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Chapter 128: Precious items can be more of a curse than a blessing at times

When I had filled the dagger to a degree that would have killed many a normal mage, it gave a little shudder in my hand, like it wanted to break free.

I loosened my grip a little, expecting … well, I’m not really sure what I was expecting.

The dagger seemed to hover for a second, as if trying to float, but then it fell towards the ground.

“Uoops. Almost dropped it.”

I grumble a little as I caught the dagger before it fell to the ground.

“Did it fail?”

Ragnall asked, but if you’re going to ask me if it failed, normally we’d have an idea of what it’s supposed to do.

Pouring Light Magic into the dagger haphazardly doesn’t really lend itself to helping me figure out the function of the dagger, after all, but since I’m walking while I’m investigating it, it can’t be helped.

It’s like finding a weird electric device and plugging it in and hoping that it’s not broken so something will happen.

Later on, I’ll actually take a look… but, well, if it ‘failed’ or not…

“I don’t think it ‘failed,’ technically. If anything, I think it’s just going to take some time for it to activate.”

Honestly, if I compare it to normal magic swords, it’s less like a magic tool where the magic input is equal to the magic output (and most magic swords are magic tools), but more like a magic machine that processes the magic input in order to produce an output that may be drastically different from the amount and quality of the input that was used.

… In otherwords, this dagger is probably not like most magic swords.

It’s magic is much more complicated than ‘use Keen Edge’ or ‘Cast a Fireball,’ and so … it can’t be helped that I can’t figure it out at a glance.

Although I want to investigate it thoroughly, I resist.

I mean, Ploids is a really crowded city, and we’re walking along the street.

It’s just not convenient to pull out my tools right now.

Well, the only thing I really discovered was that the alloy of this dagger is really strange, and I feel like, given how much training I had in magic alloys back in Nyls, then it’s probably because the metal this blade is made of is very unusual, even for this world.

Although it looked like a bronze dagger at first glance, once I had filled it with a lot of Light Magic, the blade glowed softly and became a somewhat translucent gold – no, a shade between copper and gold.

If I had to say, it looks a little like colored glass from Japan, but its basic characteristics are undoubtedly metallic.

I think.

I’m a little reluctant to use my various analysis skills when this dagger’s so full of Light Magic, so I’ll just have to do with judging by eye for now.

It would really suck if I accidentally interfered with whatever the Light Magic is doing, forcing it to start the process all over again.

I mean, this is something that deep elves haven’t been able to figure out over … a long, long, time even by elf standards, so I kind of feel like it will take a while to power up.

… That said, there aren’t many people in this world who could single-handedly power the thing, so thinking about it logically, it’s not that easy to determine whether it’s the dagger’s long power up time or the magic load required that kept people from investigating this dagger before.

By the way, because there isn’t a need for a spell or anything like that, it’s also possible to leave the dagger in a place that is overflowing in Light Magic.

Unlike the other elemental magics, Light Magic is something that exists naturally in this world, after all.

Or rather, it’s impossible for most people to emit and control Light Magic without converting it into a spell, so that would normally be the only option.

Just… that would take WAY too long, so it can’t be helped that I want to speed the process along, right?

…Actually, I’m now kind of suspicious of whether the Diplomat just forgot about the dagger.

Leaving it in storage all this while… it wouldn’t be surprising if this thing just never saw the light of day again, let alone get a chance to activate.

While my mind was full of matters about the dagger, Desmond and Ragnall seem to have already discussed various future plans.

Sorry, but this dagger is a lot more interesting than whatever troublesome things will happen in the future regarding the Demon Lord and the deep elves.

Sure, many people might say my priorities are messed up, but it’s not like the Demon Lord is taking over or whatever, right?

At least, he seems more or less friendly from when I ran into him previously.

And even if he’s not actually ‘friendly,’ he doesn’t seem interested in taking over Orelia, considering he already has his hands full handling his own rebellious subjects.

As we near the Eagle’s Talon, the inn we’re staying at in Ploids, the crowds are getting thicker and thicker… what’s going on, geez.

I mean, the streets are crowded in general, but this is starting to get claustrophia-inducing… ugh.

Luckily, my claustrophobia is more dependent on the actual environment instead of proximity to others, but I don’t think anyone can feel happy about the sudden congestion of traffic that requires you to elbow your way through.

Even Ragnall’s presence that normally gets many stares and some slight avoidances, doesn’t seem to do a damn thing.

In fact, with this many people shoving up against each otehr, he’s just getting lost in the crowd.

When I look a little closer, trying to see what the holdup is all about, there seems to be an altercation going on… hm?

Isn’t that the armor shop we, and by that I mean the girls and I, went to earlier?

In front of the shop, Andira is standing belligerently, a hammer and long spear-like tool in her hands.

… She kind of looks like she’s prepared to defend the shop to the death, but what just happened?

“Ah… Hang on, Ragnall. One of my acquaintances looks like she’s in trouble.”

“Huh? Acquaintance? Who…”

I can hear Ragnall saying something as I force my way through the crowd, but it’s a damn busy street, so I couldn’t catch everything he said.

Also, the people opposite Andira are really squabbling at her.

Just what’s going on?

For now, I just call out a little.

“Hey, you guys are totally blocking the street -”

“You sisters are getting too arrogant! Do you really think you can get away with making an enemy of all of the armorers in the city?”

