“Meow.”
Kiki.
An NPC appearing on the 3rd floor, not the 2nd.
Yeah. It’s an NPC.
Originally, it was supposed to guide us to the reward area on the 3rd floor… but.
“What a cute cat.”
“But not scary at all… nyah.”
“Karina, are cats really that strong?”
“Of course not! What power could a cat have?”
“It smashed a golem in one hit!”
“…It’s because it’s the previous headmaster’s familiar.”
Unable to hold back, I revealed the cat’s identity, but the response was lukewarm. Sure, it was shocking that it took down a book golem, but all it did since then was lick its paw and make adorable noises.
“Meow.”
“…Should I have brought Sif?”
Since it’s a Cat Beastkin, wouldn’t it understand me if it were a cat? Lost in thought, I blankly gazed at the cat. Kiki, seemingly uninterested, licked its front paw before lifting its back leg to scratch its side.
…Is it here as a boss instead of the book golem, or is it just acting like an ordinary cat? Back in its NPC days, it would just sleep in a corner right after its job was done.
“Johann, um, what should we do?”
Aren’t you a dog? Shuri seemed to really like cute things, looking up at me with a flushed face while her tail spun like a propeller.
“Rue. Can you translate?”
[I can’t speak cat.]
Since it was impossible to communicate in the original story, do we have to figure it out by looking at its tail and face? I scratched my head and quietly approached Kiki. But Kiki was still engrossed in grooming.
…This is a letdown.
“Hey.”
“…”
“Andras’s familiar.”
Kiki still didn’t respond. Why on earth did this cat pop up? I thought it was at least playing the boss role. Continuously being this lackluster isn’t great; is there really no way to communicate?
Should I actually go out and bring Sif?
“Kiki. Can you not speak human?”
“How did you know my name, meow?”
“If you could speak human from the start, why not use it?”
“But it’s fun to see humans making silly faces, meow.”
Seriously, look at that cat’s attitude. I debated whether to smack the cat familiar who seems to enjoy teasing me but decided to keep my hands down for now. After all, a creature that could take down the book golem in one hit isn’t someone to mess with.
“I have something to ask. Will you answer?”
“Don’t you know about give and take, meow?”
“Hm.”
I pulled some jerky from my backpack. It was a snack I had brought along. Kiki sniffed at the jerky I offered before biting into it and started chewing.
“Humans’ food is definitely salty, meow.”
For saying that, it sure eats well. I blankly watched as Kiki devoured a piece of jerky the size of my hand in no time before throwing my first question.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on the 3rd floor?”
“I’m bored, meow. And isn’t the test enough for the 1st floor, meow? It was supposed to gauge the strength of the students and present something appropriate, but I was surprised when a two-headed ogre appeared, meow.”
Well, we’re grateful, but… I licked my lips as I glanced at my pouch and dropped a whole piece of jerky at Kiki’s feet.
“Will each person get a reward?”
“If you know about me, you know what the reward is, right, meow? Of course, that’s the case, meow. Andras’s legacy is something intangible, meow.”
Thankfully, it seemed like there was no one who would or wouldn’t receive the reward. How miserable would it be if everyone else received their share while one person didn’t? If that was the case, I wouldn’t have brought them along at all.
…Wait a minute.
“Does Millia get one too?”
“Who’s Millia, meow?”
“That red-haired girl over there.”
As I pointed toward Millia, Kiki extended a paw.
Yeah. Eat it all.
I handed over the remaining jerky to Kiki.
“If you have the qualifications, you’ll definitely get it, meow. However, if you don’t have the qualifications, like that one scratching at the wall over there…”
Scratching at the wall?
Could it be Bella?
Since she can’t make a scene in the library, is she scratching at the wall in front of the door? Her nails are bound to break, but I guess I could give her some credit for determination.
