Chapter 65

Shortly after the time Tania reported to Isarco, when Ricardo entered the reception hall of the Magicians' Guild and was about to go inside, he was stopped by the receptionist, Lilianna.

"Good morning, Ricardo, please go to Director Isarco's office."

"Good morning. Is something the matter?"

"I'm not quite sure, but he said he needs you."

Ricardo headed to Isarco's office. When he entered, he saw Tania and greeted the two of them.

"I heard you needed me for something."

Isarco started with a troubled look.

"Last night, it seems someone broke into Tania's laboratory."

Ricardo was surprised.

"Was anything stolen? Perhaps your thesis?"

Tania shook her head.

"The thesis was safe in Director Isarco's safe. However, the summary of the research we discussed yesterday was stolen."

Isarco sighed.

"I called you because this was found in Tania's room."

Isarco showed Ricardo a note with a message written to him.

"Why would something like this... I had thrown it in a drawer."

Isarco hesitated.

"Just to be safe, did you go to Tania's room yesterday?"

Ricardo, realizing the note was being considered evidence of a crime, strongly denied it.

"I didn't go. ...Are you suspecting me? The content of what was stolen is something I already know. I have no reason to steal it."

Isarco and Tania nodded.

"That's true. If that's the case, the thief must have broken into Ricardo's room before entering Tania's."

Ricardo's eyes widened as he tried to recall if there was anything in his room that could have been stolen.

"There's nothing in my room that could be stolen. Important things are stored in a storage amethyst."

Tania looked enviously at this.

The three of them went to Ricardo's room and examined it.

"There are signs that things on the desk and in the drawers were tampered with. The changes are so subtle that you might not notice them if you weren't paying attention."

Ricardo examined the dust marks on the desk and informed Isarco and Tania.

"To open the safe in the research room without breaking it, the thief must have had considerable skill. ...Or perhaps they used the spare key managed by Deputy Director Sauro."

"Please wait here."

Isarco was about to leave the room when Tania asked,

"Director Isarco, where are you going?"

"To check if Deputy Director Sauro's spare key is missing."

After Isarco left,

"What do you think, Tania?"

"I understand why they wanted the research, but why steal the materials?"

"What do you mean?"

"They could have copied the information onto another piece of paper. That way, we might not have noticed it was stolen."

Ricardo understood what Tania meant. A researcher would take time to complete a proper thesis. If the thief submitted a hastily written thesis, they could claim the discovery.

The winner is determined by who submits first, regardless of the quality.

"This time, it seems they set this up to frame me."

"Otherwise, there's no way that note would have been in my room."

Ricardo thought to himself.

...Who would do such a thing? Is there someone who hates me nearby? Maybe someone who wants to get me out of the Magicians' Guild... Massimo... He must want to get rid of me.

"Maybe it was Massimo."

Tania looked slightly surprised.

"Massimo is your cousin, right?"

"Yes, but we're not close."

"I see. I heard Massimo isn't a good person."

Isarco returned.

"Something seems suspicious. It looks like Deputy Director Sauro is involved."

When Isarco met with Deputy Director Sauro and checked if the spare key was missing, he noticed a slight look of panic on Sauro's face.

Ricardo told Isarco about Massimo.

"Deputy Director Sauro and Massimo are part of the Elder Faction."

"Is the Elder Faction planning something?"

Ricardo and Tania tilted their heads in thought.

Isarco also seemed unsure.

"Let's keep an eye on things. They might slip up."

Meanwhile, Stelvio and Massimo were called to Deputy Director Sauro's office.

"It was you two. You took the spare key and stole Tania's research materials."

Deputy Director Sauro, with a stern look, questioned Stelvio and Massimo, who shrank back.

"Massimo said he wanted to cause Ricardo some trouble."

Stelvio tried to shift the blame to Massimo. Deputy Director Sauro glared at Massimo.

"Are you an idiot? Thanks to you, I'm being suspected by Isarco."

"But you told us to investigate Tania and Ricardo."

"I told you to investigate what they were doing, not to steal from them."

Sauro regretted assigning the task to Massimo after hearing that Massimo was Ricardo's cousin.

Recently, Isarco's activities had become more prominent, and Sauro sensed something was happening. He ordered an investigation into Isarco's associates, especially Ricardo, who joined the Magicians' Guild around the same time Isarco's activities increased.

"Did you find anything?"

Massimo handed over Tania's research materials to Deputy Director Sauro.

