I Killed an Academy Player - Chapter 11

[ Grimoire in the Great Library (1) ]

Merkava Academy has a student-only cafeteria for students. So-called learning.

Originally, learning was for student welfare, so the price was cheap, but the taste was mediocre, and the menu was the same every day, but this place was on a different level.

First of all, the ingredients are good.

I don’t know where it’s sourced from, but they use all the best ingredients, from potatoes to corn, rice, flour, and meat.

There was a time when the quality of the ingredients dropped drastically, perhaps because the supplier changed midway, but Academy basically used good ingredients.

What is best than anything is the food culture of this world.

“As expected… knowledge is a cutlet.”

I don’t know why there is a pork cutlet in the fantasy game world.

Well, since kimchi is from the Eastern Continent, what is there to say about pork cutlet?

What is it? It must be similar to the fact that kimonos and Japan appear frequently in other world movies.

“What are you doing? Not eating?”

The Lark boy is chewing on crispy fries and heavy meat and passing rice, but he doesn’t even lift a fork with a nervous expression on his face.

“Starting with the story about Grimoire…”

“Shh! What if someone hears it? Lower your voice.”

“I’m sorry…”

Lark cowered timidly. Only after he lifted his fork and licked the pork cutlet did I open my mouth.

“This is something my uncle, who was a student here, told me about…”

-Basaaaak.

The fried batter that you timidly chew. I feel like I’m quite nervous.

“He was a student at Merkava Academy. But you know the library, right? It’s in the first library.”

-Nod

“There is a secret space hidden there, and Grimoire is hidden in that secret space.”

“That Grimoire… Is this the Grimoire I know?”

Grimoire. To put it simply, it is a skill book.

A powerful treasure that allows you to learn the corresponding magic or characteristic just by reading it.

Could it be said that it is necessary for players to learn all kinds of skills and spells with different genealogies and tendencies?

Grimoire gains abilities and loses effectiveness just by reading it, so it is sold at a high price. The price of a single house is ridiculous.

“Can you get it? Where is it? If only I could read it…!”

It’s no wonder that Lark’s eyes roll. Until now, I’ve only saved the ‘spell’, but I haven’t been able to use it.

This is also connected to the magician’s intuition. Even if you understand the theory, in order to complete the magic, you must also understand the spell intuitively.

Imagination and realizing it through magic is almost the realm of instinct.

However, Grimoire forces one to acquire that instinctive understanding.

Even ordinary people without magical powers can memorize spells by reading Grimoire. It won’t manifest because it doesn’t have magical power.

“Yes, I know the secret library where Grimoire is.”

“Why are you telling me that?”

Oh, you’ve finally regained your composure and asked a normal question. Yeah, I guess I’ll have to convince them as to why I brought up this good story.

“Do you know that I am a knight?”

“Uh… I guess so.”

“The Grimoire my uncle told me about is two books. One contains spells and one contains characteristics.”

“Really?”

“Of course. But my magic level is low, so I can’t use the spell even if I learn it anyway. I mean, I don’t need one book.”

“But I guess I can still sell it?”

“How? How can a single student come into contact with what appears to be a black market? If you ask me how I got it? If I don’t answer properly, I will end up losing Grimoire.”

If you walk around the back alleys with a necklace overflowing with jewels, of course you will be killed and taken away.

Above all, in order to consecrate the special demon spirit next to Grimoire, another person is essential.

“You get one copy and I get one copy. I think this is a fair deal.”

“…I don’t understand. What do you want from me?”

Indeed, theory is a keen effort. You’ll notice this much.

“There are two conditions. One is that you be possessed by a demonic spirit instead of me. I need help to exorcise that demonic spirit.”

“Anyone…”

I cut him off and said the second condition.

“Secondly, we must sign an ‘oath of contract.’”

“…I can’t be anyone other than a magician.”

“That’s it.”

It is a short-term contract that only a magician can make, and if the magician does not keep the contract, he or she will immediately lose all of his/her magical power.

“But… there are many professors and other students in the Department of Magic. Why me?”

“It’s foolish to make a deal with professors. We don’t have an equal relationship in terms of power and status. What are you going to do if you overpower me and force me to blow?”

“Ah… Then what about the other students?”

“It is highly likely that he has not learned the contract magic itself.”

Contract magic is not a difficult magic, but since there is no need for students to learn such ugly contract magic, it is difficult to find students who have mastered it. But──

“It’s different if it’s a guy with Memorise.”

“…Can I learn and use contract magic right away with Memorize?”

“That’s it.”

This is Memorise’s strength. Memorize allows you to immediately use spells saved in your spellbook.

If it is a high-level spell, you may not know, but if it is a magic with a low level of difficulty, just understand it intuitively and use it.

