The Book Eating Magician 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 loosened up his rigid neck .
Theo had to 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 description from the strange voice, Gluttony was a very ancient grimoire . It must of 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 300 books in a year . If all the books were related to magic, then the value truly couldn’t be measured .
For magicians seeking 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 worry about it . This little guy only opened its eyes for a moment because it was hungry, but it would soon fall into a deep sleep again . 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 . ’
To Theo, who had just become a 2nd Circle master, the knowledge of ancient magic was meaningless . Questions about hidden treasures and the ability to find them were separate things .
There was an old tale which told how being overly greedy would invite disaster . Theo wasn’t going to be an idiot like those people . If so, the questions he could ask now were fixed .
“I will ask a question . ”
Gluttony responded briefly,
-What, I wonder?
The voice was still creepy, but he could withstand it better the second time compared to the first . Theo still couldn’t stop the creepy feeling from running down his spine, but he managed to open his mouth somehow .
“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 .
-Okay .
It agreed to answer his question .
-However, to understand me, your insight… narrow, poor . Language, convey, can’t .
Theo frowned at the words . 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 .
However, Gluttony’s words didn’t stop there .
–I, visualize, information . Human, owner, show, like it .
“Visualize?”
–This, it is the feeling .
It said to him .
As soon as the dialogue was over, odd characters flowed from the palm of his left hand to Theo’s head . There were numbers, letters, and language concepts . He felt dizzy and understood why Gluttony couldn’t communicate it through language . It was a huge behemoth which defied common sense .
‘This—grimoire…!’
Grimoire…
It wasn’t a book nor a magic spell . This was the fragment of an existence which mocked the world . The best magicians living today wouldn’t be able to produce it . Even Theo, who had accepted the information about Gluttony, could barely explain it .
Yes, Theo only saw a vague form .
[Grimoire “Gluttony”/ F Rank]
[Effects: elemental affinity increases by 1p; magic 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 feed on will be given to its owner .
* Extracts an essence from eaten books or items . The higher the owner’s understanding, the greater the efficiency . ]
Indeed, it was an easy-to-understand 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 until it could no longer be heard . 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 where until his dry lips touched . Theodore Miller… The sound was coming from his own mouth .
This was the same library, a place to where he fled from the helpless reality which despised him . How could he have known he would find something amazing here?
‘I can graduate . No, graduating isn’t a problem now . There will be more chances!’
Theo had a good head, but was a dunce at magic . He absorbed knowledge like he was pouring 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 was like a 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 . Every time notes filled with his handwriting piled up, wisdom began increasing in his brain .
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 already time for the dormitory to be locked . He had discovered Gluttony around 10 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 once again looked at Gluttony’s information . 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 some time, maybe 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 . It was necessary to choose books for Gluttony in advance, and that would be more useful than napping in his seat .
Theo moved with excitement in his steps . The books which had been like a pie in the sky now seemed like treasure chests placed right in front of him .
The existence of 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 .