Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 98 (Part 1)

A group of more than a hundred appeared in the Moord Wastelands. They were all dressed in black, with a golden embroidery of a snake in a peculiar pose sewn onto their chests.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes, Elder. This is the Karamis Swamp.”

“It doesn’t look much like a swamp.”

“It seems the terrain has changed over the millennia. There have likely been significant geological shifts. But according to the records, this is definitely the Karamis Swamp.”

The elderly man, referred to as “Elder,” leisurely surveyed the Moord Wastelands.

Mining tools were scattered around, abandoned long ago. Over twenty half-dug tunnels dotted the landscape.

“Has anyone been here recently?”

“No, about three years and six months ago was the last time. Mining operations ceased due to an unknown epidemic.”

“An epidemic?”

“Yes, they said people suddenly collapsed without reason. Even the Tower of Magic investigated to uncover the cause, but they found nothing. Our assessment is that…”

The subordinate hesitated and looked up at the Elder, seeking permission to share his assessment.

In their organization, only those in specific roles could “assess” situations. Lower-ranking members were expected to follow orders without question and were not supposed to make judgments freely.

“Go on, speak.”

“I suspect that one of the ancient relics might be cursed.”

“Do you think the energy from the relic is leaking out?”

“Yes, that’s my assessment. It’s just my humble opinion, Elder, so feel free to disregard it.”

The Elder did not dismiss the subordinate’s words.

The man had been a capable subordinate working under him for quite some time. If he mentioned a “curse,” he likely had a reason to believe so.

“The legacy of the Magic Empire… If what’s written in the records is true, this would be the first time we’re fully recovering one, right?”

“If we limit it to the Magic Empire, yes.”

“Limit it to the Magic Empire? Ridiculous. Aside from the Magic Empire, there was no other nation that truly mastered magic. Only the magic of the Magic Empire is authentic, whether past or present.”

The Elder regarded all magic outside of the Magic Empire as mere imitations.

Spells recovered while attempting to restore the magic of the Magic Empire or those crafted to mimic its style were never comparable to genuine Magic Empire magic.

“Isn’t there Frouval?”

“That’s just a legend. No, it should be seen as a story written by someone of that era.”

The Elder had come across records mentioning Frouval. It was a term briefly mentioned in ancient texts, accompanied by the phrase, “Even the royal family of the Magic Empire showed respect.” He couldn’t help but wonder, “Could it be?”

He spent years investigating Frouval, wondering if perhaps it had been a kingdom even greater than the Magic Empire.

But his efforts yielded little. He found one more record mentioning Frouval, but it was more like a fictional tale of something crossing over from another dimension.

From that point on, the Elder ceased his investigation into Frouval, concluding that it was too far-fetched to warrant further study.

“Then, let’s begin.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“The equipment is valuable, so handle it with care.”

“Understood, Elder.”

The subordinates moved swiftly, setting up dozens of devices throughout the area. The equipment was large and numerous, taking considerable time to arrange.

It was an artifact composed of over 60 components, designed to function only when assembled together. The production time was lengthy, and the materials used were all costly.

It took nearly two hours before the installation was complete.

With everything ready except the final activation, the Elder stepped forward.

“Begin.”

The Elder stood in the center of the devices and began chanting a spell. As the incantation started, the devices emitted a faint glow, and as the spell progressed, the light grew stronger.

“Manifest! Ancient Object Detection!”

From the over sixty devices, a gray light surged. The light lingered momentarily over each device before flowing into a single point.

“There it is.”

“Indeed.”

Ancient Object Detection.

A spell to locate ancient relics or traces, created over many years by their organization.

It was a mere 5th-circle spell—by no means low-level, but something a high-ranking mage should be able to use easily.

However, there was no “person” who could actually use this spell. The runic language was extremely complex, and the calculations involved were intricate, making it impossible for humans to cast it.

Even archmages would fail all ten times if they tried to cast it.

If Rodin had seen this device, he would have thought:

“So, they’ve created a tool that can detect the slightest traces of Mana.”

Artifacts from the Magic Empire released almost no external Mana. Even an archmage would need to focus for a long time at close range to barely sense any trace of “Mana.”

To detect this faint and minuscule energy, specialized equipment was necessary.

Typically, tools for measuring magical talent were called “fine magic detectors” or “fine aura detectors.” As their names suggest, they were designed to measure very faint traces of magic or aura.

However, even these tools could not read the energy from artifacts of the Magic Empire. A more precise and sensitive device was needed.

After years of development, their organization finally created an artifact capable of detecting even finer traces of magical energy than the fine magic detectors. They had brought over 60 of these artifacts here today.

“Let’s proceed.”

“Hmm.”

They approached the tunnel indicated by the equipment. Beside the tunnel, there was a small hole.

“Could someone have gone inside?”

“I doubt it. We’ve had people from the Richmond Marquisate investigating this area for a long time.”

The hole beside the tunnel was small. A person could squeeze through it, but it would be extremely uncomfortable.

Rather than contorting oneself to fit into such a small opening, it would be easier to move the larger rocks out of the way.

A mage could have used Magic Hand to clear the stones, and a knight might have simply removed them with their strength.

“What are the chances that someone unrelated to the Richmond Marquisate entered?”

“If anyone did, it would likely be a grave robber or a petty thief. I don’t think it would cause any trouble for the ruins.”

“That makes sense. Clear the entrance. Finish it today so we can enter tomorrow morning.”

“Understood.”

The mages began using Magic Hand to clear the tunnel, removing rocks with magic and dampening the dust with water.

The entrance was cleared quickly, as there were no large boulders. However, as they went deeper, the rocks blocking the path grew larger.

—

Hyung_Otaku2

•