Chapter 82

In the suddenly busy guild, Rio and his companions, who were unfamiliar with the area, were ordered to wait as they would only be a hindrance. There was also the situation that if Rio and the others were to walk around carelessly, they might cause further confusion due to being targeted by the White Masks.

"If the White Masks move, the Horned Raptor Family, who are in the midst of a conflict, will also move. If a conflict between the two factions were to break out during a battle with the Night Stalker, it would be impossible to handle. So, you two should stay here and read some maps in the archive room."

Thus, Rio and Shiraha were gently ushered out by Miuze and entered the archive room on the second floor of the guild. Shiraha, who seemed to be heading towards the window, coughed from the dust that rose when the door was opened, as the room was not used often.

"Wait. You can't go near the window."

Placing a hand on Shiraha's shoulder to stop her, Rio covered his mouth with a handkerchief.

"This should make it a bit better, so just bear with it."

"...Understood."

Though she looked displeased, Shiraha obediently took out her own handkerchief. Rio looked around the bookshelves.

"I was planning to research the magic orbs here, so let's make good use of this opportunity."

Sunank Mayu is a border town, but until seventy years ago, it was also a border town adjacent to the small country of Shubet. After Shubet was destroyed, Sunank Mayu, which bordered the territory of the evil god Kazha, the cause of its destruction, began to see a large number of evil beasts and evil spirits, and the records of their extermination are vast.

Flipping through the extermination records, Rio pulled out the records from seventy years ago. Whether due to the influence of the evil god Kazha or because their territory was threatened by other evil beasts and evil spirits, sightings and extermination information of unknown beasts began to increase from seventy years ago. With the help of refugees from Shubet, the names and ecology of these unknown beasts were sometimes identified, but many remained unknown.

From the records, it seems that the adventurers of Sunank Mayu, in collaboration with the guard force, also included maintaining public order as part of their job, and when they went hunting outside the town, they did not venture into the former territory of Shubet. As a result, the search for the territories of unknown beasts was sloppy, and this may be why magic orbs were only brought to the adventurer's guild a few times.

"There are records of things that look like magic orbs being found, but..."

Rio was puzzled as he looked at the records. The oldest recorded sighting of a magic orb that could be confirmed was a hundred years ago. At that time, it was thought to be a solidified secretion from an unknown animal, and the records state that it was discarded. In the hundred years since, there have been five other instances of things that looked like magic orbs being found. Three were lost due to poor management, one was discarded, and the most recent one was sold to a collector.

"The records are too incomplete to definitively say they are magic orbs."

There are descriptions of the appearance of things that look like magic orbs, but there is no detailed investigation. There are also no records of the magic arrays inside the magic orbs. However, based on circumstantial evidence alone, it seems likely. Clearly, there is a deep connection between magic orbs and unknown animals. Shiraha peered over Rio's shoulder at the records he was reading.

"Is that collector Churas?"

"No, it seems to be someone named Nialmo. He doesn't live in this town, but in a nearby one."

"Should we go meet him?"

"If Churas was investigating the magic orb, it's possible that this Nialmo has also been in contact. Let's go meet him."

They should be able to learn about the circumstances at the time and which animal's territory it was found in. Believing it would not be a wasted trip, Rio closed the records. There were no other promising records, so Rio looked at the bookshelves and picked up a book that caught his eye. Shiraha, who was getting bored due to the lack of progress, came over to Rio and peered at the book.

"A list of divine and evil artifacts?"

"Sounds interesting, right?"

Though he said it lightly, Rio was serious. There were rumors that the Horned Raptor Family, who were in conflict with the White Masks in this town, possessed many divine and evil artifacts. Considering the possibility of being caught up in the conflict while being targeted by the White Masks, Rio wanted to gather knowledge about divine and evil artifacts.

"It's old. It smells musty."

Shiraha wrinkled her nose. Indeed, it looked older than the other records and books. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was just worn out from being read many times. Many adventurers before Rio and Shiraha must have read this book with the same idea. To check the accuracy of the records, Rio opened the entry for the divine sword Nura, a family treasure of the Rosiz Viscount's family, which he knew.

"Divine Sword Nura, a ceremonial sword made of crystal. The hilt is inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Its ability is to project scenes the user has seen in the past around them. The image becomes blurrier the farther it is from the user, so the user's eyesight is an important factor. Activation condition: the sword must be worn unsheathed. It is a family treasure of the Rosiz Viscount's family. Its origin is—"

The details were more extensive than expected, and Rio couldn't help but look at the author's name. This book, written about forty years ago, had the author's name and the name of the copyist. Neither name was familiar. Even Rio, who had seen it up close and witnessed its activation, did not know the activation condition. This record was promising, so Rio started flipping through the book from the beginning.

The evil sword Lamerth, which generates sound from the point of a cut, the evil artifact Valshe, which makes people believe lies, the sister sword of the evil sword, Gazara Flanu, which leaves a slash in space, the divine spear Karlza, which can erase and read memories, the divine mirror Rippeli, whose effect is unknown, the divine artifact Moawa, which can interfere from a distance once touched, and the divine collar Eretti, which has a powerful calming effect—

The amount of information was so thorough that it even inspired respect. While many had unknown effects or activation conditions, the appearance of each was always described. The book was likely placed in the guild's archive room to warn people to be cautious. Among the vast number of divine and evil artifacts, two caught Rio's attention.

One was the evil artifact Bündid. It is a large cloth embroidered with the death of a man riddled with holes, which inhibits the magic circulation of all people around the deceased when the deceased's blood is used as a medium. It prevents the activation of magic or physical enhancements, and attempting to activate them forcibly causes intense pain. In severe cases, it can lead to unconsciousness and multiple organ failure, resulting in death.

"Maybe the White Masks were washing away the blood because of this."

"The guild members mentioned it too."

"The Horned Raptor Family has this."

It might be possible to defend against it with protective magic, but it's not reliable. After all, once activated, it almost completely incapacitates the target, making it a vicious effect. On the other hand, it's not practical in battle. If a battle results in deaths, it would be a mutual loss unless the entire army is wiped out.

Flipping through the pages, Shiraha pointed to a page.

"This is what the deputy branch manager mentioned."

"The divine sword Obophus?"

It is one of the divine swords that existed in Shubet. A single-edged straight sword with a slightly short blade but an unusually large sheath. Known as the "ornamental sword" due to its distinctive appearance, it is a famous divine artifact. Its effect is the ability to pass through any object, allowing the wielder to slip through enemy attacks and counterattack.

It was passed down from generation to generation by the commanders of Shubet's royal guard, but its whereabouts after Shubet's destruction are unknown. Due to its powerful effect, the activation conditions were kept secret. The book suggests that the unusually large sheath is likely related to the activation condition.

"I can understand why the branch manager would die if an organization with such a thing is in conflict."

Rio sighed, realizing once again what a dangerous town they had come to.