Aidan used the flashlight beam to read the yellowed piece of paper from beginning to end.
So that's how it is...
"This diary possesses an unknown power. As long as a person's true name is written in it, that person will encounter a [Calamity]."
Aidan:?
What the heck?
"After you take possession of this diary, you will be killed by its power within 12 hours..."
Kill me?
His heart remained unmoved; he even felt like laughing a little.
He was happy just to bring Nanook out.
Just after praising the person who left things behind as a good person, this diary immediately told him that anyone who read it would die within twelve hours.
Aidan flipped through the other pages of the diary, wanting to see if this was some variant of a Death Note. However, apart from the first section that looked like a proper last testament, the rest was nothing but large swathes of blank space, not even a single ink blot remaining.
"Feels inferior to Polka Kakamond."
"Aidan! Are you done over there?!"
March 7th and Dan Heng floated in from the doorway.
"Done.", Aidan patted his bulging pockets, "One jeweled brooch, one gold coin. What about you? Did you find any treasures?"
"Don't even mention it. I dug up a pile of garishly colored clothes; I was almost buried alive." March 7th pouted, pulling out the palm-sized metal box from her bag, "We only found this iron box that won't open. Look, the patterns carved on it are quite nice, but I wonder what's inside."
The three of them floated back to the Astral Express the way they came.
After returning to the Astral Express, Aidan placed the diary on the desk in his room.
"Oh my."
Aidan was rummaging for tools when the diary subtly trembled.
"Found it!"
A large chainsaw, the same model as Luna's!
Wooo--Wooo! Wuwuwuwuwuwuwu--!
The motor of the chainsword emitted a deafening roar. The teeth spun at high speed in the air, whipping up gusts of strong wind.
The diary shook even more violently on the desk, as if it finally realized something was terribly wrong.
"Eh, no good, this isn't very balanced."
Aidan lowered the large chainsaw in his hand.
The diary seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Swish!
The chainsaw split into two chainswords. Aidan held one in each hand, both buzzing.
The diary shook frantically on the desk, its pages rustling loudly.
I have no legs, and I must run.
See, it's singing again.
This thing might be similar to Voldemort's notebook; there's probably something inside.
Aidan had already started contemplating how to balance it.
"A notebook like you can only write bad things to happen to names. How can you be like this? It seems I must saw you in half. The top half will become a Lucky Notebook, and the bottom half will become a Calamity Notebook."
That would be balanced.
The diary moved faster, clearly about to fall off the edge of the desk.
Aidan used the chainsword in his right hand to firmly block the diary's retreat.
"Stop struggling. For something as unbalanced as you, I must balance you out."
The diary clearly understood. It spun wildly on the tabletop. Seeing its Path blocked by the chainsword on the right, it immediately turned and scraped toward the left, only to find another buzzing saw waiting there.
Don't saw me! I'm very useful! I can bring people terrible misfortune!
The diary rapidly flipped its pages, and then a line of text appeared.
Aidan sneered. Not only did he not stop, but he pressed the chainsword down further. The teeth even grazed the edge of the diary, kicking up a few scraps of paper.
"Bring terrible misfortune? That's the problem," Aidan lectured it earnestly, "You are only responsible for bringing misfortune. Who is responsible for luck? In this world, there cannot only be bad things without good things. Yin and Yang must be harmonious, and fortune and disaster rely on each other—that is balance. A defective product like you, suffering from severe imbalance, must be transformed by me to regain new life."
The diary bounced wildly on the table.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong!
"You are just a little book, instinctively bringing misfortune to people. That is your nature, not your fault."
Aidan suddenly showed mercy.
Yes, yes! It's my nature! It's not my fault!
"But--"
Aidan's tone shifted, and the chainsword in his hand pressed down another inch.
"Nature does not mean it right. How can there be something in this world that only brings misfortune? That's too specialized, too unbalanced. Since I walk the Path of Equilibrium today, I cannot allow a crooked thing like yours to continue existing."
I'll change! I'm gonna change myself?!
The text on the diary refreshed rapidly, the ink almost splashing out.
I can bring good luck from now on! Write a name, and I guarantee they'll find money when they go out!
Aidan raised an eyebrow and lifted the chainsword slightly.
This little thing is quite sensible, but words are not proof.
"No, I'm not reassured!"
Wuu--Wuwuwu wuwuwu wuwuwu wuwu!
"I'll count to three. If you don't agree, I'll start sawing. Three!"
Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz!
How can you just count to three--
This notebook was quite tough. Aidan exerted sudden force, and the teeth of the chainsword sawed it directly in half down the middle.
"It died just like that?"
He poked one half.
No reaction.
He poked the other half.
Still no reaction.
"Tsk, turned into an ordinary notebook, I guess."
Aidan felt a slight sense of regret.
"Never mind. Since you're dead, I'll modify you myself. A notebook that grants wishes but causes equivalent bad luck."
Sigh, in that case, I might as well change it back to its original state.
Aidan reached out and restored the notebook, which was slightly unevenly sawed, back to its original, uncut form.
Diary: Ah! Then what was the point of you sawing me!
Of course, it was because the absence of miscellaneous diary ghosts was very important to Aidan.
"From today onward, you are a proper Wish Diary. Any wish written in you will come true, but at the same time, an equally significant piece of minor misfortune will occur. That is fair, that is balanced."
The diary showed no reaction.
"No objection means consent."
He picked up the diary that had been sawed once and then restored and flipped through it casually. The blank pages were still blank, but that eerie atmosphere had indeed vanished. Holding it now, it was just an ordinary leather notebook, even carrying a slightly fresh ink smell.
"Aidan? What was that loud noise just now? I heard buzzing coming from your side and thought you were sawing something."
"I sawed, but I didn't completely saw."
March 7th walked in looking utterly bewildered. Her gaze fell upon the two huge chainswords leaning against the wall, and her pupils trembled.
"What are these things?! Where did you get these?!"
"Erudition made them a couple of days ago. They are very balanced and work very well."