Chapter 42

Deciding to give the storage amethyst to Isarco, Ricardo visited the accessory shop where he had previously had a pendant-type storage amethyst made. He intended to buy a purple tree fruit crystal, which would become the source of the storage amethyst.

"I'm sorry, but we just ran out of stock."

"Is that so?"

Disappointed, Ricardo left the store and headed toward Bernardo's shop without much thought. Bernardo's shop sold catalysts and weapons. Although he didn't expect to find a purple tree fruit crystal there, he thought he might as well ask.

He walked west on the cobblestone road, which was bustling with people. Winter was approaching, and the passersby were dressed in thicker clothing.

When he entered Bernardo's shop, he looked around for Bernardo. Rotario, the shop owner and Bernardo's son-in-law, spotted Ricardo and approached him quickly, informing him that Bernardo was in the back.

"Looks like you're busy."

Bernardo smiled when he saw Ricardo.

"No, no, I'm retired, so I have plenty of time."

Ricardo was led to the reception room and brought a cup of tea. The delicate and fragrant aroma stimulated his brain, and he smiled naturally as he took a sip.

"This tea is delicious."

"I'm quite particular about tea. I only use processed tea leaves from the Melavis region."

"Really? Is the Melavis region known for tea?"

"Yes, the climate is suitable for growing good tea leaves."

The Melavis region, a highland area northeast of the capital, had a significant temperature difference between day and night, similar to the environment in Darjeeling, India.

"By the way, what brings you here today?"

"It might sound strange, but does this shop have any purple tree fruit crystals?"

Bernardo tilted his head.

"Unfortunately, this is a shop for catalysts and weapons. ...But, what do you need it for?"

"It's Isarco Councilor's birthday in a few days. I want to give him a gift as a token of appreciation."

"Are you planning to make jewelry with the purple tree fruit crystal?"

Thinking it would be quicker to show, Ricardo took out the pendant-type storage amethyst from his chest.

"Hmm, are you planning to give him a similar pendant? But, would it suit Isarco Councilor?"

Ricardo pinched the storage amethyst and used his willpower to extract a bag of gold coins. The bag appeared on the table with a thud.

"Huh?"

Bernardo looked back and forth between the bag on the table and the storage amethyst, then stood up.

"Is that a small storage green crystal?"

"Ah, no, this is a storage amethyst made from a purple tree fruit crystal."

"Amazing!"

The experienced merchant Bernardo exclaimed like a child.

"That's an exaggeration. You have a storage green crystal, and the storage capacity of a storage amethyst is small."

"No, no, it's incredible that a purple tree fruit crystal, which was thought to be useless, can be turned into something like a storage green crystal."

"But, the storage capacity is really small, only about the size of this bag."

Even when Ricardo explained that it had the capacity of a medium-sized duffel bag, Bernardo didn't seem disappointed.

"Can you make a storage amethyst from any purple tree fruit crystal?"

"Based on my experience, only about one in four succeeds."

"Hmm, so it wasn't made by Matou but by you, Ricardo?"

Bernardo seemed to think that Ricardo had learned from the mage Matou and made it himself.

"Can I see it?"

Ricardo took off the pendant-type storage amethyst and handed it over.

"This can only be used by someone who can control magic. Even if I add a magic control circuit and a magic conduction rod to make it usable by someone who can't control magic, it would cost about one-tenth, or even half of that, of a storage green crystal."

Bernardo started calculating in the air, so Ricardo tried to bring him back to reality.

"Bernardo, can I ask you something?"

"Huh... Yes, what is it?"

"How can I get a purple tree fruit crystal?"

"Well, there's a shop in the Yorgul territory that deals with products from the magic realm. You should be able to get it there."

"Thank you."

After that, Ricardo answered various questions about the storage amethyst from Bernardo, but he didn't reveal the secret of carving the purple tree fruit crystal.

At the same time, Prince Gaius was summoned by King Althibald and was heading to the audience chamber.

When he entered the audience chamber and waited, King Althibald appeared with a frown, and Baron Alfred, his close advisor, stood behind him.

The prince bowed slightly and waited.

"Look at me."

"Hmm."

The king didn't seem to be in a good mood. With no clear reason, the prince could only wait for the king to speak.

"Gaius, you've been in the capital for a while. What about the Yorgul territory?"

The prince was responsible for managing the Yorgul territory and usually lived in the castle there. Officially, the king trusted the prince and entrusted him with the Yorgul territory, but in reality, King Althibald, who disliked Prince Gaius, had sent him away.

The prince didn't know why he was disliked.

Perhaps it was when he was a child.

"A hundred years ago, King Sebastiano, who ruled, set his sleep time to four hours and spent most of his waking hours on official duties. How many hours does Father sleep?"

