Chapter 7 - Trial and Error
◆ To Obtain the Light That Would Protect the Oath
The Magic Academy was well-equipped. While I eagerly studied the theoretical aspects of military studies in the knight department, I frequently visited the Alchemy Tower. My magic was deemed to be close to alchemy, and to improve my gift, it was advised by the instructors that the best approach was to work hands-on there.
Indeed, that was certainly the truth, I thought. By exploring what could and could not be done, my ability to manipulate mana increased, and I made progress academically as well. Thus, I spent a great deal of time at the Alchemy Tower. I started with simple things.
I attempted to inscribe magic formulas onto a sword to reproduce a pseudo-magic. It seemed like a useful method, but it had a serious flaw. Even simply activating the formula required at least viscount-level mana.
This meant it was unusable by soldiers from the frontier.
Mana... it was the mysterious force that was at the root of everything. If I were to apply the common sense from my previous life, it could be described as energy. It was invisible energy condensed within a solid. Humans were unable to condense energy into a solid. So, why did convenient devices like magitech tools exist? How could ordinary people, who had no mana or only a small amount, use these tools?
--- The answer was there.
There was a substance called a magic stone. When a monster or magic beast was defeated, its carcass had to be swiftly dismantled, burned, and buried before it became a breeding ground for disease. However, in the frontier, things were different. Even the carcasses of monsters had to be used effectively. Livestock became an important trade commodity. The meat that ended up on the commoners' tables primarily came from small monsters and magic beasts. The reason for dismantling the monsters and magic beasts was there.
Under these circumstances, solidified organs of these creatures were found as stones inside their bodies. In the frontier, where knowledge of the ecology and anatomy of monsters and magic beasts were accumulated through experience, it was known that mana could be stored in these stones. By using them, even those with little to no mana could use magitech tools.
In other words, they could serve as external mana storage.
That being said, the size of magic stones varied depending on the size and type of the monster or magic beast. The amount of mana contained also differed, and magic stones that were easy to use and released mana easily were often of a murky color. On the other hand, large, clear magic stones with strongly condensed mana were exceedingly rare, found only in magic beasts or monsters so formidable that the frontier’s magic soldiers had to band together to defeat them. These rare stones, when obtained, were sold to the jewelers in the royal capital at high prices, but the profits never reached the knightly houses in the frontier.
What remained were the murky "scrap magic stones." However, I recalled that these very stones had served as the foundation for the development of magitech tools. The fact that they released mana easily meant that they could be easily incorporated into magic formulas. It would not be an exaggeration to call this a groundbreaking concept.
In the royal capital, there were also stores selling magitech tools. Scrap magic stones were sold as a power source for these tools. The stones, transported from the distant frontier, had no <value> as trade goods; almost all of their selling price was made up of transport costs.
Because they were too weak for large-scale use and their applications were extremely limited, they weren’t widely utilized. The short duration during which mana could be extracted also played a role. Moreover, in a world where a person’s worth was defined by their internal mana, the mana extracted from magic stones was considered to have very little value. Consequently, they were broadly perceived as a waste in common understanding.
This was also the reason why magic stones were transported from the frontier with cost being disregarded.
When magic stones accumulated, their naturally released mana tended to attract monsters to the area. For this reason, they were stored in a distributed manner and used as a power source for magitech tools. However, compared to the number of monsters and magic beasts defeated in the frontier, the number of magic stones actually utilized remained small—one could even say negligible.
Because of this, purchasers of magitech tools were asked to shoulder part of the transportation costs to acquire the magic stones as power sources. This could also be interpreted as a form of relief for the 'have-nots'—those lacking internal mana.
--- No, they had to be used somehow.
Otherwise, the frontier would be overwhelmed by the threat of monsters and magic beasts,
so this could be seen as a desperate measure.
When all the accumulated mana was exhausted, the magic stone turned transparent. This was referred to as a "magic crystal." Since it became a fairly beautiful stone, it was sometimes used as a material for inexpensive accessories, though it was mostly discarded. The fact that it had originally been generated within the bodies of monsters and magic beasts caused a sense of aversion.
The disposal site for magic crystals was designated in the outskirts. At first glance, it looked like a mountain of rock crystals. Because it was somewhat beautiful, it was sometimes repurposed as building material, though these occurrences were few and far between.
In some rare cases, magic crystals, due to their property of conducting mana well, were compacted into the pavement of streets in frontier towns, where they served as embedded streetlights that could store magic light for a while. In tourist areas near the royal capital, there were places famous for their beautiful illumination displays, known even in neighboring countries. However, these were special examples.
It would have been ideal if they could be used as building materials on a larger scale, but there was little prospect of that.
Because they were generated within the bodies of monsters and magic beasts, the church had severely restricted their use. It was almost to the point of avoidance. This had become the "common sense" in the country, or rather, in this world. Both magic stones and magic crystals were never used on a large scale.
Wherever they were, in whatever situation, they remained troublesome items.
In that case, why not use them? In a world without gunpowder, I had repeated trials and errors at the Alchemy Tower, trying to see if they could serve as a substitute. After all, they were materials that stored mana. I thought that if I inscribed a magic formula on them and activated a small spell, they could replace gunpowder.
At first, I inscribed a fire-starting formula onto a scrap magic stone and activated it. I wove a special formula that could be activated with a small shock. The experiment was, in a sense, successful. However, it was only ignition, and the small scrap magic stone would continue to emit a small flame until it exhausted its mana.
I recorded this phenomenon and next inscribed an explosive formula. The size of the explosion varied with the mana contained within the scrap magic stone, but it didn’t seem particularly useful. It would only make a loud sound... but it wasn’t even enough to cause a significant noise, and it seemed to be something that could only be used for a bit of play.
Hmm... Perhaps I should change my approach.
Water... that didn’t work. The amount of water ejected was minimal, and its force was weak. Lightning just caused a small shock in my fingertips. It could be used for personal defense, but it was too weak for soldiers, and it was highly doubtful if it would have any effect on monsters or magic beasts. Additionally, activating lightning magic required a large amount of mana, which explained the results.
--- Then, what about wind?
I saw a glimmer of hope. By using the magic formula to release the mana trapped inside a solid into wind, I was able to create a gust of wind with considerable force. Hmm... If I used up all the contained mana in a short time, this much wind could be produced.
--- Here, I had obtained the light to protect my oath.
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