The Hidden Seeds of Sabotage
The method Carmel used was no ordinary one. It was the kind of trick that could not be easily detected. In other words, magic. As far as I could remember, without the Book of Enekra, Carmel was incapable of casting any magic that could inflict direct, severe harm. Directly cursing the participants of tomorrow's tournament, or infusing poison into their food or weapons, would be beyond her reach. The only options available to the current Carmel had to be far more indirect.
"Filgret, please bring me one of the swords that will be used in the festival."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Within moments, Filgret returned with an ornately decorated sword. I immediately drew it from its scabbard. There was nothing unusual about its appearance. The knights themselves would have checked that first, after all. Yet, as I stared intently at it, I saw something transparent shimmering like a heat haze along the outline of the blade.
What is this?
Quieting my mind and focusing further, I felt something like tiny grains embedded deep inside the sword. It was a sensation entirely separate from my five physical senses. As I stood there staring fixedly at the blade, Filgret watched me with a puzzled expression. I decided to ask him.
"Filgret. Do you happen to see anything? Something rising from the blade."
"Pardon? No, Your Highness. I see nothing out of the ordinary."
"I see..."
Something invisible to ordinary people. Is this mana? Seeing and feeling mana is the very first step to wielding it. Something was changing. Perhaps it was the same phenomenon that allowed Sera, who originally possessed no magical talent, to use the Necklace of Truth. I set the sword down for a moment and unclasped the necklace. Resting on the desk, the sapphire lost its blue glow. I looked back at the sword, but the haze was still visible to me. It was not the effect of the necklace. Being able to see this was entirely my own ability.
There was no one other than Carmel who could have caused this mana-like substance to rise from the sword. Though I could not tell exactly what trick she had played, this must have been her purpose for infiltrating the knights under a disguise. It was impossible for me to determine what this actually was. I had no choice but to ask someone well-versed in the magical arts. Picking up the sword, I spoke to Filgret.
"I need to examine this sword. I suspect someone has subjected it to some kind of magical tampering."
"Could it be... Sophia's doing, Your Highness?"
I could not let poor Sophia's reputation be dragged through the mud any further. I shook my head.
"Sophia could not possibly wield magic, could she? It is still unclear whose hand is behind this. However, it is certain that someone has done something. I must have the Royal Court Mage verify what it is."
"Understood. Shall I summon Monas, then?"
"Yes. And please keep this matter strictly confidential for now."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Filgret strode out of the room. Before long, he returned, accompanied by Monas. The mage looked utterly bewildered.
"Um, what is the matter, Your Highness? Commander Filgret suddenly informed me that you had urgent business with me..."
It seemed Filgret had dragged him here without explaining the situation. I showed Monas the sword and spoke.
"This is one of the swords to be used in tomorrow's Festival of the Sword. Monas, surely you can see it? There is something resembling mana drifting from its surface."
"Pardon?"
With a startled expression, Monas took the sword from my hands and examined it closely. He took much longer than I expected. After scrutinizing every inch of the weapon for a long while, Monas spoke with a complicated look on his face.
"Um, Your Highness, I am deeply sorry... but I do not see anything of the sort."
Huh? I could not help but be taken aback by Monas's response. After all, it was still perfectly visible to my eyes. Though extremely faint, a transparent smoke—or rather, a heat haze—was undoubtedly rising from the surface of the sword. If Monas, one of the highest-ranking mages in the Luistie Kingdom, could not detect it... was this not mana? Was it merely a hallucination unique to me?
"W-Wait! That cannot be. Please look closer. Ah, yes. There is something like tiny grains embedded inside the hilt. Perhaps that is the cause of this phenomenon."
"Grains...? You say there are grain-like objects inside?"
The complicated, subtle look on Monas's face instantly vanished, replaced by a sudden gravity. Holding the sword in one hand, he hovered his open palm over the blade.
⟨ Mana Search ⟩
It was clearly visible. A deep green mana flowed from Monas's hand, enveloping the sword. Soon after, Monas withdrew his mana and spoke with an incredibly solemn expression.
"It is true, Your Highness. This is an ancient technique of concealing a Mana Seed inside an object. But how on earth did you notice this?"
"It simply caught my eye. A transparent substance that seemed to leak from within. So it really was mana, after all."
"No, no. It should not have been visible at all. The very purpose of this stealthy technique is to ensure that even those who can sense mana cannot easily detect it. Even for someone of my caliber, it is only detectable after casting a spell."
