The Book Eating Magician Chapter 80:

Chapter 80 – Silver Medal of Merit (2)

Theodore, who had lost consciousness for more than a fortnight, seemed to be sleeping comfortably . However, he was actually in danger . Even if it was just a fragment, Alfred had been named a war hero and the power of his soul was beyond the limit which Theodore could accept . If Theo had attempted to get his hands on all that power, his ego would be shattered like broken glass .

Theo knew that intuitively and chose the next best thing . He might have to give up inheriting all of the power, but it would surely separate Alfred’s and Theo’s souls .

Surrounded by darkness in the world of his mind, Theo gradually noticed that he was regaining his senses . It was evidence that his mind and body had recovered enough to wake up from the dormancy .

‘Is it time to wake up? Thank goodness I somehow succeeded . ’ Theo looked down at himself with a sigh .

Not long ago, he had stood at the boundary between Alfred and Theodore and hadn’t been able to tell who he was . It was only a few hours ago that Theo had returned . He had barely managed to win by walking the tightrope with a precipice below him .

Although Alfred’s life had been short-lived, Theo was a young man of only 20 years old . However, Theo was pushed to his limits when it came to the depth of his life and his experiences .

Finally, his consciousness stirred as his eyelids pushed up . “Umm…”

‘Stiff . ’ After not waking up for more than a fortnight, the way he felt could be summarized with that one word . His muscles were stiff like a tightrope, and his joints creaked continuously .

Despite receiving treatment from the royal family, a fortnight was too long . Even his upper torso and spine were aching slightly .  Theo eventually gave up on trying to get up and lay down quietly .

‘Damn, how long have I been lying down? If I am this stiff, I must’ve been lying down for at least a week . ’ He wanted to get up quickly, but it was obvious that he would be seriously injured if he moved with his current body .

Theodore diagnosed his condition using Lee Yoonsung’s experience and sighed with relief . He barely noticed it in his mental state, but he might have to rest a few more days . Despite that, he wanted to know where this place was and what had happened to his mentor .

The only consolation he had was what he got from this incident .

‘This…? Is it Alfred’s senses?’ At that time, Theo flinched as he felt a sense of heterogeneity .

Unlike his five senses, this was a sense which wasn’t attached to his body . Indescribable information tickled his head .

This was different from Theo’s sensory perception which seemed like his five senses were just extremely sensitive . Alfred’s talent seemed to be able to see a bit into the future . Born with innate qualities, it was a sixth sense which seemed to bloom on the battlefield . It was one of the reasons why he had become a war hero with only the weapon called Magic Bullet .

However, that didn’t mean Theodore’s sixth sense had reached the same level as Alfred’s .

“…It’s hard . It will take awhile to get used to it . ” Theo closed his eyes for a while and concentrated, before shaking his head .

This was a gift given by Alfred Bellontes, and it was like suddenly obtaining fish gills . Usually, ordinary people wouldn’t know who to breathe with gills . Theo had acquired the ability, but he would have to spend a lot of time and experience to fully exploit this talent .

However, it wasn’t impossible, so Theo couldn’t help smiling .

‘Prince Alfred has disappeared, but his traces still remain . I can clearly remember the feelings we shared while fighting together . If I follow that feeling, I will surely reach it again soon . ’

Due to having joined together with Alfred, Theo had become strong enough to face the terrifying ‘Pride . ’ Theo’s aim was to become strong enough to knock Pride down . Now that he had faced Superbia once, there was no way to avoid being hostile to it .

‘I will win next time . ’ Theo formed a fist as he made such a determination .

“…Theo…”

Theo froze as he heard a voice out of nowhere . ‘W-What? Who else besides me is in this room?’

He hadn’t been aware of it because his senses were dull . Where were they? Theo thought of the expressions he had been showing and wanted to hide inside a hole . However, the person only mumbled Theo’s name once before falling silent .

Theo was puzzled by the silence, and he lifted his head up carefully .  It was then that he was able to see someone .

“Theoo… dead… no…” Sylvia was sleeping in a chair and mumbling ominous things while drooling .

That reminded him, how had she been? He’d had no contact with her since returning from the Miller Barony . Due to his identity as the disciple of the Blue Tower Master, it would be hard for her to walk around for private reasons . Theo himself had been busy with Veronica’s special training and then the mission .

That’s why Sylvia came to visit him .

‘Is this place Mana-vil’s infirmary?’

Veronica seemed to have brought him and Ellenoa back to Mana-vil after defeating Superbia . Theo quickly reached this conclusion and lay back down with a smile . It was a bit awkward, but seeing Sylvia’s sleeping face was quite nice .

At that time, he felt a familiar sense of discomfort in his left hand .

-…You woke up, User .

‘Gluttony . ’

Just like him, Gluttony had woken up from its dormancy .

