WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
Discord: sdsc.gg/wetried
INFINITE MAGE
Shirone’s prediction was accurate, and the rchant deduced that they hadn’t been in Purgatory for long.
“Hmm, I could negotiate, but I doubt you could afford it. Spirits are incredibly rare in Purgatory. I’m just stopping by on my way to the mainland.”
Shirone felt a pang of fear at the outright rejection, though he expected it to be valuable.
Could he buy it for three White Elixirs? If he overestimated and lacked enough Elixirs, Amy would be deeply disappointed.
Realizing he needed a basis for his decision, Shirone paused the negotiations to ask a question.
“I heard that spirits can be contracted. Is it possible with this one?”
“Contract? Ah, a contract. Of course, it's possible. But what would you do with a contract with a fire spirit?”
“With a fire spirit, I could use fire magic, right?”
“Technically, yes... but valuable spirits aren’t usually wasted on contracts. If a spirit enters a village, it makes life much easier. So, typically, villages pool their Elixirs to acquire one. Those living on the outskirts of the community, who live in harsh conditions and have surplus Elixirs, might buy with the intent to contract, but they’re essentially risking their lives. I don’t see you living that kind of life.”
“So, a contract is possible, right?”
When Shirone pressed, the rchant nodded reluctantly.
It was a common reaction on the mainland. People who couldn’t afford it often tried to haggle or send in teams to devalue the item.
If people from the outskirts of the community joined in, the auction would end there, but such people rarely cared for special spirits. Most of the ti, it was a nerve-wracking battle on a razor’s edge.
Amy fidgeted with her fingers. She was a haggling expert but couldn't say anything now.
In a world where gold was common, she would have emptied her savings to buy it. But in Purgatory, only life-and-death items held value.
In this situation, she didn’t want to cause trouble for Shirone by showing her desire to possess it.
Shirone already knew. For a mage, enhancing magical power was everything, so he wanted to get it if possible.
Sensing the critical mont, Shirone asked again.
“So, how many Elixirs would it take to buy the spirit?”
The rchant chuckled dismissively. But seeing Shirone waiting intently, he thought seriously.
“Hmm, if you were to buy it here, at least...”
Shirone’s heart pounded. Any price within his Elixir stash would be good.
It was evidently a high price, as the rchant took his ti before speaking.
“One White Elixir...”
Disappointnt filled Shirone and Amy's eyes. The unit of asure being White Elixir ant the likelihood was slim.
After contemplating, the rchant looked up and nad his price.
“At least one.”
“What? One?”
Shirone doubted his ears, which had never betrayed him before.
If it was just one, he could afford it.
Realizing the sa, Amy trembled with anticipation, as if soone might snatch it away.
Shirone evaluated everything. Initially, he hoped only to afford it, but mages are quick to discard irrelevant thoughts.
Seeing Amy bite her lower lip, he couldn’t help but smile. She whispered softly,
“I want it.”
Amy, the only daughter of the Karmis family, grew up never knowing material desire. But when it ca to magic, she was just another mage.
The rchant misunderstood Amy’s desire as resignation. White Elixirs were rare even for mainland rchants, so it was natural for newcors to Purgatory to despair.
Thinking of his daughter, he consoled Amy.
“White Elixirs are hard to co by. I’ve already given you a big discount. It’s risky going to the mainland. It's only because I assud I could sell it at Nor’s Haven and return ho safely. I calculated it precisely because you seed serious. Don’t be too disheartened. Soday, you might get lucky and find a fire spirit.”
“I’ll buy it.”
“Huh?”
“I said, I’ll buy it.”
As Shirone searched his inner pocket, the rchant blinked in disbelief. He couldn’t decide if he should be angry or laugh at the joke.
But seeing the three Elixirs rolling in Shirone’s hand, he fell off his chair in shock.
The rainbow spectrum confird they were White Elixirs.
“Here. Can I take it now?”
The rchant, speechless, nodded. Shirone handed him the White Elixirs.
Simultaneously, Amy cradled the spirit trap to her chest.
She felt its warm presence.
The warmth of fire.
This was Amy’s essence.
“Hey, is it okay? Isn’t it hot?”
The rchant, confirming the Elixirs’ authenticity, regained his senses and asked.
A fire spirit was still fire until contracted, and touching a hot iron cage should cause burns.
“Huh? No, it’s just warm.”
“That’s strange. Can I check it again? I’m worried because it might be defective.”
“No, it’s fine. This is definitely a fire spirit.”
