◈ Episode 43. A Sword, After So Long (3)
Only a moment passed as I savored my tea and checked the appraisal results.
Click—I set down the teacup.
To state the core of it first, it was like this.
“What a pity.”
For now, it seemed even the Magic Tower had no method to lower an item’s level restriction.[Vampire Count’s Orb][Grade: Unique][Restriction: Lv.400][Effect: On attack, has a high chance to apply additional damage.][Description: An orb filled with a vampire’s blood. Each time it comes into contact with mana, that blood bursts out and damages the target.]
Additional damage with a high probability on every attack.
I had thought it might be quite compatible with me.‘Magic can be manifested creatively, after all.’To put it bluntly, imagine shattering a single rock into tiny pieces.
Then hurling them at the enemy.
The additional damage effect would be applied to every single little stone.
That meant the damage would be more than doubled.
I had requested the appraisal in the hope that I might at least be able to make use of that effect.‘Level 400 is far too distant a story.’My level was only 226, after all.‘So that’s gone out the window.’Thinking that, my gaze naturally went to the postscript.-[Vampire Count’s Orb]
possesses an effect difficult to find even within the Magic Tower. Since there is reason to question whether that foreign effect is related to a demon’s magic tool, I formally request to borrow [Vampire Count’s Orb]
for the purpose of research.
“A request to borrow it, is it.”
Indeed, demon items were rare.
Moreover, [Vampire Count’s Orb]
was of a high level.
I did not deliberate for long.
Sss—I immediately swept the quill pen across the parchment.
I would accept the request.
Setting aside its immediate effect, it was an item that did nothing but take up space in my inventory. Above all, the great Magic Tower surely wouldn’t take an item and run off with it.
Besides.
“In all things, there is give and take.”
Yes, give and take.
I needlessly glanced down at the brooch.‘……
I need to have something to say, after all.’If they ever told me to return the hexagram brooch.
Wouldn’t I be able to put it off somehow if I offered [Vampire Count’s Orb]
instead?
Considering the level of magic tools lying around the Magic Tower, there might even be a chance they would simply forget and let it pass.‘It’s my loss, but I’ll endure it until level 400. Magnanimously.’Who knew?
Good research results might come out of it and benefit me as well.
That useless expectation lasted only a moment.
I moved on to the next item.[Pure Emerald Crystal].
As befitting a material item, it seemed it could be crafted according to my requirements.
As expected of the Magic Tower.
Though it had yet to be crafted.
There was an explanation of roughly what kind of effect it would have.
-As a result of appraisal, the granting of the [Restores Health when hit] effect has been confirmed.
Back when Arcana was still a game.
How had the Magic Tower managed to rake in players’ money?
I felt like I understood the reason.‘To think you can know the effect before crafting!’It meant equipment could be crafted suitably around that effect.
There was a reason players spent enormous sums to receive appraisals.
By the way, to think I was using such a high-class service for free.‘It’s not bad, feeling like I’ve made it a little in the world.’Restores Health when hit.
Above all, its versatility was excellent.
It was an effect that did not particularly discriminate by class.‘If I think about reselling it later…….’It would certainly be better to craft it as an [Accessory].
The appraisal results also included a recommendation to craft it as an [Accessory].
Above all, since the level restriction could be adjusted to my level, I could wear it right away.
“There is no need to hesitate over this either.”
Once more, I picked up the quill pen for a moment.
Then I checked the appraisal result for the final item, the one I was most curious about: [Island’s Treasure, Silk Carp-Scale Silk].[Island’s Treasure, Silk Carp-Scale Silk][Grade: Unique][Restriction: None][Effect: Upon crafting, grants the crafted item an increased fire-attribute affinity effect / increased evasion chance effect / Aesthetic stat unlock effect][Description: A silk said to be impossible to exchange even for jewels of the same weight. As it is so rare, no one would dare appraise its value.]
What I wondered about most of all.
Was the [Aesthetic] stat.‘It didn’t come up no matter how much I searched the internet.’Even so, wouldn’t the Magic Tower know?
But the result was unexpected.
“Hmm.”……
Even the Magic Tower did not know?
The parchment clearly stated, “an unknown ability that has yet to be confirmed.”
As befitting the Magic Tower, which explored the unknown and the truth.
Just like with [Vampire Count’s Orb],
a postscript had been added.
