Chapter 64
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 064
Chapter Title: The Grimoire and the Wind Mage (4)
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Swish!
The pages of the Hardening Grimoire flipped by rapidly.
And once the back cover came into view...
Sturdy Weapon
Mana Capacity Increase: 25
Mana Cost: 50
Effect: Dramatically reinforces the durability of a weapon.
A flood of information about the new magic poured into my mind.
'A spell like this exists, huh.'
The magic contained within the Hardening Grimoire.
Its name was Sturdy Weapon.
The mana capacity increase from reading the grimoire was 25.
True to its name, it was a spell that made weapons sturdier—and its mana cost was a whopping 50.
'With a cost that high, it must boost the weapon's durability quite a bit.'
A simple effect: making weapons sturdier.
Yet it guzzled 50 mana.
That meant the spell's performance was extraordinary, so I was dying to see just how effective it was.
I decided to test it right away.
'This'll do.'
I picked up a rusty old sword.
It was the only blade left from the ones I'd taken from the bookbinders.
I cast Sturdy Weapon on it, and mana flowed from me, settling onto the sword's surface.
And that was it.
I handed the now-reinforced sword to Gilbert, then passed the club I'd used for breaking weapons to Bear.
"Sir Bear, could you swing at this sword with everything you've got?"
"Full strength?"
"Yeah. Hit it like you mean to shatter the blade."
"Understood."
Bear nodded at my words.
In the meantime, Gilbert planted the sword tip-first into the ground and tilted it at an angle.
He was positioning it to make it easy to strike the flat of the blade.
Bear took one look and swung the club.
Whoosh!
The sound of it cutting through the air was immediately followed by...
Thwack!
The club struck the sword's body dead-on.
But all we heard was a mighty clang of metal—no damage to the blade.
It had withstood a full-force blow from Bear?
I was surprised, even though I'd cast the spell myself. Bear, who'd swung the club, was stunned too. And Connel, watching the whole thing, gaped in shock.
"This is the spell I just learned. I wanted to test if it really makes weapons sturdier, and... it's way better than I imagined. Now you and Sir Connel can swing your weapons at full power without worrying, right?"
I said that, looking at Bear and Connel.
Smiles bloomed on their faces.
They'd spent so long holding back during fights just to avoid breaking their weapons.
Now they were free of that hassle.
No wonder they were thrilled.
"Mind handing over your swords for a sec?"
I held out my hands to Bear and Connel.
Without hesitation, they offered up their sheathed blades.
Handing over a knight's prized sword just like that...
It showed how much they trusted me.
I felt a swell of pride as I cast Sturdy Weapon on both swords.
A beauty with short red hair.
She paced the room anxiously.
It didn't suit her dashing title, Nina of the Razor Wind, at all.
'Why is Heros coming to see me?'
Heros had sent word that he'd visit today.
She couldn't for the life of her figure out why he wanted a meeting.
They had zero connection, after all.
'Is he here to call me out for skipping the subjugation force?'
Nina had been one of the witnesses to Heros overwhelming the Flesh Golem.
That's why she was so on edge.
'Ah, I should've joined the subjugation force!'
Truth be told, she'd gotten an offer from Count Chester to help take down the Eremus collaborators.
But she'd turned it down, claiming she wasn't feeling well.
It wasn't an excuse—she really had been in bad shape.
Before arriving at Chester Castle, she'd tangled with a formidable foe called the Silence Compliance Society and fought a brutal battle.
The count knew all about it, so he'd accepted her refusal without complaint.
Knock knock.
As Nina regretted her past choice...
Someone knocked from outside.
She jumped, then strained to hear the voice beyond the door.
"Mage Heros has arrived."
A servant from Chester Castle.
Nina cleared her throat and replied.
"I'll come out!"
Nina opened the door herself to greet Heros.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
The man before her looked incredibly young.
'Younger than I thought.'
From the walls, she hadn't noticed, but up close, Heros looked even younger than she'd guessed.
Maybe mid-teens.
Over ten years younger than her.
And at that age, he had power like that?
'Impressive.'
Nina felt the wall of talent firsthand.
But she didn't let it show.
She'd grown used to hiding her feelings after meeting all sorts of people.
"Nice to meet you, Heros."
Nina smiled at him.
I was caught off guard by Nina's greeting.
It was nothing like what I'd expected.
'Everyone said she had a sharp personality.'
The noble who'd told me about Nina had called her prickly and sensitive.
That's why I'd come to her room half-expecting her to refuse to see me.
But this warm welcome?
"Why are you just standing there frozen?"
As I stood there, Nina asked.
I answered honestly.
"I heard you were sensitive. Oh, and feel free to drop the formalities. Senior."
"Oh? You think so?"
Nina's face lit up as she shot back.
Then she spoke up.
"I'm only prickly with people I don't like. So don't worry. Oh, and that wooden staff. It's cool. Suits you."
The wooden staff in my right hand.
She led me inside after mentioning it.
