Chapter 15

We had only stepped through the door, yet somehow we were already on the seventh floor.

“Oh…”

For the first time since entering the Magic Tower, I couldn’t help but let out a sound of admiration.

‘At best I thought it’d be something like an elevator… but this feels like the space itself is connected.’

The mage guiding us seemed to interpret my reaction differently and chuckled.

“A bit messy, isn’t it? Since the building is small, this floor doubles as both a corridor and the research rooms of High Mages—sixth circle and above.”

Only then did I really take in the scene of the seventh floor. Sure enough, everywhere I looked, exhausted mages with dark circles down to their chins shuffled about, and the halls were littered with unidentifiable junk.

Not exactly what I had imagined.

I had pictured ancient mages in robes solemnly sitting around magic circles, chanting “Abracadabra!” But this was more like…

“…a grad school.”

Shia, hearing my mutter, tilted her head.

“Grad… skool?”

“Huh? Oh, the translator didn’t catch that? I guess it treats it as a proper noun. So the Northern Continent doesn’t even have a word for grad school?”

“It sounds like an ominous word. What is it?”

“Oh, just… something like hell. From my world.”

“Hell? You mean there’s a hell in the lower world, not just the Celestial Realm?”

While Shia cutely tilted her head at that, our guide mage stopped in front of a room and pointed.

“Here it is.”

“…Here?”

“Yes. The item this young lady seeks is in possession of the Tower Master of the Splitting Flame Magic Tower. He recently reached the eighth circle and received the title of Archmage. This is his research chamber.”

“Master, are you inside?”

At her call, a man in his late fifties, slumped in a chair like a rag, slowly lifted his upper body. His face was etched with fatigue.

“Oh, Dornea, my beloved pupil. What brings you here? And who are those people with you?”

“This young lady is searching for a concealment accessory crafted by an eighth-circle or higher mage. You still have that one, don’t you?”

“Concealment…?”

Dornea quickly explained why Shia wanted a Concealment Artifact. The moment she finished, the man shot to his feet and rushed forward, grabbing Shia’s hands.

“Ah, a jackpot cus—no, a customer! Please, come in, come in! How did you know our tower was desperate for funds again…?”

“…Master, your dignity, please.”

“Dignity doesn’t put food on the table. Money does. Anyway, welcome. I am Tower Master Falun Ro Istall.”

…Ro? A middle name? Noble?

Sensing my look, he waved dismissively.

“Don’t mind it. When I became an Archmage a few years ago, I was granted a viscount title. But it’s a single-generation ennoblement, not hereditary. Just think of it as nothing.”

“Ah, I see.”

“More importantly, you’re looking for a Concealment Artifact? Then you’re in luck.”

He dragged out a large chest from the corner of the lab and opened it before us.

After rummaging through a pile of artifacts like junk, he pulled out a small, pitch-black diamond-shaped earring. Refined, yet carrying an ominous air.

“This is the Black Mountain Earring. It has a powerful concealment enchantment, with no limit to the number of exceptions you can designate.”

“Black Mountain Earring?”

“Oh, you must be from elsewhere. Have you heard the news about the new salt mine discovered in the Black Mountains? Our tower was the one who found it.”

“That site used to be ancient ruins where we excavated artifacts with Baron Sinan’s permission.”

“Then this earring is…”

“Exactly. Discovered in those ruins. We named every artifact from that site ‘Black Mountain.’”

“So it’s not something you crafted yourself.”

“Correct. That’s not my specialty anyway. But I vouch for its effect—it’s as good as anything enchanted by an Archmage.”

“As for the price… hmm, what do you think of this?”

The number he scribbled made me start. It was a full one-fifth of the gold Yuribel had given me. Enough to buy a mansion with a garden in any Northern city.

Even Shia furrowed her brow slightly and shook her head.

Of course. Even for an artifact, that was…

“Too cheap.”

“…Huh? Cheap? That?”

“Yes. It’s only half of what I expected.”

“…Ho. The young lady knows her prices.”

“And if it’s cheap, that means there’s a flaw. Mage, explain.”

Despite being addressed like a child scolding him, Falun only smiled.

“There are two reasons.”

“…Two?”

“First, it’s a bound artifact. Once it recognizes you as its owner, it won’t work for anyone else. Naturally, it can’t be resold.”

