Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: A Use for Everything
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"Hmm……."
"Oh my, I wondered where you'd gone, but you went to get books? You're quite studious."
"Couldn't you knock? Even mages should know manners."
"You already knew it was me~ That's so disappointing. More importantly, what book are you reading? I can tell it's an old book just by the cover… but I have no idea about the contents."
Celina, who had sauntered in unabashedly, sat across from Beonald and peeked at the book he was reading, but unlike Beonald, she was a person of this era and had no way of deciphering the handwriting and phrasing from 500 years ago.
"Aah~ If you've found something good, share it a little~ Don't just keep the good stuff to yourself~"
"Well, I still don't trust you, and we're in a mutually transactional position, so no. Besides, I've only just started looking at these myself, so I don't know if they're any good yet. I have to figure that out from now on."
"Then, could you perhaps impart the wisdom of ancient script to me so I can help?"
"Refused. Did your master ever tell you to hand over your research results and data if a mage from another school or research team asked for them?"
"…Just how much do you know about the Magical Tower's culture? You haven't even been there! No, just how amazing was that alchemy book anyway?"
Ignoring Celina's sulking reaction, Beonald focused on continuing to read the book.
The first book he picked up was the diary of a man from 500 years ago, 'Rashtel von Furmania'.
The era seemed to be records from after his own death, roughly.
"As expected… it's a complete mess."
Beonald skimmed through it quickly to see if there was any nutritious content.
A short while later, after drinking the tea Sein brought and humoring Celina's grumbling appropriately, Beonald continued his voracious reading.
Beonald flipped through several more pages to check the progression of time.
"What's it about? Your expression looks so dark."
"Ah… it's not very pleasant content, that's all. It's better you don't know."
"Is it forbidden knowledge or something?"
"Not that. Anyway, I'll have to look at this again later."
Though he had learned from the Callermain Earldom's tutor, the vivid records written by someone from that era still hit harder.
The records he skimmed were mostly grumblings about the war, and how things had become a complete mess now that the Temple had gotten involved.
'…What are those Temple bastards doing, sticking their noses in and making it even worse?'
After skimming through many such records with little substance, he reached the last section where the record stopped.
Judging by the dried bloodstains and heavily smudged writing, it seemed like a very desperate situation.
'Demons? What does that mean? I'm not sure. If it meant something, the Goddess would have told me…….'
Feeling uneasy about the strange content and wondering if there was any more clue elsewhere, Beonald looked, but the record ended there.
Feeling only a vague unease and gaining nothing, Beonald sighed and ruthlessly tossed the old book into the fireplace, turning it into a handful of ash.
"Wha, what are you doing?"
"It's a useless book."
"Even so, that's too much! The cradle of knowledge!"
"It's a personal diary, so it's meaningless. Wasted a gold coin. Tch, nothing ever comes easy."
And he continued flipping through the books, but none of the so-called old books contained any useful knowledge or information.
Thus, amidst Celina's shrieks, Beonald kept tossing the books one after another into the fireplace pile.
Then, at the 12th and final book, he paused his movements for a moment.
Turning over the thick hardcover of the last book, he found a title written there that was utterly absurd, something he'd never seen in either his previous or current life.
First, he tried to guess the book's content by mobilizing all his knowledge, and realized it was the same type of commercial novel one of his children from his previous life used to read while giggling.
'I went through the trouble of researching mass paper production to make a lot of it, and they make this stuff… I did accept it because I was told entertainment was also important for the people. But what in the world did they make…….'
"If I die like this, I'll have no face left before the people you've tormented! That's right! I'll make you bear endless numbers of half-human, half-demon slaves equal to the number you killed, and have you serve humanity! Demon King! Meryuneris! Take this! My Holy Sword of Sex! "Nooooooooooo!"
she cries, but in truth, she had been longing for exactly this situation. Feeling a tingling pleasure in her chest and lower abdomen from the Hero's gaze filled with burning hatred……."
"Hmm… uhh… uhhh… uhhhh… uhhhhh… uhhhhhh……."
"Oh my? Lord Beonald, it seems this one is quite a valuable book after all? You're reading it with incredible absorption?"
"Huh? Ah… ah… ahhh… It's just written in a somewhat difficult style."
"Ooh, just what kind of incredible knowledge sleeps within that book? Could it be a legacy of the Magical Tower? Or perhaps… could it be the legendary legacy of Benofis?"
"Ah… uhh, the content is quite profound. It seems deeper study is required. Yes, deeper study indeed."
