Espoir hummed in thought. He was on a train heading to a town in the eastern plains of Albion. Pulling out a photograph, he studied the image of a young adult who appeared to be in his early twenties. The man had two-toned blue hair, parted into twin bangs across his forehead, with pink spiky side locks draping his chin. In the photograph, he seemed like a normal doctor at first glance.
Garth West. Age: 20. Height: 200 cm. No history of magic, yet he has been making a name for himself as a healer of sorts in his small town. The only reason his name became more widely known was that he cured a nobleman’s wife when none of the top healers at the Citadel could. His father was a volunteer medic in Albion’s military and served in the war. He had one of the highest healing records for healing during his time. Interestingly, Garth had no magic and did not inherit his family’s ability.
Espoir sighed as he leaned back in his seat. “It’s odd… Everything he does matches that of a grimoire user, yet his actions don’t strike me as one. He doesn’t charge people and has no interest in publicity. Hell, I’d assume he became a grimoire user to be like his father, but he was a doctor even before these ‘miracles’ began.”
“Could it be that he’s just a kind person?” Aria asked, her tone laced with sarcasm. Espoir had been rambling for days about how this guy might have a front like Damien Blackwell; something neither she nor Roxy agreed with.
“He does all this for free and has nothing to gain from healing just anyone. It’s weird.”
Aria couldn’t tell if Espoir was being daft on purpose or if he knew something she didn’t. “You help people purely because you feel like it… So how is it unreasonable for another grimoire user to be like you?”
Espoir paused for a moment, and Aria wondered if her words had gotten through to him. Instead, he chose to ignore her point and returned to his notes.
“I won’t know until I see him in person, I suppose. Nobody becomes a grimoire user with good intentions,” Espoir said plainly. Aria sighed to herself as she watched the scenery pass by through the train window. The irony that Espoir, of all people, making that statement seemed lost on the Silver Grimoire.
After arriving in the town, Espoir silently seethed as the townsfolk had nothing but good things to say about Garth West.
“He saved my life.”
“He’s one of the kindest people I know!”
“He’s a miracle worker!”
“This is hopeless,” Espoir groaned. He ran a hand through his black-red hair in frustration as they walked toward the doctor’s home. “Maybe he’s just really good at hiding his nature.” Aria had given up arguing with Espoir hours ago. As they approached the small farmhouse that Garth used as his clinic, Espoir closed his eyes, trying to sense any magic nearby. There was nothing.
"Are you here to see Dr. West?" a pretty woman with red hair tied in a neatly braided bun asked. She wore a brown dress over a white blouse, and her eyes were closed as she smiled at Espoir and Aria.
"Are you his assistant?" Espoir asked, eyeing the woman incredulously.
"Yup! I'm Vivian. I've been assisting Garth for a while now." She smiled kindly. Stepping back for a moment, she gestured as the supposed grimoire user approached. His blue-pink hair was neatly combed, and he wore a gray vest over a navy dress shirt with a red ascot.
"How may I help you?" he asked, his kind smile unwavering as he walked up to the duo. Espoir studied him for a moment. "I'm curious. I heard about a doctor performing miracles in the countryside."
Garth looked down at Espoir before shrugging. "Hmm, you call it miracles, but to me, it’s just my job. I’m Garth." He smiled charmingly as he glanced at Aria. "Your friend’s been hurt recently..."
"Huh?" Aria blinked as Garth gave her his complete attention, his eyes scanning her as he assessed her health.
"Your hand was broken relatively recently. I'd estimate around a couple months ago or so. While the fingers were bound, they were never completely set," he explained, glancing at her gloved hands. Aria was surprised; it had been months since her hand was broken during her captivity, yet she hadn’t noticed that her fingers had never been set properly.
"Want to see my ability in action?" Garth smirked, aware that Espoir and Aria had traveled here to see his ability firsthand. He gently had Aria remove her glove before taking her palm in his.
"Appear! My Grimoire that restores the world." Garth's hand glowed as the outline of a winged snake coiled along his palm and wrist. A calming blue light filled the room as his hand settled over Aria’s knuckles.
