Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 84 (Part 2)
Explaining what an artifact was would take too long, so Rodin gave a brief summary and focused on the task of imbuing magic into the accessories.
‘The mana stones are low-grade. I can’t inscribe high-level spells on them. At most, I could imbue a 2nd-circle spell or several 1st-circle spells.’
Rodin was confident in his artifact-making skills. He had made artifacts for Hedler and Lant, and he had no complaints about the artifacts he had crafted for himself.
However, his confidence had been shaken after he obtained the Frouval’s box, pocket watch, and ring.
The Frouval’s artifacts made his own creations look like garbage. The thought that he might never reach that level, no matter how hard he tried, left him feeling discouraged.
But that didn’t mean he could just give up. He needed to keep crafting, honing his skills, and continuing The Frouval’s illusionary lessons to learn new things.
‘One of these should definitely be made as a signaling device.’
He couldn’t keep sending Undine to watch over his siblings every time they went out.
Undine was a summoned spirit, and spirits didn’t like being separated from their summoners for too long.
Forcing Undine to stay with Larry and Bianca was essentially making the spirit do something it disliked.
‘A bracelet that’s hard to take off should work.’
He inscribed a coordinate-calculating rune on one of the newly bought bracelets, connecting it to his own bracelet to send a signal when a certain activation word was spoken.
‘The bracelet is done.’
Next were the ring and necklace. He took out a ring first and thought for a moment about what magic to inscribe on it.
‘Feather Fall should be good.’
Just as the name suggested, Feather Fall slowed the fall speed of the wearer, preventing injury from a fall.
If the 5th-circle spell Fly allowed one to soar through the skies, and the 3rd or 4th-circle Levitation allowed one to hover, Feather Fall, a 2nd-circle spell, merely slowed descent. Naturally, it was less advanced than Fly or Levitation.
However, that was the limit of what could be inscribed on a ring. To inscribe a more powerful spell, he would need a larger ring or a better mana stone.
‘Otherwise, I would need to improve my own skills.’
Since he couldn’t instantly increase his skill by several levels, he decided to be satisfied with what he had.
The only thing left was the necklace.
The spell he wanted to inscribe on it was already decided.
‘Magic Shield or Aqua Shield would be good.’
Both spells protected the wearer from external attacks.
Magic Shield wasn’t particularly strong against elemental attacks but was effective at blocking physical strikes. It was a useful defense against thugs or rough mercenaries.
Aqua Shield, on the other hand, was especially effective against fire magic.
Fire magic was a favorite among mages, so if the wearer were to face a mage, Aqua Shield would be the better choice.
‘Magic Shield would be better.’
The chances of running into a thug or mercenary were higher than facing a mage. Right now, he had to prepare for the most likely dangers.
If, by bad luck, a mage targeted the children while he wasn’t around? There would be nothing he could do about that.
“Ugh…”
He finished inscribing the spells. The necklace, bracelet, and ring were now all transformed into artifacts for Larry and Bianca.
After focusing on his work without moving for nearly five hours, Rodin’s entire body was stiff. Just rotating his neck caused a loud crackling sound.
“When will I be able to give these to them?”
Even though he had made the artifacts, the necklace and ring were of no use to the children.
The necklace imbued with Magic Shield and the ring with Feather Fall were activation-type artifacts. They needed at least a little magic or aura to use them.
However, the bracelet, which constantly transmitted coordinates, was a sustained-type artifact, so the children could use it right away. The only help they would need was during the initial activation of the spell.
“Let’s take a break.”
He had planned to attend The Frouval’s illusionary lesson right away but decided to take a break instead.
That day, Rodin resolved to go up to the deck from time to time, as Captain Krondel had suggested. It was a good place to clear his head, even without a specific reason.
As always, the deck was crowded.
There were many people sitting around drinking tea or alcohol, while others relaxed leisurely in hammocks.
“It almost feels like a party here.”
Rodin scanned the deck. As usual, Captain Krondel was seated in a corner, gazing vacantly out at the sea.
“Huh? Is that Bianca’s friend?”
Bianca was running around the deck, laughing and playing with a girl her age.
Whenever Bianca ran away, her friend followed her, and when her friend ran away, Bianca chased after her, giggling joyfully.
“She seems to be having fun.”
“Huh? Big Brother!”
Larry, who had been watching Bianca and her friend, spotted Rodin.
As always, Rodin had his hood pulled low over his face.
His appearance might make him look like someone suspicious, hiding his face while scheming something, but Larry knew the reason why Rodin covered his face.
“That must be uncomfortable for you, Brother.”
“Have you been here long?”
“Yes. It’s so different from being on land. There’s no one worrying about war here.”
Just as Larry said, everyone on board seemed cheerful. No one was weighed down by concerns about war.
“The atmosphere is nice. No one’s bothering you, right?”
“No, everyone’s been kind.”
Rodin almost chuckled at Larry’s comment about “kind people.” There was no way everyone here could be kind.
People were polite to the children because this was the Capelton. The high fare for this ship made it clear that these kids weren’t just ordinary children.
The ship’s passengers were typically nobles, merchants, or individuals with special abilities. Disrespecting someone here could lead to dire consequences.
On top of that, Larry and Bianca were wearing nice clothes, which further contributed to the perception that they came from a wealthy family.
“Keep an eye on Bianca for me.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
Leaving Larry behind, Rodin headed toward Captain Krondel. Seeing Rodin approach, Captain Krondel smiled and gestured for him to sit nearby.
“Hello There, Mr. Rodin?”
“Hi, Captain. The wind feels pleasant today as well.”
“It would be wonderful if it stayed like this.”
The breeze felt good against Rodin’s skin. It washed away the heat of summer and seemed to bring a refreshing sense of vitality.
“You mentioned settling in the central continent, correct?”
“Yes. I plan to stay until my younger siblings grow up.”
While Larry and Bianca needed to grow up, Rodin also needed a quiet place where he wouldn’t be disturbed.
The magical records in the deep library were in disarray. The chairman, Kreate, had written down his spells randomly, and the magical archives stored in the Kingdom of Riyaz were also jumbled without any order.
Rodin had memorized everything but needed to organize it for himself. He also had to continue The Frouval’s illusionary lessons.
“Are you thinking of settling in the Kingdom of Tebia?”
“To be honest, I haven’t decided where to settle yet. Since it’s the closest to the Western Continent, I chose the Kingdom of Tebia for now.”
The Capelton, the fastest ship departing for the central continent, had Tebia’s port city of Hasson as its destination. If there had been a faster ship to another kingdom, Rodin would have taken it.
“In that case, how about the Kingdom of Lennox? The Marquisate of Richmond might suit you well.”
“The Marquisate of Richmond? Based on the categories you mentioned before, how would you classify it?”
“It’s a swordsmanship family. The Marquis of Richmond is a master-level knight.”
“A master!”
At the mention of a master, Rodin’s eyes lit up with instinctive curiosity.
He had heard the term before but had never actually met a 7th-circle archmage or a master-level knight. He would love to meet one someday—preferably not as an enemy.
“Hm?”
“Pirates!”