Planning to read it later in secret, Beonald did not throw the last book into the fireplace but hid it deep within his luggage.
At least he'd gained something(?) from today's exploration. Telling Celina he'd let her know once the decryption was done, he sent her away.
Then, as if her chance had finally come, Sein brought fresh tea and spoke up.
"It truly does seem to get noisy when Mage Celina is around, Lord Beonald."
"Well, that girl is just being true to her nature as a mage in her own way. Ah, right. We left Dustycloak right away, so I only just remembered…"
"What is it?"
"Sein, do you happen to know letters?"
At the sudden question, she looked bewildered but immediately opened her mouth to answer.
"Ah, yes. Lady Meira taught me."
"That's fortunate. And other learned studies besides that?"
"None. Only simple addition, subtraction…"
Sein blushed and bowed her head. It was probably natural for a maid of this era.
Since their main duties were physical labor like cleaning and attending to others, the idea of learning was likely unimaginable.
The fact that she even knew letters was because Lady Meira taught her for her own work; otherwise, she might have remained illiterate.
"Good. Sein, as I said before, you are now part of my garden. Serving me with your abilities is important, but cultivating your own abilities is also important. And I intend to actively help with that."
"Then what should I do?"
"Learn. Learn as much as you can. Starting from during our journey, and even after we arrive, I will have you attend all general academic courses."
"Huh? Re, really? Um… that…"
Sein, who never dreamed she would have a chance to learn at the Imperial Academy, widened her eyes, at a loss for words.
Beonald nodded to reassure her and continued explaining.
"I'll have you learn everything except subjects with practical parts like etiquette or swordsmanship. It should be enough to have the setting that you sleep during the day after doing various things at night and attend classes."
"Yo, you would bestow such grace upon me?"
"You are now a flower in my garden. Then, I will simply do my best to nurture you. Anyway, your duties as a maid will be suspended for now. For now, just learn and learn more. I will provide all necessary support, so you focus solely on learning. I'll tell you what you need to learn during the journey."
The detailed information he had gotten from Sir Repart about the academy in preparation for such a time came in handy.
He spent a few hours before sleep splitting time to teach her prerequisite knowledge for necessary subjects, basic lectures on mathematics, philosophy, etc., and after assigning her tasks for tomorrow's travel, Beonald was finally able to fall asleep.
The journey of Beonald's party to the capital was a repetition of this process.
Travel by carriage, and while staying in cities or towns, repeatedly visiting antique dealers or fences to buy old books or antiques, appraising them, and burning them in the fireplace.
The added tasks were purchasing books for Sein and sparring with Heidi in between the processes of things done upon arriving in cities or towns.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
"Yeah~"
The two of them, who sparred outside the city even after arriving, to avoid showing themselves to others.
After finishing their spar, Beonald and Heidi, drenched in sweat, exchanged formal bows. Then, Beonald shook the sweat from his hair and glanced at her.
'…She really does have talent, it seems.'
As expected of a martial family's child, Heidi's skills were growing remarkably noticeably.
The quality and quantity of her Aura were weaker than his, but her innate courage and talent as a knight were enough to tire even Beonald out from sparring.
'And swordsmanship… I'm hitting another plateau. Heidi keeps growing like that. It's frustrating somehow.'
"Lord Beonald, aren't you coming in?"
"Ah, I have something to think about for a moment. You can go back first and wash up."
"Yes!"
'At this rate, when will I master the Three Great Secret Techniques?'
The only things remaining in the swordsmanship Beonald was honing, the 'Imperial Knight Order Derivative-Neumel Style', were the Three Great Secret Techniques, and he had hit another plateau.
He was making various attempts by modifying his sword as he did when learning 'Twin-Headed Snake', continuously training, but similarly, he got stuck again not fully understanding the form, and since it didn't suit his constitution, he had many worries.
'The form is correct, and I've sufficiently mastered the mana breathing technique. So why isn't it working? Is there something else I don't know? Is it different from the 'Tenth Form-Twin-Headed Snake'? Hmm… Then should I set a goal for myself too? Succeed in one of the Three Great Secret Techniques before arriving in the capital!'
Beonald set a goal for himself and began swinging his sword again to master the 'Imperial Knight Order Derivative-Neumel Style'.
Surely, once they arrived in the capital, there would be various complicated matters again, and then he wouldn't have as much leisurely time to train as now, so he kept swinging his sword without stopping, even as time passed and passed.