Kenja ni Natta Vol 1 Chapter 7

Chapter 1-7: Magic Textbook and The Silver Haired Librarian

Waking up even earlier than I did yesterday, I dashed out of the inn without even eating breakfast.

Running down the back alley, I went to the main street and opened up the map I got yesterday.
It was roughly sketched, but you could pretty much figure out the important places.
It seems like in this royal capital, it was shaped like a gourd. At the uppermost portion, in other words the royal palace, there were important places like the soldier’s training grounds. At the bottom portion were the shopping districts and inns, there were also establishments like restaurants and residential areas for normal citizens to live in.
Bordering the upper and lower portions were entrances like that giant arch. But it doesn’t look like those are the ones guarded by soldiers.
They are simply there to divide the two portions. It wasn’t like you had to be a n.o.ble or a va.s.sal in order to pa.s.s through them.

Incidentally, the library was in the northern portion of the royal palace side.
Since the Fredoll Clocktower was in the heart of the lower portion, I had to head more towards the palace side than yesterday’s destination.

Before I left the Guild yesterday I had the fox-eared onee-san give me a simple explanation.
Since knights and magicians often serve at the royal palace, in comparison to other libraries outside of the royal capital, the library here has the world’s largest collection of books.
Especially for magic textbooks and history books, there were a lot of original copies nestled there. It seems that it’s a place with a high historical value.

Heading there with a skip in my step, I went down a path with no one around.
As the number of residences started to decrease, and just as I was thinking that the road had started to spread out, We found the Library~.
A humongous building made of stone. Looking at it from the front, with a roof that looked like it could pierce the heavens, it seemed like the roof of a grand citadel to me.

While holding down my beating chest, I headed straight to the entrance
Since there was a doorman stationed at the entrance, I was obliged to show him my ID card.
Once I mentioned that it was my first time coming here, he started to give me a simple explanation on how the library works.
Since it was not much different to the manners you would use in j.a.pan, I ignored him.

There was no entrance free. It was possible to check out some books, but it was impossible for them to loan out most of the publications.
If there was something I still didn’t understand, then I should ask the librarian.
The rest was just general explanations, and after that I could finally enter the library.
I don’t think it took more than 10 minutes, but to me it felt like a whole day had pa.s.sed until, at last, it was over.

As soon as I entered the place, I spotted a young male library-san with black haired who was sitting down with a ma.s.sive book in his hand.
Since I was told to ask a librarian if I didn’t understand something, Let’s go with that route.

For now, When I asked him where I could find a magic textbook and a simple history book and a book on geography and a book about astronomy and a book on religion and something depicting adventures and a book about arithmetic and a “bizarre” book and mystery novel, he answered me with “Please calm down for a second”.

After pausing for a moment, I once again turned to the young man library-san.

「Where could I find a magic textbook, a simple history book, and an adventure book?」(Ayame)
「If reproductions are alright with you, then most of the literature can be found in the book collection on the first floor」(male librarian)

Alright, the first floor huh.
Offering him my thanks, I swiftly headed deeper inside.
Once there――, the view spread out to reveal a dream-like world, and I was instinctively struck with awe.

「…………」

On the bookshelves that lined the surface of the walls, stuffed inside them were rows of books, Books, Books~.
These bookshelves and pillars that were oh so neatly polished and s.h.i.+ned, it was like looking at a dazzling gemstone.
From the ladders and footholds to the stairs, everything was prepared. In the heart of the place, chairs and desks were lined up and men, women, and children of all ages were sitting with a book in their hands, silently reading to themselves.

While taking in plenty of this inspirational scenery, I first searched for the books that I was aiming for.

First were the most essential things; several types of magic textbooks and a simple history book that even a child could read, and a book about adventuring. It goes without saying why I wanted the magic textbooks, and as for the other two I figured that I could find some kind of clue about the magic in the world and how magic users were treated in general.
Things like the racial differences between species, because it was a delicate matter for the people involved, there probably isn’t something like that written in a children’s book.
While that may be the case, for someone like me who possesses absolutely no knowledge of this world’s history, there’s no way I would be able to understand it if I went diving head first into a complicated and difficult to read history book.
Let’s do things in order, and memorize it step by step.
I hate having to study, but I still love reading books.
Well then, first off let’s go and search for the magic textbooks.

