Chapter 564 – Unlocking the Grimoire

The morning after Knights' Tournament was a gradual return to normalcy. Students and faculty tidied up their classrooms, lecture halls, and campus. Palace servants were out in force to do the same. The stadium had finally fallen quiet now that the battles were over, and people far and wide found no reason to come back.

Kanae soared leisurely from the sky, searching for Thored or Archmage Donnu. She adjusted the satchel slung over her shoulder, which contained Master Marwin Fransk's final gift to her. It would suck a lot if they had already departed. Her only option to identify this thing would be to rely on Radevic's magical authorities.

"I bet there's nothing special about this tome. It's probably one of your smut books. Having the last laugh is definitely something you'd do." Kanae sighed, quietly wishing it just might be.

The sharp clang of steel cut through the skies in quick succession. Kanae followed the nose to the training fields, where initiates and junior knights sparred. A herzulith stuck out like a sore thumb among much smaller people. To Kanae's surprise, Minestra trained alongside them. She bested them easily with four arms wielding a weapon each.

Kanae touched down on the ground, and the herzulith spotted her immediately.

"Kanae, my love! I had a feeling you were nearby when I caught your scent!" Minestra shoved the trainees out of the way, running up to her.

"Geh. You smelled me from up there?" Kanae winced.

"I-I just recognize your scent is all!" She toned it down immediately.

Behind Minestra, many students had been knocked on their asses for even trying to face her. This was probably also their first time fighting someone from Artaggon, too.

"Bold of you to train Radevic's future soldiers. What if we end up on opposite sides again, and they know better to fight you?" Kanae teased, dispelling the herzulith's unease.

"Hah! That goes both ways. These pups are still young though. They have plenty to learn. Besides, after the tournament, I think it's clear just how strong Radevic and the Commonwealth are. Just don't take my loss as a welcome mat to underestimate Artaggon." Minestra flashed a toothy grin.

"Speaking of Artaggon, I was hoping to talk to Thored. Is he around?" she asked.

"Yeah, but not down here. The bookworm's up in the Illuminant Reposi-whatever. Your Archbishop invited him as a gesture of good will and allianceship."

Everyone let out a groan of relief when Minestra announced that she was leaving. The instructors had a good laugh of their misery in the meantime. Minestra was much too heavy for Kanae to lift into the sky, so they walked together up the palace.

Students darted in haste to get to class on time. Patrolling Aidenhall knights offered Kanae a hearty good morning. The corridors echoed with chatter about the tournament. They strolled past a group of initiates debating whether Edina had truly defeated Camilla. A couple of girls squealed about how cute they found Saint Priest Bocchiri Ruu.

If there was one thing Kanae could give Archbishop Patrice props for, it was that the tournament had breathed fresh energy into everyone. No one seemed to be worn down by the last few wars, or that a succubi threat grew in the north.

"When do you and Thored plan to return to Artaggon anyway?" Kanae asked.

"Not sure, honestly." Minestra shrugged one pair of her shoulders. "Lord Charron didn't just send us here to participate in the tournament. Rown Company's about finished building the north arm of the Imperial Span. That means we can begin conducting regular trade with the city-states. Thored'll be meeting with Radevic's leadership a lot more in the coming days to negotiate tariffs and the like. Trade talk. Too complicated for me."

Trade always followed an alliance. Like the Commonwealth, Artaggon didn't have a navy either. Or maybe they did elsewhere in secret. However, most of their territories were locked in by mountains. The only option to conduct trade was by land.

"Hey, wait a minute… Artaggon is meeting with Radevic before meeting with the Commonwealth? You literally have to go through us first!" Kanae groaned.

"Don't look at me. This is Lord Charron's idea! I'm sure he's planning to send a delegation to Ehmvier. I just haven't heard about it," Minestra said.

They finally entered the Illuminant Repository, and it was chaos. Flying books kicked up into a whirlwind. Harpies took to the air to snatch them, only to be swept up by the gales. Librarians and custodians that couldn't fly ran around like headless chicken, catching books as they fell and sometimes smack into each other.

"What is going on?!" Kanae cried.

"I really hope this isn't Thored's fault!" Minestra ducked from one book but another slammed into the back of her head. "Ow…"

"Amethyst? Oh, goodness!" A frazzled old human woman shuffled up to them. "You've come at a most inopportune time. It seemed someone opened a book that released a spell. This happens every now and—"

Kanae unfurled her wings to shield the woman from a torrent of books.

"Th-Thank you! This happens every once in a while when things aren't sorted properly. Magical tomes and enchanted scrolls can be mixed in with normal books and scrolls. Apprentices and understudies, am I right?" She laughed nervously.

"Always blaming the interns…" Kanae sighed.

"Kanae, help! Why are these stupid books piling on me? Ahhhhh!" Minestra screamed from beneath a growing mound of books falling on top of her.

Kanae eyed the whirlwind. If a spell had accidentally gone off, then it reasoned that Dispel should end the effect.

"There!" Kanae spotted it, deep within the bookstorm of tomes and parchment, a swirling core of wind in the shape of an orb that swept up everything that was light enough to be. Someone's pants had been caught in there, too.

