Chapter 107
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Name of Mana (3)
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“...And then Miles tried to make excuses, saying he suddenly remembered his ex-girlfriend.”
As I recounted how I'd grilled him about Agnes's appearance, Wedin burst out laughing with a hearty cackle.
It wasn't particularly funny to me, but it did lift my spirits a little.
We'd headed out into the city streets with Wedin and stopped at a roadside eatery for a simple dinner.
“That old man's got some nerve—it's hilarious. So, what'd you do?”
“What could I do? I just told him to be more careful from now on. I'd barely gotten him to scrap the idea of a snack room inside the barrier, though. Who knows what he'll get up to once I'm gone.”
I chewed on my salad and braised chicken, speaking with a note of concern.
Wedin kept chuckling the whole time, clearly amused by the story.
“Anyway, you've done your part, right?”
Wedin finally stopped laughing and said it as he munched on some bread.
“No need to worry about it anymore. That guy's a Prius mage—he'll manage.”
“Well... true, but.”
Just as he said, I couldn't keep watch over him forever.
The analysis of the dragon repository and adjustments to the anomalies were complete, and on top of that, we had Agnes, created from the repository's mana.
If the repository's mana fluctuated or the barrier grew unstable, Agnes would immediately correct and calibrate it, so Miles didn't even need to stay cooped up in the sealing chamber all day.
He planned to monitor the situation for a few days, then take some time off.
With Agnes handling the sealing chamber, they could reassign resident mages like Miles to other duties.
I wondered if this would ease Claus Sage and Luwen Klaus's worries a bit.
“All done eating? Let's go. It's getting late.”
Wedin set down his empty bowl.
I pushed aside my thoughts about the sealing chamber for the moment and started clearing our meal with him.
The shopping district bustled with people now that the sun had set.
I pulled on my hood out of habit and wandered through a few shops with Wedin.
The streets, which had been utterly wrecked during Kaela's attack, were now almost fully restored to their former state.
The only difference was that now, people recognized me.
“Well, if it isn't the mage from Prius!”
“Oh, hello.”
He spotted me even with the hood up.
I inwardly panicked but greeted the bakery owner calmly. The portly man reeked of the savory aroma of fresh bread.
“Here, take these with you.”
The bakery owner stuffed a paper bag full of loaves and thrust a whole armful into my hands.
“These are the leftovers from today. Share them with the knights.”
“Huh? No, I couldn't possibly...”
I fumbled to hand them back, but Wedin yanked me away and muttered under his breath.
“Quit yapping and let's go.”
He tossed a thankful wave to the bakery owner.
“Thanks, sir! We'll enjoy them!”
It was the brightest, most cheerful voice I'd ever heard from him.
The bakery owner chuckled heartily and waved us off, and I smiled back before hurrying after Wedin.
“I-is this really okay?”
“Of course it is.”
Wedin snatched a well-baked loaf and shoved it into his mouth.
“He gave us so many...”
“Hand 'em over. I'll stick them in my bag.”
Wedin swiped the bag of bread and stuffed it into his pack. Then, like he was doing me a favor, he tossed me one loaf.
“C'mon, bookstore first, right?”
“Ah, yeah.”
I nibbled on the bread as I followed behind him.
Before entering the bookstore on the plaza street, I spotted the Magos Traveling Troupe's wagon at the far end of the road.
A gaudy wagon twinkled with brilliant lights, blasting upbeat, raucous music to stir up the crowd.
With people gathering around, it looked like another show was about to start.
“They're really dragging this performance out. It was fun, but this popular?”
Wedin muttered.
“Yeah, guess so. Let's head in.”
I shoved Wedin into the bookstore.
Around the time the street repairs wrapped up, I'd gone to watch the traveling troupe's show with Shuren and Wedin.
I'd planned to let Bertharot know I was safe and check if he was doing okay.
The troupe wandered from place to place, but their performance was impressively good and entertaining.
Even though Bertharot had spotted me and gotten so nervous that he kept dropping his knives, missing balls, and butchering notes left and right.
I had no idea why they were still performing in the area...
It couldn't be because of me, could it?
I bought two books on the Nameless Era from the bookstore. I figured I'd gather whatever info I could before reaching the ruins.
I got so absorbed flipping through the shelves that I lost track of time, and Wedin irritably grabbed me by the scruff and dragged me out.
Next, we headed to a tool shop selling all sorts of magic and holy tools.
The sign read “Atrram Tool Shop—
Elgrace Branch” in small letters.
“Hey, isn't that coming this way?”
Before entering, Wedin glanced back at the Magos Traveling Troupe's wagon.
Sure enough, the flashy wagon was inching closer along the street.
The music blared louder than before, and a massive pink horned rabbit mascot popped out amid the onlookers.
The pink horned rabbit was busy handing out cookies and flyers to the crowd.
It'd pass by soon enough, probably...
I shrugged it off and stepped into the Atrram Tool Shop with Wedin.
This place, crammed with all kinds of magic tools, was fun to just browse.
Tools commonly used for travel or daily life were neatly displayed by category.
