Volume 2 Chapter 52 Quest： The Mirror That Sucks Magic III
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”It seems this room is the final destination. We’ve defeated the source of the earthquake, so how about we head back up and call the Head Magicians?”
”That’s true.”
The young blonde princess nodded obediently and looked around at the guards.
”Let’s retreat for now. After that, we should bring in a cart or something to carry the golem outside. We don’t want it to start rampaging again.”
”This golem looks heavy. But if it’s made of mithril, it could be worth a lot. Wouldn’t it be a waste to sell it? We should probably give it to the Head Magician. If it can be used, it would make monster hunting and dealing with bandits much easier.”
”…I can’t decide how to dispose of the golem. McCutchen and Natasha will handle it.”
As Maribel said this, the guards suddenly looked uncomfortable.
”I’m sorry.”
”Oh, Liam, why are you apologizing?”
”Um…”
The young guard lowered his gaze.
The quiet ‘glasses’ finally spoke up.
’That is because the lord here has no real authority.’
(That’s true.)
In the end, the golem would likely become the property of that steward named McCutchen.
If sold, the money would go into the steward’s pocket, and even if it was a weapon, it would be taken to the steward’s mansion for use.
The guards understood this.
(Her Excellency Maribel is indeed respected by some of the guards. Well, if they don’t follow the steward, they could lose their jobs, so they have no choice but to obey McCutchen.)
’So, that apology reflects their concern about the situation.’
”……”
Kian glanced down at the blonde princess.
She tilted her head in confusion, as if she truly didn’t understand why her followers were apologizing.
However, Kian had not missed the sad smile that briefly appeared on Maribel’s face just before she spoke again.
After a moment of thought, Kian said this.
”Your Excellency has good subordinates. They are all younger than me, loyal to you, and caring.”
”You think we’re young? You look about the same age as us.”
”I’m almost 30. In general terms, that’s considered middle-aged.”
”No way!” “You don’t look it at all.”
”Your Excellency isn’t surprised to hear my age?”
”Well, no. I heard about it from McCutchen.”
”Well, as you get older, it’s hard to build friendships without money or interests involved.”
Kian smiled gently and looked around at everyone.
”At your age, Your Excellency, and with the youth of the guards, it’s possible to form a pure trust. That kind of bond is very strong.”
”Kian…”
”I may not be in a position to say this, but I’m glad that Your Excellency Maribel is the lord of this border area. I’m looking forward to the day you grow up and start politics on your own.”
”……”
Maribel’s expression turned complicated.
However, she quickly put on a faint smile and replied politely.
”Thank you, Kian.”
”No problem.”
”…I wish someone like you could be my knight… I think that would be nice.”
Her added words were spoken in a small voice.
She stretched her heels and placed her hand near her mouth.
A tone that the guards couldn’t hear as they headed towards the exit of the room.
”Huh?”
”Hehe.”
Maribel stretched her light pink lips into a smile and winked, as if to say “it’s a secret.”
There was a mix of childishness and maturity in her behavior.
The blue fruit looked incredibly delicious.
”You seemed a bit scary today, but seeing you like this, you’re still the kind Kian.”
”……”
”Aren’t you going back?”
”No, I’ll explore the area a bit. If there’s anything else that could be problematic besides the golem, it will be a problem for the Head Magician and his men. As an adventurer who has been requested to do the job, I will do my job thoroughly until the very end.”
”…I see. Then, please proceed with your investigation without overexerting yourself. Thank you for today. I was able to see something truly remarkable.”
”It’s still an inexperienced sword. I’ll continue to refine it.”
”There might be another knighting ceremony soon. Whether it’s by McCutchen, Oswald, or perhaps even the Owl.”
”Unless I’m mistaken, are you referring to me?”
”────────”
Maribel didn’t respond, simply offering a faint smile instead.
Kian hesitated for a moment before choosing his words carefully.
”If possible, I’d like to be knighted by Princess Maribel herself. There would be no greater honor.”
”Are you serious? You’d want to be knighted by a little girl like me?”
”Yes.”
”…No, that’s impossibl. After all, I can’t even lift a heavy sword.”
With that, the young princess turned her back to Kian.
They all filed out of the room one after another.
As he watched their retreating figures, Kian vividly imagined himself kneeling at the ceremony.
(That’s another way to rise up. Different from being an adventurer.)
* * *
After Maribel and the others left the room, Kian called back the fox Night Wraith and had it emerge from the golem’s body.
The core of the mithril giant showed no signs of movement, and its metallic body remained kneeling, completely still.
Just in case, he wedged a dismantling knife into the crack in the arm’s armor.
Even if it had an auto-repair function, he could send the Wraith back in before it fully healed.
The fox was weakened from touching the mithril, so he should probably send the Tengu next.
(Unlike crows, these guys are brave… or maybe they just lack a heart.)
’Vampire species are undeniably excellent. This time, they proved useful.’
