Hold the Fort
The Shinbi Library houses a vast number of books. Roughly half of them possess strange powers. And among those, the ones that can move on their own and communicate with me in simple ways number only about a hundred.
These hundred-odd volumes each strive toward their own goals, fight or play with the books around them, and show a strong fondness for helping me manage the shelves. As some of the library's few truly active entities, they naturally grow closer to me than the stationary tomes.
Of course, even among those hundred, a few are especially close to me. The prime example is Swamp Zone, the one that rejected my novel critique before. I just call it Swamp Zone for short.
Flap. Flaaap. Flap.
Swamp Zone has many distinctive traits, but the first is its unique green cover. Compared to other books, it moves by rolling around, so when it's time for cleaning, its pages often have dust clinging here and there. And its content... It's a fairy tale about a giant buried deep in the swamp, rolling around in its daily life. Among the moving books with their notoriously complex stories, its simple plot let us bond quickly.
Next up is Earth Religion Studies 1, a reference on religions with an eye-catching octagonal star on the cover. As the title suggests, it covers everything from Christianity and Buddhism to Islam, and even obscure local faiths from thousands of years ago.
It's a fairly thick book, so unlike Swamp Zone, it can't roll—instead, it toddles around on two legs with a creak creak. I call it Earthie for short.
And finally, unlike Swamp Zone or Earthie, there's the black book that floats around buoyantly. With its grim grimoire-like appearance, its title is Universe Door Darkness. I shorten it to Door-Dark. Its contents... I couldn't really make sense of them. How to describe it—a depiction of a fictional future? Or just a fantasy novel? It was all short snippets of events tied to specific years, every one feeling utterly implausible. So I basically treat it as fantasy fiction.
"Swamp Zone, Earthie, Door-Dark."
Sploosh.
...Flap! Flaaap. Flap. Shrrrk.
At my call, the three books—who'd been playing war with a bunch of others nearby—hurried over. They kept sneaking glances back, so it looked like they'd really been enjoying the game. For reference, Earthie's faction had been in the thick of attacking Swamp Zone's forces when Door-Dark's side swooped in to reap the benefits.
"I'm gonna step out of the stacks for a bit, so can you guys watch the kids?"
These three weren't just friends. How to put it—my assistants? Subordinates? Reliable comrades I could entrust with tasks? Something like that.
Flaaap!
"No, I'm not leaving the library... Just heading to another room besides the stacks."
Shrrrk.
"Yeah, yeah. Time to start prepping to manage the whole library, right?"
It was a bit embarrassing, but for the past few months, the area I'd managed was limited to the lobby and stacks. Simple reason: Grandmother had told me to start there. She'd probably said that managing just the stacks would be tough at first, and to explore bit by bit as I got some breathing room.
And now that the first patrons had visited not long ago... I figured it was about time.
"So... just hold the fort for a sec? I'll just look around and be right back."
Flap. Shrrk!
The three books shook their first pages in farewell. Trusting them, I left the stacks.
...
Shrrrk. Flap.
Once the library's true master had departed, the three books quietly watched the entrance. They were on guard in case she suddenly returned after setting a trap.
They heard footsteps as the girl climbed to the second floor, then glanced at one another. Books have no eyes, of course.
And soon... the three returned to where they'd been.
Flaaap! Flap! Shrrrrk.
It was a vast battlefield of speechless books and shelves. The soldiers and generals of each faction awaited their leaders' return. As they arrived, it was as if frozen time resumed—the war raged on.
Yes, in truth, they had no intention of managing the stacks as the girl had asked. To be precise, they did adore the girl who truly cherished them. But right now, this war game was far more appealing.
So to fulfill both her request and their own fun... they'd made their choice.
Clank. Rrrumble. Click.
Just temporarily block the library entrance, right?
After all, "management" only applied when patrons were present. It was a power only the librarian could use, but these three wielded it effortlessly. Their authors were no ordinary beings, after all.
Thus, the moment the librarian stepped away and the books dove into their war frenzy, every entrance linking the library to universes and dimensions across existence vanished.
