Richard carried on with his days in the Violet Rose Village as usual.
After a week of study, he had completely mastered the letters of this world, even taking time to meet the teacher privately whenever she was free.
On Monday morning, the children were unusually excited—for today, they were having fried chicken for breakfast, thanks to a donation from a villager who had just harvested plenty of chickens.
For Richard, chicken was a rare treat. Most of the time, he only ate fish, so he was just as delighted as the others.
"Richard, we’re going fishing today. Want to come?" asked a blond-haired boy, second only to him in appearance.
The boy was skinny as well, yet his strength was renowned among the children. If not for Richard’s clever tricks, he would’ve surely lost in any fight against him.
This boy’s name was Augus—the one who had once been his greatest rival, but who now submitted to him after being thoroughly traumatized in the past.
Hearing about fishing, Richard was naturally tempted. It had been his favorite pastime in his previous life.
But today, he already had plans of his own—plans connected to his newfound ability to read.
"You all can go. There’s something I need to do," he shook his head.
Augus and the others looked disappointed, but none dared to push him.
The reason was simple: Richard was the only one who could tie fishing hooks properly. They always needed his help when their hooks broke.
Breakfast ended quickly, the children devouring every last bite with bright faces. Some even longed for more, but unfortunately, there was nothing left.
Once the other children had left, Richard stepped out of the orphanage as well.
"Mm, so comfortable," he muttered with a faint smile.
The Violet Rose Village was unbearably hot during summer, yet with the Cooling Necklace around his neck, Richard felt nothing but refreshing coolness.
’Mr. Joe... hopefully, he’s at home,’ he thought, heading off.
Mr. Joe was an old man, known as the villager who traveled to Night Valley City the most.
Although illiterate, it was common knowledge that he owned a few books said to be family heirlooms.
And that was precisely why Richard had studied reading so diligently—because he wanted to get his hands on those books.
At his age, asking too many questions about magic would be suspicious. People would find it strange for a five-year-old to be so curious about such profound matters. So instead, he needed to gather knowledge discreetly—through books.
Mr. Joe’s house was small, situated on the edge of the village, though he owned a large vineyard behind it.
Unfortunately, he was infamous as both a drunkard and a heavy gambler. His vineyard earnings always vanished into those vices.
As Richard approached the house, a heavy stench of alcohol filled his nose.
"Mr. Joe! Mr. Joe!" Richard knocked loudly, acting like a normal child.
"What the hell—?" A harsh voice came from within, and the door swung open violently, revealing a tall yet gaunt old man with a thick beard and bloodshot eyes.
"What do you want, Richard?" he glared.
"Your books. Do you still have them? I want to read them," Richard answered without hesitation.
"You can read?" Mr. Joe raised his brows in shock.
"I can. Sister Lisa brought a teacher for us last week, and I’ve been learning." Richard nodded.
"Ha! Don’t joke with me. I tried learning for three years and still can’t read a word. And you expect me to believe you mastered it in a single week? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Believe it or not, Mr. Joe. But... will you lend me your books? Or better yet, why not just give them to me? They’re wasted sitting in a chest," Richard pressed on.
"Hmph. You can read them here if you like. But don’t even think about owning them. Those books are priceless, and I’ll study them myself once I can read," Mr. Joe snorted.
"Come in." He waved dismissively.
Richard quickly entered, though he immediately regretted it—the house reeked of alcohol and was littered with bottles, looking more like a dump than a home.
Still, for the sake of knowledge, he endured.
The one-room house had a bed by the window, and from beneath it, Mr. Joe dragged out a large, old wooden chest that was still sturdy despite its age.
He flung it open, releasing a cloud of dust into the air.
Inside lay many odd items, including rust-resistant scraps of metal and strange black rings. But what caught Richard’s eyes most were three books at the very bottom—two thick, and one thin.
The thick books shared the same cover design: a map of the continent surrounded by islands. Likely volume one and two.
But Richard’s attention was drawn to the thin book—its cover bore the image of a roaring dragon beneath the sun.
Mr. Joe pulled the books out and dropped them in front of him.
Without hesitation, Richard snatched the thin one, his instincts telling him it held the knowledge he sought.
He opened the first page—and his eyes widened.
Printed in bold, large letters were four words:
[Codex of the Dragon Emperor]
Codex... could this be a Codex?
His heart raced. This was clearly one of the core components for learning magic.
He flipped to the second page, finding dense text written in tiny letters, each page seemingly crammed with over a thousand words.
But soon he realized something strange—though he could recognize the letters, the meaning eluded him. It was a different language.
Yet, as he continued reading, another discovery struck him.
Every single word he read etched itself into his mind as though carved in stone. He couldn’t forget a single one.
Excited, he read faster and faster. Still, the effect continued—every word branded into his memory, impossible to erase.
By the time he had reached a hundred words, he could still recall the very first line as though it had been burned into his brain.
This mysterious phenomenon made his heart pound with anticipation. Surely, this was no ordinary book.
Page after page, he read relentlessly, despite not understanding the language. Each word seemed to hide secrets waiting to be unraveled.
And when he reached the final page—the tenth—something extraordinary happened.
You have obtained [Codex of the Dragon Emperor]!
Codex of the Dragon Emperor (0%)]
[Innate Arcane Arts from the Codex of the Dragon Emperor:
— Dragon’s Roar (Locked)
— Dragon’s Wings (Locked)
— Dragon Transformation (Locked)]
Your mastery over Codex of the Dragon Emperor has increased from 0% → 1%!
Mastery increased from 1% → 2%!
Mastery increased from 2% → 3%!
Codex of the Dragon Emperor (3%)]