Book Eater

Ding-dong-dang-dong...

The lively bell sound announced the end of the second semester, and the end of Bergen Academy’s school year. Every student’s final report card would be distributed in one week.

Students, who were dressed in anything but their school uniforms, ran out the doors, already forgetting their professors’ advice to not play around during winter vacation. Generally, except for some young students, the academy’s students avoided staying in school.

“Huu, what an uproar. They can still run around like this in the cold. Truly, I think being young is the best.”

“Who doesn’t? Ah, maybe a lich?”

“Hahaha, I’m afraid that a lich will just be more bones.” 𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎ｌ.𝚘ｒｇ

“Aha, that is a pretty nasty point!”

Even the professors were in a good mood. They enjoyed a cup of coffee and chatted with their colleagues as they quietly enjoyed their freedom from their mischievous students. Some talked about their students, while others talked about what to study during the holiday. The professors were planning to go home a few days later too.

One professor asked Vince, “Professor Vince, are you staying at school during winter break?”

“Yes, I am,” Professor Vince’s emotionless voice matched his blank expression.

His fellow professor couldn’t help flinching.

However, due to the fact that they had spent a few years together and had adjusted a little bit, he didn’t stutter when he spoke again. I heard that you were focusing on a research project. Is it because of that?”

Professor Vince’s eyes grew cold. Naturally, it was rude for magicians to spy on each other’s research.

His low voice revealed his irritation. “That isn’t something to be talked about here.”

“Ha, haha.?That’s right. Forget that I asked.”

“......” Vince glanced at him for a moment before turning his gaze out the window.

The atmosphere of the room suddenly grew chilly. Professor Vince was famous for not being very friendly. He was a first-rate magician dispatched from the capital to Bergen Academy, and his position as a senior magician in the 5th Circle put him above the other instructors. In other words, he was a dispatched lecturer and was difficult for the other professors to deal with.

“Oh! You were here, Professor Vince.”

At that moment, a professor entered the office. The professor was, to put it mildly, rather stout, but he was always dressed in a suit that strained at the seams, which reminded onlookers of a balloon. Thus, the students nicknamed him ‘Balloon’.

The so-called Professor Balloon, spoke in a giggly voice, “Can I ask you something?”

“... Yes.” Vince couldn’t spit on a grinning face.

He stared at Professor Balloon with an annoyed expression. Vince didn’t like this pig who liked to chatter on. Unsurprisingly, the words which emerged from Professor Balloon’s mouth didn’t fail to irritate Vince.

“Did that boy not graduate again this year?” Professor Balloon’s eyebrows wriggled in an obvious taunt.

Theodore Miller… Professor Vince’s eyes flashed as he recalled the student. Theodore Miller was a student who was betrayed by his talent and wasn’t rewarded for his efforts. The fact that Theodore had received a repeater letter three times meant he became a notorious celebrity.

Other faculty professors approached them.

“Aha, is it that Theo child?”

“Isn’t this year his third repeater letter? After next year, we won’t see him anymore. I’m sorry… Should I not say it? Hahaha!”

“Professor Claude is very mean, saying such empty words.”

“In the end, he is a child of a fallen noble family. Their talent has dried up.”

Obnoxious remarks were being spoken.

These bastards with eyes yet still walk around blind.

Vince took a few steps away and stared at them with disdain. It felt like his ears would rot away if he continued to listen to them talk. These were educators who didn’t even know what their students were going through.

No, even if it was correct, should an educator be disparaging their students? He could only shake his head firmly at this question.

Theo is a far better magician than any of you.

Yet those words couldn’t emerge from his mouth. Vince wanted to grab Professor Balloon’s hand and throw the coffee cup in his face.

However, Vince stopped himself... because in the end, it was true. He had given up his personal sponsorship of Theodore due to Theodore’s lack of sensitivity. There was no denying that Vince had turned away a student due to his lack of talent. That was the only thing which stopped Vince from meddling in their words.

Theodore Miller.

Vince looked out the window with a nauseous feeling in his stomach. The newly darkened sky seemed to represent his inner heart. Then he realized that the lights at the opposite building were coming from the library and sighed once more. There was only one person who would visit the library on the day of the closing ceremony.

Vince prayed for the day when that diligent effort would be rewarded.

***

At that particular moment, Theo’s shoulders were trembling.

“Uha!” The desk shook with a loud thump.

Seven hardcover books had just been placed on the desk. Dropping these many books on his foot wouldn’t end with just a bruise. There was a humorous ghost story about how librarians were often killed by cursed books.

Even if there isn’t a curse on these books, wouldn’t I die if this were a normal situation?

The books were heavier than bricks. If one of them fell from a high bookshelf and hit someone on the head, it was likely that it’d crack their skull. That’s why there was a warning to not make a disturbance in the library. It truly was dangerous, so they had even put a sign up.

“Okay, this is enough for today.” Theo wiped his hands free of dust.

The library was not usually frequented by anyone, so every book he picked up was dusty. The librarian’s diligence only went so far as to occasionally check the locks of the building. It was lucky that Gluttony didn’t chew the books, or he would’ve had to wipe the books down first.

First, I have to use Appraisal.

Theo moved his left hand in a familiar motion. He was about to measure the value of the book using Gluttony’s ‘ability to judge food.’ It was a simpler process than he’d first thought.

Theo pointed his left hand at the book, just like when Gluttony had been eating, and commanded, “Appraisal.”

Slurp.

The tongue shot out from Theo’s left hand with a loud smack and licked the cover of the book on top. At the same time, a visual representation of the information emerged in front of Theo.

[Ignition and Ignite are Different]

[This book is about an improved version of Ignition magic and explains Ignite magic. Unlike Ignition, which creates fire on a surface, Ignite can create an ignition point in the air. While Ignite can be used from a distance, its firepower is slightly lower than that of Ignition.]

* Your comprehension is very high. (96.7%)

* The grade of this book is Normal.

* After ingesting, 1st Circle spell Ignite will be acquired.]

“I remember that this spell seemed useful.”

He laughed and picked up the book. Gluttony’s Appraisal was a means of measuring the food. This helped him determine the benefits of the book that was consumed. Appraisal allowed Theo to evaluate books even if he hadn’t read them before. It also meant he could pick out books with special qualities.

Thanks to this, picking a book is much easier.

It was also possible because it was Theo. After spending five years in the library, there was no book that he didn’t know. Theo put the books he’d read once and those he’d read a few times but didn’t understand on separate lists.

The moment he was about to use Appraisal on the second book, Gluttony woke up.

[Gluttony has woken up from its sleep and is complaining about an empty stomach.]

[The regular meals have reduced his hunger a lot. There is more room to choose its food. Gluttony will answer one question after eating two books and will immediately fall asleep after the third book. The remaining time is 30 minutes.]

Two books or three books...

It was a choice he’d made several times already, but it was always a struggle. If he selected two books, he could get an answer. If he selected three books, he could extract one more essence.

Last time, he’d thought it was important to improve his skills and had chosen to feed it three books. What should he choose this time?