It’s a shame she’s going about things the wrong way. If she had fixed her mindset, she might at least have attempted something being in 3rd place, but welcoming in someone consumed by jealousy and inferiority isn’t ideal. We already have the top and second of the magic department here… but what rank is Martina, though?
From what I’ve observed, Martina probably seems to be in the upper tier as well.
“Well then, can you guide us to the 3rd floor?”
“Go on your own, meow. You already roughly know how it works, don’t you, meow?”
…That’s true.
I sighed and stood up.
“We’re all heading to the 3rd floor.”
“What about the cat… I mean, the familiar?”
“She says to go by yourselves.”
The female students looked a bit disappointed that Kiki would stay behind. It’s just a cat. I walked toward the entrance leading to the 3rd floor, avoiding the pile of books.
What kind of reward will I get?
With anticipation in my heart, I headed toward the entrance to the 3rd floor.
—————————-
“Is this… the 3rd floor?”
“It just looks like an ordinary library…”
“It’s not an ordinary library. It’s freaking huge.”
“Viola, it would be best to refrain from using profanity.”
“Oh, sorry, sorry.”
“Johann! There are so many books! Are all those real books?”
Millia’s excitement seemed palpable as I walked to the nearby bookshelf and pulled out a book.
[Introduction to Elemental Magic by Karantus]
…The contents seem fine, but since I’m not knowledgeable about magic, I had no way of knowing if it was really what it claimed.
“Elisa, could you read this? I want to know if the contents are correct.”
“Yes, yes…”
Elisa took the book from me and began flipping through the pages. After a while, she closed the book and returned it to me.
“It seems… correct… it’s the same content as the one I read before.”
“Really? So everything here is genuine? Could there be rare books that are hard to find here?”
“That might be the case.”
Is the reward something like this? Allowing us to read any book we want from these countless shelves?
Not bad at all.
It’s a slightly ambiguous reward for me, but…
Upon reflection, I’m a bit of a side character, making it hard for me to improve my skills through reading. However, for the sorcerers, just acquiring rare books like this provides significant growth opportunities, so it’s not bad, but still a bit disappointing.
“There’s nothing more valuable for a sorcerer than this library… I’m glad I could enter this exploration.”
“I really am.”
[Contractor, I sense magical energy over there!]
Rue, who was attached to my waist, stretched out her tentacles and pointed toward the back of the library.
Is that item also in the center, just like in the original?
Leaving the excited sorceress to herself, I walked alone deeper into the library. As far as I know, that magic book was placed in the center of this library.
A legendary magic book said to grant wishes.
It’s not entirely wrong to say it grants wishes. It’s just that it grants them in a twisted manner. I wasn’t particularly going to see it to make a wish. I can’t let a dangerous object like that fall into the hands of children. I planned to take it appropriately and hand it over to Headmaster Merlin.
Given the kids’ level, they wouldn’t be able to use it properly, and considering its invaluable artifact status, it would be beneficial to pass it on to Headmaster Merlin to seal it under strong security.
…I could even receive a reward for bringing it back.
With that much, I could treat the kids to a meal, and the rest could go toward acquiring various research items. With those expectations in mind, I moved forward, and soon I noticed a worn magic book encased in a glass case.
“Is this the magic book?”
The exterior of the book was covered in old leather, just like in the original, showing signs of age with slightly yellowed pages peeking out. Is this really that magic book?
Quietly, I reached out for the glass case. I had planned to sneak it into my bag so the others wouldn’t see it.
[Contractor, magic energy is gathering in front of you…!]
Is there an alarm system or something?
Quickly, I withdrew my hand and stared at the gathering mass of magical energy.
Before long, the mass began taking form into an elderly man who gave off a ‘I am a wizard’ vibe. The old man looked at me steadily before gazing at me with surprise.
[What’s your name, young one?]
“…Johann Quartz.”
[Remarkable. That lineage has persisted through the ages.]
…What?
What kind of bait is this now?
I found myself unable to look away, staring blankly at the old man who was looking at me with fascination.
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