After 10 minutes or so of wandering around the stairs, hallways and Maia swearing that she knew the way but still having to turn around a few times, we eventually reached the doors of Mio's office.
"Finally…we found it."
"Yeah, after you took us to 3 dead ends first, claiming to know the way."
"Can you blame me? It's not like I'm here that often, not to mention how huge this place is."
"So you are aware of how ridiculously sized it is after all."
"Cut it out you two. Let's just get in already."
"We've made her wait long enough after all."
"Alright, alright. Here we go."
And of course, without knocking or anything like that, Maia simply opened the doors while at the same time announcing our arrival.
"Mio, we're finally here. Sorry for the wait!"
"You guys finally found the right door, huh?"
The room was a fairly standard office type. Size wise, probably around the same as my bedroom, but with a lot less free space than you'd imagine. Most of the room was filled with full bookshelves, drawers and also a small corner that seemed to be for some immediate cooking in the right corner near the entrance. There was a counter curving around the edge of the room, a stove, and a bunch of drawers above as well.
Next to that area, a round fairly large table, with 8 seats more or less. The room was pretty obviously designed for comfortable and long periods of occupancy honestly. In the middle, there was your average rectangular glass coffee table, and 2 mini couches instead of chairs on each side, while right in front of that at the very back of the room and in front of the door, Mio stood at her desk.
"Can you blame me? This place is enormous."
We each took a seat at the coffee table, mom and dad sitting on the right one while me and Maia on the left, with her sitting closer to Mio's edge.
"We did also have to wait a few minutes for the twins to be taken away from us too before that."
Mio sighed, clearly aware of what mom meant.
"Did the fake twins keep you still longer than they should have?"
"Bingo… though ultimately, at the very least they were the ones to take Nala over. My dear little sister seemed pretty happy about it."
At that same moment, while Maia was still talking, 4 cups of tea appeared for each one of us on the table. I would like to say that I was surprised by it, but as you can imagine, the same way I felt a painful familiarity and affection towards Mio, I also already understood what it was. She did also do something similar earlier to be fair though, with that hammer thingy, making it disappear right before the King hit it on her desk then making it reappear in her hand. It's most likely just an insane level of mana manipulation.
"I bet she was. There's no better nannies than the richest people in the continent- well, excluding me and Maia at least, for her. She's a pretty big spender from what I heard."
"You mean like that one time they bought an entire store after Maia asked them to check on Cael and her while they were shopping…?"
"Yeah, that's probably the most valuable example. Both twins have great nannies though, if not Rune arguably having better ones than Nala in this case."
"Is that because they're taking him to that insane library or something? The one where supposedly only you, me, Sylara and Mivana have direct access to?"
"Your family members do too. So that means everyone in this room. Either way though, Sylara did tell me beforehand that she might take him there unless the fake twins wanted to go with Rune, just in case."
"How does the security there even work? I get that it's a really important library at least, but they didn't really go into detail about it too much."
"I was also pretty curious about it, but didn't ask since we were technically still in a rush."
"Yeah, me too. Though I did feel a sense of pride because my boy would be taken to such an elite place. Albeit he'll probably end up just reading something without any real relevance or impact."
I'm curious about it as well. The existence of such libraries alone is pretty thrilling and scary at the same time honestly.
"Hmm, even if he did wanna go into more niche and public forbidden books, he still wouldn't really find anything that could reshape history, honestly. Those kinds of books, scrolls, records etc, are all in my own personal library that only Commanders can access after all."
"Shouldn't you deny the existence of potentially history reshaping books etc…"
"Why should I bother with something like that? Besides the fact that in this room there's only you and your family, it's not like either one of you has any intention of reading them even if I did allow you to."
Yeah, I think I can live pretty well without history reshaping information.
"Well… we can't deny that."
"As embarrassing as it is…"
"But regarding the security of those libraries, it's actually impossible for you to have known, Maia."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You couldn't possibly have known, because you're probably never going to step foot there, which also means you would've never bothered asking. I've reinforced and completely renewed the security once I became the commander."
"You could've just said that without insulting my reading habits…"
"Habits? If anything, I was insulting your complete lack of reading as of recently. Even though you said you used to read when you were younger, seriously."
