“Call the Liber Nominum.” Tomos instructed from his newly-claimed seat on his pillow, “You need only to will it to yourself, since you are the primary candidate for Successor.”

Ayumu took a deep breath, “Alright.” He said and leaned back against the wall once more, trying to imagine himself holding the green pocketbook in his hand.

Seconds passed, and Ayumu, seeing that nothing was happening, suppressed the urge to start giving into a defeatist attitude. He instead forced himself to be calm, concentrating on his breaths and his internal order to the book.

Suddenly he heard the sound of something blunt hitting wood, but he resisted the urge to look towards the drawer where he had stored the book and instead continued concentrating.

A particularly loud iteration of the noise was heard, followed by the sound of wood being moved against wood, and Ayumu finally turned to look towards the drawer he remembered putting the book in as soon as he heard Masaru yelp in surprise.

He gave an admittedly pathetic squeak himself and raised his hands defensively at the small book that had flung itself in his direction. It collided painfully with his palms and fell onto the bed after bouncing off his lap.

“...That is a start, perhaps.” The cat said in a pitying voice, and Ayumu shot him an offended look as Masaru looked as though he wasn’t quite sure whether to laugh or not.

“At least I got the book to do something this time…” Ayumu grumbled as he scooped the verdant-hued book up into his hands, “I guess I should try to have it expand into a reasonable size as well.”

He ignored the cat’s nod and his friend’s faint “You can do it!” and concentrated with closed eyes, and this time he felt the weight of the book in his hand increase a bit. He could hear his friend’s noise of interest and an approving humb from Tomos as well, and despite that he couldn’t help but feel rather surprised that he was not holding a textbook-sized tome in his hand rather than a pocketbook.

The title was still “Verdant Reed-Book”, but the subtitle was clearer, “Memories and Travels in the Middle-Country of Abundant Harvests and Reed Beds”

“So, um…” Ayumu looked at Tomos, a question coming to him, “You said that there were different titles for it depending on the language, right? I assume I can get it to display its other names too.”

“Oh, of course. Simply ask the Liber Nominum and your request shall be granted.” Tomos told him, his thin tail swaying gracefully all the while.

Ayumu nodded and made another nonverbal request directed at the book, this time with his eyes open and his gaze concentrated on the cover of the book. The letters of the title, which were written in a golden ink that glittered faintly even in the relative darkness of his room, vanished smoothly into the cover before instantly reappearing in the form of letters of the Latin Alphabet which spelled “Grimoire Alba” as its title. Just below it there was a subtitle in smaller letters, “Remembering the Black of The White Isles”.

“Grimoire Alba is its English name, huh…” Masaru said interestedly before Ayumu could open his mouth. “What are the White Isles, Tomos?”

“It is a reference to the archaic name for the lands encompassed by what you now know as Britain and Scotland.” Tomos said, and Ayumu could swear he detected a shift in tone in the cat’s voice which he didn’t know how to interpret, “My Master had deemed it appropriate to give a rather inclusive title, which some of the natives of Alba, Cymru and perhaps even Kernow might resent. Nonetheless, the capricious politics of humanity is one of the least valuable metrics to build one’s understanding of the world around, so I support his decision.”

The names Tomos had rattled off went over Ayumu’s head, and by the look on Masaru’s face, it went over his as well. “Um… and those names are-” Ayumu began, but Tomos seemingly understood what he was going to say and clarified before he could finish.

“Scotland, Wales and Cornwall, respectively.” The cat said patiently, “I apologize, I should remember to use the terms you are familiar with.”

“It’s alright.” Ayumu said, mostly just to be polite. “I guess the English title corresponds to modern… Britain, right?” He said, racking his brains for all the information he could muster.

“Indeed. The titles in Gaelic and Welsh similarly treat Britain as a collection of very closely-related political entities and cultures.” Tomos replied, nodding in approval.

“Just how many languages is this book written in?” Masaru asked in awe.

“Very many. You can expect nearly all widely-spoken languages and some regional ones as well to be represented.” The black cat said proudly, “A few dead languages and dialects as well, but I suspect the Liber Nominum is uninterested in revealing them simply to sate one’s curiosity. In general, it only presents the languages its chosen holder or candidate for successor can understand.”

