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The artifact's description read, "Flowing Silver."
While it resembled mercury in name, it was something else entirely.
'Liquid metal. Reminds me of Victor Dreadful's Liquid Golem.'
The Liquid Golem was also an artifact created by mixing magic and science to the extreme. The existence of this artifact was no different.
Rudger lightly reached out and touched Flowing Silver.
The silver, which had been still on the display table, curled around his fingertips as he touched it. It was like water flowing backwards in time, or a silver snake coming to life.
Rudger looked down at the tiny pool of silver in his palm.
The moment he touched it, he realized its purpose.
Flowing Silver expanded in an instant, transforming into a razor-sharp sword.
Rudger held it in his hand and examined it. It was all silver, from the tip to the handle but the sharp edge and the hardness in his hand insisted that the metal was not silver at all.
Rudger turned the sword back into a circle of liquid and flipped it lightly in his palm.
Flowing Silver on top of his palm stretched downward. It felt as if a huge ball of slime had been pressed into his palm.
As Rudger formed new shapes in his mind, the silver hummed and blossomed into countless flowers.
'It's bigger than its apparent volume and can take on many forms.'
Rudger once again clapped his left hand over his right, palm up, and opened his hands wide then Flowing Silver disintegrated into thin threads, fluttering in the air.
Rudger pulled on his fingertips, and the silver threads pulled taut and tensed as he stared at it in disbelief.
Flowing Silver was a sharp sword in its own right. If you held a piece of paper against it, it would shred like a paper shredder. And yet, the part of it wrapped around his hand felt neither painful nor tight.
"Excellent."
Rudger formed a shape in his mind as Flowing Silver wrapped around his right hand, transforming into a bracelet of simple design.
Rudger looked at it with satisfaction, then turned to walk away. He'd already gotten more than enough, but he didn't want to waste the last option he still had.
His footsteps echoed through the silence. It was a strange feeling to be alone in such a large space with no one around.
'I wonder if there's some kind of elixir in this place.'
As he thought so, Rudger shook his head. There was no way that elixirs would be stored in a place like the Treasury.
If he wanted an elixir, he would have to ask Eileen for one.
'I shouldn't…….'
Eileen would be happy to give him the elixir. Of course, once he took it, it would be up to Rudger to deal with what happened next.
He would be bound in servitude for at least five years and although he'll be treated as he deserves, but Eileen can't stand the idea of a talented man doing nothing.
Once captured by her, Rudger will never get a day off and will have to do all sorts of work like the grad students in Theon.
'I can't do that.'
Rudger pushed aside his desire for the elixir. It wasn't like he needed it anyway although it was a nice-to-have, do-or-die kind of thing but for now he could do without it since Belaruna's final experiment had been such a success.
As he walked, Rudger didn't see anything that caught his eye.
'Maybe I should go a little deeper.'
Otherwise, he wouldn't have to pick something for them.
If he found something for one of the Owens, he could give it to them.
As he continued to explore, something stopped him in his tracks.
'One-eyed glasses?'
Gold rims and a gold wire ring. The monocle looks like an ordinary pair of glasses, but there's nothing ordinary in this place.
Rudger's eyes lit up with interest as he read the description on the monocle.
'The Eye of Possibility, an object that measures a person's potential or current skill.'
Surprisingly, the artifact was created by the first dean of Theon. It was said to be here because after his death, he donated it to the imperial family.
Rudger grabbed the monocle and as he placed it on his face, the monocle itself adjusted to fit perfectly.
'Not bad for a pair of glasses.'
Rudger looked around as the specially enchanted lenses detected the artifact and glowed blue with the magic power contained within.
"Ho-ho."
Rudger exclaimed as he checked the various artifacts.
As if measuring something wasn't enough, each artifact was a visual representation of the amount of power it contained.
Rudger tested the efficacy of the Eye of Possibility by checking out the objects on display and realized a few things.
'You can see the inherent power, but it's not complete.'
For example, one of the artifacts currently has 5 power and the other has 10. Naturally, the artifact with the 10 power shines much stronger.
But the artifact with 5 power can actually increase its power, and if it does, it can go up to 20. However, as far as the Eye of Possibility could see, 5 was the apparent limit.
'If someone is deliberately hiding their power, it would be impossible for the Eye of Possibility to see it.'
Of course, even taking that into account, the Eye of Possibility's performance was quite satisfactory.
'Just being able to see the power someone has, even on the surface, is a significant advantage. Now all that's left is to see the potential, the possibilities.'
An artifact is an object, so there is no such thing as potential. If it was to be used, it would at least have to be used on people.
Rudger was disappointed that he didn't have anyone to test it on right away.
'Still, it's very useful in its own right.'
To find an artifact used by the first dean in this place was a mere coincidence or a sign of fate.
Whatever it was, Rudger thought, this was an interesting turn of events, and headed for the exit.
* * *
The massive stone gates creaked open and Rudger stepped out.
"You're late."
Eileen, who had been waiting outside, spoke up as soon as she saw him.
"How dare you keep the future emperor of the Empire waiting this long, you'll have nothing to say when you're hauled in for insulting royalty."
"You have quite the welcome."
"So, what did you bring back from the inside?"
"Wouldn't you know it if you saw it?"
"I don't know what's inside. I'll know when I'm crowned emperor, but not yet."
"Yes. I'm sure you know which one I'll choose."
"The mysterious Relic fragment."
"Yes. And the other is……."
"A monocle. Well, it fits."
