Come to think of it, it was an absurd story.
A room for traitors.
And not just anywhere, but in the heart of the cathedral that despised traitors above all else?
An archaeologist well-versed in this world’s history would react in one of two extremes, depending on their disposition.
They’d show immense interest.
Or dismiss it as utter nonsense.
But Iris was the current head of the Schnifelt family, which had preserved a thousand years of history fairly well, and she remembered even the histories completely forgotten among outsiders.
“Unlike the other three cathedrals, the Sun Cathedral is deeply intertwined with the traitors.”
“…Deeply connected to the traitors? You mean the Dragon God followers?”
“This is your first time hearing it, right, Resha? Don’t go telling anyone about what happened today. If the elders hear I told something like this to a son-in-law, they’ll hassle me again.”
Creak—
The secret door opened.
Soon, stairs leading underground were revealed.
Iris advanced without hesitation.
As Iris led and Regenshauer followed, the magic lamps on the walls lit up with each step.
Wiing!
“Well… even so, the family’s history books are full of abstract expressions just to escape the scope of ‘record erasure.’ So I don’t know the details either.”
Among the highest-level yang magics recorded in the Dragon God Scriptures, there was a spell called Record Counter.
Infinite range.
Infinite duration.
The spell’s effect was that “any records the user does not wish to leave are completely erased, regardless of the medium.”
It was such an outrageous magic that the various magic towers of the Prima Continent, upon learning of it, assumed its capabilities were greatly exaggerated or treated it as a fictional spell altogether.
But Record Counter undeniably existed, and even now, with the Dragon God hidden away, it exerted a worldwide influence.
Of course, there were loopholes.
Like the Schnifelt family’s ancestors, mixing in roundabout or abstract expressions in chunks could escape the record erasure’s scope. The problem was that such twisted and convoluted records would appear as utterly meaningless scribbles to later descendants.
Thanks to that, by the current generation, 80% of the records stored on Winter Dew Island were undecipherable.
“Does it sound like grasping at clouds?”
Iris shrugged.
It meant she wanted to change the topic.
Regenshauer spoke.
“Come to think of it, that boy who stole the Flame Dragon Scale from you seems to be named Aiden.”
“Hm. Aiden, huh….”
Iris furrowed her brow at the name.
He was quite an irritating opponent, but with him having fled outside the barrier, there was no particular way to deal with him.
Moreover, to minimize damage from heavenly punishment, she and all her kin would have to lie low on Winter Dew Island for the next two to three years.
Iris turned her gaze.
Secret Numbering Counter (S)
-Number of personnel to process for secrecy maintenance: 2 people
“More importantly, the counter shows two remaining. The other one was Aiden’s companion, right?”
“Yeah. A female mage around his age. She used First-Void.”
“Pfft! Resha, your jokes have improved?”
……!!
Regenshauer just looked at her silently.
It wasn’t a joking attitude.
Iris, who had been giggling, sensed this and hardened her expression.
“…For real?”
“Does it sound like a joke?”
Entry into Void required dominance over all kinds of elements. Without an elemental affinity anomalous constitution, no matter how perfectly one knew the theory, they’d remain at ‘Zero’ for life.
Among those unconnected to the Schnifelt family, the number who could reach ‘First’ was… well, even on a vast continent, Iris thought it wouldn’t exceed twenty.
Thus, just the fact that a young girl used Void narrowed down her origins considerably.
“…Wavy platinum blonde hair, purple eyes, central features? Probably from the Lacruze family of the Wibler Empire? I heard they started research similar to our family’s about 200 years ago, collecting children with anomalous constitutions.”
Suddenly, the two stopped their chatter.
They had finally reached the end of the underground chamber.
There, a metal plate about 40 cm long hung on the wall.
It was a metal tinged with red.
This was called Meteor Gold.
Also known by the alias Devil Stone, this metal supposedly arrived from outer space one day, embedded in a large rock. According to records, no similar metal could be found in any mine across the Prima, Ciencia, or Omnismo Continents, making it a fairly credible story.
The true value of Meteor Gold lay in the fact that several of the Dragon God’s powerful authorities, including World Resonance (EX), didn’t work on it. As a substance not originating from this land, even the Dragon God couldn’t block attacks using Meteor Gold.
“According to family oral tradition, that Dragon Slaying Sword was made from this material too.”
And if records were engraved by carving into Meteor Gold, they were hardly affected by Record Counter. This metal plate meant truth could be recorded without mixing in abstract expressions.
Iris’s gaze followed the inscription on the plate.
「To you in the future, who has become a sword.
Despite your holy sacrifice, the plot failed.
To truly end the dragon’s era, you must convince the remaining three priestesses.
Even through horrific pain over long years, do not forget your noble and upright past self.
Remember your mission.
To my dear Plebelziam.
Your friend, Avnil.」
After reading the short inscription, Iris blinked.
Her vertically slit pupils had returned to human ones, and tears flowed from her eyes.
Regenshauer narrowed his eyes.
It was his first time seeing her tears.
“…Are you okay?”
“It’s just the Schnifelt blood reacting. Let’s go.”
Iris wiped her tears blankly and muttered.
Soon, the two left the underground chamber with the metal plate.
“It hurts…”
Chesa, held in my arms, let out a pain-filled groan.
With her Analysis Mana Eye (A), she had gained immense inspiration from seeing Iris Schnifelt’s Third-Void and Second-Void.
The moment she saw the complete Void.
The path ahead must have become crystal clear.
And in the moment my life was in danger, she achieved the feat of manifesting the void sphere.
