The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 144
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 144
I gifted Renia with a ring.
It came from the Imperial Mage Tower’s underground Treasure Vault, which I’d visited recently with Sheril, and I’d exchanged it using the single expensive platinum coin Demian had given me—making it an artifact of exceptional quality.
“…It’s called the ‘Eerian Guardian Ring,’ and I heard it’s quite an expensive piece.”
“It’s something called the ‘Inner Guardian Ring,’ and I heard it’s quite an expensive item.”
In the current Empire, the number of master craftsmen capable of creating renowned artifacts could be counted on one hand.
Arcamen was naturally the foremost among them, but the Eerian Family, who had crafted the ring now adorning Renia’s finger, was equally celebrated as a prestigious house.
“According to the explanation, that ring creates a protective barrier of 6th Rank level when the wearer is in danger. There were many other items available, but… I thought that one would suit you best, Renia.”
Artifacts with effects that actively protect the user command far higher prices than other magical tools. And when the embedded magic is nothing less than a 6th Rank protection spell, its value becomes almost impossible to quantify in monetary terms.
Had I attempted to purchase this honestly, I would have exhausted every coin I’d won at the Crimson Sapphire Casino and still fallen short.
No—it wasn’t even a matter of money. I’d heard that the Eerian Family produces perhaps one of these per year, making it a custom-order item of such rarity that even offering premium prices might not secure one. In the end, I had benefited tremendously from the platinum coin the Archmage King had given me.
Of course, I didn’t necessarily have to choose a ring form. Rings are small, making it difficult to inscribe magical formulas with the necessary precision inside them.
So initially, I’d considered requesting it as a necklace, a bracelet, or even a cloak with superior protective properties….
– Reagan, have you lost your mind?
The moment Sheril heard my proposal, she vehemently objected.
– Why not? That would be more efficient. The performance would be better too.
– Sir Reagan, why would you concern yourself with efficiency when selecting a gift for Miss Renia?
– Wouldn’t it be better to give her something with superior performance?
– That is also a valid point.
– Exactly.
– A perfectly sound argument.
In the end, Sheril fixed me with a glare and practically coerced me into selecting a ring to be placed on Renia’s ring finger. Even the Treasure Vault administrator standing nearby watched with apparent interest as Sheril proved relentless and exacting in her demands.
– It must be a ring, without exception.
– But… even if you say that….
– And you must place it on her finger yourself. Promise me. If you cannot promise, I shall wear a ban or restriction of some kind myself.
Faced with such insistence, I had no choice but to capitulate completely.
To be honest, it wasn’t the most efficient choice.
It didn’t align with my nature.
Yet ultimately, it was a gift for Renia, and Sheril, as Benheim’s attendant, had known her far longer than I had. In the end, I trusted Sheril’s judgment and selected the Eerian Guardian Ring.
And well, Sheril’s prediction proved somewhat accurate.
“So this means… Reagan is giving me… a wedding ring?”
The moment I placed the Eerian Guardian Ring on her finger myself, Renia’s violet eyes sparkled as she asked.
I shrugged.
“Hmm… a wedding ring….”
I hadn’t prepared it with such grand intentions from the start, but since Sheril had insisted on placing it on her ring finger directly, it had ended up carrying much the same appearance.
‘Well, let’s call it that then.’
I smiled wryly and nodded.
“Yes. A wedding ring. Let’s go with that.”
“Yes! Reagan! Thank you! I’ll treasure it!”
“No… you don’t need to treasure it carefully. It’s an artifact anyway… you should use it actively.”
“Then it will wear out.”
“…I see.”
He had a point.
Artifacts weren’t meant to last forever. The more one used them, the more the embedded magical formulas would gradually deplete and deteriorate.
It was no coincidence that the Seven Relics of the Divine Realm were celebrated as permanent artifacts.
“…Well, that ring is yours now, Renia. Do with it as you please.”
“Okay!”
Renia was so delighted with the gift that she held the Eerian Family’s protective ring up to the sunlight, her face breaking into a radiant smile.
She looked like an innocent child untouched by the world.
It was a pure, excited gesture that the Renia of my past life had never once made—unmarred by the horrors of war.
I felt a genuine sense of satisfaction wash over me.
“…Yes. I’m glad you like it, Renia.”
I made a mental note to thank Sheril later.
* * *
That evening, I visited Steren’s office and explained the full details of my recent journey.
When I mentioned that I had formed a cooperative relationship with Gideon Midian, the Imperial investigator, and that I was tracking down the true mastermind orchestrating the Black Mages’ movements, Steren’s expression darkened as he questioned me.
“So… you’re saying there’s a puppet master behind all of this?”
“Yes.”
“Someone who spread curses across the Airit Estate, corrupted Markel into a Black Mage? And beyond that… someone orchestrating the Trion incident and unleashing chimera sorcerers in the Southern Forest?”
“…That’s correct.”
Steren’s complexion grew heavy and grave.
I hesitated for a moment. I had already told Sheril about Demian, so I considered whether I should reveal the existence of Archmage King Damian Carius to Steren as well….
‘…But that would be too difficult for my father-in-law.’
Steren firmly believed that I had received the pendant and knowledge of the future from the Benheim mage.
I had glossed over it with Sheril, but I couldn’t do the same with Steren. He might even press me about whether I had truly regressed.
In truth, I wondered if there was any reason left to hide it from Steren now….
“…I understand.”
But Steren seemed to interpret my silence differently. He stared at me intently, then let out a long sigh and summarized his thoughts.
“So you believe there’s a mastermind behind all these incidents. A villain worthy of being called the King of Black Mages, operating in the shadows of the Empire.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And that’s why Sheril declared she would take control of the Dark Mage Guild again.”
