The elevator at the bottom of the bookshelves wasn't very spacious, and the elevator built to manage access to books was almost full after accommodating two young girls and a teenager!

"Can this still move?" Yuri stepped into the elevator and looked at the control box on the railing on the right side of the entrance.

"Give it a try!" Qianhu said.

"Hmm!" Yuri nodded, and tried to press the start button.

As the start button of the control box is pressed, the light located at the top of the elevator lights up first!

"Looks like it's still working!" The boy sighed.

"Then these should be the buttons used to control the elevator!" Yuri said, pointing to the four cross-arranged buttons next to the start button in the control box.

"I think it's a button used to control the elevator to move up, down, left and right!" Fubo guessed as he looked at the control buttons.

"So ............"

Yuri said as she pressed the button that represented the up, and as the button lit up, the elevator immediately lifted upwards at a relatively fast speed............

"Wow! ………… It's amazing! Then try something else............"

Yuri, who was in control of the elevator, was playful and pressed the button that represented the right............

"Sure enough, you can move sideways! Fuba-chan was right! ”

Under Yuli's operation, the elevator carrying the three of them began to move sideways rapidly, and even the book beams on the bookshelves were rapidly falling backwards............

"Wait a minute, Yu! If you move like this, you won't be able to read the name of the book! Qianhu hurriedly stopped.

"Ahh I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm a little too excited! Yuri said and immediately released the controls.

The elevator soon stopped, and the previously unrecognizable title of the book became legible............

"Animal Encyclopedia...... Halobios...... Looks like this is a place for biology books! The boy said, looking at the words on the spine.

"Ukiba-chan............ Is there a book I can read? Yuri asked suddenly.

"You~~~ You don't know many words............ Besides, even if there were a book you could read, would you read it? Qianhu complained.

“………… I want to read a book once in a while! Yuri said stiffly.

“………… Then I'll help you find it! Chiho listened to Yuri's words and said.

Yuri's words.................. I guess at least the books should be able to read them! As he spoke, the boy pulled out a book on land animals from the bookshelf and handed it to Yuri, who was crouching in the elevator.

"Books? ……………… Yes! This can work~~~~ Even if I don't know a few big characters, I can read it! Yuri looked at the book, which was composed of pictures and words, and said happily.

"I remember my grandfather once roughly divided books into two categories: books with collated research results and books written by utopians, but no matter which type of books are proof of human existence and thinking!" Chiho said as he rummaged through the middle of the ladder inside the elevator and looked for a suitable book.

"That makes sense! Your grandfather is really a man who deserves respect............" the boy sighed.

"Yes! Grandpa is very powerful! He knows more than Chi-chan! Yuri exclaimed.

"You're right! Compared to what grandpa knew............ What I know is nothing! Speaking of which............ Grandpa seems to have been making a place called a library in the past! ”

"Library?" Yuri asked.

"It's a place where a lot of books are kept!" Qianhu said.

"Then this should be it! ………… It's called a library............" Yuri guessed as she looked at the room where countless books were stored.

"Maybe!" Qianhu said after picking out a row of books.

"Need to go a little higher?"

"Hmmm! Try going up a little more! Especially. Qianhu said as he looked at the book above.

The control button was pressed again, and the elevator began to rise again under Yuri's control............

"Someone seems to have said it...... If all the words written by humans were collected so far, there would be more than the number of stars...... Something like that. Qianhu said as he looked at the elevator that kept going up.

"More words than stars............" Yuri was amazed, even forgetting to let go of the control buttons.

Click~~

The elevator that kept going up finally came to the top of the bookshelf, probably because it was the end of the track, so even if Yuri forgot to release the controls, the elevator stopped...............

"Actually, if you want me to say that even if this library doesn't include all the books of mankind, it's almost inseparable!" The boy climbed to the top of the bookshelf and looked at the rows of bottomless bookshelves in front of him, and marveled.

"What a universe of words............ Is there almost a collection of human thoughts here? Qianhu also looked at the mountain of books and the sea of books in front of him, and was amazed.

"That must be it!" The boy nodded.

