Book Eater

Chapter 80: Silver Medal of Merit (2)

While it seemed like Theodore had been sleeping comfortably since facing Pride, he was actually in a lot of danger. The power of Alfred’s soul, fragmented as it was, was beyond the limit that Theodore could accept. If Theo had been greedy enough to try and keep all that power, his ego would have shattered like broken glass. Theo intuitively chose the next best thing, where he gave up on inheriting all of the soul’s power but kept Alfred and Theo’s souls separate.

As he slowly pieced himself together in the darkness of his own mind, Theo gradually noticed that he was regaining his senses. It was evidence that his mind and body had recovered enough to wake up from the forced dormancy.

Is it time to wake up? Thank goodness I somehow succeeded.

Theo looked down at himself with a sigh. It had not been that long since he had stood at the boundary between Alfred and Theodore and been unable to tell who he was. He had barely managed to win by walking a tightrope with a precipice below him. Although Alfred’s life had been short-lived, Theo was only a young twenty-year-old man. Theo had been pushed to his limits when it came to the depth of his life and his experiences.

Finally, his consciousness stirred as his eyelids trembled. “Umm...”

Stiff.

That was the sum total of what he felt like. His joints creaked and his muscles felt stiff as he tried to move. Despite receiving treatment from the royal family, a fortnight was too long to spend in bed. He could feel small aches in his back and spine. Theo eventually gave up on trying to get up and lay down quietly.

Damn, how long have I been lying down? If I am this stiff, I must’ve been lying down for at least a week.

He wanted to get up quickly, but it was obvious that he would be seriously injured if he tried to move too quickly. Theodore diagnosed his condition using Lee Yoonsung’s experience and sighed in relief. It looked like he would only have to rest for a few more days. Despite that, he wanted to know where he was and what had happened to his mentor.

However, it seemed that this incident had left him with an interesting prize.

This...? Are these Alfred’s senses?

Theo flinched as he felt a sense of incongruency. It seemed that he had gained another sense that wasn’t attached to his body. He could feel a trickle of indescribable information coming into his mind.

It was different from Theo’s intuition, which was just the amalgamation of information from his five senses. Alfred’s talent was akin to a very short term foresight. It was an innate sixth sense that had been awakened on the battlefield. It was one of the reasons he had become a war hero with just Magic Bullet.

However, that didn’t mean Theodore’s sixth sense had reached the same level.

Theo closed his eyes and concentrated, before shaking his head. “... It will take a while to get used to it.”

Alfred Bellontes’ gift was like suddenly obtaining gills. Ordinary people wouldn’t know how to breathe with gills. Theo had acquired the ability, but he would have to spend a lot of time to fully understand how to exploit this talent.

However, it wasn’t impossible, so Theo couldn’t help smiling.

Prince Alfred has disappeared, but his traces still remain. I can clearly remember the feelings we shared while fighting together. If I follow that feeling, I will surely reach it again soon.

Once he had fused with Alfred, Theo had become strong enough to face the terrifying Seven Sins grimoire. Theo’s new goal was now to become strong enough to beat Pride. Now that he had faced Pride once, there was no way to avoid being its enemy.

I will win next time.

Theo formed a fist as he vowed silently to himself.

“... Theo...”

Theo froze as he heard a quiet voice out of nowhere.

W-What? Who else is in this room?

His five senses were still dull from the coma. Who was in the room with him? Theo thought of the expressions he had been showing and wanted to hide inside a hole. However, the person only mumbled Theo’s name once before falling silent. Theo was puzzled by the silence, and he lifted his head up carefully. It was only then that he saw who was with him.

“Theoo… dead… no...” Sylvia was mumbling ominous things while drooling in her sleep.

That reminded him, how had she been doing while he was gone? He hadn’t seen her since they’d returned from the Miller Barony. She was the disciple of the Blue Tower Master, so it was hard for her to walk around freely. Theo himself had been busy with Veronica’s special training and then the mission. That’s why Sylvia came to visit him.

Is this place Manavil’s infirmary?

Veronica seemed to have brought him and Ellenoa back to Manavil after defeating Pride. When he reached that conclusion, Theo lay back down with a smile. It was a bit awkward, but seeing Sylvia’s sleeping face was quite nice.

At that time, he felt a familiar sense of discomfort coming from his left hand.

- ... You woke up, User.

Gluttony.

Gluttony had also woken up from its dormancy.

- For the time being, it is impossible to obtain the same privilege as last time. I won’t be able to release my autonomous feature until the next seal is released.