“Correct.”
“Very well. That’s enough. You must have your reasons, Reagan.”
Steren was perceptive. He noticed I was concealing something and wrestling with doubt, so he didn’t press further. He trusted that when the time came, I would naturally reveal everything.
Then Steren changed the subject.
“Reagan, I hear you gave Renia a ring today.”
“Yes. Actually, it’s something I received from the Imperial Treasure Vault in recognition of resolving this incident. It will be of great help to Renia’s safety.”
When I explained truthfully, Steren retrieved a glass from the cabinet and handed it to me. I thought he might pour water, but instead he gestured toward the door.
“You called for me, sir?”
“Yes. Bring that here.”
At that moment, Captain Allet, who had been waiting by the door, approached and placed an exquisite bottle on the table.
“…What is this?”
“Wine. A grape wine produced in the Benheim Estate—a rare vintage aged for thirty years.”
“…Why suddenly offer me this wine?”
“My mouth feels parched.”
Steren poured the wine somewhat roughly and handed it to me.
In truth, during my days as a Mercenary, I’d only ever tasted cheap liquor, and even during my time with Renia’s Resistance, I’d only joined drinking sessions under her insistence. After reaching Sword Expert, I could expel intoxication at will, so I was never one to enjoy drinking. There seemed little point in drinking when one didn’t need to become drunk.
Yet refusing a drink offered by my father-in-law would be discourteous.
I reluctantly raised the glass to my lips. It was tart and astringent—hardly an acquired taste.
“…Reagan.”
Just as I was nearly finishing the glass, Steren—his face flushed slightly from the alcohol—withdrew something from a drawer and handed it to me.
“Take it.”
“…”
What Steren handed me was a darkened bracelet.
My eyes widened. The bracelet looked strikingly familiar.
Not in this life, but in my previous one—it was the very bracelet that had adorned Renia’s wrist.
“This is…”
“A Divine Relic—the Ashes of Surtr.”
Just as Hrunir’s Heart provided absolute protection.
Just as Andvari’s Cube granted access to a mystical pocket dimension.
The Ashes of Surtr…
– Only once per day, but it elevates the very ‘grade’ of the spell formula itself.
That was how Renia had explained it in my previous life.
True to her words, the Ashes of Surtr enhanced magic cast once daily while the sun remained in the sky. The reason Renia’s grand spells had swept across battlefields was entirely because of this artifact.
“It’s been passed down through generations of the Benheim Family. I wore it frequently in my youth. Oswald coveted it not long ago, yet twenty years have already passed since then.”
I stared intently at the Ashes of Surtr. And Steren was perceptive—he noticed the subtle nostalgia in my gaze.
“Reagan, it seems you know something about this object.”
“…”
“How did you know of it?”
Steren interrogated me with narrowed eyes.
I hesitated briefly. Perhaps it would be better to make some excuse and deflect. Yet because I hadn’t dispelled the intoxication, words I would normally have kept hidden tumbled out carelessly.
“…The Mage who gave me the pendant possessed it.”
Though not quite as much as the pendant inscribed with the final Rune characters, Renia had treasured the Ashes of Surtr dearly.
It was likely a legacy left behind by her father, Steren, after all.
“Hmm.”
Upon hearing my words, Steren nodded and seemed satisfied.
“I see. So you truly are our descendant.”
Steren never once suspected that this descendant was his own daughter.
“Not bad at all. In fact, it’s good. Reagan, take it. It’s yours now.”
Steren pushed the bracelet toward me, and I asked carefully.
“I… why would the Family Head give me something so precious? As you just said… isn’t this a heirloom passed down through generations of the Benheim Family?”
“That’s right.”
Steren chuckled softly and drained the remaining wine from his glass. His eyes were noticeably glazed, and he looked directly at me as he spoke.
“You’ve heard the news that the Alliance Subjugation Force will be formed next month, haven’t you?”
“Of course.”
“The elite of each Mage Tower and Family will gather in one place. The first target of the subjugation force will be the Black Mages lurking in the Airit Estate.”
Steren paused for a moment before continuing with a sigh.
“Renia will be joining the Alliance Subjugation Force. I wanted to stop her, to tell her it would be dangerous…”
“She wouldn’t listen, would she?”
“No. She said she would go with you.”
That much remained unchanged between my past life and this one.
I’d wondered why Steren was drinking wine, something he rarely touched. Now I understood—it was born from worry and concern.
Right now, Steren was a father before he was an Archmage. A father whose heart ached at the thought of his daughter marching into danger.
“Are you worried about Renia?”
“Of course.”
Steren answered immediately. But then his expression grew troubled.
“However… Renia is of age now, and she has a partner. Perhaps it’s overstepping for me as her father to interfere.”
“…”
“So protecting Renia is now your responsibility, Reagan. What I’ve just given you is a commission—a request to protect Renia no matter what happens.”
“…A commission, you say?”
“Before coming here, you belonged to a Mercenary Group, didn’t you? This is a commission from a father-in-law to his mercenary son-in-law.”
I was genuinely taken aback.
This was the first time Steren had referred to himself as my “father-in-law.”
However…
‘So I am trusted, after all.’
Since Steren had brought up my mercenary past, I couldn’t help but honor that trust.
After all, the reason I’d regressed and come this far was because of the commission Renia had left me.
“Yes. I accept the Family Head’s commission.”
“…”
“No matter what happens, even if my life ends, I will protect Renia.”
I answered without hesitation.
Because this, more than anything, was my sincere vow—one that had carried me across time itself.
“I see.”
Steren nodded, glimpsing the unwavering resolve in my eyes.
“That’s… reassuring.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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