Chapter Text
Well, wasn’t this going to be interesting? He approached the weird old castle on his hang glider; though, it was the library he was after, as one of its books had something he wanted dearly! He felt himself challenging the sky, swerving in the harsh winds, doing a loop then diving downward, following the current and having a great time traversing the night. This was one heist he really didn't have to send a notice, because it was said to be an abandoned castle and out in the wilderness. Even if he threw a notice, no one would have known: a waste of time.
The only reason he knows about this place is because Akako recommended it. He was after a large ruby: the Claret Cardenal. A gem in a library that holds books as old as time. He expected a desert, so he was surprised to see the gem’s location being a castle on the edge of a cliffside mountain. It looked like the ones you would see in those princess movies, or the extreme medieval ones.
The only hint he had to find this place was an old map, when Akako showed it to him, standing on the rooftops of the school, talking with some sturdy old dusty book in her hand. He still remembered her wry grin. The last time she had brought him here, it was to tell him to not go on a heist. So her holding the book out to him had made it all the more confusing. The sly witch walked around him and stood by his side. Her not even touching the pages to flip through the book before it landed on a loose page, sticking out of the book and a different color from the other pages. Most likely not having been part of the original binding, and put in there for easy access. Her words were bitter, as the map was pushed into his arms.
Kaito didn’t understand girls. One moment they want him dead the next moment he's getting helped by them. Well, her words before made him scowl. He was not KID! Well, he was, but can't just say that to her or that one detective in his school. These two were going to be the death of him! Shaking his head, he smiled, looking down at the map in his hands. The wind made it a bit difficult, but he didn’t really need it anymore. He ended up rolling it up and tucking it in his suit with one hand. No need for a map if he can see the place in sight. He couldn’t help but be a little curious about such a sight. Old castles meant getting to see a lot of tricks. Like the one trick from the last wizard of the century. Fake kingdoms with many mechanisms were always a blast to study and figure out.
"She better not be trying to kill me again," he said. Sighing out, he clicked on the mic in his ear before speaking out to his assistant. "I'm here, Jii-san. It will be quick. Just need to find the gem and I will be at the place where we met up."
He spoke into it with a smile, as he stared down at the worn castle. It looked like a standard mountain castle. With the moon nicely hanging from its roof, it had a stunning view. Diving forward, he landed down onto the slabs of one of the tower's roofs. His Hang Glider folded up and turned into a white cape that flowed in the wind.
"Alright, young master. Please be safe. Even though this area is said to be abandoned, I would be wary. Legend tells that a dragon of sorts guards the mountaintop, and the books are its hoard. Normally, such a silly thing I would pass off as hearsay, but with the witch involved I would feel it best to make you aware. Perhaps it’s not the most accurate legend, but no doubt there is something there that could attack you, be it a creature or a set of booby traps." The older man spoke out from the mic. Kaito smiled at the concern. Jii always was like a grandfather to him, caring and worrying. It made that void of family feel more full than empty.
"Yea, she did say something cryptic like that." He sighed out, turning off the mic with a ‘bye’. Pulling out his card gun, he shot down at the tile, making the hole inside it a bit bigger as it started to crack. Messing with the gun to change the function, he hooked the metal hook onto the edge and started to ease himself down with the line. His shoes made an echoing click once he landed in the old tower. Keeping his grip, he tapped the ground lightly. Is it brittle? No? Good.
Clicking a button, his grapple unhooked, retracting into the gun. He looked around curiously at the cobblestone design of the walls, before down at the many stairs below. That looked about right. He hummed amusedly as he stepped forward, looking for any traps and watching for anything that could be a trigger of events. He grabs a torch from the wall and lit it with a lighter he had in his suit.
He kicks a pebble by his shoe, stopping to watch it. It clicked and bounced down the stairs out of sight. Just the noise of it hitting each step made Kaito all the more worried. Kaito waited for some trigger to be activated, only to feel relief when nothing happened. He should really be more careful. Now, he was here, in this castle atop the mountain, with impossibly large doors and towers that scrape the sky. Only way now was down, as once he descended the stairs, he would be fully in the castle.
Kaito walked along moving the torch against the wall. It lights the cracks and crevasses of the stone, and the magician stares at the architecture, wishing there was a mapped layout but this place was timeless. "Medieval architectural builders always outdid themselves." He whistled at the doorway's arch, walking through it. KID started to look at the old red carpet before around the surrounding area, getting a lay of the land. "Now, if I was in a library, where would I be?" He hummed to himself, knowing well that a good place to start looking for a book would be in the castle library that was spoken of by the witch.
