Even though her only younger brother was glaring at her in shock, Tasha continued smiling brightly.
Though this was a briefing session to report on the excavation work done so far to the owner of the nest, to her, it felt less like pressure and more like a pleasant pastime.
'Really, it was such an enchanting time.'
Tasha couldn't help but feel grateful to Elric for giving her this dreamlike opportunity.
Right after making her contract with Elric, she led her private organization, Firebird's Nest, to focus entirely on exploring the dragon's nest.
With her father, Guy Nerester, granting her full authority over the excavation team, nothing could stand in her way.
Occasionally, the academy or the Ministry of Magic would hint at wanting to take part, but all those requests were cut off by her subordinates.
It wasn't because Tasha was being selfish; she simply didn't have the time or energy to pay attention to anything else.
She even paused her other ongoing projects or handed them over to her subordinates so she could devote herself fully to the dragon's nest.
The nest's allure was simply too powerful for her to resist.
From the nearly pristine condition of the nest, which preserved much of the dragon's habits for research, to the still partially functioning Dragon Tongue Magic Circles, and the countless treasure vaults and laboratories—it was all mesmerizing for anyone who walked the path of magic.
Then, during the investigation, Tasha discovered something remarkable.
Not only was the nest owned by a rare dragon called Jewel Dragon, but it also seemed to have belonged to an ancient dragon, perhaps even a Dragon King!
What was a Dragon King?
A king among dragons, possessing powers and authority said to rival the gods themselves.
Considering the long lifespan and independent nature of dragons, there were very few beings worthy of the title "king."
Current academic estimates suggested there had only ever been eight or nine Dragon Kings throughout the entire history of dragons.
For Tasha, who Sean often teasingly called a "dragon fanatic," this nest was something she couldn't help but be captivated by.
Then came the greatest discovery.
'Especially finding that... it was the biggest reward.'
She had found the very thing she had longed to discover.
'The 「Dragon's Book of Darkness」... I never expected it to actually exist.'
Tasha's eyes gleamed as she thought about it.
Even now, she couldn't stop smiling. She remembered how she had been so excited after discovering it that she couldn't sleep for days.
[Hey.]
[What? Did you just call your elder sister "hey"? Are you trying to die?]
Tasha frowned deeply when Sean's voice came through a sound conduction.
A kid much younger than her calling her "hey"? The thought of blowing his head off with a Fireball briefly crossed her mind.
[Stop smiling like a pervert.]
[...Is it that obvious?]
[It's not just obvious, it's ridiculous.]
[Heh.]
Tasha finally realized she had been grinning without noticing.
It must have been because she was thinking about the Dragon's Book of Darkness... She cleared her throat, realizing she needed to focus.
She was Tasha Nerester, a magician admired and respected by all, practically treated like a celebrity.
And with Elric, the owner of the nest, present, she needed to maintain a good imagician no matter what.
As Tasha regained her composed and elegant posture, Sean's exasperated voice came through again.
[Ugh, give me a break.]
Tasha clenched her fists, realizing that her younger brother was being unusually rebellious today.
It seemed like it was time to reestablish the sibling hierarchy.
Just as she shot him a sharp glare, Elric, who had been reviewing the documents, pointed to something and asked a question.
"Is this Dragon's Book of Darkness really something you found in my nest?"
Tasha immediately smiled brightly and nodded.
"Yes, but it's only in fragments, as the parchment is quite old. Much of it is unreadable, so we're still working on deciphering it. For now, we've managed to piece the fragments together in order."
"Hmm."
Elric stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He had heard of the Dragon's Book of Darkness before.
The term "darkness" referred to the phenomenon when the sun and moon were obscured, and the period when dragons rapidly declined for unknown reasons was similarly called the Dark Age.
In short, the Dragon's Book of Darkness was a text written during the time when dragons were on the path to extinction.
It was said to contain all sorts of information: the origins of the magic developed and preserved by dragons, the history of dragons, and more.
If discovered, it was expected to become a groundbreaking guide to unlocking the mysteries surrounding dragons.
However, its very existence was the subject of debate among magicians.
Many of its contents were considered too convenient or legendary to be believed.
But now, it seemed that the book truly existed.
And it was in his nest?
"This is the summary we've put together so far."
Tasha handed Elric a file.
It contained the current findings from the Dragon's Book of Darkness.
[All things flow down the river.
The river flows and gathers into a great stream.
The great stream, in turn, gathers into the ocean.]
Just from reading the first three lines, Elric felt as though it were less of a history or magic text and more of a collection of poetry.
『So that's what it was. Hmph! It's the "Compass of Chokmah."』
[T/L: Chokmah, the Hebrew word for wisdom, which is also a term used in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life to represent one of the sephirot, associated with divine wisdom.]
[What's that?]
『It's an introductory guide to Dragon Tongue Magic… But you wouldn't understand, so let's leave it at that.』
Mephisto trailed off, clearly indicating that he wanted something in return for further information.
Elric frowned deeply.
