Chapter - 119 The Knowledge of a Magical Toolmaker
“I’d like to explain about rare materials, but is there any specific material you’d like to know about?”
“I’d like to know more about skölls.”
In response to Ozwald’s question, Dahlia brought up the material she was most curious about.
Skölls—wolf-like monsters with jet-black fur and eyes that shine in either gold or silver.
It was said to roam the skies, preying on other flying monsters like cockatrices, unicorns, and pegasi.
Dahlia had never seen one in person, nor had she seen any part of it other than its fangs.
“A sköll looks like a wolf, but it’s also a flying creature. It has powerful wind magic and sonic attacks, making it quite challenging to hunt.”
“Sonic attacks?”
“Yes. It’s not mentioned in monster encyclopedias, but adventurers who’ve fought them say their roars have intimidating and disorienting effects.”
Dahlia was surprised that it was adventurers, not knights, who had fought skölls.
Did they ride something like dragon knights, or could they fly using wind magic? Or did they use magic to bring them down? It was all very intriguing.
“A sköll fangs are used for wind magic and anti-sonic attack enchantments, its fur for physical defense, and its heart’s magic core for magical defense. Its claws are sometimes used to strengthen weapons. It’s a rare material and quite expensive.”
Ozwald opened a magic-sealing box and took out a sköll fang.
The silvery-white fang looked more like a piece of jewelry than a monster’s tooth.
“I only have fangs in stock... but with a fragment this size, you’d need a magic level of nine. Ideally, ten would be better.”
The fang was slightly smaller than the one Dahlia had used for the bracelet.
自分の行った付与の危うさを痛感し、たらりと汗をかく。
She broke into a cold sweat, realizing how precarious her enchantment had been.
She was so glad that she was safe and alive.
“Sköll enchantments can’t be stopped midway, so they can sometimes cause discomfort. When using materials from it to craft magical tools, always have someone in the room with you. Males require more magic than females. Always check the gender and whether it’s a special or mutated variant. Special or mutated variants can require several times the usual magic. If you can’t confirm, it’s better to have a powerful high-class mage appraise and divide it, even if it costs more.”
“What level of powerful high-class mage are we talking about?”
“Someone with a magic level of fifteen or higher, or even immeasurable. Those connected to marquis or duke families, or even royalty.”
The tip of the pen that had been writing in the magic tome came to a halt.
The people she’d need to ask for help were far beyond her reach. It was completely impossible.
“If you need appraisal or division, consult me or Viscount Jedda. I can write a letter of introduction... Ah, there’s a faster way. Ask Volfred-sama to introduce you to his older brother.”
“Volf-sama’s older brother?”
“Yes. Guido Scalfarotto-sama. He’s a company commander in the castle’s Mage Division. The Mage Division has many powerful high-class mages, so I’m sure they’d be willing to help.”
“...I’ll keep that in mind.”
Though she responded to Ozwald, Dahlia doubted she’d ever ask for such a favor.
Volf had kept his distance from his family.
He had mentioned recently reconnecting with his brother, but a request from his younger brother’s friend—especially a commoner—would undoubtedly be an inconvenience.
“You can tell from Volfred-sama’s use of it, but sköll materials are used for powerful wind magic enchantments. However, they’re like wild horses—highly effective even with little magic, but extremely difficult to control.”
Dahlia almost laughed at the comparison of a wolf to a wild horse.
But given her own injury from the sköll bracelet, she couldn’t argue.
“Only those who can fully control magic, knights with minimal maximum magic, or those without external magic should use it, and with a Blood-Bond in place. But think carefully about who you make it for or sell it to.”
“Yes. I’m not planning to sell it at the moment.”
“That’s for the best. Such magical tools can be used in unpredictable ways. They can help knights protect the country from monsters, or they can be misused by assassins to destabilize the nation.”
A chill ran down Dahlia’s spine.
As if anticipating this, Oswald’s silver eyes quietly settled on Dahlia.
“Think carefully about who you want to use the magic tools you create with your own hands, and who you don’t.”
“Yes, I’ll be very careful...”
Ozwald’s words stung.
When it came to the sköll bracelet, she had made it on a whim just to see if she could, ended up injuring herself, and then had Volf test it on the spot—all in a rush of impulsive creation.
There were far too many things to reflect on.
“Now, your magic level is eight, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s measure it first, and if it’s insufficient, let’s raise it to nine for now. It’s better to have that much for practical work.”
“Um, can it really be raised that easily?”
Dahlia had always thought magic levels increased naturally through repeated practice.
She had never heard of a quick method, neither at the academy nor from her father.
“Artificially increasing magic levels isn’t a secret technique. The reason academies and books don’t teach it is to prevent people from raising their magic before their bodies are ready, which can cause harm. Also, having more magic than you can handle leads to an illness called ‘magic overload.’”
“Magic overload” occurred when the body couldn’t withstand its own magic.
In some cases, it could stop the heart or make breathing impossible.
While rare, it was known to occur in noble children. Dahlia hadn’t known it could happen from artificially increasing magic.
“The method is simple. Once your height has stopped growing, use up all your magic, then drink a magic potion and use magic again. Your body will mistakenly think it has more capacity and expand slightly. Repeat this ten to fifteen times, and your magic level will increase by one.”
“Magic potion...?”
Though he made it sound simple, magic potions cost about two gold coins each.
Ten to fifteen times would amount to two to three million in Dahlia’s sense. It wasn’t something she could easily afford.
“Nobles and well-off merchant families often raise their children’s magic levels by one or two as soon as they stop growing.”
“I didn’t know that...”
“Normally, you can increase your magic level by up to three levels above your base. Daily magic use can naturally raise it within this range. So, starting at eight, adding three would make eleven the safe limit.”
“Eleven... I’ll never catch up to my father.”
“Huh?”
Ozwald looked puzzled. His voice, usually calm, carried a hint of unease.
“Excuse me, but what was Carlo-san’s magic level before he passed?”
“Twelve.”
“From what I remember, Carlo-san was at seven during his academy days.”
“Huh...?”
“The human body is also a vessel for magic. Continuously channeling more magic than it can handle will damage it. The same goes for using magical tools. This is taught at the academy, right?”
“Yes.”
“There’s a limit to artificially increasing magic levels. Raising it by five or more is dangerous. Carlo-san’s twelve seems reckless by any standard.”
Dahlia had been told nothing.
When had her father taken such risks?
She had never seen him drink magic potions while they were in the tower.
Had he raised his magic level while she was at the academy?
Thinking back, when her father had given her the sköll fang, he had mentioned enchanting “anti-overheating wind magic effects” to a large water heater.
Rare materials, large magical tools.
Had it been a challenge as a magical toolmaker, a slight overreach he was willing to take?
Was it work he had wanted to try so badly that he was willing to push himself?
She wanted to ask him, but she would never hear his voice again.
“My father... might have wanted to try making large magical tools with the sköll.”
“Just for the sake of trying? In a way, that’s very like Carlo-san. But if that’s the case, it wasn’t something worth leaving you behind for...”
“...You’re right.”
Dahlia found herself nodding instinctively at the man’s voice, which made no effort to hide his deep disappointment.
The letters in her magic tome blurred slightly as tears welled up.
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