CH 120

Ch. 120: The Two Geniuses

At the end, after much discussion, we ended up deciding to go to the [The Mountain of the Most Honored God of the Mines].

Golems that drop precious metals spawn frequently at this mountain, and though they are fewer, some Demonic Beasts spawn too. And best of all, many Dwarf Craftsmen live in this area.

With these kind of conditions, you would expect Adventurers to be flocking to this area………but fortunately, that’s not the case.

But I get it. Upper-Tier Golems are just as much of a hassle to fight as Dragons.

Because…….they’re huge! They’re heavy! They’re hard! With these 3 awful traits, they are extremely tiresome to fight against.

They are slower than Dragons, so you can easily get away from them, but if you do fight, you could destroy or break all your weapons with a single fight, so no one really wants to fight them.

……….even so…..

In our case, we have our handy dandy Magic Spell Caster, Miss Cyril. If we can distract the Golem long enough, with one Spell… <WHAM!!> we can take it out.

Henry: “Ha, it’s our victory”

Lana: “What were you victorious against, Mr. Henry?”

I was eating the breakfast special at the Bear’s Keg Inn, and as I was going through the battle simulation in my mind, as soon as I confirmed our victory, I gripped my fist into a ball, and Lana threw a curt retort as she came by.

Henry: “Well, we’ll be going to the Varsaldi Empire to the Dwarves’ mountain, and I have this feeling that we’ll be hugely successful there.”

The official name of the mountain is [The Mountain of the Most Honored God of the Mines], but it’s so long, I just call it the Dwarves’ Mountain.

Lana: “Oh yes. You were going on a long expedition, correct? When are you leaving?”

Henry: “In about two weeks. We’ll say our farewells to our acquaintances……..and even if we do come back, we’ll probably head straight to Ligaleo right afterwards.”

Lana: “…….it will be lonely without your Party here.”

Being at the Bear’s Keg Inn, I’ve known Lana for a year. I’ll also feel some regret parting with her.

And now that I look back, everyone I met at Flowtier are good people. In the end, my plans to live a lazy life in a safe town and only do easy jobs went down the drain, but the days I spent here were not wasted. I can say that for a fact.

And the silence.

Henry: “Oh yeah, while we’re gone, are you able to collect the Corrupted Magic?”

And as the atmosphere darkened slightly, I tried to cheerfully change the subject.

Lana is currently researching the Magic Power that has Demonic attributes called, “Corrupted Magic Power.” When a Demonic Creatures’ corpse evaporates into the air, by using a specialized glass bottle, you can store it inside. I’ve been handling the Quests to go collect samples for her.

Lana: “Oh, there’s no worries there. When Mr. Henry’s Party is not going out on an expedition, I have other Adventurers who are regulars at our diner, and they told me that it’s really easy work for a free meal.”

Henry: “I see.”

Adventurers who are Regulars…..she’s probably talking about Kid. He’s the same age as Cyril and Jend, and they grew up with each other as kids. He’s currently a member of the The Knights of Dragonslayer. And I believe they’re planning on changing their Party name soon.

Lana: “But with you, Mr. Henry, I wonder how I will contact Mr. Riol.”

One of the 8 Heroes of Legend, the Great Sage Riol Kroseid. He is the inventor of the Kroseid Style Magecraft, and Lana has been sending him letters after I introduced her to him.

Henry: “Oh― Mr. Riol, huh. He sent back one reply, but he hasn’t gotten in touch with you ever since?”

Lana: “Yes, I believe you saw the first reply too, Mr. Henry? He sent a book that summarized the Kroseid Style Spells as detailed as possible, and just said, ‘Please wait for a bit’ on a memo. After that, I’ve sent a few letters of thanks and sent him a few questions, but I haven’t gotten any other reply. Would it be possible for you, Mr. Henry, to reach out to him again?”

………now that I hear about Mr. Riol’s reply, it’s not even a full letter. In fact, what the heck is she supposed to wait for?

Henry: “Sorry about Mr. Riol. He’s a real academic, and he’s usually very unconventional in everything he does.”

Lana: “Oh no. That book he sent was amazingly helpful.”

Henry: “Really? That book was?”

She let me read it too, but even I, someone who uses the Kroseid Style that was simplified by Ms. Emil, understood none of it.

