Chapter 147 : Chapter 147
Chapter 147. Time and Legend (3)
A little while later, Nero, whose soul had finally returned, began to explain the artifacts again.
“Th, this item, I made it to give to the Sister…”
This time, it was Lily’s turn.
“Would you, like to, try wearing it…?”
Just as wizards have ‘Circles’, clerics have ‘Divinity’.
Since they borrow the power of a god, it feels like there is a limit set to how much an ordinary human can handle that power.
--
「Bracelet of Divinity」 (Legendary)
Effect - Increases the number of Divinity uses by 1/2 of the current level.
Once a day, restores Divinity by 1/4 of the current level.
--
The 「Bracelet of Divinity」 was an artifact that not only increased the number of Divinity uses but also recovered it if it was insufficient.
Therefore, wearing that bracelet meant that she could use sacred magic without much worry going forward.
The reason it is called an end-game item for a cleric, similar to the two previous items.
Indeed, the moment Lily accepted the bracelet and wore it herself, she seemed to have immediately felt its performance.
Last time, she was moved enough to say she felt the presence of Lady Sistina more clearly when the ‘Mentality’ increasing enchantment was applied, but.
“Oh, ohhh…?”
How would a bracelet that increases ‘Divinity’—which could be said to be the standard of ‘how well one can communicate with God’—affect her?
“Si, Sister?!”
“What is it now…”
Nero, greatly flustered upon seeing Lily suddenly shedding tears like that, showed an overwhelmed reaction, perhaps with a passive skill that makes her think everything is her fault being triggered again.
“I, I’m so, so, sorry…! Did I make some, kind of mistake…?!”
“N, No, you didn’t…”
Lily quickly shook her head in response to Nero, who looked ready to slam her head down at any moment.
“I’m just, so moved…!”
Even while saying that, she couldn't stop her tears and kept sniffling.
If the last time with the Mentality-increasing enchantment she liked it, saying it felt like ‘she could hear Lady Sistina’s voice better’,
“The moment I put on the bracelet… Lady Sistina, appeared before me….”
She said that this time, it felt like she ‘saw her directly’.
Not just hearing her voice as she had before.
So, to make an analogy, it would be like the shock of moving from listening to the radio every day to the age of television for the first time… something like that.
Of course, this was just an analogy, and unfortunately, I, who have never felt the presence of God directly, didn't quite grasp the feeling, but.
“Thank you, Sister Nero… Thank you very much…!”
Anyway, I was happy since Lily looked very happy.
“──!?”
Although I wondered what she was doing when she suddenly embraced Nero—who had been scattered into ash after being exposed head-on to Miki's sun-like sociability—in a fit of emotion, sending him flying far away again.
Moreover, it seemed she wasn't just invading her personal space, but literally choking her physically.
“Ugh, Woaah…!”
Oh God, another person is coming to your side.
In the end, only after giving her time to calm down again, was Nero finally able to return to her usual self(?).
Miki and Lily, who almost murdered(?) Nero, whether intentionally or not, though it wasn't exactly their fault, were under a temporary ban from approaching within a radius of several meters and were docilely reflecting in the corner, looking apologetic while keeping their distance from Nero.
Seeing Nero almost murdered by a Paladin and a Cleric.
“…Is she an undead or something?”
Ibi showed a dumbfounded reaction, but in a way, that might not be entirely wrong.
In terms of hating sunlight and really liking shaded areas, that is.
Anyway.
“P, Please accept it, Warrior…”
This artifact was made for Toric.
「Fighting Spirit of the Snowy Field」.
“I, It’s an ornament made from, a mammoth tusk, acquired from the northern snowy field…”
It was a necklace-shaped artifact with several small horns strung together.
--
「Fighting Spirit of the Snowy Field」 (Legendary)
Effect - Nullifies the negative effects received during 「Rage」.
Additionally, nearby enemies who fail a resistance check are inflicted with the ‘Fear’ status.
--
Toric, as a ‘Berserker’, strengthens his abilities—especially his ‘Strength’ stat, damage output, and movement speed—all at once whenever he enters 「Rage」.
In addition, he becomes nearly immune to various mental status effects.
Simply put, he loses all sense of what's around him.
Since he's already filled with rage, he doesn't hear whatever his opponent says, so there's no room for other emotions to enter his mind.
However, there is a backlash in that he becomes ‘vulnerable’ to physical attacks.
This means he takes double damage from attacks with ‘Slashing’, ‘Piercing’, and ‘Bludgeoning’ damage types.
