Dark Fantasy Normalized

41 – The Ancient Grimoire (2)

Meltas and Marina called Gadena a radical discriminator.

Truth be told, it wasn’t that Gadena was particularly unusual.

Gadena was an elf, and most elves, as naturally as breathing, practiced contempt for other races.

Many found such behavior by elves distasteful, but they couldn’t outright deny it.

Lifespans several times longer than ordinary races and a correspondingly slower rate of aging.

Above all, a constitution that received the love of spirits.

The reasons the elves put forth as the basis of their superiority had a fair amount of persuasive power.

…For that reason, Gadena was feeling a considerable sense of bewilderment.

Grimoires. Those entities, where mana dwelled in a book and formed a will, were also a kind of spirit.

Most grimoires preferred elves to humans.

It should have been even more so if the comparison was between Gadena, an expert in ancient texts well-versed in all kinds of ancient knowledge, and a human who answered questions about simple maxims with vulgar jokes.

But why?

The grimoire seemed to favor Ricir even more than Gadena.

“…”

“?”

One of the uninvited guests.

The elf, Gadena, for the first time, showed interest in the young human man.

The conclusion of that brief observation.

“It seems to be a capricious grimoire.”

That he was a late 4th circle practitioner at his age was certainly something noteworthy, but that was all.

There was no other reason why the grimoire would favor the man.

Just looking at the young lady beside him—Heynya— was enough evidence.

Gadena rarely paid attention to humans, but even so, she had heard the rumors about Heynya.

One of the individuals drawing considerable attention from the Gray Magic Tower, a genius mage born with innate talent.

Rumor had it she’d reached her current level only a year after formally beginning to learn magic?

Even among elves, that was a remarkable talent.

And yet Heynya had said:

The knowledge of the book, permitted through dialogue with the grimoire, was limited to a single page, they said.

Gadena didn’t know how much magical experience the man had—

but one thing she could be certain of.

At the very least, his experience surpassed Heynia’s one year.

That was only natural.

Even throughout all of Bondales, those born with magical aptitude comparable to Heynia could be counted on one hand.

Therefore—

The grimoire’s reaction to the man was more reasonably viewed as a whim, not favoritism.

Gadena immediately shared her findings with the others.

So that no one would jump to insulting conclusions like, ‘For some reason, the grimoire likes humans more than elves!?’

It was a well-known fact about Heynia’s talent, so they’d surely understand right away.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“?”

But, why was this?

The three’s reactions were lukewarm.

They exchanged awkward glances.

“It seems like favoritism, though…”

“Meltas. What are you talking about?”

“…Nevermind. Please continue your explanation.”

“…?”

Gadena was bothered by their reactions, but didn’t give them much thought.

In the first place, what would humans know about spirits?

What would those humans know about a grimoire, in the first place?

A proud elf simply followed her own path.

“It’s not certain, but it seems like a grimoire created by a mage from Dalatzan.”

“Dalatzan?”

“Yes. A group of mages that was influential in a certain era of ancient times.”

“How can you tell just by looking at it?”

“It’s a method of granting the book’s knowledge through questions and answers. Dalatjan placed such grimoires in the public library to scout for a mage to be his successor.”

“To scout his successor like that?”

“Because they were a pure magic group in many senses.”

Gadena received the grimoire back from Rishir.

Then, after opening it, she spoke to it.

“Am I wrong?”

＜No. Correct. I never thought there’d be someone in this age who knows of Dalatjan. I must say, you are indeed an elf. Your insights are profound.＞

A satisfied smile bloomed on the elf’s expressionless face.

Gadena sensed it. The grimoire possessed power and an ego at least equivalent to a mid-grade spirit.

Even though it didn’t seem like that power and ego had fully awakened yet.

To be recognized by a grimoire of that caliber?

It was a significantly encouraging thing, even for someone like Gadena.

Gadena surrendered herself to the momentum.

“Grimoire. Ask me another question.”

＜You said you know Dalatjan, yes? Well then, let’s see if you know this too. Tell me about La-Diman.＞

“La-Diman… La-Diman…”

Gadena mulled over the word for a while before returning the grimoire to Rishir.

Then, as if entranced, she headed to the archives and started rummaging through the shelves.

***

“So what is La-Diman…”

Without asking for understanding or giving a reason.

Rishir mumbled with a distant look, a classic case of neglect like a painting.

“Rishir. Do you know this? By Gadena’s standards, this is VIP treatment.”

“If it were just her, I’d let it slide, but even with two masters and Heinya, the scion of a great noble family, it’s still like this. She truly has a contempt for humans, a real stickler. I have to respect that.”

“Hey.”

Then Heinya, as if she had remembered something, asked Rishir.

“Why did you answer like that just now?”

“Just now?”

“The number of legs you see on a horse from a distance. Usually, you’d say two, wouldn’t you?”

The number of legs you see on a horse from a distance is two.

