Chapter 47

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"U-Um, I'm sorry for suddenly bothering you... I have a confidential matter to discuss."

Carol, who had been led to the guest room, looked around nervously and fidgeted. She was also breaking out in a cold sweat. Jill sensed that it wasn't just because of the heat.

"It's fine, but what's the matter? You don't look well..."

"I wanted you to see this."

Carol took a book out of her bag and handed it to Jill. It was a thick but slim book with a black leather cover. There was no title or anything written on it. Jill flipped through the pages quickly. Each page had illustrations and text.

"... A comedy book? Ah, no, that's not it."

The content was like a children's picture book. It told a moralistic story about a man who tried to make a fortune by cunningly contracting with a 'demon' with convenient powers, only to fail due to his own actions. The story was illustrated with humorous text.

If read without any prior knowledge, one might read it, laugh, and be done with it. However, a chill ran down Jill's spine.

"... Carol, where did you find this?"

"There's a box where the 'demon' keeps the tea set. I thought the bottom was unusually thick, so I checked and found it had a double bottom. When I opened it, I found this book."

"I see..."

"Um, Jill, isn't the 'demon' in this story... familiar?"

"Yes, it is."

The 'demon' in the story sometimes had a formless body like mist, or sometimes had a body in the form of a gem or a staff. It was never a monster or a beast.

Moreover, it had an extremely rigid personality.

"Let me read a part... The man ordered the demon to go shopping. 'Buy milk. If there are eggs, buy three.' The demon, as instructed, bought three bottles of milk because there were eggs. The man got angry. 'Why did you only buy milk!' But the demon replied, 'Because there were eggs.'"

Carol tilted her head, not quite understanding.

"What does that mean...?"

Jill was momentarily confused but understood after rereading the text.

"... Here's what it means. The man first ordered, 'Buy milk,' but he didn't specifically say, 'Buy eggs.' To make the demon buy eggs, he should have added, 'If there are eggs, buy three.'"

"Oh... I see..."

"Yes..."

"It's like this book is trying to teach us what kind of being a 'demon' is..."

"More like..."

Carol and Jill said simultaneously.

"'A demon's textbook.'"

A heavy silence fell over the guest room.

On the island of Algenes, books containing secret magic spells are worth a fortune. Not just the price of a walnut counter table, but enough to build a noble's mansion.

But that's only if the transaction is legitimate.

How can one assert that no one will try to rob it quickly?

"Um, Carol, do you know anything about myths or the history of wizards?"

"N-No, not really... But I have a feeling this is quite dangerous..."

"Your intuition isn't far off... But it's not that dangerous."

"R-Really? Is it really okay?"

"To put it simply, the magic used by wizards today hasn't developed in about two hundred years. It's like the dregs of the ancient kingdom."

"Hmm..."

First, this world had an age of gods.

The universe was born, and gods were born, who had such immense power that they could travel freely between stars and create stars.

The descendants of these gods descended to the land of Algenes and built a kingdom. It was called the Kingdom of Algenes. Though they didn't have the power of the gods, they were vastly different from today's humans.

The Kingdom of Algenes, after a long period of peace, lost the wisdom and skills to travel between stars and forgot that they were descendants of the gods. Internal conflicts and political disputes intensified, and the kingdom eventually split into many small countries, entering a warring era.

This story is from five hundred years ago, and the Kingdom of Algenes is now completely gone. It is now called the 'Ancient Kingdom.'

"The largest war of the warring era, the Ancient War, lasted for over a hundred years. Moreover, a civil war broke out on the eastern continent, merging with the island war and the continental war, resulting in a massive war that involved all the nations. Everything was destroyed, and most of the ethnic groups, cultures, and civilizations were lost. The population is said to have decreased to one percent or even less. Forests and rivers also decreased, turning into wastelands, and monsters began to roam."

"Oh, I know about that part. I learned it in history."

"Then, the survivors, using the little wisdom and magic left, reclaimed the land and rebuilt nations. This cycle of warring and peaceful eras repeated until the current era, the Star Spirit Calendar. The Dylar Magic Kingdom was established about two hundred years ago. Now, here's the main point."

"Yes."

Carol nodded seriously.

"Currently, the four major elemental magics—earth, water, fire, and wind—and the technology to create magical devices are well established, but many other magics are not compiled and have been lost. Therefore, wizards who handle unique magics pass them down orally to prevent them from being stolen or taken. If this knowledge leaks out, it can be very dangerous."

"So, this is...!"

Carol turned pale and trembled.

But Jill smiled wryly and said, "Calm down."

"This book doesn't contain deep content. It only illustrates what kind of being a demon is, without specific techniques or spells."

"Really?"

"From here on, it's just a guess... I think Carol's ancestors passed down the important parts orally and wrote this book as a supplement and guide. Just reading this book won't enable you to create or control demons."

"Oh, I see! I'm relieved! So, I won't be targeted or attacked just because I have this, right?"

"Well, even without the key parts, you can still gain peripheral knowledge and lessons, making it somewhat dangerous."

"Right..."

Carol held her head. Jill deeply sympathized with her. Objectively, this girl had very bad luck.

Moreover, from what she heard, the Andromarius family branch—Carol's relatives—had pushed all the trouble onto Carol. If they informed her about the dangerous item, it could lead to more trouble.

If Carol had learned the owner's magic—creating or controlling demons—she might have had some means of self-defense. But all that was left was a moralistic picture book and a building. Asking Carol, who was not a wizard, to guard this book as a family heirloom seemed cruel to Jill.

"Carol, have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, no one. I came here right after finding it, so no one else has seen it."

"That's the right decision... For example, do you want to sell it at an auction or something?"

"Life is more important than money."

Jill almost chuckled at her frankness. But for Carol, it was a serious matter. Jill tightened her expression, reminding herself not to laugh.

"I understand. Then, would you let me keep it?"

"Really? I-I was hoping I could ask you, but I didn't want to impose... I'm really sorry..."

"No, no. I'm quite interested in this field, and I'm happy to read such a rare book. Plus, this house has excellent security against thieves."

"Thank you so much!"

Carol, like a newborn fawn, trembled and handed over the book. She relaxed when she entrusted it to Jill.

◆

Carol, who had been in a panic, quickly regained her cheerful demeanor after Jill took the book. Jill was a bit amused by her straightforwardness but thought it was understandable given Carol's string of bad luck.

"Let's read it a bit before bed."

Maureen and the others had left, and the moon was shining brightly over the forest and the house.

Jill, who usually read interesting books from the Acacia Book before bed, was intrigued by the mysterious secret book from Carol's family.

Especially since Jill had once failed in creating or controlling demons, she hoped to find some interesting knowledge and flipped through the pages.

"... Hmm, it's interesting as a story, but..."

The book was full of conceptual stories and lessons. The protagonist, who misunderstood the demon as a convenient servant to grant wishes, failed, and even when he succeeded, he became overconfident and failed. Sometimes, a simple act of kindness led to great fortune for the protagonist.

The most interesting part was the detailed description of Gato Magic.

The man thought of using the 'demon' to make pastries but failed because he tried to rely too much on the 'demon.'

"The ancient owner must have derived recipes from here... I see."

Jill carefully examined the book to see if there was any hidden information. But she found nothing significant.

Before she knew it, Jill had given up on finding any secrets and was enjoying the book like a comedy. Sleepiness soon overtook her.

"Yawn... Well, it's time to sleep..."

Jill placed the book on the side table next to the bed. She unconsciously placed it on top of the Acacia Book.

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