“I see…” Ayumu said softly, tracing his fingers on the letters making up the title of the green book with a hint of reverence.

“So, Tomos-” Masaru spoke up again, “What does the name you keep calling this book mean? I think the title is… Latin?” Masaru said the last part with a hint of uncertainty.

“Yes, it is in Latin.” Tomos confirmed, “The title translates to “Book of Universal Names”. It is, in my opinion, one of the names of the book which describe the sentiments behind its creation best.”

“Hm, no reference to Italy?” Ayumu asked, noting how that particular name did not reference the location where that language was widely spoken in contrast to the Japanese and English titles.

“Latin was the prestige language- the language of Nobles, Scholars and the Lettered- of the land and era of my birth. Unlike more local languages which belonged to a certain tribe or ethnicity, it was one of those languages which claimed to be the language of a milieu, of a Civilization, a common language of high Art and Science and Philosophy of a collection of different peoples- a language which aspired to a certain form of universality and venerability.” He continued, his tone trying to impart a certain poetic gravitas to what he was saying.

“And thus, it is one of the languages in which the title is an expression of this book’s mission. Classical Persian, Classical Arabic, Sanskrit and Classical Chinese are some of the others.” The cat explained further.

“So, I guess the Liber Nominum is about naming everything?” Ayumu asked carefully, “You said that introductions have a certain purpose and that I shouldn’t give my name readily to spirits, so that means names have some kind of power.”

Tomos hummed thoughtfully before giving an approving nod, “I am glad that you hold steadfastly to my words, Ayumu. But unfortunately, your inference, while logical, is incorrect.”

“I must ask you- do you know the story of mankind’s origin as told in the so-called Abrahamic tradition?” Tomos inquired, tilting his head slightly to one side.

“Um, what?” Ayumu didn’t quite understand what Tomos was talking about nor what relevance it had to the conversation.

“I think he means the Christian story of Adam and Eve?” Masaru offered, not sounding completely sure himself.

“Well, it is a common narrative between Judaism, Christianity and Islam with some differences in the details.” Tomos said, “But yes, you are correct.”

“In the Jewish version of the narrative, the first human, Adam, was given the right to name everything in Creation.” Tomos explained before either Ayumu or Masaru could inquire further, “In the Islamic version as told in the Quran, Adam is taught the names of all things in Creation by God, cementing his superiority over the Angels.”

A brief silence followed as Tomos closed his eyes looking pensive. Ayumu knew about the story in passing, but not this particular detail. He was still not quite sure what to make of what he was being told, and by the looks of it his friend didn’t either. He resisted the urge to speak up, and before long, Tomos began speaking once more.

“My Master,” He began again, sounding rather subdued, “had a rather… novel view of the narrative’s significance.”

“The act of naming something or learning something’s name is to acknowledge it and deem it worthy of one’s notice and remembrance, to consider it ‘distinct’. The thing which made Adam “superior” and “special” was his act of remembrance and acknowledgement of all things in Creation, which were either previously nameless or had no one to speak of their existence and remember them within Creation.” Tomos said softly, “And so… for my Master, to name this book which aims to record the stories and names of Others and even humans who would otherwise be forgotten “The Book of Universal Names” only felt natural. All things deserve to be acknowledged, and there is nothing in this world beneath notice or appreciation, in his opinion”

A stretch of silence followed after his lengthy explanation as Ayumu processed what he was told. The last few words from Tomos made Ayumu feel respect towards this mysterious “Master” Tomos spoke of. The sentiment was very touching, in Ayumu’s opinion.

A mix of emotions swirled inside Ayumu’s heart, some conflicting and others complimentary. Melancholy, elation, doubt, anxiety- these were the feelings which he could make out. Melancholy and even a strange urge to cry at the image of people and creatures disappearing into the darkness, forgotten, because people considered them too insignificant to remember. Because they were considered “unworthy”.

Elation at the thought of being “special’. Or rather, a positive type of “special”. He had been an exception to a number of “rules” for most of his life, and whenever he was “exceptional”, it was always in a negative fashion. Yes, he was strange, small, weak, introverted, cowardly, clumsy, selfish, attention-seeking. He sometimes lived in his own head. He was a burden on his parents and friends. He saw things others didn’t, he was hurt again and again by things no one could protect him from, and because of that- because of him, his parents’ relationship deteriorated and they divorced.

