# Side Story (17)
Minerva's Library.
Currently, chaos was unfolding there.
"Meowng! BlackMeow! I told you to do your job properly! Do you want to die?!"
"Buu-"
"Nyaang-"
Aina threw a book of records onto the desk.
No matter how much she organized and kept organizing, the books were endless.
"I'm dying from exhaustion, seriously..."
Haa-
Aina sprawled on the sofa and wiped the sweat flowing down her cheeks.
It was nice that her soul had been saved and she was working in the library.
But she hated things that were annoying and tiring.
"Ugh, this is so annoying. I want to research magic but I don't even have time. This damn goddess. This is complete labor exploitation."
Aina sighed and stared at the chair where Minerva always used to sit.
One year since she had been confined to another space for abusing the goddess's power.
Minerva showed no signs of returning at all.
"When on earth is that goddess planning to come back... Sigh..."
"Nyaang-"
"Yes, BlackMeow, come here. Meowng, you organize the books."
"...Buu-"
Meowng looked at Aina with a dissatisfied expression, then left again to organize books.
Though just a beast, Meowng also inwardly missed its master.
"Buu-"
Because normally she gave snacks generously and took good care of them.
So Meowng worked even harder to handle the master's work.
Exhausted, Aina began resting and stroked BlackMeow's fur.
"Let's rest for just 30 minutes, BlackMeow. There's been such a flood of records lately, I'm dying from exhaustion..."
"Nyaang-"
"If people would just stop causing trouble, there'd be no books or records to create, but I don't know why they cause so much trouble."
They defeated all the Demon Kings and saved the world.
Why didn't people maintain peace, but instead started fighting among themselves?
Aina couldn't understand the collective called humanity at all.
"Animals or independent people are much better than people who form groups."
"Nyaang-"
"...That might be why I liked Jun-woo. He was always alone, and had animal-like aspects."
Aina raised her head and spoke while recalling the past.
"I had a bad personality back then so I did some harsh things. But for a master and disciple, it wasn't bad. If one of us had had the courage back then, would things be different now?"
"Nyaang-"
BlackMeow answered with a meow.
She couldn't tell if it was affirmative or negative.
But Aina smiled and interpreted it in her own way.
"You're right, it's just a hypothetical so it doesn't really matter now. Since it's not something that actually happened."
A hypothetical is just a hypothetical.
Even if it were true, reality wouldn't change.
But people can't always think only about reality.
Sometimes, even knowing it's just fantasy, you have to keep thinking about it.
It's good for mental health, and by immersing yourself in memories, you can feel the preciousness of those times again.
"Still, well, he's forgotten everything and living happily. That's good enough."
Flutter-
Aina opened a book lying on the desk and read it.
'Lee Jun-woo's Story: The Sequel'
A book that had once concluded due to an unfortunate accident, but somehow a sequel was being published again.
Normally it couldn't exist in Minerva's Library, but it was classified as a "foreign novel" and recorded in this world too.
After all, records exist because there's at least one person who wants them.
Aina opened the freshly published new work and read it.
She saw Lee Jun-woo getting along well with the Hero Party.
He was much happier in his original world than in this one.
A smile naturally bloomed on her face.
"I'm glad you're doing well, my disciple."
From now on too.
I hope you live even more happily.
Aina thought this to herself and closed the book.
"Well then, shall we start organizing the library again, BlackMeow?"
"Nyaa-"
Because she had to organize books in place of Minerva's empty seat.
Aina was satisfied with such a quiet life.
A dark room.
Minerva sat still, endlessly passing time.
The punishment for abusing the goddess's power was more painful than expected.
"But I have no regrets."
As long as my apostle is doing well, that's enough.
I summoned him, so I should take responsibility for sending him back too.
And she didn't want to place that weight of responsibility back on her apostle.
That was why she made Lee Jun-woo lose his memories.
"I think it's been about a year since I came here. Jun-woo must be doing well, right?"
It's annoying that I can't hear news from outside.
But he must be getting along well with the Hero Party.
Otherwise all my time would be wasted.
Minerva felt irritated and simultaneously lay on the floor and shouted.
"Aaaah-!! Let me out-!! I'm bored-!! At least give me a book to read-!!"
The world's rules are so damn annoying!
Minerva's cry echoed throughout the dark room.
