Chapter 313 - Ark (3)
The water that had barely wet his throat spilled outward.
Theon exhaled a breath, then quietly calmed his breathing and slyly turned his gaze back. Seeing the other still staring at him, he gave a small cough.
"Khmm, hm... it's been a while, Asher."
He answered as if nothing were wrong, but still.
Beyond his stiff expression, his unease was plain to see.
It was natural, after all. Theon had once tried to kill Verden, and Verden had threatened Theon's life more than once in return.
And yet now, they belonged to the same group.
What's more, if one were to speak of hierarchy, Verden was the superior, Theon beneath him.
The awkward atmosphere was inevitable.
At least, it was so only for Theon.
Verden did not care in the slightest.
Locke snickered.
"What's this, Theon. Feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden?"
"Strictly speaking, you two are both candidates, and I am the outsider, so of course I'd be uncomfortable. For that reason, I shall take my leave first, and hope you have a leisurely conversation."
"Since when did you start thinking about... huh? Hey! Theon!"
Despite Locke's call, Theon walked away without looking back.
His movements were soft, with hardly a sound of footsteps. It was a clear difference from the last time they had seen him in the duchy.
The three watched Theon's retreating back.
Verden spoke.
"I had heard he was temporarily accepted into the Ark, but I didn't expect him to be doing this well."
"He is someone with excellent adaptability. And now he's no longer temporary, but a full-fledged member of the Ark. He mainly assists Lord Locke in investigating Gluttony. I've heard he's been contributing in his own way."
"All thanks to my master, Elder Ren Balhagne. To think he made such a mere assassin into someone that capable in just a few months. When it comes to stealth infiltration or gathering information, he's a step above me. Since he came from Gluttony, he's well-versed in their movements and their mindset. Of course, if we were to fight head-on, I'd simply crush him."
Locke puffed out his chest proudly.
He too had changed in appearance.
More than a year had passed, and he had become a young man. Not only had his body grown, but his muscles and his aura as well seemed to have become sturdier.
'Well, enough of reunions for now.'
Verden asked Locke.
"I hear Gluttony has appeared in the Western Continent."
"Ah, yes. That's right. The ones in the Eastern and Central Continents all swarmed to the Western Continent. It was expected, but when I actually investigated, I saw them laying hands on the bodies of the dead."
"Bodies, you mean..."
"You must already know, brother, that Bohemirn Magic Tower and Black Hour are at war. Gluttony is secretly stealing the corpses of dead mages, or scattered body parts, from within that battlefield."
A troubled sigh followed.
"Especially because of the implantors who possess bodies of abnormal species or demi-humans, those specialized in stealth, it's no easy task to track them. Even if I discover them on the way, facing multiple of those creatures at once is difficult even for me."
It was easy to understand Gluttony's purpose.
To them, the bodies of mages belonging to the magic tower would appear as exceptional material.
'Utterly revolting.'
Verden felt strong disgust.
To perform such horrifying human experiments as if assembling parts, it was something he fundamentally, instinctively rejected.
But apart from that, what he was curious about was not Gluttony.
"Have Bohemirn Magic Tower or Black Hour realized it?"
"They may not know their identity, but they should have some inkling. Still, it doesn't seem like they're investigating. Black Hour has too many towers to deal with, and Bohemirn Magic Tower doesn't seem interested in dead corpses. All they care about is collecting the magic items Gluttony leaves behind while stealing corpses."
Ah.
"But the tower master of Bohemirn's personal unit has been showing a plausible response. For instance, burning nearby corpses and such."
"Personal unit?"
"Mm, that is... the extermination unit that includes the recent hot topic, the tower master of Bohemirn's disciple, Rovellin."
***
Rovellin, who had grown up in the same orphanage.
It had been a long time since he had heard her name spoken directly by another.
He reacted inwardly, but only for a moment.
Verden kept a blank face without betraying recognition.
"Rovellin, she's the tower master's fourth disciple, isn't she."
"Oh, so you know her too, brother Asher. I heard that it's no exaggeration to say she's become the most famous mage because of this war. The fact that she survived even after encountering Dahit, the leader of Black Hour, at the Eternal Cliffs played a big part as well."
