Chapter Thirteen "Arcane Tome"
Shirou came to a long stretch of wall. Three towers – each five stories tall – rose from within those walls. Their height was made even more imposing by the fact that they were the tallest buildings around. These towers were surrounded by several long and narrow two-story buildings. What he was looking was the headquarters of the Kingdom's Mages' Guild. They needed ample space for the development of new spells and the training of mages. The reason why they could afford all this land despite having practically no national support was probably due to their manufacture and sale of magic items.
After walking a little further, he saw a sturdy gate. The latticed gate yawned open, and on either side of it were several armed guards, stationed near the two-story buildings. The guards did not obstruct Shirou, although they quickly looked him over, and he passed through the gate.
There was a gently sloping wide staircase before him, and a set of doors which opened into a distinguished-looking detached house. Naturally, these doors were open, to welcome visitors.
Upon entering, he found himself in a small entrance hall, with the building's lobby before him. A number of magical chandeliers hung down from the high ceiling of the latter room. On the right was a guest lounge that contained a sofa and several other pieces of furniture. There were mages conversing within. On the left was a notice board. Several people were studying it in earnest; some wore robes and looked like mages, while others seemed to be adventurers.
There was a counter in the innermost reaches of the hall, and there were several young men and women seated behind it. All of them wore robes, and they had badges on their chests which matched the symbol he had seen while entering the building. On either side of the counter stood a pair of skinny wooden dolls, of the kind used for sketching. They were the size of actual humans and they had no facial features – Wood Golems, in other words. Apparently, they were being used as sentries. The fact that they had not posted any human sentries inside must have been pride on the part of the Mage's Guild, the outside sentries notwithstanding.
Shirou' shoes pounded out a steady beat as he approached the counter. The young man at the counter noticed Shirou and greeted him with a look. Shirou nodded in return.
"Welcome to the Mage's Guild. How may I help you today?" The receptionist asked.
"Can I see a list of what is being offered?" Shirou asked.
"Certainly."
The youth quickly brought a large tome to the counter. The pages of the book were made of high-quality paper that was thin and white as snow, while its cover was made of leather. The overall article was of exquisite construction. The letters upon the cover were imprinted in gold, and the cost of this book alone probably beggared belief.
Shirou brought the book over to himself and paged through it. At first glance, the words before him was gibberish as he had didn't know the written language before him. A moment later, the maxed Language Translation Skill that Shirou had maxed out on his YGGDRASIL avatar automatically translated into something he could comprehend. It was this magical translation that Shirou was grateful for the many blessing he got for being YGGDRASIL player in the New World.
A swiftly, yet carefully, scanned through the pages. What he found was many magic spells that would be both used in the video game, YGGDRASIL, and in real life by real magic users. Combat-orientated magic spells made a large number of the magic spells he saw, but what he saw made a majority of magic spells were actually not designed for combat at all. Most were magic spells that could be used in lieu of many technological tools that Shirou was used too. For example, simple things from magic lights that replaced flashlights to two-way scrying that replicated the effects of video calling.
While Shirou continued to read through the book, he couldn't help but think about what he was confirming. The mages and magic users of the New World were very different from those back on Earth. It was very obvious that magic of the New World was heavily influenced by the magic system in YGGDRASIL, but had soon branched out to fields that outside of the YGGDRASIL magic system as it was a magic system used solely for gaming often limited to direct and support combat-orientated magic.
A giggle very close to him caught Shirou's attention. He looked away from the book and at the source of the giggling. It happened to come from girl beside the receptionist at the counter.
"Is something the matter?" Shirou gently asked.
"Ah, it's nothing…" The girl blushed and lowered her face. "I just thought… you looked very handsome."
"Thank you very much. I am grateful for your compliment."
