After completing the agreement with Myrdal, Gluttony maintained its silence. It seemed like it wasnât quite satisfied about the result of its quarrel with Myrdal. Theodore tried to speak to Gluttony a few times in his mind, but Gluttony didnât answer and fell asleep.
Instead, Myrdal chuckled and said to Theo, [Huhu, I suppose it is upset. Iâm sorry for being rude in my own way.]
âTruly a formidable figure.â Theo gazed at the old man before him calmly.
It was hard to guess Myrdalâs real intentions from his eyes, despite just being a memory left in the fountain. Myrdal Herseim, a person with the behaviour and depth of a great magician, as well as being a great sage⌠He wasnât the type of person that Theo, who was only 20 years old, could face as an equal.
âSo, why did Myrdal want to see a young man like me?â Theo spoke in a brusque tone as he couldnât help feeling uncomfortable.
It felt like he was a plaything for the two unidentified beings, Gluttony and Myrdal. Both of them were beyond Theodoreâs understanding, but he didnât want to bow to them.
Myrdal let out a jolly laugh, like a grandfather looking at his grandson. [Who can call the contractor of one of the Seven Sins a young man? So, donât be alarmed Theodore. This old man is just trying to help you.]
ââŚWhy?â
[Huh?]
âI donât know the specifics. If you want to help me, then please tell me why.â
It was a situation in which a story Theo didnât know about had happened, and a decision had been made regardless of his wishes. He felt like something being swept adrift by a wave, like a puppet dancing comically on someoneâs palm.
Theodore stood up to a great magician whom most magicians didnât even dare look at.
Myrdal hadnât expected this reaction and was speechless for a moment. Then after that moment, he spoke in a voice where all the laughter had disappeared. [âŚThatâs right. Your position must be uncomfortable. It might just be words, but I apologize.]
Myrdal bowed his head as he finished talking. It was the apology of a great man who had rewritten dozens of magic records.
It was Theoâs turn to be taken aback by Myrdalâs behaviour.
Then the old man lifted his head and spoke again, [But I want you to know that it means there is a secret I canât tell you right now, and itâs a secret that you âshouldnât know.â At the very least, you need to unlock the 5th seal of Gluttony to be qualified.]
âMyrdal, you are trulyâŚ!â
[Yes, I know. The purpose for the appearance of the âSeven Sinsâ in this world and the acts they left behind⌠andâŚ]
Myrdalâs hand reached out suddenly, giving Theo no chance to react. Was it because he couldnât feel any malice? Maybe it was because the very existence of Myrdal was unclear. Before the warning could flow through his system, the hand made of fountain water grabbed Theoâs left hand.
[If the Ego allows it, I can do this.]
At the same time, there was a blue flash in Theoâs head.
ââââââ!â
Something was pouring in. There were unknown lessons, scenery he had never seen before, letters he couldnât understand, and so on. It felt like he had eaten dozens of magic books at the same time. Theoâs brilliant head couldnât cope with the amount of information.
The forced knowledge expanded his brainâs tolerance and awakened an area which hadnât been seen before. It was a phenomenon that could be expressed as a type of awakening.
Additionally, that wasnât the only change Myrdal caused.
[Error! ErrorâŚ! Accepted. This is a legitimate request. Gluttonyâs 4th seal has been released.]
[Gluttonyâs function has been opened normally. The user should check the information window of the corresponding function immediately.]
[Grimoire âGluttonyâ / C Rank]
[Gluttonyâs 4th seal has been released through a normal path. From now on, the user can borrow the power of an author that Gluttony has extracted. However, once the author has been overwritten, the author canât be reloaded. Previous owners have called the feature âOverwriteâ, but you can change the name if you want.
* Once the Overwrite function is demonstrated to its limit, âTransmissionâ will be triggered to completely take over the power of the author.]
Previously while fighting Superbia, Gluttony had been forced to open the fourth seal. This time, the method wasnât recognized as an unusual means. Theo could only feel in awe at the phenomenon he couldnât understand, as he realized that a new wisdom was filled into his mind.
âNo, that expression is a bit strange.â
The dizziness disappeared, and Myrdalâs knowledge remained in him. It was like acquiring a vessel which already contained that knowledge. The knowledge that Myrdal left behind in the Fountain of Wisdom was well-suited to the title of âSageâ. So, Theo would only be able to fully understand it after crossing two walls.
Theodore intuitively realized this and raised his head. He felt it was a blessing, but it was hard for him to reveal any of his feelings to Myrdal.
Myrdal was well aware of this. So, he spoke to Theo instead of trying to buy his trust. There wasnât a lot of time remaining for him to use the Fountain of Wisdom, and there were still things he wanted to say to Theodore.
[There is a trace of the reason why the seal was already unlocked once. Thanks to that, I have a bit more to talk about.]