"Hmm, research on reproducing the 'Heavy Wind Hammer' spell using factor letters. They're trying to incorporate it into a magic cannon."

The 'Heavy Wind Hammer' is a spell where a compressed air mass falls from above onto the enemy. Tania's research aimed to fire the compressed air mass horizontally to blow the enemy away.

"I see. If this is completed, it will give magicians an advantage in battle."

Magicians are said to be at a disadvantage in close combat. By firing a magic cannon that mimics the 'Heavy Wind Hammer' at approaching enemies and then attacking with magic, the chances of victory would increase, Sauro thought.

Sauro, unaware that he was muttering his thoughts aloud, was praised by his son, Stelvio.

"Amazing."

Sauro's face twisted in frustration.

"Fool. Instead of relying on a magic cannon, focus on improving your own magical skills."

In the Elder Faction, the consensus was that magic cannons were unnecessary.

Sauro briefly considered having someone from the Elder Faction write a thesis based on the research materials but realized that would be like admitting the Elder Faction was behind the theft.

He also predicted that Tania would rush to complete and submit her thesis once she learned of the theft.

Sauro sighed and told Massimo,

"Continue investigating what Ricardo is doing."

He then dismissed Massimo from the room.

"Stelvio, if Massimo makes another mistake, I'll cut him loose. Understand?"

Stelvio, pale-faced, nodded at his father's cold voice.

From that day on, Massimo occasionally followed Ricardo. The plump Massimo was quite noticeable, and his tailing was quickly discovered.

When Ricardo noticed, he consulted with Isarco.

"It doesn't seem like Massimo is doing this on his own. It might be faster to catch him and make him confess."

Ricardo and Isarco discussed the plan, and Ricardo headed to Emilia's workshop.

As expected, Massimo followed.

"Where is Ricardo going?"

While wondering why he had to do this, Massimo continued to follow until he was grabbed by the shoulder.

Surprised, he turned around to see Isarco with a predatory look.

Massimo was taken to the underground firing range of Emilia's workshop and was forced to confess everything to Isarco.

Massimo looked at Ricardo with a pleading look.

"We're cousins. Please help me. I only did what Deputy Director Sauro told me to do."

Ricardo glared at Massimo.

"Did Deputy Director Sauro tell you to leave a note and frame me for the theft?"

Massimo hesitated and didn't say yes.

"You're guilty. Accept your punishment."

Massimo, pale-faced, clutched his head.

Isarco took Massimo back to the Magicians' Guild and reported to the Chief Director, Jesualdo.

The Chief Director, upon hearing the report, decided to expel Stelvio and Massimo from the Magicians' Guild and transfer Deputy Director Sauro to a less important position.

Sauro regretted not dismissing Massimo after the first failure.

Years later, Ricardo learned that Massimo, who had returned to his hometown, died during a mission to hunt a demonic tree ordered by the lord. Ricardo, who had almost forgotten about Massimo, only thought, "So that's what happened."

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Bernardo, after consulting with Isarco and others about coal mining, gathered craftsmen to make supports and towers. He then went to the weapon smith and ordered ballistae.

"Sir, we have ballistae for sieges and for magical beasts. Which one do you want?"

Bernardo, after hearing the explanation, learned that the siege ballistae were quite large.

"Please give me the ones for magical beasts."

Afterward, he gathered the coal miners.

He asked the coal miners to make sandbags and store them in multiple storage amethysts he received from Igor.

Bernardo steadily prepared and finished everything two weeks after Igor's request.

He hired two former soldiers with experience handling ballistae in the Yorgul territory.

Bernardo, Ricardo, Tania, and Patrick would accompany the mining team.

Ricardo wanted to see the Parente Plateau in the Mil territory, where it was said that magical beasts from the magic realm had settled. Tania and Patrick seemed to be doing it for extra money.

Bernardo, who wanted to increase the number of magicians, had invited them.

"I want a storage amethyst too."

"Me too."

Tania, remembering something, laughed.

"By the way, Lady Greta said she wanted to come, which was a problem."

She apparently wanted to go with Ricardo, but her father, Duke Boniperti, stopped her.

Ricardo also wanted to go, but he politely declined. In return, he promised to bring back a souvenir.

Since they were going to a coal field, they decided to do some shopping in the Yorgul territory on the way.

They traveled to the Parente Plateau in the Mil territory in a carriage from the Milan financial group.