Shirou smiled, and the girl's face flushed even redder. He was not amazed by the reaction he got. When he didn't try to hide his presence, he was a person who could mesmerize others on sight. He was good-looking, but the way he carried himself was even more striking. His beauty wasn't that deprived from plastic surgery or cosmetics to temporarily mask and enhance chosen physical attributes. It was something more primal. Strong and lean appearance that human males would have naturally possessed at the earliest stages of human civilization and before. Desirable physical traits that woman would naturally look for, drilled into their instincts thanks to human evolution, to better increase their chances of their progeny.
When he walked on the streets many women, regardless of age, would turn to take a second look at him. It was no wonder that the counter girls found themselves entranced by him, and it was also a common occurrence. Shirou found that understandable and gave the girl a smile before returning to the book.
It was nearly an hour later that Shirou finished reading through the book.
"I would like to buy everything. All the magic spells listed in this book. I would prefer magic tomes if possible, but magic scrolls will also acceptable." Shirou calmly replied.
"…" The receptionist was left stunned by Shirou's request before he realized that he was rudely staring at the customer and recomposed himself. "Sir, that is going to… cost a lot of money…"
"Money isn't an issue," said Shirou as he withdrew the adamantium medal that had been hidden underneath his shirt and placed it on the table for the receptionist to see clearly.
The young man swallowed nervously as he grasped the medal in disbelief. He pressed his fingers against the medal as hide as he could. His fingers began to creak and nails about to crack. Soon he ran his hand over the medal to feel the texture. Both the hardness and texture of adamantium. He looked at up Shirou in awe. Before him was not just any wealthy individual. Shirou was the pinnacle of adventurers, the trump card against monsters.
"Excuse me for my rudeness, sir. I just needed to make sure. By no means was I trying to insult you, sir." The young man apologized with a deep bow.
"It's okay. I perfectly understand," said Shirou as he held up his hand. "Can you fulfill my order?"
"There are two options, sir. The first is the least expensive, but it is troublesome for what you're asking is a small library of magic tomes. The most convenient, but also the most expensive option, special magic tome. It contains all the magic spells that you're asking for. All contained in a single magic tome. The last option is several times more expensive than the first."
What Shirou heard intrigued him. Having worked as a Special Designation Enforcer for the Mage's Association, Executor of the Church and a freelance mercenary, he was familiar with a myriad of magical methods to contain vast amounts of magical knowledge. Some more unbelievable than others.
"Although… It might not be within your wealth. Even for someone as respectful as yourself, sir." The youth replied in an unease tone, as if worried that Shirou would be insulted.
"Is this enough?" Shirou asked as he deposited several platinum coins onto the counter.
"More than enough, sir!" The youth shouted in amazement at the amount of money before him. "Still, sir…? Do you want the second option? I would recommend it if you don't have place for a library or constantly on the move."
Shirou paused to think for a moment. The inventory he had as a YGGDRASIL player allowed him to carry around an imaginable amount of items, no matter the bulk and weight. It was somehow stored in his soul, yet defying the laws of physics. He had yet to reach a limit to how much he could store or carry in his inventory, but that might change depending on how many books it would take to get all the magic spells he had requested.
Note to self: it might be time to start throwing out items that I don't need and need to keep. Shirou thought to himself. "I want both option 1 and 2. I have a place large enough for a large library, but I also travel a lot too as an adventurer."
"Of, course, sir." The receponist nodded. "Ange! Contact the guildmaster that we have a special order. Ask him permission for it!"
The girl, who had been giggling and blushing while looking at Shirou before and still was, snapped out of her daze. Her eyes blinked in confusion before they widened. She looked at her coworker in disbelief for a moment before she got dead serious look.
"Please a bit, sir. It might take some time for get permission from the guildmaster," said the girl before she ran off.
"Is there a particular reason, why everyone is acting strangely?" Shirou asked curiously.
"I will not ruin the surprise, sir, and it is easier to see for yourself than to explain it. The object that you're requesting is very rare. Not in the way it is priceless treasure, where there no none other in the world like it. This item you're looking of buying, sir, takes a very long time to produce, the materials difficult to come by and very few mages are qualified to make it. It is so important that even nobles and merchants cannot get their hands on it."
