SWNOVELXO Chapter 138 - The Rite of Fire (3)
Zordic smiled upon hearing my request.
“Information requests usually take a long time.”
“But there’s nothing money can’t do. That’s Twilight Trading Company’s motto, isn’t it?”
“That’s right, you know it well. Money is indeed our company’s motto. I was going to tell you that a 2-hour timeframe will incur a hefty surcharge. But is that still okay with you?”
I nodded at his question.
“It doesn’t matter.”
No matter how many branches Twilight Trading Company has in various countries, it takes time to gather information.
But if it’s information they already have, they just need to document it, so it won’t take that long.
There are quite a few dwarf clans that have traded with Twilight Trading Company.
Of course, as expected of the Twilight Trading Company, who are more enthusiastic than anyone else when it comes to taking advantage of their counterparts like delinquent bastards, they would have thoroughly investigated dwarves.
At my answer, Zordic instructed the waiting employees with a glance and said,
“While you’re waiting, how about taking a look at the catalogs? Many rare items have been stocked since your last visit.”
Although he was skilled at hiding his expressions, it was obvious that he was pondering how much he could fleece me.
At the same time, he would be pleased with himself for being a good judge of character.
Whatever it is, if he sells it, it’s an achievement.
Especially if it’s intangible goods like information that don’t disappear even after being sold.
“Oppa, oppa, what do you think about this? I think I can make something fun with this!”
“Look at this! It says it’s a catalyst gem that’s good for spatial magic! Can I take a look?”
Silua and Jade, who were also disguised with magic like me, tugged at my sleeves from both sides and pushed catalogs at me.
“If there’s something you want to buy, go ahead and buy it. We have money. You think I can’t invest that much in you guys?”
At my answer, the two of them looked at me as if they were moved.
Every day, the merchant ships I bought are returning to the port.
I’m probably the richest person in this city.
Come to think of it, I should also buy a gift for Abasael.
Since they even sell the latest magic research papers, should I buy them with this?
By the way, there’s really nothing they don’t sell here.
Zordic took advantage of the opportunity and thoroughly fleeced me.
Thanks to that, boxes of gold coins disappeared.
Of course, that was just a fraction of what I had swindled from Bahamut with cards.
I’ve gathered all the information about the Rite of Fire, so I’ll have to read it slowly.
“But don’t you think you’re overspending?”
At Jade’s question, I grinned.
“Are you saying that while holding the magic book in your hand?”
The new magic book in his hand was also bought with my money.
“Now that I think about it, it seems to have been a wise purchase. Yes, that’s right!”
I haven’t known Jade for a long time, but for some reason, he seems to be getting more shameless by the day.
“It’s dangerous, so don’t read while walking. You too, Silua.”
I snatched the books from the two of them who were focusing on their magic books with fascination.
“Ah! Give it back!”
“Wah! Give it back!”
“You can read it slowly when we get back. What if you bump into a wall like that?”
The two of them protested that it was fine because they were sensing their surroundings with mana waves.
However, when I threatened that I would never buy them magic books again, they pouted and stopped reading while walking.
I don’t know what I’m doing, it’s not like I’m raising kids.
Jade, who had been muttering that he wanted to arrive at the inn quickly and finish reading, suddenly changed his expression to a serious one.
Jade blocked me and Silua, who were about to enter the inn, as if he was tense.
“There’s someone inside who can’t be ignored. They hid quite well, but they don’t seem to be an ordinary skilled person.”
At Jade’s words, I became slightly tense.
I also focused, awakening my senses at his words.
Only then did I feel the presence of a person wrapped in fierce mana waves.
They certainly didn’t seem like an ordinary person.
Could it be an assassin from Arcana targeting me?
It was a sufficiently possible story.
Arcana had a prophet named Wheel of Fortune, so they might have divined my location.
“Where are they?”
“They’re sticking to the wall near the counter.”
At Jade’s words, I took out a mirror and slowly scanned the interior of the 1st floor of the inn.
The 1st floor served as both a restaurant and a bar, so there were a few customers having an early dinner.
As I was looking to see if there were any familiar faces, I spotted one.
“Huh?”
As my eyes met with the man reflected in the mirror, I smiled brightly and entered the inn.
“Y-Yuan.”
Jade was startled and grabbed me, but I waved at the man who was having a simple meal alone at a small table.
“El!”
At my call, Abasael, who was eating bread, got up from his seat in surprise.
“My lord! It’s been a long time!”
“Ahahaha! It’s been a while. You said you’d come tomorrow at the earliest, right?”
“I couldn’t wait until tomorrow, so I came alone first. I can now handle myself.”
At Abasael’s words, I scanned his mana.
Overwhelming mana flowed to the extent that Jade could notice it from outside the building.
It seemed he had successfully found Mistel as I had instructed him.
I blocked the sound with Navi’s power and smiled playfully.
“Your aura is frightening. Congratulations on regaining your magic, Supreme Abasael. Can I now rightfully call you Supreme?”
When I held out my hand for a handshake, Abasael firmly grabbed my hand.
“Ahahaha! It’s all thanks to you, my lord. I’m not used to my newly acquired power yet, so I seem to have unintentionally leaked my aura.”
Abasael suppressed the subtly fierce aura he was emitting.
“But you’ve also changed a lot since I last saw you, my lord.”
“Is it noticeable? I’ve put in quite a bit of effort too.”
When I parted ways with Abasael, I only had a mana equivalent to an ant’s tear.
But now, I was at the level of a young mage who had trained from a young age.
My density was higher than that of a decent great mage.
As Jade and I had a friendly conversation with the person we were wary of, Jade awkwardly let go of my sleeve that he had grabbed.
