In the Weapon Pavilion.

Bale, frowning deeply, said to Olek,

"So. If we believe Valentis Luminel’s account."

"......."

"In that subspace a person encounters their greatest fear or psychological weakness?"

"That is correct."

Bale’s brow furrowed even more.

The other squad members felt the same.

"This is bad. Will Astie be able to escape...."

At Nordix’s muttering, Basto, who had been pacing in circles until now, suddenly stopped.

Then, as if he could not hold back any longer, he slammed his fist into the nearby display case.

Kwang—!

"If the core of Krazar was such a dangerous thing, should you not have said so beforehand?!"

The blacksmiths flinched and timidly looked up at him.

"Then our squad leader would never have touched it! And she would not have been dragged into that subspace of yours!"

Instead of answering, Olek only let out a heavy sigh.

Of course, if he had known the core of Krazar could crack, he would have taken precautions in advance.

He had only wanted to drive Agavert out of the Weapon Pavilion, not harm their squad leader.

'I did not know either.'

That the core of Krazar could crack so easily.

More precisely, it would be correct to say he had only now learned such a thing was even possible.

Because the core of Krazar should never have broken so easily under any circumstances.

"Things this ominous should be destroyed!"

Thirty five years ago.

Olek, who had been a child back then, remembered not only the appearance of Krazar.

For example, the conversation between Verugon and the elder blacksmiths beside the forge, when they argued about the core immediately after the siege of the magic stone.

"Even if many devices can be created from the core! How can we possibly use the essence of a creature that devoured two hundred people?!"

"Then what are we supposed to do? The higher ups want it! The archbishop himself sent a letter he is curious what kind of weapon the core of Krazar will become!"

"Even if a cardinal asks, I still will not do it! No matter how powerful the essence of a magical beast is, it must be used wisely! And what exactly are we supposed to do with the core of a monster like Krazar?!"

Back then Verugon had a fierce quarrel with the elder blacksmiths.

The argument was about one thing.

Whether the gifted core of Krazar should be turned into a weapon.

The position of the elder blacksmiths at the time had been the same.

"Just give in to them. Do you think we do not understand how disgusting the essence of that creature is? If we please the higher ups perhaps our district will gain something...."

"What nonsense are you all arguing about!"

And that day the entire weapons district was thrown into chaos.

Because Verugon, who even then was known for his fiery temper, refused to let anyone stop him and threw the core of Krazar straight into the central smelting furnace filled with boiling metal.

Remembering that, Olek shook his head again.

'That day was complete chaos.'

The Imperial Palace sent letters demanding an explanation.

A bishop arrived from the church order to investigate.

But what could anyone do once the core had already disappeared into molten metal?

The church order’s plan to turn the core of Krazar into a weapon seemed completely ruined.

At least until the day the furnace was emptied to repair the drainage channel.

"We have drained all the molten metal! Beginning inspection of the channel!"

"Wait. What is that?"

"E, elder! You need to see this!"

When the blacksmiths saw what was stuck in the drainage channel, they were horrified.

It was the very same core Verugon had thrown into the furnace several years earlier.

Completely intact.

Shining.

With a smooth red surface.

'Exactly.'

A heavy sigh escaped Olek’s mouth.

"That is why I say I never expected the core of Krazar could crack like that."

He looked ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) gloomily at Basto.

"Do you understand? It was something that never received even a single scratch no matter what we did!"

Olek was truly frustrated.

"They said it was the essence of a creature that devoured two hundred people. They said it made your skin crawl. That is why our current factory chief once grabbed it and threw it into the smelting furnace. I was an apprentice blacksmith back then so I remember everything clearly."

Raul and Enzo, who had been staring at the floor with grim expressions, lifted their heads.

Olek continued.

"And what do you think happened? That core lay inside boiling metal for several years and did not even melt! When it was found the entire weapons district was in shock!"

The other blacksmiths nodded as if confirming his words.

"Then the factory chief brought a hammer and started striking the essence."

Because it was horrifying.

Because it was ominous.

But the core of Krazar did not move at all.

It was struck with a hammer.

They tried melting it in metal.

They even placed it in a special crushing machine and tried grinding it for three days and three nights.

But the core remained intact.

In the end, staring at the still shining core, Verugon, who had just become factory chief at that time, made a decision.

"This cursed magic stone. I will still turn it into a weapon."

He declared that since the core of Krazar could not be destroyed, something had to be created from it.

When the church order and the Imperial Palace heard Verugon’s decision, they were immediately delighted.

It seemed they had been waiting for the day the core of Krazar would be reborn in his hands.

But— 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"This thing is too ominous. Even if I finish the work I will not hand it to anyone. I will simply display it in the Weapon Pavilion."

Verugon announced that the completed Heart of Krazar would be stored in the Weapon Pavilion.

Naturally the church order and the Imperial Palace were not satisfied with that decision.

But they knew Verugon’s personality.

And in the end they agreed.

It seemed they feared he might simply smash the armor he had created himself.

"...And that is how the Heart of Krazar stood in the Weapon Pavilion all this time."

Olek looked at Basto again.

"But do you know what amazes me the most? Do you really think that armor simply stood quietly in one place all that time?"

The Weapon Pavilion was a busy place.

Sometimes dozens of visitors and blacksmiths passed through in a single day.

Whenever new weapons were displayed, huge carts entered and left dozens of times.

"The Heart of Krazar fell and tilted dozens of times! But! Not once did it break!"

Olek pointed at the fragments of armor scattered across the floor.

Fragments that had flown in all directions from a single light push by the King of the Dead.

"I still cannot believe it! Could it be the King of the Dead cast some kind of destructive spell at that moment?! Maybe that is why the Heart of Krazar shattered!"

Olek was on the verge of despair.

"Fine, let us say the metal broke! But why did the core crack?! The core that did not melt even after several years inside a smelting furnace!"

The stone that cracked the moment it touched the King of the Dead’s hand.

And the mist that burst out of it.

He still could not believe it.

"Ah, my head is splitting...."

Olek collapsed onto the floor helplessly and clutched his head with both hands.

"And besides, it is not only your problem. Our elder... no, our factory chief was dragged into the subspace too!"

Indeed, Astie was not the only one who had disappeared into the subspace.

"The King of the Dead is an archmage! They say she is one of the strongest new mages! Who knows? Maybe, like Valentis Luminel, she will overcome the madness and escape the subspace! But... but...!"

Olek threw Basto a resentful look.

"But our factory chief?! Our elder?! He might as well already be dead!"