IBML 24

Chapter 24

Since that night, I had been diligently communicating with the spirits and training my abilities. I became capable of naturally using powers beyond my main ability.

With this as a foundation, Rekalin’s spirit research progressed smoothly.

He, like the spirits, hoped that I would help evolve them.

Rekalin was pleased when I explained to him the circumstances under which the echoes had resounded in the middle of the night.

“Could you show me once?”
“Yes.”

I made eye contact with Liventa, who fluttered her wings, and then opened my mouth to emit an intangible sound.

“[Cast.]”

As the echo began to spread, I summoned a new wind to block it from filling the room. It was an ability of concealment.

After practicing, the transition between these two abilities had become quite smooth.

Insight enhanced my hearing. While using this ability, I could even hear sounds from beyond the duke’s mansion.

With movement, I could now float a few centimeters above the ground. Further practice only made my direction changes more precise and my speed faster.

Since I could float instead of walking, it was convenient to go straight to bed after washing up.

Still, humans think better while walking. Some poet went insane because he never left his room.

If one cared about their body, even a little walking was necessary.

Not only the wind, but I also became adept at handling other abilities.

The remarkable thing was that it took me less than a week to control them naturally.

So, talent really does seem to exist.

And the more I used my abilities, the more deeply I could understand the spirits.

Even if they appeared expressionless, I could sense what they were thinking, almost like telepathy.

I could feel Liventa’s earnestness, Arhana’s purity, Shuiban’s gentleness—emotions seemed partially shared.

It was true communion.

I also began to vaguely understand the phenomenon called “evolution.”

“Impressive, Assistant.”

Rekalin clapped and wrote down notes.

The papers he prepared were already hundreds of pages, thick enough to form a binder.

“May I see?”
“Of course. This research is a joint work between Lasha and me.”

I opened the binder Rekalin handed me.

The neatly organized notes, written in his sharp and precise handwriting, clearly summarized what I had said and even pointed out the characteristics and areas for improvement in my abilities.

“This could make a great paper.”
“I hope the academic world feels the same.”

Rekalin said he had published many papers.

Although magic is often grouped under one name, it is actually divided into many branches.

Rekalin was interested in all of them, so his papers covered a variety of fields.

Thus, every time he published, he was criticized for lacking depth in each field.

I chuckled wryly.

“Strange people. Does writing in multiple fields make your work shallow?”
“Indeed.”
“I want to see the papers you published, Duke.”
“I will bring them, please wait a moment.”

Rekalin brought a binder containing several of his papers.

Wait, how many papers are there? One, two, three…

I gave up counting after ten.

There were even recently written papers. Had he really been writing papers during those hellish all-nighters?

“Are you a paper-producing machine, Duke?”
“Sometimes I hear that.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the faint pride on his face.

He seemed completely masterful with documents.

I closed the binder and suggested we continue the research.

Rekalin frequently called Kalian for discussions.

Each time Kalian left after talking with Rekalin, he looked brighter than when he had entered.

He never told me what they discussed, but I assumed they weren’t repeating the mistakes from the Belladona-Parva incident.

“Welcome, Assistant.”

I approached Rekalin, who greeted me warmly.

The tea time had been prepared for Kalian, but it had ended up being a discussion time for Rekalin and me instead.

If I weren’t a vessel, this situation might have been quite unpleasant. Most people dislike being stuck with their superior even on weekends, let alone weekdays.

I didn’t particularly like it either. He was both a beloved character from the original story and a strict superior.

The all-nighter he had imposed yesterday was still vivid in my mind, making me reluctant to face him.

A vacation would have helped, but my allotted leave days were too short.

“Looks delicious.”
“I prepared it diligently.”

Rekalin responded to my muttering. Was all that preparation necessary? It was just the usual weekly tea time.

I observed him, but he spoke firmly:

“Other young ladies experience even more. They have tea time once a day.”
“Then I suppose I can’t complain…”

I nodded and sat down.

On the table was a three-tiered tray with snacks that left minimal crumbs, and a teapot and cups with gold leaf along the edges.

Rekalin poured the tea himself.

I noticed there were no attendants nearby. This wasn’t just today; he rarely had attendants around him.

Most of the time, it was the head butler who assisted him.

Curious, I asked:

“May I ask why you don’t use attendants often, Duke?”
“Oh, I’m just accustomed to it. My mother emphasized independence.”

The saying “Old habits die hard” seemed to apply here.

I found it a bit surprising; he looked like the type of young noble who grew up indulged in the best of everything.

It was a reminder not to judge someone by appearances.

With that in mind, I sipped the tea Rekalin poured for me.

The tea smelled of fragrant mint.

The peaceful atmosphere enveloped the room. I set the cup down and got to the main point.

“Duke, could you provide me with a free pass for the Infinite Library?”

I had an idea of how to induce evolution, but I kept hitting mental walls.

‘[If you hold your will strongly, nothing is impossible in this world.]’
‘…Isn’t that just willpower absolutism? Many people die trying that way.’
‘[Ah, no, it’s not that.]’

The same applied when talking with Liventa.

Advice from Shuiban or Arhana wasn’t particularly helpful either.

Shuiban offered me one solution.

He explained that his previous contracted spirit, who had died young, had written and published a book about spirits, planning to promote it extensively.

But he happened to pass away just as the book was published.

Shuiban watched from the bookstore all day after the death, but the book sold only to a few academics.

‘Why does this matter to the Infinite Library?’

A brief explanation: the Infinite Library, near the Academy, was a library that the first Academy Director allowed citizens to access.

Of course, spaces for students and citizens were strictly separated.

The key point: this library was literally infinite.

It could endlessly store books, including those from over a century ago, thanks to a spatial magic.

Moreover, magic maintained perfect humidity, lighting, and cleanliness—truly heaven for book lovers and a treasure trove of knowledge.

Back on topic: the point was, the Infinite Library collected and preserved all kinds of books.

So, it was likely that Shuiban’s previous contracted spirit’s book, despite poor sales, would still exist there.

‘[My previous contracted spirit wrote the book with all his effort. It probably includes detailed content on evolution too. I’ve tried to forget him, so I don’t remember the contents myself. Sorry.]’

I wasn’t remotely sorry; even a small clue was valuable.

‘Doesn’t the Infinite Library replace books every few hundred years?’
‘[About every 300 years, I think.]’
‘[Hmm, it’s been slightly less than 300 years since he published.]’

That meant I had to go to the Infinite Library immediately to find the book.

But none of the spirits remembered the title properly.

‘We can search by author’s name.’
‘[It’s Tom Ioman.]’
‘That’s one of the most common male names; it even ranked first in last month’s newspaper.’

It seemed I’d have to spend at least a whole day in the Infinite Library.

The Infinite Library contained everything—great masterpieces, rare old books, and even terrible failures.

Visitors were checked both when entering and leaving.

If the book was an old one, usage was limited, and special certification was required. I’d probably need to get that too.

But with a free pass, I could bypass all those restrictions.

“A free pass? It’s not difficult, but may I ask the purpose?”
“For research.”
“In that case, I will issue it immediately.”

The Emperor could go anywhere, including the Infinite Library, and Rekalin was a friend of such an Emperor.

Naturally, it made sense that I could get a free pass.

“Will we end tea time early today?”
“Hmm… yes. I’d like to go to the library immediately.”
“Very well.”

Rekalin rose with a slightly regretful expression.

The weather was nice, and now that I had a free pass, I chose to walk instead of taking a carriage.