"She did actually read fairly often as a kid to be fair."
"Though dear mainly bought her magic or archery related books."
"What could've I done about it? That was mostly what she was interested in. At least she did also read a few history books here and there though."
"Alright, alright, we get it, all 3 of you! I'll read more, okay? So you can just tell us about this new security method you implemented already."
"Someone's pissed, huh? But sure, I don't mind. For starters, I guess you should also know what it was like before I changed it. Putting it frankly, the previous commander had a secret unit of Recruits, or at least secret to the public, guarding them. Each one getting around 1000 Recruits at all times keeping an eye on every single one of the already hidden entrances. Quite an outdated method, but expected from someone as weak as him."
So the person that was supposedly the strongest in the entire continent until a few months ago is actually weak according to her, huh? Somehow, that doesn't really seem like a stretch.
"Wait, is that actually how bad the defense was?!"
Though to my surprise, Maia seemed a lot more shocked than I thought. I get the outdated method, but is calling it bad really understandable? It is still 1000 whole Recruits after all, isn't it? They're like 100x stronger than an S tank adventurer if I'm remembering correctly, aren't they? Not to mention that there's 1000 of them… so is it really that bad?
"It sure was. It was one of the first things I changed when I took over, for that reason."
But Mio didn't seem to disagree. Was I the only one that didn't think it was that bad? I was really curious about it at that point, so without further ado, I decided to just ask away.
"Are 1000 recruits as security really that bad? I mean, I get the inefficiency of just having so many people deployed at all times for a job as boring as protecting a library, especially when most people don't even know it exists, but still. Isn't calling it bad a bit of an exaggeration? They're like 100x stronger than an S rank adventurer each."
"That's not really the issue here, my dear little brother."
"That's right, Cael. It's not about how bored or distracted they may be. That's honestly the least important issue."
"If anything, their supposed lack of commitment is actually irrelevant. The real issue is the fact that even 1000 of them on the grand scale are still… Weak."
"What…? So you're telling me that 1000 people individually stronger than 100 S rank adventurers are weak??"
That's gotta be a stretch, right?
"Neither Maia or your parents are wrong, Cael. I think I get where your confusion is though. You're focusing too much on the baseline scale between an S rank adventurer and a Recruit."
"Then is the scale inaccurate or something? Maybe outdated?"
"No, not really. On average, the scale is still pretty accurate. The issue however, is its very own principle. The only thing that it effectively scales is the mana density difference between an average S rank, and the minimum density required to become a recruit. In that case? It is around 100x."
Oh… I see now. I think I get where this is going.
Honestly? I never even questioned it. It's pretty obvious when you do think about it, but it's not like everyone in the same rank has the same strength. Mana density after reaching the minimal amount to be considered an S rank is pretty irrelevant until you reach the recruit level.
So coincidentally, it would only make sense if it's the same on the other side. Once you're a recruit, whether you're as strong as 1 or 100, you're still a recruit. Not a lieutenant, nor captain, let alone commander. And as Mio continued her explanation, it further proved my assumption.
"Even if an S rank adventurer had the same strength as a captain, it would be completely irrelevant if he didn't join the Sentinels. Coincidentally, even amidst recruits themselves, there are individuals strong enough to potentially compete or overcome their lieutenants or captains, but most just don't really bother. Whether they just don't feel like they could lead properly, or simply don't want to, is a different discussion."
Yeah, that does make sense.
As unconventional as it may sound, it turns out that the scale was really only relevant in a single context. Comparing the top level that an Adventurer can reach, to the minimum level that someone in the sentinels needs. No wonder their numbers are irrelevant then.
"Not to mention, strong people aren't really that rare to begin with. There's actually a surprising amount of them, when you actually zoom out of the picture. However, the borderline difference is that some of them simply don't use it. Whether they simply live a normal life, become a vigilante, a villain, an adventurer or a recruit, it's all up to them. It's the inconsistency of which strength is directed towards, that makes simply having 1000 people there a risky security method."
I see… when you get the facts straight to your face, it does become pretty hard to defend it.
Hard being an understatement too. If all it takes to break in that place is a single person stronger than 1000 recruits, then it may as well have completely open doors, with a "please break in" sign. No wonder she changed it as soon as she took over.
