As Cain carefully opened the right side of the great two-faced wooden doors, he could only stand in awe at the majestic sight that he was given.
While the outside seemed to be of normal length for a library, the moment he stepped in, he felt as though space had been twisted.
It was bigger on the inside!
Massive, polished bookshelves vertically lined the library with rows upon rows. A staircase could be seen to the left as it led to the second floor.
Cain looked up, seeing that there were four floors, and he could see the ancient craftsmanship of the rails that lined each floor.
Multiple large chandeliers could be seen hanging from the ceiling.
The entire inner library had a unique shine, as if dust had no chance of contaminating a single spot.
Cain looked to his right to see an old man sitting behind a desk, engrossed in some kind of history book.
He had wrinkles all over his face, as his bald head stood mighty. His glasses hung low on his nose.
Cain walked over to the old man and asked in a quiet tone.
"Excuse me, sir."
…
"Hello?"
…
As if the old man were but a statue, he slowly lifted his eyes from the book to look at Cain.
"What do you want, kid?" He responded in a dead tone.
"I'm here to collect my manuals."
The old man looked at Cain with dead eyes.
"Let's see. White hair, blue eyes, a clueless child.
You Must be Cain Whiteheart."
"Yes!"
"Get out," The old man responded, his eyes drifting back to his book.
Cain could only take a step back with his horrid eyes from the quick response. He was quite the sheltered child, but it seems he was starting to see how much people were looking down on him.
'So, it's not just the town.'
This was the day he would fix his path and the birthright he was given.
He normally would have submitted, but because he could not use mana, he was powerless to retort.
And to be powerless, one must submit.
But not today.
Cain gritted his teeth.
For all the days he would not take an order… today was that day.
Hardening himself, he spoke back with a heavy voice.
"You will give me what I came for."
The old man's eyes instantly targeted back at Cain. A pressure weighted down on him, as if he had a bouldered strapped to his back, forcing him to kneel.
Cain's legs wobbled under the might, his head pushed down as he struggled to stand.
Letting Cain feel the pressure on him, he responded in a curious tone,
"And why would I do that?"
Struggling to stand much longer, Cain endured himself, and with a firm mindset, he raised his head, his eyes peering into the old man's as he ordered back,
"Because I told you so."
With a slight smirk, the old man released the pressure as Cain dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
'How exactly strong was this old man?' Cain thought to himself as he tried to catch his breath.
Putting the book down and leaning back in his chair, the old man spoke in a friendly but dangerous tone.
"I was curious to see what the fourth son was like. It seems like you do have a backbone when it comes to something of importance. Had you used your father to back your words, I would have set you flying out the door with no remorse."
The old man leaned forward as he rested his hands on the desk and said in a serious tone.
"There is power in backing, but that can only get you so far. If you want real power, that comes from oneself. It seems that your family being absent from your life has been a rather small blessing. For if you want to be strong, you must become the strongest and stand above everyone else."
"It's good to know where you stand… Now get up." The old man said as he got out of his chair.
Cain could only look in confusion as he slowly stood up.
"So… you were just testing me?"
The old man gave Cain a side eye.
"Huh? Are you slow or something?"
"Oh no, I was just fully expecting to see my face in a pile of dirt outside."
The old man gave a small chuckle as he faced Cain.
"That normally would have happened, but I believe in the rules of the Whiteheart clan. Hard work is a talent in and of itself. You just haven't been given the chance to show it."
Cain saw a new light in the old man, as one who was constantly looked down upon, it was refreshing to see a new look.
"Now, follow me."
Cain gave a slight nod as he followed the old man through the library.
The library didn't just have manuals on cultivating mana and techniques, but also contained various books and sections about the history of the clan or the long-forgotten wars that many scholars would spend decades piecing together into a singular book. It was a library truly worthy of its name. If an event had happened, it would most likely be written down somewhere here.
Cain passed by many sections on different topics as they journeyed through the library. Let alone getting a manual, he wanted to read through all the different and unique books that lay on the bookshelves.
Cain turned and asked the old man. "How come theirs nobody in here?"
With a half-hearted sign, the old man explained. "Not many people come here anymore. Only those of the main and collateral houses can come here… but they all already have manuals lined up for the kids, as those families just passed down their techniques. As for the history and other events, they usually have everything they already need, unless they are looking for information about a specific place or time."
Cain thought about the information he had just received and came to a sudden realization.
"Was my father ever going to pass down manuals to me?"
The old man's lips turned down upon hearing Cain.
"Normally, you would as both your brothers and your sister did. But it doesn't matter, as you couldn't use it anyway."
Cain looked down with an empty stare as he clenched his fists.
It truly was a curse, and he wouldn't give up.
But he was also curious as to how the old man knew so much about his family, and how informally he could talk about his father.
As they neared the end of the library, a golden door could be seen with two chains running diagonally across the door.
Stopping in front of the door, the old man slowly took out a singular golden key and directly spoke to Cain.
"Now, Cain. There are a few rules and things you should know."
With excited and determined eyes, he kept silent, with a serious expression as to what was being said.
"First off, you will be going in alone. Having to choose your own manuals is in itself a test to see if you can make the right decisions for yourself. Choosing a powerful technique or cultivation manual may sound good, but pointless if you can't even learn it. That is called greed, and a big reason as to why families stopped sending their kids here. They found that by passing down their manuals, they can help them along the way while still keeping their power."
Taking in another deep breath, the old man continued.
"The other is choosing too weak of a method or one that's not even suitable for you. Some would rather go for instant power than long-term. That is just called being dumb. It's okay to take risks, but don't expect to cut the skies with a singular move off the start."
"Do you understand?"
Cain nodded as he resolved himself.
"Now, you will only be able to take a technique manual as you can't harness mana… let alone reject it."
Cain opened his eyes in shock, hearing the last part. People knew he couldn't use mana, but the fact that it was rejected was only known by a select few.
"How-"
"No questions."
After unlocking the chains, the old man opened the door as he gave Cain one last response.
"The world is filled with mysteries and unsolved puzzles. If you cannot follow the path given, you simply need to make your own."
The old man gave a soft smile.
"I wish you luck, Cain Whiteheart."
With a slight nod of approval as questions lingered, he forced himself to focus as it seemed he would need to pick wisely.
"I'll be back."