OBS Chapter 3919 The Coughing in the Library
Chapter 3919 The Coughing in the Library
Chapter 3919 The Coughing in the Library
At the end of the winding mountain road was a small square, where a statue of a figure Xia De did not recognize stood. Behind the statue, people were coming and going on the twenty-odd white stone steps. At the top of the steps was a towering palace building with white walls, most of which was embedded in the mountain rock.
The library has eight doors, and its height is estimated to be at least 12 meters. The highest point is a triangular roof with the words "Knowledge, Wealth; Creation, Source" in relief on its front.
The building was very magnificent, and because the main body of the building was embedded in the mountain, even Xia De, standing at the door with his head up, did not know how big the library actually was.
He once suspected that this place, like the "Golden Music Hall" in Vistalin, might have been converted from an ancient temple building, but historical records confirm that the library was indeed built during the Sixth Age.
"Given the level of development in the ancient Sixth Age, this library was quite a 'spectacle' when it was completed."
Stepping up the stairs and through the main gate, one officially enters the library. The air is filled with the distinctive scent of ink, and the gleaming marble floor reminds Xia De of a bank in a big city. On the screen wall directly opposite the entrance, the phrase "Innovation is the primary driving force for development" is engraved in Common Language.
Judging from the surname at the end, this sentence was probably left by one of Margaret's ancestors.
The process of paying the membership fee and annual fee went smoothly, and the proof of membership was a bronze badge with a candle design. A star was engraved below the candle, and the date was engraved on the back of the badge.
"Mr. Leberi mentioned the 'Silver Candleburg Badge,' this one is bronze, I wonder if there is a gold one."
For the next year, Shad will be able to freely enter and exit the library during the designated opening hours with this badge. If he renews his subscription after one year, the badge will be changed to one with two stars.
So the outsider wanted to know if collecting enough stars could be exchanged for the moon, and if collecting enough moons could be exchanged for the sun.
Of course, his registered name was still John Watson.
The Candleburg Library opens floors 1 to 3 to registered members like Shad. The third floor is not visible from the outside, as it is entirely embedded in the mountainside. Inside the library, the catalog is divided into separate reading rooms and floors.
Books on theology and religion were naturally located in the most solemn main hall of the building, while the interior decoration of the area containing books on law and government was the most dignified.
The map room is adjacent to the reading room for history and geography books. Shad even saw a complete topographic map of the explored areas of the New World here. Science and natural philosophy occupy the largest area on the second floor. Because the library is located inside the mountain and has poor natural lighting, it is equipped with the most gas lamps and cabinets displaying mineral and fossil specimens.
The 1688 edition of "Illustrated Guide to Rare Plants of the Southern Continent" that old Mr. Leberi wanted was located in this area; the book, about half the size of a door panel, was protected by a glass case. If Shad wanted it, he could have simply taken it and run, but he would never have done so.
In addition, the Candleburg Library also has sections for art, architecture and archaeology, literature and linguistics, philosophy and psychology, practical knowledge and business, and popular fiction and periodicals.
When Shad arrived at the last section, he immediately spotted the Carsonrick version of "The Hamilton Detective Stories" displayed in the most prominent position, indicating that it was a popular book.
The Candleburg Library did not look down on this type of literature simply because it was a popular modern novel; on the contrary, it valued it highly. However, the detective story collection in the Candleburg Library only included the first six volumes, while the novels in the Dela Rion language had already been published up to the eighth volume.
Xia De could not enter the library's storage warehouses, book depositories, rare book and manuscript rooms. These special rooms, with strict temperature and humidity control and access restrictions, were only open to specific scholars, collectors and naturalists.
Of course, with Xia De's current abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to go and see those closed areas, but he doesn't have that curiosity for the time being, since the book he's looking for is lying in a glass case in the public area.
Wandering around a library like this when you have nothing to do is very relaxing. While strolling through the library, Xia De also tried to probe the place with [Powerful Spatial Perception]. He then discovered that the library actually had an anti-detection ritual set up, and the strength of this anti-detection ritual was quite high, so it was definitely not set up casually.
This results in all exploration abilities and items within the Candlekeep Library area being affected. While [Enhanced Spatial Awareness] is not completely disabled, its exploration range is compressed to a considerably smaller area.
