Book Eater

Chapter 7: What Does This Book Taste Like? (3)

Dagadak, dagadak, dagadak.

As Theo’s consciousness returned, the scenery around him was moving at a frightening pace. No, it was more correct to say that he was moving through it. Theo, who still didn’t understand the situation, turned his head as someone’s shouts reached his ears.

“General! The enemy forces have appeared before us!”

General? The enemy forces had appeared before them...?

That was a sentence that only made sense on the battlefield. Theo tried to make a bewildered expression, but his vision moved independently of his will. Then he looked at the face of the knight running next to him.

Theo realized his lips were moving on their own.

“Hrmm, it is a little faster than I expected.” It was the deep and solemn voice of a man.

His fingertips touched his chin and felt a rough texture. Theo wasn’t twenty years old yet, so the beard on the chin definitely wasn’t his.

If so, there was only one possibility.

My voice… No, this isn’t my body?

Maybe this was the right answer. Theo thought confidently. This had happened right after he’d consumed Alfred Bellontes’ [Ballistics Magic]. So, Theo could guess that this phenomenon was related to the description which had said he could absorb some of Alfred’s experience.

He didn’t know what synchro meant, but if it was absorbing Alfred’s experience—

“Prince! I will stand in the lead! The general infantry can’t possibly defeat the charge of our knights. I, Vince, will protect Prince with this sword at all costs!”

It was a cry that sounded like roaring flames. The passion in that voice was incredible as the person moved in front of him. This man seemed to be the leader of the group of knights. Furthermore, his blazing eyes proved what he’d said weren’t just words.

However, the prince, Alfred, didn’t accept Vince’s comment.

“No, I will stand in the lead! You must follow behind me!” The one with the most noble body declared that he would stand in the most dangerous position.

Despite seeing the enemy coming close, Alfred Bellontes didn’t slow down his horse. Alfred shrugged off Vince’s hand and rushed forward.

The two armies soon crashed into each other.

Kukwakwakwang!

There was a huge roar as the warhorses collided with the massed infantry. The reason a cavalry charge was the bane of infantry was evident as hooves trampled through the lines. The enemy’s formation collapsed from the surprise, and the Bellontes troops were temporarily dominant as they pushed the enemy forces back.

Alfred roared wildly from the vanguard.

“Bellontes’ prince, Alfred, is here! Come forward if you want to claim my head for yourself!”

It was an obvious provocation. As the prince and war hero of Bellontes, Alfred’s head really was worth several thousand gold. If they killed him, then this long war might end. A knight moved through the confused soldiers in response to his provocation.

“I am Richard, the eldest son of Earl Jason!”

Every time his sword flashed, several soldiers were knocked down. It wasn’t uncommon to cut through humans like they were straw. Any knight should have at least this much skill. A mere magician would have their heads cut off.

Richard smiled as he moved closer to Alfred. Theo became frightened as he faced the murderous intent in front of him.

It’s too dangerous! At this distance, there is no way to survive unless I am a 6th Circle magician!

In any era, a magician’s enemy was a knight. As a weapons master who dominated close combat, a skilled knight could cut off a magician’s head before they could complete a spell. Therefore, magicians always hired escorts. However, there was no one near Alfred right now. It was a great opportunity for Richard Jason, who was famous for his agility.

As Richard quickly took care of thirty soldiers in front of him, he shouted righteously, “Bellontes’ hero! I salute your bravery to confront me with the body of a magician! But...”

‘But it ends here!’ was probably what he was trying to say. However, a gruesome ball of pressure passed through him.

Paang!

“... Then I will pay homage to your stupidity,” Alfred scoffed as he lowered his finger.

One beat later, the body fell to the ground. The brave knight, Richard Jason, who had been rushing toward Alfred just a moment ago, had suddenly died as a hole was drilled into the middle of his brain. It was impossible for any human to survive that, even if they had the regenerative ability of an ogre.

Meanwhile, Theo was astonished by the incredible situation.

That’s Magic Missile? No way!

It had been a blue flash. If Theo hadn’t been inside Alfred’s body, then he wouldn’t have grasped the moment when the spell had activated. Although it was 1st Circle spell , the chant had been omitted and the output of Magic Missile had been far beyond common sense. It was likely that even the 5th Circle spell, Force Bolt, was weaker.

