Book Eater

Chapter 4: The Greedy Grimoire (4)

Theo gulped unknowingly. It was because the sound of Gluttony calling him, seemingly from the depths of an abyss, had caused him to stiffen. He tried to relax and say something, but his lips wouldn’t open. Fortunately, the voice was there to remind him.

[The greedy grimoire, Gluttony, has filled its hunger. Gluttony’s intelligence has been restored temporarily. It is willing to repay the owner who filled its stomach.]

[Gluttony’s current state is incomplete. Please provide it plenty of food in the future to restore its performance. Gluttony will fall into a deep sleep except when asking for food. It will answer one question immediately after it feels full. The wisdom of the old grimoire, Gluttony, is truly vast.]

[Please ask your question before Gluttony goes to sleep.]

The explanation was verbose, but the conclusion was simple.

One question and answer… It meant he would receive one answer to one question. According to the strange voice, Gluttony was a very ancient grimoire. It must have spent years swallowing books, so the knowledge it had would be enormous. Even if it had only eaten one book a day, that would be over three hundred books in a year. If all the books were related to magic, then the value truly couldn’t be measured.

For magicians who sought endless wisdom, the value of this conversation might be greater than the heart of a dragon.

What question should I ask?

He didn’t have much time to consider. This little guy only opened its eyes for a moment because it was hungry, but it would soon fall into a deep sleep. Theo didn’t know how long it would take, but he knew it wouldn’t be long. What should be asked and what answers would be sought? Theo looked within himself.

I have to ask something that will help me now.

The knowledge of ancient magic was meaningless to Theo, who had just become a 2nd Circle master. After all, knowing the location of a hidden treasure didn’t mean one could obtain it. There was an old tale which told how being overly greedy would invite disaster. Theo wasn’t going to be an idiot like them. If so, he already knew what he wanted to ask.

“I will ask a question.”

- What, I wonder??Gluttony responded briefly.

The voice was still creepy, but Theo was getting used to it. Although he couldn’t stop the chill running down his spine, he managed to open his mouth.

“Gluttony, I want to ask for information about you. Let me know what type of grimoire you are.”

There was silence for a moment. Was it an unexpected question? Theo didn’t know. He just felt that the voice became clearer.

- Alright.?Gluttony acknowledged Theo’s question and continued.

- Understand me, your insight, narrow, poor. Words… can’t… convey.

Theo frowned. The grimoire couldn’t convey it in language? It was the same as saying it couldn’t answer the question, and the reason was because Theo’s insight was narrow and poor. Theo had never fallen behind when it came to his brain, yet he couldn’t reach the ancient grimoire’s standards.

- My, information, visualize. Human, master, like, method.

“Visualize?”

- This, the feeling.

Odd characters flowed from the palm of his left hand to Theo’s head. There were numbers, letters, and concepts from different languages. He felt dizzy and understood why Gluttony couldn’t communicate it through language. It was a huge behemoth which defied common sense.

This grimoire...!

A grimoire wasn’t a book nor a magic spell. It was the fragment of an existence that mocked the world. The best magicians living today wouldn’t be able to create it. Even Theo, who had accepted the information about Gluttony, could barely explain it.

[Grimoire “Gluttony”/ F Rank]

*Effects: elemental affinity increases by 1; mana sensitivity +10; calibration and creation of magic circles; ‘Lightning Bolt’ acquired; and increased proficiency in ‘Shield’.

* Incomplete state. Most of the functions are sealed.

* Once a day, it will wake up to relieve its hunger.

* Immediately after relieving its hunger, it will answer one question.

* The abilities it feeds on will be given to its owner.

* Extracts essence from eaten books or items. The higher the owner’s understanding, the greater the efficiency.]

Indeed, it was an easy to digest description. Perhaps it had been frequently used by humans before entering Theo’s hands. Otherwise, it would be difficult to summarize the information into such clear words. As Theo went over the information in his head several times, Gluttony yawned.

- Hrmm… then, I answered...

Gluttony’s voice drifted off at the end as the tongue and hole disappeared.

Theo looked down at his left hand with a blank expression. There were no traces left of the five books it had swallowed. The knowledge remained in his head, and the unfamiliar magic power proved that this was real.

“Ha, hahaha...” A dry laugh emerged from somewhere. He didn’t realize it was coming from his own mouth until his dry lips touched each other. This was the same library where he fled from the unforgiving world that despised him. How could he have known he would find something amazing here?

I can graduate. Graduating is no longer an issue There’s so much more potential here!

Theo had a good head, but was a dunce at magic. He absorbed knowledge like water into a bottomless pit. Theo understood that it meant nothing, but he hadn’t given up. No one else had noticed his talent except for Professor Vince. Even Professor Vince’s efforts had done nothing but add to the pile of leaves. Yet, a bud had now sprouted from those dead leaves...

[The higher the owner’s understanding, the greater the efficiency.]

The meaning of this brief sentence was something the current Theo couldn’t even guess. This wasn’t just memorizing books or formulas. This was the wisdom that had accumulated from the painstaking hours of handwritten notes.

The Grimoire itself had selected its owner. It wasn’t a coincidence that Theodore, who craved knowledge more than anyone else, had been the one to find it.

Ding!

A heavy bell broke the silence. Theo looked reflexively at the clock in a corner of the library. The clock hands were pointing straight up. It was time for the dormitory to be locked. He had discovered Gluttony around ten o’clock, so quite some time had passed.

I can’t sleep in my bed... but well, I feel good.

His magic power was boiling up from excitement. Right now, Theo was confident he could succeed in any 2nd Circle magic. His sensitivity had only increased slightly, but this feeling of satisfaction was frightening.

Theo looked at Gluttony’s information once again. There was a brief mention of the change in his sensitivity.

Mana sensitivity +10.

It wasn’t a big number because it said there was only a slight increase.

Still, what if this +10 increased to +20, +30 or +100? It might take time, maybe even a few decades... but he could fulfill it.

“... Okay, I will read more books.”

Theo wanted to use magic, but the library wasn’t a place to use it. If he accidentally set fire to something, he didn’t know what punishment he would receive from the professors. He would have to carefully choose books for Gluttony in advance, and that would be more useful than napping in his seat.

His steps had a newfound bounce as he moved through the library. The books which had been like a pie in the sky now seemed like treasure chests placed right in front of him. The repeater letter in the outer pocket of his coat was already long forgotten. Now that his long-awaited dream was right before him, Theo had no time to think about dropping out of school.

The greedy grimoire, Gluttony...

This was its first meeting with Theodore Miller.