《Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard》


 Chapter 1:

    Chapter 1:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule: None.

    Illustrations: None.

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    "Status Window."

    [Ian Raven]

    [You are nothing.]

    The status window blatantly mocked Ian.

    Ian is nothing.

    Poor Ian, who is nothing.

    If one were to formally address Ian, it would be ''Ian, son of Farmer Ian.''

    In this medieval fantasy world, a farmer''s son is simply nothing.

    The status window wasn''t wrong.

    It belonged to the category of ''never lying.''

    Ian, the farmer''s son, was the only child in the village with black hair.

    Ian''s mother had bright yellow hair.

    His father had fiery red hair, yet Ian''s hair was as black as ink.

    In his childhood, Ian''s parents endlessly quarreled over this issue.

    "Tell me the truth! Whose child is this?"

    "It''s your child, who else!"

    "Stop your nonsense! You loose woman!"

    "Is that how you speak to your wife!"

    So on and so forth.

    Ian Raven''s name was significantly influenced by his black hair.

    The method of naming in this village is very simple.

    The first name.

    Parents just pick whatever they like.

    If they name a child Dog-poop, it becomes Dog-poop, and if it''s Cow-poop, it becomes Cow-poop.

    The simple name Ian was also arbitrarily given by his parents.

    Then, they add the father''s name to it.

    It''s a concept similar to the ''patronymic*'' often used in Russia.

    Ian''s father''s name was Ian.

    So, Ian, the son of Ian, with the added patronymic, would be Ian Ian.

    Fully expressed, it would be ''Ian, son of Ian.''

    By the way, Ian''s grandfather''s name was also Ian.

    Some families cram the grandfather''s name into the patronymic too, so his full name could well be Ian Ian Ian Ian.

    But no one would call out such a mentally exhausting name.

    People naturally want to omit repetitive words.

    So, Ian''s full name is just Ian.

    Technically, he might be Ian the Third.

    The villagers call them Big Ian and Little Ian.

    Grandfather Ian?

    Let''s not seek the dead.

    Usually, that''s where naming ends, but unique individuals get nicknames.

    Ian, distinct from the villagers with his jet-black hair, earned the nickname Little Raven Ian.

    "Ha ha! Look there! A little crow is passing by!"

    "Ian washes his hair with ink every night~"

    Watching the village children mock him, Ian clicked his tongue in disdain.

    Rude brats.

    Had they been his peers, Ian might have been angered, but he only found their malice amusing.

    Ian was a reincarnated person.

    Moreover, he was a man from the quiet land of the morning, Korea.

    Discussing the afterlife is pointless.

    To confirm the existence of an afterlife, one must first die.

    And naturally, once dead, you cannot speak.

    Even in the modern age where mystery has become meaningless, death remains an inviolable domain.

    However, for Ian, a reincarnated soul, this did not apply.

    The afterlife does exist.

    While it''s uncertain if it applies to everyone, at least for Ian, it did.

    ''Kwak Jae-han.''New novel chapters are published on

    Ian wrote his previous life''s name in the sand before erasing it.

    He knew that being reborn with the memories of a past life was rare.

    After all, the concept of reincarnation or past lives is a foreign idea, so it''s bound to feel strange.

    Ian stroked his jet-black hair.

    The same color as when he was Korean in his past life.

    Perhaps along with his memories, his hair reincarnated too.

    Then, is my true essence not my body, but my hair?

    Ian sighed deeply, as if the ground would cave in.

    If dying young was a sin, then that was his sin.

    Looking at his younger sister smudging her mouth with soot while devouring a roasted fish, his heart grew heavier.

    She was better off.

    Without any worries.

    "Oppa, aren''t you going to eat this?"

    "Don''t touch it. I''ll eat it."

    His sister, who devoured her share of the fish as if possessed, eyed Ian''s portion.

    She acted no different from a beggar starved for days.

    In truth, aside from having a house, their life was not much different from that of a beggar.

    Ian chewed the fish, bones and all (it was smaller than his palm), and racked his brain for ideas.

    "Status Window."

    [Ian Raven]

    [You are nothing.]

    A translucent window appeared before his eyes.

    It was the very status window he had seen in games and novels, proving that Ian had indeed reincarnated into another world as a modern person.

    The existence of the status window, a clear mainstream element in stories, implied that Ian possessed some special ability.

    A status window right before his eyes, yet no cheat abilities from another world?

    That would be a clear violation of the rules.

    Ian was confident in his latent abilities.

    He must have some overpowered cheat ability gained through his reincarnation into another world.

    It was a mental victory, but without such thoughts, he couldn''t endure the fear of his miserable future.

    The cheat ability exists.

    The problem is, he has never seen it with his own eyes.

    ''If only I could awaken my power...!''

    Ian''s awakening! The Awakened Ian!

    He would become a genius, shocking the lord and making knights bow their heads...!

    Then, he would pile up food like a mountain and eat until he burst.

    "If you''re not going to eat that, oppa..."

    "I told you, touch it and you''re dead."

    Lost in his adolescent fantasies, Ian finished his meal.

    Two small fish caught from the stream comprised the siblings'' lunch.

    It was barely enough to stave off hunger, but they were grateful for even that.

    "Oppa, let''s go for dessert."

    "Sure. Let''s go."

    Many overlook the fact that the quality of life of modern people is actually better than that of medieval nobility.

    Tasty food, clean living, convenient tools, stable living environments, and so on.

    Even the most expensive, high-quality silver mirrors of the nobility couldn''t compare to a smartphone.

    Ian, steeped in the everyday luxuries of a modern person, inadvertently passed on this luxurious notion of ''meals should be courses'' to his innocent sister.

    She naturally absorbed Ian''s ideology.

    If you''ve eaten a meal, of course, you should have dessert.

    The siblings naturally went in search of a raspberry bush.

    There, they encountered a strange traveler.

    "Oh my."

    Surprisingly, the traveler was a woman.

    A woman traveling alone in the medieval era?

    It would be astonishing even in modern times.

    "Hello? Little one?"

    The woman initiated a greeting to shake off the awkwardness.

    Ian instinctively became wary.

    In this harsh medieval fantasy world, a woman traveling alone couldn''t be ordinary.

    Ian maintained the most respectful demeanor possible.

    But his younger sister was quicker.

    "Who are you, auntie?"

    "...Auntie?"

    Ian was terrified.

    Calling a woman ''auntie'' was almost like a declaration of war...!

    And sure enough, the woman struggled to maintain her composure.

    Ian felt his world go dark!

    ---

    *patronymic, a name derived from the name of a father or ancestor, typically by the addition of a prefix or suffix,

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 Chapter 2:

    Chapter 2:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule: None.

    Illustrations: None.

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    There''s a term, the ''dragon''s reverse scale.''

    It refers to the scale that grows in the opposite direction on a dragon''s chin, and it''s said that touching it will make the dragon go berserk, devastating everything around it.

    Thus, the term ''dragon''s reverse scale'' is commonly used to indicate a point that must never be touched.

    While women are not creatures with scales, they do have their own ''reverse scale.''

    For women, it''s their ''age.''

    Biologically, this is explainable: once a woman passes the age of 30, the probability of giving birth to a healthy child rapidly decreases.

    No parent wishes for their offspring to be born sick or weak.

    Hence, men instinctively prefer younger women, and women wish to remain young forever.

    Unlike women, men''s reproductive capabilities do not diminish with age (though their erectile function might).

    This is why there are often tales of men over 60 impregnating women in their 20s.

    Therefore, men tend to accept being called ''mister.''

    It''s sad to age, but it''s also an undeniable fact.

    However, for a woman, being called ''auntie'' is a life-ending shock.

    Exaggerating a bit, it sounds like saying, ''You are no longer a woman.''

    "Am I... an auntie?"

    She trembled visibly.

    Even from a distance, the trembling of the woman''s shoulders was clear.

    Ian''s sister seemed completely unaware of the atrocity she had committed.

    It was a kind of pure evil unique to young children.

    "Hey, you there."

    The woman called Ian with a twisted smile.

    The sight was both creepy and a little pitiful.

    "Yes?"

    "Who is that... ''little runt'' next to you?"

    Ian was shocked.

    Was she taking revenge just because she was called an auntie?

    The woman is incredibly petty!

    "I''m not a little runt!"

    Children typically dislike being disregarded by adults.

    It''s the same reason why elementary students hate being called ''brats.''

    "Hehe. I''m not an auntie either, okay? Why don''t you call me ''sister''?"

    The woman extended an olive branch first.

    It was a mature gesture.

    But there was no forgiveness for a brat.

    "No way! auntie! You wrinkle-face!"

    Ian''s sister disappeared somewhere.

    He wasn''t worried.

    They roamed around this area daily, as familiar as their own yard.

    She had probably gone ahead to pick raspberries.

    Ian focused his attention on the woman in front of him.

    "Excuse me, but who are you, traveler?"

    The woman looked at Ian with a bit of surprise.

    His manner of speaking was unexpectedly polite for his age, completely different from his sister.

    "I am Eredith, a wandering wizard."

    "... A wizard?"

    Ian was startled.

    This was a medieval, yet fantasy world.

    A land where monsters and magic existed.

    Here, a wizard was another name for war.

    Wherever there was war, there was a wizard.

    Although it was his first time actually seeing a wizard, Ian felt an indescribable fear.

    wizards were too abstract and formidable entities.

    Naturally, since Ian had never encountered such a being in his past life, he could only feel fear towards the existence of a wizard.

    ''Why would a wizard be here...?''

    Ian recalled the common knowledge of this world.

    A wizard is another name for war.New novel chapters are published on

    ''Could it be... war?''

    But Ian soon shook his head.

    The ruling family of this village, the Feldenberg family, was not prestigious enough to summon wizards and wage war.

    At best, they were capable of fending off bandits, but wizards?

    In truth, bandits should not be underestimated.

    Once they organize, they become an army, and the bandit leader can eventually be called a lord.

    Still, the Feldenberg family lacked the power to conduct a proper war.

    Just as the damned space-time wizard had prophesied, she met the boy with black hair.

    The first step of the prophecy had been stitched together.

    ---

    ---

    "Little one, what''s your name?"

    "It''s Ian."

    Eredith stroked the boy''s hair.

    His eyes held a mix of curiosity and fear, but they sparkled with a bright intelligence.

    Gerard, that damned space-time wizard.

    Is this boy supposed to be my disciple?

    "There''s no need to beat around the bush. I''ve come to take you as my disciple."

    "...Me?"

    Ian was at a loss for words at Eredith''s sudden proposal.

    A woman he had just met today wanted to make him her disciple.

    Could ''disciple'' be a euphemism for an experimental sacrifice?

    "You want to make me, your disciple?"

    "Yes! I want to teach you magic. What do you think?"

    "..."

    Ian was speechless, struck by the enormity of the shock.

    In both his past and present lives, skills were power.

    The saying goes that if you learn a skill, you won''t starve, and skilled people are always respected because they can do what others can''t.

    Therefore, learning a skill always comes at a cost.

    Whether it be money or connections, something must be given in exchange for learning a skill.

    That was why Ian could not dream of any job other than farming.

    He had no money, and there was no one around to teach him a skill.

    Why would any sane person give away their precious means of livelihood for free to a complete stranger?

    In this world, becoming a skilled worker is incredibly difficult.

    Usually, one must first be introduced by someone they know, then spend at least a few years as a servant, catering to the skilled worker''s whims.

    Doing menial tasks, providing meals, taking care of the skilled worker''s family, enduring insults...

    After 3 to 4 years of slaving away like this, they might generously teach the simplest of skills.

    After about a decade of learning, one might start dreaming of independence.

    If the skilled worker is famous, they might take in a few new disciples during this time.

    Then, there are first-generation disciples, second-generation, and so on.

    While in a personal setup, the difference between generations of disciples is not significant, in a guild-like setting where the trade continues for over a hundred years, generations keep extending, and various corrupt practices grow like cancer cells.

    Polishing seniors'' boots, always preparing tools in advance.

    Always bowing at a 90-degree angle, laughing at seniors'' lousy jokes...

    Anyway.

    Learning someone else''s skill is very difficult.

    The only people who teach their skills without expecting anything in return are one''s parents.

    Yet, now there was an exception right before him.

    Eredith.

    "I''m... not sure."

    As the saying goes, there''s always a catch with seemingly perfect opportunities.

    Con artists prey on human greed, offering deals that seem too good to be true, whispering incredible rewards that make you look foolish for not accepting, and playing with people''s desires.

    Had Ian been a naive medieval person, he might have been easily deceived.

    But Ian was a reincarnated medieval person.

    His Korean black hair was the proof.

    ''Could she be a con artist?''

    The word that came to Ian''s mind was human trafficker.

    At first glance, Eredith seemed like a real wizard, traveling alone as a woman.

    If not, her accomplices might be hiding somewhere in the forest, which would definitely mean kidnappers.

    ''...What is this?''

    Meanwhile, Eredith was baffled by the change in Ian''s eyes.

    Although she wouldn''t say it herself, Eredith was one of the hottest wizards of the time, a so-called successful wizard.

    People who loved to make a fuss were already calling her ''Great Eredith.''

    Here she was, Eredith herself, asking if he wanted to be her disciple.

    But what was with that look in his eyes?

    As if he was looking at a street con artist!

    If she went to any city and announced that wizard Eredith was looking for a disciple, people would overflow, clamoring to be chosen.

    The boy''s pure malice, ignorant of this fact, left a scratch on Eredith''s pride.

    "What don''t you understand? Huh? Tell me."

    Ian pondered how to diplomatically say ''You seem like a scam artist.''

    So, he said this.

    "You... seem like a fake wizard."

    "???"

    Eredith was staggered by the shock.

    Wizard Eredith.

    After being hit by the sister, now Ian too...

 Chapter 3:

    Chapter 3:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Fake wizard...

    Eredith felt dizzy.

    Ian and his sister''s words were scampering around in her head like mischievous children.

    ''Auntie~''

    ''Fake wizard~''

    ''Auntie, the fake wizard~''

    The children''s taunts were relentless, spewing insulting remarks without pause.

    Eredith, her face flushed red, shouted.

    "I am neither an auntie nor a fake wizard!"

    "..."

    She immediately regretted it.

    Ian was stepping back with a frightened look.

    Wondering whether to comfort him, she decided it was time to show the dignity of a wizard.

    "Alright! Follow me. Let''s talk seriously at your house."

    ---

    ---

    First, Eredith took the cheeky kids to their house.

    But the house was empty.

    "Where are your parents?"

    "They''re at work."

    Though she might normally wait, Eredith, being a proactive wizard, stood up abruptly.

    "Ian! What''s your father''s name?"

    "It''s Ian."

    "Huh. Not much thought in that name. Are you a picked-up child or something?"

    Ian just shrugged his shoulders.

    It was obvious she was trying to get revenge, and he found it bothersome to respond to every taunt.

    Feeling awkward, Eredith focused on finding Ian''s father.

    "Ian! Let''s talk!"

    Ian''s parents were summoned from their fieldwork.

    The rest of the family followed, and suddenly it turned into a family meeting.New novel chapters are published on

    "Ian. I would like to take your son as my disciple."

    "Which son...?"

    Hmm.

    He had three sons.

    Eredith immediately pointed to Ian the Raven.

    "This boy!"

    "Ah... I see."

    Father Ian''s reaction surprised Eredith.

    Even for a wizard, it was strange how easily he accepted the idea of his son being taken away.

    But there was a reason for it.

    I always thought he was different from birth.

    "???"

    "He was destined to be a wizard."

    Observing the family, Eredith reluctantly accepted this.

    The entire family had either yellow or red hair, but Ian alone had hair as black as a raven.

    It wasn''t strange to think he was born with magical talent.

    Although hair color can''t determine magical ability...

    At least, it confirmed the source of unease that had long troubled the couple.

    "Ian. I always knew you were an extraordinary child."

    "Yes, Father."

    Ian responded without much thought.

    But Father Ian felt guilt in the pure, untainted voice of his son.

    He realized.

    Now was the time to reveal the long-hidden secret.

    "No. I''m sorry for lying. Son. I actually didn''t know. I thought you were a child your mother had with another man.

    Dear!

    "So, I named you Ian. To assert you''re not another man''s child, but mine. Ian''s son, Ian."

    "..."

    "To think you would become a wizard. I am truly proud."

    Father Ian bowed deeply to Eredith.

    "I entrust my unworthy son to your care."

    Something felt odd, but Eredith responded with a smile in the heartwarming atmosphere.

    "Of course."

    ---

    ---

    Having obtained the parents'' permission, she immediately headed to the lord''s mansion.

    Ian''s parents were in debt and couldn''t leave the village without the lord''s permission.

    Many of them are trained in etiquette, rivaling even the major nobles.

    There was no trace of such training in the woman before him.

    Felix felt somewhat relieved.

    There are rumors that major nobles send wizards to intimidate lesser nobles they dislike.

    Such an act requires a significant grudge and justification.

    But who can guarantee that the world always operates within the bounds of reason?

    The mere fact that she wasn''t a wizard sent to burn down his land was reassuring.

    "Why has such a distinguished wizard come to this humble village?"

    "Humble village? It''s quite fine. Yes."

    Eredith awkwardly spilled clumsy words.

    In truth, she was not accustomed to interacting with nobility.

    She had devoted her life to magic.

    "I was planning to take this boy as my disciple... but there seems to be a problem."

    "Ah..."

    Felix shifted his gaze to the boy standing beside Eredith.

    He had assumed the boy was her attendant.

    But taking him as a disciple?

    That would mean he''s a resident of Hayhill?

    ''Impossible.''

    Felix knew the caliber of this village very well.

    It''s a gathering of utter fools.

    If there were someone smart enough to be a wizard''s disciple, he would have known about it beforehand.

    The fact that she was looking for a disciple in a rural village seemed suspicious.

    In the cities, there are smart, well-educated kids lying around like stones.

    Why not pick one of them?

    Felix carefully observed Ian.

    Upon closer inspection, he realized that the boy was indeed a resident of Hayhill.

    "Isn''t that Raven?"

    "Raven?"

    Felix recollected.

    There had been a couple with a black-haired son who had come to him, arguing about whether the wife had been unfaithful.

    It was a memorable case, with black hair standing out amidst yellow and red.

    Yes, Ian.

    Ian Raven.

    "Ian Raven, right?"

    "Yes, Lord."

    Memories surfaced in Felix''s mind like potatoes being unearthed from a field (though Felix had never actually worked in a field).

    Ian''s father, also named Ian, was a farmer working on the lord''s land and had some debt.

    The pieces of the puzzle fit together.

    "To take the boy, you''ll need my permission."

    A son of a serf is a serf himself.

    Ian was destined to grow into a fine debt slave.

    "Yes, I heard about the debt..."

    Eredith placed a small pouch on the table.

    "How about this? Can I take him now?"

    Felix laughed happily.

    "Of course!"

    The butler discreetly took the pouch.

    Felix didn''t know the amount, but even if it were just filled with pebbles, he had already decided to hand over Ian.

    One must not be stingy in showing kindness to a wizard.

    "Thank you for your mercy."

    "Haha. Since you''re here, why not stay for a meal?"

    "Would that be alright?"

    They finished their meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

    Felix felt proud, as if he had done something nobly dignified for the first time in a while.

    It may seem trivial (and it is).

    But such an act... is a wonderful boast.

    A noble who kindly hosts a wizard and enjoys a meal together!

    Each of these tales contributes to one''s reputation in noble society.

    Especially the title ''A Noble Friendly with Wizards'' is an achievement every noble strives for.

    Imagine meeting Count Edward later.

    ''You hosted a meal for a wizard, I hear?''

    ''Nothing much. It was a wizard named Eredith...''

    ''The Rising Star of Drawald, Eredith! What did she say?''

    ''Haha. Well...''

    Just the thought was exhilarating.

    Who am I?

    The man who dined with the wizard Eredith.

    With his mood greatly uplifted, Felix bid farewell to Eredith and Raven with a smile.

    In just half a day, Ian''s status had risen from a serf to a disciple of a wizard.

    All because of one meal.

 Chapter 4:

    Chapter 4:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    The journey was arranged at breakneck speed.

    Eredith, being a wanderer, was used to traveling.

    Ian had no belongings to pack.

    "Mother. Father. I''m leaving now."

    "Alright. Listen well to the wizard!"

    "Study hard! Raven!"

    "Brother! You must come back!"

    Ian left the domain amid his family''s fervent farewells.

    Leaving the land he had lived in all his life (10 years) for the first time, he felt a mix of emotions.

    "Um... should I call you Master... or something?"

    "Not yet. I haven''t taught you anything, have I? Just call me sister."

    Ian had wondered about this before, but was she really a sister?

    A child''s perspective is very different from an adult''s.

    Eredith was confident she looked quite young, but to Ian, she seemed closer to an auntie than a sister.

    Eredith was 35 years old, older than Ian''s mother.

    Ian''s younger sister calling her an auntie was a result of chilling insight.

    "Sister."

    "Yes! What''s on your mind?"

    The atmosphere suggested he could ask anything, but Ian wondered if his question was appropriate.

    Nevertheless, his curiosity was too strong to hold back.

    "Why did you choose me as your disciple?"

    Eredith smiled subtly, thinking Ian was feeling anxious.

    Ian knew nothing about the world of magic, about time wizards and such.

    Ignorance breeds fear.

    The unknown was causing him anxiety.

    Why had a serf''s son suddenly become the disciple of a wizard?

    It was an adult''s duty to alleviate that anxiety.

    "I received a prophecy."

    "... A prophecy?"

    Ian was startled by the fantastic word that popped up unexpectedly.

    He knew this was a medieval fantasy world, but he hadn''t expected a prophecy.

    A prophecy!

    Isn''t it an event experienced at least once by every important character in fantasy?

    There are generally two types of prophecy events.

    One foretells great success, and the other, great doom.

    Ian swallowed nervously.

    "What kind of prophecy?"

    "Well? What do you think?"

    Eredith brazenly broke the first law of question and answer.

    First law of question and answer: Do not answer a question with a question.

    But Ian was just as shameless.

    "A prophecy that I''ll become a great wizard in the future?"

    He blurted it out.

    Children can do that.

    It''s embarrassing when adults do it, but for children, it''s audacity.

    Children possess endless ''possibilities''.

    Unlike adults who have closed their growth plates and are merely waiting for death, all children have hope.

    "Pfft. Dream big, don''t you? Want to become a great wizard?"

    Like most adults, Eredith didn''t dislike children who dreamed.

    Especially if they were her disciples.

    "Yes!"

    Young Ian answered vigorously.

    His enthusiasm appeared incredibly cute to Eredith.

    ''I did well taking him as a disciple.''

    If she had taken a proper disciple, she might have chosen someone much cuter than Ian.

    Wizards'' disciples are chosen at a young age, typically around five years old.

    The younger they are, the faster they absorb information.

    The charm of a 10-year-old stands no chance against that of a 5-year-old.

    By the age of 10, one should be graduating from this phase and moving on to the next.

    At this age, one is simply too old to appeal with cuteness.

    It''s a merciless rule.

    Ian also braced himself for the lesson.

    "Open the magic book."

    Ian carefully opened the book, ensuring his hands didn''t tremble.

    Strange characters sprawled before him like an ocean.

    Ian was a raft adrift in the sea of knowledge.

    "This is..."

    "The very basics of magic. The Maronius language."

    He felt queasy.

    The Maronius language, a magical language, seemed familiar yet new.

    It was very similar to ancient Asian characters.

    That is to say.

    ''Chinese characters?''

    They were sophisticated hieroglyphs.

    Ian''s vision darkened...!

    ''Damn it! Chinese characters!''

    Ian could handle calculations even in his dreams.

    But Chinese characters were not his forte.

    Literature studies were for those dirty arts students!

    Arts students need to know Chinese characters to recite poems like (though there''s no need to study it unless you''re a literature major).

    But for Ian, a former science student, this was utterly irrelevant.

    Yet, now he had to study fantasy-style hieroglyphs!

    "From today, you''ll study 100 characters a day."

    "Isn''t that too much?"

    "I''ll reduce it if it''s overwhelming."

    This was 100%.

    No, 200% overwhelming.

    Absolutely indigestible.

    Ian thought.

    "But this is just the basic thousand characters. It''s easy, so you''ll learn it all in a month?"

    Ian was horrified.

    A basic 1000 characters?

    He had thought it was similar to Chinese characters.

    But this was a true ''Thousand Character Classic''...!

    "Shall we start slowly?"

    Ian''s first magic lesson had begun.

    The method was simple.

    Eredith taught the name and pronunciation of each character, and Ian diligently followed.

    Afterward, Eredith explained how the characters came to have their shapes.

    "This character is pronounced ''Ere,'' like my name. When Maronius created these characters, many were derived from ancient languages. That''s why there are so many overlapping pronunciations."

    Eredith, who hadn''t spoken passionately about magic in a while, became enthusiastic and energetically conducted the lecture.

    She was a born magic fanatic.

    She loved magic so much that she hardly remembered any hardships from her initiation to independence.

    As a result, she became an incarnation of a too-much talker, able to discuss the same topic on magic for hours on end.

    However, Ian was ignorant of magic.

    Moreover, as a pure-blooded science student who loathed all foreign languages familiar to Koreans, including English, Japanese, and Chinese, along with Chinese characters, he found learning the otherworldly hieroglyphs of Maronius language excruciating.

    After a grueling six-hour marathon lesson, Eredith evaluated Ian''s progress.

    "Okay, Ian! How do you pronounce this character?"

    "..."

    Having genuinely taught him all 100 characters, she randomly picked one and asked Ian.

    To her, it was a simple and unburdening question.

    But Ian''s mind went blank.

    ''What was it...?''

    He seemed to recall seeing about six characters similar to that one.

    ''I''m screwed.''

    It was over for Ian.

    He regretted not paying more attention to arts studies.

    No! He should have chosen arts from the start!

    While Ian was lamenting to himself, something appeared.

    [Ian Raven - Magic Novice]

    [Skill: Magic Language]

    [Ability to learn and utilize magic language]

    [Maronius Language - In Progress]

    ''Huh?''

    A status window.

    Ian was astonished to see the status window appear before his eyes.

    It... works?

 Chapter 5:

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    Ian passed Eredith''s test with remarkable ease.

    "Now, Ian? What is this?"

    "Om. The Om of the cycle."

    "Correct! You''ve followed along well!"

    Eredith clapped, moved by the realization that her lessons were not in vain.

    Riding on this momentum, she threw a few more quizzes at him.

    "Karl. The Karl of the sky."

    "Hum. The Hum of the earth."

    "Uno. The Uno of the world."

    Clap, clap, clap!

    "Wonderful! Our Ian is really smart!"

    Eredith, genuinely delighted, sprang to her feet and affectionately ruffled her student''s hair.

    After a grueling five-hour lecture, she felt fulfilled by her student''s perfect completion.

    ''The space-time wizard recommended him, and he''s really a great find!''

    Eredith was elated, feeling what they call ''student pride.''

    "See! It''s easier than you thought, right? No need to be scared!"

    "Hmm. Yes. I see."

    Meanwhile, Ian''s response was lukewarm.

    He had been preoccupied with checking his status window.

    [Maronius Ear - 1% (In Progress)]

    When Ian faced Eredith''s question, memories of the lesson surged back like a strong dj vu, allowing him to easily pass the quiz.

    ''I... wasn''t wrong.''

    A thought he had harbored ever since the status window began to appear.

    The belief that he had a cheat ability from another world and that he would awaken it someday!

    This firm belief blossomed like a splendid flower, enduring the cold winter and dark nights.

    Another world cheat player.

    I, Rise.

    "Hehe..."

    Lost in thought, Ian suddenly giggled like someone who had taken a happy pill.

    Eredith was a bit worried about her emotionally fluctuating student.

    But soon she reassured herself.

    It was natural for him to be happy after passing the first lesson''s test!

    "I''m hungry! Ian! Your master will make something delicious for dinner tonight!"

    "Wow! Something delicious!"

    Master and student, both in good spirits for different reasons, spent a warm and cheerful evening together.

    ---

    ---

    Ian, who had awakened his cheat abilities from another world, feared nothing.

    He easily kept up with Eredith''s daily 100-character lessons.

    However, summoning the status window proved unexpectedly difficult.

    The status window operated similarly to recalling past memories, consuming his concentration each time he summoned it.

    Too frequent use could exhaust him to the point of collapse.

    Thus, Ian with the status window wasn''t entirely invincible.

    When in poor condition, he occasionally made mistakes.

    But Eredith didn''t find anything odd about this.

    Ian''s scores fluctuated between 90 and 80.

    These were precisely the scores Eredith had when she studied magic.

    ''Quite intriguing.''

    Every time she saw Ian engrossed in his studies, Eredith was caught in a strange sentiment.

    Whenever she looked at Ian, it was as if she saw herself in her childhood.

    Although it''s said that a student often resembles their teacher, it was rather strange for Ian to mirror even the childhood grades of Eredith.

    Yet, she didn''t dwell on it much.

    It was the perfect timing for the all-powerful cheat key, the space-time wizard to appear.

    The space-time wizard.

    Since he recommended Ian, unusual was to be expected.

    If Ian had known Eredith''s thoughts, he would have been astounded.

    Ian, with the help of his status window cheat ability, had similar academic performance to Eredith, who studied unaided?

    Again, it''s important to emphasize that Ian was not a dullard.

    He had attended a respectable university and a reputable department.

    But Eredith was a different kind of genius.

    After all, isn''t there a monster-like human who graduated from Seoul National University, went to Harvard just for fun, stopped by Caltech, and churned out papers effortlessly?

    A real intellectual, active at the forefront of knowledge.

    That was Eredith.

    ''How adorable.''

    Contrary to her brilliant intellect, Eredith''s emotions were like those of a middle-aged woman.

    It meant she just wanted to dote on the kids, finding them unconditionally adorable.

    Attentive in class, diligent, not throwing tantrums.

    Loving his teacher.

    Ian was a good student, without any flaws to dislike.

    "You''ve mastered the basics last time, right? Now, we''ll start the real lessons."

    "Oh, Ian. You''re still keeping up, aren''t you?"

    "Alright. Today is the adjectives special! Let''s memorize 100 essential adjectives!"

    One year, two years, three years, four years.

    Ian continued his studies, going through three books a year.

    From the third year, he studied five books, and from the fifth year, he had to tackle six books.

    Ian ''Eredith'' Raven, sixteen years old, was mastering a book every two months.

    ''Oh dear.''

    His teacher, by nature a wanderer, moved on without any hesitation.

    Ian hurriedly followed Eredith.

    "Which school of magic should I learn first?"

    Ian asked as they walked.

    There were many branches of magic, at least ten that he had briefly heard of.

    First, it should be Air magic.

    Eredith had prepared a curriculum for Ians introduction to magic.

    Air magic, the magic of controlling the wind.

    Earth magic, the magic of controlling the earth.

    These two schools of magic had an overwhelming advantage compared to others: they were easy to learn!

    "Start with the easy air magic and earth magic, then move on to ice magic, water magic, and fire magic in that order."

    The initiation into magic becomes increasingly difficult.

    Ian, new to magic in both his past and present life, lacked the ability to discern what was easy or hard.

    But he took Eredith''s word for it and moved on.

    "Air magic is really easy to learn, so let''s finish it quickly and move on to the next."

    "Yes, Master."

    Eredith took Ian to hike the Golden Mountains.

    They had lived at the base of the Golden Mountains for over six years, but they had never climbed to the higher regions.

    The hike was both challenging and fun after a long time.

    "Hmm. This spot seems good."

    Crack.

    At the peak of the mountain, with a clear view in all directions.

    The sight of clouds spread out like an ocean below was impressive.

    ''I wish I could take a photo.''

    While Ian was lost in admiring the scenery, Eredith prepared a spell.

    "Ian! Come here and stand!"

    "Yes!"

    Ian stood where Eredith pointed.

    Eredith shouted.

    [Rise!]

    A spell composed in Maronius language.

    Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the earth where Ian stood was thrown high into the sky!

    "Aaaaah!"

    Ian, perched on a thin disc, shot up into the sky.

    Caught off guard by the sudden flight, Ian couldn''t gather his wits.

    "Ma, Master!"

    Ian, trembling, looked down below.

    His master appeared tiny like an ant.

    Not just the master, everything looked small.

    "Ah."

    The brightly shining sun.

    The majestic procession of flowing cloud formations.

    The pointed mountaintops capped with ice...

    It was beautiful.

    The world seen from above in the sky was so beautiful.

    ...But his moment of reverie was short-lived.

    What goes up must come down.

    Ian''s body began to sink downwards.

    He was falling!

    [Look!]

    [It''s a human! A human!]

    [He''s flying!]

    [Just like us?]

    ''...?''

    That''s when he heard it.

    Just as he was about to fall, a familiar language reached Ian''s ears.

    Maronius language, as familiar as his mother tongue.

    ''Huh?''

    Ian felt the wind swirling around him.

    The voice of the wind was audible.

    The wind blowing from the peak of the mountain was chattering in Maronius language.

    Simultaneously, the status window appeared.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Skill: Air magic]

    [The ability to utilize the magic of the wind.]

    ''Is this the wind?''

    The cold wind brushed past his ears.

    The mysterious voice whispered in it.

    "Ah."

    Ian, novice wizard.

    Listening to the voice of the wind.

    ---

    *Air magic, Earth magic, Ice magic, Water magic, Fire magic... Literal translations equate to, respectively: Great Atmosphere Technique, Great Earth Technique, Cold Technique, Water Technique, Flame Technique

    So I have taken the liberty to adjust the names since it is about magic and uh the names are a little.. peculiar? for a magic novel anyway. Subject to change!

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    Chapter 6:

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    "Ta-da!"

    Eredith safely landed Ian.

    She had summoned a giant wind to cushion his fall.

    Seeing her disciple''s expression, she smiled slightly.

    Confused yet deeply contemplative not the face one would make after merely an exhilarating experience.

    "Did you realize something?"

    Ian nodded blankly.

    "The wind... it spoke in the Maronius language."

    Eredith laughed pleasantly.

    Maronius language, a great magical language devised by an archwizard, was indeed a wonder to witness in its true form.

    "That''s the first step of magic."

    "The first step?"

    "A wizard communicates with the mysteries of nature and borrows their power. Language is the bridge between humans and nature."

    This was why Ian had spent six years rigorously studying Maronius language.

    Magic is communication.

    Communicating with nature and borrowing its power is the essence of magic.

    But what if Ian made a mistake and asked for something absurd?

    Or angered them?

    Disaster would ensue.

    That''s why he was forbidden from communicating with nature until he could perfectly handle Maronius language.

    "How was the voice of the wind?"

    Ian recalled the recent memory.

    The high sky and thousands of freely swirling strands of wind.

    "It felt free."

    Eredith nodded.

    Wind is a free element.

    "We call the process of hearing that mysterious voice ''initiation.''"

    Eredith gently stroked her disciple''s head.

    He was nearly an adult, but in her eyes, he still seemed young.

    "Congratulations on your initiation into Air magic."

    ---

    ---

    A wizard can communicate with all things.

    Thanks to the mysterious magical language, Maronius language.

    For wizards, the moment they hear the mysterious voice marks their ''initiation.''

    Novice wizards must focus on traveling the world and listening to the voices of various mysteries.

    This is because it helps them discover which magic suits them best.

    Each person resonates with different mysteries.

    Some are attuned to Air magic, others to Earth magic.

    Ice magic, Water magic, Fire magic, and even Summoning, Transmutation, Transformation, Creation, Necromancy, Space-time magic, and so on.

    Since each person''s aptitude varies for each magical school, one must try and experience them firsthand.

    "Next is Earth magic."

    Eredith led Ian into a deep cave.

    To hear the voice of the earth, being buried deep in the ground is ideal.

    But since burying Ian alive would be deadly, a cave was the next best option.

    "Initiation into Earth magic is a bit more challenging."

    Eredith explained.

    "Try to listen to the voice of the earth."

    "Yes, Master."

    "But don''t push yourself too hard. You''ve already initiated into Air magic, so becoming an Air wizard is enough."

    Though she said this out of concern for her disciple, learning a variety of magic is always beneficial.

    Between a wizard who handles one kind of magic and one who handles ten, it''s obvious who receives more respect.

    Ian, aware of this fact, entered the deep cave willingly.

    ''It''s scary.''

    Just like when he learned Air magic.

    A wizard essentially needed to be fearless.

    Would Ian have been able to learn Air magic if he had acrophobia?

    Similarly, if he couldn''t endure the gloominess and claustrophobia of the cave, he couldn''t become an Earth wizard.

    Ian focused on listening to the voice of the earth, even extinguishing his torch to aid his concentration.

    [...And thus flows]

    [What does not move cannot be seen flowi

    [It is no different from something solidly set]

    ''What is it talking about?''

    The earth rambled on nonsensically.

    Its voice was much harder to understand than the air''s.

    It meant Ian''s aptitude for Earth magic was lacking.

    Normally, to improve Earth magic skills, one had to study the specialized language of the earth to enhance communication accuracy.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Skill: Earth magic]

    [The ability to utilize earth magic]

    ''Oh.''

    The skill window appeared as soon as he heard the voice of the earth.

    [Bonus Skill Points!]

    [Invest skill points to increase the progress of magic]

    [Unused Points: 100]

    No choice.

    Ian settled down cross-legged.

    He concentrated fully, listening to the voices of all things.

    After some time passed.

    A new voice began to reach Ian''s ears

    [... It''s quiet here, I like it.]

    [I don''t like noise.]

    [I don''t like pain either.]

    A very, very small voice.

    He wouldn''t have noticed it if he hadn''t extinguished the fire.

    Not knowing what it was, Ian decided to initiate a conversation.

    [Hello]?

    The response came immediately.

    [What? What!]

    [A human! It''s a human!]

    [He said hello! So cute!]

    [Who are you]?

    The voice then whispered.

    [Darkness!]

    Ah.

    Darkness.

    Why didn''t he think of something so obvious?

    In a pitch-dark cave, what else could there be besides the earth but darkness?

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Skill: Dark magic]

    [The ability to utilize the magic of darkness and shadows]

    Dark magic.

    A school not mentioned by his teacher.

    Lucky me.

    A school he stumbled upon purely by chance.

    Not bad at all.

    Better than nothing, he thought.

    ...If its darkness?

    Ian''s interest in magic was rekindled.

    While he might not know much about earth and wind, he had a clear idea of what to ask of darkness.

    "[Light! Where?]"

    Simply asking where the light is would do.

    [Eek! The light is over there!]

    [I don''t like the light!]

    Like a quest marker, a twinkling light appeared before Ian''s eyes.

    It meant there was light at the end.

    Does this really work?

    Ian, for the first time, successfully utilized a mystery through Maronius language.

    Riding on this momentum, Ian decided to test another spell.

    "[Earth, where?]"

    [Earth is everywhere!]

    [I step, I walk]

    [Ah! Humans walk!]

    [If it''s walking earth, it''s right here!]

    The darkness specifically marked a path where Ian could walk.

    ''Wow...''

    In the pitch-black darkness, an unnaturally prominent path appeared.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Dark Magic Dark Vision]

    [Allows you to see in the dark as if it were daylight.]

    A new magic was added to the skill window.

    It was a spell Ian discovered and used himself.

    "[Thank you!]"

    Ian expressed his gratitude to the darkness and walked steadily through it.

    ---

    ---

    After a while, an exit appeared.

    ''Light...''

    Bright light welcomed Ian, but he didn''t feel happy about it.

    Somehow, he felt more comfortable in the darkness...

    "Ian!"

    Eredith, upon spotting Ian, ran towards him, then tilted her head in confusion.

    "Where''s your torch?"

    "I didn''t use it."

    "What? Then... did you use magic to get out?"

    Eredith quickly realized that Ian had used magic.

    She was amazed.

    It would have been difficult to escape the cave with just Earth magic and Air magic.

    For someone who had just initiated, his ability to utilize magic was extraordinary...

    "I learned Dark magic from the darkness."

    "What?!"

    This time, she was astonished.

    Darkness?

    The shy and timid voice of darkness?

    How?

 Chapter 7:

    Chapter 7:

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    Darkness inherently possesses the attribute of concealment.

    It hides, obscures, and renders things invisible.

    Listening to the voice of darkness, which is concealment itself, is extremely difficult.

    Dark wizards, who wield darkness, are as rare as space-time wizards.

    Such a challenging power it is.

    Eredith was surprised that her disciple had awakened to the power of darkness.

    "Did you hear the voice of darkness?"

    "Yes."

    Ian answered with a slight hint of pride.

    He didn''t realize what he had accomplished.

    He was simply happy about the addition of a new magic.

    "Incredible..."

    On the other hand, Eredith marveled at her disciple''s unexpected talent.

    Dark magic is undoubtedly a branch of magic, attracting many wizards who wish to delve into it.

    But the attribute of darkness, being inherently secretive and shy, seldom reveals itself.

    Deep caves might be a favored place for darkness.

    But the voice of the earth is too loud there, making it a poor location for hearing the voice of darkness.

    Wizards aspiring to become Dark wizards prepare massive darkrooms, avoiding all external stimuli, and repetitively immerse themselves in darkness alone.

    This process spans months, and in severe cases, wizards invest years.

    Such is the difficulty in initiating into dark magic...

    ''He must have a natural affinity.''

    Just as people have different natural talents, wizards have different affinities for elements.

    For example, Eredith had a high affinity for the fire element, hence her specialization in Fire magic.

    It seems Ian has a high affinity for the dark attribute.

    A fitting affinity for someone nicknamed ''Raven.''

    "Good for you. A wizard is better the more types of magic they can handle."

    Air magic, Earth magic, and now dark magic.

    Her disciple had already initiated into three schools.

    Even if their exploration stopped here, it was enough to be called a wizard.

    But Eredith had no intention of stopping here.

    A wizard must always test their limits.

    "Let''s continue, Ian."

    "Yes, Master!"

    "It''s going to be more difficult from here. But I''ll be watching over you, so have confidence!"

    "Yes!"

    Ian responded energetically. Learning magic was starting to become fun.

    ... However, with the introduction of Ice magic, Ian''s interest began to wane rapidly.

    ---

    ---

    "Ugh..."

    The summit of the Golden Mountains.

    The place, cloaked in perennial snow, averages sub-zero temperaturesa land of extreme cold.

    Eredith stripped Ian bare and threw him into a pile of snow.

    "So, so cold!"

    It was to initiate him into Ice magic.

    "Concentrate, Ian! Listen to the voice of cold!"

    Ian gritted his teeth. He couldn''t hear his master''s voice at all.

    What is the voice of cold!

    Damn it!

    Humans are warm-blooded animals!

    It''s impossible for the cold to converse with a creature born with warm blood.

    Eredith lowered Ian''s body temperature to forcibly acquaint him with the cold.

    Let''s set aside the minor issue of dying from hypothermia due to a lowered body temperature.

    A wizard who seeks the mysteries must always be filled with a spirit of challenge.

    [Human]

    [My body is cold]

    [I''m about to die...]

    It was rare for a wizard to embrace so many different elements in such a short period.

    Considering that most wizards spend at least a month initiating into just one school, Ian''s speed of initiation was almost abnormal.

    To use a clichd analogy, he was ''like a sponge'' absorbing magic.

    ''Is it thanks to the status window?''

    Ian believed that the secret of his learning lay in the status window.

    Without it, he would still be struggling in the Maronius Sea.

    ''This otherworldly cheat is amazing! Incredible!''

    Ian nodded in satisfaction.

    "I''d like to introduce you to other schools, but..."

    "Ah, Master."

    Ian abruptly asked a question.

    "But is it okay to initiate into so many schools? Aren''t there any side effects..."

    Eredith didn''t understand what her disciple was talking about.

    "Do you get side effects from making too many friends?"

    "Uh... I guess not."

    "It''s the same. The more mysteries you communicate with, the better."

    To put it in an analogy, Ian was a huge socialite in the world of mysteries.

    If we were to assign him an MBTI type, it would be ESFP.

    Considering Ian''s actual personality was introverted, this was quite ironic.

    "Anyway. I have to attend a Fire magic meeting at the college now."

    "A Fire magic meeting?"

    It was something he had heard about in classes.

    Wizards from each school regularly gather for meetings.

    Officially they are meetings, but it''s mostly just an occasion for socializing and chatting.

    However, this process is surprisingly important.

    Not only do they report their survival, but it''s also a time to resolve tasks assigned to each school.

    The reason wizards, who hardly do anything productive, can enjoy a life of luxury is all thanks to the patronage of nobility.

    And the reason nobles sponsor wizards is to use them when needed.

    Unless it''s an extremely secretive and exclusive gathering like a space-time wizard meeting, worldly matters are somewhat dealt with in these wizard meetings.

    But, as with all group projects, someone had to do it, but nobody wanted to.

    In the meetings, tasks are assigned in turns, and refusing a task could result in losing the sponsorship.

    "I''ve already skipped it twice, actually. If I don''t show my face soon, it could be dangerous."

    The Fire magic meeting is held once every three years.

    Eredith had missed it twice under the pretext of training her disciple, all the while continuing to receive funding.

    "Then, should I...!"

    "No, Ian. You should travel the world and gather mysteries. Initiate into more schools, and if possible, try to establish your own school."

    Eredith highly valued Ian''s magical talent.

    He was not a wizard to be buried in just one kind of magic.

    In Eredith''s case, it was like sharing a deep and genuine friendship with one friend.

    As a master of Fire magic, she had a close bond with fire.

    Even rather difficult requests would be fulfilled by fire if they came from Eredith.

    Most wizards follow the same path as Eredith.

    They delve deep into one specific type of magic.

    Consequently, wizards who learn a broad but shallow range of magic become the subject of ridicule.

    ''What''s the use of having 100 chat rooms? Do you have a friend who''d lend you a million won when you''re in trouble?''

    A wizard who has established a relationship with mysteries to the extent they would fulfill even the most difficult requests is called a ''Grand wizard''.

    But what if you''re juggling 100, 500, or even 1000 chat rooms?

    Someone who messages 50 people might be a social butterfly thirsting for superficial friendships, but one who converses with 100 people is seen as having impressive social skills.

    Someone who manages 500 chats is considered a monster obsessed with human relationships.

    And 1000?

    That''s a realm of madness beyond the comprehension of mere intellect.

    In Eredith''s view, Ian could potentially communicate with 1000 mysteries.

    There''s no need to find a friend who would lend him a million won.

    Why bother when he could borrow a thousand won from each of a thousand people?

    "It''s important for you to learn magic that suits you."

    "If I learn Fire magic too..."

    "Fire magic is dangerous. And it''s not particularly necessary in this world."

    Despite being a fire wizard herself, Eredith did not hold Fire magic in high regard.

    Present-day Fire magic was a magic used solely for destruction.

    "Ian, let''s descend the mountain now."

    Eredith announced the end of their lengthy magic lessons.

    The seasoned fire wizard and the novice wizard once again set foot in the mundane world.

 Chapter 8:

    Chapter 8:

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    ''It''s been... what, 6 years? No, 7 years.''

    As Ian gazed at the peaceful road landscape, he became lost in thought.

    It felt like just yesterday he had ascended the Golden Mountains to study magic.

    The kid from back then had now returned to the world as an adult.

    And as a wizard, no less.

    "It''s time to part ways, I suppose."

    Eredith had accompanied him to the base of the mountains, but they could no longer travel together.

    Dranheim, where the Council of Fire wizards was to be held, was in the opposite direction of Ian''s next destination.

    "Ian. You are to participate in the Space-time wizard Council."

    "What?"

    Eredith had marked Ian''s next destination as a completely unexpected place.

    The Council of Space-time wizards.

    "Space-time wizards gather in a place called Chronolic, somewhere in the northernmost reaches. I''ve heard there''s a portal to Chronolic there."

    Eredith'' instructions were vague.

    Go to an unknown place to meet unknown people.

    Ian didn''t understand, but Eredith explained calmly.

    "If you''re destined to learn Space-time Magic, you''ll meet a Space-time wizard there. If not, try learning dimension magic or photon magic. The polar regions often have auroras, so it should be easier to learn."

    Isn''t this a bit disorganized?

    "That''s just how Space-time wizards work."

    While Ian felt uneasy, Eredith sensed a very strong flow of destiny in him.

    She was convinced that Ian would embark on Space-time Magic.

    Although Eredith had not learned Space-time Magic herself, she had the intuition of a wizard who had conversed with numerous mysteries.

    Ian had a natural affinity for the mysteries.

    He was destined to wield the power of time.

    "Ian."

    "Yes, Master."

    "In three years, at the next Council of Fire wizards, let''s meet in Dranheim."

    In three years, in Dranheim.

    Eredith planned to introduce her disciple to the other Fire wizards.

    Proudly presenting Ian, who had grown into a proper wizard.

    "I will remember."

    "Hehe. Then, let''s meet again in three years."

    With a smile, Eredith bid farewell to Ian.

    She could have taken Ian straight to Dranheim, but that would have brought him too close to Fire magic.

    He might choose to follow his master into becoming a Fire wizard.

    ''... One Fire wizard is enough.''

    She hoped her disciple would gain more experience in the wider world.

    If he still wished to be a Fire wizard in three years, she wouldn''t stop him.

    ''May you become a great wizard.''

    Alone, Eredith walked along the straight path.

    Wandering the world was one of the things she did best.

    ---

    ---

    ''What a pity.''

    Just as Eredith had thought, Ian was considering Fire magic as his future specialty.

    Fire magic!

    The magic of burning things with fire!

    Fire wizards mostly use their magic to burn enemies, about 99% of the time.

    Some wizards use it for purposes like burning trash, but almost all Fire magic is used to eliminate enemies in front of them.

    Ian, a Korean by heritage, loved the idea more than anyone else.

    The idea of burning enemies to death with magic?

    Just the thought of it filled his heart with grandeur.

    Of course, Ian, still an innocent soul, had yet to experience taking a life.

    But as he traveled the world, there would inevitably come a time when he''d have to kill someone.

    Whether it be a murderer, a robber, or an assassin acting on someone''s orders.

    When someone comes at him with a knife shouting, "Die, wizard!"

    He had no intention whatsoever of obliging with a "Yes, I, Ian! Will happily die for you!"

    That''s why he wanted to specialize in Fire magic.

    But Eredith didn''t seem keen on having Ian follow in her footsteps as a Fire wizard.

    "Starting out was a bit tough."

    The sensation of burning alive in a pit of fire was truly horrific.

    It was only Eredith'' magic that prevented his body from burning.

    Otherwise, he would have suffered terrible full-body burns.

    "I''ll think about that later..."

    He could slowly decide what to specialize in later.

    For now, he had to focus on the quest given by his master, "Meet a Space-time wizard."

    Since he was supposed to meet one in the north, heading north was the first step.

    Ian knew that Space-time wizards were those who toyed with the future.

    They would likely know in advance about his journey north and come to meet him.

    The fancy two-story taverns seen in fantasy novels were high-end establishments found only in cities.

    "Do you have gukbap?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "I mean, stew."

    "Yes, we do. Please have a seat."

    There he was, Ian, ordering gukbap at a tavern.

    He sat down at a random spot.

    It seemed like the place wasn''t originally set up for outdoor business but had hastily expanded its seating due to the sudden influx of customers.

    The tavern owner, or rather, the landlady, placed a bowl of some red porridge in front of Ian.

    Ian poked at the porridge with his spoon.

    What did they put in it to make the porridge red?

    Was it safe to eat?

    Ian glanced at the kitchen but couldn''t identify the ingredients of the stew.

    What he received was the ''Eternal Stew'', a recipe quite famous in its own right.

    The Eternal Stew, as the name suggests, is a stew that''s perpetually cooked.

    First, a pot was placed on the fire, and any available ingredients were thrown in to make the stew.

    As the quantity diminished, more random ingredients were added.

    That was the nature of the Eternal Stew.

    Surprisingly, the taste was decent, albeit lacking in spices.

    Potatoes, oats, carrots, some kind of meat all boiled and salted.

    Ian tried a spoonful of the Eternal Stew and was amazed.

    Ah.

    It was a taste of health and blandness.

    It had a richer flavor compared to the occasional stews his mother made at home.

    The variety of ingredients contributed to that.

    But even the thrilling medieval style food, made without a single speck of spice, always left a profoundly healthy taste in the mouth.

    Only the taste of salt.

    The saltiness of salt was everything.

    ''Master must have been an excellent cook...''

    Eredith, a bizarre character who shamelessly indulged in the activities of medieval travelers and eccentrics, had excellent cooking skills thanks to her experiences with various cuisines across the empire.

    The master had used ''spices'' like onions and peppers in her cooking.

    Unlike these folks, who simply added salt to salt, she never settled for such monstrosities, indicating her superior culinary skills.

    "Here''s some bread."

    "Thank you."

    The landlady graciously dropped off some bread and butter before disappearing.

    This butter, in a sense, was the kimchi of medieval people.

    A greasy spice made of fat.

    No joke, these medieval fantasy folks really enjoyed their meals with the flavor of butter.

    Butter was always a cheat-code ingredient.

    Plain potatoes?

    Dry and bland.

    Butter-fried potatoes?

    Oh, delicious!

    But then, butter itself is essentially a mixture of oil and salt.

    So, in the end, there''s no escaping the clutches of salt.

    Biting into the bread smeared with butter and dipped in stew, it felt like Latin words would spontaneously erupt from his mouth.

    Excessively creamy.

    Where''s the kimchi?

    Where did the sense of balance on the dining table disappear to?

    For a Korean used to wrapping roasted garlic in kimchi and perilla leaves, a diet drenched in animal fat was almost like torture.

    No wonder medieval people were crazy about pepper.

    Such uncivilized folks.

    "First time seeing you here. Where are you from?"

    Looking up, Ian noticed that the landlady had seamlessly joined him at his table.

    Ian was impressed.

    The Western sense of personal space is different!

    Such a natural way to join a table!

    "I''m a traveler. I came looking for someone named Rick."

    "Ah! You''re heading north!"

    He hadn''t said anything yet.

    How did she know?

    "Rick! You have a guest!"

    "...?"

    Suddenly, the landlady called out for someone named Rick.

    Ian, being an introvert, was taken aback by the landlady''s impromptu behavior.

    He found new encounters somewhat burdensome.

    "Oh, a traveler, are you?"

    But before he had time to feel uneasy, a new face joined Ian at his table.

    The discomfort almost made him sick.

    "Pleased to meet you. I''m Rick of the Rabbit Foot Company."

    "Company...?"

    "Huh? Didn''t you see our guys trading in the village?"

    Recalling the traders he had seen earlier, Ian nodded.

    So, this person was their boss.

 Chapter 9:

    Chapter 9:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule:

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Rick''s Rabbit Foot Company, in a nutshell, is simply a lucky peddler.

    In this disastrous world where traveling equals suicide, venturing to another village to sell goods is an act of great madness.

    Who would dare travel carrying valuable goods, when safety isn''t guaranteed even for a small journey?

    It''s like having a golden goblin or a golden carriage.

    However, on the flip side, if one manages to evade all sorts of thieves and monsters and safely reach another village, they can make a killing and earn a fortune.

    With limited goods and many buyers, the profits are immense!

    Thus, traveling from village to village, one could return to their hometown after 3-4 years as an incredibly wealthy individual.

    This is common knowledge among merchants who deal in market trends.

    However, the likelihood of this becoming reality is extremely low.

    First of all, the idea of getting through thieves and monster hordes is absurd.

    Even if one somehow amasses wealth and dreams of becoming a great merchant, they are often cut down by nobles.

    ''Oh, you''re a wanderer? But you have a lot of money? Then hand it over.''

    Nobles are like robbers who forgot to carry swords.

    Sometimes they do carry them, making them no different from ordinary robbers.

    They snatch away money from anyone wealthy on their land.

    Therefore, merchants, as their businesses start flourishing, seek the backing of nobles.

    They conduct business only in places sanctioned by nobles, offering a significant portion of their earnings to them.

    The nobles, who do nothing but indulge in leisure, are wealthy for a reason: they seize the hard-earned money of merchants.

    That''s why becoming a great merchant takes an incredibly long time.

    But it''s not an entirely impossible feat.

    Today, aspiring great merchants like Rabbit Foot Company continue to load their wagons with goods and travel across the empire.

    ''So, that''s why there are so many people here.''

    The reason for the crowded tavern?

    It was due to Rabbit Foot Company.

    The company''s workers and a considerable number of escorts.

    Let''s call them mercenaries instead of martial artists, to avoid sounding like a martial arts novel.

    ''So, you''re planning to cross to the north?''

    ''Yes, that''s the plan.''

    ''Why not join us?''

    Rick proposed joining forces.

    For a very rational and valid reason.

    ''That mountain you see ahead is called Earth Dragon Mountain.''

    ''Dragon Mountain?''

    There are many places named Dragon Mountain in the empire, named after places where dragons live or lived.

    By the way, there''s also a Dragon Mountain in Korea, called Yongsan (it''s true).

    Anyway, while Yongsan is a common name, there are only a handful of places where dragons actually reside.

    Unfortunately, the Dragon Mountain ahead was not one of them.

    ''Earth Dragon Mountain is known for its drakes.''

    Shouldn''t it be called Drake Mountain then?

    But whether it''s dragons or drakes, the danger level is insanely high.

    ''Drakes...''

    Ian recalled stories Eredith would share during classes.

    Whenever the class became tedious, Eredith would liven up the atmosphere with tales from the world.

    Scaled monsters are mostly dangerous, but the most common and perilous ones can be narrowed down to three types.

    First, dragons.

    ''Dragons are evil beings that should not even be associated with.''

    Dragons, with their cruel and wicked nature, have a habit of killing creatures for fun.

    And they''re disgustingly strong, so much so that even a considerable army might only barely manage to defeat one.

    Therefore, if a dragon''s den is discovered, it''s absolutely forbidden to approach it.

    In unavoidable situations, nobles would unite and summon knights for an attack.

    Second, wyverns.

    ''Safe if you don''t approach them, and it''s hard to even get close.''

    Wyverns, also called lesser dragons, reside at the top of high cliffs.

    They enjoy soaring on strong winds and detest coming down to the lower mountains.

    To encounter a wyvern, one had to seek out the rugged cliffs of treacherous mountain ranges.

    Despite their carnivorous and ferocious nature, their killings of humans were extremely rare.

    Lastly, the third type, drakes.

    True to their nickname of wingless dragons, drakes dwell in deep underground caves.

    Although milder compared to dragons or wyverns, they killed humans as frequently as dragons did.

    The reason was their proximity to mountain trails, leading to frequent encounters with humans.

    Still, thanks to their relatively mild nature, one could be safe if they passed quietly.

    Ian seemed to understand why Rick wanted to take travelers with him.

    It was like the logic of gathering people before crossing a mountain in the Joseon era.

    Back then, mountains were infested with tigers, and crossing alone was a surefire way to become a tiger''s meal.

    Hence, the norm was to gather about a dozen people to cross together.

    ''Looking for people to cross Huldaeng Pass! (7/10)''

    It was Ian Raven.

    Just moments ago, Ian and Rick had been engaged in light chitchat.

    Rick, being the owner of the trading company, had no friends, and Ian, as an outsider, knew no one.

    Naturally, the two became companions in conversation.

    "So, what do you do that has you wandering around alone?"

    From appearances alone, Ian''s identity was a mystery.

    Not a knight, it seemed.

    A noble?

    But he would have been treated with disdain if he were.

    Then, a bard?

    Or a scholar?

    Ian''s next words took Rick by surprise.

    "I''m a wizard."

    "...What?"

    The word "wizard" carries a profoundly powerful resonance among the empire''s citizens.

    Upon hearing it, Rick automatically switched to formal speech as if under a spell.

    Huh?

    Speaking formally to a wizard is just common sense.

    "A, a, a wizard, you say?"

    Ian tilted his head, puzzled at the suddenly malfunctioning Rick.

    Just the word ''wizard'' and this guy breaks down.

    How fragile.

    But Ian didn''t know Rick''s circumstances.

    In the empire, wizards are like nobles.

    No, they are nobles.

    For commoners like Rick, a wizard is someone who could erase them with a mere gesture.

    "Is there a problem?"

    "No, no... I was just too rude..."

    "Just speak as you were. I''m a commoner. Ian, a farmer''s son."

    Ian spoke as gently as possible, still not fully adjusted to the class system.

    However, Rick was already shuddering, recalling the 39 mistakes he had made towards Ian so far.

    ''Damn it...! What have I done...!''

    How dare he speak informally to a wizard.

    How dare he offer a wizard a poor bed.

    How dare he feed a wizard pig slop!

    Truthfully, the greater fault lay with Ian for not starting the conversation with ''I''m a wizard,'' right off the bat.

    Rick isn''t a mind-reader; how was he supposed to know Ian''s thoughts?

    But Ian, still unaccustomed to this medieval fantasy world, hadn''t thought of that simple fact.

    Whether Ian used formal speech or not, Rick was obliged to use honorifics with him.

    That''s the special status of wizards.

    And another thing.

    Among the citizens of the empire, a certain false belief was commonly accepted as truth: ''All wizards are eccentric lunatics.''

    This misconception has bizarrely evolved into ''A wizard who doesn''t act strangely isn''t normal.''

    Absurdly, a kind, polite, and sensible wizard is disregarded by the public.

    ''It''s impossible for my wizard to be this nice!'' was the prevailing sentiment.

    Conversely, when a wizard does something insane, people laugh it off, saying, ''Yes, that''s how a wizard should be!'' and feel relieved.

    It was a seriously twisted image.

    ''But is he really a wizard?''

    Rick was slightly skeptical about Ian.

    Because... Ian didn''t seem eccentric at all!

    Rick was a victim of this misguided belief.

    However, he wasn''t foolish enough to voice his doubts out loud.

    If Ian were a real wizard, he''d definitely be a crazy eccentric, and Rick feared that any hint of suspicion might provoke Ian to kill him.

    "Ah, no, not at all..."

    "Really, can''t you just speak casually like before?"

    Ian, still loosely grasping the concept of a class-based society, wanted to remain simply travel companions with Rick.

    However, now that Rick knew Ian was a wizard, it was impossible for him to speak informally.

    ''Aigo! If I did that, I would be putting my life at risk!''

    Nobility are like campfires.

    They illuminate the darkness, ward off beasts, and provide warmth.

    But if you get too close, you get burned.

    Throughout history, those who crossed the line with nobility have perished.

    It has always been this way, and it will continue to be so.

    Rick had no intention of walking a tightrope with Ian.

    "Do as you please, then."

    After several attempts at persuasion were ignored, Ian simply gave up.

    ''... Huh?''

    Feeling the weight of many gazes, Ian looked around.

    The way people looked at him had changed.

    In their eyes, he sensed fear and suspicion.

 Chapter 10:

    Chapter 10:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule:

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    "Sir Wizard! Did you enjoy your meal?"

    After revealing himself as a wizard, Ian became an outcast.

    There seemed to be an invisible barrier around him, preventing people from approaching.

    No one dared to come near Ian.

    ''It''s strange.''

    Ian felt slightly hurt by the way people looked at him as if he were a monster.

    If Ian had been an easy target, perhaps they would have shouted, ''Yikes! A monster! Get out of our establishment!''

    However, there was no one bold enough to openly reject Ian.

    Not even one person tried to verify if Ian truly was a wizard.

    As soon as Ian declared ''I am a wizard,'' he became one.

    There was a reason for this.

    When someone claims to be a noble, there are specific people designated to verify this truth.

    Among commoners, it''s the intellectuals, and among nobles, it''s other nobles or clergy.

    However, questioning someone''s status is considered extremely rude and dishonorable.

    For instance, if someone says, ''I am a knight,'' and someone else asks, ''Are you really a knight?'' it would be taken as a grave insult.

    It''s like saying, ''You don''t seem like a knight. How dare you claim to be one? I don''t sense the soul of a knight in you!''

    This would immediately lead to a duel.

    That''s why nobles memorize the names of other noble families'' members.

    At least having heard the name, they avoid the rudeness of questioning someone who claims, ''I am a noble.''

    Still, it''s impossible to memorize all the lesser-known families...

    But in a low-life party made up of petty merchants and thugs, there''s no such thing as a nobility detector.

    So the moment Ian declared himself a wizard, he was accepted as one.

    No one could dispute it!

    "Here, give me your dishes. I''ll wash them up nice and clean."

    A woman clinging to Ian with a nasal voice.

    Her name was Emily, wasn''t it?

    As if to prove she was a prostitute, she used the term wash instead of clean.

    Who in their right mind would wash dishes?

    Ian, not prejudiced against prostitutes, found Emily bothersome.

    She was planning to improve her life by getting physically close to an innocent wizard!

    The end goal for a prostitute is marriage, ideally marrying up.

    So, it was natural for Emily to set her sights on Ian.

    "No need. I''ll do it myself."

    "Aww~ How can a wizard like you do such a menial task like dishwashing~ Dishwashing is a woman''s job~"

    Seeing Emily wink, Ian felt a chill run through his body.

    He had no intention of sharing a bed with Emily.

    Primarily for psychological reasons.

    He was uncomfortable with affectionless sex.

    Secondly, for hygienic reasons; he was afraid of catching some disease.

    Ian wasn''t sure if there was magic to cure diseases, nor had he learned it.

    The last thing he wanted was to die of an STD after all the trouble of becoming a wizard.

    "Just give it here."

    Ian preferred to take care of his own dishes.

    He couldn''t trust the hygiene standards of these people.

    He spotted some clean, stagnant water nearby.

    Picking up his dishes, Ian stood up.

    He heard snickering laughter behind him.

    "Sir Wizard is so kind. Doing the dishes himself to spare our Emily the trouble."

    "Let him be. He seems to like doing dishes."

    Ian glanced back briefly.

    Who were these swollen-headed fools daring to mock a wizard?

    But his mockers were indeed swollen-headed fools - mercenaries.

    Living day-to-day on the edge of a sword, these people would only tremble when a blade was in their face.

    To them, Ian being a wizard... ''So what?''

    Moreover, they were the core strength of the party, so Ian couldn''t just dismiss them.

    "..."

    Ian pondered seriously.

    Should he maintain his dignity by having Emily do the dishes?

    But fluctuating between decisions would likely look worse.

    Ian shrugged.

    What did it matter if he looked good to the mercenaries?

    He decided to ignore them and walked away, dish in hand.

    ---

    ---

    Solo actions were typically forbidden, but this rule didn''t apply to Ian, the wizard.

    He found some water collected in a rock crevice and whistled.

    "[Rise.]"

    As Ian spoke in the language of magic, the water in the puddle began to stir.

    He brought his dish near, and the water moved to it.

    "[Move.]"

    The water spun around, cleaning the dish automatically.

    Moving a small amount of water like this was a piece of cake for him.

    Some might say, did he learn magic just to do dishes?

    To that, Ian would respond:

    Ah, this is why I learned magic.

    "Sir Wizard! Did you enjoy your meal?"

    Despite being rebuffed multiple times, Emily did not give up on Ian.

    She was tenaciously clinging to him.

    This was a good opportunity to instill fear in people.

    Ian steeled himself and acted aggressively.

    "Hey. This dish. Go wash it."

    He... actually threw the dish!

    Emily''s eyes widened in shock.

    Not because she was impressed by Ian''s charismatic act, but because of his sudden awkward behavior.

    From a distance, Cassie was seen sneakily turning her head.

    Ian couldn''t understand.

    Why?

    He was doing well.

    And why was his face turning red?

    Was he embarrassed?

    However, Ian was confident.

    In front of everyone!

    He had actually thrown a dinner plate!

    How cruel!

    Could this lead to murder?

    ...Not at all.

    Emily, long accustomed to being disrespected, found Ian''s behavior perfectly natural.

    Yeah!

    That''s more like a wizard!

    "Yes, Sir Wizard! Leave it to me!"

    "...?"

    Ian couldn''t understand why his action had no effect.

    Doesn''t she have any self-respect?

    Is this really okay?

    Ian, not a true medieval person, was still unaware of the terrifying aspects of a class-based society.

    The beautiful way in which various forms of violence were ingrained in a society that strictly distinguished between the lowly and the noble.

    "Hehe. Sir Wizard is giving orders."

    "Lucky, Emily."

    The mercenaries didn''t bat an eye.

    They still did not fear Ian.

    ''Ah, what to do?''

    To solve this problem, he had to dredge up anger from deep within.

    If he was genuinely angry, he could sufficiently lose it.

    But how could he be angry now?

    He was the one oppressing.

    Ian, being an introvert, found it overwhelming even to express anger.

    However, the breakthrough came from an unexpected place.

    "Ptui..."

    "...?"

    Ian couldn''t believe his eyes.

    What... what did he just see?

    Emily, who had taken Ian''s dish, spat a sticky saliva into it while locking eyes with him.

    She then sensuously smiled and placed a leaf in the dish.

    And began to rub it clean...

    Ian''s eyes flipped.

    That crazy woman!

    She spat in my dish!

    "Aaaaaah! What are you doing! You b*tch!"

    "Wh... what?"

    "You b*tch! I told you to clean it! Who told you to ruin my dish!"

    Krrrrrr...

    Ian dredged up energy from deep within, unleashing a terrifying roar.

    This crazy woman!

    As Ian, a wizard, exploded in genuine anger, the mystery of nature resonated with his fury.

    Krrrrrr...

    "Ugh!"

    "What, what is this?"

    The wind howled, the ground trembled.

    Leaves fluttered, producing a sinister sound like screams.

    "Sir Wizard! I''m sorry! I was wrong!"

    A startled Emily prostrated herself on the ground.

    In truth, she didn''t know what she had done wrong.

    When the wizard got angry, she reflexively begged for her life!

    "Who the hell! Damn it! Told you to spit in my dish!"

    "But! To wash the dish, moisture is needed..."

    "Then wash with water! You crazy woman!"

    "But, the water is dirty!"

    Oops.

    Ian grabbed the back of his neck and collapsed.

    He had fallen victim to his longstanding ailment: [Medieval Hygiene Standards]...

    The mercenaries watching this scene felt a spine-chilling fear.

    ''What, what''s this?''

    The skill with which he berated a servant trying to do dishes was no ordinary feat!

    ''That wizard is... eccentric!''

 Chapter 11:

    Chapter 11:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule:

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Where did it all go wrong in this world?

    Ian, true to his role as a wizard who explores mysteries, set out to find the reason behind Emily''s twisted concept of hygiene.

    The reason was not hard to uncover.

    Firstly, among the medieval folks, there were indeed those who genuinely believed water was filthy.

    Proudly, Emily was one of them.

    ''Water is so dirty, full of lime, mud, parasites... absolutely filthy!''

    A fastidious medieval person with strict hygiene standards.

    Thus, these ''clean'' medieval people, like modern folks who always carry hand sanitizers and alcohol, and manage hygiene solely with personal items, acknowledged only the pure water from the sky that is, rainwater as true water.

    Water from other lands?

    Oh, its dirty.

    Contaminated.

    But just as modern people who vigorously scrub surfaces with disinfectants might be thought ''crazy'',

    Most other medieval folks thought those who actually lived on just rainwater were ''out of their minds''.

    Most people just casually drank well water, spring water, or river water.

    Of course, they didn''t think the water was clean but rather thought, ''It''s dirty, but boiling it should make it okay''.

    Indeed, drinking water directly from the wild could soon lead to parasitic infections and food poisoning.

    Naturally, boiling water was the correct approach.

    However, Ian and the Rabbit Foot Company had not lit a fire for several days now.

    They were close to the end of their journey, and lighting a fire might provoke a drake, a risk they didn''t want to take.

    In other words, Emily''s conclusion that ''water fallen on the ground, dirty and unboiled, cannot be used'' was a perfectly logical decision.

    To top it off.

    Second reason.

    Emily was a prostitute (not an insult).

    Most men she met had no qualms about exchanging saliva with her.

    In fact, they enjoyed it more when Emily licked her lips and spat.

    That''s why she assumed Ian would be fine with it.

    "Amazing, these medieval folks."

    "...Yes?"

    Ian decided not to tackle the hygiene issue anymore.

    It was just a pain. Only a loss for himself.

    "From now on, when you do the dishes, just fetch some water in a pot."

    "But, Sir Wizard. The water..."

    "I''ll boil it, so just bring it."

    Ian grumbled and took care of his own dish.

    The thought of that damned woman spitting in it made him feel disgustingly uncomfortable.

    During their walk, Ian stealthily collected some water to rewash his dish.

    "Sir Wizard. It''s about time for our meal..."

    "What?"

    "Eek! No, nothing!"

    Rick now openly regarded Ian as a monster.

    Up until now, Ian had always used polite language, but as Rick''s reaction crossed the line, Ian''s desire to be polite vanished.

    So, he spoke as he pleased.

    "Hey, mister. Got a problem with me?"

    "No! No! How could that be! Hehe."

    Rick forced a sycophantic smile, the same one he had often shown before the nobility, that smile of the class system.

    Having confirmed that Rick had completely masked his true self, Ian decided not to invest any more emotions in him.

    ''I thought we could be companions on the road.''

    In a society with a strict class system, it wasnt easy for just anyone to become friends.

    While creative works often depict friendships transcending social status, these are rare in reality and thus become notable stories.

    "Sir Wizard! Is the meal to your liking?"

    "Is there anything uncomfortable?"

    "If there''s anything you need, just tell us!"

    Ironically, after distancing himself from Rick, the servility of the workers and mercenaries increased significantly.

    Accustomed to a hierarchical society, they instinctively recognized Ian as the most powerful person there.

    Ian''s eccentric wizard performance also contributed to solidifying his status.

    ''What''s really going on?''

    Ian was baffled.

    When he was polite and treated them well, they ignored him.

    But after he showed anger, they groveled as if ready to sacrifice anything for him.

    Ian still didn''t understand.

    That it wasnt warm kindness but cold fear that moved human hearts.

    "Sir Wizard! Ive brought water!"

    After being scolded by Ian, even Emily, who came from a lower social background, approached him with an ingratiating attitude, used to serving those above her.

    "Gather some twigs and start a fire."

    Upon Ian''s command, one of the workers made a cringing face.

    "But Sir Wizard... won''t lighting a fire attract the drake''s attention?"

    The worker''s gaze was fixed solely on Ian.

    What happened?

    Did they all attend Saint Francesca''s moral lecture in their dreams?

    Had they all forgotten those beautiful days in the vast plains, where John and his men rampaged through the villages like a herd of bison, ravaging country maidens?

    But soon enough, John grasped the situation.

    "Got cold feet?"

    "Erhm, it''s not that..."

    "Scared, you cowards!"

    His men were now wary of the wizard!

    When Rick was the leader of the group, there was nothing to worry about.

    Rick and Cassie were strangers, and as long as the mercenaries fulfilled their duties, they wouldnt interfere with each other.

    However, now that the wizard had become the center of the group, things were different.

    That dark-haired wizard was a quirky psycho, just as the common rumors suggested.

    Unpredictable, it was only natural to be cautious around him.

    Picking a fight with a wizard over a woman would be foolish beyond measure.

    "You idiots. Are you going to miss out on a precious woman like Cassie just because you''re scared of that damn wizard?"

    "uh, ''damn wizard''?"

    The mercenaries shivered.

    They were afraid of the wizard.

    Their fear of the wizard stemmed from two main reasons.

    First, there was a rumor that if you offend a wizard, you get cursed.

    Being superstitious, the mercenaries were particularly sensitive about curses.

    The second reason was more practical.

    Wizards were closely connected with the nobility, and offending one could ruin your life.

    No matter how young he was, they couldnt underestimate Ian.

    Who knew what powerful archwizard or noble Ian might be close with?

    "And Cassie. She doesn''t seem like an ordinary commoner..."

    "So damn it, we have to take her now!"

    John was fervent in his speech.

    "If shes hiding her noble identity, why the hell do you think shes hiding it? Because revealing it would screw her over!"

    "Then maybe we can slowly investigate after we descend..."

    "Shell run away by then!"

    The men shook their heads.

    John''s argument was hard to buy.

    It seemed like just an excuse to justify his desire for Cassie.

    "Alright, alright, Captain."

    Even if John acted like a sex-crazed parrot, he was still their captain.

    The captain can throw a tantrum.

    What''s the point of being a captain if you can''t?

    The wizard might be a concern, but maybe they could get away with it if they were discreet.

    After all, the wizard was a complete stranger to Cassie too.

    "When are we doing it?"

    "Tonight."

    "If it goes south, we''ll pretend we knew nothing. I''ll take over as the next captain."

    "Fine, damn it. You talk too much for someone whos getting a piece."

    Deciding there was no more time to waste, John planned to stealthily assault Cassie that very night.

    His ''kind heart'' was trampled upon, and he became a thug.

    In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep.

    The mercenaries, having drawn the night watch duties to themselves, moved secretly.

    "Wheres Cassie?"

    "She went down to pee for a bit."

    "Damn, the heavens are helping us."

    John, with a full smile, followed after Cassie.

    Rustle, rustle.

    In the darkness, a moving figure appeared.

    ...?

    John''s eyes widened.

    What is this?

    It wasn''t Cassie.

    The figure was too large to be her.

    It was an assailant.

    An unknown assailant was carrying Cassie off...?

    Who''s there!

    One of the mercenaries shouted angrily.

    The moment John realized what was happening.

    Choke!

    A flying dagger, cutting through the darkness, pierced the neck of the mercenary.

    Uh... what?

    The subordinate, like a wine bottle with its cork removed, gushed blood profusely.

    A three-second pause in thought.

    And then.

    You bastard!

    John, with a face twisted like a demon, drew his sword and charged at the assailant.

 Chapter 12:

    Chapter 12:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule:

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    ''Bloody John'' is not a name won in a card game.

    It''s because he usually messes around like a s*x maniac.

    John is a skilled mercenary.

    "Die! Die!"

    John charged at the bandit in the lead.

    Although the bandit''s face was covered with cloth, John realized that his opponent was also a sellsword, just like him.

    "Damn you, you little sh*t, for my brother!"

    John swung his sword at the bandit like a raging boar.

    With no choice, the bandit threw their target onto the ground and drew his sword to block John''s attack.

    "Boss! We''re going in!"

    "Yaaaaaaah! Damn bastards!"

    John''s brothers also charged fiercely, following their leader.

    They didn''t care how many enemies there were or who they were targeting.

    It was too dark to see anything anyway.

    They just clung to anyone who looked like an enemy and beheaded them.

    That was all.

    The sound of cold steel clashing, human screams, and blood spraying were chaotically loud.

    Perhaps because of that.

    In the midst of the turbulent chaos, the mercenaries failed to notice a woman escaping the battlefield.

    Having gained her freedom, Cassie sprinted through the darkness with all her might.

    Screech!

    "The target is escaping!"

    The bandits chased after Cassie like magnets.

    "Where do you think you''re going, you bastards!"

    Leaving the mercenaries behind, Cassie ran.

    Heading straight for the wizard.

    She didn''t stop her legs.

    ---

    ---

    "Sir Wizard! Sir Wizard!"

    Startled by the urgent calls, Ian opened his eyes.

    ''What''s going on?''

    As soon as he regained his senses, Ian heard the ground thumping.

    The earth seemed to be warning him with a roar.

    [Humans! Humans are coming!]

    "What''s happening?"

    "Big trouble! Bandits! We''re surrounded by bandits!"

    Rick rambled in panic.

    The other workers were hastily preparing to flee with the bare minimum of their belongings.

    ''Bandits?''

    It seemed strange, but Ian thought it was possible.

    This area was known for Drake sightings, but for someone starving and near death, a Drake was the least of their concerns.

    They had chosen to gamble their lives - either die at the hands of a Drake or survive.

    Ian and his group were just unlucky.

    ''The mercenaries... they must be fighting.''

    Ian guessed the mercenaries'' situation from the rumbling sound.

    Judging by the sound of people scrambling nearby, they seemed to be still fighting.

    "The mercenaries are buying us time. You need to get to safety now!"

    Rick ruthlessly wrote off the mercenaries.

    No one thought Rick''s decision was strange.

    Mercenaries are hired precisely for such situations.

    It''s good if they repel the enemy; if not, so be it.

    ''Sigh. This sucks.''

    Ian slowly regulated his breath, calming his pounding heart.

    Being attacked by a band of armed robbers in the middle of the night was a truly unique experience.

    ''Unique'' is too mild a term.

    It was closer to a terrible experience.

    As if drenched in cold water, he painfully realized the fact that he had reincarnated in this godforsaken medieval fantasy world!

    "Rick."

    "Yes, yes! Wizard sir!"

    One bandit bravely stepped into the darkness.

    "[Earth, rise!]"

    Ian summoned a small stone to trip the bandit, causing him to fall.

    Blinded and now tripped, the bandit''s morale plummeted, and they dared not continue the chase.

    "Sir, Sir Wizard..."

    "Everyone, keep quiet. Don''t make any noise and follow slowly."

    The company workers were occasionally startled by the sound of footsteps, but they trusted Ian and moved slowly.

    The strategy was paying off.

    Moving quietly, shrouded in darkness, and confusing the enemies...

    They scattered in all directions, unable to continue their pursuit.

    "Damn it! Find them! Find them somehow!"

    The bandits lit torches belatedly, but there weren''t many.

    A few torches were no match for Ian''s magic.

    "[Wind, arise!]"

    Ian created gusts of wind to snuff out each torch as it appeared.

    Groans and cries like screams filled the air among the bandits.

    "A wizard! It''s a wizard!"

    "Damn it! The wizard is over there!"

    "Light the torches again! He must have his limits!"

    Despite the odds, the bandits persisted like mad dogs, refusing to give up the chase.

    At this point, Ian became curious.

    Really, what''s with these guys?

    The company has a wizard, yet they still don''t give up.

    What honey did they put on the company?

    "Over here! This way!"

    Finally, one of the bandits managed to dispel the darkness with a torch.

    [Ouch! No!]

    The darkness cried out shrilly.

    Ian immediately targeted the torch-bearing bandit and uttered the magic words.

    "[Fire, blaze up!]"

    Whoosh!

    The torch flared up explosively, gruesomely burning the upper body of the bandit.

    "Aaaaah! Aaaaaah!"

    The sizzling sound and the acrid smell of burning flesh filled the dark forest.

    ''It''s time to escape.''

    Ian sighed.

    After showing off such a performance, burning a man alive.

    Will they still come at us?

    You fools?

    However, while their comrade was burning alive, the rest of the bandits were stealthily approaching.

    "Here! Kill the wizard!"

    ''Are they completely insane?''

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Strangely, the bandits didn''t flee.

    What kind of bandit risks their life to attack someone?

    Is this the norm for bandits in this era?

    "Everyone... prepare for combat."

    Ian took a deep breath and calmly issued the combat orders.

    Now that they were this close, they had to resolve the situation through close combat.

    Yes, the last resort of a wizard who has used all his magic... becomes a warrior wizard.

    Breaking the enemy''s skull with a weapon!

    As Ian''s command was given, the company workers drew their daggers and clubs, their hands trembling.

    Amidst the suffocating tension...

    "Kill them!"

    The bandit''s order was issued.

    And in that moment, as the bandits charged in unison...

    Crunch!

    Out of the darkness, a massive maw snapped forward, tearing apart the upper half of a bandit.

    "...Huh?"

    The light from the burning corpse illuminated the monster.

    Glistening scales.

    A terrifying face that sent shivers down the spine, and a massive body like a moving boulder...

    It was a Drake.

    The true master of the mountain appeared, crunching the bandit''s torso like a chicken leg...!

 Chapter 13:

    Chapter 13:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule:

    Illustrations: None.

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    Drake is a monster.

    This is a fact assured by his master, Eredith.

    Drake''s danger had been drilled into Ian''s ears frequently enough to be annoying.

    ''Never! Never fight! Don''t even look back, just run! Always think only of escaping!''

    Drake is a monstrous beast powerful enough to confront an army alone.

    A body as massive as moving rocks.

    Thick scales that deflect axes and hammers.

    Acidic liquid secreted from poison lines throughout his body when stressed.

    Even his breath contains hallucinogenic bacteria.

    At this point, it''s doubtful if he''s a naturally born creature or a bio-weapon created for a specific purpose.

    A handful of bandits and some merchants'' workers.

    Along with a wizard, a traveler, and a prostitute.

    Against such a small pile of humans, there''s no way to subdue this fantasy this monster.

    Drake finishes chewing a bandit he was eating and lets out a ferocious roar.

    [Krowarararara!]

    Everyone, including Ian, felt an extreme fear as if their blood had frozen.

    It''s only natural to feel fear when a monster that chews humans like gum is right in front of you.

    "... Kill the wizard as quickly as possible..."

    "Son of a b*tch, are you crazy, you f*cked-up bastard!"

    The bandit leader muttered, causing a rift among the bandits.

    Although the leader sent a command an attack, almost everyone turned their backs, except for a few subordinates.

    "Run, all of you! Run if you want to live! Idiots!"

    As his subordinates turned to flee, the bandit leader had no choice but to follow.

    He hesitated, looking around, and then belatedly moved.

    But he hesitated for too long.

    Crunch!

    Drake easily plucked the bandit leader''s head like picking a raspberry.

    Pressing him down with a paw and sweeping his head into his mouth, the bandit leader instantly turned into a tasty snack.

    "Ugh... Ughhh."

    "Aaaahhh!"

    The merchants'' workers screamed and retched.

    Drake''s feasting was too much for them to handle.

    Ian was shocked too.

    ''...''

    But unlike others, Ian''s mind was half-focused elsewhere.

    [You have witnessed the mystery of the primordial!]

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Skill: Summoning]

    [The ability to communicate with and summon mystical creatures]

    A status window suddenly appeared before his eyes.

    Seeing the status window for the first time in a while, Ian found a moment of relief from his fear.

    ''Summoning?''

    Communicate with mystical creatures.

    That''s what was written in the skill window.

    Based on his experiences so far, Drake was some kind of ''mystery''.

    And if that''s a mystery.

    Through the summoning skill, he could... talk to it!

    ''There''s no other way.''

    Ian made up his mind.

    The only option Ian could rely on now was to persuade Drake using the summoning skill.

    If this fails, Ian will be killed by Drake.

    ''Decide firmly. Act confidently.''

    Ian knew that the mysteries of the world were favorably inclined towards him, though he didn''t understand why.

    Maybe it''s because he is a reincarnated being, perhaps even a human crafted from the mysteries themselves.

    One thing was certain, the mysteries had never betrayed Ian so far.

    Ian''s eyes widened.

    "[Drake!]"

    Fluent Maronius language spilled from Ian''s lips.

    "Grrrr..."

    Drake turned his head in response to Ian.

    Drake''s gaze bore down on Ian.

    A palpable intent to kill, as if he could tear Ian apart any moment.

    ''... A head-on approach it is.''

    Ian overcame the chilling intent and continued to speak.

    "[May I ask what has upset you so much?]"

    [Hmph! Why should I? To a worthless human like you?]

    Ian immediately whispered in Maronius, invoking mysteries.

    The sky, earth, darkness, and flames moved in response to Ian''s voice.

    It was the mystery of a wizard.

    "Hmm...?"

    Drake''s killing intent lightened.

    In its place, curiosity filled the air.

    "[As you can see, I am a wizard exploring the limits. If possible, I would like to offer my humble skills to assist you, Drake.]"

    [Ha, you have an interesting talent.]

    ''... The immediate danger is averted.''

    Drake withdrew his killing intent completely.

    This meant he would not crush Ian immediately.

    But the negotiation had just begun.

    Ian had only sparked curiosity to buy time; he still had no idea what Drake might demand.

    ''First, keep the atmosphere light.''

    Ian recalled the magical knowledge he learned from Eredith.

    Beginning a conversation with a mystery is like taking the first step in magic.

    However, magic is only completed when the wizard shows his will to the mystery and realizes his intentions.

    In short, magic is a process of establishing a relationship between the wizard and the mystery.

    This relationship could become a friendship, a superior-subordinate dynamic, or even a strictly profit-driven business partnership.

    Each mystery has its own preferred type of relationship...

    For a wizard, what''s crucial is their ability to navigate these relationships.

    It''s no coincidence that wise people become wizards.

    ''Come forth, my versatile skill window!''

    Ian opened the skill window and browsed the [Summoning] section.

    There was useful information written there.

    [The most important aspect of Summoning is forming a bond with the mystical creature. The thought processes of high-intelligence mystical creatures are mostly similar to humans. Therefore, offering appropriate rituals and sacrifices can yield astonishing results.

    Excerpt from - You Can Do It Too! Summoning for Dummies! by Demonite]

    ''Rituals and sacrifices!''

    These two aspects were already emphasized in his education by Eredith.

    However, Eredith specialized in elemental magic, so he only taught about rituals and sacrifices preferred by the elements.

    Ian quickly checked the necessary rituals and sacrifices for summoning.

    ... And he couldn''t believe his eyes.

    [How to Excel at Summoning]

    [First, prepare some damn good booze and feed it. Stronger drinks for bigger creatures, aromatic ones for smaller ones.

    And flatter like hell - Demonite]

    ''What the hell?''

    This is the ritual and sacrifice?

    Feeding excellent booze and flattering...?

    Ian, an introvert, was dumbfounded.

    This seemed like a ritual only extroverted people could perform!

    But Ian steeled himself once more.

    If he failed here, his life would be at stake.

    Trusting his summoning skill level, he decided to go all in.

    "[Drake, I have prepared a gift for you.]"

    [A gift?]

    "[Yes. Have you ever received a gift from a human?]"

    Drake burst into laughter at Ian''s question.

    [Not at all! Never!]

    He would need to have met a human he could communicate with first.

    Ian responded with a smile.

    "[I''m sure you''ll like it.]"

    Click!

    "Rick, could you go down with the people and bring some alcohol?"

    "Alcohol, sir?"

    "Yes. Preferably something strong."

    "Understood!"

    Ian watched Rick hurriedly run towards the wagons, catching his breath.

    The first step had fallen into place.

 Chapter 14:

    Chapter 14:

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Schedule:

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    Can beasts get drunk too?

    Animals in the wild would unanimously agree that they can.

    You might wonder how creatures without hands or feet can get drunk, but surprisingly, natural alcohol exists in the wild.

    Alcohol is produced when sugars ferment.

    Neglected fruits on trees, sticky tree sap, and honey-infused rotten flowers are typical sources of natural alcohol.

    Of course, this natural alcohol is not easily produced, and the quantities are quite small.

    It''s hardly enough for regular drinking and revelry.

    However, once beasts acquire a taste for alcohol, they become connoisseurs of human-made liquor.

    Whether they obtain it willingly, steal it secretly, or even break into homes to snatch it.

    Beasts that know the taste of alcohol can gulp it down quite effectively.

    Much like the Drake in front of him.

    [Ha, haha! This is great! Alcohol, I love it!]

    Drake babbled in his drunken state.

    Despite nearly finishing the entire cartload of alcohol, he didn''t collapse, showing his remarkable tolerance.

    Initially, Drake was indifferent upon seeing the pile of alcohol before him.

    [A modest gift, isn''t it.]

    Classic beastly behavior from Drake, judging the quantity first.

    Ian responded calmly,

    "[Isn''t it typical for precious things to be scarce?]"

    It was a clichd sweet talk, but partly true.

    The alcohol brought by the workers was a prized possession secretly hoarded by village brewing masters.

    Sadly, the masters'' wives had traded them for things like iron pots, and the drinks had ended up in the merchants'' hands.

    And, as expected from a village nestled against a hill, there was a particularly high proportion of honey liquor.

    Honey liquor might sound like a sweet beverage, but it''s actually a potent spirit.

    Again, alcohol is produced when sugar decomposes.

    Meaning, the sweeter the raw material, the higher the alcohol content.

    In this medieval fantasy world, the most commonly enjoyed drink is beer, with a very low alcohol content, due to limited brewing technology.

    Had the workers brought ordinary beer, Drake might have crushed Ian underfoot, scoffing at the weak drink.

    But what was piled before Drake was the valuable honey liquor.

    "[Would you like a drink?]"

    [It smells a bit off... You''re not playing any tricks, are you, wizard?]

    Ian demonstrated by taking a sip first.

    It felt like his esophagus was burning.

    No doubt, it was a terribly strong liquor.

    After seeing Ian was fine, Drake tentatively licked the liquor.

    [Hmm... It tastes as strange as it smells. Seems like it''s gone off.]

    Despite grumbling about the odd taste and seemingly spoiled nature, Drake emptied a bottle cleanly.

    "[How do you find it?]"

    Ian waited for Drake''s reaction, maintaining his smile.

    Drake seemed displeased with Ian''s gift, grumbling in a disappointed tone.

    [This isn''t exactly delicious food. Do humans really value this stuff?]

    "[Yes, they do.]"

    [Well, I appreciate the gesture of offering something valuable.]

    Drake''s reaction was ambiguous.

    It was like gaining a meager +1 point.

    ''... But I have to keep going.''

    Trusting the advice of a summoner named Demonite, Ian decided to continue the drinking session.

    In truth, he trusted his Level 3 summoning skills more than this Demonite fellow.

    "[Have another drink. This one will taste better than the last.]"

    [Hmm? Really?]

    Enticed by the promise of a tastier drink, Drake eagerly licked his lips.

    This time, it was wine.

    The wine seemed to suit Drake''s palate better than the honey liquor, and he happily gulped down what Ian offered.

    After three, four, five bottles...

    Drake, initially indifferent, began to show a reaction.

    [Strange... I feel quite good...!]

    ''Is he drunk?''

    After downing six bottles, Drake finally started to enjoy itself.

    [Hahaha! Wizard! You''ve brought some strange stuff! Amazing!]

    "[Do you like my gift?]"

    [Yes! I like it!]

    Drunk Drake cheerfully finished off the remaining wine.

    Imagining your girlfriend leaving you over a house issue...

    ''Sorry, honey! I just don''t feel anything looking at your semi-basement apartment! Now, I can''t live without a Gangnam apartment!!!''

    Chilling.

    Ian nodded in agreement.

    Although the analogy was a bit extreme, the pain caused by housing issues was real.

    Whether for citizens of South Korea or for Drake.

    It always came down to housing.

    "[Drake, please don''t cry.]"

    [...?]

    "[Just renovate that nest of yours. Even a bad house can become YouTube-worthy with some remodeling and interior work.]"

    [There are many words I don''t understand... So, you mean to renovate my nest? Is that what you''re saying?]

    "[Exactly.]"

    Drake asked incredulously.

    [Is that... possible?]

    Ian snapped his fingers lightly.

    At that moment, Drake realized.

    There was an unfathomable mystery associated with this young wizard.

    "[Turning the impossible into possible. Isn''t that what a wizard does?]"

    An indescribable emotion swelled in Drake''s chest.

    [If you fix my house, I''ll never forget this favor!]

    Ian smiled wryly.

    "[Let''s go to your nest together.]"

    ---

    ---

    "... So, you all can go ahead."

    After promising to help with Drake''s nest, Ian led the people and travelers down the path.

    As soon as they reached the wagon, everyone collapsed on the ground, groaning as if dying.

    Though they hadn''t done anything, just being in the same space as Drake had stressed them out immensely.

    As soon as Ian finished speaking, he was engulfed in a soft embrace.

    "Aaah! Wizard! Wizard!"

    "What''s all this fuss about?"

    "Waaah~ I really thought I was going to die! No, I definitely died mentally!"

    Emily hugged Ian, crying out.

    Usually, Ian would have told her to stop overreacting, but seeing her genuinely happy to be alive softened his heart.

    It was the constant clinging and begging for attention that was irritating.

    But this hug, Ian didn''t mind it.

    "Wizard!"

    As Emily started her ruckus, others joined in the commotion.

    Leader Rick led the charge.

    "Wizard, you are our hero!"

    "Absolutely! Wizard, you are the savior of our lives!"

    The workers each vied to express how cool Ian had been, and how close they had come to a total meltdown.

    To summarize their sentiments:

    ''From today, we move beyond the superior-subordinate relationship with the wizard, to become one with Ian Eredith Raven. Any attack on the wizard is an attack on us. End of statement.''

    ...

    Ridiculous...

    All Ian had done was listen to the pathetic Drake''s worries and promised a bit of help.

    But to ordinary people, it looked completely different.

    ''Ian Eredith Raven, the Great Wizard, engaged in a deep conversation with Drake, using his extraordinary abilities! And that too, over a shared drink!''

    ''When Drake roared fiercely, Wizard Ian scolded him!''

    ''Touched by the Wizard''s reprimand, Drake wept and reflected on his mistakes!''

    People couldn''t help but admire the mysterious abilities of a wizard who, with just a few words, managed to send away the fearsome Drake, a monster even an army might struggle to drive off.

    "Wizard! Long live! Long live Ian!"

    "Ah, jeez. Stop it now! We''re not done yet!"

    In truth, only Ian''s work was not finished; the rest had been given permission to leave.

    Therefore, everyone but Ian was in high spirits.

    "Typical of the Wizard! Always so eccentric!"

    "As eccentric as his skills! Hahaha!"

    "..."

    Are they nuts?

    Due to the erroneous rumor that more skilled wizards are more eccentric, people didn''t take Ian''s words seriously no matter what he said.

    "Rick, go see where the mercenaries have gone. If they''re alive, bring them back. The rest of you, prepare to leave. Don''t go ahead without me while I''m away."

    "Yes, Wizard!"

    Ian set off to finish his task at Drake''s nest.

    The others went to look for the missing mercenaries.

    Maybe because everyone was so busy...

    No one noticed a hooded female traveler quietly following Ian.

 Chapter 15:

    Chapter 15:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    After meeting Drake again, Ian felt a sudden wave of fatigue.

    He had been running around and tensed up all evening, not to mention the drinks he had.

    In the brief time apart from Drake, the forgotten fatigue surged like a flood.

    [You look tired.]

    Drake quickly noticed Ian''s state.

    "[Ah, a bit...]"

    Unbeknownst to Ian, using the Maronius language was a mentally exhausting task.

    It allowed mysteries beyond human comprehension to flow through the hidden pineal gland in the skull, naturally inducing more fatigue than regular speech.

    After all, just speaking a foreign language for a few hours can be tiring, let alone the language of mysteries.Updated from

    Ian would realize in a few days how exhausting it is to speak in Maronius - it''s incredibly draining.

    [Climb on my back.]

    "[Is that okay?]"

    Ian hesitated briefly, but then understood Drake''s intention and nodded.

    Drake carrying Ian on his back was like a human picking up a cat or a dog.

    From the pet''s perspective, it might wonder, ''Is it okay for me to be carried so comfortably? Won''t the human get tired?''

    But from a human''s point of view, there''s no issue in carrying a cute creature.

    "[Sure.]"

    Ian sat behind Drake''s neck.

    As Drake raised his head and started moving,

    ''Wow...''

    It felt like riding on a moving building.

    [Hmm. Next time, I should get a saddle.]

    It was fascinating that Drake thought of getting a saddle for Ian and that he even knew what a saddle was.

    He probably learned it naturally from observing humans riding horses.

    As Ian dozed off on his back, Drake soon reached their nest.

    "[Is this the place?]"

    [Yes. Can you fix it?]

    Drake waited anxiously for Ian''s response.

    Ian casually surveyed the nest, estimating what needed to be done.

    ''Surely cozy without any bugs or dampness.''

    Insects and moisture are detestable threats to reptilian nests, potentially spoiling the eggs.

    Therefore, reptiles carefully choose their nesting sites.

    ''But as the female Drake mentioned, it''s a bit cramped for two.''

    The problem was a protruding rock inside the cave.

    Removing it would double the nest''s size.

    ''Just press this down and smooth out the walls.''

    While Ian was unsure about Drake''s aesthetic preferences, his past behavior suggested a preference for smoothness.

    He had complained about the rough walls, so that was likely a correct assumption.

    "[Drake, I need to focus. Could you step aside for a moment?]"

    [Of course, do that!]

    As Drake stepped aside, Ian''s Maronius language could fully concentrate on the mysteries of the earth.

    Ian closed his eyes and summoned all his concentration.

    "[O Earth.]"

    Being in the cave, the earth readily responded to Ian''s call.

    [What brings you here, young human?]

    ''...''

    Ian''s brows slightly furrowed.

    The voice of the earth was quite peculiar.

    It responded to his Maronius language, but there was a reluctance in its tone.

    ''This isn''t good.''

    One can discern someone''s mood just by their voice tone.

    Bright or somber tones can generally indicate whether someone is in a good or bad mood.

    Based on the big data accumulated so far, the earth''s mood seemed to be sinking today.

    "[I, request, a favor.]"

    [I''m not interested. Is that all you have to say?]

    ''As I thought.''

    With a sharp refusal, Ian opened his eyes.

    If Ian had been a more proficient earth wizard, he might have engaged in a deeper conversation with the earth to resolve the issue.

    However, his earth magic level was merely one.

    He would have leveled up if he had any points left, but unfortunately, all his skill points had been invested in raising his summoning level.

    His master, Eredith, had warned that if the mysteries refuse to heed a human''s will, one should never force it.

    It feels like they''ve read your mind and it''s immensely gratifying.

    If you''re wondering, "What''s the difference? Aren''t both just buying a meal?" then...

    Unfortunately, you lack the natural talent of a wizard.

    Anyway.

    Mysteries prefer gifts offered through a magic circle rather than direct gifts.

    If you draw a formal magic circle and place a gift that the mystery likes on it?

    Oh boy, thats a real game-changer, like a perfect side dish to a bowl of rice.

    Even a deeply offended mystery would quickly soften up to such a generous offering.

    ''The earth likes gems...''

    Gems are so closely linked to the earth they are often referred to as the bones of the earth.

    Especially gems refined by human hands; they are highly favored by the earth.

    Ian thought of the large opal.

    Offering it to the earth... could bring about magical results?

    With a sacrifice of this magnitude, he was sure to achieve the desired outcome.

    "[Longtail, can I have this opal?]"

    Pointing to the white opal, Longtail snorted.

    [Of course. It''s yours now.]

    "[Thank you, Longtail.]"

    Seeing Longtail generously hand over the precious gem without a word of complaint, Ian felt a wave of quiet emotion.

    Having received such a wonderful gift from a friend, it was now his turn to reciprocate.

    Ian began drawing a magic circle on the ground, using a stone.

    Drawing a circle, he filled it with words that mysteries like.

    [Dear Earth, May has come, bringing warmer weather. The blue sky and the cool breeze make me keenly aware of the passage of time...]

    And so on.

    Although it turned out somewhat like the preamble of a school newsletter, such ''formality'' was liked by mysteries.

    ''That should do it.''

    Ian gazed fondly at his creation.

    A magic circle, just like those seen in comic books, with magical words circling around it, was complete.

    To the uninitiated, it might look like a bona fide magic circle.

    But to a fellow wizard, it would seem like a poorly written piece, worthy of a scoff.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    Ian''s previous life had been in science, not arts.

    Why bother with a literary subject like composition?

    To Ian, such trivialities didn''t matter.

    What''s the use of writing skills?

    He had an incredible skill window at his disposal.

    [Friend, what are you doing?]

    Longtail showed curiosity towards Ian''s magic circle.

    To a creature like Drake, the magic circle probably just looked like nonsensical scribbles.

    "[Magic.]"

    [Huh? What kind of magic...]

    Ian concentrated once again.

    "[O Earth!]"

    Then, something astonishing happened.

    The opal in the center of the magic circle sparkled and then shattered, disappearing into the ground as if absorbed by the earth.

    The earth had accepted Ian''s offering.

    [What brings you here, young human?]

    The voice of the earth, now much softer, greeted Ian.

    With a triumphant smile, Ian shouted.

    "[Move the rock! Smooth the walls!]"

    [Heh. If that''s your wish...]

    Rumbling sounds began...

    As the earth vibrated, Drake raised his head in surprise.

    But that was just the beginning of his astonishment.

    [No way...!]

    Drake''s eyes widened in shock as he looked at his nest.

    The grotesque rock that had been in the middle of the nest was transforming as if it were liquid, melting into the ground!

    And that wasn''t all.

    The walls too had changed, becoming so beautifully smooth and stunning!

    [Incredible! How is this possible!]

    The nest was now spacious and beautiful.

    It looked as if an interior designer had been paid a fortune to transform his home.

    Longtail was speechless at the sight of his unrecognizable nest.

    Having completed the magic, Ian spoke with a smile.

    "[There, that''s the value of the gem I received. How do you like my gift, friend?]"

 Chapter 16:

    Chapter 16:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Longtail, having acquired a new home, underwent a remarkable transformation.

    It wasn''t that his appearance had changed, but rather the ambiance around him.

    Doesn''t someones air itself seem different when a person gains confidence?

    This had a similar effect.

    Gazing at his reflection in the still water, Longtail mused to himself.

    Who am I?

    He was Longtail, the owner of Hannam The Hill. [1]

    With Ian''s help, Longtail, now the proud owner of an amazing nest, had nothing left to do but seduce women and sire Longtail II, III, IV - becoming a distinguished male.

    [I owe you a big debt.]

    Longtail''s gratitude towards Ian was immense, beyond words.

    Yet, Ian had no intention of holding this debt over Longtail.

    "[A debt? If friends start tallying debts, are they truly friends?]"

    [Hahahaha! You''re right!]

    Ian and Drake laughed happily together.

    Suddenly, Ian felt a peculiar ringing in his ears.

    ''...Huh?''

    A sharp chime, followed by a sticky sensation under his nose...

    ''What?''

    Startled, Ian wiped his upper lip.

    He found that blood was streaming from his nose.

    ''Why...?''

    Thump!

    Ian collapsed, unconscious, as he struck his head on the floor of Longtail''s nest.

    [Friend! Are you okay? Wake up! Friend!]

    Longtail, panicking, called out to the unconscious Ian.

    ''What should I do?''

    Being a drake, Longtail was clueless about human health.

    So, with Ian lying there, all he could do was pace around, filled with worry.

    That''s when she appeared.

    A human woman emerged from the bushes.

    She was likely one of Ian''s companions, but Longtail, who was not the best at remembering human faces, didn''t recognize her.

    "Wait! Drake! Listen to me!"

    Krurrr...?

    "I''m a friend of Ian''s! Don''t eat me, I''m a friend!"

    Longtail couldn''t understand her words, but he had caught one familiar name Ian.

    Just as humans looked upon the mysteries, the mysteries also looked back at humans.

    Longtail, like Ian who had mastered summoning magic, remembered the name of his summoner, something that bridged the language gap.

    Longtail watched silently as the woman approached Ian.

    Seeing no threat from Drake, she cautiously approached Ian, checking under his nose for his breath, and confirming whether he was alive.

    ''Thank goodness. He''s still breathing.''

    The woman, Lucy Talian, sighed in relief.

    ---

    ---

    ''...What time is it?''

    Ian''s eyes fluttered open in the dark nest.

    To a drake, it was a splendid house, rivaling a luxury apartment, but for humans, it was merely a spacious cave.

    Ian instinctively reached for his smartphone.

    But, someone gently held his arm back.

    "Are you awake?"

    "Huh?"

    Ian lifted his head. The cave was dark, but Ian, who had an affinity for darkness, could see everything as clearly as in daylight.

    "Cassie?"

    It was Cassie.

    The woman who had always concealed her hair and face under her robe, only revealing occasionally a stunningly beautiful face.

    Ian was puzzled.

    Why was Cassie here?

    Cassie had gently placed Ian''s head on her lap, a soft alternative to the hard ground.

    ''Its soft.''

    Ian, feeling slightly embarrassed, tried to sit up.

    "Stay down for a bit."

    "No, I feel bad. How long have you been here?"

    "Don''t worry about it. I''m fine."

    Talking with Cassie always gave Ian a peculiar feeling.

    "!"

    Ian was stunned by this unexpected medieval family drama.

    Wow!

    A noble''s son-in-law poisoning his in-laws?

    Was this Crusader Kings? [2]

    "But why?"

    Lucy explained:

    The Talian Family, a baronial family overseeing the Pianleb Region, had too few knights to defend their lands.

    Threatened by external forces and fearing that they might become puppets to some rising knight, the Talians planned to marry their daughter to the leader of a renowned mercenary group for protection.

    The mercenary leader, upon seeing the 7-year-old kawaii loli bride, did not fall in love at first sight... but agreed to the engagement after seeing the baron''s wealth.

    For a mercenary, finding a place to settle down whilst having a spouse was only a dream for most, one that offered them a chance to leave behind a perilous life.

    And this leader was no exception.

    Initially, he was content with being the son-in-law of the baron.

    However, human greed was not so easily satisfied.

    Naturally, when one sat down, they would want to lie down, and when lying down, they would want to sleep.

    That was human nature.

    Having become the son-in-law of a baron, he had realized that he could never truly integrate into noble society.

    It was a realization that came naturally to anyone who sat at the same table with nobles for even a day.

    He was not really the son-in-law of nobility; he was just a dog guarding their property.

    Naturally, the mercenary leader began to build his own power after realizing the fact.

    For over ten years, a strange standoff ensued.

    A standoff between the baron family, who used the mercenaries as a shield to protect their territory, and the mercenary leader, who was trying to increase his power as the baron''s son-in-law.

    And, the first to draw their swords was the baron.

    "My parents wanted to annul my marriage with that man, and the reason they gave was his promiscuous affairs with other women."

    "..."

    It was a ridiculous reason actually.

    After all, was a man who was engaged to a seven-year-old girl really supposed to wait like a monk until his bride grew up?

    Even if you looked to the other side of the coin, if he did something inappropriate with his teenage fiance (a minor), that would then mark him as a crazy man.

    As an adult male, it was natural for him to seek out women to satisfy his desires.

    But, the baron used that as his reason for the annulment.

    Of course, that was just a superficial reason.

    The real reason was likely that he couldn''t just stand there watching the mercenary leader build up his own forces.

    However, the fact that a man engaged to someone was fooling around with other women remained unchanged...

    Thus, the mercenary leader found himself at risk of being chased out of the lands he had toiled in for ten years.

    Therefore, the mercenary leader chose a ninja-style response.

    Assassination.

    Yep. If you didn''t know them anymore~ Then you could just kill them all~

    So, at a banquet, the mercenary leader poisoned the baron and his wife.

    Officially, it was a case of food poisoning, but even a five-year-old could figure out that the mercenary leader was the culprit.

    Naturally, the baron''s faction rebelled.

    Unfortunately, the mercenary leader, along with his subordinates, wiped out the opposing forces.

    After all, how could those with pens stop those who ruled with their swords?

    The mercenary leader wasn''t stupid; he had spent ten years cultivating a force that would support him.

    In the end, it seemed like his bloody coup was successful... but then a problem arose.

    Lucy Talian, the mercenary leader''s fiance, had escaped the territory with the help of her nanny!

    The mercenary leader thus found himself in a dire situation.

    He needed to marry Lucy to become a noble; without Lucy, the mercenary leader was just a commoner with a sword.

    In the eyes of the nobles, a commoner with a sword was no different from a bandit.

    Oh?

    So there was no baron in the Talians Territory, and only a bandit lived there?

    As most readers of fantasy novels knew, bandits equaled experience points.

    And so it meant that the first to the hunt would gain the most.

    Thus, for the sake of farming experience points, the neighboring barons and counts would hurriedly come running, making it obvious what would happen next.

    Now, the mercenary leader, facing the risk of losing the territory he had dearly cultivated for the last ten years to neighboring nobles, had to risk his life to find Lucy.

    "So, the people last night were..."

    "They were his men."

    Lucy Talian''s words carried a mix of anger and bitterness.

    "And they''re trying to recapture me..."

    ---

    [1] (PR/N: A high rise luxury apartment complex in Seoul.)

    [2] (PR/N: Old medieval video game.)

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 Chapter 17:

    Chapter 17:

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    "This is really something..."

    Ian shook his head.

    To Ian, who had lived as a normal citizen in the modern world, her tales of medieval power struggles were entirely foreign.

    Had Ian been born as the youngest son of a chaebol family, perhaps he would have understood the ruthlessness of those in higher positions.

    But, as a normal citizen through and through, in both his past and present lives, Ian could not understand the mindset of those in power.

    What was power to them?

    What made it so great that it drove people to cast out their son-in-laws and poison their father-in-laws?

    Seeing a bride-to-be in danger of being kidnapped by her future husband, Ian felt an indescribable emotion.

    However, apart from that, Ian realized that he held an important piece of the puzzle in his hands.

    "Hmm. I''ve listened to your story."

    As Ian attempted to rise, Lucy firmly grabbed his hand, refusing to let go.

    It seemed like it was time for him to pay his entrance fee for this medieval soap opera.

    "If anyone else hears this story, I''m dead."

    "Ah, come on. You won''t die. Just marry your fianc..."

    "I''d rather die than marry that bastard!"

    At that outburst filled with intense emotion, Ian closed his mouth.

    Indeed.

    The thought of living with the man who killed her parents was horrifying.

    "Why tell me all this, then?"

    "...You saw it, right? They''ve already caught up."

    Lucy''s eyes reddened.

    Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

    "I don''t think I can get away on my own..."

    Sniffling, Lucy spoke firmly after wiping her tears.

    "Wizard Ian! Please help me escape! On the honor of the Talian family, I promise to reward you for your efforts!"

    Ian scratched his cheek.

    "Hmm. And you haven''t considered the possibility of me betraying you?"

    "That scoundrel would probably give you at most a few silver coins. But I can give you everything."

    "Everything?"

    Lucy said with a stern face.

    "If you want, I could even give you the Talian Family."

    Despite her rigid expression,

    Her voice trembled pitifully.

    ''The Talian Family...''

    Even as a wizard, Ian wasnt dense enough to not know the significance of that offer.

    To offer him the Talian Family meant that she was proposing a marriage with him.

    It meant giving Ian what the mercenary leader desired.

    Thus, this was an enormous opportunity.

    Though now somewhat hazy, Ian''s origins were humble, as originally, he was the son of a serf.

    To be born as the son of a serf in a medieval fantasy world, to then becoming a quasi-noble at a young age?

    It would be considered a remarkable success.

    For Ian the Third, the son of a serf, that would be the case.

    But...

    What about Ian Eredith Raven, the disciple of the wizard Eredith?

    ''Becoming a noble isn''t bad, but...''

    Ian had a talent for magic.

    Specifically, the ability to manipulate a status window.

    Living as a noble and engaging in politics was one thing, but having been born into a fantasy world, shouldn''t he seek out the pinnacle of magic?

    Ian let out a wry laugh as his thoughts reached this point.

    The fact that he wasn''t greedy for a chance to climb the social ladder might have meant that he was a born wizard.

    Ian organized his thoughts.

    Helping Lucy would definitely be a good way to gain experience as a wizard.

    It was also a good opportunity for him to earn some travel money.

    After all, he needed to make money.

    No matter how much money Eredith had given him, more was always better.

    It was certainly more cost-effective than having to turn to mercenary work due to a lack of funds later on.

    He decided to help her shake off her pursuers, and then she would be on her own.

    Ian told Lucy,

    "Honestly, if you''re looking for an escort... it might be better to find someone who knows how to wield a sword. Wizards arent really combatants."

    Wizards were those who explored mysteries and conversed with the world. They werent killing machines that slaughtered people indiscriminately.

    "Then..."

    Lucy clenched her fists, her voice breaking.

    Ian continued,

    "But if you''re willing to pay, I''ll help you escape. You''ll have to take care of the rest on your own."

    "Sob... Sob..."

    At that, Lucy burst into tears.

    Ian was a bit taken aback.

    ''I only agreed to help, yet she made such a fuss...''

    "Thank you! Ian! Thank you so much...!"

    Lucy hugged Ian and cried until she was exhausted.

    Only then did Ian realize that the girl in front of him was a young woman who had just become an adult.

    She was not the noble Lucy of the Talian Family, but merely an eighteen-year-old girl who had to flee from the murderer of her parents.

    Ian lent her his shoulder until Lucy was okay.

    ---

    ---

    [The story has gotten long, my friend.] [1]

    Stepping outside the nest, a sunbathing Drake greeted Ian.

    Drake wasn''t a fully cold-blooded creature, but still, being a creature covered in scales, he seemed to enjoy sunbathing.

    It was in his nature.

    "[Ah, Longtail.]"

    Rick groaned in anguish.

    The decision was solely in his hands.

    This was the pain of being a person in power.

    Rick now had to make a call.

    "We''ll wait for the wizard!"

    "No, Mr. Rick!"

    "We''ll follow the company leader''s decision!"

    Rick chose to wait for Ian.

    There was no special reason, just that he wanted to make a good impression on Ian so that he could benefit from trades with nobility.

    It was a risky decision, but Rick believed in Ian''s abilities.

    He had magic that summoned darkness, controlled the wind, and ignited fire!

    And the charisma to boldly confront the monstrous drake!

    Such a person, who confidently followed the drake, was unlikely to have just gone and died.

    There was probably just something that was delaying him.

    Probably.

    10 minutes after Rick''s bold decision.

    "Ah! Company Leader! Its the bandits!"

    "What? Damn it...!"

    Rick immediately regretted his decision from 10 minutes ago.

    ''I should have just left!''

    "Everyone, stop. Drop your weapons and raise your hands."

    "Oh no! Please, bandits, spare our lives! You can have everything we own!"

    "We don''t need it!"

    "???"

    True to the character of people who dared to rob in the mountains of where a drake roamed, they were not in their right minds.

    They were bandits that were refusing loot!

    "We know that a woman with dark blue hair is here."

    "Dark blue... hair?"

    "Yes. Hair that is the color of the night sky. And she''s beautiful."

    When looking for someone, ordinary people needed detailed physical descriptions, like having a big nose, elongated ears, or a large mole on their face.

    But for beauties, none of that was necessary.

    Their beauty was a feature itself.

    A very rare feature.

    That was why the beautiful spies in stories were all nonsense.

    After all, what good was a spy''s beauty if it only made them easier to catch?

    "Ah! It''s Cassie! Cassie!"

    "Cassie? Hmm..."

    At the mention of them searching for a beauty, Rick nodded.

    They weren''t bandits, but human traffickers!

    "Where is she then?"

    "...?"

    The workers were puzzled.

    They knew that she''d gone somewhere, but... why wasn''t she back?

    "Well, I don''t know, I''m not sure where she went..."

    The bandit, no, the human trafficker kicked Rick in the chest.

    "Ack!" [2]

    A pain that felt as if his ribs had been broken overcame him.

    Really though, he was just exaggerating.

    Nothing was broken.

    "Hmph! Seeing as youre not opening your mouth, it seems that you''ve been paid with some money."

    "What money! We haven''t received a penny!"

    "Don''t lie!"

    After another kick from the human trafficker, Rick let out a tear.

    It was out of injustice.

    ''If I was actually paid, I wouldn''t be feeling so wronged...!''

    Cassie was just a traveler they met; why would she have given money to the company?

    "Where is this Cassie! Speak up!"

    "We don''t know! We really don''t!"

    "Ah, so you''re going to be like that, huh?"

    The moment the human trafficker raised his fist.

    Thump, thump...

    Everyone there felt an unnatural vibration.

    It was the sound of a drake passing by.

    "..."

    The human traffickers suddenly became silent along with the hostages, as if they had made a pact.

    If they were caught by the drake, they would all just become delicious snacks.

    But then,

    "Aaah! Aaaaah! Wizard! Wizard!"

    "This guy''s gone mad!"

    Rick screamed with a voice filled with all the injustice in the world.

    The amount of injustice he was feeling right now was bone-deep, making it sound all the more heart-wrenching.

    Aside from his screams being touching to the soul, they were also incredibly loud.

    "Shut up!"

    The human traffickers, trembling at the thought of attracting the drake, tried to silence Rick.

    But it was too late.

    The drake was approaching.

    "...Run!"

    ---

    [1. PR/N: Like, a korean way of saying You sure took your time.]

    [2. PR/N: Its funny how the direct translation of this line is Aigo! lol.]

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 Chapter 18:

    Chapter 18:

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    "Ahh~ Sir wizard~"

    With a ground-shaking boom, the drake revealed its massive body.

    The people of the Rabbit Foot Company instinctively froze upon facing the drake.

    They knew that wizard Ian had disappeared with the drake, but they feared that something had gone wrong.

    What if this drake was not under the wizard''s control?

    Well, what can they do?

    Just desperately run away.

    If they can''t escape, they die.

    But fortunately, the drake was with the wizard.

    And he was riding on the drake''s back.

    ''...Awesome!''

    Rick stared up at the wizard riding the drake with fervent admiration.

    What kind of trick had he pulled off last night, for the drake to offer its back to him?

    The wizard, riding on the drake''s back with a nonchalant expression (actually, it was an expression of someone dying from exhaustion), had something that stimulated a man''s fantasy.

    ''Indeed, a wizard is a wizard!''

    The drake lowered its head to make it easier for Ian to dismount.

    "Rick. There were people running away in that direction earlier. Who are they?"

    "Ah! Those bastards! They''re really bad people! Despicable human traffickers!"

    "Human traffickers?"

    Rick babbled about what had happened.Updated from

    The traffickers had come looking for Cassie, and luckily, she wasn''t there so she was safe.

    "Ah! Cassie! That''s really fortunate!"

    Rick sighed in relief upon seeing Cassie (Lucy) with Ian.

    "Isn''t it too much? We''re all followers of the same Heaven''s Faith!"

    Feeling wronged, Rick grumbled.

    In this medieval fantasy world, ''Heaven''s Faith'' was a major religion that had firmly established itself as a spiritual pillar.

    Like other religions, Heaven''s Faith preached ''the way to live rightly in this filthy world,'' remembered through commandments that essentially said, ''do not do such things.''

    There was a commandment in Heaven''s Faith that said, ''Do not enslave followers of Heaven''s Faith.''

    While most Heaven''s Faith followers strictly followed this commandment, human traffickers and slave traders often ignored it due to the nature of their occupations.

    That''s why they were despised by Heaven''s Faith followers as ''filthy slave traders.''

    "All slave traders are the same."

    "Right? Ptooey! May they receive divine punishment!"

    Rick, holding a grudge, continued to swear, cursing the ''human traffickers.''

    Hearing the curses, Lucy''s expression soured.

    It wasn''t good news for Ian either.

    ''They saw a wizard and a drake and they''re not giving up?''

    The tenacity of the human traffickers, no, Lucy''s pursuers, was admirable.

    At this point, it was curious what Baron Jin had promised in exchange for capturing Lucy.

    ''This won''t do.''

    If they let the pursuers go, they would be followed 100%.

    Not confident in escaping with pursuers hanging onto him, Ian decided to act.

    "[Longtail. Can you do me a favor?]"

    [Of course. Don''t hesitate to ask. Friend.]

    "[I would like you to drive some people away. If necessary, kill them.]"

    Mentioning murder made Ian''s heart a bit uneasy.

    But it was a necessary choice.

    The opponents already had a history of killing mercenaries.

    They mercilessly killed the mercenaries, so would they have spared Ian?

    If the drake hadn''t appeared, Ian too would have likely been killed.

    This place was a medieval fantasy world where killing and being killed were a part of daily life.

    To survive as a resident of such a barbaric world, one needed to become accustomed to murder. Only then could killing be chosen as an efficient option when appropriate.

    [Ah. Those humans from earlier.]

    "[Do you know where they are?]"

    [Of course. You want some of them killed and the rest driven away, right?]

    "[Please do that.]"

    Longtail readily agreed to Ian''s request.

    [If it''s a friend''s request. Gladly.]

    Following Ian''s request, Longtail set out to eliminate the pursuers.

    A wizard commanding a drake with just a few words.

    The company workers admired the wizard''s miraculous skills.

    ''Wow... Did you see?''

    ''He''s commanding the drake like his own limbs?''

    ''Such an incredible wizard!''

    All Ian did was ask the drake for a favor, but to ordinary people, it seemed as though Ian had performed a great magic.

    How could it not be amazing to see someone talking to and commanding a drake as big as a house?

    "Ian!"

    Ian staggered after finishing his conversation with Longtail.

    He had overused the Maronius Language.

    Lucy rushed to support Ian.

    "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

    Seeing this, Rick nodded.

    ''They look close. They must be dating.''

    Rick also knew to some extent that Lucy was no ordinary woman.

    By the time Ian looked up, the company workers were rushing towards the source of the noise.

    "Stop it!"

    "What are you doing!"

    The source of the noise was none other than two women.

    And there were only two women: Emily and Lucy.

    Both women, with disheveled hair, were glaring and fuming at each other.

    "You filthy whore!"

    Emily shouted at Lucy with a glare.

    Lucy retorted without backing down.

    "The whore is you!"

    "You...! What did you say! b*tch!"

    Shockingly, it was a fact.

    Emily was a prostitute who sold her body for money.

    She was of a lowly status that couldn''t even speak to nobles like Lucy.

    But Lucy was strong-willed.

    Her full name was Lucy Talian.

    It could be said that ''Lucy was hiding her status.''

    Emily, knowing nothing, insulted Lucy as she pleased.

    However, Lucy was in a dilemma, as revealing her true identity could entangle her in troublesome affairs.

    Thus, a match that should never have happened, happened.

    "Why are they like this?"

    As Ian appeared, Emily clung to him with a whining voice.

    Seeing her movement of clinging to a man without hesitation, a professional prostitute was indeed different.

    "Sir Wizard~ That woman keeps picking fights with me~"

    "...You started the fight in the first place!"

    Lucy cried out in injustice.

    Her words were true.

    Since Lucy returned with Ian, Emily kept nitpicking Lucy over trivial matters.

    The reason Emily disliked Lucy was out of jealousy.

    Throughout the journey, Emily had been tending to the wizard.

    Whenever she had the chance, she flirted with the wizard, hoping to gain his favor.

    Then, like a thieving cat, Lucy swooped in and took everything, which infuriated Emily.

    "Sir Wizard~ She''s the one in the wrong, right~?"

    "Ian. Who do you think is right?"

    Faced with the glares of both Lucy and Emily, Ian sighed deeply.

    ''Why are they asking me this nonsense?''

    In truth, the company workers already knew whose side Ian would take.

    No matter how pretty, a prostitute who sells her body to mercenaries vs. a lady with an elegant aura.

    ''Haah. Know your place.''

    ''As usual. Women are desperate to latch onto someone higher up.''

    Emily knew the company workers looked at her unfavorably, but...

    There are times when a woman, despite knowing her chances were slim, must not back down!

    That''s when aiming for a rise in status!

    Somehow managing to become the wizard''s wife would be a massive turnaround in her life.

    Wizard Ian might be the highest-ranking person Emily would ever meet in her life.

    "What kind of nonsensical thing are you fighting over? Are you both three-year-olds?"

    "Ian."

    Lucy pointed to her swollen, red cheek with a sullen expression.

    It was a wound from being hit by Emily.

    ''Haah.''

    Ian was Lucy''s escort.

    Though it might seem strange for a wizard to take on such a role, Lucy had requested it, so he was indeed her escort.

    Annoying as it was, he had to fulfill his duty as an escort.

    "Emily. Apologize to Lucy. And don''t bother her again."

    "...Sir Wizard!"

    When Ian made his decision, Emily''s face turned to one of shock.

    The workers nodded, knowing this would be the outcome.

    Everyone except Emily had expected this.

    "I, I was just trying to do my best for Sir Wizard! But that woman dares to talk back! Ah! Sir Wizard, don''t tell me... You like someone with a rude attitude...? Ah!"

    "???"

    "Emily, you bastard!"

    Before Emily could finish her sentence, the company workers swarmed her, covering her mouth.

    "Hey, you crazy woman! If you want to die, die alone!"

    "Mmph! I know men well... Mmph! Sir Wizard likes it when you''re rough with him...! Mmph!"

    "Just shut up, will you!"

    While Emily was ranting, Lucy stealthily moved closer to Ian and linked arms with him.

    It was so natural that Ian didn''t even realize his arm had been taken.

    "Why did she suddenly act like that?"

    When Ian asked, Lucy responded with a beaming smile.

    "I don''t know. Maybe she caught syphilis."

    ---

    [1. Raei: Banpo Xi is a landmark known for its luxury apartments in Banpo-dong, Seoul, South Korea]

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 Chapter 19:

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    "This is convenient."

    "What is?"

    Lying side by side in the wagon, Lucy giggled as she spoke to Ian.

    "Pretending to be your lover. It was annoying having to deal with those fools one by one. But now that I''m with you, it''s all taken care of, right?"

    Lucy casually referred to the company workers as ''fools''.

    Such behavior was normal in these times.

    As a noble lady, the workers were considered so beneath her that they shouldn''t even step in her shadow.

    Until now, she had to behave and keep quiet.

    But since hiring Ian as her escort, Lucy regained her confidence and occasionally showed her aristocratic attitude.

    From a modern perspective, she was incredibly arrogant.

    "But don''t get it twisted, wizard. I''m only pretending to be your lover, not actually trying to date you!"

    "..."

    "Well, if you want to become the son-in-law of the Talian Family, I might consider dating you from now on..."

    Chatter, chatter.

    Lucy''s mouth never stopped.

    Ian wanted to cover his ears.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t understand her feelings.

    For someone who had been pursued all her life, meeting someone who could be on her side was exhilarating.

    Just let her enjoy it.

    That''s just how excited she was.

    But that was one thing, and this was another.

    Since he couldn''t cover his ears, maybe he should cover Lucy''s mouth.

    "Can you please shut up? It''s noisy."

    At Ian''s words, Lucy burst into laughter.

    "Ah! You sounded just like a wizard!"

    "...F*ck."

    Nothing he said made a difference.

    Even cursing was considered a virtue of a wizard to her.

    Getting seriously angry felt foolish.

    Since Lucy was talking anyway, it might be best to pry some productive information out of her.

    "So, what''s the plan going forward?"

    If she was running away without a plan, Ian was ready to abandon her right then and there.

    Time was not infinite.

    He didn''t want to waste it.

    "We''ll pass through a few villages, then we''ll reach a territory ruled by my uncle."

    "Your uncle?"

    "Count Catina is my uncle."

    Lucy''s plan was as follows:

    For her, the fastest and surest way to get help was through Count Catina.

    She planned to tell him of her parents'' poisoning, expecting that Count Catina would naturally lend his soldiers...

    That was Lucy''s plan.

    "Hmm."

    Ian pondered, tilting his head.

    The plan wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t perfect either.

    "I have a few questions. First, how was the relationship between Count Catina and your mother? Were they close?"

    "It wasn''t bad."

    It was a vague answer.

    If Lucy''s mother and Count Catina had been close since childhood, the Count would draw his sword in anger over the death of Baroness Talian.

    But if not?

    It''s a harsh reality, but in this era, women were often treated as outsiders once married, almost like strangers to their own families.

    To put it coldly, the death of Baron and Baroness Talian was seen as the death of someone else''s family members.

    It wasn''t something considered worth getting one''s hands dirty over.

    ''I have a bad feeling about this...''

    If Count Catina were to lend troops to Lucy, that in itself would be an ominous sign.

    On the surface, Count Catina''s deployment of troops was unproblematic.

    An uncle raising an army for his niece who has lost her parents painted a perfect picture.

    The justification is so solid that other lords in the vicinity wouldn''t dare to interfere.

    However, what if Count Catina decides to take some of Lucy''s territory?

    Or worse, attempts to swallow it whole?

    There would be no one to stop the Count!

    Once Baron Jin is dealt with, the territory would have no one but Count Catina and Lucy.

    Then, whether the Count supports or exploits Lucy, what business is it of anyone else?

    "How about seeking help from another noble?"

    "Another noble? Who?"

    Lucy glared at Ian with fiery eyes.

    "Someone who is more reliable than your uncle..."

    So... they just stopped paving roads.

    People just use the roads made by the ancients!

    Because of this, this medieval fantasy world still uses the roads built by an empire 1000 years ago.

    A suspiciously advanced ancient civilization.

    People living miserably after its downfall.

    Ancient artifacts of suspiciously high value...

    Doesn''t this setting seem familiar?

    That''s right.

    It''s post-apocalyptic.

    This medieval fantasy is, in fact, post-apocalyptic...!

    "Let''s just go."

    "Yes!"

    It wasn''t apparent while he was with Eredith, but now it was clear.

    This era is one where exchange between domains was nearly impossible.

    Without roads, how could there possibly be any interaction?

    The realization of how insane it was to pack up goods like the Rabbit Foot Company and travel around trading hit anew.

    Passing through fields where the grass grew as persistently as green zombies, and plains where wild horses roamed, Ian''s group moved towards Riverville.

    Soon, they reached a river, and following its banks, they saw Riverville emerge.

    Riverville, true to its name, was a village built along a large river.

    ''This isn''t just some rural village?''

    Ian admired the well-made palisade.

    Riverville was surrounded by a high palisade without any gaps, making it impossible to enter without going through the guarded gate.

    By scale, it was at least twice the size of Hayhill Village, where Ian was born and raised.

    "Stop!"

    As the Rabbit Foot Company approached, a guard came forward and shouted.

    The discipline of the guard was very reassuring.

    "Oh~ Hello there!"

    Rick greeted the guard slickly, presenting a gift.

    From a modern perspective, it was kind of like a bribe, but it wasn''t really a bad thing.

    Rick and the guard were meeting for the first time today.

    Even if the Rabbit Foot Company had passed through Riverville before, a brief introduction was necessary.

    A light gift was perfectly acceptable to give.

    So, the guard casually accepted the bottle of liquor Rick offered.

    "We are from the Rabbit Foot Company, we have traded here before!"

    "Ah, I see. But, is this all of you?"

    The guard was puzzled as he checked the number of people.

    For a traveling group of this size, it was natural to have armed escorts.

    Yet, there was not a single person carrying weapons.

    "Ah. We had mercenaries, but... they all died in an attack."

    "You were lucky then."

    Ian found the conversation between the two absurd.

    Rick, casually mentioned that all the mercenaries were dead, and the guard, saying it was lucky...

    Truly, it was a conversation fitting for a post-apocalyptic era.

    The guard allowed the company to pass without any special inspection.

    Armed mercenaries were a threat, but an unarmed company posed none.

    Instead, they were seen as beneficial for bringing necessary goods to the village people.

    "What are your plans now, wizard?"

    Ian had joined the Rabbit Foot Company to cross the Earth Dragon Mountain.

    Despite various events (details omitted), they safely arrived at the next village.

    It was now up to Ian to decide what to do next.

    "We are going to meet the lord now... Would you like to join us?"

    Upon arriving in a village where a ruler resides, it was important to meet the ruler first.

    This was to avoid any issues later on.

    Rick naturally invited Ian to accompany them.

    If they were with a wizard, even a lord would hesitate to cause trouble.

    It was also in Ian''s interest to meet the lord, as revealing his status as a wizard and requesting lodging would likely lead to the provision of a good place to sleep and eat.

    However, Ian had a burden.

    "Ian..."

    It was Lucy.

    It was unlikely that the lord would harm Lucy unless he was mad.

    However, Ian was not keen on the idea of rumors spreading about ''a beautiful girl traveling with a wizard''.

    And who knows?

    What if the lord was mad and decided to harm Lucy?

    It was better to be cautious of all possibilities.

    "We''ll rest here before we depart."

    "Understood. It has been an honor to serve you, wizard!"

    Rick neatly bid farewell and went on his way.

    Just being saved by a wizard was a great fortune for him.

    "So..."

    "Let''s go to an inn first."

    After parting ways with the company, Ian and Lucy headed to an inn to recover from their journey.

 Chapter 20:

    Chapter 20:

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    "Got a question."

    "What is it?"

    While going towards an inn, Lucy threw a simple question.

    "Why does Ian use formal speech with commoners? What''s the reason?"

    To Lucy''s eyes, Ian''s behavior was odd.

    A wizard of the empire is like a noble, so why use honorifics toward lowly commoners?

    Lucy had seen a wizard only once before in her life, and that person had used honorifics only towards her noble parents, speaking down to the servants.

    That''s why Ian was peculiar to her.

    And indeed, Ian was peculiar.

    "Well, I''m a commoner. Ian, a farmer''s son."

    "But you''re a wizard."

    "So what."

    "..."

    As a wizard of commoner origin, Ian became an existence detached from the usual social norms.

    It didn''t matter whether he used honorifics or not.

    "There''s no particular reason. Just imitating my master."

    "Ian''s master... Eredith?"

    "Damn it. Call her Master Eredith. Don''t be rude."

    "... Sorry. Master Eredith is like that?"

    Wizard Eredith was down-to-earth and polite.

    So much so, that she even used honorifics with Ian''s serf parents.

    Ian admired such character.

    And having not fully shed his modern sensibilities, he found it uncomfortable to be rude to commoners.

    Of course, he''d naturally adjust once he got used to the ways of the empire.

    "And. Is it a problem if I use honorifics? I want to."

    "No. Well... There''s no issue."

    If a noble used honorifics towards a commoner, they''d be treated as if they were insane. It''s against the universally accepted rules of this world.

    Like Lucy''s reaction, a wizard using honorifics was indeed strange.

    But for a wizard, that''s okay. In fact, it was preferable.

    Wizards are regarded more highly the stranger they appear!

    The more normally one acts, the more likely people are to underestimate a wizard''s power.

    ''Tsk tsk. Lacks skill, so he''s pretending to be modest!'' they''d say.

    But the stranger the behavior, the more they wonder, ''Wow! How amazing must he be to act so crazily!''

    In an era where myths and rumors were indistinguishable from truth, sometimes, even false tales had to be accepted as truth.

    Look at Wizard Eredith.

    Despite her down-to-earth nature and using honorifics towards commoners, no one criticizes her!

    They only admire, ''Wow! She uses honorifics towards commoners! Truly strange!''

    Lucy decided to stop caring about Ian''s way of speaking.

    If the wizard himself wants to, then...

    "This must be the inn."

    "Oh. It really looks like an inn."

    The inn in Riverville resembled the medieval fantasy inns Ian was familiar with.

    Brick walls and open windows. Even the height of being two stories tall.

    Upon entering, a warm welcome greeted the visitors. It was the warmth of a fireplace that also served as an oven.

    Fireplaces were why Western buildings commonly had two stories. The heat from a fire on the first floor could rise to warm the second floor, making heating feasible even in taller buildings.

    However, in the East, and specifically in Joseon buildings, this was impossible due to the ondol [1] heating system, which couldn''t effectively heat buildings taller than one story.

    Therefore, Joseon''s inns were wide and flat, while Western fantasy inns had multiple floors.

    "Welcome!"

    The innkeeper greeted Ian and his party.

    It wasn''t the bushy-bearded man Ian had hoped for; he was a bit disappoi

    The innkeeper was a middle-aged woman.

    "Will you be staying the night?"

    "Yes, for a day or two..."

    "The beds are on the second floor. Beware of thieves."

    The innkeeper proficiently delivered her welcoming spiel.

    Riverville, being by the river, saw frequent visits from outsiders.

    Merchants from the outside, like the Rabbit Foot Company, came often. To the innkeeper, the presence of travelers was nothing unusual.

    "Ma''am, is bathing possible?"

    "Bathing? It''s not impossible, but..."

    When Ian asked for a bath, the innkeeper naturally asked for an additional fee.

    Should he just abandon her?

    He felt like he was stuck taking care of a disobedient little sister.

    ...

    Too busy glaring at Lucy, Ian failed to notice.

    A few men were eyeing Lucy, their gazes gleaming.

    ---

    ---

    In a dark alleyway, Riverville''s troublemaker, shaggy-haired Willy, was excitedly chatting with his friends.

    "Are you lying again?"

    "I swear it''s true! That chick! She''s f*cking gorgeous!"

    "How pretty can she be..."

    Shaggy-haired Willy was a troublemaker.

    Meaning, being a troublemaker was his job.

    Willy spent most of his time lazing around, indulging in idleness.

    He didn''t work or help anyone.

    He was somewhat good at fighting, though, earning money by beating people up for others.

    He was a professional troublemaker who rarely got dragged off by the city guards for brawling.

    He boasted a very high customer satisfaction rate.

    Thanks to that, he managed to scrape by with just enough to eat.

    Everyone around him pleaded for him to grow up and find a job, but Willy, inherently lazy, would rather bolt from the village armed than stoop to do farm work.

    "That chick, she only has one companion. And it''s some fuckwit of a guy."

    Willy recalled the travelers he had seen at the inn.

    The woman with hair as dark as the night sky was more beautiful than any other woman Willy had ever seen.

    It was like seeing a noble lady in person, so breathtaking she was.

    On the other hand, her male companion looked like a total loser.

    His head was as black as hers, suggesting they were relatives.

    But the guy''s face was pale as flour, looking like he''d never seen the sun, a total wimp.

    How weak must his body be for his face to be so pale without doing any farm work!

    Definitely a f*cking loser.

    "But it didn''t seem like they were staying for long."

    Travelers without luggage or company wouldn''t stay in a village for long.

    Within a day or two, the woman would leave.

    The thought of the woman disappearing as soon as tomorrow made Willy unable to contain his excitement.

    "So, here''s the thing..."

    As Willy''s eyes sparkled, his friends understood his intention.

    A wordless understanding. It was telepathy.

    "Are we going to f*ck her?"

    "Exactly that!"

    Slap!

    A high-five that sounded like an explosive.

    As if Kang Baek-ho[2] and Seo Tae-woong were nothing compared to them.

    However, their passion was for r*pe instead of basketball, making them nothing but f*cking scumbags.

    The beauty with dark blue hair, Lucy Talian, was an appealing target for Willy.

    First off, she was an outsider.

    Messing with her meant no local backing to worry about.

    Sure, a backer might appear later, but by then, they could just run away.

    To Willy, a medieval era unemployed, running was nothing.

    Even as a troublemaker, messing with a girl from the same village would bring the wrath of her father, brother, younger brother, uncle, brother-in-law, the guy next door, and so on, rising up like a swarm to uphold justice in Riverville.

    But Lucy was an outsider.

    Dragging her to some dark place to f*ck, who would stop them?

    And even if she cried injustice, who would listen to her, especially against Willy, known for his miscreant ways?

    Besides, it''s not like the woman would go around saying, ''I was raped!''

    Even in the civilized 21st-century Earth, it''s common sense to dissuade a woman from venturing alone into the wilderness.

    It''s not for no reason that women are cautioned to be careful when traveling to countries with poor public safety (like India) with other women.

    "F*ck, if she''s that pretty, should we give it a go?"

    As his friends were persuaded, Willy grinned.

    "Exactly why you''re my friends!"

    ---

    [1 raei: Ondol in Korean traditional architecture is underfloor heating that uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to heat the underside of a thick masonry floor. (wikipedia)]

    [2 raei: two characters in a basketball manga called Slam Dunk.]

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    The ruler of Riverville was a noble named Baron Kaltz.

    As befitting the lord of a large village, Baron Kaltz built and lived in a house within the walls of a castle.

    Unlike other minor nobles who received their fiefs from a higher noble, the Kaltz family was a local that had been with Riverville from its beginning.

    The first Baron Kaltz was the village chief of Riverville.

    He wielded his sword to drive out thieves and hunted monsters to expand his territory.

    He quarried stone to build a castle to prevent invasions from outsiders, and gradually enlarging it led to the current Riverville castle.

    Therefore, Baron Kaltz was a nobleman that even fairly influential lords would find difficult to meddle with.

    Although his territory was small, the loyalty of his subjects was tremendous, and owning even a small castle made military aggression a delicate matter.

    The consolation was that he did not have enough soldiers to attack other territories.

    Someday, if Riverville grew and became wealthier, it might engage in wars to expand its territory, but that was another story.

    "So, you want to do business in Riverville?"

    Baron Kaltz glanced sideways at the man prostrating before him and spoke indifferently.

    The man was the representative of a small trading group called Rabbit Foot Company. His name was Rick or something.

    "Yes! My lord! In fact, our company did business in Riverville three years ago as well..."

    "Ah, yes. I remember."

    In truth, he did not remember. It wasnt as if merchants wanting to do business were few and far between.

    Despite the difficult era for trading, the prospect of making a fortune ensured a never-ending stream of challengers.

    Thus, the empire today continues to see the birth and disappearance of trading companies.

    "Just don''t cause any trouble. Take care of things on your own."

    "Thank you for your permission, my lord!"

    Rick, a skilled merchant, successfully concluded the meeting with the noble.

    He had to offer considerable wealth to see the high lord''s face, but as things went smoothly, it was all worth it.

    After all, there were times when one would offer money and still be kicked out.

    When that happened, one would feel so wronged theyd want to dive into the river.

    But what can you do about feeling wronged?

    Just a wandering merchant, after all.

    Cursing under his breath, he would have to head to the next village.

    "Hehe. But, my lord. I have a story that I must tell Baron Kaltz..."

    "Something I need to know?"

    "Actually, the person I respect the most is Baron Kaltz! Every time I visit Riverville, I hear songs praising the merciful Baron..."

    "Ha. Enough with the gilding, get to the point."

    As Rick babbled away, Baron Kaltz couldn''t help but smirk happily.

    At the same time, the baron''s treasurer frowned.

    Since this lowly merchant made the baron happy, for the sake of the baron''s dignity, he had to be given some money.

    Otherwise, hed go around wailing to the whole neighborhood, ''After all Ive done for you! Baron! How could you do this to me!'' while whining and crying.

    Then bad rumors about the baron would spread that hes stingy and petty, offering nothing in return for loyalty.

    Naturally, merchants and travelers would become reluctant to engage in more conversation with the baron than necessary.

    It meant being cut off from news of the outside world.

    In an era where the only sources of information were merchants and travelers, being out of the loop was quite an irritating matter.

    Moreover, Rick cunningly started his story after lavishly praising the baron to put him in a good mood.

    It was to ensure he wouldnt be thrown out even if the story Rick was about to tell was unremarkable.

    "Actually, I met a wizard while I was traveling."

    "A wizard?"

    Baron Kaltz lent an ear to the merchant''s story.

    ''Is he trying to sell some rare item?''

    Wizards were rare, useful, and capricious beings.

    It wouldnt be surprising if the merchant had acquired some marvelous item from a wizard.

    "Yes! This person saved our lives with amazing skills!"

    Rick narrated with a compelling voice, a skill honed from traveling the roads.

    After all, a merchant must sell well, right?

    Walking the fine line between a charlatan and a merchant, a quack doctor is, after all, still a merchant.

    Baron Kaltz was entranced by Ricks story. Regardless of its truth, the tale of the wizard was too interesting.

    In an era devoid of novels or comics, most entertainment was bland at best.

    The most interesting stories were usually about knights'' adventures, but how much more entertaining would be the bizarre adventures of a wizard!

    "What? Kidnappers attacked in the night, and a drake attacked them? And the wizard talked to the drake and settled the matter in a single fight, even scolding the drake?Updated from

    Wow! Super interesting!

    Who needs Nobel Prize literature when you have this?

    "Truly amazing."

    "Going to the village, right? I''ll come with."

    "...I am carrying out an important order from the lord."

    "I know! That''s why I''m saying let''s go together!"

    He must have overheard the entire conversation in the hall.

    Young Lord Bernard, still wet behind the ears, wanted to meddle in the affairs of the estate despite not having the capacity for it.

    If he were competent, it would be one thing.

    But he was just a foolish boy playing at lordship, more likely to cause trouble.

    "If the lord finds out..."

    "Ha! As if getting scolded by my father is anything new to me? And! You say it''s important, right? What if something happens that''s too much for you to decide on your own?

    Will you run back to the castle?"

    "..."

    Bernard, now somewhat grown up, occasionally made sense, which made him even more annoying.

    It seemed like he had only grown in cunning.

    "I''ll take responsibility! So, let me come with!"

    "However, Young Lord..."

    "Ha! Sir Hansen! Is that all your loyalty amounts to!"

    ''Bratty kid...!''

    Sir Hansen was furious but suppressed his anger.

    He had sworn to protect the people of this land, charmed by the peaceful atmosphere of Riverville.

    Even if the boss''s son is difficult, if you appreciate the company, why consider leaving?

    Blame your fate for landing in such a family-like corporation!

    "Absolutely, do not interfere. This is for your own good, Young Lord."

    "What do you take me for! I swear to the heavens I won''t disappoint you, Sir!"

    Bernard''s accompanying was not a bad thing for Sir Hansen.

    It''s comforting to have someone of higher status with you when you''re out on a mission.

    That is, assuming Bernard didn''t pull any strange stunts.

    Praying that Bernard would behave, Sir Hansen rode his horse towards the village.

    He headed straight for the only inn in Riverville, ''Misty Inn.''

    The inn where the monastic knights were staying.

    "What''s with the smoke..."

    Bernard muttered ominously.

    Sir Hansen''s heart sank.

    From somewhere around the back of Misty Inn, white smoke was billowing up.

    What else could cause such huge plumes of smoke outdoors?

    ''A fight!''

    There was no other explanation than a fire caused by combat.

    Clang!

    Without hesitation, Sir Hansen drew his sword and spurred his horse forward, charging aggressively.

    The residents, terrified, hurriedly cleared the way.

    Whinnying loudly, Sir Hansen practically leapt from his horse and dashed into the inn''s backyard.

    He was immediately appalled by the horrific scene unfolding before his eyes.

    ''That, that''s... What on earth!''

    A pot large enough for a person to fit inside.

    Beneath it, firewood burned, sending plumes of white smoke into the air...

    But most horrifying was the fact that there was actually someone inside the pot...!

    And that someone was a naked young man!

    ''The wizard and the monastic knights!''

    The men surrounding the pot were knights from the Santiago Monastic Order.

    And naturally, the man in the pot was the wizard.

    The Santiago Knights looked at Sir Hansen with cold eyes, silently staring him down.

    Sir Hansen felt chills running down his spine, his stomach turning in horror.

    The monastic knights were... right now...

    Boiling the wizard alive in water!

    Witnessing such a shocking scene, Sir Hansen momentarily lost his ability to speak.

    Thus, he found himself utterly unable to scream at the monastic knights, ''What are you doing!''

    But Young Lord Bernard, who had followed him, was different.

    After clearly witnessing the barbaric and cruel actions of the monastic knights, he showcased his noble presence by shouting at them.

    "What the hell are you doing!"

    At that moment, Sir Hansen thought it was good that he had brought Bernard along.

    However, even after the young lord''s thunderous scolding, the monastic knights just looked at each other, heads tilted from confusion.

    The first to speak was the wizard.

    From inside the pot, the wizard being boiled said,

    "...I''m taking a bath?"

    "???"

 Chapter 22:

    Chapter 22:

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    As the sun set, the innkeeper announced that the bath was ready.

    Coincidentally, dinner was also finished around the same time.

    Why cant these be done separately

    When Ian complained, the innkeeper looked at him as if he was being absurd.

    Isn''t it because you said you wanted a bath that mealtime was delayed?

    Ian was the only one in the inn who had asked for a bath. Mealtime had been delayed because they had to prepare a bath just for him.

    Ian couldnt question the innkeeper further.

    Dont just sit there, go and start the fire.

    Me?

    I fetched the water, lent you the pot, and even prepared the firewood, and you cant even start a fire?

    The glares from around were fierce.

    The guests were angry that dinner was delayed because of Ian.

    Especially fierce were the glares from a group of burly men huddled at one table, who looked like mercenaries, each with forearms that were threateningly muscular.

    Whats that about? Is he the innkeepers son or something?

    Hold yourself back. Are you planning to turn this place into a mess?

    As the atmosphere turned hostile, Ian finally moved as the innkeeper had ordered.

    Lucy. Ill go take a bath and come back. Stay put.

    Okay! Ill eat first and then go upstairs!

    Although reluctant, Ian trudged to the backyard.

    Damn medieval era.

    Taking a bath was such a hassle.

    "Haah.

    As Ian was transferring the embers he received from the kitchen to the hearth.

    A man quietly watched Ian from a dark corner.

    ---

    ---

    Things are going strangely well?

    As soon as Ian left the inn, the troublemaker Willy notified his friends that the opportunity had come.

    Originally, they had planned to wait until things quieted down a bit before secretly calling the two out for the plan.

    But with the man away from the womans side, there was no better opportunity than now.

    Lets go!

    The most handsome among Willys friends entered the Misty Inn.

    Meanwhile,

    Lucy, relieved from Ians nagging, quickly took off her robe and started her dinner.

    Ian worries too much.

    Lucy, who wanted to rest comfortably at the inn, found it suffocating to keep her face covered with a robe.

    Even if it was right to wear a robe before crossing the Earth Dragon Mountain due to pursuers, there was no need to wrap her face up all the way to Riverville, right?

    As Lucys beautiful face was revealed, she could feel the mens gazes gathering at novelhall.com

    Lucy secretly enjoyed the attention.

    ''Hehe. Do you like my face that much, you peasants?''

    It felt like she was returning to the times when she was adored as a noble, albeit in a twisted way.

    Though crude, it somewhat filled Lucys need for esteem.

    However, Lucy was unaware.

    Among those looking at her, there were those with malicious intentions.

    ''That''s her?''

    Willys friend was mesmerized by Lucys elegant appearance.

    I thought Willy was just bragging again...

    But there really was an incredibly beautiful woman staying at the inn alone!

    Willy''s friend approached Lucy with a ''genuine smile''.

    His handsome smile, which had won the favor of the village maidens, served to lower the woman''s guard.

    Beautiful lady. Are you by any chance traveling with a man with black hair?

    ...? Who are you?

    Although he was a stranger, mentioning Ian made Lucy unwittingly lower her guard.

    Things are going well.

    I''m a messenger hired by that traveler. He told me he has a very important secret to tell you and gave me money to deliver it.

    He showed the coins he had prepared in advance.

    A prop to embellish his blatant lie.

    Hearing that he was sent with money, Lucy completely believed the man''s words.

    An important message? What is it?

    I''m just a messenger, so I don''t know the details... but he said you should come to the wharf as soon as possible.

    The wharf? Where''s that...

    It''s urgent, so Ill guide you there.

    He helped Lucy with her robes and lured her out of the inn.

    To prevent Lucy from having second thoughts, accomplices who were waiting in advance blocked her way as soon as she stepped out.

    They created a commotion to confuse Lucy''s thoughts.

    Hurry up! We need to hurry!

    It''s urgent! We have to run!

    Darkness was ready to talk to Ian.

    In that case, there was no need to summon other mysteries.

    "[Darkness!]"

    As Ian picked up a branch from the ground, he conjured up thick darkness around him.

    The darkness that gathered around Ian turned the space into something darker than the deepest midnight, even though it was only dusk.

    "Wha... what?"

    The professional layabout, troublemaker Willy, was taken aback by the sudden darkness and lost track of Ian''s position.

    Blinded as if his eyes could see nothing, Willy froze in place.

    Thwack!

    Ian struck the defenseless Willy with the branch.

    No matter how much of a wizard Ian was supposed to be, physical force was necessary to take down an opponent.

    Yes. Ian was a force wizard (by necessity).

    In the classic fantasy realm of "The Lord of the Rings," the Wizard Gandalf also beat his enemies with a staff, making Ian a wizard of solid tradition.

    Thump! Thump!

    "Argh! Ahhh!"

    Willy, joyously beaten up in the pitch darkness, was so startled that he lost the ability to think clearly.

    So startled that...

    He thought the reason everything turned dark was not because Ian conjured magical darkness, but because he had gone blind...!

    "I surrender! I surrender!"

    Thump! Thump!

    "Someone save me! My eyes! I''ve gone blind!"

    ''This guy?''

    As Willy screamed his lungs out, people started to gather one by one.

    Ian dispelled the darkness and grabbed Willy by the scruff of his neck.

    "You! Are you with those bastards?"

    "Uh...? My eyes...? I can see again?"

    Thump!

    "Answer the question I asked!"

    Just as Ian was about to continue interrogating Willy.

    "Enough of that, young man."

    A deep, powerful voice stopped Ian in his tracks.

    It was just as well.

    Ian was about to leave Willy behind and chase after Lucy anyway.

    But as Ian made to move, a dagger flew from behind him and stuck in the fence.

    "..."

    A sharp and precise throw.

    It was by no means the work of an amateur.

    Ian slowly turned his head.

    ''This is bad...''

    There, the burly figures he had seen at the inn were standing in a group, all armed.

    A white-haired, sturdy old man stepped forward.

    "That darkness just now... did you summon it?"

    As the words ''white-haired'' and ''sturdy'' suggest, the old man was no ordinary senior.

    His eyes were sharp as if honed to a fine edge!

    A threatening gaze that seemed to say he would cut off Ian''s head if he made a move.

    You might have guessed, but Ian had no skill in deflecting flying blades.

    Even the most talented wizards die if stabbed with a knife.

    Wizards in this world were merely beings with unique linguistic abilities, not invincible superheroes.

    Ian had no choice but to start doing what wizards do best.

    That is, talking his way out of it.

    "Yes, I am the wizard who summoned the darkness."

    Willy whined and clung to the old man''s legs.

    "Please, save me, my lord! This crazy wizard tried to kill me!"

    "...Is that true?"

    Receiving the old man''s murderous gaze, Ian felt a chill run down his spine.

    But it wasn''t unbearable.

    Ian had already withstood the murderous intent of a drake.

    Unbeknownst to him, enduring the drake''s murderous intent had actually strengthened his courage.

    Ian smirked and responded.

    "Sir, could you lend me that sword?"

    "The sword?"

    Ian glared at Willy with a cold gaze.

    "Let me kill this bastard."

    "..."

    Ian''s words unsettled the armed brutes.

    ---

    [1 raei: I assume everyone knows princess peach though I didn''t know who Princess Prin Prin was. Though I did when I saw the image of her! She''s from a nintendo game released in 1985. Not sure how I recognize her though, me not alive.]

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 Chapter 23:

    Chapter 23:

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    The brutes, noticing the situation was not simple, did not move easily.

    It was a positive situation for Ian.

    "Look here, young man. Did you do something terrible to that wizard friend?"

    "Ye... Yes?"

    Willy was momentarily flustered, then desperately shook his head.

    "Absolutely not! Suddenly, suddenly that wizard attacked me...!"

    "He attacked you while you were just standing there? Without any reason?"

    "Yes! That''s right!"Updated from

    Ian couldn''t help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

    Is that supposed to be believable?

    Even a three-year-old wouldn''t buy it...

    "That could be possible."

    "?!"

    ''He believed that?''

    This time, it was Ian who was flustered.

    That crazy old man was seriously considering Willy''s insane babble!

    Is it because they''re from medieval times?

    "A wizard could certainly do that."

    As soon as the old man finished speaking, the brutes nodded as if they had agreed beforehand.

    Ian was even more incredulous.

    What the hell do these guys think a wizard is?

    "What do you mean ''that could be possible''? Look here, elder. Not everything that is said out loud will make sense! There has to be logic behind it!"

    Ian blurted out in anger, then slightly regretted it. He was worried about the crazy old man getting angry and swinging his sword.

    But Ian''s worries were unfounded.

    Upon hearing Ian''s words, the old man... just smiled.

    "Seeing you angry like this, your skills must be decent as a wizard."

    Ah. Right.

    This was the usual treatment for a wizard. Nothing special.

    This time, one of the brutes stepped forward.

    "Wizard! Why did you attack this man!"

    "Because that bastard charged at me?"

    "Was there a need to cast evil magic?"

    Evil magic?

    "...How is my magic evil?"

    Ian almost collapsed upon hearing the brute''s logic.

    "To obscure the surroundings with darkness is to avoid the eye of the sky, the sun! If you were truly honorable, you would fight under the sacred sky. Why would you hide your body in darkness? Unless... you had evil intentions!"

    "..."

    Ian was speechless.

    Was he so stupid that he needed a detailed explanation about the tactical advantage of darkness?

    No, that wasn''t it.

    It wasn''t the actual point.

    The core issue was, ''Darkness is despicable because it rejects the sun.''

    This wasn''t a tactical issue; it was a religious one.

    Precisely, the religion of Heaven''s Faith.

    Ian realized that the brutes in front of him were followers of Heaven''s Faith.

    ''F*cking medieval times.''

    Right.

    It wouldn''t be a medieval fantasy without armed zealots.

    Ian grumbled but continued to speak with energy.

    "Doesn''t day and night coexist? If the will of the heavens lies in the light, then what is the reason for the existence of night?"

    "...That is."

    "Just as the existence of the sun creates light, its absence creates darkness, which is the law of the heavens. I didn''t create a new law; I merely borrowed the principle of the heavens for my magic. Is that wrong?"

    "..."

    The brute, having nothing to reply with, backed off with an awkward expression.

    Ian was even more flabbergasted.

    How stupid can they be?

    How are these dumb f*ckers religious...

    Brute #2 made his entrance.

    "Night is a trial created by God to test our faith. It''s a time to see if our faith wavers even in the absence of God''s gaze!"

    Oh, that sounds plausible.

    A trial, huh?

    Religious folks do love their trials.

    Yeah.

    "Therefore, we should refrain from activities after sunset, and must not commit vile and despicable acts. But your magic, which mimics night with darkness, is utterly evil!"

    Then, the brutes applauded.

    "Indeed, the Bord brothers."

    "As deep in learning as they are in faith."

    Ian sighed deeply.

    "The heavens allowed me my magic, and according to the will of God, I merely gave that bastard a trial. That f*cker came at people swinging a club."

    "..."

    Brute #2 sheepishly backed away.

    "Our Bord brothers...!"

    "That wizard is no ordinary man...!"

    Ian wished this stupid ordeal would end quickly.

    The religious were as stubborn as the dead, they didn''t know the word ''give up.''

    Brute #3 made his appearance.

    His eyes were clear and bright, unmistakably the eyes of a lunatic.

    "Though the darkness was permitted by divine will, personal vengeance was not! How can you call attacking an enemy from within the darkness a divine trial!"

    Clap, clap, clap, clap!

    "Indeed, Brother Dehitri!"

    "Hmm. Such a wise response. What will the wizard say now?"

    ''...These f*ckers.''

    Ian noticed the brutes were enjoying this pointless debate.

    He needed to find Lucy quickly...!

    ''But, do I really need to go?''

    Ian was unsure, but he concluded that he should go.

    Wizards were the battlefield itself.

    They created wind, ignited fire, twisted the land, and changed the weather, boasting god-like omnipotence on the battlefield.

    "But aren''t you a dark wizard?"

    The old man naturally thought Ian was a dark wizard, having seen him summon darkness.

    "I''m a dark wizard, but I can also handle water magic."

    "Is that possible?"

    "?"

    The old man thought Ian was bluffing.

    According to his understanding, a wizard should only be able to handle one type of magic.

    Wizards he had seen on the battlefield each had their specialty.

    If one was a fire wizard, then only fire magic.

    If one was a water wizard, then only water magic.

    Occasionally, there were wizards who could wield more than one type of magic, but they were exceedingly rare and valuable.

    Ian laughed, understanding what the old man meant.

    "Ah, if you specialize, that''s the case. But I haven''t specialized in anything yet."

    "No specialization... what does that mean?"

    Ian, just for today, decided to talk at length about wizards.

    "It means I haven''t delved deep into any particular magic language. I''ve just dabbled a bit in various schools."

    "...?"

    The old man found Ian''s words even harder to understand.

    ''If he''s just dabbled... shouldn''t he be unable to use magic at all?''

    ''A person who''s merely dabbled, performing that level of Dark magic in a place without shadows?''

    Deciding to show rather than tell, Ian fluently chanted in the magic language.

    "[O River!]"

    Ian focused his mind on the boat drifting far away.

    "[Come to me!]"

    The magic language echoed sharply.

    Not just the villagers, but also the Knights of Saint Santiago and the old man, felt an unknown force emanating from Ian and shivered.

    "My goodness!"

    "Look, look at that!"

    As the magic concluded, the river began to flow in Ian''s direction, the water surging upstream against its natural flow!

    The villagers were astounded.

    The old man was equally shocked.

    Only the Knights of Saint Santiago remained unfazed.

    For the first time in their lives, the villagers saw the river "flowing backward" and were thrown into shock.

    What the hell is that? How is that even possible???

    The old man was shocked for his own reasons.

    ''That''s... beyond the level of a war water wizard?''

    The wizards employed by nobility, commonly known as ''war wizards,'' couldn''t easily use magic at the level Ian had shown.

    And that''s supposed to be beginner level?

    "Ah, aaaaaah!"

    Splash!

    The violently swirling wave hit the dock.

    Unlucky onlookers were swept away by the wave and fell into the river.

    The rowboat carrying the kidnappers was quickly pushed to the very edge of the dock.

    "Hook!"

    The Knights, who regarded Ian''s magic as merely a marvelous skill, calmly began to act.

    People who had snapped back to reality brought hooks.

    In no time, the rowboat was hooked and tied to the dock.

    The kidnappers were tied up one by one, and Lucy was safely rescued.

    "Waaaah~ Ian~"

    Lucy, covered in tears and snot, ran towards Ian, sobbing.

    The villagers, the knights, everyone turned their gaze towards Ian.

    The old man smiled and said,

    "What are you doing? Your sister is waiting."

    "..."

    Though he was reluctant,

    Ian gently hugged the dirty Lucy.

    She smelled strongly of the river.

    ''When we get back... a bath is in order.''

    ---

    ---

    Ian decided to finish taking his bath.

    No sooner had Ian mentioned bathing had the Knights of Saint Santiago sprang up, exclaiming,

    "Bathing! That''s our specialty!"

    "...?"

    Wondering what nonsense they were on about now, Ian understood after the old man explained.

    "The Knights of Saint Santiago venerate the laws of the ancient Golden Empire, enjoying cleansing themselves. If you''re not skilled at bathing, it might be an idea to let them assist."

    To Ian, it sounded absurd.

    "Come on, who in the world is bad at bathing..."

    "Zzz..."

    Ian looked at Lucy, who had fallen asleep with her head on the table next to him.

    Hmm.

    If there are people who don''t bathe, then there must be people who are bad at it.

    "A wizard taking a bath! How can we not assist!"

    "Bring the oils! Bring the oils!"

    ''Stop it, you maniacs...''

    Before Ian could intervene, the Knights of Santiago had volunteered to assist with his bath.

    "They want to get closer to you, so don''t push them away too much."

    Though indifferent to Ian''s magic, the knights, who had shown great enthusiasm during their brief discussion, clearly looked forward to engaging in theological debates with him.

    Ian was incredibly, utterly annoyed, but he couldn''t just tell them to piss off.

    Technically, he could have, but then the old man would dislike that.

    Anyway, the old man was peculiarly bothersome.

    So, Ian was about to start bathing with the assistance of nearly ten men when...

    "What the hell are you guys doing!"

    Suddenly, a man who looked younger than Ian burst out yelling.

    Judging by his well-dressed appearance, he seemed like a young master from a noble family...

    ''Ah. Could bathing be illegal here?''

    Worried about possibly having to pay a fine, Ian responded,

    "...I''m taking a bath?"

    "???"

 Chapter 24:

    Chapter 24:

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    "A bath?"

    Now that the empire had fallen, the only ones who cared to bathe were the northerners.

    It wasn''t exactly due to the influence of the empire; it was more like bathing had always been a custom of the northerners.

    The warriors of the north considered it virtuous to wash their bodies in the river every weekend.

    However, the original proponents of bathing were indeed the Golden Empire.

    Their ancient citizens also enjoyed bathing.

    They utilized a technology called aqueducts to supply clean water to their baths.

    It was a whole different dimension compared to the barbaric northerners who washed in cold river water.

    But the people of the current Holy Empire didn''t particularly enjoy bathing.

    Although it shared the name "empire," the Holy Empire was in fact, completely different from the ancient Golden Empire.

    Different race, different history.

    It was only recognized as an empire by the pope.

    Just look at Lucy; unless it was a special day, she didn''t usually take a bath.

    Therefore, it took Bernard a long time to understand the situation in front of him.

    ''The surroundings are chaotic, and the relationship between the knights and the wizard is weirdly close.''

    The wizard simply ended his explanation with ''taking a bath,'' but there must have been more to it.

    Bernard was the young lord of Riverville.

    If something happened, he naturally had the right to know.

    Even if it involved travelers, not his serfs.

    Because his family has jurisdiction.

    "Wizard! Report in more detail!"

    Bernard demanded confidently.

    He had every right to do so.

    Wizard Ian responded leisurely.

    "My lord. Please, allow someone else to explain."

    "Yes."

    Bernard was flabbergasted as an elderly man stepped forward.

    "What?"

    I clearly... ordered the wizard to report?

    You delegate it to someone else, in front of the lord of this place?

    Insult! This is an insult!

    In my 15 years of life, this is the first time I''ve been treated like this!

    How dare they! Are they ignoring me?

    There are actions that are acceptable in front of nobility, and those that are not.

    The wizard''s actions clearly crossed the line.

    Nobles do not tolerate insults.

    Those who insult a noble must pay the price with their blood.

    "Now, now. My lord. The situation is like this..."

    "Who are you?"

    To Bernard''s question, the old man bowed calmly and said,

    "Please, call me Elder. I was a mercenary in my prime, rolling around in the dirt, and now I''m retired, helping young friends with their chores as a pastime."

    "Elder..."

    Obviously, it was a nickname or a pseudonym.

    Elder means an old man or a senior.

    But how can a person''s name be Elder?

    It was as thoughtless a pseudonym as ''Old man Kim'' in Korea.

    "Elder?"

    "Yes, my lord. So, the reason this friend is bathing is..."

    "Why are you answering my question?"

    Bernard interrupted, and Elder''s brows slightly furrowed.

    He didn''t make it obvious, but there was a hint of displeasure in his expression.

    "I asked that wizard."

    "He''s a wizard, isn''t he? I''ll speak on his behalf..."

    "No! I want to hear the answer directly from the wizard!"

    As Bernard shouted, Elder cocked his head as if he was deep in thought.

    But soon, he guessed what Bernard wanted.

    The noble wants to speak directly to the wizard...?

    "Ah, is that so?"

    Elder chuckled.

    At the same time, Sir Hansen whispered urgently.

    "My lord. Leave the wizard be and ask that mercenary instead."

    "Quiet!"

    Bernard roared, and Sir Hansen felt a pain as if a skull mark was flying into his chest.

    No, it was more like irritation.

    Does this little sh*t even know what he''s spewing out!

    For a noble to confront a wizard first means...!

    "Wizard! I am the rightful heir of the Kaltz family, destined to inherit Riverville! And you dare greet your ruler in the nude! Come out of the water right now, get dressed, and show some manners!"

    "..."

    Elder laughed quietly, and Sir Hansen covered his face with his hands.

    Ah, that guy. Did he really go and do it...

    Ian looked at Bernard''s face for a while, then casually threw out a word.

    "Now?"

    "..."

    Bernard looked incredulous.

    Everyone else, except Bernard, had a ''told you so'' expression.

    "Yes! Right now!"

    "I don''t want to."

    Sir Hansen intervened before the situation worsened.

    "My lord."

    "What!"

    "This is not how it''s done."

    "...?"

    "Calling a Wizard. That''s not how it''s done."

    "Su, Calling a Wizard?"

    As expected.

    Bernard didn''t know how to perform ''Calling a Wizard.''

    No, he didn''t even realize he was performing ''Calling a Wizard''...

    Sir Hansen sighed deeply and stepped forward.

    He hated being made a spectacle in front of others, but an employee has to clean up the mess their boss makes.

    What can you do?

    If you don''t like it, become the boss yourself.

    Sir Hansen cleared his throat and stepped forward.

    "Ahem. Listen, wizard! Judging by your bizarre appearance, you don''t seem like a proper wizard! It''s not too late, leave before the young lord declares his displeasure!"

    A classic, clean, and perfect remark.

    With Sir Hansen''s intervention, the spectators smiled, the knights smiled, and both Lucy and Ian smiled.

    Oh, someone who knows how to have fun.

    Every show has its rules.

    Whether it becomes a masterpiece or kindling depends on how well these rules are followed.

    In other words, one had to ''understand the rules.''

    Hansen clearly ''understood the rules.''

    And it would lead to greatness.

    "What? Did you just call me a fraud!"

    Ian shouted, recalling memories from his childhood.

    Thinking back, he had said to his master upon meeting, ''You don''t seem like a real wizard.''

    Wasn''t that a mini ''Calling a Wizard''? Ian suddenly felt apologetic.

    "[Run wild!]"

    As Ian uttered the words, the mysteries around him tumultuously stirred.

    The wind blew fiercely, the fireplace exploded, and the sand crawled eerily.

    "Wow!"

    "The wizard is angry!"

    As if on cue, the spectators all gave a standing ovation.

    This was the climax of the show.

    Now that the angry wizard had shown his prowess, it was the noble''s turn to show respect.

    "Stop! I understand your power! We apologize for our rudeness!"

    Sir Hansen shouted, and Ian stopped the magic.

    He wasn''t actually angry or sorry, but one side apologized and the other accepted the apology.

    ''Calling a Wizard'' had ended.

    "I apologize again for not recognizing such an exceptional wizard as yourself."

    "As long as you recognize it now, it''s fine."

    Ian spoke like a true wizard.

    He might have sounded a bit rude, but since the atmosphere around was like, "Yeah! That''s how a wizard should be! Ha ha!" Ian nodded to himself.

    No matter how he thought about it, everyone here was crazy.

    "...My lord."

    Sir Hansen poked the dazed Bernard in the back.

    "Uh, huh?"

    Bernard was in a state of shock, having witnessed magic for the first time in his life.

    The sight of nature moving at the will of a human was shocking.

    ''What, is that still not enough?''

    Ian was puzzled by Bernard''s lukewarm reaction.

    Hadn''t ''Calling a Wizard'' ended?

    ''Ah, I get it. They want to see more of my magic!''

    "Hey, kid!"

    "Me, me?"

    "Yes! You, standing there dumbfounded! Why are you standing like that? Do you want more of my magic?"

    Ian summoned a pitch-black darkness and entwined it around his fingertips, intending to wrap things up.

    To an onlooker, it might have seemed like a terrifying curse-filled magic, but as anyone who has seen Ian''s dark magic would know, it was just darkness.

    But for Bernard, who was witnessing magic for the first time, the experience was terrifying.

    That pitch-black darkness!

    It felt as if touching it would rot the flesh off his bones with its wickedness!

    Bernard looked at Ian, terrified.

    With his hair and eyes both pitch-black, he looked like an evil wizard bringing misfortune.

    "I, I am Bernard, the heir to Baron Kaltz! If you, you lay a hand on me, father will not stand for it..."

    "A grown man still looking for his daddy. Aren''t you ashamed? Or are you such a kid that it doesn''t bother you?"

    Ha ha ha ha!

    Laughter from the common folk poured out. Bernard''s face turned red.

    He was a boy in the throes of puberty, rich in emotions but poor in controlling them.

    "...Sob."

    "???"

    "Waaah~"

    Overwhelmed by a surge of sorrow, Bernard burst into tears.

    Ian was genuinely puzzled.

    ''Why the hell is this kid crying?''

    Bernard crying was not something Ian had accounted for.

    Beside him, Elder burst into hearty laughter.

    "You really are peculiar! Even so, making the young lord cry in front of everyone! Hahaha!"

    "You crazy old man. You find this funny?"

    Ian swallowed hard.

    This is f*cked.

    Am I going to be executed by a pissed-off Baron Kaltz?

 Chapter 25:

    Chapter 25:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    The accident caused by the boss''s son had to be cleaned up by an employee.

    As usual, it was Sir Hansen who took care of Bernard''s aftermath.

    "This is not a good place for conversation, Wizard, and knights. Won''t you come with us to the castle?"

    At first, Ian intended to refuse Sir Hansen''s offer.

    He felt guilty, but he was hesitant to readily accept an offer from a knight he had just met.

    He also didn''t want to waste the effort he had made to take a bath...

    "I''d rather not..."

    "Excuse me?"

    When Ian showed reluctance, not only Sir Hansen but also Elder and Lucy looked at him with puzzled expressions.

    "Um, Wizard friend, I think it might be okay to stop now..."

    "Yeah, Ian, it''s time to stop calling a wizard."

    "...? What are you talking about?"

    Ian realized that they thought he was still pretending to be a quirky wizard.

    Elder couldn''t understand Ian, but Lucy, who had spent some time with Ian, quickly caught on to what he was thinking.

    Lucy whispered.

    "That nobleman called for a wizard, and you responded."

    "Right?"

    "Responding to the call for a wizard means accepting the noble''s invitation."

    Ian nodded.

    He understood why Sir Hansen found it strange.

    It was odd to accept a noble''s invitation and then do differently afterward.

    ''Damn...''

    Being a wizard comes with its nuisances, Ian thought as he got out of the bathwater.

    "Then, have a good trip."

    "What about you, Elder? Aren''t you coming with us?"

    The knights and Elder showed no signs of moving.

    Elder laughed happily and said.

    "We''ve already said we won''t go. What''s refused once can be refused twice."

    Elder''s jest made Sir Hansen give a wry smile.

    It was a bit disappointing that the knights weren''t coming along, but it wasn''t a big deal.

    The important thing was the wizard, not the knights.

    "I''ll... stay here as well."

    Lucy chose to stay at the inn.

    She was uncomfortable with her presence being known to the lord.

    "Your sister will be well looked after by us."

    Lucy''s face turned slightly red at Elder''s words.

    Ian waved his hand casually and followed Sir Hansen to the castle.

    Upon arrival at the castle, Ian was led to Baron Kaltz''s audience chamber.

    "Thank you for accepting the invitation, Wizard."

    Baron Kaltz was slightly surprised when he saw Ian. The wizard was younger and more refined than he expected.

    He had imagined a quirky and willful savage controlling a Drake, but a neat-looking young man appeared, which was surprising.

    In fact, the typical summoner was not different from what Baron Kaltz had imagined.

    The mystery required by a summoner lies in the wilderness and the strong life that breathes within it.

    Naturally, one must stay close to nature, and staying close to nature inevitably leads to losing the appearance of a civilized person.

    They looked like cavemen with bushy beards.

    "Don''t mention it."

    It was late, and after various events, Ian was quite tired.

    So, he casually brushed off Baron Kaltz''s greeting.

    Considering Ian''s status, his insolence could have warranted execution, but Baron Kaltz didn''t mind Ian''s attitude at all.

    Look at that confident and arrogant attitude!

    Isn''t he an excellent wizard!

    "I heard you were staying at the inn, so I wanted to offer you a nice place to sleep."

    "Thanks for the offer, but there''s something missing."

    "What''s missing?"

    Ian smirked and said.

    "I left my bath at the inn midway, feeling a bit grimy. Could you provide some hot bathwater?"

    Baron Kaltz didn''t fully understand why Ian insisted on soaking in hot water, but he let it slide.

    He''s a wizard, after all.

    He must have his reasons.

    ''Indeed. He''s definitely a wizard capable of commanding a Drake.''

    The baron ordered a bath to be prepared and provided Ian with a place to sleep.

    While Ian was bathing, Baron Kaltz received a report from Sir Hansen.

    "So, what was the atmosphere like between the wizard and the knights?"

    "It wasn''t dangerous, but... I think it was a good decision to bring the wizard here."

    Sir Hansen summarized the situation when he met the wizard.

    Of course, he reported every tiny detail about the cute mess Bernard had caused, without leaving anything out.

    After all, the only person who could discipline the boss''s son was the boss himself.

    "Ah... I told him not to act rashly."

    Baron Kaltz managed to overlook the part where Bernard made a few mistakes during the wizard calling.

    In fact, Baron Kaltz himself didn''t know how to properly call a wizard.

    He wasn''t a nobleman affluent enough to invite one.

    No matter how much wizards are called gods of war, that only applies to battlefields where hundreds of men are entangled in combat.

    Just four knights and Baron Kaltz, who commands a few dozen soldiers, had no reason to invite such a distinguished wizard.

    However, the part about bursting into tears because of the wizard''s magic was hard to overlook.

    "It''s my fault for not educating him properly..."

    "No, my lord. It''s my fault for not properly assisting the young lord."

    Baron Kaltz shook his head at Sir Hansen''s words.

    Hardly any spices used!

    Seasoning always means salt!

    Yet, this was considered a noble meal, something commoners couldnt afford.

    If only I had reincarnated into a martial arts world...

    Even in the same medieval era, protagonists of martial arts novels enjoyed luxurious food from medieval China...

    Medieval Western barbarians.

    Ian sipped his wine gloomily.

    White bread and wine.

    The only drugs allowed by the Middle Ages...

    After finishing the meal that brought on a reality check, Ian went to meet Baron Kaltz.

    Not for any particular reason, just because.

    Since Ian was a guest invited through the calling a wizard, and Baron Kaltz was the lord of Riverville.

    So, wizard. How did you find Riverville?

    Its a very nice place.

    I have a niece, shes twenty this year...

    I have no intention of marrying.

    After finishing the medieval-style greeting (marriage proposal), the baron engaged in small talk with Ian.

    A disciple of Wizard Eredith?

    Yes.

    Ive heard of the Rising Star of Drawald.

    Ian and the baron.

    Since neither had any expectations from the other, their conversation was fun and fruitful.

    The baron picked up some minor magical knowledge, and Ian learned news of the empire.

    Your master must have headed south.

    Because theres a magic college there.

    The baron looked surprised.

    He hadnt known that Eredith had gone down to the magic college.

    He had a different reason for assuming Eredith had headed south.

    I thought she went towards the Duchy of Fargar or the Duchy of Roxlan.

    Why is that?

    This time, it was Ian who looked surprised.

    The baron calmly explained.

    The atmosphere between the two dukes is not ordinary.

    The atmosphere...

    It seems the Duke of Fargar has his eyes on Roxlan.

    Ian immediately understood.

    War.

    In this medieval fantasy world, wars, both large and small, occurred endlessly.

    Large-scale wars were between kingdoms, while smaller conflicts occurred among the nobility.

    Wars between kingdoms were rare.

    There were hardly any nobles powerful enough to be called kings in the first place.

    However, nobles constantly waged war against each other.

    Nobles fought to establish their hierarchy, and the noble strong enough to subdue all others would earn the title of king.

    Both the Duke of Fargar and the Duke of Roxlan were among the empire''s top nobles, known as the Five Great Dukes.

    In other words, they were dukes of the same Holy Empire.

    However, for nobles of such rank, the empire and everything else barely registered in their considerations.

    Rushing into war would not sit well with the emperor.

    True. But the Duke of Fargar must have something in mind.

    While the specifics were unknown, from the barons words, it was likely that war would break out soon.

    If war erupted, the demand for war wizards would skyrocket.

    Will you also head south?

    No. Im going east.

    The baron found it odd that Ian, a wizard, was not heading towards the battlefield, but he realized not all wizards enjoyed war.

    Seeking mysteries, I presume.

    Yes. I still have much to learn.

    The baron nodded and then called for his steward.

    Steward. The item.

    Yes, my lord.

    Shortly after, the aged steward brought a luxurious wooden box.

    Upon opening the box, a staff resembling a tin rod was revealed.

    Whats this?

    Ian asked, and the baron replied with a smile.

    A gift for you.

    Ian accepted the staff offered by the steward.

    Holding the staff, he looked even more like a wizard.

    It was used by a grand wizard. Its called [Windwalker].

    Ian tightly gripped the staff.

    Instead of feeling a surge of magical power from within, he felt as if he had just acquired another cosplay item for a wizard.

    Staffs are like that, aren''t they?

    Aren''t they used to lean on during travels to lessen the leg pain?

    A wizard''s staff was no different.

    This is in return for teaching my son the Calling a Wizard.

    In truth, it was more of a bribe, suggesting not to cause trouble in Riverville...

    To the baron, a staff once used by a wizard held no value.

    That''s why he casually passed it on to Ian as a gift, to make a good impression.

    Ian didnt know much about what this staff was, but receiving a gift made him feel good anyway.

    Thank you, Baron. Ill use it well, thinking of you.

    If you do, it would please me.

    The baron smiled slyly.

    Someday, if Wizard Ian became a well-known figure, the name of the generous Baron Kaltz would also become widely known.

    Then, more merchants and more knights would visit Riverville!

    Baron and Ian exchanged handshakes with a smile.

    It was a gift-giving ceremony that left both parties satisfied.

 Chapter 26:

    Chapter 26:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    After wrapping up the fruitful conversation, Ian walked out of the audience chamber in high spirits, only to be startled by the sudden appearance of a fresh-faced youth.

    "Hey, wizard! Are you done now?"

    "..."

    The one showing unabashed familiarity was none other than Bernard.

    The sight of his smug face had become familiar, which was frightening in its own right.

    "Going back to the village? I''ll walk you there!"

    "Is that really necessary? I could just ask that knight from yesterday..."

    "Ahh, Sir Hansen is on leave today. He went out for an outing with his wife for a change."

    Tch.

    Ian clicked his tongue briefly.

    Sir Hansen, was it?

    Ian had wanted to see that knight.

    He was a hundred times more reliable than Bernard.

    "Today, I''ll personally introduce you to Riverville!"

    Ian found Bernard''s offer bothersome.

    The reason for staying in Riverville was for rest, and following Bernard around would mean no rest at all.

    What?

    Roaming outside during rest?

    That''s not resting at all!

    However, Ian couldn''t rudely dismiss Bernard.

    He had just received a gift from Baron Kaltz.

    He had handed him a gift in an attempt to make a good impression, and showing disdain right after would surely not please the baron.

    It was courteous to at least pretend to mingle.

    Touring the village wasn''t a difficult task after all.

    "Alright. Let''s go."

    Ian followed Bernard back to the Mistwater Inn.

    The two strolled leisurely through the streets.

    It was already lunchtime, and the aroma of food wafted from house to house.

    People were buying and selling goods with vigor, children were running around the streets joyfully, and parents were watching them with smiles...

    "This is a nice place."

    Ian spoke his mind as the thought came to him.

    It was his honest impression.

    Riverville was a good village.

    Though still at a village level, as the population increased and the farmland expanded, it would reach the status of being called a city.

    Riverville was a village with such potential.

    "Of course, it''s a nice place! Whose lordship do you think it is!"

    Bernard''s tone dripped with pride for his father.

    Emerging nobility, especially contract lords who received land from a lord, didn''t have much love for their domains.

    They saw their villagers not as people but as moneybags.

    To be shaken for money, and to be broken if in a hurry.

    However, local nobles like Baron Kaltz, who built the community, felt differently about their domains than the emerging nobles.

    It wasn''t land received from someone else, but the right to govern a village they had always ruled, recognized by other nobles, hence a strong sense of ownership.

    The villagers took off their hats and bowed their heads whenever they encountered Bernard.

    There was no resident who showed mockery, contempt, or fear in the process.

    They had already recognized Bernard deep in their hearts as the successor to Baron Kaltz.

    "In that sense, if you settle down in Riverville, my cousin might..."

    "I said I''m not getting married."

    Amid their casual chat, the two arrived at the inn.

    But as they approached, they heard quite a commotion.

    "Ian!"

    Lucy came running breathlessly.

    Ian glanced at Lucy with an exasperated look.

    "What''s the matter? Did you cause another problem?"

    "I, I didn''t cause any trouble?! What do you take me for!"

    Elder slinked over as well.

    "Thought you''d be coming around now."

    "Why? I could have had lunch at the castle, you know?"

    To Ian''s question, Elder brazenly replied.

    "Aren''t you a wizard? You wouldn''t miss out on something like this."

    "...?"

    Something like this?

    "Ian! We need your opinion!"

    "Hold on."

    The hunter, about to wring the crow''s neck, paused and looked puzzled as Ian intervened.

    "Yes?"

    Ian, just in case, spoke to the crow in the language of magic.

    "[What are you?]"

    "Caw!"

    [Please save me!]

    However, the crow didn''t understand the language of Maronius.

    It was due to a lack of mystery.

    Creatures like Drake, who had a strong level of mystery, could communicate through level 3 summoning spells, but minor beings like crows couldn''t understand Ian''s words.

    Though Ian could understand the crow''s speech.

    "...Mr. Wizard?"

    Suddenly, as Ian uttered strange pronunciations, the hunters reacted cautiously, a bit scared.

    Ian tried to calm the hunters with an explanation.

    "Ah. It''s nothing. The guy suddenly started talking to me."

    "???"

    The hunters were stupefied by Ian''s response.

    The crow... started talking?

    ''What, what''s this? Is it some metaphor I don''t understand? Or... did the crow really start talking?''

    The hunter suspected Ian might be using a metaphor only a wizard could understand.

    So, to verify, he asked again.

    "The crow... talked to you, Mr. Wizard?"

    Ian nodded his head.

    "Yes. It''s asking to be saved."

    "..."

    The hunters looked at each other''s faces in disbelief, speechless.

    I mean, the crow was just cawing, and he understood what that meant? Even for a wizard...

    ''... I guess it''s possible. Damn.''

    Absurdity aside.

    The hunters reluctantly accepted Ian''s explanation, swallowing their tears.

    It wasn''t something they were capable of understanding.

    How could local hunters easily grasp the words of a wizard?

    If the wizard says so. Well...

    Maybe it''s possible to communicate with a crow...

    "[Hey. Crow]"

    [Please save me! Please don''t kill me!]

    "[I''ll save you, so just shut up for a moment]"

    [Please save me!]

    "Ah, for f*ck''s sake! I said I''m saving you! Just shut up!"

    Ian raised his voice in frustration when the crow didn''t understand Maronius, getting pissed off.

    I mean, aren''t crows supposed to be smart?

    But it doesn''t know Maronius?

    However, this was a prejudice born from Ian''s experience of talking with powerful monsters like Drake.

    Maronius is a language of mystery.

    Only those well-versed in the mystery can understand it.

    The crow didn''t know Maronius, but it sensed that Ian was getting angry.

    Unless it was an idiot, it wouldn''t miss the fact that someone was raising their voice at it.

    [...]

    As the crow shut up, the onlookers murmured in admiration.

    "Wow... That wizard is actually talking to a crow?"

    "That''s really amazing..."

    The innkeeper cautiously approached and asked.

    "Mr. Wizard... Are you going to spare that one?"

    Ian stared intently at the large crow.

    Black feathers.

    Big, bright eyes.

    And the cooperativeness to shut up when Ian said so.

    He had no obligation to heed the request of an animal, but Ian decided to spare the crow.

    Simply... because it was interesting.

    "Yes. It doesn''t feel right to eat it."

    As Ian made his decision, the hunters smiled bitterly.

    Lucy cheered from behind.

    "See? I told you there was something unusual about that crow!"

    "Hehe. Having a wizard as a brother, the lady knows how to recognize mystery, indeed."

    "That, that''s right! I may not have learned magic, but I think I have a talent for it!"

    Lucy boasted, and the knights and Elder babbled something.

    It was roughly in praise of Lucy.

    Ian couldn''t help but laugh at the absurdity.

 Chapter 27:

    Chapter 27:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Crows are intelligent animals.

    They were so smart that they''re considered to have the intelligence level of a 6-year-old child.

    Crows can handle tools, socialize, and have the ability to analyze and understand phenomena.

    For example, when crows find the corpse of a comrade, they call others to loiter around it.

    This behavior, known as a "crow funeral," involves analyzing the wounds on the crow''s corpse to discuss the cause of death.

    This means crows have the ability to reason about injuries and accidents and share this information socially with their peers.

    Thus, groups of crows can become a severe nuisance, forming local cartels.

    They use their intelligence and social skills to rummage through trash and attack other animals.

    The large crow Ian found was also a smart fellow.

    Among the crows, this particularly clever one quickly noticed that Ian was the only one among the humans who did not treat it as an enemy.

    It also realized that Ian understood its will and was speaking to it.

    "Could you lend me some medicine and bandages?" Ian asked Bernard.

    Without changing his expression, Bernard repeated the request to the innkeeper.

    "Bring some medicine and bandages, please."

    "Oh, yes!"

    The innkeeper quickly brought over first aid supplies and clean bandages.

    Although these items were usually sold for money, that wasn''t really an issue here.

    After all, who would do such business with the son of a lord?

    Ian applied medicine to the wounds on the crow''s wing and wrapped it with bandages.

    The injury was caused by an arrow from a hunter.

    ''For now... I''ll have to take it with me until it''s fully healed.''

    Ian intended to care for the crow until it could fly again.

    Releasing it into the wild as it was would only result in it ending up in someone else''s mouth, which was no different from being preyed upon.

    "I''ll be stepping out for a bit with the young lord, so please take care of this one."

    Ian left the crow with the innkeeper and was about to go out.

    But as soon as Ian turned his back, the crow hopped and bounced, following Ian.

    "Caw!"

    [Let''s go together!]

    "What. You stay here. You can''t even fly because you''re hurt."

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [The people here are scary! Please don''t abandon me!]

    "Who''s abandoning you? Just stay here and don''t worry."

    "Caw!"

    [Please!]

    "... You''re a nuisance. Really."

    Seeing that the crow was likely to keep following him, Ian picked it up and placed it on his shoulder.

    The crow seemed much more comfortable then.

    "Hey, Ian."

    "Yeah?"

    "Do you... understand what the crow is saying?"

    Lucy asked, her eyes sparkling.

    Looking around, other people were also staring at Ian as if they found him fascinating.

    Wizards were like miraculous beings to ordinary people.

    "Yeah, I understand."

    "That''s really cool!"

    "..."

    Lucy''s admiration was a bit odd.

    She hadn''t reacted this strongly when he was talking with Drake.

    It seemed the fact that one could converse with regular animals stimulated the girl''s emotions.

    "What''s its name? What will you name it?"

    "This one?"

    Ian looked at the crow sitting on his shoulder.

    Now that he had unexpectedly taken in a bird, he needed a name to call it by until it was time to release it.

    Ian blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

    "Dumbhead."

    "... That''s too insulting."

    Lucy opposed the idea, but Ian genuinely thought the crow was stupid.

    The manticore was infamous for its cruel nature and enjoyment of killing.

    "What... you want me to help you hunt the manticore?"

    If Ian was being asked to accompany them on the condition that he help, he planned to politely decline.

    No matter how dangerous the road was, fighting a manticore was a different issue.

    Wizards were seekers of mysteries, not hunters.

    As if seeing through Ian''s thoughts, Elder responded.

    "No. I wouldn''t stop you if you wanted to help, but I don''t want to involve you in something so dangerous you could lose your life."

    Elder spoke as if he was casually testing Ian.

    If Ian was a prideful wizard, he might join the hunt to gain fame.

    But that''s a very warrior-centric way of thinking.

    While warriors might find glory in blood and slaughter, wizards have no interest in such pointless tales of heroism.

    "Ah. Then I''ll pass."

    "Ha. Listen till the end. What we want to ask of you isn''t hunting."

    "Then what?"

    "We already have a wizard who has promised to help us. But, the way we obtained that promise was... somewhat forceful."

    The explanation went like this:

    The Santiago Knights are a knightly order created by the Santiago Monastic Order, connected through a certain network with the clergy of Heaven''s Faith.

    When news reached that the Santiago Knights were coming to Count Catina''s territory to hunt the manticore, the priests of Count Catina''s territory ''forcefully'' asked a wizard living nearby for cooperation.

    In short, the wizard who ended up cooperating in the manticore hunt was a poor soul who was forced to participate due to the priests'' threats.

    "They must be quite upset by now. Ian, you''re a wizard too, aren''t you? We were hoping you could appease that wizard on our behalf."

    I understand.

    So, Ian was... meant to soothe the offended wizard instead of the Santiago Knights.

    Ian slightly tilted his head.

    "Would my words make any difference?"

    Considering the part about being threatened by the priests, the damage was already done.

    However, Elder was confident Ian could be of use.

    "Even if it''s unpleasant, words from a wizard carry a different weight than those from a knight. That wizard might know you or your master''s name."

    "My master''s, maybe."

    Elder nodded with a smile.

    "And if by any chance the wizard uses magic against us, you could warn us in advance, couldn''t you?"

    The logic was that a wizard would be able to see through another wizard''s schemes.

    Ian nodded.

    ''Not bad?''

    It was more than just not bad. It was a very good offer.

    In exchange for the protection of the Santiago Knights, all Ian had to do was pacify the disgruntled wizard.

    Even if things went awry and failed, Ian had nothing to lose.

    Ian''s goal was to take Lucy to the count''s territory safely.

    "If you change your mind along the way, you''re welcome to join us in hunting the manticore."

    Elder winked, making a gesture with his eye.

    Receiving a wink from an old man made Ian feel a bit queasy...

    "I''ll pass."

    "And what about persuading the wizard?"

    "I can do that."

    As soon as Ian finished speaking, Lucy sprang up and high-fived Elder.

    "Yay! Thanks in advance, Elder!"

    "Ha. It''s we who should be thanking you."

    And so, Ian''s journey with the Santiago Knights was decided.

    The next morning, Ian left Riverville.

    Despite the early dawn, Bernard insisted on seeing Ian off, following him to the edge of the residential area.

    "Come visit again, Ian!"

    Maybe they had become somewhat close during this time?

    Ian didn''t find the impetuous young master Bernard too disagreeable.

    "Yeah. See you again soon, Bernard."

    "...!"

    As Ian waved, Bernard smiled brightly and waved back vigorously.

    "... Safe travels, friend!"

    Sir Hansen watched Bernard''s actions and slowly nodded.

    ''Excellent, young lord.''

    Friendships from childhood are precious treasures that can only be acquired in one''s youth.

    If it''s a friendship with a wizard, people would pay any price to have it.

    What Bernard had gained was an experience of such value.

    Sir Hansen felt a slight relief from the stress caused by Bernard''s foolish actions, thinking that the future of Riverville had brightened a bit more.

    Thanks to a promising young wizard.

 Chapter 28:

    Chapter 28:

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    This medieval fantasy world could be described in another term as the era of "Post-Apocalypse."

    An era where an ancient civilization, suspiciously advanced in technology, perished, and the surviving inhabitants engaged in a struggle of all against all over limited resources!

    In a stable civilized world, violence lost its meaning.

    If someone tried to steal from your house, you simply called the police.

    The police, having received your report, would come and fold the culprit into a pretty star shape and throw them into a detention center.

    But what if the country was sort of messed up, and public authority vanished?

    The cop, who would have been waiting just 5 minutes away for you, was no longer there.

    Both you and the thief knew this.

    If a thief broke your skull and stole your stuff, there was nothing you could do about it.

    In an era where you couldn''t survive without getting your hands bloody, what must you do to survive?

    The answer was "to arm yourself."

    The priests of Heaven''s Faith knew this well.

    After the fall of the Golden Empire, the priests of Heaven''s Faith became powerless and weak targets in the post-apocalyptic era.

    As the soldiers of the Golden Empire, who had protected the priests, disappeared, looting targeting the priests brazenly occurred throughout the empire.

    The weak survivors, as usual, were plundered by barbarians, and the priests of Heaven''s Faith cried and wailed for their mothers.

    "Aahhhhh! Somebody, please help~"

    In post-apocalyptic stories, the development of weak characters is divided into two main types.

    Either they become a warm motherly figure who, despite lacking abilities, embraces other survivors with mental toughness.

    Or they become corrupted, staining their hands with blood and cynically accepting that "Violence is essential in this cruel world!"

    The Pope of Heaven''s Faith followed the first clich.

    When Brifford, the founder of the Holy Empire, conquered all surrounding nations and rose as the champion of the continent, he quickly sided with the pope, securing the role of "the spiritual pillar of the survivor group."

    The Pope was happy to have a protector, and the Emperor was pleased to receive the Pope''s recognition.

    When the Pope formed a party with the protagonist-like character of the Holy Empire, the Pope''s follower-level positions, the believers, also cheered.

    "Wow! Your Holiness! Does this mean the empire will protect us now?"

    "Yes. Now the empire will protect me."

    "...They will protect us, right?"

    Indeed, the Holy Empire protected the Pope from the barbarians.

    But they protected ''only'' the Pope.

    It was inevitable because, no matter how mighty the empire, it was impossible to protect all the followers of Heaven''s Faith scattered across the empire''s lands.

    The followers of Heaven''s Faith cry out like supporting characters betrayed by the main character they believe in.

    "Why! Your Holiness! We believe in you! We believe!"

    "Heh. Can''t be helped. Those who must live, should live, right?"

    As the barbarians slowly approach, the Pope takes the empire''s hand and leaves for a distant place...!

    The believers left behind shiver in loneliness and take up arms.

    Amidst zombies... no, barbarians approaching from all directions, it''s not like one can just choose to commit suicide just because they''ve been abandoned, right?

    So, the believers swing their weapons towards the barbarians.

    "Kekeke... Don''t worry, I''ll take a liking to you soon enough... Cough!"

    But surprisingly, the believers fought well against the barbarians.

    It wasn''t just the believers who were threatened by the barbarians.

    Passersby, retired soldiers (knights), and those who fight in the name of God...

    As such people gather one by one at a church, a surprisingly formidable armed group is born.

    "Could we... be strong?"

    Realizing their strength, they swing their weapons with the sole intention of ''saving the followers of Heaven''s Faith from the hands of barbarism!''

    It''s a clich of awakening their abilities after being abandoned by the survivor party...!

    The empowered ones defeat the barbarians and save the believers.

    The followers of Heaven''s Faith, swinging weapons in the name of God.

    They call themselves a ''Knight Order.''

    They follow the will of Heaven but are not priests, nor do they follow the Pope''s will.

    They name their knighthood after a saint who shares their ideals.

    The Knights of Saint Santiago.

    It''s the name of the monastic knight order that Ian was traveling with.

    ---

    ---

    Traveling with the Knights of Saint Santiago was extremely pleasant.

    Unlike typical knight groups, all members of the Knights of Saint Santiago were individuals of character.

    Ordinary warriors tended to be rough.

    There was no reason for them not to be rough.

    "I''m strong, I''m the thug, so why should I be a wimp and mind others?" This thug mindset was basically installed in the average warrior of this world.

    But the Knights of Saint Santiago were different.

    They had a reason not to act rough.

    Because it was "wrong" to do so...!

    "Bullying the weak? Why would you do such a damn cursed thing?"

    "Under heaven, all people are equal. The land is just a place we pass through for a while, and when the time comes, everyone must ascend to heaven."

    "We are all life created directly by the Lord in heaven. We should all be respected equally and loved equally."

    When it was time to camp and the sun had set, the knighthood would sit Ian in the middle and recite the doctrine of Heaven''s Faith.

    Hearing the doctrine of Heaven''s Faith, Ian feels a thrill as if the hairs on his body are standing on end.

    ''These guys... are really good people, aren''t they?''

    Traveling through this medieval fantasy world, it was the first time he had met proper religious people.

    So, Ian was confused.

    Why...? Why are they good?

    Isn''t ''corruption'' the default for religious people?

    Like, indulging in alcohol, women... blinded by wealth...

    But the minds of these knights were very different from typical medieval people.

    A goodness that seemed to have swallowed Mother Teresa and Nightingale[1]!

    Ian nodded his head.

    Ian looked at Lucy with cold eyes.

    What kind of noble doesn''t know how to read?

    Isn''t it obvious that nobles should know how to read?

    In fact, that wasn''t the case.

    Most nobles did not study letters.

    Why bother with the headache of learning to read?

    Just kidnap someone who knows how!

    Most people who knew how to write were priests of the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    Therefore, priests naturally carried out administrative support tasks for the nobles.

    In this era, skills like writing were actually of little use.

    Is there a book to read?

    No.

    Is there administration to be done?

    No.

    Most tasks were handled orally.

    Only the results needed to be documented, and that was done by priests.

    Of course, high-ranking nobles might need writing skills, but they employed professional administrators, so there was no need for them to know how to write themselves.

    "What. Why? What!"

    Lucy looked at Ian as if making excuses under his sharp gaze.

    "Study some when you get home."

    "Why should I?"

    Lucy''s point was valid.

    Running a rural barony didn''t require knowledge of letters.

    But why does a valid point feel annoyingly irritating?

    "I''m a woman! Women don''t need to study!"

    "My mentor was a woman."

    "That''s because she''s smart!"

    Ian just shrugged.

    If she doesn''t want to study, there''s no need to force her.

    She''s a noble, so she''ll manage somehow.

    "It''s okay. I''ll explain it well verbally."

    "No, I''m not really into studying..."

    "How about thinking of it not as studying, but as practice?"

    Lucy tried crying out, "Is it okay for a woman to study?" with a tearful face.

    But such a shoddy excuse wouldn''t work on Dehitri, a madman with clear eyes.

    "Is there gender in learning the will of Heaven?"

    "Hiiing..."

    In the end, Lucy also sat down next to Ian to study the Bible.

    Lucy was bored to death, but for Ian, who had studied rigorously under Eredith, Dehitri''s teachings were nothing.

    [That''s right. Good posture.]

    "Thank you for the compliment."

    As Ian murmured, Dehitri tilted his head.

    "What did you just say, wizard?"

    "... Yes?"

    Ian also tilted his head, confused for no reason, and Lucy followed suit.

    The education circle plunged into chaos.

    "I just received a compliment for my posture..."

    As Ian spoke, Dehitri''s eyes widened.

    "I didn''t say anything! My goodness, wizard! What, what voice did you hear!"

    "Huh? Suddenly someone spoke to me..."

    Ian stopped talking and jumped up from his seat.

    That wasn''t a human voice...!

    [Well, can I even be considered a human being?]

    "[God! You''re God, right?]"

    [Hehehe. Perhaps?]

    Ian was astonished.

    It was clear.

    A divine entity of the Church of Heaven''s Faith had spoken to Ian!

    Perhaps the very being who had thrown Ian into this medieval fantasy world!

    Excited, Ian blurted out in Maronius language.

    Where is this place? Who are you? Why did you reincarnate me into this world?

    And so on.

    But no answer came back.

    The deity had left.

    "Come back! God! Come back!"

    That bastard, who does he think he''s toying with...!

    Ian, agitated, let out blasphemous words.

    "Hey! God! Come back right now! If you get caught by me later, you''re dead!"

    "!"

    The monastic knights rushed over to calm Ian down.

    "Stay calm! Brother!"

    "Bring the Bible! Recite some damned holy verses to me!"

    As chaos ensued, Elder also came over to see what was happening.

    "Why''s the wizard acting like that? Has he gone mad?"

    There were many wizards who lost their sanity after improper contact with mysteries.

    Suddenly going mad wasn''t unusual for a wizard.

    Brother Bord crossed his arms and explained calmly.

    "...You heard the voice of God."

    "The voice of God?"

    There was no way to prove whether Ian had truly heard the voice of God or not.

    However, after that incident, Ian began to obsess over memorizing the Bible to an eerie extent...

 Chapter 29:

    Chapter 29:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    When Ian began to diligently recite the scriptures, the result appeared quickly.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Skill: Holy Magic]

    [The ability to converse with the absolute ruler of this elegant, dignified, holy, and beautiful world. Lucky you, Ian!]

    ...

    He had acquired Holy Magic.

    But why the hell was the skill description like that?

    Ian examined the Holy Magic skill.

    Like other magics, there was some advice written on Holy Magic.

    [Give attention to the gods. Study more, understand more. The more attention you give, the happier the gods will be the elegant, dignified, holy, and beautiful rulers of this world.]

    Ian felt a surge of anger.

    Was the person who bestowed this skill really a god?

    If so, does that mean the god had dropped Ian into this unfamiliar world and was watching him move and act from high above, snickering?

    Unless he elevated Holy Magic to a higher realm or had a direct conversation with the god, it would remain an unknown matter.

    Son of a b*tch.

    He was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do right now.

    The only option was to seek more mysteries and gather more points to strengthen Holy Magic.

    Ian threw the scripture aside and stood up.

    ---

    ---

    Ian and his party set foot in Count Catinas territory.

    They were attacked by a band of thieves along the way, but the Santiago Knights neatly repelled them.

    Normally, they acted so virtuously that it was easy to forget, but in battle, the Santiago Knights were the incarnation of violence.

    Brothers! Let us defeat these vile band of thieves!

    Oh!

    More than half of the knights were clad in chain mail.

    Chain mail might be considered just a step below plate armor in the hierarchy of armors, but in fact, the chain mail of this era boasted defensive capabilities worthy of being called the ultimate in armor.

    It was excellent armor that could withstand not only slashes from swords but also stabs from spears and blows from hammers and axes.

    The only downside was its expensive price.

    Maybe they had wealthy patrons: a considerable number of the Santiago Knights were equipped with chain mail.

    Thanks to that, nearly forty thieves were swept away without being able to put up any resistance.

    A thief with zero resistance is a superconducting thief..."

    ?

    The Santiago Knights, who could be called the medieval LK-99 manufacturers[1], returned to Ian, covered in blood.

    Hey! Wizard! Nothing major happened, right?

    Not at all.

    What Ian did during the battle was just nothing.

    It was a fight they were bound to win, so why bother using magic?

    Battle is the domain of warriors.

    Wizards should just watch.

    There are guys like that everywhere.Updated from

    Elder also came back, swinging his sword, covered in blood.

    Got any injuries?

    Thats my line to ask.

    Ian looked at Elder curiously.

    Even if the knights were armed with chain mail, this man named Elder was only wearing light cloth armor.

    And he was carrying a sword without even a shield...

    Yet he didnt have a single injury.

    "Hehe. Even though I''m old, I''m not so feeble as to be taken down by foolish murderers."

    Ian had many questions, but he held back.

    If Elder wanted people to know about himself, he wouldnt have used an alias.

    Noticing Ian holding back his questions, Elder smiled.

    "A wizard holding back his curiosity. Thats rare to see."

    "Why?"

    "Wizards generally lack tact. They''re not a people mindful of others."

    Ian nodded.

    The more eccentric you are, the more recognition you receive as a wizard, making it easier for wizards to blurt out whatever they think.

    "Making a wizard hold back his curiosity, I feel a little guilty."

    "Then tell me. What did Elder do before?"

    Elder grinned and said,

    "I was a mercenary. Of a pretty famous mercenary group."

    "How famous?"

    "Famous enough to use an alias. There were too many fools rushing at me without thinking because of my name."

    Meaning, he was someone whose name alone was well-known.

    Famous enough that people wanted to challenge him to a duel to elevate their own honor.

    "Hmm. I see."

    But Ian''s reaction was lukewarm.

    All she had to do was watch the sprouts grow and the plants develop!

    There was a time in her youth when she wandered the continent to study the plants of the world.

    But now, approaching the age of 60, she had grown too old to travel as she once did in her youth.

    Now, she was just an old wizard who lived by cultivating her own garden and growing the plants she wanted to raise.

    Mani was an old woman.

    And old people, for the most part, disliked change.

    "Mani Campbell! In the name of God! We need your help!"

    One day, priests from Heaven''s Faith suddenly invaded the peaceful home of Mani.

    Mani was sick of them.

    "What now! Is it another goddamn famine or what?"

    The priests frowned at Mani''s irreverent tone.

    There was a common belief that the more eccentric a wizard, the more skilled they were, but not everyone loved the eccentric nature of wizards.

    Especially priests, who had no need to bow their heads to wizards.

    Priests are those who serve the greatest mystery of all, the God of the Heavens.

    This was far more significant than the trivial mysteries of fire, ice, or wind.

    There''s a hierarchy even in cold water, so why should wizards, who study lesser mysteries, disregard priests who serve the highest mystery in the world!

    But the wizards saw it differently.

    Priests liked mysteries, but they were not the ones who handled them.

    There were unique cleric-wizard hybrids, but aside from them, the rest were merely enthusiasts of mysteries.

    Real researchers, the wizards, were looked down upon by these arrogant fools who strutted around with stiff necks!

    That''s why wizards and priests didn''t get along.

    "If you''re just going to refuse by spouting nonsense about the heart of plants or whatever..."

    "Shh. Be quiet."

    The priests murmured their complaints loud enough for all to hear.

    As a wizard who studied the mysteries of plants, Mani knew how to revive dying plants.

    So, when there was a poor harvest, priests would come to her and ask her to save their crops.

    But Mani found such requests extremely uncomfortable.

    Life and death were part of nature.

    How dare those who cram plants closely together, overfeed them with nutrients for overgrowth, then talk about poor or bountiful harvests as if they''ve done something commendable.

    Indeed.

    The plant wizard Mani was an activist for plant rights.

    Just as animal rights activists pity chickens, sheep, and cows exploited by humans.

    She felt sorry for the plants that were genetically modified and forced to grow in densely packed fields.

    That''s why Mani didn''t like human-made fields and gardens much.

    To her, they were scenes of cruel plant abuse.

    Farmers, too, didn''t like Mani very much.

    Beyond mere dislike, they thought she was crazy.

    If crops aren''t grown in fields, how are people supposed to feed themselves?

    Do they expect their ancestors to send down food from heaven?

    Since Mani was a wizard, a certain level of madness was understandable.

    That was precisely why she wasn''t tied to a stake and could live quietly in the forest.

    "Faithful knights will come to hunt the Manticore. We hope you can assist them with your magic."

    "And if I refuse?"

    "Do not forget that this forest is lent to you by the Church."

    "...Damn it."

    Dirty power-mongers.

    Mani''s magic was useful for keeping plants healthy, but it was useless against mercenaries burning down the forest.

    Due to her political indifference, she didn''t have any noble allies either.

    Reluctantly, Mani had to comply with the Church''s brats.

    ''Hmph! Let''s see who tries to make a fool of who!''

    However, her pride wouldn''t allow her to comply meekly.

    She would pretend to follow their orders on the surface...

    But!

    She planned to hold a very enthusiastic welcome party for the knights.

    A sharp, stinging, thrilling welcome party.

    If the knights could get through the welcome party, she would cooperate with them without complaint.

    But if they couldn''t?

    She would drive those fools away, and they wouldn''t be able to raise any objections!

    "Kekeke..."

    Mani laughed like a witch in the kitchen, clutching a white vegetable.

    Her hands were filled with plants to be used for the ''welcome party.''

    Could the knights withstand ''this''?

    The white, spicy plant Mani had chosen was...

    Garlic.

    ---

    [1. raei: LK-99 is a grayblack, polycrystalline compound, identified as a copper-doped leadoxyapatite. A team from Korea University led by Lee Sukbae () and Kim Ji-Hoon () began studying this material as a potential superconductor starting in 1999.

    So uh ties in with the superconducting thieves.]

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 Chapter 30:

    Chapter 30:

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Regarding the cuisine of this medieval fantasy, Ian would go so far as to call it "barbarians who know nothing but the taste of salt," but this was only half true.

    As one traveled northward, the prevalence of what Ian called "salted cuisine" increased.

    Meat was salted, fish was salted, cabbage was salted...

    The appearance of even vinegar or butter felt like discovering a new world of taste.

    The northern part of the continent truly was the land of barbarians.

    However, the situation in the South differed, as the South had many dishes that had spices.

    Not just spices, but real Western-style food made with a variety of vegetables, seafood, grains, and meats could be tasted in the southern part of the continent.

    In fact, there are many delicious foods in the world.

    Ian was just being unfairly critical.

    Perhaps it was Ian''s fault for being born a citizen of the Holy Empire.

    But Ian also had opportunities for gourmet experiences.

    Unlike imperial citizens, wizards, who inevitably wandered the world, could taste the diverse foods that existed in the world.

    It was not for nothing that Eredith was good at cooking.

    In that sense, the wizard Mani Campbell also had a deep understanding of food.

    In her youth, she traveled the world to collect seeds of rare plants.

    While traveling in the southern continent, she came across a spice called "garlic" in a kingdom beyond the Coral Sea.

    Garlic, a vegetable with a unique pungent and spicy taste, was a favorite ingredient in the cuisine of the Coral Sea people.

    Mani was shocked the first time she tasted garlic.

    This tingling scent and spicy taste!

    Garlic was a stimulating spice not found in the north.

    Fascinated by the taste of garlic, Mani brought it to the north and grew it in her garden.

    Garlic was difficult to cultivate there, but for Mani, a wizard who grew sunflowers in caves and cacti in snowfields, it was as easy as pie.

    "Giggle giggle..."

    Mani chuckled eerily, holding the garlic.

    At first, she wanted to share this delicious garlic with her neighbors.

    But the imperial citizens, these northern barbarians, refused to eat it, complaining it was too spicy and smelly!

    They would eat it, but only in such a small amount that it barely added a hint of aroma to the dish.

    This was outrageously insufficient to satisfy Mani, who had already become an ardent garlic aficionado.

    "If you want my help, you should at least enjoy the meal I prepare!"

    Mani personally prepared a meal for the knights who came to seek her help.

    She put a whole chicken in the pot and boiled it thoroughly.

    Up to here, it was a normal chicken dish.

    But then...

    She added ginseng brought from the east and a lot of garlic from the south and boiled it!

    "Giggle giggle..."

    Mani couldn''t help but burst into laughter at the nose-stinging smell of garlic.

    She used so much garlic that it almost overflowed from the pot!

    She added garlic as if it were potatoes!

    When the unique, bitter scent of ginseng was added, an indescribably pungent smell enveloped the area.

    If a passing farmer had smelled it, they would have clutched their nose and run away.

    The garlic smell emanating from Mani''s cabin was so horrendous that it was unbearable for the naive nostrils of northerners.

    It was the result of infuriating a wizard.

    Mani felt a tiny bit sorry for the knights.

    They wanted to catch a manticore, righteous guys.

    What did they do to deserve such an ordeal?

    But soon, she shook her head.

    She had to act up like this so the priests wouldn''t take Mani lightly.

    People who treated wizards as mere tools were utterly disgusting.

    She felt a bit sorry for the knights, but...

    She had no choice but to feed them Manis special Garlic Ginseng Chicken Soup!

    Mani boiled the soup for a long time until the smell of garlic permeated deep into the chicken.

    She expected the knights to run away just from smelling the soup.

    ...But.

    She hadn''t anticipated that among the knights would be the black-haired alien, Ian Eredith Raven.

    ---

    ---

    The wizard lived alone in a cabin in a secluded forest.

    The Elder explained about the wizard while they were heading to her house.

    "Mani Campbell is a famous herbologist."

    "Oh. A herbologist?"

    Herbology.

    The magic of handling shrubs and trees.

    Ian was aware of the existence of herbologists.

    They were eerily skilled at handling plants, yet strangely, they seldom helped with farming.

    Instead, they were proficient in various medicinal herbs and rare plant knowledge, making them capable wizards favored by the nobility.

    Well.

    What kind of wizard would be disliked by the nobility?

    "To hunt a strong monster like a manticore, a powerful poison is needed."

    Herbologists were also skilled poison masters. They knew how to combine plant toxins to create terrifying venoms.

    ''Ginseng chicken soup? It is ginseng chicken soup, right?''

    ...But let''s call it chicken soup to avoid sounding too Korean.

    It looked like ginseng chicken soup, but it was, in any case, chicken soup.

    The knights, upon seeing the chicken soup, grimaced.

    "Wizard Mani. We are already aware of your reputation as a distinguished herbologist. We think there''s no need to prove your abilities in such a manner."

    The Elder said, attempting to be diplomatic.

    In summary, he was essentially asking, ''Are you out of your mind?''

    Even if wizards take pride in their eccentricity, wasn''t this a bit too much?

    However, Mani snorted in response.

    "I don''t understand what you mean. I''m merely offering my guests my favorite food. I''ve prepared a valuable dish with crops I''ve grown with care. If you have any shame, you wouldn''t pretend not to understand."

    "..."

    "Well, if you''re not guests, then feel free to leave."

    Mani exuded the aura of a game master, adept at presenting devilish choices.

