The Book Eating Magician Chapter 5:
What does this book taste like? #1
Ding-dong-dang-dong…
The lively bell sound announced the end of the second semester . Every student’s final report card would be distributed one week from this day .
Bergen Academy’s school year had ended today . Students, who were not dressed in their school uniforms, ran out the doors, and the professors’ advice to not play around during winter vacation was disregarded by the students .
Generally, except for some young students, the academy’s students avoided staying in school .
“Huu, there is an uproar . Even though it’s chilly, they can still run around like this . Truly, I think being young is the best . ”
“Who doesn’t? Ah, maybe a lich?”
“Hahaha, I’m afraid that a lich will just be more bones . ”
“Aha, that is a pretty nasty point!”
Even the professors were in a good mood . Finally free from the students who caused them all types of problems, they enjoyed a cup of coffee while chatting with their colleagues . Some talked about the students, while others talked about what to study during the holiday . Some professors were planning to go home a few days later too .
One professor asked Vince, “Professor Vince, are you staying at school during this vacation?”
“Yes, I am,” he replied with a cold expression as usual .
Professor Vince’s soulless voice matched his blank expression .
His fellow professor couldn’t help flinching .
However, due to the fact that they had spent a few years together and had adjusted a little bit, he didn’t stutter when he spoke again . “Recently, I heard that you were focusing on a research project . Is it because of that?”
Professor Vince’s eyes became cold . Naturally, it was rude for magicians to spy on each other’s research . His low voice revealed his discomfort . “That isn’t something to be talked about here . ”
“Ha, haha . That’s right . Forget that I asked . ”
“……”
Vince glanced at him for a moment before turning his gaze out the window .
The atmosphere of the room suddenly grew chill . Professor Vince was famous for not being very friendly . He was a first-rate magician dispatched from the capital to Bergen Academy, and his position as a senior magician (6th Circle) put him above the other instructors .
In other words, he was a dispatched lecturer and was difficult for the other professors to deal with .
“Oh! You were here, Professor Vince . ”
At that moment, a professor entered the office . To put it mildly, this professor was a person with a lot of fat . He packed it in a neatly dressed suit, making him look like a balloon . Thus, the students nicknamed him ‘Balloon’ .
The so-called balloon, Professor Balloon, spoke in a giggly voice, “Can I ask you one thing?”
“…Yes . ”
Vince couldn’t spit on that grinning face . He stared at Professor Balloon with an annoyed expression . Vince didn’t like this pig who liked to chatter on . Not surprisingly, the words which emerged from Professor Balloon’s mouth didn’t fail to irritate Vince’s nerves .
“Did that boy not graduate again this year?”
His eyebrows wriggled in an obvious taunt .
Theodore Miller…
Professor Vince’s eyes flashed as he recalled the student . Theodore Miller was a student who was betrayed by his talent and wasn’t rewarded for his efforts . The fact that Theodore had received a repeater letter three times meant he became a notorious celebrity .
Other faculty professors approached them .
“Aha, is it that Theo child?”
“Isn’t this year his third repeater letter? After next year, we won’t see him anymore . I’m sorry… Should I not say it? Hahaha!”
“Professor Claude is very mean, saying such empty words . ”
“In the end, he is a child of a fallen noble family . Their talent has dried up . ”
Obnoxious remarks were being spoken .
‘The ones who open their eyes but can’t see anything . ’
Vince took a few steps back and stared at them with disdain . It felt like his ears would rot away if he continued to listen to their conversation . These were educators who didn’t even know the truth about the students they were teaching .
No, even if it was correct, should an educator be disparaging their students?
He shook his head firmly at this question .
‘Theo is a far better magician than you . ’
Yet those words couldn’t emerge from his mouth . Vince wanted to grab Professor Balloon’s hand and throw the coffee cup in his face . However, Vince stopped himself… because in the end, it was true .
He had given up his personal sponsorship of Theodore due to Theodore’s lack of sensitivity . There was no denying that Vince had turned away a student due to his lack of talent . That was the only thing which stopped Vince from meddling in their words .
‘Theodore Miller . ’
Vince looked out the window with a nauseous feeling in his stomach . The newly darkened sky seemed to represent his inner heart . Then he realized that the lights at the opposite building were coming from the library and sighed once more . There was only one person who would visit the library on the day of the closing ceremony .
Vince prayed for the day when that effort would be rewarded .
* * *
At this time, Theo’s shoulders were dancing .
“Uha!”
The desk shook with a loud thump . This was because seven hardcover books had just been placed at the center of the desk . Dropping these many books on his foot wouldn’t end with just a bruise . It was a joke but there was a ghost story which told about how librarians were often killed by cursed books .
‘Even if there isn’t a curse on these books, wouldn’t I die if this were a normal situation?’
The books were heavier than bricks . If one of them fell from a high bookshelf and hit someone, the skull of that person passing by would be broken . That’s why there was a warning to not make a disturbance in the library .
It truly was dangerous, so they had even put a sign up .
“Okay, this is enough for today . ”
Theo rubbed the grey substance off the palm of his hand . The library was a place where people didn’t frequent often, so every book he picked up was dusty . The person in the position of librarian would just check the locks occasionally . It was lucky that Gluttony had swallowed without chewing, otherwise he would’ve had to wipe the books down first .
‘First, I have to use Appraisal . ’
Theo moved his left hand in a familiar motion . He was about to measure the value of the book using Gluttony’s ‘ability to judge food’ . The way to use this power was much simpler than he’d thought .
Theo pointed his left hand at the book, just like when Gluttony had been eating . Then he gave the command, “Appraisal . ”
Slurp .
The tongue shot out from Theo’s left hand . It appeared with a loud sound and reached out towards the targets . Then it licked the cover of the book on top . At the same time, a visual representation of the information emerged .
[Ignition and Ignite are Different]
[-This book is about an improved version of Ignition magic and explains Ignite magic . Unlike Ignition, which creates fire on a surface, Ignite can create an ignition point in the air . The advantage of Ignite is being able to use it from a distance . However, the firepower is slightly lower than that of Ignition .
* Your understanding is very high . (96 . 7%)
* The grade of this spellbook is ‘Normal’ .
* After ingesting, 1st Circle magic ‘Ignite’ will be acquired . ]
“I remember that this spell seemed useful . ”
He laughed and picked up the book .
Gluttony’s ‘Appraisal’ was a means of measuring the food . This helped him determine the benefits of the food which was consumed . Using Appraisal meant there would be no problem even if it was a book Theo hadn’t read before . Having the Appraisal magic also meant he could pick out the books with special qualities .
‘Thanks to this, picking a book is much easier . ’
It was also possible because it was Theo . After spending five years in the library, there was no book that he didn’t know . Theo put the books he’d read once and those he’d read a few times but didn’t understand on separate lists .
The moment he was about to use Appraisal on the second book…
-…Hungry . feed, please .
Gluttony woke up .
[Gluttony has woken up from its sleep and is complaining about an empty stomach . ]
[The regular meals have reduced his hunger a lot . There is more room to choose its food . Gluttony will answer one question after eating two books and will immediately fall asleep after the third book . The remaining time is 30 minutes . ]
Two books or three books…
It was a choice he’d made several times already, but it was always a struggle . If he selected two books, he could get an answer . If he selected three books, he could extract one more essence . Last time, he’d thought it was important to improve his skills and had chosen to feed it three books .
What should he choose this time?