Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Yu Eun-ha
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Otherworldly grimoire.
She wasn't so stupid as to not understand what that meant.
Born from chaos not of Earth.
A crystallization of disgust, selectively choosing and birthing from inherently evil people using only pure malice as its ingredient. A calamity of the outer gods that induces mental derangement just by looking at it and spreads madness indiscriminately to its owner and those around without distinction.
“…….”
From the past to the present, grimoires of the outer gods had been discovered only twice.
Each called the [Mystic Apocalypse] and [Submersion of R'lyeh].
The owner of the Mystic Apocalypse was a certain monk and mage who participated in the Hundred Years' War. He was a very diligent man, but he fell into the knowledge of the outer gods, killed all his fellow companions, turned them into anomalies, and dominated them. He was eventually subjugated, but at the place where he died, the joyful laughter and madness of the outer god melted down, killing all life in the vicinity.
That was the first recorded observation of an outer god's grimoire. Through it, the Clock Tower and the world truly learned of the existence of outer gods, and those who analyzed it went mad one after another.
And the second.
The one who obtained the Submersion of R'lyeh was an ordinary mage of the Clock Tower. Unlike the first case, however, she did not abuse the grimoire after obtaining it but instead personally recorded all information related to it. Nearly all known information about outer god grimoires to this day was written by her.
She ultimately went mad and committed a massacre, but her records were of great help to the mages.
It wasn't because that person was a good soul. Rather, it was because she was a pure lump of evil who would do anything to pursue knowledge that she could do so.
Eun-ha had read the contents of her records before.
[The moment you open and read an outer god's grimoire, there is no turning back. You immediately become a plaything of the outer gods and move according to their will, and gradually incomprehensible murmurs, murderous intent, and curses rise in your mind. Resisting it is impossible. Therefore, it is right to subjugate any being that possesses an outer god's grimoire.]
The record ends like that. The timing when Eun-ha read it was right after obtaining Lemegeton, so she still remembered it vividly.
But…….
‘The aura doesn't feel like that of someone possessing an outer god's grimoire at all…… It's too ordinary.’
Eun-ha didn't know exactly what Lemegeton had sensed. But to her eyes, the mage's aura was utterly ordinary.
Ever since obtaining magic to distinguish good and evil through a contract with a demon, she used it whenever needed, and in those eyes, the man's appearance leaned more toward neutral or good than evil.
Not a perfect gentleman, but not a dangerous figure worth yelling 'run away' at either. Unless he was a pure embodiment of someone with a personality disorder incapable of feeling emotions, making distinctions of good and evil irrelevant—which showed no signs at all—there was no reason to antagonize or push him away.
“……Aren't you mistaken?”
In the end, after finishing her scan, Yu Eun-ha murmured in a small voice.
But Lemegeton's will was firm.
[No, it's certain. That madman has two otherworldly grimoires. He's no ordinary person. He must have committed mass murder or equivalent crimes. All who possess outer god grimoires do such things as naturally as breathing!]
“……Doesn't seem like it?”
[I'm telling you, it's true! He's emitting pheromones! That mage has the power to attract grimoires! That's why the outer gods are eyeing him too! Ugh, if I didn't have you as my owner, I might have been tempted as well……! What kind of poisoned chalice is this……!]
Leaving Lemegeton raving alone behind, Yu Eun-ha took in the sight of Ian approaching on his bike.
Just in case, she checked again with magic, but his reflection in her eyes was still perfectly ordinary.
Alien aura? None.
Strange luck? None either.
Aura of a good person? Absent, but no aura of a bad person either.
Just an ordinary human. That was all.
Perhaps, just perhaps, he could be close to a villain. She'd confirmed with magic, and verified before, but the infinitesimal possibility that he'd pierced through the odds to become a villain wasn't zero. Even so, it wasn't worth making a fuss over.
In the end, Eun-ha let out a deep sigh and lightly tapped Lemegeton in the inner pocket of her padding with her hand.
“I checked, and there's no particular problem. Not a perfect saint, but not a villain either. Doesn't seem like he committed the crimes Solomon mentioned.”
[Eun-ha! You have to believe me! You must respect me!]
“It's not that I don't believe Solomon. Outer god grimoire? He might have one. Could be dangerous. But I'm really just going to cast the spell quickly and leave, so it won't be a big risk. And…… even if something happens, I'm not a mage who falls that easily.”
[……Eun-ha.]
“You believe in me, right, Solomon?”
[…….]
Solomon didn't answer. That was the most certain affirmation.
“……Are you the Grandmother?”
