Chapter 177. Compensation and Commission
Gray leather armor divided into top and bottom.
As Edmon looked at the side where he held the armor, he could feel with his eyes the texture that seemed thin, soft, yet tough.
And the patterns and decorations forming symmetry around the center, they could hardly be called flashy, but the design itself was by no means ordinary.
A magic item.
Not of mass-produced quality either.
Just like the
Ahem.
Edmon cleared his throat and spoke.
"This is a magic item called 'Mage's Regret.' As you can see, it's no ordinary object. For a mage, it has a rather interesting story one can sympathize with."
Mages are powerful beings.
But their ability to respond when caught unguarded falls behind that of warriors, making them extremely vulnerable to ambush. In fact, it is a weakness any mage must have thought about at least once, a very common one.
That is why they use various magic items to compensate for the weakness.
"Of course, as you know, finding a magic item with just the right performance is not an easy task. For that reason, people go to craftsmen and commission the custom creation of items they desire. Long ago, one enchanter was among them."
The enchanter, after hesitation and deep consideration, invested his entire fortune into ordering armor, in order to compensate for the fundamental weakness mages possess.
He personally gathered materials, actively participated in the craftsman's design, and poured in countless effort and time.
"But that enchanter never saw the finished piece with his own eyes. The day before the armor was completed, he was ambushed, grievously wounded, and lost his life in vain. Isn't it truly ironic? He poured everything into overcoming his weakness, only to die because of that very weakness. And they say, just before dying, he spoke these words."
───If only I had hesitated one day less...
"Regret and lamentation. That was all the mage left behind. Afterwards, the craftsman who worked alongside him named the armor in memory of the mage's death, and after wandering here and there, it ended up in this place. Isn't that quite an amusing tale?"
Edmon set down Mage's Regret.
"But Asher, what do you think? If he had decided a day earlier, as his dying words said... would he have lived?"
A sudden question.
Edmon and the Marquis's gaze turned to Verden, and after a brief moment of thought, Verden soon replied.
"Regardless of when he decided, the enchanter would have died."
"Oh? May I ask the reason?"
"Because the culprit would have been the same anyway."
"The culprit... you mean the craftsman."
Verden nodded.
The enchanter who was killed the day before the armor's completion.
Certainly a curious coincidence, but as evidence it was insufficient. Perhaps another assailant had a hand in it.
But that was not what Verden focused on.
It was the mage's last words.
Such a story naturally increased the armor's value, and the enchanter had borne most of the production cost.
From the craftsman's standpoint, there was more than enough reason to kill the mage. If the mage died, ownership of the armor would pass to the craftsman.
With a single murder, he could gain an enormous fortune.
The Marquis Esperanza asked.
"Then the mistake was choosing that craftsman from the start?"
"Unless more information comes to light, that is what I believe."
"It's not unconvincing... but isn't it an overreach to claim the craftsman killed simply for profit? He could have lost everything he had built until then."
"That is how much he coveted it. To be honest, I even think there is a high chance the craftsman fabricated the mage's last words."
The Marquis stroked his chin with his fingertips.
"You... don't trust people."
"I trust, but I do not rely."
Verden spoke with certainty.
His words carried sharp thorns, as though he had been betrayed in the past.
Silence fell.
Edmon cleared his throat to lighten the mood.
"Ha ha... so rather than lamenting his hesitation, it was lamenting his trust in the craftsman. Truly, you are different. Most people would take the lesson as, 'I must not hesitate'. But your interpretation is fascinating indeed. Now then, it's time to speak of its performance. Let's see, where is the appraisal report...."
"If you do not mind, may I Appraise it myself?"
Myself?
"What, you can Appraise? That is not a talent, but something requiring vast knowledge... what kind of life have you lived to know that at your age?"
"My master taught me."
"Oh ho, a master, I see. Indeed, I thought as much. It could hardly have been self-taught. To have raised a mage like you, your master must be most illustrious, and even stricter. I would very much like to meet him."
Of course, Edmon's wish would never come true.
For the master was nothing but part of Asher's fabricated background.
"Very well. Appraise it yourself."
The Marquis Esperanza granted permission.
Receiving Mage's Regret, Verden stirred a small amount of magic power.
◇ Mage's Regret
⦁ Physical Resistance (Intermediate-high).
⦁ Automatic Enhanced Mana Barrier Activation.
⦁ Enchantment Registration (0/3).
'...!'
Verden marveled inwardly at what he confirmed.
First, the intermediate-high level of physical resistance.
It far surpassed the Mahbat's Leather equipment he currently wore.
And the automatic enhanced mana barrier.
According to the appraisal, it was more than twice as effective as the Necklace of Protection that had been broken last year by Gluttony's Fang.
It was like being constantly surrounded by a wall of mana.
'But the most notable thing is....'
Enchantment Registration.
Literally, the ability to pre-register up to three enchantments that enhance the caster, and activate them all at once by expending mana whenever desired.
