NoveLight ™
Beyond the split bookshelf, Leon found a space blocked by an invisible barrier.
Leon carefully examined the area around the barrier without rushing in. It wasn’t surprising that the hidden space of a dark magician would be protected by such a barrier.
Unable to find any way to deactivate the barrier, Leon entered the orb’s space again to confront the old man’s corpse.
Seeing the lifeless body lying on the cold ground sent a shiver through Leon’s heart, which he had tried to steel earlier.
Shaking off the feeling, Leon began to search the old man’s belongings.
The first thing he found was a smooth pouch.
"A spatial pocket!"
Leon immediately injected mana into it and emptied its contents. Fortunately, it wasn’t a high-grade spatial pocket, so it reacted to his mana.
Five items fell out: a bronze token, a green potion vial, a scroll, a book, and a black brooch.
First, Leon examined the bronze token, something he had seen before. It was a token similar to the one he had received from the library head when he was sent on herbal errands.
Next was the transparent vial containing a green liquid.
"Poison…?"
Just looking at its ominous color gave Leon an unsettling feeling.
"I’d better not touch this carelessly."
He moved the vial into his own spatial pocket and then picked up the scroll.
Leon’s eyes widened as he unrolled the scroll.
It was an E-rank elixir recipe.
"The old man was gathering herbs to make an E-rank elixir!"
Leon had suspected something like this. The herbs the old man had asked him to gather were not included in the F-rank elixir recipe, except for one.
Although Leon hadn’t yet gathered all the herbs needed for F-rank elixirs, having this recipe certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Feeling that he had finally been rewarded for using up all his magic scrolls, Leon turned to inspect the remaining items.
The book, as expected, was a grimoire on dark magic.
Its title was "Call of the Abyss."
The ominous title seemed fitting for the secretive and forbidden nature of dark magic.
Finally, there was the black brooch. Given that it was an item in a spatial pocket, it likely had some special use, but Leon couldn’t figure out what it was for.
He gripped the brooch in his hand, storing the other items in his spatial pocket before stepping out of the orb.
Back in the old man’s study, Leon slowly brought the black brooch close to the protective barrier.
As soon as the brooch touched the barrier, it sank right in.
Gaining confidence, Leon pushed his entire hand through the barrier.
"It works."
The black brooch was indeed a key to entering the secret space.
Leon cautiously stepped through the barrier.
Once inside, he saw a staircase descending into the darkness.
He followed the stairs down and emerged into a massive cavern.
The only reason Leon could tell it was a cavern was because a faint light illuminated the space.
Thud—
Leon reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Huh…."
His breath caught in his throat as he saw the enormous silhouette that dominated the cavern.
It was at least five times the size of a human, with a long beak and an equally long neck. The creature's massive wings were covered in dull gray feathers.
"A… bird…?"
It was the silhouette of an enormous bird.
The bird lay sprawled on the ground, not in a resting position but seemingly immobilized.
Shackles bound its thin ankles, and its body was wrapped in bandages. Dark blood oozed from between the wrappings.
Leon noticed that the bird’s eyes were closed and cautiously took a step forward.
A desk stood far from the bird.
"Was he experimenting on this bird?"
Leon approached the desk and found a scroll that appeared to be a research journal.
————————————————————————— [Observation, Week 62.]
The final sentence trailed off as if the writer had simply recorded a fleeting thought.
Leon pocketed the scroll and glanced around.
On the desk, scraps of herbs used in previous experiments remained on a metal tray. Beneath the tray was a large box containing several green vials identical to the one found in the old man’s spatial pocket.
Another scroll lay atop the box. Leon opened it to find the observation notes from Week 61, which were not much different from those of Week 62.
"Was he storing these to send somewhere?"
Leon placed everything into his spatial pocket except for one green vial, which he left on the desk to be found later by any magician investigating the old man’s disappearance.
Leon intended to create the impression that the dark magician had fled Widia to return to his hideout.
"Now, what to do about the bird…."
It didn’t make sense for the old man to leave this strange bird behind if he had been planning to escape.
As Leon pondered what to do, the bird’s massive eyes suddenly opened.
Its slit pupils focused on Leon.
"And who might you be…?"
The bird’s voice echoed through the cavern, sounding hoarse and weary.
Leon’s breath hitched in surprise, but he quickly masked his expression.
"I’ve taken over the old man’s work."
"Hmm… You don’t seem to possess any dark magic…."
The bird’s tone was mocking as it continued.
"It seems something unfortunate has happened to Forn."
The bird had immediately seen through Leon’s lie. Forn was the old man’s name.
"What do you intend to do with me?"
The bird’s voice was probing, as if testing Leon.
Leon pressed his lips together, deep in thought.
"Should I kill it? If a magician finds it later, they might trace it back to me. It’s unsettling that it can speak like a human…."
Sensing the direction of Leon’s thoughts, the bird spoke up.
"How about we make a deal?"
"Why should I trust you?"
