After seeing Quvedo off, Furen, who was still unfamiliar with the National Library in Triers, decided to first explore the different floors. Once he had a good understanding of the area, he would then decide which books to read and draw up a more precise plan.
Book classification is a rigorous discipline. How to make it easier for readers to find the works they need, so that they can spend their time reading rather than researching, has cost even the most renowned scholars a great deal of effort. On this point, as long as there are books, as long as books retain their value, and as long as people want to create libraries open to reading, whether on ancient Earth or on the current Earth steeped in occultism, a general consensus has always formed around this rigor.
In this world, it is likely that civilization developed from that of the previous generation on Earth, as the library classifications of the two worlds are strikingly similar.
The classification is divided into ten main categories:
General sciences, theology, history, social sciences, natural sciences, technology, engineering and industry, economics and production, arts, languages and literature.
But the National Library of Triers has added an additional category: means of subsistence, which corresponds to the books on the first floor.
The only difference between the two worlds is that philosophy has been replaced by theology. (Reflecting on Religious Doctrines). Until today, philosophy has never managed to free itself from the theological domain—perhaps because divine power sometimes manifests itself tangibly in this world. Thus, even Gekai Allen, the greatest philosopher of Intis—comparable to the philosopher Loermi of Ruen—had to publicly admit that "philosophy is an extension of theology: it is thanks to theology that philosophy can develop."
In reality, the masters of secular philosophy are also devout believers—at least on the surface. Loermi was a devotee of the "Storm Lord," and had received the medal of "Disciple of the Storm"—the highest honor bestowed upon a non-member of the Church of the Storm Lord.
For his part, Gekai Allen was a devout believer in the "Eternal Sun," and possessed the "Morning Sun" medal, the highest award given to a believer outside the Church of the Sun.
On ancient Earth, a paradoxical phrase was said:
"The end of science is philosophy; the end of philosophy is theology."
Unfortunately, in this world where gods are real, where theocracy dominates royalty, and where true deities watch over everything, this phrase has become a reality.
Let's go back to the structure of the library.
On the first floor: means of subsistence. This category, among the nine others, includes the books most likely to transform knowledge into wealth. The classification is more flexible, and the content remains superficial.
The second floor: divided into three areas. As soon as he entered, Furen saw three sections: one on the left, one on the right, and one in the center. The side areas were much larger, but it was the central part—the general information section—that deserved the most attention for a first-time visitor.
This section is frequently reorganized as the library regularly acquires new books. Some changes are sometimes major—especially in this age of technological explosion.
Most of the books in this section are written by followers of the God of Steam and Machinery, as compiling general works requires considerable scholarship—and for the Church of Steam and Machinery, rich in "universal minds," it's an excellent way to attract followers. A small portion of the works also come from believers of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, especially the more classical works.
The left area is theology, and the right area is history.
History only goes back to the Fifth Age. The books of the Fourth Age have been destroyed or survive only in fragments with unclear meanings—for the Fourth Age was the age of the Gods themselves.
For mortals of the Fifth Age, seeing the gods appear directly in the world would perhaps tarnish the mystery and majesty of the divine.
"The reason for this is complex: first, no god directly rules a kingdom anymore; second, the deities have changed the way they obtain faith.
In the Fourth Age, the gods manifested themselves directly. Their power was immense, but their influence also came from the recognition of their ideas.
At that time, there was no difference between righteous gods and evil gods—all were equal; only those who ruled directly and those who remained hidden varied.
— The Fourth Age: Age of the Gods, by Roen Lewis
This author, a witness to the end of the Fourth Age, witnessed the shift in faith at the dawn of the Fifth. He published his work in his later years. But soon after his death, the book was banned by all the major churches—too dangerous for the new order imposed by the Alliance of Just Gods.
Today, only a few fragments remain. Current scholars believe that Roen Lewis died at the very beginning of the Fifth Age. He is only known because he called the Fourth Age the Age of Gods, the Third the Age of Catastrophes, the Second the Age of Darkness, the First the Age of Chaos, and the Fifth the Age of Black Iron.
Furen shook his head.
None of this mattered much. People didn't care about the gods' emotions—joy, anger, sadness—because they didn't concern them. Even becoming a mere facade of belief was no problem: no one would ever challenge another's faith. It was enough to have one, that's all.
As he climbed up, he discovered:
Third floor: two categories — social sciences and natural sciences.
Of course, the "sciences" of this world do not have quite the same meaning as on Earth before this transmigration.
Fourth floor: Arts and languages. There are few linguistic works, the majority of which concern the arts.
Current linguistics distinguishes between the languages of the Northern continent, those of the Southern continent, and some regional idioms.
Although the Southern Continent has not yet been discovered, many books claim its existence—a kind of dreamlike paradise, similar to a "Land of Peach Blossoms."
Fifth floor: entirely dedicated to literature. Novels, poems, songs, essays—genres abound.
Sixth floor: technology, engineering and industry.
Seventh floor: economy and production.
These two floors, although less crowded than the first five, are growing rapidly. New disciplines are emerging every day, and soon these levels will be filled with new works.
The National Library of Triers, with its seven floors, symbolizes in a certain way the presence of the Seven Gods.
After all, the Steam God, the last to rise, still has to bow slightly to the other six—and manifests his place through small symbols, such as this correspondence.
It should also be noted that beneath the library there are several underground levels used as storage.
They allow readers to borrow copies.
Most books have only one, a few have five - because the quantity of books is such that it would be impossible to multiply each title into as many copies.
(End of chapter)