Dealing with the Magic Tool

Kathe looked at Serulis and Nia and said,

‘While we can do it, Serulis, Nia and Grulf are unable to talk through Telepathy.’

Serulis and Nia nodded silently at this.

Grulf also sniffed and snorted. But Grulf couldn’t talk in the first place, so it was of no importance.

‘Indeed. What should we do?’

Luchila asked with a troubled expression.

Everyone was able to listen to Telepathy. But only Shia, Kathe, and Luchila could talk with it.

Serulis and Nia could not.

‘I should have taught you. I told you that I would do it soon. We’ll do it as soon as we get back.’

‘Yes, that would be for the best. But what do we do now?’

‘If you have something that you must say, raise your hand. Then perhaps you can write it down.’

Serulis, Nia, and Grulf nodded.

‘Oh, wait a minute. I need to tell the chiefs about the suspicious magic tool.’

I moved away from the magic tool so I could talk without being overheard, if it did happen to be a listening device.

“Danton. Can you hear me?”

‘I can hear you. What is it? You’re whispering.’

Danton was also talking quietly.

“I’ll give you the details later. But if you see anything suspicious over there, don’t go near it.”

‘Very well. Do you want me to tell the others?’

“Yes. It might be some kind of magic device. If you kill any vampires, I would advise that you leave their bodies alone for now.”

‘Understood.’

I could leave the rest to Danton.

And so I returned to the magic tool.

There were two objects that the enemy had left.

One was the fist-sized device that was on the ground. It was the one that was disguised.

The other thing had been hidden inside of a corpse.

‘In any case, we should inspect the thing that’s buried in the corpse.’

‘Yes, I agree.’

‘Shia, Serulis, Nia. You continue to deal with the other corpses.’

‘Okay. Well, we’re practically finished already.’

There were only 3 lesser vampires. In other words, only 2 didn’t have a magic tool inside of them. And since they were experienced Adventurers, removing the magic stones was easy work.

They just had to burn them now.

And so I approached the remaining corpse and activated Magic Exploration.

This one also had something inside of it that was fist-size.

‘I think I’ll try taking it out.’

‘This is so exciting.’

Kathe and Shia watched from behind. They both seemed to be very curious.

‘And it makes me nervous to have people watch so closely.’

‘But we want to see a first-rate Adventurer cut open a body!’

Hearing that made things even worse.

Still, I took the device out from under the diaphragm.

‘This one is a little bigger than the one on the ground.’

‘That’s true…’

It was a sphere that was perhaps the size of two fists. It also appeared to be made of the Fool’s Stone.

‘While it was harder to find, due to being in a corpse…this one isn’t disguising the fact that it’s a magic tool.’

‘But it looks hard to deactivate.’

‘Shia. Do you think you would have discovered this without Sorcerers like us around?’

‘Let me see… Well, we would have noticed it while we burned the bodies.’

Even though they burned the bodies, magic tools made of metal would not burn.

So, unless the enemy was stupid, then it was likely that they wanted this to be discovered as well.

I continued to search. And then I discovered that there was a magic circle inside of it.

I wouldn’t know what kind of magic circle unless I activated it. And that would be incredibly difficult.

‘It has very strong Magic Protection cast on it. I’ll have to remove that first.’

‘Hmm. So you want to trigger it?’

‘Well, it’s possible that that is what the enemy wants us to do. So I’m not quite sure yet.’

‘But you won’t be able to study it unless you do it?’

‘Besides, why would they make it so difficult if they wanted you to do it…’

Kathe and Luchila were right. Luchila’s observation was especially sharp.

They would have made it easier if they wanted me to do it.

‘Yes. In fact, this is so difficult that it would take a palace sorcerer several years to activate.’

‘In that case, we should assume that they do not want us to do it.’

‘Since this one is likely to take some time, why don’t you check the other device first?’

‘But it wouldn’t take that long for Locke.’

Kathe said smugly.

It was true that it wouldn’t take me that long. But it was best to check both of them a little first.

‘Yes. I think I will inspect them both before really doing anything major.’

And so I decided to give the other device a look.

‘This one is also protected quite a bit. But not as much as the other one.’

‘I feel as if even I could find out what it is.’

‘While it would be a little hard, I think I could do it too.’

‘Oh? Then why don’t you give it a try, Luchila?’

‘Do you mean it?’

Luchila’s eyes shone. Like many Sorcerers, she had curiosity and the will to improve.

And that was an important personality trait if you wanted to grow as a Sorcerer.

‘Yeah, I’m leaving it to you. But I’ll help if you need it.’

‘I’m here too, so don’t worry about it!’

Kathe said as she wagged her tail happily.

‘Thank you.’

Luchila bowed before she moved to analyze the magic tool that was on the ground.

‘…It’s difficult. …But, huh? If you do this… Yes.’

Luchila muttered as she studied it with great concentration.

It was very difficult to analyze.

If I were to compare it to something, it would be like making numerous calculations.

You just needed time.

It was quite different than the one inside of the corpse.

‘Hmm. I think I can do it.’

Luchila was doing it faster than I had expected.

Not only was she doing it quickly, but she seemed to have found an efficient way of doing it.

As I watched on with surprise, she continued to work.

‘Oh, and then…’

Luchila was just about to say something when the magic tool exploded.