"What was the previous commander even thinking…"
"I know, right? I thought the same thing when I found out… and to make it worse? He didn't even bother assigning stronger ones there either! He just had the first 1000 he could get his hands on standing there almost 24/7, with nothing else to do. That damn oversized kitty left me nothing but stuff to fix."
She sure had it rough too, huh…
I guess taking over the whole continent after a terrible ruler isn't that easy after all. Ever since she became the commander she's done a crazy amount of changes and improvements after all. Like for example, rebuilding magic academies in human kingdoms, and a bunch of other things, like new laws, tax rates and so on. This seemed to be one of her major improvements… although we still hadn't heard what it was, actually.
But thankfully enough, Maia was getting a little impatient, definitely just as curious as I was, so she went straight to the point.
"Alright, we've clearly established that the previous security was terrible, and that's good. But what even is the new one like anyway? You still haven't told us."
"Well, someone is impatient here, aren't we? But I guess we did go over all of the relevant things already. Putting it simply, it's a barrier. No one can enter without my specific permission. Needless to say, if you do- and some people have already tried to go in either way… well, let's just say that some mortuaries got a little increase of customers afterwards."
"Mio… you should really think of your wording once in a while. But when you put it that way, something is a little off."
"Hm?"
"Sylara said that it's a really secret and elite place that only certain people have access to, no? But you've already increased the customers of a few mortuaries already?"
"Well, not that I know exactly what she told you guys, but generally speaking she probably wasn't completely wrong. Granted, that place, albeit elite, is only really a secret to the general public. Scholars, inventors, scientists etc do know about it. It's not a completely hidden place. Though of course, needless to say that it's definitely not so hidden in the dark market, or underground society, but that's a different discussion."
"…that's a little bit of a downgrade, isn't it? I thought it was like a super secret and elite place from the way she described it.
"Me too, actually… No wonder she was so casual about telling us about it."
"Or taking our little boy there, for that matter."
"Sylara does sometimes skim over things after all. As long as she was able to get out the main characteristics of that place, she probably didn't feel the need to go into details. You were technically in a rush too."
"Is there even a way for non-evil people to get in though? Like you've mentioned, scholars and so on."
"Of course, I've thought about that too. Since the oversized kitty simply used national funds to keep all of the libraries running, he never really bothered to actually make a way for them to be self-sustained from their income. But I've implemented a system for that, cutting off expenses and also giving an opportunity to get granted access to it, even to an average person."
"And how does it work exactly? You said that even an average person could get in, but at the same time you also said you turned it into a self-sustained place.
"It's a really simple process, honestly. Granted, also something you should've already known as my lieutenant…"
"Oi."
"If you want to get granted access, all you have to do is fill a request form, and send it here to the Supreme Court. I've assembled a new team designed for that. In addition, there's also a new team dedicated to background checks of every single applicant, just to be safe. If their request form is approved here, then it gets sent to my office at the headquarters. There, I'll have the final say."
That really is…surprisingly simple..
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't expecting some kind of impossible requirement list that would take years to complete for you to get in, but like? A simple background check, and double confirmation? That's, well, how do I put it? Fair enough.
"It does seem like a pretty convenient process when you put it like that… but I don't see where the self sustained part would come in from this?"
"That's because the financial part comes later. Depending on what kind of books you're looking for, how long you want to stay inside, and whether you want to go in and out multiple times, or take something out with you… you're looking at around 1-10 gold coins or so, on average."
"Though I guess it's understandable given the level of this library… that's still pretty expensive."
"This place has to fund itself somehow, doesn't it? And it is still the library with the most knowledge in the whole kingdom, besides the commander's exclusive one. But if that's not a convenient expense for a one time use, or a short amount of time, we also offer a subscription."
"Subscription? Like what, pay this amount and you can get access for this long, type of thing?"
"Yep, that's it. To put it simply, with the lowest being a month, you can buy up to a whole year worth of access. But of course, at a price. It's a lot more expensive than the regular fee, given its extended access. The range goes anywhere between 1000-10000 gold coins."
"What?! That's an absurd price! It goes beyond a lot more expensive, that's straight up a fortune."
"I'm with Maia on this one, Mio. That's not just an elite access pass, that's something inaccessible for most of the population."
