Chapter 152

Chapter 152. Nine Goblins

In truth, there is an immense variety of things that qualify as books, or “objects containing written characters.”

This ranges from stone monuments carved with text, all the way to standard identification tags, or even the common storefront signs we encounter everywhere.

Items lacking any sort of writing were actually more difficult to locate, and yet my suspicion that the object was a “Grimoire” was not without foundation.

‘Something that has eluded detection for ages, even with the aid of Absolute Tracking.’

There are countless items inscribed with letters, but that one specific artifact was the only thing capable of bypassing Absolute Tracking.

Well, that is only as far as my current knowledge goes.

However, did he perceive what I was contemplating?

Parun, as if the answer were obvious, shook his head and spoke.

“I understand your line of thought, but the likelihood of it being a Grimoire is quite small.”

“Small?”

“Yes. I have already made inquiries. The head of the Magic Studies Hall stated that they conducted several experiments.”

“Experiments?”

At my inquiry, Parun nodded.

“I didn’t catch the specifics, but… after various trials, Lortel reached the conclusion that, ‘It is likely not a Grimoire.’”

Given the certainty in his voice, I tilted my head.

“What kind of testing did they perform to be so confident?”

“It seems you doubt the validity of the experiment itself.”

I nodded.

The experimental process that immediately sprang to mind was not complicated.

Acquire a Grimoire and use the Infinite Chain to track that target.

But are Grimoires as common as a neighbor’s stray dog?

‘Based on what I gathered earlier… it requires an extraordinary amount of data just to lock onto a target.’

Furthermore, there is no way a prestigious magical household would willingly surrender information regarding a Grimoire.

The very idea that Lortel had conducted an experiment at all felt suspicious.

However—

“I did not hear any further details. For some reason, they kept the procedural information under tight security.”

“Kept it hidden?”

“Correct. The most straightforward approach would be to designate a Grimoire as the tracking target, but…”

“Hm.”

“Think about it. If the Infinite Chain is currently tracking a Grimoire, it is either one that already has a master, or an unowned Grimoire whose existence is still unknown. If it is the former, the pursuit is pointless, and if it is the latter, do you truly believe Lortel would simply stop?”

“……She would never give up.”

Taking everything into account, it appeared the evidence leaned toward the target not being a Grimoire.

Of course, it is possible the Infinite Chain was tracking a “Grimoire with an existing owner,” and Lortel was focusing on that, but…

‘If they are that convinced it is not a Grimoire, then it must be true.’

If it were, Lortel would not need to draw such a clear boundary and declare, “It is not a Grimoire.”

Still, even if it were not a Grimoire, I could not deny that it piqued my interest.

Not for the academic reasons driving Parun’s research into “methods of bypassing Absolute Tracking.”

Rather…

Yes. It was sheer greed.

Something akin to: ‘Our collection holds an item of such immense value.’ You could describe it as a desire for prestige.

Naturally, that only applies if we actually succeed in recovering the object, but the mere potential for such a discovery was quite exhilarating.

‘I will need to ask Teheman sunbae about this later.’

He is the sort of person who keeps a wealth of information in his head; if anyone knows something, it would be him. He is a scholar of ancient magic, after all.

Ah. As that thought struck me, a fresh curiosity arose.

“In that case, can the Infinite Chain track a Grimoire?”

“……?”

Was my query too abrupt?

Parun tilted his head, puzzled.

Before long, he narrowed his eyes and fixed a sharp gaze upon me.

“Do you possess knowledge of an unowned Grimoire that has yet to be discovered?”

“No, it is not that.”

It concerns a Grimoire that does have an owner.

“So—is it capable of it or not?”

To my question, Parun appeared to deliberate for a moment before answering.

“I have not fully mastered the method of use yet, but… theoretically, it is not impossible. No—it is more accurate to say that it should be achievable.”

That was welcome news.

Because it implied that locating the Fragment of Reverse Heavens might become slightly less difficult.

Ah, although there was one complication: to track the Fragment of Reverse Heavens, I would eventually need to explain its nature to Parun, the caster.

‘Well, that is a concern for another time.’

It was not a problem I needed to resolve at this very moment.

As I attempted to bring the discussion regarding the Infinite Chain to a close, Parun still did not withdraw his suspicious stare.

“Are you certain?”

“……If I knew, would I not have mentioned it?”

“You? That is the most amusing thing I have heard in a long time.”

At that remark—as if he could see right through my intentions—I was left without a comeback.

If I truly were aware of an unclaimed Grimoire, I would never disclose that information to anyone.

But it was not due to simple avarice on my part.

If I had to articulate it…

‘It is a matter of solidarity among comrades.’

You are familiar with the old adage, “See an object, and desire is born”?

Even if you had no initial interest, simply laying eyes on an item can spark a craving—and that desire erodes the camaraderie between companions.

People begin to bicker: you deserve to have it, no, I should be the one to possess it.

Even if you managed to recover it together, you would be fortunate if the affair did not devolve into a violent struggle over ownership.

Of course, I remain the exception.

I am, always, an individual transparently brimming with greed—regardless of whether the object is real or imagined, my heart is constantly stirred.

Seeing the item with my own eyes does not alter that fact.

A person so full of craving they appear hollow. A person drowning in the desire for material things, and thus, in a way, transcending desire itself. That is who I am.

Well, regardless.

“It seems that is all I have to offer regarding the Infinite Chain. The principles and the magical theory… even if I were to explain them, you would not pay attention, would you?”

“Naturally.”

“Then I would appreciate it if you would clear out. There is much I must review to memorize the activation method.”

He seemed pressed for time due to the complexity of the Infinite Chain’s operation, and that was understandable.