Black Hour and Bohemirn Magic Tower.
It had been the time when the two Transcendents representing each group had clashed in a battle of magic.
"And more than anything, even before becoming a disciple she was already at the 4th tier, and in such a short time afterward she's already stepped into the 5th tier, which had the greatest impact. She's gained the epithet of 'Fire Execution' for the ferocious exploits she achieved in the war against Black Hour."
...Already at the 5th tier?
Too steep for it to be natural growth.
Which meant.
"She consumed a demon core?"
"As with any other disciple of a magic tower, I'd say yes. Each year a tower holds at least one Mandrake extract, after all. And if you consider that she might be someone whose constitution makes her particularly receptive to the core's effects, it isn't so strange."
The mage's treasure, the demon core.
The duchy's eccentric alchemist, Lito Varslan, had once said:
───But the meaning of a demon core isn't simply to enhance magical ability. At its essence... it supplements the deficient magical parts of a mage's body, allowing them to grow further. It becomes one with the body.
As a result, Verden had gained the Mystic Eye.
It had been an unexpected effect caused by his reconstructed body through Defying the Heavens.
'But unless it's a case like mine, for most it only enhances magical capabilities.'
And among those, only a few users experience a rise in tier. Rovellin must be such a case.
"...If she's already at the 5th tier, she's not far from pioneering Mado."
"They say so as well. That with her growth rate, she'll soon reach Mado. They call her a genius, in the truest sense. Of course, still not someone to compare with brother Asher."
Locke scratched his cheek.
He spoke as if casually, but in truth he had at least sensed something.
The past and the present.
There was something distinctly different about the mage before his eyes.
'Listener, just what in the world happened to brother?'
'I do not know the details either, Lord Locke.'
The two exchanged glances.
Then Locke's stomach let out a faint growl.
"Ahaha, I haven't eaten in quite a while, so my stomach's a bit... If you haven't eaten either, would you like to go to the dining hall together? It must be your first time in the Ark. Honestly speaking, the food here is incredible."
"That can wait. For now, there's somewhere I must go."
"Ah, I see. A shame, but it can't be helped."
The matter of the Western Continent was enough for now.
He had heard all he needed about Gluttony.
Their paths split from Locke.
The two walked on.
"Let us go as well."
"Yes, Sir Asher."
Their destination was the Ark's library.
***
Verden had a very deep bond with books.
His measured limit tier was the worst, the 1st tier.
To him, just a mere young worker of a magic tower, only the most basic opportunities for learning were given.
Unlike others, he could not even dream of someone teaching him magic, much less discussing and debating it.
So he took books as his teacher.
Cleaning and arranging the messy rooms left behind by mages, he crammed the knowledge within books into his head whenever he had a chance.
Desperately, so as not to forget even a single word.
The reason was only one. Because he wanted to become a mage.
Verden's abnormal memory was partly innate, and partly a side effect of an unofficial human experiment.
In another sense, it was also the flailing of one striving toward a dream.
He read a little faster, he recalled a little more.
Building on that, he traced the roots of theory back, and came to understand magic. The physical labor was exhausting, yet he remembered those days as fulfilling.
For at that time, his only thought was the desire, the hope, the longing to become a mage.
Now things were rather different.
And yet, there was something unchanged.
At the sight of a library where countless books lay asleep, his heart would stir on its own.
"This place, the Ark's Library, holds nearly every book in existence, from fairy tales to the highest-level magic tomes. Its number is so great, it's hard to even fathom."
Hearing Listener's explanation, Verden let out a silent admiration.
A lofty ceiling.
A space composed of wide corridors and multiple levels, filled with endless shelves, and far more books than that.
He could say with certainty here and now.
The scale of the Library surpassed even the combined libraries of ten magic towers by far. Even if not every book here was about magic.
Verden, staring blankly at the interior, barely suppressed his excitement.
"...Where are the magic tomes?"
"It is my duty to guide you, Sir Asher. But in this matter, it is beyond my authority. Is that not so, Director?"
"Indeed, of course."
From beyond a bookshelf, someone appeared.
A tidy old man, wearing a dark green robe down to the shin, over a buttoned green jacket and dark brown trousers, with leather boots.