Wand in tail, Kanae leaped high into the atrium, dodging heavy encyclopedias and flying pencils. There were so many books, the tornado had nearly turned solid. She casted Magic Hand, balled it up into a fist, and punched a hole through.

"Dispel!" She fired a shot through the opening, and the storm stopped at once.

Thousands of books flew across the Illuminant Repository, flung by whatever momentum they had left, before falling to the ground in mountain-sized piles. Kanae descended back down, pulling the pants that got stuck on her horn.

"Thank you so much, Amethyst! Thank you!" The old woman bowed repeatedly. "I suppose we better get started cleaning all this up…"

"Before you go, have you seen Thored? Beastman. Horse-faced," Kanae described the former Necro Lord.

"Ah, yes. If he hasn't left or isn't buried in books, he should be in the ancient architecture aisle," she explained.

Minestra, a casualty of the bookstorm, waved but a single hand out of her mound. Kanae and Magic Hand pulled her out enough to free her.

"I hate magic." Minestra growled.

"Looks like Thored's reading up on architecture," Kanae said.

Sure enough, the beastman was inside a recess hunched over a desk and surrounded by stacks of books. Whether or not he realized there was a catastrophe behind him remained to be seen.

Kanae tapped him on the shoulder.

"What? What? Oh, hello. Wait… Kanae! You… I have very strong words for you after the state you left me in last time!" Thored jabbed a finger into her chest.

"What happened last time?" Minestra asked.

"We had sex, and he destroyed my pussy with that hung horse cock of his. It was so good, he passed out there naked. Someone found him, reported him to the guards, and got him arrested." Kanae snickered.

"You had sex with my Kanae?" The herzulith shot Thored a death-glare.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not yours!"

"Th-That's not important, and she seduced me! Never mind! Did you need something? I'm in the middle of reading about the architectural remnants of lost civilizations," he said.

"Yeah, and I was enjoying it, too!" another voice added.

Kanae looked over Thored's shoulder. Sitting on a saucepan was Death Knight Cantu. Or rather, what was left of him. It was only his head now, after the body had been caught in and incinerated by Petyr's Retribution's Cross.

"Oh, relax. I have something that might interest you. Think you can uncover what this is?" Kanae pulled out the blank tome to show them.

Thored put the grimoire on the desk, and everyone including Minestra looked over it. He turned to the first page, which was blank.

"There's nothing in it," Cantu said.

"We can see that." Thored rolled his eyes. "It's what you don't see that is important. This book is cloaked in illusion magic. Hmm. A mere Dispel won't do. It's much too powerful. How did you come to obtain this? Whoever it belonged to clearly wanted to clear the contents."

Illusion… Illusion…

"Could a master illusionist dispel its effect?" Kanae asked.

"Certainly. This does have the telltale sign of a crowned Illusionist's spell," Thored explained, adjusting his spectacles.

"Thanks. I think I know exactly who to bring this to." She picked up the book.

And that was none other than Dreizel, the Master Illusionist, former adventurer, and entrepreneur. As soon as Kanae turned to leave, Minestra and Thored followed.

"Uh, you guys don't have to come along. I'm going into the city to find an illusionist to dispel this," Kanae said.

"Any day I get to spend with you, my love, is a good day." Minestra beamed.

"I'm interested in what that grimoire contains!" Thored exclaimed, giddy as a child.

Kanae groaned into her hand and relented.

"Fine." She sighed.

"Hey, don't leave me here! I'll roll after you and bite your ankles, if you do!" Cantu threatened.

Thored grabbed the talking skull, and they hailed a carriage at the bottom of the palace. It was cramped inside the cabin. A herzulith and equus beastman weren't exactly small-statured races.

The Rown carriage drove them into the city, where the lively hubbub was like music to Kanae's ears. Radevic was the closest thing to where she lived back in Japan. Although without the skyscrapers, the blocks were compact with rows and rows of townhouses. Citizens packed in the streets. Barkers that hollered for anyone's attention. As the carriage slowed down, a canine beastman paper boy running on all fours caught up to them. Kanae dropped a gold coin into the boy's hand, and he exchanged it for a newspaper.

Today's press mostly talked about Knights' Tournament. The headlines written in big bold letters said, 'Once Traitor, Champion Again.' Sentiments over Petyr were beginning to look up. Not that she would care much. Probably.

"So, Cantu. How's life without Edina?" Kanae teased.

"It's quieter than usual. As her servant, we communicated telepathically connected by the necromantic energy that powered me. Now that she is regenerating in slumber, I have my mind to myself. It would be nice if I could walk again. Alas." Cantu sulked.

Minestra snatched the skull from Thored's grasp and said, "I still can't believe you were here this whole time. Lord Charron's going to be pissed that you aren't guarding your tomb anymore. But I guess Kanae had something to do with it."

Kanae glanced out the window instead of answering.

"Extend to Lord Charron my deepest apologies when you return. I find my new life to be much more interesting under the service of a lich!" Cantu rolled his head back, cackling.

