The Mage’s Nemesis Has Reincarnated - Chapter 53

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Natural Enemy of Mages Has Been Reincarnated – Episode 53
Crunch, crunch—
I followed the King with eager anticipation.
A treasure vault hidden deep within the Royal Palace.
A place only the previous kings were permitted to enter, and now I was stepping inside for the first time.
‘I wonder what rare treasures await.’
-Hmph! Don’t get your hopes up. A treasure vault from a minor kingdom like this is bound to be nothing but a collection of worthless antiques!
Carbollearos’s tone was oddly curt.
A voice tinged with something like resentment.
It seemed he disliked the sight of me anticipating someone else’s treasure vault more than his own.
‘This fellow takes pride in the strangest things.’
-What did you just say? You weren’t insulting me, were you?
‘Of course not.’
I offered a subtle smile in response, then came to a halt.
The King, who had been leading the way, stopped before a stone chamber.
“This is Decan’s treasure vault, where the previous kings collected only the rarest of items. It is a point of pride for Decan.”
“Ah, I see.”
Did my half-hearted response show?
“Haha, eager to see it, are you? Very well. Let me show you at once.”
The King broke into a hearty laugh and reached toward a crystal orb.
-Shane Philip de Decan. Identity confirmed.
Grrrk—
As the stone chamber’s door swung open, I prepared to let my jaw drop.
After all, I thought it best to show some reaction rather than appear too indifferent before the King.
But then—
“Huh…?”
I found myself uttering a vacant sound without meaning to.
The vault I had expected to overflow with mountains of gold and jewels contained only a handful of items.
“Haha, that’s the same expression I had when I first opened this door. What? Did you expect it to be overflowing with rare treasures?”
“…To be honest, yes.”
“Heh, if we possessed such wealth, our kingdom wouldn’t be dismissed as a minor power.”
The King spoke with a bitter smile, then gestured for me to enter and personally introduced the items within.
“These are the items left behind by the previous kings across dozens of generations. Only those deemed truly precious were kept here. Though as you can see, there aren’t many.”
“There seem to be quite a few, actually.”
And indeed there were.
At least twenty items were displayed before me.
“Take your time and look around. If anything catches your eye, let me know.”
“You’ll give it to me if I ask?”
“Of course. Did I not promise? Whatever you choose, I shall ensure you leave with one item.”
At those words, I secretly licked my lips and began examining the items.
There was gleaming armor, staffs that looked refined, and longswords with razor-sharp edges.
‘So these are all items the previous King used?’
Objects that had passed through at least several centuries.
Yet their condition remained quite respectable.
Whether the Kings had each maintained them, I couldn’t say.
‘Which one looks good to you… Carbollearos? What catches your eye?’
-….
‘Carbollearos?’
I asked several times, but received no answer.
Had he lost himself in these items?
‘Carbollearos!’
-Ah, did you call for me?
‘Why aren’t you paying attention? Are these items really that desirable?’
-Hmm… I can’t deny it.
‘To that extent?’
I’d thrown it out casually, but he truly was captivated by these items, his soul completely entranced.
‘Are the items here really that remarkable?’
-Some are unremarkable, but several are undeniably extraordinary. For example, that one.
Carbollearos pointed to an enormous shield inlaid with gold.
-That shield is called [Orgius’s Veil Shield]. It has a grand anti-magic barrier that repels any dark-attribute magic, and is known as a sacred shield.
‘Such a precious shield was used by the previous King? The King of the Decan Kingdom, a minor nation?’
-I don’t know the details, but it’s certain. Looking at the shield’s distinctive patterns, it’s definitely Orgius’s shield.
‘Wait. If you know of it… that means this item is at least three thousand years old, doesn’t it?’
-That’s the calculation.
My mouth fell open in astonishment.
Beyond its effects, the fact that something so ancient existed in a place like this was extraordinary.
I couldn’t help but be amazed.
-And this armor is also an item from three thousand years ago, called [Holy Light’s Wind Armor]. It has the effect of driving away darkness, making it quite effective against demons.
‘I see….’
-And this spear as well….
Carbollearos’s explanations continued endlessly.
His voice was completely absorbed in the items, brimming with fascination.
‘But Carbollearos, for some reason all these items seem specialized for fighting demons.’
-Hmm? Now that you mention it, they must be items collected from the time of the Celestial Demon War.
‘The Celestial Demon War?’
I already knew from history books that the war between the Celestials and demons occurred three thousand years ago.
But as much time had passed, it tended to be regarded as legend or fanciful fiction.
No one here had ever seen a Celestial or demon, so that was only natural.
‘But there’s a living witness right here.’
With a witness present, I couldn’t help but believe.
I nodded at Carbollearos’s words.
‘Okay. I understand these are items used during the Celestial Demon Tournament, but which one is the best? If I had to pick just one, what should I take?’
-Hmm, if it were me….
‘No, not from your perspective. I mean something that would be good for me.’
-Uh, something beneficial for a human….
After pondering for a while, Carbollearos finally reached a conclusion.
-That one seems good.
‘That one? A ring?’
-Yes. That ring.
Where Carbollearos pointed, a ring gleamed with a silvery sheen.
At first glance, it looked like an engagement ring, but Carbollearos’s explanation was entirely unexpected.
-[Ring of Adolias]. A ring that supplies mana infinitely.
‘Oh, mana?’
-In short, think of it as the highest-grade mana stone compressed to extreme density. With this, you won’t have to struggle anymore to procure mana stones.
‘And you can cast ninth-circle magic using this as a medium?’
-That’s right.
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.
Until now, because the mana stone concentration was low, I’d had to absorb only lower-circle magic each time.
There were many occasions when I struggled to procure high-quality mana stones.
‘So with just this, everything is solved in one go, right?’
With this, I could deploy Carbollearos to use ninth-circle magic.
It meant I could cast it first without needing to absorb magic from my opponent.
‘Since it’s your recommendation, I should trust it.’
I picked up the ring without hesitation.
“I’ll go with this.”
The King then looked at me with a surprised expression.
“There are many other fine things—why did you choose that one in particular?”
‘Why that reaction? Isn’t this a good one too?’
From Carbollearos’s explanation, it seemed incredibly valuable.
Though I felt puzzled, Carbollearos’s explanation revealed the reason.
-The Ring of Adolias only functions when inscribed with a unique mana pattern. In reality, infinite mana lies dormant within it, but outwardly, no mana can be sensed at all. So to the King’s eyes, it can only appear as an ordinary ring.
‘Ah… in other words, it’s locked so only the owner can use it?’
-Precisely. It’s to prevent careless use by others.
‘Carbollearos, do you know which mana pattern is needed to activate it?’
-I do. That’s why I suggested it.
‘Okay. So I’m trusting you and choosing this?’
-Do so.
Though I’d made my decision internally, the King seemed bothered by my silence and asked once more.
“Is it difficult to answer? What’s your reason for choosing the ring?”
“Well, that is… it might be odd to say, but it seemed convenient to carry around….”
“What? Hahahaha!”
Shane II burst into laughter at the unexpected reason, though his eyes soon conveyed a silent reassurance that he harbored no regrets.
“Are you truly certain about this choice? Once you decide, there is no turning back.”
“I’ve made my decision. It won’t draw unnecessary attention anyway.”
“Very well. If that is your wish, so be it.”
Though his words granted permission, Shane II’s gaze betrayed a subtle disappointment—as though he wished to offer something more.
In his eyes, the ring I had chosen appeared far too ordinary.
“Hmm, no matter how I consider it, I cannot let this stand. My debt to you is far too great to repay with merely a ring.”
The King, who had been muttering to himself, soon returned carrying an object.
“Take this. It is a staff that once belonged to the previous King.”
“Pardon? But I have already made my selection…”
“Carry this as well. My conscience will not permit me to offer only a ring in exchange for such a debt. It is something that should prove useful to you as a mage.”
“I—thank you, Your Majesty.”
I accepted the staff somewhat bewildered, examining it closely.
Crafted from sturdy timber and wrapped in golden strands, it exuded an air of refined elegance.
‘Carbollearos, what do you make of this? Does it seem worthwhile?’
Carbollearos offered no immediate response to my inquiry.
He displayed that vacant, spiritless reaction once more before muttering belatedly.
-It’s excellent. Extraordinarily so.

