Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 122

Episode 122: Relic Exploration Team (2)

Leiban looked at Verden.

'The client is much younger than I thought.'

At most, they're in their late 20s?

Judging by its appearance alone, it looks quite unusual.

'Your skin is white and smooth, so I don't think it's a test.'

And he's not a wizard either.

Even though I tried to guess the mood, I couldn't figure out the magic power.

It's probably one of the two.

Among the common people, there are those who are born with extremely low magical powers or are wizards similar to or greater than Rivahn.

Of course, the latter is unlikely.

Even Raven had reached this level after a lifetime of effort, so it was hard to imagine that a young boy with such a young face could be at a similar level.

Surely it's not a talent on the level of a top player.

A child of a noble or wealthy family.

They will probably be the type of customers that are no different from usual.

That's what Leiban judged Verden.

“I am Lyban Crusoe, and I am honored to be the leader of the explorers. And this is Hans Deichel.”

“Hans Deichel.”

Verden also introduced himself.

“My name is Asher.”

“Nice to meet you, Asher.”

The three sat at one table.

Ferné brought them a drink and left the room without disturbing them.

Liban, who had been briefly shaking his head, opened his mouth.

“Then before we get into the real story, let me explain the methods of the relic exploration team. It’s not something that’s legally defined, but relic exploration is something that can easily be misunderstood.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Hans, please.”

Hans pushed up his glasses.

“Ahem, most people who lack common sense disparage the exploration of ruins as mere luck and labor. Idiots who think that if they search uninhabited places, they will find something…….”

“Leave out the extra parts.”

“Oh, yes. Anyway, that’s obviously wrong. After all, relics and artifacts are just the products of the past.”

Basically, each relic or site that is likely to be valuable has its own story.

It is also the history of the past. As long as history is not lost, anything that originated from humans will always be recorded.

It is human and biological instinct to want to leave one's mark.

“An exploration team of our size understands vast amounts of history regardless of continental location. Naturally, the same goes for the patterns surrounding artifacts and ruins.”

pattern.

'Explorers' can figure out what kind of thing a particular artifact is from its shape, and also discover relics related to that artifact.

They have learned all the characteristics of the ruins that exist in the world and can roughly infer their locations based on terrain, landmarks, and even cultural characteristics of related history.

The time saved by this is incomparable to that of other relic exploration teams.

Raiban took out a piece of paper from his bosom. It was a drawing of the relic that Fernet had drawn.

“And judging by the pattern, this artifact seems to have been used as a key, a signal, or something to seal something. I can’t say for sure until I see the actual thing, but based on our accumulated knowledge and experience, it’s definitely one of the three things mentioned above.”

Raiban pushed the picture towards Verden.

Now that I have given a bit of an explanation, I would like to see the relic.

Then Verden said,

“I heard from you last time that the explorers know about this artifact. I’d like to hear about it before I show you the actual thing.”

Raven nodded.

Hans, his nose twitching, crossed his arms and opened his mouth.

“To be more precise, I don’t know the history of the relic itself. Instead, I know about the relic exploration team that was commissioned to investigate the relic in the past.”

past?

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

'Is the Ark candidate involved?'

That might be the case.

Since the ark wouldn't have kindly guided you to the location, it's highly likely that he gave you an artifact that could help you find the tomb of the Demon King and told you to find it.

That too could be called a trial.

In that case, just like Verden, he would have made the request through the relic exploration team.

“Where is that expedition team?”

“That’s the crux of this expedition. Of course, I can’t tell you. Not until we sign the contract.”

That's the point.

Judging from the fact that he is not speaking rashly, it probably means that if we just find out the whereabouts of the relic exploration team, we can find the ruins related to the relic.

Even if you are not a professional relic explorer.

“Then can I look at the relics now?”

"great."

Verden nodded.

He took out the relic of the Demon King from his space bag and showed it to Raiban. Hans stood up and examined the relic together with Raiban.

“An oval-shaped blue sapphire. And the brass-colored metal wraps around its center like a ring… It’s a very unique shape. There are fine letters engraved on the metal, but I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“The level of craftsmanship is also very high. Judging from the fact that the inside is transparent, it doesn’t seem to be sealing something. There’s no magic circle or rune, and nothing is engraved on the sapphire itself, so it’s unlikely to be a signal that reacts when you approach the relics.”

“Then it might be the key to open the ruins.”

Leibniz and Hans had a heated conversation.

Verden looked at them blankly.

'Fortunately, you don't recognize me.'

Rather, it is good.

Verden doesn't trust the relic exploration team before his eyes.

If I knew that this relic was related to the Demon King, something troublesome might happen.

We only know the movements of the related relic exploration team.

For Verden, not knowing the identity of the relic was a matter of utmost importance.

Two people observed the relic for a while.

He nodded as if he had already reached a conclusion.

“Based on a rough interpretation, this seems highly likely to be a key. And since it doesn’t show any characteristics of countries that existed in the past, it must have been created by an individual. I don’t know who it is, but it’s definitely not an ordinary person.”

I guess so.

Because it is none other than the relic of the Demon King.

Liban continued speaking.

“And the letters on this metal ring seem to indicate its location. I think I can find it if I decipher this… but it seems like it’ll take a long time.”