"Hmmphhhmmm… I can understand for those reasons why it might be expensive. How come nobles and merchants cannot but it? Why do you need the guildmaster though? Could you not ask your immediate superior?" Shirou asked.
"I will not ruin the surprise, sir. What I can say is that the object, which I referred to 'it' contains all the magic spells that you read through our catalogue. Nobles and merchants are not allowed to possess it. To be allowed to buy it there is a stringent requirement. That first the buyer is amongst the highest ranked member of the Mages' Guild."
"I don't meet that qualification as 'amongst the highest ranked member of the Mages' Guild' far from it." Shirou refuted.
"You would be an exception, sir. You might not have the talent to use magic, or if you do, unable to master a fraction of the magic spells contained in it. What matters is that you're an admantium-class adventurer, humanity's trump card. Humanity could ill-afford to lose one of their greatest fighters because they didn't have the knowledge to protect themselves against magic. Hence you would made an exception for the normal rules to it. Although, that is why I needed the guildmaster's authorization. Only he has the authority to make such a decision."
The explanation that Shirou heard made him revalue the worth of the adamantium medal around his neck. Shirou had been told upon receiving the adamantium medal, that it any wearer of it would gain the influence to go places where the doors would otherwise be closed to him. He had thought it had just been an over exaggeration, but it seemed that such wasn't the case.
When Shirou heard the heavy footsteps and clanking of what sounded like heavy armor, he looked up to see a small number of guards escorting someone of high importance. The man was skinny, who looked as frail as a bamboo pole and seemed at least somewhat anorexic. The clothes that he wore, magical robes, and the guards gave him so clue to who he was. His manner he carried himself matching what Shirou expected was the guildmaster would conduct himself.
"Welcome, Emiya-sama. Congratulations with your recent advancement of your rank as an adventurer. I must also thank you for what you had done with the recent Graveyard Incident. Had you not helped dealing with the undead army and the penetrators than there is no telling if myself and those of this guild branch in E-Rantel may still be alive," said the guildmaster gratefully as he bowed to Shirou. The guards and others in the guild also bowed their heads as they heard their guildmaster speak.
"I was only doing my job. There was no way that I was going to let a city full of innocent people to just die." Shirou replied.
"My name is Theo Rakesheer, guildmaster of E-Rantel's Mages' Guild." The guildmaster introduced himself.
"Greetings guildmaster, I am Shirou Emiya, but you already know that." Shirou introduced himself formally. "Why the heavy guard? Is it for your own protection?"
"No, no. I don't normally have guards escort me, only when I am travelling through dangerous areas," said the guildmaster. "The guards are to deter and prevent the stealing of this."
The guildmaster placed a very large and thick book on the counter before Shirou. Shirou looked at the book. For something so important and expensive it seemed ordinary book, save for being thicker and larger than most books. The only noteworthy feature of the book save for its size and thickness being thick layer of leather to protect the paper contents. Yet, the simplistic appearance as a very big and thick book didn't fool Shirou. Even without using his magical sight to discern the nature of objects and look at its history, Shirou could tell that it had been made with durability in mind. He was willingly to bet that it could be used as shield, and still survive unscathed.
"What is this? Why does your receponist call the book as it?" Shirou asked as he wanted to know the nature of the book without using his magical abilities.
The guildmaster unlatched the buckles that kept the book closed and opened it. He began to flick through the book, but every page was empty. Just blank white sheets. Nothing to suggest that it was worth several platinum coins, the wealth of minor nobility. Yet, Shirou wasn't fooled even without using his magical sight to discern its true nature. His instincts told him that the book was incredibly valuable. Further supported by the guildmasters words that didn't seem to be lies.
"At first glance, it looks a very large and empty book. It's true nature is revealed when run magic through it and ask it for arcane knowledge," said the guildmaster as he placed his hand against an empty page. "Fireball."
