Chapter 72: A False Silver Vein (part one)

I have some time so here is the next chapter!

TL: clover

ED: clover, xtostos, eristol

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Early morning on the third day in the Trade City Knot Reed.

I switched with Palug, who took a nap as soon as she came home, and left for the city with Tirnanog.

 

In the city where the morning mist was drifting, I heard a relaxing song.

It was the night watch singing the Dawn Song.

Shadows of men in black uniform could be seen here and there as they were managing the fire of the street lamps.

 

The shadows were not just of the night watch.

Early morning Town of All Kinds of Goods was much more crowded than I expected and there were even open stores.

 

“I wonder what to do. Do you think we have time to make a side trip?”

『What are you going to do?』

“It’s necessary to prepare in case we get trapped in a pit or transit to an unexpected place.”

『Fumu, I think that’s just a needless worry……but since it’s you we’re talking about, I cannot say that for sure.』

“That’s right.”

 

So, I decided to buy a few items.

Some magic tools and groceries.

I am carrying a lot of wands as usual, so I am going to fill in parts that can’t be covered with a wand.

 

While walking by a ship without getting on it, I searched for the grocery store and the general store.

Biscuits with mineral water, compass and things like that.

When I tried to enter a magic tool store, I passed by a young man who was exiting the store in a hurry.

 

(Hmm……?)

 

Somehow, it looked like a familiar face.

Although he looked very plain and ordinary, there was an exquisite sense of incongruity.

Yeah, for example, were the glasses crooked somehow?

I turned around and looked for the figure of that person.

 

『What’s wrong, Erica?』

“I feel like there was Actorius-sensei just now.”

『Hou, that gray mage?』

 

Elric Actorius.

He is a student of Lindis, a clumsy, glasses-wearing man.

He was one of the capture targets of the game 『Liber Monstrorum』 and a friend of my older brother Eduard.

But, unless he has some important business here, he is basically a person who is supposed to be in Lindis.

Why is he in a place like this?

 

“Elric Actorius-sensei!”

 

I called out his name towards the flow of people who were coming and going.

On the other side of the road, someone with gray hair stopped perfectly.

Ah, there he is.

It seems that he actually was Actorius-sensei.

 

Actorius-sensei looked around the area restlessly.

His line of sight passed through the place where I was several times, but he finally noticed me.

 

A cheerful smile appeared on his face and he waved his hand as he approached me.

The moment he tried to cross the path for a carriage in a small jog, his leg tripped over his own staff.

 

“Erica-sama, whoaaa~~~~~!?”

“Be carefu– ………aah——!?”

 

Actorius-sensei fell and his bag was thrown open mid-air.

The contents of the bag were flying out as if they had their own will.

Multi-colored potion bottles, numerous scrolls, and various magic tools.

A package that probably contained valuable items rolled through the road as well.

And then, to top it all off, a wagon carrying fresh fruits rolled over it.

 

What was left behind was the wreckage of the destroyed magic tools and a teary-eyed mage who was reaching out his hand for the remains.

 

What a disaster, what a misfortune.

I severely regret inadvertently stopping Actorius-sensei.

Truly sorry.

However, even if I had a previous knowledge about the disaster, it is impossible to avoid the clumsy flag.

 

I regained my senses and immediately ran toward the worn-out Actorius-sensei.

He raised himself up and picked up his glasses which were dirty with mud.

It seemed miraculous that only his glasses were safe.

He put on the dirty glasses and smiled heartily despite such a disaster.

And as expected, his glasses were slightly misaligned.

 

“Ahaha……long time no see, Erica-sama.

Wow~ I showed you something unsightly, it’s embarrassing.”

“Are you okay? Are you injured?”

“I’m fine~ even though I look like this, my body is quite tough.”

“I apologize, because I called you out suddenly, something like this happened.”

“No, no, it’s me who was careless.”

 

Actorius-sensei gathered the damaged tools and thrust them into his bag casually.

Scrolls with horses’ footprints, broken potion bottles filled with contents and other magical tools that turned into junks.

Tirnanog and I also helped collecting the scattered goods as much as possible.

 

“Ah, this key……it’s damaged……I’m in trouble……”

 

I raised my face to Actorius-sensei’s voice, who seemed to be troubled.

A small silver piece of metal covered with mud was on top of his hand.

Although it is mercilessly bent like a screw, it seems that it was previously in the form of a key.

It might be some sort of magic tool as it has Hafan magic characters carved on the handle.

 

“Perhaps, is it expensive?”

“Ah, no, no, it’s not that. We can make it from inexpensive materials.”

 

Actorius-sensei stopped me who was trying to take out my wallet.

Since he appeared to become more troubled when I tried to worry about it, I decided to withdraw.

 

“What is this key? If it is urgent, I will ask an acquaintance to introduce you to a locksmith.”

“No, that’s not it.

This key is a branch authentication key of the transition magic circle established by the investigation team of Lindis.

