Isekai Grimoire System

Chapter I: The Sudden Oddity (III)

The breeze should be cold, but their conversation was warm. Archie and Layla smiled at each other, spreading laughter. Slowly, the bond between them began to intertwine.

"While we're alone, I want to know what you think about our engagement," Archie asked bluntly.

Even though Layla looked a little reluctant, she still answered smoothly. “It is customary for nobles to marry off their sons and daughters. However, our parents' goal was to unite the territories into one…I heard something like that,” she explained.

Archie is a young man in his prime. Suddenly having a fiancée like Layla is a dream that is almost impossible to achieve. It's not that he doesn't want to; it's just that Archie won't force it if his partner has a sense of compulsion.

He had done that before too.

Even so, showing deep interest can repeat the same incident as the bad memory. Conversely, being too ignorant will also bring bad effects. The point is he should not overdo everything.

Archie has the ability to speak intelligently. He can row from one topic to another without clashing with each other. This was part of his experience when he became a civil servant.

"I heard, the one who bring the antidote is you, right?"

“Oh, that? The story is quite long. In short, our family received the item from someone.”

It was information that he hadn’t heard before. Archie felt compelled to dig more.

An adventurer with a superior class, Arch Bishop got a mysterious item. Unlike the other drop items from dungeons, this item does not have any item explanation clues, details, and the like.

"I happen to be carrying the container. Here it is." Layla gave him a small white box.

The cube-shaped box had a unique design, which by the looks of it, wasn't an item that a craftsman from this world could casually make. This became clearer when Archie saw the cube’s side.

"The Arch Bishop and the researchers were initially unable to read or understand the text written there," explained Layla.

Archie's eyes were still wide open in surprise. He recognized the writing so well; it was an ancient text from his world. A text that has historical value and relevance to Sanskrit.

“You said “originally” then how did they know this item was an antidote?” asked Archie curiously.

“Umm…I don't know the reason, but, it was my brother who told me to bring that to you, he also taught me how to use it.”

At first, Archie thinks the antidote is a drug taken by mouth, like a pill or liquid. However, after he opened the lid of the cube, he found something familiar to him—an injection.

“Are you guys sticking this into me?”

"Yeah, how did you know? Your mother is a divine power user so she really helps in preventing anything bad.”

Of course he knew. Those injections were commonplace in his world.

Even though the shape was slightly different, no matter how he looked at it, it was still an injection very similar to the one from his world.

Archie squinted, trying to read the text written on the cube's body. "One hundred years...a plague...spreads...unnoticed..." thought Archie. He consciously didn't read it out loud in front of Layla.

Archie cannot read the entire text; in the end, the item's age remains an issue. Some of the ancient letters had faded and became impossible to read. Even if he had managed to recognize them, he is not the expert who researched the historical scripture.

For the first time, Archie felt sorry for always falling asleep during history class while still in school. He never put up with prehistoric material, the Mesolithic era, the Megalithic era, Pithecanthropus Paleo Javanicus, etc. Based on him, a theory is a theory; if it is a fact, then the lesson's title will be this fact and that fact.

“Hey Layla, then where are….” Archie didn't continue his word because Layla had fallen asleep, leaning her cheek on the table. "Uh, she’s dreaming."

It was cold out there, and even then, he realized it when his senses returned. Letting a girl fall asleep in a place like that is faulty.

***

“Is this all, Young Master?”

“Um, yes. I didn't bring much. Have you brought my mother's things?”

“From Mrs Emeline? Yes, we've put it in the horse-drawn carriage," answered the aide politely.

Towards noon, Layla’s aides came to pick her up. Archie uses this momentum to gain another source of information.

"Are you sure you're fine?"

Emeline seems worried about Archie’s health issues, even though it has been emphasized that he is in good shape.

"Yes im fine, Mom. We should show our gratitude to the Whitehall family right away, maybe if it wasn't for their intervene, Mommy would know how I fared," Archie explained.

"Even so, but…," replied the mother.

He didn't want to argue, let alone oppose his mother, “While father is not around, Mommy has to take the leading of the village, so, you can’t do it. Instead, I'll be the one to do it for that.”

“Oh, then, fine. I can't against my dear son who has grown up," pampered the mother, stroking Archie's cheek.

His face often became his mother’s object, and it didn't bother him at all. On the other hand, Archie loved it, and sometimes because of that sensation, Archie is often sleepy.

Mornings are always a busy time at Archie's residence. It had only been three days, but he had to adapt quickly to the significant transition.

"If this noise doesn't wake her up, it means she is indeed sleep deprived." Archie thought, remembering Layla.

He opened Layla's bedroom door slowly so as not to make a squeaky sound. Then close it with the same pressure.

Layla was sleeping on the bed; her position had changed since the last time he saw her.

Even the blanket that he had put down twice fell back down. Layla seems to be an active girl when she sleeps.

“Uaah.” Layla yawned.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," said Archie.

Still not fully conscious, Layla replied casually, "Morning," then paused for a moment, blinking her eyes a few times before finally understanding what was going on.

When she saw Archie sitting next to her, holding a blanket, Layla stroked her body as if making sure he was still wearing clothes.

After taking a deep breath, Layla stuttered and fumbled around the bed, looking for something.

"Is that what you are looking for?" Archie said, pointing at the table. "Don't worry, I brought the book in when I carried you."

“Aah?! Thank you…Archie.”