First months

The week passed so fast and yet everyday has felt so long.

The carriage is outside.

A project that would take two years, but he still packed "light". But with that ready, he now has to take care of the other two problems.

His parents.

And the dogs.

Between his dads hugs and kisses, his mom making sure for the tenth time he has everything and the dogs not letting him move a little.

It is a chaos for say at least.

– Dad, I will be alright. And Laio- – And the inevitable happens. He tripped and now he is on the floor.

'More exactly someone pushed my legs.

I'm watching you Luna'

His dad helped him to get up just in time to hear a knock on the door, so he left his dad, made himself more presentable and went open the door.

– Good day Mr. Belvedere – He is trying very hard to not let any of the dogs out – Would you like to pass? –

He really takes for surprise Belvedere this time – N-no thanks. We will wait outside, but it would be good if we can go early so I can prepare you and firm the contract –

– That's okay, I will be back in a moment –

***

After some convincing and hugs for his parents and dogs, he is finally released from the house. He knew what his parents were like, but he tried to imagine they would pass this winter more comfortable than ever and shook off his sorrow.

Mr. Belvedere proceeded with the contract. He really just said enough about the job for the offer the other week, just the resume.

From what he would wear when working, where he would stay for the time of working.

And the specification of the work, that is sort the books with a list of specifications he would be given, working from nine in the morning to six in the evening. With the corresponding breaks for lunch or rest.

He can't go outside the library in hours of work nor enter the mansion without special orders, even when he's not working he would need orders to enter the mansion. If no one is in need of guidance for a book or the librarian is in place, he is free to do and read the books from the library.

In the winter he would be given a proper uniform and the library would always warm up from eight in the morning. And some information if a book is damaged, for different cases.

So when he finished reading the entire contract, he firmed.

They argue where his bag would go as it is a little too big for the compartment.

'It's not big, just the wrong shape'

To only end with them in one of the seats in front of him.

A final and proper farewell.

Contrary his worries, his mind is calm. The moment he sat in the carriage, he entered the Spirit Zone.

One last feel of this place for the next two years, he encountered the blue things at the sides of his parents doing something like they were waving.

'Do they even have hands?'

He lets a breath out and opens his eyes again, looking at his parents with the most reassuring smile he can make waving his hand. At least they looked a little calmer.

– Let's go! –

The moment the carriage rattled, Uriel closed his eyes again.

This is a double-edged sword with the Nuada family.

Leaving himself to an unknown future, Uriel plunged back into the Spirit Zone.

***

Belvedere provided him with information about the travel, and he complimented it with his own information.

The Nauda family is a household that produced nation-approved grade three swordsmen, with a little more of an explanation, corresponding to the rank of general.

With the family leader, Lord Nuada, is a nation-approved grade four knight, currently serving as a military commander in the city of Telmar. With four descendants, the older one is already working in the military as a general in another city at the south of "Corvalon". Leaving the other three still living in the mansion, but soon the second son would graduate, leaving the daughter and the youngest son in the mansion.

'I'm working for the person that commands the city military'

While hearing Belvedere's explanation, he looked outside, at the main gate of the Nuada family.

In the center of the mansion, a huge road opened up stretching far without any obstacles. Even when the conductor deviated to the left on the garden path next to the road and bypassed the mansion, they were close enough to the mansion entrance to see some details on the architecture.

'How do they make this place for the winter?

Did they build it with Larch wood?

How much is wood?

Is it even made of wood?

What they used to insulate?

Did they use moss or something else?

How were the windows made?'

And more questions he would like to ask if he has the chance. Like the location of some things.

But needing to come back to the real world with the carriage stopping the movement. The principal road was not for butlers or servants most of the time.

– Hehe, scared? They're the real deal –

Belvedere sent a look to the conductor, making the latter erase their smile he was wearing.

– Come this way –

Two rectangular two-story buildings and a small building in the middle, the left for the male workers and the right one for female workers. With the building internally being divided by who works in the mansion and the ones that work outside the mansion, with the outside workers a little more of the space, but only in winter.

He is guided to one room in the outside workers division, being told to let his things in there. They started the tour of the establishment, more exactly where he would interact with Belvedere.

First the office of the deputy butler, Belvedere. The building in between.

Then the place where he will work.

The magnificence of a church and an academy combined is the only description he can make.

'The library in the city is small in comparison.'

As soon as the gate is opened, a scenery that he only dreamed of.

Majestic columns with intricate designs that are too adorning the ceiling, windows with navy curtains. From the first floor to the third, all he could see were towering bookshelves waiting to be filled with countless volumes. He can see this place full of rows upon rows of beautifully bound books.

'A soon to be what they call a scholar's paradise'

He probably looks like a kid in a candy store, but at this moment he doesn't care about that. This is worth it.

– The librarian will sometimes appear here, for most of the first year his presence would be little as he is the person in charge of the movement of books and furniture from the old library to this one – Going in a straight line to what it looks, is the place where the librarian will be – The boxes with book will be left in here, a list would be left in here for you to note the books that don't enter the specifications or are in a contradiction.