(I’ll get my hands on a vampire subordinate eventually. Preferably a Wing Cain that can fly. If I’m taking on quests, that’s the kind I’d aim for.)
”Anyway, it’s time for the hidden room in the back.”
Kian stepped away from the golem and walked toward the far wall of the room.
The Night Wraith wearing the Tengu mask was sucked into the wall, disappearing as if swallowed by it.
Meanwhile, the fox in Kian’s arms was absorbing magic power, focusing on regenerating and recovering.
(If only I could get one of those mithril golem’s arms. If I brought that to the fortress’s weapon shop, I could probably get a decent sub-weapon.)
’If you want a sub-weapon, there is one right there.’
As the ‘glasses’ spoke, a crack formed in the wall, splitting open and revealing a hidden passage.
The switch for the hidden door had been activated.
Dust swirled into view, and Kian covered his mouth with a cloth.
Beyond the wall was darkness, but the blue light from the room spilled in, illuminating the interior.
It was narrow──only about 5 meters (16’4″) square.
To make matters worse, a large pedestal took up most of the space, making the room feel even smaller.
”A mirror?”
Kian muttered softly as he noticed the silver object placed on the pedestal.
It was a mirror, propped up on a black stand with its reflective surface facing outward.
The mirror was circular, and its frame appeared to be made of wood, painted in red and brown.
The frame was designed like flower petals, with 8 holes, each embedded with a red gemstone.
Even to an untrained eye, it was clear that the mirror was radiating an intense magic power.
However, Kian’s reflection was nowhere to be seen in its polished surface.
’This is the “Magic-Draining Mirror,” a weapon. The gems absorb magic power from the surrounding atmosphere and store it. The magic language inscribed on the back also aids in spellcasting. In short, it’s like a magician’s staff.’
”A magician’s equipment, just what I’ve been wanting! This is great! Amazing!”
’The Magic-Draining Mirror does not only aid magic. Rather, its true value lies in its surface. It has the effect of draining the life force from the body of anyone whose face is reflected in it. Anyone with low anti-magic power will have their life sucked dry just by looking into the mirror, and even those with high anti-magic power will be limited.’
”That’s extremely dangerous. But my face isn’t in the picture. What’s going on?”
’That’s because you absorbed the vampire and inherited its traits. That mirror can’t reflect vampires. You’re no exception.’
”Hmm… So, in other words, it means I can’t steal magic power from vampires, right?”
’Exactly. Also, besides absorbing magics with a touch, the mirror can also absorb offensive magic from your opponent. The absorbed magic can be stored up to 8 times within the mirror, and you can release it back through the mirror whenever you want.’
”Interesting effect. So it just sends it right back, huh?”
’Indeed. Ancient vampires used this to absorb and mitigate fire magic, which they were weak against. They also often used it as a source of magic power.’
”Windsong Blade also has a slight magic power recovery effect thanks to its living material. With both the sword and the mirror, I can replenish magic power…”
If I feed my 2 familiars with people, I won’t even need to steal magic power through sex to maintain minimal performance.
Of course, the more I take from Serena, Aliona, and Christy, the tougher I’ll become.
For example, I could unleash Windsong Blade’s high-powered techniques repeatedly. I should still keep feeding on women, though.
”Good find. But it’s not what I expected.”
’How so?’
Kian wrapped the mirror in cloth and stashed it in his backpack.
”I thought your so-called ancient equipment would be a sword, spear, or maybe an axe. But it’s a magician’s tool, and of all things, a mirror.”
’Hoho, not exactly suited for close combat, is it?’
”Now I can’t even tell which is better──Windsong Blade or this magic-draining mirror.”
’Well, to anyone looking, it is a draw. Any objections?’
”Can’t compare them, so it’s pointless. It’s not like I can just smash the mirror with Windsong Blade to test it.”
Kian said, putting his backpack back on.
He didn’t get the right to ask ‘glasses’ to answer any questions honestly, but he thinks it was a success.
…If the mirror’s abilities are as the ‘glasses’ said, that is.
(Somewhere, I want to test its capabilities. But it’s not something I can try easily.)
To confirm its role as a magician’s staff, he should probably test either ‘Shot’ or a charm spell.
’Absorb Essence’ could work too, but he’d had to choose the target carefully. If he accidentally killed someone, it would cause a lot of trouble.
(Could I absorb and reflect magic power or spells with my own abilities?)
’You are not reflected in the mirror. Therefore, you cannot absorb magic power or spells.’
(I figured as much. I’ll explain it to Christy and ask for her help. If that doesn’t work, I’ll seal it until I’m in a real battle.)
Kian left the secret room and ordered Tengu to seal the hidden door again.
The door creaked shut, and after a few seconds, it looked like an ordinary wall once more.
”I’ll wait here until the guards with the cart return. If the golem reactivates and crushes them before we can retrieve it, my reputation will take a hit.”
’What a fulfilling after-service!’
Kian called Tengu back and knelt down on the spot.
He decided to meditate until the guards arrived.
* * *
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply