Chapter 143 - Pangaea (9)
Sitting alone in the separate villa prepared by the Count, I imrsed myself in the old book from the treasury.
It had already been two hours since I started wrestling with the book.
My friend! What do you think this book is?
At first, I thought it might be a martial arts manual.
The drawings that appeared throughout this book were connected in a single motion.
But the more I looked at the book, the more I felt that the movents depicted were inefficient for progressing in martial arts.
There were too many parts where the movents, which seed to connect naturally, would suddenly and discontinuously break off.
“I’m not sure yet.”
Truly a strange thing. That there is sothing you do not know even after investing this much ti.
“It might just be doodles for all I know.”
That makes even less sense! My friend, looking at a re book of doodles for hours? Even a passing goblin would laugh at that!
That was true, in fact.
To dismiss it as re doodles, all the movents in the book had a certain profoundness to them.
That’s why I couldn't put this book down.
It felt like if I could just peel back one layer, all the rewards would follow in abundance.
“It would have been nice if there were so annotations. What an unkind book.”
If you feel that way, then it must be a book intentionally written to be unkind.
“Intentionally so?”
Thinking about it that way, there wasn't a single part of this book that was kindly explained.
It didn't even have a title.
I tried to think from the author's perspective.
‘To write a book intentionally unkindly….’
It would be one of two things.
Either the author was a very mischievous person.
Or, the content made it impossible to be anything but unkind.
If it was the latter, the clues were highly likely to be between the lines.
If I were the author, I would have surely made a kind arrangent for that part at least.
So that the reader could discover it themselves and complete the puzzle pieces.
“I’ll have to read it one more ti.”
Are you going back to the beginning again?
I nodded.
I had repeated it several tis, but this ti it would take longer.
And usually in these situations, I tend to gain sothing.
I went back to the very beginning and started to go through it ticulously, one by one.
If there was a part the author intentionally omitted, there must be clues before and after it.
The more pages I turned, the more I thought this hypothesis might be correct.
‘The nurous omitted drawings.’
I beca one with the author and let my imagination run wild.
What could he have possibly omitted and hidden?
What if what was hidden was the core of this book?
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind.
Countless thoughts entered my head to fit the puzzle pieces, only to be promptly rejected and co out.
‘What if the omitted drawings are of executing sword techniques?’
This thought might also be rejected imdiately.
Like the countless attempts that had already been rejected and discarded.
But surprisingly, this one puzzle piece fit right from the very first try.
A thrilling jolt ran through at that mont.
I turned the page and moved on to the next blank space.
I imagined a fitting drawing for this blank space and tried to fit the puzzle piece.
Of course, this ti too, with the image of executing a sword technique.
‘It fits!’
There was no sense of dissonance at all.
I hurriedly set out to find the next puzzle piece.
Amazingly, the puzzle began to be completed exquisitely.
It was truly an amazing book.
This book did not leave behind any specific sword forms.
The actual implentation of the forms was left as a complete blank.
However, it seed to be explaining the principles of swordsmanship by densely filling the space between the forms.
I think I need to read it from the beginning again.
My friend! Surely you are not going back to the beginning again?
At the Holy Sword’s question, I raised the corner of my mouth slightly.
You've finally figured sothing out!
I nodded.
The mont I faced the first page of the book again, I couldn't help but pay my respects to the author.
It was a truly amazing level of mastery.
Although I couldn't know the level of swordsmanship the author could actually implent, I had to acknowledge his philosophy and perspective on swordsmanship.
On the other hand, it was a pity.
The author of this old book would no longer be alive.
It would be nice if I could find out who his successor or descendant was, but there were no clues left in this book.
Since even Count Berwood, the original owner, didn't know the origin of this book, my wish was sothing that could not be fulfilled.
At that mont.
I could feel a presence from outside the door.
It was strange.
‘The door to the villa should be locked, right?’
It had been unlocked by soone.
It couldn't be the Count.
He wouldn't have co in in such a rude manner.
Beyond that, the most surprising part was that I had only just now sensed this presence.
The fact that I didn't know even at the mont the door was being unlocked.
There was only one case like this.
A being who operates mana in a unique way. A mage.
And it would be impossible for an ordinary level to evade my senses.
In other words, the owner of the presence lingering outside the door was a mage of a considerable level.
Knock! Knock!
A neat knocking sound.
After unlocking the villa's door at will, they were now being polite.
When I gave no answer, the knocking sound was heard once more, and a mont later, the door slowly opened.
“What! You were here and didn't even answer.”
The expected face. It was that psycho.
“I don't think that's sothing a ho invader should say.”