It was with a command and prana running through it that the book finally revealed its true nature. Ink bleed into the page as words and pictures began to form. Knowledge on everything that someone might need to know how to cast the magic spell, Fireball. It wasn't just information on how to learn it. There was information of all details from what fireball was capable of, when it was bested used and all sorts of information that a mage could know about fireball.
"This book is an Arcane Tome. A magical tome that contains all the arcane knowledge that its creators knew and could insert into it. It contains all the arcane knowledge of this branch, the E-Rantel Mages' Guild. A product of E-Rantel's most talented and knowledgeable mages' knowledge and reading material of this branch contained within. Something that took fifty years to make," said the guildmaster. "We also just recently added a newly discovered magic ritual. This magic tome doesn't just contain all the arcane knowledge that a mage might need. It is also capable of working like a magic scroll. Except the Arcane Tome will not be destroyed after a single use. To my knowledge so far, there is no limit to how often the Arcane Tome is used in a manner simple to a magic scroll."
Shirou let out amazed whistle. For the amount of money that he was putting down, it was a very, very good bargain for Shirou. Some of the magic spells stored within the Arcane Tome he knew from YGGDRASIL and others as a mage on Earth. There were thousands more magic spells that he didn't know. The ability to use magic without much effort from his part as all he had to do was channel prana into the Arcane Tome and it did all the work. Stored arcane knowledge. All the features that would make it an invaluable to any would-be or properly trained mage.
"I would expect the Arcane Tome to be more valuable and expensive. The amount of money I put down doesn't seem to match the value of the Arcane Tome." Shirou said honestly.
"The Arcane Tome that I brought here is more potent and valuable iteration that my employee had requested that I give permission to be sold," said the guildmaster. "I am giving you the best variation of the Arcane Tome that this guild branch possesses. It is a reward for saving the lives of myself and my employees. Without the additional cost."
"Thank you," said Shirou gratefully.
"Please if you need any additional help or services of the Mages' Guild we shall be happy to assist. Excuse me, but I am very busy," said the guildmaster as he begin to leave and the guards followed him.
"Thank you for your patronage," the receptionist bowed politely as Shirou left the Mages' Guild.
- O -
This was the Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom. In its heart, surrounded by a keep made from over twenty vast circular towers joined by curtain walls was the Royal Castle Ro-Lente. Within its depths lay the Valencia Palace. There was a room within the Palace that was more functional than decorative. Many nobles were gathered there.
The form of the Kingdom's Royal Guard Captain, Gazef Stronoff, was visible in their midst. He was currently genuflecting before the master to whom he had sworn his life, the man who sat on the throne, King Ranpossa III.
He seems to have gotten older. That was the impression the King gave him when he compared the man now to how he had been half a month ago, when he had set out. His beloved liege's pale hair was a mess, his skinny body could not be described as healthy by any stretch of the word, and his complexion was similarly poor. The hand which grasped his scepter was as slender as a dried branch, and the crown he wore seemed to hang heavily on his head. He had reigned for thirty nine years, and he was now sixty years old. He should have handed the throne to an appropriate successor, but the problem was that he had no such successor
It was not because there was a lack of princes to inherit the throne. On the contrary, there were two princes, but both of them were far from ideal. If he gave them the throne, they would become puppets dancing on the strings of the Great Nobles.
"Gazef, I am glad that you have returned safely." The King said in a soft tone.
"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Gazef replied gratefully as he bowed to his king.
"Umu. I have received some reports, but I would like to hear what happened from your own mouth, Gazef."
"Understood." Gazef responded with troubled tone. He was caught between two sides. A promise had been given. His word that he would keep some parts of his report secret. Then there was his loyalty to the kind. He had promised loyalty to the king. It was then he discovered a loophole that placed him at ease. Gazef had promised that he would keep the existence of the former Sunlight Scripture members and that Carne Village stood stand as a secret. He could simply give his full report later to the king while honoring his promise to Shirou Emiya to not revealing the complete truth to the nobles for them to exploit.