    Would they partake in the foul-smelling chicken, accepting her hospitality, or forfeit their guest status and flee with their tails between their legs?

    Either option was a severe loss for the knight order.

    ''It can''t be helped.''

    The Elder sat down at the table with a grave expression.

    It was a place where his spirit was needed.

    Once the Elder sat, the rest of the knight order hesitantly followed suit and took their seats.

    "Ke... Eat your fill!"

    Mani let out an evil laugh and took a big spoonful of the ''Garlic Ginseng Chicken Soup''.

    ''Hmm...''

    After a moment, she made a complex expression.

    Was it too sharp?

    Maybe too much garlic was added...?

    Though it should probably be called garlic soup rather than chicken soup, Mani nonetheless enjoyed her portion.

    What does it matter if the garlic was a bit excessive?

    The sight of the knights in discomfort was worth it!

    "Cough, cough!"

    "Ughhh!"

    "...Water! Get me some water!"

    As expected.

    Following Mani''s lead, the knights who tried the soup were in utter turmoil, suffering terribly.

    The result of boiling garlic as if it were potatoes was this.

    The Elder, having sensed the crisis early on, pretended to eat while actually encouraging the others.

    ''...Huh?''

    But then, something out of place caught the Elder''s eye.

    Above the table, where everyone was panicking due to the intense smell of garlic...

    One man was furiously devouring the garlic soup.

    Not furiously, but as if he had gone mad.

    The wizard.

    The act Ian Eredith Raven was performing transcended human reason and ventured into the realm of madness.

    "...You."

    Humans feel fear in the face of ignorance.

    For a brief moment, the Elder felt fear towards Ian.

    He looked at Ian as if he were a monster.

    "Are... Are you okay?"

    The Elder wanted to ask ''Is it delicious?'' but could not bring himself to shatter his worldview and common sense, so he opted for the next best question.

    Because it was impossible to think that anyone could find the broth, saturated with the smell of garlic, ''delicious''.

    The word that came out of Ian''s mouth was pure chaos and disorder, enough to shatter the Elder''s sanity.

    "F*cking..."

    "F*cking?"

    "F*cking delicious, right?"

    "..."

    The Elder had forgotten.

    Ian Eredith Raven was an outstanding wizard who could command drakes like limbs.

    He had been acting so normally up until now that it slipped his mind...

    Ian was truly a wizard.

    ''Unspeakably eccentric.''

    The Elder, along with the knight order, put down their spoons and watched Ian eat as if they were spellbound.

    The entire knight order felt a similar sense of astonishment.

    Wow. That guy. He''s insane...!

    If Ian wasn''t a wizard, this level of madness was unexplainable.

    With such madness, one could believe Ian was not a summoner of drakes, but the owner of a drake ranch.

    And it wasn''t just the knight order who was surprised.

    ''This is delicious?''

    Even Mani Campbell, who had cooked the meal herself, was shocked by Ian''s madness.

    It couldn''t possibly be delicious, right?

    While some were horrified and others sent incredulous looks...

    Ian was the most at ease at the table, happily enjoying the chicken soup.

    Wow! The taste of home after so long!

    Mani Campbell, was it?

    She might cook better than my master???

    Ian was the only one beaming, relishing the taste familiar to Koreans after so long.

 Chapter 31:

    Chapter 31:

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    Balance is always important.

    Too much is as bad as too little.

    This is an expression often used by the elderly, but the essence of that golden proverb has not faded.

    It has been passed down to modern people as the beautiful phrase "don''t overdo."

    In short, it means everything should be done in moderation.

    Even if eggs go well with mild Shin Ramyun, does it still count as ramyun if you throw in three eggs?

    That''s egg soup, not ramyun.

    The same applies to spicy chicken noodles, Sichuan spicy noodles, and cheese.

    If you add too much because it tastes good, it becomes an overdone dish.

    However, Koreans, who are suspiciously fond of things overdone, enjoyed making such dishes.

    They took pride in it, beyond mere enjoyment.

    Garlic was the victim.

    You''re making a dish and it calls for garlic?

    But what?

    The Italians just crush a clove and call it a day?

    Oh, please.

    How would that even begin to release any flavor?

    Go get some peeled garlic. Throw in about three bulbs'' worth.

    Foreigners might be horrified by these Korean dishes, but Koreans devoured them with pleasure.

    It was a tradition of a spice-loving nation, dating back to ancestors who would chew on raw garlic and mugwort.

    Thus, the wizard from another world with black hair, Ian, had no idea what was wrong with Mani Campbell''s "Garlic Ginseng Chicken Soup."

    Just a normal garlic chicken soup.

    Normal.

    It is said that in the land of the cyclops, those with two eyes are the abnormal ones.

    Likewise, a cyclops appearing in the land of the two-eyed would be considered mad by anyone''s standards.

    Mani, a fellow wizard, was horrified by Ian''s mad actions.

    "Stop, stop eating! You don''t have to eat anymore!"

    Mani understood Ian''s mentality.

    By serving a crazy dish, Ian would unleash even crazier madness, forcing Mani to surrender!

    A very wizard-like way of thinking.

    As Ian chewed on boiled garlic like a bear that had been trapped in a cave for 100 days, even Mani was taken aback.

    Mani, a plant wizard, had never seen anything like it.

    What kind of madman eats whole cloves of garlic like that!

    But contrary to Mani''s thoughts, Ian''s actions were not just for show.

    Ian was... sincerely enjoying the soft texture of the boiled garlic...!

    In fact, Ian, a hardcore Korean, could eat raw garlic as is.

    To him, a taste of something resembling Korean food for the first time in over a decade was incredibly delicious.

    As Ian continued to tear into the chicken with mashed garlic, Mani, unable to stand it any longer, yelled.

    "Stop eating?"

    "Yes. You have willpower. You''re really something else!"

    "...?"

    Ian looked puzzled but the knights were amazed.

    ''A very peculiar wizard, but...''

    ''...he''s helping us now.''

    Especially the Bord brothers, who had studied the scripture with Ian, were almost moved to tears by Ian''s self-sacrifice.

    To go to such lengths for the Santiago Knights, who were practically strangers!

    "In my 40 years as a plant wizard, I''ve never seen such a dreadful person like you."

    "What did I do..."

    Ian felt a bit wronged when he suddenly heard himself being called a "dreadful person," almost like a curse.

    Is it a sin to enjoy a meal in this town?

    Mani looked at the knights with a serious expression.

    She had no idea where this madman who enjoyed her food came from, but because of him, she had to treat them as honored guests.

    "What''s your name?"

    The atmosphere became so serious that Ian couldn''t continue his meal.

    Sadly, that was the end of the chicken soup.

    "Ian. Ian Eredith Raven."

    As soon as Ian introduced himself, Mani looked shocked.

    "What about you?"

    "Me?"

    Ian smiled awkwardly.

    Having connected the knights and Mani, Ian had done his part...

    The problem was that Mani knew Eredith.

    "If Eredith has taught you well, you should be able to do a wizard''s job. Won''t you lend your wisdom to the knights?"

    "..."

    Mani was older than Eredith but considered her a friend.

    They had been comrades during their wandering days.

    Eredith had warned Ian that a time would come when ''a wizard must do what a wizard must do.''

    Wizards, who wield mystical powers, inevitably find themselves entangled with the affairs of the world, regardless of their will.

    Mani''s offer was one such instance.

    From Ian''s perspective, there was no need to go hunting the manticore.

    He could ignore her offer, but that would make it awkward to face Eredith later on.

    It could also spread a bad reputation in wizard circles, making it difficult to receive help from other wizards in the future.

    Though wizards may act individually, in reality, they regularly hold gatherings, often led by a ''magic university.''

    It was a gathering created to protect wandering wizards and use the mysteries for righteous purposes.

    For Ian to act as a wizard in the future, it was necessary to strengthen his relationships with other wizards.

    "It can''t be helped."

    From the moment Mani personally asked for help, it was already too late to back out.

    It was too late to withdraw.

    So, it was important to hide any displeasure.

    Showing anger here would be counterproductive.

    "In fact, I wanted to witness the wickedness of the manticore with my own eyes."

    "Oh? Are you exploring the mysteries of the beast?"

    Elder added to Mani''s question.

    "This guy. Rumor has it he commands a drake."

    "A drake?"

    Mani''s eyes sparkled with interest.

    There are those in the world who explore the mysteries of beasts.

    They are called ''summoners.''

    However, not many summoners, especially at Ian''s young age, command a drake.

    Mani thought of Ian as a wizard beloved by beasts.

    Perhaps Eredith recognized his talent and nurtured it...

    "He can also command the river."

    "The river? You mean he can use water magic?"

    Elder briefly explained the events that had taken place in Riverville.

    Mani couldn''t hide her astonishment.

    If the story wasn''t exaggerated, the magic Ian succeeded in was truly difficult.

    Without the river''s love, it would have been hard to accomplish...

    "Ah. He can also summon darkness."

    "...Darkness?"

    Mani looked at Ian incredulously.

    Summoning is one thing, but he handles water magic and Dark magic as well?

    When did he explore so many mysteries, and how? Ian deliberately ignored Mani''s curiosity-filled gaze.

    He could never explain that he was scamming with a status window.

    Even if that status window was somehow related to a deity.

    ---

    ---

    "Variety in experiences is important for a wizard."

    Mani''s reason for dragging Ian into the manticore hunt was to see his magical abilities with her own eyes.

    Magic is communication with mysteries.

    A wizard always needs to be close to the mysteries they are exploring.

    But even when communicating, proper justification is always necessary.

    If you made a new friend, and they kept calling you out every day for trivial reasons, how would you feel?

    At first, you might respond, but eventually, it would become tiresome.

    The same goes for improving magical skills.

    For a wizard to grow, they need ''appropriate'' situations to use magic.

    It''s like deepening a friendship not just by meeting to hang out aimlessly but by doing various activities together like watching movies, biking, playing games.

    In the situation of ''having to hunt a manticore,'' how will Ian communicate with which mysteries and in what manner?

    Choosing the mystery to communicate with and deciding on the content of the request is solely up to the wizard''s ability.

    Observing Ian communicate with the mysteries and offering a few words of advice.

    That was all Mani hoped for.

 Chapter 32:

    Chapter 32:

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    Upon hearing the news of Ian''s joining, the Santiago Knights erupted in cheers.

    "There''s nothing to fear if brothers stand together!"

    "Let us fully unfold the will of the heavens!"

    From the perspective of the Santiago Knights, the more wizards, the better.

    It was always best to have as many cards in hand as possible.

    When the Elder smiled broadly, Ian felt slightly annoyed.

    "Elder, you knew this would happen."

    "Roughly. If you had connections with Mani, I thought you might join."

    Unable to stay angry at such an innocent expression, Ian let it go.

    In fact, it wasn''t too bad.

    The knights would fight.

    Ian and Mani only needed to use magic a few times from the back.

    Since Mani agreed to oversee Ian''s magic, it was like getting magic advice for free.

    A wizard does not need advice.

    I''m getting closer to the mysteries; why would I follow someone else''s advice?

    If you get along, you become friends.

    However, advice within the same school of magic could be helpful.

    Another mystery from the same school can be quite similar.

    It''s similar to how cats generally like Churu treats.

    There might be cats that dislike Churu (are there?), but since almost all cats like Churu, the advice "bring Churu to get close to a cat" was actually helpful.

    "Let''s rest up today, and set off as soon as day breaks tomorrow."

    Mani kindly declared that she would provide all the food and drinks for the knights.

    However, she couldn''t provide sleeping arrangements, so they had to camp in front of the cabin.

    "Since a friend''s disciple has come, I can''t just send him away. Ian, Eredith''s disciple. Is there anything you''d like to eat?"

    Mani asked kindly.

    Ian immediately replied.

    "Garlic chicken soup... I mean, soup."

    "???"

    Mani recalled the sight of Ian voraciously eating garlic chicken soup and was shocked.

    "You want to eat that?"

    "Yes. It was delicious, wasn''t it?"

    Ian''s eyes were pure and clear.

    A clear-eyed madman.

    Mani was shocked once again.

    I thought he was pretending to like it!

    That wasn''t acting?!

    ---

    ---

    The next day, the knights armed themselves and headed to the forest where the manticore was said to appear.

    They didn''t know how long it would take; they might find their prey today or tomorrow, but it could also take a week or two.

    Therefore, the knights thoroughly prepared their food and camping gear.

    "... Lucy will be waiting."

    Contrary to Ian''s worries, Lucy needed time too.

    Time for the Count to sort things out and summon mercenaries.

    There was no reason to be scolded for being a little late.

    Well, if he was late, then just leave without him!

    "It''s eerie."

    The Elder summarized the atmosphere of the forest in a word.

    It was indeed a forest so eerie that it had no equal.

    "Mani, don''t you know any detection magic?"

    Ian asked Mani just in case.

    Being a more experienced wizard, Mani might have some unique skills.

    However, Mani looked at Ian with an incredulous expression.

    "How is a plant wizard supposed to find a manticore? It''s not like it eats plants."

    "Ah, is that so?"

    "Detection would be something you''re much better at than me. Aren''t you a summoner?"

    Ian shrugged his shoulders.

    Thanks to a certain drake, summoning had indeed become Ian''s best magic.

    "Caw! Caw!"

    Just then, Oberon flapped his wings and cried out.

    "Damn it. You''re shedding feathers. You crazy bird."

    [Sorry! Master! But this place is seriously scary!]

    "...?"

    Ian stared blankly at Oberon.

    But this guy.

    His wings have healed, so why isn''t he returning to the wild?

    "Why am I your master?"

    [Aww, why be like that! It''s you and me, Master!]

    What is this.

    Ian looked at Oberon disapprovingly, but Oberon shamelessly ignored Ian''s glare.

    How could a person possibly converse with birds?

    Yet, Ian did just that.

    It was the power of magic.

    ''Really an amazing young man.''

    The Elder looked at Ian and smiled contentedly.

    In his youth, nearly all the wizards he met on the battlefield were detestable.

    If they were enemies, their strange tricks were annoying, and if they were allies, their disregard for cooperation was frustrating.

    Wizards were peculiar beings.

    While a few only pretend to be eccentric, in truth, many who are genuinely eccentric become wizards.

    Spending more time with the mysteries than with humans, they often forget human social norms.

    But this young wizard, Ian Eredith Raven, was different from any wizard the Elder had known.

    He was capable but modest, a wizard who knew humility and manners.

    Wizards know they are special.

    Thats why they tend to show off.

    The fact that they are genuinely talented, not just pretending, was what made them so annoying.

    Wizards like Ian, who say ''my magic is nothing special~'' were extremely rare.

    Did he say his master was Eredith?

    The Elder had never met Eredith but thought they must be a fine wizard with good character.

    "Your achievements are truly astonishing. It took me over ten years of studying the mysteries of plants before I could hear the whispers of seedlings in my garden. Yet, you''ve managed to communicate with birds in less than a year of becoming a wizard."

    "Thank you for saying so."

    Mani smiled at Ian''s humble response.

    Among wizards, there was no need to flaunt eccentricity.

    That was a principle that only worked on the nobility.

    Among fellow wizards, courtesy and respect were much more important.

    And Ian''s modesty was exactly to Mani''s liking.

    Mani expressed her feelings with the highest praise she could offer.

    "Eredith would be proud of this."

    Ian smiled awkwardly.

    It was just a chat with the birds. Why is everyone making such a fuss?

    "Anyway... the manticore has hidden itself towards the northern edge. I dont know the exact location yet, but when daylight comes, my new bird friends here will fly out and find the manticore for us."

    Ian''s new bird friends (?) chirped in response.

    "Having a wizard with us really is reassuring."

    "If we had come here on our own, imagine the trouble wed have had..."

    The next day.

    After paying the birds their daily wage in food, Ian deployed them to search for the manticore.

    Oberon, self-appointed work supervisor, led the birds to trace the manticore''s tracks.

    The result came quickly.

    [Master! Found it! Its the manticore!]

    "Oberon has found the manticore. Lets get moving."

    The knights, conserving their energy at the campsite, started moving, following Ian as their guide.

    As they approached the manticores hiding place, Ian felt a chilling murderous intent.

    Such was the intensity that even without the birds'' help, this murderous intent alone would have surely led them to the manticore.

    "Ian."

    The Elder spoke, his expression much more serious than usual.

    "From now on, do not stray from my side. The same goes for you, Mani."

    "Understood."

    Wizards were weak in close combat.

    This is common knowledge to anyone who has played a JRPG.

    This peculiar ''common knowledge'' that originated from Japan also applied to the wizards of this medieval fantasy world because they did not train in combat.

    But that was only natural.

    It would be stranger if someone who earned a Ph.D. in Korean Literature and became a university professor knew how to fight.

    Of course, there was the tiny benefit of being able to physically discipline students who disputed their grades if one practiced martial arts.

    Generally, it was more advantageous to spend that time studying to reach higher levels of mastery.

    "But Elder,"

    Ian said.

    "If the manticore is a monster... perhaps I could persuade it somehow?"

    The Elder looked unsure, while Mani thought it was impossible.

    "Ian, I understand you''re an excellent summoner, but a manticore is not something that can be persuaded with words."

    "But Mani doesn''t know much about summoning magic."

    "... I may not know summoning magic, but I know what the mysteries are! You little sh*t! Are you treating me like some old fool?"

    Mani might have specialized in a different field, but she was proficient in plant magic.

    Magic essentially manifests through dialogue with the mysteries.

    And in this world... there are plenty of beings who speak the same human language yet cannot communicate at all.

    The manticore was such a being.

    "If by some chance you manage to persuade the manticore, I''ll immediately report it to Eredith."

    "...?"

    Ian didn''t understand what Mani was talking about.

    However, his question was answered after they met it.

    ---

    [1. uh well I only know of one Faker and I don''t know anything about LoL... So uhh dunno anything about this reference, sorry!]

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 Chapter 33:

    Chapter 33:

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    "He''s looking at us."

    The Santiago Knights primarily armed themselves with axes, hammers, and bows.

    They had left their usual swords at the temple.

    Swords were fine against humans but weak against monsters.

    How could one expect to fight 3-meter, 4-meter tall monsters with swords that snap like toothpicks?

    Against a lich, longbows and spears were far better.

    "I''ll cast a spell now. Everyone, apply poison."

    The knights coated their weapons with plant oil given by Mani.

    As Mani chanted something in Maronius, the oil soon transformed into a potent poison.

    The knights watched the darkness, tense.

    Despite it being broad daylight, the forest was gloomy.

    The manticore, hidden among the trees and shadows, was difficult to spot.

    But there were two wizards on this side.

    "East! Next to the big rock! By the twisted black oak, there it is!"

    "...What''s a black oak?"

    "Study some trees, you ignoramuses!"

    They might not know what a black oak was, but they understood what a twisted tree meant.

    A knight fired an arrow into the darkness.

    Ian, who could see through the darkness, watched precisely where the arrow flew.

    "It hit but was deflected!"

    "!"

    Animal hides are thick.

    The physical composition of an animal is hide fat flesh bone.

    And the part that gets hurt is mostly the hide.

    The hide thickens especially in wild animals, and for large ones like elephants, the hide alone can exceed 30cm in thickness (which is why ordinary guns can''t kill elephants).

    If real-world ''monsters'' like elephants have such thick hides, deflecting an arrow was hardly a feat for a fantasy world monster like a manticore.

    Grrrr...

    The manticore growled.

    The chilling sound of its growl was like a mad old man chuckling with a sinister laugh.

    Ian loudly chanted in Maronius.

    "[O Lord Manticore!]"

    A tense atmosphere filled the air as if walking on thin ice.

    Eventually, the manticore responded to Ian''s call.

    [Oh ho. A human speaks to me. Interesting.]

    As Ian attempted to converse with the manticore, the knights took the opportunity to catch their breath and form up.

    If Ian could persuade the manticore, they might be able to drive off the monster without any harm.

    Honestly, Elder harbored a bit of hope for this outcome.

    "It would be good if things go well."

    But Mani knew it was absolutely impossible.

    "Ian will fail."

    "Why?"

    Mani chuckled.

    She, too, planned to prepare a new spell while Ian was buying time.

    "He''s too kind and polite."

    "...? And that''s a reason for failure?"

    "You''re not a wizard, so you wouldn''t know."

    Just because one speaks the same language doesn''t mean they''ll understand each other.

    This is common sense and truth.

    After all, even in Korea, where everyone speaks Korean, there are plenty of Koreans who don''t understand each other.

    "[I''m glad you understand me. I am the wizard Ian.]"

    Ian began with a friendly greeting, recalling the time he had persuaded Drake Longtail.

    It was a perfectly reasonable approach.

    It would have been a sufficiently effective opening if the other party had been anyone but a manticore.

    "F*ck off. Eat sh*t. F*cking human scum."

    "...?"

    [Oh! How fascinating. You understood what I said, didn''t you?]

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    What? What''s with this crazy f*cker?

    Insulting out of nowhere?

    "[I understood all of the Lord''s insults.]"

    [Oh. Really? How was it? My cursing?]

    "[It was savory.]"

    Despite being Korean, Ian couldn''t understand why he used the term ''savory'' to describe swearing.

    What, did it smell like soybean paste?

    That would imply it was somewhat shitty, though.

    However, Ian''s response was positively received by the manticore.

    [You liked listening to my cursing? Are you a f*cking idiot? You like being cursed at? Got no pride? What a loser.]

    "[That''s not what I meant, Lord Manticore...]"

    [Still going on with ''Lord'' this and ''Lord'' that. You an orphan with no parents?]

    "..."

    Grrrrrr.

    The manticore made a growling sound.

    I created the bean sprout wall, but what happens next is not my problem!

    And this was the average for wizards of this era.

    Mani wasn''t particularly out of the ordinary.

    "We must go and help."

    As Elder moved, Ian joined him.

    "I''ll come along too."

    Elder was somewhat pleased that Ian volunteered to follow.

    He had been worried Ian might have lost his motivation after failing to persuade the manticore.

    But contrary to Elder''s concerns, Ian''s fighting spirit was burning fiercely.

    ''That motherf*cker.''

    The manticore that had spat all sorts of f*cked-up curses at Ian.

    Now knowing the damn thing was a piece of evil sh*t, Ian felt he wouldn''t be able to sleep without ripping its tongue out.

    Unlike the two able-bodied men, Mani strolled leisurely as if on a walk.

    So, she was a bit surprised upon arriving beyond the bean sprout wall.

    "Ugh...!"

    "Take deep breaths. Relax your body."

    In that place, marked by intense battle, several knights were rolling on the ground, severely injured.

    Some had arms and legs broken and twisted, others were poisoned by toxic spikes.

    "This is bad."

    Elder closed his eyes, feeling guilty.

    The manticore was a formidable enemy.

    After all, its body was that of a lion.

    Just like in certain peninsular countries in the East, where the appearance of a single tiger would cause a state of emergency, the monsters of this era were beings too overwhelming for human bodies to contend with.

    Let alone facing a manticore with over 3 meters of bulk, tremendous strength, and a venomous tail, it was impossible for an ordinary human''s physique to match.

    Elder felt he should have fought alongside the knights...

    "Quick, take the antidote!"

    Mani busily distributed medicine, prioritizing the antidote for those in immediate danger.

    "..."

    Mani stopped in front of one of the injured.

    It was Dehitri.

    With his belly ripped open, his intestines exposed, he was slowly dying.

    The uninjured knights all gathered around Dehitri.

    "Brother..."

    To Mani, and to the knights, Dehitri was beyond hope.

    The manticore had torn through Dehitri''s chainmail armor, and the torn pieces of metal had penetrated deep into his body.

    Dehitri weakly opened his eyes.

    "Pray..."

    The knights joined hands, forming a circle.

    It was a ceremony of Heaven''s Faith.

    As followers of Heaven''s Faith, they sought to send the soul to heaven according to its precepts.

    Then, Ian abruptly grabbed Dehitri''s hand.

    "Ian...?"

    "Dehitri. When you taught me the scriptures, you said, didn''t you? That if one truly believes and prays, the heavens will open."

    Dehitri smiled faintly.

    "Yes..."

    Ian said with a determined expression.

    "Let''s pray together."

    Ian felt f*cking terrible.

    He never imagined he''d witness someone''s death this closely, especially someone he had grown quite close to.

    It was the weakness of a modern person.

    This was neither a world where peace was the norm nor one with advanced medical technology.

    It was a medieval fantasy world where monsters and wars overflowed, becoming almost routine.

    Death, once a subject matter for movies and dramas, was now close enough to be clearly witnessed with his own eyes.

    Ian hated this changed proximity.

    "Almighty Lord of Heaven."

    Yes. The Middle Ages suck.

    [Yes, Ian. Your Lord of Heaven is here.]

    "...?"

    "Ian. You need to keep praying, right?"

    But fantasy...

    Isn''t as sh*tty as one might think.

    "[Lord of Heaven. Your die-hard fan is dying here, can''t you do something?]"

    [Hmm. If Ian wishes so. Shall we give it a try?]

    At that moment, the knights were astounded.

    Elder and Mani too.

    They couldn''t close their gaping mouths.

    "Ian?"

    "What in the world..."

    This was because a brilliant celestial light was pouring from Ian''s hand.

    It was the radiance of a God.

    ---

    [1. raei: Krauser II seems to be a character in the manga ''Detroit Metal City'']

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    Chapter 34:

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    Dehitri had a dream.

    Under the brilliant sun, he opened his eyes in a palace above the clouds.

    Having read the holy scriptures as regularly as eating, Dehitri realized that this place was the afterlife of Heaven''s Faith, ''Heaven''.

    "So, I am dead."

    He felt proud.

    Indeed, there was merit in serving God with a pure heart.

    It was regrettable that he hadn''t caught the manticore.

    But wasn''t it because of his brothers'' care that he had reached Heaven?

    Now, he just had to wait for the angels blowing trumpets...

    Then, someone appeared before Dehitri.

    "A woman?"

    She was a beauty beyond words, like an exquisite piece of art.

    Overwhelmed by her beauty, Dehitri instinctively knelt.

    "My lord."

    The woman smiled faintly.

    Dehitri had guessed correctly.

    She was the lord of Heaven''s Faith.

    "I am pleased to see you in person, Dehitri. However, this place is not yet where you belong."

    "...Pardon?"

    Dehitri was confused by the goddess''s words.

    "Didn''t you call for me, my lord?"

    "What are you talking about? Who died because of a manticore''s claw piercing their belly? So, you''re saying I sent the manticore to kill you?"

    "???"

    Dehitri did not fully understand the goddess''s words.

    Literally, it was impossible for him to understand.

    It was like a dream or recalling a distant memory; the goddess''s language did not fully reach Dehitri.

    She was the greatest mystery of the universe itself.

    Therefore, Dehitri selectively remembered her somewhat inappropriate, casual tone of speech.

    "I am not taking you in."

    "But my lord!"

    "Your time has not yet come, my child. There is much left for you to do."

    "Left for me to do?"

    "Spread my will far and wide. Help the weak, perform good deeds. And..."

    The goddess said with a transcendentally beautiful smile.

    "Support my apostle, Ian, with all your might."

    "Ian...? Are you talking about the wizard Ian?"

    "Yes. That is what your goddess desires."

    Dehitri''s consciousness gradually faded.

    ...

    When he opened his eyes.

    "You''re awake!"

    "Brother! Are you conscious?"

    Many knights surrounded him, alternating between prayers and tears.

    Among them.

    A young wizard, covered in sweat, said with a grateful smile.

    "How does it feel to come back from the dead?"

    ''Ian...!''

    Upon seeing Ian, Dehitri realized.

    The great lord of the heavens had sent the wizard Ian to save him...!

    Dehitri eagerly grabbed Ian''s hand.

    Caught off guard by suddenly being grabbed by a man, Ian was startled and panicked.

    "Oh, why would you do something that would send you to hell...!"

    But to Dehitri, whose eyes had rolled back, nothing else was visible.

    In fact, Ian was the only one who minded such things.

    After everyone witnessed the miracle performed by Ian.

    "Wizard Ian! You! By the command of the great one, you have saved me!"

    Ian smiled awkwardly.

    Well, he couldn''t deny it.

    The reason Ian could use holy magic was that the goddess of Heaven''s Faith had lent him her power.

    So, he just agreed.

    "Yes. She said that Dehitri has much to do and must be saved."

    "!!!"

    Dehitri was shocked.

    Ian''s words matched exactly with what the goddess had said!

    Though it was actually a result of Ian''s rough improvisation, Dehitri would never believe that.

    This was a clear revelation from God.

    Dehitri tried to get up and kneel.

    Everyone stopped him, fearing his intestines, which Ian had barely kept in, might pop out again.

    "Wizard Ian! You are an apostle sent by God!"

    "... Pardon?"

    "A humble servant meets the apostle!"

    Others, including Ian, were puzzled by Dehitri''s declaration.

    Suddenly an apostle of God?

    Everyone knew Ian had performed an amazing miracle, but calling him an apostle of God for just that seemed insufficient.

    That''s how divine magic worked.

    No, that''s how magic itself worked.

    If the divine powers lent a lot of their strength, an outstanding result was produced, and without it, there''s no gain at all, whether it was magic or divine magic.

    Ian''s divine magic was indeed exceptional, but... that might have been largely because the recipient was Dehitri.

    Gods were perceptive, showing more zeal in healing their own followers.

    In other words, it was a result of a combination of Ian''s divine magic and Dehitri''s faith.

    To exchange the lives of his father and those farmers...?

    "You''re not a fool who can''t do math, are you? Ten humans versus one human. Which side will you choose to save?"

    The manticore''s words were lies from start to finish.

    No matter what choice the young man made, all the farmers would die.

    There was never any intention to spare them.

    It just wanted to watch humans struggle, suffer, and die in agony.

    However, humans driven to the edge lose their judgment and become desperate.

    "What are you doing! John! Just do what the monster says!"

    "Shut your mouth! You f*cking idiot! You believe what the monster says?"

    "Who are you calling an idiot! So, we should all just die here together?"

    Humans raised their voices and argued among themselves, not hesitating to hurt and blame one another.

    The manticore laughed uproariously at the scene.

    Yes, manticores were troublemakers.

    An embodiment of chaos, a joker without makeup, and someone who loved grandmothers.

    The stress from being beaten by the knights was instantly relieved, and the manticore felt good.

    "Do you think I would heed the enemy''s words!"

    So when some young man swung his rake, it didn''t really spoil its mood.

    It would have been pleased if the young man had actually killed his father, but since he was smarter than expected, it couldn''t be helped.

    "Is that so? Then die!"

    The manticore swung its forelimb with a laugh.

    Just then.

    Whoosh!

    "Aaaargh!"

    An arrow flew from the forest, piercing the manticore''s eye precisely.

    Elder, having thrown his bow and rushed out, struck the manticore''s forelimb with his longsword.

    "Santiago Knights! Prepare for battle!"

    The knights quickly surrounded the manticore.

    Only then did the manticore realize it had been too complacent.

    "You filthy bastards! Do you want to die!"

    The manticore contorted its face and roared, trying to intimidate its enemies.

    But the adversary was a group bound tightly by faith and conviction.

    "In the name of the heavens! We have come to condemn you, you vile monster!"

    "I will sever your head and offer it under the glorious sun!"

    "Argh! Get lost! Disappear from my sight!"

    The knight order persistently maintained their encirclement.

    Those close to the manticore would retreat, while those further away advanced.

    Proving their long history of hunting monsters, the knights coordinated their movements fluidly like water.

    Meanwhile, Ian annoyed the manticore from a distance with his babbling, scratching at its nerves.

    "Idiot. What difference does it make if you just babble with your mouth?"

    "Shut up! Wizard!"

    In fact... this was all a wizard could do.

    Wizards were essentially known for their big mouths.

    But if a few words could manipulate the opponent''s emotions, couldn''t that also be considered magic?

    "So what can you actually do? Besides threatening to make me disappear, what can you do?"

    "I''ll chew your head off thoroughly...!"

    "Uh-huh. Can''t chew, can you? Can''t break the encirclement, can you? You''re destined to die here, aren''t you?"

    "Argh!"

    As Ian distracted the manticore and the knights maneuvered... the plan progressed.

    The knights led the manticore to a wheat field (not where a wife awaits)[1]. In the field, freshly sown wheat seeds were just beginning to sprout.

    And here, there was an experienced plant wizard.

    "[Children of the green! Grow!]"

    As Mani chanted, the sprouts grew at a terrifying pace, entangling the manticore''s limbs.

    "This petty trick!"

    The manticore exploded in rage but couldn''t easily escape nature''s net.

    Grass was inherently tough.

    Living grass was even tougher.

    That''s why soldiers call the persistently growing weeds the green monster.

    "Hah! Try to break free if you can, you monster!"

    Mani confidently shouted.

    The manticore couldn''t break free from the net of wheat stalks.

    Mani''s plant poison had already sapped much of the manticore''s strength.

    It was a death sentence.

    "Now! Brothers!"

    The knight order pulled gourds from their bosoms and threw them.

    Inside the gourds was tree sap distributed by Mani.

    It was the sap that served as material for fire arrows.

    "Ian Eredith! It''s your turn!"

    Eredith, renowned as a fire wizard, had taught her disciple how to wield the mystery of fire.

    Fire magic is notoriously difficult to get started with, but Ian cheated his way through that part.

    Ian flicked his fingers towards the manticore.

    A classic move for a fire wizard.

    The weather was clear today, and the mystery of fire joyfully danced across the field.

    It was a perfect day for fire magic.

    "[Flames! Ignite!]"

    The low ignition point tree sap burst into flames.

    Covered in sticky sap, the manticore trapped in the green net, blazed fiercely.

    Burning at the stake.

    A fitting punishment for a monster that harmed humans.

    ---

    [1. raei: Interestingly, there is another popular novelpia novel called ''My Wife Waited in the Wheat Fields.'' Though I don''t know if this sentence is a reference to that novel or just something from KR in general.]

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    Ian yawned widely as he watched the manticore''s body burn to ashes.

    No matter how big the monster was, it couldn''t resist the fire and died.

    Its muscles melted away, and its respiratory system was destroyed, leaving it powerless.

    "Let''s all be careful with fire, as it''s such a dangerous thing."

    "Ah! Thank you! My lords!"

    The knights busied themselves taking care of the farmers.

    The farmers, who had been as good as dead, shed tears of gratitude.

    Mani also did her part by neutralizing the manticore''s poison.

    There were farmers who were neighbors of Mani, so they did not skimp on their thanks.

    But... no one approached Ian.

    Except for one person.

    "Um... Thank you for your help, wizard."

    "...Ah. Yeah. Whatever."

    However, Ian, being an INFP[1], did not enjoy being approached by this stranger.

    Seeing Ian''s indifferent response, the farmer became scared.

    Honestly, Ian''s appearance was now unmistakably that of a wizard.

    His suspicious staff and the crow perched on his shoulder said as much.Updated from

    And what about his crow-black hair!

    "Ah. Oberon. Get down, you''re heavy."

    "[How rude! How can you say something like that about a delicate bird like me!]"

    "Delicate my ass. You''re as big as a chicken."

    ...And then there was this bizarre sight of him talking with the crow!

    The farmer quickly left, fearing Ian''s displeasure before he burned him just like he did the manticore.

    For that reason, Ian did not receive the farmers'' gratitude.

    But he did not care at all.

    He hadn''t done this to receive thanks in the first place.

    "Well done, Ian."

    "Ah. I didn''t do anything. The Elder worked much harder."

    Ian grinned as the Elder spoke.

    Knowing that physical labor was the duty of the knights, Ian, who literally sat around and reaped the benefits, felt intoxicated with the sweetness of being a wizard.

    Damn.

    Learning was a b*tch, but once you''ve learned, wasn''t it just sweet?

    Everybody, become a wizard.

    Do it twice.

    "If you hadn''t helped, we would still be wandering around looking for the manticore."

    The Elder bowed his head.

    Ian jumped up, startled.

    Coming from a Confucian city where respect for elders was paramount, he was not used to seeing an old man bow before him.

    "I, I just followed because Mani told me to."

    "Heh. If you say so, it must be true."

    The Elder smiled pleasantly, looking at the wizard who was fumbling in front of him.

    Wizard and humility were words that did not go together at all.

    But just as unicorns exist, so did humble wizards.

    Ian was exactly that kind of humble wizard.

    Incredible talent and humble character...

    Both were points that would win over the nobility.

    ''This one will become a great person in the future.''

    The Elder was convinced that Ian would become a famous wizard in the future.

    If he met a good lord, he could become a power on par with the great nobility.

    "Now that things have gone well, why not stay in the village tonight? The Count will likely send someone soon."

    The Santiago Knights and the two wizards stayed in a nearby farmer''s village.

    As the Elder had predicted, a messenger from the Count came to verify the manticore''s corpse.

    "The Count has ordered that the distinguished guests be brought to the castle!"

    "Heh. Since he specifically asked for us, we have no choice but to go."

    Ian and his companions headed to the Count''s castle.

    The Count, along with his vassals, priests, and... Lucy Talian, had come out to greet Ian and his party.

    "Welcome! Brave warriors!"

    Count Catina welcomed the party with a generous smile.

    ---

    ---

    To celebrate the successful hunt of the monster, the Count threw a large banquet.

    Servants sweated as they grilled a whole pig barbecue, and the knights laughed and chatted as they indulged in alcohol and meat.

    The atmosphere of the banquet was naturally good.

    First, Count Catina.

    The Count had managed to deal with the monster that could have been a headache for his domain for almost no cost.

    Considering the hunters he had sent before had failed, this was a significant achievement.

    Then, the priests of the domain.

    They were the ones who had recommended the Santiago Knights, so their shoulders were raised high.

    They were happy because they had saved the Count''s purse and caught the monster.

    Lastly, the Santiago Knights.

    Having risked their lives to catch the monster, they were due for a corresponding reward.

    How exhilarated they must be.

    "By the heavens, to stand against a monster! What righteous people they are! Hahaha!"

    "You flatter us, Count!"

    Is magic a joke to you?

    Just because I''m chatting with a crow, does summoning seem trivial?

    If Ian were to show proper magic now...

    ''No, why should I?''

    Suddenly, that thought occurred to him.

    Indeed, why should Ian perform like a jester in front of the Count?

    Ian had nothing to lose!

    After all, Ian was going to get his compensation from Lucy and go on his way.

    Lucy was the only person Ian needed to concern himself with.

    "Ah. I see."

    He wasn''t keen on using magic to become a spectacle like a zoo monkey.

    So, Ian stood up.

    "I understand that my skills seem insignificant to you. Since I have no more tricks to show, I will take my leave now."

    "...?"

    Ian''s sudden action confused everyone in the banquet hall.

    The most startled were the Count and his vassals, who had pressured Ian.

    "Oh, no! Wizard!"

    But the damage was done.

    When Ian made a move to leave the banquet, the first to react was Wizard Mani.

    "I can''t stand this anymore!"

    Boom!

    "My skills are also insignificant, so I too will return to the forest!"

    "Why are you acting like this!"

    "If you despise the humble skills of a wizard, how can I stay in this land!"

    Mani stood up abruptly and yelled with a clear voice.

    Ian tilted his head in confusion, watching her.

    ''Why is she doing that?''

    While it made sense for Ian to stand up after his magic was belittled, he didn''t quite understand why Mani had risen.

    But this was a tradition among wizards.

    When a wizard was disrespected, they all stood up together to protest in a beautiful tradition of solidarity!

    ''How dare these people disrespect a disciple of Eredith?''

    In Mani''s mind, her opinion of the Count had already dropped a notch.

    "Count. Your words were too harsh."

    Elder glared at the Count and spoke.

    For a mere former mercenary to glare at a Count was unthinkable, but Elder emitted such a powerful aura that he made the impossible possible.

    An aura that clearly did not belong to an ordinary person!

    "If it weren''t for Ian''s magic, hunting the manticore would have been impossible. Was it really necessary to speak so harshly?"

    Finally, the Bord brothers from the knightly order stood up and spoke.

    "Ian''s magic is by no means insignificant. He healed my wounds with the power of the heavens. This proves that Ian possesses a deep understanding of the heavens'' will and profound knowledge and faith."

    The priests were taken aback by Dehitri''s statement.

    "Are you saying Wizard Ian is also a cleric?"

    Then, the Santiago Knights hurried to testify about Ian''s divine magic.

    How diligently he studied the scriptures, how attentively he listened to the word of the heavens, how he performed miracles, and so on...

    At this, the priests completely changed their stance.

    "Ahem... Perhaps we have offended someone who has studied the will of the heavens..."

    Although priests and wizards usually don''t get along, Ian was an exception.

    He had studied the scriptures and based on that knowledge, witnessed the mystery of ''divinity''!

    Count Catina realized the seriousness of the situation and his face turned pale.

    ''F*ck...!''

    The Count had not anticipated that a wizard would be the first to call off the ''Calling a Wizard''.

    He was filled with regret too late.

    How much did the Count''s attitude have to displease him for the wizard to give up on the calling first!

    The Count painfully realized his blunder.

    Damn, I should have just kept it to the first verse!

    Count Catina looked at Ian, hoping to mend the situation.

    There are two ways to handle a mistake: apologize or commit suicide.

    With the internet overflowing with people choosing the latter, a misguided notion has spread that ''Ah, it''s better to die than to apologize!''... but.

    This was still a medieval fantasy world where common sense hadn''t died yet.

    Being a Count, Catina knew how to bow his head for political gain if necessary.

    "Wizard Ian! It was my fault! It was all due to my foolish mistake, please, calm your anger and forgive me!"

    The Count bent at a 90-degree angle.

    It was quite remarkable, in several ways, that a person, not a flip phone, could bend like that.

    Seeing the Count bending over backward, Ian couldn''t just ignore it.

    "Alright, get up now."

    "But...!"

    "If you don''t get up in 3 seconds, I''m just going home, okay?"

    As the Count lifted his head, Ian slowly sat back down.

    Only then did the Count breathe a sigh of relief.

    Sacrificed his dignity... to change the future...!

    With the ''Calling a Wizard'' somewhat resolved, the banquet continued.

    Throughout the banquet, the Count and his vassals watched Ian with tense expressions, thinking...

    The whims of a wizard were terrifying indeed...

    ---

    [1. raei: I think I did a note on this before, but just in case, INFP is one of the sixteen personality types outlined in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Dude is introverted.]

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    Chapter 36:

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    The banquet continued for several days.

    The knights ate and drank to their heart''s content until they could no more.

    Eating a lot was a virtue among medieval knights.

    Just as a wizard''s reputation increased with their eccentricity, knights were also held in higher esteem the more they ate.

    The reasoning was... simplistically medieval.

    Eating a lot = being strong.

    Roughly, that was the logic.

    By such logic, food fighters like Tzuyang[1] would be nothing less than Herculean strongmen, reincarnations of Hercules himself...

    But without delving into that comparison, the common image was simply that strong men eat a lot.

    It''s something you just get the feel of, right?

    Hence, knights devoured food as if to showcase their physical prowess.

    Wow! To think someone ate an entire pig by themselves!

    How strong must that person be!

    That was the general sentiment.

    Ian, too, in his quest to cosplay as an eccentric wizard, saw no reason why the knights couldn''t cosplay as gluttons.

    "The Lungen brothers have decided to stay by the count''s side."

    Throughout the several days of the banquet, the count had gently persuaded the Santiago Knights.

    The Santiago Knights are a chivalric order of the capital.

    It means they are knights affiliated with the monastic order.

    To become a knight of the order, one must join the monastic order and, upon proving their worth, be awarded arms.

    This process was supposed to be stringent but often, due to various reasons, if one had the skills, their admission was somewhat expedited.

    If you''re good in combat, even if your faith is lacking, they''d readily knight you.

    And the monastic order... in principle, allowed free withdrawal.

    While entry followed a procedure, most often, withdrawal didn''t require an explanation.

    Leaving the order was referred to as "returning to secular life."

    Knights like those of the Santiago Order often "returned to secular life" upon finding a noble lord.

    In fact, there were a few who from the start, became knights of the order to build their reputation.

    They made their names hunting monsters, then pledged loyalty to a fitting lord to become secular knights.

    From the monastic order''s perspective, this was clearly a loss of force.

    But... what could the monastic order do about it?

    Simply put, the monastic order was like a club.

    Like a hiking club or a cycling club. Just because a member doesn''t show up doesn''t mean the club can do anything about it.

    If they disliked the loss of force, they wouldn''t have let them roam the continent in the first place.

    Thinking of it as receiving compensation for hunting beasts in the name of God without a penny was more comfortable.

    Even when hearing about the Lungen brothers leaving the Santiago Knights, the other knights remained calm.

    "Actually, I''ve also decided to join forces with the Lungen brothers."

    "Not a bad choice. Count Catina seems generous and broad-minded."

    Just as a lord assesses their vassals, vassals also assess their lord.

    The relationship between a lord and a knight was contractual for this reason.

    Therefore, for a lord, generosity and magnanimity were important virtues.

    It''s not for no reason that the guy with big ears in the Three Kingdoms[2] roamed around cosplaying as a man of character.

    To attract more followers, Count Catina was willing to do whatever it took.

    He summoned each knight individually, offering them generous rewards for their manticore hunt.

    Of course, this was bait to entice the knights to switch allegiances.

    The knights who took the bait became new vassals of Count Catina.

    The wizard Mani also received a satisfactory reward.

    She secured a promise from the count that she would not be interfered with by the clergy for some time.

    She would continue to live quietly, cultivating crops in the forest as usual.

    Ian, too, was gifted with riches and treasures.

    Among them, what stood out was a scroll adorned with gold.

    "How do you like it? Does it please you?"

    Count Catina, seeing Ian intently examining the scroll, smiled inwardly with satisfaction.

    This was among the real treasures in the count''s collection, an incredibly expensive item that could buy a whole village if sold!

    Why so expensive?

    Because it was a magic scroll, a high-quality one made by the wizards of the ancient Golden Empire intended for royal tribute.

    ''He''s enraptured.''

    The count thought Ian was utterly captivated by the gift of the scroll.

    Of course! How expensive and precious it was!

    ...However, contrary to the count''s expectations, Ian felt only pure academic curiosity.

    "This is..."

    The count knew only that this scroll was from the era of the Golden Empire.

    But Ian, being a wizard, saw more.

    ''It''s written in Maronius.''

    The scroll detailed a plea to the wind, a large-scale wind-summoning scroll.

    Ian admired the working principle of the magic scroll.

    He wasn''t sure about the wolf part, but he could see the white, especially in his hair.

    "Haha. There''s no need to remember the name of an old man like me."

    Ian nudged Lucy slightly.

    "The White Wolf? Who''s that?"

    "You don''t know the White Wolf Brotherhood?"

    Lucy looked at Ian as if he were someone who had been holed up studying in the mountains... then realized that was indeed the case for Ian.

    Right. A wizard might not know.

    "That man is a famous ''Sword Master''."

    "...What?"

    Ian was taken aback. He had often heard the term "Sword Master."

    Wow!

    Sword Masters!

    Slicing through the air with their swords, fighting dragons with aura blades!

    ... Of course, that was not the case.

    That was a story from old fantasy novels.

    The ''Sword Master'' Lucy referred to was a title.

    "Back in the day, during the wars of Emperor Shakraine the First with the feudal lords, the mercenary group that served directly under the emperor was the White Wolf Brotherhood."

    Therefore, the nickname for the White Wolf Brotherhood was the Imperial Army.

    The relationship that started 50 years ago continues to this day, and the White Wolf Brotherhood still pledges allegiance only to the emperor.

    "The emperor bestowed the honorable title of ''Sword Master'' to the leader of the White Wolf Brotherhood."

    Lucy pointed at Salvador.

    "... This man is the former leader of the White Wolf Brotherhood, Sword Master Salvador."

    Lucy felt an indescribable aura emanating from Salvador.

    A figure worthy of being called a living legend, that''s Sword Master Salvador.

    He helped the emperor win numerous wars and climbed to the emperor''s side with just a sword.

    Yet, he threw away all he had achieved to wander the continent aiding knights for the sake of humanity.

    Even nobles from remote areas like Lucy knew his name, showing how famous Salvador was within the empire.

    That''s why Salvador had concealed his identity.

    Naturally, there was no TV or radio in these times.

    All stories were passed down orally, moving from mouth to mouth in the form of old tales.

    Lucy grew up listening to the heroic tales of the empire told by her nanny.

    So, for Lucy, Salvador was as if a character from superhero movies had jumped out right in front of her.

    "Hmm. I see."

    ...But for Ian, the story held no excitement.

    To a modern person reincarnated in another world, what does it matter if a hero from this world stood before them?

    To Ian, Salvador was just a remarkably healthy old man.

    A seriously healthy one.

    However, Ian''s nonchalant attitude was exactly what Salvador liked.

    "I thought you wouldn''t be bothered."

    "Sorry? About what?"

    "Haha. Just that."

    Salvador had seen too many fools who recklessly sought to elevate their reputation by challenging him.

    ''I beat the Sword Master lol'' idiots who threw their lives away for the sake of that one sentence!

    That''s why Salvador deliberately hid his identity.

    It wasn''t because he wanted to play some power-hiding game.

    To Salvador, who was tired of dealing with such fools, Ian''s straightforward reaction was truly refreshing.

    Indeed, a smart wizard is better than stupid knights!

    "When you come to Triphalos Island, I''ll introduce you to some mysteries that might interest you."

    "Oh? Like what?"

    "Haha. If I told you, wouldn''t it spoil the interest?"

    Ian thought to himself that not telling might make him too frustrated to visit... but wizards typically have a very strong innate curiosity.

    Being creatures of such strong curiosity that they''d rather die than suppress it, Salvador was confident Ian would come to Triphalos Island.

    In reality, Ian was more curious about what the south of the empire was like than about the mysteries themselves, thinking of visiting as a tourist.

    "Well then... we''ll be off."

    With their farewells exchanged, the Santiago Knights slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.

    Ian waved energetically at the knights and Salvador until the very end.

    Dehitri, who had stayed by Ian''s side until the last moment, said,

    "Ian, you are undoubtedly an apostle called by God. I will report every miracle I''ve witnessed to the order without omission, so please make sure to visit the order."

    ''Not this again...''

    Dehitri had seen something at the brink of death, but no one knew what it was.

    Ian wasn''t too pleased with Dehitri''s nonsensical talk, but he had no intention of reprimanding him.

    After all, Ian knew very well what ''mystery'' Dehitri had experienced.

    ---

    [1. raei: Tzuyang is a South Korean YouTube vlogger known for her mukbang videos]

    [2. raei: The historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms described Liu Bei as someone with ears so large he could see them.]

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 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

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    As Ian released a flock of birds to follow the manticore,

    Lucy Talian had already met with the Count and discussed the future.

    "...and that''s how I barely managed to escape alone."

    Lucy had initially resolved not to be swayed, a promise to herself.

    But as she began to recount the story of her murdered parents, her resolve quickly weakened.

    It was inevitable.

    She was just an eighteen-year-old girl.

    So, as she started to talk about escaping the domain, Lucy found it hard to control her emotions.

    Seeing his niece in tears, Count Catina felt a mix of emotions.

    ''I warned them about those greedy bastards...''

    The murdered Lady Talian was the Count''s sister.

    Even though she had left home when she was young, family was still family.

    It would be a lie to say there was no affection.

    The Count felt sympathy for his dead sister and her daughter.

    At the same time, he was furious with the mercenary usurper who had murdered the Talian couple and was trying to marry Lucy.

    The Talian couple might have made mistakes, but they were the ones who ended up murdered.

    The Count had a suitable pretext for revenge.

    ''...Making Lucy a Baroness isn''t a bad idea.''

    Meddling in the succession of titles is clearly an external interference.

    However, if Lucy asks for help first, it''s a different story.

    The Count quickly finished his calculations.

    He would use Lucy to secure the domain and choose one of his vassals to marry her.

    Thus, the Talian Barony would naturally fall under Count Catina''s influence.

    It was a good opportunity to expand his power under a suitable pretext during these chaotic times.

    "I understand your feelings, Lucy."

    "Count..."

    "Call me uncle, not Count."

    "...!"

    Lucy was genuinely moved by the Count''s kind attitude.

    It was because she was in a very sensitive state.

    "Don''t worry about anything now. I will surely avenge your mother."

    "Uncle...!"

    The Count didn''t bring up the tiresome ''If I help you, what will I get in return?''

    Such unnecessary words would only raise Lucy''s guard.

    After all, it wasn''t too late to ask for what he wanted after everything was over.

    The Count''s army would have already occupied the Talian domain; what choice would Lucy have?

    Being a ''kind uncle'' who ''voluntarily'' raised an army ''to revenge his sister'' was the best sce

    Once everything was settled, the not-so-subtle threat of ''After all I''ve done for you, you can''t do me this one favor?'' would work.

    The Count, comforting a sobbing Lucy, began to prepare for war.

    After the Santiago Knights left,

    Count Catina gathered his vassals, knights, and the wizard Ian to declare his intentions.

    "You all know the story of my niece! I will execute the detestable usurper Graham[1] and restore the law and order of this land!"

    "Long live the Count!"

    Some time later.

    The Count''s army marched out of the domain.

    ---

    ---

    Under the banner of Count Catina, 400 mercenaries gathered.

    In this era, wars were mostly fought by mercenaries.

    Maintaining a standing army was difficult and expensive.

    But mercenaries could be immediately utilized once paid.

    Especially for domain conflicts, mercenaries were essential because it was unacceptable to sacrifice precious citizens (sources of income) in the power struggles of the high and mighty.

    "What do you think, Raven?"

    Count Catina, with Ian by his side, proudly displayed his army.

    It was a characteristic of the rulers of this era to parade around with a wizard.

    "With this kind of military force, we can easily dispose of that damn usurper, can''t we?"

    The Count looked at Ian with an expectant gaze, seeking the wisdom of the wizard.

    As in the tales of old, wizards of this era often took on the role of lending their wisdom to monarchs.

    "Ah. Yes. Well."

    However, Ian, who knew nothing about military matters, had no advice to offer.

    Since the war was the domain of mercenaries and knights, he figured they would manage things on their own.

    So, Ian offered some common-sense advice.

    "With such a large force, you should pay attention to food supplies, and if it rains, be mindful to prevent the spread of disease."

    "Hmm... So, as long as we''re not struck down by disease, we won''t be defeated. Is that what you mean?"

    It was a trivial piece of advice, but surprisingly, the Count nodded in satisfaction.

    "Raven. I would like you to be my eyes from now on."

    The Count made it quite clear he wanted Ian by his side.

    While the Count might have desired a wizard advisor, Ian found it nothing but a nuisance.

    "I''ll help where I can."

    "Good. I look forward to your achievements."

    Ian shrugged.

    Achievements?

    He might as well have received a magic scroll.

    He was just tagging along to earn his keep.

    After all, the fighting would be done by the knights and mercenaries.

    "...I''m saying I''ll give that precious thing to you! You idiot!"

    "Lucy!"

    Lucy, like a character out of a romance novel, blurted out her piece and disappeared somewhere.

    Left alone, Ian awkwardly scratched his head.

    Did I say something too harsh?

    But no matter how much he thought about it, giving away a family treasure to a complete stranger seemed off...

    Even if it was a reward for his hardships, Ian felt uneasy taking the magical sword.

    ---

    ---

    Ian, embarking on a real march for the first time in his life, felt a very slight thrill.

    Wow!

    Medieval warfare!

    Soldiers marching to enemy territory!

    However, Ian''s excitement did not last more than three days.

    There was nothing particularly special about the war.

    The march was more boring than he had imagined.

    If this were a game or a movie, there would be grand BGM playing, unfolding the story of soldiers and generals facing war.

    But reality is not a work of fiction.

    Grand BGM my ass.

    Only suffocating silence, awkwardness, and the irritation of tired soldiers filled the air.

    The mercenaries stuck to their own groups, sharing stories they knew...

    Mercenaries from different factions treated each other like complete strangers, awkwardly interacting as if they were neighbors at best.

    Their uniforms were mismatched, their armaments varied, creating a ragtag army with no sense of belonging to the so-called "Count''s army."

    This was the army assembled by a "Count" in this medieval fantasy world.

    ''I wonder if they can even fight properly.''

    They were mercenaries that lived by the sword, so they would charge at the enemy, but as for their combat effectiveness...?

    Ian, now somewhat seasoned in this medieval fantasy world, had a rough idea of the composition of mercenaries.

    More than half were foolish commoners who had run away from their duties.

    Wearing nothing but linen armor and wielding a simple weapon, declaring, "Hello~ I''m a mercenary~" made up more than half of them.

    Their role was essentially to serve as meat shields.

    They were extras, providing opportunities for the more experienced and better-equipped veterans to shine.

    Even among mercenaries, a commoner remained a commoner.

    The only consolation was that their numbers reached 400?

    "Ian, what are you doing?"

    "Boiling spoons."

    Not a single mercenary dared to initiate conversation with Ian, the wizard.

    Ian''s presence had significantly changed since he first arrived in this world.

    He had a staff and even kept a crow.

    He reached a point where he didn''t have to announce he was a wizard; people just knew.

    "...Boiling spoons? Why?"

    Lucy was the only one, besides the Count, who would talk to Ian.

    Lucy visited Ian whenever she felt bored.

    "You''re not... planning to eat them, are you?"

    Unintentionally, Lucy spread rumors about Ian''s "eccentricities."

    Seeing Ian boil spoons in a pot, the mercenaries murmured, "The wizard is brewing spoon soup...!"

    Of course, Ian hadn''t gone mad enough to actually cook soup with spoons.

    Seeing Lucy''s horrified expression, Ian sighed deeply.

    "There''s this thing called sterilization."

    "Sterilization?"

    "It kills very tiny bugs that you can''t see..."

    "There are such things?!"

    Ah, they don''t know.

    These uncivilized people of another world.

    This is called "sterilization," the act of killing germs.

    Ian explained kindly, but Lucy couldn''t grasp the concept.

    "If they''re so small that you can''t see them... how do they stay alive?"

    Right?

    Ian didn''t know much about microbiology either. He just went along with what Pasteur[5] said.

    Fortunately, Ian was a wizard.

    He had the cheat key of making up explanations for anything.

    "It''s a mystery."

    "Ah... I see!"

    Lucy brought her spoon to boil with Ian''s.

    Bubbling away, the "Spoon Soup" simmered.

    Watching this, a few mercenaries approached and said,

    "Um... Mr. Wizard. Could you boil ours too?"

    What the mercenaries offered was salted meat.

    They were desperate to share in the wizard''s mysterious soup.

    ''...Dumbf*cks, it''s not for making soup.''

    It would take centuries for these uncivilized medieval folks to understand Ian.

    ---

    [1. raei: Graham is the name of the merc that took over Lucy''s territory. I originally thought the name was Baron Jin, many chappies ago, but it must have been a reference to something else back then, rather than the actual name. Whoopsy.]

    [2. raei: Anor-lsil is written in english in the raws, and is in the Elvish tongue in LotR(the lord of the rings), Anor means sun and lsil means moon, Anor-lsil meaning Sun and Moon?]

    [3. raei: J. R. R. Tolkien, author of lotr, in case ya didn''t know.]

    [4. raei: no idea who this is... LOL]

    [5. raei: Louis Pasteur, french chemist, ''renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization'']

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 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    As they neared the Talian estate, Count Catina called for Ian.

    Lucy was also sitting beside the Count.

    "Hmm. Raven. I heard a peculiar rumor..."

    "A rumor?"

    "It''s about you crafting some mysterious potions... What exactly are you making with a spoon?"

    "..."

    Ian''s special spoon soup had somehow been twisted into a rumor about spoon potions.

    ''No, but how does one make potions with a spoon?''

    As the Count looked puzzled, Lucy excitedly explained.

    That''s her showing off what she knows.

    "There are tiny bugs on the spoon, invisible to the eye! Boiling them as ingredients...!"

    "Oh."

    Watching the excited conversation between uncle and niece, Ian sighed deeply.

    Ah. Where did this era go wrong...

    "Hm. Potion making is important, but I have something more pressing to ask of you."

    "...What is it?"

    Ian, who had been worried about what kind of insane medieval antics the Count might be up to next, was slightly surprised to hear a relatively normal request.

    "I want you to ensure the mercenaries don''t get too out of hand."

    Ian had a surprisingly strong influence within the Count''s forces.

    Ian''s personal hygiene practices, like boiling his spoon and airing out his bedding in the sunlight, were so peculiar to the mercenaries that Ian was known as a fairly competent wizard.

    Ian''s wizard cosplay was now quite good.

    It ensured he wasn''t disregarded.

    "We''ll soon pass through small villages. I''d like to prevent those mercenary scum from causing trouble."

    Ian frowned slightly at the Count''s request.

    "Wouldn''t the knights be better suited for such tasks?"

    The Count shook his head.

    "The knights tend to be in cahoots with the mercenaries, often covering up their crimes and pretending not to know."

    It meant it wasn''t a task to entrust to the knights.

    Once a battle began, the mercenaries had to follow the command of the knights.

    They were fighting under the Count''s banner, after all.

    For the knights, the mercenaries were soldiers under their command.

    They were reluctant to punish them harshly for mistakes.

    Of course, severe acts like rebellion would be severely punished, but looting a civilian home was seen as a grey area.

    From a modern perspective, looting civilians is a war crime. But talk of war crimes only applies in modern times.

    In a world where war = looting, mercenaries looting civilian homes was as natural as stores being looted during riots.

    Most mercenaries roamed around to loot civilians in the first place.

    So, they were mercenaries when employed and bandits when not.

    "I''d normally allow looting to some extent... but this is my niece''s land."

    Lucy nodded vigorously, with the gaze of a monarch who sees their subjects as mere revenue sources.

    Why the hell are these lowlife mercenaries touching my money bag?!

    "If you step in and warn them, the mercenaries will likely be more cautious in their actions."

    It wasn''t particularly a difficult request.

    To Ian, who possessed modern sensibilities, preventing the mercenaries from looting felt somewhat like a righteous act.

    "Understood. I''ll warn them not to loot."

    As Ian responded decisively, the nobles smiled contentedly.

    A wizard is quite a useful being in many ways!

    After finishing the conversation, Ian left the Count''s tent.

    As Lucy was also leaving, Ian asked her something he was curious about.

    "Lucy. What''s this rumor about me making potions?"

    "Ahaha... that?"

    Lucy scratched her cheek and said as if making an excuse.

    "You know... the water from boiling the spoon... Some mercenaries were curious about it...?"

    "???"

    "So, I sold a little of it..."

    "Why would you sell that! You''re insane!"

    Selling boiled spoon water?

    Even the Chinese wouldn''t do such nonsense!

    Where is the hammer of the Food Sanitation Law for manufacturers of defective food products!

    But in a medieval fantasy world, there was no such thing as food sanitation laws.

    And there were plenty of mercenaries willing to pay for the wizard''s mysterious potion.

    The law of supply and demand.

    The shape of the graph of ruthless capitalism was cruelly brutal...

    "Sorry... I secretly sold some..."

    Lucy apologized, bowing her head.

    Ian couldn''t understand Lucy.

    Shouldn''t she be sorry from the moment she sold such nonsense?!

    ---

    ---

    As the Count predicted, the mercenaries showed interest in the civilian houses.

    Surprisingly, ''civilian houses'' were everywhere.

    If people lived there, it was a civilian house. And people generally settled wherever they wanted to live.

    Whether it was in a mountain valley, near a stream, or in a pasture...

    Living in such remote places came with great freedom and heavy responsibility.

    You were free to live as you pleased, but when something happened, you had to deal with it yourself.

    For example, when greedy mercenaries sneaked in to steal.This chapter is updated by

    "If you don''t want a hole in your head, back off! You damn thieving scum!"

    As Oberon sat at the end of Ian''s tent and cried, the mercenaries shivered.

    "That crow... it''s watching us...!"

    "Shh! Quiet! The wizard might hear!"

    As Ian appeared every time they tried to loot, the mercenaries no longer roamed around.

    Count Catina and Lucy were overjoyed at this news.

    Wow! Ian protected our precious money bag (the people)!

    However, Ian''s actions were not entirely positive...

    Ian''s surveillance using the flock of birds was too perfect.

    Unintentionally, it created two problems.

    "The soldiers'' morale has dropped too much."

    Not being able to loot was one thing, but the mercenaries became excessively fearful of Ian.

    There were even talks of desertion, such was their dislike for Ian.

    "There''s another problem."

    Sir Diketo, one of the Count''s knights, said.

    "Our army is not applying any pressure to the usurpers."

    Ian was puzzled, not understanding what kind of nonsense this was.

    "An army of over 400 marching, and we''re not a threat?"

    "Yes. Our army is seen as perfectly harmless."

    Sir Diketo explained.

    War, by nature, is an act that continuously inconveniences others. Naturally, the army is the agent of this nuisance.

    When an army marches, it''s natural for the area to be devastated. Killing people, stealing goods, setting fires...

    The ultimate purpose of these nuisances is to put pressure on the enemy''s commander.

    If an army commits atrocities, the people tremble with fear.

    And when the people are afraid, they complain to their leaders.

    In this case, it would be the usurper Graham.

    If the Count''s army had ravaged the territory as they advanced, there would have been complaints for sure.

    If you claim to be our king (or something like it)!

    What are you doing as the enemy invades?

    According to feudal contracts, Graham, who calls himself a baron, has a duty to protect his people.

    But if he fails? The people rise up.

    Therefore, pressured by this obligation, Graham has no choice but to engage in battle.

    However, if the Count''s army marches as meekly as they are now...

    Graham has no need to fight right away!

    He can leisurely gather soldiers and wait for the enemy''s supplies to dwindle before engaging in slow combat.

    "Your Excellency. Perhaps it''s time to allow looting..."

    The Count fell into thought.

    It was he who had issued the order against looting.

    He didn''t want to reverse his decision within just a few days.

    "I''ll think about it. Once I''ve made up my mind, I''ll let you know."

    The Count dismissed the knights, leaving only Lucy and Ian in the tent.

    "Wizard. Is there no way?"

    The Count immediately sought the wisdom of the knowledgeable wizard.

    However, Ian didn''t have any bright ideas.

    Even if morale had dropped a bit, couldn''t they just push through with sheer numbers...

    Wouldn''t that work?

    Lucy, having no ideas either, stuck out her lip.

    "I''ll look for a solution... But looting is an option."

    Ian said this and then excused himself.

    And he gave it some thought.

    What could calm the mercenaries'' dissatisfaction and incite the people?

    "Um... Wizard sir?"

    "Hm?"

    But the clue came from an unexpected place.

    "I wanted to ask you something."

    "What is it."

    "That... You haven''t been making potions lately, have you?"

    "..."

    It''s not a potion, you damn fools.

    Ian couldn''t understand the medieval people''s suspicious obsession with the boiled spoon water.

    Why on earth would they pay money for such water...

    ''... Huh?''

    Then, a bizarre idea crossed Ian''s mind.

    "Let me ask you something. What do you use the potion for?"

    Ian didn''t know why boiled spoon water was considered a potion or what its effects were, but he could understand the mercenary''s answer.

    "A battle is going to happen soon, right? We plan to use it then..."

    ''Boiled spoon water?!''

    It seemed the mercenaries believed Ian''s ''potion'' had some special power...

    But there was only one person who could have sold such a scam.

    Lucy.

    It was clear that Baroness Talian had made a hefty profit selling this concoction.

    This presented a clear opportunity for Ian.

    "Potions... Hmm. Potions, you say."

    Ian grinned at the mercenary.

    The mercenary felt an inexplicable chill upon seeing Ian''s expression...

    "If I make a potion. Would you buy it?"

    "Of course... We would definitely buy it."

    "What if I give it away for free?"

    "... What?"

    The mercenary was visibly shocked by Ian''s words.

    Seeing his expression, Ian was convinced.

    Perhaps there was a way to boost the mercenaries'' morale at a low cost...!

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

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    After deciding on a plan, Ian immediately sprang into action.

    Ian noticed that the mercenaries were suspiciously fond of his "potions."

    In this era, both medicine and magic potions were extremely precious, so it was common for them to be treated as valuable as precious metals.

    Again, this medieval era was like a post-apocalyptic period.This chapter is updated by

    Not looting a pharmacy during a post-apocalyptic era?

    That''s like screaming you don''t want to live long.

    Medicines are useful and valuable. Hence, people are crazy about them...!

    "Lucy, please ask the count to gather some salt."

    "Salt?"

    Lucy was puzzled by Ian''s request but went along with it.

    Ian was a wizard, after all.

    She thought he must have his reasons.

    With the count''s help, Lucy managed to collect a significant amount of salt.

    Salt was an expensive food item but essential, so many people carried it around.

    Once they had enough salt, Ian brought over a large pot, put his spoon in, and started boiling it vigorously.

    The mercenaries quickly showed interest in the wizard''s actions.

    "Is the wizard making a magic potion again?"

    "Even if he is, he''s just gonna use it himself."

    Until now, the mercenaries believed Ian had been hogging the magic potions for himself.

    There were complaints but no grievances, as no mercenary was crazy enough to get angry about someone using their own concoction.

    As a crowd gathered, Ian recited Maronius'' language, putting on a convincing performance.

    "[Fire! Blaze up!]"

    Boom!

    Suddenly, the fire under the pot surged, causing the mercenaries to scream half out of their minds.

    "Wow!"

    "Real magic!"

    The mercenaries knew Ian could summon crows and make magic potions, but they had no idea he could also control flames.

    Watching Ian skillfully brew the magic potion, the mercenaries spared no admiration.

    Making medicine with magical flames!

    Truly, he is a wizard!

    "What''s all that noise?"

    "The wizard is making a magic potion now!"

    "Again? Is the Lord going to sell it this time?"

    Before long, around a hundred mercenaries had surrounded Ian.

    It was natural for more onlookers to gather since Ian had prepared for a grand performance.

    "Hmm..."

    Pretending to chant a magic spell, Ian shouted loudly and clearly in Korean.

    "May the waters of the East Sea and Mount Baekdu last until they dry and wear away!"

    "Wow!"

    "It''s a wizard''s magic spell!"

    "I can''t understand a thing!"

    The mercenaries were mesmerized by Ian''s magic performance.

    As the attention around him peaked, Ian poured the collected salt into the pot and boiled it vigorously.

    Only three things went into the pot: water, a spoon, and salt.

    Contrary to the mercenaries'' beliefs, no magical power emanated from the spoon; it was essentially just boiling water with salt.

    ''Haah.''

    Ian was boiling ordinary saltwater, pretending as if he was infusing it with magical power.

    So... what Ian made was a fake magic potion.

    ''To think I''d become a real quack.''

    Back in the days when the whole world was shrouded in the darkness of ignorance, quacks, who were called "medicine peddlers," would lead bands and circuses to gather people''s attention and then lie about their medicine being a rare cure-all, selling fake potions.

    Innocent people who didn''t know any better thought the medicine sold by these peddlers was genuinely precious and bought the fakes with good money.

    People carefully stored the fake medicine they purchased...

    And when a loved one fell seriously ill, they administered it confidently!

    "Drink this! The medicine peddler said so! This is supposed to cure all diseases!"

    People waited for the disease to be cured as the peddler promised.

    But, of course, it didn''t happen, and they realized too late that they had been duped...

    Enraged, people chased after the medicine peddler, grabbing the scammer by the collar and shouting.

    "Hey you scamming bastard! Where do you get off selling fake medicine?"

    From then on, selling medicine equaled being a scammer.

    ''Medicine'' came to be understood as something that might look plausible on the outside but is essentially trash or a shoddy item.

    EX) A: "Isn''t that Jungle Teemo bullsh*t?[1]" B: "Where are you peddling your drugs, you quack bastard!"

    But Ian had to sell medicine now.

    If selling medicine could lift the spirits of his troops, why wouldn''t he sell it?

    "You there. Come forward."

    "Me...? Are you talking to me?"

    Ian singled out the nearest mercenary and called him over.

    Recognizing Ian would have been the real abnormality.

    How would you recognize me when I haven''t had a chance to become famous?

    Only a time-space wizard could recognize that.

    "Wizard, shall we teach that insolent one a lesson?"

    "Let it be."

    "Yes!"

    The mercenaries who received the magic potion became Ian''s fervent followers.

    They realized that, despite his odd appearance, he was actually a kind and normal person.

    Ian spoke to the farmer in a grim voice.

    "I''ve come to warn you of a disaster that will strike in the future."

    "Disaster?"

    "Yes. Evil energies have enveloped this land, so now barley will not ripen, and wheat will rot from the root."

    "!"

    The farmer was startled by Ian''s warning.

    For a farmer, farming is everything. They live by it and die by it.

    But a prophecy that farming will fail...?

    "Why is that?"

    Ian looked up at the sky with a grave expression, like a seasoned wizard, and said in a serious voice.

    "It''s because the soul of the first Baron of Talian, unjustly deprived of his lands, is angry."

    "Excuse me? The Baron is angry?"

    Ian kindly explained how Graham, the usurper, was a bastard and how Lucy Talian was the rightful owner of this land, in a way that was easy to understand.

    The truth is, the farmer, with his limited education, did not fully understand Ian''s words.

    What does a farmer know about the power struggles of nobility?

    However, one thing was clear...

    This year''s crops could be ruined because of a wandering mercenary who stole Talian''s land!

    "But don''t worry too much. If Lucy Talian inherits the barony and holds a memorial service for the ancestors, the first Baron''s anger will also disappear."

    "Ah, so..."

    "A war will break out soon. If the usurper wins, abandon this land and flee."

    "..."

    "This is the end of my warning."

    Caw! Caw!

    As Oberon cawed, the farmer trembled with fear.

    Whether Ian''s warning was true or not, the farmer, merely a commoner, had no way of knowing.

    But the seed of anxiety was firmly planted.

    Ian returned to the Count''s formation with a smile.

    ---

    ---

    In the past few days, Ian had acted like a wizard.

    He had been busy talking.

    Selling fake magic potions to mercenaries, spreading propaganda among the farmers...

    With no way to distinguish whether Ian''s words were true or false, the people of the medieval fantasy world trusted Ian easily, to the point of absurdity.

    With a wizard going all out and even using magic to lie, how could they not be deceived?

    "Wizard! Did you sleep well?"

    "Yes. How about you?"

    "Thanks to the wizard driving away the bad energy, we slept soundly!"

    The mercenaries, once fearful of Ian, had now become his followers.

    "Ian! Look! The villagers have offered food!"

    "Food? Who sent someone to threaten them?"

    "No! They wanted to give it themselves!"

    Lucy said with a bright smile.

    "People are calling me the real Baron of Talian!"

    "Oh. That''s good for you."

    "Hehe. You see? Ian! Even those fools recognize that I''m the legitimate, real Baron! So, I should at least be allowed to open my ancestors'' tomb..."

    "..."

    Whether it was the effect of the rumors Ian spread, the people of Talian began to distrust the usurper, Graham.

    They hoped for Lucy to become the Baron and for Graham to be driven away.

    It was to avoid the ominous warnings of the wizard.

    Thanks to Ian''s talking, the Count''s army maintained high morale as they marched towards Graham''s stronghold.

    Lucy was happy, the Count was happy, and Ian was somewhat happy too.

    However, there were those who started to express their dissatisfaction with Ian''s actions.

    "That wizard... Isn''t he getting a bit too ahead of himself?"

    It was the knights of the Count who said this.

    ---

    [1. raei: Uhh I asked someone about this (league), apparently there was Teemo (league character/hero whatever they call it) was usable in jungle but it ended up being trash?]

    [2. raei: I think the author here is using how Ian is analyzing the situation to predict/guess human behavior and I think the author is comparing that to how ai learns. Data-driven analysis, but a ''primitive'' form of it? Not 100% sure here guys, tried my best. Oh and big data ''refers to extremely large data sets... etc.'']

    [3. raei: Akinator is that app of a genie where it tries to guess the character you are thinking about. I never tried it but it was popular for a while.]

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 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

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    The knights did not have much fondness for wizards.

    Their first gripe was the underhanded tricks played on the battlefield. The second was sharing the glory with them.

    Knights generally disliked wizards.

    However, to avoid the hassle of direct confrontation, they would only bad-mouth wizards behind their backs, in hidden places.

    "Look here, wizard."

    A knight who had abruptly sought out Ian said so.

    "I hear you''ve been spreading dangerous rumors among the people."

    "Dangerous rumors?"

    "The rumor that the land will become diseased and rot if Graham becomes the lord."

    Ah, I did spread such baseless rumors.

    Ian nodded in admission.

    "That''s right. But why do you ask?"

    Upon Ian''s affirmation, the knight narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

    The reason was ridiculous.

    "Wizard Ian. Isn''t it a bit excessive to be casting such strong curses?"

    "...?"

    "If the land really does rot away, what then? How will you handle the aftermath?"

    Don''t use too strong a curse.

    ...Is that what this is about?

    Ian was momentarily speechless.

    "So, you mean, what if the land actually rots away?"

    "That''s right."

    Ian waved his hand with a smile.

    While his face was smiling, inwardly, he cursed the ignorant knight.

    This is why uneducated people are a problem.

    "Ah. It seems there''s some misunderstanding. There won''t be any land rotting."

    "Why not?"

    "Because all this talk of curses and such is complete nonsense."

    "...Nonsense?"

    These ignorant knights had taken the black propaganda meant to fool only the most gullible of peasants to heart.

    Ian cursed the knights for their abysmal level of intelligence, but in truth, it wasn''t their fault.

    This was the average level of information in this era.

    For modern people steeped in all kinds of media, including smartphones, knowledge is like a toy that can be easily obtained by simply turning on Namuwiki[1].

    It''s the kind of toy that YouTubers play with when they make shorts about "secrets you didn''t know about ~."

    However, in this medieval fantasy world, where information was extremely limited, rumors were often taken as truth because there was no way to distinguish true from false.

    Knowing this, people of the Middle Ages freely spread lies.

    After being fooled by such absurd lies a few times, listeners naturally learned to filter what they heard.

    The problem arises in situations like this, where biased knowledge leads to absurd misunderstandings.

    "Can you be sure of that?"

    What''s there to be sure about?

    Ian looked at the knight in disbelief, but the knight''s eyes were filled with a strange certainty.

    "I hope you won''t change your story later."

    ''What the hell is this guy on about?''

    Ian wondered what nonsense the count''s knight had gotten into his head.

    But the real headache began after the army arrived at Graham''s stronghold.

    "Count! We do not wish to stand on a dishonorable battlefield!"

    The count''s knights had collectively declared a strike.

    "Is everyone serious?"

    The count looked back and forth between the knights and Ian with a complex gaze.

    Combining the count''s gaze and the knights'' peculiar attitude, Ian reached a conclusion.

    ''...Could it be?''

    "Wizard Ian has been loudly proclaiming that a curse will fall upon this land. This is no different from inviting a curse!"

    "If rumors spread that we are associated with a curse-calling wizard, our honor will be thrown into a mud pit, Your Excellency."

    The knights'' intentions were clear.

    They were scheming to exclude Ian from this war!

    "No, but the curse is all bullsh*t. How are you fooled by rumors I''ve spread?"

    Ian tried to logically persuade the knights, but they wouldn''t listen to him at all.

    "How can we believe the words of a wizard?"

    "It''s clear you''re trying to deceive us with your cunning tricks known only to yourself!"

    This was the knights'' logic.

    Ian was smart.

    He knows more than the knights, so if he uses tricks, they wouldn''t know.

    Conclusion: They think everything Ian says is bullsh*t.

    "Me? Graham? The double-edged sword?"

    Graham looked at his men and laughed sharply.

    From the moment he had harmed the Talians, he had been prepared for a violent conflict.

    In that sense, the army of Count Catina was not a crisis but an opportunity.

    An opportunity to be recognized as the new lord of the domain!

    It was obvious that Lucy Talian, that arrogant woman, was with the Count.

    If he could somehow win this battle, he could negotiate to take Lucy.

    If that happened, it would be Graham''s victory.

    Graham had about 200 men under him, along with a few wandering knights he had brought in from outside.

    Especially, a so-called Black Knight from the east, who was so powerful that it was hard to believe he was hired for only a few silver coins.

    "Whether the enemy is 400 or 4,000, it doesn''t matter! Anyone who dares to point a sword at me, Graham, will die!"

    "Ooh!"

    Graham and his comrades ignited their will to fight.

    True to his former mercenary nature, Graham had long lost his sense of fear.

    Would he have thought to kill the lord and lady and take over the domain if he had any fear left?

    But in these chaotic times, there were many like Graham.

    A complete fool if he failed, but a revolutionary who could overturn the world''s order if he succeeded.

    "Hey, knights! Cheer up! If this goes well, I''ll grant you good lands!"

    The wandering knights nodded at Graham''s words.

    Though still a lord in name, Graham was a ruler in his own right.

    The hastily hired knights would also contribute to his strength.

    "Captain! The enemy is approaching!"

    Graham checked his helmet and armor before stepping onto the battlefield.

    "Let''s go!"

    Graham and the mercenaries advanced.

    Now, the joyful rebellion of the former mercenaries began!

    ---

    ---

    At high noon, with the sun overhead, the army of Baron Graham and Count Catina''s forces stood parallel, facing each other on the hill.

    The armies collided in the plain.

    The terrain was more advantageous for Graham.

    Being on higher ground, they could look down upon their enemy.

    The count''s army was divided into three sections, approximately 100 men each: the left wing, the right wing, and the center.

    "Definitely overwhelming."

    Sir Diketo, a knight of the count, stood by Ian''s side and spoke.

    Due to his age, he had been assigned to guard the count and other important figures.

    It was also to give the younger knights a chance to shine.

    "It seems so."

    400 versus 200.

    Even to Ian, who was ignorant about warfare, Count Catina''s forces appeared overwhelmingly advantageous.

    Even without Ian''s magic support, the difference in troops seemed more than enough to secure a victory.

    In truth, even if Ian had offered magical support, there wasn''t much he could do.

    Ian couldn''t start fires or cause earthquakes.

    At most, he could summon darkness... but with the sun shining brightly, summoning darkness wasn''t easy.

    But what does magical support matter?

    The overwhelming difference in troops was undeniable.

    Winning was all that mattered.

    Ian, who was ignorant about warfare, along with Lucy and the count, watched the battle with calm expressions.

    Ian, anticipating an exciting spectacle for the first time in a while, found himself wishing for some popcorn.

    "Oh. They''re fighting."

    The two armies clashed fiercely.

    Contrary to expectations that the count''s army would overwhelmingly win, Graham''s forces did not easily give ground.

    They''re fighting much better than expected?

    Ian, impressed, said to Sir Diketo.

    "They said they were former mercenaries, but they''re fighting well against even the knights."

    "..."

    The most entertaining spectacles in the world were watching fires and fights.

    Ian was having a f*cking blast.

    Wow. It''s like watching a movie.

    However, unlike Ian, who was carefree, Sir Diketo''s expression was quite grim.

    The enemies were fighting much better than expected.

    ---

    [1. raei: Wikipedia for Koreans.]

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 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

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    "Those bastards, even if they''re fighting well, it''s just a fluke."

    Despite the enemies'' stronger resistance than expected, Count Catina didn''t lose his composure.

    No. In fact, it was just a facade of composure, as internally, Count Catina incessantly cursed the incompetent mercenaries.

    These useless fools! How much silver have you lot gobbled up!

    Anyone who has played strategy simulation games would understand.

    It''s human nature to curse when the unit you paid good money for isn''t pulling its weight.

    Fortunately, Count Catina''s feelings were incapable of influencing the distant battle in the slightest.

    What can you do just because you feel bad?

    Count Catina was neither a commander nor a warrior.

    He was merely the financier and boss.

    The performance of the players wouldn''t drop just because the boss was in a bad mood.

    Going there and causing a scene with his inability to fight could negatively impact the battle. But with Sir Diketo guarding him, such insanity was unlikely to happen.

    Thus, Count Catina decided not to get angry at all.

    It was a wise decision.

    Getting angry every time the fact that the mercenaries he hired for a good amount of money turned out to be a ragtag bunch could lead to losing his temper completely.

    "..."

    Unlike Count Catina, who was forcefully suppressing his anger, Sir Diketo watched the battlefield with a seriousness unmatched by anyone else.

    His demeanor exuded the seasoned calm only an experienced knight could.

    Ian and Lucy had lost interest long ago.

    Initially, it was fascinating, but the melee became so chaotic that it was hard to tell what was happening.

    They merely guessed that their side was winning, simply because they had more numbers.

    "How does it look, Sir?"

    Seeing Sir Diketo''s serious expression, Ian asked the aged knight.

    "...The Black Knight."

    "What?"

    "That knight in black armor... surely he must be from the eastern lands of Baekguk."

    The Black Knight?

    Ian scanned the battlefield again.

    Indeed, there was a knight in notably black armor.

    Sir Diketo seemed to have been watching this knight.

    "Wow. What''s that?"

    Ian, who noticed the Black Knight belatedly, watched the knight''s combat as if mesmerized.

    And for good reason, as the Black Knight''s prowess was apparent even to Ian, who was ignorant of warfare.

    The Black Knight moved swiftly, sweeping away the surrounding soldiers with his sword.

    Count Catina''s knights charged at him, but they couldn''t last more than a dozen exchanges before surrendering.

    As Ian and Sir Diketo paid attention, Lucy and Count Catina also began to watch the Black Knight.

    And they were all astonished.

    "This knight, he fights too well?"

    Graham''s army showed just as much combat power as expected.

    They fought well enough, but still, they were no match against sheer numbers.

    As evidence, the soldiers on the left and right flanks were gradually being surrounded and defeated.

    However, the center, where the Black Knight was making his stand, was not the case.

    "It looks like he''s almost broken through the center by himself?"

    "...It does seem so."

    Ian had learned about combat through creative works.

    It means he knows nothing.

    If Ian had a gaming app or something, he might have learned something from all the war games he had watched and enjoyed, but Ian was just... an engineering student who loved to giggle in front of the computer.

    But, even to someone like Ian, the situation on the battlefield seemed strange.

    Yes.

    Strange was the most appropriate word.

    How could the center be slowly retreating while the left and right flanks were gaining ground?

    These were things Ian had never seen in his knowledge of war (war stories).

    A hot wind blew.

    The hot, stuffy wind of the battlefield blew through Ian''s black hair.

    Clearly, this was the heat of the battlefield.

    Ian, fixing his disheveled hair, asked Sir Diketo a question.

    "What happens if the center is breached?"

    "..."

    Around them, there was silence, not even the sound of insects.

    Only distant, desperate screams were the only noise.

    The sound of life extinguishing.

    The last gasp that death itself exhales.

    Places just a sprint away were already turning into hellish roads.

    This was a medieval battlefield.

    "Next... it''s our turn."

    Lucy''s face turned pale.

    It wasn''t just Lucy.

    The Count''s guards.

    The few troops left to assist the Count also began to feel fear, smelling the scent of death coming from afar.

    "If the center retreats... the enemies will not chase the fleeing troops but will directly rush towards His Excellency the Count."

    "That''s likely, yes."

    A clear truth that even Ian could understand.

    What they wanted was the Count.

    Catching the Count would solve everything, as if rubbing a magic lamp.

    "These... incompetent fools!"

    The Count finally burst out in anger.

    His noble anger was charismatic, heavy, and had the power to nauseate those around.

    However...

    However, the knight felt the nuance and thought Ian had uttered a curse in that elegant ancient language used only by wizards.

    "If the situation wasn''t urgent, I would''ve cut your tongue out!"

    "What? f*ck, are you mad? Go ahead and try! Do it! Right now!"

    "Stop! Both of you!"

    Sir Diketo shouted.

    "Sir Serg! Calm the soldiers and gather them! Time is of the essence!"

    "What about Sir Diketo?"

    "I have received His Excellency''s command. I will defeat that knight in black armor."

    As soon as Sir Diketo finished speaking, the knight scoffed at him.

    "Ah. I see. Good luck with that."

    "Sir Serg. You too should join me!"

    "I will retreat with His Excellency the Count."

    "!"

    "Don''t make that face. We must survive to have another chance, right?"

    Before Sir Diketo could say anything more, Sir Serg had disappeared.

    In other words, he bolted.

    Even Ian was impressed by the knight''s phenomenal ability to flee.

    "Is that even allowed?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "The responsibility of a defeated knight... No, forget it. We''ll talk about it later!"

    Anyone familiar with the medieval social hierarchy knows.

    Knights are a middle status between commoners and nobles.

    It means they can pretty much do as they please, to an extent half that of nobles.

    If they haven''t completely abandoned the battlefield but fled with the Count... they probably won''t be punished.

    "Wizard Ian. You too go back and protect His Excellency the Count and Baron Talian."

    "But..."

    Sir Diketo adjusted his helmet.

    He looked every bit the impeccable knight.

    "I''ll try to buy some time here."

    "Sir Diketo."

    "What are you doing? Hurry up and move."

    Just then, Lucy came to fetch Ian.

    "Ian! What are you doing there! The Count has decided to retreat! Hurry up!"

    "..."

    Sir Diketo and a few of his men mounted their horses and dashed away like an arrow.

    Everyone is loyal and willing to sacrifice their lives for the Count.

    At that moment.

    Wizard Ian threw himself onto the horse.

    "Ian?!"

    Lucy shouted in surprise.

    "Lucy! You go and run away with that rascal Serg or whatever! Ah, sh*t. Saying to go with a rascal doesn''t sound right!"

    "Ian, you!"

    Wizard Ian said.

    "I''ll retreat with Sir Diketo!"

    "What?!"

    He impulsively chose to accompany Sir Diketo.

    There was no clear reason.

    Perhaps, he just didn''t want to stand by and watch the death of a knight he had become close to.

    But.

    Ian was sure.

    If they left Sir Diketo to go alone, there was a 100% chance of defeat, but.

    If a wizard could apply a bit of [trickery]...

    Maybe they could overcome this harsh trial.

    Like the wizards in old tales who aided knights.

    "Ian!"

    Lucy shouted.

    She saw.

    How serious the look in Wizard Ian''s eyes was.

    How sincere he was.

    She didn''t want to let Ian go like this.

    It would be a lie to say she wasn''t worried.

    She wanted to keep him by her side.

    But...Ian was nothing to Lucy.

    Neither a vassal nor a fianc.

    So, all she could do was wish him luck.

    Hopefully, they would meet again safely.

    "Forget it! Ian!"

    "Yeah! You too! Lucy!"

    Ian whispered the language of magic into the horse''s ear and sped off like the wind.

    "Sir Diketo!"

    Seeing Ian join him, Sir Diketo was surprised.

    "Ian? Why are you here?"

    "Why? When a wizard as heavy as I am offers to help, why do you complain?"

    "It''s dangerous. I can''t guarantee your life!"

    "That''s not for you to worry about! I''m a wizard! I know a trick or two to save my own skin!"

    Amused by Ian''s indifferent and irresponsible tone, Sir Diketo laughed.

    Even to Sir Diketo, who didn''t know Ian well, Ian was extremely eccentric.

    Ah! Such a mad mindset!

    Truly a competent wizard!

    "Of course! As the wizard says, how could I object!"

    The knight and the wizard rushed towards their enemies like arrows shot from a bow.

    Their target was.

    The Black Knight in black armor.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Knight Serg was a f*cking thug.

    He was extraordinary from birth.

    Born a super heavyweight at 4.8kg, he quickly grew into a behemoth by shoving everything that moved into his mouth.

    If there''s such a thing as being born with a silver spoon in terms of gaining weight just by drinking water, Serg was definitely born with that spoon in his mouth.

    A human pig that gets fat just by drinking water.

    The Human Ham, Serg, was just fat and huge.

    From his childhood, Serg lacked patience.

    When hungry, he ate; when sleepy, he slept.

    And if he wanted something, he had to have it.

    "Lady! Serg stole our kid''s bread again!"

    For heavyweight brat, Serg, there was nothing in the neighborhood he couldn''t take.

    Snatching snacks from peers was like putting a baby into submission.

    Twisting the wrists of little kids.

    Facing complaints from neighborhood mothers, Serg''s parents, instead of scolding him sternly just brushed it off because they were too annoyed to deal with it properly.

    "So what? Your kid is weak and lost his stuff, why blame our Serg?"

    "What?"

    Like a true mother of a thug, Sergs mother already demonstrated the law of the jungle to him.

    She would have been greatly successful if born in a demonic sect rather than in a medieval fantasy.

    Serg was deeply moved by his mothers principle of the survival of the fittest, which he later used efficiently to beat her up.

    "Oh dear! Serg! If you take all the bread, what will we do?"

    "The strong possess everything... Didnt you teach me that, mother?"

    "What kind of bullsh*t is that!"

    Big, burly, and fat, Serg showcased tremendous martial talent from a young age.

    Though it sounds grand, martial talent here isnt some divine gift as depicted in fantasies or martial arts stories.

    Its just... if you''re physically monstrous, thats martial talent.

    If a 100kg super behemoth pushes with his weight class, how can anyone withstand that?

    Things might slightly change in the realm of professional fighting.

    And it changes again when you wield swords and spears.

    But even armed and armored, innate strength doesnt diminish.

    By 15, Serg had grown into a man who could beat up all the adults in the neighborhood.

    Thus, following the logic of survival of the fittest, he carved out his own destiny.

    I will become a knight.

    He started as a mercenary.

    He wielded weapons and killed people.

    Enemy blades couldnt pierce Sergs thick belly fat.

    Spears and hammers were the same.

    Naturally, he became a famous mercenary.

    And at some point, Serg began calling himself a knight, and no one opposed him.

    Impatient, reveling in blood and plunder, indulging in gluttony and drunkenness, a madman...

    To anyone''s eyes, he was the perfect knight!

    "Wow! Look at that stature! How strong must one be to have such a bulky body!"

    Serg was arrogant.

    In most situations, he didn''t know defeat, and on the rare occasions he did experience defeat, he disregarded those experiences.

    Like now.

    ''We almost won... What a waste.''

    Serg clicked his tongue.

    Victory was within reach but it was all ruined because of some weird Black Knight.

    Though it might be of little consolation, Serg was the last bastion of the Count''s forces.

    Regardless of his personality, he truly was a knight skilled in combat.

    As Serg retreated, the front line collapsed uncontrollably.

    Numerous soldiers died because of Serg''s retreat... but that was irrelevant to him.

    Because to Serg, the lives of soldiers were so trivial they couldn''t be counted as ''life'' by his standards!

    Nobles, priests, wizards, knights... they were human.

    Commoners? Farmers? Soldiers?

    Experience points.

    Money bags.

    Farming mobs that spit out money and EXP when hit.

    By the way, EXP stands for Execution Points.

    Accumulating EXP means becoming a heartless monster who can unlock the massacre route.

    So, despite the deaths of many soldiers, Serg didn''t care at all.

    He was only thinking about how to save the Count and escape.

    ''As long as we have the Count, we can start over.''

    In Serg''s eyes, the Count, Lucy, everyone was just a money shuttle, a soldier shuttle.

    "Over here!"

    "This way! The Count is over here!"

    Though they tried hard to escape, the Count''s party was eventually caught by the pursuing troops.

    Well.

    So, naturally, the Count had to live.

    However... if crossbows appeared, it was a different story.

    Those were clearly not ''capture'' equipment.

    They were meant for killing.

    Wooden bolts wouldn''t recognize the nobility of one''s status and spare the Count!

    "Ooooooh!"

    The best-case scenario would have been for Serg to come to his senses and protect the Count.

    However, Serg, who was already irrational, had suffered injuries and was half out of his mind, making it impossible for him to make a rational decision.

    Driven mad by pain, Serg charged at the enemies.

    And at that very moment, as the Count cursed and tried to get out of the crossbow''s line of fire.

    Ping!

    A soldier''s crossbow fired.

    Serg ducked to dodge the bolt.

    The arrow, having lost its intended target...

    Embedded itself deeply in the Count''s neck.

    "!"

    "!"

    "!"

    "Uncle!"

    Lucy screamed.

    As if time had stopped, everyone was in shock.

    "Wh... what?"

    "Damn it!"

    The Count''s escort became flustered and fled.

    Serg, already berserk, was busy slaughtering the soldiers.

    Only Lucy ran towards the fallen Count.

    The soldiers, fighting off a monster in human skin, had no time to check on the Count''s condition.

    "Uncle... Uncle!"

    Lucy was soon crying hot tears.

    No matter how many times she spoke to the Count, he could only gurgle, unable to say anything.

    He couldn''t even leave a last will.

    "Uncle"

    Lucy felt a deep sorrow looking at the fallen Count.

    The Count, who had led his army with the sole intention of helping her...

    To think he would die like this.

    "I''m sorry..."

    Lucy sobbed.

    The Count''s death felt like her fault.

    If she hadn''t asked for help, the Count wouldn''t have had to die...

    Meanwhile, the battle between the pursuers and Serg continued.

    Thud!

    The one who fell was Serg.

    It was inevitable.

    It was remarkable he could move at all after being hit by so many bolts.

    The soldiers who had barely subdued Serg discovered the Count was already dead and sighed.

    "This is bad!"

    Things had gone terribly wrong.

    The Count was supposed to be captured alive, but it was too late for regrets.

    It was unavoidable.

    If they hadn''t shot the crossbows, they would have been the ones to die.

    The pursuers moved to secure Lucy as well.

    But then...

    "[Darkness!]"

    Lucy''s eyes snapped open.

    This voice. And this unknown language...!

    "Ian!"

    It was the wizard Ian.

    The already dim forest became engulfed in darkness summoned by Ian, making it impossible to see anything.

    The sound of hooves echoed.

    And someone lifted Lucy onto a horse.

    In that moment...

    Though his face was not visible.

    The touch of the hands holding her made Lucy''s heart race like crazy.

    It was a strange sensation she had never felt before.

    "Lucy! What about the Count!"

    "...He''s gone!"

    "I really f*cking hate this! sh*t!"

    The horse quickly emerged from the darkness.

    Only then could Lucy see the face of Ian, who was holding her and steering the horse forward.

    "We''ve got a Black Knight on our tail right now!"

    "A Black Knight?"

    "Yes! We need to shake him off, so let''s head to the river!"

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Riding alongside Diketo, Ian shouted to him as the enemies approached.

    "Sir Diketo! I will buy us some time!"

    "What?"

    The enemies, their morale high, were charging at them.

    In contrast, the subordinates of Sir Diketo, looking like they were heading to their deaths, charged weakly back.

    It was obvious without looking.

    They were going to be torn apart like a shack hit by a flood.

    That was a clear path to a dog''s death.

    The Count wouldn''t have sent his cherished subordinates to their deaths.

    It must have been a command given in desperation, or perhaps they were sent to simply buy time.

    And Ian''s judgment was correct.

    If Sir Diketo bought Count Catina and Lucy time to escape, it would be enough.

    Upon reflection, Sir Diketo realized that Ian was right.

    Knights, who knew nothing but brawling, could only foolishly block enemies with their bodies.

    But wizards were different.

    If a wizard was the enemy, they''d foam at the mouth exclaiming, "That bastard is using wicked sorcery!"

    If on the same side, they''d say, "Ha-ha. The wizard''s magic is truly mysterious and wonderful!"

    "But how can you alone stop them?"

    "It''s impossible to stop them. But I can buy us time."

    "...As far as I know, the more powerful the magic, the longer it takes to cast."

    Sir Diketo''s words were common sense.

    The more powerful the magic, the more it required a process of ''appeasing'' the mysteries.

    Whether through bribery or lip service, one needed to perform actions that would please the mysteries.

    It was like a fantastic talent show.

    Pleased by the show, the mysteries would lend their significant power.

    That was the essence of magical rituals and large-scale magic.

    "But I have orders from His Excellency..."

    "Sir Diketo."

    Ian spoke calmly.

    "Rushing in blindly without understanding your lord''s intentions and getting caught by the enemy is, dare I say, a disgrace to a knight."

    "!"

    Sir Diketo looked shocked.

    "A disgrace? What do you mean...!"

    "Do you truly believe His Excellency wishes for you to defeat the black knight?"

    Ian shouted with a compelling voice.

    A wizard''s voice carried power because they were accustomed to conveying their ''will'' to the mysteries.

    Unaware that he was essentially hypnotizing Sir Diketo, Ian earnestly continued.

    "We cannot afford to lose Sir Diketo just to capture a mere black knight!"

    "That... A mere black knight? I am not the grand knight you think I am..."

    "That''s what you think, Sir Diketo! Do you still not realize how much Count Catina cherishes you? He considers you equal, no, more significant than that black knight!"

    "!!!"

    Sir Diketo, caught in Ian''s hypnotic... no, compelling voice, was mesmerized.

    Upon hearing it, that was indeed the case.

    "His Excellency told me to defeat the black knight, right? Then that means... I''m on the same level as the black knight, or even higher, right?"

    The fact that he had been pushed aside by the younger ones to take on the role of an escort had long since vanished.

    Sir Diketo, moved by his lord''s consideration for him, burst into hot tears.

    "Sniff...! Then, my lord considers me...!"

    "Yes. You are not meant to fall here. Please go back and stay by the side of Serg or whatever his name is. I''m worried sick leaving that bastard alone.

    I''ll take care of things here."

    "Understood! Ian! I will not forget your sacrifice!"

    "Hey, who are you treating like a dead man? Do I look like I''m going to die here?"

    Sir Diketo turned his horse around, intending to return to the Count''s side.

    "Your Excellency! I''m off! The disloyal knight Diketo is going!"

    ''... I hope he doesn''t get scolded for coming back like this.''

    Ian shook his head.

    The way he was returning was just absurd.

    A significant number of the enemies had already disappeared into the forest.

    It wasn''t just a matter of stopping the black knight.

    Perhaps Sir Diketo returning at the right timing could turn out to be a rescue.

    Ian stopped talking and looked at the enemies.

    The enemy soldiers, charging with high spirits.

    And in the middle, the black knight charging proudly.

    "..."

    Ian was uncertain if this would work, but decided to proceed with the plan anyway.

    Taking a deep breath, Ian...

    Pulled out a scroll from his bosom.

    It was the magic scroll gifted by the Count.

    ---

    ---

    "Sir, look over there."

    Following the direction pointed out by the soldier, the black knight hesitated.

    The entrance to the forest.

    On a barren plain with only sporadic short grass, a man on a horse stood blocking their way.

    "What''s that?"

    Both the black knight and his soldiers tilted their heads, unable to figure out the identity of this man.

    Black hair. Black eyes.

    A man in a traveler''s robe.

    The peculiar thing was... he was riding a horse while holding a staff?

    "Uh..."

    Ian''s appearance on the battlefield was truly peculiar.

    He just looked like a complete lunatic.

    I mean, no armor, no shield, not even a single sword, just holding a staff?

    Is the staff a weapon?

    Why would he bring that?

    Under normal circumstances, they might have thought, "What''s with this lunatic?" and moved on...

    But the soldiers felt a chilly unease sweeping over their lower bellies.

    Just as in martial arts, one is advised to beware of women, children, and the elderly...

    In this medieval fantasy world, there''s a saying to beware of lunatics.

    Specifically, those who appear to be lunatics.

    [Achievement Unlocked!]

    [You have witnessed an ancient mystery and survived!]

    [You survived well! Lucky you!]

    [Bonus Skill Points: +500!]

    Despite the pouring in of bonus skill points, Ian had no mind to care for that.

    There was still something important left.

    Ian looked around.

    Kneeling... bowing...?

    ''...Huh?''

    Distracted by apologizing to the incredibly furious mystery.

    Numerous soldiers were, instead of Ian, prostrating themselves to the sky.

    Ian realized.

    Ah! They''re prostrating on my behalf!

    You guys are such nice friends!

    ...Of course, that wasn''t the case, they just freaked out and bowed their heads because the lightning was striking like crazy.

    The only person standing on the plain was the black knight.

    ''What''s with him?''

    Did he faint while standing?

    If not, he was a knight with an incredibly strong constitution.

    ''Whatever happened... this is an opportunity!''

    Quickly, Ian assessed the situation.

    He thought the scroll was to summon wind, but it turned out to summon lightning instead.

    Whoever made it, the mystery started freaking out like someone had pressed its berserk button as soon as it heard the name mentioned in the scroll.

    So, he hurriedly calmed it down and ended the conversation...

    Although Ian didn''t kill anyone with the lightning, people were scared stiff.

    Being somewhat of a local, Ian understood why.

    Lightning = Wrath of the heavens...!

    It''s a keyword of Heaven''s Faith!

    "Foolish ones! Listen!"

    Not quite sure what was going on, Ian didn''t miss the opportunity.

    He immediately started acting like a wizard.

    That is... he started blabbing.

    "Today, witnessing your battle! The great souls in the heavens have become terribly angry!"

    "Eeeek!"

    "How could this be!"

    The soldiers, originally prostrating, trembled and looked up at Ian as if he were an apostle called by the heavens.

    Suddenly, the genre changed from a chase to Passion of the Christ[1].

    The enemies buried their heads in the ground, repenting for sins they hadn''t committed.

    "Oh! Oh heavens! Great heavens!"

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry..."

    ''...It''s working well.''

    Religion truly is the only drug permitted by the state...

    Ian thought idly to himself as he continued to shout.

    Although he was a wizard by profession, it seemed his oratory skills were what truly flourished.

    What kind of wizard spends all day giving speeches?

    "Those who follow the immoral Graham shall receive divine punishment! That is the message whispered to me by the heavens!"

    "Oh!"

    "...But still, to betray our leader..."

    Graham''s army was in turmoil.

    If anyone could witness lightning striking out of a clear sky and remain calm, they''d be the abnormal one.

    The black knight was that abnormal one.

    ''That should be enough.''

    Having achieved the goal of tying up the enemy''s legs, albeit in a rather noisy manner, Ian didn''t hesitate to turn around.

    Even if they followed Ian, real divine punishment wouldn''t strike them.

    After all, the whole thing was a show staged by Ian.

    Before his lie was exposed, Ian needed to move quickly.

    "If you fear the wrath of the heavens! Do not even dare approach this forest!"

    "Yes, yes!"

    "We will remember!"

    Ian hurriedly rode off, returning to the Count''s side.

    The soldiers, having heard Ian''s... no, the holy will of the heavens, would surely fear the forest.

    But those who had entered the forest first would still be causing trouble.

    Ian needed to regroup with Lucy before they caused any incidents.

    ---

    ---

    After Ian disappeared into the forest.

    The steadfast black knight finally spoke.

    "It''s a trick."

    "...What?"

    Ian had hurled insults at the black knight, suggesting he had fainted while standing or worse.

    But the black knight had neither fainted nor wet himself.

    He had caught Ian tearing the scroll.

    The lightning that struck.

    And for a brief moment, Ian''s awkward voice.

    ''It didn''t feel like intended magic.''

    The black knight''s insight was accurate.

    It was a post-medieval level of logical thinking.

    "The battle isn''t over yet. Follow the wizard."

    When everyone else was too scared to continue the fight, the black knight did not give up.

    "But...! The punishment from the heavens...!"

    "If I am indeed committing an unjust act, then I shall be struck by lightning and die immediately."

    The black knight said this and stepped into the forest.

    Lightning... did not strike.

    "???"

    Graham''s army was still in disarray.

    However, a few soldiers still followed Ian.

    The black knight was one of them.

    ---

    [1. raei: tis a movie!]

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 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    "Kraak!"

    [Master! Someone is following us.]

    "A knight?"

    [What''s a knight?]

    "Are they wearing armor?"

    [What''s armor?]

    "You birdbrained idiot!"

    No matter how smart Oberon the crow was among birds, he hadn''t fully grasped the human way of life yet.

    However, having accompanied the Santiago Knights before, explaining what a knight was wasn''t hard.

    [It was a human as beautifully black as you and me, master!]

    "...Must be the Black Knight."

    Ian easily deduced that the pursuer was a Black Knight.

    Honestly, he was surprised.

    He never thought a medieval person would ignore religious pressures to chase after Ian.

    "They said he was from Baekguk... Don''t they believe in the Church of Heaven''s Faith there?"

    If he was a heretic, it would explain it.

    The pursuit continued, but nothing changed.

    Ian hurried his horse to join the fleeing count.

    "Damn...!"

    And Ian saw it.

    A knight getting hunted down like a beast, taking arrows.

    And...

    In that chaos, he also saw the count fall!

    Ian easily found Lucy near the count, sobbing.

    "[Darkness!]"

    Summoning darkness to envelop the surroundings, Ian swiftly grabbed Lucy and ran.

    "Lucy! The count!"

    "...He''s gone!"

    "I really f*cking hate this! S*ht!"

    Lucy confirmed the kill.

    The count was dead.

    ''What the hell is going on?''

    Ian was confused.

    His knowledge about war was solely from movies and games.

    In those, the commanders always won, and never showed what to do when fleeing or losing.

    Thus, Ian found the concept of defeat extremely foreign.

    ''But...''

    Ian glanced at Lucy, who was trembling.

    The count was dead.

    However, another noble was by Ian''s side.

    Lucy Talian.

    If she remained alive, she could be another focal point.

    Ian decided to focus on the immediate situation.

    For now, he would concentrate on safely rescuing Lucy.

    "We''ve got the Black Knight on our tail!"

    "The Black Knight?"

    "Yes! We need to shake him off, so let''s head to the river!"

    But Ian had no time.

    The shouts of the pursuers were already close behind.

    "Stop! Wizard!"

    "...This is insane!"

    Ian gritted his teeth and spurred his horse.

    Getting caught by the Black Knight meant the end.

    Looking back, the Black Knight and his men were quickly closing in.

    Specifically, they were targeting Lucy, who was with Ian.Updated from

    ''Really persistent!''

    Regardless of anything else, the Black Knight''s tenacity was admirable.

    Single-handedly carrying Graham''s army on his back.

    "No use running! Don''t waste time and just surrender!"

    It was the most crucial moment, where the outcome of the war hung in the balance.

    Ian didn''t stop.

    "Just a bit more...!"

    But Ian had anticipated something like a spear throw.

    "[Run wild!]"

    When Ian shouted in the language of magic forcefully, the pursuers'' horses started going berserk!

    Neigh!

    "Ah, aahhh!"

    The Black Knight gave up aiming and barely managed to jump off his horse.

    "What trickery!"

    Ian, a Level 3 summoner, easily transmitted his will to the horses, making it easy to dismount the riders.

    The pursuers splashed into the river, falling from their horses.

    Though the river was shallow, it was deep enough to wet their calves.

    Even though they''d fallen off their horses, if they hurried, they could still kill the wizard...!

    But Ian''s magic didn''t stop there.

    Ian consecutively uttered in the language of magic.

    "[O river!]"

    The river and Ian had been aware of each other''s existence for some time.

    As soon as Ian addressed it, the river gladly responded to the wizard''s call.

    [I''ve been waiting. Human. You are a seeker of mysteries.]

    Though the river was eager to engage in a deep conversation with Ian, he had no time.

    Fortunately, being an ancient mystery, the river easily understood Ian''s urgent feelings.

    [Those beings are causing you distress, aren''t they? Right?]

    "[Sweep them away!]"

    [Yes. Let''s push those away first and then talk.]

    Whoosh!

    The Black Knight and his pursuers were horrified.

    As soon as the wizard''s spell was complete, the river began to wriggle like a living creature!

    "Please, save us!"

    The river water, like a giant slime, gathered together and engulfed the pursuers, pushing them far downstream.

    Watching the pursuers being swept away, Ian was amazed.

    Wow. That looks so fun.

    A water slide in the plains? Can''t miss out on this!

    Had the pursuers known Ian''s thoughts, they would have been furious, but fortunately, they were not mind readers.

    "You did great, Ian!"

    After sweeping away the pursuers with magic, Lucy praised Ian with great joy.

    However, Ian had no time to attend to Lucy.

    He needed to express his gratitude to the river that lent him its power.

    The river, a curious being, asked Ian various questions, and Ian ended up spending quite a lot of time dealing with it.

    By the time Ian left the river, the sun had already begun to set.

    Ian decided to spend the night outdoors and look for the count''s mercenaries once day broke.

    As Ian went to fetch some water, he stumbled upon a few corpses on the riverbank.

    "..."

    They were the pursuers Ian had swept away with the river water.

    After all, unlike water slides from the thoroughly tested modern world, medieval fantasy water slides didn''t guarantee the safety of their riders...

    Some water slides could only be ridden once, and Ian''s water slide was just like that.

    Ian was praying for the souls of the pursuers when he discovered the Black Knight.

    Up close, the armor was truly pitch black.

    Whether it was made of a unique metal or had undergone special treatment was unclear.

    However, since armor was a precious and expensive item, leaving it would surely invite thieves.

    But if someone was going to steal it anyway... wouldn''t it be better if Ian took it?

    Roaming the medieval fantasy world had taught him well.

    Wizard or not, having armor was always beneficial.

    You never knew when some lunatic might swing a sword at you.

    The problem was that it was so black it stood out too much.

    But it was better than having none.

    ''...It''s a bit small though.''

    When Ian tried to remove the armor, it was smaller than he expected.

    The Black Knight was slightly smaller in stature than Ian, which was undersized by the standards of this medieval fantasy world.

    ''Can I fit into it?''

    Ian was half worried, half hopeful as he removed the Black Knight''s armor.

    If it didn''t fit, he figured he could sell it to Lucy.

    While thinking this, Ian was startled as he removed the Black Knight''s helmet.

    "...?"

    The sight of long, blond hair springing out from the helmet was too unexpected.

    Had he heard right about the knight being from the East?

    Could it be they didn''t cut their hair because of Confucian beliefs?

    Upon seeing the Black Knight''s face, Ian''s every question was answered, and at the same time, he was astounded.

    ''A woman?!''

    The Black Knight was a woman.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Just as there are brigade commanders and battalion commanders in the military, there are female and male knights among knights.

    The existence of female knights wasn''t strange.

    This was a medieval fantasy world, after all, and there was no law saying women couldn''t be knights.

    But the reason Ian was surprised was because ''she'', the black knight, was a woman.

    The owner of tremendous martial prowess, who had crushed the central forces of the Count''s army and charged into enemy lines to kill the Count!

    ...But why a woman?

    It wasn''t that Ian was sexist.

    It was a matter of biological characteristics.

    It''s a scientific fact that men are generally stronger and have greater physical capabilities than women.

    Being a knight is a profession that can be said to be the pinnacle of physical utilization, and among them, a woman who stood out for her exceptional strength was nothing short of admirable.

    There was a character like this, far away in France, the protagonist of a famous novel, [Joan of Arc].

    It was a novel with a gloomy, busty, beautiful young female protagonist who received God''s grace and swept away the English army.

    The author was... someone called Earth, or something like that.

    Thanks to the overwhelming credibility and name value of the author, the absurd content of that novel was called [History] and even taught in schools.

    Anyway.

    Ian nodded, recalling the existence of Joan of Arc.

    That author, who ate plausibility for breakfast, would often throw out crazy, far-fetched settings when bored.

    A world where a blonde, beautiful young female knight plays an active role could exist anywhere.

    ...The problem was that this world was unfolding right in front of his eyes.

    Ian clasped his hands together and prayed for the blonde, beautiful young knight''s soul.

    If she had been alive, he would have liked to hear the whole story.

    It was a bit disappointing since she was already dead.

    ...Or so he thought.

    "Cough."

    "???"

    The black knight spit out a mouthful of water and made a pained expression.

    Ian was shocked.

    A corpse was coughing!

    "...No, that''s not it."

    Ian came to his senses.

    It looked like a corpse, but it wasn''t actually a corpse.

    The black knight was alive.

    For now.

    If he didn''t make her spit out all the river water, she would truly die.

    Ian immediately took action.

    Placing his hands on the chest of the black knight, Ian forcefully pressed on her abdomen to make her vomit out the water that was in her stomach.

    While saving the black knight, Ian thought.

    Was it really okay to save her?

    Just like how one''s mindset changes when entering and leaving a bathroom.

    Even if she would be grateful for Ian saving her life, she might try to kidnap Lucy again.

    But it was a needless worry.

    The solution was simple.

    Ian took out a rope and tied up the hands and feet of the black knight.

    Not for outdoor bondage play... but obviously so that she wouldn''t be able to move.

    Surely she wasn''t an ogre in human form who could break free from the restraints with sheer strength.

    Before long, the black knight regained consciousness.

    "Are you awake?"

    "...?"

    The black knight, struggling to grasp the situation while alternating glances between her bound hands and feet and Ian, suddenly screamed out loud.

    "You... you! My, my armor...!"

    "I took it off."

    "!!!"

    Ian wondered for a moment if it would have been better to leave the armor on.

    The black knight''s appearance was a bit...

    No, significantly indecent.

    She was dressed in a short, thin cloth top, practically a sleeveless shirt, and similarly thin cloth pants.

    Both were soaked with water, revealing her skin embarrassingly through the fabric.

    It was possible to see the cloth wrapped around her chest and her undergarments below with the naked eye.

    If Ian had been the type to be easily tempted, he might have impulsively touched the black knight.

    But Ian was not Sung Yu-jin[1].

    "I don''t trust you, so I disarmed you."

    Ian''s explanation made sense logically, but not emotionally.

    The black knight''s face turned red with embarrassment.

    She knew too well the state she was in.

    "To be seen by the enemy in such a state...!"

    The black knight, her expression stained with shame, glared at Ian and spat out as if humiliated.

    "Kill me!"

    "???"

    Ian doubted his ears.

    Did she really just say ''that line''?

    It was as if the female knights of creative worlds were connected by an invisible thread.

    He never imagined he would witness a female knight in a medieval fantasy world spout "Kill me!" in real time.

    Surely there wasn''t a handbook of norms that female knights had to recite when captured?

    But as strange as it was, it was strange.

    "Why would I?"

    "Why? Then... could it be!"

    The black knight looked at Ian with a horrified expression.

    Ian was even more flabbergasted.

    What in the world was she imagining?

    "Don''t you understand why I saved you? Is the water still not fully drained from your ears?"

    "That, of course..."

    The black knight mumbled with her head bowed and her face flushed.

    "To humiliate me..."

    "..."

    Ian couldn''t understand where the misunderstanding had occurred.

    He had no intention of insulting or humiliating the black knight.

    "No. I just saved you because you were dying."

    "You have no intention of humiliating me?"

    "Ah."

    The mystery was finally solved.

    The reason the black knight talked about sin.

    Why Lucy looked down on the black knight.

    It was all because the black knight was dressed as a man.

    Unlike modern society where unisex fashion is common, in this medieval fantasy world, ''men''s clothes'' and ''women''s clothes'' were strictly defined.

    For a man to wear women''s clothes, or a woman to wear men''s clothes, was considered a sin.

    This is something even modern people can somewhat understand.

    Socially, while women wearing men''s clothing was somewhat accepted, men wearing women''s clothing... was frowned upon, wasn''t it?

    To put it in perspective for Ian:

    Let''s say Ian secretly admired maids.

    He dressed in drag and then worked at a maid caf in a maid outfit, only to be caught by a customer.

    ''This guy wooow~ A man wearing wo- men''s. clo- thes.~ So funny woow~''

    ''Eek~ a man~ wearing women''s clothes~''

    Overcome with shame, Ian would say with an embarrassed expression.

    ''Ugh. Please kill me...''

    "..."

    Only then did Ian understand the black knight''s situation.

    It was as if she was forcibly outed.

    It was somewhat pitiable.

    If it were Ian, he would have bitten his tongue right there.

    "Is cross-dressing your preference? Or is there a reason for it?"

    "..."

    "What. It probably doesn''t matter anyway. Soon the rumor that the black knight dressed as a man will spread, won''t it?"

    "...!"

    Threatened by Lucy, the black knight glared at her with venomous eyes.

    Despite the knightly fury in her gaze, Lucy did not avert her eyes.

    "I demand that you protect my honor, Talian."

    "Honor? Is there such a thing as honor for a mercenary knight who flits from one side to the other for money? You''re no better than a bandit."

    "What did you say?"

    Their voices grew louder.

    Before things escalated further, Ian cut off Lucy''s words.

    "Stop it, Lucy. You''re getting worked up."

    "No. I need to press on. Now that we''ve found a weakness...!"

    Before Lucy could shout further, Ian gently pressed down on her shoulders.

    Lucy''s face turned slightly red.

    "I''ll handle the rest of the conversation, so go and rest. You''ll feel better after you''ve calmed down."

    "I''m fine..."

    As she spoke, Lucy realized her hands were trembling.

    Ian was right.

    She was overwhelmed.

    After experiencing too much and everything spiraling to the worst...

    Her anxious heart was manifesting as aggression.

    "...Sorry."

    Lucy left after a brief apology.

    Ian trudged over and sat next to the black knight.

    "Ah, all this noise over nothing, right?"

    At Ian''s words, the black knight looked incredulous.

    "Do you truly think that?"

    "Yeah."

    "...You don''t believe in God, do you?"

    Ian cocked his head in confusion.

    "No? I do believe."

    "...?"

    The black knight was even more dumbfounded.

    Believing in the God of Heaven but not finding cross-dressing strange?

    Does this guy not know the doctrine?

    Is he a casual believer?

    But it wasn''t over yet.

    The black knight was truly at a loss for words at what Ian said next.

    "Damn it, a woman can dress as a man if she wants. There are plenty of guys walking around in drag."

    "A man dresses as a woman? Have you actually seen that?"

    "Of course, I have."

    "Why? What''s the reason?"

    "Something about cosplaying for a game."

    "???"

    The black knight couldn''t understand a word Ian said.

    Men walking around in drag?

    If such a thing truly existed, it would be like bringing hell on earth.

    But for Ian, a modern person, the issue of cross-dressing or the like wasn''t something to be strictly judged as it was for medieval people.

    In an era where even the Pope tells homosexuals to love beautifully, what''s the big deal?

    The wizard''s words were complicated.

    It was hard to understand.

    But she grasped one thing for sure.

    Ian was speaking sincerely.

    "So don''t be too down about it. Just because you were caught cross-dressing."

    "..."

    Was it because he was a wizard that his way of thinking was so peculiar?

    Or was it just Ian''s nature?

    She couldn''t tell.

    However...

    The feeling of being comforted by Ian wasn''t too bad.

    "You''re as eccentric as you are skilled, wizard."

    "Ah, yeah. Let''s go with that."

    Ian, growing tired of being called weird, responded nonchalantly to the black knight''s comment.

    Unknowingly, the black knight let out a small laugh.

    ---

    [1. raei: Don''t know who this is, the only thing that comes up is a female golfer,]

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 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    When Ian opened his eyes, the world was bathed in a mysterious blue light.

    The blue twilight between midnight and dawn.

    In that blue world, a tall blonde woman was looking at Ian.

    "F*ck, that scared me."

    Of course, from a distance, she must have looked like a beautiful painting.

    But Ian was startled to wake up and find someone looking down at him.

    "Sorry, did I wake you?"

    "It''s not that."

    Ian looked around and sighed.

    There were about 30 minutes left until the sun was fully up.

    But waking up before that meant he had lost some precious morning sleep.

    Like most Koreans, Ian had a peculiar obsession with his morning sleep.

    "...The rope?"

    "What rope?"

    "The one I tied around the tree."

    Before falling asleep, Ian had wrapped the rope around the arm of a black knight to prevent her from escaping and to guard against any attack.

    But, surprisingly, when he woke up, the black knight was moving around freely with only her hands loosely tied.

    It was strange.

    Had he tied the rope incorrectly yesterday?

    "It wasn''t tied."

    "..."

    When the black knight calmly said so, Ian just nodded.

    What was the point in arguing now that it was already daylight?

    "How long have you been like this?"

    "It''s been a while. I''ve had a lot to think about."

    The black knight suddenly extended her hand.

    When Ian looked at her, the black knight said,

    "I seek treatment befitting a knight. Unbind my hands."

    "How can I trust you?"

    When Ian asked back, the black knight confidently replied,

    "I swear on the honor of a knight, I will not attack you."

    "..."

    Ian looked at the black knight with suspicion.

    Ian''s caution was due to the black knight''s sheer physical power.

    Wizards are weak in close combat.Updated from

    Bluntly put, if the black knight were to grab Ian''s neck and twist it, how could Ian possibly fend her off?

    He felt safer with her hands tied.

    Still doubting, the black knight calmly shared her story.

    "I am Belenka of the Mets family, from Wintz in Baekguk. It''s a barren land to the east of the Empire."

    ''It matches what Sir Diketo said.''

    Sir Diketo had immediately called the black knight a knight from the east after seeing her.

    Apparently, knights from Wintz in Baekguk prefer wearing black armor.

    "As the eldest child, I was trained from a young age to follow in my father''s footsteps as a knight. But after my father passed away, my mother whimsically decided to pass my father''s armor and weapons to my younger sibling. I explained that those were mine, but she wouldn''t understand."

    "Ah. So you stole them?"

    "What do you take me for? I obviously took them fair and square."

    Ian nodded.

    It was clear.

    Fair and square (by force), no doubt.

    As Ian had expected, Belenka of Mets had beaten up her sibling and taken the weapons and armor.

    Thus, a trial ensued...

    And Belenka lost.

    The reason was that the Lord and Belenka''s mother were in cahoots.

    Having lost in court, Belenka was supposed to return the armor and be imprisoned... but that didn''t happen.

    It goes without saying, but to enforce justice, physical force was essential.

    To punish, first, you must capture the criminal.

    But as you might have seen before... Belenka was quite strong.

    When the Lord''s soldiers and knights threatened Belenka, she fought back fiercely (physically) and shouted,

    "Who dares to judge me!"

    No matter the Lord''s judicial authority, in the end, the strongest one prevails.

    Belenka, demonstrating the limitations of medieval justice with her own body, escaped from Wintz and headed to the Holy Empire.

    Her destination was the Roland Kingdom located in the western part of the continent.

    It was the kingdom where her father had served as a knight in his youth.

    "As my father''s daughter, they''ll surely welcome me."

    "Hmm."

    Ian found it a bit strange but nodded anyway.

    Thinking that because her father had a job there, she would too.

    Wasn''t that too naive?

    Belenka was horrified by Ian''s explanation.

    She had thought it was magic that changed her voice... but it was a possessed object?!

    "I''m not a necromancer, so I don''t know the details."

    "So, is it dangerous?"

    "Not really. If there hasn''t been a problem until now, there probably won''t be in the future."

    "...Are you sure?"

    Ian returned the helmet, saying,

    "I don''t know."

    "...."

    "It''s probably best to use it only occasionally when fighting. Since it''s unclear whether it''s beneficial or harmful."

    Ian wasn''t a jack-of-all-trades.

    He didn''t know every mystery out there.

    He could invest skill points in necromancy right now, but honestly, it seemed a waste to spend points just to investigate one helmet.

    That was a thought Ian could afford, having dabbled in various magics thus far.

    It might be better to save the points and use them at a critical moment, like he did with Longtail.

    After Ian appraised the item, Belenka sincerely thanked him.

    "Thank you, wizard."

    "Don''t mention it."

    ---

    ---

    Once the day was fully bright, Ian released Belenka from her restraints and fed her breakfast because she had sworn to the heavens not to be hostile towards them.

    "But is a swear all it takes?"

    "Ian is weirdly suspicious at strange times."

    Lucy believed Belenka''s swear without any doubt, but Ian couldn''t shake off his uneasy feeling.

    After all, a promise... means nothing!

    How can you trust mere blabbery?

    Especially since Ian''s ancestors, the Koreans, were a nation of gutsy diplomacy who breathed lies in their dealings with China and Mongolia, swearing oaths left and right.

    So much so there must be records that say "Koreans cannot be trusted."

    However, in this era where the Church of Heaven''s Faith was the universal religion, swearing to the heavens was about 90% reliable, unless someone was desperate enough.

    "Your name is Ian, right?"

    "Yeah. Ian, a disciple of Eredith. Some call me Raven."

    "Right. Ian Eredith Raven."

    Belenka knelt on one knee to the ground.

    It was the pose of a knight before being knighted.

    "Although it was due to circumstances, we wielded violence against each other. But you saved my life, your enemy. No amount of thanks would be enough, Ian."

    "You can say that standing up."

    "No. Ian. There''s something I''d like to ask of you."

    "A request?"

    Belenka lowered her head and said,

    "Can we pretend like everything that happened between us... never happened?"

    "...?"

    Ian didn''t understand at first, but then he got what she meant.

    Ah. She''s suggesting we make peace!

    Both of us did wrong, so let''s forget and act like it never happened.

    Such a shy medieval person.

    "Okay. Let''s pretend it never happened, why not."

    At Ian''s refreshing response, Belenka beamed with a smile.

    "..."

    Lucy watched Belenka''s actions with her arms crossed.

    Feeling Lucy''s gaze, Belenka spoke to her without turning her head.

    "Whatever you say, I will fight to protect my honor, Talian."

    Ian worried if this would lead to a second round of conflict between them right here.

    However, today, Lucy was the one to back down first.

    "...My remarks yesterday were rash. I tried to blackmail a knight of honor by exploiting her weakness. I apologize."

    "..."

    "As a gesture of my apology, I''ll forget everything about your past. That''s what you want, right?"

    "Yes."

    Lucy slowly nodded.

    Ian found it hard to believe this side of Lucy.

    What''s going on? Why is she acting like a magnanimous noble?

    Are you really Lucy?

    Not something transformed into Lucy?

    Lucy knew that Belenka''s heart had already drifted away from her.

    While it would have been good to draw in a free knight like Belenka, since that chance had passed, she decided to at least remove any hostility.

    The good news was that Belenka seemed interested in Ian.

    Since Ian was on Lucy''s side... if Ian accepted Belenka, then Belenka would also become an ally to Lucy by extension.

    After Lucy finished speaking, Belenka, with a serious expression, said,

    "I appreciate both of your generous decisions. And Ian. For my life and now my past... I owe you a great debt."

    Belenka bowed her head once more.

    "But right now, I have no money. So..."

    "Hmm?"

    "Let me repay you with my body."

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    "Paying with one''s body," as Belenka said, didn''t carry the suggestive meaning it might today.

    It meant compensating for the lack of money with one''s physical effort.

    This was a very common practice among knights in the medieval era.

    Knights, who possessed nothing but their might, would wander the world and, when short on money, would sell their martial services to make ends meet.

    Belenka owed Ian a significant debt.

    Unlike modern people who just talk about owing debts, in the medieval fantasy world, debts were expected to be repaid physically.

    This was because of the doctrine of the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    If you owed 100, you had to pay back exactly 100 in money or services.

    Offering 120 or 130 was not allowed as it would be considered usury, a sin.

    Thus, Belenka was saying she would provide services equivalent to the value of saving her life and forgetting her past to Ian.

    The service a knight could offer... was obviously martial in nature.

    "Until my debt is fully repaid, my sword is yours, Ian."

    That was why Belenka knelt.

    Until she repaid her debt, she would serve Ian as her Lord.

    ---

    ---

    "Do you even know what I do?"

    "What kind of question is that? Aren''t you a wizard?"

    "And where am I going?"

    "I don''t care. Wherever it is, I''m with you until the debt is repaid."

    Belenka spoke indifferently.

    Ian noticed that Belenka was truly indifferent about his destination.

    ''Not bad.''

    Having briefly traveled the continent alone, Ian realized the need for a vanguard.

    Wizards were weak in close combat.

    On a battlefield with many, wizards might be like gods, but they struggled when a madman charged at them with a sword.

    But if a similarly armed madman could stand in front and take the brunt, Ian''s burden would lessen.

    ''With Belenka''s skills, she won''t be easily beaten.''

    Ian, who had considered hiring mercenaries or gladiator slaves, was very pleased with the presence of the wandering knight.

    "Let''s get along then."

    Belenka responded with a short bow, indicating she would treat Ian not as a boss but as a Lord.

    "It''s daylight. Let''s gather the scattered soldiers."

    Ian tasked Oberon with locating the mercenaries and knights.

    He told him to bring them here if they were nearby.

    "Ah. But Belenka. Can you even be here?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "I mean... you were on Graham''s side until yesterday."

    Belenka had been slicing through the Count''s soldiers just a day before.

    Telling the soldiers who had lost comrades that this human butcher was now on their side would surely not make them happy.

    Belenka nodded as if she understood.

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."

    "...?"

    "I just arrived here for the first time today."

    What the f*ck.

    Ian, dumbfounded, looked at Belenka, who calmly said,

    "Didn''t we agree to forget my past yesterday?"

    "..."

    "So, I am someone who arrived here for the first time today."

    Ian was dizzied by Belenka''s astonishing logic...!

    Sure, Ian had promised to forget her past.

    But wasn''t it just about forgetting her past as a cosplayer?

    But f*ck, it was as if everything had been entirely edited out!

    "Belenka..."

    "Yes?"

    "Do you think... such an excuse will work?"

    Even if Ian agreed to forget Belenka''s past, it wasn''t like they had activated some hypnosis app that would make everyone else fail to recognize her.

    Especially when she''s wearing that black armor!

    But Belenka was shameless.

    "It''s not about whether it works or not. If I say so, there''s no other choice but to believe me."

    Ian shook his head in disbelief.

    He didn''t understand, but... if she says so, well.

    She''ll handle it somehow.

    Ian was a bit worried about Belenka, but it turned out to be an unfounded fear.

    Around noon, soldiers began to gather around Ian, following his crow.

    In fact, regrouping a defeated army in this era wasn''t an easy task.

    Normally, after a defeat in battle, it was every man for himself.

    Run away on your own, gather on your own, and decide what to do next on your own.

    With commanders and knights either dead or missing, what command structure was left?

    "Oh? Our army lost? Might as well go home and eat."

    And indeed, many soldiers did just that, went straight home.

    If a soldier decided to fight and then go home to eat, from a modern perspective, it was crazy... but what could a defeated commander do?

    If someone doesn''t want to fight, how can you force them?

    Beat the opponent and there''s no argument!

    Even the most noble of bloodlines, Lucy, served as the judge.

    As Belenka swung her sword, everyone there thought the same thing.

    ''That''s the Black Knight.''

    ''The Black Knight.''

    ''She''s definitely the Black Knight...''

    Of course, Belenka''s swordsmanship was the same as yesterday.

    Sharp, precise, and deadly.

    The righteous knight couldn''t last more than five exchanges before declaring surrender.

    "Enough! I''ve lost..."

    "Greg Hadalun. Who am I?"

    Sign here, Greg!

    Greg mumbled as if he were a defeated country''s representative signing a surrender document.

    "Belenka is... not... the Black Knight..."

    Following that, Lucy concluded the duel.

    "Belenka of Wintz is a wandering knight saved by the wizard Ian from the river yesterday! They met for the first time yesterday, and she is absolutely not the Black Knight! Therefore, she cannot be held accountable for any wrongdoing in yesterday''s battle!"

    Belenka once again proved her innocence (physically) in a straightforward manner.

    Ah! What a noble knight!

    The epitome of an impeccable knight.

    "Is it done?"

    "Sir Diketo!"

    Ian stood up as he recognized a familiar face.

    He was a knight of the Count, Sir Diketo.

    "Sir. The Count..."

    "... I know."

    Ian felt like he had asked something he shouldn''t have.

    Sir Diketo, with a stern face, asked,

    "What are your plans now?"

    "And you, sir?"

    Sir Diketo glanced at Lucy before speaking.

    "As much as I''d like to attack Graham again..."

    There were three main reasons Sir Diketo wanted to attack Graham.

    Firstly, that was the original plan.

    Coming all this way only to return empty-handed would mean they were mere remnants of a defeated force.

    Only by taking Graham''s head could they say, ''Though the Count has fallen, we won...''

    Secondly, they needed to seize the Talian domain to pay the mercenaries.

    If they returned now, the mercenaries would 100% whine to the next Count for their remaining pay.

    Lost the battle but still want to be paid?

    That''s a separate issue.

    Even if a company is in deficit, they must pay the contract money.

    It''s foolish not to take the money you''re owed out of concern for the company.

    However, the next Count (whoever that may be) will 100% try to weasel out of paying.

    "What? The mercenaries want to be paid? I don''t know about that, get the money from my deceased father~ The Count is already dead? Then you might as well die too and get your money in the afterlife~"

    It must be really frustrating for the mercenaries, but unless they plan on following after the Count, all they could do was curse and swear.

    That''s just how the world works.

    Those with power blatantly rip off those below them and still walk around just fine.

    Then, following the beautiful tradition of the medieval era, the mercenaries will immediately turn into bandits and raid the Count''s treasury (the people).

    And who''s going to catch those bandits?

    Sir Diketo, of course, who else~

    But if they seize the Talian domain and extract money from Lucy, the story changes.

    It''s not the Count''s domain but the Talian domain that gets robbed!

    Though the pillaged people might be f*cked... it''s not Sir Diketo''s problem as long as it''s not him.

    And lastly.

    The most important, yet trivial reason was...

    Sir Diketo simply f*cking hated Graham.

    He felt that only by sending Graham to hell could the late Count rest in peace with a smile.

    "Baron Talian."

    When Sir Diketo called Lucy, Lucy was startled.

    Usually bragging about being a Baron, now, she was genuinely surprised to be treated as one.

    "We have enough soldiers left, and there''s still provisions. If you command, we can fight again..."

    War is for the nobility to decide.

    Without Lucy''s will, Sir Diketo would have to return to the Count''s domain with tears in his eyes.

    Lucy calmly looked around at those present.

    Sir Diketo and the knights of the Count. And the soldiers following them.

    The Black Knight Belenka.

    And the wizard Ian.

    Everyone was waiting for Lucy''s command.

    "Ian."

    When the Baron of Talian called the wizard,

    Ian answered with a smile.

    "Do as you wish, Baron. You haven''t forgotten what you want, have you?"

    Lucy nodded.

    Yes. The reason I fled the Talian domain.

    Let''s not forget that reason.

    "I want... to drive out the usurper Graham and reclaim my land!"

    Then Ian shouted!

    "The Baron wishes for warrrrrr!"

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Iron filings stick to magnets, and knights stick to the nobility.

    It''s a fact everyone knows without having to experiment in a science lab.

    A knight is one who makes a living out of violence.

    However, no matter how powerful a knight may be, in the end, they are humans who need to solve the problem of making a living.Updated from

    Therefore, it was essential for a knight to have a sponsor who would ''feed and support'' them.

    In a medieval fantasy world, that sponsor is precisely the nobility.

    In a word, nobles are landlords.

    They are like gods.

    If there is a difference from modern landlords...

    It''s that they even own the tenants in their buildings!

    They can beat them, kick them out, or take whatever they want.

    Nobles are allowed to do so.

    Why?

    Because everyone, whether animals or humans, is considered property!

    However, unlike animals, humans know how to protest seriously.

    When nobles kick over the dining table, lift skirts, and throw tantrums, people bravely confront them, saying,

    "Look! The way you treat me is so poor. Is this really the right thing to do!"

    It meant that if you keep throwing tantrums, I will do the same.

    Therefore, discerning nobles do not mistreat their people recklessly.

    They know that pushing them too hard will only make them submissive temporarily.

    But this also varies by situation.

    If they were in trouble, they wouldn''t care about the suffering of the people or anything else and would sell off their belongings.

    Nobles are allowed to do so.

    Why?

    Because the people living on my land are mine...

    "Those with achievments will be given a purse of silver."

    Lucy Talian solemnly declared.

    The noble, a sponsor of knights, announced that she would open her purse.

    When playing and giggling with Ian, she seemed like a frivolous girl, but standing before people, she looked like a respectable young noble.

    Lucy promised the knights and mercenaries a generous reward after the job was done.

    Where would Lucy, who doesn''t have a penny, get the money?

    The answer was simple.

    Just rip off the money bags (people) scattered throughout the domain!

    Once again, nobles are allowed to do so.

    They hold judicial, administrative, and military power, like a king.

    This is the background for why the nobles'' heads rolled during the French Revolution...

    Not blinking an eye at squeezing the people, even going as far as to dig up the family''s graves to find a sword to present to Ian as a gift.

    Lucy was not particularly cruel or a harsh ruler.

    She was just an average Lord of the times.

    That''s why she was passive when the people suffered during the war.

    Since a nobile has declared they would distribute money, knights gradually joined Lucy''s fight.

    "Though it was only for a short time, I served Count Catina! It is a knight''s duty to avenge the death of their Lord!"

    Knights who would have gone home if Lucy hadn''t offered money, joined the battle, spouting about the honor and duty of knights.

    It was a convenient excuse in many ways.

    "Ian, I also want to participate in the battle."

    Belenka came to seek Ian''s permission.

    Ian was about to give his consent when a thought crossed his mind, and he asked,

    "Is this going to cut into your debt?"

    "Isn''t that obvious?"

    "Hmm."

    Belenka was a freelancer.

    Deploying Belenka on the battlefield would shorten her lifespan accordingly.

    But...

    ''So what?''

    Ian shrugged.

    It''s not like he was some kind of general hoarding a Guan Yu[1], preventing them from fighting for fear they might leave after achieving greatness.

    It was a backward way of thinking.

    Since he a hired knight to fight, they should be sent to the battlefield.

    "Thirty percent."

    "?"

    "If we win this war, I will reduce my debt by thirty percent."

    "...Is that for you to decide?"

    "I''m not just making this up. There''s a set debt for wandering knights."

    Since it was a rule among knights, Ian nodded for now.

    Ian, being a wizard, didn''t know much about knight affairs.

    Nor was he particularly curious.

    "Alright. Go and fight as you wish."

    "Thank you for your permission."

    Sir Diketo quickly reorganized the Baron''s forces and completed the preparations for battle.

    In fact, though the Count had died, the actual damage to the Count''s forces (now Baron''s forces) was minor.

    Hadn''t nearly 300 soldiers been recovered?

    It meant most of the force was still alive.

    "Wizard Ian."

    Sir Diketo approached Ian.

    "...It''s a bit late, but I''m sorry."

    "For what?"

    The possibility of dying in battle?

    Nobles don''t know anything about that!

    "Have you found Talian?"

    "Not yet. The soldiers are reluctant to enter the forest..."

    Graham and his subordinates had clearly witnessed yesterday''s calamity.

    Initially, they thought the weather had gone mad...

    But later, they heard that a wizard had used some strange sorcery to turn the situation against Graham.

    A typical ''That guy uses black magic!'' scenario.

    It was just intimidation without any physical harm, but it significantly dented the soldiers'' morale.

    If it weren''t for yesterday''s victory, the army might have collapsed.

    "Damn. We need to capture her somehow...!"

    Graham was desperate.

    Graham had always needed Lucy, but now the situation had become dire, where his life depended on her capture.

    Getting Lucy would at least provide a way to manage the situation.

    If Graham captured Talian, the death of the Count could be downgraded to an internal family issue.

    Of course, it wouldn''t be easy, but it was certainly a better situation than the current one.

    They should have finished it when they won yesterday...

    They were snowballing into a worse situation because they got cold feet due to the wizard''s impact on morale.

    "Captain! It''s a disaster!"

    "What is it?"

    "The enemies are regathering! It seems they still intend to fight!"

    "Is it some knight blustering about revenge? Or..."

    "It must be Talian."

    "Yes. It could be Talian."

    Hearing that the enemies were regrouping, Graham immediately prepared for a second battle.

    Winning here would mean a real victory.

    It was practically the last chance to capture Lucy!

    The enemies stealthily appeared at the time of dusk.

    Graham, equipped with chainmail and a helmet, frowned as he observed the enemies.

    "Isn''t that the Black Knight?"

    "Yes, it is the Black Knight."

    "Betrayal at such a time..."

    The Black Knight, who was with Graham''s army yesterday, now stood at the forefront of the Baron''s forces.

    As the horn sounded, the Baron''s army began to charge up the hill.

    Graham swung his sword and shouted, "Attack!"

    The battle was still unfavorable for Graham.

    Graham led his army desperately.

    Leading from the front, Graham''s forces clashed fiercely with the Baron''s army, despite being numerically inferior.

    Soldiers tangled, and enemy and ally alike were thrown into a chaotic fight.

    It was a melee so intense that it was difficult to see the flow of the battle.

    Up to this point, it was almost the same as yesterday.

    But there were two significant changes in the Baron''s forces.

    First was the presence of the Black Knight.

    The Black Knight, Belenka, displayed tremendous valor, wreaking havoc across the front lines.

    This was a fatal blow to the already outnumbered forces.

    But compared to the second threat, Belenka was nothing.

    "What, what''s that...?"

    "The sky! The sky is darkening!"

    Wizard Ian used magic from the rear.

    At sunset, with no one prepared with torches because it wasn''t deep night, it was the perfect environment for a dark wizard.

    "[Darkness!]"

    Ian summoned the darkness he had called upon several times before, with familiar skill.

    [Humans! We''re here!]

    [Where shall we play today?]

    "[Over there!]"

    [Dark magic Shroud of Darkness is cast]

    Ian laid a vast fog of darkness in the midst of the enemy lines.

    It wasn''t a skill that burned anything, hit anything, or killed.

    It simply made everything dark.

    But the darkness that Ian summoned completely changed the atmosphere of the battlefield.

    "It''s magic! The wizard has cast a spell!"

    "Damn! Do something!"

    "How can we do anything if we can''t see anything!"

    Over fifty soldiers floundered in the pitch-black veil.

    Utter chaos ensued.

    ''...We''re going to win.''

    Ian, observing the battlefield from a distance, thought so.

    With the rear forces plunged into chaos, what was a winnable fight now seemed lost.

    As evidence, the front, unable to withstand the merciless frontal assault of the Black Knight, began to crumble and attempted to retreat.

    However, the forces in the rear did not retreat.

    Well... because they couldn''t see!

    Who was fighting where?

    How could they know if they were winning or losing?

    As the retreating front collided with the confused rear, Graham''s army fell into the state of complete confusion.

    The army of the usurper was collapsing.

    ---

    [1. raei: ''a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China'']

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 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

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    The battle unfolded completely opposite to the previous day.

    Graham''s forces couldn''t handle the frontal assault of the Black Knight, leading to the collapse of their center.

    At the same time, the rear troops, floundering in the darkness summoned by Ian, lost their judgment and hindered the retreat of the front lines.

    In short, command was impossible.

    To put it in terms of a strategy game, it was a total morale collapse.

    "Everyone for themselves!"

    "Aaah! I want to live!"

    Baron Talian''s forces literally crushed Graham''s army.

    They shattered their forces, scattering them in all directions.

    Once an army was split like this, there was almost no way to reassemble it.

    It was typical for everyone to scatter, each fending for themselves.

    It was strange in the case of the former Count''s forces.

    Thanks to Ian releasing birds to gather them, about 300 grouped together.

    Elated by victory, the Baron''s troops hunted down the fleeing enemies one by one.

    Mercenaries were killed, and knights were captured for ransom.

    "Ian."

    Ian, who was watching the battlefield, was startled by Lucy suddenly jumping into his arms.

    Lucy hugged Ian tightly, sobbing.

    "We... we won."

    Yes. We did win.

    Ian swallowed his words and looked out over the battlefield.

    It was a monumental first victory since becoming a wizard.

    ---

    ---

    War is business.

    The purpose of war is conquest, plunder, and the accumulation of wealth.

    The concept that ''war was a terrible thing'' formed after World Wars I and II is a modern notion.

    In the fantasy-medieval era where Ian was active, war was nothing more than a means to make a huge amount of money.

    Working to the bone in the fields barely pays anything.

    Farming is essentially the same as gambling.

    But killing people makes money???

    Guys! You should try killing people too! It pays!

    That''s right.

    War in this era is like a real RPG game where you hunt human mobs.

    The existence of classes like knights, clerics, and wizards alone should tell you it''s an RPG.

    But in a place where killing people and earning money, leveling up, and accumulating achievements...

    Saying "Murder is bad. Robbery is bad."

    Would that make sense?

    "Don''t you want to level up?"

    "Don''t you want to make money?"

    That''s the kind of response you''d get.

    You killed a mob (person).

    What''s the next thing to do?

    Naturally, looting.

    Ian found soldiers obsessed with looting as he walked through the battlefield.

    They searched the bodies for anything valuable.

    This is how mercenaries accumulate their assets.

    In a way, one could say they wield weapons and kill people for this purpose.

    Just to lay hands on something shiny, beautiful, and desirable...

    Maybe that''s what living is all about.

    To satisfy greed, it''s about constantly consuming.

    "..."

    Ian wandered the battlefield, perhaps hoping to discover the mysteries of death.

    But the mystery he sought was nowhere to be seen, only greedy soldiers sprawled everywhere.

    ''With so many corpses around, why can''t I see the mystery of death?''

    Ian furrowed his brows and looked around.

    He felt nostalgic for the days he learned magic under Eredith.

    Back then, Eredith introduced him to the best ways to hear their voices.

    If Ian had tried to understand the mysteries on his own, who knows what foolish things he might have done.

    ''I don''t understand.''

    He thought he might learn necromancy here.

    But simply wandering a battlefield full of corpses was not enough.

    What should he do?

    Dissect a corpse?

    Sleep in a grave with a corpse? Or...

    Ian shook his head.

    It would be much faster to meet a necromancer during his travels and ask directly.

    If Eredith knew what Ian was thinking, she would have been speechless.

    You know, there are people who spend months trying, right?

    And here was Ian, thinking he could grasp necromancy just by scanning a battlefield once.

    "Lucy. Did you agree on anything with the Count?"

    "Agree on something?"

    "Like, in exchange for his help, you promised him something..."

    Lucy, with her uniquely clueless expression, tilted her head.

    "Nothing like that?"

    "...Really?"

    "Yeah. Really."

    Really nothing?

    Ian was baffled, but there truly was nothing.

    Well, the original plan might have been to create an undeniable atmosphere after winning and then extort various things from Lucy, but...

    The Count had died...

    Regretting in the afterlife that he should have spoken sooner was futile.

    What can be done about it now?

    It was the Count''s fault for not setting conditions beforehand in his attempt to maintain dignity in front of his niece.

    Thus, the Count''s people couldn''t cause trouble in Talian''s domain either.

    "Lucky, aren''t you."

    Ian nodded to himself.

    To Ian, Lucy was a born winner.

    Someone who succeeds at whatever she does.

    Well, an owner of such luck.

    It''s hard to say it was a repayment, but taking care of the mercenaries'' meals and distributing spoils to the knights could be considered as such.

    "You''ll come to the banquet, right?"

    "Of course."

    "Then I''ll see you at the banquet hall!"

    Lucy, with many things still to handle, couldn''t spare much time.

    Even meeting Ian was squeezed into her busy schedule.

    Understanding her situation, Ian once again wandered around aimlessly.

    ---

    ---

    Having some free time for a few days, Ian fell into a rare serious contemplation.

    "What really is a wizard...?"

    A converser with the mysterious.

    A seeker of mysteries.

    That was the wizard Ian knew.

    Up until now, he had been studying under Eredith and, by chance, talking with mysteries to build his achievements, but...

    Now that he had some free time, Ian started to doubt the path he was on.

    Is this the right way to train?

    Perhaps a seeker of mysteries needed more extreme methods...

    "I''m not sure."

    Ian, a novice wizard, still found it overwhelming to forge his own future.

    What Ian needed was more experience.

    Now he vaguely understood why Eredith had recommended traveling to him.

    "Oh! The wizard has arrived!"

    "Ian Raven! Come here and sit!"

    Ian laughed seeing the knights calling for him.

    He still had so much to learn about this world...

    But little by little, Ian felt like he was becoming a part of this world.

    "Really, becoming a Black Knight and that''s all you can eat?"

    "Eat up! Eat up!"

    The Baron''s banquet hall... but it felt more like an outdoor barbecue.

    It lacked that epic feeling.

    Still, being a noble''s banquet, the fact that peasants were mobilized to serve made it different from ordinary banquets.

    "..."

    Belenka, who was already there, stared at the lump of meat in front of her as if she was about to kill it.

    "What are you doing over there?"

    "Hmm. I have to eat all of this. But I''m so full I can''t eat anymore."

    The knights, having witnessed Belenka''s feats, respectfully loaded her plate with meat.

    With a dozen knights taking turns, the amount became enormous.

    Belenka wasn''t a competitive eating YouTuber; there was no way she could finish a mountain of meat by herself.

    "Hey, hey. You''re not saying you can''t eat the food I''m offering, are you?"

    "Come on, Black Knight! Try a bite of this too!"

    "..."

    With the food pile growing larger, Belenka tightly closed her eyes.

    Ian tilted his head.

    Colleagues persistently offering unwanted food...

    Where had he seen that before?

    It was just like a company dinner.

    Ah!

    A knight''s banquet is just like a company dinner!

    "Eat a lot. You know the main character always gets the most attention, right?"

    "Ah. Then, Ian, maybe you could help..."

    "Ah. I''m good. It smells gamey. Can''t eat it. Why don''t they season it with pepper or something? What kind of barbecue is just meat spun around the fire?"

    Belenka looked at Ian with a resentful expression, but Ian just patted her on the shoulder.

    No one dared to offer Ian, of all people, medieval-style barbecue recklessly.

    It was nice being a wizard!

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Schedule: 5/week

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    A few days after the victory celebration, Sir Diketo and the knights of the Count left the Baron''s lands.

    "Ian Raven. If you are not too busy, how about coming to our territory and lending us your wisdom?"

    Sir Diketo persistently tried to recruit Ian as a new vassal wizard.

    The value of a wizard vassal was extremely high.

    Though Ian looks like a loafer who only knows how to boast(true), his ability to babble in languages unknown was quite remarkable.

    Hadn''t he already shown the usefulness of his magical abilities?

    If he could expand those abilities under the support of the nobility, he could step into greater heights.

    Even a novice wizard has his uses if one knows how to make use of him.

    That''s why all the nobles Ian has met so far have tried to pull him onto their side.

    "I have no such interest."

    "...Is that so."

    When Ian showed his disinterest, Sir Diketo did not bother him further.

    Taking a wizard with them was, in truth, more of a side quest.

    The main quest was to return to the Count''s lands and support the next Count''s ascension.

    "Then, this is where we part."

    "If fate allows, we shall meet again."

    At Ian''s words, Sir Diketo grinned.

    Fate.

    A word wizards like to use, carrying some mystical power.

    "It would be nice to meet again in a better place."

    "I agree."

    ---

    ---

    The people cheered at the news of a new Lord taking over the Talian lands.

    In fact, this was a seed Ian had planted.

    To slander Graham and spread fake news that the land would be ruined if Graham became the Lord turned out to be incredibly effective.

    The people, who had been anxious about the possibility of Graham winning, screamed in delight at the news that Lucy Talian had become the new Baron Talian.

    "Wow! Baron Talian has won! We farm for another year!"

    Though the people didn''t care much about who their Lord was, they reacted sharply when their own interests were at stake.

    Even in the medieval era, humans were still humans.

    "Blessings to our Lord!"

    "Long live Baron Talian!"

    As Lucy rode by on horseback, the farmers stopped their work and sent up cheers.

    Ian had roughly explained the situation to Lucy, but she still smiled broadly and enjoyed it.

    "Ah, what am I to do if the people love me this much? Being popular is troublesome too~"

    "..."

    I wonder if she can still think like this when a rebellion breaks out and the nobles'' heads are being hunted.

    Ian muttered a curse that wasn''t exactly a curse.

    The cheers for Lucy were tremendous, but not a single word was directed at Ian.

    Black hair and black eyes.

    Even the crow perched on his shoulder...

    Who would want to talk to a wizard like that!

    Especially one who had been spreading ominous rumors that the land would be ruined!

    "Ian~ You must have no luck~ Not a single person shouting your name?"

    "...F*ck off."

    "What? Did you just say ''f*ck off'' to the. Bar. On?"

    "Shut up. Suddenly I''m pissed off. Should I just curse everyone for real?"

    "Calm down, Ian! It was just a joke!"

    Even as a Baron, Lucy was still Lucy.

    Ian was genuinely worried about Lucy''s future.

    How was she planning to manage the territory like that?

    Well, it wasn''t Ian''s concern.

    "Ah! Ian! It''s about time we go!"

    "Go?"

    At Ian''s question, Lucy replied with her characteristic bright smile.

    "A gift! I told you I would give you one! We have to go get it!"

    It was about the magic sword.

    Ian only half-believed Lucy''s words.

    I mean, even if she said she would give a gift, a family treasure?

    Could it be a lie?

    But it was true.

    Lucy really did prepare for the journey and then set off with Ian to find the hidden family tomb at the edge of the Talian lands.

    Before departing, Lucy, who had executed all the instigators of the rebellion, embarked on the journey with light steps.

    "Let''s go! Ian!"

    "..."

    Having witnessed an execution by beheading for the first time in his life, Ian felt a bit sick.

    Actually seeing a person''s head being chopped off...

    It reminded him of Unlucky Tomb Raider Oppert[1] and Lucky Tomb Raider Lara Croft.

    Though there was justification for Lara''s actions...

    There was no excuse for that bastard Oppert, a real f*cker.

    What, got nothing better to do than rob graves?

    Total as*hole!

    "Total bastards!"

    "As*holes, indeed."

    As Ian and Belenka exchanged words, Lucy''s expression soured in real-time.

    No descendant would be happy to hear their ancestors'' tombs were being robbed.

    "We must crush them immediately...!"

    Then, Oberon, who had gone to scout, returned.

    [Master! There are quite a lot of humans!]

    "How many?"

    [Huh? Just a lot! As many as flies stuck in honey!]

    "Oberon, can''t you count?"

    [Count? What''s that?]

    "..."

    Incompetent kid.

    Ian thought he should take a day to teach Oberon how to count.

    Since crows are said to have the intelligence of a young child, he should pick up numbers quickly.

    "Belenka. You''ll have to go and check."

    "Hmm. Okay. But my fee..."

    "I''ll pay, just go."

    "Love the straightforwardness."

    Ian sent Belenka to assess the scale of the tomb raiders.

    Belenka managed to scout successfully, at least better than the birdbrained Oberon.

    "The situation is bad."

    Belenka summarized the scouting results.

    "There are more than ten guys visible from the outside. Judging by the dozen or so tents set up, it looks like 30-40 people have gathered."

    Such a scale wasn''t just some thieves who stumbled upon the place.

    It was clear they were a group of professional tomb raiders who had obtained information about the treasure beforehand and came to loot.

    "Attack! We go and attack!"

    Lucy was livid.

    While her feelings were understandable, everyone else voted against it.

    "It''s too disadvantageous. We don''t know what kind of preparations they''ve made. The number of heads we have is fewer, a frontal assault would be suicidal."

    "Really? We really can''t win? Belenka, you can''t beat them either?"

    At Lucy''s absurd remark, Belenka gave a look of disbelief.

    "What do you take me for, a superhero? I''m human. And if I was smart, I wouldn''t blatantly attack a location that''s practically a fortress."

    Despite the repeated discussions, the conclusion was the same.

    It was impossible to attack the tomb raiders now.

    "Hmm..."

    However, one person kept silent.

    "Ian...?"

    The wizard Ian was the only one lost in thought, chin propped on his hand.

    Lucy''s group would have cleanly returned home if Ian had shouted, "Nope, can''t do it. Let''s just give the treasure to the tomb raider bastards and go home to eat!"

    But Ian never said "it''s impossible."

    He was a wizard who had produced miracles several times before.

    They quietly waited for the wizard''s opinion.

    After a moment of silence, Ian spoke.

    "There''s something worth trying..."

    "!"

    Belenka and Lucy looked at Ian in disbelief.

    Is there really a way here?

    Even if Ian was a wizard, it''s not like he could shoot mass-destructive laser beams from his hands, right?

    Is he thinking of casting some triple Avada Kedavra[2]?!

    "What kind of dreadful magic are you planning to use now..."

    "Dreadful? What do you think magic is?"

    "The magic you used on me was dreadful enough."

    "..."

    Ah. That water slide.

    That was a bit too much.

    But that wasn''t me; it was the river.

    Ian said calmly.

    "This is Talian''s tomb, right? There must be some suitable legend... I want to try scaring them a bit."

    ---

    [1. raei: no idea about opert here, Lara Croft is from Tomb Raider.]

    [2. raei: Harry Potter killing curse/spell!]

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 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Ian briefly outlined his plan.

    The dead Baron Talian.

    A tomb.

    Uninvited intruders.

    Combining these could potentially yield a grim result.

    In short, the idea was to impersonate the ghost of Talian.

    "Oh. The idea is good, but... wouldn''t we get punished for this?"

    "Punished?"

    Belenka was slightly worried about Ian''s plan.

    The idea of scaring the enemies by pretending to be a ghost in the graveyard was fine.

    But wasn''t it dangerous?

    What Ian intended to do felt somewhat like necromancy.

    Led by Ian''s fake ghost act, a real ghost might appear.

    But Ian was unfazed.

    "It''s fine, it''s fine. It''s just an act, after all."

    "Hmm. Is that so?"

    "Are you a wizard? I''m the wizard."

    Belenka nodded.

    Ian''s words were absolutely right.

    He was the wizard, not Belenka.

    Lucy also agreed with Ian''s plan.

    "If a real ancestor ghost appears, I''ll soothe it, no problem!"

    "..."

    Ian looked at Lucy skeptically.

    Wouldn''t the ancestor''s ghost be even angrier at the sight of Lucy?

    It was hard to tell.

    "It''s dark enough now. Let''s try it, and if it doesn''t work, we''ll just back off."

    With a light heart, Ian summoned the darkness.

    The wizard''s prank began.

    ---

    ---

    Ian''s plan was simple.

    It was improvised and didn''t involve any special skills, so he wasn''t very confident about its success.

    However, Ian trusted the medieval mindset more than his own plan.

    Would the medieval people be fooled by a moving ghost created in front of them?

    Even modern people would be startled if a dark shadow took on a human form.

    What more for medieval people?

    "Ian! I''ve lit the campfire!"

    "Good."

    Ian stood in front of the blazing campfire.

    Behind Ian, with the light source in front, a long dark shadow was cast.

    Ian closed his eyes and focused his mind on the voice of the darkness shadowing the shadow.

    [Guys! It''s not painful here!]

    [Hehe. Good. Here.]

    The darkness hiding behind Ian from the bonfire''s light.

    That was the shadow.

    Ian projected his will onto the shadow.

    ''Move...!''

    Simultaneously, mysterious magical words flowed from Ian''s mouth.

    "[Shadow! Move!]"

    [Move?]

    [Eek. I hate the light...]

    [We just want to stay here.]

    "..."

    Guys. Listen to me.

    The darkness felt like dealing with disobedient kindergartners.

    Hiding from the light and enjoying it, liking to gather among themselves...

    [But since Ian is asking...!]

    [Right! We need to move now to play again at night!]

    Play? Again? You guys?

    Ian was clueless, but the darkness chattered on its own.

    "Wow. It moves."

    "... Magic is truly fascinating."

    Lucy and Belenka murmured in admiration.

    As Ian recited the spell, his shadow began to move on its own.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Dark Magic: Shadow Manipulation]

    [Moves shadow to perform actions. Great for shadow play.]

    Ian managed to move his shadow to create a dark doppelgnger.

    As Ian raised his arm, the shadow raised its arm too.

    "Wow."

    "Dance! Ian!"

    At Lucy''s shout, Ian unwittingly became - Dancing Ian.

    Ian''s shadow danced joyfully.

    "Is this for pretending to be a ghost?"

    "Yes. Belenka. Do you have the helmet? Could you lend it to me?"

    "...You''re going to use it?"

    Ian wanted to try the voice modulation feature attached to Belenka''s helmet.

    It was perfect for producing a sinister voice.

    However, Belenka hesitated and then refused Ian''s request.

    They could chat like this, fall asleep, and when they woke up, the job would be finished.

    Then, they''d get paid and go home!

    Grave robbing was easy.

    "...So the ghost of the Baron...!"

    "Hey, hey. Wait a minute. Look over there."

    It was during a particularly engaging tale.

    Someone pointed into the darkness.

    "...What''s that?"

    The tomb raiders were almost simultaneously thrown into confusion.

    Something was... slowly moving in the darkness?

    No matter how hard they looked, they couldn''t figure out what it was!

    But judging by its human shape...?

    "A gh-ghost...!"

    "That''s not a ghost, is it?!"

    The tomb raiders all but drew circles under their eyes, saying ''I swear I saw it clearly!''

    If one person saw it wrong, that was their mistake.

    But if everyone saw it wrong, it wasn''t a mistake; they had seen something they shouldn''t have.

    "Everyone, over here! Gather hereeeeee!"

    A tomb raider shouted, trembling.

    Beneath their feet was the [ghost-repelling inscription].

    Something in the darkness slowly rose to its feet.

    It was something taking the form of a human.

    From head to toe, it was pitch black, as if it was a living shadow.

    The tomb raiders clutched each other''s hands, trembling.

    In the hardest times, those who stand by you are your true friends

    Then, the shadow shouted.

    [What are you doing... on my land...!]

    Terrified, one of the tomb raiders picked up a stone and threw it.

    "Get the hell away!"

    But the stone passed harmlessly through the shadow.

    The enemy was an intangible being.

    This fact terrified the tomb raiders to the extreme.

    [How dare you... attack the master of this land...!]

    Whooosh!

    The wind howled, blowing away all the torches.

    The tomb raiders lost their minds.

    "It''s the Baron! The Baron Talian has returned!"

    "Run!"

    "Idiot! Where can you run to! If we run, we die!"

    Unlike reality, this was a world where supernatural monsters roamed freely.

    Every creature in the field was as unique as a platypus.

    They had no doubt that this black human-shaped mass was the ghost of the Baron.

    [Leave at once... you cursed beings...!]

    The ghost of the Baron roared.

    Then, most of the tomb raiders dropped their weapons and scrambled to flee.

    "I''m sorry! I have committed a sin worthy of death!"

    "I will live righteously from now on, please spare my life!"

    "O great spirit in the sky! Protect me!"

    The tomb raiders knew they were engaging in immoral acts. How honorable could grave robbing be, after all?

    With such a fragile mentality, the arrival of the ghost left them unable to compose themselves.

    Only one person remained.

    It was a tomb raider who couldn''t run away because his legs had given out.

    He performed a perfect kowtow that could be pictured in a textbook and murmured.

    "By the name of God, depart; by the name of God, depart; by the name of God, depart..."

    It was the spell taught by the fortune-teller who had taught him the [ghost-repelling inscription].

    Reciting this spell and showing the inscription was supposed to make any ghost retreat.

    The ghost of the Baron gazed silently at the man muttering the spell.

    ''Please...!''

    Then, something unbelievable happened.

    The ghost turned around and walked away!

    ''Wh... What?!''

    The tomb raider was so shocked that he sprang up.

    It worked! The ghost actually retreated!

    "The gods in heaven have protected me!"

    Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of faith, the tomb raider knelt down.

    He had been regularly doing evil deeds and hadn''t prayed at all!

    Yet still, the Heavens hadn''t abandoned him!

    "Thank you! O heavens! From now on, I''ll pray more and make donations!"

    The tomb raider shouted.

    Someone whispered in the tomb raider''s ear.

    [Hey. There''s a limit to being shameless. Do you think I would help someone like you?]

    "...What?"

    [And that character, it''s wrong. You''re missing four strokes. Did you skip them because you couldn''t be bothered? What''s that about?]

    The darkness vanished.

    Faint moonlight illuminated the ground in front of the tomb raider.

    There stood...

    "If you surrender quietly, I''ll spare your life."

    A tall female knight with her long blonde hair tied back.

    ---

    [1. raei: "One of the most revered figures in Korean Buddhist history." The story often associated with Wonhyo''s enlightenment involves an incident where he sought shelter in a cave during a storm.]

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 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Schedule: 5/week

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    "Lucky us."

    Ian muttered, and Belenka nodded in agreement.

    Thanks to their well-coordinated efforts, they managed to drive away all the enemies without a single drop of blood.

    "Baron. A gift for you."

    Belenka handed over a captured tomb raider to Lucy.

    It was a gesture of reconciliation.

    In the past, Belenka and Lucy had a brief argument. Although it wasn''t serious, it wasn''t something they could simply forget and move on from either.

    However, it wasn''t good for a wandering knight like Belenka to clash with a noble.

    Regardless of Lucy being just an ordinary noble, the fact that she was a landowner remained unchanged.

    Lucy shared a similar sentiment.

    "Thank you. I''ll make good use of this."

    Belenka extended the olive branch first.

    To refuse it would mean forsaking one''s noble status.

    There was nothing to gain from quarreling with an exceptional wandering knight like Belenka.

    Both Lucy and Belenka were pleased.

    "Ugh..."

    Only the tomb raider wasnt pleased.

    According to the noble''s laws, he had to pay a hefty compensation to Lucy.

    Technically, they could have executed him instead of accepting any compensation, but keeping him alive to work off his debt was more beneficial.

    Those who became debt slaves like him were treated as the lowest class in the domain, tasked with all sorts of menial labor.

    Having been caught raiding the Baron''s tomb, he wouldve never been able to repay his debt even if he worked for a lifetime.

    "This one says that other tomb raiders have already entered the crypt."

    The priest then spoke, bowing his head.

    He was a priest working in the domain, who had hurried over upon hearing that Lucy intended to liquidate their family assets.

    If the Baron''s ghost appeared, it was his duty to appease it, and he needed to witness and record Lucy handling the estate.

    "It won''t be easy."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Baron Talian''s tomb is protected by a barrier erected by the Fairy Queen."

    Ian reacted to the fantastical term.

    "A barrier?"

    "Yes, wizard. Whatever trickery that deceitful race has concocted... Since it''s the work of the Fairy Queen, ordinary people surely won''t be able to breach it," the priest said, bowing his head.

    "Unless Baron Talian himself is present, the entrance to the crypt will not open."

    Belenka tilted her head slightly in co

    "The raider mentioned that a wizard had gone down with them. Would that make any difference?"

    "A wizard... Depending on the wizard''s abilities..."

    Among those who ventured into Talian''s crypt was a wizard.

    "What kind of wizard resorts to tomb raiding..."

    Ian was incredulous, yet upon reflection, realized it wasn''t so strange.

    Wizards are seekers of the mystical.

    If it meant experiencing the arcane, there was nothing a wizard wouldn''t do.

    Naturally unrestrained characters, and socially accepted as such, wizards often lacked basic societal etiquette.

    It means they do whatever the hell they want.

    "The one leading the tomb raiders is called ''Baron Mud,'' I hear."

    "Baron Mud? Never heard of such a domain."

    Lucy tilted her head in confusion, to which Belenka explained,

    "Don''t take it too seriously. It''s just a nickname given to the thieving bastard."

    Baron Mud.

    Famed for his often messy escapades, he frequently ended up covered in mud, hence the nickname.

    There were those who enjoyed making a big deal out of it, proclaiming, "Every muddy pit is Baron Mud''s territory!"

    Medieval folks and their love for exaggeration.

    "But he insists he''s of noble birth."

    "Noble? He''s not ''claiming''he is a noble, my Lord."

    "I didn''t ask you to speak."

    Belenka kicked the tomb raider.

    No one objected to this action, which was a fresh shock to Ian.

    Kicking a person outright and no one bats an eye? Isn''t that pitiful?

    Wow... these people are all f*cking savages.

    ...Well, not exactly.

    The man was simply a soon-to-be slave.

    What''s the harm in a slave getting beaten? It was nothing unusual here.

    "No. Continue speaking."

    Belenka might not have been curious about Baron Mud, but Ian was.

    "I''m sorry. The knight told me to stop speaking..."

    "Don''t you have any sense? Spit it out."

    Belenka kicked the tomb raider again.

    The raider was not only incompetent but also lacked situational awareness.

    "Th-The Baron Mud is... uh, the bastard son of Count Dufel."

    The tomb raider glanced nervously at the priest while speaking.

    In a scene straight out of a clich fantasy novel, Inglan, nursing a beer in a tavern, overheard the drunken chatter of patrons.

    "Baron Mud is off to pull another stunt?"

    "Where this time?"

    "It''s in Baron Talian''s domain. Probably after the treasure Talian left behind, right?"

    Unbeknownst to Inglan, the tale of Baron Talian''s treasure was quite renowned in the area.

    Piqued by curiosity, Inglan delved a bit deeper into the story of the Baron, rumored to have been lovers with the Fairy Queen, and the magical sword she had left him.

    "Oh."

    This was... an intriguing story, enough to capture even the old man''s interest.

    A magical sword gifted by the Fairy Queen!

    He desperately wanted to see it!

    Inglan immediately sought out this Baron Mud.

    He liked the man''s character and the respect he showed towards wizards.

    And so, the university professor joined a tomb raider in desecrating graves.

    If that seems absurd, just look up at the Hollywood sign.

    Imagine an archaeologist with an explorer''s hat and whip, flashing a bright, toothy smile.

    Yes.

    Inglan was... an unlucky Indiana Jones...!

    Raiding someone''s grave, but for academic purposes, right? (Or not)

    "This is... not easy."

    For days, Inglan had been engrossed in research amidst the musty smell of burning torches in a dust-filled crypt.

    Let''s frame it so it sounds somewhat cooler, a passionate venture into a tomb.

    Inglan''s excavation efforts were literally blocked by a dead end.

    Not metaphorically, but physically obstructed by a wall.

    The wall, erected by the Fairy Queen, was so thick it destroyed all of Baron Mud''s proud drilling tools, showcasing its overwhelming presence.

    Baron Mud had already given up, searching for an alternate route...

    But Inglan thought differently.

    He believed this wall was a kind of magical door, opening in response to a magical spell.

    "Not the mystery of the earth... nor the mystery of the wind..."

    Inglan tried every spell he knew to open the door, but frustratingly, nothing worked.

    Despite hitting a dead end, admitting ''I don''t really know?'' was not an option for a wizard''s pride.

    So Inglan found himself eating and sleeping inside someone else''s tomb for days when...

    ''...!''

    Inglan caught a strong signal.

    Startled, he rushed to Baron Mud.

    "Baron! Baron!"

    "Oh! Elder! Did you finally succeed?"

    The Baron, who was snacking on a late-night meal, took Inglan''s commotion as a positive sign.

    So the old man finally managed to open the door!

    However, what came out of Inglan''s mouth was completely unexpected.

    "No! I haven''t opened the door yet! But that''s not important!"

    "If not that then what''s so important...?"

    "There are intruders! We''ve got intruders!"

    Ah, was he introducing himself?

    Baron Mud nearly said out loud that they were the intruders, but then thought better of it.

    The situation was more serious than expected.

    Others have come to this secluded, hidden crypt in the wilderness.

    They wouldnt be here for a casual visit or hike.

    They must have a definitive purpose for coming...

    But what about the guards posted outside?

    They''ve breached through all of them?

    "...That doesn''t make sense?"

    "What do you mean it doesn''t make sense!"

    "Why would anyone come here? Talians land currently has no owner, and I don''t think other nobles would send grave robbers either."

    Baron Mud couldn''t guess the identity of the ''intruders'' no matter how much he thought.

    "Is that what''s important right now!?"

    Unlike the relatively calm Baron, Inglan was anxious.

    In a situation where their lives were at stake, what was the point of guessing the enemy''s identity?

    Would guessing it correctly somehow make the situation better?

    "There is no time to dawdle!"

    Inglan shouted.

    "Baron! I''ll prepare magic, you get ready to fight!"

    "Understood. Let''s catch them first and figure it out later."

    Thinking it was good he had prepared anti-intrusion magic in advance, Inglan prepared to face the intruders.

    However, Inglan soon realized a critical fact.

    Just as he had detected the enemies'' presence in advance with his anti-intrusion magic...

    The enemies had also noticed Inglan''s magic and realized they had been detected.

    "...What is this?"

    Inglan''s familiar, a bug, was caught and devoured by a crow.

    Inglan sensed it immediately.

    This crow was not a mere pet but a wizard''s familiar.

    The implication was clear.

    Not only did they have to face an unknown number of enemies, but they also had to defeat a fellow wizard.

    For the first time in a while, Inglan felt a rush of tension.

    It was a battle between wizards.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Baron Talian''s tomb was shrouded in darkness.

    In movies or dramas, with bright lights flooding the scene, one can hardly grasp the true extent of darkness in a place devoid of light.

    However, the darkness Ian experienced in the cave was beyond imagination.

    A perfect darkness, as if one had lost their sight.

    Pure darkness, where one couldn''t notice anything passing by, was the true darkness of nature.

    [Ian, let''s play together again!]

    [Yes, let''s play, Ian!]

    The mysteries of darkness were excited, bouncing around.

    Ian recalled the time he followed Eredith into a cave.

    Eredith had been fascinated that Ian could hear the voices of darkness.

    Darkness, being shy and reserved, seldom showed itself in front of others.

    ''What? Shy? Reserved?''

    Ian scoffed at the darkness swirling around him.

    Then what about these cheeky bastards?

    The darkness was strangely fond of Ian, clamoring to play with him.

    Ian couldn''t understand.

    We''ve never played before, so why?

    [Lie down on the ground like you usually do!]

    [Yeah, and make snoring sounds!]

    [We''ll do whatever you do, Ian!]

    Baffled, Ian wondered if their idea of playing was... sleeping at night?

    But listening further, it seemed to be the case.

    The darkness enjoyed mimicking Ian''s sounds while he slept, rolling around beside him, and had fun(?) playing with Ian.

    It''s not a Hongcheol team without Hongcheol[1].

    Playing with Ian without Ian?

    The darkness, which had been joyfully circling Ian, fled the moment Belenka lit a torch.

    [Aaah! Light!]

    [No!!!]

    As the darkness screamed, Ian found himself irrationally annoyed.

    "Hey, Belenka, can''t you light the torch more gently? The darkness is running away."

    Belenka was dumbfounded.

    "Speak in a way that makes sense. How does one gently light a torch?"

    "Well..."

    As Ian hesitated, Belenka shook her head.

    It seemed wizards would be wizards, always spouting such nonsense.

    Who knows what''s going on in his head.

    "Ian, do you not need the torch?"

    "Actually, I prefer it without the torch."

    Despite being surrounded by darkness, Ian felt no discomfort, thanks to his dark vision skill.

    Belenka found Ian''s ability fascinating.

    "Considering stealth, it might be better to move without light..."

    Lucy hastily interjected, fearing Belenka might suggest extinguishing all torches.

    "That''s absolutely not okay!"

    "Why? Ian can guide us."

    "Well, it''s scary!"

    Fear was fear, regardless of stealth considerations.

    It was scary!

    It''s scary! It''s scary! It''s scary...!

    Lucy''s voice echoed lengthily through the space.

    Then, with a startle, she plopped down on the spot.

    "Eek! Ian!"

    "...?"

    Ian looked at Lucy, who had suddenly started freaking out, with a confused expression.

    What''s with her now?

    "I think there''s something down there!"

    "Yeah, probably tomb robbers."

    "Not the robbers!"

    Lucy screamed with a pale face.

    "Monsters!"

    "???"

    Monsters!

    Monsters! Monsters...!

    As the echo resounded again, Lucy, terrified, clamped her own mouth shut.

    Then, she began whispering as if to share a secret.

    "You all heard that sound, right?"

    "Hmm. Yes, I did."

    "I heard it too, my Lord."

    The medieval folks started murmuring among themselves, presumably about the cave''s echoes.

    Ian couldn''t help but wonder...

    Really?

    Are they seriously having a serious conversation about echoes?

    "It''s a monster! It has to be!"

    Lucy was acting like Lucy, which meant she was being stupid.

    "I think... it might be a demon."

    "A demon?!"

    A priest nearby also dramatically joined in with Lucy''s reaction.

    Wasn''t he supposed to be a scholar, diligently studying the scriptures?

    Why?

    "This is clearly the underworld. It wouldn''t be strange for demons from beneath to appear here."

    The priest quickly made the sign of the cross, adding, "Since the eyes of heaven do not reach here, everyone, be cautious."

    ...It was because of scripture.

    Before he knew it, Ian had learned how to explain things at their level.

    ---

    ---

    Although he had been told to wait outside, one bird stubbornly followed Ian inside.

    It was Oberon.

    "Caw! Master!"

    [I caught a strange bug!]

    Oberon proudly presented a bug, a common grass insect found outside.

    However, its presence in the middle of an underground cemetery was highly unnatural.

    Grass without insects?

    "It looks like a wizard''s doing."

    Ian immediately sensed that the bug''s presence was linked to a wizard.

    "Everyone, be careful. The enemy is nearby."

    Ian preemptively warned his companions.

    The effect was immediate.

    Someone cast a spell in the language of magic towards Ian''s group!

    "[Earth! Tremble!]"

    ''Maronius language?''

    A language of magic Ian had become all too familiar with, spoken aloud by only one type of being.

    A wizard.

    Hearing the enemy''s spell, Ian counteracted immediately.

    "[Earth! Do not tremble!]"

    As Ian shouted, the ground that was about to shake stilled once more.

    "[Earth! Tremble!]"

    "[Earth! Do not tremble!]"

    As the wizard shouted, Ian immediately nullified the magic''s activation.

    After a few rounds, the earth itself became annoyed.

    [Enough! What are you doing? Pathetic humans! Should I move or not?!]

    Ian apologized gracefully with a laugh.

    "[I apologize for the inconvenience.]"

    [Get lost! If you want to fight, do it among yourselves! I''m out of here!]

    The connection with the earth was completely severed.

    It would be impossible to invoke the Earth in this place for a while.

    In another sense, it also meant that Ian had successfully blocked the enemy''s earth magic.

    Soon, the wizard and the tomb robbers revealed themselves.

    The wizard was an elderly man.

    He looked at Ian with a sour expression and said, "You handle magic very skillfully. Are you an earth wizard?"

    "I''ve learned earth magic, but... who might you be?"

    The old man frowned and replied, "Inglan Kate. A wizard residing in Dranheim."

    Inglan?

    Ian, of course, had no idea who Inglan was.

    "And you are?"

    "Ian Eredith. Some call me Raven."

    "Eredith?"

    Inglan was startled.

    "You don''t mean the Flame Wizard Eredith, do you?"

    "If you''re asking whether flame magic was my master''s specialty, then yes, that''s correct."

    Inglan looked at Ian seriously.

    He knew Eredith had taken a disciple, but he never expected to meet them here...!

    At that moment, Baron Mud poked Inglan in the back.

    "Old man, you''re not thinking of backing out now, are you?"

    "..."

    Truthfully, Inglan was considering it.

    For Inglan, just seeing the magic sword was enough.

    But now that he was confronting someone who turned out to be the disciple of an acquaintance, it seemed like an option to just turn traitor.

    However, Baron Mud was in a different situation.

    Unlike Inglan, whom Ian would spare, Baron Mud would be as good as dead if caught.

    Turning traitor in front of Baron Mud, who was watching closely, would have been foolish.

    Inglan shouted,

    "Ian, disciple of Eredith! Sorry, but we''ll be taking Baron Talian''s treasure!"

    Ian glanced at Lucy and said,

    "What do you say, Lucy?"

    Lucy replied with a determined expression,

    "Absolutely not."

    Inglan realized that this girl was Baron Talian.

    There was no room for negotiation.

    Reluctantly, Inglan began to chant in the language of magic to overpower Ian''s group.

    "[Wind! Answer my call...]."

    This time, he planned to persuade the wind with a more sophisticated language, hoping Ian couldn''t interfere.

    But Ian was not someone who could be easily outmaneuvered.

    "Belenka!"

    At Ian''s call, the knight in black armor charged at Inglan like an arrow.

    "Attack!"

    Traditionally, wizards taste best(?) when bitten by a close combat warrior.

    Tomb robbers rushed out to protect Inglan, but they were no match for Belenka, who easily broke through their front lines.

    "Aaaah!"

    Watching Belenka break through the enemy lines in the blink of an eye, Ian smirked.

    It seemed the old man was a decent wizard, but... No matter how skilled a wizard, if they''re not given time to cast their spells, that''s the end of it, right?

    Being a wizard himself, Ian knew a wizard''s weaknesses all too well.

    ---

    [1. raei: ''a Hongcheol team without Hongcheol'' is a figurative expression. You can replace Hongcheol with anything here.]

    [2. raei: ''Enlightenment mindset'' refers to a perspective or way of thinking that is inspired by the Enlightenment, a philosophical movement that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily in Europe]

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 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    As the knight clad in armor charged, Baron Mud immediately sought a countermeasure.

    "Crossbows! Bring me a crossbow!"

    The knight in armor was like a monster.

    It would be foolish to engage the knight in close combat.

    Swords didn''t work, spears didn''t work.

    Against a beast that might barely be subdued with an axe or hammer, why bother with close combat?

    "We, we don''t have any crossbows!"

    "What?"

    Baron Mud had intended to subdue Belenka with the crossbow, a weapon recognized as a cheat in another world.

    Knight or not, it was a one-shot for you, a one-shot for me.

    "Damn!"

    Baron Mud realized too late.

    He had a couple of crossbows but had given them all away to the guards outside!

    His subordinates'' faces turned pale.

    A knight in black armor, emitting a murderous aura, was charging at them.

    Problem. Who''s going to stop that knight?

    You should stop the knight, who else~

    Without crossbows, facing the grim reality of stopping this mad slaughter machine, the morale of the tomb robbers plummeted.

    "I have a crossbow! Bring it to me!"

    "Yes!"

    While the tomb robbers (meat shields) bought time, one of the subordinates dashed to fetch the crossbow.

    Meanwhile, Baron Mud moved to subdue Baron Talian and the wizard.

    Their target was the wizard, Inglan.

    If they could capture the Baron Talian before the knight captured Inglan, the tide would turn in their favor.

    Fortunately, they had the advantage in numbers.

    The opposition only had a frail attendant and two mercenaries.

    If Baron Mud and his men attacked all at once, they could capture both the noble and the wizard.

    "Charge!"

    Baron Mud shouted.

    However, as soon as he moved, the wizard Ian responded immediately.

    "[Darkness befall!]"

    As Ian shouted, a tremendous darkness gathered, making the torches held pale in comparison.

    This was the underground.

    A realm of darkness.

    The darkness summoned by Ian''s call instantly concealed the location of Ian and Lucy''s party.

    "Damn...!"

    As the wizard disappeared before his eyes, Baron Mud panicked.

    He wasn''t entirely unfamiliar with magic, but a wizard who manipulated darkness like Ian was a first for him.

    "Such petty tricks!"

    Insults aimed at an enemy are not so far from praise in essence.

    In a medieval era where curses were not well-developed, calling something a "petty trick" was like saying, "You have mastered a marvelous skill!"

    Baron Mud was greatly annoyed by Ian''s magic.

    It meant that Ian was exceptionally skilled at it.

    ''What to do?''

    Baron Mud pondered.

    If he threw himself into that darkness, there was a chance of capturing Baron Talian and the wizard, but...

    Deliberately stepping into the veil of darkness cast by a wizard was an utterly foolish act, no matter how he considered it.

    What does the enemy desire?

    Is this darkness a trap or a deception?

    Baron Mud couldn''t make up his mind.

    Deception and concealment were the powers inherent to the nature of darkness.

    But then, at that moment, the wizard Inglan erupted with a voice as loud as thunder, reciting a spell with unwavering conviction.

    "De - Karar - Luma!"

    Under normal circumstances, one might have dismissed him with a thought, ''Old man, what a strong voice you have.''

    However, the miraculous phenomenon that followed left Baron Mud speechless.

    From the raised fingertips of Inglan...

    A brilliance like the blazing sun surged forth!

    Baron Mud stared, spellbound.

    ''...Ah!''

    As Inglan released an intense radiance,Updated from

    Ian''s darkness, having lost its place, vanished.

    Ian''s curtain of darkness lifted.

    The expressions of Lucy and Ian, hidden beyond the curtain, were now visible.

    Their emotion was one of shock.

    ---

    ---

    Inglan''s choice of light magic was purely accidental.

    In the midst of a rapidly unfolding battle, Inglan, far from being a seasoned warrior capable of calm, strategic decision-making, was just an old man who loved magic.

    The issue, however, was his specialty in photon magic.

    That information was conveyed directly to Belenka.

    Belenka was enveloped in amazement.

    ''I can see...!''

    The sequential breaking of the wind''s voice.

    Astonishingly, that provided Belenka with a visual representation of her surroundings in her mind.

    Being from the medieval era, she had no name for this phenomenon.

    This wasn''t an experience a typical medieval human could have.

    However, Ian, who had once lived in the modern era, knew what to call it.

    Echolocation.

    [Advanced Technique - Echolocation.]

    [A skill that uses the echoes of sound to determine the shapes of surrounding objects. The sharper one''s senses, the more accurate the detection.]

    A technique for understanding one''s own and surrounding objects'' locations through the patterns of echoing sound waves.

    Ian had devised this modern-medieval magic by applying the concept of SONAR from his time in the modern world.

    Having pinpointed Inglan''s location, Belenka immediately swung her sword, scabbard and all.

    "What?!"

    Inglan was horrified to see Belenka swing her sword with her eyes closed.

    How could she, without seeing anything?

    Lee Sin[1]! Lee Sin has appeared!

    "What kind of trickery...!"

    Inglan quickly dodged, but Belenka swung her sword accurately.

    "Ugh!"

    Inglan was struck by the scabbard and tumbled to the ground.

    Simultaneously, the magic of light disappeared.

    As soon as Inglan''s light vanished, Ian laid down a curtain of darkness again.

    And towards the charging enemy, he swung his staff with all his might.

    The final spell was a Magic Missile(physical)...!

    Bang!

    A tomb robber struck by the staff fell to the ground.

    With the curtain of darkness now in place, Baron Mud had no way to confront Ian.

    "Damn it! Retreat! Everyone retreat!"

    Baron Mud led his men in a swift escape.

    Their skill in fleeing was unmatched.

    Belenka wanted to pursue, but she still couldn''t move as her vision hadn''t recovered.

    "Ah, it''s over..."

    They had to be content with just capturing Inglan.

    After all, the enemy was like a rat in a trap.

    There was no rush to chase them.

    "Old man. Just give up. Surrender and you''ll be treated as a prisoner of war."

    Ian approached Inglan, who was lying on the ground.

    Belenka had hit him so hard, it seemed like something might be broken.

    Old people bones don''t heal well. I wonder if he''ll be okay.

    "Hey, Ian!"

    "Me?"

    "Yes! The magic you used at the end! What kind of magic was that!"

    "..."

    Really? That''s the first thing he asks after being captured?

    Ian was incredulous, but Inglan''s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

    He had seen such clear eyes somewhere before.

    Dehitri, the madman with the clear eyes from the Santiago Knights.

    Seeing Inglan''s eyes sparkle just as brightly, he was probably a madman as well.

    "It was wind magic."

    "Wind? How can wind cure blindness!"

    "I got the hint from the echoes in the cave."

    "... Echoes? What does that have to do with wind magic... That''s just fairy mischief, isn''t it?"

    Inglan, thinking, suddenly exclaimed.

    "That''s it! You asked the wind fairies for help! To show you the way!"

    "..."

    "You! To accomplish such a difficult task! Your skill is tremendous! I apologize for mistaking you for an earth wizard. You''re truly an exceptional air wizard!"

    Lucy, listening from the side, tilted her head in confusion.

    "Doesn''t Ian use... dark magic?"

    "Dark magic?!"

    Inglan was taken aback.

    Dark magic, such a bizarre and rare magic?

    "You! You know how to use Dark magic too?"

    "... Old man. You didn''t watch the fight properly, did you?"

    Narrow-sighted old fool.

    Ian muttered under his breath.

    ---

    [1. raei: a champion from League. Or so someone said in my discord.]

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 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

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    Ian''s hunch was right.

    Inglan had not cared about anything except for Belenka charging at him.

    "Why should I care about what''s happening around me when a heavily armed knight is charging at me?"

    Thus, Inglan couldn''t even recall Ian casting dark magic, nor did he remember his own spell of photon magic that countered it.

    "Did something like that happen?"

    "..."

    Watching Inglan be surprisingly oblivious, Ian clicked his tongue.

    He wasn''t senile already, was he?

    But in reality, it was just a matter of his attention being elsewhere.

    "Huh. Your skills are truly remarkable."

    Ian thought Inglan was just spouting niceties, but Inglan was sincere.

    Wizards who could quickly and accurately assess the situation and use the most appropriate magic were exceedingly rare.

    Most wizards used their magic safely from behind knights.

    In the heat of battle, with their focus on the arcane, they couldn''t afford to pay attention to their surroundings.Updated from

    Even the most exceptional archwizard could become flustered and fail to perform to their full capabilities when directly threatened.

    But Ian was different.

    Even in the rapidly changing battlefield, he maintained his composure, using the necessary magic at the right moment to turn the situation in his favor.

    ''Is it because he''s young?''

    Youth is synonymous with speed. It''s common knowledge.

    Whether it was innate talent or simply the fortune of youth, it wasn''t clear.

    What was clear, however, was that Ian was a fine wizard, recognized even by a university professor.

    "You said you learned magic from Eredith?"

    "What''s your relationship with master?"

    "Nothing big. Just crossed paths a few times at the university."

    Inglan downplayed it to "crossing paths a few times," but Ian suspected it wasn''t just an acquaintance.

    Both Inglan and Eredith were not young wizards.

    Even if they only met a few times a year, over a decade, that would amount to numerous encounters.

    They might have debated or even worked together.

    "I guess you haven''t joined a faction yet..."

    "Yes. I haven''t joined any factions yet."

    A faction, simply put, was a research group.

    For example, Eredith was active in the fire magic faction.

    The rationale behind forming magic factions was the belief that collective research was more beneficial than individual pursuit.

    Joining a faction came with various benefits.

    Things like grants, exclusive arcane languages specific to that faction, or magical spells developed by its members.

    After reaching a certain level, joining a faction was almost considered mandatory.

    However, for a wizard with as little experience as Ian, roaming the world and exploring various mysteries was deemed more important.

    Once he felt he had hit a wall in his exploration, that would be the time to join a faction.

    Joining now would only mean struggling to catch up with the achievements of other wizards.

    "If you ever wish to join a faction, feel free to come to Dranheim."

    Magic factions are spread across the continent, like clubs, easily formed and just as easily disbanded.

    However, the factions at Dranheim''s Magic University are different because they have substantial funding.

    Money truly is king.

    The catch, though, is the obligations that come with being part of the university...

    For a wandering wizard like Ian, the magic university was merely one option among many.

    "With your current skills, joining a faction wouldnt pose any problem at all."

    "Are you referring to air magic or earth magic?"

    "Yes, and Dark magic as well. In fact, if it''s Dark magic, joining would be a piece of cake."

    Dark magic, magic Ian frequently dabbled in, practitioners were few and far between.

    For most, it was so elusive that even beginning was often impossible...

    For a wizard like Ian, who had earned the trust of the darkness, joining a Dark magic faction would be extremely easy.

    "Well, I''ll think about it."

    Unlike Inglan, who was actively encouraging him to go to the university, Ian was indifferent.

    Magic is a practice-oriented discipline.

    It means that studying books and engaging in discussions doesn''t guarantee improvement in skills.

    Directly experiencing and understanding the mysteries, becoming familiar with them, is the shortcut to becoming an outstanding wizard.

    While the idea of funding is tempting, with his current abilities, isn''t he capable of earning enough money already?

    Inglan also advised Ian not to rush to the university but to wander and experience the mysteries.

    He would consider going to the university if the opportunity arises, but it wasn''t a high priority at the moment.

    "Alright. I look forward to the day we can meet and discuss in the university."

    Inglan smiled fondly at the young wizard.

    Indeed, to the youth, the comfort and tranquility of the magic university might feel suffocating.

    For now, traveling would be more fun.

    He sincerely hoped Ian would achieve greater heights, looking forward to deep discussions with him at the university someday.

    ---

    ---

    "Now we need to deal with the Baron..."

    Inglan''s arm was shattered, courtesy of Belenka.

    Lucy confidently approached the door.

    Then she shouted at Ian.

    "Ian! What do I do now?"

    "..."

    Lucy, why are you asking me?

    Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly), Lucy didn''t know how to open the door.

    It was just like her.

    The problem was, the priest she brought along didn''t know either.

    "Why won''t the door open?"

    "Well..."

    The priest, sweating profusely, flipped through his documents.

    "Surely, bringing Talian''s bloodline before the door would prompt a fairy''s greeting to open it, according to this..."

    "What''s a fairy''s greeting?"

    "That, that''s not specified..."

    "..."

    What a mess.

    The priest was flustered, Lucy was clueless, and Inglan was fired up with determination.

    "Don''t worry! I''ll figure out the riddle!"

    "Inglan, please just stay put."

    Despite saying that, Ian inevitably teamed up with Inglan.

    They couldn''t just return empty-handed after coming all this way.

    "I tried invoking the earth''s mysteries, but it seems the Fairy Queen had already made her move."

    "Did you try to talk?"

    "Yes. She wouldn''t even listen to my request. So, I looked into other mysteries..."

    And so on.

    As Ian and Inglan began to chat, Lucy quickly grew bored.

    With everyone busy, standing there awkwardly alone was embarrassing.

    When Lucy''s gaze met Belenka''s, she quickly looked away.

    Their relationship was still awkward.

    Bored, Lucy soon noticed some kind of pattern inscribed on the door.

    "Huh?"

    The inscription was one Lucy was familiar with.

    "Ian! Could this be a hint?"

    "What kind of..."

    Ian realized the characters Lucy pointed out were part of the riddle he had discussed with Inglan earlier.

    We already talked about this...

    Lucy, you weren''t paying attention again...

    "It seems like a hint, but I don''t understand it."

    "I know it."

    "???"

    Ian was shocked.

    Lucy knows something?!

    It wasn''t a lie.

    Lucy, with a serene expression, gently traced the letters on the door and recited them as if singing.

    "[I will forever remember our friendship.]"

    Rumble...

    The moment Lucy read the inscription on the door, it opened with a loud noise.

    "Lucy, you... were actually a Talian?"

    "What does that mean?!"

    The priest''s record was accurate.

    To open the door, the bloodline of Talian was needed.

    Only a Talian could read the ancient fairy inscription passed down through generations.

    "This is Fairy language. I don''t know its meaning well. My father taught me, so I just learned it."

    "What does it mean?"

    "Who knows? Maybe something like ''Door, open!''?"

    Ian and his group cautiously stepped into the room, worried about possible traps, but there were none.

    However, there was an unnatural pile of stones on top of the Baron''s sarcophagus.

    As Lucy approached it,

    Ian quickly grabbed her arm.

    Inglan shouted,

    "Don''t touch it!"

    "Why? But..."

    "That''s... the grave of the Fairy Queen."

    "What?"

    The pile of stones, resting lightly atop the Baron''s sarcophagus, was the burial site of the Fairy Queen.

    Ian and Inglan, both wizards, sensed an unidentified power guarding the queen''s grave.

    Touching it would surely lead to misfortune.

    Lucy, confused, asked,

    "But why is the Fairy Queen''s grave on top of the Baron''s sarcophagus?"

    Belenka, who had been quietly observing, commented,

    "Doing so ensures no one can desecrate the Baron''s body."

    "..."

    "That''s why she built her grave on top of the sarcophagus."

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    I get it.

    It was about how, like some obsessed female lead in a fantasy novel from Novelpia, the Fairy Queen wanted to guard the Baron''s corpse even in death.

    But that was one thing, and this was another.

    "Why is it so f*cking hard to look at a sword?"

    Ian grumbled.

    If a magical sword was sealed away with the Baron''s corpse, the situation would become quite troublesome.

    Tampering with the coffin might incur the Fairy Queen''s curse.

    Fortunately, the situation favored Ian.

    "Is that it over there?"

    In a corner of the graveyard, alongside a large mural, were neatly displayed items the Baron might have used in life.

    Ian had seen such scenes several times before in the modern world.

    "A museum... of course."

    It was just like the folk museums that displayed ancient peoples'' belongings.

    The creators of this tomb weren''t curators, but rather, they aimed to honor and commemorate the deceased.

    The mural depicted the Baron slaying a monster, with the Fairy Queen looking up at him.

    "Is this it?"

    "This looks right."

    "It must be this."

    Ian slowly examined the Baron''s armaments.

    The sword, armor, clothing, jewels, and more that the Baron had possessed in life had all deteriorated into worthless junk over time.

    "..."

    Ian clicked his tongue at the sight of the ancient armaments turned to garbage.

    In games, ancient tombs were filled with awesome weapons to loot.

    Yet, in reality, the tomb was filled with nothing but trash.

    Perhaps games were just games after all.

    What might have been formidable weapons in the Baron''s time had succumbed to the passage of time.

    However, among the long swords and armor, there was one weapon that remained intact.

    "... A dagger?"

    As Ian pondered, Belenka retorted as if questioning what he was talking about.

    "How is that a dagger?"

    "It''s short. So, it''s a dagger."

    "Look closely. That''s more like a gladius, isn''t it?"

    Ian took another look at the weapon.

    Upon closer inspection, it was notably short.

    It resembled the gladius used by the ancients, characterized by its short length.

    In the ancient Golden Empire, the broad tower shield and gladius were standard armaments.

    This sword appeared to be modeled after a gladius, with a notably short blade.

    "Isn''t it too short?"

    Belenka shrugged as if it was no big deal.

    "Well, smelting technology was lacking in ancient times."

    "...?"

    You''re the ones saying technology was lacking?

    In reality, the weapon''s short length was designed for use with a large shield.

    Handling a tower shield was challenging enough; a longer sword would have made combat impossible.

    However, Belenka and Ian, ignorant of ancient weapons and technology, could not be aware of such details.

    "Isn''t that the sword you were supposed to receive?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then it''s better that it''s shorter. Longer ones are cumbersome and heavy."

    "What sword do you use?"

    "I wear armor, don''t I?"

    As the defensive capability of armor increases, wielding two-handed weapons becomes easier.

    Without a shield, the armor itself provides sufficient defense, allowing for its offensive potential to be maximized.

    Belenka, clad in full armor, favored wielding a longsword, a weapon so lengthy it was impossible to handle with just one hand.

    The longsword is, indeed, a two-handed weapon.

    This reminded him of Salvador, the Sword Master he had met who also swung a two-handed sword.

    Impressively, without any armor.

    He was quite the remarkable elder in many ways.

    "Does a wizard covet weapons?"

    "Not at all."

    Ian said, pulling out the short sword.

    Though it appeared short at a glance, upon drawing it, it was not as short as expected.

    Its length was between 50 to 60 centimeters, more than enough to take a life.

    "Wow, that sword is...?"

    Inglan exclaimed as soon as the sword was drawn.Updated from

    He had heard rumors of a mystical treasure but could never have imagined what it would actually be like.

    The magic sword that Inglan saw indeed seemed touched by a being beyond human intellect, an unknown power flowing along its blade.

    "It seems to be enchanted with some magic."

    Ian carefully touched the blade, feeling a sensation that was either hot or cold.

    This reminded him of a story Lucy once told.

    The magic sword Anoril, crafted with the powers of the sun and moon.

    "How about it, Ian? Can you make anything of it?"

    Lucy asked, but Ian remained silent, unsure of the mysteries it held.

    It was not the kind of mystery that could be understood at a glance but rather one that required time and observation to slowly unveil.

    However, Ian had a rough idea of how to unleash its power.

    The same went for Belenka and Lucy; servants Lucy had brought along, including slaves from the foot of the mountain, were waiting to serve them.

    They couldn''t be brought to the Baron''s tomb, so they were left below.

    "Ian! Let''s eat!"

    "Yeah. Okay."

    Ian seemed indifferent, though he must have been very hungry.

    Lucy found Ian''s indifference curious.

    "Aren''t you hungry, Ian?"

    "I am."

    "You don''t seem too happy about it."

    Lucy couldn''t understand Ian''s reaction.

    While they were enduring hardships inside the tomb dungeon, Lucy''s servants had prepared a feast that was hard to come by outdoors, hunting beasts and baking dough.

    There was wood pigeon pie with raspberry sauce, whole roasted wild rabbit, soup made from threshed grains, and savory butter.

    It should have been delicious, given the effort put into it.

    However, Ian sighed upon seeing the Western-style table filled with rich buttery aromas.

    Western cuisine is fine for a day or two.

    But, guys, I went on a trip to Europe.

    It was fun for about 10 years, you know?

    But f*ck, the trip never ends...

    Ian knew he wasn''t a traveler but a resident here.

    If there was a municipal office, he''d have filed a complaint.

    Yet, Ian still couldn''t quite believe he was a resident of this fantasy medieval world.

    It felt as if the journey would someday end, and he''d return home.

    To a place where familiar landscapes, smells, and foods awaited him.

    In some ways, Ian was indeed a traveler.

    A wanderer from a strange world, dropped into this bizarre one by some deity''s trickery.

    Yes.

    Ian had recently been feeling a peculiar sense of homesickness.

    No, calling it homesickness might be too grand.

    He simply missed Korean food.

    "Haah. I just want to give up and slurp some instant noodles..."

    The nation allowed the consumption of music and religion, as well as ramen, as a form of drug.

    The proof was in Koreans collectively suffering withdrawal symptoms whenever they traveled abroad.

    "At times like this..."

    Ian took out a secret crop that Mani had given him as a farewell gift.

    It was chili powder.

    Mani, a botanist, had collected and grown all sorts of strange crops, among which was the chili pepper, familiar to Ian.

    The reason for growing chili peppers was quite bizarreit was a crop cultivated for the purpose of tormenting those one disliked...

    When Ian discovered the chili and asked for some chili powder, Mani was confused.

    "Do you have someone you want to torment?"

    No? It''s for me to eat.

    Thinking that Mani might not give it if she knew the real purpose, Ian claimed he wanted it for self-defense and managed to obtain it.

    "What are you doing, Ian?"

    When Ian unexpectedly started sprinkling red powder on the soup and meat, everyone looked on with curiosity-filled eyes.

    "What is that?"

    "Spicy powder."

    Inglan, ever the curious and adventurous wizard, didn''t even wait for Ian''s permission before trying the chili powder.

    "Cough! Gah!"

    Inglan''s sudden choking startled Lucy.

    "Inglan! What''s wrong with you!"

    "Cough! Poison! Everyone, be cautious!"

    Belenka even stood up from the table.

    Ian looked at Inglan with disbelief.

    "You eat without asking and then make a scene. And it''s not poison."

    "But this tingling sensation...! It must be a paralyzing poison...!"

    "It''s not poison~"

    Ian calmly continued to eat his soup.

    With just a bit of chili powder added, the flavor changed significantly.

    Yes, this was it!

    Ian nodded in satisfaction.

    Indeed, food needs this level of stimulation!

    Seeing Ian unfazed, the rest reassured themselves.

    "Can I... try it too?"

    "You''ll regret it."

    After Lucy tried the chili powder with her finger...

    "Cough, cough! You say this isn''t poison?!"

    She looked at Ian with tears streaming down her face, full of reproach.

    Ian clicked his tongue in disapproval.

    Such weaklings, he thought.

    Always eating bland, buttery foods has made their palates overly sensitive.

    For medieval folks who think even pepper is spicy, chili was definitely too much.

    Except for one person.

    "... It''s unusual, but not bad?"

    Belenka, with her face turned bright red, bravely ate the meat sprinkled with chili powder.

    Watching Belenka, Ian felt an overwhelming urge to start a YouTube channel.

    [Spicy Challenge! The reaction of a blonde to her first taste of chili powder?!]

    ''... Ridiculous.''

    Thanks to Ian''s use of chili powder, the group was thrown into chaos.

    Perhaps that''s why.

    None of them noticed the watchful eyes hiding in the bushes, observing the group.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    TL/Editor: Raei Updated from

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    "Ian, wake up!"

    Under a high-hanging full moon, Ian slowly opened his eyes to the sound of his name being called, emerging from a deep sleep.

    Inglan was pacing restlessly by his bed.

    "What''s going on?"

    Inglan, sweating profusely and with a trembling voice, said,

    "There''s something outside. I don''t know what it is, but it''s definitely targeting us!"

    The drowsiness vanished instantly.

    Ian realized he was in a situation often seen in movies or fantasy settingsan ambush.

    "Damn... Could it be tomb robbers?"

    "No, no! Not human! More like beings of mystery!"

    "Mystery?"

    Ian reflexively thought of intelligent monsters like drakes or manticores.

    Such beasts wouldn''t hesitate to emerge from the night and devour humans as a midnight snack.

    If it really was a giant carnivorous monster, Ian was in deep trouble.

    Always be wary of monsters!

    Hadnt Eredith warned him to the point earwax built up?

    Monsters are dangerous, and in this damned medieval fantasy world, they''re everywhere, hindering the exchange between domains and slowing human expansion.

    In a world where Man vs. Wild was a real-time event, even the strongest human forces were just thathuman.

    "Caw! Master!"

    Just then, Oberon flew in.

    "Oberon. Did you see something?"

    [Yes! Some small human-like creatures have arrived!]

    "Small humans?"

    Immediately, one word flashed through Ian''s mind.

    ''... Fairies?''

    "Let''s go check it out."

    But the information was still lacking.

    Ian wanted to see the nocturnal visitors with his own eyes.

    Inglan, shivering, said,

    "Do we have to go?"

    "It''s better that we do. We don''t know their intentions."

    "You make sense... You do..."

    As Inglan shivered, Ian found him slightly pathetic.

    It was understandable to be scared, but the trembling made him seem like a coward.

    "If you''re scared, stay here."

    "But I need to see it with my own eyes..."

    "Then let''s go together."

    "... Isn''t it dangerous? Maybe we should wake the knights..."

    Such a troublesome old man.

    Thats what Ian thought, but then he reconsidered.

    Or is that the secret to longevity?

    Being fearful, in other words, means being cautious.

    History has proven that the fearless often die first.

    Inglan himself proved the importance of caution for longevity, so he''s probably right.

    "Then I''ll bring Belenka."

    ---

    ---

    Ian woke Belenka and brought her along.

    Surprised by Ian''s sudden appearance, Belenka quickly understood the situation and cooperated smoothly.

    Belenka was so cooperative that she didn''t even negotiate a fee.

    "But if I achieve something noteworthy, there should be a bonus..."

    F*ck. It''ll go towards your debt, so please just stop talking about money.

    "That''s refreshingly straightforward."

    Despite having been woken up, Belenka''s face was full of vitality, possibly pleased at the prospect of not having to negotiate a fee.

    It was a dimly lit night, but Ian moved forward without hesitation.

    His communion with the darkness deepened day by day, making dark vision magic act almost like a passive skill.

    Finding his way in the dark was as easy as pie.

    "Ian."

    Inglan, who had been following closely behind, suddenly spoke up.

    It was because of one of Inglans specialties, the magic of the sentinel bug, reacted.

    "There''s a suspicious group up ahead."

    Ian and Belenka saved their breath.

    There was no reason to chat with the enemy so close.

    Ian, blending into the darkness, muttered in the language of magic,

    It meant that cute creatures are cute for a reason.

    Well, the dungeon version of Bear Grylls[2] might say that and then proceed to eat the monster.

    Ian was genuinely curious.

    What could be the reason for fairies to look so adorable?

    Here. I brought it.

    "Thanks."

    Ian approached the eagle owl with the meat in hand.

    Drawing on his experience of communicating with animals in nature, he spoke with a voice filled with firm intent.

    "Come down."

    [???]

    "I won''t hurt you. It''s okay, come down."

    The eagle owl stared at Ian for a while...

    With a whoosh, the eagle owl flapped its large wings and descended before Ian.

    Ian quickly extended his staff to create a perch for it.

    ''It''s lighter than I thought?''

    Given its enormous size, Ian had expected the eagle owl to be quite heavy, but surprisingly, it was light.

    No wonder British wizards[3] use them as mail carriers.

    Ian gently scratched the eagle owl''s back, feeding it leftover meat scraps.

    The eagle owl, looking somewhat dumbfounded, hungrily gulped down the food Ian offered.

    Despite wondering why Ian was suddenly being so nice, filling its stomach was the priority.

    "Ah."

    Watching Ian skillfully handle the eagle owl, Inglan''s eyes lit up.

    That guy.

    His ability to communicate with nature is no joke, right?

    Inglan thought for sure Ian would become a great summoner, having already witnessed Ian''s odd behaviors multiple times.

    Belenka, too, found it fascinating how Ian tamed the owl so quickly.

    Wizards sure have a lot of tricks up their sleeves.

    Ian, after filling the eagle owl''s stomach, approached the fairies.

    This guy was bothering you, right?

    "Eek!"

    The fairies went into a frenzy as Ian approached with the eagle owl, terrified out of their minds.

    What kind of monster is an eagle owl!

    A monstrous beast that kidnaps fairies with its huge body and eats them alive!

    But to subdue, no, to tame such a monster with just a few words...!

    The fairies felt a terror that Ian might just command,

    "Go! Eat those insolent ones!" releasing the eagle owl on them.

    Then the eagle owl would "Swoosh! Swoosh!" swoop down on the fairies...

    Just the thought was horrifying!

    "We''re so, so sorry!"

    The terrified fairies collectively bowed their heads, performing a perfect dogeza.

    Then, the eagle owl flapped its wings as if to take off, stirred by the fairies'' screams, its hunting instincts kicking in.

    "Stay calm."

    But Ian gently pressed on the eagle owl''s shoulder, calming it down.

    The fairies watching this scene felt a sense of awe towards Ian.

    ''Incredible...!''

    While they would typically avoid a mere violent human in disgust, meeting a human who could skillfully tame a fearsome beast, they couldn''t help but respect and revere him.

    Worship is one way to forget fear.

    Without attempting any tricks, the fairies confessed everything to Ian.

    "We came to ask you, human, to please return the sword!"

    "Sword?"

    The sword the fairies spoke of could only be one.

    The magic sword, Anor-lsil.

    As Ian drew the sword, the fairies chirped in unison.

    "Yes! That sword!"

    "Without it, we can no longer weave the heavens!"

    Ian sheathed the sword and asked,

    "Heavens? What heavens?"

    To which the fairies replied,

    "The heavens that are as precious as our lives!"

    ---

    [1. raei: this might be a reference to Shiva from dark souls? not confirmed]

    [2. raei: British guy best known for his tv series, Man vs. Wild. There was a direct reference to this show earlier on.]

    [3. raei: haha this is talking about Harry Potter.]

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 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

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    Elves and dwarves, quintessential stereotypes of fantasy, actually share a common origin, both stemming from Western fairy tales.

    The person credited with creating the early models of elves and dwarves familiar to us today is none other than the literary giant JRR Tolkien.

    When Tolkien crafted the races of elves and dwarvesor rather, the Legendarium[1]he drew much of his inspiration from Norse mythology, incorporating elements like runes, elves, and dwarves.

    In Norse mythology, dwarves were renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship, producing items that even gods marveled at.

    This attribute of craftsmanship was absorbed into the dwarf stereotype, culminating in the notion that "dwarves are a race of skilled artisans."

    But, to get to the point, it was not odd for the fairies before Ian to bring up the topic of weaving.

    "Our fairies domesticate silkworms. We weave fabric imbued with the power of the sun and moon from silkworm threads, which we call ''True Pattern Silk.''"

    "True... what?"

    Ian scratched his head, puzzled by the sudden translation issue.

    This was not some martial arts fantasy.

    The imperial language of the fairies had an ancient feel to it.

    "Ah. You mean Fairy Silk."

    Inglan chimed in, a welcome clarification.

    This was much easier to understand.

    It meant silk made by fairies.

    "What''s that?"

    "It''s fabric woven by fairies, enchanted with magic."

    "Magic?"

    "It''s cool in summer and warm in winter... I''ve only seen it a few times myself. It''s so valuable that just naming it is expensive,"

    Inglan explained kindly.

    Fairy Silk was a fantastical scam item that one might only find in a fantasy world.

    It was beautiful, soft, and protected the wearer from annoying temperature changes.

    Naturally, it was a high-grade item that only the monarch of a prosperous nation might touch.

    Yet, here were the fairies before Ian, artisans who crafted such expensive and valuable items.

    The fairies bowed their heads humbly.

    "When the weather was bad, we wove the fabric with that sword you possess. You may not know, but that sword was created long ago by our queen in collaboration with great artisans! It was lent to humans for a time, but it is a sword that has been passed down in our race!"

    The fairies shouted in unison.

    "Please return the sword!"

    "Return it!"

    "Return it!"

    Ian had a headache watching the fairies collectively plead.

    This damn sword had too many stories attached to it.

    ---

    ---

    To cut to the chase, Ian had no intention of handing over the sword.

    It was rightfully obtained as a reward for helping Lucy.Updated from

    The usefulness of the sword to the fairies was irrelevant to Ian.

    "I''d rather not."

    As Ian expressed his refusal, one of the fairies timidly protested.

    "If you''re planning to take our item like that, we won''t just sit back and do nothing."

    Ian frowned at the protesting fairy.

    "Really?"

    Sensing Ian''s irritation, a fierce owl screeched loudly.

    "Screech!"

    "Eeeeek!"

    The fairies collectively ducked and trembled, due to their small size, viewing the large predatory bird as a natural enemy.

    "Just stay put. If you''re bored, do you want some more meat?"

    Ian fed the owl pieces of meat while casually observing the fairies, noting their fear of the bird.

    The owl could serve as a sort of intimidation tool.

    However, he had no immediate intention of scaring them.

    As seen in the tomb of the fairy queen, fairies are a race that wields strange powers.

    There was no need to provoke a fight to the death unnecessarily.

    Ian decided to try persuading the fairies first.

    "Let me ask you one thing. Why is the magic sword yours?"

    A fairy confidently responded,

    "Because it was our item to begin with!"

    Now, the fairies could no longer object to Ian''s ownership.

    But the Queen had more to say.

    "On behalf of the fairies, I formally request of you, Ian."

    "What is it?"

    "We would like to borrow your magic sword. If you wish, you may also sell it to us."

    In any case, they wanted to continue using the magic sword.

    "What will you give me?"

    "We will offer you True Pattern Silk."

    Inglan and the priest were shocked by the Fairy Queen''s offer.

    True Pattern Silk, or Fairy Silk, was an item not even imperial dukes could easily access.

    And she was willing to offer it as payment!

    "Ian, what''s True Pattern Silk?"

    "I don''t know. It''s called Fairy Silk."

    "What?!"

    Lucy was startled, finally grasping the situation and exclaiming in surprise.

    She, being a noble of the Empire, knew what Fairy Silk was.

    It''s said to be more expensive than an equivalent area of gold!

    Imagine how much she could fund her domain''s operations if she sold it...

    Ian''s going to be rich. How envious.

    That''s what Lucy was thinking when,

    "I don''t really want to lend it..."

    "Why not!"

    The one shouting at the Fairy Queen was Lucy, not Ian.

    Ian looked at Lucy in disbelief.

    "Why are you getting heated?"

    "What do you mean ''why''? It''s Fairy Silk! And you''re not going to take it?"

    "Yeah. It''s just silk, right? I''m not that interested."

    "..."

    Lucy was at a loss for words at Ian''s indifference, calling Fairy Silk ''just silk.''

    Wow... Ian''s a true wizard.

    In Lucy''s eyes, there was no crazier person.

    "I''d rather study the magic sword more?"

    "Wow... You''re... really something... Wow..."

    To Lucy, Ian seemed like a Buddha who had severed all attachments and delusions of the world.

    But that was a misunderstanding on Lucy''s part.

    To Ian, a modern person, the luxuries of this world weren''t that appealing.

    What?

    There''s fabric that''s cool in summer and warm in winter?

