Chapter 133: His True Heart
Around this time, Jakk would have usually found himself surrounded by the inhospitable environment of the dungeon, as well as dangerous monsters lurking around every corner. He would have been immersed in cutting a path through them all by his lonesome - an approach to adventuring which was considered to be a highly foolish endeavour by the masses. But instead of all of that peril and excitement, he was enveloped in a veil of silence with a scowl on his face, all alone in his room. The only light source around was a lit magic stone lamp on his desk.
Staring at a heavy book that he hadn't started reading yet with hesitation in his eyes, he sat on his chair, occasionally changing his pose to a more comfortable one.
'Ugh, I really don't know if I can accept this…'
Although he hadn't made a fuss back at the end of the training session and had received his grimoire without complaint, he inwardly felt quite conflicted. In all honesty, ever since Isaac's arrival in the familia, Jakk felt like he had taken advantage of the young man who had become his teacher.
At first, he had still felt relieved that he could at least watch over the other students to repay Isaac's favour - all the guidance that he had been blessed with - and it truly had seemed like he wasn't doing anything wrong. It had been simpler times, and they had both benefited. But after a while, he realized just how incomprehensible of a being that former roommate of his truly was. If joining the Loki Familia was considered the greatest fortune of a lifetime, then encountering that enigmatic man and being on friendly terms with him was… what? The fortune of a few tens of lifetimes, perhaps?
His combat skill had soared, and he had rapidly advanced through Level 2, even far more than halfway through Level 3. All of this should have been nigh impossible in such a short period of time, but it had actually happened. Jakk was under no illusion that he could have progressed as quickly as he did without Isaac's teachings.
This posed a problem, however. How would he ever be able to repay him? The Hume Bunny youth might not be the biggest fan of social interaction - admittedly, that was a huge understatement - and he might not seem like too friendly of a guy at first glance, but he always aimed to repay any acts of kindness.
Ever since the others had gotten stronger, there had been less and less matters that he could help out with. Soon, they would all be about as strong as he was, and then he would lose even the last opportunity to give a helping hand.
Today, he had even been handed a grimoire. While some of the others might not know, he was well aware just how expensive these items were. It would take a hundred times as much valis as he had currently saved up to buy a single one of them. This book was worth a fortune! But that wasn't the most important part - what this Magic Item signified, however, was. To any regular adventurer, this was a new lease on life, nearly a guaranteed ticket to entering a higher Level and obtaining far more influence. It was a ticket to a 'new realm', so to speak.
But what if he decided against reading it? Wouldn't he seem like an ingrate then? After all, it had already been handed to him. He had failed to clearly reject it from the outset.
'I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, dammit!'
A sigh escaped Jakk's mouth as he absentmindedly and repeatedly tapped on the table, then he shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Honestly, what was the point in worrying about this so much? Wouldn't it be stupid of him to deny a chance to increase his strength? He knew how desperately he had been striving for it, so even though accepting this benefit would make him uncomfortable, wasn't getting wounded in a fight even more painful? He couldn't just shrink back because he wanted to avoid such slight troubles.
"Fuck it, I'll just read it. I'll figure out how to deal with this mess later."
With strong resolution in his eyes, he finally flipped the book open and looked at its first page.
'Huh, why is it empt--- nevermind.'
For a split second, it seemed like he had simply gazed upon a blank page, but after blinking once, he realized that his mind had to have played a trick on him. After all, weren't there words on the page now? They couldn't just have appeared out of nowhere, right?
'The veterans weren't kidding when they said that grimoires are... weird. Seriously, 'The Philanderer's Guide to Magic'? What kind of title is this? Who would write something like this?'
Amongst the more experienced familias that could afford these luxurious items regularly, it was well-known that a grimoire's content was always at least a little bit over the top, as well as mysterious. Even those that had crafted them had no idea what words the grimoires contained. But thankfully, it didn't even matter what was written on their pages, one simply had to read on for a bit to trigger the book's effects.
'Just like the breathtaking flowers all over the world that are ready for the plucking, Magic is an area of expertise that most never dive too deeply into. There are countless Magics, and just as many different kinds of flowers.'
An amused smile spread on Jakk's face as he read the first paragraph. As a seasoned pervert, how could he possibly not understand what was implied here? His interest piqued, he continued on.
'To obtain the right to utilize a Magic, one first has to seduce it - to make it one's own. Just like every flower needs a slightly different courting ritual, each Magic's chant has to be thoroughly understood with the whole body and mind, as well as perfectly internalized. But beware: Not everyone can handle a whole bouquet of flowers, and not many can be loved by more than a handful of Magics.'
