The Magic Tower's storeroom was saturated with mana. All manner of objects radiated magical energy, each establishing its own domain within the vast storage chamber.
Yet this particular bottle felt like a hollow void, utterly devoid of mana.
Its very purity made it seem unnatural.
Just then, Hyunwoo's book began flipping through its pages with a rustling sound, despite the absence of any wind. When the pages stopped turning, a new passage appeared.
[#Lightning-Containing Bottle: A precious artifact favored by the Lagar School. It is said that anyone carrying this bottle when struck by lightning can seal the lightning's power inside it.
*However, being struck by lightning under natural conditions is extremely difficult, so a particular environment is required. For example, the Mountain of Flowing Lightning, the sacred ground of the Lagar School…….]
According to the book, the bottle was quite an extraordinary object. For the first time since entering the storeroom, Vermoor found something that genuinely interested him.
What he did not know was that even Hyunwoo had been unaware of this item's existence.
Hyunwoo had learned about this world through a game, and the game's system did not provide tooltips for every piece of junk lying forgotten in the corners of a storeroom.
'How fortunate.'
As it turned out, Vermoor's instincts had been correct. He had indeed stumbled upon something valuable.
Smiling with satisfaction, he picked up the bottle.
"I'll take this."
Elsie's eyes widened when she saw Vermoor selecting what appeared to be a piece of rubbish.
"Really? Are you sure that's what you want? There are so many wonderful magical tools here."
"This will do."
"Hmm……."
Elsie let out a small groan at Vermoor's unwavering response.
'The Head of the School told me to treat him well and give him a reason to stay connected to the Magic Tower. If he finds out I sent him away with nothing but a piece of junk, I might get into serious trouble.'
After considering the matter, Elsie decided to exercise a little discretion.
"That bottle is just rubbish anyway, so you can have it for free. I'll simply consider it something I've cleared out. Why don't you choose another, better item as well?"
"Is that allowed?"
"Of course! But you mustn't forget how generously I've treated you, all right?"
"Naturally."
Vermoor nodded and selected a pair of Wind Wanderer's Boots.
With both items in hand, they left the storeroom.
Watching Vermoor carefully cherish an ordinary-looking empty bottle, Elsie tilted her head.
'I really cannot understand how Barbarians think.'
Was he planning to carry sugar around in that bottle, despite his enormous, muscular build?
Without access to Hyunwoo's book, she had no way of knowing the truth.
Even if she had managed to peek inside, she would not have understood anything, since the writing was in Hangul.
After seeing Vermoor off, Elsie headed straight to the highest floor of the Magic Tower.
There stood the personal forge of the Head of the Tenever School.
Ignoring the heavy, resounding clang of a hammer striking an anvil, Elsie energetically threw open the door.
BANG!
"Master! Master!"
"You little brat! How many times have I told you to open the door gently?"
"I treated that Barbarian with the utmost courtesy, just as you instructed, and sent him on his way!"
"Ha! Good, good. So what did the fellow take? Did he choose a weapon?"
"The Wind Wanderer's Boots. He tried them on, took a few steps, and seemed delighted that they fit his feet perfectly."
"Of course they did. I designed them to adjust automatically to the wearer's size. Well, something of that caliber is appropriate enough."
At that moment, Elsie burst into laughter and waved her hand.
"Oh, and he also took an interest in some empty bottle lying in a corner. It wasn't even a magical tool, just an ordinary bottle. I wonder why he wanted it? Could it have something to do with Barbarian beliefs?"
"An empty bottle?"
Why would something like that be in the beginner's storeroom?
Turkan was about to dismiss the matter and resume hammering when his raised hand suddenly froze at the peak of its swing.
"An empty bottle? Did you say an empty bottle? You mean a transparent, squat bottle that was sitting in the corner of the storeroom?"
"Yes, that's the one! Do you think someone used it to carry drinking water?"
At that instant, a memory from decades ago flashed through the Head of the School's mind like lightning.
A young upstart from the Lagar School whom he had encountered in his youth.
The fellow had been insufferably arrogant, relying entirely on his talent. Turkan had thoroughly beaten him and taken the bottle as a trophy.
He had never discovered what the bottle was used for, but he clearly remembered how furious the young mage had been when it was taken.
The fellow probably still harbored a deep grudge over that incident.
That damned Head of the Lagar School.
Of course, back then, neither of them had been a Head of the School. They had merely been ordinary mages.
