Chapter 187 - Library

After they ate the food that was on their plates, or in the case of the three members that had joined Jien's team with the exception of Julie, they ate as much as they could. In the meantime they were staring with shocked expressions as the other seven emptied the plates that were piled high. Near the end they had managed to pick their jaws from the floor, though they still struggled to understand how their companions who looked relatively slim, or in the case of Rosalind well defined, could fit that much food in their frames.After everyone was finished with their food they quickly deposited the dishes in the specified area. The area itself was nothing more than a small window that nobody could see the other side of. It made everyone in the unit curious but despite their curiosity and a few attempts to probe they couldn't see where their dishes had gone. At the end they assumed that there was a cover on the slot for the privacy of those who were washing the dishes.They abandoned their curiosity as they saw other students coming forward to deposit their dishes, moving toward the building's exit. As they left the mess hall Jien spoke as he strode forward with his same calm confidence. "Our next stop is the library." He didn't mention the purpose of this visit to one of the many libraries available in the academy but they could infer at least one reason. Julie had never been taught anything other than the most basic of knowledge, reading, writing, and simple arithmetic, only because she survived long enough that her captors began to worry about the military forces coming to collect her. If she was completely illiterate it would be a crime punishable by death, something that had led to the Empire being a very well learned nation, always seeming to expand further in the realm of theory and advancement in the arcane arts.They made their way down several side streets without stopping or even looking at street signs. It soon became a matter of curiosity for everyone, even Julie how he could navigate so well through this city like academy without a map or instructions. They wanted to ask but there were always taboos in general conversation and one related to the gifts provided by the gods. They felt that it likely had to do with the god that Jien worshipped, perhaps a spell that allowed on to always find their way to the chosen destination without fail. Despite their curiosity they kept their lips sealed and followed silently.It was a longer walk than they had expected, taking a full twenty minutes despite how direct the route appeared to be and how much foot traffic they appeared to dodge by taking a number of smaller streets rather than the main thoroughfare. What stood before them at the end of the journey however did not match what they expected, nor did it match the look of anything else in the academy. The closest the structure came to any other building present was the Central Administration, only only because the spire that stretched high was made of a white stone that Jien hadn't been able to identify by its looks alone.The building known as the library was a massive structure that appeared to be over five stories high, though it was hard to tell exactly due to the lack of proper windows. In front of the building stood a line of massive white, marble pillars that seemed to tower high into the sky. Below the pillars stood a long staircase with what appeared to be close to a hundred steps. The pillars held up an overhanging A frame roof, tiled with what appeared to be tiles made of yet more marble.Behind the pillars and centered on top of the stairs was a statue of a robed figure with its hood pulled forward to cover it's features. A long beard seemed to stretch down from within, nearly touching the tiles below. In the robed figures hand was a simple looking staff that held a lantern on its hook. The statue and lantern were also made of marble but appeared detailed enough to seem like at any moment the figure may move. Within the lantern glowed a bright blue light. Below the figure's feet was a simple dais with the word 'Knowledge' inscribed in bold lettering.Behind the figure was the front wall of the building that was one of the six libraries within the academy. Its walls straying from the pure white of the pillars, stairs and statue by pulling in a blend of grays and light hints of blue. On either side of the sage like statue that towered as high as the pillars were many doors at regular intervals, made of dark wood and braced with heavy iron fixings.This was truly a place of learning. It appeared to be a place of worship for one of the gods that represented knowledge though nobody but the worshipers would be able to tell which. Jien stood fascinated by the sheer size of the place, imagining all of the knowledge at his finger tips. The amount of reading he could accomplish if he managed to just use every spare moment to do so. If only he didn't need to sleep, he could work at taking in this vast ocean of enlightenment.