Chapter 149 : Chapter 149
Chapter 149: Lost Time (2)
First, I received the elixir for Ibi.
The special mask the Krom soldiers brought earlier was a mechanism that instantly vaporized the Gloom concentrate to be inhaled.
Since it involved directly inhaling Gloom, it was certainly effective, but it had the drawback that one always had to wear this special mask to receive the Gloom's enhancement.
“But, but with this medicine, you don’t need to do that…”
But what Nero held out was a small glass bottle, not a mask.
And inside it, instead of concentrate, were small, rattling pills.
“If you bite this, the Gloom will spread out and be absorbed into your body.”
“Hmm.”
Then Ibi, with her arms crossed, approached and started showing interest.
“So what, I just eat it as is?”
However, even though her attitude was one of pure curiosity, not glaring or anything of the sort.
“Heeek.”
Nero looked slightly… no, quite timid, just by Ibi approaching.
“E, Eating it, no…”
This was just an instinctive fear, and there was nothing that could be done about it.
It was something that happened because Ibi's inherent thug-like energy(?) was the ultimate counter to Nero's innate outsider-like energy(?).
“I, I think, since it's gas coming out, you just have to, inhale it…”
If Miki's sparkling, popular-kid energy, which was also the ultimate counter, completely burned Nero—who was what you would call a ‘child of darkness’—dry like a Heat Vision just by staring at her, this was the difference of making her shrivel up.
“I, I, I’m so sorry…! T, To me, this is the limit for now…! Haha, if you would only give me a pass…”
“No, what the hell did I even do… And a pass for what?”
Ibi showed a slightly wronged reaction to Nero’s attitude, which instantly made her look like a loan shark come to collect a debt, but she sighed anyway and stepped back so Nero wouldn’t get scared prematurely anymore.
So, I took the glass bottle from Nero first, acting as a bridge, and I handed it to Ibi.
“Well, anyway, if I bite this, I can become like that time, right?”
As Ibi lightly shook the glass bottle in her hands again, the pills inside rattled against each other.
Ibi hadn't just watched the Gloom-enhanced soldiers like us, she had personally been enhanced herself.
As such, because she knew the effect of Gloom better than anyone among us.
“It’ll be quite helpful.”
She would send such high praise, by Ibi-language standards.
“Good work, Alchemist.”
At Ibi’s unexpected compliment(?), Nero looked blankly wide-mouthed before bowing deeply.
“I, I’m glad you like it…”
As expected, ten pills were contained inside the glass bottle.
It was safe to assume that all the Gloom concentrate we brought became these pills.
“T, The duration of the effect, I anticipate to be, about 1 hour…”
In other words, expressed in game terms, one pill was enough for one combat encounter.
Of course, since the number was limited, it would only be utilized in important battles or urgent situations.
Still, that was enough.
In the first place, I had never used all ten of them even in a typical ‘ending’.
If anything, I would always save them and just have them left over.
In any case, these 「Gloom Elixir」 would make future battles much easier.
“A, And this, is the item I made for the Bard…!”
Along with this artifact that Nero held out to me next.
“I, I was finally able to, finish the adjustment, yesterday…”
All the legendary-grade artifacts Nero had made for my companions until now were items I had seen and knew from the game.
But this one was not.
“This is──”
Just like with the ring I received from Khamsin, or the 「Witch's Eye」 which was still working hard.
“──A necklace?”
It was an item I was seeing for the first time.
--
「Witch's Voice」 (Legendary)
Effect - Enables simultaneous casting of Charisma stat-based skills on all ‘Charmed’ entities (within 20m) who are looking at the user.
(Once per day, 10-turn duration)
--
‘Incredible…’
The moment I saw the description, my eyes couldn't help but widen and my mouth dropped open; it was an artifact perfectly suited for my current build, just like the 「Witch's Eye」.
One that also possessed incredible performance.
“I, I wanted to make an item that, could utilize the 「Witch's Eye」 I made for you last time, much better…”
Nero, who was looking at my dumbfounded expression, seemed to think I was bewildered, and shyly added an explanation.
“Perhaps I should say, it is an item that, instantly releases the Bard's Bewitching energy, suppressed by the 「Witch's Eye」, in an area-of-effect…”
When my level reached 15, the target count for 「Multiple Vicious Mockeries」 and 「Word Command」 would increase to five people.
And at level 20, simultaneous casting would be possible for seven people.
But, even at level 20, which is said to be the limit for humans, there was a limit of seven people, and wearing this 「Witch's Voice」 completely removed that limit, although it came with the condition that they had to be ‘Charmed’ and looking at me within 20m.
How could I not be dumbfounded?
To make an opponent ‘Charmed’, one would usually have to cast 「Charm」 on them one by one, but in my case, all I had to do was show my face.
I didn't need to cast a spell or anything.
Because my face was the magic.
