As the ship rocked beneath me, I experienced an entirely foreign sensation. In my previous life, I had never had the opportunity to set foot on a boat, and now, in my second life, I was finally getting that chance. However, the unfamiliar motion of the ship proved to be a challenge for me. I found myself sitting below deck, desperately attempting to stave off the overwhelming urge to vomit. It was not working.
I had embarked on this ship with a singular purpose: to reach Reodone and fulfill the promise the queen had made to me—a visit to the library. I knew that if I could keep my focus on the prospect of exploring books and expanding my knowledge, it might help distract me from the relentless swaying of the vessel. But alas, my mind kept returning to the nauseating motion that surrounded me. Even my attempt to retreat into my Mind Sanctum, a place of solace and mental refuge, was futile, as the relentless swaying disrupted my concentration at every turn.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a young woman approaching me, seemingly around my age. Given the nature of the ship we were on, it was highly likely that she was an elf, as evidenced by her ethereally pale complexion. Her long, flowing hair was a mesmerizing shade of light blue, cascading behind her as if perpetually caught in a gentle breeze. Her vibrant eyes locked onto mine with a gleeful expression, and she exuded an undeniable aura of joy. Dressed in a light pink jacket, white shorts, and complementing light blue leggings, she embodied a sense of vibrancy.
Her smile widened as she extended her hand toward me. "Hi! I'm Aella Craze!"
Letting out a sigh, I gathered my shaky resolve and slowly rose to my feet. Why did every girl in this dimension have to be so attractive?! I reached out and shook her hand, trying my best to steady myself.
"Quinn Noir," I introduced myself.
"I know who you are, silly!" Aella giggled, her joy infectious. "Every elf on this ship is aware of the human who has caught the queen's attention."
"Oh," I coughed slightly, regaining my balance. "My apologies. You seem to know so much about me, yet I know nothing about you."
She tilted her head, a playful expression on her face. "Well, there isn't much to know about me!" Aella smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I specialize in Evocation magic, and that's pretty much it." She raised a finger in emphasis. "Oh, wait! The queen wanted me to let you know that me and another elf will be joining you at the academy when you return!"
A smile formed on my lips as I contemplated the significance of this development. "I see," I replied, my voice filled with enthusiasm. "A foreign exchange program designed to foster the reunion of our societies. That's an excellent idea!"
She smiled, her eyes bright with excitement. "I'll definitely pass on your words to the queen," Aella said cheerfully.
Curiosity piqued, I inquired further, "Who is this other student? I would be delighted to meet them."
Aella's expression turned slightly uncertain. "I don't think that's been decided yet," she replied. But her smile quickly returned as she reassured me, "However, I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have!"
Returning her smile, I seized the opportunity to learn more about the Royal Library, the main reason for my visit. "Can you tell me more about the Royal Library? It is my main reason for visiting."
Aella's laughter tinkled in the air. "Oh, it's huge!" she exclaimed. "There must be at least 10,000 books inside! But most of them are just history stuff, you know. And they say you need to be super rich or have a special invitation to gain access." As the boat rocked, threatening to unsteady me, Aella remained oblivious to my struggle.
Jay, who had joined me in my journey along with Kierra, gently placed their hand on Aella's shoulder. Their voice was calm and reassuring, they addressed Aella, "I apologize, but I think my daughter needs some rest."
The pretense of Jay and Kierra being my parents worked like a charm, and Aella bowed, apologizing before quickly departing. Finally, I could take a seat and catch my breath.
Jay's smile warmed my heart as they looked down at me. "You're really excited about visiting this library, aren't you?"
I couldn't contain my enthusiasm. "Absolutely! All that knowledge in one place—it's like winning the ultimate academic jackpot!"
Chuckling, Jay let out a sigh. "Well, let's hope you never get invited to Dimension 2000. I have a feeling you might just pass out."
Curiosity piqued, I asked, "Okay, besides the fact that I've just discovered there are more than four dimensions, what exactly is Dimension 2000?"
Jay chuckled again, sensing my eagerness. "It's called The Library. And it contains every single book from across the multiverse."
Excitement surged through me, causing me to jump up before swiftly losing my balance and falling back down. "How do I get in? And is there a time limit on how long I can stay there?" I took a deep breath. "Oh, and are there any female librarians? And-"
Jay interrupted my rapid-fire questions, holding up a finger in a shushing motion. "There's no point in overthinking it. You can only gain entry through invitation," they explained. Anticipating my next question, they continued, "And to receive an invitation, you have to be ranked among the smartest individuals in the entire multiverse."
My eyes widened at the magnitude of this accomplishment. "The smartest individuals in the entire multiverse?" I repeated in awe. "That sounds... incredible."
Jay nodded, their smile carrying a hint of wistfulness. "To my knowledge, there are currently only ten people granted the rank of Librarian, who can come and go from The Library as they please. I've always dreamt of being one of them," they sighed. "Sadly, I'm only ranked as the 15th smartest in the multiverse, so no version of me is getting in."
"15th smartest?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued. "How does this ranking system actually work?"
Jay bounced up on their heels slightly, a glimmer of excitement in their eyes. "Well, no one knows the exact workings of the system. It was created by a Librarian. But essentially, the system runs a test on every version of a person and calculates an average score," they explained, their bouncing continuing. "These scores are called SIRs, which stands for Standard Intelligence Rating. For instance, my score is 1020," they sighed again. "So, as you can imagine, all the Librarians are incredibly intelligent individuals."
The rocking motion of the ship became a mere backdrop to my thoughts. With newfound determination, I steadied myself and focused on the upcoming days at the academy, where I would have the opportunity to learn and grow alongside the other students. The thought of meeting the mysterious elf who would be joining me in this exchange program added to my excitement.