Needless to say, it was a courteous request to borrow it.
Yes, of course they would be curious.
An unknown ability.
They would only be satisfied after confirming the effects of [Aesthetic].
However.
“Regrettable.”
I can’t yield on this one either.‘This one isn’t for research purposes, but for survival……!’Of course, the lower the level restriction, the lower the absolute performance of the equipment would be as well.
But was I in any position to be picky about cold rice or hot rice?
Whatever the material.
If it helped even a little, my reality was that I had to craft it and use it.
And above all, Granfell’s aesthetic eye.
“I have already decided where to use it.”
His lofty sense of discernment had already had in mind, from the very beginning, what to make with this scale silk. Soon, my gaze turned toward the empty pocket of my jacket.
Scratch, scratch—I ultimately wrote my reply on the parchment.──────[Vampire Count’s Orb]
- Loan[Pure Emerald Crystal]
- Craft accessory[Island’s Treasure, Silk Carp-Scale Silk]
- Craft handkerchief──────A handkerchief.‘……
I really never would have imagined it myself.’A handkerchief, of all things.
In any case, it was an item that could satisfy both formality and aesthetic sense at once. And if I could even secure some decent effects on top of that, all the better.‘Well, you won’t know until you open the lid, right?’The effect of the [Aesthetic] stat.
That was not up to me.
What I could do.
Was merely add a few words as a postscript.
-Regardless of cost, I want the finest result.
Scratch, scratch—Very much like me.
-I expect the Magic Tower’s capabilities to....……
By the way, I had thought something felt missing.
Matisse Dean Karl!
I had forgotten the message from that senior mage.
Belatedly, I checked its contents.
Good grief.If he had thrown me something to prove myself with, like [The Sage’s Pastime], my mind would at least have been at ease. But this was nothing more than a simple request, was it not?-……
I will be waiting in the Floating Garden.
Of course, I did not know his face, our relationship, or his business.
But broadly speaking, weren’t we colleagues at the same workplace?
Strictly speaking, I was a non-regular temporary employee, but still.‘Is he still waiting?’Not only had I failed to go to the meeting place, I had left his internal message on read.‘Wait, if it’s the Floating Garden…….’It was a space that could be called the Magic Tower’s social hall.
Finding it wouldn’t be difficult.
Among the books arranged in the laboratory, there were also books on the structure of the Magic Tower.
Of course, I had obtained the prior knowledge that it was a social hall from there as well.
However.
I remained seated at my desk without moving an inch.
In any case, this damn temperament that valued formality and procedure!
There was no such thing as flexibility within it.
If it was not a mutually agreed-upon appointment, even if the other party was a colleague.
Even if he had been waiting at the meeting place for a long time.
There was no reason to meet him.
I thought once more.‘No matter how I think about it…….’Quitting my job had been a stroke of genius!
Saying I could not comply with the given instructions.
I imagined myself snapping back at my superior.
And with silver hair on top of that.‘……
It’s horrifying just to imagine.’I felt sorry for Matisse, who might be waiting, but it couldn’t be helped.
That this stubbornness would not bend.
I knew that well from experience.
Refusing interviews, for example.
Or telling players to receive etiquette lessons first.
If I started talking about that experience, there would be no end to it…….
-That would be difficult.
That was it.
A mere four words.
That was my reply.
But letters immediately appeared on the parchment.
-Then would tomorrow afternoon be all right?
It was a knife-like reply, as though the rejection was not even in his mind.
At this point, I began to wonder what his purpose was.
A senior mage would surely nitpick my qualifications.
I lifted the quill pen.
-That, too, would be difficult.
However, that too was difficult.
In the afternoon, I had a prior engagement.
In other words, swordsmanship training was scheduled.
Once again, I conveyed my intention to refuse.
Yet an immediate answer came back this time as well.
-Then what about the morning of the day after that?……
At this rate, wasn’t this no different from the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage?
I could understand a little why Zhuge Liang’s heart had been moved.
Of course, Granfell’s stubbornness was incomparably more obstinate than Zhuge Liang’s.
The reason I agreed was not because I had been moved by sincerity or anything of the sort; it was simply because the appointment time had changed to morning.‘Because I’m at the Magic Tower in the morning anyway.’Somehow, it felt as though the positions of superior and subordinate had been reversed.