The only thing special about him that was positive, in his opinion, was his luck which gave him things he objectively did not deserve. He had three wonderful friends. Despite the hardship his parents faced because of his “strangeness” they still supported him, and because of his mother’s hard work they were rather affluent. And he knew he deserved none of this. He had nothing positive to offer these people who gave him so much. For someone like him who could only take and offer very little in exchange… Was he truly worthy of the Liber Nominum Universalia?

Maybe by accepting this “Successor” business he could finally be special in a positive way. Maybe he could be worthy of admiration. He would have powers others did not. He could be more than this self-centered and useless person he is now…

But Ayumu shook off those thoughts and berated himself. He was again proving how selfish he was to himself. He should focus on how immense the burden of such a responsibility would be, despite him not quite understanding what would be required of him. He should think of how pathetic it was that, despite him saying that he didn’t wish for Masaru to be his protector, despite insisting that he did not wish to expose his first and best friend to danger on his account, he still caved and dragged Masaru into this mess simply because he was too cowardly to bear a burden he already had years of experience in dealing with.

Despite how much he wanted to change and be “better” than he was, it always ended up the same- he ended up offering nothing but empty words and platitudes.

“I guess I understand what the Author wants.” Ayumu was brought out of his steadily darkening thoughts by Masaru’s words, “But I don’t see how one person could hope to manage something so… large-scale, I guess?”

“All in due time.” Tomos said reprovingly, “That is, of course, if your friend here even accepts that he might eventually become the Successor.” His large feline eyes came to rest on Ayumu, seizing him up.

“I can just say no?” Ayumu asked, forcing himself to push all of his thoughts to the back of his mind, “Just like that?”

“Of course.” The cat replied matter-of-factly, “My Master insisted that his successor should deem the Liber Nominum Universalia as worthy of devoting themselves wholeheartedly to- of their own volition. He did not believe in puppeteering a marionette devoid of its own will into any cause, regardless of how noble or good or indispensable he might deem it to be.”

“I understand…” Ayumu said, and he considered saying no to the prospect of being the “Successor” right then and there, but something in his heart of hearts made him hold his tongue.

“So... “ Ayumu began after a brief pause, “Your Master believed in the importance of names, but you haven’t told us his name even once.” he noted.

Ayumu noticed how stiff Tomos’ tail had suddenly become for a moment, but it returned to normal in almost an instant. Ayumu added, “He sounds like someone I think I can respect, so I want to know his name. He seems like someone I want to acknowledge and remember.”

Ayumu wondered whether he had overstepped or said something rude when Tomos did not reply and closed his eyes. Seconds of silence went by and Ayumu looked at Masaru, who looked unsure whether to speak up.

“It gladdens my heart to hear that you think so, Ayumu.” Tomos said sadly, and Ayumu fought the urge to pet the black cat soothingly, “Like the Liber Nominum, he has many names in different languages. But he consistently claimed to have forgotten the name he was endowed with at birth…” Tomos sighed, and Ayumu couldn’t help but be astonished and a little sad.

“You may call him ‘Tsuna’. He favored this name during his travels in this land.” Tomos said after a few moments of deliberation.

“Tsuna-san it is, then.” Ayumu said, and Masaru nodded.

“As for myself… You can continue calling me Tomos for now. I have grown used to this name.” Tomos said graciously, but Ayumu thought it rather strange how he had suddenly changed his mind about introductions. He suspected that something occurred last night which prompted the decision. “I considered beginning your education as soon as possible, but you need to fully recover first. For now, you may study the Liber Nominum on your own terms, and I will attempt to clarify anything you might find confusing. I am to be your guide, after all.”

“I see. Thank you, Tomos. I’ll try my best.” Ayumu said with a nod, “I’m not sure I’ll be able to meet your expectations, but… I think I’m not going to say ‘no’ to being the successor. At least, not yet.” he added after a brief pause.

“It is quite fine, my boy.” The cat said, and Ayumu registered for the first time how odd it was hearing a teenage boy’s voice speak a very formal register of Japanese and call him and Masaru “boy”.

“I, um…” Ayumu fidgeted, not sure whether he should breach the topic. Masaru and Tomos looked at him curiously, which simply added to the discomfort he felt.