Rishir didn’t know, but among mages, it was a famous maxim and riddle known to all.

“Why are there two…?”

“What are you talking about. Of course there are two. Rather, why did *you* answer five?”

Heynya asked, a mixture of frustration and curiosity in her voice.

The unusually good reaction of the grimoire. She was burning with competition, thinking that Rishir’s answer held some great wisdom she had failed to consider.

Rishir didn’t know.

How much Heynya’s opinion of him had risen after the sparring match.

“…”

Rishir avoided Heynya’s gaze.

How could he tell her the truth right now?

That the hidden meaning in the answer she was so curious about was a vulgar joke that a noble lady should never dare utter.

‘That the only answer that came to mind, of all things, was *that*…’

Rishir belatedly regretted his actions.

Heynya’s pure reaction was more uncomfortable than outright blatant contempt.

“Hey! Why are you ignoring me?!”

“…Heynya.”

Marina, unable to bear it any longer, told her student the truth.

Heynya, who normally understood ten things from being shown just one when it came to magic –

In this case, she needed to be told ten things to grasp one.

It took her quite a while, and the usually composed Heynya’s face flushed instantly.

“…You could think of it that way!? How interesting. Witty!”

She was flustered and fidgety with embarrassment, but she tried her best to act as if she wasn’t bothered.

She didn’t want her competitor to discover how ignorant she was in that area.

Of course, it was already far too late.

An awkward atmosphere dominated the space for a while.

“Anyway-“

Rishir, the culprit behind it all, took responsibility and started a new conversation.

“Why did the grimoire react so generously to me? As the expert said, just a simple quirk? Heynya? Does it always act like that?”

“A quirk – is that what you would call it? Well, this is the first time I’ve seen it like this. This is the happiest I’ve ever seen the grimoire.”

“Rishir. If you’re so curious, why don’t you just ask it? It’s in your hands right now, isn’t it?”

“Uh… can I open it up as I please?”

“It’s yours now, is there any reason to hold back?”

“That’s not what I meant—”

Lishir focused his senses on the hand holding the grimoire.

The ominous aura, initially faint,

had become distinctly stronger.

‘Damn. Was it this dangerous?’

That thought occurred to him involuntarily.

Lishir, judging it too significant to keep to himself, relayed his findings to the others.

“What? An ominous aura—you’re saying, that grimoire might be related to black magic?”

Black magic.

The moment that word was uttered, Marina’s demeanor became serious.

“Why would something like that be in our family’s library…”

Hainia, too, couldn’t hide her shock.

“Black magic? Then it’s fine, right?”

Therefore, Meltas’s nonchalant reaction was all the more startling.

Marina, doubting her own ears, stared at Meltas.

“Meltas—what did you just say? Because it’s black magic, it’s fine?”

If she didn’t have such a long history with Meltas, Marina would’ve immediately interrogated and vetted his beliefs.

Meltas’s laid-back response was something only black mages, with no qualms about black magic, would show.

“Hmm? Ah.”

Meltas, belatedly understanding Marina’s reaction, wore a peculiar smile.

“Come to think of it, you two still don’t know.”

“Don’t know what? That you were originally a black mage?”

“Don’t say such foolish things.”

Meltas gestured towards Lishir like an artist presenting his masterpiece.

“You don’t need to worry about black magic. At least, not when this young man is around.”

“…?”

“…?”

Marina and Hainia were simply bewildered, alternating their gazes between Meltas and Lishir.

Black magic.

It was the most dangerous, evil, and mysterious power in this world.

It was impossible to fully understand black magic unless one completely devoted themselves to that evil power, and therefore, it was nearly impossible to fully deal with it.

As they say, you see as much as you know.

The more experienced and wise a mage was, the more wary and fearful they were of black magic.

Marina and Heinya couldn’t understand how a mage like Meltas could react so lightly to black magic.

And the basis of his confidence was Rishir, of all people?

It was true that he was born with immense talent, but currently, he was only at the 4th tier.

Marina was confident she could handle him like a child with one hand, and Meltas would surely be the same.

“Meltas. Unless you’ve finally gone senile, I’d like an explanation that makes sense?”

“Heh heh. I will. I’m warning you, you’ll be surprised. So, brace yourselves to not be too shocked.”

Meltas started talking, puffing up his chest as if showing off his own son.

It was a frivolous sight that made even their lingering expectations vanish—

“…He defeated a necromancer?”

Even so, Marina and Heinya were shocked.

Servants of death who desired death and summoned death. Necromancers.

Transcendent beings who even trampled on the concept of death, beings they couldn’t even dare to mention lightly in jest.

Could the masters of the Magic Tower, all combined, be able to face them?

Marina couldn’t be sure.

And such a necromancer was defeated by the young and inexperienced mage before their eyes?

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I know. It’s hard to believe unless you see it with your own eyes. That’s why I’m telling you, having witnessed it firsthand, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Rishir has a special ability.”

“A special ability…?”

