Book Eater

Chapter 338: Five Years Later (3)

It was a long and hot night. Veronica had been born with the lust and the strength of the red dragons. Once they had returned from Elvenheim a few years ago, the two regularly spent the night together. Perhaps the emergence of a rival called Ellenoa had stimulated them.

“Ah, umm, haaaah...”

Was Veronica afraid of Theo being stolen if she had been too late? In the past, their union had only occurred in his mental world. The emotions of the man and woman easily resonated due to their souls’ connection. Theo always had Veronica in his mind, and they soon crossed the line. Theo was a young man in his twenties, and he accepted Veronica’s passionate touch.

The first attempt was a little difficult, but the second was easy. The third was even easier. The relationship between the two magicians was known throughout the magic towers and soon spread throughout Meltor. The only two 8th Circle magicians on the entire continent were together! The nobles who had prepared their relatives to seduce Theo were forced to stop.

“T-Theo, uh, Theoo...” It was a thin voice that didn’t sound like Veronica.

The bed was magically enhanced and didn’t even creak despite their energetic movements. The red hair above Theo’s body danced like a wave, and the waves that swung several times with an unknown rhythm came to an end with Veronica’s jerk of delight.

“-Hahhhh!” For a moment, her golden eyes lost focus as her body sank forward.

Veronica buried her face in the pillow and hugged Theo. The heat had yet to scatter, and it circulated in the room. Their rough breathing quickly subsided. However, the two people didn’t move as they stared into each other’s eyes. They were sticky with sweat and body fluids, but the two of them kissed without caring.

“So good. I really can’t live without Theo,” Veronica whispered sweetly against his lips while Theo stroked her messy hair.

“Is this enough to satisfy my Becky for a month?”

“Let’s see?” Veronica’s bewitching expression stirred him up again.

Theo had been with her since the early evening, and the sun was now rising. Yet Veronica still didn’t feel tired. If Theo didn’t have a well-trained body, he would’ve collapsed earlier. Although Theo wanted to respond to her temptation, he just smiled and kissed Veronica’s forehead. It was an expression of affection between the two as well as a mild refusal.

“I’m sorry.”

Becky smirked. “Tch, I thought so. Chief Tower Master’s work is more important than me?”

Theo sighed. “Becky…”

“Ahaha, it was a joke. Go safely.” Veronica kissed him lightly and lay beside him.

Their time together was over.

“I’m going, Becky.” Theo washed his body with a simple spell and put on his clothes. In the meantime, Veronica’s breathing had grown more regular, and she was asleep by the time he finished dressing. He covered Veronica with a blanket and left with a smile.

Step, step.

Theo could use space movement, but after a night with her, he felt like walking. He descended a few floors from the top floor, and the noise gradually increased. In general, the higher the rank, the higher the floor. There was little sign of life until the fifth floor where the elders stayed.

It wasn’t until he descended several more floors that somebody recognized him. “C-Chief Tower Master!”

Although the greeting wasn’t that loud, the entire floor fell quiet.

Tsk, it is rare for me to come down at this time.

Theo was late today. He normally got up when the sun rose, but it was now 9 a.m. However, Theo didn’t need to explain why. The bewildered magicians all bowed and greeted the Chief Tower Master.

“There is a lot of work in the morning. Please take care,” Theo responded.

“Huh? Ah, yes! Thank you, Chief Tower Master!”

“There is no need to thank me.”

As soon as he moved, the magicians split before him like the tide. Theo wasn’t exaggerating when he said that he was the greatest magician of the magic tower and the world at the moment. The magicians couldn’t help trembling with respect and awe as they saw the living legend.

... Well, there will be people who will notice soon.

Why had he come down from the Red Tower in the morning? As long as the relationship between him and Veronica was clear, it wasn’t difficult to guess the reason behind Theo’s actions. However, no one said it because they were embarrassed.

As soon as Theo left the Red Tower, a magician came up to him.

“Chief Tower Master.”

Gold hair flowed over her glossy brown skin, this newcomer was a beauty who could melt the hearts of men.

However, Theo wasn’t affected at all as he asked her, “What's going on, Para?”

“There are a few things I have to report.”

It was the avatar of Paragranum, who was both the Yellow Tower Master and a grimoire. Her glassy, emotionless eyes were proof of her inhumanness. She wouldn’t come to him if the matter was trivial.

“Let’s speak more privately,” Theo said.

Paragranum nodded and followed Theo to his lab in the central tower. It felt like the wind was blowing again.

***

The central tower was the center of the magic towers and the headquarters of all magicians in the magic kingdom. This was where they registered themselves and exchanged research results. Unlike the other magic towers, there were no independent units to take action. It was where national events such as the Anual Magic Contest and large-scale plans were organized.

This hadn’t changed despite the owner of the central tower changing. There was only one difference from the days of the former chairman, Benedict. The top floor of the central tower had undergone major renovations.

“Goetia, open the door of the laboratory.”

[Yes, Master.]

The ring on Theo’s right hand shone and released the security magic on the door. It might seem like an easy task, but one needed to rival Veronica in her draconic state in order to break through the door with force. The only other methods were to completely analyze the magic formula that Theo had created or to take possession of Ars Goetia.

It isn’t impossible for a transcendent, but I can’t assume that transcendents will be my enemies.

He had to avoid overestimating himself, but also his enemies. The boundary between a prudent person and a coward wasn’t that clear. The timing of when to take a step forward and when to pause was what separated the two. He should be cautious but not a coward. Thus, Theo maintained the security of the laboratory at a reasonable level.