"I agree with them too… What if a researcher would need an extended amount of access, but they don't have the funds? That would just hold them back from potentially reaching the peak of their career."
Both Maia and our parents have great points, honestly.
When you do simply take it at front value, this is a horrendous pricing. Not only could most people simply not ever be able to access it, but it's also not really an easy thing to obtain even if you do have the money. The background checks and ultimate Mio approval filter out a lot of people, by default.
However… I'm with Mio on this one.
It didn't seem like they had thought about it after all.
"…I get where all 3 of you stand morally. I really do, you know? It does seem like an unreasonable thing on paper after all."
"Then-"
"However, I think you're all also missing the point here."
"What point are we missing though? No matter how you look at it, this just feels like a cash grab."
"And the main targeted customers being scholars is also not really helping it."
Those would've been totally valid viewpoints normally. If this was really just about what she told us, then definitely, calling it a cash grab or unreasonable is not a stretch whatsoever. But that only confirmed it. The fact that they weren't seeing the real value behind this absurd pricing.
"I know that it may look like that… but really, that's not the point."
Deep down, I'm sure that all 3 of them knew. There was no way that Mio would be taking advantage of people for something as meaningless as money, when she's already the single richest person on the continent. I'm sure they knew. But that's also probably why they were so confused and doubtful.
After all, as unfortunate as it is…When you can't understand the hidden intentions behind someone dear to you, even if it would normally go against all your beliefs, you're bound to start questioning them to some extent.
"Then what is the point? Mio, I really don't wanna say it like this but… are you sure you're not just taking advantage of the people at this point?"
I don't blame Maia. Even if it annoyed me to hear it coming from her mouth, and that I thought it was a stupid thing to even think of. I still couldn't blame her. After all, she's Mio's best friend, you know? I'm sure saying that hurt her as much as you'd imagine.
But this wasn't a matter of blame anymore. I simply couldn't stand back and just watch this. I had no ill feelings towards any of them of course, but that was where I'd draw the line.
Another thing had also become very clear by then. Granted, it was something that even I myself wouldn't have noticed most likely, if it wasn't for my weird but effective understanding and affection I feel towards Mio.
But I could tell.
Just how much that simple question hurt her.
"Maia, you know you don't mean that. So why bother saying it in the first place?"
"Cael… but-"
"You guys are missing the point. I get questioning someone when you don't understand their actions, but you guys are being ridiculous here. Instead of just jumping to conclusions and saying hurtful things, why don't you just let her explain?"
I made sure to say it as clearly as possible while also filtering it enough to not offend them… but still.
It hurts, you know? To actually have to say something like that out loud. Especially if it's because your family is doubting someone they don't even want to doubt themselves.
But once again, I don't blame them for it. If they can't understand Mio's actions, and result in doubting her…
And if Mio doesn't get the chance to explain herself properly, because their doubt did in fact affect her after all…
Then there's only one option for me.
If neither side can take on a middle ground to understand each other better, then regardless of how bad it sucks to be that stepping stone, I'll bring them all to the middle, myself.
"For that matter, why would Mio out of all people do something like that to begin with? She's already the single richest person in the whole continent. And not to mention, all the great things she's done for the people ever since taking over, like rebuilding academies and so on. You're focusing too much on the money, but not enough on the reason, nor meaning behind it."
"It's not like we want to think of her like that either, you know? My dear little brother-"
"Then don't."
"Wha-"
"If you don't want to think of her like that, then simply… don't."
I really don't like this.
Having to spell out something like this to my own sister, and parents by extension as well. But I have to.
"That's not as easy as you're making it seem-"
"It is that easy. As I said, you have to let her explain. All 3 of you. But well, since I have the same opinion as her I guess I could also do it? But honestly, she's probably more suited for it than me, haha. So then…"
I turned towards Mio, putting on my best smile to hide how much I disliked having to say all of that outloud. Then continued.
"Go on, Mio. We're all listening."
But at the end of the day, if it means both making her feel better, and my family as well… then I guess it's not that bad after all? Granted, I still don't like it.
However…
Why isn't she saying anything… or rather…
Why's she looking at me like that…?!
Her head slightly tilted to the right in confusion clearly, in pure silence for about 5 seconds before she finally opened her mouth again.