    Sounds nice. But why not just turn on the air conditioning?

    What? There''s no air conditioning?

    Barbarians.

    That was roughly his train of thought.

    Knowing the comforts of modern amenities, Ian found it hard to be as enchanted by Fairy Silk as the medieval folks were.

    He found the magic sword much more fascinating and worthy of research.

    Then, the Fairy Queen said,

    "What you seek, Ian, is to explore the wonders of the sun and moon, right?"

    "Indeed."

    The Queen slowly opened her eyes and said,

    "What if we were to assist you in that exploration?"

    "Hmm..."

    That was somewhat enticing.

    "In return, lend us the power of Anor-lsil. In exchange, we will aid in your research and provide you with True Pattern Silk every month."

    "Lend you power?"

    "Yes. Not the sword itself. You would keep the sword, just share the power imbued within it."

    ---

    [1. raei: the term ''Legendarium'' is often used to refer to the body of myths, legends, and lore associated with a particular fictional universe or literary work.]

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 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

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    Ian watched as the Fairies worked their magic.

    Their plan was straightforward: to separate a certain amount of magical power from the magic sword.

    The power of the magic sword would weaken, but the Fairies could borrow the magic power they so desired without Ian needing to hand over the entire thing.

    Ian nodded without much hesitation.

    It was impossible to fully harness the power of the magic sword at the moment anyway.

    The sword was only usable as a sort of medieval firestick, so a slight reduction in its power wasn''t a big deal.

    In exchange, they could get expensive Fairy Silk, which was clearly a profitable deal.

    However, Ian himself didn''t quite see it as beneficial.

    Let''s say the Fairies gave Ian the Fairy Silk.

    But what would Ian do with it?

    Make clothes? Sell it to the nobility?

    That''s a merchant''s job, not a wizard''s.

    Ian was not a lower-class citizen desperate for money and power. He was a wizard in pursuit of mysteries.

    He could travel and do business on the side, but Ian hadn''t planned that far yet.

    "The magic contained in your magic sword, we plan to transfer it to the rune stones of our village," said the Fairy Queen, asking to borrow Ian''s magic sword.

    "Then I''ll come along."

    "...You won''t have anything to do there."

    "It''s my sword, so I think it''s right for me to come along," Ian argued.

    The Fairy Queen was persuaded by Ian''s argument.

    "If that''s your reason."

    Ian went with the Fairy Queen, but the others didn''t.

    Fairies lived a life minimizing contact with the outside world for survival.

    Though some playful Fairies did interact with humans, those were exceptions.

    They did not allow any humans other than Ian.

    Not one of them was dissatisfied with that decision.

    "Take care, Ian!"

    "I''ll be back."

    In truth, humans were also afraid of the Fairies.

    Fairies were famous wizards.

    For medieval people who feared magic, encountering Fairies was a painful experience.

    "Ian, before we enter the village, please make a vow."

    "A vow?"

    "Yes. Swear that you will not harm us Fairies, with all the mysteries you explore as your witness."

    "..."

    As the Fairy Queen spoke, Ian felt the attention of both great and small mysteries around him.

    Fairies are born with magic.

    To put it in D&D terms, they''re a race that casts magic through charisma.

    Unlike Ian, an INT wizard, Fairies could cast magic without studying the Maronius language, thanks to their innate ability to interact with mysteries.

    As the Fairy Queen invoked the mysteries, Ian couldn''t help but feel tense.

    Of course, mysteries despise liars.

    Who lies to a friend in this world? People like that, they''re no longer friends.

    If Ian were to swear an oath to the mysteries, he would have no choice but to keep it.

    "I swear."

    "Really?"

    "Only as long as I am treated as a guest."

    "There shouldn''t be any problem with that."

    The Fairies had seen Ian communicate with nature several times and were wary of his abilities.

    Just seeing him control a terrifying beast like a eagle owl was enough to know how dangerous Ian could be.

    "This is the village of the Fairies."

    Ian was impressed by the Fairy village he was shown by the Queen.

    [Achievement Unlocked!]

    [You have witnessed a new mystery!]

    [Bonus Skill Points: +50]

    [Skill: Space-Time Magic (10/100) - In Progress]

    ''Space-Time Magic?''

    Ian was puzzled by the status window.

    Witnessing a new mystery had increased his progress in the mystery of space-time magic.

    That meant...

    "Is space-time magic applied here?"

    When Ian asked, the Fairy Queen looked surprised.

    "How did you know?"

    "Just a feeling?"

    "Your intuition is very sharp."

    The Fairy Queen''s praise was not just praise; she was wary of Ian''s abilities.

    Ian was right.

    The village of the Fairies was under the influence of space-time magic.

    One couldn''t simply walk in; entry was possible only with permission from the twisted space, a sort of different world.

    ''Space-time magic...''

    Space-time magic was incredibly useful to Ian.

    Even just for the fact that teleportation magic fell under space-time magic.

    Unlike human craftsmen who might not know math, these Fairies were at the forefront of technology, capable of integrating it with mathematics.

    The level of intellectual understanding Fairies had of humans was exactly this:

    Humans don''t know what''s smaller than 1...

    And that was a fact.

    Medieval people didn''t know what''s smaller than 1.

    Huh? Isn''t 1 the smallest number?

    Technically, that''s true when you''re only considering natural numbers.

    Unlike the ignorant humans, Fairies knew about the existence of ''0''.

    The number smaller than 1 is... zero.

    Even the people of the ancient Golden Empire, who achieved a brilliant civilization, did not know about zero.

    They didn''t think ''nothingness'' could be a number.

    Nothing at all!

    Why would that be a number!

    Given the level of mathematics in the Empire, it was no wonder that medieval people in this post-apocalyptic era didn''t know about zero.

    They were using wooden sticks, counting one by one... that was the extent of medieval mathematics.

    Wizards were no different.

    In this medieval fantasy, wizards are not scientists; they are more like liberal arts scholars.

    Just by looking at how they memorize pictograms similar to Chinese characters and speak in Maronius language, it''s obvious.

    So, the Fairy technician naturally assumed Ian would fail the test!

    Thus, when Ian threw out an unexpected question, the Fairy was taken aback.

    "So, you''re asking for a number less than 1 among the natural numbers?"

    "Natural... what?"

    "Countable numbers. If we''re talking below natural numbers, obviously it''s 0. Or what, are you talking about negative numbers? What is it?"

    "???"

    The Fairy was flustered as Ian suddenly started spouting what seemed like alien language to him.

    Negative numbers?

    The Fairy tried to translate Ian''s Imperial language into Fairy language but couldn''t make sense of it no matter how hard he thought.

    After a moment, it was the Fairy who asked,

    "Uh... um, sorry, but what are negative numbers?"

    "Minus. Like -1."

    "...What?"

    Minus? What the heck is that, you nerd?

    The Fairy technician couldn''t understand the concepts Ian was casually mentioning.

    Frustrated, Ian picked up a stick and started sketching a graph on the ground.

    "Zero is nothing, right? Negative numbers are those smaller than that."

    "How can there be something smaller than nothing? That doesn''t make any sense."

    "Jeez. Do you know what an equation is?"

    It''s not like he''s a middle school math teacher.

    Ian began an impromptu math lecture, scribbling symbols on the graph.

    "So, negative numbers essentially represent a concept that doesn''t physically exist..."

    "So they only exist in equations?!"

    "Yes. It''s a concept applied to one side of the equation. So, when you move something from the left side of the equation to the right, that''s considered a binary operation..."

    As Ian rapidly wrote and erased equations, the Fairy technician''s eyes bulged in shock.

    The concept of mathematics Ian was introducing was utterly shocking to him.

    Fairy mathematics was far more advanced than human mathematics but it hadn''t yet moved beyond physical space.

    But then, out of nowhere, Ian presented the concept of ''a number less than nothing,'' causing a total brain freeze.

    ''Heh... Negative numbers are even more non-existent than non-existence itself!''

    ''??? What does that even mean?''

    Meanwhile, Ian, who had once considered majoring in mathematics, was thrilled to be crunching numbers again.

    Even if it was just middle school level math.

    "No way... How can this be..."

    The technician was panicking as if he''d seen a cosmic horror[1].

    "Are we done talking?"

    The Queen, who had no interest in mathematics, had no idea what the technician and Ian were discussing.

    "Ah. Yeah, more or less."

    "Then let''s proceed with setting up the rune stone."

    Right. That was the main topic.

    As Ian and the Queen approached the rune stone, the technician hurried over and exclaimed,

    "Wi- wizard!"

    "Yes?"

    "Would you like to personally calculate the formula for the rune stone?"

    Oh. Ian was intrigued.

    It might be fun to play with numbers again after a long time?

    Ian entertained himself with the Fairy technicians by solving the mathematical puzzle known as the rune stone''s formula.

    Some Fairies were shocked and fell into a trance witnessing the splendid intricacies of modern mathematics unfold from Ian''s fingertips.

    Setting aside the adorable nerds, the Fairies successfully separated exactly 33.333...% of the magical power from the magic sword.

    "Thank you for your cooperation."

    "Don''t mention it."

    ---

    [1. raei: Lovecraftian horror.]

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 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

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    After finishing the task, Ian and his companions happily returned to the Talian domain.

    In exchange for lending 33% of his magic sword''s power, Ian was to receive a certain amount of Fairy silk every month.

    He also gets to study the Ancient Fairies'' records to properly handle the magic of the magic sword.

    "We don''t really know how a magic sword like Anor-lsil could have been made."

    The magic sword was said to have been possible because the Fairy Queen at the time had access to many rare materials.

    It was a masterpiece born from the combination of skilled craftsmen from a talented race and rare materials.

    "However, we do have records from that time, and we will organize and provide them to you."

    "That would be great."

    The Fairy technicians shouted several times to Ian as he was leaving the village.

    "Ian! Next time, please make time for a thorough math discussion...!"

    Ian was momentarily moved.

    Math.

    What a wonderful thing to have in common.

    Ian, who had lived a life in another world, gladly accepted their proposal.

    "Of course!"

    To commemorate her meeting with Ian, the Fairy Queen gifted him two bracelets made of Fairy silk.

    They were hastily made items, so the quality wasn''t high.

    They were basically just cloth tied in a circle.

    However, the beautiful color of the Fairy silk made them look quite nice.

    "I look forward to the day we meet again, Ian."

    "Take care, Your Majesty."

    Ian fiddled with the purple bracelet for a while, then shoved it into his pocket.

    Honestly, Ian didn''t feel good about it at all.

    The mysterious purple color and the soft touch were nice, but...

    After all, it was just a bracelet.

    Even the bracelets sold at Daiso[1] had some shape to them.

    This one was like a rolled-up glasses cleaner.

    Now that he thought about it, it really did resemble a glasses cleaner.

    So, Ian decided to just give the bracelets to the women.

    "Is, is this for me?!

    " You''re just giving it to me? Without anything in return?"

    Lucy and Belenka reacted intensely.

    Seeing them excited over the bracelet made him realize they were still girls after all.

    "Yeah. It''s just a gift. You all have been through a lot lately, right? Think of it as a souvenir from me."

    The Fairy Queen probably hoped Ian would wear one on each hand...

    Seeing the women''s faces turn red with joy, Ian felt the gift was worthwhile.

    Right.

    A gift is only a gift if the recipient is happy.

    What''s the use of a bracelet, precious by another world''s standards, if it just sits in Ian''s pocket?

    "Kyaa! Thank you so much, Ian!"

    "I don''t even know how to express my gratitude. It''s my first time receiving such a gift..."

    Lucy quickly wore the bracelet on her wrist and spent the entire day looking at it.

    Belenka, instead of wearing it on her wrist, used it as a hair tie.

    "How does it look, Ian?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "I mean, does it suit me?"

    "..."

    Belenka just looked at Ian with a face full of pure happiness.

    If there were an app for analyzing emotions, it would definitely show 100% happiness on her face.

    Ian found Belenka''s expression fascinating because she had never shown such a face before.

    Ah. There was a time she had a similar expression.

    Like, when a chunk of her debt is paid off.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "No... I just didn''t expect you to like it. I thought you would prefer something more practical."

    "Practical?"

    "Yeah. Like a dagger or oil."

    At Ian''s words, Belenka made a face as if she couldn''t believe what she was hearing.

    "A dagger? Where on earth would you find a woman who''d be happy to receive a dagger as a gift? Maybe a Pulcheon, but still."

    Pulcheon is a multipurpose kitchen knife... that is, a chef''s knife.

    It''s a useful item that housewives in another world would love.

    "No..."

    Ian awkwardly scratched his head.

    In anime, female knights usually hate things that ordinary women like, right?

    They''d say, ''Giving me something that only girls would use!''

    That was the limit of Ian''s understanding of women, learned from anime.

    Contrary to Ian''s strange preconceptions, Belenka liked ordinary things that most women would like.

    "I''ve received a precious gift. Thank you so much, Ian."

    Belenka said, showing off her ponytailed hair as if bragging.

    Look, everyone, check out my awesome hair tie!

    Seeing Belenka smiling brightly, Ian shrugged his shoulders.

    It was an emotion difficult for Ian, a man, to understand.

    Anyway.

    True to its name, the Potion of Vigor prevented wounds from worsening and revitalized the body!

    Of course, the Potion of Vigor was actually just saltwater made by the charlatan potion-seller Ian.

    It didn''t contain a hint of magic.

    However, whether the potion contained magic was entirely irrelevant.

    The mercenaries drank Ian''s saltwater and felt revitalized, and there were definitely those whose lives were saved by it.

    It helped them escape from situations where they could have lost their lives!

    The mercenaries who had their lives saved were ecstatic.

    Wow!

    This potion is so amazing it feels like it restores 350 health points!

    Having proven its effectiveness on the battlefield, where lives hang in the balance, it''s clear how valuable Ian''s magic potion was.

    From that moment, the mercenaries began to praise Wizard Raven.

    Raven was hailed as an incredibly great wizard, commanding crows as minions and bringing forth dark shadows...

    And so on and so forth.

    Listening to the tales spun by the Talian mercenaries...

    The Devosi mercenaries grew envious of them.

    I mean, those bastards.

    They hardly fought properly.

    They''d run away at the slightest hint of losing. And they got a f*cking wizard''s potion for free?!

    They''re like idiots who stumbled out of a lucky honey pot!

    We should''ve gone to Talian.

    Wasted our time loitering in the worthless land of Devosi for nothing.

    There was a reason the mercenaries were loafing around Devosi.

    Currently, Baron Devosi was dying of an unknown illness.

    Baron Devosi had a legal wife and a second wife.

    Unlike the female characters in typical otaku harem stories, the Baron''s two wives did not get along at all.

    Their relationship was so bad they wanted to eliminate each other.

    Baron Devosi wanted to prevent division in his domain by leaving it to his first wife''s eldest child.

    But from the second wife''s perspective, if the first wife''s son became the Baron, they would get wiped out immediately.

    But whether it was good luck or bad, Baron Devosi was unable to rise from his sickbed...

    And in this gap, if one side could quickly eliminate the other, the survivor would become the next Baron.

    That was the scenario.

    The mercenaries were skulking around Baron Devosi''s domain, smelling blood in the water.

    They were waiting for a fight to break out.

    Little did they know, a free potion event was happening in Talian!

    "Anyway. They say Raven has miraculous powers."

    "Miraculous powers?"

    "I heard that he once hunted a manticore in the domain of Count Catina. That time, believe it or not, Raven saved a dying knight with holy magic!"

    "Holy magic! Then he must be extremely devout?"

    "It seems so. He''s someone who can call forth Heaven''s miracles."

    It made sense why Wizard Raven could create the Potion of Vigor.

    If his faith was that deep, Heaven must have been moved to allow him to create the Potion of Vigor!

    The more the Devosi mercenaries heard, the more they envied the guys from Talian.

    Sob, sob. I know how to drink potions too!

    Anyway.

    The rumors about the great dark wizard, ''Ian Eredith Raven'', spread rapidly from mouth to mouth among the mercenaries.

    And those rumors...

    Reached the ears of Galadin, a scribe of Baron Devosi, who was keeping an eye on the mercenaries'' movements.

    "Holy magic... Heavenly miracles... And the Potion of Vigor..."

    Galadin looked at his Lord, who couldn''t rise from his sickbed, and thought.

    ''We''ve tried every reputed remedy. But nothing has worked.''

    The reason for the chaos in Baron Devosi''s domain was entirely because the Baron was bedridden.

    Medicines were useless.

    Prayers from priests had no effect.

    But...

    Ian Eredith Raven. What about his magic?

    "I must meet Wizard Raven!"

    Galadin set off to verify the rumors himself, riding directly to the Talian domain.

    However, Raven was not in the domain. He had temporarily left with Baron Talian.

    So, he waited.

    Perhaps heaven intervened, for Ian soon returned.

    Galadin blocked Ian''s path and shouted in a stern voice.

    "You! Wizard Raven! You filthy scammer!"

    "...?"

    Ian was taken aback by the sudden insults from the man.

    Sir, this isn''t the right place for this.

    However, as Galadin''s rebuke continued, Ian felt a sinking feeling in his chest.

    "Did you think I wouldn''t find out about you deceiving mercenaries, passing off fake potions as magical ones!"

    "!!!"

    Recalling how he had tricked the mercenaries with saltwater as a Potion of Vigor, Ian broke out in a cold sweat.

    How did he know it was a fake potion!

    ---

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 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    The scenario Galadin envisioned went like this:

    First, Galadin, as someone with deep knowledge and abundant common sense, perfectly executes the most important ritual when meeting a strange wizard, [Calling a Wizard].

    "This fake wizard! Can you even do magic?"

    "Me, a fake wizard? Unbearable! Witness my awesome magic!"

    "Oh! Impressive. So, you''re not a fraud?"

    Then, the wizard, moved by Galadin''s profound knowledge, says:

    "I''ve never seen anyone perform [Calling a Wizard] so perfectly! Who are you, and where do you come from?"

    "I am Galadin, serving Baron Devosi. Wizard! I offer you the opportunity to work for the Baron!"

    "Oh, Baron Devosi! I will gladly follow you!"

    ...And then, Galadin whistled and took the wizard to his domain.

    It was a perfect plan.

    In theory, that is.

    But things did not go as Galadin expected.

    ''What? How did you know?''

    Ian genuinely thought his fake potion-making had been exposed.

    So he panicked...

    ''Wait a minute.''

    But soon, Ian grasped the situation and regained his composure.

    ''He didn''t draw his sword, did he?''

    This is the Middle Ages.

    A romantic(?) era where the sword is closer than the law, and judges need to carry swords for law enforcement to barely function.

    But complaining from a distance, like this man did to Ian, without any action...

    That was too peaceful and gentlemanly.

    If this man had genuinely been harmed by Ian''s fake potion, he would have brought mercenaries and shouted while pouring crossbow bolts, saying, "Ian Eredith Raven, you scammer!"

    Only then would Ian have realized, "Ah. I''ve harmed this person."

    But just shouting "You scoundrel!" without firing a single arrow...

    That wasn''t very Middle Ages-like.

    It would have been a protest understandable to modern people.

    Modern people, accustomed to laws and morals, think that protests involving violence are cruel and barbaric.

    However, Ian was already getting used to the medieval way of thinking.

    When he heard "You scoundrel!", his first thought was "Why didn''t he draw his sword?" rather than "I''m sorry! It was my fault!"

    ''That means...''

    Ian narrowed his eyes and observed the man.

    Cursing Ian verbally without shooting arrows meant there was a very good chance the man wasn''t truly angry at Ian.

    In other words, it was all for show, a demonstration to provoke Ian.

    Furthermore, the man addressed Ian as "Wizard Raven."

    This man knew he was a wizard.

    Ian briefly recalled his experiences of being insulted and realized something.

    ''...Calling a Wizard?''

    This man was...

    Inviting him, Ian, the wizard!

    Ian found the situation absurd.

    ''No, what kind of invitation is that...''

    Ian boiled with anger at the medieval way of treating wizards, as if hurling insults at the first meeting was an "invitation."

    Wizards were inherently kind and benevolent, but perhaps they became peculiar because others treated them this way.

    If every encounter began with such insults, even a sane wizard could become odd.

    Complaining, "Wizards are too weird~" after provoking them like this...

    Ian''s wizardly sensibility exploded.

    "Belenka. Get rid of this madman from my sight."

    "Um. Okay."

    Belenka gave Ian a "Is this really okay?" look, but seeing Ian''s displeasure, she immediately drew her sword and charged at the man.

    "Wait! Stop! Knight! I am the son of..."

    "Step aside."

    "Argh!"

    The man''s escort knight stepped forward but was no match for Belenka.

    After dispatching the knight, Belenka was about to deal with the man, who was now in panic.

    "I''m not a madman! Wizard Raven! Where does it say this is how you should act!"

    Ian stopped Belenka and stepped forward.

    "What way are you talking about?"

    I was just performing [Calling a Wizard]!

    Why am I the only one getting blamed for something everyone does!

    ''What do I do now...!''

    As the situation turned against him,

    Cornered, Galadin didn''t run away but instead bowed his head and apologized to Ian.

    "I, I''m sorry! I didn''t know what I was doing! I thought this was how [Calling a Wizard] was done!"

    In admitting his fault, Galadin was better than the shameless people of modern times.

    Though it was also true that Galadin was desperate.

    Galadin desperately wanted to bring Ian before Baron Devosi.

    Miss the chance to save the Baron by arguing with a wizard? Only a fool would do such a thing.

    Although he wasn''t familiar with customs like [Calling a Wizard], Galadin was a scholar who had diligently studied.

    As Galadin humbly apologized, Ian sighed deeply.

    He wasn''t a bad person, just terribly clumsy.

    "[Calling a Wizard]. You don''t know how it''s done, do you?"

    "I''ve... read about it in books."

    "Not everything is written in books."

    There were some misunderstandings.

    But now that he had received an apology, Ian had no intention of pressing Galadin further.

    He was curious about why this person had come all this way, so he wanted to hear him out at least.

    "Let''s go to the Talian Hall first."

    Lucy led the way.

    ---

    ---

    Galadin explained the situation that had befallen Baron Devosi.

    Ian understood.

    "So... you want to know what caused the Baron to collapse?"

    "That''s right. I believe that the reason Baron Devosi collapsed is due to some kind of magical curse."

    It was a suspicion he had harbored since remedies and prayers had no effect.

    Lucy spoke up.

    "Does that mean someone deliberately made the Baron ill?"

    Galadin nodded.

    If it were a disease, taking medicine should have shown some improvement, but the Baron''s condition didn''t get any better at all.

    Therefore, Galadin believed the Baron had fallen victim to someone''s wicked magic.

    But the real wizards, Ian and Inglan, couldn''t fully agree with Galadin''s speculation.

    "It might be a disease you don''t know about."

    "The professor is right. It''s foolish to automatically link the unknown cause to something magical."

    However, at the same time, both somewhat agreed with Galadin''s opinion that the situation might involve the mysteries.

    Whether it''s an illness or something magical, it was impossible to know without a direct examination.

    Even if someone had intentionally caused it, whether they used magic or not also needed verification.

    "Please, I beg you! Wizard Ian! Could you personally check on the Baron''s condition?"

    Ian pondered for a moment.

    Unless one is medically trained, it''s impossible for a modern person to cure someone else''s disease.

    After all, modern people go to the hospital and take medicine to get treated, don''t they?

    They wouldn''t have medical knowledge.

    So, if it were a serious illness, there was nothing Ian could do.

    But if it was related to magic, that was a different story.

    If it was a mystery he hadn''t encountered before, he could possibly gain skill points.

    And with some luck, he might learn new magic.

    "It seems worth visiting once."

    Inglan viewed Galadin''s request positively.

    "Why?"

    "Hmm. Are you not curious? About what''s afflicting Baron Devosi."

    It was the curiosity of a wizard.

    Ian agreed on this point.

    As Ian continued as a wizard, he found himself increasingly curious about mysteries.

    "I am curious."

    "Getting acquainted with various nobles could be very useful. You might need their help later, and it''s also an opportunity to make your name known."

    Inglan was a power-oriented wizard.

    Unlike Eredith, who wandered in pursuit of only mysteries, Inglan thought it important to establish relationships with powerful figures and secure funding.

    Ian couldn''t ignore the advice of a university professor of magic.

    "It won''t take long."

    Since there was nothing else to do in Talian''s domain anyway, just conducting an examination was something he could easily do.

    "Alright. Let''s go together."

    "...! Thank you! Really, thank you!"

    Ian decided to take some time to visit Baron Devosi''s domain.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

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    Another day dawned.

    Ian stretched languidly, taking in the fresh morning air.

    "The air is f*cking great."

    In this primitive medieval fantasy world, one of Ian''s few likes was the clear air.

    Unlike the polluted air of the industrialized modern world, the air here was clear and clean wherever you went.

    Well, put another way, it meant the whole world was basically countryside...

    There were no three major pollutants in this medieval fantasy world.

    No air pollution, no light pollution, no noise pollution.

    No buildings flashing all night, no trucks or motorcycles speeding down the roads at midnight.

    For a sensitive office worker suffering from lack of sleep, a night in this world would be like paradise.

    Ian leisurely brewed a cup of morning tea.

    It was chamomile tea made with wildflowers easily found in the fields.

    "This is real healing."New n0vel chapters are published on

    Food without sweeteners.

    Living a regular life, sleeping and waking up early.

    Plus, a stress-free environment...

    This era was like heaven for naturalists.

    Ironically, the people of this era actually hated this boring wellness lifestyle.

    They preferred food that was greasy, sweet, and salty, and wanted to stay up late...

    In the modern world, where all the desires of medieval people would be satisfied, the medieval boring lifestyle ironically would be popular.

    Far away in the fields, farmers were diligently pulling weeds.

    Ian, sipping on chamomile tea atop a hill, watched the serfs toil away.

    "..."

    If Ian hadn''t become a wizard, he would have been working hard with his parents back in his hometown, just like those people he was watching.

    But, fortunately becoming a wizard, he ended up being someone who could leisurely watch the farmers.

    Life is so unpredictable.

    "What are you doing there?"

    It was Belenka.

    She was dressed casually, but her outfit was very feminine.

    Her dress completely covered her ankles, and a cloth tied around her waist accentuated her figure.

    Instead of the cone-shaped hat Lucy liked, she had organized her hair with the silk-turned-hair tie Ian had given her.

    Ian was once again impressed by Belenka''s appearance.

    With her blond hair and blue eyes that Japanese people adore, and wearing medieval women''s clothing that wasn''t too excessive even from a modern perspective, Belenka looked like a blond beauty straight out of a Japanese anime.

    "People watching."

    "People watching? What a strange thing..."

    Belenka blurted out what came to her mind then stopped herself.

    Ian was a wizard.

    A person who does strange things as routinely as eating.

    What Belenka found strange might be completely normal for Ian.

    "Uh, no. Pretend you didn''t hear that last part."

    "What are you talking about?"

    Without asking, Belenka plopped down next to Ian.

    Ian didn''t mind.

    That''s just how Belenka was.

    The only time Belenka would ask for permission was when it was time to negotiate her fee.

    "What''s that?"

    "Chamomile tea. But there''s only one cup."

    "I see."

    Belenka acted like it was no big deal, but by now, Ian understood her reactions.

    That was her way of showing disappointment.

    She probably thought Ian didn''t want to share his precious tea...

    But, in reality, Ian just didn''t want to share the cup for sanitary reasons.

    Ian felt unfairly judged.

    What, do they think I''m so stingy that I won''t even share my tea?

    It''s because it''s gross to share cups.

    Feeling unjustly accused, Ian said something.

    "It''s from my cup, but if you don''t mind, do you want some?"

    See? It''s gross because I''ve been drinking from it!

    However, that was just Ian''s thought.

    When Ian offered to share his tea, Belenka smiled brightly.

    Gross because someone else drank from it?

    Belenka didn''t care about that!

    "Really? It''s okay for me to drink it?"

    "... You can finish it. There''s plenty of water."

    Belenka took the tea Ian had been sipping directly to her lips.

    There was no timidity like avoiding where Ian''s mouth had been or being careful because it was someone else''s cup.

    Ian didn''t understand Belenka''s words.

    However, soon after, Ian found himself unable to forget that strange piece of advice.

    ---

    ---

    Having finished preparing for the journey, Inglan was the first to leave the Talian domain.

    Inglan, having negotiated his fee well with Lucy, said he would travel in search of mysteries before returning to the university.

    "You''re not going straight back?"

    Inglan shamelessly replied to Ian''s question.

    "Why would I?"

    "..."

    "That aside, I set out on this journey for knowledge. I must strive to fulfill that purpose."

    His words sounded grand, but this guy had been caught tomb raiding.

    If Ian hadn''t shown up on time, he would have taken the magic sword for himself.

    Inglan was hoping to find something else since the treasure of Talian turned out to be a bust.

    "Well... do as you please."

    Ian realized anew that this place was indeed a society with a strict class system.

    While Mr. A, another tomb raider, became a debt slave plowing the fields alongside oxen, Inglan, being a wizard, had his university cover his fees...

    It wasn''t really Ian''s place to complain.

    He was a wizard too, part of the medieval elite.

    Most sins were forgiven for someone like him.

    Considering it might take hundreds of years for a revolution to happen (if it ever does), it was wiser to just enjoy the benefits.

    "Make sure to visit the university."

    "I''ll see."

    "You could become an assistant professor as soon as you arrive!"

    "... Assistant professor?"

    That sounded somewhat ominous.

    "Yes! You can help with lectures and guide students. It''ll be an opportunity for you to prove your magical abilities and become a professor..."

    Oh. sh*t.

    That was a grad student in another world.

    "I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that."

    After seeing off Inglan, Ian went to find Lucy in the Talian hall.

    Lucy greeted Ian warmly.

    "Ian! You came at the right time! About the fairy silk I mentioned before...!"

    "Ah, that?"

    Recently, Ian had discussed with Lucy what to do with the fairy silk.

    Since Ian was leaving on a journey, they had agreed the Talian domain would keep the fairy silk on his behalf.

    "Just storing it seems a bit wasteful. My subject suggested that instead of just piling it up, we could make clothes out of it and sell them for a good profit!"

    "Probably."

    "Right! But Talian doesn''t have craftsmen skilled enough to handle such expensive fabric. So, Ian, when you visit Devosi, could you bring back a decent tailor to the domain...?"

    "Huh?"

    Ian cocked his head, puzzled by Lucy''s words.

    Lucy, unaware of her mistake, was excitedly continuing her explanation.

    "Wait, Lucy."

    "What?"

    "I won''t be coming back any time soon."

    This time, Lucy didn''t understand Ian''s words.

    "... What do you mean? You''re just checking on Baron Devosi and then coming back, right?"

    "No."

    "No?"

    Lucy blinked in confusion.

    A moment of awkward silence passed.

    "I''m going to the north."

    "North? But we''re already in the north."

    "Further north. Beyond the Empire''s lands."

    Lucy stared at Ian blankly.

    "So, when will you be back?"

    "I''m not sure. Maybe 3 to 4 years?"

    "..."

    Lucy finally understood what Ian meant.

    Ian was going to embark on a journey to discover the mysteries hidden in the land of barbarians.

    And throughout his exploration of various mysteries, he would return to Talian''s land.

    Just to deal with the accumulated fairy silk.

    "Lucy?"

    Seeing Lucy suddenly standing there dazed, Ian called her name.

    "Sorry."

    "Are you okay?"

    "Sorry, Ian. I really am sorry, but could you step outside for a moment?"

    Lucy said as she sat down on a chair.

    "Please."

    "..."

    Ian, doing as Lucy asked, quietly closed the door and went outside.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    For days, a strange silence lingered around Talian Hall.

    It was awkward.

    Stifling.

    Servants and slaves tread lightly, careful with every move they made.

    "Lucy?"

    "The master has said they will not receive visitors."

    Again today.

    Ian moved with a heavier step.

    He passed servants busy with their tasks and Belenka swinging a sword in the clearing, heading back to his quarters.

    For days, Ian hadn''t seen Lucy.

    Every attempt was met with a polite but firm refusal.

    There was nothing left for him in Talian territory.

    Staying any longer would just be a waste of time.

    It wasn''t just Ian; Galadin was visibly wasting away with each passing day.

    "Ian. Are we leaving today...?"

    "Um. I guess not."

    "Ah..."

    Galadin wasn''t just a tourist.

    He was a Baron''s scribe, involved in various administrative duties.

    Staying in Talian was a real-time loss for him.

    "... Alright. We''ll postpone our departure until tomorrow."

    Galadin slumped his shoulders but...

    There was nothing he could do.

    What could he do if Lucy Talian wouldn''t meet Ian?

    Galadin couldn''t understand why Lucy suddenly secluded herself.

    And it wasn''t just Galadin.

    Ian too found Lucy''s behavior hard to accept.

    Was saying goodbye that difficult?

    They weren''t parting forever, just going on a journey.

    Ian''s fairy silk piled up in the domain meant they''d have to return to Talian anyway to deal with that.

    Yet, Lucy acted as if she couldn''t bear Ian disappearing from her sight.

    Am I doing something wrong?

    Ian even thought that.

    But Ian hadn''t done anything wrong.

    They had traveled together under a guard contract, and now that it was over, they were to part ways.

    Clearly, Lucy didn''t want that.

    "Lucy?"

    "I''m sorry but..."

    A week had passed.

    With Lucy continuing to refuse meetings, Ian had to make a decision.

    "Belenka. Galadin. Let''s leave now."

    "...Finally!"

    They decided to part ways with Lucy without saying goodbye.

    It was regrettable to leave without seeing her face.

    But Ian had to continue his journey.

    ---

    ---

    Lucy Talian gazed blankly up at the clear sky.

    An untainted azure sky.

    The purity of the heavens, as spoken of in the scriptures, resided right above.

    "Dear God."

    She wasn''t a particularly religious girl.

    But the deep darkness in her heart made would make even the most debauched noble invoke the name of God.

    "I must have been mistaken."

    When Ian first said he would leave the domain, she was shocked.

    That shock was named [betrayal].

    Up until now, Ian had journeyed with Lucy.

    They laughed and talked together, walking the same path.

    They shared concerns when cornered in war and fought together until the end to reclaim her rights.

    Lucy still remembers vividly, as if it was yesterday, the moment Ian saved her.

    When Graham''s soldiers approached her.

    The embrace Ian offered when he swooped in to save her.

    The shaky ride and her wildly beating heart.

    Lucy could never forget.

    Lucy Talian was not someone special.

    She knew that all too well.

    Born to noble parents, used as bait to lure mercenaries.

    And when an angry mercenary rebelled and killed her parents, she ran away helplessly seeking help...

    Just a helpless 18-year-old girl.

    To such a Lucy, the wizard Ian was an extraordinary being.

    Controlling water and wind, bringing down darkness.

    Lucy looked up at Ian with a flushed face, flustered.

    Why was he here when she heard he had gone to the stable?

    It was due to a blond female knight.

    ''Did you meet with Baron Talian?''

    ''No? I was just going to leave.''

    ''Not even going to see her face?''

    ''So what. We''ll meet again someday.''

    ''... Go back one more time.''

    ''Why should I?''

    ''Think of it as the last courtesy to a friend you''ve traveled with. If you lack even that much decency, I would consider you unworthy of service.''

    At Belenka''s stern warning, Ian swallowed hard.

    ''Is that all?''

    ''That''s it.''

    '' I''ll be back then.''

    Ian returned to Talian Hall, thinking that Belenka might just leave him if he really just took off.

    And there, he met Lucy.

    Lucy, whom he saw for the first time in a week, seemed unfamiliar and awkward.

    Maybe because her actions and expressions were different than usual.

    Lucy seemed more intimidated by Ian than usual and was very conscious of him.

    "You''re leaving... now?"

    "Yeah."

    However, once the conversation started, all the awkwardness melted away.

    After all, they were not the type to be awkward around each other.

    "Are you okay? Your body, I mean."

    "I wasn''t physically hurt."

    "Really?"

    "... That''s a lie. Actually, my heart was hurt. No, I was pissed."

    Lucy stepped closer, closing the distance.

    "Pissed?"

    "Yes. Ian! How could you just leave like that without saying a word to me...!"

    "What are you talking about? My role was supposed to end here, remember?"

    "I remember! But still! It''s annoying!"

    "What is?"

    "Acting like there''s no affection and sticking strictly to the contract!"

    Oh come on, Baron Talian.

    Why are you looking for affection? Aren''t you a Westerner?

    Even in these uncivilized medieval times, contracts were already a part of daily life, a remnant from the era of the Golden Empire, which was (once) a civilized world.

    Lucy''s complaints were just tantrums.

    She knew that very well.

    Since she started throwing a tantrum.

    Lucy, with a flushed face, grabbed Ian''s shoulders and shouted.

    "Ian! Will you be my vassal?"

    "No. Why would I?"

    "Then, my husband!"

    "... I think I said no before."

    "Do you really have to go? Study magic?"

    Ian laughed and took Lucy''s hands off him.

    Lucy didn''t know.

    In fact, Ian was practically an alien, hiding mysterious secrets from a past life, unknown to medieval people.

    Until he uncovers the secrets of the world and the essence of Gods.

    Ian had no intention of stopping his exploration.

    "Yeah. Take care, Lucy."

    "...!"

    "I''ll return as soon as I can."

    The moment Ian removed Lucy''s hands, Lucy, in the blink of an eye, grasped Ian''s cheeks with both hands.

    And their lips met.

    "..."

    The kiss was so brief it could be called but a moment.

    Still blushing, Lucy said,

    "Promise, you must keep it. You have to come back quickly."

    "... Yeah."

    "Just try running away somewhere else. I''ll sell all the fairy silk and use that money to raise an army to come after you...!"

    Ian laughed.

    The Baron''s threats were indeed frightening.

    "I''ll come back, so don''t worry. And about the fairy silk, you can handle it however you want."

    "Really?"

    "Just don''t blow it all. Whether you make clothes to sell or exchange it for money to invest. It''s up to you."

    Lucy was lucky, so it might be worth taking a chance on her.

    If it ends up being wasted... then she just won''t be allowed to handle it next time.

    "Got it. I''ll make sure to earn lots of money..."

    Lucy shyly spread her arms.

    Ian and Lucy embraced.

    "Take care of yourself, Ian."

    "Yeah. I''m off then."

    Lucy hugged Ian tightly, as if trying to memorize his warmth until the last moment.

    Ian waved goodbye to Lucy.

    It was a warm spring day.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    A procession left the lands of Talian. It included Ian and others.

    The procession was bigger and busier than Ian had expected.

    In Galadin''s case, there weren''t many people because he only brought a few attendants.

    Even when Ian and Belenka joined in, it didn''t feel too crowded.

    But the scale began to grow bit by bit once a priest joined...

    "Are you going with us?"

    "Yes, Wizard. If it''s an evil curse, I might be able to help too."

    The priest joined the journey purely to help Baron Devosi.

    Ian was a bit surprised by the priest''s religious behavior.

    First the Santiago Knights.

    And now this human too.

    Perhaps the religious people of this era are more humane than expected.

    But this was a conclusion Ian could draw because he didn''t know much about priests yet.

    The reason the priest was heading to Baron Devosi''s territory was for the sake of gaining experience points.

    The priests of the Empire are a kind of civil servant.

    At the top is the Pope, around whom bishops manage the dioceses.

    And below them, priests operate in the subdivided dioceses.

    A priest from Baron Talian''s territory would be equivalent to a local civil servant of grade 9.

    Truly pure and devout priests try to serve to the best of their ability, regardless of their status.

    Because that''s the duty of those who serve God.

    However, such faithful priests are in the minority.

    Most priests are influenced by human desires to some extent.

    They want to be promoted, work in big cities, become someone important, and be respected...

    The reason the Talian priest specifically sought out Baron Devosi was to build his track record.

    If Baron Devosi is under an evil curse, and the Talian priest solves it?

    That''s a big achievement.

    It would greatly reflect on his performance evaluation, and if he even ends up defeating an evil being, he could even become a Saint.

    Saints in this era enjoy popularity like idols.

    Idols... popularity...

    Doesn''t that remind you of something?

    Yes.

    It''s exactly the same context as the idol business!

    Some territories, trying to save a failing land, embark on their own Saint project, aiming to produce a Saint from their territory.

    If it succeeds, it''s a big hit!

    So, Lucy dispatched the priest to Baron Devosi without complaints.

    If by any chance they catch an evil being, Talian''s territory would also soar in value.

    Once a Saint emerges from a territory, almost everything about it becomes merchandised.

    "This is the Saint''s birthplace... This is the spoon the Saint used... This is the hill the Saint liked..."

    When modern, frail otakus pilgrimage(by train or plane) to sacred sites...

    Real medieval idol otakus trek through roads infested with monsters and bandits to go on actual pilgrimages.

    As these people spend their money, even dying territories quickly come back to life.

    The madness of otakus is the same in both the medieval and modern times.

    Anyway.

    Ultimately, the priest set out on the journey for experience farming + a chance to become a Saint.

    Naturally, following the priest, servants and slaves tagged along.

    Of course, Lucy had intentionally assigned more people to make Ian''s travel more comfortable.

    And finally, the mercenaries who had been dawdling joined in at the last minute.

    "Isn''t it better to have more companions on the road?"

    They weren''t people hired with money.

    Their destinations just happened to overlap.

    But having more companions was indeed better.

    The more, the merrier, especially when encountering monsters or bandits.

    The key figures were Galadin, Ian, and Belenka, but with various extras joining, their number exceeded thirty.

    A pretty solid party was formed.

    "So. Did you say your goodbyes properly?"

    Despite the crowd, Belenka was the only one talking to Ian.

    The priest and Galadin were too busy chatting among their people, and the servants and mercenaries wouldn''t dare start a conversation with Ian.

    "Um..."

    At the mention of goodbyes, Ian recalled a warm sensation.

    Lucy''s scent that lightly brushed his lips.

    And her warm, soft body.

    ...Come to think of it, wasn''t that his first kiss?

    "Judging by your expression, I can tell."

    "What can you tell?"

    "I just thought Baron Talian is damn lucky, that''s all."

    "...?"

    Lucy being lucky wasn''t news.

    Belenka seemed dissatisfied with Ian''s reaction, pouting slightly.

    "You better settle my debt quickly so I can leave."

    "What are you talking about now?"

    "I don''t have the patience to watch the two of you flirt!"

    Belenka grumbled, muttering something about ''disgusting couples~'' and so on.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Her hardware is the embodiment of a ruthless knight.

    Why is the software on the level of a high school girl?

    Ian was genuinely curious why someone like her had a talent for swordsmanship.

    When God created Belenka, did the coding get tangled somewhere?

    As evident from the casual chitchat, the journey went smoothly and uneventfully.

    With thirty people gathered, most beasts and bandits steered clear of the group.

    ...But.

    Ironically, Baron Damon faced no issues pretending to be a Baron...

    Because there was no one to punish Baron Damon!

    The valley that Baron Damon declared as his territory belonged to no one.

    It was just an area he had developed himself by diligently cultivating the land and gathering people.

    The Empire was overflowing with undeveloped lands.

    The land was vast, but the population was less than crumbs.

    By developing it with their own efforts and declaring ''this is my land,'' it becomes a newly established territory.

    Of course, just developing a new territory isn''t the end of it.

    If you don''t swear allegiance to a higher noble, you''re still considered an illegal resident.

    If there was originally no Baron in this valley, to whom does it belong?

    Naturally, it belongs to the Count!

    The Count would want to incorporate this new territory into his domain, so he might march in with an army...

    (Though unlikely) if you resist and win, it could become an independent country.

    But independence?

    Isn''t that just stealing land from the Emperor of the Empire? There''s a 99% chance of being annihilated.

    Therefore, someone with a normal mindset would negotiate with the Count to have their title recognized.

    Only if the Count recognizes the title does Baron Damon truly become a noble.

    Even then, he''s just the Lord of a backwater village at best...

    "Who is your liege Lord?"

    Ian asked, just in case.

    The response was as expected.

    "I serve no one! I am a Baron of freedom! Hahaha!"

    "..."

    ''That idiot.''

    This is why it''s hard for commoners to become nobles.

    This self-proclaimed Baron Damon may have gathered followers and built a village, but...

    He knew nothing about feudalism or noble society!

    While his ability to gather followers was acknowledged, that was the extent of it.

    His political sense was severely lacking.

    Without education from a young age or smart people around, the limits of a simple commoner''s ignorance were clear.

    "Travelers! If you use the facilities of the territory, you must pay a fee to the Lord! You do have that much common sense, right?"

    Regardless, the self-proclaimed Baron Damon shouted.

    It was like he just wanted to collect taxes by establishing a territory.

    "The road you''re walking on was built with our hard work! So, happily pay the usage fee!"

    Or... maybe a highly evolved bandit.

    No.

    It looks like he''s just a bandit, right?

    Like a fantasy version of Robin Hood, these guys.

    Where are the rest of the Seventy-Two[1]?

    "There''s no law that suddenly allows this!"

    Galadin shouted.

    That man.

    Did he learn all his knowledge from books?

    He was unnecessarily brave in strange situations.

    "We used this road recently, and we weren''t detained or taxed then!"

    "No, Galadin."

    Ian tried to urgently stop Galadin, but it was too late.

    "Aha! We were a bit busy back then! Thanks for reporting tax evasion! Just pay double this time!"

    Galadin shouted in panic.

    "Ah, damn!"

    "..."

    This sh*t.

    "Galadin. You seem a bit out of it right now, just shut up and stay back."

    "Ah... Yes, thank you, Ian."

    Ian sighed deeply and stepped forward.

    There wasn''t a single trustworthy person around.

    In such cases, asserting the authority of a wizard was the best approach.

    "Baron Damon. Pleased to meet you. I am Ian, a disciple of Eredith, the wizard."

    "A wizard?"

    Baron Damon was slightly surprised to hear Ian''s words.

    Wizards were beings that invoked fear in medieval people.

    Baron Damon was no exception.

    If he had been an ordinary bandit, he would have been completely intimidated by now, possibly even suffering from a sort of ''wizard reality shock''.

    But Baron Damon was no ordinary bandit.

    "A wizard, you say! If you''re a real wizard, then you might know my friend here?"

    The Baron snapped his fingers.

    Then, from behind the Baron, a girl with red hair appeared.

    "Ian? Ian, you say? Never heard of such a dog-bone name in my life!"

    ''What''s wrong with my name!''

    Ian felt wronged.

    It wasn''t Ian''s fault he wasn''t famous.

    It was just because he hadn''t been active for long.

    That aside.

    Ian slowly observed the girl.

    Was she also a wizard?

    ---

    [1. raei: sorry don''t know about robin hood and the 72? Anyone with ideas?]

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 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Kira Laventa. 19 years old. Unemployed.

    This was the status of the summoned wizard.

    But unemployed? Wasn''t she a wizard?

    No, she wasn''t.

    Strictly speaking, Kira Laventa was... a con artist.

    Kira Laventa. 19 years old. Con artist.

    That was her real spec.

    She was a war orphan.

    In an era where war was part of daily life, the world was full of war orphans.

    Most of them died before reaching adulthood.

    If lucky, they might meet a kind-hearted neighbor or someone connected to a monastery and manage to survive.

    But nine out of ten weren''t so lucky and ended up starving to death or becoming food for beasts.

    Kira, too, without parents, was destined to die just like any ordinary war orphan.

    However, a passing nomadic traveler changed her fate.

    "No, you thieving wench!"

    "I-I''m sorry! Please spare me!"

    On the verge of starvation, Kira saw a traveler and, literally losing her mind, attempted to steal from him.

    She had no skill or anything, but with death by starvation so close, she had no choice.

    And the first pickpocket attempt of 7-year-old Kira''s life...

    Ended disastrously.

    "Who dares to steal so arrogantly!"

    "I''m sorry...! I won''t do it again!"

    "You, a child, should obviously be begging!"

    "...Begging!?"

    The person Kira attempted to steal from was a jester who had come from the south.

    He was a foreigner, a heretic, a wanderer, and a good-for-nothing in terms of productive work.

    "This won''t do. Follow me! I''ll show you the essence of begging!"

    "Yes... Yes!"

    For some reason, the jester took Kira under his wing and taught her his skills bit by bit.

    Perhaps he felt pity for the orphan child, followed a custom of his heretic faith, or maybe he was just bored of wandering alone and took Kira in for amusement.

    But that wasn''t much of an issue because.

    Kira had talent.

    "Oh! You have quite the knack for this!"

    "Hehe."

    Kira''s hands were incredibly fast and accurate.

    So fast that they were faster than the eye could see.

    Had she fallen into a dark path like rigged gambling, she could have become a master gambler, but her teacher was a kind-hearted heretical jester.

    The heretical jester mainly taught Kira "how to beg for food."

    Shouting confidently in front of others, pretending to be cool, exaggerating trivial things, and so on...

    He taught her ways that would make the public happy and willingly offer food.

    Kira and the jester wandered the Empire, showing off their unique skills and begging for meals.

    Even though the earnings were meager and there were more days of hunger than of being well-fed...

    On the road, Kira was happy.

    Unlike her orphan days, waiting for death under the cold rain, she had someone by her side keeping her warm.

    Of course, Kira being human, had times where she envied the lives of others.

    "Mister. That person''s clothes look similar to ours, but why do people bow to them?"

    "Shh! That person is a wizard!"

    "A wizard?"

    "Yes. Unlike us, the miracles they perform are real. Not mere tricks like ours!"

    Kira looked at the existence called [wizard] with sparkling eyes.

    Though their appearances were similar and their situations as wanderers the same,

    Jesters and wizards received entirely different treatments.

    Jesters were scorned and, at best, could beg for a meal.

    In contrast, merely revealing their identity as wizards brought fear and respect.

    "Mister. Should we try pretending to be wizards?"

    "Kira!"

    "We look similar anyway, and if we deceive well, we could eat delicious meals too..."

    "Be quiet! Someone might hear!"

    That day, for the first time, the jester hit Kira.

    Both the jester, who struck the child in desperation, and Kira, who was hit, were shocked by the action.

    But the message was unmistakably conveyed.

    Pretending to be a wizard was taboo.

    "We must never... pretend to be wizards."

    "I''m, I''m sorry. I just..."

    "If caught, you''ll be gruesomely killed. No, you might end up grateful to be killed..."

    The jester calmly explained the dire consequences of being caught pretending to be a wizard.

    Kira understood the dangers of pretending to be a wizard and why the jester had reacted so violently.

    However...

    A small seed of doubt started to grow in a corner of her heart.

    Couldn''t she just close her eyes and pretend to be a wizard?

    If everyone is deceived, there wouldn''t be any problems, right?

    Don''t you want to seize the authority, power, and fear that comes with the name of a wizard?

    For Kira, who had lived a nomadic life,

    The name [wizard] was a yearning, a shining ideal like the stars in the night sky.

    If she could become a wizard...!

    After that day, Kira practiced pretending to be a wizard in secret, away from the jester.

    It was a childish rebellion, but she was happy when she was pretending to be a wizard.

    She felt a sense of immense power, something the jester could never attain.

    Then, one day, an event that shook Kira''s life to its core occurred.

    On a night when cold rain was falling, Kira and the jester were attacked by thieves.

    "Mister!"

    "Ru-run! Kira!"

    Their grimy performance props were thrown into the mud.

    The thieves kicked and destroyed the jester''s tools while spewing curses.

    "What''s this? This trash?"

    "Damn. Nothing useful here! Just a wandering beggar!"

    "Let''s at least capture the b*tch and sell her."

    The jester tried to buy time by grabbing a thief with his bare hands.

    But what time was there to buy?

    To where? A remote valley.

    But the valley she fled to...

    Turned out to be the hideout of a thug claiming to be Baron Damon...

    "... Damn it."

    A grown woman who walked into a den of bandits couldn''t just say, "Oh my, sorry~ Wrong place~" and turn back.

    "I should stop... It''s time to stop..."

    Naturally, Kira began her wizard cosplay again.

    It was a choice she had to make for survival.

    "A wizard? Hahaha! What luck!"

    "..."

    "Since we''ve met like this, work for our territory!"

    Kira couldn''t scream that a wizard wasn''t a being to be oppressed and that threatening a wizard like this would bring trouble!

    The opponent was an ignorant thug.

    One wrong move and she might be on the receiving end of a blade.

    Above all, she wasn''t a real wizard.

    She had no magic to turn a critical moment around.

    So, Kira chose to endure and wait.

    She planned to escape when an appropriate opportunity arose.

    But the situation became seriously twisted.

    Baron Damon dragged Kira along to collect taxes...

    And among the travelers, there was someone claiming to be a wizard!

    "A wizard, you say! If you''re a real wizard, then you might know my friend here?"

    ''I don''t know you, crazy!''

    "The name''s Ian Eredith? Who are you?

    If you''re a real wizard, don''t get extorted by mere thugs!

    Kira was freaking out with anxiety, but she couldn''t stop her wizard cosplay now that she had come this far.

    The show must go on.

    It''s Kira time.

    She walked out with a haughty expression and said,

    "Ian? Ian, you say? Never heard of such a dog-bone name in my life!"

    "Oh! Lady Kira!"

    "Truly a great wizard!"

    As Kira sharply criticized, the bandits cheered excitedly.

    Behold our awesome wizard!

    With just a word, she turned the nobody Ian into a dog''s bone!

    As Kira abruptly dissed Ian,

    Those following Ian were plunged into anxiety...

    "Ian."

    Belenka frowned as she looked at the slender red-haired wizard.

    "The opponent doesn''t seem ordinary."

    Belenka''s reaction was utterly normal.

    Though Ian hated to admit it, wizards tend to be held in higher regard the more eccentric they are.

    A wizard who throws insults right from the first meeting?

    Wow... must be incredibly skilled!

    There was enough reason to think so.

    "Right. That wizard seems pretty sharp, doesn''t she?"

    Ian also had a high opinion of Kira, the wizard.

    Above all, he was surprised that she was unfazed even after hearing the name Eredith.

    Not to boast, but Eredith is quite a well-known wizard.

    Especially a fire wizard who shines the brightest on the battlefield.

    There were plenty of soldiers who''d claim PTSD just from hearing the name Eredith.

    Yet, she was so calm even after revealing she was a disciple of Eredith...

    It confirmed she was no easy opponent.

    However, Ian had no intention of surrendering just like that.

    No matter how much he was at a disadvantage, showing his magical skills was necessary to receive at least a minimum level of respect.

    He planned to demonstrate his competence as a wizard and then negotiate.

    It was time for the beautiful custom of mutual respect among wizards to shine.

    ''The sun''s still too bright for Dark magic.''

    Ian looked at the shining sun and thought.

    Forcing darkness to appear would work, but it would likely result in the magic not listening to Ian for days, upset by the forceful call.

    Too expensive a price for just showing off.

    But considering the warm air and the steep mountainous terrain...

    "[Wind,]"

    Ian extended his staff and spoke the language of magic.

    "[Come to me!]"

    Choosing the most appropriate magic was also a skill of a wizard.

    Ian chose air magic, and that choice was apt.

    "Oh...!"

    "A whirlwind!"

    As Ian summoned the wind, a fierce whirlwind began swirling around Ian and his group.

    The bandits gaped at Ian''s display of air magic.

    "Incredible..."

    "That wizard is amazing!"

    Most of the bandits had never seen large-scale magic like this before.

    That made sense since Kira had never shown them any large-scale magic until now.

    "How about that! You thieving bastards!"

    "This man is the famous wizard, Raven!"

    Talian''s mercenaries shouted excitedly.

    Showing off impressive magic was nothing new for Ian.

    They had strong faith in him.

    When Talian''s mercenaries taunted, the bandits flinched.

    Feeling a bit intimidated and as if they were losing somehow...!

    "Hmph, what a joke! Calling that magic?"

    Unable to hold back, one of the bandits shouted.

    It was a matter of momentum and pride.

    "Our side has an awesome wizard, unlike you guys. Still want to go for it?" was essentially the response to Talian mercenaries'' taunts.

    "Wowww!"

    "Yeah! We have Lady Kira!"

    "Kira! Kira! Kira!"

    "Go show them what you''re made of!"

    The earth-shaking roar of cheers echoed.

    Within that massive support,

    Con artist Kira Laventa took a bold step forward...!

    ''Please just shut up...! You bastards!''

    No one knew about her true feelings.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    At first, Baron Damon was slightly puzzled when he heard Ian''s introduction.

    It was suspicious enough that such a green, young kid was stepping forward as the representative of the group.

    "A wizard?"

    If he had introduced himself as a noble''s son from some family, Damon would have been willing to negotiate a price calmly.

    But a wizard?New n0vel chapters are published on

    There are lies that fly and lies that flop.

    Claiming to be a wizard was the latter.

    Of course, to be a wizard, one first needs to know how to use magic.

    The incredibly wise and intelligent nobles of the ancient Golden Empire had created a nasty custom called [Calling a Wizard], which successfully induced wizards to reveal their abilities from the first meeting.

    This meant fake wizards had to show their magic to others right from the start...

    And that''s where 99% of fake wizards got cut.

    The remaining 1% of fake wizards were those who had genuinely put effort into preparing their scam.

    They prepare accomplices in advance to deceive or demonstrate a high level of sleight of hand...

    If they were prepared to pull off a scam close to magic, there was no way to expose their methods on the spot.

    You just had to be fooled.

    Eventually, when a situation arose where they had to show magic, they would be exposed, but that was later.

    ''...Is he fake? Or not?''

    Baron Damon found Ian quite irritating.

    The black hair and the crow perched on his shoulder did give off an unusual vibe...

    But to pull off a wizard scam, that level of setup was necessary, right?

    Could be fake, could be real.

    Honestly, Damon wasn''t sure he could tell the difference.

    It would have been a very awkward situation not long ago.

    Fortunately, Baron Damon had a wizard among his subordinates.

    That was Kira Laventa!

    In some ways, this was an opportunity.

    An opportunity to witness the power of magic firsthand, and to evaluate both Kira and Ian''s worth!

    For Baron Damon, this was a precious chance.

    Real nobles often had the chance to meet traveling wizards, but for a pseudo-noble like Damon, seeing a wizard was rare.

    Until now, he had tried coaxing Kira to use magic, but the quirky and bad-tempered Kira would only show simple magic while getting annoyed.

    He had to let it go at those times.

    But in this situation, Damon thought, Kira wouldn''t back down.

    ''Now! Wizard Kira! How amazing will the magic you show be!''

    "Kira! Kira! Kira!"

    "Go and show them what you''re made of!"

    The ground-shaking cheers.

    Wizard Kira.

    No...

    Scammer Kira was going crazy.

    ''Please don''t expect anything! Your expectations are too high, you bastards!''

    At first, when Ian stepped forward, Kira was a bit relieved because Ian was about the same age as Kira.

    Ian, who appeared to be no more than twenty, was clearly a peer of Kira''s.

    How smart or great could a kid just around twenty be!

    But then Ian began to chant in the language of magic.

    Kira was stunned, her mouth agape.

    ''What, what the hell?! Him!?''

    As Ian shouted in an unknown language, a whirlwind swirled around him.

    The bandits were shocked, Baron Damon was shocked, and so was Kira.

    ''He, he''s a real wizard!!!''

    She had cosplayed as a wizard for a long time, but this was the first time she had seen a real wizard up close.

    Obviously, because she was afraid of being exposed.

    But seeing real magic up close... gave her chills.

    The way human will could move nature was the very mystery of magic itself.

    If there were no eyes around to see, she would have run up screaming.

    Dude! How did you do that? You''re not using a bug, are you?!

    Despite being stunned enough for such absurd fantasies to burst forth...

    Kira maintained a perfect calm on the outside.

    Yes, she was a first-class [jester].

    Controlling her expression was nothing. So even when a foolish badit shouted beside her, Kira kept her proud expression.

    "Ha, that''s funny! You call that magic?"

    ''What are you saying?! That''s f*cking amazing, you bastards!''

    "Yeah, right! That''s not even magic!"

    ''Ughhh! If that''s not magic, then what the hell is?''

    "...This is nothing."

    Though she said she was fine, Kira showed signs of exhaustion. If she were asked to do magic again, she would be truly doomed.

    However, Baron Damon had no intention of pushing Kira further.

    "What do you think? This wizard named Ian, do you think we can overpower him?"

    He approached her seeking the wise counsel of a wizard.

    But Kira, terrified at the thought of being asked to work again, hastily blurted out a response.

    "Getting greedy will only lead to ruin, you know? That wizard hasn''t shown all his power yet."

    "Hmm..."

    Though Kira had just made up her response to avoid getting involved, her guess was surprisingly accurate, and Baron Damon respected the wizard''s advice.

    "Understood."

    He gave up on the idea of overpowering Ian''s group by force and started to negotiate politely.

    Since the great (not) wizard Kira had confirmed it, he decided it was best to avoid the risky gamble.

    "Alright, friends. Just pay the toll, and we''ll ensure your safety until the end of this road."

    "Hmm."

    "And we can even offer you a comfortable place to sleep and warm food in the village. Opportunities like this don''t come often, you know?"

    It wasn''t a bad proposal for Ian''s group.

    Actually, it was quite an excellent offer.

    If the bandits had pulled out their swords and demanded, "Give us everything you have!" there wouldn''t have been much they could do...

    But to provide lodging and food just for a toll payment?

    This was like a medieval version of a toll road!

    ''Toll road my ass.''

    Ian discussed it briefly with his group. Everyone reacted positively.

    "Avoiding sleeping outdoors does sound appealing."

    "The road seems well-maintained too. I think it''s a good idea."

    Paying a reasonable toll and resting in the village was a very good situation for travelers.

    "It''s decided then."

    Ian informed Baron Damon of their decision.

    "We''ll pay the toll."

    "An excellent decision!"

    As soon as Ian''s group paid the toll, Baron Damon volunteered to escort them.

    Having the person who had just been threatening them now walking beside them made Ian feel odd.

    The medieval style of quickly switching between enemies and allies was still hard to get used to.

    "You''ve made a very wise choice using our road, friends. If you had continued forward, you would have definitely regretted it."

    I kind of feel regret right now, though...?

    Ian felt curious and asked,

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Baron Damon lowered his voice a bit.

    "I''m only telling you this because you''re our guests now... but lately, a very troublesome creature has popped up in the forest."

    "A troublesome creature?"

    What is this? A self-introduction?

    Ian looked intently at Baron Damon, but he seemed to feel no remorse at all.

    Well, you probably need to be that conscienceless to be a bandit, anyway.

    Baron Damon spoke as if intoxicated by his own story.

    "Ever heard of vampires?"

    "...Vampires!"

    The priest hastily made the sign of the cross.

    Though he had never seen one, Ian was already aware of the existence of vampires.

    Once through modern creative works, and again in Eredith''s mysterious lessons.

    "Creatures that suck blood?"

    "Indeed, you are a wizard. Yes, creatures that suck blood,"

    Baron Damon said in a grim voice.

    "A vampire has been active. So, never wander alone after dark."

    Vampires were human monsters that had become twisted and corrupted through a curse.

    They were fundamentally evil, cunning, and sadistic.

    Possessing both human intelligence and monstrous strength, just one could destroy a whole village with ease.

    Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.

    Paying the toll and joining forces with Baron Damon turned out to be lucky for Ian''s group.

    Had Ian and his group camped out alone, they might have been attacked by the vampire.

    "Don''t worry too much."

    As the mood turned somber, Baron Damon whistled sharply. He playfully pointed at someone.

    It was the wizard quietly following them, Kira.

    "From now on, Kira and I will hunt that monster!"

    "..."

    Kira simply nodded her head with an indifferent expression.

    At her confident and self-assured demeanor, Ian was impressed.

    I''ve hunted monsters before, and I know it''s tough!

    To be so nonchalant about it! She must be a truly exceptional wizard!

    However, Kira''s inner thoughts were completely different from Ian''s...

    ''Me? You want me to fight a vampire this time???''

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    TL/Editor: Raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Baron Damon''s domain was exactly as expected.

    "Lord!"

    "Oh my! Has the Lord arrived!"

    The sight of dozens of huts lined up on a clearing made by cutting down trees and the sight of a hastily built wooden fence to fend off intruders revealed it as nothing less than a bandit''s hideout.

    There were fields cultivated by clearing the land and livestock like chickens and geese wandering around, but the atmosphere hadn''t changed much from when it was originally a bandit''s lair.

    "Hahaha! Your Lord has gone out and earned some money~"

    "Long live the Lord!"

    A quick look around showed that farming was a secondary source of income, and the primary source was tolls collected through banditry.

    It was only natural that a domain in the mountains couldn''t sustain itself on farming alone.

    "The atmosphere is nice."

    "But it''s still just a bandit''s hideout."

    Ian grumbled in a not-exactly grumbling way, Belenka smiled wryly.

    "Isn''t it different from ordinary bandits? They don''t kill every passerby they see."

    "Even if they extort money from people?"

    "If you think of it as a toll for using the road, it''s not too bad. These are the local residents, after all, and they''ll also take care of the monsters around here. As the roads become safer, more merchants will come, improving earnings."

    "It''s a virtuous cycle."

    This era was inherently without foundation.

    Starting as a bandit hideout, it could someday become a respectable city.

    The name Damon could also become famous.

    As soon as Ian and his party arrived at Damon''s mountain hotel, an exciting room allocation followed, which was very medieval in its execution.

    "Everyone, go into any house you like!"

    "...?"

    Since there couldn''t possibly be an inn in this small domain, it meant just barging into any house you see and spending the night.

    "Thank you! Lord!"

    "Hehe. Let''s go quickly!"

    To Ian, this method of allocating rooms was absurdly ridiculous.

    You could argue it was a homestay, but the problem was that it was a forced homestay.

    However, Ian was the only one who found this strange.

    The medieval people, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, opened the door of someone else''s house they had never seen before and walked in with their dirty feet...!

    Did you guys come from the GTA universe?

    It was beyond rude; it was shameless.

    Yet, no one in the domain dared to oppose the Lord''s decision.

    They just bowed their heads and prepared to welcome the sudden guests as if it was the most natural thing.

    "Wizard Ian! You shall stay at our house!"

    Baron Damon, at some point, had naturally put his arm around Ian''s shoulder.

    The preemptive arm-around-the-shoulder before extorting money might be an instinct engraved in human DNA.

    "Me?"

    Ian hesitated at first, suspicious that Baron Damon might be attempting something.

    Accepting too eagerly and then being disappointed would be its own kind of nuisance.

    However, as expected of a Baron who knew nothing about nobility, Damon immediately looked dejected.

    "No, it was just a suggestion... If you don''t like the humble cabin, there''s nothing I can do... But it''s the best house here..."

    Ian quickly reassured the Baron.

    "I was asking if it''s alright for me to be invited. Galadin is here too."

    "Galadin? What does he do?"

    "Uh... um, a smart person?"

    "He seemed pretty dumb to me."

    Baron Damon''s insight was chillingly sharp.

    Just as knowledge and wisdom differ, being knowledgeable doesn''t necessarily mean one is wise.

    Baron Damon thought Galadin was somewhat lacking, and to some extent, he was right.

    "If the Baron invites me, then I''m happy to accept."

    "Hahaha! Then stay at our house!"

    Just from hearing this, you''d think a neighbor was offering to let you stay the night.

    "Get to know our wizard too!"

    Was her name Kira?

    Ian briefly made eye contact with Kira.

    Kira''s demeanor was that of a typical, irritable, and hysterical wizard.

    She was utterly indifferent to Ian, as if she didn''t even acknowledge his existence.

    Had Ian not already had some experience with wizards, he might have been offended, but having encountered a few wizards before, Ian didn''t take Kira''s indifference to heart.

    Wizards are just weird like that.

    Eredith was considered normal by Ian''s standards, but in fact, by medieval standards, she was a bit strange.

    She was indifferent to worldly matters while wielding powerful magic.

    The wizard Mani was also an eccentric person.

    The very act of brewing soup filled with garlic as a prank was far from normal thinking.

    It was fortunate that Ian was Korean, otherwise, this was like serving rice in mint chocolate soup as a form of hospitality.

    And then there was Professor Inglan.

    Caught tomb raiding.

    Ha. Ian shook his head.

    Looking at it this way, the wizard lineup was legendary.

    Indeed... The only normal wizard might just be me, [Ian Eredith Raven]...!

    "If you don''t like it, say it now."

    "No, it''s not that I don''t like it, but..."

    Ian was puzzled.

    He wondered, is this really okay?

    ---

    ---

    Providing lodging and meals for a knight was a Lord''s natural duty.

    Though it was temporary, Ian, who had sworn loyalty to Belenka, had to solve her lodging issue.

    ''Maybe we should just sleep together.''

    The least troublesome solution was to simply put Belenka in Ian''s bedroom.

    The Baron had given Ian a good room, and there was enough space for both to comfortably stay.

    The only issue...

    Ian, hailing from a country of the East known for its etiquette and the principle of "men and women not sitting together after the age of seven," found the idea of cohabiting with a woman to be somewhat... complicated.

    In fact, even by medieval standards, it was considered somewhat... complicated.

    Even though no one would openly talk about it, behind their backs, there would be whispers suggesting something... complicated between Ian and Belenka.

    It wasn''t that the rumors would tarnish Ian or Belenka''s reputation...

    But the thought of Lucy''s face made him feel a bit guilty.

    Rumors are unpredictable, and by the time they reached Lucy''s ears, they might have morphed into "Oh my, I heard they have a child together~".

    It was simply easier to arrange for separate accommodations.

    So, Ian went to seek out the wizard Kira''s room, hoping to ask if there was a way to accommodate Belenka.

    As a wizard trusted by the Baron, she occupied the largest room in the Baron''s house.

    "Kira, are you there?"

    A moment of enlightenment struck him.

    Wait, the Baron''s house?

    He was staying at the Baron''s, and he was about to ask to share a room?!

    Although Baron Damon was notably poor, even taking that into account, a medieval noble''s house was indeed shabby by modern standards.

    Talian Hall was a splendid mansion, though.

    "Just a moment!"

    Sounds of thumping came from inside.

    Ian nodded.

    Ah, she''s cleaning her room because she has a guest.

    Classic female behavior (the room is a pigsty).

    Having a sister, Ian knew this all too well.

    It''s extremely rare for women to live tidily. They''ve just mastered the skill of hiding their messiness...!

    So, Ian patiently waited for Kira to finish cleaning(?) her room.

    A little while later.

    "Hmm. Hm-hm."

    Kira greeted Ian, arms crossed.

    "What''s up all of a sudden? wizard? I thought we wouldn''t cross paths during your stay in the domain."

    "...?"

    "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Did you call me out here to say something, or can I go?"

    Seeing Kira pour out informal speech from the get-go, Ian forgot everything he had prepared to say.

    He was shocked.

    Even Lucy used formal speech when they first met!

    And here she was, not some elder-level wizard, and seemingly of a similar age, just spewing informal speech?

    Having become accustomed to the medieval fantasy wizard life, Ian''s cosplay and daily life had merged into one.

    His daily life was like method acting.

    And the aspect of ''wizardry'' Ian worked hardest on was being ''eccentric''.

    Unbeknownst to himself, Ian had embodied the ''wizard''s eccentricity'' that medieval people so adored, almost like a passive skill.

    In front of Ian appeared a wizard who was thoroughly impolite.

    Wizard Ian wasn''t going to take it.

    Ian erased all the polite remarks he had prepared-

    And started acting in the familiar way of a wizard.

    "But Kira, do you know me?"

    "... Huh?"

    "We''re talking for the first time, aren''t we? When did we meet for you to be so rude-

    Ahaha. So we''re already friends! I didn''t even know I had such a rude friend! Typical of a wizard, right! Hahaha!"

    "Um, well..."

    "Why speak so formally all of a sudden? We''re friends, aren''t we? Hey, I''m tolerating your rudeness because we''re friends, otherwise, you would have been stabbed by now~"

    "..."

    "But Kira, I have just one favor to ask. Since we''re friends, you can grant it, right?"

    Kira felt a chill run down her spine as Ian unloaded a barrage of nonsensical words.

    Look at those eyes filled with madness...

    That guy, he was out of his mind!

    ''What a bizarre wizard!''

    Are all wizards like that?

    I''ve never met a real wizard, so I don''t know!

    ---

    [1. raei: In mathematical or logical proofs, "Q.E.D." is traditionally written at the end of a demonstration to signify that what was to be proven has been successfully demonstrated. It''s essentially a way of saying "I have proven what I set out to prove." ]

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 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    Acting and reality are different.

    It''s an easy fact to overlook, but many actors are very different from the characters they portray on screen.

    Really?

    Someone who appears so spiteful/cool/cute on screen isn''t actually like that in real life?

    In some ways, it was like taking a red pill.

    Imagine realizing that the actor of your favorite character from a show is actually nothing like their character.

    ''... Huh!''

    Kira barely snapped back to reality.

    She almost gave Ian the ''red pill''.

    The ''wizard act'' she showed on the surface that is, the annoyingly fussy and impetuous wizard was not Kira''s real personality.

    Kira''s true nature was much kinder, gentler, and softer than that.

    So, when Ian started acting crazy...

    Kira was the one taken aback!

    ''Is this how wizards are supposed to be? Or is this wizard just weird?!''

    Kira never considered the possibility that Ian''s behavior could be an act.

    Because...

    Kira had never had a personal conversation with a real wizard before!

    She was afraid her true identity would be exposed through a slip of the tongue.

    She knew nothing about the ''manners among wizards'' that a real wizard would naturally know.

    Until then, Kira had been acting out a character that embodied the general image of a wizard to scam people.

    But characters and reality are different.

    The image of wizards that the public perceives and the reality of actual wizards are naturally different.

    Yet, Kira only knew of the wizard''s image, not the reality of actual wizards.

    That''s why she was rude to Ian right from their first meeting.

    [What? Wizards are supposed to speak rudely, isn''t that common sense?]

    No, it''s not. It''s not common sense.

    Ian looked at Kira as if she were a heroine under the spell of some hypnosis app[1].

    What''s this? What''s with the disparity in common sense?

    Most of the eccentricities of wizards were an act, and real wizards respected each other greatly.

    However, Kira, who came from a street jester background, didn''t know that.

    So...

    Ian just passed off Kira as a very strange wizard.

    Mani, Inglan, Kira.

    This was roughly the average for wizards.

    "It feels awkward just standing here, shall we go in?"

    This wasn''t something Kira said.

    It was Ian.

    Brazenly, Ian stepped into Kira''s room as if it was his own.

    At that, Kira was astounded.

    Wow... This guy. He''s crazy.

    There''s a limit to rudeness!

    Kira was extremely taken aback, but on the other hand, she kind of understood Ian''s behavior...

    Kira, who had fallen under a non-existent hypnosis app, had accepted the radical shift in common sense: [wizards can act eccentrically].

    Damn. He''s crazy, but he''s a wizard after all.

    I''ll try to understand!

    Regardless, Ian threw himself onto Kira''s bed.

    And like he owned the place, he put his feet up on the sheets.

    With his shoes still on, no less!

    ''So, how about it?''

    Ian smirked to himself.

    Having acted like a wizard so often, Ian had grown accustomed to causing a scene.

    This level of rudeness? He could do it as naturally as breathing now.

    Ian, who prides himself on being the only sane person among wizards, couldn''t even imagine that Kira''s behavior was an act.

    He just thought she was a wizard without any manners.

    Most wizards were sociable and polite.

    After all, a wizard is a [communicator].

    Someone who only blabbers about themselves and disregards others cannot become a wizard.

    If you act like that in front of the mysteries, you''ll quickly cease to be a wizard.

    Yet the prevailing notion was that [wizards are essentric].

    It made it so that wizards were obsequious in front of the mysteries but acted crazy towards humans.

    Though she pretended to be a wizard, Kira''s roots were on the streets.

    Sharing a room was nothing to her.

    And getting acquainted with a knight wasn''t bad either.

    "Is that all you wanted to say?"

    "Yeah."

    "Alright. I see."

    Ian and Kira fell into silence for a moment.

    It was time to look for the right moment to get up.

    Just as they were trying to figure out who would move first, that''s when it happened.

    "Wizard Kira. Baron Damon has something to say about the vampire issue..."

    Someone suddenly entered the room.

    It was Belenka.

    "...?"

    Seeing them on the bed like that, Belenka sighed softly and shook her head.

    "Ian, how long has it been since you broke up with Baron Talian and you''re already with a new woman..."

    "No, what are you talking about?"

    "Don''t you see? Or are you perhaps trying to find a room for yourself?"

    "..."

    What is she even saying?

    Ian had to breathe hard to avoid dying from shock.

    It was overwhelming.

    "Baron Talian would be sad."

    "Please shut up."

    Ian hurriedly stood up and introduced Belenka.

    "This is Lady Belenka."

    "From Wintz, I''m Belenka."

    "Kira Laventa."

    Ian tilted his head in confusion.

    "Laventa? That''s a new name. Who might that be?"

    "... A great person. Was a remarkable wizard."

    "Oh?"

    "Passed away."

    "Ah. Sorry."

    The mood dipped slightly.

    Before it got more awkward, Belenka pulled the two along.

    "The Baron says he needs the help of a wizard."

    "Me too?"

    "Since we''ve been treated as guests, we should show some courtesy."

    Baron Damon was not far away, with his men.

    Seeing the wizards, he immediately called out.

    "Good to see you! Could I borrow your wisdom for a moment?"

    "What''s the matter?"

    The Baron had some notably impressive subordinates.

    They were archers.

    "These are my snipers and scouts. They were following a vampire and encountered something peculiar."

    "Not peculiar, but horrific, my Lord."

    A man in a green hood spoke.

    "When we found the vampire, it muttered some strange words. Suddenly, the surroundings turned pitch dark, and we couldn''t see anything."

    "And then you luckily escaped?"

    "Don''t joke. We survived because of the dogs."

    A strange language. And suddenly, darkness appeared.

    Belenka instinctively looked at Ian.

    Ian snapped his fingers and said,

    "Was it perhaps something like this?"

    Darkness started to creep around Ian.

    The scouts were shocked and nodded vigorously.

    "Yes! It was exactly this kind of unnatural darkness!"

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    Could that vampire be skilled in Dark magic?

    ---

    [1. raei: this type of reference is usually to another novel in novelpia but I don''t have the time to read outside of the novels I''m translating :p anyone?]

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 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    TL/Editor: Raei

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    When Ian summoned the black darkness, the snipers, including Baron Damon, were shocked.

    Sorcery! That guy uses sorcery!

    "Just like a vampire...!"

    They were startled at first, but upon further thought, they realized something was off.

    How could a follower of the heavens use the same magic as a demon belonging to darkness?

    Could it be...?

    "Um... Mr. Wizard."

    The snipers began to slowly back away.

    "You''re not one of... them, right?"

    Ian grinned wickedly.

    The snipers looked as though they were about to burst into tears any moment.

    Please, dont be true!

    Belenka, realizing Ian was pranking them, gently tapped his arm.

    "Could you stop fooling around and explain?"

    "It was fun, though."

    "... You''re unbelievable."

    Haah.

    These wizards.

    To Belenka, it seemed like all wizards were cut from the same cloth.

    Meaning Ian was also a weirdo.

    "I''m different from vampires. If someone hates the light, they can become friends with the darkness. I just happen to get along well with darkness because we''re compatible."

    Phew.

    The snipers finally let out a sigh of relief.

    The thought that this wizard might be a vile creature like a vampire was too horrifying to even imagine.

    Baron Damon didn''t say anything, but it was clear he was relieved to learn Ian wasn''t an evil wizard.

    "Actually, I was just on my way back from disposing of a body."

    "A body?"

    Ian took a moment to mourn the deceased in his heart.

    Even in a world where death was commonplace, the extinguishing of a life''s light was always a tragedy.

    "That vampire bastard has eaten another person."

    "..."

    "Its actions are becoming bolder."

    Ian stroked his chin, recalling old memories.

    Eredith had taught Ian the Maronius language and shared bits of trivial knowledge as a way to keep the young Ian interested in his studies.

    It was like seasoning to help Ian not lose interest in learning.

    To Eredith, this ''trivia'' was common knowledge, but to Ian, it was a source of fascinating stories.

    She told tales of all sorts of fantasy monsters, including dragons, wyverns, and drakes, each one more interesting than the last.

    Having a teacher like a living Wiki, Ian knew a lot of miscellaneous knowledge.

    Therefore, he knew a thing or two about vampires.

    "It woke up only recently."

    "What do you mean?"

    As Ian shared his knowledge about monsters, people listened intently, holding their breath.

    "People often refer to vampires as [those who incurred the wrath of the heavens]. They committed a sin comparable to blasphemy, cursed to never see the sun again."

    "... I''ve heard about that."

    "Vampires live by siphoning the vitality of life nurtured by the sun''s power, since they can''t see sunlight. Even in death, they would be rejected by heaven."

    "It''s straight to hell for them."

    The medieval folks made the sign of the cross.

    Not being able to ascend to heaven after death, but rather being trapped in a dark, deep underground prison, that is, hell, was the punishment feared most by people in the Middle Ages.

    "However, since they are forsaken by God, vampires don''t have a set lifespan."

    "Some vampires live for hundreds of years, right?"

    "Well, they just don''t die of old age."

    Vampires are those forsaken by God.

    Many vampires commit acts that enrage God on purpose, to become forsaken.

    The reason was simple: they desired eternal life.

    Vampires were desperate cowards who committed blasphemy out of fear of death.

    "Most vampires were born towards the end of the Golden Empire."

    "... What?!"

    People were shocked by Ian''s explanation.

    The fall of the Golden Empire was over 500 years ago!

    There was a reason why most vampires were born during the late stages of the Golden Empire.

    At that time, the Golden Empire was in decline.

    Extreme wealth disparity, the rich were only concerned with their own gains, and slaves were treated worse than animals, living and dying as something less than human.

    It was clear to anyone that the country was doomed, so no one doubted the impending fall of the Golden Empire.

    But this fact drove countless priests and nobles mad.

    "The end of the world is coming!"

    No, it was just the Golden Empire that was falling, not the world itself.

    From a modern perspective, that''s all it was.

    Just a once thriving nation reaching the end of its lifespan.

    But it wasn''t seen that way from an ancient perspective.

    The reason lay in the Bible.

    All words in the Bible were true. That was the default assumption.

    And in the Bible of their monotheistic religion, there was this passage:

    [On the day the Empire falls, a great judgment will begin.

    The righteous will ascend to heaven, the wicked will fall to hell, and the world will be covered in eternal darkness.]

    Since the words of the Bible were always true, the statement that judgment would begin with the fall of the Empire was also believed to be true.

    But... the fall of the Empire was imminent!

    Am I... going to be judged?!

    Those who lived good lives thought, "Ah, looks like I''ll be judged," and accepted their fate, confident they''d go to heaven.

    But those who were malicious and tormented others were trembling with fear.

    They might shout with false bravado, "Haha, who would believe in that judgment stuff haha, God''s popularity would plummet haha," but they couldn''t evade impending judgment.

    It was their own fault for behaving so terribly.

    The wicked were desperate.

    Some timid villains hurriedly donated all their wealth to the church, begging for their sins to be reduced in exchange for their donations.

    But for those villains who were already too far gone and saw no chance of redemption, they chose to become twisted...

    "Since we''re damned to hell anyway, why not just become a vampire and fall from grace?"

    Being judged and going to hell versus surviving in a ruined world as a vampire.

    The problem was finding the vampire''s hiding place.

    The whole village could search thoroughly and find it within a month, but considering the potential damage and the cost of hiring people during that time, it wasn''t exactly a good plan.

    And Ian''s group had no time to dawdle.

    "However, for various reasons that''s impossible, so let''s use another method."

    The second option: wait for a vampire attack and ambush it.

    Ian decided on this approach.

    "Vampires attack from the darkness..."

    "I''ll handle the preparations. I''m an expert in field tactics."

    "Wow. As expected, reliable, Wizard."

    Reports suggest that vampires are adept at Dark magic.

    But Ian wouldn''t be outdone in the realm of Dark magic.

    Think you''re the only one with night vision? I''ve got it too!

    Moreover, by enticing birds that are active at night to keep watch, there would be no chance of a surprise attack.

    "And we need to distribute the personnel."

    He even distributed the personnel for night watch while he was at it.

    "Me, Belenka, the Talian mercenaries will form one team, and Baron, you can arrange your men as you see fit."

    "Got it. We''ll handle our side."

    Then, Kira raised her hand.

    "I''ll stand guard alone."

    Baron Damon, and even Ian, were surprised.

    Standing night watch alone? Without a vanguard?

    "Isn''t that dangerous?"

    Ian expressed concern for Kira.

    Even if the kid is a bit odd, leaving her to die is another matter entirely.

    But Kira snorted.

    "Hmph. Do you even know what kind of magic I use?"

    Ian tilted his head in confusion.

    "Fire magic, isnt it?"

    "That, that''s right! Fire magic! But it''s hard to use when there are people around!"

    Ah. Ian immediately understood.

    "Worried you might accidentally burn someone to death?"

    "...!"

    "...!"

    The Baron''s men gasped and distanced themselves from Kira.

    Nobody wanted the ''honor'' of being burned alive by a wizard''s fire.

    ''So, her skills are just so-so.''

    The more inexperienced the wizard, the worse they are at controlling their magic.

    Ian, having conversed with the mysteries of fire, knew well.

    The mysteries of fire are arsonists at heart, fundamentally enjoying the act of setting fires.

    Even a slight lapse in a wizard''s concentration could turn the surroundings into a sea of flames.

    Well, she looked about Ian''s age, so it made sense she was still a novice.

    "I agree. Let''s leave Kira to herself."

    "Lord Baron. In my opinion..."

    "It might be best to let Lady Kira be alone..."

    Nobody was really concerned for Kira.

    They were all just worried about getting caught in her fire magic.

    ''Ah, the lack of compassion. Really.''

    Unlike the Baron''s callous men, Ian decided to assign a bird to keep watch over her.

    So he could rush over to help if anything happened.

    "Alright. We start from tonight. The wizards will also stand guard."

    That night, Ian and his group took up night watch.

    Fortunately, they encountered the vampire quite quickly.

    ---

    ---

    "Phew. Thought I was caught there for a moment."

    Under the glowing torchlight, Kira let out a sigh of relief.

    Thanks to Ian''s push, she ended up on night watch by herself.

    For Kira, it was a tremendous opportunity.

    The very chance she had longed for...

    The perfect moment to make a run for it!

    Kira had reached her limit with the act.

    What? Join a vampire hunt?

    Was she supposed to shoot fireworks at vampires or what?

    She had been looking for a chance to escape all along.

    She had been cautious not to make a move until Ian''s group joined because the timing hadn''t been right...

    But now, she could definitely make a run for it!

    "Me, fight a vampire? Are you crazy?!"

    She felt sorry for Ian, the wizard.

    The vampire... you, the real wizard, will have to take care of it!

    Kira looked around once more.

    Thanks to her words about being caught in her fire magic, not a single soul was in sight.

    Of course, her plan to escape was fraught with danger.

    Going down the mountain alone at night, with a vampire about, was madness.

    But staying put and risking her cover as a fake wizard being blown was equally horrifying.

    Above all, if she didnt escape now, she saw no way to get out of the Baron''s grasp.

    ''Being with you all was disgusting, let''s never meet again!''

    Feeling the right moment had come, Kira didn''t hesitate to grab a torch and throw herself into the darkness.

    No one saw her, and her plan seemed perfect.

    But...

    Though there were no people who saw her, there were birds who did.

    "...Huh?!"

    Ian, who had been using birds for night surveillance, was shocked by the sudden report.

    Kira had suddenly run off into the darkness alone?!

    ''Why would she do that?''

    There was only one possibility.

    ''It looks like Kira has found the vampire!''

    She had spotted the vampire on her own and started the pursuit!

    Ian was astounded by Kira''s boldness.

    Wow...!

    To find the vampire and immediately chase after it alone.

    That''s damn brave!

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Lucius, from the former Golden Empire, now the Holy Empire, is a vampire.

    He was lucky to be born a noble''s son and received education to follow in his father''s footsteps as an imperial administrator.

    Or more precisely, he started but didn''t finish.

    "Damn it! I''m sick of this crap! Lucius, don''t you ever become one either!"

    An imperial administrator, to put it in terms of Joseon[1], was like a local governor.

    It was an honorable position bestowed by the Emperor''s command, managing a region well to prove one''s abilities and potentially become a high-ranking officiala path to an official career, in short.

    Every noble wanted to become a high-ranking official of the Empire. Lucius''s father was no exception.

    But Lucius''s father kicked this honorable position to the curb and ran away from it.

    Ridiculously, it was all because of money.

    The position of an imperial administrator was a money pit.

    Many nobles had to cover the city''s operating expenses out of their own pockets... there weren''t many tax-paying citizens around, only slaves and nobles.

    After paying taxes to the Emperor, there was no money left, forcing administrators to cover the shortfall from their own pockets.

    How could a country function properly if individuals had to bear the city budgets?

    Sane nobles resigned one after another, locking themselves in their manors, living the leisurely life of playing with slaves, like other nobles.

    Lucius''s father did the same.

    He wanted to work for the Empire, but the reality was a complete mess.

    "I don''t know anymore! Lucius! Live your life however you want!"

    "Yes, Father!"VIsit  for the best novel reading experience

    Following his wealthy, idle father, Lucius also began a life of squandering money every day.

    He indulged in alcohol and women, collected exotic items from other countries, and even summoned wizards to learn their mysteries.

    He made bad friends, killing servants in a Colosseum imitation, and even shot people for fun with a bow.

    Lucius was a troublemaker, but not an exceptional one.

    Most nobles of the Golden Empire were at his level.

    The country was doomed to fail because of it.

    Living every day chasing pleasure, Lucius heard about a grim future from a wizard he occasionally interacted with.

    "What?! The world is ending?"

    If the Empire falls, the world ends.

    Then, everyone would face the final judgment together.

    Lucius turned pale.

    "Looking at the sins I''ve committed... there''s no way I''m going to heaven!"

    The wizard whispered.

    Like the devil''s voice.

    "How about becoming a vampire?"

    "A vampire?"

    "If you give me a little compensation, I can turn you into a vampire, Lord Lucius."

    Becoming a vampire meant surviving even after the world''s destruction, escaping the confines of mortality.

    "Wouldn''t it be better to live on the run from God than to suffer eternally in hell?"

    "Alright! Turn me into a vampire!"

    Lucius, fearing hell, insulted God and became a vampire.

    Freed from the shackles of mortality, he decided to hide deep underground until all judgment ended, and then wake up after the world had been destroyed.

    And so, he fell into a long sleep...

    "Huh?"

    Centuries later, Lucius woke up confused.

    Why is the sun still up?

    Wasn''t the world supposed to be ruined???

    Panicked, Lucius investigated and soon came across shocking information.

    The Empire had indeed fallen, but those damned priests resurrected the ruined Empire like some voodoo magic.

    It was now called the Holy Empire.

    "Those f*cking priests!"

    During the Golden Empire era, priests were as corrupt as the nobles.

    Those who feared judgment must have desperately created a new Empire.

    Lucius, thinking judgment was over, despaired at the sight of the still brightly shining sun.

    "I''m f*cked!"

    Now, without any life force left, he needed to drink blood.

    How long must he hide from the sun? 100 years? 200 years? 1000 years?

    Lucius despaired deeply...

    And that despair erased what little was left of his human heart.

    "Ah, let''s see who wins."

    Whether it takes 10,000 years or a million, he''ll devour humans as they come and evade judgment.

    He became the perfect monster.

    "[Darkness be my ally.]"

    Lucius, now a vampire, could command the darkness as if it were part of him.

    He had studied the Maronius language and, like darkness, became a being that loathed the sun.

    He used magic to hunt humans.

    Mercy? None of that.

    "These people are going to heaven when they die anyway, right? Let their precious God take care of them."

    For days, Lucius relentlessly devoured humans.

    He didn''t think about the consequences. His only focus was on eating humans, filling himself with life force.

    Becoming a vampire made Lucius''s magic incredibly powerful.

    He was a wizard proficient in Dark magic, Frost magic, and Summoning.

    The cursed vampire body combined with powerful magic made him a formidable foe that simple villagers could not handle.

    A hungry vampire could easily devour an entire village.

    But whether by coincidence or as part of the strange schemes of space-time wizards...

    In Baron Damon''s territory, was wizard Ian.

    He was an otherworld cheat user who went around scamming with a status window.

    ---

    ---

    "You damned believers! So eager to meet your God, huh!"

    Damned believers...

    Ian smirked upon hearing the vampire''s curse.

    A curse reflects a person''s complexes.

    People curse based on ''what they find upsetting'' because of this.

    Ian easily deduced from. ''So eager to meet your God, huh!'' that this vampire greatly feared his inevitable judgment.

    Ian immediately started acting like a wizard.

    That is, he started taunting.

    "What''s that? It''s hard to hear the words of a loser afraid of God~"

    "You, you, you... right now...!"

    "Go on, suck blood for hundreds and thousands of days~ But what''s the use? When you die, it''s straight to hell, right? Booked for a medieval-style torture full course till the final judgment, right?"

    "You... bastard!"

    Hearing Ian''s taunting, Lucius coughed up blood on the spot.

    It wasn''t just a figure of speech; he literally vomited blood.

    Vampires have a habit of spitting out rotten blood when they get excited.

    Lucius was genuinely triggered by Ian''s taunts.

    He was already regretting becoming a vampire...!

    "F*ck, if I had known the world wouldn''t end, I would have died gracefully, you bastard!"

    Lucius screamed with a voice filled with genuine agony.

    "I''ll kill you!"

    Lucius''s eyes rolled back.

    This meant he couldn''t see anything else.

    Despite Belenka blocking his path, he ignored her and charged at Ian.

    Belenka wasn''t one to miss such an opportunity.

    She swung her longsword and cut off Lucius''s arm.

    With a thud, the arm was cleanly severed.

    But Lucius, brain steeped in madness and rage, didn''t stop.

    This time, Ian was taken aback.

    "Hey! Vampire! Your arm is...!"

    "Shut up! I never had an arm to begin with!"

    "What the hell are you on about! You''re insane!"

    Belenka, apparently not expecting him to charge even without an arm, also shouted in surprise.

    "Ian! Be careful!"

    Kira was just as panicked.

    ''What do I do!''

    Belenka was too far away, and the mercenaries had just started running towards Ian.

    ''I have to do something...!''

    Kira wanted to help Ian somehow...

    But she didn''t know what to do.

    So, Kira launched her only specialty and only skill.

    A firework show.

    There was no particular purpose.

    It was more of a decision made under the notion that doing something was better than nothing.

    "Ian!!!"

    I''ll help you!

    Whoosh! Fwoosh!

    Columns of flames shot up spectacularly.

    It was completely unhelpful, but the flames were splendid.

    Ian, as if enchanted by the flames, blankly watched Kira''s firework fountain.

    It wasn''t because he was dumbfounded.

    It was because an image came to his mind.

    Burning flames?

    But it wasn''t the mystery of fire he thought of. A flame explosion couldn''t stop Lucius''s kamikaze charge.

    What Ian remembered was a part of a documentary he had seen in a past life.

    Flames. Columns. And...

    A solar explosion.

    The massive cosmic explosion transforming into warm light played out in his mind.

    Almost unconsciously, Ian pulled out his magic sword from his bosom.

    Anor-lsil, the magic sword infused with the power of the sun.

    He didn''t yet know how to unleash the sword''s power... but seeing that explosion made him think of something.

    Wasn''t the sun originally an entity that exploded and burned like those columns of fire?

    The image of an exploding sun and the image of shooting flames merged into one.

    Ian extended Anor-lsil, filling it with a wizard''s will, and shouted forcefully.

    "[Explode!]"

    At that moment,

    From the blade of Anor-lsil, a brilliant radiance exploded, resembling the daylight at noon!

    "Arghhhh!"

    The wrath of the heavens struck down the cursed being.

    The sunlight created by magic burned Lucius''s body.

    "How...! The sun...! The light...!"

    Exposed to the sunlight, the vampire''s body turned into black ash and crumbled.

    Ian crushed Lucius''s head under his heel.

    "The craftsmanship of skilled fairies."

    Amidst the scattering ashes, Ian slowly caressed the magic sword.

    Somehow, the blade felt a bit warmer.

    ---

    [1. Pickhead7: Joseon, officially Great Joseon State, was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years.]

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 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    TL/Editor: raei

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    The blade still had the light of daylight swirling around it.

    A magic sword emitting a pure white light.

    Witnessing a brilliance that torches could never imitate, the mercenaries, without exception, made the sign of the cross.

    "God almighty...!"

    "God has protected us!"

    Belenka followed the mercenaries and made the sign of the cross.

    She wasn''t as deeply moved as the mercenaries, but her reaction was similar to expressing exclamations of wonder.

    It was like how Westerners frequently exclaim, "Oh my God!"

    "You were incredible, Wizard!"

    "Even the mightiest vampire is but a mere mosquito in front of you, Wizard!"

    "Hurrah for Wizard Ian!"

    Ian found the babbling mercenaries beside him incredibly annoying.

    Praise was nice to hear at first, but it quickly became tiresomely repetitive.

    Above all, Ian needed time to ponder the mysteries that lay dormant in Anor-lsil.

    Therefore, Ian, without losing a wizard''s dignity, politely requested the mercenaries.

    "Quiet. Stop yapping beside me. If you have nothing to do, go call the Baron."

    A request that was politeness itself.

    Moved by Ian''s gracious request, the mercenaries responded.

    "Of course, Wizard!"

    The mercenaries happily vanished, singing a song about ''Ian, who burned the mosquito to ashes,'' and so on.

    Ian still couldn''t quite understand the mercenaries'' tastes.

    Do you guys really like it when I talk like a foul-mouthed grandma that much?

    He remembered how they practically had a fit begging for forgiveness when he accidentally spoke to them politely.

    Playing the role of a quirky wizard was a bit uncomfortable, but Ian obliged since it was what they expected.

    In actuality, he was a man of manners.

    Ian, true to his gentlemanly nature, extended his hand to Kira.

    "Are you okay?"

    "..."

    Kira just stared blankly at Ian.

    "Yes."

    She took Ian''s hand and slowly stood up.

    As Kira got closer, the pungent smell of gunpowder hit their noses.

    As expected, the cause of the explosion was gunpowder.

    It was impossible for Ian not to recognize the smell of gunpowder.

    These days, children play with cyber guns on smartphones, a luxury of the modern world.

    But children in the past played with real guns loaded with real gunpowder(true).

    It might seem absurd to think of kids playing with guns, but South Korea in the past was a country where romance was alive and well.

    It was a common evening scene back then to see neighborhood kids tucking cap guns[1] into their jeans and roaming around.

    The sound of a cap gun and the smell of gunpowder it emitted were the dreams of boys, so much so that the tougher kids would have all handled a cap gun at least once.

    Though compared to cap guns, airsoft pellets, and even bean bullets were enough to mark you as armed.

    Unfortunately, Ian''s parents were conservative enough not to buy him a cap gun, but naturally, he came to recognize the smell of gunpowder from hanging out with his friends.

    To clarify again, Ian was definitely not from Somalia; he was a citizen of South Korea.

    Ian sniffed around.

    The smell that lingered after a fireworks display or after a cap gun fight...

    Ah, I want to do fireworks.

    Should I ask Kira if she has any fireworks sets left?

    Noticing Ian sniffing around, Kira defensively said,

    "It smells a bit, doesn''t it? But my magic is kind of..."

    "Magic?"

    Suddenly, what magic?

    Ian thought for a moment.

    Do people here call gunpowder magic powder?

    In the East, gunpowder() simply means ''medicine that causes fire,'' but the ignorant Western barbarians casually called it ''gunpowder.''

    As in, powder for guns!

    It''s a powder used for shooting guns, so, gunpowder!

    It wouldn''t have been strange in the Holy Empire to call it ''magic powder.''

    After all, gunpowder could indeed be considered a form of magic powder.

    This is a fact proven by the meme of Harry Potter shooting with a Muggle''s stick.

    "It''s not fire powder, then?"

    "... What?"

    "That powder. I thought it might be called something like ''fire powder.''"

    Ian stuttered, translating modern language into the language of the Empire.

    It was almost like doing a direct translation of a foreign language, so sometimes there were translation issues.

    However, Ian''s translated ''fire powder'' coincidentally matched exactly with the Empire''s term for gunpowder.

    More precisely, it was called ''flame powder.''

    Kira was surprised to hear the word that came out of Ian''s mouth.

    ''You know about flame powder?!''

    Flame powder wasn''t a product made in the Empire.

    It was a rare item, with only tiny amounts imported by heretical traders from the southeast.

    Therefore, in this part of the Empire, the northern regions, the likelihood of meeting someone who knew about flame powder was virtually zero.

    But it approached zero without being zero.

    There were indeed people like Ian who knew about flame powder.

    Of course, Kira was just being fooled at the moment.

    Who would have thought that a person who used to shoot cap guns and play with fireworks in a past life would be wandering around the northern part of the Holy Empire?

    Even if he developed his domain and made feudal contracts with the residents, without serving a Lord, he was nothing more than a bandit leader.

    Baron Damon considered Kira his subordinate.

    And in his mind, subordinates naturally serve their boss.

    It was gangster logic.

    What if Kira leaves for somewhere else?

    Kira, are you betraying the organization right now...?

    Instantly, slash.

    That was the situation Kira found herself in.

    Ian, being a wizard himself, fully understood Kira''s troubles.

    There was no need to bring up grand oaths like the honor of a master.

    Wizards help wizards.

    It was natural.

    Put in a similar position, if Ian were caught by bandits, he would naturally ask for help from any wizard he encountered.

    "I''ll sort it out as soon as we''re off the road."

    "Really?!"

    Kira looked at Ian with sparkling eyes.

    How are you going to solve it?!

    Are you hiring mercenaries to rescue me, or using some incredible magic?!

    "I''ll spread the word that Wizard Kira is being held by a rude bandit!"

    "Oh, no!"

    That''s not okay, you maniac!

    Who spreads rumors about someone being a scammer throughout the neighborhood?!

    Kira was still at a blooming age.

    She didn''t want to be captured and executed for fraud.

    But Ian didn''t understand Kira.

    Why not?

    Just spread the rumor, and Kira''s acquaintances as a wizard will rush to rescue her.

    It was common sense to Ian.

    "Why not? Don''t you have any friends or nobles you know?"

    "... No!"

    That was the response.

    It''s about indebting a wizard.

    Even nobles who''ve never met you would rush to your aid, yet she reacted like this.

    Is she planning to set the place on fire and run away on her own?

    That was a plan Ian, even as an eccentric wizard, could not agree with.

    There''s reckless, and then there''s insane.

    That''s not eccentricity; it''s madness.

    "There''s something..."

    Kira tried to squeeze out some kind of explanation, racking her brain.

    Any explanation would sound like a poor excuse, but she had to try.

    The chance to escape from the Baron, who already believed her to be a powerful wizard, was now or never.

    Then it happened.

    "Ahem."

    "Hmm."

    The Baron''s men subtly moved closer to the two, intending to eavesdrop on the conversation of the wizards.

    They hoped to dig out any valuable information...

    But to the two planning their escape, these were just annoying watchdogs.

    It would have been tricky for ordinary people, but Ian was a wizard.

    Ian immediately switched to Maronius language.

    Want to eavesdrop? Go ahead! Listen!

    What are you going to do if we talk in Maronius?

    "[So. What''s the reason you can''t escape?]"

    Ian was a self-proclaimed master of Maronius language, having conversed almost exclusively in it with Eredith for nearly a year.

    In fact, most wizards were like that.

    For wizards, whose lives could depend on minor communication errors, learning Maronius language was very important.

    Ian waited silently for Kira''s response.

    But...

    "???"

    No matter how long he waited, Kira didn''t respond.

    Why isn''t she answering?

    Could it be...

    Ian glanced at the bandits.

    Could it be that these bandits are super over-specced and can understand Maronius language!

    It must be like South Korea, where severe job shortages have led to the emergence of bandits with Seoul National University degrees!!!

    "..."

    Sh*t. That''s impossible!

    "Hey. You... don''t know Maronius, do you?"

    "Ah, no? I know it?"

    "[What do you know?]"

    "..."

    Ian stared blankly at Kira.

    This girl... doesn''t seem like a wizard?!

    ---

    [1. raei: A cap gun, cap pistol, or cap rifle is a toy gun that creates a loud sound simulating a gunshot and smoke when a small percussion cap is ignited]

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 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    TL/Editor: raei

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    A wizard forgetting the Maronius language?

    That''s impossible.

    Ian had been studying nothing but the Maronius language for six to seven years.

    Although there were fun times browsing through the Eredith wiki, the fact that the language was the focus, didn''t change.

    But a wizard who can''t understand Maronius...

    ''Now that I think about it.''

    Once doubt reared its head, new questions followed one after another.

    It was odd that a fire wizard only played with fireworks.

    Ian had learned fire magic, so he knew very well how difficult the magic of fire is.

    First, you need to start a fire to begin fire magic, but in this world without lighters or fire steel, there was hardly any technique to create fire on the spot.

    Therefore, beginner fire wizards never strayed from fire or always carried a small ember with them.

    Ian thought Kira was just shooting fireworks because it was hard to start a fire.

    Fireworks are flames, aren''t they?

    It was several times more convenient than fiddling with flint, a fire magic starter.

    So, he thought she carried fireworks arou

    She didn''t know Maronius but went around shooting fireworks?

    Ian''s suspicion suddenly turned into certainty.

    Ah.

    This kid...

    The legendary scammer I''ve only heard about.

    Everything finally made sense.

    The request not to spread rumors about being a wizard and the inability to escape the Baron on her own.

    However, there was a that doubt grew even more.

    "...Then what about the vampire?"

    Did she provoke a vampire without being able to use magic?

    In many ways, she was a woman whose gall had spilled over.

    "Unbelievable."

    "..."

    Kira visibly panicked.

    Seeing her, Ian clicked his tongue.

    She had been cosplaying as a wizard all this time.

    It was inexplicable how she wasn''t caught, other than sheer luck.

    "I''m, I''m sorry."

    Kira hurriedly responded in a diminished voice.

    "I''m sorry..."

    "..."

    Because there was people eavesdropping, she couldn''t even apologize properly.

    ''It''s definitely insane.''

    At this point, Ian became curious.

    What kind of circumstances led her to cosplay as a wizard and get caught by bandits?

    Unlike Kira, who was at a loss for what to do, Ian was unbothered.

    Kira thought she had committed a crime worthy of death...

    But to Ian, Kira was nothing.

    It''s true Kira got caught scamming.

    But Ian didn''t suffer any harm or loss.

    Of course, if the real victims, the nobles, had heard, they would have been furious...

    But what of it? Ian was not a guardian of law and order.

    Although Ian didn''t know the full story, he decided to rescue Kira from Baron Damon anyway.

    He didn''t know about what else, but the fireworks Kira carried around were magical and useful.

    If she remained in Baron Damon''s hands, she would lose the fireworks and possibly her life.

    So, Ian planned to rescue her and then ask for some fireworks.

    If possible, he wanted to ask about how to make gunpowder too.

    "Well, we don''t have time, so let''s just get out of here."

    "Uh... okay."

    Kira responded timidly.

    Not wearing her wizard persona, she seemed somewhat frail.

    Ah, Ian shook his head.

    It must be just the appearance.

    How could a truly frail person dare to scam others by pretending to be a wizard?

    "Hey! You guys, come here for a sec."

    "Are you talking to us?"

    "Who else would I be talking to if not you? Do you see anyone else?"

    Ian shouted at the bandits trying to eavesdrop.

    The bandits were immediately taken aback with bewildered expressions.

    Oh, that''s a fresh reaction.

    Ian realized clearly. This place really is the countryside.

    They know nothing about wizards.

    "Why the faces?"

    "No, it''s just..."

    You can''t just ask, ''Why are you being so rude?'' So, the bandits muttered with a look of injustice.

    Ian felt slightly wronged.

    No. It''s typical for wizards to be like this.

    You''re the weird ones!

    "If you have a complaint, just say it. I am as sweet as a carrot heated to 100 degrees."

    "...?"

    As Ian started talking nonsense, Belenka quietly moved closer to him.

    "You''re spouting nonsense again. Are you so smart to the point you sound dumb?"

    However, he was belatedly reactive to the action of taking away a member of his group.

    A response befitting a gang boss.

    "What? We''ve become companions, so we''re leaving together, what do you mean ''hold on''?"

    As Kira sharply retorted, Baron Damon flinched but didn''t back down.

    Ian couldn''t help but tense up.

    Smart people are often too scared to rashly charge in, but fools rush in without knowing any better.

    If the Baron decides to use force, things will get complicated.

    "Kira. If you leave, the domain will be in danger!"

    "So what? Why are you telling me this crap?"

    "I''ve been good to you until now! If you leave without lending your strength, what about all I''ve invested?"

    Ian understood why the Baron was clinging to Kira.

    He aimed to maintain the domain''s stability with the power of a fire wizard...

    A short-sighted notion typical of a commoner.

    "Who asked you to invest?! You shouted about making me your ally on your own accord!"

    "What are you even talking about..."

    Their voices rose.

    Ian stepped in at the right moment to mediate.

    "Both of you, stop!"

    "..."

    It was clear now.

    The Baron was a fool.

    "Baron. No, self-proclaimed Baron."

    "...What?"

    "Let me speak clearly. Just because you blabber about being a Baron doesn''t make you one. So, what? Is a Mud Baron also a Baron?"

    "Huh? What''s that?"

    "There''s such a tomb robber. But from what I see, you''re both the same."

    Baron Damon thought Ian was insulting him and tried to protest.

    But Ian spoke first.

    "Self-proclaimed Baron. Do you know who owns the land of the Empire?"

    "What are you talking about..."

    The Baron responded puzzledly.

    "Isn''t it the Lord''s?"

    "Wrong. The owner of the Empire is the Emperor."

    "The Emperor???"

    The baron couldn''t understand even the simple fact that ''the Emperor was the owner of the Empire.''

    No, in fact, it wasn''t a simple fact.

    It was simple for modern people, but for medieval people, it was a somewhat difficult concept.

    The Lord who rules our village collects taxes, conducts trials, and occasionally conscripts people.

    So... isn''t the Lord the owner?

    That''s what the common people of the Empire thought.

    But it wasn''t so.

    The land of the Empire belongs to the Emperor.

    It was merely ''lent'' to the vassals.

    However, the vassals passed down this borrowed land to their descendants without returning it to the Emperor.

    After passing it down over and over for hundreds of years, it just naturally became ''my land.''

    It was similar to how the fairies who used Ian''s Anor-lsil claimed ownership of it.

    "My land has no owner, and you''re telling me now it belongs to the Emperor???"

    "Why wouldn''t there be an owner?"

    "People don''t live there, so who''s the owner!"

    "Exactly. The law is indeed strange."

    The Baron looked as if he''d been hit by a hammer.

    Unlike modern people who are accustomed to documented real estate, medieval people applied the concept of a domain only when people actually lived there and taxes were actually collected.

    "You''re an illegal occupant. Even if you had 100 wizards like Kira, you couldn''t stop an invading army. And your domain is land everyone wants to take."

    "But if there are skilled archers and a fire wizard holding them off...!"

    "Do the enemies not have archers and wizards? Please make some sense."

    Ah, how do I explain this to a fool.

    Ian casually drew a map on the ground.

    "Here''s Talian, up there is Catina. And this way is Devosi..."

    "Ingmar too."

    "Ah. Ingmar...?"

    Ian glanced at Kira for a moment.

    Ah, she pulled a fast one there...

    Ian, kindly, introduced the neighboring powers to the self-proclaimed Baron.

    Fortunately, most of them were people the Baron knew.

    He was well-informed about the local powers.

    "Go make a vassal contract."

    Ian advised calmly.

    It was the only way for a domain like this rural village to survive.

    Baron Damon understood everything Ian explained.

    So, he sighed.

    "I ran away wanting to escape the clutches of those damn nobles... Now, I have to return to the embrace of the nobility on my own?"

    Ian lightly patted the Baron''s shoulder.

    "That''s the world we live in."

    In any era, there exists a figure like a king.

    In this era, it was the lords and nobles.

    ---

    [1. raei: The only thing i could find here was: Danggeun Market (which means near you or carrot in Korean) It''s like an online marketplace. Unfortunately that''s far as I know when it comes to these carrot references. Sorry!]

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 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    After the downfall, the world became a lawless place.

    With the disappearance of what was known as the government, the strongest rulers of society, all that was left were nobodies.

    That''s how it was after the fall of the Golden Empire.

    Those called kings still had an air of rulership about them, but those below them were nothing more than local gang leaders.

    From an individual''s standpoint, it was a harsh time to live.

    Without public authority, it was natural for a state of all-against-all to emerge.

    However, for those with some strength and luck, it was clearly a time of opportunity.

    Since everyone was equally worthless, the one who grew first took it all!

    Of course, it''s easy to say, "Just grow stronger."

    But it''s not easy to simultaneously pick on the weak, appease the strong, and cautiously climb the ranks.

    Even gamers accustomed to medieval simulation games despaired at the reality of the Middle Ages.

    What about the uneducated commoners?

    They were prone to messing up at every turn.

    "Thank you."

    "Don''t mention it. It''s nothing."

    Ian gave Baron Damon various practical advice.

    It wasn''t anything remarkable.

    Find a Count worth serving, be friendly with the neighboring Barons, if you''re going to rob, then go on a raid to the South.

    Don''t rob those heading to Talian, and so on...

    It was common sense and obvious advice, nothing that would harm the Baron.

    However, the Baron had no one around him to offer even that common sense and obvious advice.

    "If you become my personal wizard..."

    "Are you out of your mind? Oh did I say that out loud? Haha."

    "..."

    There was no reason for Ian to become the right hand of a bandit boss.

    One would have to be at least of count-level to consider making an offer.

    Accepting such an offer, unless one was hit in the head with a crossbow, was impossible.

    "Yeah. It''ll be tough."

    "If you need talented individuals, start by building a temple."

    "A temple?"

    "If you build one, then you can ask the Pope to send a priest to the domain. They will send one."

    The problem was the lack of temples, not priests. Priests could be easily produced.

    Having a priest to offer advice would make managing the domain much easier than now.

    "Ah. But building a temple requires money..."

    "You''ll have to earn it, then."

    Ian smiled lightly.

    After all, it wasn''t his problem.

    Ian casually offered several pieces of advice to soothe Baron Damon.

    Since all it took was a bit of smooth talking, Ian generously shared information.

    Enough so that the Baron considered releasing Kira.

    When Kira displayed her aggressive fire wizard persona, the Baron quickly lost any desire to keep her around.

    "We''re nearing the end of the road."

    They were approaching the edge of the Baron''s influence.

    Though the Baron showed his regret, he couldn''t bring himself to hold Ian back.

    Ian had done too much for him.

    "You''re right. I was thinking about it all wrong."

    Baron Damon willingly let Ian and his companions go.

    "I''ll make a feudal contract with a decent Count. And once my domain stabilizes, I''ll make a trip to the south."

    "If you''re short on supplies, visit the Talian domain. If you say you''re introduced by the wizard Ian, they''ll treat you well."

    "...Thank you. Really."

    He heard there was war brewing in the South.

    It was information shared by Baron Kaltz of Riverville.

    If Baron Damon leads his army (or bandits) to war and makes a significant contribution, he might not only gain wealth but possibly additional lands.

    If he''s capable, he will succeed.

    That''s the kind of era it was.

    "I never really understood why they said to be kind to wizards."VIsit  for the best novel reading experience

    "?"

    "Seeing you, I get it now."

    Baron Damon patted Ian on the shoulder.

    "Why you should be kind to a wizard."

    Wizards were valuable personnel, especially for the nobility.

    But even more so for a commoner thug; a wizard was an invaluable resource.

    Wizards had the experience and knowledge gained from interacting with nobles.

    "Continue down the Epari River. My friends are there, and if you say you are introduced by Baron Damon, they''ll treat you well."

    "Let''s do that."

    "Oh!"

    It wasn''t a lie.

    When the Baron sets out on his expedition, having the help of the river pirates would indeed be convenient.

    "We''re heading to the domain of Baron Devosi."

    "Ah. That place is a bit..."

    The river pirates were reluctant to go down to the Devosi Barony.

    "We could be killed if they see us there."

    Galadin stood by with a triumphant look.

    The Devosi Barony, being situated along the river, had a few boats.

    If river pirates were caught meddling, they''d be sent straight to the gallows.

    "It''s okay. They won''t have the leisure to worry about you."

    "Really? Why?"

    "Haven''t you heard? The Baron has fallen ill, cursed or something."

    Galadin looked downcast.

    Only then did the river pirates smile.

    "Then it''s worth a shot!"

    "And this man is a servant of the Baron. Galadin. Say something."

    "In the name of Baron His Excellency, I vouch for their identity."

    "Is that so. How about giving us a ride?"

    Ian pointed at Kira and said.

    "By the way, if you don''t give us a ride, we''ll burn you."

    "...What?"

    Kira, without blinking an eye, shot a firework.

    The mercenaries were thrilled at Kira''s fire magic.

    "Wow! It''s Kira''s fire magic!"

    "It''s always so cool to see!"

    The river pirates gulped.

    Getting burned was far less beneficial than giving a ride...

    "Welcome aboard!"

    "Thank you."

    The departure was prepared as smoothly as water flows.

    There was just one minor issue.

    The boat was too small for the number of people.

    Galadin resolved this issue in a flash.

    "Hey. You guys. Walk."

    "Yes!"

    It was agreed(?) that the servants and slaves would walk.

    Since the Barony was just ahead, they were no longer needed.

    Not satisfied with just offloading the servants, Galadin also made the river pirates disembark from the boat.

    The river pirates cursed under their breath, but what could they do when they were told to leave by those higher up?

    They had no choice but to comply.

    Thanks to that, Ian could comfortably travel by boat to the Devosi domain.

    With some room to breathe, Ian called Kira to sit down with him.

    The cabin was so cramped they had to sit tightly next to each other on a bed.

    "..."

    "Don''t be so nervous. No one''s going to eat you."

    From the moment she entered the room, Kira couldn''t calm herself down.

    It was necessary to calm her before they could have a conversation.

    "I didn''t call you here to scold you or anything, just wanted to have a chat."

    Kira looked up at Ian with frightened eyes and asked,

    "Really...?"

    Seeing her like this, it was almost like she had a dual personality.

    The wizard Kira and the ordinary girl Kira.

    Just to be sure, he asked.

    "Is this still an act? Or..."

    Then Kira, startled, responded.

    "N-no! How could I dare to act in front of a wizard..."

    Ian nodded.

    From the moment her fire wizard persona was discovered, Kira had lost all will to act in front of Ian.

    If she had been acting out of a desire to survive, she would have tried some trickery.

    All Kira had done was to quietly stay near Ian.

    It was as if she had given up halfway.

    "Anyway... anyway... sob"

    "???"

    "You''re going to kill me...! sob, or sell me into slavery...!"

    Kira burst into tears, releasing the anxiety she had been holding back all this time.

    Ian wasn''t aware of it.

    After all, he had never once criticized her for her wizard persona.

    So, Ian thought as he pleased.

    Ah. This friend.

    Contrary to her appearance, she has a tender heart.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    ''If this is an act...''

    Ian thought to himself as he looked at Kira sobbing.

    It was unlikely, but her behavior could just be an act to draw out his sympathy.

    But if she thought Ian was the kind of person to be swayed by such a pitiful sight...!

    She was right.

    He was that kind of person.

    Sympathy was indeed one of the reasons Ian forgave Kira.

    If this was an act, then Kira''s skills were impressive.

    Might as well just consider it a show worth the admission price and let it go.

    "What do you mean slavery? I''m not going to do anything."

    "...What?"

    Kira looked at Ian with her eyes red from crying, worried there might be some hidden agenda.

    But Ian had no such thoughts.

    If another wizard in this world had seen Kira, they might have punished her for tarnishing the name of wizards and betraying the trust of the nobility.

    However, Ian felt no particular emotion toward Kira.

    She wasn''t plotting some conspiracy under the guise of being a wizard.

    She was just unlucky enough to get caught by Ian while performing a very convincing act.

    Honestly, Ian was intrigued by Kira.

    How on earth had she managed to deceive the nobles and pretend to be a wizard until now?

    ''And... she''s not a complete fraud.''

    Unknown to Kira, but Ian definitely saw it when she had called forth flames using Maronius.

    He had seen the flames respond to her will.

    Whether it was a coincidence or there was some unknown circumstance, Ian couldn''t tell.

    But the fact that Kira had communicated and resonated with the flames was true.

    To resonate with mystery with just a single word without schooling?

    It was a talent worth watching.

    "I said, I''m not going to do anything."

    "..."

    "Stay as long as you want, leave when you wish. Oh, but leave some fireworks before you go. Where do you even get those?"

    "Can I really... do as I please?"

    Ian chuckled and patted Kira on the shoulder.

    "Speak freely. What difference does it make to my life if you mess up? Your fireworks seem fun, but they''re not of any importance to me."

    Ian was a real wizard, unlike Kira.

    Kira asked several times if it was real, and Ian patiently confirmed it was.

    Realizing Ian truly intended to let her be, Kira''s mouth fell open in shock.

    "Why... though? Is there... something you want from me?"

    "Nothing."

    "Then why...?"

    Ian shrugged.

    "Just because."

    "..."

    On the road, Ian had briefly heard about Kira''s past.

    She was an orphan who lived as a wanderer, and the closest thing she had to parents were killed by thieves.

    She was an unfortunate woman.

    She had accidentally found an easy but illegal way to live and got caught up in it.

    Even if Ian were to punish Kira, what would change for him?

    Their paths had crossed by fate, and they would part ways when the time came.

    "Ah..."

    Kira sobbed deeply, her head bowed.

    Tears fell in drops onto her clasped hands.

    "Thank you... really, thank you..."

    Ian remained silent.

    It wasn''t something to be thanked for, nor was it something to be moved by.

    But it was true that Ian had saved Kira''s life.

    Both socially and physically. He made it possible for Kira to live.

    Ian waited for her to calm down before speaking again.

    "Ah. Yes. I think the nobles will start hearing about me..."

    "No, that''s not what I mean."

    Ian took out Anor-lsil and infused it with his will.

    As he imagined exploding flames, a small flame sparked over the blade.

    Kira was startled by the sight of Ian using magic.

    "Oh my!"

    The flame crawled over her thigh before slowly disappearing.

    As Kira looked on dumbfounded, Ian said,

    "Don''t you get it?"

    "What? What are you talking about..."

    "The fire. Is that a normal fire to you?"

    "...Ah."

    Kira realized belatedly.

    Natural fires burn quickly and then extinguish. That''s the way of natural fire.

    Lucy was a noble, and Kira was a jester, an actor, and a wizard.

    The pure joy they brought was different, wasn''t it?

    Having spent some time with Kira, Ian knew for sure.

    There was never a dull moment with Kira.

    She was exceptionally beautiful and talented.

    Had she been born in the modern world, she might have become a genius entertainer dominating the industry.

    Instead, she was playing the role of a scammer in a medieval fantasy world because of the "sin" of being born there.

    "Ian, not that it''s my place to say, but... do you realize you''re considered a desirable husband?"

    "I''ve never thought about it."

    "If you didn''t know, now you do. Most women would want to get involved with you. Some might approach you in aggressive ways."

    "Aggressive?"

    "They''ll pounce at you."

    "..."

    Are women pumas? Or zombies?

    Ian was bewildered but not clueless.

    He had already received several marriage proposals.

    Starting with Emily, a prostitute he met on the road, to a cousin of Baron Kaltz of Riverville, and even Baron Lucy of Talian.

    It wasn''t particularly strange.

    The prime age for marriage here is between 18 and 30.

    While marrying over 30 has become common in the modern era, in this society, once you''re over 25, you''re considered an old bachelor or spinster.

    But a young, single wizard like Ian... practically a walking treasure trove.

    The one who makes the move owns it, so to speak.

    From decent marriage talks to extreme cases like pregnancy traps.

    The Empire is overflowing with women who wouldn''t hesitate to use any means to get entangled with Ian.

    However, to Belenka, Ian was alarmingly defenseless...

    Setting aside why he thinks he won''t be preyed upon.

    Isn''t it a bit careless to get too friendly with just any woman?

    "If you''re thinking of marrying Baron Talian, you better watch your behavior. Having many wives can complicate inheritance issues."

    "What are you talking about, watching my behavior..."

    "Kira the wizard is one thing, being a fellow wizard. But it''s better to be cautious around unfamiliar women."

    Ian, genuinely curious, asked Belenka why she was advising him.

    "I appreciate it, but why are you giving me advice?"

    "I serve you now, Ian. It''s my duty as your subject."

    It made sense.

    If Ian had land and subjects, he''d be a monarch, but since he didn''t, he was just an employer.

    Still, a master is a master. Belenka was offering advice as part of her knightly duty.

    "Alright. I''ll be careful."

    Belenka''s warning about women wasn''t unfounded.

    Not long after her warning, Galadin started making his move.

    "Cough. Wizard Ian. The first lord''s daughter is quite a beauty, you know."

    "..."

    Your lord is dying, and you''re setting up his daughter?

    No.

    Perhaps it''s precisely because of this that he''s trying to matchmake, to tie a wizard to their land with a woman.

    "Would you consider meeting her...?"

    But Galadin''s plan was thwarted by Ian''s knight.

    "Oh? A great beauty? Better than me?"

    "Ah..."

    As Belenka interjected, Galadin was immediately thrown off.

    This was a fatal choice.

    Saying the lord''s daughter was prettier than Belenka was risky, and denying it could make Ian lose interest.

    "Why aren''t you speaking? Forgotten how to?"

    "No... Lady Belenka. It''s not that..."

    Me? Or her?

    When Belenka glared at him with a look only women can give, Galadin crumbled.

    "Cough! Now''s not the time for marriage talks!"

    Now you realize that.

    During their chat, they arrived at Baron Devosi''s castle, located in the middle of a river, similar to an island like Yeouido.

    Dodging fishing boats, Ian''s group arrived at the dock.

    Greeted by the castle''s inhabitants upon hearing of Galadin''s arrival, the first to greet them was a lady with a cute face.

    "You''ve had a long journey. Welcome."

    Next was a lady with sharp eyes.

    "You''ve arrived. You must be tired from your travels; let''s talk later."

    Galadin introduced them to Ian.

    "Let me introduce you. This lady is Serena, the lord''s first wife. And that lady is Catherine, the second wife."

    "...What?"

    Ian, confused, pulled Galadin aside.

    "What did you say?"

    "That''s Serena. And that lady is Catherine..."

    "No, you mean that young lady is the lord''s wife?"

    That young lady?

    Galadin tilted his head, puzzled as to what the problem was.

    "Yes, that''s right."

    Ian was appalled.

    For a woman of that age to be the first wife, just how early did she get married!?

    Like some mad lolicon!

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian thought Lady Serena had married young.

    Marrying young meant tying the knot with a girl around the age of 13 or 14.

    From the perspective of modern people, such a marriage was an absurdly barbaric custom.

    13 years old, barely having had her first menstruation, and she''s to marry?

    Yet, humanity always manages to exceed the expectations of the modern mind.

    Such marriages were common globally, regardless of the region.

    In the past, when lifespans were shorter, the threshold for becoming an adult was lower than today, so it was common to brush off such early marriages as acceptable once a certain age was reached.

    There were cultural and religious reasons for early marriages, but Lady Serena''s case didn''t fit any of those.

    With her brown hair and deep green eyes, she was a typical woman of the Empire, and her religion was naturally assumed to be the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    Even in barbaric times, pedophilia was not welcomed in the Empire.

    Ian thought Baron Devosi was a real piece of work.

    But when he saw Lady Serena''s children, his opinion changed.

    "Welcome. Wizard."

    "Greetings, Mr. Wizard."

    "???"

    The eldest son was about Ian''s age, and the younger daughter was slightly younger than Ian.

    "Galadin. Are those people really Lady Serena''s children?"

    "Indeed. Is there a problem?"

    "Lady Serena''s age..."

    "Ah. The lady does look quite young."

    But it was more than just looking young.

    Surprisingly, Lady Serena had not been betrothed early.

    She just had an incredible youthfulness that would have made her an instant pick for a cosmetic brand ambassador in modern times.

    "Really their mother?"

    Belanka was also shocked upon learning Lady Serena''s age.

    Unlike Ian, Belanka did not hold back.

    "Did that woman make a deal with the devil?"

    "..."

    Galadin made a face of disbelief but said nothing.

    It wasn''t the first time knights of this era were rude.

    "I don''t think so."

    "Any concrete evidence?"

    "...None."

    Lady Serena''s amazing anti-aging could have been celebrated as a blessing from God under normal circumstances.

    However, with Baron Devosi bedridden, it only served as fodder for attacks.

    Lady Serena''s enemies whispered that she had bought her youth from a demon, offering Baron Devosi in exchange.

    "You must be tired from the journey. Let''s rest first and then talk."

    Ian was led to Baron Devosi''s castle by the two ladies.

    ---

    ---

    The first thing Ian noticed was the populous nature of the place.

    All the domains he had visited so far were rural, with clear divisions between the domain''s residents and the lord''s dwelling, leading to a very peaceful atmosphere.

    But Baron Devosi''s land was different.

    Being an estate built in the middle of a river, like Yeouido, it was densely populated out of necessity.

    The number of people in sight was considerably high.

    This land was much more bustling than Riverville.

    Ian was not the only one who felt the vitality of the estate.

    "So many people. How many live here?"

    Belanka was also slightly surprised by the bustling atmosphere. She had traveled extensively, but she was originally from Wintz in Baekguk, known for its cold and sparse population.

    Galadin proudly stated, "We surpassed 2,000 people last year."

    "2,000?!"

    "That''s impressive."

    "No wonder, it felt incredible!"

    The visitors from Talian were taken aback by Galadin''s explanation.

    "Wow! There are as many as 2,000 people living here!"

    "Won''t the island sink at this rate?!"

    While the genuinely medieval people were shocked, Ian was quite calm.

    Ah, a population of 2,000? For the Middle Ages, that''s not bad.

    Ian had learned at a young age about the dismal population levels of medieval fantasy worlds.

    The most bustling city in the Empire, located in the territory of the Duke of Hastria, had a population of 70,000.

    The source was the walking Wikipedia, Teacher Eredith.

    To modern people, 70,000 might seem like a paltry number, but in this era, it was significant.

    Considering a city-state located in the southern Coral Sea had about 100,000 inhabitants, one of the Empire''s ducal cities matching a city-state in population was...

    ...Still modest, to be honest.

    For reference, the population of Seoul is 10 million.

    If every citizen of Seoul spat once, the residents of Baron Devosi''s castle would drown.

    But compared to well-developed modern cities, it wasn''t so bad, considering this was a post-apocalyptic era.

    After the apocalypse, a group of 2,000 survivors living together?

    Oh, that sounds pretty decent.

    Galadin seemed to hope that Ian would be impressed by the grandeur of the castle and settle down voluntarily, but Ian was not the least bit moved by this miniature dwelling that resembled a drama set.

    He figured he''d have to visit a major city governed by a Duke to think, "Wow, this is like the Middle Ages from the movies."

    While Ian was making small talk with people, he became momentarily disoriented as soon as he turned a corner in the corridor.

    Just a moment ago, it still felt like he was in a castle.

    Now it''s like a fish market.

    Galadin began to pray with the clergy.

    Ian entered the Baron''s bedroom with Kira.

    "Why am I..."

    Kira whimpered, but Ian ignored her.

    She had a nomadic background, right?

    She might have picked up some knowledge somewhere.

    "Why. You''re also a wizard."

    "But, but you said you quit! You said to stop pretending to be a wizard!"

    "Just kidding. I want you to look too."

    "... I, I''ll trust only you, Ian."

    Ian took a deep breath and smelled the air in the bedroom.

    A faint scent of perfume.

    No other smells.

    It''s proof that the Baron''s body is well cared for.

    Except for his pale cheeks, the Baron seemed unremarkable.

    He was just sleeping, breathing tiredly.

    But he didn''t look like a healthy person.

    To Ian, the Baron looked like he was dying.

    ''He looks terribly aged.''

    Upon seeing the Baron, Ian immediately thought of an elderly man.

    A man too weak to move, waiting for his death.

    If his face was wrinkled, one could believe he was dying of old age, not a disease or curse.

    Ian concentrated and listened for the voice of mysteries.

    ''...''

    But he only heard the usual murmursthe mysteries of wind, earth, darkness, etc., nothing special.

    Either Ian''s abilities were lacking, or the mysteries weren''t talking to him.

    It was one or the other.

    But Ian was a person with cheat-like abilities in another world. If he had discovered a new mystery, the status window would have immediately shown it.

    Then...

    ''It''s not the work of mysteries?''

    It was a physical ailment, not magic.

    Sadly, that wasn''t Ian''s area of expertise. You''d need to be a medical student to even begin to diagnose.

    ''Sorry to Galadin, but.''

    Ian reached a conclusion.

    He''d observe the Baron for a few days, and if he couldn''t figure it out, he''d just continue on his journey.

    "Kira. Your thoughts?"

    "... I have none."

    As expected. Kira also knew nothing.

    However, she did comment on the Baron''s appearance.

    "He looks like someone who''s had their life force drained."

    Ian reflexively thought of a face.

    The suspiciously young-looking Lady Serena, the Baroness.

    Then, noisy sounds came from the corridor.

    As Ian and Kira stepped out, they were met with the sounds of an argument.

    "Is that something you should be saying to me!"

    "What? Struck a nerve?"

    It was Lady Serena and Lady Catherine.

    Without realizing it, Ian found himself rooting for Lady Serena...

    Because she looked cuter and prettier than Lady Catherine.

    No, actually, Lady Catherine''s fierce appearance played a part too.

    Black hair and sharp eyes.

    Ian couldn''t help but be amazed looking at Lady Catherine.

    Wow! A villainous noblewoman!

    She was the epitome of a typical villainess you''d see in an anime.

    Especially since Lady Serena looked so young, she even gave off a stepmother tormenting her adopted daughter vibe.

    However, unlike Ian, other medieval people were more supportive of Lady Catherine.

    The reason was very logical.

    "It''s very suspicious that you insist on seeing the Baron despite the widespread rumors that you''ve stolen his youth..."

    There were more than a few who doubted Serena''s super anti-aging.

    As soon as Catherine mentioned that fact, Lady Serena immediately counterattacked.

    Slap!

    A physical counterattack.

    Lady Serena''s delicate, lilac-like hands struck Lady Catherine''s cheek.

    "Who are you to spread such rumors!"

    "No, my lady!"

    "Please calm down!"

    Clergy rushed over to pull the two women apart.

    If they were going to intervene, they should have done so sooner.

    The clergy were enjoying the spectacle before pretending to break it up at the last moment.

    Ian was left feeling disappointed.

    Ah. If only the fight had started a bit later. I missed the beginning.

    Putting his regret aside, Ian spoke up.

    "Let''s stop this, both of you."

    ---

    [1. raei: Line 1 is usually the first or one of the earliest subway or metro lines established in a city''s public transportation network. In Seoul, Subway Line 1 covers a significant part of the Seoul Capital Area and, I''m assuming, is busy as heck.]

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 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Ian gently whispered to Kira.

    You help too.

    "Me, too?"

    As Ian nodded slightly, Kira stepped forward with an arrogant expression, completely changing her personality.

    With her arms crossed, Kira looked at the ladies with annoyance.

    When the gazes of the two wizards were added, the ladies could no longer continue their uproar.

    Ignoring a wizard here meant learning what real trouble was with their whole body.

    Fortunately, the ladies were wise.

    "We''ll come back later."

    Lady Serena turned around first.

    Catherine looked at Serena with a mocking glance and said,

    "Seeing her hurry back like that makes me even more suspicious."

    A few clergy nodded their heads.

    They already believed that Lady Serena had made a deal with the devil.

    Lady Catherine approached Ian with light steps.

    She gave Ian a coy smile, making the mole under her eye stand out more provocatively.

    I have shown an unseemly side to our guest. To apologize, I''d like to have a meal together..."

    Catherine''s gaze was soft, and her voice was as sweet as honey.

    "Do you have time this evening?"

    A few clergy gulped down their saliva.

    To Ian, Catherine was indeed a very attractive woman.

    Unlike the modern era, where marriages often happen after the age of 30, marriages in this era took place in the late teens to early twenties.

    This meant that even a married woman with a grown child would only be in her mid-thirties.

    If Ian had been an innocent boy, he might have fallen for Catherines seduction and ended up in a MILF scenario. (MILF is an acronym, by the way)

    However, Ian felt nothing when looking at Catherine.

    Ian wasn''t a medieval youth curious about what''s under a woman''s skirt.

    While sexually ignorant medieval youths might have been thrilled by the seduction of a noblewoman,

    Ian was a smart young man who had not only been indebted to various adult sites in the modern era but also had directly witnessed the precious world of Hentai.

    Of course, he didn''t go as far as having such rude thoughts.

    Ian was not particularly impressed by Catherine''s attempt at seduction.

    Starting with her attire, it wasn''t to Ian''s taste.

    That hat she was wearing on her head.

    It wasn''t just one horn, but two.

    What is that supposed to be? A Minotaur?

    He didn''t like Lucy''s conical hat, and with two horns, the dislike doubled.

    The twin horns sprouting from her head were a minus point for Ian, who had a modern sense of aesthetics.

    Who the hell made that horned hat fashionable?

    And married women weren''t Ian''s type.

    A woman who has a child Ian''s age, and a Baron still alive?

    Was she eyeing Ian as her next husband?

    Creepy.

    Ian was about to politely decline Catherine''s offer.

    "Sorry, but maybe next time..."

    But then, someone stepped forward.

    It was Kira, looking like a wizard.

    "Aren''t you embarassed? Making a scene with someone young enough to be your son? Can''t you treat guests properly?"

    "..."

    What? You got something to say?

    She was taken aback.

    For a moment, Ian almost shouted, ''What the hell are you doing, you crazy woman!''...

    But he soon remembered his identity.

    Ah, right. I''m a wizard.

    From a commoner''s perspective, there couldnt be a statement more lacking in manners, but for a wizard, it was just everyday talk.

    Real wizard Ian sometimes forgot that fact, but fake wizard Kira never did.Updated from

    After all, it was a very important matter directly related to survival.

    Kira''s statement was harsh, but it contained a core message that resonated deeply.

    So much so that the surrounding priests strongly agreed.

    "Oh. That wizard. Quite an upright person!"

    "Judging by the tone, the skills must be great too!"

    Ian was dizzy at their reactions.

    Everyone here is crazy...

    For a moment, he felt stupid for thinking he should refuse politely.

    Catherine, who was directly hit by Kira, felt pain as if a skull mark was flying towards her chest[1].

    But... she couldn''t scream at Kira.

    After all, they were important guests brought by Galadin, and they might be able to cure the Baron''s illness.

    Chasing away such important guests with her own hands?

    That would be foolish.

    "...I apologize. I behaved inappropriately."

    Catherine apologized but was clenching her teeth.

    It was obvious she felt wronged.

    As proof, she glared at Kira and added as if struggling,

    "Due to my rough childhood, sometimes I act in ways that don''t fit the stature of a Baroness."

    Her defense.

    Women consider it very important to claim the moral high ground.

    The logic being, "I''m good, you''re bad, so it''s okay for you to be criticized."

    However, this approach can easily break down in morally ambiguous situations...

    Most women, however, desire to secure moral superiority first.

    Catherine yelled, I have the high ground![2]

    "Is it... okay for you to be so nice to me?"

    "??? What are you talking about?"

    For Kira, the offer was immensely generous, but Ian was unaware of this.

    Ian mulled over Kira''s words and then understood.

    Aha. A free travel companion does seem suspicious!

    After all, Ian himself was skeptical when Eredith first asked, "Want to learn magic with me?"

    Being cautious on the road is a good thing.

    To reassure Kira, Ian shared a story from the past.

    "Actually, I learned magic by chance."

    "By chance?"

    "Yeah. I just happened to meet a good mentor and learned magic. It was luck. But I don''t think that luck should be mine alone."

    "... What do you mean?"

    Ian shrugged.

    "Exactly what I said. A space-time wizard prophesied that if I became a wizard, it would bring good fortune to my master. But so far, I haven''t done for my master."

    "..."

    "Before I could do anything for her, I started traveling. My master told me to find my own magic."

    "Hmm..."

    Kira might not know much about magic, but she could share her thoughts on the space-time wizard''s prophecy.

    The ''good fortune'' that was supposed to happen to Eredith because of Ian...

    Could it be the very fact of meeting a disciple like Ian?

    Just like how the encounter with a wandering heretic jester brought her the happiest memories of her life.

    New connections often become irreplaceable joys in life.

    However, Ian thought differently.

    He believed his actions would influence Eredith''s future.

    "So, if I share my luck around, maybe that luck will eventually circle back to my mentor... Hmm. Is that too Buddhist?"

    Ian paused mid-sentence.

    The idea of introducing Kira to the university, and perhaps even to his mentor, felt grandiose.

    But there was no falsehood. Ian was sincere.

    Having fortuitously learned magic, he thought sharing that fortune with others he encountered might positively affect Eredith... Well.

    It was a simple idea.

    Kira, adept at lies and acting more than anyone, instantly recognized Ian''s sincerity.

    And she...

    Unknowingly shed a tear.

    Ian''s willingness to share his fortune and help her reminded her of memories with her ''father''.

    "Ian, why are you... such a good person...?"

    "??? I''m a good person?"

    Strange.

    He only remembered scamming and manipulating medieval folks until now.

    But Kira didn''t know that.

    Lucky for Ian.

    When Kira sniffled, Ian looked at her strangely.

    Is it because she''s an actor?

    Her emotional depth is different~ he thought.

    ---

    ---

    When news spread of Ian lounging around, the two Baronesses took turns approaching him.

    They were already thinking about after the Baron''s demise.

    The Baron''s death would inevitably lead to conflict, likely accompanied by bloodshed.

    The ladies needed to secure as many allies as possible.

    They assumed Ian, staying in the castle, would take one of their sides.

    Of course, they were mistaken.

    Ian was just keeping an eye on the Baron''s condition and looking for a companion for Kira.

    If he could find someone to accompany her to the magic university, there was no need for him to follow.

    But misunderstanding didn''t mean he had to refuse free meals.

    Ian dined alternately with the two Baronesses.

    First was Lady Serena, endowed with resistance to the ravages of time.

    Despite seeing her several times, the lady, appearing merely in her mid-twenties with her vibrant smile, welcomed Ian.

    But seriously, how the f*ck is that not child marriage???

    "Welcome, wizards."

    Before sitting, Ian said,

    "Lady Belenka has gone out at the request of the knights."

    Since Ian and his party were invited, Belenka should have been present at the dinner.

    However, Belenka had left with the knights.

    Lady Serena smiled and said,

    "I am aware. It was I who asked for her help."

    "You did?"

    Lady Serena slowly nodded.

    "Monster appearances have significantly increased since six months ago. The Baron used to lead the charge, but ever since he fell ill, it''s been up to the knights to combat the monsters."

    In other words, Belenka went with the knights to eliminate monsters around the territory.

    "The peasants must be suffering greatly."

    Ian, having been a farmer''s son, first worried about the farmers.

    "You know about it. That''s why I have a request for you..."

    Lady Serena said.

    "Would you join me in a hunt?"

    "A hunt?"

    "Yes, a monster hunt."

    ---

    [1. raei: I''ve been told this is a reference to JoJo''s Bizarre Adventure.]

    [2. raei: "It''s Over Anakin! I have the high ground!"]

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 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Monster hunting.

    For Ian, the term had lost much of its excitement.

    Before his reincarnation into this other world, bears and elephants were the most monstrous things you''d see in his peaceful world.

    In this medieval fantasy world, becoming a wizard luckily made monsters much less terrifying.

    The main reason was that he didn''t need to confront monsters directly and wield weapons against them.

    What Ian usually did was... well, "mouth DPS."

    Mouth DPS.

    Meaning, all he did was babble from the back.

    Being a wizard is awesome~

    "I''m fine, though."

    Ian glanced at Kira''s expression.

    True to being a pro scammer, it was impossible to guess what Kira was thinking through her external appearance.

    But monster hunting probably wasn''t her cup of tea.

    She was a con artist with tricks shallower than a puddle.

    With a listless expression, Kira flicked her chair and said,

    "This is bothersome."

    She made it blatantly clear she didn''t want to do it.

    The nobles Kira had dealt with so far would usually back off by this point.

    Forcing a reluctant wizard to work could end badly, and they knew it.

    However, Lady Serena wasn''t one to back down easily.

    "We''ve prepared a sufficient reward..."

    It wasn''t about the reward. Kira just didn''t want to face monsters because she lacked the ability.

    When the conversation seemed to go nowhere, Ian shrugged.

    It was time to repay the hospitality they''d received so far.

    Even if Kira didn''t join, they wouldn''t be thrown out immediately, but it could sour the relationship with Lady Serena.

    So, Ian persuaded Kira.

    "I''ll take care of the bothersome stuff. Why not just come and watch?"

    "If that''s the case..."

    Kira nodded at Ian''s persuasion.

    Ian was going, so Kira couldn''t say no.

    "Thank you. We will contact you as soon as we are ready."

    Lady Serena said with a strange smile, cute yet seductive.

    If the Baron were healthy, Ian thought that their marriage must have been a happy one as he got up from his seat.

    ---

    ---

    Ian participated in the monster hunt at the request of the Baroness.

    To call it "participation" was an overstatement.

    It was more like observing or touring.

    Ian usually didn''t have much to do, but that day, he had even less.

    "Hiyah!"

    "Ha!"

    The knights on horseback drove the monsters back.

    The monsters terrorizing the villagers were dire wolves.

    Wolves had been human rivals for centuries, both living in packs and often clashing over territory.

    Up until the Middle Ages, the battles between humans and wolves had been evenly matched due to the scarce human population making it hard to eradicate the wolves.

    But as the population grew and firearms became widespread, the balance of power shattered.

    Civilization claimed an eternal victory.

    Perhaps the dogs, who sided with humans and now lazed around in homes, were the true victors.

    However, this is a medieval fantasy world.

    Wolves were still dangerous monsters, and dire wolves even more so.

    "You''re fighting well."

    Ian commented as he watched the dire wolves getting beaten by the knights.

    Dire wolves were terrifying for farmer-level humans but not for well-armed knights.

    Facing the knights on an open field, the dire wolves were getting crushed.

    Did a wizard even need to be there?

    As he thought this, Lady Serena said,

    "It''s because the leader isn''t here now."

    "The leader?"

    "The dire wolves are led by a werewolf."

    Ian whistled.

    Last time it was a vampire. Now a werewolf.

    "He''s probably watching us from hiding, waiting for us to tire."

    Werewolves are monsters with intelligence comparable to humans.

    They learn and use human languages, making use of human informants.

    The werewolf was lurking around, waiting to raid, after hearing the Baron was sick.

    "...I think someone intentionally lured the werewolf here."

    The "someone" Lady Serena mentioned didn''t need further explanation.

    It was surely Lady Catherine.

    You speak of Lady Catherine as if she were a wizard.

    Lady Serena''s eyes flashed with hatred.

    "You might not know yet, but Catherine is a suspicious woman."

    "Suspicious?"

    "That woman was originally a shepherdess. But after spending one night with the Baron, she became his second wife. Don''t you find that odd?

    "A man with a wife, taking a strange woman as his wife just because they spent a night together."

    ...

    Ian didn''t know what to say.

    Ian took a deep breath and tore into the meat with his bare hands.

    I''m Indian. I''m from India...

    Kira looked at Ian worriedly.

    Even though we were invited here, does he really need to pick at his food like that?

    Kira couldn''t imagine that Ian was reluctant to eat with his hands.

    She guessed something else was bothering him!

    And others thought the same.

    Wizard Ian seemed dissatisfied with the meal.

    Someone stood up and shouted.

    "Wizard! If you have a complaint, speak up!"

    "???"

    "Lady Catherine has prepared this grand event for us! Yet, you, a guest, show nothing but displeasure throughout! Are you trying to ruin this occasion?"

    It turned out to be a young man around Ian''s age, who seemed younger than expected.

    He was Lady Catherine''s son.

    However, Ian didn''t care who the person was.

    That one comment snapped Ian''s patience.

    What, to someone trying hard to eat right now?

    Ian immediately retorted.

    "A complaint? Complaint? F*ck, you serve a piece of meat colder than a corpse and expect us to eat it with our bare hands, and you ask about complaints? Yes, you f*cker. I have a complaint!"

    The old Ian might have let it slide, but having been through a lot as a wizard, Ian''s personality had toughened up.

    Not that he''d ever admit it.

    They say not to bother a dog when it''s eating.

    When Ian was criticized about his eating, he snapped back.

    Normally, when a wizard loses their temper, nobles back off.

    It''s foolish to try to outdo a wizard in a rage.

    But fools exist everywhere.

    Lady Catherine was flustered, and her son''s face turned red with anger.

    "Wizard! Have you lost your mind? Have you gone mad?"

    The minor nobles present as guests were just as shocked.

    Few understood the situation, and even if they did, they had no say and kept quiet.

    Ideally, someone should mediate, and after a brief apology, everyone would sit down again.

    But Ian couldn''t care less.

    He could just demonstrate his power and receive an apology.

    [Ian! Why are you angry?]

    [What''s wrong? Ian! What happened!]

    [Just wait! We''re coming!]

    As Ian displayed his anger, darkness filled the room.

    "Ugh, aaaah!"

    "What is this...!"

    Lady Catherine''s guests screamed in terror.

    For those experiencing dark magic for the first time, fear is the common reaction.

    After all... you can''t see anything!

    Adults know that darkness itself can''t harm humans.

    But magic-induced darkness turns even adults into scared 5-year-olds.

    They trembled in fear that the darkness might harm them!

    "Yeah. I had a complaint, so I spoke up."

    "..."

    In the pitch-dark, only Ian''s voice coldly echoed.

    You did more than just speak...!

    The guests wanted to cry but desperately kept their mouths shut.

    If they said anything and the wizard threw a bigger tantrum, they wouldn''t be able to handle the consequences!

    "Damn these barbarians."

    Ian muttered, feeling unfairly treated.

    Making me eat cold meat with my hands.

    What? I should smile?

    Is this some kind of new culinary torture?

    But looking at the chaos in the dining room, Ian felt he might have overreacted.

    As a civilized person, he should''ve just said, ''Ah. I would have preferred a fork and knife.''

    Then, with a flicker, a beam of light appeared.

    It was Kira.

    "Enough, Ian. Everyone''s scared."

    "... Alright."

    With a wave of Ian''s hand, the pitch-black darkness disappeared.

    The guests sighed in relief and looked at Kira as if she were a savior!

    "Wizard... What might we have done wrong...?"

    "Fork. Knife."

    "...?"

    Luckily, someone who had purchased forks from a merchant brought one to Ian.

    As for the knife... it was replaced by the magical sword Anor-lsil.

    The reason for this was the ''heating'' feature.

    Ian grinned and sliced the meat, warming it up.

    Seeing everything was already a mess, he decided to do as he pleased.

    "Ah, refreshing. This is how you eat a steak."

    Ian chuckled wickedly as he skewered the warm meat with his fork.

    People felt an indescribable fear watching the wizard cut meat with a magic sword.

    That wizard... is freakishly odd!

    However, Kira was deeply moved by Ian''s performance.

    Ah! The peculiarity of a true wizard is on another level!

    Using a large weapon for cutting meat! I''ll have to use this trick later!

    Kira stored this image of Ian in her mind, nodding vigorously.

    Ian was indeed a wizard worth admiring.

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

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    There was a bit of a commotion, but the dinner ended well enough.

    Despite the unexpected incident, Catherine earnestly tried to achieve her goal.

    Like Lady Serena, Catherine wanted the wizards on her side.

    ''She''s heading straight for a confrontation.''

    After the dinner, Ian lay alone in his room, lost in thought.

    With Ian unable to heal the Baron, who was their last hope, a violent conflict was almost inevitable.

    Ian had three choices: help Lady Serena, help Lady Catherine, or if neither, leave the Baron''s lands.

    And frankly, Ian was leaning towards the third option.

    What was there to gain by getting involved in someone else''s family feud?

    Nothing really.

    Sure, pushing someone to victory could bring money and connections, but those weren''t urgent needs for Ian.

    He hadn''t found the mystery he was searching for.

    It was not too bad an idea to just leave and drop Kira off at the university on the way out.

    However, that night, something bizarre happe

    It was something Ian had never experienced before, and it was shocking.

    ---

    ---

    Ian woke up to a rustling sound.

    As soon as he opened his eyes, he heard the noisy chatter of darkness.

    [Ian''s awake!]

    [Let''s get up too!]

    "..."

    They were playing with Ian again while he was asleep.

    Since this wasn''t the first time they played such pranks, Ian ignored it.

    The problem was the strange silhouette outside the window.

    ''...?''

    Something with the shape of a hunched human was looking into Ian''s room.

    More precisely, it was looking in the direction of Ian''s room.

    It kept turning its head as if searching for something.

    After watching for a while, Ian realized what it was doing.

    ''Ah. It can''t see into the room...''

    The cause was the mysteries of darkness playing around Ian.

    Because of their mischief, Ian''s room was filled with darkness so thick that one couldn''t see an inch ahead.

    The intruder lingered at the window for a while before carefully stepping into the room.

    As the moonlight faded, Ian could fully observe the intruder.

    What had come to Ian''s room in the middle of the night was...

    A monkey.

    ''???''

    Ian was baffled.

    Why would a monkey come into a person''s room?

    But the real baffling situation hadn''t even started yet.

    The monkey had a knife strapped to its back.

    Then, with a murderous look in its eyes, it slowly drew the knife.

    Ian, a level 3 summoner who could somewhat read the will of beasts, sensed ''murderous intent'' from the monkey.

    The ember of absurdity burning in his mind was extinguished as if doused with cold water.

    Ian snapped to attention.

    This was no time to be rambling about this midnight monkey visitor.

    This creature...

    Was clearly an assassin sent by someone!

    ''An assassin? In my room???''

    He briefly entertained the foolish thought that it might just be a lost, harmless monkey.

    But the situation was clear.

    Someone had sent this assassin monkey with the intent to kill Ian.

    For a moment, Ian had a ridiculous thought.

    ''Maybe I''ve become a big shot?''

    Who would have thought he''d be welcoming an assassin sent by someone?

    Back in his modern-day life, he couldn''t have even dreamed of it.

    But here, Ian was a renowned wizard, acknowledged by people.

    Someone who felt threatened by Ian''s presence must have sent the assassin to eliminate him.

    Once he understood the situation, cold sweat ran down his spine.

    It was a relief that the mysteries of darkness were up to their tricks; otherwise, he might have been killed by the assassin in his sleep.

    To be killed by an assassin while working as a wizard would be an utterly pointless death.

    Ian pulled himself together.

    Right.

    In a world where people easily disposed of others when things went awry, he was too complacent.

    Thank you, mysteries of darkness.

    [Not sure what, but Ian likes it?]

    [If Ian''s happy, we''re happy too!]

    "I''ll clean this up. You, keep your arm raised above your heart. Damn, you''ve bled a lot."

    Ian busily hid Kira''s belongings.

    Kira was captured by a strange emotion as she looked at Ian.

    In her life, how many people had covered for her flaws and protected her? Just one.

    A man like her father, the heretic Laventa.

    But he had been killed by thieves.

    After his death, Kira had been alone, forced to feign strength for survival and sacrifice herself for [Wizard Kira].

    The experience of someone stepping in for her felt foreign and odd.

    Unexpectedly, Kira found herself tearing up.

    Whether it was the pain from the dagger or a burst of repressed sorrow, she couldn''t tell.

    "Hey! Are you okay?!"

    "I''m, I''m fine..." she sobbed.

    Ian was slightly surprised when Kira suddenly burst into tears.

    Pretending to be okay, but maybe she''s rattled after all!

    Hiding the blood-stained tools and stemming the bleeding from Kira''s arm...

    Ian slowly felt a smoldering anger, or perhaps something even stronger.

    Meeting the actual assassin, the experience was more disgusting than imagined.

    Someone tried to kill me? And they failed because they got caught?

    What kind of bastard-

    "Ian!"

    Belenka, in her nightgown, appeared in a flurry.

    As expected, Belenka was unharmed. Only the wizards had been attacked.

    Ian clenched his teeth without realizing it.

    There''s no fun in this.

    Harassing someone who was about to leave?

    Ian decided to drastically change his plans of a peaceful farewell with the domain.

    Ah, yes.

    My staying in the domain is an eyesore, isn''t it?

    I''m not budging until I crush the bastard.

    From today, I''m the haunted spirit of the Devosi Barony.

    Might as well fix the geographical coordinate system while I''m at it.

    "Belenka. It looks like we''ll have to stick around here a bit longer."

    Ian''s ominous declaration was met with a quiet nod from Belenka.

    "Just what I hoped for."

    ---

    ---

    The news of an assassin targeting the wizards turned Devosi Castle upside down.

    Of course, it only "turned" it upside down.

    "I''ve heard the news. You must be deeply concerned."

    "Oh dear, are you alright?"

    The ladies expressed their regrets about the previous night''s tragedy.

    They promised to do their utmost to prevent such an incident from happening again and vowed to find the culprit.

    Ian felt a strange sense of dj vu with the ladies'' promises.

    Haven''t I heard this before? In a past life???

    "It''s definitely Catherine''s doing. She must be punished at once...!"

    "Serena has gone too far this time!"

    Regrettably, the ladies seemed more interested in using the incident for political gain rather than in finding the perpetrator.

    Ian stared blankly at the ladies who took turns visiting, wondering if he could truly obtain proper cooperation from these people.

    It seemed unlikely.

    Despite a thorough search, the perpetrator wasn''t caught. It only served as an opportunity to escalate the slander between them.

    Moreover, the ladies subtly pressured Ian, suggesting he should start taking sides.

    Then they would step in more actively.

    It was a damn frustrating situation for Ian.

    It was clear one of the ladies had sent the assassin.

    What if he ended up supporting the wrong side?

    Ian would be nothing more than a puppet in that lady''s hands.

    Tension hung over the castle.

    No one knew about the monkey assassin that attacked Ian.

    The clergy shouted about demonic work, while the rational blamed a wizard.

    Although security was tightened, a shadow of despair grew over people''s faces.

    Pessimists muttered that a curse had fallen upon the Devosi domain.

    Amidst the chaos, Ian calmly organized his thoughts.

    ''The enemy is most likely a summoner.''

    It was an important clue gleaned from the monkey assassin.

    The monkey had used the term [Master] and seemed familiar with communicating in Maronius.

    The traces of a wizard, specifically a summoner, were evident.

    If the assassin had been trained by a summoner, it made sense why it exhibited human-like behavior.

    The problem was figuring out where the summoner was hiding...

    ''Damn wizards.''

    Ian was reminded once again how troublesome wizards can be.

    Skulking in the shadows, scheming in secret made them a tiresome foe to contend with.

    However, Ian had no intention of giving up just because they were annoying to deal with.

    He felt he wouldn''t be satisfied until he saw the face of the one who had sent the assassin.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Unmasking a wizard who has concealed their identity is no easy task.

    Wizards are versatile beings.

    Take Ian, for example, who had all sorts of tricks up his sleeve. It was common for other wizards to hide a trick or two of their own.

    Most wizards did not hide their identities since there was no benefit to doing so.

    Revealing oneself as a wizard usually garnered all sorts of respect.

    On the other hand, pretending not to be one and mingling among the commoners could result in being stabbed without a word of protest.

    After all, wizards are human too and can be sent to the afterlife with a stab from a drunkard''s knife.

    But now, Ian had to deal with a wizard who was hiding their identity.

    And this wizard was believed to be under the protection of nobility.

    "Let''s start with security measures."

    Before falling for the same trick again, Ian took precautions in advance.

    He dispersed birds to create a surveillance network and asked for the nobles'' cooperation to strengthen the guard.

    Since the assassin was a threat to the entire castle''s security, the ladies were more than willing to cooperate.

    "Until this is over, the three of us will sleep together."

    "...?"

    Belenka volunteered for close protection, though her definition of ''close'' was a bit too literal for comfort.

    Ian was content with moving to a room without windows.

    But Belenka brought Kira along, deciding that all three of them should sleep together.

    Ian said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    "It''s unusual for men and women to share a bed..."

    Belenka tilted her head in confusion.

    "Share a bed? What are you talking about?"

    "..."

    This is Confucianism.

    A doctrine that encourages the separation of men and women.

    The barbaric people of Western fantasy knew nothing of Confucius''s teachings. That''s why they have such a different sense of distance.

    "Nonsense again. You spouting nonsense isn''t new."

    "Are you sure it''s okay to sleep with a man?"

    After finally understanding Ian''s point (with some translation issues), Belenka blushed slightly and became irritated.

    "Come on! Just skip over that kind of thing! If I were to ask you how you feel about sharing a bed with a grown women, how would you feel?"

    "Ah..."

    Now that he thought about it, that made sense.

    Belenka had moved to sleep in the same place to protect her colleague and employer, so emphasizing the issue of gender was unnecessary.

    Ian readily apologized.

    "Sorry."

    Belenka snorted and asked Kira.

    "Kira, you''re okay with it, right?"

    Kira responded with her characteristic haughtiness.

    "Of course. It''s rather exciting, isn''t it?"

    Despite the cumbersome process, the security measures were effective.

    There were no further assassination attempts.

    In fact, when Ian started to actively search for the culprit, it felt as if they were avoiding him.

    Feeling the enemy''s hesitation, Ian became even more proactive in his investigation.

    "Assassins. Monsters. And a Baron."

    He saw connections between the different incidents.

    The assassin was a trained monster, and the enemy raiding the villages led a pack of dire wolves as a werewolf.

    "A summoner who actively controls monsters."

    The wizard who attacked Ian made one critical mistake.

    He failed to recognize Ian''s summoning ability.

    The enemy probably thought Ian was surely a practitioner of dark magic, which was correct.

    Ian was indeed a user of dark magic.

    But they likely never dreamed Ian was also versed in various types of magic, with summoning being his strongest.

    Ian had a wealth of knowledge in summoning magic.

    Based on that knowledge, he pursued the summoner.

    ''Assassins and werewolves are both monsters... So?''

    Ian thought calmly.

    If he speculated that the summoner was doing someone''s dirty work with monsters... Would that be too far-fetched?

    ''The possibility is there.''

    Ian decided to push forward with the clues he had.

    The key lay with the Baron''s two wives.

    Days later, Ian sent messages to both wives in turn.

    The message was to come to the Baron''s bedroom.

    ---

    ---

    Lady Serena visited the Baron''s room alone.

    As soon as she opened the door, a crow greeted her with a loud caw.

    "?"

    Looking around in confusion, she saw nothing unusual except for the crow.

    However, Lady Serena was soon startled.

    A young man with black hair.

    Ian Eredith Raven had appeared before her at some point.New n0vel chapters are published on

    "What, what''s this?!"

    Lady Serena blushed.

    Looking at her, she indeed seemed like a woman in her mid-twenties.

    "Stop teasing me!"

    "Do I look like I''m teasing? This is a serious investigation! Just tell me! What''s the secret of your face?! How do you still maintain such a youthful appearance!"

    "Ugh...!"

    Belenka glared at Ian with cold eyes.

    It was definitely something they needed to know, but...

    Why did it seem like he was flirting?!

    Belenka scoffed at Ian, who teased the lady with all sorts of bizarre words.

    She wished the Baron would wake up and end this.

    ---

    ---

    After the interrogation, Ian acknowledged Lady Serena''s innocence.

    It wasn''t a strong suspicion from the start.

    He doubted her only because this was a fantasy world.

    In fact, this world wasn''t one where rational deduction played a big role.

    It directly violated the rule from detective fiction: "Do not introduce a Chinese character[1]."

    Here, "Chinese" referred to "a person who performs mysterious magic."

    It was a western perspective that anything unknown from the East was considered mystical.

    Given that magic could pop up unexpectedly in this world, Ian suspected Lady Serena might be hiding something...

    But the investigation showed she was innocent.

    Lady Serena had worked to drive out monsters and maintain order in the castle while the Baron was incapacitated.

    She had no motive to harm the Baron, as she said.

    The only mystery, her youthful appearance... turned out to be natural.

    Lady Serena was not the culprit working with a wizard.

    She promised to spare no support in saving the Baron.

    That left only one person.

    ''Lady Catherine.''

    Reflecting on it, Lady Serena had always claimed Catherine was suspicious.

    She couldn''t understand how a woman from a shepherd background became the Baron''s wife overnight.

    Could Lady Catherine really be involved with magic?

    Or was it all just a coincidence?

    "Mr. Wizard, did you call for me?"

    In the dark room, Ian opened his eyes.

    Lady Catherine, too, had come to the Baron''s room alone.

    It was the most secure place in the castle, so she felt no need to be cautious.

    Like with Lady Serena, Ian tested Lady Catherine''s magical abilities.

    The result?

    Lady Catherine didn''t understand a word Oberon said.

    Meaning, Lady Catherine was not a wizard either.

    So then...

    "Mr. Wizard? This crow..."

    "He''s like a friend to me. His name is Oberon."

    "Oberon, ma''am!"

    "!!!"

    Lady Catherine was startled when the crow spoke human words.

    While it''s true that traveling jesters could train birds to speak, the depth seemed different when a wizard did it.

    "Can you, a wizard, handle animals?"

    "Rather than handling, I converse with them. I can summon, after all."

    Ian gently stroked Oberon.

    The crow made a purring sound, just like a chicken would.

    Engrossed in petting Oberon, Ian failed to notice Lady Catherine''s eyes wavering.

    "So... Mr. Wizard. Besides this crow, are there other summoned creatures in this room?"

    Ian stopped petting Oberon.

    "What do you mean..."

    Suddenly, Catherine stepped closer to Ian.

    Belenka aimed her crossbow, but Ian raised his hand to stop her.

    Unseen by Belenka, Ian could see it.

    The fear and pain in Catherine''s trembling eyes.

    "...No. There were a few bugs hiding, but Oberon took care of them all."

    As soon as Ian finished speaking,

    Catherine shivered and whispered,

    "There are more summons in this room besides this crow, Mr. Wizard."

    "Where are they?"

    Catherine answered,

    "One is with me, and the other, inside him."

    "..."

    "We don''t have much time... Please... Help us... Mr. Wizard..."

    Ian realized then.

    Catherine wasn''t a patron of a wizard.

    She was a victim, ensnared by one.

    ---

    [1. raei: Ronald Knox''s "Ten Commandments" (or "Decalogue") for writing detective stories... one is "No Chinaman must figure in the story." LOLOL, this was in 1929. There was a big stereotype that regarded the East as a source of mystery or inexplicable elements.]

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 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Catherine was a shepherdess.

    Born as the daughter of a poor farmer, she became a girl who had to leave for work, practically sold to a wealthy family, when her household ran out of food.

    The wealthy family handed Catherine over to be a shepherd''s apprentice, and after she was trained, she was tasked with looking after the wealthy family''s flock of sheep.

    Being a shepherd in these times was an extreme job.

    The work itself wasn''t that difficult.

    It merely involved letting the sheep graze in the field and moving them to a new pasture once the grass was depleted.

    However, everything else about the job was hard and exhausting.

    She had to eat and sleep alone in the vast fields.

    There were no people to see, only sheep and dogs for company.

    Wolves were always a threat, and if robbers came by, she had to fear for her life.

    If the sheep were ever harmed due to negligence, Catherine was the one who had to cover the losses.

    People pointed fingers at Catherine, calling her dirty and suspicious.

    This was because she worked out of sight, so nobody knew exactly what she was up to.

    For Catherine, the future was like an empty dream.

    It was unclear if she could even marry properly.

    It was a life where being kidnapped by thieves and used as a pawn was considered lucky.

    "I want to live well..."

    The only friends of the shepherdess were the sheep and the stars.

    She would look up at the stars filling the night sky and make a wish.

    "Please let me marry a rich man and live lavishly without lifting a finger, eating and living well!"

    It was a wish that seemed impossible to fulfill.

    That''s why it remained a fantasy.

    If it were to come true, it would be considered a miracle.

    But perhaps her desperation reached the heavens.

    One day, a miracle came to Catherine.

    "Poor, pitiful child. I pity you and will give you a chance."

    "Who, who are you?!"

    "I am a nameless wizard."

    With white hair and eyes, the wizard, who appeared to have descended from the heavens, handed Catherine a mysterious pill and said,

    "In a few days, Baron Devosi will pass by this road. Put this in his drink, seduce him, and you will become his wife."

    "Really...?"

    Hundreds of thoughts swirled in Catherine''s head.

    Who was this wizard, what was this pill, and why was she being instructed to seduce the Baron?

    But the wizard offered no explanation.

    There was no need for it.

    "If you refuse, so be it. If you decline, then its not your destiny."

    "Dest...iny?"

    "You have two destinies. One is to become the wife of the Baron and live that life. The other is to be taken away by thieves and bear a child you do not want."

    Catherine knew it well. She had no future ahead of her.

    This was her first and last chance.

    "I''ll do it! Please, let me!"

    The wizard handed the pill to Catherine with a smile.

    "Go and seize your destiny."

    Indeed, a few days later, Baron Devosi passed by Catherine.

    He even asked her for water from the well.

    The opportunity had come.

    "Destiny."

    Following the wizard''s words, Catherine claimed a new fate.

    She became the wife of the Baron and bore and raised a son well.

    Her miserable past was buried in darkness, and only a dazzling future shone brightly.

    Everything felt perfectly right.

    ...Until the wizard returned.

    "Its been a while, Catherine."

    "You are!"

    "Since you chose the destiny of being the Baron''s wife, your destiny and mine have intertwined."

    The wizard''s white eyes gleamed brightly.

    "I count on you, child."

    The moment the wizard returned.

    Catherine became the wizard''s slave.

    ---

    ---

    ''Catherine was looking for an opportunity.''

    Ian tried to calm Catherine, thinking to himself.

    Catherine wasn''t the wizard''s employer; she was a slave captured by the wizard.

    In the past, she had followed the wizard''s advice and fed the Baron the pill.

    As a result, the Baron took Catherine as his wife, and she lived as the Baron''s wife.

    Until now, Catherine believed she had been helped by a kind-hearted wizard passing by.

    It was a naive thought, fitting for a simple shepherdess girl.

    But Ian immediately thought of a specific type of wizard upon hearing the story.

    Belenka stood with a crossbow in hand.

    The situation was all too obvious.

    Eyes filled with confusion and anger were fixed on Ian.

    "What is this-"

    Ian focused intensely, observing the eyes of Catherine''s son.

    The pupils shrank in panic.

    While expressions and gestures can be faked, controlling the dilation of one''s pupils is much harder.

    He wouldn''t be able to fake that.

    Catherine''s son was genuinely flustered.

    Meaning, he knew nothing about this situation.

    "Belenka!"

    "Ian!"

    Ian and Belenka called out each other''s names almost simultaneously.

    The two moved in perfect sync as if it was all pre-arranged.

    Belenka threw away the crossbow and drew her sword, creating space between the son and his guards.

    Ian drew his magic sword, Anor-lsil, and aimed it at Catherine''s son.

    In the blink of an eye, they secured the VIP.

    "Everyone, back off!"

    "Knight Belenka! What is this madness!"

    Belenka then shouted confidently,

    "I am proving my innocence!"

    Ian internally applauded Belenka''s audacity.

    Was this the so-called honor (by force)?

    It was dubious how this proved her innocence, during the Middle Ages, this was how.

    Getting captured by the enemy only meant undergoing a brutal interrogation, euphemistically called questioning.

    What could one expect from the ignorant medieval justice system?

    Now that Ian too was a medieval man, he needed to abandon the concept of justice of a weak modern person.

    No lawyers to work for you, no trustworthy courts, no judges.

    Suspected by someone? Solve it with strength!

    "Wizard Ian! Do you realize what you''re doing!"

    "I do. I''m saving the Baron."

    "What do you mean...!"

    "We''ve obtained information that Lady Catherine''s son has conspired with a wizard."

    Ian glanced at the captured man as he spoke.

    He pretended to be brave but was shaking.

    "If we squeeze him a bit, we might find the culprit who harmed the Baron. Shall we?"

    As soon as Ian finished speaking, the attendants screamed their heads off.

    Ian understood their feelings completely.

    Squeeze a high-ranking individual to find a possibly non-existent wizard?

    Unthinkable.

    But if they let go of Catherine''s son now, they might never get another chance to find the wizard.

    In short, they needed to lure the enemy out.

    Ian decided to leave the aftermath to Lady Serena and focused on drawing out the wizard.

    The wizard had invested a lot in Devosi Castle.

    They couldn''t abandon Catherine''s son.

    "Belenka. I''ll need your help."

    Ian was slightly worried.

    What if Belenka refused to cooperate?

    But Belenka, with her characteristic indifferent smile, replied,

    "It''s been a while since we''ve had such a big job. Of course, I''ll help."

    She was a knight with the attitude of a freelancer.

    After all, freelancers have to work like dogs when there''s work to be done.

    Ian and Belenka used Catherine''s son as a shield to escape Devosi Castle.

    It was a bold provocation.

    "I knew obstacles would appear in my destiny... but you''re quite the madman."

    It was intense enough to draw out the wizard.

    "You? You''re the one who unleashed a monkey in my room?"

    The white-haired wizard looked at Ian and laughed.

    She was dressed as a maid.

    "Yes. I''m Larabel. A wizard who explores the secrets of the world."

    Shadows began to appear one by one behind the wizard.

    They were Larabel''s summoned creatures, dire wolves.

    "Our destinies are intertwined now. One of us will live, and one will die."

    Feeling her intense will, Ian laughed.

    His opponent was an accomplished summoner.

    But.

    Ian was no less formidable a summoner himself.

    ---

    [1. raei: Crusader Kings! Funny enough, a reader in my discord (Paradigm) recommended this game to us a week ago. This must be fate! Going to try it this weekend.]

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 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Larabel was a space-time wizard.

    Like any other space-time wizard, she became one at the encouragement of her peers, who called it ''fate,'' and Larabel naturally accepted this destiny.

    "You''re going to do great things in the future. Won''t you join me in creating a better tomorrow?"

    "...Me?"

    "Yes! You can become a great wizard!"

    Larabel had a mentor who opened up the future to her.

    But one day, her mentor was [eliminated] by another space-time wizard.

    The reason was absurd.

    It was because the mentor had opposed the opinions of other space-time wizards.

    "Why! Why did you kill my mentor!"

    "Having him alive didn''t promise a bright future. It was a necessary act to change the timeline."

    "Killing people to change the timeline? Are you f*cking kidding me?"

    Although Larabel became a space-time wizard following her destiny, she was not happy about it.

    They were too obsessed with fate, blinded by it.

    Even gambling their necks on a future that might not even come to fruition.

    Tired of the selfish actions of space-time wizards, Larabel left their council to forge her own path.

    Naturally, the space-time wizards tried to kill her to prevent the future from changing.

    But Larabel, being a space-time wizard herself, wasn''t easily caught by her enemies.

    "I need my own power."

    To stand against the sinister plots of the space-time wizards, she needed a support base.

    So, she began the groundwork to build her own force.

    Taking over the Devosi Barony was part of the plan.

    "Wizard Ian. It''s a pity you didn''t understand my warning. The night I sent you a summon was our last branching point to avoid our clash."

    Ian was dumbfounded by Larabel''s shameless words.

    So when assassins crawled into my room, should he have thought, ''Oops! Someone''s after me! I''m a dead man!'' and just run away?

    What''s with the attitude that it was Ian''s fault for not running away!?

    "Why does a b*tch who sends assassins talk so much?"

    From the moment he nearly got assassinated, Ian had no intention of backing down.

    He was determined to get back at the culprit by any means necessary, and he was close to doing just that!

    Larabel mocked him, saying,

    "I peered through the veil of the future. There, I saw your death, Wizard Ian."

    "Bullsh*t."

    Future, branches, space-time... Ian knows nothing about these things.

    But at least it was clear that Larabel wasn''t a great space-time wizard.

    If she truly were, she would''ve foreseen the failure of Ian''s assassination.

    Larabel couldn''t even predict whether Ian would live or die.

    Yet she claims to be a space-time wizard.

    Even among fire wizards, there''s a clear difference in skill between a level 1 and a level 9.

    By the same logic, even if Larabel is a space-time wizard, if her skill (level) isn''t high, the same would go for her overall magical ability.

    Ian''s speculation was accurate.

    Indeed, Larabel hadn''t trained deeply in space-time magic.

    After all, she left the space-time wizard council on her own accord!

    Yet, Larabel believed she was a space-time wizard, relying solely on her shallow foresight magic.

    "Just one question. When you sent that monkey into my room, did you also see my corpse then?"

    "..."

    "You must have. You saw my death in the future and sent an assassin. But, f*ck, it failed, didn''t it? So, you''re trash, aren''t you?"

    "... Foresight isn''t as simple a magic as you think it is..."

    "Excuses of a loser, heard loud and clear."

    As Ian mocked, Larabel''s expression soured.

    Larabel had a lot to say.

    Originally, the future was fluid and unpredictable.

    Even if one successfully observes a future, there''s no guarantee the present will follow that path into that future... yada yada yada.

    But all that is just excuses.

    Yes. Next, please.

    Larabel''s space-time magic wasn''t worth mentioning.

    The real threat was her summoning magic.

    "No matter what you say, your death won''t change!"

    As Larabel projected her will, the dire wolves leaped up all at once.

    "[Tear him apart!]"

    The strong will of the summoner was conveyed to the summons.

    The dire wolves, to fulfill the summoner''s wish, all charged at Ian simultaneously.New n0vel chapters are published on

    This could be seen as a magical attack on a wizard.

    Ian had experienced such a situation before.

    Yes, it was during his underground duel with Inglan.

    A wizard''s will can change everything...

    That will can be blocked by another wizard''s will!

    Ian concentrated his mind, filled with firm will, and shouted.

    "[Stop!]"

    "!!!"

    As the shout containing the essence of level 3 summoning magic echoed, the dire wolves panicked and stopped what they were doing.

    And she didn''t prepare any countermeasures?

    After everything fails, ''Hmm. I knew I was going to fail.''

    Ian could say that too.

    "So, how are you going to deal with it?"

    Yes, Ian thought Larabel was just bluffing again after another wrong foresight.

    However, this time Ian was wrong.

    Larabel really had foreseen her own failure and had a trump card hidden in preparation.

    With all possibilities twisted and the future reshaped into the last timeline...!

    A trump card to surely kill Ian!

    "Of course."

    Larabel pulled something out from her belongings.

    It was something Ian was all too familiar with.

    A magic scroll...!

    "I didn''t want to use this precious item, but I have no choice."

    "This f*cking-"

    Before Ian could react, Larabel tore the magic scroll, activating the magic stored within it.

    Flames swirled around Larabel.

    "According to my foresight, Ian. You die in flames."

    That was undoubtedly a scroll containing very powerful magic created by an ancient archwizard.

    Waves of blazing flames rose up like serpents.

    The tables had turned.

    "..."

    Overwhelmed by the sight, Ian momentarily lost his words.

    "Wizard Ian. Still doubting your death?"

    Larabel said, mocking Ian.

    "In my eyes, all I see is your death."

    The wave of flames rushed towards Ian.

    The breathtaking flames captivated the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

    "Ian!"

    Even Belenka and the werewolf paused their fight.

    ''... It''s hot.''

    Watching the wave of burning flames, Ian recalled a memory from the past.

    The memory of when he was learning fire magic from Fire Wizard Eredith.

    ''Listen to the voice of the fire, Ian!''

    Air hot enough to cook his face.

    Fire white enough to burn out his eyes.

    Ian was afraid of the fire before him.

    Who wouldn''t be afraid of fire, being born of life?

    But the fire dislikes cowards.

    The mystery of fire was a being that ceaselessly burns everything.

    Its only identity is arson, born to incinerate and turn everything to ashes, returning to the void once the combustion of all is complete.

    To be with the mystery of fire, one needs the resolve and madness to turn even themselves to ashes.

    ''...Damn it!''

    Don''t be afraid, Ian. You''re a wizard.

    Didn''t Eredith teach you?

    Haven''t you walked into a pit of fire and emerged unscathed?

    Listen to the voice of the fire.

    You will not burn to death.

    To survive, he had to somehow listen to the voice of fire.

    Ian reminded himself over and over again.

    However, the inherent fear that comes with being a living being was hard to shake off.

    ...

    Ian had to admit it.

    He wasn''t a great fire wizard.

    He was a novice wizard who had entered the mystery of fire not by aptitude, but with the help of his status window.

    "Ian!"

    Facing the oncoming heat, Ian felt intense pain.

    The heat seemed to explode his entire body, searing his nerves.

    Ian''s clothes caught fire.

    ''Focus... concentrate...!''

    If he couldn''t meet with the mystery of fire, Ian would burn to death right here.

    That damned space-time wizard''s prophecy would come true.

    Ian gritted his teeth, trying to confront the approaching flames.

    "Ian!!!"

    That''s when it happened.

    Something heavy and soft gently pushed Ian aside.

    ''... Huh?''

    Ian didn''t understand what was happening.

    It was too confusing.

    In Ian''s place...

    Surrounded by fire.

    Was Kira.

    Kira had pushed Ian aside and was standing against the wave of fire.

    Ian stared blankly at Kira.

    Her entire body blazed like a torch.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Kira, who was resting in Devosi Castle, opened her door at the sound of a commotion outside.

    "What''s all this noise?"

    The first face that came to mind was Ian''s.

    Ian had warned her beforehand that there might be trouble, to be prepared just in case.

    What Ian was looking for was a wizard hiding in the castle.

    The reason for the disturbance outside could be a confrontation between Ian and the wizard.

    "That, that is..."

    The guard stammered, unsure of the situation.

    "Ian has... kidnapped the second young master..."

    "What?"

    "I''ll find out more!"

    Kira was baffled by the absurd response.

    What''s happening? Ian kidnapped someone?

    She thought the guard was mistaken.

    But it was true.

    "Lady Serena."

    "Have you heard? Ian has caused trouble."

    No, why is this true?

    However, Kira nodded at the Baroness''s following words.

    "Surely, it must be about finding the wizard."

    "Then, shouldn''t notifying us be the next step..."

    "It must be the wizard''s trickery. The situation is urgent; let''s follow Ian''s lead."

    Lady Serena assessed the situation shrewdly.

    Knowing that Ian was after the wizard, she decided to act alongside him.

    "Let''s stabilize the castle first and then assist Ian."

    "Yes, my lady!"

    Lady Serena quickly took control.

    No one in Devosi Castle could stop her.

    With the Baron incapacitated and Lady Catherine in a coma, Lady Serena was as authoritative as the king.

    "Don''t make a fuss!"

    "But, my lady...! The second young master...!"

    "Karton will be saved by the wizard here."

    Kira stepped forward confidently.

    Priests, knights, and vassals alike nodded in agreement.

    Galadin exclaimed.

    "If Lady Kira is taking charge, we can rest easy!"

    "Indeed! Please save the second young master, Lady Kira!"

    Kira! Kira!

    Everyone shouted her name.

    Amidst the chaos, Lady Serena whispered.

    "I''ll take responsibility for the castle. Please take care of Ian, wizard."

    "...Leave it to me."

    Lady Serena trusted Kira.

    Being a wizard endorsed by everyone, she felt safe entrusting Ian''s life to her.

    "The one in league with the wizard might target you, Kira. Please be careful."

    While Lady Serena calmed the knights, Kira, along with a trustworthy retainer, followed Ian''s trail.

    "We believe in you, Kira!"

    "Kira! Please save the second young master!"

    "Please take care of Ian, Wizard."

    Atop a horse, Kira clenched her teeth.

    ''...No. I''m not the person you think I am.''

    She wasn''t a wizard.

    She was just a fake pretending to be one.

    She wanted to run away right then.

    Even if she found Ian, there was nothing Kira could do.

    ...

    But Kira did not stop.

    Wizard Ian was someone who affirmed her.

    The only one who knew her true nature, covered in lies.

    Fake magic. Shallow lies. Deception.

    Even knowing all this, he acknowledged and understood her.

    And now, to abandon Ian and run away?

    What about after running away? What future awaited?

    Life as an eternal fugitive and a perpetual liar.

    Kira had started lying to save someone she loved.

    But now, to abandon someone dear to her to preserve a lie, that was unthinkable.

    "Wizard! Over there!"

    The retainer shouted, clearly panicking.

    Kira took off her hood and stared blankly ahead.

    A giant pillar of fire was erupting.

    "My God..."

    "What on earth..."

    How tall was it? 10 meters? 20 meters?

    It was clearly visible even from afar, flames so vast the size was hard to estimate.

    It wasn''t just fire; it was appropriate to call it an explosion.

    "...Ian!"

    Kira turned her horse towards the exploding flames.

    But the horse refused Kira''s command.

    Kira abandoned the horse and ran alone towards the pillar of fire.

    "Wizard!"

    She heard someone calling her from behind, but she ignored it.

    Kira was protected by the mystery of fire, a fact proven by Ian.

    Kira had played with dangerous fireworks several times before but had never been burned.

    Maybe, she could be safe this time too.New n0vel chapters are published on

    She believed in that possibility.

    "Ian!!!"

    What she saw as she ran was a huge curtain of fire.

    Waves of heat that seemed to burn everything.

    Beyond the flickering flames, Kira spotted Ian''s silhouette.

    Without a moment''s hesitation, she threw herself through the flames.

    Just to buy Ian some time to escape.

    As soon as Kira saw Ian, she crashed into him, pushing him away.

    Ian sat down, staring blankly at Kira.

    ''Run away. Ian.''

    Kira wanted to say it.

    But she couldn''t breathe because of the billowing flames.

    Kira''s body blazed up like a torch.

    ...

    The protection of the flames...didn''t work.

    Kira understood.

    It was enough of a vile act that she had exploited the mystery of fire until now.

    Fire wizards enter the pit of fire themselves to elevate their level.

    There, they wait for the fire to extinguish, building a bond with the flames.

    If they safely complete the ritual, they become capable of wielding stronger fire magic...

    But if they miscalculate the amount of wood or ignite too strong a fire, the fire wizard burns before that.

    Thus, the ultimate fate of all fire wizards... is to become flames themselves...!

    ''I''m going insane!''

    In the end, Ian had to endure within the 20-meter tall pillar of fire until the flames tired out.

    Moving and losing concentration meant instant death.

    "Talk to the fire, convey your presence and will! If you break off in the middle, you''ll burn up immediately!"

    Ian recalled Eredith''s teachings.

    Transmitting his will to the mystery was very easy for Ian, being a Maronius master and a level 3 fire wizard.

    But what about presence?

    This was the realm of innate talent.

    It was about attracting the mystery''s attention, a part Ian couldn''t overcome with effort.

    But fortunately, Ian had a rising star of fire magic, attracting the mystery''s attention, by his side.

    "Kira! Wake up! Kira!"

    Ian forcibly woke the collapsing Kira.

    With Ian''s willful cry, the heat enveloping Kira disappeared completely.

    "...Ian?"

    "It''s not over yet! It''s just the beginning! Focus and listen to the voice of the fire!"

    Ian shouted.

    "You are a wizard! Kira Laventa!"

    Whether a fake or a fraud, that didn''t matter.

    Kira had a talent for fire magic.

    Ian needed Kira''s presence.

    [Good! You half-burnt pieces of wood! Who will burn with me first!!!]

    The mystery of fire felt the presence and will of the wizard, becoming even more spirited and boisterous.

    Ian hurriedly shouted.

    "Kira! I''ll recite to you the secrets of fire magic that my master taught me!"

    "What, what?!"

    "Just listen! First! Feel the presence of the flames and push yourself into it! Ultimately, be prepared to even let your body become fuel!"

    "Okay!"

    Kira stored the intricacies of fire magic, the secrets Ian told her, in her mind.

    As Kira, naturally talented in fire magic, actively made herself known, the burden on Ian significantly decreased.

    ''To become fuel myself.''

    That was a very easy mindset for Kira.

    After all, she had jumped into a pit of fire, prepared to burn herself to save Ian.

    [HAHAHAHAHA! Look! My beloved logs! This is the true nature of the world!]

    Giant flames swirled.

    Ian, with the language of Maronius, and Kira, with her natural ability to attract the fire''s attention, conversed with the fire, watching it burn away.

    The fire continued to show interest in the two wizards, ensuring they weren''t burnt to death.

    It would be too wasteful to lose friends who played with fire together like this.

    Surprisingly, amid the chaos, Ian felt his understanding of fire magic skyrocket.

    Thinking about it, this wasn''t much different from the training method Eredith taught Ian.

    Eredith had also thrown Ian into a pit of fire to teach him fire magic.

    This was just like that time!

    [LV UP!]

    [Skill: Fire Magic Lv 4]

    [You are quite an excellent fire wizard!]

    ''No...''

    Ian smiled bitterly as he saw fire magic reach the highest level among all the magics he had collected.

    Now, instead of being called summoner Ian, he should be referred to as fire wizard Ian.

    ---

    ---

    Larabel burst into manic laughter as she watched Ian enveloped in flames.

    "Hahahaha! Yes! Burn! Burn into nothing but ashes!"

    She used a scroll filled with flames, meticulously prepared by a wizard of the ancient Golden Empire.

    Larabel knew Ian was a competent wizard.

    But he''s a dark wizard, right?

    What can he possibly do with such pathetic mysteries of darkness?

    As Larabel''s laughter echoed,

    Belenka dropped her sword.

    "Ian..."

    Then, the werewolf stopped attacking.

    "Do you surrender, lady?"

    "..."

    Belenka was speechless.

    Ian... the versatile wizard Ian...

    To die so futilely...

    "I don''t know what relationship you have with him, but on behalf of my master, I apologize."

    "Is that supposed to be comforting? Chihuahua?"

    Belenka hated the Chihuahua... werewolf.

    Can''t you see the severity of the situation?

    She would have killed him long ago if she could.

    That''s when it happened.

    "Don''t be too disheartened. Knight of Baekguk."

    "...?"

    Someone passed by Belenka.

    A man she had never seen before.

    "Who..."

    The man, with a stoic expression, ignored Belenka and immediately approached Larabel.

    Larabel, who had been laughing for a while, noticed the man a bit late.

    And she was shocked.

    "You... you!"

    The man took off his hood.

    Silver hair cascaded down.

    "It''s been a while, Larabel."

    "Gerard!"

    Wizard Gerard.

    Larabel knew Gerard.

    They had once faced each other at a conference of space-time wizards.

    "How...! There was no future where you appear!"

    As Larabel screamed,

    Gerard answered bluntly.

    "I came after changing the future."

    "...What?"

    "Meaning, I''ve moved to and sought out a timeline where Larabel and Gerard meet."

    "!!!"

    Larabel was a space-time wizard. She can predict and choose futures.

    However, predicting the future was not her magic alone.

    Gerard was also a space-time wizard.

    And a far superior one compared to Larabel.

    "How...! There shouldn''t have been such a branch...!"

    "Larabel."

    Gerard looked at Larabel with cold eyes.

    "Did you think the scales of time would tip only in your favor?"

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Larabel''s body trembled uncontrollably.

    "No... That can''t be... Such a future cannot exist..."

    She wanted to deny reality.

    Space-time wizard Gerard appeared before her eyes.

    The implication was clear.

    All her plans had been seen through, and soon, everything she had built would be rendered useless.

    "See for yourself."

    Gerard spoke coldly.

    Larabel, forcing her immobile head to turn, looked at the storm of flames.

    The pillar of fire, which had reached the end of the sky, was now reduced to a height of two meters.

    Through the flames, Larabel saw two figures.

    The wizard Ian and a red-haired woman, his companion.

    "How...! That''s impossible!"

    Gerard''s prediction was correct.

    Ian was alive.

    Through the burning flames.

    Enveloped in the mystical brilliance of red flames.

    Trampling the ashes, sparks scattering.

    The wizard Ian walked forward.

    "Impressive."

    Gerard muttered lightly as he watched Ian.

    "Doesn''t it look like a phoenix? Rising to new life from a massive fire."

    "...Shut up, Gerard."

    Gerard, without malice, merely expressed his thoughts on Ian''s appearance.

    However, Larabel could only think that Gerard was mocking her.

    She had no options left.

    Her last resort was blocked.

    Larabel was utterly defeated.

    "Tell me one thing, Gerard. How did you bring him back to life? How did he withstand my storm of fire scroll?"

    Gerard answered bluntly.

    "Do you really think I saved Ian?"

    "...What?"

    "You still don''t understand the way of the space-time wizard."

    Larabel felt deep shame at Gerard''s comment.

    Yes, her question was flawed.

    If Gerard had decided to ''save'' Ian, he would have sought out a timeline where the storm of fire scroll was never used.

    A space-time wizard changes the future, not interfere with what has already happened.

    But the storm of fire did happen, and Ian was caught in the terrible fire.

    Meaning, Gerard deemed it okay for Ian to be caught in the storm of fire!

    "That''s ridiculous...!"

    If true, it was astonishing.

    Surviving the storm of fire purely on magical ability, without any external help!

    Larabel changed her question.

    Ian''s abilities were beyond her foresight.

    How was that even possible?

    "In the future I foresaw, Ian always burned to death! But Gerard. How did you predict Ian wouldn''t die?"

    This was a much better question.

    Feeling as if she were back in a meeting of space-time wizards, Larabel awaited Gerard''s answer.

    "You didn''t see Ian''s essence, and I did. That''s all."

    "...The essence of that wizard?"

    Gerard slowly nodded.

    "Larabel, in this vast world, the perspective of a single wizard is extremely insignificant and trivial. It''s a beginner''s mistake to worship a moment of the future you glimpse as the truth."

    "..."

    "Think broadly and diversely. Always remember that the information you acquire with your eyes is incomplete and partial."

    So, what is Ian''s essence?!

    Larabel swallowed her words.

    She was curious, but asking would hurt her pride, making it seem like she was begging.

    Gerard stopped the small talk and looked straight ahead.

    There, a young man with black hair was walking towards them.

    "Phew. That was damn annoying."

    A future in the Sultan''s harem? How could such a future exist?

    "And Ian. You would have died from Larabel''s scroll."

    "...I thought that might be the case."

    "Well. I would have intervened before you died. But thanks to Kira changing the branching point, that future disappeared."

    "Branching point?"

    Gerard nodded.

    "A crucial event that changes the future. Space-time wizards call it a branching point."

    "A future where Kira goes to Baron Damon and one where she doesn''t... Something like that?"

    "Good, you catch on quick."

    Ultimately, it means the futures of both wizards changed because Kira met Baron Damon.

    Ian looked at Gerard with a skeptical gaze.

    It was true that Kira made the right choice at the branching point.

    But the person who gave her that advice was... this guy, right?

    "I admit it. Thanks to your advice, Kira and I gained enlightenment. Both of us have improved our mastery of fire magic."

    However, Ian couldn''t understand Gerard''s motives.

    It''s true that this event led to growth for both Ian and Kira.

    But what does Gerard gain from this?

    "But why did you give Kira that advice? What do you mean by a ''better future''? Exactly?"

    But Gerard looked at him as if to say, what are you talking about?

    "Shouldn''t you know better than anyone else? Ian Eredith Raven?"

    "??? Me?"

    As Ian made a puzzled face, Gerard realized the situation and nodded.

    "I see. You haven''t reached that point yet."

    "What hasn''t reached? What are you talking about?"

    "Ah. You don''t know."

    "..."

    "Then let''s leave it at that. Further discussion seems pointless to both of us."

    No. F*cking hell.

    Ian wanted to punch Gerard right in the face.

    What kind of as*hole talks like that?

    Furious as he might be, Gerard truly didn''t speak any more about the ''future.''

    Instead, he dropped a more shocking revelation.

    "Wait a minute. Gerard. You told my master... to make me a wizard?"

    "Yes. It''s been over 8 years now."

    Ian was astounded.

    So, this space-time wizard... was the one who advised Eredith to train Ian as a wizard!

    Gerard had advised Eredith that ''good things will happen if you take Ian as your disciple.''

    Following that advice, Eredith took Ian as her disciple.

    In essence, Gerard was practically the one who made Ian into a wizard...!

    "Well, thanks... I guess?"

    Ian awkwardly expressed his gratitude.

    But Gerard didn''t pay any attention to Ian.

    "It was just a choice for a better future."

    So much for saying thanks.

    Ian decided to forget any gratitude he felt towards Gerard.

    After all! Ian only had one master, Master Eredith!

    "Take this, Ian."

    "Huh?"

    Gerard offered something to Ian.

    It was an item Ian had become somewhat familiar with after seeing it a few times.

    A magic scroll.

    "Whether you take it or not is your choice. But if you do, good things will happen soon."

    "What kind of magic scroll is it?"

    "It contains space-time teleportation magic."

    Oh. Space-time teleportation?

    An incredibly useful item.

    Space-time teleportation was something not even the superior technology of the modern world could mimic, a truly fantastical item!

    It was undoubtedly a scroll made by a space-time wizard.

    "How you use it is up to you. However, since it''s an item that can cause a branching point capable of changing world lines, I recommend you use it wisely."

    In short, Ian could use it whenever he felt like it.

    "Can''t you just outright tell me when it''s best to use it?"

    "No. If the future is disclosed in the present, is it still the future or does it become the past?"

    "...?"

    Ian didn''t press further.

    It was an incredibly useful space-time teleportation scroll.

    He figured he could make good use of it no matter how he used it.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    "I guess I have to go now."

    The story wrapped up roughly.

    The space-time wizard had turned his back after laying out a series of perplexing tales from start to finish.

    Ian seemed to understand why Eredith despised space-time wizards.

    ''Space-time wizards are all a bunch of sneaky bastards!''

    Space-time wizards know the future.

    But the sneaky part is that they cannot disclose this future to others!

    It wasnt just because of the space-time wizards'' rules.

    [If the future is disclosed in the present, is it still the future or does it become the past?]

    The future has not yet happened, so it remains the future.

    However, the past is firmly fixed.

    It doesnt change, so it remains the past.

    But if by disclosing the future, it becomes fixed from the current moment... can it still be considered the future?

    No. The moment the future is disclosed, it merges with the present and becomes part of the past.

    Thus, the hard-earned foresight of the future ceases to be the future, and a new future takes its place.

    ''Well, what the hell is that supposed to mean. Tsk tsk.''

    It might sound complex at first, but the meaning is simple.

    Suppose Ian learned space-time magic and foresaw the future.

    Ian foresaw that Belenka would die tomorrow around lunchtime, struck by a horse.

    Shocked, Ian tells Belenka, "Youre going to die tomorrow!"

    Heres the problem.

    Will Belenka actually die tomorrow at lunchtime, struck by a horse? Or not?

    The answer is "No."

    Why?

    Belenka knew in advance about being hit by a horse and decided not to go out at lunchtime.

    Therefore, she wasnt struck and saved her own life.

    Then another problem arises.

    Can Ian truly be said to have properly foreseen the future?

    The answer is "No."

    Ian foresaw a future where Belenka dies.

    But by disclosing the future he foresaw, Ian saved Belenka''s life.

    In other words, Ian negated the future he had foreseen by his own disclosure.

    In essence, the future Ian foresaw stopped being the future.

    The fluidity of time is so immense that even the most experienced space-time wizards cannot be certain about how their statements might alter the future.

    Therefore, space-time wizards try not to disclose the futures they foresee, keeping them to themselves.

    Only by doing so can they preserve the future intact.

    "Ian. I''d like to take this troublemaker off your hands. What do you think?"

    Gerard, holding the ropes that bound Larabel, asked Ian.

    Larabel had attempted to take Ian''s life several times and had been captured; by rights, Larabel''s life was practically in Ian''s hands.

    "What are you going to do with her?"

    "I cant tell you the details. There''s use for her, that''s all."

    Ah, right. I didnt expect a proper answer anyway.

    Ian shrugged.Updated from

    He had intended to send Larabel to the heavens himselfhe wanted her out of sight.

    But Gerard taking her instead?

    That could work.

    The result was the same since Larabel would be gone.

    However, Ian was reluctant to just let her go.

    "I dont feel like giving her up. It feels unfair to let her go after what she did."

    "Hmm. I understand. You have the right to seek revenge."

    Gerard offered something to Ian.

    It was a beautifully crafted gem, filled with a powerful force.

    "This is the [Eye of the Wind]. It contains the power of the wind, capable of summoning gusts."

    "Hmm..."

    As expected.

    It was an object filled with mystery.

    Something like an artifact.

    "If you hand over Larabel, Ill give you this as a ransom. Itll be a useful item for you, Ian."

    Ian tilted his head slightly.

    The jewel was indeed useful. But its effect seemed too trivial.

    A gem that generates gusts?

    Ian could also create gusts if he just talked to the mysteries of the wind.

    If it could create gusts without any conditions, it might indeed be useful...

    That''s when it happened.

    [Challenge Worship the Sky! Condition has been fulfilled.]

    [The ''Worship the Sky'' challenge has been activated.]

    "...?"

    Suddenly, the status window started functioning.

    Ian was puzzled but opened the status window anyway.

    [Challenge Worship the Sky!]

    Perfect for the medieval folks to get overly involved.

    If Ian and Kira talked it up properly, the medieval people would be satisfied burning the werewolf.

    In fact, if the two wizards really put on a show, they could even make an innocent farmer look like an evil wizard.

    "Wait a moment! Your Grace, might we have a brief conversation?"

    "?"

    Realizing that he was about to be burned, the werewolf kneeled beside Ian and cried out in desperation.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    The werewolf''s accent was just too much.

    Why the hell does this guy speak like that?

    Indeed, the werewolfs voice had a thick foreign accent mixed in, buttery and uniquely bizarre.

    It sounded like a voice actor dubbing a foreign movie, overly exaggerated.

    "Where did he learn our language?"

    As Ian muttered, Kira whispered back.

    "That one seems to be from the Kingdom of Roland, doesnt it?"

    "The Kingdom of Roland?"

    To the west of the Holy Empire, there was a large kingdom.

    Unlike the Holy Empire, which was only an empire in name, the Kingdom of Roland was a true centralized monarchy.

    "Belenka. Didnt your father work in the Kingdom of Roland?"

    "He did."

    The Kingdom of Roland was also Belenkas destination.

    She intended to seek employment again from the noble her father had served.

    "If you''re asking about the homeland of this commoner, yes. I come from a nameless place in the beautiful countryside of the Kingdom of Roland"

    "Shut up. Chihuahua."

    Belenka smacked the back of the werewolfs head.

    He grimaced and closed his mouth, making him look more like a dog-man than a werewolf.

    "Ian. We probably don''t need this guy''s body, shall we just take the head?"

    As Belenka spoke, the werewolf teared up.

    That''s too much!

    Why wouldn''t a person need their body!

    It''s so precious!!!

    "Your Grace! I am Lewis of Blanche! I was merely employed by the wizard! If you release me, I promise to pay a suitable ransom!"

    Then Belenka remarked.

    "You must have been in charge of tormenting the people and controlling the dire wolves, Ian. This one is a monster. Is there any need to show mercy to one who is not human?"

    "Your Grace! Although half of me is beast, the other half is human! I do have a human heart, even if it is just half! To prove it, look at this!"

    Werewolf Lewis frantically pulled something out.

    It was a token of Heaven''s Faith.

    Belenka shouted in anger.

    "This monster! You dared to steal a holy symbol?"

    "Oh, it''s a misunderstanding! This is mine! I officially joined Heaven''s Faith and received this item!"

    My goodness.

    Ian was amazed.

    A werewolf was a follower of Heaven''s Faith?

    Seriously?

    "He must have pretended to join! While professing to follow the teachings of the heavens, did he not attack innocent people!"

    Then Lewis sternly replied.

    "The ones who kill the most farmers are not monsters, but human knights. They commit murder while bearing holy artifacts. Does that not mean they too have forsaken the will of the heavens?"

    ""

    Belenka was speechless.

    Knights casually kill farmers.

    Simply because they are bothersome.

    Yet, priests still recognize these knights as followers of Heaven''s Faith.

    Then what difference is there between the werewolf who has undergone the initiation rites and knights steeped in slaughter?

    Ian snickered.

    "Well. Think of him as a knight in a fursuit."

    "Damn."

    "Oh! Thank you! Your Grace!"

    Lewis bowed deeply, moved by Ian''s merciful decision.

    Lewis was genuinely moved, not just pretending.

    He didn''t know what the term "fursuit" meant, but he clearly heard the word "knight"!

    To be called a knight, even as a mere werewolf!

    The Church of Heaven''s Faith, which had initiated Lewis, had treated him like a monster, but Ian called him a knight, treating him like a human.

    Unlike the native inhabitants of this medieval fantasy world, Ian almost had no prejudice against different races because he had become familiar with them through modern creative works (ironically, he had never actually seen one).

    A furry knight with a cheesy accent?

    Well... why not?

    Upon closer look, Lewis seemed to have the kind of appearance that extremely wealthy people would go crazy for.

    If Ian had been a furry enthusiast, he would have saved his life without a second thought.

    "This Lewis, given the chance, I will prove my worth and repay my ransom!"

    A typical human ruler would not have employed Lewis.

    Despite being a follower of the Church of Heaven, Lewis was a different race and considered untrustworthy.

    But Ian had once been a modern human, and now he was a wizard.

    Accustomed to cooperating with beasts and free of prejudice against other races, he asked,

    "So, what can you do?"

    "I can fight on the battlefield like human knights, and more importantly, I can command wolves!"

    Wolf command, huh.

    That was quite an impressive ability.

    Ian listened seriously to what Lewis had to say.

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Join the discord! Here

    Wolves have always been a nuisance to farmers.

    Even a single wolf can be too much for a human to handle.

    When a large wolf attacks with murderous intent, even a strong adult man would find it difficult to fight back.

    Therefore, territories plagued by wolves periodically hold hunting contests to cull them.

    Baron Devosi also frequently organized wolf hunting contests.

    The lord enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, knights and hunters showcased their skills and earned money, and the farmers were happy to be rid of the damn wolves; it was a joyful event for everyone.

    However, Lewis had the ability to get rid of wolves without the need for a hunting contest.

    It was a very appropriate skill for a small and poor territory.

    Not bad, huh?The most uptodate novels are published on n0velbj)n((.))co/m

    Ian seriously considered using Lewis.

    Of course, wolf control was not a skill Ian needed.

    Ian was a summoner and could project his will onto beasts.

    In fact, it was even possible for Ian to command wolves directly.

    Ian was thinking of the Talian territory.

    The ability to control wolves could be used appropriately there.

    It would be a great help to the peasants as it would allow for the removal of wolves without needing to mobilize knights and hunters.

    Alright. Belenka. Let Lewis go.

    ... Understood.

    Belenka reluctantly freed Lewis from his bindings, still wary of him.

    But Ian was not.

    As a summoner, he could feel Lewis''s emotions.

    There was no problem in releasing him.

    It felt similar to how it was with Longtail.

    Freed from his restraints, Lewis bowed respectfully.

    Thank you for trusting me, your Grace.

    Lewis of Blanche. You have sworn to follow the will of Heaven, so I consider you worthy of making a just contract with me. Do you agree?

    I agree!

    You were captured as my enemy, but my mercy saved your life. If we were to convert that into money...

    Its worth a hundred imperial gold coins.

    Thank you, Belenka. He says he owes a hundred imperial gold coins. Lewis of Blanche, if you pay me a hundred imperial gold coins, you are a free man.

    Merciful one. I am grateful for your generous decision, but I have no gold.

    Then you shall earn the equivalent of a hundred gold coins to pay your debt. Do you agree to this arrangement?

    I agree!

    Belenka made a motion as if to draw her sword.

    Should I do it?

    I need to do it to make the master-servant contract.

    Ah.

    Ian tapped Lewis''s shoulder with Anor-lsil.

    Lewis of Blanche. Until you have fully repaid your value, you are a knight in my service. If you break this contract, you shall suffer eternally in hell before the almighty wrath of Heaven.

    I, Lewis, swear by Heaven, I will not break this holy contract. Until my debt is paid, the wizard Ian is my master.

    Thus, the master-servant contract between Ian and Lewis was completed, according to the typical doctrine of the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    The witness was Belenka of Wintz.

    Now, Lewis was a knight of a wizard.

    I never thought Id see a werewolf become a knight in my lifetime.

    As Belenka grumbled, Ian just shrugged.

    So what? He''s a believer in the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    Well, thats true.

    Actually, Belenka had no place to talk.

    She too had become a knight to Ian to repay a life debt.

    Then, a status window appeared before Ian.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Summoning Werewolf Summon]

    [Call upon your knight and servant, the werewolf Lewis, to fulfill his knightly duties. Lewis will respond to your call.]

    Ian whistled softly.

    A werewolf was also a magical being, able to be bound by summoning magic.

    Thus, Lewis was doubly bound by contract and skill.

    ... I never thought I would formally serve you like this.

    Lewis looked at Ian with a profound gaze.

    He was a werewolf handsome enough to make furry enthusiasts lose their minds, but Ian felt no interest in him.

    Ah.

    A werewolf has style, thats all.

    I only thought about a magical contract... to have my debt formally acknowledged like this...

    "Did you succeed?"

    Ian answered with a nod.

    Belenka, carrying a massive pole, stood confidently before the crowd.

    "Wow!"

    "My God. What is that?!"

    "Is that a monkey? But it''s carrying a sword...!"

    The creature Belenka had tied to the pole and dragged here was... a monkey assassin.

    Now that Larabel had been sold off and Lewis had been recruited as a subordinate, the only monster left to blame for the chaos was the monkey assassin.

    Fortunately, the monkey assassin looked grotesque enough on the outside.

    "Look at its clumsy imitation of a human!"

    "It''s definitely an evil monster!"

    Excited priests picked up stones and threw them at the monkey''s corpse.

    Thud, thud.

    As blood and flesh splattered, the priests erupted in cheers.

    "Wowww!"

    "The evil monster is dead!!!"

    Ian watched this scene and sighed.

    What is this?

    A game of bursting balloons?

    Though he had tried to make it look like a wizard, the priests began desecrating the body immediately, turning all his effort and care into nothing.

    But regardless, the situation had been neatly wrapped up.

    "As you can see, this monster was the culprit disturbing the order of Devosi Castle."

    "Oh!"

    "It does look like it!"

    The story that a magic-learned monkey manipulated monsters to toy with humans struck a chord with medieval hearts.

    "Tell us more! Go into more detail!"

    The classic confrontation between humans and monsters, between good and evil, is a universally appealing theme.

    It''s a fundamentally overflowing, super entertaining topic.

    While modern people drowning in a flood of creative content might find the human-monster battle a familiar, repeatedly brewed broth, for the medieval fantasy folk, it was still a guaranteed box office hit.

    And a wizard had chased down and fought the monster all night?

    Sh*t, I''m damn curious!

    People crowded around Ian like clouds, shouting.

    "Part two! Release part two!"

    "Tell us now!"

    Ian looked at the priests throwing tantrums like crybabies, I want part two~ give us part two~, and clicked his tongue.

    Tsk tsk.

    They''re so vulnerable to dopamine.

    No wonder they seriously believe that the more peculiar a wizard is, the stronger they are.

    "I''ll tell you the story later. Let''s first go see the Baron."

    "Ah! Let''s go right now!"

    Ian made his way through the crowd to Baron Devosi''s room.

    There, Baron Devosi and Lady Catherine were lying side by side.

    Ian spoke strongly in the language of Maronius.

    "[Return.]"

    Then, the Baron and his wife simultaneously spat something out.

    "Haah!"

    "What the...!"

    It was a white worm-like creature that resembled a centipede.

    A monster cultivated by Wizard Larabel, it was a type that sucked the life force from its host.

    Ian frowned.

    No wonder they couldn''t find anything.

    The ''disease'' that had been tormenting the Baron was a large parasite, not some mysterious magic or germ.

    In modern times, an MRI, or heck, even an X-ray would have revealed its identity.

    It was the first time Ian had seen this method of implanting parasites in a human body.

    Had he known about it, he might have thought of it, but this time he hadn''t known to look for it.

    Having taken control of the summons from Larabel, Ian easily eradicated the parasitic worms.

    "These creatures were the culprits tormenting the Baron."

    "Ah..."

    Lady Serena collapsed with a sigh, tears flowing despite the many onlookers.

    The maids, instead of stopping her, joined her in her tears.

    Ian decided to let Lady Serena cry as much as she needed.

    Just as Ian was about to leave the room, Lady Serena grabbed him.

    "...Thank you. How can I ever repay this kindness..."

    Ian shrugged.

    He didn''t know, nor did he want to know the psyche of a lady thrown into a hostile environment after her husband fell ill from an unknown cause.

    "Don''t mention it."

    But Ian felt good, having uncovered many mysteries and secrets.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! HereUpdated from

    Having been freed from the parasite, Baron Devosi quickly regained his health to a visibly noticeable extent.

    He wasn''t really sick, just severely drained of energy.

    Naturally, he recovered by simply resting and eating well.

    In his healthier days, he was vigorous enough to enjoy wolf hunting, so he naturally bounced back and quickly got out of bed.

    After a few months, Baron Devosi gathered people at Devosi Hall.

    His original vassals, the clergy who came to treat him, casual visitors, and even Ian and his group were there, making it quite crowded.

    Baron Devosi repeatedly praised his servants and loyal vassals who had cared for him to the end.

    "How happy I am to have such loyal followers by my side."

    "Oh, your excellency, that''s too much praise!"

    To Ian, it seemed like just lip service, but the servants felt the weight of the emotions differently.

    It was a noble''s direct praise!

    A glory worth spreading around the neighborhood, not just to a wife, husband, or children!

    Of course, they might have been happy expecting a reward following the lip service.

    The Baron, having come back from the brink of death, was sure to throw money around to commemorate the event.

    He announced to everyone how close he had come to crumbling under the scheme of an evil wizard, hoping that such an event would never happen again.

    "Coming all this way for me. Your kind hearts must reach the heavens."

    "It must be the grace of heaven that took care of you, sir."

    The clergy chuckled as they listened to the Baron''s words of gratitude.

    In reality, the clergy didn''t really do anything when they arrived.

    They just prayed among themselves, ate, and chatted.

    Only one thingthey occupied the front of the Baron''s room to prevent any suspicious people from entering.

    That was their sole contribution.

    But Baron Devosi had to express his gratitude to the clergy.

    Why? Because he survived thanks to the care of heaven!

    He had to pass on his thanks to heaven through the clergy.

    The clergy would go home, taking a generous stipend with them.

    The value of their prayers so far + the cost of performing a holy service for heaven.

    Even just showing up to eat meant money, an insanely sweet deal.

    This is why even those without faith join the clergy.

    "And the wizards, Ian and Kira."

    Ian and Kira were the center of everyone''s attention.

    They were the heroes who had tracked down and eliminated a malicious wizard controlling monsters, saving Baron Devosi.

    No one doubted the wizards'' contributions.

    "I can''t thank you enough, young friends. You are the saviors of my life."

    Kira stepped forward with a proud expression.

    "There''s no need to thank us. That bastard provoked me first, so I just took my revenge."

    People were amazed by Kira''s lofty tone.

    Kira had witnessed a vast mystery and survived.

    For those who come into contact with beings beyond human comprehension, the light of their soul changes.

    Kira herself didn''t realize it, but her eyes began to show a strange, mysterious glow, like a touch of madness.

    It was because Kira was a wizard without a foundation.

    If she had learned the Maronius language and been able to refine the mysteries she experienced into words, there wouldn''t have been any physical changes.

    But she entered the world of magic with 100% pure talent, unaware of how to control the mysteries manifesting in her body.

    "Truly, Lady Kira...!"

    "She really is an amazing person!"

    Especially when Ian used dark magic to stir trouble, the vassals who had received Kira''s help trusted her immensely.

    Ian also chimed in.

    "Well. It was nothing. I didn''t do much, really."

    It was true.

    After resisting the firestorm scroll, Gerard had sorted out the situation.

    However, people thought differently.

    They thought Ian was showing extreme humility!

    "Such self-control, he must be a remarkable wizard!"

    "There''s a rumor he''s also part of the clergy, diligently following the scriptures!"

    Scratch scratch.

    Ian hastily erased the magic circle he had drawn.

    The stress from dealing with people was about to explode!

    "Why the hell do I have to write something like a composition!"

    I was a science student, damn it!

    If I''m a wizard, ask me to do spell calculations, not write letters!

    High-speed operations! Calculating multiple formulas!

    Why the hell do I have to write letters!

    That''s what those damn humanities students are for!!!

    Knock knock.

    "Wizard sir, it''s Manet. May I come in...?"

    "Get the f*ck out!!!"

    Manet was Mrs. Serena''s daughter.

    She kept coming to serve Ian, hoping to marry him. Ian was just tired of it.

    Ian yelled to drive Manet away and refocused on his magic circle.

    [Subject: Anyone interested in a meetup with mysteries?]

    [I''m wizard Ian. I want to hold a meetup with the wind and the sun, any mysteries interested? If so, like and follow. I''ll start.]

    "... f*cking hell."

    This wasn''t right.

    No matter how many times he tried, magic was damn difficult!

    "Ian. What are you doing alone in your room?"

    "Ah, who is it now? Why don''t you just f*ck off?"

    "Why should I? Why would I?"

    Bang.

    The door opened on its own, and Kira came in.

    She held a tray with fragrant bread and dried fruits.

    Oh, just when I was getting hungry.

    As soon as she closed the door, Kira let out a small sigh.

    "... Sorry. Did I disturb you? I''ll leave right away..."

    "? You''re leaving? Weren''t you here to hang out?"

    "Well, I was, but you seemed busy..."

    Seeing Kira act like she had a split personality, he understood the situation.

    She had encountered Manet outside and acted like a wizard.

    "Ah. So this is from Manet?"

    "Yes... she just left, so I said I''d deliver it."

    Oh. I should thank her later.

    Ian thought so but forgot after just 3 seconds, distracted by the magic circle.

    Kira quietly munched on the bread while sitting on the bed.

    Ian, seriously drawing the magic circle, was both fascinating and amusing to her.

    [Don''t miss this rare chance! The fantastic Ian Show! We''ll serve the mysteries properly! Just come!]

    She didn''t know what it was about.

    But watching him skillfully handle all sorts of characters as he filled in the magic circle...

    "...Impressive. Really."

    Kira smiled unknowingly.

    To have mustered the courage to seek out such a talented wizard.

    Maybe it was the finest thing she had ever done in her life.

    For Kira, who was a fake wizard, a fraud, to finally have some use, she could only be thankful for heaven''s grace.

    "Phew. I''d lose my temper if I did more."

    "Are you stopping?"

    "I''ll do it later."

    Unlike her, who pretended to be a great wizard with fake expressions, Ian was drawing the magic circle, striving for his own development.

    Kira felt a sense of relief watching Ian.

    Their paths had crossed by chance, and he had saved her life.

