Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Jewel Extraction Operation - 3
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Two days later, Dame kept his promise and delivered Neril's weakness—the heirloom of the Eneria family.
Jenia accepted it on our behalf.
We all gathered in the inn room.
As he had mentioned before, Neril's weakness was a single book.
Its cover was etched with all sorts of intricate magic circles.
Out of curiosity, I asked,
"Can I take a look?"
"If you can."
"......?"
"Here."
I took the book from her.
Our party members crowded around me, peering over.
I immediately tried to open it.
"Urgh. It won't budge."
The book wouldn't move an inch, like a heavy iron door.
Neril smirked and said,
"It's not about brute force. You have to infuse mana in a specific form and sequence."
"Hmm."
"And that form and sequence are incredibly precise. Your average mage couldn't even dream of it."
I handed the book back to her and said,
"Anyway, this book will do it?"
"If Biond's word is good, yes. Shall we start right away?"
"Before that, one heads-up."
"What?"
"Nothing major. But I think Idria might interfere with this."
At my words dismissing it as no big deal, our relaxed party members suddenly straightened up.
Jenia exclaimed,
"W-Wait, is there another person with that name?"
"I'm talking about the Demon King Idria."
"No, then give us some warning atmosphere beforehand! Why drop it like 'how do you like your eggs, soft-boiled?' over breakfast."
I shrugged.
"We predicted from the start that Idria planted the Jewel of Corruption. And we're trying to extract it."
"......"
"So naturally, it might piss Idria off. Pretty logical progression, if you ask me."
"Sigh. Maide, have you ever faced Idria before? How are you so calm when we're up against a Demon King?"
Jenia had unwittingly hit the nail on the head, but I brushed it off casually.
"Just keep your wits about you."
Offens shook her head with a fed-up expression.
"What exactly do you mean by that? Prepare for battle against Idria?"
"Hmm."
"Can we even do that with just us?"
"Don't worry. Even if we can't, I'll make it happen."
Adwin cut in with a serious look.
"We should prepare for the worst before the extraction."
"Yeah. Let's do the best prep we can."
"Got it."
After that, we got straight to the operation.
First, we apologized to the innkeeper and guests one by one, paid five times the lodging fees and today's expected earnings, and cleared out the inn.
Jenia layered divine shield spells around the place, while Offens lit fires everywhere to create shadows.
Adwin summoned Biond Enerica's soul.
And I...
Swish.
Polished my sword after a long time.
Neril asked, looking baffled,
"Everyone's in a frenzy, and that's all you're doing?"
"The Unyielding Sword Emperor isn't called that for nothing."
"Fair enough."
"If we're roughly set, let's begin."
"Sigh. I hope this really works."
She let out a sigh.
To reassure her, Biond, speaking through Adwin's body, opened his mouth.
"Don't worry too much. No oracle has come down yet."
"Why's that matter?"
"There's no hard rule, but looking at past cases, oracles are like the judge's flag in a duel. No Demon King has ever revealed their power before an oracle."
"Isn't that just because no Demon King ever descended before an oracle?"
"No, think positive. And are you really not going to use honorifics all the way?"
"Tell me how to summon Patrick, and I'll consider it."
Biond shook his head.
Soon, he said in a serious tone,
"Open to page 47."
"This grimoire is sealed up to page 62."
"I figured you knew why it won't open."
"......Because you sealed it."
"Right. I developed it, but there were too many dangerous spells. I took measures so it wouldn't sow discord for future generations."
I see.
Biond planned to unseal it for us.
He demonstrated lightly with a hand gesture.
"Follow this seal."
Neril mimicked him, waving her hand through the air.
It looked sloppy, but up close, the movements were precise and elegant.
After completing the seal, Neril slammed her open palm onto the book.
The book floated into the air.
Flip.
The pages turned on their own, stopping at one page.
Biond said,
"I'll explain simply. The spell stored on that page is called 'Dor Askane.' It completely rewrites the target's perception."
Offens asked Biond,
"Is it a type of illusion magic?"
"If it were that low-level, we wouldn't need this book. This magic circle creates an entire reality and imprints it on the target's mind."
"Hmm."
"Regular illusion magic breaks if harm comes to the target's body. But Dor Askane's illusion is reality. Even if you gouge out their eye right there, they won't perceive it as harm."
Depending on how you think about it, a pretty terrifying spell.
Biond continued,
"This magic's circle changes every moment. So you can't memorize it and cast it. It can only be activated with that book I made."
My interest piqued, I spoke up.
"Are there other spells in that book?"
"Yes. Ones like Dor Askane where the circle constantly shifts. Even though I made the book, it's a real monster."
Then Neril smirked and interjected,
"Isn't it a bit off to call it 'your' book? You made the original, but Eneria family heads added and refined spells generation after generation."
"Hmm."
"Originally, this book wasn't even meant as a grimoire. It was a diary."
A diary?
Neril continued, gazing off into the distance a bit.
"A diary written by family heads across generations. Mostly about magic, but plenty of personal stuff too. Including May's."
The others had no idea who 'May' was, but I did.
May. May Enerica.
'The one Neril sinned against.'
Then Biond spoke.
"Switched to honorifics now?"