That explained a lot. Even in online games, untradeable gear was worth far less than tradable loot.

“Second, I haven’t been able to fully analyze the other enchantment on it.”

Shia asked sharply.

“You mean there’s another spell besides concealment?”

He nodded.

“Exactly. Concealment is clear enough, but the second one? No clue. I suspect it’s mental-type magic. But ‘ancient magic’ is structured so differently from our modern circle system.”

“Mental… meaning it could be a blessing, or it could be a curse.”

“Precisely. The easiest way would be to test it directly, but as I said—it’s bound. So I shaved the price in half as risk cost.”

“Hmm… hand it over.”

When Shia stretched out her hand, Falun shrugged and placed the earring in her palm.

She examined it carefully, then nodded.

“I’ll buy it.”

“Oh? Truly?”

“Wait. Hold it. Stop.”

I cut in quickly, snatching her up and dragging her outside before the deal was sealed.

“You’re going to buy an artifact that might be cursed? At that price? You really have no idea about money, do you, you igloo hermit?”

Like a cat dangling helplessly, Shia leaned close to my ear and whispered.

‘Mono ne estas la problemo. Ĉi tio devas esti aĉetita senkondiĉe.’
— Money isn’t the issue. This must be bought unconditionally.

I immediately realized the words Shia had spoken weren’t the Northern Continent Common Tongue of the Salt Kingdom, but another language entirely. My eyes narrowed.

‘Hrm…?’

For the record, Shia and I had already agreed: wherever we went, we would always use the local tongue. (Foreigners who speak differently stand out way too much.) Shia could speak every language of the Northern Continent, and I had my handy Translator. A convenient luxury for both of us.

So the fact that Shia suddenly used a language I’d never even heard before…

‘Kial? Ĉu en tiu artefakto estas iu sekreto? Ĉu ne simple percepto-malhelpanta orelringo?’
— Why? Is there some secret in that artifact? Isn’t it just a concealment earring?

Keeping my voice low so no one around could hear, I asked. Shia nodded.

‘Concealment is just the side effect. The true function of this earring is likely…’

‘Likely?’

Her tone hardened.

‘…domination and subjugation.’

‘Regado? Subigo? Kio estas tio?’
— Domination? Subjugation? What’s that supposed to mean?

‘Ĝi estas laŭvorte. Funkcio por psike regi kaj subigi la alian.’
— Literally. A function to mentally control and enslave another.

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but frown.

‘How do you know that when even the mage who studied it couldn’t figure it out?’

‘Because among the junk artifacts in that chest, there was one exchanging mana signals with this earring. The mage didn’t notice because the signal was so faint and intermittent… but there’s no way such things can escape the eyes of a former Demon King. Do you recall that black leather strap in the corner of the chest?’

‘Now that you mention it, maybe… but what does that have to do with hypnosis apps?’

‘Hyp… nosis?’

‘Never mind, just Earth talk. Anyway, go on.’

‘Two linked mental artifacts usually mean one thing: one side continuously imposes influence on the other. Nine times out of ten, such things are for foul purposes.’

‘Hmm…’

‘And didn’t the mage himself say it? That it was a “powerful” mental spell. Put that together, and it means one side will be able to exercise a strong, ongoing influence over the other. Which leads to one conclusion.’

‘…Domination and subjugation?’

‘Exactly. The ultimate goal of mental magic is always to dominate and bend another’s will. That one principle can encompass all other mental spells.’

Her words flowed like water. Moments like this reminded me that Shia wasn’t just a cute kid, but once a Demon King.

She continued.

‘Besides… that strap I mentioned isn’t just a strap.’

‘Not a strap? Then what?’

‘A restraint collar.’

‘A collar?’

‘In plainer terms, a dog collar. The design of an artifact always reflects its creator’s intent.’

I understood at once.

‘So the one who wears the collar ends up dominated and enslaved by the owner of the earring.’

Shia nodded.

‘That’s also why the earring was made a bound artifact. To prevent someone else from stealing it and hijacking control of the slave.’

‘Ahh… I see.’

For the record, that NTR comment wasn’t Shia’s. It was my Translator, deciding that was the “closest” cultural equivalent. Don’t misunderstand—Shia’s way too innocent for that.

