Wind Mana
“It would be the perfect counter against mages.”
Mages draw external mana into their bodies, so if you can forcibly stop it, that would be it.
Joseph immediately checked the other phrases.
First, connect the tunnels and raise the mana density as high as possible, then forcibly move it to create a flow. It would probably take the longest time.
This tunnel was clearly referring to the holes in the adjacent room.
It seemed the holes below were connected.
From the tunnel to this room.
It looked like a carefully crafted place.
Although weathered over time, the fact that the holes had been functioning until now proved it.
How…?
Joseph immediately checked the back pages.
But the back of the diary was mostly blurred text, making it hard to read.
Damn it…
Because the most important content was erased, he clicked his tongue, but then shook his head.
Probably failed.
The mage who wrote the diary said he would reverse the situation with this research.
But as far as Joseph knew, he hadn't heard of any way to stop mana anywhere.
If this research succeeded, the Count of Valois who was at war with the Fire Mage wouldn't be struggling.
There must have been a problem.
He succeeded in raising the mana density and forcibly making it flow, but didn't know the method.
But the next step.
He couldn't properly fix the flowing mana.
His research failed, and he disappeared, leaving only this place.
Were the demonic beasts the ones abandoned after being used for research…?
Even the wild dog demonic beast, but the giant worm might have been possible.
When he attacked it with a mana orb, like when fighting Zalier, the mana orb dispersed.
Perhaps it had resistance to magic like a mage.
They brought those monsters somehow to research stopping mana flow.
Joseph wanted to read the remaining pages but decided to hold off for now.
He had been here for quite some time.
He had to return to the village before sunrise.
First, take it with me.
Just as he was about to pick up the book and stand up, something sparkled in the box.
…a rope?
Upon closer look, a silver rope was coiled in the corner of the box.
The surface of the rope was very smooth, reflecting light.
Just by looking, it didn't seem like an ordinary item.
Is this…?
Joseph's expression filled with anticipation.
The research on stopping mana and the diary about it.
And the silver rope hidden with that diary.
Joseph took out a mana orb and tapped the rope with it.
Then, the rope started wriggling as if alive.
“…!”
At the same time, the mana orb that touched the rope shook and dispersed into thin air.
Not only that.
The mana flow around Joseph momentarily stopped.
No, it was more accurate to say that the mana inside his body had left his control.
Since he couldn't control the mana, the mana orb couldn't maintain its shape.
Joseph, seeing this, shouted without realizing.
“Got it!”
The mana orb maintains its circular shape by swirling mana.
But a moment ago, when the rope wriggled, the movement stopped.
That's why the shape shook.
Joseph tapped the rope with the mana orb again.
Then, the mana movement around the rope was felt to stop.
An artifact that stops the movement of mana!
It seemed the research the diary author did was somewhat successful.
“That’s right! This is what we need!”
Joseph cheered.
He had risked everything alone to enter, but if the entire research lab was abandoned, it would be a waste.
Since he cleared the dungeon, he hoped to take something back.
He wondered why the researcher succeeded in the research and then left this behind.
But he couldn't know or needed to know.
Since the artifact was in Joseph's hands, it was good for Joseph.
But how do I carry this?
The rope stops the movement of mana.
The moment Joseph, a mage, picks it up, he returns to an insignificant human like the villagers.
Even for a short moment, that is a sufficient risk for a mage.
On the way here, I killed the demonic beasts I saw…
Joseph didn't enter the original entrance of this passage.
He broke through the wall of the passage through the tunnel dug by the demonic beast.
In that state, he followed the flow of mana into the inside of the passage.
Then, the opposite side is probably the exit leading outside, and he doesn't know what's more in that direction.
If I take this and meet another demonic beast, it's dangerous.
Joseph hesitated for a moment, but eventually picked up the rope.
Because of the unknown risk of whether he would meet or not, he couldn't leave the item in front of him.
Joseph tested it a few things there.
He tried touching it with his staff, and also with a shield or torch.
And soon he found out that the rope reacts only when it directly touches something with dense mana.
Mana orb made of mana.
Mage's staff.
The mage himself.
Joseph confirmed this and tied the rope to his shield and hung it.
He would have to think of a way to safely carry it back to the village.
Joseph immediately left the research lab.
He was curious where the opposite side of the passage led, but he didn't want to risk it unnecessarily.
When he came out through the tunnel he entered, the sky was faintly turning blue.
He wandered down the mountain as if strolling by the river.
At that moment, a villager who came to fetch water saw Joseph and greeted him.
“Master Mage! What brings you here so early?”
“Um, I was wondering if there might be another demonic beast…”
It was a roughly made-up story, but Joseph's lie went down surprisingly well.
