But wait a moment…
Why is something this good treated as a forbidden book?
There might be some kind of trap.
Isn’t there a saying about tapping even stone bridges before crossing?
“Once the questions are over, how…”
I was about to ask “What will happen next?” when a sudden thought occurred to me.
Wouldn’t this count as using one of my three questions?
Is it really okay to waste an opportunity like this?
But what if something goes wrong?
Where’s the guarantee that this guy’s answers are true?
As various thoughts tangled together and filled my mind, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
In the end, the issue was whether I could trust this fairy… no, this giant in front of me.
“…Hey. Can we trust this guy? Ah, Mimir, that wasn’t a question directed at you.”
“Hmph, you’re an interesting human.”
Ignoring the floating guy, I looked at the snake in front of me.
“You understand what I’m saying, right? I’ll believe your words. Answer me.”
– Uuuuh… Ugh!
“Does that mean it’s safe to trust?”
– Ugh!
Now he’s even nodding his head.
At this point, it should be fine to trust him.
If anything happens, I’ll just toss him into a smelter.
– Uuuugh?!
The guy flinches in shock.
Ah, can he read my mind?
Cough…
“My first question. How do I remove the curse on me?”
“Received.”
Mimir’s tail… or whatever it is… connected to the forbidden book started flipping through pages.
The cheerful sound of turning pages gradually faded as it stopped on a certain page, causing Mimir’s eyes to suddenly gleam.
“The curse on you is unusual. You’re not the intended target. If you’re experiencing inconvenience from the curse, it’s merely your struggle to become the actual target.”
“Exactly. I absorbed a curse meant for someone else.”
He hit the nail on the head with that single statement.
He doesn’t seem to be just a pretty face after all.
“In that case, it’s simple. You just need to transfer the curse back to the original target.”
… Is that it?
“Is there nothing else?”
“Normally, I should consider this your second question and mock your stupidity…”
The dog-like muttering guy’s eyes shifted sideways briefly before returning to me.
He definitely glanced at the snake guy… Is there some kind of relationship between them?
“I am a merciful giant, so I’ll specially overlook it this time. Your first question was about the method to remove the curses on you and two other humans, correct?”
“Yeah.”
Mimir, who glanced at the snake guy again, calmly began speaking.
“Firstly, this isn’t an ordinary curse. It’s an ancient curse created long ago by a Great Demon to increase their minions… Actually, compared to the originals, this one’s quality is laughable. It was probably cast by a black magician who made a contract with the Great Demon.”
Great Demon… Sounds like they’re talking about current demons, or even Demon Kings.
Could the Grand Priests really use Demon King-level curses?
They definitely couldn’t use them recklessly.
Otherwise, those guys would have already taken over the world.
“When the curse completes, the target becomes a servant of the Great Demon. More precisely, their soul and body belong to the Great Demon.”
“So what’s the method to remove it?”
“To remove it, you need to kill the Great Demon.”
“And if that’s impossible?”
We can’t go to the Demon World and kill a Demon King, right?
We don’t even know how to get there, there are seven of them, and we wouldn’t know which one to kill anyway.
It’s not like we’re playing twenty questions where we can keep asking indefinitely.
Is this guy deliberately trying to make me waste my questions?
Sending a suspicious glance, the snake guy stepped forward.
– Uuuuh!
“… I’ll tell you the most feasible method within your capabilities.”
Suddenly considerate Mimir.
Snake guy… What exactly are you?
“Because you’re human, you can’t remove the curse since you’re not on the same level as the Great Demon. Receive divine recognition and become a demigod. Then, even if it’s a Great Demon’s curse, you should be able to resist it. Curses lower than that level would be erased with a flick of your finger.”
“What…?”
Suddenly gods are involved?
Being a demigod might even get me arrested for heresy by the church.
Making a ridiculous face, Mimir pointed at me with his finger.
“Don’t you have the essence of fire, proof of the Apostle? That gives you the minimum qualification, so you just need to take the test.”
“Fire essence? Does that mean the Helios Family are apostles of the gods?”
Oops, I accidentally said that as a question.
Frowning while looking at me, Mimir bit his lips.
“… This is truly my last act of mercy. Yes. Humans may have forgotten now, but if the Helios Family continues their old traditions, they should know the answer.”
It was obvious he was holding back.
If it weren’t for the snake guy, I would have used up all my chances by now.
I bowed my head toward the snake guy in gratitude.
He’s not just a blessing, he’s practically a god.
– Uuuuh!
The guy happily climbed onto my head.
Go ahead, do whatever you want.
“Ask your next question. I want to go back quickly.”
