A Child's Dream of Knowledge
One of the first ideas that came to mind as a way to obtain books was to become wealthy.
Even in any era, if there was just enough money, almost impossible things could become possible. A mere book would be nothing more than a luxury item, and surely somewhere in the world there was at least one person who would give it to me.
So how exactly could I become rich? Fortunately, I already had some reference materials that would be helpful for this.
'In this era where technology hasn't properly begun, any one of my modern knowledge would turn into incredible money.'
For example, black powder was made from a very simple combination of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. In a world without paper, the existence of gunpowder would undoubtedly be a huge innovation that shook the very flow of the era.
Soap made by mixing animal fat with ash, or even something that could produce a watch or water mill, wouldn't be bad either.
But what worried me was that I was just a simple village farmer girl with no one backing me up.
The merchant who had told me about books said that in this world, one book was worth several cows. In terms of real money, it was a ridiculously expensive luxury item worth hundreds of millions of won.
That meant, to achieve my goal, I would have to earn money that stood out no matter what, good or bad. But could I really handle the risks of doing that?
Maybe bandits would come looking for the fortune I was building, or competitors might pull strings behind the scenes. Or perhaps, having touched something religiously taboo, I might end up being hunted as a witch.
Of course, I could already read letters and even do university-level calculations. I could join an existing trading house and climb the ranks, but even the nearest city was several days' ride away on horseback. That was out of the question.
“At least I have to go out to the city and settle somewhere…”
“What?! Liber! You're leaving the village?!”
“Ugh, Arthur. Keep your voice down. I was just saying something out loud.”
One of the neighborhood boys, Arthur, who had been hanging around me lately, shouted with a pale face at the careless mutter I let slip.
I had accidentally spoken a thought I was having, but he didn't look like he believed it. Annoying.
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to put off the plan of becoming rich and buying books until a good opportunity came. So then, what other plan was there? Ah, if I couldn't buy them, maybe I could just make them myself.
Just like I had investigated before, this world had no paper. If I wanted to write something down, I had to use animal skin or cloth, and if that wasn't possible, I dried out tree bark or clay plates and carved letters into them.
As a modern person, accepting the fact that there was no paper was difficult, but in my previous life, paper had been invented around the second century and even treated as valuable military strategy. It wasn't exactly strange.
In short, if I could make paper now, it would be an incredible achievement that would be recorded in history books. At best, it might become a specialty product of this village, and if paper spread around the world, the rarity of books would decrease.
'But I don't know traditional papermaking methods at all. The only thing I know about is modern factory-made paper…'
After thinking for a moment, I decided to give it a try anyway. There was nothing to lose, and doing nothing was worse than attempting something.
However, effort and passion alone wouldn't solve everything. First, I didn't even know what kind of tree was specialized for making paper, and I didn't know the exact manufacturing method or required processes.
Moreover, there was only Arthur and me for labor. Well, if that was the case, then so be it.
“Liber. What are you making?”
“...Well, I was thinking of making a wooden pencil.”
“Can't it be eaten?”
The result of nearly a year of effort was something that had once been wood. Huh, I hadn't wasted my effort hiding papermaking technology in ancient China after all. It was a big lesson.
It seemed like this method wouldn't work. I accepted defeat and gave up cleanly. This wasn't working. Then the next plan.
“Right. How about stealing? This world doesn't have forensics like science. If I hide in a house and quietly take what I want, no one will know.”
Perhaps my patience had run out after watching my desire for books rise day after day. The idea that casually came to mind was quite radical.
I would sneak into the house of someone who probably had books, steal only the books, and leave without anyone noticing. It was a crazy plan that had no morality at all, but I wanted the books that badly.
Then, to realize this, I would need outstanding physical ability. As soon as I set the goal, I started strict training from that very day.
I ran along dangerous mountain trails to build endurance. I lifted heavy rocks to increase strength. I caught fish with my bare hands in the river to train reaction speed. I fought wild beasts that jumped out of the mountains and practiced actual combat.
However, it seemed my body was just that of an ordinary, untalented girl. No matter how hard I trained for nearly a year, I still couldn't beat Arthur, the trained neighborhood boy next door. My record was three hundred losses with zero wins. Honestly, I was frustrated.
“...I guess I just don't have the talent to move my body.”
“Hey, don't worry! I'll fight! Liber, I'll definitely protect you!”
“...Huh? Thanks.”
Arthur, who had suddenly grown taller than me during training and overtaken my height, comforted me. But sadly, it didn't help. Then, would you steal books from rich people for me? Just kidding.
Since even a neighborhood kid from the countryside couldn't beat me, stealing books was out of the question. After the mock duel ended with me ragged, I quietly gave up on becoming a book thief.
“Reading even one book is so hard…”
So I was already ten years old. For nearly two years I had worked hard on various things, but without any proper harvest, my desire for books only grew stronger with each passing day.