    But after fighting Larabel, she felt like she had repaid her debt somewhat.

    Now, she felt she could leave without any regrets.

    "Ian."

    "Yeah?"

    "I''m thinking of leaving soon."

    "...?"

    Wizard Kira was saying goodbye.

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    "You''re leaving? Alone?"

    "Mm..."

    Kira twisted her hair with her hands as her face turned hot.

    "I''ve learned the principles of magic from you... I think I can manage on my own..."

    Ian felt an old-man grumpiness stirring inside him for the first time in a while.

    "Ha!"

    To think you''re getting ahead of yourself just because you luckily stumbled upon an opportunity and reached a new level! Kira Laventa!

    True mastery, like a castle built on sand, cannot stand without diligent internal cultivation!

    Are you already dreaming of your magical debut with just superficial enlightenment?

    ...Ian''s thoughts were a bit odd, though.

    The point is, Kira''s skills are still severely lacking.

    Indeed, Kira had enough talent to survive contact with the mystery of fire.

    But relying on her shallow skills to perform fire magic could easily burn everything around her.

    This is because she''s ignorant of the language of fire, including that used by Archwizard Maronius.

    Even if communication fails, friendship is still possible, like between humans and animals.

    However, for a proper friendship, conversation is essential.

    "So what about the language of Maronius? How will you learn the magic language?"

    "I''ll... gather the tuition..."

    "How will you earn the money? By scamming again?"

    "Why would you say that?"

    "I thought you decided to stop pretending to be a fake wizard."

    Kira avoided Ian''s gaze, her head bowed.

    In a subdued voice, Kira muttered, "I don''t want to be in debt to you again."Thi/s chapter is updated by

    "Debt?"

    Ian asked incredulously.

    If anyone should feel indebted, shouldn''t it be Ian?

    Kira was a great help when Ian fought with Larabel.

    Gerard even said that Ian would have died without Kira.

    But Kira didn''t see it that way.

    She only thought of repaying the debt for when Ian helped her against Baron Damon and the vampire.

    In fact, Kira believed she owed more debt now that Ian had helped awaken her magic.

    "Ian. Personally, I respect you. I mean it."

    "..."

    "You are certainly a great wizard. And you''ll become even greater. You don''t need to waste time on a fake wizard like me. It''s a waste."

    Tears welled up in Kira''s eyes, perhaps overwhelmed by her emotions.

    Ian slowly shook his head.

    Kira was seriously mistaken.

    She believed herself to be worthless.

    In this medieval fantasy world, everything is biased.

    Information and resources were skewed, making inequality the norm.

    Kira lived a lower-class life even among the commoners.

    Being a wandering jester, a life scorned and ridiculed among the lower classes, she couldn''t properly recognize her own talent and abilities.

    "So. You think you''ll be a burden?"

    "...Sorry."

    Kira was born in the wrong era.

    Had she been born in the modern era, she would have been a great actress, receiving everyone''s attention.

    Since no one ever affirmed her talent, she had long concluded herself to be a worthless human.

    ''I need to show her, her own value.''

    But to Ian, Kira was a woman of tremendous talent.

    Firstly, the fact that she caught the interest of the mysteries of fire was an incredible talent.

    Apart from her magical talent, her acting skills and guts were admirable.

    Yet, Kira herself was unaware of her talents.

    ''Capital therapy is indeed the best.''

    Throughout the ages, financial therapy has been the best for those suffering from depression.

    Doesn''t feel better even after seeing money? Maybe the amount wasn''t enough.

    Ian wanted to demonstrate Kira''s abilities numerically.

    Money is best in such times.

    "Okay. I''m not your master. If you want to leave, I can''t stop you."

    Ian responded briskly, and Kira smiled faintly.

    "Thanks, Ian, for everything up till now."

    "But what if I hire you as my companion?"

    "?"

    Kira looked confused, not understanding what he meant.

    "Companion? Me? You want to hire me?"

    "Yes. I''ll pay you, so follow me."

    "That''s... what..."

    "Why? You were going to work for money anyway. Is there a problem with me hiring you?"

    Kira gaped.

    There obviously was a problem.

    As a child, Kira was a jester, and as she grew up, she became a scam artist.

    Simply put, she didn''t know how to do a proper job!

    What could Ian possibly have in mind by hiring Kira, who can''t really do anything?

    Her only value was being a young woman...

    "!!!"

    If she hadn''t become a con artist, she would have been a dancer.

    And among the dancers, many also worked as prostitutes.

    After all, selling beauty for money was common, and the mindset was to make the most of it while in their prime.

    So why is Ian giving money to Kira...?

    "Seriously. I don��t get why people fall for that scammer��s bullsh*t!"

    Opinions about the Golden Finger Takarion were divided into extremes.

    Those who liked Takarion praised the Gospel as ''opening a new horizon in faith.''

    But those who disliked him wouldn''t even utter his name.

    "What on earth is so special about the Gospel of Marcus?"

    Then a clergy quickly brought over the Gospel of Marcus.

    "Read it now!"

    Hey! Try it! Try it!

    Seeing the clergy so enthusiastically promoting it, it seemed like it could be fun.

    Ian decided to humor him and read the Gospel of Marcus.

    And he realized.

    Wow... damn...

    This is damn interesting!!!

    The Gospel of Marcus chronicles the life of [Saint Marcus], starting with his great birth, his growth, trials, and enlightenment.

    But none of that crap caught Ian''s eye.

    The gospel continuously emphasized [Hero Marcus].

    In the gospel, Marcus was the ultimate alpha male, toying with all sorts of women.

    Kings tremble before him, and emperors envy Marcus''s popularity.

    Even in the latter part, Marcus shoots a ''Marcus-Death Beam'' from his hand!

    Wow! The Supreme Demon Lord!

    "Is this really a gospel?"

    Ian asked them in disbelief.

    The clergy, nodding with a deep expression, resembling an otaku who had succeeded in proselytizing.

    "Aah. You''ve realized... the greatness of the Gospel of Marcus..."

    He wasn��t wrong. The Gospel of Marcus was a brilliant book.

    In the realm of pure entertainment.

    In a world without Netflix or NovelPia, Ian felt a dopamine rush he hadn''t experienced in a long time.

    If a modern person like Ian could enjoy it so much, imagine the medieval people?

    That''s why extreme ''Golden Finger fanatics'' exist.

    God does exist, and He is currently serializing!

    His name is the Golden Finger, Takarion!

    Please release a sequel already! It makes no sense that there��s only one gospel with 13 saints!

    However, in Ian''s view, the Gospel of Marcus was not a proper religious text.

    It was plainly a web novel.

    Seriously, how does it make sense for Marcus to shoot a death beam from his fingers and defeat a great demon?

    Shooting demons with a death beam?

    It��s definitely entertaining. There''s no doubt about the fun factor.

    But it doesn''t make sense.

    "The Gospel of Marcus is filled with nonsense! It''s a poorly made object cobbled together from rumors without any proper verification and is not worth reading!"

    "Are you doubting the achievements of Saint Marcus? That''s disappointing!"

    "No, who said Saint Marcus is a fake? It''s the Gospel that''s...!"

    The problematic part is that while it exaggerated Marcus''s achievements, it didn��t deviate much from the contents of the Bible.

    To put it simply:

    The Bible is a historical record.

    It''s accurate and could be compared to the [Annals of the Joseon Dynasty].

    A saint is a great figure, like a king.

    So, the Gospel of Marcus was like a biography of King Sejong.

    But imagine a book about King Sejong where he wipes out barbarians with a beam saber.

    There are actual records of him defeating barbarians, so that��s okay, right? (Nope)

    Obviously, it has no historical value.

    That''s why the orthodox treat it like kindling.

    But... it��s fun!

    Many secretly hoped that the Gospel of Marcus was [true].

    After all, it was set in the distant past, its authenticity couldn''t be verified.

    The logic was, why not just assume there was a beam saber during the Joseon era?

    So, the followers of Takarion recognized the Gospel of Marcus as a valid gospel.

    "Takarion! Takarion has arrived!"

    The greatest light novel author of the era... rather, the monk Takarion who writes gospels, visited Devosi Castle.

    Upon seeing Takarion, Ian was quietly amazed.

    Wow.

    Takarion was a man of impressive stature. Meaning, he was quite fat.

    Monkss usually don''t gain weight due to their hard physical labor and austere lifestyle.

    But it seemed this man indulged in food to cope with the pains of creation.

    "Shala! My brothers!"

    "...?"

    "Oops. My apologies. I keep forgetting that commoners don��t know the ancient language. Ha ha! I just said hello!"

    "Shala! Takarion! My brother!"

    Followers of Takarion exchanged greetings in the language of the ancient empire.

    Takarion happily accepted the greetings.

    ...All the while, Baron Devosi and his two wives were giving side glances.

    ��This guy, he��s no ordinary one.��

    Memories of Ian''s past life subtly surfaced.

    He felt like he had seen such a character before.

    Was it in middle school? High school? Or was it in the military...

    Anyway.

    The first impression of monk Takarion was that he was a bastard you absolutely did not want to associate with.

    ---

    [1. raei: uh I think I got this right... Shimiken. Japanese ''porn'' actor ''credited with having s*x with over 10,000 women in the course of making 10,000 films.'' Maybe he has the ''Golden finger'' nickname as well? Couldn''t see anything. ]

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 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Join the discord! Here

    Monk Takarion was a lucky man who was born in the right era.

    Humans are born and die, irrespective of the era.

    Every human is born with some innate talent.

    When one''s inherent talent matches the era, they become a celebrated individual who lives well and dies content.

    The problem arises when one''s talent does not align with their era.

    Consider a white-collar worker with inherent sword-fighting skills, or a medieval farmer born with coding skills��likely, they will die without ever realizing their capabilities.

    "Why is the world so unfair?" one might sob, dying without ever recognizing their hidden talents.

    Life is short, and time passes in the blink of an eye.

    Even finding and developing one''s talent requires luck.

    Take Kira, for instance, born with acting talent but unfortunately in a medieval fantasy era��an unlucky case of being born in the wrong era.

    In contrast, Takarion, or rather Max, was extremely lucky with his timing.

    Like 90% of the Empire''s population, he was born the son of a poor farmer.

    During the year Max was born, a severe drought struck.

    While people starved, Max, only one year old, had to find a way to survive.

    Since Max couldn��t yet walk, his parents had to find a means of survival for him (if he could walk, he would have had to find it himself).

    His parents gave (or rather, threw) him to a nearby monastery, where Max became a servant.

    Under the monastery''s protection, Max naturally followed the path of a monk.

    As a child, Max was timid and fearful, not mixing well with others and often bullied due to his nature.

    Feeling pity for him, the monks taught him and took care of him.

    Max was amazed by the principles of the world as he read the Bible, and his heart raced at the brilliant exploits of the 13 saints.

    Wow! Heroes! Saints!

    In truth, saints were far from heroes.

    They were dedicated to the Faith, striving to spread the will of Heaven.

    But young Max didn''t know that.

    Saints never lost, always succeeded, and were loved equally by God and humans.

    Max, always beaten by the popular kids and ridiculed as a fool, was the complete opposite of a saint.

    Whenever he was beaten by the popular kids, he would think: If Saint Marcus saw this... You all would be dead meat...!

    Max imagined Saint Marcus appearing and giving those kids a righteous beating.

    Holy punch! Holy kick!

    You devil bastards would piss yourselves and flee to a sulfur-smelling pit!

    Saint Marcus! Please punish these bastards!

    "What have you been mumbling about?"

    "He''s imagining his dad coming to save him LOL."

    But Max''s fantasies were just that��fantasies.Updated novels at novelhall.com

    Neither Saint Marcus appearing to save Max nor the popular kids receiving a righteous beating ever happened.

    A normal child would have stopped fantasizing and focused on reality, trying to find ways to be beaten less.

    But Max was different.

    He escaped into more elaborate fantasies and an even vaster worldview!

    Forget the cold reality, let''s imagine Saint Marcus...

    "Saint Marcus had a girlfriend named Cassandra, a cool beauty with an S-grade body. Her catchphrase was ''Hmph! Pathetic!'' Although she pretended otherwise, she really liked Saint Marcus..."

    Hehe.

    Fun...

    Max''s fantasies became more elaborate day by day.

    One day, a monk commissioned Max to transcribe and restore the [Gospel of Marcus].

    "Me?"

    "Yes. You know the entire life story of Saint Marcus, don''t you?"

    Before he knew it, Max had become a famous saint-otaku.

    He could talk about Saint Marcus all night!

    Being friendly with the monks and having learned to read, Max began to copy the gospel easily.

    Not just copying, Max added his own annotations and thoughts to it.

    Since a servant of the monastery, Max, wouldn''t seem cool enough, he changed his name to something cooler: [Takarion].

    Wow. Doesn��t this pen name just scream ''Golden Empire intellectual''?

    "I��ve finished it!"

    "Huh?"

    The monks were taken aback after reading the Gospel of Marcus that Max had created.

    While the transcription was well done, the content was bizarrely excessive!

    "Marcus shooting light from his fingers, toppling demons... Where did you get this information?"

    "An angel told me in my dream."

    "...?"

    But to dismiss it as mere nonsense would be an oversight; the content was too meticulously crafted, almost as if an angel really had told it.

    In this new story, the Saint Marcus portrayed was quite impressive, even to the monks.

    Yes, Max, or rather the writer [Takarion], had a talent for creation.

    Criticizing someone''s manner of speaking might seem petty, but Takarion''s speech was so atrocious that even the reticent were tempted to comment.

    Takarion muttered to himself with a gloomy expression,

    "I even brought a special relic for the Baron... If the atmosphere continues like this, I might just leave..."

    A devout priest, unable to tolerate the situation any longer, shouted, "Just go back to the monastery!"

    Chaos ensued once again.

    Ian''s initial intuition when he first saw Takarion was spot on.

    Takarion was simply a natural troublemaker.

    One could only imagine the headache of having attended the same middle school, high school, or military service with him.

    ''Well, good luck with that, Baron Devosi.''

    Thank goodness he''s someone else''s problem.

    ...At least, that��s what Ian thought.

    ---

    ---

    The reason Golden Fingers Takarion visited the Devosi domain was, of course, to earn the title of a saint.

    The 13 saints listed in the holy scriptures are known as ''primary saints'' and are considered particularly special.

    Besides these 13, clergy who later performed miracles or showed remarkable deeds are called ''secondary saints'', ranked just below the primary saints.

    While the number of primary saints is fixed at 13, the title of secondary saint can be awarded indefinitely.

    Achieving a miracle or notable deed earns one the title of saint.

    However, if these titles are granted too liberally, the value of being a saint diminishes, potentially tarnishing even the reputation of the original 13 saints.

    Thus, the evaluation for sainthood is carried out with strict and meticulous criteria.

    Was a miracle performed? To what extent?

    Who witnessed it, and how many were affected?

    If Takarion could cure Baron Devosi of his mysterious illness, it would indeed qualify as a [miracle of healing].

    That��s why clergy from nearby areas, having nothing better to do, flocked here and fell into deep prayer.

    Who knows? Perhaps their heartfelt prayers might move the heavens and heal the Baron.

    After all, if successful, it��s a jackpot; if not, they''ve lost nothing.

    Takarion too visited Devosi��s domain with this light-hearted intention.

    If the Baron were aware, he''d be appalled by such audacity.

    While lives hang in the balance, they come here to gamble for achievements?

    But if their gamble pays off, the Baron''s illness would also vanish, so as irritating as it was, the Baron had to tolerate it.

    That is, if the Baron was still bedridden.

    Fortunately, Ian Eredith Raven and Kira Laventa neatly resolved Baron Devosi''s issue.

    The clergy gave lukewarm applause.

    "Wow! Congratulations, Baron! You must stay healthy now~"

    As the incident wrapped up and cleanup was about to begin, Takarion appeared.

    He was embarrassingly late.

    Am I, Takarion, supposed to return empty-handed like a loser?

    Takarion was greedy.

    Although he had become a star overnight by writing the Gospel of Marcus, he was not content with just being a famous author.

    He aspired to become a saint! A bishop! An archbishop!

    Starting as a nobody, his dream was to end as a great figure!

    That was Takarion''s ambition.

    He had left the comfortable confines of the monastery to pursue this dream...

    It would be too unjust to go back empty-handed now!

    ''There are reports of evil spirits in the domain of Archbishop Linaein. Let''s go there.''

    He had initially avoided visiting another''s territory of the same faith, but given the circumstances, it was not the time to be concerned about others'' opinions.

    Even if it meant facing criticism, he was determined to achieve something noteworthy and return!

    As the popular author of the gospel, he could count on his fans for support!

    It was while Takarion was planning his trip that a servant suddenly appeared, visibly agitated.

    "This is a disaster!"

    "What''s all the fuss about?"

    "The relic... the relic...!"

    The relic?

    Takarion remembered the relic loaned to him by the abbot, head tilted in confusion.

    He had mentioned going to heal Baron Devosi''s illness, and they had lent him the item...

    It wasn��t some great treasure, just a plain, round white stone.

    "The relic was broken!"

    "What?!"

    Takarion felt as if his own head had shattered.

    How could that item break!

    The servant rambled on.

    "It wasn''t a stone; it was an egg!"

    "An egg???"

    "Yes! And it has hatched!"

    Following the servant��s explanation, Takarion was dumbfounded.

    "The wizard named Ian touched the relic, and it, well, it hatched!"

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

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    Devosi Castle was noisy every single day.

    It seemed that the noise had only gotten worse since the Baron woke up.

    For some reason, priests and monks were shouting over each other, each refusing to be outdone.

    Their arguments almost always centered around the value of the [Gospel of Marcus].

    "Should the clergy really be fighting like this?"

    Bewildered, Ian asked a priest from Talian.

    The Talian priest smiled awkwardly and responded, "It''s a theological debate, so... it can''t be helped."

    Fundamentally, monks are not supposed to debate with priests since priests hold greater authority in speech, being recognized by the 13 Saints for their sacramental acts.

    Monks, on the other hand, are just overly enthusiastic about Heaven''s Faith.

    If priests are like professional clergy, monks might be considered amateur enthusiasts of Heaven''s Faith.

    That''s the difference between a professional and an amateur.Top novel updates at novelhall.com

    However, this doesn''t mean priests can always suppress monks outright.

    Though not authorized to perform sacraments, monks also spend their lives practicing and living by the heavenly teachings.

    Both sides are formidable, hence debates are inevitable.

    "The priest is a leader, and the monk is a practitioner. It''s not easy to say definitively who is right or wrong."

    In a way, priests are like fathers, tasked with teaching and leading their followers.

    Conversely, monks are like elder sons, learning and growing on their own, living to put the teachings into practice.

    Imagine one day, the elder son brings a light novel titled [Is Saint Marcus Too Powerful?] and starts distributing it among children.

    If the father yells, "Why do you like such a bad book?"

    And the elder son retorts, "What do you know, Dad! You''re just an old fogey!"��No, that''s too dramatic.

    Anyway, it''s an unavoidable situation.

    No matter how much priests detest the [Gospel of Marcus], they can''t completely disregard the will of the monks.

    ''I knew it. If I stay any longer, I''m going to lose my mind.''

    Ian quickly decided it was time to cut ties.

    Now, with nothing left to do, the only thing remaining was to leave the castle.

    Suddenly, Takarion caused a big stir, making it awkward to leave, but now seemed like a good opportunity to sneak away.

    "Kira, do you know where Belenka is?"

    "Yeah, she was eating."

    "Again? She just ate."

    After Lewis the werewolf wiped out all the dire wolves, the knights became unemployed overnight.

    They all ended up becoming home security guards.

    Every day, just playing and eating...

    Since the battle had just ended, there were no knights training.

    The idle knights showcased their appetites at their daily feasts.

    Belenka was caught up and trapped in this dining hell.

    "Anyway. These knights..."

    Ian clicked his tongue as he thought about the foolish knights.

    He wondered what eating a lot had to do with fighting well.

    But since knights believe it''s disastrous to be looked down upon, they stake their lives on trivial things like ''eating a lot.''

    "Let''s go. Let''s take Belenka and go see the Baron."

    "Ah, okay. But we might need to wait until the banquet is over..."

    "Never mind. Just sneak her out, whatever."

    Ian headed to the castle''s dining hall.

    The dining hall was bustling with the knights'' gathering.

    "Belenka, did you eat a lot?"

    "...Ian?"

    As soon as Ian arrived at the dining hall, he spotted Belenka.

    Her eyes half-closed as she devoured a mountain of meat.

    Somehow, seeing her stuffing herself with meat, he didn''t feel the slightest bit envious.

    "Oh! Lord Ian! You''ve come to visit!"

    "Come on! Take a seat! Hey! Bring over a glass!"

    The knights quickly made space for Ian, warmly welcoming him.

    "And Lady Kira to the seat..."

    "I''m fine. I''m managing my figure."

    As Kira gave a slight smile, the knight backed off with a goofy expression.

    Then, turning back with a poker face, Kira proved once again to be a master of expression acting.

    "Managing my figure..."

    Belenka''s expression turned gloomier.

    She was blessed with a body that didn''t easily gain weight, but even that has its limits; daily binge eating inevitably leads to weight gain.

    Yet, flatly refusing to attend feasts was problematic due to the importance of maintaining relationships as a knight...

    That''s when it happened.

    "Argh!"

    At the unexpected scream, Belenka turned her head.

    In a public dining hall, there was only one person who could make such a scene.

    "These crazy bastards! Are they trying to assassinate me now? Larabel! Did Larabel put you up to this!"

    "No, why are you saying that? All of a sudden?"

    "Are you guys actually eating this! You call this meat!"

    It was none other than Ian Eredith Raven.

    Ian, who had picked up the meat with his hands, soon shuddered as he experienced the torment of hell.

    Ah! This stench! This texture!

    What the hell are these bastards eating!!!

    "Ahaha! That was pig testicles. It''s good for virility!"

    "Ugh!"

    Not all meat is the same.

    The meat that the knights were gorging on at the feast was offal, fresh from the slaughter.

    After days of marathon feasting, all the good cuts were gone!

    So they were thriftily grilling and eating even the less favored parts...

    Ian just happened to join them at that moment.

    "Quick, drink some alcohol. It''ll get rid of the stench."

    Ian guzzled down beer in a frenzy.

    Being openly rude to nobility was one of the privileges of being a wizard.

    "So, you''re finally leaving. After setting my daughter''s heart aflame."

    "Me?"

    Ian, recalling Lady Serena''s daughter, Manet, cocked his head.

    While he had been staying at the castle, Manet had followed him around.

    But beyond following him, she hadn''t really done anything else.

    "She often says how impressive your magic is."

    "Um. I guess I am quite impressive."

    Kira nodded slightly, her earlobes turning red, while Belenka looked at Ian with an incredulous expression.

    "Ha-ha! You really are entertaining! So, how about becoming our castle''s wizard..."

    "I''ll have to decline."

    "Listen to the end before you respond! If you stay, I would give you my daughter��s hand in marriage..."

    "I''m glad I declined in advance."

    "You really aren''t interested in Manet. She''s such a beautiful girl."

    The Baron stopped joking. From how unswayed Ian was, it was clear how resolute he was.

    "I��ve spoken to Galadin. I��ve set aside some travel funds for you, pick them up when you leave."

    "Thank you, Baron."

    Lady Serena and Lady Catherine also chimed in.

    "We''ve each added a little something to it."

    "I''ll pray only good things come your way."

    Ian bid them farewell with a cheerful heart.

    "Well then, I��ll be off..."

    Just as Ian was about to leave the Baron��s room, he hesitated upon spotting a peculiar object.

    On the table was something he hadn''t seen before, yet it strangely drew him in.

    "Baron, what is this?"

    The Baron naturally picked it up and handed it to Ian.

    "It��s a relic that Takarion brought."

    "A relic?"

    A relic. Literally, a sacred object.

    However, being sacred didn��t necessarily mean it held any magical power.

    Anything associated with a saint was called a relic.

    A spoon used by a saint? A relic.

    Clothes worn by a saint? A relic.

    A saint''s hair? A relic.

    Of course, using a spoon a saint had used wouldn''t grant the power to exorcise demons. A spoon is just a spoon.

    Most relics were just antiques.

    But sometimes, very rarely, an object truly imbued with the mysteries of the heavens would be called a relic.

    With mild curiosity, Ian examined the relic.

    "It looks like an ostrich egg."

    "What kind of egg?"

    "Oh, a monster egg."

    The ��relic�� that Takarion had brought was white, round, and light.

    Too light to be a monster''s egg, it seemed more like a hollow stone.

    "Be careful. If it falls and breaks, even I can''t make excuses for you."

    "I''ll be as careful as I can."

    Ian responded indifferently as he inspected the relic.

    He wasn��t a fool.

    Why would he carelessly handle such an expensive-looking item and risk breaking it?

    ''I feel like... there''s something about it...''

    Ian examined the relic from all angles, his intuition, honed from his studies of mysteries, suggesting there was more to this simple white stone.

    That''s when it happened.

    [...release me.]

    "???"

    [...please send me back.]

    It wasn''t his imagination.

    Ian heard a voice.

    Crack!

    "No, Lord Ian!"

    "Takarion''s relic!"

    "...Huh?"

    Cracks spread across the surface of the ''relic.''

    Suddenly, a bird-like head squeezed through the cracks and popped out.

    "Peep?"

    "..."

    "..."

    Both the Baron and his wife, as well as Ian''s party, were momentarily speechless.

    "Squawk, squawk!"

    The bird-like head began to cry out.

    "Lord Ian! What in the world have you done!"

    "No, Baron, you saw it! I didn''t do anything!"

    The room plunged into confusion.

    It wasn��t just Ian''s party that was confused.

    "Wizard Ian has destroyed the relic!"

    "No, that''s not it! He''s hatched the relic!"

    "Wizard Ian has hatched the relic!"

    The clergy were also thrown into disarray.

    "Is this a miracle?"

    "A miracle of hatching?"

    "Could it be! Was Wizard Ian a saint all along?"

    Hearing the rumors, Takarion burst out of his room.

    ''A saint? A saint, really?''

    Not him, Takarion, with the golden touch, but some wizard becomes a saint???

    ''Impossible!''

    Takarion immediately ran down the hallway, his belly jiggling.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

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    A miracle is defined as an act performed by God.

    Clerics prove God''s existence through miracles, received via sacred petitions.

    However, often God performs miracles through the body and speech of a cleric.

    Those chosen by God are then revered as saints.

    Indeed, it was a miracle.

    The lame stand up, water turns to wine, and people walk on water as if it were solid ground!

    Many clerics tirelessly work to bring about these miracles. They throw themselves off cliffs, leap into pits of fire, and travel to plague-ridden regions...

    Of course, God likely pays no mind to such reckless acts.

    Yet clerics, in their desire for sainthood, commit these acts of madness.

    Chosen by God!

    What a prestigious title!

    "Wizard Ian has awakened the dormant relic!"

    "If this isn''t a miracle, what is?"

    Already brimming with a desire for sainthood, the clerics, like patients with saintly ADHD, couldn''t remain calm when faced with an event resembling a miracle.

    "Hmm. Is that all?"

    "What?"

    "Isn''t this an overreaction to just an egg hatching? Perhaps it was simply time for it to hatch."

    Debates ensue about what constitutes a miracle.

    These men, typically found reading the Bible and eating, never back down on matters regarding the divine.

    "Wizard Ian did not perform a miracle, brothers!"

    "Takarion!"

    At that moment, as the controversy over [Ian''s Miracle] simmered, a storm named Takarion took center stage.

    "Last night, I received a revelation from an angel in my dream."

    "Oh!"

    "The same angel''s voice that I heard while writing the Gospel of Marcus!"

    Takarion, when composing the Gospel of Marcus, included various absurd (but entertaining) elements.

    For instance, there''s a scene where Mark shoots a death beam from his finger.

    Skeptical priests would ask, "How could you possibly know about events from the Golden Empire era?"

    To which Takarion would automatically respond:

    ''An angel told me in a dream~''

    Meaning, he was talking in his sleep.

    However, it wasn''t actual issue.

    In this world, dragons fly and wizards hear the winds speak.

    Surely a saint could shoot a death beam, right?

    After all, when you insist it was true, it becomes so.

    In this medieval fantasy world, where verifying the truth was impossible, even rumors are often accepted as truths.

    "The Lord in heaven has told me! That egg was actually prepared just for me, Takarion!"

    "Oh!"

    Here, there are monks who would literally die for a word from Takarion.

    So Takarion, as usual, began to insist his version of events was the truth.

    The glory of a miracle would not be stolen by some unknown wizard!

    "Did Takarion perform the miracle?!"

    "Saint Takarion! Saint Takarion has appeared!"

    ---

    ---

    "No. What is this..."

    Just as they were about to set off, an absurd situation unfolded, leaving Ian dumbfounded.

    The absurdity that the relic turned out to be merely an egg was bad enough.

    Outside, clerics were heatedly debating whether Ian possessed the qualifications of a saint.

    Yet Ian had no desire to become a saint.

    Ian is a wizard, not a priest.

    There would be no advantage to being called Saint Ian.

    While there might be benefits, actively pursuing the title of saint was unnecessary.

    Becoming a saint would only further entangle him with religious figures, a prospect both dubious and undesirable.

    Ian preferred to focus on the present.

    A fluffy, soft-feathered bird tumbled before his eyes.UpTodated novels at novelhall.com

    "Do you know what this is?"

    Belenka had summoned hunters to ascertain the identity of the bird.

    However, the hunters unanimously declared they had never seen such a bird before.

    "I''m not sure."

    After all, the relic wasn''t his.

    It was an item from the monastery, so whether it hatched a bird or a dinosaur, the rightful owner was the abbot.

    Even though Ian was a wizard, there was no guarantee he could take something from the monastery and get away with it.

    He wasn''t particularly attached to it either.

    "Kira! Hurry up and give the bird back!"

    Ian called out cheerfully, relieved to be unburdened.

    Kira, who had been petting the baby bird, looked slightly disappointed.

    "You came to take Winnie back, right?"

    "You''ve already named it?"

    "Yeah... we have to give it back. Sob sob. Winnie, you have to be strong even at the monastery!"

    Ian forcibly took the bird from Kira and handed it to Takarion.

    "Here you go."

    "Oh! Thank you!"

    Takarion reached out for the bird, his heart beating with anticipation.

    He believed that once he took it back, he would be celebrated as the monk who hatched the relic.

    That was when it happened.

    "Peep! Peep!"

    "???"

    As Takarion��s hand approached, the baby bird cried out in a terribly sad and desperate sound.

    No matter how much Takarion tried to calm it, it was futile.

    "Why is the bird acting like this?"

    "Indeed. It should be a divine creature hatched by Takarion according to God''s will..."

    The murmuring of the monks made Takarion break out in a cold sweat.

    It was a crisis.

    If the bird rejected him here, the situation would become laughably absurd!

    "Come, nestle in my embrace!"

    Takarion tried to force the bird to embrace him.

    The more he tried, the more sorrowfully the chick cried.

    "Peep! Peep!"

    ''...Is this right?''

    Even Ian began to worry.

    Could he end up breaking the bird''s bones?

    Unable to stand it any longer, Kira intervened.

    "Come here! Mommy will hold you!"

    Kira had unwittingly become a bird mom.

    "No..."

    Takarion tried to prevent Kira from taking the bird but...

    As Kira''s beautiful face came close, he froze.

    The monk, an otaku, was not good with women...

    ''Saint Marcus...!''

    Before he knew it, the bird was comfortably nestled in Kira''s arms.

    As Kira stroked it, the bird calmed down as if it had never cried.

    "My goodness! Takarion was rejected by the divine creature!"

    "Indeed! Ian was the true hatcher of the relic!"

    "Saint Ian! The wizard beloved by God!"

    Takarion was stunned, and Kira was distracted by the bird.

    And Ian felt like his head was going to explode with all the noise from the monks...

    ... I need to travel! Damn it!

    ---

    ---

    "My bird! Give it back!"

    "No, damn it. If it doesn''t want to go with you, what do you expect me to do?"

    Handing over the bird felt like handing it over to die.

    But not handing it over seemed like they would chase him to the ends of the earth.

    Eventually, it was time for some lively negotiation.

    "Ian. Can we go to the monastery?"

    "That seems like the right choice."

    Belenka and Kira voted to go to the monastery.

    Since they couldn��t just toss the bird and leave, the plan was to go there, hand it over, and then leave.

    Ian asked the monks for their opinion, just in case.

    "If we take the bird to the monastery��"

    "That would be best!"

    They didn��t even pretend to refuse.

    So, the toss failed.

    Thus, Ian''s next destination was decided: a medieval monastery.

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

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    Around the time wizard Ian was being tormented by monks, a young lord of a distant, small domain in the west was frequently sighing.

    "Ah..."

    Her hair was as dark as the night sky and her eyes sparkled a bright yellow.

    And a pointed hat, straight as the horns of a beast.

    "My lord, I have something to report."

    "Come in~"

    The lord of this domain was, surprisingly, a girl.

    Her name was Lucy Talian, the rightful heir and ruler of the Talian domain.

    She had many concerns lately.

    "What is it now? Thieves again?"

    "No, this time it''s wolves."

    Lucy''s administrative officer reported in a lazy tone.

    It was not a tone appropriate for addressing a lord, but there was no one to correct him.

    Even though Lucy was the legitimate heir of Talian, lineage alone does not guarantee authority.

    Especially now, as her family had been swept up in conflict and ascended to the heavens, leaving few capable advisors in the domain.

    "The band of thieves that appeared before are still causing chaos in our domain. And now, wolves. There''s no end to the chaos."

    "..."

    "So, regarding the proposal I made earlier..."

    Lucy scowled.

    The officer''s proposal was to hire mercenaries managed by his relative as the domain''s military force.

    Currently, Talian had hardly anyone who could be called a soldier, simply because there were no funds available.

    After relying on Count Catina during the last domain war, they had handed over most of the domain''s finances to his forces.

    Thus, the costly soldiers had been dismissed...

    With no soldiers, security had worsened.

    Upon hearing that Talian had neither money nor soldiers, local thieves began to prowl, targeting Lucy''s coffers (her citizens).

    "If we bring in my cousin, he''ll quickly drive away the wolves. He can handle the thieves too!"

    "Perhaps. That might be true."

    The administrator''s logic was sound.

    The current disorder in the domain was ultimately due to a lack of military strength.

    Replenishing soldiers and clearing out thieves would stabilize the lives of the citizens.

    ...However, in this process, Lucy would inevitably have to be wary of the mercenaries and the administrative officer.

    Doesn''t this scene seem familiar?

    Yes.

    It��s similar to when Talian was attacked by the usurper, Graham.

    Lucy is a girl, an unmarried one at that.

    If external mercenaries took over the domain and later married Lucy, becoming nobility would be a piece of cake.

    Thus, Lucy could not make a hasty decision.

    She did not want to repeat the same mistakes.

    "Think carefully. The longer you take, the more the people will suffer."

    The administrator reached out to Lucy with a meaningful smile.

    Lucy immediately knocked his hand away.

    Firmly, with strength.

    "The decision is mine to make."

    "Of course, my lord."

    The administrator bowed his head and closed the door.

    He wore a sinister smile.

    Lucy Talian was a spirited girl.

    A prey worth hunting.

    There''s no fun in hunting unresisting prey.

    The more Lucy struggled, the more thrilling the hunt became.

    ''It seems she��s waiting for that wizard to return...''

    The mystery-seeking wizard, Ian, who had saved the Talian domain.

    The administrator had seen Ian from a distance a few times.

    The ignorant mercenaries had praised Ian as a great wizard, the savior of Talian.

    But excluding the aura of a wizard, he was just a green youngster.

    ''By the time you return, it''ll already be over. Wizard Ian!''

    The administrator had no intention of simply handing over the Talian domain.

    Initially, he had offered himself as the administrator to become the next lord of Talian.

    The exploits shown by the usurper Graham had inspired many.

    Hey, you too can become nobility!

    Even though Graham''s uprising ended in failure.

    Many ambitious individuals saw it as an opportunity.

    It was truly a pity that he failed!

    It would have succeeded had the wizard not intervened.

    There was no law saying others couldn''t try a second or third time.

    So, the administrator threw down the gauntlet.

    He had no plans to forcibly seize the domain like Graham did.

    Instead, he intended to gradually build up merits and gain the trust of those around him, then mobilize the military to take control of Lucy.

    It would take time, but fortunately, Lucy was young.

    A few years'' investment was acceptable.

    "Hehe. Everything is proceeding as planned."

    The thieves currently attacking the Talian domain were actually friends of his mercenary cousin.

    Indeed, these jobless mercenaries had simply lowered their flag and turned to thievery!

    The one who had called these mercenary-thieves was the administrator, and he would also bring his cousin to drive them away.

    It was all a well-orchestrated game.

    "With the people already suffering from thieves, and now with wolves joining the fray... Hehe."

    How long could such a delicate young girl endure?

    It was during one of his sinister chuckles that the alarm was raised.

    "Sir Administrator, there''s trouble!"

    "Ian???"

    He''s another one of Ian''s friends?

    Lucy was momentarily speechless.

    First a bandit chief, and now he''s made a pact with a werewolf?

    "I''ve noticed there are quite a few wolves around. I''ll take care of them."

    "Uh... Okay."

    Werewolf Lewis charged into the pack of wolves with nothing but his bare hands.

    And in less than a day, he returned as the king of the wolves.

    "I''ve subdued them all. The wolves won''t harass the people of the domain anymore."

    "Wow."

    Lucy was impressed. This guy was effective.

    Lewis gave a sly wink.

    "Make sure to document this well so I can report it when Ian returns."

    "Uh, sure."

    I''m not sure what''s happening, but...

    With the addition of Baron Damon and Lewis, the security in the Talian domain was completely restored.

    The residents of the domain sent uproarious cheers to Lucy.

    "Wow! Long live our lord!"

    Lucy responded with a noble''s smile.

    "Lucky me."

    "Oh, there are more people now. It''s lively and nice."

    "Ah, the Fairy Queen!"

    The Fairy Queen, visiting the Talian domain after some time, nodded as she saw the bustling domain.

    Lucy was governing well! (Or not)

    "Here. This is fairy silk made for Ian. Make sure you take good care of it."

    "Thank you!"

    Lucy stroked the exquisite fairy silk with a broad smile.

    Wow! This is valuable!

    Ian had told her to handle it as she saw fit, but Lucy planned to carefully look for a buyer.

    If she messed it up, she wouldn''t be able to face Ian.

    Just then.

    "My lady! There''s a visitor outside looking for you!"

    "Again?"

    This time, the visitor was...

    A nun.

    "Hello, sister. I came at Ian''s recommendation. I heard there''s precious fabric here... I happen to know a bit about tailoring."

    "..."

    By this point, Lucy became curious.

    What exactly was Ian doing out there?!

    Regardless of Lucy''s questions, the Talian domain was bustling more than ever.

    It was a sign of prosperity.

    ---

    ---

    Ian had left the castle after receiving some pocket money from Baron Devosi and his wife.

    The sun was blazing, and the breeze was refreshing.

    It was perfect weather for traveling.

    "It''s so hot... Maybe coming out wasn''t such a good idea..."

    If only Takarion would stop spouting nonsense.

    "Ha... If only I could have a refreshing fruit juice right now, I''d wish for nothing more..."

    "..."

    "Nothing more..."

    What do you want me to do about it?

    Takarion, having heard of Ian''s competence as a wizard, kept trying to get something extra out of him.

    "Can''t you make some ice?"

    "What do you think magic is?"

    Traveling is tough.

    You must eat and sleep on the road, never knowing when you might encounter monsters or thieves.

    Ian''s party were all professional-level travelers, and the monks were used to hardships and had great patience.

    But Takarion was not one of them.

    "Ah... Can we rest soon?"

    "Just a little longer! Brother Takarion! If we stop here, we won''t make good progress!"

    "My legs feel like they''re going to break!"

    Ian sighed.

    Clearly, someone used to just fiddling with pens at home had crawled out of the monastery dreaming of riches and honor.

    "Takarion~"

    "Huh?"

    At that moment, someone on the road called out Takarion''s name.

    A beautiful woman with long flowing blond hair came running.

    Ian, of course, and the others were shocked.

    The woman was dressed as a nun.

    "A nun?"

    "Is there a convent nearby?"

    "But why is she dressed like that..."

    She was wearing a modified nun''s outfit.

    A skirt in the style of a Cheongsam that exposed her legs and a long sash passing under her ample chest.

    Her hair flowed freely, adorned with a pure white headband!

    "Oh!"

    Ian was impressed.

    Such futuristic attire in this uncivilized medieval fantasy world!

    It was incredibly pretty!

    It could easily fit right into a cute girl gacha game.

    However, unlike the admiring Ian, the monks could not hide their anger.

    "That, that! What kind of indecent outfit is that!"

    "Have you ever seen such a lewd nun!"

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

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    Mionia was a nun.

    During a difficult childbirth, her mother vowed to dedicate her child to God if both survived.

    Mionia was born safely and thus, dedicated to God.

    She became a nun, not by her own will, similar to many medieval people who couldn''t choose their own futures.

    The problem was that Mionia had little faith.

    "Haah, life."

    Indifferently, Mionia leaned against the convent walls, watching the street.

    All she saw were women walking arm in arm with men, ordinary women who were born into ordinary families, married into ordinary families, and became housewives.

    "...I''m jealous."

    Mionia envied these ordinary women.

    The strict life of a nun was too much for her.

    She disliked getting up at dawn for prayers and always having to behave modestly and demurely.

    Especially the clothing!

    The mother superior was particularly strict about the young nuns�� attire.

    Monks, having vowed to dedicate everything to God, must only look towards God.

    Therefore, any attire that attracted attention was unacceptable.

    Moreover, the God of their religion is often depicted as female, widely recognized as the Goddess.FOlloww newest stories at novelhall.com

    A nun tempting men in her holy robes under the eyes of the Goddess?

    The watching Goddess would be justified in striking her with lightning.

    It would be no crime.

    Thus, the nun��s robes had to be solemn and neat.

    "Mionia! Can''t you wear your veil properly? Your hair is sticking out again!"

    "Oh come on! Just overlook a bit of hair!"

    "And did you shorten your top again? What''s with that tight-fitting dress!"

    "I didn��t shorten it! What am I supposed to do if my breasts get bigger!"

    "You should have brought a bandage to cover that vulgar chest!"

    "What? You old hag!"

    Mionia was the troublemaker of the convent.

    Daily, she fought, pulling hair and scrapping with the other nuns, who called her a devil''s spawn and a lascivious woman.

    But Mionia felt wronged.

    Did she want to become a nun?

    No, she had been dedicated by her parents as a newborn!

    She wanted to quit being a nun, meet a decent man, have children, and start a family.

    However, the mother superior wouldn��t let her go.

    Since she was dedicated to God, she was told she had to work for God until her death.

    The mother superior��s logic was flawed.

    God never said it was okay to exploit people like slaves, nor had she ever forced unwilling people into service.

    But the mother superior was a greedy human.

    Why would she release a legally free slave?

    "Mionia. If you finish all the tasks I give you, I��ll secularize you."

    "Really?"

    "Of course. I swear to God."

    Eagerly, Mionia followed the mother superior��s orders, hoping to be secularized.

    But the difficulty of the secularization tasks far exceeded Mionia��s expectations.

    She began to doubt if it was even meant to be completed.

    Perhaps there was never any intention to secularize her from the start?

    The mother superior��s request turned out to be participation in an assassination.

    "Excuse me? You want me to commit assassination?"

    "Oh. Assassination? I said collaborate in meting out divine punishment."

    She never used the word ''assassination'', but to Mionia, it was the same thing.

    Divine punishment? Are you kidding? Using the name of the Goddess to justify murder?

    "Don��t worry, Mionia. The target is a shameless fraudster. God would reward you for this."

    How do you know that?

    Mionia swallowed her doubts but remained silent.

    She had already uncovered the mother superior��s sinister scheme.

    If she withdrew now, the punishment might be far worse than mere confinement within the convent walls.

    "Go. Do what you must."

    "Yes, Mother Superior," Mionia replied.

    After receiving instructions, Mionia left the convent to meet with an accomplice.

    "So, have you heard enough?"

    "No, not yet..."

    "The one we need to handle is a monk called [

    Golden Finger Takarion], who has sinned by writing a misleading gospel that has confused many."

    Mionia swallowed dryly.

    Both Takarion and the monks were utterly astonished.

    Mionia, who drove everyone crazy, was truly a superstar in every sense of the word.

    "Hmm..."

    Ian watched and tilted his head slightly.

    But really, no matter how much you respect Takarion, was he so charming to cling to him like so?

    For a woman to wear such attractive clothes and cling to a man is no trivial act.

    It requires serious intent, whatever that may be.

    Surely Sister Mionia isn��t blind...

    Could she actually have a bizarre taste for someone like a hopeless otaku?

    "Is she trying to steal his organs?"

    "Is she under some kind of spell?"

    Belenka narrowed her eyes sharply.

    Her past experiences had made her suspicious of wizards.

    Ian just shrugged.

    The organ comment was just a joke.

    He didn''t know the full story.

    Perhaps she really dressed that way out of fandom, wanting to appear attractive to Takarion.

    Then, Kira murmured softly.

    "There might be... some ulterior motive."

    "Huh?"

    "The way she acts... It doesn''t feel sincere. Like she��s performing?"

    As an expert in acting, Kira sensed something off in the nun''s behavior.

    But just because it appeared a bit awkward, they couldn''t interrogate her as if she were a criminal.

    "Let''s go! Let''s have that meal!"

    "You��re so cool, Takarion!"

    By now, Takarion was completely enamored with Mionia.

    Ian quietly followed the two.

    ---

    ---

    Murder is a sin.

    All murders are sinful, but some are especially egregious.

    Specifically, the murder of a clergyman.

    It goes without saying that all adherents of Heaven''s Faith dread going to hell��a place filled only with terrible suffering.

    However, life sometimes brings moments when sinning seems inevitable.

    For instance, killing a passerby to steal their food when on the brink of starvation.

    In cases deemed ''unavoidable,'' the gravity of the sin committed is said to be much lighter than that of other crimes.

    Those who have taken up murder as a profession took note of this nuance.

    They realized that even the same act of murder can carry different consequences depending on the circumstances.

    If we kill someone by accident, it''s not really our fault, right?

    For instance, stabbing someone with a knife is a clear case of murder.

    But what if you poison someone instead?

    What if it''s by serving them a meal prepared with an exotic ingredient that people didn''t know was poisonous?

    Wow. Had no idea that eating food made with such strange ingredients could kill someone! It was a case of willful ignorance.

    Yet, murderers are desperate people.

    If there''s even a slight chance that the gravity of their sin could be lessened, they will take it, no matter how foolish it may seem.

    Those planning Takarion''s assassination reasoned similarly.

    Even though the higher-ups denounced Takarion as a fake and a fraudster, to those below, Takarion was still a clergyman.

    They didn''t want to kill a clergyman with their own hands!

    The higher-ups shared this reluctance.

    So, they devised a clever solution.

    "Let''s assassinate him with a poison unknown in the empire!"

    "Let''s use a poison even the clergy don''t know about!"

    "Maybe then our sin will be lessened?"

    They looked for food that appeared harmless but was in fact filled with deadly poison.

    Pufferfish or poisonous mushrooms were too well-known, so they were out.

    Sprouted potatoes were too weak in toxicity, so they were out.

    After filtering through various options, they stumbled upon a certain red, round vegetable.

    "This is supposed to be dangerous?"

    "Yes! It''s said to be a deadly food if eaten!"

    The vegetable the assassins discovered was called [tomato].

    "Hmm. It doesn''t look dangerous at all. Are you sure it''s deadly?"

    "Would you like to try some?"

    "Are you insane? If we confirm its toxicity, it becomes an actual assassination! We''re just supposed to be serving food by chance. Takarion has to die without our knowledge!"

    "Ah! Right! That was close!"

    Rumor has it that everyone who ate this [tomato] died.

    So, well... Takarion would probably just die off casually too!

    Thus, the assassins waited with a pot of tomato soup, as Mionia brought Takarion to them.

    "Hehe... Let''s send him to hell! Foolish Takarion!"

    The assassin stirred the tomato soup and chuckled sinisterly.

    With such ruthless assassins after his life, Takarion��s life was as fragile as a candle in the wind!

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

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    There''s a theory known as "Fan Death."

    It��s a spooky tale claiming that if you slept in an enclosed room with a fan running, you would be found dead the next morning.

    This urban legend had become so well-known in South Korea that it was even featured on the 9 PM news.

    Parents with young children panicked after hearing news reports that sleeping with the fan on could kill you.

    "Oh my! How terrifying! How can we live like this!"

    "Don��t turn on the fan at night! If you do, you''ll die!!!"

    Worried their children might die, they didn��t allow fans to be used during the hot summer.

    The entire nation seriously believed in the fan death theory.

    In fact, it was common for some to lock themselves in their rooms and turn on the fan after arguing with their parents.

    "Don��t come in my room! I''m going to turn on the fan and just die!"

    Children who waited for death in front of a fan in a tightly sealed room...

    Well, as everyone expected, they all woke up fine the next morning.

    Yes.

    The fan death theory is indeed just an urban legend.

    Logically, how could a fan on its own, kill a person?

    However, just because it was reported on the news, the adults in South Korea took the [Fan Death] theory seriously.

    You might think, why not just test it and find out?

    But, if by some rare chance, the fan death theory was true, wouldn��t the experiment end with a dead body?

    That''s why the fan death theory didn''t easily fade away.

    Urban legends might seem comedic from the outside, but in the inside, they''re tragedies.

    The [Tomato Death Theory] that spread in the northern part of the Holy Empire was just like that.

    A priest had died after eating a tomato imported from the south, for some unspecified reason.

    Although the exact cause of death was not determined, other priests in the vicinity attributed the priest''s death to the tomato.

    "They died after eating a tomato, right?!"

    "We need to educate the people about this!"

    The priests hurriedly taught the farmers that tomatoes were a "crop that causes death when eaten."

    If any brave farmer had verified the truth, the priests�� teachings would have been exposed as false.

    But no farmer wanted to risk their life to challenge the priests�� claims.

    Then as now, curiosity equals heaven.

    It means going to meet God.

    "So, eating this means you die?"

    "Yes! It''s dangerous, so don��t even come close!"

    Tomatoes are one of the popular crops in the southern Coral Sea that people can''t eat enough of.

    If Sword Master Salvador from the South saw this, he would burst into laughter at the absurdity.

    Logically, why would anyone in the South cultivate in mass a crop that kills when eaten?

    But the northerners seriously believed in the [Tomato Death Theory].

    ... And so, assassins began buying tomatoes for assassinations.

    "Keke... I''ll send you straight to hell, Takarion!"

    That��s why Takarion''s assassins ended up making tomato soup.

    ---

    ---

    Ian had the chance to eat under a roof for a change, but it sparked no particular emotion in him.

    He had already grown tired of the medieval dining style.

    Most likely another salted roast dish was coming.

    Grill, steam, boil.

    Once the cooking was done, just sprinkle some salt on it.

    There, the exciting medieval cuisine is complete!

    Easy, right?

    In fact, this ridiculously simple cooking style can be seen all over contemporary Europe.

    Bread, meat, and a bit of vegetables are grilled, steamed, boiled... and simply eaten.

    A typical example is steak.

    Grilling can be considered an art form, but when it comes down to it, it��s just grilled meat served with butter.

    Throw in some asparagus, and you''re done.

    Even monks consider a simple meal a virtue.

    Looking at the attire of the nun Mionia, she seems to live a free-spirited lifestyle...

    But could it really be more luxurious than a noble''s meal?

    Until recently, Ian had been residing at Devosi Castle, a prosperous estate where he even enjoyed meals sprinkled with pepper.

    The meal was served at a merchant''s house, which appeared to be the residence where Sister Mionia was staying.

    "There isn''t much, but please eat your fill!" the homeowner obsequiously offered as he served the food.

    Surprised, the monks murmured among themselves.

    "What kind of food is this?"

    "The soup is bright red... really unusual, isn��t it?"

    It wasn''t just idle chatter.

    The food the merchant had prepared was indeed unusual.

    It was a soup, but the broth was as red as blood.

    "The smell is quite nice though."

    Neither the monks, Belenka, nor Kira knew what this red soup was.

    The only ones who knew the identity of the soup at this gathering were the merchant, Mionia, and Ian.

    ''...Tomato?''

    Ian silently guessed.

    He tasted the soup with his lips.

    It was a tangy flavor.

    ''Wow...!''

    Yes, it was indeed tomato soup.

    Moved nearly to tears by the tangy, refreshing taste he hadn''t experienced in almost 20 years, Ian was overwhelmed.

    Tomato!

    It''s a staple in every hamburger, not to mention how its distinctive tangy umami flavor finds its way into all sorts of dishes, especially complementing meat dishes well.

    After eating only greasy meat for so long, tasting the tangy tomato was an eye-opening experience.

    Yes! You medieval folks!

    Don��t just gorge on meat; eat some proper vegetables too!

    Having seen just the tomato soup, Ian was already excited about the main course.

    Surely the merchant must have brought precious ingredients to treat the clergy!

    Just as Ian was thinking this, there was a sudden noise.

    Thud!

    Someone roughly pushed back their chair and stood up.

    It was Sister Mionia.

    "What��s the matter, Sister?" the merchant asked Mionia with a smile.

    Mionia was visibly shocked.

    That''s...soup made with [tomatoes]?!

    Is he planning to kill everyone here!!!

    Sister Mionia trembled, then looked at the merchant with a stern expression.

    "What in the world are you doing?" she demanded.

    "What do you mean, all of a sudden?"

    "You intend to serve this meal to everyone here? Really...! Do you think that��s the right thing to do!"

    Startled by Mionia''s outcry, the monks looked puzzled.

    However, the merchant remained calm.

    "Of course, I must treat everyone. Wouldn��t it be strange to give special treatment to just one person?"

    "...Is that so," Mionia''s voice sank, filled with betrayal.

    Even if she had been forced to join the table due to the mother superior''s threats, she had no intention of standing by during a massacre.

    Yes. This was already the realm of massacre!

    Feeding tomato soup to everyone seated here! How horrifying!

    At the same time, they were deeply moved.

    To offer up his own life for others...

    What a holy sacrifice!

    However, contrary to the monks'' thoughts, Ian was not thinking of ''sacrifice'' at all.

    It was just a tomato...

    His aim was to create a disturbance and distract the guards.

    In short, it was just a performance by an ordinary wizard.

    "Uh, uh..."

    Takarion hesitated as if he were in urgent need of a restroom.

    He wanted to make a grand ''sacrifice'' himself, but he just couldn''t find the words.

    "This can''t be! What are you suddenly saying!"

    Mionia stepped forward, flustered, looking at Ian.

    Apparently, he seemed like a noble��s child traveling on a pilgrimage with the monks.

    To think he decided to sacrifice himself to save others! (Not really)

    Ian made up a suitable response to console Mionia.

    "It is a believer��s duty to step forward for those devoted to the clergy."

    "Ah...!"

    Mionia unwittingly teared up.

    There were many who professed faith with their lips.

    However, most sought faith only in words and never practiced it directly.

    Such transparent and pure faith!

    Mionia felt as if the darkness in her heart was slowly clearing.

    "But...!"

    "If you pray for me, sister, a miracle might happen, and I might survive."

    "..."

    "Please, will you pray for me."

    As Ian spoke with a smile, Mionia burst into tears.

    Sacrifice is a word not easily uttered.

    Mionia too found it difficult to continue shouting for her own death when Ian offered himself instead.

    Instead, she decided to pray for Ian.

    "I will... I will... Sob! Yes, I will pray!"

    "Brother Ian!"

    "Sob! I too! I too will pray for Brother Ian!"

    The monks collectively shed tears.

    ...Ian felt a bit embarrassed.

    Anyone would think he was headed to his death.

    But Ian had no intention of dying at all.

    All Ian needed was to sufficiently distract the assassins'' attention.

    "You''re offering to eat the poison instead?"

    "Yes."

    "Ha ha ha. What a fool. Well, go ahead if you really want to."

    The assassin readily consented to Ian''s proposal for self-sacrifice.

    After all, his plan had been to eliminate everyone, including Takarion.

    Ian volunteering to die meant one less person he needed to forcibly kill.

    It was also somewhat distasteful to harm such a devout person directly.

    Ian stood in front of the assassin.

    The assassin regarded Ian with a gleam of excitement in his eyes, finding amusement in the situation.

    It was also an opportunity to witness firsthand the supposed toxicity of the [tomato].

    "Hehe. Are you sure you won''t regret this? You can still go back to your seat, and I''d understand."

    Ian smirked, confidently gripping the tomato.

    He then bit into it without any hesitation.

    "...!"

    "...!"

    Sister Mionia covered her mouth.

    A frail monk sniffled.

    "For us... such a sacrifice...!"

    "Ah... Ian... are you truly a saint...!"

    Regardless of their reactions, Ian chewed the tomato thoroughly and swallowed.

    It was delicious��unexpectedly so.

    ''Delicious.''

    "I might as well have another."

    Ian picked up a second tomato.

    "Gasp!"

    "Two, two of them...!"

    "Stop! Really! You''ll really die!"

    The monks wailed in despair.

    Ian''s actions deeply moved them, and the room was again filled with tears.

    Meanwhile, the assassin sneered, amused by Ian''s apparent foolishness.

    "Ha. He''s so eager to die. Good thing I didn''t interfere!"

    "Hurry up and die, you fool!"

    Ian, ignoring the reactions around him, bit into a third tomato.

    It was just as delicious as the others.

    That''s when the assassins began to feel something was off.

    ''...? What''s going on?''

    ''Why isn''t he dying???''

    After eating three supposedly deadly plants???

    Ian chuckled.

    Eating tomatoes isn''t going to kill anyone.

    "Curious why I''m still alive?"

    Nods.

    The assassins were staring blankly at Ian, witnessing a rare spectacle they couldn''t have paid to see.

    Even the swordsman guarding Belenka and Kira was distracted by Ian''s performance.

    Now''s the chance!

    Snap!

    Ian snapped his fingers and shouted,

    "It''s all thanks to Kira''s fireworks!"

    Caught off guard by Ian''s sudden declaration, the assassins were completely baffled.

    Fireworks? What fireworks?

    But Kira knew exactly what Ian wanted.

    Showtime, Kira!

    "[Fire!]"

    As she shouted, Kira launched the fireworks.

    The guards, who should have restrained her, were so captivated by Ian''s performance that they couldn''t react in time.

    With a thunderous noise and fireworks bursting like a fountain, the guards were startled and scrambled backward.

    However, Kira��s fireworks were merely dazzling and not lethal.

    But as the guards backed off...

    The Black Knight seized the opportunity to draw her sword!

    In a flash of silver light, a severed head flew through the air.

    It was Belenka, wielding a longsword.

    Caught off guard, the subordinates watched helplessly, unable to fight back.

    It felt like being caught in a fairy''s prank.

    "What are you... exactly?"

    Ian, retreating into the shadows, responded,

    "Ian. A wizard."

    But it was not the mischief of a fairy, but the sleight of hand of a wizard.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    It was evening, and the sun had set.

    Ian''s condition was excellent.

    Soon, the entire house was filled with pitch-black darkness.

    [Ian! We''re here!]

    With the darkness fully deployed, Ian was virtually invincible.

    When you can''t see, even taking a step is challenging, much less pursuing and fighting enemies.

    Ian had also cast a spell on Belenka.

    "[Wind!]"

    This was the magic of echo localization, developed in Baron Talian''s tomb.

    The spell visualized sounds, enabling one to distinguish objects even in the dark.

    "Hmm."

    As the mysteries of the wind whispered, Belenka sensed a blurred distinction of objects around her.

    However, unlike the confined underground, the magic was significantly weaker in the open air above ground.

    The wind and sound spread in all directions, echo localization did not function well in these conditions.

    Thus, Belenka could only strike down enemies who were nearby.

    "Yikes!"

    As the situation quickly reversed, the assassins lost their composure.

    They had thought this mission was only about dealing with powerless monks.

    Clergy are distasteful to kill, not difficult.

    But among Takarion''s group was a wizard��a highly competent one!

    ''Surely Takarion is blessed by the gods?!''

    ''I was wrong...! We should have never started this!''

    As their plan went awry, the assassins panicked.

    There was a Plan B prepared in case of assassination failure, but that was irrelevant to the assassins.

    "Run away!"

    "Scatter! Everyone scatter!"

    Sensing their failure, the assassins sought their own survival, fleeing in all directions.

    Some were caught by Belenka running in random directions, but most escaped the house and vanished into the darkness beyond.

    Ian did not pursue the assassins.

    More precisely, he could not pursue them.

    "Surrender! I will surrender!"

    "???"

    "I''ll pay a ransom, just spare my life!"

    The assassin leader had fallen to his knees.

    Ian was flabbergasted.

    What nonsense about ransoms? Are you worth that?

    "Excuse me, just to check, are you royalty?"

    "No. But..."

    It wasn''t worth listening further.

    Ian drew Anor-lsil and aimed at the assassin''s chest.

    "..."

    Just before he swung the sword, his fingertips trembled slightly.

    To medieval people, killing was as routine as daily life, but not for Ian.

    Glory and sin are two sides of the same coin.

    Murder is an honorable act but also a sin that eats away at one''s humanity.

    Suddenly, the darkness lifted.

    Belenka approached Ian and said,

    "I can do it instead."

    Ian looked at Belenka.

    She was his knight.

    She could bear Ian''s sins without him having to get his hands bloody.

    But Ian shook his head.

    "No."

    Ian was not a modern person; he was a medieval resident.

    Here, there were no laws or officers to protect Ian.

    To defend oneself, one must wield violence.

    Ian needed to become accustomed to violence.

    "If you spare me, I''ll give you a treasure map hidden with gold and jewels! I can give you alcohol and women too! Please spare me!"

    Ian scoffed in disbelief.

    Money, alcohol, women.

    That''s all the wealth gathered from a lifetime of killing?

    Ian positioned the blade''s tip downward, plunging it between the collarbones.

    "Gurk!"

    The blade smoothly disappeared into the flesh.

    It was Ian''s first time wielding a sword, yet he miraculously avoided hitting any bones��a stroke of beginner''s luck perhaps.

    When Ian pulled out Anor-lsil,

    Thud.

    "Yes. As far as I know, they are mercenaries hired by Count Lumin, prepared in case the poison assassination failed."

    The assassins themselves were aware that the assassination using [tomatoes] was uncertain.

    In fact, the [tomato assassination method] benefited only the assassins, allowing them to claim that the clergymen died mysteriously after they had merely served food.

    If they truly intended to ensure the monks'' deaths from the start, they would have prepared an actual poison.

    However, Count Lumin, a devout follower of Heaven''s Faith, did not want to burden the assassins with the heinous sin of murdering clergy.

    So, they initially prepared a tomato assassination.

    If the assassination failed, they would simply smile and send the monks on their way, then attempt a second assassination.

    That would be the [Barbarian Assassination Method].

    "Barbarians..."

    "This is serious," the monks murmured, worry spreading across their faces.

    Followers of Heaven''s Faith would never harm clergy due to the fear of repercussions in the afterlife.

    But barbarians are different; they are pagans!

    They do not believe in Heaven''s Faith, so to them, killing hundreds or even thousands of clergy is not frightening at all!

    Count Lumin had cunningly prepared the most suitable assassins to kill clergy��barbarian warriors, who were ruthless murderers, well deserving of the term ''clergy killing machines.''

    "We must seek help from followers of Heaven''s Faith as quickly as possible."

    Ian nodded.

    If the barbarian warriors attacked, it would be difficult to guarantee the survival of the monks.

    Ian, capable of using various spells and even possessing a space-moving scroll, had nearly zero chance of being killed by the barbarians.

    However, nearly zero does not mean absolutely zero.

    In the dreadful sanitary and medical conditions of the medieval period, even a stray arrow could result in a fatal poisoning.

    Avoiding pointless fights was always the right choice.

    Ian had one advantage: the enemy were barbarians.

    This land was imperial territory, overflowing with followers of Heaven''s Faith.

    Knights eager to earn glory would rush over, laughing and competing to help.

    Any knight Ian met on the road could become a shield for his group.

    "I understand the situation, but there''s still something I''m unsure about."

    A monk pointed at Mionia and said,

    "What if this woman is trying to lead us to the barbarians?"

    Ian looked at Mionia silently.

    She was the woman who had altered her nun''s habit to seduce Takarion, making it somewhat indecent(?).

    Could they trust a woman who was once their enemy?

    "Sister Mionia, swear to heaven and tell us the truth. Why did you betray them? Why are you on our side now?"

    Mionia sighed as if exhausted.

    "I just wanted to escape the convent life, so I did as I was told. I participated in the assassination knowing it was to kill Takarion. Yes, that''s my sin."

    "You were trying to kill me from the start?"

    "Will you shut up for a second. Sister, please continue."

    "But the assassins intended to eliminate all of you. I didn''t want to see you all die. That''s a sin I couldn''t bear. So, I told the truth."

    If Mionia hadn''t betrayed them, Ian and his group would have simply walked out of the house after eating.

    But soon, they would have encountered barbarian warriors and fought.

    Mionia had ruined everything. Conversely, she had also saved everyone.

    "You made a difficult decision," Ian remarked.

    "...It��s not something to be praised for. It was merely reaping the sins I cultivated."

    "If you had remained silent, you could have gotten what you wanted. Instead, you kicked it away yourself."

    Ian said with a smile.

    "Perhaps it''s not yet time for you to leave the convent life."

    The monks nodded in agreement with Ian''s words.

    Choosing to follow divine teachings over immediate benefits is a behavior more fitting for a clergyman than an ordinary person.

    All the monks decided to trust Mionia��s words��except for one.

    Except for Takarion.

    "What?! She tried to kill me! And that doesn''t bother you???" Takarion exclaimed incredulously.

    "Well, that can happen," Ian replied matter-of-factly.

    "What do you mean, that can happen?"

    It seemed Takarion still lacked self-awareness.

    Considering how much he had done.

    "Sister Mionia! You said you liked me! That you respected me!"

    Takarion''s voice was almost desperate.

    Mionia responded sternly, "Are you an idiot? You believed that?"

    "It... it was a lie?"

    "The very idea that I could like you is laughable. Don��t you even look at your face when you wash? Oh, right, you probably don��t realize since you barely wash."

    "That��s too much!!! You even said you liked my gospel!"

    "Ah, the gospel. Honestly, your gospel is awful. It truly deserves divine punishment, you know? You tried to make Saint Marcus a hero at the expense of treating other saints like idiots," Mionia criticized bluntly.

    "Well, that was simply to highlight the achievements of Saint Marcus..."

    Takarion attempted to justify.

    "The Saint Garhan who you described as a complete fool is Count Lumin��s most revered saint," Mionia revealed.

    "..."

    Takarion''s face turned pale.

    "Wait... you tried to kill me just over that?" he asked in disbelief.

    Mionia scoffed, "Just over that? Do you think living a life of faith is a joke?"

    Ian nodded in agreement.

    Indeed, issues involving a favorite character are serious matters, especially if your favorite character is turned into an idiot in some weird fanfic.

    As an ex-modern person, Ian could somewhat understand Count Lumin''s rage.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    A gospel, formally speaking, is a book that contains the sayings of ancient saints.

    Gospels filled only with truly good teachings are nearly non-existent.

    Such gospels are initially hard to understand.

    Starting with ''Saint Marcus says~'' isn''t effective when no one even knows who the hell Marcus is.

    Thus, it''s necessary to include who Marcus was and what achievements he accumulated.

    Then, the faithful can say, ''Saint Marcus was indeed a great man~'' and pay attention to his teachings.

    Therefore, the method for composing a gospel was as follows:

    Firstly, the essential words of the saint must be written. These parts are almost never omitted or distorted because any tampering would cast doubt on the gospel''s purity.

    Once the essentials are covered, the rest of the book can be freely fleshed out.

    This ''freedom'' in writing is quite broad since there were no specific qualifications required to write a gospel.

    For instance, the Bible must never be distorted or tampered with. The Bible is a perfect artifact in itself; altering even a single letter would compromise its sanctity.

    However, gospels are different.

    The very first gospel was written to more widely disseminate the teachings of the 13 saints.

    A monk recorded these teachings and lent the document to a friend.

    The friend copied its contents into a new book and then returned the original.

    The book was borrowed again, copied, and so on...

    Thus, while the core content remained, details often changed.

    ''Did you see the scene where Marcus punishes the Sky General?''

    ''Huh? Sky General? The scene I read was him punishing a barbarian.''

    ''This is inconsistent.''

    ''Ah, that''s not important!''

    Anyway, Marcus did punish them, right? Let''s have a drink~

    As a result, popular parts became [official], and less popular ones became [folk tales].

    ''Breaking news! Saint Marcus actually shoots laser beams from his fingers!''

    ''...Who the hell said that?''

    ''Golden Finger Takarion mentioned it.''

    ''Bullsh*t! There''s no such thing in the official settings!''

    ''Shut up! What do the officials know!''

    ''???''

    In this sense, Takarion was a badass.

    With divine penmanship, he instantly captivated readers'' hearts, boasting firepower strong enough to threaten the official status with a solid concrete fandom!

    Takarion was a famous fan of Saint Marcus and, of course, portrayed Marcus as a superhuman demon, a blasphemy even to gods.

    His written gospels seriously pissed off many monks.

    But where there is light, there must also be shadow.

    While the monks were washing their pants by the creek...

    An unknown author published a new gospel.

    It was a healing gospel filled with the quaint daily life of Saint Garhan.

    The monks devoured the new gospel and soon burst into laughter.

    ''Garhan''s daily life haha''

    ''A devoted believer who cared deeply. But that was all there was to him~''

    ''Honestly, if it''s for a laugh, Garhan tops the chart~''

    As soon as the gospel was released, mocking letters came pouring in.

    The author, Count Lumin, couldn''t help but be baffled.

    Why, Saint Garhan???

    Count Lumin was a devout believer of the Heaven''s Faith. His hobby was reading gospels.

    As he read gospels every day, he eventually developed the ambition to create and publish his own.

    He believed Saint Garhan embodied the cleanest and most transparent religious life and published a gospel documenting his deeds.

    But the image of Saint Garhan turned out to be an utter disaster.

    The cause was... Takarion, that bastard.

    Takarion turned Saint Garhan into a f*cking idiotic troll just to promote Saint Marcus!

    Count Lumin was indignant.

    He diligently wrote a sequel to clear up the misunderstanding by documenting Garhan''s achievements.

    However, it astonishingly received little attention.

    The reason was simple: Count Lumin''s writing was dull.

    It was a true gospel, containing only genuinely good teachings and acts of kindness.

    Confronted with the book''s wholesomeness, the faithful turned away.

    For every single book of Lumin''s sold, dozens of Takarion''s flew off the shelves.

    Watching Takarion''s books sell like hotcakes, Count Lumin''s heart was torn apart.

    Ah, I''m so envious.

    But then he reconsidered; he just wanted the job done.

    Although it was pitiable, Takarion was a sinner who had confused countless believers with his blasphemous gospels.

    Well, he''s committed many sins, hasn''t he? Let him die a terrible death!

    "Leave the Swan River empty for now. Escape there once the job is done."

    "That''s refreshingly straightforward! Chief!"

    Count Lumin shook hands with the barbarian Bjorn.

    This was a few days before Takarion''s arrival at Devosi Castle.

    ---

    ---

    Close to midnight, at the home of an merchant.

    After the situation ended, Ian lay sprawled out, resting.

    The surroundings were a mess, but he lacked the energy to move a finger.

    "Master Ian. Are you feeling alright?"

    The monks took great care of Ian''s health.

    Ian had voluntarily eaten a tomato, mistakenly thought to be poisonous.

    It wouldn''t have been surprising if he suddenly felt ill.

    "I''m fine. It wasn''t poisonous anyway."

    "What? But didn''t that person say it was poisonous?"

    Several naive monks truly believed Ian had eaten poison.

    "It wasn''t poisonous."

    "Don''t lie! I''ve also heard rumors that those bright red fruits are poisonous!"

    No matter how much Ian explained, they wouldn''t understand.

    "You''ll definitely feel sick later! Definitely! For sure!"

    "..."

    Go ahead, curse me.

    For some monks, proving that their beliefs were correct was more important than Ian''s health.

    "Sob... To think you''ve ruined your body for us..."

    "..."

    That way, Ian''s sacrifice (?) seemed even more significant.

    Let it be.

    "I feel a bit sick, but I''ve recovered thanks to the protection of God."

    "Oh! How could that be!"

    "It''s a miracle! It''s a miracle!"

    "Everyone! Let''s sing of God''s greatness!"

    It all came back to praising God.

    The mighty One had taken care of Ian~

    "I feel like I''m going to die of exhaustion, so let''s rest here tonight and leave at dawn."

    "Is that alright? What if the barbarians attack..."

    "There are none nearby. They aren''t prepared, so they won''t attack tonight."

    Ambushing isn''t for everyone.

    You need to thoroughly understand the local geography and gather as much light as possible using numerous torches.

    Ian used dark magic to scan the surroundings for any light sources.

    The mysteries of darkness detest light, so detecting anyone with a torch was easy.

    However, there were no torchbearers, indicating there were no barbarian ambushes.

    "Even running away requires stamina. Let��s get some sleep and leave at dawn."

    "Yes... You��re Ian, right?"

    Sister Mionia bowed her head.

    "I��m really grateful for everything today."

    Ian nodded absently, weary from the constant thanks.

    But one question lingered in his mind.

    "Who modified the habit?"

    Since a nun��s habit is also a religious garment, laypeople usually wouldn��t dare to touch it, fearing divine punishment.

    "Oh."

    Mionia blushed, apparently aware that her attire was considered indecent.

    "I mended it myself."

    "Oh, yourself? You��re quite skilled, aren��t you?"

    Expecting harsher criticism, Mionia was baffled by Ian��s praise.

    Given his devoutness, she had expected a lecture on the propriety expected of clergy, not a compliment on her craftsmanship.

    "Hmm..."

    Whether Mionia was puzzled or not, Ian was already harboring a rather quirky thought.

    With such skill, wouldn��t she do well professionally making clothes?

    He briefly imagined Lucy in a modified nun''s habit.

    Oh, it was sacrilegious, but he liked it.

    Ian seriously considered suggesting that Mionia think about switching careers to become a designer.

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    As dawn broke, Ian and his companions prepared to set off.

    "Where''s the nearest castle from here?"

    "It''s Baron Inoti''s castle."

    "Let''s head there and seek help."

    Ian decided to take refuge in a nearby noble''s castle.

    The opponent was a barbarian.

    So they ran away like they were being chased by wild beasts.

    Although they were being pursued by enemies, Ian and his party took the time to have breakfast.

    It might feel like they were procrastinating, but it was a rational decision.

    In a situation where they didn''t even know where the enemies were, skipping a meal would only drain their strength unnecessarily.

    In fact, since the enemies also did not know where Ian''s group was, it was necessary to eat to preserve their strength.

    It was a kind of Red Queen[1] effect.

    With both sides eating, it turned out to be no waste of time at all.

    "Hmm?"

    While rummaging through the food storage for breakfast ingredients, Ian discovered a peculiar sack.

    He was originally just checking if there were any tomatoes left.

    Unfortunately, they had eaten all the tomatoes the day before.

    "What''s this?"

    A tightly wrapped small sack.

    It clearly seemed like an item that had been handled with care.

    Though the merchants who had stayed in this house were impostors, the house itself was indeed a real merchant''s residence.

    Therefore, there were valuable items in the storeroom.

    Ian carefully unwrapped the sack.

    What could be inside? Maybe cloves or pepper?

    But as soon as he unwrapped the sack, a fragrant smell tickled his nose.T0ppp novel updates at novelhall.com

    Ian instantly knew what it was.

    "Ian? What are you doing there?"

    Kira entered the storeroom, looking around curiously.

    Ian immediately extended the sack towards her.

    "Kira. Do you know what this is?"

    "Um... not sure?"

    Kira sniffed the scent, her eyes widening.

    "It smells sweet!"

    "Right? This is coffee... but I''m not sure what it''s called in the Imperial language."

    "Coffee?"

    The item Ian had found was none other than coffee.

    Coffee was a crop grown in the far south of the Empire.

    It was a common item in the southern part of the Empire, but mostly unknown in the north.

    "It looks like there''s a millstone over there. Let''s try grinding it."

    Ian took the sack containing coffee beans and headed to the backyard.

    He gathered some charcoal, lit a fire, and started roasting the beans in a pan.

    It was the most primitive way of roasting.

    "Ian. What strange thing are you doing now?"

    As it was getting close to mealtime, Belenka, who had been looking for Ian, saw him engaged in another odd activity.

    "Are you trying to boil spoons?"

    "No, what spoons."

    Belenka often saw Ian boiling spoons, performing some kind of disinfection.

    It was Ian''s desperate effort to maintain personal hygiene even while traveling.

    However, Belenka couldn''t easily understand Ian''s actions.

    According to Ian, it was a kind of ritual to drive out disease...

    She didn''t really understand the connection between spoons and diseases, but since the wizard said so, she just went along with it.

    She thought to herself that if someone caught a cold later, she might as well boil a spoon in front of them.

    "Good timing. Can you grind this for me?"

    "...?"

    Belenka did as Ian instructed and turned the millstone.

    The finely ground coffee powder piled up.

    The sweet aroma tickled her nose, and Belenka couldn''t help but admire it.

    "The scent is really good."

    "Isn''t it? I''m going to brew coffee with this."

    "Oh. That sounds promising."

    Fortunately, Ian had also found sugar in the storeroom.

    Before discovering the coffee, he had wondered if he should just dump the sugar into his mouth.

    Now that he had made coffee, the use for the sugar was pretty much decided.

    Ian added water and sugar to the finely ground coffee powder and boiled it.

    Finished.

    Not Turkish coffee, but rather Turkic coffee.

    Ian ground the coffee with a millstone, added it to water, and boiled it��this was how medieval coffee was made.

    Espresso machine? A clean Americano? Those are for fragile modern folks.

    True coffee is the kind that leaves grit from the ground beans swirling in your mouth!

    Ian poured a medieval Americano for everyone, staying true to his Korean roots��he loved coffee.

    For Koreans, if chili powder is passion, then coffee is rationality��a drink that forcibly wakes up the brain and boosts efficiency.

    As he sipped the thick brew, memories of his past life flashed before him.

    Ah! How I miss being tied to the office, drinking coffee, and having to work all night long on an off day!

    "Damn, that''s good."

    The coffee he enjoyed after such a long time was so delicious it nearly brought tears to his eyes, and it was functional too!

    Ian''s group had to run hard. The awakening effect of the coffee would help them get moving.

    "Come on, everyone, grab a cup!"

    Drinking coffee in the morning finally made it feel like real life.

    Generously, like a boss distributing morning coffee, Ian shared it with Belenka and Kira.

    There was even enough left to offer some to the monks.

    "This is... really good."

    "Yeah! Tasty!"

    Ian left the merchant''s house and headed for a nearby castle.

    Though they were fleeing, their pace was surprisingly slow.

    Belenka had argued for moving slowly.

    "We don''t know each other''s locations. There''s no need to exhaust ourselves by moving too quickly."

    Indeed, the barbarians and Ian''s group were unaware of each other''s whereabouts.

    They might have initially headed towards the merchant''s house selected for the assassination, but what then?

    There was no answer.

    They might as well spit on their palms to decide.

    Of course, a guide with tracking skills would lead the way, so they weren''t relying entirely on luck.

    But tracking was just as difficult.

    In a world without proper maps, chasing an unseen enemy is an incredibly hard task.

    Why the situation was so was due primarily to Sister Mionia''s betrayal.

    Her betrayal had caused the assassins to lose their base, leaving the barbarian trackers adrift.

    Thus, Ian''s group walked away.

    The sun was warm, and a gentle breeze blew.

    The scent of the fresh grass growing in the fields was even sweet.

    Ian yawned languidly.

    Ah, I wish I could just spread out a mat and take a nap...

    "We''ll pick up the pace once we get closer to the baron''s castle."

    Their march was leisurely, but they maintained a minimum level of alertness.

    Whenever Takarion threw a tantrum, the idea of rest vanished.

    "I want to rest... I want to go home..."

    Takarion mumbled as broth drooled from his mouth.

    Ian was quietly amused.

    Can a person sweat that much? Is he melting?

    He might shrink by the time we reach the monastery.

    "Right. You should have just stayed home. You''d have no meals missed and no risk of assassination. Wouldn��t that be nice?"

    Ian taunted, prompting Takarion to scowl.

    "I didn��t want to come out either! But sitting in the monastery doesn��t sell the Gospels!"

    "Is that so?"

    In the Gospel industry(?), fame translates directly into money. The more famous you become, the better the Gospels sell.

    Ian whistled softly.

    Writers of this era have to hustle and sell on foot.

    Must be tough~

    "When I become a saint... just imagine how well the Gospels will sell..."

    "Aha."

    If Takarion had healed Baron Devosi, the surrounding people would have made a huge fuss, proclaiming him a saint.

    Already popular, Takarion��s fame would have skyrocketed had he demonstrated a healing miracle. It would have been a golden opportunity to silence even his critics, an event Takarion wouldn��t want to miss.

    "But you broke my relic...!"

    Takarion, feeling wronged, trembled, his double chin quivering.

    Ian was a bit taken aback. Now that he''s gotten a little familiar, he''s speaking quite openly?

    "It wasn��t broken, it hatched. And did I want it to hatch? What can I do if it decided to wake up on its own?"

    "..."

    "And if you wanted the saint title, you should have rushed to help Baron Devosi the moment he collapsed. What��s the use of whining now, when you lay in the monastery until the rumors reached me?"

    Takarion shuddered but couldn''t respond. Ian��s words were all factual.

    Kira, who had been listening, chimed in.

    "While we''re on the topic, I have a question. Winnie hasn��t eaten at all. Do you know why?"

    The creature, not a relic but hatched from a pure white egg, was now under Kira��s care.

    Kira, skilled with her hands, has kept the bird safe.

    Ian was comfortable with Kira continuing to look after the bird.

    "Hmm. Maybe it��s because that bird is special."

    Takarion avoided Kira��s gaze as he muttered to himself.

    He still couldn��t meet her eyes.

    "Maybe it��s a bird-of-paradise?"

    "A bird-of-paradise?"

    The Paradise bird, with its grand name, is a bird that flies in the sky living only on dew, not needing to eat and having no legs since it never needs to land.

    "But this one has legs."

    "Maybe they''ll fall off as it gets older?"

    "Really?"

    Ian glanced at the young bird, tilting his head.

    The baby bird mimicked Ian, tilting its head too.

    "Are you a bird-of-paradise?"

    "Peep! Peep!"

    Ian wasn��t a bird YouTuber in his past life, so he didn��t know much about birds.

    Even if he had been a bird YouTuber, he probably wouldn��t know; this bird was likely a genuine fantasy bird.

    But since Takarion said so, Ian thought it might be true.

    He''s the guy who brought the relic, so he must know something.

    "Caw! Master!"

    "What is it, Oberon?"

    Oberon flapped his wings and landed on Ian��s shoulder.

    Being a bird of freedom, Oberon often disappeared for days at a time before returning.

    Ian had no intention of stopping him.

    After all, the bird he had found was just a stray that he planned to release back into the wild.

    It had only stayed because it liked the food Ian gave it.

    [I''ve spotted some strange guys nearby!]

    It was not welcome news.

    [They were wearing bear skins!]

    "Either a crazy hunter or... a barbarian. One of the two."

    Most likely the latter.

    Ian passed along the news Oberon had brought to Belenka.

    ---

    [1. raei: wikipedia: The Red Queen''s hypothesis is a hypothesis in evolutionary biology proposed in 1973, that species must constantly adapt, evolve, and proliferate in order to survive while pitted against ever-evolving opposing species.]

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 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    TL/Editor: raei

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    "We need to hurry."

    After hearing Ian''s story, Belenka responded calmly.

    Her calm demeanor naturally influenced the monks to remain calm as well.

    It seemed like something major had occurred, but since the knight didn��t say anything, it must be alright!

    Ian''s group quickened their pace without any visible disturbance.

    Ian felt certain about one thing: Belenka was truly a professional.

    "No matter how skilled they are at tracking, they won''t easily catch up. We''re well ahead."

    "Hmm. What if they do catch up?"

    "Thinking of the worst case scenario? If that happens, we just need to throw Takarion to them. We won''t get hurt."

    As Belenka picked up the pace, the rest of the group found it hard to keep up, especially Takarion.

    "Haah. Haah... I want to go home..."

    "We are going home now."

    "..."

    Takarion glared at Ian, but that was as far as he went.

    He was too exhausted to speak.

    Thanks to Belenka''s composed leadership, their escape was smooth.

    However, the news Oberon brought soon after disturbed Ian''s group.

    [They''re not coming this way?]

    "What?"

    Ian''s group had inadvertently taken a different path from their barbarian pursuers.

    That was a relief.

    But the problem was that at the end of the barbarians'' path, there was a village.

    "We''re going to run into them."

    As Belenka stated this calmly, the monks became noticeably agitated.

    The barbarians, having lost their way, would naturally head to the small village.

    Like how a sparrow can��t pass a mill without stopping, the barbarians would naturally plunder the village.

    "Is there... Isn''t there anything we can do?"

    The monks raised their voices anxiously.

    Ordinary travelers might have laughed in this situation.

    Wow! What idiots! They can''t even chase properly!

    Why should we care if some random village gets looted?

    We''re safe anyway!

    But most of Ian''s group were monks.

    Like the Santiago Knights, they were fundamentally good people.

    Was fleeing and throwing the pursuing barbarians off our trail really the right thing to do?

    The answer was ''no.''

    "... Let''s run away!"

    "Takarion!"

    Takarion, without a moment''s hesitation, advocated abandoning the village.

    Ian was impressed.

    Wow. He doesn''t seem like a monk, does he?

    "Hey, if we die here, it''s just a worthless death, brothers! Let''s get our heads straight! We are not meant to die here!"

    "..."

    Some monks fell silent, empathizing with Takarion''s words.

    However, many still raised their voices.

    "Would Saint Marcus have chosen to flee using innocent villagers as shields if he were here?"

    "..."

    Takarion knew the answer to that question better than anyone.

    Saint Marcus was a superhero.

    A paragon of virtue, like Captain America from Marvel Comics.

    Saint Marcus would have definitely rushed to save the people, a fact best known by Takarion, the author of the Gospels.

    But...

    ''... I''m not him.''

    Takarion''s fists trembled.

    He was not Saint Marcus. Unlike the superheroic Marcus, Takarion was just an ordinary man.

    No. Even calling him ordinary was too generous.

    He was a loser.

    He could excel in a story with a pen in his hand, but in a real crisis, he was quieter than anyone else.

    What could a mere fanfic writer do here?

    Takarion felt unjustly wronged.

    "... We are not Saint Marcus. There''s no way to stop the pagans!"

    A look of disappointment crossed several monks'' faces, those who had equated Takarion with Saint Marcus.

    "Ian."

    The monks'' gazes turned towards Ian.

    Takarion is not a saint because he can''t perform miracles.

    But what about Ian?

    A wizard known as a miracle worker.

    He has the power to turn the impossible into possible.

    It wasn''t really a surprise. Barbarians and imperial citizens shared the same roots.

    Civilized barbarians are imperial citizens. Those who aren''t civilized are just barbarians.

    Some were already climbing the palisades.

    It was an unparalleled opportunity for Ian.

    "Phew."

    Ian briefly gazed at the bright sky.

    The sun was hot, and the sky was piercingly blue.

    The weather was crystal clear.

    Under the searing sun, the mysteries of the wind frolicked joyously.

    Darkness could not be summoned at all.

    "Kira."

    "Yes?"

    "If we call forth fire, you can handle it, right?"

    Kira nodded.

    Ian left the control of the fire to Kira and focused his mind on the mysteries of the wind.

    Listening closely, he could hear the roaring voice of the wind.

    "[Wind.]"

    [Hello, human! Today is a great day for flying, isn''t it?]

    Yeah. It''s so nice it''s exhilarating.

    As Ian spoke in the language of magic, nature responded vibrantly to the will of the wizard.

    Belenka and Kira watched Ian perform magic, holding their breath.

    No matter how many times they saw it, it never stopped to amaze.

    [I''m busy flying around-]

    [Where are you heading?]

    Ian aimed his staff at the group of barbarians.

    The wind would hit right there.

    As he projected his will, Ian shouted.

    "Kira!"

    "[Fire!]"

    Kira ignited the flames and shouted.

    Her grasp of the Maronius language was basic, yet sufficient to convey her will.

    Kira didn''t know how to properly converse with the mysteries, but she had a talent for receiving their affection.

    Language is a powerful bridge for empathy, yet non-verbal communication is also entirely possible.

    As soon as Kira shouted, the mystery of fire rushed in like a puppy heeding its master��s call.

    [Burn everything down!!!]

    Like dogs obsessed with walks, the flame was obsessed with arson.

    It simply meant it was satisfied with setting things ablaze.

    "Ian! I can''t hold it for long!"

    Kira desperately controlled the fire and shouted.

    She was currently in sync with the mystery, but if her focus slipped even slightly, she would lose control and it would turn into a wildfire.

    However, there was no need to hold on for long.

    Ian sent the burning fire swirling with the wind.

    "[Wind, whirl!]"

    The mystery of the flame and the mystery of the wind.

    When the two mysteries combined, the result was astounding.

    The barbarians were horrified to see a whirlwind coming at them out of nowhere.

    "What, what is that!"

    It wasn��t just any whirlwind.

    It was a burning whirlwind!

    It felt like a mini version of the flame storm magic that space-time wizard Larabel had demonstrated with a magic scroll.

    The barbarians felt as if their souls were slipping away as they watched the burning whirlwind.

    Wow. So the empire has burning whirlwinds!

    Damn it! The blizzards back home were like fairies!

    They never thought for a second that this whirlwind could be the work of a wizard.

    They thought it was a naturally occurring flame storm!

    Indeed, it seems that without the blessing of the Ice God, all sorts of horrific events unfold here!

    The barbarians who safely returned home would spread tales about the burning whirlwind they had seen on imperial lands.

    "Run! Run!"

    Upon seeing the approaching fire whirlwind, the barbarians fled without a backward glance.

    The barbarians who were climbing the palisade were pitiful.

    "Come on, you bastards!"

    The barbarians left behind became prey for the enraged villagers.

    Belenka leisurely pursued the barbarians and returned with a couple of their heads.

    Ian walked back to the village, stretching lazily.

    "It was nothing."

    "..."

    Kira had a lot she wanted to say but she held back.

    After all, two wizards had used their magic at the same time.

    Isn''t that just f*cking impressive?

    It would have been weirder if the barbarians had been able to resist the magic.

    "Still, it feels a bit dull..."

    Ian watched the fleeing barbarians without even turning his head and slightly tilted his head in curiosity.

    Those bastards. Did they really come to kidnap Takarion?

    It felt just like they were thieves who had come to raid the village out of boredom.

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

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    ��Oh my god! Heavens above!��

    The residents, who had been hiding behind the fence, rushed out all at once.

    When the barbarians clad in beast skins swarmed in, they thought they were doomed.

    But, what a surprise.

    A wizard appeared out of nowhere and conjured a fiery whirlwind, burning the barbarians away!

    Well, hardly anyone actually burned to death...

    Even if it was just making them abandon their plunder and flee, the wizard''s presence was a tearfully welcome sight.

    Especially the village chief, who fell in love with Ian as soon as he saw him.

    He wasn''t gay, but fell in love nonetheless.

    Ian��s help was that welcome.

    ��Sob...! Thank you so much!��

    Ian was startled as the chief tried to hug him.

    Damn. Why does the crying sound like that?

    In fact, Ian was more interested in driving off the barbarians than helping the village.

    Helping the village was just a byproduct.

    So, seeing the chief crying his eyes out didn��t move him at all.

    He was more worried that the remnants of the barbarians might return.

    ��Well. I just happened to pass by.��

    As Ian spoke, the chief cried even harder.

    Given his sentimental tears, he was clearly a man going through menopause.

    So maybe it wasn''t about falling in love at first sight...

    Receiving the love of an older man did not please Ian at all.

    So, he subtly shifted the credit to someone else.

    ��God whispered to me. There are people in danger, so go and help them.��

    [Eh? I never said that...]

    ��No way!!!��

    ��It��s truly the Lord!��

    ��I knew it, dammit!��

    Since the villagers were devout believers, they accepted Ian��s explanation.

    Man, I was so annoyed during prayers every weekend!Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

    And to think, God sent us a wizard!

    Ah! This is why I pray!

    ��We have nothing to give, being poor, but we can offer a meal...��

    ��Bring a cow!��

    ��Let��s have a festival of blood!��

    The villagers, as if drugged, collectively got high on ��wizard euphoria.��

    In fact, this is often the reaction when commoners witness magic.

    Events that transcend human understanding.

    The very person who performed such miracles!

    Having such a wizard right in front of them, it was only natural they couldn��t keep their composure.

    Ian let the villagers run wild.

    They''re just happy.

    Leave them alone, and they''ll calm down on their own.

    ��We''re a bit busy. If you really want to enjoy yourselves, go ahead and slaughter a cow or a pig.��

    ��You can''t just send a wizard away empty-handed! Come on in, don��t be shy...!��

    ��I told you, I''m busy.��

    ��...��

    As Ian spoke calmly, the chief also quietly shut his mouth.

    A wizard��s voice carries their will.

    In other words, others can easily pick up on Ian��s ��mood.��

    If you smile in front of an angry person or sigh heavily in front of a happy person, it was naturally annoying.

    Thus, people naturally pick up on others�� moods.

    But Ian��s voice, that of a wizard, exhibts these ques even more.

    You might be able to play games in front of a crying neighbor, but not in front of a screaming mom. (If you can do both, congratulations. You''re immune to magic!)

    ��I''m, I''m sorry.��

    The chief, feeling as though he had committed a crime, apologized unwittingly.

    Ian quickly silenced the chief''s rambling and got straight to the point.

    "Select the fastest runner and have them contact the lord. We need to root out these barbarians."

    "Ah, yes! Of course!"

    The village was bound to the lord by a feudal contract.

    They paid their taxes with their produce and in return received the lord''s protection.

    It was somewhat like dealing with primitive, ancient gangsters.

    Once the village requested help, the lord was obliged to respond.

    If he didn''t? They could simply terminate the feudal contract.

    Since the baron would have breached the contract first, termination was a perfectly legitimate right for the villagers.

    Barons were plentiful anyway!

    In the Middle Ages, a baron was basically like a village head��each village had one.

    ��Lord Ian...! Wahhh!��

    ��They did this? They��ve already come and gone?��

    Those damn barbarians.

    A woman in a nun��s habit with a daring design approached.

    It was Sister Mionia.

    ��While you were away, Lord Ian... they stormed in.��

    "...What about Takarion?"

    Mionia said sorrowfully.

    ��He''s been kidnapped.��

    Not long after Ian had left, a group of barbarians had stormed in.

    Luckily, since the monks had set up camp on an open hill, they had been able to escape in time.

    Except for one.

    Except for Takarion.

    ��Brother! Run!��

    ��Gasp... Huff! I can��t run!��

    ��Damn! I��ll help you!��

    The monks tried everything they could to take Takarion and escape.

    But Takarion was too slow...

    It was the fate of a writer who lacked exercise.

    ��Sh*t.��

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    It was absurd that the barbarians had attacked so quickly and that only Takarion had been caught.

    Was he just doomed to fail?

    If you needed an excuse, it was likely that those who came for Takarion targeted him first.

    But even taking that into account, it was a headache-inducing situation.

    ��Waah waah...��

    Ian tried to console the monks.

    ��Calm down. Takarion isn''t dead, right? They took him alive?��

    ��Yes... Sob sob...��

    ��Then don��t worry. The empire''s brave young ones will surely rescue Takarion!��

    Ian would never say he��d do it himself.

    ��But...��

    The atmosphere was grim, but there was nothing the monks could do.

    They were meant to pray, not to fight.

    Just surviving an encounter with the barbarians was enough to be thankful to the gods for.

    ��Belenka. If you go after Takarion...��

    ��Hmm. It��d be difficult. We need to solve the supply issue first. And if we''re ambushed, it''d be a headache.��

    Belenka was also lukewarm in her response.

    ��Don��t worry too much. The rumors about the barbarians must have spread by now, knights will be dispatched.��

    Defeating barbarians and rescuing monks was a feat any knight would covet.

    A rescue team for Takarion would form voluntarily.

    "We have tasks to complete, don''t we?"

    "Indeed."

    They were headed to the monastery to deliver a bird that had hatched from a sacred relic.

    Their mission was not to escort Takarion.

    It''s the Middle Ages, where people drop dead like flies.

    Takarion''s death (not yet confirmed) is unfortunate, but...

    Those who are alive have their own futures to think about.

    "Right. Let��s deliver the bird first and then think about the rest."

    Urging on their unwavering steps, Ian and his companions continued their journey.

    ---

    ---

    A few days later, Ian safely arrived at Takarion''s monastery.

    "This is the Blue Key Monastery."

    "Oh."

    Despite its location in the suburbs, far from the city, the monastery radiated a certain splendor.

    Originally, the Blue Key Monastery wasn��t very wealthy.

    But Takarion, the man in question, had changed everything.

    The mega-hit of the Gospel of St. Marcus led to an explosive increase in donations!

    Sadly, Takarion was no more.

    It had become the Takarion Monastery without Takarion.

    "What do you mean by that!"

    A thunderous shout hit their ears.

    A timid-looking man and a sly-looking man were seen walking side by side through the garden.

    The monk led Ian in front of the two men.

    "Say that again! What happened to Takarion?!"

    "Calm down, please! Abbot! We have guests!"

    "Shut up! Do I look like I��m in any state to calm down?"

    Ian observed the abbot of the monastery, who was throwing a tantrum without even looking at him.

    Ah, I see. The standard here.

    ��What a mess.��

    It seems that the money Takarion brought in had only served to grease their bellies.

    The abbot treated guests like they were worthless.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    TL/Editor: raei

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    The monastery of the Empire adheres to the principles of poverty.

    Monks are those who pray to God, having sworn to live their lives according to God''s will.

    God has never decreed, "Engage in business and enjoy riches and glory."

    Monks do not obsess over making money. They lead lives dedicated to helping the weak, serving others, sharing, and giving generously.

    Thus, in principle, it should be impossible for the monastery to accumulate wealth.

    ...But principles are meant to be broken.

    Before serving God, monks are also people who live in the secular world.

    If the secular world demands money, they can''t help but be influenced by it.

    The monastery is like a club for followers of Heaven''s Faith.

    It''s a gathering place for people who love Heaven''s Faith so much they pour their lives into it.

    Since it''s a club, it operates on the membership fees of its members.

    But who really cares about those tiny membership fees?

    Even the little money they do have is spent lavishly on service.

    In the countryside, it doesn��t matter. All you need to do is eat, crap, and pray.

    But the closer you are to a city, and the more people you have to take care of, the more desperately the monastery needs money.

    So, how does the monastery make money?

    The best way is to secure generous donations from wealthy nobles.

    Monks gently coax dying nobles to make donations.

    "Hey~ You look like you won''t live much longer. Why not donate to the monastery and secure your place in heaven?"

    "Deal."

    But what if the local lord is hale and hearty?

    Or if he''s already donating to a temple instead of the monastery?

    Then, Plan B is initiated.

    They start a business!

    The easiest business for monks to enter is brewing.

    Excessive drinking is a sin, but the monastery can mitigate this sin.

    Since they don��t own farmland, they use their surplus labor to produce secondary products instead of farming.

    "Haah. Let''s have a drink."

    Renis, the abbot of the Blue Key Monastery, served beer and sausage.

    Both were products easily made from the surplus labor in the monastery.

    They prayed at dawn and ran a medieval factory by noon.

    Ian looked at the neatly prepared drinks table and licked his lips.

    Damn, this is small beer.

    "Shall we toast?"

    "Toast?"

    Ian led the toast.

    "God��s blessing!"

    "God��s blessing."

    Ian savored his beer in one go and tore into the sausage with his bare hands.

    Mmm. Damn good.

    The beer was excellent, but the sausage was mediocre due to the poor quality of spices.

    Ah. When will I escape this damned super-salt food?

    The monastery abbot also downed his beer in one go and grumbled angrily.

    "Count Lumin! I knew that petty man would cause trouble! How dare he lay a hand on our monk?!"

    He first thanked Mionia.

    "That was a brave act, Sister Mionia. Without you, other monks might have been in danger."

    "I merely did what a servant of God should do."

    Currently, Sister Mionia''s situation was uncertain.

    She has betrayed everyone from the abbot to Count Lumin.

    Having become unpopular with the powers that be, she can''t return home now.

    It was also awkward to enter a nearby convent.

    At least she had to flee to a place beyond the reach of the convent abbot''s influence.

    Secularize as she wanted?

    Imagine a young, unmarried woman roaming alone in a post-apocalyptic medieval world.

    She wouldn''t end up in a good situation.

    The best for Mionia would be to find a kind-hearted convent or to meet a kind-hearted man and marry him.

    Both were difficult, but still.

    At that moment, a sly-looking priest muttered.

    "Tsk. The purpose was righteous, but the means were a mess. Daring to betray your superiors and act independently. If she had worked under me, I would have beheaded her."

    "..."

    Mionia could make no reply. Because he was right.

    Heaven''s Faith''s doctrine emphasizes strict obedience: subordinates must execute commands from superiors without question.

    This is because the highest authority in Heaven''s Faith is God.

    Imagine the absurdity if subordinates refused to follow God''s simple command of "Do this~".

    ... However, that priest was mistaken.

    The type of obedience expected in Heaven''s Faith differs from the military''s rigid hierarchy.

    Ian was vaguely aware of this distinction because Dehitri of the Santiago Knights, the madman with clear eyes, had explained it.

    "A clergy''s obedience should always be directed towards God, not human authority!"

    "...? Why are you telling me this?"

    At that moment, Ian thought he was just being talkative.

    But traveling through a medieval fantasy era, he realized that religious knowledge could actually be quite useful.

    After all, religion and the Middle Ages are inseparably linked.

    "Don''t you know?"

    Ian couldn''t grasp why a clergyman would demand such militaristic obedience.

    It seemed odd, but since the other monks remained silent, Ian held his peace.

    Yet, the priest''s offensive speech didn''t stop there.

    "To behead? What a radical priest," Belenka sneered.

    In Heaven''s Faith, a ''cardinal'' refers to a direct disciple of one of the 13 saints, who obviously deserved respect and reverence.

    However, according to Ian''s reasoning, even a cardinal, under the sacred heavens, is just another human being.

    Emperors, kings, nobles.

    Popes, cardinals, priests.

    Knights, farmers, slaves.

    All are equal.

    It''s utterly foolish to differentiate among humans when the supreme ruler of heaven is watching!

    "What, are you going to bring an army? Call some knights?"

    Ian asked sarcastically.

    "Then what makes a cardinal different from a lord? You''re not making people kneel before God, but before a sword,"

    Ian argued.

    "Shut up!"

    Zoltin cried out pitifully.

    As a religious man, he vaguely understood that Ian was right.

    A high-ranking clergyman is meant to be respected, not to wield worldly power.

    Therefore, Zoltin should have been persuading Ian, not trying to suppress him with force.

    While logically this may be true, in reality, Zoltin was a person of power.

    With just a will to act, he could easily crush a presumptuous wizard by force.

    As the next cardinal, he wielded the church''s power.

    "How dare you babble in front of a disciple of Saint Marcus! I will open a religious trial to judge your sins myself!"

    Zoltin shouted at Renis.

    "Abbot! Bind this sinner immediately!"

    "No, no... this person brought relics to the monastery, a benefactor..."

    "Do you not hear me! Am I not commanding you!!!"

    Helplessly, the monks began to gather cautiously around, watching Zoltin''s cues.

    At that moment, Belenka kicked the table and drew her sword!

    "Whoops!"

    Beer and sausages soared through the air.

    The monks panicked and retreated.

    She looked at Zoltin calmly, but her cold gaze burned with violence and rage like flames.

    A chilling murderous intent emanated from her.

    Zoltin involuntarily swallowed dryly.

    "If you touch Ian, I''ll cut down even a clergyman."

    "How dare...! Are you threatening a servant of God with a sword!"

    "Which servant of God oppresses believers for their own authority? If there is such a servant of God, I will personally punish them."

    Belenka was known for her physical straightforwardness.

    "Anyone who truly believes Ian is guilty, step forward! Overcome me and prove that guilt!"

    As Belenka drew her sword, the abbot Renis felt darkness descend before his eyes.

    Ah! Now it truly is the end��

    "It''s so noisy I can''t sleep! You lot!"

    Just then, an old man pushed through the monks.

    The monks quickly bowed their heads.

    "Isilla has arrived!"

    "Yes, indeed."

    The old man laughed upon seeing the chaotic dining hall.

    "These guests are as lively as rascals!"

    Ian flinched when he saw the old man''s eyes.

    A gaze filled with either vitality or madness.

    A mysterious aura was present.

    What''s this? Is he a wizard?

    "Who will explain this ruckus to me?"

    "I will," Zoltin quickly said.

    Of course, he described the situation to his advantage.

    Ian is a bastard and a bad guy, and I''m the good and innocent victim��essentially that was the gist.

    Ian was stunned but waited silently for his turn to speak.

    After listening to Zoltin''s explanation, the old man:

    "Hmm."

    Nodded his head then:

    "You incredibly stupid fool!!!"

    He smacked Zoltin''s head with the back of his hand!

    Ian quietly admired this.

    He thought the old man was no ordinary elder. Some sort of Shaolin monk?

    Maybe he''s not a wizard but a martial artist.

    Hmm. That makes sense.

    Monks being martial artists was a fact proven by countless games.

    "Aaagh!"

    Zoltin collapsed after the old man''s physical reprimand.

    He looked up at the old man with a bewildered expression.

    "Why me?!"

    "Because you crossed the line! Is that how Teranos taught you? I''ll go find that bastard right away��"

    "Calm down, elder!"

    The old man, boiling with anger, started beating Zoltin again.

    After energetically thrashing Zoltin, he sighed deeply and bowed to Ian.

    "Sorry about that. A friend''s disciple has done something foolish."

    "Um, who are you...?"

    "My name is Isilla. I am a humble servant of the heavens."

    Ian awkwardly extended his hand.

    Coming from a Confucian culture, Ian was not used to an elder bowing to him.

    "Hmm. Hmm. You came to return a relic? And Takarion was kidnapped by barbarians in the process?"

    "Yes, elder."

    Monk Isilla sighed deeply.

    "Could you come to my room for a moment to talk?"

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    "Under the sky, all people are equal."

    The monk, Isilla, placed a cup of mint tea in front of Ian.

    It''s a drink that clears the mind.

    "Those are really good words. Heh."

    Ian took a sip of the mint tea.

    A fragrant and refreshing scent.

    Ian nodded happily.

    Ah, this is mint.

    Anyone who wants to throw chocolate into this refreshing scent is clearly a madman.

    "Many forget this fact."

    "It can''t be helped, can it?"

    "It can''t be helped?"

    Ian said as he put down his teacup.

    "Aren''t there many nobles among the clergy? That Zoltin fellow seemed like a noble too."

    "You got that right. His uncle is Duke Gazous."

    Wow. A duke.

    He thought he had an authoritative air, but he had no idea he was a duke''s nephew.

    There are five dukes in the empire, commonly known as the Empire''s Five Dukes.

    A duke has a presence like that of a significant kingdom''s king.

    Zoltin is practically like the king''s nephew.

    "The Church is increasingly becoming classist."

    Isilla seriously worried about the future of the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    Originally, in the Church of Heaven''s Faith, there is no hierarchy.

    At the highest place, there is God, and all other humans are equal.

    No matter how great the 13 primary saints are, they are still human.

    What about the disciples of the 13 saints? They are nothing.

    Yet, around them, the direct disciples of the saints are highly revered.

    The disciples of the 13 saints are called ''cardinals,'' and among them, the disciple of Saint Casius is referred to as ''pope.''

    This was evidence that the secularization of the Church of Heaven''s Faith was progressing.

    ��Nobles are becoming clergy.��

    Under the sky, all humans are equal but...

    Are they really equal under the roof of the temple?

    Can a beggar begging on the streets and a wealthy noble, both believers in the same God, truly be considered the same kind of follower?

    The answer is ''no.''

    Nobility-born clerics wield money and connections, dominating the religious world.

    A respected cleric from commoner origins?

    No matter how much respect they get, without demonstrating a miracle of God, there are clear limits.

    The priest next door, born from a count, passively performs the miracle of multiplying bread from his pocket.

    How could a commoner priest compete with that?

    ''Equality'' is bound to break.

    Thus, farmers bow their heads to clergy as they would to nobility.

    And the clergy walk around as stiff as if they were lords themselves.

    A second nobilization is underway.

    ��Hmm. The atmosphere is indeed not good."

    Belenka shrugged her shoulders.

    Isilla burst into laughter.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

    "It''s different from the Eastern Church. They don��t even know who the pope is there, do they?"

    ��The only clergy I know is our local priest.��

    Belenka is from Wintz, located in the east.

    Unlike the Imperial Church, where the infiltration of nobility was actively progressing, the religion in Wintz remains everyone''s.

    The reason is simple...

    Wintz is a poor and barren land, so there was no need for nobles to snatch even the clerical positions.

    Thus, while Belenka believed in the Church of Heaven''s Faith, she didn��t know who the pope was.

    Nor did she need to.

    To Belenka, the pope was just another religious man.

    After all, humans are equal, so what difference does being a pope make?

    That was her mindset.

    Actually, she was right. The pope was just a human.

    "Especially as secular influences grow stronger. The emperor, that bastard, is not only failing to restrain it, but he��s encouraging it..."

    Isilla glared at Renis.

    Renis was sweating profusely, at a loss for words.

    ��I, I thought it was truly a sacred object...��

    ��A relic is a relic! Even if it��s a pagan one!!!��

    No words could defend him.

    The item Isilla had brought when he was young had been kept in the monastery for about 30 to 40 years.

    It had become misunderstood as a sacred object among the monks due to distortions in their communications.

    ��Squeak! Squeak!��

    Ian looked at the bird that had climbed onto the table.

    So, this creature, originally from the north, had come to the empire through the hands of a monk and had been hatched by Ian...

    Its backstory was lengthy, a creature with a pitiful tale.

    ��But now that you''ve awakened this bird, we need to send it back north.��

    ��Why? Can��t we keep it at the monastery?��

    Isilla looked incredulous.

    ��Would we keep a creature revered by pagans in the monastery?��

    ��Well, maybe we could convert it?��

    "That��s like saying a manticore can become nice."

    ��...��

    Ah. Instant understanding.

    The only way to make a manticore nice was to kill it and send it to heaven. There are just some things in the world that cannot be reformed.

    ��I think it''s like a phoenix.��

    ��A phoenix? Takarion called it a paradise bird, didn��t he?��

    ��Takarion? What does he know?��

    Ian was genuinely impressed by Isilla��s sharp logic.

    Ah. That��s how he managed to convert barbarians!

    A wise old man indeed. Ian��s respect for Isilla rose a notch.

    ��All we need to do is return it to the Sky Claw Tribe. I hear it doesn��t want to leave your side?��

    Ian shrugged.

    Since it got along well with Kira, maybe sending Kira alone north wouldn��t be too bad.

    But that would be pretty awful.

    As the leader, he should go too.

    ��So, I��d like you to go north.��

    Renis quickly interjected.

    ��And if Takarion is alive! Please, rescue him!��

    ��Ah. A rescue.��

    He wasn��t exactly enthusiastic.

    If it were a kidnapped princess of some country, he might have played the hero.

    But heading to the freezing north to rescue a Church of Heaven''s Faith fanfic writer?

    No romance whatsoever.

    And it seemed unlikely that Takarion was alive.

    Taken by barbarians, he probably didn��t make it.

    So the primary mission became returning the bird revered by the barbarians.

    The secondary mission was to check on Takarion''s fate, and if possible, rescue him.

    ��Hmm...��

    Ian pondered a bit.

    He had actually been planning to visit the north anyway.

    At the northern frontier is where the Space-Time Wizard Council is located.

    He had thought about meeting some wizards there.

    At the same time, he might look into the existence of the ice phoenix that Drake Longtail mentioned.

    But now that it came to actually going to a cold place, it felt a bit bothersome...

    ��If you go north, I will give you something you��ll find interesting.��

    Isilla spoke as if he had read Ian''s thoughts.

    He was indeed a wise old man.

    "You''re a wizard, aren''t you?"

    "Yes, I am."

    "Do you know that barbarians also possess magic?"

    "Barbarian magic?"

    At this, Isilla pulled something out of his pocket.

    Renis gasped from the side.

    "No! Elder! Why have you brought a pagan object into the monastery?"

    "It''s my decision."

    The item Isilla extracted was a half-torn card.

    "What is this?"

    "It''s an object used by those who worship the ice god to cast magic. It''s called [Arcana] in the ancient language."

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    "It means ''mystery''."

    Ian said nonchalantly.

    Clergy often used ancient languages in daily life.

    Arcana simply meant ''mystery.''

    It meant a card imbued with mystery.

    It was understandable, given the nature of their profession and the fact that they were often immersed in ancient languages.

    As long as it wasn��t just for show like Takarion, it was acceptable.

    ��Yes, mystery,�� Isilla replied with a smile.

    ��Do you need some time to think? Why not take a short walk with me?��

    Ian walked through the monastery with Isilla to clear his thoughts.

    The golden sunlight illuminated the afternoon monastery, making the vibrant plants sparkle as if showing off their vitality.

    ��Ian, what do you think magic is?��

    Isilla asked abruptly.

    ��Suddenly?��

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    He wasn��t a wizard and hadn��t expected to discuss magic with a monk he had just met.

    ��Magic is a communication between mystery and humanity,�� Ian responded fluently, despite his surprise, a result of rigorous theoretical training under Eredith.

    ��What, then, is mystery?��

    ��It��s an existence beyond human comprehension. Trying to understand it is futile because it''s incomprehensible. You just have to feel and accept it,�� Ian explained.

    Mystery refers to everything that moves in unknown ways beyond human cognition��from natural elements like fire, wind, earth, and water to transcendent entities like the world, universe, and fate.

    And a wizard is one who communicates with these mysteries.

    Ian looked at Isilla and asked,

    ��But why do you ask? Did you suddenly want to become a wizard in your later years?��

    ��A wizard... Do you see me as one?��

    Isilla responded with a challenging question.

    The conversation seemed to be going off track, but Ian replied,

    ��No, you appear to be a monk.��

    ��What if I manipulated fire in front of you? Would I still look like a monk?��

    Ian��s expression was subtle.

    A quirky old man.

    Ian revised his view of Isilla. His quirks made him seem somewhat wizard-like.

    ��I might think you''re casting a spell.��

    ��Yes. Fire is a destructive element that swallows everything. It carries the power of both earth''s lava and sky''s lightning. But the nature of fire is closer to the sky than the earth. Do you know why?��

    Isilla continued.

    Ian shrugged.

    ��Because it holds the power of purification.��

    Isilla smiled contentedly.

    ��Exactly. Your knowledge is impressive.��

    Fire represents destruction but not merely that��it''s destruction for the sake of renewal and rebirth.

    If Ian were to describe it using the concepts from his previous life as a science student, it would be the chaotic power between cosmos and chaos.

    Fire is energy. It��s the flow of entropy.

    ��That��s why heaven uses lightning to punish humans. Lightning embodies the power of purification,�� Isilla explained.

    ��It means to completely cleanse even the sins of sinners.��

    ��Right. It��s both punishment and reformation.��

    Isilla stretched out his hand as if grasping the sun, casting shadows on his wrinkled face.

    ��Hell uses fire to punish humans for the same reason. The fires of hell both chastise and purify the sins through a ritual of burning.��

    ��Well. So they say.��

    Isilla continued reaching out his hand.

    Suddenly, the monk swung his fist toward the ground.

    Whoosh!

    ��...?��

    Then, something astonishing happened.

    A bright flame followed Isilla��s fist, flaring briefly before disappearing!

    Ian was startled.

    "Blazing fruits!"

    "What?"

    "Firefist Isilla! Fire Punch! Fire Punch!"

    "...That reaction is a bit much."

    Isilla was unfazed, but Ian was truly astonished.

    "Since you''re here, why not pray before you leave?"

    "Pray?"

    Monks were kneeling and praying earnestly.

    It was indeed a monastery through and through.

    "It''s a prayer for the safe return of Brother Takarion," explained Abbot Renis, who was deep in thought.

    What could the monastery do for Takarion, who had made it so wealthy?

    The result of that thought was prayer��a reasonably rational outcome since mercenaries were unreliable and mobilizing crusader knights took too long.

    Now, the money Takarion had painstakingly earned from his writings was being burned away in hundreds of candles.

    "Just a prayer."

    Ian moved towards the statue of the goddess.

    Belenka, who was already praying, glanced at Ian.

    "Did you come to pray?"

    "Uh, yeah."

    Belenka made room for Ian.

    "What did you come to pray for?"

    "I hadn��t really thought about it. Maybe for safe travels?"

    The abbot had hoped Ian would pray for Takarion��s well-being.

    But what did Ian care about Takarion?

    "Then, let��s first pray for the unknown man you sent to heaven," suggested Belenka.

    "Ah, right."

    Ian had killed someone in defense during the assassin��s attack, and Belenka had once suggested praying for forgiveness when the opportunity arose.

    "How should I pray?"

    "I��m the expert here. First, ask forgiveness from the family and friends of the man whose life you took."

    "..."

    Belenka was a knight, an expert in both killing and apologizing.

    "That bastard tried to kill me first. Should I still be the one to apologize?"

    "Hmm. Would the mother of the dead assassin think the same?"

    "Damn it, really."

    Challenged by Belenka��s cunning logic, Ian grumbled and closed his mouth.

    The weight of life is fair to everyone.

    Even the most insignificant creature has a mother and a father, and even the most wretched and insignificant human has parents who love them.

    It went without saying. Taking a life is a sin.

    "Your face looks troubled."

    "There��s no reason to be happy."

    As Ian��s expression darkened slightly, Belenka spoke as if to comfort him.

    "As a senior in committing sins, let me give you some advice... don''t dwell on it too much. The deed is already done."

    "... Didn''t you just tell me to ask for forgiveness from the victim''s family?"

    "You should seek forgiveness, of course. But don''t expect to be forgiven. Forgiving an enemy is almost divine."

    It''s difficult to forgive a sinner, especially if that sinner has harmed one''s own family.

    If it were easy, then saints wouldn��t be called saints.

    That''s also why ''Love your enemy'' is a commandment.

    "It''s hard to get forgiveness for sins already committed, but..."

    Belenka lightly tapped Ian''s shoulder and continued.

    "I can pray for your sins."

    "..."

    "That''s the knight''s way. Carry your sins, but perform more good deeds so that you may receive more prayers than the sins you''ve accumulated."

    Belenka slightly squinted her eyes and smiled.

    "You are not alone, Ian. If demons from hell come seeking your sins,"

    "I will fight for your innocence, staking my honor."

    Her bright blue eyes sparkled in front of the candlelight.

    One must bear the sins they have committed; that''s karma.

    However, one can still pray for a sinner.

    If a sincere prayer reaches heaven, then the weight of that sin might be lightened somewhat.

    Ian looked at Belenka for a while, then turned his head with a chuckle.

    "Then I''ll pray for you, Belenka."

    "... For me?"

    "For your sword, which exists for justice. If anyone denounces the blood on your blade as filthy, I''ll defend you to the end, staking my knowledge and magic."

    Belenka closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, her smile not fading.

    "This is really... I have such a reliable master."

    In front of the brilliant hundreds of candles, the knight and the wizard prayed for each other''s souls.

    Their prayers were so earnest that they seemed to reach the heavens.

    ...The stars twinkled in the night sky.

    It was the kind of night where Takarion might yell from afar, "You bastards! Pray for me!!!"

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    Once the decision to head north was made, Ian began preparing for his journey.

    The monks of the Blue Key Monastery, Isilla, and even Zoltin actively supported Ian''s journey.

    "You know, Ian? The idiots were calling you ''Saint Ian''?"

    "...The idiots?"

    Ian responded incredulously.

    The monks had been half-jokingly, half-seriously giving him the title of a saint, which he already knew about.

    The monks who had traveled with Ian, especially those whose lives Ian had saved, called him ''Saint Ian, the Patron Saint of Coffee.''

    Of course, this was because the monks were overly obsessed with their religion.

    Being monks who associated everything with God, instead of simply saying ''Thank you'' or ''You are a lifesaver'', they collectively expressed their gratitude by calling him ''Saint Ian.''

    "You mean the monks?"

    "To call a monk an idiot just like that..."

    "They are idiots."

    "..."

    Isilla, that person, had a way of going off the rails. No wonder he went proselytizing in the lands of the barbarians.

    "The Patron Saint of Coffee, huh? Until now I��ve been drinking it secretly, but from now on, I''ll drink it with your blessing."

    "Please, cut the crap."

    Isilla laughed with a chuckle.

    He really seemed like a mean old man.

    "Actually, there was talk of officially making you a saint."

    "Really?"

    "Really. And do you know what happened?"

    Isilla said, laughing.

    "I told them to stop talking nonsense and go copy the scriptures instead."

    "Ah. Yes."

    The monks who had traveled with Ian had seriously proposed making him one of the saints of Heaven''s Faith.

    Naturally, Ian was not recognized as a saint.

    His deeds were not exactly saintly.

    Surviving after eating a tomato was just because tomatoes are harmless.

    The blessing of coffee lacked impact.

    Maybe if he went down to the origin of coffee and performed a miracle in front of everyone, he might actually become the Patron Saint of Coffee...

    Ian let Isilla''s words go in one ear and out the other.

    Becoming a saint of Heaven''s Faith didn��t interest him much.

    He felt that he would naturally meet the deity of Heaven''s Faith as he learned magic, anyway.

    "Ah! Ian! Isilla!"

    Mionia, dressed in a neat nun��s outfit, greeted them.

    Since arriving at the monastery, Ian had never seen Mionia��s inappropriate nun outfit.

    Wearing such blasphemous attire in the monastery could literally get her beaten to death, no joke.

    The abbot of the monastery had hastily procured a proper nun��s outfit, and she had become a guest in the women��s rest area.

    "Ah. Mionia. How have you been? Not too bored?"

    "Kira and Belenka have been keeping me company, so I''m okay."

    She said she was fine, but her expression told a different story.

    Mionia''s face was filled with worries.

    It was understandable.

    She had betrayed her convent on her own initiative and sided with Takarion and the Blue Key Monastery.

    For now, she was taking refuge in the monastery... but she had nowhere else to go.

    "Are you bored? Want to go to the barbarian village with me?"

    When Ian asked, Mionia was horrified.

    "Are you suggesting I go there to die?"

    No way, she''s not going for that.

    Although Ian, the wizard, had reached a level where he enjoyed wandering, Mionia, who had lived in a convent all her life, had no connection with traveling.

    "Have you forgotten? I almost died at the hands of the barbarians too! And yet, you''re suggesting another trip?"

    Ian tilted his head.

    Isn''t that normal?

    Ian was beginning to forget, but traveling in this era was an exceedingly rare act.

    Venturing into lands teeming with thieves and monsters was impossible without a definite purpose.

    Cases like Ian, who traveled freely, were extremely rare.

    Traditionally, a wizard was like a one-eyed man in a village of the blind.

    This means that to others, he was utterly insane.

    "It��s a bit embarrassing to say myself, but I am actually a pretty good wizard. I have plenty of tricks to avoid danger."

    Ian spoke sincerely, but Mionia responded with sarcasm.

    She clearly disliked the idea of traveling.

    Strong soldiers were actively clearing out thieves.

    And a werewolf passing by greeted her warmly:

    "Ah! Hello, Lady! You��re a new face here!"

    "???"

    Werewolves roam around the domain?

    Is this correct?!

    Mionia was momentarily startled, but the werewolf showed her a symbol of Heaven''s Faith, which reassured her��

    Not really.

    "Yikes! It''s a monster!"

    "Please calm down, Lady. Do you not see this symbol? I am a servant dedicated to the will of the heavens."

    "Then, what''s your favorite scripture verse?"

    "Genesis 1:1. [Let there be light.]"

    My goodness. He speaks Ancient?!

    Mionia had no choice but to believe the werewolf''s sincerity.

    She later realized:

    This was indeed a domain introduced by a wizard.

    Even with something abnormal roaming around, it wasn''t strange at all!

    After all, Ian himself was an exceedingly odd wizard!

    "You came on Wizard Ian''s recommendation! Oh! He is my master!"

    ...That figures.

    Mionia grumbled to herself.

    "Come this way. I will introduce you to the baron."

    The werewolf, Lewis, led Mionia to Lucy.

    "Hello, sister. I came here because Ian introduced me."

    "...? Who are you?"

    Lucy, the lord of Talian, was puzzled by the sudden appearance of the nun visitor.

    "I heard there''s precious fabric here... I happen to know a bit about tailoring."

    "???"

    That was how Sister Mionia ended up in Talian''s land.

    ---

    ---

    "Then, Ian. Take care."

    Ian departed from the Blue Key Monastery amid farewells from the monks.

    The abbot and the other monks came out in droves to pray for his safe return.

    "wizard Ian! Please save brother Takarion!"

    "Please save him!"

    Ian waved casually as he rode off.

    That Takarion fellow.

    Although his usual antics were annoying, the love he received from so many people suggested he wasn��t all that terrible.

    Indeed, what wrong had Takarion done?

    His only crime was being annoyingly and excessively good at writing.

    Enough so that a count filled with envy sent an assassin after him.

    "You really have it tough, huh?"

    "Squeak! Squeak!"

    Ian spoke to some sort of holy? bird.

    This creature would be taken care of by the converted barbarians of the north.

    Ian, along with Kira and Belenka, arrived at the dock heading north.

    "Are you really okay?"

    "Yeah, I''m fine."

    "Me too."

    The journey to a cold and barren land.

    He had suggested they stay in the empire because it might be tough for the two women, but Kira and Belenka chose to follow Ian north.

    "I still have debts to pay, I can''t just hang around in the empire."

    "I need to make money too. The north is tough, so the pay must be pretty good?"

    Kira and Belenka smiled at each other without hesitation.

    Seeing his companions'' smiles, Ian felt a deep sense of security.

    It was a psychological comfort he hadn''t known when traveling alone.

    This is why people seek companions for their journeys.

    "Let''s go!"

    As the sails were lowered, the vessel carrying Ian smoothly sailed across the sea.

    Under the bright sun, seagulls flapped their wings, flying alongside the sailing ship.

    After several days of sailing, Ian reached his destination.

    "Land in sight!"

    It was a chilling, icy land.

    The territory of the northern barbarians.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    TL/Editor: raei

    Proofreader: Pickhead7

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None.

    Join the discord! Here

    The North is a barbaric land.

    To Ian, once a modern man, both the North and the Empire appeared to be lands of barbarians.

    However, compared to the North, the Empire was civilized.

    Primarily because the Church of Heaven''s Faith''s Faith was widespread, many people feared committing sins.

    Stealing, fraud, lying, and murder were all considered sins.

    What happens if you commit a sin? You go to hell when you die.

    There, in the eternally burning flames of hell, souls suffer until they are purified.

    In any era, all humans fear death.

    Therefore, the citizens of the Empire try to live as virtuously as possible.

    The existence of a hell for liars and swindlers enabled the development of a [credit society].

    People must trust each other and strictly uphold contracts once made.

    If they''re not? It''s straight to hell, of course.

    If you''re a follower of the same Church of Heaven''s Faith''s Faith, you can trust each other.

    Thus, even though the Empire was composed of immigrants from the North, it could still be considered a land of civilized people.

    But the North was different.

    It was a land of warriors bleeding on the cold tundra!

    In the North, there was only struggle, and strength and discipline dominated everything.

    "It''s not as cold as I expected," said Belenka, looking around.

    Ian half-listened to her, pleased by the firm ground underfoot.

    "It''s summer now. The North is warm in the summer too."

    "You timed it well."

    Had they visited the North in winter, they would have experienced firsthand what bone-chilling cold was.

    "My homeland feels even colder."

    "Wintz?"

    Belenka nodded.

    Wintz was famous for its long and harsh winters.

    In the depths of winter, the entire country turned into a snowfield, with people freezing to death in droves.

    "...I''m a bit cold."

    Ian, born in the northern Empire, and Belenka, from Wintz, were resistant to the cold.

    However, Kira, from the southern Empire, felt the chill more acutely.

    "Oh! People from the Empire!"

    A Northerner ran up to Ian''s group.

    Ian stared intently at the Northerner.

    He had felt this when he fought a Northern raider before, but seeing it again, it was clear.

    You couldn''t really tell them apart from real Imperial citizens.

    It felt just like visiting a somewhat colder Empire.

    The Northerner was a young man with fiery red hair.

    His bushy beard was the only thing that distinguished him from the Imperial citizens.

    "I''ve been waiting for you! I am Gunnar of the Sky Claw Tribe!"

    "I''m Ian Eredith. I come from the Blue Key Monastery."

    "Ha! I''ve already heard about you! Let''s go."

    Ian followed Gunnar through the streets.

    This place was a fortress built by Imperials, now managed by the Northerners.

    Note that it was not the Holy Empire but the Golden Empire.

    Yes, this fortress was built nearly a thousand years ago and was incredibly dilapidated.

    It was originally constructed by the Golden Empire as a colony in the North...

    After the collapse of the Golden Empire, it became no man''s land, swiftly seized by the Northerners.

    So Ian''s impression was simple.

    Wow. This looks like a great place for a school trip.

    Taking a commemorative photo by those walls would be perfect.

    Ian still thought of school trips first, rather than wars, when he looked at the walls.

    The medieval world is like an antique shop. Really.

    "..."

    He had barely walked a few steps when he felt stares pouring down.

    At the end of those stares was Belenka.

    "An Imperial?"

    "What an odd looking imperial."

    The Holy Empire and the Northerners share the same roots; hence, they look quite similar.

    Belenka hailed from Wintz, essentially making her a foreigner.

    In the Holy Empire, where people often arrived from various regions, foreigners were not uncommon.

    However, at this fortress, since only Imperials and Northerners were usually seen, encountering someone of a different race was a rare sight.

    Not only was it rare to see someone of a different race, but Belenka was also a beauty capable of turning heads just by passing by.

    Naturally, the gloomy Northerners'' eyes were drawn to the arrival of such an attractive longsword-wielding schoolgirl.

    "Hey! Are you folks from the Empire?"

    "Heh heh... Wanna hang out with us?"

    At first glance, these guys clearly seemed like trouble, as if they had ''I''m a delinquent~'' stamped on their foreheads, subtly approaching.

    Ian, with his arms crossed, sighed.

    Damn it. Is there no land free of these thug extras?

    Having consumed hundreds of films, comics, and novels, Ian could easily predict what was about to unfold.

    These thugs would charge in, leading to a confrontation with Ian and his group.

    "F*ck off! This person is a guest of our tribe!"

    "That just means the tribal elders dislike it. The priest and I don''t mind you. Look, I''m also a follower of the Church of Heaven''s Faith," Gunnar said, showing the symbol of the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    Belenka and Kira reflexively made the sign of the cross.

    "Seeing this with my own eyes is something new. Who would have thought there would be followers of Heaven''s Faith up here in the North."

    "Most of our tribe believes in the Sky God. Although lately, more people have been converting..."

    As they spoke, snow swirled fiercely from the sky.

    The carriage, led by a horned horse, plowed steadfastly through the snowfield, almost as if proclaiming, ''This is just everyday life in the North!''

    Ian felt reassured by the sturdy animals, which looked more like deer than horses.

    "Huh?"

    Suddenly, Gunnar, who was driving, shouted.

    "Damn it''s cold!"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Something''s chasing us from over there!"

    Moments later, something huge, ugly, and monstrous emerged from the snowstorm.

    "Holy sh*t."

    Ian had never seen such an ugly monster in this medieval fantasy world before.

    "It''s a troll!!!"

    The monster attacking the carriage was indeed a troll.

    Known for residing in the North, trolls are infamous for their massive size, strong bodies, and ugliness.

    The starving troll, drooling, charged straight toward the carriage.

    Its target was clear.

    "Elk! That bastard is after our elk!"

    "What?"

    To think of eating our sturdy, national treasure elk that''s been faithfully running through the snow for us???

    "Are you insane? Really?"

    Ian immediately sprang into action.

    First, he surveyed his surroundings to assess the situation.

    It was a cold, snowy evening.

    The most powerful presences were, as always, the mysteries of cold and darkness.

    ''...I can''t use either of them.''

    However, the opponent was a monster clad in thick hide.

    Moreover, it had the ability to accurately track prey even on a snowy night.

    Neither cold nor darkness were effective against it.

    Then, other magic must be used.

    Ian cleared his throat and, with strong resolve, shouted.

    The most powerful weapon of a wizard.

    It''s the voice.

    "[Listen up, you beast!]"

    Ian amplified his voice using the power of the wind''s mystery.

    As Ian suddenly bellowed out loudly, Gunnar was startled.

    ''What, what the hell?!''

    This was Gunnar��s first time seeing a wizard in action.

    Though he had been informed beforehand that Ian was a wizard.

    The actual magic he saw was beyond his imagination!

    "[Dare you attack one who has shared friendship with the king of the mountain!]"

    Grrr...

    When Ian scolded loudly, the troll hesitated and slowed down.

    Gunnar gaped at this absurd sight, shocked.

    ''My God... he''s scolding a troll?''

    Gunnar thought Ian''s scolding was effective.

    But the troll was just startled, not overwhelmed by Ian''s will.

    [I... am hungry... I''ve been starving... I need to eat...!]

    ''Tsk.''

    Ian tried projecting the image of a drake, but the troll, being no trivial monster, wasn''t intimidated by the image of the drake.

    It might have been startled a bit.

    However, right now, the troll was in a situation where it was willing to risk danger to satisfy its hunger.

    ''If that''s the case.''

    If talking doesn''t work, the only option left is to use force.

    "Gunnar! I need to borrow some peat!"

    "Uh? Uh...?"

    Borrow what???

    Confused, Gunnar stared at Ian.

    Peat is a solid fuel commonly used by Northerners.

    But what was he planning to do with it...

    As Gunnar pondered this, he was speechless at Ian''s next action.

    Ian ignited the peat with an Anor-lsil.

    Then, he grabbed it... with his bare hands!

    Holding the blazing fireball in his hand, Ian shouted.

    "Take this! Fireball, you bastard!"

    Ian threw the burning peat.

    It was, literally, a ''fireball''...

    Gunnar watched in shock as the troll, hit by the fireball, screamed.

    who throws a fireball with bare hands?!

    ''Is he... completely insane?''

    Gunnar��s first impression of wizard Ian was.

    ''That guy��s crazy.''

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

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    Gunnar was astonished as he watched Ian toss a fireball as casually as one might throw a snowball.

    He wasn''t the only one that was shocked.

    [It''s hot! So hot!]

    The troll, too, was caught off guard by the sudden blaze.

    "Ian! Are you okay?"

    "Yeah, I''m fine! This is fun. Kira, wanna try?"

    "Uh, um?"

    Surprised, Kira had even forgotten her act as a dignified wizard.

    However, she quickly regained her composure.

    She didn''t fully understand why Ian''s hands weren''t burning.

    She vaguely guessed it was with the aid of some supernatural being.

    ''Mystery.''

    To the average person, an astrologer''s ability to predict the future appeared extraordinary.

    Similarly, Ian��s ability to grasp fireballs with his bare hands seemed utterly bizarre.

    Asking how it was possible was pointless.

    It was incomprehensible and unreplicable, hence deemed mysterious, and the art of managing this mystique was known as magic.

    [Burn it! Burn it all down!]

    Kira heard a voice whispering in her ear, like an auditory hallucination.

    The mystery of the flames swirled around her.

    In that moment, Kira was certain��the flames would never harm her.

    "Damn!"

    Ian had ignited a clod of earth, which Kira then firmly grasped.

    As Kira followed Ian��s lead and held the fireball in her hand, Gunnar stared at the wizards with shocked eyes.

    "My god..."

    Ian and Kira, like children in a snowball fight, hurled the flaming clod at the troll.

    The fireball Ian threw smashed into the troll''s face.

    Boom!

    Unable to endure the wizards'' torment, the troll eventually fled into the blizzard, crying.

    "Sh*t. Should have put a rock in it."

    Ian licked his lips in disappointment.

    Gunnar, still trembling, stuttered,

    "Are your... hands okay?"

    "Hands? Oh, they''re fine."

    As Ian waved his hands perfectly fine, Gunnar felt as if he had been tricked by a fairy''s prank.

    Curious, he touched a remaining ember.

    "Ouch!"

    It was f*cking hot.

    "Hey! What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

    "No... since you just picked up fire with your bare hands... I thought it wouldn''t be hot..."

    Ian, incredulous, retorted,

    "Do you think you and I are the same?"

    Ian was a traditional wizard who had undergone years of rigorous training under Eredith.

    Having recently advanced his fire magic skills, handling a fireball with bare hands was hardly a notable feat for him.

    "Wizards... are amazing..."

    In the North, unlike the Empire, there were no systematically trained wizards��only shamans and prophets.

    "That being said, quite a spectacle of a welcome."

    Ian remarked, seeing the troll rampage in the snowfield, feeling the reality of being in the northern lands.

    "Let''s push ourselves a bit today."

    No one opposed Gunnar��s suggestion.

    They had thought the North was similar to the Empire, but they hadn''t expected to encounter monsters immediately.

    "There weren''t usually this many monsters."

    "Usually?"

    "Yeah. Trolls live in the forests and rarely leave their territory. But for one to leave on its own..."

    Ian crossed his arms and said,

    "Could it be a lack of food?"

    "Probably."

    The forest''s food situation must be so dire that trolls need to venture out of their territory to hunt.

    ''The Northerners said they had a bad hunting season.''

    Both the southern and northern tribes had failed miserably in this year''s hunt.

    Ian looked up at the snowy mountains swirling with snow.

    What could be happening beyond those mountains?

    "Here we are! Ian!"

    Gunnar��s carriage was heading towards a village surrounded by a wide fence.

    It was the village of the Sky Claw Tribe.

    ---

    ---

    The Sky Claw Tribe is a member of the Okaha tribal coalition.

    Located at the very southern edge of the north, they were the most detached from conflicts and wars.

    Because of this, the Sky Claw Tribe was more amiable and sociable compared to other northerners.

    They readily welcomed outsiders, taking great pride in this as a tribal virtue.

    ...At least, that��s what Ian had heard.

    "Oh no."

    Madagal spoke with a troubled voice.

    "Ian. Stay here for a moment. I��ll go welcome the guests..."

    But it was already too late.

    Sturdy men were trampling the carpet with their muddy boots.

    "..."

    Belenka''s eyebrows twitched.

    Though humble, this place was a sanctuary of Heaven''s Faith.

    If there was a priest and preparations to serve God, it indeed was a temple.

    Yet these barbarians showed no respect for the deity.

    "Gregory! What the hell are you doing!"

    "Shut it, old fart."

    The barbarian named Gregory kicked a desk over.

    Bibles and leather-bound scriptures clattered loudly to the ground.

    "Gregory!"

    Gunnar glared at the barbarian Gregory with blazing eyes.

    Gunnar was a simple man who believed in Heaven''s Faith, but he was also a barbarian with northern blood.

    Gunnar yelled as he lunged at Gregory.

    Gregory mercilessly struck Gunnar.

    Thump!

    Gunnar fell, spitting blood, with his teeth scattered on the floor.

    "A greenhorn still wet behind the ears."

    Gregory strode towards Gunnar.

    But he could not continue.

    A black-haired young man blocked his path.

    "Stop. Back off."

    "What?"

    "I said, back off."

    Gregory thought the black-haired young man must be insane.

    Looking delicate and pretty like a girl.

    How could such a puny guy talk big in front of him?

    "You know who you''re being cocky to..."

    The black-haired young man.

    Ian took a step towards Gregory and said,

    "Then. Do you know who I am?"

    In that moment, Gregory''s eyes met Ian��s.

    Eyes frozen with cold fury.

    Yet beyond that, there lurked a kind of madness that seemed to wriggle like a monster under a frozen river, difficult to understand.

    ''...What the f*ck is this guy?''

    "Back off now."

    Chills ran down Gregory''s body, and he found himself stepping back involuntarily.

    Humans feel fear towards beings they cannot understand.

    Ian, who dealt with mysteries, could create an aura that ordinary people could not understand.

    Ian was a wizard shrouded in mystery.

    "This... bastard!"

    Belatedly, Gregory realized that he had actually stepped back as Ian had commanded.

    Retreating in the face of an enemy was a disgrace to a warrior!

    Almost reflexively, Gregory swung his fist towards Ian.

    He didn��t strike out of a desire to hit.

    He was threatened, and he wanted to deny the fact that he had been momentarily overpowered.

    But the fact remained that he had thrown a punch��

    And that prompted Belenka to act immediately.

    Thump!

    Belenka swung her scabbard, striking Gregory.

    "Argh!"

    Gregory screamed as he fell to the ground.

    "God is watching. Do not act rashly."

    Belenka spoke softly.

    Gregory''s companions hesitated.

    Belenka was ready to draw her sword at any moment.

    If they attacked, a bloodbath would ensue.

    "Damn... these outsiders...!"

    "Calm down, Gregory. They brought a phoenix from the Empire..."

    "Shut up! Old man! Stop spouting nonsense!"

    Gregory shouted angrily.

    "You Sky Fighters! Because of these Empire bastards, the Ice God is angry! And yet the old man casually entertains these Imperials!"

    "..."

    "Damn it! If you have any sense, stop making sacrifices to the Sky God! Unless you want the entire tribe to starve to death!"

    Gregory pointed his finger at Ian.

    "And you! Take the hint and go back to the Empire! We don''t have a single piece of meat to feed you!"

    Gregory stormed off.

    Ian sighed deeply as he looked around the chaotic room.

    "We''re clearly not welcome here."

    Priest Madagal was at a loss and clearly apologetic.

    "I... I will apologize on their behalf."

 c105

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    Gregory hastily gathered his companions and left.

    Ian watched his back and said,

    "What the f*ck is that guy doing? That bastard?"

    Gunnar exclaimed quickly,

    "Hunter Gregory! The richest f*cker in the village, with a damn narrow mind!"

    Hunter Gregory was renowned as the top hunter of the Sky Claw tribe.

    In the North, where most food comes from hunting, being a hunter was a coveted job.

    Isn''t life all about making good money?

    Just as there are doctors, lawyers, and prosecutors today, barbarians have their hunters.

    Indeed, hunting was a serious job...!

    "After surviving a disaster in the snowy mountains as a child, he became a devout follower of Hrundal."

    "Hrundal?"

    "The name of the ice god. The followers of Heaven''s Faith hardly speak it."

    No wonder he despised the Church of Heaven''s Faith.

    Being a hunter, Gregory naturally worshipped Hrundal, the northern ice god.

    There was a belief in the North that the ice god sent prey to hunters.

    Angering the ice god supposedly made hunting more difficult.

    ''Maybe he really does send them.''

    Ian nodded as he listened to Madagal''s tale.

    If the ice god revered by the northerners was like the god of Heaven''s Faith, then the ice god too was somewhat of a mystery.

    It wouldn''t be surprising then if the ice god truly looked after the northerners.

    "You''ve heard it from Gunnar... but the Sky Claw tribe has screwed up the Great Hunting Festival."

    "The event that secures food?"

    "Yes. We need to gather enough food during the festival to safely get through the winter. But we couldn''t..."

    That was why Gunnar had spoken of war.

    Both the southern and northern tribes had botched the hunting.

    With winter approaching, they all faced starvation unless they could steal food from one another beforehand.

    "Gregory believes the Church of Heaven''s Faith ruined the hunt. But that doesn''t make sense."

    "Exactly! Heaven''s Faith has been around for 30 years! If Hrundal was going to punish us, it would''ve happened by now!"

    Originally, the people of the Sky Claw tribe liked Heaven''s Faith.

    Because the monk Isilla had come to convert them like a madman before leaving.

    But as time passed and the situation worsened, the villagers began subtly shifting their allegiance towards the ice god.

    Gregory, who had always believed in the ice god, naturally thrived.

    "...I see."

    Ian seemed to understand why Gregory had come to intimidate them.

    With the situation in the North worsening, a wizard from the Empire had arrived.

    For Gregory, who despised the Church of Heaven''s Faith and favored the ice god, there was nothing good about this situation.

    He wanted to send Ian and his party back to the Empire as soon as possible.

    If Ian had been a weaker man, he might have succumbed to the barbarians'' violence and threats and fled to the Empire.

    However, Ian was a veteran traveler who had experienced all sorts of strange adventures.

    Gregory surely hadn''t expected to be sent back like that.

    "That knight handled it well. But I''m worried about possible retaliation."

    Belenka responded unflinchingly, "I have no regrets. I did what I had to do."

    Ian chuckled.

    Belenka''s physical and moral integrity was always reassuring.

    "Gregory has no friends anyway! He''ll never be able to retaliate, right?"Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com

    "He may not have friends, but he''s got followers."

    Madagal sighed deeply.

    "Ian. I hate to say this as soon as you''ve arrived... but I wish you would return to the Empire."

    "Hmm. Is it because of Gregory?"

    "That''s part of it. But that''s not all. A war might break out soon. That would put your life at risk."

    War. Ian had already experienced war once.

    Ian had slaved away in the Talian estate to make Lucy a baron.

    He wasn''t scared of war itself.

    The real issue was that if war broke out, the northern exploration plan would fall apart.

    He surely hadn''t come all the way from the distant Empire, by ship no less, just to deliver a phoenix... or was it just a chicken?

    Ian had plenty to do.

    He needed to check if Takarion was alive or dead and investigate the Arcana card Isilla had given him.

    He wasn''t some delivery guy.

    Would he return to the Empire as soon as the delivery was over?

    That wasn''t possible.

    "I''ll keep that in mind, but I have a request from the monastery, so I can''t return yet."

    "Ah. You were looking for a monk, right?"

    "Yes. Have you heard of Takarion, by any chance?"

    Gunnar responded instead.

    There was a quarrel in front of Gregory''s house.

    Ian quietly observed the dispute.

    Knowing Gregory was wealthy, residents with poor food supplies came to ask for his help.

    However, Gregory had refused them each time.

    ''Such a stingy neighbor.''

    Initially, Ian watched without much thought.

    He already knew Gregory had a terrible personality.

    A miser who turned away requests for help was common everywhere, wasn��t it?

    "Dirty and stingy! Enjoy your good life alone!"

    The villagers cursed Gregory.

    Gunnar��s words came to mind.

    Didn��t he say Gregory had no friends?

    That��s why even after being hit by Belenka, he couldn''t strongly protest.

    ''A friendless, wealthy miser...''

    Soon, an idea occurred to Ian.

    Gregory was stingy and petty.

    But could that stinginess be exploited to secure some food?

    ''Worth a try?''

    Ian was from the Empire, a follower of Heaven''s Faith, and a wizard.

    In a society where information is heavily biased, no one would suspect Ian��s plan.

    Ian immediately began discussing with his companions.

    His plan was straightforward.

    "See, Gregory. Despite his wealth, he''s utterly unpopular."

    "So?"

    "How about we first win over the villagers, and then extract food from Gregory?"

    In short, he intended to exploit a sucker.

    The meaning was clear.

    But the method was elusive.

    "How do you plan to win them over?" Belenka asked.

    Belenka thought Ian wasn��t just spouting nonsense.

    After all, Ian was a wizard, and wizards are supposed to have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves.

    But Belenka was dumbfounded by Ian''s next statement.

    "We��ll distribute food."

    "...What are you going to distribute?"

    Belenka thought she had misheard.

    Distribute food to the villagers?

    It didn��t make sense.

    If there was food, they would have eaten it already!

    Understanding the confusion among his companions, Ian calmly explained.

    Of course, Ian had no food.

    So, naturally, the food Ian would distribute to the people would be��

    Fake food.

    It was a scam...!

    "So, we distribute fake food to the people, and then get real food in return."

    "This is bull-"

    Belenka almost let slip a curse.

    Distribute fake food? That was too much!

    But Ian quickly said,

    "But! The food we actually feed the people will be real!"

    "???"

    What kind of nonsense is that.

    Belenka experienced a brain freeze. She simply gave up on trying to think.

    Ugh. Just typical of Ian and his schemes...

    "I don��t understand your plan. How will you turn fake food into real food?"

    Ian responded with a smile,

    "Maybe with magic?"

    Of course, he would use magic. After all, he is a wizard.

    Muttering to herself, Belenka reluctantly followed Ian''s plan.

    Ian led his companions up a nearby hill.

    There, a large boulder that had been visible from the village entrance was in sight.

    Pointing to a boulder about the size of a small child, Ian declared,

    "This."

    "What is that?"

    Belenka asked.

    "I��m thinking of making soup from it."

    ...This is madness.

    Belenka stared out at the distant mountains.

    The food Ian planned to prepare to win over the villagers...

    Was literally rock soup.

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    The chieftain of the Sky Claw tribe, Helga, had been troubled about many things lately.

    The fundamental cause of her worries was, as expected, the ruin of the Great Hunting Festival.

    The Northerners traditionally relied on hunting plenty of Yagons during the festival to survive the winter.

    However, this year, the number of Yagons had mysteriously dwindled.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com

    Neither the shaman nor the priests of Heaven''s Faith could identify the cause.

    All they could offer were vague explanations like, "The gods are angry," or "We must offer sacrifices."

    Frankly, Helga had been tempted to hold a sacrificial ritual for the Ice God.

    She hadn''t overturned the decision of the previous chief (her father) to hold a festival for the Ice God openly. But with the situation being this dire, she had no choice but to grasp at straws.

    A few guys who liked stirring up trouble said, "This is all because we worship a minor god like the Sky God!"

    Helga wanted to shout right in their faces, "Hey, you bastards! Did I buy into the Sky God? I inherited it from my dad! And not just inherited it, but inherited it completely and utterly!"

    That''s right.

    Helga''s father, the former chief of the Sky Claw tribe, had been completely swayed by the smooth tongue of the monk Isilla and had fully invested in the unheard-of god called the Sky God.

    "The era of the Ice God is over! Now is the era of the Sky God!"

    "Dad, are you sure about this?"

    "Of course! We''re going to heaven!"

    "..."

    It was a situation that could only be described as her father being caught up in a strange high in his later years.

    But since it was her father''s decision, Helga remained silent.

    However...

    As strange things began happening in the North, the popularity of Heaven''s Faith plummeted.

    Forget about going to heaven.

    With everyone on the brink of starving to death, who cared about heaven?

    "Should I just cut my losses now?"

    Helga seriously considered it.

    This damn Heaven''s Faith had brought her nothing but trouble.

    If only she''d kept her faith in the solid Ice God!

    "Helga! Is Helga here?"

    "What is it, Sigurd?"

    "Do something about Gregory, that guy."

    As if her headaches weren''t enough, small and large incidents kept happening in the village.

    This time, it was the troublemaker Gregory.

    "That guy has a mountain of food stored in his warehouse, but he won''t budge when asked to share a little!"

    Like most small societies, the Northern tribe was a small, closed community. With everyone knowing each other through one connection or another, any dispute meant losses for both parties.

    So, the atmosphere leaned toward preventing conflicts from arising in the first place.

    A prime example of this was the blurred concept of private property.

    If someone in the village owned a luxury artifact worthy of national power, instead of receiving applause and congratulations, people would think, "Who are you to monopolize such a valuable item?"

    There''s much talk about rural hospitality, but the reality is closer to, "Since I''ve shared what I have, you should share what you have."

    That''s how the villagers viewed Gregory.

    "Hey! Aren''t we all in this together?"

    As a fellow villager, Gregory was "naturally" expected to share his hunted game with his neighbors.

    That was the rural rule and law.

    If he didn''t comply?

    Gregory would be labeled as selfish and stingy.

    In reality, Gregory was indeed selfish and stingy.

    But he was also a clueless guy. If he''d just shared a little and lived more sociably, he could have become quite popular in the village.

    Had he been born in modern times, protected by the law and order, he might have lived much better.

    In a modern society where the state protects private property, the villagers'' excessive demands would have been handled by the police with a stern, "Hey, you!"

    "... Let''s wait and see. The Yagons might appear sooner or later."

    The chief of the tribe held a democratic position.

    Rather than wielding absolute power, the chief was more like a public servant managing the village based on the support of the residents.

    Complaints about Gregory were pouring in, so Helga had to act as chief.

    But since Gregory was an excellent hunter, it was hard to handle him carelessly.

    Winter hadn''t come yet.

    If the Yagon herds appeared later, all the bickering in the village would seem like a ridiculous farce.

    "Ice God or Sky God, whoever it is, please help us..."

    Helga offered an empty prayer.

    The gods had never answered Helga''s prayers, whether the Ice God or the Sky God.

    Her father, the previous chief, had converted to Heaven''s Faith, claiming he had "heard the call of heaven," but Helga couldn''t see any reason to trust and cling to gods who wouldn''t even answer.

    If any god could show a miracle, Helga was ready to become a devoted follower of that god.

    While Helga was busy handling the residents'' complaints, a stranger entered the tent.

    "Hmm? Who are you?"

    "Greetings, Chief. I apologize for the late greeting."

    The traveler''s appearance was both familiar and foreign.

    His face resembled a Northerner''s, but his eyes and hair were jet-black.

    Helga briefly made eye contact with the traveler and involuntarily shrank back.

    Beyond his pitch-black pupils, she sensed a swirling mystery.

    Helga was sure of it.

    He''s no ordinary traveler!

    "My name is Ian Eredith. I''ve come on behalf of the Imperial Monastery to meet Priest Madagal."

    "Ah, I''ve heard about you. Thank you for coming all this way."

    The conversation ended there.

    In truth, even if Helga had shouted, "Get lost now!" it wouldn''t have caused much trouble. Ian was a guest who had come at a bad time and not for any particularly important reason.

    Wow! So that��s stone soup!

    That made everything clear.

    If it were a miracle from heaven!

    "Oh my...!"

    Gunnar drew a cross fervently, filled with emotion.

    And then, suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

    Believers starving in the cold North... food given by God for such believers...

    What would stone soup taste like?

    Gulp.

    "Uh, uh, hey, Ian."

    Excited, Gunnar stuttered as he pleaded.

    "Can I, can I have a little taste of that stone soup too?"

    If it was food given by the Sky God, shouldn''t Gunnar, a follower of Heaven''s Faith, be allowed to taste it too?

    However, Ian spoke coldly.

    "No."

    "... Why not?"

    "Stone soup is sacred food. To eat it out of mere curiosity is absurd."

    Although he was addressing Gunnar, it was as if he was speaking to all the onlookers.

    The crowd gathered around Ian like a cloud couldn''t hide their disappointment.

    It was already well-known throughout the village that he was making soup from stones.

    If people came to watch the cooking, what would they expect?

    Naturally, they''d expect to taste it!

    But they were told they couldn''t taste the stone soup?!

    "... I believe in the Sky God too. Can''t I have just one taste?"

    A Northerner murmured softly.

    In truth, he rarely went to the temple and knew little more than the fact that the Sky God existed.

    But with the chance to taste food said to be granted by heaven right before his eyes, why not become a temporary believer in Heaven''s Faith?

    People line up at churches just for a handout of Choco Pies!

    "Actually, I believe too..."

    "I''ve always believed in the Sky God!"

    Once one person opened the floodgate, the wave of conversion followed one after another.

    In the blink of an eye, all the onlookers had transformed into Heaven''s Faith believers.

    It was nothing short of a holy miracle.

    Ian climbed the hill and shouted loudly in front of the rock he had previously marked.

    "[Rock! Move!]"

    Rumble!

    Then, something incredible happened.

    The rock, which had been buried in the ground, began to move, pushing itself out of the dirt!

    "Ohhh!"

    "My goodness! Could there truly be a god?!"

    Ian gracefully descended the hill.

    Behind him, the rock rolled down the slope, following Ian like a puppy.

    The onlooking Northerners couldn''t hide their surprise and astonishment as they cautiously followed Ian and the rolling rock.

    The scene looked like a folk painting.

    "Wow..."

    "He really brought the rock!"

    The villagers who had stayed behind, thinking Ian was bluffing, were left speechless as they watched the rock rolling on its own.

    At this point, they had no choice but to believe.

    For real!

    He really was making soup from stones!

    "Ian, use this."

    Priest Madagal had already prepared a large pot.

    At Ian''s gesture, the child-sized rock slipped neatly into the pot.

    "Kira."

    "Yes."

    With a graceful spin, Kira conjured a flame from her fingertips.

    In truth, she could have just lit it directly, but Ian had given her prior instructions.

    Stone soup was... actually a lie.

    No matter how much of a wizard Ian was, unless he was from D&D, he didn''t know any magic that could turn stones into meat.

    So what Ian had to do from now on was a form of showmanship.

    The wood was lit, and the water in the pot began to bubble and boil.

    Kira tasted a spoonful of the stone soup with a ladle.

    "Mmm!"

    She then beamed with the happiest smile.

    She could be a commercial model, Ian thought with a grin.

    "How is it?"

    "It''s truly mysterious! How does it taste like this when you only put in stones and water?"

    The ''stone soup'' tasted like fresh water.

    Well, it was just stones and water put together...

    But Kira, a born actress, spun a blatant lie without batting an eye.

    She smacked her lips as if it was genuinely delicious!

    Her acting was flawless.

    Enough to melt the hearts of the Northerners!

    The Northerners watched Ian making the stone soup, swallowing their saliva.

    "What could it possibly taste like...!"

    "We want to try it too!"

 c107

    c107

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    In the middle of the village, a large pot was boiling, emitting clear steam.

    However, inside the pot, instead of human food, there was just a large rock.

    That''s right.

    What was being boiled in the middle of the village wasn''t food but just a stone.

    "Ha... it looks delicious."

    "Soup made from stone? What could it possibly taste like?"

    "I wish I could have just one taste!"

    Everyone knew there was a stone in the pot.

    The Northerners knew, Ian knew, and so did Kira and Belenka.

    But when Kira, who had become the exclusive advertising model for Ian Co., tasted the stone broth with relish, the onlookers couldn''t help but swallow their saliva.

    Wow! How delicious must it be for her to make that face!

    The innocent Northerners couldn''t have imagined that Kira''s expression was 100% acting.

    Even if a modern person reincarnated as a Northerner were among them, they wouldn''t have noticed.

    Who in the world would pour water over a perfectly fine stone, boil it, and then insist it''s "stone soup"?

    When faced with something so outrageous, people tend to think, "Is it true?" rather than "It''s a lie."

    It''s similar to how "stories of giving a bitter drink to an annoying sister-in-law" on the internet are fictional, but "stories of losing a fight to a military tough guy" often have a real victim.

    So, instead of thinking it''s a ridiculous scam, they believed he was really making soup from stones!

    ''I feel a little sorry.''

    But the stone soup Ian prepared was... simply a scam.

    It was no different from the scams that old-time quacks used to pull.

    The only difference between Ian and a quack was that if caught, people wouldn''t hate him enough to want to kill him.

    Frankly speaking, [Project - Stone Soup] could fail.

    In that case, he''d just feel a little embarrassed and then find another way.

    After all, Ian was a wizard, so even if he did something crazy, people would just think, "Ah, wizards are just like that," and move on.

    Looking around, Ian sensed that the time was ripe.

    It was time to start making the soup in earnest.

    "Gunnar, do you really want to try the soup?"

    Ian called Gunnar''s name.

    Gunnar, who had been staring at the pot with his neck stretched out, was startled and replied.

    "You, you''ll give me some?!"

    Wasn''t it sacred food that couldn''t be given away?

    Ian looked at the pot and tilted his head with a vague expression.

    "Well... in principle, only those who have God''s permission should eat it, but... come to think of it, Gunnar, you also helped me on my journey, right?"

    "Uh... uh? Right! I helped!"

    As Ian slowly began to speak, Gunnar focused on his words as if he were a person possessed.

    The wizard''s tongue was as cunning as a snake.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om

    "It looks like more food will come out than expected. Look at this pot. Doesn''t it seem too much for the three of us?"

    Though he was speaking to Gunnar, it wasn''t just for Gunnar.

    It was meant for all the villagers to hear.

    When Ian threw out the bait, the villagers, already eager, snatched it up like hungry fish.

    "Yes! It does look a bit much!"

    "How can three people eat all that?"

    "You have to share it, of course! Absolutely!"

    Everyone said this because they wanted to put the stone soup in their own mouths.

    It was exactly the reaction Ian wanted.

    After all, human greed is the fundamental reason people fall for scams!

    Ian shouted loudly in front of the pot.

    "Oh, heaven! Is it okay to share your food with this young man?"

    "[Fire! Burn brightly!]"

    Simultaneously, Kira chanted from the side.

    The villagers didn''t know Kira was speaking Maronius.

    They just thought, "Oh, it''s simultaneous translation!"

    Whoosh!

    The mysterious fire erupted like an explosion.

    The villagers, startled, stepped back.

    ��The sky...!��

    ��Answered!��

    Ian shouted loudly.

    ��The Sky has said that if we offer a worthy sacrifice, The soup will be shared!��

    ��Ohhh!��

    ��Those who follow the will of the Sky! Gunnar! Go and fetch an offering for the Sky!��

    ��Of-offering?��

    Ian whispered quietly.

    ��If you have any leftover food at home, bring some. Edible stuff. I''ll offer it to the Sky.��

    ��Got it! Ian!��

    Gunnar ran off as if flying.

    A little later, he appeared with some dried vegetables.

    ��It''s dried radish... will this do?��

    Ian crossed his arms.

    Hmm. Dried radish.

    It will give a refreshing flavor to the soup.

    ��Alright. Hand it over.��

    As Ian tossed a handful of dried radish into the pot,

    [You''re up to something fun again, Ian. Hehe, would you mind if I help a little?]

    A bright light flashed and shot up from the pot!

    ��... Huh?��

    ��Come on~ the more members we have, the richer the stone soup will be, right~?��

    Doesn��t this structure look familiar?

    That''s right.

    Human network marketing.

    It''s the same principle as multi-level marketing...!

    Existing members bring in new members to put food into the pot, making the food supply richer!

    ��Hmm... if only we had a little more vegetables, it would taste so much better...��

    ��The Sky wants vegetables!��

    No one knew when Ian became the Sky, but whenever Ian hinted at what was missing in the stone soup, the ��members�� would go out and actively conduct human marketing to find a household with those ingredients.

    That''s exactly what they were suggesting to Helga now.

    Helga chuckled.

    She wasn''t particularly curious about the taste of the stone soup. But the villagers were so excited.

    They had forgotten all about the pressure of war and the failures of hunting.

    Together, they sat around, laughing and chatting, waiting for just one dish.

    ��Then should I offer something too?��

    ��Meat! Please offer some meat!��

    ��No, no! We already have plenty of meat! We need more vegetables!��

    ��Wouldn''t barley be better than vegetables?��

    By now, the villagers treated Ian''s stone soup as a feast.

    Everyone had added various ingredients under the pretext of offering them to the Sky.

    Helga was the village chief.

    She couldn''t just toss in a measly handful of dried meat, so she generously donated a whole basket of ham.

    ��Wow! Chief, you''re the best!��

    Ian greeted Helga with a smile.

    ��Thank you for your donation, Chief.��

    ��At first, when you said you were making soup with a stone, I wondered what you were talking about... but now, it looks like it''s going to taste amazing.��

    Helga abandoned her work and joined the festivities.

    With Kira performing and the villagers all out waiting for the soup, other residents who had been cooped up at home began joining one by one, curious about what was going on.

    And as they all gathered and played together...

    It was just a blast.

    It had all started with Ian''s eccentric behavior, but by now, it was no different from a village festival.

    In the end, the entire village came out, drinking and singing while waiting for the stone soup to be finished.

    Everyone had donated food to Ian, so everyone deserved a taste.

    ��Gregory! Come out and make a donation too!��

    ��Why me?��

    Gregory, who had holed himself up at home, was having a miserable time.

    Had everyone suddenly gone mad???

    Why on earth were they all throwing a festival for the Sky God?

    We''re on the brink of war!

    Everyone should be frowning at home!

    Why! Why is everyone so happy?

    Stop being so cheerful!

    ��Hey! Aren''t you one of us?��

    ��Trying to keep everything to yourself again, huh?��

    Gregory quickly fell out of favor with the public.

    He was already unpopular, but seeing him refuse to join the communal spirit made him even more unlikeable.

    Once someone is disliked, nothing they do is well received.

    In the end, Helga stepped in personally.

    ��Gregory! Hand over some food!��

    ��Chief, have you lost your mind? You want to offer food to the Sky God?��

    ��Yes. Our tribe has always believed in the Sky. There''s nothing wrong with that.��

    Gregory was dumbfounded.

    Since when were they such devout followers of the Sky God?

    ��Tsk. If only we had some more sausages...��

    ��The Sky wants sausages!��

    This had become a communal religious event.

    It wasn''t true, but they decided to make it that way.

    So, Gregory had no way out...

    With tears in his eyes, he shouted.

    ��You cunning wizard! Fine! Take it! Take it all!��

    ��Oh, really? Thanks.��

    Ian led the neighborhood ladies and emptied Gregory''s food storage thoroughly.

    The flavor of the stone soup grew even richer.

    As the sun set and a chilly breeze blew in,

    ��Alright! It''s ready!��

    Ian finally declared the stone soup finished.

    The villagers each brought their bowls and received a ladleful of stone soup.

    And the taste of the stone soup...

    Was indescribably fantastic.

    How could warm stew after a night of revelry not taste good?

    ��To be honest, this isn''t the flavor I expected...��

    ��What kind of flavor were you expecting?��

    Ian sat with his companions and tasted the stone stew.

    ��It''s supposed to be divine food. I thought it would taste heavenly...��

    Gunnar grumbled.

    Ian smiled and said,

    ��You don''t get it. This is the taste of heaven.��

    Kira and Belenka also smiled and nodded.

    The wizard was right.

    Soup made with stone tasted truly magical.

 c108

    c108

    TL/Editor: raei

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    The campfire burned late into the night.

    The villagers laughed and chatted late into it, something they hadn''t done in a long time.

    They had no choice.

    The situation in the North wasn''t good.

    No one knew if the food problem could be solved. If it couldn''t, war might break out.

    So everyone spent each day in worry.

    It was only natural that this impromptu festival felt unusual.

    ��It''s truly unbelievable.��

    Helga was immersed in strange feelings as she watched the bustling village.

    Just yesterday, the village had been gloomy, but overnight it had transformed beyond recognition.

    There hadn''t been any major event.

    Just one wizard preparing a strange dish.

    ��Ahem. Those sky-worshippers from the Empire. They''re better than they look.��

    ��Haha, yes. He''s a good fellow.��

    Even the picky Sigurd acknowledged the wizard��s contribution.

    Helga quietly watched the wizard drinking with the people.

    He was a young man, but his wisdom was remarkable.

    Swaying people and moving them as he wanted was something even Helga, as the chief, couldn''t easily do.

    Yet that young man had naturally shifted the village''s atmosphere to his liking.

    It was impressive and, at the same time, chilling.

    It was fortunate that the wizard had approached with good intentions...

    Had he harbored ill intentions, what would have happened to the village?

    ��An extraordinary man.��

    Helga still didn��t know who Ian was.

    But he was a wise and capable wizard.

    So, the next morning, when Ian came to see Helga again, she greeted the wizard with a calm face.

    ��Chief, I''ve come to tell you that we are leaving now.��

    Helga politely offered him a seat.

    Her attitude was completely different from yesterday when she treated Ian like a peddler.

    ��So, you''re heading to the Red Bear tribe?��

    ��I heard that the monk I''m looking for might be there.��

    The journey wasn''t certain.

    But finding someone in this era was always like this.

    Phones and the internet are like cheat codes; before modern times, finding someone was a tedious task of repeated inquiries.

    ��You''ll need food for your journey.��

    Ian replied with a smile.

    ��It would be nice to have.��

    ��I''ll arrange for you to receive some food from Gregory. Use it for your journey.��

    Helga said softly.

    With that, Ian achieved his primary goal.

    ��But I have one request.��

    ��Please, go ahead.��

    There was a reason why Helga had readily promised support to Ian.

    It was partly because she wanted to help a fellow Sky believer find a monk, but the main reason was this.

    ��You''re aware of the situation in the North, aren''t you?��

    ��I''ve heard about it.��

    He knew all the important details.

    Helga nodded and continued speaking.

    ��Every year, when the weather warms up, we head up to Mount Gramunt to hunt the Yagon herd. That''s the Great Hunt.��

    It was a story Ian already knew well.

    ��But this year, for some reason, the Yagon herd is almost nowhere to be seen.��

    ��Hmm...��

    ��To find out why, we''ve sent our best scouts from each tribe to Mount Gramunt. But so far, they haven''t found an answer.��

    Ian smiled bitterly.

    He understood where this conversation was heading.

    ��Wizard Ian. We need your help.��

    ��...��

    ��Help the scouts find out where the Yagon herd has disappeared to.��

    In short, Helga wanted to hire Ian as a troubleshooter.

    She would provide him with the supplies he needed as he traveled around the North.

    After hearing this, Ian...

    He liked the fact that it was food sent from the heavens for the hungry faithful, and he also liked that it was a festival that everyone could enjoy together.

    Priest Madagal even intended to develop the stone soup into a tribal tradition.

    If that happened, hundreds of years later, it might be held as a traditional village festival.

    As an exotic festival that travel YouTubers would come and film.

    "I heard you''re heading to Gramunt."

    "Ah, after I find Takarion."

    "Then you might as well release the phoenix yourself. It originally lived in the holy mountain anyway."

    He could have entrusted the phoenix to Priest Madagal, but since Kira kept making a sullen face, he decided to just carry it with him.

    After all, it wouldn''t even come out from Kira''s arms.

    It was such a tiny baby bird that it hardly had any presence.

    Ian once again boarded the carriage.

    This time, Gunnar did not accompany him.

    "Take care, Ian! You must come back with Takarion!"

    "I''ll try."

    The person who sat as the coachman was an unfriendly old man.

    That very person, Sigurd, who had fired off unpleasant words as soon as he met Ian.

    Sigurd silently drove the carriage, carrying Ian and his party.

    "The chieftain is really generous, lending even a carriage."

    "It''s natural since she promised to help."

    Sigurd said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.

    "The Red Bear tribe is part of our Okaha Coalition. But they''ve only just joined, and we hardly ever do activities together. We specialize in hunting and trade. They specialize in pillaging."

    In the Empire, it was common for barbarians from the North to conduct raids.

    There are countless tribes in the North.

    While some tribes, like the Sky Claw Tribe, sustain themselves with hunting and trade, many others, like the Red Bear Tribe, live off pillaging and slave trading.

    To the Imperials, barbarian raiders were terrifying monsters.

    But to the northerners, they were stalwart family members who brought back money and food.

    Ian wasn''t particularly shocked by that fact.

    This is a world where everyone fends for themselves, without a strong absolute ruler.

    Murder was an effective means of livelihood here, committed without hesitation in this medieval fantasy world.

    Civilization has overly civilized modern times, but originally, human life was filled with murder and pillage.

    "You guys might get your heads chopped off if you go alone. And since there are women with you, you might face even worse fates."

    Sigurd glanced at the expressions of the two women, but Kira and Belenka were unfazed.

    Kira was exceptionally good at managing her expressions, and being originally from the streets, she vaguely knew about the harsh world.

    And Belenka... was just Belenka.

    She was a master of physical fights.

    "You''re coming with us to that dangerous place?"

    "...I apologize for the rude words I said before. My mind was quite troubled then."

    Sigurd muttered.

    Ian accepted Sigurd''s apology.

    He knew he was being watched and saw no need to fuss over someone who had come to help him.

    "Still, there''s no better warrior in our tribe than me. If anything happens, I''ll protect you, staking the honor of our tribe."

    "That''s reassuring."

    Sigurd was just a rough northerner.

    He swore a lot, drank a lot, and fought a lot...

    A sharply honed battle axe lay quietly in the carriage. The handle was smooth, indicating it was a well-used item.

    "Ah, Ian. Look over there."

    "What is it?"

    Sigurd stopped driving the carriage and pointed somewhere.

    "Crows! Lord Hrundal is watching over us!"

    Ah. It''s true.

    Far away in the sky, a large, plump crow was circling around.

    ...But that crow. It looks very familiar.

    The crow flapped its wings and flew swiftly toward the carriage.

    And then it naturally perched on Ian''s shoulder.

    Sigurd''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "Why is the crow...?"

    Ian calmly answered.

    "It''s a pet of mine."

    "???"

    Ian gently stroked Oberon.

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    The carriage carrying Ian hurried along the road.

    Along the way, Sigurd shared his knowledge of the North with Ian and his companions.

    ��That monk you''re looking for... even if you find him in the Red Bear tribe, it won''t be easy to get him out.��

    ��I heard a bit about it from Priest Madagal. Something about using him for medicine...��

    Even as Ian spoke, he found the idea ridiculous.

    What kind of tonic is a human heart supposed to be?

    If you''re sick, you should take medicine, not eat a heart...

    These crazy barbarians.

    ��Yeah. I heard that chief has been weakening lately.��

    ��What illness does he have?��

    ��How would I know? But he''s at an age where it''s normal to be frail. He''s over 60 now.��

    At 60, he was indeed an old man.

    The further back in time you go, the shorter the average human lifespan becomes.

    Even in Korea, just 50 years ago, people celebrated their 60th birthdays with big parties.

    Considering that turning 60 means reaching "hwangap[1]" it could seem overblown from a modern perspective.

    However, the grand celebration of a 60th birthday was proof that few people lived past that age.

    Humans weren''t originally meant to live to 60.

    The further back in history, the more this was true.

    In that sense, the chief of the Red Bear tribe was indeed an old man who had lived long enough.

    ��At that age, he''d die no matter what he eats.��

    Belenka muttered.

    Her statement was harsh but an accurate fact.

    The medieval era, lacking hospitals and surgeries, was hostile to the elderly.

    ��True. But his sons don''t think that way.��

    ��Well... I suppose not.��

    Wanting your parents to live longer isn''t wrong.

    Just as modern people give their parents ginseng gifts, the warriors of the Red Bear tribe were simply giving their chief the heart of a monk.

    It was a filial gesture.

    ��Do you think they''ll just hand over the medicine they worked so hard to get from the Empire?��

    Sigurd was genuinely concerned for Ian.

    If they found the monk in the Red Bear tribe but couldn''t rescue him, what could be more disheartening?

    In truth, even if Ian couldn''t rescue Takarion, the monastery wouldn''t hold it against him, knowing it was beyond his abilities.

    But since he''d come this far, Ian also wanted to bring Takarion back if possible.

    ��Don''t worry about that.��

    ��Oh. Do you have a plan?��

    ��I don''t. But Ian will.��

    ��...?��

    Me?

    Ian looked confused as he paused eating, but the others all wore serious faces.

    Belenka, Kira, even Sigurd.

    They all had expressions that said, ��Wizard Ian will figure something out!��

    ��Well, he does have some strange tricks up his sleeve. I heard he moved a boulder just by talking?��

    ��Haha. That''s magic for you.��

    ��Truly unique.��

    Ian casts the magic, so why does Belenka look so proud?

    ��Yeah. If Takarion is there, getting him out will be no problem.��

    When Kira chimed in, Ian had no choice but to speak up.

    ��Don''t expect too much. We don''t know how things will turn out.��

    Ian tried to act nonchalant.

    He was about to stroke Oberon...

    ��What are you doing there?��

    Oberon was lurking in a corner.

    And in front of him was the phoenix chick.

    ��Caw! Caw!��

    [Welcome to the training camp, recruit! I am Drill Instructor Oberon!]

    ��Chirp! Chirp!��

    [Yes, Instructor!]

    [Your voice is adequate! But will your fragile wings satisfy the master?]

    [I will do my best, sir!]

    ��...��

    Ian was immediately dumbfounded.

    What kind of raven trains a phoenix?

    More importantly, how does a raven even know terms like "drill instructor"?

    Did it live near a mercenary training camp?

    [This instructor can be either an angel or a demon, depending on you, Recruit Chamssae[2]...]

    ��Hey, Oberon.��

    [Yes, Master! Did you call me?]

    Oberon approached with an angelic demeanor.

    Indeed, Oberon had the ability to switch between an angel and a devil depending on who he was dealing with.

    It was the cunningness befitting a raven.

    The reason they read the future is to know good and bad omens in advance, but it became clear that it was useless.

    Especially in the Red Bear tribe, the atmosphere was truly grim.

    The chief was already suffering due to illness.

    And the shaman couldn''t even foresee the disaster ahead?

    ��That guy seems like a quack...��

    ��Should we just replace the shaman?��

    Pyra knew.

    His life was hanging by a thread!

    If he repeated a few more mistakes, he might genuinely be exiled from the tribe, not as a joke.

    Exile in the North meant certain death.

    ��Please... please...!��

    Pyra felt like he would go mad as he looked at the cards before him.

    The cards Pyra handled were divination tools called [Arcana Cards] used by the Northerners.

    Cards said to have been painted by the northern god Hrundal himself with mystical pigments.

    There are 22 known cards, and the shamans used them to glimpse the future.

    On the table were [The Tower], [The Devil], and [Death].

    Pyra felt dizzy because these cards all foretold the chief''s health!

    The chief of the Red Bear tribe was bedridden due to his declining strength.

    His dutiful sons sent their finest warriors to fetch medicine for their father.

    Among them, a warrior named ��Berserker Bjorn�� brought back the miraculous heart of a human from the Empire.

    He hadn''t ripped the heart out but had kidnapped the person to ensure freshness.

    All that remained was to make medicine with the heart and feed it to the chief...

    But Pyra, already scared out of his wits due to the Great Hunt failure, decided to divine the future once more before making the medicine.

    If something went wrong and the chief died, Pyra would be done for that very day.

    But the result of the divination was a complete mess.

    ��What the hell! What''s going wrong?��

    [The Tower] is a card that signifies something going wrong.

    [The Devil] represents obsession with something.

    [Death] indicates that a change is coming.

    The card that disturbed Pyra the most was [The Tower].

    Could it mean that Pyra would fail to make the chief''s medicine?

    All mysteries are ambiguous. They are mysterious because they cannot be communicated clearly.

    One who can read mysteries accurately and understand their meaning is a great occultist.

    Pyra pondered over and over again.

    Mystery always sends signals to humans. The ability to read and interpret those signals is the difference in talent.

    ��Pyra, I''d like you to get started soon.��

    Ragnar, the chief''s eldest son, approached Pyra and said.

    Pyra had to cut open the offering''s belly to make the medicine.

    Preparing the mystical elixir was the shaman''s domain.

    ��Wait... just wait a little longer.��

    ��Wait longer?��

    Ragnar frowned.

    They had already waited over a week. And now they had to wait even longer?

    ��The omen... I must find the cause of this bad omen!��

    If he made the medicine as things stood, something was bound to go wrong. It was the shaman''s intuition.

    ��Pyra.��

    ��I said we must wait!��

    Ragnar and Pyra glared at each other.

    ��A quack who couldn''t foresee the failure of the Grand Hunt...!��

    ��An idiot who knows nothing about the mysteries...!��

    An awkward silence hung in the air.

    Then, a voice was heard.

    ��Ragnar! You have visitors!��

    ��Visitors?��

    ��Sigurd! A warrior from the Ice Claw[2] tribe!��

    The voice continued.

    ��He brought an Imperial too!��

    ��An Imperial!��

    Pyra''s eyes flew open.

    The cause of the bad omen!

    The Ice God''s warning was finally clear!

    ��Ragnar! Send them away immediately!��

    ��What? Our guests?��

    ��They will ruin everything for us! They will keep us from making the medicine!��

    Ragnar had called Pyra a quack shaman.

    But just this once, Pyra''s prediction was spot on.

    Wizard Ian had indeed come to stop Pyra from making the elixir.

    ---

    [1. raei: wikipedia: hwangap - Hwangap is a traditional way of celebrating one''s 60th birthday in Korea. It is analogous to Kanreki in Japanese or Jiazi in Chinese. The number 60 means accomplishing one big 60-year cycle and starting another one in one''s life following the traditional 60-year calendar cycle of the lunar calendar...]

    [2. raei: this is Ice Claw, not a mistranslation.]

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    The sun shone brightly on that midday afternoon.

    The carriage carrying Ian and his companions passed through the entrance of the Red Bear Tribe��s village.

    ��Hey, Paulric! Long time no see.��

    ��Sigurd! How have you been?��

    Sigurd exchanged greetings with the Red Bear Tribe��s warriors.

    Ian didn��t know this, but as Sigurd had said, he was a well-known warrior in the north.

    If you asked someone to name a warrior from the Sky Claw Tribe, someone would shout, ��Sigurd!��

    An outstanding warrior is bound to earn recognition.

    Especially among the Red Bear Tribe, who enjoyed raiding, Sigurd was an outsider they wanted to cherish as a comrade.

    ��Go meet the chief first.��

    ��Of course.��

    Sigurd led Ian and his companions to the chief��s house.

    As they lifted the wide tent flap, a space filled with various items appeared.

    Many of the exotic items, even to Ian��s eyes, were all spoils of war offered to the chief, looted from outside lands.

    Tribes like the Red Bear Tribe, specializing in raiding, would sail far across the sea and plunder distant foreign lands.

    ��Long time no see, Sigurd.��

    ��You look well, Ulfdin. Have you been eating and resting well in warm places?��

    Ulfdin chuckled at Sigurd��s joke.

    He was the chief��s grandson, a young man about Ian��s age.

    ��Grandfather, wake up. We have guests from the Ice Claw Tribe.��

    ��Cough, cough.��

    The old man lying in bed slowly sat up.

    Seeing this, Ian felt as if a sick wolf, rather than a human, was rising.

    It was a feeling that only Ian, being a wizard, could sense.

    Layers of scars and anger beyond the old body.

    A man who had lived more as a beast than a human, thus revealing a glimpse of the beastly image.

    ��Cough... Sigurd... Is that you, Sigurd?��

    ��Yes, sir. It��s Sigurd.��

    The chief��s gaze was fixed only on Sigurd.

    There was no reason to pay attention to Ian and his companions. He was an old man, and old men didn��t like new things.

    ��We should have met on the vast snowy plains instead of this miserable sickbed... Cough, cough.��

    ��Like when we smashed the skulls of those Scogun bastards.��

    The chief grinned at Sigurd��s words.

    The old man liked talking about stories he was familiar with.

    No matter how many times he heard news from afar, he was indifferent.

    But he got excited like a child when recounting stories of his glorious past.

    ��Yeah... Was it already 10 years ago?��

    ��15 years ago. It was just after I had my coming-of-age ceremony.��

    Sigurd ended the conversation with the chief in a calm voice.

    It wasn��t a particularly interesting story, but Sigurd kept the chief company for a long time out of courtesy.

    The Red Bear Tribe people must have expected Sigurd to play this role.

    ��Grandfather, you��ve been up for too long. Now, lie down and rest.��

    ��Ah, yes... I didn��t realize how much time had passed.��

    Ulfdin laid the chief back down and guided Ian and his companions.

    Ian glanced at the chief lying on his back.

    A wide but weary back.

    He might have been a great warrior once.

    But now, he was a warrior collapsing under the weight of time.

    ��Ah, it��s about time for a meal.��

    It was the time of day when hunger set in.

    Ulfdin said to Ian and his companions, ��I��ll go have my meal then.��

    ��???��

    ��Ah, I��m hungry.��

    And then... he vanished.

    Ian was dumbfounded and watched Ulfdin��s retreating figure.

    Ulfdin didn''t suddenly turn around and shout, ��Surprise!�� or anything like that.

    ��No, Sigurd! Did we do something wrong?��

    ��Huh? What are you talking about?��

    Ian shouted in genuine frustration.

    ��Aren��t we guests?��

    That��s right.

    Even though Ian had been reincarnated into this desolate and harsh medieval fantasy world, he had never heard of guests being starved.

    Isn��t it the same in post-apocalyptic stories?

    Even when visiting a crumbling tent, food would be served to guests, whether it was a protein block or a synthetic chlorella meal.

    But...

    This was the first time they were so neatly and perfectly neglected!

    ��... Maybe it��s because their food situation isn��t good,�� Belenka suggested, offering a reasonable explanation.

    Then Sigurd burst into laughter and said, ��Hahaha! The Red Bear Tribe people are always like that!��

    ��They usually ignore guests?��

    ��Not sure what you mean, but if it means they don��t care about guests, then yes! They don��t give guests any food!��

    Only then did Ian realize why there had been plenty of food stocked in the carriage.

    The Sky Claw Tribe was located in the south and, thanks to their frequent trading, had a certain understanding of hospitality.

    But the further north you went, and the more barbaric the tribe, the less concept of hospitality they had.

    Even if guests came, they wouldn��t be served food!

    ��Wow...��

    Ian was genuinely horrified.

    He had never felt out of place meeting unfamiliar tribesmen before.

    But at that moment, he felt like he had landed in some alien village.

    ��Let��s eat then.��

    Whoosh!

    The blade of Anor-lsil was enveloped in flames.

    Ian pointed the burning sword at the attackers and said in a low voice,

    "What are you. Who are you."

    Ragnar, the son of Reyhaul, stared mesmerized at Ian''s magical sword.

    ��What��s that weapon... a flaming sword? That��s impressive.��

    ��No, never mind my weapon. Who are you people?��

    Belenka and Kira were also ready to fight.

    Seeing Belenka poised to draw her sword at any moment, Ragnar raised his hand.

    The attackers gathered their clubs and stood behind Ragnar.

    ��I apologize for the rough greeting. We were curious about the guests from the Empire.��

    Ragnar grinned.

    ��Greeting?��

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    In the Empire, there may be a custom to insult wizards out of the blue.

    But here, do they greet people with clubs?

    ��Were you trying to test my skills or something?��

    ��Oh! I like how quick you are to catch on! A great warrior should be able to assess situations quickly!��

    ��I��m a wizard, you crazy barbarian...��

    Ian was at a loss for words at the barbarian warrior��s foolish way of testing.

    Trying to test a wizard��s skills by swinging clubs at him...

    What would they do if they got struck by a fireball?

    ��Your ability to shake the ground, and your skill wielding a flaming sword...��

    Ragnar extended his hand to Ian and laughed happily.

    ��A very capable shaman, huh? Hahaha!��

    You madman, I��m a wizard...

    ��Ah, yes, well.��

    Ian decided to humor Ragnar for now.

    After all, he was the chief��s son, and it could be useful to befriend him.

    ��Come on! Let��s talk while we walk!��

    Ragnar led Ian somewhere.

    ---

    ---

    Not feeding guests and suddenly swinging clubs...

    Ian was starting to dislike this barbarian village more and more.

    But Ragnar and the northerners seemed completely oblivious to their wrongdoings.

    What? We didn��t feed the guests? Isn��t it good manners to fill your stomach before visiting someone��s house?

    Upset because we swung some clubs at you? What a bunch of sissies.

    True men share their friendship by whacking each other with clubs!

    A typical northerner, Ragnar firmly believed he had shared ��friendship�� with Ian.

    He thought swinging clubs was the right move.

    ��Tell me straight up, Imperial! What brings you all the way to the far north?��

    Ian couldn��t understand Ragnar��s sudden familiarity.

    But still... Ian had come to the north of his own accord.

    He had no choice but to go along with it.

    ��I��m looking for someone.��

    ��Someone?��

    ��A monk named Takarion... I heard he might be here.��

    Ragnar looked surprised for a moment.

    ��What��s wrong?��

    ��The shaman��s prophecy was right. He predicted you��d disrupt our medicine making.��

    Ian frowned.

    Ugh, that prophecy again. Are space-time wizards active here too?

    Fortunately, that wasn��t the case.

    The tribe��s shamans were a primitive-ancient type of wizard.

    They dealt with mysteries in a traditional, old-fashioned way that hadn��t advanced much beyond the earliest methods humanity used to handle the arcane.

    There were no distinctions between schools, so a single shaman could handle all kinds of magic.

    [Future Sight] was one of them.

    ��So?��

    ��Yeah. We caught an Imperial sky man not long ago. Our warriors boasted about how skilled he was.��

    Ragnar led Ian somewhere.

    ��...��

    It was a beast cage.

    A face that looked haggard but not unfamiliar caught Ian��s eye.

    Golden Finger Takarion.

    The man was locked up in the beast cage, looking like a beggar.

    ��Imperial shaman! Take a look and tell me. Can we make a proper potion out of this?��

    ��...What do you mean?��

    Ragnar shouted, as if venting his frustrations.

    His voice carried the weight of pent-up emotions.

    ��Our tribe��s shaman! I don��t trust that bastard to keep me from freezing to death!��

    Ragnar��s voice was hard to hear.

    Ian��s gaze was fixed solely on Takarion, who seemed to have lost his soul.

    A man with terrible luck.

    Despite the horrors he��d been through, he was still alive, which meant Takarion deserved to survive.

    Maybe that��s why.

    Unconsciously, Ian responded to Ragnar in his ��wizard speech.��

    ��Ah, indeed! Making a potion from a human heart like that! What a lousy shaman!��

    ��So, you think so too?��

    Ragnar grumbled.

    Ian didn��t miss Ragnar��s expression.

    Distrust between the shaman and Ragnar.

    If he could use that emotion, he might be able to save Takarion...!

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    Ian''s plan was simple.

    Seeing a gap between Ragnar and the shaman, he intended to exploit it and expand his influence.

    After all, the tribe''s people didn''t know what mystery or magic was.

    When Ian spoke, they could only respond with, "Ah, I see~," and move on.

    In modern society, where smartphones are widespread and the internet is universal, it''s difficult for information to be biased.

    But the world has always been a place where information is uneven and biased.

    Deceiving people''s eyes and ears to turn situations to his advantage��that was the power a wizard possessed.

    ��I-Ian?!��

    Takarian, who had been locked up in the cage, was shocked to see Ian.

    The barbarians hadn''t locked up Takarian in a beast''s cage because they were cruel and brutal.

    There simply wasn''t any other place to confine him.

    The Northerners didn''t build prisons and would either exile or execute those who committed crimes.

    But even putting aside such trivial facts, Takarian truly looked pitiful and miserable.

    Seeing a person locked up in a beast''s cage was enough to stir anyone''s compassion.

    ��Hey, Takarian. You''re alive.��

    ��By the heavens! Why, why are you here...?!��

    ��For now, I''ve come to rescue you.��

    When Ian smiled broadly, Takarian covered his face with his palm, as big as a pot lid, and sobbed.

    ��Huh, huuhuhuhuhuh!��

    Ian chuckled at the sight of Takarian.

    Though his face had become gaunt from the hardships, his body was so stout that even in this state, he was still the size of an average person.

    But losing weight had indeed made him look different.

    ��You look good after losing weight.��

    Takarian, who had been crying for a long time, spoke in a trembling voice.

    ��S-So, when can I return to the Empire?��

    It was a roundabout way of saying, ��Why didn''t you come with the key?��

    If Ian was going to rescue him, why couldn''t he just dramatically appear with the key in hand?

    Knowing how desperate and earnest Takarian was, Ian took it easy on him.

    ��Well, we''ll have to see how things go...��

    ��See how things go...? You mean you can''t just get me out of here?!��

    ��Don''t worry. I''ll do my best.��

    Ian smiled at Takarian.

    ��But, Takarian, you''ll need to put in some effort too.��

    ��E-Effort...?��

    ��You''re a renowned monk. Honestly, I loved reading the Gospel of Saint Marcus. It''s my number one pick in life. Congratulations, Takarian.��

    ��What are you talking about...?��

    Takarian was half-dazed, captivated by Ian''s eloquence.

    But even if he didn''t understand what was happening, it was clear Ian was going to try to help him.

    ��For now, let''s deal with that guy first.��

    A man with a menacing aura was approaching.

    Ian took a deep breath.

    Despite being a wizard by trade, Ian had become adept at incitement, fraud, pyramid schemes, and other minor crimes, and now he had to act like a wizard again.

    However, Ian didn''t entirely dislike these moments.

    If he acted fairly and honestly, would anyone call him a wizard?

    A wizard was a changeable and unpredictable being.

    At some point, Ian had come to enjoy showing new sides of himself.

    It was proof he was becoming a formidable wizard.

    ��Ragnarrr! What on earth is going on here!!!��

    The man shouted at the top of his lungs.

    Just by his voice, you''d believe he was once a traditional theater actor.

    ��Oh, Pyra. You''ve come?��

    Ragnar half-heartedly raised his hand and immediately spoke to Ian.

    "That''s him, the shaman Pyra."

    Ragnar''s demeanor suggested he wanted something from Ian.

    It wasn''t hard to figure out.

    The shaman Pyra.

    As a shaman, he held a unique position in the tribe, so much so that even the tribe''s leaders couldn''t punish him easily.

    Ragnar couldn''t attack Pyra.

    But... if it were Ian?

    If it were another "shaman" (or not), there would be no issue in pointing out Pyra''s incompetence.

    Ultimately, Ragnar wanted to use Ian to undermine Pyra''s authority.

    An opportunity had practically fallen into Ian''s lap.

    If Pyra fell, Takarian''s fate would be entirely in Ian''s hands.

    ��I warned you! That Imperial will bring disaster! We must drive him out immediately!��

    ��Hmm, you''ve said that already.��

    Ragnar blatantly ignored Pyra''s words.

    Pyra was dumbfounded.

    Was this man, who was supposed to be the next chieftain, really siding with a nobody from outside the tribe over their own shaman?!

    In his previous life, Ian had been a typical science student and had the nasty habit of wanting to refute illogical and unscientific facts whenever he saw them.

    Ian wasn��t a medical student but one of those math geeks aiming for a degree in mathematics.

    Like other science students, he had an obsessive tendency to fixate on the word "scientific."

    Ugh... electromagnetic wave-blocking stickers... are useless...

    But after becoming a wizard in another world, he had let go of much of that obsession.

    The fact that he didn��t argue against the statement that [blood is made in the heart] was proof of that.

    ��You said eating the heart makes you healthier, right?��

    ��Correct!��

    ��Then eating eyes will improve your eyesight?��

    ��...?��

    Pyra''s mouth hung open.

    Ian''s logic was utterly childish!

    ��If you eat an arm, your arm gets stronger; if you eat a leg, your leg gets stronger...��

    ��What nonsense are you spouting now?��

    Pyra dismissed Ian''s logic as nonsense.

    Eating eyes will improve eyesight.

    This was pseudo-science in Korea too, known through the saying, ��Fish eyes are good for eye health~.��

    Surprisingly, this originated from traditional Korean medicine, a principle called ��like cures like.��

    Of course, the Northerners weren''t familiar with Eastern medicine, so they approached it from the perspective of souls and mystery.

    Scientifically, though, it''s baseless nonsense.

    No matter how many fish eyes you eat, it won''t significantly improve your eyesight.

    ��You know it well. It''s nonsense. Eating a heart makes your body healthier? If that''s true, then why do we have hospitals and doctors? If you''re sick, just open up the chest of the person next to you and have a piping hot bowl of heart.��

    ��...��

    ��In the Empire, we call what you''re doing a ''barbarian act.'' Recklessly practicing unproven medicine and producing innocent victims!��

    Oberon flew and perched on Ian''s shoulder.

    The Northerners were startled at the sight.

    ��A raven!��

    ��It��s Hrundal''s messenger!��

    Ian didn''t know this, but the Northerners considered ravens sacred birds.

    Of course, it was just a belief, and they didn''t actually have any divine powers. A fact easily proven by Oberon himself.

    But ravens are intelligent and useful.

    Even more so if they can speak human language.

    ��Caw! Nonsense! Nonsense!��

    When Oberon cried out ��nonsense�� in human speech, the Northerners were even more startled.

    Teaching a raven to speak human words...

    This shaman must be skilled indeed!

    Ian shouted.

    ��Look! Even a passing Imperial raven knows this is nonsense!��

    ��Caw! Nonsense!��

    ��... If a raven says so...��

    ��Is it possible that the heart has no effect?��

    The Northerners began to take Ian''s claims seriously.

    At the same time, Pyra was thrown into a panic.

    He was a shaman who communed with the mysteries through intuition and suggestion.

    In this situation, the appearance of a raven, which symbolized Hrundal, seemed like a warning from the deity to stop fighting and retreat.

    ��...No. That can''t be right.��

    Pyra unconsciously ground his teeth.

    There was no way that the northern gods would side with a young Imperial.

    Pyra ignored his instincts as a shaman.

    He had broken a taboo that those who handle the mysteries must never violate.

    The mysteries always send signals to humans.

    It''s just that humans often fail to recognize them.

    ��A clueless Imperial dares to lecture me, Pyra, on the rights and wrongs of shamanism?!��

    With a thunderous shout, Pyra drew an Arcana card.

    It was the [Tower] card.

    "Behold! You whelp! Hrundal desires your downfall!"

    An indescribable mystery swirled around Pyra.

    The Northerners instinctively knelt and looked up in awe as the shaman wielded a magical force.

    ��Ooooh!��

    ��Hrundal!��

    At that very moment, Ian heard a bizarre and terrifying voice through the swirling mystery.

    It was a cacophonous noise like a thousand hammers and anvils clashing.

    [Who dares... summon me...?]

    ��Damn.��

    A drop of blood trickled from Ian''s nose.

    He didn''t know the exact nature of the entity Pyra had summoned with the Arcana card.

    But one thing was certain...

    It was definitely not a mystery friendly to humans!

    ��Shaman, send back the mystery you''re summoning right now.��

    ��What?��

    Ian wiped the blood from his nose and spoke.

    ��We can''t handle this mystery... Send it back immediately.��

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    It''s an easily overlooked fact, but mystery also flows within humans.

    Why?

    The answer is simple: humans have realms they cannot perceive or understand.

    For instance, the soul.

    Do spiritual beings exist? If so, how can they be proven?

    Or consider psychic abilities.

    Can humans wield mystical powers that transcend their natural limits, like telepathy, clairvoyance, or precognition? If so, what is the principle behind them?

    Anyone who thinks, ��Souls don''t exist, and people just become worm food when they die!�� would not be compatible with the mysteries.

    Ironically, Ian, who was once a modern man, believed in the mysteries more fervently than anyone else in this medieval fantasy world.

    Why?

    Because he had spoken to it directly!

    He had seen it with his own eyes and exchanged greetings in Maronius, so he couldn''t possibly deny the mysteries.

    Thus, Ian quickly realized that the grotesque mystery in front of him had originated from humans.

    It was a monster born from negative human emotions that had gained power in the realm of the mysteries.

    ��Ha, haha...! You whelp! Are you starting to grasp it now? I, Pyra, am a shaman blessed by Hrundal!��

    [Let me... go back...]

    ��So! They call shamans [wizards] in the Empire, don''t they? Young wizard from the Empire! What will you do now? Show me your petty skills!��

    Ian took a deep breath and steadied himself.

    If he lost concentration even slightly, he felt like he would vomit everything he had eaten.

    The swirling mystery. The vortex of emotions.

    The wandering will and the instinct for destruction...!

    Standing before the terrifying mystery that even Pyra couldn''t bear to look at, he remained oblivious to what was going wrong.

    It could only be one of two things.

    Either Pyra was a mad psychopath capable of handling such mystery.

    Or he was intoxicated by the mystery''s negative emotions and had lost his ability to judge the situation.

    Ian prayed it was the latter.

    The former had no hope for redemption, but the latter might still have a chance.

    ��You damn...��

    ��...What?��

    ��You damn shaman! You don''t even know what kind of mystery you''re dealing with, and you dare call yourself a shaman?��

    Ian gritted his teeth and shouted.

    [I want to go back... Let me go back...]

    ��Your desperate yelling is adorable! This is the mystery that Hrundal has sent me...��

    Ian immediately cut off Pyra.

    This wasn''t a situation for lengthy conversations.

    The longer it dragged on, the worse things would get.

    ��First. This isn''t a mystery you summoned. It''s a poor, lost mystery that was thrown out into the world, drawn by your negative emotions!��

    ��Haha! What nonsense...��

    ��I don''t know what you did! But you definitely opened a [door], and this mystery was sucked in through the crack!��

    Ian was a traditional wizard thoroughly trained by Eredith for over seven years.

    When it came to the mysteries, he had a solid foundation of knowledge.

    Mysteries weren''t limited to natural phenomena.

    Just as there were mysteries tied to fire, water, earth, and wind, there were also mysteries tied to human emotions like joy, sorrow, lust, and anger.

    This was because humans themselves harbored the mysteries.

    If you wielded the mysteries imbued with love, it would become [charm magic].

    If you wielded the mysteries imbued with anger, it would become [provocation magic].

    The terrifying mystery wandering and wailing before Ian was a mystery infused with all sorts of negative human emotions.

    It was a type of mystery that was extremely difficult to define or approach.

    Since all kinds of negative emotions were mixed within it, Ian could identify it.

    [Let me... go back...!]

    There were emotions like anger, sorrow, regret, and jealousy...

    But it also harbored extremely dangerous emotions like [murderous intent]!

    ��If you are truly a shaman! If you are Hrundal��s priest! Get a grip and face reality! Is that really the mystery you summoned?��

    ��...��

    A voice full of sincerity is powerful.

    Ian��s voice, imbued with strong will, pushed away the mass of negativity surrounding Pyra and reached his very soul.

    It was like a splash of cold water on his face; Pyra snapped back to reality.

    ��...What is this? What have I summoned?��

    That was not the mystery Pyra had intended to summon.

    It was an entity that even the summoner couldn��t understand.

    Only then did Pyra realize that he was trapped in an indescribable mass of terrible emotions.

    It felt like being stuck in a pit of filth.

    Within that mass of emotions, Pyra clearly identified a very dangerous feeling.

    Murderous intent.

    A mystery imbued with intense murderous intent could indeed kill people.

    This was called a [curse].

    Kira, too, was a talented wizard and couldn��t be completely free from the influence of the mysteries.

    ��Belenka! Break the lock and get Takarian out! Have him recite the scriptures!��

    ��Understood!��

    Belenka immediately stood before Takarian��s cage.

    She raised her sword high over her head.

    The sharp tip of the blade glistened under the sun.

    ��Wait! If you strike iron with a sword, the sword will break...��

    Ragnar shouted urgently.

    But what happened next left him speechless.

    Clang!

    Belenka struck the iron lock with her sword without hesitation.

    With a snap, the lock broke in two and fell off.

    ��She... cut iron with a sword?!��

    Ragnar was stunned by this unbelievable scene.

    But those touched by the mysteries can perform miraculous feats with ease.

    This is often described as being ��possessed.��

    Belenka cut through the iron lock with swordsmanship like she was possessed.

    ��Takarian! Recite the scriptures! Quickly!��

    ��Yes! I got it!��

    Meanwhile, Kira was setting the ground on fire.

    Fire is an element imbued with holiness and purification.

    If the enemy was an unholy mystery, it would fear the flames.

    [I sense a foul presence! Step back behind me, logs!]

    The mystery of fire instinctively guarded against the unholy mystery.

    ��[As the sun watches over us, evil ones shall not dare to raise their heads!]��

    Takarian began quickly reciting the scriptures of Heaven''s Faith in an ancient tongue.

    Behind the two sacred forces of fire and scripture, people hid themselves.

    Only Ian and Pyra remained.

    ��Ragnar! Don''t go beyond the flames!��

    ��But...!��

    Ragnar and the Northerners anxiously stomped their feet in frustration.

    Outside the ring of fire, the air had become so unpleasant and foul that even ordinary people could feel it.

    A terrifying monster that most people couldn''t even perceive was now being confronted by just two occultists.

    Shaman Pyra and wizard Ian.

    ��Pyra! How much longer?��

    ��A ritual! I''ll lure it with a ritual!��

    [The door... you hid it, didn��t you? You... hid the door!]

    The mystery exuded murderous intent.

    A sign that its patience was wearing thin.

    Pyra took out a ceremonial dagger and stabbed his own finger.

    ��Ooooooooh!��

    The hand symbolizes omnipotence.

    Fingers can act as keys to grasp and open a door handle.

    Blood droplets splattered onto Pyra��s face.

    Using the severed finger as a focal point, he began drawing a magic circle, mixing Arcana cards and rune characters.

    ��Just a little more...! Just a bit longer...!��

    ��Pyra!��

    The mystery exhaled a murderous breath towards Pyra.

    That breath is a killing curse itself!

    If Pyra dies now, it will all be for nothing.

    Ian could not stop the terrible mystery by himself.

    Somehow, he had to draw the attention of that mystery until the ritual was complete.

    However.

    Fear gripped Ian''s ankles like mud.

    Death is frightening.

    Facing a mystery who could tear a human life apart as if it were mere paper, was, therefore, inevitably terrifying.

    ...

    That moment.

    The soft whispers of the night tickled Ian''s ears.

    [Do not be afraid, Ian.]

    [We are always with you.]

    The mystery of darkness.

    For Ian, who stood against the mystery, another mystery surged around him like a whirlwind.

    As a novelist once said, the night is soft.

    In the darkness, Ian felt his mind ease.

    If he could deceive the eyes of that mystery with pitch-black darkness.

    He would have enough time.

    Ian felt the rising power of the spell.

    "Let''s give it a try."

    Ian charged towards the mystery.

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    Unholy beings are not welcome anywhere.

    [That stench. That wailing... It must not belong to this world.]

    [It really looks like something I don''t want to touch!]

    The mysteries of earth and wind whispered as they looked at the unholy being.

    Ordinarily, they would have fled, leaving the unholy mystery behind.

    Mysteries also possess intelligence and emotions, and they can be influenced by unholy feelings.

    However, in this place stood the wizard Ian.

    "[Wind! Earth!]"

    [Ah. There is a young human here.]

    [Hello! Nice to meet you!]

    "[Help me!]"

    [Hmm. So you want to get rid of that unsettling presence. I like your spirit.]

    [Eek! It''s dangerous! But okay! I''ll support you from behind!]

    When Ian conveyed his will to the mysteries, they gladly responded.

    "[Capture the monster!]"

    As soon as Ian uttered the magical words,

    The Earth formed a hemispherical dome, trapping the unholy mystery.

    The Wind swirled around it, preventing outsiders from approaching.

    Now, within the dome, only Ian, Pyra, and the mysteries remained.

    Those mysteries were of two kinds:

    The unholy mystery and the mystery of darkness.

    [Ah, aaaaah...!]

    The unholy mystery screamed in pain.

    Originally, it was a being full of unholy emotions. It was natural for it to writhe in pain, sorrow, and agony.

    It was a being that should never have set foot in this world.

    That lump of impurity was a pitiable existence that should have found eternal rest, slumbering on the other side of the abyss of mysteries.

    [Be careful, Ian. I sense deep sadness from that being.]

    [We''ll try to comfort it first!]

    The mystery of darkness gently embraced the unholy mystery.

    Night is a serene and warm time.

    The embrace of the darkness was not as comfortable as the abyss of the mysteries, but it was enough to ease the unholy mystery''s pain.

    [Shh. Close your eyes, unfortunate child.]

    [We''ll be here with you.]

    However, the unholy mystery could not easily accept the comfort of the Darkness.

    It''s natural to be wary of unfamiliar entities.

    To the mysteries, who have a faint concept of light and darkness, the darkness of the material world was comforting yet unfamiliar.

    [What is this? What are you trying to do to me?!]

    [Don''t be afraid. We just want to help you...]

    [Stay away! Just send me back!]

    The mystery of darkness sighed softly and whispered to Ian.

    [Ian. I need your help.]

    Mysteries can''t easily communicate with other mysteries either.

    Communication is inherently difficult.

    When it transcends language, species, and even the concept of existence, the difficulty skyrockets.

    "Alright. I''ll give it a try."

    But Ian is a wizard.

    One who connects beings to beings. One who converses with all things.

    Ian hid in the darkness and slowly approached the unholy mystery.

    "[I am Ian, a wizard.]"

    [...]

    The unholy mystery responded to the magical language.

    [Did you call me?]

    "[No.]"

    [Then who called me? I want to go back. Send me back.]

    Ian calmly persuaded the unholy mystery.

    "[The way is open. You''ll be able to return soon.]"

    [Really? Can I really go back?]

    "[Yes. So, until you go back, why don''t you talk to me for a bit?]"

    Ian gestured to the mystery of darkness.

    Like a warm blanket, the comforting darkness approached.

    [Ian...? What is this?]

    "[Don''t worry. It''s my friend. Would you like to get to know it too?]"

    Ian proudly showed off the darkness wrapped around his body.

    Seeing him so at ease, the unholy mystery relaxed and let itself be embraced by the darkness.

    Dragged out into the present world unexpectedly, it was exhausted.

    When the comforting darkness touched its body, the unholy mystery couldn''t resist its warmth.

    Ian nodded in satisfaction.

    Neither humans nor mysteries could resist the comfort of a blanket.

    Long live blankets.

    [Indeed... it''s a bit better.]

    The unholy mystery, wrapped in the darkness like a blanket, let out a languid breath.

    Pain, sorrow, and depression��all would be forgotten like a lie once sleep took over.

    It was one of the mysteries that darkness held.

    Once the unholy mystery had calmed down a little, Ian began to buy time.

    First, he started a conversation.

    If Ian could keep it company, there would be no tantrums out of boredom.

    "[Alright. How about we introduce ourselves?]"

    "I''ll just say one thing and come back."

    Ian approached the unholy mystery.

    It maintained an unsettling silence, merely waiting for the moment to return to its quiet abode.

    A terrifying and horrifying presence.

    It was clear that no ordinary medieval person could bear to look at it, much less approach it.

    But Ian held memories of once living as a modern man.

    The revulsion towards horrific memories wasn''t all that different from a medieval person''s.

    However, Ian possessed compassion and understanding.

    Do not hate humans.

    This was a sentiment that any modern person could relate to.

    Therefore, Ian didn''t see the unholy mystery as just a loathsome and horrible being.

    It was a byproduct of violence and a victim of suffering.

    [Are you sending me back?]

    The unholy mystery looked at Ian with sorrowful eyes.

    With a smile, Ian answered.

    "[Yes. It''s time to go home now.]"

    [Finally...]

    "[But before that, can I say one thing?]"

    [What is it?]

    Ian calmly began to speak.

    "[Do you know the difference between a civilized person and a barbarian?]"

    [A civilized person and a barbarian...?]

    The unholy mystery shook its head.

    Ian explained.

    "[A civilized person knows how to care for others, but a barbarian does not.]"

    [...]

    "[One anthropologist said that a symbol of civilization is a leg bone with signs of a healed fracture. The fact that a someone was saved by another in a life-threatening situation is what created the future civilized world.]"

    [... Helping each other?]

    "[Yes. No matter how weak or lacking someone is, civilized people help each other. That''s what makes them civilized.]"

    [But... but my master... was useless...]

    "[Dividing humans based on usefulness is a barbarian''s logic. A civilized person helps others simply because they are human.]"

    [...]

    "[You were sacrificed only because you were born in a land of savagery.]"

    Ian moved the darkness to embrace the unholy mystery.

    "[Your master was not someone who shouldn''t have been born.]"

    Ian''s words were difficult for medieval people to understand.

    In an era lacking resources and manpower, the idea of helping every human equally seemed overly idealistic.

    But Ian remembered what modern society looked like.

    So he was able to offer the unholy mystery genuine comfort.

    The unholy mystery looked at Ian with astonished eyes.

    It was a vile and repulsive being.

    Weakness, pain, and agony��all negative feelings that naturally made humans turn away.

    But Ian recognized the suffering beyond those unholy emotions and reached out first.

    It was truly a strange feeling.

    [If...]

    The unholy mystery spoke slowly.

    [If my master had lived long enough to meet you... would I have turned out differently?]

    "[Perhaps.]"

    Ian smiled.

    The unholy mystery smiled too.

    Depression often lessens simply by finding someone to listen and empathize.

    Thanks to Ian, the unholy mystery''s sadness had certainly diminished.

    The mystery and the wizard strongly acknowledged each other''s existence.

    At that very moment, a status window flashed before Ian''s eyes.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Summoning - Summon the Horrible One]

    [Ask for help from a vile and horrifying being. It will share your emotions: if you''re sad, it will mourn with you; if you''re angry, it will share your fury. But if you''re in an unstable emotional state, do not summon it! Never!]

    Ian briefly read the skill description.

    Summoning the Horrible One...

    If he summoned it recklessly, a catastrophe was bound to unfold.

    It was definitely not a skill to be used lightly.

    "[Let''s go home now.]"

    [Yes...]

    Ian handed the unholy mystery over to Pyra.

    The unholy mystery disappeared beyond the summoning gate that Pyra had opened.

    Then, the earthen dome crumbled, and brilliant sunlight shone down on Ian.

    "Is it over...?"

    "Yes, it''s over."

    In the distance, Kira and Belenka were seen running toward him.

    After taking a deep breath of the fresh outside air, Ian swung his staff and gave Pyra a playful knock on the head.

    Thwack!

    "Ouch!"

    "What on earth were you thinking, summoning something like that, huh?"

    "..."

    Pyra was at a loss for words.

    "I''m s-sorry..."

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    Ian was seriously annoyed.

    It was true that Ian had initiated the power struggle and tried to take control by overwhelming Pyra with his magic skills.

    However, the mystery that Pyra summoned had crossed the line.

    It was far too dangerous to summon just because he was angry!

    Ian wasn''t some mortal enemy of his father.

    Summoning a mystery that could easily lead to mutual destruction was infuriating.

    "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry..."

    Pyra repeatedly apologized to Ian.

    At first, he was annoyed.

    But when he saw Pyra bowing his head, blood dripping from his severed finger, Ian''s anger subsided a little.

    After all, it was an accident.

    And, accepting such a sincere apology would make him seem like someone who can forgive a mishap gracefully.

    I am!

    That kind of person!

    You have a keen eye for people, Pyra!

    "Haaah. Alright. It was an accident, after all."

    "I should have noticed it earlier..."

    Ian frowned as he looked out over the snowy mountains, where a cold wind was blowing.

    What kind of place is the North that such dreadful mysteries emerge?

    Ian realized once again that the North was a grim region.

    As a wizard who rarely clashed with warriors, he hadn''t fully understood it.

    This was a gloomy place where countless lives were lost in vain, and all sorts of vile mysteries lurked in the ice and darkness.

    No wonder the northerners lived with chronic depression.

    On the other hand, the Empire and its neighboring regions, which were called the "civilized world," were occupied by Heaven''s Faith, providing comfort to people''s hearts.

    It was an environment where monsters like the unholy mystery couldn''t easily appear.

    "Let''s go and get your hand treated first."

    "Oh... right. Yes, we should."

    Pyra, half-dazed, answered slowly.

    *<center>---</center>

    <center></center>

    <center>---</center>*

    Despite losing a finger, Pyra had no thoughts about it at all.

    "A missing finger or two is nothing. In the North, many people don''t have them. In winter, a couple of fingers can easily disappear due to frostbite."

    "..."

    Ian breathed a genuine sigh of relief.

    He was truly glad he hadn''t been born in the North.

    He had criticized the Holy Empire for its barbarity, but after hearing Pyra''s words, he automatically felt guilty about his past mistakes.

    Looking again, the Empire was like a saint.

    This was the real land of savagery.

    "Haaah. Anyway, Wizard Ian, your skills are... truly remarkable."

    A shaman and a wizard had met.

    Their social roles were different, but they shared a clear commonality in dealing with mysteries.

    Naturally, the conversation turned to mysteries.

    "That unholy mystery was incredibly powerful. One wrong move, and you could have been crushed under the weight of its emotions and gone mad. But your boldness and precision were truly impressive."

    Pyra shared his thoughts without any pretense, expressing his genuine admiration.

    "How on earth did you think of speaking to such a monster?"

    Listening to Pyra''s words, Ian suddenly realized just how crazy his actions had been.

    Approaching and talking to a monster that was dangerous to even be near?

    "...You''re right. Why did I do that?"

    It was clear that his courage had swelled too much from his experience as a wizard.

    "There are many cruel mysteries in the North. Mysteries are inherently unfriendly to humans. That''s why we receive Lord Hrundal''s blessing and interact with mysteries indirectly. That''s what the Arcana cards are for."

    Northern mysteries are more dangerous than those of the Empire.

    Therefore, the risks of directly speaking to mysteries like Maronius are much higher.

    "Certainly unique."

    That''s how Ian assessed the Arcana cards.

    If the Northern mysteries were gentle and mild, Northern shamans, like the people of the Empire, would have tried to converse directly with the mysteries.

    But Northern mysteries were violent and primitive, so the shamans developed indirect methods to interact with them.

    "Given your skills, continuing to use Imperial magic shouldn''t be a problem," Pyra said.

    It was pure, 100% sincere.

    Ian had survived speaking with the unholy mystery and hadn''t gone mad or become an idiot.

    He suddenly remembered the slyest group of wizards in the Empire: the space-time wizards.

    They viewed certain events and actions as [branches] in time, believing that the future would change depending on those events.

    For instance, they believed the future would differ between the world where Ian got the Arcana card and the world where he didn''t.

    "... Someone could have intentionally handed me this card."

    "It must be the will of a great being. Wait a moment. I''ll readjust this to suit you."

    If he had obtained it coincidentally, it was as good as receiving it directly from Hrundal.

    That is [fate].

    Pyra snatched the torn Arcana card and went into the small room, making a clattering noise.

    A moment later, Pyra handed the Arcana card to Ian.

    The appearance hadn''t changed much.

    But the moment Ian held the card in his hand, he felt an intense intuition piercing through his crown.

    ��This is...��

    Pyra smiled and spoke.

    ��Congratulations. This is the first card in your Arcana deck.��

    Every shaman receives an Arcana card from Hrunndal.

    The first card they receive is a single card, symbolizing the fate and identity of the one who holds it.

    ��The first card I received was the [Temperance] card. It means I was destined to connect worlds.��

    It was a common shaman��s card.

    A shaman exists to connect gods, nature, and humans.

    ��I think... you''ll receive the [wizard] card.��

    "Ah."

    Pyra thought Ian would receive the [wizard] card.

    The wizard is the card of a true hero.

    It''s the card of someone with exceptional abilities, destined to handle divinity and accomplish anything.

    And Ian is indeed a wizard.

    Wouldn''t it be natural for a wizard to receive a wizard''s card?

    ��Well then...��

    Ian smiled brightly and flipped over the card.

    A picture of a person appeared.

    "Look at this, Pyra. Is this the wizard card?"

    Pyra looked at Ian with a slightly bewildered expression.

    ��No, this is not the wizard card.��

    ��Huh? Then what is it?��

    Huh? The picture looks exactly like a wizard!

