Book Eater

Chapter 38: Question and Answer (1)

Since Gluttony was hungry, Theo set out two books on the bed. As soon as he aimed his left hand at the books, Gluttony immediately slurped them up.

[Power of Sand and Wind has been consumed. Your understanding is very high.]

[4th Circle spell Sandstorm has been learned.]

[Surviving in Cold Weather has been consumed. Your understanding is very high.]

[3rd Circle spell Resist Cold has been learned.]

Gluttony’s meals focused on the spells Sandstorm and Resist Cold, which would serve Theo well in various regions. Gluttony quickly transmitted information on the spells to Theodore.

“Huuuu...”

The sensation of spells suddenly appearing in Theo’s brain still felt strange to him. There was quite a lot of information he needed to parse through when it came to 4th Circle magic. Theo took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

At the same time, Gluttony spoke,

- Two books, it seems like you have a question to ask.

Something feels weird.

Theodore couldn’t put his finger on what was wrong, until he realized Gluttony’s tone had changed. It was now speaking like a normal person.

Theo stared at it for a minute before asking, “... What happened to your voice?”

- Hrmm?

Theo explained, “Your words used to be rather strained.”

Gluttony snorted and responded,

- That’s because you fed me quite a few artifacts recently. It isn’t enough for the next seal, but I did manage to fix my voice.

“... Your voice was broken?”

- Did you think I normally spoke like that?

Now that its voice had recovered, Gluttony’s pride shone through as it started to talk. Theo quickly learned that books were better than artifacts when it came to Gluttony’s growth. As Gluttony continued to go on at length, Theo began to fear that the grimoire would continue talking for days.

He quickly interrupted, “Hold on, I have a question.”

Gluttony stopped talking and then asked,

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- Aren’t you slow?

“Huh?”

- I answered your question already. Didn’t you ask me why my voice changed?

Theo stared at him in disbelief. It was only a day, but it was still frustrating to waste another day after spending so much time preparing. However, Theo’s frustration soon turned into open irritation.

- That’s a joke.

“... What?”

- You don’t know what a joke is? They’re words meant to amuse an-

“No, I know what a joke is!”

Theo hadn’t imagined that a grimoire would have a sense of humor. He hadn’t even gotten to his question, but Theo was already exhausted. Fortunately, his curiosity hadn’t counted as a question.

He sighed in relief. “Can I transfer my right to ask a question to others?”

- Hoh, how interesting.

Gluttony seemed intrigued. Theo couldn’t tell whether he was imagining it or not, but he could almost make out an eye in the hole Gluttony’s tongue emerged from. It seemed to glance at Theo, and then Vince. Theo was prepared to ask Vince’s question even if Gluttony said no.

Gluttony’s answer was unsurprising.

- It doesn’t really matter. You are the first to ask, but there isn’t a problem with the action itself.

Theo stepped back. “... Go ahead, Professor.”

Vince nodded. “Thank you.”

Vince was feeling a peculiar mix of nervousness and excitement. This conversation felt like the light at the end of a long, unknown road of research.

Vince’s voice trembled briefly, “Can I call you Gluttony?”

- Anything is fine. Do I seem like I care about such trivial things?

“I see. Then let me ask you a question.” Vince took a deep breath. “I want you to teach me about the relationship between language and magic.”

***

In the far distant past, magic existed before humans even put a name to it. Countless species, from elves who lived for millennia and dragons who considered even elves children to demons tied to a hollow eternity, all used magic under different names. But each magic system was unique to their species.

Elves danced with the elementals, while demons made a mockery of natural law with rituals. Dragons made the world shiver with a word. But humans didn’t have a natural magic system. They cobbled together their magic from the song of the elves, the strange rituals of demons, and the dwarven practice of manipulating iron.

The first millennium passed in darkness. But the next millennium saw a little progress. The third millennium was a watershed moment, as magicians finally completed their theory on Circles. For the first time since the beginning of the world, the human species had magicians of their own.

Several thousand years had passed since then, and now the grimoire who predated even the beginning of this world considered the human magician’s question.

- The question is too broad. There isn’t enough time in your life to completely explain the relationship between language and magic.

