"Good evening, Grandpa. Sorry for stopping by so late."
"Ah, welcome. I was just about to close up for the night. Why don't you wait inside for a moment?"
Grandpa spoke while moving some merchandise around.
"No, let me help you."
"Is that so? Much appreciated."
Once we finished tidying up, we moved into the living room.
"So... what brings you here today? Visiting at this hour... I take it this is about magic?"
He sipped some warm green tea from a cup before questioning the reason for my late arrival.
By the way, green tea is a drink imported from a country in the eastern part of the continent. It has a perfect balance of sweetness, bitterness, and astringency. It’s a rare beverage, but I’ve grown quite fond of it.
"Yeah. Actually, I’m developing a new spell right now, and I was hoping to get your advice."
As I spoke, I showed Grandpa the paper where I’d written down the spell formula.
Grandpa was a Magic Artificer of extraordinary skill. Furthermore, he was incredibly well-versed in the theory of magic itself. He was the one who had crafted my storage magic tool, and he was also the one who had taught me the fundamentals of magic.
When it came to depth of knowledge, I couldn't even hold a candle to him.
This was purely my own speculation, but I suspected Grandpa was once a world-renowned Magic Artificer. If you picked ten random people on the street and asked them who the greatest Magic Artificer in the world was, at least eight of them would likely say "Cavadele Evans."
And Grandpa’s name happened to be Cavadele.
I didn't know why he’d chosen to teach me, but I had no intention of outing him to the world. I’d promote his business as a general store, but I kept the fact that he was a legendary artificer to myself.
"This is a fascinating formula. As expected of my disciple," Grandpa praised with a warm smile.
"Thanks. Hearing you say that gives me a real boost in confidence."
"Ho ho ho! As far as magic development goes, you’ve already far surpassed me. So, what did you need to consult me about? From the looks of this, it’s nearly complete."
"Yeah. I can see the finish line, so I think I can finish the spell itself on my own. It’ll just take some trial and error once it’s done. What I’m worried about is the activation time. Because of its nature, it takes a long time to manifest. If I’m in a situation where I need it immediately, I won’t have the luxury of waiting. I think this will become one of my signature spells, right alongside Impact."
"Impact, eh...? Orun, do you truly believe that spell is just a glitch in the laws of magicology?"
"What do you mean? It completely ignores the established rules of support magic. It has to be a glitch, right?"
"I see... As I thought, Orun, your Ability is—"
Grandpa muttered something under his breath. I couldn't quite catch it.
"What about my Mana Convergence?"
"No, it's nothing. Back to the topic at hand—given the characteristics of this spell, shortening the activation time is likely impossible. You can't simplify the formula either."
"I figured as much..."
My shoulders slumped. I hadn't been able to think of a way to shorten the lead-up no matter how hard I tried. It seemed Grandpa reached the same conclusion.
"How about making it a constant-activation-type magic tool? I could craft that for you."
Constant-activation?
Countless artificers spent their entire lives desperately trying to master that technology, yet he mentioned it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I mean, that would be great, but wouldn't a tool like that just draw every magic beast in the area to me?"
"Umu. Without a doubt. Even if you had several defenders stationed elsewhere, the beasts would make a beeline straight for you."
"I don't want to carry something that dangerous... In that case, I’d rather have it prepared somewhere else and then, when I need it—wait, that’s it! That might actually work!"
I quickly explained the idea that had just flashed through my mind to Grandpa. It was a concept inspired by Wil’s twin-bladed sword.
"...I see. That might just be possible. There would be an interval between uses, but you could activate it instantly when needed. Furthermore, if we incorporate that mechanism into a storage magic tool, the beast-attracting effect shouldn't change from what it is now. You want me to build this?"
"Could you? For something this complex, it would probably take me years to develop it myself. I don't have that kind of time."
"Umu. Very well. You are my precious grandson, after all. A grandfather is a simple creature; we can never say no to our grandsons' requests. However, you’re the one who has to finalize the spell, Orun."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Grandpa!"
"You're quite welcome. I'll have a prototype ready by tomorrow or the day after, so give me a report on how it feels to use. The fine-tuning will likely take a while."
Tomorrow or the day after?
This man really was in a league of his own.
After eating dinner with Grandpa, I left the general store and headed toward a certain bar. I hadn’t planned on going out, but Grandpa had shared some news as I was leaving that I could hardly believe.
Apparently, Amunzaas was active in the Great Labyrinth of the South.
Once I heard that, I had to verify the truth of it. Grandpa was well-informed, and I didn't doubt his word, but the gravity of the news meant I wanted confirmation from multiple sources.
Amunzaas was the second of the two great criminal organizations, alongside the Cyclamen Cult. Unlike the Cult, they didn't typically harm civilians.
So why were they considered a major criminal organization? Because they were a group dedicated to the mass murder of explorers.
Amunzaas claimed that the Great Labyrinths must never be conquered. Because explorers ignored their warnings, they went around "purging" them. To anyone in our profession, they were a nightmare.
Personally, I didn't see what was wrong with conquering the Great Labyrinths. In the Saubel Empire, after the Great Labyrinth of the West was cleared, materials from the deep floors flooded the market and the economy boomed. While magic beasts stopped appearing there, making it impossible to harvest magic stones from that specific location, the Empire had plenty of other labyrinths to ensure their supply wouldn't run dry.
In daily life, magic stones and labyrinth materials had become indispensable. While you could get them from ordinary labyrinths, a Great Labyrinth provided everything you could ever need in one place. Since they also yielded high-quality magic stones, I could only see the benefits of clearing the floors.
I entered the bar and scanned the room. Spotting the bartender I was looking for, I took a seat directly in front of him.
"I’ll take the special," I said, sliding five gold coins onto the counter.
The bartender glanced at the coins and began mixing a cocktail. What he eventually served was a clear, beautiful blue liquid.
I picked up the glass, activated Taste Block on myself, and downed the whole thing in one go.
Apparently, the drink wasn't toxic, but it was so foul-tasting that no sane person could stomach it. I wouldn't know, since I’d never actually tasted it. This bartender was a peculiar information broker who only talked once you finished his "test."
"And? What is it you want to know?"
Perhaps as a palate cleanser, he served a proper cocktail this time. I still couldn't taste it with my magic active, though.
"I heard Amunzaas is active in the Great Labyrinth of the South. Is it true?"
"It’s true. They’ve already killed several senior explorers."
Entering a Great Labyrinth or even a standard one required a Guild Card. Members of Amunzaas were blacklisted, so they couldn't get cards. Despite that, they were able to enter because they had the technology to create their own substitutes for Guild Cards. They used those to dive deep and hunt explorers.
They had been quiet lately, but it seemed they were on the move again.
"Is the Guild aware of this? I haven't seen any official notices."
"They know. They’re likely suppressing the information to prevent a mass panic. I can’t say for certain, though."
I understood the risk of public panic, but wasn't this putting the cart before the horse? The Explorer Guild was supposed to be an organization that supported and protected explorers.
I realized I should probably issue a warning within the clan. Their targets were senior explorers, and while the deep floors of the Great Labyrinth were vast, the risk of a run-in wasn't zero.
These people specialized in interpersonal combat. On top of that, they were strong enough to reach the deepest floors. They were a truly troublesome bunch.
Between the Cyclamen Cult and now Amunzaas, I was hearing far too many dangerous names in such a short span of time.