kscans

Chapter 243 - Episode 29: Middle Part. Analysis of the Ancient Dragon's Eye

"How is it, Alfina-sama?"

"Thank you, Vinaldira. It is a perfect fit."

"Then, with these two pieces in the front and back…"

"It feels a little cool."

I could hear Alfina and Vinaldira’s conversation from behind the folding screen. It seemed Vinaldira was helping Alfina into something like a corset that extended downward. It was dyed with a Magic Catalyst that reflected the purple magic or lowered its wavelength. I say "seemed" because they would not let me see it.

Since it was made of fiber, and covering her entire body would interfere with her control of the purple magic, some leakage was apparently unavoidable. Even so, we needed to protect Alfina from the strong magical wavelengths as much as possible.

"Well, I will be considerate to the extent that I can," Maytyl said, giving me a sidelong glance. I bowed my head and said, "I’m counting on you."

"Will this do, Vinder?"

Noel handed me a memo and a black, dice-sized crystal. It was a Negative Magic Crystal, shaped into a small form. A set of numbers was written on the memo, a distance measured with the precision of a tenth of a millimeter using a Micropipette’s screw mechanism.

"The crimson one is stronger, so this is within our expectations. As for the rest…"

Maytyl said, looking at the memo. Her gaze shifted toward the folding screen.

"Yes, we can’t begin until we see the real thing."

I picked up the Negative Magic Crystal that had been cut into the shape of a die. Just then, Alfina emerged from behind the screen. She would have to face the crystal at least once. Firsthand information is crucial.

◇◇

We came to a place we had hoped never to enter again, the crystal chamber deep within the cathedral.

"I will begin, Ricardo-kun. I will say this just in case. You must not do anything rash," Alfina said, seeing me glare at the crystal.

"...I will not break it without a proper reason."

I pulled back the Negative Magic Crystal in my hand. I was not thinking about how I might be able to neutralize the crystal by sucking all the magic particles out of it. I had brought this small Magic Crystal for a reason. In the first place, we did not even know if the crystal contained magic particles. This experiment was to confirm that.

The other reason was to determine to what extent the protective corset could block the purple magic Alfina was exposed to when she used the crystal.

Honestly, I did not want to do this, but you cannot reduce risk to zero. That is simply ignoring the risk, which is the same as shouldering an infinite amount of it.

Therefore, we had to grasp the risk while the situation was still controllable. I did not want to think about it, but I could not deny the possibility that we might need the crystal’s prophetic power in the future.

Alfina focused her consciousness on the crystal. An ominous purple light rose up. Now that I knew the truth, I could not help but see it as that light, even though I understood the principle was completely different.

I approached the crystal with the Negative Magic Crystal in hand. When I was just a step away, I slowly brought the black cube closer to it.

"What?!"

I immediately sensed an anomaly. A faint light was extending toward my hand. The Negative Magic Crystal began to glow purple. At the same time, the crystal’s light dimmed slightly.

"Ricardo-kun."

Alfina weakened the crystal’s power. I hurriedly pulled the Negative Magic Crystal away. The crystal, which had briefly darkened, immediately regained its light.

"It seems to be all right," Alfina said with a relieved look. The crystal’s functions were apparently unharmed.

We moved to the antechamber next door. Alfina turned her back to me and removed the magic-sensitive plates from her corset.

There was a considerable difference in the Reactivity between the plate affixed to the outside of the corset and the one on the inside. The protection from the Magic Catalyst was effective, but not perfect.

This was data for estimating things like usage time and when to replace the protective cloth. After all, Magic Crystals with stronger effects tend to deteriorate faster.

Next was the basic nature of the prophetic crystal. We confirmed that the crystal, like a Magic Crystal, contained magic particles. This meant that it was essentially the same as a red or crimson Magic Crystal.

But there were differences. We learned that the crystal’s magic particles were extremely powerful. Although Alfina was applying pressure, my hand had been nearly ten centimeters away from the crystal. The distance over which magic particles could flow between it and a Negative Magic Crystal was about two millimeters for a crimson Magic Crystal, and less than one millimeter for a red one.