Not only did he help exterminate the demonic beasts, but he also came to look for more.
A responsible and diligent… no, a mage!
And carrying a shield too!
The soldiers and Refn saw Joseph, who had gone to search the riverside alone carrying the shield, with surprised expressions, but no one mentioned it.
Even if Joseph was kind, he was still a mage.
Wandering of mages couldn't be understood by ordinary people.
It was better to quietly pass by rather than start a fight.
Naturally, Joseph returned from the morning stroll and stored the three leather pouches overlapping to store the rope.
With one layer, the rope wriggled on its own, and there was no way around it.
Is an artifact supposed to activate on its own like this?
Thinking about it, the gem that restores mana was like that.
When Joseph's mana was depleted, it would sparkle on its own.
This would probably be known after reading Zalier's grimoire a bit more later.
The day broke, and the entrance to the cave was sealed as planned.
The soldiers piled up a large mound of stones at the cave entrance with the villagers to block it.
But that was it. They didn't do anything more to process it.
The village chief looked uneasy about the halfway finish.
“Later, the Count will personally handle it.”
He swallowed at that.
The noble would come directly to exterminate the bandits and demonic beasts?
“Um… what is there here that makes you say that?”
At that, Refn showed an uncomfortable expression.
“Ah, it's not that I'm very curious.”
The village chief quickly closed his mouth.
He didn't have the courage to ask about things related to nobles.
* * *
Although the cave entrance was sealed, Joseph didn't leave the village.
Because from the mountain, he saw distant dark clouds approaching.
“Since it's come to this, it would be better to stay a few more days.”
Joseph said to the soldiers.
Of course, no one objected.
It was obvious that rain would pour down, so no one wanted to go out.
There was some concern about food, but during the four days Joseph adapted to the mana in the passage, the soldiers seemed to have hunted small animals with the villagers.
Originally, hunting without permission from the lord was a crime, but no one pointed it out.
Joseph naturally had no intention of pointing it out, and Refn kept his mouth shut.
It was better than starving.
“If it's Viscount, I'm sure you'll understand.”
Joseph said that, and everyone nodded with appropriate glances.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh ─
And the next day, the rain poured in earnest.
Joseph immediately locked himself in the room and started researching.
From Valois Castle to this cave so far.
He had many spellbooks and artifacts.
Since leaving the castle, he hadn't had time to properly research while moving, so this time he planned to enjoy the spellbooks.
He had incidentally learned one thing from this exploration.
Fire magic definitely guarantees firepower, but it may not be usable depending on the situation.
Fortunately, there was Iceberg, otherwise he might not have reached the end.
It's not just simple firepower that's needed.
Versatility.
He wanted to prepare to handle any situation flexibly.
Especially now, when there are no ‘my people’ to call.
First, … wind.
Joseph took out the blue spellbook and unfolded it.
He had postponed reading the wind mana later because it was difficult to accumulate, but it would be good to put the contents in his mind at least.
That way, he could use it similarly in emergencies like this Iceberg.
Eh? Wait a minute.
Joseph recalled something and looked for the phrase about wind mana.
- The mana of the wind only manifests in strong winds, so it requires not only physical strength, concentration, and talent, but also situations facing strong storms.
“…”
Joseph's gaze turned to the window.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh -
Outside, strong rain and wind were blowing.
* * *
In the forest where rain was falling.
Under the tent spread between the sheer cliffs and cliffs.
A few rough-looking men with different scars on their faces sat in front of the campfire eating.
“So, Marvin, what you mean is… the mage seems to be looking for us?”
Among them, the man with a large scar crossing from his left eyebrow to his nose asked while scooping soup into his bowl.
“Yes. Brother Thenic. Probably one of the ones who escaped from the village went to the castle.”
Marvin answered to Thenic's question.
Marvin was originally from the nearby village.
Then, bandits attacked the village, and he fell in love with the sight.
If I can take whatever I want!
He decided on the job following those bandits that day.
He was quite capable as a bandit for a local youth, so he had switched jobs well.
“Has the war ended? He said there wouldn't be any troops to exterminate us.”
“Probably… not. If that were the case, the noble would have moved directly.”
“Then, what about the mage?”
As far as Thenic knew, the mage of Valois Castle was an old and weak one.
He clearly heard that after failing in monster extermination, he was locked in the castle.
Thenic frowned, and Marvin hurriedly added.
“There are people on the hills with many chestnut trees to the east. They saw them.”
They disguised themselves as passersby, approached, and burned and killed the others.
They didn't show surprise when seeing themselves on the hill from afar.
No, rather, they were trying to sneak closer!
“Most importantly, the carriage they were pulling was the one the castle mage was riding.”