Book Eater

Theo wanted to stay longer with his first child, but he could see that Sylvia was tired despite drinking tea made from a leaf of the world tree. After all, it wasn't medicine or magic. He kissed the foreheads of Sylvia and the sleeping Adellia before leaving the room.

Creak.

Once he left the room, Veronica’s eyes widened from where she was waiting for him. What on earth was she seeing? She stretched out a hand and touched the dry tear marks on his cheek. “... Theo, you cried?”

Come to think of it, he hadn’t wiped them off. Theo nodded lightly. For some reason, he couldn’t speak. For once, Veronica didn’t tease him. Rather, she held his face affectionately and pulled him close. They both luxuriated in each other’s presence for a moment.

“Oh, I’m jealous.” Veronica had a faint smile on her face. Her heart was affected when she saw this man looked so defenseless. She felt a bit envious that Sylvia had seen this face first. Veronica’s affection for Theo, who truly loved her, was overwhelming.

She held his face and said playfully, “When it’s my turn, you’re gonna get hurt if you don’t cry. Understood?”

“Of course,” Theo replied without any hesitation. This was a joy that he wouldn’t be able to get used to, no matter how many times he experienced it. It was a feeling he never knew before he became a parent. Despite the extra weight on his shoulders, Theo didn’t break.

“All of you are my treasures. I don’t intend to change that, even if the world is at risk.”

It was the reason he had been able to refuse the Akashic Records and the throne of omnipotence. The role Clipeus had given to him was light compared to this. A few more things to his burden wouldn’t convince him to leave.

Veronica blushed at his words, looking very cute. Then Theo whispered, “Can I see Becky’s child next time?”

“I-I don’t know!” Veronica exclaimed, slipping out of Theo’s grasp. Her eyes were big as she shouted, “Tonight is my turn, so don’t go anywhere!”

Theo smirked. “I know. That is why I said it.”

“This beast!”

“Isn’t that my line?”

Veronica’s face was as red as a persimmon as she looked away. Her red dragon’s lineage had unleashed all her passion after their wedding. She was in no position to call Theo a beast.

However, he stopped teasing her and spoke in a gentle voice, “Don’t stay for long. Sylvia is tired. Understood?”

Veronica nodded silently. If anything, she felt like she would receive more damage the more she watched. After stroking Veronica’s red hair several times, Theo turned and walked down the corridor. The sound of the door closing behind him was strange.

Theo composed himself as he stepped out of the tower. He walked lightly.

... Ah.

Then he soon realized…

The world looks different.

Theo even welcomed the boiling hot sun. His eyes were captivated by the rustling of unnamed flowers and by the fresh clouds floating in the sky. Was this the feeling of having the whole world? All riches and honors were useless.

“Sigh...” Theo was happy for a moment before calling out behind him. He had been aware of the presence from before, but now it was closer than before. “Paragranum, what is it?”

It was a pale blonde girl with two eyes like rubies and soft chocolate skin. She was a beautiful girl who looked no different from a doll. With a smile that seemed like it had come out of a painting, the grimoire that was the Yellow Tower Master spoke about something else instead of answering.

“You are really interesting.” Her red eyes glowed with dangerous interest. “Despite becoming a transcendent, you stayed faithful to keeping your human emotions. It was beyond my expectations that you would defeat Wrath and your contractor.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it.” Theo was careful not to give anything away. “Why are you here?”

“It is a regular report.”

“... Hmm.” 𝙗𝒆𝒅𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝙢

Without any hand gestures or chants, a wall of silence surrounded the two of them. Paragranum’s mouth fell open when she realized what he had done, but Theo didn’t respond.

“Start.”

“You really are unfriendly,” Paragranum said with a shrug before explaining, “I have built more than half the blueprints. It’s the beginning of a cornerstone of a civilization that combines science and magic. This will lead to the opening of schools that will spread the two disciplines throughout all of Meltor. It should take about ten years?”

“Ten years before we stand at the starting line... It’s a long way to go.”

Para shook her head. “It can’t be helped. This country is already attached to a magic system. If you want to change the sheets, you either have to wait until they turn around or flip them all over.”

If Theo decided to make radical changes, he might see progress three times as fast. However, then the civilization of the material world would be very reliant on him. At the same time, if he didn’t intervene, the dearth of mana would become more serious over time, and there was the possibility of a big problem rising. Therefore, Theo aimed for a gradual reform. The blueprints were just a light push for a new world order centered around Meltor.

I have too many things to do.

He didn’t have time to enjoy Adellia being born. This was the reason why Theo didn’t choose a radical path. There was no reason for him to gain wealth or power, nor did he want to take care of things he didn’t need to do. He also had no intention of making the world into his garden. The people who lived in the present era should walk along their path themselves.

Para shrugged. “Still, I think that magic engineering is fun. The world will be quite different after completing this plan. A thousand… no, will it take a thousand five hundred years?”

