Book Eater

Chapter 116: Mysterious (2)

Gluttony fell into a disgruntled silence after reaching an agreement with Myrdal. Theo tried to send a few mental messages, but the grimoire had already fallen back asleep.

Instead, Myrdal chuckled and said to Theo.

[Huhu, I suppose it’s upset. I am sorry for being rude in my own way.]

Truly a formidable figure.?

Theo calmly evaluated the old man before him. Myrdal’s eyes didn’t betray his true intentions, despite just being a memory in the fountain. Myrdal Herseim, the one who had the depth of a great magician and sage, wasn’t the type of person that a twenty year old Theo could face as an equal.

“So, why did Myrdal want to see a young man like me?” Theo’s discomfort came out in his brusque tone. He felt like a plaything being tugged in two directions by Gluttony and Myrdal. Both of them were beyond his understanding, but he didn’t want to bow to them.

Myrdal let out a jolly laugh, like a grandfather looking at his grandson.

[Who can call the contractor of one of the Seven Sins a young man? Don't be alarmed, Theo. This old man is just trying to help you.]

“... Why?”

[Huh?]

“I don’t know the specifics. If you want to help me, then please tell me why.”

It was a situation where a story Theo didn’t know about had happened, and a decision had been made regardless of his wishes. He felt like something being swept along by a wave or a puppet dancing comically on someone’s palm.

Theo stood up to a great magician whom most magicians didn’t even dare look at.

Myrdal was surprised and took a long moment to stare at Theo. Then he spoke in a voice that was robbed of all its laughter.

[... That’s right. Your position must be uncomfortable. It might just be words, but I apologize.]

Myrdal bowed his head. It was the apology of a great man who had practically rewritten the book on summoning magic.

It was Theo’s turn to be taken aback by Myrdal’s behavior.

Then the old man lifted his head and spoke again,

[But I want you to know that it means there is a secret I can’t tell you right now, and it’s a secret that you ‘shouldn’t know.’ At the very least, you need to unlock the 5th seal of Gluttony to be qualified.]

“Myrdal, you are truly...!”

[Yes, I know. The purpose behind the appearance of the Seven Sins in this world and the things they left behind... and...]

Myrdal’s hand reached out so quickly that Theo had no chance to react. Perhaps it was because he didn’t feel any malice, or that Myrdal’s very existence was hard to perceive. But before he could register it, the hand made of fountain water grabbed Theo’s left hand.

[If the Ego allows it, I can do this.]

At the same time, there was a blue flash in Theo’s head.

―――――!

Something was pouring in. There were unknown lessons, lands he had never seen before, letters he couldn’t understand, and so on. It felt like he had eaten dozens of magic books at the same time. Theo’s brilliant head couldn’t cope with the sheer volume of information.

The forced knowledge expanded his brain’s limits and awakened an area which hadn’t been seen before. It was a phenomenon that could only be described as a type of awakening.

That wasn’t the only change Myrdal caused.

[Error! Error...! Accepted. This is a legitimate request. Gluttony’s 4th seal has been released.]

[Gluttony’s feature has been opened. The user should check the information window of the corresponding feature immediately.]

[Grimoire “Gluttony” / C Rank]

[Gluttony’s 4th seal has been released. From now on, the user can borrow the power of an author that Gluttony has extracted. However, once the author has been overwritten, the author can’t be reloaded. Previous owners have called the feature Overwrite, but you can change the name if you want.

*Once the Overwrite feature is demonstrated to its limit, Transmission will be triggered to completely take over the power of the author.]

Gluttony had been forced to open the fourth seal prematurely while fighting Pride. However, this time, it had been unlocked through the proper means. Theo could only feel in awe at the phenomenon he couldn’t understand, as he realized that new knowledge had been carved into his mind.

No, that expression is a bit strange.

The dizziness disappeared, but Myrdal’s knowledge remained with him. It was like acquiring a vessel that already contained knowledge. The knowledge that Myrdal left behind in the Fountain of Wisdom was well-suited to the title of Sage. Theo would only be able to fully digest it after crossing two walls.

Theo intuitively realized this and raised his head. He felt it was a blessing, but it was hard for him to reveal any of his feelings to Myrdal. Myrdal was well aware of this. So, he spoke to Theo instead of trying to buy his trust. There wasn’t a lot of time remaining for him to use the Fountain of Wisdom, and there were still things he wanted to say to Theo.

