Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 284

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 284 – The Story of the Black Dragon and the Elder Lich’s Master

“That’s abrupt. Honestly, I thought we’d start with the Red Dragon.”

Ain replied, though truthfully, it was one of the things he wanted to hear about the most.

Another question arose: Would the Red Dragon eat magic stones and grow rapidly?

“To us, the Red Dragon is just a flying red lizard. Or would you be more interested in this one?”

“…I have many thoughts, but I’m more interested in the Black Dragon.”

Ultimately, he wanted to know about the mysterious Black Dragon.

He hadn’t fought the Red Dragon either, but Sylvia had defeated it effortlessly.

This meant that even Ain would be able to handle it.

Ain and Chris both sat back, taking deep breaths and calming their breathing almost simultaneously.

Chris glanced out the window for just an instant and saw the night view of the former capital suddenly blanketed in a blizzard.

“First, well… take a look at this.”

Sylvia conjured a black mist from the void.

Her staff slowly materialized from within the mist and eventually hovered motionless in the air before settling onto the table.

“I doubt you’ve ever really looked at it before, but this is my staff.”

Now that she mentioned it, it was true. It gave the impression of nothing more than a large staff.

Thinking it was a good opportunity, Ain took a closer look at it. It was entirely black yet knotty, like a tree branch.

But that was all. He couldn’t muster any special feelings about it nor did it evoke the same sensation he’d felt when he saw Cain’s greatsword.

“This staff hasn’t done anything special. I acquired it long ago in the west of this continent. It’s been just like this since I found it.”

“So, it hasn’t been processed or anything?”

“Yes, I only cleaned the surface.”

Why now? He found it strange that she showed him the staff, but Ain wasn’t slow on the uptake.

While his emotions could sway him depending on the time and situation, he remained calm for now.

As he quietly studied the staff, he had the same feeling he’d had when he saw the sea dragon’s bone.

“Could it be that the staff was made from a black dragon’s bone? No, is it actually the bone itself?”

As if she had imagined the same thing, Sylvia gave a startled look but nodded slightly.

After a few breaths, Sylvia gave an ambiguous reply.

“Probably. But it’s more than just bone; perhaps it’s a horn?”

“…I never imagined it could be a natural magical artifact. I’ve never seen one before either.”

Chris couldn’t help but let out a surprised exclamation.

“Fufu, really? I think Ain-kun, who remains in the Royal Capital of Heim, is a similar existence.”

Ain chuckled awkwardly, even though it was about himself.

Hearing that, he wondered if he should burn it if it was not needed.

He resolved to consult Warren and Krone about it eventually.

“The reason I thought this was a black dragon’s horn is that I’ve heard black dragons are monsters with properties similar to mine.”

They belonged to the dragon species, but it was said that they draw their power from magic.

There was another reason for calling it similar in nature.

“Monsters primarily store magic power in magic stones. Beyond that, the standard practice is to use body parts for attack methods or the hardest, safest spot on their body.”

“So for a black dragon, that spot corresponds to the horn, right?”

“Yes, sea dragons are different, but for most dragonkin, the horns are the most robust part.”

That explained why it was the horns.

What remained was how it could be definitively identified as a black dragon.

“Finally, about how I knew it was a black dragon. This staff was just too compatible with me. Maybe that’s why?”

“…What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Fufu. A staff that suits an undead creature like me? Well, its material has to be undead, too.”

“Huh? Black dragons are undead?”

“Black dragons are the only undead dragon species, or so I heard from my former master. Well, she disappeared after I grew up though…”

Why did she always bring up things that made Ain curious?

Elder Lich Sylvia. Ain can’t help but wonder about this “master” of hers.

But first things first: the Black Dragon.

“Shall we get back to the point? What I wanted to tell you is that Black Dragons are troublesome creatures. Even in my thousand years of travel, I’ve never encountered a better material.”

“In other words, it’s powerful?”

Seeing her nod, Chris and Ain exchanged glances, their expressions hardening.

A thousand years was an incredible history.

“Do you know the legend, Sylvia-san? ‘The crimson dragon bathed in gold shall ascend to become the black dragon that paints the heavens pitch black.’”

