Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Six — Broccoli Bunch and the Search for the Public Library
Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Six — Broccoli Bunch and the Search for the Public Library "I think I'm gonna miss Booksie," I said. I was back in the dining room of the Beaver sitting down on the seat that had become, through repeated use, 'my' seat. Not that I'd mind taking another, but everyone seemed to go back to the same seats at mealtimes. Weird how we did that."We'll see her again soon enough," Amaryllis said. She paused to look at me, then at the thing in the centre of the dining room table. It was the clockwork timer that Rainnewt had sent. We didn't really have a place for it, and having it in full view was probably smart. "Are you planning to spend the rest of the day wallowing or did you have other things in mind?""Hmm?" I wondered as I let my head fall onto the table. "Maybe just a bit of wallowing. But I'll do some lolling about after, then maybe some moping? I might even do some indulging later.""What will you indulge in?" Desiree asked as she stepped into the room."Self-pity?" I answered, uncertainly."How about you don't?" Amaryllis asked. "I recall you being in need of some training. You still haven't unlocked Mana Regeneration or Thick Skin. I'm full up on mana, if you want to practice dodging some more as well."I looked up, my face partially hidden by my flopped ears, and tried to hit Amaryllis with my most pitiful, teary-eyed, sad bun look. It bounced off of her like an arrow ricocheting off a mountain. "I don't wanna train," I said."Were you not just going on about becoming stronger to Booksie not an hour ago?" Amaryllis asked."I meant... like, incidentally, while having fun? It's like getting stronger by playing games and running around with friends instead of going to the gym to train," I said.She huffed a sort of 'you're very silly' kind of huff. "If you're not going to be productive in training, you can at least head out and do something else. Check out that library, maybe?""I like libraries," I said. "But can't we just have an at-home day? I think that rest and relaxation is very important for growth too. You need time to process things, you know? Let your brain calm down, lower your stress levels, and all that.""Pft," Amaryllis said. "Sounds like the kind of hogwash you hear from lazy birds. None of that here, captain. If you want a break, you can have it once you're retired."Then I'm retiring. Right now." I said, yawning. "I can come back out of retirement tomorrow." Amaryllis gave me a look. I shrank back a bit, then sighed and sat up straighter. "Okay, fine. I'm not sure I want to do more training just yet though.""That's fine," Amaryllis said. "I'm hardly going to push you into doing something you don't wish to do. But have you considered not being a lazy bun?""Amaryllis!" I whined. "I'm not lazy.""Oh? You're not?"I stared at her. "A few months ago I only had the clothes on my back. Now I have an airship filled with cute friends, I have contacts across multiple kingdoms, I've fought my way through nine dungeons, leveled up twenty-five times, raised Cleaning to S, and I've helped a lot of people along the way."Amaryllis pushed, frowned, then eyed me suspiciously. "Okay... that's a fair point. It's hard to argue that you may be lazy when you've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. But that's no excuse to become lazy.""Yes it is," I argued."Get out of the airship, Broccoli," Amaryllis said. "Go get some fresh air.""Oh, fine," I said as I stood up. "I guess I'll go to the library. I was meaning to anyway.""If you will have me," Desiree said. "I'll accompany you there as well. No doubt it will be educational. Furthermore, I've yet to master the local dialect, and wouldn't mind the practice."I nodded. I wasn't about to say no to some company! "I'll ask around and see if anyone else wants to come," I said."Awen and I are going to the Exploration Guild," Amaryllis said. "So she's out. For that matter, so am I.""Oh, okay," I said. "Want to meet me on the main deck in five?" I asked Desiree.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.She nodded, and so I skipped off with a smile to put on something warmer. I wasn't gonna slip out with my breastplate on. A big chunk of metal like that was the opposite of warm, but I did have a nice sweater somewhere that could serve as armour against the cold!Maybe I could bring some money along to buy a nice winter jacket? Oh! And a scarf! Scarves were comfy.I found Calamity and Caprica chatting in the corridor and asked them if they wanted to come. Caprica said she couldn't. She had some paperwork to do for one thing or another, and wanted some time on her own in her room to take care of it, but Calamity said he had nothing better to do, and when I mentioned scarf shopping, he grinned and said he was in.And so, about ten minutes later, with the three of us bundled up as best we could under the circumstances, Desiree, Calamity and I stepped off the Beaver to explore some of Port Royal."So," I said as we walked down the busy docks.A few light flurries gusted around us. The roads weren't covered in snow, but there were a few piles off to the side where the snow from the last few days had been piled up and left to melt. It was just a bit below freezing at the moment."So what?" Calamity asked."Well, I was wondering, where's the library anyway?"Desiree raised a hand to cover her giggles. "Do you mean to say that we've departed from the vessel with no clear idea of our destined destination?""I mean, I know it's