Ch.93Chapter 93 – Side Effects

“Glory to the Empire. Count Pathos Severio. I’ve been waiting for you. I am Seol, the manager of the Belsarem Teleport Station.”

As I entered Belsarem’s Teleport Station, the manager came out as if he had been waiting and greeted me, introducing himself.

“Pleased to meet you, Seol. I need to travel to Echanteriopolis. Can I use the teleport station right away?”

“About that… there’s a problem with the teleport station. So you can’t use it right at this moment.”

“A problem?”

A problem with the teleport station? What does that mean?

“Could you explain the issue in more detail?”

I asked Seol for a detailed explanation.

What on earth happened to cause a problem with the teleport station?

“Well… it seems a criminal was hiding among merchants trying to travel to other regions.”

“A criminal?”

“Yes. A thief who stole a precious treasure and ran away.”

“Can you explain more specifically?”

A criminal and a precious treasure.

I have a feeling that this so-called treasure caused some kind of problem with the teleport station.

“It’s simple enough. The treasure the thief stole is an item that nullifies magic within a certain area.”

“Such items are fairly common, aren’t they?”

“The problem is that it’s an extremely powerful item that automatically reacts to specific magic. The moment the thief entered the teleport station hiding in a carriage, the formula stabilizing the teleport station’s magic circle collapsed.”

“Hmm…”

The collapse of the formula stabilizing the teleport station’s magic circle.

I think I heard about this when I audited basic magic studies at the Academy.

‘Everyone, please remember this well. Magic nullification breaks down the stability of magic cast by others. Magic that loses stability inevitably collapses quickly.’

I recall being told that magic nullification artifacts are created using this principle.

So it seems the formula stabilizing the teleport station’s magic circle has been damaged.

“According to documents, the treasure the thief stole can interfere with and neutralize even high-level mages’ teleportation.”

“So, did you catch the thief?”

“Of course we did. Recently, troops were deployed at the teleport station to catch this thief. So the item has been moved to a safe place, and the thief will be tried tomorrow and executed.”

“What?”

Wait a minute. Executed?

“Normally, stealing would result in having one’s arm cut off… but because the stabilization formula of the teleport station was damaged, it’s being considered terrorism against a national facility. I hear that a death sentence will be pronounced at tomorrow’s trial and carried out immediately.”

“I see.”

The teleport station is like an airport in our terms… so it is indeed a critical national facility.

Essentially, that thief made it difficult to use the runway, preventing planes from taking off.

“So until the teleport station’s stabilization formula is repaired, it can only be used once every three hours. However, since a group of people just used the teleport station, you’ll need to wait about three hours.”

“Is there really a need to wait?”

“Pardon?”

You said the formula stabilizing the teleport station’s magic circle is damaged, right?

Then can’t we just fix it?

“If we repair the stabilization formula installed in the teleport station’s magic circle, would it be usable right away?”

“Ah, yes… well, that’s true.”

“Then that’s fortunate.”

If the teleport station can be used again once the stabilization formula is restored, there’s only one solution.

I’ll fix the stabilization formula myself.

I transformed my bracelet into a hammer to repair the stabilization formula.

“Oh, what an interesting artifact.”

Seol showed interest as the bracelet on my wrist suddenly changed into a hammer.

This is the very same one that destroyed the demonic sword and cured diseases.

…Come to think of it, I should also take a look at that old hammer later.

I’ll have to think about it when I get back.

But first, I should explain what this is.

“With this hammer, I’ve destroyed demonic swords and cured incurable diseases.”

“I see… a hammer that destroyed demonic swords and cured incurable diseases…”

Seol was staring at the hammer, looking like a devotee gazing at a sacred relic.

“Then… may I make a request? Can you really… repair the stabilization formula?”

Looking into Seol’s eyes, I could see them trembling slightly with doubt.

“If I could destroy demonic swords and cure incurable diseases, why wouldn’t I be able to fix a stabilization formula?”