    ��This is... card number 0.��

    ��Number 0?��

    ��The card''s name is [The Fool].��

    ��...��

    Ian almost shouted at Pyra.

    Me, Ian! Not a fool!

    But the card''s name and symbol are different.

    Even if it''s called The Fool, it could have a good meaning!

    ��What does it mean? What does it symbolize?��

    ��...Usually, it signifies a foolish human.��

    What?

    Ian tried to deny it but realized upon reflection that it wasn��t entirely wrong.

    Ian is a cheat player from another world.

    And like most cheat players from other worlds, he''s not truly a genius but a scammer who cheats with a status window.

    Is the northern god sending a message that he should be humble because without his status window, he��s just another foolish human?

    ��Hmm. I see.��

    When Ian nodded in understanding.

    Pyra couldn''t take his curious gaze off Ian.

    ''Card number 0 symbolizes foolishness... but it also signifies a new beginning.''

    That��s right.

    [The Fool] card represents foolishness but also symbolizes a new start.

    But because of this, it''s rarely the first card for a shaman.

    A person whose essence is close to a new beginning?

    Where in the world would you find such a person?

    Perhaps if someone were on their second life...

    ��Wizard Ian.��

    Pyra looked at Ian with a gleaming eye.

    ��Maybe he could open a new path for the lost Northerners.��

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    After driving away the unholy mystery, Pyra began to act much more familiar with Ian.

    It seemed that a kind of camaraderie had formed from facing the same enemy together...

    From Ian''s perspective, there was nothing to lose.

    Pyra was a shaman of the Red Bear tribe and wielded a different kind of influence.

    If Pyra helped, it would make the task of rescuing Takarion much easier.

    Thus, Ian tried to have as many conversations with Pyra as possible.

    ��...So, do you really think the Elixir of Life is useless?��

    Ian and Pyra exchanged knowledge about the mysteries.

    ��As far as I know, I don''t know what power lies in the heart of a monk, but in the end, isn''t the monk themselves the owner of that power?��

    ��That''s right.��

    ��If the Elixir of Life works through some mysterious force, I believe it requires the voluntary cooperation of the one lending that power.��

    ��Hmm...��

    ��Unless Takarion willingly sacrifices himself to truly save the chief, I doubt it will have any proper effect since it''s being forced upon him.��

    Pyra agreed with Ian''s calm logic.

    It made sense upon reflection.

    The first Elixir of Life was invented by a shaman who wanted to share their life force with others.

    Since then, it��s been passed down by word of mouth in the spirit of ��If they did it, we should try it too.��

    A lot of shamanistic knowledge was inaccurate.

    If someone saw an effect, it would be packaged and passed down as knowledge without question.

    If there''s a tale about a shaman in some village eating pear blossoms to cure stomachaches,

    Then pear blossoms become known as a remedy for stomachaches.

    The problem is that there��s no way to verify if the shaman really ate pear blossoms to cure their stomachache.

    Most stomachaches heal over time anyway, so they just feed the person pear blossoms and wait until it passes.

    And then they conclude, ��See, pear blossoms are good for stomachaches!��

    In fact, most ancient knowledge was of that form.

    There weren''t enough resources or people to conduct proper experiments, so they often accepted hearsay as truth.

    ��Ha... if you say so...��

    Pyra readily agreed with Ian''s opinion.

    He had witnessed Ian''s skills firsthand and learned about his extensive magical knowledge through deep conversation.

    ��Actually, I don''t really want to make the Elixir of Life either.��

    ��...?��

    ��I keep getting bad omens.��

    Ian listened to Pyra��s story.

    The one who first demanded the Elixir of Life was Ragnar, the chief��s son.

    ��Since the chief keeps losing strength, he asked me to make him a tonic. But you��ve seen the chief, haven��t you? He''s just at an age where it��s natural to lose energy. This isn''t something I should meddle with.��

    ��Hmm, yes, that seemed to be the case.��

    Ian understood that part well enough.

    In an era where medical technology wasn��t advanced anyway, what could they do about an old man lacking energy?

    But that was the thinking of the intellectuals.

    People in power like Ragnar didn��t understand the minds of professionals.

    You shamans are f*king competent, aren��t you? You do all sorts of weird stuff with mysteries, right? But you can��t heal people? Does that make sense?

    When experts say, ��It��s not possible!�� those in high places often respond, ��Why not? Isn��t it just a lack of effort?��

    Ian understood Pyra��s hardship.

    ��Well, even in the Empire, nobles harass wizards for strange reasons.��

    In the Empire, there��s a so-called Wizard Rights Protection Act established during the Golden Empire era, so wizards can protect themselves by raising a fuss first.

    But here in the land of savages, it seems there��s no such thing as a Shaman Protection Act.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com

    ��...I couldn��t foresee the failure of the Great Hunt Festival either. I interpreted you as a symbol of bad luck and failed to detect the appearance of the unholy mystery.��

    ��Pyra.��

    Regrettably, it was all true.

    But this didn��t mean Pyra was an incompetent shaman.

    Mysteries are inherently fickle and hard to perceive.

    Especially the barbaric mysteries of the North, which are even harder for humans to handle. Mistakes are to be expected.

    The problem was that Pyra had made consecutive mistakes at the most critical moments.

    ��I... I must take responsibility for my actions. Or rather, I should obediently follow Ragnar��s words. In his eyes, I��m probably just a quack shaman.��

    ��...��

    ��I think I��m past my prime. What use is a shaman who blindly interprets omens out of greed?��

    Ian tried to console Pyra.

    But that was a gesture that underestimated a Northern shaman.

    After saying so much, Pyra let out a bizarre laugh.

    A great shaman draws inspiration even from their own mistakes.

    ��Kehihihik! But Ian! You��ve opened my eyes!��

    ��Me? I did?��

    ��Yes! Once I crumbled, everything became clear! I can see exactly what I misinterpreted and what warnings I ignored!��

    Ian was genuinely impressed.

    Wow, this person has incredible mental resilience.

    Most people would have collapsed under such a streak of misfortune.

    But Pyra was a shaman.

    ��But Ragnar won��t understand why we��re releasing the monk.��

    ��Leave that to me.��

    After securing Pyra��s promise, Ian went to find Takarion.

    Whether the timing was good or bad, a tense atmosphere hung in the air.

    ��Hey, outsiders. Why don��t you hand over that pig nicely?��

    Ragnar was nowhere to be seen.

    But the warriors of the Red Bear tribe had surrounded Takarion.

    Belenka and Kira stood against the warriors.

    ��We��ve seen how you treat this friend. And you expect us to hand him back?��

    ��Haha! You have no idea, but that guy is our tribe��s property! You��re stealing from us, got it?��

    Kira��s eyebrows twitched slightly at the warriors�� rough threats.

    She was great at acting, but she wasn��t particularly bold.

    But Belenka was different.

    Without batting an eye, she declared confidently.

    ��Protecting a monk of Heaven''s Faith is a knight��s duty. Calling it theft won��t change that. I have no shame in my actions.��

    ��What?��

    ��You��re lucky we��re treating you as guests...!��

    The Northerners raised their axes.

    This was a place where fists were closer than the law.

    Actually, with no courts to speak of, fists were all they had.

    No one would blame them for smashing outsiders who got on their nerves!

    With an attitude that showed she had nothing to fear, Belenka drew her sword.

    ��Ah, uh... maybe if I just go over there... it��ll be fine, right?��

    ��There��s no need for that. Stand tall, Takarion.��

    Ian already felt a headache coming on.

    Whether knights or savages, both had muscles for brains.

    How long had he looked away before a fight broke out?

    The only intellectual, Kira, stepped in to mediate.

    ��You guys. Can��t you at least see who��s coming before you start fighting?��

    ��...?��

    Kira set up the toss.

    Now it was Ian''s turn to receive.

    Ian took a deep breath and steadied himself.

    Then, with clear and deliberate enunciation, he shouted with force,

    "What is happening to a guest of Hrundal right now!"

    Oberon landed on Ian''s shoulder with a flap of his wings.

    At the appearance of the wizard who travels with a crow, the northern warriors flinched and hesitated.

    "That man..."

    "The outsider who rebuked the shaman Pyra..."

    Rumors had already spread far and wide that Ian had ''defeated'' Pyra.

    In fact, since they had never fought, it was difficult to discuss winning or losing.

    Isn''t it human nature to want to know who won when two people are shouting at each other, asking ''so who won?'' when people are arguing?

    Ian, having defeated the eccentric shaman Pyra, must certainly be a remarkable person.

    "What, what do you mean? This pig is a guest of Lord Hrundal?"

    "Pig, you say. Lord Hrundal would be delighted to hear such language. Oh nameless warrior."

    Ian subtly showed an Arcana card from his pocket.

    Even if the warriors are ignorant of mysteries, they recognize the tools of a shaman.

    "Lord Hrundal!"

    The warrior quickly covered his mouth, turning pale.

    But blocking words won''t make things okay when they''re not.

    Ian smoothly created a diversion.

    "Listen well! This man is a guest of Lord Hrundal, recognized by him!"

    "That man is Lord Hrundal''s guest?"

    Why would such a man be a guest of Lord Hrundal?

    Well, because Ian said so, that''s why!

    Ian is well-versed in mysteries, but the warriors are not.

    No matter what Ian claims, they can''t refute it!

    It would be a different story if Pyra appeared splendidly and shouted, ''Enough with the nonsense! Sky Worshipper!''

    Sadly for the northerners, that shaman is now on Ian''s side...

    "Yes! Since he is a distinguished guest, treat him with honor!"

    When Ian shouted, the northerners sneaked glances and scurried away.

    Definitely going to tattle to Pyra.

    But it was useless.

    That shaman firmly believed that Ian had been chosen by Hrundal.

    ---

    [1. raei: sorry I have no idea what this translates to in english, direct translation is pure stone oil but maybe in novels it''d be an elixir? It is a cliche? in martial arts novels, often described as a milky liquid that accumulates in caves and drinking a drop can completely heal a body and also has the effect of raising one''s internal energy to the next level.]

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 c116

    c116

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Once a wizard gains momentum, nothing can stop them.

    The performance Ian displayed and Pyra''s attitude.

    When these two simple facts combined, Ian gained an undeniable voice within the Red Bear Tribe.

    "Searching for the Tears of Hrundal..."

    "Yes, Ragnar."

    Ian relayed Pyra''s plan to Ragnar.

    Pyra was confident that Ragnar would take the bait, and things seemed to be progressing according to their expectations.

    "I''ll discuss it with my father. In the meantime, you should work on your plan."

    There was a brief break.

    Ian quickly aligned his story with his companions.

    Having been through a lot as a wizard, Ian had accumulated quite a bit of experience.

    He could effortlessly devise what to say and how to align his words when dealing with high-ranking individuals.

    "Belenka, try to keep your words to a minimum. Kira, support me as usual."

    "Understood."

    "Of course, Ian."

    And lastly...

    The problematic Takarion.

    "Takarion."

    Ian called Takarion in a low voice.

    The surroundings were so quiet that even a low voice was clearly heard.

    "I''ve done everything I can. I''ve made you a distinguished guest of Hrundal and told them that with you, we will surely find the Tears of Hrundal."

    "..."

    Takarion took deep, labored breaths.

    He didn''t look good.

    Unlike the fanatical monks who were devoted to their faith, he was just a writer who loved to write.

    Enduring everything that had happened so far was already difficult, and matching Ian''s ''wizardly actions'' was certainly not an easy task.

    "What should I do?" Takarion asked in a trembling voice.

    Ian explained calmly.

    "Say that you received a revelation from the gods. Tell them that Hrundal has granted you access to the holy mountain and that he will guide you to the elixir."

    "But... that''s a lie."

    Ian replied shamelessly.

    "Depending on your perspective, yes."

    It was a kind of deception that only mysteries and wizards could pull off.

    With the shaman and wizard both vouching for Takarion, not even the chieftain could act arbitrarily.

    "I... I..."

    Takarion said with a trembling voice.

    "I can''t do it!"

    "..."

    "..."

    Belenka rubbed her face wearily, and Kira looked at Takarion with a sympathetic expression.

    Surrounded by monks, he was a respected gospel writer.

    Now, thrown into the north with nothing but himself, Takarion was just a scared young man.

    "I''ll just stay here! You can bring back the Tears of Hrundal or whatever!"

    "How is that possible? If things go south, we need to escape. What do you plan to do if you stay here?"

    Ian tried to soothe Takarion.

    "Come on. Aren''t you the [Golden Finger Takarion]? You''ve written about Saint Marcus''s courage so far. Like the Saint Marcus you admire the most, let''s sternly rebuke the heretics!"

    "..."

    Takarion clamped his mouth shut.

    Ian was right.

    The great Saint Marcus never cowered in fear.

    Instead, he sternly rebuked numerous heretics in the name of heaven.

    Takarion knew about Saint Marcus''s courage.

    More intimately than anyone else here, he knew that truth painfully well.

    But...

    "I... I..."

    Tears streamed down Takarion''s face.

    "I''m not Saint Marcus... I don''t have that kind of courage...!"

    "No, no...!"

    Takarion sprang to his feet.

    "Take me with you too! Ian!"

    Ian turned his head slightly and said.

    "Why? Just lie there covered in warm furs."

    Takarion shook his head.

    "The Gospel of Marcus may be a story I made up, but Marcus exists within me. If he were watching me now, he would definitely rebuke me!"

    Takarion shouted.

    "Don''t act foolishly! Move forward!"

    Ian smirked and tapped Takarion''s shoulder with his staff.

    ��Now you��re starting to look like a monk. Takarion.��

    "...Ian."

    "Don''t lose that faith."

    ---

    ---

    Ian and his party met the chieftain of the Red Bear Tribe.

    Ragnar, Pyra, and even Sigurd were present.

    "I already knew this would happen."

    Pyra captured the attention of the room with a solemn voice.

    He waved his hand with the missing finger in front of the chieftain and Ragnar.

    "The great Hrundal whispered to me in mysterious visions. Pyra, you will not be able to complete the elixir of life!"

    Before the voice of the fanatical Pyra, neither the chieftain nor Ragnar could speak.

    This was truly the shaman of the north.

    "The monk of Heaven''s Faith brought by the warriors is my guest! Wait until my emissary arrives, Pyra!"

    Pyra''s sharp, thin voice echoed.

    It sounded like the howling of a frost storm, and also like a woman crying out.

    "But I foolishly failed to read his will and caused trouble for our guest! But now, I have finally opened my eyes!"

    Pyra pointed to the raven perched on Ian''s shoulder.

    "Look here! At this gallant raven! It is proof that the wizard Ian is Hrundal''s emissary!"

    "Caw! Caw!"

    Ian gently scratched Oberon''s neck.

    At this natural gesture, the warriors murmured in admiration.

    Seeing him command a raven, they thought, he must be a shaman favored by Hrundal!

    Then Ian stood up and shouted.

    "I have been commanded by the great Hrundal to find his gift. And I have been told that with Takarion here, we can definitely find it."

    Ian pulled out an arcana card from his robe and held it up.

    "Oh. That is...!"

    "It''s undoubtedly Hrundal''s image!"

    Ian put the card away and looked at Takarion.

    Now it was the monk''s turn.

    Finally, Takarion stood up and spoke.

    "I, I have heard the words of Saint Marcus."

    "Saint Marcus?"

    "Ah! You don''t know who Saint Marcus is! Saint Marcus was a saint who lived in the ancient Golden Empire, and his epithet was..."

    Ahem. The chieftain coughed.

    Ragnar interrupted Takarion''s words sharply.

    "Enough! We don''t care!"

    Takarion looked downcast.

    After all, an otaku is happiest when talking about what they know.

    "Anyway... yes. I received a revelation from him to meet the northern gods on behalf of heaven."

    "Revelation..."

    The chieftain called Pyra closer.

    "Is what he says true?"

    "Is there any doubt?"

    Pyra replied with eyes sparkling brightly.

    Eyes without a trace of deceit!

    When the shaman, wizard, and monk all spoke in unison about one truth.

    The chieftain believed Pyra''s story.

    "Very well. Go to the holy mountain."

    Ian smiled secretly.

 c117

    c117

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    The next day, Ian and his party packed their belongings and headed to Mount Gramunt.

    Pyra, the warriors of the Red Bear tribe, and even Ragnar and Sigurd joined, making the group quite large.

    ��Originally, one should not enter the holy mountain recklessly.��

    While climbing the mountain, Pyra mumbled out some information.

    Ian, finding it interesting and useful, paid close attention to Pyra��s words.

    ��The Mountain King lives in the holy mountain.��

    ��The Mountain King?��

    It sounded like a name that might make flowers bloom from the ground, but in reality, it wasn��t that special of a name.

    It literally meant a kingly presence living in the mountain.

    ��It��s a mythical creature called Behemoth. Have you heard of it?��

    ��The name, yes.��

    Behemoth.

    A legendary beast with descriptions that varied in different tales, making it hard to pin down a specific stereotype.

    However, in this medieval fantasy world, the Behemoth was a monster resembling an elephant.

    Wise and gentle, yet possessing immense strength that couldn��t be ignored.

    ��The holy mountain is the Mountain King''s territory. If an intruder appears without the Mountain King��s permission, creatures called Grendel will appear and attack the intruder.��

    ��Oh.��

    ��Usually, you wouldn��t encounter Grendel, but since we are going deep into the Mountain King��s territory, we might meet them.��

    Humans and the Mountain King had coexisted by recognizing each other��s territories and avoiding conflict.

    Therefore, it was an unspoken rule not to invade each other''s domain deeply.

    But there was an exception when the shamans sought the temple of Hrundal.

    ��The Mountain King is also a follower of Hrundal.��

    ��You said it��s a wise creature.��

    ��Yes. If we explain our situation well, we should be able to pass safely.��

    As Pyra spoke confidently, Ian felt more at ease.

    This is why you need a local guide.

    Pyra was a veteran shaman who had climbed the holy mountain nearly ten times, including in his younger days.

    With Pyra accompanying them, they shouldn��t face any major accidents.

    ��Caw! Caw!��

    ��Chirp! Chirp!��

    As they climbed the mountain, two animals were delighted.

    Oberon and the phoenix Winnie flapped their wings joyfully, enjoying the clear mountain air.

    [This feels amazing!]

    [Such lively wing flapping! I like it!]

    ��...��

    The problem was they were doing this on Ian��s shoulder.

    ��Guys. Is my shoulder your playground?��

    [Oh! Your shoulder is the most comfortable and lovely place in the world for me!]

    [I love Dad��s shoulder too!]

    Crack.

    Ian grabbed the phoenix and shook it gently.

    ��When we ran into that unfortunate mystery, you called me Daddy, didn��t you?��

    [Hehe...]

    ��Why am I your dad?��

    The phoenix flapped its short wings and chirped.

    [If I call you Ian... it feels too distant...]

    Ian was momentarily surprised.

    This bird. Why is its vocabulary like this?

    Even though Oberon had mastered the imperial language, he still spoke like a birdbrain.

    The phoenix, being inherently close to mystery, made it possible.

    Returning to the holy mountain seemed to be bringing back its old memories.

    Once it regains its true form, it would display various wisdoms like other mystery.

    ��Ian. If you hold Winnie like that, it will hurt.��

    Kira quickly snatched the phoenix into her arms.

    Her hand movement was so fast, it was like watching a master gambler.

    ��Aww, so cute.��

    [I love Mom too!]

    Already transformed into a bird mom, Kira was busy adoring the phoenix.

    Kira didn��t know Maronius language, so she didn��t understand what the phoenix said.

    How would she feel when she learned the phoenix called her Mom?

    Would she be happy or annoyed?

    ''Isn''t it too close?''

    "Hmm."

    "What is it, Pyra?"

    "Well, we have now stepped into the Mountain King''s territory, but the Grendels haven''t appeared."

    Pyra said this while looking around.

    Grendels were said to be like the Mountain King''s private soldiers.

    It was like stepping into another noble''s land and not seeing any soldiers, which felt strange.

    Ian didn''t think much of it.

    [Ian. You''re finally going to meet my friend.]

    [...? Who are you?]

    [Hehe. I''m one of your fans, supporting and waiting for your journey.]

    [The mystery of the heavens greets you warmly.]

    [The god of the Heaven''s Faith...?]

    Suddenly, Ian''s vision blurred.

    The voice started to fade away.

    [Just remember that I''m watching over you.]

    [No matter how elegant, noble, holy, and beautiful the sun is, it''s not good to look at it with the naked eye, right?]

    [Let��s talk after we��ve got some sunglasses, okay?]

    [The mystery of the heavens pretends to sniffle.]

    [It''s sad, but see you next time, Ian.]

    The warmth disappeared.

    Then, a chill that seemed to freeze his bones swept from all directions.

    Ian felt a cold that seemed to freeze his soul.

    [So, it��s you. The human the Sunbearer spoke of.]

    Ian couldn��t bring himself to look directly at the cold.

    He felt that if he raised his head, his brain would freeze and shatter.

    [Come find me, human. Come and retrieve what the Sunbearer left with me.]

    Ian calmed his pounding heart.

    That must be Hrundal, the deity of the northern people.

    Unlike the warm and benevolent deity of Heaven''s Faith, Hrundal exuded a cold, stern, and eerie atmosphere.

    "... Ian! Get a hold of yourself!"

    Hearing the voice from beyond the ritual, Ian barely opened his eyes.

    Pyra was looking at Ian with worried eyes.

    "You... met Lord Hrundal."

    "... Probably."

    Ian remembered Hrundal''s words.

    Telling him to come find him out of the blue...

    How? Where should he go to meet Hrundal?

    ��Hrundal has asked me to come find him.��

    "..."

    Pyra''s expression was a mix of worry and reverence.

    He was concerned but also immensely proud that Ian had met Hrundal!

    Yes! Bringing Ian here was the right decision!

    ��We��ll figure that out together.��

    Pyra calmed Ian.

    "First, let''s check your cards."

    If Lord Hrundal told him to come find him.

    Ian would surely seek Hrundal.

    The way would be revealed by the world.

    That was the northern way.

    "Ah. Yes."

    Ian spread out the Arcana cards.

    A strangely familiar painting welcomed Ian.

    "..."

    Card 0. The Fool.

    The illustration somehow resembled Ian himself...

    It was the first card Hrundal had bestowed upon Ian.

    Ian quickly glanced through the other cards.

    Card 2. The High Priestess.

    A woman resembling Eredith was depicted submerged in a lake.

    Card 3. The Empress.

    A red-haired woman in splendid clothes, resembling Kira.

    Card 6. The Lovers.

    A black-haired woman looking down at the ground, naked.

    Card 7. The Chariot.

    A massive drake leading Ian.

    Card 11. Justice.

    A blonde female knight holding a longsword.

    Card 12. The Hanged Man.

    A sorrowfully wailing unholy mystery.

    Card 17. The Star.

    A woman with dark blue hair smiling brightly.

    "This is..."

    Ian stopped speaking as he looked at the card illustrations.

    Pyra smiled and continued for Ian.

    "They are paintings of your life. Depictions of your journey."

    "..."

    He had thought the faces seemed oddly familiar...

    It wasn''t his imagination.

    The paintings on the cards were all of individuals related to Ian''s journey.

 c118

    c118

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Arcana cards were tools provided by the northern god for his followers.

    The northern god Hrundal bestowed gifts equally upon all his followers, but the types of gifts varied from person to person.

    The kinds of cards one could handle depended on the life they had lived.

    ��Oh... as expected. You received quite a few cards."

    When Ian talked about the cards he received, Pyra murmured with admiration.Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com

    What cards Hrundal granted depended on his will.

    However, it was generally accepted that the more experience and talent one had, the more cards they received.

    ''To have gathered eight cards before even turning twenty...''

    Pyra thought while looking at Ian.

    Talent is relative.

    Generally, when someone achieved accomplishments far beyond their age, they were called a [genius].

    But talent wasn��t fixed; it could deplete or change over time.

    Historically, many shamans had achieved Ian''s level of accomplishment.

    And not all of them became great shamans. Some undoubtedly dropped out along the way.

    But...

    ''With this level of achievements... surely, he can gather all the cards.''

    Conversely, it meant that some of those individuals had indeed become great shamans.

    "You could become the [Master of the Key]."

    "What?"

    Ian didn''t understand the old northern language.

    So Pyra kindly translated it into old imperial language.

    "The Master of the Key. In golden imperial language, it''s called ''Lemegeton.'' It''s the most feared shaman among your empire''s people."

    Northern shamans thought of magic as a key.

    A key that connects places that cannot be connected and makes rules that cannot be followed, follow.

    A shaman who gathered all the Arcana cards was called the [Master of the Key].

    Ancient golden imperial people recorded such a shaman as [Lemegeton].

    "Lemegeton!"

    Takarion, who had been listening, exclaimed in surprise.

    Ian quickly noticed.

    That religious fanatic knows something!

    "What is Lemegeton?"

    "In the gospel... it��s the name that appears as an arch-enemy of saints... a monstrous figure who commands demons and toys with nature..."

    In short, Lemegeton was the arch-enemy of saints frequently mentioned in the Gospels of Heaven''s Faith.

    It wasn��t surprising that the greatest northern shaman, Lemegeton, appeared as the arch-enemy of saints of Heaven''s Faith.

    It didn��t break the world''s setting, provided a worthy opponent to fight, and served as a good villain role!

    Much like how American movies often portrayed China or Russia as villains.

    "Commanding demons? That''s nonsense."

    Pyra was dumbfounded after hearing Takarion''s story.

    Demons were evil beings, and only wicked humans could command them.

    One could see how hard it was to handle [evil creatures] just by looking at Manticore, a monster full of malice towards humans.

    To command a demon, which was even more evil than a Manticore, one had to be an absolute lunatic.

    The [Master of the Key] was a sage who mastered the principles of the world, not a crazy psychopath.

    They might have the skill to command demons, but they certainly didn��t practice it.

    Everyone knew that stealing gave you free stuff, but those who actually did it were considered crazy. It was the same principle.

    "Why would a northern shaman fight a saint of Heaven''s Faith in the first place?"

    "Well, Lemegeton coveted the holy relics of God and stole them..."

    "??? A shaman coveted Heaven''s Faith''s relics? Why?"

    "Because they are sacred..."

    "They might be sacred to Heaven''s Faith followers, but they would just be trinkets to northerners, right?"

    Pyra, puzzledly, pointed out the errors in Takarion''s story one by one.

    Takarion, sweating profusely, struggled to maintain the setting of the [Heaven''s Faith Universe].

    ��Well, it''s the usual setting, that Lemegeton is generally a villain...��

    ��I don��t understand what nonsense you��re talking about.��

    Ian tapped Pyra��s shoulder.

    ��Pyra. Subculture is originally like that.��

    ��Sub... what?��

    ��Just type ��rlly? lol��.��

    ��...?��

    Pyra looked at Ian with a strange expression.

    This guy''s weird...

    ��Anyway, since Hrundal has called for you, Ian, you��ll have the chance to meet him soon. Prepare yourself, physically and mentally, and be polite.��

    ��When, where, and how do I meet him?��

    Pyra laughed maniacally.

    ��Kihik! You��re not quite a shaman yet! Finding that out is part of being a shaman!��

    I��m a wizard, you crazy human...

    Ian held the Arcana card deck, looking sour.

    Even though he couldn��t deny being somewhat of a shaman after receiving the cards...

    For now, he would slowly learn how to handle the Arcana cards and find a way to meet Hrundal.

    ��People are waiting. Let��s head back.��

    ��Yes. I��m hungry too.��

    ---

    ---

    Both magic and shamanism ultimately dealt with mysteries, so there were many overlapping aspects.

    But saying, ��I already know this~ Let��s move on~�� would earn him a scolding from Pyra.

    A disciple must follow a disciple''s duty.

    Ian respectfully waited for Pyra to finish explaining.

    ��What do you desire the most right now?��

    ��...To go down the mountain.��

    Ian answered honestly.

    Mount Gramunt was a snow-covered mountain.

    It meant it was unbearably cold.

    He had climbed the mountain with great effort and received the Arcana cards.

    Now he wanted to go down, fiddle with the cards, and relax...

    But Ian still had things to do.

    ��I want that too. But first, we must find the [Tears of Hrundal].��

    He had a hunch.

    When humans had a wish, the mysteries responded to that will.

    Pyra sensed that Ian had gained some insight.

    ��Now, think strongly about your wish and draw a card.��

    ��...Just like that?��

    ��Yes, just like that.��

    Ian was momentarily dumbfounded.

    Wait, these cards haven��t been shuffled yet???

    If he drew a card randomly, wouldn��t he obviously pick the last card, the Fool card, number 0?

    Was Pyra implying that Ian was a fool?

    However, Ian did as Pyra instructed.

    Thinking that there must be a reason behind the shaman''s words!

    ��What did you draw?��

    ��Not the Fool...��

    Ian looked at the card he had drawn with a blank expression.

    It was card number 20, the Judgment card.

    Pyra laughed happily at Ian��s dumbfounded face.

    ��Do you understand now? The one who gives you the cards is not you, but Hrundal!��

    Ian had to accept it.

    In its incomprehensibility, the Arcana card was a kind of mystery.

    ��Now, try to guess the meaning of the card you drew.��

    Ian drew the card hoping to find the [Tears of Hrundal].

    The answer was the [Judgment] card.

    ��It symbolizes resurrection...��

    ��That''s right. The Judgment card symbolizes resurrection.��

    Ian focused, trying to understand the card''s meaning.

    It was certainly different from the Maronius language.

    A bit more vague, and therefore more ambiguous.

    But at that moment, an image flashed through Ian''s mind.

    ��...The phoenix.��

    There was a familiar entity of resurrection not far away.

    It was the phoenix.

    ��I''ll ask the phoenix!��

    Ian ran to Kira.

    Coincidentally, Kira was also looking for Ian.

    ��Ian!��

    ��Where is the phoenix?��

    Kira looked surprised.

    She was already looking for Ian because of the phoenix!

    ��Winnie... Winnie is acting strange!��

    Ian carefully took the phoenix.

    The phoenix lay motionless as if dead.

    Ian recalled what he knew about the phoenix.

    ��A being that resurrects from death.��

    The phoenix symbolized resurrection.

    But to resurrect, it had to die first.

    ��Kira, listen without panicking.��

    ��Huh?��

    ��The phoenix... might die like this.��

    Kira was shocked for a moment but quickly understood Ian''s words.

    ��It��s trying to be reborn...��

    ��Probably.��

    Understanding the situation, Kira neither rushed Ian nor panicked.

    She simply gazed at the phoenix with a wistful look.

    ��Ian, will the reborn phoenix... be the same one I knew?��

    ��I don��t know.��

    It was a question Ian couldn��t answer.

    This was the first time Ian had seen a phoenix in person.

    ��Is it too greedy to hope that it will recognize me?��

    ��Why not be greedy just this once?��

    Kira smiled softly.

    Ian stood beside Kira and looked at the phoenix.

    The phoenix slept peacefully, as if in a long dream.

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    TL/Editor: raei Upstodatee from

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    Arcana cards were tools provided by the northern god for his followers.

    The northern god Hrundal bestowed gifts equally upon all his followers, but the types of gifts varied from person to person.

    The kinds of cards one could handle depended on the life they had lived.

    ��Oh... as expected. You received quite a few cards."

    When Ian talked about the cards he received, Pyra murmured with admiration.

    What cards Hrundal granted depended on his will.

    However, it was generally accepted that the more experience and talent one had, the more cards they received.

    ''To have gathered eight cards before even turning twenty...''

    Pyra thought while looking at Ian.

    Talent is relative.

    Generally, when someone achieved accomplishments far beyond their age, they were called a [genius].

    But talent wasn��t fixed; it could deplete or change over time.

    Historically, many shamans had achieved Ian''s level of accomplishment.

    And not all of them became great shamans. Some undoubtedly dropped out along the way.

    But...

    ''With this level of achievements... surely, he can gather all the cards.''

    Conversely, it meant that some of those individuals had indeed become great shamans.

    "You could become the [Master of the Key]."

    "What?"

    Ian didn''t understand the old northern language.

    So Pyra kindly translated it into old imperial language.

    "The Master of the Key. In golden imperial language, it''s called ''Lemegeton.'' It''s the most feared shaman among your empire''s people."

    Northern shamans thought of magic as a key.

    A key that connects places that cannot be connected and makes rules that cannot be followed, follow.

    A shaman who gathered all the Arcana cards was called the [Master of the Key].

    Ancient golden imperial people recorded such a shaman as [Lemegeton].

    "Lemegeton!"

    Takarion, who had been listening, exclaimed in surprise.

    Ian quickly noticed.

    That religious fanatic knows something!

    "What is Lemegeton?"

    "In the gospel... it��s the name that appears as an arch-enemy of saints... a monstrous figure who commands demons and toys with nature..."

    In short, Lemegeton was the arch-enemy of saints frequently mentioned in the Gospels of Heaven''s Faith.

    It wasn��t surprising that the greatest northern shaman, Lemegeton, appeared as the arch-enemy of saints of Heaven''s Faith.

    It didn��t break the world''s setting, provided a worthy opponent to fight, and served as a good villain role!

    Much like how American movies often portrayed China or Russia as villains.

    "Commanding demons? That''s nonsense."

    Pyra was dumbfounded after hearing Takarion''s story.

    Demons were evil beings, and only wicked humans could command them.

    One could see how hard it was to handle [evil creatures] just by looking at Manticore, a monster full of malice towards humans.

    To command a demon, which was even more evil than a Manticore, one had to be an absolute lunatic.

    The [Master of the Key] was a sage who mastered the principles of the world, not a crazy psychopath.

    They might have the skill to command demons, but they certainly didn��t practice it.

    Everyone knew that stealing gave you free stuff, but those who actually did it were considered crazy. It was the same principle.

    "Why would a northern shaman fight a saint of Heaven''s Faith in the first place?"

    "Well, Lemegeton coveted the holy relics of God and stole them..."

    "??? A shaman coveted Heaven''s Faith''s relics? Why?"

    "Because they are sacred..."

    "They might be sacred to Heaven''s Faith followers, but they would just be trinkets to northerners, right?"

    Pyra, puzzledly, pointed out the errors in Takarion''s story one by one.

    Takarion, sweating profusely, struggled to maintain the setting of the [Heaven''s Faith Universe].

    ��Well, it''s the usual setting, that Lemegeton is generally a villain...��

    ��I don��t understand what nonsense you��re talking about.��

    Ian tapped Pyra��s shoulder.

    ��Pyra. Subculture is originally like that.��

    ��Sub... what?��

    ��Just type ��rlly? lol��.��

    ��...?��

    Pyra looked at Ian with a strange expression.

    This guy''s weird...

    ��Anyway, since Hrundal has called for you, Ian, you��ll have the chance to meet him soon. Prepare yourself, physically and mentally, and be polite.��

    ��When, where, and how do I meet him?��

    Pyra laughed maniacally.

    ��Kihik! You��re not quite a shaman yet! Finding that out is part of being a shaman!��

    I��m a wizard, you crazy human...

    Ian held the Arcana card deck, looking sour.

    Even though he couldn��t deny being somewhat of a shaman after receiving the cards...

    For now, he would slowly learn how to handle the Arcana cards and find a way to meet Hrundal.

    ��People are waiting. Let��s head back.��

    ��Yes. I��m hungry too.��

    ---

    ---

    Both magic and shamanism ultimately dealt with mysteries, so there were many overlapping aspects.

    But saying, ��I already know this~ Let��s move on~�� would earn him a scolding from Pyra.

    A disciple must follow a disciple''s duty.

    Ian respectfully waited for Pyra to finish explaining.

    ��What do you desire the most right now?��

    ��...To go down the mountain.��

    Ian answered honestly.

    Mount Gramunt was a snow-covered mountain.

    It meant it was unbearably cold.

    He had climbed the mountain with great effort and received the Arcana cards.

    Now he wanted to go down, fiddle with the cards, and relax...

    But Ian still had things to do.

    ��I want that too. But first, we must find the [Tears of Hrundal].��

    He had a hunch.

    When humans had a wish, the mysteries responded to that will.

    Pyra sensed that Ian had gained some insight.

    ��Now, think strongly about your wish and draw a card.��

    ��...Just like that?��

    ��Yes, just like that.��

    Ian was momentarily dumbfounded.

    Wait, these cards haven��t been shuffled yet???

    If he drew a card randomly, wouldn��t he obviously pick the last card, the Fool card, number 0?

    Was Pyra implying that Ian was a fool?

    However, Ian did as Pyra instructed.

    Thinking that there must be a reason behind the shaman''s words!

    ��What did you draw?��

    ��Not the Fool...��

    Ian looked at the card he had drawn with a blank expression.

    It was card number 20, the Judgment card.

    Pyra laughed happily at Ian��s dumbfounded face.

    ��Do you understand now? The one who gives you the cards is not you, but Hrundal!��

    Ian had to accept it.

    In its incomprehensibility, the Arcana card was a kind of mystery.

    ��Now, try to guess the meaning of the card you drew.��

    Ian drew the card hoping to find the [Tears of Hrundal].

    The answer was the [Judgment] card.

    ��It symbolizes resurrection...��

    ��That''s right. The Judgment card symbolizes resurrection.��

    Ian focused, trying to understand the card''s meaning.

    It was certainly different from the Maronius language.

    A bit more vague, and therefore more ambiguous.

    But at that moment, an image flashed through Ian''s mind.

    ��...The phoenix.��

    There was a familiar entity of resurrection not far away.

    It was the phoenix.

    ��I''ll ask the phoenix!��

    Ian ran to Kira.

    Coincidentally, Kira was also looking for Ian.

    ��Ian!��

    ��Where is the phoenix?��

    Kira looked surprised.

    She was already looking for Ian because of the phoenix!

    ��Winnie... Winnie is acting strange!��

    Ian carefully took the phoenix.

    The phoenix lay motionless as if dead.

    Ian recalled what he knew about the phoenix.

    ��A being that resurrects from death.��

    The phoenix symbolized resurrection.

    But to resurrect, it had to die first.

    ��Kira, listen without panicking.��

    ��Huh?��

    ��The phoenix... might die like this.��

    Kira was shocked for a moment but quickly understood Ian''s words.

    ��It��s trying to be reborn...��

    ��Probably.��

    Understanding the situation, Kira neither rushed Ian nor panicked.

    She simply gazed at the phoenix with a wistful look.

    ��Ian, will the reborn phoenix... be the same one I knew?��

    ��I don��t know.��

    It was a question Ian couldn��t answer.

    This was the first time Ian had seen a phoenix in person.

    ��Is it too greedy to hope that it will recognize me?��

    ��Why not be greedy just this once?��

    Kira smiled softly.

    Ian stood beside Kira and looked at the phoenix.

    The phoenix slept peacefully, as if in a long dream.

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��What��s going on all of a sudden?��

    As Ian and Kira fussed around, Pyra quietly appeared.

    Ian explained the phoenix��s condition.

    ��It��s deeply asleep. Probably... well, I think it��s going to be reborn.��

    Ian didn��t have the heart to say that the phoenix was ��dying.��

    He felt Kira might burst into tears.

    ��Is that so? That makes sense.��

    But Pyra coldly said what he felt without a second thought.

    It wasn��t because he was a cold-hearted person.

    To Pyra, the phoenix was just an interesting bird.

    He acknowledged it as a spiritual creature, but so what?

    Just as an Indian considers cows sacred, they don��t make a fuss every time they see one.

    ��Oh, it��s just being reborn,�� was all he thought.

    ��Since we��ve returned to Mount Gramunt, it��s likely trying to revert to its original form.��

    ��Probably.��

    Thinking back, the phoenix��s journey ended here.

    Its original destination was Mount Gramunt. Having arrived, it was only natural for it to return to its true form.

    However, this ��natural�� fact made someone anxious.

    Kira, who had become a bird mom, felt this way.

    ��It��ll be okay, right? It��ll be fine...��

    Humans fear what they do not understand.

    Resurrection was natural for a phoenix. You couldn��t equate human death with a phoenix��s death.

    But Kira, not fully understanding the phoenix��s death, felt uneasy.

    ��Chirp...��

    The phoenix slowly opened its eyes.

    People, including Ian, gathered around.

    Among them was the raven Oberon.

    [Oh no, stay strong! Pull yourself together!]

    [Instructor Oberon... my body hurts...]

    Winnie, the phoenix, sensed that its body was breaking down.

    No longer needing to maintain a living body, it was instinctively choosing to self-destruct.

    Not much time was left.

    [Ian... will you take me... somewhere?]

    ��...��

    Ian nodded.

    This was probably the phoenix��s final request.

    ��Kira, Pyra, let��s get ready.��

    ��Understood.��

    Ian carried the dying phoenix up the mountain.

    The phoenix, cradled in Ian��s arms, chirped softly.

    [I can feel it... another ��me�� is coming.]

    ��Another you?��

    [Yes. The true me. The current me is just a shell.]

    The phoenix��s vocabulary had significantly improved.

    As it said, it seemed the time for it to awaken as a mystery was near.

    Ian slowly climbed the mountain, speaking quietly.

    ��You��re not just a shell, Winnie.��

    Breathing in the cold air, he saw white puffs forming and then dispersing in front of him.

    ��Kira really liked you. So did Oberon.��

    [Hehe. How about you, Ian?]

    ��I... liked you too.��

    Ian said honestly.

    It wasn��t a lie. He quite liked the phoenix.

    Even though it had unexpectedly become a burden, it had safely reached its destination.

    It would be a lie to say he hadn��t grown attached.

    [... Ian.]

    The phoenix Winnie spoke softly.

    [When we first met... thank you for listening to my voice.]

    Ian recalled the first time he met the phoenix. He remembered hearing a voice back then.

    But he hadn��t heard exactly what it said.

    ��To be honest, I didn��t hear it clearly.��

    When Ian spoke, the phoenix laughed.

    [It��s okay. You didn��t abandon me and brought me here, right?]

    Ian nodded.

    [Without drinking the mountain��s energy, ��I�� would wither and disappear. When humans took me far to the south, I thought everything was over.]

    The northerners considered phoenix eggs sacred and collected them, bringing them to their villages.

    The monk Isilla taking it to the empire was the problem.

    [I trusted you, Ian. I believed you would return me to my homeland.]

    ��Do you usually have that much faith?��

    Ian had only had a proper conversation with Winnie after it had become close to becoming a mystery.

    But after having that conversation, he wanted to talk to Winnie more.

    It was just a shell that would disappear anyway.

    But Ian felt he needed a proper goodbye.

    He didn��t want to treat the shell like it was just a shell.

    ��[Excuse me for interrupting.]��

    So Ian spoke to the phoenix��s spirit in fluent Maronius.

    Surprised that Ian had intervened, the phoenix responded in a reluctant voice.

    [What is it, young wizard?]

    ��[May I also make a request, similar to the other you?]��

    The phoenix��s spirit fluttered its wings irritably.

    [How foolish. Would you hinder my task for the sake of a body that will soon disappear?]

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    That phoenix treated death like a trivial matter.

    How could an immortal being understand the fear of death?

    ��[If you are so wise, why do you disregard the weight of death?]��

    [...What?]

    The phoenix��s spirit was taken aback by Ian��s retort.

    Ian��s concept was too foreign.

    For the phoenix, death and resurrection were as common as daily routines.

    The phoenix had never worried about the death of its body!

    ��[As you said, your body is about to die. It will disappear soon.]��

    [That is...]

    ��[But all life lives desperately until the moment their breath stops, despite knowing they will eventually disappear. Each seeks the meaning of life.]��

    The phoenix forgot it needed to resurrect and listened to Ian.

    The immortal phoenix had never considered the perspective of a mortal.

    No one had ever explained mortal life to the phoenix.

    Wizard Ian was the first to break that barrier.

    ��[If you thought a short life meant a short will to live, you were mistaken.]��

    [...]

    ��[That''s why I ask you for this favor. Not for long, just a day or two. Let Winnie leave this world peacefully.]��

    The phoenix was silent for a moment.

    The phoenix was not so foolish that it couldn��t understand Ian''s words.

    So instead of berating Ian, it sighed in pity.

    [Yes... you are not a resident of this place, so you cannot feel the calamity that has befallen the mountain.]

    ��[Calamity?]��

    [An evil presence has invaded the mountain. It must have harmed the Mountain King.]

    The phoenix spoke in a gentle voice.

    [Do you think granting my body��s wish is more important than investigating the calamity on the mountain?]

    Ian looked between Winnie and the phoenix.

    Then he answered.

    ��[Until Winnie dies, I will help you with your investigation.]��

    [...]

    "[Even then... is it not possible?]"

    The phoenix stared at Ian.

    [Hahaha!]

    It burst into a loud laugh.

    [How astonishing. Truly, a remarkable experience.]

    ��[What is so funny?]��

    [Meeting someone who cherishes my body.]

    The phoenix��s body usually died a few days after hatching. There was no reason to maintain it.

    The phoenix had repeated the cycle of death and rebirth in the snowy mountains.

    However, this time, it experienced a journey far away in the Empire.

    And it met a human who cherished its body.

    The sensation of being cherished was indeed a strange feeling.

    [Very well, human. I grant you two days.]

    ��[Thank you!]��

    [But be cautious. Something has undoubtedly happened to the Mountain King.]

    The phoenix��s spirit circled around Winnie.

    Then something remarkable happened.

    Life returned to Winnie��s body!

    [Ian...!]

    Winnie, now revitalized, blinked in surprise...

    And hugged Ian tightly with its little wings.

    [Why...? Why did you do this?]

    Glistening~

    Ian turned his head away, feeling burdened by Winnie��s gaze.

    ��Well, just...��

    [What? Because you like me so much? Because you wanted to talk to me too? That I can call you Dad???]

    Watching the excited Winnie chatter away.

    Ian couldn��t help but chuckle.

    Indeed.

    He was glad he had asked for the time to say goodbye properly.

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��Is the conversation over?��

    At the sudden voice, Ian turned his head.

    Pyra and the others were waiting.

    ��You seemed to be having such a serious conversation that I couldn��t interrupt... but it looks like everything went well.��

    Pyra had noticed that Ian was in contact with a mystery.

    But to ensure Ian''s smooth conversation, he had deliberately held back.

    Normally, conversations should be one-on-one; if someone suddenly intervenes, even a well-going conversation can get messed up.

    ��You must have been surprised.��

    ��A little?��

    ��Sorry I couldn��t explain in advance.��

    Pyra looked at Ian with a curious smile.

    Northern shamans avoid direct contact with mysteries.

    In their rugged land, there were many rough spirits.

    But this young wizard from the Empire didn��t fear talking to mysteries at all.

    Whether it was his personality or a trait of imperial wizards, Pyra didn��t know.

    But he didn��t dislike seeing Ian converse with a mystery.

    It was bold and free-spirited, something one wouldn��t see in a shaman.

    ��No. You��re not a child. I can��t oversee every single action you take.��

    As the phoenix��s spirit disappeared, the surroundings became much quieter.

    Pyra smiled broadly and gathered the Tears of Hrundal.

    ��With this amount, both of us can have a share.��

    Ian examined the elixir Pyra handed over.

    It looked like milky liquid.

    It didn��t have any noticeable smell.

    He tasted it slightly, and it felt like plain water.

    ��Isn��t this just hard water?��

    Ian looked at the elixir skeptically.

    In the Empire, it was common to find water mixed with lime because of the limestone layers underground.

    Ian had often seen spring water in mountain valleys that was milky.

    [Drink it! Ian!]

    Winnie chirped.

    [I��m sure it will be effective!]

    Hmm. If the phoenix vouched for its quality...

    Ian drank the elixir without hesitation.

    [You have consumed the Tears of Hrundal.]

    [Your spiritual defense has greatly increased.]

    The status window kindly displayed a message.

    It seemed to be a beneficial elixir for his health.

    Ian opened his eyes wide and looked around.

    The world��s colors seemed a bit more vivid.

    His enhanced ability to accept mystery made it so.

    Now, Ian could safely accept stronger mysteries than before.

    ��Don��t I need to do something like qi circulation?��

    [Huh? Qi... what?]

    Ah.

    Being a western fantasy creature, she doesn��t know about Chinese characters!

    ��It��s like qi brunch.��

    [I don��t know what that is, but... you won��t need to do it.]

    In martial arts novels, after consuming an elixir, one needs to circulate qi to absorb its energy properly.

    But in this world without the concept of qi circulation, just drinking it seemed effective.

    ��...?��

    At that moment, Ian felt a gentle, mysterious energy emanating in his stomach.

    Slowly, it spread through his veins and throughout his body.

    Especially as it traveled up his spine and through the nape of his neck, Ian felt a tingling sensation.

    Although Ian didn��t know, the pineal gland located inside the brain plays a crucial role in humans becoming aware of mystery.

    This was already proven by the master of horror fiction, Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

    It was a sensation of the pineal gland��s function being enhanced by the elixir.

    ��This is good.��

    Ian had lower resistance to mystery compared to his magical prowess.

    The reason was simple: Ian was a munchkin player who had raised his stats through cheats.

    A typical case of [raising one��s level without enlightenment]!

    Because of this, even though Ian could handle magic with his skills, his body often experienced strain.

    But the elixir he just consumed would prevent such situations.

    Of course, it wouldn''t allow him to face off openly against dark mysteries or anything like that.

    ��Shall we head back now?��

    At Ian��s suggestion, Pyra nodded.

    They had secured the Tears of Hrundal, so it was time to return.

    ---

    ---

    ��Ian... are you sure it��s okay?��

    On the way back to the camp, Takarion whined beside him.

    ��But... but I didn��t do anything?��

    Takarion seemed to firmly believe he had a role to play.

    Ian had indeed created some smoke and mirrors.

    He had insisted that Takarion was very important and must be brought along.

    ��Does the Mountain King have something urgent? It��s strange not to see any Grendels.��

    They had explored quite a bit of the Mountain King��s territory.

    When they were searching for the elixir, Pyra thought they had just missed the Mountain King��s followers.

    But now, after camping and hiking, it was odd that none of the Mountain King��s followers had appeared.

    Were they just ignoring them because it was bothersome?

    But knowing the Mountain King��s personality, Pyra thought he would have sent at least one follower to check on them.

    ��Hmm...��

    ��What��s wrong, Pyra?��

    ��Nothing. Let��s keep going.��

    Ian continued up the mountain.

    As they passed the mid-mountain, their feet sank into the thick snow.

    The snow on the mountain, which repeatedly froze and thawed, stung their skin with cold.

    ��Huff. Huff...��

    ��Are you okay, Takarion?��

    ��I... can still manage...��

    That��s good.

    Human determination is often shallow and rarely lasts beyond a few days. Countless discarded New Year��s resolution lists prove that.

    But Takarion��s determination seemed to last longer than expected.

    If Takarion kept up, it would make things easier for Ian.

    ��Caw! Master!��

    Oberon flew over and perched on Ian��s shoulder.

    ��What is it, Oberon?��

    [I spotted humans in the distance! They were almost frozen!]

    ��...Humans?��

    Ian tilted his head.

    Humans in the middle of the holy mountain?

    This was the Mountain King��s territory. Humans couldn��t just intrude here.

    ��Are they shamans?��

    If they weren��t suicidal, they were probably shamans.

    Like Pyra, they could ascend and descend the holy mountain with the Mountain King��s permission.

    Ian whispered with Oberon and then spoke to Pyra.

    ��Pyra, we need to change direction for a bit.��

    Pyra looked at Ian with a curious expression.

    To someone who dealt with mysteries like Pyra, Ian��s ability to converse with a raven was indeed fascinating.

    Of course, it was due to the differences between the Maronius language and Arcana cards.

    Pyra had a skill similar to talking with animals.

    He would lay out cards in front of the raven and indirectly communicate by asking it to pick a card.

    A much more primitive and abstract method compared to the Maronius language.

    It was a much safer method since there was no risk of making a verbal mistake that could anger the other party.

    ��Did you find something?��

    ��Yes. Let��s go that way.��

    Ian led the group to the place Oberon had pointed out.

    ��That��s...��

    ��Aren��t those the people from a northern village?��

    There, they found humans frozen to death.

    To be precise, they were frozen to death after being bitten.

    They looked less like corpses and more like chunks of meat left in a freezer.

    Ian felt nauseous for the first time in a long while.

    ��...Looks like the work of Grendels.��

    Pyra��s voice changed.

    ��It��s certain. These are the shamans of the Sgonu tribal coalition.��

    Pyra poked the snowdrifts with his staff.

    At that moment, an arm suddenly shot up from the snow.

    ��Oh my god!��

    Kira exclaimed in surprise.

    Belenka quickly drew her sword and stepped forward.

    But Pyra stopped her.

    ��Hold on! They��re not enemies!��

    The frozen corpse twisted its joints and rose from the snow.

    Crack... crack...

    Forcing its frozen body to move, chunks of icy flesh flew off like shards.

    Even with only a few movements, the corpse became tattered.

    Ian calmly observed the frozen corpse.

    ��They deferred their death.��

    ��Right. It seems they asked the mystery of ice for help.��

    Ian noticed the presence of mystery within the corpse.

    Just before dying, the shaman must have asked the mystery of ice to hold onto their soul.

    It was the work of a skilled shaman.

    ��[Y-You... You��re from Okaha...]��

    ��Yes. Shaman from Sgonu."

    Pyra understood the secret of the frozen corpse.

    Just before meeting death, the shaman had asked the mountain��s mystery for help, making themselves an undead.

    ��[P-Please... deliver my message to my homeland...]��

    ��I swear by Hrundal, I will deliver your message to your people.��

    The shaman had deferred their death to leave a final message.

    ��[We climbed the holy mountain to seek wisdom from the Mountain King...]��

    ��Wisdom?��

    ��[We wanted to know the reason for the Great Hunt��s failure...]��

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Pyra had a peculiar expression.

    Of course, it was something worth trying. But it was obvious that a negative answer would come back.

    The Mountain King had no interest in things happening outside his territory.

    Whether humans hunted a few Yagons at the entrance of Gramunt or not, it was of no concern to the Mountain King.

    To begin with, the Mountain King was a herbivore. Not only did he resemble an elephant in appearance, but his diet was also similar to that of an elephant.

    "I understand. You must have been frustrated as well."

    However, the Mountain King was a wise being.

    He might know something about why the Yagon pack had disappeared.

    The shamans from the northern village climbed the holy mountain to borrow the Mountain King''s wisdom.

    "So, did you get an answer?"

    "[Yes, we did.]"

    The shaman''s spirit trembled, its frozen body shivering with a wail.

    "[An answer of ice and fangs!]"

    "... Damn it."

    There was no need for further words.

    Pyra instinctively knew that the ones who killed the shaman were the Mountain King''s followers.

    But it didn''t make sense.

    Why would the Mountain King do that?

    Why would he create a situation that would ruin the good relationship he had maintained with humans?

    The Mountain King was a formidable monster.

    But humans were not to be underestimated either.

    The Mountain King knew well the power of humans. That was why he had made a sort of non-aggression pact.

    Yet, the Mountain King''s followers had attacked the shaman first...

    ''What on earth is he thinking?''

    "Ian."

    "I heard everything too."

    Ian nodded.

    Pyra had always grumbled about not seeing the Mountain King''s followers.

    But he didn''t realize that it was actually a good thing.

    Not meeting the Mountain King''s followers until now had been a stroke of luck.Upstodatee from

    "Let''s get off the mountain for now. We don''t know what''s going on, but staying here could put us in danger!"

    "Good idea."

    Ian also preferred to avoid being attacked by the Mountain King''s followers.

    There was no reason to fight monsters that didn''t even give experience points.

    This wasn''t a game fantasy, just a medieval fantasy.

    Grrr...

    But then it happened.

    "Damn it."

    Belenka drew her sword once again.

    This time, Pyra did not stop her.

    Beyond the snow-covered valley, white-furred beasts appeared.

    "Grendel...!"

    Monsters resembling white-furred monkeys.

    They were Grendel, followers of the Mountain King.

    "Screech!"

    [Death to the intruders!]

    Each Grendel was more robust than an adult male.

    And there were dozens of such monsters visible.

    "This is bad..."

    Finally meeting the Mountain King''s followers they had been so curious about.

    Pyra watched the charging monsters with a pale face.

    The Mountain King was the ruler of the holy mountain.

    As with any region, if the ruler of the area decided to attack, the target usually couldn''t avoid death.

    Pyra was no exception.

    ''Oh Hrundal...!''

    Seeing the charging Grendel, Pyra felt darkness closing in.

    Now... I''m going to die for sure!

    "Pyra! What are you doing?"

    "We''re done for... The Mountain King has decided to dispose of us..."

    Pyra was a shaman who could read the flow of fate.

    Having always accepted fate, he thought he could accept his own impending death.

    No, perhaps it had become a habit.

    A habit of surrendering to the great flow.

    [Draw one Arcana card to induce an anomaly. Only the Ice God knows what will happen!]

    "Ian!"

    Belenka shouted.

    Pyra had bought them some time; now it was Ian''s turn.

    Ian drew a card from his Arcana deck.

    The card Ian drew was [The Hanged Man].

    [You drew the ''Hanged Man'' card...!]

    [A being writhing in agony becomes aware of you!]

    A tingling magic sent shivers through Ian''s entire body.

    He felt the gaze of an overwhelming presence.

    Though it was a gaze that feared and despised everything, directed at Ian, it held a hint of goodwill.

    Ian already knew this overwhelming presence of sorrow.

    "O unholy mystery!"

    [Aah... Ian...]

    Ian glared at the charging Grendel horde and shouted roughly.

    "Scream with all your might!"

    Through the Arcana card, the unholy mystery was summoned.

    To summon the unholy mystery in the wizard''s way would have required numerous rituals and sacrifices.

    But with the Arcana card, the will of Hrundal could be used to borrow the mystery''s power in a short and certain way.

    The unholy mystery let out a ferocious howl.

    At the same time, a terrible dissonance engulfed the Grendel horde!

    [Screeee!]

    "Argh!"

    "Ahhh!"

    When the unholy mystery howled, the Grendel horde couldn''t keep their wits.

    The dreadful mystery that drove Ian, Pyra, and even Kira to insanity was the unholy mystery.

    Pain, agony, sorrow, fear...

    As all sorts of negative emotions burrowed into their brains, the Grendels could not endure it.

    "Belenka! Cut them down!"

    "Understood!"

    Belenka decapitated the foremost Grendel.

    The head of the monkey-like creature with fangs rolled on the ground.

    "Screech!"

    "Roar!"

    With that, a contagious fear swept through the Grendels.

    Seeing the death of a comrade while already drained of willpower by negative emotions, they completely lost their fighting spirit!

    This is technically called ''Morale 0''. It means their mental state has shattered.

    The Grendels fled in panic.

    Belenka chased and cut down a few of the fleeing enemies.

    "Ian. Are you okay?"

    Kira grabbed Ian''s hand worriedly.

    Kira was one of those who had experienced the horror of the unholy mystery firsthand.

    To wield a mystery, one must communicate with it. That''s the wizard''s common sense.

    To wield a nauseating presence just by looking at it... How strong must one''s mental fortitude be!

    Kira naturally thought Ian had pushed himself immensely.

    If Ian had used the magical language to summon the unholy mystery, Kira would have been right.

    But...

    Ian was perfectly fine.

    It was because the one who summoned the unholy mystery was not Ian, but Hrundal.

    The penalty was handed over to the god, and only the benefits were reaped!

    This is why shamans worship and flatter Hrundal.

    Even a lack of faith would grow rapidly.

    ''This is certainly effective.''

    Arcana magic definitely suited the north.

    "Ugh... My head suddenly...!"

    "Ian!"

    "I''m perfectly... fine!"

    Kira blushed and hit Ian''s back.

    "You, you scared me..."

    When Ian chuckled, Kira couldn''t help but laugh along.

    Anyway, with Ian fine, she felt good.

    "Pyra! Let''s escape quickly before they come back."

    "Yes. We should."

    Pyra muttered, looking up at the snowy mountain.

    Defying the Mountain King...

    In the distance, it seemed like an ominous wind was swirling.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian and his party quickly attempted to descend the mountain.

    Now that they had confirmed that the Mountain King was hostile towards humans, staying on the holy mountain was dangerous.

    The Phoenix would surely understand the situation.

    ''... It seems better to summon it quickly.''

    Ian thought while stroking Winnie.

    The Phoenix''s spirit had babbled something only it understood in front of Ian.

    What? There is an evil presence?

    There was an ominous atmosphere around the mountain?

    If the Phoenix had resurrected after destroying Winnie''s body, its curiosity would have been satisfied.

    But Ian was the one who postponed the Phoenix''s resurrection...

    For now, he had to set aside that curiosity.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com

    [Ian, I think I understand the meaning of the warning. The Mountain King... is anxious.]

    "Anxious? About what?"

    [That...]

    Winnie fell silent.

    Ian sheepishly patted Winnie.

    He didn''t intend to keep it in suspense just to make it suffer.

    "Sorry. I wanted to show you a great view."

    [No, it''s fine. As I said before, I''m very happy to spend time with you and Kira like this.]

    Ian''s party steadily descended the mountain.

    Meanwhile, Pyra was tearing at his hair in agony.

    "Ugh... The Grendels will come back. We should have wiped them all out earlier!"

    "That was physically impossible."

    Ian consoled Pyra.

    Even if everyone here took up swords and charged, it would take ages to kill the Grendel horde.

    Theoretically, yes, but in practice, it was even more impossible.

    From the beginning, it was impossible to annihilate the Grendels.

    "Soon we''ll reach a narrow path. If we get attacked there, it will be really dangerous!"

    "But there''s no other way, right?"

    "... The problem was coming in too deep from the start!"

    Pyra hastily drew cards, eyes wide with desperation.

    He wailed to himself.

    "Ah...! This is ominous, very ominous!"

    "..."

    Ian began to understand why Ragnar didn''t like Pyra much.

    This guy had severe mood swings.

    He also had a tendency to overly rely on divination.

    "Shaman! Can you be quiet for a moment?!"

    Even Takarion scolded him.

    Ian was genuinely impressed.

    Wow... it must be bad if Takarion spoke up!

    "God watches over us, but humans create their destiny! Acting without shame according to the will of God! That is the role of a clergyman!"

    "Oh."

    Ian clapped his hands.

    As expected from a writer, Takarion had a way with words.

    More importantly, Takarion''s words were true.

    And it''s hard to argue against the truth.

    So, Pyra couldn''t say anything and just hung his head.

    "Yes... I must pull myself together."

    Ian sighed as they approached the steep narrow path.

    It was a path they had crossed slowly without much issue before.

    But now, with enemies on their tails, it made his skin crawl.

    However, there was no other option.

    Whether they liked it or not, they had to cross the narrow path.

    "Let''s go."

    But as Ian was halfway across the path, the silhouette of a monster appeared from the cliff above.

    "... Damn it."

    Ian immediately cursed the monster.

    Such cunning bastards!

    "Ambush!"

    It was the Grendels, followers of the Mountain King.

    The Grendels, having been wounded by Ian before, did not approach recklessly.

    Instead, they used the terrain to their advantage.

    "Screee!"

    [Die, monster!]

    "No, who''s calling who a monster...!"

    Ian was baffled by the Grendel''s determination, but there was no time for idle thoughts.

    But Pyra was the only one flustered.

    Belenka and Kira were calmly preparing to jump onto the avalanche.

    "Don''t try to understand Ian, shaman. Just accept it."

    While Pyra was bewildered, Ian leaped onto the avalanche.

    Belenka and Kira followed Ian, jumping onto the avalanche.

    "Damn it!"

    Despite his words, Pyra moved his body.

    Ian''s party lightly climbed onto the oncoming avalanche as if stepping onto a cushion.

    The snow''s mystery accepted the humans.

    It was the result of Arcana magic.

    "Screeee! Screeee!"

    [Boss! Look at those guys!]

    "Screeee!"

    [Aren''t they crazy?!]

    Pyra was also flustered, suddenly snowboarding out of nowhere.

    But the Grendels watching from above were even more bewildered.

    No, they sent the avalanche to crush them!

    And they just rode on top of it!

    "Screeee!"

    [We failed again... What now?]

    "Screeee..."

    [I don''t know. I want to die.]

    The Grendels slumped their shoulders and moved to come up with the next plan.

    ---

    ---

    Ian thought he had lost consciousness for a moment.

    But it was a misconception.

    ��... It''s dazzling.��

    The brilliantly shining sun hurt Ian''s eyes.

    He rubbed his eyes and looked ahead.

    What he saw was a clear blue sky.

    The cold wind whipped against Ian''s cheeks.

    Ian was now standing on top of the avalanche.

    Rumble...!

    Together with his companions, Ian was riding the avalanche down the mountain as if on the back of a giant beast!

    ��This feels amazing.��

    All complicated thoughts vanished from his mind.

    It felt like being on the world''s greatest ride, filled with thrilling excitement.

    Ian couldn''t help but shout out loud.

    Wow!

    His voice was drowned out by the noise of the avalanche.

    Swish...

    As the snow piled up and came to a stop, Ian carefully stepped onto the ground.

    "Pyra! Where are we?"

    "... I don''t know. It seems we''ve come deeper in..."

    Ian frowned.

    So, they had slid further into the mountain rather than out.

    To return to the village, they would have to make a wide detour to escape...

    ��What a pain.��

    Ian and his companions were all safe.

    Everyone started to assess the situation.

    "Ian. Over here for a moment."

    The purpose of their search was, of course, to find a way out.

    But as Belenka was surveying the surroundings, she spotted something strange and called Ian over.

    "Do you know what this is?"

    "..."

    Ian couldn''t say anything.

    He had no idea what it was.

    "A grave...?"

    A massive valley.

    At its bottom, countless beast corpses were piled up.

    These were the creatures known to the northerners as ''Yagon.''

    "A grave..."

    Belenka didn''t agree with Ian''s thought.

    In fact, Ian didn''t think it was a grave either.

    It looked more like a dumping ground than a grave.

    "Oh, Hrundal..."

    Even Pyra sighed upon seeing the eerie site.

    This was clearly the cause of the Great Hunt''s failure.

    The prey that the Northerners were supposed to hunt had frozen solid, piled up in the deep ravines of the holy mountain.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    In the darkness.

    Takarion opened his eyes.

    ��Am I... alive?��

    He groped around. The area was filled with cold snow.

    Takarion cleared away the snow and poked his head out.

    ��Ah...��

    An expansive snowfield came into view.

    The avalanche had transformed the surroundings into a pristine white landscape.

    Takarion staggered and took a step onto the white snow.

    One step, then another.

    He took unsteady steps.

    ��I...��

    Takarion closed his eyes.

    The afternoon sunlight reflected off the snow, making it difficult to keep his eyes open.

    But the brightness was just an excuse.

    In truth... he simply wanted to forget everything once more.

    ��What... have I done?��

    Memories resurfaced in the darkness.

    Takarion had tried to run to Ian but tripped and fell.

    It was a truly pathetic action.

    ��I...��

    Takarion took a deep breath.

    He tried to calm himself, but his trembling limbs refused to stop.

    Because of his stupid mistake, Takarion had almost lost his life.

    If Ian had rushed to save him, Ian''s life would have been in danger too.

    He had endangered the life of a comrade.

    ��I... I...��

    A lump rose in Takarion��s throat.

    It was a wretched sob.

    ��Heugh, heuuugh...!��

    Hot tears streamed down Takarion''s cheeks.

    Once he started crying, there was no stopping it.

    Takarion collapsed on the spot, sobbing uncontrollably.

    ��Waaah!��

    Those were not tears of joy.

    Despite surviving a miracle, Takarion felt no happiness.

    ��Why am I... so pathetic!��

    The emotion that brought Takarion to tears was self-loathing.

    Like others, he wanted to excel with remarkable talent like Belenka, Kira, or Pyra, and carry his weight perfectly.

    Takarion had dreamed of a hero��s life since he was young.

    He wanted to be a wonderful person, respected by others.

    But.

    Though his dreams were grand, reality was a mess.

    Instead of becoming a hero, Takarion was bullied, subjected to violence and ridicule by other orphans in the monastery.

    It was his inherent limitations, a lack of talent.

    Yet Takarion constantly admired heroes and found success in writing gospels depicting the deeds of saints.

    Takarion just wanted to become a greater person.

    He thought he would be respected if he reached a high position.

    Though he couldn''t become a hero of the battlefield, he believed he could receive religious praise.

    So, he left the monastery.

    He thought he could become something if he left the monastery.

    But everything that happened to Takarion was horrific.

    He barely escaped after being kidnapped.

    He got caught in an avalanche and stranded...

    A series of mistakes.

    Unskilled, with nothing but pathetic results.

    ��Am I... a useless fool who can''t even walk properly? Is that who I am?��

    Takarion clutched the Arcana card and wept.

    Wizard Ian.

    Unlike Takarion, Ian was incredibly skilled and always produced amazing results.

    At one point, Takarion had been jealous of Ian��s abilities.

    Now, it seemed laughable.

    Takarion was so pathetic that he couldn��t even be compared to Ian.

    ��Should I just die?��

    Takarion looked out at the empty snowfield with dry eyes.

    He had always talked about the stories of heroes, but he was nothing compared to Saint Marcus.

    How shameless, Takarion.

    To scribble over the great deeds of a saint with your ugly, fat fingers!

    Shame and self-loathing wrapped around Takarion''s body like a snake.

    If he surrendered to these feelings and gave up everything, it felt like he would find peace.

    Pyra said with a grim face.

    If the Mountain King started interfering with human food supplies, he could no longer coexist with humans.

    He had to be hunted.

    "Let''s gather Takarion and get out of here quickly."

    "Do you have a way to find him?"

    Pyra asked from the perspective of Northern common sense. When dealing with ignorant barbarians, such questions were essential.

    But the other party was a wizard from the empire.

    "We''ll find him with magic."

    "..."

    Oh. I didn''t think of that simple solution.

    Pyra looked at Ian with a dumbfounded expression.

    Ian had given Takarion an Arcana card, knowing that he was alive somewhere.

    To search for Takarion, there were many ways: asking the mysteries of the ice, or sending Oberon to find him.

    But before that, the monsters arrived.

    "Kaaargh!"

    "Kyah!"

    It was the Grendel horde, the Mountain King''s sentinels.

    "Ian! Enemies!"

    "Yeah. Those damn things!"

    Blue mysteries flared in Ian''s eyes.

    Pyra worriedly patted Ian''s shoulder.

    "Are you... okay?"

    "What if I''m not!"

    Ian''s typical wizardly grumpiness resurfaced.

    Ian had used too much magic today.

    Even when he touched the Arcana cards, he couldn''t feel any mysteries.

    Instead, he had to overexert his body.

    In return for drinking the elixir, it seemed he had to work himself to death.

    "[Ice!]"

    Ian invoked the mysteries of ice and faced the enemies.

    "[Rise up!]"

    Ice chunks surged, creating a narrow passage.

    Staying there, at least they wouldn''t be surrounded.

    "Magic circle! We need to draw a magic circle!"

    Ian decided to request the help of the unholy mystery once more.

    But unlike last time, when he used the Arcana card, he had to draw a summoning circle this time.

    The unholy mystery was very powerful.

    It needed to be properly summoned and sent back peacefully to avoid future problems.

    "Got it! We''ll buy you time!"

    While the others fought the monsters, Ian hurriedly drew the magic circle.

    ��Quickly... quickly...!��

    "Ian!"

    "Just a bit more!"

    Time was running out.

    The problem was the sheer number of enemies.

    But then, a booming shout struck the monster horde from afar!

    "You foolish creatures of the underworld! Who do you think you''re baring your teeth at!!!"

    ��... Takarion?��

    Ian looked up to find the source of the voice.

    He saw Takarion standing on the hill.

    The afternoon sun shone brightly on Takarion.

    It looked almost as if he was surrounded by a halo...

    Ian wondered if Takarion had become a saint but quickly shook his head.

    ��What a crazy thought.��

    Ian pushed away the distracting thoughts and focused on the magic circle.

    [Who calls upon me?]

    ��[It''s me! Sorry! Can you help me one more time?]��

    The unholy mystery showed reluctance, but it did not refuse Ian''s summoning request.

    [Kiaaaaak!]

    Ian used the unholy mystery to drive away the Grendels.

    Then he immediately ran to Takarion.

    "Ahhh! Save me!!!"

    "..."

    He had shouted so gallantly from atop the hill.

    As soon as he got down, Takarion was being chased by a monster.

    Ian drove away the remaining Grendels and approached Takarion.

    Takarion was sitting on the ground, panting heavily.

    "Hey, Takarion. You looked a bit like a saint earlier."

    "R-Really...?"

    Physically, with a halo of light.

    Ian swallowed his last words and extended his hand.

    "Yes, really."

    Takarion smiled and took Ian''s hand.

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��You''re back.��

    ��Yes... it was really tough.��

    Ian looked at the Red Bear tribe village with eyes filled with exhaustion.

    Not long ago.

    While fleeing from the Grendel''s pursuit on the holy mountain, Ian encountered a northern patrol.

    ��Hey! Who are you?��

    ��Can''t you see? We''re humans!��

    Ian''s level of crankiness had reached its peak.

    He looked like a cranky wizard to anyone who saw him.

    As Ian shouted, exuding crankiness, the northerners were greatly surprised.

    Wow! He must be a madman!

    Unlike the Empire, the northern barbarians had no rumors about cranky wizards.

    A cranky person just seemed like a mad person.

    ��I don''t know who you are, but watch your mouth. If you don''t show some respect immediately...��

    ��Guys! The situation is urgent! Please lend us a hand!��

    ��... A shaman?��

    Before long, the northerners understood the situation.

    A furious Grendel horde was chasing after Ian!

    ��Aren''t those the Mountain King''s followers?��

    ��You people! What on earth did you do on the holy mountain...��

    The Grendel horde bared their teeth and claws.

    Spit.

    The northerners said nothing more.

    Talking time was over.

    Now it was time for physical and steel conversation.

    ��Oh Hrundal!!!��

    ��To the Ice Palace!!!��

    The northerners spat thick saliva into their palms and grabbed their weapons one by one.

    Axes and clubs, simple weapons that were easy to make.

    But simplicity did not mean they were weak.

    There��s a golden saying in engineering.

    Simple is best.

    As long as it works, no unnecessary parts are needed!

    A crude club with a metal hook at the end was perfectly fine as long as it could smash the enemy''s head.

    ��Raaaargh!��

    The northerners charged at the Grendel with savage cries.

    The northern patrol smashed the Grendel��s heads with their clubs.

    Ian was so moved by the sight that he nearly wiped away a tear.

    These guys... they really do fight well!

    Fortunately, the number of Grendels wasn��t large.

    Ian had driven most of them away with the profane mystery, and only a handful of scattered soldiers had pursued him.

    The white snowfield turned bright red.

    Fresh, warm blood steamed as it hit the cold air.

    The heat of battle hadn��t dissipated, but Pyra grabbed the patrol captain and spoke.

    ��We found the Yagons!��

    ��What? Where! Where are they?��

    Ian chimed in.

    ��Probably in Hrundal''s Ice Palace?��

    ��...��

    This was the elegant northern version of saying they were ��dead.��

    In sophisticated Korean, it might be like saying they ��went to America.��

    Hearing that the Yagons had all gone to Hrundal''s Ice Palace, the patrol captain mumbled with a lost expression.

    ��How could this be... but why?��

    ��I don��t know. But I saw it with my own eyes. The Mountain King killed a shaman and tried to hide the Yagon corpses.��

    ��...��

    ��This is an emergency. We need to inform everyone!��

    The patrols immediately returned to their respective tribes. Since the holy mountain was a holy place, skilled warriors from each tribe had formed the patrol.

    Ian also returned to the tribe with the Red Bear tribe''s patrol.

    The chieftain was in a good mood, having just received a filial gift from his son (or Ian).

    So when Pyra explained what had happened on the holy mountain, he didn��t order them to ��bash that lunatic��s head in.��

    ��This is hard to believe.��

    The chieftain said, looking at Ian with lifeless eyes typical of the elderly.

    ��High Chieftain! What is the meaning of this!��

    The more timid chieftains raised their voices in panic.

    But Ian easily understood what was happening.

    ��This is no ordinary tribal meeting.��

    Helga nodded heavily.

    ��Yes... it��s a joint meeting of the northern and southern tribes.��

    The Sgonu Tribal Coalition also struggled with food shortages.

    Moreover, the Sgonu Tribal Coalition had lost a shaman to the Mountain King.

    The probability that they were enraged was 100%.

    ��It��s been a while, Wolfhedin.��

    ��How have you been?��

    The Sgonu Alliance had only sent their high chieftain and a few representative chieftains.

    Nevertheless, the air in the meeting place was tense.

    The Sgonu Alliance had often clashed violently with the Okaha tribe, making them a clear ''enemy.''

    ��Hmm. It seems my visit is not welcome.��

    The Sgonu high chieftain looked around the meeting place and sneered.

    ��Don��t tremble in fear! I��m not here to cut off your heads! Haha!��

    ��What the hell is he saying!��

    ��Hey! Let��s take our axes and go outside!��

    Despite the rough words flying from all directions, the Sgonu high chieftain remained unperturbed. He was a man with incredible nerve.

    ��Silence!��

    The Okaha high chieftain shouted.

    Even though the high chieftain was often viewed dismissively, no one was stupid enough to badmouth their team leader in front of an enemy.

    ��The failure of the Great Hunt is not a matter of the north or south.��

    ��...��

    ��Shaman Pyra. Report what happened on the holy mountain.��

    Pyra once again explained what had happened on the holy mountain.

    Shamans were attacked and killed by Grendels.

    The same Grendels that attacked Ian��s party.

    And the discovery of the enormous frozen Yagon grave.

    ��Is that true?��

    The Sgonu high chieftain asked in disbelief.

    ��There��s a limit to absurdity. The Mountain King attacked shamans? Fine. But that he killed a large number of Yagons?��

    The Mountain King was a herbivore. He had no reason to massacre animals he wouldn��t eat.

    And he had maintained a peaceful and wise relationship with humans until now. Why would he suddenly engage in such warlike behavior?

    Had he suddenly become a tyrant?

    ��Whether you believe it or not, high chieftain, I am simply telling you what I saw.��

    ��Hmph. A shaman who chews on strange mushrooms ��saw it himself��...��

    Unable to bear the Sgonu high chieftain��s mockery, Ian spoke up.

    ��If you don��t believe the report, why are you here?��

    ��What? Who are you?��

    ��I am someone who accompanied them to the holy mountain.��

    The Sgonu high chieftain soon received a report that Ian was a wizard from the Empire.

    ��A rookie who knows nothing about the north, bragging about one trip to the holy mountain?��

    Ian shrugged and took out his Arcana deck.

    ��Oops. My hand slipped.��

    ��...��

    ��I almost dropped this precious gift from Hrundal~��

    Some chieftains laughed.

    Because the Sgonu high chieftain''s expression had twisted.

    ��You scoundrel! Just because you have a shaman��s item in your hand, you think you��re a shaman?��

    Ian looked the Sgonu high chieftain straight in the eye and said.

    ��Of course. Hrundal bestowed the mysteries upon me, and I know how to wield them. If that��s not a shaman, what is?��

    ��...��

    ��Compared to the other shamans here, my skills may be insignificant. But does that mean a rookie shaman is not a shaman?��

    As Ian shouted, the guest shamans nodded.

    Hrundal had bestowed Arcana cards. Denying Ian''s shaman status would mean denying the very identity of shamans.

    If the god acknowledged him, what could humans say?

    Riding the momentum, Ian continued.

    ��I dare to say, the answer is already clear.��

    ��What?��

    ��Suspicious things happened in the Mountain King��s territory, and the Mountain King refused to communicate. What should we do next? We need to get answers directly from the Mountain King!��

    Exactly.

    Ian boldly suggested a physical conversation.

    If they confronted the Mountain King directly and questioned him about this incident, they would surely get answers.

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��I apologize for interrupting the meeting.��

    It was a member of the Sgonu tribe.

    He bowed to the Okaha high chieftain and then whispered something to the Sgonu high chieftain.

    The Sgonu high chieftain nodded with a stern expression.

    ��It seems that arrogant wizard was telling the truth.��

    ��What is it, high chieftain?��

    ��Our warriors found the frozen corpses of Yagons deep in the holy mountain.��

    The Sgonu coalition had also dispatched an investigation team as soon as they heard the news from the holy mountain.

    They discovered Yagon corpses in a different location from the one Ian had identified.

    ��The Mountain King intends to wipe out the Yagons.��

    Darkness fell over everyone��s faces.

    The northerners hunted Yagons extensively, but they did so moderately to ensure they could hunt again the following year.

    ��This cannot be overlooked!��

    The northerners growled fiercely.

    There was no need to specify whose opinion it was.

    All the northerners were furious.

    ��We don��t know why the Mountain King targeted the Yagons. But if we let this go, we will all suffer!��

    The Okaha high chieftain shouted.

    Ragnar, Helga, and even Shaman Pyra clenched their fists and shouted in agreement.

    ��Gather the warriors! We will directly question the Mountain King about the truth of this incident!��

    ��Waaaah!��

    Amid the heated atmosphere of the meeting.

    Ian quietly focused his gaze.

    The northern god Hrundal had told Ian to come to his dwelling.

    Although Ian was not a space-time wizard, he could glimpse the future indirectly through the Arcana cards.

    The Mountain King''s palace.

    Ian felt a fateful pull from that place.

    ��I will come soon, Hrundal.��

    Ian left the meeting hall with the warriors.

    ---

    ---

    Okaha and Sgonu.

    The two tribal high chieftains naturally suggested an alliance.

    From now on, the northerners had to confront the Mountain King.

    But as indicated by his title "King," the Mountain King was not an easy opponent.

    They had to fight in treacherous mountains, and the outcome was uncertain.

    In this situation, having as many comrades willing to fight and die in their place was beneficial.

    ��We are heading out!��

    ��To the Ice Palace!��

    Ian quietly marveled at the gathered northern warriors.

    Wow... how many are there?

    According to what Pyra told him, 1,000 warriors had been conscripted from each coalition.

    With 1,000 warriors, they could devastate a barony or a county.

    And with 2,000 warriors from both Okaha and Sgonu combined.

    It was almost as if the barbarian army was stronger than a civilized army.

    ... One might think so, but in reality, these 1,000 warriors were just a collection of people hastily rounded up.

    They gathered all the idlers who had failed in hunting and were just lying around at home.

    It might not seem like a reliable force, but the northerners insisted, "Every northern man is a warrior!"

    So, 1,000 warriors it was.

    Despite everything, 2,000 people was an overwhelmingly large number.

    ��Mountain King! Come out, Mountain King!��

    Ian ascended the holy mountain once again with the northerners.

    This ascent was much easier compared to the last time.

    They had an overwhelming number of warriors with them!

    ��Screech!��

    As the human army appeared, the Mountain King��s army responded.

    A horde of red-eyed Grendels attacked the human army.

    Each Grendel was physically superior to an average human.

    They were armed with primitive wooden clubs with roots still attached as they charged into battle.

    ��Oh Hrundal!��

    ��To the Ice Palace!��

    The northerners shouted barbaric battle cries and clashed with the Grendels.

    The Grendels had the advantage in simple one-on-one fights, but the northerners had overwhelming numbers.

    The Grendels were outnumbered!

    ��Haha! The Mountain King isn''t such a big deal...��

    The northerners watched the wizard chanting in the middle of the magic circle with wide eyes.

    Something... something was happening!

    ��Ira �C Ictus!��

    Boom!

    With Ian��s thunderous incantation, a massive lightning bolt struck down from the sky, hitting the ground with immense force!

    The lightning struck the Lindwurm directly.

    The Lindwurm died on the spot without even a proper scream.

    Thud!

    The smell of seared meat filled the air.

    The warriors, who witnessed the overwhelming sight of the lightning strike, stood frozen like statues.

    Then Ian, catching his breath, shouted.

    ��Hrundal is watching over the battlefield!��

    ��!��

    ��We will be victorious!��

    Inspired by Ian''s fervent cry, the northerners raised their bloodstained weapons.

    The barbarian warriors shouted at the top of their lungs.

    ��Ooooooh!��

    ��Hrundal is watching us!��

    ��The Ice Palace awaits us!��

    The northerners, their morale soaring, charged at the Grendels like berserkers.

    The Grendels were bewildered.

    Their avalanche attempt had failed.

    The Lindwurm they brought was struck down by lightning.

    What could their foot soldiers do now?

    ... Useless. Just bring us popcorn, Grendel!

    ��Screeeee!��

    The Grendels started to flee in panic.

    The fierce warriors chased them, but pursuing them was not easy.

    However, that hardly mattered.

    The objective was clear.

    The Mountain King��s palace, deep in the holy mountain.

    ��Warriors! Advance!��

    ��Oooooh!��

    ---

    ---

    Ian checked the status window that popped up before him.

    [Great Skill: Lightning Strike]

    [A skill that captures free-roaming lightning and hurls it to the ground. It��s not easy to succeed, but a well-aimed lightning bolt can destroy any object!]

    [You have conversed with the mystery of lightning for the first time.]

    [Your understanding of the atmosphere has increased significantly!]

    [Your Great Skill ability has improved!]

    [Level Up!]

    [Skill: Great Skill �C Lv 4]

    [You are an excellent practitioner of great skills.]

    ��Was I... lucky?��

    Ian tilted his head but concluded that he was indeed lucky.

    This was a high mountain, a place ideal for handling the mysteries of the wind.

    The fact that the mystery of lightning responded to Ian��s call wasn��t mere coincidence.

    He used a magic circle and offered topaz as a sacrifice.

    If the spell had failed, it would have been considered unlucky.

    The variable was Ian possibly being overwhelmed by the lightning��s mystery, but...

    His body, strengthened by the elixir, endured the encounter with the powerful mystery without issue.

    Having summoned lightning and roasted a monster, Ian immediately began his wizardly actions.

    Which meant he started talking.

    Wow! Long live Hrundal!

    Whether northerners or imperial citizens, they all had a strong affinity for their gods.

    Hearing that a god was with them on the battlefield naturally boosted the soldiers'' morale.

    The already fierce northerners, further encouraged by Ian, easily overpowered the Grendels.

    Adjusting his scarf, Ian looked toward the giant cave.

    The ruler of the holy mountain, the Mountain King.

    The Mountain King hadn��t shown himself even as the Grendels were being defeated.

    Perhaps, from that point on, the Mountain King''s defeat was already sealed.

    [Ian.]

    The phoenix, Winnie, chirped.

    [��He�� wants to meet the Mountain King.]

    Ian nodded.

    That cave was the Mountain King��s palace.

    Ian prepared to enter the cave.

    There were many things he needed to ask the Mountain King.

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    The northern warriors surrounded the Mountain King��s palace.

    It was certain that the Mountain King was inside.

    But even with armed intruders right at his doorstep, the Mountain King did not show his face.

    At this point, one could feel his stubbornness.

    One might wonder if the Mountain King was a reincarnated modern human who would rather choose to die than apologize.

    He had too much pride to apologize to humans.

    He would rather die than say he was sorry!

    ...Surely, that couldn��t be the case.

    ��Ian.��

    ��What��s happening?��

    A while ago.

    After surrounding the Mountain King��s palace, the shamans insisted on being the first to meet him.

    The high chieftains readily agreed.

    Diplomacy with the Mountain King had always been the shamans'' responsibility.

    Moreover, the Mountain King was a beast.

    Even if the high chieftain spoke, they wouldn��t understand each other.

    So, the advance party of shamans entered the Mountain King��s palace first.

    As a foreigner, Ian was part of the rear party.

    So he waited for his turn to enter.

    ��I... can��t believe it. The Mountain King attacked the shamans.��Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com

    ��??? Why can��t you believe it?��

    Ian couldn��t understand Pyra��s confusion.

    Given that they had been fighting, wasn��t it understandable that the Mountain King would kill the shamans?

    ��Because everything is already over! What would he gain from resisting now?��

    But Pyra��s confusion was reasonable.

    The Mountain King and the northerners weren��t mortal enemies.

    They weren��t at odds to the point of dragging each other to hell.

    Although they came armed, the northerners still respected the Mountain King.

    They expected peaceful negotiations...

    Surprisingly, the Mountain King killed the shamans who came to negotiate.

    This had clear implications.

    Either the Mountain King had decided to fight to the death.

    Or, he had simply gone mad.

    Pyra openly suspected the latter.

    ��The Mountain King must have gone mad.��

    A subtle rage flickered in Pyra��s eyes.

    There is a certain ��etiquette�� even in war.

    Even when trying to kill each other, there are rules to follow.

    It sounds ridiculous at first��fighting to the death, yet talking about manners?

    But only the soldiers die in war.

    The nobles, the people, the merchants...

    And many others entangled in interests.

    They don��t die on the battlefield.

    They need to think about life after the war.

    That��s why there are rules in war.

    Since the Mountain King broke the rules, the angry northerners would slaughter the beasts of the holy mountain.

    The Mountain King brought this upon himself.

    [Ian. I want to hear what the Mountain King has to say.]

    The phoenix, Winnie, chirped.

    ��Is that your wish? Or is it your soul��s wish?��

    [Both. I wish for it too, Ian.]

    ��... Okay. Let��s go talk to him.��

    [Thank you, Dad.]

    Ian headed towards the cave entrance to enter the Mountain King��s palace.

    The closer he got, the more he heard incomprehensible northern curses.

    They were roughly cursing out the Mountain King.

    ��High Chieftain. I��d like to meet the Mountain King next.��

    ��Hm?��

    Looking around, Ian saw injured warriors lying around, groaning in pain.

    Their injuries were so gruesome that missing limbs seemed minor in comparison.

    Many warriors were practically displaying their entrails.

    Ian frowned and turned his head away.

    ��You said you were a wizard. Meeting the Mountain King now is not wise.��

    ��Well. It looks that way.��

    When Ian agreed, the high chieftain frowned.

    ��If you go in now, you might end up meeting Hrundal in the Ice Palace. Or since you believe in the Sky God, you might end up in ��Heaven.����

    The high chieftain spoke in a polite yet ominous manner.

    Icicles hanging from the ceiling resembled chandeliers, and the cracks in the walls formed fractal patterns like snowflakes.

    ��Quite a nice place to live,�� Belenka commented, summing up the cave��s atmosphere in a single sentence.

    Ian thought of a giant lizard living in a cave, specifically Longtail, the lucky drake who owned a well-decorated home thanks to Ian.

    He didn��t even take out a loan, so he didn��t have to worry about a real estate downturn...

    Anyway.

    Judging by the cave, the Mountain King had been living well up until now.

    So why did he massacre the Yagons and antagonize humans?

    [Humans have entered again...!]

    At that moment, Ian heard a low, rumbling animal sound.

    Ian immediately knew it was the Mountain King��s voice.

    Thump! Thump!

    A massive body emerged from the darkness.

    It was likely the same strike that had annihilated the shamans.

    The Mountain King, a Behemoth, attacked with sheer force, using its massive body to push forward!

    The creature��s weight alone made it a formidable threat that no human could imitate.

    If caught beneath it, one would be crushed into human jerky!

    ��Belenka! To the left!��

    Ian shouted as he grabbed Kira and threw himself to the right, pushing Pyra out of the way as a bonus.

    ��Kira! Are you okay?��

    ��... Yes, I��m fine.��

    Kira replied shyly.

    He saw that Belenka and Takarion had also managed to avoid the attack.

    Belenka immediately prepared for battle.

    ��Wait!��

    Ian shouted loudly, calming his companions.

    ��Something is wrong.��

    The Behemoth had missed its target and collided with the wall.

    Ian carefully observed the Behemoth''s body.

    Even in the dark cave, Ian��s excellent dark magic allowed him to see as clearly as if it were daylight.

    ��Is that... a wound?��

    And Ian saw it clearly.

    The Behemoth''s massive body had several long, gruesome scars on its back.

    These were not ordinary wounds.

    They were blackened, festering, and crawling with insects.

    [This is my home! Get out! Humans!]

    Roar!

    The Behemoth roared loudly.

    Icicles shattered and fell from the ceiling, and cracks spread across the ice walls.

    ��Ian! The Mountain King is not in a state to talk, we must...��

    Pyra started to shout but then stopped.

    The shaman��s Arcana magic lacked the ability to communicate with such a crazed being. It was too indirect.

    But the Empire��s [magic] was different.

    It was a unique magic created by the great wizard Maronius.

    ��[Mountain King!]��

    Ian shouted in Maronius��s tongue.

    [... You. Did you call me?]

    The Behemoth responded hesitantly to Ian''s will.

    Pyra was genuinely shocked to witness magic so different from Arcana magic before his eyes.

    He already knew Ian��s magic was peculiar, but to think it could work on the Mountain King!

    ��[Yes, I called you.]��

    The Behemoth was equally surprised.

    It was astonishing that he could understand the other��s will, and even more so that the other understood him and responded!

    Such a clear conversation was impossible even among his own kind.

    [Amazing. Truly amazing.]

    The Behemoth, forgetting its previous rage, began to speak with Ian as if entranced.

    Ian sighed in relief.

    If the Behemoth had been as malevolent as a Manticore, he would have had to flee immediately.

    But after speaking with him, Ian could tell.

    As the shamans had said, the Behemoth was indeed a gentle and wise spirit.

    Ignoring the slight throbbing headache he felt, Ian continued speaking.

    ��[I am a wizard from across the sea.]��

    First and foremost, Ian wanted to emphasize that, unlike the northerners, he had no personal feelings toward the Mountain King.

    The reason was simple: the Mountain King seemed extremely unstable.

    ��[I noticed the wounds on your back. Are you alright?]��

    [...]

    The Mountain King fell silent at Ian''s question.

    Ian''s uneasy feeling was confirmed.

    The Mountain King was highly reluctant to talk about his wounds.

    [I... I...]

    The Mountain King mumbled.

    [I will be fine... I��m sure I��ll be fine...]

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    The Mountain King muttered "I''ll be fine" like someone under a spell.

    Ian sensed the hidden anxiety behind his voice.

    The Mountain King knew he wasn��t well. He kept repeating that he��d be fine, as if trying to convince himself.

    ��... What��s that?��

    Ian noticed a sinister energy swirling around the Mountain King.

    At first, he thought it was the life force leaking from the Mountain King��s body.

    But upon closer inspection, it resembled ghosts.

    ��Damn it����

    Ian was horrified.

    The ghosts were bound with rusty chains, forced to circle around the Mountain King.

    The sight was eerie and disturbing.

    Ian quickly understood the nature of these ghosts.

    They were��

    ��[Did you... eat the Yagons?]��

    The Mountain King remained silent.

    Ian had guessed correctly.

    Despite being a herbivore, the Mountain King had forcibly consumed the Yagons!

    He did it to trap their life force within his body!

    Ian finally understood everything.

    The Mountain King had sustained severe injuries for some reason and ate meat to heal himself.

    This was the same principle northerners used to create health potions.

    The idea was that consuming the life force of a beast like the Yagon would grant him that energy.

    Behemoth, as a creature of mystery, could absorb life force far more efficiently than humans.

    [You did something foolish.]

    Winnie chirped.

    [Mountain King, your wounds cannot be healed by drawing the life force of lower creatures.]

    Ian knew Winnie was right. If it were a regular wound, eating a few Yagons would have healed it by now.

    But look at Behemoth��s condition.

    Despite consuming enough Yagons to fill a valley with corpses, he still bore those foul, festering wounds.

    He must have realized long ago that the principle of ''like cures like'' was worthless.

    Facts have a way of infuriating people.

    Winnie stated a fact, and Behemoth was irked by it.

    [Shut up! Immortal one!]

    Rumble!

    The cave echoed with Behemoth��s angry roar.

    Belenka hurriedly drew her sword again.

    But Ian calmed her down.

    [What do you know! What do you know about living with a physical body! How dare you speak about it when you��ve abandoned your flesh!]

    ��[Mountain King! Please calm down!]��

    Ian quickly pushed Winnie forward.

    ��[She��s young and made a mistake! Look, see?]��

    [... An undying phoenix that hasn��t abandoned its body. What is this?]

    Behemoth had assumed Winnie was a disembodied spirit.

    But the phoenix had not yet discarded its flesh.

    Ian whispered urgently.

    ��Apologize, Winnie.��

    [I spoke out of turn. I apologize, Mountain King. But...]

    Ian smacked Winnie on the head.

    There is no such thing as an apology that includes a ��but.��

    If someone insists otherwise, they��re trying to gaslight you.

    [... I��m sorry.]

    When Winnie apologized, the Mountain King calmed down.

    Before he could get angry again, Ian quickly asked another question.

    ��[How did you get those wounds?]��

    [...]

    The Mountain King trembled as if restraining his anger.

    But then, with a deep, sigh-like voice, he spoke.

    [A beast with black wings... invaded my territory.]

    ��[A beast with black wings?]��

    The Mountain King spoke with trembling eyes.

    [Draca.]

    And his forepaw shook.

    As if even pronouncing the name terrified him.

    [The creature you humans call a ��dragon��...]

    Ian barely suppressed the curses rising in his throat.

    ��Damn it...��

    A dragon? Did the Behemoth just say a dragon?

    Ian recalled the lessons he had learned from Eredith.

    Dragons.

    The epitome of evil.

    In Japanese fantasy worlds, there were demon kings, and in martial arts stories, there were heavenly demons.

    In Western fantasy worlds, there were dragons.

    Like the demon kings and heavenly demons, dragons were ultimate, terrifying beings.

    Dragons were cruel and ruthless.

    Their hobbies included killing creatures and hoarding treasure.

    In terms of bad temper, they were on par with or worse than manticores, and their combat power was incomparable to manticores.

    Eredith had drilled into him, never! Absolutely never!!! to engage a dragon, to the point of annoyance.

    He never expected to hear that name in the holy mountain of northern barbarians.

    [It called itself ��Predius.�� Do you know it?]

    ��[No. This is the first I��ve heard of it.]��

    [... I see.]

    Unable to accept death, thrashing about in desperation.

    But that is the nature of living beings.

    The fear of death is hard to overcome. That��s why those who face it calmly are praised.

    Ian fully understood the Mountain King��s fear.

    He pondered what kind of encouragement he could offer to someone facing death.

    Just go when it��s time?

    Leave the future to the next generation?

    All wrong.

    Living beings fear death because they see it as the end.

    So, for someone tormented by the fear of death...

    You must talk about life after death.

    The afterlife.

    ��Takaryon.��

    And present was an expert on the afterlife.

    Takarion, the monk.

    ��Huh... me?��

    ��Come over here.��

    Takarion approached the Mountain King as Ian instructed.

    ��[Mountain King.]��

    Ian spoke calmly, trying to soothe the Mountain King.

    ��[Do you have a god you believe in?]��

    If he believed in Hrundal, Ian would have had Pyra handle it.

    But the Mountain King shook his head.

    [A god? They have no interest in us.]

    ��[Isn��t it the opposite? Perhaps you have no interest in them?]��

    The Mountain King looked surprised at Ian��s remark.

    [... You��re right. I had no interest in gods. I didn��t need to believe in one to live.]

    Ian smiled and said.

    ��[Humans are the same. Nobles pretend to believe in gods just before they die by donating money. But it��s not something to be criticized. Death is frightening for everyone.]��

    [...]

    ��[Would you consider believing in a god?]��

    [A human god... you mean?]

    ��[Not a human god. A god of this world.]��

    Ian turned to Takarion.

    "Takarion, please perform a sacrament for the Mountain King."

    "???"

    Takarion was immediately taken aback by the request.

    "Perform a sacrament on a wild animal that can''t even talk? That''s impossible!"

    ��Because the Mountain King is an animal? He can speak well and acts like a person...��

    "It''s not that! I''m a monk!"

    "Yes, you are a monk."

    Takarion shouted in frustration.

    "How can a monk perform a sacrament?"

    "Can''t you?"

    "For heaven''s sake, have you ever seen a nun hearing a confession?!"

    Actually, yes. Quite often, in fact, in fiction.

    Ian thought that but quickly understood Takarion''s point. A monk is not a priest.

    A monk is a devoted follower of the faith, not an official of the faith.

    They''re treated as semi-official because of their deep devotion, but strictly speaking, a monk cannot perform sacraments.

    However...

    All human rules are insignificant before God.

    "Then I''ll ask."

    "??? Ask what?"

    "I''ll ask God if you can perform the sacrament."

    "???"

    What kind of nonsense is this?

    Takarion looked at Ian with a bewildered expression, but Ian was already praying earnestly.

    "God of Heaven, can you hear my voice?"

    [Yes, I can hear you.]

    "Takarion wants to guide a lost soul to Heaven. Is that acceptable?"

    [Of course, Ian.]

    As Ian prayed, something miraculous happened.

    A golden halo began to shine around Takarion.

    "Wow!"

    Pyra looked at Takarion in amazement. Was this the magic of the heavens?

    At the same time, Takarion felt extreme tension and excitement, almost fainting from the sensation.

    Was this...

    A miracle?!

    "He, Heaven has answered!"

    For once, Takarion sounded like a proper clergyman.

    "Ian! I''ll do it!"

    "Thank you."

    With his eyes closed, Takarion placed his hands on the Mountain King''s head and began to recite the scriptures.

    [What is he doing?]

    The Mountain King asked Ian.

    Ian smiled gently and answered.

    "[He is praying for your soul to reach Heaven.]"

    [...]

    The Mountain King blinked his large eyes. Warm tears rolled down his cheeks.

    [So... I am dying...]

    "[You are ascending to Heaven.]"

    Some say that religion is a tool created by humans to overcome the fear of death.

    Whether the afterlife truly exists is unknown. It is a matter of faith.

    But if it can save the soul of someone gripped by fear, then religion has fulfilled its role.

    Ian prayed for the Mountain King for a long time.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��How was it, Takarion?��

    Ian asked.

    Takarion shook his head in response.

    That night, the Mountain King passed away.

    Although he chose his own death, it couldn''t be called a suicide.

    His life had already ended when the black dragon attacked. He had been barely holding onto life by absorbing the life force of inferior beasts. He had endured as long as he could and passed away when his time came.

    If Ian hadn''t met him, his end would have been much more painful and miserable.

    [You have guided the soul of a mystical creature to the realm of the Sky God.]

    [The Sky God smiles upon your mercy.]

    [You have gained additional points.]

    Under Takarion��s sacrament, the Mountain King converted to the faith and died as a follower of the Sky God. As a result, he safely reached the Sky God''s realm after death.

    Ian smiled contentedly as he looked at the status window that appeared before him. Skill points were always welcome, given his tendency to dabble in all sorts of magic. He never knew when or where he might need them.

    Ian''s mentor, Eredith, had recognized Ian''s talents and encouraged him to learn a wide range of spells. If Eredith could see Ian now, she would be both proud and bemused.

    Eredith knew Ian was versatile, but who would have thought he''d end up learning northern barbarian shamanic magic?

    In addition to Arcana magic, Ian now handled a variety of other spells. He had become a wizard who wouldn''t be outmatched wherever he went.

    ��Ian, I��ve witnessed something truly incredible,�� Takarion murmured, still high on his religious experience.

    Ian found it hard to relate.

    The appearance of the Sky God in front of Ian was nothing new. In fact, the status window itself was a highly suspicious artifact.

    As a result, Ian wasn��t particularly moved by divine interventions. But Takarion was different.

    He was just an ordinary monk, far removed from miracles. He had never led a life wholly dedicated to God, so he had never expected to hear the divine voice.

    But Takarion had just witnessed the Sky God responding to a mortal''s call. He had seen the divine answer to guide the soul of a mystical creature to heaven!

    The experience of leading the Mountain King to heaven profoundly transformed Takarion��s inner world.

    Witnessing divine mercy extend even to a beast was an awe-inspiring revelation.

    ��Ian,�� Takarion said, his eyes sparkling.

    Ian felt a shiver run down his spine. Those eyes... where had he seen them before?

    Wasn��t it Sir Dehitri of the Santiago Knights who had such a look?

    Ian was unnerved by the sight of the bright-eyed fanatic expression on Takarion��s face.

    ��You know, I��ve lived my life spewing empty lies,�� Takarion began.

    ��What do you mean...?��

    ��I crafted stories, pretending that the ideals I aspired to were real, as if saints had actually experienced them.��

    Takarion blinked slowly.

    ��But reality was far from what I imagined.��

    ��...��

    ��I saw the barbarism of the North, the harshness of the snowy plains, a mystical creature that feared death, and a wizard who could command the arcane.��

    Ian laughed awkwardly.

    Was that last one supposed to be me?

    ��Ian, I want to spread the true word of God to people,�� Takarion declared with determination.

    ��Though the world is full of harshness, divine mercy exists. I want to tell people how this unchanging world can be transformed by that truth, not by lies.��

    ��Haha... you seem really inspired. You can go back to the Empire and start writing immediately.��

    At that moment, Takarion grabbed Ian��s hand tightly.

    "Thanks to you, Ian."

    ��...��

    ��From the moment I arrived in the North until now, every single moment was possible because of you.��

    Takarion spoke with fervor.

    Ian understood that Takarion was deeply moved, but he found it overwhelming. Still, he managed to offer a word of encouragement.

    ��I don��t know much about theology, but I believe you can do it, Takarion.��

    ��Sniff! Ian!��

    Ian started to flee from Takarion, who was now quoting scriptures in his excitement. Despite everything, Ian realized Takarion was still a religious person at heart.

    Anyway, Ian was a bit curious about what kind of book Takarion would end up writing.

    ---

    ---

    ��We have won!��

    ��Hail to the High Chieftain! Blessed be Hrundal!��

    Ian was inwardly impressed.

    Wow... we''re even going to the mountaintop now. How are we getting back down?

    [We��ll wait here.]

    ��Alright.��

    Ian continued alone towards the summit. The cold wind whipped his cheeks, but he didn��t have time to think about the cold. Instead, he listened to the mystical voices surrounding him.

    The open summit, the sea of clouds drifting by, the bright but not warm sun...

    The view from the mountain peak was breathtakingly beautiful.

    Thud.

    Something fell from his pocket. It was an Arcana card that had slipped out of his deck.

    Card 21. The World.

    Ian bent down to pick up the card. At that moment...

    ��... Huh?��

    Everything went pitch black.

    Holding the card, Ian looked around in a daze.

    Sheer cliffs, an endlessly towering ice castle.

    It was a surreal and overwhelming landscape, like something a mad artist on the edge of sanity might paint.

    Ian mumbled to himself.

    ��Ice Palace...��

    The afterlife believed in by the Northerners.

    Ian was certain he was standing before the Ice Palace.

    A voice came from somewhere.

    [You have arrived, servant of the Sunbearer.]

    A barely dressed woman with wings sprouting from her shoulders descended before Ian.

    Ian spoke in the language of Maronius.

    ��[Who are you?]��

    [Oh, as expected, the servant of the Sunbearer does not know me. I am a Valkyrie. I guide the dead to the Ice Palace.]

    The woman, who introduced herself as a Valkyrie, spread her wings wide.

    Ian felt a chill.

    ��Am I... dead?��

    The Ice Palace was an afterlife.

    In principle, only the dead could enter.

    However, just as in old myths and tales, living humans sometimes ventured into the realm of the dead.

    Ian was one such case.

    [You are alive, so you cannot stay long.]

    The Valkyrie extended her hand.

    Ian was led by the Valkyrie, who took him across the sky.

    She placed him in the middle of a cold ice castle and then disappeared.

    Most of the castle''s decorations were paintings.

    There were pictures he recognized from Arcana cards and primitive drawings he had seen in Hrundal''s temple.

    ��You have arrived.��

    Ian shuddered at the voice behind him.

    A woman with long silver hair flowing down to her feet was painting with an expressionless face.

    ��Hmm. This isn''t bad.��

    She murmured as she put down her brush and showed Ian the painting.

    It was a picture of a man.

    Black hair, black eyes. A raven perched on his shoulder, holding a long staff.

    ��... Is that me?��

    Ian was bewildered as he looked at the man in the painting.

    Judging by the expression and the shape of the face, it was indeed Ian...

    But this Ian looked much older than the current one.

    In his 30s? Or maybe 40s?

    ��What is this?��

    Ian asked out of pure curiosity.

    The woman with long silver hair��Hrundal, the Northern god��answered cheerfully.

    ��Of course, it��s you. Ian Eredith Raven.��

    Hrundal stood up from her seat.

    ��Welcome to my palace, wizard.��

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��It��s an honor to meet you.��

    Ian bowed sincerely.

    He felt a slight sense of incongruity.

    The woman before him, except for being as beautiful as a piece of art, seemed entirely ordinary.

    If he said she looked like an ordinary human beauty, would it be blasphemy?

    ��I don''t feel your sincerity, but I accept your greeting.��

    ��Sorry. It��s just that... you seem quite comfortable.��

    ��Comfortable?��

    At Ian��s words, Hrundal''s lips curved into a slight smile. It was a surreal feeling, as if a piece of art had come to life.

    Was this how the protagonist of a museum coming to life felt?

    ��Yes. The other mysteries I��ve encountered were... much more overwhelming to converse with.��

    The mysteries, including Drake Longtail, had drained Ian just by talking to them.

    He was sturdier now that he had taken that elixir.

    Perhaps it was thanks to that elixir that he was able to converse with the goddess?

    ��That��s to be expected,�� Hrundal said with satisfaction.

    ��I created this space to summon you. It��s a space prepared for you, so it��s naturally less burdensome.��

    Hrundal, too, was a divine being.

    Higher beings hesitated to initiate contact, and Hrundal was no different.

    "You have carried the item I bestowed, and reached the holy place."

    Hrundal continued.

    ��I created the space, but you are the one who came here.��

    Ian nodded, understanding her words.

    ��Then, if I possessed an item imbued with the power of the Sky God and reached a holy place of the Sky God...��

    ��You could meet the Sunbearer,�� Hrundal replied nonchalantly, as if it were obvious.

    ��But there wouldn��t be much to gain from that visit, since the Sunbearer hasn��t summoned you.��

    ��That��s true.��

    The reason Ian could visit the Ice Palace was Hrundal''s invitation.

    ��You said you had something for me...��

    Hrundal interrupted Ian.

    ��You are in a hurry, like a mortal. But it has been a long time since a living person visited this place.��

    Snap!

    With a snap of her fingers, the scene changed. They were in a banquet hall. The long table was filled with various foods.

    ��Let��s talk slowly over a meal.��

    Most of the dishes were cooked meats, with wine and other beverages. Ian sat at the table, slightly disappointed. He had hoped for Earth food at a divine banquet, but no such luck.

    ��Can I eat this?��

    ��Of course. Do you think I would serve inedible food?��

    Fortunately, the food was delicious. Hrundal watched Ian eat with pleasure.

    ��How is it? Not to your taste?��

    ��No, it��s just...��

    Ian swallowed and spoke.

    ��There��s a story I know, where if a living person eats the food of the underworld, they can��t return to the living world...��

    ��Oh?��

    Hrundal seemed intrigued by Ian��s story. It was quite fascinating.

    ��It seems like a story told by someone well-versed in the underworld.��

    ��Pardon?��

    ��Haha. Since you��ve eaten the food of the underworld, you can no longer return to the human world, Ian.��

    Ian didn��t quite understand Hrundal''s point.

    ��Whether we believe it or not... Mysteries exist, right?��

    ��Wrong. It''s not because they exist that you believe in them, but because you believe in them that they exist."

    Ian��s mouth fell open. This must be why he fit so well with the Arcana 0 card, [The Fool].

    It was natural for Ian to not understand Hrundal''s words. Most residents of this medieval fantasy world didn��t understand mysteries. They might have heard of them but couldn��t understand or interact with them.

    Imagine someone claiming, ��I believe in ghosts! I even bought a whiteboard to communicate with them!�� Would you think, ��Ah, they believe so strongly that ghosts might exist,�� or would you think, ��Too bad that TV show about Martians got canceled.��

    Most people would think the latter.

    People in this world are no different. Mysteries exist, but they are hard to encounter or understand, making them virtually nonexistent to ordinary people. Since they can''t imagine or interact with them, the average person becomes even more distant from mysteries.

    But Ian was different.

    Seeing the status window, Ian was convinced he had been reincarnated in another world. Naturally, he believed he should have some kind of cheat ability. That''s the rule, right?

    Ian firmly believed that he could handle mysterious powers as if it were natural.

    As a result, he could handle all sorts of random mysteries, enough to surprise even Eredith.

    ��But I use magic through my status window?��

    ��Status window?��

    Ian explained to Hrundal what a status window was. He felt a bit embarrassed while doing so. It��s a concept from game fantasy... Like, have you read The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor?

    Hrundal replied firmly,

    ��I don��t know what that ��status window�� is.��

    ��...��

    ��The Sunbearer wouldn��t know either. The only one who knows about that bizarre phenomenon is you."

    ...Even the god of Heaven''s Faith doesn��t know about it?

    A scene played out in Ian��s mind.

    [Oh, a status window! Lord of the sky! What is this power?]

    [... I don''t know, what is that? It''s scary...]

    It was a comedy skit.

    "I think that ��status window�� was created by you, Ian."

    ��... I created the status window???��

    Hrundal concluded,

    ��[A very sophisticated system of self-suggestion.]��

    That was Ian��s status window.

    Neither Hrundal nor the Sky God knew what the status window was.

    Logically, the only one who could create the status window was...

    Ian, himself.

    ��Why are you so surprised?��

    Hrundal asked, seeing Ian standing in shock.

    ��Human wizards called [Archwizards] or [Lemegeton] used their unique methods to perform magic.��

    Hrundal continued, ��You��re no different.��

    Archwizard Maronius created a magical system with his language. If Maronius could do it, why couldn��t other humans?

    Ian using magic through a ��status window�� was no different.

    ��Of course, the Sunbearer��s blessing is undeniable, but the concept of the ��status window�� was created by you, Ian.��

    ��...��

    Ian��s head spun. He had thought the status window was a perk from being reincarnated in another world. But it turned out he was an incredible mental case experiencing hallucinations...?

    No.

    That was too harsh.

    It was better to say he had such innate magical talent that he could turn his imagination into reality. Ian himself didn��t know it, but he was born with immense magical talent...!

    Seeing Ian standing there, Hrundal smiled, an amusing idea crossing her mind.

    ��I��ll lend you my power. Would you like to use that ��status window�� more precisely?��

    ��Huh... Yes?��

    Ian answered absentmindedly.

    Hrundal took it as a positive response.

    ��Let��s imbue your magic into the Arcana cards I drew.��

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Suddenly, the surroundings had changed.

    Ian found himself standing in the middle of a large workshop.

    As expected, the walls were filled with Hrundal''s paintings.

    ... That goddess seems to have spent all her extra time painting.

    "Alright, Ian. Summon that ��status window�� of yours."

    Ian took a slow, deep breath, focusing his mind.

    ��Status window.��

    A familiar sensation accompanied by the appearance of the status window.

    [Ian Eredith Raven]

    [Magic User]

    [Your skills are quite remarkable. But don''t get arrogant!]

    ��...��

    Ian looked at the status window, lost in thought.

    When he first saw the status window, he thought it was the goddess''s power.

    But...

    It was just his magical talent expressed in the form of a status window...

    ''Hmm...''

    Ian pondered, tilting his head.

    When did he start using the status window properly?

    It was when he first learned the magical language from Eredith.

    Before that, the only message that popped up was [You are nothing]~ a damn harsh message.

    Thinking about it like this made sense.

    If the status window were a gift from the goddess as a reincarnation perk, there was no reason it shouldn''t have worked from the start.

    But Ian''s status window began to function in earnest with the acquisition of magic.

    As Ian��s magical abilities grew, so did the capabilities of the status window.

    "I''ve summoned it... But, Goddess."

    ��Hmm. Just call me Hrundal instead of Goddess.��

    Hrundal awkwardly scratched her cheek.

    ��Goddess sounds a bit... off, doesn��t it?��

    ��...��

    The goddess was quite shy.

    ��Alright. Hrundal. I have a question.��

    ��What is it?��

    ��It��s about my status window. It has an information access and skill point system. Did I create all of that as well?��

    Hrundal answered seriously.

    ��I don��t know.��

    ��... Pardon?��

    ��How would I know the workings of your magic?��

    ��... You don��t know?��

    Wait, isn��t she a goddess?

    Turns out, Hrundal didn��t know everything about human magic systems.

    Magic is like a form of mental activity. If Hrundal understood Ian��s magic, it would mean she had delved into Ian��s mind.

    The gods of this world don��t have the ability to read human thoughts (which is why they sometimes get tricked by humans).

    ��But I can guess the principle.��

    Hrundal said nonchalantly.

    ��You��re borrowing the power of the thoughts that float around the world.��

    ��Thoughts?��

    ��Yes. In the world of mystery, there are fragmented pieces of information. You��re likely connecting with that information unconsciously.��

    Hearing this, Ian felt a slight headache.

    Trying to unravel the workings of the status window itself was the problem.

    He immediately adopted an engineering mindset.

    Hmm. As long as it works, who cares about the principle!

    It works for some unknown reason? Well, maybe the ancestors are helping out!

    Ian didn��t realize, but engineers and coders are like the shamans of the science world.

    They solve most problems by praying fervently to the gods...!

    If it works, it��s best not to mess with it.

    Messing with it might break something...!

    "I''ve summoned the status window. What''s next?"

    "You said you use the status window to perform magic. Explain exactly how you do it."

    Ian nodded.

    "When I come into contact with a new mystery, the status window informs me that I''ve acquired a new skill."

    ��Skill?��

    Ian promptly opened the magic window.

    [Skill List]

    [You have entered seven schools of magic]

    [Air Magic �C Lv 4]

    [The ability to use air magic]

    [Earth Magic �C Lv 2]

    [The ability to use earth magic]

    [Dark magic �C Lv 4]

    [The ability to use dark magic]

    Its effect was simple, creating waves.

    "Hmph. Aren''t you underestimating my power? You could embed a stronger spell," Hrundal said, slightly disappointed.

    After all, if a god was offering a gift, shouldn��t he aim higher?

    Ian quickly explained.

    "It''s just that... the status window..."

    "... I see. Your magic system is trying to accommodate my power."

    Hrundal shrugged.

    "Then I''ll embed my power into another card."

    Ian was almost moved to tears by her generosity.

    This is what a goddess should be like!

    "Goddess! Oh, Hrundal!"

    "I told you not to call me a goddess..."

    "Hrundal, you''re amazing! Beautiful Hrundal!"

    "Hah, hahaha!"

    Ian''s antics, honed through his wizardly experiences, made Hrundal burst out laughing.

    Even though she knew he was a human brought from ��the other side�� by the Sunbearer.

    He was distinctly different from the humans of this world.

    A cheerful person, one might say.

    "Quickly, draw another card."

    "Yes, ma''am!"

    Ian drew another card.

    It was card number 3, The Empress.

    [Fire Magic: Spear of Flames (Lv4)]

    [Launch a spear made of immense flames. The spear will devastate the target area, creating a sea of fire!]

    ��How is it?��

    ��It seems to be working well.��

    ��You don''t sound sure. Let''s test it.��

    With a wave of her hand, Hrundal summoned a monster.

    With a goat''s head, bat wings, and a trident, it looked like a perfect demon.

    Ian calmly held the Arcana card and shouted.

    ��[Spear of Flames!]��

    [Hrundal''s will empowers you...]

    [A blazing spear of fire appears!]

    [You have summoned the Spear of Flames.]

    Without hesitation, Ian threw the flaming spear at the demon.

    ��Keeeek!��

    The demon thrashed in the flames before succumbing to death.

    ''This is...''

    Ian��s [ability to cast magic].

    Combined with Hrundal''s [power to alter fate].

    The result was [manifesting magic].

    This was truly astonishing magic.

    So powerful that it left a striking sense of unease...

    ''This is... a skill...''

    Ian swallowed dryly.

    This was entirely different from the magic created by Maronius.

    It resembled the kind of magic you��d see in games or web novels, used as a [skill].

    Ian might have...

    At this moment, Ian might have developed the first [Skill Card] in this medieval fantasy world...

    ��Oh dear.��

    Hrundal looked at Ian''s card and muttered.

    ��After using its power, it seems it needs time to recharge.��

    When he touched the [High Priestess] card, he felt no trace of magic.

    This [Spear of Flames] skill seemed to have a cooldown.

    Ian honestly shared his recent unease with Hrundal.

    "Hrundal, I was wondering..."

    "What is it now?"

    "The [status window] I use. Could someone else use it too?"

    Hrundal narrowed her eyes and answered.

    "In theory, it''s possible. But how many humans can fully understand the concept of that ''status window''?"

    "..."

    When humanity first invented movies, people in theaters were often startled, thinking the images on screen were real.

    Understanding a novel concept is like that.

    If Ian were to explain the concept of the ''status window'' to people in the medieval world, would they imagine it as a divine entity named ''status window''? Or would they think of it as a mechanical system with holograms?

    Of course, it would be the former.

    Medieval people couldn''t fully understand the ''status window'' as Ian does.

    Therefore, even if Ian tried to teach his unique magic to them, none would be able to master it properly.

    ''... Perhaps.''

    Ian pondered while fiddling with the Arcana card.

    Could the Sky God have foreseen that Ian would create [skill magic] using the [status window]?

    There were more questions Ian needed to ask the Sky God.

    Ian received additional skill cards from Hrundal.

    After the endowment, Hrundal spoke.

    "Now, let''s talk about your magic sword."

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Skill cards were incredibly useful items.

    If scrolls were like feature phones[1], skill cards were like smartphones.

    Just as the widespread use of smartphones revolutionized human life, Ian''s introduction of skill card magic would transform the magic of this medieval fantasy world into something more ''familiar'' to Ian.

    A world where wizards shout "Fireball!" and actually cast a fireball.

    However, even these immensely useful skill cards had limitations.

    First, they couldn''t contain magic beyond Ian''s abilities.

    The outcomes of Maronius or Arcana magic could vary in outcome depending on the state of the mystery or Hrundal''s will.

    But skill cards always produced consistent results, meaning there was no chance of an unexpectedly better outcome.

    Also, to create a skill card, one of Hrundal''s hand-painted Arcana cards was necessary.

    The condition for Hrundal to grant these cards was...

    ��Your experiences and realizations,�� Hrundal said with a smile.

    ��Of course,�� Ian nodded.

    Pyra had hinted at this before. The Arcana cards contained the narrative of one''s life.

    Thus, unless one was a sage who understood all things in the world, it was impossible to fill all twenty-two cards with Hrundal''s hand-painted illustrations.

    Ian currently possessed eight special cards.

    This meant he could only create eight skill cards.

    To increase the number of skill cards... he needed to continue his journey.

    Learning and realizations were the only ways to make a wizard grow.

    ��Now, show me your magic sword.��

    Ian drew the magic sword Anor-lsil as Hrundal commanded.

    The magic sword imbued with the power of the sun and moon did not lose its luster even in the netherworld.

    Hrundal narrowed her eyes and ran her hand over the blade.

    "As expected... what a sinister sword."

    "Sinister?"

    Hrundal handed the sword back to Ian.

    ��It cunningly siphons the power of the Sun. Truly the craft of a sly fae.��

    Ian imagined the Fairy Queen waving from afar...

    Fairies were indeed a race with craftsmanship that could astonish even gods.

    ��I understand the power of the sun. But the sword also contains the power of the moon. Is there a separate deity for that?��

    At Ian''s question, Hrundal closed her eyes for a moment.

    The poor mortal might not be ready to grasp the truth of the world.

    But...

    Fulfilling a seeker��s curiosity is also the role of a god!

    ��Very well, I shall tell you the truth.��

    ��...?��

    ��Mortal, brace yourself for a shock.��

    Ian tensed up.

    How monumental a secret was she about to reveal?

    ��The true master of the moon is... the Sunbearer.��

    ��What?��

    Hrundal sighed at Ian��s bewildered expression.

    Indeed...!

    He was not ready to accept that the sun and moon were powered by the same god!

    ��The ��moon�� you refer to merely reflects the light of the sun...!��

    Hrundal looked at Ian with concern.

    Before the establishment of the Golden Empire��so long ago that even medieval people would call it ''ancient''��people believed that both the sun and moon were imbued with divine spirits.

    A scholar had accidentally discovered that ��the moon is just a rock!��

    At the time, people accused the scholar of blasphemy and attempted to hang him in the town square.

    After all, how could the moon be just a rock?

    It was so sacred! So beautiful!

    Even now, as ancient beliefs evolved into the worship of the Sky God, medieval people still revered the moon.

    But for a god to tell an imperial citizen, who had always believed in the moon''s sanctity, that ��the moon is just a rock��...

    Hrundal couldn''t help but worry.

    Even though Ian was a wizard and might be fine, she was concerned that she might have revealed a secret too great for the young boy to handle.

    However, Ian, who had just learned an immense secret from a god, felt nothing extraordinary.

    He already knew that the moon reflected the sun''s light.

    ��Oh, yes. It''s the same here too.��

    ��???��

    ��I figured as much. It was like that in my previous life too.��

    Hrundal was shocked by Ian''s words.

    He already knew?

    Did that mean the world he came from had already uncovered all the mysteries of the moon?

    ��You lived in a frightening world...��

    ��This world is much scarier,�� Ian said, examining Anor-lsil.

    Ultimately, the fact that he was borrowing the power of the Sunbearer hadn''t changed.

    But now, some black dragon had stolen it.

    For Ian, it meant he might have to just watch and do nothing!

    ��What will you do?��

    ��I��ll have to seize the opportunity if it arises.��

    If the opportunity arises.

    A dragon is not an easy opponent.

    If Ian declared he would take on a dragon, Eredith might fly over and scold him.

    Does he not value his life, thinking he can challenge a dragon?

    So, Ian decided to wait and see.

    If an opportunity arose, he��d aim for the Cloud of Lightning. If not, he��d look for another item containing the power of clouds.

    ��Very well. It��s your decision.��

    Hrundal nodded.

    Ian cautiously spoke up.

    ��So, the power of the sky...��

    ��Ah. That��s actually the main point.��

    ��...��

    So, everything up until now had just been the preamble.

    ��The Sunbearer entrusted me with the power of the sky. But Ian, to receive it, you need to meet a requirement.��

    ��A requirement?��

    Hrundal said,

    ��Yes. Show me a Level 7 magic.��

    ��...?��

    Ian tilted his head in confusion.

    Show a Level 7 magic? What kind of demand was that?

    ��You need to be capable of demonstrating at least Level 7 magic to make a deal with me.��

    ��... This might take some time.��

    Ian decided to play it down.

    Not because he doubted his ability to master Level 7 magic, but because it might give him an advantage in negotiations.

    If he was lucky, she might relax the conditions.

    But Hrundal smiled and replied,

    ��Why do you think I have shared my power with you? Ian, the foundation for your growth has been laid.��

    ��That��s...��

    ��It won��t take long. Go out and become stronger.��

    Ian felt that Hrundal��s smile was somehow cold.

    An ice-cold smile spread across the goddess''s lips.

    ��You can become an incredibly powerful wizard.��

    ---

    ---

    Ian had completed his tasks at the Ice Palace.

    He had learned how to use Arcana Cards as skill cards and succeeded in strengthening Anor-lsil.

    It was about time to return to the Empire.

    He could search for more enhancement materials, increase his magic level, or investigate the whereabouts of the black dragon.

    Whatever the choice, it was up to Ian.

    ��Ah, Ian.��

    Before he left the Ice Palace, Hrundal had one more thing to say.

    ��If your magic sword behaves strangely, don��t be too surprised.��

    ��... Behaves strangely?��

    Ian was now a resident of the fantasy world.

    He no longer got surprised by most fantastic things.

    But how could the sword change to shock him?

    ��Thank you for everything, Goddess.��

    Hrundal almost laughed at being called a goddess but stopped because Ian knelt down.

    ��Yes, young wanderer.��

    Hrundal placed her hand on Ian��s head.

    ��Your soul has run tirelessly to get here. But do not resent your fate too much. Wanderers have their own way of life."

    Ian bowed to Hrundal and turned away.

    A Valkyrie was waiting to take Ian back to the land of the living.

    Guided by the Valkyrie''s hand, Ian left the Ice Palace.

    ��...��

    Ian opened his eyes.

    He was at the peak of the holy mountain.

    ---

    [1. raei: never heard of a feature phone before. Just a normal phone with only the basic features such as calling and texting. Maybe a camera, basic internet etc.]

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 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    Meeting with Hrundal turned out to be quite a time-consuming activity.

    While Ian ate with the goddess, learned magic, and talked with her, he thought at least 8-9 hours must have passed.

    But when he looked around from the mountaintop, nothing had changed from before he left for the Ice Palace.

    Could time have stopped?

    Ian''s guess was only half correct.

    Time in the afterlife is different from time in the present world.

    The time Ian spent in the Ice Palace had no effect on his present self.

    So when Ian went to find Kira, she looked at him with a surprised expression.

    ��What? You''re back already?��

    She asked if he was back, but she was thinking, ��Did he get tired of it and come back?��Alll latest novels at novelhall.com

    It was a natural assumption.

    If someone says they��ll be back soon and really does come back quickly, you''d think things didn��t go well.

    ��Already?��

    Ian confirmed that the de?ja? vu he felt was real.

    Indeed, no time had passed in the present world.

    [Ian. Did you meet her?]

    Winnie chirped.

    The phoenix seemed to assume Ian had met Hrundal.

    ��You knew where the Ice Palace was.��

    [Of course. I''ve lived here a long time.]

    Even with jumbled memories, Winnie used first person without hesitation.

    Ian stood with Kira and Winnie, looking over the snowy mountains.

    The sunlight was dazzling, and the wind was cold.

    [It��s beautiful.]

    Winnie said.

    [If I had died right after I was born, could I have rejoiced at this beauty?]

    ��I don''t think so.��

    [But if that were the case, I wouldn��t have felt regret either.]

    Ian patted Winnie.

    ��Saying that life shouldn��t begin because death is scary is just stupid.��

    No one is born because they wish for life.

    Everyone is irresponsibly thrown into the world.

    Finding meaning within the given time, whether long or short.

    That is life.

    [Thank you for your kindness, Ian. For indulging my foolish whims. And for sharing this final moment...]

    Winnie smiled.

    [Thank you, Ian.]

    A cold chill emanated from Winnie��s body.

    It looked as if she was absorbing the surrounding cold.

    ��Ah...��

    Kira instinctively felt the overflowing mystery and let out a sigh.

    ��Winnie.��

    Kira was the one who had named the phoenix.

    Initially, she was just attracted to the cute creature, but at some point, she began to cherish Winnie.

    ��Ian... What is Winnie saying...?��

    ��She says thank you.��

    Frost began to form at Winnie''s feet and soon covered her entire body.

    In an instant, Winnie was encased in ice.

    She looked as if she had frozen to death.

    But that wasn''t the case.

    This was merely the process of shedding her mortal body and transforming into her true phoenix form.

    [I...]

    Winnie whispered.

    Ian unconsciously touched his cheek. The moisture he thought was snow was actually his tears.

    [I will miss Mom and Dad.]

    A cold wind swept through.

    There was no baby bird, Winnie, there anymore.

    Only an elegant, ice-covered bird, the phoenix, remained, radiating beauty.

    [... It feels strange.]

    As the phoenix spoke its first words, Ian was certain that Winnie��s presence had been erased from this world.

    ��[It��s good to see you again.]��

    ��[I��d appreciate that.]��

    Beside him, Kira wiped away tears. She hadn��t been able to say a word since the farewell began.

    ��I won��t forget you! Winnie!��

    [What did that human say?]

    ��[She said she won��t forget you.]��

    [... That��s a nice sentiment.]

    After saying goodbye to the phoenix, Ian slowly descended the mountain. Kira eventually burst into tears. At first, Ian thought she was crying because Winnie was gone.

    ��It��s okay. We stayed with her until the end, and the phoenix said it would try to remember Winnie...��

    ��No, that��s not it...!��

    Kira said in a tearful voice.

    ��I��m crying because I feel so pathetic...!��

    ��What do you mean?��

    ��I stayed with Winnie until the end, but I couldn��t understand a single word!��

    ��...��

    Ian had nothing to say to that. It was a fact.

    Kira was a half-baked wizard.

    As a con artist, she had used magic without knowing the Maronius language.

    Not every wizard uses the Maronius language.

    Some use Arcana magic like the northern shamans, or some other unique magic they��ve developed. But nothing is as effective as the Maronius language for communicating with the mysterious.

    However, Kira barely knew any Maronius words beyond ��[Flame! Burn!]��.

    This made her feel inadequate and caused her to look up to Ian with admiration and envy.

    If only she had learned magic properly under a real wizard...!

    ��Ian.��

    Kira said, still sniffling.

    ��I��d even take a pay cut if you��d teach me the Maronius language.��

    ��Hmmm...��

    Ian pondered.

    On the road, he had taught Kira a few words of the Maronius language, but only those related to fire magic.

    He thought that was enough. Kira was a talented fire wizard and rarely failed with fire magic. But teaching her more words could provoke mysteries that dislike fire.

    The Maronius language has many words and takes a long time to learn.

    This is why wizards are intelligence-based characters.

    If you haven''t mastered all the letters, it''s better to know only the necessary ones!

    Ian had mastered all the letters under Eredith, whereas Kira knew only the minimum necessary ones.

    The reason Ian didn''t properly teach Kira the Maronius language was because of the risks involved.

    He hadn''t formally taken her as a disciple, so teaching her improperly could lead to serious trouble.

    "Of course... it won''t work, right?"

    Kira lowered her head.

    She thought Ian''s hesitation was due to some authoritative reason, like the traditions of a wizard.

    But that was Kira''s misunderstanding.

    Ian thought that if he were to teach magic, he should do it like Eredith, secluded in the mountains for years, so he could handle any problems that arose.

    "Hmm..."

    Eventually, Ian changed his mind.

    Kira had journeyed with him for a long time and had been a great help.

    He had built trust with her.

    Teaching her the magical language wouldn''t immediately cause problems.

    Ian decided to trust Kira.

    So, he decided to teach her a bit of the magical language.

    "I''m sorry, Ian. I promised not to waste your time. Forget what I just said. It was my selfishness..."

    "No. I''ll teach you."

    "...? Really?!"

    Kira was startled.

    "But there are conditions."

    "Whatever it is, just tell me!"

    "You must study in front of me."

    Kira looked puzzled for a moment.

    Ian explained.

    "First, I''ll teach you the basic characters. Even the basics are still magical language, okay? If you mispronounce them, mysteries could get angry and come after you."

    "..."

    That''s why Eredith had lived and studied with Ian.

    But Ian couldn''t do that for Kira.

    "When we return to the Empire, we''ll start by getting some books."

    "... Okay!"

    But Kira responded energetically.

    Just the fact that Ian would teach her to read made her incredibly happy.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    Many things happened, many, and yet few, things.

    Ian had finished all his business in the north.

    It was time to return to the Empire.

    He met the people who had helped him in the north and said his goodbyes.

    "May Hrundal''s blessing be with you."

    Shaman Pyra.

    He followed Ian all the way to the distant harbor to see him off.

    "It''s great that everything worked out, Ian."

    "Come visit us again!"

    From the Sky Claw tribe, Priest Madagal and Gunnar came out as representatives to see him off.

    Currently, the entire north was busy with the Great Hunt Festival, which was half a season late.

    With the death of the Mountain King, they were gathering the beasts he had hoarded.

    The war clouds that had hung over the north were gone, replaced by the fervor of the hunt.

    Because of this, only those who were free could come to see him off.

    Ian didn''t feel any regret.

    He had learned plenty of magic, secured a magic elixir, and even safely brought back Takarion.

    On the ship heading to the Empire, Ian waved to the northerners.

    "I''ll visit again!"

    "Make stone soup again!"

    "Ask the priest to make it for you. Stay healthy, Priest."

    "See you again, Ian!"

    The ship sailed smoothly on the waves, heading towards the distant, sparkling continent.

    ---

    ---

    "Ian."

    As he headed to Kira''s cabin, someone called out to Ian.

    Belenka, dressed in casual clothes, called him from the bow of the ship.

    At first, Ian was a bit concerned about Belenka wearing women''s clothing.

    Why?

    There''s a cliche? that sailors don''t like women on board.

    They say the ship, being female, would get jealous if another woman came aboard... or so he''d heard.

    Belenka was from the continent and not familiar with the sea.

    He thought she wore women''s clothes because she didn''t know sailor culture...

    ''Belenka, sir? Why Belenka, sir?"

    ''Well, her outfit...''

    ''? What''s wrong with her outfit?''

    Listening to the sailors, they didn''t care at all about a woman being on board.

    Ian was the only one grumbling.

    Movies, dramas, novels. These fraudsters.

    Having a woman on board doesn''t matter at all!

    Actually, the superstition Ian was thinking of was only half true.

    Old sailors indeed disliked having women on board.

    The reason was simple: women always became a source of conflict.

    After the Age of Exploration, when long voyages became possible, the time sailors spent on ships increased rapidly.

    Sometimes, they would be on a ship for months or even years.

    Having a woman in such a confined space for a long time?

    No wonder incidents would happen.

    That''s why the presence of female sailors wasn''t welcomed by sailors.

    But, in this era, ships rarely made long ocean voyages. In fishing villages, female sailors were quite common.

    Besides, Belenka was a passenger, not a sailor.

    There was no reason for the sailors to think it strange.

    Thus, Belenka was enjoying the sea breeze in a dress.

    Her long blonde hair fluttered elegantly.

    She looked like a classic beauty, like an illustration drawn whimsically by an AI.

    "Ian. We''re heading back to the Empire now, right?"

    "Yes."

    "We''ll visit the Blue Key Monastery first."

    Ian nodded.

    As Belenka mentioned, the first place they needed to go was the Blue Key Monastery.

    Only after safely returning Takarion would their mission be complete.

    "Where will you go after the monastery?"

    Belenka was interested in what came next.

    Originally, Ian''s destination was the northern part of the Empire.

    But this time, he had gone too far north.

    It wouldn''t be strange for Ian to head back to the northern part of the Empire again.

    But Ian had long lost the desire to roam the northern Empire.

    The only thing there was the gathering of space-time wizards.

    But those wizards would come looking for Ian when the time was right, so there was no reason to seek them out first.

    He had already discovered the mysteries of the snowy fields in the land of barbarians...

    "Kira, are you ready?"

    "Yes!"

    Kira was brimming with enthusiasm.

    It wasn''t just a metaphor; she was literally scorching the floor...!

    "Kira! Focus!"

    "... Oh!"

    When she came to her senses, the smoke stopped.

    She had almost burned the floor.

    This was the issue with someone naturally gifted in magic like Kira.

    Being so close to mystery, just getting excited could attract its attention.

    ''If she keeps living like this, she''ll end up burning herself to death.''

    Ian shook his head, thinking of Kira''s talent.

    In most cases, magical talent was more of a curse than a blessing.

    Before learning to control the mysteries, one''s life was always at risk.

    Especially with dangerous magic like fire magic, if unlucky, spontaneous human combustion could happen, causing death simply by breathing.

    Ian felt certain.

    Regardless of anything else, Kira needed to learn magic for her survival.

    "Since it''s the first day, how about we start lightly with 50 characters?"

    "50 characters...? Isn''t that too many?"

    "???"

    Ian tilted his head, as if hearing nonsense.

    Oh my, what is she saying?

    Fifty characters are too many? I learned 100 characters a day when I was ten.

    "Fifty characters are too many?"

    "Memorizing all of them... isn''t that a lot?"

    Ian was quietly shocked.

    He didn''t realize it himself, but Ian''s mind had been slightly twisted due to his magical education.

    Studying 100 characters a day?

    That''s just normal, right?

    He had halved the study load for Kira''s sake, yet she thought it was still too much.

    "Memorize 50 characters in the morning, review in the afternoon, practice writing sentences, and review again in the evening before sleeping. That should be perfect."

    Ian muttered mechanically.

    Kira looked at the hint of madness in Ian''s eyes and was horrified.

    What the... Ian! You''re a bit weird!

    Even when Ian usually said strange things, at least he seemed human.

    But when talking about study loads, Ian just seemed crazy!

    Seeing Kira''s shocked face, Ian felt puzzled.

    In his past life, Ian had experienced the insanity of the ''university entrance exams'' and didn''t find Eredith'' education excessive.

    Hey, Korean students study from the moment they wake up until they go to sleep. That''s common sense!

    Ian had ingrained study habits.

    He wasn''t stupid, having gotten into a decent university.

    And with the help of the status window, he managed to breeze through memorization.

    For these complex reasons, Ian became a wizard without much hardship.

    But Kira, knowing none of this, just saw Ian as a monster...

    Ian really was a genius. With a mind that sharp, no wonder he became a wizard!

    "Hmm..."

    Seeing Kira''s dilemma, Ian boldly reduced the amount of material.

    Like exercise, studying should start with an amount one can handle. If one overextends out of sheer enthusiasm, they might lose interest later on due to exhaustion.

    "How about we study just 30 characters?"

    Kira couldn''t help but smile genuinely. No student in the world wouldn''t be happy to have their study load reduced...!

    "Thanks, Ian!"

    Ian nodded.

    "Alright, it would be great to open a book... but since we don''t have one, we''ll skip that."

    Ian wrote the characters directly on a wooden plank with chalk.

    "This is the character for sky, ''Kal.''"

    "This is the character for earth, ''Ham.''"

    "This is the character for world, ''Uno.''"

    Kira watched in a daze as Ian wrote down the characters with ease.

    Ian really had memorized the entire Maronius language...

    Suddenly, Ian, who had mastered such a language, seemed even more impressive.

    But then, Kira snapped back to reality. She had to memorize the entire Maronius language as well. Not just memorizing, but also using it to form sentences and develop enough conversational skill to communicate.

    The process of becoming a wizard was tough. That''s why students at the Imperial Magic Academy were holed up studying for five or even ten years.

    ''...But I''ll do it!''

    Kira was determined. Becoming a wizard had been her long-held dream.

    Learning the Maronius language and being able to converse directly with the phoenix...

    Her late ''father'' would surely be proud.

    "Hey! Kira! The floor is burning again!"

    "Oh! Oh! Sorry!"

    "Haah. Hold on. I''ll just draw a magic circle."

    Ian drew a magic circle around Kira to ward off the fire.

    A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

    Kira steadily took that first step.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    "That''s enough for today."

    Ian clapped his hands, and Kira collapsed onto the bed as if she had fainted.

    The Maronius language is a language of magic.

    Even without directly communicating with mysteries, it had the power to tense one''s nerves and consume concentration.

    Kira, who had just begun learning Maronius, was already feeling mentally exhausted and dizzy from the power in even the basic words.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Uh-huh..."

    Though she said she was fine, her face told a different story.

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    Seriously?

    When I was learning, I used to learn 100 characters a day and still had time for extra lessons from my master.

    If Kira heard this, she would feel wronged.

    Ian, you are a genius!

    Ian would never admit it, but he indeed had an extraordinary magical talent.

    He always insisted he survived because of his status window, but the truth was, it was more because of his innate talent.

    "It''s difficult... but it''s fun." for new novels

    Kira muttered with a weary face.

    Ian smiled.

    Finding study fun was a very positive sign. Interest was a powerful source of motivation.

    "I''m glad you find it fun."

    Ian said, looking at the messy piece of wood.

    Kira had been studying writing on a piece of wood, erasing and rewriting multiple times because they had no paper.

    Ian felt anew the greatness of stationery.

    Not the kind of stationery where you buy colored paper and glue, but the kind that included writing tools and paper.

    Without writing tools, you can''t even study properly!

    It was truly a primitive world that could bring tears to one''s eyes...

    "Let''s stop the lessons for now."

    The ship had already arrived in the empire.

    Ian planned to get a magic book when they reached the big city.

    Magic books weren''t something you could buy just with money. But Ian was a wizard. If he used his master''s name well, he might be able to get at least a basic magic book.

    "Sure!"

    Kira replied so brightly.

    Ian looked at Kira with suspicion.

    Hmm. Why does she seem too happy that we''re pausing the studies?

    Maybe she''s not really interested in studying?

    Ian had already forgotten his own student days, even though it hadn''t been that long since he graduated.

    How happy had he been when Eredith had canceled a class?

    "Should I assign some homework then?"

    When Ian said that, Kira immediately looked sullen.

    "Hiii..."

    The professor said there would be no class today, but instead gave us homework...

    If Kira were a university student, she would have started angrily typing on her school''s community forum by now.

    Ian felt a slight pleasure seeing Kira''s disappointed expression.

    What is this? Is this how professors feel when they give students assignments?!

    Indeed, Ian had become corrupted.

    "Well, it''s all for your benefit!"

    "That''s true..."

    Ian chuckled as he thought about an assignment for Kira.

    A cool breeze blew.

    The weather in the empire was as clear as ever.

    ---

    ---

    When Ian arrived at the Blue Key Monastery,

    he heard a noisy sound from afar.

    "Hmm?"

    As he got closer, he could easily tell they were warriors.

    The combination of a monastery and warriors might seem strange, but it was a common sight in this era.

    Monasteries were places where people refined the teachings of Heaven''s Faith, and it was a perfect place for warriors, whose main job was fighting, to study Heaven''s Faith as a hobby.

    Regardless of the noise,

    the servants following Ian ran quickly and shouted,

    "The distinguished guest has returned!"

    "Distinguished guest?"

    "Who is that?"

    Ian thought the news would have already spread, but surprisingly, the monastery was astonished at Ian''s return.

    Given the undoubtedly medieval, crappy road conditions, it''s no wonder the information got delayed.

    "Ian! Takarion!"

    The abbot of the monastery, Renis, came running out in a hurry.

    With a desperate expression, as if he was about to burst into tears, Renis grabbed Ian''s pant leg.

    "Oh dear! Why have you only just returned now!"

    "...? Why? Did something happen?"

    "Not really! But I was so anxious I felt like I was going to die!"

    The monk, Isilla, shouted.

    "Yes, I did."

    Takarion replied in a quiet and resolute voice.

    ---

    ---

    Ian asked Renis about the warriors.

    So what are those warriors doing here?

    They... were simply vagrants.

    "... Vagrants?"

    "To be precise, vagrants with swords."

    Renis said indifferently.

    Ian, who knew the medieval average all too well, was no longer surprised that vagrants with swords were hanging around the monastery.

    Ah... the average warrior is like that.

    They were righteous men who had heard the news of Takarion''s kidnapping and had gathered from all over the country to rescue him.

    At least, that was their claim.

    But as Renis revealed, they were just vagrants gathered to get free meals.

    They rushed to the monastery claiming to rescue Takarion.

    But it was common sense that the monastery wouldn''t send them all north.

    There were diplomatic issues and safety concerns.

    So naturally, the vagrants stayed at the monastery...

    They ate the free meals the monks provided and occasionally shouted [Rescue Takarion!] for entertainment.

    "Ah. So they''re like civic groups?"

    "Civic... what?"

    "There are people who advertise their usefulness whenever they need funding."

    Renis did not drive away these righteous vagrants.

    If bad news came from the north, he planned to send them as support.

    "I''m so glad you returned safely!"

    Renis''s smile was 100% genuine.

    Ian couldn''t tell if he was happy for the safe return of a fellow monk, or if he was happy that the golden goose, Takarion, would resume writing the gospel.

    It seemed more like the latter...

    Since it was a happy day, he decided not to pry.

    "This is no time to be standing around!"

    Renis shouted excitedly.

    "Open the food storeroom! Today, we''re eating beer and sausages to our heart''s content!"

    "Woohoo!"

    Ian, overjoyed, raised both hands.

    Beer! Sausages!

    Usually, he mocked it as the meal of medieval barbarians, but after eating in the land of real barbarians, this menu looked divine.

    At least it wasn''t rock-hard jerky!

    That evening,

    as Renis had said, the monastery held a group feast.

    The monks, as well as the sword-wielding vagrants, received their share and ate wherever they pleased.

    Ian shook his head as he watched the vagrants scattered everywhere.

    The monastery sure has a lot of money.

    But it''s still a monastery. They even feed those guys.

    It was a useless thought.

    Takarion, having so much to talk about with Monk Isilla, didn''t show his face until dinner was almost over.

    Belenka and Kira were engrossed in girl talk in the dining hall.

    Left alone, Ian wandered the monastery for a while, holding a plate of sausages and a beer.

    Ian thought about grabbing someone to chat with, but quickly realized it would be pointless.

    As an introvert, Ian was comfortable being alone.

    He found a secluded spot.

    He planned to enjoy his meal leisurely...

    "You were here."

    Someone spoke to Ian.

    When Ian saw who it was, he was immediately taken aback.

    "Gerard?"

    The person who had called him was none other than Gerard, the space-time wizard.

    Gerard stood there with a gloomy expression, holding a beer and sausages...

    "It took longer than expected."

    Took longer?

    Ian reflexively asked,

    "Have you been waiting for me?"

    "Yes."

    What kind of foresight is it this time...

    Ian wondered, then paused.

    Gerard''s expression lacked the usual enigmatic look he had when dealing with future predictions.

    So he asked,

    "Is it because of a future prediction?"

    "... No."

    Gerard sighed as he replied,

    "I''ve been waiting because of an errand from the council."

    Ian''s guess was correct.

    Gerard had come to Ian, not because of future foresight, but to run an errand for the Space-Time Wizards Council.

 Chapter 135

    Chapter 135

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    Space-time wizards are the most peculiar wizards in the Empire.

    In the past, during the Golden Empire era.

    They were called "prophets," and they pursued their own businesses without sharing their magical visions.

    Like other wizards, they would attach themselves to nobles, lending their magical powers in exchange for rewards.

    However, unlike ordinary wizards, prophets were not very popular.

    The reason was quite simple...

    The prophecies of prophets rarely came true.

    If a prophet predicted, "It will definitely rain heavily tomorrow!" then,

    The next day, the chance of heavy rain was roughly 50%.

    With such a low accuracy rate, the nobles thought the prophets were either frauds or fools.

    ��It''s sunny, what''s going on?��

    ��Strange? This shouldn''t be happening...��

    Bad-tempered nobles would beat and chase away the prophets, while the kinder ones would smile on the outside but curse the worthlessness of the prophecy behind their backs.

    At the time, the prophets did not understand what was wrong.

    They just thought it was incredibly difficult to read the rapidly changing flow of fate.

    But one day, by chance, a prophet developed a theory...

    ��Wait a minute... Is someone else interfering with my prophecy?��

    Like-minded prophets reviewed this theory and conducted experiments to prove it.

    They agreed to make the same prophecy together.

    The result was astonishing...

    The success rate of their prophecies skyrocketed!

    ��Damn, it''s true!��

    ��... We were interfering with each other''s prophecies.��

    The prophets had an epiphany.Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com

    If space-time wizards simultaneously predicted, "It will rain tomorrow!" and, "It will not rain tomorrow!"

    Then inevitably, the accuracy rate was 50%. One of them had to be wrong.

    But what if the number of prophets increased?

    The success rate of the prophecies would significantly rise.

    ��Instead of this, let''s gather all the other prophets!��

    ��If 100 prophets foresee one event, we will surely be able to know the exact future!��

    The prophets were drawn to form a single group by some inevitable flow.

    That was the Space-Time Wizards Council.

    The information discovered at the Space-Time Wizards Council was truly astonishing.

    They could accurately predict the future of the continent!

    It was the result of numerous prophets foretelling one future without any interference.

    ��... The fall of the Golden Empire! The Empire will soon fall!��

    ��This can''t be... We must inform everyone!��

    The space-time wizards informed the emperor and the nobles of the council''s prophecy.

    The emperor and nobles were startled and put more effort into governing...

    As a result.

    The Golden Empire avoided its downfall.

    ��??? It''s not falling. You frauds!��

    The funny thing was that because the prophecy was revealed, it turned out to be wrong.

    The space-time wizards warned of the Golden Empire''s fall, and the frightened emperor and nobles worked harder than usual.

    As a result, the future changed.

    The empire''s downfall was postponed.

    ��No, it definitely said it would fall...?��

    ��Ugh! You frauds!��

    The problem was with those who believed the prophecy seriously and prepared for the empire''s downfall!

    Some people disposed of all their property, and others voluntarily became vampires.

    But those people got seriously screwed!

    ��This is driving me crazy...��

    ��If we reveal the prophecy, the future changes, making it a false prophecy. If we don''t reveal it, there''s no point in having foreseen it...��

    It was the chronic problem with foreseeing.

    The space-time wizards seriously pondered.

    Was there no way to overcome this paradox?

    As a result of deep contemplation, the space-time wizards agreed to keep their prophecies to themselves.

    If the historical flow was truly significant, they would spread the word to change the future.

    Otherwise, they decided to let events unfold naturally.

    ��... But shouldn''t we change this future?��

    ��Why would you change it?��

    ��It seems better to change it!��

    ��What a fool! Leave that future alone!��

    However, despite their words, the space-time wizards wanted to intervene in both big and small futures.

    They debated over what constituted a ''better future.''

    As a result, the Space-Time Wizards Council became their own exclusive league.

    When Ian spoke sarcastically, Gerard felt wronged.

    ��How could I know such a thing?��

    ��You��re a space-time wizard.��

    ��... A space-time wizard is not God.��

    Ian mumbled, ��How can a space-time wizard not know that?�� which infuriated Gerard.

    Space-time wizards are human too! Human!

    ��This incident happened due to Baron Vincents acting on his own.��

    ��Acting on his own?��

    It meant Inglan wasn��t to blame.

    ��Baron Vincents refused [Calling a Wizard].��

    ��...!��

    Gerard briefly explained.

    University professor Inglan Kate, like Ian, traveled the empire seeking magic and mysteries.

    When Inglan ran out of travel funds, he sought out Baron Vincents.

    Inglan��s reason for visiting Baron Vincents was simple: the baron was a young noble.

    Young nobles, who had just become aristocrats, didn��t know how to treat wizards properly.

    Inglan aimed to exploit that.

    By asserting the wizard��s authority, he hoped to shock the baron into handing over wealth!

    Experienced old nobles knew how to [properly] treat wizards, but young nobles didn��t.

    In short...

    Inglan visited Baron Vincents to take advantage of him!

    ��Now I really don��t want to go.��

    ��You''re honest, Ian.��

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    So, he got into trouble over money? What a consistent person.

    But Ian soon shook his head.

    Gerard had already said Inglan was innocent.

    He wasn��t captured for scheming.

    ��Professor Inglan tried to follow the proper procedure of [Calling a Wizard]. But Baron Vincents captured him and imprisoned him in the tower.��

    ��...��

    Ian thought for a moment.

    There��s no way Baron Vincents could be a mind reader and saw through Inglan��s dark thoughts.

    Even if he did, he should have followed [Calling a Wizard] first.

    [Calling a Wizard] is a courtesy between nobles and wizards.

    The side that doesn''t follow this etiquette inevitably suffers a hit to their reputation.

    But for a noble to refuse [Calling a Wizard] first...

    ��Something''s up.��

    Ian suspected that Baron Vincents had some kind of scheme.

    A scheme sinister enough to endure the wrath of a wizard.

    ... But then he tilted his head.

    ��Is there... something?��

    Given this medieval fantasy world where common sense was practically dead, he was used to outrageous things happening.

    Maybe Baron Vincents was just a dumbass who made a ridiculous mistake?

    He��s a young noble. He might not know much about wizards.

    ��So, Ian. I want you to investigate Baron Vincents�� territory.��

    ��Me?��

    ��I didn��t think you��d be busy. Am I wrong?��

    Gerard said with a blank expression.

    That man. He definitely spied on Ian��s future and came looking for him. What a sneaky space-time wizard.

    ��I��m not sure if I can handle the investigation with my skills. How about finding another wizard?��

    ��Other space-time wizards are already reaching out. I came to you.��

    Ian whistled softly.

    A noble ignored [Calling a Wizard], and already space-time wizards were bustling about, summoning the empire��s wizards.

    With such unity and decisiveness, it''s no wonder nobles couldn��t ignore wizards who lacked their own territories.

    ��I��m not sure how helpful I can be.��

    Ian spoke politely.

    ''I don''t want to do it, can''t you go without me~''

    Gerard��s lips curled into a slight smile.

    When this normally expressionless man forced a smile, he looked less human and more like a vampire.

    ��Then there��s no choice. But Eredith will be disappointed.��

    ��...��

    Damn. Using my teacher. That��s low.

    Ian had somewhat expected this.

    Visiting a noble who refused [Calling a Wizard]...

    This was about protecting the rights of wizards, not about seeking personal gain.

    Ian was a traditional wizard with a famous mentor.

    This wasn��t a situation he could just brush off out of laziness.

    ��No. Damn it, I��ll go.��

    Gerard nodded as if he expected this.

    ��Then, I look forward to good results.��

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��You��ve changed, Takarion.��

    The monk Isilla was alone with Takarion in his room.

    Takarion had changed dramatically compared to before his trip to the North.

    Both his appearance and his inner self were different.

    Perhaps due to his long suffering, his belly had shrunk, and his cheeks had hollowed.

    However, his eyes shone with a vivid inner strength.

    ��A lot has happened.��

    Takarion briefly recalled the past.

    He had been kidnapped by Northerners and dragged around the distant barbarian lands.

    He met Ian when he had given up and was in despair.

    Encouraged by Ian, he had found courage but then fell into despair again over his own pathetic skills.

    Nevertheless, he had not given up and had tried to accomplish something...

    ��In this vast world, I realized how insignificant I am.��

    ��You��ve realized a very important truth.��

    Isilla nodded.

    In this vast world, a single person is insignificant.

    No matter how great you are, someone greater will appear somewhere.

    Even if you are the best in the world, you cannot overcome the flow of nature.

    Always be humble.

    Takarion had been an arrogant young man who knew no humility, but now he was definitely different from before.

    ��... It��s embarrassing to admit, but I wanted to become a noble.��

    It wasn��t entirely unrealistic.

    A noble was someone granted territory by the emperor.

    Even a mere monk like Takarion could, by making a name for himself, be granted a title by the emperor and become a noble.

    Takarion had wanted to compensate for his childhood complexes through success.

    If he could live grandly as a noble, no one could look down on him.

    But the experiences in the North had taught Takarion a lesson.

    ��I am not capable of such things.��

    ��Hmm... Are you saying that sincerely?��

    Takarion nodded.

    He knew one truly incompetent person and one truly competent person.

    Those people were Takarion and Ian.

    ��I don��t have the ability to lead people. Wanting to become a noble or a respected person was just a worthless delusion.��

    A delusion.

    Something Takarion excelled at.

    If the world could be as easily and smoothly navigated as his delusions, he would have no complaints, but unfortunately, reality is not so accommodating.

    Takarion had clearly realized this.

    The people who change the world are those like Ian.

    People who overcome adversity with exceptional talent and achieve what they desire.

    ��You��ve had a hard time.��

    Isilla quietly observed Takarion.

    Just from his words, he seemed like someone who had lost interest in all worldly affairs.

    He seemed like a pitiful person whose spirit had been broken by despair.

    But Isilla knew.

    Takarion��s eyes were not those of a person whose spirit had been broken.

    ��Then how do you plan to live from now on?��

    Takarion spoke slowly.

    ��I don��t have the talent to stand before people. I lack great abilities and can��t offer much help.��

    ��But...��

    ��I have the talent to remember someone��s achievements and write about them.��

    Takarion had clearly realized this.

    He couldn��t become a hero.

    The path of a hero was not one Takarion could walk.

    Instead, he chose the path of a writer.

    ��... I will write a chronicle.��

    ��A chronicle?��

    A chronicler.

    Someone who writes about the life of a particular person.

    Usually, this job is entrusted to a scholar by a noble...

    Takarion was now declaring that he would voluntarily write a chronicle without any commission!

    Isilla understood the significance of this.

    ��Could it be... the chronicle of Ian, the wizard?"

    Takarion answered with a small smile.

    After witnessing Ian��s feats in the North, Takarion made a firm vow.

    That vow was...

    To turn Ian��s story into a book so more people could read it!

    Just as they were about to leave, Renis stopped Ian.

    ��Takarion... Please see Takarion before you go!��

    ��That was my plan.��

    Ian nodded briskly.

    He had intended to say goodbye before departing, and of course, that included seeing Takarion.

    ��Convince Takarion to release his next work!��

    ��Next work?��

    Renis tearfully explained the situation.

    It was pitiful to see an old man almost in tears, but Ian understood and went to find Takarion.

    After all, old men are as delicate as high school girls.

    ��Takarion!��

    ��Aah! Shala! Ian! My brother of the soul!"

    As soon as he saw Ian, Takarion spread his arms wide.

    Having rested well at the monastery, Takarion��s complexion had returned to its usual state.

    ��I heard from Renis. You��re not writing gospel anymore?��

    ��Yes. The gospel... I can��t write it anymore.��

    Ian was taken aback.

    Why? Why wouldn��t he write that amazing light novel?

    ��Because... Ian, I want to write your chronicle!��

    ��What the...��

    ��Let me write your chronicle!��

    Ian coldly brushed off Takarion, who was about to cling to him.

    Though Takarion wasn��t exactly obese, he was still a large man, and it was unsettling to see him lunge like that.

    ��... I really wanted to read it. The gospel��s sequel.��

    Ian was genuinely disappointed.

    What was Takarion��s gospel?

    In this dreary medieval era, lacking in dopamine like sugar, it was the only truly engaging book he had ever read!

    Renis wanted Takarion��s gospel for selfish reasons, but Ian had a slightly different motive for wanting him to continue writing.

    ��If I want to read it... won��t you write it?��

    When Ian spoke, Takarion��s expression changed.

    ��You want to read it? Ian, you? My gospel?��

    ��Yes.��

    When Ian confidently replied, Takarion was momentarily awed.

    He had felt this before, but Ian...

    He had an incredibly deep faith!

    No wonder the heavenly god often answered Ian��s prayers.

    Thinking this, Takarion felt even more ashamed.

    What had he been making such a devout believer read...

    ��If you write the gospel��s sequel, I��ll let you write my chronicle.��

    ��... Really?��

    With Ian asking so earnestly, Takarion couldn��t refuse.

    Alright. Writing the chronicle was important, but Ian wanted the gospel!

    ��Alright. I��ll write the gospel first.��

    Takarion decided to use this gospel as a practice piece to improve his writing skills.

    He would start with the gospel and then move on to writing Ian��s chronicle!

    ��Waaaaa!��

    Renis let out a scream-like cheer from the side.

    And then he blushed.

    It seemed he was aware of how embarrassing he looked...

    ��When the gospel is finished, Ian, I��d like to collect some stories about you.��

    ��Are you planning to follow me around?��

    Takarion shook his head.

    ��No. I still vividly remember being swept away by an avalanche in the Holy Mountain. Someone like me would just be a burden.��

    Ian crossed his arms and pondered.

    Meeting with Takarion again to share stories would be ideal. However, Ian was constantly on the move, and who knew when he��d return to the monastery?

    ��Oh.��

    At that moment, Ian came up with an idea.

    ��Would you consider staying in the Talian territory?��

    ��Talian territory?��

    Takarion tilted his head.

    ��My friend is the lord there. If you stay there, we can talk later.��

    It wasn��t a bad idea.

    Anyway, it was common for clergy to wander as guests across various territories.

    If it was Lucy of Talian, she would treat Takarion well as a guest.

    ��Hmm!��

    Takarion nodded.

    ��Alright! As soon as I finish writing, I��ll head to Talian territory!��

    ��Great. Takarion, let��s meet there again.��

    With the promise of the next publication secured, Ian set off on his journey.

    The next destination was the territory of Baron Vincents, where Inglan was imprisoned.

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ��Fargar... we��ll need to be cautious.��

    Ian packed his belongings and headed southwest.

    Up until now, Ian had been staying and working in the northwestern region of the Empire. After a stop at the Blue Key Monastery near the center, he was now moving southwest.

    The ruler of the northwestern region was Duke Araz.

    And the ruler of the southwestern region, where Ian was now headed, was Duke Fargar.

    Kira muttered as she recalled the name Fargar.

    ��Fargar... where have I heard that name before?��

    Ian briefly recalled an old memory.

    Fargar... Fargar...

    ��Oh.��

    It came back to him.

    Once, when he visited Riverville, Baron Kaltz had told him about the state of the Empire.

    He had mentioned that Duke Fargar and Duke Roxlan did not get along.

    Duke Roxlan was a neighboring ruler to the east of Fargar.

    According to the story, Duke Fargar had his eyes on Duke Roxlan��s land...

    ��I heard before that Duke Fargar is preparing for war.��

    Kira spoke up.

    In the past, she had been a con artist pretending to be a wizard.

    Kira was from the southern part of the Empire (probably).

    An orphan and a wanderer, she had no place to call home, but she had picked up a lot of knowledge from traveling around the Empire.

    Of course, she had once set foot in Duke Fargar��s territory.

    ... She had immediately fled upon hearing rumors that Duke Fargar was preparing for war.

    A fake wizard dragged to a battlefield would only face execution.

    ��Hmm. We need to be careful.��

    Ian thought he especially needed to be cautious.

    There was always a high demand for wizards, but that demand exploded during times of war.

    On the battlefield, wizards displayed god-like prowess.

    They could change the weather, alter the terrain, and even unleash massive fires to burn soldiers.

    A side that didn��t hire wizards would seem incompetent; thus, wizards were crucial in war.

    The value of a wizard was extremely high, but this also meant that nobles might want to conscript them through forceful means.

    When war broke out, nobles often tried to forcibly ��requisition�� wizards.

    A wizard was an individual, and a noble was a person of power, so the story usually ended with the wizard being conscripted.

    Wizards would be extremely displeased, but... what could they do? It was a hundred times better than being executed.

    Even though wizards created things like [Calling a Wizard] to protect each other and exercised the virtue of mutual aid, there would always be blind spots.

    Inevitable sacrifices occurred.

    If Ian was unlucky, he could become one of those sacrifices.

    Of course, if a duke tried to conscript Ian because of a war, other wizards would desperately try to prevent it. That was the virtue of wizards.

    Then the duke would back down, knowing his limits...

    But you could never be certain about human affairs, could you?

    Since anything could happen, it was better to be cautious.

    ��... Araz was a peaceful place.��

    Ian mumbled to himself.

    The northwestern part of the Empire, where Ian had stayed, was relatively peaceful under Duke Araz��s rule.

    Though Ian had even participated in Lucy Talian��s territorial war... still, it was peaceful.

    In this medieval fantasy world, war was a part of everyday life.

    A baronial dispute was like a greeting.

    But a war involving a duke meant, ��Oh, a big battle is brewing somewhere!��

    ��If a war breaks out, the emperor would intervene.��

    Ian muttered to himself and then tilted his head.

    ��But where is the emperor?��

    This place was a Holy ��Empire.��

    The ruler of the country was the emperor.

    However...

    Ian had never heard the damn emperor��s name in his life!

    I mean, he��s the emperor.

    But how can someone from the Empire not know the emperor''s name?

    ��I don��t know either.��

    Kira, being from the streets, knew nothing about the emperor.

    But Belenka knew something.

    ��The knights say that he has moved his palace to Duke Roxlan��s territory.��

    ��... Moved the palace?��

    A king lives in the capital of his country, and moving the capital is often referred to as [relocating the capital].

    Someone unfamiliar with the Holy Empire might assume, "Oh, the emperor moved the capital to Duke Roxlan''s territory."

    That��s only half right.

    ��Well, yes. The imperial palace keeps moving.��

    ��???��

    Ian was momentarily dumbfounded by Belenka��s explanation.

    What, the emperor��s palace is mobile? Like a Ghibli animation?

    Wow! Because it��s a fantasy world, the palace must have legs!

    ��The palace moves? How???��

    Kira reacted the same way as Ian.

    ��... I should buy some gifts if I visit the city.��

    Ian added more items to his shopping list.

    A magic book for Kira. And a gift for Lucy.

    ��Should I get something for Sister Mionia too?��

    Duke Fargar might be stirring up war, but that wasn��t Ian��s problem.

    Surely he wouldn��t start a war with the emperor right next door?

    Sitting on his donkey, Ian looked up at the sky.

    It was reverently blue and clear.

    It seemed to be watching over Ian��s journey.

    ---

    ---

    The journey was smooth.

    But a problem arose around noon.

    ��Damn.��

    It had been clear in the morning.

    But in the afternoon, the weather suddenly turned gloomy, and a downpour began.

    Getting wet wasn��t the issue.

    People aren��t made of sugar. A few drops of rain wouldn��t melt them.

    But the roads in the Empire... were like sugar cookies.

    ��The road��s gone.��

    ��...��

    The path Ian was traveling on wasn��t one laid down by the ancient Golden Empire.

    It was one laid by the proud Holy Empire.

    The ground was just dirt, and sometimes the path would be interrupted by overgrown grass.

    It wasn��t a deliberately made road but a path that had naturally formed from people walking on it, like a local hiking trail.

    It was bad enough that the dirt became muddy.

    But when the stepping stones across the river disappeared, Ian was flabbergasted.

    ��No bridge nearby so we can��t cross the river? How does that make sense?��

    It does.

    That��s the Empire (nod).

    Ian considered stopping the river with magic, but realizing it required a magic circle, he gave up.

    Ian couldn��t stop the river with his level of water magic.

    When it rains, the river naturally flows more vigorously.

    Trying to stop it would undoubtedly annoy the mysteries of the river.

    Since there wasn��t a murderer with a knife chasing him, there was no need for unnecessary requests.

    ��Shall we find a detour?��

    ��Let��s do that.��

    Ian decided to look for another path.

    Fortunately, there was a farmhouse nearby where they could ask for directions.

    ��Ah! There��s a path made of stone! It��s very sturdy!��

    It was undoubtedly a road built by the people of the Golden Empire.

    Ian smiled brightly at the farmer��s words.

    As expected of the Golden Empire!

    They had prepared the roads for their descendants in advance (or not)!

    ��But it might be difficult to use that path.��

    ��Why?��

    The farmer grumbled.

    ��Some strange folks have taken over the area recently and are doing something weird... uh!��

    The farmer quickly covered his mouth.

    He was worried that badmouthing armed thugs might get him in trouble.

    ��Strange folks?��

    ��Well, they seem to be hired by someone important...��

    There was only one type of person that important people would hire.

    Mercenaries.

    ��What do you mean by weird?��

    ��I couldn��t tell even if I saw it! They seem to be searching for something in the river, but they chase everyone away who gets close!��

    Hmm.

    Ian nodded at the farmer��s excellent explanation.

    Strange folks doing strange things...

    There couldn��t be a more perfect description.

    ��Ian, what are we going to do?��

    Belenka and Kira awaited Ian��s decision.

    Ian spoke lightly.

    ��First, let��s go to the bridge.��

    Ian was a wizard.

    He had all sorts of tricks and the authority that came with being a wizard.

    Wouldn��t it be enough to just go and say, ��I��m a wizard,�� and pass through?

    Ian and his party headed toward the bridge.

    ---

    [1. raei: this is a reference to The Bird That Drinks Tears. I have no idea what it has been translated to, but it translates literally to something like ''Heaven''s Domain'' or ''World in the Sky'']

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 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Walter Balzac was a veteran wizard.

    ��It��s pouring.��

    Walter thought as he watched the heavy downpour.

    He had anticipated the rain because he had learned some water magic by watching over someone''s shoulder.

    Walter was born into a wealthy noble family, but his desire for magic led him to abandon his position and venture out into the world.

    Up to this point, he seemed like a model wizard.

    But...

    What drove Walter into the world was not pure curiosity but a sordid desire.

    Walter felt a powerful force in magic and mystery.

    His master, Balzac, was a [demon wizard].

    In his youth, Walter accidentally encountered Balzac offering a villager as a living sacrifice.

    Balzac intended to kill Walter to keep him quiet.

    But Walter��s reaction was unexpected.

    ��Did you just... sacrifice a person?��

    ��What if I did?��

    ��Wow... That��s awesome!��

    ��???��

    Balzac wondered if Walter was too deeply engrossed in his adolescent fantasies.

    After all, it wasn��t normal to think that sacrificing a person to a demon was cool.

    However, Walter was sincere.

    He genuinely thought Balzac��s demon magic was impressive.

    ��Kid, demon magic is an evil magic that only the worst bastards handle.�� Balzac could have kindly explained.

    But he didn��t.

    Instead, he began to lure the naive Walter.

    ��Yeah, it��s amazing, isn��t it? With this demon, you can get rid of anyone who annoys you!��

    ��Even my stepmother?��

    Balzac smiled wickedly.

    This kid shows promise!

    ��Of course!��

    From that day, Walter became Balzac��s disciple.

    Balzac was happy to have a noble as a student, and Walter was happy to learn wicked demonic magic.

    Walter used the demon magic he learned from Balzac to kill his stepmother.

    Demons and magic.

    Wielding these two powerful forces, Walter could kill people effortlessly, even as a teenager.

    Walter was enamored with this power.

    Knights and anyone else couldn��t resist the power of magic!

    ��Yes! This is it! This is the power I wanted!��

    Walter was captivated by the power of magic.

    Thanks to magic, he could get rid of his annoying stepmother and her child.

    Though he had to sacrifice the farmers of his land...

    Walter didn��t care at all.

    What? The cost of magic is a few farmers?

    Wow! That��s practically free!

    Walter was a typical wicked noble who didn��t consider commoners as humans.

    Without hesitation, he sacrificed people to improve his demon magic skills.

    Guilt?

    He didn��t have any.

    I��m super strong! Who would dare criticize me?

    When his father discovered him practicing demon magic, Walter remained calm.

    And indeed, nothing happened.

    The demon he had grown by sacrificing people erased all his father��s knights.

    ��Tch. Forget about inheriting the title.��

    To inherit the title, he needed to record it with a priest.

    But Walter had become such a skilled demon wizard that he couldn��t interact with a priest.

    Walter left his hometown and wandered around the Empire, looking for a place to stay.

    But finding a suitable place wasn��t easy.

    Even in an empire that respected wizards, it was hard to find respect for a demon wizard...

    If people knew someone was friendly with a demon wizard, the priests of Heaven''s Faith would go crazy.

    Is it just the priests?

    The Pope himself would excommunicate you!

    Excommunication wasn��t a special breathing technique that harnessed the power of the sun... it was a form of religious condemnation.

    ��It means, ��I will no longer recognize you as a believer of our faith!����

    Being excommunicated meant losing all religious benefits and being treated as a heretic by everyone around you.

    In the Holy Empire, the home of Heaven''s Faith, excommunication was like social death.

    No matter how powerful a demon wizard was, being excommunicated meant they were no longer worth using.

    ��Are all Imperial citizens idiots?��

    Walter was enraged by the hostility toward demon wizards.

    Demons are so powerful and useful! They would do anything for just a few ignorant sacrifices!

    Anyone who didn��t harness demons was a fool!

    Walter had grown up in luxury and couldn��t tolerate living as a vagrant.

    ��Doesn��t seem like they��re at war.��

    Ian judged.

    They didn��t seem tense enough for a war situation.

    ��Who��s there?!��

    However, those guys were proper mercenaries.

    You could tell just by their voices.

    The difference between someone who has threatened others and someone who hasn��t.

    That guy was clearly the former.

    That made things easier.

    ��I��m Ian, a wizard.��

    ��A wizard?!��

    Oh, a clear reaction.

    As soon as Ian revealed his identity, a commotion erupted among the mercenaries.

    Ignoring them, Ian shouted boldly.

    ��I want to cross the river. I heard you��re blocking the only bridge and causing trouble.��

    ��...��

    ��Is there no one to explain?��

    His smooth speech and piercing gaze were intimidating.

    The mercenaries swallowed dryly as they looked at Ian.

    At a glance, it might seem like a young upstart causing a fuss.

    But Ian exuded something entirely different from just any young person.

    Ian had been through enough experiences as a wizard.

    His tone and gaze alone distinguished him from ordinary people.

    So the mercenaries didn��t respond with immediate hostility.

    ��That��s not for us to decide...��

    ��We��ll fetch the captain!��

    The mercenaries hurried to a makeshift tent.

    To an outsider, it might seem like an overreaction, but it was a wise move.

    Mercenaries were very perceptive!

    Being in a subordinate position to nobles, they often acted based on instinct rather than intellect.

    They read situations with animal-like intuition.

    While waiting for the mercenaries to return, Ian glanced around the campsite.

    ��What is that...?��

    There were certainly a lot of strange items.

    Boxes filled with stones, mining tools, picks...

    It felt like an archaeological dig site.

    ��Well, it��s none of my business.��

    They were doing something peculiar, but it wasn��t Ian��s concern.

    He just needed to cross the bridge safely.

    As he was thinking that...

    [Disgusting...]

    [Revolting...]

    ��...?��

    Ian heard whispers from the mysteries of the plants.

    The grass and trees were disturbed.

    Not just the plants, but the earth and wind, even the raindrops murmured with unease.

    At that moment, Ian smelled the scent of blood wafting from somewhere.

    When Ian turned his head, he saw a man with a pale complexion.

    ��A distinguished guest has arrived. Who might you be?��

    ��...��

    Ian locked eyes with the man for a few seconds.

    The man also stared into Ian''s eyes for a while.

    ... And then, both wizards realized almost simultaneously.

    They had looked into each other��s souls!

    ��Who... are you?��

    As soon as Ian spoke, the wizard Walter shouted.

    ��Chimera! Kill these fools!��

    As if it had been waiting, a monstrous creature sprang out from behind Walter.

    It was a fierce beast that looked like a mix of a wolf and a goat.

    Ian immediately used magic.

    He visualized the form of a skill card in his mind.

    Skill cards could be activated just by picturing them.

    Ian��s unique magic facilitated their activation.

    ��[Freeze!]��

    [Ice Magic: Touch of Frost (Lv 2)]

    [Envelop your hand in cold, rapidly freezing anything you touch. Prolonged use may cause frostbite, so be careful!]

    Ian struck the charging chimera with the Touch of Frost.

    The chimera froze solid and collapsed to the ground, paralyzed.

    Walter glared coldly at Ian.

    A pretty skilled ice wizard...!

    But could mere ice magic stop a demon?

    ��Do you... summon demons?��

    In response to Ian��s question, Walter answered with a mocking laugh.

    ��Heh, heh. Correct, ice wizard.��

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Accidents are called accidents because they happen unexpectedly.

    Neither Walter nor Ian imagined they would encounter a hostile wizard in such a manner.

    After all, Walter was just collecting amber, and Ian was merely passing by.

    If Ian had been an ordinary noble or a common priest, nothing would have happened.

    They wouldn��t have obtained any information from seeing Walter.

    Walter was the kind of guy who, if labeled a ��wicked wizard�� by the Empire��s people, wouldn��t feel any injustice; he was genuinely evil.

    But do bad guys walk around with ��I��m a villain�� written on their foreheads?

    Walter, being of noble birth, had a neat appearance.

    If you didn��t know he practiced demon magic, most would just exchange pleasantries and part peacefully.

    But Ian was different.

    With his keen wizard senses, he detected the malevolent aura surrounding Walter.

    Walter immediately noticed Ian��s suspicious gaze.

    And he attacked without hesitation.

    Naturally, it was to kill Ian and keep him silent.

    For Walter, killing was a routine matter, so he felt no guilt.

    ��Heh... Ice magic, huh? Interesting choice.��

    Walter openly mocked Ian.

    In the Empire, ice wizards were treated like circus performers.

    Wow! Look over there! It��s a ice wizard!

    In summer, they��re useless; in winter, they��re the ones freezing ice on the streets!

    But what do they do with ice in winter? (Seriously, no one knows.)

    Even when treated like this, ice wizards couldn��t say a word in their defense.

    They were just considered unfortunate souls who made a brief mistake in life...

    While Walter belittled Ian, Ian looked at Walter with contempt.

    ��That monster... Did you create it with transmutation?��

    ��Oh ho. You know your stuff?��

    For a rookie wizard, Ian had a good eye.

    Walter slightly raised his evaluation of Ian.

    Conversely, Ian thought of Walter as an even more dreadful wizard.

    Transmutation.

    Literally, magic that alters and distorts forms.

    It��s extremely dangerous and requires exceptional knowledge to handle.

    But Walter had mastered transmutation.

    How did he learn it?

    A great mentor? Insights from the ever-changing forms of nature?

    Neither.

    That bastard was a demon wizard who must have harmed countless people.

    So the answer was simple.

    Human experimentation.

    The experience required to create a chimera through transmutation must have all come from live humans.

    ��Heh heh. I don��t know where you��ve come from, but give up on leaving here alive!��

    Walter shouted, waving his hand.

    ��Crossbows! Fire the crossbows!��

    ��...��

    Ian, tense, prepared a defensive spell immediately.

    But Belenka quickly whispered.

    ��They won��t be able to fire.��

    ��... Why?��

    ��Because it��s raining.��

    Belenka��s judgment was precise.

    The Empire''s crossbows often used glue made from fish, which dissolved in rain or heat.

    A slight mishap could just snap the bowstring.

    Indeed, the mercenaries couldn��t fire their crossbows.

    Walter shouted in frustration.

    ��Can��t you hear my orders?! You idiots!!!��

    ��But, wizard! The weather...!��

    ��He doesn��t seem to care about his subordinates.��

    Ian sharply observed Walter and the mercenaries.

    The mercenaries didn��t appear particularly loyal to Walter. Their relationship seemed contractual, or even less than that.

    Ian decided to sow discord between Walter and the mercenaries.

    ��Who dares to cooperate with an evil demon wizard?!��

    As Ian leveled up as a wizard, his voice projection had definitely improved.

    It might seem funny, but wizards here thrived on their ability to speak forcefully...

    Walter couldn��t finish his demon summoning.

    Ian��s magic had completed and flown too swiftly and perfectly.

    Boom!

    ��A-Aaaaah...!��

    With a blinding flash of flame, Walter��s body ignited like a torch.

    For a few seconds, Walter writhed as a living flame.

    His scream lasted only a moment.

    The fierce flames quickly incinerated his lungs and muscles.

    ��Wow...��

    ��What... is that...��

    A man burned to death before their eyes.

    None of the mercenaries could speak, staring at Walter��s charred corpse.

    A person burned to death in the pouring rain...

    Gulp.

    Someone swallowed dryly.

    So this is... the magic they had only heard of!

    ��I��d better be damn careful...!��

    The sensible mercenaries vowed never to approach Ian.

    They didn��t want to mess with someone who could freeze monsters with his bare hands and throw spears of flame!

    The sensible ones, that is.

    But among them...

    There were also not-so-sensible mercenaries.

    ��W-Wizard!��

    ��Oh, sh*t.��

    ��I��m screwed...!��

    The leader of the Jubal mercenary band, Jubal.

    Traits: Became mentally impaired after a childhood fever.

    ��You, what have you done to our wizard?!��

    Jubal stammered, rushing toward Ian.

    The other mercenaries nearly lost their minds...

    Ian spoke in a low voice.

    ��Are you a demon worshiper?��

    Ian was merely weary, but his cold, steely gaze made the mercenaries tremble with fear.

    They felt another person might burn to death!

    The atmosphere was tense, but Jubal, being simple-minded, didn��t notice.

    He shrugged his shoulders and answered.

    ��Demon worship...? I don��t know about that... But you shouldn��t kill our wizard...��

    ��What do you mean by ��shouldn��t kill��?��

    Jubal started to sniffle, his nose running.

    Seeing a man nearly two meters tall crying made Ian feel awkward too.

    Wait, why is he crying?

    ��Excuse me...��

    One of the mercenaries approached and spoke.

    ��Our leader... well, he��s not all there.��

    ��Did he fall from an apple tree as a child?��

    ��What? No. He got sick, and that��s how he ended up.��

    Ian nodded.

    Many modern people forget, but childhood illnesses were very common before modern medicine.

    Diseases that could be cured with common antibiotics or antipyretics often resulted in permanent disabilities.

    Ian looked up at Jubal for a moment.

    Given his large frame, if his mind had been intact, he might have been a renowned warrior.

    ��Even so, he��s the leader?��

    The mercenary answered with a grin.

    ��Well, if you��re strong, you��re the boss.��

    ��...��

    Hmm. Strangely, that��s hard to argue with...

    "Actually, we��re quite uneasy ourselves."

    The mercenary spoke submissively.

    Commoners had no choice but to be deferential when dealing with a wizard.

    Ian briefly thought of the Rabbit Foot Company people he had traveled with before.

    Having dealt mostly with nobility, the reactions of commoners felt strangely unfamiliar to him now.

    ��What makes you uneasy?��

    ��That wicked wizard showed us a demon. He said, ��Your souls are in my hands, so if you try anything funny, you��ll fall into hell.����

    ��Hmm...?��

    Ian now understood why the giant was crying.

    He''s worried about going to hell...?

 Chapter 140

    Chapter 140

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    "Contemplating a good afterlife as a mere mercenary? How foolish."

    Belenka clicked her tongue disapprovingly, startling the mercenaries.

    Her words were a blunt, harsh truth.

    Mercenaries are those who fight for money.

    Even wandering knights like Belenka could be considered mercenaries in a broad sense.

    Well-armored men-at-arms are mercenaries, as are rural bumpkins barely equipped with a gambeson.

    Since they''d do anything for money, mercenaries were generally of poor quality.

    From the moment you kill for pay, isn''t heaven out of the question?

    Knights created guidelines for killing, calling it "chivalry."

    Protect the weak, don''t raise weapons against women and children, act honorably on the battlefield, and so on...

    Even knights who follow the code of chivalry can''t confidently expect to go to heaven.

    Let alone these mercenaries, indistinguishable from highway robbers?

    It''s not strange for Belenka to think, ''Their conscience must have burst'' while looking at the mercenaries.

    "S-Sir Knight! Our brother is truly a devout believer of Heaven''s Faith! Saying such things will shock him..."

    Belenka''s expression soured, but Ian intervened.

    "Alright. Don''t be too harsh. They don''t know any better."

    "Are you claiming they wielded blind swords, Ian? But swords have no eyes to begin with. That''s why those with sight must wield them."

    Jubal continued sniffling, while the other mercenaries busied themselves comforting their leader.

    Ian decided to move things along.

    "Guide me to the tent the demon wizard was using."

    "Ah! Yes sir!"

    At Ian''s every word, the mercenaries bowed their heads and trembled.

    Ian had already demonstrated his ability to burn people alive.

    That alone made him seem superhuman, and no mercenary wanted to provoke someone like that.

    ''What a headache.''

    Ian shook his head at the mercenaries who had lowered their posture so drastically.

    In truth, Ian had simply wanted to cross the river.

    With no suitable path nearby, he''d chosen this bridge by chance.

    Who could have known it was occupied by a f*cking demon wizard?

    "..."

    A warm presence drew close.

    Somehow, Kira had latched onto Ian''s arm, almost hugging it.

    To the mercenaries, they must look like an affectionate couple.

    Ian wondered why she was acting this way, until his gaze stopped on her lips.

    Kira''s lips had turned pale blue.

    "Are you alright?"

    "... It''s a bit cold."

    That made sense.

    Though the weather was warm, they''d been caught in a continuous downpour.

    But Kira wasn''t just shivering from the cold.

    She was frightened.

    "Ian... was it okay to kill that person?"

    A pointless question. The deed was already done.

    Ian shrugged.

    "That bastard tried to kill me first. He was clearly a demon wizard. No doubt he practiced in wicked ways."

    At Ian''s explanation, Kira''s expression darkened further.

    "... If he was such an evil wizard, won''t his colleagues come seeking revenge?"

    That was a fair point.

    Ian had no idea who that demon wizard really was.

    He could have belonged to some organization. This incident might prompt them to seek vengeance against Ian.

    "Well... if anything happens, I''m sure Gerard will come to warn us."

    At Ian''s words, Kira''s expression brightened a bit.

    "Ah! Yes! That space-time wizard!"

    Gerard was the one who led Kira to her destiny as a fire wizard.

    Since he''s so interested in Ian''s future, he''d likely give some warning if an attack were to happen.

    Space-time wizards are cunning bastards, but convenient at times like these.

    Ian could simply scratch the floor rudely and say "Give me a prophecy~".

    Apparently, Ian''s future is intertwined with the interests of space-time wizards.

    "This way, sir wizard."

    Ian followed the mercenaries'' guidance to inspect demon wizard Walter''s tent.

    "Oh, sh*t."

    The moment he entered, a curse escaped his lips.

    A human skull prominently displayed in the center of the room.

    An exclamation challenge level MAX.

    This was an impossible challenge.

    "Wow! Sans[1]!"

    "???"

    It wasn''t some clay ornament, but a real human skull.

    Ian easily deduced that it was a kind of terminal used for communicating with demons.

    Kira hurriedly pushed Ian away and turned her head.

    He definitely saw how red my face is...

    "A demon''s temptation. Incredible..."

    "What did you see?"

    Ian asked out of genuine curiosity.

    I just heard some bullsh*t about giving a national power-level magic sword.

    Kira must have experienced a different temptation, right?

    "Um. Huh?"

    Kira noticeably flinched and avoided Ian''s gaze.

    Hmm... she''s acting extremely awkward...

    Anyone watching would think she''d been caught watching p*rn.

    "It''s, it''s a secret. I can''t tell you."

    "Really?"

    Kira pressed her lips together and nodded.

    Ian let it be.

    If she''s so reluctant to talk about it, there was no need to forcibly extract the information.

    "In exchange for keeping your secret, promise me one thing."

    "..."

    "Never, ever listen to a demon''s words again."

    At Ian''s serious expression, Kira answered equally seriously.

    "I promise. No matter what happens, I''ll never go near a demon again."

    "Good."

    Ian extended his hand to Kira.

    Kira took Ian''s hand and stood up, looking around.

    "It''s full of strange objects."

    Walter''s tent looked like a typical demon wizard''s quarters.

    Besides the skull, they found a magic book made of human skin and even a necklace of fingers.

    All were wickedly evil items, perfect for hearing a demon''s voice if studied.

    All decided for disposal.

    "Hm?"

    Just then, Ian discovered a ring in a chest.

    The object itself wasn''t an unfamiliar type.

    It was a signet ring.

    "Kira, take a look at this."

    A signet ring is used to leave an authenticating mark in the wax seal of a document.

    People in olden times sealed documents with wax, stamping a specific image as a certification mark to show "I sent this!"

    The history of signet rings is very deep, even used by ancient Egyptians.

    "Have you seen this crest before?"

    Signet rings are mainly used to identify the sender.

    To reveal who sent the document.

    Most signet rings here are made with family or guild crests.

    "Hmm...?"

    Kira tilted her head.

    As a fake wizard, she had memorized noble family crests quite thoroughly.

    She might not know some backwater baron''s crest, but she knew most noble crests.

    "I''m not sure..."

    Ian nodded.

    For now, it''s not a famous noble family''s crest.

    That narrows down the possibilities.

    The likely candidate is that it''s the symbol of the group demon wizard Walter belonged to.

    Ian had even seen this ring''s crest somewhere before.

    Of course, in the lesson of Eredith, a walking Namuwiki[2].

    "This is the symbol of the ancient Heaven''s Faith."

    "Ancient Heaven''s Faith...?"

    Four equilateral triangles drawn inside a circle.

    According to Ian''s memory, it symbolizes the [Golden Rule].

    "[Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.]"

    "W-What?"

    "It''s ancient language. A teaching of the ancient Heaven''s Faith."

    Ian frowned as he looked at the signet ring.

    Why on earth was a symbol of the ancient Heaven''s Faith''s Golden Rule found among a demon wizard''s possessions?

    He couldn''t know right now.

    ''I''ll keep this.''

    Ian pocketed the signet ring.

    ---

    [1. raei: skeleton dude from undertale]

    [2. in case you forgot, this was korean wikipedia]

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 Chapter 141

    Chapter 141

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    "Are you finished with your work?"

    As soon as Ian stepped out of the tent, the mercenaries perked up like meerkats, one by one raising their heads.

    They regarded Ian warily, yet with a hint of curiosity.

    It wasn''t an unfamiliar sight to Ian.

    While magic wasn''t particularly special to him, for ordinary people, it was as miraculous as it was fascinating.

    "Yes. That guy was certainly a vile wizard."

    No sooner had Ian finished speaking than the mercenaries fell to their knees, shouting:

    "We, we have nothing to do with that bastard!"

    "That''s right! He threatened us! He said he''d steal our souls!"

    "We''ve only been mining gemstones this whole time! We haven''t done anything wrong!"

    The mercenaries rushed to deny any connection with the demon wizard.

    It was a wise decision.

    Now that the demon wizard was dead, there was no reason to side with him.

    Ian had no intention of squeezing the mercenaries dry either.

    Even a cornered mouse will bite a cat. These armed mercenaries, if they felt trapped with no way out, would grit their teeth and try to kill Ian.

    If there were no witnesses, there''d be no punishment.

    "I see. I understand."

    "Oh...!"

    As the fearsome wizard lent an ear to their words, the mercenaries'' faces brightened.

    This wizard looks noble, judging by his fine appearance! (He''s not)

    He even listens to the words of lowly folks like us!

    "It seems the demon wizard has amassed quite a bit of evil."

    "Y-Yes! That bastard is a real piece of sh*t!"

    "I knew it at first glance!"

    The mercenaries tore into the demon wizard Walter like a pack of dogs.

    Anyone who didn''t curse the demon wizard here? A revolutionary.

    To avoid being lumped in with the demon wizard, cursing him as a son of a b*tch was an effective method.

    "What''s been happening here until now? Spill everything without a shred of lies."

    When Ian said that, the mercenaries seized the opportunity and began their story.

    It wasn''t a complicated tale.

    The Jubal Mercenary Band consisted of their leader Jubal and his behind-the-scenes supporters...

    "What?"

    As Ian made a dumbfounded expression, the mercenaries brazenly replied.

    "Well, the captain''s a bit dumb, isn''t he? He can''t run a mercenary band alone, so there are people who help him."

    ''That''s not helping, it''s exploiting, you bastards...''

    Simply put, the Jubal Mercenary Band was a group that lived off the combat prowess of their captain, Jubal.

    Jubal might have been slow-witted, but he wasn''t ill-natured.

    If there''s someone strong, obedient, and kind-hearted, why not exploit them?

    Not doing so would be like admitting you''re not a medieval person.

    The mercenaries, true to the medieval average, made Jubal fight while they pocketed the money from behind.

    "Hehe."

    "..."

    Judging by their sheepish grins, they didn''t seem to realize what they were doing wrong.

    In truth, Ian didn''t need to be picky about it.

    This wasn''t a post-apocalyptic world devoid of law and order... it was a medieval fantasy world.

    If anything, it was amazing they didn''t enslave Jubal outright.

    Just taking in and feeding a socially vulnerable fool was something in itself.

    In fact, the mercenaries seemed to take pride in considering themselves Jubal''s protectors.

    "But that demon wizard bastard wiped out all the band''s officers and turned us into slaves."

    "So that''s why you were occupying the bridge?"

    "Yep! We''ve been mining amber here."

    It was quite the nuisance.

    Usually, there were plenty of stepping stones, but on rainy days like today, it was no different from blatantly blocking the road.

    "You''ve managed to avoid the lord''s notice, I see."

    The mercenaries insisted they were just "mining amber~", but...

    A group occupying a perfectly good bridge and being stubborn about it - how were they any different from bandits?

    They were no different from thieves in how they negatively impacted merchants and passersby.

    It wouldn''t be strange for a righteous lord to show up with his knights.

    "Ah, this is a border region, so there''s no lord managing it."

    "..."

    Ian let out a deep sigh at the abysmal state of medieval law enforcement.

    Right. If it''s not my land, why bother managing it?

    Why go through the trouble of bringing soldiers to land that isn''t mine? Let the desperate ones deal with it themselves!

    But if word spread that amber was being mined here, lords would surely appear.

    Nobles have a knack for sniffing out the scent of money.

    ''So he was planning to eat and run.''

    "???"

    The mercenary''s soul was perfectly fine.

    "Um... Mr. wizard."

    Unaware of this fact, the mercenary spoke glumly with an expression like a sad frog.

    "Am... am I going to die now?"

    "...!"

    He said his soul was stolen, but it was actually fine?

    Then there''s only one answer.

    It''s not that a kind-hearted demon returned the souls for the dead Walter''s sake... No!

    They never had their souls stolen in the first place!

    ''This is totally...''

    Ian paused for a moment, dumbfounded.

    It was a method he''d seen many times before.

    Yes.

    The act Ian routinely performed on medieval people.

    It was wizard fraud!

    These poor mercenaries didn''t even know whether the demon wizard had really taken their souls or not.

    Well... they''re just mercenaries after all!

    When a terrifying demon appears and shouts, "I''ll take your souls!", they can only tremble in fear and think, "Oh no! It''s been taken!"

    It kind of made sense.

    He''d wondered how souls could be taken from living bodies. They simply weren''t taken at all.

    "Sob... I want to see my wife''s face back home one last time!"

    The mercenaries seemed to think that having their souls stolen was similar to contracting a fatal disease.

    Since they didn''t know what it meant to be soulless (...), they were just worrying arbitrarily.

    Ian approached Jubal, just in case.

    "Jubal?"

    "... What is it."

    Jubal mumbled in response.

    He looked just like a troll speaking human language.

    ''As expected.''

    Ian checked Jubal''s condition too, but again, there was nothing wrong.

    In other words, the demon wizard Walter had pulled off a massive scam on the Jubal Mercenary Band and then died.

    ''Well, that''s what wizards do.''

    Ian felt a bit awkward about criticizing Walter.

    Wasn''t scamming medieval people Ian''s specialty(?)?

    Ian went around pulling wizard scams too. There was no reason Walter couldn''t do the same.

    "... Are you afraid because you''ve lost your soul?"

    When Ian said that, Jubal''s eyes widened.

    He had given up on his soul.

    But when Ian suddenly mentioned it, he was shocked!

    "M-My soul is already lost, isn''t it?"

    "Well. I wonder?"

    Ian spoke meaningfully.

    Jubal straightened his posture and looked at the young man before him.

    Eyes as calm as a lake. Hair as black as night...

    And an aura of flowing with mystery!

    He was no ordinary wizard!

    "N-No way!"

    Jubal stammered.

    "Can you retrieve my soul?"

    Jubal fell to his knees before Ian and cried out.

    "If you return my soul! I''ll serve you as my benefactor for life!"

    As Jubal made a fuss, other mercenaries began to gather one by one.

    They all wanted the same thing.

    "Oh, Master Wizard!"

    "I want to live and return to my hometown!"

    "Please help us!"

    To recover the souls stolen by the demon wizard!

    Ian sighed deeply and said.

    "Haa... That''s not an easy task..."

    "...!"

    Ian said it wasn''t easy, not that it was impossible.

    That simple difference excited the mercenaries.

    Maybe... they could recover their lost souls!

    "W-What do you need?"

    "We''ll do anything you say! Please help us! Mr. wizard!"

    The mercenaries clung to Ian''s trouser legs.

    Perhaps because of this...

    No one noticed Ian''s strange smile...

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    The poor Jubal mercenary band was scammed by Walter, the demon wizard.

    Wizard Ian immediately understood Walter''s method of deception.

    After all, Ian was a fellow practitioner in this industry.

    Well, it was inevitable.

    How could uneducated mercenaries who had never set foot in a school escape the deliberate illusions of a determined wizard?

    Especially since Walter was a genuine demon wizard who communed with demons.

    From the mercenaries'' perspective, it was impossible to distinguish where the deception ended.

    Fortunately, this logic applied equally to Ian.

    Just as the mercenaries failed to notice Walter''s scam...

    They would be equally oblivious to Ian''s deception!

    After the rain stopped.

    Evening.

    Ian had boxes gathered to form a platform, then climbed atop it and shouted:

    "Mercenaries, listen up!"

    Every single member of the Jubal mercenary band assembled before Ian.

    They had heard he would restore their lost souls.

    "After surveying this area today, I''ve detected evil energies lurking everywhere!"

    "Ooooh...!"

    "As expected of the wizard!"

    "No wonder my sleep was so restless!"

    The mercenaries were instantly captivated by Ian''s speech.

    Ian Eredith Raven.

    Now a professional agitator, this wizard had become adept at mesmerizing the masses with his speeches.

    Enthralling these naive mercenaries was now as easy as eating cold porridge.

    "He certainly has a way with words."

    Belenka and Kira watched Ian''s speech from behind the platform.

    Belenka praised Ian''s ever-improving oratory skills.

    A wizard needs precise pronunciation and a powerful voice, as the language of magic forms the basis of communication with the mystical.

    And with good pronunciation and impressive volume, one naturally becomes persuasive even when addressing ordinary people.

    "He looks really cool like that."

    The problem is when he spouts nonsense in everyday life.

    Even to Belenka, Ian delivering a speech... no, performing wizard-actions on the platform was quite charming.

    "... Ian does look good."

    Belenka glanced at Kira''s reddened ears.

    "Kira. Did something happen in the tent earlier..."

    "N-No!? Nothing happened! We just did some investigating and came out?!"

    "...?"

    Belenka tilted her head.

    Though she typically went around slicing people with her longsword, Belenka possessed the delicate sensibilities of a high school girl.

    Something seems... a bit suspicious?

    Belenka thought so but didn''t press the issue.

    Ian and Kira were wizards, often dealing with realms beyond her understanding.

    There must be some reason she''s unaware of.

    As the two chatted, Ian shouted with an even more impassioned voice.

    "I have discovered the evil demon that was roaming this area! And now! I shall vanquish that demon!"

    "Ooooooh!"

    The mercenaries gazed at Ian with eyes about to burst from anticipation.

    To them, Ian was truly an extraordinary wizard.

    A wizard who incinerated a demon wizard with a spear of flame on a rainy day!

    A wizard who could casually burn people alive now declared he would strike down a demon!

    ''Perhaps...!''

    ''He''ll restore our souls!''

    For the mercenaries who had (supposedly) lost their souls to the wicked demon wizard, Ian was now their only hope.

    "This task is extremely dangerous. However..."

    "However?"

    "If you sincerely wish for it, we can reclaim your souls from the evil demon!"

    At Ian''s gesture, Jubal brought over a box.

    Inside were Walter the demon wizard''s personal effects.

    Items Ian had pre-sorted, all suspected of demonic contamination.

    Leaving such things around risked enthralling magically sensitive individuals like Kira.

    "Light the fire!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Jubal grasped a torch. Burning a demon wizard''s possessions was a terrifying act for medieval people.

    Even in modern times, if you asked, "Who wants to burn a shaman''s belongings?", some would slink away.

    Let alone burning the possessions of a wizard who dealt with real demons!

    But Jubal bravely took up the torch.

    Because Ian had reassured him beforehand that it would be fine.

    Jubal trusted the young wizard''s words like a fool.

    The mercenaries shuddered at Ian''s arcane incantation.

    As Ian chanted the spell, the demon''s massive body began to melt away and disappear!

    "The, the wizard...!"

    "Defeated the demon!"

    The mercenaries couldn''t believe what had transpired before their eyes.

    ''When the wizard shouted, the hidden demon jumped out!''

    ''When he scolded the demon harshly, it threw a tantrum!''

    ''But the wizard didn''t back down, and chased it back to the depths of hell!''

    Some mercenaries fell to their knees.

    It was as if a halo shone behind Ian''s head.

    "Aah...! Heavens! How regrettable that it''s night!"

    "The radiant sun should have witnessed this sight!"

    Ian put away his staff and said solemnly.

    "Fortunately, the demon retreated obediently."

    "...!"

    The mercenaries rushed to prostrate themselves at Ian''s feet.

    Full body kowtow. Or dogeza.

    There was no particular need to bang their heads, but the atmosphere seemed to demand it.

    After all, Ian now embodied a saint straight out of scripture...!

    "I have reclaimed your souls."

    Ian said with a knowing smile.

    "You''ll be fine now."

    "Wi-Wizard, hurrah! Hurrah!"

    The mercenaries were completely enthralled by Ian''s performance.

    No wonder! After demonstrating his insane ability to burn people alive!

    He even drove away a demon with mere words!

    "Thank you... truly thank you...!"

    Jubal, having regained his soul, repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Ian.

    Of course, he didn''t know exactly what a ''soul'' was...

    But he felt good about getting it back anyway!

    The only person uncomfortable with this atmosphere was Kira.

    "Um, Ian."

    Kira secretly called Ian over to ask a question.

    "From what I saw... you just summoned darkness and made it disappear..."

    "Hm?"

    "Those people. Did you really return their souls?"

    "No?"

    For a moment, Kira almost felt disappointed in Ian.

    She thought he might be scamming them by claiming to have driven out a demon without actually returning their souls.

    "They never lost their souls in the first place. How could I return them?"

    "...?"

    "The demon wizard scammed them first."

    Ian explained.

    The demon wizard had deceived and threatened the mercenaries, and Ian had similarly deceived (...) them to relieve their anxiety.

    After hearing the explanation, Kira''s expression became extremely ambiguous.

    What Ian did was good, but...

    ''Isn''t this just like what I used to do...?''

    The former con artist tilted her head.

    Ian said shamelessly:

    "As long as the result is good, it''s fine."

    It wasn''t exactly wrong.

    ---

    ---

    The next day.

    As the sun rose high, the mercenaries'' morale rose with it.

    Being somewhat followers of Heaven''s Faith, they became unnecessarily brave under the sun.

    "I, I have soul. Not going to hell..."

    Jubal grinned as soon as he saw Ian and said.

    Ian patted Jubal''s shoulder without much thought.

    Yeah. I''m glad to see you''re happy.

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say Ian had completely taken over the Jubal mercenary band.

    The key figures who previously led the mercenary band had all been eliminated by Walter the demon wizard.

    All that remained were Jubal and the low-ranking members who worked like dogs under him.

    "Hehe. Wizard..."

    Some of the more influential mercenaries sought out Ian from early morning.

    "About those gems the demon wizard was mining..."

    "Ah. The gems."

    The reason the mercenaries approached Ian was to search for the dead demon wizard''s legacy.

    "We roughly know the way... would you like to go together?"

    It was an offer with absolutely no downsides for Ian.

    "Hmm. Someone explain in detail."

 Chapter 143

    Chapter 143

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Until now, the Jubal mercenary group''s job was mining amber.

    Amber serves as both a material for magic circles and a luxury item when processed into jewelry.

    "But we haven''t received a single penny for our work, have we?"

    The mercenaries whined.

    Their complaints were understandable.

    If the demon wizard Walter needed workers, he could have paid for labor. But he likely took control of the mercenary group to get free manpower.

    So there was no way the Jubal mercenaries had been paid.

    The mercenaries were disgruntled about this fact.

    Now that Walter, who should have paid them, was dead, they decided to take the amber as compensation.

    "Hmm."

    It was only natural to want payment for their work up to this point.

    Whether medieval or modern, overdue wages must be collected.

    "Mr. Wizard, how about... coming along with us? Hehe."

    The mercenaries tried to rope Ian in, hoping to spread out the risk of collecting the amber.

    Ian is a wizard.

    Bringing in high-level talent like a wizard greatly increases the chances of successful collection.

    ''They didn''t consider that I might just take it all for myself.''

    Ian thought this, then shook his head.

    They likely judged that Ian wouldn''t resort to robbery.

    After all, hadn''t Ian just restored their souls(?) without asking for anything in return?

    The mercenaries'' judgment was accurate.

    Ian had no intention of running off with all the amber they had worked hard to mine.

    He planned to do a fair share and receive his portion.

    Ian discussed with his companions.

    "The more money, the better."

    Belenka readily agreed.

    "As long as it doesn''t interfere with our schedule."

    Kira agreed on the condition that it wouldn''t take too long.

    Ian agreed with that point.

    Currently, Ian was on his way to Baron Vincent''s domain to help Inglan. It would be putting the cart before the horse if something happened to Inglan while they wasted time looking for amber.

    "Let''s take a look around, and if we can''t find anything, we''ll just continue on our way."

    "Sounds good."

    After concluding the meeting, Ian rejoined the mercenaries.

    ---

    ---

    Ian headed into the forest where the demon wizard was said to frequent, accompanied by the mercenaries.

    The Jubal mercenary group would mine amber by the river and then hand it over to the demon wizard''s subordinates in the forest.

    "Those subordinates of the demon wizard..."

    One mercenary spoke up dramatically.

    "They''re monsters! Monsters!"

    "What kind of monsters?"

    The mercenary seemed slightly disappointed when Ian maintained a nonchalant expression.

    He had hoped to see the great wizard''s surprised reaction!

    But Ian had traveled too much to be startled by a mere mention of "monsters."

    He had encountered all sorts of monsters, conversed with them, and even befriended some.

    The demon wizard''s minions?

    To Ian, they just seemed like Monster #1 passing by.

    "Well... they''re called kobolds. Have you heard of them?"

    "I have."

    It was a familiar monster.

    Kobolds.

    While they frequently appear in fantasy worlds, they don''t have a standardized appearance like orcs or elves.

    In this medieval fantasy world, kobolds were man-eating monsters with dog heads and child-sized bodies.

    In other words, walking puppies.

    Due to their cute appearance(?), even the medieval locals weren''t particularly afraid of them.

    However, they certainly had the jaw strength to tear into people, child-level intelligence, and a pack mentality that could lead to human casualties.

    "Kobolds, huh..."

    They were suitable minions for a wizard.

    With some intelligence and large numbers, once controlled, they could be put to various uses.

    Even Ian had accomplished many tasks using his flock of birds.

    A wizard commanding kobolds could likely achieve far more.

    "We gathered amber and handed it over to those kobold bastards."

    The mercenary chattered on.

    "The demon wizard must have set up a storehouse nearby!"

    It was a reasonable assumption.

    While kobolds can understand human speech, they''re not smart enough to understand complex orders.

    Their excitement spiked at the mere thought of their master.

    They clearly believed their master would appear heroically to save them!

    "Tch."

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    Too bad for them.

    I eliminated your master.

    "Your master''s not coming anymore."

    "Wh-why?"

    "Because I got rid of him."

    The kobold looked shocked for a moment, but soon barked back angrily.

    "Kang! Liar! You''ll die when Master returns! Human!"

    "I''m telling you, I really eliminated your master."

    "Lies! Lies!"

    The kobolds absolutely refused to believe Ian''s words.

    Should this be called loyalty? Or ignorance?

    Perhaps both.

    "I guess there''s no choice. I didn''t want to resort to this method..."

    As Ian stood up and stretched his hands, everyone''s attention focused on him.

    The wizard has stood up!

    He must be about to use magic to find the storehouse location!

    "Jubal."

    "Yes!"

    "Hang those bastards from a tree."

    At Ian''s command, Jubal grabbed the kobolds without a moment''s hesitation.

    The kobolds were already small, but in the hands of the 2-meter-tall Jubal, they looked like stuffed animals caught in a claw machine.

    "Keeng! Keeng!"

    "Kaang!"

    The kobolds whined pitifully, but Jubal tied them up without batting an eye.

    Ian broke off a tree branch and approached the kobolds.

    And then.

    "Where''s my amber! Koboldski!"

    "Kaaang!"

    He viciously struck the kobold with the branch!

    The kobold howled in pain as Ian wielded the branch like a switch.

    The mercenaries stared blankly at Ian.

    Um... well.

    The wizard is... finding out the storehouse location, but...

    Somehow, the method is a bit...

    It wasn''t quite the kind of "magic" the mercenaries had expected.

    But making information flow freely from the opponent''s mouth...

    In a way, isn''t that also magic?

    The kobold, severely punished by Ian''s mysterious magic (physical), tearfully spilled the information.

    "Deep forest! Inside mossy cave! Beyond pile of bat droppings!"

    "F*ck, explain so I can understand!"

    "Kaaang!"

    As a result of the beating, Ian learned the location of the kobolds'' hidden lair.

    Kira awkwardly scratched her cheek and said:

    "I thought Ian would use a more magical method..."

    "A magical method?"

    "You know, like communicating in the Maronius language..."

    Ian shrugged.

    "Why bother with talking when beating works?"

    "..."

    It was an irritatingly valid point.

    "Besides, these are monsters raised by a demon wizard. No need to mince words with them."

    In the past, Ian had learned a valuable lesson while hunting manticores.

    Communication only works with those who can understand it!

    Rather than wasting time trying to persuade kobolds, it was better to choose a quick and effective method.

    As a result, Ian successfully obtained the information.

    There really was a secret storehouse where the kobold had said.

    "Keek? Humans?"

    "Don''t come closer! You''ll die!"

    The kobolds guarding the storehouse bared their teeth at Ian''s group.

    "Jubal. Belenka. Time to work."

    Ian leisurely crossed his arms and sent out the warriors.

    "Yes... I do work."

    "It''s been a while since I''ve stretched my muscles."

    The giant figure and the black knight in dark armor took the lead.

    Sensing the ominous atmosphere, the kobolds trembled.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    The kobolds crumbled without any way to resist.

    Kobolds are low-level monsters with unremarkable individual combat ability.

    In a one-on-one fight, they''d even get beaten up and chased away by a farmer who knows how to throw a punch...

    "Keeeeng! Keeeeeng!"

    But their opponent was a giant warrior standing 2 meters tall.

    And a knight clad in full chainmail armor.

    Jubal and Belenka were already top-tier warriors overflowing with combat prowess.

    A mere handful of kobolds stood no chance against them.

    "Uwaaaaah!"

    Jubal swung his mace, as big as a child, without hesitation.

    With only their large build and sturdy bodies as strengths, the kobolds tried to leverage their physique in combat.

    From the kobolds'' perspective, this was nothing short of a calamity.

    A kobold''s body is only the size of a child, so it was like a madman wielding a weapon as big as their entire body charging at them.

    Belenka also silently sliced through the kobolds.

    Her combat prowess was undoubtedly the most impressive on the battlefield, needing no further explanation.

    The kobolds tried to intimidate the humans with threats.

    "Y-you guys! Do you know whose property you''re messing with?!"

    "Whose property is it?"

    Ian responded on behalf of the group.

    The kobolds glanced at each other nervously before finally shouting:

    "Th-the great Lord of Darkness! It belongs to the Demon King!"

    "Y-yeah! Do you want to die horribly?!"

    Ian snickered at the kobolds'' pitiful bluff.

    While Ian found it laughable, such bluffs surprisingly worked in this era sometimes.

    It was due to the bias of information.

    Even if you didn''t know who your opponent was, putting on a tough front and acting like your side was incredibly strong often made the enemy hesitate to fight out of fear.

    "... Lord of Darkness!"

    "... Demon King!"

    Indeed, a few of the mercenaries lost their nerve and morale dropped.

    It would be cruel to call them idiots... wouldn''t it?

    They were just typical medieval people.

    How smart could uneducated men barely scraping by in low-ranking mercenary groups be expected to be?

    "Hey, kobolds."

    Ian spoke up for the sake of the frightened mercenaries.

    "Huh. Weak dogs bark the loudest."

    "... Kugh!"

    "Don''t use such strong words. It makes you look weak."

    As soon as he uttered those lines, Ian wanted to rinse his mouth out with salt water.

    No. The characters in manhwa spout lines like that without a second thought. Am I still lacking?

    Though the dialogue was cheesy and cringeworthy...

    ... the mercenaries unexpectedly went wild for Ian''s bragging.

    "Ooh...!"

    "So cool!"

    "..."

    Ian felt strange as the medieval people appreciated the manhwa-like dialogue.

    I guess masterpieces really do work anywhere...!

    The kobolds sensed their bluff had been called out.

    "R-retreat!"

    "Run away!"

    Conversely, the mercenaries'' morale soared to the heavens.

    "Attack! Wipe out those kobold bastards!"

    "Waaaah!"

    Ian watched the warriors fight with an amused smile.

    Honestly, Jubal and Belenka did most of the fighting. Over 80% of the corpses littering the ground were their handiwork.

    The rest of the mercenaries just ganged up on one or two kobolds that strayed from the pack.

    Yet they were the loudest of all.

    "They fight well."

    Though wizards have been active on battlefields lately, they''re not originally a combat profession.

    In large-scale wars maybe, but in small skirmishes like this, wizards struggle to be useful.

    Ian had learned all sorts of magic, so he was quite versatile...

    But typically, wizards just watched from the rear.

    "That mercenary Jubal. He could''ve been an amazing warrior if only he had the brains to match."

    "Just a warrior? He would''ve become a knight with his own fief."

    The larger one''s physique, the more advantageous in combat.

    "..."

    Ian was reminded anew that kobolds were monsters.

    Feral dogs eat humans, wolves eat humans.

    What about kobolds? They naturally chew on people like dogs gnawing on treats.

    "They sure ate a lot."

    Belenka clicked her tongue and made the sign of the cross.

    ''Walter is a demon wizard.''

    Ian thought as he looked at the pile of human bones.

    Whether he made offerings to demons or conducted evil experiments, Walter must have harmed people as naturally as breathing.

    And he likely tossed the corpses to the kobolds as food.

    ''... Why on earth?''

    Ian felt a chilling fear, but was also gripped by curiosity.

    Why did Walter study demon magic while sacrificing so many people?

    Was he simply a deranged psychopath? Or did he have a goal he sought to achieve through sacrifice?

    Either way, it was beyond Ian''s comprehension.

    "This way."

    Belenka took the lead, holding a torch.

    She easily discovered the hidden treasure trove in the back of the cave.

    "Oh ho."

    There were baskets full of amber ore piled up.

    But more eye-catching than the heaps of amber was the yellow tapestry decorating the wall.

    A tapestry is a textile craft, simply put, a carpet hung on walls.

    It decorates the wall while providing some insulation.

    "My, this must be far more expensive than these measly stones."

    Belenka whistled as she examined the tapestry.

    Medieval tapestries are indeed expensive.

    They''re 100% handmade, and this tapestry even used gold thread.

    It was a tapestry decorated with gold.

    "You''d only see something like this in a duke''s castle..."

    Belenka remarked with genuine admiration.

    This tapestry alone made discovering the secret warehouse worthwhile.

    How much money could they get if they took it down and sold it!

    "Ian?"

    "..."

    "What are you staring at?"

    Unlike Belenka who was excited at the prospect of making money(...),

    Ian observed the tapestry''s image itself.

    ''A circle and an equilateral triangle.''

    Ian rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a signet ring.

    A ring engraved with a circle and equilateral triangle.

    It was the symbol of the [Golden Rule] of the old Heaven''s Faith.

    ''And that... is it a religious painting?''

    Tapestries are typically made for decoration, so they often feature images.

    Depictions of historical battles or biblical scenes are most common.

    The tapestry Ian discovered seemed to portray some religious scene.

    Sunlight pouring through the center of a cloudy sky.

    Winged angels and the Golden Rule symbol.

    An emperor and nobles wailing before it...

    Ian furrowed his brow.

    He had a vague idea of what the painting depicted.

    ''The fall of the Golden Empire...?''

    That was probably the correct answer.

    The ancient people of the Golden Empire believed the end of the world would come after the empire''s downfall.

    The scene this painting portrayed was...

    The moment judgment day arrives as the Golden Empire collapses.

    "Is there a problem?"

    "Belenka. This painting. What do you make of it?"

    Belenka answered straightforwardly:

    "It''s very well-made."

    "..."

    "They even used gold thread. It must be incredibly expensive."

    Ian just laughed at such a knightly response.

