Chapter 258 – The Secret of the Collars

I was a bit embarrassed, so I tried to explain it off quickly,

「Well…I am a member of the magician’s guild, but I really have no special connections.」

「Steff might be a better choice after all.」

「But, I’m still a very low ranked magician.」

「Even so, you’re paying your dues, right?」

「Ah…yes. I pay them.」

「Well, normal people would. It’s common sense.」

Luka said, and looked at me as if to say I had none.

Yureena looked at me too, and laughed a bit, and then looked at Cruz.

「Well, perhaps we should make it as a request from the marquis and the hero Cruz.」

「We should?」

Cruz looked confused, but Yureena was right. It was just as she said.

Cruz was a marquis and a regional ruler. She was certainly a higher noble.

The magician’s guild would be happy to give a favor to a noble like her, that could reciprocate when needed.

That would be a far better approach then some ghost member who never paid his dues.

Hearing this, Cruz said.

「Well, I guess that I’ll be off to the magician’s guild tomorrow.」

「Please…sorry to be a bit of a disappointment as a magician.」

「No, Al! It’s no problem.」

「It might be a problem if I tag along… so take Steff along with you.」

「M…me?」

Steff was surprised.

「Yeah, we SHOULD probably send someone that’s at least recognized by the magician’s guild.」

「I see…」

「Yeah, just as Al says. Steff, can you come with me?」

「If you don’t mind me going…」

「Thanks. Well, then I’ll go tomorrow.」

And saying that Cruz shook Steff’s hand.

A little too hard, as Steff’s arm flailed in the air.

Seeing this, I took the magic collar that had been on the higher nature spirit’s neck.

「Vi-Vi, take a look at this.」

「Hm, what is it, Al?」

「Vallimie, you too.」

「Sure. You can ask anything.」

「Look at this.」

I showed the collar to the two girls.

「This was put on the nature spirit to control it.」

「What are its effects.」

「Controlling the spirit and forcing it to summon Jack Frosts.」

「…I see.」

Vi-Vi gazed closely with a serious look.

Vallimie did the same.

Vallimie was the one that taught Vi-Vi, after all.

She was an expert at magic circles.

「This circle engraved into this collar. It looks like the ones used to control magical beasts.」

「Yeah, very close.」

They gazed over it again, and Vi-Vi said.

「Whoever did this is quite good.」

「Really?」

「They have a deep knowledge of devil magical systems.」

「They do?」

「Yes, look here. The way this circle’s script is shortened…it’s very much like a devil’s magical circle.」

I didn’t really know what she was talking about, but since she was quite knowledgeable, I just nodded.

「What do you think, sis?」

「Hm, I think you’re right, Vi-Vi.」

「So you think this guy knows devil magic?」

「Seems so…however…」

「Is there something you noticed, sis?」

「Even though it’s devil magic…it’s very old.」

「Old…how old do you mean?」

I asked, and Vallimie seemed to be lost in thought.

「…well…old enough that I can’t exactly say.」

「A hundred years or two?」

「No more…more like a thousand or two. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was older.」

After hearing her opinion, I asked Luka,

「Do you know a spirit magician with knowledge of old scripts?」

She was an excellent student in magical beasts and ancient texts.

She also knew how to research ancient magic.

「I’ve never heard of one…but if we search we may find one.」

「Okay.」

「Let me take a look.」

「Thanks.」

There was very little evidence of the person that summoned this nature spirit that endangered all of Cruz’ realm.

All we knew is that it was possible a beast-human and a male…at least that’s what we were told by the nature spirit.

In addition, Vallimie told us that the person was very good in ancient devil magic.

That they knew the old systems.

At least our search was finally progressing.

「Steff, do you know anyone like that?」

「Well, it’s rare to meet beast-humans that use magic. I don’t know anyone.」

Hearing this, Timi said,

「When Steff went to fight me, she used spirit magic, right? Can you summon nature spirits?」

「That was just a chant though…」

「Hm…Al, is that right?」

「No, that is one form of spirit magic.」

「Hah! I knew it!」

You put power into a spirit, and it materializes in this world to help you.

So I guess it is spirit magic.

「However, even if it were called spirit magic, we’re dealing with someone that can interact with those spirits directly.」

「Hm…」

「They can enslave a spirit, and force the spirit to use its own magic.」

「So the offender would use the collars to force the spirits to use their magic?」

「Yeah. But the use of collars like this is quite rare.」

Usually you control things with magic. But that doesn’t control the strongest of natural spirits.

You can only usually control the weaker ones, and only briefly.

The kind of chanting that Steff did to employ a lesser spirit…any magician worth his salt could do that.

A simple chanter couldn’t achieve whatever this mysterious magician was doing.

「Tomorrow, I’ll take a look around. Please join me, Steff.」

「I’d be glad to.」

「I’ll check around too.」Luka said.

「And I see what I can find.」Yureena said.

It was great to have a group of girls willing to help like they did.