Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Bought Books for the Child
The inside of the bookstore was quiet.
As the door opened, the small bell tinkled softly.
The old man behind the counter looked up.
"Welcome."
"Where are the books about children?"
"Over there."
He gave a light nod by way of greeting and headed toward the spot the old man had indicated.
Was it because it was early morning?
A quick glance around showed no other customers.
Through the dust-covered window, sunlight filtered in softly.
With each step,
the faint scent of paper and ink tickled my nose.
"...Smells nice."
It was a fragrance that made me pause for no reason.
Yes.
I used to like smells like this.
'Though I got rid of them all.'
I walked slowly, browsing the shelves.
Books filled the walls and every shelf.
'Let's see.'
I stood still, scanning the shelves carefully.
There was an incredible variety of books.
Novels, play scripts, history books, herbal encyclopedias, alchemy primers, magic theory tomes...
My gaze paused for a moment.
History.
Herbs.
Magic.
Alchemy.
Familiar words.
Once upon a time,
I'd spent entire days poring over books like these.
The feel of the covers,
the scents lingering in the pages.
The days when I'd organize every sentence inside and make them my own.
I mastered them all without missing a thing,
only for the endless cycle to render them useless once again.
I repeated that for eons.
"Ten thousand years, twenty thousand... no, thirty... forty..."
How long had I lived like that?
I counted on my fingers, then gave up when I passed five.
>
It had been at least 7,000 years since I'd touched a book.
I'd thought I'd never pick one up again...
'But if I learn this, I can use it if the child gets sick or hurt.'
I'm an evil dragon,
so I can't use holy-attribute healing magic.
But—
I could handle herbs and potion-making.
[Herbalism Primer]
[Basics of Potion Brewing]
[Identifying Medicinal Plants and Their Uses]
I picked out a few books just by glancing at the titles and tables of contents.
'The child's waiting.'
I turned my eyes to the magic shelves.
There were all sorts of theory books and beginner guides there too.
Maybe
something useful...
[Principles and Applications of Spacetime Magic]
My eyes stopped on one book as I skimmed quickly.
Spacetime magic...
An incident from a few years ago came to mind.
It was shortly after I'd started wandering the world.
A short 40-year vacation.
Ten years staring out the window, so about 30 years left.
I strolled leisurely along the road, thinking.
'Should I learn teleportation?'
Using ancient magic might draw suspicion.
Better to learn the modern [Long-Range Teleportation] spell.
Flying and walking were honestly a hassle.
So,
while wandering the world, I asked a mage I ran into.
"Pardon? Long-range teleportation?"
"Yeah."
"How could that even be possible? Impossible, absolutely."
I couldn't believe my ears.
It used to be a trivial spell even children cast casually.
I blinked blankly before asking again.
"You can't?"
"Yes. To be precise... we've found ancient texts on it, but it's not practical yet."
"...Not practical? Why?"
"It consumes too much mana. And if your mana control slips even a little, it tears you apart alive."
Torn apart just from that?
How fragile had these humans made their bodies?
As a sigh nearly escaped me, the mage shrugged and continued.
"That said, my master is one of the greatest archmages, and he can use it."
"...Really? How?"
"He spent his whole life researching it! Among the tiny handful of mages who can teleport, he's the one who goes the farthest!"
Sounded worth learning.
Intrigued, I tilted my head slightly and asked,
"How far?"
"Don't be shocked. A whole meter!"
For some reason,
my forehead throbbed.
The spell I used back then
allowed continent-spanning round trips without preparation.
'Even ignorant fools could manage village-to-village hops with a bit of practice...'
One meter.
That short distance
was the pinnacle of human achievement now?
'Better to walk.'
That day, I neatly abandoned the idea of learning modern magic.
"...Impressive."
"You should definitely come hear my master's lecture sometime!"
I just waved lightly.
I turned and walked past the mage.
"It'll make it easier for you to wander while hiding your identity."
I looked up at the sky, recalling my old friend's words.
Our insides were so different.
What good was a similar exterior?
'Still just as inconvenient.'
Still, I grabbed a few basic magic books.
