Chapter 249
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 249
Chapter Title: Countermeasures
The mana mass that formed in Aul's stomach was not a pure aggregate of mana.
Most of them possessed an attribute.
Touching them revealed a unique texture. A squishy feel for the water attribute, a warm one for fire, and so on.
Aul would randomly create these after eating the head of a demon or someone steeped in dark mana and digesting it completely.
The problem was that there was no way of knowing what kind of mana mass would be produced.
Loan would pick and choose the useful ones depending on the situation.
‘This time is different.’
Aul had perceived the Dark Priest's head as something quite appetizing, similar to how it treated a named demon. That meant it was no ordinary head.
The Dark Priest hadn't been a possessor of particularly outstanding mana. Therefore, the reason for Aul's interest must have been the plague.
What Aul ate was a head steeped in the tenth-stage plague.
When he reached the final stage, the Dark Priest's resistance to the plague was at its strongest, and his ability to draw it in and absorb it was powerfully manifested.
Even after digestion, that property would likely remain. The demon had said that even it couldn't alter the unique nature of the plague.
That was as far as Loan’s speculation went.
What would it be like?
Reaching in, he felt a texture unlike any he had ever felt before.
It was like touching a rough, scratchy ball.
Loan pulled it out.
It looked like an orb covered in extremely short fur.
The mana mass, refined from the plague, was a mixture of black and dark brown, creating a complex, wave-like pattern.
The pattern shifted from moment to moment as if alive, but holding it in his hand didn't transfer the plague or affect him in any way.
Loan sent Aul back and immediately made a request to those outside.
"Could you give me some of the tenth-stage plague?"
The mages sent in a cultured sample of the plague without a word.
Holding the mana mass in his hand, Loan opened the lid of the glass bottle containing the plague.
*Swaaaaa—*
The plague that flowed out was immediately sucked into the mana mass.
It still had no effect on Loan's body.
"Ooooh!"
The mages exclaimed in admiration. Magda and Werner’s reactions were no different.
Loan stared intently at the mana mass that had completely absorbed the plague.
For a moment, the wave-like pattern deepened before returning to its original state.
Loan nodded, then dispelled the ice wall and stepped out.
A few timid mages took a step back, creating distance, but most moved closer to Loan, wanting a better look at the mana mass.
Werner spoke.
"Hmm... This is fascinating. Did you materialize mana?"
"Yes. You can think of it as a condensation of the traits the Dark Priest exhibited. You can touch it."
"Is it safe?"
"For someone who calls himself a Tower Master, tsk."
As Magda chided him, Loan smiled and held out his hand.
"I'm holding it in my hand right now, aren't I?"
Werner hesitated for a moment before extending his hand.
He squeezed his eyes shut for no reason, holding his body as far away as possible from the hand gripping the mass.
He peeked through squinted eyes and saw that nothing had changed.
"Ha, hahaha."
Werner let out an awkward laugh.
He then began to examine it up close, marveling at it.
"It's true. It doesn't do anything at all."
The mana mass was passed from Werner to Magda, and then to the hands of several other mages.
Loan said, "We don't need to put a living Dark Priest at the forefront. This will help absorb and eliminate the plague. How about we divide it into several pieces and attach them to weapons or armor? Judging by its size, I think we can make about ten."
Werner returned the mana mass to Loan and asked, "You can divide it? While maintaining its properties? Could it be..."
"Yes. It's applying Schwerin-style enchanting in reverse. It would be better if we could extract just the attribute to create multiple magical tools, but the plague is so unique that I think we have to maintain this state. The effect should be the same even if it's smaller."
Loan immediately floated the mana mass in the air and began to adjust the mana.
A moment later, ten small mana masses of identical size were created. They felt like slightly large marbles.
Magda looked at them with a satisfied expression and said, "Excellent. I'll have Allic craft each of them into something befitting the 7th Rank."
She examined one of the orbs up close and spoke.
"Loan, do you think the Dark Priest had a special ability or constitution?"
"I don't think it was a personal trait. It's more likely that anyone who has experienced the plague up close, like the Dark Priests, could potentially develop it."
"My thoughts exactly. We'll have to test it if we capture a Dark Priest in a future battle."
Werner chimed into the conversation.
"Then we could create more of these mana orbs."
"Yes. They're difficult to use offensively, but they can at least nullify the enemy's attacks. With enough of these, we might be able to completely eradicate the plague."
This meant that even the plague released into the Versa moat could now be dealt with.
It might also be useful on the way to Vartino.
According to Bella, they were going to completely annihilate the bridge district.
It could be physical annihilation, but the possibility of them using the plague had to be considered.
Loan felt a sense of inner satisfaction.
It seemed the plague problem was settled, for now.
"What about the bugs? Have you had any success?"
At Loan's question, Werner once again smiled meaningfully.
"There has been progress. Research was slow here since we only had dead bugs. But it seems there have been some rather good test results in Schwerin."
The research journal Werner handed over was a copy he had personally transcribed from a report sent by Reinhold, the Tower Master of Ideation.
The mages of Ideation had discovered the bugs on the captured Brien and Le Tell members during battle and had researched various ways to influence the bugs while they were still alive.
