Since the day he took on his job at the library, Floyd never encountered an out of the norm event till this day.
The day started with the library accepting a new attendant, even though all the posts were taken, and turned out the new addition got his own job tailored for him.
So far, Floyd thought that for once, his day started off in an interesting way, a bit weird but at least something to talk about after work.
Yet, it got even weirder, this Marik guy, sped towards the books-filled shelves like he's walking on hot charcoal barefoot, from the corner of his eyes, Floyd could swear this guy didn't even check the shelf or the book he picked up to read on the spot, didn't even bother to take a seat, but he didn't dwell on it, maybe he's passionate about books!.
well!
Two hours later, Floyd really started to believe that there is something wrong with this guy, who would change a book every twenty minutes sharp!? like no less no more than twenty minutes!
For God's sake, the library has many tables and chairs, why are reading in a standing posture? isn't he tired or something?
Well! honestly, Marik"s legs are asking the same question?
'It's already passed three hours since he started reading non-stop! he even refused to go to the dining hall for lunch! but why I feel something odd about the way he's reading? I won't be surprised if it turned out he's casting some sorcery or doing a voodoo dance!...sigh!' the poor Floyd kept having inner struggles to come up with an explanation for this young man's behavior, he worked in the library for years but never knew the books are that attractive, don't get him wrong, he likes reading, in fact, he loves books, but this is next level obsession!
Two more hours later!
'Seriously! is he for real! it's ok if you went and read your books standing, maybe you don't want to waste time! that's OK! but who would read a book on the top of a sliding ladder?' Floyd is going crazy by now, when he saw Marik finish a whole circle around the library, he went for the sliding ladders that are supposed to help clean the books high up on the shelf, or maybe reach for a book, yet he moved the ladder back to where he first started reading, and commenced doing the same thing but on the ladder.
'Should I inform manager Edward? but... he didn't do anything to violate any rule! ok! I'll check where he stopped to read and see if I find a suspicious act! or object! then I'll see if I should report his odd behavior' thought Floyd, in a sense, it's not his job but he didn't like the idea of something disrupting the peace that enfolded the library for years now!
...
'Huh!'
'The limit on the scanning range reduced! phew! all the books on the second floor should be replicated by now!' Marik took a deep breath, he finally finished copying the second floor, from shelves to books, he didn't think it will be this hard, especially the second floor, where he had to stand on top of the sliding ladders to make sure his scanning range could reach to the ceiling of the second floor.
'Ouch! my whole body is sore! but this way is better, now that I copied the whole library, I don't have to fear any unexpected events, or they may somehow change their decision, and throw me out of the library!' thought Marik, kneading his sore muscles, this deed took him more than seven hours to accomplish, but it was worth the effort.
"Man! I can't wait anymore!" softly muttered Marik, restraining his eagerness with effort, even though he already experienced the first capacity of the Avatar's space, he still finds it hard to believe the other two abilities, that why he can't wait to try the second ability [Simulation].
"Let see, dinner will be served about an hour later, so I can have Floyd help with the issue of my residence, before that it's better to lunch the simulation since it just memorizing and assimilating all the books and knowledge I copied!" planned Marik carefully.
So next, Marik took a book, just for the sake of appearances, over to a table, sat down in a comfortable position, opened the book just for show! then!
Deep breath! closing his eyes!
Less than a second, Marik was facing the Avatar.
The Avatar and the space holding it, are still the same, a mess of colors and shapes in an order he can't express in words, that why he gave up that impossible task and focused on the Avatar.
Reorganizing his thoughts, Marik was about to cite the simulation's instructions, he suddenly stopped.
'Wait a minute! why don't I go further and instruct the Avatar to do my job too! that sounds like a good idea' felt good about the sudden 'epiphany' he got.
"Start a simulation!" said Marik in a loud voice and great anticipation.
But what happened next astonished him!
[initiating a simulation...].
The second Marik's voice fell, the Avatar spread his hands wide open, following that a transparent screen popped off to existence.
[Input the simulation's goal...].
Still lost in a trance, Marik watched as lines of words kept appearing on the screen, collecting himself, Marik focused on the last line, asking to state his simulation.
"First, memorize and study in depth all the books currently in the database. second, evaluate the veracity of the knowledge and information found in the books by cross-referencing the other books. third, classify the level of veracity from strong to weak based on logic and the number of times the information is mentioned in other books." stated Marik clearly, in a serious tone.
[Processing the simulation...].
[All necessary knowledge and models are available...].
[simulation start in! 3...2...1!].
Boom!
A tremor went off in the Avatar space, next Marik saw the Avatar snap its fingers and all the books-filled shelves he scanned from both floors appeared like magic.
Waiting with eagerness to see how the Avatar will go about accomplishing the simulation, but! all he saw, was the Avatar wave a hand, and a book flew from one of the shelves to its hand and then nothing!
