How a Wizard Survives (57)
How a Wizard Survives (57)
The day after I got chewed out for inventing magic over dinner.
An order for a full-gear inspection came down at the Reshutal Inquisition Branch.
If you told ordinary soldiers to run an equipment inspection, they'd be writhing in agony, but...
Here, it's different.
The Inquisition is the wealthiest fighting force in all of humanity.
On top of that, every soldier serving here is a battle-hardened veteran who's crawled through hell and back.
For us, an equipment inspection is a chance to replace a sword or a set of armor at the Holy Order's expense.
A full set of plate armor is pushing it, sure, but chainmail—they'll buy that without blinking.
For squires like me, though, it was hard to see it as a purely happy occasion.
There was no way our honored, precious Holy Knights were going to tend to their own gear with their own hands, right?
And the squires are not excused from fieldwork either... so their workload doubles.
Katrina, to her credit, didn't want to dump all her work on me, but...
When she actually tried, I had to stop her.
"See, Jaeger? I can do it myself."
"No... let's just replace this chainmail. It's meant as an underlayer, but it's too far gone to use anymore."
"Does Sir Jaeger know armor maintenance as well?"
At Alina's question while she helped the soldiers, Katrina smirked.
Angelica, standing beside me, boasted on my behalf.
"I can't vouch for the rest, but when it comes to armor maintenance, he's a genuine pro!"
"Why is Lady Angelica the one acting proud about it..."
"Ah, Jaeger. That's really not it."
I tossed aside the chainmail, worn down from overzealous rust removal, and moved my hands to the plate armor.
Katrina gave a small start and signaled Wikia with her eyes.
Wikia, who'd been supporting the full-gear inspection alongside the other scribes, nodded briefly and retrieved a modest box from the warehouse.
Inside the fine wooden box was a mound of powder that felt strangely familiar.
"What is this?"
"Other Inquisitors might not recognize it, but you, Sir Jaeger—you must. Adamantite powder."
"Aha. So you can produce it in powder form, too?"
I clapped my hands as the source of the déjà vu became clear. Wikia shook his head and corrected me.
A scholarly type, he wasn't one to let even a minor error slide.
Not out of pride, but when it came to knowledge, he was a touch obsessive.
"It isn't produced. It's simply all that it can become."
"Pardon?"
"Adamantite has the property of cleaving like rock, and the nature of the material makes re-processing virtually impossible. I maintain that it should be classified as a simple mineral. I've submitted several objections to the higher-ups on this point..."
The precise classification of adamantite is, frankly, whatever.
While thinking that, I promptly drew my sword.
"So this wasn't an alloy?"
"Correct. The outer layer is a rare metal, and the inner core is a solid piece of adamantite. A single adamantite chunk that large is practically unheard of."
"Why don't you know more about your own sword? Are you stupid?"
I'd been swinging it around excitedly this whole time without knowing.
When Angelica pointed that out and teased me, Katrina murmured quietly beside her.
"It's because his swordsmanship is too good."
"Hm?"
"Even when Jaeger faces an opponent far stronger than himself, he doesn't let the blade take the stress... I bet he hasn't even maintained it properly until now."
"..."
Beside the flabbergasted Angelica, Wikia smiled bitterly.
"That's the correct answer. The reason high-purity adamantite swords of this grade only appear in legends is exactly that. Truthfully, those swords—none of them survived into the modern era. They all shattered long ago."
"Aha... your oddly useful trivia is always appreciated, Wikia."
So higher-purity adamantite isn't necessarily a good thing?
Looking at it this way, my teacher's Adamantite Alchemy is even more absurd.
The defining trait of adamantite is that it's fundamentally impossible to process with magic, yet he can knead the stuff at will...
It was absurdly strong.
They call adamantite the Worldstone, don't they? It really is more stone than metal.
Still, its inherent durability must be considerable, given that I've barely felt the difference up to now.
The real problem is that in a pinch, it doesn't bend—it just shatters.
While I was mulling this over, Katrina scooped up the adamantite powder, crushed too fine for any other use, and headed for the forge.
Come to think of it, her armor was also reinforced with adamantite.
Not with a single large piece like my sword. A thin layer of powder coated the armor's surface.
Its mana-nullifying effect was far weaker than my blade's.
