
“History is enough for me.”
“Haha, such a response is so like you.”

At my sharp reply, Arwen chuckled softly, as if she expected no less. I returned her laughter with a smile.

In truth, I wanted to read every single book in The Sanctum, but that was practically impossible. This library had existed since the founding of Alvenheim.

Rather than dabble in everything, it made more sense to delve into history, which I loved the most. Occasionally, I’d pick up something else, though.

“Are you staying with me?”
“If you wish, I can step away for a while. I also feel like reading for the first time in a long while. Ah! And you don’t need to worry about any potential attacks. Magic use is strictly prohibited in The Sanctum, and the gods’ eyes are upon this place.”

That meant I could read in peace. The security magic here was undoubtedly far stronger than what was installed at Halo Academy.

Moreover, the “gods’ eyes” implied that any act of violence was impossible. Anyone attempting such would face divine punishment, not just expulsion.

I nodded at her explanation and started walking. The section containing history books required a bit of a stroll.

“Hmm? Hey, isn’t that…?”
“Judging by the red hair, it seems so. Especially with the queen by his side.”
“Do you think he’s here to explore The Sanctum?”
“Hard to say. Since he’s a scholar, maybe he’s here for research.”

Ever since I entered The Sanctum, I’d occasionally overhear murmurs. While Arwen drew attention on her own, my distinctive red hair made me stand out even more.

Still, being renowned scholars, none of them approached me directly. They either resumed their tasks or picked up paused discussions.

This was expected. Scholars, by nature, tended to ignore anything outside their interests.

The most dedicated ones—those who had achieved remarkable breakthroughs in their fields—were true monsters, entirely consumed by their research.

‘I hope they don’t get any weird ideas.’

Or worse, see me as a research subject. I ignored the gazes piercing me from all directions and focused on reaching the history section.

With Arwen by my side as a formidable shield, no one would dare approach me. Besides, they likely understood my reasons for coming to Alvenheim.

That thought eased my mind. For now, I could concentrate on exploring history books.

“…Whoa.”

As soon as I arrived at the history section, I let out a gasp. The sheer volume of books was overwhelming.

Usually, history books focus on modern and contemporary times, with ancient and medieval periods summarized briefly.

But here, every era was meticulously categorized. From books written thousands of years ago to those most recently published, everything was present.

‘This is incredible!’

It was a stunning repository of knowledge. Not only were there simple history books, but the collection was further divided into topics like race, culture, politics, society, religion, art, and science.

Although the core theme was history, the details of its development and evolution were well-documented. Even this was enough to satisfy me.

As I stood gaping at the vast array of books, I quickly gathered my composure. Glancing at Arwen, I saw her puffing out her chest proudly.

“Do you like it? All of these are yours to borrow as you please.”
“Really? Can I borrow whatever I want?”
“Yes, but don’t forget to return them. Even if you’re Zenon, the loss of knowledge is a sensitive issue for scholars.”
“Don’t worry about that. Now, where should I start…”

The sheer number of books was overwhelming, making it hard to decide where to begin. I decided to skip ancient texts—they were written in ancient languages and nearly impossible to read without translations.

As I browsed, one book caught my eye. Its title was unremarkable, but the author was familiar:
[Eiker Lightsinger]

Eiker had been an elven commander during the Species War but was imprisoned for actions deemed illegal under elven law. Many scholars believed that had he not been imprisoned, the elves would have won the war—or at least avoided a humiliating defeat.

And here was a history book written by such a tragic hero. Even its title hinted at an exploration of elven arrogance.

‘Does this count as history too?’

Intrigued, I pulled the book from the shelf. The books here were impeccably maintained, with not a speck of dust.

Carrying the book, I made my way to a table, ignoring an elf who looked like a burly version of Thor sitting nearby.

With great anticipation, I opened the book to its first page…

[Those damn pointy-eared bastards. I wish they’d all just drop dead.]

“…What?”

A shocking and self-loathing sentence filled the first page.