Seeing Mimir’s irritated expression, I felt somewhat apologetic.
It’s like I forced him to give extra service.
What kind of relationship does this guy have with him?
“Second question. What’s this guy’s identity?”
– Uuuuh?
“Didn’t you know?”
Mimir’s eyes widened.
His gaze seemed to say “How could you not know this?” and I awkwardly scratched my head.
“I just met him recently.”
“… What did you see to choose…”
– Ugh!
“… Understood.”
– Uuuuuh!
“But that goes against my duty…”
– Ugh! Uuuuh! Uuuh!
What are they even talking about?
Watching the giant, dozens of times larger than the snake, groveling looks like a comedy.
Whatever it is, I can tell it’s an incredibly powerful existence…
After a long conversation, Mimir sighed deeply and spoke to me.
“… Since His Majesty doesn’t wish to reveal more, I’ll only tell you His name.”
“I get it. Whatever He is, I can tell He’s more powerful than you.”
At my words, Mimir sighed again.
“… Thank you very much. His name is Opheucus. When you complete that vessel, or simply put, the weapon, you’ll learn His true identity.”
“Oh… So how do I complete it? Ah, feel free to count this as my third question.”
“When your standing improves. Since your soul is connected, your growth equals the weapon’s growth. ”
“Then…”
“Then you’re probably wondering how to improve your standing, right? There are countless methods. You can gain enlightenment to raise your standing, use the inner core of spiritual beasts to enhance it, or defeating higher beings is also a way. However, as I mentioned earlier, passing the divine trial is the fastest route.”
“…”
Must have been desperate to go home, judging by how Mimir rapidly fired off his responses.
Is talking to me that stressful?
Or maybe it’s because of the snake guy… no, Opheucus.
“I’ve answered three questions, so I’ll take my leave now. Don’t come looking for me again.”
SWISHHHH-!
Unlike his grand appearance earlier, Mimir disappeared back into the forbidden book in an instant.
All that remained was the tightly closed forbidden book.
An awkward silence filled the air.
“Hmm… Shall we go out first?”
– Uuuuh!
I left the place with Opheucus and headed toward the library exit.
“Opheucus. It’s a cool name, but it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Can I just call you Opi?”
– Ugh!
“Got it. Nice to meet you, Opi.”
– Uuuuh!
Now that I think about it, in a game I enjoyed in my previous life, we called overpowered characters or classes OP.
Thinking about it now, it’s a perfect fit.
“My heart feels so peaceful~!”
Solving the curse problem I was worried about has never made me feel this relaxed.
Strictly speaking, I only learned the method, and objectively, I still have a long way to go…
But seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is what matters.
According to Erias, I won’t encounter heretics anytime soon.
Until the Grand Competition ends, I should focus on my students without worry.
The target Grand Competition is almost here.
To secure 1st to 4th place, I’ll need to strategize as much as possible.
“I’m already looking forward to it. You too, right, Opi?”
– Uuuuh~!
***
Though they say time drags when it’s slow, feeling like a minute lasts an hour, when it speeds up, it flows by in the blink of an eye. That’s the nature of time.
What do you mean?
Tomorrow is the day of the Grand Competition.
“Good job everyone. Think we can take first place?”
Instead of answering, I received intimidating glares when I smiled and asked.
“… Is that even a question”
“Are you actually…?”
“Ugh…”
Their entire bodies were covered in dirt, and their hair was messy.
Senna, who healed her friends first, was now treating her broken arm. It was the result of our last sparring session.
Hmm, did I go overboard?
Their gazes suggest they’d rather defeat students from other academies than me.
It felt like looking at a starving carnivore, making me shiver involuntarily.
All I did was a 1 vs 4 sparring match.
Sure, they had to deal with Earl’s magic and Black Wolf’s stealth attacks in between…
Isn’t that what it takes to secure first place?
“It was a bit too much.”
“It was too much.”
“… Haha”
Guess it was a bit excessive.
With Earl and Black Wolf’s firm responses, I gave an awkward smile.
As the mangled figures shuffled toward me like zombies, I racked my brain.
They worked hard, so they deserve a reward.
Hm, what would be good?
When in doubt, options are best.
“I’ll grant one wish to whoever gets first place.”
“… A wish?”
The glint in their eyes changed meaningfully.
The approaching figures paused to look at each other.
“… …”
Apparently reaching a silent agreement, they nodded.
Lux, who was at the front, spoke up.
“Any wish works, right?”
“… Y-yeah.”
Nodding in response, they quietly returned to the dormitory.
Watching their retreating backs, I felt uneasy.
Somehow, I feel like I said something wrong…