Excavating a few volumes from the vast collection of books, I piled the textbooks on the edge of one of the desks.

The magic textbooks were, it was relatively easy for me to find them.
If I got only one volume then I would spend my entire time absorbed in it, so in order to prevent that I brought 10 nearby publications with me.
The thickest of them, it was around as thick as a j.a.panese language dictionary. Conversely the thinnest of them, it was on the level of the workbooks that we used in elementary school.

I opened them to check.
The first volume I looked at, magics like how to bring forth fire, water, etc. It had methods to using fundamental magics written in it.
Stimulating your Od, then making an effort to produce both the incantation and the mental imagery. From things like the process needed to materialize things like water and fire, to things like repet.i.tive lessons that you could do as methods of practice, those type of things were written in it.

An incantation huh. In the Magic Textbook that I’ve been carrying, there was nothing convenient such as an incantation written in it.
Incantations were written for some of the more advanced level magics, but there shouldn’t be any incantations in there for fundamental magics such as these.
Well, I can’t decide everything after reading just one book. Let’s go to the next.

The second volume I looked at, there were more advance level magics written in it.
After stimulating your Od, by utilizing an incantation and a magic circle you can bring forth a whirlpool of water or a fireball, the way to create a wall of wind was also recorded in it.
Fumu, so magic circles finally made their appearance huh.
Since the same kinds of magic were also written in my own book, I lined them up an compared them side by side.
The magic circle―― wasn’t written down.
That’s weird. In the Magic Textbook that I’ve been carrying, instead of having troublesome things like incantations and magic circles, all that was written down was “Just use imagination”.

「Hmm, I wonder which one is the outdated one」(Ayame)

Up until this point, all of the magics written the the library’s textbooks were also written in My Magic Textbook.
If they were produced around the same time then their contents shouldn’t differ by too much. That’s why one of them should be outdated.
Sooner or later the school that uses magic circles and incantations will differentiate from the school that uses the power of imagination. Although, this differentiation should already be transmitted to the texts of today……

Putting down the second book, I set my eyes on the third volume.
The third book I read was, it was a collection of magics from both the first and the second volume.
By the way, instead of having magic circles and incantations, it wrote down to use imagination.

「This one is most likely, I bet it was written around the same time as My Magic Textbook. Even though it looks the most worn out―― According to the library-san, this book collection consists of primarily reproductions so……」(Ayame)

Even if I know what era the reproductions were written, I still don’t know when their original copies were made.

I took my eyes off the third volume, and looked at the fourth volume―― Now let’s continue on and read the fifth volume.
I pretty much finished reading through the books I brought back after 2 hours, but the results were nothing special.
No matter which book it was, every one of the magics were also written in My Magic Textbook.
Or rather, if I were to compare My Magic Textbook to the other textbooks, then the varieties of magic written in mine were much more abundant.

For example, when talking about fire magics.
For the library’s textbooks there were stuff written like “Large Candle”, “Fire Sparks”, “Will-O-Wisp”, and if you went up a level then things like “Fire Vortex” and “Fire Wall”. The intensity of the heat and the density of it would go up.
But the magics in My Magic Textbook went to even higher levels than that. Things like shooting up Firework-like magics, shooting off several fireb.a.l.l.s at once, among other things. Unique magics like that were recorded my textbook.
And not just for fire magics, the same thing was true for things like water and wind magics.
Well, there were more books on the bookshelf other than the ones that I brought back, so if I search some more then I might find some books similar to mine.

「In any case, there results were pretty fruitless when it came to researching about magics huh」(Ayame)

I gathered up the textbooks, and returned them back to the place where I found them. Since those books may be useful for studying, there might be someone who would like to read them.
I’ve spent a long time with them, It’s not good to hog them for myself you know.

Next were the history book and something about adventures――in search of those I headed towards the shelves deeper inside. Once I looked at the publications that lined those bookshelves, I was completely shocked and at a loss for words.

The volume numbers were all out of order. The forth installment was set next to the seventh one, and placed next to that was the first volume.
Furthermore there were different types of literature mixed in together with them. I was disgusted just by looking at it.

Once something like this get’s on my nerves, I can’t help but want to fix it.
Using the steps on the attached ladder as a foothold, I began tidying up the bookshelf.

