Chapter 49

Jill's drowsy head rapidly woke up.

She desperately tried to make sense of the words from *The Book of Acacia*.

"What does it mean?"

*Detected a compatible terminal. Do you wish to synchronize with this terminal?*

"Compatible terminal...?"

The detection meant that something new had been discovered.

Something that was not usually there, but was now present.

There was no need to think about it. It was the book she had received from Carol.

"Is the terminal this book?"

*Yes*

"What does synchronization mean?"

*You will be able to access the information stored on the terminal. Additionally, by copying the book data from the relevant terminal, you will be able to read it on this terminal.*

While finding the convoluted phrasing frustrating, Jill tried to understand the meaning of the words. Information. Terminal. Access. Copying book data. Connecting the unfamiliar terms, Jill arrived at a hypothesis.

"So, the book I received from Carol... is it perhaps one of your kind?"

*The origin of the relevant book is unknown and was developed separately from this terminal...*

"Ah, no, not that... This looks like a book but is actually a terminal, right? It's like a library with many books sealed inside, is that correct?"

Jill asked, trying to suppress her growing anxiety.

*According to the metadata, only one book is currently stored on this terminal.*

"One book? Ah, so it's just the content of this picture book, huh."

If that was the case, it was just a picture book. While the fact that it was a terminal was intriguing, it didn't seem to contain any suspicious functions or dangerous information. Just as Jill was starting to feel relieved, *The Book of Acacia* completely contradicted her expectations.

*Currently, Chapter 1 is displayed on the hardware. Due to a malfunction in the screen switching function, access to other chapters is impossible. If you wish to view the inaccessible areas, a security check and a copy of this terminal are required.*

"Wait, so what I see now isn't everything?"

*Displaying the table of contents.*

Then, plain text appeared on *The Book of Acacia*.

On a white page, a few lines of text were written.

It read:

*Understanding Demon Creation and Demon Servitude*

*Introduction to Basic Terminal Operations*

*What is a Demon? Enjoy with a Picture Book*

*Creating a Demon in Practice*

*Implementing Natural Language Processing for Smooth Conversation*

*Combining with Magic Tools for Convenient Use*

*Index*

*Colophon*

Under the title, a table of contents was listed.

And some kind of symbol was attached to the beginning of each entry.

*The current chapter is indicated by a ●.*

Jill gasped.

She traced the table of contents with her finger, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Huh?"

Pressing with her finger produced no reaction.

*Currently, only the table of contents is displayed. To view the content, a copy of this terminal is required.*

"I, I know. That was just practice. Practice. Please make a copy."

With a theatrical cough, Jill gave the instruction to *The Book of Acacia*.

*Copying has started... Completed.*

"Let me view it. Show it to me."

*Understood.*

The same table of contents appeared again.

Jill touched the text *Creating a Demon in Practice*.

*The Book of Acacia* glowed faintly and began to deform the pages.

The same phenomenon occurred as when *The Book of Acacia* transformed into various books.

Jill hesitantly turned the page.

"Amazing..."

Unlike the previous picture book content, it was written in concise language, detailing the magic to create demons. It started with creating a demon that could say "hello" and progressed to more complex demons that could perform complex calculations instantly or react differently only when a specific password was spoken, gradually increasing in complexity.

"Was the original terminal created with the goal of something like *The Book of Acacia* in mind...? Ah, right, I should check the colophon too."

Suppressing the urge to read the next content, Jill opened the colophon.

The date and author were recorded there.

"Year 853 of the Celestial Calendar, Month of Frozen Tears, 15th, Gecco Andromarius... That's about three hundred years ago, before the current calendar. Ah, but it has been revised occasionally."

Jill determined that it was undoubtedly a magic book from before the current calendar. *The Book of Acacia* was a miraculous legacy, but this *Understanding Demon Creation and Demon Servitude* was also quite significant. Jill had explained to Carol that it was worth enough to buy a mansion, but it was more than that. It could buy an entire district of a small town. A small-scale war over the information recorded here wouldn't be surprising.

Holding such a formidable legacy, why did the Andromarius family decline? Thinking about this, Jill noticed something. The revision history and editing history stopped about two hundred years ago.

"Perhaps the terminal function broke down around that time."

The demon guarding the storage under the cafe floor could only perform very simple responses. The password was also too simple. A person who had read this book wouldn't be limited to creating such a simple demon.

Instead of being caught in the turmoil at the end of the era and explaining the lessons through picture books while passing on the crucial parts orally, the truth was likely that the terminal function broke down, and they could only explain the incomplete knowledge orally, Jill deduced.

In the era when the remnants of the old kingdom still existed, many magicians were targeted and killed by nobles due to their unique magic. Some families were wiped out after being killed and their magic stolen, while others became so secretive that they forgot they were hiding it, Jill had heard. The Andromarius family had failed in their tradition.

"But, the reading history is still recorded. My name is also listed."

Flipping through the colophon, there was a detailed record of who had read which pages and for how long.

Starting with the name of the first owner, Jill's name was listed at the bottom of the last line.

"Carol's name isn't there, but the owner's name is... But my name is listed...?"

*Jill's account information is automatically shared with the terminal you own.*

"Ah!?"

*The Book of Acacia* suddenly spoke.

*This is a matter that has been approved in the terms of service...*

"Ah..."

*The Book of Acacia* continued its lengthy explanation.

"I see. Since I said 'yes' before, I'm responsible, right? And you answered my questions because you sensed that?"

*Thank you for understanding.*

Despite the polite but cold tone of *The Book of Acacia*, Jill asked more questions.

"Why are other people's names listed?"

*In your case, the account registration process was skipped because you opened the terminal through this book. People without accounts seem to have limited viewing time for *Understanding Demon Creation and Demon Servitude*. They are prompted to register when the viewing time exceeds the limit.*

"I see..."

Jill muttered and casually looked at the operation log.

From a certain point, only the picture book pages were read.

This coincided with the time when the revision history stopped.

Jill was more convinced that the failure in the magic tradition was due to the malfunction.

However, she discovered something that shattered her certainty.

"Roger Andromarius is the owner's name... But, the name between him and me...?"

The name above Jill Dylane.

That was the name of the previous owner.

Jill whispered the name.

"Richie Andromarius"

One of the knights in her dreams, Richie.

A man skilled in calculations and able to command demons.

"Wait, what...?"

She whispered it again.

Richie Andromarius.

The name of the kind demon user.

It wasn't just the name that matched.

The magic he was skilled in was the same.

Most importantly, the name felt familiar, as if she had whispered it many times before.

The more she whispered it, the more a sense of nostalgia for old friends and acquaintances flowed through Jill's heart.

Were the characters in her dreams, other than Conrad, real? But Jill couldn't remember, no matter how hard she tried. After dreaming about living in a cave with Conrad and others, she had dismissed it as a fabricated memory and forgotten about it. However, now, a piece of evidence had appeared. Richie was real.

But this evidence led to a more chilling conclusion.

The owner's younger brother of the cafe *Andromarius* had been sent to the front lines a few years ago and died in battle.

Jill quickly got ready and headed to the town of Shelland, knocking on Matthew's door.

"Please, Matthew. I need to investigate a certain person."

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