Because they were a place that truly pondered various uses and applications of magic, they were able to approach the issue more creatively.
In particular, their experience empathizing with the 'Hourglass', with whom they could not communicate verbally, seemed to have been a great help.
From the beginning, they viewed the brainwashing by the bugs from the perspective of the 'mind,' a primary focus of the Tower of Ideation, and sought to find a way to interfere from the perspective of 'ideation.'
The process was detailed in the journal.
As expected of the Tower of Ideation, all sorts of bizarre methods were attempted.
Attempts such as tickling them into a stupor or inducing sadness to appeal to their humanity offered a glimpse into the innocence of those solely devoted to magic.
And the conclusion reached at the end.
The Tower of Ideation ultimately confirmed that the method of controlling the bugs was similar to mental suggestion or telepathy using ideation, and they succeeded in neutralizing the bugs by producing a corresponding sound.
The hint had been the faint noise created by the sand of the Hourglass flowing in reverse.
Noticing that the bugs reacted to the rustling sound, they created a chant with a similar pitch and frequency.
Through this, they confirmed that the subject was freed from the bug's brainwashing.
"It seems it was effective in actual combat as well."
A mage was assigned specifically to recite the chant, and another to amplify it.
The results were incredible.
In the midst of the skirmish, defectors emerged from within the enemy ranks, causing chaos. As a result, the battle easily turned in Schwerin's favor.
"For brainwashed individuals to regain their senses on a battlefield where life and death hang in the balance would be a considerable blow. This chant has been donated to the Union for use on the battlefield."
Werner said, his expression uncharacteristically triumphant.
His shoulders were thrown back, his desire for Magda's approval plain to see.
Magda, however, didn't even glance at Werner and spoke to Loan.
"Although the pitch and frequency have been recorded in a document, I've had all the former members of the Honor Division learn it just in case. It's different from mental suggestion. It would be more accurate to call it sound magic."
"I think I know what you mean."
It influenced the bugs through the pitch of the sound, the frequency of the waves, and the speed of the vibrations.
He was proud that Tower Master Reinhold had devised this method.
He had often been chided by other Tower Masters for researching useless magic.
Magda spoke.
"Well, that's not to say the Honor Division simply accepted Schwerin's contribution without offering anything in return."
The members of the Honor Division had achieved something of their own.
They had all become capable of excising the bug's attachment points with psychokinesis and pulling them out.
This was thanks to sufficient mock practice.
Now that they had also learned the chant, their countermeasures against the bugs were more than sufficient.
The key question was whether they could receive the Honor Division's help for the impending battle at Vartino.
Loan himself would have to learn the sound, but it would be more helpful if the Honor Division went with them. They could stop the brainwashing and remove the bugs.
As if reading his mind, Magda spoke first.
"I know the situation at Vartino has been a long standoff. I would like to go as well, but the Honor Division will remain at the Union and focus on defending the surrounding areas."
Loan waved his hands dismissively.
"It's alright. Tower Master Werner has also agreed to accompany me."
"It'll be a relief if he doesn't hold you back."
Werner was the Tower Master who had protected the entire Schwerin region by himself. He was a great mage who was more than a match for a hundred men.
Magda's words could only be a joke.
"There's no way... You must be the only one, Magda, who could say such a thing to the Tower Master of Schwerin."
Werner shook his head with a comical expression, causing Loan and Magda to burst out laughing at the same time.
A smile still on her face, Magda gestured to Sophie and the other members of the Honor Division who were standing by the entrance.
It was a sign for them to come over.
The members, who had rarely seen their Commander smile, approached hesitantly with tense expressions.
"The main force and I cannot go, but I should still lend some strength. It's time for Sophie to gain more experience, and I feel I've kept her too sheltered. The kidnapping incident was the reason, but it seems she's overcome it now."
Sophie's face turned beet red as the Commander spoke about her right in front of her.
"Sophie and Fritz will go with Loan. What do you think, Loan?"
Sophie was an Oz, and Fritz was a Runner. Fritz was said to have a knack for psychokinesis and could amplify and recite the chant to break the brainwashing.
Loan replied gladly, "Thank you. They will be a great help."
"Good. Think of them as Tower Master Werner's guards. Unlike you, an ordinary mage needs protection."
"I heard that. What do you mean..."
Leaving the two to their bickering once more, Loan greeted his two new companions.
They decided to finish their individual preparations and depart the next day.
One day later.
The advance party that would attend the coronation ceremony left the Union.
Loan, as the representative of the Union and chairman of the Council of Seven Principalities; Werner, the Tower Master of Schwerin, and Vertloux, the acting Scribe of Versa, as envoys of their respective principalities; and Sophie and Fritz, as guards for Werner and Vertloux.
Sophie took it upon herself to lead the group.
She carried a new shield, and embedded in its center was one of the plague orbs.
The shield also had several other empty sockets. It was a special order Sophie had requested from Allic.
Sophie tapped her shield—*pang, pang*—and boasted to Loan.
"This shield will grow stronger and stronger, just like me."
Her plan was to add more materials with special properties, like the plague orb.
With the enthusiastic Sophie at the lead.
The party arrived at a village near the bridge district a few days later.