Lana: “Oh― yes, it really was. It was a book that explained each character one by one, and it would be a little difficult to make a similar book like that. And there were many things that I wanted to still ask. That’s why I was hoping to get a reply.”

“It would be a little difficult to make a book like that”………………honestly, it definitely is not a small feat.

Lana: “Oh yes. I made a few sample Spells, but would you like to try them out, Mr. Henry? One is called <Reflection>. With my Magic Power reserves, I can’t even initiate it.”

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Henry: “……..what? Seriously? You made your own Spells?”

Lana: “Yes, but mine are a little [too heavy] and unlike Ms. Emil’s Spells, you can’t combine it with other Spells. It’s amazing that she was able to create a Spell that you can fit and customize together with other Spells so easily.”

…………and I think this girl is on par with Ms. Emil if not greater. Ms. Emil is an Elf, so she has been researching Spells for at least a 100 years.

Henry: “C―Could you show me?”

Lana: “Oh, yes. Please wait here. I’ll bring it from my room.”

With light feet, Lana went swiftly up the stairs.

As I watched her, I took a sip of my coffee that had already went cold.

I took one long breath and thought to myself.

………she’s an extremely gifted woman, that girl.

Henry: “? Hm?” And then I heard a quiet, reserved knocking at the Bear’s Keg Inn entrance.

? What? If it was a vendor, they would enter through the back entrance. During the morning, the breakfast is only served to inn customers, so the sign outside the door should still say closed.

………hmmmm….

Henry: “Mr. Nord! Looks like you have a guest outside!”

I spoke a little loudly, and Mr. Nord’s head appeared out of the doorway. He was probably preparing for the lunch rush.

Nord: “..........thank you, very much, Mr. Henry.”

Mr. Nord thanked me without smiling, and as he wiped his hands, he headed slowly to the entrance of the door. When he arrived, we heard the knock once more.

Nord: “ーーyes, how can I help you?”

“Forgive me for disturbing you this morning. Is this the Bear’s Keg Inn? My name is Riol and….”

<FBBBBBBBBBBーーー!!>

I spewed the coffee from my mouth when I heard the voice.

Riol: “Hm? Oh! Why, it’s Henry! It’s been a while. Since you retreated to the backlines, were you able to find more time for your studies?” Henry: “.......Mr. Riol, you know as well as I do, that I don’t like studying.”

I could see him past Mr. Nord’s large body. A strange man stood in a gentlemanly fashion there.

He wore a ceremonial robe, and long pointy hat, and had long ears that were the mark of the Elf Race.

The Hero of Legend that we were just talking about, Riol Kroseid, stood there as if he was being expected.

<<<<>>>>

Riol: “Oh………oh, OH!”

As soon as he was done greeting me, Mr. Riol’s eyes were drawn to the large stack of paper that Lana brought down. He was eagerly reading the Spells written down on it.

Lana: “Mr. Henry, is that…?”

Henry: “Yeah, that’s Mr. Riol. ……..he may look like an ordinary gentleman, but he’s a Hero of Legend, so be careful.”

The clothes he was wearing was first-rate armor that was designed for combat. …….that man, he always wears the same thing wherever he goes, so he always stands out.

Riol: “.......hmmm, I see. Ohhh, you. You there. You must be Miss Lana. Could you come over here and explain this Spell construction to me?” Lana: “Oh, yes. Be right there.”

Being called over by Mr. Riol, Lana stepped forward and walked to him without hesitation.

Well, Lana deals with more intimidating characters that dine at her inn every day, so I guess with Mr. Riol’s calm and gentle appearance, she wouldn’t have a reason to be scared of him.

Lana: “Oh, this one? I took the foundational circle and split it into three. I was hoping to increase the potency of the Spell by forming a harmonious effect.”

Riol: “I see. I understand your intentions now. But wouldn’t a Reverse Letter be more suited here?”

Lana: “But if I do so, then the amount of Magic Power that can be poured into the Spell will decrease.”

These two hit it off immediately. They immediately jumped into a discussion about Spell construction. It feels odd since they completely ignored any greetings or courtesies. They didn’t even introduce themselves.

I let out a sigh of disbelief, and whisper to Mr. Nord who didn’t know what to do.

