Grimoire!

Chapter 47: Grimoire!

Leaving the Northwest Main Street and venturing eastward, Riveria, Lefiya, and Shiro descended a set of stairs leading underground.

At the end of the steps stood a wooden door.

Jingle~

"Lenoa, it's me," Riveria announced, pushing the door open.

The scene that greeted Shiro's eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The room was spacious, illuminated by magic stone lamps hanging from the ceiling like miniature suns.

Shelves lined the walls, displaying an unsettling collection of creatures – snakes, scorpions, lizards, and other unsettling specimens.

At the back of the shop, a cauldron the size of a person bubbled and steamed, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a witch's home from the storybook.

A woman emerged from behind the cauldron, she should be the "Lenoa" Riveria had mentioned.

Dressed in a black robe, she had long white hair and a hooked nose, adding to the air of mystery surrounding her.

"Are the magic gems set?" Riveria inquired.

"All done. I replaced them with the highest quality gems, as you requested. Honestly, to damage four magic gems in a single expedition..."

Lenoa grumbled, her tone betraying a hint of exasperation.

Magic gems embedded in wand/staffs served to enhance their capabilities, making a significant difference in power and performance.

Riveria always opted for the best magic gems Orario had to offer, yet even those had shattered during their previous expedition, hence the reason for the shopkeeper's complaint.

Mid-sentence, Lenoa's gaze shifted to Shiro, who was looking around the peculiar surroundings with wide eyes.

"Ah, a new face! Please feel free to browse and visit my shop again."

"Yes, I will," Shiro replied, distracted by a strange potion he held in his hand.

"Wait... is that a grimoire?!" Lefiya's excited shout echoed through the room, drawing other's attention.

Grimoires were rare and valuable magic books unique to this world.

Their sole purpose was to grant an additional magic to those with available magic slots. 

High-level grimoires could even increase the number of slots, though not beyond the limit of three.

Therefore, such treasures were incredibly sought after and rarely found.

"Ah... yes, it's a grimoire." The shopkeeper confirmed with a nod towards Lefiya.

"Did you make it yourself?" Lefiya asked, her voice filled with reverence, as if she were addressing a reclusive master.

Lenoa chuckled, her wrinkles deepening.

"Haha! No way. If I could make grimoires, I wouldn't be stuck running a shop in this dusty corner of Orario. I had to shamelessly beg an acquaintance from Altena to get my hands on this one."

She retrieved the grimoire from the shelf and added, "Riveria, since you can already use more than four magic, you don't need a grimoire."

Riveria's magic was unique.

Though limited to three types of magic, she could cast attack, defense, and recovery magic, each with three levels of intensity, through Chant Connection, effectively allowing her to cast nine types of magic.

This ability had earned her the alias of 'Nine Hell'

Lefiya's magic was even more extraordinary.

Her 'Elf Ring' magic is a summon burst that allows her to use any magic used by an elf, so long as she knows the chant and effects of said magic.

While limited to elves, it was still an astonishing feat in a world where individuals typically learned a maximum of three types of magic.

Lenoa then turned her attention to Shiro, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"This young man, however, could certainly use a grimoire. How about it? Want to take it home? Who knows when another one will appear."

Shiro's eyes were glued to the grimoire, tempted by the prospect of adding another magic to his Falna.

However, the string of zeros on the price tag quickly dampened his enthusiasm.

He was just feeling relieved about not needing to spend a fortune on a new weapon, and now he encountered this.

"Although I really want it, I don't have the money to buy it." He replied with a sigh.

"Could you hold it for me? I'll buy it once I've saved enough money." Shiro asked.

"Sure thing. But if I help you keep it, the price will go up a bit. And since you're with Riveria, I'll give you a special deal: one hundred thousand as the retention fee." The shrewd businesswoman in Lenoa couldn't resist capitalizing on Shiro's desire.

"One hundred thousand is too much. This book is already overpriced. Thirty thousand valis as the retention fee, that's my final offer," Shiro countered, trying his best to negotiate.

"Deal!" Lenoa's swift acceptance made the white-haired boy wonder if he could have bargained for even less.

Perhaps ten thousand would have been enough.

With the transaction complete, Riveria settled the repair bill for her staff and announced their departure.

"Thank you for your patronage. I hope you will visit my place soon!" Lenoa bid them farewell.

Later, the group found themselves before the Guild headquarters, a grand structure built from white stone.

Finn stood beneath the massive notice board, his head tilted back as he scrutinized its contents.

"There you are, Captain," Shiro called out, leading Ais and the others towards him.

"Ah, you guys are here. Come, take a look," Finn said with a smile, gesturing towards the board.

"A song echoes within the Dungeon. Seek out the source of this melody in the lower floors. Unlike the roars of a monster, this is a captivating song. Does it belong to a person, a monster, or perhaps the Dungeon itself?" Tiona read aloud, her voice laced with curiosity.

"No way!" Tione immediately protested. "This quest sounds troublesome, and the reward is pitiful. We don't have time for such nonsense!"

"What's wrong?" Ais asked Shiro, noticing his furrowed brows.

The singing in the depths of the Dungeon could have three possible explanations.

First, a bored adventurer wanted to pass his time singing.

Second, an illusion caused by environmental phenomenon creating the sound of a melody, like dripping water.

Third, and least likely, an actual monster singing a song.

But, monsters were believed to be mindless creatures driven by instinct, attacking adventurers without reason.

This was common knowledge, making the third possibility seem absurd.

However, Shiro couldn't shake off the memory of the fleeing Minotaur they encountered while returning to the surface.

If it could feel fear and flee, why couldn't it develop other emotions?

"Ais, if a monster gains sentience, can it still be considered a 'monster'?" Shiro posed a philosophical question, his voice contemplative.

"A monster is a monster!" Ais's response was firm and unwavering, as expected.

"I see." Shiro suppressed his doubts, shaking his head to clear his mind of any useless thoughts.

Ais's hatred for monsters was deeply rooted, and until something drastic happened, her answer would remain the same in the future.

Her judgment was clouded by flames of vengeance, hindering her ability to consider alternative perspectives.

Finding nothing of interest on the board, Finn turned to the others. "Is everyone ready? It's about time we set off."

"We're ready!" Tiona exclaimed, her usual eagerness bubbling over.

"Ais, remember to restrain yourself this time, alright?" Riveria added, her gentle scolding eliciting a chuckle from the group.

"Then let's go!" Finn declared, his words echoing through the air.

The Pallum captain's command seemed to trigger a signal.

The clear bell rang at noon, and the group of adventurers from Loki Familia took steps towards the entrance of the giant tower.

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