Ace crossed his arms, “And how do you gain the knowledge? What method are you to acquire books from the other side of the planet?”
Hellen, the doll-like librarian maid, spreads her arms again, but this time there isn’t a UFO-looking drone. Rather, giggles float out as a group of some kind of Fae make an appearance. “With help.”
Ace squints, “We’ve kept the Fae from being too much of an influence, at least in these parts. Why should I accept you bringing them in without permission?”
Hellen nods, “A valid worry. However, these Fae are not part of any court. In fact, they specifically joined the system’s workforce to escape such things. Not only would they never summon in other Fae, they can’t.
“This is similar to how you don’t have to worry about any other system employee unless you do something stupid. Whether they joined on purpose or got stuck joining, the system makes sure you can trust us in our position. And their position? It is to go and find books and such that the library doesn’t already have. Also, Fae magic has an easier time acquiring books and bringing them back in good condition.
“Even if the books didn’t start out that way. It isn’t time magic, but time has a looser grip on the Fae and so they have an easier time with repair magic. One of these sprites finds a book in the mud, bloated with water? They’ll pull it out as if it had never fallen in.”
Ace, “I’ve never heard of this in relation to the Fae.”
Hellen makes a gesture of acknowledgement, “And if not for me? You likely never would. This isn’t how they think of their ability. Though let’s allow them to introduce themselves.”
The tallest sprite, about half a meter tall, flies forward on insect wings. “Hello! We are the library’s acquisition wing. Our names are unimportant, or rather, the system has them and we can’t remember them for the moment? Quite odd! Normally, it is we who take names.
“Anyway, none of us were important enough to merit a proper name. We’re practically interchangeable! Which at least for me, is why I decided to do something different. As with most lower forms born away from the mortal realm, we tend to be the same and only contact with sapient mortals do we start to change.”
Ace raises an eyebrow, “So, you aren’t sapient?”
The tall sprite shrugs, “That would be fun. And honestly? Working here gives us the best chance, but don’t think we’re stupid or anything!
“Anyway, because libraries are connected. Don’t ask me how, they just are. We can flit around the world to locations that have or held one. Mostly the second atm, seeing as people aren’t really focused on libraries. End of the world and all that.
“So yeah, we get sent out to a location defined as a library and most of the time we’ll find nothing. There are so many abandoned buildings in the middle of the wilderness right now! Humanity on this planet really got a swift kick to the nards. But yeah, we canvas the area and pick up any books that at least partially survived and head back here.
“Now, things get fun if we show up and there are people. Well, if there is a settlement. A person living nearby doesn’t mean much unless they are literally living inside of the library.
“So, people, right? Well, the Fae are known on the planet as tricksters who will steal your own name if you answer wrong. Which, as a side note, is true and how many of us get our proper names! I knew a fae with sixteen names. A powerful defense since we’ve got this whole name-based weakness. Similar to Demons in that way.
“But yeah! We are quite good at taking things through Fae trickery. Now, working for the system means we lose some of that. Tightly controlled and what not. Except for our job! We get to use our trickery to acquire books.
“Easy enough if no one has official control of the books. So, yeah, if the library is simply located within the settlement? We’ll just scout out the area and find a local who seems the right sort and ask them if anyone owns the books or some other questions. All with the intent to get them to admit no one really has control of the books? You get what I’m putting down?
“Because if it was a book in a settlement like that, I’m taking that book! That won’t always work, a shame that. So we’ll also try things like asking to borrow the books to read. Which is a shame since we can’t read the books then. After all, if we don’t read the books, we don’t have to return them!
“Other than that? We use our connection to the library to detect books that aren’t in the collection yet, and if all else fails? We, ugh, buy them. It rarely comes to that, though! We are so good at our jobs!”
Ace frowns, “So it sounds like this library is a weakness in our defenses?”
Hellen tilts her head to the side, “I am not seeing how you came to that conclusion?”
Ace gestures at the tall sprite, “Literally one of the first things they said was that all libraries are connected and they can move between them. I highly doubt that system-contracted sprites are the only ones who can do that.”
Hellen nods, “You would be correct, but also that isn’t the full picture. Libraries share a conceptual connection with the Akashic. It is through that connection that all libraries; past, present, and future can be said to be connected.
“However, not all beings can use that connection to actually move between locations. In fact, for the most part, we can’t even send books through! Which of all things, should be possible. Fae cheat because they are of Dream and so can make use of it when directly bound to a library.”
Ace frowns, “Even if only library-bound Fae could do this, I would still be worried.”