Because it is tantamount to rushing in, not caring about his own life, saying, ‘Let’s see who dies first!’
Therefore, the Berserker’s 「Rage」 was always a high-risk, high-return buff.
“I, If you wear this, you will now be able to maintain your physical balance when you enter 「Rage」…”
Until he wore this necklace.
As written in the effect pane just now, 「Fighting Spirit of the Snowy Field」 erases the penalty of that 「Rage」.
It means that 「Rage」, a skill that required some consideration depending on the situation no matter how good the gained effect was, is now turned into a no-risk, high-return buff with no reason not to use it.
In addition, it even had the minor effect of instinctively inflicting ‘Fear’ on nearby enemies every time he entered 「Rage」, making it an item worthy of being called the end-game item for a Berserker.
However, since it was an item that only showed its worth when entering 「Rage」, Toric, who wore the necklace, didn't seem to immediately feel the difference like Lily did a moment ago.
But since he already knew Nero’s skill well, he could fully understand the necklace’s value just by hearing the explanation.
“Thank you.”
Toric wore a faint smile and then gave a slight bow.
“I will treasure it.”
To that greeting, given leisurely from a step back.
“I, I hope you like it…!”
Nero, who also bowed her head deeply, was naturally self-conscious, but she didn't faint standing up this time.
Next, Nero presented the artifact to be given to Rine.
“M, Master Wizard, this is for you……”
What he held out toward Rine was a new staff.
Named 「Magister Magi」.
The 「Staff of the Ancient Tree of Wisdom」 that Rine had been using since Stout was also a good staff with the decently good effect of ‘Intelligence +2’.
But this 「Magister Magi」 was truly on a different level.
--
「Magister Magi」 (Legendary)
Effect - Intelligence Stat +2 upon equipping, Spell Success Rate/Accuracy/Damage +2
Increases the wearer’s maximum number of Circles by 1/2 of the existing number of Circles.
--
First of all, it not only had the Intelligence +2 effect that the existing staff had, but it also gave +2 to the Spell Success Rate/Accuracy/Damage.
And since the Intelligence modifier already affects all three of those, it was practically +4 for all three.
Furthermore, from the moment she held this staff, she could be somewhat free from Circle depletion, which is practically called the wizard's biggest enemy.
Of course, not to the extent of having no worries at all, but at least half of the way.
Because from now on, that staff would shoulder about half of it.
Wizards convert the mana in their body into Circles as a kind of ‘ammunition’ to be used every time they rest, and this 「Magister Magi」 had the ability to store the mana in the atmosphere and create Circles on its own.
Thanks to this, it meant she could cast spells using the Circles created by the staff, not just the ones she created herself.
In short, it was no exaggeration to say that this staff itself was a wizard.
Therefore, it would be fair to say that it was practically the strongest existing staff.
No, it actually would be.
And this was an item that could only come about because Nero was not only an excellent alchemist but also possessed the unparalleled talent of a great archmage.
Because he knew better than anyone what items wizards needed.
What kind of item he should create to maximize the skill of an excellent wizard like Rine.
That is, the 「Magister Magi」 was the end-game staff for wizards, just like the previous artifacts.
Moreover, even throughout history, it was end-game.
Because there was no guarantee that a better staff than this would ever appear in the future.
“H, How is it, do you like it…?”
But the scariest thing was that Nero herself didn't even guess what a masterpiece she had created.
She didn't even think of it as a masterpiece in the first place, but just thought of it as a ‘decent staff’ she made with the pure intention of being helpful to Rine.
Unaware that someday, this 「Magister Magi」 would become a kind of holy relic, or proof of an archmage, one might say.
Naturally, there was no way Rine wouldn't recognize its performance.
Even without using the staff directly, or without Nero explaining in detail, she would have realized it the moment she held it in her hand.
That this was a ‘masterpiece’.
“……!”
Because of that, Rine’s always placid expression instantly changed… No, of course, it didn't.
Rine had her usual emotionless face.
“Ah…”
Nero seemed to think that Rine might not like it after seeing that, but that wasn't the case.
We, who had been together for a while, could tell immediately now.
That even though she wasn't speaking, Rine was extremely pleased with it.
The proof was that she was just staring intently at the 「Magister Magi」 as if possessed, completely oblivious to whatever reaction Nero was showing.
At that level, she was practically sparkling her eyes.
“A, A, After all, for someone like M, Master Wizard, it must not be good enough, after all… Ugh…”
However, it felt pitiful to leave Nero, who was about to turn into an excavator as she lost more and more confidence, alone, so I lightly tapped Rine’s shoulder.
