NOVEL NEXT Chapter 70
I frowned at Da-eun’s question about how strong I was.
Strength is always relative, so there wasn’t much I could answer.
Let’s take an example for a moment.
Imagine facing off against a Snake Brat snug in its Empire in a one-on-one fight.
I might come off as arrogant, but I wouldn’t be confident if it came to that.
I’d lose, for sure.
But if it were an army vs. army battle on the battlefield, the result would end in my defeat.
That brat is skilled at using tricks and magic to ravage armies, so my body might come out unscathed, but the troops I lead definitely wouldn’t.
In reality, I’ve faced the brat’s magic more times than I can count…
Even if I wanted to catch and kill that Snake Brat right now, there was a reason I couldn’t.
…I might have been able to go through with it if I was prepared for mutual destruction, but back then, I had things to protect, so I couldn’t.
That’s still the case now.
Anyway, using the most familiar example of a Snake Brat, how could I answer how many strong folks are out there in the Ardina Continent?
Usually, saying “I, the master” would suffice, but Da-eun, knowing my level, probably isn’t looking for that answer.
Da-eun wasn’t satisfied with simply showing the difference between her and me and repeatedly shot another question at me.
“So, has Kana ever fought with all her strength?”
“With all my strength…”
Of course, I have.
Even when I resisted the drunken guy who was dragging me along.
When I charge at a punk in a last-ditch effort, thinking I might die from another hit.
When I was fighting a wolf monster while trying to escape the city and was on the brink of death.
I’ve always had to go all out.
If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here right now.
“…Khng!”
As I murmured quietly, Da-eun suddenly sniffled.
“Th-That’s not what I meant. Right, what was it like during the Knight Brigade?”
She quickly changed the subject.
But it was such an unnatural transition that I noticed, of course.
Yet, I didn’t want to nitpick.
Talking about that time wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience for me either.
“Hmm…”
I feigned deep thought.
“I think there were a few times.”
Once during the war with the Empire, and a couple of other threats.
Upon hearing this, Da-eun’s eyes sparkled.
“The Kana who fights with all her strength must be super amazing…!”
“…?”
But she never even saw it?
“Not necessarily a good thing.”
Having to go all out means there’s a strong opponent, right?
Even if I could win, fighting such opponents is exhausting, and I’d rather avoid it.
Then Da-eun looked a bit sheepish.
“Ah, no, I’m not hoping you suffer, I just thought it would be cool…”
“Yeah, I get it.”
Given Da-eun’s personality, I figured that wasn’t just an excuse; it was the truth.
Knowing that, I didn’t find her words too bothersome.
There were several reasons why I didn’t want to go all out either.
“If I do, my body hurts, and weird things get tangled up…”
But above all,
“Shut up.”
“…Shut up?”
“Yeah.”
The biggest reason was I didn’t want to hear her endless babbling.
Fighting while listening to nonsense that’s no help at all feels like it would drive me insane.
I took a moment to gaze at Da-eun, who looked puzzled.
‘In a way, she might be similar to me.’
Though there are slight differences, maybe we’re alike in major ways.
Da-eun always listens to the viewers’ comments.
Suddenly, she seemed impressive.
“…Huh? Huh? What do you mean, shut up? You can’t be talking about me, right?”
Da-eun still wore a face of confusion.
*
There are ways to build resistance to magic besides just improving one’s level.
The reason wealthy folks wrap themselves in expensive magical tools is crystal clear.
Powerful magical tools increase one’s resistance to magic just by possessing them.
To be more precise, it’s a way of transferring the damage the owner would receive onto the magical tool—it’s like having a spare life.
Of course, that’s not the only reason for wrapping oneself in magical tools.
So now, the question arises.
What are the conditions for becoming a high-grade magical tool?
“Me, me! I know the answer!”
Da-eun, the only student, eagerly raised her hand.
“It’s inscribing high-grade magic!”
“Hmm…”
That isn’t wrong, but…
“50 points.”
“What?!”
Only 50 points?!
Da-eun trembled, holding the pitiful report card.
“Why, Professor?!”
“Inscribing high-grade magic is a part of the process, not the fundamental reason.”
“…Not the fundamental reason?”
“Yeah. Why do magicians know they can charge high prices for inscribing high-grade magic but still make cheap magical tools as well?”
“Uh… because they lack the skill?”
“That’s part of it.”
To make good magical tools, the maker’s skill is also crucial.
Just like a skilled craftsman makes a good sword, a competent magical engineer creates a quality magical tool.
I extended my arm.
The bracelet around my wrist made a bright clang sound.
“How much magic do you think could be inscribed on this bracelet?”
“Well, let’s see…?”
Da-eun, who was clueless about magic, avoided answering.
