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Chapter 90. The Long Road To Grimoire Mastery

“Should we call it a day?”

Neither Ash nor Nina responded to my question. Well... they looked like they wanted to, but just couldn’t. I figure they're about three steps from death, though. It’s surprisingly hard to push someone to the edge without actually killing them. Honestly, I wish they’d put up a bit more of a fight.

“Ugh... I’m still... alive…”

“Sure, death’s the goal here, but if you’re too close to it to do anything, maybe we should just give up for today?”

Physical injuries can be healed with magic, but I don’t know many spells that get rid of the fatigue building up inside. And there’s no magic for mental exhaustion. As students, we’ve got classes too, so we can’t spend all our energy just chasing after a Grimoire.

“Woah.”

I was about to call it quits for the day, but here comes Ash, stumbling my way. I don’t mind beating up someone on the verge of collapse, but there’s really nothing scary about him right now. Normally, Ash is someone who’d lunge right for your throat. In his current state, though, I could beat him without even drawing my sword. I dodged his clumsy thrust and countered with Uruslagna, slicing deep into his side.

“...Just almost dying isn’t enough. You’ve got to take something from it... Otherwise, it just feels like I’m bullying you.”

Ash was down on one knee, unable to stand. Nina was lying on the ground, barely breathing, unable to even grasp her sword. Their skills are top-notch, but the gap between them and those with Grimoires is enormous. It’s a harsh reality, but in actual combat, a novice with a Grimoire, like Elixira, is often stronger than someone skilled but without one, like Ash. A trump card like that gives you a significant advantage in a one-on-one fight.

“Elixira!”

“I know, I know... but aren’t you going a bit overboard? [Raziel]”

I could heal them with magic, but I’m more confident in healing myself than others. Honestly, I’ve only just started studying it. Elixira, who can record magic as a Grimoire, is much better at healing others.

“You really went all out.”

“Jeremiah... If you were watching, you could’ve helped, you know?”

“No thanks. I’m not the type to hurt my friends so casually like you.”

Is he calling me cold-hearted for being able to attack my comrades without hesitation? Fine then. Maybe I should beat him up until his Grimoire awakens too.

“Still... is it really true that almost dying can trigger the manifestation of a Grimoire?”

“Who knows? It could be a lie, or it could be true. No one’ll know until we try.”

“You say that so casually... I thought you were more careful.”

“I am careful. I’m stopping them about three steps from death.”

I’ve thought about cutting off an arm or two, but I don’t want to deal with the consequences, so I hold back.

“By the way, Jeremiah, when did your Grimoire manifest?”

“Me? It happened when I saw a criminal as a child.”

That’s terrifying... He’s a natural-born executioner. But if Jeremiah, who wields a sword to judge criminals, had his Grimoire manifest when he saw a criminal, maybe experiencing the circumstances tied to your Grimoire’s power is the key to triggering it. It’s like a chicken-and-egg situation—do you get the Grimoire first, or does the situation come first?

“Well, if you discover a guaranteed way to manifest a Grimoire, your name will go down in history.”

“True. I guess that’s how it would go.”

Still... If it’s something tied to the soul, it’s beyond our control. We don’t even fully understand what the soul is, let alone how to draw power from it. There’s no point overthinking it. I call it a “soul” because I assume this body belongs to Theodore Anthem, but I don’t even know if what I perceive is really my soul.

“You really overdid it. Aren’t these people your allies?”

“...What are you doing here, Princess Elissa?”

I’ve given up on Jeremiah being around all the time. The guy’s everywhere, and I’m starting to think he’s stalking me. But Princess Elissa? That’s a different story.

“You don’t even care about your own faction, Princess.”

“Th-that’s because I didn’t ask them to form one in the first place!”

“Same here!”

Shut up, Jeremiah. You don’t just not care—you downright hate your faction. He’s one of those guys who tries to please everyone with a smile but only does the bare minimum. Seriously, this guy’s a piece of work. But! I’m finally entering my popular phase, so I won't lose to Jeremiah anymore.

“...I feel like I’m missing something here, Princess. Any idea what’s going on?”

“Who knows? It’s a waste of time trying to figure this guy out.”

Hey, isn’t that harsh? I thought Princess Elissa liked me a little, but now she’s saying stuff like that? Does she not actually like me? Didn’t her parents teach her that playing with people’s hearts is a serious offense?

“If there’s a sure way to trigger a Grimoire’s manifestation, I’d love to know.”

“Want to try almost dying?”

“You really shouldn’t, Theodore... Making a royal bleed would start a war.”

Yeah, you’re right.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Ivy around lately. Do you know where she is, Theodore?”

“Huh? How should I know where that woman, who’s even more elusive than you, is? Sure, she’s in the faction, but she only shows up when she feels like it. She used to be interested in me, but now I think she’s fixated on something else.”

“...Elixira’s faction sure is complicated.”

Not really.