“Of course. After all, I taught it to Mar-kun. Actually, it continues, ‘Then offering the power of battle-hardened undead,’ but I heard that part from my master, too.”

“…Ah, yes. I see.”

This didn’t surprise him anymore. It was hardly news that Sylvia left behind so much history.

The Crimson Jewel of the Earth was one example, but he couldn’t help feeling that there’s a deeper connection.

“Transcend into a Black Dragon. No, ‘evolve’ might be a better word. The melted gold transforms into a magic-imbued bath, and the Red Dragon, freed from its physical form by that bath, is—”

“You mean the Black Dragon? Even so, it’s amazing your master knew all that.”

Sylvia nodded, continuing as if lost in nostalgia.

“I don’t know if it’s true, but she said she once defeated the Black Dragon during the continent’s purge. Maybe this staff’s original owner was the Black Dragon my master defeated.”

“Your master sounds far more formidable than I imagined…”

Come to think of it, Sylvia’s master couldn’t possibly be ordinary.

On the contrary, someone this extraordinary felt just right.

“I heard from Chris-san that you’re also concerned about the Red Dragon growing larger.”

“Yes, actually, that’s correct.”

“Give it up. There’s no way to stop it.”

It was half-expected, but Ain still slumped his shoulders.

Gathering magic stones was far too easy.

Regulating their sale in shops was nearly impossible. Even if it were possible, it would feel like a futile effort.

“It’ll take at least several months for it to grow that large. The realistic approach is to identify it within that timeframe and send pursuers.”

“That’s true, but we haven’t been able to track their movements.”

Ain also wanted to send pursuers.

Her advice made perfect sense, but they lacked the necessary information to act on it.

“No, their final destination is certain. These days, areas with lava are limited to just a few places.”

“Lava?”

“It’s the same place I found this staff—the western side of the continent.”

“—Ain-sama! According to what Mouton-dono said…”

Chris suddenly recalled a conversation from just the other day.

“Mouton-san? Mouton-san… Ah!”

His words came back to him. “They say that, way back when, there was a massive volcano out west. That’s why the remnants are still there, with gems buried underground.”

At that moment, Sylvia’s words connected with that story.

Though Mouton hadn’t said it, Sylvia had mentioned that the lava still slumbered there.

“B-but! The reason it needs to be lava…”

“Where else could you melt mountains of gold? Where else could you keep it from cooling? Magic might help, but human strength alone can’t handle it.”

“I see… So that’s why it has to be lava.”

Though there was only one location, they were able to pinpoint a critical spot.

That alone made visiting Sylvia worthwhile.

With this glimmer of hope, light finally returned to Ain’s face.

“The lava there is unique. There used to be many volcanoes, but nowhere else reaches temperatures higher than that place.”

Exposing that lava would likely require tremendous effort.

Not even those in the dragon-worshipping robes would find it easy.

“But Ain-sama. There’s still a possibility that the goal was achieved with the red dragon’s revival…”

The robed ones worked purely for the sake of red dragon worship.

The black dragon might be an example of Ain and the others acting hastily.

“Hmm. It might be possible, but still—”

“Arara… Chris-san, I don’t think that’s possible at all.”

Sylvia gave a wry smile and suddenly stroked Chris’ head.

At this soothing gesture, Chris gaped at her, mouth agape.

“The men in robes tried to take Ain-kun’s sword, right?”

“Yes. I was on guard duty, and that did happen.”

“…Chris, Please don’t sulk.”

Perhaps because her attire was different from usual, she looked less dignified and rather cute.

But to Ain, it was nothing but a wry smile.

“I think I mentioned it earlier, but there’s this thing about offering the power of battle-hardened undead. They knew that, so they probably tried to get Ain-kun’s sword.”

It made sense.

Using Living Armor material wasn’t a secret.

The reason they didn’t target Cain or Sylvia also made sense, given the past Demon Lord incident.

Making them offer their power was quintessentially undead.

(Leonard mentioned that other items were needed for the ritual. So that’s what he meant—the materials from battle-hardened undead…)

Several pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place.

They were trying to formally summon the entity known as the Black Dragon.

What remained was the purpose of the dragon worshippers.

(There’s no way I could know that. For now, I only need to focus on stopping them.)

In fact, if he could stop them, he couldn’t care less about their motives.