They stayed overnight in Yaro, the capital of the Yorgul territory, and went to look for purple jade tree fruit crystals before the shops closed.

Bernardo always looked for purple jade tree fruit crystals when he came to Yaro.

He found only five purple jade tree fruit crystals but was lucky to find two green jade tree fruit crystals for sale.

"Two green jade tree fruit crystals, please."

The toad-faced shop owner was surprised, as were Tania and Patrick.

"Young magician, you don't know the price of green jade tree fruit crystals, do you?"

"I know the approximate price."

"I apologize."

The shop owner quoted a price 30% higher than the market rate.

Ricardo, thinking to himself, started negotiating.

They settled on a price close to the market rate. Still, it was a price that could buy a mansion, so Tania and Patrick were somewhat taken aback.

"Can Ricardo process green jade tree fruit crystals?"

Tania, holding the two green jade tree fruit crystals, asked.

"Of course. The magical manipulation of green jade tree fruit crystals is easier than purple ones."

"Really, that's interesting."

Afterward, they looked for a souvenir for Greta and chose a bracelet with a gem from the magic realm.

Back at the inn, Ricardo rested.

The next day, they left Yaro and headed west through the grasslands to the only tunnel connecting the Mil and Yorgul territories.

"Once we pass through here, we'll be in the Mil territory."

Bernardo called out to Ricardo.

Between the Mil and Yorgul territories stood the rocky mountain called Shezel, separating the two territories.

They entered the tunnel in their carriage. The tunnel was large enough for two carriages to pass side by side.

The tunnel was guarded by soldiers from the Magic Realm Gate Guard, who were ready to close the thick steel doors if anything happened.

After passing through the tunnel, they found a group of Ulfar waiting.

The horses pulling the carriage started to panic.

"Ulfar."

Ulfar are magical beasts with a wolf's head on a large ape's body.

The hired magical beast hunters spread out to protect the carriages. Ricardo gave Tania a fire magic color gun and Patrick a wind magic color gun.

"These are new magic guns. Please tell me about their usability and any observations you have later."

The two held the magic guns carefully and stepped out of the carriage.

There were about twenty Ulfar, and the magical beast hunters were fighting as a shield.

However, there were more Ulfar than magical beast hunters, and some Ulfar slipped past the shield and approached.

Ricardo aimed the earth magic color gun at the Ulfar and fired.

With a whirring sound, the Ulfar's eye was crushed, and it fell, bleeding.

Next, Tania pulled the trigger of the fire magic color gun. The shockwave hit the Ulfar's belly, burning its fur and damaging its internal organs.

The shockwave from Patrick's wind magic color gun finished off the Ulfar, which was writhing on the ground.

Seeing the magic guns in Patrick's and Tania's hands,

"Everyone will want these."

"Against fast-moving magical beasts, these weapons are more effective than magic."

By the time Ricardo and the others had each taken down two Ulfar, the battle was over. The Ulfar group was wiped out, and the magical beast hunters skillfully removed their fangs and fur.

They were attacked by Ulfar groups twice and by tusker pigs three times before reaching the Parente coal field. Most of these attacks were repelled by the magical beast hunters, but Ricardo and the others took down a few Ulfar and one tusker pig.

Upon arriving at the Parente coal field, the group started building a fort at the site of the previous mining.

Bernardo took out the materials for the supports and towers from the storage amethyst and laid them on the ground.

Ricardo used a specially prepared 'Mud Bind' spell to create a mud pit about 50 cm in diameter and 150 cm deep.

The coal miners inserted the supports into the mud pit.

The most time-consuming part of building the fort was driving the supports into the ground, so Ricardo came up with the idea of using 'Mud Bind' to sink the supports and save time.

After the supports were in place, boards were placed between them and nailed down to form walls. Then, sandbags were stacked to complete the defensive walls.

The next day, the towers were completed, and the ballistae were installed, completing the fort.

Ricardo, having experienced camping during this trip, decided to create something like a trailer house, which he had been thinking about for a while. He had always wanted a safe place to rest in the outdoors, and after camping again, he reconsidered.

The ground was hard, and insects flew around when he tried to sleep, making it quite uncomfortable for those not used to camping.

Of course, the size would be small enough to fit in a storage amethyst, but it would be much better than a tent.

When he consulted with Bernardo,

"That's a good idea. Camping is tough at my age."

Ricardo thought he would draw up plans and place an order when he returned to the capital.

2017/12/24 Revised

2018/2/3 Revised