Tenkomori: The Homecoming Club Conquers Another World
Chapter 136

Chapter 136.1. The Third Year at the Academy - A New Oath (1)

"First, Ted, I'll give you this sword."

"Huh, ah—ah!"

As I pulled out a sword from the magical bag, the Telpas Bag, Ted hurriedly accepted it.

"Its name is the Sword of Afterimage. Originally, it was a spare dagger I used, but I reforged it and infused it with Tever Ore. Think you can use it?"

"I can hear something like a voice..."

"Seems like it's working. When a magical tool recognizes you, it tells you what abilities it has. Next is Gemma."

"Got it!"

Responding energetically, Gemma held out both hands.

"These are the Gauntlets of Hardened Earth. They're made from Kudolga leather and crushed magic stones."

"It's talking in my head!"

"Looks like you're good too. Everyone, if it's too much, don't hesitate to say so. The abilities might be weaker, but I have spares."

Both of them were bewildered by the magical tools' voices but stared at them intently.

The Sword of Afterimage is a magical sword that enhances all aspects of speed, such as [Slash Enhancement], [Sword Speed Enhancement], and [Maximum Speed Enhancement].

On the other hand, the Gauntlets of Hardened Earth are primarily defensive, with abilities like [Durability Enhancement].

They can activate [Earth Shield] twice a day, and due to their high hardness even in their base state, they can also be used as striking weapons.

Both magical tools have a skill rank of 2 to 3, but their specialization makes them viable even at C-rank.

"Niles—sorry, but here's a decent magical tool for you."

Niles looked a bit shaken but accepted the magical tools one after another, his mouth hanging open.

"It's a lightweight dagger, a skull buckler, and a sling of flight. The sword needs no explanation. The buckler is made from the skull of a Gousus cow and has a [Repair] skill. It'll fix itself unless it's completely destroyed. The sling of flight increases the speed of thrown stones. Niles, you adapt to the situation, so this is what I came up with."

"Thank you!"

Niles smiled as he held the magical tools, and Gemma looked at him with a hint of envy.

Even combined, the Gauntlets of Hardened Earth are more expensive, right? Not that I'd say it.

For Elliot, I gave the Sword of Consecutive Strikes; for Nils, a reforged Shamshir with a circular blade that I used for training; and for Jonas, a Ring of Flame Attraction and the alchemy tools I used for three years.

The Sword of Consecutive Strikes can activate [Double Strike], and if you've already learned it, it assists in activation.

The circular-bladed Shamshir isn't as good as Ted's Sword of Afterimage, but it has [Slash Enhancement] and [Sword Speed Enhancement].

The Ring of Flame Attraction uses a Shumi magic stone given to me by Rackendale. Once a day, depending on the user, it can activate [Firebolt] and significantly reduce the consumption of the life magic [Flint]. Any magic user would find it valuable.

I also gave Jonas the alchemy tools because, with more people, Lola's rewards alone weren't enough. If Jonas handles [Potion Crafting], we'll be set for potions.

Ted and the others checked their grips and showed off their magical tools to each other.

I turned my gaze away from the excited adventurers and looked at Lambert.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Me too? No, I can't accept..."

Lambert shook his head with a surprised expression.

"I know. You and Felix aim to be knights of Keten. Swords are out of the question. But defensive gear is hard to make into magical tools for our purposes."

I handed two swords to Lambert and Felix.

"Both are Swords of Fortitude. They have [Durability Enhancement] and [Repair], with [Durability Enhancement] at rank 4. They won't break easily, so feel free to use them for training or everyday use."

"But..."

Lambert still tried to refuse, but noticing Samini's cheerful gaze, he sighed quietly.

The two accepted the swords, exchanged glances, and nodded.

It seemed they could handle them without issue.

Next, I gave Lola the Necklace of Serenity and Lily the Bracelet of Living Earth.

They didn't expect to receive anything either, so they accepted them in a fluster.

The Necklace of Serenity can activate [Concentration Boost] twice a day, and the Bracelet of Living Earth has a fixed value of [Earth Magic 1] and assists in activating the life magic [Handy Soil].

They're perfect for Lola, who handles [Potion Crafting], and Lily, who works in the garden.

Especially Lily, who still feeds Merlock.

Perhaps one day, a spirit user without [Spirit Friendship] will emerge.

Glancing over, I saw Elphimia waiting with her arms crossed.

I signaled an apology and called over Quince and the others.

"It's too early for you to have magical tools. Quince and Kyle get Daggers of Durability Enhancement, while Emily and Jenny get Knives of Slash Enhancement."

"You're giving them something!"

"Wait a minute. It's in order."

While holding back Elphimia, I turned back to Quince and the others.

"These are just everyday tools with a bit of magic. No need to treat them too carefully."

"Yes!"

The four of them happily accepted the tools, showed them to each other, and went to report to Ted and the others.

I beckoned to Dana, who was watching them with a smile.

After a moment of confusion, Dana turned pale.

"W-what about me..."

"You've been a great help, Dana. Consider this a token of my gratitude."

I gently caught her hand as she tried to refuse and placed a brooch in it.

"It's a Brooch of Vitality Enhancement. You'll feel less tired from working on the farm. To avoid theft, it's mostly copper with a bit of silver. The design is plain, so it shouldn't attract attention, but just in case, wear it on the inside of your clothes."

Dana froze, as if she'd been handed something terrifying.

In a typical Seren household, magical tools aren't that rare, but for the poor who live day to day, they're out of reach. Still, it's not a big deal, so I hope she uses it without worry.

Finally, I stood before Elphimia, the last one.

"Your magical tool is special. It requires an explanation, so I saved it for last."