Now wandering around the grand hall, he found stairs leading up towards where the towers were, seeing a good sized landing up there. Maybe there were bedrooms up above in the tower? He took a moment to admire the place, before moving along. Kaito peeked around and spotted a small door, behind a pair of grand staircases. The door looked like it was falling apart from rot, and the hinges barely held onto the wall. A hole in the wood — which he noticed when he bent down — showed some stairs leading downward. Ok, there were two ways he could go: up or down. Checking the top was probably the better choice of not wasting time, but the mysterious hidden door caught his interest more. Stepping closer to the small door staring at the chipped wood, he pondered. "A dungeon, maybe?" Kaito questioned as he stared at the door. Tilting his head and looking around he wonders if this could possibly be a deadend, or it could be full of secrets! The place was full of dust and spiderwebs after all. Nodding to himself, he stepped closer to the rotten door to enter it. The torch illuminated more holes in the interior, as he moved closer. The thief held his hand out to push it open only to watch it fall over and crumble with age. Maybe checking out the potential dungeon wouldn't hurt? It was better than—
Whoops!
The thief slipped in the stairwell as he started to step down with the torch lighting his way. A thin pathway that will lead him down into the depths of the castle's basement. There were many copper pots around, as well as some chains lying around. A dungeon, most likely. The eerie atmosphere made him feel like he should turn around, but he felt that there was a secret down here and wanted to explore it further.
"No way there’s a library in here, or any type of books." He shook his head, sticking his hand against a wall, Before he even realized what was going on, his hand was sinking into the stone. "Eh?!" The thief yelped as the wall flipped open, pushing him into another room. Stumbling a bit to get his footing, he held the torch up, hoping to not catch himself on fire. Placing his hand on the wall, he felt it sink into the stone. Not again, he thought as the wall pushed him into another room.. Gathering his bearings, the thief found himself face to face with a skeleton chained to the wall.
"EK!" He moved away from it quickly. Kaito waved his arms in the air from shock, startled by the sight of the bones of whoever once was trapped here. Kaito stepped back, only to hit another triggering wall, and the castle threw him into another hallway. Dazed and a little dizzy, he tried to get his bearings by gripping the next wall. The thief had to blink a bit before he was able to glance around at his surroundings. The hall looked a little more.... normal for whatever that counts for stone walls and detreareating paintings, disused furniture, torn carpet, rotting doors. It wasn't too bad, but now he was lost in the depths of the castle.
Kaito stood up and shook himself, before realizing his cape was stuck in the wall. He grasped the fabric and gave a big tug, releasing it from the stone. He sighed with a toothy grin. "So, you have some tricks.” he smirked. “Well then, that makes it more fun." He spoke to the castle like it was some old buddy, or a challenge itself. After a few steps, he was lost in thought. As he walked, the thief started to just feel along the wall. Eventually, this could lead him to the library and Royal libraries were huge! He shouldn't miss it and if he does it would be better hidden then he’d first assumed. Also thinking of what to do next made him feel better than pondering over the poor soul who was trapped in that dungeon. Then again, they could have been in there for a crime. Though now that he thinks about it, usually the people stuck in dungeons were there from angering the king, not the other way around.
There was a creaking sound and a ‘whoosh’ before his torch blew out, leaving him alone in the eerie darkness, but it showed him that there was a draft nearby. A way out, maybe? He notes its direction and keeps walking. He grabbed his lighter to light the torch again. It just felt right instead of using a flashlight. Much more goth aesthetic with a fire stick. Felt fitting, but if he did lose the stick he had a flashlight in his suit, and he was nothing if not one to read a room to fit the vibe. There was a soft tune that started picking up into his ears though, like that of a vetrella....? old and wavering, but sweet and crisp. “Great. There better not be ghosts.” He shuddered at the thought. ''I don’t want to deal with that at all. One witch is enough.”
‘ Ghosts aren't real, ’ he thought. He just had to keep repeating that in his mind. Though he kept his path and kept his pace walking along to follow the noise. Each step took him closer to his destination, the sound getting louder and louder. At the end of the hall, he saw a door that was pretty big and it gave off ‘important’ vibes.