“How long does it take?”

“If I’m lucky, it’ll take a year. On average, it’ll take about three years. Since it’s a text I’ve never seen before, I’ll have to go through a lot of trial and error to interpret it.”

That's all for the interpretation alone.

“Then how long would it take to follow the relic exploration team’s tracks?”

Raiban smiled at that question.

“It won’t even take half that long. Plus, you’ll save a ton of effort and money that you would have otherwise spent.”

A tone of speech that is almost confident.

Berden, who had been locking eyes with Raven for a moment, opened his mouth.

“Can I take a look at the contract?”

“As much as you want.”

Hans quickly took out the contract and writing utensil and placed them in front of Verden.

“It’s a standard contract that’s usually used. Since both royalty and nobles sign contracts like this, there shouldn’t be any clauses that would make you feel uncomfortable.”

Verden glanced over the contract.

Then his gaze suddenly stopped. He pointed to the seventh item.

“During the contract period, the authority over the relics will be transferred to the ‘Explorers’ of the relic exploration team……. Is that what I understand correctly?”

“Huh? That’s right. It’s only natural to keep the relics by your side to speed up the exploration. Think of it as lending them to you for a while. Oh, I understand what you’re worried about. You’re probably thinking about the possibility of someone stealing the relics and running away.”

Raven stroked his chin.

“We explorers are neither thieves nor thieves. I swear on my beliefs as a wizard that such a thing will not happen. Do you believe me now? If so, please sign quickly.”

It's faith.

Verden answered with a blank expression.

“I refuse.”

* * *

You want to borrow an artifact?

'That's funny.'

It didn't matter if the other party was a famous relic exploration team or something. To others, fame would be an indicator of trust, but not to Verden.

The refusal, without even a shred of hesitation, left Raven speechless for a moment.

“……You don’t trust us?”

“Should I believe it?”

The explorers.

Their achievements are unparalleled compared to other exploration teams. They are truly proven people.

But I never thought you would say no so firmly.

It's been so long since I've seen something like this that I was momentarily dazed.

Hans glared.

“You want me to interpret the relics, but you don’t want to hand them over? Are you kidding me right now……”

“Wait a minute, Hans. It’s okay. I’ll talk.”

Ahem.

Raiban cleared his throat and cleared his mind.

“Well, if you don’t know much about this industry, it’s natural that you wouldn’t trust it. If you don’t even know what value the relic holds, it would be difficult to readily hand it over to someone else.”

but.

“Our explorers have never broken a commission since our founding. We have never once acted against the wishes of a client. If you investigate a little, you will see that what I say is true. So why not trust us and lend us the artifact? I guarantee that it will not lead to meaningless results.”

But Verden's answer was the same.

“I refuse.”

“How dare you……!”

bang!

After repeated rejections, Hans stood up.

I feel insulted.

I thought I was being polite, but I didn't expect to hear such a rude response. I activated the magic circuit to briefly fix the mess.

Hans' magical power took over the surroundings.

But of course, Verden could not be intimidated.

Raiban, who witnessed that, opened his eyes wide.

'Ignoring Hans's magic?'

Hans bit his molars and gradually increased the intensity of his pressure, but Verden still did not react. It was as if his magical power was not even worth worrying about.

'Could it be a wizard… …?'

It is clear that this is beyond Hans' level.

And since Rivaan didn't notice, it could be seen that he had reached a similar level. Rivaan couldn't hide his embarrassment at that fact.

Verden looked at him through his cold eyes.

'I don't know about anything else, but I can't accept this clause.'

The relic of the Demon King.

What would happen if Raivan found out the identity of the relic?

He is a fifth-tier wizard. What's more, he is from the Magic Tower.

He could run away, completely ignoring the trust the expedition team had built up in the past. No, he would definitely run away. The possibility of such a thing happening must be completely ruled out.

'By the way… … .'

Hans is casting a magical power that is not working.

It's starting to get annoying.

Hwaaaaak!

Verden focused his magical power on Hans for a moment. In an instant, Hans' magical power dispersed and he was dealt a considerable shock.

"omg!"

Hans, startled, fell to the floor. His face was blank, as if he didn't know what had happened because it had been so brief.

Raiban, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“……Excuse me. I didn’t know the famous wizard.”

There are magical items in the world that can hide your appearance.

There are also artifacts that prevent aging, and there are similar spells in black magic.

Although rare, there certainly exist strong people who hide their appearance.

'That Asher guy must be one of those people.'

Raven was convinced.

Of course, Verden was the same age as he looked, but there was no reason to correct the misunderstanding. Rather, it seemed like it would be convenient for negotiations, so it would be the right choice to use him.

“Please be generous and forgive Hans. He is still an inexperienced wizard.”

“I don’t mind. I’d rather talk about the terms of the contract.”

If it was the original Liban, I wouldn't accept it. If exceptions keep popping up and rumors spread, future contract negotiations will become very troublesome.

But the initiative has already been taken away.

The existence of a relic I have never seen before. Because of this, a contract is essential.

If possible, they should make a contract that would be advantageous to the explorers… … but the opponent was a powerful wizard whose identity was hidden. Rivahn had a feeling that he would never be treated leniently.

Raven swallowed.

He was nervous now.

“……Please tell me.”