The enchanter's proficiency in enchantments was crucial, but even so, it was a remarkably rare function. Enough to understand why the craftsman would have coveted it.
'It's a pity there is no elemental resistance, though.'
Even so, it was excellent.
Enough for Verden to be satisfied.
"I prepared this because I knew you could skillfully handle enchantments. In other aspects as well, it's incomparably better than the leather armor you usually wear. Do you like it?"
"I do."
"Ha ha ha! Of course, it should be that way! A magic item that any mage would covet, but I'm not that well versed in enchantments, you see. For me, it's far too much. You are envi───"
"Let's move on to the next."
"Ah, yes. Your Excellency."
Wiping the laughter from his face, Edmon brought out the second reward.
As before, it was a security box of the Artison Magic Tower, though this time it was no larger than a human head.
When the box opened, two magic stones, each slightly smaller than a palm, appeared.
Precisely crafted magic stones.
Their refinement alone was enough to catch Verden's eyes.
But that wasn't all.
On each stone, two engraved characters, ones familiar even to Verden.
'Rune characters...?'
The Marquis's second reward was none other than rune characters.
And not just one, but two.
***
The two rune characters looked similar overall, but in the finer details, they differed clearly.
Exceed and Oculus.
Verden had handled two high-grade rune equipment, yet his knowledge of runes remained shallow.
He could neither interpret what the runes meant, nor read what functions they possessed, nor knew the method of awakening them.
But even so, he could guess what they were.
"Surely... a rune set?"
"I didn't expect you to recognize it. You are quite knowledgeable."
The Marquis's answer was a confirmation.
Verden's eyebrow twitched slightly at the fact. That was shock.
Normally, runes functioned individually.
But there were two exceptional cases.
When a rune craftsman linked different rune characters together to synthesize their performance.
And when rune characters themselves were intrinsically connected, manifesting power together. Those two cases.
"What you see before you is classified as a 'high-grade' rune set. From the left, they hold the powers of 'Concentration' and 'Release'. According to the investigation, it focuses one's qi, magic power, or holy power, then releases it, producing immense destructive force. Of course, it is very difficult to control."
Rune characters cannot be used as they are.
They require a proper base, namely equipment.
Moreover, a rune set is useless individually.
To function, they must be implanted into a single piece of equipment, in exact order and spacing, which naturally requires a rune craftsman.
"But in this age, there are nearly no craftsmen capable of creating rune equipment. You'd have to seek another race."
"You mean dwarves?"
"Yes. They are said to live in tribes in the southwest of the continent, but they are too far from the Kingdom to encounter easily. And even if you did meet them, they are known not to get along with other races, so whether they'd agree is doubtful."
On top of that, the equipment must endure the power of the rune set.
Unless composed of more than half of the highest-grade metals, it would likely break. Even if it endured, its durability would sharply decline.
At worst, both the rune set and the equipment could be lost in a catastrophic failure.
"In short, to weaponize it carries immense risk. Which is why the rune set is little more than an expensive burden to the Marquisate."
That must be why it was offered as reward.
But.
"Wouldn't it be better to sell it than to give it to me?"
"Why, do you think it too excessive as payment?"
"Yes."
Mage's Regret.
And the rune set.
Even if he had received only one of the two, Verden would have been more than satisfied.
At that, the Marquis sneered softly.
"People place value by different standards. For me, Calia's life is by no means cheap. Far more than some armor or runes. Do you understand now?"
The weight in his voice carried sincerity.
Verden felt he could vaguely understand what kind of man Marquis Esperanza was.
Verden bowed his head.
"I shall accept it with gratitude."
"Ha ha ha, so courteous. Then, only the last reward remains..."
"Wait."
The Marquis stopped Edmon, tapping lightly on the table with his fingers.
A look of deep contemplation.
Then, having reached a decision, he halted his hand and spoke.
"Edmon, the last reward will be changed."
"What? Your Excellency, you mean...."
The Marquis nodded once.
He looked directly into Verden's eyes.
"I'll be straightforward. Asher, I have a commission I want you to undertake."
...A commission, all of a sudden.
Though the situation had taken an unexpected turn, Verden did not lose his composure.
"May I hear what kind of commission?"
"Once you hear it, there is no turning back. But to put it simply, it is similar to the commission you once received from Calia. Of course, even if you refuse, I will still give you the third reward originally promised. And I swear there will be no interference beyond that."
Silence lingered for a moment.
In that time, Verden thought carefully.
Whether to accept the Marquis's commission.
The decision came swiftly.
"I will listen."
He had already received far too excessive rewards.
Since the other side had shown goodwill first, Verden would match it.
Of course, if the commission turned out unreasonable, he intended to refuse, even under threat... though that seemed unlikely.
'Because the one asking is Marquis Esperanza, Calia's father.'
"A forthright answer. Not bad. I see now why Calia has taken a liking to you."
But before that.
"Let us eat first. Since it concerns the Royal Family, the discussion will be long."