The Obsessive Regressor of The Academy

58. Aleph

The moment Asel entered the vault, he grinned, feeling as though he were being welcomed by an immense surge of magic. An intangible vortex formed from a heterogeneous mix of mana. Within it, the overwhelming waves of power danced around Asel, greeting him.

“This is…”

No one present was insensitive to magic. The three mages, masters in their own right, felt the mana swirling around Asel and exclaimed their awe. Ena wore a pleased expression, proud of the prowess displayed by her disciple.

Quite extreme. How had he gotten so wrapped around her finger? Frankly, this doting attitude towards her disciple wasn’t a pretty sight. Even overbearing devotion has its limits.

Frede thought, turning his head away.

Asel was already wandering freely through the vault’s interior. No further explanation seemed necessary. So, Frede liberated him to roam freely, and he began to peruse the vault for the first time in a long while. The other mages, though silent, also took it upon themselves to explore the immense vault here and there.

‘More like a warehouse than a vault, really.’

Asel mused, gazing at the countless magical tools displayed on shelves.

The space was predominantly grey. The ceiling was high, and the area stretched far horizontally, giving the impression of entering a materials warehouse for a merchant guild.

However, unlike a warehouse used by any guild, this vault was constructed entirely of high-grade metals with exceptional mana conductivity. The cost of building the vault alone could easily buy a mansion in the Imperial Capital.

But the true value of this place wasn’t the vault itself, but what it contained. Asel examined a ring housed within a clear glass case, humming thoughtfully.

There was no description accompanying the ring. However, Asel immediately grasped the artifact’s effect.

This is a magical tool inscribed with an incantation that reverses injuries. By injecting mana, it activates a high-level healing spell capable of restoring the body from all injuries sustained that day. However, it came with a fatal flaw; the recipient would endure immense pain.

While the spell was exceptionally effective considering the drawback, well… Asel didn’t feel particularly drawn to the ring. It would be nice to have, but there seemed no need to take it from here. Asel promptly moved towards another display.

Ultimately, the first thing he needed to find was Cromwell’s legacy. But searching for a dormant magical artifact within this vast vault by wandering around aimlessly was practically impossible. Sifting through everything would undoubtedly take days.

But fortunately, Asel possessed a method to locate her legacy.

‘According to the records on Cromwell, all the magical tools she created were made for lightning-based mages.’

Then, could he find it by inducing a resonance of electrical mana?

Once the thought took hold, there was no reason to hesitate. Asel instantly conjured a dark blue bolt of lightning above his hand, scattering it in all directions.

*Crackle.*

The lightning raced swiftly through the space, meticulously probing every corner of the vault. As it did so, it writhed, seeking to resonate with similar mana.

“…!”

Not long after, Asel could feel the familiar sliver of magic taking hold in the vault’s corner. Without hesitation, he turned and moved in that direction. A long, forked lightning seemed to guide his path.

At his destination sat a small box. The magic emanating from within resonated with Asel’s own, causing small sparks to flicker around it. Asel swallowed once, then carefully opened the box. Anticipating a possible explosion, he layered his body with various defensive spells.

*Click.*

The box opened with a smooth sound. Thankfully, the feared event did not occur. The emanating lightning remained, but it did not surge or rage wildly. Asel breathed an inward sigh of relief, then peered into the box’s depths.

“…?”

His face shifted with a curious expression.

Inside lay an old book and a plant radiating blue lightning. The magic flowing from the plant resonated with Asel’s, pulsing like a beating heart.

It was a peculiar sight. Plants imbued with magic were not unheard of, but one with such a specific attribute was rare. Even the magic herbs discovered thus far were all tied to the five elements; a lightning-spewing plant like this was not even listed in the compendiums.

‘To simply think of it as rare feels insufficient.’

Had an explorer or mage discovered it, its name and characteristics would surely have been recorded. That meant this plant had never before met the eye of another, save perhaps the one who had placed it here.

“…”

Asel narrowed his eyes and, instead of touching the plant, picked up the book beside it. As though time had been holding it still, the book stirred the moment Asel’s hand touched it, fluttering and shaking off its accumulated dust.

*Whoosh.*

In the swirling dust, the tightly closed book suddenly snapped open, forcibly drawing upon Asel’s magic. He could have resisted, but Asel quietly waited for the book to take its fill.

Had the book exuded an aura of malicious intent, Asel would have torn it apart without a second thought. But the book displayed no such sign, instead radiating only a clean, pure energy. There was no need to resist.

Finally, the absorption of magic ended. Simultaneously, the wildly flipping pages settled on a single point.

It was a blank page. But Asel narrowed his eyes and stared at the empty surface. In that moment, something cracked, and black letters began to etch themselves onto the pristine white paper.