When that happens you would be authorized to read the contents for the week before the inspection to see if you can find where they belong, the list is a help where I would search the books and show them to the Master or his sons for them to decide where they belong.

Do you understand? –

– Yes. When do I start? –

– Tomorrow. The common butler will show the rest of the places you would use and teach you the rules male workers need to follow. After that unpack and rest for today –

And when he is about to part ways, Belvedere stops him for a little while.

– And do something with your hair. You don't need to cut it, only make it presentable –

'…

That… That's fair, it is in the ugly face of growing where it doesn't look good loose.

Should I tie it like dad?'

***

From the next day, he made sure his uniform was correctly put on.

When he started working, he realized why only a small number of people had to do this job.

The criteria of classification is subjective at the end.

As an example, History of Sinatra Style. It is unclear whether it should be classified as a history book or a book for swordsmanship, as it contains both.

'The good thing is there is already a framework established from before. So as long I don't go far off from it, the criteria is almost set'

With the list of books already put in a category, they will ease the job.

Leaving him with two main classifications to separate the books.

History and Swordsmanship.

And since history is comprehensive and swordsmanship is technical, the History of Sinatra Style is classified as a book under the swordsmanship category. The ones that don't fall in any of this are usually novels, they would be the extra category: Literature.

It took three days to separate every book into this three categories.

Letting him from now on to build his criteria for the different subdivisions. This kind of work is also beneficial.

Because of the process of establishing his first category system, he realized a fact.

All knowledge is connected.

With the work gradually becoming easier, he is able to reach the targeted quantity for the week in time. He would leave the books that need a new criteria for the genre for the last ones to be revised and cataloged.

And after a month, he realized something.

He is already reading.

Wanting to use his time efficiently, a plan is starting to form. He can make an approximation of how many books will be here, with the weekly boxes and the bookshelves, there would be at least ten thousand books in this place.

Even with the approximation of two years left, it's impossible to read all the books.

Leaving him with only one question.

'Where should I start?

Even if I start in some field first at the end it will be connected with the rest.

So

With what I start?'

Then it came to his mind again.

'History'

Knowledge is stacked on a line called history.

History is the backbone of knowledge.

If zoomed in, the line would contain all knowledge, including religion, science, magic, mythology, literature, arts, politics, war and economy. Learning history thoroughly and using it to reinforce other areas, learning becomes faster.

And if half of this place is filled with history books that would make…

More than six-hundred books!

'I will read at least five-hundreds of them in the two years left.

This is going to be my foundation!'

***

From that day on, he read books without much problem.

On some occasions he wouldn't come back to his room, even when the work was over. But except for Belvedere and the librarian, he doesn't interact much with the other workers apart from the meals, leaving him with the excuse that he is working overtime because some book is presenting some problems for him.

Even if he is caught reading a book, it could be interpreted as him wanting to know about some event in history or certain facts. Or how someone said: "a fool with an absurd dream" when they think you are asleep.

'I'm a light sleeper, Casper.

I heard you from the moment you enter, Casper

And your steps aren't silent either'

But it is also compressible if you see a person with the same book for two weeks.

'Bite me! It's difficult, okay!'

Reading history books is a pain. So many specific names from famous figures, events, wars or places that sometimes aren't even in the continent. None of them could be easily memorized by a boy that grew in the mountains for his entire life without ever hearing about them.

– But, should I memorize the whole thing? – He is feeling like everything is mixing and is transformed into an incoherent mass, when he tries to recall certain things from the book. Every time he is reading this book for a little longer his eyes will feel heavy and he let a yawn out – The only good thing is that I started to understand a little quicker than before –

Is more important to understand the events than memorize everything from them, at least if he is capable of connecting the events and figuring out the causes and repercussions that would be half the job done.

It's not easy to understand history.

'And I don't think it will ever be'

Even if this means that the efficiency at reading has dropped significantly, he would need to cope with it and find a solution or finish this book.

– Something that wouldn't happen if I'm sitting here doing nothing – Holding his head with his hands, he lets out an exasperated grunt – Ughh! –

***

Three months later the work of classifying started to fall in a pattern and he finally went back to a good pace of reading, he discovered the reason why his reading went down and fixed it.

He burned out his brain.

But that's already fixed, and he also learned several pieces of information through the rest of the workers. As he decided that he would rest his brain in his free hours, which ended up in him interacting with the others.

And the most shocking fact and at the same not for him, is that the nobles didn't care if some of the books were leaked.

'It's funny that I am disappointed by that and not surprised.

Well, shitty experiences do that'

In any case, the busy nobles who already had things on their plates were not interested in whether or not a few books were to disappear, but only if they are not "important".

But that doesn't mean it was less dangerous.

An aristocrat could only have a laid-back attitude if they have the loyalty of the commoners. Or they are stupid.

As servants become cold and sometimes heartless, they would do it to prevent the tiniest of mistakes. Meanwhile commoners risk their lives in order to prevent catching the attention of the nobles.

Two lines of thinking are different from each other.