kscans

Chapter 59 - Chapter 2: Part One, The Magic Division

Fulsy led Mia and me to a distinctive facility, a spire surrounded by three buildings. Befitting the name ‘Royal Magic Division’, the two front buildings were impressive, but Fulsy beckoned us toward the smallest one in the back.

The stone hallway had an atmosphere that was somewhat reminiscent of the director’s office back at the academy. But...

"Cold!? Is this place okay?"

A drop of water fell from a crack in the ceiling and soaked the crown of my head. Stone buildings certainly aren't known for good ventilation, and moisture can easily build up in some areas. But this felt more like a leak.

"It can’t be helped. The Third Building is in a remote corner, after all."

"Director, I mean, Great Sage. What is your official title in the royal court?"

"Special Honorary Advisor to the Magic Division."

"So it means they’ll respect your honorary title in name only, and you should absolutely not butt in until you’re consulted, right?"

"Well, that’s about right. Incidentally, before the monster flood in the west, there was no ‘special’ or ‘honorary’ attached to it."

Fulsy said it so nonchalantly. I suppose that’s the kind of personality that makes him easy to get along with, but still...

"So, this time you were actually sought out for advice, which is rare."

"Indeed. It seems the new observation post in the west is having trouble with noise. I’m sure they just can’t handle the high precision of the detection paper I developed. The higher the precision, the more delicate the operation becomes. If they have a problem with me, they could just use their connections to the Grand Duchess, the princess, or the Third Prince. The doors to the First Building would probably open for them now. I can’t say what would happen after they open, though."

"That would attract too much attention. Someone like you, Director, is just right. I get it. Anyway, we were in the middle of your explanation of this place. The Magic Division is incredibly secretive, so you can’t get much information from the outside. You’re our only hope, Great Sage."

"Make up your mind whether you’re praising me or putting me down. Honestly, if it weren’t for Mia-kun, I’d throw you out. Now listen, you know that the demand for magic is almost exclusively limited to the Knight Order, correct?"

"I’ve seen it myself, so I understand."

I recalled the knights' luminous armor and weapons. A sword imbued with light that could pierce tough scales. It looked like it could sever an arm with a mere touch. Then there were the knights themselves, moving with ease while clad in full-body armor, and shields that could withstand even a dragon’s attack. Above all, the precision of its construction seemed impossible for this world.

"I thought it was a waste for the Knight Order to monopolize something so useful, but there must be a reason for it."

"That’s right. There are two main reasons why the use of magic is limited. The first is the user’s aptitude. You should be familiar with this."

I had heard that many times. Not only are there few people who can handle magical power, but even those with the aptitude have specialized talents. Alfina and her crystal of prophecy were the prime examples. Fulsy, too, was specialized in detection.

On a side note, qualified users are overwhelmingly from noble families. I’ll have to uncover that secret eventually.

"The other reason is the rarity of magic-reactive materials and sources of magical power. Observation doesn’t consume much magic, but when it comes to swords and armor, vast amounts of materials and magic are required. Conversely, this means they’re useless without magic."

"I’ve experienced half of that for myself."

When I was handed the sword the prince had been swinging around with one hand, my own hand nearly sank into the ground. I was told that for a qualified user, the sword’s weight doubles if magic isn’t flowing through it from a magic crystal, and for an unqualified person, it becomes two or three times heavier still. In other words, a sword they could wield as easily as a plastic bottle felt like a ten-kilogram weight to me.

"Why are you so interested in handling such special items?"

"Well, after watching how the dragon used its magic, I had a few ideas."

If I could apply magic to industry by using it only at key points, it should create immense value...

"And I wanted to see the dragon, too..."

"No, no, that’s not the right reaction. You should be worried about your student who went into the jaws of death. More importantly, let’s talk about materials. I want you to tell me about the ridiculously strong metal used to make those swords."

I was exasperated with Fulsy as he looked at me resentfully.

"I’ll tell you now, if you’re using the prince’s sword as your standard, you’re in for a disappointment. Well, it would be better to have the alchemist I’m about to introduce explain that."

"An alchemist, you say?"

Just as I was about to ask about the number one most suspicious-sounding profession from my old world, the patapata of footsteps came from down the hall.

"Great Sage-sama!!"

A girl in a light brown robe came running toward us, her hood bouncing.

She looked about my age. She had a blue bob cut with tips angled sharply, like sickles. Despite her petite frame and a robe that concealed her figure, I wondered why it was so stimulating to watch her run.

"Ah, Noel. We were just speaking of you."