「To start things off, let’s arrange this thing called 『The Tale of Wizard Wayne’s Murder』」(Ayame)

While I was fixing the arrangement I thought to myself “What a terrifying t.i.tle”. Rather than as a historical publication, I think it would be better cla.s.sified as an adventure book.
While secretly reminding myself read it later, I lined up the bulky publications and ordered them from one to five at the edge of the shelf.
Next up,『The Hero Joe Zabinum’s Epic Journey』needed to rearranged. This one also composed of five volumes.
When I flipped through a few pages out of curiosity, the first chapter’s t.i.tle was something like 『Delta Joe Makes His Decision』.[1]

Once I was finished arranging the adventure-type works of literature, I took some time to bask in a bit of self-satisfaction.
If you place them back on the shelf too neatly then you will make it difficult for the next person wanting to read them to pick them up, so I left a little bit of s.p.a.ce between each volume.
This was a part of the Kazami Ayame “Stow Away” Technique.

While picking out the books I was curious about, I tidied up the bookshelf while keeping in mind the next people to come.
It truly was like killing two birds with one stone.

「Okay―― Then, I guess this one would be a history book」(Ayame)

Mixed in together with the adventure novels was a single history book, I went to stow it away in the neighboring bookshelf.
While I was at it, I discovered a book with the t.i.tle『History of Magic Incantations』, and deciding to read that book next I reached out my hand to grab it.

「――Aaa」
「Ah」

As I was reaching out, my fingers touched another person’s hand. I accidentally let my voice leak out.
Having our interests in books overlap like this, it was something that rarely happened.

「Ah, I’m sorry. Please go ahead」(Ayame)

After saying it, I slightly regretting making that verbal slip.
Even though most things were similar to j.a.pan, this was still a different world. I accidentally replied as a force of habit, but they might just say something like 「Oh, Thanks~」, or they might just take the book without even offering any kind of thanks.[2]
d.a.m.n… I really wanted to read it…

「Umm, Here, please take it?[3]」(???)

With a voice that sounded like the ringing of a bell, they handed me the『History of Magic Incantations』.

「Eh? ah, thank you very much――」(Ayame)

As I offered my thanks I raised my head, and the spectacle that came into view took my breath away.

With transparent silver hair, and crimson red eyes that were like a blazing fire. Such beautiful features that could make you forget to breathe, I involuntarily stared in amazement.
Unable to continue looking into those bewitching eyes that seemed like they were going to draw me in, I lowered my gaze.
Using a monochrome theme as it’s basis, she was wearing an outfit that looked like an ap.r.o.n dress. Without any flashy or gaudy ornaments that would normally attract a man’s sights, rather than like a maid-san, it felt more like calming work outfit.
Along with an intellectual gaze and soft facial features, and wearing an outfit without any outstanding decorations, her charm was drawn out in a special kind of way.
While playing around with the blue ribbon tied around her chest, the girl cleared her throat in a quiet manner.

「You sure are studious despite you’re young age. Are you interested in history books?」(Silver Hair)
「Uhh, No. Yea, well, that’s how it is」(Ayame)

“Which one is it!?” While I was retorting at myself on the inside, my gaze began to wander.
After all, I was unable to look her in the eye because of her elegant expression, and looking at her body would also be impolite. Fortunately she was wearing a long skirt, so I should be able to somehow calm my pulse if I turned my gaze towards the ground.

Still, I was completely caught off guard.
Including the fox-ears-san from the Guild and the girls at the highway repair site, I’ve been around a lot of very cute girls recently. But this person’s beauty was on an entirely different level. Extraordinarily so.

「The history of incantations, is it. If you would like, then how about this one as well」(Silver Hair)

Without any hesitation, she reached out and grabbed a book. With a smile like a blooming flower, she handed it to me.

「……This is?」(Ayame)
「It is a publication with history of magic circles recorded in it. Even though magics from ancient times utilized imagination to invoke the embodiment of a manifestation, across the months and years that came to pa.s.s, in order to teach the following generations the correct method of using magic, it was proposed to use things like magic circles and incantations in the future」(Silver Hair)

Upon hearing those words that flowed like a babbling brook, my backbone began to stir.
The moment those sweet words reached my ears, they almost melted after hearing such a lovely tone.
If possible, I would’ve like to listen to it forever.

