Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 115 (Part 1)

Not every merchant always succeeds in their investments. Sometimes, they fail, and it is overcoming those failures that allows a merchant to grow their business.

Daniel was no exception. Over the course of 50 years, he experienced numerous failures, but by overcoming them, he expanded the trading company to what it was now.

The Crowder Trading Company, one of the top five in the Lennox Kingdom, was Daniel’s life and everything he had built from the ground up.

Today, that life had almost collapsed. He believed that most failures could eventually be overcome, but an attack by five trolls was an exception.

“I could have died.”

What if the mercenaries hadn’t reacted in time?

What if they hadn’t brought along Betner, a 4th Circle mage, right before their journey?

What if two carriages hadn’t arrived at that perilous moment?

Had any of these not happened, none of the merchants, staff, or mercenaries involved in this expedition would have survived.

Rodin’s group and the Crowder Trading Company set up camp a little distance from where the battle with the trolls had taken place.

“Mage, please come this way. Knights, you can take a seat here. Ah! We’ve prepared seats for the rest of your party as well.”

“Thank you.”

While guiding Rodin’s party to their seats, Daniel kept glancing around. Judging by their attire, it was difficult to tell who their leader was.

However, by observing their interactions, he could figure out who represented them. The one wearing a robe and a hood pulled low over their face was undoubtedly the leader.

“Thank you sincerely for your help today.”

“We only stepped in to clear our path. There’s no need for further gratitude, as we didn’t do it to assist your trading company.”

Rodin gently brushed aside the thanks and took his seat. As he sat, the others positioned themselves around him.

Karis and Jena chose the farthest ends of the group, positioning themselves to protect everyone.

“It’s no different from a beast to forget a favor received, is it? Ah, I am Daniel Crowder, head of the Crowder Trading Company.”

“I am Rodin. These are my companions.”

“I’m Bianca. Rodin’s younger sister.”

“I’m Larry.”

Following Rodin, Bianca and Larry introduced themselves to Daniel. No one else in the group joined in.

Matthew considered himself more of an employee than a companion. Just as company staff wouldn’t involve themselves with their superior’s introductions, he felt it wasn’t his place either.

Karis and Jena had no interest in the trading company’s leader and his party. Unless Rodin gave them explicit orders, they saw no need for introductions.

A glance.

‘An incredibly skilled fighter, yet unmistakably subordinate.’

Daniel unconsciously looked at Karis and Jena.

From what he could see, they were immensely powerful.

His understanding of swordsmanship wasn’t advanced enough to determine their exact level, but he could tell that no one present could match them, even if they all banded together.

Despite their skill, they didn’t bother with introductions or even glance in his direction.

It was clear there was a significant hierarchical gap between them and Rodin, who sat at the center.

‘The hierarchy is well-defined.’

Come to think of it, he didn’t know the exact strength of the mage in the center either.

From what he had observed during the healing of the injured, it was evident that Rodin was a skilled mage, but his combat prowess remained an unknown.

“Betner is supposed to be a 5th Circle mage, right?”

Betner was the mage accompanying this trade expedition. A 4th Circle mage, he had been a friend of Daniel’s since childhood in the same village.

“This is my friend. He’s a 4th Circle mage from the Tracia Magic Tower.”

“I greet sir senior mage. I am Betner.”

“I’m younger, so there’s no need for excessive formality. Let’s maintain mutual respect.”

“Thank you for your consideration, senior mage.”

The Tracia Magic Tower.

It was classified as a mid-tier tower, quite renowned with a significant number of skilled mages. Particularly famous was its artifact, the ‘Shock Absorbing Carriage.’

“Is that carriage an artifact from the Tracia Magic Tower by any chance?”

“Yes, it is.”

“May I take a closer look? Ah, I promise not to damage it.”

“Of course. That should be fine.”

Rodin approached the luxurious carriage Daniel had used. During the troll attack, Betner had launched spells from atop this ornate vehicle.

‘Hmm, it’s different from what I know.’

Rodin was not unfamiliar with shock absorption magic. A similar enchantment had been engraved on a chest containing the treasures of Frouval.

‘It’s crude. The mana efficiency is too low. It would last only five years at best with high-grade mana stones.’

Perhaps for this reason, the structure allowed for easy replacement of mana stones, with a compartment built specifically for that purpose.

The method of replacement was simple. Turning a small handle on the ceiling opened the mana stone compartment, allowing the used stone to be swapped with a new one.

‘This replacement method is not bad.’

The time spent examining the shock absorption spell circle didn’t exceed five minutes. What drew Rodin’s attention more was the simple design of the mana stone replacement process.

“Thank you. The mana stone replacement system is interesting.”

“Oh, did you notice that immediately?”

“Yes, it’s quite convenient. I would guess even a 1st Circle mage could handle it.”

“That’s correct. Haha. The person who suggested this is my friend here.”

Daniel praised his friend Betner, who smiled modestly and lowered his head, a slight blush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

“Did the tower accept such a proposal? I’d think there’d be a loss involved.”

“Yes, there was opposition at first. But our tower was dedicating too much manpower to the simple task of replacing mana stones.”

Mana stone replacement was one of the income sources for the Tracia Magic Tower. Though the cost was low for such a simple task, it added up over time.

Still, the Tracia Magic Tower boldly adopted Betner’s proposal. Even if income slightly decreased, redirecting manpower elsewhere was deemed a worthwhile trade-off.

In the end, this proved to be the right decision. The Tracia Magic Tower allocated its freed manpower to artifact research, and results were beginning to show.

“Indeed. The Tracia Magic Tower has a long history. I imagine many carriages have been sold during that time.”

“Yes, there are so many shock-absorbing carriages across the continent that people constantly come or request help to replace mana stones. That’s why we’ve always had a shortage of manpower.”

“Didn’t your tower recently release the frozen carriage?”

“Oh, you’re well-informed. Yes, we did. With fewer people needed for mana stone replacements, we focused on artifact research. That’s how the frozen carriage was developed.”

Rodin had seen the frozen carriage firsthand. He had even analyzed its spell circle in detail.

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