He had once asked this, but perhaps it was a mistake. Or...

"I heard that King Teodoro, known as the founder of the revival, spent half a year inspecting the territories and immediately solved any problems the people had. When was the last time Father inspected the territories?"

He might have asked something like this, but was that the reason? No, perhaps...

As the prince searched his memory, King Althibald's mood worsened.

"Gaius, why don't you answer?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was trying to organize my thoughts."

Then he reported that the number of magic beasts near the magic realm gate had increased, and he had called many court mages to deal with them.

"What? You moved the court mages without permission?"

"I didn't act without permission. I obtained written approval."

In the latter half of his working hours, King Althibald's concentration waned, and he tended to sign documents without reading them thoroughly. Prince Gaius took advantage of this and got signatures for potentially problematic matters when the king's concentration was low.

The prime minister knew about the king's concentration and brought important matters to him first.

If the prime minister were a sly person, the country would be in trouble, Prince Gaius felt.

However, the prime minister was unfamiliar with the magic realm and magic beasts, so he left the handling of creatures like the Underwolf to the prince.

The prince had a clerk bring the document regarding the transfer of court mages for the king to review.

"Hmm, there's my signature. But, I heard that an Underwolf appeared near the capital. Magic is needed to deal with magic beasts. Send the court mages back."

"Understood. I will arrange for the court mages capable of defeating a powerful magic beast like the Underwolf to return to the capital."

The prince changed his statement to only send back some of the court mages, not all of them.

"Hmm, you're being cooperative today. That's fine."

The king seemed to be fooled by the prince's "Understood." To be clear, the king was not stupid; it was just that it was afternoon, and his concentration was waning.

"Leaving the matter of the court mages aside, why are you in the capital?"

"I heard that a new magic cannon was developed in the capital, so I came back to check its performance."

In reality, he had returned to investigate the background of the spy who had infiltrated the Vizel Castle, but that was something the king should have done, so he didn't mention it.

"A new magic cannon... Do you think such a thing will be useful in battle?"

"The power may not match that of an experienced mage, but the advantage is that it can cast magic with just a pull of the trigger."

"Hmph, well, that's fine. Once you've checked the magic cannon, return to the Yorgul territory and focus on your duties as a governor."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

When the king left the audience chamber, Baron Alfred glanced at the prince and left with a satisfied smile.

After leaving the audience chamber, the prince went to meet General Samuele and entrusted him with the capital's security.

"There's also the matter of the Underwolf, so perhaps I should stay in the capital a bit longer..."

The prince interrupted the general.

"It's the king's order."

The next day, Prince Gaius boarded a luxurious carriage and left Vizel Castle for the Yorgul territory.

On the way, he spotted a familiar face at a stagecoach stop and had the carriage stop.

"Isn't that Ricardo? Where are you going?"

Ricardo was surprised when he was called from the luxurious carriage. Peering into the window, he saw the prince's face and hurriedly straightened his posture to greet him, but the prince stopped him.

"No need for formalities. Just answer my question."

Being asked by that villainous face made him feel like he was being interrogated. Moreover, the person was royalty, so he couldn't be impolite.

"Yes, I'm going to the Yorgul territory."

"That's convenient. I'm also heading to the Yorgul territory. Why don't you come with me?"

He wanted to refuse, but knew it was impossible. Reluctantly, he got into the carriage, and two strong-looking men, who seemed to be the prince's attendants, looked him over.

These men were not present during the breeding facility visit. They might have been left behind because the royal guards accompanied the prince at that time. Of course, there were also cavalry guards around the carriage to protect the prince.

The prince told him to sit across from him, and the carriage started moving.

"I heard you captured an Underwolf. I'd like to hear the details."

Ricardo, feeling nervous, recounted the details of capturing the Underwolf.

"Hmm, despite the ground cracking and swallowing the Underwolf, it managed to escape by sacrificing one of its legs. ...Interesting. I wanted to hear the story because the report didn't convey the atmosphere."

The prince asked Ricardo about the Underwolf's expression and other details, making Ricardo feel uncomfortable, but he managed to explain.

"Did you capture the Underwolf with your advanced magic? What's the name of that advanced magic?"

"It's called 'Solar Flame Bullet.'"

"From what I heard, it seems to be an advanced fire magic. It's a powerful spell. If such magic could be fired from a magic cannon, it would make the extermination of magic beasts in the magic realm easier."

The prince seemed to be concerned about the extermination of magic beasts in the magic realm.

After some casual conversation, they arrived at the capital of the Yorgul territory, Yaro. As Ricardo was about to get off the carriage to thank the prince,

"By the way, why are you going to the Yorgul territory?"

