Chapter 2. The Head Librarian : Alvard Shielder

Dryad walked to Basilisk Mansion, where every weekend, she had a part time job there. Dryad was the newest addition to the esteemed group of librarians at Basilisk's "The Grand Library". A young woman with a fiery spirit and an insatiable curiosity, she had quickly made a name for herself as a diligent and resourceful researcher.

She kept walking until reach her destination. The mansion was quiet as usual. Now It belonged to Master Vladislav Dieter Basilisk, a wealthy gentleman who always went for business. Nothing much to tell about him. She rarely saw him, anyway.

The front door was not locked yet by the butler so she could easily come in. She walked through a corridor that led her directly to the grand library. Once inside the library, she closed the heavy double doors behind her. The head librarian stood before a painting with his back facing Dryad.

This head librarian, Sir Alvard, was always in the mansion, like... Dryad almost never saw him come out from the library. His long auburn hair was neatly tied in a low ponytail. He wore a white suit and dark-red vest with embossed black floral pattern on the back, a pair of white gloves, and the chain of a pocket watch resting on the front of the vest, making him seem more stern than friendly. His collar tie was decorated with little gears and rhinestone studs, and the cufflinks on his suit were also shaped like little gears.

That day, Sir Alvard was supervising two other librarians, Haze and Virgil, who were trying to hang a huge painting on the wall. It was a painting of a lighthouse. Stood still while crazy waves crashed against its stone walls. The image seemed serene, yet beautiful at the same time.

Dryad stepped and stood beside Sir Alvard , a mere inch behind."Sir Alvard," she greeted, "Good day. Oh! What new things do we have here? Such a big painting! It must be very heavy!"

"Yeah, sweet heart, wanna try to lift this?" Virgil said, holding it while Haze knocked the nails with a hammer.

Sir Alvard turned at Dryad for a moment and smiled warmly, "Good day to you as well, dear child." He looked back at the painting, "Indeed, it's a large one... We had quite a difficult time transporting this piece here. This painting was heavy and we had to find a team to help us move it here safely... Fortunately, we have such good people working in this mansion~ I am sure that you also have noticed the other paintings hanging on these walls as well?"

Dryad smiled, "Yes. I always love them! This mansion itself is full of masterpieces just like an art gallery. I am fortunate enough to be allowed to work here."

"By the way, how's your recital performance yesterday?" he asked.

She sighed and puffed her cheeks, "I screwed it up."

Alvard chuckled. "You'll do fine next time."

"I hope...," she said. Dryad then squinted her eyes and noticed the insignia on the new painting "Wow! It's by Joustin William Turner?! The famous painter across the land!"

Master Alvard nodded when he heard the name and looked at the insignia that she was pointing to, "Ah! Yes, you are right. This is indeed by Joustin William Turner. He is one of the most famous painters in our history and this particular piece has been highly regarded as a masterpiece."

"I wonder how much it cost! Especially for a work this big. Did Lord Vlad just buy it?"

Sir Alvard chuckled, "It's quite a hefty sum of money. The painting was bought by Lord Vlad himself, and I believe that he had to use his connections in order to acquire it. I am sure that the price is beyond what most people can afford."

"Yeah...even your five years salary as librarian is still not enough for its frame!" Haze said.

Dryad raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms, "Well, that is not surprising. But... five years salary?"

Sir Alvard chuckled, amused by Dryad's reaction. "You're still surprised, though."

"But if it's valuable, why hang it inside here? This library is quite strict and has such rules of who can enter. People rarely come here, anyway. If you hang it in the foyer, everyone can enjoy its beauty, right?" Dryad asked.

Sir Alvard raises an eyebrow, "I see that you are quite observant. The painting was placed here for a special reason. You see, though we have rules and it feels like a restricted area, The Grand Library serves as the heart of this residence. The library is where most of our prized artifacts reside, so it makes sense for us to place valuable pieces here."

