The Academy Regressor is Obsessed

The moment he entered the vault, Asel’s mouth corners split wide at the vast amount of magical power that seemed to welcome him. An invisible vortex formed by various magical powers mixed together. The overwhelming wave of magical power filled within greets him, frolicking around Asel.

“This is…”

There was no one here insensitive to magical power. The three people who had reached the level of great magicians exclaimed in admiration, feeling the magical power circling around Asel. Ena showed a proud expression at the dance her disciple was displaying.

She was truly doting. It wasn’t honestly very pleasant to see how she was hooked on her disciple, dying for him. Even favoritism has its limits.

Frida thought that as she turned her head.

Asel was already freely wandering the interior of the vault. There seemed to be no need for additional explanations. So Frida let him loose and began to look around the vault for the first time in a while. Though the other magicians didn’t say anything, they naturally looked around various parts of the huge vault.

‘It looks more like a warehouse than a vault.’

Asel thought as he looked at the countless weapons hanging in display cases.

Overall, it’s a space with a grayish tinge. The ceiling was high, and it was long sideways as well, giving the feeling of entering a trade guild’s material warehouse.

However, unlike a warehouse handled by a mere guild, the material encompassing this vault was all high-grade metal with high magical conductivity. Just the cost of building the vault was enough to easily buy a mansion in the imperial capital.

But the true value of this place was not the vault, but the items contained within. Asel let out a groan as he looked at a ring inside a transparent glass case.

There was no separate description of the ring. However, Asel immediately realized the effect of the magical tool.

This is a magical tool with a formula inscribed to reverse wounds. When magical power is injected, a high-level healing formula engraved on the ring restores all wounds on the body to normal once a day. However, it had the fatal flaw of having to endure a massive amount of pain.

Though the formula is very effective compared to the drawback, well. Asel didn’t feel particularly drawn to this ring. It would be nice to have, but it didn’t seem necessary to take from here. Asel immediately moved his steps towards another display case.

In the end, the first thing to take should be Cromwell’s legacy. However, it’s practically impossible to search for the sleeping magical tool by running around on foot in this vast vault. It was clear that it would take several days even if searched one by one.

But fortunately, Asel had one means to find her legacy.

‘According to records about Cromwell, all the magical tools she made were created for lightning magicians.’

If so, couldn’t they be found by causing resonance with lightning-natured magical power?

There was no reason to hesitate once he thought of it. Asel immediately produced dark blue lightning above his palm and scattered it in all directions.

Crackle.

The lightning rapidly racing through space penetrates every corner of the vault. While doing so, it writhes to resonate in search of similar magical power.

“…!”

Not long after, Asel could feel familiar fragments of magical power beginning to be caught in a corner of the vault. He moved his steps towards there without hesitation. The extended lightning guided his way.

At the destination was a small box. The magical power emanating from inside resonated with Asel’s magical power, releasing small lightning around. Asel swallowed once, then carefully opened the box. Just in case an explosion occurred inside, he surrounded his body with all sorts of defensive formulas.

Click.

The box opened with a soft sound. Fortunately, the feared situation did not occur. The lightning pouring out was still there, but it didn’t go berserk or rampage violently. Asel inwardly let out a sigh of relief and examined the inside of the box.

“…?”

His face changed subtly.

Inside the box was an old book and a plant spewing blue lightning. The magical power flowing from the plant resonated with Asel’s magical power, repeatedly flashing like a heartbeat.

It was a strange sight. Though there are quite a few plants with magical power in the world, plants with such specific attributes are rare. Moreover, even the magical herbs discovered so far are all related to the five elements, and plants spewing lightning like this are not even listed in dictionaries.

‘It’s too extreme to think of it as simply rare.’

If it had been discovered even once by explorers or magicians, there’s no way its name or characteristics wouldn’t have been included in dictionaries. That means this plant has never been seen by anyone else until now. Except for the person who placed it here.

“…”

Asel narrowed his eyes and first picked up the book placed next to the plant instead of touching it. The book, which had been frozen as if time had stopped, fluttered and shook off all the dust as soon as Asel’s hand touched it.

Whoosh.

Amidst the scattering dust. The tightly closed book suddenly opened and began forcibly consuming Asel’s magical power. He could have refused if he wanted to, but Asel quietly waited until the book took enough of his magical power.

If the book had given off an aura as if trying to harm him, Asel would have torn it apart without hesitation. But the book showed no such signs, and rather only emitted a clean and pure aura. There was no need to feel the necessity to refuse.

Finally, the absorption of magical power ended. At the same time, the book that had been flipping randomly stopped at one point.

It was a blank page. But Asel narrowed his eyes and stared at that blank page. At that moment, with a sound of something splitting, black letters began to be engraved on the pure white paper.

