The Book Eating Magician - Chapter 381

―Kung.

The door of the treasury closed behind Theodore. As the golden light pouring through the crack in the door was cut off, there was only one man holding a small pouch left in the hallway of the royal palace. It was good up to when he got the permission of the king to enter the treasury.

The glow of precious metals and the treasures piled higher than the height of some men caused even Theodore to feel in awe.

"Hah, it will take me around three hours to look through everything."

However, this impression only lasted for a moment. Theodore was upset about having to spend hours searching through the mountains of gold. He couldn't neglect a wedding gift, but he didn't know anything about women's decorations. Thus, he was forced to lean on someone's advice.

[Please believe in me, Master! There might be a difference in trends between generations, but the aesthetics of the human species can't be that different from how they were during the Age of Mythology! Magic King Solomon also entrusted the election of his brides' gifts to me!]

Lemegeton's ego, Ars Goetia, emerged like he had been waiting for this time. Theodore was a bit nervous since Goetia was more than 3,000 years old. However, he couldn't ask the great people sleeping in Gluttony's Hall of Fame. Of course, if he had foreseen what would happen next, he might've thought about it a bit longer.

'I didn't know I would dig up more than half of the treasure piles.'

If the level of discernment was proportional to the fuss, Geotic must be a very high-level appraiser. There was a necklace with an awkward color combination and a ring made of low purity precious metal.  As a result of searching through the ornaments in the treasure piles while using Theodore's analysis magic, only half a dozen jewelry passed Goetia's standards.

[Believe in me! I'll sure the two of them will love it!]

"Well, it looks good to me."

If there weren't any gains in three hours, trusting Goetia would be a waste. Theodore thought this and pulled out two rings from his pocket—a ruby ring with a border of gold and a sapphire ring with a platinum border. He was satisfied because the colors reminded him of the eyes and hair of the two women—Veronica and Sylvia.

[Isn't that right? Do you like it? I told you it would all be okay if you trust this Goetia! Let me take care of the dates and honeymoon too!]

"...Ars Goetia, stay silent until I say otherwise."

[Oof oof!]

However, apart from having that moment of satisfaction, Theodore's patience had reached its limit. Theodore silenced Lemegeton with a few words of command and quickly left the treasury. It wouldn't be a big disadvantage if someone saw him, but it wouldn't be good to create rumors.

'Oh, I saw stop by my family.'

It would be strange to proceed with marriage without saying anything to his family. Theodore set the destination and moved a finger.

Ttaak!

There was a distinctive sound, and space movement was used.

*     *     *

The Marquis Miller manor, located near the capital, was an unusual manor in the Meltor Kingdom.

It was a land that contained considerable power and authority but wasn't subordinate to the nobles. Even if there was fighting against an enemy, they would never invade the Miller Manor. There was a tendency to even avoid an argument with the Miller family.

However, there was no need to explain why.

It was due to the presence of Chief Tower Master, Theodore Miller. He was a war hero who had ended the long war with Andras, the magician who had brought about the second golden period of Meltor. How could the nobles, already oppressed by the king and the magic towers, go against his authority? Their future would collapse if they made the slightest misstep.

Robinson, a knight of the Miller territory, thought so. "Today is peaceful. I hope these days will continue."

"I agree. I didn't know if I could continue being a knight."

"Haha, I agree. I wanted to know what would happen when the northern war ended and a nonaggression treaty was signed with Andras..."

Once the age of war was over, there were people of certain occupations, the magicians and knights, that would lose a place to go. However, unlike magicians who had a lot to do besides combat, the knights only had places in armed forces. Even so, was it so easy to abandon the land of their birth and migrate? Despite the fear of the future, there were still a few knights left in Meltor. Fortunately, unlike their predictions, there were many ways to survive.

"This is thanks to Theodore."

"Mm, yes."

If they wanted peace, they had to prepare for war. Theodore had said that the end of the war didn't mean peace for the whole world. As such, he thoroughly took care of the knights and soldiers who lost their jobs. Despite the end of the war, there was a lot of need for armed forces as security guards, border guards, and pioneers. Those who wanted to retire would receive a retirement payment corresponding to their merits. The rest were placed in each region according to their wishes. The same was true for the two knights guarding the door of the manor.

It was at this moment that...

Flash! Suddenly, there was a bright light. 

Robinson and Gruber stared at the center of the flash. Their instincts from long periods of experience told them they would die if they went against the new arrival. However, they didn't back down at all.  The dazzling light was quickly lifted, and the figure of the person moving through space was revealed.

"Your reaction is good. It looks like you have been trained well."

The knights' eyes widened as they saw black hair, blue eyes, and an intricately embroidered robe. Unless they were seeing the same hallucinations, this person was...

"Knight Robinson Pater! I greet Chief Tower Master Theodore!"

"Knight Gruber Levian! I greet Chief Tower Master Theodore!"

