Finding the Grand Library was very straightforward. Zephyr had only needed to ask around a few times before getting to the place. After getting there though... he only had one word. Magnificent.
Again, it struck him that this was a city of rebels essentially, but yet, they still had the time to build such amazing structures over multiple generations. Was the Freehold Sanctuary really that hard to find? Surely, over the years, at least one or two spies should’ve been able to infiltrate the Sanctuary. It made him think there was most likely more to this place than meets the eye.
The Grand Library fully deserved to have that "Grand" title in its name. It was built right into the head of the central statue around which all the platforms floated. Zephyr never knew the head was hollow, so imagine his surprise when he was told by a friendly stranger that the Grand Library was ’in the head of the statue.’ He’d gotten to the topmost platform on the level where he, Rita and Veronica had arrived, but still had to follow another route up to the head since there weren’t any more platforms above.
The path inside the statue to the library was moderately spacious. It could at least hold four people walking side by side. The climb wasn’t long from there, but he and a few others that were also headed to the library were stopped just at the bottom of the library— being the entrance. After they were given the standard checks, they were let through, climbing up the last few steps that revealed the glory of the library to them.
Books. Thousands of them lined the inner walls of the statue’s head, the seven orifices serving as massive windows to let in natural light, bridges criss-crossed on every level all the way up to the top. It could almost be described as chaotic, but there was a sense of structure to it. Contained. It made the place look busy, without being rowdy, adding a sense of massiveness to the Library, giving it that ’Grand’ feel.
Zephyr took a moment to take in the view, enthralled by what he was seeing.
"First time here?" A young lady— one of those who entered along with him, asked.
"Yeah," Zephyr whispered. "It’s amazing."
The young lady straightened a little, a feeling of immense pride rising within her as she saw that the city’s library had so clearly impressed the newcomer. "I’ve gotten used to it, but every now and then it still gets me to stop and marvel in wonder," she gazed at the grandness of the library and the wide array of books contained within.
The lady sighed lightly then muttered a greeting to Zephyr as she went on her way.
"Alright, how do I find this person I’m supposed to meet?" Zephyr scanned the ground floor of the library. He spotted various librarians handling different sections and made to probe one of them, but just as he was about to move, a voice sounded not far from him.
Zephyr turned back, recognizing the voice. It was the bald, butler man that led him to the council earlier.
"Hey." Zephyr greeted.
"Please follow me," the man, ever curt and professional, said.
Zephyr followed after the man as he led the way. They both climbed up the stairs, all the way to the very top.
He watched the opposing view from the top in amazement. It was totally different from the perspective he had when on the ground floor. And was even more dramatic.
They reached the top floor of the open library, where a ceiling with spiraling patterns sectioned off the part of the library above from the general view and climbed up the narrow stairs that led up to the floor above after passing the guardian assigned to the stairs very freely. He had recognized the bald butler at a glance and allowed them immediate entry.
At the end of the stairs, they met another guardian, who this time was more strict, even after recognizing the bald butler, but regardless, the check was simple and straightforward, more like a formality rather than a question of their identity. They were allowed to pass.
Zephyr expected an even grander library, but what he met was simple. No excess grandeur to be seen in the structure. This was a plain library. Clean, spacious, and functional. There weren’t as many books here, but there were still enough to fill the shelves that were arranged neatly in rows throughout the space.
An old man in an overflowing, worn-in black cloak, walked up to them slowly. "Master Gregory," the bald butler greeted with a deep bow. "This is the boy. Zephyr," he gestured towards Zephyr, leaning out of the way for the old man to have a clear view of the boy.
"Ohh. I hear you’re a single node awakened..." he walked up to Zephyr. "So I’m no longer the one with the least mana node count in Freehold anymore!" He burst out into a chest-wracking laughter, smacking Zephyr on the shoulder repeatedly. The man mocked him while looking genuinely happy that he had found someone that he could pass on the title to.
Zephyr, solidly built, brushed off the pain from the repeated smacks, those didn’t hurt him at all. Instead, it was the man’s words that stung like hell. Never in his life had he thought he’d be mocked by an old man looking like he could pass on to the next world at any moment. He had momentarily gotten used to being treated with some level of importance so far that he’d forgotten how low down the ladder he was compared to other awakened like him.
The man’s excited expression at finding someone he could act superior to also made it even worse. He was supposed to be an Exalted, and yet his mana node count was even less than someone in a lower world.
"Friend," the old man held both Zephyr’s hands in his intimately, with an intense gaze.
’What is going on right now?!" Zephyr thought in alarm and confusion, but let whatever was happening play itself out.
"If you ever need anything. Anything! Come to me... I’m always here..." he said with vigor. "I genuinely understand you... more than anyone else would, so I think we should help each other out," he nearly wiped a tear, releasing Zephyr’s hands which the boy pulled away with lightning speed.
’Yeah, that’s not happening...’ Zephyr thought inwardly, feeling weirded out, but kind of amused. ’Is there even any normal person here at this sanctuary at all?’ He’d thought Grandmaster Oswald was fervent and kind of eccentric, but this was on a whole other level, and Zephyr didn’t think he wanted any part of it... even with the generous offer.
"Zephyr, this is Master Gregory, a Half-Exalted, and the custodian of the records in this library," the bald butler introduced.
"Yes. Yes. That’s me," Master Gregory continued. "I’ve been the custodian for twenty-three years now. More than you’re old, I’m sure," he pointed at Zephyr, laughing.
Zephyr let out a strained smile in return, if only to maintain friendliness. The man actually didn’t give Zephyr any malicious feeling, but his eccentricity was too much for him.
"Yes, Master Gregory. So I’m here to get an inheritance...?" Zephyr tried to drive the subject to the main reason he was there.
"Ah! Yes. Yes. Hold on—" he shuffled between a few shelves quickly, heading towards the end of the library, before coming back with two large books. One significantly larger than the other.
"The two inheritances we possess," Master Gregory placed the books on a table right next to them. He blew the dust off the surface of the books after separating them.
"This is a copy of the Ashworth Inheritance," he pointed at the smaller book on the left. "It only has a clear progression path up to Tier 3. The latter parts of the book are too vague and non-descriptive. It isn’t clear enough for one to get any tangible information," he explained. "I don’t recommend it," he shook his head. "Instead, it is safer to go with this one," he pointed at the much larger book. "The Cromwell Inheritance..." he patted the book lightly. "It is more complete and solid, providing a clear progression path up to Tier 5. This is the progression path I also chose," he said, and looked at Zephyr. "Also known as the Path Of The Optimized."