Wizards are inherently armed with arrogance, perhaps based on their intellectual superiority and strength.
This turned out to be fortunate for me.
‘Thanks to Luciana, I found a breakthrough.’
Normally, my telepathy relies on the opponent’s power.
Thus, contacting Bathory would typically be blocked by these handcuffs since they prevent the use of mana, which is normally used in magic.
But what about Aura?
Luciana’s telepathy, which uses actual aura, had no problem reaching me.
The same was true for what I sent,
“He might have thought it sufficient to block the mana.”
Regrettably for him, I don’t rely solely on mana.
The handcuffs might be powerful enough to restrain a wizard, but they were hardly effective against a knight.
Indeed, generating aura posed no problem,
Well, it’s rare to think of using both magic and aura together, conventionally.
However.
Despite the severe beating Riura Caspera took, failing to notice this was disappointing.
I was obscured by Luciana, but it caused quite an uproar for a while.
“Blind faith in one’s judgment leads to negligence, as seen even in the original work… Tsk.”
Still.
“It’s lucky he didn’t take the pendant too.”
For me, that was convenient.
After all, who would think an old pendant could possess such relic-grade capabilities?
[“Token of Loyalty” effect activated.]
[Converting mana to aura.]
My blood into mana.
Turning that mana into aura,
Contrary to my head feeling dizzy from lack of blood, a new strength filled my arms.
“Ugh, using so much telepathy must be why I feel so dizzy. It’s no joke.”
But as much as the blood was drained, the effect was definite.
-Crack!
This was different from the feeble resistance before.
A sound came from within, the cuffs starting to crack.
I was indeed able to break free from these restraints.
“Hyup!”
With a shout, I pulled my swollen arm with all my might, and the dangling shackles came off almost immediately.
However, a sudden sense of exhaustion followed, making further attempts to unlock anything else seem too challenging.
“But this is enough.”
If one hand was free, that should suffice.
For a thief, breaking such restraints is as easy as pie.
Lock mechanisms are similar everywhere.
If it opens with a key, just inserting something thin enough will do….
I had just the right thing.
I infused the chain of the pendant with aura, making it stiff,
-Click.
After a few attempts.
A crisp sound followed, and the handcuffs came off without resistance.
“Phew, I’ll need to get a new chain for the pendant.”
The chain that was originally connected to the pendant was used to unlock the handcuffs, rendering it unable to serve its original function anymore.
“This isn’t the time for this. I need to escape quickly.”
Crisis is indeed an opportunity.
Now was the best time to condemn Ricky for the reckless act of imprisoning a noble from the same empire.
And, while it wouldn’t be bad to be rescued by my favorite hero, this is a matter of pride.
I don’t want to show Luciana that I was caught helplessly, do I?
…But how long has it been since I was freed from the restraints?
I’ve faced a new crisis already.
“No, this psycho kid. The door has been specially treated.”
As soon as I touched it briefly, sparks flew.
A locking spell that fries anyone it contacts immediately with electric magic.
If Tut was here, it would have broken through, but now I’m penniless.
“Of course, a wizard wouldn’t have secured his space carelessly. What should I do?”
It’s impossible to leave this room for now.
So it seemed better to wait for him to return and then ambush him.
“The problem is whether Ricky will fall for it.”
I could manage somehow if I had a weapon, but he took everything including the raven claws.
Moreover, the opponent is Ricky Circleia.
Among the male leads, he boasts exceptional combat skills.
Ranked fifth in admission grades.
He is second only to Rene in the Department of Magic.
Considering that Saint Rene specializes in support magic, it’s fair to say he is practically the strongest in the Department of Magic.
Should I even consider a direct confrontation with him, without a weapon?
I vividly imagined myself being captured again.
“…But what choice do I have? There’s no other good option.”
I could choose to quietly wait here for Luciana and Bathory.
But that didn’t suit my temperament.
As I looked around for something that could be used as a weapon,
“Oho. What’s this?”
Experience from the original game.
An eye honed as a thief.
And even the assistance of the system.
All these elements were whispering to me.
