Chapter 13: The Mute Mage and the Misunderstood Grimoire

With Rina, the newly reformed bandit-brawler, on our team, our party felt slightly more legitimate. She was loud, confident, and could actually fight, which put her leagues ahead of Kenta and me. After successfully delivering the medical supplies to Rockfall (and being politely asked not to summon any more colossal entities within town limits), we took on a new quest. We were tasked with retrieving a rare moonpetal, which only grew in the shadow of the Silent Mage's tower.

"The Silent Mage?" Rina asked as we walked through the woods. "I've heard stories. They say she's cursed. Never speaks a word. Some say her voice can shatter mountains, so she took a vow of silence."

"Sounds dramatic," Kenta said. "Probably just some chuuni who's really into the 'cool, mysterious' vibe."

The tower was a strange, crooked structure of grey stone, leaning at an angle that seemed to defy physics. The door creaked open before we could knock. We stepped inside to find a young woman waiting for us. She had soft lavender hair and kind, doe-like eyes. She was holding a small, slate-grey chalkboard.

She smiled gently and began to write on the board with a piece of chalk that appeared in her hand. The writing was elegant and neat.

Welcome, travelers. I am Luna. Please, do not be alarmed.

"Are you the Silent Mage?" I asked.

She nodded, a small, shy smile on her face. She was about to write something else when a voice, sharp and nasally, echoed through the room from seemingly nowhere.

"Oh, look! More clueless newbies! Don't you people have anything better to do than bother us? Go on, shoo! We're busy with important magical research, which is leagues above your paygrade, I assure you."

We all jumped, looking around wildly. Rina gripped her mace. "Who said that?"

Luna flushed, looking embarrassed. She pointed a trembling finger at a thick, leather-bound book sitting on a nearby pedestal. The book had a single, large, unblinking eye on its cover. The eye swiveled to look at us, and the voice spoke again.

"What are you looking at, you oafs? Yes, it's me. The Grimoire of Unspeakable Truths. And you are trespassing."

Kenta's jaw dropped. "The book can talk?"

"Of course I can talk, you simpleton!" the Grimoire snapped. "And I'm far more interesting than she is." It gestured with a flick of its cover towards Luna. "She hasn't said a word in years. Terribly boring."

Luna frantically wrote on her chalkboard. Please excuse him. He can be… difficult.

"Difficult? I am the pinnacle of arcane knowledge!" the book declared. "This one here," it said, referring to Luna, "has immense magical power, but no ambition! She wants to study healing herbs and defensive wards. A complete waste! I want drama! Action! Epic spell-battles that will be sung by bards for centuries!"

We explained our quest for the moonpetal, and Luna quickly agreed to help, writing that the petals grew in her garden.

"BOR-ING!" the Grimoire shouted. "A fetch quest? Pathetic! However…" The eye on its cover swiveled between me, Kenta, and Rina, a calculating look on its… face? "You three… you reek of chaos. The snail-summoner, the ex-bandit, and… whatever you are." It looked at me. "There's a delightful aura of cosmic misfortune about you. I haven't sensed anything so entertaining in ages."

The Grimoire turned to Luna. "Alright, girl, you're going with them."

Luna looked shocked, and quickly wrote, But my research! I can't just leave!

"Nonsense!" the book boomed. "Your research is putting me to sleep. These walking disasters are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some real-world application! The dramatic potential is off the charts! Now pack your bags. We're joining the circus."

And that was that. Luna, the kind, mute mage, was dragged into our party against her will by her own sassy, adventure-hungry spellbook. As we left the tower, Luna trailing shyly behind us, the Grimoire was already giving Kenta unsolicited advice.

"A Snail King, you say? How deliciously absurd! I love it! Have you considered weaponizing the slime? We could make it acidic! Or explosive! Oh, the possibilities!"