Chapter 19
It is generally known that mages classify their level of circles by the number of mana rings surrounding the heart. Two rings mean a 2nd Circle, three rings a 3rd Circle, and so on.
However, dragons are born having already mastered the pinnacle of magic—the 9th Circle. For them, distinctions such as 1st Circle or 2nd Circle are unnecessary from the very beginning.
Moreover, besides their biological heart, dragons are born with another heart known as a Dragon Heart. Through this, they manifest their own unique draconic language magic.
Rian, too, was different from ordinary mages. Instead of mana rings, he possessed a Mana Heart. Because of this, his level could not be measured by the number of rings.
If one had to categorize it, the Blink spell he had just newly mastered was at the level of a 3rd Circle spell. It was the highest-tier magic Rian could currently use, so considering that, one might call him a 3rd Circle mage.
Rian briefly took his eyes off the book and raised his head toward the display case. Assuming his level was around the 3rd Circle, there was not a single artifact there that he could identify.
That meant one of two things: either magic beyond his level was imbued in them, or they were merely simple accessories.
“No.”
Rian firmly denied the latter thought. Hadn’t Seyfried said they were gifts? They surely had powerful magic imbued in them. Rian was confident of that.
For a while, Rian immersed himself in reading. The book introduced famous artifacts, occasionally accompanied by illustrations.
“Huh? A Spring Afternoon?”
When the name of the gem he had seen in the display case appeared, Rian sprang up from his seat. A Spring Afternoon was a flamboyant ring set with a finely cut yellow topaz.
The book described in great detail the ring’s name, its crafting technique, and the metal used as its base.
The magic imbued in the ring was called Vital Mana—a type of healing magic that used mana to invigorate the body.
According to the book, mana flowed out from the ring and revitalized the wearer’s physical strength.
It was said to be a creation personally crafted with great care by Duke Moaenic, a former 7th Circle archmage, for his frail wife.
“A Spring Afternoon…”
With curious eyes, Rian slipped the ring onto his finger. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but a refreshing sensation flowed from the ring. That feeling quickly spread throughout his entire body, as if it were contagious.
Vital Mana was not a high-tier spell, but even among mages, those capable of using healing magic were rare. The reason was that healing magic required a large amount of mana for relatively minor effects.
Using the same amount of mana, one could cast a healing spell only once, whereas other spells could be cast two, three, or even four times. Naturally, few mages chose to train in healing magic.
In that sense, A Spring Afternoon was quite useful. Without any special supply source, it continuously invigorated the body—how could that not be excellent?
Like Duke Moaenic’s wife, A Spring Afternoon was an essential artifact for those with weak constitutions.
Rian spread the book open on the floor in front of the display case and plopped down. Since he lacked the ability to distinguish them himself, he decided to look them up in the book, just as before.
After carefully examining the ten gemstones displayed in the case, Rian immersed himself in reading once more.
How much time passed like that?
“Found it!”
Only near the end of the book did another familiar name appear. With an excited expression, Rian read aloud.
“Shadow’s Dance, a masterpiece by the Red Dragon Veristein. Contrary to a dragon’s fondness for flamboyance, this necklace is almost austere in its simplicity. Yet the moment one learns the true nature of the gem set at the center of the medal, all will hold their breath. It is none other than a crimson Red Diamond, said to exist in only a handful of pieces in the world. Shadow’s Dance, into which Veristein poured his heart and soul before his death, can be counted among the greatest artifacts revered by mages. The moment you hang Shadow’s Dance, imbued with concealment magic, around your neck, no one in the world will be able to find you.”
Calling it the highest praise among everything he had read so far would not be an exaggeration.
‘Was concealment magic really that incredible?’
Tilting his head, Rian stood up and carefully took out Shadow’s Dance.
It had a chain that looked as if several thin gold threads were woven together, with a round gold plate hanging from it. On that plate was set a diamond-shaped Red Diamond.
Hearing “Red Diamond,” Rian had naturally imagined a bright red color. But upon seeing it, it was almost black.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say it had a dark, blood-red hue.
Looking closely, he could clearly see a reddish tint, but to Rian, it appeared nearly black.
“It really is simple.”
As the book described, Shadow’s Dance had an excessively simple design compared to other artifacts. Aside from the Red Diamond, there was nothing particularly distinctive about it.
Still, that alone was enough to call it extraordinary.
Diamonds were considered the finest among gemstones, and among them, Red Diamonds were not only the most expensive but also so rare that they were said to be unobtainable no matter how much money one had.
With such a precious gem attached, perhaps no attention was paid to the design.
“Concealment magic, huh.”
Though the design felt a bit feminine for a man to wear, Rian couldn’t resist his curiosity and put the necklace around his neck. Then he went in front of the large mirror beside the display case and, just as the book instructed, turned the Red Diamond to the left.
Click.
With a light sound, the Red Diamond turned smoothly. And then something astonishing happened.
