Ivory was arguably the most excited he had been since arriving in this new world. Sure, he had received a training in magic—for free—and subsequently gained a magical class, but this was different. Now, he was heading to an institution whose sole function was magic. That was the theory, in any case. What good was a “Mage’s Guild” otherwise? If he had been transported in front of the Mage’s Guild, he would have been wholly overwhelmed; it was a privilege, or perhaps a mercy, that he arrived in an alleyway.

Standing outside Calanfer’s Mage’s Guild, he did a mental rehearsal of what he was going to ask for.

“Magical class reference book for research. I’m a curious, studying [Mage], not a [Sorcerer]. Advice for the start of my magical journey.”

Was it excitement, or trepidation? Yes, this was going to be an awesome place, but he didn’t look forward to outwardly lying to avoid potential persecution. Lying about being from earth didn’t count, of course. Steeling himself, he entered the Mage’s Guild…

… and joined the back of a line. God damnit. He hadn’t expected this.

The place wasn’t as extravagant as he had expected. Okay, it definitely was extravagant, but not really any more so than any other institution that he had visited thus far. He was currently standing in a main foyer, and he could make out some open side-rooms with empty couches. His primary focus, however, was on this line. It was three pronged, with each line being perhaps 11 or 12 people long? Ivory wasn’t certain what services the place offered, but they must be popular.

To pass the time, Ivory attempted to make out the contents of the posters in the side rooms. Unsurprisingly, all he could make out was an image in one of them: a red… diamond. Yeah, no. He couldn’t even eavesdrop either, as the front of the line was quite a ways away and no one who was waiting was talking, just waiting patiently, if irritated. The human condition, indeed.

Ivory began reaching into his pockets to get his phone out, when he was interrupted by a voice over intercom. No, that was a [Mage] standing on a desk!

“Anyone wishing to send a [Message] please follow me. To speed these lines up, the Guildmistress will be performing this service.” Some kind of [Voice Projection] spell? [Loudspeaker]? A cool one, regardless.

To Ivory’s delight and amazement, almost everyone followed the [Mage] through reception. Only five people remained; Ivory was now second in line. He began to think that the Mage’s Guild was, primarily, one big post office! His humorous thoughts were interrupted by the familiar tone of one who worked retail.

“Next.” Cripes, that was fast.

“Good afternoon. I was wondering whether there’s a book on [Mage]-adjacent classes for me to borrow, as I am a beginner [Mage] looking to learn.” The [Mage] behind the desk raised an eyebrow.

“Are you asking for a free spellbook?” he asked, incredulously.

“Oh, ahaha, no. Just some kind of reference book on magical classes, like [Sorcerers], [Wizards], [Witches], and the like. Better to see what each one does the best and steal from ‘em, am I right?”

The man blinked.

“It is true, some other classes can excel in areas that [Mages] typically underperform. I was about to have you removed if you had asked for a free spellbook.”

“Has that happened before?” He had a blank look. Yep, there’s that glazed retail look.

“Yes.” That was all that needed to be said.

“Back to your query. I suggest heading to Calanfer’s library. Its [Librarians] can help you find what you are looking for. Have you considered attending Wistram?” Err.

“N-no, I don’t have the money.” This better be a contextually appropriate response! The [Mage] just nodded.

“Understandable. It is a privilege to attend, and will help your magic mature far better than learning on your own. In the meantime, the library. Was there anything else you needed?”

“Could you point me in the direction of the library?” The [Mage] bent down and rummaged through a drawer. He rose with a wand and pointed it at Ivory.

“[Waypoint]. Before you go, consider reading the flyer on Wistram over yonder,” he pointed over to one of the side rooms, “have a fine day.”

That… was a lot of things all happening at the same time. He was not only mentally recovering from having a wand pointed at him, he was also processing the fact that he knew exactly where this library was, and how to get to it. Okay, okay okay. Concentrate on performing the gait of one who definitely was not shocked by any of that. Yep, that’s right, towards that couch. Plop yourself down. Very well done. You’re a natural.

Ivory cringed at his internal monologue, but whatever helps. He didn’t actually feel some kind of magical backlash or sickness, it was just… odd. He got up and read the flyer advertising Wistram.