"To be asked to assist by your personal designation, Great Sage-sama, is an honor."

The mage, or whatever she was, called Noel, looked at Fulsy with eyes full of respect. Then, she turned to face us.

"And what is this commoner? If you needed someone to carry your luggage, you should have just said so..."

Her gaze was like she was looking at an object. Even the temperature of her voice dropped. Surely this isn't the person he's introducing me to.

"Now, now, what a thing to say to my prized apprentice and his assistant."

"Apprentice... Assistant..."

Noel froze when Fulsy chided her. Then she began to tremble.

"But they are commoners. And I sense no aptitude in them whatsoever. With all due respect, Great Sage-sama, you should consider your own station more seriously. You are the star of mages, the very wisdom of the kingdom, who not only established the theory of monster floods but continues to refine it, saving our nation from crisis time and again."

"Did you hear that, Ricardo? This is a proper assessment. It’s not normal to say things like, ‘You should just provide the knowledge,’ the way you do."

The sage stroked his beard proudly. I have no complaints about Fulsy’s reputation, but Mia and I were the ones who helped refine his theories.

"Did he utter such insolence? A commoner, to the Great Sage who was granted the title of baron for subjugating a dragon?"

"Hey, Director. The Magic Division is basically a state-managed guild for mages, and like the knights, most of them come from noble families, right? Is a mere baron really that big of a deal?"

"As usual, you speak without a shred of common sense or awareness of the situation. You’re going to get yourself killed one of these days, no matter how powerful your backers are."

Fulsy sighed. No, the problem is my environment. My sense of these things has been getting fuzzy lately, and I’m genuinely worried about self-preservation.

"Even within the Knight Order, the First, Second, and Third Orders have different standings, do they not? And this is the Third Building. Don’t make me say the rest. Of course, thanks to you shaking things up, a host of new problems have emerged."

Apparently, the Magic Division has its own share of politics. In that case, this was a field where I couldn’t expect much from Fulsy.

"...Anyway. This person, this girl, is the alchemist you’re introducing us to, right?"

I could only hope for her purely technical skills. I confirmed with Fulsy.

"That’s right. Noel is a bit of an oddball, but she has talent. And she’s a good girl who truly understands me."

Apparently, she was technically enrolled at the academy and was the only student who had sought him out with questions after researching his work from his active years. So, she was a classmate who had holed herself up in the Magic Division. Well, in that case, maybe I could have some hope.

"Um, we’re..."

"Don’t you dare talk so freely when you don’t even know what my master is capable of."

"What’s your problem... You seem a bit better than that boy over there... Wait, you’re a commoner too!"

Just as I was about to explain our purpose for being here, Mia snapped at Noel. The two girls glared at each other. That’s rare for Mia. It couldn't be that she's concerned about the disparity in their chest sizes, could it?

"Hold on, hold on. You’re in charge of making and maintaining the knights’ equipment, right? So, you’re basically like a blacksmith exclusive to the Knight Order."

"A b-blacksmith... Do not lump me in with such a barbaric profession!"

I tried to speak in as friendly a tone as possible. But my words made Noel’s eyes go wide. First contact, failed as usual.

Still, a barbaric profession, huh? That might be a standard way of speaking for a noble, but considering our objective today, this was the worst possible start.

"Director."

"What is it?"

"Change, please."

"Give it up. I chose the one I thought would suit you best. In any case, I’m busy. Ask Noel about the rest."

To my surprise, Fulsy turned back toward the entrance.

"Wait, you’re just going to leave this situation as it is?"

"I told you, didn’t I? I have to lend my wisdom to the folks in the Second Building about the western observation post. If not for that, I wouldn’t want to miss something this interesting. Mia, my dear, be sure to tell me all about today’s conversation later."

"You say that like you’re the victim. I was the one trying to hurry you along, and you kept saying your experiment was ‘just a little bit longer.’ Besides that, there’s no way we can have a proper discussion in this situation."

"Hmm, that would be a problem. All right, all right. Noel."

"Yes."

At Fulsy’s call, Noel stood at attention. She really was easy to read.

"I want you to treat these two as my representatives. And what’s more, Mia-kun aside, this one here is far more terrifying than his appearance or position would suggest. Those who oppose him tend to vanish from the main stage one after another... Well, anyway, I’m counting on you."

"Why did you have to add such a menacing introduction? Hey, wait..."

Fulsy gave a slight wave and quickly departed.

"A commoner is the Great Sage’s representative..."

Left behind were a scowling Mia and me, holding my head in my hands before a communication event with an absurdly high difficulty level.