The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 28
***
“Is there really… a way for Vivian to return to her homeland here?”
“Of course. Nix, this is a place where nothing in the world doesn’t exist.”
A place where all the world’s information converges.
A space as magical as time itself vanishing the moment you step inside.
By the next day, we found ourselves at the Citizen Library in the Capital of Castonia Empire.
I never could have come here without Nix.
Having gained such a reliable ally was truly a blessing.
As I admired the Human World library after so long, I couldn’t help but smile at Nix, whose eyes were practically bulging with wonder.
The towering ceiling and densely packed shelves were certainly impressive.
Though not quite as grand as the study back home.
“You find it that fascinating?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Why?”
“There was no library as luxurious as this where I lived. Everyone struggled just to survive. Oh, which way should we go?”
“Take me to the section with magical texts. That would be Zone Z. Where exactly did you come from?”
At my request, Nix strode purposefully toward Zone Z and answered.
“It was a small Mountain Village somewhere in the central continent. It was far too rural to have a library like this.”
“I see. Though the air there must have been better than here, right?”
“Yes. The air was wonderful, the water was pure, everything was perfect.”
“In summer you’d pick wild berries, and in winter you’d fish in the streams?”
“How did you know? Ice fishing was something I was quite good at!”
“There’s nothing quite like it in winter. No library, but it sounds like a lovely place.”
I found myself reminiscing about the ice fishing I used to do with Irene, the northern witch in the Demon Realm.
We’d bring back the catch to the castle and fry them up to eat.
By the time we arrived, Nix stood before an overwhelming expanse of books and let out a long breath.
“We’re here, but what do we do now?”
“This is where the real work begins. Think you can handle it, soldier?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll accomplish anything. Even if I cough up blood and die, I’ll prove myself.”
…Why was she saying such terrifying things?
I stared at Nix with bewilderment.
The girl wore a quite serious expression.
Suddenly transformed into some sort of monster who made people cough up blood and die, I hastily shook my head.
“No, no! I’m not asking you to cough up blood and die!”
“…That’s not it? You open a book and death magic flies out, and you have to deal with it…”
“No! Absolutely not!”
Had I lost my mind?
If I made her do something like that, I’d be arrested for violating child labor laws.
Though I wasn’t sure if such laws existed here.
I shuddered at the memory of shackles I’d glimpsed in a distant past life.
“What I need you to do is search this library for information on methods of storing magical energy.”
“Methods of storing magical energy? What is magical energy, Vivian?”
Ah, we’re starting from the basics. Faced with Nix’s innocent gaze, I paused briefly before offering a simple explanation.
“My lifeline.”
“Y-your lifeline…! Does that mean you’ll die without it, Vivian?”
“Of course. Magical energy is my life. Without it, I can’t return home, and I’ll spend eternity yearning for my homeland before bidding farewell to this world.”
It was an exaggeration, naturally.
Though not entirely a lie—while losing magical energy wouldn’t kill me outright, if it were depleted and enough time passed, a witch would revert to being human.
A finite existence with a mortal lifespan.
In other words, my eternal life as a witch would come to an end.
But innocent Nix seemed genuinely shocked by my words, her small mouth falling open slightly as she murmured.
“Vivian might… die….”
Perhaps I’d taken the joke too far.
“Actually, I was just joking, Nix.”
I tried to quickly deny it, but Nix was already pulling books labeled “magical energy” from the shelves at remarkable speed.
Then she began frantically flipping through the towering stack of volumes.
She’s remarkably nimble. What kind of work had she done before?
Considering her calloused palms and quick, practiced movements, it was clearly no ordinary occupation.
Working under Blake, she might have been involved in something rather sinister.
Yet she was such a gentle, kind girl despite it all.
Watching her panic at the thought that I might die, when we’d only just met, I felt a smile slip through.
She kept her heart guarded, reluctant to speak her true feelings, yet in this short time, it seemed she’d grown fond of me.
Warmed by the thought, I sat beside her and, with effort, turned the cover of the massive tome.
Why is this so heavy?
But the book’s weight wasn’t limited to its cover.
“What on earth does this mean? ‘Magical energy utilizes imperceptible forces to dominate consciousness and contradicts empirical evidence, yet through magical incantations produces effects similar to magical energy’… Nix, do you understand any of this?”
“No… I’m sorry. I don’t understand any of it. This book seems even more difficult. Or am I just stupid?”
At Nix’s dejected murmuring, I checked the page I was holding and felt irritation rising.
“No. The people who wrote this are stupid. They spend an entire book defining what magical energy is. And it’s incomprehensible! Who wrote this anyway?”
I checked the author’s name on the first page and furrowed my brow.
“The Greatest Sorcerer, Ultra King.”
“That’s a cool name.”
“Are you serious?”
I had no idea where to even begin my critique, so I decided to let that pass.
But this book, filled with nothing but difficult terminology like some academic thesis, seemed like it should be discarded.
“I think we need to change our search strategy.”