"And who do you think he's going to take his frustration out on that you've disappeared on him?" Minestra tossed his skull up and down.

"Hey, stop it! I might not have a body, but the phantom nausea is very real!" he complained.

The carriage rolled to a stop in front of one of Dreizel's Bath House Wonderland. They followed Kanae in. A young elven woman behind the counter shrunk, seeing their party enter, which Kanae was now realizing looked like a band of demons.

"Uhm… P-Party of three?" the clerk asked.

"Three? Why, I never!" Cantu huffed.

The second her eyes fell on the skull, she fell backwards out cold.

"I knew I should've come alone. Dreizel! Are you here? It's your favorite customer!" Kanae shouted.

Strands of magic coalesced behind the counter until the middle-aged elf, Dreizel took shape. He glanced down at his unconscious employee and threw both hands up.

"Seriously?" Dreizel sighed.

"Sorry." Kanae rubbed the back of her head. "I was actually looking for you. Wondering if you can dispel the illusion magic that's on this."

When she brought out the grimoire, Dreizel's eyes glinted with recognition.

"Ah." Dreizel's shoulders drooped just a little, and his demeanor turned somber.

"You… know?" Kanae gasped.

"Know what? What?" Thored asked.

However, neither of them answered.

"Well, if you have brought this to me, then it is my obligation to fulfill one final promise. Hrm. Let's see… Oh!" Dreizel whipped out a twisted wand with a glowing yellow jewel at the base. He flicked his wrist, firing a spell that landed on the grimoire. A puff of visibly arcane expelled outwards like smacking a dusty book.

"Was that it?" Kanae coughed, waving away the dust.

"See for yourself," he insisted.

Kanae opened the grimoire to the first page, and they were greeted by a drawing of a giant penis, which she and Alicia had scribbled into when experimenting with it.

"Is this supposed to be a practical joke?" Cantu asked what they were thinking.

"Whoever owned this previously sure had quite the sense of humor!" Kanae laughed nervously and quickly turned to the next page.

Cryptic runes, writings, and drawings reorganized themselves. Kanae recognized them instantly. They were the same texts inside the Cult of Lust and Depravity temples.

"I can't read them at all." Minestra furrowed her brows.

"Kanae, can you?" Thored asked.

"A little…" Kanae said, though hesitant to reveal more. "You know what? All this running around got me worked up. How about we all take a dip while we're here? On me!"

"That sounds like a lovely idea! Will that be a room for four?" Dreizel winked at the skull.

"Finally, some acknowledgement!" Cantu exclaimed.

Kanae paid for a single bath house room for all of them. Minestra and Thored didn't seem to mind being naked around each other. It must be a colleague thing. Regardless, she was able to save on expenses and buy them a round of drinks and snacks along with their dip.

The illusion Dreizel led them into the hall, carefully stepping over his employee out of instinct, and escorted Kanae's party to their private bathing room. His magic transformed the place into a large pool in the mountains surrounded by nature.

"Enjoy, my friend and new friends! Refreshments and snacks will be here shortly." Dreizel took a bow and left.

Kanae and Minestra entered the hot waters first. The herzulith set the skull of Cantu down by the lip of the pool.

"Ahh… I can't enjoy the water, but the steam and warm condensation against my bones feels nice." Cantu sighed blissfully.

Thored shuffled in next, towel wrapped around his waist. The beastman unwittingly kicked the skull in.

"You stupid fucking oaf— blrrpppbblrp…" Cantu sank into the bottom of the pool, but Minestra fished him out a second later. He mimicked sucking in a deep breath after coming out. "I almost drowned because of… Wait a minute, I don't need to breathe. I'm undead! Haha!"

"My apologies. The floor is a little slippery. I'm unaccustomed to stepping on these tiles, and with my hooves…" Thored gingerly stepped into the hot waters and let out a deep sigh.

While they bickered, Kanae continued looking over the grimoire.

"Aren't you worried about the pages getting soaked?" Minestra leaned over and asked.

"I thought that, too. But Alicia and I found out that it was waterproof the day we got it when I accidentally spilled wine on it. The only thing that tends to affect it is ink," Kanae explained.

Some of the texts didn't make a lick of sense. Others, she knew immediately to be spells. Ambrosia also possessed a spell book. Maybe they were the same? One word became clear on the page. Erectus.

"Erectus," Kanae said aloud.

"What the?!" Thored splashed about and pushed both hands into the water.

"What's wrong with you? Better not be getting any funny ideas, Thored. Kanae's mine." Minestra put an arm around her.

"I… uh… have suddenly sprouted a problem." He nervously stood up, revealing an enlarged raging boner that was bigger than what Kanae remembered.

"Everyone, I think I have a succubus spell book," she said.

"Not just any grimoire," a sultry voice as sweet as honey echoed. "I am the living grimoire, Isabella! It seems I have been awakened by a succubus? Nice tits. Fine ass. Mm. Mmmhmm. Oh, perfect! My pages have been drying for some excitement."

Kanae and the others stared aghast at the living grimoire named Isabella.

"Oh, great." Kanae frowned.