But seeing no response at all, Minerva was immediately disappointed.
"Even if I'm a goddess, this treatment is too much! You could at least give me books!"
Hiss- Hiss-
Minerva shouted angrily and continuously.
It was one of the things she did every single day without fail.
Did the world value Minerva's cries highly?
A white door suddenly appeared in the dark room.
Creak-
The door opened and bright light illuminated the dark room.
At the same time, the world's voice was heard.
-There's a problem with the records. Hurry and go out to the library, Minerva.
"Yes!"
-This privilege is only for this time. There won't be a next time.
Prisoner Minerva, paroled.
Bang bang bang-
Minerva, who had spent hellish time.
She immediately ran toward the white door.
Passing through the door, she saw the familiar smell of books and Meowng's appearance.
Perhaps stressed recently, there were signs of hair loss in its fur.
"Meowng!"
"Buu-!"
"Long time no see! You've been well, right?!"
"Buu-!"
"Bring me Jun-woo's new volume. I'm curious about the content."
"Buu..."
Of course, the touching reunion was brief.
Meowng immediately brought the new volume to Minerva.
She was a bookworm before being a goddess.
"He must be doing well, right? He should be doing well. If he's not doing well, I might become a Demon King, you know?"
Minerva opened the book with those menacing words.
And she focused intently on the writing on the pages.
"What, when did Minerva get here?"
"Just now. I'm on parole."
"You're lucky. More importantly, hurry up and work. People are at war with each other so we're busy organizing."
"Wait a moment. Let me check on Jun-woo's situation first."
"...Fine."
Aina left with Meowng and BlackMeow so Minerva could concentrate.
Reading Lee Jun-woo's situation alone, Minerva shed tears without realizing it.
"I shouldn't cry on books..."
But you're doing well.
My apostle Jun-woo.
Minerva, confirming that her sacrifice wasn't in vain.
She stood up satisfied and walked toward the mountain of books.
"But... he's living happily but it must be a bit difficult. Living with those four from the Hero Party, who is he planning to marry? That world has monogamy."
Raising such a fundamental question.
Minerva walked toward her colleagues.
It could be called the Library Party rather than the Hero Party.
"This is serious."
This really is serious.
"I'm going on a diet starting today!"
Lunacia Luna.
Diet declaration.
Luna, who destroyed the scale with a merciless attack.
Shocked by the harsh truth, she suddenly declared a diet.
*At least the food expenses will decrease...*
But there's a separate important problem.
The most important thing is that Luna is weak to food temptation.
So she started controlling us.
"Mister! Don't eat snacks!"
"Why."
"Because I'll want to eat them!"
She decided to diet.
But she has no intention of resisting food temptation.
Unlike that world, Earth had many temptations from various foods.
"D-don't interfere with my diet!"
Luna made a fuss trying to eliminate those temptations themselves.
*This is driving me crazy.*
It was maddening.
I called Luna, who was clutching her stomach in hunger.
"Luna."
"What!"
"You won't lose weight by starving. Just eat."
"N-no! Once I start eating, it's hard to stop!"
That is true though.
"But if you really don't eat like that, your health will suffer. Only idiots lose weight by starving."
"I-I'm not an idiot! I'm a Hero!"
I meant Luna is an idiot, not that Heroes are idiots.
But Luna still identified herself with being a Hero.
"I've never heard of a Hero who gains weight from eating fast food and then goes on a diet."
"That's why I keep telling you! The Heroes you know are fake! They're all imaginary people!"
Hiss- Hiss-
Luna shouted angrily.
If I teased her more, I'd probably get in trouble like I did with Hare.
So I decided to stop teasing.
"Then let's lose weight healthily."
"How?"
"Eat what you eat, and exercise outside."
"Oh, such a method exists!"
Luna exclaimed as if she truly hadn't thought of it.
Seeing that, Hare sighed and said.
"Losing weight is important, Luna. From what I know, you need to have the least weight when taking photos."
"Huh, what photos?"
"Wedding photos. Since you'll need to take them when you marry Mister. It's good to lose weight."
"Oh..."
Luna nodded as if realizing something.
Why do these kids talk as if marrying me is a given?
*...No wait, does my opinion not matter in the first place?*
A wedding without the groom's consent.
Other people say they want to become adults quickly.
But I suddenly started to fear the day I become an adult.