Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Ancient Grimoire (3)
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A human would be corrupted by the impure energy contained within the ancient grimoire.
That was the very situation Gadena, who had uncovered the grimoire's true nature, had feared.
However, the scene unfolding right before her eyes was something else entirely.
The grimoire was screaming as it was gripped by a human man.
At this point, it was beyond absurd.
How could things turn out so perfectly opposite to what she had expected?
The elf took a moment to contemplate the world surrounding her.
Then, she finally snapped out of it and shouted.
"...I don't know what's going on, but stop it for now! Impure energy is emanating from the grimoire!"
According to the facts Gadena had just uncovered, this ancient grimoire was the work of wizards from the Kalatjan 'La-Diman' school.
They were an extremist group of mages who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. The powers they wielded were a toxic mix of black magic, blood magic, and all sorts of other dangerous forces.
The power contained within the grimoire was far beyond what a mere 4th Circle mage could handle.
...Though for some reason, he was now pushing toward the 5th Circle threshold anyway.
Flutterflutterflutter-
The grimoire's pages flipped rapidly.
Like a beast thrashing in its final moments before death, the energy it emitted grew even more intense.
"Ugh...!"
As an elf, she was particularly sensitive to the properties of spirits and mana.
Gadena writhed in agony from the turbid, impure nature of that energy.
'Even indirect exposure from this distance is this bad...!'
What would happen if someone took in this energy directly?
Even a human, relatively insensitive to mana properties, wouldn't escape a mana rampage.
Gadena felt a dizzying vertigo and shouted even louder.
"Can't you hear me!!! Impure energy is leaking from the grimoire! Stop it for now!"
Perhaps the impure energy was interfering with his movements.
Gadena drew her wooden staff to intervene and approached the grimoire.
"Wait, Gadena!"
That was when Meltas cried out urgently.
Even though she was stopped, a hint of leisure appeared on Gadena's face.
For an elf like Gadena, who generally looked down on humans, there were some she had no choice but to acknowledge—like those like Meltas.
A 6th Circle mage on the cusp of mastery as the Master of the Gray Tower.
He might offer insights even she hadn't considered.
"Meltas, tell me your thoughts! What do you think we should do!"
"I don't know what's going on, but let's watch for now! Impure energy is coming from the grimoire!"
"Yes, impure energy... Wait, what did you say?"
Because of the impure energy, let's just wait and see?
Gadena felt cognitive dissonance setting in.
The ancient grimoire filled with impure energy was screaming in the grasp of a 4th Circle human mage.
And the trusted tower master was talking about contact with this insanely dangerous impure energy like it was some windfall.
It felt like the world had turned upside down.
"Meltas! Are you planning to satisfy your intellectual curiosity at the cost of that human's life!? If we leave him like that, he'll be crippled nine times out of ten!"
"What a vicious thing to say! Calm down and look more closely! See what's happening to them right now!"
"What nonsense-...!?"
The elf, who rarely showed emotional outbursts, was on the verge of losing it.
His eyes widened.
The grimoire was injecting its mana into the human man's body.
Gadena trembled with rage.
Could there be a more active way to exploit the impure, turbid energy within the mana?
Most mages would lose control of their mana the moment they were hit, becoming slaves to the grimoire.
But this human man was different.
The moment the grimoire's mana entered him, it lost its impure properties.
Not only the turbid energy, but even the grimoire's will that controlled it.
What remained was pure mana.
In effect, the grimoire was handing over its mana to the human intact.
"What in the..."
It was a ridiculous situation, but she couldn't laugh.
Mana property transmutation. Or purification.
That wasn't something you could just 'snap' and do on the spot.
Especially not with mana mixed with all sorts of turbid properties from ancient mages!
Even with proper processes and facilities, it would take days at minimum-
"Ha..."
Gadena belatedly understood.
Why his companions had stood by silently, watching as the human was attacked by the grimoire.
No.
Gawking.
Those who walked the path of magic.
They had no choice but to stare in awe at such a rare sight.
Her staff returned to her side.
The elf joined in the spectatorship as if entranced.
