Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 2 (16 page)

Still having no idea what she meant, I return the basket and pick up a menu.

Saying good-bye right after returning the basket after all of this would just be wrong. It wasn’t exactly a way of apologizing for forgetting about the basket for so long, but ordering something simple still seems like the right thing to do.

Most of the other patrons at the bar right now are women. Seeing animal-person mothers and their children makes me smile. Their plates are overflowing with fruit—that is, until the kids dig in with fang-filled grins.

“Hey, was that decoration there before?”

I sit at a counter seat in the corner and am looking around the place, when a big white book catches my eye.

It’s leaned up against the wall behind me. It doesn’t match the interior very well.

“Hee-hee, well, that’s…”

I ask Syr about it when she comes to take my order. Her words cut off for a moment, but she continues before I can wonder why.

“I believe it was left behind by one of our customers. We wanted to make sure they could see it when they came back for it, so we put it there.”

“Oh,” I respond in a weak voice. So there really are people who can forget something like that when at a bar.

Syr comes back with my cake and tea a moment later. She stays at my seat and we have a small conversation. A cat-person waitress comes over by herself and seems to offer Syr a break. I wonder if everything’s all right.

The catgirl is grinning, too, for some reason.

“Well then, are you convalescing here for a while?”

“Nothing all that fancy…”

I decide to bring up Lilly, and the fact that I had no motivation to do anything.

It wasn’t by accident. I just want someone to listen to my problems, I guess.

Maybe I have some kind of shameless hope that she’ll give me a bit of helpful advice.

After lending an ear and staring at me as she listened, Syr smiles.

“Why don’t you try some literature?”

“Literature?”

“Yes. You don’t read books very often, right, Bell? Why don’t you take a chance and read?”

She tells me that books might provide the stimulation I need right now.

Literature…The thought has never crossed my mind. But she has a point. It could be just the medicine I’m looking for.

I need to get back to the feeling I had whenever I read about the heroes in tales of adventure; I never could sit still.

Who knows? Going into a book’s world might just get my heart racing and cure my couch potato syndrome.

“Yeah, I think I will. Thanks for the idea, Syr. I’ll read a book.”

“I’m happy to be of service.”

I’m glad I asked her and I’ll take her advice.

Seeing that I was open to her advice rather than just thinking things over by myself, Syr followed that up with a question of her own:

“Do you have a book in mind?”

“Not really. My goddess has plenty of books at home. I’ll probably borrow one of them…”

Going to the bookstore is also an option. As soon as those words leave my mouth, I hear Syr say, “In that case…” She reaches over and picks up the white book.

“Why don’t you try reading this?”

“Huh? But this book, it’s someone else’s, right? They forgot it here.”

“As long as you bring it back, there shouldn’t be a problem. Books don’t disappear after someone reads them. Plus, I think it belongs to an adventurer, so there might be something useful for you in here.”

Many adventurers come to this bar; more than likely the owner of this book is one, too.

Because it’s a personal possession of an adventurer, it might stimulate my mind. At least, I think that’s what she’s saying.

It’s a rare book that I’ve never seen before, that’s for sure. This might be my only chance to read something like it.

Then again, I’d be getting my fingerprints all over someone else’s book…

“Nothing to worry about. Honestly, Mama Mia doesn’t really like having it here, so if you take it, you’d be doing us a favor. And…”

Syr suddenly looks shy.

“…I want to help you any way I can, Bell.”

“……”

“But this is all I can do for you, so please, take it. For me.”

Didn’t she say something a lot like that not too long ago? I grimace when that thought hits me.

Well, if she’s going to go that far, I may as well let her spoil me.

It would be rather cruel of me to refuse her goodwill, and her embarrassed face. So I take the book from her.

But when I reach up to take it, my hands accidentally sweep across hers. The feeling of her soft skin makes my heart skip a beat.

“T-thanks. Umm…well then, I’ll see you later?”

“Yes, thank you for coming today.”

I’m flustered, but I do my best to hide it as I stand up to leave.

After a quick “The cake was delicious,” I leave the bar.

It was the same with Eina…I can’t help but get nervous when I touch a girl’s skin. I blush like there’s no tomorrow. Just how innocent am I?!

“
Syr, you gave him that book…?”

“Yep, I did.”

“For someone as straightforward and honest as you to give out the bar’s property like that…Never thought it would happen.”

“Don’t you two know love is blind, meow? Syr, you should let your hair down more often, meow!”

Still flustered from the feeling of Syr’s warm hands, I hurry home.

I open the book the moment I get home.

Since the goddess isn’t home yet, I set the book down on the table with one hand.

Getting a little anxious, I pull out a chair, sit down, and look over the title page without a title.

Mirror, Mirror: The Fairest Witch in the Land Is ME: An Autobiography (With Appendix: Awaken Your Magic!)

Right off the bat, it sounds childish…

Chapter 1: Modern Magic Even Goblins Can Understand!