I might not know much about magic myself, but this wasn’t something that required specialized knowledge.
“At most, a low-grade spell.”
“A low-grade spell? But I paid a good price for it…”
“Just because it has a high value as jewelry doesn’t mean it’s made of good magical materials.”
There are indeed beautiful and effective magical tools among the really expensive ones.
Rings, necklaces, bracelets, hairpins—things you can adorn yourself with and wear conveniently.
How their prices are…
“You know without me saying, right?”
“Um, uh…?”
…Does she know, or not?
I believed she understood well enough and moved on to the next explanation.
“The higher the grade of magic, the more mana is required to cast it. When inscribing onto magical tools, the amount needed is less because the magic is condensed.”
But still, would ordinary folks who can’t even sense mana be able to handle the mana required for casting?
Of course not.
The magic cast from the magical tool is all done through the mana stored within the tool.
To inscribe high-grade magic, the tool must have durability to withstand it and a capacity to store a large amount of mana.
Both of these qualities must be fulfilled for a magical tool to become high-grade and thus expensive.
“…So those with abundant mana sometimes use magical tools made with materials of high durability but low capacity.”
“…Hmm! I completely understand!”
“…You’re sure you really understand?”
“Of course!”
Usually, if someone says that confidently, they haven’t grasped it.
Seeing her strike such a self-assured pose made me even more uneasy, but it wasn’t vital knowledge, so I let it slide.
“So, Professor!”
“Yeah?”
“I think I asked why we’re heading north, but why are we suddenly having this magical tool lecture?”
Everything up till now was just buildup to answer her question.
“If you’re next to Selin, you should be safe enough, but what if?”
What if the situation arose where Selin wasn’t beside us?
What if something occurred that neither Selin nor I could handle?
In preparation for such happenings, the magical tools were my insurance choice.
If it were a magical tool made specifically to resist magic, it should hold up to the magic-filled environment of Raxia to some extent.
Honestly, I would’ve preferred to grab something like an artifact from the Edel Church, but unfortunately, Edel said that wasn’t possible.
“For me?”
“…It’s just a hassle if I get hurt, that’s all.”
Since we had a long way to go, I’d rather not have to stop and treat injuries from magic attacks.
So that’s my reasoning.
Really.
BANG!
“…”
“…”
BAAAANG…
The warm gazes aimed at me were uncomfortable, so I turned my eyes away.
Then, glancing out of the corner of my eye at Da-eun…
HUG!
“…Grr?!”
“Ahhhhh, you’re so cute~~!”
Da-eun unleashed a hug attack.
…Is this kind of development happening again?
This has happened more than a couple of times, so I just relaxed my body and went limp.
“Okay! So, Kana was worried about her big sis~?”
“…Grrr…”
“Really? I just knew it!”
Completely incorrect.
Even if I said that, it probably wouldn’t be conveyed properly anyway.
“You two are so close today too.”
“Hehe, really?”
“Yes indeed. I can’t help but feel a hint of jealousy watching you two. Hehe.”
Couldn’t they at least let me go before chatting with Selin?
Eventually, Da-eun thumped my arms and finally released me.
Freed from the claws of a demon, I fanned myself to cool down my flushed face.
…So hot.
“The easiest place to get magical tools is the capital of the Empire.”
The Empire, which holds dominion over the continent, of course gathers all kinds of people and products in its capital, which can be considered its heart.
Since I’ve never been to the imperial capital, it’s all hearsay from others.
“Oh? But Kana—”
“Yep. So we’re heading somewhere else, not the capital.”
If we had intended to go to the Empire, we wouldn’t have set our course north in the first place.
Magical tool materials are often ores.
And if asked which race handles ores best in Ardina, everyone would give the same answer.
“The country of the Dwarves. We’re going there.”
If elves have the Great Forest, the Dwarves have the Great Mountain Range.
The official name isn’t the Great Mountain Range—it’s something else, and the country has its own name, but…
According to the rumors floating around—
‘Humans call the forest of ear-pulling fellows the Great Forest? No way! Then we shall call ours the Great Mountain Range!’
…That’s how the name Great Mountain Range came to be.
Everyone who heard it brushed it off, thinking, ‘Surely it couldn’t have been for such a reason.’
However, as someone who has seen a Dwarf, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the rumor might be true.
Well, it isn’t as if they’re calling a small hill the Great Mountain Range—it’s actually a big and majestic range, so it’s not entirely unfitting…
But thinking it was named for such a reason seems a bit off.
“…The country of the Dwarves!”
As expected, Da-eun reacted strongly.
Like a sparrow who won’t pass by a mill, Da-eun seems unable to contain her curiosity.
No wonder she can keep dashing around here and there.