Chapter 65: Imperial Collection Hall

After instructing Gelapu to take care of his health, Sakavi began to set off for the location mentioned by Alamier Morning Glow on the parchment. In the last conversation, he did not say anything about the assassination target, only letting Gelapu pass on a piece of parchment.

Currently, the territory is operating normally. What Gelapu needs to do is to deal with the Duofeng Republic. They did not have the slightest change in attitude following the release of Bishop Ignatius. To deal with such an extremely tricky problem, although Kelaosuna is popular, her political sensitivity is obviously not enough. Gelapu can be considered the most capable person in the entire Viceroy's territory in this regard, besides Vierna.

According to the information on the parchment, Sakavi, wearing a disguiser's mask, came to the large Valuoga plane. This is a place with a very complex situation: the human empire on the plains, the orc alliance on the plateau, and the high elf kingdom in the rainforest. If you count the Naga forces in the deep sea, there are enough people to make up a table of mahjong.

It is said that in the plane war three hundred years ago, the orcs, who were severely hit, had to work to unite many sub-human forces after retreating to the Moermoduo Plateau to jointly form the Resistance Alliance, which barely blocked the offensive of Kunodan. Under the mediation of the high elf kingdom Moruian, the two sides barely reached a consensus, taking the Andeluoduo Mountains as the national border.

Although this place is chaotic, its strength is indeed extremely powerful. Just the True Deity Rank powerhouses are four. Of course, those forces without this level are not worthy of sitting at a table with them, such as certain gray dwarves in the underworld, Drow elf cities, those dwarves hiding deep in the mountains, and sea elves on a certain archipelago.

Sakavi, in the guise of a human scholar, took a carriage from a kind farmer uncle he met on the road and came to the capital of the Kunodan Empire, Morning Glow City, which has a three-thousand-year history.

First to greet him was a quiet sense of oppression. The city gate was carved from a single piece of "Lavia White Granite." This stone material changes with the sunlight, gradually turning from milky white in the morning to golden yellow at noon. The city wall is carved with the feat of the empire's first True Deity, the Guardian Astelong, digging canals and diverting floods to irrigate the plains.

The style of the statue is realistic and vigorous, every muscle is full of power, but the eyes reveal the wisdom and fatigue of a philosopher. The armor of the guards at the city gate is polished to a shine; if you look closely, you will find that it is covered with fine scratches and dents. They stand silently, their eyes sharp as eagles, checking the carriages and pedestrians coming and going.

The inspection here is efficient and strict, but there is no arrogance in the usual impression, more like a kind of caution engraved into the bone marrow formed after thousands of years of threats. The air is filled with the scent of wheat from the distant plains, the smell of livestock, and the cold, rain-like scent emitted by the white granite itself. After detailed questioning and inspection, they directly let Sakavi into the city.

Extending from the city gate is the Imperial Avenue, a hundred paces wide. The road surface is paved with three materials: the center is black basalt as smooth as a mirror, dedicated to the army, temple processions, and urgent letters. On both sides is slightly worn dark red sandstone, for merchants and carriages to walk on. The outermost edge is rough granite, crowded with pedestrians.

The buildings on both sides of the avenue are like a living historical chronology. Closest to the city gate are the oldest "fortress-style" buildings, with no windows on the bottom floor, built with rough stones, which is the military style of the early empire. Moving forward for several miles, the architectural lines begin to become elegant, with elven-style flying arches and exquisite reliefs appearing, which is the cultural fusion of the honeymoon period with the high elves.

Moving forward, one can see orc-style bronze decorations and thick totem poles, which are cleverly integrated into the structure of human buildings, silently telling the peace and absorption after the plateau war. Near the center of the city, one can even see dwarf-style buildings, which look rough but are actually exquisite.

Continuing forward, a wide "Imperial Canal" passes through the city, and the avenue crosses it via a grand stone bridge. The bridge piers are designed in the shape of wave-breaking giant ships to commemorate a key battle that defeated the Nagas. On the bridge, the slender carvings of elven style and the heavy stone carvings of orc style coexist without appearing abrupt.

In the canal, elven merchant ships from the rainforest, cargo rafts of plateau orcs, and the empire's own flat-bottomed barges pass each other, and the goods on the ships emit a mixture of spices, leather, and deep-sea pearls.

Passing through the architectural chronicle, the view suddenly opens up, which is the temple district surrounding the Imperial Square. The main temple of the Church of Light is more like a combination of a huge scientific academy and a fortress. Its dome is composed of intertwined giant crystal skeletons, which are said to be able to gather sunlight and regulate the climate within the capital.