“A power that exerts absolute influence over negative energies. With that power, Rishir sent a necromancer who manifested in this world back to the spirit realm, and he uncovered the black mage, Tulan, who was mocking the Magic Tower and its masters. I think this mysterious power might be unique to Rishir.”

“…”

Leaving the two in extreme confusion—

Rishir whispered carefully to Meltas.

-Master Meltas. What happened there. Didn’t that person tell you not to mention it outside?

Him.

It was, without a doubt, Salana, the master of the Assassin’s Guild.

A promise made to a being as frightening as a necromancer.

Meltas wouldn’t forget it.

-To be precise, she told me not to reveal anything about myself to the outside.

-…

Lisir clicked his tongue at the sight of Meltas, willingly risking his life (?) for the bragging rights of another, and not even his own.

“…”

Marina, too, was quite taken aback by Meltas’ behavior.

How did Meltas, a man with a stern appearance and a rigidly principled personality, turn into such a doting old fool?

‘Come to think of it – that child was the one who solved the Tulan incident.’

In the end, Marina was persuaded by Meltas.

She crossed her arms, a look of weariness on her face.

“So. What are we supposed to do? Use Lisir’s ability to purify the grimoire or something?”

“Lisir, is it possible?”

“…”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lisir nodded his head.

He reopened the grimoire.

***

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[Title: Hey guys, when does the Fate Quest for this book unlock?]

Content: I’ve unlocked up to page 14 now

-: Yeah, if you unlock up to page 21, you get a trait, then the fate quest starts

-[OP]: Augh, damn it, still halfway to go

-[OP]: What’s the max number of pages you can unlock in one question?

-: Max of 2, I think?

-: Nah, max 2 is only when your primary trait is S-Rank.

If your secondary trait is also S-Rank, it’s possible to unlock 3 pages.

Saw someone prove it with a screenshot

-: Damn, lol, an S-Rank for both primary and secondary traits, talk about a lucky b*stard

– : Dude, this game’s gonna be fucking awesome

──────────

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[Title: Yo, the Trait the Asking Book Gave You]

Content: Ancient Heart

Do I *have* to get rid of this?

Using it, the magic boost is seriously no joke, though?

– : I see the magic buff, yeah

But don’t you see your character’s life exploding like a boosted balloon? lol

– : Don’t delete it, keep using it ㅇㅇ see what happens

-[OP] : I’m genuinely curious, what happens?

– : All your magic traits vanish and that’s the only thing left

– : Once that happens the Asking Book takes it back ㅇㅇ

-[OP] : Fucking hell, not an Ancient Heart, an Ancient Parasite, more like

──────────

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[Title: That Asking Book, you fucking b*stard lol]

Content: For a brief moment, I believed you were my friend, lol

Suddenly you plant this ‘Ancient Magic’ parasite in my body and go

‘If you want to live, you gotta nurture it, lol’ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

And the legendary part is, if you nurture it well, you just take it back, resetting my magic and magic traits ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– : I saw screenshots of it being cold to people with low magic trait ranks

Then it treated me so nicely, I felt a huge sense of inner closeness, but

Suddenly turning into a parasite host treatment had my head spinning

– : Lol, of course it’d be nice to a host that’ll give it nutrients ㅋㅋㅋ

– : Who told you to trust kindness in this game?

– : Seriously, kindness = backstabbing foreshadowing

Start learning, already.

──────────

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[Title: So, What the Hell *is* This Book-b*stard, Anyway?]

Content: What’s with this thing using humans as hosts to power up its magic?

– : The mage who made it, that was the order he left for the book.

‘Develop magic.’

But the book can’t boost its magic power or do research, so it uses human bodies, yeah.

-[OP]: Sounds like some AI creepypasta shit.

──────────

***

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[Resisted]

──────────

***

Gadena’s hand, holding the book, trembled.

“Ra- Diman…”

She traced the word’s meaning and origins back, and found a school of thought from Dalatjan.

That school dealt with every kind of power.

Regular magic, white magic, elementalism, of course—

Black magic, blood magic, even curses.

They were lunatics who’d stop at nothing to evolve magic.

The grimoire that humans brought was the work of those madmen.

If they accepted the knowledge and power within, there was no telling what kind of disaster would follow.

“This isn’t something a mere 4th-tier should have…!”

Gadena frantically looked around, her eyes wide.

She belatedly realized she’d left the grimoire with that human man.

The elf rushed out of the archives, hurrying back to them.

And, to the human man, who was holding the grimoire open, she shouted,

“No! Close that thing right now!”

Then, someone else agreed with Gadena.

＜Close it!!!＞

It was the grimoire itself.

＜My magic!!! It’s MY magic, I tell you!!!＞

A grimoire, wailing in bitter despair like a commoner being plundered.

And then, suddenly, Rishir is on the verge of surpassing the 5th tier.

The elf couldn’t even begin to guess what had transpired during their absence.