HTACS 79

Chapter 79

After waiting for my mana to recover and appraising the brooch, a system message scrolled up.

**【Brooch of Blue Moonlight】**

**【7T】**

**【1. Assists the wearer’s mana circulation. Slightly increases magic casting speed.】**

**【2. Slightly increases the wearer’s mana recovery rate from 6 PM to 6 AM.】**

**【3. Slightly increases magic attack power.】**

**【A clear intention was placed into the crafting.】**

**【If worn by the following party member, special options are added: ‘Ayla Trista’】**

**【*Option 2 increases from ‘slightly’ to ‘moderately.’】**

**【*Option 3 increases from ‘slightly’ to ‘moderately.’】**

“…Wow.”

A sigh escaped me that even Imperial Bloodline couldn’t suppress.

It’s not admiration—it’s a sigh.

Truly, truly a headache-inducing item. This.

How did such options appear?

Cast speed. Mana recovery. Magic attack?

That’s absolutely insane. Wow.

What a damn waste. Seriously.

“…Hoo.”

Ah. It’s 7-tier, though. Sigh.

My shoulders unconsciously shrugged.

I should explain D/Z SAGA’s item option measurement system—strictly speaking, this is indeed worthy of 7-tier!

First, looking at a pair of beginner gloves makes it clear.

Gloves of Balance have just one option: +3 when stats are below 10.

But Gloves of Order have two options: 10% experience and all resistances.

In other words, the highest-valued option in the original is pure stats.

If stats are added to a same-tier item, the numbers are smaller. This is called a single-stat option.

Even a ‘no-restriction mana increase equipment’—even if it only gives +1—is placed at the lower end of 1-tier.

And next are various buffs and miscellaneous options. Compared to stat options, two or three of these can appear on the same tier.

After all this rambling, the conclusion is that this can be considered ‘a 7-tier accessory with three decent options crammed into one—ultimately a mid-tier accessory.’

A truly impressive 7-tier accessory would be something like:

Conditional +1 to Strength or Agility, or a skill attached.

If a skill appears, it would be in the upper ranks of 7-tier. For example, if something like 【Magic Maximize】 【5 uses】 【Auto-recovery per hour】 appears,

then just casting magic becomes a huge profit.

Hmm. This won’t do.

Let’s keep making more and see.

**【Brooch crafting successful.】**

**【Mysterious brooch crafting successful.**】

After that, not a single ‘subtle’ brooch appeared.

Trash game.

Are you serious?

“Truly, a miracle must have happened.”

If I had to guess, I must have actually broken through the 0.00075% chance, with Ayla’s 5% added on top. Insane.

“Anyway, this is the limit of my current crafting skill.”

No need to be disappointed. If a draw and a great success overlap, it becomes 7-tier—so even at skill level 5, I could aim for 6-tier.

Moreover, I’ve drunk so many mana potions that my stomach is full to the point of pain.

I stopped working and looked at the countless junk items that had piled up.

About thirty or so.

After appraising them, most only had a few ‘resistance’-type options—the lowest-tier enchant accessory options.

“Now, should I call the owner of this item?”

The next day, Ayla came, and I handed her the brooch.

“Huh? A-a gift? And it’s an accessory?”

“Hmm.”

“W-wow. A brooch? The design is nice too. U-um, does it have some special meaning?”

“Hmm. I thought your equipment was lacking after hearing about it.”

“I see. Can you just explain the options clearly?”

Why does she seem upset?

Well, anyway, as she wished, I explained it cleanly.

Just the three major options.

“It’s a triple-option accessory for magic. Casting speed acceleration. Mana recovery. Magic attack power boost. Three of them.”

“……Pardon? Huh?”

“Tch. I couldn’t get anything better than this. It can’t be helped, but wear it for now.”

“………Where did you get something like this?”

Where did I get it?

“The convenience store doesn’t take strange orders. I made it myself.”

When I said that, Ayla’s face turned pale.

“W-Wolfram? You said you made this yourself?”

“Hmm.”

“Uh, hmm.”

Ayla fell into thought for a moment. As if running her mind at full speed, she began muttering things like ‘…Hmm. Still, this is…’ ‘No, but still…’ ‘That’s a bad thing to do…’

And after reaching a conclusion, she let out a big sigh and continued.

“I really hate Regina Sierra too, you know?”

“I know. I hate her too.”

Why bring that up all of a sudden?

“……Still, destroying the Sierra family wholesale is… a-anyway, isn’t that too much…?”

?

Why is that coming up here? Was there a foreshadowing for making the worn-out heroine even more worn-out?

“What are you talking about?”

“Uh… Well, you see.”

—

After Ayla left, I fiddled with the brooch and recalled what she’d said.

‘Ummm… Well, you see.’

What Ayla said after that was quite shocking to me.

To put it simply, this accessory could serve as a dagger aimed at the Sierra family.

And if I go into detail, it gets a bit long.

The Sierra family had been on the side of the Lohengrin imperial family from the very beginning.

To be precise, they’re an elven noble family that knows how to read the winds—swiftly switching their allegiance to the Emperor’s side among the elves.

When the First Emperor declared the empire’s founding and launched his conquest war,

the elves initially expressed reluctance—but the first family to successfully make that monumental switch was the Sierra family.

Afterward, they were called elven traitors, but in the end, the continental conquest succeeded, and the Sierra family became founding contributors. Even the elves ultimately became the empire’s vassals, so it’s said they wielded truly absolute power.