Dryad studied it carefully, took in its details.

"The lighthouse looks like it has been standing on its site for centuries and yet is still intact," she stated.

"Hm...," Alvard hummed, listening to her.

"Even though it captured how powerful the storm and how frightening the sea can truly be, it seems like such a beautiful sight," she added.

After hanging the painting, Haze stepped down from the ladder and took a few steps behind while examining the piece together.

"The lighthouse standing guard there, almost proud, like a guardian waiting for a brave soul to step out from the safety and darkness," Haze said. "Oh? Did I say something weird?"

Alvard chuckled slightly, "Haze, the ever romantic author, what a very unusual compliment! But... well said," Alvard continued, "it seems this painting has an impact on your unique imagination."

"And look at that! I can almost feel the brush stroke, how can it form such waves? It looks like the water is moving." she said to herself.

Sir Alvard nodded his head and smiled.

"You see, this painting depicts a lighthouse standing tall amidst the stormy sea. The lighthouse is like a beacon of hope that shines bright even in the darkest of nights, guiding ships safely to their destinations. As for what it means as a metaphor... well... as librarians we are looking after our people here at the grand library~ We keep everyone safe from harm by providing them with knowledge and guidance when needed most"

They paused for a moment until Sir Alvard spoke again, "Dryad, I see that lately, you've been dealing with yourself, right? You seem to lose your confidence or something" he asked.

Dryad furrowed, "You noticed?"

"Your mind is too busy to not realize that you, actually, are strong enough to face a storm like the lighthouse," Sir Alvard smiled.

"Yes... I believe that sometimes we underestimate ourselves and our abilities. But it is only through facing challenges head on and pushing through them that we truly realize how strong we are. We have to be like the lighthouse. Continue to face adversity with strength and resilience. Standing tall in the midst of chaos and turmoil and inspiring others," He said with a kind of certainty in his voice.

Dryad was silent for a moment but then chuckled bitterly,

"Inspiring? I don't think I can do that. You know I don't have any skills whatsoever that I can be proud of. Now I am curious, what do you think of me?"

Sir Alvard thought for a moment again before answering, "Well... you are one of the people that I consider to be dear and special. Your kindness and patience in dealing with others have earned my respect. And your determination to pursue knowledge despite any obstacles has also impressed me greatly~ I believe that you will become an excellent librarian when the time comes, because of how dedicated and hardworking you are"

She chuckled softly, "Your words are too kind, Master Alvard.. I am nothing. And speaking of obstacles, I haven't faced any great disaster in my life.. only.. well, dealing with daily problems and all"

Sir Alvard smiled, then looked at Dryad with a reassuring expression, "you are not nothing. Your daily struggles and challenges may seem small to some but they are important nonetheless. It is through these daily battles that we learn resilience and perseverance. And I believe that you have shown great strength in overcoming your own obstacles as well."

"Your encouragement means a lot to me, Sir Alvard. Thank you again," she said, trying to hide her slightly blushed cheeks as she heard his words. She thought he always knew exactly what to say.

"Anyway, I am usually scared of the sea, Sir. I don't know how to put it into words, but..., I think I love this painting. I personally love it!"

"Well, I do too. It's very nice knowing that we shared a common interest," Sir Alvard said while nodding.

She turned and smiled at him, which he returned.

"Now, get back to work," he said and walked away while telling her something to do, "the novels section upstairs is in a complete disaster, you better take care of it! I think some books also fell from the shelf,"

"Yes, Sir!" she called after. Then she smiled and headed to the stacks of books near the wall, then went upstairs.

While arranging the books, by the corner of her eyes she saw Sir Alvard downstairs, standing beside the window. With one of his shoulders leaning against the windowsill, the other hand holding his pocket watch. His fingers pressed hard on the clock's hands as though it was keeping him alive.

His hazel eyes staring blankly at the gray clouds outside. Dryad's breath got caught in her throat. He looked sad, like he missed something really important to him.