It had sounded like mostly nonsense at first, but by this point, the Hume Bunny youth had to admit that there was a certain logic to it. He didn't fully agree with it, but it still made sense. Maybe he was just a little too ignorant to understand magic's finer details?
Jakk didn't even realize it, but he had successfully been pulled in. Even if he had wanted to stop reading, he wouldn't have been able to. He wouldn't even have managed to let his eyes leave the pages, no matter how hard he tried. It was as if he was in a trance.
'Just like one has to decide on which flower to pluck first, around which the rest of the bouquet will be arranged in time, one has to choose one's initial Magic carefully. If you want to obtain one of your own, then dear reader, please ask yourself this question: What is magic to you?'
All of a sudden, Jakk felt like he wasn't looking at a book anymore, rather, he was staring into a mirror. The him that was reflected within looked nearly identical to his regular self, but it was made up out of letters of different colours. Still, in his current state, he couldn't think about the why or how any of this was happening. It was as if he was being guided along, and unable to do almost anything but tell the truth.
Subconsciously, Jakk muttered his reply to the book's question.
"It's a tool that can take innumerable shapes. It's a miracle that can enable anything that one desires. It's the path to strength, and the path to protecting one's loved ones."
A knowing smile spread on the face of the self in the mirror, then it asked another question.
'Why do you strive for strength, and to protect?'
Before giving him a chance to answer, the reflection in the mirror changed. It was as if it had suddenly turned into a window that was gazing into the past, into Jakk's own memories.
In a valley surrounded by a few tall hills and a plentiful forest, there was a small village consisting of around a hundred houses. It was clear that the inhabitants weren't rich by any means, but most of them had smiles on their faces and a peaceful air around them, despite their simple lives. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, of course, but everyone got well enough along to not allow any major problems to happen.
Most of the people here were Hume Bunnies, but there were also a few human and Dwarf families around. There weren't many children, and only two of them were Hume Bunnies - a five to six year old boy, and a girl who was around three years older. The two had been growing up together for as long as they could remember, and often played in the surrounding forests. Because of the many proficient hunters in the village, there were pretty much no monsters or any other dangers in the few kilometers around the village, so the adults didn't mind the children scampering off into the woods every now and then, as long as they behaved and came back in time for dinner.
The tranquil scene suddenly changed, and the village was shrouded in smoke and flames. The sun was just about to set, bathing the surroundings in shades of red and orange, which made the whole picture appear a lot more diabolical. Groups of strangers were filling the streets, slaughtering the old and capturing the young. Any and all valuables were seized, and the wooden houses had been set aflame. All kinds of depravity could be observed, with many terrified and despairing screams painting the soundscape.
Just about a hundred meters aways from the village, on one of the surrounding hill's cliffs, partially hidden by the forests all around, two young Hume Bunnies were huddled together, too scared to move or to even make a sound.
They didn't want to look, they didn't want to know. All these people… their neighbours, their parents, the nice lady that had been selling groceries down the street. They didn't want to see them getting hacked apart, stomped into the dust and violently ravaged against their will. But they couldn't look away. They didn't want to believe what they were seeing, they wanted it all to turn out to simply be a nightmare that they would eventually wake up from.
Even when their eyes grew blurry from all the tears that they had shed, and when vomit leaked out of their mouths, they didn't look away. Maybe, just maybe… they hoped for a miracle to occur. For all these people to be saved, for someone to escape. But none of that ever happened.
In front of the mirror, Jakk clenched his fists tightly and bit his lips, trails of tears running down his cheeks. He wasn't sure if all of this had been shown to him because he had thought of it, or if these memories had resurfaced because he had been confronted with them - but honestly, it didn't matter. He finally gave voice to his answer.
"I don't want to experience another tragedy. And I want to walk the path that she couldn't continue on."
Next to his self in the mirror, another being took shape - the young Hume Bunny boy that he had seen seconds prior. The boy stared at him for a bit, then he nodded with a bright smile, before fading away. Afterwards, another self of his appeared, one that looked about his current age, but had a wretched smile on his face.
'I know that's not your only reason. Don't you want to impress her as well? So that she'll finally accept your affection?'
In response, Jakk chuckled.
"What is there to be ashamed of? I've always loved her. My feelings for her have just become romantic in nature over time."
A sneer appeared on the wretched self's lips, then it shook its head.
'Your feelings aren't entirely pure. You also want something physical, don't you?'
Slightly embarrassed, Jakk coughed, but then ultimately nodded.
"Yes, that's a part of it."
As if it had been waiting for these words, the wretched self grew more solemn and respectful, then it faded away as well. All alone again, the first self that had appeared in the mirror opened its mouth.