I opened my mouth as if it were only natural.
“If it is in the morning, I can meet him.”……
Yes, I’m so very great. Truly.*Grip—I tried holding the sword.
Swish—I tried swinging the sword.
I repeated that series of actions.‘Damn Demon Hunter.’Unfortunately, simply repeating an action did not generate a [Skill].
In Arcana, skills were something like the exclusive property of each class.‘They aren’t things you can obtain just by working hard.’Even if it wasn’t necessarily a class-unique skill.
It meant that skills from other class lines generally could not be learned.
However, I knew.
Something that could not be explained by skills.
That there existed another “something.”『Magic』 was one of those somethings.
And.
Apparently, this 『Sword Aura』 also seemed to be one of them.
Woooong—I looked at the light emanating from the sword.
My prediction had been right on the mark.
“It will not be easy, but think of becoming one with the sword.”
There was no understanding or profound enlightenment there.
“You are the sword, and the sword is you…… Ah?!”
Just like magic, it was an intuitive acquisition.
By merely watching and imitating.
I had been able to emit Sword Aura as well.
Harkon could not hide his astonishment.
“……
No, surely not! I never thought it would truly be possible!”
Of course, my Sword Aura was shabby to a degree that could not be compared to Harkon’s.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say it was faint.
Even compared to Yesica and Enok, it was pitiful.
“Sir Hoyeol, do you know how incredible this is!”
Harkon was visibly excited.
But even if he had not expressed it like that, I could feel it to some extent myself. After all, I was experiencing with my own body just how extraordinary Sword Aura was.‘……
I think I understand why he emphasized stamina.’Had he said one would be swung around by Sword Aura?
Truly, I could understand those words completely.
It felt as though my stamina was being carved away in chunks……!
Simply emitting Sword Aura was enough to send sweat running down my back.
As a bonus, I could feel fatigue accumulating in my body in real time.
I became aware of reality anew.‘It’s no different from skipping the intermediate process.’Sword Aura.
Surely it was a realm close to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
I had, so to speak, poured that realm into a bottomless jar.
It was only natural that my stamina, or whatever else, would be consumed severely.
On top of that, consider my level.
Only level 226.
Leaving Harkon aside, there was an enormous gap even compared to level 430 Yesica and level 400 Enok.
The difference in strength and agility?
There was no need to say more.
After all, I had been all-in on putting my points into mana until now.
Even so, I did not complain.
As for a way to make up for that deficiency.
I already knew it.‘……
The class quest!’It was a perfect solution that would supplement stamina, strength, and agility all at once.
So I did not let it show.
As I withdrew the Sword Aura, I shamelessly said,
“The sunlight is especially warm today.”
I used the weather as an excuse to wipe away the cold sweat.……
If you’re going to struggle, struggling this brazenly is a talent in itself.
Harkon’s fuss did not easily come to an end.
“I have been certain of it for some time, but only today can I say it with confidence. Sir Hoyeol! You must walk the path of the sword. What are five fingers? At the very least, on the continent, you would be among the top three……!”
After rambling on for quite some time, Harkon said,
“In effect, it would not be wrong to say that I have nothing left to teach.”
Wait, what does that mean?
It hasn’t even been that many days, so what do you mean it’s already over!
Where else am I supposed to find a teacher like Harkon?‘There’s still so much to squeeze out……. No, so much to learn!’Putting aside whether I had acquired Sword Aura or not, I felt vaguely wronged.
If I could, I wanted to show him my cracked, bottomless jar.
Fortunately, there was no need to go that far.
“From now on, it is the stage of realizing things in actual combat.”
“Actual combat.”
“That is right! And as it happens, there could be no better environment than this. The Yusra Kingdom has monsters overflowing around it. On a battlefield where life and death cross, Sword Aura grows deeper and takes on its own unique color.”
Aha, so that was what he meant.
Then there was no need to feel regret for no reason.
As it happened, I had been curious myself.‘When the natural enemy relationship does not activate.’Just how much combat power did I have?
Honestly, I did not expect much.
Above all, I knew my place.
I knew my class well.
Demon Hunter.
When not hunting demons.
A class that showed performance as though a few screws had gone missing.
But.‘……
Huh?’Thud—!
As I watched the monster collapse, I thought.
This is more than I expected.