Paang!

Light emitted from Alfred’s finger once again.

“Kuaack!”

At almost the same moment, somebody else’s breath was cut off. Every time Alfred’s fingertip flashed, a soldier crumpled. It was the same for magicians who used defense magic or knights covered in body armor.

The speed of the Magic Missile didn’t let anyone escape, as it seemingly ignored defenses and wreaked havoc on the battlefield.

After a few hundred Magic Missiles were shot...

... Indeed, Alfred’s Magic Missiles are fired in this way. Even if the same formula is used, it is bound to fail.

Surprisingly, Theo had succeeded in digging out the principles of the powerful Magic Missile. Scholars had been studying [Ballistics Magic] for thirty years without being able to replicate Alfred Bellontes’ feat.

It wasn't because Theodore Miller’s talent was superior. The answer came from Synchro, which allowed him to share Alfred Bellontes’ senses.

The spell is completely within his body.

Usually, a spell was a technique to handle mana outside the body. Sensitivity was the concept which referred to the efficiency of controlling magic power. However, Alfred improved Magic Missile in a way which was completely contrary to that concept. He completed the spell inside his body and shot it out of his body. It wasn’t an easy method. The human body wasn’t built to hold magic spells. Alfred had to give up other spells in order to learn this Magic Missile.

He had undergone special training to convert his bones, flesh, and blood into the magic circle specific to Magic Missile. As a result, he was able to produce the most powerful Magic Missile.

Could he be considered a magician if he only shoots Magic Missile?

What made Alfred think of this technique? He had given up the freedom of being a magician and just concentrated on killing people with Magic Missile. Theo couldn’t help sympathizing with Alfred. He attributed it to the shadow on Alfred’s face as he calmly shot a human being.

The last enemy soldier was soon brought in front of Alfred.

“Kuk, release me! Let me go! I am Marquis Belford Astro. My status isn’t something to be trifled with!”

He wore a burgundy cloak over splendid plate armor. The flashy clothes and the intricacy of the embroidered pattern showed that he wasn’t an ordinary soldier, but a high-ranking noble.

The soldiers roughly forced him to kneel in front of Alfred.

Alfred gazed down at the man with cold eyes and said, "Marquis Astro is worse than a dog.”

Alfred’s voice was merciless, “Didn’t you plunder the houses near the border and sell the women as slaves? I have no intention of letting you live as a captive of war.”

“Now, wait a minute, Prince Alfred!”

“I don’t have a hobby of listening to dogs.”

Alfred raised a finger, condemning the man in front of him to death. This man wasn’t even worthy of captivity. His flesh changed to a blue flash.

Paang!

The body hit the ground with a thud, as a hole was bored through its skull.

“... Dispose of the body,” Alfred said as he turned away.

Usually, it was polite to take the body and send it back to the enemy kingdom. However, this was a man who had burned down villages and turned husbands into widowers. Alfred saw no need to preserve his body. The ugly mass of flesh called Belford soon disappeared without a trace.

At this point, Theo left Alfred’s body.

Ah, it ends here.

The experience was truly impressive.

Theo looked down at the ground which was becoming more distant. It was a battlefield filled with blood, and death. Theo saw knights polishing armor, nauseous magicians, and soldiers calling for medics… Then finally, he saw Alfred Bellontes.

At that moment, Alfred also looked up at him.

“W-What?’

Theo was confused as he saw Alfred’s lips moving.

- Young magician who craves my strength.

Alfred wasn’t talking to himself. It was advice from Alfred Bellontes to Theodore Miller. This was a gift from the man who had given up freedom for strength and had lived as a war hero instead of a magician.

- Don’t give up your path as a magician.

Finally, the connection with Alfred was cut off.

[The synchro with Alfred Bellontes has ended.]

[The synchro rate is 85.7%, the experience has been maintained.]

[1st Circle spell Magic Missile has sublimated into Alfred-style Magic Missile. Alfred Bellontes’ experience has turned into proficiency for that spell.]

[Gluttony is satisfied with the food that it has consumed. Ask a question or feed it one more book.]

***

In the eastern part of Meltor Kingdom, Bergen Academy’s library...

The fallen Theodore regained consciousness.