The third category was event items.
It was not uncommon for an item to be required when advancing into a special class, and some of these items came in the shape of a book. Even Ainz needed a “Book of the Dead” when he evolved from a Skeleton Mage into an Elder Lich. There were other books such as “Bibliography of Weapon Research” or “Anecdotes of the Four Great Spirits”. There were also books that taught new magic.
The fourth category was cosmetic skin data.
These books contained the cosmetic skin data of objects like swords, shields and armour. Players with certain blacksmith skills could put new skins on items with this and other appropriate materials.
The fifth category was novels in the form of book shaped items.
Normally, there would be old and classic literature whose copyright ran out a long time ago, but there were also background stories distributed by the development team and original novels written by players in Yggdrasil. There was also fanfiction based on the worlds of YGGDRASIL or game guides in the form of diaries or novels.
The majority of the countless books in the library belonged to the first category, to summon monsters as mercenaries. Of course, there was no need to actually hoard so many copies of them.
Even if they used the guild’s entire gold supply, they still would be unable to use even 1/10th of the books. Because the monster data was not very expensive, the guild members started making a massive number of duplicates. The intention had been to hide valuable items amongst a mass of useless ones.
Mare gave the books a sideway glance as he walked past them.
Then a ghastly shadow suddenly appeared from beyond the bookcases, as if stopping him.
It wore a black hooded robe that seemed to blend into the library itself. On its belt was a jewelry embedded wand, with various straps interweaved with crystals. It had a pale face that looked as if it had been embalmed. Every time it moved, darkness swirled around it ever so subtly.
It was an infamous monster amongst undead magic casters types, an “Elder Lich”.
Their nickname in Yggdrasil was “white palter of false wealth”. Since it was only level 30, it had the second-lowest rank in the hierarchy of Elder Lich type monsters. There were also other subspecies that had different colours called “red palter of false wealth” and “black palter of false wealth”.
What differentiated it from other elder lich was the fact it wore an armband on its left arm. The words “Librarian J” were written on it.
“Welcome, Mare-sama.”
The elder lich bowed while speaking in a cracked voice that was barely audible. It bowed respectfully with one hand on its chest.
“I-I came to see the Chief Librarian. Is he, uh, in the inner chambers?”
The elder lich looked as if it was thinking for a second before replying.
“The Chief Librarian started crafting scrolls not too long ago, so he should be in the Crafting Room.”
“Thank you.”
“I shall guide you to him. Right this way.”
“It’s alright! I don’t want to interrupt you.”
“Please do not mind it. It is our role to help the visitors.”
It would be rude to reject him after all this.
“Alright, thank you then.”
The Elder Lich made a frightening smile and started walking. Mare looked at the other Elder Lich-type undead he passed by, while following the one that was guiding him.
“Then I shall return these books for you.”
“Ah, please. Thank you.”
The elder lich looked at the title of the book he received from Mare.
“Ah, ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’. Did you find it interesting?”
“Yes, it was very fun! I was wondering what I should read next.”
“Then I have a recommendation for you. It’s a book that will make you laugh non-stop. It’s about murder— Ah, this way.”
“Thanks.”
Mare opened the door it pointed at.
The room was wide open, but the humongous bookcases at all sides of the room radiated an invisible pressure.
Inside the bookcases were countless catalysts such as minerals, precious metals, stones with special attributes, gems, various powders and the organs of animals, all arranged in a neat fashion. Besides those items, there were countless parchments both rolled and unrolled.
All these items were materials to make scrolls with.
Of course, these were not all of the Great Tomb of Nazarick’s resources. The Treasury contained several hundred times the amounts of the resources here. What was in this room was purely for what was needed here and now.
In the middle of the room was a big drawing board with a parchment on top of it. In front of it was a skeleton of something that looked like a hybrid between a human and an animal. It was not that big, perhaps 150 cm tall. It had two horns resembling those of a devil coming out from its skull, its hands each ended in four fingers, and its feet were hoofed.
This strange figure was robed in a saffron-coloured himation. Also there was one himation on its head, wrapped like a hood so the horn would not rip it, and there was one on its waist as well. There were other accessories, such as a silver bracelet embedded with seven differently coloured gems, a necklace with a golden ankh, various rings that looked like twisted fingers and gems on the himation that served as a waist belt. They were all magical items with considerable mana stored inside them.
Although its appearance and equipment were strange, it was actually one of the first undead species, a skeleton mage. It would be a step below the elder lich he had just met. But this skeleton mage was the Chief Librarian of this humongous library, Titus Annaeus Secundus.
It was an NPC created by a Supreme Being for crafting skills rather than combat skills. Its overall levels were also higher than the elder lich from before.
“Greetings, Guardian Mare. I welcome thee.”
“Hello, Titus-san. I have a favour to ask.”
“Of course, of course. I shall heed thy request.”
“Y-yea. Uh, you know, I was wondering if you could lend me some servants over level 75 from here.”
“I understand. Thou seek’st to go outside.”
“Huh? Y-yeah. You guessed it.”
“…Mine ears hath never forgotten a word from the Overlord, Ainz-sama. Also considering thy position, ‘tis an easily deducible conclusion — Good!”
He made a decision in a flash.
“I shall lend thee the Overlords of this Library: Cocceius, Ulpius, Aelius, Flavius and Aurelius.”
“Eh? Really?!”
“Of course. Verily, their presence here is an extravagance. They would rejoice having the chance to defend thine person as opposed to these ancient tomes.”