So that's what adamantite plating meant.
The equipment inspection was proceeding smoothly.
Reinhardt, who'd been patrolling the compound with his adjutant, approached us.
The fur pelts that had once adorned his uniform and those of the other Northern Inquisitors had long since disappeared.
Northern pride kept them going for a while, but the heat eventually overwhelmed them.
"Jaeger, no issues with the inspection?"
"None. Though ideally, I'd love to receive an adamantite suit of armor as well."
At my joking remark, Reinhardt answered without a trace of humor.
"It isn't impossible. The procedure would be a bit tedious, though."
"Pardon?"
"Jaeger, you're heading out to Winter Fortress with Katrina. Right now. It's time for your Holy Knight Investiture."
"Ah..."
So the time had finally come.
A shiver of anticipation ran through me, accompanied by unease.
"Holy Knight Investiture is conducted at Winter Fortress?"
"Correct. Note that you must complete the Holy Knight Training Camp."
"Ugh..."
It caught me off guard, but it made sense.
Ordinary Inquisitors are recruited exclusively from veteran commoners.
Holy Knights come almost entirely from noble houses.
And most of them, incidentally, have squire experience like me.
But just because a noble family sends a Holy Knight candidate doesn't mean they can be accepted blindly.
The Inquisition needs some way to filter them.
The Holy Knight Training Camp is that filter.
"Don't worry. You shouldn't need to stay long."
"Understood."
At this point, I wasn't going to doubt my own ability, but...
Procedure is procedure.
This trip was essentially my chance to prove my worth to the members of the Wizardvein Family.
Reinhardt had already overextended himself considerably to grant me various favors, so I needed to validate myself to him now.
This is a loyalty test, not a skill test.
Did he feel guilty about the sudden dispatch order?
Uncharacteristically, Reinhardt dangled a carrot.
"If you graduate from the training camp properly, you'll be able to visit the Adamantite Mine."
"The Adamantite Mine!"
So he'd been serious earlier when he went along with the armor joke?
While thinking that, I still prodded.
"But traveling to the mine and back will take a long time... could you not simply give it to me here?"
"No. There's no ore left, so you'll have to mine it yourself."
"Huh?"
A self-service clause, out of nowhere.
When I stared at him as if to say, 'Now you are treating me as a miner,' he swiftly offered an excuse.
"There's a monster living deeper inside the mine. The local Inquisitors can't break into the new strata, so you'll help them out."
"What a uniquely aggravating mine. Understood."
I returned to Katrina's quarters and grabbed the travel pack I'd prepared in advance.
Once we collected provisions from the mess hall, we could leave at any time.
Katrina had also finished her armor repairs and heard the news in the meantime.
Fresh off an intense battle, she might have been expected to find it bothersome, but she wore an unusually bright expression.
"The Holy Knight Training Camp. Then there's no need for a large party to accompany us."
"Correct. They said pulling too many personnel from Reshutal isn't ideal, so the two of us are to go alone."
"Truly? That's wonderful!"
How long had it been since I'd seen Katrina smile so broadly?
Under normal circumstances, someone like Angelica might have come along, but...
This time, the destinations ruled that out.
Winter Fortress might be one thing, but they'd never allow an Einhold person anywhere near the Adamantite Mine.
Katrina was unusually eager as we headed for the stables.
Alina, changed into a simple traveling outfit, fell in with us as smoothly as could be.
Katrina's face hardened the instant she saw her.
"...Your Highness?"
"I've always wanted to visit Winter Fortress and the Adamantite Mine someday. It's all right if I accompany you, isn't it?"
"Given what happened not long ago, how can you possibly..."
"It's fine. In any event, staying at Sir Jaeger's side will be far safer than remaining in Reshutal."
I understood she was uneasy after just forming an alliance with me, but...
To think she'd insist on following us all the way to Winter Fortress.
Half worried, half sarcastic, I asked her quietly.
"Are you out of your mind? You're confident you won't get caught at Winter Fortress?"
"You've already been there yourself, Sir Jaeger."
"Well, yes, but..."
Come to think of it, I was hardly in a position to worry about anyone else.
That fact hit home again, even as I tried to dissuade her.
"You think you're the same as me?"
"No. In truth, I have far more latitude. I am a patron of the Inquisition, after all."