A bonanza gold mine, and nothing compared to this wizard’s hideout.
“It’s definitely the Circleia family.”
Even the beakers rolling around on that desk were proof.
[Circleia Beaker]
[Beaker made from the special magical sand of the Sahel region]
[Highly durable, and specially treated to contain any solution.]
If even the simple experimental tools were like this, what about the experimental materials?
The books containing magical knowledge?
It was literally a treasure trove.
It was almost too painful to take just a few of these items.
“Hehehe…”
Of course, compared to the wealth of the Circleia family, this was nothing.
But the thought of Ricky, crying out in despair as he has to restock all the items and his research being interrupted, naturally brought a laugh.
Any pocket money I pocket is just incidental income.
It’s time for a change of plans.
What kind of weapon is this? Luciana, who will soon arrive, is like a sword, and Bathory is like a cannon.
Quietly, fitting my temperament and aptitude, I decided to clean out everything here and wait.
“If only I had an anchor, I could sweep everything away…”
With regret, I had to selectively take only the most expensive things.
“Let’s see, is this good?”
Indeed, as befitting the successor of a wizard tower, I wondered if books or papers would be the most valuable, so I searched through the bookshelves.
[Introduction to Circle Magic: Advanced Course]
[Bundle of 4th Circle Scrolls]
[5th Circle Scroll]
Sure enough.
My intuition was so precise, it made me slap my knee.
The 4th Circle, of course, suitable for veteran magicians.
And scrolls sealing the magic of the 5th Circle, called the threshold of a grand mage.
It was a jackpot, indeed.
“Since they’re scrolls, they’re easy to carry.”
How heavy could paper be?
Just as I stuffed them all into my pocket, one document caught my eye.
It looked like papyrus from a museum, with faded and faint writing inside.
The end was frayed and tattered, a shabby-looking piece of paper.
“Wait… What’s this sentence?”
But that was just on the surface.
At the center of the document.
Though slightly blurred, I recognized a sentence that seemed more valuable than any other item here.
Maybe even more than that sealed 5th Circle scroll.
“This, it’s exactly like the pattern on the handle of my dagger.”
The ornate golden handle of the dagger given by Mole, engraved with vibrant gems.
Probably symbolizing ‘Hatsan.’
The moment I realized that.
A translucent status window appeared before my eyes.
[Ledger]
[Item Category: Scroll]
[Representing the dark guilds, Hatsan has been on a steady decline for several decades.]
[The reason is the disappearance of the heirloom passed down to its leaders. The loss of this artifact, which proved legitimacy, caused the leadership and command structure to crumble, and Hatsan was subjugated by the nobles of the west, scattering its members.]
[For contributing to the subjugation of the largest force in the underworld, the Circleia family also received much wealth. Criminals associated with Hatsan, gold, treasures… This document they so valued was also included among these.]
[Unaware of its value, it was merely used as a means to boast of the achievement in subduing Hatsan.]
[Someday, when it falls into the hands of its owner, it will prove its true value.]
Definitely a relic I’ve never seen before.
But I was certain it was a jackpot.
The lengthy background explanation was proof of the artifact’s outstanding performance.
“Plus, if it’s a ‘Ledger’…”
This wasn’t the first time I had heard the name.
Surely, it was not mentioned on my second dagger.
[Will of Hatsan]
[…]
[Extra damage when attacking targets listed in the ‘Ledger’]
Owning it along with other artifacts, they synergize to enhance each other!
The gold-handled dagger was as much of a relic as the raven claws.
This artifact would likely have similar performance.
With that expectation, I scrolled down the status window to check its detailed performance.
[When the owner writes a name in the ‘Ledger’ with their blood, it bestows a ‘Decimation Order’ debuff on the named target.]
[If a counterattack with ‘Will of Hatsan’ is successful on a ‘Decimation Order’ target, it triggers a guaranteed critical hit.]
[Assassination guild ‘Hatsan’s’ faction affinity is fixed at ‘Trust’ level.]
To be honest, from the perspective of an expert player, it’s a bit ambiguous to call it a good artifact.
