Chapter 246
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 246
Chapter Title: The Essence of a Vessel
Depending on how you heard it.
Or, to those who didn't know of Loan's abilities, it might have sounded like a child's immature boasting.
But Allic and the other Union artisans had already been left speechless on the day Loan had his orientation.
And the dwarves of the quarry, including Gradin, believed him to be the greatest magician in the world, so they silently backed away from Loan.
“You don't need to go that far...”
“It's fine, it's fine. Take your time.”
“Hey, back up, further back.”
Despite Loan's words, the dwarves waved their hands dismissively and moved farther away than necessary.
Thanks to them, Loan had a wide, open space in the center to work with.
He took a moment to catch his breath and slowly levitated the 'Soul's Passage' into the air.
“Ooooh!”
Some were already exclaiming in admiration, even though he hadn't done anything yet.
Loan soon focused, erasing his surroundings from his consciousness.
'I separated the Sheville in this very spot before.'
In the past, when he separated the sword fragment into twelve pieces and precisely distributed the magic, it was, quite literally, a direct interference with mana through the control of Convection.
To the uninformed, it looked like magic on par with the 4th Circle.
But this time, he couldn't stop there.
The process would certainly be necessary since he had to change the physical properties of the vessel.
'The important thing is the vessel's special ability. The power connecting it to the spirit realm must be maintained even if its shape changes.'
Extracting magic from an enchanted tool is generally known to be impossible, but it becomes possible if one learns the Schwerin-style of enchanting.
Of course, completely understanding the essence of an object is no easy task.
'Conversely, it means it's possible if you understand the essence.'
If it was possible to both imbue and remove magic, he believed it was also possible to preserve it.
The most crucial factor in this task depended on how well he understood the 'essence' of the 'vessel'.
In a way, Loan could be said to have undergone considerable training regarding the nature of 'essence' through his one-night journey to the spirit realm and a week of mana cultivation.
He had recognized the people around him in their spiritual forms and resonated with the attraction they emanated.
He finally understood that a mirror was the 'other side of phenomena'.
He even entered a blackboard through the impression that its essence was the 'spirit of learning'.
Afterward, in the process of organizing his disordered mana and achieving balance between his body, mind, and mana.
He drew out the 'mental image' hidden within, realizing his own essence was not 'perfection'.
He finally completed his fifth Circle by honestly confronting the complex emotions arising from pain and lack—sadness, regret, fear, anger, terror, and longing.
All of it was a process of searching for the essence of the world.
A journey to discover his true self.
The steps of a magician in pursuit of truth.
So now, feeling his mind had become much clearer, Loan sought to explore the essence of the vessel.
'What is a vessel?'
It was a question even a child who couldn't read could easily answer.
A tool for holding things like food or objects.
Judging by its shape and form, food seemed more fitting. But that definition was not the vessel's essence.
He had to find what was held within its core.
If this was a divine object, which god's power did it borrow? What kind of god could influence a vessel?
The god of food. The god of cooking. It would be something along those lines.
What would a god want from a vessel? What spirit did the vessel possess?
Loan suddenly recalled the time he had spent with his maternal grandmother the day before.
They had been talking back and forth, the conversation flowing endlessly, until it was suddenly cut short.
That was when Loan's stomach had rumbled loudly.
The Governor-General, realizing her grandson hadn't eaten for a week, hurriedly prepared a meal.
The food was simple.
Dry bread, a piece of cheese, and pickled beans.
The Governor-General had carefully placed the humble food into a clean bowl and served it, and the two of them ate it with relish.
It tasted better than any other meal. His heart felt warm the entire time he ate. In that moment, he felt an abundance that left nothing to be desired.
'Isn't that what a vessel is?'
You can eat food one way or another. You don't necessarily need a vessel; you can eat roasted meat with your hands, or scoop soup straight from the pot.
The reason for putting it in a vessel.
In the Governor-General's case, it was to feed her hungry grandson. It was from the hope that her grandson would enjoy the food.
Wouldn't the apostles of the gods of cooking and food, who used their divine authority, have felt the same way?
It isn't just food that's held in a vessel. Hopes and sincerity are held there as well.
When he said, 'Grandma, you should eat too,' the Governor-General replied that just watching him eat was enough to make her full.
The saying 'to be full by feeding others' is a common idiom, but it also contains the essence of food and cooking.
A vessel is something that holds what was once living, with the hope that by eating it, one will live.
Therefore.
'The essence of a vessel is life.'
The moment he realized that.
A rich mental image bloomed from the vessel floating between his hands.
Within the flowing afterimages, Loan saw the vessel's history.
Over long ages, much food had been placed in the vessel, and many had eaten from it.
Among them were humans, elves, and dwarves. There were even non-human species now believed to be extinct, like Lizardmen and Catmen.
The joy they felt while eating was conveyed to him intact.
The history of the vessel was the history of being alive.
It no longer functioned as a vessel for food, but even with a hole in it, its essence hadn't changed.
Instead of connecting the living with the living, it now served as a passage connecting the physical realm and the spirit realm.
Confirming that the two were not so different, Loan delicately adjusted the Convection surrounding the vessel.
*Wuuuuung?*
*Giiiiiiing?*
The Circles reacted first.
