Complete
"So this is the prototype."
While Toban tended his wounds, Joseph examined the artifacts the man had made. Unlike the crude pieces Joseph had once hacked out himself, these had been carved into clean, precise tetrahedrons.
"The shape's a little different."
Toban answered carefully.
"You're right that the original geometry is better for catching mana and locking it in place. For the prototypes, though, I kept the work simpler."
Joseph nodded. The task at hand was finding a medium compatible with elemental mana, nothing more. For that, a simpler structure would be more than enough to confirm the results — which was part of why he had handed Toban the spellbook in the first place, so the man could make these kinds of fine judgments on his own.
If the cuts were too complex, production would take forever.
The fact that Toban had carved more than ten different ores this finely in a mere two weeks was impressive enough on its own. A metal frame wrapped the exterior of each stone as if to protect it — the kind of armature Joseph had never been able to make himself.
"I wasn't able to find any material for the frames besides iron," Toban said carefully, having caught the direction of Joseph's gaze.
"...What? You can use other materials?"
"Yes. I only overheard this years ago, so I can't be certain, but some artifacts are said to have frames made of porcelain, or gold."
"I see."
It was possible the frame material affected an artifact's success rate. He'd do well to ask Braham about it when the chance arose. The man distributed artifacts, after all — he had to know something.
Meeting another mage who sold artifacts through the guild might even be worthwhile.
The thought crossed his mind, and he shook his head almost at once. Mages. He already knew exactly what kind of people they were. Running into one now would only mean trouble.
Joseph picked up the prototype on the far right, the one Toban had indicated. It appeared to have been made from the marble he had brought out of Malešov. He slowly infused the piece with ice mana.
"Iceberg."
"Enchant."
⟨ Iceberg ⟩
The moment the incantation left his lips, the mana orb was sucked into the carved stone in a single rush. He pressed a finger lightly against one face of the artifact. A faint chill bloomed around the piece, and a fragment of ice took shape.
"Whoa!"
Unlike before, when the thing had only scattered clumsy wisps of cold, ice had actually formed this time — and Derik, watching from behind, let out a gasp of admiration. Joseph, however, was unimpressed.
It's too small.
The ice had formed, which was a success, but it was far too small compared to the Iceberg Joseph used himself. The original spell produced ice the size of a grown man. This was barely the size of a fist.
And besides.
His gaze fell on the artifact in his hand. A large crack already ran through the marble Toban had so carefully carved. He pressed the smooth face again. Nothing happened.
"Marble's no good after all."
"Yes. It doesn't seem able to hold the mana."
All that labor for a single fist-sized chunk of ice — and even that was single-use. The numbers simply didn't work.
"I expected as much."
He'd never expected to succeed on the first try. If he had, all the hardship up to this point would have felt wasted.
"Let's check the next one."
"Yes."
From there, Joseph went down the line of prototypes arrayed on the table, enchanting them one after another. He started with rock salt from the Beorn Mine, then a pitted blackstone, then a blue ore he'd never seen before. Some produced a small shard of ice like the marble and shattered. Others held together but failed to trigger the spell properly.
He was working through the last of the piled prototypes when—
Ssssshhh—
"Huh?"
At last, one prototype produced a proper reaction. Mana flowed from it with a faint hiss, like air leaking from a crack, and ice formed in an instant.
THUD! CRACK!
The ice that had taken shape in midair slammed down and smashed through the wooden floor.
"It's huge!"
"Doesn't this count as a success?"
Derik and Jiren, watching from the side, spoke with open admiration. Joseph, however, didn't celebrate too quickly. This alone wasn't enough to call it a proper artifact.
He examined the prototype in his hand. Unlike the others, it hadn't broken. It was still intact. He pressed the smoothly polished face once more.
Ssssshhh—
Mana flowed from the artifact again, forming ice in the air — and the size was the same as before.
"It worked!"
Toban cried out in delight from beside him. Joseph nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Finally..."
Joseph looked at the block of ice and smiled faintly. How many failures had he endured since obtaining that spellbook at Valois Castle? Enchant it with Fire and the thing would burst into flame on its own. Iceberg more often than not produced no ice at all. Finding the right medium had taken ages. He'd tried scrap iron. He'd tried stone. He'd tried wood. He'd even gone so far as to use silver coins and gold coins. Whenever a promising material occurred to him, he couldn't actually obtain it, and the idea would sit on the shelf. In the end, he'd been short on everything — technique and materials alike. And yet, grinding through each problem one by one, he had finally completed it.
Now I can really get started.
Feeling the cold radiating from the ice, Joseph examined the artifact.
"This is quartz?"
A translucent stone with a smoothly finished surface, its iron frame covering every face but two.
