Barie's Story

...Rie! Barie!

Y-Yes?

Are you listening?

Ah... Y-Yes... You said a part-timer is coooming...

We don't even have much work to do here, so why a part-timer...? Heh... hehehe... I'll work them to the bone!

Ahem, well, as long as you were listening.

Take good care of her. She was personally referred to us directly by upper management, got it?

Okaaay...

Hello?! Where the heck is the librarian here?!

E-Eeeeeeh?! Y-You're...

Huh... so this where I'll be serving my sent - Uh.. working for the time being?

You the librarian? Guess it's just you and me.

V-Velvet?!

*Sob* I'm doomed! Completely doooomed!

Velvet is just a strong brute! She definitely doesn't know how to appreciate books! She's going to be so rough with them!

I can already see it! There's no way she'd do a proper job here!

Yup, I'm Velvet. What should I do first? By the way...

There are no patrons, and it's pretty empty. You sure there's even work to do? Maybe I could just curl up in a corner and take a nap...

U-Uuuh... the books! Please move the books!

What books? I don't see any here that need to be moved.

Th-This way... Books that have been returned are over here.

Oh, got it. I just have to dump these somewhere, right? Doesn't look like there's much. Why don't you go and take a load off over there!

Nooo, not just anywhere... If you look here, you'll find the call number for each book.

Huh? Say what?

Urgh... N-Never miiind...

I'll get this over with super quick. Relax!

O-Okaaay... I'll leave it to you then.

This is a piece of cake! Wow... this job's a joke!

For some reason, my instincts are screaming right now... This is bad... very bad. I'd better keep a close eye on her.

Please move this bookshelf over theeere...

Over here? Looks like work will be a breeze again. This bookshelf, right?

Yes, yes, that's right! Um... Velvet? By the way...

Hngh! Huh? Yeah?

O-Oh, it's nothing! Please move that over theeere.

Leaving me hanging, huh? Well, okay!

Is it just me, or are we missing a few books? Hmm...

Here are the overdue books!

Gasp! Y-You got them back so quickly?

Yeah. I asked for them, and they just gave them to me!

Oh, V-Velvet! You're really, really amaaazing!

Heh, hehe! Yeah, I AM pretty cool!

I think I misunderstood her. She really works hard.

So, what's next?

Oh, just a moment!

Oh, it looks like there are a few books she hasn't picked up yet. I'll go deal with those tomorrow.

Hey, anything else for me to do?

Oh, um... nope! That's everything for today.

There are some overdue books that need to be picked up, but I think I will need to handle those myself.

Oh, really? Sure, go ahead.

I'll just watch over the library.

Oh, you're not going hooome...?

If you leave to collect those overdue books, the library will be left empty, right? I can stay here to watch over it.

Aw, V-Velvet! I'll be back in a flaaash!

Sounds good! Now, hurry off!

Okaaay!

*Huff, huff!* S-Sorry that took so long, Velvet...

H-Huh...? Did she already clock out...? I even bought carrot sticks to share...

Oh well. I'll get some fresh ones to share tomorrow... *Sniff* Is something... burning? F-Fire! The library is on fire...!

I must put out the fire... Huh? Wh-What's that?

Zzz... Zzzz...

V-Velvet?!

Huh? What took you so long, Barie?

I was waiting for you, but then I got sleepy, so I took a nap. *Yawn!* I'm going to head out now, okay?

Uh, the fire! What about the fire?!

Huh? Oh, it got a little cold, so I made a bonfire out of a few books. Also, I tore out a few pages to use as a blanket while I was at it.

Ha... haha. Hahaha!

Ow! Ouch! That hurts! How the heck are you so strong from only handling books?!

Eeek... I gotta get outta here...!!

Where do you think you're goiiing? Get back here right nooow!

Hmm... this is straaange...

Huh? What is?

Well... there have been some missing books latelyyy...

Maybe someone borrowed them, and they're past their due dates?

M-Maybe... I thought I collected all the overdue books last time...

Oh, then it must be your imagination. Yeah, that's probably what it is.

Besides, the collection at this library is so small to begin with. If a few go missing, it would be super obvious.

Y-You're not wrong... Still... I can't shake the feeling that it's specifically the books related to carrots that are vanishing.

Like I said, you're overthinking it. Come on, let's close up a bit early today and go for some carrot sticks.

There's also something I wanted to ask you about, too...

Oh? Okay... let's leave in thirty minutes then.

Sounds good!

Something's definitely up...

Books keep going missing.

Hey, Barie, what are you up to?

H-Huh? I was going over the list of overdue books...

Yeah? Looks like your battle with overdue books continues!