「Thank you very much. I was just about to look for a book like this, so you really helped me out」(Ayame)
「Oh no, don’t mention it. After all, that is also a part of our job」(Silver Hair)

While playing with the tips of her hair, she bashfully smiled in embarra.s.sment. The pulsations that had calmed down before, had once again started speeding up.

「Part of the job―― Wait, that must mean」(Ayame)
「Yes, I am a librarian at this library, my name is Primevère[4]」(Primevère)

With a nod of the head, she took a bow. Wrapped up in a ponytail style, her silver hair swayed.
A sweet fragrance drifted through the air.
Raising her head, my eyes met with Pimevere’s. She then slightly inclined her head to the side.

「Perhaps, were you organizing the bookshelf earlier?」(Primevere)
「If it was a nuisance then I apologize. It was a complete mess so it just bothered me……」(Ayame)

If the volumes were out of order, then it would be troublesome to search for the one you want to read.
If I were to truly voice my desires then I would also wish to be taller, but if I wished to be taller then the trade-off would be that I wouldn’t get to put the bookshelf in order, So I held back on that wish for now.

「I consolidated them by lining them up series by series, but is that okay with you?」(Ayame)
「Yes, if you put this series into that bookshelf over there then―― Wait, that would be our job so you don’t have to worry about it!」(Primevere)

After letting out a voice in a hurry, she s.n.a.t.c.hed away the book I was trying to put away.
Covering her slightly flushed cheeks with her hand, she cleared her throat with a*Kohon*.

「Well then, I have other work to attend to, so please excuse me」(Primevere)

Using a business-like tone of voice, Pimevere’s body began to float and rise up.
I guess it’s one of the wind magics. She lightly fluttered around like a b.u.t.terfly. Without using any footholds or ladders, she began putting the bookshelf in order.
She must be very used to it, her skirt was completely closed up. It was impossible to peek inside of it from below.

If it’s like that then she should be able to tidy up the bookshelf much better than I could.
Also, it would be bad of me to steal work away from the librarian-sans.
After all, she even went through the trouble of finding me a book I was looking for.

While trying to catch a glimpse of Primevere’s figure again, I got down from the ladder I was standing on.
Going down the stairs and setting to work at a desk, I began reading the books that Primevere had picked out for me.

Even though I would normally understand the articles as soon as they entered my mind, it ended up taking a terribly long time for that to happen.
Countless and countless of times, the contrast between silver and crimson kept flas.h.i.+ng through my mind. Even though I had only read two books so far, it took me several hours to finish them.

Extra TL note: If you would like a slight/possible spoiler, then I would suggest re-reading the prologue and then taking another look at this chapter’s t.i.tle. (I’m not even sure if it’s a spoiler but I a.s.sume it is)

Extra TL note 2: Some of the book and library descriptions might not be completely accurate as I’m not familiar with certain terminologies. Sorry about that.

1.

TL note: I believe the books “The Tale of Wizard Wayne’s Murder” and “The Hero Joe Zabinum’s Epic Journey” are references to Batman and G.I. Joe.

Wayne’s murder might be talking about Batman’s parents, and Delta Joe might be to clarify who the Hero Joe is (As for the name Zabinum, I have no idea. Original was ザヴィヌン or “Zavinun”)

2.

TL note: I’m not entirely sure about this, but when Ayame talks about regretting his verbal slip I think he means that “He expected the other person to have j.a.panese manners as well”.

Basically, when Ayame said “Go ahead, take the book” he expected the other person to go “Oh no, you please take it” in reply. But since this isn’t j.a.pan, he kinda screwed up there. (At least that’s what I a.s.sume)

3.

TL note: “Douzo” is a j.a.panese phrase that means “Please, help yourself” / “Go ahead” / “Feel free” / “Here you go”. Ayame uses this phrase earlier when he tells the person to take the book. And that same person also says Douzo back to him. I just thought I’d point it out as they both used the same word (except one has a question mark)

4.

TL note: The Silver Haired girl’s name should be stylized as Primevère with the grave accent on the second è. BUT since I’m way too lazy to write the proper accent every time, I will just spell it as Primevere after I type it once throughout a chapter.