Theodoreâs eyes widened as he read the information window. âA magician can fight in close combat? Is that really possible?â
Theo had pride in being a magician, but he also acknowledged the strength of aura users. No matter how much he strengthened his body with secondary magic, it would be impossible for him to deal with a real swordsman like Randolph.
Aura, an extremely refined bio-energy, was a power which gave terrific physical abilities in exchange for giving up other possibilities. Even if a 7th Circle magician used Haste, it would be difficult to respond to Randolphâs sword.
âAh, is that Battle Song? It has been a while.â At this moment, Veronica approached and looked over Theoâs shoulder at the book he had picked up.
As a tower master, she could freely go back and forth from the Zero Library, so it wasnât strange that she knew about the Battle Song. It might be awkward, but she truly was qualified to be his guide.
Theo turned around naturally and asked, âIs it a famous book?â
âHuh? Rather than famous⌠it is a bit wicked?â Veronica thought for a moment before explaining why. âUsually, ordinary magicians wonât touch this. It is popular with our kids, so studying it is a requirement, but it is more difficult to find someone who has actually learned it.â
âWhy? Magic that assists in close combat would be useful in any situation.â
It was as Theo said.
Battle Song reinforced the lack of physical abilities, so it wasnât just limited to war mages. It was a magic which could take care of a magicianâs only weakness! So, why did other magicians ignore this magic?
Veronica smiled like she knew what Theo was thinking. âEveryone who sees the book for the first time will say something similar. Kid, Battle Song is a magic that is as great as you think. If you are a skilled war mage, then it is possible to move at the level of aura users.â
That wasnât all, so she continued speaking, âHowever, Battle Song is permanent magic, unlike Haste or Strength. Do you understand what I mean?â
ââŚPerhaps.â
âIt is like this. If you want to use Battle Song, you have to allocate at least four circles and chant the order without stopping. Which one is more risky?â
Indeed, Theodore had no choice but to accept it.
Just as Veronica said, this was different from magic which would be kept in effect  automatically. In order for the effect to persist, he had to spin his circles continually in order to maintain it. Additionally, the flow of magic power had to be fixed by chanting the spell without interruption.
If a 5th Circle magician used âBattle Songâ, they would only be able to use 1st Circle magic. In that case, it would be better to stand in place and chant a spell.
âApart from war magicians, it is a good idea to avoid thisâŚâ
Even 7th Circle magicians would be limited to magic of the 3rd Circle when Battle Song was used. If they werenât war mages who had perfected their fighting skills to the master level, the disadvantages far outweighed the benefits. Even if a magician could move at the speed of an aura user, it would useless if they didnât know any fighting techniques.
Despite the fact that Theo could use Alfredâs Magic Missile with only one circle, it was hard to trust his unstable fifth circle. While Theo was worrying about Battle SongâŚ
-User, select this book.
Out of nowhere, a familiar voice was heard in his head.
âGluttony?â
He was glad that Veronica was standing behind him instead of before him. She didnât get to see the astonishment which had formed on Theoâs face, then he recovered after realizing it wasnât a hallucination.
-Donât ask questions you already know. It is a waste of time.
âYou, can you speak through this method?â
-It is a function that returned some time ago. Isnât it welcome since you want to hide my existence?
It made a lot of sense. Right now, Theodoreâs choice of magic book was more important than a minor addition to Gluttony. So, Theo asked for advice about the magic book.
âWhat is the reason for selecting this book?â
-It is Treasure rank, so it is a prey to release the 3rd seal. In addition, the function that will be released from the 3rd seal will allow you to use this magic more efficiently.
ââŚYou canât tell me what that function is?â
-Thatâs right.
At the end of the day, the one with the final decision was Theo. He looked at the book in his hand and the glass boxes around him. There was only one choice available to Theo at present, but one day, he would come back for the wisdom in another book.
In the end, Theodore picked up [Battle Song]. Veronica nodded with a pleased expression at his choice. It seemed like many of those who learned this magic were from the Red Tower.
âWell, it isnât a bad choice! The magic that a kid like you can learn in here isnât easy, so you should pick something that is in your scope.â
âYes, thank you.â
âI will be staying in the capital for a while, so you should visit Vince and have a good nightâs sleep. We can talk about your circles later, okay?â
It seemed Veronica wasnât the friendly type to adjust her schedule for others. She poured magic power into the wall while tapping Theoâs head with her other hand. Despite it being a truly awkward touch, he could tell that she was expressing her affection.
âSee you later, Theodore!â
Theodore was sent out alone before he even realized that he had been kicked out of the Zero Library.
***
After finishing his work in the Zero Library, Theodore headed to his private room with Vince. The magic towers and Magic Society were greatly enlarged on the inside, so there were rooms to accommodate 1,000 magicians.
Of course, the conditions for a private room were tricky, but it wasnât hard when the person was a Superior magician.
After an early dinner, the conversation between the two people began in earnest.
ââŚSo, thatâs what happened.â
Vince listened seriously to the story and was amazed.
It had only been a fortnight since Theoâs tournament finals, but it seemed like the owner of a grimoire could never live an uneventful life. As soon as Theo returned home, heâd had an encounter with an elder lich and Deathâs Worship.