The two knights quickly put away their swords and kneeled down. Setting aside his career as a war hero, Theodore was the core of Meltor's power.

He wasn't a person they could raise their heads to.

Theodore received their greeting, "You've worked hard. Is it okay if I go in?"

"O-Of course! Ah, if you need a guide...!"

"No, it is okay. This isn't my first time here."

The faces of the two knights were sullen for some reason. Theodore opened the silver gate of the mansion and stepped into the courtyard. It was made with mithril, so it made almost no sound.

'Hmm?'

No, he heard a metal sound. He took a few steps and grasped the epicenter of the noise. It was coming from an empty space in the garden. Theodore was interested and glided there. He used a combination of Grease, Slide, and other magic. As he slid over like a raft drifting down a river, he soon faced an interesting sight.

Kakang! Kang! Kakang!

It was the sound of two swords colliding. As the two blades met each other, the leaves around them vibrated. This was a level of swordsmanship that didn't seem perfect.

'Hrmm, it is Leo's lesson.'

Leonardo Miller, Theodore's younger brother, was in the midst of fencing with Rebecca. Additionally, there was haze around his blade. It was definitely aura.

'He is only 15 years old. Is he growing so quickly because he met a good teacher?

Of course, the shape was still unclear, like a fog. However, it was still aura. Several years of training were required to reach this level. However, this wasn't the case when he had been training with Rebecca who, like Leo, had the talent of a genius.

Kaaang! Leo's sword bounced up with a single upswing, and the spar between the two ended.

"Ha! Hah! Hah! I-I lost."

"Good work, Young Master."

Unlike the sweaty Leo, Rebecca didn't have a hair out of place or rough breathing. Theodore watched them before taking a step forward. Rebecca grasped Theodore's position and cried out, "M-My Lord!" 

She bent down onto one knee with an astonished expression. Theodore lightly waved his hand at her greeting and said hello to Rebecca and Leo.

"It has been a while, Rebecca and Leo."

"Eh, Brother?! How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived. You have really improved. Learning how to use aura at this age... You might become a sword master before your ceremony of adulthood."

"R-Really? Heheh, Sister Rebecca has taught me well."

"No, it is thanks to Young Master's talent and passion."

Theodore smiled and held out his right hand to Rebecca. It was to see if his intuition was right.

"Rebecca, raise your sword. I'll give you five blows."

"...I understand."

Before Leo could interrupt, Theodore and Rebecca moved.

Kakiing.

Rebecca attacked with a sword that struck without hesitation. She believed in Theodore's strength more than anyone else, so she used all her strength. However, despite using all her strength, she couldn't touch a single strand of his hair. It was a knight's duty to devote themselves to their lord. 

Blue aura flew like flames and formed at the edge of the sword. This was a technique of the Clovis family that specialized in stabbing, unlike Randolph's swordsmanship.

'Fast. Randolph's double swords are sharper.'

However, Theodore struggled with her speed. He deflected the incoming sword and struck the next two strikes with his fists. Theodore was already close to being a master in martial arts. The power of ether, which got thicker after becoming a transcendent, exceeded the aura blade.  Rebecca had yet to become a sword master, so she had a hard time receiving the power. However...

Chaaeng!

Rebecca was pushed back, with her feet creating two troughs on the ground. She was obviously pushed back with power, yet the sword that stood up to the blow wasn't shaky nor did she lose her center of gravity. It was a feat that wouldn't be possible if she didn't have master-level aura.

"Congratulations, Rebecca. Did you find the clue to the next level?"

"It is a shameful achievement that hasn't woken up yet."

"There is just one step left. I was worried that you wouldn't reach it while teaching my brother."

"Rather, I learned many things while teaching Young Master."

It wasn't uncommon for a teacher to realize what they were lacking when they raised a student. Now, Rebecca said it was the same for her. Perhaps it was a desire not to pass on blame to her master's kin, but Theodore believed her. That's why he spread out his left hand without hesitation. "This is a sword from the east. It is a gift."

He took out the Wugou Sword and handed it to Rebecca. It was a curved blade in the form of a crescent moon. Rebecca instantly realized its value. "M-My Lord. I don't think this is suitable for me. Thank you for your grace, but I can't accept it."

"There is no need to worry. It isn't enough now, but you can use it after you have achieved your full potential. I think it is a good reward for teaching my brother and looking after my family."

"My Lord..."

Theodore tapped the shoulders of the touched Rebecca and then hugged Leo, who was looking at them.

"This guy, you have grown a lot in a few months."

"B-Brother! Put me down!"

"Didn't you want me to do this every day when you were a child?"

"Sister Reb is watching! It is embarrassing!"

 Theodore's little brother blushed as he was carried on Theodore's shoulder into the mansion. His parents were waiting. It was quite different from the humble and poor Miller Barony, but what difference was there when his whole family was gathered together? Theodore smiled brightly and walked with Leo and Rebecca.

He was thinking about how his family would soon grow.