"I'm here to buy materials for a special gift for Isarco Councilor's birthday."

Prince Gaius's eyes sparkled like a mischievous child's.

"A special gift... By the way, did you know that my birthday is in eight days?"

There was no way he could have known. But now that he knew, he would have to give a gift. The prince's sparkling eyes seemed to be saying he wanted one.

"If a gift like the one for Isarco Councilor is acceptable, I will prepare a modest birthday gift for you."

"Hehe... You're considerate. I will definitely help you with the breeding facility."

Ricardo got off the carriage and watched as the prince and his entourage left.

"Prince Gaius doesn't seem to be a bad person, but he might be a bit spoiled to those he trusts."

The stress of human relationships in the castle might be causing this reaction. As he analyzed the prince's personality, he started walking toward the commercial district.

The commercial district of Yaro had many shops dealing with products from the magic realm, and it seemed that he could find a purple tree fruit crystal as Bernardo had said.

He bought the purple tree fruit crystal from a shop called Ruruga, which dealt with various materials from the magic realm. There were only ten in stock, so he bought them all. The cost was about ten gold coins.

He found a suitable inn, paid for one night's stay, and entered a room on the second floor. The room, about six tatami mats in size, had a bed, a small table and chair, and a small closet.

From the window, he could see people walking on the street.

After placing his luggage and lying down on the bed, he took a short nap. He seemed to be tired from the conversation with the prince. After about two hours, he woke up to a red sky as the sunset was about to sink into the western forest.

Feeling hungry, he ordered dinner at the restaurant on the first floor. The specialty of the house was spicy grilled giant lizard, which was seasoned with a spicy spice from the magic realm and grilled over charcoal. It was a delicious dish.

After finishing his meal and returning to his room, he laid out the purple tree fruit crystals he had bought on the table.

He picked up the one on the left, peered inside, and focused his concentration. Once he felt prepared, he started to process the purple tree fruit crystal by controlling his magic.

He compressed his magic into a needle and inserted it into the center of the purple tree fruit crystal. The resistance he felt indicated that it was a dud. Even when he carefully sent magic, it went wild inside the crystal, and white streaks appeared.

The second and third attempts were also duds, but the fourth one finally went smoothly. The process of channeling magic went well, and the storage amethyst was completed. The fifth one was also a success, and another storage amethyst was made.

With the two storage amethysts he needed completed, he decided to use the remaining five for experiments. Ricardo had learned factor letters from Emilia and wanted to try carving them into the purple tree fruit crystal.

Among the factor letters Ricardo had learned, there were some related to light control. The circuit he was trying to carve would emit light similar to a candle.

He tried to channel magic into the purple tree fruit crystal and carve the factor letters. The anomalous point in the center affected the magic, causing it to go wild and creating numerous white streaks.

"It's no good. This one must be a dud."

The next purple tree fruit crystal was a success. The magic flowed smoothly. However, when he tried to control the magic to flow in a direction other than the center, the magic was pulled by the anomalous point and directed toward the center.

He tried to control the magic and carve the factor letters, but it didn't work. In the end, he had to channel the magic into the anomalous point in the center, creating a black point that grew into a pocket dimension.

He stopped expanding the pocket dimension when it felt stable and cut off the magic. The storage amethyst had a capacity similar to a medium-sized duffel bag, and the area around the pocket dimension was not marred by white streaks, making it suitable for carving factor letters.

"Wait a moment. Since it's already a storage amethyst..."

He changed the factor letters he was trying to carve to ones related to heat control. The unit of temperature in factor letters seemed to be absolute temperature. By coincidence, one degree was almost the same as the unit used on Earth, with the freezing point of pure water being 273 degrees, which is 0°C in Celsius.

He tried to carve the factor letters to maintain the temperature of the storage amethyst between 276 and 279 degrees, which is 3 to 6°C in Celsius, similar to the temperature of a refrigerator.

He took a copper coin and put it into the temperature-regulating storage amethyst. After about five minutes, he took out the copper coin, which felt cold.

"Did it work... It's hard to tell with a copper coin."

The ambient temperature was low, so it was unclear if the copper coin had become cold on its own.

He went downstairs and got a cup of hot water. He poured the hot water into the newly made storage amethyst. When he touched the storage amethyst, it didn't feel like it was releasing heat.

After five minutes, he took out the cup of water, which had turned cold. He couldn't help but smile and make a fist in triumph.

After enjoying the moment, he calmed down and noticed something.

"It worked, but where did the heat energy from the hot water go... Was it released into another space?"

There were many unknowns about the pocket dimension and factor letters in the storage amethyst, so he ended the experiment without knowing where the heat energy had gone.

The remaining purple tree fruit crystals were all duds, leaving him with three storage