They don’t end up buying the library that week or even the week after. It takes the town a bit of time to clear space and announce the decision. Ace isn’t too happy about this as there was a time when he could just decide something like this and then do it.
Though he also acknowledges that this is simply a part of running a town and not being the sole power.
Now, though, things were ready. Which meant he had to play ringmaster to the circus. Ace looked out over the rowdy crowd and sighed. Pre-system you wouldn’t have had this kind of turnout for a library opening.
Admittedly, they weren’t here for the library. They were here to see the system build the library. Which was an important difference as it meant they weren’t going to all charge into the library once built. Not that they would be allowed to.
Ace had made sure to announce that the library would be closed to the public for at least a week. After all, they needed to transfer all the old books and who knows what kind of things the people running the place would need to do for the library to be ready.
With a sigh, Ace strides out into the cordoned-off area and up onto a small raised podium. He gives the crowd a moment to quiet down. Then, after summoning two large slabs of wood and clapping them together, gives them a moment more, before starting his speech. “Welcome everyone to the purchase of the system library!
“Remember, this is just a show of the actual purchase. The library will not be open for at least another week, or possibly more! After all, the books aren’t able to move themselves yet.
“Now, there are many things we could have bought. No doubt about that. However, this library will provide a service we can’t do for ourselves. Which, in the end, is the point. Why throw money at the system when one of you could be getting paid for it instead?
“Even the less glamorous jobs have gotten a facelift, thanks to magic. The simple fact that just about anyone can cast mage hand? Well, minor telekinesis might not massively change things, but it makes things easier in so many ways.
“That left me the privilege of being able to look back. Not to try and rot in the past, but to recognize what came before and what we are losing. Knowledge! A priceless thing gathered over thousands of years and at substantial cost.
“Even the things that don’t quite fit now? They have worth! They point out things to remember and other ways of doing stuff. And so, this library is to help us remember that past. To preserve what few written works we have and may receive in the future. As well as keep that which we learn going forward.
“Now, without further ado, System, purchase the library!”
Which isn’t the proper way to confirm a purchase from the system, especially not for such a big purchase. Of course, he isn’t the one doing the actual purchase. That task is being handled by Jimmy, off to the side. Not the audience knew that, and so were suitably impressed when right behind Ace, the wall began to shift and change.
Though as the audience oow’ed and aah’ed, those right in front suddenly all jumped a little. Why became clear as they shifted and revealed that the road had started to reach out towards where the library would be.
Ace laughed, “Well, that’s convenient.” Though he didn’t have time to say more as the library really began to take form.
Some would be tempted to call the style “Gothic”, though it wasn’t, not really. It simply had that look with the pointed arches, tall ceilings, and what not.
The library wasn’t as tall as the mage tower. At least by a little bit. Though some in the crowd would later swear that the two were matched in height for a moment, but then the mage tower itself grew a little. Kelly would later look into those claims, but they didn’t exactly have measurements for how tall the tower had been beforehand.
Besides those oddities, there was also the matter of the stone’s color. The inner wall had with time been switched from earth and wood, to a stone structure. But it was local stone, a granite of muddy grey coloration.
Ace had long-term plans of tidying it up. Maybe put on a facade of white stone? Possibly something from the dungeon. Would be easy enough since earth magic should allow the facade stone to be seamlessly fused with the wall.
Anyway, the library was still made of granite, but the muddiness was replaced with a rosy pink tint. Which was interesting. Though thankfully, it was only a blush and so didn’t clash with the wall. Not that it would have mattered. Ace would have changed the wall to make it matches better as the library was more important than aesthetics.
Though the crowd certainly made a fuss about it. However, with the system magic finished, they soon dispersed. Which left Ace with finding out how this whole thing worked.
Ace and Jim who was suddenly next to him, walked up to the library’s entrance. The doors are finely carved oak with ivory filigree, to match the town’s bone theme. Though when Ace takes a second look over the building, that seems to be about it for bones. “I guess we should get this over with?”
Jim shrugs, “Waiting won’t change anything.”
Ace pushes the door open, which swings inward with deceptive ease, especially since it seems to be solid wood and at least twice the width you’d expect a door to be.
Inside, slowly revealed to the two, is a large open area, the entire central space one giant room. Above the large vaulted ceilings, bringing back the bone theme, though in a special way.
Hung from the ceiling are numerous skeletons, and not just any skeletons. These are the skeletons of flying and swimming dinosaurs. Stuff like a pterodactyl and a plesiosaur. And clearly there were spatial shenanigans going on, as there was a lot more up there than logically should fit. Either that or maybe it was an illusion, but both Ace and Jim get the feeling those are real.