Teaching magic to goblins. No one should do that…

I want to close the book right now, but I decide to bear with it. I can’t let Syr’s good intentions go to waste. I force my eyes across the characters on the page with all the endurance I can muster.

The top parts are painful, but the content actually isn’t that bad.

Just like the words on the title page said, this book seems to be about magic.

“Ooohhh!” My eyes light up with sudden anticipation and I dive back into the pages.

There are two types of Magic: innate and acquired. As the term “innate” suggests, this type of magic can be used by various races based on genetics. From ancient times, these races have had the potential to become magic users within them and are trained in magic at a young age through rituals. While the types of magic they can use are rather limited, the strength and scale of these spells are often very high.

It’s written in Koine, the common language, so even I can understand it, with some effort.

But what are these characters between the lines…?

Not wording…maybe some kind of equation?

Next page.

Acquired magic refers to the possibility of Magic given to those people who receive “Falna,” and appears on its own. With almost no restrictions, this kind of magic takes many different forms. The effect of the Magic depends heavily on excelia.

This is different from hieroglyphs, and different from any language of the races of people.

Nothing in common with itself, just a strange grouping of marks.

The passage…the sea of characters is pulling me in.

Next page.

Magic is interest. This is a vital factor for all acquired magic. What holds your interest—what do you accept, hate, want, grieve for, worship, swear to, long for? The trigger is already within you. Your Falna will carve your soul into a blazing sun.

A picture has appeared.

It’s a head. It has eyes. It has a nose. It has a mouth. It has ears. It’s a person’s face.

A human face with closed eyes is drawn out in black. A picture made from the words of the passage.

Next page.

If you desire it, answer. If you desire it, break. If you desire it, focus! A terrible mirror of truth lies before you.

No. That’s
my
face. My face, with nothing above the forehead.

No—it’s a mask. It’s another face of me. A me that I didn’t know, another me.

Next page.

Now, let’s begin.

The eyes open. It speaks with my voice.

The ruby-red letters that spell out the eyes shoot through me. Short passages that make up the small lips spin words.

Next page.

What is magic to me?

I don’t know.

But it’s something great and mysterious.

A finishing move to slay monsters. A mysterious power used by heroes to come back from near death.

Strong, fierce, merciless, overwhelming.

What I’ve always wanted to have, just once. What I’ve been yearning for.

Next page.

What is magic to me?

Power.

Great power.

A big weapon that will defeat my weak self.

A grand weapon that will inspire my weak self.

Not a noble shield to protect my allies, nor anything so elegant as a healing hand.

A heroic power to clear away the obstacles in my path.

Next page.

What kind of a thing is magic to me?

Thing?

What kind of thing?

Fire.

Magic has to be fire. It’s the first thing I think of when I hear the word “magic.”

Strong, ferocious, hot.

Burn the plains, scatter the ash, scorch the air, envelop everything
in waves of flame and heat haze, crimson tongues of flame nothing like my normal weakness.

Hotter than anything else, never going out…immortal flame.

I want to become flame.

What do you seek in magic?

To become stronger, like her.

To become faster, like her.

Like light breaking through the clouds.

Like lightning racing across the sky.

More than anyone, more than anyone, more than anyone.

Faster than anyone.

Like her.

To be in her sight.

That’s all?

If I can. If I can. If I can.

I want to become a hero.

I have always wanted to be a hero, and like a fool I’ve pursued that dream.

Just like the ones in the tales. A hero praised and loved by all.

No matter how pathetic a fantasy, how vain and indignant, how miserably unsuited I am for it.

I want to become enough of a hero for her to notice me.

You’re such a child.

…Sorry.

But that’s me, too.

The me inside the book smiles.

Then everything goes black.

“…ll…ell—”

I hear a voice.

My mind comes out of the darkness as a pretty voice echoes in my ears.

Light shines itchily into the darkness.

“Bell!”

The next moment, my eyes are open.

“Ah…G-Goddess?”

“Yes, Bell, it’s me. What’s wrong with you, falling asleep at the table? There are much better places to sleep.”

I rub my eyes until the goddess’s face comes into focus next to me. Raising my head, I take a look around.

I’m at home, in the hidden room under the old church. The time is…seven at night. It’s already evening.

Even before I finish scanning the room, the goddess starts asking for details.

“Were you reading a book? Ah-hah! Maybe I just happened to walk in as your drowsiness finally got the best of you—not used to reading, eh?”

“Um…ah, yes……I think so?”

…I fell asleep?

The white book I borrowed from Syr is still wide open on the table.

Apparently I was out cold and used it as a pillow.

I finished it…?

I hold down my temples. My head feels odd, like it’s been spun in all directions.

There are some very strange memories in the back of my mind. They feel unreal, like daydreams.

Was I talking with someone? Did they ask me something? Or are all these memories just leftovers from a dream?

It’s no use. I can’t figure it out…

“Hee-hee, so cute. I’m usually really tired after work, but thanks to your playfulness, I feel like my usual self!”