The door was heavily decorated with symbols and markings, gold or bronze dusted the sides and hardware, and it was made of solid polished oak.... it looked as though someone actually put a good amount of thought into this... and cared for it too! It wasn’t rusted or damaged… Was there something still taking care of it? Ah, he loved this style, cause it just was all showy, like himself. Kaito reached out and grabbed the door handle, pulling on it. It was a bit of a struggle, but not too hard to open.
Shouldn’t these doors be all creaky and dusty? It had opened way too easily, and he shuddered as he stepped in. It looked to be a master bedroom of sorts, a large four poster bed with red curtains and blue sheets, a record player spinning softly in the corner. The main thing that drew his focus here were the practically wall to wall shelves of books that took up the area. His eyes moved to the record player away from the books, curious about it. Has the wind started it up somehow? The moon lit the room a bit, but only barely, and he was wary. He moved his torch to a few lanterns and lit them up. Even if it wasn't the main library, he should check these books out.
"I guess it didn't exactly state a library. More of a book cover," He mumbled, walking around the bed. He lit a few more lanterns, one on a desk, another hanging off the ceiling. In each lantern, there was a strange blue crystal inside them. Why were they there? What was their purpose? Kaito shook off the feeling, grabbing a book from the book case. The torch in his other hand was no longer needed with all the new lights, so he blew it out, and watched the fire turn to nothing but smoke. Gently he placed it on the floor, making sure it wasn’t near any fabric. No starting fires today!
Staring at the shelf, his eyes trailed over the books to see if something stood out. The books were old, that was obvious too, and the way they smelled was something else! They were delightful old musty book smells. Grabbing one, he stared at the book, reading its title before placing it on the desk nearby. The soft record of music made his indigo eyes move to it once more. Someone was here, surely, but who? This room didn’t look so worn down like the rest of the castle had. It made him keep his poker face on longer, taking his time as he took out many books from the shelf. Searching each book’s cover and spine once, twice and a third to be sure. He had one in his hand and looked it over. Feeling the spine of the book and pressing on it to see if there was any strange lock, or secret. Pages flipping as he sighed and shook his head. This wasn’t the book in question. The book in question had little to no information. A gem was just supposed to be stuck in the cover when you open up the book, or would it be up front? Maybe in the pages?
As he went to return one of the books to the shelf, it slipped out of his hand, falling down onto the floor with a loud clunk. It made the thief expect dust to fly everywhere, but none came out.
Someone was definitely here and keeping this area‘s upkeep, keeping it clean and tidy. It was rather obvious that there wasn’t much dust around. He went to pick up the fallen book, as his sharp eyes gazed at the player once more. He would have shrugged it off at only the player, it could have been some weird magic thing for all he knew. The window’s open, the wind could have played it, but these books looked like they'd been actively dusted off. Grabbing the book that slipped from his hands he pushed it back in place and turned around, looking at the bed.
Walking over to the bed, he felt the sheets. Still dust free..was he not alone then? They looked to be used and the bed was made recently. Someone was staying here for sure, as he looked at his dust free hand before his eyes glanced around the room. No one was even near here though! No villages or towns! Not even a road was near this area. It was fully abandoned, and that is what made him feel an eerie chill.so… Who could be staying here? A lost traveler, maybe? How would they survive out here? He hasn't found a kitchen, so he wouldn’t know if It was in use if he even looked.
“This got interesting.” He hummed as he moved back from the bed, taking more details into notice. A vase drew his eye, filled with withered flowers, though there was an attempt to water them. The flowers looked real, but could they really be still here, after so many years if his theory of this castle being abandoned is true. The flowers, and hell, the water wouldn’t be in here. These shouldn’t be alive then! They should be completely disintegrated! Picking up the vase he gently moved it around, and noted the water move and shift. Yup. It wasn't an illusion there was water inside. It was just some blue vase with a unique design. So they weren’t fake dead flowers. No… they were real. If these flowers were ancient they would be dust, not withered. Taking a step back he looked through the drawers. No clothes, but he did find a bow tie. It looked old, but not dusty. There was also a pair of old glasses. Closing them he walked to the closet. In here, there were a few clothing items, but they were so dated. Yikes.