“Want to learn magic? Attend Wistram Academy, home of the prestigious Archmages, to start your magical career! Suitable for beginner and intermediate [Mages] alike. Enquire at your local Mage’s Guild for more details and eligibility. For just 20 gold, join the ranks of history.”

Jesus fuck, it was Hogwarts. 20 gold, though… he could not afford that. Would they even accept [Sorcerers]? A thought for another—richer—time.

He turned to the poster he saw whilst lined up. It was another advertisement:

“Do YOU want to be an adventurer? Join the Gold-ranked team, The Ruby Nobles, as they give an introduction into the adventuring life. Enquire at The Adventurers Guild.”

Huh. Guess that’s what the ruby was. Ivory didn’t think he had much interest in being an adventurer, but he would surely benefit from the information. Plus, it could be fun! Ivory went to ask about it. Luckily, there were no lines anymore, so he went back to the same [Mage] that had served him before.

“Hi, when is that event at The Adventurers Guild?”

“I will contact them and enquire. One moment, please.”

The [Mage] put his finger to his temple and closed his eyes. A few moments later, he opened his eyes.

“Tomorrow is the final presentation. Would you like to book? It’s free.”

“Oh, yes please!” He resumed the previous position. He surely was casting [Message].

“Done. Head to the guild by late morning, no later than noon.”

“Thanks a lot. Again!” The [Mage] nodded at Ivory, and he began his journey to the library.

The thought of a [Librarian] was pretty awesome. The Skills they would have would be incredible. Skills would do what the Dewey Decimal System could only dream of doing.

The walk to the library was kind of long, compared to his travels so far. The Mage’s Guild was very close, being on the other end of the Grand Promenade, but this was almost a thirty minutes walk. It went by very quickly, as he was thinking of all the mad skills a [Librarian] could have. [Quiet in the Library], [Overdue Tax]... he wasn’t even sure if Skills could be worded or worked like that, but still. Ivory had a few wordy passive Skills, so it was certainly possible.

Ivory knew he had arrived before his innate sense of direction told him. A giant rectangular building was at the edge of his vision; there was no gaudy floating book to advertise the fact—no disrespect to Rex and his pillow—but he just knew. This wasn’t his [Sorcerer] senses at work, he just had a good old hunch. Maybe that [Waypoint] was more efficient than he assumed. As he walked inside through the grand double doors, he felt the [Waypoint] magic fade from his mind. Aww.

His disappointment disappeared as he beheld the library of a magical world. Even from standing at the front door, he could see towering shelves of books in the distance. He did not really have a frame of reference for what the ‘best’ library would look like, but from the tiny amount he’d seen so far, this may take the cake. He saw a woman behind a desk, maybe 15 metres ahead of him, writing engagedly surrounded by stacked books. Ivory approached the figure he assumed was a senior [Librarian]—literally and figuratively. As he neared, she looked up welcomingly.

“Welcome. Looking for a book?” Straightforward and to the point: powerful [Librarian] energy.

“Hi. I’m looking for some kind of dictionary or book on different magical classes. Not a spellbook. Like [Mages], [Wizards], [Witches] and so on.” The [Librarian] hummed.

“What level of detail are you looking for? Tell me a bit more about what you’re hoping to find.”

“So, I am a [Sorcerer], and I want to know how other magical classes, well, do their magic. I’m looking for both inspiration and knowledge. I am not very knowledgeable on magic.”

Seemingly satisfied with Ivory’s response, she nodded and placed a great tome in front of her. It was easily a foot tall and looked like what he imagined a great spellbook would look like. The [Librarian] opened the gigantic book at about the 80% of the way through point, and began flicking through it. After about 20 or so seconds, she pressed a finger on the page and then closed the great thing and put it back from wherever she got it from.

“‘On the Nature Of Those Whose Classes Practise, Cast and Work Magic’, by Xelphiaus,” she put a finger to her head for a few seconds and then focussed on Ivory, “it’s high up, so I’ve asked a colleague to escort you there and access it for you. He’ll be here momentarily.” With that, she went back to her work, leaving Ivory standing awkwardly. He took a few steps back and waited for the other [Librarian] to assist him.

