Chapter 33

"Then, when I ventured further in, I found a room where a hole had opened in the cave wall."

"Is that the culprit? What was inside?"

The next morning, I was reporting to Gainta at a table in the charcoal shop. It seemed to be for business negotiations, but I had never seen it being used by the regular customers of the charcoal shop. At first, I thought of going to the mining association, but upon reflection, I realized I didn't know where it was located. So, I went to the charcoal shop and was quickly called in.

"The magic lamp, human bones, a sword, and the report. I encountered a monster on the way, but I defeated it, and the spoils are mine, right?"

"......Hmm, what are they? Show me. By the way, that room isn't mine, so its contents are yours. I'm just renting the shared mine for money."

Gainta thought for a moment before responding. So, that's how it is. At least I got his word. I took everything out of my item box and laid it on the table, including the wisp core.

"That's a sword with an unusual shape. It's quite slender but has a long blade. I feel it would break if swung hard. Is it a thrusting sword or something?"

"I don't know, but it seems to become sharper when infused with magic, so I plan to use it."

I haven't seen its sharpness before infusing it with magic, but it's safe to assume that the magic had some effect.

"I see. If it breaks during combat, that would be bad, so check its durability. Also, is this magic stone the magic lamp? It's shining, but it's not blinding..."

Gainta paused.

"Hmm... The paper report... Could this be an artifact?"

"I think so. The performance of this sword is not on the level of ordinary swords, and the report is written in a different language."

I pointed to the report. It didn't seem to be deteriorated, perhaps like washi paper.

"Can I take a look?"

Without waiting for an answer, Gainta flipped through the pages.

"I don't know this language... Wait, you just said 'report.' How did you know this was a report?"

"Ah..."

I was careless. I could read it so naturally that I forgot I shouldn't be able to read the title. I should have lied on the spot, but it's too late now. I might as well try.

"That's because the format is similar to the reports I know."

"You hesitated just now. And how do you know the format if you can't read it? It looks like a diary except for the unknown writing."

I dug my own grave. It only has the date, weather, and content, just like a diary. I have no choice but to be honest.

"Yes, I can read it. It mentions something about dragons, but it seems there's no need to worry now."

"Hmm... I see. If there's no immediate concern, that's good. But if you don't plan to pursue that path, it's better to keep it secret. If it's an ancient language, and it's discovered that you can read it, you'll likely receive offers from the government, and even if you refuse, you might be kidnapped by other countries."

High probability, huh? I made a mistake, but you exposed it. I tried to hide it, but it seems Gainta would benefit if I were kidnapped, mainly for patent fees. I'll take his kindness gratefully. If the information were sold to the government, it would be a big problem.

"Yes, I'll do that."

"Do that. I don't understand the sword, but the magic lamp is not rare among artifacts. It's one of the most common, but its performance is high due to its originality. If you don't need the money, it would be good to use it for adventures."

A common artifact, huh?

"By the way, how much would it sell for?"

"Enough to build a decent-sized house in the capital, though not a mansion."

It's not a common artifact. Artifacts are of a different class.

What about this wisp core? I'll call it a black stone. I won't make the same mistake twice.

"By the way, what is this black stone? It came from a black monster that suddenly appeared while I was exploring the room."

"An artifact and a black monster? You don't mean a wisp, do you? It's not something an individual can defeat. It probably wandered in from somewhere. What did it look like?"

"Well... It had a blurry outline, was immune to swords and magic, and had six legs."

"...You're joking, right? I don't know the number of legs, but a blurry black outline is a well-known characteristic of a wisp... So, could this black stone be a wisp core? If so, it could be enough to build a castle."

A castle... I've acquired another dangerous item. More reasons for the government to target me. What if a spy was listening in? There's no soundproofing here.

"What is a wisp core? Is it powerful?"

"It's not powerful on its own, but when used to power attack magic tools, it can unleash incredible power. It's also used to defeat wisps."

Like a headphone amplifier, but for magic? Maybe like using a hydrogen bomb to trigger nuclear fusion.

"By the way, how do you correctly defeat a wisp?"

"I don't know much, but I've heard that using an artifact boosted by a wisp core to freeze the air can work. When a wisp's burn site is found, a group of mages is dispatched with a wisp core from the government. By the way, how did you defeat it? If there's another way, it could be a significant discovery."

Freezing the air and the target, the target dies. Something like that.

"I killed it with my bare hands."

"Hmm... I don't think a wisp can be killed that way... But I've heard that when a wisp's burn site is found, the discoverer often collapses from magic overload. Could that be the reason?"

A wisp is likely a mass of magic. However, this story is getting dangerous. What should I do?

"If this gets out, I feel like I'll be chased by various people. Can you keep it a secret...?"

"Yes, I'll keep it quiet. I don't intend to betray your trust."

Thank you, you're a good person. If Gainta were bad, I might be reading ancient texts in a basement somewhere in a week. I'll be careful on the streets at night. I don't know what to do if the government comes at me with its full power. I should practice the high-speed wind magic that Magis used.

"The report is complete. Is there anything from your side?"

"No, not really. If the mine returns to normal, we can restore full-scale mining within a month, and depending on demand, we might dig even more."

"By the way, what do you plan to do with the coke distribution?"

"We're providing it for free to some of our regular customers to find buyers. Production is not yet fully established, but it's already selling so well that we can't keep up. It seems to be in high demand as a high-performance forging fuel."

It's a bit different from the original plan, but as long as it sells, it's fine. I hope the competition boosts the reputation of coke.

"I understand. I plan to leave this town once the weapons are ready, but I'll come back to collect the patent fees when I have time."

I want to see various things. It would be a waste to stay in one place with the power to not die in this different world.

"You don't have to do that. Ten percent is deducted from the patent fees for taxes and handling fees, but it includes services that can be received at other branches. If the amount is high, you need to notify them in advance."

I didn't know about the handling fees. Taxes are expected, but I assume they are deducted from the start at the adventurer's guild.

"I see. So, I can receive it while traveling, even abroad?"

"Abroad? The guilds of different countries are semi-independent but have some connections. Normally, it can be withdrawn, but in your case, it's better not to. You understand why, right?"

Because the patent is only valid domestically. Not opening it to other countries means no support from abroad. Other patents might also be one-to-one, so it often doesn't matter, but explicitly closing it to foreign countries is a different story.

"I understand. Until the investment is no longer needed, you can keep my share invested. I'll let you know if I need money."

"Thank you, I'll do that."

"Then, I'll be on my way."

I left the charcoal shop and headed to the weapon shop. The weapon should be ready today. I also want to know more about this sword. After all, a sword is a blacksmith's domain.

"Excuse me, I found a new weapon along with an artifact during my adventure. Could you take a look at it?"

"Sure, show me."

I took out the sword.

"It seems to be enhanced when infused with magic."

Before I could finish, Sumezu shouted at me.

"Put that weapon on the ground immediately! We'll talk after that! It's dangerous!"

...What, is this dangerous? A cursed weapon or something?