Five Circles spun, accelerating Loan's thoughts.
Dust particles swirled around Loan. They collided with the Convection, creating sparks.
The dwarves were astonished, once again facing an unfamiliar mana field.
Before their very eyes.
The shabby, hole-ridden vessel began to transform into a bright red metallic lump.
“Ooooooh...”
Its shape had changed completely, but to Loan, it was the same vessel.
Just as the essence of water-attribute mana doesn't change whether it becomes water, steam, or ice.
This material, its form altered through direct mana control—[Speed Control], [Friction Coefficient Increase], [Boundary Pattern Manipulation]—also.
Its 'essence', established through its creation and use, remained unchanged.
“It's done. Please shape it now.”
At Loan's words, the dwarves approached.
They examined it closely with wide eyes, filled with admiration.
It had happened just as he said.
For those who had spent their lives smelting and reforging, it was like a miracle.
Faced with this wondrous material, they suddenly began to look at each other.
In the process of transformation, the impure schist within had vanished, and its density had increased, significantly reducing the amount of material to work with.
Thus, it was a task that required considerable skill.
The chance to work directly with a divine object was an incredible opportunity, one that might come only once in a lifetime.
It was only natural to feel greedy.
Breaking the heavy silence.
Allic looked at his comrades and spoke. His voice was low, as if in resignation.
“It can't be helped that we covet it. But since it's such a precious item, shouldn't we entrust it to the one who can do the best job? Judging by the amount, we can't make a weapon, an accessory at most. I believe the meticulous Gradin is the perfect fit.”
Allic, the leader of the forge, yielded his place and recommended Gradin.
The implication was significant.
Allic was the head here because his skills were exceptional.
The dwarves nodded in unison and looked at Gradin.
The meticulous Gradin.
Though his hands were rough, his aptitude lay in making accessories like rings and earrings. He had the greatest skill among the dwarves here.
He said to Loan.
“I owe you a debt, so I'll do my absolute best.”
“Yes. Please.”
Loan placed the material that was once a vessel onto a large anvil, giving Gradin time.
And just like his previous visit.
He approached Bella, who had been watching everything from a distance.
“I came to say goodbye. I'm going to Varchino, then to Grafton. It seems it will be a rather long journey. Tower Master Werner might be coming with me.”
He mentioned it because she was currently receiving counseling from Werner and he felt she should know.
At Loan's words, Bella's brow furrowed, and she asked back in a surprised tone.
“You're going to Varchino?”
It wasn't an ordinary reaction.
When Loan looked puzzled, Bella showed a flustered expression for a moment before taking a deep breath and speaking.
“Um... you know what I told you before? About feeling a dark energy suddenly rushing in. When I sleep, it sometimes feels like a vision or a nightmare, and among them...”
Loan had personally witnessed the phenomenon of the dream overwhelming Bella in the spirit realm.
According to her, it had happened before and after that time as well.
The darkness had receded due to the Governor-General's power, but it couldn't always be like that.
He nodded silently, waiting for her to continue.
“There are a few memories left like afterimages. I'm not sure if they're real or just dreams, but... hearing that you're going to Varchino, Young Master, makes me feel uneasy for some reason.”
“Did you see something about Varchino?”
“First, I heard a voice.”
“A voice?”
“It was an order to assemble. To completely annihilate the bridge area leading to Varchino, isolating it like an island. But as I listened to the voice, the scenery of that place naturally formed in my mind.”
“So you're saying some unknown person gave an order to destroy the bridge area?”
“Perhaps a demon, or someone who commands demons? My body was once controlled by a demon. I think that kind of darkness is drawn to me.”
“Did you not mention this during your counseling with Tower Master Werner?”
“No. He didn't ask about the specific contents of my dreams...”
She had brought it up herself because she thought it was related to Loan.
In any case, no news of the bridge area's destruction had arrived by carrier pigeon. The current report was that they were in a standoff across the bridge area.
If the situation were dangerous, the director of the administration would have said something.
If it were true, it was very useful information.
The problem was whether the timing was right.
“I had a similar dream just yesterday. If it's really happening, it must be in progress.”
“Have you ever received similar things before?”
Bella searched her memory and recounted a few things that came to mind.
Although there were some pronunciation differences in the place names compared to the actual ones, a good portion of it overlapped with Grave's movements.
It seemed the directives that members of Le Tell received from their superiors through visions were also flowing into Bella.
In that it wasn't a one-time occurrence.
If Bella cooperated, it could create a groundbreaking turning point in the fight against Le Tell.
“Miss Bella. How do you feel when you're engulfed in that darkness? Is it painful?”
“It's so frightening I'm scared to sleep.”
“In that case, we have no choice but to deal with the being giving the orders. Or the source of the darkness.”
“Is that possible?”
“I'm not sure. For now, just obtaining information would be a great help to the Union. If we can resolve the cause through that, you might not have to suffer anymore.”
But to do that, she might have to endure a little more pain temporarily.
She might have to confront the darkness rather than drive it away.
But Loan had no intention of being satisfied with simply obtaining information.
Could he, perhaps, use Bella to trace the enemy's location?
Loan's thoughts had already begun to move in that direction.