The Unwanted Undead Adventurer: Volume 5

Chapter 1: Off to Adventure

I never knew one woman could own so many books.

I had seen the extent of the Latuule family’s wealth many times, but I was impressed yet again when I saw their collection of tomes. Lorraine owned tons of books too, but her library paled in comparison to the scale of this one. She also focused on her fields of study, whereas the Latuule family appeared to have works from all genres.

It took years to build up this collection. Given enough time, it’s not especially hard, actually, Laura said.

Isaac searched for anything about divinity that might help me, leaving Laura and me with our hands free. I watched the butler comb through the bookshelves and climb ladders until I began to feel guilty. It was for my sake he foraged this library. I should have helped him, but I had no clue what books were where.

Isaac seemed to have the layout committed to memory, judging by the decisive way he explored the halls. It wasn’t too much trouble for him; the massive collection only meant it would take some time.

He piled up more books than I could count on the table. I questioned whether they were all necessary. Not that I hated reading, but I was in many ways a normal adventurer. I could read to an extent, including somewhat complicated texts, but technical books were sometimes difficult. I would have to rely on Lorraine for this.

Books never go down in price, do they? I doubt I could ever buy this many.

Really, Rentt? I’ve heard word about your recent accomplishments. Even putting my request aside, I heard you made plenty of money selling Tarasque parts.

It was true my sources of income had grown plentiful. I managed to sell my Tarasque parts the other day, and while Laura’s Dragon Blood Blossom request wasn’t the reason for my visit, I decided I had to at least make one delivery before my trip. I’d brought some along with me and had received the reward for them earlier.

Nive’s presence in town compelled me to leave Maalt as soon as I could, but long journeys required preparation. I expected it to take around a week, so I planned to stop by the Swamp of Tarasque again and come back to make one more delivery. My previous venture gave me some grasp on the terrain, and I could safely enter poisonous swamps anyway. I could reach the Dragon Blood Blossoms far faster than before, so harvesting some while my preparations were underway would be more than possible.

Also, between Orcs and other monsters, I was able to collect more types of dungeon materials than ever before too. It was more than enough to live on.

But books were still inaccessible. Of course, I could afford a few books, but nothing compared to the number on display here. It would cost thousands of platinum coins, if not tens of thousands. When it came to prices that large, they were better thought of in terms of mithril coins. But I had never seen one of those. They were exclusively traded by governments and large businesses; civilians would never lay eyes on them. I imagined Laura possessed an awe-inspiring amount though.

All that aside, I had to wonder about something.

Word travels fast, apparently. I just sold my Tarasque parts recently.

Laura smiled. Everything that happens in Maalt reaches the Latuule family’s ears.

Her response was a bit frightening to consider. I didn’t know how true it was, but her family did have great influence over Maalt’s operations. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising they knew about even the smallest exchanges between a man and a business.

Isaac interjected, I believe this should do it. He finished his run through the library and stood next to a pile of tomes. Rather than stacking them all in one place, he had divided them into three categories.

Isaac gestured toward one of the stacks. These are about the application of divinity, such as holy magic, divine magic, or holy swordsmanship. I would suggest starting with these.

The categories of divinity must have included divine and holy magic. Holy swordsmanship was the use of holy equipment as a catalyst for utilizing divinity, I assumed. I didn’t know much on the subject though. When it came to divinity, I had only the barest details. Even if I wanted that knowledge, most of it was hidden from the public. The only option I had was to learn for myself.

Isaac pointed to the second stack and continued. These texts are about divine spirits, the source of divinity. I’m sure you know how they say there are too many divine spirits to count, so these aren’t comprehensive. However, they not only feature descriptions of divine spirits but also numerous records of how they came to be, so deciphering it all may take a fair bit of time and knowledge. I recommend you take it slow with these.

Many complex questions surrounded divine spirits. Most of the world’s plethora of religions worshiped different deities. Even those with the same gods had different legends. There was a long history of wars between faiths that led to the demise of religions and the gods they revered on more than a few occasions. Proper research on that topic would require a vast amount of education.