As the light faded, Garth winked at her. "There, your bones and nerves are now properly set and should feel as good as new." Aria clenched and unclenched her hand, fining the motion smoother, her eyes widening in shock. “My hand’s healed…”
She was amazed as she swiftly flourished her blade and didn’t feel the strange tightness in the motion like before. Espoir rolled his eyes as he watched from the side. "Showoff..."
Garth smiled kindly at Aria. "Of course, it’s healed, I’d be a lousy doctor otherwise!” Espoir’s eyes narrowed as he sighed. “So you are a grimoire user..." Garth raised an eyebrow at Espoir's statement.
Espoir stepped forward. "No history of magic. Suddenly, you gain the ability to heal without any cost or condition to your magic. My question for you is, did you choose to become a grimoire user, or were you turned into one?"
Garth raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Hmm, I don’t know much about my ability, to be honest. It felt like a gift from God, considering how it lets me follow in my family's footsteps."
"Gift from God? Are you kidding? You’re a grimoire user! We’re the furthest things from—" Espoir stopped himself, tightly clenching his fist. Aria excused herself before dragging Espoir outside by his coat collar. She tossed him slightly, making him stagger for a second. "What was that for?"
"Have you gone completely nuts?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.
"Not clinically..." Espoir muttered. Aria’s judgmental glare remained on him as he sighed. "Healing magic doesn’t just work with so little cost! ‘Gift from God,’ my ass. Even if he uses his grimoire to heal, that doesn’t mean he isn’t potentially evil!”
Aria glanced at Espoir, noticing his annoyance. "He said he woke up and found himself with an ability. Similarly, Rachel woke up and ended up as the host of an eldritch. What if Garth is innocent, like her?" Aria suggested, hoping Espoir would see reason.
Espoir thought about it for a moment. It hadn’t crossed his mind that Garth could have simply unwillingly become a grimoire user, but that didn’t explain how it happened. Not to mention Garth would have a justifiable reason to become a grimoire user on his own. Espoir sighed and sat on the porch steps.
"Grimoires have a set nature to them. It’s like how your ability is ingrained in your Magic Core, something that’s part of your very being." Aria remained silent as he explained further.
"Regardless of intent, his grimoire being so benevolent is unheard of. It's still connected to the Eldritch inside of it. Alternatively, what are the odds he manifested the grimoire himself?" Aria thought back to the day they met, remembering how Damien Blackwell had used his grimoire to manipulate his city into thinking he was some sort of miracle worker. "So, what are you suggesting we do?"
"Stay here for a bit and try to learn more about that doctor?" Espoir pondered for a moment. "I don’t want a repeat of Ashmore if I can help it. A day or two should be enough for me to determine his character and how to proceed. Ordinarily, I’d simply seal the grimoire outright but I want to see how he uses it first."
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The next day, Espoir and Aria tagged along with Garth as he made some house calls. Espoir did his best to be cordial. "So, he snuck into his dad’s study and accidentally slashed his eyes with a leather cutter?" Espoir walked alongside Garth as they approached the farmhouse.
"Yup, I’ll look him over and treat him before healing," Garth nodded. He was dressed in a small blazer and dress slacks as they neared the house.
"You don’t just use your ability?" Aria asked curiously.
"It’s better to treat it as much as I can before using it,” Garth answered. “It’s like doing surgery and not giving them something to manage the pain."
As they entered the home, Garth greeted the family warmly. His cheerful, uplifting personality seemed to annoy the Silver Grimoire. The parents eyed Espoir curiously, and Garth simply shrugged when they asked who he was. "Oh, this is Espoir and Aria. They’re my assistants for the day."
"Shut up, I’m not assisting you! I’m observing for myself," Espoir snapped. Aria kicked him in the shin, silently urging him to be polite.
"Your friend is right about your personality..." Garth smiled good naturedly. Aria had warned Garth ahead of time that Espoir had a ‘unique’ personality, which made him difficult to deal with at times. Espoir ignored Aria’s comment as he narrowed his eyes at the boy who stepped out. The child’s eyes were a sickly pink, with pus inside. Espoir winced slightly, finding the sight unsettling. Aria remained stoic as she offered to help Garth however she could.