How slightly insolent of him. To flatly contradict a princess's words right to her face.
"Monas. But if I truly could not see it, I would not have been able to summon you here, would I?"
"T-That... is true. Then, did you truly...?"
I replied with a gentle, soft smile.
"How many times must I tell you before you believe me?"
Only then did Monas seem to realize his rudeness. Flushing slightly, he spoke.
"Ah, I-I apologize, Your Highness. I was simply so astonished... *Ahem*, if that is indeed the case, I can only describe this as an extraordinary ability."
"Meaning it is something impossible even for a great mage like you?"
"Yes. Magical talent manifests in many forms, and the perception of mana is naturally one of them. To be able to visualize even hidden traces of mana... that is practically a feat belonging to legends."
From his tone, it seemed Monas still found it difficult to readily accept my words. To him, it probably made more logical sense to assume that an optical illusion had coincidentally aligned with the truth, rather than believing the princess he served was some legendary existence. I, too, had no idea how I had suddenly acquired such an ability. However, whether it was my capacity to use the Necklace of Truth or my discovery of the hidden mana, it was an undeniable fact that I had gained a talent for mana. If so, I would have to find a way to utilize this new weapon effectively. Of course, it was already proving quite useful in this current situation. Once the Festival of the Sword concluded safely, I would need to test and train this ability. But the immediate issue at hand was not my mana-sensing capability.
"Then, Monas, what happens to a sword with hidden mana like this? Surely there is some danger involved?"
"Danger, you say... Mana hidden inside an object triggers an amplification reaction when magic is cast upon it. It multiplies the effect of any spell applied to the item."
Prior to the Festival of the Sword, a non-lethal enchantment is applied to the weapons of both sides. The reason for hiding the Mana Seed in the swords—Carmel's scheme—undoubtedly lay there.
"And if the non-lethal magic used in the festival is amplified?"
"Hmm... The weapons would become so dull that a proper battle would be impossible. Commander Filgret, may I borrow your sword for a moment?"
Without a word, Filgret drew his sword and handed it to Monas. Monas took the blade and focused his mana just as he had done before.
⟨ Non-lethalize ⟩
To the naked eye, nothing seemed to have changed. The blade still appeared razor-sharp. Monas handed it back to Filgret and spoke.
"That sword is now under the influence of the non-lethal magic as it would be during an amplification reaction. Now, Commander Filgret. Try striking the table with that sword."
Filgret glanced at me, silently seeking permission. I nodded. Filgret moved instantly, bringing his sword down upon the table. Given the swordsmanship of the Knight Commander, slicing through a wooden table should have been easier than cutting a radish. Yet, despite the formidable momentum behind his swing, the blade merely struck the wooden surface and stopped dead, unable to penetrate it in the slightest. To an ignorant onlooker, it would have seemed as though his skill was simply lacking despite wielding such a fine weapon. Had this gone unnoticed, the Royal Guard would have suffered a massive, humiliating defeat in tomorrow's Festival of the Sword. Recognizing this, Monas also crossed his arms with a grave expression.
"The Festival of the Sword is a deeply meaningful ritual with a long and storied history. It is a great shock to think that a citizen of our kingdom would attempt to ruin it. Your Highness, what are your wishes? If we make this fact public, we could postpone the festival until the culprit is found."
Postponing it... Indeed, that was a viable option. An unknown entity had attempted to interfere with the outcome of the Festival of the Sword. That fact alone provided more than enough justification to delay the event. However, I did not think it was a particularly wise move. Carmel still had no idea her scheme had been exposed. If so, I had to exploit this situation to the absolute fullest. Even if we postponed the festival, Carmel would only seek to sabotage us through some other, even more cunning method.
"No, the Festival of the Sword will proceed as scheduled. Monas, make sure you do not reveal this to anyone."
"Ah, yes. If that is your command, Your Highness."
"Monas, you are capable of removing those Mana Seeds, correct?"
"Yes. It is not a difficult task. They will vanish once they are completely consumed by reacting to magic."
"Then I shall leave it to you. For the sake of the festival's fairness."
"I will gladly do so. After all, that is my duty as a Royal Court Mage."
I ordered Filgret to escort Monas to the armory where the weapons were kept. After the two of them departed, I looked down at my own palm. Far from the dense, fog-like mana Monas possessed, I could not even see a faint shimmer. It was a hand entirely devoid of visible mana—just a pretty, delicate hand. Letting out a soft sigh, I stood up.