With the advantage of having served beside the First Emperor and circulating funds, they became intermediaries connecting countless nobles, and the first Sierra family head conceived a business from there.

Hosting social gatherings and selling jewels.

Financial services using the incoming funds. Monsters that moved money itself, dominating all sorts of auctions.

The weight brought by history and tradition worked deeply among the imperial nobles, and as a result, they became the immovable peak—the monster of the upper merchant class.

So what was Regina Sierra’s problem that made her go crazy…

Well, this is Lohengrin. If the imperial family says one word, everyone falls to the ground in prostration begging for their lives.

In other words, imperial decrees are supreme, the imperial family is great, and their authority is absolutely inviolable. Aside from a few madmen, Lohengrin has no enemies.

Because of that, Regina Sierra—though the heir of the world’s wealthiest family—suffered from the duality that her life could be snuffed out by a single word from the imperial family.

And somehow that rolled into her wandering in search of someone who could kill her—a crazy, worn-out… well, anyway. Let’s skip the Regina Sierra story.

“The Regina Corps—what exactly do they see in her? Anyway, that’s a somewhat plausible story.”

So if I personally step up to make accessories and distribute them to noble families, it could deal a significant blow to the Sierra family.

Since a prince made them, the Sierra family wouldn’t dare interfere.

And the actual performance is good.

They’re not just accessories to wear—they can be used as ‘military tools for the mages employed by noble families.’

Mages are high-ranking professions and gather under high-ranking nobles, so this could be both equipment, an accessory, and proof of authority. In fact, mages tend to gather under noble families that possess many magical tools.

Additionally, the ore supplier is the Trista family—one of the two great merchant houses of the upper class. So the name value of the materials themselves isn’t low.

“Of course, I have no intention of destroying Regina Sierra’s family.”

I said she’s annoying and irritating, but I don’t have a particular reason to completely obliterate her.

Besides, if I destroy Regina Sierra—

“Ah. You are my death, aren’t you? I’ve been waiting. Now, please kill me.”

She’d probably cling to me saying that… She’s completely insane.

I held the pendant Ayla hadn’t accepted and fell into thought.

“Ayla Trista…”

So Ayla politely declined my pendant.

‘You’re not going to accept this pendant?’

‘Yes. I’m so grateful for Wolfram’s gift, but I’m sorry.’

‘Why? Isn’t rebellion something secret yet splendid? This accessory is secret, but its performance is truly splendid.’

‘That’s right. I still think that. But—what I’d be doing to Regina Sierra wouldn’t be rebellion.’

‘Can you explain in detail?’

‘It’s not a big reason. Now I’m the grade top student, and Regina Sierra is the second-ranked. If I flaunt something like that from now on, it’s just the top student bullying the second-ranked.’

‘……’

‘Since I became top student thanks to you, Wolfram, I don’t want to bully those weaker than me anymore.’

‘I see. You’re always Ayla Trista, no matter the situation.’

‘Yesss. So instead of this, please give me something more ordinary. That would make me happier.’

In the original, Regina Sierra ends Ayla Trista’s academy life.

But Ayla Trista does not desire Regina Sierra’s destruction.

“Hmm.”

Well, well.

Ayla Trista.

I only thought of her as the Act 3 boss—but she’s actually quite a decent person.

—

The next day.

When Ayla came, I handed her the pendant again.

Ayla’s eyes sparkled as she received it.

“Is this more ordinary?”

“No. It’s the same as yesterday.”

“…Pardon? Wolfram, but—”

“First, listen.”

At my words, Ayla straightened her posture and listened.

So obedient.

So well-behaved.

“I will continue to make accessories from now on. And I will make items like this and even better ones. So I’ll limit who receives them.”

“……?”

Ayla tilted her head.

I knew well that distribution throughout Zefflin—no, the entire Lohengrin Empire—was terrible.

When I first made and released Magical Sweets, Eve warned me.

She said releasing something like that carelessly could get me stabbed.

“In other words—genuinely important items will only be released to people I designate. So take it.”

“…Uh, th-then. Does that mean I’m the first designated recipient?”

Ayla accepted the pendant with wide eyes.

“Yes. Ayla Trista. You are the first designated recipient, and this is exclusive to you.”

That’s not wrong.

She’s my first party member, and for some reason, if she uses it exclusively, additional options appear—so it’s the pendant that suits Ayla best.

“……I see. I’m the first. The one closest to Wolfram than anyone. Understood. I’ll accept this pendant. And I’ll treasure it.”

“Hmm.”

Ayla’s reaction was oddly serious, and her face was extremely red. Her breathing was also strangely heavy.

What’s wrong?

Arrhythmia?

“A pendant made only by Wolfram.”

“Huh?”

“Pardon?”

“I didn’t say it was the only one.”

“……?”

I pointed to the burlap sack roughly placed behind me. Inside, a pile of brooches of the exact same design were crammed. Really, a lot. An enormous amount.

“…It’s not the only one…? Ah, no—there’s that many?”

“The ones lower in grade than what I gave you—I plan to give them to Nephti, Rudika, and Mille-feuille.”

“…Wolfram, you might need to study reading people’s hearts a bit more.”

Why?

Ah.

She thought it was unique but it turned out to be store-bought—so she’s angry?

“But one thing is certain.”

“Wh-what now…?”

“Out of hundreds, this is the best-made one—your custom brooch. That fact remains unchanged.”

“……Ugh. Just make one! Wolfram!”

For the first time in a long while, Ayla got angry at me.

Good gift, good intentions, good words—didn’t I only say good things?

Why?