Tale Thirty-One, For the Sake of Knowledge
"By the gods and goddesses, Therion, if you have followed up on your promise to extract from these sacred halls ancient artifacts of unknown power, then I shall follow up on my promise to freeze those deft fingers of yours."
Cyrus chided the white-haired thief, even flexing a few shards of ice in the palm of his hand for good measure to show that he was serious.
They, Ophilia, and H'aanit had finally defeated Lucia and reclaimed the tome Cyrus had been searching for all these months. Victorious and with answers, they now walked towards the exit of the Ruins of Eld. In his grasp, the raven-haired scholar carried the all-powerful text "From the Far Reaches of Hell."
Even amongst members of his adventuring family, Cyrus carried the book close to his chest, not daring to let it out of his grasp.
Caught mid-step, Therion sighed. "Dammit, Teach, you aren't supposed to be that observant. Who's going to miss these things anyway, huh? The monsters?"
"They very well might, and if they do not, I would be remiss letting you pilfer from the halls of this archaeological wonder. So, I repeat myself: my promise for your promise."
"Ugh, fine. You goody-two-shoes…"
The thief pouted and returned the one intact ancient vase to the podium it had stood upon.
"He doth caught you there, Therion. Best thou listen to him," H'aanit commented as she closed her eyes. "Malevolent spirits lie in these ruins. Thou wouldst do well not to anger them."
"Our resident huntress is correct. We already have riled those who had walked these halls in the past. We better not encourage them to follow us," Cyrus added.
"And what? You think I'd do that by taking a vase?" Therion commented with an easy-going shrug.
"If it was a funerary vase, then mayhaps so," Ophilia joined in.
The group turned to her and saw she had closed her eyes, smirking.
"But even if that was not the case, and the vase did have something to do with respecting those who have passed, then you would have worse things to deal with."
Then, she glared at the thief to send her point home. Therion froze in his place, the unexpected death stare he received from the cleric sending shivers down his spine.
Ophilia broke her glare, giggling before walking past the group and humming to herself.
That only made what she had said all the more threatening.
They stared after her as she led the way, not waiting long to follow.
"My word, she can be quite a threatening woman when she chooses to be," Cyrus said.
Therion could only nod as he hid the lower part of his face behind his scarf.
"Thou didst almost potentially insult One of the Eight with thou's attempts at thievery," H'aanit added.
"It's not thievin' if it doesn't belong to anyone," Therion defended himself half-heartedly.
"Yes, then it could be called graverobbing - a more grievous sin," Ophilia corrected over her shoulder. "One you would still not want to pay for!"
"A sin you shall pay for with a few frozen fingers," Cyrus added.
"Mayhaps as treats for Linde," H'aanit finished for emphasis.
While all playful threats at Therion's expense, he couldn't shrug off the cold chill Ophilia sent down his spine. His fellow Travelers only expounded upon that.
He sighed. "S-so anyway, where are we going to stash that priceless book you got, Teach?"
At that, the professor smiled softly. "A place of the most reputable knowledge in all of Orsterra."
About a week later and the Octopath Travelers found themselves in the ever-towering halls of the Royal Library in Atlasdam. They stared with mouths agape at the ordered shelves of books stretching upwards a full two stories. Even those of them who weren't necessarily the scholarly types knew that, within such tomes, they could seek out answers to questions that they had for hours. Amongst a warm fire and attentive librarians who assisted their guests as needed, any one person could enjoy their time in this spectacle receptacle of knowledge for days on end.
Such was the desire of Alfyn and Ophilia immediately, as they bid the rest of the Travelers a short farewell to seek out tomes on healing and Aelfric. Not long after, Therion departed to find his own books. Olberic deigned it his duty to ensure that the thief remained a non-assuming patron of the library. Finally, Tressa vanished to scout out rare books to be on the lookout for as a merchant.
Yes, with the help of the correct aide, these Travelers could find what they were searching for and more.
Cyrus knew that all too well, which is why he, H'aanit, and Primrose immediately went to a desk set in the middle of the library with towering stacks of books that looked all too ready to topple over. The scholar admired the station for a second, let out a sound of success, and deftly pulled a book from the middle of one of the stacks.
Expecting it to fall over, H'aanit and Primrose gasped, only to see that the gap left behind by the selected book was quickly closed by another text that once sat atop it.