And the three books' fortunes varied with their situations.
* * *
Click. Click.
"Huh?"
The gold-haired woman frowned at the locked door of Goru Bookstore. Her heels clicked as she descended the narrow stairs, addressing the dazed Seo Yun-ah below.
"Employee Seo Yun-ah, the door won't open."
"...Pardon?"
"Didn't you say it was definitely open?"
At the woman's question, Seo Yun-ah frantically pulled up her terminal, checking the report she'd filed. Just in case, she cross-referenced Lee Kyung-seong's report and the additional statement from their miraculously alive Section Chief Lee.
She spotted one line in the chief's info.
"Y-yes... It did say the connection cut off, but the bookstore interior was visible originally..."
"It's locked. Or more precisely... it feels like there's just a physical wall beyond the door."
"Wha—??"
"Where's the owner?"
"No one's there. Records say Goru Bookstore has been abandoned since 1950..."
"Hmm..."
The woman hummed, hands in her pockets as she leaned in to inspect the storefront. Her eyes gleamed behind her sunglasses.
"Employee Seo Yun-ah, let's add one thing for now. This Goru Bookstore is also an anomaly space."
"G-Goru Bookstore too?"
"Yeah. Regular employees might not notice. But it's not harboring any vicious rules or entities."
Tap. Tap.
Seo Yun-ah began drafting a report on Goru Bookstore per the woman's instructions.
"Type: spatial. Could call it a phenomenon, but since it's confined to a specific space, anomaly space fits best."
Anomaly Name: Goru Bookstore
Form: Spatial
"Danger and management ranks...?"
"Both Safe. Nothing overtly hostile."
"But then why is it an anomaly space?"
The woman grinned at Seo Yun-ah's innocent question.
"See? Sometimes you need fresh newbies. Should I request more for Processing HQ?"
"P-pardon?"
"Nothing~. Anyway, why it's anomalous? Simple: it's causing perception hindrance."
"Perception hindrance..."
"Abandoned for over 70 years, right? But where are we, Employee Seo Yun-ah?"
"Uh? Seoul... Oh."
"Exactly—prime real estate. This area's slated for redevelopment. Bet if you check, Goru Bookstore and immediate surroundings are the only spots exempted."
Seo Yun-ah queried the bureau servers for Korean government redevelopment plans. The woman was right: everything around was included, but the building with Goru Bookstore was neatly excluded. Not just excluded—it wasn't even marked on maps.
"I-it's true..."
"Makes you wonder, right? Why the hindrance lifted now."
"Yeah..."
"Probably that Shinbi Library anomaly. More precisely... this Goru Bookstore is like a sub-anomaly to the Shinbi Library."
"...!!"
"And why it's blocked now."
Bam. Bam.
"Looks like they sealed it from above? The entrance."
"Pardon?"
"Did they know we were coming...? Hmm, headache. If that librarian can exert influence outside the anomaly space..."
Newbie Seo Yun-ah missed most of the woman's mutterings, defaulting to mechanical nodding—"I don't get it, but sure."
"This complicates things."
"No telling when it'll reopen?"
"That, and they might erase this entrance entirely."
"Ah..."
The Anomaly Management Bureau's sole access to the immeasurable Shinbi Library was this Goru Bookstore. If that librarian entity sealed it forever... no entry or research until a new gate was found.
"Too bad. Nothing for it, then. Employee Seo Yun-ah? Head back! Just file the report today and clock out early. I'll square it with your team lead."
"Ah, yes! Thank you!"
"Hop in the car! I'll drop you."
But Seo Yun-ah couldn't ride with her. She'd learned on the way here: the woman's driving rivaled anomalies. Of course, she wouldn't voice that insanity. Nor refuse her kindness.
The car vanished in a storm of speed. Moments later.
Clank. Rrrumble. Clunk.
—"You guys...! I told you to manage, and you locked the door...? I'm not letting this slide...!"
The angry girl's voice echoed from inside Goru Bookstore, but the two were long gone.