'What kind of strength is it that you want to obtain? What will allow you to best protect those that you love?'
For a few moments, this inquiry was met with silence, then Jakk had found his answer.
"Knowledge. If I know when my loved ones are in danger, then I can do my best to resolve that danger."
Originally, he had wanted to reply with 'strength', but he had quickly dismissed this idea. While it was true that he would be able to squash most perils easily if he was strong enough, he could obtain that power simply through ranking up further via his own effort. Also, if he wasn't present when his loved ones were faced with a threat, how would his strength be of any use then? Sure, if he was omnipotent, then there would be no problems, but that was a bit too unrealistic of a goal to strive after. Instead, with his Magic, he wanted to obtain an ability that he had no way to get otherwise - one that would let him know when something bad was about to happen to those that he cared about.
'A wise choice. One that I was sure that you would make. As expected of myself.'
Smirking slightly, the self in the mirror slowly faded away. When the last few letters that made up its existence scattered, Jakk felt a sudden urge of sleepiness overcome him, then his memory turned fuzzy.
Once he opened his eyes again, he found his head resting on the table, a bit of drool dripping out of the corner of his mouth and onto the grimoire below. It had already been drenched a little, and quite a few of the words had turned illegible.
"I didn't ruin it, did I!?"
Panicked, Jakk jolted up and wiped his drool away, then he scrutinized the book in front of him. A few of the pages were a little wet, and although it was a bit tough to make out most of the words due to his 'mishap', it should be fine… right?
For a moment, he was confused and disoriented, because he had no idea when he had dozed off, or even why he had done so when he had barely started to read this grimoire. But then, he finally recalled that this was supposed to happen. One would usually fall into a daze, and only wake up after an hour or two. Of course, one wouldn't recall what had happened, but during one's next Status update, one would be greeted by a welcome surprise.
'So… did I succeed?'
After being a bit skeptical at first, Jakk soon accepted this result and closed the book. He got up from his chair and stretched a little, then he made his way outside and wandered through the hallways of the main Twilight Manor, until he arrived at Loki's study.
'She should still be awake around this time, right?'
Announcing his arrival with a knock, he waited for his goddess to respond, but nothing happened.
'Has she already gone to sleep? Or maybe she didn't hear it?'
Again, he knocked and patiently waited. Right as he was about to resign himself to heading back to his room, determined to come back tomorrow, the shockingly depressed voice of the usually playful Loki sounded weakly from beyond the door.
"Come on in…"
With confusion and a hint of concern flashing in his gaze, the Hume Bunny youth entered the study, only to be shocked by what he saw. The massive pile of empty bottles that had previously been filled with various kinds of alcohol weren't surprising, neither was the disgusting stench of so many beverages' smells intermixing. What had taken him aback - although he had already tried to mentally prepare himself when he had heard her voice - was that Loki was powerlessly slumped upon one of her many sofas, her body half covered by empty bottles. Her gaze was vacant and dead, as if she had given up on life. Usually, when she partook in these kinds of drinks, she would be in an elated mood, so what had happened for her to become this miserable?
"Are you okay!?"
Hastily, he made his way to Loki and dug her out from underneath the bottle pile, then he sat down next to her and checked her pulse, trying to discern… well, anything. He honestly had no idea what to do, but he couldn't just do nothing when the goddess that had taken him in was in such a sorry state, right?
As if she was slightly amused by his actions, the dejected Loki showed a minute smile, then she slowly shook her head.
"My body is fine. I'm a goddess, after all. You won't find anything amiss…"
Her words made Jakk let go of her wrist and frown a little. With a determined look, he gazed deep into her eyes.
"Tell me, my goddess, what's wrong? What reduced you to such a state?"
Chuckling derisively at herself, Loki coughed a few times, then she finally replied.
"I did. This is all the result of my own actions. Now I'm just awaiting the day of my execution."
Jakk almost jumped in shock as he heard this, but he managed to control himself. Nonetheless, his voice quivered a little.
"E-Execution!? How come? What did you do? You can't die, we need you here!"
A little entertained, Loki reached out her hand and patted the Hume Bunny youth's head. It was clear that Jakk was uncomfortable with this, but he seemed to be bearing with it, maybe because he thought that his goddess didn't have much more time to stay in this world.
"I won't die, but my freedom will be restricted. If I can't live my life as free as the wind, then how am I different from a shackled corpse?"
Noticing the accumulating confusion in her child's eyes, the goddess continued her explanation. Her voice was still as feeble as before, and she often needed to take a break to breathe.