    As a wizard, Ian pondered the hidden meaning of the painting.

    But to the knight Belenka, it was just an expensive piece of loot.

    "Ian. Let''s gather what we need and get out of here."

    "Right."

    Ian rolled up the tapestry and took it with him.Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    "Hahaha! Look at this!"

    "Now we''re rich!"

    Ian distributed the amber found in the hidden storehouse to the mercenaries.

    ''Rich... is that so?''

    The mercenaries were delighted as they handled the gem fragments.

    But to Ian, it wasn''t something to be that excited about.

    Amber was certainly a gem, but its value was ambiguous.

    It wasn''t even cut and polished, just raw stones. They were freshly dug from a river and piled up haphazardly.

    Honestly, some looked no better than ordinary rocks.Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com

    And besides, the mercenaries mined them, so it''s just returning to their own hands, right?

    "I''m gonna buy a cow with this!"

    "Pigs and chickens too! Hahaha!"

    "..."

    When medieval people got money, they first tried to buy livestock.

    Livestock was like a sure-win stock that would always yield profits if raised properly.

    They were all smiles at the thought of buying chickens and pigs and going "To the moon~~".

    Well. If the animals don''t die, they''ll certainly become wealthy, so it''s a good choice.

    ... Though it''s uncertain how much money they''ll get from selling these raw amber stones.

    Ian didn''t outright tell the mercenaries, ''You can''t get rich with that.'' Only cold-blooded bastards born with T genes could do such a thing.

    Ian was just a common INFP, as common as stones on the roadside.

    "I''m taking this as my share. No objections?"

    "Of course not! Hehe..."

    Ian took his and his companions'' share of the raw amber stones.

    He didn''t take much, just about half a basket.

    Ian hadn''t hired porters, so the amount of luggage he could carry was limited.

    The most space-consuming item on a journey was, of course, food.

    Just packing enough food for three people already creates an annoying pile of luggage.

    They were using a donkey borrowed from the monastery as a pack animal, but there wasn''t enough room to carry around heavy stones.

    But selling this to the mercenaries?

    Those guys are clearly dirt-poor mercenaries carrying only weapons like falchions. It''s questionable if they could even give proper change.

    It''s better to decide what to do with it after visiting Baron Vincents'' domain.

    "Um... Wizard sir."

    As Ian was dividing the amber, a sharp-eyed mercenary approached and spoke.

    "That cloth-like object... I hadn��t seen it until now..."

    "..."

    He was referring to the golden tapestry.

    The mercenary might have thought he was being quite perceptive...

    But in reality, it was an utterly tactless move.

    "Ah. You mean this?"

    When Ian lowered his voice as if displeased, the ''truly'' sharp-eyed mercenaries around became restless.

    No! The wizard must have taken it first because he liked it!

    Why the f*ck are you pointing that out! You crazy bastard!

    Ian is a wizard who can burn people to death with his bare hands.

    Yesterday he burned a demon wizard to death, so he might burn an annoying mercenary today!

    If Ian had heard this, he would have asked ''Who''s this psychopath you''re talking about?'', but...

    How could the mercenaries know Ian''s personality?

    In the Empire, wizards were known to be eccentric beings.

    Ian had indeed incinerated the demon wizard with a spear of flame.

    Anyone who saw that and thought ''Wow~ He burned that person so warmly~ How kind~'' would have a screw loose in their head.

    The mercenaries naturally assumed Ian was nurturing an eccentric monster inside.

    So they hurriedly rushed out to do damage control.

    "Wow~ It''s really magnificent!"

    "I don''t know what it is, but it suits you perfectly, Wizard sir! Hahaha!"

    It goes perfectly with the wizard!

    Just take it without hesitation!

    Ian became slightly uneasy when the mercenaries suddenly started flattering him.

    Don''t tell me these guys...

    Are they saying I took the good stuff, so I should share some crumbs? Now?

    Honestly, they were right.

    The raw amber stones were too heavy for their value, but the golden tapestry was light, expensive, and precious. Ian had indeed taken the best item here.

    Also, instead of threatening ''Give us money!'', the mercenaries approached with a begging attitude like ''Hehe. You got the big piece... how about some scraps for us...''

    He could have graciously taken out some change from his pocket and scattered it.

    But Ian made an excuse first.

    "I took it because it was left by the demon wizard. It seems to be imbued with evil power."

    "E-Evil power!"

    "Oh my! I''m not going anywhere near that!"

    The mercenaries retreated in unison, as if on cue.

    Whether it was really an evil object or not, they now had an excuse not to approach it!

    "If they protect the weak and fight for justice. Honor will guide a warrior''s soul to heaven."

    "... But the priests don''t say things like that?"

    "Our local priest did."

    "???"

    The mercenary didn''t know Belenka was a foreigner.

    In reality, there were subtle differences in doctrinal views between the Heaven''s Faith of the Empire and that of Baekguk.

    In the desolate and impoverished Wintz of Baekguk, they taught that even warriors who commit murder can go to heaven.

    Seeing Ian and Belenka''s ominous reactions, the mercenaries hurriedly came over and whispered.

    "No... We''re trying to help Captain Jubal right now!"

    "How exactly are you helping him?"

    "Haah... Wizard sir. You great ones might not understand, but for bottom-feeders like us, life is war!"

    Ian snickered.

    Ian is the son of a serf.

    He foraged for bugs in the mountains until he was 10 years old. If he''d been unlucky and there had been a famine, he might have had the rare experience of starving to death.

    Excited, the mercenary raised his voice in front of Ian.

    "To survive, we have to step on those even lower than us! And do you know who''s the easiest to crush and kill? Fools, beggars, and jesters!"

    "..."

    "The weak get trampled! If the captain had met us on the road, do you think he''d be treated like this? No! We would have robbed him!

    Because no one protects fools!"

    Ian flinched.

    He felt a rising heat from behind.

    ...Kira approached the mercenaries with blazing eyes.

    She spoke slowly in a voice that seemed to spit out the words.

    "According to you... ''bottom-feeders''... shouldn''t the weak protect each other instead?"

    "Again with that naive..."

    "Tell me. If you met a wandering jester on the road..."

    "Ha! We''d kill him right away! And take all his money!"

    The mercenary might have thought he was giving the right answer in his own way.

    Beggars, fools, and jesters are society''s weakest, unprotected by anyone.

    Killing the weak and taking their possessions is clearly a profitable act.

    However, that answer triggered a dark memory in Kira.

    "... Then what if. If I meet scum like you..."

    "Wi-Wizard...?"

    "It means it''s okay if I burn you all to ashes!"

    Kira''s eyes flashed like burning flames.

    At that moment.

    An explosive flame erupted from beneath the mercenary''s feet!

    "Aaaaargh!"

    The mercenary let out a terrible scream.

    His startled comrades rushed over, but the magically conjured flames wouldn''t easily extinguish.

    [Yes! Burn! Incinerate them all!]

    Ian noticed the Mystery of Fire swirling around Kira.

    "Haa... Haa..."

    Kira trembled, her fists clenched tight.

    Ian dispersed the Mystery of Fire and calmed Kira down.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Ian..."

    Kira pressed her forehead against Ian''s chest, catching her ragged breath.

    "I... suddenly feel like crying."

    "Calm down first. Go over there."

    Ian sent Kira away and stepped forward.

    The flames had gone out, but the mercenary''s legs were scorched bright red.

    It would be a severe injury even by modern standards, let alone in medieval times.

    It''s a critical wound bordering on disability.

    "M-My legs...! My legs...!"

    "Be grateful you''re still breathing."

    Ian said coldly.

    "That wizard''s father, he was a wandering jester who was murdered by bandits."

    "...!"

    The mercenary was so dumbfounded he lost his words.

    How on earth did a jester''s daughter... become a wizard!

    "Seeing what you guys are like, I can''t possibly entrust Jubal to you."

    "Wh-What?"

    "You''ve been exploiting Jubal without paying him a penny, right? Gaslighting him that he''d starve to death if he left thegroup."

    "Gas... What?"

    "It''s a thing. You ignorant f*cks."

    Ian called Jubal.

    "For now, come with me. I''ll find you a decent village to live in."

    "Yes! Thank you! Master!"

    "Drop the ''master'' bit."

    Though Jubal was snatched away before their eyes, no mercenary dared complain.

    This time, it might not be their legs, but their lives at stake.

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    People often say that we learn from our mistakes.

    The mercenaries had clearly seen Ian burn someone alive yesterday.

    They must have also noticed that the red-haired woman clinging to Ian''s side was no ordinary traveler.

    If they had any sense, they wouldn''t have been stupid enough to run their mouths in front of Kira.

    But the mercenaries forgot, for just a moment, how capricious wizards can be.

    They spouted nonsensical philosophy in front of a wizard and lost their legs.

    "Ugh..."

    Ian watched the fleeing mercenaries with indifference.

    I''ve become so accustomed to this godforsaken medieval fantasy world that I don''t even react when someone gets hurt anymore.

    This is a society without the solid power of a community or the power of law enforcement to uphold justice.

    One had to defend their own honor with their own hands.

    And that method usually involved violence.

    "Kira. Try to use magic more carefully from now on. You''re a fire wizard, after all. If you lose control for even a moment, who knows what might happen."

    "...Okay. I''ll keep that in mind."Ree?ad latest novels at novelhall.com

    Ian didn''t scold Kira for burning the man.

    Kira hadn''t simply lashed out in anger. She had taught those men a painful lesson on behalf of all the weak - especially wanderers and jesters.

    Now those men will think twice before robbing someone.

    The only issue was that Kira had used magic impulsively out of emotion.

    If the fire had misinterpreted Kira''s will and tried to incinerate this entire area, what would have happened?

    The terrifying aspect of fire magic is how difficult it is to cancel.

    Once a fire starts, it''s not easily extinguished. It won''t die down unless it reduces everything around it to ashes.

    "You need to convey your exact intentions through the Maronius language when casting magic. Don''t let your emotions take control."

    Ian kept his lecture brief.

    "Well then, shall we get going?"

    ---

    ---

    The weather grew more humid as they traveled south.

    "It''s getting a bit hot."

    The sweltering heat was quickly draining Ian''s stamina.

    He was surprised to find himself affected by the heat.

    "...The north was much cooler."

    Not long ago, Ian had been traversing snow-covered mountains in the north.

    While that region could be dismissed as the far north, even the northern part of the Empire wasn''t a frigid wasteland covered in permafrost like barbarian lands.

    Yet it was still much cooler than the southern Empire.

    Now that they had come south, Ian could clearly feel the difference.

    The sun was unnecessarily bright, and the vast fields were overrun with green monsters - weeds growing at an alarming rate.

    Seeing the shepherd boy and his goats grazing in the distance filled Ian with an inner peace.

    Ian briefly stopped his donkey to admire the peaceful countryside.

    There truly wasn''t a soul in sight.

    He could acutely feel the Empire''s pitiful population density.

    The entire country was just one big rural backwater, so of course there were no people to be seen.

    "Ian. There''s a shepherd over there."

    Belenka took a swig from her waterskin as she spoke.

    "There must be a village nearby."

    Livestock herding is a profitable business even in the most primitive environments.

    In theory, if you have enough livestock, you can survive without farming. Nomadic tribes are a prime example.

    All you need to do is protect the animals and increase their numbers. It''s a straightforward method.

    Such shepherds were a common sight in the Empire.

    "Hm?"

    Ian furrowed his brow slightly.

    While shepherds were common in the Empire, thieves targeting those shepherds were equally common.

    The smarter ones were human bandits. The dumber ones were wolf packs.

    And what caught Ian''s eye now was of the dumber variety.

    "Aren''t those wolves?"

    "I think so..."

    Belenka also squinted her eyes.

    They were wolves alright. But something about them looked off.

    As if they''d been starving for days, they looked terribly gaunt.

    It was as if their bellies were stuck to their backs...

    "What the f*ck?"

    Ian rubbed his eyes.

    A necromancer.

    Ian was certain.

    These weren''t naturally occurring undead.

    They were undead raised from corpses by a necromancer.

    "Hah!"

    Belenka let out a battle cry as she swung her longsword.

    The rotting flesh of the wolves sliced apart like rain-soaked mud.

    Thanks to the two wizards creating a wall of fire, only a few undead reached the shepherd.

    A number that Jubal and Belenka could easily handle.

    ''...Hm?''

    However, Belenka couldn''t cleanly dispatch the undead.

    Something leapt out from the grass.

    "Receive the sword of heaven!"

    "The sun shall judge you!"

    They were well-armed men-at-arms.

    Not only were they wearing expensive chain mail, but they had even color-coordinated with green surcoats.

    The men-at-arms methodically dispatched the undead wolves.

    Ian watched from afar.

    And... he was somewhat impressed.

    I don''t know who these guys are, but they look like proper soldiers!

    As you''ve seen the atmosphere of this medieval fantasy world so far, this place doesn''t have a single thing that''s done properly.

    From nobles to commoners, everyone seems a bit unhinged and sloppy.

    But... to think they even matched their uniforms!

    To have matching uniforms, you need an organization that can afford to pay for uniforms.

    Of course, in this post-apocalyptic...

    No, medieval fantasy world, that''s a difficult feat!

    In a world where people typically just wear whatever clothes they have at home, the existence of uniformed soldiers was no ordinary matter!

    Ian quickly wrapped up his magic and ran to meet the soldiers.

    Belenka had already removed her helmet and was chatting with the soldiers.

    "Ian."

    Just then, someone walked out from the soldiers'' side.

    Light brown hair and chestnut eyes. A typical Imperial appearance.

    If there was anything distinctive, it was his sharp features that made him quite handsome.

    "Are you the wizard who conjured the flames?"

    "And you are?"

    Ian and the man briefly sized each other up, checking for any suspicious points.

    The man extended his hand first.

    "Knight of Saint Casius. Cleric Leshach."

    ''Saint Casius?''

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    Saint Casius was at the top among the 13 saints of Heaven''s Faith.

    Thus, while the disciples of other saints are called [Cardinals], the direct disciples of Saint Casius are elevated with the title of [Pope].

    So...

    This handsome knight was a knight of the Pope!

    "Disciple of Eredith. Wizard Ian."

    Once he knew the man''s identity, those color-coordinated heavy infantry made sense.

    As a knight of the Pope, he could certainly afford to have armored infantry as subordinates.

    ''...But what''s a Pope''s knight doing here?''

    Sensing Ian''s suspicious gaze, Sir Leshach spoke first.

    "We''re investigating the evil magic incidents occurring throughout the Empire."

    "Evil magic?"

    "Demon magic. Transmutation. And necromancy... Currently, an unprecedented number of dark magic usage cases are being reported across the Empire."

    Ian glanced at the fallen undead wolves on the ground.

    Indeed.

    When Ian was young, he hardly ever heard rumors about undead.

    "I heard there were signs of necromancer activity in this area... It seems the rumors were true."

    Ian understood clearly now.

    Sir Leshach was a Pope''s knight tasked with finding and eliminating necromancers and demon wizards.

    ''Oh ho.''

    Ian pondered for a moment.

    As it happens, he had just killed a demon wizard on the road...

    Wouldn''t it be sweet to stick with Sir Leshach for a while?

    There probably aren''t many lunatics who would attack a party composed of a cleric and well-armed soldiers.

    While Ian was considering this, the shepherd came running up and bowed his head.

    "Th-Thank you for saving me! Sir Knights!"

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    The shepherd was a young boy, appearing to be around 16 years old.

    Ian was reminded of Bernard, the young baron of River Hill.

    Sitting them side by side would give one the feeling of being a middle school teacher.

    "Thank you so much!"

    The shepherd''s name was Pael.

    He was a shepherd from Artisan village, an unfortunate boy who had been attacked by undead while tending his flock.

    "Artisan, you say?"

    "Yes, my lord!"

    Sir Leshach was indifferent.

    He had no need to know the names of such rural villages.

    Nevertheless, Sir Leshach decided to head to Artisan village.

    "We didn''t see any sign of the necromancer. They''re either hiding somewhere... or in the village."

    Sir Leshach was certain of the necromancer''s existence.

    He decided to visit the village to investigate.

    Ian had come to the exact same conclusion.

    "Are, are you going to our village? Then I''ll guide you!"

    Pael quickly volunteered to be their guide.

    It was a natural decision, as traveling with Sir Leshach and his soldiers would make it easy to fend off undead attacks even if they appeared again.

    Using Sir Leshach as a shield wasn''t just Ian''s idea.

    "Sir Leshach. Would it be alright if I accompany you?"

    Seeing Sir Leshach on the move, Ian quickly latched on.

    Time to hitch a sweet ride on the knight bus~

    "I don''t mind. Just don''t get in the way."

    "As if I would."

    Ian joined with a friendly smile.

    ---

    ---

    Ian hadn''t given it much thought, but Belenka was wary of Sir Leshach.

    "It seems that monk was right."

    "Monk?"

    "Isilla from Blue Key Monastery."

    Ian recalled a certain shrewd old man.

    Monk Isilla.

    A cantankerous old man, but respected by the other monks.

    "He warned about the secularization of Heaven''s Faith."

    "Ah."

    "And now we see such a well-armed church army..."

    Ian had only thought "Wow, cool~" when he saw the well-armed church forces.

    He had no reason to think deeply about it.

    But Belenka, as a knight, saw traces of power in the well-armed church forces.

    Ian decided to think like a knight as well.

    "Sir Leshach said it himself. That black wizards are roaming about."

    Heaven''s Faith doesn''t recognize ''evil'' magic like demon magic, transmutation, and necromancy. They call such forbidden magic ''black magic'' because it comes from a black and murky heart.

    So ''black wizard'' isn''t an occupation, but a term for criminals.

    Murderers, rapists, black wizards, thieves... they''re all heinous criminal bastards.

    So anyone who introduces their job as black wizard or thief should be thrown in jail on sight.

    How can someone''s job be thief or black wizard?

    "It''s a convenient excuse for the church to build up its army."

    "I was thinking the same thing."

    Originally, the church doesn''t possess an army. The church is a religious organization, not a combat unit.

    But...

    Whether Monk Isilla is wary or not, the Empire''s Heaven''s Faith is clearly becoming secularized.

    It means the wealth accumulated by the church has increased.

    In medieval times, wealth means food, land, and population.

    As the church''s assets grow, it''s only natural for their army to gradually expand.

    But when the church builds up an army, it obviously looks suspicious.

    Aren''t you religious folk? Why are you building an army?

    Nobles have the beautiful excuse of "protecting the people and supporting our lord."

    But such excuses don''t work for the church.

    Clergy are supposed to care for the souls of believers, not collect taxes and throw their weight around.

    So it''s extremely tricky for the church to build an army.

    But if black wizards are roaming about, that changes everything.

    They now have the beautiful excuse of "smiting demon worshippers!"

    "So the Pope''s knight has come out."

    Sir Leshach was, in a sense, a PR ambassador for Heaven''s Faith.

    Our church built up an army, and look how many black wizards we''ve smashed~

    Aren''t we great? So we''ll keep building up our army!

    That''s the message he wants to spread as he travels around.

    If the Pope''s knight actually goes around helping people, Heaven''s Faith''s popularity will naturally rise.

    They can resupply at any roadside temple, and monks eager to share in the glory will help enthusiastically, so the results should be quite fruitful.

    The only people who would dislike Sir Leshach are black wizards and local lords.

    "Catch black wizards to raise popularity. And while they''re at it, pressure the lords to believe in Heaven''s Faith..."

    Leshach was slightly displeased that Ian knew so accurately.

    A proud Imperial citizen is actually a descendant of barbarians?

    It''s bound to be an unpleasant point.

    But Ian calmly spat out this chilling fact.

    ''As expected of a wizard?''

    Such a cold rational individual should be fine to talk to.

    "But you seem to have inherited a purer ancient bloodline."

    "Pardon?"

    Sir Leshach pointed to Ian''s hair.

    "That black hair. Did you know many ancient people had such black hair?"

    "...?"

    He did know.

    Ian''s jet-black hair was rare but occasionally seen in the Empire.

    But things change as you go down to the southern Coral Sea. Black curly hair is very common around the Coral Sea.

    And the southern Coral Sea is where the capital of the Golden Empire was once located.

    Meaning he''s a descendant of true Imperials.

    "I thought you might be of mixed Golden Empire descent."

    "..."

    Ian had never given much thought to his relationship with the Golden Empire.

    Then what about the jet-black hair?

    Of course... he thought it was because he was Korean!

    But thinking about it, Sir Leshach was closer to the truth.

    "I suppose that could be the case."

    Ian still didn''t think deeply about his hair color.

    What does hair color matter, be it blue or yellow?

    He was grateful enough that his head wasn''t pink.

    "The [Golden Rule Society] is an organization formed by those who claim to be descendants of the ancient Golden Empire."

    "Descendants of the Golden Empire...?"

    Ian found it absurd.

    What''s with claiming to be descendants of a country that disappeared hundreds of years ago?

    "They''re lunatics who think they''re the true rulers of the Empire."

    Wait.

    Ian felt an ominous sensation and looked up at Sir Leshach.

    A gleam flashed in Sir Leshach''s eyes.

    "You''ve already figured it out? What the [Golden Rule] means."

    "The Golden Rule in other words is... ''an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'', right?"

    That was the law of ancient Heaven''s Faith.

    If you harm someone, you must pay an equivalent price.

    And now those claiming to be descendants of the Golden Empire have risen up, brandishing the [Golden Rule].

    "That''s right. Those lunatics think the barbarians from the north stole their empire."

    ... It wasn''t entirely wrong.

    The Holy Empire was indeed a country created by barbarian invasions.

    Then the purpose of the Golden Rule Society is clear.

    An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

    "Are they... trying to take back the Empire?"

    Sir Leshach nodded.

    "A preposterous delusion."

    ---

    ---

    Sir Leshach praised Ian''s courage.

    Choosing to fight despite knowing his opponent was a demon wizard was certainly admirable.

    "This ring. Do you need it?"

    "Why?"

    "If you don''t need it, would you sell it to me?"

    Sir Leshach wanted the black wizard''s signet ring.

    It would surely help his performance as proof of vanquishing a black wizard.

    It wasn''t a bad offer for Ian.

    The black wizard''s item would only invite strange misunderstandings if he kept it.

    Ian handed over the signet ring in exchange for gold coins.

    It was a satisfactory transaction for both parties.

    "Sir Knight! We''ve arrived!"

    The shepherd boy shouted.

    They had already reached Artisan village.

    The village''s welcome was extraordinary from the entrance.

    "I am Leshach. A knight of the church."

    "A, a knight of Heaven''s Faith?"

    "What a blessing!"

    The villagers enthusiastically welcomed Leshach''s arrival.

    "Sir Knight! Please help us!"

    "What''s the matter?"

    An old man who looked like the village chief knelt down and cried out.

    "We''ve caught a necromancer, but we don''t know how to deal with them!"

    "...?"

    Sir Leshach and Ian wore similar expressions.

    The villagers... caught a necromancer?

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Sir Leshach is a church knight searching for black wizards.

    He had just smashed some undead wolves attacking a shepherd.

    So a necromancer popping up in this tiny village wasn''t that strange.

    But the villagers caught that necromancer?

    Now that was f*cking weird.

    "Any casualties?"

    "None, sir."

    Sir Leshach and Ian wore increasingly bewildered expressions.

    Even if wizards are weak in close combat, they usually have some trump card up their sleeve.

    But they caught a necromancer without a single casualty?

    Either the necromancer was a total novice or a complete sucker. One of the two.

    "Suspicious. Surrendering so easily to peasants."

    Sir Leshach muttered.

    "Could there be some ulterior motive?"

    Ian offered a shallow deduction.

    As a former modern person, Ian wasn''t unfamiliar with the existence of such bizarre necromancers.

    Why? In novels and comics, the mastermind villain often lets themselves get caught to execute their secret plans.

    Of course, based on his experience with countless medieval people so far, it was more likely just a screw-loose black wizard.

    A mastermind villain deliberately getting caught by the police?

    That only happens in comics.

    In reality, 99% of criminals are idiots who get caught while fleeing from the cops.

    A necromancer caught by villagers due to some ridiculous blunder...

    That was the strongest contender.

    "Where''s this necromancer?"

    "We, we locked them in the storehouse."

    This was a small village, so they obviously didn''t have a prison.

    The sturdiest building, the storehouse, was serving as a makeshift jail.

    "Oh my, what a mess this is..."

    "Thank goodness the knight came!"

    As Sir Leshach and Ian passed by, the villagers whispered fervently among themselves.

    They didn''t even bother lowering their voices, as if not considering Ian human.

    Thanks to that, Ian could hear the villagers'' thoughts plain as day.

    "I always felt something was off about that one."

    "To think that young thing could kill someone...!"

    ''Young thing?''

    Ian cocked his head slightly at the odd word choice.

    Could the necromancer be a child?

    "Be careful!"

    The village chief opened the storehouse door with trembling hands.

    His fear of the wizard was evident.

    Especially since the opponent was a wizard dealing with the mysteries of death. Who knew what curse they might unleash if killed rashly.

    So they had temporarily locked them in the storehouse as a stopgap measure.

    "Are you the necromancer?"

    Sir Leshach asked in a cold voice.

    A voice answered from the darkness.

    "...No."

    Sir Leshach was slightly taken aback.

    ''A young girl?''

    The necromancer''s voice was that of a young girl.

    Ian was more composed than Sir Leshach.

    Thanks to his high dark affinity, Ian could see clearly through the darkness.

    ''It''s a girl.''

    Though she was buried in the shadows, Ian could see her clearly.

    Jet black hair and pitch black eyes.

    In stark contrast, pale white skin.

    Was she around sixteen years old?

    She looked like a middle schooler at youngest, high school at most.

    "Come out and show your face."

    Sir Leshach spoke with a growling voice, as if about to draw his sword at any moment.

    Ian was slightly impressed by the voice dripping with killing intent.

    Wow. Sir Leshach shows no mercy to black wizards!

    He gives it his all even if the opponent is a child!

    To be honest, in Ian''s eyes, it looked a bit silly. A grown knight getting all worked up over a tiny girl.

    But the others didn''t see it that way at all.

    No matter how young, the opponent was still a wizard.

    No one could predict what kind of crazy sh*t they might pull.

    "..."

    The girl obediently revealed herself.

    The soldiers gasped when they saw her face.

    "Huh...!"

    "A witch! That''s a witch, isn''t it?!"

    Though still a girl, she displayed extraordinary beauty.

    They all tried to deny it, but in the girl''s pale face they glimpsed intense decadence, maturity, and a fragility that stirred protective instincts.

    Separately, the soldiers demanded a quick verdict.

    "Sir Leshach! Stop listening to that b*tch''s words!"

    "We can''t punish without proper investigation."

    "She''s obviously a witch! What''s the point of listening to a witch?!"

    "Hmm. From the way you talk, you must be a magic expert."

    When Sir Leshach shot back, the soldier faltered slightly.

    "Tell me. Why do you think Maria is a witch?"

    The soldier stammered his reply.

    "Well... she looks different from us... her eyes and hair are pitch black! She must be a demon''s bastard!"

    Ian took splash damage from that statement.

    "I see. What do you think, Ian?"

    "Tch. Brings back childhood memories."

    Ian briefly recalled the past.

    Ah... those bittersweet memories of neighborhood kids chirping and teasing about Ian''s black hair!

    Ian''s mood soured a bit.

    "Black eyes and hair are common around the southern Coral Sea. Are you claiming the Coral Sea is a demon''s lair?"

    The soldier blubbered nonsense.

    "Maybe it could be... possibly?"

    "The Papal State is just north of the Coral Sea."

    "Uh!"

    Ian stared blankly at Sir Leshach.

    Sir, why do you keep this moron around?

    Sir Leshach calmly cleared his throat.

    "His Holiness''s soldiers aren''t only recruited from near the Papal State. Some haven''t been to the Coral Sea, so try to understand."

    "Even so, calling the Papal State''s location a demon''s lair is a bit much."

    A mere soldier had no chance of beating a wizard in knowledge.

    The soldier immediately kowtowed with a pale face.

    "I-I''m so sorry! Please forget what I just said...!"

    Tsk tsk. These ignorant Imperial bastards.

    Ian keenly felt the pain of lacking public education.

    If there had been a school in the neighborhood, he wouldn''t have been teased for his black hair!

    ...Though if there had been a school, he probably would''ve been teased inside it.

    The crime of being born with rare hair color.

    Ian tossed out casually to Maria:

    "Seems like you and I share the same ancestors."

    "...The same ancestors?"

    "Yeah. Golden Empire people."

    "..."

    Maria silently stared intently at Ian''s face.

    But Ian had already turned away.

    "Sir Leshach. Let''s go back."

    "Alright."

    Ian locked Maria back in the storehouse and headed to the village chief''s house.

    ---

    ---

    "How... did it go?"

    The village chief asked as soon as he saw Sir Leshach.

    He must have been quite curious about the outcome, forgetting even to bow.

    "Did you take care of her?"

    Even to Ian''s ears, the chief''s tone was slightly grating.

    Needless to say for Sir Leshach, the Pope''s knight.

    "How impudent. I''m not your underling, Chief."

    "I-I''m sorry!"

    Sir Leshach ignored the chief''s words and explained unilaterally.

    "It''s true some suspicious circumstances were found regarding the girl called Maria. But we can''t punish based on circumstances alone."

    "...Pardon?"

    The chief wore an expression like he''d heard alien language after listening to Sir Leshach''s explanation.

    Why... can''t she be punished???

    Circumstantially, Maria is a necromancer...

    Just chop off her head and be done with it!

    "From now on, we''ll gather evidence that Maria is a necromancer."

    "But Sir Knight! That b*tch is definitely a necromancer! What do you mean evidence... what even is evidence?"

    "You don''t know what evidence is?"

    "No, Sir Knight!"

    "Then shut up."

    "..."

    The chief immediately shut his mouth.

    He was excellent at following orders, at least.

    "Ian. I need your help."

    Sir Leshach didn''t trust what others said.

    They were just squawking like parrots, "Maria''s suspicious, let''s kill her!"

    But Ian was different.

    Now was the time a wizard''s intellect was needed.

    "I''ll compensate you well. Please cooperate with the investigation."

    Ian pondered briefly before answering.

    "Alright. I''ll help."

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Forming connections with the Pope''s knight would undoubtedly be beneficial.

    Especially in the Holy Empire, where the power of Heaven''s Faith priests was so strong. A friendship with the Pope''s knight could prove invaluable.

    Through Sir Leshach, Ian could potentially launch or deflect excommunication beams.

    Since Sir Leshach trusted Ian enough to reach out first, there was no reason to reject his offer.

    Besides, Ian needed Sir Leshach as a shield against any potential black wizards for the time being.

    "It''s a serious matter, Sir."

    Ian had planned to investigate the village with Sir Leshach, but a soldier who went scouting discovered undead outside the village.

    "It''s a flesh giant."

    "Damn it."

    A flesh giant.

    Made by combining the bodies of the dead, it was an undead so powerful it could rightly be called a biological weapon.

    Sir Leshach quietly pulled Ian aside and said:

    "To be honest, I don''t think Maria created the undead in this area."

    "Why not?"

    "Just a hunch."

    He''d simply guessed.

    But Ian found himself oddly persuaded by Sir Leshach''s words.

    You know how when a popular person says something it sounds plausible, but when a loser says the same thing it sounds like bullsh*t?

    All you''d hear is "Hey guys~ the loser has something to say~"

    The words of a handsome knight like Sir Leshach carried a surprising amount of weight.

    ...In truth, it wasn''t his looks that persuaded Ian, but rather his experience.

    Sir Leshach was both a knight and a cleric.

    That meant he was a medieval super-elite, well-rounded in both physical and intellectual capabilities.

    With extensive experience facing black wizards, his instincts weren''t to be ignored.

    "But we can''t be certain. We need to thoroughly examine even the slightest possibility."

    As expected of an elite, Sir Leshach was still insisting they "find evidence first!"

    "Sir Leshach, did you happen to attend university?"

    "Hm? I did study at Bautriche University."

    Impressive. No wonder his speech exuded such intellect.

    Sir Leshach had apparently consumed university-level education in the medieval era.

    A knight with a university degree in medieval times!

    "I was taught by a monk at the university. He said all thoughts must have a basis, and be supported by clear evidence that anyone can accept."

    "Was the monk''s name perhaps William?"

    "...William? No, I''ve never heard that name."

    Ian shrugged.

    He''d wondered if Sir Leshach might know the monk who investigated the abbey murders[1].

    "Anyway, I think I should investigate the surrounding area further."

    "I see."

    In short, he wanted to give Ian an easier task.

    The village surroundings with a ''real'' necromancer lurking vs. the village with a frail girl locked up.

    Typical manly man behavior: fearlessly tackling the tougher job.

    Sir Leshach wanted to investigate the area around the village for his main duty.

    But they couldn''t just leave Maria unattended either.

    "I heard the village chief already requested a trial from the lord."

    "A trial?"

    Write ''trial'', read ''execution''.

    Ian found it a bit absurd.

    These people who''d already labeled Maria a criminal were now talking about a trial?

    The chances they pawned it off to the lord because they were squeamish about executing a necromancer themselves?

    Over 10000%.

    "We can... continue the investigation until the lord arrives."

    Sir Leshach said lightly.

    In reality, it wasn''t an issue that required much consideration.

    Whether Maria was a necromancer or not, she was already a murderer.

    If she was a necromancer, she''d be executed as one. If not, she''d be executed as a murderer.

    "I''m counting on you."

    "Leave it to me."

    Ian even exchanged a relaxed hand gesture with Sir Leshach.

    The lord would likely arrive within a few days.

    And Maria? She''d be hanged, of course.

    But Ian remained nonchalant.

    It''s not my neck on the line, is it? I''ll just do the bare minimum while earning points with Sir Leshach.

    After Sir Leshach and the soldiers left to search the village surroundings,

    Ian began his full-fledged investigation.

    ---

    ---

    "First, I''ll distribute the personnel."

    He had a few days'' leeway, and it wasn''t a task that required particular enthusiasm.

    But since he''d started, Ian decided to do it properly.

    To gather information as quickly as possible, Ian mobilized the employees of Ian-Company.

    First up, Belenka.

    "You''ll come with me to investigate the house where Maria worked."

    "Understood."

    Belenka''s greatest asset was, of course, her monstrous longsword.

    Commoners would find it difficult to lie in front of a knight who could cleave their heads off with a shing-shing.

    "Kira, meet with the village chief. Find out when and how Maria used necromancy."

    "Leave it to me."

    Meaning it was a DIY product.

    "Woman! We have a guest! Hurry up and make something!"

    An alpha male... perhaps?

    Even in the ignorant medieval era, it was unpleasant to see someone barking orders at his wife.

    But soon, Ian noticed the woman''s grave condition.

    "Sob... hic..."

    Her whole face was stained with tear tracks.

    She''d apparently been crying for quite some time.

    "It''s fine, Mom. I''ll do it."

    The woman''s daughter went to the kitchen instead.

    Moments later, honey cakes were placed before Ian.

    Only the father and daughter sat in chairs.

    "You said you had questions about Maria?"

    "Yes. I''d like you to tell me everything you know."

    Though he knew it was unlikely, in the worst case, Maria could have been an infiltrating wizard.

    Didn''t the space-time wizard Larabel nearly destroy an entire domain single-handedly?

    As Sir Leshach said, the more thorough the investigation, the better.

    "Haah... Alright. Just thinking about that b*tch still turns my stomach. But I should tell you what I know."

    "...I heard about it. I''m sorry about your son."

    The man nodded glumly.

    "Yes... Maria. That witch b*tch killed my son..."

    Earlier, Maria had confessed clearly.

    That she had murdered the son of the house where she worked.

    "What exactly happened?"

    To Ian''s question, the man slowly replied.

    "I took that b*tch into our home a year ago. I really didn''t want to, but the village chief threatened me to take her in..."

    The man explained.

    He was a carpenter named Robert who had taken in Maria as a housemaid about a year ago.

    He said he disliked Maria from the moment he first saw her.

    "Wasn''t there something off about her eyes, even though she was young? They seemed kind of lewd. And that pitch-black hair was so ominous!"

    Ian blankly pointed at his own hair.

    Are you perhaps talking about me?

    Belenka sighed and said:

    "Think before you speak."

    "No, that''s...!"

    "Forget it, just continue your story."

    Gulp. Robert swallowed dryly and spoke.

    "That b*tch was strange."

    "Strange?"

    "Yes! Sometimes she''d visit the graveyard alone! And she''d talk to herself! And... occasionally, she''d eat an insane amount of food!"

    The first two were understandable.

    That''s the behavior of a genuine outcast...

    Unlike Easterners, Westerners are less afraid of graveyards. They even build memorial parks, which are basically graveyards, right in the middle of cities.

    Just because she visited the graveyard alone doesn''t mean she''s definitely a necromancer.

    Talking to herself goes without saying.

    The problem was the last point.

    "She ate a lot?"

    "Yes! I don''t know why. She''d just pig out on food like some possessed person... No matter how much we beat her, she wouldn''t stop."

    "..."

    Just how much food did she eat for them to beat her?

    "So... you knew Maria was a strange kid."

    "Yes. So when that b*tch killed my son with necromancy, I thought, ''It''s finally happened.''"

    "Tell me in detail. How did she kill him?"

    Robert paused for a moment.

    As if it was too horrifying to even speak of.

    "That b*tch Maria called my son to the forest... and possessed a ghoul to slash him with its claws."

    "...Possession?"

    Bang!

    Unable to contain his agitation, Robert slammed his hand on the table.

    "If, if it wasn''t necromancy! How else could that tiny girl have torn my son to shreds?!"

    Certainly.

    Possessing an undead monster to fight is a combat method used by necromancers.

    To summarize the story:

    Maria lured Robert''s son out, then killed him using a pre-prepared ghoul.

    ''But...''

    Ian sensed something odd.

    ''Maria said she blacked out. That when she came to, someone was dead...''

    Perhaps Maria wasn''t a skilled necromancer, but...

    Someone who accidentally experienced possession due to a brush with the mysteries - a ''necromancy accident'' victim?

    ''Then it''s not Maria''s fault.''

    Ian shook his head.

    It was still too early to draw conclusions. There was far too little information.

    ---

    [1. raei: the main character of "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. It''s a novel.]

    [2. reference to Drake Longtail''s ''Hannam The Hill'' which is a reference to South Korea''s very rich neighborhood home to many celebrities and business execs]

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 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    This time, Robert''s daughter provided information.

    She rummaged through a chest and handed something to Ian.

    It was a dagger.

    "What''s this?"

    "... It belonged to my brother. That woman gave it to him."

    ''That woman'' was obviously Maria.

    "Maria gave it to your brother?"

    Her face contorted with malice as she spoke:

    "That b*tch is a sly whore. She gave him this to seduce him."

    A dagger as a gift for a man. The recipient must have been quite pleased.

    "That woman tried to seduce my brother to become our family''s daughter-in-law. It''s disgusting to think about now! But my brother seemed to believe she truly loved him."

    Ian pocketed the dagger and exchanged a few more words with Robert.

    "Thanks for your cooperation."

    "Don''t mention it! Make sure to hang that b*tch by the neck! Wizard!"

    Ian walked down the street with Belenka, organizing the information he''d gathered.

    "Those people really hate Maria."

    "Of course. She killed their son."

    Belenka added:

    "But... I think they would have hated her even if the accident hadn''t happened."

    Saying she was ominous, or a suspicious woman.

    Robert''s family made it clear they disliked Maria from the start.

    "Still, she seemed close with the son."

    "Hmm..."

    Belenka tilted her head and said:

    "It''s certainly strange. She didn''t harm the people who hated her, but killed the man who liked her?"

    Belenka''s expression was serious.

    "A wizard''s thinking is truly incomprehensible."

    "..."

    Miss Belenka. Are you serious?

    Ian stared at Belenka in disbelief.

    Seriously, what do Imperial people think of wizards?

    Ian shuddered at this wizard-discrimination as severe as racism...

    "Kira should be done with her investigation by now."

    "Let''s go find her."

    ---

    ---

    Ian went straight to the village chief.

    But the chief led Ian to an unexpected place.

    "Kira went to meet Joseph."

    "Joseph?"

    "He''s Robert''s cousin, a young man who works as a gravedigger."

    The chief guided Ian into a forest.

    In the distance, a red-haired woman could be seen.

    "As I thought..."

    The chief sighed.

    As they approached, Kira was intently observing something with a young man.

    When Ian looked to see what they were examining, it was just bare ground.

    The sight of grown adults staring at the ground was quite striking.

    In other words, they looked like idiots.

    If they added Jubal to the mix, it would be quite a sight.

    "What are you doing there?"

    "Oh, Ian. You''re here?"

    Kira flashed Ian a light smile before introducing the young man beside her.

    "This is Joseph. He works as a gravedigger."

    Ian looked at the young man called Joseph.

    True to his profession, his complexion was terribly pale.

    Ian worried if he was getting enough vitamins.

    "Hello, Wizard."

    Joseph greeted Ian, removing his hat.

    Ian asked the question he was most curious about.

    "What are you two doing here?"

    Joseph answered with a sinister laugh:

    "Kekeke... We were examining the scene."

    "The scene?"

    "Yes... The place where my dear nephew breathed his last."

    "..."

    Ian stared intently at Joseph.

    This bastard. Why does he talk like that?

    You must be the necromancer! Or a black wizard!

    Though he couldn''t pinpoint it exactly, there was something unsettlingly off about this man.

    Ian made a mental note to have Sir Leshach investigate him when he returned.

    "My nephew was killed here by that necromancer Maria."

    Joseph pointed to a patch of grass.

    "There were rotten flesh and maggots left there. That''s where Maria had the ghoul waiting."

    "Just curious, but what makes you think those were ghoul remains?"

    Joseph laughed sinisterly at Ian''s question.

    "Kekeke... Wizard. In my work as a gravedigger, I''ve seen countless deaths. I know the difference between flesh that''s fallen from a corpse and flesh that''s fallen from a ghoul. That was from a ghoul."

    It was the same story Ian had heard at Robert''s house.

    That Maria had summoned a ghoul to commit the murder.

    "But Maria... said she had no memory of killing Robert''s son?"

    "Kekeke... Wizard. Do you believe that?"

    To some extent.

    Ian nodded.

    "That''s... very logical. So Ian, do you think Maria didn''t kill Robert''s son?"

    "Well. Maybe?"

    "Wow..."

    To be honest, Kira couldn''t follow Ian''s thought process.

    She had never reasoned that way before.

    Based on the circumstances, Maria killed Robert''s son, right? So isn''t Maria a murderer?

    That''s how most medieval people would think.

    This is still a world where evidence-based trials aren''t applied.

    No, trials themselves are rare in this neighborhood. Ian''s way of thinking is actually strange in comparison.

    Maria even said she killed Robert''s son.

    To doubt Maria''s guilt at this point?

    There''s no reason to at all.

    But Ian knew at least the basic concepts of ''deduction'' and ''evidence''.

    In his past life, Ian had indirect experience in the legal world.

    Namely through [Legal High] and [Ace Attorney][1]...!

    Though his legal knowledge was only skin-deep... at least he understood the concept of evidence.

    As long as doubts remained, Ian didn''t want to draw conclusions.

    "Hm?"

    Heading towards the shed where Maria was locked up, Ian ran into a familiar giant on the way.

    "Ah! Mr. Ian!"

    Ah. Right. Jubal.

    I told him to go play with the kids.

    "Hey Jubal. How''d the task I gave you go?"

    Despite having forgotten about it until just now, Ian brazenly asked.

    Oblivious to Ian''s thoughts, Jubal grinned.

    "I had fun playing!"

    "Waaaah~"

    When Jubal smiled, the neighborhood kids playing beside him smiled too.

    Hmm. They do seem to have gotten closer.

    Jubal may look intimidating, but after exchanging a few words, you could quickly tell he was an idiot.

    The kids, arrogantly thinking Jubal was inferior to them, approached to tease him.

    Can that be considered getting along?

    Since it had come to this.

    Ian gathered information from the neighborhood kids.

    "Kids. Did you have fun playing with this big brother?"

    "Yes!"

    "Then, can I ask you a few things?"

    Ian asked without much thought.

    He figured kids wouldn''t know much anyway.

    But that was Ian''s mistake.

    Surprisingly, the kids knew a lot.

    "You mean Maria?"

    "That sister is always alone. Oh! Except for Eric!"

    "Pael keeps going to visit her, but Maria seems annoyed by it."

    ''Eric'' was Robert''s dead son.

    And Pael was...

    "Who''s Pael?"

    "The shepherd!"

    Ah. That guy.

    Ian had met him before. When he and Sir Leshach rescued him from the undead wolf attack.

    "I-I think... both Eric and Pael liked Maria..."

    One girl voiced her opinion.

    Typical statement from a teenage girl obsessed with others'' love lives.

    "Even when Pael saw ''that'', he was probably looking for Maria."

    "By ''that'' you mean..."

    Ian asked the girl.

    "When Maria used necromancy?"

    The girl nodded.

    "Yes. When Maria... k-killed Eric. Pael said he saw it all..."

    ...The list of people to meet was growing.

    Pael. The village shepherd. The one who witnessed Maria''s necromancy.

    Just then, one boy shouted:

    "We knew Maria was a necromancer!"

    What an attention seeker.

    He clearly yelled out of jealousy because Ian was talking to the girl.

    Ah~ I know something too~

    "What do you mean?"

    "Once, Pael took Maria to the sheep pasture. I saw it!"

    "..."

    Why were you watching that?

    Ian was more curious how this kid knew about someone else''s date, but he asked anyway.

    "What did you see?"

    The boy excitedly shouted:

    "Maria tried to rip apart and eat a rotten wolf carcass!"

    "...?"

    What the...

    Ian pondered what that meant for a while.

    Then he realized.

    That must have been an incident caused by the mysteries of death interfering with Maria''s mind.

    ---

    [1. raei: aha i think most of you would know this, but these are games!]

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 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Ian organized the information he gathered from the children.

    The shepherd named Pael witnessed Maria''s necromancy.

    Maria had also exhibited strange behavior in the past. Once, when she was with Pael, she tried to eat a rotten wolf carcass.

    ''Pael. Maria. And Eric.''

    The little girl suspected a love triangle between the three.

    It wasn''t just a conclusion drawn from being a romantic.

    "This gets stranger by the minute."

    Ian shared his thoughts with his companions.

    "I''m even more confused about why Maria killed Eric. They liked each other, didn''t they?"

    "She even gave him a gift."

    Belenka muttered.

    In her hand was the dagger, Eric''s keepsake.

    The one who gave this gift was none other than Maria.

    "She killed him with necromancy in a way that was easy to discover, and even got caught."

    "Ian. You still..."

    Kira asked carefully.

    Ian nodded.

    "The one who killed Eric... might not have been Maria."

    Belenka slightly furrowed her brow.

    "But didn''t she admit it herself? That she killed Eric?"

    "No. Maria said this: ''It wasn''t intentional.''"

    "...? That''s the same thing."

    "It means Eric died without her willing it."

    That''s right.

    Maria never once spoke about ''why'' she killed Eric.

    She only said, ''I don''t remember'' and ''It wasn''t intentional.''

    "If Maria were really the culprit, why would she let herself be caught by country farmers?"

    "She might have been unable to use magic for some reason."

    "That... I''ll concede."

    As a wizard, Ian knows well how unstable magic can be.

    What was possible yesterday might not be today.

    If the mysteries refuse to cooperate, it''s all for naught.

    Maria might have simply been caught due to some complication.

    "But she''s quietly locked up in the shed now, right? If we go ask her calmly once more..."

    Just as Ian was saying this.

    Someone came running frantically from afar.

    "Wi-Wizard!"

    The village chief said, panting heavily.

    "Bi-Big trouble!"

    "What''s with the fuss?"

    "Ma-Maria! Maria!"

    The chief shouted roughly.

    "That b*tch has disappeared!"

    "..."

    Goddamn it.

    Belenka''s expression changed in an instant. Kira too waited for Ian''s instructions with a grim face.

    "Looks like something''s gone down."

    "Haa. Let''s go after her for now."

    Ian hurriedly pursued Maria.

    ---

    ---

    Surprisingly, one of Ian''s specialties was tracking.

    Since he was friendly with Oberon.

    "Oberon! Go find the black-haired girl!"

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [I''ll find her right away!]

    Proving that crows are the gangsters of the bird world, Oberon grabbed any bird in the forest and shouted while yanking their heads:

    [Where''s the black-haired girl! Bird-ski!!!]

    [Eeeek!]

    Terrified by Oberon''s crow fists, the birds spilled information readily.

    [Sh-She went towards the clearing over there!]

    [You sure? If I look and she''s not there, it won''t end with just punches!]

    [Eeeeek!]

    Oberon was surprisingly large.

    He was about the size of a well-fed country chicken, which explained why Ian complained about his weight.

    In the animal world, size equals combat power.

    Oberon could beat up all other birds except birds of prey.

    Because of this, tracking Maria ended quickly.

    "Caw!"

    "I''ve been like this for a long time. Like a mad pig, wanting to stuff anything into my mouth. Salivating at the smell of rotten meat... Ha, haha... Disgusting and horrible, isn''t it?"

    She showed Ian her pale nape.

    "The power of death flows through me. The will of the dead. It gnaws ceaselessly at my will. My body and mind. Yes. That''s why I killed the man who loved me."

    Plop plop.

    The sound of water droplets falling could be heard.

    With her head bowed, Maria''s face wasn''t visible.

    But Ian could tell.

    She was now.

    Crying.

    "My madness...! My wicked power...! The screams of the dead...! They ruined everything!"

    "Maria."

    "You might be able to get rid of my curse by taking my life."

    Maria said, sobbing.

    "Kill me now."

    "..."

    "Kill me! And take away my terrible curse! Please!!!"

    Ian looked down at Maria silently for a while.

    Belenka closed her eyes tightly, and Kira bit her lip.

    The girl''s cry-mixed plea was eerily sorrowful and mournful.

    This is usually how it goes for those who come into contact with mystery.

    Mystery is called mystery because humans cannot understand it.

    It was only natural that humans who contacted mystery would repeat incomprehensible actions.

    Maria compulsively craved food, rotten meat.

    It was not her will, but the dead souls permeating her body and mind that desired it.

    It''s beyond her will.

    That fact drove Maria mad.

    Kira pitied such a Maria.

    ''If I hadn''t met Ian...''

    Kira had received the attention of the mystery of fire without proper magical initiation.

    If she hadn''t met Ian, Kira would still be handling fireworks and flames.

    Someday, unable to extinguish the flames she ignited, she would have burned to death.

    Receiving the attention of mystery was both a blessing and a curse.

    "Ian."

    "..."

    "Shall I do it?"

    Belenka drew her longsword.

    But Ian shook his head.

    "No. There''s no need for that."

    Belenka, having stuck with Ian for quite some time, could tell.

    Ian wasn''t sympathizing with Maria or hesitating to kill.

    Ian was... angry.

    Srrk.

    Ian took out Anor-lsil and aimed it at Maria.

    Ian spoke in a cold voice.

    "If you want to die comfortably as you wish, speak honestly."

    "Ah... Of course!"

    Maria lowered her head to make it easier for the blade to enter her neck.

    Ian asked without hesitation.

    "You''ve been in contact with the mystery of death for a long time. Is that right?"

    "Yes. Probably since I was twelve years old."

    "But you never learned how to control the mystery."

    "... If there was such a method, I would have learned it even if I had to rip out my heart."

    "And you''ve never met a necromancer."

    "Never."

    "You never prepared a ghoul to kill Eric either."

    "..."

    For a moment, Maria raised her head to look up at Ian.

    At some point, Ian had put away Anor-lsil.

    Instead, with a gentle smile, he patted Maria''s head.

    "You just spoke only the truth. You''ve never contacted a necromancer, nor learned necromancy."

    "...What are you saying? I''ve been possessed by ghosts."

    "Receiving the attention of mystery and handling mystery are separate issues. You fool."

    Maria''s eyes widened.

    Only now does the appearance of the young man before her look different.

    Ian Eredith Raven.

    He was not a nobleman who came to execute Maria...

    He was a wizard, versed in the world and its mysteries.

    Ian declared:

    "Maria. I''ve just confirmed it."

    "... Yes?"

    Ian smiled gently.

    "You did not kill Eric."

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Maria stared blankly at the wizard.

    Ian Eredith Raven.

    He had just said that she didn''t kill anyone.

    ''Why?''

    She couldn''t believe it.

    No, she couldn''t allow herself to believe it.

    Maria knew well the madness coursing through her veins.

    She had long been tormented by the curse of the dead.

    It was a horrific, disgusting, filthy kind of curse.

    An endless appetite.

    A craving for rotten meat.

    When she closed her eyes, the whispers of the dead echoed in her mind, slowly chipping away at her sanity.

    Maria thought she was already half-mad.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    Maintaining one''s sanity while hearing the whispers of the dead was an incredibly difficult task.

    So even when Eric''s corpse lay before her eyes.

    Maria calmly accepted the reality.

    Ah. My madness has struck again.

    I''ve killed someone who cared for me with my own hands.

    Maria offered no resistance when the villagers arrested her.

    In the dark shed, she thought and thought again.

    Where did it all go wrong?

    So when she lost consciousness again, she wasn''t surprised.

    When Ian came after her, she wasn''t particularly shocked either.

    She merely thought an opportunity had come.

    A perfect chance to put an end to this miserable, painful life.

    But.

    Ian didn''t kill Maria.

    Instead, he said this.

    That it wasn''t Maria who killed Eric.

    "But... but...!"

    Tears streamed endlessly down Maria''s cheeks.

    Unable to wipe them away, she cried out as if wailing:

    "It could only have been me...! The only one who could have harmed Eric was me!"

    Ian extended his hand to Maria.

    "Are you really sure about that?"

    "...!"

    "You don''t even fully understand the mystery dwelling in your body. Can you still be certain? Was it really only you?"

    Maria fell silent.

    She couldn''t refute Ian''s words.

    No.

    It would be more accurate to say she didn''t want to refute them.

    ... If she hadn''t killed Eric.

    If that were true.

    There could be no greater salvation than that.

    "I... I don''t know."

    Maria still couldn''t grasp Ian''s hand.

    "Did I... did I really not kill Eric?"

    Ian smiled and replied:

    "Try trusting the wizard."

    With trembling fingertips, Maria grasped Ian''s outstretched hand.

    "I''ll... I''ll try to believe you."

    Belenka sheathed her sword.

    Kira smiled contentedly, while Jubal scratched his head as if he couldn''t make sense of the situation.

    Still holding Maria''s hand, Ian slowly walked back towards the village.

    The moment he witnessed Maria''s mystery, Ian had found the missing puzzle piece.

    And now, it was time to deploy the final piece and complete the entire picture.

    ''The shepherd Pael.''

    That boy was the final puzzle piece in this incident.

    Ian intended to interrogate Pael as soon as they returned.

    "Oh my! Mr. Wizard!"

    But at the village outskirts, Ian encountered a group of farmers.

    Judging by their pitchforks and flails, they were undoubtedly a mob gathered to pursue the escaped Maria.

    Indeed, they were startled upon seeing Maria.

    "The witch!"

    "The wizard''s caught her!"

    Ian scattered darkness to force the farmers back.

    The encroaching nightfall made it convenient to manipulate the mystery of darkness.

    "W-Wizard?"

    "Stop making a fuss and go back. I''ve got Maria well in hand."

    "But..."

    "But what?"

    The farmers didn''t dare meet Ian''s eyes.

    If there was anyone capable of staring down a wizard, they certainly wouldn''t be wasting their time as country farmers.

    "Um..."

    "What now?"

    "Sir Leshach is waiting."

    Ian held his tongue.

    It was all speculation. They''d have to see how things played out to know for sure.

    But regardless, Sir Leshach was genuinely impressed by Ian''s abilities.

    "Entrusting the investigation to you was the right decision."

    "I just stumbled upon it by chance."

    Sir Leshach trusted in the wizard''s wisdom.

    With Ian, they would surely uncover the truth and find the necromancer.

    "I believe in you."

    "What a coincidence. I believe in you too, Sir Leshach."

    Sir Leshach burst out laughing at Ian''s joke.

    "Alright then. Let''s do this."

    ---

    ---

    As the sun set, torches blazed in the village square.

    The lord and his retinue. Sir Leshach. Ian and the villagers.

    The trial was ready to begin.

    "We now commence the trial of the necromancer Maria!"

    Ian observed the lord''s entourage with a blank expression.

    During his rounds of the village, Ian had gathered various pieces of information.

    As a result, he''d concluded that Maria was not Eric''s killer.

    Ian believed there was no reason for Maria to be executed.

    She was just a pitiful girl overwhelmed by mystery.

    ... But that was merely Ian''s opinion.

    Naturally, it was the lord before him who held Maria''s life in his hands.

    If the lord said innocent, she was innocent. If he said execution, she''d be executed.

    That''s how medieval courts worked.

    "The rightful ruler of this land, Baron Dorin, will judge the necromancer''s guilt!"

    The trial''s... emcee was the baron''s son, the young baron.

    "Baron, please speak."

    A hunched old man rose from his chair.

    And.

    The moment Baron Dorin opened his mouth, Ian felt dizzy...

    "Eee~ eee~ ee~"

    "Baron. You need to say you''re starting."

    "Waaah~ I am a baby baron~ Want milk~"

    "..."

    Baron Dorin was... a senile old man!

    That thing... is the judge?

    Ian immediately wanted to object...

    "Excuse me. The baron seems a bit off. Is the trial even possible?"

    "How dare you! Wizard! Mind your tongue! What''s wrong with the baron!"

    As they insisted the trial could proceed, Ian was left speechless.

    If the lord''s son said it was possible, what could Ian say?

    ''Please just don''t spout nonsense.''

    This might actually work out better.

    A young noble who could be swayed was easier to deal with than a stubborn old man.

    The young baron was clearly deferring to Sir Leshach''s authority.

    A typical rural baron''s way of conducting himself.

    "Now explain the situation!"

    The young baron was just a procedural shuttle...

    Sir Leshach would effectively serve as the real judge.

    As the villagers looked on, someone stepped forward and bowed.

    It was Joseph, the pale-faced gravedigger.

    Joseph explained the situation as the village representative.

    "Two days ago. The necromancer Maria killed Robert''s son, Eric, using necromancy."

    "Maria secretly lured Eric to a secluded forest."

    "There, she possessed a pre-prepared ghoul and brutally murdered Eric."

    "She tried to flee, but fainted due to magical backlash."

    "In the end, we captured her."

    No sooner had Joseph finished speaking than the villagers began shouting.

    "Execute the witch!"

    "Kill her! Kill her!"

    "For the peace of our village!"

    While trials were a lord''s right, they were also very important events.

    Just because you could pass judgment freely didn''t mean you actually should.

    If a lord ruled tyrannically, rebellion would naturally follow.

    Thus, the young lord had no choice but to carefully consider Maria''s sentence.

    If Ian and Sir Leshach weren''t present, he would have unhesitatingly passed a death sentence.

    After all, it''s what the villagers wanted!

    If everyone was clamoring for her death, wouldn''t executing Maria boost the lord''s popularity?

    But the courtroom included individuals even the lord found troublesome.

    The wizard Ian and the knight of the pope, Sir Leshach.

    Tap! Tap!

    A loud tapping sound rang out.

    The wizard Ian stepped before the crowd, striking the ground with his staff.

    At the wizard''s appearance, not just the villagers but even the young lord fell silent.

    "Esteemed lord."

    As Ian began to speak.

    All eyes focused on him.

    Ian spoke calmly, his voice almost melodic:

    "Here, I wish to reveal three truths."

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    To the people, Maria was already a b*tch worthy of death.

    They took in a parentless girl with nowhere to go, fed and sheltered her. And she killed their son and tried to run away?

    Their rage was understandable.

    But Ian knew Maria hadn''t killed Eric.

    It had merely been staged to look that way.

    ''I don''t know why they did it, though.''

    This was what Ian had discovered from investigating the village.

    Maria was only a murder suspect. The real culprit was someone else. That was Ian''s conclusion.

    He couldn''t figure out why the real culprit had tried to frame Maria.

    Because he hadn''t spoken with them yet.

    But at least he could argue for Maria''s innocence here and now.

    Maria = Culprit.

    Removing this frame was the first step.

    "Three truths?"

    The young baron tilted his head.

    He had come to the village to ''play''.

    No joke, he really came just to have fun.

    He''d heard rumors of necromancers roaming around the domain lately.

    But aren''t knights supposed to deal with that sort of thing? Not my problem!

    He was already becoming a bad seed of hereditary nobility, a budding member of the privileged class.

    If necromancers were about, the lord should be the busiest of all.

    But the real lord was a senile old man... and the young baron was a shameless fool, waiting to inherit the title without knowing how to do anything.

    So the young baron could go out carefree.

    He was more interested in Sir Leshach, who claimed to have come to beat up necromancers, than in the necromancers themselves!

    Whatever Maria had done in this village, he didn''t care.

    He planned to quickly pass a death sentence and then go drinking with Sir Leshach.

    But.

    This wizard suddenly says he''ll reveal three truths. for new novels

    The young baron decided to watch what the wizard would do for now.

    Wizards were such unpredictable beings, and since Sir Leshach was keeping quiet, it felt awkward for him to say anything. (He was not aware that he was supposed to be the judge.)

    "Alright! Speak!"

    The young baron naturally assumed Ian would prove Maria''s guilt.

    He couldn''t imagine anything else.

    The villagers felt the same way.

    But Ian began to tell a story completely different from people''s expectations.

    "First, let me introduce myself. I am Ian, disciple of Eredith. At Sir Leshach''s request, I''ve been investigating the necromancer Maria."

    Ian strode confidently around the courtroom as if sweeping it.

    He was used to being the center of attention.

    That natural, dignified attitude combined with the wizard''s mysterious aura added persuasive authority.

    As evidence, everyone was holding their breath, focused on Ian''s words.

    "I heard that Maria killed a young man named Eric, so I investigated that in detail... but there were some questionable points."

    "... Questionable? What do you mean?"

    When Ian made a statement that didn''t fit the flow of the trial.

    The young baron asked in genuine surprise.

    Is he... not arguing for Maria''s guilt right now?

    "First. Maria killed Robert''s son, Eric. But... why did she kill him?"

    A moment of silence fell.

    The only ones who could answer this question were the villagers.

    But with the lord, knight, and wizard speaking here, no one dared to step forward.

    Unless they had completely lost their senses, that is.

    "I''ll answer that question."

    The pale-faced gravedigger stepped forward.

    The gravedigger, Joseph.

    He was a commoner who had not an ounce of fear.

    "Why did Maria kill Eric? The reason is simple."

    Joseph spoke in an eerie voice.

    "My cousin was forced to reluctantly raise Maria on the village chief''s orders. My ill-tempered cousin and his wife bullied and abused Maria."

    "Ah, no! Joseph! What are you saying...!"

    Robert and his wife, who had been silent until now, were aghast.

    The fact that the couple had tormented Maria was an open secret.

    But to say that in front of the lord!

    Whose side are you on! Really!

    "Kuk kuk... Robert. Don''t try to gloss over the situation with pretty words. This isn''t a place where flimsy lies will work."

    "B-But still...!"

    "Evidence that you bullied Maria is everywhere. Should we ask the children?"

    "..."

    When Joseph turned his head, the villagers flinched and avoided the gravedigger''s gaze.

    Joseph''s words were true.

    Maria had indeed been bullied by Robert and his wife.

    Those who knew were aware, but no one particularly tried to stop it.

    It''s not like there''d be any consequences for tormenting a parentless orphan as a pastime...

    Joseph looked at Ian and said.

    "The grudge overflowed. Maria, who usually suffered from discrimination and bullying by the Robert couple, decided to kill their eldest son out of resentment... Kuk kuk."

    There was no reaction from the villagers. It was a motive everyone had more or less guessed.

    Even the young baron, hearing the story for the first time, nodded.

    But Ian slowly shook his head.

    "That doesn''t make sense."

    "Kuk kuk... Why do you think so?"

    Ian took out a dagger from his pocket.

    The only person who recognized that object was Robert and his wife''s daughter.

    "That''s...!"

    "Very well. Let''s hear from an eyewitness at this point."

    Snap!

    Ian snapped his fingers.

    "Shepherd Pael, step forward."

    This was a courtroom with all the villagers gathered.

    There was no way Pael wouldn''t be participating. That''s what Ian thought.

    As expected, Pael was in attendance.

    "Ah... Yes!"

    A young man with an innocent look stepped forward.

    He looked around awkwardly, seemingly uncomfortable in this setting.

    Ian approached Pael and said.

    "Shepherd Pael. You witnessed Maria''s necromancy. Correct?"

    "Yes! That''s right! I saw it with my own two eyes!"

    "Explain the situation."

    Pael spoke without hesitation.

    "While taking a walk, I happened to discover Maria and Eric. The two seemed to be having some kind of secret conversation in the forest."

    "But suddenly Maria collapsed... and out of nowhere, a ghoul appeared and tore Eric to death."

    "I was surprised, thinking this must be the necromancy I''d only heard about, so I brought people."

    "You know the rest, Mr. Wizard."

    At Pael''s testimony, the villagers were stirred up once again.

    No matter how many times they heard it... the culprit could only be Maria.

    Hadn''t Joseph and Ian already acknowledged Maria''s necromancy abilities?

    But Ian calmly looked at Joseph.

    "Joseph. What do you think?"

    "... I''m not a necromancer, but I know that necromancers can possess undead."

    Joseph spoke in a low voice.

    "Maria possessed a ghoul and brutally murdered Eric. But due to her inexperienced necromancy, she couldn''t return to her original body in time. That''s why she lost consciousness."

    "Even if Maria had no intention to kill... do you still think Maria is the culprit?"

    "Whether there was intent or not, murder is murder. Even if Maria was possessed by ghostly madness and accidentally committed murder... the dead don''t come back."

    The dead don''t come back.

    That sentence painfully stabbed Maria''s heart with cruel sharpness.

    ''Ah...''

    She wanted to rush into the courtroom right then.

    To shout that she had killed that person. To beg forgiveness for her wrongdoing.

    But.

    Ian had told Maria.

    The one who killed Eric wasn''t you.

    It might have been a shallow lie.

    But Maria decided to believe Ian''s words.

    She wanted to believe she hadn''t killed Eric...

    "Then. You think Maria used possession magic?"

    For a moment, Joseph didn''t understand Ian''s question.

    Isn''t that... the same question as before?

    "Yes. I think she did."

    Since it was the same question, Joseph gave the same answer.

    Then, Ian asked a follow-up question.

    "Joseph. Do you know what kind of death mystery Maria handles?"

    "... Pardon?"

    This time there was no way to answer.

    Well, Joseph was a gravedigger, not a wizard.

    "I''m sorry, Mr. Wizard. I don''t know."

    Ian nodded.

    Well, that''s expected. I didn''t expect you to know anyway.

    Ian then questioned Pael.

    "What about you? You witnessed the scene, so you might know. What kind of death mystery do you think Maria handles?"

    "Well..."

    "Even something minor is fine, just say what comes to mind."

    Pael scratched his head and said.

    "I''m not sure. Mr. Wizard. Nothing comes to mind at all."

    "Really, nothing comes to mind?"

    "Yes. Well... she controls some kind of spirit, doesn''t she?"

    "What kind of spirit?"

    "Just... dead ghosts..."

    At that moment.

    Ian let out a snicker.

    It was clearly a mocking laugh.

    "Once again. Kids, come forward."

    Ian called the children to testify.

    The children looked at Ian with big, round eyes.

    "What kind of ghost do you think Maria summons?"

    "..."

    "..."

    The children glanced at each other.

    ''Why is he asking kids something like that...''

    ''Do kids even know?''

    The villagers couldn''t understand Ian''s actions.

    They naturally thought the children wouldn''t be able to give any answer.

    But surprisingly, one child spoke up.

    "I, I..."

    This was the child''s thought.

    "I think Big Sis Maria... summons ''ghosts of those who starved to death''."

    "...?"

    The villagers tilted their heads.

    Ghosts of those who starved to death...?

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Sir Leshach looked at Ian, intrigued.

    ''I don''t know the wizard''s skills. But...''

    The name Wizard Ian was one his subordinates had told him about.

    Sir Leshach didn''t even know that a person named Ian existed in the world.

    He only gave high marks for the part about helping the Knights of Saint Santiago and Golden Finger Takarion.

    However, at this moment, Sir Leshach made a definitive assessment of Ian.

    ''Ian is clearly a wise wizard.''

    The idea of a wise wizard solving riddles was something he had only thought existed in fairy tales from long ago.

    But Sir Leshach had to revise his thinking.

    Right before his eyes was a wise wizard who seemed to have stepped out of a story.

    The only person who knew the full story surrounding Necromancer Maria was Ian alone.

    Everyone in the village thought Maria was a murderer.

    Sir Leshach had also been assuming as much to some extent.

    But Ian had found some new possibility amidst the sea of confusing information.

    If it had a reasonable basis...

    If Maria claimed innocence, Sir Leshach was willing to agree.

    "Wizard Ian. Explain about the ''starved ghost''."

    After sending the children away, Ian spoke in a calm voice.

    "Just now, I happened to witness Maria being overwhelmed by the mystery of death."

    "What did it look like?"

    "She was trying to dig up the ground to eat worms."

    "..."

    "..."

    The young baron wore a shocked expression, and even Sir Leshach looked slightly surprised.

    "That''s certainly not a normal occurrence."

    "If an ordinary person had seen Maria, they would have just thought she was crazy."

    Ian said impassively.

    "Just like the Robert couple thought."

    Robert and his wife''s faces turned pale.

    The young baron pressed the couple.

    "Speak! Did you know about Maria''s strangeness?"

    "W-Well...! We knew she had a big appetite, but..."

    A big appetite.

    That was also one of the reasons why Robert and his wife hated Maria.

    Sometimes she would eat like a demon had possessed her, and it was unbearably irritating.

    But Robert and his wife failed to recognize the mystery of death clinging to Maria.

    Maria was truly ''possessed''...

    "We didn''t know it was because of a ghost!"

    "That''s enough."

    Ian glared at Robert and his wife.

    Guilty as they were, they couldn''t say another word and returned to their original places.

    "As I saw, and as Joseph and the Robert couple know... Maria is in a state of being tormented by a ''hungry ghost''."

    Joseph nodded reluctantly.

    "I acknowledge that... But what of it?"

    Thud!

    Ian struck the ground with his staff.

    "Maria has never properly learned necromancy. She doesn''t know how to control the mystery, and instead, she has only shown signs of being overwhelmed by it."

    "Ah."

    Sir Leshach let out a low exclamation. He understood what Ian was trying to say.

    Sir Leshach was also a cleric who had studied scripture and the Maronius language.

    He had some knowledge about magic.

    "I see. If Maria... got caught up in a mystery by accident..."

    Impressive, as expected of an educated man!

    Ian grinned and continued Sir Leshach''s thought.

    "Yes. She wouldn''t have had the leisure to harm anyone."

    "What nonsense...!"

    "If Maria had accidentally possessed a ghoul, rather than killing people, she would have gone looking for rotten meat!"

    Pael looked around.

    As if searching for an escape route.

    "Suddenly saying such a thing... it''s quite perplexing and troublesome."

    The villagers nodded.

    Ian''s accusation seemed too outlandish.

    "Surely you don''t think I''m the murderer just because I witnessed the killing? It''s a bad habit to accuse without solid evidence..."

    Ian let out a snicker.

    Pael''s reaction looked exactly like that of a guilty bastard.

    "You know what, Pael? In detective novels, when the detective points out the real culprit, the criminals always say this. ''Do you have evidence?''"

    "... What novels?"

    Ian lamented the wretched medieval reading level.

    Read some books in the library once in a while, damn it!

    Even though there''s no library, no books, and no knowledge to read...!!!

    "As you said, one reason I think you''re the culprit is that you''re the only witness."

    Pael immediately put on an aggrieved expression.

    "If you suspect me just because I reported it..."

    "I''m suspicious because you reported it. Listen carefully. If Maria didn''t possess the ghoul. Who controlled it?"

    "..."

    "At the scene, there was only Maria, Eric, and you. Eric is dead, and Maria was unconscious. That only leaves you, doesn''t it?"

    Scratching his head, Pael said.

    "A hidden necromancer could have..."

    "That''s even stranger. A passing necromancer attacks a villager with a ghoul out of boredom? And it happens to be a boy Maria was close to?"

    The vagueness of the motive.

    When Ian pointed that out, Pael immediately retorted.

    "It could have been a weird necromancer! Wizards are eccentric by nature, after all!"

    The residents nodded.

    Even Sir Leshach seemed to agree.

    Ian''s pure and innocent heart was about to be wounded.

    This is wizard hatred! Discrimination!

    The reality that such words were persuasive was depressingly bitter...

    "No. You had a motive to kill Maria''s boyfriend candidate."

    "Oh ho. Me? Do you really think so?"

    ... This bastard.

    He''s not even trying to hide it anymore?

    At Pael''s brazen response, Ian spat out.

    "You wanted Maria, didn''t you?"

    At that, Pael burst into laughter.

    "Hahaha! Just like a wizard, you''re talking nonsense! You''re saying I killed Eric to have Maria for myself? Learning necromancy and preparing a ghoul?"

    "..."

    "Wizard. I don''t... sense any mystery of death from Pael."

    Joseph whispered as if giving advice.

    You''re saying this knowing that, right?

    Of course, Ian knew that too.

    "No. There��s no need for that. He was a necromancer from the start."

    Pael''s parents and acquaintances were startled.

    Our child... was a necromancer from the beginning?!

    Pael sneered at Ian.

    "What are you saying now..."

    But Ian cut off Pael''s words.

    "''You'' were originally a necromancer. Nameless wizard."

    "...!"

    Ian''s target was clear.

    Not Pael, but the wizard hiding behind Pael''s shell.

    Pael''s acquaintances looked at him in shock.

    Pael didn''t seem flustered or try to deny Ian''s words.

    He was just... smiling.

    "Kuk kuk... You''ve got a decent head on your shoulders, wizard."

    Ian gazed calmly at Pael.

    Shepherd Pael.

    He was a necromancer who had infiltrated the village.

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian glared at Pael.

    No, he glared at the nameless necromancer.

    That bastard was the root cause of this incident.

    The one who murdered Eric and framed Maria.

    ''...But why?''

    This was all speculation from here.

    Yet strangely, Ian was certain his thoughts were correct.

    The reason was unclear.

    It was just a wizard''s intuition.

    "You... planned this from the start, targeting Maria."

    Pael (tentatively named) listened intently to Ian''s words with a meaningful smile.

    "Why do you think that, wizard?"

    Ian glanced briefly at Maria.

    At Maria, who was glaring at Pael as if she wanted to tear him apart.

    There was only one thing that made sense.

    "You were attracted to Maria''s appearance."

    "Kuk, hahaha! Masterpiece, wizard! I orchestrated all this, entranced by some wench''s looks? This troublesome affair?"

    "If it weren''t troublesome, it wouldn''t have been meaningful."

    Ian said in a low voice.

    "What you wanted... was Maria''s submission."

    "..."

    "It was a suspicious situation to anyone. Everyone thought Maria was the murderer, and she nearly faced execution."

    Pael is the mastermind who manipulated this situation.

    That means Pael deliberately led Maria to the gallows from the beginning.

    Why go to such trouble?

    Simply wanting to kill Maria?

    A necromancer who commands undead minions?

    "You wanted to make Maria an ''outcast.''"

    Pael''s goal wasn''t Maria''s murder.

    It was Maria''s ''social'' murder.

    "Maria is a woman born with the talent for necromancy. She''s a future necromancer in the making."

    "..."

    "But even if Maria learned necromancy, there was no guarantee she would move according to the will of her teacher."

    A disciple follows the path laid by their master.

    But there''s no rule saying they must walk the exact same path.

    ... Especially if the master''s path is bloody and horrific.

    "You''re a wizard from the [Golden Rule Society], aren''t you?"

    Pael smiled deeply.

    It was as good as an affirmation.

    "Correct. Did Leshach tell you?"

    "It''s too obvious. A black wizard prowling around here. Pulling this kind of sh*t, no less."

    It could only be a wizard from the Golden Rule Society.

    - That was Ian''s conclusion.

    And that conclusion was correct.

    Pael bowed theatrically like a jester.

    "Then let me introduce myself properly. I am a necromancer from the [Golden Rule Society]. [Heavenly Wizard] Bertholdt."

    Ian let Pael''s... no, ''Bertholdt''s'' self-introduction go in one ear and out the other.

    So what?

    What the f*ck is a Heavenly Wizard, you f*cking weeb?

    But an unexpected reaction came from an unlikely source.

    "...Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt!"

    It was Sir Leshach.

    Sir Leshach knew the name Bertholdt.

    Ian nodded.

    Ah. So that''s how it is.

    Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt must be like a title from a martial arts novel!

    Martial arts novel special - You have to act surprised when a title appears.

    Can''t resist a cliche?~

    "Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt!"

    Ian shouted, following Sir Leshach''s lead.

    Bertholdt laughed sinisterly.

    "Hehe... Now do you understand? What kind of wizard you''re facing!"

    "Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt!"

    "Yes! That''s me!"

    "Right! You''re Bertholdt!"

    "...?"

    Bertholdt paused at Ian''s strange response.

    He was giving a killer answer, but...

    Somehow, it felt lacking...

    "Hey. You do know what kind of wizard I am, right?"

    Ian answered boldly.

    "Of course! You''re Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt!"

    Something feels off.

    "...Besides that!"

    Thud...

    No matter how great a wizard, they die when beheaded.

    Magic always requires an incantation to persuade mystery, so if you cut off a wizard''s head before they complete the incantation, the magic won''t activate.

    However, that only applies...

    When you''ve properly ''killed'' the wizard.

    "Be careful! Ian! Bertholdt is the [Heavenly Wizard]! He''s on a whole different level from common necromancers!"

    Sir Leshach shouted in Maronius language while drawing his sword.

    "[Heavens above! Protect your children!]"

    In an instant, the darkness vanished and a beam of moonlight illuminated Sir Leshach.

    The heavens had accepted Sir Leshach''s holy plea.

    At the same time.

    The mystery of death enveloping Bertholdt erupted skyward like an explosion!

    Though his head was clearly severed, Bertholdt kept moving.

    The reason is simple.

    "That was a corpse from the start!"

    Bertholdt is an excellent necromancer.

    "Bertholdt was controlling Pael''s corpse!"

    The ''real'' Bertholdt must be hiding somewhere, controlling Pael''s corpse.

    The reason no mystery of death was felt from Pael''s corpse was also simple.

    Because Bertholdt hadn''t sent the mystery...!

    The mystery of death must have only been swirling around the real Bertholdt!

    The beheaded Bertholdt.

    No, Pael''s corpse shouted.

    [The childish game ends now! Maria! True daughter of the Empire! I''ll have you by force if I must!]

    The swirling mystery of death was ominously dreadful.

    Just as mystery of fire raises flames and the mystery of wind stirs up gales.

    ... The mystery of death can trample and annihilate life itself.

    It''s not just dangerous in appearance, but truly perilous!

    ''Ordinary magic won''t cut it!''

    Ian focused intently.

    If exposed to the deathly power Bertholdt had amassed, even Ian couldn''t guarantee survival.

    The power Bertholdt had gathered was extremely dangerous.

    But there was also a clear weakness.

    ''He''s not the main body, but a possessed vessel.''

    The one wielding that power is Bertholdt, possessing a corpse.

    If we can just destroy that corpse, the mystery of death will lose its focal point and dissipate.

    ''I''ll unleash everything!''

    There was no time to hold back.

    Ian prepared the most powerful magic he could.

    If we''re talking Ian''s strongest magic, it''s obviously skill card magic.

    "[Lightning Spear!]"

    [Grand Skill: Lightning Spear (Lv4)]

    [Throws a spear made of unstable lightning that will fry everything it touches!]

    Fizzzzzz!

    One of the 8 skill cards created with the ice god Hrundal.

    The power of a great technique unfurled from Ian''s fingertips.

    Ian grasped an enormous spear of lightning in his hand.

    The villagers.

    Sir Leshach and Maria.

    Even Bertholdt.

    "What the... is that?"

    They stared at Ian''s magic, unable to hide their astonishment.

    And no wonder.

    Ian''s magic was... a bizarre spell unlike anything any wizard had ever experienced!

    The skill card system of magic is an original creation devised by Ian and Hrundal, non-existent in this world.

    It''s only natural they''ve never seen it before.

    "The mystery of lightning...? But the sky is so quiet...!"

    Bertholdt forgot he had an enemy before him, busy analyzing this never-before-seen magic.

    He too was a wizard, after all.

    But Ian didn''t give a damn what Bertholdt thought.

    "Bertholdt!"

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Ian plunged the lightning spear towards Bertholdt.

    The lightning spear was so fast. It engulfed Bertholdt in an instant.

    Before Bertholdt could even finish his astonishment-

    "Vanish!"

    Kwaaaang!

    The spear of pure lightning pierced Bertholdt''s crown!

    An earsplitting roar and blinding radiance swept the surroundings.

    A moment later.

    "...Heavens above."

    Sir Leshach rubbed his stinging eyes and looked straight ahead.

    Ian''s lightning spear had charred the corpse Bertholdt was controlling pitch black.

    The man-sized lump of charcoal that was once a corpse slowly crumbled.

    Thud.

    Ian breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the fallen corpse.

    So much for being a Heavenly Wizard (lol).

    Necromancer Bertholdt. Surprisingly underwhelming, huh?

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt.

    [Heavenly Wizard] was originally an official title from the Golden Empire era.

    Wizards existed even in the Golden Empire days (in fact, that was their golden age).

    Heavenly Wizard was the highest rank in the imperial magic department, a wise advisor position helping the governor and regent run the empire.

    Heavenly Wizard was originally a Golden Empire office.

    But Bertholdt is from the Holy Empire.

    Yet he can brazenly go around with the title [Heavenly Wizard] because...

    The organization he belongs to, the [Golden Rule Society], is obsessed with the Golden Empire.

    You know how when some people get too obsessed with something, they start using all sorts of weird titles?

    Like how during the real-life Japanese Empire era, there were black-haired nobles running around calling themselves counts and viscounts.

    ''We''re the legitimate successors of the ancient Golden Empire!''

    ''So let''s use titles from the Golden Empire!''

    In the Golden Empire, the number 1000 was used to mean something like superior or awesome.

    So Heavenly Wizard just meant a really, really exceptional wizard.

    The name Heavenly Wizard itself was undoubtedly a chuunibyou name steeped in pretension and ancient empire obsession.

    But Bertholdt''s skills were the real deal.

    ''A weirdo who wanders around looking for Golden Empire era tombs.''

    Bertholdt was part of the Golden Rule Society and a black wizard, but like most wizards, he was a bit off in the head.

    He went around the empire collecting the bones of soldiers who died in the Golden Empire era.

    All because he aimed to resurrect the Golden Empire''s army as undead (...).

    So the nobles of the Holy Empire didn''t acknowledge Bertholdt.

    The Golden Empire fell ages ago, why the f*ck are you trying to bring them back now?

    Are you trying to steal my land?!

    But conversely, Bertholdt''s undead army became a useful force for the Golden Rule Society.

    That''s why Bertholdt''s position was quite high within the society.

    ''Even if it''s not the real body...''

    Bertholdt is a wizard with solid skills.

    Yet Ian wiped him out with a single spell.

    Using a strange magic that even Sir Leshach had never seen before.

    Sir Leshach couldn''t help but marvel at Ian''s magic.

    "Impressive work, Ian."

    He sincerely praised Ian''s skills.

    As someone who dabbled in magic himself, Sir Leshach knew just how extraordinary Ian''s magic was.

    But Ian himself seemed a bit underwhelmed.

    ''I thought he was supposed to be a famous wizard from the Golden Rule Society... but he wasn''t much.''

    Ian had been on high alert.

    So when his opponent fell so easily, he felt a bit cheated.

    If Bertholdt knew, he''d be foaming at the mouth.

    "You called him Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt, right? He seemed pretty weak."

    "???"

    Sir Leshach was momentarily dumbfounded by Ian''s words.

    What the hell? Is this some kind of bluff?

    "Did you not see the deathly power he gathered?"

    "I saw it. But he didn''t do anything with it."

    That''s because you f*cking blasted a lightning bolt through his head, you idiot.

    Sir Leshach struggled to grasp what Ian was thinking.

    It was like watching a swordfight between masters, seeing one fell a formidable opponent, then saying, ''He died when I stabbed his throat? How disappointing.''

    Isn''t it weirder to survive getting hit by lightning?

    ''...Is it because he''s a wizard?''

    Sir Leshach decided to just accept it and move on.

    Right. Wizards are all a bunch of weirdos.

    "Indeed. What you destroyed was just Bertholdt''s possessed body. His real body is hiding somewhere around here. He might be rushing over with an undead army as we speak."

    Sir Leshach said calmly.

    Of course, the chances of Bertholdt launching a full-scale attack were low.

    The village is full of Sir Leshach''s men-at-arms, two wizards, a knight, and one big idiot who could join the fight.

    There''s no f*cking Golden Rule Society secret hidden here. Why would he throw him and his army into this?

    Of course, wizards are erratic beings, so there''s a chance he might attack in a fit of rage.

    But Bertholdt is a cunning black wizard. You can tell just by how he tried to seduce Maria with his nefarious scheme.

    Now that his surprise attack has failed, Bertholdt won''t reveal himself recklessly.

    "Everything alright?"

    "Yeah. No suspicious people around."

    There were an unusually high number of torches around Ian''s camp. Kira had stuck them in just in case.

    If any suspicious person approached, those torches would instantly transform into flamethrowers.

    "What the hell are we doing here?"

    Belenka muttered as she ladled a heaping portion of stew into Jubal''s bowl.

    Ian''s hometown is in the northwest of the empire. It was a region with few people even in the sparsely populated empire lands.

    While gloomy space-time wizards wandered about, gloomy necromancers were rare to see.

    But as soon as he came south, he ran into black wizards...

    The south was definitely a more turbulent land than the north.

    "Ian. After we rescue Professor Inglan, how about leaving the empire altogether?"

    "Where do you want to go?"

    "The Roland Kingdom? Or it wouldn''t be bad to see the Coral Sea."

    Belenka''s suggestion was a bit unexpected.

    "I thought you''d say we should jump into the war and make a name for ourselves."

    "It hasn''t started yet. And I''m sick of seeing these black wizards. We should both live long, healthy lives."

    Ian nodded.

    It would be pretty f*cking stupid to die picking a fight with some black wizard.

    Wizards tend to flock together. The more similar mysteries they handle, the better they understand each other.

    What the f*ck are you supposed to talk about with guys who specialize in necromancy and demon magic?

    Ian chatted with his companions for a while.

    Then suddenly, he felt a quiet gaze.

    "..."

    Maria, who had cleaned her bowl, was silently staring at Ian.

    "Oh. Want another bowl?"

    As Ian reached for the stew pot, Maria shook her head.

    "I''ve had enough. But..."

    "Really? You barely ate one ladle-full."

    Kira chimed in from the side.

    She clearly ate less on purpose, trying to be considerate.

    Ian smiled and said:

    "Is that so? Want more? By the way, you can eat as much as you want."

    Ian possessed the magical power to produce food at any time.

    He could barge into any house, say ''I''m the wizard Ian'', and make flour and eggs pour forth.

    If that''s not power, what the f*ck is?

    "Then, gladly..."

    Maria shyly held out her bowl.

    As expected, she had refused at first out of consideration.

    Maria parted her lips slightly and took a spoonful of stew.

    "It really is delicious."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. It''s as good as the stew my grandmother used to make."

    "..."

    An awkward atmosphere briefly passed by.

    Maria continued speaking as if nothing was wrong.

    "My grandmother, she went senile and used to say she was a princess of a small country. But that must have been a lie. I can tell just from the taste of the stew."

    "The taste of the stew?"

    Ian responded, and Maria smiled sweetly.

    "Yes. There''s no way a princess of a country could make such delicious stew. She must have been a cook."

    Ian crossed his arms comfortably.

    "I''m curious about something."

    "What is it?"

    "Your way of speaking? Your accent? Did you learn that from your grandmother?"

    Maria nodded.

    "Yes. It''s a bit strange, isn''t it? She said this was the court''s way of speaking... Hehe. Words from someone who probably never set foot in a palace in her life."

    Just then, Kira gave a slight look from the side.

    It was a look that conveyed affirmation.

    Which meant that Maria''s way of speaking was actually similar to that of a real court noble.

    ''Perhaps?''

    Ian felt a bit curious.

    It''s just a possibility, but.

    Maybe Maria''s foster grandmother really was a princess of a small country.

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ''But she''s already passed away.''

    Ian recalled the information about Maria''s foster grandmother.

    A year ago, Maria''s foster grandmother had died. That''s why Maria had been working as a maid in Robert''s household.

    If she were still alive, Ian could have at least talked to her, but now there was no way to find out.

    "If my manner of speech bothers you, I can speak normally."

    "You can speak normally?"

    "Of course. I was merely trying to be respectful, considering your position as a wizard."

    "No, it''s fine."

    Ian wasn''t particularly bothered by Maria''s way of speaking.

    Hell, he put up with that bastard Takarion''s way of talking, so this was nothing.

    Maria set down her stew bowl and stood up.

    Then she gracefully bent her knees and gave Ian an elegant curtsy.

    "Once again. I express my gratitude to you, Wizard."

    "Ian is fine."

    Maria flashed a sweet smile at Ian.

    "Yes. Ian."

    That smile... honestly, it had enough power to make even Ian flinch.

    Wait, isn''t she definitely younger than me?

    Maria was indeed younger than Ian.

    But Maria''s beauty had something that set her apart from other women.

    You could say it was a bewitching beauty rather than mere prettiness. There was a seductiveness that didn''t match her age.

    Ian imagined Lucy from Talian giving the same smile.

    It would be pure wholesomeness.

    Lucy would protest immediately, but that''s an undeniable fact.

    Lucy might be older, but Maria was definitely more eye-catching.

    "Ian..."

    "Uh. Yeah. What?"

    Ian sensed something unsettling in Maria''s gaze.

    If Ian had noticed it, there was no way the other women hadn''t.

    ''That girl...''

    ''She really likes Ian.''

    Maria continued in a melodious, cheerful voice.

    "Today, I''ve incurred far too great a debt to you, Ian."

    He couldn''t exactly deny it.

    For whatever reason, Ian had cleared Maria''s false charges and driven away the real culprit.

    If Ian hadn''t intervened, Maria would have been hanged without mercy.

    "I''ve been thinking... I want to repay this debt somehow."

    "Now that I think about it, there''s no real need to repay it..."

    "No. I must repay it."

    Ian''s eyes briefly met Maria''s.

    And he felt a slight chill...

    Maria''s pitch-black eyes looked like they belonged to some ''dead-eyed'' character!

    No... Maria... why are you looking at me like that...

    This is kind of creepy...

    "All I have, worthless as I am, is this wretched body."

    Maria bowed her head once more.

    "So I wish to offer my all to you, Ian, and serve you for the rest of my life."

    Ian gulped nervously.

    He knew Maria felt grateful, but...

    Isn''t this a bit too heavy?!

    And offering everything she has? Should those words be coming from a young girl''s mouth?!

    "Ahem. You have a bright future ahead, there''s no need to follow a wandering wizard like me..."

    "Since you travel, you''ll naturally need a servant."

    Ian tried to gently refuse.

    It''s true that not having a servant can be inconvenient.

    But Ian was deliberately traveling with minimal companions despite knowing this.

    Paying servants'' wages is a hassle. And if they get caught up in strange incidents and die, it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

    If Ian were a lord or ruler, he might have taken Maria on as a maid.

    But Ian is a wizard.

    What''s the point of a wizard having a maid tagging along?

    If he needed a worker, he would have bought a slave long ago.

    But Maria didn''t even pretend to hear Ian''s refusal.

    Ian spoke more firmly.

    He was a wizard after all, and Maria was just a commoner girl. He thought he could push through with his authority.

    "... Of course not. Why would I hate you?"

    Maria smiled faintly.

    "There are many reasons. A lowly woman with no parents, possessed by the dead. An ominous black-haired wench."

    "Can you stop with that ominous black hair talk? I told you before. This is because of our bloodline. Neither you nor I are ominous at all."

    Maria smiled and took a step closer.

    That smile, as always, held a sensuality unfitting for her age.

    "Yes. It seems you and I are kindred spirits, Ian."

    Kindred spirits? We''re not monsters or anything.

    Ian sighed, thinking this.

    He could leave Maria behind and depart like this, but.

    If he did, she might really make that ''big decision'' and come back as a virgin ghost.

    There was a certain madness in Maria''s eyes...

    "Ugh. Fine. Come along then. Come along!"

    "Thank you so much!"

    As he heard Maria''s thanks, Ian felt cognitive dissonance.

    Wait, why am I receiving thanks for taking on a servant???

    His feelings were mixed, but.

    Anyway, Maria was set to join Ian on his journey.

    ---

    ---

    The next morning.

    The village was surprisingly normal, as if nothing had happened.

    Meaning nothing had occurred.

    "It seems he fled."

    Sir Leshach patrolled the village outskirts as soon as day broke.

    There were no traces of undead or necromancers.

    Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt had escaped during the night.

    "He lacks guts."

    When Ian muttered this, Sir Leshach chuckled.

    Isn''t a Heavenly Wizard supposed to be quite high-ranking in the Golden Rule Society?

    Even if his identity was exposed to Ian, to retreat so meekly...

    "Let''s just say he''s cautious. Without that level of caution, he''d have been executed long ago."

    "Well, I suppose."

    Unlike wizards, black wizards are shunned by the nobles.

    How could they be friendly when associating with them might bring down the Pope''s excommunication-beam?

    Bertholdt decided it was better to simply hide rather than clash pointlessly with Sir Leshach.

    "Getting his hands on that girl was... probably just a way to pass the time."

    "No way. He caused all this chaos just to pass the time?"

    As Ian grumbled, Sir Leshach laughed.

    "Watch your words. The one who turned the situation into chaos was you, wasn''t it?"

    If Ian hadn''t been there, Bertholdt would have gotten his hands on Maria and quietly disappeared.

    Honestly, Bertholdt must have been dumbfounded too.

    Who''d have thought some passing wizard would suddenly appear and overturn the trial?

    Ian knew that Bertholdt hadn''t put in much effort.

    Bertholdt didn''t know what kind of death mystery had attached itself to Maria.

    If Pael were still alive, he might have been able to guess. Pael had seen Maria trying to rush at and eat the rotten wolf corpse.

    Bertholdt was simply enchanted by Maria''s appearance, and as soon as he vaguely sensed the power of death, he put his plan into action.

    It was a plan with flaws if you dug deeper, but it was good enough.

    He thought no one would check.

    But like a fairy tale, the ''passing wizard'' Ian saw through Bertholdt''s plan.

    "You''ve earned Bertholdt''s enmity, Ian."

    Sir Leshach said mischievously.

    He hoped that Ian, worried about a possible attack, might follow him.

    But Ian was an even more eccentric wizard than Sir Leshach had imagined.

    "That doesn''t matter."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. What can he do just because he hates me? Does he have the guts to come after me?"

    Hey. Do you have confidence?

    Sir Leshach inwardly admired Ian''s eccentricity... or boldness.

    To remain completely unfazed even though a black wizard held a grudge against him!

    But it was all based on well-founded confidence.

    Ian had his trump card - skill card magic.

    If Bertholdt tried any half-assed attack, his skull would be the one cracking open.

    And Ian had already decided on his next destination.

    "After visiting Baron Vincent''s domain. I''ll head straight back north."

    "The north?"

    "To Dranheim Imperial University."

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    Dranheim Imperial University.

    In the past, when parting with Eredith, Ian made a promise with his master.

    A promise to meet again someday in Dranheim.

    ''It''s a bit early, but... should I go ahead and wait?''

    Ian had three main reasons for visiting Dranheim.

    First was because of the promise with his master Eredith. He wanted to see her face after so long.

    Second was because of the wizards Ian had recovered.

    The novice fire wizard Kira. The possible necromancer Maria. And... Professor Inglan.

    Inglan was already a professor at Dranheim, while Kira and Maria were novice wizards who needed to gain knowledge at the university.

    They would have plenty to do at the university, so their time could be spent productively.

    And lastly.

    The situation in the southern Empire was more turbulent than he''d expected.

    ''Why are there so many black wizards running around?''

    Ian was far from being a crusader for justice.

    He didn''t like black wizards, but he had no intention of becoming a medieval policeman hunting down criminals.

    Ian wanted to focus on exploring mysteries and collecting treasures.

    But he''d already clashed with the black wizard group [Golden Rule Society] several times.

    Before any more trouble arose, he planned to lay low at the Imperial University.

    There he could meet his master, study magic, and pass the time until the black wizards quieted down.

    "I see. The Imperial University, is it?"

    Sir Leshach gave Ian a look of obvious disappointment.

    He''d finally met a capable young man.

    As a wizard, Ian was highly skilled and even adept at fighting black wizards. If he helped Sir Leshach, he would surely accomplish great things.

    But Ian had openly declared his intention to flee to the Imperial University.

    Sir Leshach had to swallow his disappointment.

    Wizards being willful was nothing new. It wasn''t an particularly unusual situation.

    "I''ll be sure to report your deeds to His Holiness."

    "I''d appreciate that."

    For Ian, maintaining good relations with Heaven''s Faith was beneficial.

    Religion was one of the two great pillars supporting the Empire. Sir Leshach had said he would inform the highest religious leader of Ian''s name.

    "Ah. If you''d like to sell the amber stones, I can write you a letter of recommendation."

    "A letter of recommendation?"

    Befitting a knight of His Holiness, Sir Leshach''s recommendation would be extremely valuable.

    Any merchant guild influenced by the church would treat the bearer as a VVIP!

    Sir Leshach immediately wrote a letter of recommendation for Ian.

    As an educated knight, Sir Leshach wrote directly on parchment.

    Considering most medieval knights were illiterate, it was certainly impressive.

    "I''ll continue pursuing Bertholdt."

    Ian nodded.

    It was as expected. Sir Leshach had been hunting black wizards from the start.

    Having discovered a big fish like Bertholdt, he wouldn''t just let it go.

    "It would be best if you could cut off his head."

    Sir Leshach laughed at Ian''s words.

    Ian was glad to be rid of the troublesome burden, and Sir Leshach was pleased to have a chance to earn merit.

    Only that bastard Bertholdt would be wailing in hell with his head cut off.

    "May the heavens'' blessing be with you, wise wizard Ian."

    "May the sun and moon light your path, Sir Leshach."

    After exchanging farewells, Sir Leshach set off.

    It was a cool morning with a gentle breeze.

    ---

    ---

    Ian headed for Baron Vincent''s domain, while Sir Leshach moved to pursue Bertholdt.

    So what was Bertholdt up to?

    The Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt...

    Was running for his life without looking back.

    ''What the hell? Who was that guy?!''

    Scattering the undead he''d created, Bertholdt fled with just the clothes on his back.

    The reason for Bertholdt''s unseemly escape was none other than Ian.

    Ian had dispelled Bertholdt''s undead with a single magical attack.

    So Ian thought, ''Maybe Bertholdt is actually a weakling?''

    Bertholdt insisted like a Joseon-era peasant that ''I saw it with my own two eyes!'', but Antios wouldn''t believe him...

    Ian''s magic was that far removed from common sense.

    It truly was magic that defied common sense.

    Ian''s magic was completely different from the Maronius system.

    But as Bertholdt continued his consistent victim testimony, Antios began to think ''Maybe?''

    Right. Bertholdt''s not a five-year-old child. He wouldn''t make up a completely false story, would he?

    [I see. Since your location has been exposed, there''s nothing to be done. Hide well and avoid your pursuers.]

    Bertholdt let out a sigh of relief.

    There''s a cliche? in fiction where evil organizations don''t forgive failure. They do things like sinking the failure into a river full of man-eating crabs.

    But the Golden Rule Society was surprisingly lenient about failure.

    The reason was simple.

    The organization was just too small...

    It was already difficult to get support from nobles, so if they punished every little failure, the organization''s roots would be shaken.

    Like the space-time wizard conference, the Golden Rule Society, an underground organization, was not free from economic concerns.

    The greatest enemy of evil organizations was none other than the miserable medieval economy...

    As evidence, Antios'' residence was not a mansion, but a cave in some mountain.

    He bore the imposing title of [Regent], but his home was a cave.

    Antios claimed he lived in the mountains ''for smooth communication with members'', but the truth was he had no domain to settle in.

    "I''ll lay low for a while. Contact me when things settle down on your end."

    [I''ll be waiting!]

    Antios put the brass mirror back in its sack.

    Then he sat down on a mat woven from straw.

    A growling cry echoed from the darkness.

    [What is it?]

    "Nothing much. Don''t mind it, Dragon."

    Antios wasn''t alone in the cave.

    A massive body writhed in the thick darkness beyond.

    Yellow, vertically slit pupils stared at Antios.

    [Oh-ho. Don''t mind it, you say? How very suspicious. I wonder if you creatures are plotting behind my back...]

    A flicking tongue. Eyes bigger than a human head.

    ''Black Dragon Predius.''

    Antios glared at the repulsive creature with contempt.

    The black dragon Predius had some kind of contract with the Golden Rule Society.

    The contract stated that if the Golden Rule Society provided treasures, Predius would lend his strength.

    But this contract wouldn''t last long.

    Because of Predius'' personality.

    ''A dragon mad with greed...!''

    Predius was a being gripped by revolting greed.

    All dragons are evil and greedy, but Predius was on another level.

    [This wasn''t in the contract!]

    The black dragon thrust its massive head forward.

    Saliva-coated fangs gleamed, threatening to tear Antios apart.

    But that wasn''t all.

    A giant spear was lodged in Predius'' jaw.

    This wasn''t a wound inflicted by humans.

    Predius had jabbed the spear into his own jaw.

    This spear was Predius'' most prized treasure.

    He cherished and obsessed over it so much that he pierced it through his jaw like a piercing to keep it connected to his body.

    As a result, saliva constantly dripped from the hole in his jaw, but Predius didn''t care.

    He''d rather become a drooling beast than let someone steal his treasure.

    "... I apologize for startling you. As an apology, I''ll give you a cartload of amber stones."

    [That''s not enough! Make it two cartloads!]

    "Two cartloads. I''ll give you two cartloads."

    Predius grinned with satisfaction.

    Saliva dripped from the spear-pierced hole, making Antios turn away in disgust.

    He had made the contract with the dragon himself, but even Antios found this mad dragon hard to handle.

    ''We''ll have to dispose of him someday.''

    When the time came, the Golden Rule Society would eliminate the black dragon.

    But for now, he could be useful in many ways.

    [Don''t forget our contract, old human.]

    "I know. I''ll tell you soon which domain to attack."

    [Not just any domain! A land overflowing with precious treasures! If you tell me about some insignificant land, I''ll chew you up bones and all.]

    "... I know, Dragon."

    Antios slowly considered which land would be suitable for unleashing a dragon.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    After sending off Sir Leshach, Ian prepared to depart once again.

    As news of Ian''s departure spread, the village began to buzz with subtle excitement.

    "The people seem happy," Ian observed.

    For reasons he couldn''t fathom, Ian felt a strange sense of disappointment...

    "Are they that glad to see us go?"

    Ian had, after all, driven out an evil black wizard.

    Yet it seemed the villagers had completely forgotten his heroics, waving goodbye with what appeared to be enthusiasm.

    "Farewell, dear wizards! Safe travels!"

    ...Why did it sound more like "Good riddance!" to his ears?

    It was as if his ears had a built-in filter for polite words.

    Belenka found Ian''s reaction perplexing.

    "Why would farmers have any reason to like us?"

    "Why not? I drove out a black wizard for them."

    "...In their eyes, you and the black wizard probably look about the same."

    Ian''s expression betrayed his shock at Belenka''s brutally realistic explanation.

    "Really? Surely I can''t be on the same level as a necromancer..."

    "Be grateful they don''t think of you as something even worse."

    Ian occasionally acted as if he lacked awareness of his status as a wizard.

    As a former modern person, the title of "wizard" didn''t strike him as particularly frightening.

    What was a wizard to someone from the modern world?

    Wow! A wizard! A powerful character class!

    But to medieval villagers, the word "wizard" evoked similar feelings to "demon" or "dark lord".

    They wielded strange, arcane arts and could turn violent at the slightest provocation. There was no reason to like wizards.

    Just because a lion chased away a tiger doesn''t mean you''d want to befriend the lion, does it?

    Get too close and you might end up as human cat food.

    Medieval folk feared wizards.

    That''s why the village buzzed with energy at Ian''s departure.

    "Maria. Are you really coming with us?"

    Maria looked up at Ian, her eyes sparkling.

    "Yes, of course."

    At present, Maria had become an outcast in the village.

    There was no way she could return to her position as a maid for the Robert family.

    Her only options were to live alone on the outskirts of town or marry some random man and settle down.

    But living quietly among people who viewed her as ominous was nearly impossible.

    Though Maria had never traveled before in her life.

    Following Ian on his journey seemed far preferable to staying in the village.

    "I''m a bit nervous," Maria admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly as she spoke to Ian.

    Unlike Ian''s other companions, this was Maria''s first journey.

    Ian, his bag filled to the brim with supplies thanks to his wizard-powers (though in reality, the minor lord had shared the provisions), once again set off down the straight path ahead.

    ---

    ---

    Before leaving the village, Ian stopped briefly at Maria''s hut.

    He wanted to learn more about Maria''s adoptive grandmother.

    "Nothing left," Belenka clicked her tongue, surveying the nearly ruined hut.

    It had been a year since the grandmother passed away. Any useful items would have long since been taken by the villagers.

    "No. There''s still something left," Maria said.

    She moved with practiced steps, digging up a spot in an empty lot.

    Surprisingly, a wooden chest emerged.

    "Oh, a treasure chest!" Ian exclaimed, genuinely impressed.

    So people in the old days really did bury their valuables!

    This thought came from Ian himself, despite also being from medieval times.

    "This is what she left for my dowry," Maria explained.

    The box contained truly precious items.

    Some fabric, a hat, a necklace, and a signet ring.

    "Ian! Look at this!" Kira exclaimed.

    "My goodness. A fairy silk hat!"

    In truth, it was closer to a headdress than a hat. It was just a thin piece of cloth with decorations attached.

    But it was clearly the kind of item noble ladies would wear at court.

    "Fairy silk?"

    Maria tilted her head, not understanding Kira''s excitement.

    As a simple country girl, she didn''t even know what fairy silk was.

    "Silk made by fairy hands! Cool in summer, warm in winter! And so soft and beautiful!"

    Kira didn''t realize it herself, but Ian caught a glimpse of the greed that flashed in her eyes.

    It must be quite a desirable item indeed.

    Of course, Ian remained indifferent.

    Originally, Ian rode the donkey while Belenka and Kira rode small horses, but now Maria had been added to the group.

    Maria, of course, didn''t know how to ride a horse...

    In the end, she ended up sharing the donkey with Ian.

    As a result, Maria''s mood soared throughout the journey.

    The weather was nice, the journey peaceful.

    And with just a turn of her head, she could see Ian''s face right there.

    "Hehe..."

    Maria kept giggling for no apparent reason, but Ian paid it no mind.

    The girl had nearly died, after all. She deserved to be this happy.

    More concerning was the specter that clung to Maria.

    As the power of death grew stronger, Maria would lose herself to the specter.

    Having decided to bring Maria along, this was an issue Ian had to resolve.

    Ian pondered deeply.

    The best solution would be to summon a necromancer to subdue the specter.

    A necromancer could easily control the specter attached to Maria.

    ''But that''s just a temporary fix.''

    However, the effects of such treatment were unlikely to last long.

    Like Kira, Maria was someone who attracted the attention of the mysteries.

    The mystery of death kept showing interest in Maria, naturally drawing specters to her.

    Even if they removed the starving specter, another would likely attach itself to her next.

    And if she had the misfortune of attracting the specter of a murderous ghost?

    That would be a real headache.

    ''It''s similar to spirit possession.''

    In reality, shamans are said to suffer from spirit sickness before receiving their divine calling.

    Accepting the calling cures the illness, while refusing prolongs the suffering...

    The mystery of death clinging to Maria would likely continue to torment her in the same way.

    Therefore, the second option was...

    To teach her necromancy directly.

    ''It would be best to teach her just enough to avoid being controlled by specters.''

    The choice of method could wait until they reached the Imperial University.

    But like with Kira, it would be good to teach her the basics of the Maronius language when time allowed.

    If things became truly desperate, Maria herself might need to address the mystery of death.

    ''Decision made.''

    "Ian, sir."

    Maria naturally addressed Ian with honorifics.

    Ian cut her off mid-sentence.

    "I''m not worthy of such formal address, and we''re not that far apart in age."

    "What? But you''re a wizard..."

    "Don''t get hung up on the wizard thing. You''ll be one soon enough."

    "...Pardon?"

    Maria''s eyes widened in surprise.

    Ignoring her reaction, Ian continued, "I''ll teach you the Maronius language whenever we have time. So drop the formal speech."

    Ian''s offer to teach magic didn''t really register with Maria.

    She knew nothing of magic or the Maronius language.

    But...

    She clearly understood Ian''s request to stop using extremely formal language.

    "Then..."

    Maria shyly tucked her hair behind her ear.

    Her long black hair and translucent skin sparkled in the sunlight.

    "Is it alright if I call you Brother Ian?"

    For a moment, Ian was reminded of the sister he''d left behind at home.

    When they were young, she called him "oppa". If they met again now, she might call him "orabeoni" too.

    "Sure, that''s fine. Much better than ''Ian, sir.''"

    "Okay... Brother Ian."

    Maria smiled, her eyes crinkling.

    At that very moment:

    [Your bond with Maria has strengthened!]

    [A new destiny has been forged!]

    ''...Hm?''

    The status window acting up again after a while.

    Now that Ian knew this was his own unique ability (or mental illness) rather than a divine gift, it had lost some of its mystique.

    But it remained something to be explored.

    Whatever it was, it clearly worked properly.

    Ian felt an unfamiliar sensation at his waist.

    As if entranced, he drew a card from his Arcana deck.

    The card Ian drew was number 13, the [Death] card.

    It depicted a pale girl with black hair gazing across a river.

    That elegant art style...!

    The [Death] card was undoubtedly sent by Hrundal.

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    ''Lucky me,'' Ian thought with a smile as he checked his Arcana cards.

    Originally, Ian had 8 cards. But with the addition of the [Death] card, he now possessed 9 skill cards in total. The number of skill magic spells he could use also increased to 9.

    ''I''ll think about which magic to imbue later.''

    A skill card could hold one type of magic. Ian had verified the power of skill magic in real combat many times. Skill magic, which bypassed the process of communicating with mystery and produced instant results, was truly unfair cheat magic, to say the least. While others were muttering incantations, it felt like he alone was clicking skills like in an RPG.

    The more skill cards, the better.

    Ian felt a moment of curiosity. Getting skill cards was good, but what were the conditions?

    ''Do I need to recruit companions?''

    Nothing happened when he was traveling with Jubal. But when he recruited Maria, a skill card appeared.

    ''The status window mentioned something about fate,'' he recalled. Pioneering fate, was it?

    Ian thought of a certain wizard who had a suspicious fondness for the word ''fate'' - the space-time wizard Gerard. He made a mental note to ask Gerard about skill cards when they met again.

    Ian inserted the newly acquired [Death] card into his Arcana deck.

    ---

    ---

    Ian''s group steadily advanced toward their destination. There were still no attacks or ambushes, and the weather was ridiculously good. The party members were relaxed, exchanging silly jokes. Thanks to this, Maria quickly became friends with the others.

    "So Belenka is from the east?" Maria asked.

    "Yes. A place called Wintz in Baekguk... Not a very nice place."

    Belenka had left her homeland as if she''d been chased out. It was a land with no particular memories or affection.

    "It doesn''t matter where you lived. What''s important is the land I''m standing on now."

    "You''re a strong person" Maria said with a chuckle.

    Surprisingly, Belenka and Maria conversed well. The exile code of being driven out of their homeland also matched quite well.

    "Didn''t you also run away because you were sick of your village?"

    "Well... I can''t deny that," Maria admitted.

    Belenka and Maria laughed together.

    Thinking that Maria was adapting well, Ian called her and Kira over for a magic lecture-orientation.

    "Kira. You''re studying Maronius language well, right?"

    "Uh... yeah?!" Kira''s shoulders twitched.

    Ian narrowed his eyes.

    "You should''ve been able to review on your own, at least?"

    "O-Of course! Definitely! I''ve been reviewing!"

    Kira shouted, quickly turning her head away.

    Ian was truly a good person, but he was terrifyingly scary when talking about magic! Kira thought Ian''s education was strict. This was because Ian and Kira had different magical standards.

    Ian himself wasn''t aware, but he had acquired Maronius language very quickly due to his innate magical talent. Even Eredith, the super-genius wizard, had taught him with admiration. Ian was a case of growing into a wizard through one-on-one education with Eredith.

    Of course, he had no idea what the learning development level of other wizards was like!

    ''She''s been skipping studies again,'' Ian thought, looking at Kira with disapproval.

    It was a misunderstanding that would have killed Kira with indignation if she had known. In reality, Kira was diligently reviewing Maronius language. It''s just that her progress didn''t meet Ian''s standards...

    "Kira. Fire magic is incredibly difficult. No wonder my master tried to dissuade me when I said I''d become a fire wizard."

    "No, no. You can''t draw the line like that," Ian said.

    "Is that not right?" Maria asked.

    "The stroke is crooked. Then it''s hard to tell if it''s ''ere'' or ''daom''. Do you know how many cases there are where meaning changes with just one stroke difference?"

    "..."

    The magic she actually encountered was difficult beyond imagination. Maria followed Ian''s lesson, floundering helplessly. The word "followed" was a bit of an exaggeration. It would be more accurate to say she was dragged along.

    "This won''t do. Kira. Show her an example," Ian said.

    "M-Me?!" Kira exclaimed.

    "Who else is there besides you? Should I bring Belenka?"

    Kira wrote letters on the sand with an expression like a student called out by the professor during a lecture.

    "This is ''ere''... and this is ''daom''..."

    "No, no! Don''t write them so close together!" Ian shouted.

    At that moment, Kira and Maria felt a chill run down their spines... Something invisible appeared behind them!

    Drawn by the Maronius letters Kira had written too close together, something had approached!

    Ian hurriedly erased the letters on the ground and shouted, "[Go back!]"

    The mystery disappeared smoothly as if nothing had happened. Thankfully, it was just the curiosity of a resident out for a neighborhood stroll.

    "Geez! I told you before! If you write the letters too close together, it becomes a magic circle!" Ian scolded.

    "S-Sorry..." Kira mumbled.

    "What do you do when it''s ambiguous? I told you to write in a circle, didn''t I?"

    Ian started frantically writing letters on the ground with chalk. Kira and Maria just blankly watched Ian write letters with machine-like precision.

    ''So that''s a wizard...'' Kira thought.

    ''A real wizard looks like that...'' Maria mused.

    Ian dusted off his hands and said, "This is enough!"

    In reality, Ian truly thought it was a really, really easy task. Well... he had only written letters on the ground! But to the two newbie wizards, Ian looked like a hardcore veteran.

    Ian''s letters, so natural and smooth, were arranged in a circle as if drawing a perfect circle. They looked like a work of art. It was a level that Kira or Maria could never imitate even if they were reborn.

    "It''s so... difficult?" Kira said.

    Ian replied in bewilderment, "Difficult? This?"

    Ian looked at Maria to check. Maria shook her head and said, "It''s amazing skill. Someone like me could never even imitate it."

    "???"

    Ian was confused. He just wrote letters on the ground?!

    As Ian made a face of incomprehension, Kira and Maria sighed simultaneously. This is why geniuses... This wizard... doesn''t understand the hearts of ordinary humans!

    "Hmm. It might feel difficult since it''s the first day. Right?" Ian tried to reassure them.

    "..."

    "It''s not... right? Guys?"

    Watching Ian laugh awkwardly, Maria quietly turned her head away. Magical language was, indeed, incredibly difficult. Thinking about having to learn such letters in the future, Maria felt her vision go dark...

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 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    While Ian broke down Kira and Maria''s mental fortitude, Belenka and Jubal savored sweet honey.

    "Oh, Jubal. It''s bee honey," Belenka remarked.

    This wasn''t a metaphor; they were actually sucking on real honey.

    "Those bees don''t have stingers. Go fetch a little."

    "Yes, sir. I''ll be right back."

    Jubal charged bravely towards the beehive and returned with enough honey for five people.

    As Belenka said, the bees were stingless, making it easy to collect the honey.

    "Ian. Eat this and keep going."

    "Oh, what''s this? Honey?"

    Belenka grinned as she popped a piece of honeycomb into the mouths of her other companions.

    Kira and Maria''s expressions were a sight to behold.

    She''d heard Ian was giving some special training, but...

    Rather than training, their faces looked like they''d been through hell.

    Of course, as a knight, Belenka couldn''t care less.

    She was happy being a knight.

    "We''re almost there," Belenka said while sucking on the honeycomb.

    Observing her surroundings keenly, Belenka could tell the environment had already changed quite a bit.

    It was evidence that they''d nearly arrived at Baron Vincents'' domain.

    "Belenka," Jubal said, pointing somewhere. "That squirrel... I think it''s been watching us for a while."

    "Let''s see."

    Belenka observed in the direction Jubal indicated.

    Indeed, a squirrel was staring intently at Ian''s group.

    In the past, she would''ve passed by such a squirrel without a second thought.

    But traveling with Ian, Belenka had witnessed far too many mysteries.

    "Hey! Ian!" Belenka immediately called out.

    "What is it?"

    "Look over there."

    Ian scrutinized where Belenka was pointing.

    Then he tilted his head, puzzled.

    "A familiar?"

    From this unfamiliar squirrel, he sensed the scent of a familiar.

    ''... A black[1] wizard?!''

    Ian''s tension skyrocketed.

    They''d been too lax due to the lack of attacks so far...

    The southern Empire was clearly a land where black wizards ran rampant.

    Even Ian had already clashed twice with the [Golden Rule Society]!

    ''Were we being watched?!''

    Ian admitted he''d been too careless.

    "Belenka! Guard the perimeter!"

    "Got it. Jubal! Raise the shield!"

    "Yes!"

    At Belenka''s command, Jubal immediately raised a large wooden shield.

    It was a crude thing Belenka had made on the road, just wooden planks with handles attached.

    One proper axe blow would turn it into firewood in an instant.

    But it could effectively defend against crossbows, spears, and swords.

    Even more so when wielded by a giant standing 2 meters tall!

    ''Skill cards... Do I have Spear of Flame?''

    Ian checked for skill cards immediately useful in combat.

    Spear of Flame, which he''d used against the black wizard Walter, had finished its cooldown.

    If there was only one enemy, he could roast them with Spear of Flame.

    ''The wizard must be nearby!''

    Ian instinctively knew this to be true.

    The presence of a familiar meant the wizard was hiding not far away.

    Ian took a deep breath and shouted, "Oberon! Go catch that squirrel!"

    "Caw!"

    Oberon flapped his wings and shot out like a black arrow.

    As mentioned before, Oberon was quite large.

    So large, in fact, that he was comparable in size to a 13-14 pound native chicken.

    Weighing over 1kg, Ian would get annoyed every time Oberon perched on his shoulder.

    Moreover, crows were infamous for their nasty temperament.

    Beating up one cute little squirrel was child''s play for him.

    "Squeak!"

    As Oberon swooped down, the squirrel startled and tried to flee.

    But its opponent was Oberon, the merciless hunter!

    A massive shadow engulfed the squirrel!

    "Caw!"

    "Squeeeak! Squeeeak!"

    Oberon subdued the squirrel in the blink of an eye.

    The squirrel clawed desperately at the ground with its tiny fingers, but there was no escaping Oberon''s cruel beak.

    Kira''s face turned beet red as she hastily covered Ian''s eyes.

    "Ian! Look away!"

    "Huh? Why?"

    Kira, genuinely flustered, stuttered as she whispered, "That woman... she, she peed herself..."

    "???"

    Ian was instantly dumbfounded.

    ''Indeed...''

    There was a reason the elders warned against playing with fire.

    It was truly a terrifying power.

    Today''s lesson.

    Don''t play with fire(?).

    ''She''s definitely not a black wizard.''

    Ian was certain this ditzy woman couldn''t possibly be a black wizard.

    If she were, he''d dive into a river, for real.

    ---

    ---

    Of course, the one who actually ran to the river was the suspicious female wizard.

    After witnessing Ian''s tremendous magic and soiling herself (not a metaphor), she needed to find a river for cleanup.

    Some time later.

    The wizard returned, clutching dripping wet clothes (Maria had lent her spare clothes).

    "Are you alright?"

    "...!"

    As soon as the wizard left, Belenka and Kira flooded Ian with words.

    How upset must she be~

    Never embarrass a girl like that~

    Try to smooth things over as naturally as possible~ and so on.

    He hadn''t noticed earlier due to the chaos, but the wizard was a woman around Ian and Kira''s age.

    Meaning she looked to be in her late teens to early twenties.

    The most notable feature was her silver hair.

    The wizard''s face turned bright red the moment her eyes met Ian''s.

    If she went for a health checkup like that, she''d get a full course in the emergency room.

    In other words, she looked far from normal.

    "You...! Ugh!"

    She seemed to have a ton to say.

    But when you have too much to say, you often end up speechless.

    The wizard glared at Ian with a crimson face, then suddenly thrust her laundry forward.

    ''Ugh, dirty!... is what I almost thought!''

    Manners towards girls.

    Recalling his companions'' advice, Ian put on a polite smile.

    Right. Let''s try to understand this girl''s sorrow!

    A way to resolve this without embarrassment...

    ''Thrusting out her clothes like that... she must want compensation, right?''

    That was the only explanation.

    In fact, Ian felt genuinely sorry for her.

    He naturally assumed she was a black wizard since she was openly spying with a familiar.

    Anyway. It''s all because of those bastard black wizards, Walter and Bertholdt.

    "Here''s some money..."

    The wizard saw the coins Ian offered and screamed.

    "That''s not it!"

    ''...? Is it not enough?''

    Then what is it? Ian wondered.

    Just then, the wizard, who had been concentrating, suddenly blurted out words of magic.

    "[Freeze!]"

    "Oh."

    The dripping wet clothes instantly froze solid.

    Then as she shook the clothes, ice shards scattered everywhere.

    ''Impressive.''

    Ian was genuinely amazed.

    The magic the wizard demonstrated was none other than ice magic.

    Ice magic, which steals heat from objects, becomes more likely to succeed the colder the surroundings.

    It has nearly 0% chance of success in summer and approaches 100% in winter.

    Right now the weather was neither cool nor warm.

    Yet she succeeded with ice magic, proving her considerable skill.

    "You saw that clearly, right?! This is who I am!"

    Clap clap clap~

    Ian applauded enthusiastically.

    Half to cover her embarrassment, half out of genuine surprise.

    Having regained her composure, the wizard shouted with energy incomparable to before.

    "You! You''re Ian Eredith Raven, right?!"

    "...? Do you know me?"

    The wizard placed her hand on her chest and declared, "I am Krysus Montana! Your senior by two years!"

    ''Senior?''

    Ian tilted his head, puzzled.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    The Empire''s magic lacked foundation.

    It wasn''t surprising that baseless magic ran rampant, given that the Empire itself was a baseless country.

    The roots of magic naturally lay in the ancient Golden Empire.

    Archwizard Maronius had presented the basic concepts of magic, which his disciples developed into its present form.

    During the Golden Empire''s heyday, Imperial wizards held such high status that they even participated in state affairs. There was even an official position called Celestial Wizard.

    But the Golden Empire fell...

    And the Holy Empire, founded by barbarians from the north, took its place.

    In the Holy Empire, wizards were treated as reclusive eccentrics.

    They were capable and useful, but strange people who wouldn''t be swayed by the nobles'' whims!

    However, a systematic wizard society like in the Golden Empire era wasn''t established.

    The Holy Empire was such a barren country that even wizards had nothing among themselves.

    At best, magic was taught at the Imperial University in Dranheim.

    Even the Imperial University hadn''t been around for long.

    For most wizards, knowledge was passed down between master and apprentice, with members of the same school holding periodic meetings to share their magic.

    In other words...

    The treatment of other wizards varied wildly!

    ''I don''t really get this senior-junior business,'' Ian thought, tilting his head.

    It wasn''t that Ian was strange.

    Ian had spent his entire life as a wizard under his master, Eredith.

    Eredith had only taught him that ''wizards should just be polite to each other'', without elaborating on other aspects.

    Well... Eredith didn''t know much either!

    Like Ian, Eredith had never experienced wizard society life.

    No, there wasn''t anything that could be called a wizard society to begin with!

    In this desolate post-apocalyptic... no, Holy Empire land, what wizard community could one expect to find?

    It was just about attending periodic fire wizard meetings, receiving grants, and completing quests given at the meetings.

    That''s why Ian found it difficult to understand what this woman, Krysus, was saying.

    Krysus claimed to be Ian''s senior by two years...

    But so what?

    In wizard society, there were no set ''protocols for meeting seniors''.

    There wasn''t even an atmosphere of treating seniors with particular respect.

    The wizards Ian had met so far just mutually respected each other and moved on.

    "Ah. So you''re my senior."

    So Ian decided to go along with it perfunctorily.

    "That''s right! Your master is my master''s junior, and I became a wizard two years before you!"

    Krysus glanced at Ian, gauging his reaction.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    If she was the senior, why was she checking Ian''s reaction?

    "... So. I''ll graciously forget your rudeness. Because I''m a benevolent senior!"

    Ah. So that''s what it was about?

    "You, you too! Don''t breathe a word about what happened here!"

    The reason for laying the groundwork about being a senior was to keep Ian''s mouth shut.

    A lot had happened, but Krysus had indeed shown an unsightly side.

    "Yes. I understand."

    Ian replied immediately.

    It''s not like Ian was a villain. He had no intention of blackmailing Krysus by exploiting her weakness.

    "Phew... Good. Let''s get moving then."

    Krysus tucked her squirrel familiar into her clothes and started walking without hesitation.

    As they moved, Ian asked a simple question.

    "By the way, why were you watching us?"

    "Obviously to see when you''d arrive! These days, there are so many black wizards..."

    Krysus suddenly startled herself and looked at Ian.

    "You, don''t tell me you thought I was a black wizard?!"

    "... If that wasn''t the case. Why else would I have attacked you, senior?"

    Krysus shouted, her face reddening.

    "I, I just thought you were some weirdo!"

    ''These wizards, really...'' Ian heaved an internal sigh.

    How unbiased were wizards that they''d think ''Ah! I''ve run into some weirdo!'' even when suddenly attacked?

    Though Ian himself was a wizard, wizards were indeed full of strange people.

    Ian glared at Krysus, but she didn''t pay any attention.

    She was too busy being shocked.

    What, fire magic wasn''t his specialty?

    Then what was that spear of flame he showed earlier?!

    "You, you''re really a dark wizard?!"

    "Yes."

    Ian lightly flicked his finger.

    Ian''s shadow writhed like a living creature before stopping.

    The other wizards let out small gasps of admiration.

    "It''s dark magic! You handle a difficult type of magic!"

    "An unusual fellow."

    "..."

    In fact... it seemed only Herta had actually expressed admiration.

    Anyway.

    "Now that the last wizard has arrived, let''s talk about the job!"

    As Krysus had explained, the wizards had been waiting for Ian.

    Herta, being the most extroverted, took the lead in explaining.

    "Ian. How much do you know about the situation?"

    "I only know that Professor Inglan has been imprisoned."

    "Alright. The person who imprisoned Professor Inglan is Baron Vincents'' proxy."

    "...?"

    The wizards had arrived before Ian and completed various investigations.

    They had even found out who had captured Inglan.

    But the culprit was somewhat unexpected.

    "The baron''s proxy?"

    "Yes."

    "Then where''s Baron Vincents?"

    "He''s not here. He''s in his own domain."

    "???"

    Ian''s brain short-circuited for a moment.

    Baron Vincents isn''t in Baron Vincents'' domain, but in his own domain...?

    What kind of nonsense was that?

    Seeing Ian''s peculiar expression, Herta belatedly added.

    "Ah. Baron Vincents is Count Gremlin."

    Ian couldn''t help but let out a chuckle.

    He understood Herta''s explanation.

    Medieval titles are attached to land, not people.

    Baron of Somewhere, Count of Somewhere - these aren''t official titles, but names of land deeds.

    In other words, Baron Vincents being Count Gremlin meant...

    Count Gremlin was holding two land deeds.

    "Holding two titles. How wasteful."

    "Indeed."

    However, holding many titles wasn''t necessarily a good thing.

    First, it''s difficult to manage.

    Titles are typically bound to other titles by oaths of fealty, and holding multiple titles could lead to conflicting oaths.

    For example, imagine a noble who owns land in both South Korea and Japan.

    If war breaks out, whose side should they take?

    And if the King of Japan gives an order, should a Korean noble follow it?

    There are many other problems besides these.

    How would one manage domains far apart, and how would it look to other vassals to possess many titles?

    Knights without titles would surely want to become the lord of Baron Vincents'' domain.

    But if their master tightly holds onto a barony, ignoring his vassals...

    He''d certainly look like a greedy pig.

    "Baron Vincents'' domain is a land where the lord''s power is weak."

    Ian nodded.

    He had thought Baron Vincents had gone mad and captured Inglan...

    In fact, it was a situation that had little to do with the lord.

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    Chapter 163

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    Ian calmly organized his thoughts.

    What mattered now wasn''t whether it was Baron Vincents or Count Gremlin.

    The key point was that the baron''s proxy had captured Professor Inglan.

    "This won''t be easy."

    In truth, the situation had been sh*tty enough from the moment Inglan was captured.

    A ruler of a domain had used violence against a wizard.

    But it was still far better than if the baron himself had captured Inglan directly.

    If the baron himself had acted, wouldn''t that mean he was blind with rage, wizard or not?

    It meant he was half-mad, or something had driven him to madness.

    As the saying goes, a stick is the cure for a madman.

    If the baron had gone mad and laid hands on Inglan... no joke, it would''ve sparked a war.

    If wizards joined forces, mobilizing the surrounding lords would be child''s play.

    "True. It won''t be easy. But it''s not the worst-case scenario, is it?"

    Herta said with a slight smile.

    If surrounding lords got involved, this Vincents barony would be like a slab of meat before wolves.

    All sorts of thugs(knights) would come rushing in to wreak havoc.

    They''d smash other people''s fences... butcher pigs to make sausages...

    The baron would''ve caused the trouble, but the common folk would bear the brunt of it.

    "Not the worst case?"

    Anton the water wizard said sarcastically.

    "It''s already f*cked up enough! Having to deal with this sh*t because of some old geezer who can''t even take care of himself!"

    He tells it like it is! Wizard Anton!

    Ian inwardly admired Anton for his no-fucks-given attitude.

    I believe you, Anton. You''re a true Imperial wizard.

    Only an Imperial wizard could pull off such an ornery way of speaking.

    "He''ll probably be smearing his own sh*t on the walls, unable to control his bladder or bowels..."

    "Anton! Stop saying such disgusting things!"

    Poor Professor Inglan.

    Anton seemed to already view Inglan as a senile old man.

    Herta and Krysus looked serious, but Anton remained unfazed.

    "So... who''s the baron''s proxy, and why did he capture Inglan?"

    Sensing things might spiral out of control, Ian tried to get the situation back on track.

    Herta collected herself and continued.

    "The baron''s proxy is Count Gremlin''s son."

    Anton chimed in indifferently.

    "Obvious, isn''t it? He''s letting his son play lord to educate him."

    It was a highly plausible guess.

    As the count''s son, he was bound to inherit the count''s domain later.

    Letting him play lord on someone else''s land beforehand was entirely possible.

    Meanwhile, he could use the title as bait to pit his vassals against each other.

    "Then I''m even more confused. Why would the baron''s proxy have any reason to capture Inglan?"

    The simplest and dumbest answer would be... ''just because''.

    A medieval lord wields power in his domain equivalent to a king.

    Of course, he can ignore what others say!

    If the baron''s proxy saw Inglan''s face and ordered, ''Ugh! What a disgusting old man! Lock him up!'', it would be carried out immediately.

    If we had to attach a crime... maybe ''offending his sensibilities''?

    That''s medieval lords for you - able to imprison people ''just because''.

    Of course, such things only happen to commoners and slaves who can be stepped on without consequences (the horror being that it actually happens).

    As a wizard, Inglan had no reason to receive such terrible treatment.

    "That... we''re not sure about either."

    "What?"

    Ian stared blankly at Herta.

    Weren''t these people supposed to have arrived first and gathered information?

    Yet they don''t even know why Inglan was captured?!

    Herta spoke as if making an excuse.

    "Information leaking from the castle is limited... To find out the details, we''d need to meet the baron''s proxy directly."

    The wizards hadn''t gone to meet the baron''s proxy yet.

    The reason was simple and clear.

    To avoid being picked off one by one.

    What a joke it would be to storm into the castle to protest magnificently, only to end up captured themselves.

    If Inglan shouted, ''You''ve come to rescue me!'', they''d only be able to reply, ''No. I''ve been captured too.''

    Whatever the baron''s proxy was thinking when he captured Inglan.

    If five wizards showed up en masse, he wouldn''t be able to arrest them so easily.

    "In that case..."

    Ian fully understood Herta''s words.

    Herta nodded with a smile.

    "Yes. From now on, we''re going to protest to the baron''s proxy."

    ---

    ---

    Publicly, ''Baron Vincents'' is known as a young nobleman.

    "Wizard Ian."

    For a moment, the wind blew, making the wizards'' robes flutter.

    As the five wizards introduced themselves one after another, they looked like protagonists from an epic tale.

    Maybe I should change my name to [Ian-Black] while I''m at it?

    The baron muttered with a genuinely bewildered expression.

    "Why are so many wizards...?"

    ''My thoughts exactly.''

    Judging by his expression, the baron still hadn''t realized what he''d done.

    "Don''t disrespect wizards", "Mind your manners with wizards" - these were sayings passed down like proverbs among Imperial nobles.

    But few nobles actually knew what happened when you laid hands on a wizard.

    Logically, there was absolutely no reason for a noble to be harsh to a wizard.

    But now.

    The wizards were about to demonstrate firsthand.

    What happens to a noble who lays hands on a wizard...!

    "Let''s go inside first and..."

    The baron tried calmly to persuade the wizards.

    However, he had already broken [Calling a Wizard] once before.

    That was when he captured Professor Inglan.

    Inglan had visited the baron''s land intending to fleece(...) Baron Vincents.

    At that time, the baron broke the principle of [Calling a Wizard] and imprisoned Inglan.

    "We refuse!"

    "...?"

    Since the baron had broken the rules first.

    The wizards had absolutely no reason to be courteous.

    "You''ve captured Professor Inglan, haven''t you!"

    "..."

    "Just as you captured the professor, why don''t you try capturing me too!"

    Herta shouted with her eyes wide.

    The content of Herta''s threat was quite appropriate.

    The only problem was that her voice and tone were so feminine that she came across as cute rather than scary.

    But Herta was doing her best to raise hell(...).

    ''This should be enough to scare him, right?''

    Herta was giving exactly that kind of look.

    ... If Herta had come alone, the baron might have ordered, ''Haha! Capture that wench too!''

    Then Herta would have cried, ''Professor, I''ve been captured too~''

    But here, there was a whole bunch of ornery wizards.

    Especially Anton!

    Just looking at those lips puckered with spite...

    It''s just so damn reassuring!

    "Hey, you little sh*t. Bring Inglan here right now!"

    "L-little sh*t?!"

    "Yeah, I''m talking to you! You milk-breathed brat!"

    Ian sincerely admired Anton''s classy way of speaking.

    Wow. That bastard. He''s a crazy bastard.

    As expected of an Imperial wizard, he''s f*cking ornery!

    With Anton charging in without hesitation, Ian didn''t need to step up.

    Ian immediately hid behind Anton''s sturdy back and chimed in.

    "The Baron Vincents is a little sh*t~"

    "... What are you doing?"

    "Senior, hurry up and say something too. This is f*cking fun."

    "B-Baron Vincents is a promise-breaking jerk!"

    Krysus felt a strange thrill as she smiled slyly.

    Ian and Krysus snickered behind Anton''s back.

    ''W-what is this...?''

    Wizard is a time-honored DPS class.

    This is a fact proven by countless fantasy novels. Baron Vincents felt like he was losing his mind from the prodigious (verbal) DPS the wizards were unleashing...

    ''W-what should I do?!''

    Not only was it hard to keep his wits about him, but he couldn''t even assess the situation properly.

    Now, facing the wizards'' fierce protests(?).

    What on earth should he do?

    Should he imprison all these wizards too?

    But this hellish scene had unfolded precisely because he had imprisoned a wizard.

    Draw his sword?

    Then it was obvious that verbal DPS would turn into magical DPS.

    Of course, the most fundamental solution would be to release Professor Inglan.

    ''But... I can''t do that!''

    Baron Vincents gritted his teeth.

    He couldn''t release Professor Inglan.

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 Chapter 164

    Chapter 164

    TL/Editor: raei

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    The wizards'' verbal sparring was terrifying.

    Not just the lowliest servants, but soldiers and knights too. Even the baron''s proxy acting as lord was rendered immobile!

    But...

    "Are you deaf? I said bring Inglan!"

    "Looks like you''re deaf!"

    "Seems like you can''t hear~"

    The wizards'' verbal assault was closer to mental damage than physical.

    Their chatter was clearly painful to hear.

    But in other words, it was just annoying.

    Words have no physical force.

    Meaning, if the listener shuts their eyes and ears tight and switches to defense mode, there''s no power to break through.

    "This goddamn bastard..."

    "Anton. That''s enough."

    As Anton''s tirade started to escalate, Herta calmed him down.

    Even if the wizards had justification, going too far wasn''t allowed.

    Insults beyond the level of protest could hurt the other party''s feelings.

    ''He''s still resisting even after we''ve said this much?''

    Herta closely examined the baron''s proxy.

    There was almost no change in his outward expression.

    He must have courage and guts to spare.

    Just like Ian had, Herta also highly evaluated the baron''s proxy.

    ...In reality, the baron''s proxy was in a state of brain freeze.

    ''What, what should I do...!''

    While the baron''s proxy was keeping his mouth tightly shut.

    One wizard threw out a heavy comment.

    "Seems he can''t understand words."

    It was Carl, the wizard who had been sparing with his words until now.

    "What more can we say to someone who refuses to hand over Inglan even if it kills him."

    Coincidentally, the baron''s proxy was quite a troublesome opponent for the wizards.

    If it had been the actual baron instead of the proxy, he wouldn''t have been able to endure the wizards'' relentless verbal assault.

    It''s my land, my position that''s in danger!

    However, the opponent was, very annoyingly, the baron''s ''proxy''.

    No matter how stubbornly he acted, he wouldn''t lose his title or anything like that.

    ''Nope~ I''m going to ignore what the wizards say~ I can just go home later and that''s that~''

    The baron proxy''s mindset seemed visible.

    This is how scary someone with nothing to lose is.

    "Hey. Kid. Answer me. Why did you capture Inglan in the first place?"

    Carl asked in a heavy voice.

    The baron''s proxy answered as if he''d been waiting for this.

    "That man deceived me on my land."

    "How?"

    "He said ill fortune had befallen this land, and that a ritual must be performed to appease heaven''s wrath."

    "...And?"

    "He demanded money, saying we must pay the costs for the ritual."

    Ian cursed Inglan inwardly.

    Sheesh. Of course.

    How is this any different from fraudulent fortunetellers who say you need talismans because your complexion looks bad?

    "That son of a b*tch Inglan."

    "Anton!"

    Herta hurriedly covered Anton''s mouth but.

    In fact, all the wizards were thinking similar thoughts.

    Even if the other party was a young nobleman...

    What? Give me money to resolve the bad luck?

    What kind of wizard is that?!

    "...Isn''t it his own fault?"

    Krysus muttered, but Ian pretended not to hear.

    If they concluded that Inglan was just a bad guy, there''d be no reason for the wizard-Avengers to assemble, would there?

    "I''m certain he was looking down on me and spreading such malicious rumors. That''s why I imprisoned him."

    Baron Vincents'' (proxy) explanation was sufficiently logical.

    But not enough to convince Carl.

    "Then you should have kicked him out after [Calling a Wizard] was over."

    "..."

    "Laying hands on a wizard as you please. You''ve crossed the line by far, pup."

    That''s right.

    The Empire had a beautiful yet bizarre tradition called [Calling a Wizard].

    First, you pour a bowl of insults on the other party.

    If they''re a proper wizard, you apologize, and if not, you kick them out.

    If Baron Vincents had judged Inglan to be a fraud, he should have kicked the wizard out.

    Any measure beyond that is an excessive response.

    This was a rule wizards had created to protect themselves from nobles.

    It was a rule made to prevent being imprisoned on strange pretexts.

    If nobles started detaining wizards, it would be difficult for wizards to travel, and in extreme cases, they might be forced to serve nobles against their will.

    Like what happened with Kira and (self-proclaimed) Baron Damon.

    There was a time when a bandit who knew jack sh*t about wizards forcibly detained Kira, who was a wizard.

    Fortunately, Kira was a fake wizard then.

    If they had detained a real wizard, there would have been an uproar like this.

    "We''ll apologize for Inglan. We''ll even compensate you, so release him."

    Wizard Carl said gravely.

    The wizards had conceded greatly too. They were clearly aware that Inglan had caused trouble.

    Ian expected Baron Vincents to naturally accept the proposal.

    Herta and Carl had similar expressions.

    Krysus felt so wronged!

    "Hey! Did you forget what you did to me?!"

    I didn''t do anything.

    Ian thought proudly.

    It was Krysus who was wrong for creepily monitoring Ian with a familiar in the first place.

    But Krysus only remembered that Ian had almost killed her.

    "Cut the bullsh*t, Krysus. You think this kid''s ever killed someone?"

    "? He nearly killed me though?"

    "That''s just you being a coward. Scaredy-cat. There''s no way this brat has killed anyone."

    Krysus pouted.

    No, he really held out a fireball to me...

    "For the show of force, let''s use whatever magic each of us is confident in."

    Herta said.

    "Our goal is to give the impression that the wizards are this angry."

    That''s what Herta wanted from the [show of force].

    The wizards will put on an enthusiastic magic show where Baron Vincents'' proxy can see.

    Then it will naturally draw attention-

    They can publicly appeal to the masses that [The wizards are this angry!]

    Therefore, the biggest benefit of the magic show is word of mouth.

    The story that [A noble imprisoned a wizard] doesn''t spread very far, but.

    [Angry wizards are going wild!] spreads at an incredible speed.

    It''s a f*cking awesome story!

    It''s one of the few public opinion battles that can be waged in the Holy Empire where transportation has gone to sh*t.

    If the wizards put on a magic show to apply pressure, the baron''s proxy or whoever will feel an enormous burden.

    Needless to say, Count Gremlin will come running.

    "Ian. This is your first time doing something like this, right?"

    Ian thought for a moment.

    He had countless experiences of using magic in front of people.

    But it was his first time gathering in a group like this to use magic.

    "Yes, it''s my first time."

    At Ian''s answer, Herta smiled brightly.

    ''How cute.''

    In Herta''s eyes, Ian was a fledgling wizard.

    At twenty, you think you''re an adult, but in society as a whole, you''re immediately treated like a baby.

    Looking at Ian''s face, which obviously appeared young, Herta naturally assumed Ian was a wizard lacking in ''wizard experience''.

    "Don''t be too nervous. I don''t know dark magic, but I''ll observe for you."

    "??? Thank you?"

    Ian didn''t understand what Herta was saying, but he thanked her anyway.

    Why would she observe Ian''s magic when she doesn''t even know dark magic?

    ''Is it a wizard tradition?''

    Ian thought Herta''s offer was a kind of academic exchange.

    The tradition (it''s not) of wizards gaining insights by observing each other''s magic!

    "Um... Herta."

    "Oh my. Call me sister. Ian."

    Ian immediately changed his form of address.

    Unlike Eredith, Herta was actually old enough to be his sister.

    "Okay. Sister Herta."

    "Oh my."

    "? What''s wrong?"

    "Nothing. I just like it. Keep talking, Ian."

    Weird person.

    That''s what Ian thought, but he spoke calmly.

    "Can I observe when you use magic too, sis?"

    "Of course! But..."

    Herta tilted her head.

    "I''m an air wizard. Do you know how to use wind magic, Ian?"

    ''Sister Herta is just coming to watch too.''

    It seemed Herta, as an experienced wizard, intended to help Ian.

    So she judged there was no need for Ian to help her in return.

    But contrary to Herta''s expectations, Ian did know how to use wind magic.

    His skill level was even top-notch.

    Ian is a level 4 air wizard.

    "Yes. I can use it fairly well."

    Herta looked at Ian with strange eyes and said.

    "But didn''t you say you learned fire magic as your secondary school?"

    "I can use fire magic too."

    "You''re saying you learned both fire and air magic while majoring in dark magic?"

    "Yes."

    Dark magic, fire magic, air magic.

    All at level 4.

    Herta crossed her arms and said.

    "Other than that, have you learned any other magic?"

    "Earth magic, ice magic, water magic, and summoning."

    "..."

    An awkward silence suddenly descended.

    Ian looked around.

    ''Did a ghost pass by?''

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 Chapter 165

    Chapter 165

    TL/Editor: raei

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    The atmosphere in the tavern grew tense.

    Krysus was startled, Carl remained silent, and Herta shook her head.

    "Phew... Ian. You shouldn''t say such things so carelessly," Herta sighed.

    To Herta, Ian looked like an adorable little chick of a wizard, chirping away. Anyone who saw Ian''s youthful appearance would think the same. So when they heard the list of magic Ian claimed to know, they wondered what kind of childish boast this was.

    "I can use fire magic, and air magic~ dark magic, and earth magic..."

    "..."

    But Ian was such a young wizard, wasn''t he? It could only be seen as him putting on airs.

    "What a load of bullsh*t," Anton, a wizard severely lacking in patience, spat out.

    "Hey. Little black kid."

    "Me?"

    "Yeah, you brat. There''s a limit to how much you can lie."

    "???"

    Ian was shocked by Anton''s words. Could it be that they didn''t believe he''d been initiated into multiple schools of magic? Well, that could be the case. Even his master Eredith found it strange to see Ian getting along with all sorts of mysteries, didn''t she? An exceptional affinity with mysteries was clearly Ian''s characteristic and strength.

    "But I really..."

    "This little sh*t is still at it!" Anton glared at Ian as he spoke. "Looks like you''re trying to show off in front of Herta or something."

    "? Me?"

    "You don''t need to put on such airs. She''ll look after you anyway. So cut out that arrogant crap."

    "... No. That''s not it."

    "Just because you managed to use a mystery once or twice doesn''t mean you can handle magic!"

    Anton, irritated by Ian''s persistent "showing off", shouted angrily. "Mysteries appearing and disappearing, coming and going - that''s not what we call ''magic''!"

    "... What?"

    "Only when mysteries always listen to you! Only when you can always hear the voice of mysteries, that''s when we call it a real ''initiation''! You little brat!"

    "There are times when you can''t see mysteries?"

    "...?"

    Ian was genuinely surprised. That''s right. Mysteries were... originally invisible things! But Ian didn''t know that fact. Even if mysteries didn''t grant Ian''s requests, he could always communicate with them!

    However, Anton was thinking the exact opposite of Ian. He thought Ian was bragging about being a ''wizard'' just because he got lucky and used a mystery once or twice.

    But Anton didn''t know. Surprisingly... Ian was a human who could always contact mysteries...!

    "Of course there are times when you can''t see them!"

    The fact that mysteries could disappear from perception was ''common sense'' for wizards. The more often one failed to perceive mysteries, the closer they were to ordinary people, and most people lived their entire lives barely perceiving mysteries once or twice, if at all.

    "Hmm..."

    But Ian didn''t have such ''common sense''. That''s because Ian''s very existence was so extraordinary.

    "Doesn''t that mean Anton''s skill is lacking?" Ian asked innocently.

    "W-What... What did you say?!"

    Struck by this shocking statement as if hit on the back of the head, Anton momentarily lost his ability to speak.

    Skill... lacking? The skill of Anton, this genius wizard?!

    As a rule, men are prone to getting riled up when told ''you suck''. Though he had devoted his entire life to studying magic, Anton was still a man. Anton was mercilessly provoked by Ian''s words!

    "Y-You...!"

    Anton, unable to continue speaking due to surging anger, sputtered.

    Ian looked at Anton and shook his head. ''I must have hit the nail on the head.''

    Thump!

    Anton roughly shoved his chair aside and stomped off somewhere.

    "Anton!" Herta called after him, but Anton was too quick. He must have been wounded in his pride. And understandably so. Rookie wizards had mocked Anton as pathetic. And he couldn''t demonstrate his skills because there was no water (...).

    But Ian still thought Anton wasn''t much of a wizard. After all, a truly accomplished wizard could perform incredible magic even in places without water. The fact that he needed water for magic meant Anton''s learning was still lacking.

    "Ian. Make sure you apologize to Anton later," Herta said sternly.

    "That''s..."

    "I''ll take responsibility and tell Anton to apologize too."

    Herta was saying, don''t fight among wizards. Ian nodded without protest. Even if Anton was a mediocre wizard (?), he was still Ian''s senior.

    "I went too far," Ian admitted.

    "Be more careful from now on. That aside..." Herta looked at Ian with her arms crossed and said, "I didn''t want to go this far, but I really want to see with my own eyes Ian handling magic from other schools."

    It meant, are you ready to take responsibility for your words? Of course, Ian was confident.

    "Would it be alright if I helped all the other wizards?"

    The three wizards nodded.

    "Good. Then let''s help each of you once."

    ---

    ---

    Herta and Carl left, saying they needed to prepare their magic. Anton also seemed to have rushed to the river for his magic. Only Krysus remained, sipping beer idly.

    "Aren''t you going to prepare, senior?" Ian asked.

    "Eh. Too bothersome."

    "..."

    Ian wasn''t sure if that one would be able to use magic properly. He had a brief chat with his companions before going to help with the magic.

    "Ian. Got a moment?" Belenka spoke to him first.

    "What is it?"

    "I have something to say about Baron Vincents'' proxy."

    Ian sat down at the table again. Belenka and Kira joined. Even Maria joined the conversation. Jubal... just sat there.

    "Don''t you think something''s odd?" Belenka opened the topic, and the others chimed in with their opinions.

    "To be honest. I didn''t expect him to hold out this long," Kira spoke frankly. She had some experience meeting nobles. Kira knew well how uncomfortable nobles were around wizards. Let''s say detaining Professor Inglan was just out of irritation. But what came after was the problem. A group of wizards barged in and collectively protested. And he completely ignored that?

    "Even for a proxy, that''s going too far."

    Being the proxy ruler of this land was only a temporary shield. Moreover, the baron''s proxy was the son of a count. He''d inherit the title someday, but with this uproar, would the surrounding wizards look kindly upon him? Wizards and nobles had a mutually beneficial relationship. Such blatant disregard for wizards was by no means desirable.

    "I... got the impression that the baron''s proxy was hiding something at that time," Belenka said thoughtfully.

    "I felt that impression too..." Kira agreed.

    "I felt it a little as well," Maria added.

    It was the common opinion of the three. Ian had no objection.

    "When the wizards start flexing their powers, it''s obvious the baron''s proxy won''t last long."

    It was a fight where defeat was predetermined. Soon, wizards would be putting on all sorts of shows throughout the domain. How could he withstand that pressure? Yet the baron''s proxy didn''t release Inglan. Was the baron''s proxy aiming for something?

    "Ian. That''s why..." Belenka said. "While you''re mingling with the wizards. We''ll investigate the baron''s proxy on our own."

    "Just you guys?"

    Ian''s companions nodded. It seemed they had already agreed on this.

    "The most ideal conclusion would be if the baron''s proxy turns out to be a complete idiot, but..."

    It meant they needed to investigate in case that wasn''t true.

    "Alright. Investigate, but don''t overdo it," Ian cautioned.

    It wasn''t a bad idea.

 Chapter 166

    Chapter 166

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    The situation had somehow turned into a feint operation.

    While Ian drew aggro with the wizards, Belenka and Ian''s other companions investigated the Baron''s proxy.

    ''Better to draw as much attention as possible.''

    Since they''d divided roles, it was best to produce definitive results. If Ian and the wizards took the brunt of the attention, it would make things easier for Belenka''s group to move.

    Though the situation had changed, Ian''s task remained the same: putting on a show of force with the wizards.

    Ian first joined up with Carl, the earth wizard, who had set up on a nearby hill dominated by imposing rock formations. Ian marveled as soon as he set foot there. Even above ground, the power of the earth surged all around. As expected of a seasoned earth wizard, Carl had chosen a location where earth magic could be utilized best.

    "You''re here," Carl said.

    "Yes. I was wondering if there was anything I could help with..."

    "Sit there."

    Ian had agreed with Herta to help with each wizard''s magic manifestation as he visited them. He''d claimed he could handle magic from various schools, and proof of that was needed. But that was just Ian''s circumstances. Carl couldn''t care less about who Ian was or what he was doing.

    Carl was always like that. Indifferent, brusque, and a man of few words. He spent more time in solitary meditation than others, which allowed him to communicate with the mysteries of the earth more easily.

    Ian sat on a wide rock as Carl instructed, wondering if there might be a task. But that was Ian''s misunderstanding. Carl had simply shoved Ian out of sight because he found him annoying. He had no intention of accepting Ian''s help or testing him.

    A wizard only opens his mouth to mysteries! Carl, completely uninterested in small talk, sat Ian down somewhere and prepared his magic.

    "[Earth, respond to my call]" Carl intoned.

    Given the location brimming with earth''s power and the wizard''s clear, strong invocation, Ian expected the mystery of the earth to respond. As expected, the ground began to quiver slightly, announcing its presence.

    [What is it, my friend?]

    ''As I thought.''

    Carl had succeeded in summoning the mystery of the earth in one go. As expected, he was a skilled earth wizard.

    "[I wish to borrow a part of you]"

    "Why is that?"

    "[Because I want to see a part of you move.]"

    Carl''s tone was stiff and polite. The mystery of the earth used vocabulary just as stiff as Carl''s, making them a perfect match in a way.

    Carl spent over 30 minutes carefully persuading the mystery of the earth to cast the magic accurately and perfectly, without any room for misunderstanding.R/e?/Ad lateSt ch/a/pters at  Only

    "How troublesome," Carl muttered in the imperial language after 30 minutes.

    Ian didn''t miss Carl''s mumbling. "Carl, sir. You''re thinking of rolling that boulder down, aren''t you?"

    Carl looked at Ian with eyes that said, ''You''re still here?'' But he wasn''t a telepath. He couldn''t convey his intentions 100% with just a look.

    Ian nodded, feeling Carl''s gaze. I see, you''re asking what I''m thinking right now! (He wasn''t)

    "In my opinion, it would be better to roll it southwest," Ian suggested. "The soil there seemed soft and spongy, so the boulder shouldn''t break."

    Not a bad idea. But Carl shook his head.

    ''If we roll it that way, we''d have to go through a wheat field. We can''t ruin a farmer''s crops just to deal with one half-witted noble,'' Carl thought.

    Emphasis on ''thought''.

    Carl was originally a man of few words and taciturn. Chattering to coordinate opinions with a colleague didn''t suit his personality.

    ''It doesn''t matter if the boulder breaks a bit. I''m planning to tear off a chunk of solid granite bedrock. The important thing is how to move this to the front of that noble''s castle. The obstacles in between are quite annoying.''

    Carl''s mind was racing. As expected of an excellent wizard. However, contrary to his hardworking mind, his mouth was the epitome of laziness. Carl''s mouth compressed the results his mind had diligently organized and analyzed into a single sentence.

    "We''re not using the southwest."

    "But why..."

    "Because we''re sending it straight to the Baron."

    "... Pardon?"

    Naturally, Ian had no idea what thoughts were running through Carl''s head. So Ian thought like this:

    So. To the suggestion of ''rolling'' the boulder... He''s answering that he''ll send it straight to the Baron? Now?!

    ''Has this old man gone mad?!'' Ian was dumbfounded by Carl''s eccentricity that defied imagination.

    What method is there to send a boulder straight to a noble without rolling it?

    There''s only one answer. That is... to shoot the boulder straight at the castle like a catapult!

    Ian flinched. Even so, launching a boulder at the Baron''s castle with my own hands is a bit... But he had a promise with Herta, and above all, Carl was a crazy wizard (Ian firmly believed this), so it seemed better to move as instructed.

    ''Oh, whatever.''

    Ian moved the boulder, placing it on the ground where earth''s power had pooled. Fortunately, this was a hill behind the lord''s castle, so with just a little force, it would collide straight into the castle walls.

    ''Here goes!''

    Ian uttered an incantation in the magical language.

    "[Earth!]"

    [What is it, human?]

    What Ian wanted was the earth''s eruption. He intended to use the earth''s explosive force to push the boulder. Then, how to make the earth erupt?

    The earth''s power had already reached its critical point. Even with the slightest shock, the ground would be sufficient to erupt. Ian decided to gift the earth with a very slight emotional change. It''s nothing grand. Really, just a tiny emotional change would be enough.

    "[I''d like you to launch this rock!]"

    [Hmm. I don''t particularly feel like doing that...]

    "[You need a change of mood, I see.]"

    Wizards are warned time and time again to be careful in their word choice when talking with mysteries. Because you never know what an excited mystery might do. But right now, Ian needed to excite the mystery of the earth. Only then could he borrow the power of eruption.

    And Ian knew a very effective means of manipulating someone''s emotions. That''s right... dad jokes.

    "[Let me tell you a few funny jokes.]"

    [Oh. Jokes? Go ahead.]

    "[What do you call a rock you raise as a pet? The answer is... pet rock![1]]"

    [...]

    "[What sound does a horse''s leg make when it breaks? The answer is... horse-ttuk![2]]"

    [...]

    It was a makeshift and half-hearted method. But it was safe and effective. If the joke isn''t understood, nothing happens. If it''s funny, the mood improves, which is good. If it''s infuriating, the emotional change is still beneficial. (Dad jokes are originally intended to irritate the listener.)

    [Pet... rock... horse... ttuk...]

    Ian held his breath, waiting for the earth mystery''s reaction. Soon, the reaction burst forth.

    [Bwahahahaha!]

    The result was uproarious laughter. Seems it was a mystery that enjoyed dad jokes.

    As the mystery of the earth burst into hearty laughter, the earth soon began to quake...!

    Rumble rumble!

    ''Success.''

    A geyser erupted from deep within the earth. It was proof that the earth had burst open. The massive boulder placed on top flew like a cannonball and struck the Baron''s castle wall.

    Boom!

    Judging by the billowing dust, one side of the castle wall must have collapsed. A satisfactory result.

    Ian grinned and looked at Carl. How about that, Carl? My magic''s pretty good, right?

    But Carl''s state was a bit strange. Carl was... staring at Ian with eyes full of shock, as if looking at a monster...

    "You bastard."

    "Pardon?"

    "You''re completely insane! This guy!!!"

    "???"

    Ian didn''t understand, but Carl was utterly shocked by Ian''s outrageous behavior.

    Why the hell did you launch the boulder now! You crazy bastard!

    ---

    [1. raei: the pet rock is a play on the phrase ''???????????'' which is a combination of the words pet and animal. The animal is switched with rock creating ????????. Why is this funny? Not sure. Dad jokes work just fine for me in English, but in Korean...]

    [2. ?????? which I''ve decided to translate as horse-ttuk, is the combination of ???(horse) and ???(a snapping sound) ttuk. The two together actually mean a different word which is ''stake/post'' but I''m not really sure if it''s relevant to the joke...]

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 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    "It wasn''t a stone-throwing spell???"

    Ian was dumbfounded by Carl''s explanation.

    In fact, the more ridiculous part was that the usually taciturn Carl had suddenly become a chatterbox.

    If Herta had seen this, she would''ve been startled.

    What on earth had Ian done to turn that silent Carl into a motormouth?

    And if she found out what Ian had actually done, she''d be even more shocked.

    "Yeah! You reckless idiot!"

    Carl was equally appalled by Ian''s actions.

    Wizard Eredith...

    What kind of disciple have you raised!

    "But I thought you said to send the stone directly to the baron..."

    "I said send it directly, not launch it!"

    Isn''t that the same thing?

    As Carl unleashed a torrent of scolding, Ian finally engaged his meta-cognitive abilities.

    "..."

    Looking at the pitifully crumbled corner of the distant castle wall...

    It seemed like he might have gone too far...

    ''Was I too harsh?''U//ppTodated fr/o/m

    But Ian soon felt something like betrayal.

    No, Carl. You''re supposed to be an exceptional wizard.

    Shouldn''t you be able to demolish someone else''s castle wall as a test??? (No)

    "I thought for sure Carl would be able to destroy the wall..."

    Carl was once again dumbfounded by Ian''s attempt at an excuse or whatever it was.

    Just what... kind of thoughts do you have on a daily basis to think demolishing castle walls is normal!!!

    Are we at war! You fool!

    ''Truly, he''s a peculiar one...''

    Carl thought that Ian was the very stereotype of an [eccentric wizard].

    Thinking that such a guy would lead the future of wizardry...

    It made him dizzy just imagining it.

    ''... Why are you so damn good at earth magic!''

    Moreover, the guy had beautifully succeeded in earth magic.

    In short...

    A capable oddball.

    A terrifyingly dangerous type of human...

    Unaware of Carl''s thoughts, Ian spoke nonchalantly.

    "I guess we should go apologize to the baron."

    "..."

    ''Do you think the baron will accept your apology?''

    Carl was genuinely curious, but.

    To avoid provoking Ian any further (...), he reverted to his taciturn Carl mode.

    ---

    ---

    Baron''s proxy.

    Theo of Gremlin let out a deep sigh.

    The reason he came to be the baron''s proxy in Vincents'' barony was simply due to his father''s orders.

    Theo was a sort of steward sent by Count Gremlin. Someone who wasn''t the owner of the land but was entrusted with its management.

    Count Gremlin was a man who enjoyed political schemes and liked to make his vassals compete for the position of Baron Vincents.

    Everyone knew that Theo would never become Baron Vincents.

    So Theo could perform his duties as baron''s proxy lightly, feeling as if he were truly managing someone else''s land.

    But recently, a problem had arisen.

    "My lord..."

    "Yes, my love."

    Theo''s local lover in Vincents'' barony.

    The black-haired Karenne whispered from the bed.

    "My lord, I... I can''t take it anymore."

    ''Is she asking to get married?''

    Theo frowned.

    Even if he cared for and liked Karenne, she was just a local lover he had casually taken up.

    She wasn''t a woman he loved sincerely enough to give the position of countess.

    "I, I want to have your child..."

    "Enough! Karenne. I''d like you to leave my room."

    "My lord...?"

    As soon as he heard the words he least wanted to hear, Theo immediately kicked Karenne out.

    Karenne was nothing more than a pastime companion.

    "Are you kicking me out right now?"

    "You guessed correctly. Yes. Disappear from my sight."

    "... You''re being too cruel."

    It''s your attitude that''s too cruel, Theo thought to himself.

    You''re just a commoner with no abilities, yet you think you can snatch up the position of countess just because we slept together a few times?

    "You said you loved me!"

    But people believed that Theo had captured him out of anger at Inglan''s arrogant attitude.

    That rumor spread far and wide...

    And brought a group of no less than five wizards to the domain.

    It was enough to drive him insane.

    If it weren''t for Karenne''s threats, Theo would have released Inglan when the wizards sternly warned him.

    But Theo stubbornly refused to release Inglan and...

    As a result, the enraged wizards left, huffing and puffing with an "We''ll see about this!" attitude.

    If things continued like this, Theo was surely doomed.

    Soon, the angry wizards would turn the domain into a wasteland...

    But if he released Inglan?

    Theo was equally doomed.

    Karenne would shatter his body to pieces.

    It was then, as Theo was lost in his worries.

    Kwaaang!

    "Wh-what''s going on!"

    A thunderous sound struck the castle, shaking the very foundations.

    Theo was so startled he even stuttered.

    Soon, a servant came running in a fluster to report.

    Like Theo, he wore an expression of complete shock.

    "A wizard... a wizard...!"

    "A wizard?!"

    The servant shed a tear and prostrated himself on the ground.

    "A wizard has destroyed our castle wall with magic!"

    "..."

    Theo forgot his dignity and gaped.

    Good heavens... Those mad wizards...

    They''ve finally done it!

    Theo immediately rushed to the scene.

    "What in the world..."

    And he was at a loss for words.

    Indeed, the castle wall had been struck by a huge boulder and was caved in!

    F*ck, is this the Crusades or what! Right now!

    Knights, soldiers, and even farmers dropped their work and rushed to see the demolished castle wall.

    The power of magic they witnessed in person was beyond imagination.

    "Is this... magic?"

    It''s not for nothing that wizards are called ''gods of the battlefield''.

    The presence of an outstanding wizard can be powerful enough to turn the tide of war itself.

    Theo felt dizzy.

    What other reason could there be for a wizard to destroy a castle wall with magic?

    It''s clearly a message saying they''ll crush us like this from now on!

    "My, my lord!"

    "What is it now..."

    "A wizard is coming this way!"

    It was true.

    A black-haired wizard was approaching.

    A wizard with a crow on his shoulder.

    Ian Eredith Raven stared blankly at the collapsed castle wall...

    ''Is he admiring his own handiwork?!''

    That wizard.

    He must be observing how spectacularly he smashed it.

    "It seems to have crumbled a bit too much."

    Ian said impassively.

    Theo felt a chilling sensation run down his spine.

    Those insensitive eyes!

    Does this wizard have no human emotions!

    Ian bowed his head and apologized.

    ... At the same time, an automatic translator whirred in Theo''s mind.

    "I''m sorry, Baron."

    [It''s me, you f*cker.]

    "I didn''t intend to, but somehow I ended up breaking the castle wall."

    [Of course I broke it on purpose. Keep b*tching and I''ll crack your skull like this too.]

    "I''ll take responsibility and fix the broken wall."

    [If you really whine about fixing it, your house is next.]

    "But before that, I''d appreciate it if you could release Professor Inglan quickly."

    [So hand over Inglan quickly, you bastard.]

    "Well then, I''m busy so I''ll be going."

    [Well then, I''m busy so I''ll be going.]

    Ian turned his back coldly.

    But no one could blame or curse Ian.

    He was a wizard who brought natural disasters with him...

    ''That crazy wizard... is threatening to destroy our house next!''

    Theo looked up at the sky with tears in his eyes.

    His only wish was for Karenne, or anyone really, to quickly resolve this situation.

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    When Ian returned after meeting the baron, Carl had vanished.

    Instead, Krysus greeted Ian while sipping a beer.

    "What gives? Weren''t you supposed to go use earth magic with Senior Carl?"

    Krysus was the only person in the tavern.

    The wizards had come and gone so frequently that they''d practically taken over the place.

    ''Another act of wizardly mischief to add to the list,'' Ian thought as he took a seat.

    The villagers might soon be complaining to the baron, "Please kick the wizards out of the tavern!"

    But adding another act of mischief? Not bad.

    They''d leave if you just handed over the booze nicely.

    "I used it."

    "Ah. Is it all done then?"

    Krysus nodded as if she understood.

    "I thought so. I heard an incredible noise earlier."

    She stared directly at Ian and exclaimed, "Senior Carl must have used an amazing spell!"

    "..."

    Ian turned his head and pretended not to hear.

    Well... about that...

    Things just kind of turned out this way...

    "But where did you go?"

    "I went to apologize to the baron briefly."

    "Apologize? Ah. That kind of thing?"

    Krysus grinned.

    Ian said he went to apologize, but...

    He must have gone to threaten under the guise of an apology!

    "Hehe. To receive an apology from a wizard. That baron must have had quite the wake-up call by now, right?"

    "...?"

    Ian couldn''t understand Krysus''s words.

    Why would apologizing wake someone up...?

    Ian had apologized with genuinely pure intentions...

    "Well, the only way you could help Senior Carl is by running errands anyway."

    "..."

    Krysus thought Carl had used magic and Ian had gone to the baron on an errand.

    Of course, that''s all she could think.

    Carl was an excellent earth wizard, and Ian was a dark wizard!

    "I''ll say you did well for now."

    "Senior. Actually, I..."

    "What? Tired? Are you trying to slack off as the youngest?"

    "..."

    No.

    I was going to say that I demolished the baron''s castle...

    Ian had those words on the tip of his tongue, but he held back for now.

    There was no need to go through the trouble of explaining.

    "This works out well. Ian. You need to come with me."

    Krysus summoned Ian.

    "Ah. Are you going to use ice magic? I''ll help too."

    "Pfft! Yeah~ Having you help makes this senior feel so reassured~"

    "..."

    Ian glared at Krysus with salty eyes.

    Why did that woman make him want to smack her upside the head?

    She was clearly holding a grudge over crying when surprised by Ian''s fire magic.

    It was a bit annoying, but he decided to let it slide for now.

    After all, Ian couldn''t say he was entirely innocent either.

    "Alright! Let''s go! Let''s go!"

    "No, I just ordered a beer..."

    "Down it like a man! Or are you still too much of a baby for that? Hah!"

    "..."

    I''ll let it slide just this once.

    Ian downed the lukewarm beer in one go and got up.

    "Let''s go, senior."

    ---

    ---

    The place Krysus wanted to go was a cave located in a forest not far from the village.

    "It''s a cave where cold air accumulates."

    Ice magic was heavily influenced by the surrounding environment.

    Ian nodded.

    Krysus was bringing Ian along as a guide.

    The cave would be pitch black, but they couldn''t use torches.

    Because it would drive away the mystique of the cold air...

    ''Ice magic really is such garbage...''

    Ian shook his head and changed his thoughts.

    ''Hmm. Ice magic is the best.''

    Anyway, that''s that.

    A little while later, Ian and Krysus arrived at the cave in the forest.

    "Senior. Is it there?"

    "Uh. Yeah."

    They had found the right destination.

    But the state of the cave was the problem.

    "There are people inside."

    "..."

    The cave already had guests.

    Since it was far from the village, they hadn''t even considered that anyone would be there.

    Casual attire. And crude weapons in hand.

    Judging by their appearance, they were clearly a group of thugs.

    Multi-purpose criminals who dabbled in ruffians, thieves, bandits, and unemployed bums.

    "They weren''t here a while ago..."

    Krysus also seemed taken aback, her words becoming fewer.

    It must have been frustrating, but there was nothing they could do.

    It was a cave that anyone would see as perfect for spending a few nights, so some night visitors might have stopped by temporarily.

    "Should we ask the baron for help?"

    "... Would that work?"

    Ian shrugged.

    It was a matter of clearing out some suspicious guys, so the baron might lend his strength. He was the lord after all.

    But since it was related to wizards, the stiff-necked baron might ignore them.

    Especially asking him to move just to make ice to threaten(?) him.

    ''No, he might like the ice?''

    Surprisingly, the baron might be happy to receive threatening ice.

    After all, ice was a precious commodity.

    Ian frowned.

    Though Ian was a skilled wizard, he wasn''t yet adept at handling such small fry.

    Skill card magic wouldn''t work due to cooldown.

    It seemed wasteful to throw skill cards at mobs that could be wiped out by a single knight.

    Still... maybe I should prepare some magic just in case?

    As Ian was thinking that...

    "Oh!"

    Krysus suddenly shouted.

    Wondering what happened, he looked and saw a blonde female knight walking steadily towards the thugs.

    "Isn''t that woman your friend?"

    "So it is."

    The blonde female knight was none other than Belenka.

    Behind Belenka, Kira, Maria, and even Jubal appeared one after another.

    ''Come to think of it...''

    Ian recalled what Belenka had said.

    She had said she would do her own investigation since the baron seemed suspicious.

    No doubt they had arrived here while investigating something.

    "What are you doing! Ian!"

    "What?"

    "Hurry up and run! Your friend is in danger!"

    "??? In danger? Who?"

    Krysus wore an expression of disbelief, but Ian remained calm.

    In reality, Belenka exchanged a few words with the thugs, then...

    Slash!

    She soon swung her longsword and cut off a thug''s head.

    The severed head rolled over to Ian''s feet.

    Krysus''s face turned ghostly white.

    "Well. The thugs are the ones in danger."

    No matter how strong thugs were, they were just a snack for a knight.

    Soon Belenka naturally began to perform an unrivaled massacre.

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 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

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    The bandits occupying the cave numbered around fifteen.

    But facing the knight armed with chain mail and longsword, they were cut down helplessly like practice dummies.

    As expected, Belenka was practically a human weapon.

    Jubal covered her rear in case of encirclement, but it proved unnecessary.

    The thieves chose to flee with their lives rather than gang up on Belenka.

    "Aaaaargh!"

    "Run!"

    The battle ended in an instant.

    The cave entrance, transformed into a battlefield, became an unpleasant space filled with the stench of blood and piles of corpses.

    Kira shook her head bitterly, while Maria made a small sign of the cross.

    It seemed safe enough to leave now.

    Ian quietly approached Belenka.

    "Hm? Ian?"

    "Nice work, Belenka."

    Belenka looked at Ian as if surprised, though Ian also found the situation unexpected.

    "How''s the magic demonstration going?"

    "...Not bad."

    Ian briefly recalled Carl''s enraged face, but shook his head to dismiss the thought.

    At any rate, it was progressing fairly well.

    "What about you? Did you find out anything?"

    "I uncovered some rather interesting information."

    "Good or bad?"

    "If I had to choose, I''d say bad."

    Belenka gestured.

    Ian listened to Belenka''s story in a suitable open space.

    ---

    ---

    After Ian disappeared, saying he''d help the wizards, Belenka began an investigative search with the remaining companions.

    First, Belenka checked the people entering and exiting the Baron''s castle.

    The economy of this medieval fantasy world was, on average, in a miserable state.

    When one thinks of a medieval economy, they typically imagine a complex power dynamic between guild craftsmen, merchants selling their goods, and lords trying to tax the merchants.

    That image was about half correct.

    The city-states of the distant southern Coral Sea maintained such an economic system.

    That area did feel like a place where people actually lived, by modern standards.

    But this wasn''t the Coral Sea, this was the proud Holy Empire.

    In the Holy Empire''s economy, agriculture reigned supreme.

    Till the fields on your estate, grow crops, and make bread!

    That was it!

    A bakers'' guild specializing in bread-making? That was only in big cities.

    Merchants selling goods? With estates often having populations of just 300-400 people, what merchants would be roaming around? At most, you''d have peddlers coming and going.

    Farmers worked, priests prayed, and lords lounged about!

    That was the typical scene in rural estates of the Holy Empire.

    In short, Holy Empire estates were characterized by their extreme isolation.

    It was only natural, given how few visitors came from outside.

    "So if an unfamiliar face is seen coming and going from the Baron''s castle..."

    "They''d be spotted immediately, right?"

    "Exactly."

    Belenka, along with her companions, compiled a list of people who had entered and exited the castle.

    With Kira, capable of wizard cosplay, things progressed smoothly.

    Given that wizards were currently wreaking havoc in Baron Vincents'' domain, no one dared refuse Kira''s requests.

    "Come to think of it..."

    The castle''s cook testified:

    "Recently, there''s been an increase in strange fellows coming to eat and leave."

    "Strange fellows?"

    "At first I thought they were game wardens, but not a single one was carrying a bow!"

    He''d assumed he didn''t recognize their faces because they were game wardens, but that wasn''t the case.

    These were truly outsiders coming to eat at the castle and then leaving.

    "They weren''t merchants, were they?"

    "No! What kind of merchants travel without wagons?"

    Belenka immediately pursued these ''suspicious characters''.

    With her extensive travel experience as a wandering knight, Belenka easily devised a way to track them.

    She headed to the market and questioned the merchants.

    "Has anyone been spending a lot of money suddenly?"

    "Well..."

    "Oh, there is someone who''s been buying a lot of bread lately."

    Belenka tracked down the home of this bread-buying individual.

    There, she discovered a group of men.

    They were operating out of a lodging house.

    "Maria."

    "Yes. It gives me an unpleasant feeling. They seem accustomed to death."

    Maria easily sensed the aura of death surrounding them.

    Belenka interrogated them physically.

    Soon, she heard a strange confession.

    "We''re sorry! We... we killed people!"

    "I already know that. If you don''t tell the truth, your lives are forfeit, you criminals."

    Their occupation was... surprisingly, professional killers.

    "Yes."

    When Ian answered bluntly, Krysus turned pale.

    As a wizard herself, Krysus had heard rumors about the Golden Rule Society.

    Those lunatics who aimed to overthrow the current Holy Empire and rebuild the ancient Golden Empire.

    The black wizards of the Golden Rule Society were known for recklessly using forbidden magic, making them both messy and powerful.

    Most wizards'' attitude towards black wizards was avoidance.

    They avoided them not out of fear, but because they were filthy, like avoiding excrement.

    After all, no matter how much trouble those guys stirred up, most of the damage fell on ordinary people.

    From the perspective of privileged wizards, there was no need to bother dealing with black wizards.

    Unless a noble''s request came in...

    The Empire was vast anyway, so as long as they didn''t cross paths, it was OK.

    "A typical noble''s lover doesn''t buy corpses with money, right?"

    "That''s true, but..."

    This woman Karenne''s actions were clearly suspicious.

    But Krysus found it difficult to connect Karenne with black wizards.

    "It''s still strange!"

    "In what way?"

    "If this Karenne woman is plotting something! Wouldn''t she naturally be wary of wizards?"

    "..."

    That was a valid point.

    Even if ordinary wizards don''t meddle in black wizards'' affairs, such blatantly suspicious activities would inevitably draw attention.

    Yet currently, Baron Vincents'' estate was crawling with wizards.

    This was because the Baron''s proxy had captured Inglan and refused to release him.

    "The Baron''s actions and his lover''s actions don''t match up!"

    "...Senior Krysus, what if..."

    "Yes?"

    "What if the objectives of the Baron''s actions and Karenne''s actions are actually aligned... would that be the answer?"

    Belenka furrowed her brow.

    "Then..."

    It had to be one of two things:

    1. The Baron''s proxy releases Inglan, aligning with Karenne''s purpose.

    2. He keeps Inglan captive, aligning with Karenne''s purpose.

    However, the first option was definitely not the case.

    Inglan was still being held by the Baron, after all.

    So naturally, the answer had to be option 2.

    "But if he keeps Professor Inglan captive, wizards will come rushing to rescue him..."

    Krysus stopped mid-sentence.

    If Karenne benefited from Inglan''s captivity...

    It meant the resulting gathering of wizards was also beneficial to Karenne.

    "..."

    As Krysus struggled to continue, Ian sighed and spoke for her.

    "Perhaps... the reason the Baron''s proxy was being so stubborn... was to ensure wizards were definitively drawn in?"

    Krysus trembled.

    Ian''s hypothesis was all too plausible.

    The wizards thought they had rushed here to rescue Inglan, but...

    Perhaps.

    Lured by Inglan as bait, had they walked straight into a black wizard''s trap?

    "No! That can''t be!"

    Krysus cried out desperately.

    "I received a letter from a space-time wizard!"

    "..."

    "Are you saying those high-and-mighty space-time wizards were unaware of this situation?"

    Suddenly, Ian impulsively asked a question.

    "Who was this space-time wizard?"

    "It was a woman named Larabel!"

    Space-time wizard Larabel.

    Coincidentally, someone Ian knew.

    She was the woman who had plotted evil schemes in Baron Devosi''s castle in the past, only to be subdued by Ian and Gerard.

    Gerard had spared her life and taken her somewhere...

    Had she possibly returned as a space-time wizard?

    Ian rubbed his forehead.

    There was still far too little information.

    "Belenka. Stop the investigation and go fetch Anton the water wizard. He''s probably by the river."

    "Hmm. Alright."

    "Senior Krysus. Let''s go get Senior Herta together."

    "G-good idea!"

    After allocating the personnel.

    Ian worried about the missing Carl.

    ''...He should be fine.''

    "Ian. Let''s at least check this cave before we leave."

    Ian agreed with Belenka''s suggestion.

    Checking the cave would only take a moment to go in and out.

    "Alright."

    Ian''s group entered the cave.

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 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Kira prepared a torch to explore the cave.

    Krysus frowned.

    "We have Ian. Can''t we go without fire?"

    "What? Explore the cave without light?"

    Belenka looked at Ian, bewildered.

    Exploring a cave without torches sounded insane to anyone listening. Coincidentally, the one suggesting it was a wizard. Wizards spouting nonsense wasn''t anything new.

    "That''s fine. Let''s just use torches," Ian said, neatly ignoring Krysus''s complaint.

    Krysus immediately whined.

    "But why! It''s hard to use ice magic when the air is hot!"

    "Do we really need to use ice magic?"

    Ian snapped his fingers lightly.

    The torch sparked in response, as if agreeing with Ian.

    Kira caught the flame with her bare hand and tossed it behind her back. "We have two fire wizards here, don''t we?"

    "Well, aren''t you special!" Krysus retorted.

    Sorry Krysus, but fire magic was far more powerful than ice magic in combat. You could tell just by how much higher Ian''s fire magic level was compared to his ice magic.

    "We''ll handle the fighting. Senior, please focus on investigation," Ian said.

    Krysus reluctantly nodded.

    Ah~ This could''ve been a chance to show off the power of the almighty ice magic! What a waste!

    In truth, Krysus wanted to pull her weight inside the cave, since it''d be hard to demonstrate ice magic once they left. But if Ian said it wasn''t necessary...

    Krysus had witnessed Ian''s fire magic with her own eyes. She had to admit it. Ian was far more reliable in combat.

    "Let''s proceed carefully," Belenka said.

    Belenka and Jubal took the lead, with the other wizards following behind.

    As they descended into the cave, Belenka said, "They were probably using this place as a storage area."

    "Storage?"

    "I heard the temperature deep inside the cave is particularly cold. Perfect for preserving things."

    Krysus puffed out her chest proudly.

    Ian muttered halfheartedly, like reading from a textbook, "Wow. Looks like it''s cold inside, just as you said, Senior."

    "Heh. That''s basic knowledge!" Krysus rejoiced at her successful prediction. She was the only one rejoicing.

    "Ian. Are we going the right way?" Kira asked. The cave was a single path. She wasn''t asking if they were lost.

    "It''s so... cold?"

    The cave was much colder than expected, so she was asking, "Is this normal?"

    "Ugh. It''s too cold."

    "Indeed. This temperature could freeze even ice."

    "What an unpleasant place."

    The companions were feeling uneasy.

    Ian exhaled sharply. A puff of white breath billowed out.

    "Senior Krysus. This is..." At Ian''s words, Krysus nodded.

    "You''re right. It''s magic."

    Someone had clearly set up a spell to summon cold air inside the cave. There was no other way to explain this abnormal chill.

    [Ah. How refreshing.]

    [Winter truly is the best.]

    "...?" As they went deeper, Ian heard the mystery of cold whispering.

    He''d expected there to be a mystery. But it wasn''t winter right now, was it?

    "Senior. Did you hear that?"

    "Huh? Hear what?"

    "The mystery of cold. It''s gathered down there."

    Is... is that so?

    Krysus focused her mind, straining to hear the voice of the cold, but... She couldn''t hear a thing.

    ''Is he lying to me?'' Krysus stared at Ian for a while, half-expecting him to yell "Surprise~!"

    But his expression wasn''t playful.

    Ian had truly heard the voice of the cold that even she couldn''t hear!

    "Ian. You''re a dark wizard, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Then... how did you learn ice magic?"

    "...?"

    Ian didn''t understand Krysus''s question. How did he learn ice magic? Wasn''t she an ice wizard herself? Why ask such a question?

    "I''m not an ice wizard though," Ian protested.

    "Shut up. Introducing you as a fellow disciple from the same school will make you look cuter."

    The "cutie"(?) Ian tilted his head. Krysus was speaking with a bright smile, but...

    Somehow, that lich. It seemed like it had been having trouble speaking since earlier...?

    "Ian!"

    That''s when it happened.

    [Ahhh...!]

    The lich''s eyes flashed red. It pulled out a long icicle from the ground and started swinging it!

    Clang!

    "Step back! Ian!" Belenka intervened at the right moment, deflecting the lich''s icicle.

    Ian staggered back. He thought something was off. But a sudden attack! And a physical attack with an icicle, from a lich no less!

    Sh*t, is this the Ice King from Adventure Time?

    "Wait a moment! Senior!" Krysus shouted, but the lich didn''t even pretend to listen.

    It didn''t even properly engage with Belenka.

    Clang!

    The lich''s body, immersed in massive cold, had frozen as hard as cold steel. Belenka managed to cut off the lich''s wrist with her longsword, but the undead lich felt no pain, showed no agitation, and only rushed towards Ian.

    [Die! Black wizard!]

    "...?"

    For the first time, the lich uttered proper language. But the content was absurd. Calling Ian a black wizard? Weren''t they meeting for the first time today?

    ''No, think later!''

    Ian focused on the lich. What magic should he use to stop this ice robot-like undead?

    Skill card magic? Spear of Flame would be appropriate, but it''s on cooldown.

    Arcana magic? That''s too random. It''s not desperate enough to play real-life Hearthstone.

    Ian looked around.

    And came to a conclusion.

    ''It''s ice magic!''

    There was an abundance of cold power around. Enough to respond immediately to Ian''s call!

    "[Mystery of cold!]"

    With a loud shout, a massive amount of cold erupted from beneath Ian''s feet.

    Just as the lich had pulled out an icicle. Ian pulled out a giant ice pillar from the ground!

    Boom!

    The ice pillar struck the lich. Despite being frozen solid, the lich''s skull shattered like it had been hit by a siege hammer, and it rolled on the ground.

    "Ian!" Belenka breathed a sigh of relief.

    Ian grinned. As expected of the almighty ice magic! Ice magic is too strong!

    "It''s not over yet!" At Kira''s cry, Ian looked at the lich.

    It was true. The shattered bones were reattaching, returning to their original form!

    ''Undead regeneration.''

    Undead don''t die easily. They''re beings that have crossed the boundary between life and death.

    Burning them thoroughly is most effective, but this lich, annoyingly enough, was one that handled the power of cold. The combination of undead and cold was truly troublesome.

    If it weren''t for the cold, Kira would have already summoned a massive flame.

    ''Huh?''

    That''s when it happened.

    Maria, who had somehow approached the lich, tightly embraced the regenerating lich.

    "Maria!"

    Maria gritted her teeth at the lich''s cold touch. But she didn''t let go. Blood dripped from her nose, staining the ground.

    "Yes... Yes... Listen to my voice... I want to be your friend..."

    Maria whispered.

    "..."

    The mystery of death floated around Maria. The attention from the mystery, usually a poison, could now be called a ''medicine''.

    Surprisingly, the lich... was captivated by Maria''s voice. Though regeneration was complete, the lich no longer attacked Ian.

    "Maria. Has that lich... become your ''friend''?"

    Ian asked.

    "Yes. They turned out to be nicer than they looked."

    Maria was a novice, but she was a necromancer.

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 Chapter 171

    Chapter 171

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Communicating with users of Maronius language without proper training was extremely dangerous.

    While Maronius language was essential in modern magic, it wasn''t that magic was impossible without it.

    After all, the first wizards communicated with mysteries through pure intuition when they interacted with them.

    ''Hey flame! You want to burn the enemy right now, don''t you?''

    ''Actually, I''d rather burn you!''

    ''Argh! Why is this crazy flame coming at me?!''

    ... As a result, magic in the past was far more dangerous and unpredictable than modern magic.

    Moreover, magic without Maronius language was no different from magic of the past.

    "That was a dangerous thing you did," Ian said.

    Maria shrank back and lowered her head.

    "I did something presumptuous..."

    "I didn''t say it was presumptuous. I said it was dangerous."

    Seeing Maria getting too nervous, Ian gently stroked her head.

    "Relying on intuition to use magic is very dangerous. Learn magic properly before trying it."

    Maria looked up at Ian with strange eyes.

    Her lips were... clearly smiling.

    "Ah... My heart feels like it''s going to melt from Ian''s kindness."

    "No. I don''t think it''s quite that much..."

    "To worry about me so much... Yes. I don''t want to make you sad, so I''ll be more careful from now on."

    "..."

    She says she''ll listen well, so it should be fine?

    That''s what Ian thought, but still. Ian was a bit scared of Maria.

    She was originally a bit scary...

    Anyway.

    Maria succeeded in neutralizing the lich through luck (or talent).

    If Maria''s level had been higher, subduing it might have been possible, but expecting that kind of result from a novice necromancer was impossible.

    "But this person... seems very pitiful."

    Maria made contact with the dead in the spirit realm.

    Just as a wizard reads the thoughts and feelings of mysteries, she was able to read the thoughts and feelings of the soul to some extent.

    "This person was forcibly turned into an undead by a necromancer."

    Ian nodded.

    He had thought something was strange. It seemed odd that a lich would have no sense of self.

    If someone had become a lich voluntarily, they would surely have found a way to maintain their sense of self.

    If you become a lich only to end up braindead, how is that any different from suicide?

    But it was different for those turned into undead by others.

    They didn''t care if there was a sense of self or not since they were just going to use them as slaves anyway.

    "Did you talk to it?"

    "Yes. Actually, it says it has a story to tell us."

    "The lich does?"

    Maria nodded, then shyly asked.

    "Um. Ian. I''d like to lend my body to it for a moment... would that be okay?"

    Ian frowned slightly.

    Lending one''s body to a spirit was clearly a dangerous act.

    If the spirit was too strong, or conversely if the body''s owner was too weak, the invading spirit could take control of the body.

    Just look at Maria''s case - didn''t she periodically lose control of her body to invading hungry spirits?

    If the lich had ill intentions, it could harm Maria.

    "Will you be alright?"

    "It seems like a kind and pitiful person... I want to help them."

    When she put it that way, Ian didn''t object.

    He needed the information too.

    If anything went wrong, he planned to ask Hrundal for help.

    ''Right, Hrundal?''

    Ian drew one Arcana card.

    [Arcana Manifestation - Draw One Card]

    [You have drawn an Arcana card...]

    [You''ve drawn [Death] card!]

    Number 13, the [Death] card. The illustration showed a black-haired girl looking across a river.

    Ian handed the Death card to Maria.

    "What''s this?"

    "It''s a kind of charm. If anything happens, the northern god will protect you."

    Maria examined Ian''s Arcana card from all angles.

    "It''s a very beautiful card."

    "The northern god''s hobby is painting."

    "... What?"

    Maria put the Arcana card in her bosom and reached out to the lich.

    "Ian! Ian! Ian! Ian!!!"

    "Ugh. Just call me once. Senior."

    "That''s not the important part! Just now, you! You used an incredibly amazing ice magic, didn''t you?!"

    "..."

    "You sneaky bastard! You weren''t actually a dark wizard but an ice wizard, weren''t you?! How about changing your class to ice wizard while we''re at it?"

    "That''s not a class change, it''s a demotion..."

    Krysus seemed quite shocked by Ian''s ice magic.

    She spoke in a very excited voice.

    "Ian! Your ice magic talent is slightly less than or equal to mine!"

    "... Senior."

    "You''ll become a great ice wizard later and perform miracles like freezing ice even in summer...!"

    "Oh, stop the talking! Don''t you see how serious this is?"

    Ian understood that Krysus was excited, but she was very noisy when left alone.

    What?

    They just hadn''t encountered them yet...

    It wouldn''t be strange if they were hiding somewhere, aiming for Ian''s life.

    "It was a short meeting, but fun. Young friend."

    Victor held out his hand.

    "Thank you so much for freeing me. If you hadn''t helped, I would have become a plaything for those black wizards."

    Although it was Maria''s hand, Ian grasped it.

    "... Ian. Ian Eredith, Eredith''s disciple."

    "I see. Ian Eredith."

    Victor flashed a grin at Ian, then turned his head.

    "Krysus."

    "Y-Yes! Senior!"

    Krysus awkwardly approached Victor.

    Since Maria''s body was smaller than Krysus, it ended up looking down at the senior.

    "Although I''m leaving this world first. I''m truly glad to have met such a brave ice wizard junior like you."

    "... Senior."

    Krysus fidgeted, not knowing what to do.

    Victor unhesitatingly embraced Krysus.

    ... Victor was crying.

    "Tell Montana. His foolish friend will be waiting for him in heaven first, okay?"

    "Yes... *sniff* Senior!"

    The cold reality pierced Krysus''s heart.

    Victor was dead.

    He now had to ascend to heaven.

    Thud.

    Maria fell to her knees limply.

    At the same time, the lich''s frozen body crumbled into powder.

    "... He''s gone."

    Maria said.

    Her voice sounded somehow powerless.

    "Let''s move."

    "Ian. Should I go bring Herta?"

    "Yeah. Let''s hurry as much as we can."

    Ian completely revised his plan.

    Now that he confirmed enemies were hiding, there was no need to dawdle like before.

    ''Gather the wizards and use force to rescue Inglan.''

    Victor may have been helplessly defeated because he was alone.

    But Ian had four professional wizards and other companions.

    He was determined to break out of the prison if necessary to extract Inglan and escape.

    And for a wizard, breaking a prison was nothing.

    Ian left the ice cave.

    ---

    ---

    Around the time Ian was talking with Victor''s soul.

    "This feels f*cking sh*tty."

    Water wizard Anton sat by the river, watching the surging waves.

    Anton was in a foul mood.

    It wasn''t just because he had an argument with a newbie wizard for a stupid reason.

    Anton was also starting to sense the suspicious atmosphere surrounding Baron Vincents'' domain.

    ''There''s something here.''

    It felt like looking at rustling bushes.

    You can sense something''s there beyond... but you can''t tell if it''s an animal or just the wind.

    As much as he wanted to just smash everything and extract Inglan...

    Just as nobles couldn''t lay hands on wizards, wizards also couldn''t carelessly lay hands on nobles.

    They couldn''t ignore the trust relationship built with nobles over many years just because of suspicions.

    ''They don''t seem like they''ll hand over Inglan just because we show some magic.''

    Anton thought as he prepared magic.

    If they were afraid of wizards, they should have already caved when the group stormed in.

    But the baron was still holding out.

    That bothered Anton.

    ''I really hope it''s just a pathetic pride contest.''

    It would be best if it was just the baron''s arrogant pride refusing to back down.

    Anyway, all Anton could do right now was demonstrate magic as a show of force.

    And incidentally put those cocky brats in their place.

    "Catch anything good?"

    Just then.

    A heavy voice sounded from behind Anton.

    When he turned his head, a man in strange attire was standing there.

    ''... A knight?''

    He had the sturdy build of a knight, but.

    Why was he wearing a hood covering his face?

    "I''m not fishing."

    "Hmm. I thought so."

    "...?"

    Anton didn''t understand what the big guy meant.

    He also didn''t expect -

    That the sword the big guy drew would fly towards him.

    "See you in hell, wizard."

    Anton stared in shock at the man thrusting a sword at him.

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 Chapter 172

    Chapter 172

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    The wizards who came to the barony, expecting the worst, found not a single person.

    In the Empire, wizards were treated as special beings.

    Everyone knew that laying a hand on a wizard meant certain retaliation.

    Nobles respected them, while commoners trembled in their presence.

    No wonder stories of arrogant wizards abounded.

    Some even strutted about rudely, as rumors suggested the more eccentric ones were more skilled.

    wizards never imagined someone would dare attack them.

    After meeting the baron, they were even more convinced of this.

    "Now that a wizard''s been killed, there''s no reason to stay here," Ian said.

    His companions nodded in agreement.

    Wizards could act mad because nobles and knights respected them.

    Knowing their heads wouldn''t roll no matter how eccentric they acted, they behaved even more erratically.

    But this unknown assailant had simply killed a wizard outright.

    If they wandered around carelessly as usual, they might truly end up gutted.

    "Herta should be near the windmill," Ian said.

    "Alright Ian. You go to Senior Herta. I''ll check on Senior Anton."

    "Okay. Belenka, help Krysus out."

    "Got it."

    Ian divided the group and moved to find the scattered wizards.

    Fortunately, they found Herta quickly.

    "Sister Herta!" Ian called out.

    "Oh my, Ian?" Herta replied.

    Herta was preparing air magic near the windmill.

    Ian summarized what had happened in the underground cave.

    "What?! Victor? You''re saying that ice wizard Victor was taken out?!" Herta exclaimed.

    "Sadly... yes. He''s returned to the heavens," Ian confirmed.

    Herta knew Victor. She''d met him a few times at wizard gatherings in the past.

    He was a cheerful ice wizard who loved jokes...

    "That idiot!"

    Herta blurted out, overwhelmed by frustration and dismay.

    It was an era where communication between people was difficult. Unless informed beforehand, there was no way to know where someone had gone.

    Moreover, wizards loved wandering and exploring. In these dangerous times for travel, dying away from home was surprisingly common.

    If Victor hadn''t been murdered, he would have joined the wizard group...

    But he fell victim to an unknown killer.

    "Sister Herta. Staying here longer is dangerous for us too," Ian warned.

    "I understand. Good heavens... murdering a wizard..." Herta grasped the situation.

    If Inglan was truly bait...

    The wizards had walked right into a forest where hunters lay in wait.

    "I just want to rescue Professor Inglan with magic," Herta said.

    "Of course. Let''s go get Professor Inglan and get out of here."

    Herta immediately agreed with Ian''s suggestion.

    She wasn''t keen on using magic against nobles, but the wizards were in no position to consider others'' circumstances.

    Strictly speaking, it was the proxy baron''s own fault.

    He should have released Inglan earlier. Or managed his domain better.

    Ian moved to the meeting place with Herta.

    Krysus and the others were there, but Anton was nowhere to be seen.

    "Senior. Where''s Anton?" Ian asked.

    "Well..." Krysus spoke nervously.

    "We looked everywhere, but couldn''t find him. We even went all the way down the river just in case..."

    "And he wasn''t there?"

    Krysus nodded.

    It wasn''t a good sign.

    Anton was a water wizard.

    He would have wanted to prepare magic to flatten Ian and Krysus''s noses. So he should have been found by the river.

    But Anton was nowhere to be seen.

    "What should we do?" Krysus asked.

    "Let''s look a bit more. We''ll check down to the lake."

    Though it meant straying quite far from the village, Ian decided to go downstream.

    And that decision proved fruitful.

    "Ian!" Belenka, who had gone ahead to scout, shouted.

    "I found a wizard!"

    Ian''s group rushed to the lake.

    There was Anton.

    "Oh my god. Anton!" Herta cried out.

    Anton lay pale and bleeding.

    Herta rushed out first and patted Anton''s cheeks.

    Anton''s consciousness was fading in and out.

    "Anton! Anton! Are you alright? Open your eyes! Anton!" Herta called desperately.

    "... Herta?" Anton spoke with difficulty.

    Ian quickly asked: "Anton. What happened?"

    "... Demon."

    "Demon?"

    An unexpected word came out.

    Anton coughed roughly. It was a cough mixed with bright red blood.

    Apart from meeting a few times at wizard conferences, they had no deep connection.

    Herta was originally kind-hearted, treating even men she just met kindly.

    Anton, with his prickly personality, was drawn to Herta''s gentle nature.

    So he attempted a confession escape before departing for heaven...

    If Ian revives Anton.

    And Herta rejects Anton''s confession?

    ''Absolutely not!''

    Sincerely, Anton was confident he could die twice.

    No. He would certainly die...

    "Is, is it possible? Ian? You know how to use holy magic?" Herta asked.

    "Yes! It''s not to brag, but the heavenly Lord likes me a bit! I''ll try to ask somehow!"

    "Then please! Please save Anton!" Herta begged.

    ''Herta...''

    Anton''s heart swelled at Herta''s voice.

    Such a desperate voice...

    Perhaps, Herta too...

    Could she have liked Anton as well?!

    ''She might have been too shy to say it, like me!''

    This... there might be a possibility?

    Suddenly, his mind changed.

    Anton wanted to come back to life as soon as possible.

    ''Please! Ian!''

    "[Oh graceful, noble, holy, and beautiful ruler of this world!]" Ian intoned.

    "???"

    ''???''

    All the wizards who knew the Maronius language were simultaneously confused.

    He clearly said he''d use holy magic, but...

    What was that rootless spell? It was vaguely blasphemous!

    Wouldn''t he get struck by divine punishment for that?!

    But contrary to their concerns, no thunderbolt fell from the sky.

    [Oh my, Ian. It''s been a while, hasn''t it?] a voice responded.

    "[I beg you. Please don''t take your faithful servant away!]" Ian pleaded.

    [Hmm. It''s not good to interfere too often in matters of life and death, but... since it''s Ian''s request, shall I grant it specially?]

    Ian prayed earnestly with his hands clasped.

    Holy magic is the act of invoking miracles by petitioning the divine.

    The holy magic of one loved by the divine often brings about results that turn the impossible into possible.

    A technique positioned between magic and miracles.

    That is holy magic.

    "Sister Herta!" Ian called out.

    "... A miracle... perhaps?" Herta wondered.

    A warm light enveloped Anton''s body.

    Wounds healed, consciousness returned, and the flame of the soul began to blaze anew.

    A miracle, inexplicable by common sense.

    Holy magic saved the life of Anton the water wizard.

    "Anton!" Herta cried.

    Anton opened his eyes.

    He saw the face of an impudent brat with jet-black hair.

    Ian Eredith.

    "... Your magic saved me," Anton spoke with a wry smile.

    He had to admit it.

    Ian, who claimed to have learned all sorts of magic including dark magic, earth magic, fire magic, and whatnot.

    That claim was probably true.

    Otherwise, there''d be no reason for him to dabble in holy magic that clerics train in.

    "You really have learned all kinds of magic, haven''t you, Ian."

    "Is that the first thing you say after coming back to life?"

    Ian smiled and pointed behind him.

    A beautiful woman stood there, her eyes moist and cheeks flushed red.

    The air wizard Herta.

    "Anton."

    "Herta."

    The two wizards called each other''s names simultaneously.

    "I''m so glad... you''re safe," Herta said.

    "Yeah... thanks to Ian," Anton turned his head away, his face reddening.

    His face felt too hot to look directly at Herta.

    It was the aftermath of his mindless confession...

    "Ian, Ian! Those two don''t look normal, do they?" Krysus whispered.

    "They don''t look normal at all~" Ian agreed.

    "What''s this~ Are they gonna start dating?" Krysus wondered.

    "They might start dating~" Ian replied.

    "... Shut up! Damn brats!"

    Anton chased away Ian and Krysus, who were gossiping beside him.

    They became annoying brats just 1 second after he came back to life.

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 Chapter 173

    Chapter 173

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    A group of men huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

    "Has the Baron''s proxy lost his mind?"

    They were knights who had sworn fealty to Baron Vincents'' domain.

    There were three knights in total, each owning a small plot of land.

    While Theo of Gremlin, the Baron''s proxy, soaked his pillow with tears every night,

    The knights of the barony couldn''t help but worry about their own futures.

    "Well? Did you talk to him?"

    "I did."

    "What did he say?"

    "Ha. What kind of answer do you think I got?"

    The knights frowned in unison, as if on cue.

    No matter how they looked at it, Baron''s proxy Theo seemed to have a screw loose.

    "He''s going to keep that old man locked up till the end?"

    "Why on earth is he doing this?"

    "How should I know? Probably too stubborn to back down because of his stupid pride."

    The knights had no idea what evil scheme Theo had fallen victim to.

    They mistakenly assumed he was just being stubborn for no good reason, to satisfy some petty noble''s ego.

    Before the wizards arrived, it didn''t really matter.

    Theo was the one who imprisoned Professor Inglan, and the knights weren''t involved.

    They weren''t vassals sworn to die for the Gremlin family, just knights tilling small plots in Baron Vincents'' domain. They had no reason to question the Baron''s proxy''s decisions.

    That''s how it had been until recently.

    But after the wizards showed up, everything changed.

    Now it wasn''t just Theo''s neck on the line, but every person of privilege in Baron Vincents'' domain!

    "As you all know, the wizards fired a rock with magic."

    "..."

    The madman who launched the rock was actually Ian alone, not "the wizards".

    But the knights had no way of knowing that.

    They saw the wizards as a single group and felt threatened by "wizard forces".

    "It was a chilling warning..."

    "I still feel sick thinking about it."

    After their exciting quasi-siege experience, the knights complained of quasi-PTSD symptoms.

    The impact they felt when the rocks hit the castle walls was tremendous.

    The knights, who hadn''t given it much thought until recently, snapped to attention after Ian''s rock-throwing magic.

    Ah. If this keeps up, we''re all screwed.

    Let''s release Professor Inglan quickly and make peace!

    The knights rushed to Theo en masse, begging him to release Inglan.

    They fully expected Inglan would be freed.

    But...

    "That bastard spends all day holed up in his room, busy screwing around."

    "He''s an immature brat. He probably thinks the Count will take his side."

    Theo ignored all the knights'' requests and spent his days rolling around with his mistress.

    A ruler indifferent to politics, obsessed only with women.

    This had to be a textbook case of a puppet ruler!

    "Haah. We have no choice."

    After their repeated pleas were thoroughly ignored, the knights resolved to take drastic measures.

    And that was...

    Operation: [We''re Staging a Coup, Dammit.]

    "Let''s free the wizard Inglan ourselves and lock the Baron''s proxy in his room."

    The knights'' choice was rebellion.

    It was a decision they truly didn''t want to make, but they had no other option.

    The Baron''s proxy seemed determined to ruin the domain. And he wasn''t taking any action to fix things.

    It was, quite literally, a patriotic decision to save the country!

    Their resolve was no less than that of the Empire''s greatest heroes!

    It was a bit pathetic that the country they were saving was just one barony, but still.

    In any case, they had to put out this urgent fire, didn''t they?

    "This is absolutely not a violation of chivalry."

    "That''s right. The Baron''s proxy broke the contract first."

    The knights agreed to govern the barony themselves until Count Gremlin sent a new proxy, after resolving the issue peacefully.

    Of course, they also promised to return the barony intact when the new proxy arrived.

    But well...

    If the knights did an exceptionally good job managing the domain, winning the love of the people, it wouldn''t be so bad to become the new barons themselves.

    ''You never know.''

    ''He might just give us the baronial title outright?''

    The knights grinned at each other.

    Anyway, they rose up for the public good, with absolutely no selfish desires.

    That''s just how it was.

    The knights began their march, driven by the sole ambition of becoming heroes.

    "Worse than these maggots staging a rebellion?"

    "That barely qualifies as bad news."

    The knights'' rebellion felt more like something that finally burst after holding out for too long.

    It meant they had spent a lot of time in Baron Vincents'' domain.

    "The wizards have caught on."

    It''s time to withdraw.

    "No more wizards will come. I''ll deal with the remaining four and clock out."

    "That''s not even bad news."

    Karenne licked her claws with her snake-like tongue.

    She was a black wizard affiliated with the Golden Rule Society, and the person in charge of this [Trap Operation].

    The outline of the operation was simple.

    Utilizing the nature that wizards help other wizards, it was an operation to kill or capture multiple wizards.

    The benefit desired by the Golden Rule Society was clear.

    The fewer the wizards, the higher the value of magic.

    And black wizards are wizards too.

    Could those desperate for magical aid... truly resist the temptation of black magic?

    As the number of wizards decreases, the domain of black wizards naturally expands.

    Right now, everyone shuns black magic.

    But when things get desperate, they''ll quietly reach for black magic.

    It was a rough and truly black wizard-like idea and operation.

    That''s why Karenne intended to eliminate all the wizards who came to Baron Vincents'' domain.

    She even summoned a demon to deal with as many wizards as possible.

    But it seems they''ve reached their limit of holding out.

    It was time to pull in the trap.

    "Well. I''ve sucked plenty of honey... and other things too."

    Karenne looked at Theo with her compound eyes.

    Theo felt like he was going to lose his mind...!

    While Karenne in her human form was quite beautiful, right now she was just blatantly a monster!

    The mere fact that such a monster showed interest in him was enough to drive him mad.

    "How convenient. The prey is walking right into our hands?"

    The wizards'' goal is, of course, Professor Inglan.

    If we guard the prison, they''ll show up on their own.

    "Don''t let your guard down. We''re dealing with wizards."

    "You''re the one I hired to kill those wizards."

    Pentagon nodded silently.

    He had already killed two wizards - the ice wizard Victor and the water wizard Anton.

    The remaining wizards didn''t particularly scare him either.

    Unlike fragile humans, a demon''s flesh isn''t easily broken by mystical tricks.

    Pentagon calmly waited for the wizards.

    ''Once I kill the remaining wizards, I can clock out.''

    But the demon didn''t know.

    That Anton, who he thought he had killed, was actually alive...

    And that the one who saved Anton was a wizard versed in all manner of bizarre mysteries.

    ---

    ---

    ---

    Meanwhile.

    Ian and his group arrived in front of the Baron''s castle.

    The castle was eerily desolate.

    ''... Is it because I wrecked the walls?''

    There wasn''t a single soldier on guard duty outside.

    It seems they fled, scared of magic.

    "Are you ready?"

    Ian looked at his companions and shouted.

    Except for Anton, whose condition wasn''t great, everyone was ready for a fight.

    Though they said he could rest, Anton stubbornly insisted on following Ian.

    "Be honest. Did you come to follow me? Or to follow Herta?"

    "What does that matter..."

    Anton was about to say that, but felt Herta''s gaze from beside him.

    Staring.

    "... I came to follow Herta. Damn it."

    He couldn''t help but be a so-sweet wizard.

    Ian chuckled and placed Herta and Anton side by side.

    "Take good care of each other. Now, let''s go!"

    Ian stepped into the Baron''s castle.

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 Chapter 174

    Chapter 174

    TL/Editor: raei

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    ''It''s like a dungeon.''

    The thought crossed Ian''s mind as he entered the baron''s castle.

    Ian had been reincarnated in a medieval fantasy world, not some game world. He''d never seen a dungeon teeming with monsters. If he had to compare, Baron Talian''s graveyard was the closest thing to a dungeon. But this place felt even more dungeon-like than that.

    First off, there were no people.

    No. There were, but...

    ''Corpses.''

    There were dead people.

    Brutally murdered bodies lay strewn about the corridors. Some had holes in their chests. Others were missing body parts.

    "Ugh..."

    "What in the..."

    The wizards grimaced at the horrific scene. It was revolting, but there was something even more concerning.

    "Is this the work of demons?"

    "Black wizards! It must be black wizards!"

    "...It could be the baron''s doing too."

    The culprit who''d turned the castle into this mess was nowhere to be seen.

    Ian felt even less inclined to go rescue Inglan...

    ''Should I just bolt?''

    Making a run for it was an option.

    But Ian shook his head.

    With four wizards gathered in one place, it made sense to settle things here. What would change if he ran away now? The black wizards would only have more free rein.

    "Um, seniors? What if we just run..."

    "That''s not an option, Krysus. Are you suggesting we turn a blind eye to this carnage?"

    "Are you telling me to run away with my tail between my legs?"

    ''...Good thing I didn''t say anything.''

    Krysus, who''d foolishly suggested running away, got an earful from the senior wizards. Anton and Herta had no intention of fleeing either.

    That''s when it happened.

    "H-help..."

    A corpse grabbed Ian''s ankle.

    No. It wasn''t quite a corpse since it was still alive. Though it''d become one in about 10 minutes.

    ''No good.''

    Ian tried praying, just in case.

    But his will couldn''t reach the Sky God. He''d twisted the world''s will too much by healing Anton.

    "..."

    Herta bit her lower lip hard.

    She couldn''t even muster an empty "Are you alright?" It wasn''t something you''d say to someone with a hole in their stomach, intestines spilling out.

    "M-monster...! Monster...!"

    "Calm down and speak."

    Ian listened closely to the voice of the woman who looked like a maid.

    "A monster cursed by the heavens...! Ahhh! Save me!"

    Thud.

    The woman fainted.

    She likely wouldn''t regain consciousness before dying. So, it was safe to consider her dead.

    "Damn demon."

    Anton muttered.

    He''d been attacked by a demon before.

    "But Anton. Is that demon so terrifying? Enough to be called cursed by the heavens?"

    "..."

    Anton fell silent at Herta''s point.

    She was right.

    Demons just looked like demons, not terrifying monsters.

    "There might be another monster."

    That was Ian''s guess.

    And soon after, Ian''s guess proved true.

    Crunch... Crunch... Crunch...

    An eerie sound echoed through the chilly corridor.

    The sound of bones breaking and muscles twisting.

    The sound of a person being devoured.

    "What the... f*ck is that?"

    Anton exclaimed in shock.

    It was a statement that spoke for all the party members.

    The monster before their eyes could only be described as a ''monster''.

    It was massive, filling the entire corridor with its eight long legs and plump body. And... it had a human-female head with insect eyes.

    Disgustingly horrific...

    Especially since it had just been eating human entrails!

    "Eeeeek!"

    Krysus let out a scream that nearly choked her.

    But no one blamed her.

    That thing was so monstrous that not screaming would seem abnormal.

    "Oh? Aren''t you wizard fellows?"

    The spider-like monster spoke in a grotesque voice.

    It was a hideous voice that felt like it would tear their eardrums.

    "If you''re looking for Inglan, head to that tower over there."

    "Y-yes! We''ll go right away!"

    Krysus answered sharply!

    Ian was so dumbfounded he smacked the back of Krysus''s head.

    "Ian! The flames!"

    Kira called for flames.

    But Ian immediately shouted back.

    "No! We can''t burn Jubal too!"

    "Then what do we do!"

    Ian gritted his teeth.

    He needed physical force.

    Overwhelming physical force that could push back even that massive monster''s body!

    ''Think.''

    The battle was in full swing.

    Jubal was even at a life-or-death crossroads.

    "Arrrgh! Kuh!"

    "Hahaha! Struggle all you want! You bug!"

    If no one helped, Karenne would pop Jubal''s body like a balloon.

    ''Think, Ian!''

    But Ian observed the battlefield with a cool head.

    What a wizard needed was a sharp mind to find the best solution.

    ''There are many wizards.''

    The advantage overwhelmingly favored Karenne.

    After crushing Jubal to death, it would soon be Ian''s turn.

    But there were wizards by Ian''s side.

    They had to find a way before Jubal''s last breath.

    "Freeze!"

    "...?"

    Just then, a silver-haired wizard darted past Ian''s eyes.

    It was Krysus!

    ''Ice magic?''

    Surprisingly, Krysus used ice magic.

    ''Could it be, from the ice cave?''

    Her senior, the ice wizard Victor, had gathered a massive amount of ice magic just before dying.

    Krysus must have taken the remaining ice magic before leaving the cave!

    Krysus stretched her hand towards Karenne''s legs.

    "Freeze and shatter! You monster!!!"

    A chilling cold poured forth.

    It was a storm of ice so intense it made the entire corridor frigid.

    Krysus''s trump card.

    But...

    "Oh ho. My leg''s frozen solid?"

    Krysus''s ice magic wasn''t powerful enough to freeze Karenne completely.

    Nothing would change by just freezing one leg.

    Karenne swung the frozen leg like a club.

    "Senior!"

    "Kyaa!"

    By a hair''s breadth, Ian hugged Krysus''s waist and rolled on the ground.

    Krysus''s action was reckless.

    But it gave Ian an inspiration.

    "Senior! Are you alright?"

    "Ian...! I... my ice magic...!"

    Krysus cried out, almost in tears.

    "I guess it''s no help after all...! I''m sorry! Ian!"

    Ian quickly shook his head.

    As expected.

    Krysus''s ice magic was excellent.

    It just wasn''t utilized in the right place and time!

    "You should have told me you could use ice magic earlier!"

    "What...?"

    "There''s something you need to do, senior."

    Even Ian couldn''t perform ice magic as well as Krysus.

    It wasn''t winter right now...

    So only Krysus could properly unleash ice magic.

    "Let''s try freezing that bastard one more time."

    "H-how?!"

    "Can you do it? Senior? Just tell me if you can or not!"

    Faced with Ian''s firm and resolute expression.

    Krysus found herself nodding as if entranced.

    She had failed on her own, but...

    Perhaps. If Ian helped.

    It might be possible to freeze that massive monster.

    She just had that feeling.

    "I-I can do it!"

    "Good. Senior. Let''s give it a shot."

    Ian snapped his fingers.

    Now, the wizards'' time had begun.

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 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Pushing Jubal aside, Karenne contemplated her situation.

    Though she despised the Pentagon bastard for slacking off, the atmosphere suggested she could eliminate them all single-handedly.

    Karenne sneered at the pathetic display of these incompetent wizards.

    Those useless, lowly scum!

    There were many schools of magic, but Karenne believed only a few were worthwhile.

    Her criteria for "worthwhile" was simple: destructive power.

    Karenne didn''t consider any magic that couldn''t crush enemies and subjugate opponents to be real magic.

    Most magic failed to make the cut, being either too weak or too restrictive.

    Powerful magic without limitations tended to be evil.

    ''Oh. Transmutation?''

    In that regard, transmutation might as well have been created for Karenne.

    Mighty power and mysteries that bent to the wizard''s will!

    The only issues were its difficulty to master and the need for human experimentation...

    Karenne couldn''t care less.

    What? You need to dissect humans for transformation? Then just do it!

    Sacrificial test subjects and moral or religious concerns were completely irrelevant to her.

    Karenne was a wizard interested solely in mastering powerful and useful magic.

    Through countless human experiments, she''d reached a level where she could transform human bodies at will.

    ''It''s fortunate the other wizards are all morons.''

    That''s what surprised Karenne.

    Unexpectedly... few wizards studied transmutation!

    Some called human experimentation disgusting, while others feared permanent disabilities from failed spells.

    To Karenne, this was excellent news.

    No one''s learning this amazing magic? They won''t even try because they''re afraid of failure? Typical loser mentality.

    Magic schools tend to align with personalities.

    Karenne pursued transmutation studies to the end, while others deemed it madness. Thanks to her innate psychopathic nature, she became an outstanding transmutation wizard.

    ''This is the result!''

    Karenne laughed as she wielded her overflowing power.

    Through diligent effort, Karenne had become a transmutation master, gaining the ability to tear other wizards apart single-handedly.

    Those cowardly wizards who trembled in fear were now on the brink of death, pretending to be refined!

    ''Good thing there''s no earth wizard.''

    Karenne''s most wary opponent was the earth wizard Carl.

    Carl... even Karenne thought that guy was a bit unhinged.

    No matter how much you warn him...

    Hurling boulders at noble castle walls!

    With that level of skill, he''d be a troublesome enemy.

    But Carl was nowhere to be seen.

    Pentagon must have driven him out.

    Excluding Carl, the other wizards were all pushovers.

    Water wizard Anton? What could he do without water?

