Chapter 2
It doesn't seem like it was my fault. Wow! Obtained a talking mysterious grimoire! What's your choice? 1. Confirm each other's names and build a bond. 2. Make a contract to boost magical achievements. 3. Slam it on the floor. Bam! Bam!
"Fuck..."
"Get off me right now! I said get off, you crazy book!"
'This is the kind of girl who'd pick the third option in a visual novel...'
I swallowed my tears and spoke to Luna.
[Hey, hey. You've slammed me on the floor for about thirty minutes since entering the cabin, right? Calm down first and let's resolve this like civilized people through conversation.]
"...Conversation? Fine. Conversation it is."
Muttering that, Luna staggered to her feet and headed to the shelf.
Ha. At least she's not completely insane. Come to think of it, anyone would panic if a talking object suddenly stuck to their hand and wouldn't come off.
[Ahem, I should've introduced myself sooner. Nice to meet you, Miss Luna... Wait, what the hell is this crazy bitch doing!!!]
Luna pulled lamp oil from the shelf and poured it generously over her arm.
Drip, drip, drip!!
"Let's burn it. If I burn my arm, this cursed book will go with it."
Confirming the oil had soaked into both her arm and my cover, Luna grabbed the obliquely placed torch with a satisfied look and headed out of the cabin.
[Y-you crazy bitch! Are you insane?! That's your arm, not mine?!]
"That senile old geezer caused all that chaos. If I show up in the village square tomorrow with this creepy book, I'll really end up on a pyre as a witch, turned into a hunk of meat!!! Better to burn one arm than my whole body, right?"
Luna's eyes were pitch black and lifeless as she said it. When she finally lit the torch, I realized she meant every word, and a chill ran down my nonexistent spine.
'This girl's actually nuts?'
[I didn't want it to come to this... Don't hate me too much!!]
Before the torch touched her arm, I channeled faint mana into Luna's body, forcibly controlling her movements.
"Ack?!"
Defying her will, Luna's hand dropped the torch, and she hurriedly stomped out the fallen flame.
[Whoa, you really... Wow. Even combining my past and present lives, you're the first lunatic like this I've seen. Got a spare arm ready to swap out?]
At my sarcasm, Luna hung her head low and muttered softly.
"......Let go."
[No way! Even if I die, I won't let go! Hell, you just tried to kill me! From now on, it's survival of the fittest, you crazy herbalist!]
Luna glared at me like she wanted to tear me apart for a long while, but eventually, exhausted, she staggered back into the cabin and slumped in the corner.
"....."
Luna hugged her knees with her remaining hand, burying her face. I couldn't see her expression, but she was probably crying. Getting branded a witch in one day and suddenly chosen by a mad grimoire— that'd be too much for any ordinary village girl.
Too bad, but what can you do? Sorting my thoughts, I spoke to her.
[That's why I said let's talk it out earlier. None of this would've happened.]
"......"
[Sigh. What can I do? I can't force a contract on someone who hates me this much.]
"......!"
Luna's buried head trembled slightly. Probably anticipating what came next.
[Instead, drop me off at a proper city library or something, not this backwoods village.]
"You... You mean that?"
Luna, who'd been slumped like the world had ended, perked up and asked back.
"For real? No take-backs?!"
[Yeah, yeah. I won't say it twice.]
With that, I released the mana holding her body.
...Except for her pinky finger.
Luna stared at her four regained fingers, then at me dangling from her pinky, her face twisting into a strange expression.
"...You're not as vicious a grimoire as I thought."
Pausing, she continued with an embarrassed look.
"Um, sorry about slamming you on the floor and pouring oil earlier."
Ha. Luna's pale cheeks flushed red as she apologized. She couldn't quite meet my gaze, her eyes fixed out the window, but hey, if this cleared the air, great for me.
[Well, alright. Take good care of me until I find a new contractor.]
With that, I fully withdrew my mana from her body.
Plop.
With a limp sound, I fell onto the clean wooden floor. If Luna put me back on that dark, damp altar now, I'd endure another hellish wait. But somehow, I doubted she would.
Luna stared blankly at me on the floor for a long time. Then she carefully reached out, picked me up, and gently wiped the oil from my cover with her sleeve. She placed me on the cleanest spot on the shelf.
"...Just until tomorrow morning. On the way to gather herbs, I'll take you to a big village with a library, for real."
Muttering that, she lay down on the bed. Listening to her steady breathing from behind, I spent my first night as a grimoire with someone's warmth nearby. Sleepless as ever, but not lonely.
"Grrr!!! Damn it!!"
Hans, the village chief of Pine Tree Village, stormed into his room and threw a tantrum.
"Luna, that wench dares betray the grace I showed her!!"
He'd never helped her—only obstructed and scorned her for her white hair being ominous—but past memories meant little to him now. His mind was filled with thoughts of punishing the wretched girl who'd shattered his authority before the villagers.
Knock knock!
As the chief racked his shrunken brain for devious plans, a knock came from outside, and the door opened.
"V-Village chief. Some guests have arrived in the village."
"What guests?! Probably just beggars looking for food! Brush them off with some excuse!"
"Well, um..."
The village youth, who usually obeyed without question, hesitated, fueling the chief's rising anger. But just as he was about to vent on the boy, the info from his mouth shut him up.
"They called themselves the Red Mane Mercenary Corps or something. They introduced themselves as mercenaries, but their armed state and the troops' looks seem more like bandits or brigands than regular hires."