–For the time being, it is impossible to get the same privilege as last time .  I won’t be able to release my autonomic function until the next seal is released .

‘You won’t be able to exercise your autonomic function?’

–I am also part of the grimoire, so the system has authority over me .  It is possible to put a temporary ban on me after I released the 4th Seal through such an unusual path .

Indeed, no matter how much it wanted to, Gluttony couldn’t release its own seals .

–Then, hurry, next seal…

Theo nodded as Gluttony fell asleep again . It seemed like Gluttony had also been challenged during the fight against Superbia . Maybe it would be difficult to talk like before until the next seal was lifted .

As the infirmary quieted down again, Theo closed his eyes . He was going to rest until his body recovered .  However, that silence didn’t last long .

“Theo! You are awake now!” Vince, the middle-aged magician who came to visit, looked at him with a pleased expression .

 

*     *     *

Theo’s mind might’ve been in a risky state, but his body was already completely cured .

It was because Ellenoa had focused on treating him for a few days, and there was no trauma except for his right arm . If he hadn’t received a psychological shock, he would’ve regained consciousness the day after he collapsed .

Thanks to that, Theo had no problem telling his story . “…Yes, Elder Herman died . ”

Vince’s face filled with regret as he heard about what happened to the convoy . Herman, a magician of the previous generation, had been there since Vince had been an apprentice .

Herman had been famous for his talent and ability to take care of his juniors, so he had been a spiritual pillar of the Red Tower . After his retirement, he had continued making strong contributions to Meltor .

The fact that he had died made Vince’s heart ache .  However, Vince soon suppressed his sadness, and his complexion returned to its original state . As a veteran war mage, he was accustomed to sending off many comrades on the battlefield .

He was just grateful that his senior had performed the mission to the end and returned his disciple safely .

“Then it is my turn . ”

After Theodore lost consciousness, he didn’t know about anything which had happened outside his body . Thanks to Sylvia, Theo knew he was in Mana-vil’s infirmary, but that was all .

A secret meeting had been held at the palace, and the high elf’s convoy had been a topic of discussion for a few days . Theo had now become one of the greatest celebrities in the present Meltor Kingdom .

He was unfamiliar with people’s attention, so his forehead immediately creased as he frowned .

Sylvia was also listening in, and her eyes shone at the words . “Wow! Great, Theo! You are probably the only one who has become so famous at our age!”

“Well, Sylvia’s words aren’t wrong,” Vince chimed in playfully . “An academy student won against a tower master’s disciple, and a few days later, he defeated the elder lich . Not long after that, you rescued a high elf . This might just by the introduction of a remarkable hero . ”

“B-But Professor was with me as well…!”

“That isn’t important . The royal family has already started work promoting you as a hero . ”

Then Vince pulled out a newspaper and showed him the contents .  Theo’s eyes shook as he read the contents while lying down . By the end of it, he was shaking almost at the level of a seizure . It was the announcement of a national scale event .

“M-Medal ceremony? Furthermore, a court ball?!”

The court ball was a social event held several times a year in any other kingdom, but it had a special significance here in Meltor .

The king of Meltor, Kurt III, hated useless luxuries . His character was known for avoiding excesses, so this applied to the ball at well . It was said that there were no court **** in Meltor except when the delegation of another kingdom visited, or at the opening or closing ceremony of the magic contest .

However, the letters written in the newspaper didn’t make sense .

“This is all because of me…?”

Hearing his disciple’s disbelieving voice, Vince affirmed, “That’s right . Perhaps they want to highlight your presence over what happened to the high elf convoy . Comedy is always used to conceal tragedy . ”

“Am I worth that much?”

“Of course . Although if they were only going to use your name, you wouldn’t have been awarded a medal . ”

‘Medal, medal…’ Theo gazed at the illustration drawn in the newspaper .

‘Silver Medal of Merit?’ He had read the books in the academy’s library, but he had little knowledge about this type of thing . Theo wasn’t interested in things related to the nobility and preferred to read the encyclopedia about monsters .

‘Is this medal that great?’

As Theo gazed at it, Vince spoke in a pleased voice, “By the way, that is the Silver Medal of Merit! It has been 30 years since someone last received it . I never thought that it would be my disciple, Theodore!”

“…Professor?”

“Is it unbelievable? Well, that is understandable . It is a medal equivalent to a viscount title . ”

Theodore tried to stop Vince who had misunderstood him, but his words were blocked .

A medal equivalent to a viscount title…? Something so preposterous existed in this country…? If this were true, it meant that the value of the medal couldn’t be converted into money .

Soon, the reason emerged from Vince’s mouth, “The Silver Medal of Merit is worth a national treasure . You will probably receive a national treasure at the medal ceremony! You should be surprised and happy!”

‘…National treasure?’

One beat—no, two beats later, Theodore’s mouth dropped open .