Oh, right. Please check this out for me.

Okay... Here, write it down on this list.

The only one who's visited the library in the past few days has been Levi...

Wait... Levi?

Mmm... okay, all done!

Alright, let's see. Yep, looks good. The return deadline is...

Yeah, yeah, I know...

I'll bring it back in a week.

Oh, is that for the thesis you're working on?

H-huh? M-My thesis? Yep, exactly!

Oh, I'll fudge the date a bit then. You can return it in two weeks instead.

A-Aww, that's so sweet of you, Barie! *Sniff*

The next time you come by UFC, I'll give you 1.5 times more carrot sticks! We gotta look out for each other, right? You're taking care of me, so I'll load you up with freebies!

Hehe. Okay. I'll see you in two weeks, then!

Thanks!

I hope I'm wrong, but...

Nah, it can't be her. I'm just being silly. We've been in the same boat for so long now, working hard to become certified witches.

There's no way Levi would do something bad like this to me after all the time we've shared.

Hngh! Barie, I'd like to check this one out, too.

Oh, is your latest thesis giving you a hard time?

Y-Yeah, I guess so... Oh, right, here's the book I borrowed last time!

Okay, yep. Looks like it's all here. You're good!

*Sigh* I wish everyone were like you, Levi.

Someone else is late returning their book again?

Y-Yeah... I have to go retrieve an overdue book from Posher today.

Speaking of which... think you could watch the library for me for a bit?

Oh, really? Yeah, go ahead! I'll keep an eye on things here.

Thanks, Levi. This might take a little while, so I really appreciate it!

Sure, absolutely. Go on!

I hope I'm wrong... and I know it's terrible to suspect a friend... but, still!

Hngh! Hmm... Let's see, maybe I can organize these a bit?

Urgh... Levi's organizing books for me... It seems like I suspected her for no reason.

Barie won't be back for about an hour...

Hey, Barie... You're not around, right?

Let's see... A thesis on the vitamin changes when deep-frying carrots, huh?

Hehe... I can't believe Barie stepped out like this. What amazing timing!

Hehehe. To think they keep all the approved theses stashed away at the Witch Graduate School's library... I'm kicking myself for finding out about this so late!

If I get rid of the paper that overlaps with my thesis, my approval is practically guaranteed! Heh... hehehe... I'll finally be a certified witch!

Gotcha, you little thief!

Eeeek! B-B-Barie?!

I knew it! For some reason, it felt like all the theses related to carrots had been disappearing.

How could you do this to me?!

B-Barie! P-Please just listen to me!

Save it!

Kyaaaaah!

Please keep your voice down in the libraryyy...

Hehehe... Well, that's because...

We call ourselves a library, but we barely have any books at aaall...

Empty shelves here... empty shelves there...

Oh, that shelf wasn't empty originally, but someone borrowed the books and used them as pot staaands...

It happened to be a restaurant, too, so all the books on that shelf got ruined. Hence, the empty shelf.

And then, you seeee... The Head Librarian showed up one day...

She said there were no books here... that no one would ever visit a place like this...

And that even if hardly anyone comes, it should at least look like a proper library...

That's why I started gathering books from here and theeere...

*Sniff* The thesis section is the only place that is actually well-stocked...

But we had a break-in recently!

Well, we recovered everything, but a few had to be discarded since they were damaged during the theft.

*Sob, sob*... Not to mention, every book that is checked out is returned late.

They get daaaamaged... and then I have to throw them away...!

*Sssssp, hoooooo, sssssssssp!*

I reached out to some folks who visit Sprite Kingdom from time to tiiiime...

They said they picked them up from the recycling center at Sprite Palace. Apparently there are stacks of them theeere...

The baking books had their pages torn out here and there, so I just threw them awaaaay...

That thesis was in the best condiiiition...

There also were workbooks that had water damage, like someone drooled on them, so they couldn't be saved either.

I looked through the pages, and nearly every one had red ink. Getting scores in the 10s and 20s...

It coooould be...

I dealt with them. There were some very sad doodles in there.

Anyway, that's how I managed to make the library look somewhat presentable in the eeend...

Really...? That would be great... Here's a duster and a rag. Thaaank you...

Oh, noooo!

Mwahahaha...

Oh, dear me... You've seen them.

You saw them, didn't you? Just now?

You... tore a book...?

You've seen them, huh...? Mwahahaha... Waahahaha...!

Oh? Master?

Ugh... I have to go collect some overdue books today.

Yeees... Everyone borrows books, and either forgets about them, or is too busyyy...

It can't be helped... It makes things a little easier if I think of it as being part of my calling as a librariaaan...

Hm? This?