Hellen shrugs, “Most won’t be able to and not many Fae bind themselves to libraries in the first place. Within an entire seasonal court? Maybe one Fae will do so. My sprites are different, yet are not. While they are technically bound to my library, the reality of the situation is that they’re bound to the system which has decided to assign them to this library.
“More worrisome is if you’re some kind of cruel dictator. All those stories of some hero finding a hidden technique? Some of that is people being sloppy with organization. However, fate has a part to play and will literally drag exactly the manual they need out of another library for them to find. So yeah, said hero will gain a powerful technique and rise up.”
Jim laughs, “Oh! That’s delicious. I’m sure that will happen to us, eventually. Are you still sure about opening this to the public?”
Ace rolls his eyes, “Well, for one, they’d just create a library of their own. More than that, though, is the fact we don’t plan to be dictators. I want to be a part of the institution. There, but ignored because I was always there.”
Jim, “And the second?”
Ace shrugs, “One thing we did right and started to backslide as a world was public libraries. Free access to knowledge? Especially now that the Internet is currently beyond us? Super important to making sure those who want to better themselves, have the information to do so.
“I don’t want to rule over a mindless hive of beaten-down workers. We have Literal Magic. It would not only be a shame, but would be shameful not to give people a proper chance. Which is why people can make use of the Mage Tower as well. Because honestly? If there was a place to limit their access to? That tower would be at the top of the list!
“Magic represents chaos and change. Even when used to provide order, it is doing so through altering the basic rules for reality to achieve it. So yeah, if I wanted to control the population, a highly ordered ‘school’ would be more effective. The simple act of having soft control over what skills people have? That would represent the most important kind of control!
“Only outstripped by controlling what Paths a person takes. Though of all the possibilities, the system would smack us down hard if we tried anything like that. Not that I would want to in the first place? As much as I’m making sure I have total control of the government, that doesn’t mean I want to micromanage everyone.”
Ace turns back to Hellen and the Sprites, “So, it seems there isn’t anything I can do about this hole in my security. How secure are the doors if set to only let authorized people through?”
Hellen smiles, “As this is a system-provided building, secure doors are secure. Though, please note, that the main entrance won’t be a secure door. A side door leading out behind your wall? Well, that is a different matter.”
Ace nods, “Okay, that should be fine then.
“Oh, and I assume that even the library won’t allow others to pierce the quarantine?”
Instead of Hellen, the tall sprite answers, “No, but yes! In some ways, what is allowed could be seen as piercing your quarantine. Mainly in that, the system can allow passage from one quarantine planet to another. This is quite rare and the system isn’t going to let someone from the last year of a planet’s quarantine through to a planet just beginning their quarantine.
“Now, are you going to let us do our job? Or will the system pass us on to the next available library?”
Ace sighs, “We have a lot of books, but they’re all from the same country. Worse, from the same place! At least if the books had been from different sides of a country, there could be some regional variance.”
The tall sprite smiles extra wide, “Is that a yes?”
Ace takes a moment to glare at them before sighing again. “Yes, you can do your job and gather books from around the world. But! First we need to move all of our books into the library, so at least you’ll know what we’re working with. No need for you to bargain for something we already have.”
The tall sprite rockets into the air in a controlled spiral. “Wonderful! We'll rest until it is time. This will be delicious!” And the tall sprite joins the rest of them, shrinking down to match them as they all fly off it on the stacks and out of sight.”
Ace squints, “I don’t think there was a way to end that without feeling like I was taken advantage of.”
Jim shrugs, “They’re Fae. As much as they’re bound to the system, that isn’t changing their inherent nature.”
Hellen nods, “As they are currently soulless, they are what they are. Maybe if they can gain a soul in some manner, change can finally come to them.”
Jim, “I honestly find it quite strange. A group of beings known for their chaos, not personally being able to change? So strange.”
Hellen shrugs, “Their actions can be chaotic. There are a variety of each type. Those sprites might all be the same, but that does not mean all sprites are the same as them. However! On an individual scale? They are what they are. It is simply the fact that there are an infinite number of the lower-order Fae to draw from that allows for infinite variety.”
Ace nods, “And from how I understand, it isn’t like the Fae are truly OF Chaos. They are simply connected to it through Dream by way of the Faewilds. Those sprites are so similar simply because the system picked them out as a group.”
Hellen, “To have a group of sprites where they are all basically the same being? Only something on the level of Fae Royalty or the system can manage such a thing in any reasonable timeframe.”