“Can you change how your voice sounds to us, Tomos?” He asked, “You sound like a teenage boy, so it’s occasionally hard to take you seriously…” He confessed in a small voice, screwing up his face and leaning back a bit in fear.

“Oh? Is that how I sound to you?” Tomos said nonchalantly, much to Ayumu’s surprise, “I could make my voice sound the way I prefer, yes. It is a very minor thing.” And Ayumu was impressed as his voice deepened until it sounded like a deep, smooth voice of an adult male. The kind of voice which “sounded” handsome.

“Oh Wow!” Masaru exclaimed, “You sound completely different now.”

“Regardless,” Tomos said before either of the two boys could say anything more, “I would like to know what transpired in my absence. I have a hunch, but it is best to confirm these kinds of things.”

Ayumu nodded and he started telling him about the shadow creature that had invaded his room and attacked both of them. Masaru interjected occasionally, giving his part of the experience occasionally.

Tomos expression was impassive, but Ayumu could tell that something was amiss. The cat was actively trying not to betray any emotion.

“Did you still possess any of the curse-residue or remains of your self-imposed seal? The black clots, I mean.” Tomos clarified his statement hurriedly when he saw the look of confusion on Ayumu’s face.

“I don’t thi-” Ayumu began, but he stopped before he could finish the sentence and clapped his palm on his forehead. He recalled having the first “clot” wrapped in his handkerchief. He had ended up storing it alongside the Liber Nominum and his wallet and keys inside the drawer. “Yeah, actually… I had one of those things in my handkerchief. I forgot to throw it away and left it in the drawer. I guess that’s why the thing was messing around in there, to get to the remains of the ‘seal’.” Ayumu sighed, kicking himself for being forgetful as Tomos confirmed his suspicion with a nod.

“The Specter used the latent power to manifest itself so clearly in the Near Shore. Though, considering its origins, it would have manifested itself on this plane eventually.” Tomos said, and Ayumu narrowed his eyes. There was a certain evasiveness in the way the cat spoke, and Ayumu didn’t want Tomos hiding anything about that thing from him.

“Tomos, you’re not telling me something.” Ayumu accused. Usually he would not be able to muster that level of courage, but that thing endangered his mother and best friend. He wasn’t going to be halfhearted in this case.

“...I will agree to tell you a portion of the facts, but I believe that you are better off staying ignorant of some of the details.” Tomos sighed, looking tired for the first time.

“What is so horrible about it that I can’t know the full details?!” Ayumu demanded heatedly, “How can I trust you if you just refuse to tell me things when it’s convenient for you?”

“There is such a thing called “Prudence”, boy.” The cat said, trying to sound annoyed but coming across as defensive, “I have deemed you not sufficiently ready to know the details. That does not mean I intend to withhold the knowledge indefinitely. I will tell you when I deem you to be ready for the knowledge.”

Ayumu let out a frustrated sound and glared at the cat, who unflinchingly returned with a glare of his own. The staring continued, either side letting up, but Masaru stepped in, finally having had enough.

“Tomos, do you think you can tell me instead of Ayumu?” Masaru asked him, “I promise I won’t tell him.”

Ayumu looked at Masaru incredulously. “How does that work?” Ayumu asked, confused.

“Well… I’m getting the impression that he doesn’t want to tell you, specifically.” Masaru said simply, “But you want to be able to trust Tomos, right? So if he tells me and I vouch for him, you’ll be comfortable trusting him until he tells you everything himself.”

“I… guess.” Ayumu said, not quite sure whether Tomos would agree, considering how vehement he was being, but to his surprise, Tomos nodded.

“That is a fine idea, I think.” Tomos said softly, nodding and looking relieved.

“How are you so sure that Masaru won’t just tell me in secret?” Ayumu demanded, feeling slightly annoyed.

“I have complete faith in Masaru.” Tomos declared haughtily, “I am sure he will agree that it is for your own good that you remain ignorant about the whole thing for now, and therefore steadfastly refuse to cave to any pressure from you.”

Ayumu sighed even as he agreed to go along with the plan. Well, he did trust Masaru, and if even Masaru thought that he needed to remain ignorant for now, he would just need to be patient. He trusted Masaru’s judgement wholeheartedly.