"Oh... Is that so?"
"Yes. So, just in case, should I tell the villagers to arm themselves..."
The youth finished, glancing at the chief's mood. The chief stood pondering.
'Red Mane Mercenary Corps.' Rumored to be ruthless killers who took any job for pay. Finishing his thoughts, the chief flashed a sinister smile.
"No need to bother the villagers with arming up. I'll go talk to them myself."
The chief went out to greet the mercenaries. Men in leather armor stained with dry blood, carrying jagged greatswords, lounged at the entrance. Feeling their raw hostility directed at him, the chief was inwardly fearful but steeled himself and approached the leader.
"...Pleased to meet you. I'm Hans, village chief of Pine Tree Village."
A deep scar crossed his bald head, and a wild red beard like a boar's mane jutted from his protruding jaw—hinting at his 'Red Mane' moniker. He dropped his thigh-thick greatsword slung over his shoulder with a thud and grinned wickedly.
"Chief, got a room for the night and some booze? We're a bit short on coin, see."
Swallowing hard at Drakson's menacing smile, the chief replied.
"R-rooms and booze, as much as you need. But I have a 'job' for capable folks like you, Drakson."
"Ho ho... A job in a podunk village like this? Let's hear it."
The chief whispered in the mercenary leader's ear.
"There's a woman suspected of being a witch on the village outskirts. Tomorrow morning, when she heads into the forest for herbs, make it look like an 'accident.' In return, half the village storehouse's food is yours. How about it?"
Greed flashed in Drakson's eyes. Half a village's stores for offing one girl? No reason to refuse.
"Deal. Tomorrow morning it is."
The chief fawned with a servile grin, matching Drakson's booming laugh and his band's.
Tomorrow. Just tomorrow, and that damned wench would be gone.
The next morning, true to her word, Luna took me and left the cabin. Gone was yesterday's murderous vibe; she tucked me into her apron pocket and strolled the forest path as usual.
"Hum hum~ hum~"
Whistling cheerfully while gathering herbs, she looked like a fairy from a storybook. Hard to believe this was the same madwoman who'd doused her arm in oil just a day ago. Humans adapt quick, or maybe the hope of ditching me healed her heart.
[You're way too obviously thrilled. I'm a sentient being too!]
"Shut up. It's best for both of us if you find a good owner quick and leave. Sticking with a herbalist like me will just collect dust."
Grumbling, Luna parted the underbrush with expert hands. Her eyes sparkled like she'd found treasure.
"Whoa, silver dew grass! This fetches a good price."
She pulled a small harvesting knife from her apron, carefully digging up the roots. The leaves, glistening with morning dew, swayed gently between her white fingers. Luna dusted off the soil from the roots and placed the dew grass in her basket. Shaking her hands, she picked up the basket and stood.
[Still more to gather?]
"Nah, that's all. Now just sell these in the village for coin."
Leaving the excited Luna chattering about the pricey herb, I scanned around. As a reincarnated grimoire, my biggest perk is no field-of-view limits. Spraying mana like a mist, the surroundings popped up like a minimap.
Two behind the right tree. One by the rock. One archer in the pine tree. And one walking openly.
[Luna.]
The chattering Luna turned quizzically.
"Yeah? What now? Don't tell me you're backing out at the last minute and throwing a fit..."
[Nah, seems like you've got some followers.]
No sooner had my warning ended than the bushes tore open roughly. With a chilling metallic ring, six or seven men poured out, surrounding Luna. All had vicious faces and rough leather armor; a massive brute stepped forward, radiating presence.
Scar across his bald head, wild red beard like a wild boar's mane. The leader of the Red Mane Mercenary Corps, Drakson, bared yellow rotten teeth in a grin.
"Ho ho, the witch the chief mentioned—this the one? Too pretty for a witch; almost a shame to kill."
His waiting men cackled. Greed and murder swirled in Drakson's eyes.
Luna paled, clutching her basket, backing away.
"Who are you? The chief sent you?"
"Ooh, we're the type who'll do anyone or anything for pay. Old chief said you're a disaster-bringing witch. Don't care if you are or not—long as we get paid."
Drakson, chuckling vulgarly, smacked his forehead as if remembering something.
"Oh! And don't hate the chief too much. With or without you, we planned to kill everyone and loot the goods anyway."
At his gesture, the archer in the tree nocked an arrow, and those behind rocks drew daggers, tightening the encirclement. Luna's legs began to shake powerlessly. Yesterday's fierce resolve to burn her own arm was gone; pure terror gripped her.
"Hah... huff..."
[Luna! Snap out of it!]
"Wha... what...?"
Still out of it, Luna moaned lowly, face ashen. Her unfocused eyes fixed on Drakson's massive greatsword approaching.
Stay dazed like this, and she'd be chopped meat before casting a spell or even screaming.
[Fuck, seriously! I knew it!]
I cursed. Honestly, the villagers dying or not was none of my business. But last night, her soft hands meticulously cleaning the oil from my cover came to mind. Despite the ordeal of not detaching me, she'd placed me on the cleanest shelf spot, smiling awkwardly with a "take care."
Across past and present lives, Luna was the only human who'd seen me as a person, not a monster or tool. Nah, screw reasons. From the moment she pulled me from that cold, dark cave altar, I'd considered her my contractor.
Flutter flutter flutter—!!
The dormant ancient grimoire pulsed wildly, opening its eyes.