Chapter 25 - Let's Get the Dark Mage's Book
Chapter 25 - Let's Get the Dark Mage's Book
025
The artificially created cave was undoubtedly made using giant goblins.
How else could they have made a place with such a high ceiling and a space as wide as a playground?
Yet, I had no idea how they managed to make such a luxurious personal space.
"It looks like some kind of noble's bedroom."
I had no idea what architectural style it was, though. Ornaments attached to Renaissance artifacts learned in art class decorated the walls and ceiling everywhere.
The floor was paved with clean white marble.
Aside from that, the furniture looked expensive at a glance. They were extremely neat items with great finishes.
"I wonder if being a black magician actually pays well."
Does that mean I could become rich, too?
Too bad the talent I possessed was far too pathetic for that.
What could I possibly do by summoning three imps?
At best, circus acrobatics?
"Hmm. They must have hidden the book here."
"...And expensive decorations, too."
Karl, suffering from severe injuries, walked around the room while dripping blood onto the marble floor.
She looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, but rather than resting, she continued to search around restlessly, looking this way and that.
"Hey Karl. If you move around with wounds like that, they're just going to tear open again. Sit on that bed."
"There is no time for that."
"Huh? Didn't we kill all the enemies?"
"The enemies are all dead."
Then why was she rushing? Now that I looked closer, Karl was wandering around here and there like someone being chased by something.
She smashed a table with her bare hands—a piece of furniture that would surely fetch one or two gold coins if sold—to search through the debris, or knocked over a bookshelf neatly lined with books.
Later, she even brought out an axe to carry out a full-scale dismantling operation.
What a waste.
If I sold just one of those expensive pieces of furniture, it would be more than enough to pay off all my debts.
Of course, I had no intention of blaming Karl. Since the Black Magician's Book she was looking for was extremely important, that must be why she was searching so urgently.
But with those injuries... Ah!
Did they say the gods help those who help themselves?
Actually, I don't believe that saying. If they were going to help, they should've helped during those two years I struggled in agony.
However, unlike me, Karl seemed to be getting rewarded for her efforts.
"Karl. Just a moment! Stay still."
"...Hmm?"
I picked up a red bottle rolling among the wreckage of the wardrobe Karl had knocked over and showed it to her.
To think such a precious item would be here. As expected, this black magician must have been filthy rich.
"What is this?"
"Um. Are there no such things as potions in the snowfields?"
"There are none."
This potion thing was like top-tier Fucidin refined from troll blood.
If you're low on blood, it automatically replenishes it; if flesh is torn off, it regenerates the flesh!
They said that even if your limbs were severed, you just had to press the arm against the stump and pour a potion over it, and the arm would immediately start moving.
And red potions like this were extremely expensive. Commoners only ever got to gaze at inferior products diluted with water by a factor of a hundred.
Even then, each one cost thirty copper coins, so beggars like me couldn't even dream of looking at them.
"I'm going to pour it."
Since Karl had injured her body so much, I had to spray it evenly all over her entire body.
So I told her to bend down, made her take off her cuirass and helmet, and poured the potion right down over her head.
"Hmm."
Sure enough, bubbles boiled up furiously from her burst eyeball, and soon a new eyeball sprouted forth.
What appeared to be broken ribs made a ttududuk sound as they reattached themselves upon touching her belly.
"Whoa, I'd only heard rumors, but this is seriously amazing."
"Is this expensive?"
"Huh? Ah, well... about twenty gold coins? You can save even someone on the verge of death with just this one bottle. So yes, it's quite expensive."
"I see."
Despite twenty gold coins' worth being consumed on her own body, she didn't seem particularly surprised.
"Isn't it a waste? If you sold this, you could loaf around and eat for years."
"Not at all? Is there anything more precious than a human life?"
"Did I look like I was going to die from such a minor injury?"
"That's not it. You just looked like you were in pain, you know?"
Of course, pocketing one of these potions to sell later might have been more profitable for me.
But I didn't want to do that.
No matter how tough Karl was, there was no way she could easily overcome a severe injury like having an eyeball blown out.
Turning a blind eye to heal someone's injuries just for profit...
That's not something a human being should do.
"Hah. Dennis, you are the most unique human I have ever seen. Clearly, I tried to violate your body by force. Yet you still healed me."
"Well... that was a bit extreme. But if it weren't for you, I would have died long ago anyway."
And since I owed Karl many favors, repaying her was only natural.
Besides, this potion wasn't even my property to begin with! Why is she acting so grateful over something like this?