“To what?”
“Magical artifacts instead of magical energy.”
To find a way to contain my magical energy, perhaps using magical artifacts was the right approach after all.
I suddenly felt proud of myself for thinking this far ahead.
Max, are you watching?
I’m getting more and more accustomed to surviving in the Human World!
Before I could even finish speaking, Nix had already pulled out every book related to “magical artifacts.” I paused, looking over the considerable stack before me.
“It doesn’t look like we’ll find it today, so let’s move them.”
“Yes. There are more related books than I expected… Move them? Where to?”
Nix blinked her eyes in confusion, as if every request I made was unexpected and she couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.
I flashed a sinister smile.
Using magic again would certainly drain the magical power I’d accumulated, but what could I do about it?
Well, there was no helping it.
After all, one had to know when to take a step back in order to move two steps forward.
I spread both my arms wide toward Nix.
As she naturally embraced me, I surveyed the area around the stacked books and chanted the incantation briefly.
“Steel!”
***
After moving all the books that had been piled up by magic to the Leblanc Duchy,
Nix and I spent days doing nothing but reading books.
There were so many books we’d brought that Nix’s small room was completely packed with no space to move around.
Blake had been subtly probing me lately, as if wondering why I’d been so busy recently. It seemed Nix hadn’t told him yet.
If that was the case, I should keep my mouth shut too.
Eventually, everything would reach Blake’s ears through Nix’s report anyway.
It didn’t seem like a good idea to tell him right now that I’d stolen books from the library.
“I think we’ve read through almost all of them.”
“If I’d known it would be this difficult, I should have brought Blake along.”
“Would he have followed willingly?”
“Why are you like this? I’m Vivian!”
At my boasting, Nix nodded obediently.
“That’s right. Vivian, you really are an amazing bear. I’m amazed that you managed to steal all these books.”
“It was impressive, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, very much so!”
“I’ll show you more later.”
“A legendary thief really is different.”
Her eyes sparkled so brightly whenever magic came up in conversation—it was truly adorable.
“You’re so cute.”
As I was gently stroking her head, Nix suddenly jumped up from her seat and exclaimed.
“Arcanum!”
“Huh?”
“Arcanum! It’s written in the latest magical artifact texts. It’s a precious and rare magical stone created by an anonymous mage. It can supposedly hold anything you want!”
“Ar…canum?”
“Yes! Vivian, wouldn’t this work? Wouldn’t it?”
It was something I’d never heard of before.
A vessel that could hold anything I desired!
“Nix, hand me that book!”
I accepted the freshly bound tome from her and quickly began devouring its contents.
≪Arcanum refers to a magical stone that can truly hold anything one desires.
This stone was created through highly concentrated magic, and while its creator remains unknown…(excerpt)… it is extraordinarily rare and expensive due to its infinite value—the ability to contain even intangible forces.
However, unlike the widespread belief that it can hold intangible forces without substance, opinions vary greatly on what it is actually used for.
Diviners and ancient magic practitioners claim that ‘souls’ or ‘magical power’ can be stored within it, but ordinary humans cannot use this stone…(excerpt)…
Mages have attempted to utilize it, but only recently was it discovered that their ‘mana’ cannot be stored and used through Arcanum.≫
“This is exactly it!”
I cried out with unbridled joy.
If it could contain intangible forces, perhaps it could hold magical power as well.
“But why is Arcanum’s purpose still a mystery? Shouldn’t mages be able to store their magical power in it?”
I waved my short arms excitedly at Nix, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Mages don’t possess ‘magical power.’ Instead, they borrow mana from nature according to their innate capacity.”
Magical power is a rare and wondrous force one is born with naturally.
Mana is a vast and supernatural force that mages borrow from nature according to their individual nature.
Though their applications are similar, the source of power differs between them.
“Ah, so mages would have no reason to use Arcanum even if they had it. After all, mana isn’t a force that can be stored like magical power—it’s a force that must be borrowed!”
“My, how clever you are.”
Well, it’s unfortunate for human mages, but how fortunate for a magical power user like me!
If Arcanum truly can contain intangible forces, then I could store the magical power that fills me when I’m with Blake.
Never did I imagine I’d be delighted by magical tools created by humans, which I once wouldn’t have given a second glance.
Indeed, life is full of surprises. I must live virtuously, truly virtuously.
However, no matter how much further I examined the book, I couldn’t determine if there was a fixed capacity limit to what Arcanum could hold.
Still, if I bought plenty of them to store my magical power, I could fill them as much as I accumulate, right?
It was a plan that already made my mouth water with anticipation.
Proud of the result I’d achieved without Blake’s help, I puffed out my chest confidently and patted Nix’s shoulder.
“You did wonderfully! You’re my best little kitten.”
“Little kitten… if that’s what you say, Vivian, then it must be so!”
Whether enchanted by magic or by my charm, I watched Nix accept it readily and began formulating my next plan.
I looked at Nix and asked.
“Nix, do you have some money?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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