Chapter 99

"Wh-what? A bond ring? A family treasure??"

"Yes. The Kingdom of Tempest was founded by King George I, who was a descendant of the great mage Tempest. It is said that during a party to announce the establishment of the kingdom, King George I gave magical artifacts passed down from the mage Tempest to his meritorious vassals. One of these was the bond ring that has been passed down in the Tremaine Baron family. The Baron of Tremaine was a knight serving the Count of Senet, and it is said that he charged into battle alongside his fiancée, a lady knight, defeated the enemy, and was awarded this ring for his valor. The two rings, when worn, allow the wearers to know each other's location and communicate without speaking."

Such a prestigious item... Al was speechless. Could such a thing have leaked out? Come to think of it, he hadn't detected any magic. Could it be a counterfeit?

"I'll check if it's a magical artifact."

*Magic Perception*

Al, who was about to examine the ring, was shaken by Joanna.

"From what I recall, this ring is famous for not being detected by Magic Perception or Magic Detection."

"Really? Such a thing exists??"

Al was surprised. Could such a magical artifact exist? If so, it could be brought into any guarded place. While thinking this, he stared at the ring, and it faintly glowed blue-white in his eyes.

"Hmm, but it did glow. What does that mean?"

"Huh? Really?"

Joanna looked at Al with a puzzled expression. A magical artifact with a weak Magic Perception reaction... This had happened before. It was during Eric's hiring test. At that time, it reacted to Al's Magic Perception but not to Fitz, Eric's assistant. When the leather covering was removed, the weak reaction became stronger and reacted to Fitz's Magic Perception as well.

There might be a process or spell to make it hard to detect, and the possibility of discovery might depend on the skill and proficiency of the person using Magic Perception or Magic Detection.

This ring, not reacting to Magic Perception, might have been recognized as a mere craft item and sold. If so, the knight who sold it to the peddler might not have known its legend. Or perhaps he had stolen it...

"If it's such a ring, we should find the rightful owner and return it..."

When Al said this, Joanna shook her head.

"Unfortunately, the Tremaine Baron family died out a few generations ago. The family, which treasured the bond ring as a family treasure, always upheld monogamy, but ultimately failed to continue their bloodline. The family was extinguished, and the bond ring, as a family treasure, was kept by the Senet family. Now that the Senet family has been destroyed, there is no rightful owner of this treasure."

If anything, it would be Patricia or Lady Tara, who are descendants of the Senet family. Al sighed at this thought.

"This must be the guidance of Lord Tempest... If it were Lady Patricia, she would say so. I feel the same way this time."

The remains of Lord Tempest are enshrined in an abandoned village not far from here, and only I know about it. Al sighed at the strangeness of reality. Joanna looked at him intently.

"Since it was sold as a craft item, it must have lost its magical power and no longer functions as a magical artifact. I'll prepare a magic stone right away. Could you please keep one for Lady Patricia and the other for yourself? It will take time to verify the rumors about the proposal from the second son of the Margrave, but by the time we do, it might be too late to act. At least, if you both have the rings, it will give Lady Patricia some peace of mind."

Al tilted his head slightly and looked at Joanna intently.

"I understand. Lady Patricia is in a position where she cannot abandon her people. But..."

Al sighed. Not knowing the value of such an item was a big mistake. But it was too late to return it now. Grie didn't say anything, probably understanding the situation.

"Any noble from the Senet family, like Lady Tara, would recognize this ring. And while it might be hard to detect with Magic Perception, a highly skilled mage might still find it. Please be careful."

"Does that mean... It's okay if you keep one and tell Lady Patricia?"

"As I said, it might be recognized if worn, so I'll keep it secretly. Lady Joanna, could you lend me the ring for a moment? I'll imbue it with magic."

*Magic Control*

Al took the bond ring from Joanna, infused it with magic, and gave one of the two rings to the surprised Joanna.

"I want to confirm how it works, so I'll put it on for a moment. Could you do the same, Lady Joanna?"

Al, after a moment's hesitation, put the remaining ring on his left index finger. The ring, which was loose, automatically tightened to fit perfectly.

"Indeed, it's a magical artifact. The size seemed large because of this mechanism. Do you know how to use it?"

Joanna had also put the ring on her left index finger but shook her head in response to Al's question.

"Is it mental concentration? Or a command phrase, which might be difficult..."

While saying this, Al clenched his left fist and, while thinking about the ring, tried to pull it toward his chest. Since the magical artifact was designed to be hidden, the possibility of a command phrase seemed low. However, nothing happened. He tried moving his hand in various ways.

"!"

While experimenting, Al thought he saw a faint light in the direction where Joanna was standing. One of the movements must have caused the other ring to indicate its direction. Al repeated the movements several times and confirmed that when he held his hand palm down and waved it horizontally, the direction was indicated. However, he couldn't figure out how to communicate without speaking.

"There's no choice. It's a miracle that we figured out one function with this trial-and-error method. Can this function work even if the other person isn't wearing the ring?"

Al tried to take the ring off. When he pinched it with his other hand, the ring returned to its loose state. He placed it on the table, and Joanna waved her hand horizontally.

"How was it?"

When Al asked, Joanna nodded slightly.

"It seems to work. The direction of the ring glowed properly. I really appreciate it, Lord Al."

"If the rumors are true, I wonder if Lady Patricia can really endure..."

Al, feeling uneasy about Grie's words, put his ring in a leather pouch he had as a spare and hid it with his wallet. Joanna carefully put the other ring back in the original bag.

"Then, I'll be going. Next time, on the day of the Mushroom Festival. Please keep our meeting today a secret."

Al nodded and saw her off.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays at 10 AM. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for the corrections. I always appreciate them.

I would be very happy to receive likes, evaluation points, and comments. Please, I would be grateful if you could.