Ching! Ching!?

The adamantium and mithril locks took a full three minutes to fully disengage. Soon, the inside of the research laboratory was exposed to Paragranum and Theo. This was the research center of the Chief Tower Master of Meltor.

“... It looks different to what I saw a few months ago. Isn’t there a lack of free space? Or did you construct a new facility?” Paragranum asked when she saw the difference.

However, Theo just shrugged. “It is similar. There is a limit to space expansion.”

In fact, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that half of the research laboratory had come about thanks to her. Paragranum was a grimoire created by the best alchemist in the Age of Mythology, Paracelsus. She adhered to the principle of equivalent exchange and had built this workshop in return for several conditions.

It was the birth of a research center that transcended the standards of this time. There was a gate that could immediately teleport someone to Elvenheim, the Baekun Mountains, and Paracelsus’ Laboratory. There was a mirror connected to communication facilities throughout Meltor, as well as a magic scroll press and potion distillation facilities for mass production. The bronze statues placed against the walls of the research center were golems capable of 5th Circle spells. Lastly, there was one final guardian of the research center.

[Welcome, Master.]

Unlike the past, the automaton Gladio bowed politely. The automaton had originally just had the 7th Sword, Lloyd’s Aura Ability. But after undergoing several modifications, it had now become a monster that was just below the master level and held absolute loyalty toward its master, making it the perfect guard for this research center.

“Gladio, are there any reports of grade 3 importance or higher?”

[No.]

“Grade 4?”

[There is one from the Red Tower, three from the Blue Tower, and two from the White Tower. They are requests to handle monsters appearing in various places, the restoration of a pier broken by landslides, and the expansion of information sources in the central part of the continent.]

Theo nodded and instructed, “Approve all of them. Tell the White Tower to post a report as soon as they finish the selection,”

He took a seat at the table with Paragranum and started, “Why did you come see me this morning?”

“It is about the Southern Continent.”

“The south? This must be a big deal.” Theo’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

The grimoire, Paragranum, only cared about the purpose of its existence, not the chaotic Southern Continent. There were plenty of rare animals and plants that could be used for alchemy in the central and northern regions. He didn’t think there was any reason for her to be interested in the swamps of the Southern Continent.

She got straight to the point, “The dragons are moving.”

Dragons were the most powerful species in the material world. There was no way for Theo’s expression to remain calm, but he tried to control his expression.

Meanwhile, Paragranum spoke as if she had been waiting for his reaction, “The red clan’s Brasmati, the green clan’s Erucus, and two more. I don’t know why, but four dragons have gathered on the Southern Continent. Do you have any guesses?”

Theo shook his head. “No, I have no idea.”

Dragons didn’t accompany their parents after becoming adults. They had never in history ever come together. It might be different in the Age of Mythology, but this was a disaster in current times.

Theo asked, “Is Aquilo included in that group?”

“... The sea isn’t within my area of detection. But it is possible. If the sea dragon interferes, there would be a total of five. Maybe all the dragons are gathering in one place.”

“It is a meeting of dragons...” Theo added one more thing to his list of tasks to do in the south with a grim expression. He needed to investigate why the dragons were gathering in the Southern Continent. It was hard to overcome the power of a dragon, but he had the confidence to pull himself out if he had to fight. Theo was only a few steps away from the realm of transcendence and several times stronger than he had been in the past.

I wish Aquilo would answer... There is still no communication from her. Did something happen?

It had been five years since he lost contact with Aquilo before the battle of the world tree, so he hadn’t been able to go after her. Theo was starting to get worried.

Meanwhile, Paragranum rose from her spot. “Then it is up to here for me. I don’t want you to miss the expedition, so be careful.”

“Yes, thank you for informing me.”

Once Paragranum left, Theo kept thinking for a while. Why were the dragons showing interest in the Southern Continent? Was there a threat to the material world? If so, should he be alert to threats?

Tsk, I don’t know.

Theo let out a long sigh and put aside his ruminations about dragons. He sat down in front of the mirror of communication and organized the reports from each tower.

‘It is time to replace Master’s prosthesis. Balance the bonded neurons… Okay, that’s enough. I can tell him later. It has been three days since Baek Dongil returned from Bergen, right? The hobgoblins won’t interrupt the schedule, so I will give him a vacation and send him to my hometown.

Five years wasn’t a short period of time. Baek Dongil had spent his time wisely and reached the 4th circle. He was constantly tapping at the wall to the next level. His heart, which had gotten hurt by how he had been treated in the East Continent, was now healed.

Vince, Theo’s teacher, had also changed. The loss of his leg had allowed him to devote himself to research. His temperament grew softer, and the number of magicians who acted as his assistants increased.

“Well, it is good.”

This was a peaceful age. Theo’s teacher could devote himself to the research he wanted to do but hadn’t been able to due to the battlefield. Of course, Vince didn’t always like everything.

At that moment…

[Master, I’ve received a request.]

As he heard Gladio’s loud voice, Theo turned. “Is it an interview? I didn’t schedule...”

[It is a messenger from Soldun Kingdom. After a meeting with the king in the morning, he came to see Master.]

“The Soldun Kingdom? What is the name of the messenger?” He asked to be certain. Theo thought it was Baek Jongmyung who came to see Baek Dongil.

However, his expectations were betrayed in a different manner.

[The name is Marquis Fergana.]

“... Why him?”

He was the 7th Circle magician who had been defeated by Theo in Soldun’s civil war and eventually became a royal hound. Theo made a strange expression as he got up.

“I’ll meet him.”