"That's amazing!" Yuri sighed.

After sighing for a while, with the help of floating waves, Qianhu moved the books stacked in the elevator to the platform on the top of the bookshelf.

"How? Found a good book? Yuri asked, sitting on the platform boiling water.

"How to say it! There are actually a lot of books that can be read! At least Fubo, he said he could discern some of it! Qianhu carefully put the book he had picked on the ground and said.

"It's just a small part of it!" The boy scratched his head and said.

"Huh~~ That's great!" Yuri said as she tore open the coffee bag and took out a cylinder wrapped in paper.

"Is that the coffee you just found?" Chiho curiously took a small black round cake from Yuri's hand and licked it.

"It's bitter! ………… I remember that my grandfather used to like to drink this! ………… Although I'm not used to bitter tastes............"

"I think it's okay............" Yuri said as she poured three pieces of coffee into the boiling pot and stirred it for a while.

"Actually, the coffee is pretty good! It's just that Qianhu may have drunk pure coffee before, so it feels bitter and astringent, and it's hard to swallow! The boy said.

"Is there any coffee that isn't bitter?" Qianhu asked curiously.

"There's no coffee that's not bitter, but we can flavor it to a certain extent!"

"Seasoning?" The two girls asked at the same time.

"That's right! Flavouring...... That's it! As he spoke, the boy took out some granulated sugar and a small amount of artificial milk powder from the space, and he put these two things into the pot in a certain proportion and stirred them for a while............

A mixture of milk and coffee began to permeate the surroundings of the boys............

"I feel like it smells so good!" Qianhu said in surprise.

"Then let's have a drink!" The boy poured the liquid from the pot evenly into three cups and said to the two girls.

"Oh~~ I feel much better than the one I've drunk before!" Qianhu said after taking a tentative sip.

"If you like it! Na! It's better to drink coffee with some snacks! The boy took out some of the popcorn that had been sealed earlier, put it on the plate, and said to the two girls.

"Thank you!" Qianhu grabbed a handful of popcorn and said.

"Thank you, Ukiba-chan." Yuri certainly won't be left behind.

"Books are amazing!" Yuri said after eating the popcorn in her hand and casually flipping through the illustrated book about fish that Senhu had found for her.

"Right!"

Qianhu's tone was full of pride............

"Ah~~~~ I seem to live here!" The black-haired girl said as she smelled the faint smell of ink in the air and lay in Yuri's arms in intoxication.

"Do you want to live?"

"No............ Isn't it true that we still have the ultimate goal of going to the top...... Although there are a lot of books here! Qianhu said with some pity.

"I feel like my grandfather used to bring back those books when he went on a mission! Whether you can read it or not, you will take it home with you! It's like Sen-chan. ………… Why is that? Yuri asked the question again.

"First of all, I guess it's so that I can investigate all kinds of things! But it's not that simple............"

“…… Is there any other reason? Yuri then asked.

"Yes............ It's like what the people we met along the way did! Draw a map...... Build an airplane...... Watching the last fish...... Even we aim for the top............ These are probably all similar things! Qianhu said.

"Is it the purpose?"

"Nope! It's not even the goal! It should be a mood of wanting to do something...... It is like the source that exists in the heart............ Even if you know the end of everything, you can't sit idly by............" Chido continued.

“…… I don't understand! Yuri was confused.

"Yes!" Qianhu also said with some confusion.

"What Qianhu said should be an obsession!"

"Obsession?" The girl asked in unison.

"That's right! …… The obsession of wanting to leave your mark in this world. ………… The books stored here may be proof of that! In order for future generations to know themselves, let themselves leave traces in history, and put their own thoughts...... Knowledge...... Write it down on paper and compile it into a book...... This is probably the original purpose of human beings writing books! Life may perish over time, but knowledge can be passed on through paper and teaching...... Isn't this a kind of eternity! The boy said with a sigh.

“………… I feel like Fubo said something very profound! Qianhu sighed.

Yuri, on the other hand, took a sip of the coffee she was holding in her hand and exhaled a long breath............

"The coffee tastes good............ she says............