She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (WN)

On top of the walls surrounding the castle of the capital city of Lunatic Lake, a barrier that stretched up into the sky was raised, so it was impossible to simply enter it while flying. As such, the wagon carrying Mira and Creos landed in an open space in front of the castle’s main gate.

The guards standing watch there had seen the wagon countless times before and knew it meant vice-elder Creos had arrived, so they stood with their backs straight.

After Creos stepped out of the wagon, a young girl with glistening silver hair followed him. The guards were not expecting that so they looked at her curiously, but then they realized it was Danbulf’s pupil, so they quickly readjusted their postures.

「Thank you, it was a delightful trip.」

「I’m glad I could help you.」

After thanking Creos, 「You worked hard too」 she said while looking up at Garuda. Whether Garuda understood the meaning of those words or not, it still chirped shortly in response.

「Anyway, take care now, Mira.」

「Same goes for you, good luck with everything.」

Creos hoped for Mira’s safety in her mission, while she entrusted him with nurturing all the new summoners. During their trip, Mira selected some Magic Bomb Sealing Stones from the ones she brought from the tower, giving them to Creos since they would prove useful when forming new contracts. They were quite numerous, so Creos happily accepted them and reinvigorated his will to work hard today.

Creos then climbed back inside the wagon and went towards the academy. Mira saw him off before she entered the castle. Inside, some maids standing by guided her into a reference room.

「Lady Mira, we’ve been awaiting you. Please follow me.」

In the reference room, Lily took over from the other maids and led her further inside the castle.

The reference room had walls painted white, an atrium near its entrance, and further inside it was divided into three floors. There were metallic shelves arranged in an orderly fashion, documents amassed from all over the world separated in their respective categories.

Mira was led into a room further inside the first floor. Solomon was waiting for her there.

「Thank you, you can leave us alone now.」

「Understood.」

Lily bowed politely and before leaving she whispered into Mira’s ear, 「Come tell me what you thought about the clothes later.」

There was a ridiculously large wooden table in the center of that room, with countless books and documents placed on top of it. Solomon took one of them and opened it in front of Mira.

「I’m sorry I had you come all this way. I probably would’ve been able to tell you the place through the transmission, but the place is a bit… But anyway, I want you to look at this first.」

Saying so, Solomon took a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on top of the other documents. It was a drawing or some sort of blueprint, its silhouette resembling a person.

「What’s this…? A robot?」

「Something like that, I guess. It’s being developed under the name of Protean Doll for now.」

「Hmm… pro…tean doll, huh…」

Mumbling the complicated word, Mira looked at the documents. There were two different blueprints there. Both had a similar shape and size, but the rightmost one had a more complex interior.

「And oh, the one to the left is called Stalwart Doll, that one finished development more than ten years ago.」

「Oh, I thought both were the same thing.」

「Well, their basic form maybe. But I want you to pay attention to the right one, that’s also what I wanted to show you here.」

「You mean this complicated looking one, right?」

As Solomon lay down more documents, he explained its functions in simple terms.

「Let’s start with the Stalwart Doll. It’s a self-driving mechanism that was developed with Magic Engineering by the engineer’s union. They’re meant to be deployed in dangerous areas or where humans normally can’t go, it’s probably easier to understand if you just think of them as the robots we had in our former world.」

With that explanation concluded, Solomon pointed to the other blueprint.

「And this one is the Protean Doll, a new one being developed based on the Stalwart Doll but focusing on combat abilities.」

「So it’s like a new generation of the old model. But anyway, how does any of this relate to me being called here?」

When she heard Magic Engineering was involved, she thought they were asking her to do something Refining related, so she asked to be sure. In reply, Solomon’s gaze lowered a bit as he sighed once.

「To be completely frank, we’ve run into a roadblock developing the Protean Doll. Research about weaponizing a Stalwart Doll is something pretty much every country is doing. In other words, even if we simply attached some weapons to it and called it a day, they would never hold a candle to the numbers a large country could produce. At most, they would serve as a deterrent against monster attacks, which would have its uses, but if we stop at something like that, which any country could do, then that will also change how other countries see us. Here in Arkite we still want to add a special touch to ours.」

In truth, all countries were conducting experiments with weaponized Stalwart Dolls. Some used them to patrol the country borders, or as reserve troops in case of an emergency. They also had developed some especially to fight with monsters, and it was a very active project all around.

