Book Eater

Chapter 51: Uh, This is Eating? (3)

Ah, this dimension pocket is something I borrowed from Master, but I don’t have the option to avoid making this choice in this situation.?

If something entered Gluttony’s mouth, it was good as lost or sold. The devoured dimension pocket wouldn’t leave even a trace of its existence. Theo resolved to explain it away as a casualty of his battle with the Elder Lich. After all, if he couldn’t contain the dark grimoire here, another Elder Lich was unavoidable.

It had only taken a scant two months for a 5th Circle magician to transform into a 6th Circle Elder Lich. If the grimoire had been given half a year, or even a year, it might have transformed its host into a legendary Arch Lich. The entire continent would have to band together to deal with that disaster, not just a kingdom.

More than anything else, Theo wasn’t entirely sure that the grimoire wouldn’t hold a grudge against him if he let it escape.

He thought for a moment before making a firm decision. “... Gluttony.”

- What?

“What will happen to the contents of the dimension pocket after it’s eaten?”

Gluttony’s voice sounded satisfied.

- There is no need to worry. They won’t disappear.

“That’s not really an answer… but, hoo... it can’t be helped.”

Theo took out the dimension pocket and placed it on the ground. He could still hardly believe that this ragged cloth pouch with tattered strings was worth hundreds of gold. It would be the dream target of any thief who recognized it.

Theodore hesitated once more, but spoke firmly, “Now, eat.”

The tongue swallowed the dimension pocket before Theo even finished speaking.

[A dimension pocket has been eaten. Error! An unknown phenomenon has occurred due to the consumption of a dimension magic essence!]

[A hidden feature of Gluttony has been discovered. The owner should check the information about the feature. This feature will work normally regardless of the grimoire’s rank.]

[Grimoire “Gluttony”/ E Rank]

[One of the hidden features of Gluttony has been opened after consuming the dimension pocket. The grimoire Gluttony has a storage space to store prey that it can’t digest. The previous owners kept their possessions in it and called it Inventory. The name can be changed at the owner's convenience.

* Incomplete state. Most of the functions are sealed.

* Once a day, it will wake up to relieve its hunger.

* Immediately after relieving its hunger, it will answer one question.

* The abilities it feeds on will be given to its owner.

* Extracts an essence from eaten books or items. The higher the owner’s understanding, the greater the efficiency.

* Absorbs some magic power from an item that contains magic power.

* The Memorize feature has been activated.

* The Inventory feature has been activated.]

Theo read the information quietly before opening his mouth. “Inventory… a type of space storage. If it has the same uses as the dimension pocket, then it wouldn’t have been necessary to eat it. Did you want to push me to open one more function?”

- I don’t do that type of thing, User.

It was a reasonable question, but Gluttony’s voice was disgruntled. It seemed Gluttony disliked being compared to a mere artifact. Naturally, that would mean the dimension pocket was far inferior to Gluttony’s Inventory.

- You can’t hold a grimoire in a dimension pocket. Well, you might be able to keep it for a while, but it will flee through space as soon as it regains consciousness.

Theo understood. “That won’t happen with the inventory?”

- Correct. The Inventory is a dimensional entity that exists within me and differs from any other spaces. If a grimoire doesn’t possess the ability to travel beyond dimensions, it can’t escape.

Indeed, that was a game changer. It was worth sacrificing a dimension pocket to obtain a dimensional space that could even trap grimoires! Furthermore, the Inventory’s storage space seemed even larger than the dimension pocket, so Theo had no complaints.

He turned his attention to the dark grimoire on the ground.

Wuooooong!

The book was covered in a faint mist of dark mana as it vibrated ominously. It was the legacy of a legendary warlock, but it probably hadn’t expected to meet a predator like Gluttony. Even Theo hadn’t imagined a grimoire that sought to eat other grimoires until he met Gluttony.

Theo’s left hand rose as he sighed. “Well, I always considered myself unlucky.”

Gulp!

The ancient grimoire Death’s Worship was put away into the inescapable jail known as Gluttony’s Inventory. Theo glanced around the room, but there were no more artifacts lying around. Furthermore, he was a little apprehensive if the greatly altered room would collapse soon, so he needed to find his way out quickly. Moreover, he wanted to see his companions again; they may have gone through their own difficulties.

However, his comrades found him first.

“Theo!” A high pitched voice rang through the tunnel as Sylvia ran over to Theo on wobbly legs.

Theo found himself being hugged tightly by Sylvia. “Uh? Sylvia?”

Randolph rounded the corner. “You’re safe, Employer! You seem to look much better than us?”

Theo nodded awkwardly. “... Captain Randolph.”

Randolph smacked Theo’s shoulders heartily as they celebrated each other’s safety. They didn’t think he would look this well after the lich had forcibly transported him. It was a wonder everyone was safe, since Sylvia and Randolph had battled the Elder Lich while Theo had been trapped with the Life Vessel.

