Chapter 528 - Chapter 1: Effects of the Black Stone 2
After seeing off the lighthouse keeper, who flew off on Beatrix's bowl with his dog, looking delighted perhaps because he was bathed in Light, we immediately began the experiment.
There are five First King series. They are all ultra-high-level due to the Black Stone effect.
I wondered what we would do first, and as expected, it's a wall of Light versus Megiddo Fire.
I am also an ultra-high-level magic-user. Even if I'm not as good as Harrison-san, wouldn't Magic Reflection be enough?
"Um—, does this have anything to do with evil spirit extermination?"
If the opponents are evil spirits, Overflow or an eight-shot volley should be more effective than Megiddo Fire.
"We won't use it for evil spirit extermination. It's a check of magic ability."
In short, isn't it just a hobby?
However, a hobby is quite a thing, as I found out various things.
As for the method, Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san take turns releasing Prominence, and Harrison-san strengthens it. The target is me, who created a wall of Light in front of my eyes. I thought I might burn to death if I failed, but Phillips-sama will apparently deploy Magic Reflection in front of the wall to repel it. Phillips-sama has a track record of repelling it even in the Demon Lord subjugation battle.
When the dragon's neck released by Eleanor-sama came flying, shining white, it was certainly scary, but since Phillips-sama repelled it without incident, nothing happened. In short, it's a loss for Light.
Eleanor-sama's fist pump is somewhat irritating.
In the second battle, I deployed three and they were broken through. Megiddo Fire is more powerful than a Dragonewt's Prominence. Eleanor-sama is giving a fist pump as if showing off.
In the third battle, I had Harris-sama strengthen it. Harris-sama became exhausted, but I successfully repelled it.
"I did it!"
I jumped up in joy. I finally won!
"It finally took two people. It's quite tough."
It's Harris-sama. His breathing is heavy.
After that, while taking a break, I received Wilson-san's Cocytus in collaboration with Eleanor-sama's Wind Barrier. Although it wasn't broken through, because the pressure couldn't be suppressed, the place where the ice pillar hit was greatly dented. At a glance, it only looks as if the ice pillar had pierced it. It didn't change much even if Harrison-san strengthened it. However, perhaps because my magic control improved, the distance the entire wall was pushed back became shorter.
If so, I try changing the shape. When I tried making a shape like the top half of a semicircle as I did in Morandine, I was able to bounce it off without it denting much. When I made the angle of the arc smaller and made the slope steeper, it became better. Furthermore, when I made a shape that was an ellipsoid, or rather, a shape that had a slope not only on the top but also on the left and right, it became even better. This was the same whether the magic released was Testament, Maelstrom, or even stones thrown with Clump Stone.
Also, I noticed something. I found that the magic repelled by Light had a longer flying distance and higher power than the magic repelled by Magic Reflection.
"It dented as if an ice pillar had pierced it. Perhaps it is also absorbing magic to some extent."
Those are Phillips-sama's words, but to be honest, I didn't really understand.
After magic, physical attacks are the opponent.
I was fine with Will's punching and kicking with Defend and Increase Defense applied. When I was body-slammed, I went back a little, but it didn't dent. I was fine with Henry-sama's silver sword, Will's silver spear, and Bonnie's silver arrowheads. Eleanor-sama hit me with round stones from a short distance using a small catapult that was in the basement of the lighthouse, and it dented a little but was fine. As long as it's not a great pressure like when magic is used, it doesn't budge.
At Eleanor-sama's suggestion, I made it hemispherical and covered the ground with it, and while inside, I received lightning magic starting from Energy Bolt in order from beginner level. In the end, I was hit by Wilson-san's Cumulonimbus, but I was safe, with only the surroundings being scorched. I was quite scared, so it wasn't good for my mental state, though.
"In a sense, it's the strongest wall."
Eleanor-sama says so. Is that so? The mid-level Magic Reflection can be used in succession, and once deployed, it lasts for two hours and other magic can be used. If an ultra-high-level magic-user uses it, they can even repel Megiddo Fire.