But the cost was quite painful.
Her fingers on both hands were blackened from the aftereffects of forcibly using First-Void.
This wasn’t a simple burn or poison.
It was a phenomenon called yin mana erosion.
Void was a spell that condensed various elements together, like a bomb in metaphor.
Thus, if mana control slipped even slightly while handling the void sphere, this side effect occurred.
I had warned her multiple times about the side effects, but during the clash with Regenshauer, she apparently had no time to worry about that.
It was a bit touching.
“To heal this, we’d need at least an archbishop-level priest.”
In the Bolleda Kingdom, there was only one archbishop-level priest in the capital, and their schedule would be packed tight with treating high-ranking folks.
Returning quickly to Elanore and getting treatment from Clara would be faster.
“Can you hold out until then?”
“Yeah….”
Chesa nodded firmly, sweating coldly all over.
We rented a carriage and traveled for about ten days.
Right after arriving in Elanore.
Clara, who came to greet us, was extremely shocked upon seeing Chesa’s state.
“Oh my! What on earth did you do to come back like this?”
“It’s a long story, so could you heal her first?”
“That makes sense.”
Phoibos Bless
Chesa’s blackened fingers instantly returned to a fair color.
As I’ve said repeatedly, yang magic was strongly influenced not only by [Mana] but also by [Divinity] values.
Clara’s healing magic, bolstered greatly by her Dragon Priestess (S+) trait for casting yang magic, surpassed even the Pope of the Life Church.
Chesa, who had been sleeping fitfully for days due to the finger pain, fell into a faint-like sleep the moment treatment ended. After laying her in the bedroom, I came out with Clara.
“Follow me for a bit?”
It was time to have a harsh conversation.
I summarized what happened at the Sun Cathedral and explained it to Clara.
I glossed over things like Tanya resenting her just before death or the frown-inducing level of torture… but I still told the facts as they were.
Clara was dazed for a while before replying.
“I see.”
Muttering that, she accepted Tanya’s keepsake pendant, then returned to her private room with unsteady steps.
“…Time will heal it.”
She’s still young, so I’m worried, but she has a sturdy mentality.
She won’t collapse until she uncovers the truth behind her friend’s death.
[Achievement Points: 10,200p]
- Random Bronze Card: 10p
└Consumable Draw/Trait Draw/Skill Draw
- Random Silver Card: 100p
└Consumable Draw/Trait Draw/Skill Draw
- Random Gold Card: 1,000p
└Consumable Draw/Trait Draw/Skill Draw
Quite a lot accumulated.
It was still before leaving the Stroke Principality. Back then, with the selective draw, I had acquired Tranquil Heart Method (A) last.
[Random Gold Card]
B-grade 80%
A-grade 18%
S-grade 2%
The grade probabilities for Gold Cards were quite pleasing. Statistically, every five draws would yield at least an A-grade or higher reward.
“…But as expected, EX-grade doesn’t come from Gold either. I hoped just in case.”
If the jackpot hit and something like Sword God (EX) came out, even at my current potential level, I could run rampant across the Prima Continent.
Still, minimum B-grade was highly satisfying.
I used 5,000p for trait draws.
[You have obtained the Spirit Affinity · Strong (A) trait!]
[The lower compatible Spirit Affinity · Weak (C) trait is merged. Effect slightly increases.]
[You have obtained the Mana Eye (B) trait!]
[You have obtained the Dexterity (B) trait!]
[You have obtained the Culinary Genius (B) trait!]
[You have obtained the Great Educator (S) trait!]
“G-Great Educator…”
One S came out, but it wasn’t the type that directly helped in combat.
Seeing this trait reminded me of a talent I needed to recruit for the clan. Unlike the prospects I’d gathered so far, this one was quite elderly.
To grow the kids faster than in the original, we needed someone with abundant talent to take on the mentor role.
Me?
I don’t have time to leisurely teach other kids. I have to be out in the field collecting MacGuffins myself.
With an educator-type trait, I could grow Chesa, the sharer of Firebird (S-), more efficiently.
Culinary Genius (B) aside, traits like Mana Eye (B) and Dexterity (B) were ones you couldn’t lose with. But honestly, the core of this trait draw was Spirit Affinity · Strong (A).
I had even considered funneling selective draws into getting an A-grade or higher spirit-type trait if needed.
I absolutely had to acquire a high spirit trait.
Fortunately, it didn’t come to that.
[Achievement Points: 5,200p]
And there were still points left for five more Gold Card draws.
Traits or skills…
For selective draws, namely consumables, there was no merit left. I’d already gotten the A-grades I desperately wanted: Reverse Veins, Tranquil Heart Method, Spirit Affinity.
There probably wouldn’t be any tough battles until the kingdom’s civil war started. So I could leisurely ponder what to draw while going along.
I headed to the training ground.
Kang!
“You’re pretty good, kid!”
“Master Lindal too!!”
Arent was instructing Epio through practice sparring. I stood in the corner and watched the two until their spar ended.
Was it the power of Great Educator (S)?
How to instruct Epio, who had lower level and skill proficiency than me, was vividly pictured in my mind.
…Hm, that’s not why I came.
“Master Lindal, Epio.”
“Oh, Sub-Master. Good to see you.”
“Aiden? You’re finally back!”
I ruffled the kid’s hair as he waved happily and said.
“You two will have to join the next journey.”
[What trivial thing are you trying to use me for this time?]
“Trivial…? I’m heading to the village where the descendant of the craftsman who made your sword body lives, Plebelziam.”
[…What!?]