Ok, this was just getting more confusing. He stepped back and put his hand on his chin, this was rather odd and strange. Would these old clothes be in use and not simply be sealed off to have not been ripped or eaten by moths? Sliding the closet closed, he moved and started to put the books up in the order he sort of remembered before walking out of the room. He had to shove the door to get it open. The hall looked really old compared to the room he was just in. It was like time had stopped in the other room, though the wood had been rotting a bit back there. But still... There was someone staying in some old forgotten castle.
But who? And were they friendly?
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It took a bit of wandering, but he spotted a huge towering door, much bigger than the last. “A throne room?” He pondered and noted the pillars had book carvings. No, wait! It was the library he's been searching for the past hour! “Finally!” He sighed and moved to the doorway, starting to push on it. Expecting to hear a creak, he was surprised when it didn’t even make a sound. This is getting more and more suspicious, he thought as he slipped into the little opening he made. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed that the light he thought was from the moon was instead many glowing crystals that were strung up attached onto the ceiling and walls like a lantern. Okay? Was someone looking for the same gem? Kaito looked up at the towering book shelves and noticed a desk in the middle and many books with ladders to get up to the next story. His eyes twitched in annoyance. “Oh, this will take a century!” He groaned out. Moving along the shelves, he looks around. Taking a bit of a stroll around the place before he started, trying to calm down the temptation to tip over the books and search each individual one. The thief stopped at the first towering book case, and stared up at the two other stories.
Letting out a small, annoyed laugh, the thief stared up at the numbers of the books with an exhausted sigh. He might need to do extra trips here, cause the sight of the towering shelves made his body quake. "Kaaa…a little overwhelming for sure." He grumbled, his eyes narrowing and glaring at each book, wishing his stares were enough to identify each and every last book, but nope, that is not how it works. Stepping along, he sighed.
"Now if I was a book with a gem in it, where would I be?" The thief spoke out to himself as he stepped back to stare at the books that towered up. It was unbelievable how many books were here. When moving back, he bumped into something. What did he bump into!? He felt it with his gloves, and how it brushed and moved. Felt hairy... or fluffy? Also the fact that he felt hot air being breathed over him, making his neck and back warm and hot. The sound of static and electricity was another thing.
‘A taser? No, this is an abandoned ancient castle!’
"Hello?"
Kaito froze up when he turned around and was face to snout with a scaly beast of legends. His indigo eyes were wide in shock. He stepped back, noting the large fangs and blue sparks that came from the creature’s hooked horn. Its big slitted blue eyes stared down at him as they stood in silence. Its nostrils flared and eyes were searching him; but for what? He had no idea.
After a bit he noted the creature's tense body language relax and those sharp eyes dilated to big ovals, reminding him of a fluffy cat a bit. A cat that was excited to chase and tear him apart. Kaito thought Akako sent him to his death sentence but they just stood there, still. It was an unbearable silence. The thief hated silence. Both their eyes locked for what felt like a entirety before he coughed into his hand. He watched the dragon ears perk and twitch a bit with curious eyes stuck on him. So when the thief tried to speak, an outburst came from his mouth.
"D…Dragon!?" He felt himself exclaiming out loud when he tried to speak. It was hard to keep his poker face on with some mythical creature staring at him. Yes, witches were real, so he should have expected this. He didn't, but still!? Now he wished it was a ghost instead! The dragon gave a look though; confusion mixed with annoyance.
"I believe I'm a wyvern. A type of dragon though, so, you're correct." It spoke out with a loud rumbling hum. He had expected a more..wise sounding beast. Not something of a soft but stern tone. Its blue eyes staring at him waiting for a response. Kaito found himself staring, although seeing the blue beast sigh is what snapped him out of his worrying thoughts.
"Ah sorry. It's just I've never met a dra-wyvern before." The magician thief chuckled nervously out, correcting himself for the monster that towered over him. Trying to piece back together his poker face. Standing up, right before bowing. "But your humble home is quite a delight. Of the whole castle, the library has been kept in mint condition!" Also the room this beast was staying in, but he wasn’t about to say he snooped in the bedroom. That just sounded like it would lead to chaos if he did say it. His cape swept over his arm as he bent down with a soft smile, trying to be welcoming. The last thing he wanted was an angry beast after him.
"Of course, it is the only area I care about." The wyvern’s ears perked up. It tail dances a bit, loving the compliments. Feeling pride after so many years of being alone made the beast feel warm. Maybe this human is not too bad. The guy hasn't screamed in horror and ran, or tried to hurt him, So that's good! But that was scratching at the bottom of the barrel. So many people tried to hurt him before, and his fami–But hey! He didn’t sense any magic on this human so it wasn’t someone trying to dissect him for parts. That's good!
