The Son-In-Law of the Magician Is a Transcendent Sword Master - Chapter 75

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 75

I stared blankly at the silver pendant clutched in my hand.

There was no doubt about it.

It was exactly the item I knew.

“How is this… possible…”

“You—I thought you only liked fighting, but surprisingly you’re interested in artifacts too?”

Having heard my muttering, Iline chuckled and nodded her head.

“That’s right. I checked it out just in case, and it’s definitely genuine. Hrunir’s Heart. One of the seven divine relics from the Age of the Gods, said to be the most precious in the Empire.”

“…You’re saying Markel had this?”

“I don’t know where he got it, but well, I also think it’s too good an item for a black mage to possess.”

Hrunir’s Heart.

Long, long ago.

The Age of the Gods. A time when gods and humans were closer.

An ornament said to have been used by the berserker who killed the Giant Lord.

I had experienced its majesty plenty during my mercenary days.

Its effect was simple yet vicious. As it had originally belonged to a berserker, it was inscribed with magic that explosively amplified the wearer’s physical abilities, using the damage they took as fuel.

‘It was actually the artifact that Barg used too.’

One of the reasons I couldn’t settle things with Barg in my previous life was precisely because of this artifact.

When we met in Mist Valley, I thought Hrunir’s Heart was missing, but Markel had it.

Of course, while Hrunir’s Heart wasn’t as good for mages as it was for swordsmen, it certainly wasn’t a bad artifact for them either.

For instance…

‘Blood magic.’

When my thoughts reached that point, I could understand.

‘Certainly. Markel was able to reach that level because he had this artifact.’

The reason Markel’s core didn’t collapse even while forcibly absorbing others’ blood and mana to reach the 7th Rank was surely thanks to this pendant.

After all, increased physical abilities also meant being able to produce blood for blood magic more easily.

I could roughly guess how Markel had obtained this pendant.

‘Since Barg, who should have been its original owner, died by my hand.’

In the end, unlike in my previous life, the Archmage King had given Hrunir’s Heart to Markel, and now it had come into my possession after defeating him.

Understanding the whole story, I turned to Iline.

“Can I keep this pendant?”

“I just told you. It’s your spoils of war. To be honest… I’m not without desire for it. Even Arcamen only has one relic from the Age of the Gods. And even that one is buried deep in the treasure vault because it’s too precious.”

Iline winked, and I chuckled as I tucked the pendant into my clothes.

Hrunir’s Heart.

Since I had to cross countless lines of death ahead, it was truly a perfect item for me.

“Not bad.”

Then Iline cleared her throat and spoke up.

“Ahem. And… if it’s not too much trouble…”

“What favor do you need?”

“Do you remember old lady Isobel?”

“Of course.”

“That old lady wants to have a chat with you, Reagan.”

Iline put her hands together and bowed her head.

“I’m asking you. I know you probably really don’t want to, but please meet with her just once. I’m asking like this, okay?”

“…It’s not that I don’t want to…”

It didn’t particularly matter to me.

More than anything, I didn’t dislike it.

Rather, I was secretly curious about Isobel, who was said to be Arcamen’s greatest alchemist.

“That’s fine.”

I nodded readily, and a few minutes later, the Celestial alchemist Isobel, having been granted permission to visit, peeked her head through the hospital room door.

“May I come in?”

“Yes. Please come in.”

“Aha!”

With her characteristic exclamation, Isobel cheerfully entered the hospital room.

“Hmm…”

Even though I saw her yesterday, I still couldn’t get used to it.

How could she possibly be seventy-nine? Her innocent smile looked even younger than Renia’s.

“Um… Miss Isobel…?”

More than anything, this was my first time speaking with a Celestial, so I couldn’t grasp what attitude I should take.

When I trailed off, Isobel giggled and waved her hands dismissively.

“Ahaha! Just treat me comfortably. It’s more comfortable for me when you treat me at face value!”

“Yes. Then I’ll do that, Miss Isobel.”

Isobel nodded and hopped onto the chair beside my bed. Then she asked with an interested smile spreading across her face.

“So, how did it feel?”

“Feel?”

“You took as many as five Chronos pills. You’re the first human to survive taking such a large amount. Actually, you’re also the first person to take five pills.”

“Hmm…”

“First question: why did you take five Chronos pills, Mr. Reagan?”

“That’s…”

I explained the whole story right then and there.

The appearance of Markel, a 7th Rank mage. To save Renia and Sheril, I needed to reach the 6th Rank, and for that I needed time to contemplate my body.

“Aha, so it’s the altruism characteristic of humans. I understand. So how did it feel when you took five pills?”

I searched my memory.

There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy.

“Time slowed down more than when I took one pill. One minute felt like a whole day… no, even longer than that.”

“Yes, yes. I see. Were there any other unusual symptoms?”

“I suppose you could call it a side effect… The pain was also magnified as much as my consciousness was accelerated.”

“Ooh!”

Hearing my words, Isobel’s eyes lit up.

“I see. The perceived duration of pain increases… That’s certainly a big problem. I’ll have to keep that in mind when making the improved version.”

“Are you planning to improve Chronos?”

