A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 58

"Orichalcum, is it?"

Gelion trembled as he stroked Sieg's Hersion with his fingertips.

"My goodness. To think I'd see orichalcum in my lifetime..."

"Is this metal truly so rare?"

Gelion exclaimed in disbelief.

"Sir, they say orichalcum is the most perfect substance left by the gods in this world."

"I see. Then what value does orichalcum hold?"

"It is said that orichalcum possesses a far superior mana conductivity than any metal. This means that it can have far more magic engraved upon its surface than other metals of the same area."

Sieg recalled the information he had heard when he first registered the armor.

'Come to think of it, they said twenty-eight grand magic arrays were engraved on it.'

Sieg slyly asked Gelion, "How many grand magic arrays can be engraved on ordinary armor?"

At this, Gelion showed a look of disbelief.

"A few grand magic arrays... Sir, it's impossible to engrave large-scale magical formations on ordinary armor."

Gelion compared it to the difficulty of writing an entire book on a grain of rice.

Sieg looked at the Hersion he wore with newfound appreciation.

'To think there are twenty-eight grand magic arrays engraved on armor where it shouldn't be possible at all.'

If it had as many then even Cain, the original owner of the armor, might not have fully known its potential.

Sieg asked Gelion, "Is it possible to alter this armor into a different form?"

Gelion waved his hands dismissively.

"Oh, orichalcum? That's impossible."

"Impossible? Is handling orichalcum really that difficult?"

"Though it's called a metal of the gods, it is still metal, meaning it can be worked somehow. However, this armor is already complete. If I were to tamper with it and accidentally damage the magical formations engraved on it, the entire armor could become unusable."

Sieg understood Gelion's concerns.

'Looks like I'll have to use this armor only in emergencies.'

At that moment, Gelion spoke cautiously.

"If it's possible, it might be feasible for my master."

"You mean Master Golyn?"

"Yes. If it's Master Golyn, it might be possible to alter the appearance without affecting the Hersion's functionality."

"Do you know where Golyn might be currently?"

"As always, he is likely crafting something fervently in Himonas."

At the mention of Himonas, Sieg's demeanor stiffened.

"Himonas..."

Noticing his serious expression, Gelion reassured him, "You might not know it, as it's a region far to the north."

Sieg spoke slowly, "It's where the Northern Grand Duke resides."

Gelion was taken aback.

"How do you know that? Even those from the Central Continent might not know of the Northern Grand Duke."

"I just happened to know."

Accepting that Sieg did not wish to elaborate, Gelion refrained from pressing further.

'Himonas.'

A place both dearly missed and yet an unwillingness arose within him to return.

Seeing her there stirred emotions Sieg couldn't predict, making him hesitate.

'There's still time. When I've accomplished what I aim to achieve, I'll go. It's not too late.'

Sieg offered Gelion a room and returned to his own chamber, where he was restless with thoughts throughout the night.

* * *

The next day, Sieg headed to the secret branch of the Reinhardt Trading Company.

Princess Melissa used this place for confidential meetings regarding company affairs, and Sieg was to join the meeting as a newly appointed trading director.

"Welcome, Sieg."

Cliff, the public face of the company, greeted Sieg in the meeting room.

Princess Melissa was already there, reviewing documents.

"It's been a while, Sir Sieg."

She welcomed Sieg warmly.

Sieg, Melissa, and Cliff took their seats at the round table to start the meeting.

Cliff introduced the topic first.

"It seems the production of medicines using Soma, as you mentioned, Sir Sieg, can proceed smoothly. However..."

He hesitated about a challenge facing them.

"It appears establishing a factory to process Soma into medicines within the Central Continent will be difficult."

Initially, they considered establishing a factory in the Kingdom of Alencia, but even Princess Melissa struggled with this due to her reputation as a philanthropist.

Associating with a pharmaceutical firm processing Soma, a known narcotic, could tarnish her name.

Upon hearing this, Sieg asked Cliff, "What if the medicines were pre-processed?"

"Once processed and safety-verified by the Magic Tower, importing pre-processed medicines poses no problem."

"Then that's settled. Let's establish a factory in the Southern Continent and have Reinhardt import and distribute the products."

Melissa shook her head in response.

"Sir Sieg, I'm afraid Reinhardt Trading Company currently lacks the resources for a large-scale pharmaceutical factory in the south. We barely managed to establish a plant for the Crimson Blossom Disease remedy."

Sieg smiled reassuringly.

"We'll handle the construction. Once the products are ready, please secure import approval through the Magic Tower from the Reinhardt side."

His words surprised Melissa.

"A factory overseen by Sir Sieg himself? Is it affiliated with Draker?"

He shook his head.

"I'll proceed with my personal funds, so there's no need to worry about Draker's involvement."

Melissa wanted to inquire more but knew the personal funding aspect was not her place to question further. She nodded her agreement.

"Very well. If a Southern factory is indeed established, Reinhardt will take responsibility for importing and selling the medicines in the Central Continent."

"Our import proxy will contact you soon. Please discuss further details with them."

Sieg was referring to a phantom company under the Syndicate.

