Chapter 147
x0kEo— They say the head of the Dominic Guild knows a smelting method for a metal comparable to adamantium!LKANeZq
7xo— And that, on top of that, it can be mass-produced easily, in an amount sufficient to heavily equip ten thousand soldiers!2Egz
mV8cEtThe conversation that Lucian and Dominic had spread in the blink of an eye throughout the entire north.lirR0
AxDSvvIt was news far too shocking to be dismissed outright as mere merchant bragging.ThbwvUq
f7jgYDZWhat kind of metal was adamantium? The king of metals, so absurdly hard that its extraction and smelting required an enormous amount of time and cost.n6Vjb
OZ8X47iDue to the difficulty of mining it, regardless of how many veins existed, the annual amount that could be extracted never exceeded a certain limit.zXdWpB
8RjTAnd now they were saying that there existed a metal comparable to adamantium that could be mass-produced as easily as pulling something out of a field.Ms5oR
UDEp9Xb“He’s gone mad. Has Dominic become senile with age?”lWz
9tJbJ“One should know how to exaggerate in moderation. A smelting method comparable to adamantium?”WGHl
Ia3gBc“But if it were true, wouldn’t it be a discovery capable of shaking the entire continent?”5UtgUx
vhH6“I don’t think a magnate of Dominic’s level would make something like that up for no reason.”KuVr
LqfThe attention of the entire north focused all at once on Asagrim.vh60G
8UK2OqIf, even one time in a thousand, Dominic’s words turned out to be true, it was not a matter that could be taken lightly.b7G0
W4LULucian had already brought with him, from beyond the tundra, an enormous number of giants.AqIje
mpMVOEven with ordinary equipment, that alone would already be a colossal force. But if they were additionally armed with equipment on the level of adamantium?k9N5NCU
01rzTJIt was no exaggeration to say that he would obtain power sufficient to conquer the entire north without anyone finding it strange.bIfXL
BGweIn other words, the lord who managed to recruit Dominic could make that force his own.pReOS
TNFyU1‘Even if he has incurred the duke’s resentment, if he delivers the promised amount, he’ll soon be set free.’01P
qsfC5H‘At that moment, I’ll have to approach him before anyone else and secure him.’FVMAnb
5LHZvv‘If only I could get my hands on a manufacturing method for a metal equivalent to adamantium…’BDHXikg
dOfYMnYWhile the lords of the north watched Asagrim with various hidden schemes, Lucian made no visible move.ICh3r
Cms3YHe merely kept watch over the members of the tribes who had settled there and waited silently until the promised date with Dominic arrived.H9tZvQ
4MhrOf course, he was closely following the movements of the other lords as well, so he understood perfectly what was going through each of their minds.5U3
QbYCpX“You can hear the drool dripping all the way over here. And that’s without it even being confirmed whether what that guy says is true or not.”uMA
nja1R8“That’s true, but what do you plan to do if Dominic really brings a metal comparable to adamantium?”QoAYHm
Yjf5“What’s the problem? Are you worried I’ll forgive him?”vDWi
jRjJ1jF“On the contrary. I’m worried that Your Highness will ignore its value and kill him.”OL0
oTjltGHans looked at Lucian with a serious expression.uBTU
jXc1ldn“Your Highness, if that man truly fulfills his promise, you need not worry about me. I may come from humble origins, but I at least know that, for the sake of a greater cause, there are lesser things that must be overlooked.”C1Rg
Bpoz“So you want me to forgive him if he really brings a metal of that level?”6n7mX
oVtBYu“Your Highness has taken that man by his weak point. In other words, you have obtained the opportunity to subdue him before anyone else. Do not let such a chance slip away just because you are worried about someone like me.”TKKDEa
W3O1At Hans’s sincere advice, Lucian formed a bitter smile. He was glad for his vassal’s clear and unreserved loyalty, but at the same time it pained him to see how he belittled himself.ua7WC
IK0Even more so when he placed the value of a mere merchant like Dominic above his own.ZMkt5S
dtFTv“I understand what you mean. But that won’t happen. That man won’t be able to fulfill what he promised.”9WrA
4x5FR“From what I’ve heard, the Dominic Guild is already transporting black, gleaming metal ingots here…”OBA
Flfu7Rn“The fact that someone displays their result with such confidence does not necessarily mean that the result itself is genuine.”BEA8PPB