Meanwhile, Ian, who had parked his motorcycle on the shoulder, spoke up. Grandmother removed the hand tapping Lemegeton and nodded.
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
“……Just to be sure, did you bury someone nearby? Your outfit…….”
Ian's gaze swept over Eun-ha's attire once.
Not a speck of skin visible. Gloves might be because it's cold, but covering her face completely was far from ordinary no matter how you looked at it. She looked like someone who could have just buried a body nearby and you'd believe it.
‘No way the gallery comments were actually true?’
The thought flashed, but feeling no hostility, he relaxed his eyes.
Still, to be ready to respond anytime, he fiddled with the Knowledge-Eating Paper in his pocket. No matter how great a mage, emptying their head clean would leave them helpless.
While Ian thought that, Grandmother, who had been silent for a moment, spoke.
“……I didn't bury anyone. And I don't like jokes like that.”
A voice much more delicate and feminine than expected.
As suspected, she was a woman.
Not particularly important, he nodded and promptly tapped the bike's body with his palm.
“The bike's right here. Can you cast the spell now? Or do you need some preparation?”
“I can do it right away. But first, let's make a pact.”
There was no chance to ask what pact. Grandmother suddenly summoned a red grimoire onto her palm and began chanting.
“O arbiter. Under the name of God, I offer this pact, swearing that my magic shall contain not a single inch of mischief or error.”
Saaah……!
As soon as she spoke, a red pentagram rose from her grimoire. The rotating pentagram floated slightly into the sky, and from within it, a long arm extended. The pale arm precisely placed its hand on Grandmother's head and murmured lowly.
[Accepted.]
With those words, the arm vanished. Ian inwardly exclaimed in admiration, narrowing his eyes slightly.
‘Summoned a demon? No, more like using a portion of a demon's power she's already contracted with.’
Summoning magic always requires a sacrifice or medium. Ian's summoning arts were relatively cheap, but not those from Lemegeton. Dealing with and utilizing demons required quite complex materials.
Animal carcasses aside, poisoned knives, skinned snakes, feline beast heads, and more bizarre, unique items. The worst demanded humans.
There was no way such summoning could be used like that. So, it was right to assume she was using the power of demons she'd contracted with long ago.
‘Can't recklessly fight without knowing how many demons she's contracted with.’
He didn't know much about Solomon's 72 demons, but he knew some were highly specialized in combat.
For example, Flauros could freely manipulate fire, while Vapula or Focalor could control the seas at will. Others could alter perceptions or force lust and love.
Unclear if she could handle them all at once, but no need to risk it in an uncertain situation.
Above all, surviving this long as the owner of that ‘Solomon's Little Key’ was proof of her skill. In a world where grimoire hunters roamed openly, her experience needed no explanation.
“The pact is safely enacted. This means there's virtually no chance I'll tamper with your bike. Rest assured.”
Grandmother said. She tucked Lemegeton back into her bosom and hesitantly approached the bike slowly. Ian naturally stepped aside.
He didn't doubt her pact. Magic on objects is hard to distinguish success or failure upon activation, but such an intuitive spell with a demon's arm blatantly emerging could be gauged by any skilled mage.
And to Ian's eyes, her magic had succeeded without a single error.
Confirmed, he smiled faintly and bowed his head slightly.
“You didn't have to go that far. Thanks.”
“No problem. I don't like pointless power struggles either. Better to earn trust at once.”
A statement only a seasoned powerhouse could make. Ian gave a wry smile as he watched her place her hand on the bike.
“By the way, you use honorifics. Every mage I've met so far spoke casually.”
“That's the norm, but I personally prefer this.”
“Isn't there a rumor that polite mages are either lunatics, crazies, or perverts?”
“……True, but I'm not.”
Grandmother slightly turned her head toward Ian.
“Still, be careful. Ignore any other mage using honorifics. It's safer that way.”
Amused by how she slyly excluded herself, Ian chuckled softly and nodded.
“Got it. Noted. Then, is it okay for me to use honorifics like you? You broke the unspoken rule first, so no issue, right?”
“Uh…… Do as you like. You seem more comfortable with honorifics anyway?”
“Was like that before becoming a mage. Adapted a bit now…… but still prefer it.”
Ian waved his hand against the wind carrying flecks of snow and continued.
“Then, I'll leave the magic to you. Grandmother.”
“……Yes.”
Grandmother replied and took out a pen.
She then engraved a magic circle directly onto the body of the bike he'd just bought.
Ziiing.
A pure white line streaked across the black bike.
“…….”
Ian's face twisted in dismay.