Down below the dinosaurs, though not by much, are the bookshelves. The TALL bookshelves. Each one goes up multiple stories, with balconies, bridges, and support struts networking the entire mess. Which was likely needed as the shelves aren’t in neat and orderly rows.
They meet at odd angles. There are sections that instead of following those below and above, the shelves angle away and join across the aisle. With a quick glance, Ace doesn’t think spatial nonsense is going on. He has a good sense for that kind of thing, thanks to the dungeon. Rather, the shelves are just wonky.
And also empty. There is nothing on the shelves yet, which gives the library a very eerie feeling. A sort of wrongness that Ace shakes off as he takes in the ground floor.
The center of the room is clear, a large circular plaza where a single being stands, patiently waiting.
Before all the stats and magic, Ace likely wouldn’t have been able to make out details, but the figure is as clear as day. Easiest to explain are the clothes. A proper maid uniform. Which Ace can tell is the case as the “desk” they’re standing at, is actually a circular plank of wood, floating at the right height. No short skirt to be seen.
What can be seen? Whoever this is, isn’t a normal sapient. Instead, they appear to be some kind of puppet or automaton. Their body made of a fine ceramic with a tan color that is clearly not a “flesh” tone, but at the same time still gives off a warm vibe. Each joint on the hands and presumably elsewhere are doll-like, ball joints. On their head is brown hair, though it looks more like thread than actual hair.
Though strangest from Ace’s perspective are the eyes. Well, and the lack of nose, but the eyes really stand out! They’re a black with depth and an oval shape which are straight up and down. Compared to that, the thin, painted on, lips barely register.
And of course, they’re the best person to start with, so Ace and Jim walk up to the desk. During the walk, they noticed that the floating desk isn’t a bunch of wood pieces put together, but rather a single piece. In fact, given the rings, this is actually a cross-section off of a very large log.
In fact, Ace is willing to bet that if you followed one of the growth rings toward the center, you could follow it around the entire table.
“Hello! This is the unit Helper 3113 variant N, Librarian Maid. Though once this unit gained sapience, we have gone by the moniker, ‘Hellen’ as that seems to be more acceptable all around. Please refer to me with female pronouns.” And she bowed her head.
Ace rubs the back of his neck, “Ah, nice to meet you. Can you give us a run down of how the library works? It is a little empty at the moment. And while we plan to fill it as much as we can, it is big enough that our contribution isn’t going to make it any less empty.”
Jim nods, “What he said, oh, and is there anyone else working here? Not to question your competence, but the place is quite big and given what I know of libraries here before the system? It takes a lot of people to run one.”
Hellen smiles and inclines her head, “That is a reasonable question. Many of the regular tasks, such as re-shelving books are taken care of by my drones.” She raises her arm and a drone seems to appear. Though off to the side, Jim can see that it has simply been hovering behind her and the arm lift was a theatrical way to reveal it.
As for the drone itself? The first thing that comes to mind is “flying saucer”. It is a reflective silver saucer with a matte silver sphere in the center. Quite the classic! Then out from underneath pops out a little manipulator. It isn’t a claw, but rather clearly shaped in such a way as to pick up and hold books.
Hellen sends the drone away and it floats up into the shelves behind her. “As for the more technical tasks, such as preservation and restoration? Those I personally handle through a series of chrono-vaults and accelerated workrooms. Said work rooms have been accelerated in a way such that sadly, no one else can assist me as the magic used was set up in such a way as to continue to preserve the contents.
“This method is sadly anathema to biological life as such things generally requires the circulation of fluids and transfer of gases. Time is oddly plastic once you stop things from moving too much. Though mostly that fact is used to slow things down. My situation created a unique opportunity to make use of the other side of things!”
Ace, “Okay, that sounds–”
Hellen holds up a hand, “However! I do have beings who are lined up to assist me, depending on what tasks you would like the library to do for you. Which is also connected to the current state of the shelves.”
Ace nods, “Okay, I’ll bite. What services do you offer that would require help?”
Hellen smiles, “Well, the purpose of this library is to preserve a world’s pre-activated-quintessence period. Now, it sounds like you did manage to preserve a good chunk of knowledge in the form of the library from a local center of higher education.
“However, not everyone can manage that. Besides, what local books you might have will not show a complete picture. Even simple things, such as how one country portrays another will cause a warped view of the past.
“Therefore, it is only proper that this institution be capable of acquiring books and other textual references from around your world. Or even beyond if your civilization was one of those to reach the stars with pure technology.”