in Port Royal," I said. "I figure that if none of us know, we can always just ask someone." I gestured to the dock workers moving about. We were just a bit past noon, so people seemed to be coming back from their midday meals. I saw some food vendors looking like they were taking care of their last few customers before packing up for the day as well."Nyeah, that might be the best idea," Calamity said. "I don't rightly know where to begin looking for a library, though I'm guessing it'll be in the nicer parts of the city.""I guess. But libraries should be spread out a little. Everyone should get to have one.""Indeed. Sharing knowledge is a good way to foster civilized behaviour," Desiree said with a serious nod. "However, I believe that the library Miss Booksie... hmm, what is her proper name now?""You know, I never thought to ask," I said. "Do dragons even have family names?""Curious," Desiree said. "In any case, Miss Booksie suggested a singular library, so I suspect that there may only be one central repository in Port Royal. Mayhaps we'll find it by searching, or we may take the easier route and question someone along the way."That's exactly what we ended up doing. We slipped out of the docks and headed towards the inner city. Port Royal had all of these big walls and gates inside the city itself, with various parts cut off from each other. The guards were usually a little rude about who could go where. The noble quarter to the north was hard to enter for normal people, for example.Still, we didn't even get questioned as we moved into the merchant's quarter. Perhaps we were recognized, or the guards saw the Exploration Guild pins on our clothes, or a group consisting of a bun, a catboy, and a two-tailed fox person was strange enough that they figured we probably had business in the area.I ended up stopping some nice-looking grenoil ladies on the road to ask them where the library was, and they gave us directions that lead up and deeper into the city.It wasn't exactly the noble quarter, but it was quite close.The library was a stately building, all carved stones and pretty arches. There were several huge windows at the front to let light in. It wasn't as big as some of the other libraries I'd seen, but it seemed welcoming enough."Do you think they'd let us borrow something?" Calamity asked. "Or are we gonna have to pay?""Some libraries lend books for free at home, but most charge a small security deposit," Desiree said with a knowing smile. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if they have some rare tomes they guard jealously.""Rare books, huh?" I said, my ears perking up. "Let's go see! And then, we buy some scarves. We can't forget that, it's important!"
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Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven — Head-to-Head Search Algorithm Comparison
Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven — Head-to-Head Search Algorithm Comparison There were two grenoil ladies behind the counter at the entrance of the library, both of them chatting to each other in low, hushed tones. One was elderly, with thick spectacles stuck to her face and a walking cane leaning on the counter next to her, and the other was a much younger woman, fresh-faced and bright-eyed.There were a few more people in the library, but they were either walking the stacks or sitting at one of the desks while studying from a book. The only sounds that carried through were the occasional cough or the thump of a book being put down.I liked the quiet of libraries. It was a very particular kind of silent. Not the silent of a place where talking was forbidden, but more the quiet of a space reserved for thinking and reading and quiet contemplation."So," I said to Calamity and Desiree, while keeping my voice low. "Do we wander and try to find anything, or do you think we should ask for help?""I'm all for looking around and hoping to luck into finding something," Calamity said. "It's a lot more fun to hunt around yourself than to have your hand held the whole time.""More fun, perhaps, but that certainly doesn't sound like it would be terribly effective," Desiree said. "We can split up. You search aimlessly and trust in your instincts and good fortune, and I'll search the library index for any sign of the Black Avatars.""Okay," I said with a nod. "And I'll ask the nice librarian ladies while you do that."Desiree blinked, then shrugged. "Very well. Three methodologies put to the test. Shall we gather at one of the desks in, say, a half hour to compare what we've found?""Sure," I agree."I can do that," Calamity said. "Don't know if the poor desk will be able to handle everything I find, though."Desiree eyed Calamity for a moment, then smiled rather smugly. "Do you know what the fox said to the stray cat who wandered too close?""No, what?" Calamity asked."Delicious," Desiree replied.Calamity snorted. "Yeah, you bet I am. But we'll see who's better in a bit, smug old fox.""Old?" Desiree asked."Guys, let's not fight over silly things," I said. "Besides, we don't want to spend all day here, right? So let's get started!"With that, we split off. Calamity hustled off — almost too fast to be library-appropriate — toward the shelves at the back, and Desiree ambled over to an area with a large set of indexes.I, in the meantime, casually walked over to the two grenoil ladies by the front counter. "Hello," I said."Oh, hi," the younger of the two said. She smiled at me while her older partner adjusted her glasses and eventually did the same. "Can we help you? Wait... oh, a bun!""Uh-huh!" I said. "I