[Are you going to keep doing this? I thought we were allies until we dealt with Gregory?]
『We didn't discuss anything about dragons, did we? Fine, I'll give you this much as a service.』
Mephisto smirked arrogantly as he added more.
『It's an introductory text for learning Dragon Tongue Magic. Satisfied?』
[...!]
Elric's heart pounded in his chest.
『But don't get greedy just yet. Chasing after something beyond your reach will do more than just split your legs—it could ruin you.』
[...Then what should I do?]
『Wait until the time is right. You're not even strong enough to take down a warlord-level enemy on your own, so what makes you think you're ready for this?』
Elric calmed down at that.
Indeed, as Mephisto pointed out, Dragon Tongue Magic was still far beyond his current reach.
'I haven't even fully mastered soul speech yet, nor have I unlocked True Speech.'
Currently, Elric's use of soul speech was limited to interpreting magic knowledge through visualization or triggering the seals he had obtained.
He hadn't been able to use it in any other significant way yet.
Attempting something so far beyond him now would only lead to disaster.
'Besides, the Book of Darkness hasn't even been fully deciphered yet.'
Still, the discovery of this introductory text to Dragon Tongue Magic was a promising sign for his future studies.
"It seems like you've assessed this parchment, which you believe to be the Dragon's Book of Darkness, as highly valuable… Do you share the same opinion, Miss Tasha?"
Elric maintained a calm and composed demeanor, while Tasha's eyes gleamed as she nodded.
"I have no doubt it will be a groundbreaking discovery."
"Good. Then please continue your research and report to me directly if you uncover anything else. It seems like everything else with the excavation is proceeding smoothly, so feel free to carry on as planned. Thank you for your hard work, and I look forward to your future efforts."
Elric handed the report back to her nonchalantly, but he made sure to subtly request that any findings about the Book of Darkness be reported to him immediately.
It sounded as if he were only asking because it was important to her and her organization, but in reality, he was positioning himself to keep a close eye on the matter.
Concealing one's true intentions during a negotiation was a basic principle.
『You're good at pretending. You're just waiting for the right moment to snatch it all for yourself.』
[I'm not that bad, am I? I wouldn't just take it all for myself without a word.]
『Put your hand on your heart and tell me that's true.』
[...Ahem!]
『Tsk, tsk.』
Mephisto shook his head, watching Elric cough awkwardly.
***
"You know the certification exam is only held once a year, right?"
"Is it?"
"...It is."
Sean pressed his temples again, frustrated by Elric's casual response, though the corner of Elric's lips curled up.
"Hey, I barely knew any magic back then. How could I have worried about the magus certification exam?"
"...Fine, but anyway, it's usually once a year. But this time, there's a special exam being held."
The Magus Certification Exam.
The title of Magus was a badge of honor, symbolizing that the magician had left the guidance of their teacher and started walking their own path of magic. Naturally, countless aspiring magicians took the exam, but many failed.
In fact, there were plenty of magicians who spent their entire lives boasting about their magic skills, only to never pass the exam and have their pride shattered.
Despite pressure from all sides to lower the difficulty of the test, neither the Imperial Government nor the Magic Tower had ever budged.
The certification exam was held only once a year, on the second Thursday of November, just as fall turned into winter.
People often joked that the exam brought a winter storm with it.
However, it was now the end of spring, heading into summer—May.
Normally, Elric would still have half a year to prepare for the exam, but he could take it early, through a special arrangement.
"This is the power of influence, huh?"
"Call it a special consideration. And with the rebellion in the Red Lion House, there's talk that the regular exam may be canceled or postponed this year. So, they're holding a special exam for a select few."
"If other people heard that, they'd cry."
"When has the Imperial Government or Magic Tower ever cared about that? Besides, most of them would fail anyway."
Sean scoffed. On average, only five or so people passed the certification exam each year, with ten being an exceptionally high number.
Sean was also an aspiring candidate.
"You're the head of a prestigious magic family, so the Ministry of Magic approved this exception for you. They also took into account that, because of the Golden Bull, you might be tied up in battle and miss the exam. And also…"
"It's because a lot of old-timers are curious about what's happening with the Melvinger family. Why make it so complicated?"
Sean gave a wry smile.
He was well aware of how much scrutiny the Magic Tower still placed on the prestigious magic families.
But it seemed their attempt to cover up their true intentions wasn't going very well.
"You sure you don't need to cram for this? I've seen the exam questions, and they're no joke."
"Who needs to cram?"
Elric chuckled softly, then turned to Tasha and asked her,
"Was it difficult?"
Tasha just shrugged, indicating that she didn't know.
Elric's laughter grew louder.
"Is that so?"
"..."
Are all geniuses this annoying? Sean barely held back his irritation.
Elric's gaze shifted out the window.
They were nearing their destination, and the Central Magic Administration Office building came into view.
"You said the test takes about eight hours, right?"
"...Yeah, why?"
"I'll be out in thirty minutes with a perfect score. Wait for me."
What an infuriating jerk.
Sean scowled.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]