One Who Pursues Ancient Magic, Jonah Who Knows Ancient Magic

“Huh…?”

About two hours had passed since he began tidying the laboratory.

Jonah found something that caught his eye among the books scattered across the floor.

‘This is ancient script, isn’t it…’

It was the same script as that written in one of the two treasures he had brought on his journey, the book of ancient magic.

Because it was a special variant, slightly different from the ancient script commonly known, Jonah had not overlooked it.

“Mr. Tommaso.”

“Nuh!? Wh-what is it?”

Tommaso, who had been engrossed in his research, turned around in a fluster when Jonah called to him. From his reaction, it was clear he had been concerned about Jonah.

As Jonah had said, he probably was not a bad man.

“Um… this script is ancient script, right…?”

“What! Little Jonah, you know ancient script?”

Tommaso voiced his surprise at Jonah correctly identifying the ancient script.

In this world, ancient script was indeed acknowledged to exist, but very few knew it. Given that eleven-year-old Jonah had identified it, Tommaso’s reaction was understandable.

“Y-yes. Actually, I saw something similar back in my hometown…”

“I see, I see! That’s fascinating! I would very much like you to tell me about Jonah’s hometown!”

“Ah…”

Realizing he had said too much, Jonah hung his head.

Though Jonah had abandoned the Langheim family… the family, he had no home to return to.

“M-more importantly, Mr. Tommaso, are you researching ancient script as well?”

Thinking it would be bad to be questioned further, Jonah quickly changed the subject.

“A sharp observation! After all, what I’ve been working on is the ancient magic said to have existed in this world! To unravel it, mastering ancient script is essential!”

“Ancient magic…”

Jonah had never expected to hear the words ‘ancient magic’ from Tommaso’s mouth.

Having read ‘Berfurichte Kunst’¹ until he was bored with it, Jonah had mastered the theories of ancient magic, but many mysteries remained: what ancient magic actually was, how it had been born, and so on.

‘Perhaps I might be able to learn more about ancient magic.’

For Jonah, ancient magic was the irreplaceable thing that saved Jonatan Gerhardt Langheim. It’s only natural he would be driven by the desire to know more.

Above all――knowing ancient magic was indispensable to Jonah’s fated journey.

“Then that makes things simple. I must at once tell young Jonah about my research to date.”

Saying that, Tommaso picked up a stack of books and set them down in front of Jonah.

“Nuh hoho, tonight we’ll talk ourselves hoarse!”

“P-please go easy on me…”

Jonah gave a dry smile as Tommaso’s eyes sparkled behind his round glasses.

◇◆◇◆◇

“So, I’ve been collecting and studying every kind of literature on ancient magic from around the world…”

How much time had passed since Tommaso began speaking about ancient magic?

Outside the laboratory window darkness had already fallen, and a waxing moon shone brightly.

That said, Jonah was completely absorbed in his story too, and before he knew it he had asked many questions and they were eagerly discussing them.

“So, Mr. Tommaso entered the Mage Tower to research ancient magic, then.”

“Exactly. This place housed many of the texts I sought on ancient magic. Above all—”

Tommaso handed Jonah a stone slab that had been on the desk.

“These stone slabs are found throughout the Mage Tower.”

“This is…”

Jonah took the slab and widened his eyes.

On it was ancient script—no, the special variant of ancient script used in the book on ancient magic.

“Ten years since I’ve entered the Mage Tower. Even I, who can decipher ancient script, find this writing special and have yet to decode it…”

Saying that, Tommaso slightly drooped his shoulders.

From the state of the laboratory and his passion for ancient magic, it was no exaggeration to call him a leading expert on ancient script. Yet here was a script he could not decipher despite years of research.

Yes… Jonah understood this script. And he had acquired that understanding in only a single year.

Was this Jonah’s innate talent, or had his desperate longing to move a body ravaged by pain and limitations somehow surpassed even Tommaso’s passion?

“… ‘The more I know, the more I am amazed, trembling with ecstatic joy.’ “

“Jonah… could it be…”

Tracing the slab and murmuring, Jonah prompted Tommaso, who called out with a stunned look.

Surely he too had realized the meaning of the words Jonah had spoken.

“The content of this slab is like a diary, isn’t it?”

“Nu… nuooooooh! Young Jonah, you can read this script!”

“Wahhh!?”

Tommaso leapt at Jonah in excitement. The suddenness made Jonah involuntarily cry out in surprise.

“W-well then, what does this say?”

“Um… ‘Believing it would still be fine, I cooked and ate ingredients from a month ago. As expected they were spoiled, and I kept having diarrhea and vomiting. It’s painful.’ … The person who wrote this diary seems incompetent, doesn’t he?”

“I-I see…”

Tommaso wore a baffled expression, having never expected that one of the slabs he’d researched for years would be such a trivial diary. Jonah, who had read it aloud, felt the same.

“L-look, maybe other slabs contain writings about ancient magic!”

“Y-yes! Surely this slab was just an unlucky miss!”

Pulling themselves together, the two began to decipher the other slabs.

But their hopes were dashed; the inscriptions were all trivial things like that day’s meals, the weather, stories of being rejected by a childhood crush. In a way they were amusing, but they were not what the two sought.

“What has my research amounted to…”

“W-we still don’t know! These slabs in this lab aren’t necessarily everything, right?”

Unable to watch Tommaso slump with his shoulders drooped, Jonah tried desperately to encourage him.

Of course Jonah himself was disappointed by the result too, but compared to the ten years Tommaso had spent in the Mage Tower it was a trivial matter.

“…The slabs found in the Mage Tower are all the ones we have here.”

“Th-then, maybe it’s written somewhere other than slabs!”

“Now that you mention it… the same script was inscribed on some of the magical devices.”

“There! If we can decipher the script on the magical devices, we might find clues about ancient magic!”

Jonah exaggerated his encouragement so theatrically it almost seemed staged.

That said, Jonah’s words were not just a ruse.

Setting the slabs aside, if the magical devices bore the same script as ‘Berfurichte Kunst’, it was entirely possible those devices were activated by ancient magic.

“Y-yes. Just because the content of the slabs seems unrelated to ancient magic doesn’t mean the Mage Tower has no connection to ancient magic.”

“Exactly!”

Buoyed by Jonah’s encouragement, Tommaso regained his spirits and showed renewed zeal to unravel ancient magic. Jonah breathed a sigh of relief for the moment.

“Nuhoho. If that’s decided, let’s go at once!”

“Wah!?”

Grabbing Jonah’s hand, Tommaso dashed out of the laboratory.

For Jonah, who was manipulating his body with 【Marionette】, sudden and unexpected events like this kept him from reacting properly.

So Jonah’s feet did indeed trip, and he fell.

“Ah!? Little Jonah, are you all right!?”

“Ouch… y-yes.”

Jonah understood that Tommaso meant no harm, but still—Jonah’s body, ravaged by enormous mana and with less than a year left to live, was already in tatters. He couldn’t help wanting more consideration.

“I’m truly sorry…”

“I-I’m fine! Come on!”

Seeing Tommaso looking apologetic, Jonah hurriedly put on a bright, energetic demeanor.

In truth, it should hurt. In truth, it should be agonizing.

Even so, Jonah acted brave because he wanted the man before him to feel better.

“Little Jonah, you are a far more wonderful boy than someone like me.”

“Ah… ehehe…”

Moved by that kindness and bravery, Tommaso softened his expression and gently stroked Jonah’s head.

Jonah, feeling a bit ticklish, accepted his hand and smiled shyly, happy.