I had no such education, so I would have to depend on Lorraine. I hated to ask so much of her, but she loved research anyway. The chance to read some new books would probably make her happy. But I knew I should be thankful. I appreciated all she did for me physically and mentally.

These final texts are about your next destination, the village of Hathara. They contain folklore from around those parts. There aren’t many books on the subject, but I believe they may be of some use.

The last stack Isaac mentioned was smaller than the other two. It wasn’t much of a stack at all, really; there were only two books. Even so, I was shocked to learn any texts about their local folktales even existed. Every town had some folklore, but there was seldom someone peculiar enough to try and assemble it all in written form. It would have made more sense if there were no books of the sort. And yet there were two of them.

I flipped through the pages of both books. One was a picture book, while the other was writings on folklore from all around Maalt, not just Hathara. Now I understood why these existed. Even the picture book depicted famous stories from Maalt and the surrounding area. In my youth, I heard some of these stories from the village elder. They invoked a sense of nostalgia.

This is plenty. I’m sure these will help me find some sort of clue. Reading them all looks like it’ll take a while, but I have a friend who’ll enjoy that.

By which you mean Lorraine? Laura asked.

She acted like there was no reason she wouldn’t know that. It was somewhat startling, but it was something I had to accept.

Yes. Right. This heap of books should delight her.

The library was full of titles I’d never seen before. The shelves at either end of the room had books you could pick up at any bookstore in Maalt, but those were only a fraction of them. The other shelves were packed with books I had never seen at a bookstore, or even at Lorraine’s house. If Lorraine were here, she would most likely treat it like a treasure trove. That’s all I could imagine when I commented on her.

In that case, you’re free to come here with Lorraine next time. I haven’t used this room much as of late. I’m sure the books would love for someone to come read them, Laura replied.

You wouldn’t mind? Lorraine could spend the whole day here. She might even refuse to leave.

Lorraine had some common sense and knew her manners, but when she saw a book that interested her, it could cause some screws to come loose. However, if she found out I said that, she might throw a fit and insist she’s not that bad.

My warning didn’t faze Laura. That’s okay. She can come and go as she pleases. I’ve been wanting a friend who I can chat with over tea, she said.

A friend? I wondered if Laura might be lonely. It was a rude thought to have about a client, but the head of such an illustrious family might have trouble finding companionship. I found it easy to imagine. But perhaps it was only an excuse. Maybe she only said it to be considerate.

Then I’ll tell Lorraine about it next time I see her. But just in case, I’ll ask again. Are you absolutely sure? I wanted one last confirmation.

Laura nodded. Yes, absolutely, she answered with amusement.

◆◇◆◇◆

I left the Latuule house, joined Lorraine at her home, and went with her to the orphanage.

By the way, Laura Latuule says I can bring you with me next time, I informed Lorraine on the way there.

She looked stunned. Really? Everything you’ve told me about her made me think she’s a powerful but reclusive woman.

Lorraine knew nearly everything there was to know about the families that ran this city, but the Latuule family seemed to be the sole gap in her knowledge. Their history, temperament, and ideas could only be judged by hearsay from what I told her.

I did try to investigate them myself, but I learned nothing. Maybe the Latuule family was powerful enough to conceal the facts, or maybe there was little to investigate to begin with. The latter seemed unlikely, though, after seeing their house, its owner, and Isaac.

The more I thought about it, the odder the family came across. But I found them awfully kind. Was that not enough? No? Of course it wasn’t. But I didn’t feel cautious around them. My experience thus far had been favorable deals, delightful gifts, and even assistance finding information for my own personal affairs. They were nothing but good to me.

I sometimes wondered if they had an ulterior motive. They must have, to be honest. I was doing the best I could, but I was still a lowly Bronze-class adventurer. My monstrous abilities and power over mana, spirit, and divinity all at once made me a rare specimen, but in terms of pure strength, I would barely pass for a Silver-class, at best. There was no shortage of adventurers like me out there. This family didn’t need to waste its time with me.

