The Book Eating Magician - chapter-399

Theodore wanted to stay longer with his first child, but he could see
that Sylvia was tired despite drinking tea made from a leaf of the world
tree. It wasn’t a medicine or magic after all. He kissed the foreheads
of Sylvia and the sleeping Adellia, then he left the room.

Creak.

Once he left the room, Veronica’s eyes widened from where she was
waiting for him. What on earth was she seeing? She stretched out a hand
and touched Theodore’s cheek. Her fingers touched the dry tear marks.
“…Theo, you cried?”

Come to think of it, he hadn’t wiped them up. Theodore nodded lightly.
Once he opened his mouth, it felt like his voice wouldn’t come out.
Veronica didn’t tease him. Rather, she held his face affectionately and
patted it slowly. The two people calmed down by sharing their body
temperatures.

“Oh, I’m jealous.” Veronica had a faint smile on her face as she
let out warm breaths. Her heart was affected when she saw this man looked
so defenseless. She felt a bit envious that Sylvia had seen this face
first. Veronica’s affection for Theodore, who truly loved her, was
overwhelming.

She held his face and said playfully, “You will be hurt if you don’t
cry when it is my turn. Understood?”

“Of course,” Theodore replied without any hesitation. This was a joy
that he wouldn’t be able to get used to, no matter how many times he
experienced it. It was a feeling he never knew before he became a parent.
Despite extra weight being put on both of his shoulders, Theodore
didn’t break from this weight.

“All of you are my treasures. I don’t intend to change this priority,
even if the world is at risk.”

It was the reason why he had been able to refuse the Akashic Records and
the throne of omnipotence. The role Clipeus had given to him was light
compared to this. Adding a few things to his burden wouldn’t tilt the
balance towards him leaving.

Veronica blushed at his words. She looked cute since it was unlike her.
Then Theodore whispered in her ears, “Can I see Becky’s child next
time?”

“I-I don’t know!” Veronica exclaimed, slipping out of Theodore’s
eyes. Her eyes were big as she shouted, “Tonight is my turn, so don’t
go anywhere!”

Theodore replied with a smirk, “I know. That is why I said it.”

“This beast!”

“Shouldn’t I say that about Becky?”

Veronica’s face was as red as a persimmon as she looked away. With her
red dragon’s lineage, all her passion had been released after the
wedding. As such, she wasn’t in a position to call Theodore a
‘beast.’ However, he stopped teasing her and spoke in a gentle voice,
“Don’t stay for long because Sylvia is tired. Understood?”

Veronica nodded without saying anything. She felt like she would receive
more damage the more she watched. After stroking Veronica’s red hair
several times, Theodore turned and walked down the corridor. The sound of
the door closing behind him was strange.

Theodore calmed his mood as he stepped out of the tower. He walked
lightly.

‘…Ah.’

Then he soon realized…

‘The world looks different.’

Theodore even welcomed the boiling hot sun. His eyes were captivated by
the rustling of unnamed flowers and by the fresh clouds floating in the
sky. Was this the feeling of having the whole world? All riches and
honors were useless.

“Sigh…” Theodore was happy for a moment before calling out behind
him. He had been aware of the presence from before, but now the gap
between the two of them was narrowed. “Paragranum, what is it?”

It was a pale blonde girl with two eyes like rubies and soft brown skin
like chocolate. She was a beautiful girl who looked no different from a
doll. With a smile that seemed like it was drawn in a picture, the
grimoire that was the Yellow Tower Master spoke about something else
instead of answering. “You are really interesting.”

Her red eyes glowed with dangerous interest. “Despite being a
transcendent, you are faithful to keeping your human emotions. It was
beyond my expectations that you would defeat Wrath and your contractor.”

“Don’t sugarcoat it.” Theodore looked back with no expression.
“Why did you come here?”

“It is a regular report.”

“…Hmm.”

Without any hand gestures or chants, a wall of silence surrounded the two
of them. Paragranum’s mouth gaped open as she realized it, but Theodore
didn’t respond at all.

“Start.”

“You really are unfriendly,” Paragranum said with a shrug. Then she
finally explained, “I have built more than half the blueprints. It’s
the beginning of a cornerstone of a civilization that combines science
and magic. This will lead to the opening of schools that will spread the
two disciplines throughout all of Meltor. It should take 10 years?”

“10 years until the starting point… It is a long way to go.”

“It can’t be helped. This country is already attached to the magic
system. If you want to change the sheets, you either have to wait until
they turn around or flip them all over.”

If Theodore went in a radical direction, he might see three times the
progress. However, in that case, the civilization of this material world
itself would be placed in Theodore’s palms. Yet if he didn’t
intervene, they wouldn’t be able to become self-reliant, and there was
the possibility of a big problem rising. Therefore, Theodore aimed for a
gradual reform. The blueprints were just a light push for a new world
order centered around Meltor.

‘I have too many things to do.’

He didn’t have time to enjoy Adellia being born. This was the reason
why Theodore didn’t choose a radical way. There was no reason for him
to gain wealth or power, nor did he want to take care of things he
didn’t need to do. He also had no intention of making this world his
own model garden. The people who lived in the present era should walk
along this path themselves.

“Still, I think that magic engineering is fun. The world will be quite
different after completing this plan. 1,000 years… No, will it be 1,500
years?”