Vince probed, “What if it’s limited to the human language?”

- The problem remains. There are five hundred and twenty six human languages, so the amount of information exceeds the limit allowed for one question.

Vince absently stroked his chin in thought. “Hrmm.”

There were only a few magicians in the magic towers who studied archaeology. War had destroyed many thousands of monuments erasing records of their past. Gluttony represented humanity’s last chance to explore the ancient forbidden languages that were lost to time.

Vince’s struggle was visible on his face, but he finally asked, “Then please tell me why words from ancient languages and modern languages cause different magical effects.”

He gave up his greed to solve the biggest mystery of his profession, and narrowed the focus to his research. He knew that words that held the same meaning were often used interchangeably in spell formula, but their efficacy seemed to vary wildly with no reasonable explanation.

- That is fine.

Gluttony accepted the question.

- I will define one thing first. I don’t know what you human magicians think, but magic is the act of persuading the magic power in the world. It can be likened to earnestly asking the world to alter itself.

Vince nodded. “Persuasion… That sounds plausible.”

- As such, the language used to persuade the world will be more effective if the world understands it better. The closer to the beginning things are, the more the world will listen to the voice of the magician.

Vince’s expression turned strange. Certainly, spells that used ancient languages were more powerful and efficient than ones using modern languages. It was the basis of his research. However, the effect was anything but consistent, which was what stumped Vince.

- However, language is a contradictory medium. A large number of users creates rigid meanings, while few users allow the meaning to become more flexible and increase its power. However, once there are only few or no users left, the language becomes ambiguous and inconsistent.

Vince frowned. “I thought I understood ancient languages in my own way.”

- It’s insufficient in comparison to those who grew up immersed in it. It would be difficult to reach their proficiency and understanding unless you can imbue it into every aspect of your life.

The grimoire’s words were devastatingly accurate. Vince might have an excellent grasp of the ancient language he was researching, but he would forever be inferior to a native speaker. He would find it near impossible to recreate ancient spell formulas with his imperfect grasp.

Vince listened to the painful words and accepted it.

- What is the name of the ancient language that you’re researching?

“It’s called Balcard.”

- … That language remains in my records. It was used during the time of the Balcia Empire, when magic was at its peak. Interestingly, it was difficult for foreigners to grasp its proper pronunciation.

Enlightenment struck Vince like lightning. His eyes glazed over as he muttered, “... Pronunciation?”

-The Balcard language conveys a great deal of meaning using eight syllables that are pronounced harmoniously. It wasn’t particularly unique in that, as the pronunciation and connotation of a language are closely intertwined and often brought into being through common usage. The world accepts the pleadings of magicians on the basis of those commonly accepted connotations, but also…?

Vince’s brain had stopped processing. He had reached full cognitive capacity and began to tune Gluttony out. Various threads of his research that he had left alone for years started to weave together in his mind with everything Gluttony had said to form a beautiful, complex tapestry.

Huuuuong!

Suddenly, a wave of magic power gushed out of Vince’s body, gently sweeping through the room. Theo recognized the phenomena instantly, since he had just seen a more violent version of it from Sylvia during their match. It could only mean one thing.

He crossed the wall!?

A thrill ran down Theo’s spine as he watched Vince in awe. A 6th Circle magician was awakening right before his eyes. Meltor only boasted a hundred 6th Circle magicians across the kingdom, so it was no wonder Theo was filled with reverence.

At the same time, there was one entity who was utterly indifferent.

- Hey, user.

Theo flinched, and looked down at Gluttony. “What? I thought you might have gone back to sleep.”

?- Ah, a joke? Well, I understand, I normally would be sleeping.

Theo’s eyebrow twitched. “... What did you want?”

Normally, it would fall asleep without a word. However, its embarrassment only lasted a moment.

- I have some advice for rapid growth. At this rate, you would be old and dying before you unlock all the seals.

Theo warily looked at it. “What is it?”

- As you might have guessed, I have a few more hidden features. However, unlike Memorize, there are special conditions to be fulfilled before they can be unsealed.

Gluttony’s voice had taken on a strange timbre, like a demon of the legends.

- I’ll tell you how to unlock one of the hidden features, without any conditions.