Chapter 225 Strongest Sage, Figures Out Poison's Origin
◇
Seems like my prayer was answered, we didn't have to wait an hour before there were movements at the warehouse.
『...Someone super suspicious is coming here.』
One man is approaching the warehouse while pulling a cart.
A bag in the cart has 『Mandragora Powder 30kg』 written on it.
But just that wouldn't have been worth mentioning.
The man is wearing a mask that covers his whole face.
Judging from the mana flow, the mask is a kind of gas mask.
He must be putting that mask on to protect himself from some kind of toxic substance.
『But he's pulling a cart. Then it's not related to Storage magic?』
Indeed, the man doesn't seem to be a Storage mage.
Judging from his mana, he probably can't even use chantless magic.
However... The man is most likely related to the poison.
『No looks like it is... Look at the cart's mana reaction.』
『...There's traces of mana on the road it passed by!』
『That's right.』
There are traces of life force absorbing poison on the cart being pulled.
No mistake, that cart has been used to transport the poison.
『Wonder what's inside that cart? Mandragora Powder is written on the bag, but...』
『Looks like it really is Mandragora inside... But Mandragora powder is one of the materials used to create life force absorbing poison.』
Mandragora is a type of magic plants.
As the plants would emit harmful screams when pulled out of ground, the current era's technological level is incapable of mass producing it, thus it's considered a luxurious good.
30kg of such powder... meaning the organization providing this has to be quite large.
The man pulling the cart opened the warehouse door while we were talking.
『...The door's open. Should we sneak in?』
『Nope, we're gonna observe the situation from here. No one would find us outside thanks to stealth magic, but we can't be sure what stuff are there inside a cramped warehouse.』
From this distance, it's possible to completely grasp how it's like inside with Passive Detection.
No need to go out of our way to brave danger by going inside.
『If he goes there bringing Mandragora, a raw material, inside...』
『Either someone inside is going to take the Mandragora, or they're really producing the poison inside.』
I concentrate on Passive Detection.
It's no big deal if he goes to warehouse just to put the Mandragora powder and take the poison.
However... This is just a hunch, but I don't think that's correct.
And I guessed right.
<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka .com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel.>
『『Eeh!?』』
Alma and Ruli who were probing the warehouse like me let out their voice in surprise at the sudden emergence of mana reaction inside.
A spell was suddenly activated in the middle of the warehouse.
And not in a scale possible by chant magic.
It's a complex spell that would need quite a level of mastery even in my past era.
The spell seems familiar to me.
Exchange-type, matter transfer spell.
The target is--.
『Exchanging the Mandragora powder with the poison huh.』
When mana on the magic circle had subsided, the Mandragora powder in the cart the man was pulling had been changed to the life force absorbing poison.
They've exchanged them through matter transfer magic.
『Transfer magic... Is it similar with the Instantaneous Movement magic you used Mathi-kun?』
『Yeah. But I'd have never thought they were using that...』
The transfer magic circle used here was the one the past me created.
It should have been situated deep underground, but it must have got brought out to surface after several thousands years.
...That's good and all.
The problem is how did they even find that magic circle.
Even if the magic circle got to the surface, it should be hidden with strong camouflage I put on it, it should have been impossible to find.
『That...?』
『I mean the transfer magic circle. That magic circle should have been connected to a hidden room in the ruins... The reason how they could find it is bugging me.』
『Maybe they discovered it by chance while they were exploring the ruins?』
『I don't think it's that simple to find... Well, at least now we know where the enemy is. Now we just need to think up our raid plan.』
That transfer magic circle is connected to a hidden room in the Sixth Source.
That room was created due to a 『Certain Circumstance』 but only less than 10 people knew the existence of that room in the past.
The Camouflage put on both the magic circle and the hidden room was of the highest level even by the past me standard.
It's not something that could have been 『found by chance』.
Even the past me wouldn't have been able to find the hidden room unless I knew beforehand that the room existed.
If that room truly had been found... it wouldn't have been possible unless it was by those whom I have confided in regarding the room's existence.
And those people who knew about the room were all either heads of a state or great mages.
Don't tell me, the ringleader who's been absorbing life force is someone among them?
...This might turn out bigger than I thought it'd be.
◇
Previous Chapter