Still, where was the magic coming from? The crystal had been in use for a long time, though there were many periods where it was merely a formality. Generating purple magic meant the crystal’s magic particles were being excited by magic of a purple or higher level. But that had not been observed. It was conceivable that the magic was being sent along with the information...

I was also concerned about what happened after the magic particles flowed into the Negative Magic Crystal. In the case of a Magic Crystal, not only does the magic disappear, but it becomes impossible to even recharge it. But a moment ago, the crystal’s light had dimmed and then recovered. It was possible it contained such an enormous amount of magic particles that the loss was a negligible error...

Just a brief investigation had revealed all this.

◇◇

"We are re-examining all the data we’ve ignored until now," I said, piling up the ancient legends I had brought from the archives. We had considerably more information on the calamitous magic beasts than when I last looked. Based on that, we would reassess the reliability of our materials, including the parts we had dismissed as fairy tales.

"This legend. I first thought the description of an eight-winged dragon was an exaggeration…"

I pointed to a picture of a dragon flying over a burning city. The last time I saw it, it had looked like nothing more than a city set ablaze by a dragon’s breath. Now I understood the flames were fires caused by lightning strikes. The number of wings was the same. For an insect, it is perfectly normal to have four wings separate from its limbs.

Perhaps fact and symbols of fear had become mixed as the story was passed down.

"Hmm, considering the state of the pair that appeared in the Empire, it is possible this depicts two of them mating. If so, then we cannot ignore this description either."

"Yes. If this description of its color also reflects something... What about the magic wolves?"

"Mmm, as I said before, in the case of the magic wolves, it is certainly…"

Fulsy gave me a lecture on the ecology of magic wolves.

"It connects," I said with a nod.

"We need to verify it. For one, we should request a sample from His Highness the Crown Prince…"

"We must reconfirm the measurement results from the Blood Mountains."

"I see. In that case, we need to consider the investigation we will ask Baron Fabius to conduct."

◇◇

The items I had asked Craig for arrived the next day. He had apparently gathered things that had been displayed as spoils of war. An analysis with the Iris immediately produced results. There was a difference between the two types of Magic Crystals.

"If we apply this to the Magic Insects, the possibilities increase," Fulsy mused.

"But the difference is slight. It is only noticeable now that we have analyzed it like this," Maytyl said.

Maytyl and Fulsy were lost in thought before the results.

"The length of evolutionary time and the environment are different over there," I noted. We did not know when they came here, but on Earth, insects are older than mammals.

"Which means we must also take into account that it was an age with far stronger magic than now," Maytyl added.

"Yes. There is a major oversight in our assumptions about the calamitous Magic Insects. It is safer to think so."

I stated my conclusion. We would leave the rest to on-site observation.

◇◇

Before the castle gate, the army heading north was assembled in full force. I first went to the quartermaster corps at the rear of the knight order. Familiar members stood there in their travel attire.

"I am sorry. I should have been the first one to go."

"Don’t worry about it. We are just going to deliver goods to a valued client," Dalgan said. He told me that Kenwell was away loading grain onto a carriage, and that Plural would be going with the next unit.

"Even Rilka."

"...I am the same. I cannot let Alfina-sama be the only one in danger. However, I will be angry if you push Mia too hard. Also, Vinder, no matter how worried you are, you must not overdo it. And Sherry, and Vinaldira, and…"

"Y, yes. I will be careful."

Even though she was the one heading to a dangerous place first, Rilka’s mouth was filled only with the names of her friends.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

I moved to the front of the column. The knights parted at once to make way. I called out to Craig, who was alone on his Horse-Dragon.

"‘Your Highness the Crown Prince’ is so formal, little brother," he said.

"Please, at least call me your sister-in-law’s fiancé. I should mention that even if I marry Alfina, you will still be the Crown Prince, Your Highness."

"How cold. ...So, it is about that matter."

Craig dismounted his Horse-Dragon and lowered his voice.

"Yes, these are the possibilities I have considered."

I handed Craig a piece of paper. On it were the things I wanted him to tell Fabius, points to be careful about regarding the magical reactions in the Blood Mountains.

The problem was the countermeasures. At most, not even a month remained until the early summer foretold by the prophecy.