Of course, the effects are great.
Guaranteed critical hit.
A top feature that can inflate damage without any additional stats.
But the problem is…
“Why are there so many conditions attached?”
As if mana and aura weren’t enough, now there’s the cost of blood.
Specific artifacts requiring specific actions as well.
There’s a term for such artifacts.
Commonly called, ‘sss’
[No, but seriously, isn’t Sea Dragon Jade awesome?]
[The follow-up Sea Dragon effect triggers, the damage is substantial and it looks cool.]
[What is that?]
[Playing with trash artifacts using trash gameplay isn’t romantic, it’s just trash. Catching a spirit of the east and turning all those people into enemies, even putting a bounty on yourself to get it? The damage is lukewarm. It’s just pretty trash.]
Due to the lengthy fact-blasting comments in the community, a meme spread.
It was given this infamous nickname to artifacts that look flashy but are too difficult to use or require a great cost.
“…Sigh. I never thought I’d use such ‘sss’.”
As the person who delivered that fact-bomb, my perception hasn’t changed much.
However, that’s when you have to meet the artifact’s conditions.
Unknowingly, the corners of my mouth started to twitch in a dance.
Blood?
Even if I am under a blood magic spell, the loss from writing a name is minimal.
It’s a price worth paying.
Specific artifact, specific action?
I already own ‘Will of Hatsan’, and counterattacking is my specialty.
Now that I’ve met all the conditions.
At least for me, it’s an artifact worth more than gold!
Carefully, fearing that the old paper might crumble if handled roughly, I carefully rolled it up and placed it in my pocket.
Truly an artifact prepared just for me. This makes me feel a bit forgiving towards Ricky, about 0.0000001% forgiving.
“Good. I’ve secured the biggest jackpot, now to sweep up the rest.”
It’s a kind of compensation.
Since they kidnapped me, they should precisely pay for the mental damage caused by preventing me from seeing my favorite character for several hours.
If possible, in cash,
Then-
“It’s still not enough. If I sell this on the black market, I could definitely get a few, no, dozens more recording magic stones…!”
-Not just capturing special moments, but possibly making a complete collection of Luciana’s life!
***
“So, what do you plan to do now?”
Luciana, having shed her earlier warmth and returned to a stoic expression, posed that question.
Inside, I was filled with anger towards the Circleia Earl’s family.
“If you have political insight, you would have already thought of follow-up measures. Can you share them?”
“Indeed… I don’t expect you to just quietly let this go. You’ve thoroughly mocked those who have tried to humiliate you until now.”
Luciana and Bathory.
Indeed, these two women knew me all too well.
“Of course. It’s not just about confining me. This is also a challenge to the Duke of Speda, and it absolutely cannot be overlooked.”
“I agree.”
With a short response, Luciana nodded.
“That’s why your role, Lady Luciana, is crucial.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The opponent is also a heavyweight noble. As it stands, they might just receive a slap on the wrist and that’ll be the end of it.”
That would hardly count as revenge.
“So, we need to tighten the net and pull this eel out of the water.”
“Sorry, but can you explain it properly? I don’t fully understand.”
“In short, let’s expand the scope of this issue.”
These nobles come from various regions, each with their own positions, and there are two factions.
In this space where they all live together, conflicts are bound to arise.
And naturally, there was a mechanism within the academy to mediate these conflicts.
‘Well, Luciana preferred dueling, a simple yet powerful solution.’
But now it was time to use a different method.
“Let’s properly go through the disciplinary procedures.”
A trial would be more appropriate than a duel for experiencing humiliation in front of all the students.
Although dueling had been useful so far.
In reality, dueling was closer to an illogical verdict where the stronger person’s word was taken as right.
Honorable Luciana always used it fairly, but other despicable nobles often used it for their own interests.
To such an extent, exposing Ricky’s moral flaws and punishing him, a disciplinary trial would indeed be an effective means.
The Ricky Circleia downfall project was now beginning.
Cliche Novel 
it’s back!!! :DD thanks for the chapter!
so we’re going full Phoenix Wright for this one? Seems fun
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