“Tek here, sometimes, I miss my days as a student programmer, when I didn’t need to constantly rush things out--and when I could stay with the same Language for years at a time. However, in the workplace, the language can change fairly often as massive changes happen. Technology must advance, and so must the controls.”

 

Hooked nose, thick eyebrows, well-cared for mustache, and swept-back deep blond hair. I can feel strong will radiating from his eyes.

 

Is he really Toruma’s brother?

 

Well, Toruma’s father is standing next to him--he looks fairly old.

 

“Thank you for saving Toruma.” Said Toruma’s brother, Viscount Hosaris Shimen.

 

It’s weird. Even though I’m being thanked--I feel like I’m being scolded by my boss.

 

“I’m sorry, Tek, my brother can only talk like this.” Toruma says with a grin, poking fun at his older brother.

 

“How rude. Toruma, what’s wrong with the way I talk?” While his words are normal, the way he speaks sounds like an old teacher scolding his noisy students.

 

My biggest concern--permission to visit the Scroll Workshop--is given to me without any problems. I’m also moved to the first in the normal line for new scrolls--but maximum priority is impossible. This is to do with the promised compensation for Toruma’s dagger.

“So, you got into trouble with his highness Sharlick, Sir Felspar? You have to be careful, his highness tends to settle disputes with violence.” Hosaris says.

 

I hope he does try to settle it like that, as soon as he threatens my girls, or even Karina--an unknown assassin will manage to sneak into his chambers, there will be no witnesses…no one to blame.

 

According to Hosaris, the prince is also regarded as a troublemaker in the Royal Capital--about 10 years ago, he had laid his hands on the daughter of a lord. The daughter had been promised to marry someone else, and in no time, one Earl Territory was on the verge of rebelling against the Shiga Kingdom.

 

This matter was the reason for the cancellation of the engagement between Ringrande and the prince.

 

Originally, he should have been confined to a remote monastery, or rather, a Royal Villa under the pretense of recuperating from sickness--but he could be forgiven if he succeeded as a Holy Knight, due to his excellent swordsmanship.

 

The bad rumours didn’t stop appearing, even after he became a Holy Knight--but he hadn’t caused any massive problems like the one before.

 

How could they give that kind of person a Holy Sword?

 

***

I can hear the sound of people’s voices beyond an open door in the hallway. They’re probably the Scroll Craftsmen that Hosaris has called.

 

“Master, welcome back.”

“Hosaris, welcome back!”

 

An obese middle-aged man, and a freckled bespectacled little girl with short ash-blond hair, welcomed us when we entered the room--well, welcomed Hosaris.

 

The woman, who is a gnome, isn’t quite as inhumanly beautiful as most of the females I have seen since coming here--she could be considered a model on Earth.

 

“This one is named Jung, he manages the workshop. Despite his looks, he’s one of the top Scroll-Makers in the Shiga Kingdom.” Hosaris gestures to the obese man, who has an overly sweaty forehead, “The girl over there is Natalina. When it comes to creativity, she’s the best in the workshop.”

 

Creative, in other words, she produces strange Scrolls that won’t sell--and spends money like it grows on trees for the sake of her strange inventions.

 

She’s certainly suited for my purpose.

 

After introducing the two, Hosaris leaves the room, followed by Toruma. They both had just entered the room to greet them, there’s no problem.

 

***

I show my list of Scrolls that I want, to Jung, for him to confirm their feasibility--but the ones that contain Advanced-Grade Magic aren’t possible.

 

Moreover, they won’t produce Scrolls for Magic that is used by criminals and spies, such as Fake Patch and Unlock. But, See Through and Magic String can be used to open locks.

 

In order to create a particular Scroll, the person who places the Magic into the scroll has to, obviously, be able to use that particular Magic--so Gravity, Shadow, Mind and Necromancy Magic are all impossible.

 

Hearing that, I was wondering if they could do some of the more advanced Magic, like Space and Destruction--luckily they can, but only to the Elementary-Grade.

 

“Hey, Chevalier. I understand that you’re a collector, but even if you use the Magic in this list, none of them would produce any good results, you know? Is it really okay?” Natalina asked in a skeptical tone.