They sighed in relief, but Cyrus paid the event no heed, immediately opening his selected tome and pouring over its contents eagerly.
"Hm… yes, yes… quite, this serves as a good basis for understanding the language," he murmured.
The scholar unfurled his cape around him in a grand display, letting it rest on the back of the chair he sat at in front of what could only be assumed to be his personal library desk. He produced a notebook and quill from out of nowhere. His fingers went to work scribbling several notes in quick succession before nodding his head.
"Apologies, but I could not help myself. As soon as we walked through those doors, I immediately became enraptured by the atmosphere," Cyrus admitted with a hint of embarrassment. "Suddenly, I also remembered a tome that could help in understanding the Ruins of Eld."
"Okay… but what about "From the Far Reaches of Hell," Professor? Shouldn't we return that?" Primrose asked amusedly.
Unsurprisingly, Cyrus waved off her concerns. "It is safe in my cloak, for the time being, I shall return it as soon as-"
"Professor Albright?"
The sudden voice caught all three Travelers' attention. They turned their gazes to see the familiar face of Cyrus's student, Therese. Upon clearly seeing his face, the woman's eyes started to fill with tears. She dropped the book she was carrying, immediately running over to Cyrus's side.
"Oh, Professor Albright, it is you!" she exclaimed as she closed the distance between herself and the scholar.
She tentatively raised her hand, but thought better of it and lowered it to fidget with her fingers. A small blush crept onto her face, one that didn't escape H'aanit's or Primrose's attention.
She sniffled. "You're… back. Are you okay?"
"Therese, it is wonderful to see you again," Cyrus admitted happily. "But I am fine, this I can promise you."
Cyrus stood up and briefly spun around to show Therese that he was, indeed, alright.
"Thank goodness," she breathed out in relief.
It was only then that she fully noticed H'aanit and Primrose.
"Ah! I apologize!"
Therese bowed.
"Forgive me, I forgot to reintroduce myself. I am Therese, Cyrus's student. I believe we met, um… once…"
"Yes, my dear girl, I believe we did. But no hard feelings, we are well past that," Primrose purred in amusement.
Therese rose from her position. "Y-yes. Of course! Sh-shall I fetch some refreshments. I know I cannot make up for what I did, but it would be my honor…"
"I believen thou wouldst join us anyway, since Cyrus ist here. But do not think thou owest us anything," H'aanit spoke easily. "I wouldst not say no to some drinks, though. Primrose?"
"I daresay you are right, H'aanit. A little wine would be nice, especially if you are to join us, Therese."
"O-of course! I mean, if you would have me, that is…" the younger woman spoke hesitantly.
"We would be delighted."
Then, Therese nodded happily and went off to secure some wine for the group.
H'aanit and Primrose watched her go, before turning to Cyrus with a sly gaze. What they saw slightly baffled them.
The professor had immediately returned to his book, not even watching Therese leave.
Primrose rubbed her temple with her fingers as she felt a headache coming on.
"Oh, Professor, what are we going to do with you?" she mumbled.
Cyrus rose his head, the curls of his hair bobbing amusedly as he did so.
"I apologize, did you say something, Primrose?"
"Nothing," she mourned as she sat across from the scholar.
Primrose's cheek quickly found its way to her raised palm. "Just that you are a dense, romance-less man who could never understand a woman."
That caught Cyrus's attention as he closed his book, surprising Primrose.
"I thought you said I had become a better man."
"Yes, but you still don't understand women," Primrose prodded.
"I daresay, I do!"
"Then prove it. Did you not see Therese blushing and fussing over your return? I believe that she has more intimate ideas about your relationship than teacher and student."
Primrose eyed Cyrus suggestively, while H'aanit watched intently.
"I-I do not think that is… appropriate!" Cyrus replied, caught off-guard. "If you think that for a moment I would… court a student of mine then you are sorely mistaken!"
"You need not court her, Professor, just let her know she is special to you, in whatever way you may see that to be."
"I… hm…"
Thinking on it, Cyrus understood that he needn't share romantic feelings with Therese. However, he would admit that she was a close friend of his after all they had been through. He would do right by her by letting the poor girl know how much he valued their relationship. So, the professor reached a decision.
"Very well. Once Therese returns, I shall… let her know how I feel towards her."
Primrose clapped her hands in anticipation.
"Perfect!" she squealed with a gleam in her eye.
