Chapter 26

Duke's Magic Genius - Chapter 26 (26/324)

26

As I gazed at the three artifacts, my Insight Eye activated. The first thing I checked was the ancient, dark-colored sword.

"Hmm."

The Sword of the Bull.

This was an artifact that could be quite useful in the early stages. Not only did it have extremely high durability, but the constant effect, the Power of the Bull, was also a very good special effect.

It was an effect that could be applied just by picking up the sword, with no cost at all.

Seeing the bull's engraving on the blade, a smile naturally formed on my face.

'This would be perfect for Leonhardt.'

Leonhardt already had a pretty good sword, but it wasn't an artifact. If it were an artifact, my Insight Eye would have analyzed it automatically.

The Sword of the Bull would be very useful. After inspecting the sword, I checked the information on the other two items.

The other two items were also artifacts that didn't fall short of the Sword of the Bull.

'Not bad results.'

It was as if they had been arranged just for me, providing exactly what I needed. Holding the sword, I looked at the guard.

"Use this."

Handing over the Sword of the Bull, a glint appeared in Leonhardt's eyes. Given his long experience with swords, he seemed to recognize it as a valuable item at first glance.

"That's a very impressive sword... Is it alright?"

"You need to get stronger to protect me well, don't you? Besides, you made a significant contribution in capturing the Minotaur, so you deserve it."

"Thank you."

Without his efforts, we wouldn't have been able to capture the Minotaur.

'He was indeed impressive.'

Seeing this, the knight seemed a bit moved.

Unfortunately, I had already chosen to become a mage.

Auras, mana, elemental power, divine power, and so on.

These individual energies could typically only be accepted in one type by the body.

That's why there were no magicians on the continent.

Such content could only be found in historical books describing a very distant past.

'Well, my current abilities are enough.'

I had no regrets, as I was in a hurry to learn magic.

After handing over the sword, I gave Ersiel the necklace from Lewel.

"From the looks of it, this necklace can store the power of nature, so it should be helpful."

After giving a brief explanation about the artifact, she began to fidget with her hands.

"Then, should the young master use it..."

"I have my staff. Besides, you contributed a lot during the dungeon exploration. So, take it. It's heavy."

"...Thank you."

With that, the distribution of the necklace was complete.

She could store elemental power in the necklace and use it in critical moments, effectively creating a savings account for her.

Naturally, the remaining staff came into my hands.

'If it can store up to three spells...'

The characteristic attached to my body weakened, and the speed of mana movement increased, but it was different from the Memorize spell stored in the staff.

The latter had almost no activation delay and allowed the use of magic without consuming mana.

If I stored good spells, they could be very helpful in critical moments.

Power enhancement through artifacts.

Having achieved this goal, it was time to move toward our destination.

Exiting the dungeon was not difficult.

A portal to leave the place was activated behind where the rewards were placed.

This was quite convenient.

Riding the portal, the flower field we saw earlier reappeared.

The carriage we had hidden in a secluded spot was still intact, except for a bit of dust.

After boarding the carriage, I set the route to our destination, Enphelium.

Soon, the magic engine started.

* * * * *

Two days of traveling through the plains.

Finally, Enphelium came into view.

Perhaps because it was one of the most prosperous territories in the eastern region, the outer walls of Enphelium looked quite impressive. Of course, compared to the duke's family, it still looked a bit shabby.

'Well, even that is a well-off neighborhood.'

The duke's family was just too powerful.

As the magic carriage approached the city gate, the voices of the knights could be heard.

"There will be a brief inspection. Could you please show your identification?"

The magic carriage.

Being an extremely expensive means of transportation, the knights conducting the inspection were quite polite.

Why, don't they say that possessions make a person?

Here, the magic carriage was creating that impression.

I showed the golden badge with the eagle, the symbol of the Celterion Duke's family. Seeing the badge, the knights' expressions became even more respectful.

"...You are Kyle Celterion, the 4th son of the Celterion Duke. Your identity has been confirmed."

The inspection process was extremely swift.

Slowly driving the carriage through the main road, we approached the inner walls of Enphelium.

The knights stopped the carriage at the inner walls.

"Do you have any business here?"

"I've come to meet Baron Frantel."

"Did you make an appointment in advance?"

Of course, before leaving, I had already set up an appointment using the crystal ball.

Meeting a high-ranking noble like a baron without prior arrangements would be quite impolite.

After showing the identity badge, I answered the knight.

"Say, you know Kyle Celterion, right?"

"Ah... Yes, I understand."

The knight nodded as if he understood immediately.

"Oh, by the way, can you store this magic carriage for me?"

"Yes, of course. We'll store it at the magic charging station. Please follow me."

Thus, my party and I followed the knight into the inner walls.

The inner walls had a rather ancient appearance. From the artworks hanging on the walls to various antiques, it was clear they were displaying their wealth.

Given that Baron Frantel was one of the most prominent nobles in the vast empire, this was to be expected.