Parun’s workspace was buried under stacks of papers I could not decipher. If he had to internalize all that to control the Infinite Chain, I would be in a rush as well.

However, despite Parun’s demand that I leave, I stood my ground.

Because I had yet to address my actual reason for coming.

“Are you deaf? Get out al—”

“Ah, actually, there was something I wanted to ask. Regarding… magical studies? Or something related to that field?”

“……Magic studies?”

Was my inquiry unexpected?

Parun scowled as if he had heard something bizarre, but perhaps his interest had been piqued, because he settled back onto the sofa. I seized the opportunity and hurriedly continued.

If I wasted time with pleasantries, I felt certain he would actually throw me out.

“Are you familiar with the concept of core division?”

“Core division… what are you referring to? Creating partitions within a single core? Or actually splitting one apart?”

Partitioning rooms within a core refers to sectioning off internal zones.

It is a technique primarily used by mages who manipulate multiple attributes, preventing the different mana types from conflicting while in storage.

Of course, there are secret arts like the Thousand Origin Art that utilize multiple attributes without needing to section the core, but this is the standard approach.

However, what I was asking about was clearly the latter.

“Splitting one core into two, or two into three.”

“……For what purpose?”

Parun cocked his head as if he could not fathom the reasoning.

And understandably so.

‘Yes… there is no inherent benefit to splitting a core.’

Splitting a core into two or three pieces.

People often say the more the merrier, and that receiving two strikes is better than one, but cores simply do not function that way.

To begin with, performing such a split is difficult, and…

‘Even if you were to succeed, efficiency plummets.’

Ah, for the sake of clarity, Riheim sunbae’s split core was a slightly different matter. That was not divided by a secret art—it was a result of a freak accident.

So, why was I attempting to split a core?

The reason was the Circle.

Following the advice from the Head of House Muhad, I had engaged in deep, lengthy contemplation.

What was the disparity between the Circle I possess now and the one I had in the Great Forest?

Admittedly, it was not an answer I could find in a fleeting moment.

But as I scrutinized it, I did secure a minor clue—and the most significant factor was the scale.

‘……Compared to the Great Forest, the size of my current Circle is far too small.’

Yes. That was the central issue.

No matter how perfect a gear may be, in order to harness force, it requires the corresponding dimensions and structural integrity to support it—yet my current Circle was far too meager.

In other words, by trying to avoid expanding its size “for the sake of stability,” I was ultimately compromising that very stability.

‘Then why not simply increase the size…?’

It was impossible.

A Circle acts as a secondary core formed by drawing in natural mana. It is qualitatively distinct from a standard core composed of magic power.

Even if I attempted to inject natural mana, its size and configuration were already set.

So, what course of action remained?

Destroy it and reconstruct it?

‘That is absurd.’

Among the vagrants inhabiting the Black and White Zone, there is a common saying:

One goblin is easy to dispatch, and two goblins are easy to dispatch. But three goblins present a bit of a challenge, and nine goblins are impossible to overcome.

In other words, if a task cannot be accomplished individually, have a group attack it.

But a skeptic might ask:

They are still merely goblins, aren’t they?

That is exactly why it is such a profound proverb.

‘No matter how many individuals you gather, never forget that we are just goblins.’

Anyway.

As I pondered this, a solution suddenly manifested in my mind.

‘If one will not suffice… then why not expand to two?’

If two will not suffice, then three. Then four. If that still is not enough, then nine. And if even that fails? Then increase the number further.

But there was one hurdle.

‘I managed one Circle somehow, relying on my experience from the Great Forest…’

Attempting to cultivate two Circles was impossible.

Even if I tried the same method I used for the first, the energy would either be absorbed into the existing Circle or fail to take form and simply dissipate.

So I arrived at the idea of splitting the existing core.

But from this point forward, even for me, it was uncharted territory.

Thus, I intended to seize an opportunity.

I no longer needed to struggle in isolation as I did when I was a Troubleshooter.

Still, it felt awkward to explain all of this to Parun openly.

“I will simply say it relates to a secret art I have been studying.”

“……Hm. You are experimenting with something new?”

“You could phrase it that way.”

Parun’s eyes glinted with interest, but he quickly restrained himself.

Since I mentioned it was connected to a secret art, he understood it would be intrusive to dig deeper, regardless of how curious he felt.

Regardless, I awaited his response.

“However, if you are referring to that kind of core division… you have come to the wrong person. My expertise lies in attribute-based mana, and while I am not ignorant of core division, my knowledge is limited to the aspects concerning attribute magic.”

At Parun’s disappointing reply, I felt a slight sense of defeat.

‘……Mm. So it really will not be that straightforward, will it?’

I had assumed that if anyone knew, it would be Parun.

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

Parun spoke again.

“Go and find Henji instead.”

“……Henji?”

It was a name I had not heard in a very long time.

Henji—the natural-born eccentric I met for the first time in this lifetime.

But why that man?

As I tilted my head at the unexpected suggestion, Parun asked, sounding genuinely bewildered.

“Do not tell me you are unaware.”

“……?”

“I thought you, of all people, would know. Were you and Henji not quite close?”

At the question, which struck a sensitive chord, I clamped my lips shut. Regardless of my reaction, Parun’s explanation persisted.

“I guarantee it—when it comes to cores, it will be difficult to find anyone as thoroughly versed as Henji. At least, that is true to the extent of my knowledge. Ah, this actually works out quite well.”

Parun added, as if he had just recalled something.

In the midst of all these surprising revelations, the following bit of news was something I could truly appreciate.

“The research regarding the Thousand Origin Art has yielded some results. You seemed eager to acquire those findings… so while you are at it, you can deliver the documentation to Henji.”

If I were to do that…

“You should be able to obtain a reasonable degree of success.”