episode_0040

There was one thing that became clear from the series of events.

Magic tools that emit waves of magic externally tend to be more incomplete than expected. The problem wasn’t with the internal spell formations or combinations; it was simply caused by the skill of the craftsman making the magic tools.

No matter how great the spell formation used to create a magic tool, it was natural for there to be flaws if the manufacturing process wasn’t perfect.

Of course, to ordinary people, there might seem to be no particular problem, but for those who are highly sensitive to magic, like Asel, it’s also true that they are reluctant to use such magic tools.

Especially now that they’ve realized it’s possible to overload a magic tool through external interference.

There was no need to spend expensive money buying a magic tool that was in a precarious state.

So, Asel didn’t show much interest in the magic tools even as he walked around the shops.

He had been quite interested because they were magic tools made by the Magic Tower, but his interest cooled down just as quickly.

Indeed, not all wizards belonging to the Magic Tower would be able to create excellent magic tools.

They would also have to go through trial and error and experience to make proper items, so it was perhaps natural for the results of trial and error to be found in places like this.

From an ordinary perspective, even the byproducts formed during their process of making flawless magic tools were remarkable items. They weren’t selling them for an expensive price for nothing.

Still, there were a few items that occasionally caught his eye. The item Asel was currently examining was one such thing.

A small magic tool in the shape of a pocket watch. However, the hour hand could only point to 8 hours, and there were no minute or hour hands at all, giving it a peculiar appearance.

Since there was no residual magic, he couldn’t see it operating, but Asel could perceive the dormant spell formation simply by focusing and staring at the magic tool.

‘Elemental type high-level magic. A different high-level spell formation is inscribed for each hour, and the magic that activates changes depending on how much magic is poured into it.’

It was a type of magic tool that absolutely couldn’t be created without a sufficient understanding of elemental magic. Asel slightly lifted his gaze to check the origin of the magic tool.

[Made by Ruendell Magic Tower]

[Harmony of Elements]

Ruendell Magic Tower, huh? Asel recalled the information about them and let out a small murmur.

The Ruendell Magic Tower is a rather unique case among the Magic Towers. It deals with elemental magic, but instead of dividing them, it recognizes them as one single magic, becoming a tower of diversity that attracts all kinds of elemental spellcasters.

Thanks to this, wizards belonging to the Ruendell Magic Tower, such as fire spellcasters and water spellcasters, tend to get along harmoniously without splitting up.

This magic tool must also be one of the products created through the cooperation of such wizards.

‘Different elements aren’t encroaching upon each other’s domains. It seems the personalities of the wizards who assembled the spell formations are gentle.’

Naturally, Asel didn’t think one person made this entire magic tool. This was because the nature of the magic contained in each spell formation was different.

For one person to make this, they would need to at least suffer from multiple personality disorder, and all those personalities would have to be wizards capable of using high-level magic.

What kind of nonsensical talk is that?

Asel let out a light laugh and straightened his bent back, standing up.

Various elemental spell formations swirled in his grasp before scattering. He didn’t just stop at observing the interesting magic tool; he even decomposed the spell formations contained within it and absorbed them.

With this, elemental magic, which had been relatively weak in power except for fire magic, could now use high-level spell formations. As he could wield that power without purchasing the magic tool, this place was no different from a storehouse of knowledge for Asel.

He turned his head and looked at Saya, who was carefully observing a magic tool. As he approached her, Saya opened her mouth without even looking at Asel.

“It’s a magic tool containing tracking magic.”

“……”

“It’s a compass-shaped magic tool that automatically tells you the owner’s location if you inject someone’s bodily fluid. The price isn’t that expensive, but it’s also prone to breaking.”

“Hmm.”

Asel casually checked the price of the magic tool based on Saya’s words.

A compass smaller than a palm. Its price was 15 gold coins. The absolute amount was quite expensive, but as she said, it was relatively cheap for a magic tool. Asel put aside his thoughts on the price for now and carefully observed the compass.

Then, he spoke the fact that he intuitively grasped.

“It’s tracking magic, but strictly speaking, it’s a type of blood magic. However, using blood magic alone would decrease the effect, so it’s closer to a tool with other pure-type magic added. It’s quite a complex combination formula, isn’t it? The creator seems to be a rather high-level wizard.”

“……You can tell just by looking?”

Saya blinked and asked.

People who experienced Asel’s talent for the first time always reacted with such absurdity. It was a familiar occurrence, so Asel asked, pointing at the compass without much emotion.

“It’s true that it’s a useful item for hunting monsters, but the cost-effectiveness isn’t right. You don’t plan to spend that much money just for the task, do you?”

“I do plan to.”

Saya grinned and replied. Asel was momentarily speechless. Regardless, she called a staff member, expressed her intention to purchase the compass, and continued speaking.

“As you said, it’s a waste to use gold coins just for achieving the task. But if I think of it as an investment, it doesn’t feel like much of a loss.”

“……”

“A cup’s worth of doppelganger’s blood sells for 10 gold coins. This is possible because the demand is high and the supply is low. But if you catch one doppelganger, you get easily dozens of cups’ worth of blood. It’s hard to get all of it due to its unique toxicity, but you can still get more than half, right? Then that’s a whopping 50 gold coins just for the blood.”