The grimoire finally acknowledged its blunder.
Injecting mana to corrupt this human had been a poor choice.
Like a bug retracting the stinger it had embedded in human skin, the grimoire tried to reclaim the pathway it had planted in Rishir's hand.
It tried to halt the 'injection'.
But it was already too late.
Rishir's energy had long since eroded the pathway, infiltrating and reaching the grimoire's core.
Malice forged from mana.
That was the essence of the grimoire's ego-
And thus, it was directly affected by Rishir's energy.
The grimoire lost control over itself.
Even as this happened, the 'injection' continued.
The grimoire's voice grew quieter by the second.
Like a flame flickering out.
...And so, the grimoire injected even the mana that formed its ego into Rishir-
And vanished completely.
Thud.
The now-hollow shell of the grimoire fell to the floor with an unusually pathetic sound.
"Ma, mana drain...!"
Meltas unwittingly uttered the name of an advanced black magic spell.
"Are you insane?"
Rishir, who had simply taken what was offered, immediately scowled and corrected him.
"...So, you're saying this human named Rishir has a Unique Color that purifies impure energy?"
Most elves were cynical about anything involving humans.
The typical elf reaction in this situation would be-
'Do you think a Unique Color is some miracle cure-all?'
'There's no way a mere 4th Circle human mage has such an insane ability.'
In fact, the usual Gadena would have said exactly that.
But she couldn't.
"As you just saw with your own eyes, yes."
Because she had witnessed it all right beside him.
"This is perplexing."
Gadena had lived far longer than most humans, yet she had never encountered a freak like this Rishir.
She had never even imagined encountering one.
Gadena felt as if her entire worldview had been shattered.
The elf withdrew his attention from Rishir to sort out his chaotic thoughts.
And picked up the fallen grimoire (or what was left of it).
Flutter-
Gadena quickly skimmed through the book.
It took less than ten seconds to grasp its overall contents.
Because the grimoire had become nothing more than a blank notebook.
"..."
Gadena crossed her arms and rubbed her brow.
"Hey, Meltas."
Flinch.
The old man trembled at her icy tone.
"Do you remember why I let humans I didn't even invite into my laboratory?"
"...Because of the ancient grimoire."
Flutter-
"The knowledge within the ancient grimoire. That was the implicit price you promised me."
Flutter-
"But."
Flutter-
"Now all that's left to me is."
Flutter-
"A worn-out blank notebook of no value."
Flutter-
"And uninvited humans."
Flutter-
"Meltas."
"A-hem. Yes. Gadena. Speak."
"You know what kind of place this laboratory is, right?"
"...Your laboratory, and also a space you designed to lure in a certain spirit, I believe."
"Yet it's been tainted by human energy."
They might look like an old man and a young one on the surface-
But in truth, Gadena was decades older than Meltas.
Moreover, Gadena held high status in elven society.
Like an elven noble, say.
If Meltas visited their lands, he would have to show her utmost courtesy.
All these factors combined-
And every human present clasped their hands politely and bowed their heads before the elf.
"..."
The elf stared at them for a while before letting out a low sigh.
"Fine. It's not your fault. It's mine. Entirely my fault for getting involved with you humans."
The elf nodded toward the laboratory door.
Rishir and his group immediately left the room.
"Ah."
Right after leaving the laboratory.
Rishir realized his mana had increased and casually broached the subject.
"Heynya. What should we do about this? I've unintentionally stolen your chance."
"Chance? Suddenly?"
"This."
He held up the grimoire (or its remains).
"Ah."
Heynya nodded in understanding at the sight of the grimoire Rishir held up.
Then her expression grew complicated, and she let out a wry chuckle.
Marina, chuckling similarly, spoke up.
"A chance, huh?"
"Pardon?"
"Rishir. You're probably the only one in the world who would call that a 'chance'."
The three of them had also noticed Rishir's mana had proliferated(?), bringing him right to the brink of 5th Circle, and they kept chuckling.
"What the hell-"
Heynya muttered in exasperation.
She no longer had the energy to be shocked one by one.
Deep down, she wanted to shout boldly, 'Today's humiliation! I'll pay you back for sure!'
