Settling down on his seat in the reading section, Naph took the recognized book he saw on the ferry. Feeling the roughened texture it gave across the continental map drawn as the cover, he opened it to the first page.
Ennet meanwhile walked over and adjusted the light lamps hanging from the lowered ceiling. Her figure yet again attracted Naph's attention away from his book.
'Just why? Why am I like this?' He asked himself. Nevertheless his eyes traced Ennet's curves and the fluttering shawl she wore like a scarf.
Shaking off the strangeness, he re-focused himself on the book. He read:
"Disclaimer: For the geopolitical reasons this book will address the continent in question with both of its name, i.e., speculative endonym and exonym meaning Southern Regda and Tarna respectively."
"Huh, so this is written from the perspective of a Southern Regda citizen." His eyes went to the address mentioned on the first page, and the last line clearly stated the country of Southern Regda.
He began flipping through its pages for a cursory look. 'I won't find what I am looking for through the index.'
Stopping at one of the chapters in the last third part of the book, it titled "Water Bodies surrounding Tarna/Southern Regda."
Naph skimmed through the first few paragraphs finding the names familiar or heard of.
"Oh! So that's where that couple went to die. The eastern bay and gulf both are quite treacherous." Naph flipped the page.
Reading for couple more pages, he closed the book then. "Good for exploring Tarna. Not for escaping it." He put the book to the side.
Picking up another and a thicker book, he peeked at the title of the book.
"A Comprehensive Guide to Regda: Adventurer's edition"
"Hmm," his brows furrowed one side and raised the other.
Ennet in the meantime readjusted the shelves she picked the books out of. Having only taken less than a minute to do that she glanced at Naph, gave a faint smile and turned away walking the same way back they came.
Naph engrossed in the guide didn't notice when Ennet smiled nor did he became aware of when she left. However, a peculiar act grasped him.
Light became brighter all of a sudden some moments later while he read the guide to Regda.
'That's… That's peculiar. How?' He looked up from the guide to the light lamp. The lamps in question did not have some flame burning inside them as he noticed the white bar inside of the glass container.
"Just how?" He questioned aloud.
Getting his mind back on the guide, he delved into the details of Regda.
'I am going to need this either way.' He concluded given Southern Regda's position geopolitically. And the last book he skimmed gave hints to it as subtly as possible.
The guide instructed newly starting adventurers to avoid the north-eastern countries as much as possible and stay in the central kingdoms or the southern empire of Regda during their start of career. Naph read on from the first chapter's advisory.
Moving further into the first dozen of chapters, he learned several important bits discussing the landscape of the southern strip heavily.
His eyes narrowed on some paragraphs, the others didn't elicit a reaction. Still he deduced a first impression assumption that the writer has spent most time in the Regdian Empire's care.
"Hmm, now whether that influenced him… or her, could only be told better of after an in-person understanding." Flipping a page, he began reading the middle section of the guide.
This new section contained maps of the parts of the continent of Regda.
The first map showed the sea that separated Regda from Tarna. It was referred as Dara Sea. Naph had a inquisitive look asking why to the book. The book didn't offer an answer on the same page.
Dara sea's exploration voyages were well documented is what the guide claimed but it only gave summaries of those voyages.
"Not ocean. That's a sea." Anaphol began reconsidering on whether he should pay attention here or go back to Bulwark.
"But why is she called Bulwark?" He had no answer while surrounded by knowledge containing books.
He tossed through a few more chapters arriving at the section with information on oceans of the world.
Nodding his head at the find, he skimmed across the paragraphs recognizing the seas and straits he had heard of surrounding Tarna. The rest or more than four-fifth of the water bodies mentioned were the ones that surrounded Regda. Even though the book dedicated itself to the information on Regda, it did little to no effort on absconding from providing knowledge on Tarna.
Putting the back of his left hand to his lips and resting it on the arm, Naph considered what he read near his elbow's resting place on the guide. "Is it some kind of preference or scheme by someone in Regda to promote Tarna like a money pot of opportunities?" He mumbled through sealed lips.
Naph's absence of schooling brought him to wondrous phrases he developed himself.
He rhythmically tapped with his right hand on the table. In the meantime, his mind had question of stepping out and checking on Bulwark.
Ennet however, was far away and standing outside of her shop unbeknownst to her customer.
When she came out of the shop, her shop bell didn't announce that someone used the door. A peculiar bell indeed.
Ennet had readjusted the chalkboard to its original position from the severely slanted one to a more vertical angle. She turned around stepping towards the alleyway next to her shop and peeked into it for a quick second.
Her eyes seemed to gleam, if there were any observers they would have thought so. However she has used a basic technique from the western continent of Jhorime.
She stepped back in her bookstore. The bell didn't ring again.
Ennet strode to her seat behind the reception. Her shawl swayed in front of her while her hair oscillated against the direction shawl moved.
Naph had only read in the meantime enough on Regda that he thought of leaving. But at that moment, a soft melody reached his ears. One that caressed his heart.
He had thought of standing up, but the tune distracted him and he glanced in the direction of Ennet's reception table. He couldn't see her but he felt that she glanced at his direction time to time. 'Whatever helps in me sensing a gaze works for her too, but why through so much obstacles?' His mind raced.
Before he could say a word, a wind struck the window to his right and slightly cracked a partition through the window coming in. The chill touched it, and stayed along for the ride maybe it was coerced for it.
For the chill in the wind came and hugged Naph as it also turned the pages of the guide to the chapters of the islands beyond the continents.
He switched from gazing in Ennet's direction to the window crack in a split before the wind died or the tune stopped. Yet, his eyes betrayed his intention and peeked at the chapter title.
'Now that's something I should read.' Naph announced within.