49: Carol of Misfortune / Spilled Water Returns to the Tray, Broken Cup Restores / Devil’s Gateau Magic 12

Jill’s sleepy head quickly woke up.

She desperately tried to understand the words of the “Book of Acacia.”

“What does it mean?”

“Compatible device detected. Would you like to synchronize with this device?”

“A compatible device…?”

To have detected means that something new has been discovered.

Something that usually wasn’t there and is now here.

Without needing to think, she realized it was the book she received from Carol.

“Is the device this book?”

“Yes.”

“What does synchronization mean?”

“You will be able to access the information stored on the device. Also, by copying the book data from the relevant device, you will be able to read it on this device as well.”

Jill thought to herself that the way it spoke was quite convoluted, but she tried to understand the meanings of the words. Information. Device. Access. Copying book data. Connecting these unfamiliar words, Jill arrived at a hypothesis.

“So, this book I received from Carol… could it be that you’re a kind of similar entity?”

“The relevant book is from an unknown manufacturer, separate from the development of this device…”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant… It looks like a book, but it’s actually a device, right? It’s like a library containing many books sealed within, is that the correct understanding?”

Jill asked while trying to suppress her anxious feelings.

“According to the information recorded in the metadata, this device currently has only one book stored.”

“One book? Oh, so it’s just the content of this picture book.”

If that’s the case, it’s just a picture book. She was curious about the fact that it was a device, but it seemed there were no suspicious functions or dangerous information contained within. Just as Jill was starting to feel relieved, the Book of Acacia completely betrayed her expectations.

“Currently, one chapter is displayed on the hardware. Due to a malfunction in the screen-switching function, access to other chapters is not possible. If you wish to view inaccessible areas, a copy of this device will be necessary after a security check.”

“…Isn’t everything visible right now all there is?”

“I will display the table of contents.”

Then, the Book of Acacia displayed some dry, colorless text.

On the completely white page, several lines of text were written.

It said the following:

“Understanding Demon Creation and Demon Summoning

– First, about the basic operations of the device

● What is a demon? Enjoy it through a picture book

– Let’s actually try creating a demon

– Implement natural language processing for smooth conversation

– Combine with magical tools for convenient use

– Index

– Colophon”

Beneath what seemed to be the title, a list resembling a table of contents was lined up.

And there was something like a symbol attached to the beginning of the table of contents.

“The currently displayed chapter is indicated by ●.”

Jill gasped.

Suppressing her excitement, she traced the table of contents with her finger.

“Huh?”

No response came when she pressed with her finger.

“Currently, only the table of contents is being displayed. A copy of this device is required for viewing.”

“I-I understood. That was just practice. Practice. So, please copy it.”

Clearing her throat exaggeratedly, Jill gave instructions to the Book of Acacia.

“Starting the copy process…………………………Completed.”

“I will view it. Please display it.”

“Understood.”

Then, the same table of contents as before was displayed again.

Jill touched the text “Let’s Actually Try Creating a Demon.”

Then, the “Book of Acacia” faintly glowed and began to twist and transform the pages.

As usual, the same phenomenon occurred as when the “Book of Acacia” changed into various books.

Jill fearfully turned the pages.

“S-Superb…”

Unlike the content of the previous picture books, it was detailed in straightforward language about the magic of creating demons. It started with creating a demon that merely greeted with “Hello,” and then moved on to demons that could perform complex calculations instantly, and demons that reacted differently only when a specific password was spoken, stepping up to more complicated concepts in sequence…

“Could the original device have been created later with something like the Book of Acacia as the target…? Ah, right, I need to check the colophon too.”

Suppressing her desire to read the next content, Jill opened the colophon.

There, the date of the first entry and the author’s name were recorded.

“Year 853 of the Celestial Calendar, Frozen Tears Month, 15th, Gekko Andromalius… So, that’s about three hundred years ago, before the current calendar. Oh, but it seems there have been some revisions.”

