Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 19 (Part 1)

The contracts with the four elemental spirits were all completed. There were other elemental spirits, but it was hard to expect anything beyond that from the special forces training center.

By the time they returned after completing the contracts, it was already 2 PM. They had long missed lunchtime.

Rodin and Cory had a late lunch and went up to their dormitory.

“What took you so long?”

“We made contracts with the spirits. Hehehe. But aren’t the interviews over yet?”

“We finished ours a while ago. The others are still going. I think about half are done now? It seems it’ll be evening before they finish.”

“I’m heading out.”

Rodin and Cory’s duties for the day were over. With the interviews completed, all that was left was to wait idly.

Rodin felt it was a waste of time to spend it idly. Since there was something he wanted to look into, he got up from his seat.

“Library again?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back before dinner.”

“Okay.”

No one questioned him about going to the library anymore. Since he went there every time he had free time, everyone had come to accept it as a given.

The usual assistant was guarding the entrance to the library. Despite having time to kill, the assistant was never seen reading a book.

Rodin showed the assistant his blue badge at the entrance.

After completing the magic talent measurement yesterday, he received a key to access the magic practice room. The blue rectangular ID badge also granted access to the advanced archives of the library.

“Going over there?”

“Yes, is that okay?”

“Of course, follow me.”

It was a place he had wanted to visit for a long time. He wondered how much precious knowledge was sleeping beyond that door. Just thinking about it made his heart pound.

He entered the corridor that had always been closed off. It was his first time stepping into a place he had only seen with his eyes.

“Do I need to be supervised every time I come here?”

“Of course. The materials in there are precious. Probably.”

The corridor was dark. The assistant fumbled for the magic lamp on the wall opposite the door.

With a flick, the surroundings brightened, revealing the interior.

There were doors on both sides of the corridor. Above the door on the left, it said “Advanced Archive 1” in gold, and above the door on the right, it said “Advanced Archive 2” in blue.

“I’m only allowed to enter the door on the right, right?”

“Yes. The left is for trainees with a gold badge.”

Access was restricted based on the color of the key.

Rodin wanted to visit both sides, but unfortunately, he couldn’t break the rules of the special forces training center.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Leaving his regret behind, he stared intently at the door on the right, signaling for more explanation.

“Insert the key you’re holding into the slot on the door, and it will open. As for the magic lamp… Was it on the right? Or the left? Anyway, just reach out once you’re inside, and you’ll find it.”

“Haven’t you been inside?”

“No, I haven’t. Assistants are not allowed to enter either side.”

Not only were the assistants barred from entering the advanced archives, but they were also forbidden from even viewing the interior. So when Rodin approached the right door, the assistant quickly turned away.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Make sure to come out before the library closes. It’s troublesome to call for you if you don’t.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure not to be late.”

Rodin inserted the badge into the slot beneath the door handle. With a click, the door automatically opened.

‘Magic.’

He felt the flow of magic as the door opened. Some kind of magic was engraved on the door and its frame.

‘Should I consider this an artifact?’

He entered and reached to the right. Feeling the wall but finding nothing, he extended his left hand. He touched a round orb next to the wall.

With a gentle flow of magic, the orb lit up, and the eight magic lamps embedded in the ceiling illuminated the room.

“It’s too bright.”

Such bright light was actually a hindrance to reading.

A moderate amount of light is better. Indirect light that bounces off somewhere is perfect for reading without straining the eyes.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Inside, about twenty bookshelves were neatly arranged. The bookshelves were filled with thick books, many times thicker than the ones he had seen outside.

‘Where is the Familiar section?’

The reason he hurried in today was to learn about Familiar.

He had no knowledge about Jito, the Familiar he contracted with two days ago, including its rank.

‘Here it is.’

The title was “Familiars Compendium.” It was nearly a hand span thick, and there were six volumes. Three for lower ranks, two for intermediate, and one for upper and highest ranks combined.

Rodin started with the “Lower Rank Familiars Compendium” on the far left, reading it meticulously.

‘Lower ranks look like animals.’

There were many animals similar to those he had seen in the countryside, existing in the form of Familiars. There was even a Familiar that resembled the neighbor’s mutt.

‘There aren’t many combat types.’

He thought there would be many suitable for mounts, but there weren’t. Most lower-ranked Familiars were worker types.

Worker Familiars had moderate strength, excellent stamina, and slow speed. They were too slow for combat and not suitable for riding.

‘Jito isn’t in the lower ranks.’

He checked all three volumes of the lower rank compendium but didn’t find any Familiar resembling Jito.

‘That’s unfortunate.’

Before looking at the intermediate ranks, he had dinner. The interruption in his reading flow was a bit displeasing.

Nevertheless, he composed himself and read through the intermediate rank compendium carefully. Even there, he didn’t find Jito.

‘Is Jito an unrecorded Familiar?’

There was no book that recorded all Familiars. Even if humanity’s history continued for thousands or tens of thousands of years, there would always be Familiars that did not respond to human summoning.

Still, most of the Familiars known through human history were recorded in this book. If Jito wasn’t found here, it was evidence that it was an exceptionally rare Familiar.

‘There really are a lot of Familiars.’

Familiar summoners are usually called beastmasters, and long ago, there were an enormous number of them.

Records suggested that over half the population of the continent had contracted with Familiars at one point.

Farmers commonly used Familiars as workers, and merchants used them as pack animals.

But for some reason, summoning Familiars had become more difficult.

Hyung_Otaku2

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