Arkite had also been researching the matter since quite a while back, but they kept everything secret, progressing under the shadows.

「Hmm…I guess it makes sense that everyone would want to research that. And the reason you called me here is related to that special touch you mentioned. Would Refining something do the trick?」

Mira could guess the special touch would be some added effects imbued through Refining. But Solomon shook his head in reply.

「No, it has nothing to do with Refining. It’s just that something we really need can be gathered pretty close to your next destination.」

Saying so, he handed her a list with item names. The list was rather long, but most of the items were ones commonly used in the fabrication of magic wares.

「Now listen, this matter is secret, top secret.」

「The Protean Dolls we are researching are capable of casting spells, or at least that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. We are at the last step of accomplishing that, building a mechanism capable of casting spells. But that’s also where we ran into our roadblock. Thanks to Luminaria we have been able to make it compose magic, but the magic energy to carry it out is still lacking.」

「This list is the result of many many experiments. While we still can’t produce nearly enough magic energy, the items in the list showed at least some positive reaction.」

Then Solomon pointed to a certain part of the list.

The item listed there was called ‘Glimmering Seed’. They were a special type of seed that would sometimes grow out of trees throughout the entire world, regardless of their species, and emitted a faint glow. They had very good compatibility with spells from any class and were commonly used as the foundation for magic wares. Because of their high affinity with pretty much anything, they were also used as substitutes for multiple other items.

「Glimmering Seeds, according to our tests, showed the highest output of magic energy. Though it was still not enough to cast a spell, so it’ll still take a while before they can be put to practical use.」

After hearing that, everything began to click inside Mira’s head. The Glimmering Seeds had shown the strongest reaction during the experiments, and Mira recalled hearing of another item that was even superior to Glimmering Seeds.

Those were called ‘Founding Seeds’. A precious item that could only be obtained from the Allfather Gopher Tree, said to be the originator of all trees in the world. After eons, the trees evolved to their modern appearance, but their Glimmering Seeds were something like a tribute to their originator.

The Founding Seeds had amassed all the former might of trees before they became diluted and separated in species, so they were used only for really high class magic wares.

「So in the end you just want me to go get you some Founding Seeds.」

As she said that, Mira took out the pass to restricted areas the chief of the Spellcasters Union Leoneil had given her, and placed it on the table.

The Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest, which meant the first and original forest. As its name suggested, there was vegetation from really old times growing in the labyrinth, including the tree said to be the originator of all other trees.

「That’s correct. It seems you’ve finally caught on. I originally planned on letting you go there whenever you had time to go there, but since you’ll be visiting a lot of places I figured I’d fill you in on this as well.」

「I see. And what did you find out from the documents I brought?」

They had taken a really long-winded detour talking about the Dolls, but Mira’s main goal was still following the steps of Soul Howl. When Mira brought that topic up again, Solomon glared at another document.

「According to those documents, the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was an item obtainable after following a lot of steps, though they weren’t steps like gathering ingredients and making it, it was the reward of a really long quest, apparently.」

「Hmm… I remember hearing a lot of rumors about the Chalice, but so it was a quest item.」

There were many arguments about it back during the game era, though the most trusted theory said that it was the reward of some quest, and that the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was in the same league as artifacts.

「Calling it a quest item…is not quite correct.」

Solomon closed his eyes as he sorted his thoughts before continuing to speak.

「Apparently it’s a rather unique item that can’t really be classified as a crafted item, drop, or quest item.」

There really were no words to accurately describe what the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was, so Solomon began his explanation by throwing that fact out.

First, the chalice was an item obtainable after following a long and arduous process, but it was not to create or build one, it was completed after satisfying multiple conditions.

As for what those conditions were, most of them had not been deciphered yet, but the first steps were known now, so they called for Mira.