You won’t be able to exercise your autonomous function?

- I am also part of the grimoire, so the system has authority over me. It is possible to put a temporary ban on me after I released the 4th?Seal through such an unusual path.

Indeed, no matter how much it wanted to, Gluttony couldn’t release its own seals.

- Then, hurry, next seal...

Theo nodded as Gluttony fell asleep again. It seemed like Gluttony had also been pushed to its limits during the fight against Pride. Perhaps it would be difficult to talk again until the next seal was lifted.

As the infirmary quieted down again, Theo closed his eyes. He was going to rest until his body recovered. However, that silence didn’t last long.

“Theo! You’re awake now!” Vince came to visit and looked at him with a happy smile.

***

Theo’s mind may have been caught in a crisis, but his body was already completely healed thanks to Ellenoa’s diligent care. His right arm had also been completely restored. If he hadn’t received a psychological shock, he would’ve regained consciousness the day after he collapsed.

Thanks to that, Theo had no problem telling his story. “... Yes, Elder Herman died.”

Vince’s face fell as he heard about what happened to the convoy. Vince had been an apprentice when Herman had soared as a magician of the previous generation. He had been famous for his talent and ability to take care of his juniors, so he had been a spiritual pillar of the Red Tower. He had continued to make contributions to Meltor after his retirement.

The fact that he had died made Vince’s heart ache. However, Vince’s expression returned to its customary state. Herman was not the first comrade he had lost on the battlefield, and he wouldn’t be the last. He was just grateful that his senior had followed the mission to the end and returned his disciple safely.

“Then it’s my turn.”

After Theo had fallen into a coma, he had been unaware of what had happened around him. Sylvia’s presence had clued him into realizing that he was in Manavil’s infirmary, but that was all.

A secret meeting had been held at the palace, and the high elf’s convoy had been Meltor’s hottest topic of discussion for the last few days. Theo had become one of the greatest celebrities in Meltor. Theo was uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, so his forehead immediately creased as he frowned.

Sylvia was also listening, and her eyes shone. “Wow! Great, Theo! You’re probably the only one our age who’s become this famous!”

“Well, Sylvia’s not wrong,” Vince chimed in playfully. “An academy student won against a Tower Master’s disciple, and a few days later, defeated the Elder Lich. Not long after that, you rescued a high elf. This might as well be the introduction of a remarkable hero.”

Theo protested, “B-But Professor was with me as well!”

Vince smirked. “That isn’t important. The royal family has already started work promoting you as a hero.”

Vince pulled out a newspaper and showed him. Theo’s eyes widened as he read the contents. By the time he reached the bottom of the paper, he was visibly trembling. He was the subject of a national scale event.

Theo gulped, “M-Medal ceremony? Furthermore, a court ball?!”

A court ball was a social event held several times a year in any other kingdom, but it had a special significance in Meltor. The king of Meltor, Kurt III, was well known for hating useless luxuries and avoiding excesses, so Meltor usually didn’t have court balls unless another kingdom visited or the annual magic contest occurred.

However, the articles written in the newspaper didn’t make sense.

Theo asked disbelievingly, “This is all because of me?”

Vince affirmed, “That's right. It seems they want to highlight your presence over what happened to the high elf convoy. Comedy is always used to conceal tragedy.”

“Am I worth that much?”

“Of course. Although if they were only going to use your name, you wouldn’t have been awarded a medal.”

Medal, medal…

Theo stared at the illustration drawn in the newspaper.

Silver Medal of Merit?

He had read the books in the academy’s library, but he had little knowledge about these medals and awards. Theo had never been interested in things related to the nobility and preferred to read the encyclopedia about monsters.

Is this medal that great?

As Theo gazed at it, Vince spoke in a pleased voice, “By the way, that’s the Silver Medal of Merit! It has been thirty years since someone last received it. I never thought that it would be my disciple who would receive one!”

“... Professor?”

“Is it that unbelievable? Well, that’s understandable. It’s a medal equivalent to a viscount title.”

Theodore tried to stop Vince, who had misunderstood him, but his mentor kept talking. Theo couldn’t understand what was happening. A medal equivalent to a viscount title? Did something that preposterous exist in this country? If this was true, it meant that this medal’s value couldn’t be converted into money.

Soon, the reason emerged from Vince’s mouth. “The Silver Medal of Merit is worth a national treasure. Speaking of, you’ll probably receive a national treasure at the medal ceremony! You should be very happy!”

... National treasure?

It took a beat or two for Theo’s mouth to drop open.