From lights for illumination to bug repellents, heaters, and coolers.
Buying and using magic tools was the most efficient way for ordinary folk to enjoy the benefits of magic.
Wedin was glued to the holy tool display case.
Magic tools dominated the shop, so the holy tools occupied just a small corner wall.
Unlike magic tools that anyone could use, most holy tools required infusing holy power to activate, so no one else was browsing that case.
“What're you looking to buy?”
I'd circled the magic tool displays once and came over to Wedin, who was picking up and setting down various holy tools.
“Hmm, debating between a lamp or one of these orbs.”
A basket full of large and small red orbs sat in front of him, alongside an array of differently shaped lamps.
Honestly, I couldn't see what the dilemma was.
“I can't tell the difference...”
“Yeah, figured.”
Wedin shrugged.
“Holy tools all basically promote recovery. They just vary a bit in effect and performance. Gimme your hand.”
I reflexively held out my hand, and he placed a small red orb in my palm.
The moment it left his fingers, the orb glowed and grew warm.
“Whoa.”
Thanks to the holy power he'd infused, a soothing warmth seeped into my palm.
“This is a Rubiol Orb. Holding it in your palm boosts recovery. Not great for deep wounds or internal injuries, but the pain relief makes it usable even mid-battle in a pinch.”
Wedin returned the Rubiol Orb to the basket.
The holy power he'd put in had already faded, restoring it to its original color.
“What about those lamps?”
I pointed to the assortment of lamps on the lower shelf.
They all had a reddish glow inside, but came in shapes like circles and squares, with varied decorations.
“Lamps of Life go by the patient's bedside. They calm the mind to focus on recovery.”
He picked up a round one, and its interior lit up reddish. It looked familiar.
“Oh, I've seen one of these before.”
“Makes sense. Teacher Grain probably used every tool in the book treating you.”
I changed the subject since I had no comeback.
“What about your gloves? What do they do?”
Wedin always wore the blue spring gloves Grain had gifted him.
He set the lamp back and fondly fiddled with his half-gloves.
“These are top-tier holy tools. Boosting recovery is basic—they amplify holy power too. Infused with water's essence, they purify corruption and resist mild poisons.”
“Didn't some ice shard thing come out last time?”
I recalled the fight against Gatara in the annex. Wedin nodded.
“Asked Teacher about it—turns out it's the water power manifesting. Nothing major, but it lets even a congenital dud like me use a bit.”
As he spoke, he held his palm out toward me.
A bluish aura frosted over the half-glove, gathering a sip's worth of clear water in his hand.
“Cool...”
I poked at his half-glove out of curiosity.
Holy and magic tools worked so differently in function and craftsmanship that I couldn't grasp their principles at all.
I hadn't sensed even a flicker of mana when he'd conjured the water.
“Eh, just this much. A sip for thirst or a quick ice block for danger.”
He shook his hand, and the pooled water scattered instantly.
How did it work without Echronium or runes?
I was dying to know how it'd react combined with magic.
“Gotta disassemble one someday.”
“What'd you say?”
The instant Wedin shot me a disbelieving look, a blast of loud music erupted from outside—bam!
The other customers and the clerk all turned.
Through the shop window, the wagon's lights flickered, and a crowd murmured as it gathered.
“Looks like the troupe's wagon made it right up to the front.”
“You just said what...?”
“Be right back. Pick something out.”
I cut off Wedin and bolted outside without looking back.
The street outside teemed with people, drawn by the Magos Traveling Troupe's flashy wagon.
A middle-aged man perched on the back played a complex instrument to hype the crowd, while the giant horned rabbit handed out cookies and flyers, shouting about the next show.
Kids with their parents clutched at the treats in a frenzy.
“Ah!”
The pink horned rabbit turned and spotted me standing in front of the tool shop.
Its fist-sized eyes were red, its two big ears flopped wildly, and the cone horn between them looked downright menacing.
Still, it was the troupe's beloved mascot among the kids.
The rabbit strode toward me in one big step.
Its stride was so huge that its shadow loomed over my head in seconds.
“Liberic, take these! Show's the day after tomorrow.”
It shoved a stack of flyers and a pile of cookies into my hands.
I could picture its expression even through the costume.
“No, I... How'd you know I was here?”
“Been tracking you from Prius—er, I mean, just passing by coincidence. Hope you'll come to the next one. We've practiced a ton.”
The surrounding kids clamored at the rabbit for cookies, hands outstretched.
The rabbit talked to me while doling out treats to kids and tossing flyers to passersby.
So, it “happened” to spot me and came all the way here.
I let out a small sigh and tugged the rabbit's pink arm.
“Can we talk somewhere quiet?”
“Huh? Oh, sure. Captain!”
The middle-aged musician atop the wagon glanced our way mid-performance. He was the Magos Traveling Troupe's captain, surprisingly.
The captain set down his instrument and took the cookie and flyer bag from Bertharot.
The kids swarmed him in a flash.
“This way.”
I dragged the rabbit into a dim, narrow alley.