 

I promise her that I won’t complain, even if the effects of the Spells in the list turn out to be weak--they have half of the Spells in stock, so half of my requests are easily met.

 

The Spells in this world are like Spaghetti Code seen when Programmers are just learning to code--they’re like Assembly languages, short command words, interwoven like a verbal puzzle; but somehow able to influence the Source Code of the world.

 

This is one of the reasons that they are so hard to analyze, it’s to the point that I am beginning to get the suspicion that whoever made it--deliberately tried to obfuscate it.

 

Therefore, when I was designing my own Spells, after spending a lot of time with the theory and learning the language they were based on--I did my best to modularize them into functions, modelling them after structured programming.

 

As a result, the Spells had become much easier to read and memorize, but it also introduced disadvantages: The chants became longer, and MP consumption increased--obviously, the traditional Spells have been optimized over the long years.

 

They end up saying that they will take a fair while to complete the Scrolls, so I take the chance to visit the workshop itself. I take Arisa along with me.

 

The workshop is in the basement of the Viscount’s Mansion, and surrounding ground. It’s guarded by men who are vigilantly on lookout--they are fairly high leveled, all higher than 20, with most of them above level 30. Their Skills are mostly composed of Skills used in preventing spies, like Sharp Eyes, and Surveillance.

 

The workshop itself is divided into numerous small rooms, each designed in handling specific purposes.

 

It seems that the paper for the Scrolls is made in another place--the results of my appraisal describes them as ‘Scroll: Blank Sheet, Second’. From what I have heard, the ink needs to be mixed with a fine powder made from Magic Cores.

 

Apparently, I have to wait between 2 - 4 days for the already created Scrolls, and an extra 1 - 2 days in the case of the special-order ones.

 

The spells currently in stock are as follow:

Nature Magic: Flexible Shield (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: Flexible Armor (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: See Through (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: Magic Transfer (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: Drain Magic (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: Break Magic (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: Magic Hand (Intermediate)

Nature Magic: Magic String

Earth Magic: Polish

Earth Magic:Mould

Water Magic: Remove Poison (Intermediate)

Water Magic: Aqua Heal (Intermediate)

Water Magic: Water Heal

Wind Magic: Canopy

 

They’re mostly sample products that no one ever bought--the oldest of which is over 100 years old.

 

The cost is 1 gold coin for three Elementary-Grade Scrolls, and 2 gold for one Intermediate-Grade Scroll. The original versions were going to cost me 3 gold coins each, but since I permitted them to copy the Spell and sell the copy to me, it became 1 gold coin.

 

When I asked about the Magic that generated multiple small Shields--they told me that it’s called Multi Magic-Scale--but I couldn’t find it in the stocks. They told me that they couldn’t make it for me because it was an Advanced-Grade Nature Magic.

 

The Scrolls that I ordered are:

Nature Magic: Light Stun (Original)

Nature Magic: Remote Stun (Original)

Nature Magic: Sound Record (Original)

Nature Magic: Photo (Original)

Nature Magic: Magic Sword (Original)

Water Magic: Liquid Control (Original)

Wind Magic: Air Control (Original)

Lighting Magic: Electronic Control (Original)

Fire Magic: Fireworks (Original)

Light Magic: Fireworks Illusion (Original)

Space Magic: Clairvoyance

Space Magic: Clairhearing

Space Magic: Telephone

Life Magic: Soft Wash

Life Magic: Dry

Life Magic: Bandage

 

In the end, the cost of the Scrolls were slightly over my budget at hand, but because of getting some of them for free--it balanced out.

 

As the tour ends, Jung tells me when to expect the scrolls. Since there is someone present who can use Space Magic, the Clairvoyance, Clairhearing, and Telephone will be don’t in 3 days; Air Control will be done in 5 days--however, most of the others need to wait until the tournament is over before they can be started.

 

When we were going home, it was difficult to drag Nana away from Mayuna--which she was cuddling with adoring eyes, as Mayuna gripped Nana’s finger in one small hand and suckled on the tip of it.