guess buns still aren't that common in Port Royal.""No, not at all, but I bet more will be showing up! Did you see the wedding?" she asked."I did! I helped a bit with it too. Hi! I'm Broccoli, Broccoli Bunch."The girl gasped, and when I extended a hand, she grasped it in both of hers and shook it up and down. "That's fantastic! Oh, that wedding was so beautiful! You just know it's going to be the talk of the town for the next... forever. A dragon wedding! And the bride looked so pretty! Did you see her in that dress?""I know!" I cheered along with her. "Her ears are so regal, right? And she has such clear skin, and then the makeup artist put that spell on it that made it practically glow! And her dress! It turned out amazing!"The little librarian lady bobbed her froggy head up and down. "I know! I'm so envious! Ah, the whole event was very, very romantic. I didn't know a dragon could even be considered handsome before, but he really stood out.""Yeah, Rhawr cleaned up nice too," I agreed with a nod.The older grenoil lady shook her head and then patted her coworker on the shoulder. "Ophelia, dear, I imagine that this young lady isn't visiting the library to get her fill of gossip.""Oh! Sorry, ma'am," Ophelia said. "I imagine that's true? Most folk don't come here to chat about what's going on in Port Royal, which is a shame. It gets kind of musty in here sometimes. Is there anything I can help you with?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.I giggled, but nodded all the same. "There might be, yeah. My friends and I are trying to track down some information on some fairy tales. I was hoping you could help a little? The library's kinda big to just wander around and hope to stumble on something, and I don't know how your index works.""Oh, of course!" Ophelia said as she started to move around the counter. "I'd be happy to help. What are we looking for, exactly?""Have you ever heard of the Black Avatars?" I asked.Ophelia's eyebrows bounced up on her forehead. "The Black Avatars? Yes, I've heard of them in passing. They're not a very popular children's story anymore. They used to be, however, before all our time.""Hm..." I frowned. If this was really a clue about Rainnewt's plans, then I felt like there had to be more to these old stories. "Do they have any other, uh, significance? Is that all you know about them?"Ophelia ran a webbed hand under her chin. "No. Actually, I did read something about them... follow me, we'll see if I can't find the book in question.""Sure!" I said. "Do you remember what that book said?""I do, though I only read it as a passing curiosity, and that was a couple of years ago, when we received it. It was by a grenoil historian out of Deepmarsh. A Mister Celiga. He's quite controversial for some of his historical opinions. Also, ah, something of a celebrity in the field of modern history, though I suppose that that doesn't actually make him all that famous. He's no dragon, or secretive bun princess.""I guess not," I said. I couldn't remember a single famous historian, and yet I could probably name twenty pop stars from back home. "So, he's come up with weird ideas?""It's more that his ideas lend themselves to controversy," Ophelia said. "And he likes to back them up with lively debates. Ah, but that's besides the point. About three years ago he went kind of silent, then published a new book. Usually his books are the centre of some controversy, but this one was a little more... recent history? It read more like a conspiracy than history.""Oh?" I asked."Yes! Which made the book very interesting in its own right, but it didn't strike the same chord as his other stuff. He recently published a book on the history of Deepmarsh's nobility which included a lot of very salacious details, all backed up by first and secondhand accounts. It even has illustrations. Now that one's hard to get your hands on, the government threatened to ban it... which of course only drove up sales and interest. I think most people have all but forgotten about his work on the Black Avatars."Ophelia led me through the library with an eager bounce in her step, clearly enjoying the opportunity to dig into a subject that wasn't just old tax records or genealogy charts. I followed along, keeping my steps light on the wooden floors so they wouldn't creak too much.She stopped at a shelf tucked away near the back of the library, where the books looked a little dustier. With a glance over the spines, she reached up and plucked a slim volume from the second shelf."Here we go," she said, flipping through the pages quickly before handing it to me. "The Lost Histories of the Black Avatars, by Mister Celiga. It's an odd book. The author suggests that the Black Avatars weren't just myths, but real people who left behind traces in history. A little bit of this and that, enough to make you think twice."Well ... that was certainly interesting. I took the book carefully, running my fingers over the slightly rough texture of the binding. "What kind of traces?""Mentions in old battle records, letters between nobles, stories that get repeated in different cultures with the same details but different names. You know, things that make you wonder if there's something more to the fairy tale than just a story.""That sounds exactly like what we're looking for," I said with a grin. "Do you mind if I borrow it for a bit?"Ophelia clapped her hands together, delighted. "Of course! I'll check it out for you. But if you find anything juicy, you have to come back and tell me!"I grinned. "Deal."
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