Chapter 8: CHAPTER 8 THE GRIMOIRE TOWER MASTER

To the Royal Capital of the Clover Kingdom! The thought of going there is unappealing. At this point, I’d rather go to Hage Village and contribute to the farming efforts. Living the farm life is the dream.

Alas, it would be difficult for me to enjoy that life as Sabrina is breathing on my neck.

What do I do now? Getting stronger is definitely at the top of my priority now. Well, getting the original story of this world pure is still at the top of my priorities, but still… There is no way in hell I’ll be able to do that because of Sabrina.

There is the option of me killing Sabrina since she doesn’t seem to be a crucial character in the novel, however, I am too weak for that. Me against a Magic Knight Captain? I must be crazy.

Treading the rough paths of the wilds, I struggle to move forward. I am lucky to not find any dangers yet. Finally, I reach the flat paths where carriages usually come in and go through.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to hitch a ride. Sadly, the road is too empty so an easy ride from here seems unlikely.

I wonder, how long will it be to the capital from here? I just hope that I make it on time. That aside, there is a far more concerning matter at hand for me. Where do I get food from?

This world is the kind of place where people rely on magic for everything else. To make my life more comfortable, I’d have to learn how to use magic.

Scrutinizing the pinky-sized grimoire sitting atop my palm, I imagine how in the world I will be able to use magic. I have… nothing. The size of a grimoire tends to reflect the amount of mana an individual possesses.

Sure, the anime has its fair share of introducing the theories of magic, but how about the know-how? Is feeling ‘mana’ a too natural thing that it doesn’t need teaching?

Ugh… At this point, I might as well return to the ‘tower’ so that I can learn properly.

Tracing my steps back, I proceed on a reverse journey. The only risk to it is that I might miss the Magic Knights Entrance Exam, which in all honesty doesn’t sound that bad if you think about it carefully.

I have no usable magic. If you look inside my grimoire, you’d see blank pages. I am powerless. If I were to continue this wild journey, it will be my death.

An imposing tower stands before me. I walk forward to it only for an equally imposing gate to bar my path. “Hello? Anyone there?”

No one answers back. I knock at the big ass gate, and repeat one more time “Hello!? Anyone there?”

Answering my call is a sagacious and deep voice. “Welcome to the Grimoire Tower of Drouot! Stranger, speak of your name!”

I hear the voice as if from everywhere. I look around but there is no one. This must be magic! “I am Aaron Jester, I got my grimoire from here like a couple of hours ago.”

Then there was silence.

Where did the voice go? It did not take too long as the big ass gate opens itself to me. Greeting me from the entrance is its tower master, Drouot.

Drouot is the anime’s most forgettable side character. I swear I don’t even know this person’s name if not for Sabrina telling me before the ceremony.

The jovial old man in front of me welcomes me to his tower. “…” His lack of words makes me curious as I obediently follow him. Then, we reach the chamber where the grimoire ceremony occurs.

“How may I help you?” Drouot asks me about my purpose. What should I tell him? That… I want to learn magic. Hmmm… For a fan like me, that’s kind of bland.

Drouot is exactly the kind of guy I can befriend, isn’t he? If he were to become my teacher, the ripples it might cause would be infinitely close to zero. His interactions with the anime’s characters are so few he’d be the perfect teacher for me.

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Still, in my pajamas, I gaze at the old man with a critical eye. His hair is white as snow just like in the anime. This time’s era is earlier than the anime, so it is a very curious sight to see the old Drouot in front of me.

Perhaps, is this the hidden old man expert trope? If it is, it becomes a threat to the original story, right? Wait… That can also be a windfall to me. If I learn from this geezer, won’t my future set for life?

Sheesh… I shouldn’t be greedy.

Inside my own head, I see myself drowning from countless ifs.

Seeing this, Drouot realizes my turmoil. “Young man, why are you here? You already have a grimoire, don’t you?”

I snap back to reality. I look at the old man standing in front of me. I cannot risk my now favorite anime's life story being ruined. I will play it safe. “Old man, are you something like a mysterious hidden expert of Clover Kingdom?”

Drouot’s eyes enlarge, he looks at me maybe in shock or fear. Maybe… the expert in front of me will kill me now for having this suspicion. Am I gonna die?

“Pftt…”All too suddenly, Drouot starts laughing. “Hahahaha, you are a funny kid! Yes, I am an expert but not mysterious and hidden enough.”

No way, is he something like a super legend?

Drouot then reveals his true nature to me. “I am…” I wait with bated breath. “I am the oldest junior magic knight in the whole of Clover Kingdom!”

W-hat? H-how? How do you even have a tower if that’s the case?

The shock must be too obvious on my face as Drouot quickly offers his explanation. “You see, the position of this tower’s master is very complicated. It was a political move on the kingdom’s part.”

Old man Drouot looks at a distance as if imagining a day long gone. “Do you know? This tower is actually standing right between the Forsaken Realm and the Common Realm.”

It finally hits me. So that’s why.

The Forsaken Realm was the battlefield of the first Wizard King and the Demon. The story behind it is saying a lot as to why the inhabitants of the ‘Forsaken Realm’ is under heavy discrimination.

Drouot continues his explanation. “Before the first Wizard King, the class division was extremely simple. There are the nobles and the commoners. After the Demon War, a new class was then introduced— they are the forsaken.”

There is more to the ‘Forsaken Realm’ than it lets on. I can imagine the aftermath of the battle between the first Wizard King and the Demon.

The reason why people are having a difficult time in the Forsaken Realm is because of how it was slowly converting to a ‘Neutral Territory’. Technically, the lands are becoming lawless, strange, and uncontrollable because of this Neutral territory in which the remains of the dead Demon's negative mana are causing.

To understand this easier, you must have a continental map in your hand. Separating the Spade Kingdom from Heart, Clover, and Diamond Kingdoms is the Neutral Territory. This is where the witches reside.

Only through the efforts and measures of the following Wizard Kings did the situation of the Forsaken Realm get better.

Speaking of efforts and measures, I believe the very grimoire tower I am standing at is an example of this.

…