“So it’s an investment for that?”

“That’s the idea. It’s an item that helps with the task now and will be useful later. I won’t suffer a big loss by buying it here.”

She seemed to genuinely think so. Asel didn’t bother to contradict her either. If she was buying it with her own private funds, saying anything about it would just be being meddlesome.

‘If it helps with the task, anything is fine.’

Thinking that, he changed his thoughts.

The first task was starting tomorrow. Asel planned to finish the gem crafting before then. He also needed to thoroughly analyze the elemental spell formations he obtained from the magic tool shop, and other tasks also needed to be wrapped up soon.

It was always the case, but since becoming a formal wizard, time passed without a moment of boredom. But he didn’t necessarily dislike it.

Asel chuckled idly and followed Saya, who was leaving the shop. The two of them continued to visit several shops afterward, purchasing necessary items, had dinner, and then returned to their respective dormitories.

As soon as Asel entered his accommodation, he immediately went to his laboratory and took out the gem he had thrown onto his desk.

Time was tight if he wanted to finish the crafting before dawn, when they would depart to solve the request.

Without looking back, he drew out magic like a thread and began the crafting work.

***

“Huu…”

Asel let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Checking the watch on his desk, the hour hand had long passed midnight.

The crafting work finished much later than expected. It was unavoidable as he was doing something for the first time without anyone’s help and trying to do it perfectly.

Still, fortunately, the result came out well. Asel smiled with satisfaction, rolling the round-cut gem between his fingers.

With this, everything he needed to do before the first task was finished. The rest could be continued after the doppelganger hunt was over. There was nothing good about being hasty, so it seemed better to take a bit of leisure here.

Thinking that, Asel carefully wrapped the crafted gem in cloth and stored it in a drawer. He would just leave it there and take it right before leaving.

Coming out into the living room, he immediately touched the carrier pigeon. He poured magic into its metal body and placed a strand of Ena’s magic-infused hair into the pigeon’s beak. Then, light entered the eyes of the carrier pigeon, which had been lying like a corpse, and it flapped its wings, lifting its body.

[Coo]

“I’m counting on you.”

Asel put the folded letter into the clattering opening of the carrier pigeon’s body and stroked its cold metal head.

Flap!!

The carrier pigeon looked at him once and then flew out through the open window.

Moving powered by Asel’s magic, the carrier pigeon felt its body was much lighter than usual and let out a cooing sound, drawing a spiral in the air.

[Coo-coo-coo!!]

Asel closed the window only when the sound of its crying faded away and stretched widely.

Knock knock.

At the same time, someone knocked on Asel’s door. Asel’s face tilted slightly to the side. He instinctively activated a detection spell to check who was knocking.

“Grace?”

A sticky yet sharp peculiar aura at the same time. Asel immediately approached the dormitory door upon confirming it was her.

He didn’t know the reason for her visit, but given the time, it wouldn’t be a simple matter.

He had been thinking he should have a sincere conversation with Grace anyway. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, sincere conversation didn’t significantly impact the relationship. On the contrary, aren’t there things you can only say candidly precisely because you don’t know each other well?

He did, however, wonder about the timing, being the dead of night. Still, if the other person was that urgent, he could tolerate it.

Asel thought so and swung the door open. Then, he put on the most benevolent expression he could manage.

“What is it, Grace? Is there something you want to tell me?”

The answer didn’t come back immediately.

Asel didn’t continue speaking either. He stared at Grace, who was looking up at him with vacant eyes, and furrowed his brows deeply.

The strong smell of alcohol wafted from her. Her disheveled bangs were in her mouth, and her cheeks and face were flushed. Unconcealable drunkenness dripped from her exhaled breath.

Anyone could see she was drunk. She was so drunk that if you just left her on the street, you wouldn’t know if someone picked her up. To say she came to have a sincere conversation, she wasn’t even in her right mind from the start.

But Asel wasn’t disappointed.

A swordsman of Grace’s caliber could evaporate their intoxication whenever they wanted. If such a swordsman deliberately left the alcohol fumes remaining…

‘Either it’s something that can only be said while drunk, or it means she’s been mentally cornered.’

Neither was a good sign. Asel approached her and asked in a worried voice.

“Grace, are you okay?”

“Glend.”

“……What?”

“Call me Glend. Like before.”

“……I never did that.”

As if saying ‘What kind of random nonsense is that?’, Asel furrowed his brow. But Grace was stubborn.

She suddenly thrust her body into Asel’s wide-open embrace. A faint smell of alcohol, strong perfume, and body odor filled Asel’s nostrils. Because of that, his body instantly stiffened.

Grace lightly kissed his neck while Asel was flustered.

*Smooch.*

Sticky saliva connected from Asel’s skin to Grace’s lips.

“Phew, Haah……”

It happened in an instant. Grace let out a breathless sigh. Asel, who had suppressed his rising urges with extreme patience, furrowed his face and blurted out.

“You crazy bitch.”

He couldn’t hold back.