"Uhm, well, I don't really think your heroic intervention was needed or anything… but still, thanks, haha."
Hahaha… I want to die.
"I-I see… y-you're welcome…"
"Dont get me wrong, I do appreciate it, but you really didn't have to. I'm well aware of how it sounds to them if they don't understand my true goal with it, you know? At the end of the day, Maia and your parent's doubt towards it is actually something I'm grateful for. It means they won't blindly accept anything I do or say."
"Y-yeah, you're right…"
Did I interfere too quickly…?
I mean, looking at it, it was a pretty corny intervention, but I didn't think she'd actually answer with logic and reason. I'm certain that it wasn't my impression that she was hurt by what they said after all, even if she's not acknowledging it. But I guess it does make sense to actually not make a scene out of it instead… for fuck's sake! I really did jump in too quickly, didn't I?!
"Nonetheless, I do still want to avoid you guys doubting me with something like that, so if it's fine with you, I'll explain the true reason behind these unreasonable prices, that Cael seems to also be aware of."
"Cheer up, my dear younger brother. No need for the long face."
Maia said while putting a hand on my shoulder.
"You did in fact shorten the time it would've probably taken Mio to get to the explaining part naturally, even if by a little."
"That's right, little one. You did the right thing."
"I'm glad that my little boy is as heroic as always."
"I'm not heroic…"
"You sure aren't, Cael, you sure aren't. Either way, go on, Mio. As my dear younger brother said earlier… We're all listening."
I guess jumping in too quickly isn't always a bad thing after all.
"Alright then. For starters, it is still true that this is a financing method. Regardless of my own wealth, I still need that place to function independently. It simply requires too many funds to keep running without any profit. Funds that I used for many other things."
"However, if financing was the real goal, I would've simply made it a completely common library, with cheap access. More customers means more quick and fast money that builds and adds up consistently, rather than an inconvenient and inconsistent subscription, no?"
"When you put it that way, it does seem pretty stupid for this to be a way of taking advantage of people."
"You did also say that there's no history altering books or records in there, so gatekeeping it behind so much money seems pretty weird."
"No matter the point of view, it really just looks like an unnecessarily high price, even if it does contain information that great scholars or whatever it may be, could use."
"And that's exactly why I made it that way. The true purpose of the price isn't to scare off great people, but to separate them from those who aren't. It's pretty obvious whenever someone requests access to it just for the sake of it, you know? Whether it's shoving it down the throats of their professors calling them useless but still failing to get access unlike them, pure curiosity or boredom."
"I have no real reason to turn those people away though, even if it's objectively an inconvenience. A great place like that shouldn't be filled with ingenious people that don't respect the knowledge they get access to. But why bother turning them away? At the end of the day, money is still money. I need to get those places to fund themselves, not only because this way I can use more money towards improving the life quality of the people, but also because in reality?"
"I don't "own" them, in the way you'd imagine. Obviously, as the Commander and the overseer of the whole continent, I own the land, but that's not what this is about. Those libraries are actually part of an independent institution, created a really long time ago. The funds from the national banks of each kingdom were granted because of its poorly managed and executed finances. But now that I've turned it into a self funded institution, I was able to withhold the funds going towards them, and use them elsewhere."
"But then "what happens to the people who genuinely need whatever is inside of it?" Is what you may be asking yourselves. But before I answer that, let me ask you something first. When you're talking about great people who genuinely need said knowledge , who are you talking about? Scholars? Plenty of them? Only 0.1% make relevant discoveries. Inventors? Same story. Regardless of the purpose, at the end of the day the ratio doesn't change. Only a minuscule percentage of people in the same field, even with access to the same knowledge, can make a difference. So once again, who are you talking about?"
"That's…"
"I see…"
"So that's why…"
"Someone that is genuinely going to end up doing a greater good with the knowledge offered to them, should have very specific characteristics, or they simply won't succeed."
"First off: the will to go against all odds. "They get countless applications from great people… my entry request may just get ignored, when I'm a complete nobody." Yet… "but I'll try anyway. The odds may be small, completely against my favor as I'm no renowned individual, without an impressive background. But it's not impossible." It's that kind of will, which some may even describe as borderline delusion, that someone with a great future ahead of them needs."
