Volume 9 Chapter 9 Mysterious Magic Tool？
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I examine Volodya, now reduced to a silent corpse. That sight must not be shown to anyone.
Not to Mikhail, who is family, nor to the three slave (wives) girls. This is a realm that must not be trespassed by human beings—an act that stands against the teachings of God. One such heretic──me──is more than enough, and besides, watching it is not something pleasant. So I send the four of them away and examine Volodya’s remains alone.
”But… honestly, what in the world is this?” I whisper, leaning closer.
It seems nothing has been done to the body itself. The metal arm attached to the right hand must have been fitted to the stump left after it was severed. And the box-like piece of metal fixed to the head is probably for Mind Control, I suppose. Yeah──what in the world is this?
None of it belongs to any existing magic technology… or rather, these are things I’ve never even imagined until now.
The attached arm was apparently moved by using mana as a medium. It has no function as an arm; only magic formulae, I assume, can launch fire bullets and some mystery ray inscribed inside. This too I have never seen before. A shape at once inhuman yet apparently efficient, treating the arm as a weapon. What sort of lunatic could have devised something like this?
They must have captured Volodya by some means and attempted to Mind Control him and manipulate him at will, but failed. Then, to make surplus Elven mana usable efficiently… they retrofitted this sort of apparatus──something like that, anyway.
At any rate, everything done to this body is something I have never seen before. I’ll have to report this to the Branch Chief.
”…I had all sorts of thoughts about you. But since it’s ended up like this, it can’t be helped, right? Yeah, rest easy for now. You were my Master’s enemy, but I’ll take revenge for you,” I murmur, brushing dirt over the grave.
I bury the corpse of Volodya, now in a state not fit to be seen by others, in the Mansion Ruins where he had lived, and offer up a nameless flower blooming nearby. I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy about my doing something like this, but well, my self-indulgence—so I guess it’s fine.
”You have mourned my brother. Thank you,” Mikhail says quietly.
While I was offering a mere form of prayer, Mikhail, who had been acting together with the three girls, arrives.
”Yeah. How did it go over there?” he asks.
”The Beastgirl found it. Though nothing much worth mentioning remained,” I answer.
While I was examining Volodya, I had them search the place those fellows had used as a hideout. When I turn my gaze, Georgia smiles proudly and wags her tail furiously. Yes, cute. I’ll give her a reward later.
”However, we did find this. What could it be?” Mikhail says, producing something strange.
It was a rectangular slab, slightly larger than a palm, made of a material that was neither metal nor glass.
”Magic Tool? Another incomprehensible thing’s turned up,” I say, taking the slab from him and beginning to examine it.
The mysterious black substance seems, somehow, to be a thick plate made of metal with a thin sheet of glass glued to its surface. On the long edge of the rectangular plate, near one corner, there is only one thin, round, button-like thing attached──this enigmatic material.
”If it’s a Magic Tool, maybe I should try channeling some mana into it for now,” I say, fingertips hovering.
”Is that safe? It’s an unknown Magic Tool, you know?” Mikhail asks, concerned.
”Well, probably fine. Just in case, you two should stand back a little,” I reply lightly, meeting his worried glance. Unknown Magic Tools are something I’ve come across many times during past adventures. True, some of them were all kinds of troublesome, but if I feared every single one, I’d never be able to work as an adventurer. Without the readiness and skills to settle things by force no matter what happens, you simply can’t stay in this line of work.
”Right then,” I say, letting a trickle of mana flow.
The black glass surface glows and sparkles. Then some sort of pattern I can’t quite make out reflects there.
”Pretty,” Lena murmurs, her voice soft. Exactly──this kind of sensitivity is exactly what adventurers need. Yep, this kid’s slowly starting to understand.
…Just as I savor such sentiments, the plate suddenly hums, and characters float up on the glass surface.
A string of about ten digits appears near the top, and down below the words ‘Reject’ and ‘Answer’ are drawn inside circles.
”I don’t really get it, but let’s just say Answer for now,” I say, touching the spot that says ‘Answer’ for no particular reason.
A stranger’s middle-aged face appears on the glass surface.
”…Who the hell are you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
”When you ask someone their name, I think you should first give your own. By the way, who are you?” the man replies, his voice calm but edged with suspicion.
He ponders for a moment, then mutters, “I see… so I’ve failed… hm, after all it was a mere failure. Nothing to be done.”
Abruptly, he vanishes. All that remains is the pattern from moments ago floating there.
”What on earth was…that just now? While it was glowing, I faintly sensed spirit power,” Mikhail says as he peers into the black plate.
”Hmm, maybe this is actually a communication-type Magic Tool,” I speculate.
”A communication Magic Tool… can humans really do such things?” Mikhail wonders aloud.
”No, this is the first time I’ve seen anything like it too… come to think of it, can Elves do it?”
”By praying to the Wind Spirit (Sylph), we can send words to an Elf we know. Of course, if the other party refuses, the message can’t be delivered,” Mikhail says as if it’s nothing.
That explains why they could wage war against humans with so few numbers──an army able to communicate instantly without the need for messengers is obviously strong. And these guys can pull off something that convenient too. More troublesome than I thought.
”Back when we raided those goons before, you know. When we were trying to interrogate their boss, a Water Spirit (Undine) sealed within his ring silenced him. This Magic Tool might likewise have an Elf’s hand in it,” I add thoughtfully.
That ring from before, and now this Magic Tool──there’s almost certainly an Elf on the enemy side.
”My own kin…? I find it hard to believe, but… looking at this Magic Tool…”
”Whatever the case, this is going to be a bit of a hassle. For now, I’ll head back to the guild to report. What are you going to do from here?” Mikhail asks.
”I want to pursue this matter in my own way. If it involves my compatriots, I certainly can’t overlook it, and I think it might be easier for someone who is an Elf to investigate matters concerning Elves… um, it seems like it wouldn’t be very good for us to act together.”
After glancing briefly at the three girls, Mikhail hesitantly mutters,
”Yeah, um, well, sorry.”
”No… well then, you said your name is Vera. When I find out something, I’ll send you a message through the Wind Spirit (Sylph). Is that alright?”
”I understand,” I nod firmly. If I can get in touch with Mikhail, then acting separately is an incredibly effective strategy.
Notes:
• Volodya – A mysterious and powerful elf, never seen by Soyuz before, who seeks to purge Lucia. He exudes killing intent and is strong enough to intimidate Soyuz.
• Mikhail – Volodya’s brother and a guest of the guild, seeking to defeat Volodya for destroying his village.
• Lena – Female. A young slave girl in her early teens. Her appearance is emaciated with brown skin, long black hair, and grotesque scars across her face, including one that blinds her left eye. She wears a black collar and tattered clothing. Her relationship to the protagonist is that of a rescued victim. She is silent and appears to have endured severe physical and emotional abuse.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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