Saying he didn’t care was an exaggeration, but he hadn’t lost sight of what mattered most.

Having come to terms with many things, Ain abruptly stood up.

“I’m sorry. I’ve got something I need to think about, so I’m going to take this opportunity to clear my head.”

“Well, we’ve talked a lot. Shall we take a break?”

“Ain-sama…?”

What’s wrong? Chris looked at him anxiously. He smiled at her, then left the room without another word.

Though she was taken aback by his sudden departure, Ain felt he couldn’t calmly consider the thought that had flashed through his mind while others were present.

The corridors of the Demon Lord’s castle were dim and eerie, but the stillness felt welcome right now.

“…Its purpose was unclear, but the Red Dragon was heading for the Spirited Away Dungeon, right?”

Even Sylvia and the others who had defeated the Red Dragon back then hadn’t understood its purpose.

However, as he listened to the story, Ain arrived at a clue.

This was something only he knew, and he was confident that absolutely no one else was aware of it.

“I heard in the capital that the Spirited Away Dungeon is where the gods dwell, right…? Hmm.”

No way, he thought. Doubting it, he pressed his forehead against the cold windowpane. Strangely, he began to think that the hypothesis might be correct.

“For example, let’s say the Red Dragon held a grudge against the one who defeated the Black Dragon and acted to avenge it.”

He didn’t know if the Red Dragon had any sense of camaraderie, but this was just a hypothesis.

Using the Spirited Away Dungeon’s materials in the lab would give the Red Dragon a mental stimulus—even such a vague reason would fit perfectly.

Deep down, he knew such a mental stimulus was impossible, but right now, even that seemed right to Ain.

“The target for avenging that grudge? Was the dungeon its location…?”

Currently, however, there’s only one person who might be in the Spirited Away Dungeon.

Yes, the being called a god… And additionally,

“The one who defeated the Black Dragon before was Sylvia-san’s master. A being capable of being the master to someone like Sylvia-san…”

Sylvia described her master as “her.” This meant the master was female.

Though they parted ways quite some time ago.

“Could Sylvia-san’s master be… the loli goddess?”

Sylvia mentioned that it happened during the time of cleaning up the continent.

To begin with, it was impossible for someone to do something like that and be normal.

“That just seems to fit too perfectly. Haa. Is it okay to ask? No, asking feels a bit… well…”

His hesitation stemmed from the unease of sensing a god’s presence so close.

If she truly lived deep within the dungeon, Ain found himself wanting to meet her.

While it was partly for self-defense, he felt that it wasn’t a question to take lightly.

But the story itself was suspicious in many ways.

Yet, when he considered the idea of a god, many things suddenly felt like they clicked into place.

Today, he felt sharp. Ain couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

…Meanwhile, back in the room, after Ain had left, Chris asked about Sylvia’s master.

She was also curious about the woman who had taught Sylvia.

“You said her age was unknown?”

“Yes, she was about Arche’s age or perhaps younger. All I know is that she was a woman and a far more skilled mage than I am.”

What a mysterious being she was!

Wide-eyed, Chris was astonished to hear of a mage even more skilled than Sylvia.

“That land—The dungeon is the dwelling of the gods. It was that master who taught me that. I still don’t understand how she knew such things.”

“…I’d very much like to meet her, too. Sylvia-sama’s master.”

Her master’s wisdom was beyond her imagination.

Even hearing about her made her a woman worthy of respect, and Chris’ interest never waned.

“She took care of me when I was in a body that couldn’t do anything. That’s why I want to see her again, but I have no idea where she went. By the way, was I able to help you two?”

“Y-yes! Absolutely! Ain-sama would be pleased, too!”

“Fufu. That’s good to hear.”

Sylvia said this, then abruptly pulled an envelope from between her breasts.

Where did she get that? Chris was bewildered, but Sylvia seemed to notice something and handed it over.

“This is an invitation. Count Raizer is hosting a party. Would you mind going in my place if you’re free?”

She said she didn’t feel like going to the party herself.

“Consider it a token of appreciation for my help.” Sylvia told Chris to relay that message to Ain.

Their schedule was packed, but she couldn’t refuse a favor.

In the end, Chris decided to consult with Ain later and tucked the letter into her pocket.

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