"Magic Reflection only allows holy magic to pass through from the inside, right? But the wall of Light allows any magic to pass through. Besides, the wall itself emits light, so it keeps away things like monsters."
I see. That might be so. The simple barriers used by the Headmistress or Phillips-sama are up to D-rank, and even those below D-rank approach. Of course, if you use Camouflage, Mute, and Magic Reflection together, you won't be found.
"Jeanne, do you know the difference between iron and steel?"
I've asked Matilda before. What is refined from ore is iron, and what is made by heating that iron until it's red-hot and hammering it out is steel.
"That's right. Iron is sufficiently hard, but it's brittle and breaks easily. Steel bends but doesn't break. You know which one is superior in weapons, armor, and farm tools, right?"
I see. It's better to bend to some extent.
Leaving the difference between iron and steel to Matilda, as a result of a series of Light tests, it seems I've ended up going to Primordia. In other words, it seems I passed.
"Please fly many Fireflies and make it so that evil spirits cannot easily approach. In the meantime, Harrison and Phillips will complete the barrier."
Fireflies... Um, the thing we used in the test was a wall, right?
"E-Eh, that's right. In short, I wanted to see the degree of strengthening of the light magic. In case of emergency, please surround the area using the wall and protect everyone."
Somehow, the feeling of forced consistency is strong.
After the Light test was over, we went fishing for a break.
There is a second magic circle in the basement of the lighthouse, and when you jump with it, you arrive at a basement at the bottom of the cliff. The basement leads to a cave connected to the sea when you go down the stairs. In the middle of the cave, it's like a waterway, and the seawater that has entered is waving. Since one end of the waterway is a passage, when you walk along, you come out to a rocky shore. It must be right under the lighthouse. Except for days when the sea is rough, when it's calm, you can do rock fishing from there.
"It looks like the fort on Wyvern Island."
The cave where I was when I was kidnapped. There were seals there. They occasionally come to this cape too. However, they aren't used to humans and apparently run away immediately. It's a pity I couldn't see them.
"Yeah, I made it by imitating that fort. However, it's easier to jump using Teleport."
Apparently, there is a passage like a groove on the cliff that you can walk up and down. However, many disabled veterans from the navy are employed as lighthouse keepers, and many of them have disabled limbs. This kind of consideration is as expected.
"I scatter this. Then fish gather, so it's a feeding frenzy."
The lighthouse keeper showed me the chum Edward-sama taught him. Seeing Henry-sama give a light wink, he must have spread the recipe to the navy.
Each person caught one fish, and we grilled them as they were for lunch.
The afternoon session was an experiment with Repellent. It's insect repellent magic. It's best to do it with Keira in a state of possessing a rabbit, but it would be bad if it affected the demon Keira. I wanted to confirm its safety.
First, I fire it toward relatively tall weeds in a field. Aphids that were clinging to the stems fell off in droves. I thought they died, but that wasn't the case. I didn't want to see it, but as a result of looking at them with Sight on myself, I could see what seemed to be body fluids moving inside the transparent bodies of the aphids, which were enlarged in my field of vision. I don't know what the bodies of aphids are like, but they probably have things corresponding to human hearts and blood. In the end, I found that the difference from high-level was only that the paralysis time was longer and the range was wider. When made into insect repellent water, the power and duration also became longer.
The lighthouse keeper said to apply it to the dog too. Apparently, there are fleas and ticks. They bite not only the dog but also humans, and it becomes itchy when bitten.
When I applied it immediately, they fell off in disgusting amounts. It's a shock that these things also cling to humans. The dog itself seemed refreshed and was happy. I'm relieved because he's energetic.
After combing the dog's hair by hand and dropping the insects, I had Beatrix burn them with magic.
"Um, Bishop. If possible, could you apply it to me too? If possible, please do the bed sheets and furs as well."
The lighthouse keeper was also being bitten. It seems to be quite itchy.