This wasn't working. That wasn't working. Then I guess I had to give up on books here. But I didn't want to. Lying in the grass with sweat soaking my clothes, I stared at the sky and thought blankly.
'Then... like the merchant uncle said, I have to enter the eyes of a rich person and marry them?'
That wasn't something I particularly wanted. If possible, I wanted to live without marrying at all and die alone in old age. Having children or getting married? There was no way that was good. In a world without medical technology, I might die giving birth.
But since I was born in this village, if I wanted to live, I would eventually have to marry someone. I couldn't stay glued to my parents' house like a parasite forever.
Since I would get married anyway, wouldn't it be better to choose someone who could read books? If I was rich enough, I could even hire a doctor.
So the important thing was whether he would find such a transaction worth it. I thought I was a good-looking girl, but how would others see me? Suddenly an idea came to mind, and I called over the wandering neighborhood boy.
“Arthur, what do you think of my face?”
“Eh, how do I think...?”
“In my opinion, it's not bad at all. Good bone structure. I wash it carefully every day so it doesn't smell, and my skin is smooth and white without blemishes or freckles. Doesn't that make a good impression as a wife?”
“A-as a wife...?! Kk, you're not cute at all!”
“Hmm, really? Arthur has high standards.”
Arthur was an attractive boy with wavy golden hair, unlike a typical country kid. But if he had such high standards, could he even get married properly? He would figure it out himself.
Still, I was worried that I wasn't getting a good answer right away. Since I couldn't even pass a country kid's test, it would be difficult to marry into a noble family.
Since I was doing this, I would become the most beautiful girl in the world. For that reason, from the very next day, I started taking care of my face and body.
I made an umbrella to block the hot sun and protect my skin. I cooked meals with proper balanced nutrition. I did full-body exercise so no fat would stick to me.
Moreover, I carefully applied the strange oil I made while making paper to my long hair that reached my waist, so it wouldn't split. When I gave the oil to the village women who were interested, they loved it. Maybe I could sell this.
However, as a side effect, the approach of Arthur's group, who called themselves my future husband, became noticeable. I wasn't a celebrity from a country village or anything. Still, thanks to my increased physical stamina, I managed to run away from their offense somehow.
One day, I escaped to the quiet lakeside that only Arthur and I knew, away from the annoying people who acted like usual. While reading the wooden bark book I had made for comfort and satisfying my desire, someone spoke to me.
“Hey, you little girl who looks ridiculously cute for a country village!”
“Eh? Me?”
“Amazing! At your age, this kind of magical power is the best among all the gems I've seen in my lifetime! Little one, what's your name?”
“Liber.”
The woman who had spoken to me had a mysterious aura. She had green hair tied in a single braid and hung in front, a beautiful girl with the so-called long-life hair. A tear mole near her attractive eyes drew the eyes.
Her clothes were also eye-catching. Everyone in this village wore clothes made by sewing crude cloth together. She wore a tailored black outfit that gave a luxurious feel. Even the expensive-looking buttons were attached.
It was definitely her. The most beautiful and richest woman I had ever met in this life. Staring at her in awe with her overwhelming presence, she smiled brightly and introduced herself.
“I'm Hesti. People who know me call me the Green Witch. Little one, would you like to become my disciple?”
“A witch?”
“Ah, you haven't seen a witch before? Well... I'm the kind of person who can do things like that.”
Clap!
Hesti lightly snapped her fingers with an extremely confident posture.
Then the grass on the ground instantly grew, and a flower bloomed right in front of my face. It was a phenomenon that made reality fly away. My breathing stopped in surprise.
“This is magic?”
“Ufufu, surprised? I'm the witch who handles plants. Even now that spring has passed, I can still bloom flowers!”
“This is a real flower.”
I reached out to the flower that gave off a sweet scent. Then I felt the smooth, moist texture unique to flowers at my fingertips. When I pressed lightly, the petals wrinkled without resistance. It was definitely a living flower.
It was quite surprising, but soon I recovered my composure. I already had experience from my previous life. Magic wasn't strange. Somewhere in my head, I calmly accepted reality.
Instead, Hesti looked flustered. Had she expected me to react more strongly? Slightly uneasy, Hesti cleared her throat and put on a relaxed smile again.
“Don't you want to learn magic?”
“Well, if we're talking about whether I want to or not... I do want to learn. But is it okay for me?”
“Of course! Just by looking at it, the overflowing magical power feels like it's overflowing! You're definitely a witch who was born to be one! So become my disciple! You'll be able to live a life beyond anything you've experienced so far!”
“Well, then just a little...”
“No, Liber! If you listen to this suspicious person's words!”