On the sleeves and collar, geometric magical patterns were embroidered.
With hands clasped behind his back, and round spectacles on his face, he approached them.
"I hope you've been well, Director."
"As you see, very well. And you, it seems the same. But who is this? A face I've not seen in the Ark."
"A new candidate of the Ark."
"Ah, I see. I am the director who manages the Ark's Library. Just call me as Listener did. At least here, in the Library."
"My name is Asher."
Verden bowed his head slightly, with courtesy.
"More polite than you look. And to seek out the library first upon coming to the Ark, you are indeed like a mage. In that sense, let me ask, what book are you searching for? If you don't just wish to browse leisurely, I could assist you."
"I am seeking books on magic."
"If so, they are deeper inside. I shall guide you myself, so follow me."
Listener remained near the entrance of the library.
Leaving him behind, Verden followed the director down the corridors lined with towering shelves. Glancing sideways, he thought.
'The director of the Ark's library... he seems to be a mage, but.'
It was difficult to gauge his level.
Whether it was mana or presence, nothing about him felt particularly distinct.
If he was deliberately concealing his power... it was clear he was not someone to be underestimated.
Before long, the director halted his steps.
At the end of a corridor stood an old shelf, filled with worn books.
Then, with a light gesture of his hand, the shelves and books split into hundreds of pieces, revealing a hidden space.
A massive circle stretched high up toward the sky.
The walls, all made of shelves, were crammed with books.
'The space is wider than it looked from outside.'
Not an illusion.
Clearly, it was expanded with spatial magic.
It was one of the magical techniques used by some magic towers or powerful nations. Not nonexistent, but certainly rare.
Few could afford the enormous mana stone expenses to maintain it.
"The books in here, you may choose whatever you like to read. The higher ones, you can reach with flight magic. But the forbidden tomes are stored separately."
"By forbidden, what kind do you mean?"
"Magic of the 7th tier and above, or highest attributes like spatial magic. Such knowledge is not permitted to candidates of the Ark. Do you know why?"
"I believe it is because of greed."
Verden answered immediately.
A mage is one who seeks knowledge.
Thus, they follow curiosity and pursue the unknown.
But the restraint to curb that, in other words, the need to objectively evaluate their own abilities, is essential.
'Magic one cannot handle is fatal.'
There is no need to comb through history books.
Worldwide, mages injured or killed through misuse and abuse of magic are not rare even today.
"Sharp, indeed. You are right. Knowledge of higher attribute magic or spells above the 6th tier is extremely difficult to access unless one belongs to a tower. If it were freely open, most mages would obsess over it, though they could neither use nor understand it properly."
Of course, that was not the only reason.
"At the same time, it is also meant to kindle ambition. Only when one overcomes many trials and ceases to be a candidate, may one finally behold them."
So, it was one of the rewards of trial.
Verden understood the Ark's intent.
'Well, I wasn't thinking of the 7th tier anyway... but spatial magic, that's a pity.'
Indeed, quite so.
Verden was already so versed that, with the materials, he could inscribe a spatial teleportation circle at once.
But his theoretical understanding of spatial magic was lacking. For no reason other than that he had never encountered it at Bohemirn Magic Tower.
'There's no choice but to postpone it.'
He could not obtain it by force anyway.
Simply knowing that spatial magic tomes were here was enough to satisfy him.
In any case, the first choice was gone.
So he had to choose the second.
"Then, may I see books on 6th-tier enchantment magic?"
"6th tier... of course. Up there, in the I-F-48 section, you will find the tomes you seek. All of them, except what is missing."
"Thank you."
"Hahaha, think nothing of it. That is my very task. Lending is not possible, but as long as you remain in the Ark you may come and go freely, so visit whenever you like. If ever you cannot find a book, call for me. Then, may your studies be fruitful."
***
At the center of the Library.
The director returned to his own seat, sinking into a plush chair. With a weary look, he exhaled deeply.
Listener, who had been waiting, spoke.
"Now that you've seen him in person, how is it? Surely different, isn't he?"
"How is he... before that, answer my question."
The director removed his glasses.
His eyes, imbued with mana, gleamed.
"Just what in the world have you brought here?"
It was both shock, and curiosity.
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