He was forcefully ejected from the space! from the instant the simulation started, Marik couldn't last even a second in the Avatar's space, and that is less than 1 in 3600th part of a second in the real world.
Coming to himself, Marik found himself still in the library, and he's well aware that not even ten seconds passed. since he entered the Avatar's space.
"Looks like I can't stay in the Avatar's space during a simulation, due to the huge difference in the time flow." reasoned Marik.
Experiencing and witnessing this Ability of the Avatar's space, lit a fire in Marik's heart, made his head buzz with excitement like a kid who acquired a new toy, from the new method of communication through the transparent screen to the magical time flow.
Taking a deep breath, Marik composed himself, adjusted his posture on the chair, made sure nothing stood out, no physical changes to his body. only then, Marik stood up from his chair, then he moved over to Floyd in light and slow steps.
'huh!'
'Didn't he just sat down like normal people to read a book, how come he didn't persist for even half a minute!' thought Floyd, when he noticed Marik moving toward him, he sort of missed the point where Marik read books non-stop for more than seven hours, and the fact, that even he never did it despite working in a library, I guess Marik's weirdness was too much for him to pay attention to something else.
"Hey, Floyd! I was wondering if you can help me with my accommodation before dinner, the truth is I'm starving, and I want to be done with this issue before dinner because I want to hit the bed right after dinner, I somehow got carried away while reading from the excitement of seeing too many books, I can barely walk, hehe" after reaching the library's entrance counter, Marik went and asked for Floyd help, and tried to make an excuse for his eccentric way of reading with a chuckle, even though, Marik was focused on making a replica of the library religiously, he's not stupid or dunce to the point of not picking up the strange gazes Floyd used to look at him, but he knew, it a one-time thing so he stubbornly thickened his skin through that process, he endured horrible fatigue and sore muscles all over his body, so why not a little bit of awkwardness.
humph! what embarrassment! what common sense! these are not gonna miraculously help turn me into a movable library!
"Sure, I was tasked to do that, and it a good time right now, technically no one will visit the library this late!" Floyd replied in a simple yet straight forward manner, with a smile on his face, he never intended to ask Marik about his behavior 'directly', that why he didn't show any signs of confusion or puzzlement over Marik's actions.
"Oh! is it ok to leave the library alone?" asked Marik in surprise.
"Hehe, don't worry, no one would dare break the rules around the library, and actually, the library is never without surveillance. I'm just here to record who visits the library and which books are borrowed that all!" chuckling, Floyd answered Marik's worries.
"mm! that makes sense, an important place like the library would not lack measures of protection, then shall we go and deal with my residency issue!" Marik easily accepted his explanation, it's an obvious matter, he just thought Floyd need to call for a substitute, well! looks like that is not necessary.
Under the leadership of Floyd, they exited the library, took the side path that circled around the library, and right behind the library at a distance of thirty to forty meters, Marik saw a group of houses lumped together.
The houses looked like dwarfs compared to the library, but! compared to where Marik lived the last three days... no! the last twenty-something years, this is heaven!
"You can say that our accommodation is almost compared to low-rank managers houses and that only for us, library attendants, a form of benefit if you want, of course, the other sections of the manor have their own advantages too," said Floyd in a tone full of pride.
Marik nodded in silence, his gaze never left the group of houses, he doesn't know of what advantages, other sections or departments of the manor, would give to servants there, but! for him, a personnel place he can call home is way better than anything else, especially with his 'little secret'.
In the end, Floyd helped Marik choose a dwelling, the group of houses is built in a square formation, separated by little paths, we can see ten or eleven Hall houses, a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of the kingdom.
Marik decided on a hall house in the back-left corner of the formation, all the houses were built in the same architecture, yet the one he chose has some trees planted behind it, with the help of Floyd, Marik entered the house to appraise and see if he should keep this one or change to another, but Marik ended up loving the house, especially how big it is.
The hall house is a four-bay cruck-framed structure, with the open hall taking up the two bays in the middle of the building, an open hearth positioned in the middle of the hall, its smoke rising to a vent in the roof.
Two external doors on each side of the hall formed a cross passage. One end bay at the "screens end" or "lower end" of the hall would contain two rooms commonly called the pantry, used for storing food, and the buttery used for storing drink.
The rooms in the "upper end" bay formed the private space.
The rooms on the ground floor of the private space were known as Parlours meant for guests while the upper floor provided rooms called solars, designed as Marik's sleeping quarter.
No matter how he sees it, Marik still doesn't believe this a servant's house, and for him alone too, he doesn't even share it with others, and apparently, these houses are only prepared for servants of rank-2 and higher, well based on what Floyd said, he's the only rank-2 around here, the rest are rank-1 servants, while two of the houses here are occupied by low-rank managers who didn't find the need to change residence after getting promoted to managers.