[Beginner's Guide to Magic]
[Basic Magic Training Manual]
[Safe Magic Practice for Beginners]
Might be something usable.
Above all—
the child might take an interest in magic.
She couldn't speak now,
and her expressions were hard to read.
But someday, she'll express her own will.
What she wants to do.
What she desires.
So,
I need to know for that day.
What to teach her.
How to show her.
'...I'm just as ignorant about this era, though.'
Still, I'll teach her by the standards of this world as best I can.
Unlike me,
she'll live her life among the things of this world.
I finally reached the shelf with books related to children.
I reached out slowly.
I ran my fingers along the spines, scanning the titles.
[Basic Child-Rearing Guide for Novices]
[For Your Child Entering the Academy]
[Essential Studies for Parents of Teens]
Lighthearted covers.
Bright colors, cute illustrations.
'...What to buy?'
I hesitated, then decided to get everything in sight.
One book,
another.
>
I stacked them until I couldn't see in front of me.
Maybe that's why
the old man at the counter came over in surprise.
"Hold on! You planning to buy all these?"
"Yeah."
I answered shortly,
then picked up another book with my free hand.
The cover showed a child hugging a rabbit doll.
'Looks just like her.'
So thinking, I scanned the shelves.
The old man grabbed my arm in a hurry and said,
"You're new to parenting, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
I answered without hesitation.
"How old is the child?"
"Don't know."
"Don't know...?"
"Picked her up. From some ruins."
The old man fell silent for a moment.
I watched him quietly, then a recent memory surfaced, and I spoke.
"The food merchant called her a baby."
"A baby?"
"Yeah. Said she couldn't talk and crawled around."
"I see. Then these books are premature. Put them down for now."
I slowly set down the stack in my arms.
Dust puffed up onto the pile of books.
The old man picked them up one by one, checked them, and shook his head.
"This one too, this one. Not needed now."
"Really?"
"Yes. And why grab the teen book if she's still a baby? That's over ten years away."
"Isn't ten years something you need?"
"...How thorough are you anyway?"
His movements speeding up as he set books aside.
In the end, only two remained.
[Child-Rearing Encyclopedia]
[Basic Child-Rearing Guide for Novices]
The old man handed them over and said,
"These should suffice. For a beginner, even these will be plenty."
"...Yeah?"
"Yes. She crawls, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then right now, the most important thing is how to bond with her."
Bonding.
Bonding.
I mulled over the word.
It was familiar, yet felt distant.
"Someone as quiet as you needs to be especially careful. The child senses you through every little action."
"...I see."
"Still, it's fortunate. That someone like you found her."
Fortunate.
Was it?
I just murmured, staring down at the books.
"...It's hard."
"Heh, it's tough at first, but it gets easier. Cherish your time with her. Watch closely, listen well, hug her a lot."
"...I can hug."
"Then you're good."
The old man smiled faintly and took the books I'd chosen to the counter.
After ringing them up,
he handed me the paper bag containing them and said,
"Your sincerity will reach her. Don't be too scared."
"...Will it?"
"It will."
I took the bag and bowed my head.
Sincere gratitude.
'...Oh, right.'
I pulled a diamond from my pocket.
"Here."
"What's this...?"
"Payment."
The old man stared at me blankly, then shook his head and pushed the diamond back.
"No need. I'm too old for things like this."
"Really?"
"Use it to raise that child well."
"Yeah."
I nodded slowly.
I put the diamond back in my pocket.
Precisely—
I'd saved it for the child.
'That's what she wanted.'
Handling the paper bag carefully, I said goodbye.
"See you."
"Yes. Come anytime you have questions."
"Yeah."
I opened the bookstore door and stepped out.
The slender bell rang again.
"Took longer than I thought."
The sunlight had thickened.
Looking up, the sun was already high in the sky.
"Hurry."
Next was medicine for the child.
Robes, clothes.
And...
'Formula, right?'
I quickened my steps.
From inside the carefully cradled paper bag came the sound of books bumping together.
A sound I hadn't heard in ages,
one I missed just a little.