Chapter 16: The Reason

"No matter what the reason is, it's not acceptable! As an adult... I can't just watch a young girl go to her death without doing anything!"

Andre interrupted Christina's choking words in a domineering manner. Feeling that his tone was a bit harsh and not familiar with the young girl, he changed to a righteous tone.

"Mr. Skeleton Mage..."

Christina still shook her head vigorously, not moved by Andre's words. On the contrary, she tried to persuade Andre.

"Just call me Andre."

Andre quickly interrupted, a language skill he often used in the past. To refuse the request of a stubborn person, it's best to keep interrupting when they want to speak... Of course, this method is more effective for people who are easily distracted.

"Mr. Andre..."

The girl obediently changed her address and continued to express her reasons.

"There's no need to add the word 'sir', I'm not that old——"

Andre couldn't let the girl finish speaking and continued to joke around.

"Mr. Andre, you don't have to do this. Even if you don't agree, I must participate in this spell competition."

Although the girl blushed without speaking, her character was obviously a bit shy, which Andre liked very much. But her character was the type Andre was most afraid of — once she made up her mind, she would never change it!

Looking at the girl's originally watery eyes, but suddenly became firm after Andre's continuous interruptions, Andre gave up the idea of continuing to make trouble.

"Go ahead, give me a reason why you must go."

After staring at the girl for a while, Andre asked.

"Mr. Andre, have you agreed?"

The smart girl sensed a change in Andre's attitude and her excited face turned red. Although she had a reason to participate in the competition, how could she not hope for a greater chance of success?

Christina originally had the determination to die, but after summoning Andre, she felt that she might really succeed.

Because in Christina's eyes, the skeleton mage Andre, with his pure white bones—

Is definitely a wise existence.

Christina indeed does not have a mentor, but in this place where if you knock down a wall and ten people die, at least one is a middle-level mage, two are senior mages, and the remaining seven are all magic apprentices, how could she not have a little magical knowledge?

Although it is stipulated that ordinary people cannot spread any knowledge about necromancy, the old man who was a grave robber and was caught and executed by EarlClem, the last grave he robbed was an ancient necromancer's tomb!

According to the incomplete and ancient necromancer's scroll, Christina has reason to believe that the skeleton mage she summoned should actually be a strong being from the undead plane!

So—

The girl is so respectful to Andre.

So—

The girl is not surprised by Andre's clear consciousness.

"First, tell me the reason..."

No matter what, Andre will not promise others first and then be asked for requests... Even if the girl is staring at him with a very pitiful look... Also... It's not possible!

In fact, looking at the girl's pure and pleading eyes, how could Andre not be moved... Oh, he forgot that he doesn't have a heart part for the time being...

"In this spell competition, the first place will get an Ashimov storage ring, and I must get it."

The girl finally said her wish.

"Wait... What does the Ashimov storage ring have to do with you?"

Andre knows about the Ashimov storage ring. It was made by a genius mage named Ashimov during the late period of the main plane's divine demon war. At that time, he made about 100,000 Ashimov storage rings, which can be called the first person in the main plane's assembly line magic device production.

This kind of storage ring created a change where the previous owner left conditions, and the new owner who met the conditions could open it, completely breaking the original way of using the storage ring that had to be blood-dripped and stored with a spiritual mark. It made the storage ring, which was originally only usable by mages, popularized.

So, under the manipulation of the Magic Association, the production method was lost...

Tens of thousands of years later, there are not many remaining Ashimov storage rings.

And the ring for this Boeing Spell Competition as a prize is closely related to the girl Christina. It belongs to her grandfather!

The best things in Christina's unlucky grandfather's life of grave robbing are all in the ring. He originally planned to retire after the last job, that is, after robbing the necromancer's tomb.

Unfortunately, the unlucky old man turned over in the ditch, and was caught by the passing EarlClem. The old man who resisted the arrest was blasted into slag by the fire mage who followed EarlClem.

Only Christina, who was on the lookout, ran away...

...

Well, the following content can be imagined by Andre. Little Christina, who only took an ancient scroll, came to EarlClem's house and even succeeded in becoming a maid. She wanted to take the opportunity to retrieve her grandfather's Ashimov storage ring, but EarlClem, who got the storage ring, casually gave the ring he couldn't open to the Boeing Magic Academy...

Then, the group of crazy mages in the academy couldn't open it either, so they simply took it out as the highest prize for the spell competition.

Now no one knows what is hidden in an old grave robber's storage ring, but this does not prevent it from becoming the highest prize, because the value of the Ashimov ring itself is already very high, even if it is temporarily unopenable.

"Silly girl, don't you know to wait for someone to get the prize and then try to figure it out?"

Andre was puzzled. Since no one can open the ring, why is it urgent?

"It's like this, Mr. Andre. First, there are very important things in the ring. Secondly, in fact, that ring is a defective product. Every half a year, it will be invalid for three days, and anyone who wears it can open it..."

The girl hurriedly answered obediently. After all, she is still just a girl. She knows that the skeleton gentleman with a life and death contract cannot betray her, so she answers every question, and even subconsciously regards Andre, who is much stronger than herself, as the backbone.

Andre calculated the time according to the girl's words and suddenly scratched his head - the damn ring's invalid time just happened to be the day after the spell competition!

"Damn it -"

Andre muttered a sentence, then continued to ask.

"What is in the ring that makes you have to get it back?"

The girl hesitated for a while, then whispered two words -

"Artifact..."