"You told me. I keep my promises."
"Hmm. You're a better person than I thought."
"Spare me the chit-chat. Anyway, Patrick should be here soon, so take care of it."
"Right."
Jenia tilted her head and asked,
"I get that Dor Askane implants a separate reality into the target. But what reality are you making him perceive to lure him here?"
"A reality that makes him drop everything else and rush here."
"So what is it exactly?"
"I'll set something good arbitrarily. Not important, so skip?"
"It feels unsettling......"
She grumbled, as if suspecting something.
Truth be told, I had my suspicions too, but I'd play dumb here.
Patrick Benjamin was more thrilled today than on his inauguration day as captain.
He woke up to find a letter slipped under his door.
It read:
-Dear Patrick Benjamin.
Please forgive me for greeting you by letter.
My heart would race too much to say it to your beautiful face in person.
I've always thought you were the coolest man in the world.
But after seeing you become Alcahad's captain yesterday, it changed from cool to the man I want to be with.
Given my position in the organization, I couldn't say this in front of others.
I've booked an inn.
I sent the innkeeper and other guests away, so we can have a deep conversation there—in all sorts of ways.
The inn is called 'Springlight.'
Can you come by 10 a.m.?
I'll be waiting expectantly.
Jenia Side.
He grabbed his clothes and dressed immediately.
Facts like never having properly spoken to Jenia, or that she wasn't the type to leave such shy, girlish secret meeting letters, didn't even cross his mind.
Not a shred of doubt.
To Patrick, this was 'reality.'
Even if it was a fake one made by magic.
He raced to Springlight Inn in one breath.
Creak.
Opening the door, he saw Jenia.
She smiled beautifully and softly.
"You came."
"How could I ignore your call?"
"Please, sit here."
Patrick didn't sit.
Instead, with a lecherous grin, he said,
"How about we talk in one of the upstairs rooms instead of the first floor."
"Oh, shall we?"
"Haha. I didn't know you were so forward."
"As I wrote in the letter, I've admired you for a long time."
Patrick nodded with a goofy grin.
"I've had my eye on you too."
"Oh my. I'm so happy."
Jenia clapped her hands together with a blissful smile.
Patrick huffed through his nose and said,
"Then right now......"
"Yes. Let's go."
The two headed upstairs together.
Jenia sat lightly on the bed.
Patrick feigned casualness.
"We'll need to have all sorts of talks, right?"
"Indeed."
"But I don't think conversation has to be just with words."
"You're right."
"Haha. W-Well then...... Ahem."
Swish.
He undid the buttons of his jacket.
That was when.
Suddenly, a voice from someone not present rang out.
"Extraction complete. Almost caused a scene if we'd been a bit later."
Neril and Biond's teamwork was truly spectacular.
"No. Reduce the mana by about 12 percent. Too strong."
"Urk."
"A bit more..... Too much. There. That level."
Unlike extracting the Withering Jewel from the Martial King's disguise, removing the Jewel of Corruption from Patrick's eye required extreme delicacy and focus.
Thanks to Dor Askane, Patrick didn't perceive this surgery as 'harm.'
But that didn't mean we could let our guard down.
'The Jewel of Corruption might go berserk on its own if mishandled.'
Neril busily moved her hands.
"Your hands are slowing. Faster!"
"Wait. I'm juggling two spells at once. And that fake reality you set for Patrick is a spectacle."
"It's the reality you configured."
Jenia's eyes gleamed.
"What kind of reality is it?"
"Busy. Don't talk."
"Super suspicious. Just the location change to an inn room......"
"I said faster? Is this enough?"
Biond nodded, smiling somewhat fondly.
"Not bad. Didn't think you'd actually pull it off."
"Is that what you say now?"
"You only changed your speech; the sharp tongue's still there. Now, you've removed all the veins attached inside the eye. Just expose it. Slip some mana under the jewel."
"Whew."
Neril did as instructed.
Soon, the jewel floated up into the air on its own.
Patrick now had no right eye.
Just an empty space behind the socket remained, desolate.
Neril snapped her fingers and said,
"Extraction complete. Almost caused a scene if we'd been a bit later."
Light returned to Patrick's remaining eye.
He blinked it, as if unable to comprehend the situation.
But soon.
"What are you lot! Where's Jenia......"
"Right here."
"Why are you there? Not on the bed?"
"Oh fuck. I think I know what happened."
Jenia swearing?
"Come here right now...... Urk!"
Only now did the pain hit, and he clutched his right eye.
Touching it with fingers now would hurt like hell, right?
"Hey. Stop."
"Uwaaaaaah!"
"Too late. Whatever."
Neril said cynically.
"Threw in a Paintra spell as service. It'll hurt even without, but now it's five times worse."
"He'll die like that."
"Let him."
Patrick writhed on the bed in agony.
But soon, he foamed at the mouth and passed out.
Maybe that's for the best.
Neril pointed at the Jewel of Corruption floating idly in the air.
"As expected, there's an inscription. Anyone who touches it will trigger a rampage. Mr. Biond? Can you alter this inscription?"
"Hmm. It'll take some research, but shouldn't be too hard."
"Then right now......"
That was when.
Suddenly, the world stopped.