"Oh?"
Things are getting interesting, but Shad doesn't know if this is the work of the [Church of Creation] or if there is a ringed sorcerer organization active in this library.
"Speaking of which, since the headquarters of the Apuna Library is here, could it be... But it is said that their headquarters is in some underground cave (Chapter 778). Although this place is also a cave, it should not be underground, right?"
Lost in thought, he continued to wander aimlessly through the quiet library. Although he could see people coming and going from the plaza outside the library, once everyone was dispersed inside such a large library, it was often difficult to spot another person even after walking for five minutes.
The scent of ink and paper mingled with the aroma of burning candles, creating a unique and comforting atmosphere within the enclosed building. Shad loved it here; although the scenery wasn't as magnificent as the Silver Moon Library, it perfectly matched his imagination of a classical library.
"The Silver Moon Library matches my imagination of a fantasy library. It's not that I don't like it."
He tried to explain it to himself, but received no response.
The library was large, and after Shad had explored most of it, it was almost noon. He planned to wander around the library a little longer before trying some local specialties. With Winnie frequently coming to tidy up the house, Shad didn't have to worry about Mia going hungry.
"Maybe I could try to find 'A Summer Night' and read its contents. Next time, I can mention that book to Lacia and Dorothy and give them a surprise."
Suddenly, this thought popped into Xia De's mind.
"Summer Nights" is a collection of essays, located in the section for literature and linguistics. Although he was a student of Denist, he was not familiar with the book classification system of the time, so after arriving at the general area, he had to search through the rows of bookshelves.
Fortunately, most of the essays were concentrated in the same section of the bookshelf and sorted by date and first letter of the title, so Xia De believed he could find them quickly.
"After two years, I finally have the chance to open that book."
Shade was even a little excited about this, so "she" chuckled softly in Shade's ear.
But amidst the laughter, Xia De suddenly heard a faint cough.
"Cough cough~cough cough~"
He was startled, then realized that the coughing sound wasn't coming from "her" beside him, but from behind the bookshelves not far away.
"It's not flu season yet, I wish her good health."
Xia De thought to himself that he could tell the cough was coming from a young woman, but he wasn't so curious as to want to treat her.
He continued staring at the titles on the bookshelf looking for a book, but soon the coughing started again, this time clearer, followed by a series of coughs. In the end, Xia De even suspected that the other person was going to cough up their lungs.
"What's going on here?"
He stopped in his tracks, hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked towards the source of the cough. It wasn't that he wanted to meddle; it was just that the cough was so severe that it immediately brought to mind many serious infectious lung diseases.
Locating the source of the sound was easy; the other person was four rows of bookshelves away from him. As Xia De walked over, the continuous coughing gradually stopped.
"That's it"
Xia De stopped and asked across three rows of bookshelves:
"Excuse me, ma'am, would you like me to call a doctor? I just heard a very loud coughing sound."
The library is quiet; you don't need to shout for your voice to carry.
Then, across the bookshelf, a weak voice replied:
"It's alright, it's just an old problem of mine. Thank you for your concern, sir. I'll be fine after a rest."
The voice belonged to a woman, and she did sound quite young. Although he couldn't see her, Shad could imagine her covering her mouth with a handkerchief and speaking to him with a pale face.
However, since the other party didn't need help, Shad naturally wouldn't offer his assistance.
"Alright, ma'am, I've been reading nearby. Please feel free to call me if you need any help."
"Thank you, cough cough, thank you."
The other person answered listlessly, seemingly unwilling to engage in further conversation with Xia De. Xia De shook his head and continued searching for "Summer Nights" by looking at the first letters of the book titles on the bookshelf.
As he searched, he found himself gradually approaching the location of the woman who had coughed earlier. She was clearly still there, as he could still hear a few faint, deliberately suppressed coughs.
"If I walk over like this, will people suspect that I'm deliberately trying to pick up girls?"
He hesitated for a moment, but Xia De considered himself an upright and honest person, so he only paused briefly before continuing forward.
"It can't be that much of a coincidence, can it? Is the 'Summer Night Collection' really around her?"