With my materials, I can easily make it.”

“That’s good.”

“Also, I cannot leave it to the general locksmith due to confidentiality.”

 

Transition magic circles have various privileges and are confidential, so the management is strict.

Tirnanog who gathered the scrolls that had rolled far also came back and joined the conversation.

 

『You have the spare materials, huh. You are pretty thorough.』

“Yes, that is, of course……ah, oh no. I should have prepared them on my desk.

I have to procure them from somewhere else now.

This is troubling……I wonder if the store dealing with that sort of thing has opened at this time……”

 

When Tirnanog pointed it out, Actorius-sensei turned pale and held his head.

As usual, he is a careless and unreliable person.

 

“I know someone who is familiar with this area, do you want me to introduce him to you?

He might know the convenient material store that opens even this early in the morning.”

『Umu. If it is that redheaded brat, he will have some connections and is knowledgeable.』

“Ahhh~~ I’m saved, Erica-sama. Please introduce me to him by all means.”

 

To my proposal, Actorius-sensei bowed his head repeatedly to me like he had found a Buddha in Hell.

Together with our new traveling companion, we continued moving towards the meeting place.

By the way, Actorius-sensei seems to be curious about Tirnanog.

It seems that he has finally noticed the strange appearance of my companion.

 

“Who is that?”

“He is my servant. Because it’s dangerous for me to be walking around the town alone.”

 

Increasing the thickness of the skin of my face by 40%, I evaded the question with a smile.

Recently, I feel like I can tell a lie with a composed expression.

Actorius-sensei nodded with a look as if he was convinced.

 

“He looks very strong.”

“Yes, he is a very reliable servant.”

“So that’s how it is~”

 

With only this explanation, Actorius-sensei showed a look that didn’t contain a shred of doubt.

That spared me some trouble, but I became worried about him.

 

“Ah, by the way, why are you here in Knot Reed, Erica-sama?”

“I am here with my father for the launching ceremony of the new aircraft carrier.

Since I got a little free time this morning, I’m walking down the street for a society tour.

Why did you come here to Knot Reed, Actorius-sensei?”

 

At my question Actorius-sensei’s expression became a little clouded.

 

“There was some urgent business.

The trader who was doing construction near Knot Reed found something that seems to be an archaeological site.

Since there was a strong magic reaction in that ruins, the investigation team was sent from Lindis in a hurry……”

“Is there any problem with the investigation team?”

“The document I happened to have been inspecting contained important statements about the ruins.

I hurried here in haste to warn them that there is a possibility of an unexpected accident occurring at this rate.

It is faster to do the required paperwork by adding one person rather than forming an additional investigation team after all.”

 

This!

Finally, some information about a suspicious ruin has emerged.

There should be a monstro in that ruin that might kill me in six years.

 

“Is it a ruin where a dangerous phantom beast is being sealed?”

“No, no, it’s rather a ruin of magical equipment for military use.”

“For military……?”

 

Oops, is it not like what I thought?

However, this is my first time hearing that there is a military ruin in this city.

 

“According to the literature, there seems to be a possibility that there are large-scale destructive weapons from about six hundred years ago.

It’s very dangerous since that was before each country’s Law of War was enacted.”

 

〈Law of War〉 is the law stipulated in the Federal Kingdom that all organizations should obey even in extreme conditions such as war.

Large-scale environmental destruction, genocide, assassination, brainwashing, torture, etc. are the main prohibitions.

 

“So you came to tell the investigation team that.”

“Yes, if I don’t convey this to the people of the investigation team, bad things can happen.

The group of initial investigators mainly consists of alchemists.

If the description of the literature is correct, the power of a mage should also be needed.”

 

Actorius-sensei fixed his misaligned glasses by himself and stared towards the mountain area.

Ooh, when he looks like this, he is quite a dignified person.

 

“Especially so because at the launching ceremony, important people from the neighboring areas will gather.”

“Oh, that’s certainly dangerous.”

 

Indeed, the timing is bad now.

In the launching ceremony, not only influential people from the neighboring areas, but also nobility and royalty from Ignitia will gather.

What kind of catastrophe will happen if a large-scale destruction magic starts up in this place?

Cold chill ran down my spine.

 

“That’s why I need the key to enter that ruins.”

“Is this the key to the transition magic circle?”

“Yes, the ruins are severely blocked so that non-investigators cannot enter.

The transition magic circle to the ruins also needs to be unlocked with keys that incorporate authentication spells.

If you don’t follow the regular procedure, there will be a mechanism to transit you to another safe place.”

 

That is an interesting technology.

The mechanism of branching metastasis is something that I would like to learn.

The application seems to be useful for searching a labyrinth and storage department creation.

 

While we were talking about that, we reached the Goblin Street.

In front of the bridge of goblin and the pickaxe, a redheaded boy with the feeling of readiness was waiting.

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