Garth maintained a composed demeanor as he knelt down, clearly used to these situations. "Infection and a severe corneal laceration. You’re doing quite well," he reassured the boy. The boy let out a soft groan, his head aching from the residual pain.
Espoir took a deep breath before placing his hand near the child. Espoir’s hand glowed as a faint grey aura surrounded the boy’s body. "Here, that should help."
The child's breathing mellowed as Espoir used the Silver Grimoire reduced his pain. Garth looked at Espoir impressed. Espoir shrugged as he leaned against the wall. "I numbed the pain for him. Do what you must." Espoir knew his magic would likely be more effective than whatever medicine Garth intended to use.
"Since when could you heal?" Aria asked, surprised. She had never seen him use his grimoire like that before.
"I don't." Espoir replied, clearly bothered by something.
Garth nodded. After an hour of cleaning, disinfecting, and basic aid, Garth finally used his grimoire to heal the child’s eyes. The boy’s face lit up as he reopened his eyes and regained his sight.
"I-I can see!" The boy ran over and hugged his mother, excited to see her again. Garth let out a sigh of relief. "One down, four more to go."
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Espoir was sitting on the porch that evening when Vivian, Garth’s assistant, decided to check on him. “Something on your mind?” she asked, tapping around with her cane as she made her way to the railing. “You seem upset about something.”
“That's... certainly a word,” Espoir mumbled. Vivian let out a small laugh. “That girl you travel with mentioned you two were here to assess Garth’s newfound ability.”
Espoir didn’t respond right away, and Vivian continued. “Curious, isn’t it? I don’t blame you for being skeptical. He’s definitely a strange one.”
“Even out here in the countryside, you must know about grimoires,” Espoir said slowly, still unsure why everyone in town accepted Garth so easily, even if his family had a history with magic. Vivian hummed thoughtfully at Espoirs words.
“So what?” she asked, a small smile on her face.
“So what?” Espoir echoed, confused.
"So what if he’s a grimoire user?" Vivian laughed. "I get that it’s odd... Someone so kind and impossibly selfless, but that’s just how Garth is. This town tries to pay him for everything he does, but he refuses. Honestly, I think he’d rather be unknown than famous for healing. Want to hear a story?"
“Not if it’s long,” Espoir said dryly. Vivian tapped her cane and settled down on the opposite side of the porch steps.
“It’ll only take a minute,” she replied, finding Espoir’s comment amusing. “A long time ago, this home belonged to a respectable doctor. Someone who’d never shy away from helping people. That man would travel to every house in the region, healing with his magic. We called him Doctor West.”
“Garth's father?” Espoir asked.
Vivian nodded, continuing her story. "Despite being revered and kind, he lived alone. All that changed one evening. That night; he heard rustling in his rubbish bins, like a wild animal was knocking them over. But to his surprise, it wasn’t a bear or raccoon… It was a little boy!"
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When it rained, he would sleep in abandoned buildings, doorways; anywhere to escape the downpour. Sometimes, he'd encounter adults who tried to drag him somewhere. Was it to sell him? Or perhaps to an orphanage? Who could say?
I imagine it wasn’t always like that; a baby wouldn’t survive being left on the street. I suspect someone took care of him for a few years and then abandoned him in the countryside. It doesn’t matter in the end. What’s certain is that he lived on the streets until he was about six. That day, the child was shown his first true act of kindness…
The boy watched as the man stepped out of the building. A weathered figure, wearing a suit and carrying an umbrella, looked down at the child scurrying in the trash.
"Hello, young one," the man said. He was old, at least in his seventies, not that the boy could tell. All the boy knew were the wrinkles on his skin and his slightly balding hair. His brown eyes crinkled with warmth, and smile lines softened his features as he smiled down at the boy.
Stolen novel; please report.
"What are you doing out here all alone?"
The boy didn't answer. He was too busy trembling. The rain was coming down harder, soaking him to the bones. Noticing the boy shaking, the old man frowned in concern and held out a hand.
"Why don’t you come inside with me?" he asked, his voice warm and inviting. "It’s nice, warm, and dry, and I can even give you a proper meal."
The boy stared at the man’s hand. He didn’t fully understand the words, but he understood the man’s intentions. He wanted him to come with him, like all the others had.
…But… something was different this time. The old man didn't make him uneasy or afraid. He felt he could trust him.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out and took the man’s hand. The old man smiled softly. "That’s a good boy," he said kindly. "I’m Doctor West. Let’s get you inside before you catch hypothermia."
It was some time before the boy realized Doctor West was a healer. He lived in a building near the church where he had found him, and took the boy inside, fed him, and made sure he was cared for. He didn’t send him to the orphanage... Why? the boy couldn’t say. Maybe Doctor West had thought he was still too weak to survive it. Or perhaps, deep down, both of them were seeking a family.
What I do know is that Doctor West saved his life. And for the next decade, the boy lived with the old man. But his life wasn’t the only gift he gave him. He gave him a home and a name. That child was no longer alone.
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Espoir’s face was unreadable as Vivian shared her tale. Only the Silver Grimoire’s user could truly understand what he was thinking. After a long silence, Espoir finally gathered his thoughts and turned his gaze to Vivian.
“I take it there’s more?” he asked, his voice calm but curious.
Vivian nodded, her expression growing somber. “His father was called to serve as a combat medic during the war. Despite his age and retirement, Dr. West chose to venture into the heart of Easenna to help, even though he worked for Albion officially. But he didn’t just save the lives of those soldiers. In short, he helped everyone, regardless of allegiance.”
Espoir closed his eyes, piecing the story together in his mind. “He died in the war?”
Vivian nodded again, and her mood became distant. “He was hanged for treason. But even in the face of such darkness, Garth never lost his cheerful outlook. He carried on his father’s legacy, dedicating his life to healing and helping others. And now, with his ability awakened, he can do everything his father could… and more.”
Espoir sighed, his eyes drifting toward the setting sun. “Where do you fit into all of this?” he asked, curiosity laced with a touch of suspicion. Vivian let out a mirthless laugh, her eyes gleaming with a quiet resolve. “That’s easy. I help him because I want to see how the story of the nameless boy ends.” She smiled softly, a glint of warmth in her otherwise hollow gaze.
“I was born without eyesight,” Vivian began, her voice steady despite the heavy words. “Honestly, for most of my life, I was looked down on, even though my family had some status. Cursed, useless… every insult imaginable.” She paused, her fingers lightly tracing her cane. “Garth spent a lot of time as both a doctor and an apprentice to his father, visiting me. I think he liked the idea of helping me, even if I hated him for a while. I didn’t want to be treated like some kind of experiment, you know?”
Espoir’s brow furrowed. “But you stick by him? And you’re still… visionless?” His tone was a bit softer, more curious than accusatory.
Vivian smiled, the corners of her lips curling in a gentle way that spoke volumes of affection for Garth. “He did a lot for me, in ways I didn’t realize back then. He made this cane for me, to help with my senses. Apparently, tapping it helps me understand space better, though honestly, I forget the specifics of how he explained it. After he awakened his powers he never once offered to ‘fix’ my eyes.” She shrugged lightly.
Espoir, still taken aback, couldn’t help but ask, “How come?”
Vivian dusted herself off as Espoir helped her up. “I asked the same thing after a while. His answer was simple: ‘Your eyes aren’t flawed." Vivian let out a small laugh, recalling how blunt and almost naive it sounded. However, that was when she came to love Garth. "He never saw me as something that needed fixing. Everything he’s done for me has been because he genuinely wanted to make my life easier.”
Espoir stood there, his crimson eyes wide with quiet surprise. “You’re aware of why we’re here, right?” he asked slowly, his voice betraying a touch of uncertainty.
Vivian nodded as she slowly made her way inside, tapping her cane with a soft rhythm. “Your partner mentioned it. I’ll leave it to you to decide what happens next…” She turned back, her voice soft but firm. “But I think, regardless of anything else, Garth is truly grateful for the time he’s had with that grimoire of his. Thanks to it he's been able to walk in his father’s footsteps and healed countless people along the way.”
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That evening, Espoir sat against the inn’s wall, his gaze distant. He exhaled slowly, lost in thought. Aria, sitting beside him, turned to face him, her voice tinged with concern. “What happens if you seal his grimoire?” she asked, her eyes sharp. “Will it undo everything Garth and Vivian have done for this town?”
Espoir closed his eyes, letting the question linger. His mind wandered back to everything they had seen. “When a grimoire is sealed into the Silver Grimoire… it overwrites everything it did. All of it. All the changes, the healing, the transformations… everything is reversed.”
Aria’s eyes widened in shock, the gravity of the words hitting her hard. “In other words, everyone in the town, everyone he’s healed, They’ll…” she trailed off, the implications too heavy to fully articulate.
Espoir let out a sigh, feeling the weight of her words. He had come to a realization, one he didn’t want to admit. “I don’t think Garth is evil… I thought maybe he made the contract with his grimoire to be like his father, but I don’t think that’s it anymore.” He opened his eyes, staring out into the dimming evening light. “As for your question... Yes, sealing the grimoire will undo everything. All the healing, all the progress... it’ll all disappear, just like it in Ashmore.”
Aria clenched her fists, the tension rising in her body. The consequences were far too severe to ignore. “That can’t be right,” she muttered, frustration building within her. “Even if he’s a grimoire user, objectively, he’s helped this town. He’s saved lives. We can’t just undo all that.”
“Two beings cannot coexist in one body,” Espoir explained, his voice steady but tinged with an unreadable emotion. His gaze remained distant as if reflecting on something far away. Aria furrowed her brows, trying to wrap her mind around his words.
“A grimoire is still drawing on an eldritch of some kind to fuel the ability. Even if it's benevolent, there will come a point where the grimoire corrupts the user and he becomes something else... Damien Blackwell had that happen too.”
Aria's face hardened with disbelief. “I can’t accept that…” She shook her head, her voice rising with frustration. “Surely there is a way to seal the grimoire and not make the town suffer from it.”
Espoir sighed deeply as if burdened by more than just the words he spoke. He stood up, moving toward the door. “I intend to seal the grimoire. Whether it’s right or not, I can’t let personal feelings interfere with it.” With that, he stepped out, leaving Aria alone in the room. The door clicked shut behind him, and she let out a long, frustrated sigh.
She sat down on the bed, her thoughts racing. She understood not every case they encountered would have a neat or happy ending. War had taught her that difficult decisions were part of life. Yet this situation felt like a betrayal of something she couldn’t fully name.
“Countering poison with poison…” she murmured under her breath, recalling their first encounter. The phrase echoed in her mind. Espoir, as always, was an enigma. She had noticed it more and more as they work together. The strange way he acted around grimoire users. It wasn’t just his usual aloofness; there was something deeper there, something personal.
Aria had never fully understood Espoir’s feelings toward grimoire users. It was as if he hated them despite being a grimoire user himself. There was a sharpness in his actions, a coldness, that she couldn’t quite place. Maybe it wasn’t hatred, but something more complicated. But now, more than ever, she found herself questioning whether Espoir had a deeper personal reason for his stance.
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“Can you hand me a wrench?” Garth’s voice broke through the quiet, his attention fixed on the black automobile he was working on. Espoir blinked, taken aback.
He handed over several wrenches not knowing which size he wanted. Espoir regarded the automobile curiously. “I’ve never seen a horseless carriage. Arkham hardly has the and only military personnel drive them.” His voice carried a note of begrudging admiration. The technology was impressive, even if he wasn't fully familiar with it.
“Cool, right?” Garth's face lit up with excitement as he accepted the wrenches, wiping his brow. “A noble gifted me this after I cured his wife’s paralysis. I refused payment, so he gave me this instead. It's mostly for Vivian when we go to town since I usually walk for most health visits.”
Espoir leaned against the garage wall, his posture relaxed but his thoughts swirling. “I’ve been wondering about something,” he said after a moment of quiet. “How exactly did you get your grimoire?”
Garth glanced up, his curiosity piqued. “I woke up with it... I had a strange dream that night.”
Espoir’s gaze narrowed, his mind piecing together the information. “A dream?” he repeated. There was more to this than Garth was letting on. It wasn’t just a simple occurrence.
Garth did his best to recall it. “It was strange… like swimming in a memory, I suppose. Despite that, I remember this calling, if that makes sense. Like a gentle voice calling me to reach out. I remember not long after discovering I could use magic. Strange right?”
