Rose Iron Prison Library, Tony walked into the reading room with a bunch of new magazines, intending to place them next to the newspaper stands. However, he bumped right into Avansa, who was coming around the bookshelf.

"Oh no!" Tony exclaimed as he watched several magazines slide off.

In a flash, Avansa quickly reached out. Her hands, as agile as flipping swallows, caught all six falling books without dropping a single one, then she piled them neatly in her hands.

"Avansa, you’re so skilled," Tony said, his eyes slightly widened.

"I used to be able to catch five crossbow bolts in a row," Avansa replied emotionlessly. Her tone was very matter-of-fact. It seemed like a simple statement of truth, without any hint of bragging.

"Is that so?"

This time, Tony didn’t show much surprise. Having worked here for a while, he had seen his fair share of tough female convicts in the core area. Besides, he himself was no ordinary person since childhood, and he could tell that Avansa, like him, had undergone bodily enhancements.

"Let me help you arrange the books, teacher," Avansa offered actively.

Tony had been doubling as a temporary instructor for the juvenile convicts for some time, mainly teaching mathematics and grammar. He was starting to become somewhat acquainted with the prisoners, like Avansa.

He didn’t look much older than these convicts and was so gentle that he didn’t seem like an instructor. But the students were well-behaved in his classes because they all thought he was a top wizard who could make things disappear from this world with just a gesture—and if he wished, people could disappear too. Just this idea alone made him more terrifying in the hearts of these girls than Veronica, whom they had previously feared the most.

"It’s okay, just leave them here, Asenna will arrange them," Tony said.

"I’m looking for the latest issue of ’Dream of Youth.’" Avansa’s eyes became stubborn, "Otherwise, someone might borrow it first tonight."

"You follow ’Dream of Youth’ too?" Tony put down the magazine.

"Yes, I read ’The Watcher’s’ fairy tales," Avansa answered.

"Ah, me too." Tony was quite delighted to meet someone with the same interest, "All right, then let’s arrange them together."

"Teacher, you..." Avansa’s expression suddenly became alert, "You’re not going to fight me for it, are you?"

"No," Tony sighed, "I always buy them outside. I’ve already read the latest issue."

"Did ’The Watcher’ contribute this time?" Avansa asked.

"Yes, he sent in two stories," Tony said as he started arranging the magazines with Avansa, "One is called ’The Tortoise and the Hare’... the other is ’The Ugly Duckling’."

"Two stories!" Avansa’s eyes lit up, and she swiftly began flipping through the magazines. Then she found the latest issue of ’Dream of Youth’ and started to read it standing up.

"I thought we were going to arrange the magazines first?" Tony said with a bitter smile.

However, his hands soon stopped as he came across the latest special issue of ’The Explorer’.

"A new serial by the Fantasist?" Tony’s eyes widened. He hadn’t seen this new publication at the newsstand before, and he wasn’t the one who reviewed this batch of books.

"The Witch Watcher?" Tony skimmed the title and the introduction on the magazine cover.

The Fantasist’s new series was actually set in a women’s prison, and the protagonist was none other than the warden of that prison.

He glanced at Avansa, who was engrossed in "Dreams of Children" next to him and decided to stand alongside her, flipping through an "Explorer" supplement issue.

"Strange?" Tony lifted his face halfway through, blinking in confusion.

This setting... why does it feel so familiar?

At that moment, deep within the reading room’s library, Princess Sera of Gistas Kingdom was visiting.

"Miss Asenna, long time no see," she took the initiative to walk over to the loan desk, greeting Asenna, who was engrossed in writing.

"Hm? Isn’t this..." Asenna stopped her pen, lifted her head expressionless, and adjusted her glasses, "No use for ’Your Highness’, is there? What did you do this time to end up here?"

The prison administration official accompanying her glanced at Asenna in astonishment, sweating profusely on his back. The prisoner’s poker face did not seem to be joking when she said such things. Speaking so rudely to a foreign dignitary could cause diplomatic issues, and any mishap would be their responsibility.

But Asenna didn’t even show enough interest to glance at her, while Sera didn’t react unfavorably, just smiled self-deprecatingly: "Stop teasing me already, I’ve changed since then. Thanks to you, Heinz and I... well, are preparing to get engaged. I came to see you to thank you again—thank you for waking me up with your words..."

"Do you have a more tangible way to show your thanks?" Asenna asked.

"I’ve sent some things over for you," Sera smiled. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Thanks, you do look more impressive than before," Asenna sized up Sera, "To be honest, I should thank you too. Thanks to you, I finally managed to get published in ’Dreams of Children.’"

"Is that so, congratulations," Sera blinked, confused. She wasn’t aware of Asenna’s adaptation of her story into a fairy tale.

"Since then, though, I haven’t had any success with submissions. I’ve changed several stories..." Asenna sighed, then grabbed the manuscript in her hand, "Ah, you’ve come just in time. Can you take a look and give me some feedback?"

"Sure," Sera curiously took the manuscript, and started reading from the first line, "Once upon a time, there was a little zombie..." Eh?"

Sera’s comprehension ability completely collapsed at the first line of the story.

In the reading room, Avansa and Tony were still absorbed in their magazines.

"Why are you two standing here reading?" Veronica’s voice rang out behind them, startling them both before they turned around in unison.

"Avansa, the free reading time is over; it’s time to gather and go," Veronica said.

"Okay," Avansa obediently turned around, ready to call the other young offenders to gather. She was the class leader.

"Don’t just casually take the magazine with you; do you think I can’t see?" Veronica sighed and swiftly snatched the magazine Avansa was holding, "You can only check out books during open hours in the evening!"

"Ah..." Avansa watched longingly as the magazine was placed back on the rack by Veronica.

"Tony, get ready, class time is about to start," Veronica then turned to Tony.

"Sure," Tony nodded and turned to head to the classroom.

"You also shouldn’t casually take the magazine with you," Veronica sharply reminded.

"Ah." Tony only then realized he had unconsciously taken the magazine in his hand.