Where All Wandering Treasures Gather
The Library of Memories. Its hidden vault, a place where every wandering treasure converged. The massive door, true to its name, overwhelmed all who beheld it.
[Go on, you two—try opening it.]
At Retos's urging, the two students stepped forward side by side. The door was so enormous it defied a single glance, and the bizarre ancient runes and motifs etched upon it offered no clues to their meaning.
"Even the professors might not be able to open this."
[Is it difficult?]
"It's not just difficult—we don't even know how it works."
Unlike Boltman, who poked and prodded at everything, Maness quickly gave up. Even in the original story, when they'd visited this place, there'd been no puzzle to solve or mechanism to unlock. Without any prior information, forcing it open on their own was impossible.
[Of course it's meant to be.]
"Could you at least tell us how it works?"]
[That would be as good as giving you the answer outright.]
Retos stroked his beard, sent the pair back with a wave, and stepped up himself. The students watched tensely as he stood reverently before the door and cleared his throat.
[It's me.]
Just those two words. With a crisp sound, the colossal door swung open, revealing the interior.
[A voice-recognition door. Impressive, isn't it?]
Watching the process, Maness swallowed a curse under his breath. It was rigged to be unsolvable from the start. But all he could do in response to the mischievous grand mage's prank was offer a polite smile, an exclamation of awe, and applause.
[You young ones and your wonder.]
Maness felt nothing but envy for Boltman, who seemed genuinely amazed. Following the senile prankster inside, they entered a space of utter darkness, as if it refused to allow even a single step to the uninvited. Thud. But a single tap of the grand mage's heel solved that too.
"Whoa."
This time, even Maness couldn't help but gasp in genuine admiration at the sight before them. Lamps flickered to life one after another, like streetlights igniting in sequence. The treasures they illuminated—each one unique—possessed a grandeur worthy of the name.
A few appeared worn or shabby, but the aura of mystery they exuded proved their worth.
[Take a look around.]
"Even if you say that..."
The real issue was how vast it all was. If the library boasted endless height, the vault mimicked it with boundless width.
[This place is under time magic, so there's no rush. We can't have rust setting in, now can we?]
True enough. Managing every treasure perfectly on his own would be impossible for Retos alone. Stopping time was far more efficient. The catch was needing someone who could wield time magic, but since the entrance itself handled spatial magic, it wasn't out of the question.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
Maness moved first, heading toward the shelves of books. He'd chosen the path of a mage, after all, so starting with ancient tomes was only polite. Not that he expected it, but there might be something extraordinary like word magic tucked away.
"Can we really take anything we want?"
[Anything up to what I allow.]
Boltman's excited voice and Retos trailing after him echoed through the vault. From Retos's perspective, sticking with that side probably offered more entertainment.
"It'd take forever to see everything."
In Kyle's case—no, Maness's—choices were limited, leaving little room for deliberation. The sword of a past hero, Bellator? He had no intention of wielding it, and snatching a treasure that deserved a proper master wasn't his style.
Let's start with this one.
He pulled out something so frayed it barely qualified as a book anymore. Items like this grew more valuable the older they looked.
Brimming with anticipation, Maness flipped open what passed for a cover—and froze in shock.
How to Steal a Woman's Heart, Number One.
He slammed it shut without reading further and shoved it back in place.
[Oh ho, you've got an eye for quality.]
Maness shot back curtly at the voice that had sneaked up on him.
"What the hell is this book? The cover's so worn the title's illegible."
[Disappointed? Regardless of the content, it holds deep history. It's the first book penned by Cantare, the bard who saved a war-torn continent on the brink of despair.]
By the sound of it, the historical value overflowed.
"...Sadly, it doesn't seem fated for me."
What he needed now wasn't history—it was practicality.
[There aren't many books here that would help you. The Magic Tower long ago borrowed anything with high magical value.]
"Hm... When was that?"
[Let's see.]
Retos crossed his arms, stroking his chin as if dredging up the memory.
[About fifty years ago, I suppose.]
Is that what you call 'borrowing'? Maness kept the thought to himself. Their senses of time clearly differed, making it pointless to argue.
"That's disappointing in its own way."
[Not really. Being out in the world means you can acquire it anytime.]
True. He could obtain it from the Magic Tower without all the hassle he'd endured so far. Of course, that came with its own ordeals.
After much deliberation, Maness sighed and scratched his head. Retos asked slyly,
[If you're struggling, how about a recommendation from this old-timer?]
"I'd be grateful if you did."
Maness didn't refuse the goodwill. Spending all day browsing wouldn't let him pierce the essence of the items anyway—he'd never find satisfaction that way. Better to rely on Retos, who knew the vault inside out.
[Then come this way.]
Retos led him to a display of equipment: swords, spears, armor, and so on. At the end hung a few staves.
[This one.]