“Maybe it needs that long,” Theo confirmed Paragranum’s prediction. He added, “Tell me if there is anything you don’t like, especially considering the circumstances.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine. Creating a ‘human’ is just another means for my purpose of existence. In the first place, alchemy is the halfway point between magic and science.”

“Certainly, if you are sure.”

After a thousand five hundred years, mana would be far scarcer. However, the utility of magic engineering was better than magic in certain fields. The alchemy grimoire, Paragranum, would be able to use it much better than anyone else. In the future where all masters would have disappeared, Theo would be the only deterrent to Paragranum.

“This is the end of my report.” Paragranum delivered some more reports before taking two steps back and staring at Theo. It was like she was looking inside him. “The future of this world is interesting, but I am also curious about your future. Despite being able to reign, you choose not to reign. You also have no desire to leave this world. Isn’t that right?”

“So?”

Paragranum turned, leaving behind only a few words. “Theodore Miller, the last transcendent of this world, how long can you insist on this life? I will be watching.”

Until when?

Theo gazed at the blonde who was moving away from him. No matter the purpose behind her words, it didn’t feel like she was antagonizing him. It was purely curiosity. Perhaps the few words of this grimoire would stick with him until the end of this world.

“... Go.”

Theo left this spot and returned to the central tower.

***

Two months later, Sylvia gradually recovered after giving birth to Adellia. Moreover, the distribution of Lairon’s territory was finally completed after six months of negotiations. Austen had objected strenuously, but quieted down after Theo paid them a visit.

It was a prelude to the Age of Great Peace.

Envy’s death had resolved the long conflict in the northern part of the continent. The territory of Lairon, which could’ve been the seed of a dispute, was divided among nations without a single armed conflict. Over the next twenty years, they would be too busy clearing the land to turn their eyes elsewhere.

In the southern part of the continent, the swamp was receding, revealing new land for colonization. However, it wasn’t easy to take advantage of it because the monsters in the continent had renewed their grip on this land. In particular, the southern kingdoms lacked strong combat power.

As long as this balance didn’t collapse, there would be at least one or two centuries of peace.

“On behalf of the Meltor Kingdom, I will declare to all countries!” In this unprecedented golden age of Meltor, Kurt III declared to the world, “From this day on, Meltor is no longer a kingdom! As a true magic empire, I declare that we are the Magic Empire of Meltor!”

Andras had been downgraded to a kingdom after being defeated in the war. Even the empire in the East Continent had collapsed. No nation objected to Meltor’s claim to becoming an empire. In the central square of Manavil, Kurt III, now an emperor, stood on his podium and raised one hand to the cheering people.

“Wait! The auspicious news doesn’t end here!”

Expectations filled the eyes of the gathered crowd. It was already surprising that Meltor was declaring itself an empire. There was more? Kurt III waited a beat to increase the tension before glancing at someone standing by. Then he raised his voice to ring across the square.

“You know him well! The chief of the magic towers that oversees the whole of Meltor Kingdom—no, the best magician of the Empire!”

Theo walked slowly to stand before Kurt III.

Kurt continued, “The hero who has built up countless achievements, the one who ended the war with Andras and whose reputation stretches to the East Continent! I will give Chief Tower Master Theodore Miller a position worthy of these merits!”

At least thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of people forgot how to breathe as they watched in anticipation. This was a day which would be written in Meltor’s history books and a day that they wouldn’t forget. It was Kurt III’s accession as the first emperor of Meltor and the appointment ceremony for Theodore Miller.

“Hear my words, Theodore Miller.”

Theo bowed slightly without kneeling. As a 9th Circle magician, he was qualified to do so.

“Will you give wisdom to this Meltor as a teacher of the state? Will you be the pillar of the empire’s strength and honor?”

Theo replied simply, “Yes.”

“Are you willing to become a companion of this Meltor Empire and pursue a future with it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kurt III smiled at the answer and pulled something out from beneath the podium. “Then everyone here will stand as witnesses! If you have eyes, look! If you have ears, listen! I, the first emperor of the Meltor Empire, will give my first imperial order!”

He held a luxurious rod with a mysterious glowing gem hanging from its end. It was fifty centimeters in length, and the magic power rising from its surface proved that its value was huge. The rod, known as a magician’s special weapon along with a staff and an orb, was a national treasure managed by the royal family.

“You will be treated as the head of our imperial court, a teacher, and a guardian. You can exercise any command equal to an imperial order in any domestic or foreign affairs. The leader of all magicians, the head of the magic towers, Theodore Miller! I, Kurt III, today appoint you as the Imperial Guardian!”

It was a position prepared only for Theo.

It is the glory of my life, Your Majesty.”

Theo politely accepted the rod. Feeling uncomfortable, he laughed. It had been more than half a year, yet he still hadn’t adapted to this. There was a faint smile on his face as Theo raised his left hand up to the sky.

“Wahhhhh!”

The roar of the crowd shook the heavens and the earth.