When I finished writing the technique, I set the quill down and stretched my arms. A groan escaped my mouth. The feeling of my muscles being stretched hurt, but the relief I felt when I relaxed made it all better.
I studied the scroll I had written the Spiritual Technique on. It was glowing a light blue, but the glow soon faded after my Spiritual Power became infused with the parchment. There were over six dozen runes written on the parchment. That was four lines worth of runes. This technique wasn’t my most impressive. I’d been asked by many to create Spiritual Techniques, and this particular one had been created for a friend who wanted an A-Rank Spiritual Technique that didn’t require a lot of movement to activate. That said, I think it would be enough to fetch a good price if I sold it to the Spiritualist Academy.
With a soft sigh, I rolled the parchment up, tied it with a string around the middle, and stood up. I had just made my way over to the staircase when I was forced to stop because someone had walked up at the same time that I was about to walk down.
My breath caught in my throat.
She carried herself with an incredible amount of elegance and grace. Blond hair that appeared to have been spun from gold framed a porcelain face that possessed just a hint of redness on her cheeks, making it look like she had a near permanent blush. She had a small button nose, wide blue eyes, and soft pink lips.
Currently dressed in a simple white gown that was tied together with a golden cord and a light purple cloak thrown over it, I could not see much of her figure. However, even with the cloak in the way, the massive swell of her chest remained visible. It probably helped that she was holding a book to her chest. The act caused her breasts to push against the book, making them bulge.
I found myself frozen as she walked up the steps, the soles of her sandals thumping lightly against the wooden stairs. She reached the top while I was trying to get my head on straight. A slight pricking feeling stung my eyes as I watched this elegant girl stop in front of me when she realized there was someone blocking her path.
She and I stared at each other for the longest time. Her eyes held a glint of concern as she looked at my face.
“Are you okay?” she asked in a soft, polite, but ultimately reserved voice.
“Huh?” I replied in what must have been the dumbest manner possible.
“You’re crying,” she said.
“I am?” I reached up and brushed a finger underneath my right eye. When I looked at the droplet of water on my finger, I realized that she was right. I quickly dried my eyes and tried not to feel embarrassed. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Something just stung my eyes. I think I got some dust in them. Some of these books are a bit musty.”
“That does happen from time to time,” she said with a polite smile.
Once I had finished drying my tears, I planned on stepping aside to let her pass. As much as I wanted to speak with her, right now wasn’t the best time, especially since I was getting emotional. She didn’t even know who I was and would probably think I was weird. I didn’t want to frighten her off.
However, just as I was about to step aside, I recognized the book she was holding to her chest.
“Isn’t that The Tale of Anderil?” I asked.
At my question, her eyes lit up just a bit. “Do you know it?”
I nodded. “It’s one of my favorites. A young man leaves his home village.”
“He journeys across the land,” she continued for me.
“Exploring ruins,” I picked up where she left off.
“Confronting danger,” she added.
“All for the sake of quenching his undying thirst for adventure,” she and I finished together.
“This is also one of my favorite books,” she admitted with a smile, and this time, her smile was a bit less reserved and a bit more genuine. She tilted her head. Long hair like strands of liquid gold scintillated in the light as they shifted against her back and shoulders. “Do you mind if I ask what other books you’ve read?”
“I think the more appropriate question to ask is what books haven’t I read?” I said before I began listing off several of my favorites—well, my favorites before the Demon Beast Invasion. I was honestly surprised I could remember all of them.
The more I spoke, the brighter her face became, until it was so bright I could have sworn it was capable of outshining the sun.
“Those are some of my favorites,” she said with a wistful sigh. “I actually own quite a few of those, but some of them I can only read here.”
“I have seen you around here often,” I admitted.
“Do you also come here a lot?” she asked.
I gave her a wry grin. “Well, I do work here, so it is hard for me not to come here a lot.”
“OH!” Her mouth formed a pretty O-shape. “Now that you mention it, I have seen you returning books to shelves before. I’m so sorry. I’m usually very distracted when I come here, so I don’t often pay much attention to my surroundings.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. I wanted to stay longer and talk with her, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to sell this technique scroll before the Spiritualist Academy closed and would have to wait until tomorrow. What’s more, I knew that she was here to read and even the reason why. It would be bad form if I held her up. “Anyway, I am pretty sure you came here to read, so I’ll leave you to it.”
“Oh… okay,” she said, and her shoulders slumped just a bit.
A slight sense of boldness flashed in my eyes when I saw that. “If I see you here again, would you mind if I came up and spoke with you? It would be nice to talk with someone about the books I’m reading.”
The light came back to her eyes. “Yes, I would like that very much.”
I smiled. “I’m Eryk, by the way. Eryk Veiger.”
“My name is Kari… just Kari.” Her lips curved into a delicate and breathtaking smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Eryk.”
“Likewise.”
I moved aside and allowed Kari to pass. Her smile brightened a bit more as she looked at me before she turned her head and wandered further into the second floor, sat down at a table, and began quietly reading. She did glance at me a bit more, though.
