After complaining softly, Fíliya put away the thick notebook and then looked at the other book in the treasure chest. It was a book with a pure white cover and ornate gold trim. Unlike the old notebook from before, it had a distinct 'premium feel,' which was why Miss Fíliya had saved it for last.
But when Fíliya held the grimoire in her hands, she couldn't help but break into a wry smile. Because written on the cover were several large, shimmering gold words.
[Magic for Easy Sugar Production]
Well... how should I put this. While it wasn't the kind of magic with immense power she had imagined, it was certainly a treasured magic. After all... sugar was practically a hard currency in any country, in any city.
Fíliya recalled some agricultural literature she had occasionally skimmed through in moments of boredom.
A hundred years ago, sugar was still a luxury for humanity, something only royals and nobles could enjoy regularly.
After the Demon King was defeated, humans reclaimed vast territories, and on this recovered land, they rediscovered many sweet vegetables and fruits. From then on, humanity's sugar production efforts never ceased.
However, when it came to actually processing many of these sweet-tasting fruits into sugar, they yielded only a tiny amount. It was often more satisfying to just eat the fruit directly.
Consequently, humanity's sugar industry stagnated for a time... until a mage who left no name—or rather, chose not to leave one—succeeded in climbing onto the back of a rare Monster, the Celestial Dragon, advancing the industry.
The Celestial Dragon is a colossal Monster. Legend says its body could be considered a small, new continent. Yet, this Monster could fly, soaring tens of thousands of meters high in the sky, its flight never ceasing until the end of its life.
Because the Celestial Dragon's back was completely isolated from the normal world, it formed a completely different ecosystem. Many new plants, never before seen in the human world, grew upon its back.
When the Celestial Dragon falls, the world will surely face considerable trouble—landslides and tsunamis would be the least of it. But such a disaster, existing in the distant future and fundamentally uncertain, would surely not be taken seriously by the current human world.
In any case, it was on the back of the Celestial Dragon that the nameless mage found the seed of a certain plant.
After being cultivated by human scholars, this seed successfully grew into a uniquely shaped crop. Moreover, its stalk was edible and incredibly sweet.
Upon realizing how sweet it was, people immediately tried to use it for sugar production, and the results were unexpectedly good, far exceeding human expectations.
Thus, after this plant burst onto the scene, the common people of the human world finally had the privilege of tasting sweetness.
As for this [Magic for Easy Sugar Production]... Fíliya calmed her mind and carefully examined it. It wasn't a magic that created sugar out of thin air, but one meant to be used in conjunction with certain sugar production methods.
Using this magic, combined with the sugar-making processes humanity had already developed, could easily multiply the yield of sugar several times over.
Without a doubt, this was another spell meant to benefit future generations.
Who would write such a magic into a grimoire and pass it down to posterity?
Fíliya casually flipped the grimoire to the last page. There, in the final signature, the three large characters for [Flamme] were clearly visible.
How interesting. Of the 99 so-called 'Grimoires of the Great Mage Flamme' circulating in the world, you could find 101 fakes. To think I'd actually encounter a genuine one.
Fíliya contentedly stroked the grimoire's cover.
As for why you could find 101 fakes among 99 books, it was, of course, because countless people wanted to use the name of the 'Great Mage Flamme' to swindle others.
Some were filled with pure nonsense with Flamme's name slapped on, while others took ordinary magic, branded it with the name [Flamme], and sold it off as high-level magic.
Who could blame them? Flamme's name was just that useful. Which profiteer wouldn't want to exploit such a renowned figure in human history?
Perhaps this was just one example of how the dead are more useful than the living.
Solitär took the book from Fíliya's hands, a hint of doubt on her face. She quickly flipped through it, and after finishing, she looked at Fíliya with a puzzled expression.
"This is Flamme's grimoire?"
"I don't understand... Why would Flamme leave behind such a... meaningless magic."
"She was humanity's Great Mage. Why didn't she pass down her most powerful attack magic? In her time, she must have slain countless members of the Demon Race, and she hated them so much. Wouldn't it have been better to leave behind some powerful combat spells?"
Solitär voiced her question.
Fíliya chuckled, putting the grimoire away before continuing. "Pfft, an interesting question. Allow me to try and answer it."
"Well, because Flamme wasn't arrogant. Although she was a powerful human mage, she didn't believe her magic would remain cutting-edge forever."
"In her view, her combat magic would inevitably be surpassed by later generations. Future mages would certainly research and iterate upon new magic, creating more effective ways to deal with the Demon Race. Therefore, she felt her own combat magic held little significance for posterity."
"And that's precisely what happened. If we were to discuss which magic poses the greatest threat to the Demon Race now, I'm sure I don't need to say much. You've already experienced it."
"That [Ordinary Attack Magic] is the culmination of modern human wisdom. It's a magic derived from the Demon Race, and it's also the most efficient magic for killing them."
"After realizing this, Flamme shifted her focus and began researching things like Golems. What she wanted to leave for humanity were spells for convenient living—the kind of magic needed for that 'peaceful world' she dreamed of."
Fíliya slowly finished her analysis.
But to Solitär's ears, her words left a somewhat bitter taste.
Because every time Fíliya mentioned Flamme, the unconcealable admiration in her words made Solitär incredibly envious. When discussing magic with her, Fíliya rarely showed such an expression.
Fíliya... she had only seen a residual image of Flamme once, through lingering thoughts, yet she acted as if she knew her so well...
Solitär had heard of 'friendships that transcend age' among humans, but she'd never heard of humans who lived in completely different eras yet could share such a deep, intuitive connection.
"You really like that Flamme that much, don't you, Fíliya."
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