“But I did knock. I had to pick the outer door lock without permission, though.”
Deli approached nonchalantly.
“What business brings you to at this late hour?”
I decided to give up on formal speech.
“The lights in the villa were still on. Isn't it natural to be curious?”
As expected of a psycho, she had a thought process that deviated from common sense.
She continued to speak.
“Just as I expected, you were looking at the book you picked from the treasury, weren't you? I was dying of curiosity about this book too!”
“This book? Why?”
“I don't know if I should say this.”
With that, Deli grinned.
To cut off her words like this, she not only was a psycho but also had a very bad habit.
“It's fine, just say it.”
“The mont you picked up that book, I felt a very interesting energy. By the way, have you understood the contents of the book?”
She even went as far as to change the subject.
“Get to the point. What was that interesting energy?”
“Hohoho. So impatient. Alright, I'll tell you. The author of that book, I don't think they were human.”
“Not human? What do you an by that?”
“I can't be certain either, but the energy I felt from that book was that of a dragon.”
A shocking story I had not even guessed.
“What's your proof?”
“Let's just say it's a mana signature left by a dragon.”
“Have you ever seen a dragon in person?”
“Of course not.”
A hollow laugh escaped .
Because I have.
Two of them, in fact.
“But you don't necessarily have to have seen a dragon in person to know. Traces of dragons exist in this world. Like that book.”
I hadn't expected to hear about dragons here.
My displeasure at her entering my room without permission vanished in an instant.
“So you're saying the author of this book was a dragon?”
“Yes. And among them, I think it was from the Blue clan. They've been known to do this kind of thing the most.”
For so reason, the story sounded plausible.
The author of this book. To be just a human, his understanding of swordsmanship was unbelievably high.
To the extent that even I, who thought I had seen the pinnacle of swordsmanship, was impressed.
“I thought dragons completely vanished from Pangaea decades ago. Do you happen to know anything about this?”
“To ask for sothing like this for free, you're quite pushy.”
Who was calling whom pushy?
But there was no need to make such a remark now.
Because Deli seed to know sothing.
“Then, is there sothing you want from ?”
As soon as my words ended, Deli pointed to the book.
“That.”
“You want this?”
“Yes. A deal of that level should be fair, don't you think?”
“Are you saying the information you have is worth that much?”
“That's a matter of your subjective judgnt. But I'll tell you one thing for sure. I won't play gas when it cos to making a deal.”
I couldn't know what Deli knew, but the terms of the deal weren't bad.
In any case, this was a book I couldn't take to Earth.
After I had completely committed it to mory, it was an item I could give away at any ti.
“In any case, the reason you sought out at this hour is because of this book.”
“Yes.”
“I accept your proposal.”
“Really? This is too easy.”
“Why? Is it a problem that it's easy?”
“No, of course not!”
Deli's face lit up.
“However, not right now, but in two days.”
Two days for one book was a very generous estimate.
One day for simple morization.
But there were parts that required understanding, so I added another day for that.
“I don't know how I'll wait for two days! But what can I do. If that's what you want, I have to accept it. Oh! And this is a secret from Lord Berwood, okay?”
“Of course.”
“It feels so good when things go this smoothly.”
“Then you can go now.”
I said it coolly, but the next two days would be a curious ti for as well.
The desire to ask what information Deli had right now was overwhelming.
“Before I go, there's one thing I'm curious about you. What is your identity?”
To co at so directly.
“An explorer.”
“An explorer... that sounds plausible. Though you seem to be hiding a lot.”
“Then you can really go now.”
“But what should I do?”
“What now.”
“Now that I'm about to leave, my feet won't move. I think there's sothing I want to do with you here.”
As she said that, Deli gave a peculiar look.
“I don't think I've ever felt this way about soone I've just t before. I'll be frank. Would you like to have a match with ?”
She was definitely a psycho.
To co in the middle of the night and the last thing she says is that she wants to fight.
All I could do was let out a hollow laugh.
‘A mage….’
They weren't beings one could et easily, but during my Johan Raven days, I had fought against mages a few tis.
Their fighting style was different from gladiators, so it was an interesting experience.
And those experiences were also useful in my final battle against the Red Dragon.
After all, dragons are the progenitors of all magic, the ultimate mages.
“You an you want to fight , here, in this room?”
“Yes. Let's not go too far with each other, how about a one-second bout?”
“If you were to lose to , what would you do then?”
“I don't think that will happen, but if I lose, I'll teach you one of my spells.”
She was an incredible psycho.
To a mage, the secret of magic is like life itself.
I had never in my life seen a mage who would offer to teach one so carelessly.
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