"Shh!"
A hush rang from somewhere within the library, telling the dancer to remain quiet. Of course, she couldn't see where it came from thanks to the books piled on Cyrus's table. Still, she felt the immediate and quick embarrassment that came with being told to be quiet by a librarian, encouraging Primrose to quiet her voice.
"Perfect…" Primrose whispered behind a hand.
Cyrus returned to his book. "Well, while we await Therese's return, shall we turn to understanding these ruins?
For a few moments, Primrose and H'aanit helped Cyrus with his research. Though, the extent of their help, for the time being, was limited to bringing books to the scholar as he needed them. With every book they brought to him, however, they would offer their own thoughts on the forgotten ruins hidden deep in the Woodlands.
H'aanit would provide her experience of encountering the beasts and far depths of the Woodlands, wanting to share what she knew of the mysteries that lay within the wilds. Primrose chimed in with words on social practices, comparing the modern-day Orsterran to the ancient citizens of the Ruins of Eld, prompting anthropological questions alongside archaeological ones.
The combination of knowledge and thoughts revolving around the past and present of the ruins provided Cyrus with different paths of knowledge to venture down.
But, with the clinking of cups on a metal tray, Cyrus knew that would have to wait for the moment.
All three of the Travelers' gazes turned to the sound, seeing Therese expertly balancing four cups, a porcelain teapot, and a small bowl of cream.
"Oh, dear. Here, let us move some of these books," Primrose offered.
She and H'aanit immediately started scooting books around the table to clear space, much to the sounds of protest from Cyrus.
"I-I apologize, Professor Albright! I'll make sure to rearrange them later!" Therese reassured.
She sat down the beverages and took a moment to collect herself. In that short time, Cyrus noticed H'aanit, Linde, and Primrose all shooting him a coaxing glare.
The scholar sighed internally. "It is quite alright, um… Therese. Thank you for the drinks…"
Cyrus's words came out a bit strangled as he tried to work his social graces. His stammering, and subsequent rubbing of the back of his neck, didn't escape Therese's notice.
"Are you feeling okay, Professor?" she asked concernedly.
"Yes, of course, but my! These drinks do look amazing, and that smell…"
Cyrus allowed himself to gently sniff the wafting steam from the drinks.
"Why, it is!"
Therese smiled knowingly. "It is, Professor! A spiked chai tea with cream, as you prefer."
"And I see you brought four cups."
"O-of course! I apologize, but I thought I could, um… join you in your research, Professor?"
The scholar smiled gently as he picked up a cup. He took a slurping sip to cool the hot beverage and enjoyed the spiced notes intermixing with the rhum, creating a cinnamon-flavored blend that was cooled by the milk in the drink. It perked him up immediately, drumming up some of his courage.
"I could not complete my research without you, Therese. You have helped me immensely and I would graciously appreciate any more aid you could provide."
Cyrus bowed as if asking Therese to join him for a dance.
Judging from how she clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle a gasp, the scholar may as well have.
But Therese collected herself quickly, her smile growing. "You always have my aid, Professor."
Rising from his bow, Cyrus nodded.
"Then shall we begin?"
The scholar and his pupil immediately grabbed their cups, returning behind the stack of books set at the table. Together, they ruminated over the texts before them, trying to tease out any clues they could find about the forgotten ruins. All the while, H'aanit and Primrose watched the display in confusion.
"I… believen that shallst work?" H'aanit surmised. "Shallst we leaven them alone?"
Primrose set the bowl of cream before Linde, who graciously lapped it up with her tongue immediately. The dancer then procured the remaining two cups, handing one to H'aanit.
The brunette leaned against a desk as she watched Cyrus and Therese. Her signature cat-like grin curled across her face.
"No, I don't believe we should. Care to watch them for a moment longer before we round everyone else-"
"Shh!"
The resounding shush once again quieted Primrose before she could continue, causing the dancer to hide her mouth behind her cup.
All she and the huntress could do now was wait and watch - without nary a word.
Many times, one name is associated with the greatest discoveries of our time.
Graham Crossford, as an example.
Alas, it is through the collective work of such individuals and those around them, and after them, that such discoveries are made.
One could even say that H'aanit and Primrose played their part in Cyrus Albright's next fantastical scholarly feat.
Though many, as they should, would attribute such discoveries to Cyrus, Therese, and all of the Octopath Travelers…