It's the list of books that have been checked out.

Oooh... this?

Hehe... It's my magical staaaff.

Mwahahaha...

Hmm, yes, there are quite a few.

Well, if you don't mind, I'll gratefully accept your heeelp...

Umm... The vacant lot sitting under a blue roof, just to the left of the red road at Witch Town Square.

...Knew it. Heh... hehe... heh.

Wow! That burns nicely!

Ooo... This book's got some weight to it. It's perfect for training!

Really? Let me try, too.

What do you think? Just heavy enough, right?

Urgh. It's a bit too heavy for me. Half of this would be perfect.

Yeah? Then just rip it in half.

Oh, hey, Master.

We're working out.

Hey, guys! The sweet potatoes are all roasted! Hurry on over!

Mmm, these heavenly carbs! You definitely need some carbs after a solid workout!

Want a sweet potato, Master?

Wahahahaha!

Just as I expecteeeed...

Okaaay... I'll hold on for three seconds. Three... two... one... Time's up!

Thaaank you... I'll give this my aaaaall...

Kyaaah!

Aaaah!

Please do not keep books overdue! Please return books on tiiiime!

Forgive... Please forgive me!

You may NOT use books as kindling for bonfiiiires!

I won't ever do it agaaaaain!

*Sigh*... *Siiiiiigh*...

I'm noooot... More books burned than I reeeealized...

Truuuue... but the library already felt empty... Now it feels even emptieeeer...

You're so kiiind, Master.

*Sob*... No one's really to blaaame...

Well... With the low traffic here, the library's budget is very low...

There was an electrical short at the library, and caused these ones to buuuurn...

I submitted a proposal for new books after the 38th fire... it was rejeeeected...

This is the 42nd ooooone... *Sniff* We need fire alarms... fire alaaarms!

This is an empty, drafty library. When witches come to borrow boooks...

Some of them rip up books to build bonfires because they're cooold.

Others have accidently started a fire after using magnifying glasses to read the faded text in the old books..

Not to mention, because of all the dust that collects on these empty bookshelves, electrical shorts are more likely to start fires.

Oh, and last time...

I went out to collect some overdue books. While I was gone, some folks snuck in to hold a work party heeere.

Gather anywhere else, and you'd get hauled off... but since no one visits the library, it's supposedly perfect for secret meeeeetings.

They wanted to cook, so they started a fiiiire!

Using the library's boooooks... *Sob*...

.........

*Sob*... *Sniff*...

Okaaay... I'll get myself together and properly restore these books that got a little siiiinged.

*Sigh* Because of all these things that keep happening, the number of books keeps shrinking.

Paaardon...? What? What exactly are you implyyying?

Yeeeah... Let's go with thaaat.

Sorryyy? Like what?

I'm not sure what sort of fairy tales you've read to put such foolishness into your heeeead...

But if you're going to spout nonsense, you'll just get in the way! Please leeeave!

Welcome, Master!

Hiiii, Master...

Yep!

We're closed today.

I had some business to attend to... I'm on a work trip of sorts...

Huh? No... I have tons of books to read!

Hehe, when Naia does her deep cleaning, she gets rid of a lot of books, you seee.

Since our library is always short on books, I plan on grabbing some of the ones she gets riiiid of.

That's right! I'll go get those books! You guys wait here, okay?

Yes, they aaaare...

By... drying them...

Well... we lend out books with torn pages toooo.

And even books covered in soooot...

What's a little water? Dry them properly, and they'll be perfectly fiiiine.

Urgh... hmph... It's not like many witches come to borrow books anywaaaay.

But that doesn't make sense! Why the heck would the use BOOKS as fiiirewood?!

I'd rather they just keep them overdue... *Sob*

*Sooooob*... *Sniff*...

That caaaan't be true. You wouldn't say that if you'd seen the state of the libraryyy...

In Witch Kingdom, no one cares what a low-level witch like me thinks...

The thiiing is... after enough time passes, they find that their own papers are only good for kindliiing...

Even so... once they enter the library, they're public propertyyyy!

*Sob, soooob*... *Sniff*...

What?! Did you make Barie cry, Master?! Why'd you go and do that?!

Take this! Water gun attack! Pew, pew, pew!!!

Yeah... It's just that I remembered something unpleasaaant...

Oh, really? Phew... I thought Master did something wrong.

Oh, here are the books I gathered this time, Barie.

As always, help yourself to as many as you need!

Wow... there are so many agaaaain! Thank you! I'll take a loook...

Th-This is a raaaare book...!

That one, too...! Wow, this book is waaaaterproof...!

Absolutely.

This place is like a treasure troooove!