Gazef described in detail the events of what had happened after he left the Royal Capital and reached Carne Village. He paid particular attention about Shirou Emiya. And so, Gazef talked and talked. He narrated a heroic tale of a man who stepped in to right a wrong in his way, who plunged fearlessly into danger to rescue the villagers, with no regard to the cost to himself.
"Is that so? That certainly is a glowing review of him. To think, he would go into danger to save the weak…" the King muttered.
Several nobles exchanged patronizing gossip about Shirou Emiya. How he was a dangerous threat to the Kingdom. Something about that he might have staged the attack in order to advertise himself. Gazef strove to keep his anger from showing on his face. He felt profoundly useless for being unable to defend his savior from their words.
There was a reason for that, of course. That was because the nobles mocking Shirou had one thing in common. They were from one of the big factions in the Kingdom; that of the Great Nobles. Thirty percent of the Re-Estize Kingdom was directly ruled by the King, while the Great Nobles controlled another thirty percent. The remaining forty percent was a feudal domain which belonged to the other nobles. In addition, the Kingdom's leadership was divided into two factions, which struggled for power all day and night. On one hand was the Royal faction, while on the other was the Noble faction, which was composed of more than half of the Kingdom's Six Great Nobles. Though they were currently before the King, this was merely an extension of the battlefield where both sides did battle.
Because of that, Gazef – being of the Royal faction, and thus the King's trusted servant – was unwilling to interject casually. He knew that his own clumsy phrasings could not possibly defeat those nobles, so he had to instead minimize his own chances of misspeaking.
"...The Slaine Theocracy's secret forces knew how we were moving and showed up at the right time… that means there's a high chance of a spy within the Kingdom. That being the case, it might be one of the Noble faction's people..."
Gazef's gaze turned to one of the nobles, who had an exceptionally cold look in his eyes. His blond hair was tied back, and he had a pair of narrow, blue eyes. His skin was the same wan color unique to those who avoided the sun. He projected the image of a venomous snake that was only reinforced by his slim build. He should have been less than forty years old, but his unhealthy complexion made him seem older than that. His name was Marquis Raeven, one of the Six Great Nobles. He flitted between both factions like a bat for his own gain, and he was one of those who backed the King's second son.
If there was a traitor to the King, it should be him, right? Gazef thought to himself.
Sensing Gazef's eyes upon him, Marquis Raeven quirked up the edge of his already-thin lips. Gazef stiffened up even further in response to this provocation.
"Then let us conclude your report here, Gazef. There are other important matters to decide." Those tired words from the King briefly silenced the chatter from the clustered nobles. Gazef returned to the King's side and surveyed the nobles. As a man with the King's trust, he was already used to their displeased glares. "Then, if tradition holds, we ought to be going to war with the Empire in several month's time. Let us discuss how we will address this matter. Marquis Raeven, explain to everyone."
"Understood, your Majesty."
The ghost-like man walked silently before them, and began speaking in a low voice. Nobody interrupted him. Not only did he have influence in each faction, but he was also the most powerful of the Six Great Nobles. Nobody would dare make an enemy of him. Marquis Raeven outlined his plans for the future, describing how many men under arms he would require of each noble, all without meeting any opposition. When he was finished, he smiled haughtily and bowed to the King.
"…And that is all."
"Thank you, Marquis Raeven. Does anyone have any objections?"
The court became a sea of commotion once more, with people talking at and over each other.
"It's our turn to take the offensive. Let's attack the Empire while we're at it."
"Exactly! I'm getting tired of just beating back the Empire."
"Precisely. Let us show those fools in the Empire how frightening we can be."
"Indeed, you have it at that, Count-sama."
The laughter of lavishly-dressed men echoed through the court.
Don't be stupid. How refreshing it would be if he could actually say that. Gazef thought to himself as he looked at the true nature of the situation.
