Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The Stone of Goetia
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‘The Stone of Goetia is in there...’
It was the first gift he had ever received from a friend, the very magical artifact from which Aul was born.
According to Bella, a magical artifact containing a sealed demon was currently being delivered to Ferrara in that carriage.
Loan barely suppressed the urge to bombard her with questions.
He lightly stepped on the carriage and leaped, landing softly back on his horse, and spoke to Bella.
"Should we get moving again? I don't think it's a good idea to stay in one place for too long."
"Oh, yes. Right."
Bella, who had been momentarily captivated by Loan's movements, gave a hand signal and urged her horse forward.
As they rode side by side, Loan reopened the conversation.
"You mentioned the Stone of Goetia earlier, didn't you? What exactly is it?"
The question was similar to the one he had first asked Bella, but her attitude in receiving it was now quite different from when they had left the village.
Bella answered without a moment's hesitation.
"It's just as I said. It's an uncommon item, but it's also useless and not particularly beautiful, so you could say it's a strange object with remarkably little value."
Bella explained what the Stone of Goetia appeared to be, along with the rumors circulating about it.
"They say it was made in Rhodes, and that something is sealed inside. Apparently, it has some kind of unique magic circle that even renowned mages and priests can't decipher..."
"Impossible to break?"
"Yes, yes. That's it."
He had hoped to gain new information, but the answer he received was similar to what the merchant had told him when he first bought his.
Even in the Union's records that Adrian had looked into after the Olen incident, there was little more than that, no special information.
Still, it didn't make sense to go through the trouble of using a merchant company to send it as a gift to another country.
"From the sound of it, that's a very unusual gift."
"It is. An unusual item for an unusual occasion. That's why everyone had such a hard time finding one. I think we scoured all of Versa for it. All while the villages were in chaos because of the Pobel and Grave families."
"I can only imagine."
Bella let out a deep sigh and continued.
"We found it at a shabby little company in the countryside, and once we did, it felt so anticlimactic. To think all this fuss was for a lump of rock. You'd probably feel the same way if you saw it; the thing itself is really nothing special. But since the Ferrara family specifically requested it, we had no choice."
"The Ferrara family requested it?"
"Yes. We have some connections to the Ferrara family, and apparently, their only daughter, whose birthday it is, has been going on and on about wanting something called the Stone of Goetia."
Bella added that the children of noble families often took an interest in such strange things.
"Ah, so you obtained that information and advised the Le Dong family directly? I think you mentioned earlier that your company plays that kind of role."
As if he had hit on a key point, Bella's expression brightened slightly.
"Yes. The head of the Le Dong family was pleased, but he'll probably change his tune once he learns the circumstances."
"The circumstances...?"
"When multiple families are involved in an event like this, the merchant companies sometimes exchange information about gifts to coordinate and avoid overlap. But the Stone of Goetia is quite well-known, and since it was a specifically designated item, it seems there's some overlap."
"So you're saying multiple stones are heading to Ferrara right now?"
"Exactly. So even if we happen to lose one stone, it won't be noticed. I was the one who recommended it to the head of the Le Dong family, so I have plenty of excuses ready."
At this point, it was an issue he could no longer overlook.
If one didn't know what the Stone of Goetia was, they might treat it as casually as Bella did.
It was a stone that sealed a demon. A demon of considerable power, at that.
‘If Aul hadn't been purified, he would have been a significant threat to the human world.’
If someone had the intention and the ability to release the demon from the Stone of Goetia, they had to be stopped.
Loan, thinking it would have been better if he had confirmed where Bifrons came from, suddenly praised Bella.
"I've heard a merchant company's intelligence network rivals the Union's. It's truly impressive."
"Haha, it's not that grand, and I don't represent all merchants, but it feels nice to hear you say that."
Having completely opened up, Bella smiled brightly, and Loan smiled back.
The members of the merchant company watching them also smiled.
The dry atmosphere seemed to soften.
The two continued to chatter away until evening approached.
From Loan's perspective, it was necessary to maintain a cooperative relationship with Bella, who possessed the Stone of Goetia.
Bella felt similarly.
‘Rich, I can become rich.’
Her conviction grew that this young master could perhaps become the most dependable supporter of her life.
In the twilight hours, after they arrived at the village they'd designated as their base.
Bella, having found a new goal, personally arranged for Loan's lodging and said.
"Compared to what I've received, this is nothing."
It was not nothing.
Her meager finances were on the verge of ruin. She would have to survive on porridge for a few days after this trip.
"Really, it's fine..."
"Please accept my sincerity. I'll be genuinely upset if you don't."
"Very well."
"And if there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask. You saved our lives, so there's no need to be reserved."
"Ah, in that case, may I visit your room for a moment later?"
"Pardon?"
At the unexpected request, Bella's face flushed.
She hadn't expected him to suddenly ask to visit her room like this.
She had entertained certain fantasies while riding alongside Loan, but she had long since shaken her head and dismissed them.
"Um..."
When she couldn't readily answer, Loan pointed down toward her hands and said.
"Isn't the stone you mentioned earlier in that box? As a mage, I'm quite curious. If it's all right with you, I'd like to see it."