“Thinking about it again, I suppose there’s no reason you couldn’t.”

I reminded Seol once more of what I had accomplished.

With that, Seol shook off his doubts and showed eyes full of confidence again.

“That’s right. So guide me. To fix the stabilization formula, we need to go to where it’s installed, don’t we?”

“Ah, yes! Of course. I’ll guide you right away.”

I followed Seol into the teleport station.

The teleport station was a cylindrical building with a roof like a pot lid placed on top.

Around it were columns like Pringles cans attached to support the cylindrical walls.

The most important facility was the building with the pot lid-like roof.

The place I entered following Seol’s guidance was precisely the location with the pot lid roof.

“Right beneath us are the magic circles and various formulas that maintain the teleport station.”

“Does teleportation magic still work if it’s installed underground?”

“I’m not the mage who installed the teleport station, so I don’t know exactly.”

Uh, well…

I couldn’t say anything more.

If he says he doesn’t know because he’s not a mage, what can I do?

Pressing the issue would only lead to mutual embarrassment, so I decided to let it go.

Following Seol’s guidance underground, we came upon a large iron door.

“Beyond this door is everything needed for the teleport station’s operation.”

“Is that all the explanation?”

“Well, I would normally tell ordinary people not to touch anything, but for you, Count, wouldn’t simply touching the broken item fix it?”

I wonder if he’s putting too much trust in me.

Of course, I wouldn’t cause an accident by touching something I’m told not to touch…

‘No, thinking about it again, there was that one time.’

The altar where the corrupted holy sword Zebario was placed.

I originally approached intending to repair the altar, but due to an unfortunate accident, I ended up swinging my hammer at Zebario.

As a result, instead of repairing the altar that sealed the corrupted holy sword, I destroyed the corrupted holy sword itself.

‘Well, as long as the outcome is good, that’s what matters.’

While I was briefly reminiscing about the past, Seol had opened the iron door.

“Let’s go in, Count.”

“Let’s do that.”

Following Seol through the iron door, I saw several magic circles drawn on the floor and strange devices installed on the walls.

“Do you see that device in the center with the red light on?”

“I see it clearly.”

Looking in the direction Seol was pointing, I noticed a device with a red light on, different from the others.

Seeing the red light, it seems that device has a problem.

So that must be the stabilization formula… was the stabilization formula referring to a single device?

“That device helps compute the calculations for the stabilization formula that shortens the reuse time of the teleportation magic circle.”

“So if that device is fixed, we can use the teleport station?”

“That’s correct.”

Good. Then there’s no time to hesitate.

Feeling the weight of the hammer in my hand, I carefully walked toward the broken device, avoiding the magic circles.

As I approached the device, I saw that the situation was more serious than I thought.

—Crack, crackle, crackle!

Sparks were continuously flying from the broken device, and there were black scorch marks around it.

This… am I going to get electrocuted before I can swing my hammer?

“Tsk.”

If I had known, I would have brought gloves.

Leather gloves would have provided some protection from electricity, wouldn’t they?

“Ah, whatever.”

With a resigned feeling, I swung the hammer and struck the broken device hard.

—Clang! Clang! Clang!

The crisp sound of metal hitting metal filled the underground room.

And with a faint glow surrounding the broken device, the red light disappeared and was replaced by a green one.

“Is it fixed?”

Looking at the device that had returned to a completely normal state, I carefully stepped back.

Fortunately, nothing happened.

Relieved, I turned around to walk out when—

“Count! Watch out…!”

Seol shouted at me to be careful.

“Huh?”

Looking down at my feet, I saw that the magic circle had suddenly started to glow.

I tried to hurriedly escape, but the teleport magic circle suddenly activated, and everything around me began to distort.

Gradually, the surroundings changed, and instead of the underground room, the scenery transformed into something like a forge.

“Hmm?”

“Who are you?”

And I found myself standing in the middle of a forge filled with dwarves with long beards.

‘Could it be…’

Did I get teleported to the Grendillet Mountains?