"I see."
Even so, Karl wore an expression as if she still couldn't quite accept it.
Hmph, well. Having spent her whole life in the snowfields where only the strong survive, of course she wouldn't understand my actions.
Still, I have my own way of doing things.
"Ah! That aside, isn't this book the one you were looking for?"
"Hmm?"
When I picked up a strange black-covered book lying among the wreckage of the wardrobe where the potion had been, the evil aura that had been drifting throughout the entire cave wafted out strongly.
Without needing a second look, this was undoubtedly the Black Magician's Book.
"Indeed. It is the Black Magician's Book. An evil book made from human skin."
"What? Th-Then what I'm touching right now..."
"It is the skin of a sacrifice who fell victim to the black magician."
What the fuck!
"Ugh! Hey, you see... Since this is the item you were looking for, it'd be better for you to have it, right?"
"No. That belongs to you."
"Y-Y-Yeaaah?!"
What the hell is she talking about!
You want me to take such a filthy and horrifying thing?
Wait, was she wandering around in that condition in the first place just to give this to me?
"The Black Magician's Book can only be read by a black magician."
"You could just read it and tell me the contents..."
"You will know once you read it. It wasn't made to record something. It was made to pass on to someone else."
To pass on, huh.
What are they passing on? Well, in a way, ordinary books are also things that pass something down to future generations.
"You have a face that doesn't understand. A normal book does not 'force' anything upon the reader it is passed to. But that book 'forces' it the moment you read it. People who have had their knowledge cut off are sensitive to things like this."
"...And if that book disappears, we can prevent another black magician from appearing."
It was a familiar voice.
Though it belonged to someone who looked almost dead, I didn't have any trouble figuring out who it was.
"Anders?"
She was dragging one foot as if her leg was injured, and a lot of blood was flowing from her fractured arm.
In a normal person's case, it wouldn't be strange for her to collapse from blood loss.
The fact that she was still standing must be because she was a knight.
"Burn that book. The black magician's magic must be severed forever."
Anders held out a torch she had brought with her, using her relatively unharmed arm toward my direction.
Did she want me to throw it in there? Honestly, I didn't want to own such a filthy book either...
While I was hesitating, Karl stepped forward.
"I refuse. Knight. This book is our legitimate loot. We dispose of it however we please."
"Nonsense! I am the one who hired you. Everything that comes out of here belongs to me. Just quietly take your silver coins and get lost!"
The knight approached, brandishing the torch threateningly.
Her whole body was trembling violently. Her physical state was such that it wouldn't be strange if she dropped dead at any second.
"Hah, hah! It's the only trace left behind by the bitch who killed my son. I have to destroy it... I have to destroy it! I must strip away even a shred of the fact that they were even born in this world!"
"That cannot be. To catch black magicians, we must know about them. This book is that clue."
"Shut your mouth, you barbarian!"
Somehow, the atmosphere was getting increasingly weird.
She didn't look like her usual calm self. She looked more ominous, like someone driven mad by something...
"Looks like she's been possessed."
Karl muttered that while gazing at Anders with a serious expression.
Possessed?
"Hand over that book right now! I have to burn it with my own hands..."
"Wait a minute! Let's talk for a second..."
"I don't have time! I'm about to fucking drop dead! You, you! If you're going to get in my way, just die!"
- buuung!
No matter how injured she was, a knight was still a knight.
With astonishing movement, she closed the distance and swung the torch toward my body.
"Ugh!"
It was a good thing I instinctively raised my arm to block it; if I hadn't, a deep burn would have been branded onto my face.
Instead, a stinging pain throbbed in my arm. Of all places, the flames touched skin not covered by the quilted armor and gauntlet, leaving a burn behind.
"Aak!"
This is going to leave a scar... Fuck!
Irritated, I kicked Anders in the belly.
She was a knight who weighed far more than me, but since she was practically on the verge of death, I was able to shake her off easily.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Hah, hah...! D-, damn it! That's because you suddenly lunged at me, so it's not my fault!"
Attacking a knight was a felony. I had basically just committed a huge crime.
"Dennis. That woman is already a lost cause."
"...Still, it feels like there should be at least one more potion left. Shouldn't we feed her that to heal her body?"
"No, her body has been contaminated by malice. In a moment, that woman will become a demon. We must kill her before that."
...Huh?
Become a demon...?
"Read this book. That is how you can acquire new magic."
It was a startling matter all over again.
But the words coming out of Karl's mouth were a continuous destruction of common sense.