Chapter 34: The mysterious librarian

"What?" Lily was aghast at the revelation. The village library had been her only hope of finding the information she wanted, and now that the book had gone missing, her hopes died too. The librarian saw her look of horror and his suspicion only intensified.

'This is lady is hiding something from me. She definitely knows something significant.' The librarian observed her closely, and he waited for her to speak.

"Do you know where I can find another copy?" She questioned, even though she knew how suspicious her words were. The old man in front of her was already wary of her, and her words only added more to it. But she had no choice. She had to find out who Samantha was for her own good, and she had to do it soon.

The librarian remained silent for a long time, not moving his eyes away from her, and Lily had the sudden urge to run away from the place. There was something odd in his look, and she was having a bad premonition about it. However, she stood still waiting for his response, her hands balled into a fist.

"You might a find a copy in the library at the capital. But I am not certain about it." The man said, something clicking in his mind. And Lily heaved a sigh of relief hearing the man's reply. It did not matter if he was doubtful of her. She was more glad that she had gotten some answer, instead of returning home with nothing.

"Thank you for your help, kind Sir." With a small bow, she left the library, and immediately after the librarian followed her, closing the library for the time being but not locking it.

Lily had no idea she was being followed. She was in a hurry, and she needed to reach the mansion soon. On her way, she collided with many people who were walking from the opposite direction. But Lily was too lost to care for an apology. The man behind her observed her every move, and the moment she took the path that led to the lane where the aristocrats lived, his eyes narrowed. He continued to watch her stealthily regardless, trying to be as careful as possible. There were fewer people on this lane, and it was easy to get noticed.

Lily approached the Bradford mansion, and the guards opened the gate for her. The librarian stopped in his place seeing the mansion the lady had entered into, and his heart thumped in fear. 'Isn't this the same mansion the Lord had asked me to keep an eye on? What is happening? Why was the lady asking for the book?' He wondered. However, he could not conclude a word.

Other than asking him to keep an eye on the mansion, especially on the maid who worked in there, Alastair had not revealed any other information, and the librarian too had not asked him about it. It was not his duty to question the Lord's orders. 'I need to inform the Lord about it.'

With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes, and in the next instant, he was back at the library. He pulled out a parchment and wrote the message he wanted to convey to the Lord before throwing it into the fire in the hearth. The parchment started to burn, crumbling into ash, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished.

'I hope it reaches the Lord soon.' With that thought in mind, he waited for the Lord to reply.

Meanwhile, Alastair was in the courtroom listening to Kenneth brief about the bandits who had started expanding their area. All the ministers too were concentration on the serious matter at hand. The bandits had become a huge problem, looting the travelers on their path. Many merchants and peasants had complained about the issue. They were now trying to find a solution, the last one being rendered completely useless.

Suddenly, Alastair raised his hand to stop Kenneth. The moment his man at Soren had sent the message in the fire, his mind had received it, and what he read, made him narrow his eyes dangerously. 'This is not good. This is definitely not good. Someone must have found out about Samantha. I cannot delay this any longer.'

With that thought in mind, Alastair stood up and walked down the stairs, not caring about the ministers who were staring at him in bewilderment. He was more perturbed about Samantha. "Milord, Kenneth stopped him, seeing him about to leave the courtroom."

"I have some work to finish. I'll be back soon. Wait for me. The meeting is not adjourned." Alastair commanded, loud enough for everyone to hear. Kenneth sighed in relief, giving Cyrus a knowing glance. Only the two men understood why the Lord had left the courtroom in a hurry. They were well versed with the way the Lord behaved. It must have been something crucial for him to attend to it immediately.

Alastair walked to the nearest empty room and closed the door after him. He pulled out a parchment and wrote the orders for the librarian. 'Keep an eye on the woman as well as the girl I told you about. Inform me if you find something apprehensive. I'll be visiting the village tomorrow.'

Alastair snapped his fingers and pointed at the hearth. The next instant, the wooden logs caught fire, and he threw the parchment into it. Alastair waited for the parchment to disappear before he returned to the courtroom to address the issue at hand.

Kenneth and the other ministers were waiting for him with curious eyes. But to the ministers' distress, Alastair did nothing to curb their curiosity. Instead, he returned to his throne and sat majestically, pushing his mantle behind him. "Continue." That was all he said before Kenneth took it to be his cue to speak.

"Milord, the bandits are wreaking havoc, and they had shifted to a new location now. The travelers are afraid to take the route. But there are no other options either. It is the only route that connects the kingdom capital to the town of Alba."

"I see. What were the magistrate's actions to this issue?"

"Milord, the magistrate of Alba despatched three guards to find the hideout of the bandits. But none of the three men have returned yet, and more than two days have passed." Kenneth replied almost instantly.

"I see. This is a serious matter. The brigands have to be eliminated soon if we want to ensure the safety of people. Kenneth, you will tackle this problem personally. Make sure that none among the law offenders escape." Alastair was incensed, his eyes had changed color, and they had taken an intense shade of amber before it returned to normal. Nobody in the courtroom had missed this subtle change, and they stiffened in their places. His actions once again proved to everyone that he was not normal. "Anything else?"

"No, Milord. That is all for now."

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