* * *
Following the bestowal ceremony, Shane II made a public proclamation.
He had recently faced assassination by poison at the hands of Albitz spies, and the Poison Pioneer stood behind the conspiracy.
The shocking revelation sent tremors through the realm.
How could anyone dare attempt regicide against a sovereign, even of a minor kingdom?
And one of the 12 Pioneers, no less—those hailed as heralds of a new paradigm in magic?
It was a matter of grave consequence.
Accusations naturally descended upon the 12 Pioneers.
Of course, the Forerunners denied any involvement.
They drew a clear line, declaring it an act undertaken by Nox Venomayer alone.
The Albitz Kingdom responded similarly.
They issued a statement denying any orders for assassination and disclaiming any intent to wage war, urging all to refrain from misunderstanding.
Without concrete evidence, Shane II could press the matter no further.
He contented himself with having established justification for strengthening the kingdom’s security and border inspections.
The assassination attempt that had shaken Decan Kingdom thus reached a provisional conclusion.
For a time, peaceful days unfolded without further threat.
The McLafflin Family, no longer bound to the Royal Palace, returned to their ancestral Duke’s Mansion.
Thus time passed, and a year had elapsed.
I had become sixteen years old.
And today was the day of the successor’s trial, which I had long postponed.

* * *
‘Carbollearos. Ready? One last strike.’
-Yeah. Let’s go.
The moment those words left his lips, the silver ring adorning my finger flashed with brilliant light.
The ring of Adolias, now serving as a conduit, supplied its mana.
Simultaneously, magic erupted from the pendant containing Carbollearos’s soul.
Whoooosh—!
The torrent of magic that poured forth as if to incinerate everything around us vanished the instant it touched my body.
[Absorbing the cast spell ‘Hell Fire’.]
[Skill proficiency increased by 90.]
[Skill ‘Magic Absorption Mastery’ has reached 9-star achievement.]
[Maximum number of absorbable spells increased: 9▶10.]
[Fifth-tier skill awakened.]
At last, I had awakened my fifth-tier skill.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————