Eileen crossed her arms and murmured as Rudger placed the Eye of Possibility over his face but instead of answering, Rudger looked at Eileen and Passius with the Eyes of Possibility.
"Hmm. I see.'
Through the Eyes of Possibility, Eileen was a sparkling jewel. A treasure that would make any jewelry in the world not even raise its head in comparison.
She could not be bought with a billion dollars, and her value could not even be translated into a monetary amount. In fact, the very act of putting a price on it is blasphemous.
Turning to Passius, he was also quite formidable. Though he hides his power well, he has a lot of potential as a Royal Guard. But even he was no match for Eileen's light.
In fact, Rudger couldn't help but feel her light curling around Passius.
The writhing, slithering light seemed to engulf its surroundings, hungrily seeking to consume Rudger's body as well.
"……."
Rudger felt dizzy and removed the Eye of Possibility from his eye, shoving it into his pocket.
Eileen narrowed her eyes suspiciously, as if sensing something.
"What is it, I think I just saw something."
"It's an illusion."
"An illusion. The monocle you wore just now must be an artifact, since it was brought from inside. It was meant to see something, wasn't it? Answer me. What the hell did you see?"
"Nothing really."
"I said answer me."
I wonder if it's okay for her to pick apart others, but not for them to pick apart her
No, maybe it's because it has never happened to Eileen, so she's not used to it so no matter how she feels, she can't express it in a way that's sincere.
Rudger thought for a moment before answering.
"It's just, I saw the most beautiful jewelry in the world."
"What……."
Eileen's cheeks flushed a subtle red, realizing how she'd taken that answer.
"Oh."
Beside her, Passius let out a sincere exclamation of admiration while Eileen coughed and shook her head in disbelief.
"Hmph. That's it. So what is the last one?"
Instead of answering, Rudger showed her the silver bracelet on his right wrist, then quickly transformed it into the form of a sword.
Eileen nodded in understanding as she watched the [Flowing Silver] changing into a bracelet.
"I see you've picked out just the right items for you, so what are you going to do now?"
"My work is done, I suppose. I'm going to resume my duties as a teacher."
"I don't think there's any immediate business to attend to. With the students and the wounded, you should stay here for a few more days."
Eileen was right.
If Rudger, the director of planning, had to do anything here, it was to wait for word from Theon since the imperial court took care of most things.
"I'm sure you've done your share of hard work, but it wouldn't hurt to get a little rest."
"That's……."
"You're always working but sometimes people break down if they don't take a break."
"……!"
Passius who was surprised by what Eileen was trying to convince Rudger of and his eyes widened and he squinted at Eileen as if to say, 'What is the Princess is saying?'
Eileen herself had a reputation for exploiting her subordinates to the point of squeezing their souls and hearing someone like her preach the importance of rest must have been a revelation to Passius. But if she says it out loud, there's no way she'll be able to take it back.
Passius was quick on the uptake, so he kept his mouth shut while Rudger watched him steadily with a hint of pity and sympathy in his gaze.
* * *
Aidan and his friends were eager to see the Imperial Palace.
Usually, Tracy Friad would lead the way, followed by Aidan, Leo, and Iona.
Tracy was unhappy that the much-anticipated field trip had been canceled.
After waking up stunned from the aftermath of Basara's mind wave and fully recovered, Tracy dragged her friends out, insisting that they make the most of their remaining time.
"……I just want to get some more rest."
Leo, who had a lot on his plate, sighed and grumbled, but followed along nonetheless.
"More than that, Aidan, are you okay?"
"Yeah? Yeah."
"No, that…… not."
Leo started to say something, then stopped.
When everyone who had been stunned came to their senses, Leo looked at Aidan, who was the only one still standing.
He didn't have his head in his hands like everyone else, and he didn't look confused by the situation. Instead he had the look of someone who knew what just happened.
Leo, who had been with Aidan for so long, could easily recognize it, even if the others didn't. Of course, when pressed, Aidan would blurt out that he didn't know but Leo decided to let it slide.
'It's not like he did anything bad anyway.'
More than anything, Leo felt grateful since he had been so closely associated with the Liberators, even if only on a forced basis, acting as their intelligence agent but Aidan had helped him without saying a word.
'And Mr. Rudger.'
Leo had been calling him Rudger Chelici, but now he was able to add the title teacher to his name. It's still awkward, of course, but it'll come with practice.
In other news, the Liberation Army has suffered a major blow and in a last ditch effort, they managed to pull something off, but it didn't work.
Sir Passius, Royal Guard and Swordmaster, stepped in to clean up the mess.
'It's really over.'
It had been an eventful field trip and although there were injuries among Theon's students, but miraculously there were no deaths.
Leo wondered if it really could have ended so well.
'……I don't care what happens to everyone else, I just want these idiots to be safe.'
As Leo thought that, he glanced over at Iona since something about her seemed off.
"……Iona?"
"Uh."
Iona, who had always been a silent companion, stopped walking and was staring off into the distance at the forest beyond the great promenade of the Imperial Palace, but she couldn't see anything.
"Is there anything out there?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"I'm going to go look."
With that, Iona turned around and headed off into the woods.
Leaving Leo behind, who was still quite taken aback by her sudden move, Iona followed the eyes that looked at her as she entered the forest.
"Come out. I know you're here."
At those words, the other person came out of hiding, as if he hadn't had any intention of hiding in the first place.
"Wizard……Rotheron?"
Iona's eyes widened as she recognized him.