"Yes. Quartz from Mount Tetra. It was mined from the snow near the summit, so I thought it would surely have an effect."
"Hmm...?"
Joseph nodded, though a question lingered.
Does quartz change somehow depending on the cold?
He couldn't say for certain. Even if he thought not, that was only a memory from his previous life. In a world where magic and demonic beasts popped up without warning, if that's how it worked, that's how it worked.
Well, Braham will be the one sourcing the materials anyway.
Toban would carve them, and Joseph would enchant them. That was the arrangement. Braham, who had to sell the artifacts, wouldn't dare swap the materials on a whim.
Joseph then tested the artifact's durability. The quartz prototype summoned two more slightly smaller blocks of ice before it finally shattered.
Judging by the size of that last ice block, the maximum number of uses is three.
And that was with a tetrahedral cut. If the quartz were carved more finely — into the dodecahedron he'd originally intended, locking in more mana — it should be able to summon even more ice.
The production time would be much longer, of course.
He'd need to think of a way to shorten that later.
Medium: Mount Tetra Quartz
Effect: Conjures blocks of ice (Iceberg)
Maximum Uses: 3 (tetrahedral cut)
"This is good enough to sell on the market right now."
At those words, Toban's face lit up. He had produced something his employer could acknowledge. All the hardship until now felt, in that instant, recognized.
Afterward, Joseph took the newly made artifact from Toban and headed for the Kerbe Merchant Guild. Braham hurried down to the first floor at Joseph's unexpected visit.
"If you'd sent word, I would have dispatched a carriage!"
He seemed quite flustered by Joseph's arrival. The reason was easy enough to see: a servant Joseph had never met, standing on the stairs to the second floor. The man had been waiting there with a composed expression, but the moment his eyes met Joseph's, he hurriedly bowed his head — which only made him stand out more.
The other servants treated Joseph as an ordinary business client. This one was openly avoiding his gaze, as if he had something to hide.
The servant who's been investigating me, then.
Until now, Joseph hadn't thought much of Braham's inquiries. It was going to come out anyway once the artifacts went on sale.
Still, if they dug too deep, it could become a nuisance.
He couldn't say exactly how far their information network reached. But judging by the reaction, they seemed to know Joseph had dealings with nobility. If they found out about him burning Zalier half to death at Valois Castle, or his dealings with Manir, things could get rather tiresome.
The two of them passed the servant and went straight into the drawing room. Once seated, Joseph spoke first.
"Before we get to the main business, there's something I need to say."
"Yes. What is it?"
Braham asked carefully.
"I understand that you're looking into me. It's better to be certain of a trading partner's identity. But I'd prefer that word of the Valois Territory not get out, if possible."
At those words, Braham's face went pale in an instant. His gaze drifted into empty air for a moment, as if he were involuntarily trying to figure out where the leak had come from.
He can dig all he wants. There is no informant.
Joseph himself had only found out by chance, thanks to Givra. Without that, he wouldn't have known a thing.
"...I-I understand."
Braham swallowed once and answered.
"Well then. Let me show you the results."
Joseph immediately drew the quartz prototype from his coat. Braham's eyes went wide.
"Y-you've already found it?"
"Yes. Fortunately, one of the materials you prepared was a match."
Joseph promptly enchanted the artifact with Iceberg. He set it on the floor, and a large block of ice formed at once.
"Ohh...!"
Seeing the ice radiating a pure white chill, Braham rose from his seat. He approached slowly and carefully laid a hand on it. A cold he never felt at this time of year traveled up through his fingers.
"So what ended up being the artifact material?"
"Quartz from the summit of Mount Tetra."
Braham nodded. Mount Tetra quartz had the drawback of requiring a climb to harvest, but it still wasn't particularly expensive compared to sourcing metal.
"As a prototype, it can only generate ice three times. Given more time, though, I should be able to make something better."
"Pardon? A prototype?"
At the word, Braham examined the artifact more closely. He pressed the smooth face, and ice formed on the floor once more.
This is a prototype?
In an instant, sales channels and clients began flooding through his mind — and every path led to the same future: enormous profit. So long as he maintained a steady relationship with the mage sitting in front of him.
"Hahaha..."
Even a merchant as seasoned as Braham couldn't help the way the corners of his mouth twitched.
"Excellent! Leave the rest to me!"
Braham nodded vigorously. He promised to procure as much Mount Tetra quartz as possible — or at least materials of comparable quality — and send them to the workshop.
"If there's anything you need, anything at all, just say the word!"
"I will. I'll let you know as soon as something comes to mind."
Joseph and Braham shook hands, both looking thoroughly satisfied. Guided by a servant, Joseph left the drawing room.