[It seems the seal was already unlocked once. Thanks to that, I have a bit more to talk about.]

“......”

[Cough, don’t look at me like that. I don’t even have five minutes left. Please listen to this old man’s advice.]

As Theo stared at Myrdal with an expressionless face, the old man coughed a few times before opening his mouth again.

[Honestly speaking, you are in a dangerous state right now.]

Theo’s eyelid twitched at the sudden change in seriousness. This wasn’t the diagnosis of an old man but the great magician Myrdal. Just as Veronica had once noticed Theo’s unstable circles, the eyes of the great magician noticed the cracks Theo couldn’t feel.

Myrdal groaned lightly as he touched his beard.

[You have eaten Laevateinn’s extracted power from the grimoire and the unknown dimension. If you add in the power of the artifacts and treasures, it’s gone beyond the limits of a twenty year old man.]

“... What specifically is the problem?”

[I will ask you a simple question. If you try to stuff more things into a bowl than it can handle, what will happen to the bowl?]

It would break.

Theo shook off the eerie feeling. But Myrdal nodded like Theo’s speculation was correct.

[Fortunately, drinking from this fountain has increased the grace period. It probably won’t be a problem for two years. But after three years, your body will start to collapse, and you will die in five years.]

“That...!”

[Sorry, but I have no time.]

.

There was a time limit. Myrdal’s form was already collapsing slowly. The fingers pointing at Theo became watery and the overall shape more blurred. However, Myrdal’s voice remained clear, like he was directly speaking into Theo’s head.

The old man felt he had a responsibility to finish the story until the end.

[Increase the capacity of the vessel. You no longer need to eat and fight like a magician, but instead live like a beast. Explore the wide world and increase the size of your vessel as you bump into many people.]

“That is too abstract!”

[No, you already know the method.]

Despite his crumbling face, Myrdal’s blue eyes were bright as they penetrated through Theo.

[Just like how you once struggled for years, do it again this time. Don’t hesitate to walk the tough and difficult path. Become a magician who walks his own way through the wilderness.]

Theo hadn’t known Myrdal's purpose, and despite the conversation they just had, he was still in the dark. However, he could tell one thing from the story. Myrdal had been a magician before he had become a sage. And he taught his junior in the same way. Theo understood that he should engrave this piece of advice into his mind.

Myrdal quickly disappeared, and the fountain became calm again. The whole thing felt like a summer night’s dream.

Theodore Miller’s gaze lingered on the empty air above the fountain and slowly turned.

... Let’s go.

One only got a single opportunity to use the Fountain of Wisdom, so staying here any longer would just be a waste of time. As he quietly pondered the many questions and realizations, the young magician left the elves’ holy place behind.

***

Ellenoa had only waited for thirty minutes when Theo emerged. But when he appeared through the door of the cabin, his face had a trace of weariness in it. She quickly walked toward him. Up close, Theo’s face looked a bit different than usual, and she felt her cheeks becoming hot. Fortunately, Theo didn’t notice it.

“Theo, welcome back.”

“Ah, Ellenoa.”

“How was it? The holy land of the elves.”

She smiled in anticipation.

Theo told her honestly how he felt, “I have more to think about than I expected.”

He had met an unexpected person in an unexpected place, Gluttony’s seal was now released again, and he received a time limit on his life. Theo didn’t know how to process everything.

Regardless of whether she knew his complex heart or not, Ellenoa’s expression turned serious.

Then she said the words she had prepared while waiting, “My role ends here. It was to guide you to the Fountain of Wisdom and back to the banquet hall. From here on out, it will be my personal favor, so can you listen?”

Theo cocked his head and agreed.

Ellenoa summoned her confidence and held out her hand. As moonlight flowed softly over the world tree, her fingers seemed to shine with a silver glow. The beauty and atmosphere of a fairy tale temporarily caught his eyes.

“... Can you walk with me a bit more?” Ellenoa closed her eyes, disregarding her trembling fingers in fear of the rejection. Her eyes snapped open as a warm and rough hand touched hers.

Theo accepted the small favor by taking her hand. “I want to walk around a bit more too.”

A bright smile emerged on Ellenoa’s face, while Theo looked down at their hands. Perhaps it was the mood, or his hand had grown larger, but Ellenoa’s hand felt more tapered than half a year ago.

... Well, I must be mistaken.

Unfortunately, he just hadn’t realized it yet.