“Maybe it needs that long,” Theodore confirmed Paragranum’s
prediction. Then he added, “Tell me if there is anything you don’t
like, especially considering the circumstances.”

“Huh? No, I’m fine. Creating a ‘human’ is just another means for
my purpose of existence. In the first place, alchemy is the halfway point
between magic and science.”

“Certainly, if you are sure.”

After 1,500 years, the mana level would be much lower than it was now due
to Sloth. However, the utility of magic engineering was better than magic
in certain fields. The alchemy grimoire, Paragranum, would show a higher
synergy with it than anyone else. In the future where all masters would
have disappeared, Theodore would be the only deterrent to control
Paragranum.

“This is the end of my report.” Paragranum delivered some more
reports before taking two steps back and staring at Theodore. It was like
she was looking inside him. “The future world is interesting, but I am
also curious about your future. Despite being able to reign, you choose
not to reign. You also have no desire to leave this world. Isn’t that
right?”

“So?”

“Theodore Miller, the last transcendent of this world, how long can you
insist on this life? I will be watching.”

Then Paragranum left in an instant.

‘Until when?’ Theodore gazed at the blonde who was moving further
away from him. No matter the purpose behind her words, it didn’t feel
like she was antagonizing him. It was purely curiosity and was quite
meaningful. Perhaps the few words of this grimoire would stick with him
until the end of this world.

“…Go.”

Theodore left this spot and returned to the central tower.

* * *

Two months later, Sylvia’s state steadily improved after she giving
birth to Adellia. Additionally, the distribution of the Lairon territory
finally finished after six months of negotiations. In the process, there
was strong resistance from the Austen Kingdom. However, they had to close
their mouth after Theodore visited.

It was a prelude to the Age of Great Peace.

Envy’s death had resolved the long conflict in the northern part of the
continent. The territory of Lairon, which could’ve been the seed of a
dispute, was then divided among nations without a single armed conflict.
Over the next 20 years, they would be too busy clearing the land to turn
their eyes elsewhere.

In the southern part of the continent, the swamp was receding, and there
was so empty space. However, it wasn’t easy to deal with because the
monsters in the continent renewed their grip on this land. In particular,
the southern kingdoms lacked strong combat power.

As long as this balance didn’t collapse, there would be at least one or
two centuries of peace.

“On behalf of the Meltor Kingdom, I will declare to all countries!”
In this unprecedented golden age of Meltor, Kurt III declared to the
world, “From this day on, Meltor is no longer a kingdom! As a true
magic empire, I declare that we are the Magic Empire of Meltor!”

The Magic Empire… Andras had been downgraded to a kingdom after being
defeated in the war. Even the empire in the East Continent had collapsed.
No nation objected to Meltor’s claim to becoming an empire. In the
central square of Mana-vil, Kurt III, now an emperor, stood on the high
podium and raised one hand to the cheering people. “Wait! The
auspicious news doesn’t end here!”

Expectations filled the eyes of the people gathered in this square. It
was already surprising that Meltor was reborn as an empire. Now there was
something else? Kurt III raised the tension for a few seconds before
glancing at someone standing by. Then he shouted in a voice that rang
through the square, “You must know as well! The chief of the magic
towers that oversees the whole of the Meltor Kingdom—no, the best
magician of the empire!”

Theodore walked slowly and stood before Kurt III on stage.

“The hero who has built up countless achievements, the one who ended
the war with Andras and whose reputation stretches to the East
Continent…! I will give Chief Tower Master Theodore Miller a position
worthy of these merits!”

At least thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of people forgot how
to breathe as they looked at this scene. This was a day which would be
written in Meltor’s history books and a day that they wouldn’t
forget. It was Kurt III’s accession as the first emperor of Meltor and
the appointment ceremony for Theodore Miller.

“Listen up, Theodore Miller.”

Theodore bowed slightly without kneeling. As a 9th circle magician, he
was qualified to do so.

“Will you give wisdom to this Meltor as a teacher of the state? Will
you be the pillar of the empire’s strength and honor?”

“Yes.”

“Are you willing to become a companion of this Meltor Empire and pursue
a future with it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kurt III smiled at the answer and pulled something out from under the
podium. “Then all the people here will stand as witnesses! If you have
eyes, look! If you have ears, listen! I, the first emperor of the Meltor
Empire, will give my first imperial order!”

He held a luxurious item with a mysterious glowing gem hanging from its
end. The item was 50 centimeters in length, and the magic power rising
from its surface proved that its value was huge. It was a rod. The rod,
known as a magician’s special weapon along with a staff and an orb, was
a national treasure managed by the royal family.

“You will be treated as the head of our imperial court, a teacher, and
a guardian. You can exercise any command equal to an imperial order in
any domestic or foreign affairs. The leader of all magicians, the head of
the magic towers, Theodore Miller! I, Kurt III, today appoint you as the
Imperial Guardian!”

It was a position prepared only for Theodore.

“It is the glory of my life, Your Majesty.” Theodore politely
stretched out his hands and accepted the rod. Feeling uncomfortable, he
laughed. It had been more than half a year, yet he still couldn’t adapt
to this. There was a faint smile on his face as Theodore raised his left
hand up to the sky.

“Wahhhhh!” The roar of the crowd shook the heaven and earth.