Espoir’s eyes widened. “I see, so you were called to your grimoire” He closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a frustrated groan. “Damn it…” Espoir walked off, aware that the situation was more complex than anticipated.
That evening, Espoir gathered Vivian and Garth to finally seal his grimoire. Aria watched from the side, her features hidden beneath her hood. Espoir silently sensed Aria’s disapproval of what was about to happen.
“I’ll begin the sealing process. Anything you want to say or do before it’s gone for good?” Espoir asked. Garth thought for a moment.
“Hey, Viv? Since this is the last time I can use my ability, do you want to have sight, if just for a moment?” Garth figured he might as well give her this chance. Vivian looked stunned, before letting out a soft laugh.
“You’re stupid, you know…” she said softly, holding his face. “I’ve gone my whole life without sight. Despite that, you never once treated me like I was helpless or cursed. I don’t need vision to love you, and you never needed my eyes to love me for who I am.”
Garth’s eyes watered as he held Vivian’s head against his. “I... You’re right, of course…” The two kissed before Garth finally regarded Espoir. “Do what you must.”
Nodding, Espoir extended his hand. “Appear. My Grimoire between light and darkness.” The Silver Grimoire manifested in his hand. The ethereal black pages, mixed with stars, flipped on their own as a bright light consumed the room. As the couple was enveloped by the light, Espoir closed his eyes. When the light finally died down, he glanced at the new constellation formed on the pages. It looked like a winged serpent stretching across the page. “So that’s what a benevolent eldritch looks like…”
Garth extended his hand out only to find his grimoire was gone. “So, it’s over, huh?” Garth had a neutral look on his face as he processed that his ability was now gone. To everyone’s surprise, the doctor let out a loud laugh. He held Vivian’s hand and looked at Espoir and Aria.
“It was fun though!” he grinned. “Being a healer and walking the path my dad did. I’ll make sure to cherish this past year for the rest of my life!”
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Espoir and Aria were leaving the town, the latter having been silent for most of the day. Espoir glanced over, noticing her brisk pace. “I get the feeling you're upset with me,” he said dryly.
“I’m not upset,” she mumbled, sounding upset.
Espoir sighed, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. "Look, I’m not exactly happy about this either, but I have no regrets sealing a grimoire. Regardless of its users... kind and annoying demeanor.”
Aria glanced at him, the realization dawning on her. It wasn’t only that Espoir hated grimoire users...
“Wait. Are you jealous of Garth?”
“J-jealous?” Espoir stopped walking, looking at her with confusion. “Why would I be jealous of someone like him?" Aria stared at him for a moment, Espoir let out a frustrated groan.
“What do you want from me!? What would I be jealous of? He’s taller than me, has a stable job, a house, and a beautiful wife?”
"Fiancée." Aria’s knowing look lingered, and Espoir noticed the slight smile forming on her face. The Silver Grimoire rolled his eyes. “Shut up… I don't 'get 'jealous'.” he muttered, aware he wasn’t exactly helping his case.
“You’re really jealous of him,” Aria repeated, struggling not to laugh. The idea of the Silver Grimoire; something that had destroyed the world thousands of years ago, being jealous of someone was almost absurd.
“It’s not that…” Espoir admitted, his voice quieter. “I just envy his ability.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?” Aria asked, raising an eyebrow. Espoir glared at her before clarifying. “My grimoire can do a lot of things. But healing others goes against the Silver Grimoire’s innate nature. Simply put it's a weakspot for me.”
Espoir let out a loud sigh, “I suppose you could say I envy that he can do something I can’t if you must.” Espoir said quietly. Aria’s eyes flickered in understanding, realizing that Espoir wasn’t simply jealous of Garth, well, not completely. He just wished his own grimoire could heal others.
“It’s a shame that everything he did with his grimoire is reversed now,” she said, her voice tinged with regret. She felt bad, knowing that although it was the right choice to remove the grimoire, the people affected by it would still suffer from the aftermath.
As they walked, Aria glanced over and saw the same boy who had accompanied Garth earlier. He was still able to see perfectly. Aria looked at Espoir, who shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“I didn’t remove his grimoire… well, not completely,” Espoir said, walking a little further ahead.