“Why is that?” KID found himself asking, now curious a bit of this creature since it wasn’t mauling him or trying to burn him into toast. He rather hoped keeping the conversation going would keep it that way too. He moved over to lean against the bookshelf, but seeing the dragon pupils dilate made him get off the wall. A sorry being mumbled out as he didn’t expect the sudden body language change. Kid gently patted the book as moved away from the shelf. Seeing the dragon eyes return back to those welcoming ones made him feel relief.
“It reminds me of my family, and the books are all I have left of them.” The beast stated grimly as he looked up with sorrowful eyes at all the books that kept him sane. Every little book he had helped him escape. His father wanted to show the world the books that he wrote, but he never was able to when his mother got sick. Then some selfish magic users...
“Ah-” Kaito said. Now he felt like a jerk from asking.
“What brings you happiness?” The wyvern spoke out sweetly to the newcomer. He never had basic social interaction in so long! The furry-and-scaly beast had so many questions! Watching the human look at him confused and not understanding. It made his horns glow and glisten in excitement.
“Happiness?” The thief questioned as pondered for a moment. What brought him happiness? It was a difficult question to think of if he wanted to be honest. Family? Not really, his mother not around much and his father murdered. Aoko? She could be a bit much. KID!? Maybe, but sometimes he felt sorrow just thinking about how this job was the reason his father was targeted in the first place. But he had to answer something. Maybe…magic? Yes, that always brought him joy.
“Magic, obviously!” He chirped out as flipped his cape and a dove came from him. The beast's eyes widened at the trick, watching confusedly. KID reached out and caught the bird on his finger tip, making sure to keep his pet away from the monster, just in case it wanted to snack on his pets. “Also these little guys.'' He heard Ace sing out as the bird nuzzled him. A big grin was over Kaito's face as he cooed back at the dove.
“I don’t sense magic in you.” The wyvern fur rose up wary now. Looking at the other with shock and anger almost. Stepping back not wanting to get attacked, Though the human just stared at him confused.
“No magic?” KID questioned before realizing what he said. Waving his hands in defense when he saw sparks start to come from the beast horns. “Ah, ah, no! No, not real magic!” He waved pleading to not be zapped into a crisp. The wyvern snorted, but lowered its head puzzled.
“What do you mean, not real magic? You just said, ‘magic makes you happy.’” The blue beast hissed, sounding scared.
Kaito felt like he dug himself into a grave. "Well, you see, I'm a magician." He left out the fact he was a phantom thief. Cause that would dig him further into trouble.
"Oh, you're not a jester?" The dragon scoffed, calling the other a fool. Though, his interest perked of what a magician could mean.
Kid eye twitches at that. "No, I'm no fool, good sir." He kept his tone right. No need to get moody; Poker face. "A magician is one who tricks their audience into believing magic is more than just a slight of hand." He made a rose blossom out of his palm and held the blue rose out.
"So you trick others? like a con?"
"Well, it's mostly that they want to be tricked. To be put in a wonderland of joy."
The wyvern tilted its head at that and started sniffing at the rose. When no hint of magic came, was when the beast showed real interest. "So… you make it look like a spell, but it was really your fast movements. Was that what you have done with the dove?" The curious creature asked in awe.
Kid nodded with a smile as he held the rose out. "My name is a secret to all, So call me KID. It is the name I go by."
"Kudo Shinichi. Son of a dragon and human." The blue wonder spoke out with a now welcoming smile. His fangs not looking so scary anymore, but that could just be because he is finally starting to get on good terms. "But what made you travel to my old home?"
That is what stopped him in his act. Kid thought about it for a moment. Could he just tell the truth? Or would he be killed for being greedy? Maybe he could tell the truth.
"I'm in search of a certain book for a quest my father once was on. Kudo-kun." Oh, the words he decided to use! He guessed he is sliding into some fancy fake medieval speech. It was kind of fun, though!
The dragon noticed the speech patterns and went along with it. "Well, my fair friend from another land, I have many books." Kaito noticed the beast trying not to snicker. It was having fun with him! That was promising right? That fanged jaw was in a wonderful smile. They walked together, Kaito followed by the large wyvern side. Taking in Shinichi's appearance. Watching that fluffy tip tail flick excitedly. The crystal scales sticking out of the fluff sparks a bit. Very happy dragon, he noted from the body language. Good. Happy dragon means he is in the clear.