Since there was no need to spend time on 「Charm」, there was no risk.
Even though it was limited to once per day and temporary (10 turns), this was sufficient.
I could just use it once at an important moment.
I could turn ten, one hundred, or even one thousand opponents (putting aside whether they could all fit within 20m) who were ‘Charmed’ by me into puppets who would obey my commands and die if I told them to?
This… wasn't this something only a god could do?
No, it would be difficult even for gods.
“Thank you, Nero.”
So when I came to my senses, I was holding Nero’s hand, the one who had made me a god (for 10 turns).
“You are truly a genius. I love it.”
It was that moving.
Wouldn't anyone be?
She made me like a god.
“Ugh……”
And so, I realized much too late that I had gotten too close.
“Oops.”
Even though I was wearing the 「Witch's Eye」, she was exposed to my magical face, filling her entire field of vision.
Eventually, Nero froze stiff like a stone while standing there.
“Seriously, you guys, stop killing her.”
Ibi, startled by this, quickly slapped me and pulled me away from Nero.
It seemed that along with Miki’s popular-kid energy and Ibi’s thug-like energy(?), my face-power(?) was also the ultimate counter for Nero.
Well, she closed her eyes looking at my beautiful face, so at least it's a good death, right?
***
The reason the journey to Shurina was so challenging was not just because the average level of enemies we might encounter was the highest.
“Shurina is a city covered in snow all year round.”
It was a city with the kind of image people would immediately associate with the ‘North’.
That’s why there were often jokes that it should be called the City of Snow, not the City of Time.
However, that very unvarying landscape, which seemed like ‘time had stopped’, was also proof that it was the City of Time.
Anyway, fitting that image,
“It means it’s a very cold place.”
If we went without countermeasures, we would likely freeze to death.
This wasn't just a metaphor; one would literally freeze to death.
HP is reduced every turn.
So, as a countermeasure against the cold, we first received the ‘Cold Resistance Elixir’ from Nero (which would at least prevent HP loss), and.
“We specifically selected the best quality from among our goods.”
We visited the Ria Merchant Company to acquire clothing, that is, fur coats.
“Let’s see… Oh?”
The moment I put one on, I felt a warmth spreading through my body.
Yet the texture was incredibly soft, like silk, making me realize that the description of it being the highest-grade fur was not just flattery.
A fur coat of this quality could virtually be called an artifact.
“Haha. I’m glad you like them.”
“Oh, everyone. They look good on you.”
Logan, seeing us wearing the fur coats, reacted with great delight.
“You’re finally heading towards The Wall in earnest.”
“That is the plan. But why are you here?”
The President explained why Logan was here.
She said that when they returned the prisoners we brought from Krom who were not from Tiaria to their respective homes recently, they used the Ria Merchant Company’s ships and carriages.
And in exchange, Logan brought all sorts of ‘high-grade information’ from across the continent that was difficult for anyone other than the Kapers, whose agents were spread out everywhere, to access.
It was perfect timing.
Since I was planning to visit Logan anyway, it saved us the trouble.
“──Shurina, you say?”
After all, we were ‘Allies’ who had the authority to access that high-grade information of the Kapers.
“As for the recent news from the Shurina side… Hmmm. Actually, there haven’t been any special reports.”
Logan pondered for a while, then shrugged his shoulders eventually.
“It’s been so quiet since the system changed.”
“Has anything… changed since before I left?”
“No, nothing. It is still under the Kurt the Governor system.”
It was true that since the Elves' concept of time differed from that of humans, unlike human cities which changed quickly, their cities often remained unchanged for decades.
But.
“It’s like… as if ‘time had stopped,’ we truly haven't heard any news.”
Even taking that into account, Shurina had become extremely quiet, Logan explained.
“No peculiar movements observed?”
“No, not particularly. It’s not like they are blocking external visitors or anything; we just keep hearing news that the current system is being maintained peacefully.”
Logan added that this might be because they had gone through such a major upheaval not long ago.
“A major upheaval?”
“Hmm? Ah, my apologies. You may not be familiar with it.”
When Miki tilted his head and asked at that, Logan, who had been discussing with Toric under the assumption that we all knew, offered a simple apology and continued his explanation.
“Since the Age of the Gods, Shurina was a city-state that was ruled by a being called the ‘Agent of the Gods’.”
After all, it was a frontier event that occurred before half of us were born, so it wasn't widely known.
“But 30 years ago, soldiers led by ‘Liberator Pariah’ drove out the ‘False Agent’ who was impersonating Shurine. Well, at least that’s what they claimed.”
To state the conclusion first.
“That’s how they escaped the rule of the false god and transitioned to the current republic system.”
The being who was chased out at that time—the ‘False Agent’ or ‘False God’ who was supposedly impersonating Shurine—was none other than Rine, who was calmly listening to the story right next to me.