Gensoukyou:The Voile

General Information
The Grand Library of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, colloquially known as the Voile (although this is not its actual name), is the foremost collection of written works in Gensoukyou. Although primarily dedicated to works regarding magic and occult matters, it also includes a great deal of books, scrolls, and other forms of text on a wide variety of other subjects. The air itself hums with ambient magical energy, and indeed containment of this is an ongoing problem.

The library itself is divided into several distinct areas, and while most of it is located in the basement, at least part of it can be found in the mansion itself. The original, and oldest part of the library is located in the west wing of the mansion, but lacking room to expand, it instead grew into the basement, and currently takes up the better part of two whole floors below the mansion itself. Currently, this old part of the library is considered an annex, and maintains a select number of texts for the perusal of guests, as they would usually be expected to visit this part of the library first.

Of the lower levels, the first, and main floor, consists largely of the library proper - with bookshelves covering the walls, and free-standing shelves and display cases spreading out across the entire floor, it houses several thousand books, scrolls, tomes, grimoires, and the like. This part of the library is generally open to visitors on most days, and there are also two separate reading rooms, where guests can study the many texts available in comfort and privacy.

The second floor mostly consists of storerooms - which keep supplies of common magical and alchemical ingredients and materials. Some of the more fragile texts are also stored on this floor, and are only available upon request, and with the consent of the librarian. Isolated from the rest of the library, behind numerous seals and wards, one could find the vault, where the most sensitive and dangerous magical texts and relics are stored. Many of these ancient and powerful texts can cause significant damage or even lethal injury purely by being handled, and as such access to these is strictly controlled. Needless to say, very few people even know about the existence of this place.

Residents
Patchouli Knowledge: The owner, librarian, and in many ways creator of the grand library. It was she who originally took over the management of the small library in the west wing of the mansion, and eventually oversaw its expansion into the basement. As a rule, she is free to run the library however she pleases, with the only condition being that she doesn’t damage the mansion as a result. She has also been a prolific contributor to the library, and a fair number of books bear her name. She spends a great deal of her time in the library, either studying magic, researching new spells, or ensuring the continued safety and proper operation of the library itself. Being responsible for the library, as well as having invested a great deal of time and effort into it, she can be somewhat wary of new guests, but given that anyone who visits a library must have some interest in learning, she is usually helpful enough, even if she isn’t the most friendly of hosts.

Koakuma: The assistant manager of the library, and occasionally personal assistant to Patchouli. She is tasked with overseeing the library in Patchouli’s absence, and in such cases generally has full authority where the library is concerned. At other times, she assists Patchouli with her research, as well as the maintenance of the library.