After about three minutes, Ivory was approached by a man in, he guessed, his early 40s. He wore a neat black kind of robe-pants suit; it looked awfully comfy.

“Hello. If you’ll come with me, I’ll get your book for you.”

“Please, lead the way!”

Ivory soon came to realise that his previous estimation of ‘best library’ wasn’t quite accurate—as Ivory followed the man, he left what he now realised was the foyer area of the library. He entered through a hallway and was momentarily spellbound. The ‘towering shelves’ were but bookshelves in comparison to what he now saw.

Rows and rows of bookshelves, the majority of which were easily 10 metres tall, housing god knows how many books. During the journey—it was not short—the man struck up a conversation with Ivory.

“So, Xelphiaus. Seldom is he requested! It’s nice for him to finally get a bit of a walk outside his house. Hehehe.” A librarian with a sense of humour? Maybe that differentiates a librarian from a [Librarian].

“Oh, just doing my part. I didn’t request the book specifically; I was just looking for a book on magical classes and the lady before got out a fantastical book to consult. She recommended it.”

“Aaaah. Of course. Magdalene’s brilliant. You will find Xelphaius’ work to your liking, I imagine. He’s a strange sort; of the Lizardfolk branch, it’s the Naga and Lamia types that gravitate towards civilian intellectual classes, not Gorgons. It’s all in his autobiography. His village had no centralised knowledge centre, so he began one to contribute to. In the beginning, the jovial, naughty Lizardfolk joyfully harassed and stole from him, including the successful works he produced. He himself surmised that his evolution occurred for intimidation purposes, as Gorgons are gargantuan things compared to Lizardfolk. The results speak for itself: his works survive almost one and a half thousand years later.”

Now that Ivory thought about it, it was strange that he hadn’t come across any non-humans. He did not really know how to contextualise the racial information he was being hit with, but maybe this book would have the answers. If not, well, he was in a library.

“He was a well travelled sort, which is peculiar to those of Baleros; oft-times, Baleros is their forever homes. All but Rhir he travelled. Now, you are studying magic. Are you a [Mage], or just a curious reader?”

“I’m a [Sorcerer], actually. I’m looking to learn more about my class, and also how other magical classes use magic. For my own inspiration.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Few think to look to history when they learn magic; we house spellbooks as well, but most [Mages] buy their own. Foolish. Alas, you are burdened with this knowledge; spellbooks do little for you. Ah, here we are.”

Ivory looked up at the wall of books. He assumed, since he had a one-man entourage, that the book would be quite high up. Unsurprisingly, a solution was at hand. Without any real prompt, a thick book neatly slid out of its place, near the top of the bookshelf. The adjacent books did not slump into the empty space, interestingly. The book gently levitated down into the hands of the [Librarian], and handed it to Ivory. It was quite heavy.

“There you go. Do enjoy, and I hope you learn what you’re after. Flag me or anyone else down when you’re finished, so we may return it..

“Okay. Thanks for your help. I’m Ivory, by the way.” The [Academic Librarian] performed a small nod of the head.

“My name is Arist. Pleasure to meet you.”

Ivory was now alone with his megabook. There were many comfortable looking areas to sit; he went over to one with a table with the right elevation for him. Enough space was afforded for many different heighted people, it seemed.

Now, Ivory wasn’t the biggest reader. The likelihood of smashing a book this size back home was negative zero; now, the stakes were a lot higher. The fact that this was, pretty much, a historical text made him a bit uneasy. He had no idea how long this world had, well, existed. On Earth, 1,500 years ago to the present was almost like two different worlds. Technology advancements, cultural changes, countries moving hands… Was this world like that? Ivory’s reading experience would be plagued by these questions. He was reassured by the fact that, had these actually been issues, he’d have been told of them. Since his line of inquiry was magic, perhaps he would be learning of tried and true magical standards?

Ivory was pleased to see that this book had a similar ‘layout’ to books he was used to. Mainly, there was a table of contents! That’d help. He got comfortable, wiggled his shoes off his feet, and sat cross legged on the navy blue couch. Time for some readin’.