Bella looked down at the box she was holding with both hands.
A voice tinged with an unidentifiable sense of disappointment escaped her lips.
"Ah... Yes. Of course, you should."
And a short while later, Loan did indeed visit Bella's room.
With careful movements, Bella opened the box.
‘It really is a Stone of Goetia.’
The size and shape were different.
While the stone that had held Aul was egg-shaped, the one Bella had was more like a large, flat potato.
Otherwise, they were similar.
The vortex of murky mana held within, and the magic circle drawn on the exterior.
‘As expected, the formula is more complex than most magic. The language to decipher it is demonic, too.’
Nevertheless, in the short time he stood beside Bella looking down at the stone, Loan instantly formulated the deciphering formula in his mind.
‘The caster has a high understanding of natural laws, just like me. Like with Aul's, it was designed taking into account mana's rotational force, friction, heat, explosion, velocity, and resistance.’
Having done it once before, and with his near mastery of the demonic language, it wasn't difficult.
However, he didn't open it.
‘It's not time yet.’
He didn't know what would happen if he opened it right now. Besides, Bella was right next to him.
More importantly, it was crucial to use this Stone of Goetia to figure out the Ferrara family's intentions.
It was time to calmly organize his thoughts.
"I've seen enough. Thank you."
After diligently inspecting only the stone, Loan returned to his room.
"..."
Morning came, and they were on the road to Ferrara again.
Loan asked Bella, who was wearing heavier makeup than the day before.
"What kind of person is the Duke of Ferrara's daughter?"
"Pardon?"
To be asked so suddenly about the duke's daughter first thing in the morning.
Bella had come to see Loan as a living sculpture, but she felt a strange sense of disappointment that the inner closeness she felt was not reciprocated.
Thinking perhaps his explanation was lacking, Loan added.
"It's just that the main character of the social gathering is the duke's daughter whose birthday it is, yet I feel like I have no information about her. Her seeking a Stone of Goetia is also unusual."
"Yeees..."
A dry explanation from Bella soon followed.
Lady Mirka had always been in such poor health that she never participated in outside activities; she had grown very close to a new handmaiden, and perhaps because of that, her health had improved; this birthday social was personally requested by the lady herself, so the duke was apparently throwing a grand affair, and so on.
She was sparse on descriptions of her appearance or personality, but since Loan had little interest in that, he didn't ask.
"That's about all I know."
"I see. Thank you. That was very helpful."
Loan gave himself the mission of 'investigating the Stone of Goetia' in addition to the mission of 'playing around' that had been assigned to him.
Of course, he could confiscate the Stone of Goetia beforehand to prevent any potential accidents.
However, there were no criminal charges, nor was the stone an illegal item, so he couldn't just forcibly take it from Bella. He had no intention of doing so, either.
To confirm why the Lady of Ferrara wanted the Stone of Goetia, and whether other merchant companies were also bringing the stone as a gift, as Bella had said.
He would need to reach the heart of the social gathering, where noble families mingled, with this stone in tow.
To do that, he would need Bella's cooperation.
Loan broached the subject again, though with some difficulty.
"What happens if a merchant company breaks a deal?"
"Pardon? Why all of a sudden..."
Loan continued, explaining his unexpected question.
Bella listened with a serious expression, asking questions and listening again in turn.
Their conversation continued for a long time, and by the time they reached a conclusion, the second day of their journey was nearly over.
The party decided to stay one more night outside Ferrara Castle and enter in the morning.
* * *
Early in the morning, a visitor came to the inn where Loan was staying.
Adrian had told him someone would accompany him when he arrived in Ferrara. He had assumed someone from the Faith Division had come to meet him.
"Uh..."
He hadn't expected it to be Vice-Commander Oscar.
Loan was pleased to see him, while Bella watched the two with curiosity.
With Oscar standing beside him, a claymore strapped to his back, Loan finally looked like a son of the Albret family.
‘I knew it...’
It felt like the pieces of a puzzle were falling into place in Bella's mind.
She concluded that this immature but incredibly strong boy must have dismissed his entourage to test his own strength.
"You've had a long journey. I didn't realize you had company."
But it was strange for Oscar to speak so casually to him.
Loan, reading this from Bella's expression, explained.
"He's my friend's father. And a senior of mine. Uh, Os..."
"It's Oscal."
Oscar, reading the atmosphere, corrected his name.
Nothing else he said was untrue.
Bella seemed to accept the explanation.
Noble families had their own complex, intertwined relationships, so it was awkward to press for details.
"Hmm..."
This time, Oscar stroked his beard and glanced toward Bella.
A signal for an introduction.
Loan answered.
"She's the representative of the merchant company I've contracted with. We've been delivering a gift for the lady together."
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Bella, representative of the Bella Company. So someone from the family was already here. I had a feeling the young master hadn't truly come alone."
Although he bowed his head in return, Oscar didn't understand what Loan was saying.
"Delivering a gift?"
"Yes. And in the process, I seem to have caused this company some financial loss. By any chance, do you have some money on you?"
"Huh?"
At Loan's sudden request for money, Oscar unconsciously reached for his wallet.