An Ominous Presence (1)
"Rest until the work period ends."
Ellen had finished his labor especially quickly today. The guard settled himself by the entrance and immediately began to doze. An all-night card game with his colleagues the night before was to blame.
"So this is the place?"
Ellen slipped into a passage not far from the entrance. The distance wasn't great enough to muffle conversation, but he had positioned himself just cleverly enough to leave the nodding guard's line of sight.
Place your hand on the wall.
Following Proveng's instruction, Ellen pressed his palm against the cave wall.
Wooooong.
A vibration from the stone traveled up through his hand.
Ssshhk.
Once the alien tremor ceased, Ellen's hand sank into the wall. It wasn't so much that something pulled him in as that his hand simply passed through the stone.
"Is this your laboratory, Master?"
Proveng's laboratory was not particularly large, yet every object within it had been arranged with meticulous care.
Still here, just as it was. Well, it was a barrier most would never have found. I conducted my research here when I was still with the Magic Tower.
Decades had passed since Proveng's last visit. His memories were no longer sharp, but almost nothing had changed from those days.
"What should I take from here?"
At a glance, nothing particularly eye-catching stood out. If there was anything distinctive, it was that most of the volumes concerned black magic.
Head to the materials storeroom on the right. There should be something useful there.
Ellen followed Proveng's direction into the materials storeroom. A temperature-regulation spell must have been in place; a gentle warmth filled the air.
That powder on the left. Take that first.
Where Ellen looked, a cloth-wrapped powder rested. He carefully lifted it.
Rustle.
Unwrapping the cloth revealed a golden powder. He sensed no particularly special energy from it.
"What kind of powder is this?"
That is Dispel Powder. It neutralizes the magical effects bound into artifacts. Highest-grade Dispel Powder, no less — more than enough to deal with the bracelet locked around your wrist.
Hearing Proveng's explanation, Ellen finally recalled what he had once read in a materials treatise.
Dispel Powder. This is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes. I know how rare it is — and highest-grade, at that.
Once again, Ellen found himself astonished by Proveng. The man had served as a Royal Mage in Prode, the kingdom known as the Mage's Kingdom; it was only natural he would possess such things.
Just how formidable was Hameron, that he could crush Master so completely?
The further Ellen traced Hameron's trail, the harder it became to take the measure of the man's power.
If you mean to finish within the rest period, you'd best hurry.
"Ah — right. I got lost in thought for a moment."
At Proveng's urging, Ellen pinched some of the powder between thumb and forefinger.
Ssshhk.
Then he sprinkled the Dispel Powder over the bracelet locked around his arm.
Tzzzzzt.
The bracelet flared with golden light and emitted a mechanical sound. As Ellen understood it, the magic formula was being released. Soon the light faded. Outwardly, nothing appeared to have changed.
Light.
Fwaaah.
But the result was utterly different.
Being sealed from releasing mana outward to form magic at all… The effect is unmistakable.
Ellen stared at the orb floating above his palm, deeply moved. Including his previous life, he had lived with magic for over fifty years. For someone like him, those few weeks without it had felt like having his limbs torn away one by one.
Satisfied? Understandable. When I was framed as a blood mage, they sealed my magic as well. I know the feeling well.
At Proveng's words, Ellen quickly dismissed the Light spell.
"Now I'll have more time to learn magic from you, Lord Proveng. But where is the token?"
That's precisely why I had you release the bracelet first. Infuse the desk with your mana. Since you contracted with me, it should answer to yours as well.
Returning to the study, Ellen poured mana into the desk. For the first time in a long while, he felt mana flowing cleanly from his fingertips.
Creeeak.
As his mana seeped in, the drawer on the lower left of the desk opened of its own accord.
"This is…?"
The Vow Dagger. Elves do not lie — but humans do. In the ancient era, this was the method used when forming contracts with humankind. A blade that has tasted both parties' blood serves as the token. Show that dagger, and the elves will recognize the promise made by their own kin.
"With this, I should be able to enter the Tower of Intellect as well."
Indeed. That dagger holds a vow regarding access to the Tower of Intellect.
Hide.
Ellen concealed the Vow Dagger from sight and fastened it at his waist.
"I should head out now. Leaving my post too long is dangerous — and since I can use magic again, I can return anytime."
You're free to use everything here.
Ellen took in the vast collection of magic tomes, artifacts, and rare materials filling the laboratory. But as a prisoner, he could hardly carry them all away. Swallowing his regret, he slipped back out of the laboratory.
Still resting.
The other prisoners had gathered in their own clusters to chat, but Brady alone sat in meditation. Confirming that no one had noticed his brief absence, Ellen walked over toward Reb.
"Ellen, the guard just told me — starting tomorrow, the Royal Inspection Corps is coming."
Reb's face was a picture of misery.
"The Inspection Corps?"
"Yeah. We won't get rest time like this for a while. If anything, they'll work us harder now that the inspectors are here."
Ellen nodded at Reb's words.
Are they here to watch me?
"Why is this prisoner's uniform in such a state?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Cut this bastard's food rations. Even the bread we waste on scum with no will to reform is too much."
"Yes, sir!"
At the inspector's words, the guard answered with rigid military discipline.
"Looking at those soft hands, you clearly haven't been working hard."
The inspector seized another prisoner.
"I was a noble, which is why I have no calluses. I shall abide by whatever you say, so please let this pass."
The man the inspector had grabbed belonged to the noble faction.
"Hey — so what? You're not a noble anymore. You're just a prisoner."
The prisoner was left utterly speechless.
"What did you just say?"
"Cut this bastard's rations the same way. How did Enis's discipline get this lax?"
"Yes, sir!"
Even after the inspector had moved on, the prisoner remained frozen with that same expression on his face.
So those men aren't after me?
Among those watching the scene was Ellen.
What are they aiming for?
Ellen had no choice but to tread carefully, determined not to give them any pretext to seize on.