ZSdEH9“How can you be so sure?”hCzy
PouPiHans found it difficult to understand Lucian’s certainty. After all, it was the Dominic Guild, one of the most renowned major merchant groups on the continent. It wasn’t that they lacked capability.8paSCM
pbMDHn5That Lucian harbored not even the slightest expectation struck him as strange.7y5
UhBkrZ8Facing Hans’s gaze filled with doubt, Lucian smiled faintly.dadB
ozU9Qu“Because I think I more or less know what kind of metal that bastard is going to bring.”VB7
rR7“Huh?”v9nCygw
ZJd1“Since we’ve come this far, I’ll tell you an interesting fact.”Mv5I7xE
5G7v9Lucian stepped closer and whispered into Hans’s ear.llvVw0m
izq“The metal he’ll bring, so full of confidence, will turn to dust in less than ten minutes.”ce4OV
Bh2S“…!?”n9i0C
rTCj3***CyVHPf
X4inLOn the agreed day to reveal the metal ingot, Dominic appeared before Lucian with an expression brimming with confidence.KXMx
gB8gzuThen, holding with the utmost care one of the many black-gloss ingots he had brought, he presented it respectfully.Q9RHW2M
fGFYCn“Your Highness, here is the metal comparable to adamantium that I promised you earlier.”IGaxV
lY2Z“Hmm.”8vAZ9
4geQLucian received the black-gloss ingot with an indifferent gesture.WKi3xO
BXkAside from its dark color, it did not look very different from an ordinary steel ingot.bqtQMV
cln“It is an alloy called tenebrium. I cannot reveal the method or proportions of its manufacture, but it undoubtedly possesses a resistance comparable to that of adamantium.”KcEWgV
5Xgl“The name sounds imposing. Did you also bring equipment made from this metal?”fcIDq4
UsYO8“Of course.”REh
zc32At Dominic’s snap of his fingers, some workers approached from behind carrying several items—a cuirass, a sword, and a spear, all in the same dark tone as the tenebrium.tZKwL
nq3V1Lucian gave them a quick glance and then turned his head to the side.6ai
ZZu“Hugo. Test it.”ffpn
Ttcz“Yes.”zg3P
mYre50mHugo stepped forward without hesitation, drew his sword, reinforced his body with mana, and then unleashed a slash with all his strength against the cuirass placed to the side.uY6f5l
GgfM1It was a strike accompanied by a sword technique; had it been an ordinary cuirass, it would have been split cleanly in two without question.VTO
rJqN4iClang!Oc8G4tE
Pb8i9q“…!”pNFvUI
iErThe sword rebounded with a loud clang upon colliding with the cuirass. Even Hugo, who had wielded the weapon, was taken aback by the unexpected hardness.ErWH
Ldnbyr4Before the astonished gazes of everyone present, Dominic smiled smugly.S49O
J1S0V“I told you. It has resistance comparable to adamantium. Unless it is attacked with a metal of equal hardness, an ordinary sword won’t leave even a scratch.”ZGJquE9
erLIm“Hugo. This time, use the sword brought by the head of the Dominic Guild.”fiFA
bG4Q“Ah… yes!”ibQGmvS
kdufwIgnoring Dominic’s explanation, Lucian issued the order once more.KgxoY9X
hVEkHugo, still bewildered, obeyed faithfully. With the exact same force as before, the black blade struck the cuirass.Qs0RJA
U8KDSCCraack!sUsHsn9
JCHk1ga“Huh!”KBrS2V
JXmJI6GAt the sight of the blade embedded halfway into the cuirass, gasps were heard everywhere. That result could only occur if both metals had very similar hardness.DrD
6y5qHaving demonstrated the resistance of tenebrium, Dominic bowed his head with a relaxed expression.81XY4
MYhJC“If you wish, you may subject it to any tests you like.”UIjEeo
Jd4tX“No, there’s no need. It’s impressive resistance. I don’t know if it reaches the level of adamantium, but at the very least it’s on the next tier.”YuVBZW
eAnUWw“For Your Highness to say that is—”TeRd
1w8p0k“However.”gQ3
9mTLucian interrupted Dominic and tapped the tenebrium ingot lightly.anJr
fkLZu0f“In my opinion, there is a serious flaw. Head of the Dominic Guild, you aren’t hiding something from me, are you?”MaWfW
jCr5kUnder Lucian’s sharp gaze, Dominic shuddered.3DIkFf
efh17FDid he know something about tenebrium?ZlcSjlj
EopcTqn‘No… that’s impossible.’RLQhe
BcHDominic immediately rejected the thought that crossed his mind.e4US
61PNCHe was the only one who knew the method of manufacturing tenebrium. At most, there had been three others who knew it, and all three had already passed on.q8i
DVbBUe‘He’s probing me. He’s pretending to have noticed a hidden secret to try to shake me.’6qk53zt
rRqkwTtFor his age, that young noble was skilled, but he was still far from being able to unsettle Dominic.BuWqSb