'I need to buy as much as possible.'

Over the past ten years, while not a bumper crop, the production of grains was decent.

Therefore, the price of grains was not very high.

It was slightly below the average market price. There must be a huge stockpile of grains in the baron's territory.

Thinking about this, a smile naturally formed on my face.

The baron couldn't know about the impending famine, so it was safe to assume I had the upper hand in this negotiation.

This is why information is crucial.

Without it, you can't respond even if you're being taken advantage of.

After a brief wait while drinking tea, a knight approached.

"The baron is ready."

Nodding, I looked at my party behind me.

"Take a break. I'll be back after a short conversation."

There was no need to bring my guard, let alone my personal maid, since we weren't dealing with an enemy.

Thus, I arrived at the baron's office with the knight.

"Kyle Celterion. Baron, may I enter?"

"Of course. Come in."

Opening the door, I saw the baron.

"Hehe, welcome. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Baron Frantel was a rather plump and kind-looking person. Given that he was more talented in business than martial arts, this was understandable.

"No, not at all. The tea you provided was so good that I didn't even notice the time passing."

"Is the duke still in good health?"

"My father is always the same. He asked me to convey his regards to you."

"Is that so? That's very kind of him. It's been a long time. The last time I saw you was... almost five years ago, I think."

The baron, who had been examining my face, began to smile.

"I never imagined you would grow so mature. Indeed, men change as they age."

"Haha, thank you."

"Yes. I've heard a lot about you from afar. You overcame Hermem, didn't you?"

"I haven't completely overcome it yet. I'm making gradual progress."

"Isn't that something? Just overcoming that incurable disease shows you have great potential. You're twelve now, right?"

"Yes."

"Yet, you look so mature... I can hardly believe this is the 4th son I knew."

"You're flattering me, Baron. Thank you."

"Not at all. I mean it. Seeing you, I feel the future of the duke's family is very bright."

Indeed.

Naturally, I will have a bright future.

Given that this place is my background, I plan to help the family grow rapidly.

Life is about mutual support, after all.

The introduction was brief.

After sipping his tea, the baron began to ask questions.

"So, what brings you here? I was quite surprised when I received your first contact. I wondered what could bring you here."

"I was about to get to the point. I want to buy some grains."

"...Grains?"

"Yes, that's right."

At this, Baron Frantel's expression changed immediately.

It was as if he had transformed from a kind old man into a seasoned merchant.

'As expected.'

Given that he managed a large and fertile territory, he was certainly not an easy person to deal with.

"Hehe... Grains. I thought the Trasden territory was also quite fertile. Do you have a specific need for grains? You regularly import them, don't you...?"

Why are you trying to strip me of my resources?

"It's due to my personal curiosity. I want to research a certain magic."

I had no intention of revealing the impending famine, so it was best to give a plausible excuse.

Magic research was a good excuse.

Research often required all sorts of materials.

Monster corpses were a given, and even gems and gold coins were frequently used as experimental materials. So, using grains as materials would not seem out of place.

The baron's eyes lit up at my words.

"...Magic?"

"Yes. I hope you understand that I can't reveal more details."

"Ah, of course. I'm not so presumptuous as to pry into a mage's research. Hmm. So, how much grain do you want to buy?"

"Right now, I want to buy about five platinum worth of wheat. I plan to continue buying more in the future."

Wheat.

A representative grain that grew and was harvested in large quantities in this world.

Naturally, wheat was the first thing I needed to secure. Rice was not produced in large quantities.

"How much do you plan to buy in the future?"

"I'm not sure. But it will definitely be much more than what I'm buying now. I plan to keep trying until my research is successful."

In the future, I planned to persuade Abel to buy wheat in large quantities, so it would definitely be more.

My confident words made the baron's eyes sparkle.

"Perhaps... your family is supporting your research?"

"Yes. To be honest, that's the case. That's why I mentioned I plan to buy more in the future."

"Of course. Otherwise, you wouldn't make such a proposal. Hehe... Good results, I see. Wheat, huh..."

Baron Frantel fell silent for a moment.

He seemed to be considering whether to sell or not.

'Well, he won't refuse.'

The stock of grains in the warehouses, accumulated over ten years of steady production, could be cleared out, and it would be a great opportunity to add a very good regular customer, the Celterion Duke's family.

Most importantly, the baron had no idea about the impending famine.

He would sell.

As I leisurely sipped my tea, the baron, seemingly having made a decision, spoke.

"Is that so? Then, for your sake, I'll supply it at a lower price. 9 silver per sack of wheat. Isn't that a very reasonable price?"

What is this old man up to?

9 silver is not a low price, but there is room for negotiation. If buying in bulk, I could probably get at least 2 silver off.

Looking at the baron, I responded.

"I see. 9 silver... It's a bit more expensive than what I expected."

"..."

At that moment, the baron stared at me intently.

I did the same, meeting his gaze without flinching.

The real negotiation was about to begin.