"This is really beautiful."
Iris noticed the book case Leon had taken down.
In the torchlight, the case looked smooth and finely made, engraved with delicate mysterious characters in gold edging on a black base.
"This looks like the Church of Astalia's secret script," Iris said. "You'd need to understand the cipher to open this case."
Leon recognized the script too.
That meant this case was almost certainly what sealed the Elemental Magic Ring.
According to player guides from Part Two, the Elemental Magic Ring really was found inside an Astalia Church secret archive case.
Besides the ring, there was likely a confidential document inside as well—research notes Iris's father had obtained from one branch of the Church of Astalia.
Those notes were extremely important.
Not only did they contain research content, they also concealed part of the church's darker old history.
It was entirely possible Iris's father had been killed by church-linked people because of this.
But why that sealed archive case had ended up here—from the place Iris's father died—was still unclear.
If they could trace what happened behind this thread, they might understand what really happened back then.
Then they might also have a chance to save Hamla later—when she neared corruption—using that information.
There was also another question.
If the Elemental Magic Ring had been sealed early, then how had the Element Trap Prison formed in the first place?
Was it really just from Iris's father's corpse?
After thinking, Leon arrived at an inference.
"Iris," Leon said, "it looks like what I'm looking for… is this."
"This case? But weren't you looking for a magic item to help you advance? You can't even open it—how can you be sure?"
"You've got the sequence backwards," Leon replied. "The order of cause and effect you're imagining is off."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"First—at the beginning, we only knew my target item was likely somewhere in this Element Trap Prison, right?"
Iris nodded.
"Next we have to clarify one thing: did the item exist first and then create the Element Trap Prison? Or did the Element Trap Prison exist first, and then the magic item appeared?"
The classic chicken-and-egg question—and it was lethal.
Iris froze.
"So you mean…?"
"I mean both you and I made an assumption. We both assumed the item came first and caused this strange elemental balance. But now it seems the original situation might have been this: someone discovered this unusual elemental balance here, found the magic item that was born from it, and sealed it away."
"But how can you be so sure your second guess is correct?"
"The evidence is this sealed archive case," Leon said. "Think carefully—when did your father die? Before you were born, right?"
Iris nodded, still not fully understanding where he was going.
"Now look at this case. Besides the church's secret script, aren't these dustproof and insectproof enchantments… elven-style work? And look at the technique—doesn't it look old? Not the standard version elves use nowadays."
Iris took the case, brought it close, and examined it carefully.
Enchantment work wasn't like ordinary magic. It required large amounts of mysterious script and special materials to succeed.
And each race had its own unique script, common materials, and crafting techniques.
If you looked closely, you could usually tell the style.
"Yes," Iris said, eyes widening. "This doesn't look like human craft at all. It looks like something from our elven side—and it is an older technique."
Only now was she starting to realize what that implied.
"So the answer is obvious," Leon said. "For some reason, your father obtained this sealed case, enchanted it, and hid it here in this dungeon castle long-term. Maybe because the next thing he planned to do wasn't suited to carrying it… or maybe because he realized he was likely going to be killed."
Father knew he would be killed?
That clean, blunt conclusion hit Iris hard.
"And another obvious conclusion," Leon continued, "is that your mother probably didn't know anything about this case. Because if she did, she would've taken it long ago. Right?"
"…That's true," Iris admitted quietly.
If Leon was right, then her earlier hesitation and turmoil might really have been unnecessary.
Because that "relic" wasn't purely her father's relic, and it likely wouldn't help her mother anyway.
"Do you feel like you worried for nothing?" Leon asked.
"Pretty much."
Iris lowered her head in shame.
Leon smiled and patted her head.
"Before everything is fully clear, some hesitation and weighing options isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Iris puffed her lips. She didn't resist his head-pat—without even realizing how their sense of distance was getting closer and closer.
"But you said ten minutes ago you don't like making friends face choices!"
Leon: "Choices involving me, I don't like. Choices not involving me, I don't care."
Iris: "So you're saying I have nothing to do with you?"
"You misunderstanding isn't my fault," Leon said. "Not liking something doesn't mean it's always bad."
Iris's brain took a detour and didn't fully follow. So… he does treat her as a friend?
She brightened, and didn't even realize she was caring about this far more than normal.
"And you forgot one more question," Leon said. "How did I confirm that what's inside this case seals the magic item born from the Element Trap Prison?"
"Right—how did you confirm it?"
In truth, the moment Leon saw the case—combined with his previous-life game knowledge—he knew instantly it was his target item.
Of course, that was "out-of-world knowledge," and he couldn't tell Iris that.
Leon smiled.
"Iris, what do you think of my four-element magic level?"
"As much as I hate to admit it… you really are an unheard-of genius in four-element magic."
"And do you think I'm that good only because I train hard?"
"Are you saying… you're also extremely sensitive to the four elements—so you can sense the magic item's aura through the sealed case?"
Iris thought aloud.
"Exactly," Leon said warmly. "Worthy of the brilliant Iris—one question and you already have the answer."
Leon praised her, though in truth he wasn't sensitive at all.
As always—he was just standing on a giant's shoulders.
Iris enjoyed the praise. Her lips curved upward and she couldn't suppress it.
"Hmph!"
She turned her head away in a textbook-perfect little huff.
Now that Leon had obtained his target item, to open the sealed case and retrieve the Elemental Magic Ring, he'd need the former Astalia priestess, Bisce, to help.
Bisce hadn't entered the dungeon this time—Leon had sent her to roam near the Prince's Estate District searching for Hamla.
In any case, Leon didn't plan to do the advancement/class-change ritual here.
First, he lacked other supporting materials and would need to buy them outside.
Second, a dungeon was full of monsters—advancing here was simply unsafe.
"Let's search this area a bit more," Leon said. "If there's nothing else, we should head back to the surface."
"Mm. There should still be something across the way. I can sense it."
Sense?
Leon understood. It was probably the other half of Iris's father's remains.