fCm7That kind of psychological warfare was something Dominic had experienced to excess throughout his life.0bG8k
0xBFIhConvinced of Lucian’s intent, Dominic denied it firmly.pB4UQ
JjN933“How could I hide a product defect from Your Highness? Moreover, tenebrium is the object with which I seek to have my sins forgiven. Tampering with something like that would be the same as defiling my own soul.”YFEOS7V
4SSrXD8“Oh, really?”yXc
1UIAt Dominic’s words, spoken without the slightest hint of shame, Lucian let out a small chuckle and gave an order to one of the servants.S7Ngbn
iAf1“Bring a large container filled with salt water. It must be large enough to completely submerge this cuirass.”tqW
Hn3Gxp“…!?”2YXK5
tllUpon hearing “salt water,” a chilling shiver ran down Dominic’s spine. Of all possible things, salt water?jqNkEA
nXCcdxRealizing that something was wrong, Dominic awkwardly opened his mouth.zokK
AqQk“Y-Your Excellency…”pdFB
tvJNFS“Shut up.”Iksgb
FKVCadGLucian cut him off with a sharp command, making it clear that he had no intention of listening to excuses.vtcF0
6jU5VWhile Dominic could only move his lips without a sound, the large container filled with salt water was made ready.TbF9L2Y
SQt6i“It’s ready, Your Highness.”vGtmNc3
cruA“Submerge the cuirass in the salt water.”LRF
xp20X“Eh? A-ah… yes!”sKnuoIh
toKAt the unexpected order, the servants, though confused, submerged the cuirass. The onlookers tilted their heads in bewilderment.9rZCJ5A
E7REThat metal being vulnerable to salt was something that only happened after prolonged exposure. Submerging it for an instant shouldn’t cause anything. What was he doing?wjG
JZ6jZKFortunately, the doubt did not last long.kWc
OxKoIKCrshhh.bj5uIV
yFMf“E-eh?”5XR3p
xva“The armor is crumbling!”m5Y
YmBeJust as someone shouted, the cuirass began to fall apart little by little within the salt water.PGV8Y
oU0gIt was impossible to believe that it was made of the same material that, moments earlier, had stopped a knight’s sword.TSrDr20
1SefSbnIn less than ten minutes, the cuirass was completely disintegrated and dispersed in the water.Y17YIU
SGJR“Put the rest of the equipment in as well.”59XDWlP
4bnt“Yes!”9wBWAy
EBLIqThe servants began to place the remaining pieces Dominic had brought into the container one by one.dgF6NG
wZlqLike the cuirass, all of them crumbled with almost ridiculous ease just from being in contact with the salt water.n4Ulpl
vHGAfter watching all the equipment dissolve, Lucian spoke in a voice laden with mockery.umH
ADIlZ“It dissolves quite nicely. And this is a metal comparable to adamantium?”wOJ7
T57Luwv“Y-Your Highness…!”NJQE
FYRtUDominic, pale as wax, trembled uncontrollably with his forehead pressed to the ground.YK6a8
p30xSeeing that they would get no explanation from him, the gazes naturally turned toward Lucian.95z
FB2u“Your Highness, what does this mean?”BYmvN4
AMGO“Black magic.”3TwHox
pft2yjQ“Black magic?”5yVPzr
OBVk“Within black magic, there is a spell that absorbs life force and infuses it into other objects or beings to temporarily reinforce them. That was the trick he used.”eiTy
jUGM68“That’s not true!”p2uxXv
ganmTHgA desperate cry escaped Dominic’s lips.HLuZ
az28ONNYes, he had used magic. Magic from the school of metal, which extracts energy from the earth and transfers it to other minerals.XQ1lf
70X2A mineral infused with terrestrial energy increases its hardness in proportion to the amount infused, but after a certain time it returns to its original strength.mu4s
LxLU2It was only that kind of magic! Black magic that absorbs life force?0I9dP
dfb“I-It’s true that I used magic, but not black magic! Why… why would I use black magic…?”SsTv
dqPhS“That’s what I want to know. Why did you resort to black magic, knowing perfectly well what kind of monsters black mages are?”oLlMT
Cgd“Your Highness!”4F7RLFw
Ce2QmWhen Dominic tried to protest once more, he stopped short upon seeing the smile that formed on Lucian’s lips.YrRK9M
NJ8dDWhy was Lucian so convinced that he had used black magic? Even without resorting to it, there were countless spells capable of producing similar effects, even if only temporarily.KgF
vdBb1D‘Don’t tell me…’RRfN
19qM9What if that mention of black magic was not due to a misunderstanding? What if, even knowing it was ordinary magic, Lucian was deliberately trying to brand him as a black mage?Ad20
hy9When that thought occurred to him, Dominic felt every hair on his body stand on end.Roz
3BsLon‘He caught me.’xz45Pjc
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