[Thunderbloom (雷鳴草)]

[The term for a life-herb that, instead of burning when struck by lightning, absorbs its power. Cromwell was the first to discover it, and she personally named it. However, she did not include it in the compendiums. She had a peculiar penchant for not publicizing her discoveries. The Thunderbloom located here is the one she originally found, gifted in commemoration of the academy’s founding.]

The description of the plant, as if recited from a reference book, was written in real-time on the page. Asel gave a disbelieving chuckle at the absurd sight, and the writing paused momentarily, as if in response. Not long after, it added a new sentence.

[I was providing this information because I sensed your desire to know. If you wish me to stop, I will.]

“…What is this?”

Asel’s face hardened as he muttered to himself at the text that seemed to converse with him. He immediately began drawing out his magic, searching for any enchantments placed on the book.

But no enchantments could be detected. It was merely a book that opened pages and wrote text using only the absorbed magic.

It was something that defied all common sense. Even Asel could not even begin to guess at the book’s principles or true identity. He even questioned whether it was even a human creation to begin with.

And the book, as if reading his thoughts, wrote a new sentence.

[I am a book with a self-awareness, created by a demon of knowledge. However, my first owner perished at Cromwell’s hands, and ownership passed to her. Through various adjustments, I lost some of my knowledge, but I was modified to be usable with human magic. Since Cromwell’s death, I have not encountered a mage of her caliber and have been unable to find a new owner, but fortunately, you have discovered me. I wish to take you as my new master.]

Elegant sentences continued to appear on the white paper.

[By design, I cannot react to anyone except Electromancers. Cromwell took certain measures to ensure I wouldn’t be snatched back by demons or corrupted mages, which means that despite my vast magic, only those who can wield electric magic can handle me. Apart from Cromwell, you are the first. Please, make use of me.]

“So, you ended up here because Cromwell gave you to the academy along with the Thunderclap Grass?”

[Correct.]

A sense of this book’s existence begins to dawn on me. A grimoire with a self, responding only to its acknowledged owner, or one it *wants* to be its owner. If its origin lies with a demon, then its activity in such a bizarre form becomes understandable.

[Bizarre? I’d prefer ‘remarkable.’ Doesn’t it feel unpleasant to be called bizarre?]

This was, at one time, an existence that transcended, even touched a portion of the divine. Even though Cromwell modified it, it was impossible that something created by such a being would have its performance diminish simply because it had been altered. If it were that shoddy, it would have been destroyed long ago.

[You understand well. As you suspect, my capabilities are not so different from when I was first created. All memories from my time in the hands of the Demon of Knowledge have been purged, so I only know the knowledge I’ve gained alongside Cromwell, but my performance is certainly assured.]

“Just shut up for a bit. I’m thinking.”

[Acknowledged.]

Asel, scowling, stared down at the newly forming characters, then fell into a humming contemplation.

The performance being good, that much was understood. This book was, in effect, the equivalent of merging dozens of libraries into one. Moreover, desired knowledge could be accessed at any time. A portable warehouse of knowledge, something every mage dreamed of. And it was currently in his hands.

But he couldn’t simply accept it with open arms. No matter how much Cromwell had worked on it, its roots still lay with a demonic entity. If he rashly took it, it wouldn’t be surprising if something dreadful occurred.

Unless there was reliable evidence.

Asel thought this, and immediately, the book turned a page on its own, revealing a new chapter. Unlike the previous blank pages, this one was densely filled with writing. Among the countless words, Asel read a sentence that shone with particular clarity.

[To you, newly born Electromancer and possessor of great talent, who follows in my footsteps, I gift this book. This is not a demon’s whisper, nor a fabricated lie. I swear it upon my name, Cromwell. This is a grimoire utterly transformed by my hand, a library to aid your growth. If you doubt these words, then I beg you, use your magic to resonate with the words I have written. You will immediately know that everything I have said is true.]

“…A statement left directly by Cromwell. The handwriting alone is different from yours.”

[She was a great mage and researcher. She inscribed words directly onto a book that no one but myself can write on.]

Instead of replying, Asel raised his magic, as the book had suggested, and resonated with the words. Then, unlike his own magic, which flowed from the book, he felt the magic of another, destructive yet precise.

It was Cromwell’s. The specter of the past had left its mark on the present in this way.

[Do you believe it now?]

New letters appeared in the empty margin. Asel stared at them for a moment, then chuckled and spoke.

“I suppose there’s nothing wrong with having a talking book.”

[Excellent choice. From this moment forward, I shall recognize you as my new master. Recording and saving your magic information.]

[Saved. From this moment on, you are my new master.]

As those words materialized, the page turned, revealing a new blank space.

And upon it, words were written.

[My name is Aleph.]

[I will be the answer to all questions you desire.]