Mechanics

These pages focus on the decisions that matter while sorting: where a placement counts, when rows unlock progress, how keys work, where loose books start in broad bands, and what challenge runs restrict.

Mechanic	What it answers	Why it matters
Book Placement	Each title belongs to one shelf section. All volumes of the same title must stay together on one row and be ordered left to right.	If a book is in the right category but the wrong row order, the game still treats it as wrong.
Progress and Leveling	The game tracks completed rows, placed books, held books, magic points, and major-magic progress in the interface.	Completed rows unlock magic progress, so clean rows matter more than random book count early on.
Keys and Chests	Four hidden keys match four chest symbols and unlock movement or carrying upgrades.	Get chest upgrades before long sorting routes because they speed up every later trip.
Anti-Magic Rules	Anti-Magic Master is about avoiding active major magic while completing the main library manually.	Use maps, category memory, and volume order instead of active spell tools.
Special Stage	Special Stage appears after a main-library completion and is tied to Overtime Avoider.	After finishing the main library, enter Special Stage and use the ultimate skill rather than treating it like a normal manual clear.
Starting Book Locations	Each loose book copy starts somewhere in the library, and the wiki groups those starts into broad lower, stair, and upper-library bands.	Use those bands as rough search hints when a copy is missing, not as exact map pins or shelf destinations.
Missing Book Troubleshooting	A stuck 399/400 or incomplete section usually means one row is not actually correct.	Find the section whose plaque is not blue, then inspect title grouping and volume order inside that section.
Autosave and Safe Quits	The tutorial explains exactly when the game saves progress.	You can quit safely after a save trigger, but should finish the current row before leaving if you want a clean checkpoint.
Cozy Gameplay	Cozy Gameplay hides the play-time UI and stops lighting from changing as time passes.	Use it for a relaxed clear, but do not treat it as a score-free mode because the game says it still affects the Principal's evaluation.
Evaluation and Endings	The result screen grades your run with Principal Merlin's evaluation and tracks speed, magic use, keys, rows, and best time.	Use the evaluation fields to decide which run type you are doing: normal, speed, no-major-magic, Special Stage, or bad-ending.