Chapter 61
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 061
Chapter Title: Grimoires and the Wind Mage (1)
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A voice I'd heard before.
The apricot-colored cover looked exactly the same as last time.
The grimoire buried under the mountain ash tree.
It was definitely that one.
I knew grimoires could share the same name, but confirming it firsthand was still fascinating.
"Nice to see you again! We meet once more?"
"Dead skin cells are the enemy of your complexion! So to keep your skin beautiful, bathing is essential. Let's take a bath!"
The Beauty Grimoire's request was different from before.
Last time, it had begged to be pulled out of the dirt.
Now, it wanted a bath.
'This one's a breeze.'
With that thought, I turned my gaze to the other grimoires.
I planned to hear out all six before fulfilling their requests step by step.
'What'll the clean freak grimoire want?'
The grimoire with the pure white cover.
Not a speck of dust on it—it really stood out.
What request would this one make?
Curious, I listened to its voice.
"Filth is a sin. Visible grime and dirt don't just soil the body—they cling to your soul as well. Wash it away. This is a holy act of purifying both body and spirit."
The Pristine Grimoire's demand was straightforward.
Wash up.
The same as the Beauty Grimoire.
One bath to unlock two books? Nice.
'Not a bad start.'
Things were off to a good beginning.
Beauty Grimoire and Pristine Grimoire.
Neither request was tough.
'On to the next.'
The third one I picked was the Anvil Grimoire.
Its name alone hinted at metalworking magic.
Plus, the cover's color and texture resembled steel, bolstering my guess.
"Destroy a weapon with your bare hands. And awaken to the truth: there is no unbreakable weapon in this world."
This didn't seem too hard either.
I could just grab a beat-up weapon from my battlefield spoils and smash it.
'Good. Next!'
Smooth sailing.
A little hum escaped my lips as I reached for the Earth Turtle Grimoire.
True to its name, the cover mimicked a turtle's shell—hard and bumpy.
Feeling the texture through my palm, I listened to its voice.
"Human skin is soft. That's why it's vulnerable to outside attacks. Protect it with earth. Cover your whole body in mud to boost your defense."
In other words, slather my whole body in mud?
Regular dirt might not stick well and just slide off.
With that in mind, I moved on.
Four requests down, and two more to go.
What a happy problem to have.
'Flying Squirrel... what'll you ask for?'
The fifth was the Flying Squirrel Grimoire.
Like most grimoires, its cover was distinctive—scored with lines like sword slashes.
"Wind is special! Not just anyone can wield it! Want to learn how to control the wind? Then hover in midair for five seconds or more. Leap off a cliff, ride a whirlwind—use any method you like!"
Stay airborne for over five seconds.
A bit tricky.
Nothing I could do right now.
So I tabled it for later.
I'd figure out a way eventually—or trade with another mage.
With that, I checked the final grimoire.
'Already the last one? Too bad.'
Green Thumb Grimoire.
Green cover, as expected.
"Seeds may seem insignificant, but they hold all the world's secrets. Plant one first. Then wait. Magic will sprout from that patience."
Plant a seed.
Easy enough.
Grab any plant seed and stick it in the ground.
'Alright, let's tally this up.'
Six grimoires, six requests.
Five were straightforward, excluding the Flying Squirrel Grimoire.
Three could be done immediately, skipping Anvil and Green Thumb.
'Mud first it is.'
Anvil needed a weapon; Green Thumb, a seed.
Prep required.
Earth Turtle too, but dirt was everywhere.
Even in the house, easy to scrape up.
'Cover myself in mud for Earth Turtle, then bathe.'
That unlocked three books.
Worth the hassle.
"Gilbert, mind fetching some water from the well?"
Before tackling Earth Turtle, I ordered Gilbert to get water—for the bath.
Once he was out, I gathered dirt around me and mixed mana-infused mud.
Mud stuck better than dry dirt.
And the floor stuff felt iffy anyway.
"Sir Bear, Sir Conal—patrol outside. Make sure no suspicious folks approach."
With enough mud ready, I commanded them.
Really just an excuse to shoo them away. The true reason?
'Gotta protect my dignity.'
How would they feel seeing their lord slathered in mud?
Weirded out, probably.
Sure, Bear and Conal were loyal; this wouldn't shake them.
But my mood? Who'd answer for that?
To avoid embarrassment, out they went.
"Shouldn't one of us stay here, though?"
Conal asked, concerned.
But I was fine.
"Nah. I'm learning new magic now—better alone to focus."
Conal nodded and fell silent.
Then both knights headed out.
And I... stripped down and started slathering mana mud on my body.
'This is what a mage looks like?'
As I coated myself, I got why folks saw mages as eccentric.
If someone saw me now? They'd think I was nuts.
That prejudice—"mages are crazy"—would make everything I do look odd.
Leading straight to "eccentric."
Earth Turtle Grimoire
Hardened Hide (Earth Magic)
Unlike my unease, the Earth Turtle Grimoire sounded thrilled.
Fine, if you're happy, I'm happy.
I'd worried plain mud wouldn't count, but it seemed lenient.
Good to know.
"Doesn't washing off with mud count as a bath?"
Hoping against hope, I eyed Beauty and Pristine.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"I hear a dog barking. Speak like a human if you want to be treated like one."
Yeah, figured as much.
Even if it worked, I'd still need to wash off later.
No real gain beyond learning magic sooner.
Shaking off disappointment, I focused on covering myself.
'Last bit.'
Moments later, everything but my face was caked in mud.
I scooped handfuls and smeared it on.
Waited a moment...
Flip!
Pages turned with a rustle, and the Earth Turtle Grimoire spoke.
"Now, the earth will protect your body."
Hardened Hide—an Earth Mage spell coating skin in protective dirt.
'Solid.'
Couldn't test durability yet, but earth didn't seem flimsy.
A fine defensive magic.
And handy elsewhere too.
'Might help with Firebug Grimoire's request.'
Firebug demanded jumping into flames.
Impossible before, but now... hope.
Hardened Hide alone wasn't enough, but it opened doors.
Plus...
'One more spell from this book. Could be the key.'
I wiped mud from my face; pages stopped at halfway.
Two spells per book.
Expectant, I focused on its voice.
What next?
"Even hardened skin falls short of a true shell. I can't give you a real one, but I can teach you to mimic it."
"First, though! Let's test your reflexes. When danger strikes, can you retreat into your shell fast enough? That's what I want to see. So when an enemy ambushes you, block it with Hardened Hide."
Block an ambush with Hardened Hide.
Seemed doable... but tricky.
The ambush condition was the hitch.
An unexpected strike.
React on the fly.
'Can't knock this out now.'
Have one of the big three knights ambush me and block?
No—Earth Turtle specified "enemy ambush."
Needed a real foe.
'Bath time, then.'
I washed off the mud.
Eyed the wooden tub nearby.
Big enough for a person, brimming with water.
Gilbert had filled it from the well while I muddied up.
'Brr, cold.'
Slipping in, leftover mud clouded the water.
Chill seeped through me.
Lucky the weather was mild.
Splash!
As I soaked, Gilbert returned, pouring fresh water into another tub—for rinsing.
'That'll do.'
About ten minutes later, bath done.
I checked the two grimoires.
Beauty and Pristine flipped open almost together.
Beauty Grimoire: "Looking clean and radiant!"
Pristine Grimoire: "Body and soul cleansed. Well done."
Praise from both.
Then, info on the two new spells flooded my mind.