Chapter 6
The Secret of the Artifact
Standing there before us was the same female captain we had seen yesterday.
“Skye, this lady says she wants to speak with you,”
said the village chief.
“Sorry for coming unannounced. I’m Reina, captain of the Ruvinas, Third Fleet of the Rivelia Navy.”
“Ah, I’m Skye,” I replied quickly.
“Oh—were you in the middle of a meal? My apologies.”
“No, I was just finishing up. Please, come in.”
“Thanks. I’ll take you up on that, then.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” the village chief said, returning to his home.
I offered Captain Reina a chair.
“And you are? His sister, perhaps?”
“Oh, no. I’m Skye’s childhood friend—Mile.”
“I see. It’s nice to see such close friends.”
Mile’s eyes sparkled; she looked delighted to be talking with her idol.
“So, Captain, what did you want to ask me?”
“Right, I’ll get straight to the point. Are you the one who sold this?”
From her bag, Reina pulled out the relic I had sold to the traveling merchant.
“Ah—yes, that’s right. Was… that a problem?”
“No, not at all. Ancient ruins don’t belong to anyone. Selling what you find there isn’t against the law.”
“Really? That’s a relief…”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
If it had been illegal, our plan to buy an airship would have been ruined.
“Now then, what I really want to ask is—did you find anything inside that relic?”
“!?”
Captain Reina’s gaze sharpened as she studied me closely.
Then I remembered—Nocty had mentioned that she “possessed a Star Ring.”
“…For example, that ring on your right hand.”
“So you do know about this ring, Captain?”
“Yes. I have one too.”
She lifted her right hand, showing me the same kind of ring on her index finger.
“You can come out now.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am the spirit Misty.”
Before us appeared a spirit with soft pink fur and emerald-green eyes—she looked a lot like Nocty, only a bit more mature.
“Misty assists me in various ways. Would you introduce your spirit as well?”
“Sure. Nocty, come out.”
“Fwaaah… I am the Great Spirit Nocty!”
Apparently, he had been dozing off in the ring after breakfast; his grand entrance was punctuated by a yawn.
“Oh my, a Great Spirit? That’s a bold claim for such a little one.”
“L-little one!? How dare you!”
“Misty, that’s enough,” Reina scolded gently.
“Hmph. My apologies,” Misty sniffed, clearly unconvinced.
Nocty looked ready to pounce, flailing in Mile’s tight grip while she kept him from flying off.
“Forgive Misty—she isn’t usually like this.”
“No, I should apologize too.”
Reina’s expression turned serious.
“Now, to the main point—how much do you know about your spirit and that ring?”
“Well, Nocty told me it’s called the Star Ring of the Warden.”
“That’s right. Then do you know what it can do?”
“No, not exactly. Something like… ‘Libr… something?’”
“Library. That’s it. The Library function can enhance or swap a Class’s abilities. In other words—it’s an Artifact.”
“What!?”
The word hit me like a shock.
Even Mile, holding Nocty beside me, gasped.
“This is top-secret information known only to a few in the military. But since you’ve already bonded with a spirit, it’s best you know.”
“Of course, I trust you’ll keep it confidential.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“For details, ask your spirit. He should understand.”
“Also, I’ll have to report this to headquarters. At some point, you may be summoned to the main command center—but don’t worry. If anything happens, you can count on me.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“One last thing—the merchant said he bought several relics from you. Were there any other rings?”
“No. That was the only one we found.”
I explained where and how we’d discovered it.
“I see. I didn’t expect ruins to remain in such a place.”
“Um, about the relics—can we keep selling them?”
“Yes. We’ll send a team to inspect the site, but unless something unusual turns up, you’re free to continue.”
“Ahh, good…”
“You’re saving up to buy an airship, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. My dream is to ride the skies and become the best flyer in the world.”
“That’s a fine dream.”
“With me around, it’s practically guaranteed!” Nocty boasted.
“Ha ha ha, a dependable partner indeed,” Reina laughed.
Seeing Nocty puff out his chest proudly made me a little embarrassed.
“Well then—I have duties to attend to. Thank you for your time.”
We stood and escorted her to the door.
“By the way, Captain, did you come here just to ask about the ring?”
“That was one reason, yes. But officially, I’m here investigating reports of a large Deepcloud Beast nearby. It’s also a test run for the Ruvinas.”
“I see…”
“Well, take care. I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”
And with that, Captain Reina left.
Afterward, we asked Nocty about the functions she’d mentioned.
◆◇◆
“Alright! Listen well, and I’ll tell you just how amazing I am!”
“Nocty, I meant the ring, not you.”
“Same thing! You can’t use it without me anyway!”
Here’s what I gathered from his explanation:
[About Class Change]
- The “Class Change” function allows you to switch your class.
- It requires class data, just like enhancement.
[About Class Enhancement]
- You can enhance your class using data stored in the Library.
- Each class requires its own corresponding data.
[About Airship Enhancement]
- Nocty can synchronize with an airship to strengthen it.
Apparently, it’s all based on the same principles as our Starfall Ceremony.
“So where do we get this class data?” I asked.
“Some data’s already stored in the Library. But if you want new ones, you’ll need to access ruin terminals or Star Crystals that have data downloaded onto them. Rarely, you can also find them in Star Crystals swallowed by Deep Beasts or Deepcloud Beasts.”
“That’s the gist of it,” he concluded smugly.
An Artifact, huh…
Listening to Nocty’s explanation, I finally realized what an incredible thing I’d stumbled upon.
◆◇◆
The next day, the village was back to normal.
A traveling merchant had come by for the first time in a month, so we headed to the square.
“Welcome, welcome!”
As usual, I sold the relics I’d found to the merchant.
“By the way, mister, do you know Captain Reina?”
“Sure do. She’s one of my best customers—been doing business with her for years.”
“When she asked about the relics, I couldn’t refuse to tell her. Sorry about that.”
“No, it actually helped a lot. I learned more because of it.”
“Glad to hear it.”
The merchant gave a sheepish smile.
“Oh, right—you’re saving up for an airship, aren’t you? As an apology, I’ll introduce you to a factory I know.”
He handed me a letter of introduction.
“Tell them Hans the merchant sent you—they’ll treat you well.”
I thanked him and left the square.
