The Terror of rare items
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*****
I couldn't hide my shock at the discovery that Leon was Vanessa's apprentice.
To think that the free-spirited Vanessa had taken on a disciple... Part of me wanted to doubt it, but seeing the lonely expression on Leon's face made me realize just how much he had adored her.
Master Clein's prior acquaintance with Leon and the fact that Leon specialized in Enchantment were undoubtedly due to Vanessa’s influence. Perhaps creating a true Magic Item had been a shared goal between the two of them.
(Was it really okay for me to accept this necklace from Vanessa...?)
Feeling a twinge of unease, I continued generating Holy Water through the unfamiliar Enchantment process while listening to Leon.
「The item you're wearing, Mia-san, is something incredibly close to a Magic Item known as the Necklace of Warding. It's designed to block all forms of magical interference and prevent status ailments.」
「The Necklace of Warding? I feel like I've heard that somewhere... Ah! That’s the Magic Item Obaba-sama mentioned!」
If I recall, she said something about it automatically neutralizing poison even if you ate something rotten.
If she had just explained it properly, I would have realized this was the Necklace of Warding sooner. That Obaba-sama...
(She purposefully gave me a vague explanation so I wouldn't notice, didn't she? Honestly, she plays the most annoying pranks at the oddest times.)
She was probably cackling right about now, saying, 「I wonder when the girl will finally figure it out, hee-hee-hee!」
「I've had similar experiences a few times myself. Obaba-sama never tells you the things that actually matter.」
「Exactly. The fact that she does it on purpose makes it so much worse.」
「Well, I'm sure she has her reasons. Though I suspect at least half of it is just for her own post-retirement entertainment.」
Since she prioritizes whatever she finds amusing, we’d be lucky if it were only half.
「However, if Obaba-sama went out of her way to mention the name of the Magic Item, it means Vanessa-sama's necklace must be remarkably close to completion.」
「I agree. Having tried your Bracelet of Power, Leon-kun, I've noticed that Vanessa-san’s necklace feels like it belongs on my body. Or rather, it’s more accurate to say it synchronizes with my mana.」
I wore it casually, but I never had the sensation of consciously channeling mana into it. Despite that, it activated on its own and provided its effects. It was as if my mana flowing into the necklace was as natural as breathing.
「Depending on the type of Magic Item, some are 'always-active' models. The mana consumption is so infinitesimal that you don't even feel it. It really is a masterful piece of work.」
「When you consider the effects, just having to wear it... isn't that a bit like cheating?」
If one were to try and cure a status ailment normally, you'd first have to analyze what was affecting you. Then, you'd have to gather materials for a detoxification potion, compound them without any impurities, and finally drink it.
And yet, simply by wearing this necklace, all of that is negated.
You won't catch a cold, you won't get sick, and you won't even get a stomachache. Just by wearing this, you stay in perfect health. And if you don't have to worry about assassinations via poison or brainwashing through magic...
「Isn't this necklace absolutely terrifying!?」
「It really is. If it were officially recognized as a completed Magic Item, it’s the sort of thing you'd present as tribute to the King.」
I felt like Leon had just casually said something horrifying. It made me question whether it was really okay for me to be wearing something like this, even if it was technically "unfinished."
It has a cute design, it's soothing to the soul, it keeps me healthy, and it adds prestige to my status as an alchemist...
(Aaaah! The more I learn, the more reasons I have to want it! So this is the terror of a rare item like a Magic Item!)
「Maybe I really should return this necklace?」
「Hmm, it’s hard to say. When alchemists retire partway through their ambitions, they tend to keep one item that holds deep memories. It serves as both a reminder of their regrets and a bitter lesson that they couldn't create anything better.」
At those words, the image of the lonely Leon and the image of Vanessa—who had radiated a mature, older-sisterly aura—overlapped in my mind. The Vanessa I saw that day might not have been the sub-leader of the Alchemists Guild, but simply a lone alchemist.
「Vanessa-sama spent three days and three nights straight to finish that necklace, and then she chose the path of retirement. Even if it looked perfect to others, it was different for her.」
Come to think of it, when Vanessa gave me the necklace, she said, 「That was my limit.」 Having staked her pride as an alchemist on the challenge, she must have failed to reach the summit that is a true Magic Item.
If I'm the one holding the object of that lingering regret...
「I'm sure she entrusted it to you, Mia-san. In exchange for cutting off her own path as an alchemist, she wants you to complete the Necklace of Warding.」
I started to ask, 「Why me, a mere apprentice...?」 but I bit my tongue.
Leon, her own disciple, must have been the one who wanted to carry on that legacy the most.
「For now, I'll keep this necklace safe. Anyway, let's get back to making Holy Water.」
「...Right.」
Thinking it would be poor form to pry into the necklace's history any further, the two of us resumed our work. I focused on the Enchantment task before me, trying to push all other thoughts aside.
*****
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