Henry: “........Mr. Nord, excuse me. Could you get coffee for everyone here?” Nord: “? YーYes.”

Mr. Nord returned to the kitchen and came back 5 minutes later.

Nord: “......here is your order.”

Lana was busy with Mr. Riol, so Mr. Nord brought the steaming drinks himself.

Since Mr. Riol loves his coffee, he finally paused here.

Riol: “Oh! What a wonderful aroma.”

Henry: “I ordered you some coffee. Let’s first introduce ourselves.”

Riol: “Hmm, you do have a point. Miss Lana, my apologies. I seem to forget myself when discussing my Spell constructions. It’s a terrible habit of mine. It seems to cause some grief to my acquaintances on occasion.

And yet he has done very little to address it either.

Regardless, Mr. Riol seemed to calm down a bit and sat down at the table.

Riol: “I apologize for the awkward timing, but……..(cough), my name is Riol Kroseid. It is a pleasure making your acquaintance.”

He finally took off his hat and introduced himself.

Lana: “Yes, thank you for your letter. My name is Lana.”

Nord: “.......I am Lana’s father, Nord.”

Riol: “Thank you for your courtesy and hospitality.”

They all bowed to each other, and Mr. Riol sipped the coffee.

Riol: “.........hm, this wonderful fragrance. It is permeating and awakening my mind. It is a difference of night and day compared to the mud water they serve in Ligaleo. You have good taste, Mr. Chef.”

Nord: “Thank you very much.” Mr. Riol seemed to really enjoy the taste of the coffee and had a satisfied smile on his face.

……..well, there aren’t too many places in Ligaleo that can get decent coffee beans.

But putting that aside…

Henry: “So Mr. Riol, what are you doing here? Aren’t you the head of Area Attack Spells on the frontlines?”

Riol: “I left the frontlines to one of my former disciples to take my place, so it should be fine. He was quite the busy man though, so that’s why it took so much time.”

Henry: “Disciple?” Riol: “His name is Alas and is the Palace Court Mage at the Varsaldi Empire.”

………I don’t know him directly, but if he’s a Palace Court Mage, he’s probably an elite Mage.

Riol: “And to answer why I am here, I am here to teach a young genius who has taken interest in my Kroseid Style Magecraft.”

Henry: “JーJust for that reason?”

Riol: “Just? How rude. I am a student of learning before all else. My life’s purpose hinges on teaching and bestowing my knowledge on younger generations.”

That’s right…….I forgot he was like this.

Mr. Riol is a self-proclaimed Academic Researcher and Teacher and will tell you that that is his main job. The only reason why he is a Hero of Legend is “to create a world where people can peacefully continue in their studies.”

Though he would like to do research of his own, he felt that the Academic World would progress far more faster and efficiently if he protected it with his Magecraft himself.

But as you can see, he tends to forget this quite often.

Lana: “A young genius? Mr. Riol, you’re going too far with your compliment.”

Riol: “What are you saying, Miss Lana. At this point, your knowledge of the Kroseid Style is comparable to my wife.”

Lana: “But I still have a ways to go before I can make a Spell Construction like Ms. Emil.” …….but she’s also advertently inferring that with enough time, she could potentially do it too.

Riol: “Of course. Those Spells were the result of numerous experimentations and research. If you were able to produce such results now, my wife would be disgraced. But you have made your own original Spell Construction such as this. You should be proud to have done so.”

Lana: “YーYes.”

Riol: “Hm, well, I can only remain here for about a week, but during that time, I will instruct you as much as possible. You wrote that there was something you were trying to do in your letter.”

Lana: “Yes. Actually, I was researching Corrupted Magic Power, and…..”

And the technical terms began flying around. There were many words I didn’t understand, and they began writing down calculations and graphs on paper, and went back and forth in their discussion.

……….yeah, it’s time to retreat.

Nord: “Mr. Henry, that person is…..?” Henry: “Ohー I know he’s a little strange, but he’s trustworthy. He is a Hero of Legend and is a pretty well known Academic as well.”

Nord: “.......if someone that distinguished is here, then it would be best to let Lana focus on her studies. Okay, I’ll just have to have Linda pull up the slack.”

And with thatーー

Mr. Riol was here at the Bear’s Keg Inn for some time.