Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 135 (Part 2)

In the current era, people only used mithril to reinforce the durability of metals. They didn’t know how to process mithril to interact with mana efficiently.

Rodin, through ancient texts from the Magic Empire, had learned how to imbue mithril with three properties:

Mana Absorption: The ability to absorb mana infused into it.
Mana Storage: The ability to store absorbed mana for long periods.
Mana Transformation: The ability to transform mana into a malleable form.
The first two properties were used in his Magic Stone crafting device. The third property, if mastered, could allow Rodin to craft weapons or shields without a blacksmith’s help.

“I’ll need to buy more mithril.”

The plate he had was far too small. To produce Magic Stones efficiently, he needed a larger mithril plate.

The city of Hedens didn’t have any large mithril ingots. Rodin had bought two thumb-sized ingots and processed them into his current plate.

“This will have to wait until we reach the Richmond Marquisate. After that… teleportation magic.”

Rodin had gathered most of the runes related to spatial magic. Now came the hard part—assembling them into a functioning spell.

Unlike artifact crafting, failing a spell could cause harm to the caster. A severe mistake might even shatter his mana circles.

“Offensive magic is so much easier.”

Rodin excelled in combat magic. All the magic he had learned at the Special Forces Training Center was battle-oriented.

Other spells he knew were from texts left behind by Chairman Crate, who had been part of a magic tower. They were useful but limited—there were no 7th Circle spells, nor anything on teleportation.

“Still, I’m not starting from scratch.”

Rodin was no stranger to spatial magic. He had crafted spatial-expansion artifacts, possessed a subspace bracelet, and had studied a broken spatial artifact in the Western Continent.

“Time for my lesson.”

Rodin stored the Magic Stone and other items in his subspace bracelet. After clearing his surroundings, he summoned Frouval’s illusion.

*

Morning
Cold air blew in through the open window.

Bianca wrapped herself tightly in her blanket. “Mmm…”

“Bianca, time to get up.”

While Larry’s evaluation was in the afternoon, Bianca’s was in the morning. She needed to eat and prepare in advance.

“Just ten more minutes…”

“Do you want to miss your evaluation?”

“I’ll go… Just ten more minutes…”

Rodin grabbed her blanket and yanked it away. Bianca finally staggered to her feet, grumbling.

After breakfast, Bianca and Jena left for the mercenary guild.

Not long after, Bianca returned triumphantly.

“Rodin-Big Brother! I passed! I’m a mercenary now!”

Rodin glanced at the clock. It was only 9:40 a.m.

“Already?”

“Yeah! I was the last one in line. It was super quick.”

Bianca flashed her new Iron Badge, brimming with pride.

Rodin couldn’t help but smile.

“Good job, Bianca.”

Despite everything, it was incredibly difficult to meet a mercenary mage.

Rodin could now understand why the head of the mercenary guild branch had rushed over in a fluster upon hearing that an Archmage had become a Platinum-ranked mercenary. To them, Rodin must have seemed like some mythical creature from a fantasy tale.

“What’s the rank? Bronze badge?”

“No, Iron badge.”

“Hmm, is it different between the Eastern and Western continents? Or did the policy change?”

Rodin had expected Bianca, being a mage, to start with a Bronze badge.

Special professions tended to receive better treatment. This was even more true in the mercenary world.

However, the rank Bianca was set to receive was lower than expected—an Iron badge. Still, it was better than the starting rank for swordsmen, which was the Wood badge.

‘Maybe this is better.’

If there was too large a gap in ranks, it would be hard to take on requests together. It was much easier when the ranks were the same or at least similar.

“When will you get your badge?”

“They said in three days.”

“That part’s the same, then.”

The morning passed with Rodin listening to Bianca’s tales of her “heroic deeds.” Her evaluation had taken less than twenty minutes, yet her storytelling stretched on for three hours.

After lunch, Karis, Jena, and Larry left for the mercenary guild. They didn’t return until dinner time.

“How did it go?”

“We all passed, My Lord.”

“Whew, we did all pass… but it was exhausting. Why was the wait so long?”

Larry slumped into a chair, completely drained.

Doing nothing while waiting is often the most exhausting thing. Especially in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar people, the fatigue seemed to double.

Fortunately, Karis and Jena were with him. They could at least talk to each other. If Larry had been alone, he would have spent hours staring blankly into space.

“You did well. What rank did you get?”

“Wood badge, of course.”

All three of them had received Wood badges. Unless someone had a special profession or was already a master, swordsmen typically started at the Wood rank.

“Hehe! But I got an Iron badge!”

“You’re a mage, Bianca.”

It wasn’t unusual for mages to receive special treatment. Larry had seen such situations often, so he wasn’t particularly surprised.

“Bianca.”

“Did someone call for Iron Mercenary Bianca?”

“Pfft, yeah. Iron Mercenary Bianca. Haven’t you been writing poetry lately?”

“Huh? Poetry…? I think being a Platinum Mercenary suits me better than being a poet.”

So she’d already given up on her dream of becoming a poet. It wasn’t surprising, as Rodin had expected this.

“You made the right choice.”

“Hehe, after Big Brother Rodin, the next Archmage will be me!”

“Sure. Work hard for it.”

Because of the time needed for their mercenary badges to be issued, the group ended up staying in Asir for three more days.

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