The Kingdom and its neighbor, the Empire, faced off at the Katze Plains every year. To date, neither side had sustained heavy casualties, but that was only because the Empire had not committed its forces to the battlefield. If they truly intended to conquer the Kingdom, there would be no need for them to form up at the Katze Plains and await the Kingdom's army.
Gazef and some of the nobles who could use their brains felt that the objective of these events was to deplete the strength of the Kingdom.
Take for instance the Kingdom with its peasant levies, compared to the Empire and its professional corps of knights. It was immediately obvious whose troops were individually superior, which was why the Kingdom had to mobilize over twice as many troops as the Empire. As a result of fielding more men, they would need more rations for those men. Of course, there were some magic items which could produce food, but said food only qualified as such because of their nutritional value. Their taste was so revolting that even starving people would think twice about eating it. Thus, this magically created food could not substitute for proper rations.
In addition, the Empire chose the harvest season of the late-ripening wheat to invade, causing a lack of hands in the villages. This delayed the harvest of wheat and other grains. In this way, the Kingdom would weaken without the need for a full-scale invasion, and this would weaken the power of the Crown. Because of that, the Noble faction paid these consequences no heed. In fact, they were delighted by the Royal faction – their enemies – losing their power and influence.
Once the strength of the Kingdom fades, the Empire will invade in force. Do you think the enemy will truly be content with such small skirmishes? Why are you all so naive!? Gazef wanted to scream out.
The Noble faction believed that they would wield their absolute power forever. Gazef was particularly infuriated by these nobles.
"If that's the case, could it be that the suspicious hero, who aided the Gazef is a man from the Empire? Perhaps he intends to infiltrate us as a spy."
"Ah, I see. You're right. They say the Empire has an academy which trains mages, so that's very likely."
"The people of the Slaine Theocracy have a given name, a baptismal name, and a surname. However, what if his name is an alias?"
"I feel uncomfortable about someone like that appearing in the Kingdom. Perhaps we should think of some way to deal with him?"
"Perhaps we could consider capturing him alive. Frankly speaking, the real problem is the Adventurer's Guild. They count several mages in their number and do as they please. We need to deal with them as soon as possible. Perhaps we could make them our vassals or something."
"Then, there are the fees the Guild collects. The adventurers within the Kingdom charge a ridiculous sum to eliminate monsters within our borders!"
"The best solution would be to bring him back here."
Gazef could no longer remain silent after hearing this. There was no way he could allow them to continue badmouthing the person who had saved himself, his subordinates, and the villagers.
"A moment, if you please. To begin with, that mage is well-disposed toward the Kingdom; it would not be a wise decision to try and capture someone like—" Gazef had spoken in an attempt to redirect the increasingly biased talk within the court.
Several nobles reacted with looks of disgust. Gazef had reached his current position by the sole merit of his swordsmanship. He was little more than an upstart to these nobles with their long and distinguished histories. Thus, Gazef was the subject of much derision. The fact that nobody could match his martial skills only deepened the nobles' resentment. These highborn aristocrats could not bear to be outdone by someone of humbler origins than themselves.
Several nobles continued criticizing Shirou Emiya without waiting for Gazef to finish, and others joined in as well. Then came the watch of slowly growing threats to Shirou Emiya and excuses the nobles created to conscript him.
Any negative thoughts that Gazef had about the nobles disappeared when he began to internally laugh at the prospective of Shirou Emiya being threatened by any of the threats that the nobles were saying. Gazef remembered clear as day, who powerful Shirou Emiya was and capable of. He was more than capable of fighting an entire army by himself and likely nothing the nobles said to him would sway him. Shirou Emiya had after all fought a monster that Gazef and Brain was unlikely to ever beat, the vampire known as Shalltear Bloodfallen.
That was when Gazef made a bold proclamation than history would later record as the moment that would alter the fate of the Re-estize Kingdom.
"Try your worst. Send in your armies to forcefully conscript him. Shirou Emiya will take everything you can throw at him. Actually you will regret trying to anger him!"
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