"Second off: the shamelessness to be confident in their own capabilities. "I made it to the final part… All I have to do is pay up. But I can't afford it." Which directly brings us to the 3rd and 4th requirements. The desperation to beg for a chance, trying to fight the system that's preventing you from achieving greatness. And the ability to give up your very pride if needed to get what you need."
"What do I mean by that? It's simple. If you cannot afford it, then beg for an exception. "I really can't afford this, I'm aware of it. But please, if you just give me a single chance, I swear on my life that I'll make the best use possible out of it!" And "I can sell my house to try and pay for it… but not even that would be enough to cover up the cost. Still, I can do that and offer it as a first hand payment, and take the rest of the cost as a debt! Even if it takes my whole life to pay it up!" And so on."
"Someone fateful towards greatness cannot allow themselves to be slowed down by a system that's clearly against them. So what if you don't have money? Just beg for it. So what if begging doesn't work? Just sell all of your belongings and go into life ruining debt. It's the people with that kind of obsession towards the fulfillment of their research of inventions that are found in the 0.1%, and the people who this system is actually built for, not against."
"In fact, it has happened before, although only once so far. A young man from a completely ordinary household applied for entry, and went as far as offering his entire family as a sacrifice, to try and cover up for the cost. Well, for obvious reasons I rejected that offer… but I did give him permanent free access, and I'm also paying for his much needed therapy. But regardless."
"The main point is the fact that: this system is made to appear impossible, and just another money grab, on purpose. Those who are intimidated by it and unwilling to even try to fight against it are simply not part of that 0.1% that we're looking for. But when we do find someone that meets all of those crazy requirements, every single odd turns from being against them, to benefitting them."
Exactly as I thought. Although some may question her morality, and try to argue against the generalization of the 0.1% as obsessed and frankly speaking crazy people, she's objectively not wrong. If you're someone who truly believes that you're capable of discovering or creating something that can change the world, and you get stopped by a system that's secretly created for you… you're not mentally prepared for the weight of greatness.
When people think of greatness, they often imagine a linear path of straight success, which may be the case sometimes too, except it's not the majority. Prodigies in that field usually spend most of their life in a stagnant middle of brilliance and staleness. When you're smart enough to actually make a difference, but don't have enough resources or experience for it. Something along those lines. Regardless of the exceptions, specifics and all that which may influence the result, the stance is that most geniuses never truly have a linear constant success through their life.
The frustration of not being able to discover or create anything new, the doubt in your own abilities that comes from it, and the loneliness that no one can understand besides you. Those are things that would crush most people, except them. The 0.1% of people that tank all of those through their life, and still succeed. If you're thinking that you may be part of that percentage, yet get scared because of a simple generational debt, you're simply not someone who can handle the harsh path of success.
"We really did misunderstand- no, we completely missed the point."
"Although our doubt was minimal, and in good light, it still makes me feel pretty frustrated for even thinking of something like that."
"Same here, dear. It's a pretty deplorable feeling to have. It leaves an unpleasant taste in the back of my mouth."
"It's not that big of a deal, you 3. Your worries and doubts were once again justified, and in good light given the context. I'm not mad or anything."
"Still, I'm glad that at least one of us understood your true motives, and helped us settle the misunderstanding a little quicker. I'm sorry, Mio. As your best friend, I should've known better."
"Me and Isolde are also sorry, Mio. We shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that."
"That's right. We should've given you a clear opportunity to explain yourself, without the need of Cael as a middle ground."
"You guys are making way too big of a deal out of it.. don't worry so much, alright? I can't even forgive you, since there's nothing to forgive at the end of the day, so your apologies are in vain at that point. If you really wanna apologize so badly, although the outcome will probably be the same, it should be towards Cael. Being the middle ground between solving a misunderstanding surrounding people you care about is pretty rough, you know?"
Taken aback by it, my eyes widened for a moment, as I glanced at her. But my lips instantly curled upwards in resignation as I saw her expression.
Even though I thought I was hiding it pretty well…
I guess she saw right through me after all, didn't she? After all, she was imitating my smile from earlier, except instead of negative feelings, the ones hiding beneath it were nothing but affection and teasing.