He pointed to a long staff reaching Maness's nape. The natural wood from tip to base exuded antique elegance, while the iron fittings lent a refined touch. The central ornament resembled a crown of authority, and the curved tip evoked the primordial dragon of magic.
[What do you think?]
"...It's magnificent."
The craftsmanship was flawless, impeccably maintained as if fresh from the forge. It must have demanded daily, devoted care from its owner. Even if it had been delivered straight to the vault upon completion, it would have been believable.
[Crafted by master artisans from Mineral, the dwarven forge-city. It holds up against any modern staff.]
"Mm..."
As a tool, nothing beat a staff. Grimoires and elixirs varied in efficiency by user and required varying preparation times. Plenty of other items had diverse uses beyond magic, but what he needed was preparation for the future.
"Still, this..."
Yet Maness hadn't eyed a staff from the start for a reason—the very dilemma he faced now. For a Snowrobe freshman barred from outside items, it was too ostentatious.
"It's too flashy."
A newbie carrying such a luxurious staff screamed anomaly. Stashing it in his dorm like dead weight? Pointless if unused, and theft was a risk.
[No need to worry. I'm not so oblivious as to overlook that.]
Retos reached out, and the staff floated from its wall perch. Moments later, it blended seamlessly into its surroundings, vanishing.
[See?]
"Magic to conceal it?"
Not surprising. Hiding objects was child's play for a grand mage. He might learn it as an upperclassman, but by then, he'd have permission for outside items anyway.
[Not magic, and not hidden, either.]
The unexpected answer caught Maness off guard. How else to explain the supernatural vanishing before his eyes if not magic?
[The staff moved into its own subspatial pocket.]
Maness struggled to grasp it instantly. Subspace—a virtual realm detached from reality. The staff had relocated there of its own accord, apparently.
"Is that possible?"
[Remarkably, the smiths fulfilled one mage's eccentric request.]
Retos summoned the staff back and handed it to Maness. A light yet sturdy feel climbed his hand, evoking a sense of oneness.
[No mana needed, so it hides even where mana use is banned. Undetectable too. A charming, useful companion.]
Irrefutably true. High-level mages carried staves—the difference was night and day. Concealing it anywhere meant hiding his mage identity, offering advantages galore. Dodging anti-mage scrutiny was just one.
Paradigm-shifting.
[Like it?]
"Yes, definitely."
[It has other functions, but you'll discover them as you bond with it.]
Retos watched fondly as Maness twirled the staff, then murmured softly,
[If you become its master, you'll know inevitably.]
"Pardon?"
[Take your time deciding. Your friend seems like he'll be a while.]
Boltman had joined them, eyes gleaming over a suit of armor. Maness swallowed a retort—Why would you need that?—and let it slide. Browsing the vault was helpful enough.
Though I seem to be letting more slide lately. This desert trip had broadened his tolerance for the guy, but since he'd gotten what he wanted, fine by him.
"I'll take this one."
[Made up your mind?]
"Yes. Among what's immediately useful, this seems best."
[Indeed. Ancestral wisdom never errs.]
Retos approached Maness, who lightly tapped the ground with the staff after inspecting it thoroughly.
[Now, try levitating it with levitation magic.]
"Levitation magic?"
[The spell you used to control those pebbles.]
So that's what it was called. Maness was inwardly thrilled that the sensation from Metaph's private lessons counted as proper magic. It felt like free magic had dropped into his lap.
"Hoo..."
Maness closed his eyes, extended his arm, and steadied his breath. Slowly, he released his fingers from the staff one by one. Beads and small stones were similar in size and easier to handle, but levitating a staff demanded more effort.
"Mm."
Once all fingers were free, he cautiously stepped back. The staff floated purely in midair. Maintaining it drained his focus completely—he couldn't spare words.
[Impart the feeling of returning to its original place. Or that it never existed to begin with.]
Explanations of magic or the supernatural were always so vague. More nebulous than "what feeling"—it was about transmitting one. To an inanimate object, no less.
[If it's tough, commanding it to return might work too.]
Is that what you call a command? Maness nearly blurted it out but held back. Pranks at a crucial moment were irksome, but ignoring them would be rude. Especially when they enabled luxuries like this.
"Return."
Squeezing out the words with his remaining focus. Astonishingly, the staff vanished in sync.
[Oh, it worked.]
Maness shared the sentiment.
*
Leaving Boltman still browsing endlessly, Maness followed Retos once more. They arrived at the vault's deepest recess—a nook carved into the wall like a small chamber, holding a single box.
[Open it. A special gift for my exceptionally promising disciple.]
A small chest the size of a palm. Opening it carefully revealed a tiny egg nestled in soft fuzz.
"This egg..."
[It suits you, master of illusions.]
An unexpected windfall.
[The egg of a phantom beast, one you'd only see in dreams.]
A tremendous one, at that.