"My wife will be descending soon, and the punishment for all the love that I have shared with others in the meantime… it will come. She will put me on a leash. I don't want this…"
When she arrived at that point, Jakk's expression had hardened, and he rudely slapped away Loki's hand from his head. It was clear that he had previously misunderstood what was going on here, and of course, his goddess had taken this chance to take advantage of him. He glared at her for a moment, then he released a sigh.
"In other words, you cheated on your partner, and now you're scared to face the consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if your relationship fell apart, or if your wife filed for divorce."
As if she had heard a particularly funny joke, Loki giggled, which was accompanied by a few more coughs. When she had finally calmed down again, she stared lifelessly into the distance, looking far beyond the horizon.
"She won't do that. This is the 1,672nd time that this has happened, after all. The days ahead… they are dark…"
The Hume Bunny youth couldn't help but look at her as if she was a special kind of idiot. He was truly puzzled by this situation.
"To me, it sounds like your wife absolutely isn't okay with your actions, so why don't you honour your marriage and stop doing these things? If you want to 'love' others as well, first make sure that your partner is okay with it! And if they aren't, then either break up, or don't cheat on them. Honestly, this isn't hard to understand. My goddess, why do you keep doing something so extremely stupid?"
Sighing to herself, Loki helplessly shook her head.
"Why indeed? I just can't help it… So many of you mortals are lovely, how could I resist eating you up when the feelings are mutual?"
The look in Jakk's eyes darkened markedly, and he ultimately decided to drop the topic altogether. All he knew was that his goddess was the one at fault, and he wouldn't pity her no matter what her penalty would end up being. While it would be a lie to say that he, as a healthy young man, didn't have harem fantasies occasionally, he was decent enough of a person to stay loyal when in a relationship. Or at least that was what he thought about himself - after all, he had never been in one, so he couldn't know for sure. Daydreaming about such things was fine, but putting them into practice was, simply put, one of the biggest taboos if it wasn't consensual. It was completely unacceptable, no matter what.
"Anyway. My goddess, I came here to ask you to update my Status. Isaac gave me a grimoire today, and I should have obtained a new Magic."
Slight surprise flashed in Loki's eyes, then she slowly got up and stretched her weary body. It nearly instantly returned to her peak performance, the wear and tear of a worthless alcoholic disappearing in a blink. While her expression was still quite dismal, she at least seemed to be in good enough shape to do her one and only job.
"I see, then let's take a look. Show me your back."
She had originally resolved herself to deny any and all update requests today, to allow herself to wallow in self-pity, but a new Magic appearing for one of her children was always quite the interesting event. Even in her current state, she wouldn't allow herself to miss or postpone it.
During the practiced procedure, the look on her face brightened a little, and she glanced at the unhappy Hume Bunny youth beneath her with a hint of motherly affection. When she was done, like a proud parent, she handed him a sheet on which she had noted down all relevant details of his new Magic - aside from that, no huge changes had taken place, so it would have simply been a waste for her to list his entire Status.
"There you go. It's quite… cute."
Having successfully put his shirt on again, a bewildered Jakk grabbed the sheet of paper and soon left the study in a hurry, blushing all the way to his ears. If Isaac had been present to take a look at his old roommate's Status, then he would have noticed the following new addition.
[ Heart of Soteria: (Passive) Should those that the user classifies as allies be in danger, or should their physical wellbeing be compromised, then the user will be alerted to the threat.
(Active) To confirm the exact position(s) of the concerned ally/allies, mana expenditure is required. The exact costs depend on the distance between the ally/allies and the user. Will require 50% less focus if activated via the chant.
Chant: "Dear protection's goddess, your help I require. But forgive me, as the time is dire. My loved ones may in peril be, so please, reveal their whereabouts to me." ]
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Shiro_the_Hero
Shiro_the_Hero Yes, I plan to write the perspectives of each and every single person who received a grimoire. I love writing about all these characters, so I will never let a good chance to let you know more about them slip through my fingers ;)
Also, Loki really needs a beating...
With those extremly wholesome words out of the way, let me just say that I hope you enjoyed the chapter \o/
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Btw, should it not be obvious enough - or should any of you be of Jakk's ilk (a.k.a. degenera--- cultured people) - Jakk and the "unnamed Hume Bunny girl" aren't related, they're childhood friends... ^^' I just wanted to clarify that, even though I think it's hard to misunderstand.
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Check out my novel series "Reincarnation Cycle's Unfortunate Bug" on Amazon:
-> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYHGRR8M/ <-
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sh1ro
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Shameless self-promotion aside, I hope you have a wonderful, fantastic day!! o/
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