Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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The next destination was the Blacksmith.

The street densely packed with blacksmiths was filled with the rough sound of hammering.

The cold winter wind was eased by the flames rising from the blacksmiths.

I headed into the largest blacksmith.

As soon as I entered the shop, a warm breeze swept in along with the sound of hammering.

“Welcome!”

The one who greeted me was a burly man covered in muscles.

Perhaps he had just finished a task, as his skin was flushed red.

“Can you connect this Mana Stone to a sword?”

“Mana Stone…? To a sword?”

Nodding at the man’s question, I took out the Mana Stone.

The stone, about the size of my fist, shimmered with a faint blue light, absorbing the surrounding light.

“I’m just asking to be sure, but are you a wizard?”

“Who else would carry a Mana Stone around if not a wizard?”

In response to the man’s words, I infused mana into the Mana Stone.

The Mana Stone, filled with my mana, began to scatter little bits of Starlight and created a cool breeze.

The casting was faster than using magic with my bare hands, and the amount of mana used was considerably less.

The reason I wanted to connect the Mana Stone to the sword was precisely because of this power.

“Interesting… You want to connect it to a sword.”

“I’m planning to use the sword like a staff. I might need to use the sword in emergencies.”

“Hmm… Alright, it’s not impossible. Can I see the sword?”

I unstrapped the sword from my back and handed it over.

“Oh… It seems to be made from monster bones or horns.”

The man examined my sword with admiration.

He held the sword, turned it a few times, then shook his head.

“I don’t think I can connect it to this sword. If I drill a hole to connect the Mana Stone, the sword’s balance will be messed up.”

“So, should I make a new one?”

“That would be best.”

I looked at the sword made from the Ice Horn.

It seemed that this sword had reached its limit.

I nodded as I received the sword back.

“Then, I’ll do that. Let’s make a new one.”

“Wise choice.”

The man nodded at my response and walked deeper into the shop.

He was going to get an ingot.

I followed him and asked, “Do you have any special metal?”

“Special metal?”

“Yeah, um… how should I put it…”

“Oh… if it’s that, then…”

The man nodded, as if he realized something from my words.

He brought out a palm-sized ingot from the storage inside the shop.

“Is this what you’re talking about?”

The ingot was emitting a soft glow.

Depending on the angle you looked at it, its color changed frequently.

“This is a mineral called Crodium. It’s strong and light. I’m not sure if it fits the special metal you’re looking for, but it’s the most special item in our shop.”

“It must be expensive, right?”

“I heard wizards don’t worry about money…”

As I began to contemplate the Crodium, the man started explaining its properties.

“It’s tougher than steel and lighter than any mineral in existence, so what’s there to hesitate about?”

“That can’t be true, right?”

“Lie to a wizard? Ha…”

The man chuckled at my question.

He placed the Crodium on my palm.

The ingot felt surprisingly light as it landed on my hand.

“If you’re really suspicious, take that ingot and go find another blacksmith.”

I looked up at the man and shook my head.

Seeing him so confident made me doubt he was lying.

I returned the ingot to him and asked, “What’s the price?”

“40 gold per kilogram. The production cost is 20 gold.”

I rummaged through my pouch at his response.

Since I had the money left from selling the carriage and horse, I wasn’t in a situation of shortage.

However, if I made such a large expenditure, I wouldn’t have any money left immediately.

“Could you lower the price a bit?”

“Hmm… then let’s do this. That sword you’re holding.”

“This one?”

“If you’re short on money, sell that sword to me. I’ll give you a fair price.”

“How much will you buy it for?”

“10 gold.”

“That’s expensive, isn’t it?”

“Have you ever seen a merchant buy things cheaply?”

“Hmm…”

I stroked the sword made from the Ice Horn.

It was the first sword I ever had…

But hesitation didn’t last long.

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a better sword.

I nodded and said, “Alright. It’s okay to hand over the sword then.”

“We’ll do it that way.”

The amount of Crodium needed to craft my sword was about 1 kilogram.

I paid for the Crodium on the spot.

I promised to pay for the production cost along with the sword on the day it was completed.

“Let me borrow the Mana Stone for a moment.”

The man received the Mana Stone and began to mold it with clay.

Once the clay hardened, he took out the Mana Stone and handed it back to me.

“Come back in a week to pick it up.”

With my business at the blacksmith concluded, I bought some chicken skewers and drinks from a vendor on the street and returned to the inn.

