In Berely's northern district, at the very edge near the western city wall, lay a place surrounded by a vast expanse of Green Shade. Several ancient, unadorned buildings stood amid green trees and red walls, exuding the weathered aura of history. This was the Gallic Empire's Royal Library, a place almost forgotten by ninety-nine percent of Berely's people.
When the Hundred-Year Land-Island War erupted, everyone in the world had nothing but killing, war, violence, and conflict in their hearts. Who would come to a library to read?
After the Hundred-Year Land-Island War ended, Louis XIII vigorously developed the economy. Every citizen of the Empire was striving to make money, striving to build up their family fortunes, striving to climb higher. Who had the leisure or inclination to read?
After Louis XIII abdicated and Holy Light I ascended the throne, the Empire became even more aggressive. The economy advanced by leaps and bounds; the military expanded and prepared for war without reason; the whole of society sank into feverish restlessness. The nobles were busy drinking themselves into a stupor, the common folk were busy indulging in pleasure, and even the tough men of the streets were busy carving up territory and raking in gold coins. Even fewer people were willing to come here and leaf through those old antiques.
These days, the Royal Library received no more than a hundred visitors a day. Most were old scholars from Berely University City, coming only to consult ancient texts for the sake of researching one thesis or another. As for the younger lecturers and professors, they were busy attending high-society banquets, taking part in academic salons, and publishing books of their own to raise their scholarly standing...
These young people had no mind for reading either.
Thus, the Royal Library became exceedingly quiet,