“Ah, let me introduce you. This is Supreme Mage Abasael Fineman, the genius mage known as the Mage of Extreme Heat, whom I mentioned.”
“It’s just an exaggerated reputation.”
Abasael smiled humbly.
“This is Jade Heightfill, the current Sage of the Winter Wood.”
At the mention of the Winter Wood, Abasael’s surprised eyes widened.
“The Winter Wood, could it be the legendary one?”
As expected of a genius who became the youngest Supreme Mage, Abasael knew many secrets hidden in the magic world.
Especially since he was childhood friends with Viscount Wiesel, he must have heard various stories.
At his question, Jade smiled brightly.
“It’s all just the achievements of my predecessors. I’ve only recently inherited it, so I’m still very lacking.”
“Ahahaha. Lacking, how could that be? It’s an honor to meet the noble Sage.”
Abasael, who politely greeted the much younger Jade, was slightly excited.
He looked like a child who had actually seen a being from a fairy tale.
I calmed him down and introduced Silua.
“And this child is Silua Philip, the second daughter of the Sage of All Maladies and the Mage of Purification.”
When I mentioned the nicknames of Geor and Jaeolin, Abasael looked at Silua and me in surprise.
At his gaze that seemed to ask why Silua was here, I patted Silua’s head and briefly explained the situation.
After hearing my story, he was at a loss for words for a moment, then knelt on one knee and met Silua’s gaze.
“I see, so you’re the second daughter Teacher mentioned.”
Abasael had attended Jaeolin’s funeral but didn’t see Silua.
At that time, Silua had fallen into a deep sleep due to the severe shock of Jaeolin’s death.
Unlike Jaeolin, Geor didn’t trust his wife’s two disciples, so he deliberately hid Silua.
Abasael and Viscount Wiesel were precious disciples to Jaeolin, but to Geor, they were mischievous troublemakers who could cause unexpected accidents.
Silua seemed to be shy and hid behind me, peeking out slightly.
“…Are you Mother’s disciple, Mister?”
“Yes, I’m Teacher’s disciple. I heard a lot about you from Teacher in letters, Silua, and I’m finally meeting you. It’s nice to meet you.”
When Abasael carefully held out his hand for a handshake, Silua also carefully grabbed his hand.
“Nice to meet you.”
At Silua’s greeting, Abasael momentarily made a tearful expression but forcibly smiled.
“I have a lot to tell you. Are you interested in magic?”
“Yes! Magic is fun!”
“I see, that’s a relief.”
I smiled at the two of them and said,
“Let’s talk slowly later, but I’m sorry to ask you to do something for me right after you arrived.”
The information about the Rite of Fire I bought from Twilight Trading Company was piled up to my waist.
Moreover, half of that information was about magical elements.
I had to go through all the information and analyze it as much as possible before going to Belt tomorrow.
“We’re all working overtime today.”
I didn’t want to become such an evil boss either.
I said the vacation was until Abasael arrived anyway, right?
If the vacation is over, we have to work.
“Yawn~!”
I sat on the floor of Belt’s hideout, yawning and stretching.
Last night, I stayed up late interpreting the magic used in the Rite of Fire and analyzing how the ceremony was conducted, so I lacked sleep.
Thanks to that, Abasael and Jade also had faces haggard with fatigue.
I focused on case analysis, but the two of them overworked their brains by completely deconstructing the magic formulas, so it was natural.
Well, even if I tried to stop them, saying to take it easy, they stayed up all night of their own accord.
They seemed to be in a good mood, whispering to each other and having discussions, so I decided to leave them be.
“Young Master, will you be alright?”
At Precia’s concern, I smiled brightly.
Still, Precia is the only one who worries about me.
Gilbert was left at the inn, exhausted from directly observing Precia and Protector of the Nation Adgale’s match too closely yesterday.
It should be fine since Silua is taking care of him.
“It’s fine. As long as there’s no malice or ill will towards me, there won’t be a problem.”
Thanks to those two magic maniacs, no, reliable mages thoroughly analyzing it, I was able to understand what kind of ceremony the Rite of Fire was.
Belt was also unexpectedly cunning for a dwarf.
To think he would have me undergo a ceremony that could possibly burn me to death without properly notifying me.
“But why is my second great-uncle looking at me like that?”
Adgale, who became Belt’s test subject for five days to keep his promise with me, kept glaring at me.
“I’m pondering how to scold my mischievous second great-grand-nephew who sold me out.”
“Oh~! Second great-uncle, you’re really good at joking. It’s not a loss for you either, right?”
Belt promised to make whatever Adgale wanted in exchange for helping him for five days.
He demanded Belt to make him a set of armor and 30 swords for his subordinates, and Belt readily agreed to his request.
A sword made by a dwarf, and not just any dwarf, but a six-stranded bearded dwarf recognized as the best craftsman among dwarves, was an item that was difficult to obtain even if you offered a thousand gold coins for each sword.
According to Belt, even Gilbert’s sword was made by a three-stranded bearded dwarf.
“The preparations are complete, my lord.”
At Belt’s words, I put an earring on my right ear.
The Rite of Fire blocked the interference of others but didn’t block the power of tools or spirits.
The earring I put on was one of the treasures from Bahamut’s treasure vault that I had obtained through the bet.
It was the Dragon Heart Earring ‘Cozette’s Compassion’ that could serve as an auxiliary battery to replace my meager mana.
“Then let’s start right away.”
I laid on the altar with the earring on, holding the device in one hand and the spirit gun, the coil gun, in the other.
Then, my vision darkened for a moment, and my consciousness was sucked into somewhere.
Bang~!
“Yay~!”
When I opened my eyes, there was a strange woman wearing a birthday party cone hat on her head, star-shaped sunglasses, and a weird mustache decoration, setting off small fireworks and doing a strange dance.