By now, he had been running for at least 10 minutes, but fortunately, he had found the bridge he had jumped off. It was the same bridge leading to the marketplace.

  There no longer seemed to be any guards, so he wasn't too wary. The only immediate concern was the bloodstains on his clothes. He tugged at his cloak, trying to cover the worst of it.

  With a deep breath, he deactivated Mirrorbound. There was definitely the possibility that some divine being was still after him, but in Heinz's flower shop, he had felt a certain pressure, like the presence of the celestial.

  But that was no longer the case, so he felt quite safe. At least, how safe you could feel in a situation like this.

  Judging by the sun's position overhead, it had to be around the afternoon. That meant he had been in this world for at least eight hours.

  Now that the initial shock of waking up in another world had somewhat passed, he could think much more rationally. It was only obvious that one would be surprised to wake up in a situation like he did.

  Especially for someone who valued logic over everything else since nothing of this could be scientifically explained, at least with his current knowledge.

  Still, he wasn't embarrassed by his initial reaction or thought process. He did not consider himself to be perfect, but he was confident in his ability to adapt to any situation, whether that was school, corporate life, or another world.

  Unfortunately, Albrecht's initial attempt at gathering information failed. The travel guide he had stolen was now unusable because it had been soaked in water, and the ink was all over the place.

  Unfortunately, his first attempt at gathering intel had failed. The travel guide he'd stolen was completely ruined. The canal water had soaked through every page, smearing the ink into unreadable blotches.

  All he had now was what he could recall from memory: A rough layout of the world and a more detailed map of the Kingdom of Valoria.

  Heinz had provided some valuable insights, especially about magic. But when it came to culture, law, swordsmanship, and the finer nuances of this world, he was still woefully underinformed.

  As he retraced his steps back to the street leading to the Inn, Albrecht walked slowly, organizing his thoughts.

  'What concerns me the most right now are my memories,' Albrecht thought.

  'Especially how I ended up with that wound in the canal. There's no way a collision with the boat or the canal wall could've caused damage that severe.'

  He thought it over for a while, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like he was chasing his own tail.

  Logically, Selene was the only possible suspect. She was the only one nearby when he was injured, and she had shown an uncanny awareness of his situation. And yet… she had also been the one to save him.

  None of it made sense.

  If she was the one who attacked him, then she must have tampered with his memories. But there was also a more disturbing possibility: someone else had altered both of their memories—leaving them equally unaware of what really happened.

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  That theory felt far-fetched… especially because of the other strange details.

  Selene had known his name.

  She had known his ability.

  She had known he was from another world.

  He had never told her any of that.

  Which meant… she might have read his memories. But if that were the case, wouldn't she also know about his suspicions? His doubts about her?

  'Ahhh, it just doesn't make sense!'

  He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

  The more he tried to piece it together, the more tangled it became. The truth was simple but frustrating: He didn't have enough information. Not yet.

  He could already see the Inn, as well as the clothing shop where he had met Isla. He would later pick up his new training clothes, but for now, he would continue to gather intel.

  Albrecht passed the inn, this time walking in the opposite direction of the route he'd taken earlier to reach the marketplace.

  As he moved, his thoughts drifted—uninvited—to his little sister, Nora.

  No. He had to stop doing that.

  'She's fifteen now… she can take care of herself,' he told himself.

  He paused.

  'Yes. Definitely. I have to believe that.'

  Albrecht had a storm of conflicting thoughts about this whole other-world situation.

  He missed his sister—of course, he did—and the worry gnawed at him more than he admitted. But at the same time, a part of him couldn't deny it:

  Life back on Earth had felt… dull.

  Here, in this strange, dangerous world, he felt something he hadn't felt in years—excitement.

  'Does that make me a bad person?' he wondered, guilt and curiosity wrestling inside him.

  As he made his way through the now busier street, something caught Albrecht's eye—a library.

  A carved wooden sign hung above the entrance, reading: "Vaelmont Library & Archives."

  The building stood with quiet dignity, its wide double doors framed by polished stone and aged timber. Large windows flanked the entrance, displaying carefully arranged books that hinted at the knowledge waiting within.

  Peering through the tall windows, Albrecht caught sight of a warm, inviting interior—tall shelves brimming with books stretched wall to wall while rows of polished wooden tables offered ample space for reading.

  Candlelight flickered softly across the space, casting a golden glow that made the whole room feel timeless and serene.

  It looked peaceful and inviting. So, without hesitation, he stepped inside.

  If there was any place to gather reliable information in this world, it had to be here. He also hoped to find another map, one he could study properly this time and commit to memory without the risk of water damage or thievery.

  Just inside, a librarian sat behind a tidy reception desk, flipping through a heavy book. She glanced at him briefly but said nothing, and Albrecht saw no reason to bother her—for now.

  The interior was well-organized. Signs hung from the ceiling, dividing the vast collection into major categories: Romance, Fantasy, Magic, Swordsmanship, and History, among others.

  Naturally, his eyes were drawn to the last three. He made his way toward the History section first.

  It was larger than expected. Multiple shelves were devoted to it, each marked with more specific labels carved into wooden plaques. Some appeared to be based on time periods:

  After Central Consolidation (ACC)

  Era of Wandering Gods (EWG)

  Age of Ash and Stone (AAS)

  Others were grouped by topic rather than chronology:

  Continent of Gorathal

  History of Valoria and Vaelmont

  Racial Origins and Wars