'It was something the Head of the Lagar School treasured, but…… well, it's just an empty bottle. Surely it doesn't matter.'
He felt a faint sense of unease.
But what could he do now? The bottle had already left his possession.
He had a vague premonition that this might cause trouble, but whoever had taken it would have to deal with the consequences.
Following the commotion at the Magic Tower, Vermoor's daily life settled into a brief period of tranquility.
He no longer needed to hunt down wanted criminals.
Instead, he began accepting the material-gathering requests commonly issued by the Magic Tower.
"Mr. Vermoor, these medicinal herbs are extremely delicate, so you must be careful. If even a single petal falls off or one of their roots breaks, their magical energy will quickly dissipate. Do you understand? You must handle them delicately, very carefully!"
Elsie repeatedly emphasized her instructions while looking anxiously at Vermoor's bear-like hands.
Anyone could see that those hands were hardly suited to delicate work. They looked capable of crushing a monster's neck bones in a single grip.
Vermoor silently nodded at her warnings before heading into the mountains.
To him, these mountain trails were no more challenging than the gentle slopes behind a village.
Reading the subtle patterns of the forest with instincts resembling those of a wild beast, Vermoor searched damp crevices between rocks and the shaded bases of trees.
Squeak.
Occasionally, he spotted a mountain rabbit peeking through the undergrowth, its ears standing upright.
Whenever that happened, Vermoor picked up a small stone lying near his feet.
Without making any particular effort to aim, he casually tossed the pebble.
It struck the rabbit precisely on the back of its head, knocking it unconscious.
"I hear the innkeeper makes an excellent rabbit stew."
Having secured a little something for dinner, Vermoor returned his attention to gathering herbs.
Contrary to Elsie's concerns, his touch was as gentle and delicate as the fluttering wings of a butterfly.
When Elsie examined the herbs he brought back, not a single fine root had been damaged. Her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Good heavens, Mr. Vermoor! You're remarkably skilled at gathering herbs! In fact, I think your hands are steadier than those of most professional herbalists!"
"When you live in the snowy mountains, skills like these are essential."
"Oh……."
Elsie decided she would no longer judge Vermoor based on appearances.
Every time she saw him, he demonstrated some unexpected ability. He was clearly not someone she could assess according to her own assumptions.
And so Vermoor spent his days completing requests for the Magic Tower.
At night, however, he devoted himself to a different pursuit.
After enjoying a delicious bowl of rabbit stew for dinner, Vermoor sat cross-legged on the bed in his room.
A single book lay before him.
With an impassive expression, he attempted to prop the book upright, but keeping a book standing on a soft mattress proved surprisingly difficult.
Frowning, he pulled a pillow from behind him and used it as a support.
At last, the book stood straight, facing him.
"Now then, let's begin today's magic training."
At Vermoor's deep declaration, the book trembled violently, as though recoiling in horror.
Nevertheless, it could not disobey its master's command.
Its pages fluttered open, and mysterious symbols and strings of characters began to glow, transmitting their contents to Vermoor.
[Knowledge of Bone Spear is being transferred.]
It was exactly the same as before.
For a brief moment, knowledge entered his mind.
Magical formulas, incantations, and the arrangement of mana.
The information seemed to imprint itself vividly upon his consciousness, only to evaporate almost immediately.
In the end, the only thing that remained in Vermoor's mind was the name Bone Spear.
He tried three or four more times, but the results were unchanged.
He had continued this peculiar form of training every night since that first attempt, yet nothing had improved.
Vermoor folded his arms and sank into thought.
"What could be the problem? Book, if you know the answer, tell me. The knowledge clearly enters my mind, so why does it disappear?"
In response, the book wriggled about for quite some time before finally opening its pages with a rustle.
"Hmm?"
[#Vermoor: Aptitude for Magic is not merely nonexistent; it approaches negative values.]
"Are you saying that my Aptitude for Magic is so abysmal that transferring knowledge to me is impossible?"
The book nodded.
Vermoor remained with his arms folded, contemplating the matter for a moment before asking another question.
"Then what must I do to improve that aptitude?"
The book shuddered, snapped its pages shut, and collapsed facedown onto the bed with a soft thump.
It was almost as though it were declaring that no such method existed.
"How strange. I'm certain I saw something about that when I looked through you before."
Tilting his head, Vermoor picked up the book and began turning its pages himself.