‘And even beyond that, the fact an eighth-circle Archmage couldn’t analyze it means one thing: it can affect even Archmages and Master-ranked Steel Body users. That means its concealment function must be incredibly strong as well.’

‘…So we should buy it.’

‘That’s what I said. Don’t haggle—just pay. One way or another, this will be useful someday.’

I nodded, but then another question crossed my mind.

‘But one thing still bothers me. Why would an artifact made for subjugation also have concealment attached? Those functions don’t exactly go together. Usually, creators add effects that synergize.’

This time, even Shia didn’t have a good answer.

‘Mm… well? I dunno. No clue.’

When we returned to the lab, the Tower Master was all smiles.

“Oh, judging by your faces, it’s settled. So? Will you buy it?”

Shia nodded.

“Yes. I’ll buy it.”

At her reply, his polite smile turned into genuine joy.

“A wise choice! Yes, yes, youth should gamble once in a while! Dornea! I can finally pay your salary this month!”

“…Not just this month. You’re still behind last month, and the month before that.”

“Anyway!!”

But Shia poured cold water over his joy.

“There’s a condition.”

“…Hm? A condition?”

“All the artifacts in that chest came from the Black Mountains, didn’t they?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“There are a few others I’d like to purchase as well. Lower the price.”

“Oh… now that, I can agree to. Just don’t expect too much. Everything else in that box is either too weak to sell, or like this earring, too difficult to analyze.”

“That’s fine.”

“Good. Then I’ll show you what we have. First, this cactus-shaped doll…”

As time passed, Shia and I exchanged increasingly strained looks.

Because the Tower Master was using his disciple Dornea as a test subject to demonstrate each artifact. (Said a lot about how grad students were treated here.)

“This one. Dornea, stand there.”

“…Does it have to be me?”

“Of course! What better way to show the customer an artifact’s effect? Do you want your salary or not?”

“…Ugh. Why did I ever take this man as my master…”

Smack!

“Ow!”

“See? Even with a strong strike, not a mark left on her skin. This ‘Black Mountain Whip’ causes only pain, no damage. Likely designed for torture.”

“……”

“……”

Whip crack! Bind!

“Ghhk!”

“This ‘Black Mountain Rope’ excels at binding. Even Aura Users can’t easily escape. But oddly, it only works if the target willingly spreads their arms and legs. I think it’s a prototype or failed design.”

“……”

“……”

Tickle tickle—

“Hee! Hhhheeeheeehh! Hhhahahaha!!”

“This ‘Black Mountain Feather’ reduces resistance to tickling the more it’s used. Probably designed to torture nobles.”

“……”

“……”

“And this ‘Black Mountain Jar’ produces endless… lubricant.”

“Stop.”

I finally cut him off.

“That’s enough. We’ve seen plenty.”

Falun released Dornea from the rope, smiling sheepishly.

“Yes, yes, the effects are odd. That’s why I’d nearly given up selling them.”

I gave him a pitying look. This man truly didn’t realize what those were made for.

“…Tower Master, are you married?”

“Hm? No, I’m single.”

“…Then dating?”

He tilted his head.

“Why do you ask? Of course…”

“Of course?”

“…No. Never. Do you think reaching the eighth circle before sixty is easy? Someone like me, with heaven-given talent, has to spend every waking hour not eating, not sleeping, not resting—just studying magic.”

“Romance? Who has time for that?”

“…And you, Miss Dornea?”

She had just freed herself from the rope, adjusting her clothes. She stiffened.

“Wh-what do you take me for!? Of course…!”

“Of course?”

“…No. Never. I’ve dedicated everything to magic too. Since I entered Master’s tutelage at fourteen, every moment not spent eating or sleeping went into study.”

So they were both lifelong singles. Figures. Explains why this tower smelled exactly like a nerdy grad lab.

Shia, reading my thoughts, muttered.

“And so are you.”

“…Shhh. Don’t say that out loud.”

‘…Anyway. Those suspicious earrings, those other items with obvious… purposes… They’re basically all the same kind of thing, right?’

‘Most likely.’

‘So the ruins in the Black Mountains where they were found…’

Shia nodded, deadpan.

‘Yes. Probably once the private lab of some perverted ancient mage, filled with his “refined tastes.”’

‘Good grief…’