Isekai Journey Of The Magic Archer

Chapter 640 The price of knowledge

[Eon's POV: ]

She was smiling, which simply meant she at least wasn't against the idea of us using this book for primary training purposes. 

"You know why it is restricted to the students, right captain?"

"Of course, I know. That is why I have also prepared the countermeasures."

I took out a glass plate with a magic circle drawn on it and, placed it under the magic tome. 

"Knowledge and hardships have an inseparable relationship. Knowledge of a transparent nature cannot be gained without paying something of equal price in return for that. 

Remember everyone, this is a chance you have gained yourself by choosing to participate in this competition. 

You have a rare opportunity before you that will allow you to forever possess a kind of knowledge few in this school or the place you come from would ever possess in their life.

It is a special opportunity, however, the relationship between knowledge and hardship is unique. Something all of you who are now thinking of participating in the competition just to gain this rare opportunity will understand the meaning of today."

The tome of ancient knowledge that I had just placed before them was one of the only six original known copies of the book remaining on this planet, the original book that was handwritten by a being that now resides in the higher realm as a 'Lord' had already vanished a long time ago.

It is a special book and aside from the academy and our tower library that contains the original one, was the only one that I had obtained by a stroke of luck during our visit to one of the small kingdoms of the East of the western continent that was famous for their rice fields. 

It was just sitting in one of the antique stores that we visited, eating dust among a box full of other old-looking books. However, this one was the most special and valuable thing in that place, which, most certainly did not belong to such a place.

'A strong illusion magic was cast on it so none must have known its value until that point but, I bought that book for… it's a funny story, actually.'

The shop owner first asked for one silver for that entire box of books. He certainly did not know what he was selling, really.

Every one of those books was worth far more than a few silvers. For the one that we have before us, a few hundred platinum or, for a matter of fact, even a few hundred [W] coins would be nothing.

'The shop owner was a middle-aged man who seemed to have inherited the store after his predecessor. And, he most certainly didn't seem to be someone who liked working in that place so… I did him a favor, and took that whole shop off his hands for a hundred and two platinum. An amount that was nothing for the things that were present in that place, but certainly an amount he was seeing for the first time in his lifetime.'

He happily accepted that deal and even thanked us for our 'generosity'. Haaa… 

'It reminds me just how some people in this world don't know the treasures they already possess. Or how someone could be so ignorant as to sell a mountain of gold in exchange for a few loaves of bread.'

Haaaa… well. That antique shop is now one of the most famous shops in that kingdom, as well as a few nearby places, and has the kind of respect and reputation it should have already deserved.

"Miss Mia? Would you mind demonstrating?"

"Why would I? However, may I ask how you also have a top-grade safety device? The last time I saw this, only a few people had access to this technology." There was still an excited smile on her face when she asked that question.

She knew what would happen if one used this magic tome. She was worried if she would even come out alive after using it, the others might not be as lucky as her.

It was impossible for just anyone, any young adult like them, to possess what it required to use an artifact of this kind on their own.

She knew that that's why seeing some of the only things that could limit the dangers related to an artifact of this kind surprised her even more.

However, she did not have to worry about the origin of things that I possessed.

"Well, would you believe me if I say a good person I helped once was good enough to pass it down to me?"

Explaining it would always be complicated like this time so, it was better left unexplained.

"From What I can tell, you are saying a fraction of the truth. So, I will believe you, Captain Lucifer." She answered with a smile, came forward, and, stood before the magic tome before her.

'She's a nice person.'

The people around us were confused by this conversation we were having for a while now.

They did not understand her shock at first, then they did not understand why I was talking about the hardships when all we had to do was just activate this artifact that would encode the knowledge recorded in it in their minds. 

They did not understand what the glass plate with that simple-looking magic circle was, however, the conversation after that was even more confusing for them.

They were very confused, however, now that Miss Mia was standing before the magic tome, they had dispersed all the other thoughts and were focusing on her.

Even the other students in the room and Zoe were focusing on her at this moment.

"Have you experienced something like this before?" I asked her before she was ready to open the book, and, she shook her head negatively with a bitter smile.

"I have seen two people use something similar before. However, one of them died on the spot while the other went crazy after learning about the dark truths of space."

It seemed like the people she was talking about were someone close to her. Someone who did not have a good end.

"Nothing like that will happen to any of you. I will make sure of that.

And the space is vast enough to be compared to a few oceans while not even the knowledge of this entire copy could sufficiently fill a mere well.

You will be fine. All of you will be."

I already had sealed a major portion of this book beforehand and cast some additional safety spells to prevent anything dangerous from happening.

The glass plate under it was also a good precaution so, I knew they would be fine.

"What's there to worry about then…"

-Ooooooooooong!

And, Miss Mia had faith in my faith so, she smiled again, opened the book, and channeled some Mana into the book, as golden light purer than the purest gold burst out from the pages of the magic tome.

-Ptrrrrrrrr~!

Ancient words of gold then burst out of the pages of the book alongside a wave of powerful energy that was so intense that it made a few people standing around Miss Mia step back a few steps.

The words that had flowed out then hovered all around the room and then, shortly after, started circling around her.

-Zhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

At the same time this was happening, a dense Mana started gathering around her body and, though the others could only sense it, I knew just how… excruciatingly painful it must have been for her.

However, she endured it… she endured it. There was pain, her head, and her soul must have been shaken from the base as all that Data made home into her being.

It was an easy method to acquire an astronomical amount of information about a certain topic, however, the price one has to pay in exchange…

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

…was not something one with weak willpower could afford.

-Oooooooooooooooooong...!

'That's why it is a training method Rein, Carla, Alf, Chry, a few from our house, and I used to train our mentality, though on a different level from this one.'

There was a unique function about this book, one that only allowed as much information as the 'enabler' could handle.

It was a tricky method though, however, at the end of the day, it was nothing pretty.

"You can stop anytime you want, Miss Mia."

"NO! TKSSSS!"

"Greed isn't very good sometimes."

"I SAID NO! AGHHHHHHH!"

The pain as your mind bursts, or melts, or disintegrates; the pain as the whole body seems to crumble down into nothingness; the pain as one's soul seems to shake, from the alien knowledge being pumped into their being… that kind of thing, when I first felt it, I almost thought I had died the third time back then.

"AGHHHHHH-Hahahaha!"

'But, it seems like she is enjoying this painful torture. Funny, I would say.'

Rein was crying on her first try, Carla threw up blood, Alf quit midway, Chry didn't even last ten seconds and the book we were using at that time was nowhere near this one.

'Mom was alright though, grandpa and grandma as well, however, dad did far better than I had expected from any of them.'

He absorbed the entire book in one go, one similar to this one… however, that is something humanly impossible.

So, it was impossible for her to pull off something like that as well. Even with her genius mind and abilities.

"Alright, that's enough."

She was greedy and not yet ready to gain as much as she was currently capable of.

This was the first-attempt, the training had just begun, she was starting and I knew she could finish this faster than anyone else.

However, it wasn't happening today…

A few pages were enough for the first try.

We have at least a week to finish this process and, this magic tome is not going anywhere.