[*Once I've recovered from my illness, I'll descend the snowy mountains and focus on improving my Aptitude for Magic. Consuming rare elixirs or learning powerful spells can alter one's constitution, thereby increasing magical aptitude. Alternatively, I can defeat evil mages and feed their Mana Cores to the book.]
"What? There are methods right here."
Humming contentedly, Vermoor committed the methods to memory.
Rare elixirs, powerful spells, and the Mana Cores of formidable enemies.
The book trembled once again, broke free from Vermoor's grasp, and flew into the air.
It then opened its pages and emphasized the same passage it had shown him earlier.
[#Vermoor: Aptitude for Magic is not merely nonexistent; it approaches negative values.]
The book desperately wanted to explain something.
Those methods were ones Hyunwoo had written down for his own use. They would not work for Vermoor.
Unfortunately, not even the slightest hint of that meaning reached him.
"Yes, yes. You're saying that because my aptitude is so poor, improving it will be that much harder, aren't you? I appreciate your concern, but I'm not a man who gives up halfway through."
The book swam frantically through the air, as though overwhelmed by frustration.
It flipped open random pages in protest, rustling furiously, before finally collapsing onto the bed in exhaustion, twitching feebly.
Vermoor watched the spectacle and tilted his head.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you certainly are an excitable fellow."
Aaaaargh!
If the book had possessed a voice, that was undoubtedly the scream it would have unleashed.
Vermoor chuckled and tucked the book into his clothing before looking out the window.
"No matter how difficult a path may be, you cannot know whether it's possible until you try."
He spoke as though attempting to comfort the book.
You never know until you try.
Even when something seems impossible, if you keep challenging it again and again, a way forward might eventually open.
That was the stubbornness of a Barbarian.
And it was the way Vermoor chose to live his life.
The following morning.
As usual, Vermoor visited the Magic Tower to check the available requests.
This time, however, Elsie approached him with an unusually serious expression.
After glancing around to make sure no one was listening, she lowered her voice.
"Mr. Vermoor, you've come at just the right time. We've received a somewhat…… no, a rather important request. Would you like to hear about it?"
Listening was free, so there was no reason to refuse.
"What kind of request is it? Does it pay well?"
"You remember that incident from before, don't you? The case involving the Witch of Hel…… whom you defeated, the one who was spreading drugs. We've been tracking down and apprehending the people who became addicted."
"Apprehending them?"
"Well, they are drug addicts, after all."
That was true enough.
Although they had been victims, they had also committed the crime of consuming illegal drugs. They could hardly be considered entirely innocent.
"Still, we cannot simply leave traces of Hel……'s magic behind. The process of cleansing the contaminated mana from their bodies and restoring their strength is progressing smoothly. But there's a problem. We cannot erase the marks."
"You mean those symbols that activated the magic? Does it matter now that the mage responsible is dead?"
"If the spell was something the witch developed independently and she was the only one who understood it, then it wouldn't matter. If it can never be activated again, it's effectively harmless. But we cannot rule out the possibility that another mage from Hel…… knows how the marks are constructed."
If another mage understood the witch's markings, they might be able to activate the spell again.
That horrific magic which used its victims' bodies as raw materials to produce tentacled creatures.
"So you need to erase every last mark."
"Exactly. Unfortunately, we don't have the medicinal herbs required to remove them. We're currently looking for someone who can retrieve those herbs."
Vermoor asked, sounding puzzled.
"If you need herbs, why not commission the Herbalists' Guild? Or have the mages collect them? The Magic Tower is full of mages."
"Well, the location is rather dangerous. The Magic Tower used familiars to pinpoint where the herbs grow, but the terrain is extremely treacherous, and the entire area is crawling with dangerous magical beasts. We need someone with exceptional combat abilities."
They had already identified the location of the herbs.
What they needed now was someone capable of breaking through the dangers and bringing them back.
On closer consideration, this was less an ordinary gathering request and more a retrieval mission.
Elsie glanced around once more before leaning close to Vermoor's ear and whispering so quietly that only he could hear.
"I'm only telling you this because it's you, Mr. Vermoor, but apparently there were victims inside the Inner City as well…… in the noble district, I mean. Of course, they did take those drugs voluntarily, so they aren't entirely innocent victims either."
Vermoor's ears perked up.
This was a story he had heard somewhere before.
No, not heard.
Read.
"Anyway, the rumor is that some people of noble birth still have those marks on their bodies, so the higher-ups are paying an extraordinary amount of attention to this particular request."