Five minutes
Ruby slumped amidst a pile of scattered, heavy books, her signature fiery red curls now appearing somewhat dull and frizzy, a messy mess from her unconscious scratching.
She had heavy dark circles under her eyes, almost matching the dark trim of her robe. Her large, emerald eyes stared unfocused at a magic book, thicker than a brick, lying open on her lap, its dense, twisted runes seeming to swirl and dance before her eyes.
She stretched out her slightly trembling fingers, rubbed her aching temples, and let out a mournful wail, thick with nasal tones and utterly aggrieved; the sound was exceptionally clear in the empty library.
"Ugh... Only studying, no playing, even smart Ruby's turned dumb..."
His voice was weak and listless, with a long, drawn-out ending, like a kitten whose strength had been drained.
In the center of the library, upon that majestic throne.
Serie was still wearing that simple white robe, immersing herself in it with a languid yet undeniably imposing presence.
One leg was casually curled up on the throne, his arm was propped up on the armrest, his palm was supporting his cheek, and his signature slanted eyes were half-closed, his gaze like the most precise carving knife, falling on the student below who was almost melting into a puddle of mud.
Hearing Ruby's complaint, her cool voice remained completely calm, like an ice bead falling onto a jade plate:
She tapped her fingertips lightly on the armrest of the throne, making a barely audible clicking sound. "Disgraceful. Is this all the 'mage who defeated the Demon King's squad' has? He only lasted five minutes against me?"
Ruby froze, as if pricked by an invisible needle. She abruptly raised her head and met Serie's all-seeing gaze, instantly cowering in fear.
She pouted, trying to argue, but her voice grew softer and softer, tinged with a self-deprecating mutter:
"No... who... who could possibly defeat you..." In front of Serie, the confidence she had gained from defeating the Demon King melted away as quickly as ice and snow under the sun.
"I don't care." Serie interrupted her, her tone calm but undeniable. "Your foundation is weak. Do you think you can cover up the numerous flaws in your theory with a few improvised 'Explosion Magic' with ridiculously long names?"
Ruby's face scrunched up, her hands clasped together in a pitiful gesture of pleading, as she gazed longingly at her master on the throne, attempting to launch a tearful offensive:
"Master... my great master... the most powerful master... please forgive me... I still need to go to the Royal Capital for the victory banquet... I promise! I swear! After the banquet, I will definitely come back, work hard, and improve Tenten! And... and I will definitely bring you your favorite honey date cake, two portions! No, three portions! Okay...?"
She deliberately emphasized the words "filial piety" and "elderly person," trying to win them over with desserts and respectful terms.
Serie's slanted eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze lingering on Ruby's "I'm really sincere" face for two seconds before she let out a barely audible hum.
She turned her gaze back to the spellbook in her hands, her tone indifferent, carrying an impatient "get out of the way" attitude:
"Who needs your filial piety?" She paused, then waved her hand as if dismissing a noisy bird. "Boring. I just wanted to see just how much you, this so-called 'mage' who's 'trained' for five years and 'defeated a member of the Demon King's squad,' have actually improved."
She stopped looking at Ruby, as if she had lost all interest.
"Get lost. It's fine if you don't come back; I have plenty of students, you're just one more."
Ruby granted a pardon, Ruth practically leaped off the ground, scrambling to her feet from the pile of books. She didn't even bother to straighten her crooked robes and disheveled hair; a radiant smile of relief instantly Bloom on her face.
"Oh, thank you, Master! Master is the best! How could I not come back! I'll definitely come back to see you more often! I'll even bring you your favorite honey date cake! Hehe... So, I'm really off now?"
As she spoke, she carefully tiptoed backward toward the library door like a cat, her eyes nervously glancing at Serie's reaction.
Serie closed her eyes and remained silent, as if she had fallen into a light sleep and completely ignored her.
Ruby finally relieved. She turned around, and her footsteps quickly changed from cautious tiptoeing to light running, disappearing at the end of the spiral staircase.
Until the footsteps completely faded away, the library returned to absolute silence, with only dust floating in the beams of light.
Serie, sitting on the throne, slowly opened her eyes.
The sharpness in those slanted eyes had vanished, replaced by a bottomless calm that reflected the twilight light streaming in from the window.
Her gaze didn't fall on the doorway, but instead swept over the pile of books scattered haphazardly on the floor Ruby.
Silently, the heavy books scattered everywhere seemed to be pulled by invisible threads, automatically rising and sliding precisely and quietly into their original positions on the bookshelves, spines aligned, orderly, as if they had never been touched.
With the soft thud of the last book being returned to its place, the library fell silent once more.
She closed her eyes again, leaning her head back against the cold back of the throne. Her figure blurred in the dimming light, blending into the eternal silence of the library and the shelves full of knowledge, as if she had become a part of it.