Walking into the street next to the avenue, human merchants shout for grain and cloth in loud imperial official language, while minotaur stall owners use broken Quenya to introduce enchanted quill pens and calming spices. Not far away, an orc selling various tools is bargaining fiercely with a customer for the price of a piece of plateau refined iron in common language and gestures.

In a more hidden alley, next to a store without a sign, a Drow elf woman, with her unique elegance and coldness, is selling exquisite underground world silk and some unknown magical potions. A small circle of space naturally empties around her, and people's eyes are mixed with curiosity, vigilance, and a trace of imperceptible demand.

At a stall selling reading materials, Sakavi learned that on the north side of the Imperial Square, there is a library called the Imperial Collection Hall, which faces the main temple of the Church of Light from afar, and together with the temple of the Church of Justice, constitutes the three landmark buildings of the temple district.

According to the stall owner's introduction, the location of the library clearly declares that knowledge and faith, reason and miracles are the two pillars on which the empire relies for survival. The temple represents the guidance and power of divinity, while the library represents human exploration, wisdom, and the inheritance of history.

However, in Sakavi's view, its proximity to the center of power means that the collection, organization, and interpretation of knowledge are always under the control and gaze of the empire. The classics here mainly serve the empire and are a means for the empire to check and balance the Church of Light, as well as a channel to increase its own influence.

Observing the entire building from outside the Imperial Collection Hall, one will find that its base is a standard imperial square structure, built with huge Teravia white granite, appearing incomparably stable. But above the base, the main body of the building presents a strange combination of spiral towers and square corridors.

In addition to the main stone material, one can also see bronze doors forged by dwarves, with reliefs of the World Tree and various patterns of intelligent creatures. Even on some load-bearing columns, one can see orc-style stone carvings, depicting the legends of ancestors and the mysteries of the natural world. This itself is a physical declaration of the empire's cultural melting pot.

The library is surrounded by a shallow water channel, with murmuring water, effectively isolating the clamor of the square. The bridge is the only passage, made of a single piece of black basalt. The entire area is filled with a solemn and quiet atmosphere, as if knowledge itself has weight, suppressing all frivolous sounds.

When stepping into that bronze door, the clamor of the outside world is thoroughly isolated, as if instantly entering a space of another dimension. First to greet the eye is the huge circular atrium that is almost impossible to see the top of. Sunlight falls from the spiral dome inlaid with crystals, filtered into soft and holy light pillars.

Countless bookshelves spiral up along the circular walls, like a high tower built of books. Magic-driven light orbs float in the air, like winter sunlight, providing lighting services for the entire collection hall. It is so quiet here that one can hear one's own heartbeat and the rustling sound of books being turned, like the whispers of knowledge.

According to the librarian's introduction, the ground floor is open to all citizens, displaying practical books such as imperial general history, basic laws, agriculture, and handicrafts. The flow of people here is the largest, with civilians, merchants, and low-level officials checking information here.

Further up is a place where paid members can enter, collecting elven magic and philosophical classics, as well as oral epics and shaman culture recording orcs and various sub-humans, and even a water area full of moisture and isolated by magic crystals, which stores Naga tidal rune literature and historical scrolls from the seabed.

Inside the library, surrounding the central spiral bookshelf, are layers of reading areas called "Circles of Contemplation," which spread out like ripples, satisfying different reading needs.

The public reading area is located on the outermost layer of the "Circle of Contemplation," with an open space, placed with heavy long tables and comfortable benches. Here, the use of quill pens and ink is allowed, and a very low degree of conversation is allowed, forming a background white noise full of vitality. Many students from all over and ordinary reading enthusiasts often gather here.

Discussion rooms are designed as independent circular stone rooms, scattered next to major divisions. The inner walls of the stone rooms are covered with deep-sea sound-absorbing sponges provided by the Nagas, which can absorb all sounds. There is a small crystal indicator light on the door, which will emit a soft blue light when someone is inside, indicating do not disturb.

According to the librarian's guidance, Sakavi came to the Room of Seeking Knowledge in the hall. Here, rows of crystal balls are placed. After putting your hand on it, your brain imagines the books you want, whether it is a specific name or a content summary, you can accurately find the book title that meets the requirements. If confirmed to be correct, click confirm on the crystal ball, and the book will be automatically transmitted to the table below.

As one of the core areas of this empire, it gathers a large number of powerhouses. For an unidentified person like himself, it is very dangerous. After selecting a book named "Poetry Collection of Luogete" from the book list, Sakavi decisively paid the front desk and left this place of right and wrong before trouble arrived. ===== CHAPTER 66 =====