“Just Kari, huh?” I said with a small chuckle.
I knew why she hadn’t told me her last name, but I didn’t feel too bad. I was sure she thought I would kowtow to her if she’d mentioned she was the daughter of Empress Hilda.
Walking back down the stairs, I felt a slight sense of irritation on my back, like a gnat had landed there. However, it was more of a metaphysical sense rather than a purely physical one. Someone was glaring at me.
I soon discovered that it was actually multiple someones. There were quite a few young men ranging in age from their early to late teens sitting at various tables, and all of them were staring at me like I had just murdered their ancestors. What an annoying feeling.
Just as I was about to confront those young men around my age, Ms Nadine stepped up to me. She eyed me for a moment before snorting.
“I never would have imagined you could act so bold.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Nothing.” She waved her hand in an airy manner while holding a stack of books in the other hand. “Did you have a pleasant conversation?”
“I did actually.” I narrowed my eyes. “Were you eavesdropping on us?”
She released another snort. “Don’t be stupid. No one was eavesdropping on you. The two of you were just so loud that everyone heard it.”
“Is that so?” I glanced at the glaring young men. Having finally realized why these people were glaring at me, I could only shake my head. “Some people should mind their own business.”
Ms. Nadine raised an eyebrow at my words, but she didn’t say anything and instead told me it would be best if I left. It seemed all the glaring and unwarranted hatred being rained on me was killing the library’s good vibes.
Well, it wasn’t like I had any intention of staying an
yway.
My heart was still pounding in my chest as I walked through the busy streets of Nevaria toward the Spiritualist Academy. I don’t think I was prepared to see Kari again so soon. The relief at seeing her alive caused an emotional anguish that tore at my heart, turning into an almost physical pain. It felt like my heart was trying to break out of my ribcage.
Shaking my head, I used a simple breathing technique to quell my emotional turmoil.
The Spiritualist Academy was the largest structure within Nevaria, even bigger than the Imperial Royal Palace that sat on the flattened mountain. It was made entirely of stone and resembled a massive fortress. Numerous spires were arrayed around the academy, each one big enough that it would take at least two hundred people to wrap around them. While the spires pierced the sky, the largest feature of this academy was obviously the massive castle, which spread across a large ground.
Anyone could enter the Spiritualist Academy. After walking through the front gate, I traveled down a long path situated inside of a sprawling garden filled with colorful blossoms. I didn’t stop and admire the flowers, however. I was there on a mission.
The massive doors to enter the academy were already open, so I walked inside and looked around. I was inside of a large entrance hall. The stone floor spread out before me. There were numerous doors and several staircases leading to who knew where. Having never been here when people actually inhabited it, I was unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, it seemed there was someone situated nearby whose purpose was to help people like me.
“Excuse me, miss. Are you looking to enroll in the Spiritualist Academy?” a pretty but plain woman with brown hair asked me with a smile. “I’m sorry. You appear to be a little too old to enroll now. We generally only allow people to enroll when they are between the ages of 12 and 14 years old.”
My right eye twitched. “Okay. First of all, I am not a ‘miss’. I’m a man. I would appreciate if you could not get my gender mixed up.”
“Oh, my. I’m so sorry, mister.” The woman held a hand to her mouth in shock.
“Secondly, I’m not here to enroll.” I continued talking, trying to stay on topic. “I recently acquired a scroll that contains what I believe is a Spiritual Technique. I know the Spiritualist Academy has an interest in that kind of stuff, so I came here to have it evaluated and, if possible, I would like to sell it.”
“A Spiritual Technique Scroll?” The woman’s eyes widened in surprise, but she admirably masked it with a quick smile. “In that case, why don’t you wait here for just a moment? I’ll need to get one of the academy instructors. I do not have enough knowledge to even begin evaluating a Spiritual Technique Scroll.”
“I understand. I’ll wait right here,” I said.
“Thank you.”
As the woman walked off at a brisk pace, I wandered over to the nearest wall, crossed my arms, and leaned against it. There weren’t that many people within this hall. Someone would occasionally walk out from one of the adjacent doors or come down from the stairs on the other side of the room. Every time someone did walk into the entrance hall, they would stare at me like I was a curiosity. However, no one bothered coming up to me.
Finally, the woman arrived with someone in tow. An old man wearing an extravagant mauve tunic walked behind her. He was carrying a staff, had a slightly ruddy face, and a large, bulbous nose. His all-white hair was receding and made him look even older. However, with Spiritual Perception, I could sense this man’s strength. Spiritual Power flowed through his body, and while it wasn’t what I would consider strong, it would be more than enough to take down a C-Rank Demon Beast.
I carefully used Masking to hide myself from the perception of others as I pushed off the wall and greeted the two.
“My name is Infile Duendas. I have been told that you have gotten your hands on a Spiritual Technique Scroll,” the old man introduced himself.