'I also need to find a responsible manager for the pharmaceutical factory. A trustworthy mage would be ideal.'

Finding reliable personnel was always the biggest hurdle.

As Sieg and Melissa wrapped up their business discussions, Sieg broached another subject.

"Princess, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Yes, what is it, Sir Sieg?"

"I have obtained new data concerning the Empire."

Sieg handed over the organized excerpts of documents he had gathered from the southern dungeon lab to Princess Melissa.

Melisa's expression hardened as she reviewed the data.

"My goodness. The Empire conducted biological experiments on synthetic toxins with the Scorpion Clan?"

Sieg nodded with confirmation, responding, "If the Crimson Blossom Disease was a magically created illness, the Empire might be conducting clinical trials of a new magical weapon targeting Alencia."

Melissa's jaw tightened.

"I suspected such, but I never imagined they would do this to our people."

Since she herself was once infected with the Crimson Blossom Disease before Sieg's remedy saved her life, the Empire's cruelty hit her even harder.

Sieg explained to Melissa, "Princess, I am sharing this data with you because we must maintain secrecy around the Empire's misdeeds for a while."

Feeling her brow furrow, Melissa was puzzled.

"What do you mean, Sir Sieg? We should inform the international community of the Empire's atrocities immediately and ensure they never repeat such acts."

"I understand your feelings, but this data alone is insufficient as decisive evidence for diplomatic leverage."

This was the conclusion Sieg reached after thoroughly analyzing the documents.

The Empire cunningly placed the responsibility of the experiments on the Scorpion Clan.

Since the Scorpion Clan was an infamous group of dark mages, conducting human experiments wasn't particularly shocking.

The Empire could easily deny involvement, blaming the Scorpion Clan and expressing regrets.

Understanding Sieg's point, Melissa clenched her fists, shaking with anger.

"But should we conceal this evidence, we could leverage it more effectively against them."

"What does that mean, Sir Sieg?"

"The Empire is unaware that we and the princess possess this data. Surely, given the vastness of their experiments, there must still be evidence somewhere directly implicating them."

Princess Melissa grasped Sieg's strategy.

"You mean to combine this data with further evidence to firmly pressure the Empire later."

"Precisely. I'm providing this evidence now so we can prepare in advance."

"Prepare?"

"If they used the Crimson Blossom Disease as a clinical trial in Alencia's disputed areas, there is a likelihood they might test other toxins there too. We should develop antidotes ahead of time."

Melissa nodded in strong agreement with Sieg's foresight.

Should these weapons be deployed in disputed areas, Alencia's forces would be crippled by toxins during battles.

However, with antidotes readily available, they could counteract the Empire's plans.

"Capturing those using these poisons would undeniably link the Empire to illegal human experimentation."

"Exactly. This could not only solve the dispute between the Empire and Alencia but also elevate it as an issue for the entire Central Continent."

Melissa validated Sieg's reasoning.

Simultaneously, she recognized bringing Sieg into the trading company as a wise decision.

'My choice was not wrong.'

With his messages conveyed, Sieg decided to excuse himself.

"I may not be able to attend meetings for some time."

"I see. I hope we have the chance to welcome you to Alencia someday. It's a land with beautiful mountains and serene lakes."

Sieg nodded knowingly.

"I know."

"Have you visited Alencia before?"

Sieg paused for a moment and then shook his head.

"I've just heard it's a wonderful place. I hope you can show me its beauty on my next visit."

Princess Melissa nodded with enthusiasm at Sieg's words.

After leaving the clandestine meeting place, Sieg returned directly to Valhalla.

At the training grounds, Aster was there, unexpectedly joined by Diego.

"Diego? Why are you here?"

"Yo, bro! It'd be lonely if you two hung out without me!"

"I thought you disliked training."

"Training? Of course, I dislike it. I'm just here to cheer, yo!"

Despite Diego's cheerful words, they hardly swayed Sieg.

Consequently, Diego found himself dragged into the training regimen alongside Sieg.

"Sieg! You're a devil, yo! As expected from a descendent of Draker, yo!"

"Stop with the nonsense and swing your sword, Diego."

Grumbling, Diego swung his sword as if dancing.

Their intensive training continued for days afterward.

On the first day, Diego playfully tried to provoke Sieg but, like Aster, ended up tossed into a wall. After that, he followed instructions obediently.

'There's no other way. They only listen when force is applied.'

Under Sieg's supervision, Aster and Diego underwent rigorous training for a week, gradually adopting his ethos.

The day of deployment arrived, and the trio headed to the Atlas central station to travel to Delfoa.

Thanks to their Valhalla student IDs, they secured seats in the first-class cabin.

As they settled in the spacious compartment, Diego sprawled across a sofa, groaning.

"I feel dead before the mission even begins, yo."

Sieg remarked that if Diego didn't want to be stuck with "invisible seating" during the journey, he should remain quiet, prompting Diego to fall silent immediately.

At that moment, someone entered the first-class compartment.

A knight in a well-tailored Draker uniform with a handsome face.

It was a familiar face to Sieg.

'Andre?'