So he calmed himself and prepared to search slowly from the bottom up.
Since DemiDevimon belonged to the Demon Species, he only needed to look for books related to the Demon Species.
But he soon discovered that the books on this shelf were all things like Special Magic Spirits—Familiars, Stories Familiars and Elves Simply Must Tell, A Beginner's Guide to Making Familiars, and 101 Key Things to Learn Before Making a Familiar!
"Did I come to the wrong place?"
Dark realized that his thinking had probably gone astray.
He shouldn't be looking for information about DemiDevimon in the "Familiar" section. He should go straight to the Magitech Card or Magic Spirit section!
And preferably find something like a Pokédex with an extensive index!
Once he'd figured that out, Dark acted decisively and immediately opened his Sorting Card to search for the Magic Spirit section!
As it turned out, there were dozens of rows of shelves marked "Magic Spirit"!
"Great. This time I can't see the end above me, and I can't see the end in front of me either..."
Dark sighed and began his long search.
After a full half hour, Dark found a copy of Into the Abyss tucked away in a corner among thousands upon thousands of books!
His nearly despairing heart suddenly came alive. He quickly pulled out the two-inch-thick book and flipped through it.
It had an index!
Rather than take the book to the reading room, Dark stood right in front of the shelf and began reading.
He flipped back to the first page, and a short line immediately caught his eye.
[Enter the abyss, and gaze into it.]
Dark had intended to skim past it, but suddenly his vision blurred, and the words began to tremble. Then they transformed into another kind of writing—one he had never seen before, yet could somehow understand.
"This method... is this Secret Ancient Script?"
Secret Ancient Script was a form of Ancient Runes that ancient demons used to pass down knowledge. It came with its own encryption.
This kind of writing was extremely special. Its encryption levels ranged from one to twelve, and only demons with the corresponding bloodline sequence could read it.
It was a unique form of encryption in this world!
Dark didn't know what sequence his current bloodline ranked in, and he had no idea what encryption level this script used.
But none of that stopped him from understanding the line.
[Part the fog and see the truth. The full moon will guide you.]
Dark blinked, then scoffed and flipped straight to the index.
Then, following the alphabetical order, he found the Demon Species entry for "DemiDevimon."
After all, it was only an assignment for the first lesson of their first year. Dark suspected Professor Sylph simply wanted them to learn how to find information in the library.
The Pokédex entry contained detailed information about DemiDevimon, so copying it out would be enough to complete the assignment.
He took out his paper and pen and quickly copied it down.
DemiDevimon belonged to the Demon Species and had the DARK Attribute. In the demon sequence, it belonged to "Sequence Twelve: Familiars," the lowest and most inferior of the demon races.
The Pokédex described it as the scum of the Demon Race, a nasty little brat with no power whatsoever who loved scheming and plotting. It was good at flattering higher-ranking demons and scraped by in the Demon Realm by groveling.
No upper species!
If it was a Magic Spirit...
DemiDevimon was one star, with 100 Magic Power and 100 for both attack and defense. Its special move was Petit Dart, which launched a giant syringe to draw blood from its opponent, and cost 50 Magic Power.
As a Familiar, DemiDevimon had fixed attack and defense stats of 100 each, 100 Magic Power, and no special move. It did, however, get a boost to its flying speed and came with the Familiar-exclusive skill "Tracking."
Basically, most Familiars had the same stats. They were good at sending and receiving letters, and could take the place of owls or Hoothoot.
Dark quickly finished copying the information, then calmly put Into the Abyss back on the shelf.
Then he picked up a nearby copy of Selected Works of Magitech Spirits and went to the reading room.
Neither Magic Guidance class nor Magic Potion Class had given them homework, so the time between that afternoon and bedtime was free.
The new students liked to wander around the academy after finishing their assignments or play little games in the common room.
Some preferred to have their fun first and then rush through their homework.
Dark had no interest in exploring the Castle, nor did he feel like socializing. The library was probably the most suitable place for him.
He poured himself a cup of specially made red tea with its aroma neutralized using the teaware in the corner, set it on a table, then opened Selected Works of Magitech Spirits and flipped through it with the mindset of someone reading an entertainment magazine.
Dark firmly believed this kind of carefree life suited him best.
In the vast Saint Marian Academy, this was the only little corner where he could feel at ease.
It was wonderful.
The Sin Index had not only failed to increase; Wrath and Sloth had each gone down by one point.
Chapter 11: Victor Gaude Falls in Love
Just as Dark was casually absorbing knowledge...
Emma Metis walked into the reading room with a pout.
She had arrived at the library only a step behind Dark, but she had spent longer than he had among the stacks.
Emma came from a family of scholars. Her father taught children to read and write at a church, and her mother was a disciple of a Sage.
