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Sorcery Cores were items that could amplify its contained magic power, and release it in a regulated manner. They were built from a shell of Magic Stones, which were a form of crystallized mana, which underwent a complex fabrication process. Sometimes that process involved even more specialized steps, to strengthen a specific element.

They were used in magic tools, but there were many times when the owner did not want them to be used by someone else, or they were an expensive variety, so a protection spell would be cast on them.

But the protection on the Sorcery Core on the desk did not only restrain its usage, but it concealed everything it contained. An inspector of the guards placed it inside a tool, and the Sorcery Core emitted a faint light.

“This is as far as we got, not even our sorcerers could decrypt it.”
“You’re right, this is a high level protection. It’s quite difficult to open.”
“I knew it…”
“I didn’t say it’s impossible, though.”

The divisional officer looked distraught, but jerked his face up hearing Ophelia.

“You can do it?!”
“Who do you think you’re talking with?”
“True, I almost forgot.”

Ophelia had an ominous smile, which made the officer shudder. The most skillful and knowledgeable sorcerer in all of the Seperion Kingdom was her, Ophelia Eto Gardeland.

She extended her white and slender hand towards the Sorcery Core. A high pitched sound came from the Sorcery Core, and it began to vibrate. Ophelia’s magic had touched the Sorcery Core.

Whenever the Sorcery Core noticed outside interference, it would deploy a protective barrier. And that was precisely what Ophelia was aiming for. The barrier could be used as an entry point to begin decoding the spell.

“I see, a password is needed to activate the core and access its settings. The barrier is a composite of physical and magic mechanisms, and it’s not just one or two, but at least ten layered on top of each other.”

No matter how valuable Sorcery Cores could be, that was an oddly strong protection. But even that ridiculous barrier was rendered useless the moment Ophelia finished her assessment.

Just like how ice melts, or silk is pulled from a cocoon, or sand falls through an hourglass, the barrier slowly begins to fade away. That process took an immense amount of skill, which made the guards’ magicians keep their eyes glued on her actions.

“This is so curious. I wonder what we’ll find inside of all this.”

Ophelia continued smiling, and sped up the process slightly.

I arrived alone at the main gate of Bamel, though I’m not going inside today. Ophelia had said she had some stuff to do first, so she left ahead a few hours ago.

“Nataliaaa!”

After I wait for a bit, Mir comes out running from the town. We had become friends, so I have seen her many times in the past, but this is the first time I see her wearing this armor.

“Mir, did you get new equipment?”
“Yess, it’s Ghavial Armor I made with some of the Tyrannoghavial scales we brought back the other day, how does it look?”

She walks up to me and turns around for me to see. The dark green scales catch some of the sunlight and reflect it brightly. The Tyrannoghavial we saw looked more battered up, so the scales probably had been polished a lot for them to look like that.

“I see. It looks pretty good.”
“Hearing you say that makes all that hard work worth it!”
“You said you made it?”
“Yes, though my father taught me as I went.”

That’s surprising. I had seen her sharpening her sword before, but I didn’t know she was this skilled.

“That’s amazing. I hope I can build my own equipment soon enough too.”

I’m still wearing common leather armor. In game-terms, it’s only a starting level armor, and if I take a direct hit from a monster it might break. My body is more sturdy than a regular human’s though, so I can probably survive without armor, though I don’t want to take any chances.

I also have Black Hawk and my magic blade to defend myself from most things, so I don’t think I’ll run into issues. Offensive magic? Never heard of it.

“You should drop by our shop sometime then. We’ll give you a special discount.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Now that she mentions it, I’ve never been to her house yet. I should go next time I’m free. I should get some materials ready by then too.

“I don’t see Ophelia, is she coming later?”
“Ah, about that…”

Ophelia told me that something urgent came up, and she might not make it to the Shaman Ape hunt, but that she’ll send an adventurer to fight in her place.

“I see. Do you know who’s going to come then?”
“Mistress said it’s an adventurer she’s friends with, with ‘decent’ skills. Considering her standards, I’m sure they’re plenty strong if she described them that way.”
“Hahah, she’s always been a strict woman like that.”

We turn around hearing that unknown voice, and see two adventurers approaching us.

“You must be Natalia and Mir. Ophelia told me about you, I’m Jane.”

Inside a dark warehouse, Grog stood with a wicked grin on his face, multiple giants of steel kneeling in front of him. They were golems.

Being able to build so many in just a single day spoke of his skill as a blacksmith. He also had a keen sense of business and management, which was why he was chosen as a worker for the guild.

He was about to destroy everything he had gained that way though. All to get rid of someone he could not get along with. No one could understand what drove him to such extremes. Maybe he himself had forgotten now.

But he did not care. Unwavering hatred. That was all that filled him now. And that was all he needed.

“Rise up, Golems!”

The crystals on the golems’ heads began glowing. And Grog began giving them orders.

“I can’t believe I’ll have to leave this city behind because of you, and lose everything in my warehouse and workshop. I really don’t feel like it was worth it.”

The merchant, owner of the warehouse, muttered in a low voice, far enough behind Grog that he could not hear.

“I’m sorry, but at least I’ll be careful enough with getting rid of any evidence, just so I don’t paint a target on my back.”

He glared at Grog, and muttered the password of the Sorcery Core without Grog noticing, directly rewriting some instructions.