The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 158

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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 158
Seila made her decision on the fourth day of our stay in Eltora.
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“I’m leaving.”
“Is that so? Have you decided where you’ll go?”
“I’m not entirely sure. But now that I have some money saved up, I thought I’d travel around the Empire. If there’s a city that calls to me, I’ll settle there.”
“What will you do once you’ve settled?”
“I don’t know that either. But I think… I’ll be able to find something.”
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Seila’s face as she spoke was far brighter than it had been just days ago in the Mercenary District, where she’d been oppressed.
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“Good. Do your best. If any problems arise, come find me in Benheim anytime. I’ll help you with all my heart.”
“Okay.”
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Just before leaving, Seila looked at me and offered an awkward smile.
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“Thank you for helping me with everything.”
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With those words, Seila unslung the executioner’s sword from her back and handed it to me.
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“Take it. It’s a gift. It might seem modest compared to what you’ve given me, but it’s the most precious thing I own.”
“…Isn’t this executioner’s sword a keepsake from your father?”
“Huh? How did you know that? I don’t think I ever told you.”
“Well… it’s just… somehow I figured it out.”
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I frowned as I looked at the sword.
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“It must be precious to you. Wouldn’t it be better to keep it?”
“It’s not precious. I only kept it because others did the same. I don’t need to do that anymore, so I don’t need this thing either. Besides…”
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Seila’s expression turned displeased.
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“You said I had no talent for swordplay. That no matter how hard I tried, I’d never improve.”
“That’s true.”
“So take it. It’s useless to me now.”
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By handing me this executioner’s sword, Seila was declaring her own will to forge her own path forward. If that was the case, I had no choice but to accept it.
I took the sword from her. Its weight was surprisingly heavy. Perhaps from carrying this massive blade on her back every day, Seila’s expression grew lighter as she set it down.
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“Then, I’ll be going.”
“Yes. Take care of yourself.”
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And so I saw Seila off.
Soon after she disappeared from the main road, the blonde woman who had drawn close beside me spoke.
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“Reagan, you’re quite kind.”
“…Renia.”
Renia gazed intently down the path where Seila had vanished, then asked.
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“Aren’t you reluctant to let her go like this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to take her in as a guest of Benheim, like you did with Rashek? I think it would be better for that girl too.”
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I had considered that possibility. The Empire’s society is harsh for a woman barely past twenty to survive alone. Taking her under Benheim’s protective roof would certainly be a good solution.
But…
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“That would be forcing the direction of her life upon her. It would be doing exactly what the Stork Mercenary Company’s captain did. Rather than that, it’s better to let her find what she truly wants to do. Besides, if it becomes too difficult, she can always knock on Benheim’s door. When that time comes, we can do as you suggested.”
“Hmm… Reagan, you’ve thought that far ahead?”
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Renia drew out her words and her eyes gleamed with interest.
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“How devoted, Reagan. That’s not like you.”
“What do you mean by ‘like me’?”
“You pretend to be cynical, but you’re a devoted romantic who cares about no one except me.”
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Hearing her confirm it aloud made me embarrassed. I scratched my cheek while Renia laughed with amusement.
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“So, that’s why I’ve formed my own hypothesis about why you’ve been working so hard for Seila.”
“I explained it before. We’re in the same boat.”
“Did you really think such a flimsy excuse would work on me?”
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Renia poked my cheek and continued.
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“The reason you’re being so kind to that girl Seila is definitely because of memories from your mercenary days.”
“…”
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For a moment, I nearly lost control of my expression. But I felt relieved the instant I heard Renia’s next words.
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“Is it because that girl Seila resembles that noble lady you served?”
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Renia’s deduction was sharp, if anything. Yet it missed the mark at the crucial moment.
Perhaps that was fortunate. I offered a bitter smile.
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“Yes, Renia. What made you think that?”
“Because when you looked at Seila, you made that expression I hate. The one you get when you’re remembering your past life.”
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That wistful, nostalgic expression.
Even Saya, the head of the Aconia household, had noticed it, so it seemed I wasn’t particularly skilled at controlling my expressions.
Hearing that much, Renia’s misunderstanding was reasonably justified.
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“So my guess was right?”
“That she and Seila look alike?”
“Yes.”
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She was asking me to find commonalities between Renia and Seila.
I pondered for a moment before answering.
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“Not really. They don’t resemble each other.”
“Huh?”
“Quite the opposite, actually. Like oil and water… I’d say they’re fundamentally incompatible.”
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In my past life, Seila resented what she didn’t have, while Renia grieved what she had lost.
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“And yet… I think their essence was similar.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m really curious now. Explain it in detail.”
“Later.”
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* * *
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Another day passed after Seila’s departure.
I had been in Eltora for five days now, and Valen summoned me at that very moment.
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“You called for me?”
“Yes, Reagan.”
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Valen was managing the situation from the Imperial Residence situated in the heart of Eltora. It appeared that the surviving members of the Stork Mercenary Company were being held in the underground prison here.
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“It seems you’ve extracted meaningful information from the mercenaries.”
“Well, something like that. I called you because there’s something urgent I need to discuss regarding this matter.”
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In the Imperial Residence’s office, Yusephine Airid was also present besides myself, and she too seemed to have just been summoned, her expression betraying complete ignorance.
I was about to take a seat when I noticed a towering stack of documents piled high upon the desk.
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“Captain, what is all this?”
“Protest letters that have arrived for us.”
“Protest letters?”
“Indeed. Nearly dozens of them have arrived over the past several days under the name of the ‘Eltora Mercenary Alliance.'”
“I see….”
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I grasped the general situation.
Eltora was a city where mercenary groups were concentrated far more densely than in other major cities.