Continuing along, he looked at the large arching window. The moon is almost centered with it, and when the blue wonder walked by he shined like a gem himself. It puts him in awe at the sight of Shinichi in the moonlight, his glowing body is stunning. The other scales gleamed brightly and glowed with the moon, making him look as though he were embedded with starlight.
"Any book in particular? What does it look like?" That snapped him from his thoughts. Kaito looked at the wyvern who curiously stared back. Had the beast always had a red cloak and somewhat scarlet glasses? No, he didn't. But they were standing by a desk, so it was reasonable to say they had recently put it on. Reading gear?
"Ah, well, I was told about it. Never seen it myself, but the front page is crimson." KID held back about the mention of the gem. He didn't want to be attacked for being selfish and greedy. Shinichi blinked at that before frowning, looking around unsure of such a book.
"Ah..that. That is not helpful at all to help me pick it out. Not even a genre," He whined, almost sounding desperate for more of a description. "What do you know about the author? The date it was written? The contents?" Blue eyes staring down at him before at the row of shelves. Kaito didn't blame the worry in his eyes. Three stories (ha pun) of books spanning the size of a football field. He felt bad seeing the stress in the beast's eyes.
"Sorry, I do not. Like I said, this was something my father was looking for." He said and noticed the beast frowning. Their eyes locked once more. It felt like a mutual understanding. Even if Kaito didn't know why it felt that way.
"If it helps, I can just start checking these books. But I can come back after to do more." The magician stepped up onto the steps by the window. Looking back to the whole of The dragon's library. Shinichi seemed to perk up at the thought of the human coming back again. He could have company! It made all the panic and anxiety of searching leave, at least somewhat.
"Do as you must. I welcome you to my home." The wyvern rumbled out with a happy purr like noise. Body shaking with the vibration as the static made his fur puff a bit, he gave an overall welcoming energy. The built up electricity was released and struck the crystals up on the ceiling. Kaito watched as each linked crystal glowed brighter. He was his own lighting source, it seemed. Made sense, but still, it was incredible.
"They absorb my element," Shinichi spoke out, noticing the staring. "My father charmed them and I made the whole lighting setup myself." The beast spoke in a sad but happy tone. Kaito wondered where the beast’s parents were. He understood one parent was likely human from the wyvern’s announcement. Humans can't live long, but where is the draconic parent? Wait, how did Shinichi fit in that bedroom then? He's too big to fit through the doorway!
"But if we are to search all these books, we should check my room. There’s less there and a good place to start." He stated after a pause. His body gleamed bright blue, and a bright light blinded Kaito.
Before the magician, was now a human. Their faces are almost identical, just sharper, not as soft. "Come along." The thief's hand was taken, and KID felt himself get dragged along. Feeling the static when his hand was clamped around the other. He was stunned and surprised by the change of appearance. From dragon to human… it was awe inspiring. Unlike any of his disguises, this was real.
"I-i-i, wait…" He slipped his hand from the grip causing the other now teen to blink at him confused. "I already searched your room," Kaito explained with a worried gaze. He didn't want to check the same books again.
"Eh!?" Shinichi paused at that before frowning. The silence lasted only a few seconds. "You were in my room..." He gave the thief an annoyed and disappointed stare. "Don't you know not to look through others' stuff?"
"Ah, ah, I didn't know this place was even active!" The magician waved his hands in defense as the boy snorted. A little upset, but seeing the cold outside from his room to the library, it was justified. Much of the garden and surrounding area was in disrepair. It's hard to care for it anymore, to walk those halls for long without feeling sadness and sorrow. The feeling of dread dragging along like slippery snakes. Loneliness can do so much damage.
"Just don't snoop around anymore. It's rude and bothers me, barou." Shinichi barked at the human. Scowling a little, he made KID’s hair stand up from the static. The magician nodded quickly at the other words that felt threatening more than just asking. Though that scowl softened so quickly… It made him think of Aoko, his childhood friend, when she had her mood swings of emotions. At least the wyvern hadn’t hit him with a mop yet.
"I believe we can start here?" The thief hummed as he motioned to the first tower of books, which earned him a snort. He turned to look at the three stories of books that made him sigh. This was going to take days…