We'll stay here for one night tonight. Since it would be terrible if there were fleas in the bed I sleep in, we all put out all the kinds of cloth that seemed to have fleas lurking in them. I also applied it to everyone except Wilson-san.
When I applied it to the lighthouse keeper after having him get naked, they were there as expected.
"My apologies."
The stark naked lighthouse keeper, who is hiding his crotch with his hands, is apologizing to Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama, but it can't be helped.
"We will supply water tanks with Jeanne's insect repellent magic circle to the Uminohara Navy and Naval Infantry. We will tell them to store magic water, so please take the dog and wash him when you rotate out. You should also wash your body with that water."
"Understood."
The moment the lighthouse keeper replied to Eleanor-sama's instructions, the agricultural insect repellent magic water was also decided to be used as a parasite repellent for animals and humans against fleas and ticks. Dogs are quick to notice the approach of enemies, including monsters. There are many dog lovers, and it's fine to have a dog when living alone in a place like a lighthouse. For such reasons, there are usually dogs at forts and bases managed by the Kingdom's army. Even if we supply them in order, quite a number will be needed.
The water tanks with the Repellent magic circle for agricultural insect repellent magic water are being sold by the Marcelo Company. However, because the number of scrolls I make as a side job is small, the price is high, and they haven't permeated much except in the Flatlands. There are even more orders from nobles in Regnentes than within Sertoria. If it's decided that they will be supplied to the forts and garrisons of the Kingdom's army in the future, sales will also grow. Since I've become ultra-high-level, it's not a problem if the number of beginner-level scrolls increases by several, but it might be better to ask the Priestess of Finis soon to make it so that the beginner-level portions of mold repellent and insect repellent are contained in spheres.
The next day, we moved to the Medical Research Institute.
The real deal starts from here.
I call Dune and confirm the effect of the ultra-high-level version of Anti-Sepsis on various patients.
There were diseases it worked on and diseases it didn't, and it didn't work very well on things that hit the chest like a cold. I didn't know where the difference between working and not working lay, but I'd like to clarify it if possible. If I can't find out even after becoming ultra-high-level and having Dune look at it, I can give up and accept it as such.
Lately, patients with Just a Disease are also decreasing. There should be no more critically ill patients among the citizens of the Kingdom of Sertoria. There are mild patients, but since they are bathing in boiled magic water, they will eventually be completely cured. Therefore, lately, we have been taking them in from other countries. It's mainly Morandine. Morandine used to be a hostile country, and it's far from Sertoria, so there are almost no trade routes themselves that are usually used. Most of them go through Medioland or Engrio. To that extent, we are leaving it to the two northern countries. The patients coming to the Medical Research Institute are like having them come for the research of treatment methods, and several are brought by priests dispatched from Morandine. Such patients are mostly moderate patients.
"Bishop Jeanne-sama, you came this month too. Thank you very much, truly."
When I went to the patients from Morandine, the priest who was dispatched together with them came out to meet me. New patients usually come in March, but new dispatched priests also come. They are, of course, experts who have been involved in plague countermeasures since they were in their own country, and they are bishops. Since they are also bishops and moreover belong to a church, they are above me in rank. On top of that, they are older. So it's embarrassing to be addressed with "-sama."
"Jeanne is fine. Also, could you cooperate in an experiment today?"
"I have heard the rumors. That you have become ultra-high-level."
"Yes. It is thanks to the Goddess."
"No, no, it is the Goddess's mercy precisely because of your own efforts."
The patients raised a cheer and were delighted. They are all giving me words of celebration. Since I am a priest, I have to report to the church when my grade goes up. It seems both the staff of the research institute and the patients already knew, and they seem to have been waiting for me to come. Before I knew it, all the priests who had come to the research institute had gathered. They are from all the countries on the White Island, and lately, they are also coming from Sertogne and the Duchy of Harmonia.
"Jeanne. I am sorry, but could you go around each ward before the experiment? The patients want to say a word of celebration for your promotion to ultra-high-level."
When Phillips-sama said that, my eyes got a bit hot. When I looked down, Eleanor-sama hugged me.