Book 4: Volume 5 Chapter 2, Unexpected Results

Translator: Kazumi

Editor: Silavin

 

Pure coincidence led Shrein to this discovery.

 

She might say the devil tempted her while she wrestled with various concerns.

 

At first, she dismissed it with a laugh. “No way, right?”

 

But when the results appeared before her eyes, she could only stare in stunned silence.

 

The control panel screen displayed an unmistakable message: <Magic Stone Created>.

 

She could not be certain this was the same item Kousuke and Collete had discussed the other day, but the possibility was there.

 

The result itself and the process that created it had shaken Shrein’s composure in a way that was deeply unusual for her.

 

After steadying herself, Shrein checked the results again. A <Magic Stone> had definitely been created.

 

“No way. Are you serious?”

 

She muttered the words to herself, though no one could hear her in the Northern Tower’s empty control room.

 

Shrein sighed deeply before heading to the Southern Tower’s control room to report her findings to Collete.

 

“Collete, are you there?” Shrein called out after knocking. A response came from the back of the room, and she opened the door.

 

“What’s wrong?” Collete asked, puzzled. Shrein rarely visited other control rooms, and her face looked unusually tired.

 

“I’m sorry to intrude like this. I think I’ve figured out what item we needed, the one Kousuke mentioned the other day.”

 

“Really? Then why do you look like that?”

 

“It’s just that it was something so obvious. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Because of that, I mean…” Shrein’s voice trailed off, her expression confused.

 

Collete tilted her head as Shrein began her explanation.

 

After hearing the full story, Collete’s expression turned ambivalent, which was understandable. The procedure involved placing an <Ordinary Stone> in a spring located in a magically concentrated area on the Northern Tower Floors to create a Magic Stone.

 

The Southern Tower was located where Holy Power concentrated instead.

 

Location aside, the fact that they were using an <Ordinary Stone> was what left both of them looking exhausted.

 

Both of them, or rather, everyone except Kousuke, had assumed an <Ordinary Stone> was just a regular stone. So, their reaction was only natural.

 

Collete sighed after the explanation concluded. “Anyway, let’s try it over here too.”

 

“That’s right. That would be better.” Shrein nodded at the suggestion.

 

First, they needed to find a place in the Southern Tower where Holy Power concentrated. This wouldn’t require much effort, since they could search using the bird’s-eye view on the control panel screen.

 

Once they located the spot, they searched for a spring, just as they had in the Northern Tower. Since they only needed to submerge stones, size did not matter. They dropped an <Ordinary Stone> into an appropriately sized spring.

 

Just as when Shrein performed the experiment, a message appeared on the control panel after a brief wait:

 

<A Sacred Stone has appeared.>

 

“Ah. We succeeded.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Both appeared more tired than happy, and the reason was simple: they had used the <Ordinary Stones> out of everything to accomplish this.

 

This was partly also because they could predict exactly how pleased Kousuke would be when they reported their results.

 

“By the way, have you properly confirmed that this stone matches the <Divine Stone>?”

 

“Oh, I haven’t. I only verified the process…”

 

“I understand your feelings. For now, let’s leave it in the spring where the dependents are, just like the <Divine Stone>, and observe what happens before I report back.”

 

“Yes. That’s right. Let’s do that.” Shrein nodded in agreement.

 

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The conclusion: it was a success.

 

The spring with the <Magical Stone> transformed into a <Magical Fountain>. The spring with the <Holy Stone> transformed into a <Holy Fountain>.

 

With these results in hand, Shrein and Collete decided to report back to Kousuke.

 

“These are the results,” Shrein explained.

 

“Oh, I see.” Contrary to their expectations, Kousuke remained surprisingly calm upon receiving the report.

 

“Huh? Surprisingly, you’re not making a fuss,” Collete blurted out.

 

Kousuke tilted his head with a confused look. “Why? Over a simple stone?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hmm. Well, it was obviously suspicious. Ah, I see. Maybe if I put it in holy water, it would become a sacred stone?”

 

“You haven’t tried it?” Collete tilted her head at his question.

 

Knowing all the experiments Kousuke had conducted, Collete found this revelation rather puzzling.

 

“Well, I tried so many other things that I forgot whether I tested that or not.” Kousuke replied with a wry smile.

 

Of course, he kept notes of everything he tried, so he could verify later. He simply didn’t carry them everywhere.

 

Shrein and Collete, who knew about Kousuke’s various experiments using <Ordinary Stone>, nodded in understanding.

 

“Well, it’s only natural after all that work.”

 

“I guess so.”

 

Kousuke could only return a wry smile at their expressions, which seemed more amazed than praising.

 

“In the end, Amamiya Tower had a <Divine Stone> from the start, but the other Towers don’t, so it took more effort.” Kousuke’s obvious attempt to change the subject was transparent, but Shrein nodded without seeming particularly bothered.

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Does that mean the Tower of Four Attributes can do something similar?”

 

“Maybe. We won’t know until we try.”

 

The Tower of Four Attributes currently possessed its own gems that allowed for Attribute-specific evolution, but something similar might become necessary in the future. It was definitely worth attempting.

 

“Well, leaving the Towers of Four Attributes aside, does the Towers of the Sacred Magic have springs at its base?”

 

“Yes. I made sure it was structured just like this one.”

 

“It’s the same in the south.”

 

Just as divine water existed at the bases of Amamiya Tower’s dependants, the Towers of the Sacred Magic also contained springs of each Attribute in various locations. Since it remained unclear whether the dependents would evolve to increase the Tower Level, they had placed springs at the bases of multiple dependants.

 

Many places existed where Magic and Holy Power concentrated, so creating and placing each stone did not require much effort.

 

“I see. So all we have to do now is wait for the results?”

 

“That’s true, although I don’t know if this is the right approach.”

 

“That’s probably true. Well, if it doesn’t work, we can just find another way.” Kousuke nodded at Shrein and spoke simply.

 

They had tried many different approaches before and failed. Adding another failure now wouldn’t be significant.

 

This latest discovery was an item that seemed related to the Towers of the Sacred Magic’s Attributes. It offered hope for the evolution of their dependants. The outcome remained uncertain, but it felt like progress, likely due to the precedent established by Amamiya Tower.

 

Even if the method worked with Amamiya Tower, that did not guarantee it could be applied to all Towers. Still, one could hope.