「So, what are those conditions?」

「The first condition, which also counts as gathering the basis for the Chalice, also has its own conditions, but it’s basically gathering the root of a sacred tree that is more than three thousand years old. The sacred tree of that age closest to us, or should I say, closest to the underground graveyard where Soul Howl was is in-」

「Past the Primal Forest. The elder of the Forest of Praying Children…I guess.」

Sacred Tree was a term used to refer to any tree that after living for long enough, had become able to house divine energy, and were revered as gods. There were multiple of those that were older than three thousand years throughout the continent, but it was a safe bet going to the closest one to the underground graveyard since it was hard to believe Soul Howl would go through the cumbersome task of going to another faraway land. Which meant going to the Forest of Praying Children on the southwest part of Arkite. The Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest was also in that area, which is why Solomon said it was just the perfect opportunity.

「That’s pretty much it. Since it’s the first condition he probably isn’t there anymore, but you might be able to find more traces of him, or maybe even learn something from the elder, which would put you right behind him.」

「Well, I guess so. Also, if you had told me about the Founding Seeds after I returned from visiting the elder, I would’ve gotten annoyed at you for not telling me earlier.」

「I’m aware of that much. Either way, we’ll need a few for our experiments, as well as some spares, so please bring around ten if you can.」

Since they were still experimenting, there was a chance the Founding Seeds would not be of use either, so Solomon settled for a more reasonable quantity. Still, Mira frowned hearing that number, feeling it would be a pain to get them, but it was hard to blame her. Even back during the game era Founding Seeds were very valuable, so trying to trade for one took a lot of courage even for top players. So no matter if she was one of the Nine Wisemen, Mira still felt reluctant having to gather so many.

「Such an unreasonable request…」

「If it makes you feel better, ever since I ran out of people with access to restricted areas I’ve been trying to buy up any I could find. But if you think it’ll take too many days to get them, just five would be enough.」

「Seriously… But alright, I’ll gather as many as I can.」

「Thank you, it’ll be a big help.」

Deciding it was the least she could do to thank him for her clothes, Mira decided to agree to it. Solomon thanked her and placed ten mythril coins in front of her.

「This is your budget for this mission. If you need anything during your travels, you can spend this for it. Or if you want, you can also spend it on a new replica. Since we’re in the capital now, you should be able to find replicas of even more signature outfits you used to wear apart from the robe.」

Saying that, Solomon laughed like a mischievous child. Seeing that, Mira finally understood what he meant when he said the replica suited her the day before.

「You knew about it but didn’t tell me anything.」

「Isn’t a pupil trying to look like her master a cute sight?」

「I don’t want to look like that!」

As she began talking back like that, they began a game of catch around the table. A third person would definitely think they looked like small children like that.

「Anyway, here, a small present.」

They laughed all the time they ran, and when they were done, Mira placed the Magic Sealing Stones she brought from the tower on the table. There were almost a hundred of them, so Solomon happily stashed them into a bag.

「Well, thank you so much, I should be fine having so many of these. You’re really a big help, is there anything I could give you in return?」

「Not really…though actually…」

Since Solomon was her good friend, there was no need to return the favor. But since he offered something, she had no reason to refuse either so she began thinking and came up with something.

「Maybe something like a small carriage, I think it was called a wagon? That Creos used to fly while being carried by Garuda. I really want to have one for myself. He told me the mechanics here made it.」

「One of those? Sure, sounds good, very good, I can easily make that happen. Do you have any requests about how it should look inside or any extra equipment?」

「Hmm, what should I ask for…」

Mira asked how much she could ask for, and Solomon explained to her the limits of what could be modified.

Then they spent around twenty minutes talking about it and they decided on the rough outline of the design. It would be made out of a strong material resistant to wind and rain, and the interior was going to be highly customized to Mira’s tastes.

At the end of their conversation, Mira found out that technological advances had evolved much more than she imagined, so the resulting wagon would be a sight to behold. In a way, it felt like they were talking about making a new secret base, so both of them got really into the conversation. Since they had spent a lot of time in a secret base in the past, that made it even harder for them to stop.

