Chapter 604: The Scepter
It’s hard to bring this up… and yet, my cheeks are already being trampled on. Why is that?
“…”
Please stop with the suspicious glares in silence.
“I just made a little adjustment, and it won’t affect the surroundings at all. If it were a historical artifact, Haulon might shout, though.”
I’m being honest here.
“I’m not okay with this, though…”
Haulon gazes off into the distance.
“You should figure out how to speak clearly while stretching your cheeks like that.”
Retze says with an exasperated tone.
Huh! Language-san, are you working your magic without me knowing…? I guess I need to consciously focus on not mumbling.
“So? What did you fix? Since you’ve already done it, it’s not the ‘Traveler’s Protection Stone’ that was worried about camel hair, right?”
“Yeah.”
At Retze’s prompting, I move the ‘Traveler’s Protection Stone’ aside and present the royal set on the table.
“It’s a find, but what do you think, Karn?”
I’ve polished it beautifully.
The scepter is coordinated with a crown, rather than being just a magic wand. I think it wouldn’t be strange for Karn to hold it now.
“I see, it’s as good as new.”
“The crown, the necklace, and the scepter. The emerald aside, Spirit Gold…”
Retze observes from a distance, casually taking in the whole set. Haulon glides her fingers about an inch away from the items, checking them carefully.
The emerald is the original part, Haulon.
“Isn’t this from the same place as the ‘Traveler’s Protection Stone’? Was there such a magnificent description of a crown around Es? The legend of the emerald crown is famous for the princess of Solon who traveled to Mail, but…”
Haulon seems to be digging through her knowledge, her expression serious.
“The princess of Solon?”
“She’s the last confirmed royal of the Kingdom of Luf.”
“Um, the Kingdom of Luf was the one that mass-produced magic circles, right?”
The ancient kingdom era—before the civilization of the boulders—was when the Luf people founded the Kingdom of Pasa. They seemed to have a similar approach to me, directly asking spirits for various favors. Exhausted from royal disputes and attacked by numerous barbaric tribes, they were ultimately destroyed.
The barbarians—ordinary humans who couldn’t use spirits—established several nations, but none lasted long.
The Kingdom of Pasa itself was said to be small, but it was the center of civilization where spirits favored them. If things didn’t go well there, the surrounding nations would also suffer. Moreover, spirits likely gathered there more than elsewhere, and the wild spirits must have caused some trouble.
Eventually, they found a woman of the Luf people, who had been barely surviving in the outskirts, and hailed her as queen, finally achieving stability. They named the country Luf, and its citizens called themselves the People of Luf.
The complexity arose that unless one was of the queen’s blood, they weren’t considered Luf.
“I read that when the Kingdom of Luf fell, the royal family was all slaughtered.”
“I’m curious where you read that. —Before its fall, there was a princess who married into the country of Solon. Or rather, that’s the legend.”
Haulon pauses to sip her wine.
“After Luf fell, there’s a legend that the princess traveled through the lush oases scattered across the desert of Es. The purpose of her journey is uncertain, though.”
Oh, really?
“She remained a princess even after marrying?”
“Perhaps because the status of Luf was higher than that of Solon? For the people who pass down the legend, the impression of being a descendant of Luf is quite strong.”
Haulon shrugs.
“But if it’s from Solon, then there shouldn’t be a scepter, right? It must be different.”
“Why not? There’s no scepter?”
Haulon brings up new information.
“Solon is the oldest country confirmed to have possessed a ‘King’s Branch’ in history.”
“Really?”
There’s no ‘King’s Branch’ in my original world, but there was a scepter, so I thought it was a standard part of the royal set!
“Indeed. It’s strange for the princess of Solon to have taken the crown… There are tales of treasures being taken as well.”
If there’s no scepter, could this crown and necklace belong to Solon?
“Um, if this is from Solon, should we refrain from giving it to Karn? It seems there are some who are fixated on Luf, and it could lead to trouble?”
Like Rosa, for instance.
I feel like there are others searching for descendants of Luf besides Rosa. And they seem troublesome.
Haulon often brings up topics related to Luf, and it feels like Luf still holds a special significance in this world.
“Right… If it’s thought to be from Solon, would they hope for an ancient spirit to be resting within the crown? There’s so little information about Luf, and there aren’t many items related to it. It would be a hassle for those searching for Luf to gather around.”
Haulon ponders while resting her hand on her cheek.
“It doesn’t look old, so it should be fine. We know better, so we might consider the slightest possibility. Normally, people would just assume it’s something newly made and leave it at that.”
Retze says casually.
“That’s true.”
Haulon agrees, looking relieved.
Sorry, but the scepter never existed in the first place. But well, let’s just say it’s brand new for now.