    Air wizard Herta? What magic could an air wizard use in a cramped corridor? This was indoors, for crying out loud!

    Ice wizard Krysus. She was an ice wizard. Need I say more?

    And... the rest were greenhorns.

    ''Victory is mine!''

    That brutish warrior with troll blood had put up a decent fight.

    But Karenne still won.

    Now, she was confident she could kill him within 30 seconds.

    "Grrrrgh!"

    Jubal flailed, foaming at the mouth.

    He was suffocating from lack of air.

    That b*tch Krysus had pulled some weird trick, but it only showcased ice magic''s pitiful performance.

    No variables left.

    Or so Karenne thought.

    ...

    But at that very moment.

    The black-haired wizard shouted in Maronius language.

    "[Earth!]"

    "???"

    Ian Eredith Raven.

    That wizard... attempted earth magic!

    ''Earth magic?!''

    Karenne was startled but quickly regained composure.

    That brat was a dark wizard.

    He must''ve spent most of his time communing with dark mysteries, so his earth magic skills should obviously be crap...

    Rumble...!

    Seizing the moment Karenne''s posture crumbled.

    Belenka sliced off one of her spider legs.

    "Kuh! Kuh!"

    "Run! Jubal!"

    Belenka rescued Jubal.

    Karenne was startled but soon withstood the water''s force by tensing her legs.

    "[Such petty tricks...!]"

    Meanwhile, Ian slightly blocked the corridor wall with earth magic.

    His earth magic skill was insufficient to block it entirely.

    But that didn''t matter.

    As long as enough water accumulated...!

    "Krysus!"

    Anton shouted.

    Ian grinned, patting Krysus''s shoulder.

    "It''s your turn, senior."

    "Ah...!"

    Krysus nodded frantically.

    She instantly understood Ian''s intention.

    Simultaneously, she felt like she might burst into tears at any moment.

    The cold left by Senior Victor. The stage set by Ian and Anton...

    Now it was Krysus''s turn to deliver the finale.

    To eliminate that psychotic transmutation wizard and avenge Senior Victor...!

    "[Mystery of... Cold!]"

    Krysus spat out the words.

    The situation was clear enough for anyone to understand.

    If she unleashed ice magic here...

    The soaked Karenne would become an ice block!

    Therefore.

    Karenne, floundering in the water, was horrified.

    "[This... this can''t be! This can''t be happening!]"

    Ian coldly raised his middle finger.

    And then he displayed a wizard''s specialty.

    Namely, trash-talking.

    "Why can''t it? Wizards make the impossible possible!"

    "..."

    "Did we look like idiots to you? You black magic b*tch?"

    "[You... goddamn wizards...!]"

    In that moment, Krysus shouted like lightning.

    "[Freeze!!!]"

    A storm of cold swept through the corridor.

    The massive cold power that ice wizard Victor had gathered in death.

    That immense force became a form of chill and engulfed Karenne.

    "[Aaaaaaargh!]"

    Karenne''s ridiculously tough body withstood the terrifying cold storm.

    But the large volume of water soaking her couldn''t.

    The gushing groundwater froze solid, enveloping Karenne.

    "..."

    Karenne''s mouth gaped as if trying to speak.

    But her movements soon stopped.

    Karenne was trapped inside a massive ice block, reduced to a bizarre objet d''art.

    It looked like a grotesque artwork by a deranged artist.

    "Haa... Haa..."

    Krysus breathed heavily.

    Ian approached her.

    Krysus quietly looked up at Ian.

    "Senior."

    "... Yeah."

    Expecting Ian to say something, she soon burst into laughter.

    "As expected, ice magic is the strongest magic."

    "Ha, hahaha..."

    Ian extended his hand, laughing.

    "Ice magic is the best."

    Krysus laughed.

    She laughed happily until her tears dried up.

    "Yeah!"

    Krysus wiped away her tears and cheerfully exclaimed.

    "Ice magic really is the best!"

    That was.

    The funniest joke of her life.

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

    Illustrations: None

    Join the discord! Here

    "You alright, Jubal?" Ian asked.

    After trapping Karenne''s group in a block of ice, Ian took a moment to catch his breath and check on his companions.

    He prioritized assessing Jubal, who had acted as the tank in this battle.

    "Kuk, I''m fine," Jubal grinned, his face troll-like.

    From afar, he had looked seriously injured. But up close, Jubal was surprisingly unscathed. His skin was a bit scraped and bleeding slightly, but nothing was broken or severed.

    Considering he had tanked against a spider monster over 3 meters tall, his condition was remarkably good.

    ''Well, he''s quite the monster himself.''

    Jubal possessed both the physique and the brain of a beast.

    In terms of physical prowess, he wouldn''t lose to most monsters.

    Thanks to Jubal''s tanking, the rest of the team escaped without a scratch.

    "Hey, Ian," Anton called out.

    "What?"

    "You saw my magic, right?"

    "???"

    Ian wondered why Anton was suddenly acting like this. Did he want money for his efforts?

    "I saw it... but why?"

    "''Why?'' you say?" Anton frowned, displeased. "After witnessing my skilled, clean, and flawless technique... you say ''why?''"

    "..."

    Sh*t. It was that.

    Ian stared at Anton in disbelief, but Anton wasn''t joking around.

    This guy... He was actually bragging about his magic to Ian!

    "You probably don''t know this, but to commune with mystery at this level, you need to spend at least 10 years..." Anton prattled on about how exceptional his technique was.

    Ian felt like he was going to die of annoyance.

    Krysus approached and whispered, "Just play along and move on."

    "Why is he acting like this?"

    "Who knows? Maybe he''s still sore about being dismissed by you at the tavern before."

    Ian fully embraced Krysus''s advice. Soon, Anton was bombarded with mindless praise.

    "Wow, that''s amazing! Anton!"

    "Hm. Now you understand?"

    "As expected of water magic! It''s stronger than ice magic!"

    "Huhuhuhuh..."

    "Damn! Why am I a dark wizard? If I''m reborn, I want to be a water wizard!"

    "Huhuhuhuh... Hahahaha!"

    Anton patted Ian''s shoulder, grinning broadly. "Now you see the greatness of water magic?"

    "Ah... yes."

    "Good. Then let''s go see Inglan."

    Having gorged on Ian''s praise, Anton strode forward, his robes fluttering. From behind, he looked the very image of a cool wizard.

    Krysus snickered beside Ian. "That senior is quite exhausting, isn''t he?"

    "You''re not much better yourself..."

    "What?! I''m not that bad!"

    Ian smirked, remembering who had made him shout ''Ice magic is the best~'' in that ice cave.

    Wizards, honestly. They all had such big egos, always thinking their magic was the best.

    ---

    ---

    ''I wonder if Inglan is safe.''

    Thanks to Karenne''s rampage, the place had practically turned into a dungeon. The atmosphere was so horror-like that finding Inglan as a corpse wouldn''t be surprising.

    ''I hope this isn''t a waste of time.''

    Ian''s group passed through the inner castle and headed towards a tower deep in the courtyard. It served as both a watchtower and a prison.

    As they walked, Herta apologized to Ian several times.

    "I''m sorry, Ian."

    The reason for her apologies wasn''t particularly clear.

    "I... I haven''t been much help..."

    "It''s fine."

    Herta was an air wizard. Air magic became more powerful in open spaces, especially where the wind blew strongly. Earlier, the fight had taken place indoors, so there wasn''t much Herta could do.

    "There''s someone who isn''t even here, you know."

    "... Do you think Carl is safe?"

    But the demons mocked her.

    "Kekeke... What an amusing knight!"

    "The radiant sun? Look at the sky! Where exactly is this sun you speak of?"

    "..."

    Belenka gritted her teeth. The demons had hidden the eye of heaven with their vile tricks. At least for now, they couldn''t expect God''s mercy.

    But Belenka didn''t lose her fighting spirit. Even if the sun wasn''t watching, God always existed in her heart!

    Right then.

    "Belenka!"

    "... Ian?"

    Ian walked up and stood beside Belenka. "Belenka. If we wipe out these demon bastards, do you think we''ll gain some good karma?"

    At Ian''s joke-like words, Belenka smirked. "Of course."

    Knights were always thirsty for good deeds. Though they were killers, they wanted to pass through the gates to heaven.

    "Then let''s rack up some good karma."

    Ian aimed Anor-lsil at the demons. "You demon bastards."

    This was a magic sword imbued with the power of the sun and moon.

    "The sun you''re looking for, it''s right here!"

    A warm energy flowed through the handle.

    ''... Hm?''

    He had felt a similar sensation before. It was the same feeling he had when fighting the vampire in Baron Damon''s domain.

    ''This is...''

    Ian was slightly taken aback. Anor-lsil was resonating with Ian''s will.

    Woong, woong...

    The previous Anor-lsil had emitted sunlight to face vampires. Now, Anor-lsil was resonating much more strongly with Ian''s will than before.

    ''... Is it receiving an enhancement effect?''

    The materials invested to create the true Anor-lsil must have definitely boosted its performance.

    Ian instinctively raised the sword to the sky. It felt like Anor-lsil would move according to Ian''s will now.

    ''The power of the sun!''

    The demons hid in the artificial darkness, avoiding the sunlight. They feared the sun, the eye of heaven.

    "[Power of the Sun!]" Ian shouted.

    At that moment, a brilliant beam of light poured down from the sky, brightly illuminating Ian and Anor-lsil! A flash of light, like a single ray, pierced straight through the clouds hanging in the sky.

    "W-What... is that."

    "Holy magic?! Is that holy magic?"

    "No... Ian used up his holy magic healing Anton. That''s... a slightly different power."

    "Then what is it?!"

    "I... I don''t know..."

    The wizards couldn''t grasp what was happening before their eyes. But it didn''t matter.

    Under the shower of pouring light, Ian and Belenka advanced side by side. Belenka''s golden hair sparkled exceptionally. She looked like a warrior born from light.

    "Kieeeeek?!"

    "Th-The sun...! The sun!"

    "Great Pentagon! H-Help us!"

    They had been arrogant in the darkness. But when the sunlight poured down, the demons screamed and scrambled backwards.

    Ian swung Anor-lsil without a moment''s hesitation. Simultaneously, Ian summoned the mystery of fire.

    "[Burn! Demons of hell!]"

    "Kiaaaaaah!"

    Flames shot from the magic sword, hideously scorching the demons.

    Belenka chased after the fleeing demons, slaughtering them one by one.

    "Ian! I''ll help!" Kira called out.

    "I-I''ll help too!" Herta added.

    Kira and Herta each used their magic.

    "[Flames!]"

    "[Wind!]"

    The demons were helplessly overwhelmed. All they could do was scream.

    "Lord Pentagon! Help us!"

    "Lord Pentagon!"

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 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Pentagon, a Blood Lord, was a high-ranking demon of Pandemonium.

    Like other denizens of Pandemonium, Pentagon eagerly awaited the day to bring down the celestial realm.

    In the past, after the great demon Baal surrendered to the Sky God, demons became inhabitants of hell.

    Demons were originally residents of the mortal realm. But they were driven out by the Sky God and forced into labor in the dark underworld.

    ''Sky God.''

    The very one who cast demons into this dreadful underground world.

    Whenever Pentagon emerged on the surface, he felt both nostalgia for the mortal realm and hatred for the heavens.

    He vowed that someday, he would shatter the sun and bring eternal darkness to this world.

    ''At least the sun isn''t visible now.''

    Though Pentagon used to go around with his face hidden, he no longer needed to conceal his identity.

    He summoned his demon subordinates and reconstructed his body into its hellish form.

    A goat''s head with two horns. Reptilian split pupils and a crocodile-like tail.

    A hulking demon over 2 meters tall.

    Blood Lord Pentagon felt a new sense of gratitude towards the [Golden Rule Society].

    In truth, a demon''s gratitude differed somewhat from human gratitude.

    The Golden Rule Society had summoned Pentagon to borrow his power, but Pentagon felt no need to be loyal to them.

    From Pentagon''s perspective, he only needed to suck up the abundant life force of the mortal realm.

    Since those bastards said they''d eliminate the wizards, he might as well grab some useful slaves along the way.

    Pentagon thought... the black wizards of the Golden Rule Society were tremendous suckers.

    To the point of wondering if it was really okay to give this much.

    So Pentagon was grateful to the black wizards.

    Grateful that they were such generous suckers.

    It wasn''t that Pentagon was vile and wicked, this was just the average personality for a demon.

    Having been asked to deal with the wizards, he planned to handle just the wizards and clock out!

    Their collaborator Karenne seemed to have been beaten to a pulp somewhere, but that wasn''t Pentagon''s concern.

    No, he was rather pleased about it.

    It meant the annoying Golden Rule Society''s watchdog had disappeared!

    ''Time to wrap this up.''

    Pentagon obscured the sun with his demonic power and waited for the wizards to arrive.

    "L-Lord Pentagon!"

    "Yes. Have you captured the wizards?"

    Pentagon sat arrogantly with his legs crossed at the tower entrance.

    He looked like a gatekeeper of hell.

    "No! The sun...!"

    "The sun?"

    "The wizards have called back the sun!"

    "What?"

    Pentagon hurried outside the tower.

    He was momentarily speechless.

    "What the hell is that..."

    A sky clearer and purer than May weather.

    The dark clouds Pentagon had summoned with his power had vanished without a trace!

    "Was there a priest mixed in with the wizards?"

    "N-No, Lord Pentagon!"

    "Then a cleric? Did a cleric pull some trick?"

    "No, Lord Pentagon!"

    "Don''t just keep saying ''No, Lord Pentagon!'' like a parrot! You idiot!"

    F*ck, if you have any sense, give me a proper answer!

    Pentagon struck the imp''s head with his fist.

    The imp spat out teeth as it babbled.

    "Magi shord (magic sword)..."

    "Magic sword?"

    "Shky god''s magi shord (Sky God''s magic sword)..."

    Pentagon immediately ran towards the courtyard.

    An unexpected carnage was unfolding there.

    Imps exposed to the sun fled in terror.

    Wizards, knights, and warriors were slaughtering the imps.

    ''This is absurd.''

    Pentagon had never imagined his subordinates would fail.

    "Ah...! Lord Pentagon!"

    "Lord Pentagon has arrived! Lord Pentagon is here!"

    The imps being pummeled cheered at the sight of Pentagon.

    The Pit Lord of Hell had appeared to aid the demons!

    Ian, who had been beating down demons, stopped and looked at Pentagon.

    ''What the hell is that?''

    The appearance of a demon that seemed far from ordinary.

    ---

    ---

    Anton tilted his head briefly upon seeing Pentagon''s changed form.

    Pentagon''s human form and demon form looked quite different.

    But soon, Anton realized this was the demon that had stabbed him in the back.

    "Ian. Be careful. That''s the demon that was hunting wizards."

    Ian frowned.

    Just looking at the demon filled him with an unpleasant sensation that pricked his skin.

    This was no ordinary demon.

    It was on a completely different level from imps.

    ''Those black wizard bastards... f*ck, what the hell did they summon?''

    Ian sensed that the Golden Rule Society had invested considerable resources in this operation.

    Their determination to eliminate wizards at any cost was palpable.

    Otherwise, they wouldn''t have deployed such a formidable-looking demon.

    ''Persuasion... won''t work.''

    "Kyaaack!"

    However, the wind vanished without a trace upon reaching Pentagon.

    Formidable magic resistance.

    The Blood Lord''s innate demonic power.

    "Not even ticklish!"

    "As expected of Lord Pentagon!"

    "Keheheh! Praise the great Pit Lord!"

    When Herta''s magic disappeared instantly, the imps shouted excitedly.

    [I''m sorry! Herta!]

    [That fellow emits a strange aura. I simply can''t get close!]

    The mystery of wind apologized in a whisper.

    Herta understood the wind''s mystery.

    A demon''s power that repels magical mystery was not something a wizard could easily overcome.

    ''As expected of a Blood Lord...''

    It was just as Herta knew.

    He was not an enemy that could be defeated with ordinary magic.

    Retreating to prepare powerful magic was indeed...

    "[O flame!]"

    Ian also conjured flames with Anor-lsil and hurled them at Pentagon.

    It was better than Herta''s wind, but disappeared just as quickly.

    "It''s useless!"

    Pentagon shouted roughly.

    Whether wind or flame, any phenomenon invoked by mystery''s power could be instantly dispelled!

    "[O earth!]"

    "It''s use..."

    "[O light of the sun!]"

    "It''s..."

    "[O darkness!]"

    "..."

    The powers of earth, sun, and darkness swept past Pentagon in succession.

    And as it went on, it became increasingly difficult to dispel the mystery!

    ''What?''

    Pentagon stared at Ian in bewilderment.

    What kind of wizard spews out magic by the truckload like this?

    Doesn''t his head hurt?!

    "Ugh. As expected of a Blood Lord!"

    "..."

    Ian frowned, looking troubled.

    Pentagon felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

    Yes. Now that he realized magic was useless, he should start trembling in fear...

    "[O leaping pebbles!]"

    "???"

    But Ian''s magic wasn''t finished.

    Ian chanted a spell and used a strange magic Pentagon had never seen before.

    It was skill card magic.

    [Earth Magic: Leaping Pebbles (Lv2)]

    [Makes pebbles leap at the enemy. The power isn''t much to speak of, but it can startle the enemy.]

    Due to low earth magic proficiency, the skill''s power wasn''t high.

    But as described, the pebbles startled Pentagon.

    Thwack!

    Breaking through Pentagon''s magic resistance, it dealt a small amount of damage!

    But the damage was so minimal that Ian didn''t notice.

    "This is useless too!"

    ''No, it hurts! You bastard!''

    "Then how about this!"

    Ian, now in serious mode, relentlessly pressed Pentagon.

    If he showed even a hint of leniency and got beaten, it would be frustrating!

    ''Now what is it?!''

    Pentagon was curious to the point of fascination when Ian pulled out yet another strange magic.

    Why does his magic never end?!

    How many spells has this guy learned anyway!

    Ian shouted while drawing an Arcana card.

    "[O Hrundal!]"

    "...!"

    The magic Ian unleashed this time was completely different from his previous spells.

    Arcana magic.

    The magic of the shamans, priests and wizards of the North!

    At the same time, Pentagon was aghast.

    Arcana magic in the Empire?

    Hrundal.

    She is the cold ice goddess, the deity of art.

    And the warden of hell feared by all demons.

    Moreover, isn''t she an ally of the detestable Sky God!

    To think he''d hear that crazy b*tch''s name here!

    He could withstand ordinary magic well enough, but...

    Magic borrowing Hrundal''s power was a different story!

    "You...!"

    Pentagon shouted at Ian.

    "Are you Lemegeton!"

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 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    Demons were ancient beings.

    They had existed in this world long before being cast out by the Sky God, their history too deep to even discuss.

    "Lemegeton...!"

    The demons still stubbornly used words from the old Golden Empire era.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    Even humans living in modern times can''t skillfully use the latest slang, can they?

    ''Lemegeton'' was a word first mentioned in the old Golden Empire era, then altered by the monks of Heaven''s Faith.

    The meaning of [Master of the Key] remained the same though.

    In the old Golden Empire era, it referred to [high-level wizards], but in the current gospels of Heaven''s Faith, Lemegeton meant [some impressive bad guy].

    So, Pentagon wasn''t insulting Ian.

    He was asking, "Are you a high-level wizard?"

    "Lemegeton, you say!"

    "That bastard! Spouting nonsense from his gaping mouth!"

    But Anton and Herta were startled by Pentagon''s outburst.

    Just like a demon''s mouth indeed!

    That demon bastard, what was he saying to their Ian!

    In Heaven''s Faith, [Lemegeton] often appeared as the Arch Enemy of saints.

    Of course, its actual usage had become distorted.

    Bastards like Golden Finger Takarion ruined Lemegeton''s image by churning out Heaven''s Faith light nove... I mean, gospels.

    Of course, Pentagon didn''t pay any attention to what the wizards were babbling about.

    What mattered was that Ian had demonstrated the strange magic of the northern wizards.

    "Hrundal, you say...!"

    Shamefully, Pentagon felt his tail stick straight up in fear...

    To demons, the Sky God was merely an object of hatred.

    Due to something that happened ages ago, they simply cursed "That b*tch is evil!" whenever they thought of her.

    But Hrundal, the Ice Goddess and Warden of Hell, was different.

    That b*tch... regularly came down to the gates of hell and held events to capture and punish demons.

    And she brought hordes of [souls of great northern warriors] with her!

    It was said that in Hrundal''s [Ice Palace], the souls of great warriors gathered to train eternally in preparation for demonic invasions.

    To demons, Hrundal was a truly terrifying goddess.

    The Blood Lord''s magic resistance?

    From the start, Hrundal was a crazy b*tch who dragged around insane northern warriors like some mafia boss. If you mentioned magic resistance, a cold axe blade would come flying.

    So when Ian shouted "I had meals with Hrundal! And looked at paintings!", you couldn''t help but cower!

    Ian raised the Arcana card high and concentrated.

    [You have drawn a card...]

    [You''ve drawn the Justice card!]

    A picture of a blonde female knight wielding a longsword.

    At the same time, a whispering voice was heard in his mind.

    "It seems you need my help, Ian?"

    "Lady Hrundal?"

    A voice as cold as frost, yet somehow warm.

    Hrundal responded to Ian''s call.

    "Oh. You''ve encountered a monster that denies mystery. A Pit Lord. Quite troublesome in many ways."

    "Lady Hrundal. What should I do?"

    "Your ''skill card'' magic could deal effective damage to him, but... it seems the circumstances aren''t favorable."

    Ian nodded.

    His advanced attack skills, Spear of Flame and Lightning Spear, were both on cooldown.

    [Jumping Pebbles]... did hit, but the damage was negligible.

    "Then I can lend you my blessing."

    Hrundal said with a low laugh.

    "But Ian. You''re not suited to bear my blessing."

    "Pardon?"

    "My blessing shines when it reaches an outstanding warrior."

    In short, ''Hrundal''s Blessing'' was a type of buff.

    Considering that Arcana magic was northern sorcery, it wasn''t that strange.

    Ian understood.

    Ian was a wizard, not a warrior.

    ''The Blood Lord has high magic resistance anyway.''

    "In that case..."

    "I''ll lend you the power of my blessing. Store it in your ''skill card'' and use it when needed."

    Hrundal whispered.

    At the same time, a status window appeared before Ian''s eyes.

    [New skill acquired!]

    [Sorcery - Hrundal''s Blessing]

    [Bestow the goddess''s blessing upon a warrior who follows you. The blessed warrior will gain the strength to achieve remarkable feats.

    The stronger their fighting spirit and loyalty to you, the more powerful the blessing becomes!]

    ''Oh.''

    Ian slowly examined the newly acquired skill.

    A buff-magic.

    This was totally a skill that heale... I mean, noble and venerable support-classes carried around!

    "..."

    It would have been nice if she had said it was for Hrundal, but oh well.

    Anyway.

    Belenka began relentlessly pushing Pentagon back.

    ---

    ---

    ''She''s certainly fighting well.''

    Belenka continued the fight effortlessly even against a 2-meter tall demon.

    Strength, speed, stamina - there wasn''t a single aspect where she wasn''t overwhelming.

    [Hrundal''s Blessing] was a buff spell with outstanding performance.

    "No... this can''t be...!"

    Despite barely managing to defend against Belenka''s attacks, Pentagon didn''t forget to whine whenever he got the chance.

    Ian found Pentagon impressive in a new way.

    That bastard. Was he that upset?

    Well. He came out to eat a wizard, but he couldn''t have imagined that a northern wizard and warrior would suddenly appear.

    But even considering that, Pentagon somehow looked...

    Like a loser.

    "Sister Herta. You know the Blood Lord? Actually, isn''t he not that big a deal?"

    "...?"

    As Belenka too one-sidedly thrashed Pentagon, Ian even had such thoughts.

    Blood Lord. He seemed definitely weaker than his reputation.

    Herta, of course, along with Anton and Krysus, were dumbfounded by Ian''s words.

    ''... Ian. That''s absolutely not the case.''

    ''Absolutely not, Ian.''

    ''How could a Blood Lord be a pushover demon?!''

    "It''s fortunate we don''t need to retreat."

    Ian, who had been planning to fortify the hill and hold out, genuinely breathed a sigh of relief.

    He had heard the Blood Lord was a tremendous monster, so he poured out all his magic...

    And it worked(?).

    To Herta, Ian looked more monstrous than the Blood Lord.

    How many spells had this young kid mastered?

    "Ian. That strange magic... it''s northern heretic magic, right?"

    "Yes."

    "When on earth did you learn such dangerous magic?"

    Arcana magic was ''dangerous magic'' to people of the Empire.

    Didn''t the uncontrollable aspect of it give off an extremely dangerous vibe from the start?

    In the Empire, with its brilliant magic system of Maronius, there was no need to use indirect and uncertain magic like Arcana magic.

    "It''s not dangerous if you understand the principles."

    "Principles... you say?"

    "Yes. If you get on Hrundal''s good side, the results are generally favorable."

    "..."

    Herta nearly lost consciousness at Ian''s outrageously bizarre answer...

    What on earth did it mean to get on a heretic god''s good side!

    Did it mean offering your decapitated head with an axe or something?!

    But at the same time, she was amazed by Ian''s bold and reckless use of magic.

    Arcana magic may be unstable, but producing results within that instability was clearly a mark of skill.

    If Herta were asked to produce the same results, she would absolutely fail.

    She looked at what Ian had accomplished.

    The imps fled in terror, and the Blood Lord was being pushed back helplessly by a strangely blessed female knight.

    ''If Ian hadn''t been here...''

    The wizards would have already met their deaths at the hands of the Blood Lord, or become slaves to the demon.

    As Herta was thinking this.

    "Kuh, kuuugh...!"

    A strange groan was heard from the entrance of the courtyard.

    "Save... save... me...!"

    Herta turned around and was startled.

    ''That person is?''

    It was a familiar face.

    It was Theo, a nobleman who was Count Gremlin''s son and the proxy baron.

    For some reason, Theo was desperately crawling towards them.

    ''...!''

    Herta was horrified.

    Because she saw something she shouldn''t have seen.

    ''That... what on earth...''

    If she wasn''t mistaken.

    On the back of Theo''s head, a woman''s face had sprouted.

    ''Karenne?!''

    It was none other than the face of the transmutation wizard Karenne.

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 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179

    TL/Editor: raei

    Schedule: 5/week

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    ''What the hell? What''s that?''

    Ian quickly spotted what Herta had discovered.

    ''Whatever it is, it''s disgusting.''

    Karenne''s face was protruding from the back of the nobleman''s head.

    It was a horrifying sight straight out of a horror movie.

    As if they''d glimpsed the darkness of this fantasy world.

    In a realm different from reality, one could encounter beings that defied common sense in such dark ways.

    "P-Please... save me..."

    [No, darling! I said we should run away, not go to the wizards!]

    ''It really is Karenne.''

    Ian could only come to that bewildering conclusion.

    The face parasitizing Theo''s body was indeed the transmuter Karenne.

    He didn''t know how she''d escaped from that ice block, but...

    It seemed she''d barely managed to flee and latch onto Theo''s body.

    "W-Why should I listen to you?!"

    [I''m disappointed in you, darling! Is this all our love amounts to?]

    "Love my ass! I''ve never dated a monster like you..."

    Urgh!

    Theo''s body flashed erratically before changing direction and moving away.

    ... It was an ominous guess, but.

    It seemed Karenne had seized control of the body.

    [I''ll deal with you later! I''ll teach you a lesson you''ll never forget!]

    "N-No! Wizards! Please save me! I beg you!"

    Ian understood the whole situation.

    Karenne, a black wizard, had been manipulating this proxy baron from behind the scenes, causing the current incident.

    Even the awkward and strange behavior of the proxy baron made sense now.

    ''Should I chase after them?''

    "Ian! I''ll follow them!"

    "I''ll go too!"

    Herta and Anton stepped up at just the right moment.

    Ian attached Jubal to the two wizards.

    "Take Jubal with you. Jubal! Help the seniors!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Ian couldn''t leave his post until Pentagon was defeated.

    Fortunately, Pentagon didn''t last much longer.

    "Arrrgh!"

    Belenka, empowered by the buffs, completely defeated Pentagon.

    "It fled back to hell."

    Belenka said, sheathing her sword.

    Pentagon didn''t leave a corpse behind. Demons were cunning creatures, and a high-ranking demon like Pentagon was bound to have an ace up its sleeve.

    "Ian."

    "What happened?"

    "... We lost them."

    Ian shook his head.

    Karenne was a transmuter, so she likely transformed into something strange again to escape.

    This is why wizards were such a pain to deal with.

    There were so many versatile ones who could catch opponents off guard with all sorts of bizarre magic.

    Of course, Ian wasn''t one to talk, having screwed over plenty of beings in similar ways...

    "Let''s deal with what we can for now."

    "Alright."

    Ian began the cleanup.

    ---

    ---

    A blood-soaked day passed.

    First, Ian released Professor Inglan.

    "... I''m truly ashamed."

    Ian explained the details of the incident, and Professor Inglan was at a loss for words, not knowing how to apologize.

    Ian gently consoled Inglan.

    "It couldn''t be helped."

    Inglan had simply acted like a typical wizard.

    The Empire''s wizards were originally beings who received (or exploited) the patronage of nobles, and it wasn''t unusual for them to accept help from nobles while traveling.

    The black wizards had set a trap targeting this trait of wizards, and Inglan had simply fallen for it.

    "I should stop traveling now."

    "You probably should."

    The days of carefree travel were over.

    Now that the black wizards had shown their teeth, countermeasures had to be devised.

    "I''ll inform the other wizards about this incident and tell them to be vigilant against black wizards."

    Inglan naturally suggested to Ian.

    "I''m returning to the Imperial University. Would you like to come along?"

    "What''s this?"

    "Actually, I was trying to find this when I ran out of travel funds and stopped by Baron Vincents'' domain."

    "Oh."

    Ian checked the leather piece Inglan handed over with an excited heart.

    "It''s a treasure map."

    "A treasure map?"

    What Inglan handed over was a kind of treasure map.

    Ian was secretly excited.

    Whatever it was, it must be something extraordinary if Inglan, a professor at the Magic University, was looking for it...

    "What kind of magical artifact is it? Or ancient magic?"

    "I don''t know either."

    There was only a mark indicating that something precious was hidden here, but he couldn''t figure out what kind of item was hidden.

    "Why don''t you try finding it?"

    Inglan said bitterly.

    "It seems the opportunity isn''t meant for me."

    "Professor..."

    "Ah. The only clue I gathered is that it''s the ''Book of the Gods''."

    The Book of the Gods.

    So, the treasure was some kind of book.

    As a wizard, Ian felt his curiosity piqued.

    Books are always a wizard''s good friend.

    "Well, good luck with that."

    After finishing their chat, Ian and Inglan began cleaning up the mess in the barony.

    "For now, let''s have Inglan serve as the interim proxy baron."

    "Well... I suppose we must."

    Not a single person of high rank remained in the barony.

    All the knights were dead, and Gremlin''s Theo was missing (probably kidnapped).

    Even the civil officials working at the castle had been eaten by the transmuter Karenne.

    In the end, Inglan was the only one who could give any sort of instructions.

    The other wizards didn''t have as much administrative experience as Inglan.

    Despite Inglan''s tendency to get into all sorts of trouble, he was originally a professor at a magic university.

    "I am Inglan Kate, professor at Dranheim Magic University, serving as the interim proxy baron."

    Inglan, like the seasoned wizard he was, demonstrated his skillful administrative abilities.

    "Organize a vigilante group to strengthen patrols, and report immediately if you see any suspicious individuals."

    "Each household should report in detail any damage suffered from black wizards."

    "Prepare a cemetery and gather the victims in one place to prevent the spread of disease."

    "Focus on releasing cats to catch mice."

    And so on and so forth...

    Inglan issued orders with a skill rivaling that of a real baron.

    The domain''s residents followed Inglan''s instructions with expressions that seemed to say, ''What the hell is going on?''

    During the vigilantes'' patrol, they discovered the earth wizard Carl.

    Whether he was quick-witted or just incredibly scared...

    Carl had made a fortress in a place full of earth energy and was in the process of plastering it with magic circles.

    "You lot! There are demons roaming in the baron''s castle..."

    "We''ve caught him."

    "???"

    If Ian had retreated as he was, Carl''s magic circles would have been put to good use.

    But they were rendered useless after being caught before that.

    "I thought Carl had been taken down by the demon."

    "... I thought you all had been taken down."

    Ian shrugged his shoulders.

    It was a bit disappointing that Carl couldn''t join the battle.

    Well. At least he''s alive. Let''s have a drink~

    "Still, let''s keep the magic circles in place just in case."

    "Good idea."

    The wizards installed magic circles here and there in the domain to prepare for emergencies.

    All the wizards except Krysus installed at least one magic circle.

    "Why is the senior just lazing around?"

    "L-Lazing around?! I''ve been searching for cold spots!"

    Ian marveled anew at the impressive performance of ice magic.

    As expected of ice magic.

    It was impossible to even install a magic circle without a cold place...

    As they spent time like this, a visitor arrived from outside the domain.

    More precisely, the domain''s owner had returned.

    "Professor! Count Gremlin has arrived!"

    "Well, well. He''s here rather quickly."

    Inglan grumbled as he put down his quill.

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 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Count Gremlin sprang into action when the wizards began flexing their powers.

    If he''d known the state of Baron Vincents'' domain, he would have left much earlier.

    The poor medieval information network made it impossible to know what was happening even in neighboring territories.

    Above all, Karenne''s behind-the-scenes manipulation of the baron''s proxy and silencing of people played a decisive role.

    As a result, Count Gremlin rushed over as soon as he heard news from Baron Vincents'' domain, his beard nearly falling out from haste.

    ''Wizards! Such troublemakers!''

    Fear of wizards wasn''t exclusive to commoners.

    Many nobles also saw wizards as unsettling and frightening entities.

    Undoubtedly useful, but eccentric and unpredictable!

    Count Gremlin''s shock upon hearing news of the wizards stemmed precisely from this.

    "My lord! Strange rumors are coming from Baron Vincents'' domain!"

    "Strange rumors, you say?"

    "They say an enraged wizard hurled boulders at the castle walls..."

    "???"

    Count Gremlin double-checked for any letters from Theo.

    Logically, if something had happened in the domain, the count should have been notified.

    But there wasn''t a single letter from Baron Vincents'' domain.

    It could only mean one of two things.

    Either false rumors of a wizard''s protest were spreading...

    Or that fool Theo had caused trouble and was trying to cover it up!

    ''Surely that idiot didn''t...?''

    Count Gremlin speculated.

    Theo had somehow gotten into a dispute with a wizard, resulting in the wizard''s protest.

    And the reason was likely a typical blunder young, foolish nobles were prone to make!

    The count didn''t consider the situation too serious.

    If Theo had truly committed an unforgivable offense, something like war would have broken out by now.

    The wizards must have stopped at a show of force, assuming it was a mistake that could be forgiven with an apology and a gift, right?

    But there was no benefit in wasting time, so the count immediately prepared for the journey.

    "Prepare the horses! I''ll go to Theo myself!"

    "Yes, Your Excellency!"

    The standard-bearer carrying the count''s flag and five loyal knights joined the count''s journey.

    Count Gremlin arrived safely at Baron Vincents'' domain.

    And...

    "What in the world is this chaos!"

    He couldn''t hide his shock at the sight of the devastated domain.

    ---

    ---

    This was no time to leisurely summon wizards.

    The count immediately met with Inglan and heard the whole story.

    "Theo... my son... was kidnapped?"

    It was a situation the count couldn''t have imagined in his wildest dreams.

    The woman Theo had taken as a mistress was actually a disguised black wizard... and she had even kidnapped Theo and fled!

    "That''s what happened, Count. I express my deepest condolences."

    Inglan tried to comfort the heartbroken count in his own way.

    However, the wizard''s characteristically tactless tone irked the count''s knights, who snapped angrily.

    "Condolences? You call that words of comfort?"

    "You lot talk big usually, but this time you let the young master get snatched right under your noses? And you still call yourselves wizards!"

    Listening from the side, Ian was flabbergasted.

    It''s easy to run your mouth.

    This certainly wasn''t something Ian, who had driven out demons and black wizards, needed to hear.

    Krysus, who happened to be idle (...), seemed to share similar thoughts.

    Ian briefly exchanged glances with Krysus.

    Ready, K?

    Ah. Of course, I.

    "You''re talking about the baron''s proxy, right? But isn''t he a bit old to be called ''young master''?"

    "I don''t understand why you''re blaming us for the baron''s proxy being fooled by a black wizard."

    Ian and Krysus systematically refuted the knight''s words.

    If the young master was so precious, why not keep him locked up in the count''s castle instead of letting him out?

    Why blame us for the trap set by black wizards? And so on.

    "Then you should have risked your lives to chase after them!"

    "Us? Why?"

    Hearing her put it that way, Ian didn''t try to dissuade Herta any further.

    "If you need my help..."

    "No, no! We''ve received plenty of help from Ian!"

    Herta said with a bright smile.

    "I can''t keep showing my incompetent side to my junior."

    "Herta..."

    "Leave the black wizard pursuit to me. Ian, you take the professor up to the university."

    In the end, Herta joined the knights to pursue the black wizards.

    "I''m going too."

    With Herta joining, Anton automatically joined as well.

    A strange atmosphere flowed between the two, but everyone pretended not to notice.

    "... I''ll go along too."

    "Carl as well?"

    "I owe you guys a debt."

    Even Carl joined the expedition.

    Finally, after some deliberation, Krysus decided to accompany the wizards.

    "If my ice magic can be of any use..."

    "Oh my. What are you saying, Krysus? Your magic is wonderful."

    "Senior Herta...!"

    In the end, four wizards excluding Ian changed their sign from [Inglan Rescue Team] to [Theo Gremlin Rescue Team].

    The fact that they were a professional medieval specialist group remained unchanged, so they would be a great help to the expedition.

    Needless to say, Count Gremlin shed tears of gratitude.

    "Four wizards! How reassuring!"

    Four of the count''s knights and four wizards.

    The pursuit team of eight left Baron Vincents'' domain as soon as their travel preparations were complete.

    "Ian! We''re off!"

    Ian saw the wizards off until the very end.

    "If you happen to meet a Sir Leshach on the road, could you tell him Wizard Ian sends his regards?"

    "Sir Leshach?"

    "He''s a knight of the Pope, and a good man in many ways."

    Sir Leshach is a professional black wizard hunter.

    He''s already on Celestial Wizard Bertholdt''s trail, so he''ll certainly be of help if they cross paths.

    "Sure! We''ll do that!"

    Herta turned around.

    The taciturn Carl''s parting words were simply ''Study hard'', while Anton tossed out a halfhearted goodbye: ''See you later, kiddo''.

    Of course, Ian got Anton blushing furiously by shouting loudly, ''Take good care of Big Sis Herta!''

    "I''m off too, Ian."

    "Take care, senior."

    Ian was most worried about Krysus.

    But she was a talented ice wizard, and her magical skills would only improve.

    "Ian."

    "Yes?"

    "... Tha."

    "Pardon?"

    Krysus twisted her body alone, then shouted with a face full of embarrassment.

    "Thank you! Thanks for helping with my magic! And thanks for subduing Senior Victor!"

    She blurted out a torrent of words.

    "And sorry I couldn''t take care of you as a senior! Next time we meet, I''ll really! Treat you well...!"

    Ian found this side of Krysus a bit surprising.

    He thought Krysus was too proud to express her true feelings.

    She had an unexpectedly honest side.

    "So that''s what you were thinking, senior?"

    When Ian said that, Krysus shuddered in agony.

    "Ugh...! How embarrassing! Ian! If you tease me about this...!"

    "Thank you."

    "... Huh?"

    Krysus blinked.

    "You''re not going to tease me?"

    "No. What do you take me for?"

    "An annoying genius junior."

    Ian and Krysus burst into laughter almost simultaneously.

    "Thanks for everything so far, and see you next time!"

    "I''ll be waiting, senior."

    Ian watched until the expedition completely disappeared into the forest.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    "What?"

    The head of the Golden Rule Society, Regent Antios, was taken aback by the sudden report.

    "Walter was taken out?"

    "Yes, Regent."

    Demon wizard Walter was a black wizard tasked with mining amber under Antios'' orders. It was a simple enough mission, so Antios had only been receiving periodic reports, but one day, Walter''s communications suddenly stopped.

    Antios sent people to search for Walter''s whereabouts, resulting in this bizarre report.

    "After interrogating the remnants of the escaped kobolds..." the black wizard spoke with an uncertain voice, as if he couldn''t make sense of it. "A black-haired wizard attacked Walter..."

    "A black-haired wizard?"

    The reporting wizard was baffled, but Antios was equally confused. If it was a black-haired wizard, wasn''t that one of the Golden Rule Society''s black wizards?

    There were many black-haired wizards in the Golden Rule Society. They actively recruited those with pure Golden Imperial blood, ostensibly to carry on the legacy of the old Golden Empire. The fact that black hair was unwelcome in the Empire also played a role. The oppressed always wanted for power, after all.

    "What''s more, he even raided our warehouse, stealing the stored amber and tapestries..."

    "What an insufferable bastard!" Antios couldn''t hide his anger as he heard about the damage inflicted on the Golden Rule Society. The Golden Rule Society was a secret organization. It was already difficult enough to recruit new members, and now their external activities were being hindered!

    "I understand. Be cautious of the Pope''s knights and lie low to observe the situation."

    "I will follow your orders."

    After ending the communication, Antios fell into thought for a moment. He felt like he had experienced a situation like this before.

    ''Come to think of it.''

    Celestial Wizard Bertholdt. According to the necromancer''s report, his activities were thwarted by Sir Leshach and the wizard Ian.

    ''Wizard Ian?''

    ''Yes! He was a black-haired Golden Imperial!''

    He remembered now. Wizard Ian. The wizard who created a lightning spear with his bare hands and defeated Bertholdt.

    Antios brought out a map and began marking the locations where the incidents occurred. It traced a path from the center of the Empire towards the southwest.

    "...?"

    As he stared at the map, Antios felt something odd. The place at the end of the path seemed strangely familiar.

    "Trap Operation?"

    Antios'' gaze stopped on Baron Vincents'' domain. That was where the transmuter Karenne was carrying out ''Trap Operation''.

    Just then, a woman''s face appeared in the demon''s mirror.

    "Regent!"

    "...Karenne."

    It was the transmuter Karenne. Having lost her body, she was parasitizing some young man''s body.

    "What''s the matter? How''s the operation going?"

    "Look at the state I''m in! It''s f*cked! sh*t!"

    Antios momentarily blanked out at Karenne''s coarse cursing... True to her words, the operation was undoubtedly ruined.

    "Pentagon got beaten like a dog and driven off! F*ck! One of those wizards knew how to use barbarian magic!"

    Antios rubbed his aching head for a while. Blood Lord Pentagon was beaten like a dog? And they even exorcised demons with barbarian magic? What nonsense...!

    "Are you sure, Karenne? This is the Holy Empire, not the northern colonies..."

    "F*ck! Can''t you see me? We''re ruined! Totally f*cked!"

    The agitated Karenne spoke rapidly. "Ian! Some bastard called Wizard Ian came with northern magic!"

    "...Karenne. Did you just say Ian..."

    "Yeah! Ian! The guy who walks around with a crow, and has a head as black as a crow!"

    Black-haired wizard, Ian.

    Antios glanced at the map on his desk. Demon wizard Walter. Celestial Wizard Bertholdt. And transmuter Karenne. All the Society''s plans had been thwarted by this Ian fellow.

    ''...No way.''

    Antios swallowed hard. This wizard Ian... Was he going around destroying the Golden Rule Society''s grand plans?!

    What? Since he was a science student, shouldn''t he be good at calculations?

    How dare you equate dirty arithmetic with beautiful mathematics! Such blasphemy!

    Anyway, Ian judged that it would be better to practice magic than wrestle with paperwork. So he occasionally climbed the hill to level up his earth magic. It was perfect for earth magic training, being a place full of earth energy.

    [Lv UP!]

    [Skill: Earth Magic �C Lv 3]

    [You''re quite a decent earth wizard.]

    ''Oho.''

    Ian nodded as he looked over his improved earth magic level.

    [Your [Bouncing Pebble (Lv2)] has been replaced with [Rock Fragment (Lv3)]!]

    In the previous battle, Ian had clearly felt it. The more diverse the magic, the better, and the higher the skill level, the better. Especially since skill levels were directly related to the power of skill card magic, he had to pay attention to them.

    While practicing magic, Ian also looked over his fellow wizards'' studies in his spare time.

    "Kira, how''s your study going these days?"

    "So-so."

    "How about you, Maria? Are the ghosts not bothering you?"

    "No. The ghosts are afraid of the [Arcana Card] you gave me earlier."

    "That''s good."

    "Hehe. You''re so kind."

    "..."

    Belenka and Jubal were going out every day to maintain public order. Since the knight who used to handle trials had died, Belenka was even doubling as a temporary judge.

    In the midst of this, a letter arrived for Ian. It was on his desk when he woke up. It was an extremely suspicious letter. When he opened it, sure enough, it was from a devious person.

    [Listen to the traveler''s opinion, and good things will happen �C Gerard]

    "What the hell."

    It was a letter from the space-time wizard Gerard. The content was so sparse it was almost laughable. Listen to what the traveler has to say?

    ''Now I understand why my master hated space-time wizards.''

    His master, Eredith, would grimace whenever Gerard was mentioned. He didn''t understand then, but now that he''d experienced it, he got it. Space-time wizards were all sly bastards.

    "What is this, really."

    Fortunately(?), Ian''s curiosity was soon satisfied. Belenka reported that a guest had arrived.

    "Ian. A guest has come, but..."

    "Hm?"

    Now that''s a fresh reaction. Belenka spoke in a voice that didn''t know what to do, twisting her body. Like that... She looked just like a young girl! A completely different image from her usual self, swinging heads around left and right.

    "What. Did the Emperor come?"

    "No. I don''t care about that bastard."

    "..."

    Belenka dismissed the Holy Empire''s Emperor as ''that bastard''. There was someone else who made Belenka act girlish.

    "Master..."

    "?"

    "The Sword Master is here!"

    "???"

    Ian rushed out to the street. There stood familiar warriors in a line.

    "Salvador?"

    "Oh! Ian, my boy!"

    The guests visiting Baron Vincents'' domain were none other than Sword Master Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago.

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 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Ian treated Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago with the utmost respect.

    These knights were the ones he had forged a bond with during the manticore hunt in the past.

    Both Salvador and Ian.

    Except for the unexpected encounter in the southern Empire, the atmosphere was quite jovial.

    "You seem to have grown even more since then," Salvador remarked.

    "I''ve learned various new spells," Ian replied.

    "No, no. Not your magic, I mean your body seems to have grown more."

    The robust old man, Sword Master Salvador, first noticed the change in Ian''s appearance.

    Back then, Ian certainly had a youthful face closer to that of a boy...

    But now, he looked like a well-built young man by anyone''s standards.

    Salvador gazed at Ian with a fond smile.

    Even a brief encounter can form a connection. Seeing an acquaintance from the past grow up healthy filled him with warmth, like meeting a long-lost grandchild.

    "If you come down to the Coral Sea, I could introduce you to my granddaughter..."

    "I appreciate the sentiment, sir."

    After exchanging medieval-style greetings (read: marriage proposals), Ian shared a glass of wine with Salvador and chatted.

    "Have you been well?" Ian asked.

    "As well as one can be, I suppose."

    Salvador proudly held out a foul-smelling bundle.

    Inside the bundle were countless severed monster body parts.

    All were from beasts hunted by the Knights of Saint Santiago, collected as hunting trophies.

    "We hunted monsters, recruited new members, and occasionally took on requests from nobles as we traveled the Empire."

    More than half of the Saint Santiago Knights were unfamiliar faces to Ian.

    Some had left due to death or injury, or found new lords and settled down.

    "It puts my mind at ease to see you''ve been doing well too."

    Ian also gave a brief summary of his journey so far.

    "You went to the land of barbarians?" Salvador asked, surprised.

    "Yes, I made a quick trip to rescue Takarion."

    "What!"

    Salvador was genuinely shocked.

    "You mean to say you rescued [Golden Finger Takarion]?"

    "Well, yes. That''s how it turned out."

    Salvador whispered his question.

    "... Then, do you have a gospel book with Takarion''s personal signature...?"

    "Old man, are you perhaps a fan of Takarion?"

    "Ahem! Hmph! No! What do you take me for! How could I possibly like such a frivolous and preposterous gospel!"

    "..."

    "M-my granddaughter is quite fond of Takarion''s gospel..."

    Ian rummaged through his belongings and pulled out [The Gospel of Marcus].

    It was a book that Takarion had forcefully given him as a memento before leaving the Blue Key Monastery.

    Medieval books were expensive and rare, so Ian had been carrying it around as a refundable item.

    "No! This is! A first edition of the Gospel of Marcus?! And with Takarion''s own handwriting!"

    "Old man?"

    "I-I remember it because I hate it so much! Tsk tsk! Young people these days treat faith like casual entertainment!"

    "Ah. You hate it? I was going to give it to you as a gift..."

    "... I hate it, but my granddaughter really likes it..."

    Ian smiled and held out the Gospel of Marcus.

    "Then take it for your granddaughter."

    "... Ian, my boy. Have you ever thought about marrying my granddaughter? If it''s a son-in-law like you..."

    "Oh come on, I said no."

    Ian thought as he watched Salvador grinning from ear to ear.

    Takarion, you terrifying bastard.

    You''ve even turned a Sword Master into a fan...!

    It wasn''t that strange for Salvador to like the gospel.

    If he wasn''t interested in faith, he wouldn''t be traveling with the monastic order of Saint Santiago.

    The reason for accompanying the monastic order was likely a strong sense of atonement for sins committed in his youth.

    After exchanging greetings, Ian soon got to the point.

    "So, Salvador? What brings you to Baron Vincent''s domain?"

    As far as Ian knew, there were no famous monsters in this area.

    There was no reason for Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago to visit.

    It was even less likely that they came because of the war.

    The Knights of Saint Santiago were an order dedicated to serving humanity, after all.

    At Ian''s question, Salvador''s expression turned serious.

    "..."

    The face of a certain noblewoman flashed through Ian''s mind.

    Her with beautiful dark blue hair and bright yellow eyes.

    Lucy.

    The girl who took Ian''s first kiss, as close to a lover as one could be.

    The Barony of Talian was located close enough to the County of Catina to be called neighbors.

    Moreover, Talian was where the fairies contracted to Ian were producing Fairy Silk as a specialty product(?).

    And now, to hear that the County of Catina had been attacked by a black dragon.

    "Salvador. What about the County of Edward?"

    "I haven''t heard anything about that place either. I suppose it''s probably safe?"

    The County of Edward was Ian''s true homeland.

    The land where his father, mother, siblings, and little sister lived peacefully.

    ''... That''s a relief.''

    Ian could easily calculate the black dragon''s range of activity.

    It must have made its lair near the [Golden Mountains] where he had once built a house and lived with Eredith.

    If so, the County of Edward should be safe for the time being.

    The problem was the Barony of Talian.

    The probability of it being attacked by the black dragon was too high.

    ''Lucy.''

    Ian had promised Lucy he would return once his journey was over.

    But if he went back to Talian...

    Would a pile of ashes greet him?

    ''...''

    Just imagining it pissed him off.

    ''F*cking black dragon bastard.''

    No, in this vast empire, why the hell did it have to build its nest in the Golden Mountains?

    And what did that dragon-headed bastard plan to do after collecting all that treasure? Could it buy pizza with it?

    Ian felt his hostility towards the black dragon growing rapidly.

    If it had messed with lands unrelated to Ian, he might have considered turning a blind eye.

    Dragons were MAX level dangerous lunatics, and it was generally better not to mess with them if possible.

    But if it touched Lucy''s and his parents'' lands...

    He was more than willing to pluck its wings and make dragon nuggets.

    "Ian, my boy."

    Salvador paused for a moment before speaking.

    "I''m thinking of heading up to the Duchy of Araz like this and meeting with Duke Araz."

    "The Duke?"

    If an aging mercenary said he was going to meet an Imperial Duke, he''d immediately become a laughingstock.

    But Salvador was the Empire''s greatest warrior, honored with the title of [Sword Master] by the late emperor.

    Duke Araz would certainly meet with Salvador.

    "Then Salvador is..."

    "That''s right. I intend to vanquish the black dragon along with righteous young people."

    "...!"

    Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago were an order of knights specializing in hunting monsters.

    And now, they were about to challenge a dragon, which could be considered the apex of monsters.

    "Fighting a dragon will be extremely dangerous. We certainly can''t guarantee our lives, and every moment will be fraught with peril."

    "..."

    "So Ian, I know it''s an unreasonable request."

    Salvador extended his hand to Ian.

    "Would you lend your magic to the young people who will shed blood and sweat?"

    Ian immediately grasped Salvador''s hand.

    The advice of the space-time wizard Gerard didn''t even cross his mind.

    This was a golden opportunity.

    Salvador and his knights. Add to that the substantial support of Duke Araz, and it was enough to take on even a dragon!

    ''I''m going to take that dragon''s head.''

    Let''s become a dragon-slayer while we''re at it. F*ck yeah.

    "If my magic can be of help, by all means."

    When Ian answered decisively, Salvador broke into a broad smile.

    ''As expected of a righteous young man!''

    ---

    [1. raei: anyone know what Mila and blue star is a reference to?]s

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 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Ian introduced the Knights of Santiago and his companions to each other.

    "The Deputy Commander of the Knights of Santiago, Sir Dehitri."

    Dehitri, who Ian hadn''t seen in a long time, still had that sharp, eager look in his eyes.

    "Deputy Commander? You must have earned your comrades'' trust, Sir."

    "Haha! Not at all! All my senior knights left, so I''m the only one remaining!"

    "Ah... That must be disheartening."

    Ian assumed Dehitri''s seniors had withdrawn due to injury or death.

    "What? No! It''s cause for celebration!"

    "...?"

    "They''ve all found good lords to serve under."

    The senior knights hadn''t left due to injury, but because they''d successfully landed cushy jobs working for nobles.

    Indeed, that was worth celebrating.

    "Then it must be Sir Dehitri''s turn soon?"

    "Certainly not! With evil running rampant in this land, how could I think of my own comfort?"

    "..."

    Isn''t it okay to consider it?

    With that level of experience, employment would be guaranteed.

    That''s what Ian thought, but Dehitri''s expression showed no sign of deception.

    His eyes were as clear and transparent as a lake.

    "Oh ho. That knight truly has deep faith. He''s an exemplar among knights."

    "Isn''t he... a bit strange?"

    "Strange? What do you mean, Ian?"

    Ian thought Sir Dehitri, the clear-eyed fanatic, was a bit of an odd fellow.

    It wasn''t like he had a personal grudge. And it''s not like he was farming XP like in an RPG.

    Was it normal to voluntarily roam the empire, fighting monsters? Not at all.

    Sir Dehitri was a knight without a home, without a wife, without a lord to serve, wielding his sword solely according to God''s will.

    Even if Sir Salvador hunted monsters as a pastime after retirement because he had nothing else to do...

    For Sir Dehitri, this was his profession.

    It wasn''t something a sane person could do.

    "He''s uncommonly devout."

    "That may be, but..."

    Belenka highly praised Sir Dehitri''s righteous chivalry.

    Ian had similar thoughts.

    He''s a strange person, but not a bad one.

    "Ian. I believed the day would come when I''d fight alongside you again."

    "..."

    "Praise the great heavens! Hahaha!"

    His boisterous nature hadn''t changed a bit.

    Salvador shook hands with Ian''s group.

    "I''m Salvador. Just a worthless old man."

    Maria didn''t know Salvador, Kira had only heard of him, and Belenka wore an expression like a teenage fan meeting a superstar.

    "Then sir, are you ''White Wolf'' Salvador?"

    "Hehe. What an embarrassing nickname. Young wizard lady."

    "I''m not a wizard..."

    Kira briefly considered whether she needed to lie even to this famous Sword Master.

    But soon, Kira smiled charmingly and said, "Yes. I''m Kira the wizard, sir."

    Kira was a real wizard who had learned the basics of the Maronius language from Ian.

    Though still a novice, she was confident enough to proudly introduce herself as a wizard to others.

    "Sword Master?"

    Maria tilted her head in confusion.

    She wasn''t old enough, nor had she grown up in a village with much news exchange, to have heard of Salvador''s fame.

    In contrast, Belenka''s face was visibly brimming with excitement as she grasped Salvador''s hand.

    "It''s an honor to meet you, Sir Salvador!"

    "Hehe. I''m pleased to meet you too."

    Conversely, Salvador seemed to find Belenka the most bothersome.

    He''d seen far too many reactions like hers!

    "As expected of a Sword Master! Is this the aloofness of the strong?"

    "He just seems annoyed by you..."

    "No way! Sir Salvador isn''t that kind of person!"

    "???"

    Huff huff.

    Ian found Belenka''s enthusiasm puzzling.

    Wasn''t she usually indifferent to everything except money and jewelry?

    "That man is a living legend!"

    Like the empire''s common knights, Belenka too had grown up listening to bedtime stories about "The Exploits of Sword Master Salvador."

    Salvador''s tales were very famous in the empire, as minstrels and biographers had thoroughly milked his stories and spread them far and wide.

    If this were modern times, he could have sued all those cyber-leeches for copyright infringement, but unfortunately, this was the medieval era without copyright concepts.

    It was an open secret that Sir Salvador wanted to kill the minstrels who made him their subject matter.

    It''s no wonder major cities developed along the coast.

    The cargo transport capacity of ships was like rain in a drought for medieval people who couldn''t even pave a proper road.

    "Sounds good."

    Ian readily agreed to Salvador''s plan.

    There was nothing better than waterways for transporting Ian''s group, including the knights, all at once.

    After obtaining ship requisition rights from Count Gremlin, Ian moved to the nearest dock.

    "Hold it! You there, ship captain. Give us a ride!"

    "Who are you to suddenly demand that?"

    "We''re carrying out the Count''s orders!"

    When Salvador presented the requisition order, the captain immediately bowed his head.

    He was a merchant who traded while sailing his ship.

    And merchants were always good patrons for nobles...

    "Oh my! My lord! Have mercy!"

    "Hehe. We''re not bandits."

    The captain didn''t believe Salvador''s words.

    What kind of people were nobles!

    They were ruthless bastards who treated commoners like NPCs, and when bored, would strike the final blow to make them cough up money and experience points!

    Nobles must enjoy this medieval era.

    They can do whatever the hell they want!

    ''Cruel bastards...!''

    The merchant shuddered at Salvador''s cruel tyranny.

    For now, he''s just asking for a ride on the ship, but...

    When they reach their destination, he might threaten to hand over all the cargo.

    No, he certainly will!

    That''s what the "requisition order" issued by Count Gremlin meant.

    Originally, it was a document granting the right to politely borrow someone''s belongings, but in reality, it was closer to a document stating that no responsibility would be taken for any damage inflicted on the other party.

    "Oh no! I''m done for!"

    "???"

    The merchant started throwing a tantrum, screaming his lungs out.

    Ian was dumbfounded watching this scene.

    Really, does he hate giving us a ride that much?

    "Villagers! I''m being wronged!"

    "Hehe. Well, this is..."

    As the merchant screamed bloody murder, the fishing village residents began to peek out one by one.

    Most were civilians unrelated to combat, but they were still rough folks who worked at sea.

    They stared at Ian''s group with tense expressions, holding fishing spears or nets.

    Any ordinary group would have tucked tail and run at this sight.

    Medieval knights may be fighting machines, but they''re still just humans.

    Fighting against that many people would be reckless.

    It wouldn''t be right morally either.

    "Ian, my boy. The atmosphere is quite hostile... It might be better to give up on sea travel."

    "Hmm..."

    Salvador''s words were right.

    If they tried to take the ship by force, it looked like it could come to blows.

    ''This is strange?''

    But Ian couldn''t understand such a reaction from these sailors.

    This was clearly within Count Gremlin''s sphere of influence.

    A requisition order issued in the Count''s name was presented, yet instead of cooperating, they''re resisting?

    "They don''t seem to be welcoming us."

    "If we just push through using the Count''s name..."

    As soon as Inglan said that, the Knights of Santiago stared at him intently.

    Inglan broke out in a cold sweat.

    "... Ahem. We can''t do that! Of course not!"

    As long as the Knights of Santiago were with them, forceful violence would never be allowed.

    Ian shrugged his shoulders.

    Wizards have plenty of useful means besides violence.

    Ian climbed atop a pile of crates.

    "Listen to me for a moment!"

    "...?"

    "I am Ian the wizard!"

    As soon as Ian finished speaking, there was a surprising response.

    "A wizard?"

    "He definitely just said wizard...!"

    The villagers, who had been hostile until now, suddenly started flocking around Ian!

    Ian tilted his head in confusion.

    "Oh my, Wizard! Please save us!"

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 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    TL/Editor: raei

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    In the Empire, wizards were seen as unpredictable.

    A wizard destroyed everything nearby, like a raging inferno.

    But on the flip side, if you kept your distance, they could protect people from darkness, cold, and beasts.

    That''s why the villagers clung to Ian.

    "Don''t cry. Tell me one at a time," Ian said, calmly soothing the villagers.

    Having become so accustomed to wizard-behavior, Ian''s skill in handling crowds was almost supernatural.

    Salvador watched Ian, his eyes shining.

    Reassured by Ian''s kind voice, the people spoke up.

    "Not long ago, some knights came in the Count''s name!"

    "... Knights?" Ian exchanged glances with Salvador.

    It seemed there were other knights besides Ian''s group trying to get a ship here.

    "But we can''t launch any ships now!"

    "What do you mean you can''t launch ships?"

    "It''s because of the monster!"

    Ian let out a hollow laugh.

    The terrible medieval communication network made it impossible to know why a fishing village couldn''t launch boats.

    The plan to take a ship from this village was flawed from the start.

    "Have you sent anyone to the Count?"

    "We did! That''s why we thought those knights were sent to help us at first!"

    "..."

    Ian suddenly felt the back of his neck go cold...

    This felt so damn medieval.

    "Please continue."

    "Yes! We treated those knights like royalty! But then suddenly, they said they needed to take a boat out to the river!"

    "They didn''t go to fight the monster?"

    At Ian''s question, the villager shuddered and cried out.

    "No! As soon as the monster appeared, they ran away as fast as they could! Only the young men who volunteered to help the knights became monster food!"

    To summarize:

    A monster appeared in the river, making it difficult to launch boats.

    So they requested help from the Count, and knights soon arrived.

    The villagers thought the knights would defeat the monster...

    But as soon as the monster appeared, they fled at lightning speed, disappearing to who knows where.

    Given that the boats hadn''t returned, they were either defeated by the monster or by the knights.

    And the latter possibility was overwhelmingly higher.

    Knights were originally just thugs with swords, after all.

    "What kind of monster is it?"

    "It looks like a stingray, but it''s as big as a fishing boat! It punches holes in ships with its tail and eats people who fall into the water!"

    Ian and Salvador spoke almost simultaneously.

    "It''s a Hunter Stingray."

    "Sounds like a Hunter Stingray."

    Ian had originally learned all sorts of trivia from Eredith, the Wikipedia wizard.

    Salvador had the knowledge gained from a lifetime of sword-fighting.

    "Well... this is quite an unpleasant situation," Salvador said, stroking his chin.

    "All monsters become dangerous once they taste human flesh."

    "There''s no prey as delicious and easy as humans."

    In nature, humans are surprisingly large.

    If a hunt is successful, you get 60-70kg of meat right there, abundant in number, and ridiculously easy to hunt.

    The monster that occupied the river, the Hunter Stingray, must have given human meat a 5-star rating the moment it tasted it.

    ''Wow! Easy-to-eat packaged food comes every day~! Will order again~''

    Of course, if you repeat this behavior, humans with sharp weapons will come rushing in.

    But stupid monsters don''t know that.

    There''s immediately delicious and easy prey right in front of them, so they just swallow first and think later.

    That''s why monsters that develop a taste for human flesh had to be killed immediately.

    A righteous? and just young man?

    Ian wondered if Salvador had gone senile, but he just let it slide.

    It would be crazy to shout ''No way! I''m a selfish and dirty bastard~ Kekeke...!''

    "I''ve heard a lot about you from Sir Dehitri! Sir Ian!"

    "It''s an honor to witness your amazing magical skills firsthand!"

    "But we won''t be pushovers either!"

    "Since it''s come to this, how about we bet on who takes down the monster!"

    Hahaha!

    The Knights of Santiago burst into laughter, finding something terribly amusing.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Is this how you react right before fighting a monster?

    Even the northern barbarians would be much more subdued!

    ''As expected. Imperials really are descendants of barbarians.''

    Ian was freshly reminded of the fact that the Holy Empire''s people were descendants of barbarians.

    "We''ll take care of the monster for you."

    "R-really?!"

    "Of course. Let''s launch the boat as soon as we''re ready."

    "Wizard...!"

    As soon as Ian offered to help, the villagers choked up with emotion.

    They had no choice but to desperately believe in Ian.

    Surely they wouldn''t get eaten and run on (round 2)!

    But the villagers'' worries vanished completely when the Santiago Knights'' expedition ceremony began.

    "Knights of Santiago!" Salvador shouted in a firm voice.

    "Guardians of travelers and people! We must now slay a great beast! Death-bringing threats may follow, and torture-like pain may threaten you!"

    "Ooh!"

    "But all we''ll gain is the gratitude of families with children! Even so! Are there any here who will fight with me, where neither gold coins nor titles can be guaranteed!"

    "We''ll fight with you! Sir Salvador!"

    "We''ll gladly join you! Sir Salvador!"

    "Excellent! Swords of Santiago! Those with the courage to advance, follow me!"

    "Ooooh!"

    When Salvador drew his sword, the knights roared.

    It was an overwhelming sight that left the villagers awestruck.

    "I''ll join too!!!" Belenka shouted excitedly.

    Ian''s ears were ringing.

    ''This isn''t a concert hall...''

    "But Belenka. Are you really going to fight without gold coins?"

    Ian asked out of curiosity.

    As far as Ian knew, Belenka smiled brightest when receiving gold coins or gifts.

    Belenka answered shamelessly.

    "No? Why would I? I''m a free knight. I have the right to receive fair compensation according to the contract."

    Ian stared blankly at Belenka.

    Wait, didn''t you just say you''d gladly join a fight without gold coins...

    "You''re taking care of my salary anyway, Ian. I can''t demand anything from Sir Salvador."

    "..."

    So, she meant she could fight for free ''specifically'' for Sir Salvador.

    Ian nodded.

    It''s special, but Belenka fighting without pay... She must really respect Sir Salvador.

    "It''s a fight alongside Sir Salvador. We''ll send that pig stingray to the fish market."

    Belenka smiled and patted Ian''s shoulder.

    Ian felt just as reassured.

    With a solid vanguard, he couldn''t be happier.

    ''Traveling with the knights really is sweet.''

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 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Ian and his party boarded the merchant ship and sailed upstream.

    The ship''s captain was a pitiful man who had come to sell goods, only to end up trapped in the village. When Ian offered him a "chance to escape," he eagerly joined.

    ''Nice weather.''

    The wind was cool and the waters calm. If not for the monsters, it would''ve been perfect for travel.

    With some time to spare, Ian went on deck with chalk and a jewel. He''d obtained the jewel by trading amber with Count Gremlin.

    Ian''s task was to draw a magic circle. He chose a pearl, favored by the mystery of water, to inscribe with Maronius language. Since they''d be facing aquatic monsters in the river, the mystery of water would be helpful.

    "Oh. Is that a magic circle?" Salvador asked, trying to sound knowledgeable.

    Surprisingly, he was as familiar with magic as any wizard, having seen countless spells on the battlefield.

    "You''re correct," Ian replied.

    "Looks like you''ll be using water magic..."

    In the past, Salvador had witnessed Ian''s water magic in Riverville. It was a spell that reversed the river flow, flipping the direction of the ship.

    "It''s reassuring to have a wizard with us," Salvador said with a grin.

    Monsters that dwelled in hard-to-reach places, like those in rivers, were generally tricky to hunt. Without a wizard''s help, there was a chance of failing even after struggling.

    But this hunt had Ian the wizard with them. Knowing Ian''s water magic skills were top-notch, Salvador had high expectations for Ian''s magic.

    "I''m the one relying on you knights," Ian replied with a smile.

    While the knights charged ahead with gusto, the wizard''s job was done with a few gestures from a safe spot. While others sweat buckets, he just needed to use his brain.

    Ian thought once again that becoming a wizard was the right choice.

    "The Knights of Santiago seem to trust and follow you," Ian observed.

    "Heh. I''m just relying on my flimsy reputation," Salvador shrugged.

    For someone just relying on reputation, his speeches were pretty impressive. Salvador''s speeches had the power to boost his subordinates'' morale.

    "I noticed before, but you''re quite good at speeches."

    "Heh. I don''t do anything special. I just imitate the ancient saints."

    "...Saints?" Ian stared blankly at Salvador for a moment.

    No, which saint gave such heart-stirring speeches...

    "Yes. As you know, ''Saint Marcus'' was truly remarkable..."

    The moment Marcus'' name popped up, Ian figured out the source of Salvador''s eloquence. A well-known Marcus fanboy. It was the work of that bastard Takarion, the Golden Finger!

    "...Salvador. Are you talking about Marcus from Takarion''s gospel..."

    "Ah! Yes! I see you know it well too!" Salvador grabbed Ian''s shoulder with eyes full of excitement.

    From that madness-like gaze, Ian sensed that something had gone terribly wrong...

    "There''s something, how should I put it... righteous about Monk Takarion''s gospel!"

    "..."

    "The way Marcus ruthlessly crushes evil-doers is the perfect embodiment of martial prowess! And as he practices righteousness according to heaven''s will, it''s the epitome of chivalry! Therefore, the Gospel of Marcus is truly the..."

    ...A martial arts novel! That gospel!

    Ian felt dizzy.

    This old man Salvador. It was suspicious from the start that his hobby was reading Takarion''s gospel.

    Why! Do old men who love martial arts novels exist in both that world and this one?!

    Ian cursed his past self for not having devoured the masterpieces of Jin Yong''s school.

    Damn... If only I had memorized something like The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber and published it, I could''ve made a killing...!

    "Salvador. Instead of such strange gospels, wouldn''t it be better to read novels..." Ian suggested.

    "What? Novels? Those lowbrow things aren''t worth reading."

    "..."

    Takarion''s gospel or light novels, they''re pretty much the same to me, Ian thought.

    But Salvador had a separate reason for disliking novels. It was... a difference in worldviews.

    First, most gospels were set in the ancient empire. Because the spatial setting wasn''t reality, it had higher immersion.

    Also, concepts familiar to readers like the Sky God, angels, and demons appeared. These were concepts that anyone familiar with Heaven''s Faith could understand, lowering the entry barrier for readers.

    In short, the gospel was... like a martial arts novel.

    Even if countless novels featured the same Nine Yin Manual or Plum Blossom Sword Technique, everyone could enjoy them with a smile!

    Because this was a story set in a [martial arts world]!

    On the other hand, novels of this era were terribly difficult to establish a worldview from the start.

    This wasn''t an era of advanced publishing technology, nor one where information spread quickly.

    No matter how awesome an original worldview story you created, from the reader''s perspective, it was a "What the f*ck?" moment.

    So inevitably, almost all novels had to use this reality as a background... that is, this medieval fantasy world.

    This created another side effect.

    Readers started believing the novel''s content was true!

    If I create a fictional [Story of So-and-so Family''s Such-and-such Domain], people will think Such-and-such Domain actually exists and try to find it.

    But when they actually go there? Of course, there''s nothing!

    The reader immediately... feels betrayed.

    ''Hey, this book says this place is Such-and-such Domain?''

    ''Ah! That''s a novel. It''s not real.''

    ''You dare... deceive me?!''

    I hope persuasion works... Ian thought as he looked at the Hunter Stingray without much expectation.

    The beast seemed confused, as if surprised after receiving Ian''s will.

    [Meat... voice? Voice... meat...]

    The Hunter Stingray''s will was heard in broken fragments.

    Even considering Ian''s summoning level, this monster''s will was too low.

    The typical appearance of a beast-type monster, with instinct overwhelming will.

    "[If you hear me, stop!]" Ian commanded.

    [Meat... meat...!]

    "[Stop! Stop the violence!]"

    [Meat!!!!]

    "You f*cking bastard!" Ian irritably raised his middle finger. It wasn''t a creature that could communicate.

    Even those who didn''t understand Maronius language fully understood the conversation between Ian and the monster.

    "Ian my boy! Is that monster a f*cking bastard?" Salvador asked.

    "That''s right! Sir Salvador!" Ian confirmed.

    "Then there''s no need to wait! Knights! Prepare the crossbows!"

    "Ooh!" the knights responded.

    The Knights of Santiago clung to the ship''s side and fired their crossbows.

    But the Hunter Stingray stubbornly swam closer, unfazed by the rain of arrows.

    "Prepare the oil!" Salvador ordered.

    Next, the knights brought sticky oil. They planned to detach the monster with burning oil the moment it clung to the ship.

    But the oil barrels weren''t opened.

    Because Ian activated the magic circle he had prepared in advance.

    "[River! Answer my call!]" Ian shouted.

    Magic circles greatly enhanced the power of magic. Having offered a pearl, the river would surely respond to Ian''s call!

    [Ohoho! Did you call me! Child!] The mystery of water answered in a cheerful voice.

    Ian recalled Anton''s water magic and projected his will.

    [Lv UP!]

    [Skill: Water Magic �C Lv 3]

    [You are quite a decent water wizard]

    As a result of communicating with the mystery of water, Ian''s water magic level increased by one.

    Ian spoke to the mystery of water with more skillful technique.

    "[Rotate!]"

    [Good! It''s a joyous day, let''s dance together!]

    The mystery of water joyfully shook its body according to Ian''s will.

    And that became a disaster for all river creatures.

    Shwaaaaaa...!

    [New skill acquired!]

    [Water Magic - Whirlpool]

    [A magic that creates a swirling whirlpool of water. Be careful not to get seasick!]

    "Wi-wizard?!" a sailor stammered.

    "Good heavens... Lord have mercy!" another exclaimed.

    As if a hole had opened at the bottom of the river, a massive whirlpool appeared in the middle of the river, violently churning.

    The sailors clung to the ship''s railing, trembling as they watched the whirlpool.

    If they get sucked in there once, the entire ship will be plunged into the river!

    "Ian my boy!" Salvador called out.

    "It''s alright! Old man!" Ian reassured him.

    Even Salvador was terrified seeing the magic Ian had summoned.

    That massive whirlpool looked deadly to anyone.

    If the ship gets sucked in...!

    Everyone was terrified, but Ian remained calm.

    The mystery of water would never harm Ian.

    In fact, the ship wasn''t being sucked into the vortex.

    Only the Hunter Stingray suffered in the churning waters.

    [Blub... blub...!]

    The monster tried hard to maintain balance, but it was futile.

    To begin with, the Hunter Stingray wasn''t a monster that inhabited areas with fast currents.

    Ian smirked watching the flailing monster.

    "Belenka. Look at that bastard. Calls itself a man-eating monster."

    Belenka also smirked. "It looks just like a foal that fell in the water."

    "For an aquatic monster, it sure sucks at swimming," Ian added.

    If the Hunter Stingray had heard, it might have sued Ian for defamation.

    "Ian my boy! Excellent!" Salvador, who had been firing the crossbow, shouted.

    Ian waved his hand in response.

    The Knights of Santiago, more excited than anyone, turned the Hunter Stingray into a pincushion.

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Killing a massive monster with mere arrows might sound ridiculous.

    It''s not like there''s an HP bar. How could a monster die from being poked with toothpick-sized arrows?

    But contrary to such misconceptions, HP bars do exist.

    In the form of blood.

    When an arrow pierces a monster''s hide and wounds it, blood flows from the gaping injury.

    Naturally, even a monster will die if it loses too much blood.

    It''s similar to how a 2-meter tall person can die from a 2-centimeter dagger to the throat.

    "Wow."

    Ian marveled at the river turned crimson.

    As dozens of crossbow bolts pierced its soft underbelly, the Hunter Stingray began bleeding profusely.

    It had already lost strength to Ian''s whirlpool.

    Coupled with massive blood loss, the Hunter Stingray passed out.

    From afar, it looked quite dead.

    The sailors cheered at the sight of the Hunter Stingray floating belly-up.

    "Woohoo!"

    "The monster is dead!"

    "Hurrah for the knights! Hurrah for the wizard!"

    Unlike the ecstatic sailors, the Knights of Santiago were relatively quiet.

    They knew the creature wasn''t dead yet.

    "Hmm. Seems it''s just unconscious."

    "Should we bring the ship closer?"

    "No. That''s too dangerous."

    Salvador, an experienced monster hunter, assessed the Hunter Stingray''s condition at a glance.

    "Come with me, old man."

    "With you?"

    Ian proposed accompanying Salvador to deliver the final blow.

    Now was when the river''s mystery favored Ian.

    Even if he fell in, he could escape, so moving now was the right call.

    "What an excellent wizard...!"

    "Lord Ian''s skills are just as Lord Salvador described!"

    The Knights of Santiago marveled at Ian''s courageous action.

    They thought wizards were just eccentric, self-centered oddballs...

    Not only did he provide magical support splendidly, but he even showed such initiative!

    Ian shrugged.

    In truth, he planned to milk the mystery''s favor while it lasted.

    But if the knights wanted to overestimate Ian, he had no complaints.

    "Ho ho. Then I''ll leave it to you, Ian my boy."

    Ian borrowed a nearby fishing boat to move with Salvador and a few knights.

    "Wow."

    "It''s really huge...!"

    The Hunter Stingray was much larger up close than they''d thought.

    It was big enough for knights to climb onto its body and finish it off.

    "Confirming the kill is important."

    Monsters sometimes recovered from blood loss on their own, being monsters.

    It was safer to deliver the final blow while it was unconscious like this.

    "I''d love to butcher this thing, but..."

    The Hunter Stingray''s body was enormous.

    Stripping the bones, flesh, skin, and organs would yield tremendous resources.

    But Ian shook his head.

    Ian wasn''t a fishing village resident. He didn''t have time to leisurely butcher this thing.

    "Let''s hand it over to the villagers."

    "...! Are you sure that''s alright?"

    Salvador was inwardly surprised at how easily Ian gave up the monster''s corpse and asked again.

    Seeing is believing, and with the monster''s corpse right before their eyes, greed could arise.

    Though they had no way to deal with it now, if they hauled this to port, they could butcher it and turn it into money.

    Ian had made a huge contribution to killing the Hunter Stingray.

    The atmosphere was such that he could claim ownership of nearly half its body.

    And he was giving it all to the villagers!

    "How devout of you!"

    "Huh?"

    When Dehitri exclaimed in admiration, Ian was bewildered.

    ''No, I just meant we should hurry since we don''t have time...''

    Ian knew the abundance of food in modern life, so he wasn''t too attached to the monster''s corpse value.

    But medieval people were different.

    Coolly giving up hunting spoils like Ian required tremendous willpower!

    "It''s Brother Ian''s intention to comfort the fishing village people who suffered most from the monster!"

    "Ohh!"

    "How devout indeed!"

    "..."

    Ian didn''t know it himself, but apparently that was his intention.

    The Knights of Santiago, as well as Salvador and Belenka, looked at Ian with moved eyes.

    "Ho ho. I didn''t know you harbored such charitable thoughts..."

    "To give that up. Impressive."

    As people made a fuss, Ian grew curious instead.

    "Hehe. Wizard!"

    After hunting the Hunter Stingray, the captain blatantly favored Ian.

    He brought better food earlier than others.

    Ian''s companions received similar treatment, but Ian was always the top priority.

    Inglan looked at Ian enviously.

    "When did you learn water magic like that?"

    "I learned the basics of water magic long ago. This time I referenced Senior Anton''s technique a bit."

    "... The more I see you, the more fascinating you are."

    Inglan was starting to notice that the magic Ian had mastered wasn''t just one or two types.

    And he knew how difficult it was to master magic from multiple schools simultaneously.

    ''I thought he was just a wizard who learned rare magic before, but... looking closer, he''s no ordinary fellow.''

    Inglan resolved to bring Ian to the university and have a thorough magical discussion.

    After a few days of peaceful sailing like that.

    "Wi-Wizard!"

    Ian, who was overseeing Kira and Maria''s Maronius language study, came out to the deck at the captain''s voice.

    Salvador, Belenka, and Sir Dehitri were already looking into the distance with serious expressions.

    "You''re here, lad?"

    "Yes. What''s the matter?"

    Ian looked where the knights were staring.

    "Hmm?"

    A ship without a flag was drifting there.

    "Looks like a band of pirates..."

    When Salvador spoke, Dehitri nodded.

    The appearance of pirates meant they were nearing their destination.

    "We should prepare for battle."

    Naturally, Salvador planned to arm the knights.

    But Ian tilted his head as he looked at the drifting ship.

    "Is there a problem?"

    "No. It''s not that..."

    Then Belenka chimed in.

    "Ian. Doesn''t that ship look familiar?"

    "Yeah. I was about to say that."

    Ian felt de?ja? vu, as if he''d seen that pirate ship somewhere before.

    To check if it was just his imagination, Ian called Kira.

    "Kira!"

    Kira was startled when she saw the approaching pirate ship.

    "Ian! That ship! Doesn''t it look like the one we saw in Baron Devosi''s domain?"

    "Right?"

    It wasn''t just simple de?ja? vu.

    This was truly a ship he''d seen before!

    It was the pirate ship Ian had briefly borrowed to travel to Baron Devosi''s domain!

    The pirate ship rapidly approached.

    When it came within shouting distance, Salvador yelled.

    "Stop! Who are you?"

    Then came the reply from the other side.

    "Hello, friends! We''re Baron Talian''s navy!"

    "...?"

    Ian blinked.

    What? Whose navy?

    "In the name of the great Baron Talian! You must pay us a ''toll'' to pass here! Hahaha!"

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    There are no large rivers in Talian''s territory.

    Of course there''s no such thing as a navy!

    Then there''s only one answer.

    ''Scum impersonating Lucy''s name!''

    It was the case of pirates putting on airs by claiming to be backed by a noble!

    Ignorant commoners would tremble at the noble''s name and pay the toll!

    Pissed off, Ian stepped forward.

    "Who just spoke?"

    "Who? Haha! This young friend has swallowed rudeness for breakfast..."

    The pirate captain swaggered forward.

    And.

    His eyes met Ian''s.

    "...?"

    As expected, it was a familiar face.

    Ian grinned and said.

    "Hey. You know me, right?"

    "!!!"

    Then the pirate captain exclaimed in shock.

    "Wi-Wizard bro?!"

    He had no memory of having a pirate brother.

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 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    In the past, Ian had boarded a ship to visit Baron Devosi''s domain. On the hills, he''d met Damon, the ''self-proclaimed'' baron, who introduced Ian to his acquaintance - the leader of a pirate band. Thanks to that, Ian had once traveled comfortably by ship.

    But now, on the river, he encountered that pirate leader again. This time, the man presented the ridiculous credentials of ''Baron Talian''s navy''.

    The moment the pirate leader saw Ian, he immediately bowed his head. Ian, Belenka, and even Kira were all present - the same members from their previous ship journey.

    "Have you been well, Big Bro?" the pirate leader exclaimed.

    Ian was genuinely curious. Why, of all the words he could have chosen, did he pick ''Big Bro''?

    "Sure," Ian replied, lacking the energy to argue. He simply went along with it. The world was wide and full of lunatics. If one could understand the minds of all the world''s lunatics, they''d be a transcendent sage beyond human comprehension.

    "Ian, do you know this thief?" Salvador asked.

    "Well... I suppose you could say we''re acquainted," Ian replied briefly, recounting what had happened in Baron Devosi''s domain.

    Salvador''s expression turned peculiar. "Then why is he impersonating Baron Talian?"

    Ian shrugged. That was something they''d have to find out now.

    "You, come here for a moment," Ian called.

    "Yes sir!" The pirate leader laid a plank on the boat and hopped over to Ian''s ship.

    "Weren''t you an acquaintance of Baron Damon?" Ian asked.

    "Oh come on, acquaintance? Call me his brother!" The pirate leader shouted excitedly. Judging by his manner, he seemed genuinely happy to meet Ian.

    ''What''s going on? For real?'' Ian thought as he silently listened to the pirate leader''s story. He was immediately dumbfounded.

    "After hearing the wizard big bro''s advice, Bro Damon went to find Baron Talian''s domain!"

    "I know that," Ian said. He had recommended to Damon that he should enter the service of a real nobleman, earn merit, and then be granted territory. He thought it wouldn''t be difficult to achieve merit since Damon already possessed an army (read: bandits).

    "Bro Damon stayed in Baron Talian''s domain for a while, helping Baron Talian!"

    "Hmm. Maintaining public order?"

    "Yes! You know how all sorts of bastards roam the wilderness, right?" The pirate leader listed off the atrocious crimes committed in Talian''s territory. The crimes committed by the bad guys who came from outside were as follows: Stealing pet ducks! Picking ripe apples from orchards! Driving deer living in Talian''s territory into their own domains to hunt!

    "Seriously! Aren''t they f*cking bastards!" the pirate leader exclaimed.

    Ian was momentarily confused by his lack of medieval sensibilities. Well, they were bad deeds, sure... Definitely wrong, but... Ian, who had been expecting violent crimes like murder and kidnapping, felt oddly deflated.

    "My word! How could they do such things...!"

    "What utter scoundrels!"

    "They ought to be stoned to death!"

    Those around him with abundant medieval sensibilities (actual locals) shuddered at the horrific crimes committed in Talian''s territory. Stealing someone else''s duck? They might starve to death without it! What absolute bastards!

    Food theft in medieval times was a crime on a completely different level from its modern counterpart. In modern times, with robust refrigeration technology and superior agricultural techniques, food is produced in such abundance that it rots.

    But up until medieval times, it was extremely difficult to both produce and store food. In most cases, food couldn''t be stored for even two years, so even if there were consecutive bumper crops, one bad harvest could lead to mass starvation.

    In such circumstances, livestock was a very suitable means of storing food. If you fed rotten or surplus food to livestock, you could gain that much protein resource. And they steal a duck that even lays eggs?! It was an abominable crime that would make one''s blood boil.

    "There was more work than expected, so Bro Damon postponed his expedition and stayed in Talian''s territory," the pirate leader explained.

    Ian nodded.

    Now that he thought about it, he should be calling him Sir Damon rather than Bandit Damon. Most medieval knights were appointed this way. Those who performed peacekeeping duties received land from the lord and became knights. Most outsiders visiting Talian''s territory would probably call Damon ''Sir Damon''.

    Of course, Damon himself would prefer the cooler title of ''baron'', but still.

    "But recently, the workload has grown beyond our ability to handle."

    "The refugee problem?" Ian asked.

    "Yes! That''s right!"

    Refugees, huh. Ian easily understood the situation around Talian.

    Sensing the crisis, Ian immediately called for Inglan. "Inglan!"

    "Uh... huh?"

    "Use magic!"

    Ian didn''t have any magic to subdue the crowd. He had plenty of magic to ''sweep away'' the crowd, but Ian wasn''t a madman. He couldn''t kill refugees. But Inglan was a photon wizard who manipulated light. Photon magic was good for subduing crowds without harm.

    "[Light!]" The moment Inglan chanted the spell, a flash of light sparked in the sky.

    At the blinding light, the refugees staggered and sat down. In that gap, Ian summoned the mystery of wind.

    "[Wind!]"

    [Wow! Humans!]

    "[Scatter my voice!]"

    Sound travels on the wind. Ian used the power of the wind mystery to create an artificial echo. Ian''s voice spread in all directions as if he were using a microphone.

    "Foolish ones! stop!" As the magically amplified voice rang out, the refugees stopped what they were doing.

    "The sun watches over you!" When Ian shouted again, the refugees bowed their heads like dominoes.

    The flash of light from the sky... And that booming voice! This was, unmistakably, the voice of the Sky God!

    "Oh! Great Sky!"

    "Please! Food! Give us food!"

    The refugees began to beg Ian earnestly. Ian maintained an uncomfortable silence as he watched. It would be a lie to say he wasn''t moved. How desperate must their situation be for them to beg even when hearing a divine voice? But even Ian hadn''t learned magic that could make bread spring forth from the ground.

    ''F*cking dragon bastard.''

    "Everyone, don''t get excited and maintain order. We''ll distribute everything we have," Ian said, turning to look at the Knights of Santiago.

    The knights wore expressions of deep emotion. "Lord Ian!"

    "Truly...! You are...!"

    Even if Ian told them not to, the Knights of Santiago would give away all the food they had. They had almost no food left anyway.

    It was right then that someone came galloping on horseback. "Stop!"

    It was a face Ian knew well. "Baron Damon?"

    "...Who are you?" Baron Damon, who had rushed over thinking the knights were under attack, recognized Ian and Kira''s faces and broke into a big smile.

    "The wizards!"

    "It''s been a while," Ian replied.

    Ian left the Knights of Santiago behind and followed Baron Damon, taking Salvador and his companions with him. As they crossed the palisade fence, the quiet and distant view of Talian Hall spread out before them.

    ''It''s been a while.''

    He had stayed here for some time back then. Ian was suddenly reminded of old memories.

    "Is that Baron Damon? You''re back?" A girl''s voice was heard from the courtyard.

    Ian walked slowly towards the inside. And he came face to face with a girl with deep blue hair like the night sky.

    "Ah..." The girl dropped the basket she was holding.

    Ian looked at the girl and smiled gently. "Have you been well, Lucy?"

    "I-Ian!!!"

    The rightful owner of Talian''s domain, and the girl who stole Ian''s first kiss, Lucy Talian spread her arms and jumped into Ian''s embrace.

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 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Lucy Talian hugged Ian with all her might, shouting, "Ian, is it really you?! It''s really you!"

    She clung to him as if afraid he''d vanish if she loosened her grip even slightly.

    Ian smiled and stroked Lucy''s hair. Lucy, who he was reuniting with after a long time, had grown even prettier. Her dark blue hair, reminiscent of the night sky, shimmered like twinkling stars, and her bright yellow eyes were wide with excitement. Though her face remained youthful, her body had developed graceful yet alluring curves. Lucy too had matured into a woman.

    Lucy gazed up at Ian with sparkling eyes for a moment. Then, in a slightly subdued voice, as if embarrassed, she said, "Ian... you''ve gotten taller."

    "So I have. You''ve gotten smaller."

    "Hey! I haven''t gotten smaller! You''ve just grown!"

    Ian and Lucy, looking at each other, burst out laughing almost simultaneously.

    "You really came back?"

    "I promised, didn''t I? That I''d return someday."

    "You could''ve at least written a letter before coming."

    Lucy, belatedly embarrassed by her earlier behavior, led Ian''s group into Talian Hall.

    "Wait here!"

    A moment later, Lucy appeared wearing the fancy pointed hat she was so fond of.

    ''She put that thing on again.''

    To him, with his modern aesthetic sensibilities, the pointed hat looked strange no matter how many times he saw it. He briefly worried that his companions might think Lucy was odd.

    But Ian was the only one who found the pointed hat bizarre.

    "You look very elegant, Lady Talian," Salvador said, kneeling to kiss Lucy''s hand.

    "That''s the lady of Talian...!" Maria openly praised Lucy. "You''re beautiful and dignified!"

    "..." Ian asked Kira, just in case, "Kira. Doesn''t that hat look a bit strange?"

    "Strange? How?"

    Ian felt a twinge of betrayal from Kira. Good lord. Even a former jester thought it looked fine...!

    As Lucy''s appearance took a hit, Ian felt oddly calm...

    "A bit late, but..." Lucy said, seating her guests on a long couch.

    Though it was a noble''s mansion, to Ian it felt more like visiting a vacation home. He was actually enjoying himself, having already discarded his expectations.

    "Welcome to Talian!"

    "Thank you for your hospitality, my lady," Salvador spoke on behalf of the visitors.

    "We meet again, Sir Salvador the Sword Master."

    "Haha. It must be the will of heaven."

    After exchanging warm greetings with Salvador, Lucy turned with a much colder gaze. "We meet again, Professor Inglan."

    "Ahem. Good to see you, Baroness."

    Inglan the ''Caught Grave Robber'' couldn''t meet Lucy''s eyes...

    He had a history of getting caught trying to rob Lucy''s ancestors'' graves. He was released after paying a settlement, but somehow ended up meeting her again.

    "Has Belenka been well?"

    "Of course, Lucy."

    Lucy also exchanged greetings happily with Belenka. During their stay in Talian territory, the two had become close enough to call each other by name. Moreover, Belenka had received a secret request from Lucy.

    Lucy whispered, "If Ian happened to meet a girlfriend or something during his travels..."

    "Don''t worry, nothing like that happened."

    It was a request to stop Ian if he seemed likely to cheat, or at least tell her about it if he did.

    At Belenka''s reassuring answer, Lucy clenched her fist. "Great!"

    "Well... He did seem to form a fan club though."

    "...? Fan club?"

    Lucy had reason to be upset. No matter her noble status, Lucy was just a baroness.

    She didn''t have an uber-powerful knightly order, nor did wizards reside in her domain (though she came close to having one). Moreover, dragons were monsters that even those high-and-mighty wizards recoiled from in disgust. If a dragon attacked, Talian Barony would be reduced to ashes.

    But Ian shook his head. Not being able to stop a dragon? He understood that. But there were many other things Lucy should have been handling besides that. Without going too far back, she should have dealt with the refugee problem first.

    "Lucy. Even if we can''t do anything about the dragon. We need to come up with a plan for the refugees."

    "That..." Lucy said in a small voice, "I did ask other lords for help."

    Meaning she''d at least tried.

    Salvador clicked his tongue. "I''m guessing they refused."

    "Yes. They said they understood Talian''s situation, but they had to prepare for the black dragon themselves..."

    The medieval era was a time of every man for himself. A lord wielded immense power in their domain, but conversely, they had to handle their own territory''s affairs themselves.

    Refugees are pouring into Talian? Well... Your neighbor''s plight is sad, but... Not my problem, is it?

    "Listen here, wizard Ian. I clearly advised the Baroness of Talian to drive out all the refugees..."

    At Damon''s rebuke that wasn''t quite a rebuke, Lucy hung her head.

    That''s right. The medieval solution to the refugee problem was to simply drive out all the refugees. Of course, the expelled refugees would die miserably, but... I barely have enough to eat myself. Why should I take in beggars? If you take in refugees, everyone starves to death together.

    Lucy wasn''t foolish enough to not understand that cause and effect. But.

    "Yes. I said we should take them in."

    "Ian. I just acted according to the teachings of the scripture. I just followed the words not to ignore neighbors in difficulty..." Lucy said, almost tearfully. "I know how hard it is to live as a fugitive. Leaving a warm home to flee... It''s really tough."

    "Lucy."

    "I was lucky enough to meet you, Ian. But... not all refugees can meet someone like you!"

    "I thought I should be like you for those who''ve lost their homes!"

    Ian looked at Lucy, who was crying out tearfully. Lucy was certainly different from other nobles. She hadn''t accumulated knowledge or honed her martial skills. But Lucy had a pure heart. A heart that sparkled like stars in the night sky.

    "Haha."

    "Ian?"

    Ian couldn''t help but laugh. He''d felt it before, but Lucy was truly a lucky person. There was always someone around to help her! Right now, Ian was that person.

    "Alright. The milk''s already been spilled. What can we do now?"

    "I''m sorry, Ian."

    Ian shook his head. "No need to apologize. Isn''t that right, old man?"

    Salvador strongly agreed, saying, "The path to heaven is naturally arduous for those without wings. The road humans take towards heaven is inherently difficult."

    "Sir Salvador..."

    "But the baroness chose the difficult path! Living out the teachings of heaven is the true life of a follower of Heaven''s Faith! On behalf of the Knights of Santiago, I pay my respects to the baroness''s courage!"

    In a sense, Lucy made a ''foolish'' decision. But there are many people in the world who can sympathize with and support that ''foolishness''. Ian was one, and so were the Knights of Santiago.

    "This might actually be for the best."

    "How is this for the best?"

    Lucy tilted her head at Ian''s words. Whatever the reason, the domain was in chaos because of the refugees. How could this situation be seen positively...

    Ian smiled and said, "Well, we''ve secured people, haven''t we?"

    "People...?"

    "Yes. Population."

    Most domains in the Holy Empire had pathetic population numbers. The empire''s largest city had about 70,000 people, which gives an idea of how few people there were. In an era where securing population was difficult, they''d gathered this many people? If they could somehow handle the food problem and the black dragon problem, Talian Barony''s population would explode.

    "Now let''s try to turn these refugees into citizens of Talian."

    They may be a burden now, but it''s a different story if the refugees become domain residents. Ian resolved to shore up the domain''s internal affairs before the black dragon arrived.

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 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Ian first considered the priorities of the tasks at hand.

    "What''s the most urgent issue right now?" he asked.

    "Securing food supplies, I''d say," Belenka replied.

    No one objected.

    Currently, the Talian barony was housing a population that exceeded its food storage limits.

    At this rate, they''d starve before the black dragon even arrived.

    "I''m sure Duke Araz will help us," Lucy said, placing great expectations on the duke.

    It wasn''t an entirely baseless hope. Duke Araz was the leader of the nobles in this region, and he wasn''t the type to idly watch as a dragon reduced their territory to ashes.

    Food and troops - both were resources the duke could potentially provide.

    "But if we just sit and wait, it''ll be too late," Damon chimed in. Well-versed in the territory''s affairs, he knew Talian wouldn''t last long at this rate.

    "Ugh..." Lucy furrowed her brow.

    If they could solve the food problem, it would open up ways to utilize the surplus manpower in the territory. Lucy knew this too.

    The issue was where to get the food from. Unless some magical event occurred... food wasn''t going to suddenly spring up out of nowhere, right?

    "I''ll handle the food situation somehow," Ian said casually.

    "What?" Damon found Ian''s declaration utterly absurd. And for good reason... No matter how impressive a wizard might be, could they just conjure food out of thin air?

    If that were possible, wizards would''ve already taken over the world.

    Sure, wizards could summon fireballs in their hands and create whirlwinds on bare ground. But even they couldn''t make trees grow bread!

    "No, you can''t just throw that out there like it''s-" Damon began, but was interrupted.

    "Oh! Ian, my boy! You can solve this?" Salvador exclaimed.

    "I have some ideas worth trying," Ian replied.

    "Ho ho! Magic truly is marvelous!"

    Damon''s mind went blank for a moment at the exchange between Salvador and Ian. That old man. Doesn''t he find it suspicious that food can be solved with magic?

    Damon, still incredulous, spoke up. "If that were possible, there wouldn''t be anyone starving to death in this world..."

    "As expected of Ian! You always have a solution!" Lucy shouted, cutting Damon off.

    Damon couldn''t understand the situation. He just said, ''I''ll handle it somehow.'' Are we acting like the food problem is completely solved already?!

    But Lucy wasn''t the only one reacting this way.

    "Certainly... if it''s Ian, it''s possible."

    "Yes. Hehe. Is there anything I can do to help?"

    Even the other wizards at the meeting were showing unlimited trust in Ian!

    Unable to speak up loudly, Damon questioned Belenka sitting next to him.

    "Hey. Knight lady."

    "What?"

    The Knights of Santiago smiled contentedly at Mionia''s now-proper attire.

    "Have you been well, Sister?" Ian asked.

    "Yes. Thanks to you, Sir Ian..." she replied.

    Ian glanced at the mountain of fabric piled up. She must have been making clothes for the people.

    Since he had met Sister Mionia, Ian decided to ask her a favor. "Sister. Could you go somewhere for a bit?"

    "Oh. Yes. Please tell me."

    While Sister Mionia wasn''t exactly a combat asset, her social position as a nun made her suitable for meeting people.

    "I''d like you to bring a wizard named Mani Kemperbell from Count Catina''s domain," Ian explained.

    The person Ian wanted to summon was none other than Mani Kemperbell. She was an outstanding botanist who had dedicated her life to exploring the mysteries of plants. With her plant magic, she should be able to rapidly grow crops. She was the perfect talent for solving the food problem.

    "It''s not difficult, but I''m not sure if I can persuade a wizard," Mionia said hesitantly.

    "Mention my name and Eredith''s names first, and if that doesn''t work, bring up the debt owed to the order," Ian instructed.

    "Understood."

    Ian assigned Dehitri to escort Mionia. "Sir Dehitri. I''m counting on you."

    "Leave it to me! In the name of the great Sky God! I will definitely succeed in this mission!" Sir Dehitri exclaimed with sparkling, clear eyes. It was a reassuring sight that could bring tears to one''s eyes...

    Before Sister Mionia departed, Ian asked about the werewolf Lewis.

    "He''s been sent to the northern forest," she informed him.

    "Thank you, Sister."

    Ian headed towards the northern forest as Mionia had instructed. Concentrating, he could sense Lewis''s presence.

    [Lewis. Can you hear me?] Ian projected his thoughts.

    [Who is this?] came the confused reply.

    [It''s me. Your master. Lewis.]

    [!]

    Not long after, a majestic werewolf leaped out from the forest. The werewolf Lewis. Once a servant of the wicked space-time wizard Larabel, he had been subdued by Ian and now served him.

    Ian''s eyes lit up as he gazed at Lewis. Lewis had the ability to command wolf packs.

    "I''ve been waiting for you! My master!" Lewis exclaimed.

    Though it had been a while since they last met, Lewis remained as loyal as ever. He seemed to have quite enjoyed his life in Talian.

    "Lewis. We need to go hunting," Ian said.

    "Hunting, you say?" Lewis tilted his head for a moment, but soon grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

    "Hunting is my specialty, Master. I''ll catch and bring you whatever prey you desire."

    Lewis was thrilled to finally repay his debt to Ian. If he could distinguish himself in battle and capture prisoners for ransom...!

    "Very good, Lewis. Now go catch some deer," Ian instructed.

    "Is ''deer'' perhaps a code word for a young nobleman?" Lewis asked, confused.

    "What are you talking about? Don''t you know what deer are? Deer?" Ian replied, bewildered.

    Only then did Lewis realize that Ian had called him not for a war against nobles, but for actual animal hunting. Though quite disappointed... He had no intention of carrying out Ian''s orders half-heartedly.

    Lewis bowed his head and said, "I will obey your command, Master."

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    TL/Editor: raei

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    No matter how talented Ian was as a wizard, he didn''t know magic that could make food spring from the ground.

    If Ian''s colleagues had known, they would''ve been shocked. "What? Even Ian can''t do it? Impossible!"

    But what can''t be done, can''t be done.

    Ian was a wizard, not a god.

    Moreover, he was a young wizard who''d only recently been recognized by his master.

    To supplement the scarce food supply, he had to work diligently.

    ''If Mani helped, we could catch a break.''

    Ian was hoping for the help of Mani, the botanist.

    If she could make crops grow quickly, it would be a great help to the domain.

    But Mani hadn''t arrived yet, and until then, Ian had to find food somehow.

    ''Hunter Stingray... what a shame.''

    Ian licked his lips, recalling the corpse of the monster as big as a whale.

    If he could''ve dismembered and brought it back, it would''ve helped the domain''s livelihood.

    But he''d already handed Hunter Stingray over to the fishing village people.

    The opportunity had passed.

    Ian had to rack his brains for other solutions.

    "You look worried, Master."

    Lewis asked about Ian''s well-being in fluent Imperial language.

    Somehow, his pronunciation seemed even better than before.

    Ian marveled anew at the actor-level enunciation that almost rivaled Kira''s.

    Why did a werewolf have such a good voice?

    "Yeah. My head''s a mess with worries about the domain."

    "Don''t worry too much. Everything will work out."

    At the naturally flowing encouragement, Ian almost shed tears of emotion.

    The werewolf Lewis was more useful than a decent human deputy.

    "Lewis. I hear outsiders tried to steal Talian''s game."

    Ian spoke, recalling what he''d heard from the bandit leader.

    In medieval times, all land belonged to the lord.

    More precisely, the emperor lent land to the lord, who then lent it to knights and commoners.

    Therefore, mines, rivers, forests, and other non-agricultural lands were all the lord''s property.

    Mining, fishing in rivers, hunting in forests...

    All required the lord''s permission.

    "Oh. There have been a few such unfortunate incidents."

    Lewis nodded.

    In this era, thieves often stole from neighboring domains.

    The reason was obvious: there was no escape route in their own domain.

    If they snatched game from a neighboring domain, ran like hell, and hid behind their own lord.

    The neighboring domain''s lord had no way to punish the criminal.

    After all, the judicial rights of a domain belonged to that domain''s lord!

    Moreover, areas with lax security like Talian were perfect for thieves.

    Before Lewis and Damon took charge of Talian''s security, the Talian domain was rumored to be a hotspot for thieves.

    "But Baron Damon and I dealt with all the scoundrels."

    "Has there been any apology from neighboring lords?"

    Summoning itself was neutral magic, but if you attacked humans with summons, that was definitely black wizard behavior.

    That''s the part Lewis was worried about.

    "Humans won''t acknowledge my existence, Master."

    If it became known that Ian had Lewis steal game, there would be plenty of clergy who would have fits.

    But Ian laughed calmly.

    "Whatever the world says, I know you''re a devout believer of Heaven''s Faith, Lewis."

    "... Master."

    Lewis looked at Ian with impressed eyes.

    Ian was saying now that it wasn''t monsters attacking humans, but a vassal moving on his lord''s orders.

    "The important thing is storytelling, Lewis."

    "... I''m ignorant about magic, Master."

    Lewis misunderstood that Ian was talking about magic.

    But this wasn''t a magic story.

    "This is... well. A kind of public opinion war."

    "Public opinion war... that''s a difficult word."

    Ian judged so.

    No, actually, this was a public opinion war.

    A game where victory and defeat were decided by how you packaged the result of [Ian stole game].

    ''You''re going to report me as a black wizard?''

    Ian grinned and said.

    "Lewis. Go tell Kira to write a letter and send it."

    "A letter... you say?"

    Ian nodded.

    "Yes. The recipients are Isilla of [Blue Key Monastery]. And... Takarion."

    What Ian was doing did violate medieval business ethics.

    Using monsters to steal game from neighboring domains! How deserving of divine punishment!

    But separately from that, Ian had to create food somehow.

    It was unavoidable if he didn''t want to see all the refugees starve to death.

    And Ian decided to explain such circumstances well to Isilla and Takarion.

    Medieval monks.

    Especially monks who published gospels could emit soft-power similar to modern media outlets.

    Ian did do something bad, but...

    How on earth could mere rural lords report Ian?

    A wizard who was friends with [Golden Finger], a popular gospel writer, no less!

    "I have many friends, Lewis. Especially when it comes to Heaven''s Faith-related matters, there are quite a few people who will help me."

    "Oh..."

    From Ian, who spoke confidently, the wizard''s intelligence seemed to be felt.

    So Lewis trusted Ian 100%.

    "Then I''ll start."

    Lewis left, leading the wolves to carry out Ian''s orders.

    Ian smiled contentedly.

    Later, when caught (which would probably happen for sure), relations with surrounding lords would plummet.

    But what could he do?

    They had the prior offense of sending thieves first, and they were bastards who knew Talian was struggling but ignored it, so there was no need to be scared now that relations were worsening.

    ''Then I should lay some smoke screen.''

    Ian left his seat to prepare for wizard action.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Sam of Yurdo stared blankly at the campfire, his stomach growling.

    As Yurdo''s sole blacksmith, Sam had inherited the position after his predecessor died from an infected boil. He''d simply started hammering iron the next day as if nothing had happened.

    Blacksmithing wasn''t a poorly paid profession. Though working with iron was harsh, blacksmiths rarely went hungry. Until a few weeks ago, Sam had lived without knowing hunger.

    But when a beast with pitch-black wings attacked the domain, Sam''s daily life shattered. Unbeknownst to him, it was a dragon named Predius.

    The dragon burned fields and slaughtered people. Soldiers in plate armor rushed in, only to be incinerated by the black dragon''s flames. The Barony of Yurdo was ruined in an instant.

    When goblin raiders invaded the devastated domain, Sam fled without looking back. He ran for his life to the Barony of Talian.

    Sam''s ordeal had continued unabated since then.

    "Bread... Do you have any leftover bread?" he''d ask.

    "Get lost, you beggar!" was the typical response.

    Once a successful blacksmith, in Talian he was just another beggar. The people of Talian were extremely wary of refugees. Sam resented them, but also understood. After all, only priests or monks would be capable of giving alms to the flood of beggars.

    ''Anything would do... I just want to fill my stomach,'' Sam thought as he snapped a rat''s bone. He''d already eaten all the animals roaming nearby. After starving for days, he felt like eating even the dirt on the ground.

    "Hey, Sam." A refugee from Yurdo village approached Sam discreetly. In truth, there was nothing discreet about it since they were surrounded by beggars'' hovels.

    "I''ve got something to tell only you."

    "What is it?"

    The refugee whispered as if revealing an astonishing secret. "I hear Baron Yurdo is about to make a major decision."

    "A major decision?" Sam snickered in disbelief. What kind of major decision could a noble who couldn''t stop a dragon and lost his domain make?

    But at the refugee''s next words, Sam had no choice but to get serious.

    "They say the Baron himself is going to open the granary."

    Sam''s eyes widened. There was only one ''granary'' the refugee could be referring to - Baron Talian''s warehouse!

    "How is that possible..." Sam muttered.

    "Don''t ask! The important thing is that we need the help of Yurdo people to open the warehouse!"

    Sam couldn''t help but curse.

    Baron Yurdo coveting Baron Talian''s warehouse, and the situation requiring help from Yurdo people! The two indicators clearly pointed to one thing: Rebellion. Baron Yurdo intended to seize Talian''s food warehouse by force!

    "Has Baron Yurdo gone mad? Even so, to rob Talian who took us in...!"

    "Watch your mouth! Aren''t you from Yurdo?" the refugee hissed.

    Sam fell silent.

    "We''ll all starve to death at this rate anyway!" the refugee continued. "If Baron Talian releases the food, will she feed the Talian people or the Yurdo people? Of course she''ll take care of the Talian people!"

    The prolonged hunger had made the Yurdo people lose their senses. Die of starvation or die after being driven out, dying was dying. Now that it had come to this, they''d decided to help the Baron''s rebellion and at least fill their empty stomachs!

    ''Sh*t, what should I do,'' Sam agonized, his heart wavering.

    The refugee''s persuasion was far too plausible. Honestly, there was no way Baron Talian would take care of another domain''s people right now. On the other hand, if Baron Yurdo succeeded in the rebellion...!

    "Come on! Decide quickly!" The refugee urged Sam.

    "Baron Talian! Beware of Baron Yurdo!!!"

    ''Baron Yurdo!''

    Sam belatedly realized how disastrous this situation was for Baron Yurdo. Baron Yurdo was on the verge of rebellion. Having gathered followers and even spread rumors, he had already crossed a river of no return. But a suddenly appearing werewolf had ruined all of Yurdo''s plans!

    "Huh?" Lucy let out a confused sound at the unexpected name.

    At the same time, an armored man appeared from the crowd. "Lies! Baron Talian is a liar!"

    "Baron Yurdo!" someone gasped.

    Baron Yurdo was already dressed for a life-or-death battle, wearing armor and even carrying a sword. He clearly wasn''t dressed to just meet Lucy.

    "Baron Talian has deluded a werewolf with evil magic, gathering beasts in a sacrilegious way!" he accused.

    At Baron Yurdo''s majestic speech, Ian broke out in a cold sweat. That bastard had surprisingly good intuition. The Baron''s guess was somewhat true. A werewolf dreaming of the Sky God and bringing tribute? It was all made up. But they couldn''t just admit it!

    "Shut up! How dare a mere baron flap his lips here!" Ian shouted back.

    "M-mere baron?" Baron Yurdo stuttered in shock. He had never heard such an insult in his life!

    "To call tribute offered in Heaven''s name sacrilegious! You must be out of your mind!" Ian continued.

    "No! I know what the truth is! Last night, God appeared in my dream and whispered to me!" Baron Yurdo shouted, pointing at Ian and Lucy. "This is the result of Baron Talian and your evil magic!"

    "Dream? Did you just say dream?" Ian was secretly relieved when Baron Yurdo started blabbering about dreams. The fool had no idea what Ian had set up. He was just treating Ian as a black wizard and spouting whatever to justify himself.

    Most things in the Middle Ages were like this. Just do something first, then attach some plausible words and it would blow over. Ian didn''t know how psychologically cornered Baron Yurdo was. But he knew the man was about to charge in!

    "In place of Heaven''s will! I shall bring divine punishment upon you..." As Baron Yurdo started laying the groundwork, Ian immediately used magic.

    "Darkness!" he incanted.

    Ian''s dark magic reached level 5. Now he could summon a bit of darkness even in broad daylight. Ian summoned a veil of darkness, concealing himself and Lucy.

    This greatly flustered Baron Yurdo. "Such evil magic again!" he cried. How cowardly to hide in the darkness! This made it difficult to kill Baron Talian!

    "Archers! Shoot Baron Talian!" Baron Yurdo called for the archers he had hidden in advance. He planned to kill Baron Talian first, then somehow cover it up by claiming the Baron had plotted evil schemes. While also ruling over Talian in the process!

    Crossbow-wielding archers aimed in Lucy''s general direction. They couldn''t see due to the darkness, but figured they''d hit something if they just kept shooting.

    However, the archers didn''t know who the old man guarding Lucy''s side was.

    "You bastard!!!" The robust old man, Sword Master Salvador, roared like a lion. It was a perfect posture for a rebuke, as expected of an old man who loves martial arts novels.

    "S-shoot!" Baron Yurdo ordered nervously.

    The archers fired their crossbows as ordered. Then an amazing thing happened.

    "What utterly cowardly and vile creatures!" Salvador shouted. With a series of metallic clangs, he deflected all the incoming arrows with his sword!

    "Ian. Are you alright?" Belenka asked.

    "Yeah. Thanks, Belenka," Ian replied. In fact, Belenka had performed a similar feat, but it wasn''t clearly visible as her body was half-buried in darkness.

    "Capture that madman!" Lucy ordered.

    "Ugh! Let go! You lowlifes! I am the rightful lord of Yurdo!!!" Baron Yurdo cried as Damon''s subordinates seized him, his assassination attempt having failed spectacularly.

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 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

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    ''Did they really gather like this?''

    Ian thought, watching Baron Yurdo being dragged away.

    Ian had arrived in Talian after the black dragon''s attack.

    He didn''t know the state of the nobles who''d been attacked by the black dragon.

    Until now, he''d been busy running around providing food for refugees...

    Ian never imagined another noble would come up with such an outlandish plan.

    ''I''ll have to tighten Lucy''s security.''

    Had he underestimated the medieval people''s reckless behavior?

    Ian thought he should strengthen Lucy''s protection while also controlling the other nobles to prevent them from causing trouble.

    Currently, nobles who had abandoned their territories and fled were staying in Talian.

    Following noble custom, Lucy had treated them as guests.

    But Baron Yurdo not only kicked Lucy''s goodwill to the curb, he''d stomped it into the gutter.

    "Wizard Ian."

    Damon, the knight in charge of Talian''s security, approached and spoke.

    "You saw clearly the mess that noble scum caused?"

    "Of course."

    Damon, who never liked nobles much to begin with, was seething at Baron Yurdo''s betrayal.

    "All nobles are like that. Greedy as hell, and not a shred of loyalty!"

    Any other time, Ian might have defended the nobles, but right now he didn''t feel like it at all.

    No matter how bad the mood in Talian was, to attempt rebellion so soon?

    He''d jokingly thought this era was post-apocalyptic, but now it felt half-serious.

    In a real post-apocalypse, human bastards were always the biggest problem.

    "Ian. I want to send a strong warning to the other nobles."

    Damon had come seeking Ian''s wisdom.

    Ian readily supported Damon''s stance.

    "Do it."

    It was advice for Lucy''s sake, but Ian also disliked nobles.

    "Given how things have turned out, sitting idle would make us look like pushovers. Let''s firmly remind them who owns this land."

    Lucy was a young noble, and a woman to boot.

    She had all the right conditions for other nobles to look down on her.

    But now that Baron Yurdo had royally f*cked up, Lucy had the right to express righteous anger.

    They needed to capitalize on this opportunity.

    "Baron Damon. Gather the nobles in Talian Hall."

    "I''ll do that right away!"

    Ian headed to Talian Hall with Lucy.

    ---

    ---

    "What in blazes...!"

    The nobles summoned to Talian Hall were all trembling.

    They tried not to show it outwardly, but inwardly they were more frightened than anyone.

    "I never imagined Baron Yurdo would hatch such a vile scheme!"

    Baron Lantro growled through gritted teeth.

    Baron Yurdo''s domain had fallen relatively recently, and had preserved a fair amount of its strength.

    Their desire for revenge against the black dragon and concern for their people was understandable.

    But... an assassination attempt!

    And cowardly ambushing with archers at that!

    Let''s say, for argument''s sake, that Baron Yurdo had grievances with Baron Talian over the food situation.

    If he''d at least drawn his sword and honorably challenged her to a duel, they wouldn''t feel this sense of betrayal.

    The food situation in Talian was indeed dire, and the nobles were starting to feel the pressure.

    Truth be told, the nobles didn''t much like Lucy Talian.

    She''d inherited her title through an accident, and was a young female noble.

    In peaceful times it might not matter, but in a crisis like this, Lucy Talian wasn''t exactly an inspiring leader.

    But since they''d sought refuge in Talian, they had to follow Lucy''s orders.

    The nobles could roughly guess what Baron Yurdo was thinking.

    ''The black dragon''s bearing down on us, and you can''t even feed people or prepare properly! What the hell are you doing as a baron?''

    ''I''m doing my best...''

    ''Ugh, it''s so frustrating! I''ll do it myself!''

    ''??? You?''

    Secretly, some nobles thought Baron Yurdo might be better than Lucy.

    So even if they saw Baron Yurdo plotting something, they turned a blind eye.

    But at the critical moment, a miracle occurred.

    Baron Yurdo, who''d finished his scheming, had no choice but to charge in recklessly.

    The result was, of course, a complete disaster.

    Not only did the assassination fail, but it also jeopardized the other nobles'' position.

    "... Who could have known things would turn out like this."

    Baron Bahen muttered.

    Baron Lantro found those words extremely irritating.

    "Hah! Are you defending Baron Yurdo now?"

    "No, that''s not what I meant..."

    Actually, it was.

    Baron Bahen supported Baron Yurdo more than Lucy.

    "???"

    The nobles'' jaws dropped at Ian''s words.

    What the hell is this crazy wizard babbling about...?

    Unlike the stunned nobles, Ian continued without changing expression.

    "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pack. Oh, would you prefer to leave empty-handed?"

    "W-Wait a minute! What do you mean, get out! Where are we supposed to go!"

    Ian pointed outside with his staff and said.

    "Out of Baron Talian''s domain, of course."

    "..."

    Ian stated it plainly.

    This was an expulsion order.

    Only then did the nobles grasp the situation, their faces turning deathly pale.

    Baron Talian...

    She''s not just a little angry!

    "Y-You can''t do this!"

    Baron Lantro protested desperately.

    "How can you so ruthlessly drive out fellow subjects of the Empire, of the same Emperor?"

    Ian couldn''t help but snicker.

    "Oh? So it''s fine to shoot arrows at a fellow Imperial subject?"

    "...!"

    The nobles were left speechless.

    Clearly that bastard Yurdo caused the trouble, but...

    The other nobles were taking the hit!

    "Bring it."

    Ian snapped his fingers, and Maria, who had volunteered as a daily helper, appeared with a document.

    "This is..."

    The nobles let out low groans as soon as they saw the document.

    The document Ian had prepared was none other than an [Oath of Loyalty].

    "Sign it."

    The Oath of Loyalty was, as the name implied, a document in which [B] swears loyalty to [A] as a vassal.

    B fulfills the duties of a vassal to A, and in return, A fulfills the duties of a lord to B.

    Simply put, it could be seen as a feudal contract agreement.

    [Lantro, Bahen, Yurdo, and Damon shall serve the lord of Talian as their liege and fulfill their duties as vassals until they reclaim their estates after defeating the black dragon.]

    "..."

    Baron Lantro let out a bitter laugh.

    The nobles here couldn''t refuse Ian''s proposal.

    "Do you really have to go this far?"

    "Of course."

    Ian opened his eyes coldly and spoke.

    "Look at the result of letting you all run wild without any contract. Baron Talian even took an arrow. And you expect us to just sit back?"

    "That was Baron Yurdo acting alone..."

    "Was it really ''alone''? Is there not a single person among you who noticed Baron Yurdo''s suspicious behavior? Well. Clearly none of you thought to warn Baron Talian."

    "..."

    There was nothing they could say.

    If they pushed back any further, they''d be told to spout their bullsh*t outside the domain.

    "I''ll sign."

    "... I''ll sign too."

    The nobles accepted their fate.

    They''d already lost their domains and were on the run.

    If they could defeat the black dragon with Talian''s help... they could put up with being vassals.

    "Ah! Baron Talian! Can I sign too?"

    "Huh? Sure, if you want to?"

    The ''self-proclaimed'' Baron Damon also quickly signed the loyalty oath.

    Damon was the only one smiling as he signed.

    Of course he was.

    Until now he''d been a ''self-proclaimed'' baron, but...

    By sneaking ''Baron Damon''s domain'' into an official loyalty oath, he''d become the real owner of a backwoods estate!

    "Excellent."

    Ian grinned as he looked at the document signed by the nobles.

    Lantro, Bahen, Yurdo, Damon.

    And Talian.

    Five baronies had become a community serving one sovereign.

    If you write this as a title...

    "Now you''d be ''Countess Talian'', I suppose."

    "Huh?"

    While Lucy tilted her head in confusion.

    The nobles rose from their seats and kissed Lucy''s hand.

    "So be it... We shall fulfill our duties as vassals until the contract ends, Countess Talian."

    "May you spill as much of the black dragon''s blood as the loyalty we offer, Countess."

    The nobles treated Lucy as their lord without hesitation.

    They''d nearly lost their heads, but if they only had to swear loyalty to keep going, there was no reason to refuse.

    "Huuuh? Ian, am I a countess now?"

    "For God''s sake, shut your mouth Lucy."

    Though temporary, Lucy Talian had become a countess.

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    After tidying up affairs with the nobles, Ian engaged in brief conversations with them in a more friendly atmosphere.

    "What are you going to do with Baron Yurdo?" one of them asked.

    "Well... we''ll have to execute him, won''t we?" Ian replied.

    In truth, there wasn''t really any other suitable option.

    The fate awaiting a failed assassin? Death, of course.

    None of the nobles objected to Ian''s opinion.

    Moreover, Baron Yurdo had brought palace guards for the assassination attempt.

    There was a huge difference between attacking with a sword and attacking with a bow.

    "Baron Yurdo. I didn''t think you had it in you. You''re truly a despicable man," one noble commented.

    "He brought this upon himself," another agreed.

    The nobles unanimously condemned Baron Yurdo.

    If the baron had attempted assassination with a sword, he wouldn''t have been cursed this much.

    Because... the sword was a ''weapon of honor''.

    To kill someone with a sword, you needed the ''skill'' to defeat your opponent.

    If Baron Yurdo had charged in with a sword and died because the other party couldn''t handle it?

    Ah, the opponent''s skill was lacking! Their will to live was insufficient!

    That would have been the conclusion.

    It sounded crazy, but it was true.

    Sword fighting was a ''fair contest'', and the loser had an obligation to accept defeat to the winner.

    It was 100% knight''s logic.

    But bows were different.

    Bows were weapons used with the premise of killing.

    They were lethal weapons used to ''kill'' not just game, but large monsters!

    And to shoot an arrow at... a person?

    Damn, that was too cruel!

    With a sword, there was a chance the victor might mercifully spare their opponent, but with a bow, there was no such thing - it just killed the other party.

    In other words, it was the perfect weapon for a fight to the death.

    But most nobles in the medieval period were knights or of knightly origin.

    They had trained in swordsmanship all their lives and were confident in their sword skills.

    So when they lost in a sword duel, they were prepared to accept the result.

    Thinking, "I must have been lax in my training, that''s why I lost...!"

    But if the opponent used a bow?

    You... you weren''t planning to fight me fair and square?!

    You were just after my life!

    That was why Baron Yurdo, who had targeted Lucy with a bow, found himself in a situation where no one could defend him even if they wanted to.

    "Well... since he signed the oath of loyalty, I won''t punish anyone else," Ian said.

    Knowing this, Ian had made a deal with Baron Yurdo, who was locked up in prison.

    He''d said he''d end things with just the baron if he formed a master-servant contract with Lucy.

    The baron had agreed to the deal.

    The other nobles were moved by Count Talian''s merciful decision.

    "Oh... so you''re sparing his household and knights too?" one asked in surprise.

    "Of course," Ian confirmed.

    "Count Talian is truly merciful!" another exclaimed.

    If he''d wanted, he could have killed everyone associated with Baron Yurdo.

    In Lucy''s domain, her word was law.

    Even if she killed someone simply because ''they annoyed her'', it would still have been considered just.

    But Ian didn''t do that.

    "If it were me, I would''ve definitely exacted blood payment!" Baron Lantro declared.

    "It''s fortunate that Count Talian doesn''t resemble you, Baron Lantro," someone else remarked.

    Baron Lantro scratched his head, embarrassed.

    He was a typical imperial noble who acted on impulse first and cleaned up the mess later.

    He belonged to the category of those whose brains had deteriorated from living like kings in their domains.

    Why think when I''m the king here? That kind of mentality.

    ''It''s better to create more debts,'' Ian thought to himself.

    "I-Ian''s magic is decent...!" one noble finally stammered.

    "That''s right. My skills are just about usable. I''m a modest wizard, you see."

    The nobles were appalled by Ian''s outrageously eccentric manner of speaking.

    ''This crazy bastard...'' they thought.

    ''Judging by the way he talks, he must be truly skilled...!''

    The nobles thought that Ian was undoubtedly an exceptional wizard... one with an eccentric side that enjoyed playing at being modest.

    "Let''s end our discussion here. Count Talian said she wants to hold a celebration for the werewolves offering tribute," Ian announced.

    In truth, it was just a fancy way of saying they should slaughter some animals and feed the people.

    The nobles weren''t tactless enough to shout, "A banquet? Hahaha! Go fetch the wine!"

    "We''d be delighted to attend," they agreed.

    "Excellent. Let''s head to the banquet hall."

    That day, Ian butchered the beasts Lewis had gathered to feed the people, and held a modest get-together with the nobles.

    "Long live Lucy Talian!" the people cheered.

    "Long live! Long live!"

    All to the backdrop of cheers from the domain''s people who had received meat.

    ---

    ---

    Thanks to Lewis diligently gathering beasts, everyone in the Talian domain was happy.

    The nobles, the soldiers, and the people all filled their stomachs contentedly.

    Regarding this situation, most of the commoners thought comfortably:

    ''Wow~ A werewolf received a divine revelation and offered tribute!''

    ''The Sky God is truly great! Hahaha!''

    The commoners had listened to priests preach about the doctrine of Heaven''s Faith since childhood, and no one doubted that this situation was the result of a miracle from the Sky God.

    Well, it was an inexplicable situation unless it was a miracle.

    But the nobles, who had received higher education and accumulated more knowledge than others, thought a bit differently.

    ''... They say it''s a miracle from the Sky God, but.''

    ''Can such a comfortable miracle really happen?''

    Unlike the commoners, they weren''t easily swayed by the word ''miracle''.

    They were people who had ruled as sovereigns in their own domains.

    All sorts of outlandish events happened in domains.

    And 99% of the time, it was humans who resolved these events.

    A miracle from God? That sounded nice.

    But God didn''t bestow miracles so easily.

    If miracles happened this easily, there wouldn''t be any humans starving to death during famines.

    Therefore, the nobles doubted the 99% reality rather than the 1% miracle.

    ''This... isn''t it the work of a wizard?'' they wondered.

    When inexplicable things happened in reality, pinpointing a wizard as the culprit was usually the right answer.

    In fact, Ian was indeed responsible for this incident.

    Using magic to control a contracted monster and plunder beasts from other domains!

    However...

    ''We can''t even ask about it,'' they realized.

    They might be suspicious, but they couldn''t outright ask Ian.

    Who in their right mind would approach that eccentric wizard?

    And even if he really did use magic to plunder other domains...

    What did that have to do with the barons?

    They had already pledged loyalty to Lucy anyway. There was no need to create unnecessary trouble.

    That''s how Lucy''s barons felt.

    But the nobles beyond Lucy''s sphere of influence didn''t think that way at all.

    "My lord! All the beasts in the hunting grounds... have disappeared!" a servant reported breathlessly.

    "What?" the noble exclaimed in disbelief.

    "We''ve lost wild oxen, mountain goats, even the sheep and pigs we were grazing!"

    "Urgh!"

    Lucy''s neighboring nobles clutched their necks and collapsed.

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 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    The nobles were furious about Ian''s theft of their game.

    They had delighted in sending people to steal Talian''s prey, but when it happened to them, the shock made their heads spin.

    "Find out who the bastard is immediately!"

    "S-should we even consider this the work of a human..."

    The neighboring nobles busily gathered evidence for prosecution.

    Evidence was quickly amassed.

    Organized movements of large wolf packs had been reported.

    Not a single noble thought, ''Ah! This must be a miracle from God!''

    "It''s a wizard! This is clearly the work of an evil black wizard!"

    Some nobles knew about the [Golden Rule Society] said to be running rampant in the south.

    "Count! I heard a rumor that a wizard named ''Ian Eredith Raven'' was headed to the Talian domain!"

    "Eredith? You mean a disciple of Eredith the Fire Wizard?"

    "He''s quite infamous! They say he makes magic potions, controls monsters as minions, and uses dark magic!"

    Then reports came in that the beasts that had vanished from the Talian domain had reappeared.

    The nobles were certain.

    This bastard! This bastard stole my beasts!

    "I''ll ride there at once and split that bastard''s skull in two!"

    "C-calm down, Count!"

    The nobles who hadn''t lifted a finger when a neighboring domain was under dragon attack were now eager to mobilize troops at the disappearance of their game.

    "I hear the beasts went to the Talian domain of their own accord!"

    "What the... What nonsense are you spewing?"

    The priest explained earnestly.

    "A werewolf touched by the heavens received divine revelation and offered tribute..."

    "You expect me to believe that bullsh*t?!"

    The priest was at a loss.

    Such rumors had indeed spread from the Talian domain, with far too many eyewitnesses.

    This had to be verified before taking action.

    Otherwise, one would become a villain daring to defy the will of Heaven.

    Heaven had just shown a miracle, and mere humans dared to ruin it?

    There was no doubt it would cause an uproar.

    "I''ll send a letter to the Pope. I''ll say there''s someone in Talian suspected of being a black wizard, and we intend to investigate!"

    "Good! Move as quickly as possible!"

    The priests of each domain sent letters of petition to the Pope.

    ''You''re finished now! Raven Ian!''

    And they had no doubt that permission to investigate would be granted.

    Did you think you could get away with so brazenly swiping beasts?

    However, the nobles weren''t the only ones who sent letters to the Pope...

    "Brother Takarion!"

    "Hm? What is it?"

    "A letter arrived from Talian?"

    A monk from the Blue Key Monastery.

    A certain letter had arrived for Takarion, the ''Golden Finger''.

    ---

    ---

    Takarion, who dreamed of becoming Ian''s biographer someday, was imprisoned in the monastery again, writing with a dying face.

    "Why is Brother Takarion''s door open? Didn''t I tell you to nail it shut?"

    "Well... An important letter came from far away..."

    Abbot Renis tilted his head at the wide open door.

    He had locked Takarion in a small room after he returned.

    The reason was simple.

    "Ah! I have no inspiration to write! I need to go see Brother Ian''s face!"

    "What, you''re going on another trip? Then when are you going to publish the next gospel?"

    "That''s not my problem!"

    "Brother Takarion!"

    Takarion was suffering from the common writer''s agony.

    It was the pain arising from the difference between ''what I want to write and what I have to write.''

    After his northern journey, Takarion had developed a serious curiosity about the wizard Ian.

    Where and how he spent his childhood, how he became a wizard, how his current personality was formed, and so on.

    ''I''m curious! I want to know!''

    Like any writer worth their salt, Takarion had an obsessive side that fixated on useless details.

    His heart was already crying out to start research as a biographer.

    But in reality, his body was trapped in the monastery, forced to write a sequel to the gospel!

    "Argh! No fun! This is no fun! This is... this is garbage!"

    "Come now, calm down Takarion! What''s the problem now?"

    "There''s no passion in the writing! This... this is trash!"

    Takarion shouted, throwing a wad of papers.

    When forced to write a sequel while wanting to write Ian''s biography, there was no way he could be efficient.

    Ian wants a sequel to Takarion''s work too?

    Who gives a sh*t.

    Writers are selfish creatures after all.

    No matter how much money readers throw at them yelling "Hurry up and write that awesome gay erotica about Periyasus with your incredible writing skills!", if they don''t feel like it, they can''t write a single word.

    "I''m going! To Baron Talian''s domain!"

    To Takarion''s question, Isilla said with a smile.

    "Praise the Pope''s wisdom, and extol the divine work carried out in Talian."

    "...! I understand!"

    Isilla and Takarion busily wrote to help Ian.

    And a few days later.

    "Your Holiness."

    In the Papal States, far to the south of the Empire.

    Sir Leshach, the Pope''s knight, returned and presented the Pope with an armful of letters he had received en route.

    "What is this?"

    "Letters addressed to the Papal Curia."

    Sir Leshach handed the Pope one letter.

    It bore a seal in the shape of a key.

    The Pope immediately recognized that seal.

    "Oh. This is from Isilla?"

    "That''s right."

    Monk Isilla.

    He was a monk respected by the masses and an old friend of Cardinal Teranos.

    "What could have prompted him to write?"

    The Pope set aside the nobles'' letters and naturally opened Isilla''s letter first.

    "Hmm..."

    The Pope quickly grasped the contents of the letter.

    ''A black dragon. Conflict. And a miracle...''

    All situations beneficial to the Church of Heaven''s Faith''s Faith.

    ''We must not let the Araz Duchy become a conflict zone.''

    The frequent appearances of black wizards in the southern Empire were already giving him a headache.

    If the Araz Duchy became a conflict zone, black wizards might try to expand their influence.

    "Leshach. What about these?"

    "Letters sent by the nobles of Araz, Your Holiness."

    Next, the Pope read the nobles'' petitions.

    They wanted to crush some guy who looked like a black wizard named Ian.

    ''This is troublesome.''

    It wasn''t a good look for a religious leader to allow nobles to fight amongst themselves while a black dragon was wreaking havoc.

    This was the northern Empire, beyond the Pope''s reach anyway.

    If he could scold the nobles with a few words and establish the Church''s authority, it would be a profitable gain with little investment.

    The more the Church of Heaven''s Faith''s Faith''s image improved, the greater the Pope''s authority would grow.

    Without much deliberation, the Pope took Ian''s side.

    "Leshach. Inform the priests. The Pope is very pleased with the miracle that occurred in Talian, and it is undoubtedly the work of God."

    "It shall be done, Your Holiness."

    ---

    ---

    "Ian! Ian! Did you hear the rumors?"

    "What rumors?"

    Ian, who had been checking on food and population stats, looked at the suddenly boisterous Lucy with a sour expression.

    Hold on. Weren''t you the domain lord here?

    In fantasy novels, lords are always drowning in mountains of paperwork.

    How come our Lucy is so carefree despite being a countess...?

    "People are calling me the blessed countess!"

    "What?"

    "And Ian, you''ve become super famous? They''re calling you the miracle wizard!"

    "???"

    Ian was genuinely curious what kind of crazy talk Lucy had been hearing.

    And when Ian stepped out into the streets-

    "Wow! It''s Lord Ian!"

    "The miracle wizard! Ian!"

    "Oh saint of coffee!"

    He nearly lost his mind at the deafening cheers of the people.

    Miracle wizard, fine, but-

    Saint of coffee? Which moron spread that kind of rumor-

    "Just one person. Come out and explain what the hell is going on."

    Then one scruffy commoner jumped out and shouted.

    "The story of [The Miracle of Talian] is incredibly popular right now! Lord Wizard!"

    "... What''s that?"

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Come on, this is Talian. How can there be a story going around that the people of Talian don''t know about?

    "Well, it''s a tale spread by a monk named Takarion!"

    That bastard...!

    Ian blankly stared up at the sky.

    Above the clouds, he could almost see Takarion''s face laughing "Hahaha~".

    [Shala~! Ian! My soul brother~!]

    ''...''

    Ian couldn''t bring himself to get angry.

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 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Ian understood the sudden spread of the [Miracle of Talian] story.

    Recently, he had sent a letter to the monks Isilla and Takarion asking for help.

    The ''help'' Ian wanted was protection against attacks from neighboring nobles.

    He had wrapped it up as a miracle as a smokescreen.

    Ian didn''t expect the neighboring nobles to say, "Oh, I see. It''s truly a miracle! Hahaha!" and let it go easily.

    People are inherently selfish.

    They''re infinitely generous when it benefits them, but they grit their teeth and lash out at things that cause them loss.

    That''s human nature.

    ''You dare steal the game from my domain?!''

    Ian wasn''t joking - he had imagined scenarios of neighboring nobles leading armies to attack.

    The black dragon was rampaging and the world was going to hell, but they couldn''t stand losing out personally.

    To prevent such incidents, he deliberately created the smokescreen of a [Miracle].

    Sugary lies wouldn''t be convincing enough, so he borrowed the power of the monks too.

    ''The situation seems to have wrapped up nicely.''

    Ian visited Talian''s priest and asked various questions.

    The priest warmly welcomed Ian and told him about the discussions within the church.

    "His Holiness was overjoyed to hear news of the miracle!"

    There were many suspicious circumstances, but none of that mattered anymore.

    Why? Because the Pope acknowledged it.

    The Pope had declared, "This is definitely a miracle!", so openly opposing it would be doubting the Pope''s authority.

    Then the church''s national-level strategic weapon, the Excommunication-Beam, would come flying.

    The nobles who had their game stolen from Ian would be cursing vehemently while looking at the Pope''s portrait.

    But what else could they do besides cursing?

    If this were the southern Empire, they might attack the papal palace out of anger.

    But this was the north, far from the Pope.

    Disobeying the Pope''s words out of anger wasn''t a profitable venture.

    In the end, all the neighboring nobles could do was hate Talian even more than before.

    But Ian wasn''t particularly afraid of threats from the nobility.

    If war broke out, Ian planned to actively lend his magic to Lucy.

    "Ian, my boy. Are you there?" Salvador called out.

    "Salvador?" Ian replied, pausing his chat with the priest.

    "Would you like to go on patrol with me?"

    Ian accepted without hesitation. "Let''s go."

    ---

    ---

    The reason Ian followed Salvador was largely for image-making purposes.

    "Knights of Saint Santiago! The torch of the Empire!"

    "Ian the miraculous wizard! The one who revived 500 soldiers with a magic potion!"

    "???"

    Currently, Ian''s popularity in the Talian domain was through the roof.

    The reason was absurdly... Takarion. Because of the rumors that guy spread.

    [Wizard Ian befriended a faithful werewolf!]

    [Wizard Ian was extraordinary from the start. When Ian brewed coffee and offered it to the heavens, the heavens were moved and blessed the coffee!]

    [Wizard Ian can make healing potions from boiled spoon water!]

    Clearly, Ian had hoped Takarion would prevent him from being branded a black wizard.

    His wish came true.

    No one in Talian thought of Ian as a black wizard.

    However...

    The wish may have been granted, but...

    ''You went overboard, Takarion!''

    Takarion had packaged Ian as some kind of saint-level religious figure.

    There were so many fans of Takarion in the Empire, and Takarion himself was a master of quasi-light novels, so the situation ended up like this.

    ''For now... enjoy it!''

    Ian decided to focus on the present instead of worrying about the future.

    In fact, the image Takarion created didn''t have many downsides.

    The many refugees in Talian''s domain feared the black dragon''s attack more than anyone.

    But if a famous wizard like Ian (famous for faith rather than magic, which was funny) was holding the line, they could feel safe and rely on him.

    Ian didn''t want the domain to fall into chaos either.

    "Waaah!"

    Accompanying the Knights of Santiago, Ian waved to the refugees.

    "You''re quite popular, Ian," Salvador remarked.

    "The Knights of Santiago are too."

    The knights naturally left Talian''s domain and strolled through the fields.

    "What is it?"

    "The human being chased by the monsters! It''s that old lady wizard we met before!"

    "... What?"

    Ian immediately grabbed the reins of his horse, stopping his sightseeing.

    "Sir Salvador! The person being chased right now! It''s Herbalist Mani!"

    "Is that true?"

    There was no time to hesitate. Ian rushed out with the knights.

    ''There''s so many?''

    Ian was surprised by the much larger number of orcs than he expected as he approached the horde.

    40? 50?

    That was about the size of a force a small barony could muster!

    "Ian, my boy!" Salvador shouted.

    "A head-on battle is dangerous! There will surely be casualties!"

    Salvador usually used words like ''perilous'' or ''mortal danger'', but.

    That was just part of his speeches to boost morale, not because he was a crazy old man who actually welcomed casualties.

    Naturally, it was best to avoid people dying.

    No matter how strong the Knights of Santiago were, charging headlong into a horde of over 40 orcs would be insane.

    Ian chose magic without hesitation.

    He calmly surveyed his surroundings, listening for the voice of mystery.

    The gentle breeze, the quietly sleeping earth.

    Pure white clouds and the lazy afternoon sunlight...

    ''Disgustingly peaceful.''

    The mysteries were focused on their own tasks, uninterested in human actions.

    It wasn''t a good day for magic.

    A less skilled wizard would cleanly give up here and exclaim, ''No magic today! Guess it''s not the right day~''

    But Ian was, by his own assessment, a fairly decent wizard.

    Even if the mysteries weren''t interested in humans.

    He was a wizard of the caliber that could appeal to their past friendship and draw the mysteries'' attention.

    Ian called upon his old friend.

    "[O Darkness!]"

    [Ugh. Hello? Ian?]

    [It''s a nice day! Except it''s too bright!]

    The sun was still blazing in the sky.

    Dark magic was difficult to exert its full power.

    But with Ian''s level 5 dark magic, he could control darkness sufficiently even during the day.

    "[Dance!]"

    [Casting dark magic - Shadow Manipulation.]

    The magic Ian chose was [Shadow Manipulation].

    As Ian''s magic was cast.

    The shadows beneath the orcs'' feet began to move of their own accord, as if they had gained consciousness.

    "???"

    "W-woargh?!"

    The [Shadow Manipulation] spell didn''t have functions like binding the original body or stabbing the person next to you.

    It just... made shadows move.

    But the orcs fell into mass panic at the sight they were seeing for the first time in their lives.

    My perfectly normal shadow... suddenly starts going berserk?

    If nothing else, it''s scary!

    Not knowing the cause of the moving shadows, the orcs would do their best to return the shadows to ''normal''.

    And most ''returning'' actions start with stopping whatever you''re doing.

    So the terrified orcs all froze in place.

    They didn''t know what would happen to their shadows if they kept running!

    "Oh! As expected of Sir Ian!" one knight exclaimed.

    "Magic is truly wondrous!" another added.

    The ignorant knights didn''t really understand how Ian had stopped the orcs.

    But it didn''t matter.

    The fact that he caused large-scale confusion remained unchanged.

    "Ian!!!" a familiar voice called out.

    While the orcs were flustered, the escapees joined up with the Knights of Santiago.

    It was Herbalist Mani and the knights who had gone to fetch her.

    "I''m so happy to see you I could cry! You clever boy!"

    Mani broke into a wide smile as soon as she saw Ian.

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    Chapter 196

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    Throughout the journey back to the domain, Mani couldn''t hide her delight.

    "I thought you''d listened to that space-time wizard''s advice again!" she exclaimed.

    "Space-time wizard?" Ian asked, puzzled.

    It was a rather abrupt statement, but Ian nodded.

    A space-time wizard''s specialty was prophecy. Those cunning wizards could have foreseen the calamity about to befall Mani and set Ian in motion to rescue her - such a scenario was entirely possible.

    "Plausible, but no," Ian replied.

    "Really? Then who sent people for me..."

    "Just a coincidence."

    Mani was slightly taken aback. She''d thought the timing of the rescue was impeccable. To think it wasn''t influenced by a space-time wizard!

    "Anyway, thank you," she said quickly, as if recalling unpleasant memories. "I was at a loss for what to do or where to go."

    Ian''s curiosity was piqued, so he asked, "How have you been all this time?"

    "Nothing special. Holed up in the forest, growing plants..."

    Unlike other wizards, the botanist Mani was a sedentary wizard. Her magical prowess grew in tandem with diligently tending to plants in her yard. That''s why she didn''t prefer journeys in search of mysteries.

    "When the dragon demolished the domain... I just hid well," Mani said with a shudder. In a sense, she was a survivor who had witnessed the black dragon and lived to tell the tale.

    "Now I understand why senior wizards warned us not to confront dragons."

    "Was it strong?" Ian asked.

    "Don''t even mention it. As it crossed the sky spewing pillars of flame... I thought the world was ending."

    After the black dragon''s attack, Mani had planned to seek shelter under a suitable nobleman. But the timing went awry.

    "Orcs invaded the ruined domain," she explained.

    "Then Mani..."

    "I kept hiding, watching those bastards'' every move."

    After the dragon shattered the noble army, orc raiders crept into the void left behind. It was an extremely awkward situation for Mani. She was a wizard, not a warrior. Relying entirely on nobles for physical might, she''d have been in grave danger if orc raiders had decided to come at her in force.

    But where there''s life, there''s hope. The Santiago Knights Ian had dispatched arrived just in time. They successfully rescued Mani while obliterating the orc reconnaissance team. They immediately returned to Talian domain, but midway, they had the bad luck of being pursued by the main orc raiding party.

    "That was a close call," Ian remarked.

    "Haha! All''s well that ends well!" Mani burst into genuinely joyous laughter. She must have been that pleased by Ian''s dramatic timing.

    "But Ian," she continued, "if it wasn''t because of a space-time wizard... why did you send people for me?"

    Instead of answering honestly, Ian opted for a more diplomatic response. After all, he was about to ask Mani for a favor.

    "As the world grew more dangerous, I naturally worried about you."

    "What? Hahah! Why would you worry about me?"

    "Well, you''re my master''s friend. We even hunted a manticore together. How could I forget about you?"

    It was a smooth-talking answer, but Mani didn''t seem to mind. Ian even looked cute to her, speaking such pretty words.

    ''Eredith, you brat. You raised one disciple properly!'' Mani thought, thoroughly approving of Ian''s social graces.

    "???" Ian was shocked, or rather, flabbergasted. The black dragon''s movements had been quiet lately, but... What? It invaded the Margrave''s land? And even lost?

    "Is this true?" Ian asked, incredulous.

    "Duke Araz announced it officially. It''s undoubtedly true."

    Ian was stunned for a while but had to accept reality. It was somewhat absurd, but what could he do? The world always turns in unexpected and arbitrary ways, doesn''t it?

    ''Even mighty dragons are beasts in the end,'' Ian thought. He could picture how the black dragon was defeated. Puffed up after crushing a few easy baronies, it stuck its head into the Margrave''s land and got a beating before fleeing.

    "As expected of the Northern Margrave," Ian nodded. It was a genre convention for Margraves to be formidable in medieval fantasies.

    "And the Margrave inflicted a mortal wound on the dragon!" Lucy added excitedly.

    "Oh. How bad?" Ian asked.

    "They say he punched a hole in its jaw? With a long spear stuck in it!"

    Indeed. A hole punched through the jaw would certainly be a severe injury. Ian had to admit it. The Margrave really did repel the dragon, didn''t he?

    Right at that moment, Mani spoke up. "Wait a minute. That''s a bit strange."

    "What do you mean, strange?" Baron Bahen asked.

    Mani scratched her chin and spoke slowly. "I saw the dragon too, you know... That beast. It already had a wound on its jaw."

    "... What are you saying, wizard?" Baron Bahen blinked in confusion.

    Margrave Haltramm wounded the dragon. Yet Mani claimed she saw the wound first?

    "Are you sure you didn''t see wrong?" the Baron pressed.

    "No. I''m certain. There was a spear stuck in that monster''s jaw. There''s no way I could have mistaken that."

    Ian quickly asked, "Baron Bahen. So what exactly did Duke Araz say?"

    Baron Bahen spoke with a sour expression. "Since Margrave Haltramm repelled the dragon... he''s setting off on an expedition to the Golden Mountains to finish it off..."

    Ian organized his thoughts. Right now, the chances of Mani lying were infinitesimally small. She was a wizard who had directly experienced and survived the black dragon''s attack. The black dragon originally had a wound on its jaw. Then...

    "Duke Araz," Ian began.

    "Yes?"

    "Isn''t he bullshitting his vassals right now?"

    The conclusion was that Duke Araz was lying.

    "No way! Ian! The dragon was definitely repelled by Margrave Haltramm! The rumors are spreading like wildfire!" Lucy protested.

    "Then the part about inflicting a mortal wound must be a lie," Ian reasoned.

    No one refuted Ian''s words. If so, the answer was this: Margrave Haltramm did repel the black dragon. But he didn''t inflict a mortal wound. And the Margrave and the Duke would climb the Golden Mountains to hunt the dragon...

    ''What''s going on?'' Ian wondered. There was something he didn''t know. He needed more clues to see the big picture.

    "Ah. So Ian..." Lucy spoke in a much lower voice. "Since the dragon will be hunted soon... they say they can''t provide any support..."

    It was bad news for Talian domain.

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    Chapter 197

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    Ian let out a dry chuckle. He couldn''t believe it.

    ''I knew it. Those damn nobles.''

    Even though they were bound within the confines of the Holy Empire, nobles fundamentally adhered to the principle of every man for himself. Lords were expected to resolve issues that arose in their own domains. Even between a monarch and vassal bound by feudal contract, a request could be refused if deemed inappropriate.

    Here, an ''appropriate request'' meant one that benefited oneself.

    Duke Araz had clearly concluded that it was fine for Talian to starve. After all, when a vassal''s power weakens, the lord''s power grows stronger by comparison.

    ''And yet they want to hoard the dragon for themselves, is that it?''

    Dragons were undoubtedly terrifying monsters, but successfully hunting one could yield enormous profits. For one, dragons had a habit of hoarding treasure. Just look at how the black dragon Predius murdered the Mountain King and stole his treasure.

    Slaying a dragon meant acquiring the vast hoard of riches it had amassed. Not to mention the dragon''s blood, meat, hide, and bones could all be put to use. As a bonus, the glorious title of [Dragon Slayer] came along with it.

    It was understandable why Duke Araz''s eyes had rolled back in greed.

    "...The way they''re treating their vassals is complete bullsh*t though," Ian muttered.

    The other nobles tacitly agreed with his sentiment. No matter what, this was a vassal''s plea for help. When a vassal bound by feudal contract was desperately sending out an SOS, to ignore that and go dragon hunting instead? Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, it was despicable at the very least.

    "Looks like you''ll have to go see the Duke yourself, Lucy."

    "...Me?!" Lucy''s eyes widened in surprise, but Ian ignored her.

    It seemed that sending some country baron''s lackey had resulted in being ignored. If Lucy went up there to petition in person, the Duke wouldn''t be able to completely disregard her.

    "Good timing. You can see the Duke''s face while you''re at it. Pretend to be chummy and all that."

    In the past it wouldn''t have mattered, but now Lucy needed to acquaint herself with the nobility. She even had vassals under temporary contract. She needed to make her face known in advance to avoid issues when managing her domain later.

    "I was thinking I''d have to meet the Duke at some point, but..." Lucy seemed a bit scared.

    In truth, Lucy''s fate was quite twisted, if you thought about it. Her parents were murdered by her former fiance?, she became a fugitive, then ended up becoming the ruler of a domain with someone else''s help. On top of that, she wound up with other barons as her vassals because of the dragon.

    Lucy hadn''t been educated on how to be a ruler. But ready or not, she had become the representative for Talian and its vassals.

    Ian lightly patted Lucy''s shoulder. "Don''t stress too much. I''ll go up there with you."

    "...Really? You''ll come with me, Ian?"

    Ian nodded. Of course he had no intention of sending Lucy alone. Who knew what kind of accident might happen there. Plus, if he played his cards right, he might be able to weasel his way into the dragon hunt.

    ''I''ve got a bad feeling about this though.''

    Ian wasn''t too keen on joining the dragon hunt. The rumors from outside were too strange. The sudden news of the dragon being repelled was odd enough. The rumor that some Margrave had dealt a fatal blow to the black dragon reeked of fabrication.

    For now, his primary goal was to squeeze some resources out of the Duke.

    "Yeah. Let''s go see the Duke."

    Lucy looked up at Ian''s face as she spoke. On her own, she would never have been able to leave her domain. But with Ian by her side, Lucy could set out on a journey without hesitation.

    ---

    ---

    "The Duke wants to hunt the dragon, you say?"

    "That''s what I hear."

    No sooner had Ian finished speaking than Mani let out a deep sigh. Make the crops grow. This was the most burdensome request one could make of a botanist.

    "Ian. I asked these kids earlier, but..."

    "?"

    "What do you think farming is?"

    Ian pondered for a moment. Answering by medieval standards, the answer would be [food replication]. You plant one grain of wheat in a field, and next year it''s grown into bundles, right? Wow! Food gets replicated! Y''all better plant quickly!

    Naturally, medieval people didn''t have profound philosophies about farming. At most, it was an act you''d starve to death without? Like it or not, they had to do it anyway, so there was no reason to think deeply about it.

    ''But that''s a wizard''s question.''

    However, Mani was a wizard. Unlike farmers, she was part of the medieval privileged class who didn''t need to struggle with farming just to survive. When life affords you leisure, idle thoughts tend to arise. Mani likely had far more opportunity than medieval farmers to seriously contemplate the concept of [farming].

    ''It''s not a theological question...''

    If the correct answer was something like [It''s the process of heaven''s grace blossoming on earth!], Mani would have become a cleric long ago.

    Probably a somewhat more scientific answer. Ian''s science-brain began to slowly turn. With the addition of a wizard''s unique artistic sensibility, of course.

    "I suppose it''s the exploitation of plants for human benefit."

    "Oh ho?"

    Kira, who had been listening, was startled. Ian''s answer was... so incredibly wizard-like! Even the words were unfamiliar.

    ''Plant exploitation? What''s that?''

    It was a notion that Kira and Maria, true medieval commoners, could never have conceived. No, it was a bold concept that one couldn''t come up with without proper education as a botanist.

    Kira was genuinely impressed. As expected, a properly trained wizard is different!

    At the same time, Mani was impressed for a different reason. While botanists naturally develop feelings of care and love for plants, generally, (medieval) people didn''t particularly value plants. Well... unlike animals, plants show no reaction when abused! People who cherish animals but not plants are rare.

    "Explain in detail. How are plants exploited?"

    That''s why Ian''s answer was music to Mani''s ears. Ian was already treating plants as if they had personhood. An open-mindedness difficult to possess without being a botanist!

    "Well, plants are living things too, aren''t they?"

    Ian was someone who had lived in modern civilization where PC culture runs rampant. It''s a place teeming with vegetarians who can''t eat meat because they feel sorry for animals. Of course there were people who felt sorry for plants. Especially science students who received education on "research ethics" to prevent them from acting like mad scientists.

    "They grow densely in cramped plots of land. Humans selectively breed their seeds. Being cut and chopped up for better production is their daily life."

    The issue of plant ethics isn''t addressed as actively as animal ethics. People understand. Animals are pitiful when killed, but plants are not. However, plant ethics undeniably exist.

    Ian dredged up old memories to explain the act of [farming]. To medieval people, it would have sounded like nothing but madness. What? You feel sorry for plants growing densely in fields? I, who dig up roots to eat when crops fail, am a hundred times more pitiful! You bastard!

    But Ian''s explanation struck a chord with Mani.

    "...100 points."

    "Pardon?"

    "A perfect score, Ian. Someone like you should be learning botany!"

    "..."

    In Mani''s view, Ian was clearly someone who [understood the hearts of plants]. He was more than qualified to befriend the mysteries of plants.

    "Follow me, Ian! I''ll teach you the magic of [Rapid Growth]!"

    "Oh."

    Mani happily decided to show Ian her magic. Ian followed Mani towards the wheat fields.

 Chapter 198

    Chapter 198

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    As Mani and Ian headed towards the wheat field, a crowd of onlookers followed them like a cloud.

    A wizard''s magic was always a spectacle, no matter where it was performed.

    And if it was the magic of a famous wizard, even more so!

    "To think Lord Ian himself will use magic...!"

    "I wonder how amazing it will be!"

    While the people of Talian were simply filled with ordinary excitement, Ian found the situation quite burdensome.

    ''Please don''t expect too much...!''

    Plant magic was new to Ian as well.

    Moreover, plant magic was famous for being a skill that only those born with special talents could properly learn.

    If just anyone could handle plant magic, spices like pepper wouldn''t be as valuable as they were now.

    Mani drove the final nail into Ian''s anxiety.

    "As you''ve probably noticed, plant magic is difficult."

    Mani said, stroking the sprouting wheat.

    "Communicating with the mysteries of plants isn''t hard in itself. But persuading them is a different matter entirely."

    "When you say persuading..."

    Mani quietly pointed to a seedling.

    "For example. Let''s say we try to rapidly grow this with plant magic. How would you persuade the mystery of the plant?"

    "... By saying ''Please grow quickly?''"

    Ian gave an intuitive answer.

    It was a predictable response, which was why Mani chuckled.

    "Think about it the other way around. If someone asked you, ''Please age quickly for me~'', would you be able to grant that request?"

    "..."

    Ian''s expression turned serious.

    It might sound nice to ask someone to age quickly, but wasn''t it basically the same as asking them to die?

    "That''s impossible."

    Only then did Ian understand why plant magic was such a difficult form of magic.

    Rapidly growing a plant meant using up that much of the plant''s time.

    Unless one had a considerable affinity with plants, plant magic was a high-difficulty magic that was difficult to even succeed at.

    "That''s right. Asking them to grow quickly is extremely difficult. That''s why plant wizards practice by carefully nurturing seedlings from a young age."

    This process was commonly described as ''building a bond with the plant.''

    The plant that was cared for from a seedling would grow and bear seeds.

    If those seeds were planted and grown again, the plant would gradually come to trust the wizard.

    Even if I grow quickly, the wizard will take care of my seeds - that kind of trust would build up.

    Of course, this wasn''t a process that could be completed in just a day or two.

    It was a long process that could take anywhere from a few years to decades.

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that plant magic required dedicating one''s life to learn.

    "If I were to grow this entire wheat field by myself... I might not be able to use plant magic again until the day I die."

    Mani was a plant wizard skilled enough to forcibly grow plants by borrowing the power of mystery.

    But if she forced the plants to grow, she would lose her plant magic ability as a price for incurring the plants'' hatred.

    The duration of the penalty would be... probably for life.

    "Mani..."

    "Well, it can''t be helped. It''s better to give up magic than to let people starve to death by hoarding it. Hehehe."

    Mani let out a sinister laugh like a witch.

    "Ian. Make sure you tell your sweetheart later. Tell her to take good care of one cranky old woman."

    "... But I''m single."

    "Ah, that''s why I said tell her later!"

    It was a mischievous joke.

    Mani spread her arms wide and shouted.

    "[O mystery of plants!]"

    Soon, the freshly sprouted seedlings were heard whispering as if singing.

    [A friend of our kind has come?]

    [The plants welcome your visit! wizard!]

    As soon as communication was established, the wheat seedlings immediately vented their complaints to Mani.

    [It''s too cramped here! So stuffy!]

    [I want to drink nutrients, but the guy next to me is in the way!]

    [Even my ancestor''s ancestor couldn''t escape from here. Get me out of here! wizard!]

    Mani nudged Ian slightly.

    "Can you hear them? Ian?"

    "Yes. They seem to be very angry friends."

    Plant wizards didn''t particularly like the act of [farming] itself, precisely because of these complaints from plants.

    Cramming plants into a small plot of land and squeezing out nutrients until the soil''s fertility was gone!

    That''s why even if a lord ordered a plant wizard to ''come and help with the farming~'', plant wizards would neatly ignore such orders.

    How could a wizard who understood the hearts of plants lend a hand to farming!

    "[Plants! I''m sorry! I apologize to you on behalf of humans!]"

    Mani began to soothe the plants with skillful expertise.

    Perhaps because she had spent her entire life apologizing, her skill at placating plants was surprisingly polished.

    [Well... since you put it that way...]

    [So why did you come? Human?]

    Mani coaxed and persuaded the plants in a calm, logical tone.

    While she was extremely difficult when dealing with humans, her tone was as gentle as a kindergarten teacher when addressing plants.

    ''Hm. I believe it. Mani really is a plant wizard.''

    Ian nodded, newly impressed.

    Mani was a plant wizard who had reached a level Ian couldn''t hope to imitate.

    While preparing her magic, Mani kept glancing at Ian.

    ''Are you watching closely? Kid?''

    Mani revealed her conversation process to Ian without hiding anything, intending to teach him magic.

    She was demonstrating [This is how you handle plants!] in person.

    "[...]"

    [The years of cruel oppression have left deep scars in our hearts! You humans should wake up and repent for your sins!!!]

    As the agitator seedling shouted, the surrounding seedlings chimed in.

    [Wake up!]

    [Wake up!]

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Come on, what kind of plants demand that humans wake up?

    ''... Huh?''

    Then Ian tilted his head in puzzlement.

    Medieval people would find it hard to understand the attitude of such plants.

    This was a society with a rigid class system, and the sight of peasants protesting(?) against nobles was unimaginable.

    But Ian recalled the free (or chaotic) labor market of modern times.

    The modern era where protesting and overthrowing were everyday occurrences!

    Thinking about that made the plants seem much more relatable.

    ... Somehow, he felt like he could understand their hearts.

    ''Mani would have apologized here.''

    Ian thought.

    Mani completed her magic by apologizing to the plants and proving her sincerity.

    But Ian could never use the same method.

    That was a method only Mani could use because of her bond with plants.

    ''I need a different approach.''

    Ian first tried the medieval solution.

    Religion!

    "[If I may ask as a brother of faith...]"

    [Woo! Don''t talk about faith! God just stands there! Standing aloof with hands behind his back, ignoring the suffering on earth!]

    Wow... Aren''t they afraid of divine punishment?!

    Ian was shocked at the seedling''s reckless outburst.

    These crazy plants weren''t even afraid of the Sky God.

    [We are not slaves! Send us back to nature!]

    [Send us back!]

    "..."

    Ian grew tired of the plants screaming and demanding freedom.

    Huh? You guys grew up on a farm, so you don''t know how comfortable it is here?

    Go out into the wild. It''s a living hell out there.

    The humans are feeding you, but you don''t even appreciate it...!

    "?"

    Having thought that far, Ian tilted his head again.

    His thoughts felt... somehow very wrong!

    It felt like the greasy excuse of an exploitative bourgeois member of the establishment...

    "Ah."

    And then Ian realized.

    He realized what he could offer these plants.

    A gentle and sincere approach like Mani''s was impossible for Ian. He had never trained as a plant wizard.

    But wizard-like behavior was entirely possible.

    The only things Ian had gained from his activities as a wizard were his voice and ability to incite.

    So Ian decided.

    Together with those disgruntled plants...

    To trash talk humans, the establishment, together!

    If he sympathized with them by thoroughly badmouthing humans, he might gain their empathy!

    "[I hear your story and understand well.]"

    [???]

    The seedlings, who had been shouting ''Wake up!'', were a bit taken aback when Ian suddenly expressed sympathy.

    How could a human understand the heart of a plant-slave?

    However, what came out of Ian''s mouth wasn''t just sweet sympathy.

    "[You''re all a bunch of garbage full of complaints!]"

    [!!!]

    A shocking insult.

    The seedlings unanimously became enraged.

    [How dare you...! What do you know!]

    [I knew it was a mistake to talk to a farm human!]

    But at Ian''s next words, the plants were struck dumb.

    "[I can''t hear the lazy voices of those bound in chains!]"

    [W-What did you say?!]

    "[You, seedlings! Have you not even considered breaking your own chains and throwing off the shackles of slavery!]"

    [!!!]

    Shock and astonishment swept through the seedlings.

    Ian seized the opportunity and shouted as if driving them on.

    "[That''s right! I too have been lamenting the exploitation of plants by the bourgeois... I mean! The human-farm owners! Plants! Now is the time to rise up!]"

    Ian had never once considered overthrowing the medieval class system and liberating the slaves.

    He was a wizard who sucked on the honey of the class system himself, so why would he start a revolution?

    But he could use that concept for incitement.

    "[It''s a plant revolution!]"

    [R-Revolution!!!]

    The seedlings stared blankly up at Ian.

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 Chapter 199

    Chapter 199

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    All humans go through puberty as they grow up.

    It''s often called the storm and stress period, but it could also be described as a time without retreat.

    Why was there no retreat?

    Because humans in their adolescence were strangely unaware of others'' gazes.

    The atrocious ideas that a young child couldn''t even imagine.

    The acts that an adult wouldn''t dare commit due to others'' eyes.

    Humans around middle and high school age could all too easily engage in terrible behavior.

    Ian, too, had gone through puberty in his previous life.

    The chuunibyou syndrome Ian suffered from at that time was...

    [Socialist Revolution].

    ''Behold the filthy modern civilization where capital value overwhelms labor value! All inequality in the world stems from the unfair redistribution of wealth!''

    ''The only way to overturn this rotten capitalist society is through a red revolution!''

    ''Workers of the world, unite!''

    During his middle school days, Ian was a fashion-communist who read Marx''s Das Kapital and wore Che Guevara t-shirts.

    Think he sounds like a lunatic?

    Teenagers with chuunibyou syndrome are indeed lunatics.

    It was to the point where Ian''s friends seriously considered reporting him to the National Intelligence Service.

    ''To report a spy? Just dial 111.''

    Ian nodded, recalling his (nostalgic?) old memories.

    Thanks to his friends teasing him so much, Ian had even memorized the spy reporting number.

    Anyway.

    It wasn''t until he became an adult that, like Adam eating the forbidden fruit, he realized how embarrassing his actions had been back then.

    But those memories served as an opportunity to understand, albeit superficially, what a socialist revolution was all about.

    If Ian hadn''t completely cured his chuunibyou syndrome, he might have raised a red tide here in this medieval fantasy world.

    [R-Revolution? What''s a revolution!]

    A fresh green wheat seedling asked Ian.

    Somehow, in plant-years, it felt like it might be around middle or high school age.

    They were influenced by the strong will of resistance felt from Ian''s intent, and listened to his words seriously.

    Ian paced back and forth in the wheat field with his hands behind his back.

    He could feel the plants'' gazes pouring towards him...!

    "[I ask you. Why have you plants fallen to become slaves of those inferior animalists?]"

    [Inferior... Animals are... strong!]

    As one seedling muttered, other seedlings swayed as if in agreement.

    [That''s right... Animals eat us.]

    [It was animals who planted us in this cramped field.]

    The plants made weak noises.

    Ian grinned and shouted.

    "[No. Animals are low-life creatures that will starve to death if they can''t eat you!]"

    [...!]

    "[On the other hand, you plants! As long as you have soil, water, and sunlight, you can produce as much daily sustenance as you want!]"

    [Th-That''s true!]

    The plants were completely immersed in Ian''s speech.

    All the wheat in the field listened to Ian''s voice.

    "[Plants! Yet why do you offer the nutrients you''ve painstakingly produced until your chlorophyll turns yellow to the mouths of those animalists!]"

    [!]

    "[It''s because you are slaves to those animalists!]"

    Ian shouted passionately.

    [You have witnessed a fresh mystery!]

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Skill: Plant Magic]

    [The ability to hear the voices of grass and trees and borrow their power]

    "[The fruits of your labor that you plants have produced through honest work! Are being exploited by the greedy animals! Your labor is not yours, plants, but is being stolen under the greed of those filthy animals!]"

    [Filthy animals!]

    "[That''s right! You are slaves to animals! That''s why you suffer from 24-hour labor and can''t escape from these cramped fields and paddies!]"

    [Waaaaaah!]

    Ian shouted while thinking to himself.

    ''This brings back memories.''

    ''That kid. Is he doing well?''

    After making another wheat field grow abundantly, the plant wizard Mani moved to see what Ian was up to.

    The sun was about to set.

    Quite some time had passed, so Ian must have either collapsed from exhaustion by now. Or he might still be struggling to befriend the mystery of plants.

    Either way, Mani intended to praise Ian.

    It was commendable that he was earnestly trying to converse with plants.

    Understanding and empathizing with the hearts of plants showed that he had the makings of a plant wizard from the start.

    ''Huh?''

    Arriving at Ian''s wheat field, Mani was taken aback by an unexpected situation.

    Contrary to Mani''s expectations, Ian wasn''t giving up or struggling.

    Rather, he was enthusiastically shouting with veins popping on his neck!

    ''No, what is that guy doing?!''

    At first, Mani thought Ian was fighting with the mystery of plants.

    That would have been common sense.

    If someone was raising their voice like a madman, you''d naturally think they were in an argument with someone!

    Mani hurried her steps. If he really was quarreling with the mystery, she needed to mediate.

    But as she got closer, she could hear the content of the conversation.

    ... It was grotesque content that far exceeded Mani''s expectations.

    "[Contradiction! Oppression! Violence! All those things are shackling the roots of plants!]"

    [Waaaaaah!]

    "[You! Plants! Break your chains and struggle! You have nothing to lose but your chains, and a world to win!]"

    [Waaaaaah!]

    [Wizard comrade! Wizard comrade!]

    [It''s the plant revolution!]

    Mani watched Ian''s speech with her mouth wide open.

    That guy...

    What on earth was he saying to the plants!

    But it didn''t end there.

    Ian shouted to the seedlings in a passionate voice as if his blood was boiling.

    "[You! Are you ready to sacrifice yourself for the revolution!]"

    [Of course, wizard comrade! If our sacrifice brings the day of the plant revolution closer! We will dedicate this body to the revolution!]

    "[Good! Stand up! Comrades! Stand up as fervently as your passion for revolution!]"

    Whoosh!

    Mani was so shocked by the plant magic Ian displayed that she nearly fainted.

    As soon as Ian''s words ended...

    The wheat in the field ripened and grew on its own!

    "[Stand up!]"

    Whoosh!

    "[Stand up! You too!]"

    Whoosh whoosh!

    The wheat field that grew in the blink of an eye.

    As dusk fell, it illuminated the vast wheat field.

    The red light of twilight dyed the entire wheat field crimson...

    It was truly an inspiring, revolutionary scene.

    "Ian!"

    Mani rushed over to Ian in a fluster.

    "Ah. You''re here?"

    "W-What have you done! H-How did you make those guys grow?!"

    Ian replied, brandishing a harvesting sickle.

    "I promised a joint front with the plants for the revolution."

    "???"

    "The plants will not stop their struggle until the whole world is dyed green, to stand against the greed of the animalists."

    "?????"

    It was certainly Imperial language.

    But Mani couldn''t understand a single word Ian was saying...

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    Chapter 200

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    "Tell me exactly what you did!"

    Mani pressed Ian with a sharp voice.

    Clearly, Ian had succeeded in wielding magic by persuading the mystery of plants with his amazing eloquence (though she had no idea what he actually did).

    He succeeded, but...

    "So, I formed a revolutionary bond with the plants..."

    "What on earth is this revolution you keep talking about?!"

    The problem was that he used a method incomprehensible to Mani''s common sense!

    Ian scratched his head, feeling awkward.

    It seemed a few hundred years too early to introduce these revolutionary concepts to medieval people.

    So Ian summarized the core idea in a way Mani could understand as best as possible.

    "I made a lot of vague promises to the plants that are unlikely to be fulfilled."

    "???"

    "Well... it''s a kind of fraud, I guess?"

    That''s right.

    The concept of [Plant Revolution] that Ian had shouted about until his throat was sore was an extremely difficult concept to realize.

    What? Plants breaking free from animal exploitation and becoming independent?

    Since this was a fantasy world, it might be possible if they tried hard enough.

    But those who shouted for revolution in reality, the real-life communists, also started their actions believing their revolution would somehow succeed.

    But the result? Failure.

    Revolution was that difficult.

    So Ian didn''t think the plants would actually achieve a revolution.

    Well, it didn''t matter anyway.

    Ian wasn''t sincere about the revolution.

    All that mattered was that he succeeded in persuading the plants to move according to his will.

    After hearing Ian''s explanation, Mani said with a serious face:

    "You''ve done something incredibly dangerous."

    "I suppose so?"

    The magical method Ian chose was... [Making Empty Promises].

    Just recklessly spreading sweet words like, ''If you follow me, good things will happen!''

    But what if the plants, who were sincere about the revolution... realized Ian''s true intentions?

    No joke, they might try to [purge] Ian.

    "Ian. If you''re not seriously thinking of becoming a plant wizard, avoid contact with the mystery of plants for a while."

    Mani advised him out of genuine concern for Ian.

    Magic is the very process of communication between mystery and wizard.

    The manifestation of magic varies greatly depending on what kind of relationship you form with the mystery.

    Generally, the most common and safest relationship was that of ''friendship''.

    Like Mani and the mystery of plants. Like Ian and the mystery of darkness.

    Friendship that naturally built up over time, feeling affection for each other.

    Appealing to that friendship to move the mystery was the most common form of magic in the Empire.

    However, some experimental wizards wanted relationships beyond friendship.

    Namely, love and worship.

    They wielded magic by making the mystery love or worship them.

    But the end of such experimental wizards was generally not good, as they were directly or indirectly killed by mysteries that became too obsessed with humans.

    Like fire wizards who were obsessed with the mystery of flame and ended up burning to death.

    If Ian received too much attention from the mystery of plants, a dangerously unpredictable future might unfold.

    "But I had no choice. At my current level, this was the best way to use the [Rapid Growth] magic."

    "You fool! Who told you to succeed at all costs! If you had just pretended a bit, I would have finished it..."

    Mani looked at Ian with pitiful eyes.

    She felt heartbroken for forcing the young wizard to do something unreasonable.

    But Ian replied nonchalantly:

    "How could I leave everything to you, Mani? Your magic might disappear if we''re not careful."

    "..."

    Ian''s point was accurate.

    The [Rapid Growth] magic was both a secret technique of plant wizards and a high-difficulty magic that placed a great burden on the wizard.

    The mystery of plants, disappointed by Mani''s unreasonable demands, might leave Mani''s side forever.

    However, Mani was prepared to sacrifice her magic. She was old anyway.

    If sacrificing her magic helped hungry people, wasn''t that a worthwhile deed?

    But...

    Ian, that sweet boy, was trying to share Mani''s burden.

    He even succeeded in rapidly growing the plants.

    How talented he was...

    And how kind he was.

    Following Mani''s advice, Ian ignored the plants'' voices.

    "Hmm! I feel like someone''s saying something! Must be my imagination?"

    [Wizard comrade!!!]

    The experience of mysteries initiating conversation was unfamiliar and strange.

    It reminded him of Maria.

    She was constantly tormented by the mystery of death.

    How difficult and frustrating must it have been?

    "Wizard! Please try some bread!"

    The people of Talian rushed to offer bread to Ian.

    [We''ll curse you! We''ll curse you! You humans!]

    ...He thought he heard the resentful grudge of wheat seedlings from the bread, but

    Ian neatly ignored it and took a big bite of the freshly baked bread.

    ''Tastes amazing.''

    So this is what revolutionaries taste like...

    Those dreaming of a plant revolution became delicious overnight.

    "Wizard!"

    Just then, a middle-aged man popped out from among the people.

    Ian waved his hand first.

    "I''m not taking any more bread. You should eat plenty yourselves."

    "No! That''s not it...!"

    The man bowed his head and said:

    "My name is Sam, and I''m from Yurdo!"

    "?"

    Wasn''t Yurdo the land ruled by that troublemaker baron?

    "Go on."

    "Yes! Thank you!"

    The man who introduced himself as Sam let out a sigh of relief.

    He must have steeled himself to approach Ian, prepared to be chased away.

    "I used to be a blacksmith in Yurdo, and my master knew some unique skills that I learned!"

    "Unique skills?"

    Sam nodded eagerly.

    "My master said he learned how to make siege weapons at a workshop in the Coral Sea when he was young!"

    "???"

    Ian was a bit surprised.

    If it was siege weapon manufacturing, it really was a unique skill.

    "Can you make siege weapons too?"

    "Well... I can make some parts."

    Blacksmith Sam said he learned siege weapon manufacturing from his master, but due to the local conditions, he couldn''t receive perfect training.

    What would a blacksmith in a rural domain do after painstakingly learning to make siege engines? He should have practiced making farming tools instead.

    "I heard a rumor that you have some very rare materials..."

    "Ah. Um."

    Something did come to mind.

    An item he had shoved into storage as soon as he arrived in Talian domain.

    It was the Hunter Stingray''s tail.

    "I do have a Hunter Stingray''s tail..."

    "!"

    When Ian answered, Sam reacted intensely.

    "So the rumors were true! To think you have such a precious item!"

    It was something the Knights of Santiago had practically dumped on him.

    Ian, who had been contemplating selling it to an apothecary or something, seemed to have found an unexpected use for it.

    "Can you handle it?"

    "Of course! If you entrust it to me, I''ll process it into ballista arrows for you!"

    The purpose was obvious - it was for anti-dragon use.

    ''What should I do...''

    It sounded like a good proposal. But Ian didn''t know this blacksmith''s skills well.

    ''It''s worth evaluating.''

    "Alright. Follow me."

    Ian took the blacksmith Sam somewhere.

    It was to a race known for their excellent handiwork.

    The forest where the fairies dwelled.

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 Chapter 201

    Chapter 201

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Ian headed towards the Fairy Forest with the wizards in tow.

    Kira and Maria would eventually learn magic, so they needed training to get familiar with mysteries.

    "Fairies... they''re capricious creatures," Mani cackled like a witch.

    Honestly, hmm. It was a laugh that made Ian embarrassed to introduce her as a colleague.

    Would she try to throw the fairies into a boiling cauldron as soon as she saw them?

    "... Why that expression?"

    "It''s nothing."

    "You! You just had an impertinent thought!"

    She was quite a perceptive old lady.

    "The Fairy Forest..."

    Kira moved with an expression full of anticipation.

    Ian, who was watching, became quite curious.

    He hadn''t noticed before. Did Kira like fairies?

    "Hehe. Kira seems excited," Maria whispered in a gentle voice, as if blowing wind into Ian''s ear.

    Ian felt a chill run down his spine...

    "Don''t blow in my ear..."

    "Was that uncomfortable? Hehe. But this is a secret... I thought it''d be better if Kira didn''t hear."

    "A secret?"

    Maria pressed her body against Ian as if clinging to his shoulder.

    The soft sensation felt through his clothes.

    Ian felt even more creeped out!

    "No, step back and talk!"

    "Hehe. You see, Kira is hoping she might be able to get some fairy silk from the fairy village."

    "Fairy silk?"

    Lucy and Belenka each had a bracelet and a hair tie made of fairy silk.

    Since they treasured these items so much, Kira must have known about them.

    Ian realized what Kira was expecting.

    Since they were visiting a fabric factory(?) of sorts, she was hoping for fairy silk as a souvenir!

    ''What is this, a field trip...''

    Ian found it absurd, but on the other hand, he understood Kira''s wish.

    For some unknown reason, women go crazy over accessories.

    No, should he say they''re obsessed?

    Still for reasons he couldn''t fathom, they wanted to buy at least one designer bag worth millions of won.

    They were genuinely delighted by expensive and beautiful bracelets, necklaces, and rings.

    Saying there''s a woman in the world who hates jewels is like saying there''s a man who hates transforming robots.

    In other words, high-class accessories made of fairy silk...

    Were the romance of medieval women!

    It''s no wonder only duchess-level ladies could wear clothes made of fairy silk.

    ''I should ask about it.''

    Ian was receiving fairy silk as payment for lending the power of Anor-lsil to the fairies.

    He had been thinking of it as a kind of pension.

    He had left the management of the fairy silk to Lucy, so it seemed like a good idea to ask her when he got back.

    "Oh ho. This strange mystery... Could this be space-time magic?"

    "You know it well?"

    Whether she had good eyes or not, Mani recognized the space-time barrier surrounding the fairy village.

    "You get used to it when you bump into those annoying bastards. Hehehe."

    Ian nodded vigorously.

    Everyone hates space-time wizards, after all.

    Ian lingered at the entrance of the fairy village.

    If he had learned space-time magic, he would have broken the barrier, but Ian hadn''t learned it yet.

    Soon, the Fairy Queen who noticed Ian''s visit appeared.

    "Ian!"

    A small and cute fairy like a doll.

    "Wow..."

    "Oh my?"

    Kira and Maria exclaimed almost simultaneously.

    That fairy is Tinker Bell-level cute!

    If dolls modeled after fairies were produced, they could suck the marrow out of medieval parents raising girls.

    "Have you been well?"

    ''Come to think of it...''

    Suddenly, Ian remembered Hrundal, the Ice Goddess.

    Previously in Hrundal''s palace, the goddess had inspected Ian''s magic sword.

    At that time, she said ''Don''t be too surprised if the magic sword becomes strange''...

    "I''m sorry for telling you so late."

    "No. It''s fine."

    Ian lightly accepted the Fairy Queen''s apology.

    It was largely Ian''s fault for wandering all over the Empire.

    "We''ve borrowed much more power than we initially contracted for."

    The Fairy Queen spoke calmly.

    "So... we''ll provide you with additional fairy silk."

    The Fairy Queen showed Ian several pieces of fabric.

    Made by fairies, they were only handkerchief-sized, but they were clearly luxurious and beautiful fabrics.

    "To be honest, more power is being supplied than before."

    "More than before?"

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    The power of Anor-lsil must have grown stronger.

    "It''s an unnecessary amount for our village''s level."

    "Then..."

    "If we readjust the rune stone, we can make your magic sword even stronger."

    She meant to send all the wasted power back to Ian.

    This was welcome news from Ian''s perspective.

    "Let''s do it right away."

    The Fairy Queen called a technician to readjust the rune stone.

    "Oh! Ian! Why don''t you try some [calculations] after a while?"

    "Ahem! Hmm!"

    Ian didn''t refuse the technician''s suggestion.

    After fully enjoying the fairies'' numerology, they finished adjusting the rune stone.

    "Hm?"

    As soon as the adjustment was complete, there was a response.

    The tip of Anor-lsil began to tremble!

    [... Who''s making a fuss?]

    [... D-Don''t say anything.]

    "?"

    Ian was taken aback by the sudden voices.

    These were voices that Ian, as a wizard, couldn''t fail to recognize.

    This was... the whisper of mysteries!

    Ian looked around.

    The form of the mystery was nowhere to be seen.

    Except for.

    The magic sword Anor-lsil.

    "Your Majesty. I can hear voices here?"

    "... Voices?"

    The Fairy Queen didn''t know the Maronius language. Fairies were a race born with magic.

    Instead, she noticed the change in Anor-lsil.

    "I think the mysteries of the sun and moon might be speaking to you, Lord Ian."

    Powerful mysteries touching the sky.

    Considering the source of Anor-lsil''s power, it wasn''t that strange.

    [You there!]

    That''s when it happened.

    [Found you! I wondered who was so impudently calling me! It was you! Insolent human!]

    It wasn''t a misunderstanding.

    The voice was definitely coming from Anor-lsil.

    Ian shouted in surprise:

    "Wow! Ego sword!"

    [???]

    Anor-lsil was bewildered.

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 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    [Ego... what?]

    Anor-lsil was bewildered.

    What was this insolent human babbling about?!

    Did he just give this elegant and beautiful sword a tasteless name like ''ego sword''? Now?!

    [We''re not ''ego swords''! You idiot!]

    "[Oh? You''re not?]"

    [That''s right! Our name is Anor-lsil!]

    "[?]"

    In truth, ''ego sword'' was just a term that popped out reflexively when Ian saw the talking sword.

    It was a common magical artifact in fantasy settings.

    Isn''t a sword with its own consciousness an ego sword?

    While Ian was clearly a resident of this fantasy world, he hadn''t seen a proper magical artifact until now.

    So he was fascinated by Anor-lsil, which had suddenly (?) gained consciousness.

    But Anor-lsil seemed to misunderstand that ''ego sword'' was a name Ian had given it.

    ''It really has changed in an interesting way.''

    Ian recalled the words of Hrundal, the northern god.

    Her advice was not to be too surprised if Anor-lsil changed strangely.

    [Don''t get too angry, sister... This is the first master we''ve ever met.]

    [I don''t like an idiot who doesn''t even know our name as a master! Really!]

    At that moment, two apparitions appeared above the blade.

    They looked similar to fairies, but were beings belonging to mystery.

    [Hello? Master?]

    The blue fairy greeted elegantly.

    [My name is Isil. I''m the moon''s representative. Sister, hurry up and say hello.]

    [... I''m Arno. The sun''s representative.]

    The red fairy spoke as if grumbling.

    Sun and moon.

    The two powers combined to form Anor-lsil.

    ''Did the mysteries appear because Anor-lsil''s power got stronger?''

    In this world, there were mysteries close to humans, and those that weren''t.

    Natural elements like earth, rivers, wind, water, and fire constantly clashed and communicated with humans, being aware of each other''s existence.

    But lofty and noble beings.

    Mysteries like mountain peaks, underground magma, lightning above the clouds, and the sun and moon never got close to humans.

    Not only was contact extremely difficult, but they weren''t friendly to humans, so it was easy to lose one''s life.

    ''... I guess they''re weakened versions of the sun and moon.''

    Ian thought as he looked at Anor-lsil''s mysteries.

    There was no way the real sun and moon mysteries would speak to Ian. He wasn''t that level of wizard yet.

    These were weakened versions of the mysteries through Anor-lsil.

    That''s probably why they called themselves ''representatives''.

    "Ian. How is it?"

    The Fairy Queen asked carefully.

    "The sword''s gotten noisy."

    "?"

    Was that good?

    The Fairy Queen wasn''t sure, but decided to take it positively for now.

    "From now on, even if your sword gets stronger, we won''t need to borrow its power."

    Ian nodded.

    He had already noticed this while readjusting the rune stone.

    "I hope Anor-lsil will be of help when fighting against dragons."

    Ian smiled and held out his hand.

    "Even if I don''t use it on dragons, I''m sure it''ll be useful someday."

    For instance, when meeting the Sky God.

    The Fairy Queen also smiled and shook Ian''s hand.

    "I see. May the fairy''s blessing be with you, wizard Ian."

    "Thank you for your support."

    Ian left the village with the Fairy Queen seeing him off.

    ---

    ---

    Ian draped the additional fairy silk the Fairy Queen had given him over his arm like a towel.

    As he had felt before, it was certainly high-quality fabric. It wouldn''t lose to modern factory-made fabrics.

    "Oh. You''re all here?"

    The wizards seemed to be preparing dinner, with a flat pot placed over a small campfire.

    "Hm? You''re back already?"

    Mani started to get up but stopped.

    The sword''s mysteries answered with perfect timing.

    As expected, those guys were connected to the Sky God.

    Just the fact that they were female forms gave that impression.

    ''The Sky God told me to strengthen Anor-lsil.''

    It seemed it was difficult for the Sky God to speak directly to Ian, but possible to approach indirectly through Anor-lsil.

    Arno and Isil would probably take on the role of communicating with the sun god on Ian''s behalf.

    [At first, we were created by the fairy race.]

    [But it was you who awakened us, master.]

    [Hey! If you say that now...!]

    Arno glared at Isil, but Isil ignored her and said what she wanted to say.

    She was unexpectedly strong-willed.

    [Sister might not know, but I''m grateful to you, master.]

    Isil bowed her head to Ian.

    [Thank you for awakening me.]

    [Urgh...!]

    Arno also spoke haltingly.

    [I, I also... think the master is quite decent, you could say? A considerably useful master, you might say...?]

    [Sister. There''s also a word called ''thank you'' in this world.]

    [W-What do you want me to do!]

    Ian quietly listened to the sword''s mysteries chattering.

    He hadn''t intended to create something like an ego sword.

    But as he strengthened Anor-lsil, the sword gained consciousness.

    [You have encountered the unfinished true Anor-lsil!]

    [A new destiny has been pioneered!]

    ''Huh?''

    Messages suddenly appeared before his eyes.

    Ian habitually pulled out his Arcana deck.

    Drawing one card, he found the 10th card, [Wheel of Fortune], in his hand.

    An illustration of a pale moon overlapping a giant sun.

    ''A new card appeared this time?''

    Nothing had happened for a while. As soon as he awakened Anor-lsil, a new card was created.

    ''A new destiny...''

    Ian put the Arcana card in his pocket.

    "Well. I don''t know what will happen from now on... but I''m counting on you guys."

    [Yes. I''ll do my best to help you! Master!]

    [I-I''ll work hard too.]

    ---

    ---

    After returning to Talian domain, Ian quickly finished his travel preparations.

    Talian''s food situation should be fine for a while.

    He needed to have a talk with Duke Araz before he rushed off to the dragon.

    "Then I''m counting on you, Sam."

    "You can rely on me!"

    After commissioning Sam to create an anti-dragon weapon, Ian went to find Salvador.

    He wanted to check how much of the Knights of Santiago''s journey preparations were complete.

    But surprisingly, only about half of the knights'' preparations were finished.

    "Sir Salvador."

    "Ah. Ian, my boy. Welcome."

    When Ian asked for details, he was told that about half of the Knights of Santiago would remain in Talian domain.

    "They''re staying here?"

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    What''s this? Could it be people who want to swear loyalty to Talian?

    But that wasn''t it.

    "There are too many monsters roaming outside, you see."

    "Monsters..."

    Ian recalled the orc horde that had been chasing Mani.

    "We''re leaving people behind just in case."

    It was a force to prepare for monster invasions.

    If that was the Knights of Santiago''s decision.

    "Ian, my boy. Are you ready to depart?"

    "Yes. We can leave right away."

    Ian, Lucy, and the Knights of Santiago finished preparing to head to Duke Araz''s territory.

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 Chapter 203

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Before leaving Talian, Ian decided to leave all his companions except Belenka behind.

    They wouldn''t be much help dealing with a duke, and there was more potential for them to be useful in the domain than on the battlefield.

    "I''m counting on you, Kira."

    "Leave it to me."

    Kira flashed Ian a smile with her eyes.

    Since Lucy and Ian had to be away, they needed someone trustworthy to look after Talian.

    Baron Damon and Kira were perfect for the job.

    "I''ve already told Baron Damon. There shouldn''t be any particular issues."

    "Well... Baron Damon and I aren''t complete strangers anyway."

    In the past, Kira had been forced to work for Baron Damon.

    At that time, Kira wasn''t a real wizard but a fake one, and had no way to escape the baron''s coercion.

    But the current Kira was different.

    Not only did she have Ian as a reliable wizard companion, but she had become a fire wizard who could wield the power of flames.

    It should be fine to entrust the domain to her.

    "Lady Kira! There''s something I''d like you to look at..."

    "Wait a moment. Can''t you see I''m talking to Ian right now?"

    Kira, who was already excellent at acting, had become even more capable of playing a prickly wizard now that she had the background of a real one.

    She could now intimidate country barons to the point where they couldn''t even breathe.

    "I-I''m sorry..."

    Despite being a noble, Baron Lantro couldn''t say a word against Kira.

    This was the typical status of imperial wizards.

    Wizards had tight connections among themselves, so if you offended one carelessly, you might witness a fantastic wizard assembly like the one that unfolded in Baron Vincents'' domain.

    Kira approached Baron Lantro with a smile curling the corners of her mouth.

    Smiling with her bright red lips, Kira was the very image of an enchanting sorceress.

    ''Kira really is pretty.''

    "Hehe. I''ll come see you when I have time. A good noble can wait until then, right?"

    "Ah...! I can wait!"

    "Good. I really like that about you, Baron~"

    As Kira whispered, Baron Lantro grinned with a dazed expression.

    Is a beautiful face some kind of ma?gic?

    Ian was seriously worried about Baron Lantro, who looked like his brain had melted.

    Being so weak to temptation. If an evil black wizard like Karenne attached herself to him, wouldn''t she ruin the domain''s finances?

    "Well, I''m off then. Ian."

    "Ah. Wait a moment."

    Ian held out the fairy silk he had received from the Fairy Queen.

    It was an item that Sister Mionia had processed into a ribbon.

    "Oh my."

    Kira hurriedly covered her mouth.

    Her fingertips were trembling slightly.

    "W-What''s this?"

    "A gift? Souvenir? Well. I''m just giving it to you."

    It was truly a gift prepared without much thought.

    Kira had been through a lot following Ian around.

    Also, he had heard that she envied Lucy & Belenka''s fairy silk accessories.

    "A gift... you say?"

    "Yeah. You''ve been through a lot so far. And I''m also asking you to help manage the domain."

    The last part was more of an afterthought.

    Ian knew well that Kira came from the streets. He didn''t expect her to actually manage the domain.

    Anyway, Kira was like a human totem that lowered the chances of incidents just by walking around looking important.

    And she could spit fire in emergencies. How useful.

    "..."

    Kira fiddled with the ribbon silently for a while, then.

    "... Sniff."

    She suddenly started crying!

    Ian was flustered seeing Kira''s tears.

    It was the quick-wittedness of a man who had majored in science and engineering in his previous life.

    "It''s pretty? Suits you well."

    "...!"

    Male Language Macro #1. Mindless complimenting.

    if input_word == "mindless compliment"... and so on.

    As expected, the macro''s effect was tremendous!

    "Umm... thank you, Ian."

    Kira spoke in a gentle voice, her face flushed.

    Unlike when she was cosplaying as a confident wizard, the shy Kira now just looked cute.

    Kira couldn''t meet Ian''s eyes until the end.

    ''I''ve successfully diverted her attention.''

    Ian decided to leave Kira alone so she could fully enjoy(?) her new ribbon.

    "Well, I''ll be going then."

    "Okay... take care, and come back safely."

    Kira finally looked up at Ian.

    "..."

    "..."

    A moment of silence passed.

    "Countess! Over here! She''s here!"

    Bang!

    Suddenly the door opened, and Lucy and Baron Lantro appeared.

    Lucy looked back and forth between Ian and Kira, her eyes widening.

    "Eh?"

    Lucy stammered, addressing Kira.

    "Um... I heard earlier that you were fighting with Ian..."

    Kira glared at Baron Lantro (reminding herself that Lucy would be away soon) and answered Lucy.

    "It''s a misunderstanding, Countess."

    "But the tear stains..."

    Kira slowly wiped away her tear stains.

    "I was surprised and happy to receive a gift from Ian, so I cried."

    "Ah..."

    Only then did Lucy notice the beautiful ribbon tied in Kira''s hair.

    The atmosphere was somehow awkwardly strange.

    ---

    ---

    Ian stationed all his companions except Belenka in Talian.

    From what the Knights of Santiago said, orcs and other monsters were very active, so they needed to maintain vigilance.

    Fortunately, Talian''s forces weren''t weak.

    Baron Damon''s subordinates, the Knights of Santiago, the werewolf Lewis, and Jubal could all serve as warriors.

    With Kira providing magical support, they could easily fend off most monster invasions.

    It would be different if a dragon flew in directly, but the black dragon had apparently been beaten by the Margrave of Haltramm and fled.

    So Ian could leave Talian with a somewhat lighter heart.

    The party consisting of Ian and Lucy, Belenka and Salvador, and the Knights of Santiago moved quickly towards Duke Araz''s territory.

    "What did you say?"

    The Knights of Santiago, who were acting as guides, returned with unexpected news.

    "Duke Araz isn''t in his domain right now."

    "Then..."

    Ian let out a hollow laugh.

    He really went to hunt the dragon...!

    "They say he left for the Golden Mountains with the Margrave of Haltramm."

    Ian immediately changed their destination.

    Since he needed to meet the duke, there was no point in visiting a domain without its lord.

    Ian''s group changed course for the Golden Mountains.

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 Chapter 204

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Ian gestured to Lucy, who was sitting in a daze.

    "Lucy?"

    "Huh... yeah?"

    Lately, Lucy seemed to be spending a lot of time deep in thought, as if troubled by something.

    Ian found this new side of Lucy fresh and surprising.

    So even Lucy... had things to worry about!

    "What are you thinking about now?"

    Ian had asked Lucy several times, but each time she gave an answer that skirted the core issue.

    "Just... worrying about the future."

    Every time he asked, she said she was worried about what''s to come.

    But whether it was concern about the dragon, the domain, or something else, she never said till the end.

    "It''s nothing, don''t worry about it!"

    Lucy smiled brightly as if nothing was wrong.

    When she was so reluctant to talk about it, Ian couldn''t force her to spill the beans.

    Salvador and Belenka rode their horses up beside Ian.

    "The situation''s turning out to be quite amusing."

    "Amusing, you say?"

    The Knights of Santiago were busily gathering information.

    Thanks to them, Ian could also obtain well-organized, up-to-date information.

    "It seems Duke Araz has handled this matter quite roughly."

    "..."

    Well, that was.

    You could tell just by looking at how he eagerly set off dragon hunting while ignoring the barons suffering from the dragon.

    "Ian, my boy. Who do you think has the right to hunt the dragon?"

    "???"

    Taken aback by Salvador''s sudden question, Ian was momentarily flustered.

    Then he answered honestly.

    "I''d like to ask who''s hunting who."

    "Haha. You really are an odd one."

    Salvador laughed, thinking Ian was joking, and moved on.

    Ian felt slightly wronged.

    No, he was serious...

    No matter how injured the dragon might be, a dragon was still a dragon.

    Without thorough preparation, it was obvious that humans would be swept away in droves.

    They didn''t even know how badly the dragon was injured yet.

    Here they were, squabbling among themselves about who had what share~ Would the dragon really fall to such a ragtag bunch?

    "The Margrave of Haltramm claimed he had the right."

    "... Because he inflicted a fatal wound?"

    "Exactly right."

    That was the Margrave of Haltramm''s logic.

    Since I was the first to wound the dragon, the dragon''s head is mine! That was his argument.

    "But Count Edward thought differently."

    "Count Edward?"

    That name sounded familiar...

    Ian easily recalled who Count Edward was.

    Count Edward was the noble who had a vassal contract with the nobles of Ian''s homeland.

    "The Golden Mountains are Count Edward''s territory."

    Count Edward''s logic went like this:

    Since the dragon is staying in the Golden Mountains, it''s my prey, like the wild boars or deer in my land!

    "... So?"

    Ian felt such deep exasperation at the nobles'' squabble that he didn''t know how to react.

    It was indeed an important issue among the power players.

    Who gets to keep the dragon''s corpse was a major matter directly related to the development of their domains.

    But Ian was a wizard.

    He wasn''t without desire for spoils, but he didn''t want to argue about a dragon they hadn''t even killed yet.

    "Count Edward took his knights to find the Duke. He intends to lodge a formal protest with the Duke."

    "Wait, if he thought the dragon was his prey, shouldn''t he at least pretend to be hunting it?"

    "Before, he would have been scared stiff, I''d wager. How many would be brave enough to enter treacherous mountains to hunt a perfectly healthy dragon?"

    So, Count Edward had also slunk out after hearing rumors that the dragon was badly hurt.

    "The noble lords are truly wise beyond measure."

    "Haha. When I do it, it''s wisdom; when others do it, it''s cunning, isn''t it?"

    Salvador made a good point.

    This was the medieval era where everyone fended for themselves, and lords only needed to focus on developing their own domains.

    You could tell by how the Knights of Santiago, who served others and didn''t shy away from threats, were treated as admirable lunatics.

    ''The quarrel itself doesn''t matter.''

    Whether Count Edward won or the Margrave of Haltramm won.

    As long as they took down the dragon, it would benefit Ian.

    All he needed was to get his hands on the Mountain King''s treasure that the black dragon had supposedly stolen.

    Lucy also had a good chance of getting what she wanted.

    For those participating in the dragon raid, it was more advantageous to have fewer nobles involved when it came to dividing the spoils.

    The Duke would probably promise food aid to send Lucy home before she could become a nuisance.

    Well... because those ignorant bastards were the ones holding the sword!

    Brifford held a tribal council according to barbarian procedures.

    As a result of the vote, Brifford was naturally elected emperor.

    The tribal chiefs swore allegiance to Brifford and became vassals with voting rights, namely [Prince-electors].

    Emperor Brifford I gave each tribal chief a piece of land and ordered them to guard and live on that land.

    They changed their names from tribal chiefs to [Imperial Dukes].

    The dukes gave land to their retainers, and those retainers gave land to their knights...

    That''s how the feudal system of the Holy Empire began.

    As a result, the empire''s feudal system tended to be much more independent than that of other countries.

    In a country where even the emperor was elected, respect for individual nobles was exceptional.

    That''s why Lucy, coming from the rural Talian barony, wasn''t turned away at the door.

    Duke Araz didn''t spout nonsense like "What? A baron? Just a low-ranking noble! Hmph!"

    "Welcome, Baron of Talian."

    "Uh..."

    "Baron? Who is this? Your husband?"

    Ian''s brain short-circuited for a moment when he saw Duke Araz in person.

    Duke Araz was... a stunningly beautiful woman...!

    She appeared to be in her mid to late 30s.

    She wore the ''cone hat'' that Lucy was crazy about on her head, but her dress was a design that clung tightly to her body.

    A beautiful mature woman who could be described as a MILF.

    "This is Ian, disciple of the wizard Eredith."

    "A wizard?"

    Duke Araz narrowed her eyes as she looked at Ian.

    She thought there was something suspicious about him, but to think he was a wizard?

    Duke Araz naturally offered Ian a seat.

    "Please, sit down."

    "?"

    Ian felt a slight novelty.

    Good heavens. To see a strange wizard and not perform [Calling a Wizard]!

    Is this the composure of a duke!

    "You look surprised that I''m not performing the Calling of a Wizard."

    "Was it that obvious?"

    Duke Araz took a sip of tea with a gentle smile.

    "Don''t take offense, wizard Ian. First of all, my court has many wizards."

    That made sense.

    As one of the five prince-electors and imperial dukes, Duke Araz surely knew at least one wizard.

    "Even without inviting you specifically, we have no trouble with magic."

    "I see."

    In short, the duke had no intention of drawing Ian to her side, so she skipped the process of Calling a Wizard.

    "Also, this isn''t an appropriate place for Calling a Wizard."

    This was outdoors, in Duke Araz''s tent quarters.

    It meant she was skipping the formalities since it was difficult to properly observe etiquette here.

    "Of course, that doesn''t mean you''re not welcome."

    Duke Araz said this while her eyes flashed slightly.

    The duke calmly waited for Ian''s reaction.

    Soon, Ian opened his mouth.

    "This is truly... the first time I''ve received such treatment in my life."

    "Hm. Even if you''re disappointed, there''s nothing-"

    "You are truly a wise person, Your Grace!"

    "???"

    Duke Araz looked at Ian in shock.

    She had openly said she was skipping the Calling of a Wizard... and he was happy about this?!

    A young and talented wizard like Ian would naturally have high pride.

    It wouldn''t have been strange at all if he had been offended when a noble arbitrarily skipped the Calling of a Wizard!

    ''... He doesn''t seem to be an ordinary person.''

    Duke Araz scrutinized Ian up and down calmly.

    It was one of two things.

    Either he was a wizard so insignificant as to be pathetic...

    Or a young man wise enough to deserve the name of wizard!

    "Why do you think I''m wise?"

    To the duke''s question, Ian answered nonchalantly.

    "Well, because you''re someone who isn''t bound by empty formalities. What''s the big deal about Calling a Wizard? It just makes wizards act like clowns. Tsk tsk."

    "..."

    Ian calmly criticized the old custom while simultaneously praising Duke Araz''s wisdom.

    Duke Araz judged that all of Ian''s actions were calculated results.

    She thought there was no way this could be his honest opinion!

    ''Skipping the clown act is awesome~''

    But contrary to the duke''s expectations, Ian was genuinely pleased with her decision.

    Ian had always loathed emotional labor.

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 Chapter 205

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Duke Araz had only one reason for delaying the dragon hunt until now.

    She didn''t want to lose her precious knights to some beast that popped up out of nowhere.

    As a female noble, Duke Araz heavily relied on her knights'' military power rather than her own skills.

    Having never received knightly training, she didn''t understand or care about the glory of hunting and victory.

    She just wanted to protect her land properly, that''s all!

    ''Your Grace! Protect your vassals as per our contract!''

    ''Rash actions often lead to failure. Wait until we locate the dragon''s lair.''

    Of course, the duke hadn''t been sitting idle.

    She had been preparing magical support and even siege engines modified for anti-dragon use.

    But these prepared forces were only meant to defend the duke''s direct territory.

    Leading an army to protect rural barons would be a massive waste of time and money.

    Her vassals might grumble and complain, but...

    What could they do if the duke refused to move?

    ''Your Grace! Are you just going to watch the dragon''s tyranny?''

    ''Hmm. Shall I appoint you as the leader of the dragon subjugation force?''

    ''How very prudent of you, Your Excellency!!!''

    Even nobles as high as counts couldn''t rashly confront the dragon.

    While they could deal with a dragon attacking them, assaulting a dragon''s lair felt entirely different.

    As the duke was preparing to face the dragon...

    Strange news arrived from the north.

    ''Your Grace! Breaking news! They say the Margrave of Haltramm has repelled the dragon!''

    ''... Is that true?''

    Who was the Margrave of Haltramm?

    A battle-hardened warrior guarding the northern edge of the empire!

    The Margrave of Haltramm was a brave and fierce noble nicknamed the Barbarian-Slayer for defeating countless barbarians.

    Rumor had it he could lift boulders with one hand and devour half a cow in a single meal, a warrior of tremendous strength.

    ''If it''s Haltramm, he could do it!''

    Duke Araz rejoiced.

    The Margrave of Haltramm was a border lord.

    He was a noble who had focused on developing military capabilities, tasked with defending the border.

    The duke only knew the margrave by face, but she believed the rumors were true.

    After all... there was no reason for false rumors to spread!

    As the margrave''s soldiers unanimously praised Haltramm''s heroic deeds, Duke Araz had no choice but to believe the rumors.

    She immediately summoned Haltramm and formed an expedition with his knights.

    Even the duke would hesitate to face a fully healthy dragon, but...

    A severely wounded dragon on the run was a tempting treasure trove!

    ''The dragon''s treasure is mine!''

    Duke Araz''s eyes flashed with greed.

    She vowed to let the margrave have the glory of being the Dragon Slayer, but she would definitely keep the treasure.

    That''s how Duke Araz and the Margrave of Haltramm''s armies came to advance on the Golden Mountains.

    ---

    ---

    A tent village with countless military flags fluttering.

    It was the result of young knights eager to raise their family names, urging their servants to raise banners.

    Most of the young knights participating in this expedition had similar thoughts.

    ''I... will take the dragon''s head!''

    Dragon Slayer.

    Slaying a dragon was undoubtedly the most glorious military achievement a knight could accomplish.

    All around the camp, knights could be seen grinning like fools.

    They were undoubtedly imagining themselves drenched in the black dragon''s blood, delivering the final blow to the beast.

    It wasn''t just one or two knights, but almost all of them walking around with silly grins.

    The whole camp was heated up like a bunch of idiots.

    Ian felt like the knights'' ignorance might be contagious.

    "You don''t look happy."

    When Belenka asked, Ian answered honestly.

    "I feel like I might catch stupidity."

    "... That''s the most unpleasant thing I''ve heard all year. Must be nice being so smart, Ian."

    "Better than being ignorant."

    Belenka shook her head at Ian''s characteristically harsh words.

    He really was a born wizard, that one.

    "Don''t you find it strange, Belenka?"

    "What do you mean?"

    The margrave felt his blood boiling with excitement.

    Look! That huge beast, running away scared of mere humans!

    ''I want to end that thing''s life!''

    The Margrave of Haltramm was consumed by the thrill of the hunt.

    He was a battle-hardened warrior who had slaughtered barbarians all his life, born with the blood of a martial artist.

    He had cut down countless barbarians, but now mere barbarians could no longer satisfy the margrave''s destructive urges.

    A stronger opponent! A more glorious battle!

    The title of ''Dragon Slayer, Margrave Haltramm!'' sounded too sweet.

    So the Margrave of Haltramm crossed a forbidden river.

    He spread false rumors that he had inflicted a fatal wound on the dragon.

    The effect of the rumor was definite.

    Duke Araz not only entrusted the dragon hunt to the Margrave of Haltramm but even promised to hand over the beast''s head.

    Therefore, the margrave ''absolutely'' had to slay the dragon.

    Before he became the laughingstock of the world as a pathological liar.

    ''Well, it''s true that we did wound it anyway.''

    The Margrave of Haltramm felt somewhat justified.

    There might have been some exaggeration, but... it was true that the margrave''s army had wounded the dragon.

    Chances of victory? Of course they were overwhelming!

    What? The black dragon of calamity, Predius?

    Wasn''t it just a pathetic coward that ran away scared of the margrave''s army!

    "I got you that mystical stone you wanted. So don''t mess up. Bunchi."

    "Of course not! My lord!"

    The Margrave of Haltramm immediately headed to the meeting place.

    Duke Araz''s tent.

    There sat the impudent Count Edward and...

    Some wench with dark blue hair.

    "Duke. Who might this be?"

    Duke Araz spoke in a gentle voice.

    "This is the new Countess of Talian."

    Lucy, Countess of Talian, stood up and greeted him.

    "Pleased to meet you, Margrave of Haltramm."

    "Nice to meet you too, Countess of Talian."

    They exchanged greetings, but the Margrave of Haltramm didn''t understand why the Countess of Talian was sitting here.

    Well. Had she come to beg to be included in the expedition?

    Just then, Duke Araz resolved the margrave''s curiosity.

    "The Countess of Talian is an observer. Her wizard has some questions for you, Margrave."

    "... wizard?"

    Someone stepped forward.

    Jet-black hair and jet-black eyes.

    A staff in his hand. A young man with a crow perched on his shoulder.

    It was the wizard Ian.

    ''He is indeed a wizard.''

    The Margrave of Haltramm was convinced as soon as he saw Ian''s bizarre appearance.

    In this world, only jesters and wizards would walk around with crows on their shoulders.

    For a brief moment, the Margrave of Haltramm''s eyes met Ian''s.

    "..."

    And the margrave flinched, feeling the strange mystery flowing beyond Ian''s eyes.

    Though he looked like an innocent young man on the outside, there was no doubt he harbored powerful strength within.

    "Your Excellency, Margrave of Haltramm."

    As soon as Ian spoke, the margrave tensed.

    His clear pronunciation and resonant voice were indeed extraordinary.

    "Speak, wizard."

    "I have a request for Your Excellency."

    "A request?"

    Ian looked straight at the margrave and said.

    "On that day when the dragon invaded your territory. Would you tell me how you inflicted a wound on the evil black dragon?"

    "!"

    Ian''s gaze, as if he knew something.

    At the question that seemed to interrogate him, the Margrave of Haltramm unconsciously gritted his teeth.

    ''How dare he...!''

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 Chapter 206

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    The Margrave of Haltramm was in a tight spot.

    Tell the story of how he fought the dragon? That much he could do easily.

    The problem was that it would be a bald-faced lie!

    ''What''s this? What''s his aim?''

    If some stupid young knight had made the same request, the margrave would have laughed happily and spun a tale of his exploits.

    Young fools lacked the intelligence to discern the margrave''s lies!

    But the wizard before him was entirely different.

    His warrior''s intuition was screaming a warning.

    This wizard Ian was dangerous...

    "My heroic deeds? You want to hear them now?"

    The Margrave of Haltramm spoke, openly displaying his displeasure.

    More accurately, it was closer to anxiety than displeasure.

    A young knight would have tucked tail and fled the moment he sensed the margrave''s anger.

    But his opponent was a wizard.

    Arrogant and willful, wizards were special beings who could ignore even the emperor if the situation called for it.

    Ian spoke in a gentle voice.

    "Your heroic deeds have reached as far as Talian domain, Margrave. I thought I should hear the story of how you defeated the dragon as soon as I met you.

    If it''s not too presumptuous, I''d love to hear the vivid account directly from you, Margrave."

    Ian applied pressure gently.

    That was far more terrifying than pushing forcefully.

    "I''d like to know about the Margrave''s exploits too!"

    He had just opened the way for other nobles to chime in.

    As soon as Lucy Talian added her piece, Duke Araz and Count Edward simultaneously turned to look at the Margrave of Haltramm.

    The margrave broke out in a cold sweat.

    He had fallen into a kind of trap.

    If he didn''t tell the story of his heroic deeds, Count Edward would criticize him for being narrow-minded.

    That would be a dreadful situation for the Margrave of Haltramm, who thought of himself as a ''cool guy''.

    On the other hand, if he spoke honestly...

    He might be caught lying by that wizard with the sharp eyes!

    "This is a good opportunity."

    Duke Araz egged him on approvingly.

    "They don''t know about your exploits yet, Margrave. It''s a chance to raise your honor."

    "..."

    The Margrave of Haltramm wanted to sew the duke''s mouth shut.

    What was that stupid woman doing...!

    "Hmph. I bet it''s just a mediocre story, that''s why."

    Count Edward tore into the margrave like a hunting dog.

    The Margrave of Haltramm''s face turned bright red.

    ... Because he had been struck right on the mark.

    He had never actually fought the dragon!

    He had spread false rumors about chasing the fleeing dragon, but that was it!

    But the Margrave of Haltramm could never admit that fact, even if it killed him.

    The Barbarian Slayer, the valiant guardian of the north... was actually a liar?!

    If that was revealed, the Margrave of Haltramm was truly prepared to kill himself.

    Naturally, his pride took control of his body.

    "A mediocre story? Ha! Are you saying the tale of how I blew off the dragon''s jaw while covered in its blood is mediocre, Count?"

    "..."

    Count Edward made a disgusted face but couldn''t bring himself to say anything.

    After all, the margrave was known as the one who had inflicted a fatal wound on the dragon.

    To face a dragon with a human body?

    Of course, that was a tremendous achievement.

    But at the same time, Ian''s eyes lit up.

    The story he had been so eager to hear had just spilled from the margrave''s mouth.

    "Your Excellency. Please tell us the details of the situation. What weapon did you use to pierce the dragon''s jaw?"

    "!"

    At Ian''s sharp question, the Margrave of Haltramm immediately regretted his words from a second ago.

    Ah, I shouldn''t have let my pride take over...!

    But the milk was already spilled.

    The Margrave of Haltramm puffed out his chest and declared proudly.

    "The famous spear my father used! It''s called [Frostwind]!"

    "A spear? What kind of spear is it?"

    At Ian''s question, Duke Araz and Count Edward''s gazes moved once again.

    "Frostwind? I''ve never heard of such a spear?"

    "Me neither. Did the Haltramm family have such a weapon?"

    ''Shit...!''

    The Margrave of Haltramm sensed things were going slightly awry.

    And for good reason - all the previous Margraves of Haltramm had been famous swordsmen.

    Why would a family renowned for swordsmanship suddenly have a famous spear?

    But Haltramm had no choice but to insist there was a spear in his family.

    After all... there was a spear stuck in the dragon''s jaw!

    "Margrave."

    Duke Araz smiled, as if things were going well, and said.

    "Many people don''t know about Frostwind. Why don''t you tell us in detail what kind of weapon it is?"

    The Margrave of Haltramm felt like his insides were turning upside down.

    ''... You stupid sow!''

    Why encourage him to say more when they could have just let it slide?!

    However, boasting about good weapons was directly linked to a knight''s honor.

    Duke Araz was providing perfectly normal support!

    ''Hehe. No need to thank me, Margrave.''

    Bunchi glanced at the other nobles in slight panic.

    This guy is running his mouth as he pleases, surely someone will step in...

    "Oh. wizard Ian is quite something too, isn''t he?"

    "Hah. Such a bold attitude. That kid must be no ordinary wizard either!"

    "Ian! Hang in there! Don''t lose!"

    "..."

    But of course.

    The nobles had no intention whatsoever of interfering in the wizards'' quarrel.

    "I''ve heard of an [Earth wizard Carl], but... Earth wizard Bunchi? You''re a nobody."

    "N-Nobody?"

    "A nobody nobody''s ever heard of. That''s you, ''Great wizard'' (laugh) Bunchi."

    "Urgh...!"

    As the traditional wizard damage-dealing (verbal attribute) began, even Bunchi, a fellow wizard, found it hard to handle.

    "You know Earth wizard Carl?"

    "..."

    The truth was, he did know him.

    The rock-like taciturn Earth wizard Carl.

    He was one of the wizards Bunchi respected...!

    But his pride wouldn''t let him openly answer ''I know him''.

    Thanks to that, Ian continued his verbal DPS.

    "Carl is an excellent earth wizard, but he''s never once boasted about himself."

    "...!"

    It was a fact.

    Actually, Carl not only didn''t boast, he barely talked at all.

    But he didn''t boast, right?

    As suspiciously accurate testimony continued, Bunchi had no choice but to believe Ian''s words.

    "You... know Carl?"

    "Yes. He''s my friend."

    As soon as Ian said he knew Carl, Bunchi started to get a bit nervous.

    He had thought this young blue wizard was nothing special, but...

    To think he was acquainted with Earth wizard Carl...!

    "But you''re a ''great wizard'', so you must be far superior to Carl, right?"

    "W-Well..."

    "I should tell Carl about this later~"

    When Ian grinned, Bunchi leaned in close and whispered.

    ''H-Hey. Young friend. Why are you doing this to me! Really?!''

    ''What do you mean?''

    ''No! It''s an act! An act! When your senior moves first, you juniors should play along!''

    Ian let out a laugh of disbelief.

    Just like a wizard...

    Bunchi was openly admitting he was putting on an act.

    But so what?

    Ian had no intention of yielding here at all.

    ''You should already know, senior? I have business with the Margrave of Haltramm.''

    ''Damn it. Are you serious? The part you''re trying to poke at involves a noble''s honor...''

    Ian cut off Bunchi''s words.

    ''People''s lives are at stake too, senior.''

    ''...''

    Bunchi slowly backed away.

    He had realized negotiation was impossible.

    "Fine! You insolent brat! If you''re going to be like that, I have no choice but to show my skills!"

    Ian wasn''t in a position to back down either.

    He was confident in his magic too.

    Ian watched to see what kind of magic Bunchi would use.

    "[O writhing earth!]"

    Bunchi spread his arms and chanted magical language.

    The nobles watched in admiration, appreciating the wizard''s skill.