"...Don't complain if you're found out."
Alina ultimately left Reshutal with me.
A journey with the two greatest beauties of Reshutal was, well, truly suffocating.
Had the road to Winter Fortress always been this long?
Alina made occasional attempts at conversation. Katrina did not utter a word.
So on the third day, I took a drastic measure.
"Lady Katrina. Princess Alina is actually a demon."
"...What?"
At my tone, which couldn't have sounded less like a joke, not only Katrina but Alina herself froze solid.
I didn't stop.
We'd be moving together from here on out anyway, and this wasn't something I could keep hidden forever.
"More precisely, she is Everhart's daughter—a young demon whose nature escaped the Contractor Test."
"Th-that's... Wait. Wait just a moment!"
After struggling to process it, Katrina finally seized on the crucial point.
Everhart's words had been revealing enough that Katrina finally understood their meaning.
"Then Everhart was trying to lay hands on his own daughter?"
"Exactly. Which is why Alina here is cooperating with me in exchange for killing Everhart."
"That's absurd..."
Forced out of hiding, Alina looked displeased, but...
After sensing that Katrina and I shared an unusual bond, she kept her mouth shut.
Honestly, her ability to read a room is uncanny.
She had no trouble grasping that, among the three of us, her own standing ranked last.
Katrina, for her part, remained visibly flustered for a long while afterward, but...
She eventually accepted my decision.
"If that's the case, then that night you entered Alina's chambers..."
"Kgh. How did you even know about that? I scouted thoroughly before I went in."
"I brought you a late-night snack, and you weren't there. If that's what it was, then I understand."
Now that she knew the full picture, Katrina's expression turned oddly refreshed.
Alina had apparently never imagined Katrina was already on our side.
Thanks to that, the awkward atmosphere dissolved rapidly.
I arrived at Winter Fortress far more at ease than before.
The fortress had evidently already been contacted, as Charlotte was waiting to greet us.
She barely greeted Katrina before ushering me inside.
"Your Highness Princess Alina, an honor to see you again. Katrina, so terribly glad you're here. Sir Jaeger, please proceed directly to the Holy Knight Training Camp. I've already spoken with the instructor."
"Understood."
The standard Holy Knight Training Camp program runs a full sixteen weeks.
Over four long months, the camp transformed pampered young nobles into proficient killing machines.
If a candidate fails to meet the camp's standards, they're eliminated without mercy.
And I, of all times, was entering during the very last, one-week examination period.
After hearing Charlotte's explanation, I shivered.
Although saving time was a good thing, I'd grown extremely uneasy.
Charlotte, who was guiding me, offered encouragement out of character.
"Please don't worry too much. Sir Jaeger has already captured a demon, so what's..."
"Thank you. And... did Lady Katrina graduate from the training camp?"
"No, Wizardvein Family members are fundamentally exempt... so a different course is prepared for them."
Aha, so Katrina was exempt?
Still, I didn't look down on her for it.
Judging by the attitude of the Wizardvein Family Head, Katrina's trial would have been harder than the norm, never easier.
The training camp commander Charlotte introduced was a one-eyed Wizardvein.
A female instructor welcomed us. She was slightly smaller than Reinhardt, which still made her enormous by ordinary standards.
"Welcome, Katrina. This brat is your squire?"
"Yes, Aunt."
"Good. If Reinhardt's vouched for him, he can't be utter useless trash. Trainee! Even common-born filth knows the Battle Prayer by heart, I assume?"
"Uh, the Battle Prayer, you mean?"
We don't do that in actual combat?
Stifling that reply, I racked my brain with difficulty.
"The Battle Prayer. Please, let me kill—... Ah, that's not it, is it?"
"..."
"..."
Katrina, Charlotte, and the instructor exchanged uneasy glances wordlessly.
This is absolutely my fault.
I've neglected prayers so badly I mixed it up with the demon-summoning chant for Bael, the Destruction Demon.
Uncharacteristically drenched in a cold sweat, Katrina squeezed out her voice.
"Whatever else Jaeger may lack, he kills heretics very well. Truly."
"Ah, well... then that'll do. I wasn't expecting much anyway."
Shaking her head sheepishly, the instructor led me to the barracks.
Under the smirking gazes of the candidates, I gave an awkward nod of greeting and took my place.