It was a sudden opportunity, but I wanted to learn magic once. Defeated by curiosity, I was about to grab Hesti's hand without thinking. Suddenly, Arthur appeared from somewhere and jumped in.
And at that moment, I snapped back to my senses like I had been woken up from a nap. The strange sensation. Hesti had a regretful expression on her face at my appearance.
Wait, had I been hypnotized? Thinking about it, the scent that had leaked from the flower was too sweet. Sure enough, magic could do that.
While I was amazed by the power of magic, Arthur rushed over and blocked Hesti in front of me, his arms spread wide. He looked like a golden retriever with his wavy golden hair.
“S-suspicious person. Pretty onee-san? Oho ho...”
“Onee-san? How old are you!”
“Uhn, I stopped counting after around sixty...”
“Granny!”
“Hic! S-such rude words...”
Waaah. Hesti clutched her chest at Arthur's explosion of words. Was she attacking because he said rude things? I glanced over Arthur's shoulder, but there was no sign of that.
Attacking someone's age was the most fatal blow to a woman. Her reaction was like that, but wasn't the suspicious person, but not the dangerous one?
Leaning on Arthur's shoulder as a shield, I leaned my head to the side and asked one thing.
“Does becoming Hesti's disciple mean learning magic and becoming a witch?”
“Liber, no! If you talk to this person like that!”
“Arthur. Don't interrupt. I have a question.”
I pinched Arthur's back. Then he slumped his shoulders like the grass, and Hesti's eyes sparkled as if she had seized the opportunity.
“That's right! You can become a great being that surpasses ordinary humans!”
“I have to leave the village too?”
“Well, probably. Even if I look like this, I'm a famous person, so I can't stay in this village forever.”
“When exactly do I have to decide?”
“It would be good if I could hear your answer by today...”
“Wait. Liber... are you really going to leave?”
It was only a moment of thinking. I calmed Arthur with the eyes of a rejected puppy. His expression was one that would cry if I didn't answer.
Normally I would refuse, but strangely, this proposal made me think. I had just learned that magic existed in this world. I didn't know how valuable it was to become a witch.
If this was the only once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn my life around, I would regret it for the rest of my life, pounding the ground.
But on the other hand, I wondered if I could trust Hesti at all. She looked kind on the surface, but she might be a ridiculous villain.
There was no guarantee she wouldn't use me as a sacrifice for human offerings. In short, I had to think carefully and make a decision...
“Then it's fine. I can't leave my parents either. And Arthur is here.”
“Liber...!”
Arthur turned around with an emotional expression. Had it been that emotional that I wanted to stay in the village instead of following Hesti? If he knew I was just using it as an excuse to reject him, he would be sad.
Actually, I had gotten curious about magic, but thinking about it, I didn't want to spend time learning magic.
Ultimately, books were my top priority. Besides, I wasn't naive enough to trust a person who had hypnotized me on the spot just by meeting.
Perhaps he hadn't imagined I would reject the proposal. Hesti, who had frozen like a stone for a moment, flailed her arms in the air in a hurry to persuade me.
“B-but becoming a witch has so many great things! First, you can become a super famous person...”
“I've never heard of witches before. Are they really famous?”
“Eh, um... magic! Yeah, if you use magic, you can scold scary adults!”
“Everyone is kind to me.”
“Like you, you can live a healthy long life?”
“That might be... okay.”
“Don't believe it! Even if she looks healthy on the outside, the inside might be a completely old granny!”
“Hiiie...”
Hesti seemed to realize that my calm answer wouldn't change her mind easily. She looked at me with eyes full of regret and sighed. She had really wanted me to become her disciple.
“If you really don't want to, there's no helping it. Haah, I thought I'd found a good talent for once... but I'll have to get scolded by my master for finding another disciple again...”
I could have used magic to drag her by force. Could she not take me without my consent? I had used something like hypnosis, but she didn't seem like a fundamentally bad person. Her age was a bit old, though.
Realizing the situation had ended, I came out from behind Arthur, who I had been using as a shield. Then suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. What if I became a magic user? What would happen?
“Um, can I ask one more thing?”
“Huh? Ask anything!”
“Um, how exactly do you learn magic?”
“Uhn, usually... books? There's a magic introductory book, so first you have to read it all until you memorize it...”
“I'll do it! Please make me your disciple!”
“Liber?!”
“Uheh?”
I should have said that earlier. I almost missed this valuable opportunity. A magic introductory book? Just the name sounded interesting. It gave me extra points from the fact that it was a book I could never see in my previous life.
Hesti looked flustered at my sudden flip of words, but perhaps she was happy that I had become her disciple. She grabbed my shoulders and jumped up and down on the spot. She had an energetic spirit unlike a granny.
It was a little sad to leave Arthur alone in the village, but if I could read books, I could even sell my soul to the devil. The offer was one I couldn't refuse.