Leon didn’t bother hiding his wariness. The bird extended its long neck, bringing its face close to Leon’s.
"Isn’t it foolish to show your cards without even hearing the terms of the deal?"
"Oh?"
Leon scoffed inwardly but nodded outwardly, signaling the bird to continue. After all, no matter what the bird said, Leon believed he held the upper hand.
"If you find my core and bring it to me, I’ll grant you a wish."
"A wish? Any wish? Could you make me a grand magician?"
"Sarcasm won’t help this conversation."
"That just shows how ridiculous your offer is."
Leon shrugged. His deliberate provocations seemed to have the desired effect, as the bird stared at him intently.
"Have you ever wanted someone dead? I can kill one person for you, no matter who it is."
Though the bird’s offer was chilling, Leon remained unimpressed.
"I don’t want to kill anyone."
"That’s hard to believe. Even if you don’t have any enemies now, it’s only a matter of time before you do."
Leon silently shook his head. Even if there were someone he wanted dead, he would have done the same.
"If you don’t need that, I can offer you something from my lair. It could significantly boost your magic skills."
"Not very tempting."
"Finding my core shouldn’t be that difficult. Even if you do find it, I won’t be able to fully recover. So I can’t offer anything more than that."
The bird drew a clear line.
However, this straightforwardness was what made Leon decide to take the conversation seriously.
The bird’s refusal to make outlandish promises after being denied showed a level of sincerity.
After a moment’s thought, Leon asked.
"What would it take to fully heal your body?"
"If I could stay in a place dense with mana for an extended period, I could recover. But finding a place that can sustain the amount of mana I need is almost impossible. It would require an incredibly high mana density."
Hearing this, Leon made up his mind.
"What if I told you there was a way to fully heal you?"
The bird scoffed.
"Do you really think you can take me to such a place with your current abilities? You can’t even break the shackles binding me. And even if you did find such a place, it would take decades to recover. Could you wait that long?"
"Do you really think you’re in a position to be picky? What if I could truly free you and help you recover?"
Leon had already thought of a way to bring the bird into the orb’s space. He had never tried bringing a sentient being into the orb, but he didn’t anticipate any significant issues. However, he had no intention of letting this suspicious creature in without precautions.
The bird seemed to understand its dire situation, as it let out a weary sigh and laid its head back on the ground.
"I know my situation. But what you’re suggesting is so far-fetched it’s laughable. If it’s truly possible, I’d even make a pact. I could even serve as your familiar for the rest of your life."
"A pact?"
"A blood pact, sealed with magic. Once the contract is made, it can’t be broken without risking your life."
Such a foolproof method existed.
Leon’s eyes lit up as he nodded.
"Alright, let’s do it now."
"…Did you not understand that breaking the contract would mean your death?"
"I understood."
The bird seemed puzzled by Leon’s confidence but ultimately had no choice but to comply.
"I can’t use magic in my current state, so I’ll guide you through the ritual."
The bird recited the ritual steps, and Leon followed them to the letter, activating the magic.
"By blood and soul, bound by this vow, let the eternal pact be sealed. Soul Binding Oath!"
As Leon chanted, his mana rapidly drained.
A six-pointed star appeared in the air before him.
Leon placed his blood and the bird’s blood into the magic circle and recited the terms of the contract.
In summary, Leon would provide the bird with a place to fully recover, and in return, the bird would serve as his familiar for the rest of his life. The bird would be unable to harm Leon until it fully recovered, and once fully healed, it would still be bound to serve him.
Through the process, Leon also learned the bird’s name.
"Kito."
"…It’s been a long time since anyone called me that."
"The pact is properly sealed, right?"
Leon could feel the binding sensation of the pact, confirming its legitimacy, but he asked anyway.
"Yes… If there had been no way to fulfill the pact, it wouldn’t have been sealed. But it seems you’ve thought of something."
"Then I’ll release you now."
With the pact sealed, there was no reason to hesitate.
Leon placed his hand on Kito’s head, while holding the orb in his other hand.
When he opened his eyes, both Kito and Leon were in the middle of the forest inside the orb.
"Where is this…?"
"Wait a moment."
Leon stepped out of the orb briefly and returned a few seconds later.
Kito had extended his long neck, looking around curiously.
"…How did you do that? I saw you disappear."
"How long was I gone?"
"Only a few minutes…."
It seemed that living beings in the orb experienced time just as they would in the real world, even when Leon stepped out.
"I’ll need to avoid bringing people into this space…."
If Leon spent a day outside, it would equate to two months for anyone inside the orb.
"Is the mana here sufficient for your recovery?"
Kito raised his head and took a deep breath.
"…It’s more than enough."
"Then focus on your recovery."
Because once you’re fully recovered, I’ll work you to the bone.
Leon didn’t stop after leaving the old man’s office.
He headed straight for the second floor of the magic library—a place the old man had forbidden access to from the very first day, claiming it contained forbidden magic tomes.
"If a magician isn’t curious about forbidden magic, then they aren’t a magician at all."