Is it possible/wise to simply import csv files directly to Manticore and create a search system (php) that directly connects to it without the need of a database?
If you just want to be able to do full-text search in a csv it makes perfect sense to avoid any other interim database. Manticore can ingest csv fast and easily - Manticore CSV Import Example
So as long as you don’t need ACID in the end and can always recover your index from a csv Manticore alone is a good fit.
Yes, I had already completed that tutorial, hence the question 