[Lightning Grass]

[A term referring to a life herb that absorbs the power of lightning instead of burning when struck by it. First discovered by Cromwell during her lifetime, and she named it herself. However, she did not register it in dictionaries. She had the unique bad habit of not widely publicizing new things she discovered. The Lightning Grass here is the first one she discovered, gifted as a commemoration of the Academy’s establishment.]

An explanation of the plant is written on the book in real-time as if reciting a dictionary. Asel let out a dry laugh at that ridiculous sight, and as if reacting to that, the writing letters momentarily stop. Not long after, they write out a new sentence.

[I was in the process of informing you as it seemed you wanted to view this information. If you wish for me to stop, I will do so.]
“…What is this.”

At the sentence that seemed like having a conversation, Asel’s face hardened as he muttered. He immediately drew out magical power and searched for the formula applied to the book.

But no formula was detected. It was simply a book that opened pages on its own and recorded letters on its own using only the absorbed magical power.

It was an item far beyond common sense. Even Asel couldn’t dare guess the principle and identity of the book. It was questionable whether it was even something made by humans in the first place.

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

[I am a book with self-awareness created by the demon of knowledge. But when my first owner died to Cromwell, the ownership passed to her. And through various adjustment processes, I lost some knowledge but was modified to be usable with human magical power as well.]

“…So it was a demon’s item.”

[Strictly speaking, it’s not anymore. I no longer respond to demonic energy, and my method has been changed to only respond to powerful magical power. After Cromwell’s death, I hadn’t met a magician comparable to her level so I couldn’t welcome a new owner, but luckily you discovered me. I want to make you my new owner.]

Elegant sentences continue on the white paper.

[Originally, I cannot react to anyone except lightning magicians. It was Cromwell’s way of preventing ownership from being taken back by demons or corrupted magicians, but because of that, only those who can use lightning magic despite having powerful magical power can handle me. You are the first subject besides Cromwell. Please use me.]

“Were you here because Cromwell handed you over to the Academy along with the Lightning Grass?”

[That’s correct.]

I’m starting to get a sense of this book’s existence. A strange document with self-awareness that only reacts to people it recognizes as owners or wishes to become so. If its origin came from a demon, it’s understandable that it acts in such a bizarre form.

[Please say interesting rather than bizarre. Doesn’t it feel bad to hear bizarre?]

Demons are beings that once grasped even a part of divinity beyond transcendence. Though it was modified by Cromwell’s hands, there was no way an item created by such a being would deteriorate in performance just from being modified. If it had been such a shoddy item, it would have been smashed long ago.

[You know well. As you thought, my performance is not much different from when I was first created. Because all memories from when I was in the hands of the demon of knowledge were castrated, I only know knowledge gained while being with Cromwell, but still, my performance is certain.]

“Be quiet for a bit. I’m thinking.”

[Yes sir.]

Asel rebuked while looking down at the letters that kept being written anew, then let out a groan and pondered.

I understand that the performance is good. This book was no different from combining dozens of libraries into one. Moreover, it was possible to access desired knowledge at any time. A portable knowledge warehouse that every magician dreams of. That situation is right in his hands now.

But he couldn’t just accept this readily. No matter how much it went through Cromwell’s hands, its roots were in a demonic being. It wouldn’t be strange if something terrible happened from carelessly taking this.

Unless there was reliable evidence.

The moment Asel thought that, the book’s pages turned on their own and opened a new chapter. Unlike the previous blank page, it was a page densely filled with writing. Asel read a sentence that was particularly clearly shining among the countless written words.

[I gift this book to you, the newly born lightning magician following in my footsteps and possessing great talent. This is neither a demon’s whisper nor a fabricated lie. I swear on my name Cromwell. This is a magical book that has completely shed its skin anew through my hands, and a library that will help your growth. If you doubt these words, please resonate them with your magical power. You will immediately know that everything I said is true.]

“…A sentence left directly by Cromwell. The handwriting is different from what you wrote.”

[She was a great magician and researcher. She directly engraved letters into a book that no one but me could write in.]

Instead of answering, Asel raised magical power and tried resonating it with the letters as written in the book. Then he could feel someone else’s magical power that was destructive yet neat, different from his own magical power felt from the book.

It was Cromwell’s. The ghost of the past left its trace to the present in this way.

[Do you believe now?]

New letters are engraved in the blank space. Asel quietly looked down at it, then opened his mouth with a grin.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have one talking book.”

[An excellent choice. From now on, I will recognize you as my new owner. Recording and saving information about your magical power.]

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

The moment such a phrase was engraved, the page turned and a new blank space unfolded.

Letters were written on it.

[My name is Aleph.]

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