After bringing Rine, who was absorbed in her own time with the new staff, back to reality and suggesting she tell him her thoughts,
“I believe it is a truly outstanding staff.”
Rine immediately answered honestly.
“It seems to be the most excellent item out of all the staves I have seen so far. Thank you.”
Then, she gave a low bow right away.
At Rine's unexpected high praise, Nero, who had been on the verge of entering excavator mode until just now, showed a shy smile, saying, “Ehehe…,” again.
With all my companions having received an end-game artifact each, it should be my turn now in order.
However.
“W, Well… the Bard’s item, is still……”
It hadn't been completed, apparently.
To be precise, he had made it, but.
“It has a bit of… side effect…”
He said he still needed to adjust that part.
“W, Well, perhaps, by the time you come next time… I think I can, finish the adjustment…”
If that was the case, there was no need to rush or feel disappointed, so I immediately agreed.
She had already made me one legendary-grade artifact, the 「Witch's Eye」, in the first place, so it would be heartless to complain.
Besides.
“Then, there’s one more thing I’d like you to make for me at that time.”
I was planning to visit Nero at least one more time anyway.
I took out one of the ingredients for that ‘request’—the spoils I brought from Krom—from my sack.
“This is…”
“It’s an object used by the Dark Elf soldiers of Krom.”
It was a mask.
And the bottle containing Gloom that was injected into that mask.
“They gasify the concentrated Gloom in this bottle and inject it into the wearer through this mask.”
By inhaling Gloom like that, they could strengthen themselves even here, where there was no Gloom.
“Krom’s…”
Nero looked at this with great curiosity.
“So Gloom could be utilized in this way as well…”
Even though this was a distance that would usually make her jump in surprise just by being this close, she wore the eyes of a perfect researcher, completely unconcerned whether I was approaching or not.
“By any chance, could you utilize this to create an elixir?”
“An elixir with Gloom…?”
Of course, this Gloom would be a fatal poison to us, but it was different for Ibi.
Ibi was adapted to Gloom like other Dark Elf soldiers, no, even more so than them.
Therefore, the ‘Gloom Elixir’ Nero would make could be a great help to Ibi in the future.
“I, I understand…!”
Nero, too, welcomed the new challenge.
***
After leaving Nero's (new) atelier, we visited the nearby Pantheon with Lily.
Lily showed a reaction that she could go alone, saying there was no need for everyone to waste their time just because of her, but even though quite some time had passed, Tiaria was still not safe enough for her to travel alone.
Besides, it was on our way anyway.
And in fact, I had another goal that was hard to speak of.
There was something I had to ‘find’ there. To be precise, something I ‘must find’.
Now that Ibi’s Companion Quest was finished, it was a very good time to look for it.
Lily, upon arriving at the Pantheon, immediately went before the statue of Sistina and began to pray reverently.
In the meantime, I looked around the Pantheon with the other companions—Ibi, Miki, and Rine—who had started showing curiosity about the other statues nearby.
There were statues of many gods here, including Sistina, whom Lily had started praying to.
Naturally—excluding Tia, the Goddess of the Moon, who already had a magnificent temple elsewhere in the city—there were also statues of the other gods of the ‘Religion of the 12 Gods’.
Ibi seemed to have noticed the statue of ‘Kromo’ among them.
Since he was the main deity of Krom, where we had been until recently, her gaze naturally fell on him.
On the other hand, what caught Rine’s eye was a different statue.
Rine, who stood stock-still and quietly looked up at that statue.
“…!”
Suddenly grabbed her forehead.
It was a familiar reaction I had seen a few times.
The reaction she showed when she found the thing I was looking for here—Rine’s ‘Fragment of Memory’.
“What is it, what’s wrong? Are you okay, Rine?”
When Ibi, who had been looking up at Kromo’s statue until just now, approached and asked, Rine slowly nodded her head.
Then, she silently looked back at me, and in response, I called a priest who was passing nearby.
“How may I help you?”
I pointed at Rine, saying that she was the one who had business, and Rine seemed to ponder for a moment before asking in a calm voice.
“Who is that god?”
At that question, the priest, who briefly looked up at the statue Rine pointed to.
“…That one, you mean?”
Showed a somewhat puzzled reaction, as if he didn't know why she was asking this question.
And that was understandable, as he was one of the 12 Gods.
In other words, he was an entity that was rare for people on the Zodiac continent not to know.
“That one is──”
But the priest quickly erased his confusion, cleared his throat again, and replied in a calm tone.
“──The God of Time, Lady Shurine.”