Jill concluded that it was undoubtedly a magical book from before the current calendar era. While the Book of Acacia was a miraculous heritage, this “Beginner’s Guide to Demon Creation and Summoning” was also quite significant. She had told Carol it could buy a mansion, but it was more than that. It could purchase an entire block of a small town. It wouldn’t be surprising if small-scale wars broke out over the information recorded here.

As she pondered why the Andromalius family had fallen despite possessing such an incredible legacy, Jill noticed something: the revision history and editorial history had stopped about two hundred years ago.

“…It seems that perhaps the device functionality broke down around that time.”

The demon that guarded the floor storage of the café could only give very simple responses. The password was far too simple. Anyone who read this book should not have stopped at creating such a simple demon.

Instead of being “caught up in the turmoil at the end of the era and explaining lessons through picture books, passing down essential knowledge orally,” it was more likely that “the device functionality broke down, leaving them to explain only incomplete knowledge orally,” Jill surmised.

In the era when remnants of the old kingdom still existed, many wizards who possessed unique magic were targeted by nobles and were killed. Jill had heard that some clans were completely wiped out after being killed and having their magic stolen, while others had forgotten they were concealing their secrets due to excessive secrecy. The Andromalius family had also failed in their transmission of knowledge.

“…Oh, but there is a record of who read it. My name is listed too.”

When she turned the colophon, it detailed who read which pages and for how long.

Starting with the name of the original owner, Jill’s name was recorded several lines down in the last line.

“Carol’s name isn’t there, but the owner’s name is… But my name is listed…?”

“Regarding Master Jill’s account information, it is automatically shared with the device owned by Jill-sama.”

“Hyah!?”

Suddenly, the Book of Acacia spoke.

“Please note that this matter has been approved under the terms…”

“Ah…”

The lengthy explanation from the Book of Acacia continued.

“I understand. So, since I said ‘yes’ before, it would be troublesome if I were held accountable, right? And you answered my question because you sensed that.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

While feeling mildly irritated by the book’s overly polite tone, Jill pressed on with her questions.

“Why are other people’s names listed?”

“In your case, Jill-sama, the account registration process was omitted because you opened the device through this book. It seems that people without an account have their viewing time for ‘Understanding Demon Creation and Demon Summoning’ limited. At the point of exceeding the viewing time, user registration is likely required.”

“I see…”

Jill murmured that as she glanced at the operation history log.

And at a certain point, the reading had abruptly switched to only the pages of the picture book.

This coincided with the period when the revision history had stopped.

Jill became more convinced that the failure was due to a breakdown in the transmission of magic.

However, she discovered something that shattered that certainty.

“Roger Andromalius is the owner’s name… But what about the name between me and that?”

The name above Jill Dailan.

That meant it was Jill’s immediate predecessor.

Jill whispered the name that was written.

“Ritchie Andromalius.”

One of the knights from her dream, Ritchie.

A man skilled in calculations who could summon demons.

“…Eh? No way…?”

She repeated it once more in her mouth.

Ritchie Andromalius.

The name of the gentle demon summoner.

It wasn’t just a coincidence that the names matched.

The type of magic they were skilled in was the same.

Above all, it felt so familiar, as if she had whispered it countless times before.

The more she whispered, the more a nostalgia flowed into Jill’s heart, as if he were an old friend or acquaintance.

Had the figures from her dreams, other than Conrad, actually existed? However, Jill couldn’t recall anything no matter how hard she tried. After dreaming of living in a cave with Conrad and the others, she had thought, “I must have fabricated such memories of the past,” and had completely forgotten. But now, here was a piece of evidence. Ritchie existed.

Yet that evidence led to a colder conclusion.

The owner of the café “Andromalius,” the brother of the owner, had been sent to the front lines and killed in action a few years ago.

Jill immediately prepared herself and headed to the town of Shelland, knocking on the door of Matthew’s house.

“Please, Matthew. I want to investigate a certain person.”