「I’m sure something really interesting will come out of this.」

「Mhm, I’ll be looking forward to it.」

The two grinned like innocent children looking at each other. Then they only discussed how long it would take to build it and how she would be notified about its completion, when Mira spoke again reminded of something.

「Speaking of which, a lot happened. I told Mariana, Litaria and Creos about my identity.」

「I see. I won’t pry too much, but I trust those three enough. Thanks for telling me.」

The aide Mariana and vice-elder Creos from the Tower of Summoning, and Luminaria’s aide Litaria. They were all trustworthy people without a shred of suspicion on them. Solomon approved of them, so he had no problem with Mira telling them, and also decided that he would contact them if he ever needed something related to Danbulf.

「Lord Solomon, it’s almost time.」

「Oh, got it.」

A man’s voice came from the other side of the door. Solomon walked up to the door and replied shortly while changing his tone of voice. There was still a lot of work left for him to do, and he had taken up to an hour off to have this secret meeting with Mira, so now he only had a few minutes before he had to continue working.

「Time sure flies by. Anyway, lastly, I want to give you this.」

「What’s this?」

Mira took the bundle of papers Solomon gave her and leafed through it.

「I don’t think you have one yet, so put it inside the Important tab, it encompasses all the territories around the country.」

「Okay, I’ll do that.」

The bundle of around ten pages was a map of the surroundings of Arkite Kingdom. The Forest of Praying Children she was headed to was also included in it.

Mira quickly put the map into the ‘Important’ tab of her Item Box, and tried opening the Map menu. On top of her bracelet, a map was displayed like a floating window.

「This will come in handy.」

「If you need more maps, stores in big cities should have them, so just buy some. Even if you know your way through most of the continent, there are still places that might change as you travel.」

Solomon began putting away all the papers lying on the table while he thought about the stories he heard from a former player that was living as an adventurer. It was hard to say that his life had been boring, being king for thirty years, but sometimes he still wished he could go out and go on adventurers himself. So one of his favorite pastimes was hearing stories from a former player who was aware of Solomon’s situation. Talking with Mira was also very enjoyable to him for the same reason.

「And one last thing, take this too.」

Solomon took out something from his pocket and showed it to Mira. It was a slab of metal with an intricate design carved into it, having the national emblem of Arkite shining in silver as well as the number nine, all surrounded by a ring.

「What’s this?」

Taking it into her hands and looking at it, she flipped it and saw a magic circle engraved on the underside, which made her tilt her head even more.

「Some type of Magic Ware?」

Mira thought that after seeing the magic circle, but Solomon shook his head.

「That’s a medal. You brought back leads on the whereabouts of Soul Howl, who is an essential personage for the country, so I’m conferring this award onto you.」

Saying that, Solomon placed his hand on top of the medal Mira was holding.

‘In the name of Solomon, thou shalt be granted this’

In reaction to his words, the magic circle engraved on the medal began glowing.

「That’s a Concept spell to transfer ownership. It serves as proof that I gave you the medal.」

「I see. I still feel like a medal is a bit too much though.」

「I’m also giving it to you since it signals that the Kingdom of Arkite recognizes your social position, which should be of use to you. In your next mission, you might have to prove your rank to access certain information or enter certain places, and you should be permitted to most of it by showing this medal.」

「Ohh, there was also such a reason. I’ll make good use of it then.」

Mira fiddled with the medal as she nodded satisfied with that reason.

「Well then, have a safe trip! I’m looking forward to your souvenirs.」

「Mm, I’ll be going then.」

Mira had met Takuto and the Écarlate Carillon guild in her trip to Caranach. Now Solomon was curious what would happen to her in her next mission as he watched, with only a bit of jealousy, how she walked away with a grandiose gait while her silver hair swayed behind her.

(Should I also try using a Vanity Case…)

「Lord Solomon, the envoy from Alispharius has arrived.」

「I’ll be there in a moment.」

As he replied, his earlier demeanor akin to a child vanished and he regained the countenance of someone who spent thirty years as king.

(Well, I can’t just abandon my duties though.)

Solomon held the documents under his arm and left the room that was now shrouded in silence.