But-
'...Won't he be 5th Circle by tomorrow?'
Nah. No way.
Heynya desperately denied the horrifying possibility and shook her head.
"Just you wait! I'll catch up to you for sure!"
Heynya fled the scene.
"Well then, I'll be off too. Rishir. Let's meet again if there's a chance."
Marina followed after her disciple-
"Sir Meltas."
Left alone with Meltas, Rishir voiced the question he had been holding back.
"That Gadena just now said the laboratory was tainted by human energy."
"Ah..."
"I've unintentionally caused her trouble because of that. Is that okay?"
"It's true that spirits prefer elves over humans. But-"
Even so, tainted?
Meltas shook off his hurt feelings with effort.
"Well- separately, this was my fault. I barged into her laboratory without warning. I planned to smooth it over by entrusting the grimoire's interpretation to her, but since it ended up like that- I'll apologize separately later. So once again, don't worry about it."
"But this whole thing started because of me, right? I'd like to apologize to her myself if I get the chance."
"...You're being treated like 'taint' and such, and it doesn't bother you?"
"Oh, it doesn't actually taint anything?"
"There might be a slight influence, but I can confidently say it's not to the level of such extreme wording. If it were just me, fine, but using that on you too..."
"Thank you. For caring that much about me."
"...Ahem. It's for my disciple. Of course."
"Don't play games."
"Tch. Such a finicky guy. Anyway, since it came up, let me ask. Who is your master that you uphold such loyalty? It doesn't seem like they taught you much."
"My master?"
Rishir fell into thought.
Was it okay to reveal his extraordinary master's existence?
'Well, this guy's fine.'
"Do you perhaps know Pamon?"
"Pamon? Pamon..."
Meltas mulled over the name, then his eyes widened.
"...Ahem! No! I know nothing about that dark elf!"
"?"
He knows nothing, but how did he know she's a dark elf?
Meltas avoided Rishir's gaze and continued.
"Rishir- as advice, you shouldn't casually reveal your master's name to others!"
"You know who she is?"
"Anyway, just take it that way!"
After that, Meltas said he'd send word later once matters regarding Rishir's tower supporter role and the Didoa incident rewards were settled, then fled the scene.
"Gadena."
Not long after the uninvited guests left, new visitors arrived at the elf's laboratory.
A woman thoroughly cloaked in black robes and a burly giant.
They had come without warning, just like the previous group.
"You've arrived."
Yet Gadena greeted them courteously.
She was an elf, and one of the major sponsors funding Gadena's research.
Above all, she was no one Gadena could treat lightly.
"I came to check on the progress."
Call it payment for research sponsorship.
Gadena was carrying out a commission from her.
It was about tracking down a certain spirit that had vanished in Bondales.
No. Luring it in, perhaps.
That spirit was extremely timid and skittish.
If it sensed someone chasing it, it would flee to even more hidden places.
That was why Gadena had relocated her laboratory and remodeled it into its current form.
An excessively well-tended garden.
A building constructed from specially enchanted wood.
Gadena's laboratory had been wholly designed in anticipation of that spirit's visit.
"..."
Gadena's expression darkened.
"There's something I need to tell you regarding that."
Some humans had suddenly barged in and tainted the laboratory's energy.
Because of that, she would need time to inspect the laboratory's condition.
As Gadena pondered how to deliver the bad news to her employer-
"You're talking about the chair outside the door, right?"
"Pardon? The chair outside the door- Ah."
Gadena recalled the chair she had just tossed out of the laboratory.
The human named Rishir had wrestled with the grimoire right next to that chair.
For example, that chair was now thoroughly contaminated with human energy.
Gadena tried to explain about the chair.
"I don't know what it is, but it's fascinating. The spirits love it."
"...Pardon?"
"Look."
Gadena followed the woman outside the laboratory.
The chair, tossed out to avoid contaminating the yard.
Around it, the yard's spirits had gathered in a cluster.
"..."
Gadena agonized upon realizing that the 'contaminant' was more spirit-friendly than the space she had meticulously cultivated over years.