Aria blinked, stunned. “I thought you said it would be dangerous to leave a grimoire unsealed.” She glanced at him, disbelief settling in. For someone who so clearly disliked grimoires, she hadn’t expected him to leave one active.
Espoir’s smile faded slightly, and he looked back at her with a more serious expression. “It would be dangerous. I only sealed around 99% of it,” he explained. “It’s like pouring out a cup of water but leaving a tiny pool at the bottom. As long as the grimoire user isn’t corrupted, I can control the amount I seal. Normally, I seal it completely as a precaution seeing as most grimoire users are dangerous.”
Aria walked silently, growing even more confused by Espoir’s actions. “Isn’t that dangerous, though? What if Garth tries to use his grimoire again unknowingly?”
“He’d be unable to call upon his grimoire since he didn’t actively form a contract. I realized after talking to him that it’s like Rachel, where he didn’t actively seek to become a grimoire user. So, he won’t know how to draw upon what little he has left. At best, he’ll probably just be able to sense what’s wrong with people and use his medical knowledge to heal them, like he did before becoming a grimoire user.” Espoir sighed as they left the town. “I use whatever methods I deem fit and treat every grimoire on a case-by-case basis. It just so happens that grimoire users are bastards so it makes my job easier…”
Aria walked behind Espoir, the weight of the conversation hanging heavily between them. She couldn’t shake the feeling of confusion that had taken root ever since arriving here. Espoir’s words kept replaying in her mind: grimoire users are bastards. It was hard to reconcile that harsh judgment with the person she had just spent months with, someone who had shown kindness, self-sacrifice, and the willingness to protect others, even when it didn’t align with his personal beliefs.
“Does he even realize how much he contradicts himself?” Aria mumbled under her breath, though the words were more directed at herself than anyone else.
She glanced at Espoir as he continued walking ahead of her. His posture was as rigid as ever, but there was something softer about him lately, a small understanding forming even if she couldn’t quite understand Espoir entirely. The Silver Grimoire’s user had always been someone she couldn’t quite figure out. From his motives, to his intentions, even his feelings. He didn’t talk much about himself, and when he did, it was often just enough to make her think he wasn’t telling the whole story. He felt like a walking contradiction at times. He hated grimoires, yet was one himself. He willingly risked his life for others, yet envied that he couldn’t heal. How can someone selfless find themself a bastard? As they walked, she recalled her conversation with Vivian earlier…
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A few hours ago…
“So,” Vivian said, walking over to Aria, who was examining the various documents Garth kept in his home.
“May I help you?” Aria asked, curious about what Vivian wanted.
“I’m just curious about something,” Vivian began, sitting down on the couch near Aria. Aria glanced up, puzzled by what Vivian could want to know.
“You and that grimoire boy,” Vivian said with a smile. Aria eyed her incredulously, unsure of what she meant.
“I don’t follow,” Aria said, her confusion clear.
Vivian chuckled softly. “Well, you two travel together and seem close. I was just wondering if you were like Garth and I.”
Aria was taken aback by the question, having never been asked about her relationship with the Silver Grimoire. Partners? She hardly considered them close, despite having spent the past few months with him and Roxy.
“We’re not partners in the way you think,” Aria replied bluntly.
“That’s a shame,” Vivian murmured thoughtfully, watching through the window as Espoir argued with Garth. “Those two are similar in a lot of ways. He treats grimoires, and Garth treats people medically. I’d imagine he values you in his own way.”
Aria recalled Espoir thanking her once, saying he was grateful she was around. Despite that, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in her mind. The Silver Grimoire’s user was unreadable. Aria couldn't understand Espoir. Why he acted the way he did, how he could switch from teasing to serious to carefree in the blink of an eye. Thinking back to Vivian’s question, Aria finally had an answer.
“I don’t really know what to make of him, however...”
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Aria continued walking behind Espoir, her thoughts clearer now than before. Aria didn’t know how Espoir valued people or if he thought of Roxy and her the same way, but for now, she was content walking this path. They were simply partners because their goals aligned at the moment. Thinking about her answer to Vivians question, Aria continued walking.
"I’m content following him for now, since I believe it’ll lead me to what I’m searching for."