Amy lovingly watched the fire spirit bounce in the air. She then spoke to Shirone via the ntal channel.
-Shirone, it’s a Spirit Zone.
-Spirit Zone?
-Yes. It’s amazing. It’s real fire, but it’s also connected to the mind. I can feel it constantly.
Mages don’t get burned by the fire they create. Though it’s real fire, the creator is a mage.
According to Amy, spirits also seed to have a fixed Spirit Zone. They had beco a form of ntal transcendence.
“So, how did you get the White Elixir?”
“It ca from the Vortex Serpent.”
“The Vortex Serpent? You destroyed the law of the valley?”
“It just happened.”
It wasn’t strange for a mage powerful enough to defeat the Vortex Serpent to possess White Elixirs.
Though rare, such people did exist in Purgatory. rchants called them border people or those from the community outskirts.
“But how do you form a contract?”
“I don’t know exactly, but I’ve seen border people do it. They hold the spirit and mutter sothing, and it disappears.”
Spirits lack reason, so it likely wasn’t a keyword activation. The remaining possibility was Incantation Magic.
Speaking and repeating it was key. Resonating with fire was crucial.
Using the key given by the rchant, Amy unlocked the iron cage. Holding the spirit in both hands, she improvised an incantation.
“Fire spirit, dwell within .”
As the fire spirit entered Amy, a warm sensation filled her abdon.
Contracting with a spirit was akin to discovering a new battery. Separate from the ignition battery, she could now ignite a new fire.
Summoning the spirit, Amy watched the fireball rise and circle around. Pleased, she recalled the na of the legendary ancient fla.
Jack-o'-lantern.
Known as will-o'-the-wisp, this phenonon remained a myth despite countless scholars’ theories.
But no longer. The Jack-o'-lantern existed as ancient magic in Heaven.
The fire spirit had strategic uses.
It activated independently of Ignite and moved along desired trajectories. It could even split into multiple illusions.
Amy envisioned endless strategies: guided functions, tricks, multi-shot capabilities.
Realizing Shirone’s gaze, she extinguished the spirit.
Though she should thank him, the words wouldn’t co out, feeling awkward.
It wasn’t like receiving an expensive gift. Perhaps she had received Shirone’s heart.
Shirone smiled, turning away as if expecting her silence.
Amy regretted not speaking. Did he understand her feelings? Or was the gift without special aning?
Despite his straightforward nature, Shirone was sotis unreadable.
Shirone ticulously inspected the items.
Watching Amy contract with the fire spirit made him realize that seeking items to bring back to the original world was naive.
Heaven was perilous, and reinforcing their gear imdiately was crucial. Finding such items, no matter the cost, would increase their survival chances.
Nor’s Haven mainly sold essentials for the heretics in the community.
But a few rchants had special items, which they didn’t display due to high prices.
Upon learning Shirone had White Elixirs, a man discreetly placed an item on his stall.
Tess ran over and pointed at the item the rchant displayed.
“Oh! Isn’t that...?”
A beetle-shaped chanical device.
A drone created with cha technology.
Clove, realizing Shirone was a big spender, eagerly explained.
In addition to the known reconnaissance and language decoding functions, it had radio communication, map display, and more.
“How about it? Want to trade for a White Elixir? You know drones aren’t just about having Elixirs. They’re exclusive to citizens.”
Shirone found the drone appealing. He had experienced its reconnaissance ability through Kanya. If Tes could use it, it would be an excellent auxiliary tool.
Arin suggested they might negotiate the price down. She sensed the rchant’s initial offer was inflated.
But the low price was curious.
If a fire spirit was a commodity, a drone was a limited item. Shouldn’t citizen items be priceless?
-Arin, could there be a defect? Otherwise...
-I have the sa suspicion, but I’m not sure. The initial offer is certainly inflated. You’ll have to judge the rest.
Tess was fixated on the drone. Given her fascination with ancient artifacts, she would accept it regardless of defects.
Shirone asked on her behalf.
“How did you get this? I heard it’s only issued to cha Tribe individuals.”
“Of course, but there are heretics among the cha too. They might steal it before fleeing to Purgatory. Just one can sustain their livelihood. Look here, the strip between the drone’s edges? That ans it’s unused. It’s fresh from the factory. The original owner likely worked in a cha Tribe facility.”
“Where is that person?”
“Who knows? They might have fled or died. Most Heaven’s items in the market co from such circumstances. Those stealing Heaven’s items for Elixirs often die in Purgatory, leaving the items behind.”
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