Theo noticed that something had changed about the swords hanging from Randolph’s waist.

"It seems like you got your hands on them.”

“Oh, you noticed?”

Randolph ignored his bleeding wounds as he rubbed his hand over his sword hilts. Most swordsmen treated their swords like their own limbs, and Randolph seemed to follow in their footsteps. Randolph wanted to show off the swords, but the cave decided it was finally time to make its own opinion known.

Kukukung!

It started to tremble violently as the last of the dungeon’s transformations faded away. The trio stared at each other for a moment before they bolted for the exit. The cave’s imminent collapse took precedence over their victory over the Elder Lich.

***

In the end, the Miller Barony was rescued. The Elder Lich’s destruction had caused a chain reaction among the dead as they froze and fell. They had moved solely due to the grimoire’s dark mana, and with the source cut off, they had fallen to pieces. The specters who had been summoned from the Negative Dimension were forcibly returned to their homes.

However, the undead corpses had not turned to ash like the Elder Lich, so the villagers were forced to haul the rotting bodies away from their fields.

Once the clean up was relatively complete, the village held a small festival to celebrate defeating the disaster. The wife of the miller, Becky, opened her warehouse to provide food while Albert from the pastry shop lit up his hearths. The pub owner, Stephen, tapped three whole barrels of wine for the village.

A mercenary’s life was short and sweet, so they didn’t hesitate to drink and eat away their fatigue from the days of constant battle. However, one individual shied away from the raucous atmosphere.

“Huuuu...”

Theo sighed deeply as he looked over the destroyed walls around the village. As he went over what had happened in the last few days, he could only see the ending as the result of a series of fortunate events. If he had made the wrong decision at any point, then he would have forfeited his life as well as his village.

He never would have been able to look up to the full moon like he was doing right now.

I’m not strong enough. Rather, I haven’t spent enough time.’

He had a number of ways to get stronger. He had Alfred’s Magic Bullet, Memorize, and fusion magic. He couldn’t expect another situation where he would accidentally find a solution to an impossible problem. Relying on luck would only end up getting him killed.

So, while the village was celebrating, Theo pondered what he was lacking. At that moment, he heard someone call out to him.

“Hey, Young Master! Why are you looking so grouchy?”

This voice...

When he turned around, he saw a rosy-cheeked Randolph walking toward him with a mug of beer. Theo didn’t know how many glasses Randolph had drunk, but his fiery red nose was a sight. Perhaps it was because Randolph had just come from carousing with his men, but he looked nothing like a dignified first rate swordsman.

Theo smiled as he asked, “Are you calling me Young Master now?”

“Kuhuhu, it’s only natural. Didn’t you try to get some overtime after getting paid two hundred gold? I need to get rid of you quickly.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “I gave you the heirlooms you were looking for.”

Randolph was delighted at the mention of his swords. “What, do you want to see them? It’s okay, swords have always been a man’s romance.”

Kakiing!?

The swords seemed to almost cut through the air. Even Theo, who knew nothing about swords, could appreciate the deadliness of these weapons. They seemed comparable to the best swords on the continent, only rivaled by a few swords that were enhanced by magic.

“... Wow.”

Theo’s attention was caught by the wolves that made up the sword hilts. They almost seemed alive as they followed Randolph’s every sweep and thrust. The twin swords almost gave off the howl of a wolf pack under the moonlight as they passed through the air.

Randolph sheathed the blades with a pleased grin. “Young Master, I would never exchange these for two hundred gold. Even if they weren’t heirlooms, I like these guys. I wouldn’t give these up until I die.”

Theo smirked. “Should I ask you for more money then?”

Randolph’s lip twitched. “... Young Master, how about becoming a merchant instead of a magician? I’ve never seen a noble as shameful as you.”

The two men laughed together. Randolph’s exuberance seemed infectious as Theo’s gloomy mood brightened. The two men talked for a while until Randolph decided to rejoin his men.

“Ah, and Young Master.” He pointed at a corner of the festival as he said mischievously, “You shouldn’t let your girl wait too long.”

“What?” Theo followed Randolph’s finger to find a pair of blue eyes staring pleadingly at him.

... I knew it would be like this.

Theo scratched his head as he realized his lack of consideration for Sylvia. Sylvia wasn’t deliberately cold towards people; she just didn’t know how to interact with them. She might seem indifferent, but she was actually awkward toward anyone who approached her. She was entirely out of her element when villagers introduced themselves to her and casually referred to her as their future mistress.

“Ah, it isn’t like that.” Theo interrupted a particularly exuberant Becky as he joined Sylvia. He neatly sent her off on her way as he wondered how to get Grandfather Albert home safely.

He was finally back in the comfort of his hometown.