After humanity exterminated the Demon Race, it entered a period of cultural revival. As the Valkyrie became famous around the world as a representative of women, women gained unprecedented influence. Outstanding women appeared in every field, and even in boxing they were no weaker than men.
Besides, Magic Guides had nothing to do with gender, and the existence of female Magic Guides further raised women's status.
Influenced by her parents from a young age, Emma loved books and had an intense thirst for knowledge. She had also inherited her mother's independent nature.
It wasn't that she was bad at making friends. It was just that, after entering the academy, she found the boys and girls in her year too childish to interest her.
Besides, Saint Marian had the largest library in the kingdom. It was the paradise of her dreams!
She had been so immersed in the excitement of finding rare books that she'd lost track of time among the stacks.
Unlike Dark, who had taken only one book, Selected Works of Magitech Spirits, Emma had brought out an entire stack.
She wobbled along beneath the books, her cheeks faintly flushed.
The journey went smoothly.
Emma found an empty table near Dark, set down her books in a tall pile, then eagerly began to read.
So absorbed was she that she didn't notice Dark just to her front left.
Two children who had only just started school sat barely two or three meters apart, reading in peace.
The library provided snacks to tide visitors over, but unlike the "unscented red tea," all snacks had to be eaten in the snack room.
Around six, Dark went and ate two syrup biscuits. He didn't dare eat his favorite chocolate muffin, and only drank a small cup of milk before returning to the reading room.
Selected Works of Magitech Spirits was a kind of Pokédex, too. But it featured only interesting spirits. It was eclectic, written in a very humorous style, and included colored illustrations.
Dark gradually realized that reading this sort of entertaining book was different from reading a textbook. As long as he didn't have a strong goal in mind, it wouldn't trigger Greed.
And Selected Works of Magitech Spirits also contained plenty of knowledge, so it couldn't be considered slacking off.
Then he quickly realized that if they sold any wish-fulfillment novels here, he'd probably be in serious trouble...
The covetous urge to read the next installment right away would count as Greed.
Sneaking a look at mindless, formulaic trash fiction would count as Sloth.
Reading a wish-fulfillment novel like that would probably earn him both sins at once!
Wasn't that terrifying?!
Around seven o'clock.
A crowd of noisy brats flooded into the library.
Victor Gaude was surrounded by them. The new students of the Knight Academy excitedly peppered the Son of the Hero with all sorts of questions, completely unaware of the disturbance they were causing in the quiet library.
Robert had been pushed to the outskirts, like an ugly duckling left behind by its companions.
The two had summoned their Familiars and were getting ready to look up some information in the library.
But contrary to Dark's guess, Victor's Familiar wasn't a Stag, and Robert's wasn't a hunting dog...
Pandora Doragon, the librarian, watched the unruly brats and couldn't help furrowing her lovely brows.
Then Victor and the others felt a breeze sweep past, and everyone's voices disappeared!
"Silence Card?"
Victor abruptly shut his mouth. Then he saw the girl behind the counter, glaring at them with her brows drawn together.
Her skin was exceptionally fair, and her long black hair spilled down like a waterfall. Beneath one eye was a little heart-shaped mark, like a scale.
She leaned forward slightly as she rose. Her maternal curves were squeezed out of shape between her body and the desk, while her raised rear traced a perfect arc. Her legs, visible beneath her skirt, were astonishingly long.
"Mama!"
The Silence Card's effect had just worn off, and the word Victor blurted out instinctively rang out with unusual clarity.
Everyone turned to stare at him!
Victor's cheeks instantly turned bright red. He wished he could lower his head all the way to her chest—that upperclassman's chest.
"Come over here and sign in," Pandora said expressionlessly.
These new students had made a very bad impression on her.
Shouldn't all new students be like that blond little boy from earlier—cute, innocent, and shy?
The kind who lowered their heads shyly when a big sister came close, showing the expression of a little animal... Slurp. Pandora hurriedly forced her lips to stay in place, then glared even more fiercely at the brats in front of her.
Especially the one leading them. What was that "mama" supposed to mean?
Did she really look like his mother?
Could it be...
He was already so lecherous at such a young age. What would become of him later?
Pandora's first impression of Victor was terrible!
Victor was still blushing even after he entered the library.
The other students had all gone their separate ways, leaving only Robert by his side again.
Robert couldn't help asking, "Victor, why did you call her 'Mama' back there?"
Victor took a breath and pulled a delicate pendant from inside his collar. It was his most treasured possession.
"Click."
He opened the pendant, revealing the photograph inside.
"This is my mother. I look at it every night and imagine what she's like."
Robert leaned in at once.
For some reason, the photograph showed only a profile.
And it was a profile taken from a distance.
The image was a little blurry, but it was still possible to make out Victor's mother's curvaceous figure and her signature long black hair.
She did look a little like that upperclassman.
Robert thought for a moment, then suggested, "How about I ask that upperclassman what her name is?"
Before you continue