Chapter 11.1

—

After sending Renon away, I began sorting the mid- and low-grade magic stones stacked in the warehouse.

Fire, water, lightning, earth, wind, dark, light, neutral, wood, ice, and metal—eleven attributes in total.

The magic stones glimmered in a variety of colors, forming a small hill. If this were Earth, each would be as valued as rubies or sapphires, though their slightly dull hues betrayed their lower quality.

“Good thing I rented an additional storage shed.”

The adjacent shed was filled with materials meant to be packed into the soon-to-be-modified carriage.

“Let’s get to it.”

Naturally, it would be physically impossible to load everything from both sheds into a single carriage.

Taking a deep breath, I retrieved a silver engraving knife and an awl, then began inscribing magic circles onto fire, light, lightning, and wind magic stones.

In magitech terms, these were called mana circuits or magical circuits. In gaming lingo, it was an enchanting process.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Thanks to my max-level crafting skill and my high focus stat, I engraved the mana circuits with the precision of a machine.

“I was worried because these are low-grade stones, but the success rate is higher than expected. Must be the luck stat at work.”

In under an hour, over a hundred magic stones were intricately inscribed with tiny, delicate magic circles.

Next, I placed the fire, light, and lightning magic stones with their mana circuits into a preheated furnace.

Fwoooosh!

An intense, otherworldly heat erupted from the furnace. I added earth, fire, lightning, and ice magic stones to the mix.

A moment later, golden liquid began flowing out of the furnace.

“…”

I stared at the molten gold-like liquid, mesmerized as if I were watching a campfire.

Memories of my life on Earth surfaced unexpectedly. It had been a while since I’d been transported to this world, yet I still missed my company. My longing was so profound that it often appeared in my dreams.

“There better be some time adjustment if I save the North. If I end up sent back to Earth years in the future… Well, screw the North and everything else!”

Who would’ve thought I’d end up starting a business in an isekai fantasy?

All because of one video game, I found myself in this absurd predicament. Regret and frustration mingled within me.

“Work, work!”

Shaking off my thoughts, I began plating the extracted liquid onto the disassembled carriage parts.

* * *

At Polly’s Inn—a regular lodging spot for the Grand Duke and the high-ranking knights of Renslet when they ventured near the Demonic Realm—an unusually heavy atmosphere lingered.

While it wasn’t uncommon for a solemn mood to prevail in the presence of such dignitaries, this time felt different, like the tense calm before a storm.

“It seems none of the Frostfangs, aside from myself, managed to make it back.”

After delivering his urgent report and resting, Doyle, the knight who had returned to Haven, broke the silence with a somber expression.

Despite hoping for another survivor, none had returned in the days since.

—

“You’ve done well, Sir Doyle.”

“No, I’ve done nothing. Never before have I cursed the inability to use Winterhawks in the Demonic Realm as much as now.”

The Frostfangs were Renslet’s elite intelligence corps.

To someone like Arad, their name might evoke images of legendary cursed swords from a famous Earth game.

Doyle, the lone returning Frostfang, sighed deeply, shoulders slumped.

“You’ve ensured that your comrades’ sacrifices were not in vain. That in itself is an honorable act.”

Balzac shook his head, consoling the knight who had returned alone.

“Those who lost their lives in this mission will be honored and their families justly compensated.”

Arina, too, offered words of solace, pledging on her name to honor the fallen knights.

After a moment of silence for the Frostfangs who would never return, the Grand Duke and her knights resumed their meeting.

“Undead corpses roaming the depths of the Demonic Realm? It must mean a high-ranking necromancer has emerged.”

—

The knights of Renslet regularly patrolled the Demonic Realm’s depths.

The place was a mysterious zone where strange monsters constantly emerged if vigilance wavered.

This was also true for the Frostfangs, whose tasks included intelligence and reconnaissance.

In addition to monsters and adventurers from the Empire, the Demonic Realm was home to blasphemous beings like black magicians.

“If a necromancer commanding the undead is involved, they’re likely operating from a Sorcerer’s Den—and a high-level mage at that.”

“A Sorcerer’s Den… Damn those black magicians! They’ve been quiet for a while, but now they’re causing trouble again.”

This time, the Frostfangs had witnessed something extraordinary in the depths of the Demonic Realm.

So extraordinary that they had to flee, unable to retrieve their fallen comrades.

“There’s no way those black magicians alone could control the deep monsters. They must have discovered a new Golden Era Dungeon.”

“That’s very likely. The Demonic Realm was originally a sanctuary for mages fleeing at the end of the Golden Era. It’s a holy site for them, especially the black magicians in the Sorcerer’s Den.”

“We must deal with them before they fully emerge from the depths.”

—

Haven remained quiet for now.

The majority of adventurers lacked the skill to venture beyond the outskirts of the Demonic Realm.

Ironically, the Demonic Realm was both a curse and a source of wealth for the North.

While its outskirts teemed with ferocious monsters, these creatures also yielded rare and valuable by-products.

“Should we also recruit priests?”

The suggestion came from Doyle, the lone returning Frostfang.

“It’s difficult to face necromancers with just knights. Divine power is essential.”

It was a classic response to black magic: counter it with divine power.

“Priests? Do we even have clergy in the North?”

“If not, we could request support from the Imperial Church. Since necromancers are involved, they might…”

“Don’t even mention the Empire. They’ll just use this as another excuse to propose an absurd marriage alliance with Her Grace!”

The knights’ response to the suggestion of involving the Empire was utterly cold.

“Wasn’t the first marriage proposal for her to become the Emperor’s ninth wife? And the latest one was to be the Crown Prince’s fourth consort. I wonder what absurd proposal they’ll come up with next.”

Even Arina smirked bitterly.

“How dare the Imperial family be so disrespectful!”