“What are you being stubborn for?!”

… My greeting was completely ignored.

Well, that’s to be expected.

The only person who recognizes me here is Andira, after all, so the attempt to break into their conversation wasn’t really stacked in my favor to begin with.

With this crowd being so steamed up, it would only work if I was someone both sides were acquainted with.

Oh well.

I elbow my way through the crowd from the side, where there were less people, and the ossans standing there arguing with Andira didn’t even bat an eye even if I pushed them aside.

It looks like they’re REALLY dead set on whatever they’re attempting, considering they’re not paying attention to a single thing going on except for their argument with Andira.

Even after getting right into the thick of the argument, I’m still clueless about what’s going on, but …

“Fucking sell us those damn materials!”

One extremely loud guy yelled angrily as he lost his temper and advanced on Andira.

She gripped her hammer, as if ready to repel him, but …

…. …. Aah.

I’d be a complete idiot if I didn’t understand what was going on now.

My main question is how this group of ossans found out about the materials we left at the Kartinez sister’s shop, but I should probably deal with this situation first before thinking about it.

Fzzzzt!

“Gya-!”

The aggressive guy recoiled.

Don’t worry, I went easy on him.

It’s just a simple Barrier infused with some light electricity~… although his moustache is a little singed, there shouldn’t be too much actual damage.

However, the sudden appearance of an electric barrier successfully caused everyone to stop what they’re doing

I took advantage of the silence and start attempt #2.

“Andira, I came to ask about my armor, but is this a bad time?”

I ignore the onlookers’ looks of, ‘Are you serious?’ as I approached Andira with my hand raised.

“… Miss Jun. It’s fine, come in.”

Andira seems to have a look of relief on her face, and she attempts to excuse herself from the crowd under the appearance of having business, but were those ossans going to let her go so easily?

Nah.

“Don’t leave, Kartinez! Are you going to sell or not?!”

Andira heaved a sigh.

“I told you, I can’t sell those. This woman is the one who actually owns those materials, I don’t have a say in it at all!”

… Thanks for shoving the problem to me, but she’s technically not wrong.

We haven’t paid for our armor yet, and they haven’t paid for the excess materials yet.

After all, we only just began our transaction just a few hours or so ago.

I doubt that Andira and Lizette have gotten through appraising the entire mound of stuff I’d left with them.

They were both completely engrossed in the armor designs when we left earlier, after all.

Before I could say anything, whether to Andira or the mob of … who I assume are all armorsmiths, the guy who got shocked by my barrier immediately turned to me.

“Then, this Miss, sell us those materials. You understand, right? Those types of materials are more suited for the armor of other people who would get better use out of it, got it?”

… I mean, I have a ton of materials that I could sell, but for some reason, I’m really not feeling like it.

He might have been trying to be tactful, but I can clearly understand his underlying meaning of, ‘You don’t deserve armor made with those materials,’ but I’m kind of curious as to how he was able to think of that.

I was the one who brought those materials, right?

So logically speaking, I either have the ability or the wealth to acquire them, so I really wonder how he believes that a) I’m not someone who would ‘get good use’ out of armor made of those materials or b) he’s actually going to be okay with insulting someone like me.

I mean, yeah, I probably WON’T bother trying to get revenge or whatever, but HE doesn’t know that.

Interestingly enough, when this one impulsive armor craftsman spoke up, I saw a clear distinction between the members of the angry armorsmith mob.

There was one group that seemed to agree with the speaker, intent on pressuring me to sell to them, but there was another group that seemed rather unsure of things.

They were looking at me, and then at the electric barrier with some concern.

By the way, there was a third group that, at my appearance and Andira’s admittance that I was the actual owner of the materials, had given up immediately and begun to retreat through the crowd.

Honestly, those who left right away are probably the armorsmiths that are actually worth anything.

Simply because they were the ones who could recognize the strength of their opponent.

Don’t say anything about my appearance being misleading.

If you can’t recognize and be intimidated that my barrier isn’t a barrier made of electricity but actually electric magic being superimposed onto a neutral Barrier despite not dissolving the neutral magic, what are you worth as a magic armor craftsman?

And if you’re not a magic armor craftsman, then why the hell do you want the materials I left with the Kartinez sisters?

Sure, those types of materials will make impressive armor even without enchantments, but … hm.

I can’t think of anything stronger than saying, ‘that’s a complete waste.’

Anyway, I don’t really feel like bothering with someone who’s so clearly a smallfry, so I just glance at him once before turning back towards Andira.

“Can I see what you have so far?”

“…Um, yes! This way…”

“Hey, listen to me-!”

The belligerent ossan tries to grab my arm, but before I smacked him across the road, Ragnall finally managed to scramble through the crowd, with a lot more difficulty than I had.

“Jun, what are you doing? … Hm? I guess it’s time you get new armor made, but how did you attract a crowd like this?”

Oi, this ain’t my fault… … kind of. Technically.

Ragnalls appearance shocked the remaining armorsmiths, and pretty soon whispers of, “The White Demon?” “Then, is that the White Demon’s woman?” “Crap, we can’t deal with that,” and the like were being spread among the people, and the aggressive ossan turns pale white before backing away quickly, suddenly taking a watch-and-see stance instead of his super pushy manner from earlier.

… … Somehow, I feel really annoyed and punch Ragnall in the side.

“Ow!… What’s that for?”

Shuttup.

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