After Theo finished telling his story, he bowed his head and apologized, âIâm sorry Master. The dimension pocket that you lent meâŚâ
âNo, your judgement was correct. It would be a disaster if that grimoire was running free. If the issue could be resolved with one dimension pocket, then everything is fine. Consequently, the dimension pocket has been reissued and the grimoire is sealed, so this is the best result,â Vince praised Theoâs decision.
Despite borrowing the power of the grimoire, the salvation of the Miller Barony was a feat which had been accomplished by Theo.
It was a heroic accomplishment which had saved hundreds of lives and prevented the unprecedented disaster that might have followed. There would be no idiot who would disparage Theo just because of one dimension pocket.
Vince wanted to lighten the mood, so he switched to another topic. âBy the way, I didnât know that Tower Master would like you so much. She has a temper and is fickle in many ways, so it isnât easy for people to approach her.â
ââŚIs that so?â Theoâs expression changed subtly.
As soon as they met, she had put her arm around his shoulders and dragged him along. She hadnât showed any signs of dislike toward Sylvia or Vince; she just seemed more interested in Theo. Her facial expression had been the same when looking at the muscular Blundell.
However, Vince spoke decisively, âShe is someone who gives off a bad first impression like a dragon, and it takes time for her to get to know a person. In my case, I remember that it took two years until I was called by name.â
âI-It is tricky.â
âIt isnât just me. In any case, I thought you might have chosen for Gluttony to eat something that would be wrong for you.â Vince thought it would be a poison like Hell Fire, but he then saw the book next to Theo and whispered in a moist voice, âIs this Battle Song? It mustâve been 10 years since I last read a copy.â
âMaster also learned this?â
âOf course. It is appealing to have a melee ability even though it is limited. Even if it canât be used often, it is a hidden trick.â
Duplicated copies of the books in the Zero Library existed. If duplication magic didnât work with it, then it meant it was a duplicate. The special power in the book couldnât be copied, but it wasnât a problem to distribute the knowledge contained in it.
Books were archived in the Zero Library were treated as special because they were original copies, but most of the knowledge itself was widespread through the duplicate copies. Of course, there were some prohibited and forbidden books, but⌠it was impossible for them to be read, unless the person was a tower master or the king.
Vince had also learned the Battle Song and repeated all the words. The memory of a senior magician wouldnât dim even after a few years had passed.
âIf you donât understand something, you can ask me. I donât know what you will get from this book, but I havenât forgotten any of the verses of the song.â
âThank you.â
âDoes this mean you will come to the Red Tower?â Vinceâs question might sound strange, but in fact, a mentor and his disciple werenât obligated to belong to the same tower. Even though they were split into four towers, the root was still the Magic Society. So, regardless of the tower they belonged to, there was no impact on their relationship.
Every magician had the right to belong to the tower they wanted to, and Theo chose the Red Tower. âYes, I want to go to the Red Tower.â
He had become quite interested in the Yellow Tower until he returned home. Theodore had a contract with Mitra the earth elemental, so heâd thought that the Yellow Tower would be good. However, that idea was overturned after meeting the powerful elder lich. Theo had a hunch that his life would never flow calmly.
âPower is required. If I donât become stronger than I am now, I am bound to be overtaken by the grimoire. This time, I managed to get out from the situation, but I shouldnât expect the same luck next time!â
From the very beginning, Theo hadnât want to live as a researcher. He wanted to live like the adventurous magicians heâd read about during his childhood. Theo wanted to save people and find treasures⌠He had been obsessed with living the special life of magicians.
After meeting the grimoire, Gluttony, heâd thought his dream had come true, but in the end, he was still an immature magician.
As Theoâs desire was made clear, Vince nodded firmly. âOkay, I will go and complete the entrance procedure now. Since you are an Average magician, you will be given a private room inside the Red Tower.â
âThank you, Master.â
âWell, then Iâll be going. Read it at once.â
As Vince left with a warm expression, Theo opened up [Battle Song]. âUhh⌠There are a lot of ambiguous words.â
It seemed like the myth that the Battle Song had originated from a foreign magician was true as strange words were mixed into the song. So, the translation of some words were difficult. It was a tricky book worthy of being kept in the Zero Library, but it wasnât beyond Theoâs comprehension.
His eyes fixed on the characters and started to move back and forth in a mechanical manner.
âLife energy flows in the body, just like magic power and aura. The bodyâs performance will change drastically depending on the direction it flows, and the magic described in the book aims to direct this changeâŚâ
In the room where Theo remained alone, silence flowed. This tranquility was a haven for magicians acquiring wisdom. His consciousness quickly sank to the depths as his uncommon level of concentration remained focused on the book in front of him. If he could use the Appraisal ability on himself, he would witness his understanding level rise quickly.
95% was the minimum of understanding required to extract an essence. It was the so-called âvery highâ level when Theo paused halfway through the book. The combination of exotic vocabulary and extraordinary knowledge reduced his concentration.
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Nevertheless, he chose to push himself in order to learn the strange form which was different from the existing magic he already knew.
***
On the sixth day, Theodore finally put down the book.
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