Chapter 51: The reason for waiting

In the dim corner where bookshelves were stacked together, the fairy’s blue wings glowed faintly.

“Let me properly explain things to you, you barbarian.”

The fairy stomped on the shelf, her face full of impatience.

“Do you know enchanted weapons?”

“I do.”

“Hmph, seems like you’re not as ignorant as I thought.”

The fairy snorted, giving an unwilling compliment.

“So-called enchanted weapons have magic circles engraved on them. When the user wields them, those circles can be activated to grant various enhancements.”

“However, enchanted weapons are limited by the materials used, and they can only be activated with magic power. That’s far from intelligent.”

“But grimoires overcome these flaws. Not only can they use multiple magic circles, but they can also be activated through specific actions or voice commands, allowing the user to use them in various situations.”

The fairy grinned at Simon.

“What’s wrong? Are you jealous? Do you want it?”

‘Of course I want it!’

That was what Simon thought, but he didn’t believe the fairy would just give it to him, so he pretended not to care.

“For something like that… it’s nothing special.”

The fairy raised her chin and let out a sly laugh.

“I heard your desire, you know.”

She exposed him.

“Don’t rush, I’m not finished yet.”

“If ordinary grimoires can execute preset commands, then the highest-level ones develop their own consciousness, allowing them to act independently in offense or defense.”

“And I am that consciousness, the Rainbow Fairy, Rebo.”

The fairy glanced at Simon’s expression, only to find him completely calm, not surprised at all.

She suddenly felt deflated, as if she were explaining advanced technology to a primitive man, completely pointless.

“That sounds impressive.”

Simon clapped for her.

“At least pretend to be impressed! Who would believe you with that tone?”

Rebo protested.

Then, as if demonstrating, she suddenly flew straight into the grimoire. At the moment of impact, she turned into glowing particles and entered the pages. After a while, light emerged again from the book, reforming into her figure.

This made Simon’s eyes widen.

In truth, he hadn’t paid much attention to her earlier boasting. He couldn’t tell what was real or not.

But when he thought back, he realized one crucial point.

‘She said it could use magic without requiring magic power, right?’

Simon froze for a moment, then a surge of joy welled up inside him.

“So this grimoire… can be used without magic power?”

Even though he tried to suppress his excitement, his voice sped up and rose slightly.

“Of course. I am the Rainbow Fairy, after all. The method of making grimoires has long been lost. Now you understand how valuable I am, right?”

Rebo puffed herself up proudly.

A light flickered in Simon’s eyes as he stared at her, unable to hide his desire anymore.

“So…”

He paused. Someone like him didn’t expect his request to be granted.

Lowering his head, he felt a bit dejected.

The fairy chuckled lightly, immediately seeing through his thoughts.

“If you want to use it, it’s not impossible.”

As she spoke, a faint glimmer appeared in Simon’s previously dim eyes.

“Is there anything I need to do? I’ll definitely do it!”

Simon said firmly. In truth, it was more like “I’ll try my best,” but he longed too much for power beyond dark magic.

“No requirements.”

Rebo floated in front of his nose and shook her head.

“First, tell me your name.”

“My name is Simon.”

Rebo nodded.

“Alright, Simon. I can help you, but this will only be a test. If I’m not satisfied, I’ll leave at any time. Also, I won’t lend you too much power—you’ll still have to fight for some things yourself. Understood?”

As she listed the conditions, Simon accepted them.

Right now, he had to cherish any form of power, whether it was knowledge from books, the swordsmanship taught by the detestable noble girl, or this unexpected grimoire.

He would seize all of it with everything he had.

Simon took a deep breath, his eyes becoming firm as he nodded.

“I understand, Rebo. I’ll do my best to pass your test.”

“Then let’s form a contract… alright, Simon. Extend your index finger.”

Simon followed her instructions.

The fairy’s finger touched his, and a three-dimensional ring-shaped pattern appeared between them.

Light blue and deep blue rings began to multiply, overlapping and growing more complex, yet shrinking in size at the same time.

Finally, they converged into a tiny point of light between their fingers, and disappeared.

Despite the dazzling sight, Simon felt no change in his body. No surge of power, no backlash.

“That’s it?”, he asked instinctively.

Rebo circled around him, sighing.

“A barbarian is still a barbarian. You can’t even understand such an advanced contract formation.”

“Can you stop flying in circles?”

Her rapid movement made Simon dizzy.

“Fine, fine.”

Rebo looked exasperated.

“Just take me with you. I’ve wanted to go outside for a while.”

With that, she dove into the grimoire in Simon’s hand, dissolving into particles of light.

Simon stared at the black-covered book, feeling like he had just obtained something extraordinary.

He didn’t know how long he had been with the fairy, but he needed to get back quickly, otherwise Lila might find another excuse to punish him.

****

‘Why is he taking so long?’

‘What is he even doing?’

Tapping her fingers against the table, Lila grew increasingly irritated. Seeing that Simon hadn’t returned, she felt a trace of worry.

Not for Simon, but for her own life.

Though the emotion looked the same, its meaning was completely different.

While focusing on studying, she had forgotten what Yilana said about the strange occurrences on the second floor, and had let Simon wander off alone.

She should have punished him immediately when he asked, kept him by her side, controlled him completely.

Lila frowned, unsure what excuse she could use to look for him.

Saying she was worried sounded too soft and fake.

Going to question him with a dark expression would make her seem overly dependent, like some obsessive girl. That wouldn’t do either.

She hesitated.

In the end, she decided to look for books as an excuse, and check on him along the way.

After sitting too long, her legs felt numb. She placed her hands on the table, about to stand up…

When she heard approaching footsteps.

Lila lifted her gaze.

Simon walked over naturally, holding a black-covered book, and sat down across from her.

She blinked, freezing mid-motion.

Sitting back down felt awkward. Standing up felt awkward.

She remained stuck in place.

Fortunately, Simon didn’t notice. He simply placed the book gently on the table.

“What were you doing? Why did it take so long?”

She forced her tone to sound cold and authoritative.

“Lady, I did request to look for books, and you agreed. I remember it clearly.”

Simon replied calmly, placing the book down.

Lila frowned, tapping the table.

“How long does it take to get a book?”

She sneered, leaning forward.

“Or should I take this as defiance?”

As she spoke, she glanced at the book. It didn’t even have a title, who knows where he found it.

But she wasn’t interested.

Simon lowered his head apologetically.

“Lady, I had no intention of defying you. I apologize for making you wait.”

He bowed slightly, his obedient expression hiding a fleeting trace of unwillingness in his eyes.

Seeing him yield, Lila’s cold expression softened slightly.

“If something unusual happens in the future, you must report it to me. Understood?”

She paused, then added firmly,

“This is an order.”

“Yes, Lady. I will follow your orders.”

Simon responded immediately, his tone submissive.

He straightened slightly, still maintaining a humble posture, his gaze fixed on her feet, not daring to overstep.

Lila leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, watching him with satisfaction.

She was satisfied with his attitude, and with the emotions he tried to hide.

Lila enjoyed this feeling.

Or perhaps, she was trying to convince herself that she did.