[Claude's POV]

I saw a dream. A dream of the past.

I was sitting on the throne, surrounded by them.

They were trying their best to keep me entertained. I was laughing with them but deep down I was actually bored. However, I didn't want to say that and stop them. They were trying their best for me. Even if I didn't like it, I didn't want them to feel hurt. They were already way too worried about me. They were like my children after all.

―Come to think of it, there was something like that huh.

I reminisced. Suddenly, I saw one of them having a Black Book which was levitating around him.

I suddenly felt confusion from within me. I closely observed the Black Book.

―Wait......shouldn't that be with me!?

As if noticing my gaze, the white-hair man, around whom the Black Book was hovering, looked at me and spoke while pointing at the book.

「What is the problem, Supreme One? You were looking at it quite intently. Perhaps is it bothering you!? If so, I shall quickly hide it.」

「Ah!.....no, no. I was just......thinking about something.」

―What was I thinking? Wasn't I the one who gave it to him in the first place? 

I contemplated. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang!

◆◇◆◇◆

「Huh!?」

I jolted awake. I looked around. Shu was sleeping beside me. I then looked around to check where did the sound from before came from.

I looked around but couldn't find anything. It was then I observed the weather.

―Ah, so it was the thunder...

Calming myself down, I took a deep breath. It was then I tried remembering the dream from before.

「What was that? It felt like it was something really important to me, but I can't just put my finger on what it is.」

I pondered for a bit before giving up. I was going to lie down to sleep again when I shivered a little.

―Welp, Nature's call.

I got up and went behind a tree. While I was doing the act, the Black Book suddenly appeared before me and opened itself.

「Tch! Can't you see I am busy right now? 」

I tried to complain about it which lead to no avail. Instead, it brought itself even closer to my face. As if prompting me to read it.

「Listen, I am not in the mood to play around, so like, can you disappear for now?」

Saying so, I gave the command of『Disappear!』. 

However, this time it didn't follow my command. It kept itself close to my face.

「What the? I said,『Disappear!』」

Nothing happened this time too. Instead, this time it hit itself onto my face!

「Ouch! That hurts you little.......huh?」

―I-I can touch it now?

Hitting me it fell onto the ground. Before it could get back up by itself, I got hold of it and started to inspect it again.

「I.....I couldn't touch it before.」

It was then my gaze fell on one of the pages and it was then I noticed,

「I CAN READ IT!?」

I shouted. Then I controlled myself, Shu was still sleeping and it also could attract wild animals after all.

―How the hell can I read it now? I could definitely not read it before, right?

It took me some time to calm down. I mean, if I can finally read it, shouldn't I be able to discover its secrets now?

Excited, I flipped around the page and started to read.

「......What the hell is this? Fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth tier spells!?」

I check it once more to see whether I was dreaming this up or not.

「I-its real.....」

However, I could not make myself come to believe this.

After some time, an idea came to my mind.

I looked around. 

Then very slowly, I moved to a different spot which was rather far away from the one our camp was set up.

「Let try casting them, shall we?」

Saying so, I started to read the spells in the Black Book

.

.

.

.

.

「....Goddammit.」

I threw the book away, surprisingly it disappeared this time around on its own.

「I should have never believed in it in the first place. I knew it. None of the goddamn spells work!」

I was angry. I wasted the whole night trying to cast these spells and guess what?

NONE OF THEM WORKED!

I sighed.

「I should have expected this. It was too good to be true anyway.」

Because the book was so mysterious, I thought that maybe the spells were actually real.

But the reality was often disappointing.

I looked at the rising sun and stood there for a few minutes.

Then I went back and got back to sleep a bit more before departing for the long journey yet again.

◆◇◆◇◆

We had passed through several small towns since then, and before long three days had passed since we initially set out on our journey.

I confirmed on my map that we were just over halfway to our destination. It felt like more people and wagons had been passing by recently, too.

As for myself, I had been continuing my staring contest with the Black Book.

To train myself in this long journey, I had been continuously using《Detect》and confirming everything within one kilometer. I had gotten way better at using it than before.

Suddenly, I noticed something odd.

―This is... what's this foul smell?

My heightened sense of smell picked it up quite clearly. I covered my nose too. I looked at Shu. It seems he has sensed it too.

When I turned my vision to where the smell was coming from, I saw a high-class carriage, surrounded by armor-clad men...

―They look like soldiers

I thought.

They were being attacked by a pack of what I could only describe as Lizardmen wearing leather armor.

Half of the soldiers were already cut down and laying on the ground. The remainder fought to protect the carriage from the Lizardmen, who were marching toward it, clearly armed with spears and curved swords.

“Shu! People are being attacked by monsters! Full speed ahead!”

“Ah...! Understood, yes!”

Shu took out his blade and we sped up.

I kept my vision linked to the area as we drew closer, so I could keep an eye on the situation.

The Lizardmen cut through the soldiers one by one.

There appeared to be an injured old man and a child inside the carriage.

―Would we be able to make it in time...?!

“AGHH!!!!”

Shu cut down two lizardmen swiftly while shouting. I supported him from behind while using magic.

―No good! There are too many of them. It going to very hard to defend and fend them off.

Shu! Don't push yourself, if you feel like you can't take it. Just save yourself and escape.

Yes!

We kept on fighting but the lizardmen numbers seem not to be decreasing.

I had wanted to use《Teo》level spells but they have a rather large area effect. It might bring harm to Shu and those people too.

Dammit!

Suddenly, I heard someone whisper something to my ear.

As if he was watching my pitiful self and decided to give some advice.

The thing he whispered in my ear........I had read them in the Black Book days ago.

I knew that they won't work because I had already tried them, but my hand involuntary raised itself and while pointing at the group of lizard men, I recited.

Zaker

I used a《Attack》type spell, called《Zaker》, of 《Lightining》attributed, of《Ma》level. 

A lost spell.

The moment I said so, a bolt of powerful lightning came from my hand, it was so strong that it wiped out the entire pack of lizardmen in one moment. It passed through them and also hit the tree behind them, completely breaking it apart.

Moreover, unlike《Teo》level spells, it was concentrated only on the targets in front of my hand.

My hands were shaking. 

Now I don't want to brag but I have a considerably large mana pool.

According to the book, an average magician can cast《Teo》level spells for only about 5 times before completely running out of mana.

I could do so almost 30 times. 

Naturally, I prided myself in this field. In the beginning, I used to have the problem of running out of mana occasionally but from the past few years, I have rarely run into that problem again. 

However, for the first time in my life, I experienced《Mana Deficiency》.

It was a condition where even the reserved mana of a user was used up making him completely useless and lose consciousness.

So........that book wasn't a lie? Ha....aha....hahaha..ahahahahahaha!

After laughing so, I fell on the ground and lost consciousness.