Saved Him, Now I'm Obsessed (10 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 63

The Carlobanian Empire strongly favored martial prowess over literary scholarship. In fact, illiteracy among its people—including the nobility—was quite high.

Recently, as living a culturally enriched life became fashionable, even nobles began showing some interest in literature and the arts, but they remained a tiny minority. Even then, such pursuits were regarded merely as refined pastimes for noblewomen.

Walking along the well-maintained path with Ian, we finally arrived at the library.

The library was a modest two-story building. Its design was starkly angular, with not a single curve, and the red bricks contrasted vividly against the lush greenery, creating a striking impression.

It seemed entirely out of place compared to the opulent marble structures of the imperial palace.

Indeed, this building felt as if it had been misplaced into the wrong setting altogether. It was even more unassuming than the mansions of the nobles—so much so that it would have seemed more natural among the apothecaries and herbal shops clustered along South Gate Street.

“It’s smaller and simpler than I expected.”

“Count Midnard wasn’t particularly gifted in aesthetics. He built this solely with functionality in mind—that’s why it looks this way.”

“Did he personally design the building himself?”

“He didn’t handle every detail alone, but he was significantly involved.”

“Appearance isn’t what matters most anyway. Still, for a library housing 120,000 volumes, it seems surprisingly compact.”

“It only appears to be two stories above ground, but in reality, it extends down six levels underground. They say sunlight isn’t ideal for book preservation, so the design goes deep below ground.”

“How fascinating! A building whose underground portion is deeper than its aboveground section! Still, considering how little interest the nobility shows in books, it’s surprising they keep so many volumes.”

“The Carlobanian Empire rose from a kingdom through countless wars. Each time they conquered another nation, vast quantities of spoils—including books—poured in. Even the dimmest nobles understand that books, though uninteresting to them, are valuable items.”

His explanation drew a sigh from me. Though we hadn’t even entered the library yet, I could already picture its interior.

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