“First of all, it’s contract magic…”

“I know. I saved it a long time ago. I also relayed contracts part-time.”

“Oh, then the story is fast.”

“Tell me the terms of the contract.”

“Let’s keep it simple so we don’t tire each other out.”

* * * *

Lark and I headed to the library located in the center of the school.

Merkava Academy’s library is as large as the school itself.

It was built in a splendid architectural style reminiscent of an ancient main temple rather than a library. In fact, it also served as a temple.

Wouldn’t the building site and size be similar to that of four high schools in the district combined?

“It’s so big…”

Lark swallowed, as if overwhelmed by the size of the Great Library.

“How many books are there here?”

“I heard that there are roughly 8 million volumes, including the underground.”

“Far eight million…”

Lark couldn’t continue his words, perhaps because the scale was so large that it didn’t feel real.

“Why did they build such a large library in the middle of the school? No one except students and professors can enter the academy.”

“There are roughly three things.”

“Three things?”

“It is also written about the purpose of building the Merkava Great Library. To store human knowledge and pass it on to future generations.”

“…That’s a rather obvious profit.”

“From the second time onwards, it’s not practical. Isn’t it to tie the professors to the academy? There’s no better environment to find research materials.”

“Ah…”

Teaching students is less than half of the total work of professors. The real thing is research and paper presentation.

For professors, there is no environment as attractive as Merkava Academy.

“Then what about the third?”

“eyewash.”

“eyewash?”

“We are hiding the Grimoire banned books with our overwhelming library.”

If you want to hide a tree, hide it in the forest.

It’s standard and simple. Therefore, it is a difficult method to respond to.

How can you find the ‘book you want’ hidden among 8 million books?

But I can. Because I knew the secrets through the previous episodes of the game that even first-class historians here don’t know.

I entered Merkava First Library with an impressed Lark.

“Welcome. What book are you looking for?”

One of the librarians greeted us at the front gate.

“I’m looking for a book about Merkava City’s specialty. Isn’t it… something called Mechelin?”

“Ah~ Let’s see about that book…”

A senior associate librarian flipping through parchment with recording magic engraved on it. He soon found the list.

“You can find it on the second row of the L32 area on the 3rd floor. Ladders are located next to the stairs on each floor, so feel free to use them.”

As the librarian said, I climbed the stairs and walked through the vast Merkava Library.

I used to come here often to research data with Park Si-hoo, who was in the magic department. I also read about rune magic here.

In a corner where I couldn’t really feel like I was popular, I spoke to Lark who was following me.

“This way.”

“Uh huh…”

Instead of providing a copy of Grimoire to Lark, the transaction itself is not revealed. It’s a simple condition.

Near the secret library we arrived at. I left Lark on standby and looked through the bookshelf.

‘Would you like to fulfill your duty?’

Enough data was obtained. It’s a side quest that requires leveling up for a while before you can meet the minimum requirements, but if you’re like me now, you can complete it right away.

Information on how to open the secret library cannot be obtained without prior quests.

That’s also a way to obtain it by cracking a fairly authentic game password.

The cipher itself is classic. Complete the password by removing and placing books in designated locations.

In the game, it worked with just a few clicks, but I had a hard time solving it in the previous episode.

-Drur…!

The bookshelf was pushed away without being touched, revealing the library door.

“Let’s go in.”

“Huh? Ugh yeah!”

Lark and I quickly stood and went inside before anyone saw us.

* * * *

“Ugh, it’s eerie…”

The inside was eerily empty, but it wasn’t a drafty place. Unlike Lark, I didn’t get that feeling.

In other words, the chills that Lark is feeling are due to the demonic spirit that is here.

“lakh.”

“huh?”

“It’s time to keep my promise.”

“Huh? You mean… to help exorcise demonic spirits? How—huh?!”

-Fuck!

When I hit him on the chin with a technical punch, Lark’s eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor.

They drag the unconscious guy and enter the secret library.

In the secret library, as seen in the previous episode, there was a bookshelf with two books on it, and those two books are the rewards for the side quest.

In fact, completing this quest requires a significant level and well-trained party members.

Unless you are at a certain level, you won’t be able to withstand the first attack of the special magic spirit sealed here.

…………

Even though it had already been more than two minutes since we entered the secret library, Lark and I did not receive any attacks.

Spiritual bodies can interfere with each other through mutual recognition. Since Lark fainted, of course his cognitive ability dropped to 0, and I cannot recognize the spiritual body due to the duty of the precepts.

In other words, it’s time for me to talk one-sidedly.

“Stop the violence!”

The demonic spirit must have stopped.

Maybe…

what will I do if it doesn’t stop?