ââŚâŚâ
[Cough, donât look at me like that. I donât even have five minutes left. Please listen to this old manâs advice.]
As Theo stared at Myrdal with an expressionless face, the old man coughed a few times before opening his mouth again.
[Honestly speaking, you are in a dangerous state right now.]
Theodoreâs eyebrows twitched at the words. It was a serious topic. This wasnât the diagnosis of an old man but the great magician Myrdal. Just as Veronica had once noticed Theoâs unstable circles, the eyes of the great magician noticed the cracks Theo couldnât feel.
Myrdal groaned lightly as he touched his beard. [It is due to eating Laevateinn during this incident. Power was extracted from the grimoire, as well as the unknown dimension. Additionally, the power of the artifacts and treasures⌠It is too hard for a man who is only 20 years old to bear.]
ââŚWhat specifically is the problem?â
[I will ask you a simple question. If you pour more contents than a bowl can handle, what will happen to the bowl?]
âIt would break.â Theo shook off the eerie feeling.
Then Myrdal nodded like Theoâs speculation was correct and continued the story. [Fortunately, drinking from this fountain has increased the grace period. It probably wonât be a problem for two years. But after three years, your body will start to collapse, and you will die in five years.]
âThatâŚ!â
[Sorry, but I have no time.]
There was a time limit. Myrdalâs form was collapsing little by little. The fingers pointing at Theo became watery and the overall shape more blurred. However, Myrdalâs voice remained clear, like he was directly speaking into Theodoreâs head.
The old man felt he had a responsibility to finish the story until the end. [Increase the capacity of the vessel. Get rid of the day-to-day fighting and eating of a magician, and live like a beast. Explore the wide world and increase the size of your vessel as you bump into many people.]
âThat is too abstract!â
[No, you already know the method.]
Despite the crumbling face, Myrdalâs blue eyes were bright as they penetrated inside Theo.
[Just like how you once struggled through the years, do it again this time. Donât hesitate to walk the tough and difficult path. Become a magician who walks his own way through the wilderness.]
Theodore hadnât known Myrdalâs purpose, and despite the conversation they just had, he still didnât know. However, he could tell one thing from the story. Myrdal had been a magician before he became a sage, and so, he taught his junior. Theo understood that he should engrave this advice into his mind.
Myrdal quickly disappeared, and the fountain became calm again. The whole thing felt like a summer nightâs dream.
Theodore Millerâs gaze lingered at the space before him, then he began to move quietly. ââŚLetâs go.â
The opportunity had been to use the Fountain of Wisdom once, so staying here any longer would just be a waste of time. With many questions and realizations, the young magician left the elvesâ holy place behind.
* Â Â Â Â * Â Â Â Â *
For Ellenoa, it was exactly 30 minutes later when Theodore emerged. As he appeared at the door of the cabin, he had on a weary face.
Ellenoa had been waiting quietly, and she quickly walked toward him. Up close, Theoâs face looked a bit different than usual, and she felt her cheeks becoming hot. Fortunately, Theo didnât notice it.
âTheodore, welcome back.â
âAh, Ellenoa.â
âHow was it? The holy land of the elves.â She smiled with anticipation.
Then Theo told her honestly how he felt, âI have more to think about than I expected.â
He had met an unexpected person in an unexpected place, Gluttonyâs seal was now released again, and he received a deadline. Theo didnât know what to feel as too many things had happened at the same time.
Regardless of whether she knew his complex heart or not, Ellenoaâs expression turned serious.
Then she said the words she had prepared while waiting, âMy role ends here. It was to guide Theodore to the Fountain of Wisdom and back to the banquet hall. From here on out, it will be my personal favour, so can you listen?â
Theo cocked his head and agreed.
Then Ellenoa gained confidence and held out her hand. As moonlight flowed softly over the world tree, her fingers seemed to shine with a silver glow. The beauty and atmosphere of a fairy tale temporarily caught his eyes.
ââŚCan you walk with me a bit more?â Ellenoa closed her eyes, pretending not to know about her fingers trembling in fear of the rejection. Then her eyes widened as a warm and rough hand touched hers.
Theodore accepted the small favour by taking her hand. âI want to walk around a bit more too.â
Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu
A bright smile emerged on Ellenoaâs face at his acceptance, while Theo looked down at such a beautiful smile but ended up gazing at their hands. Perhaps it was the mood. Or perhaps it was because his hand had grown larger in the meantime. Ellenoaâs hand felt more tapered than half a year ago.
ââŚWell, I must be mistaken.â
Unfortunately, he just hadnât realized it yet.
Current schedule:Â Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.
I have also updated my  to reflect my new novels. Every tier has early access to a certain number of unedited chapters and the chapters will be updated after I finish releasing the chapters for the day.