kscans

Chapter 22 - A Clue to the Staves

"This is the underground storeroom. There's a magic circle on it to keep people out, so I'll undo it now."

Iz led us to a heavy door, reminiscent of the one to the Throne Room. A purple magic circle was spread across its surface. I don't know much about magic, but I could tell this was quite advanced.

"...Open, door. Openia!"

As Iz chanted the spell, the magic circle vanished, and the door opened on its own. The storeroom was cavernous, large enough to hold dozens of adults.

"It's pretty spacious in here. This is quite an impressive storeroom."

"We sometimes use it for magic training, so they made sure it was large enough."

"Could those be the staves in question?"

Militar pointed to a pedestal in the center of the storeroom. Several staves were placed upon it.

"Yes, those are the staves that have been tormenting the students. There were more, but they seem to be of poor construction, and several broke when the Dark Magic went out of control."

"I see. It's common for things to break when they can't withstand the magic."

"Only these three have kept their shape. I apologize for the small number of samples."

"No, no, it's more than enough."

We approached cautiously. There were three staves in total. At the end of each wooden handle was a metal ornament. One had a geometric design, another looked like a splash of water, and the third was shaped like a coiling dragon. Though the decorative designs were slightly different, their similar artistic sense told me they were likely crafted in the same smithy. Just like Iz's, a large jewel was set within each ornament. But every one of them was transparent, like an empty shell.

"The staves seem to have exhausted their power. I can't feel any trace of Dark Magic. However, please be very careful. I will prepare to deploy a defensive barrier just in case."

"Sensei, just to be safe, I'll also ready myself for immediate combat."

Beside me, Iz and Militar entered a combat stance. It was reassuring to have them here in case the Dark Magic did go wild.

"Alright, let's get started."

"Dareth-sama, we're counting on you."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to find some kind of clue."

These staves had harmed Iz's precious students. We couldn't let there be any more victims. First, I would remove the ornaments one by one. Their intricate designs might hold a trace of the creator's quirks. Holding the ornaments up to the light, I saw a pattern like dragon scales emerge on each one. When I saw that, my heart suddenly went dokiri.

"This is incredible... The ornaments are made with Dragenium Ore."

"What... I can't believe it was such a high-rank material... I'm ashamed to say I couldn't tell."

"They used quite a rare ore, didn't they."

It was no wonder the two of them were surprised. Dragenium Ore possessed the extremely rare and powerful effect of amplifying imbued magic. Armor made from it could repel an S-rank dragon's breath, and a sword could pierce its tough scales with ease. Its rarity combined with its powerful effect naturally made it an S-rank material. However...

"The only mines where this can be found should be in the Demon Race's territory... How did they get their hands on it. And enough to make such large ornaments, no less."

"Even the national army should only have a few pieces under their management."

It was a potent ore, but the means of acquiring it were extremely limited. There were no mines for it on the continent where humans lived. For us to obtain it, we would have to go into the Demon Race's territory to mine it, or happen to retrieve it from a monster carrying it.

Iz murmured under her breath.

"This feels even more sinister now..."

"Indeed..."

"I agree..."

The circulation of staves sealed with Dark Magic powerful enough to harm students. And those staves were made with an ore that should only exist in the Demon Race's territory. Though the full picture was still unclear, it seemed like there was a malevolent organization behind us.

"...Next, let's look at the metalworking technique. A blacksmith's characteristics are most apparent in their technique, after all."

"Please, Sensei (Dareth-sama)."

Before me were three types of ornaments. Geometric, water splash, and dragon... All of them were delicately crafted and showed an extremely high level of skill. Even as a fellow blacksmith, I had to admit the creator had considerable talent. As expected, there was no name engraved.

"...Hm?"

As I compared them, I found a spot that caught my eye.

"What is it, Sensei?"

"Take a look at this, you two."

I showed Militar and Iz the back of the geometric ornament, a part of the water splash, and the base of the dragon's wing.

"Can you see how the surface on each one is a little cloudy?"

"Now that you mention it, yes..."

"But isn't this just a stain?"

Each ornament had a small, swirling blackish mark.

"This black mark is the aftereffect of the blacksmith's magic. The more difficult or concentration-intensive the work, the more magic is naturally released from the body. That aftereffect can sometimes appear on the product as a black mark."

Dragenium Ore in particular won't melt properly unless it's heated while being imbued with magic, and it's difficult to work with. The creator probably knew about the aftereffect, but they likely didn't have the luxury to pay attention to it. There were several other places where it looked like they had tried to remove the marks. They must have forgotten to erase a few of them.

"In that case, Dareth-sama, let's investigate this mark at once. We might be able to identify the blacksmith."

"Yeah... I hate to pour cold water on it, but that'll be tough. It's just an aftereffect, truly nothing more than a faint remnant. Especially one this small."

"I... see."

When I told her, Iz's shoulders slumped. I quickly added an explanation.

"D, don't look so down, Iz. There's still plenty of hope."

"...Hope?"

"Yeah. The shape and color of the magic's aftereffect reveal a blacksmith's characteristics. Black isn't that uncommon, but a spiral shape is something you don't see often."

"Th, then..."

"If there's a shop selling products with a spiral mark, there's a good chance they're connected."

Brightness returned to Iz's face.

"My guess is that the same smithy made these staves. Gathering this much Dragenium Ore must be incredibly difficult, even with a private route."

"I agree with Sensei. At the very least, it feels like a group is involved."

"What's more, a facility capable of processing Dragenium Ore... would have to be quite well-established."

"Thank you... Dareth-sama. I can see a glimmer of hope now."

Iz squeezed my hand, a relieved smile on her face.

"It's nothing special. The blacksmith who made these staves is a veteran. They've probably been smithing for many years. Let's start by checking the blacksmiths in the area."

""Yes!""

It was a small lead, but we'd managed to find a clue. However, what happened next depended on our efforts.

Don't let your guard down, Dareth.

With that renewed determination, we left the underground storeroom.