Volume 4 Chapter 9 High Elf's Magic Tool II
Tortoise mumbled to himself as he walked to the back of the shop. He grabbed more water crystals and came back. He couldn't hold it in anymore and asked Cain a question.
"Hey, young master, what are you planning to do with four of these useless magic tools? I'll sell them, since that's my job, but can you at least tell me what you'll use them for?"
"I'll use them as magic tools," Cain said.
"But these ones don't work."
"They work. They just don't have mana left. If you charge them with mana, they'll work. It's better if I show you."
Cain said that and held a water crystal in both hands. He started the mana flow. After a moment, the water crystal gave off a faint glow. The light settled, and soft sparkles moved inside the crystal.
"Whoa, what's going on? Did you just charge it with mana?"
"Yes," Cain said with a smile. He handed the crystal to Tortoise.
"It's true... It has mana now. You can use it. But still, a human with this much mana..."
Tortoise looked at Cain, then glanced at Zain. He stepped back a little, like he wanted help.
"Tortoise, this must stay a secret. Sir Cain is important to me. Swear it to the World Tree."
Zain came close to Tortoise, his face serious. Tortoise nodded, looking uneasy. The two of them placed their hands together and whispered something. When they finished, a soft light wrapped around their bodies and faded.
"Mr. Zain, what did you just do?"
Cain asked as he lowered his hands.
"It's like a contract. People from the World Tree Forest believe in the World Tree Lord. When we make a promise, we swear to that Lord. If someone breaks the promise, they lose their link to the Lord and can't use mana anymore."
The others listened to Zain. They looked relieved. Cain saw this and felt a bit guilty. Thanks to Zain stepping in, things didn't get worse, and they left Tortoise's shop without trouble.
"Sir Cain, you're being too careless. If you're not more careful... I worry what might happen if Lord Zain wasn't here."
Barvish said inside the carriage on the way back.
Cain gave a quiet apology.
"Yes. Right now, it's better if Sir Cain does not use mana too much. It could cause big problems."
Zain added.
"Did something happen?"
Gardy asked.
"Well... I guess it's not a big secret, so I'll explain, The World Tree Lord we met today was badly hurt during the Black Fenrir attack 150 years ago. We used to give mana to help it heal. But because of fights among the high elves, the healing has been slow."
Zain let out a deep breath.
"The World Tree Lord also uses mana to clean the miasma in this world. But since the mana is now going to healing too, the miasma around the World Tree Forest got thicker. More monsters started showing up. The chief is working hard to take care of it."
"Then... if I give my mana, will it heal faster? I want to help."
"Thank you, Sir Cain. But not everyone can give mana. Only the chief's family and a few high elves with a special mark can do that."
Zain gently turned down Cain's offer. He lifted his hair and showed the back of his neck. There was a maple leaf-shaped mark there.
"It's okay. The Lord is already close to healing. I think if I keep offering mana every day, it will get better..."
When Zain said that, Cain looked at him. For some reason, he felt a little worried.
Character Notes:
• Tortoise - A high-elf shopkeeper at the 'Tortoise Magic Goods Shop.' He is a long-time acquaintance of Zain and welcomes Cain and his group warmly.
• Zain - A man in his 30s with long ears, possibly an elf or a similar race. He works in the basement of Ms. Merida's shop and is highly perceptive, noticing Cain's incredible mana from a distance.
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
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