The Black Iron Glory
Have I Learned the Forbidden Spell?

Chapter 88

Have I Learned the Forbidden Spell?

Claude finally understood why no one in the Whitestag had ever heard of the Baroness Mary; she was from the royal capital. And he would have to be very rich if he could pay 45 crowns for a mere crocodile.

Niros crocodile is a valuable resource, and its value is quite a lot, but not how much it pays only for taxiderms. Damn it, Mr. Fux! He's going to commit absolute murder! He paid only 4 crowns and sold them four tenfold!

Claude could not understand why the baroness was willing to pay that much for it. Sure, it would be an attraction in the capital, but to be frantic to get it? Come to think of it, how did he learn it so quickly? The royal capital stayed weeks on land, and while ships could shorten the journey, they rarely came. He must have had enough informant networks to learn about one killed crocodile and the only one in a city so small and remote, so quickly. Either that, or the Normanley and Fux families have a close relationship.

Claude recalled the saying 'shrimp is eaten by small fish, which is eaten by big fish'. So Claude and his friends are shrimp, and the baroness is a big fish. Worse, he can hide among the small fish until he hits.

"I didn't expect to see him here, no. Why did Milady rush here to look for a simple taxiderm? Do you want it for your showroom in the capital?" Claude asked.

"I don't do useless displays" said the baroness, rolling her eyes, "I need her skin. At least you should know that crocodile niros skin makes a good magic parchment, huh?"

Claude shook his head, but remember afterwards he did read something about the effect somewhere.

Maria shook her head.

"Where did you learn magic? Never does. I think it's the best, I don't know. Still, you were supposed to be a magus, so how could you know at all about the world?"

Claude had to admit his ignorance. At least the baroness seemed to be a straightforward person, she got straight to the point and moved quickly. But there is a weakness. The less he said something, the less Claude could learn from him.

"I'm sorry, Milady."

He thought he could tell a little more about her, her magic side, at least, after all. He really likes his cheerful nature.

"I stumbled across a diary of magus runes by accident and started learning magic out of curiosity, I killed the crocodile when I was just starting to learn meditation. I got it with my rifle because I haven't been able to cast a spell. I just became a real magus last month. "

"Wait, you said magus runes, huh? Are you sure you have a legacy?" suddenly the baroness shouted.

Claude shook his head.

"I don't know if this is the legacy of magus runes. The author of the diary says he runes magus, and he writes notes on alchemy experiments and draws some diagrams, such as those about Hexagram Meditation and formations for some spells. I've been practicing from that diary. "

Claude decided he would make a reduced copy of the diary. He spoke before he remembered that Landes was one of the 'evil magi'. That said, only diaries made of magic parchment would be used by the magi, and only they would last this long without proper care. A fake diary written on plain paper would not fly with the baroness, she was too sharp for that. But he must have a falsehood to give her. He could even get Sir Fux to sell the crocodile to him, so if he wanted the diary, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Maria smile.

"You really don't know anything about the magi world, do you? The legacy of the magus should be their dearest secret. There was no magus revealing their true heritage even while being registered. Do you really think we all know only about the harmless spells the government allowed us to learn? "

"You're the first magus I've ever met. I don't know anything about the modern wizarding world."

"I think that's to be expected given your age and situation. 'Rune magus' was one of the titles long before the magi were chased from the continent. Back then there were only magi runes and battlemagi. Battlemagi and their legacy all but destroyed by war. Currently rune magi were called alchemists. They have been dedicated to researching how to do things spells can do without using magic. You should know about tap water and flush toilets, huh? "

Claude nodded.

"It used to be done with magic, but decades of research developed ways to do the same without using magic. The alchemists were responsible for most of the improvements to ordinary human life that had occurred since the Great War."

Claude forced his astonished expression.

Do they really have to rely on magic to do those things in the past? Well, he thought it was a lot easier with magic, so there was never any reason to look for a normal way to do that, but it was just a waste. And do people today really have to keep referring to the old magical way of doing things to figure out new discoveries? There are so many things that can be easily done with just physics, that it should have been understood by common sense how to do it centuries ago!

"People only realized how much they depended on magic once the magi left and their magic could not continue to make things that everyone had accepted until then. The rulers immediately began to gather and hoard every bit of magic knowledge, every ledger, manual, and item they could find, and began to raise their own magi as best they could. "

Claude finally understood why the firearm technology had not moved for long. The magi guarded their knowledge enviously, and all of it went with them to Cyclos, or was destroyed, and what was little preserved was hidden in the vaults of the rulers, and all of it went with them to Cyclos, or was destroyed, rarely seen by anyone.

It also explains why he was not taught anything resembling physics and chemistry in school. Such things are closely related to magic and hence forbidden.

A hidden door in the dark corner of the laboratory opened and Rodan emerged from the darkness outside carrying a tray with a set of tea and an intricate crystal delicacy.

"Come, come with me for tea" said the baroness, pointing to a table just outside the crocodile.

Rodan placed the tray on the table and took out a tray for the baroness, who took it gracefully, putting her heels on the crocodile's tail.

"Thank you," Claude said, taking the cup Rodan offered as soon as he sat down.

He did not dare to put his feet on the crocodile. He could not pay 45 crowns if he damaged them, and he would definitely not try to find another one if that was what the baroness demanded.

"Don't worry, step on as you please" said the baroness generously, apparently reading her thoughts.

Claude heard a clicking sound and saw the door of the waiter shut and Rodan disappeared again.

The baroness took a small sip from her cup, frowned slightly, and grabbed a small silver barrel.

"Rodan never adds enough sugar," he murmured as he clamped a small yellow cube of a beautiful brass bowl and dropped it gracefully into his cup.

He stirred for a while until the sugar dissolved, then sipped again and smiled, closing his eyes to enjoy the best taste.

"Much better. It's a honey crystal. They dry the honey until it forms crystals, then grind it into a powder that is pressed into the cube after steaming to make it sticky again. Normal honey is very sticky and makes a big mess when you spill it. It– "He took a cube with a fine clamp and shook it back and forth in front of Claude's face gently. "–It's not too sticky. Come on, come on, help yourself. You don't expect me to serve you, do you?" she flirts.

"No, Milady, I can do it myself, thank you," Claude replied, his cheeks flushed slightly, "I'm fine with that."

The baroness chose the cake from the plate and slipped it into her mouth.

"And some cake for you," he somehow said with closed lips, pushing the plate towards her, "I will answer your question as a thank you for saving me. Of course, I can't tell you everything, but I won't hold back with what I can. Oh, what spell have you learned? "

"The author of the diary is a one-ring rune magus. He came from a family of fishermen, at least that's what he said in the diary. He recorded the Magus Hand, the Eye of Appraisal, Good Control, Decomposition, and Reconstruction. He didn't do it. didn't mention another spell, so I'm still trying to find two more to fill my hexagram … "

The spells were completely common in his estimation, so he talked about it casually, but his voice disappeared as he realized the unseen abuse on the baroness' face.

"… Is something wrong, Milady?"

"Never tell anyone you learned these five spells, did you hear?" he said suddenly, agitated.

Claude looked at her question.

"The kingdom has forbidden those spells. No one can learn it. Even members of secret organizations rarely get permission."

"Why? It was just a normal alchemy spell …"

"Stellin IV was killed by a magus using the Magus Hand. Since then the spell has been banned."

Claude's back was suddenly wet. He thought he was clever enough to use spells to do his job, the thought that the spells were used to kill someone, that he would be executed if anyone found him using them, wetting his shirt.