The Mysterious Magic Tool

Kathe pointed at the spot where she detected the magic and then said to Luchila,

“Luchila. It is around that area.”

“Oh, now that we are this close, I can feel it too.”

“That’s a relief.”

And then Kathe and Luchila searched the place carefully.

“Hmm. Is it this?”

“Oh, it must be. But, what is it?”

“…I don’t know. Some kind of magic tool. I don’t think we should touch it until Locke arrives.”

“Yes… Huh? I’m detecting something strange over here as well?”

Luchila pointed at something else she had found. Serulis looked suspicious.

“Luchila. Don’t you know that that is a lesser vampire corpse?”

“I know that. But there is something strange coming from inside of it…”

“Why don’t you take it apart?”

Shia pulled out a knife and walked towards it, but Kathe stopped her.

“Shia. We must wait for Locke’s arrival.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

And then, a short distance away, Kathe and Luchila inspected the corpse.

“Indeed, you were right, Luchila.”

“Right? Not only is there something inside of the corpse, but there is heavy concealment magic as well.”

“That is very strange.”

As Kathe and the others talked, I, Nia and Grulf arrived.

“So, there are two suspicious objects?”

“Yes. What do you think, Locke?”

“Well, the fact that they are heavily concealed is proof enough. Well, let’s investigate it then.”

“Yes.”

“Sorry, Shia, Serulis, and Nia. But could you go and deal with the normal corpses now?”

“Okay!”

“Leave it to us!”

“I’ll do my best!”

I left the corpse disposal to the fighters while I began to cast Magic Exploration over the area with the strange corpse.

There was something round that was the size of my fist there. It was made of the Fool’s Stone.

“So, we have a magic tool made of the Fool’s Stone that has also been concealed with several layers of magic.”

“Locke. What is it for?”

“I’ll have to study it a little more.”

“If even Locke can’t tell at a glance… It must be very strong concealment magic.”

Luchila said as she stood next to us.

“They tried to hide the fact that it was a magic tool.”

“Yes, I don’t think I would have noticed it until I got really close.”

“I couldn’t even sense its existence.”

That was interesting.

The fact that the great wind dragon Kathe couldn’t tell it was a magic tool meant that most people wouldn’t have been able to tell either.

So only very powerful sorcerers would be able to see through the concealment magic. Why go to such lengths?

I thought about this hard, and came to a certain conclusion.

But before I explained it, I decided to ask Shia, Grulf, and Nia a question.

“Shia, Grulf and Nia. What does this magic tool smell like?”

“While it is very faint, it does smell like vampires.”

“…Groof!

“It does smell a little.”

“Had it been you guys that took care of the corpses, when would you have noticed it?”

“I think it would be after we finished everything and did a last check just in case.”

“I see…”

It was something that the lesser vampires had brought into the beastkin settlement.

The enemy must have considered the possibility that the beastkin would smell it.

“So, did they want to hide the fact that it was a magic tool by just allowing you to know it was a Fool’s Stone by the smell?”

“I don’t really know. What would be the point in doing that?”

“There isn’t. It doesn’t matter if it’s a magic tool or not. A Fool’s Stone would be studied carefully.”

“That’s true. Even if the beastkin didn’t know what it was, they would find out eventually.”

Kathe thought for a moment and then looked at me.

“But you know what it all means, don’t you, Locke?”

“If they aren’t stupid…”

I said before continuing.

Of course, it would be best if they were stupid. But it was not a good idea to hope for that too hard.

“I think this was placed here in the hopes that it would be brought back for investigation.”

“Huh? Why would they do that?”

“There are many possibilities. But if they care about intelligence operations…”

Dark wraiths were good at that.

And since dark wraiths were attacking the settlements, it made sense to assume that intelligence was their aim.

“Perhaps it can spy on us or tell them where its location is?”

“Shia is right. That is very likely.”

The location of the investigation organization was very important.

The enemy would want to know that if they were waging a war of intelligence.

Besides, they would be able to hear all kinds of conversations while it was taken there.

With that considered, perhaps we had already said too much in front of it.

We might have already given them something.

‘So, we shouldn’t talk anymore. Let’s use telepathy from now on.’

‘Understood.’

‘I understand.’

“Cluck-cluck.”

Shia, Kathe, Luchila and Lord Gerberga replied.