A vivid red light flashed from the diamond, and soon a red mist seeped out, slowly enveloping Rian’s entire body.
The moment he was surrounded by the red mist from head to toe, Rian’s body gradually faded. Just like a drawing being completely erased from paper, his body vanished without a trace.
Rian could clearly see himself, yet the mirror reflected nothing at all. He could even see the background behind him through the mirror.
So it really was concealment magic—and it worked. After looking around, Rian stepped without hesitation onto the book spread out on the floor.
The book had clearly stated that no one in the world would be able to find you. Rian wanted to test the limits of those words.
If footprints were left when walking on rain- or snow-covered ground, someone might discover him. In that case, it would not be true concealment but merely a simple invisibility spell, or so Rian thought.
But his concern proved unfounded. The term “concealment,” not “invisibility,” was indeed accurate. The book Rian had stepped on was perfectly clean, as if nothing had happened. There were no wrinkles or marks at all.
Still cautious, Rian climbed onto the sofa next. Despite his weight, the sofa, which should have sunk down, remained completely normal.
Was some kind of weight-reduction magic applied as well?
Filled with curiosity, Rian picked up the book again and reread it, searching for any explanation he might have missed.
But there was no further detail. The book itself was meant to describe methods of identifying artifacts, so explanations like this were more like appendices.
Rian considered taking out another book, but seeing that only a few pages remained, he simply turned the page. Since it had come to this, he would have to read them all one by one.
“Hm?”
Contrary to his expectation that he would need to search much longer, another familiar illustration appeared on the very next page.
The author mentioned that there was one more known artifact made by dragons and proceeded to introduce it.
Almost passing it by absentmindedly, Rian picked up the book and brought it in front of the display case to compare.
“Breath of the Earth…”
If it hadn’t been wrapped around an arm-shaped stand, he might have puzzled over what it was for quite a while. Resembling a small snake, Breath of the Earth was a bracelet made of gold and amber.
Rian carefully unwound the bracelet and held it up to his left wrist. Then, with a soft swish, as if it were alive, the bracelet wrapped itself around his arm.
Neither tight nor loose, it fit perfectly, as if it had always belonged on Rian’s wrist.
Perhaps that was why Rian instantly liked it. While A Spring Afternoon and Shadow’s Dance felt overly feminine, Breath of the Earth had a strong masculine feel.
“Let’s see what it says.”
Having eagerly put on the bracelet first, Rian finally picked up the book to read. And when he learned who had created it, he was startled.
“Huh?”
Surprisingly, the creator of Breath of the Earth was Seyfried.
According to the book, Seyfried—among dragons, exceptionally gifted in magic and one who cherished it—also possessed remarkable skill in artifact crafting.
Even so, the only artifact known to the world was this very one: Breath of the Earth, now on Rian’s wrist.
“…!”
As Rian read on, his eyes grew wider and wider. He couldn’t believe it. Among all the artifacts he had seen so far, this could truly be called the best.
Warp magic!
If what the book said was true, the magic imbued in Breath of the Earth was warp magic, allowing long-distance instantaneous movement.
Thump, thump.
Rian’s heart began pounding again after a long time. And warp magic—wasn’t that exactly what he needed most right now?
Using territory inspections as an excuse to come to the lair was already reaching its limit. Sneaking out of the territory every night could only work so many times, and it had become increasingly troublesome.
And now, to obtain a bracelet he liked so much, imbued with warp magic—he even wondered if this was all a dream.
Hoping it might help calm himself, Rian read the remaining explanation aloud.
“Breath of the Earth, crafted by the Gold Dragon Seyfried, is even now one of the most sought-after magical items among adventurers across the continent. The reason is the warp magic imbued within it. Because its coordinates are fixed to always lead to Seyfried’s lair, anyone who obtains Breath of the Earth inevitably discovers his lair as well. Presumed to have been used by his guardians, Breath of the Earth became known through an as-yet-unknown path. However, I state clearly that all of this is absolute fact. Although it is an artifact capable of warp magic only between two locations—the lair and the previous location—the continent holds no one who would refuse Breath of the Earth, which comes with the tremendous bonus of discovering a lair.*”
When he first heard “warp magic,” Rian had assumed it meant traveling anywhere. But after reading to the end, that wasn’t the case.
Breath of the Earth allowed warping to only two places: the lair, and the location one had been at before warping to the lair.
Still, that was more than enough for Rian. Being able to come to the lair in one go was already a tremendous gain.
That alone was an enormous reward for him. Rian newly realized that what he had discovered was truly a dragon’s lair.
Come to think of it, today had been a truly meaningful day. Not only had his magic advanced to a new stage, but he had also received wonderful gifts.
And Seyfried had said that whenever there was progress in his magic, Rian would hear his voice again.
Which meant that each time, there would likely be gifts like these.
His expectations were already swelling.
What other incredible things might be waiting for him?
Rian thought that the magical training he already enjoyed would become even more enjoyable from now on