In such circumstances, five days ago, a subjugation force under the protection of the Great Mage Alliance had thoroughly crushed the Stork Mercenary Company, the foremost mercenary group in Eltora. The company commander had even been killed.
The mercenaries’ reaction upon hearing this news was entirely predictable. They must have been anxious about whether they too might suffer the same fate as the Stork Mercenary Company. Especially since the fact that the Stork Mercenary Company had cooperated with Black Mages had not been publicly revealed, there was ample reason for them to feel threatened.
That mercenaries, who rarely united on anything, had sent protest letters even using the word “alliance” was surely driven entirely by their fear of the prestige of Benheim and the Great Mage Alliance.
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“Fortunately, this works out well. Throw all those letters into the fireplace over there.”
“You won’t read them first?”
“No need.”
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Valen spoke decisively.
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“Dawn comes even if you wring a chicken’s neck. Pay them no mind.”
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Indeed.
The Great Mage Alliance was the Empire’s greatest military force after the Royal Court itself. There was no reason to heed the complaints of a mere handful of mercenary groups, nor any need to bow our heads.
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“Now then, Reagan and Lady Yusephine. The reason I summoned you both….”
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Valen placed a thick ledger upon the desk.
I opened the ledger and scanned its contents. Densely written entries. It was the transaction record of the Stork Mercenary Company.
Nothing surprising about that. It was standard for mercenary groups of considerable size to function as merchant enterprises as well.
However, upon seeing the transaction items recorded in the ledger, I furrowed my brow.
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“These bastards… have they become miners or something?”
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Mercury, sulfur, rock salt, tin, silver, gold, copper, lead—all manner of minerals were listed abundantly.
Moreover, the transaction amounts were substantial. The ledger bore clear traces of enormous sums of money, easily exceeding millions of livres per month, flowing in and out.
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“All transactions are with a single source. The ledger only lists them as ‘Oriole,’ with no further details. We suspected it was a code name and discovered the truth through interrogation. I wonder who you think this Oriole might be.”
“Black Mages, then.”
“Exactly. I uncovered intelligence that these items were ordered by Black Mages who’ve established themselves in the Airit Estate.”
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I furrowed my brow.
In other words, if the mercenary’s testimony and the contents of this ledger were true….
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“The Stork Mercenary Company has been receiving elixirs in exchange for delivering these minerals. This is one of those elixirs.”
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Valen withdrew a small wooden box from the drawer and opened it. Inside lay several dark, murky pills.
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‘This is….’
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My expression hardened involuntarily.
The method by which Black Mages manufacture elixirs is simple. Unlike the synthetic elixirs of Benheim, which are created by refining pure mana like an Elixir, they squeeze the life from living people, extract and condense their Mana Cores into pills.
I was not the only one who knew this fact.
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“…I’ve seen this before.”
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Yusephine picked up one of the pills with trembling hands.
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“In Mist Valley… these are pills made by extracting the Mana Cores of children….”
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It seemed Yusephine had clearly witnessed the atrocities the Black Mages committed while staying in the Abandoned Mine in Fog Valley.
Valen, having also seen that scene, nodded in understanding.
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“That’s right. These are elixirs made by refining living people. The crime is utterly heinous.”
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In other words, the curse sorcerer of Iridia was circulating such filthy pills while amassing vast quantities of ore.
Then what was the reason for this?
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“Then what do the Black Mages intend to use these minerals for?”
“…Reagan, what do you think the definition of magic is?”
“To manipulate… reality through mana… as a technique?”
“Correct. That’s the foundation of modern magic. All mages use the mana within their bodies as a catalyst to perform miracles. However… ancient magic, before the modern magical system was established, was manifested through material mediums.”
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Valen tapped his finger against the items listed in the ledger as he continued.
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“Simply put, these minerals are the materials necessary for using ancient magic.”
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Valen glanced at Yusephine before continuing.
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“Think of Iridia’s spectral magic for an easy comparison.”
“Spectral magic?”
“Iridia’s spectral magic uses light. It converts that light into minerals. To produce blue, they grind mercury; for gold, they mix sulfur and gold dust. By creating a magical circle that mimics the design of Iridia’s Mana Core through this method… well, you’d achieve effects similar to spectral magic. In humanity’s earliest ages, mages implemented magic by drawing the symbols and essence inherent in matter directly onto the earth. Benheim’s unique magical formula was also manifested in ancient times by directly inscribing Rune characters in tin.”
“But I don’t understand. Why resort to ancient magic when perfectly functional modern magic exists?”
“That’s a valid question. Though modern magical systems have become the mainstream of the Imperial Magic Order and fallen into disuse, ancient magical theory occasionally finds application. Reagan, think about it. When would one ever need to use ancient magic instead of modern magic?”
“…When you can’t use mana?”
“Close. More precisely… it’s used when casting what we call ‘grand magic’—spells too difficult to manifest within modern magical specifications.”
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Only then did I grasp the true gravity of the situation.
If Valen’s conjecture was correct, the Black Mage of Iridia was amassing an enormous quantity of minerals to cast magic beyond standard specifications.
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“With this much material… they could draw a colossal magical circle covering the entire Airit Estate and still have surplus.”
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I could only envision the worst possibility.
Among the various classifications of Black Mages, curse-casters specialize in spreading wide-ranging calamity.
And Iridia’s curse-caster was skilled enough to inflict petrification upon the body of Grand Mage Oswald Irid.
In other words, a curse-caster of seventh rank or higher was inscribing a magical circle of estate-encompassing scale.
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“We must stop this immediately.”
“Yes. Iridia will face irreversible catastrophe.”
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Yusephine Airid held her breath as she listened to our words.

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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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