Volume 9 Chapter 6 The Ring Of Pact
"Eh? The Ring of Pact? A family treasure?"
"That's right. The Tempest Kingdom was founded by King George I, a great magician and a descendant of Tempest. During a party to showcase his kingdom, King George I gave magic tools from the magician Tempest to his loyal servants. One of those tools is the Ring of Pact, which has been passed down in the Baron Tremain family. The Baron Tremain was a knight serving Count Senet. He received the ring after battling alongside his fiancée, a knight princess, and defeating the enemy. Those who wear the two rings can know each other's location and understand each other without speaking, thanks to this magic tool."
Such a historic item... Al was speechless. Is something like that really out in the open? Now that he thinks about it, he didn't use 'Magic Sense.' Could it be a fake?
"I'll check if it's really a magic tool, just in case."
'Magic Sense.'
As Al tried to examine the ring, Joanna shook her head.
"I remember that this ring is famous for not being affected by 'Magic Sense' or 'Detect Magic'."
"Eh? Is that really possible?"
Al was surprised. Is there really a magic tool like that? If so, it could be brought into any place, no matter how cautious they are. While thinking this, he stared at the ring. Then, he noticed a faint, pale blue light shining from it.
"Hmm, but it did shine, right? What does that mean?"
"Huh? Is that true?"
Joanna looked at Al, puzzled. The magic tool showed a weak response to 'Magic Sense.' Al remembered a similar situation during Eric's hiring test. Back then, Al's 'Magic Sense' reacted, but Fitz, Eric's assistant, didn't feel anything. When Al removed the leather covering, his response grew stronger, and Fitz's 'Magic Sense' reacted too.
This suggests there might be spells or processing making it hard to detect with 'Magic Sense.' The skill and experience of the user can also affect detection chances.
Since this ring doesn't react to 'Magic Sense,' it might not be seen as a magic tool and could have been sold as just a craft item. Did the knight who sold it to the traveling merchant not know its legend? Or was it stolen?
"If that's the case, we need to find the owner and return it..."
When Al said that, Joanna shook her head.
"Unfortunately, the Baron Tremain family died out several generations ago. They valued the promise ring and practiced monogamy, but this led to their bloodline ending. The family was gone, and their treasured promise ring was kept by the Count Senet family. Now that the Count Senet family has been destroyed, no one owns that treasure."
If Al had to say, it would be either Lady Patricia or Lady Tara from the Count Senet family. Al sighed as he thought this.
"This must be the guidance of Sir Tempest... Lady Patricia would say that. This time, I want to believe it too."
The body of Tempest is kept in an abandoned village not far from here, and Al is the only one who knows about it. Al sighed at the oddity of reality. Joanna stared intently at Al.
"If it was sold as a craft, it means the mana has run out, and it no longer works as a magic tool. I'll get a magic stone right away. Please give one to Lady Patricia and keep the other for yourself. It may take time to confirm the rumors about the Margrave's second son proposing, and we might not be able to act by then. Sharing the rings could at least give Lady Patricia some comfort."
Al tilted his head slightly and looked closely at Joanna's word.
"I understand. I know that Lady Patricia cannot abandon her people. But..."
Al sighed after hearing that. Not knowing how important this was had been a big mistake. However, now that he had come this far, it wouldn't make sense to ask for it back. Glee seems to think it can't be helped, as he hasn't said anything.
"That ring, if a noble from Count Senet, like Viscountess Tara, saw it, they would recognize it. Also, while the chance of finding it with 'Magic Sense' might be low, a skilled magician could discover it. Please be careful."
"So, what does that mean? Is it okay? If I hold one, can I tell Lady Patricia...?"
"As I said, it seems like it would be easy for someone who can see it when worn to find out, so I'll just keep it hidden. Lady Joanna, please lend it to me for a moment. I will infuse it with mana."
'Magic Power Control.'
Al took the engagement ring from Joanna, infused it with mana, and then handed one of the two rings to a surprised Joanna.
"I want to check how to use it, so I'll wear it once. Lady Joanna, could you wear yours too?"
Saying this, Al hesitated for a moment before putting the remaining ring on his left index finger. Once he slipped it on, the loose ring automatically tightened to fit perfectly.
"Just as expected, it's a magic tool. The reason it looked too big was because of this mechanism. Do you know how to use it, Lady Joanna?"
Joanna also wore it on her left index finger. However, she shook her head at Al's question.
"Is it about focusing your mind? Or if it's a command word, that might be difficult..."
Al clenched his left fist, thinking carefully about the ring, and tried pulling it close to his chest. It was a magic tool that was 'Concealed.' He felt that the chances of it having a command word were low. However, nothing special happened. He moved his hand around in different ways.
'!'
While trying different movements, Al noticed a flash of light from Joanna's direction. It looked like one of his movements made part of the ring light up. He repeated the movements and confirmed he could sense direction by shaking his palm down while wearing it. However, he couldn't find a way to communicate without speaking.
"I guess there's no choice. It's a miracle I discovered even one function through trial and error. I wonder if this works when the other person isn't wearing the ring?"
Al tried to take off the ring. When he pinched it with his other hand, it returned to its loose state. He removed it and placed it on the table. Joanna lightly waved her hand.
"How was it?"
When Al asked, Joanna nodded slightly.
"It seems fine. The direction of the ring lit up properly. Sir Al... I really appreciate it."
'I wonder if the rumors are true, and if Lady Patricia can really hold back...'
Feeling anxious about Glee's words, Al put his ring into a leather pouch he had as a spare and hid it in his clothes along with his wallet. Joanna carefully stored the other half of the ring back in its original pouch.
"Well then, I'm going home. Next time, on the day of the Mushroom Festival. Please keep what we talked about today a secret."
Al nodded at Joanna's words and saw her off.
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