The appellations attributed to Zandik by fellow scholars ranged from 'peculiar' and 'bizzare' to 'eccentric' and whatnot.

It just so happened that the two of you were paired up for an upcoming project, thus leading to the current situation: him, completely engrossed in his research and you, seated adjacent to him in the boundless library of the Akademiya.

Without as much as lifting his gaze to catch a glimpse of you, he inquired in a low tone: "I suppose you've caught wind of the rumours. Are you afraid of me, too?"