“Yes.” I removed the scroll from the sleeve of my tunic. “This is it right here.”
“May I see it?” Infile held out his hand.
I placed the scroll on the man’s outstretched hand, pulling back as he proceeded to study the scroll.
Most scrolls look very old, with faded and worn parchment. I had purposefully bought parchment that was older than usual to make it seem like it was older than it really was. As the man studied the exterior, he seemed to notice its lack of age, but his eyes also widened slightly as he picked up something else too.
“There is indeed a powerful Spiritual Signature on this scroll,” he determined. “Whether or not this is actually a Spiritual Technique has yet to be determined. Do you mind if I take a look inside?”
I gestured at him. “Feel free.”
Nodding, the man undid the cord tying it together and unfurled the scroll. I observed him as he studied the contents, watching as his eyes slowly widened, until it looked like they couldn’t widen anymore. I frowned at how shocked he seemed. However, I wasn’t given enough time to respond before he rolled the scroll back up and looked at me.
“This is indeed a Spiritual Technique Scroll,” he said, his voice unable to contain his excitement. “What’s more, it appears to be quite powerful. I would like to have the Headmaster take a look at this scroll to determine its true value. Would you mind following me?”
“I don’t mind,” I said after a moment’s thought.
“Then please follow me.”
I followed the man as he turned around and wandered up a set of stairs. They were different from the ones he came through. The stairs wound around the outer wall like a spiral, and after we reached a certain point, he exited through a door that led into a large hallway.
There currently weren’t any classes today, so the hall was fairly empty. If there were classes, then Kari would not have been at the library. I remember her telling me that she, like many other children of noble lineage, had attended the standard four years at this academy starting when she was fourteen years old.
I was eventually led to a large door. It didn’t look different from the other doors outside of its size. Infile knocked on the door once.
“Who is it?” a wizened voice asked from the other side.
“It’s Infile.” The old man glanced at me. “I have a young man who has a rather unique Spiritual Technique Scroll that he would like to have evaluated and exchanged.”
A moment of silence.
“Come in.”
Opening the door, Infile allowed me to proceed him inside. The room on the other side looked smaller than it actually was, but I think that was because of all the objects littering it. A skeleton of an avian Demon Beast hung from the ceiling. There were a number of bookshelves filled to bursting with tomes. In the center of the room was something that looked like a fountain. The clear liquid inside bubbled and rippled as though it was alive.
In the very back of this room was a man who looked even older than Infile. His ancient face was covered in wrinkles and framed by shock white hair. While I couldn’t see all of him because he was sitting, his tunic was pitch black but laced with golden designs. They were runes, though it didn’t look like they were functional. Very few people knew how to properly inscribe runes into clothing. He appeared to have been pouring over a book, but he looked up when the two of us entered, revealing a pair of watery blue eyes behind rimless glasses and a long beard.
His eyes landed on Infile, but then they swept toward me. I sensed him using Spiritual Perception to probe me. It felt a lot like I was being covered in a thin layer of oil. I was very glad I had already used Masking to hide my presence.
“What is this about a Spiritual Technique Scroll?” asked the old man, his eyes returning to Infile.
“Here it is.” Infile stepped forward and set the scroll on the desk next to the various knickknacks that littered it. “It seems to be very powerful, but unfortunately, it is a little too advanced for me to accurately evaluate it.”
The Headmaster frowned as he looked at the scroll. He reached out wi
th an old, withered hand, grabbing the scrolling and unfurling it.
I stood back as he set the scroll on the book he’d been reading and poured over it, his brows furrowing. After another moment, he let out a shocked exclamation.
“What is it?” asked Infile.
The Headmaster took a deep breath. “This is indeed the Spiritual Technique Scroll to a powerful technique. It appears to be an A-Rank Spiritual Lightning Technique: Lightning Cutter.”
“A-an A-Rank Spiritual Lightning Technique?!” Infile squawked, his eyes growing almost impossibly wide.
“Young man, where did you get this?” The Headmaster turned his eyes on me, blinking several times. I once more felt his Spiritual Perception glancing me over. It felt a lot like someone had cracked an egg over my head.
“While I was going through some old items my family left behind, I found this scroll sealed inside of a chest,” I made up a lie on the spot.
“A family technique, is it?” The Headmaster mumbled softly. “Tell me, what family do you belong to?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m an orphan. The chest was just something that’s always been in my possession. I assume it came from my family.”
The Headmaster frowned at my words as though trying to detect a lie. Meanwhile, I was trying to find out what the big deal was. An A-Rank technique was powerful, certainly, but the Brave Vesperia Sect I created back in Midgard had plenty of A-Rank techniques available. Granted, I had created most of those techniques myself by basing them off my own elemental manipulation (Kari and several others helped me test them), but surely this academy also had plenty of powerful Spiritual Techniques available…
Right?
“Well, whatever the case may be, this is indeed a powerful Spiritual Technique Scroll,” the Headmaster said. “I am assuming you want to exchange it for valis?”
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 1 Page 5