The room was quiet. Thanks to the luxurious inn, the soundproofing was good.

I bit into the chicken skewer and pulled out the book I had stuffed into my bag.

It was something I hadn’t examined closely as I was focused on the Mana Stone.

“Hmm…”

The strong iron chains and the cover of the book looked brand new.

Amid the flow of time within the dungeon, this book stood out as if it were new.

Except for that mysterious skeleton thing, of course.

I shook the chain, just in case, but it didn’t budge.

There was only one answer to this.

I drew my sword and wrapped it with Starlight Mana.

The thinly shaped blade of Starlight possessed enough power to easily cut through ordinary iron.

I struck the chain at the edge of the book.

Clang-!

At the moment of impact, small sparks flew out.

Immediately afterwards, the chain made a rattling sound and floated into the air with the book.

“Whoa…!”

I stepped back in surprise at the sight.

The book that floated in the air started flipping pages on its own.

Flap-flap- After flipping pages for a while, the book changed direction and floated towards me.

It approached, hovering, enveloped in ominous mana.

“This…?”

The book showed no other movement but merely advanced towards me.

It seemed to respond to my mana.

I held the approaching book and quickly skimmed through its contents.

“Hmm…”

The handwriting resembled that of a creeping worm, yet somehow I felt I could understand it.

Even though the letters were unfamiliar, they felt oddly familiar as if I had seen them for a long time.

“Sc…? Skasha…?”

As I murmured the small word written on one of the pages, the purple mana that had been swirling above the book began to rotate and formed a strange shape in the air.

It looked like a beast that was a vague imitation of a human form.

[It has been a long time since the human realm called.]

“Who are you…?”

[Do you desire power?]

I jumped back in surprise at the question and slammed the book shut.

Then the ominous mana swirling above the book began to scatter, disappearing along with the beast’s form.

I clutched my pounding heart.

Having explored numerous worlds and accumulated various knowledge, I could roughly understand what this situation meant.

This book was a magic book connected to something evil, and the word I had muttered was undoubtedly its name.

It was a book from the dungeon of the Evil Dark Mage; what else could it be?

I used a nearby fallen chain to wrap the ominous magic book.

*

Upon returning to the Mage Tower, Isolyn submitted the core retrieved from the dungeon and drafted a report.

Dungeon Core Retrieval Mission Completion Report

Isolyn of the Fire Tower

Mission Overview

The core retrieval mission from the dungeon has been successfully completed. I also report that cases of adventurers going missing have occurred within the dungeon.

Cooperation and Assistance

Collaboration with Seris, a wizard from Terra, greatly aided this mission. There was a clash with a Death Knight during the process, but thanks to Seris’s help, we were able to subdue it successfully.

Master of the Dungeon

While retrieving the core within the dungeon, I discovered clues regarding an ancient dark mage presumed to be the master of the dungeon. Further investigation and analysis seem necessary.

Conclusion and Future Preparations

This mission was successfully completed, but given the risks in similar future missions, it is deemed necessary for wizards to undergo physical training.

Having completed the report, Isolyn prepared a gift for Seris and waited for her.

However, after a week had passed, the one who came wasn’t Seris, but someone else.

“I’ve read the report you wrote.”

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“Y-yes…!”

Leonis, a wizard from Terra, looked at Isolyn in front of him.

The reason he had come to find Isolyn was none other than the mysterious wizard named Seris.

As an imperial wizard, Leonis usually dealt with frauds impersonating wizards and chased down those who had fallen to dark magic.

This case had also begun to move because strange parts were found in the report.

“I see Seris appeared in the report. I’m sorry, but the wizard named Seris doesn’t exist in our faction.”

“I heard she’s on a secret mission. It might not be her real name?”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. It’s true. She used the battle mage’s signature spell, Mana Bolt.”

Leonis rubbed his forehead at that remark and took out his notebook.

“What does this wizard named Seris look like?”

“Seris is a small girl. But is it okay for me to share this?”

“A small girl…? If she’s indeed a wizard on a secret mission, the investigation will be halted.”

Leonis noted down the characteristics of Seris that Isolyn provided.

Using the name Seris, a small girl of about 140 cm, with green eyes and light brown hair.

Interestingly, she does not use magical tools like a staff or wand, but instead carries a sword.

The last known location was the capital of the Karma Empire.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Leonis tucked the notebook into his pocket and stood up.