“Of course. I can’t leave it unfinished. I have plenty of time after all.”

Isobel nodded and scribbled something in her notebook. Looking closely, it wasn’t Imperial script. It seemed to be a special language system used only by Celestials.

“Thanks to you, it was helpful. Thank you, Reagan. Next time, take seven or more pills and let me know how it goes!”

“…I hope there won’t be such an occasion…”

Besides, Iline had confiscated the Chronos, so I couldn’t take more anyway.

Watching Isobel excitedly taking notes, I suddenly became curious.

“Excuse me, Miss Isobel.”

“Yes? Is there some problem?”

“No, it’s not a problem, but I have one question.”

“What are you curious about!”

“Why did you create that drug called Chronos? The risk is too great to use it in combat.”

A drug with the suspicious effect of mental acceleration.

From the moment I learned its creator was a Celestial, I became even more puzzled.

While its effects were dramatic, the fact that the lethal dose was two or three pills made commercialization impossible.

So why did Isobel create this drug?

“Aha. That’s a good question that only an outsider could ask. Actually, the alchemists of Arcamen don’t really have such doubts when creating something.”

Isobel closed her notebook with a bitter smile.

“…Actually, Chronos was… hmm… my own effort to synchronize my time with humans.”

“Effort?”

“Yes. Humans have short lifespans, don’t they? They’re roughly three times shorter, so even when living the same amount of time, they must feel it differently than I do. So I tried making it. How do humans feel those fleeting moments? It’s a kind of… attempt at understanding, I suppose? We live in the same world, don’t we? I thought it was a necessary process to live together harmoniously.”

“…So then.”

Isobel… keenly felt the difference in lifespan between celestials and humans.

And she created Chronos to directly experience that sensation herself?

“That’s right! I’m an oddball, after all!”

Isobel nodded her head vigorously in affirmation.

A potion made to capture fleeting time, or to understand those who live short lives.

Was this the unique burden of a long-lived race?

After hearing the story behind Chronos’s development, I felt like a terrible materialist for trying to use this potion merely as a combat enhancement drug.

So I offered comfort that was completely out of character for me.

“…Well. The time that you and I experience… probably isn’t that different.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Turtles and rabbits have different lifespans, but they probably feel a day similarly.”

Isobel’s eyes widened.

Soon, as if understanding my words, her pupils curved into crescents.

“Aha! That’s a uniquely human metaphor! You mean I’m the turtle! Crawl crawl!”

“Well, the point is a bit off, but… it’s a similar feeling.”

Isobel shook her purple hair vigorously from side to side as if delighted. The wing-shaped horns protruding from her temples also swayed and wiggled along with it.

“Reagan, you’re really an interesting person. I like it, I feel much better now!”

Then Isobel took out a small wooden box from her bosom and held it out to me.

“Reagan, this is a gift for helping with my research.”

When I opened the box, there was a blue-green liquid contained in a transparent glass bottle.

“What is this?”

“It’s a potion that stabilizes the Mana Core. In some ways, you can think of it as an elixir.”

Isobel’s gaze turned toward my lower abdomen.

“Reagan, your Mana Core is quite peculiar. You forcibly created barriers to divide one core and use it like two. And you’re cramming unique magic formulas of different origins into each one.”

“…”

As expected, a celestial is still a celestial.

In that short time, Isobel had already seen through all the limitations and instability of my Mana Core.

“That’s suicidal behavior. It’s like building a brick house on a sandcastle? Even a small mistake will make it collapse. And when that happens, it won’t end with simply becoming a cripple, you know? Like this… boom!”

Isobel spread her short little arms wide.

The sinister expression contrasting with her cute gesture sent chills down my spine.

“So this elixir prevents that… ‘boom’?”

“Similar. It’s a special potion I created over decades. Actually, I didn’t make it for this purpose… but well, good is good.”

When I shook the transparent liquid in the bottle, Isobel nodded and continued speaking.

“With that elixir, the sandcastle will harden like a solid brick fortress. You probably won’t have to worry about the energies colliding until you reach the 7th Circle… but still, from the 7th Circle onward, it would be better to refrain from using other unique magic formulas.”

Isobel’s advice was in the same vein as Steren’s warning I had heard before.

I suppose any advanced mage would think the same way.

However, I shook my head.

I couldn’t stop here and now. I shouldn’t stop either.

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

“Aha! That’s quite unfortunate. Then if Reagan becomes a corpse, I’ll make sure I can receive it! Don’t worry! It’s purely for research purposes!”

“…Th-thank you for that encouraging words.”

“Of course!”

If only to avoid having my corpse dissected by Isobel.

I now had another reason to absolutely not die.

I chuckled and took the box containing the elixir.

“In any case, I gratefully accept this gift.”

“Of course. Next time you come to Arcamen, please be sure to visit. The turtle will be waiting for Mr. Rabbit! Crawl crawl.”

Did she like my metaphor?

Isobel mentioned turtles several times until we parted, giggling all the while.

Some time later, left alone, I alternately looked at the elixir box in my hand and Hrunir’s heart.

“…Is this really okay.”

These seemed like overly sweet rewards for just one battle.

Of course, I had no intention of declining them.

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