'Interesting.'
The room was ordinary.
Like the one I'd stayed in at Chester Castle.
But there was a difference.
The scent.
Nina's room smelled nice.
She seemed neat and tidy.
"So, what brings Chester's hero to my door? I'm dying to hear the reason."
Nina closed the room door.
She looked at me and asked.
Chester's hero?
An embarrassing nickname.
"I need your help, Senior."
"My help?"
Was it an unexpected request?
Nina's eyes went wide.
"What could a Fire Mage need from a Wind Mage? Nothing comes to mind."
She muttered that.
Once she saw me sit in a chair, she took the seat across from me.
And asked.
"What kind of help?"
"I've got a grimoire with wind magic inside. But it's got some tricky demands. I can't fulfill them without a Wind Mage's assistance."
I pulled the Flying Squirrel Grimoire from the bundle slung over my shoulder.
Nina's gaze flicked to it.
A moment later, she tilted her head back at me, clearly puzzled.
"You're a Fire Mage. An Earth Mage too. Why are you messing with wind magic?"
"I can hear the grimoire's voice. My policy is to read every grimoire I can."
"Impressive. Not scared of the side effects?"
"Scared? Of course I am. But what can I do? I need to read them to get stronger."
It was a lie.
I hadn't suffered any side effects yet.
But no need to spill that.
So I glossed over it.
"Fair point."
My fib seemed to land well—Nina nodded in agreement.
She was expressive, which made chatting with her fun.
The moment I realized that...
I snapped to attention.
I might lose out if I let my guard down.
'Is this some kind of honey trap?'
A beauty reacting big and enthusiastically?
Anyone would get a rush talking to her.
Emotions run high, guard slips, and suddenly you're spilling secrets.
Then what?
She learns all about me, but I know zilch about her. Unfair.
I wanted to avoid that.
"But do you really need to learn that grimoire yourself?"
Then Nina hit me with a loaded question.
Why ask that?
The answer was obvious.
'She wants the Flying Squirrel Grimoire.'
Nina was a Wind Mage.
Not just any—Nina of the Razor Wind, a powerhouse.
So craving a wind grimoire like that? Not surprising.
"You want the Flying Squirrel Grimoire, right?"
I asked, and she nodded without missing a beat.
So I followed up.
"Got a grimoire to trade for it?"
"I have one... but not sure you'll like it."
Nina stood.
She went to a leather bag in the corner and pulled out a book.
A grimoire with a brown cover etched with wrinkles.
"Earth Dragon Grimoire. Wanna swap it for the Flying Squirrel one?"
Nina held out the Earth Dragon Grimoire.
She asked me.
The name, the mana aura—it all screamed earth magic.
So it probably held earth spells.
'Earth or wind—doesn't matter to me.'
For me, either worked fine.
No reason to refuse.
Plus, the Earth Dragon Grimoire's mana felt stronger than the Flying Squirrel's.
Meaning more powerful spells or more of them.
Trading would be a win.
But I couldn't accept right away.
I had the upper hand in negotiations.
"Not fire magic, huh."
I said it like I was disappointed.
Nina jumped in immediately.
"Right. But is that a problem? You're an Earth Mage too. Better to deepen what you know than pick up wind out of nowhere."
Solid logic.
But I wasn't backing down.
I could sense her eagerness.
Drag it out a bit, and I could squeeze more out of her.
"Nah, wind's better than earth. Wind magic lets me spread my flames farther and wider."
Wind and fire synergized better than earth and fire.
It was common sense.
Even Nina knew it—she couldn't counter easily.
'Your move.'
I watched her leisurely.
Finally, she spoke.
"I've got some exclusive intel. Add it to the Earth Dragon Grimoire, and we swap for the Flying Squirrel one. Deal?"
Exclusive intel?
Not bad.
I'd have traded anyway.
"Sure. But what if the intel's fake? No way for me to verify it right now."
Nina frowned.
I'd hit the mark.
But she smoothed her expression and replied.
"I swear on the Sky God, no lies. If it turns out false, come find me. I'll be sticking around."
"Planning to become Count Chester's vassal?"
"Yeah. Tired of wandering. All his mages are dead anyway. If I offer to serve, he'll welcome me with open arms."
"Smart plan."
I handed over the Flying Squirrel Grimoire as I said it.
She took it and gave me the Earth Dragon Grimoire.
Then she met my eyes.
"Alright, time for the intel. Ears open."
I nodded.
And she began.
"I came from the north to the east. Things were bad there too. Barbarian tribes banded together and pushed south. Something must've happened in their northernmost territory. Why else would they act like that?"
Northern situation report.
Useful, but not 'exclusive' level—not immediately helpful to me.
Did she read my mind?
She continued.
"But that's not what you want, right? The real intel starts now. The empire's northernmost point. Space-Time Mage ruins. And inside? A Space-Time Grimoire. Exclusive enough for you?"
I'll allow it.
This was premium intel.