My only guess was they had the same goal as Nive and wanted to capture a Vampire. But in that case, they could have already done that. While I had never witnessed Isaac’s power myself, a human who could tackle the Swamp of Tarasque by himself had to be talented. If we ever fought, I had to assume I would lose. And knowing the size of the Latuule family’s fortune, Isaac couldn’t be the only one fighting for them. They could imprison me with little trouble.

I also considered that they might have had some motive for letting me act freely under their watch, but what could it be? They had nothing to gain. I was unique, but all I did was go to dungeons, hunt monsters, and make deliveries. Sometimes I roamed around night after night. If even I could accomplish their goal, it had to be faster for them to do it themselves.

Therefore, I didn’t think they had a secret motive.

Probably not, at least.

In which case Laura chose to be kind to me because it was hard to find anyone who could go to the Swamp of Tarasque, like she said. It was a simple, understandable, ordinary objective. Her generosity didn’t seem to be fueled by any perception that I was that valuable, either. She was a wonderful person.

Yeah.

I wouldn’t say she’s reclusive so much as she lives a quiet life. She doesn’t draw attention to herself, but it doesn’t seem to me that she’s hiding away, I replied to Lorraine.

She looked conflicted. Then why can I hardly find anything when I try to research her?

Hardly? As in you found more than nothing?

Yes. I found her family name in some old notes for city council meetings. It looks like her family’s actually involved in running the city. But they haven’t done much of anything recently. And by recently, I mean in the last century.

That’s some impressive research.

The council meetings were led by the local lord and involved many of Maalt’s influential families in deciding how the city should be run. The meeting notes wouldn’t be shown to a civilian. But somehow, Lorraine had managed to read them.

I got some help. They asked me to pay them back by making a little medicine, but that’s not a big deal.

It was an exchange, in other words. The medicine Lorraine made with alchemy was highly effective. She must have been asked for help from an acquaintance who knew as much.

Lorraine possessed plenty of skill, but she only sold the most common goods to Maalt’s drug stores and adventurer’s guilds. The sole way to acquire special medicine from her was to negotiate, but she put her research first. Lorraine often turned down requests; it was only at times like these she would accept them.

Your craft can certainly come in handy sometimes. I should have studied alchemy. Then maybe back when I was an ordinary Bronze-class adventurer, I wouldn’t have been so poor. It made sense in the moment, but Lorraine shook her head.

I’m sure you could learn alchemy now, but you certainly didn’t have enough mana for it before. I doubt it would’ve been possible, she declared.

Well, I was more than aware of that at the time. That was why I never learned it, despite knowing a master alchemist.

Alchemy wasn’t impossible without mana, but if you wanted to profit off of it, you needed a certain amount. You could use mana stones to supplement your mana each time, but the cost and time investment would get increasingly steep. If it came to that, hunting monsters and making deliveries was more efficient.

So, why’s Laura inviting me anyway?

Lorraine got back on topic, so I answered her. Well, last time I visited the Latuule house, I told them I was off to investigate the source of my divinity, some divine spirit that had blessed me. They lent me some documents to help out.

Oh really? As in books? That’s outside my field of study, so I wouldn’t have too much on that subject.

Lorraine did have some relevant research, but only what was commonly available. She had nothing that revealed the Church’s secrets. The books I borrowed from Laura, however, appeared at a glance to feature loads of information not meant for the public. I had to wonder why she had those. It was a mystery, but there was no use thinking about it.

At any rate, I told Lorraine more. Yes, books. And they kept them in an incredible library. It was an enormous room with bookshelves from wall to wall. Even the walls were bookshelves stuffed with tomes from ceiling to floor. All their books looked valuable.

Lorraine’s face brightened. What?! Is that what she’s inviting me for?!

Right. I told her I’m friends with a bookworm that I’d love to show the place, then Laura said she knew I was talking about you and you’re free to come any time.

"Nice work, Rentt. I’m happy enough to