What I handed her was a pendant.

Made of mithril silver and platinum infused with Tever Ore, it had a blond-like hue due to the Tever Ore.

"Huh, a pendant?"

"In shape, yes. The pendant top is fixed, so think of it as a necklace."

Elphimia looked down at the pendant in her hand and froze.

Then, with a look of disbelief, her eyes lit up as usual.

She seemed to be comparing the information in her mind with the results of [Basic Appraisal].

As expected, she was drawn to the accessory, and Lola and Lily peeked over.

"It's a beautiful pendant!"

"The pendant top looks like a spherical branch. It suits you, Elphimia."

Hearing this, Emily and Jenny, along with a revived Dana, watched from a distance, exclaiming in admiration.

It's a bit sad, but it's a natural reaction.

The other magical tools were my creations, with some advice from Katie.

But Elphimia's pendant was almost entirely crafted by Katie, a professional. All I did was the basic framework and the magical tool conversion.

I didn't favor Elphimia.

I judged that my decorative skills couldn't achieve the intended effect. And of course, what captivated Elphimia wasn't just the beautiful appearance.

"No way... Spirit Summoning?"

"It's a small thing. Its name is the Necklace of the Fire Realm. It's a magical tool that summons the fire spirit Shumi. However, it can only be activated once a day, and it consumes mana for the summoning. The number of summons depends on additional mana consumption, so it's closer to a provisional contract tool. It has its inconveniences, but you won't mind the mana consumption, right? Feel free to summon as you please."

Understanding the meaning of my words, Elphimia looked at me in surprise.

"But then, you could..."

"Ah, that's... I don't need it, yeah."

Under her intense gaze, I quickly looked away.

In the distance, Lily also stiffened, staring into the distance.

Spirit magic is rare, so I had strictly kept it secret.

Also, I hadn't realized Elphimia wanted to learn spirit magic.

The reason I didn't teach her was her low aptitude for earth attributes.

Even the academy head, who had worked in the garden for years, couldn't attract Merlock.

I had a cheat-like affinity due to my chubby build, and Lily's love for plants gave her a sharp sense of soil.

Elphimia wouldn't manage.

And the fire spirit Sarkar was similar.

I only found one in its natural state, and Sarkar was quite temperamental. Even with my cheat-like abilities, I struggled.

Still, by using the Necklace of the Fire Realm, she should grasp how to interact with spirits and the right distance.

If she has the aptitude for [Spirit Friendship], she'll be able to smoothly contract with spirits she meets in the future.

Pacifying Elphimia, who was still glaring at me, I began the crucial explanation.

"The Necklace of the Fire Realm has a hidden power. In fact, that's its main feature."

When I pointed to the pendant top, Elphimia turned her gaze to it.

The intertwined branches formed a spherical cage.

Realizing something, Elphimia held the pendant up to the lantern light.

"Is there... something inside?"

"Particles of Onklum Black Ore. It's a magical metal humans don't know how to process. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but the guild staff sent it as a reward."

"I was sure Lord Alter could process it."

"I couldn't. You're mocking me, right?"

I glared, but Samini just laughed it off.

Really, this guy...

"Anyway, even if I couldn't process it, it's a rare magical metal. I thought about how to use it. After much trial and error—if you tear off the pendant top, the Onklum Black Ore will go berserk."

"...What?"

"It'll explode and turn to dust."

"That's terrible!?"

"That's what happened after some thought. It depends on the surroundings, and I'm not sure what will happen."

"Why would you put something so dangerous in there!?"

"It seemed interes—no, never mind."

Under her glare, I quickly shut my mouth.

Elphimia nervously pinched the chain and tried to hand the necklace back.

After all the effort I put into making it.

Elphimia wouldn't die even if it went berserk.

It's dangerous for ordinary people, though.

"You can handle a little danger, right?"

"You're the one who added the danger! What if it breaks!?"

"It's reinforced, so it's fine. The fragile part is the magical tool's core. You'd need a lot of force to break it."

Gently pushing it back, Elphimia made a displeased face.

The Necklace of the Fire Realm was a real challenge.

I consulted with Rackendale, had Katie design it, and refined it repeatedly before finalizing the form.

If you try to summon Shumi, the magical tool's inherent mana is absorbed by the Onklum Black Ore. That's why additional mana is needed.

And the usual mana leakage is suppressed by the branch-like shape. This allows it to accumulate enough before releasing.

So even if it goes berserk, it needs to be activated several times to accumulate mana.

I explained this, but Elphimia's expression didn't change.

"If it can't accumulate enough, won't it go berserk?"

"No problem. The Onklum Black Ore has a limit to how much mana it can absorb. When that happens, the mana consumption for activation decreases, and since the leakage isn't completely suppressed, it should decrease over time if left alone. And even if something goes wrong, you'd know, right?"

Startled, she looked at the Necklace of the Fire Realm.

Yes, with her [Magic Eye: Mana Sight], she can see it with her own eyes.

She should be able to handle it better than anyone, including me.

"If that's the case, I'll take it..."

Seeming to understand it was safe, Elphimia accepted the Necklace of the Fire Realm.

Truth be told, I originally planned to use a different magic stone to create a tool that activated magic.

The spirit-summoning tool was only possible because Rackendale provided the magic stone.

Besides that, Rackendale's knowledge, Katie's decorative skills, the magical metal, and my spirit magic.

All these elements came together to create this rare spirit-summoning tool.

By the way, the Ring of Flame Attraction I gave Jonas was made from leftover materials from the Necklace of the Fire Realm.

I'll keep that quiet, as it's a bit pitiful.

Now, I've handed out tools to everyone, but...

I wonder if I got carried away by the momentum.