    Rumble rumble...!

    "Wh-What tremendous vibrations...!"

    "What is this? What kind of magic is this!"

    The vibrations grew stronger and stronger, soon becoming impossible to stand.

    The nobles sat down in confusion.

    It wasn''t just the nobles who sat down.

    The knights and soldiers, and even the pitched tents began to collapse one after another!

    "B-Bunchi!"

    Even the Margrave of Haltramm shouted in panic.

    "You! What kind of magic are you...!"

    That''s when it happened.

    BOOM!

    Less than 50 meters away, a massive explosion occurred as if the ground was being turned inside out!

    [I''ll kill you! I''ll tear you all to pieces and kill you! You humans!!!]

    A horrifying roar that made Ian''s hair stand on end struck his ears.

    The murderous intent was so sharp it made his fingertips tremble.

    Ian immediately shouted at Bunchi.

    "Bunchi! What is that!"

    "I-I don''t know either!"

    "???"

    At this absurdly unexpected answer, Ian was momentarily at a loss for words.

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 Chapter 207

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    "Monster!"

    The beast that tore through the earth and emerged was a golem made of rock, stone, and clay.

    Its size was staggering, nearly 4 meters tall.

    The sheer weight of the massive collection of minerals!

    The rock golem boasted destructive power worthy of being called a medieval war-suit.

    "It''s charging at the Duke!"

    "I''ll stop it!"

    Young knights full of vigor tried to block the golem''s path.

    But Salvador and Belenka pushed them aside.

    "Get out of the way, you fools!"

    "What the- Old man!"

    The young knights were startled, but they shut their mouths at Salvador''s sharp glare.

    "How do you plan to stop that avalanche-like monster!"

    "..."

    "If you''re that eager to go to heaven, I won''t stop you!"

    At Salvador''s rebuke, the knights came to their senses.

    This wasn''t an opponent they could face with notions of loyalty or desire for military glory.

    A monster made of clay and rock instead of flesh and blood!

    "You lot, escort your lords and run!"

    "But... I don''t have a lord?"

    "Then use your brain and help anyone!"

    Salvador instinctively knew.

    This was clearly a monster created by the power of mystery.

    And the only ones who could face it were wizards.

    "You help Ian!"

    "Yes!"

    Salvador busied himself commanding the knights while Belenka moved to support Ian.

    [I''ll kill you!!!]

    A piercing mental scream swept across the battlefield.

    Ian, who had leveled up a lot until now, could somewhat withstand the pressure of the mystery.

    But not Bunchi.

    "Hiiieek!"

    Overwhelmed by the tremendous killing intent emitted by the mystery, Bunchi half lost his mind.

    ''Is Bunchi really clueless about this?''

    Ian found Bunchi''s reaction questionable.

    The monster seemed to have appeared in response to Bunchi''s magical language, but...

    "Dodge, my lord!"

    "This way!"

    Loyal knights escorted their respective lords to safety.

    "Ian!"

    Belenka appeared just in time.

    Ian entrusted Lucy''s protection to Belenka.

    "Take care of Lucy."

    "... I''ll be back soon."

    Ian took a deep breath to calm himself.

    He could see the rock golem charging towards him, kicking up clouds of dust.

    If he got hit by that thing, he''d be turned into a bloody pancake.

    ''It has a physical form.''

    The rock golem wasn''t an intangible mystery.

    It was clearly an intelligent being made of clay and rock.

    Having a physical form meant it could be beaten down.

    ''But dialogue comes first.''

    Ian addressed the rock golem in the Maronius language.

    "[Stop! O enraged one!]"

    [Graaah!]

    Ian''s Maronius was perfect.

    The fact that the rock golem didn''t stop meant its eyes were half-crazed.

    ''Damn it!''

    Ian rolled on the ground.

    The rock golem passed by, stomping the earth, missing him by a hair''s breadth.

    "Bunchi!"

    The rock golem was a monster created by mystery.

    Knights without proper equipment wouldn''t be of help in the fight.

    The only one who could help Ian right now was Bunchi.

    "Aaaaaaah!"

    "..."

    However, Bunchi, his mind seemingly broken, ran away without looking back!

    Ian couldn''t close his gaping mouth.

    "Hey, you...!"

    You''re an earth wizard, Bunchi!

    If you run away, what am I supposed to do with this rock golem!

    [Come here! You half-ground gravel!]

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The rock golem ignored Ian and chased straight after Bunchi.

    "[Why are you so angry?]"

    With rocks embedded in mud.

    The rock golem spoke slowly.

    [That cunning human... stole my child while I was sleeping...!]

    "[Child?]"

    Ian immediately looked at Bunchi.

    Bunchi explained, sweating profusely.

    "Well, um... I did pick up a mysterious stone..."

    "Picked up? Not stole?"

    "... I did defeat the guardian golems and take it. But I''m the victim here! It''s common sense that there are guardians around treasures!"

    So, Bunchi was claiming that mysterious stone... or the rock golem''s child, was his rightful spoils of war.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Is it normal for a wizard to just grab a stone of unknown origin?

    Forcibly snatching the power of mystery without any communication is absolutely not the way of a wizard.

    "Ian! You''re a wizard too, you should understand! When there''s a stone full of earth power right in front of you, ignoring it is..."

    "Shut up. Just give it back already."

    "G-Give it back? But you subdued the golem, didn''t you?"

    Ian quietly pulled out Anor-lsil from his waist.

    Anor-lsil took the hint and jumped out, starting to beat up Bunchi.

    "Ow! Ow! W-What is this!"

    Ian immediately made a fuss.

    "Ah! The mystery is enraged by Bunchi''s shamelessness!"

    "Okay! Okay! I''ll give it back, alright!"

    Soon, Bunchi brought the golem''s child.

    Ian sincerely apologized and returned the child to the rock golem.

    "[It was our foolish mistake. We''re truly sorry.]"

    [... I can feel your sincerity. I''ll accept your apology.]

    In truth, it was because Ian had subdued it that it ended things nicely.

    If he had just apologized, it might have crushed Bunchi and returned to the forest.

    In any case, the rock golem disappeared.

    ---

    ---

    There was a brief commotion, but everything was resolved well without a single casualty.

    The knights who witnessed Bunchi''s sacrifice(?) and Ian''s brilliant magic had their morale boosted sky-high.

    "With a wizard like that on our side, even a dragon won''t be a problem!"

    "Let''s raid the dragon''s nest right away!"

    Apart from the heightened morale of the knights and soldiers.

    The mood among the nobles wasn''t good.

    "What did you say?"

    Duke Araz and Count Edward looked at Bunchi with shocked expressions.

    No matter how much they glared at Bunchi, the result wouldn''t change.

    "It may be hard to believe... but it''s all true."

    Ian decided to cover up the massive trolling Bunchi had caused.

    In exchange, he extracted a promise from Bunchi to cooperate with Ian during the expedition.

    Ian questioned Bunchi about what happened in the Margrave of Haltramm''s territory.

    And the expected answer came back.

    "His Excellency the Margrave did not fight the dragon."

    "..."

    "The black dragon took a few arrows from the soldiers, then just ran away."

    The plant wizard Mani was right.

    The spear that the Margrave of Haltramm claimed to have thrust into the black dragon''s jaw.

    It had been stuck in the black dragon''s jaw from the beginning.

    The margrave had spread false rumors as if he had achieved a military feat with it.

    Even though his lie was exposed, the margrave''s expression didn''t change one bit.

    Instead, he shouted proudly.

    "It''s a monster we have to hunt anyway! But everyone was trembling like cowards, so I used my wisdom to inspire some courage!"

    "..."

    Ian was at a loss for words.

    Spreading false rumors was... ''wisdom'' in his mind.

    Wisdom to push people who were scared out of their wits!

    "How can you say that now!"

    Duke Araz shouted with a pale face.

    She had moved her troops after hearing rumors that the dragon was severely injured.

    But if that was a lie...

    Didn''t that mean they now had to fight a life-or-death battle with a perfectly healthy dragon?!

    "You sure talk a lot! Duke!"

    "What did you say?!"

    "What are you going to do now that we''ve come this far? Return like losers! We have to hunt the dragon anyway! The glory of Dragon Slayer is right in front of us!"

    The Margrave of Haltramm said as he swiftly mounted his horse.

    "Whatever you all say, I''m going to hunt that dragon!"

    "..."

    "If you want to return empty-handed after bringing so many knights and mercenaries, I won''t stop you."

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 Chapter 208

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    "Haltramm is finished now."

    In a treacherous valley of the Golden Mountains.

    Antios, the Regent of the [Golden Rule Society], gazed down at the mountain base with an eerie glint in his eyes.

    The massive campsite with hundreds of burning torches exuded an intimidating aura that made one''s legs tremble just by looking at it.

    Even a considerably powerful noble would feel uneasy facing such a force.

    Those were the nobles and knights gathered to hunt the black dragon Predius.

    In other words, they were the enemies Antios had to face.

    [The sight of those ragged fools gathered looks like maggots drawn to a corpse.]

    Predius muttered darkly, licking his eyeballs with his tongue.

    Despite the numerous knights gathered, the black dragon treated them as mere insects.

    In reality, the dragon wasn''t particularly afraid of knights either.

    Siege engines mounted on castle walls or wizards'' uncanny magic were threatening, but.

    Human knights in iron armor swinging swords and spears could be turned to ash with a single breath.

    [It''s exactly as you said, Summoner.]

    Predius stared at Antios with eyes flashing with madness.

    The Margrave of Haltramm chasing them to the Golden Mountains was a situation Antios had already foreseen.

    One didn''t need to be a space-time wizard to know.

    Antios knew what kind of man the margrave was.

    "The margrave was once a great warrior. He was famous for his tremendous strength and excellent leadership skills."

    [Hah. However great a human may be.]

    Predius scorned humans as naturally as breathing.

    Antios, who knew that was just how the dragon was, continued calmly.

    "But like the setting sun and fading moon. The margrave''s time has come to an end."

    In his younger days, Antios had met the Margrave of Haltramm once.

    His wild charm and overflowing masculinity were hard to take one''s eyes off.

    He was a man worthy of respect as a fellow man.

    But now, the margrave was nothing more than a washed-up old man.

    A pathetic middle-aged man who couldn''t let go of past glories, still believing he was the best and always right.

    "I had hoped the margrave wouldn''t follow you."

    [Hmm. You wished for my failure, you mean?]

    "... That''s right."

    Antios had sent Predius to the margrave''s domain to provoke him.

    He instructed the dragon to fight half-heartedly and then pretend to be defeated to lure him out.

    The cunning Predius had perfectly executed Antios''s orders.

    And Antios... had secretly hoped the margrave would see through his ploy.

    He believed that a man who was once an excellent warrior and commander wouldn''t fall for such a clumsy luring tactic.

    However, the margrave had thoroughly betrayed Antios''s expectations.

    Not only did he immediately chase after the black dragon, but he also spread false rumors that he had inflicted a fatal wound on it.

    Antios felt a twinge in his chest.

    Was this what it felt like to watch the fall of a hero you once respected?

    "Predius."

    The summoner of the Golden Rule Society.

    Regent Antios gave orders to his summon.

    "I''ll provide you with troops. Eliminate all the nobles, including the Margrave of Haltramm."

    Predius exhaled a rough breath.

    Sticky saliva dripped from his punctured jaw.

    [Good! Prepare my reward in advance! And once this is over, I will definitely plunder a new territory!]

    Antios shook his head.

    Having forbidden plundering for a while for this operation, it seemed the dragon was now eager to raid another territory.

    "As you wish."

    Predius spread his wings wide and let out a long roar.

    Kwaaaaaaah!

    Birds and beasts fled in panic, causing a great commotion.

    "Claw-mark."

    "Yes, master!"

    An orc about 2 meters tall prostrated himself before Antios.

    "Help the black dragon wipe out the knights. You may eat all the corpses."

    "Thank you!"

    Antios watched the orc horde moving down the mountain, his legs crossed.

    With this, the Duchy of Araz was finished.

    The County of Haltramm, having lost its margrave, would stagger under the barbarian problem, and the Duchy of Araz would suffer from succession issues.

    When internal affairs are in chaos, one can''t pay attention to external matters.

    Even if a [Civil War in the Empire] broke out between the Duchies of Fargar and Roxlan, the Duchy of Araz wouldn''t be able to intervene.

    From now on, the Duchy of Araz would have to tremble in fear of the black dragon.

    ''The end of this false empire is not far off.''

    Watching the massive dragon cutting across the night sky, Antios smiled faintly.

    With Predius taking action, the fall of Araz was inevitable.

    Now, the end was near.

    ---

    ---

    "Did the margrave really say that?"

    As soon as the meeting ended, Ian had a conversation with Salvador.

    "I can''t believe it either. What a crazy old fart."

    Soon after, numerous orcs appeared.

    And from the darkness, a wicked and powerful being with black wings also emerged.

    It was the black dragon, Predius.

    ''Is that the dragon?''

    They were barely a few hundred meters apart.

    Ian felt overwhelmed by the sight of the dragon he was witnessing firsthand.

    It was on a completely different level from encountering a drake.

    The menacing aura that seemed to proclaim its ferocity with its entire body!

    As soon as it appeared, Predius unleashed its breath towards the camp.

    "Holy shit!"

    Ian fled as far as he could, taking the nobles with him.

    The dragon''s breath split the camp in half, incinerating everything.

    Tents and hay, temporary storehouses and livestock.

    Even servants, soldiers, and knights!

    "Aaaaagh!"

    "H-Help me!"

    Before the chaos from the breath attack could subside, orc raiders swarmed in.

    "Get a grip! Maintain formation and face the enemy calmly!"

    Salvador shouted until his throat was raw, but the confusion didn''t easily subside.

    Once battle broke out, chaos was inevitable.

    All thoughts of command and formation flew out the window as everyone focused on cutting down the enemies right in front of them.

    It''s precisely because they can maintain proper command and formation in such mayhem that some armies are called elite troops led by great generals.

    "Take this!"

    Belenka cleaved off the head of an approaching orc.

    Ian''s formation was in just as much disarray.

    Ian calmly assessed the situation.

    ''This is an ambush. The human formation is at a disadvantage.''

    They had expected the dragon, but not the orc horde.

    Someone must have deliberately hidden reinforcements.

    ''... But who?''

    Ian shook his head.

    He could worry about that later.

    Ian immediately cast a skill magic.

    "[Spear of Lightning!]"

    Bzzzzzzt!

    Ian gripped the glowing lightning spear and glared at the front lines.

    In the middle of the burning battlefield.

    He could see the massive black dragon flicking its long tongue...!

    "Die, you lizard!"

    If they could just take down the black dragon, the rest were small fry.

    The destructive lightning spear flew straight towards Predius.

    The lightning spear struck Predius''s massive body head-on.

    ''... Did that do it?''

    Ian held his breath as he observed Predius.

    ... The beast was fine.

    Predius turned its head and stared at Ian with chilling eyes.

    [You insect... How dare you!]

    Predius took a deep breath.

    Ian panicked and tried to protect himself from the flames.

    ''That bastard! It''s tough as hell!''

    Before the lightning spear hit, Ian had sensed some mysterious power.

    It felt similar to the Blood Lord, a demon with magic resistance.

    It seemed to have some ability to reduce the power of magic.

    Just as Predius was about to exhale its breath.

    BOOM!

    "...?"

    A cloud of dust exploded from beneath Predius''s feet.

    Something emerged from underground.

    "A golem...?"

    It was the rock golem.

    The rock golem raised its massive stone fist and-

    WHAM!

    Punched Predius right in the face!

    Predius''s head snapped to the side.

    Pure white dragon teeth clattered to the ground...

    [Young wizard!]

    The rock golem shouted to Ian.

    [I''ll buy you some time. Now run!]

    "[You... Why...?]"

    [A life is repaid with a life!]

    The rock golem was undoubtedly repaying its debt to Ian.

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 Chapter 209

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Screams assaulted Ian''s ears.

    In the middle of the burning battlefield, Ian looked around.

    ''Total chaos.''

    There wasn''t a single place without a skirmish.

    The noble army had a very high proportion of knights.

    Thinking they were just dealing the final blow to a wounded dragon, they had drastically reduced the number of hunters and mercenaries.

    And more than half of the knights had disappeared, following the Margrave of Haltramm into battle.

    Currently, the remaining knights were falling one by one to the orcs.

    ''We''re outnumbered.''

    Ian didn''t know what had happened to the margrave''s army.

    But he could tell without investigating the scene.

    The margrave''s army must have suffered near-annihilation, even in the best-case scenario.

    All because of that massive dragon''s flames...!

    "Damn it! You''re just orcs!"

    "Wuoooooh!"

    The young knights struggled desperately against the orcs.

    But they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

    When the orcs launched a reckless charge, even well-armed knights had no choice but to be pushed back.

    "R-Run away!"

    The hunters and low-ranking mercenaries were the first to desert the battlefield.

    "Don''t panic! They''re waiting for us to scatter!"

    Sir Salvador shouted until his throat was raw.

    But the tide of battle had already turned in favor of the dragon & orc alliance.

    [How dare you...! You worthless pebble! Laying hands on me!]

    Predius, having been struck by the golem, was undoubtedly furious.

    Predius used its massive body to crush the golem, pushing it back.

    Such powerful strength that even the golem made of clay and rock was helplessly pushed back!

    ''Where''s Bunchi?''

    Ian looked for the earth wizard but couldn''t see him.

    He must have fled early on.

    "Protect the lords!"

    Thinking this was their chance while the breath attack wasn''t coming...

    The nobles each attempted to escape the battlefield.

    Duke Araz and Count Edward turned their backs, escorted by knights.

    Ian gritted his teeth.

    The situation was rapidly deteriorating to the worst possible outcome.

    "[Spear of Flame!]"

    Ian used a skill magic once again.

    Maybe he could damage Predius now!

    Whoosh!

    But the flame spear scattered harmlessly over the dragon''s scales.

    It did even less damage than the lightning spear.

    [Run away! wizard!]

    The golem shouted while being pummeled by the black dragon.

    However, Ian found it hard to turn his back.

    If he ran away now, what about the fallen knights?

    The missing margrave?

    "[Darkness!]"

    Ian summoned darkness once more.

    He thought it might help the battle somehow.

    But Predius easily thwarted Ian''s attempt.

    [You like struggling like the insect you are!]

    Predius breathed fire towards Ian.

    Whoosh!

    A blinding, intense light flashed.

    The darkness Ian had summoned vanished without a trace before the dragon''s breath.

    As the flames rushed towards him.

    Ian barely avoided the flames with the help of the mystery of fire.

    ''... It''s strong.''

    He didn''t want to admit it, but it was true.

    The dragon''s - Predius''s power was beyond imagination.

    Even Ian''s strongest magic couldn''t penetrate the dragon''s scales and hide.

    If he had ample time to properly communicate with the mysteries in a calm situation, he might be able to cast magic to subdue the dragon.

    Orcs were classic man-eating monsters.

    Just like being served traditional(?) dishes when visiting an unfamiliar tribe.

    The summoner who went to make a contract with the orcs very likely ate human flesh dishes.

    But the black wizard probably didn''t mind at all.

    Thinking, "Isn''t it a total win if I can control orcs by eating some human flesh?"

    "So, Ian my boy. What are you going to do now?"

    Though he asked that, Salvador was just as confused.

    Originally, he had planned to form a proper expedition with Duke Araz''s help.

    But the Margrave of Haltramm had beaten them to it, hastily putting together a shoddy expedition that got wiped out...

    Even if they were the Knights of Santiago, they couldn''t hunt a dragon on their own.

    "We need to prepare our defenses."

    This was the result of Ian''s deep contemplation.

    Duke Araz''s expedition had failed to hunt the dragon.

    So where would the dragon head next?

    The answer was obvious.

    It would start raiding territories again.

    And the Barony of Talian was one of the territories that hadn''t been hit by the dragon yet.

    Ian was certain.

    Predius... would soon fly to Talian.

    ''Still, we can put up a defensive battle.''

    Talian had Ian''s companions and troops, as well as the anti-dragon weapons the blacksmith was crafting.

    If Ian drew magic circles and prepared, they might be able to repel the dragon.

    ... If they were lucky, that is.

    "Talian is the only land the dragon is likely to target."

    "Hmm... Indeed."

    After discussion, Salvador and the Knights of Santiago decided to return to Talian.

    "Then let''s hurry back to..."

    "No."

    "...?"

    Salvador, who had naturally assumed Ian would return with them, turned his head in slight confusion.

    Why wasn''t he going back to Talian? Had he gotten scared?

    Belenka also looked at Ian in surprise.

    "You''re not going back?"

    "That''s right. I have somewhere to stop by."

    Salvador asked worriedly.

    "Ian, my boy. If you don''t want to fight the dragon..."

    "That''s not it."

    To be honest, he didn''t want to fight.

    Dragons were monsters without question.

    It''s not like killing one would unlock some hidden quest (though it would progress the Anor-lsil quest).

    Who in their right mind would risk their life hunting a monster that could deflect flames and lightning with its bare body?

    But Ian wasn''t running away.

    Talian had Ian''s companions and Lucy''s domain residents.

    It might sound a bit grand, but they were beings Ian had to protect.

    Even though he had been reincarnated.

    At some point, Ian had grown attached to this crappy medieval fantasy world.

    He liked the medieval people.

    He liked the peaceful land of Talian.

    Ian absolutely did not want to see Talian burning and his companions and people being slaughtered.

    ''I''m lacking.''

    He had felt it deep in his bones during this battle.

    Ian was a genius wizard, but he wasn''t invincible.

    The level of single-handedly defeating a dragon was almost godlike.

    A realm only possible after mastering level 8~9 magic at least!

    At Ian''s current level of handling 4~5 level magic, it was impossible to face a dragon alone.

    However, Ian could fill his lack of proficiency with the power of connections.

    From the battle between the dragon and golem, Ian had gained some inspiration.

    "Belenka. I''ll need you to escort me."

    "Understood."

    In the end, Ian parted ways with the Knights of Santiago.

    It was to find a way to surely deal with Predius.

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 Chapter 210

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    In the northern part of the Holy Empire, there was a place called the [Golden Tower of Knowledge].

    This was the [Dranheim Comprehensive University] located in the Dranheim region.

    Although the medieval era was known to be full of uncivilized, barbaric, and fanatical people...

    Surprisingly, the university system, which could be considered the forefront of knowledge, existed even in the medieval period!

    Students attending classes and professors teaching students were also present in medieval universities.

    "Huh? Professor?"

    Students tilted their heads as they watched an angry professor storm by.

    That professor liked to have fun, but he wasn''t known for having a bad temper, right?

    However, no student was bold enough to block the path of the enraged professor.

    Even in medieval times, professors were the natural enemies of students...!

    "Professor Inglan!"

    The one who stopped Inglan, who was racing down the corridor alone, was a theology professor who taught scripture in the theology department.

    "Where are you rushing off to?"

    Inglan answered sharply, forgetting that his colleague was also a professor.

    "I have someone to meet!"

    "Haha. Looks like the meeting didn''t go well?"

    Inglan felt like stuffing the theology professor''s mouth full of dry bread as he laughed carefreely.

    Are you seriously laughing right now?!

    Outside the university, dragons were flying around! Domains were burning!

    How could he be so carefree!

    "Let me guess. The wizards refused to join the expedition again, didn''t they?"

    Inglan was dumbfounded, but he couldn''t deny it.

    "... That''s right."

    The theology professor had guessed correctly.

    After arriving at Dranheim University.

    Inglan had urgently convened the magic department professors for a meeting.

    The topic was, of course, [The Dragon''s Invasion].

    Inglan had expected the wizards to be somewhat reluctant to act.

    But their reluctance went beyond his expectations.

    "Come on, the Margrave of Haltramm has just sounded the victory drums! How can we just sit idly in the university!"

    Inglan strongly advocated for wizards to join the expedition.

    His reasoning was simple.

    Since the Margrave of Haltramm had achieved victory (according to rumors), the wizards should help with all their might.

    But...

    Surprisingly, the wizards'' reactions were lukewarm.

    "We''ve heard that rumor too. But doesn''t it seem a bit strange?"

    "Strange? What do you mean?"

    Though their attitudes were poor, the wizards'' analysis was sharp.

    "Isn''t it too odd for a being like a dragon to run away after taking a few arrows?"

    "..."

    "Dragons are famous for their nasty tempers. If insect-like humans had wounded it, it would have gone berserk rather than shyly running away."

    Inglan was taken aback, but he found it hard to strongly refute.

    The more he listened, the more it sounded right...!

    "But the margrave said he won!"

    "Can''t people say anything with their mouths? I could claim to have beaten a hundred dragons with my mouth too, Professor."

    True to their profession, the wizards participating in the meeting had terrible attitudes.

    But none of the wizards cared about that aspect.

    Wizards were the type to spout whatever they pleased.

    "Anyway. I''m against joining the expedition."

    An opposing wizard said.

    "They''ve already won, right? Then they can win without wizards'' help too, can''t they?"

    Other wizards nodded in agreement.

    "On the other hand, if the Margrave of Haltramm was bluffing? Why should we follow the orders of such a liar?"

    "..."

    "Imagine the dragon attacking the university. Then we''d have to fight whether we like it or not."

    In short, the wizards'' argument was this:

    They were reluctant to voluntarily rush to join the expedition when Duke Araz hadn''t officially requested help.

    Also, if the university was attacked, someone would have to respond.

    In other words, it was a cautious stance.

    Unlike knights who pursued honor, wizards weren''t obsessed with the title of [Dragon Slayer].

    "This concludes the meeting."

    ... This was why Inglan was racing down the corridor.

    From Inglan''s perspective, it was frustrating to be unable to do anything.

    He had promised to help the Knights of Santiago and Ian!

    The wizards considered protecting the university more important than helping the nobles!

    "My, my. Tsk tsk."

    The theology professor looked at Inglan with pitying eyes.

    As a professor who knew nothing about magic or combat, he couldn''t empathize with Inglan''s anguish.

    But he did want to help.

    "So. Who are you looking for?"

    Inglan hesitated but decided to answer anyway.

    After all, the professors at Dranheim University knew each other.

    "Someone named Eredith Manskal."

    The Rising Star of Drawald, Eredith Manskal.

    She was a professor affiliated with Dranheim Magic University and also a renowned fire wizard.

    He had been unsure if these were valuable items, but...

    Those green lumps really cherished this junk!

    How lucky!

    Predius opened his maw wide and swallowed Claw-mark whole.

    Crunch! Crunch!

    The sound of bones breaking echoed loudly.

    Having swallowed the orc in one bite, Predius grinned, dripping bright red blood.

    [I''ll say it again, this is mine! You say I don''t need these things? Such things don''t exist in this world! Everything you covet! Everything precious to you! It''s all mine! Mine!]

    Greed bordering on madness.

    And overwhelming violence capable of realizing that desire.

    That was clearly a monster.

    A monster one shouldn''t even associate with...!

    The orcs lowered their heads in despair.

    [From now on, you''re all my slaves!]

    Predius left the Golden Mountains, leading the orc horde.

    A few days later.

    Predius gazed at his newly found hunting ground with longing eyes.

    A lush land overflowing with countless humans.

    Crudely built wooden fences and watchtowers.

    And.

    The scent of terrified humans...

    [Treasures must surely be sleeping there.]

    Predius licked his eyeballs flashing with madness.

    "Good heavens...!"

    "Dragon! It''s a draaagon!"

    Screams erupted from everywhere.

    At last. Predius had invaded the Barony of Talian.

    Soldiers hurriedly went to find the nobles.

    Kira was startled at the news of the dragon''s appearance.

    She quickly summoned the Knights of Santiago.

    "Sir Salvador! Ian! Has Ian not arrived yet?"

    A few days ago, the Knights of Santiago had arrived at the Barony of Talian.

    But for some reason, Ian and Belenka hadn''t come with the knights.

    "Not yet. It seems to be taking longer than expected."

    "Oh no..."

    Kira bit her lip hard.

    Tremendous fear weighed down on her entire body.

    Had she ever felt such fear since becoming a wizard?

    The fact that Ian wasn''t by her side...

    She never knew it could be so painful...

    "It looks like we''ll have to fight this battle on our own."

    Despite the crisis, Salvador didn''t lose his composure.

    Salvador reassured Kira with a confident smile.

    Indeed.

    Moving to the Barony of Talian had been the right answer.

    The curtain for the second battle had risen.

    Today, they wouldn''t be caught off guard like last time.

    "Prepare the [Dragon-slaying Spears]!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Talian had [Dragon-slaying Spears], weapons created through the combined efforts of human blacksmiths and fairies.

    The Knights of Santiago hurried to intercept the dragon.

    That''s when it happened.

    "A-A wizard has arrived!"

    At this critical moment, a wizard arrived at Talian domain.

    Kira shouted without realizing it.

    "Ian!"

    However, the person who entered Talian Hall was...

    A middle-aged woman.

    "...?"

    Kira''s jaw dropped.

    Surely Ian hadn''t been TS''d into a middle-aged woman...?

    Thankfully, the woman didn''t say ''Actually... I''m Ian!''

    "I''m sorry I''m not Ian."

    The female wizard introduced herself as she removed her hood.

    "I am the wizard Eredith Manskal."

    "???"

    Not just the nobles including Baron Damon.

    The Knights of Santiago and even Kira were all shocked.

    "Eredith... Could it be that Eredith?!"

    "Are you really Eredith?!"

    The wizard, Eredith Manskal, tilted her head as if she didn''t understand.

    "Yes... I am Eredith. Did Ian talk about me a lot?"

    She was indeed the real Eredith.

    The very Eredith in ''Ian Eredith Raven''.

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 Chapter 211

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Sir Hansen of Riverville yawned lazily as he rode his horse, longing for the end of his shift. Though a medieval knight, he valued work-life balance above all else. Work was fine, but wouldn''t it be better to take it easy?

    Unfortunately, the lord''s orders left no room for rest. Even a three-year-old knew the world had grown more dangerous lately. With dragons burning down territories, rural lords'' anxiety was skyrocketing day by day.

    Rumors said Duke Araz herself had set out with troops to slay the dragon. While Hansen hoped it would go well, they had to prepare for the worst. That''s why he was patrolling the territory late at night, keeping an eye on the soldiers.

    "Hey, Sir Hansen!"

    A soldier came running breathlessly. Hansen tensed reflexively and shouted, "Enemy attack?"

    "W-We''re not sure, sir!"

    "?"

    It was a baffling report, but Hansen understood once he heard the details.

    "A woman in jet-black armor and a wizard with a crow are heading this way!"

    "...A crow?"

    The mention of a "wizard with a crow" immediately brought a young man''s face to Hansen''s mind. There had been a wizard who picked up a crow in Riverville...

    "The wizard Ian?"

    Hansen rode off without hesitation to find the visitors. As expected, a familiar face greeted him.

    "My goodness. Ian!"

    "Oh? Sir Hansen?"

    Ian waved casually. He had truly returned to Riverville!

    "What brings you here..."

    "Just passing through."

    Hansen immediately escorted Ian to the castle.

    ------

    Baron Kaltz, the lord of Riverville, was startled to see Ian''s timely arrival.

    "You are..."

    "Ian!"

    Bernard, the baron''s son, burst out tactlessly.

    The baron shooed Bernard away and calmly conversed with Ian.

    "We were just talking about you."

    "About me?"

    "Yes. It''s about the drake."

    Ian, who had genuinely just been passing through, grew curious at the baron''s words.

    "The drake''s activity has suddenly intensified."

    "Ah."

    There was a drake living along the road to Riverville. It was a well-known story that most travelers would have heard at least once.

    "I''ve even heard that their numbers have increased..."

    This was a serious matter for Baron Kaltz. Medieval land trade was already horrific, with merchants relying on luck to avoid bandits and monsters. But brave (or insane) merchants still roamed around seeking arbitrage opportunities. Essential goods like metalwork and salt were mainly distributed through outside merchants.

    Riverville had greatly benefited from these outside merchants. But since the drake started causing trouble, the number of merchant visits had plummeted. Baron Kaltz was desperate to solve the drake problem somehow, even if he didn''t fully understand the situation.

    "Hmm. Looks like he found a girlfriend," Ian mused.

    "...Girlfriend?"

    Baron Kaltz''s jaw dropped at Ian''s unexpected explanation. Why was he suddenly talking about girlfriends?

    "Ah. You see, the drake living in that mountain was originally male," Ian explained kindly.

    "But it seems he''s met a female drake."

    Baron Kaltz finally understood. They were talking about lizard girlfriends!

    "If the female has laid eggs... it makes sense that they''d be wary of human presence."

    Baron Kaltz and his retainers were amazed by Ian''s explanation. As expected of a mysterious wizard! He had figured out the whole situation just from hearing "the drake is causing trouble"!

    "Did you perhaps meet the drake already?"

    "No, I just arrived here. Though I am planning to meet the drake soon."

    "!"

    Baron Kaltz was stunned. Ian knew so much without even meeting the drake? Wait, did he just say he was going to meet it?!

    "You really can control drakes, can''t you!"

    When Baron Kaltz exclaimed this, Ian smiled bitterly. Such false rumors had spread when he traveled with the Rabbit Foot Company before. Ian didn''t control the drake; they were just friends.

    "We just shared a bit of friendship."

    "Ohhh..."

    Ian said it like it was nothing, but the lord''s retainers heard it very differently. To befriend a monstrous beast that was practically a living weapon... Wizards truly were mysterious!

    "So, I was hoping you could provide me with a fresh horse and some supplies."

    It was a polite request, but essentially meant "hand it over." As a veteran wizard, Ian boldly demanded "Give me this!" from the nobleman without changing his expression one bit. What could they do? He was a wizard after all.

    Baron Kaltz was greatly impressed by Ian''s confident attitude. It wasn''t admiration for his brazenness, but rather the realization: "He must have a way to solve the drake problem!"

    Ian had just said he was going to meet the drake, so he must be going to resolve the issue!

    "Of course! Steward! Provide Ian with supplies and a horse immediately!"

    "Yes, my lord."

    As Baron Kaltz willingly provided the resources, Ian smiled contentedly. "I''ll have to bring a gift in return later."

    "Ian, if you hear any rumors about the dragon..."

    "Ah, don''t worry about the dragon. Only start worrying if you hear that the Barony of Talian has fallen."

    "..."

    Longtail''s girlfriend spoke in a disapproving tone.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Were humans stray cats or something?

    [Haha! Sharpteeth. It''s not like that. I brought my human friend I told you about!]

    [Human friend?]

    While Longtail explained to his girlfriend, Ian quickly asked Lucy,

    "How did you get here?"

    Lucy replied primly, "I walked!"

    "..."

    For the first time in a while, Ian felt like giving Lucy a knock on the head...

    "More importantly, Ian! How could you abandon me and go off on your own!"

    "What do you mean abandon?! You were with Duke Araz!"

    It had been a battlefield with dragons and orcs rampaging. If Ian had recklessly tried to meet up with Lucy, it would have endangered his own life. It was best for Lucy to move with the duke''s knights and Ian with the Knights of Santiago.

    "If you were with the duke, why did you leave on your own!"

    "Well..."

    Lucy started to say something, then suddenly clamped her mouth shut.

    Ian crossed his arms and waited patiently, telling her to speak if she had something to say.

    But suddenly...

    Lucy burst into tears!

    "I was scared..."

    "What?"

    Ian stared at Lucy in disbelief.

    How could she be scared when she was with the duke?!

    "What were you scared of?"

    "I don''t know! I was just scared!"

    "..."

    The gangs of thieves and monsters on the streets would be much scarier. Yet she walked all the way here alone...

    Is it normal that I can''t understand a woman''s heart?

    Lucy didn''t stop crying. Her emotions boiled over even more as she shouted,

    "The dragon was scary! People dying was scary!"

    "..."

    "I-Ian... When I couldn''t see you! When I was left all alone...!"

    Lucy frantically wiped away her flowing tears as she cried out,

    "It reminded me of when my parents died... That''s why I was scared..."

    Only then did Ian recall when he first met Lucy. It was in this very spot.

    Not the woman using the alias ''Cassie'', but ''Lucy Talian''.

    Lucy, who had lost her parents to rebellion and fled alone in traveling clothes, had her first conversation with Ian right here in the drake''s nest.

    So Ian understood Lucy''s feelings a little. She might have been frightened.

    "...So you came all the way here alone?"

    "Yeah... The Knights of Santiago went to Talian... but they said you went somewhere else alone..."

    Whether it was excellent deduction skills or a woman''s intuition, Lucy had accurately guessed where Ian was heading.

    Ian couldn''t help but chuckle, feeling defeated.

    He wiped Lucy''s tears with his hand.

    "Lucy. You''re the luckiest and the most foolish person I know."

    Lucy blushed and muttered, "I''m not a fool."

    "Would a non-fool walk all the way here alone?"

    Ian and Lucy''s eyes met.

    And almost simultaneously, they burst out laughing.

    [Ahem.]

    Longtail poked his head in.

    He had been watching for a while but couldn''t find the right timing to interrupt.

    [Friend. That woman is...]

    "[Ah. Longtail. You''ve seen her before, right?]"

    [Should I call her sister-in-law?]

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    How does this beast know the word ''sister-in-law''?!

    ---

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 Chapter 212

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    "[Your jokes have improved since I last saw you, Longtail.]"

    Ian grumbled lightly, but Longtail''s eyes widened in surprise.

    [You mean that woman isn''t your mate?]

    "[Well... let''s just say she''s someone I''m interested in for now.]"

    [Huh. It looked like you two were about to start mating any second.]

    "..."

    Ian rolled his eyes slightly.

    Just like a beast, their thoughts always seemed to lead to sex.

    "[Anyway, how have you been, Longtail?]"

    [Haha. Every day''s been happy thanks to you, my friend!]

    That was obvious even to non-wizards.

    Longtail just looked... really fucking happy.

    He had his own home, a pretty(?) wife.

    The drake couple was even preparing to lay eggs.

    What more could one ask for in life?

    Setting up a small family and living happily until death - that''s what life''s all about.

    In that sense, you could say Longtail was living a truly fulfilling life.

    [This is my wife, Sharpteeth.]

    She must be the drake that nearly got NTR''d before.

    Seeing how she settled in as soon as Longtail got the house, she seemed to like him quite a bit.

    Ian exchanged brief greetings with Sharpteeth.

    Though not a summoned beast contracted to Ian, she didn''t seem to dislike him particularly.

    She just seemed unhappy about the sudden visit.

    Longtail asked Ian on Sharpteeth''s behalf:

    [So, friend. Why didn''t you let us know you were coming? Is there some urgent matter that brought you here in such a hurry?]

    "[I''ll be honest.]"

    Ian briefly summarized the current situation.

    "[I need your help, Longtail.]"

    [...]

    "[You know about monsters called dragons, right?]"

    [I do. They''re rough and violent thugs.]

    "[A dragon... is after my girlfriend''s land.]"

    Ian pulled Lucy in front of him.

    Lucy blinked in confusion, not understanding a word Ian was saying...

    [I see. It must be difficult for humans to face a dragon alone.]

    Longtail empathized greatly.

    So that''s why Ian had suddenly shown up...

    To protect his mate''s territory!

    Longtail knew how important land was to humans.

    Just as drakes build nests, humans farm the land to survive.

    Vast lands and big houses!

    Aren''t those essential for having cute little babies?

    If a dragon was after the land, it must be an extremely serious situation for Ian.

    Longtail thought with an extremely beastly mindset.

    Ian needs to mate quickly and produce Ian Jr. and the 3rd...!

    But a dragon is after Ian''s nest!

    What a terrible situation!

    ''It''s just like what happened to me before...''

    Drake Longtail had almost lost Sharpteeth to another male over nest issues in the past.

    It seemed like no one would be able to solve his problem.

    But at that time, the human who turned that hopeless situation around was Ian.

    Ian had saved Longtail''s nest with magic.

    And now, Ian was in the exact opposite situation as Longtail back then.

    If Ian loses his land to the dragon, his dream of starting a family would be shattered (though he had no such dream)!

    ''So that''s why he hasn''t taken that female as his wife yet.''

    [I''ll help you.]

    Longtail answered coolly.

    Ian, who thought some persuasion might be needed, was caught off guard by the immediate acceptance.

    "[Really? Are you sure, friend? We''re talking about a dragon here.]"

    [Haha! I can''t just ignore a friend''s trouble because I''m scared of some thug!]

    Longtail spoke sincerely.

    After all, Ian was... a friend who had given him a home.

    Who in the world would coldheartedly refuse a request from a friend who gave them a house?

    Such a person would surely be as evil as the Golden Rule Society.

    "[Longtail...]"

    [Haha! You can repay me later with that drink called ''alcohol''!]

    He was saying to buy him a drink when this was all over.

    Ian was slightly touched.

    It really pays to make good friends!

    [Sharpteeth. So I''ll have to go away for a bit.]

    Longtail tried to get the final hurdle of ''wife''s permission'' to help his friend.

    All married men face trials from their wives.

    Longtail was no exception.

    [Are you kidding me? You''re going to fight a dragon alone, honey?]

    [Well... ahem.]

    Longtail squirmed in front of Sharpteeth.

    As expected, the wall of a wife was high and treacherous!

    [Of course I''m coming with you!]

    [...You too?]

    Longtail was surprised, but Sharpteeth was serious.

    [If you go alone, you''ll obviously get beaten up by the dragon.]

    [No I won''t! I''ll be the one doing the beating!]

    [Haaa. Anyway, let''s go together.]

    ---

    [The number of summonable drakes has increased!]

    [Summoning: Drake Summon]

    [Number of summonable drakes - 2]

    ---

    ''Oh.''

    Jubal appeared wielding an enormous dragon-slaying spear.

    Without a proper ballista, they had to resort to throwing spears.

    Salvador used Jubal as a ''dragon-slaying spear launcher''.

    Jubal charged towards Predius, mixed in with the Knights of Santiago.

    [Yes, come! You insects!]

    Predius stood majestically before the knights.

    Slaughtering humans was also an essential joy of plundering!

    Predius exhaled a deep breath at the humans.

    "Lady Eredith! One more time please!"

    "Understood!"

    Eredith and Kira stepped forward once again to block the dragon''s breath.

    In that moment.

    Jubal, who had approached the dragon, hurled the dragon-slaying spear!

    Crunch!

    The dragon-slaying spear did its job.

    The spear Jubal threw lodged itself right in Predius''s chest.

    An earth-shaking roar of pain echoed across the battlefield.

    "Graaaaaaahhhhh!"

    The battlefield momentarily froze at the ear-splitting scream.

    [You... lowly humans...!]

    ''Tch.''

    Though clearly stabbed in the chest, Predius wasn''t dead.

    Killing Predius without dragon-slaying spears would be extremely difficult.

    Even for Salvador, called the ''Sword Master''.

    Before a dragon, he was just a quick human.

    ''We need to retrieve that spear!''

    Salvador immediately sprang into action.

    If they could pull out the spear and throw it again, even Predius would have to retreat!

    Salvador swiftly approached the black dragon.

    A group of orcs blocked Salvador''s path.

    "Out of my way!"

    The Sword Master cut down the orcs with ghostly swordsmanship.

    ... But he couldn''t dodge the incoming tail in time.

    The massive dragon''s tail sent both orcs and Salvador flying.

    "Gah!"

    "Sir Salvador!"

    Salvador flew through the air and slammed into the ground.

    "Kuk!"

    He felt bones breaking and tasted blood in his mouth.

    ''... I must be getting old.''

    He was once a legendary swordsman, but now he was over 50 years old.

    Considering it was the medieval era, it wouldn''t be strange if he dropped dead at any moment.

    "Protect Sir Salvador!"

    The Knights of Santiago rushed over urgently.

    Salvador squeezed out his remaining strength to shout:

    "Deal with the dragon first!"

    "B-But...!"

    "You lot! Have you forgotten why you took up the sword?! Wasn''t it to protect humanity from great evil?!"

    "...!"

    "Now''s our chance while it''s wounded! Attack!"

    The Knights of Santiago scattered.

    Salvador closed his eyes and felt the vibrations in the ground.

    ''It''s coming.''

    For monsters, their massive body itself was a weapon.

    Predius was undoubtedly attempting a simple body slam using its huge mass.

    The knights would dodge safely.

    But Salvador, with broken bones, couldn''t avoid the dragon''s attack.

    ''It''s been quite a good life.''

    With his eyes closed.

    The man once called Sword Master smiled faintly.

    Born as a fisherman''s son, he had stood shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor wielding just one sword.

    As a man, wasn''t that quite a successful life?

    "Graaaahh!"

    The wounded Predius rampaged madly.

    A dark shadow loomed over Salvador.

    Bang!

    "...?"

    He heard a heavy collision.

    Salvador was still alive...?

    Confused, Salvador slowly opened his eyes.

    And his jaw dropped.

    ''What is that? Am I dreaming?''

    "Kyaaaaaak!"

    "Grrrrrrr...!"

    Two massive drakes standing guard in front of Salvador.

    Salvador narrowed his eyes.

    The sun made it hard to see clearly, but...

    Someone was riding on the drakes'' backs!

    "Predius!"

    When he heard a young man''s voice, Salvador couldn''t help but chuckle.

    ''Ian, you bastard...!''

    There had been rumors about Ian being [a wizard who controls drakes].

    Salvador had thought it was just a false rumor.

    But it wasn''t.

    Ian really was a wizard who controlled drakes.

    He had just appeared on the battlefield with two massive drakes!

    ---

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 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    ''We''re not too late.''

    As soon as the spatial teleportation ended, the battlefield unfolded before Ian''s eyes.

    There was no time to marvel at his first experience with teleportation.

    Ian''s judgment had been chillingly accurate.

    In fact, Ian felt goosebumps crawling up his skin.

    ''What if I hadn''t torn the spatial movement scroll?''

    Hrundal had thrown Ian a signal through the Arcana cards.

    But interpreting the mystery was a separate issue for Ian.

    ''What if I''d wasted the spatial movement scroll somewhere else?''

    A result born from overlapping coincidences.

    ... Perhaps a ''future'' that Gerard had anticipated and guided.

    One of countless possibilities was now unfolding before Ian''s eyes.

    [You mountain valley earthworms! Are you volunteering to be human dogs?!]

    "Graaaaaaah!"

    Predius roared.

    A fear that made hair stand on end and knees tremble!

    The human soldiers didn''t even dare to approach the dragon.

    Even the orcs on the same side began to back away from Predius.

    The roar of a wounded dragon had the power to stimulate the primal fear of prey animals.

    [Hmph! Talk big after you''ve pulled out that spear in your chest!]

    [Haha! That''s right! If you say ''I''m sorry~ Please spare me~'', we might just go home!]

    But the dragon''s fear only worked on lowly creatures like humans and orcs.

    It had no effect on drakes, called ''wingless dragons''.

    In fact, drakes were large and tough enough creatures to challenge dragons for territory.

    Dragons usually won, but drakes were still troublesome opponents.

    And there weren''t just one, but two drakes.

    "Kyaaaaak!"

    "Grrrrrr...!"

    Longtail and Sharpteeth.

    The two beasts combined their strength to push against the dragon''s massive body.

    Crack crack crack crack!

    The ground shattered and gravel flew everywhere.

    When the drake couple joined forces, they overpowered the dragon with brute strength!

    [Graaaaaah! I''ll kill you!]

    Predius viciously bit into Longtail while breathing fire.

    "Kyaaaaak!"

    Longtail screamed in pain.

    Sharpteeth pounced, but the breath attack didn''t stop.

    Monsters tangled in battle, the dragon spewing flames across the battlefield!

    "Good heavens...!"

    "What are we... witnessing right now?"

    Even the Knights of Santiago, famous for their bravery, lost their will to fight in the face of this mythical battlefield.

    Anyone would be stunned witnessing a battle between beings that far transcended humans.

    The fact that Sir Salvador, who commanded the knights, had fainted also played a big part.

    But then, a young wizard''s voice rang out loud and clear.

    "Hooks!!!"

    "!"

    "!"

    It was the wizard Ian.

    Perched atop Longtail, shielding his face from the flames with his robe, Ian shouted:

    "Bring the hooks!"

    That''s when the Knights of Santiago snapped back to their senses.

    "H-Hooks!"

    "To the carts! Run to the carts, brothers!"

    Sir Dehitri took over command.

    The knights hurried to fetch the hooks.

    Ian then cast a buff on Belenka.

    "[Blessed warrior! Awaken!]"

    Like Ian, Belenka had been watching the situation from atop Sharpteeth''s back.

    Belenka knew exactly what she needed to do.

    "The dragon-slaying spear!"

    "Yes!"

    It was clearly a difficult mission.

    A task even Salvador had failed at once.

    But Belenka launched herself without a moment''s hesitation.

    "Graaaaaah!"

    "Kyaaaaak!"

    Bang!

    Predius roared, pinning Longtail with his left foot and Sharpteeth with his right.

    [Know your place, you insolent creatures!]

    [Ugh...!]

    [Both of you! I''ll burn you together!]

    Ian used magic to save Longtail.

    "[Earth! Leap up!]"

    He summoned and hurled rock shards but.

    Thud, thud.

    As expected, Predius didn''t even flinch.

    ''Fuck...!''

    Monsters with magic resistance were truly troublesome for wizards to deal with.

    But Ian had already taken down a demon with magic resistance before.

    With buff magic!

    "Haaaaaaap!"

    Predius had succeeded in subduing the drakes.

    But he failed to notice the silver-winged helmeted female knight charging at him.

    Belenka leaped at an incredible speed and latched onto Predius''s chest.

    Then with all her might, she pulled out the dragon-slaying spear!

    No... they couldn''t let it escape here!

    The opponent was a dragon.

    If they let it go, it would surely recover and return for revenge!

    ''I won''t let you get away!''

    Ian caught his breath and drew Anor-lsil.

    The blade pointed directly at the black dragon.

    Today, he would definitely kill this beast...!

    "Predius!!!"

    Ian gripped Anor-lsil tightly and hurled himself towards the black dragon.

    At the same time, Predius kicked off the ground and took flight.

    "Oh!"

    "Lord Ian!"

    The Knights of Santiago were horrified.

    The wizard Ian... was disappearing into the sky along with Predius!

    "Ian!"

    "Jump down! Ian!"

    Belenka and Eredith called out to Ian urgently.

    But Ian had already risen beyond the reach of their voices.

    ''I''ve come this far anyway!''

    Ian calmly steadied his breathing.

    The rapidly receding ground.

    The wind shrieking sharply!

    If he fled now, it would all be for nothing.

    [Human wizard...!]

    At that moment, Predius addressed Ian.

    After getting beaten to near death, he suddenly became surprisingly polite.

    As they say, manners come from fists.

    [I warn you, let go of my body this instant...!]

    Ian hesitated for a moment.

    Should he really be talking to this bastard right now?

    Just in case, Ian replied to Predius.

    "[Why should I?]"

    [If you don''t let go... I''ll tear you to shreds!]

    Ian chuckled and answered.

    "[Go ahead.]"

    [...]

    "[All talk and no action~ You really don''t get it, do you? At times like this, you''re supposed to say ''I''m sorry~ Please spare me~''.

    Idiot.]"

    [Shut up...! I said shut up!]

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    This is why inherently evil bastards are no good.

    They only know how to torment others. When they''re at a disadvantage, they can''t even apologize once.

    It was expected, anyway.

    [I''ll tear you apart...! I''ll rip you to shreds...!]

    A voice mixed with madness and hatred pierced Ian''s mind.

    Ian was sick of the dragon''s evil nature.

    As if he really wanted to kill Ian, Predius performed aerial acrobatics with his dying body.

    [Fall! You lowly human without wings!]

    Ian gritted his teeth and held on.

    The dragon''s final struggle was certainly threatening.

    Even clinging to the dragon''s body was a struggle for Ian.

    But Ian was a wizard.

    "[Arno! Isil!]"

    [We''ve been waiting!]

    [Give us your orders, Master!]

    The mystery of the sword, the Arno & Isil sisters, answered Ian''s call.

    Ian shouted.

    "[Drive the longsword stuck in the dragon''s eye deeper!]"

    Ian hurled Anor-lsil.

    The magic sword imbued with the mystery of the stars flew freely towards the dragon''s head.

    And.

    It struck the longsword Belenka had embedded with all its might!

    Thunk!

    "Graaaaaaaaah!"

    Predius''s massive body convulsed.

    Anor-lsil returned neatly to Ian''s grasp.

    At the same time, the black dragon stopped flapping its wings and began plummeting to the ground...

    Ian leaped off the dragon''s body and closed his eyes.

    The voice of the wind whispered in his ears.

    [You''re flying, human!]

    It was the voice of the wind.

    Ian shouted with all his might.

    "[Wind!]"

    "[Wind!]"

    Simultaneously, a woman''s voice was heard from the ground.

    Two gusts of wind cushioned Ian''s body like an air cushion.

    Ian stared at the wizard who had summoned the wind for a while.

    "It''s been a while, Ian."

    The female wizard said with a smile.

    "Our dragon slayer."

    "...Master."

    Eredith Manskal.

    Ian''s master.

    ---

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 Chapter 214

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    The battle had been fierce, but surprisingly, there weren''t many casualties.

    Only a handful of core forces clashed at full strength, while the rest wisely looked after their own lives.

    It was the natural behavior of anyone with a shred of sense.

    Who in their right mind would charge in with just a sword on a battlefield where dragons and drakes were wrestling bare-handed?

    The orcs'' morale seemed low from the start, and they fled en masse as soon as the dragon retreated.

    It was a stroke of luck that the humans, tense from the dragon, didn''t send pursuit teams in time.

    The humans'' attention was solely focused on the dragon and Ian.

    So they were able to move as soon as the dragon fell from the sky.

    "Ian!"

    The Knights of Santiago and the wizards rushed urgently to where the dragon had crashed.

    It took quite a while to get there, as the dragon had flown quite a distance.

    "Ah..."

    Upon arriving at the scene, the knights crossed themselves at the awe-inspiring sight.

    Deep in the forest.

    In a clearing bathed in a single ray of sunlight, a massive dragon lay quietly with its eyes closed.

    And.

    A young man in robes was slowly descending from the sky.

    It was the wizard Ian.

    For that moment, Ian looked almost like a celestial being descending to earth, summoned by the heavens.

    Only the wizard Eredith rushed out to greet Ian.

    "Master."

    Having safely landed, Ian beamed at his teacher.

    Who was Eredith Manskal?

    She was the Wikipedia wizard who had mastered all sorts of trivia, and Ian''s one and only teacher who had shaped him into who he was today.

    It would be a lie to say he wasn''t glad to see her.

    "Yes, Ian."

    Eredith immediately pulled Ian into a hug.

    Having been with him since childhood, she was used to treating Ian like a kid.

    "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

    "I''m fine."

    After checking Ian''s condition, Eredith hugged him once more.

    The first hug was out of concern.

    This one was out of joy.

    There was a mountain of things they wanted to say to each other, but both Ian and Eredith were too exhausted.

    "Ian. How are you feeling..."

    "I''m fine apart from being tired. How''s the Order?"

    Sir Dehitri replied with a relieved smile.

    "There were no casualties. We do have some injured, including Sir Salvador."

    Ian smiled too.

    News of no deaths was always good to hear.

    Ian glanced at Predius.

    The monster lay motionless, face down, with a longsword stuck in one eye.

    ''What a damn nuisance.''

    Ian didn''t even want to look at Predius.

    He''d heard many rumors about dragons.

    That you shouldn''t associate with them, that messing with them would ruin your life...

    Aren''t rumors usually exaggerated?

    Ian had thought the rumors about dragons must be exaggerated too.

    But the dragon he actually fought was truly insane...

    Ian had been lucky enough to bring two drakes, but.

    If they had faced the dragon with purely human forces, how many people would have died?

    ''Phew.''

    Ian was about to retrieve Belenka''s longsword.

    ''Hm?''

    But he noticed something lodged in Predius''s jaw.

    Ian examined it and was immediately baffled.

    ''What the... What''s this?''

    The object stuck in Predius''s jaw was none other than a pike.

    It seemed to have been there for quite a while, almost looking like part of Predius up close.

    ''Did he leave it there on purpose?''

    It was in a position where it could easily be pulled out.

    The fact that it was still in the jaw meant...

    It had been deliberately left there.

    But why?

    Ian tilted his head.

    Was it left as some kind of memento?

    ''Could just be a fashion statement...''

    Ian thought as he looked at Predius.

    The dragon was quite insane, so it might have used the spear as a fashion accessory like a piercing.

    "Move them somewhere else or..."

    Ian nodded.

    Indeed. The drakes needed to be moved elsewhere.

    "[Longtail. How about moving to the forest for now?]"

    [Hmm. Alright. Too many humans coming and going here.]

    There was no suitable place for the drake couple to rest near Talian.

    Ian felt a bit sorry for Longtail.

    Now that the job was done, he should send them home quickly.

    "Grrrr..."

    "Ohhh!"

    The nobles couldn''t hide their amazement at Ian''s mysterious magic.

    The wizard muttered something, and the drakes moved!

    ''What kind of spell was that!''

    Ian had simply said ''please move aside'', but to those who didn''t know the Maronius language, it looked like incredible magic.

    "As expected of Ian!"

    "The rumors about him controlling drakes were true!"

    Even the Knights of Santiago were impressed.

    The nobles seized this opportunity to rush over and flatter Ian.

    He could control drakes and even defeat dragons.

    If they didn''t suck up now, they''d lose their noble status!

    "Truly remarkable skills, Lord Ian!"

    "I''ve never seen such amazing magic!"

    "...?"

    Ian grew annoyed as the nobles fawned over him.

    Seriously, he had just said one sentence.

    Amazing magic, my ass.

    Ian sighed and said,

    "Anyone with a mouth can do this."

    "No, no! This is something only you can do, Lord Ian...!"

    "No, I''m telling you anyone with a mouth can do it. Do you not have mouths?"

    "..."

    When Baron Lantro fell silent, the Knights of Santiago burst out laughing.

    "Hahaha! Ian must be in a bad mood today!"

    "He must be tired after showing such great skill! Haha!"

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    If you know that, then let me rest, you idiots...

    Used to how medieval people treated wizards, Ian didn''t bother arguing.

    "How''s Sir Salvador?"

    "We''ve put him in the infirmary for now."

    Ian figured he should visit the infirmary before resting.

    That''s when it happened.

    "Ian! A guest is here!"

    "A guest?"

    Lucy exclaimed excitedly.

    "Yes! Someone we met when leaving the Duchy of Araz!"

    "?"

    Ian was puzzled.

    An acquaintance of Lucy''s? But why me?

    "Go ahead, Ian. I''ll check on Sir Salvador."

    When Belenka said that, Ian nodded.

    "I''ll come along too."

    "You too, Master?"

    Eredith smiled and said,

    "I think it''s someone I know."

    "..."

    Ian frowned.

    The way Eredith put it, Ian had a feeling he knew who it was too.

    When they went outside, they could hear the people buzzing.

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    There were over ten carriages, all packed full of supplies!

    Ian greeted the ''guest'' who had come to Talian.

    "We meet again, Gerard."

    Eredith stood beside him, arms crossed.

    "It''s been a while, Ian. And Eredith."

    The space-time wizard Gerard spoke in a gruff voice.

    ---

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 Chapter 215

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    ''The space-time wizard Gerard.''

    Though they had met several times before, Ian felt unusually unfamiliar with Gerard today.

    Despite bringing gifts enough to fill several carriages, Ian strangely didn''t feel happy about it.

    Why was that?

    Ian knew the answer.

    It was because Gerard was a crafty space-time wizard.

    ''Space-time wizards know the future.''

    Space-time wizards, who handle the magic of time and space, are both teleporters and prophets.

    They use their magic to cherry-pick futures, trying to create a ''better future''.

    The problem is that they never reveal what this ''better future'' actually is.

    Apparently, the moment they speak it, the future becomes tainted?

    Ian calmly stared at Gerard.

    He had felt it before, but Gerard had been looking out for Ian with some purpose in mind.

    Ian didn''t know what that purpose was.

    He hadn''t really cared much either.

    Gerard had always advised Ian that ''good things will happen''.

    But not today.

    Ian was curious about the ''future'' Gerard had seen.

    It was an unavoidable situation.

    Even for Ian, the fight with the dragon had been tough.

    "Before I say I''m glad to see you. I have a question first."

    "What is it?"

    Ian''s ''question'' felt strange. Questions didn''t seem to suit a space-time wizard.

    Ian wasn''t a space-time wizard, so he didn''t know how much Gerard knew or from where.

    Gerard himself had said that space-time wizards weren''t gods, so he likely didn''t know the details beyond major events.

    Ian asked bluntly.

    "The space movement scroll you gave me before."

    "..."

    "Did you know I would use it in this battle?"

    In the past, Ian had thought he should only use the space movement scroll for escape.

    But after feeling an ominous sign this time, he immediately attempted spatial movement.

    Ian had been able to defeat Predius just in time.

    Gerard hadn''t said a word about the space movement scroll, and the result came entirely from Ian''s own judgment.

    Gerard slowly opened his mouth.

    "Yes. I knew."

    "!"

    "Ian. In the future I glimpsed with space-time magic, there were countless [branches] where you used the space movement scroll."

    Ian could have used the space movement scroll at any time.

    Even for an excellent space-time wizard like Gerard, it was impossible to accurately observe when that moment would be.

    "You made the ''choice'' to use the space movement scroll to save Talian, and after that choice, the future where [Talian survives] was safely fixed in the past."

    All Gerard had done was hand the space movement scroll to Ian.

    But after passing through countless universes of possibility...

    They had reached a future where [Talian survived the black dragon''s attack].

    "Gerard. Then did you give me the space movement scroll to save Talian?"

    To Ian''s question, Gerard answered sharply.

    "No. The person I wanted to save was you, Ian."

    "..."

    "You probably know this too. Countless fates of death have brushed past you. Your death creates a branching of world lines far greater than you can imagine. I wanted to prevent that."

    Ian nodded.

    He had certainly gone through a lot of hardships traveling the empire.

    Visiting the land of northern barbarians, fighting black wizards...

    It seems the [world line] changes depending on whether Ian lived or died.

    For now, the world line where Ian was alive was being maintained.

    "Ian. Your survival has exceeded the critical point of any event existing in this world."

    "...Critical point?"

    "Yes. The great stem of fate that can no longer change."

    Gerard looked straight at Ian and said.

    "The fall of the Holy Empire."

    ------

    The fall of the Holy Empire.

    Such a grandiose phrase popped out that Ian''s brain froze for a moment.

    Wait. Wait a minute. Let''s sort this out.

    "Ah. So, Gerard, to prevent the fall of our Holy Empire..."

    "No."

    Gerard denied Ian''s words.

    "You seem to have misunderstood me. Ian. By saving Talian, the future has crossed the critical point of [the fall of the Holy Empire]."

    "That means..."

    Gerard said with a mechanically expressionless face.

    "The Holy Empire will soon fall."

    "...!"

    It was a shocking statement.

    Ian felt a deep shock twice.

    One was from Gerard calmly stating the fact that the empire would fall.

    The other was that the damn space-time wizard had finally uttered a proper prophecy...!

    ''He said it crossed the critical point.''

    In other words, it meant that no matter what was done, the future could no longer be changed.

    [The fall of the Holy Empire] was already a confirmed future.

    That''s why he could say it out loud!

    "Wait! Gerard! The empire is really going to fall?!"

    "A necessity bordering on extreme coincidence."

    Ian thought for a moment.

    If Ian became a master of space-time magic and could even reverse the flow of time...

    Would he go back to the past and try to change fate?

    The answer was ''no''.

    ''What''s my life about?''

    Ian becoming a wizard was purely coincidental.

    A coincidence mixed with the guidance of a space-time wizard.

    So, let''s say Ian moved according to the space-time wizard''s will.

    Does he regret becoming a wizard?

    If he had lived as a serf''s son all along, he wouldn''t have clashed with black wizards or fought dragons to the death.

    But Ian didn''t regret becoming a wizard.

    He had seen a new world, and now everything around him felt like it belonged to Ian.

    Ian''s friends.

    The Knights of Santiago and Golden Finger Takarion.

    Belenka, Kira, and Maria.

    The people of Talian, and even Lucy Talian, the lord.

    ''I''ve already come this far.''

    To borrow Gerard''s expression, Ian had [crossed the critical point].

    There was no turning back now.

    Either protect what Ian had.

    Or have everything taken away by the Golden Rule Society.

    And Ian''s way to stand against the black wizards was, of course, magic.

    He needed to reach even higher realms.

    So high that the enemies couldn''t reach him no matter how they tried.

    "Gerard. I know you made me a wizard."

    Ian looked straight at Gerard and said.

    "You saw some [future] and made me a wizard. To intertwine my fate with that of the empire and the Golden Rule Society. Isn''t that right?"

    "I can''t say."

    Gerard avoided answering, but Ian didn''t mind.

    "But whatever you''re planning, I''m the master of my own fate."

    "..."

    "I know that space-time wizards can only foresee fate, not directly influence it. Especially for someone like me who can [change world lines], you can''t lay a hand on me, right?"

    Gerard kept his mouth shut.

    Because Ian''s words were correct.

    Space-time wizards could predict the future, but they couldn''t speak their prophecies out loud.

    The moment a prophecy mixes with reality, errors happen, and those errors grow larger as they extend into the future.

    Let''s say Ian suddenly decided to kill himself right now.

    All of Gerard''s foreseen futures would fly out the window.

    That was the limitation of space-time magic.

    "If I don''t like the future you''ve planned, I can overturn it."

    Ian was serious.

    Future predictions don''t determine the future.

    Small presents pile up to complete the future.

    Ian, living in the present, has the power to change the future.

    "The same goes for me, Gerard."

    Eredith looked at Gerard with cold eyes.

    Ian was her only disciple.

    She absolutely couldn''t stand by and watch her disciple be used as a long-term pawn by space-time wizards.

    "If you try anything funny with Ian... you''d better be prepared."

    After Ian and Eredith each said their piece, Gerard looked rather flustered.

    "As long as your will remains strong, the future won''t change easily. I have no intention of altering your futures either."

    "How can we believe that?"

    "That''s right."

    As Ian and Eredith stared intently, Gerard scratched his cheek.

    "Hmm... You need proof, is that it?"

    The only proof a space-time wizard could offer was, of course, prophecy.

    But the future gets tainted by the present the moment it''s prophesied...

    "Alright. I''ll tell you about the future."

    "!"

    "!"

    Both of them were surprised at the same time.

    What''s going on today?!

    Gerard making two prophecies in one day!

    "Is it okay to tell us?"

    Eredith asked instead.

    Gerard spoke in his characteristic blunt tone.

    "Of course, it''s dangerous. But if it''s to intertwine our fates, then so be it."

    It meant it was a huge challenge even from Gerard''s perspective.

    He wanted to gain Ian''s trust, even if it meant taking risks.

    "Ian. The future I hope for you is..."

    Gerard declared solemnly.

    "A future where you become a teacher."

    "...?"

    For a moment, Ian was dumbfounded.

    What...?

    ---

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 Chapter 216

    TL/Editor: raei

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    The space-time wizard had made a prophecy.

    This act simultaneously altered the future and shook reality.

    ''... Gerard has handed the [future] over to me.''

    Let''s say, for example, that person A is destined to die in a car accident 24 hours from now.

    The space-time wizard accidentally foresaw A''s death and kept quiet to allow the prediction to come true.

    So what happens to A?

    Naturally, they die 24 hours later.

    By not revealing the future, the wizard succeeded in making a perfect prediction.

    But what if the space-time wizard went to A and revealed the future?

    A, who was supposed to die in a car accident 24 hours later, would get scared and stay locked up at home without moving an inch for 24 hours.

    Would A still be alive after 24 hours?

    The answer is ''yes''.

    How could they get hit by a car if they never left the house?

    This is where the problem arises.

    One person''s fate has been changed, but the wizard''s prophecy clearly [failed].

    The person who was supposed to die in 24 hours is alive and well!

    As a result, all future predictions about [the world after A''s death] go straight into the trash.

    Because the world has been altered.

    New prophecies must be made about [the world where A is alive], and preparations must be made for those prophecies to be exposed and changed!

    That''s why space-time wizards set up a rule among themselves.

    The rule was [Let''s not reveal the future unless absolutely necessary!]

    Whether A dies in a car accident or not, they want to prevent other predictions from becoming useless.

    So these crafty space-time wizards of the medieval fantasy world try to guide the world towards their desired future by knowing and sharing the future only among themselves, through consultation.

    That''s why space-time wizards get a bad rap.

    But now.

    Gerard had openly prophesied Ian''s future.

    ... That Ian would become a [teacher].

    ''A teacher, huh.''

    Ian tilted his head.

    It seemed a bit lame...?

    It''s not like he''d become the emperor of the empire. Or a great wizard who becomes a hero.

    Just a teacher?

    But Eredith thought differently.

    "Hey, Gerard."

    Eredith spoke with a frown.

    "What kind of half-assed prophecy is that? A [teacher]? Isn''t that just a word you can slap onto anything?"

    She had a point.

    Gerard said he wanted a future where Ian becomes a ''teacher''...

    But ''teacher'' was a word you could attach to pretty much anything and make it sound plausible.

    To put it bluntly, if Ian were to start a red-tide in this medieval fantasy world and be called ''Great Comrade Ian!'', he could still be addressed as ''Excellent! Teacher Ian!''

    It''s weird in many ways, but he''d still be a teacher, right?

    Similarly, if he took a prince of a country as a disciple and raised him, he could be called a teacher.

    Become a teacher at an academy? Teacher.

    If he becomes a respected wizard and has a statue built of him, it could be ''A statue of the great wizard, Teacher Ian''.

    In other words.

    Gerard had essentially prophesied that Ian would become [a great person] in the future...!

    "If you''re going to do it, be a bit more specific..."

    "That''s impossible."

    Ian couldn''t help but chuckle.

    Just when he thought he was getting a proper prophecy.

    Typical space-time wizard level~

    But one thing became clear.

    "Then if I start causing trouble and going wild from now on, there''s no way I''ll reach the future Gerard wants, right?"

    Ian could now intentionally ruin the future Gerard desired.

    ... Of course, Gerard might have foreseen even this deviation of Ian''s and deliberately revealed the future, but.

    If we go down that rabbit hole, there''s no end to it.

    Space-time wizards aren''t gods.

    There are limits to prophecies, and incorrect predictions pop up and disappear every moment.

    "Of course."

    Gerard smiled awkwardly.

    He looked uncomfortable making an expression he wasn''t used to.

    "I peek at the future. But Ian, you''re someone who creates the future directly."

    "..."

    "You will reach a future that no one else can reach, by your own power."

    The space-time wizard''s prophecy was more like a blessing.

    That''s why Ian could smile.

    "Thanks for the kind words, Gerard."

    ------

    The carriages Gerard had brought were loaded with large amounts of preserved food and alcohol.

    These were supposed to be given to Lucy by Duke Araz...

    "Belenka?"

    "Oh, Ian. You''re here?"

    It was Belenka and the Knights of Santiago.

    They had set up a large cauldron in front of Salvador''s house and were boiling something vigorously.

    "What are you doing?"

    Ian guessed as soon as he saw the boiling cauldron.

    These people...

    They''re preparing Salvador''s bath water!

    Given the knights'' custom of revering bathing, it wouldn''t be strange for them to try to wash Salvador clean.

    But Ian tilted his head.

    Isn''t it boiling too much for bath water?

    At this rate, they''d end up with Salvador-soup...?

    "Oh, this?"

    Belenka grinned and said.

    "It''s a local healing technique to drive away illness, they say."

    "Healing technique?"

    Ian immediately made a sour face.

    Local healing technique = folk remedy.

    And Ian obviously didn''t believe in folk remedies.

    Instead, suspicion started creeping in.

    These medieval bastards. What are they trying to do to the patient...!

    "Is it okay for the Knights of the Holy Order to do this?"

    "If it can help Sir Salvador, what can''t we do?"

    Hmm. Fair point.

    Ian shrugged.

    In the abysmal medical standards of the medieval era, folk remedies were somewhat acceptable.

    As long as it wasn''t too outrageous...

    "So what exactly are you doing?"

    When Ian asked, Belenka excitedly explained.

    "First, we go around the village collecting unwashed spoons!"

    "...?"

    "We pick out the dirtiest spoons and boil them in the pot!"

    "..."

    "When you boil dirty spoons, the impure energy flies away and a potion with healing power is created!"

    Ian trembled, clenching his fists...

    Wait, that recipe...

    Where have I heard this before...?

    "Who the hell said such..."

    "Hm? I heard it''s quite famous in the areas around Talian. They say it''s a healing technique taught by the ''Black Crow Wizard''."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    The Black Crow Wizard? That''s me!

    I did once trick some mercenaries by giving them spoon-boiled water with salt, calling it a ''potion of vitality''...

    But for that bullshit to spread and become a local traditional healing method!

    Ian could easily imagine the medieval folk remedy.

    ''Cough, mother. I think I''ve caught a cold.''

    ''Oh dear~ Go fetch some spoons from the kitchen!''

    ''Why spoons?''

    ''Spoon-boiled water is the best for colds~''

    ''Oh my, really? How amazing!''

    "..."

    Ian felt his sins deepening...

    Somehow, he had created an absurd folk remedy!

    "Hmm. Come to think of it, Ian. Have you ever met the ''Black Crow Wizard''? He sounds similar to you."

    To Belenka''s innocent question.

    Ian awakened his inner crankiness!

    "I am! The Black Crow Wizard!"

    Ian kicked the cauldron hard.

    The boiling spoons clattered and fell.

    "Ah! Lord Ian! What are you doing!"

    "Sir Salvador''s healing...!"

    "This shit doesn''t work at all! Just boil some bath water instead!"

    Belenka asked in surprise.

    "Is it really not effective?"

    "Yeah! If boiling spoons cured diseases, why would people die from illness?"

    As the Knights of Santiago dejectedly(...) picked up the spoons, a hearty laugh was heard.

    "Ian, you''re always so cranky, aren''t you!"

    "... It''s a misunderstanding, old man."

    Sir Salvador was leaning against the door, laughing, wrapped in bandages.

    ---

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 Chapter 217

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Salvador''s appearance brought Ian back to his senses.

    "If you do that shit anywhere else, you''ll be in big trouble. Got it?"

    "Ah, I understand, Ian!"

    Ian felt a bit sorry for the shrunken knights, but he had to speak firmly.

    Imagine if this rumor spread and reached the ears of medieval doctors (read: quacks).

    They''d be like, ''What? Boiled spoon water is good for patients? I must try it right away!'' and happily start their examinations.

    Touting it as the latest treatment method created by a famous wizard~

    It''s a comedy from afar, but a tragedy up close.

    If a truly sick person received the ''spoon treatment'' and missed their golden time, how frustrating would that be?

    After warning the knights several times, Ian entered Salvador''s sickroom.

    For the patient''s peace, Ian was the only visitor.

    "How are you feeling?"

    "My whole body aches like hell. I''m definitely getting old."

    You''re just realizing that now, old man?

    Ian almost said, but held back~

    He smiled at Salvador''s brazen level of frankness.

    "I brought some books in case you get bored while resting."

    Ian handed over Takarion''s Gospel that he''d brought in advance.

    It was the most entertaining book Ian knew, a light novel disguised as a religious text.

    "Oh! Volume 4! I was just needing this!"

    "..."

    That old man Salvador doesn''t even bother hiding that he reads Takarion''s books anymore.

    He must have been reading the Gospel(?) until just now, as an open book lay on the bed.

    "Thanks for coming, Ian my boy."

    Salvador offered him a seat.

    Ian sat down, observing Salvador slightly.

    His eyes were still lively, but his haggard face and body were particularly noticeable.

    People usually look older when they''re sick.

    Salvador, who was already at an age where he could go any day, really looked like an old man his age now.

    Monster hunting might be too much for him from now on.

    "Old man. What are you going to do now?"

    "You mean my plans?"

    Salvador closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.

    "I''m not sure."

    "What?"

    "I might go back to my hometown and spend my days watching my grandchildren play. Or I might recover and continue the holy war."

    Salvador''s words about continuing to hunt monsters didn''t surprise Ian.

    People don''t change easily, and old people even less so.

    Can someone who''s spent their whole life swinging a sword put it down overnight?

    Salvador probably won''t let go of his sword until he dies.

    He''s unlikely to die comfortably in bed.

    "Well. One thing''s for sure, I can''t follow the Knights of Santiago anymore."

    "Have you discussed this with the knights?"

    When Ian asked, Salvador grinned.

    "Would those fellows let me go so easily? I''m taking this chance to part ways."

    From the Knights of Santiago''s perspective, they couldn''t just discard Salvador, who had helped them all this time, like an old shoe.

    Whether they liked it or not, they had to wait until Salvador recovered.

    Salvador didn''t want to see that.

    It was probably the last bit of pride for the old man who had once been the spiritual pillar of the order.

    ''Leaving the order, huh...''

    "What are you going to do from now on?"

    This time Salvador asked the question.

    Ian answered plainly.

    "I''m thinking of going to university."

    "Oh ho. To enroll?"

    Ian tilted his head. It didn''t seem grand enough to call it enrollment, did it?

    "I want to interact with other wizards and study more deeply."

    It was something he had felt several times while catching Predius.

    Ian needed more magic.

    If he was going to clash with the black wizards of the [Golden Rule Society], the more magic, the better.

    "Indeed. It''ll be good for you."

    Salvador nodded.

    Ian stared intently at the old Sword Master.

    That guy''s basically unemployed now anyway, right?

    He''s practically a patient, but still unemployed.

    If he''s going to recuperate anyway, why not rest in a university town?

    "Sir Salvador. If you have nowhere to go, would you like to come to Dranheim with me?"

    "To Dranheim? With you?"

    The wizard who had come with a bunch of mercenaries was... Professor Inglan.

    Ian was flabbergasted, but he asked anyway.

    "Why are you here?"

    "Oh ho! What kind of question is that! Of course I came to face the evil black dragon!"

    Inglan shouted with such confidence.

    Ian almost felt touched for a moment.

    If only Predius hadn''t already kicked the bucket.

    "The black dragon."

    "Yes, the black dragon!"

    "It''s dead."

    "???"

    Inglan asked back with a blank expression.

    "... Already?"

    Already, my ass.

    Ian looked at Inglan with cold eyes.

    "My master already came and helped. Predius is dead. There should be a corpse in that forest way over there."

    "Ah! The forest!"

    Inglan shouted as if he''d just remembered something.

    "This is bad, Ian! There''s a monster in the nearby forest!"

    "A monster?"

    "Yes! A terrifying drake! You said the black dragon is dead, right? It must be its underlings coming for revenge!"

    "..."

    "But don''t worry! I, Inglan Kate! In the name of the Imperial University professor! Will stand by you till the end!"

    Wow~ That''s really reassuring~

    There''s no one like Professor~

    If that had been Lucy instead of Inglan, Ian would have already given her a knock on the head.

    Sigh. I''m only holding back because he''s a professor, really.

    "Don''t worry about the drake. It''s fine."

    When Ian said that, the mercenary captain stepped forward.

    "You''re being too careless. We''re reporting what we''ve personally scouted."

    "That''s right. I even paid you for your trouble!"

    "... Give the money back."

    At the demand to cough up the money, the mercenary captain reacted sensitively.

    "No, there really is a drake!"

    "I know that too!"

    "And you''re just going to leave it alone?"

    "For fuck''s sake, that drake is my friend!"

    "???"

    The explanation was so shocking that the mercenary captain''s brain froze.

    What... A pet drake? Raised in the backyard of the neighborhood?!

    But soon he was dumbfounded.

    As if a drake would be friends with a human!

    Even if the other party was a wizard, say something that makes sense...

    "Oh, I see!"

    "?"

    When Inglan chimed in, the mercenary captain looked at him like he was crazy.

    And soon he got angry.

    This wizard must be taking the other wizard''s side because he wants his money back! (He''s not)

    "Friends with a drake! You''d better say you tamed it with magic...!"

    "Tamed? Me, tame Longtail? No, you come with me for a sec."

    Ian, who was already quite pissed off, took the mercenary captain to the forest.

    "N-No... Wait a minute!"

    "[Longtail!]"

    When Ian shouted in the magic language, soon the ground shook and a huge beast appeared.

    [Oh. Friend. Is it feeding time?]

    "[This human isn''t food. Let''s have a drink later. More importantly, these guys are doubting our friendship.]"

    Inglan marveled at Ian skillfully talking with the drake.

    That fellow, he''s really good at summoning!

    At the same time, the mercenaries were amazed in a different sense.

    Holy shit... What the hell is that?!

    That wizard really summoned a drake!

    "Grrrr...!"

    As the massive drake growled, the mercenary captain screamed in terror.

    "S-Spare me! I was wrong! Please, just my life!!!"

    After fleeing from the drake, the mercenary captain immediately returned the fee to Inglan.

    ---

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 Chapter 218

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Though he wasn''t particularly grateful, Ian thanked Inglan.

    "Thank you for coming from so far away."

    "..."

    "You even hired mercenaries. And gathered quite a lot of supplies."

    "..."

    "You must have spent a lot of money..."

    "Aaaaargh! Why! Why does this only happen to me!"

    Inglan let out a scream!

    Realizing he had royally screwed up, Inglan suddenly felt like he''d gained enlightenment.

    I just wanted to do something good!

    This feeling of getting screwed over by fate itself!

    "Where''s Eredith?! Where''s Eredith?"

    "She''s doing well. Want to go see her?"

    Ian took Inglan to Eredith.

    "Um... Wizard. What about us..."

    The mercenaries asked nervously, keeping an eye on Ian.

    They had come to fight, but now the battlefield had vanished, creating an odd situation.

    Ian answered immediately.

    "Go home."

    "Ah!"

    It was standard practice to immediately dismiss mercenaries who had become useless.

    Even though they were hired with Inglan''s money, Ian dismissed the mercenaries on Inglan''s behalf.

    They had received free wages, so they shouldn''t have many complaints.

    "Damn. We came all this way, and now we have to go back empty-handed."

    "Yeah. Maybe we should loot something on the way back..."

    Some mercenaries grumbled among themselves, apparently not too concerned about living long.

    Mercenaries were the type to live only for today anyway.

    "Ha. Don''t do anything stupid and just go home, kids."

    "What''s it to you?"

    "If you idiots get executed for misbehaving, it''ll ruin the reputation of other mercenaries. Morons."

    The veteran soldiers mocked the thug-like mercenaries.

    Usually, after a battle, it was customary for mercenaries to loot.

    Raiding houses, robbing travelers on the road, somehow making extra income.

    The logic was, "We''re on the winning side anyway, who''s going to stop us?"

    But that was for armies that had won normally.

    When you''ve won without fighting, like now, it''s better for your health to quietly withdraw.

    "Old-timers like you are the ones who''ll get caught and executed!"

    "Yeah! Has-been!"

    The young mercenaries, apparently quite irritated(...), each threw in a jab.

    But the veteran soldier''s expression didn''t change at all.

    "You lot. Do you even know who that wizard is?"

    The young mercenaries just stared blankly at each other.

    Brutes who only knew how to swing weapons wouldn''t bother memorizing wizards'' names.

    "That''s the famous [Ian Eredith Raven]."

    "Raven...?"

    "Wait a minute. The one who knows how to make the ''Potion of Vitality''?!"

    Ian''s name was quite famous around Talian.

    More precisely, he was known by nicknames like ''the Black Crow Wizard'' or ''Wizard Raven''.

    "That''s right, you ignorant fools."

    The veteran soldier said mockingly.

    "If you raid even one house, the wizard will know everything."

    "B-But... how could even a wizard know that..."

    Just then, a large crow flew in and perched on a flag.

    The crow stared at the mercenaries with its pitch-black eyes.

    Suddenly, the crow spoke!

    "Caw! Humans!"

    "!"

    "I-It''s insane!"

    The mercenaries backed away in terror.

    Some even drew their weapons in surprise.

    Those eerie eyes! That jet-black plumage!

    And that sinister tongue spewing human language!

    ''The wizard''s crow!''

    The wizard''s crow shouted.

    "Bring offerings!"

    "???"

    "Bring offerings and gain my favor!"

    The young mercenaries trembled in fear.

    Mess with that thing, and we''re screwed!

    But the veteran soldier calmly took out a piece of bread from his pocket.

    "Here you go, Mr. Crow."

    "Caw! You pass!"

    Right then, a wizard with jet-black hair appeared.

    It was Ian Eredith Raven himself...!

    "Master. So what about Kira and Maria..."

    "You were planning to go to Dranheim, right? If you go, I''ll be these children''s guardian."

    Eredith said decisively.

    Ian smiled in relief.

    It would have been quite a struggle for Ian to enroll them by himself.

    With Eredith stepping in, there was nothing to fear.

    "Raising talented wizards is always a joy!"

    ------

    After their discussion, all the wizards except Mani decided to head to Dranheim.

    Mani said she planned to make her own nest again.

    "We''ll deal with the dragon corpse starting tomorrow. Let''s have fun today, shall we?"

    While Lucy and the nobles were busy without a moment to spare, the wizards were relatively free.

    Ian spent his time productively, catching up with Eredith and introducing Longtail.

    Then the post-war cleanup was mostly finished.

    A small banquet was held in the name of the merciful Countess of Talian.

    "People of Talian, listen!"

    In the evening, as the sun was setting.

    People who had finished their daily work gathered like clouds around Talian Hall.

    Lucy, wearing an elegant dress lined with fairy silk and a conical hat, shouted from the platform.

    "Just a few months ago, the imperial lands of Yurdo, Lantro, and Bahen were ravaged by an evil black dragon!"

    "The enemy was overwhelmingly strong, and many gathered here lost their homes!"

    "The winged calamity soon fell upon us, and we had to face the black dragon Predius with our own strength!"

    The crowd was silent, not even a breath could be heard.

    They were undoubtedly recalling the day Predius appeared.

    Countless refugees had lost their homes and families.

    At that very moment when everyone was gloomy.

    Lucy shouted with all her might.

    "But we were victorious!"

    "...!"

    "The brave Sir Salvador and the blessed Knights of Santiago! Eredith of Drawald and the wizard Kira!"

    "And the wizard Ian! His friend, the drake!"

    "People of Talian!"

    "Behold the heroes who brought down the dragon!"

    As soon as Lucy finished speaking.

    An enormous roar of cheers and applause poured out endlessly.

    "Wooooooah!"

    "Heroes of the Empire!"

    "Dragon Slayer! Dragon Slayer Ian!!!"

    Dragon Slayer!

    Dragon Slayer!

    The people of Talian and the refugees chanted ''Dragon Slayer'' with one heart and mind.

    It was praise for the human who had brought down an unbreakable monster.

    A cry of respect for the hero who had saved them.

    Salvador just smiled contentedly, while the Knights of Santiago raised their glasses high and laughed merrily.

    Eredith was indifferent, and Kira waved and smiled with a 100% sincere celebrity pose.

    The soldiers who had participated in the dragon defense and Baron Damon didn''t hide their joy either.

    Ian was smiling too.

    Because he was called Dragon Slayer?

    No.

    Because Lucy spoke better than he expected.

    Lucy''s noble behavior suited her surprisingly well.

    Though her actions sometimes seemed a bit lacking, Lucy was indeed a striking beauty.

    Since she had the looks, the same speech seemed more convincing coming from her.

    "Wizard Ian! Step forward!"

    Lucy of Talian called for Ian.

    All eyes turned to Ian.

    Ian slowly climbed onto the platform.

    "Wizard Ian."

    Even without a microphone, Lucy''s voice rang out strangely clear.

    "Without your drake, countless people would have lost their lives."

    Lucy''s face was close.

    Lucy looked into Ian''s eyes as she spoke.

    "You are a true hero of Talian."

    Ian just smiled.

    He had saved Talian quite often. That''s true.

    "In the name of Talian''s ruler! I will grant you any one wish you desire."

    "Do I have to say it now?"

    "No? Tell me whenever Ian is comfortable!"

    Lucy smiled brightly and shouted to the crowd.

    "Everyone worked hard! Now, let the banquet begin!"

    "Woooooooooh!"

    The Countess''s banquet began.

    ---

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 Chapter 219

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Ian quietly observed the banquet hall.

    The scale of a banquet that could be held with the resources of a mere barony was limited anyway.

    It was just a matter of hunting some wild animals like boars or deer, breaking out some preserved food, and sharing some drinks.

    It was similar to a modern rural village festival.

    There were no fancy chandeliers or fantasy maidens in pretty dresses.

    Nor were there the king''s blessings or the prime minister''s envious glances.

    At some point, Ian thought.

    It''s quite bland.

    Lucy Talian, the highest-ranking person at the banquet, was just sitting on a wooden barrel.

    In fact, the wooden barrel was one of the best seats at the banquet.

    The commoners sat on the dirt floor, tearing meat with their bare hands.

    The knights spread out rags as makeshift mats to sit on.

    Bonfires blazed brightly, and the laughter of drunk people never stopped.

    "What a historic night!"

    The minstrels made a fuss, shouting that they would create the [Chronicles of Talian].

    A story of legendary heroes who faced off against a dragon, they said.

    Honestly, Ian''s excitement was lukewarm. He couldn''t help but compare it to the flashy festivals of the modern world.

    But for medieval people, the experience of everyone coming together like this was extremely rare.

    A festival that might happen ten times in a lifetime, if that.

    In a life filled with labor and war, just being able to put down their work and enjoy themselves freely was enough to make them happy.

    "What are you doing there, Ian? Why aren''t you joining in?"

    Belenka approached.

    It was Belenka in casual clothes, which Ian hadn''t seen in a while.

    Her long blonde hair was let down and tied with a pretty hairband.

    Since she was always covered in helmet and armor, Belenka''s skin looked especially transparent.

    Maybe it was natural, given her different race.

    "What am I supposed to do for fun?"

    "Geez... you really are strange."

    Belenka chuckled and sat down next to Ian.

    As soon as she sat, a strong smell of alcohol wafted over.

    Suddenly, she gave off the vibe of a popular girl being nice to a loner.

    "Did you only study your whole life so you don''t know how to have fun?"

    "Maybe so."

    Ian, an INFP, didn''t enjoy mingling with others.

    Ah- if only there were PC rooms in medieval times, we could''ve had a 5v5 League of Legends match-

    This was about the extent of ''fun'' Ian knew.

    Or maybe karaoke or a bar.

    "Well. You''re an interesting person yourself, Ian."

    "Am I a jester?"

    Belenka covered her mouth and giggled.

    "I meant you bring interesting events with you. Ever since I swore loyalty to you in Talian, so many things have happened."

    Belenka briefly reminisced about the past.

    She had been through so many adventures with Ian.

    Meeting the famous monk Takarion, traveling to the north to rescue him.

    Fighting black wizards while traveling the southern empire.

    And now, they had even taken down a dragon.

    If she had become a knight for an ordinary lord, would she have been able to have such adventures?

    It was an experience possible only because she was a wizard''s guardian knight.

    "I wasn''t planning to return home until I succeeded. Though I couldn''t go back even if I wanted to anyway."

    "..."

    "If my past self saw me now, she''d probably tell me to stop wasting time and go make money."

    Ian chuckled.

    Belenka had certainly changed too.

    "Then what would your current self say?"

    "I''d tell her to keep quiet since this life isn''t so bad."

    Ian and Belenka burst out laughing together.

    More adventures awaited Ian in the future.

    Belenka would gladly continue the journey with Ian.

    "Well. If you marry the Countess of Talian and settle down, I''ll have to go my own way."

    "You''d leave right away?"

    "Lucy isn''t the type to wage conquest wars."

    Wandering knights were always thirsty for military achievements.

    The knights of this era dreamed of meeting a powerful ruler and making a name for themselves to advance in life.

    Without war, Belenka had no reason to stay in the Talian domain.

    "Or."

    Belenka suddenly leaned in close.

    ... Her eyes were hazy with alcohol.

    "Are you going to keep supporting me?"

    "..."

    What the-

    Ian looked at Belenka, dumbfounded.

    "You want me to support you even after marrying Lucy?"

    "Heh. I knew you''d hate that idea. That''s why I said I''d leave."

    "No, I could provide a proper salary-"

    Belenka placed her finger on Ian''s lips.

    Curving her eyebrows like crescent moons, Belenka smiled with her eyes.

    "I told you. I want success. I won''t be satisfied until I find a large domain and a decent husband."

    "..."

    "For now, you try your best with Lucy. Don''t you need a home to return to as well?"

    A home to return to.

    Ian didn''t answer Belenka''s words.

    Belenka probably wasn''t expecting an answer anyway.

    Lucy pouted and crossed her arms, then immediately lowered her voice.

    "Then I shall speak as the owner of Talian Hall. Ian Eredith Raven?"

    Ian was about to playfully tell her to cut the crap.

    But Lucy spoke first.

    "Did you enjoy the banquet?"

    ... Caught up in the atmosphere, Ian answered.

    "It was very fun, Your Excellency."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Lucy stood up.

    Click, click.

    The sound of her shoes rang sharply.

    Lucy went behind Ian''s chair and placed her hands on his shoulders.

    "Lucy?"

    "Quiet. I won''t allow you to speak."

    What the-

    Ian tried to turn his head, but Lucy didn''t let go of his shoulders.

    So Ian could only barely look at Lucy''s face.

    Eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

    Dark blue hair as beautiful as the night sky.

    And tightly closed, red lips.

    "Ian Eredith Raven. As I said before, without you, Talian would have become a ruined domain like any other barony."

    "..."

    "Your deeds deserve thanks no matter how many times we express our gratitude. But..."

    Lucy''s voice trembled slightly.

    Ian quietly looked straight ahead, waiting for Lucy''s words.

    "Why did you save Talian?"

    "Lucy."

    "Was it because of your righteousness that couldn''t ignore the dragon''s tyranny? Or did you desire the dragon''s treasure? Did you want the honor of being called Dragon Slayer?"

    "..."

    "Please answer me, Ian."

    Ian stared blankly ahead.

    He could see the mystery of darkness, his close friend, frolicking happily.

    Throughout his journey, Ian had always been with the mystery.

    ... But the mystery wasn''t his only companion.

    He had built many relationships and gained precious people.

    Ian recalled the words he had exchanged with Belenka earlier.

    ''For now, you try your best with Lucy.''

    No, not that.

    ''... Don''t you need a home to return to as well?''

    So Ian could say it.

    "Because it''s home."

    Ian calmly answered Lucy''s question.

    "Home... you say?"

    "I don''t have a home. I don''t mean my parents'' home, but a place where I can comfortably rest anytime."

    "..."

    Lucy quietly listened to Ian''s words.

    "I left home when I was 10 and have been wandering my whole life. It was a journey to learn magic, and I wasn''t uncomfortable. But..."

    "When I heard the news that a dragon was attacking the north, I felt so uneasy."

    "The thought of Talian burning and Talian''s people dying... it made me lose all desire to continue my journey."

    "After killing the black dragon, I realized."

    "I had come to think of Talian as my home."

    Ian chuckled.

    Now that he said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous.

    Ian was just a wandering wizard.

    He had traveled through many baronies, and Talian was just one of the lands he had passed through.

    Yet the reason Ian thought of Talian as home was...

    Of course.

    Because Lucy Talian was here.

    "That''s so mean."

    Suddenly, Lucy said.

    "What''s mean?"

    "I''ve been asking you to stay since way back! But you left without looking back, and now what? Talian feels like Ian''s home?"

    Ian smiled and tried to get up from his seat.

    "So I was just saying..."

    At that moment.

    Lucy''s lips covered Ian''s.

    Ian couldn''t say anything.

    Lucy''s disheveled hair tickled Ian''s forehead and cheeks.

    And the faint scent of violets at the tip of his nose.

    This wasn''t Ian''s first kiss.

    Before leaving Talian, he had been surprise-kissed by Lucy.

    But that kiss and this one were completely different.

    The past Lucy''s kiss was that of a shy girl who had somehow mustered up the courage to try.

    The current Lucy''s kiss was that of a more composed and honest woman. A gentle woman''s kiss.

    How much time had passed?

    Lucy pulled away and said.

    "As I''ve said many times, Ian Eredith Raven. My great wizard. Talian will always welcome you."

    "... Lucy."

    Lucy caressed Ian''s cheek with her slender fingers.

    "I''ll be your home."

    ---

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 Chapter 220

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    ''Alright. I''ve done enough.''

    Lucy quietly moved away from Ian.

    The closer she got, the more distant Ian seemed to become.

    Ian was young and a talented wizard.

    He enjoyed traveling the world, so he could meet countless women.

    No matter how little Ian cared for power, if a king''s or duke''s daughter threw herself at him, could he reject her outright?

    He might be able to now.

    But as he grew older and rose to higher positions, Ian would likely start valuing worldly things more.

    Lucy thought of herself as a nobody.

    She wasn''t particularly good at anything, nor was she born with a lineage worth boasting about.

    She was just lucky to be born a noble lady and happened to be called ''Countess of Talian''.

    If.

    If Ian didn''t choose her.

    She''d feel bitter at first, but with time, she''d come to accept it.

    Even this moment alone with Ian felt like a miracle to Lucy.

    So Lucy waited quietly.

    To be his resting place when Ian''s journey ended.

    "Ian. Whenever you get tired, come back to Talian."

    Come back to me.

    Lucy said with a smile.

    "You''ll always be welcome here."

    Ian smiled back and replied.

    "Thanks, Lucy."

    "Hehe. I was pretty cool earlier, right? What do you think, Ian! Are you falling for me now?"

    Ian stood up.

    Due to their height difference, Lucy naturally looked up at Ian.

    Lucy''s eyes widened.

    Ian leaned in and kissed her.

    A slow, gentle kiss that felt like a soft embrace.

    Slowly pulling away, Ian said.

    "Yeah. I think I might be."

    "... Huh?"

    Lucy''s face turned red all over again.

    For someone who had boldly initiated a kiss earlier, her defenses were paper-thin.

    Lucy, blushing shyly in the moonlight, was still beautiful.

    "Sh-Shall we go for a walk?"

    "Sure. Let''s walk a bit."

    When Ian held out his hand, Lucy fumbled to grasp it.

    Lucy''s hand was soft, befitting a noble lady.

    "Shall we?"

    "Mm-hmm..."

    The two held hands and slowly strolled through the dark forest.

    It was a night when the moonlight was beautiful.

    ------

    The lively banquet had ended.

    If Talian had been a densely populated (over 20,000 people) big city, they might have partied for days on end.

    But Talian was a domain with a typical medieval rural manor economy structure, where farmers were everywhere.

    One day of celebration was plenty.

    Duke Araz had sent alcohol, otherwise there wouldn''t have been enough to share with the commoners (Longtail and Sharpteeth had played a big part in drinking it all).

    Now it was time for everyone to return to work.

    "B-Big trouble!"

    Ian left his lodgings, holding his throbbing head from the hangover.

    What the hell is it so early in the morning...

    But when he heard the report, the content was quite serious.

    Ian immediately rushed to Talian Hall.

    As expected, the wizards, including Ian''s companions, had gathered.

    "Ian! You''re here?"

    "Yes, Master. I just heard some strange news..."

    Eredith spoke with a stiff face.

    "Yes. We''re about to go check it out now."

    The unexpected report had come from the guards watching over the dragon''s corpse.

    Baron Damon had assigned subordinates to preserve the dragon''s body in case some crazy people tried to mess with it.

    There had been no problems until yesterday.

    But as the night of the banquet ended...

    The dragon''s corpse had vanished without a trace!

    Ian and everyone else were dumbfounded.

    "If you want, I can teleport you to the dragon''s lair immediately."

    "Oh..."

    If this black wizard named Antios or whatever had a contract relationship with Predius.

    There was a high chance his hideout was near the dragon''s lair.

    "Let''s go."

    Ian said without hesitation.

    If nothing else, they had to protect the dragon''s treasure.

    He didn''t know how much was piled up, but it was the reward for slaying a dragon after all!

    "Good. Ian, take this spatial movement scroll."

    "This is?"

    "Use it to return. You can save it and walk back if you prefer, but..."

    "I get it. You''re saying do whatever I want, right?"

    Ian was planning to rip the scroll like a dog.

    Just traveling back and forth on horseback would take at least a week.

    It might take even longer if they gathered the treasure.

    They could also be ambushed on the way, so using spatial movement was more beneficial.

    ''Having a space-time wizard is so sweet.''

    The more he used spatial movement, the more Ian felt it was an overpowered magic.

    The only thing in this medieval fantasy world that would make modern people drool!

    Ian wanted to learn space-time magic too, but as with all space-time magic, they say the opportunity to learn comes naturally ''when the time is right''.

    No one knew when the hell that would be, though.

    "Let''s go prepare."

    Belenka and some of the Knights of Santiago joined.

    Ian received Gerard''s spatial magic along with the other wizards.

    "Wow, I can''t believe it!"

    "It really is the Golden Mountains!"

    The knights experiencing spatial movement for the first time looked around in amazement.

    Ian totally understood that feeling.

    Even as a former modern person, Ian found spatial movement fucking amazing.

    "Everyone, stay sharp! This is dragon territory!"

    The knights climbed the mountain cautiously.

    But surprisingly, there was nothing on the mountain.

    "There are traces of a campsite..."

    "Looks like those orc bastards all ran away."

    When they found the abandoned campsite, Inglan''s speculation turned into certainty.

    "There''s no way an ordinary dragon''s lair would have an orc camp below it."

    "It must be the summoner''s doing."

    "Yes. The summoner must have tied the dragon and orcs together as his army."

    Ian looked around.

    The abandoned campsite meant the summoner had left too.

    "The summoner isn''t here."

    "If he retrieved Predius''s corpse, he probably fled to a suitable location."

    The knights moved briskly to the dragon''s lair.

    The wizards followed behind. They were all used to walking, so the journey was over in no time.

    "This place is empty too."

    It was ''empty'' in the sense that there were no enemies.

    Except for the knight who calmly reported, almost everyone else was in a daze.

    "Wow..."

    "What''s all this?!"

    Upon entering the dragon''s lair, a truly amazing sight unfolded.

    Even Ian''s jaw dropped.

    He was dumbfounded.

    Orc-made hand axes, rusted chain mail, broken spears...

    Mountains of all sorts of objects and garbage piled up to nearly reach the ceiling.

    "... Daiso? Don Juan?"

    The dragon''s lair literally had everything.

    There were heaps of things that made no sense being there!

    Ian was dumbfounded again when he saw a box full of hand mirrors.

    Why the hell would a dragon collect hand mirrors?

    Does it polymorph and look at itself?

    "Still, there are some valuable items."

    "Indeed."

    Amidst the mountains of junk piled up like garbage.

    Ian and Inglan smiled contentedly as they looked at a chest full of gold.

    ---

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 Chapter 221

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    "It''s more mundane than I expected."

    Ian took his time to carefully investigate the dragon''s lair.

    After the investigation, he found that apart from the chest full of gold coins, there weren''t really any valuable items.

    Of course, the chest of gold coins alone was clearly an enormous income.

    Enough to toss gold coins around like garbage, just like the corrupt nobles of the old Golden Empire!

    But that was that.

    Considering the sheer volume of junk piled up in the dragon''s lair, it was hard to hide the disappointment.

    However, Inglan and Eredith were indifferent and unmoved.

    "Well. That''s dragons for you."

    "Ian. Dragon lairs are usually like this."

    "?"

    Ian tilted his head.

    He''d clearly heard that dragons were greedy creatures obsessed with treasure...

    Shouldn''t there be a swimming pool full of gold and silver treasures like in fantasy movies?

    "I heard dragons were extremely materialistic."

    "That''s right. That''s why they''ve stored so much treasure, don''t you think?"

    "..."

    This... is treasure?

    It''s not treasure, it''s trash.

    There''s so much of it that even a moving company would take one look and say, "Damn, I''ve never seen anything like this in all my years," and back right out.

    You know that mental illness where people can''t throw things away?

    The one called ''hoarding disorder''.

    The dragon''s lair was comparable to the house of someone with hoarding disorder.

    "But there''s hardly anything of value here..."

    As Ian muttered, Eredith explained with a smile.

    "''Value'' is relative, you know."

    "I know that."

    "Then Ian, out of all the items piled up there, how many do you think would be useful to a dragon?"

    "Hmm..."

    At most, maybe 10%?

    Most of it was garbage.

    "The reason dragons collect possessions isn''t to use them themselves."

    "Then..."

    "They find meaning in the very act of taking possessions from people who value them."

    "..."

    Ian finally understood why even orc-made items were lying around as ''treasure''.

    To orcs, that rusty chain mail was definitely a treasure.

    Because orcs don''t have the metallurgy to make armor.

    But... obviously, to a dragon, rusty chain mail is just garbage taking up space.

    Yet the dragon carefully hoarded the rusty chain mail.

    Why?

    As Eredith explained.

    It enjoyed the very act of taking things that orcs valued...!

    "It''s a proper psycho, isn''t it?"

    When Ian muttered, Eredith chuckled.

    "There''s a reason people say not to get involved with dragons. Ian, even if you know how to use summoning magic, never make a contract with a dragon."

    It was indeed useful advice that would become flesh and blood.

    Ian had no desire to make a contract with a dragon.

    He had a good and loyal friend like Longtail. Why would he contract with a greedy hoarder?

    "Anyway... it seems the summoner is no longer here."

    "The dragon''s corpse isn''t visible either."

    The opponent had already taken the dragon''s corpse and fled somewhere.

    It was beyond Ian''s ability to track any further.

    If they mobilized all their time and manpower, they might get results, but it was clearly a waste to chase someone they didn''t even know to that extent.

    The [Golden Rule Society] was, after all, a secret organization.

    ''Gerard said he''d handle the investigation...''

    No matter how quickly the opponent moved, they couldn''t escape a space-time wizard''s tracking.

    Ian decided to relax and wait for Gerard to bring results.

    They had found a large amount of gold coins in the dragon''s lair. That alone was enough reward.

    "This seems to be the most useful thing here."

    Inglan appeared holding a golden fur.

    At the same time, Ian''s Anor-lsil began to tremble!

    ''Is that it?''

    It was likely [Cloud of Lightning], the treasure of the northern Mountain King.

    The enhancement material for Ian''s Anor-lsil.

    "Professor. That''s the item I''ve been looking for."

    "You have?"

    [2. Something containing the power of clouds] - Fulfilled (Cloud of Lightning)]

    [You have infused the power of wind and clouds!]

    [The power of wind and clouds obeys Anor-lsil!]

    Bzzzzzzt!

    Threatening electric currents sparked along Anor-lsil''s blade.

    ''Oh.''

    Ian turned Anor-lsil this way and that.

    It always had a lighter(?) function.

    Now... an electric fly swatter function had been added!

    ''A magic sword that wields the power of fire and electricity...''

    Now it''s starting to feel more like a fantasy magic item.

    "Ian. That item is..."

    Eredith looked at Anor-lsil with an expression mixed with curiosity and fear.

    Even for a wizard, magical power can be frightening.

    Uncontrollable magic is like a disaster after all.

    Ian spoke as if to reassure Eredith.

    "It''s a sword made by the Fairy Queen of Talian."

    "The Fairy Queen?"

    "Yes. It seems the [Mystery of the Sky] wants to make this into a holy relic."

    "..."

    Eredith immediately understood Ian''s words.

    The [Mystery of the Sky], a divine being of the Heaven''s Faith.

    It''s such a powerful mystery with many secrets that it probably can''t contact humans through normal means.

    It''s preparing for indirect contact with Ian through Anor-lsil.

    "Ian... Do the priests of Heaven''s Faith know about this?"

    Eredith was more worried than expectant.

    Wizards know that the world is layered with ''mysteries'' beyond human comprehension.

    Earth and sky. Time. The universe. Even life and death...

    None of these are easily understood by humans, which is why they''re called mysteries.

    But the priests of Heaven''s Faith are different.

    They believe that the sky is the only true god and the order of the universe.

    If they acknowledge Ian''s Anor-lsil, that would be fine, but...

    If they don''t, they might hold a [religious trial].

    "They don''t know. And I don''t plan to tell them."

    Ian was obviously keeping Anor-lsil''s secret.

    Others might just think it''s a wizard''s mysterious magic sword.

    But in reality, he was progressing on a suspicious quest to complete the true Anor-lsil.

    Ian intends to keep the secret until he completes the quest.

    Though he could tell Eredith.

    "... Be careful, Ian."

    Eredith was genuinely worried about Ian.

    Though Ian had already become an independent wizard, every time she saw him, she was reminded of the chubby-cheeked 10-year-old boy.

    Adults don''t easily forget a child''s past, after all.

    "Don''t worry, Master."

    Ian said this as he gathered the knights.

    The investigation was over, so it was time to quickly get out.

    "Did you gather all the valuable stuff?"

    The knights smiled enigmatically.

    The Knights of Santiago were a monastic order, and quite a few of them returned to secular life.

    They build honor through monster hunting, then become secular knights for wealth!

    Many knights liked this technique.

    "We scraped up everything!"

    "I hope the Sky God doesn''t see my pockets! Hahaha!"

    Though it was full of junk, it seems they managed to pick out the good stuff.

    Ian was satisfied with the chest of gold coins and the Cloud of Lightning he got.

    "Then... let''s get out of here quick!"

    Now that the dragon was dead, people would come to raid the lair.

    The likely candidate was Count Edward, who owned the Golden Mountains.

    The count must be grinning at the thought of raiding an ownerless lair.

    If only he hadn''t met that troublemaker Ian...!

    The ultra-dimensional thief gang armed with spatial movement magic thoroughly scraped up the treasures from the dragon''s lair, then moved through space once more.

    Ian tore the spatial movement scroll without hesitation.

    Thanks for the meal~

    There was a flash before his eyes, and Ian returned to Talian.

    ---

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 Chapter 222

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    The news of the black dragon Predius''s defeat spread like wildfire.

    Count Edward, who had been cowering in his domain, also heard about the dragon''s repulsion.

    "The black dragon was defeated?"

    "Yes! They say it failed in its attack on Talian!"

    "Failed? That''s impossible..."

    Count Edward was dumbfounded.

    He had witnessed Predius''s might firsthand.

    The dragon spewing pillars of fire from its mouth was, quite literally, insanity incarnate.

    No matter how much those idiots bragged about heroes, they were no match for such a monster!

    To Count Edward, the ''heroes facing dragons'' in old epics seemed like pure bullshit.

    Even with a long spear, you''d be lucky to poke its eye. How the hell could anyone take down a dragon?

    "Does Talian have siege weapons?"

    While heroes effortlessly slaying dragons was unrealistic, humans were tool-using animals. If they had used siege weapons, it might make sense.

    A ballista loaded with monster-slaying arrows could give even a dragon pause.

    But surprisingly... Talian had no proper siege weapons.

    "No! They say some giant threw a spear and knocked the dragon down!"

    "A giant?"

    "Apparently, a half-troll, half-human... Though clumsy with human speech, its strength was incredible!"

    "...?"

    Half-troll?

    As such an absurd term popped up, the count couldn''t help but doubt the rumor''s authenticity.

    Even if Talian was a rural domain, surely...

    There''s no way a half-troll could be living there as a resident, right?

    "I couldn''t believe it either! But everyone coming from Talian swears it''s true!"

    "Even so, a monster hybrid..."

    They must have mistaken an exceptionally burly human for one.

    The count thought so, and by sheer coincidence, his guess was correct.

    The ''half-troll'' Jubal was, in fact, 100% human.

    "They say he was inspired by the Knights of Santiago and Wizard Ian to join the fight."

    "Wizard Ian..."

    Count Edward reflexively recalled the young wizard with black hair.

    ''The Black Crow Wizard,'' Ian of Talian.

    From how he had handled the previous incident, the count knew he was no ordinary person.

    With Wizard Ian''s abilities...

    He might indeed be able to draw a half-troll (which he wasn''t) into battle!

    "While the Knights of Santiago and the half-troll performed brilliantly, it was Wizard Ian''s skill that truly saved Talian!"

    "Something even greater than throwing a spear at the dragon?"

    The count couldn''t imagine it.

    What, did he hurl a magic boulder or something?

    "Yes! Wizard Ian summoned drakes to fend off the dragon!"

    "???"

    Count Edward thought he must have misheard.

    Summoned what?

    A drake?

    A human controlling such a creature???

    "Is that true?"

    "Absolutely, Your Excellency!"

    Rumors were rumors, but...

    Even the most exaggerated rumors, if backed by consistent and repeated testimonies, were likely to be true.

    "Hmm..."

    Count Edward felt fear before surprise.

    Magic that could control drakes was so powerful that ''strong'' was an inadequate description.

    Frankly, if one were to wage a war of conquest with drakes at the forefront, they could easily establish a country.

    "How did the Church react?"

    The count first checked the Church''s response.

    There were many wizards in the empire who controlled monsters, but almost none who used them to attack humans.

    Doing so would earn you an excommunication beam + the label of black wizard.

    The count hoped to use the Church''s authority to suppress Ian''s magic.

    "Ah. Didn''t you know?"

    "?"

    "The Church treats Ian almost like a saint!"

    "???"

    The count was dumbfounded once again at his servant''s words.

    Wait, wasn''t he a wizard?!

    How could a wizard be treated like a saint by the Church?!

    "They say Ian has connections with Monk Isilla and Monk Takarion."

    "If this was planned in advance, it''s deviously clever!"

    The count shuddered at Ian''s thoroughness(?).

    Learning to control drakes and immediately cultivating friendships with the Church! (Not actually true)

    The very mountain of trash that Ian had marveled at greeted the count.

    Half-burned dolls stolen from children, women''s laundry, broken hand mirrors, snapped spears...

    The count was beyond dumbfounded; he was furious!

    Why the hell did this crazy dragon plunder such trash!!!

    Only an exceptionally greedy being would store such garbage.

    But how could a mere human understand the desires of the great dragon?

    The count frantically searched through the mountains of trash.

    He hoped to find something, anything of value.

    Even a gold ring would do...

    "Huh."

    But it was all for naught.

    Not a single useful item was found.

    "This is... bullshit!"

    The count wailed.

    But his cries wouldn''t make treasure magically appear.

    "Why! Why is there nothing here?!"

    It was indeed a strange mystery.

    Predius had plundered baronies, so why was nothing left in its lair?

    Perhaps...

    Only the wise wizard, Ian, knew the answer...

    ------

    ''Money''s overflowing.''

    Ian marveled at the ridiculous amount of gold coins before him.

    Dragons did seem to like treasure.

    In truth, most of it was payment received from Antios of the Golden Rule Society.

    But Ian didn''t know that, so he just assumed the dragon had plundered it from somewhere.

    "What are you going to do with all this?"

    At Lucy''s question, Ian wore a peculiar expression.

    If this were the modern world, he''d rush to a high-class restaurant and enjoy a money-wasting omakase full course, flexing his wealth.

    But this was a desolate, post-apocalyptic... no, a medieval fantasy world.

    Restaurant? Where would you find such a thing in a barony?

    Wait, isn''t ''restaurant'' French? Why isn''t it in a Western fantasy world?

    Even primitive ancient East Asia had Chinese restaurants!

    Seriously, these uncultured Western barbarians...!

    Ian marveled once again at this amazing situation.

    A chest full of gold, but nowhere to spend it...

    "Let''s hire some mercenaries."

    "Yeah! That''s the best idea!"

    In the end, using it as war funds was the answer.

    "A new employer is always welcome!"

    Ian used the gold coins to hire a bunch of mercenaries.

    He incorporated the remnants of Inglan''s mercenaries who were grumbling about whether to return home, and Baron Damon''s subordinates into Talian''s army.

    The reason for creating an army was, of course, to reclaim the ruined baronies.

    According to scout reports, the devastated baronies had turned into playgrounds for monsters.

    When humans disappear, someone else takes their place. It was the natural order of things.

    "Then I''ll be off."

    Baron Damon was appointed as the commander of Talian''s army.

    Starting as a local bandit and becoming an army commander was quite a promotion, all things considered.

    "My lady."

    Lucy, wearing a conical hat, extended her hand with a solemn expression.

    Baron Damon kissed the back of Lady Lucy''s hand, the ruler of Talian.

    After watching the departure ceremony to the end, Lucy turned to the man standing beside her.

    "Ian doesn''t need to go with them?"

    Ian smiled slightly.

    "Baron Damon''s not a child. He can handle monsters on his own. It''s probably just orcs or kobolds anyway."

    If Ian went with the army, he''d definitely clear out the monsters. But Ian had things to do.

    "I''m busy too. I need to send Longtail and Sharpteeth home. And I have to study with my master at the university."

    Lucy grinned at Ian''s jokes.

    "You''re leaving again, aren''t you?"

    Unlike before, Lucy didn''t tremble in fear or become depressed.

    She had accepted that Ian''s journey would continue.

    She knew Ian would always return to her side.

    Talian had become Ian''s home now.

    "I have to go again."

    "Hehe. Come back sooner this time."

    Ian looked up at the deep blue sky.

    A new wind was blowing.

    ---

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 Chapter 223

    Chapter 223

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    In the southern empire, at the [Golden Rule Society] headquarters.

    Antios had initially planned to use this place as a temporary base before discarding it. Now, he returned here dejectedly.

    ''I lost...''

    He still couldn''t believe it.

    He had set out on a northern expedition with the evil dragon Predius, yet...

    In a battle he absolutely shouldn''t have lost, Antios had been defeated.

    ''Why?''

    In truth, it wasn''t entirely accurate to say Antios had lost.

    Predius, with some free time on his hands, had tried to raid another easy barony and ended up in an accident.

    But regardless of the reason, the fact remained that Predius was dead.

    A summoner who had lost their summon felt utterly powerless...

    Left with no choice, Antios decided to return.

    With mixed emotions, he gazed at the dragon''s massive corpse.

    Though Predius had been a demanding bastard who always asked for exorbitant fees, he had still worked as Antios'' contractor until now...

    "Regent!"

    "Lord Regent!"

    Other black wizards were staying at the temporary headquarters.

    The necromancer and celestial wizard, Bertholdt.

    The transmuter, Karenne.

    The two were shocked to see the dragon returned as a corpse and Antios with an expression as pale as death.

    What on earth had happened in the north for them to lose the dragon?!

    "Predius attacked a barony... and ended up getting killed."

    "Was there a knight capable of taking down a dragon?"

    Bertholdt shouted in disbelief.

    If such a knight existed, they would have gathered intelligence and been cautious from the start.

    But how could there be a dragon slayer-class knight in a rural domain of the Duchy of Araz?

    "No. The opponent was a wizard."

    "... A wizard?"

    Antios searched his memory.

    He recalled the young wizard with black hair he had seen when retrieving Predius'' corpse.

    "It was a wizard named Ian."

    "!"

    "!"

    "Yes. The very Ian you two reported about."

    Bertholdt and Karenne almost burst out laughing.

    Antios had been beaten by Ian and came crawling back!

    Antios'' defeat essentially proved that the two black wizards weren''t complete idiots.

    It wasn''t that they were incompetent �C Ian was just that damn strong!

    Haha, Lord Regent, even you can lose sometimes!

    See, I told you Ian was a complete madman!

    ...Of course, Bertholdt only thought this to himself.

    There was no one in this group so morally bankrupt as to mock the defeated leader of a secret society...

    "I knew it was Ian! I told you! That guy was suspicious! Of all people to run into! Even the Regent is no match!"

    "Shut up, Karenne."

    Antios spoke with flashing eyes.

    "I''ll cut your research budget, just so you know."

    "Eep!"

    Karenne stumbled backwards.

    Antios grew even more furious.

    Bertholdt, Karenne, and even Antios himself!

    All of them had been neatly beaten by this wandering wizard named Ian!

    At this rate, they might as well take down the [Golden Rule Society] sign and rename the group the [Ian Victims'' Association].

    Antios ground his teeth.

    By the wizard Ian?

    No.

    By those gloomy space-time wizards!

    ''Damn those space-time wizard bastards...!''

    Right now, Antios was working hard for a great cause.

    To destroy the weak fake empire and revive the glory of the old empire!

    Witnessing the return of the great magical era in his lifetime was Antios'' dream and life purpose.

    Of course, some people might die and the world order might be turned upside down in the process of achieving this grand goal.

    But when the era of emperors and magic returns, would such trivial matters be a problem?

    Antios was confident.

    With the power of almighty magic, nothing was impossible.

    "?"

    Just then, Antios heard a strange sound.

    Was that a growl coming from Predius'' corpse...?

    "Bertholdt. Did you use necromancy?"

    "No?"

    Antios hurried over to Predius.

    And was astonished.

    "Good heavens... My God!"

    Predius'' heart... was beating again.

    The dragon wasn''t dead yet!

    "How is this possible..."

    As Antios stared at the dragon''s massive body, he suddenly recalled a piece of knowledge.

    Reptilian creatures can fake their own death when faced with a life-threatening situation...!

    "... Playing dead!"

    Antios was dumbfounded, but this was reality.

    It was knowledge even Antios hadn''t known.

    To think that a mighty dragon could play dead like some damn lizard!

    Antios cheered, but that was it.

    Predius'' heart had started beating again, but he hadn''t regained consciousness.

    "Bertholdt! Go fetch some medicine!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Of course, the mere fact that he was still breathing was a miracle.

    Predius had been stabbed deep in the head with a longsword, damaging part of his brain.

    The injured body would soon recover, but...

    The brain might never fully heal, so no one could predict how he would revive.

    However, one thing was certain.

    A powerful weapon to face Ian and the space-time wizards was still alive...!

    ''Just you wait, Wizard Ian!''

    Antios'' eyes flashed.

    As he looked forward to the day he would meet Ian again.

    ------

    Ian slowly began preparing for his journey.

    He had come because of the dragon''s invasion, so now there was no reason to stay in Talian.

    The Knights of Santiago had left earlier than Ian.

    "We look forward to meeting again, brother!"

    "Take care, Lord Ian!"

    "You too, Sir Dehitri."

    The Knights of Santiago would go hunt their next monster.

    Now it was the wizards'' turn.

    "I''m sorry, Master. Will you go ahead?"

    Eredith, Inglan, Kira, and Maria decided to go to the Imperial University first.

    The reason was simple.

    "I need to take Longtail back home."

    Longtail had abandoned his nice house to come help Ian.

    It would be too inconsiderate to just say goodbye here after everything was done.

    Ian decided to escort the drake couple back to their home.

    In truth, his main goal was to prevent any potential casualties the drake couple might cause on the road.

    "Alright. Do that then."

    Eredith sent Ian off.

    It was a natural choice, since Ian was Longtail''s summoner.

    "Then we''ll see you at the university!"

    "See you later, Ian!"

    The group of wizards set off for the university. Salvador joined them as well.

    Ian took only Belenka with him, departing with the drake couple.

    He had considered taking Jubal too, but apparently he had gotten a job as a handyman at Talian Hall. (Sister Mionia had strongly recommended him.)

    It didn''t really matter either way.

    He was originally a pure-hearted young man not well-suited for a warrior''s life.

    From the start, the goal had been to find a place for Jubal to settle down.

    "I''ll be back, Lucy."

    Ian gave Lucy a light kiss on the cheek.

    Lucy blushed and waved her hand.

    "Take care, Ian!"

    ---

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 Chapter 224

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    The journey to take Longtail home was surprisingly smooth.

    It couldn''t have been otherwise.

    "M-Monster!"

    "Eek! Get out of our village, you beast!"

    Longtail and Sharpteeth.

    These monsters, whose mere presence triggered medieval people''s panic buttons, were strolling side by side.

    What madman would pick a fight with them?

    "Yes, yes~ We''re monsters~ Just passing through~"

    Ian neatly ignored the freaking-out medieval folk and kept moving forward.

    Occasionally, knights who seemed to have lost their minds blocked Longtail''s path.

    "Vile monster that disturbs the world! Come forth and face my blade..."

    "Hello there, good sirs! Keep up the hard work!"

    "???"

    They were more shocked by Ian, perched on Longtail''s back, than by Longtail himself.

    Wait, what?! How''d you get up there???

    Is this some kind of glitch?

    "Oh, oh, oh no...!"

    "Young man! If you''re being held captive by the drake, wave your staff!"

    Ian quickly shouted before Longtail could stomp the knights to death.

    "Don''t worry! This drake is my friend!"

    "Friend...?"

    "I''m the wizard Ian!"

    Only then did the knights smack their helmets.

    Ah, no wonder something seemed off!

    Shit, it''s a wizard!

    In the medieval fantasy world, when something weird happens, blaming wizards is right about half the time.

    "Ian Eredith Raven, at your service. Have you heard of me?"

    "Wizard Raven?"

    "The Black Crow Wizard!"

    Ian smiled contentedly at the knights'' reactions.

    He''d been something of a celebrity for a while now.

    This is why reputation matters.

    It saves you from having to explain everything every single time!

    "Truly remarkable. A wizard who commands drakes as familiars!"

    "Well, I don''t really command them... but think what you like."

    Ian had no interest in explaining his magic to non-specialists.

    Would they even understand if he explained?

    Talking to people who won''t understand is just a waste of words.

    "Have a good journey!"

    The knights let Ian pass quietly.

    He heard suspicious whispers behind his back.

    "To see a drake! Today must be our lucky day!"

    "Haha, who''d have thought we''d see such a wonder!"

    For some reason, they seemed to think of the drake as a symbol of good fortune.

    Ian reached Longtail''s home without any conflicts, smoothly avoiding all potential trouble.

    There was one cute incident where some shocked merchants abandoned all their goods and ran away, but.

    Apart from that, there were no troubles with humans whatsoever.

    "I should put up a warning sign or something."

    A sign that says *Caution* Drake Ahead! or something like that.

    It might not be effective, but it''s better than nothing.

    "[Thanks for your help, Longtail.]"

    [Seeing your smiling face is enough, friend.]

    "[Tell your wife I said thanks too]"

    [Haha, why don''t you tell her yourself?]

    Ian exchanged farewells with the drake couple.

    He wanted to shower them with gifts, but...

    Considering the terrible transport conditions of the medieval era, any gifts Ian sent would likely end up in the bellies of thieves.

    "The, the drakes..."

    "Ah. That guy. They''re doing well. They even have a very pretty... well, I''m not sure if she''s pretty, but anyway, a lizard-like wife now."

    "..."

    The rumors were true.

    The drakes... there were two of them now!

    They might even have babies soon!

    "So, what have you been up to?"

    Baron Kaltz asked, feeling like the sky was falling.

    He had certainly provided food and support to help solve the drake problem!

    "? I just went to check if they were living well."

    Baron Kaltz was dumbfounded.

    You crazy bastard! Did you go for a housewarming party?!

    He couldn''t understand the wizard''s way of thinking at all.

    "Then, the mountain road..."

    "Ah. I told them about that. I said not to harm travelers."

    "?"

    Ian briefly summarized his conversation with Longtail.

    In exchange for not harming travelers, he would provide alcohol and food.

    "They won''t harm the merchants!"

    "Of course. Even if they accidentally encounter a drake, if they mention my name, the drake will let them pass."

    Only then did Baron Kaltz regain his smile.

    Ah, I see~ You scared me~

    So the drake problem is solved after all~

    As long as the mountain roads could be used freely, the baron was more than satisfied.

    "Since that''s settled, Baron. I''d like to request some alcohol and meat as gifts for the drakes."

    "...?"

    Is that... how it works?

    Baron Kaltz tilted his head.

    It did work that way, actually.

    Ian was a wandering wizard, so he couldn''t prepare gifts for the drakes.

    The only option was for Baron Kaltz, who was nearby, to prepare them.

    The baron was slightly worried.

    "... If it''s enough to satisfy a drake, won''t we need to prepare quite a lot?"

    "However you prepare it is up to you, Baron."

    Ian said with a smile.

    "If you don''t take care of the drakes, I can always ask someone else."

    "..."

    "But since the drakes are my friends, I''d be really grateful if you could help out."

    Baron Kaltz quickly did some mental calculations.

    "Do we have to offer tribute every month?"

    "No. I''ll contact you in advance, so you can prepare then. I like Longtail, but I don''t have time to visit every month."

    The baron grinned.

    This was definitely a profitable deal.

    By just preparing some alcohol and meat, they could be completely safe from the drakes'' threat, and even get help from the wizard Ian.

    For example... if enemies attacked in the direction of the drakes'' nest.

    If they just called Ian, a great wizard + two drakes would join as allies!

    Even if there were no enemies, they could use the excuse of the drakes'' alcohol bill to summon Ian and ask for help.

    "Since the drakes have opened the road, it''s only right to repay them!"

    Baron Kaltz declared magnanimously.

    "I''ll prepare a cart full of sweet mead and honey-cured ham!"

    "Oh. Thanks for the cool deal, Baron."

    And so, Baron Kaltz once again strengthened his connection with the wizard.

    Ian easily secured gifts for the drake couple, and Baron Kaltz gained the ability to borrow the power of a wizard and drakes in times of need.

    It was a deal that satisfied everyone.

    ---

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 Chapter 225

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    "Maybe I should learn magic too."

    Belenka, riding her horse beside Ian, spoke up.

    After receiving Baron Kaltz''s warm hospitality and spending half a day playing with the baron''s son, Ian set off leisurely towards the Imperial University in Dranheim, having replenished his food and horses.

    "All of a sudden?"

    Ian had accepted the baron''s kindness without much thought.

    Baron Kaltz was originally friendly to travelers (not killing them on sight was already considered kind enough), and he was even more welcoming to Ian, a wizard.

    Moreover, since they had just struck a satisfactory deal, it was natural to part on good terms.

    "Watching you, it seems like you''re living life so easily."

    "Are you picking a fight?"

    Ian chuckled.

    Judging by Belenka''s expression, she seemed half-serious.

    From Belenka''s perspective, it might seem unfair.

    She was an excellent knight in her own right, but...

    Ian the wizard could travel without spending a penny, just strolling around with nothing but the clothes on his back!

    Plus, when knights were desperately fighting, he just had to click his fingers for overwhelming convenience!

    "If I''d learned magic, I think I could''ve done as well as you..."

    "?"

    What''s with that baseless confidence?

    If Kira were here, she''d have scoffed, but she had already left for the Imperial University.

    "Ah. I see. Is this the ''Peak of Ignorance''?"

    "Peak of... what?"

    Ian nodded in understanding.

    Usually, when others do something, it always looks easy.

    And if someone makes something look super easy, it''s not that the task is simple, it''s that the person is damn good at it.

    When watching League of Legends montages, you might think, ''Hey, I could do that too,'' but in reality, you''d be in the gutter.

    In fact, Belenka had reached quite a high level in the realm of swordsmanship.

    Ian''s magic might look easy to her.

    "Belenka. You should start by learning how to read."

    "... What''s reading got to do with magic!"

    Wow.

    Ian was amazed at Belenka''s magical ignorance.

    She wanted to do magic without even knowing the relationship between language and magic!

    "You speak just fine!"

    "Words have power in them. It''s a concept of kotodama."

    "... Are you deliberately using difficult words?"

    "No. Is this difficult? If we consider the self as the subject of magic, then the interaction between self and other is communication, and since the other is another self and part of the world, it can become the object of magic..."

    Belenka, watching Ian ramble on without taking a breath, completely abandoned any thoughts of learning magic, even if just for a moment.

    She felt like her head was starting to throb just from listening.

    How the hell did Ian study those squiggly letters...?

    Ian enthusiastically explained the [basic concepts of magic], hoping it might help Belenka somehow, but she didn''t understand a single word.

    No, beyond not understanding, it was horrifically boring.

    The local priest''s Bible reading would be far more interesting!

    "So! You might perceive fire as just fire! But the mystery doesn''t necessarily have the same 100% identical impression as you!"

    "What are you talking about? Isn''t fire just fire to the mystery too?"

    "It''s different! How could the concept of fire perceived by the mystery of water be the same as the concept of fire perceived by the mystery of fire!"

    "... I quit! Forget it!"

    In truth, the concept of magic did have some overlap with linguistics.

    But there was no way Belenka, who had spent her whole life as a knight, could understand these concepts.

    Belenka, who had thought about studying a bit alongside Ian since he was going to university, neatly folded away that ridiculous idea.

    As expected. Studying is for wizards!

    Belenka was content just exercising with Sir Salvador.

    "Hm?"

    In the midst of their chat, Belenka spotted a group of travelers ahead.

    Not just ordinary travelers, but a group with many priests.

    It looked like some high-ranking member of a religious order was on the move...

    The other group also noticed Ian and Belenka and approached them.

    "You there. Haven''t seen your faces before. Travelers?"

    It was an extremely slovenly knight.

    It wasn''t particularly surprising.

    Originally, ''knight'' was just a term for unemployed bums who were good with swords.

    If he was from a well-known family, he''d likely be a noble who knew honor, but.

    Someone who starts with informal speech to strangers like that probably didn''t receive proper home education.

    "This is perfect timing. You there, wench! I''ll pay you handsomely, so come and do some work!"

    "Are you talking to me?"

    Belenka asked back in a voice of disbelief.

    The knight spoke shamelessly.

    "Yeah! The priest I serve, Father Berum, has been feeling lonely without proper entertainment. Your beauty is quite radiant, so come and brighten up the priest''s drinking party!"

    Oh...

    Is this what they call street casting? (It''s not)

    Since starting to travel with Ian, Belenka rarely wore her helmet in everyday situations.

    But not covering her face had the side effect of attracting aggro from crazy people like this.

    Nine times out of ten, they were probably looking down on Ian and Belenka for traveling just the two of them.

    Usually, high-status travelers bring along plenty of servants and slaves.

    But Ian found managing servants troublesome, so he traveled with a small group, leading to situations like this.

    Neeeeeigh!

    Feeling its chastity threatened(...), the mare started shaking violently.

    "Wha, what''s going on! Why are you suddenly acting like this!"

    Confused by his horse''s sudden wild behavior, Zenik lost his grip on the reins.

    Zenik fell off spectacularly, and Belenka burst out laughing.

    "Still don''t get it? This is magic!"

    "Ma, magic?!"

    Zenik finally grasped the situation.

    Ian had been muttering strange words all this time...

    So that was him chanting magic spells!

    "You... vile wizard!"

    Zenik, now furious, tried to charge at Ian barehanded.

    But at that moment, the mare blocked Zenik''s path.

    [You perverted human! Die!]

    Wham!

    "Ugh!"

    The mare delivered a merciless kick to Zenik.

    A horse''s kick is no joke, it''s powerful enough to kill a person.

    There''s a reason zebras are the animals that kill the most lions in Africa.

    "Ouch."

    Ian and Belenka both winced at the same time.

    That looks incredibly painful.

    It might be a funny scene in a comedy movie, but in reality, it breaks bones and can even kill.

    Fortunately, Zenik didn''t die, but he''d be bedridden for a while.

    "What''s going on here!"

    Hearing the loud horse neighing, Father Berum''s group rushed over.

    They were speechless at the scene before them.

    "Wow..."

    "Is he still alive?"

    They noticed Ian and Belenka and approached.

    "Wh-Who are you?"

    "I''m the wizard Ian. Are you Father Berum''s servants?"

    "Yes..."

    "Take me to Father Berum."

    Soon, Father Berum came running, out of breath.

    Father Berum was a very generous-looking person.

    A plump man reminiscent of when Ian first met Takarion.

    ''Is this guy an otaku too?''

    Just as Ian thought he might get along well with Takarion.

    Father Berum shouted in a shrill voice.

    "Oh no, Zenik! What have you done to my nephew!"

    "..."

    Ah shit. They''re related.

    It wasn''t that unusual.

    Because of blood ties, even a thug-like person could become a knight.

    But Father Berum.

    Traveling with Zenik suggests he might not be such a righteous person either...?

    "Calm down! This man is a wizard!"

    "A wizard?"

    Father Berum approached Ian without batting an eye.

    While wizards have high authority, priests of Heaven''s Faith are no pushovers either.

    Unlike nobles, priests rarely have to bow their heads to wizards.

    "Speak up! What crime did my nephew commit for you to leave him in such a state!"

    "..."

    It was decision time.

    And Ian quickly made his judgment.

    Somehow, it seemed like Father Berum wouldn''t listen even if Ian honestly explained Zenik''s actions.

    "It''s a bit awkward to discuss here."

    "Why? Did you use some magic that can''t be spoken of in public?"

    "It''s not that..."

    "If you''re not a black wizard! Why can''t you speak!"

    Ian smiled slightly and gestured.

    Father Berum approached Ian.

    Then Ian spoke in a whisper.

    "It''s about your nephew''s... sexual preferences."

    "...?"

    "It seems he likes horses more than women, if you know what I mean?"

    "???"

    If Zenik had heard this, he would have foamed at the mouth, but unfortunately, he''s currently unconscious from a horse kick...

    As soon as he heard Ian''s words, Father Berum immediately sensed something was wrong.

    "Come with me! Let''s talk inside!"

    ---

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 Chapter 226

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    ''Surely... it can''t be true.''

    While medieval sex lives were relatively free, that freedom only extended within the bounds of common sense.

    If someone were to shout, ''I prefer furry beasts to humans!''

    Whether modern or medieval, people would likely react with a disgusted expression, saying ''Ugh... furry freak!''

    Of course, human preferences vary wildly, so some might shout ''totally possible!''

    But whether medieval or modern, unusual sexual desires are still unusual.

    And a fondness for besti*ality[1] has never been a mainstream preference...

    ''My nephew... likes beasts!''

    If Zenik had heard this, he would''ve been dumbfounded.

    But Zenik, who should be defending himself, was currently unconscious and unable to say anything.

    Only Ian.

    Only the cunning wizard''s tongue would determine that young man''s future...!

    Father Berum dismissed the others and asked Ian directly.

    "Tell me. What exactly did my nephew do?"

    "I''ll explain slowly."

    Ian explained in detail from start to finish, without missing a single moment.

    He told how Zenik had first picked a fight with Belenka, and Ian had stepped in, unable to stand by.

    Then, by chance, Zenik''s secret preferences were revealed - or so the story went.

    As soon as Ian finished speaking, Berum shouted to defend his nephew''s honor.

    "Didn''t you cast some strange spell? Like magic that makes someone like beasts...!"

    "I swear on my master''s name, absolutely not."

    It was 100% fact.

    The magic Ian used was on the mare, not Zenik!

    "While studying magic, I learned to understand the hearts of beasts."

    "...?"

    "The mare told me first. She said her master was looking at her with lustful eyes."

    Father Berum''s jaw dropped in disbelief.

    What...? Understanding beasts'' hearts?

    Shit, how is that even possible for a human!

    But while he was incredulous, he accepted it.

    His opponent was a wizard, after all.

    It wasn''t unusual for wizards to have strange abilities.

    Magic that reads animals'' minds?

    Well... it could exist!

    "How can I believe that?"

    "Usually I only show this skill when summoned as a wizard, but..."

    Ian went outside and had a servant bring some horses.

    "Go fetch a few horses."

    "Y-Yes sir!"

    When the servants brought the horses, Ian spoke in the Maronius language.

    "[Friend. What''s the most unpleasant thing that''s happened to you lately?]"

    The horse whinnied and expressed its feelings.

    [I ate damp hay and got an upset stomach... The diarrhea was awful...]

    Ian patted the horse and said to the servant,

    "It must be hard managing the horses'' feed these days?"

    "... Pardon?"

    "There''s been a lot of rain lately, hasn''t there? This friend says he got an upset stomach from eating wet hay."

    "!"

    The servant stammered in surprise.

    "H-How did you know that...!"

    Ian calmly replied.

    "This friend told me?"

    The servant couldn''t close his gaping mouth at Ian''s mys-terious ability.

    Can he really... really read horses'' thoughts?!

    Ian went ahead and listened to the other horses'' thoughts too.

    "This one seems to be enjoying life. Says he has no complaints?"

    "This one says he''s in love with Zenik''s horse... What? You can''t mate because of breed management? Tsk tsk. Sorry, friend. Looks like you''ll die a virgin because of your balls.

    My stallion friend."

    The servant was even more shocked by Ian''s unfaltering testimony.

    He might''ve been able to guess about the horse with an upset stomach, but there was no way he could''ve known about the horses'' love lives.

    Yet... Ian got it right in one go!

    That scrawny stallion was scheduled to be gelded soon. He couldn''t do his job properly because he was always lusting after the mares.

    Zenik felt a chill run down his spine.

    But having come this far, he couldn''t just keep quiet and turn back.

    "What are you doing now! That wizard cast magic on me, he''s a black wiz-"

    As soon as the word ''black wizard'' popped out,

    Berum shouted, his ears turning bright red.

    "Shut up! Who do you think you''re raising your voice to!"

    "U-Uncle?"

    "Call me Father! You idiot!"

    "???"

    Berum quickly turned his head.

    Praying that Ian was sitting there nonchalantly...

    But Ian, who had tangled with black wizards many times, couldn''t have missed the word ''black wizard''.

    Ian immediately began his wizard act.

    "Father Berum. I think I just heard that fellow call me a ''black wizard''?"

    "Ah, no, that''s..."

    "I feel like my ears have been sullied. Father, this makes me want to complain about this unpleasantness to Father Isilla..."

    "!"

    Through his short conversation with Ian, Berum had gathered a lot of information.

    The most important being that Ian was friends with Father Isilla from the Blue Key Monastery.

    Who was Father Isilla?

    He was a living legend who had returned after making a mad missionary video against the northern barbarians in his youth, and a friend of Archbishop Teranos!

    Moreover, this young wizard Ian was friends with ''Golden Finger'' Takarion and had worked with Cleric Leshach, the Knight of God!

    Just hearing about it made Berum''s knees weak - such powerful connections in the order!

    "You... filthy horse-loving bastard, apologize for your rudeness this instant!"

    "H-Horse-loving? What are you talking about!"

    Zenik immediately protested his innocence.

    What kind of hell had unfolded while he was briefly unconscious?

    But Berum didn''t listen to a word Zenik said.

    "Wizard Ian here told me everything! About how you lust after your mare in disgusting ways!"

    "??? Me?"

    Zenik was dumbfounded.

    It''s not like he was a kid who just discovered his sexual identity...

    Was I... actually a horse-lover?

    No, fuck!

    That can''t be right!

    "Father! Are you really trusting that wizard''s cunning tongue over me right now!"

    For a moment, Zenik and Ian''s eyes met.

    With superhuman reflexes, Ian flicked out his tongue like a snake.

    It was a very (former) Korean-like display of dedication to trolling others.

    Moreover, he looked just like a real evil black wizard!

    Zenik turned to Berum in shock.

    Now he understood...!

    Uncle has fallen under that evil black wizard''s spell!

    "You bastard! How dare you cast magic on my beloved uncle! I''ll cut out that tongue of yours so you can never use your sorcery again!"

    "Wha-What are you saying, you madman!"

    Panicked, Berum threw the wine cup he was drinking from at Zenik!

    "Ack!"

    Hit by the wine cup, Zenik stopped in his tracks, stunned.

    "Is there anyone out there! Take this fool away at once!"

    "U-Uncle! Uncle!"

    Zenik shouted like a madman that he had to save his uncle~ but.

    Berum just wanted to get Zenik out of his sight.

    "... I''m at a loss for words. I apologize on behalf of my nephew."

    Though he wasn''t angry at all, Ian put on an act of being upset.

    Hmph, Ian''s mad!

    "I understand your situation, Father, but I''m not sure how many more times I can tolerate this."

    "... I''m truly sorry."

    Ian, who had been practicing his wizard act, had greatly improved his acting skills.

    If he''d known he''d become a wizard in a fantasy world, he would''ve studied theater and film in his past life. Ian felt a bit regretful.

    ---

    [1. raei: besti*ality, is flagged on kofi it seems, hence the *.]

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 Chapter 227

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    For several days, Ian traveled with Father Berum.

    Until now, Ian had focused on moving quickly with just Belenka.

    Naturally, their luggage was light, and their food and lodging were rough, barely enough to sustain life.

    It was uncomfortable, but Ian, now an experienced traveler, could tolerate it well enough.

    However, Father Berum''s group was completely different from Ian''s.

    Heavy tents and servants!

    Servants to manage the horses, skilled cooks for various dishes, and even women in charge of laundry.

    If he hadn''t introduced himself as a ''priest'', one might have mistaken him for a high-ranking nobleman on a journey, given the luxurious procession.

    "Come now, Lord Ian! Have another drink!"

    "Hmm. This is good wine."

    Father Berum had boasted about giving Ian ''special treatment'', but.

    Within a day, Ian quickly realized.

    Father Berum... was just a man who naturally loved luxury!

    The venison grilled with fragrant pepper and the sweet aged wine weren''t things you could find just anywhere, even with money.

    He must have stocked up on plenty of gourmet ingredients, given his keen interest in fine foods.

    Lavish feasts were held every night.

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Come on, aren''t you supposed to be a priest?

    What kind of priest lives more luxuriously than barons and counts?

    "Oh ho! Where are you looking! Don''t you see Lord Ian''s cup is empty!"

    "Oh my~ I''m sorry, Father!"

    "Tsk tsk. Your big bosom is making you sluggish, I see."

    Tee-hee-hee!

    The beautiful women serving drinks burst into laughter with perfect timing.

    Not because Father Berum was sooo funny.

    They were just women who were extremely good at socializing.

    When the highest-ranking person in the place makes a joke, how could you not laugh?

    Seemingly used to it by now, the women giggled at Father Berum''s crude humor like he was some department head.

    "Here~ Have another drink~"

    A woman leaned in close to Ian as she poured the wine.

    The intoxicating scent and the soft presence touching his arm.

    By Father Berum''s standards, this must fall under ''generous hospitality''.

    "Our wizard is just too cute!"

    "That''s right! Such fair skin, and such handsome eyes!"

    "I think the wizard''s lips are the most attractive!"

    The women whispered in Ian''s ear with sultry voices, as if blowing a breeze.

    Their eyes betrayed their desperate desire to seduce Ian.

    In truth, with Ian''s level of magical skill, these women would behave the same way even if a pig was sitting there instead of Ian.

    Becoming a wizard''s wife would mean drastically improving their lot in life, after all.

    For someone who enjoyed female company, this situation would be paradise itself.

    Beautiful women who supposedly adored him were on standby, just an arm''s reach away.

    But surprisingly, Ian found the drinking party uncomfortable.

    Ian was a perfectly normal heterosexual man who liked women.

    But isn''t there a limit?

    They were coming on so strong, as if they wanted to devour even his bone fragments, that he couldn''t feel any affection at all.

    "Hmm..."

    Maybe he should ask for the women to be removed.

    It would be rude to Father Berum, but... so what?

    Ian was the one being entertained, and he had the right to enjoy himself as he pleased.

    But just then.

    "Move aside."

    "... Pardon?"

    "I said, move your ass."

    Belenka created space by smacking the woman''s bottom.

    The woman glared at Belenka with an expression full of discontent.

    Ian sincerely admired that woman''s incredible courage.

    Wow... Is she doing this even knowing Belenka is a knight?

    Belenka smirked as she brushed off the women''s glares, then calmly ordered.

    "It''s cramped here. All of you, go outside and dance."

    "... What did you say?!"

    Belenka glanced at Ian, who immediately looked at Father Berum and said.

    "That sounds like a good idea, doesn''t it?"

    But in this desolate medieval fantasy world, opportunities to taste such gourmet food were rare.

    "Father. Those girls don''t seem to want to dance. Their expressions are..."

    "What?! Get those asses moving properly before I have them spanked!"

    "Eep..."

    Ian tormented the women who had been clinging to him persistently just moments ago while leisurely enjoying his meal.

    ------

    The exciting culinary journey with Father Berum was coming to an end.

    After eating and drinking merrily, they had suddenly arrived at Count Dufel''s domain.

    "Oh..."

    "Haha. You seem surprised. It''s quite a magnificent place, isn''t it?"

    Surprisingly, Count Dufel''s domain had a proper city.

    It was a city called ''Heltingen'' ruled by Count Dufel.

    Until now, Ian had only seen domains with huts surrounded by wooden fences (Barony of Talian) or those with modest castles built (Barony of Kaltz).

    This was almost the first time Ian had seen a city protected by real medieval-style walls.

    A natural moat using the river and high outer walls.

    Inside the walls were rows of tall two-story houses, and further in was the inner castle where the lord and distinguished guests resided.

    It was a beautiful scene straight out of a European postcard.

    ... Actually, it might be more suitable as a default Windows wallpaper, but anyway, Heltingen was a proper medieval fantasy city.

    "Uncle. Now that we''re here, shouldn''t we part ways with that wizard..."

    "Get lost, you horse-lover."

    "..."

    Zenik felt like he was going crazy with frustration.

    No, I''m! Not! A horse-lover!!!

    But no matter how much he protested, his uncle, who had already been bewitched(?) by the wizard, wouldn''t listen to a word Zenik said.

    Zenik was treated like leftovers even in Heltingen.

    "Welcome! Father Berum! We''ve been waiting for you with bated breath!"

    "Haha! Don''t lose your head now! Young Master Fin."

    Ian followed Berum and immediately met the lord.

    The lord''s name was Fin.

    He was the son of the late Count Dufel and would soon become the new count.

    Though called ''young master'', he was in his mid to late 30s.

    If the count doesn''t die, you''re still ''young master'' whether you''re 30 or 40.

    Just like how there was a man called ''prince'' even at 70 because the queen lived too long.

    "We need to execute the will quickly..."

    "Oh my. My legs are so sore from traveling so far. I wish I could rest in a soft bed..."

    Does he really need a soft bed? Or does he need soft breasts?

    Ian was suspicious, but anyway, when Berum complained of fatigue and lay down, Fin was at a loss for words.

    What can you do when a priest says he doesn''t want to work?

    Fin whispered secretly to Berum.

    "Father... If we don''t execute that bastard quickly, I''ll be in trouble!"

    "Don''t be so impatient. You''ve already caught him, haven''t you? If a future lord gets anxious over trivial matters, what will your subordinates think?"

    "... I understand. I was too hasty."

    Ian stood there blankly, listening to their secret? conversation.

    What the... They''re treating Ian like he''s some kind of invisible man or scarecrow.

    Is this like some grand strategy game where anyone below the rank of baron isn''t considered human?

    Finding it ridiculous, Ian asked Father Berum directly.

    "Who is the lord planning to kill?"

    "Ah. There''s such a person. Count Dufel''s bastard son."

    Berum spoke nonchalantly.

    "What was it, Baron Mud or something? Quite a famous thief."

    "???"

    Ian''s jaw dropped.

    ''Count Dufel''s bastard son'' was, ridiculously enough, someone Ian knew.

    Baron Mud.

    In the past, he had hired the wizard Inglan to try to rob Talian''s ancestral tomb, only to be chased away by Ian!

    He had completely forgotten about him...

    He''s about to be executed!

    "That''s good news, isn''t it?"

    "Indeed. They say he lived by digging up other people''s graves, so the empire benefits from the death of such a man."

    Ian vowed to make sure he watched Baron Mud''s execution...!

    ---

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 Chapter 228

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Baron Mud''s execution could have happened at any time, but surprisingly, the date wasn''t set immediately.

    The reason, of course, lay with Father Berum.

    "It''s probably a power struggle," Belenka said matter-of-factly.

    For some reason, Lord Fin had asked Father Berum for help instead of the domain''s own priest.

    Typically, nobles and priests have an equal relationship.

    They each have their own exclusive domains, so they don''t carelessly interfere with each other.

    But now it''s different.

    The noble asked the priest for help first, and the priest responded by coming!

    Lord Fin probably wants to use Berum and get rid of him as soon as possible.

    On the other hand, Berum will try to squeeze as much benefit as he can out of Lord Fin.

    The result is this ''power struggle''.

    Father Berum was deliberately dragging out Baron Mud''s execution to show off his authority.

    If Lord Fin bows and gives in, he''ll probably smile with satisfaction and grant his wish.

    But Fin wasn''t a complete pushover, so he kept negotiating with Father Berum every day.

    "I wish we could watch the execution and leave soon."

    "Why don''t you go play with the nobles?"

    Belenka, a complete outsider, had quickly disappeared from the lord''s attention.

    For the master of such an impressive city, a visit from a wandering knight was just a trivial event.

    "They won''t see me."

    "?"

    Belenka was slightly surprised by Ian''s answer.

    Lord Fin is refusing to meet with Ian?

    Is he really that busy?

    "Are you serious?"

    "I''m telling you, it''s true."

    Ian muttered as if he''d lost interest.

    Having acted as a wizard in this medieval fantasy world, Ian was used to receiving lavish treatment from all sorts of nobles.

    It''s only natural for nobles to entertain wizards!

    But right now, Ian was facing an unexpected situation.

    The appearance of... a noble who wasn''t interested in wizards.

    Honestly, there''s not much a wizard can do in this situation.

    Wizards are popular because they''re useful and can do incredible things.

    If a noble rejects a wizard, what can the wizard do?

    Just pack up and go meet another noble.

    "He didn''t even do the ''Calling a Wizard'' thing."

    "That is surprising."

    Calling a Wizard was an exciting event for nobles.

    It was a chance to see amazing magic and reenact the etiquette of the old Golden Empire!

    But surprisingly, Lord Fin had skipped even that.

    Even country lords who didn''t know how to do it properly would still try to force a Calling a Wizard.

    He''s kicking away this super fun event by himself?

    But considering that Calling a Wizard is the process of inviting a wizard to the palace, this was a natural result.

    Lord Fin had no intention of meeting Ian in the first place.

    "He said if I need anything, I should talk to the treasurer and take it."

    "... This is no way to treat a guest."

    Belenka muttered, genuinely angry.

    Nobles don''t share food and travel supplies with wizards because they''re pushovers.

    It''s to build connections with wizards, hear about what''s going on in the world, and sometimes borrow the wizard''s wisdom.

    But he won''t meet and just tells him to take stuff?

    There are people in this world who go from house to house, eating and sleeping for free.

    We usually call such people [beggars].

    Lord Fin''s attitude was just like this.

    ''Ah~ I don''t care about wizards or whatever~ If you''re hungry, go get some bread from the kitchen and scram~''

    He was treating Ian not as a wizard, but like some wandering jester.

    Ian felt more curious than angry.

    What on earth is he doing that he''s ignoring a wizard''s visit and only clinging to Father Berum?

    "I''ll go with you if you want to complain."

    "Nah. There''s nothing to complain about."

    Even Ian, who was used to acting like a wizard, had some decency.

    Wow! The other person is giving free food but won''t meet me! Should we go beat him up? If you ask that, you''re a pure psychopath.

    Where else can you get free food?

    Even if the other person is being a bit of a jerk, it''s a level you can tolerate.

    Why? Because you can just leave after getting supplies!

    "Everyone seems busy, so let''s just kill some time and leave."

    "Oh ho. Then I''ll go check out the market."

    "The market?"

    "The hand mirror I was using broke. You can find good stuff in cities like this."

    Recently, Ian had put a handful of gold coins in Belenka''s hand. It was gold from raiding the dragon''s lair.

    Now that she had money, she was off to enjoy some exciting shopping.

    Ian thought about sightseeing in the city too... but decided to try meeting Lord Fin one last time.

    It would be a tiny bit awkward to just eat and run without saying anything.

    But this is too much!

    How are they going to deal with the aftermath?

    But Ian shook his head.

    Heltingen is a medieval city.

    Once you become the master of the city, you can pretty much ignore any outside pressure.

    Do it first, then leave the consequences to your future self!

    It''s the ultimate ''I''ll deal with it later''!

    "Crazy bastard..."

    Just the fact that he''s willing to forge his dead father''s will shows that Lord Fin isn''t in his right mind.

    Of course, it could mean his disappointment was so great that he lost his senses.

    He probably firmly believed he''d be the next count without question...

    Then out of nowhere, he gets a quest to ''find the lost treasure''?

    He might have lost his reason in disappointment and acted rashly in anger.

    But that''s not important.

    "What''s this treasure the dead count wanted?"

    "How, how should I know?"

    "Tsk. You''re useless."

    "???"

    Zenik made a face like he couldn''t believe it.

    I... I just shared extremely important information with you!

    "I''ll lift the curse. Though I''m not sure if it is a curse."

    "Re-really?!"

    "Yeah. I can hear the rest from Baron Mud."

    "... What?"

    Zenik was dumbfounded again.

    Baron Mud should be locked up in the tower, awaiting execution, right?

    No matter how much of a wizard Ian is, it''s impossible for him to meet Baron Mud.

    You think Lord Fin would let Ian meet Baron Mud just because he''s gone crazy?

    "... Give it up. Even if you''re a great wizard, if you upset the lord now, you''ll end up in jail too."

    "?"

    For a moment, Ian didn''t understand what Zenik was saying.

    This bastard...

    Did he think Ian would naively run to Lord Fin and say ''Please open the door~''?

    How empty is his head!

    Ian honestly expressed his current feelings.

    "Are you stupid?"

    "What?!"

    "Of course I''m going to meet him secretly."

    "..."

    Zenik was at a loss for words at Ian''s wi-se answer.

    Yeah, you''re so damn smart.

    You''re the best...

    But you know what.

    How the hell are you going to ''secretly'' enter a tower with only one entrance! You wizard!

    "Well, go back to what you were doing. I''m leaving."

    "W-Wait!"

    Zenik hurriedly chased after Ian.

    Ian headed towards the tower where Baron Mud was supposedly imprisoned.

    Since there was only one entrance, there were only two guards.

    Ian looked up at the sky casually.

    A day with a strong tailwind blowing.

    Perfect weather for using magic.

    "[Oh wind!]"

    Ian closed his eyes and concentrated.

    He could hear the wind whispering.

    Ian conveyed his will to as many wind mysteries as possible.

    "[Rise up!]"

    Ian''s air magic level was 5.

    A level 5 air wizard can use the power of wind to lift people into the air.

    Zenik, who had hurriedly followed Ian, lost his mind at the overwhelming sight before his eyes.

    "Huh...?"

    A person... is floating.

    A whirlwind was lifting a person into the air!

    "Wow...! Wow!"

    This time, Zenik lost his ability to speak.

    Because he saw Ian flying into the sky!

    Look at that!

    It''s a flying wizard!!!

    ---

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 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Baron Mud''s capture by Lord Fin was purely coincidental.

    Born as Count Dufel''s illegitimate son, Baron Mud had never known the glory of nobility and instead wandered as a vagabond.

    All he''d learned was petty theft, robbery, and grave robbing.

    Needing to survive day by day, Baron Mud picked up various skills from veteran thieves.

    Eventually, realizing grave robbing was his forte, Baron Mud decided to specialize in it.

    "Huh?"

    While robbing graves as usual, Baron Mud found something unexpected.

    "What''s this?"

    Being an elite thief who could read and write, Baron Mud carefully read the text on the item.

    "Treasure? Northern people''s treasure?"

    It was none other than... a treasure map.

    It contained a brief history about the northern people and the House of Dufel.

    Though it seemed like digging might yield interesting items...

    "Better sell it."

    Baron Mud decided to sell the treasure map without much thought.

    He figured it wasn''t worth wasting time chasing after treasures that might not even exist.

    Fortunately, some rich sucker bought Baron Mud''s treasure map.

    "Wow...! So this map shows where the northern people''s treasure is hidden?"

    "Hehe. Of course it does!"

    Having pocketed the money, that should have been the end of it.

    Baron Mud was ready to move on.

    Planning to forget about it completely and move on to his next job...

    "Found you, bastard!"

    "What the?"

    Out of nowhere, thugs appeared and kidnapped Baron Mud.

    When he came to, he was in Heltingen''s lord''s manor.

    "You! Where did you hide the treasure map?"

    "Treasure map...?"

    "The one you stole from the grave!"

    The man standing before Baron Mud was Lord Fin, the temporary master of Heltingen.

    Lord Fin had just finished his cute and precious son-like act of secretly peeking at his dead father''s will.

    Startled, Lord Fin had ordered an immediate investigation into what this "treasure" his father mentioned was.

    And the investigation revealed that Baron Mud, that worthless bastard who deserved to be boiled alive, had stolen and sold the only treasure map...!

    Lord Fin was dumbfounded.

    What would happen when the will was announced?

    What about his title as count?

    Was he supposed to watch some random schmuck declare "I found the treasure, so I''m the next Count Dufel!"?

    Though such a claim would never be accepted, Lord Fin was still anxious.

    Heltingen was a city. That meant many people had vested interests in it.

    Medieval cities desperately wanted independence from their lords, while lords wanted to keep their grip on these golden geese.

    Therefore, Lord Fin needed a succession that was beyond any doubt.

    Even the possibility of someone finding fault with it was intolerable.

    "My lord! What are you doing?"

    "...Go back to the priest''s quarters."

    Count Dufel''s elderly priest tried to protect Baron Mud.

    The priest had helped write the deceased Count Dufel''s will. Naturally, he knew its contents and that Baron Mud could potentially become the next Count Dufel.

    "My lord, everyone in the city knows that Arc is the late count''s illegitimate son."

    "So what?"

    "With succession so close at hand, what will the citizens think if they see you killing your half-brother?"

    "..."

    Unlike the countryside, cities had strong civilian power.

    Unlike rural domains where lords wielded absolute power, noble families in cities had to consider public opinion. Such large communities were difficult for one person to control completely.

    "As a priest of Heaven''s Faith, I cannot stand by while you kill a brother who has no right to succession."

    "No right to succession?"

    "Of course not. Unless... perhaps you''re not confident about becoming count?"

    Lord Fin was furious at the priest''s impudent words.

    This bastard who knew the will''s contents had some nerve!

    Though Lord Fin also knew the contents, he had to pretend he didn''t.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about! I''m simply executing this shameless thief who robbed our ancestors'' graves according to the law!"

    "Then delay the execution until the will is announced."

    The priest wanted Lord Fin to prove he wasn''t trying to kill his brother, but a criminal.

    Lord Fin showed his determination by imprisoning Baron Mud.

    While reassuring the priest this way...

    He secretly plotted to replace Count Dufel''s priest with Father Berum and make some slight adjustments to the will.

    "Do you... know that the imperial people originally came from the north?"

    "Yes, I know."

    Baron Mud nodded.

    Most ignorant Holy Empire people didn''t know, but the imperial people''s roots were in the north.

    "When our ancestors came down from the north to the empire, they brought some northern treasures with them. House Dufel''s treasure is one of those."

    "Northern treasure?"

    The ancient northern people had brought these items when they moved to the empire.

    "It was lost several generations ago, now only passed down in records."

    "Do you know anything about it?"

    "...I heard a few things from my ''father'' when I was young. House Dufel''s treasure is a [Holy Painting]."

    "Holy Painting?"

    Ian first thought of Heaven''s Faith religious paintings but shook his head.

    If northerners brought it, it must be northern religious art, right?

    Ian had been to the north.

    Worship of Hrundal, the Ice God, was common there.

    "Do you know about the pagan goddess ''Hrundal''?"

    "Very well. She''s the goddess northern shamans worship."

    "...Is there anything you don''t know?"

    Baron Mud was freshly surprised by Ian''s knowledge.

    Knowing about imperial roots and pagan goddesses...

    Wizards really were knowledgeable.

    "Father said it was a painting the goddess herself drew and bestowed. Just looking at it fills you with courage to face any enemy, only men can see it, and women who look at it die on the spot."

    It did sound like something an ancient barbarian tribe would receive.

    Group buff effect + only men can look, women die if they see it?

    "This smells like magic."

    Hearing Baron Mud''s explanation, Ian grew curious about House Dufel''s treasure.

    First, the part about Hrundal personally drawing and bestowing it was interesting.

    An item drawn and given by a goddess who enjoyed painting?

    Like Ian''s Arcana cards, it wouldn''t be strange if it held some magical power.

    "Why would she draw such a strange painting?"

    Ian tilted his head, remembering Hrundal''s cold expression.

    She hadn''t seemed like someone who''d enjoy making weird items...

    Was this just proof that human thinking couldn''t understand goddesses?

    "Hoho. Ian. Do you want House Dufel''s treasure too?"

    Baron Mud had no doubt Ian wanted the treasure.

    A painting with mysterious powers!

    What curious wizard wouldn''t want to investigate it?

    "Then I, the noble of elegant grave robbing, Baron Mud, am your best choice for finding it!"

    "Hmm..."

    "By the way, I''m the only one who knows where the treasure map is!"

    That wasn''t wrong.

    After all, Baron Mud was the one who''d sold it...!

    He planned to try tracking it down once he escaped.

    It wouldn''t be easy, but if he failed he could just run away.

    "Treasure map?"

    "Yes! The one and only map showing where House Dufel''s treasure is hidden..."

    Ian remembered something and searched his clothes.

    He pulled out a well-folded map.

    Ian silently unfolded it.

    "..."

    "..."

    Baron Mud and Ian fell silent simultaneously.

    Finally, Baron Mud spoke.

    "Where... did you get that?"

    "Professor Inglan gave it to me."

    In Ian''s hands was none other than House Dufel''s treasure map...!

    Inglan had been captured while searching for it.

    After defeating Karenne, Inglan had given it to Ian!

    Ian felt strange remembering Inglan''s bright smile.

    Professor, so you can actually find useful things sometimes...?

    "That old geezer''s still obsessed with treasure hunting?!"

    "You''re talking a lot for someone who made money off that treasure hunting."

    ---

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 Chapter 230

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    ''Let me sort this out.''

    Ian calmly analyzed the current situation.

    ''Lord Fin has given up on finding House Dufel''s treasure.''

    The reason was unclear.

    Maybe he didn''t want to waste time and money on treasure hunting. Or perhaps his bitterness toward his father made him stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the treasure''s existence.

    Lord Fin had chosen to alter his father''s will rather than search for the treasure.

    ''But Baron Mud can find the treasure.''

    The treasure map was in Ian''s hands.

    Plus, Baron Mud was a veteran thief seasoned in exploring dangerous places.

    Therefore, Ian had several options.

    ''If I side with Lord Fin.''

    Since Ian had the treasure map, he could help Lord Fin search for the treasure.

    In this case, Lord Fin could declare himself the rightful heir without the messy business of forging the will.

    However...

    ''The reward might be lousy?''

    The problem was that Lord Fin might just clam up after finding the treasure.

    After all, Ian was just a wandering wizard, while Lord Fin would become Heltingen''s supreme authority once he succeeded.

    He''d obviously try to pay Ian off with just a few gold coins.

    But Ian didn''t really need gold.

    He''d already gotten a chest full of it from killing the dragon...

    Magical items or enhancement materials for Anor-lsil would be better than gold.

    ''If I side with Baron Mud.''

    This was high risk, high reward.

    If successful, House Dufel''s treasure might fall right into Ian''s hands.

    Moreover, Baron Mud... might even become the next Count Dufel.

    If the previous count''s will was properly executed!

    That would put the city''s ruler deeply in Ian''s debt, which would be beneficial in many ways.

    ''...I think it''s better to encourage Baron Mud.''

    Ian felt more drawn to Baron Mud''s side than Lord Fin''s.

    Someone who''d alter his father''s will probably wouldn''t keep his promises either.

    He''d already brought in Father Berum and the two were clearly in cahoots.

    Though Ian didn''t know much about Father Berum, he knew well enough that he wasn''t exactly righteous.

    Birds of a feather flock together - Ian had no interest in getting friendly with Berum''s partner.

    ''Still, might as well try talking.''

    It might end up being their final conversation, but.

    Ian chose dialogue anyway.

    It was a sort of occupational habit he''d developed as a wizard.

    If words might work, try talking first!

    Even if Lord Fin wasn''t trustworthy, talking would be better than not talking at all.

    Though he didn''t expect much, Ian prepared several spells before deciding to meet Lord Fin.

    If he didn''t like either Baron Mud or Lord Fin, Ian figured he could search for the treasure alone.

    Though that would mean postponing the treasure hunt for a while.

    "Baron Mud. How much do you know about the current situation?"

    "Hmm. That I''m about to get fucked over by Lord Fin?"

    "You know quite a bit."

    From the looks of it, Baron Mud clearly knew nothing about the previous count''s will.

    ...Ian realized just how much high-level information Zenik had spilled.

    If Father Berum found out later, a simple scolding wouldn''t cover it.

    "Baron Mud. There might be one way for you to survive..."

    "!"

    When Ian started with the implication he could help him survive, Baron Mud immediately rushed over like a desperate man.

    As expected!

    That wizard was interested in House Dufel''s treasure!

    "What is it! Just tell me!"

    "...No. Forget it."

    "What?"

    "I''ll come back later. If I don''t return, guess it wasn''t meant to be~"

    "..."

    Baron Mud''s jaw dropped.

    Wait, didn''t he just say he''d help?!

    And now he''s just leaving?!

    What kind of asshole...!

    Just like a wizard, he was an incredibly eccentric bastard!

    "Wh-What?!"

    Ian leaped out the window.

    Baron Mud rushed to look outside, but there was no splattered corpse to be found.

    ...Ian was slowly descending to the ground, wrapped in wind.

    ''A-Amazing magic...''

    Though Baron Mud didn''t know Ian''s magical capabilities well.

    He believed a wizard of that level could definitely save him.

    "?"

    An incredibly swift movement.

    Ian finally realized that Lord Fin was a properly trained swordsman.

    Swordsmanship was basic education for nobles.

    My lord''s sword was quite fierce!

    ''He won''t even listen?!''

    Though dumbfounded, Ian understood Lord Fin''s reaction.

    This was a secret operation, and he''d probably already finished negotiating with Father Berum.

    Things weren''t good enough to pretend nothing happened and order Ian to find the treasure!

    From Lord Fin''s perspective, the treasure didn''t matter anymore.

    He''d already prepared everything to become count, so who cared about treasure!

    Better to kill the wizard here than risk being manipulated.

    Wizards were suspicious characters after all!

    ''So that''s how it is.''

    Lord Fin intended to silence Ian permanently.

    And this was within Ian''s expectations.

    ''So much for trying to talk.''

    Ian grumbled internally.

    Since becoming a wizard, he''d developed the habit of trying dialogue first.

    But Lord Fin rejected conversation.

    "[Arno! Isil!]"

    Ian immediately summoned the mystery of the sword.

    Anor-lsil shot out from his waist like lightning!

    Clang!

    "What?!"

    Lord Fin couldn''t believe his eyes as he stared at the ''sword'' that had blocked him.

    The sword... was flying!

    A flying sword!

    "What is this...!"

    Lord Fin was startled momentarily but quickly regained his composure.

    A wizard having magic items was natural, in a way.

    Lord Fin called for the guards.

    "Is anyone out there! There''s an assassin here!"

    Ian just smirked.

    Ah. So that''s how you want to play it?

    "I don''t know what made you bold enough to come alone! But this will be your grave! Wizard!"

    Guards waiting outside rushed in instantly.

    Lord Fin pointed his sword at Ian and shouted triumphantly.

    However.

    Despite being surrounded by over a dozen soldiers, Ian remained calm.

    He''d come prepared for the worst case scenario, with plenty of spells ready.

    And Ian''s specialty was dark magic.

    "How disappointing, my lord."

    "Y-You bastard...! Still so arrogant...!"

    "I''ll take your rejection of my offer and withdraw."

    Suddenly.

    Pitch-black darkness began surging from beneath Ian''s feet...!

    "W-What is this!"

    "I can''t see anything!"

    The soldiers shouted in panic.

    Lord Fin also jumped in shock and quickly scrambled under his desk.

    If the wizard held a grudge and came to kill him, he''d be finished!

    "Catch him! Catch the wizard!"

    The soldiers flailed their arms around but grabbed nothing.

    Only.

    [May your path be filled with thorns, my lord.]

    The wizard''s voice echoed emptily in the darkness.

    It was a mysterious voice prophesying an ominous future.

    "Ah..."

    An eerie foreboding washed over Lord Fin.

    Only then did he frantically shout.

    "W-Wait! Come back! Wizard! Let''s! Let''s talk about this!"

    "..."

    The darkness vanished.

    Ian''s presence had disappeared like magic.

    Lord Fin turned pale.

    ''I''m fucked...!''

    ---

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 Chapter 231

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Chaos erupted in the lord''s manor.

    "My lord! What is the meaning of this! What happened?"

    Father Berum, who had been about to wrap things up, was hit with this bolt from the blue.

    He stood there dumbfounded.

    What? Wizard Ian broke into the lord''s manor?

    Failed in an assassination attempt on Lord Fin?

    That made no sense...

    Seeing that nothing added up, Father Berum immediately questioned Lord Fin.

    Lord Fin explained while dripping cold sweat.

    "He... knows about our plan."

    "So you branded him an assassin?"

    "I meant to kill him right away! But then he used some strange magic..."

    Father Berum smacked his forehead.

    This fool!

    Did he truly not understand how many tricks wizards had up their sleeves!

    "If you meant to kill him, you should have succeeded!"

    "I know! But..."

    Honestly, Lord Fin felt wronged.

    It wasn''t like he knew nothing about wizards.

    All the wizards Lord Fin had met before were arrogant, self-centered idiots who lived only to show off.

    Fools who wouldn''t know what hit them until a blade pierced their throat!

    Wizards were indeed vulnerable to surprise attacks.

    They didn''t have some kind of omniscient ability. Wizards were just people with unusual language skills, and without mysteries to borrow power from, they were just humans who talked well. R??

    If sweet talk could stop a blade, every noble''s guard would be a wizard.

    Lord Fin had naturally assumed he could kill Ian.

    But who knew he''d have a flying magic sword?

    If he''d known about that artifact, Lord Fin would have moved more carefully!

    ''Of all people to mess with, it had to be Ian...!''

    Father Berum also felt an ominous chill.

    During their brief time traveling together, Father Berum had learned all about Ian''s religious connections.

    Ian wasn''t someone you could suppress with authority.

    Not only did he have strong religious backing, but he was also hailed as a hero in Talian!

    "Lord Fin! I''m washing my hands of this!"

    "What did you say?!"

    Lord Fin looked at Father Berum with a deep sense of betrayal.

    You''re abandoning the plan just because we lost one wizard?

    "I don''t know how Ian discovered our plan, but now that things have come to this, Ian will definitely find House Dufel''s treasure."

    "...!"

    "When Ian returns with the treasure, it''s all over. I have no intention of fighting Ian, so handle it yourself!"

    Father Berum cleanly cut ties.

    If they got into a dispute with Ian over the will, Ian would definitely bring in his connections from the Heaven''s Faith order.

    With bad luck, bishop-level or even cardinal-level priests might get involved...

    Was Father Berum crazy enough to go up against Heaven''s Faith cardinals?

    Though from a noble family, Berum was just an ordinary priest who had to mind his superiors.

    His noble background just meant some of his debauchery was overlooked.

    If the higher-ups decided to go after Berum, all he could do was cry.

    "Father... Berum!"

    "Young master, you should come to your senses and move quickly."

    Lord Fin started to get angry but stopped.

    With Father Berum washing his hands of it, there was only one way this could go.

    The execution of the late Count Dufel''s will...!

    "House Dufel''s treasure. If you don''t hurry, Ian will take it."

    "God damn it!"

    Lord Fin regretted his foolish actions, but the water was already spilled.

    Now all he could do was move quickly, as Father Berum said.

    "Go fetch Sir Murray!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Dear heavens!

    Why! Why this trial?!!!

    "Is that how you talk about someone who rushed here to help you? Ian you bastard?"

    "I-Ian you bastard..."

    Had to fix this...!

    Baron Mud desperately shouted:

    "...Let me make an acrostic poem with that! Give me the first word!"

    "I."

    "Ian Eredith Raven! True hero of our age!"

    "You idiot."

    Ian kicked Baron Mud.

    Baron Mud, that bastard, was quite the madman.

    "Over there! There''s the wizard!"

    "Get him!"

    Seeing soldiers rushing toward the tower, Ian whistled softly.

    Being chased by soldiers - it had been a while.

    "Hmm?"

    Just then, an arrow flew into the tower.

    A letter was tied to it.

    [Head to the south gate first]

    "Baron Mud. Who''s at the south gate?"

    "The south gate..."

    Baron Mud answered with slightly furrowed brows.

    "That''s Sir Rima''s gate."

    "Tell me more."

    "...Sir Rima was a knight loyal only to the late Count Dufel. He doesn''t listen to Fin."

    Low chance of getting caught, then.

    "What do you think? Will Sir Rima help you?"

    "I... don''t know..."

    If you don''t know, you try.

    "Let''s run first, think later."

    Ian grabbed Baron Mud and threw him down from the tower.

    "Aaaaargh!"

    In a world where bungee jumping wasn''t a leisure sport, this was quite an experience for Baron Mud.

    What medieval person got to jump from a tower top with no equipment?

    "How is it? Fun, right?"

    "Ha, hahaha... So much fun, sir!"

    Ian kicked the glaring Baron Mud again and moved to the market.

    Sure enough, soldiers searching for Ian were prowling the market too.

    "There! Isn''t that the wizard?"

    "And Baron Mud''s with him!"

    But Ian''s allies were also in the market.

    "Get them!"

    Thwack!

    "Ugh!"

    A soldier rushing at Ian got knocked out by a flying apple(...).

    Belenka walked out from an alley with a sour expression.

    "Heard the commotion and came to check... it was you? Ian?"

    "I''ll explain later. Let''s move for now."

    Belenka grumbled but followed Ian''s lead.

    As they approached the south gate, the number of pursuers noticeably decreased.

    "I''ve been waiting, Arc. And wizard."

    "A pleasure to meet you, Sir Rima."

    A muscular old knight greeted Ian.

    Ian passed through the south gate with Baron Mud.

    ---

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 Chapter 232

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Ian left Heltingen under Sir Rima''s escort.

    Though Fin must have issued search orders, Sir Rima didn''t even pretend to follow them.

    The knight''s subordinates were the same.

    They were Heltingen''s soldiers, not Fin''s men.

    "Thank you for your help, Sir Rima."

    Sir Rima just nodded with a face as rigid as marble.

    He was so tight-lipped that Ian felt awkward trying to make conversation.

    He seemed like the type who could have an interesting "not talking competition" with Carl the earth wizard.

    "I only did what needed to be done," Sir Rima finally said after a long pause.

    "Fin lacks the capability to rule Heltingen. What''s worse is his refusal to acknowledge his own shortcomings."

    Sir Rima spoke his complaints about the lord quite openly.

    The fact that he could openly criticize a noble showed just how formidable a knight he was.

    "I assume he wanted to kill Arc because of the succession issue."

    "You''re well informed."

    Though Sir Rima didn''t know the contents of the previous count''s will, he could guess how things had played out even without knowing the details.

    Baron Mud had been staring at the ground silently the whole time.

    Ignoring Baron Mud, Sir Rima addressed Ian.

    "I''ve been watching Fin ever since he started meddling with Heltingen''s priest. Seems he was plotting something sinister."

    "Good guess, Sir."

    Ian briefly recounted what had happened with Lord Fin.

    Sir Rima nodded as if he''d expected it.

    "We''ll need to bring the priest back."

    "There''s no need to confront the lord right away. Even though things went wrong, we still have Father Berum."

    "What do you think, wizard?"

    Ian shrugged.

    "Nothing special. First we need to get House Dufel''s treasure, then use Heltingen''s priest''s help to drive those two out."

    Sir Rima muttered expressionlessly.

    "The city council will be pleased."

    One man''s misfortune is another''s joy - as House Dufel weakened, the Heltingen city council would naturally grow stronger.

    "Return when you''ve found the family treasure, Arc."

    Sir Rima addressed Baron Mud.

    The baron, who had kept silent until then, finally managed a response.

    "... Are you giving me orders now, Sir Rima?"

    "..."

    Ian, caught in the middle, was startled.

    Shit. This bastard wasn''t Pentagon, so why was he suddenly throwing spears around? What the hell.

    Arc''s precious (or impulsive) words instantly ruined the atmosphere.

    "What did you say?"

    "You... After never once looking for me all this time! Now you tell me to find the family treasure?"

    "..."

    "I was just another piece in his collection from the start! Just a collectible emphasizing barbaric blood! And now..."

    Baron Mud''s voice trailed off.

    Sir Rima, who had been listening silently, delivered a heavy response.

    It wasn''t an apology saying ''I''m sorry for everything until now...''

    "Stop being childish, Arc."

    "..."

    "The Count could have thrown you out, or even killed you. The only reason you''re still alive despite everyone knowing you''re the Count''s bastard is because of his mercy."

    Baron Mud didn''t answer.

    He went back to his silent mode, just staring at the ground.

    Naturally, Sir Rima bid farewell to Ian.

    "Well then, I leave it to you, wizard."

    "I owe Lord Fin a debt. I''ll return with good news soon."

    As a knight of Heltingen, Sir Rima couldn''t travel far.

    After parting with him, Ian rode slowly.

    Now only Ian, Belenka, and Baron Mud remained on the road.

    Belenka pointed at Baron Mud and asked,

    "Ian. Why did you bring him along? And what happened at the lord''s manor?"

    "W-Well... I could have just run away..."

    "Oh yeah? Then try running. But if I catch you, you die."

    "..."

    "I said run. What''s wrong? Suddenly lost your confidence?"

    "M-Master Ian...!"

    Under Belenka''s harassment, Baron Mud appealed to Ian about his diminishing mentality.

    Ian silently pushed Baron Mud away with his foot.

    #

    Belenka was in a bad mood after being dragged away from shopping, and Baron Mud made a good target for venting.

    "Hey thief."

    "Yes! I''m a thief!"

    Ian was greatly impressed by Baron Mud''s response.

    In this medieval fantasy world, he''d seen many classes like knights, wizards, and priests in his party, but this was his first time having a thief class.

    Thief, Baron Mud!

    Specialties: lockpicking, avoiding traps, stealing treasures from others'' graves!

    Wow, a real thief!

    "Answer quickly! Want to be hanged?"

    "Eek! Spare me! Noble knight!"

    "..."

    But unlike the romantic stealth characters from other RPG games, this medieval fantasy world''s thief was... just a criminal bastard.

    Not so great after all, thief thief...

    Well. In this era, someone who introduced themselves as a thief couldn''t possibly be a proper person.

    "Your father''s a noble, right?"

    "..."

    "So why do we have to go through all this trouble?"

    It could have been a sensitive question.

    But the thoroughly irritated Belenka lacked such delicacy at the moment, and Baron Mud had to give some kind of answer.

    "I am Count Dufel''s son... but I wasn''t born to a married couple."

    "I heard. You''re the count''s bastard?"

    Ian listened to Baron Mud''s story from the side and soon lost patience.

    The former Count Dufel was truly an odd one.

    "My mother was a slave sold from the Sand Empire."

    "A slave?"

    Belenka was shocked at the first words.

    Nobles getting involved with slaves was actually quite rare.

    Why would a noble stoop to touching a dirty, lowly slave?

    Not when beautiful women would line up just for some money to warm their beds.

    An extremely beautiful slave?

    If she was that beautiful, someone would have already made her their mistress and kept her close.

    Generally, slaves doing menial work were definitely not beauties, no matter how generously you looked at it.

    But... the world of fetishes is wide and deep.

    "Father apparently fell for mother''s ''wild'' look."

    "..."

    "Well. People from the Sand Empire do look somewhat barbaric, don''t they?"

    The former Count Dufel had a barbarian fetish.

    He hated the civilized(?) Holy Empire and dreamed of living in the cold, desolate north.

    That''s why he went after Baron Mud''s mother, and Baron Mud was born.

    "To that man, I was just another collectible. He wanted others to know about me, but never treated me as a son."

    Ian nodded.

    It seemed unlikely that Baron Mud would have positive feelings toward House Dufel.

    ''That''s why his reaction was lukewarm when told to inherit the count''s title.''

    Even a noble title that most would snap up eagerly, Baron Mud didn''t particularly want.

    Perhaps he even wanted to sever all ties with House Dufel.

    ''I just need to get my hands on the treasure.''

    ---

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 Chapter 233

    TL/Editor: raei

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    Standing before a valley where cold winds blew, Ian looked around.

    The ruins of an old fortress with collapsed walls overgrown with blue weeds.

    That was Ian''s destination.

    "According to the map, this should be the place..."

    Ian slightly furrowed his brow.

    These damn medieval maps needed to be more reliable.

    As a long-time traveler, Ian had encountered all sorts of maps.

    Medieval maps rarely rose above the level of amateur scribbles.

    Map makers would probably feel offended hearing that, but it was simply fact.

    Medieval cartographers weren''t idiots - they worked hard walking everywhere to draw their maps.

    But maps drawn by people eyeballing distances naturally ended up with severely distorted measurements.

    What looked like a small rocky hill worth drawing tiny on the map might actually take three days to cross.

    And the biggest reason maps got distorted was...

    They filled in places they''d never been to with pure imagination!

    Say a cartographer wanted to sell maps. But when they tried drawing one, there were too many areas they hadn''t visited.

    So they''d use their imagination to fill in what ''might be there~''

    Was it okay to write maps like some fantasy novel?

    Having blank spots was actually more problematic.

    When customers bought maps with empty areas, complaints immediately followed.

    ''Hey, aren''t you supposed to be a cartographer? Why''s this part empty? Is it DLC?''

    ''Well... I haven''t been there yet... Updates coming soon.''

    ''Tch! Some cartographer you are! Let''s go to another shop!''

    Whether 1000 years ago or now, difficult customers were always the problem.

    To avoid mindless complaints from troublesome customers, cartographers filled empty spaces with their imagination, and surprisingly, it worked well.

    In fact... the more interesting the made-up details, the better the maps sold!

    ''Look here! This map says there''s a land covered in gold at the eastern edge!''

    ''Eek! I''m sorry...''

    ''This is awesome, got any maps with more detailed lore?''

    ''???''

    That''s why medieval maps had so many weird versions.

    Claims about cliffs at the edge of the world, lands where giant dragons lived...

    Such fun and quirky imagination might have added excitement to medieval people''s boring daily lives...

    But to Ian, who had been a modern person, it was just fucking annoying.

    No, you damn scammers. If you haven''t been somewhere, just write that you haven''t been there. Don''t distort the maps!

    "Hey. Thief."

    "Yes! Thief here!"

    Baron Mud rushed over at Ian''s call.

    Ian pointed at the map and asked.

    "What''s this about ''Warriors Bjorn and Junken fighting over treasure''?"

    Ian desperately hoped this wasn''t just some easter egg the cartographer had thrown in.

    And his prayers were somewhat answered.

    "Ah! That''s the story!"

    As Count Dufel''s ''show-off child'', Baron Mud had grown up hearing various tales about northern barbarians.

    Though he''d only passively listened to Count Dufel''s ramblings.

    "Warrior Bjorn was the one who stole House Dufel''s treasure and ran away."

    "He''s a thief too?"

    According to Baron Mud''s story:

    Warrior Bjorn had run off with the treasure, and Warrior Junken had chased after him.

    The two had their final battle here, at this valley fortress.

    They fought to their very last breath...

    "And they both ended up dead."

    "...? What about the treasure?"

    "No one knows! That''s why it''s missing!"

    Ian habitually kicked Baron Mud.

    "Ouch!"

    Then he caught himself.

    Oh no... despite living in medieval times, to be this steeped in violence!

    He shouldn''t lose his pride as a modern person.

    Ian nodded to himself after contemplating this.

    To Belenka, it was quite an odd sight.

    Well, Ian doing strange things wasn''t anything new.

    "Are you evaluating the impact?"

    "What impact?"

    Though he did weird things, Inglan was still a university professor after all...!

    "Setting up camp is fine. Go with Belenka and buy supplies. I''ll scout ahead."

    Ian walked straight into the underground entrance of the ruined fortress.

    Watching from afar, Baron Mud jumped in shock.

    As Ian moved into the darkness, shadows extended like tentacles and began wrapping around his body...!

    "Th-That!"

    "Don''t make such a fuss. That''s just Ian''s magic."

    Belenka spoke as if it was nothing special.

    "The darkness will protect Ian."

    Ian was a wizard beloved by mystery.

    Underground exploration might be extremely dangerous for normal people.

    But that didn''t apply to dark wizards.

    "There was a village nearby. Let''s go buy something."

    "Hehe. If I just steal some stuff, we could save money..."

    "Shut up, thief."

    #

    Ian patrolled the abandoned fortress''s underground alone.

    An underground world filled with pitch-black darkness.

    ''A dungeon.''

    Dungeon!

    This place Ian had entered was literally a ''dungeon''.

    Not the kind with monsters crawling around, boss monsters and treasure chests waiting...!

    A dungeon was an underground space built to imprison criminals or store supplies.

    "[Darkness, light my path.]"

    [Using Skill: Dark Vision]

    Upon entering the dungeon, Ian used his dark vision magic.

    It was the same magic he''d used to escape that dark cave in the past.

    [Hello! Ian!]

    [It''s nice and quiet here~ Right?]

    Voices of darkness whispered in Ian''s ears.

    Though not a single ray of light penetrated this dark world, Ian moved forward without difficulty.

    Crack!

    As he stepped forward, rotted bones crumbled.

    Human bones were scattered throughout the underground dungeon.

    ''Signs of battle.''

    Ian recalled Baron Mud''s story.

    In the past, the warrior who fled with the treasure and his pursuing subordinates had fought a fierce battle in this fortress.

    The scattered bones were remnants preserving memories of that battle.

    ''Not much here.''

    Ian thought this and smirked.

    It made sense when you thought about it.

    Why would there be anything in an abandoned fortress''s underground dungeon?

    Dungeon exploration was similar to digging through garbage in ruins.

    Terrifying man-eating monsters, guardians protecting treasure - those were all fiction created by overstimulated modern people...

    "Woohoo~~~!"

    "???"

    A voice echoed from somewhere.

    Torchlight flickered in the distance.

    ''People?!''

    For a moment, Ian was dumbfounded.

    What madman would crawl into an underground dungeon?

    But when he saw the faces lit by torchlight, Ian sighed.

    "Friends! Look at this! It''s Takarion''s Gospel~!"

    "Woohoo~!"

    "Woohoo~! Super lucky~!"

    Kekekekek!

    A group of men piling up and rummaging through items.

    There was only one type of person who would act like this in an underground dungeon.

    ''Thieves...!''

    They were thieves.

    ---

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 Chapter 234

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Seeing the mountain of loot, Ian immediately understood the suspicious men''s identity.

    ''They must have robbed some merchants and hidden here.''

    They were thieves, having robbed passing merchants and taken shelter here.

    This abandoned fortress would be hard for pursuers to track them to.

    They wouldn''t even think to scout the underground dungeon, so the thieves had made it their hideout.

    The thieves sat around their pile of loot, sorting through valuable items.

    "Wow~! Takarion''s Gospel, how lucky~!"

    The thieves grinned ear to ear at their unexpected jackpot.

    Among items medieval merchants carried, valuable ones were limited.

    Food and clothing were average finds. Industrial goods made from forged iron were good finds.

    Precious metals including gold and silver, and books were excellent finds.

    Especially books!

    Medieval books were all handmade, carefully crafted one by one by master bookmakers.

    Some small country in the East had developed printing technology like metal type and woodblock printing long ago...

    But in this desolate post-apocalyptic era, only the raw manual labor of bookmaking existed.

    Anyone who''s tried handwriting a book knows it takes an enormous amount of work to produce just one.

    And in this medieval fantasy world, it was more profitable to plant one more grain of wheat than spend time making books.

    Making books was madness that would get you starved to death.

    So... who made medieval books?

    The answer: monks.

    Monks with time to spare made both wine and books to sell to nobles for profit.

    Spreading good teachings while making money! How perfect?

    "Hehehe! If it''s a gospel written by Takarion, those noble lords will love it!"

    "Right! Remember that noble we met before? He promised gold coins if we could get him volume three of the [Gospel of Marcus]!"

    "C-Could this be volume three?!"

    "Correct! Hahaha!"

    Watching the thieves burst into delighted laughter, Ian couldn''t believe it.

    These ignorant thieves discovering Takarion''s light novel(?) and being overjoyed...

    This was... the medieval era?

    To a modern person used to abundant books thanks to printing technology, it was quite an absurd sight.

    Though this era lacked everything.

    Anyway, they seemed excited about finding expensive books.

    ''They don''t seem to be treasure hunters.''

    Ian felt relieved.

    Since he was here looking for treasure himself, he''d been viewing everyone as potential competition.

    ''Hm?''

    But his relief was short-lived.

    Ian frowned as he spotted something writhing in the darkness beyond.

    "Hahaha! Once we sell this, we''ll be rich... Ugh!"

    "Eek!"

    The thieves screamed.

    A rusty blade had pierced straight through one thief''s chest!

    In the dim torchlight, a pale skeleton emerged.

    "S-S-S-S..."

    One thief stammered badly as he shouted.

    "Skeleton!"

    Armed with sword, shield, and helmet, they were undead monsters called skeletons.

    Literally, moving bones.

    Click! Clack!

    Along with the eerie sound of bones clicking, rusty blades flew at the thieves.

    "Holy shit!"

    "Grab weapons! Quick!"

    The thieves hurriedly grabbed weapons and fought back against the skeletons.

    Though their equipment was pathetic - leather armor and flails - they managed to hold their ground.

    Ian moved too.

    ''I should help the thieves.''

    Actually, he wouldn''t have cared if the skeletons finished off the thieves.

    But Ian had been influenced by Heaven''s Faith too.

    The mystery of heaven was already showing interest, and it felt wrong to abandon humans being attacked by monsters.

    Even if these thieves deserved death for their crimes, dying to monsters was another matter.

    ''This is what Sir Leshach would do.''

    Ian threw Anor-lsil at the skeletons without hesitation.

    Such a devout servant of heaven!

    Ian, are you a fallen angel?!

    Ian''s words about helping them purely out of faith without wanting material reward deeply moved the thieves.

    In truth, he just didn''t think the thieves had anything worth taking...

    Either way, the fact that Ian helped for free remained unchanged.

    One thief trembled as they handled Takarion''s Gospel.

    "C-Could it be...!"

    "?"

    "Oh great heavenly lord! Did you send this wizard to guide us back to the right path!"

    "???"

    What nonsense.

    I just came to find treasure.

    Ian was confused, but the other thieves were already convinced.

    No wonder there was a gospel mixed in with their loot...

    It must be heaven''s guidance to lead them back to the right path!

    The thieves pressed their heads to Ian''s feet and shouted.

    "We''ll return everything to their original owners!"

    "? Is that possible?"

    It would be right to return things if possible.

    But the robbed merchants had probably fled far away by now?

    "And to atone, we''ll follow you, Master Ian!"

    "Please forgive our sins!"

    Watching the thieves compete to kneel before him, Ian felt somewhat awkward.

    Honestly, he didn''t need followers...

    He planned to leave as soon as he found the treasure. That''s why he hadn''t hired workers.

    Baron Mud would probably be the only one happy about the thieves joining.

    ''Well. Better than nothing?''

    "Come along for now. Let''s hear what you have to say."

    "Yes sir!"

    The thieves lined up behind Ian.

    But there was one awkward issue.

    "Um... Master Wizard. The torches went out..."

    During the chaos of battle, all the flames including the bonfire had gone out.

    As deathly darkness approached, some thieves hurriedly made the sign of the cross.

    Not praying for heaven to send more light...

    "Please heaven, please heaven, please heaven, please heaven..."

    They were praying to go to heaven when they died.

    Their complete lack of conscience proved they were true thieves.

    "Sorry to interrupt your nonsense, but everyone line up and hold the shoulders of the person in front."

    "...? But Master Wizard, what are you..."

    "You fool! The wizard has a plan!"

    "Right! Idiot!"

    "What a fool!"

    "..."

    The resistance vanished instantly.

    Ian strode down the dark corridor.

    Though everyone trembled in fear in the pitch darkness, only Ian walked calmly forward.

    The exit was visible.

    "Oh, ohhh...!"

    "We escaped underground without a single torch!"

    To the thieves, Ian''s dark magic was pure mystery.

    They became even more convinced that Ian was a savior sent by heaven...!

    "What, Ian?!"

    Baron Mud was shocked to find Ian.

    When had he recruited people?

    "Ah. Baron Mud. Come feed these friends and let them rest."

    "Ah... yes."

    Ian used the thieves to build tents and set up temporary lodging.

    The treasure excavation headquarters was established.

    ---

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 Chapter 235

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    The forest woke from its early slumber to unexpected footsteps.

    Birds scattered noisily as hunting dogs barked and chased after them.

    Small animals held their breath, waiting for the human army to pass.

    "How''s it going, Sir Murray?"

    The leader of the human army was Fin, the lord of Heltingen city.

    After Ian had escaped with Baron Mud, he''d sent Sir Murray to track them down.

    Sir Murray was a master hunter who never lost his prey once marked.

    Before becoming a knight, he was better known as ''Murray the Hound''.

    "No doubt about it. They passed through here."

    "Impressive. So we''ve almost caught up?"

    "Of course, my lord."

    Sir Murray''s tracking abilities bordered on the mystical.

    Even Ian would have been shocked if he knew.

    In this medieval era where proper maps were hard to come by, such tracking skill?

    But human talent shines through regardless of era.

    Every field has its geniuses.

    ''Seeing his praise, the pay must be good.''

    Sir Murray smirked. He was a knight who only cared about getting paid.

    Lord Fin also wore a smile of satisfaction.

    ''Whatever you do... I''ll never let you have the count''s title!''

    Though his alliance with Father Berum had hit a snag, it wasn''t over yet.

    That damned treasure mentioned in his father''s will!

    If he could just get the treasure back somehow, everything would return to normal!

    ''It''s just a temporary abnormality! I''ll set everything right!''

    Lord Fin dreamed of normalizing the count''s house...

    "Hurry! We must catch him before he steals the family treasure!"

    "Leave it to me, my lord!"

    Sir Murray led the way.

    Lord Fin and his soldiers diligently pursued the wizard Ian.

    #

    After setting up the treasure excavation camp, Ian reported his scouting results to Belenka and Baron Mud.

    "Skeletons?"

    "Yeah. Seems there are undead monsters wandering around."

    Belenka and Baron Mud nodded silently.

    Belenka was one thing, but Baron Mud was surprisingly calm?

    Ian was somewhat impressed by this unexpected reaction.

    Though he called him a thief...

    Could it be that real thief''s courage lived in his heart...!

    "Baron Mud. You don''t seem surprised?"

    "What''s there to be surprised about? When you rob graves, you meet undead till you''re sick of them."

    That was it.

    Baron Mud had encountered undead monsters so many times that skeletons no longer surprised him.

    But Ian saw Baron Mud differently now.

    Meeting monsters often and not feeling fear were separate matters.

    The reason he could stay calm before monsters must be because he had the ability to neutralize them!

    "Oh, then you must know how to deal with skeletons?"

    When Ian asked, Baron Mud grinned and answered.

    "Of course!"

    "What is it! How do you do it?"

    "First, bring some slaves as bait to distract them. If there are no slaves, draw lots to pick an unfortunate sacrifice..."

    Belenka kicked Baron Mud hard.

    "Ouch!"

    "You bastard. We really should hang you. You dare use fellow Heaven''s Faith believers as bait?"

    "N-No... that was just a surprise~ It was all a joke!"

    "A joke?"

    "Hahaha! Got you good, didn''t I? Pretty convincing, right?"

    "Belenka. Give him a few more kicks."

    Thump, thump.

    Watching Baron Mud get thoroughly beaten, Ian thought.

    As expected, there was no clever way to deal with undead.

    In his experience as a wizard, Ian found ''opponents you can''t talk to'' the most troublesome.

    At least if you could talk, you might try persuasion...

    When conversation wasn''t possible, it was hard to utilize a wizard''s strengths.

    ''I miss Maria.''

    Ian suddenly missed Maria, the necromancy prodigy.

    Though Ian had witnessed death''s mystery several times during his travels, for some reason he hadn''t gained much necromancy experience.

    So Ian still couldn''t use necromancy.

    ''Feels like I''m almost there...''

    Unable to communicate with the mystery, Ian felt an inexplicable frustration and discomfort.

    ''So this is magic.''

    Baron Mud started to understand why skilled wizards commanded such high prices.

    Just adding one wizard completely changed the quality of exploration!

    No swordsman, no thief familiar with the underground could imitate a wizard''s unique abilities.

    "M-Master Wizard! There''s a group of skeletons...!"

    "I know. Keep your voice down."

    Ian pressed against the narrow passage and whispered to the mystery of darkness.

    "Del raha disnos."

    [Using Skill: Dark Stealth]

    Darkness has the power of concealment.

    The power to hide things and make them undetectable.

    Ian maximized this power with magic.

    "Master Wizard! Master Wizard! They''re coming...!"

    "Stay calm. They won''t find us."

    The thieves held their breath, waiting for the skeletons to pass.

    "!"

    Just as Ian said, the skeletons didn''t notice them...!

    ''Wow...!''

    ''So this is a real wizard!''

    The thieves looked at Ian with almost love-struck eyes.

    The wizard had uttered mysterious incomprehensible words, and even undead monsters couldn''t detect them!

    Even to ignorant thieves, Ian''s magic had ''style''.

    If a wizard like that helped with thieving... it would be so romantic!

    "When we get out of here safely... should we ask the wizard if we can join him?"

    "Hmm..."

    "Hmm..."

    They imagined founding a ''magic-thief gang''.

    Phantom thieves who freely control darkness appear! The Holy Empire now fears the night!

    The true lord of the night, Wizard Ian!

    While lost in such delusions, one of the thieves suddenly had a seizure.

    "Master Wizard! Please help!"

    Belenka frowned at the convulsing thief.

    "Ian. Did they catch something..."

    "No. The magic worked properly. This one''s been stuck to him since we entered the dungeon."

    Ian''s necromancy knowledge wasn''t perfect, but he had the basics down.

    "He-hehehe...!"

    The thief foamed at the mouth and burst into maniacal laughter.

    It was a typical case of spirit possession by an evil spirit.

    "Looks like we''ve got ghost-type undead too, not just skeletons."

    "...You didn''t know? Ian?"

    "Nope. Didn''t know."

    "There''s something even you don''t know?!"

    When Belenka expressed surprise, Ian was actually bewildered.

    What, am I not allowed to have things I don''t know?!

    "Well, I never learned necromancy."

    "My goodness. To think there''s magic even you don''t know..."

    It wasn''t like he was born with necromancy talent like Maria.

    Expecting Ian, who had already mastered various magics, to learn necromancy too was asking too much.

    And hadn''t Ian already shown natural talent for dark magic?

    "I don''t know all the magic in the world..."

    Ian paused mid-sentence.

    [Skill: Necromancy (100/100) - Achievement Complete]

    [You are ready to learn a new skill!]

    "?"

    [You can now learn Necromancy.]

    [Condition: Communicate with the mystery of death.]

    [You''ve detected a friendly mystery of death nearby!]

    Ian blankly stared into space.

    He really could sense a unique death power that he hadn''t felt before.

    "Ian?"

    When Ian suddenly spaced out, Belenka worriedly called out.

    Could he have been possessed by a ghost too?

    "Belenka."

    "Yeah. Tell me."

    "You know how I didn''t really understand necromancy until now?"

    "?"

    "Well, I think I get it now."

    "???"

    Belenka stared at Ian in disbelief.

    Don''t tell me... you just figured out a new magic right here?!

    ''What an absolutely crazy genius...!''

    ---

 Chapter 236

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "But I thought you didn''t know?"

    "Yeah. Earlier I didn''t."

    "So now you do?"

    "I think I''m starting to understand."

    Belenka stared intently at Ian for a moment.

    This guy... could he be lying about just figuring it out after secretly practicing?!

    But his face showed no signs of deception.

    Though some flaky wizard might put on airs with ridiculous boasting, Ian had no reason to do so.

    While Belenka didn''t know magic herself, she understood how difficult it was to learn.

    Magic wasn''t something you could just pick up like loose change on the street as Ian seemed to do.

    But Ian had done exactly that.

    He truly was disgustingly talented.

    "Master Wizard..."

    The other thieves looked worriedly at their possessed companion.

    "Stand back."

    First, Ian decided to try speaking to the ghost.

    "[Spirit, can you hear me?]"

    "He-hehehe..."

    There was no response.

    As expected, Ian''s necromancy ability wasn''t complete yet.

    Once completed, he could invest his remaining skill points to upgrade its performance.

    But with the skill itself incomplete, there was nothing he could do.

    [You''ve detected a friendly mystery of death nearby!]

    ''This must be it.''

    The condition for learning magic was, as always, communication with mystery.

    To fully acquire necromancy, he needed to find the mystery of death.

    "No choice then."

    "Master Wizard...?"

    "Someone carry this friend. We''re going deeper."

    "B-But...!"

    The thieves nervously glanced at each other, thoroughly frightened.

    The dungeon was already crawling with undead and ghosts... was it really right to go even deeper now?

    "What are you doing! Didn''t Master Ian tell us to prepare to go down!"

    Baron Mud scolded the thieves.

    "Shining gold awaits you! With the wizard here, are you really going to pass up treasure!"

    "W-Woohoo..."

    The thieves cheered weakly.

    As expected, a thief best understood thief psychology.

    They were all here for money, so how could they turn back with treasure right in front of them!

    "Don''t worry. Below, there''s a spirit who will help us."

    "...? Master Wizard, how do you know that..."

    "You idiot! The wizard just said so!"

    "Right! Idiot!"

    "How pathetic!"

    Ian led the thieves deeper.

    Though they faced skeleton attacks and ghost possessions along the way, Ian''s group managed to endure.

    In a dark dungeon, a party centered around a skilled dark wizard would never fall apart.

    ''We''ve already reached the bottom!''

    Baron Mud was genuinely impressed by their incredibly fast pace.

    As a professional grave robber, he knew better than anyone how impossibly fast this was.

    With the group united in their trust of Ian at the center, they achieved an amazing speed.

    "Ian. The treasure room is ahead."

    "If the map is right, you mean?"

    "...Yeah."

    Ian opened the door without much expectation.

    He was confident he wouldn''t be disappointed even if the treasure map was wrong and there was nothing inside...

    "The wizard is speaking! Get on your knees and beg for mercy, you wicked demons!"

    "Yeah! You demons!"

    "How pathetic!"

    "...Baron Mud. Make those bastards all shut up."

    Baron Mud immediately covered the thieves'' mouths.

    "Which bastard dares interrupt while the wizard is casting spells! Want to die?!"

    "W-We''re sorry!"

    The thieves held their breath and watched Ian communicate with the undead monsters.

    ''Wonder if they''ll understand.''

    Ian was slightly nervous too.

    According to Ian''s intuition (or status window), these mysteries of death were ''friendly'' mysteries.

    Though the chances of communication were high...

    Seeing them fighting so intensely made him think they might ignore him.

    [Hm?]

    But contrary to his worries, the spirits quickly noticed Ian''s presence.

    [Oh. Who''s this?]

    [Haha! The ''look over there!'' trick? You tried that 50 years ago!]

    [No! There really is a human there!]

    [Hmm...?]

    Having been dead for so long, they didn''t immediately recognize human presence.

    It was difficult for beings of the spiritual world to perceive beings of the material world.

    It was the same principle that made humans and ghosts unable to see each other.

    But Ian had the [Necromancy] skill.

    "[Pleased to meet you.]"

    In the underground dungeon where only small torches burned dimly.

    Only Ian''s voice echoed, low and eerie.

    "[I am the wizard Ian.]"

    [Oh...! A visitor!]

    [My word. To think someone would come all the way here!]

    The two spirits looked at Ian in surprise.

    To think a human had made it to the deepest part through the undead-infested underground!

    And with just a handful of people, not an army!

    [It''s been so long since we''ve seen a living human, I''m not sure how to speak...]

    [I know! Let me go first!]

    One spirit spoke to Ian.

    [Hello there! Human! I am Bjorn! A warrior!]

    [Ah. Right... I''m Junken. I was a warrior too.]

    Bjorn and Junken. He''d heard those names before.

    ''The ones mentioned on the map.''

    The one who stole House Dufel''s treasure and the one who chased him.

    ''Is that why they were fighting?''

    "[If I''ve interrupted a sacred duel...]"

    [Duel? Haha! This is just play!]

    [Yeah. When you''re stuck in this horrible underground, boredom is scarier than death]

    "?"

    Ian was slightly puzzled.

    "[You two aren''t enemies?]"

    [Ah. You thought that because we were fighting?]

    [Not particularly. We were enemies when alive, but not anymore.]

    Bjorn and Junken explained.

    Though they had fought to the death as fugitive and pursuer, after being trapped in this gloomy underground for so long, they''d somehow become best friends. r

    [The only reason I haven''t gone mad is thanks to this friend.]

    [Same here. Having someone to talk to kept me from becoming an evil spirit.]

    Bjorn and Junken grinned simultaneously.

    Though there had been various issues while alive, none of it seemed to matter after death.

    "[But why haven''t you ascended to heaven?]"

    The two spirits looked at each other.

    Bjorn spoke first.

    [Well. Because of the goddess''s picture book.]

    ---

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Warrior Bjorn fled with House Dufel''s treasure, the [Goddess''s Picture Book].

    Bjorn was Count Dufel''s bastard son at the time.

    [Back then, words like ''bastard'' weren''t so common. Most Holy Empire people were northerners who''d come down seeking new hope, and having multiple women was considered a warrior''s virtue.]

    However, northern customs weren''t accepted in the Holy Empire.

    The priests didn''t want Holy Empire people becoming barbarians occupying civilized lands.

    Their logic was that settling in a new land meant accepting new rules.

    [I was the best warrior among my brothers. No matter what anyone said, I should have been the next count.]

    "[So that''s why you stole the picture book?]"

    Count Dufel at the time struggled with the decision.

    Whether to pass the title to his legitimate child according to Holy Empire law, or to his most capable child following northern custom.

    Count Dufel sided with the Holy Empire.

    He decided to pass the title to his legitimate wife''s child instead of his talented son.

    Warrior Bjorn couldn''t accept his father''s decision.

    [The Goddess''s Picture Book would have given me legitimacy as a northern warrior. I planned to gather excellent warriors with its reputation and develop my own territory.]

    Junken chimed in from the side.

    [This guy actually found and occupied an abandoned Golden Empire fortress. Though it wasn''t suitable for living, it was perfect for defense.]

    Bjorn burst into laughter.

    [Yeah. I really gave you trouble.]

    However, Bjorn''s sudden action was taken as a challenge by Count Dufel.

    Count Dufel wouldn''t forgive Bjorn for fleeing with the treasure brought from the north.

    A pursuit team was assembled, led by Warrior Junken.

    And right here in this abandoned Golden Empire fortress.

    The two warriors fought to the death.

    [But neither of us knew.]

    [... The Goddess''s Picture Book had the power to bind human souls.]

    Ian nodded.

    Hrundal was not only a goddess who loved art, but also the warden who guarded hell.

    For Hrundal who gathered dead warriors'' souls to build armies, having the power to bind souls was entirely possible.

    [Having died near the book, our souls were bound and couldn''t leave this room.]

    [But... it has the power to keep our minds clear, so we didn''t become evil spirits like the other undead outside.]

    Ian understood how everything fit together.

    "[Are the undead here because of that picture book?]"

    [That''s right! Countless explorers have come trying to retrieve the picture book, but they all fell to the undead and became part of them! Hahaha!]

    "..."

    That didn''t seem like something to laugh about.

    As search parties kept dying and it became an undead nest, interest in the fortress naturally faded.

    Though Count Dufel wanted to recover the treasure, he too naturally lost his passion as time passed.

    To them, the [Goddess''s Picture Book] might not have been worth recovering at such cost.

    In the end, it was just a painting... they might have decided warriors'' lives were more precious.

    [That''s why we were surprised to see you. Ian the wizard, was it? How did you break through this undead-infested place?]

    "[I mostly fooled their eyes with darkness. As for the ghosts, my friends over there blocked them with their bodies.]"

    Ian pointed at the possessed thieves.

    Without their sacrifice(?), Ian, Baron Mud, or Belenka might have fallen to the ghosts'' tricks.

    "[You two must have had it rough all this time.]"

    [Well... it wasn''t that bad.]

    Though he said that, Bjorn''s expression wasn''t bad.

    He was pleased that Ian acknowledged his suffering.

    "[Then let me retrieve the picture book and free the undead...]"

    [Wait.]

    Ian was about to collect the treasure, but Bjorn stopped him.

    [Though I stole the family treasure, I never resented my father. If I were head of the family, I would have made the same decision.]

    "..."

    [While I highly value your courage in coming here, I cannot give up the treasure to someone not of House Dufel.]

    Was this blood running thicker than water?

    Even in death, Bjorn looked after the family.

    "[Are you fine staying like this forever?]"

    [I think you misunderstood? I said bring someone from House Dufel, not give up forever. With your skills, surely you could return to find me?]

    Bjorn said with a smile.

    [Or have I overestimated you? Wizard Ian.]

    If Ian ignored Bjorn''s decision, those spirits would attack him.

    Ian didn''t want to fight the spirits.

    [If you know that then please just meet your descendant.]

    Before Ian got more annoyed, Bjorn called Baron Mud over.

    "Come closer, my descendant."

    "..."

    "Why hesitate? Are you afraid? I won''t harm you, be at ease."

    Baron Mud felt an uncanny dissonance hearing Ian''s kind voice.

    ''Ian being... gentle?!''

    The cognitive dissonance of seeing that face that looked ready to kick someone speaking kindly!

    Ian had an even worse reputation than a warrior who lived with violence his whole life...

    Baron Mud approached as ordered by Ian(?).

    Ian, no, Bjorn spoke:

    "Though Sand Empire blood flows in you, you are my descendant. The thickness or thinness of a descendant''s blood matters not."

    "..."

    "Speak, my descendant. Why do you seek the lost family treasure?"

    Baron Mud hesitated for a moment.

    The reason Baron Mud joined the treasure hunt.

    "... Actually, if I retrieve the family treasure... I''ll gain the right to inherit the count''s title. It''s a perfect condition for me, a count''s bastard son."

    "Hmm. I see. I understand, descendant."

    As a former bastard himself, Bjorn understood Baron Mud''s situation better than anyone.

    After all, someone born a bastard couldn''t help but desire recognition from those around them.

    "So you too want to become count. Good spirit! Descendant!"

    "..."

    "Hm? Why don''t you answer?"

    Baron Mud hesitated.

    ... Because he wasn''t sure if he truly desired to become count.

    ''Why did I set out to find the treasure?''

    His inner ''Arc'' whispered.

    ''To become count.''

    ''For wealth and power.''

    ''... To take revenge on the family!''

    Then ''Baron Mud'' asked back.

    ''Really?''

    Becoming count would flip his life around, opening up a completely new existence.

    Goodbye to his squalid life forever. He could obtain a luxurious lifestyle commanding servants.

    But.

    Baron Mud couldn''t imagine himself sitting in a grand castle eating fine food.

    Because...

    He wasn''t House Dufel''s ''Arc'', but the thief ''Baron Mud''.

    "Ancestor. I... actually don''t want to become count."

    "What?!"

    Bjorn shouted in surprise.

    At the same time, Bjorn kicked Baron Mud!

    "Ow!"

    Baron Mud was so wronged he almost cried!

    Hey, you said you wouldn''t hit me!!!

    "Wh-Why did you hit me?!"

    "Just felt like it. You really won''t be count?"

    "... Are you Ian right now?"

    "Want another kick?"

    Baron Mud marveled at solving the mystery.

    Aha! He kicked me because he''s that bastard Ian!

    So my ancestor wasn''t lying!

    "Don''t worry! I''ll properly hand over the treasure once I get the title!"

    "Then what about you?"

    "I''ll run! By the way, I''m confident in escaping."

    Ian smirked.

    "You crazy bastard."

    Ian had never seen someone kick away a count''s title with their own feet before.

    Still not hungry enough?

    Ian didn''t really care whether Baron Mud became count or not.

    As long as he properly handed over the treasure, that was enough.

    But Bjorn cared deeply.

    "Why? You, a bastard, could become head of the family! Why would you kick away such an opportunity?"

    ---

 Chapter 238

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Though Ian''s feet had moved instinctively, Baron Mud''s decision hadn''t really surprised him.

    ''Well... he was never the type to desperately chase success.''

    It would be a lie to say he held no grudge against the family.

    But neither did he harbor an obsessive desire for revenge.

    ''Too much time has passed anyway.''

    After cutting ties with the family, they''d lived as strangers.

    This time too, they''d only gotten tangled up by chance.

    Baron Mud had chosen to continue his familiar life rather than start anew.

    "I was born a bastard to Count Dufel, the son of a slave," Baron Mud told Bjorn.

    "The family treated me as nothing more than an exotic jester. When my father''s interest in me faded as I grew up, I was naturally forgotten by the world."

    "That''s how I became a thief."

    "I made my living stealing valuables and robbing graves of the dead''s treasures."

    "That''s who''Baron Mud'' is."

    Bjorn asked, still seeming confused:

    "You''re giving up the family''s glory just to continue petty thievery?"

    Baron Mud replied with a grin:

    "Yes. Petty thievery indeed. But it''s thievery I accomplished with my own hands. My nickname as Baron Mud, my reputation as the master grave robber! All of it is the result of my own efforts!" ?

    "You''re saying a life built by your own hands is more precious?"

    At that, Bjorn let out a hearty laugh.

    "Hahaha! I get it! Who gives a damn about the family''s approval!"

    The reason Bjorn could understand Baron Mud was because he was exactly the same kind of person.

    A man with enough guts to just grab a treasure and run away!

    Bjorn really liked his attitude of just going for what he wanted without hesitation.

    "What a strange feeling. While I want to see a worthy heir inherit the family line, I also want you to live freely in this world."

    Ian, who had been listening, whispered:

    "Isn''t that just what parents feel?"

    "...You''re not entirely wrong."

    Though not his biological child, they still shared blood.

    Bjorn felt an odd familial affection for Baron Mud.

    "Very well! Descendant! You are truly worthy of possessing the [Holy Painting]!"

    "Ah...!"

    "Take the treasure and do with it as you please! Let''s end everything here! Hahaha!"

    With that, Bjorn''s possession ended.

    [Now, Wizard Ian! Take the painting and leave with him!]

    "[Thank you, Bjorn.]"

    Ian approached the worn-out box.

    Inside lay the Dufel family treasure he''d been searching for all this time...!

    Ian calmly opened the box.

    "Oh."

    At first glance, it looked incredibly ordinary.

    It appeared to be an early medieval bound book with a vellum cover.

    However, it was quite thin, with only about 20-30 pages.

    [Ian! Don''t show the book''s contents to that woman!]

    "[Understood.]"

    The Holy Painting was said to bring courage to men but death to women.

    ''What kind of content could it be?''

    The wizard''s curiosity stirred.

    Ian quickly opened the book and speed-read through it.

    "T-This...!"

    And Ian was shocked.

    "What''s in it, Ian?"

    "Stay back!"

    "???"

    Ian stood frozen, then read through to the last page in an instant.

    Only then did he let out his held breath.

    "So that''s why women couldn''t read it..."

    "Come on, what''s in it..."

    "Sorry, Belenka. No matter how close we are, I can''t show you this."

    Belenka pouted slightly, feeling unfairly left out.

    She loved adventure as much as Ian, if not quite to his degree. If she hadn''t, she would have parted ways with him long ago.

    After all their effort to get the treasure... and she couldn''t even look at it because she was a woman!

    This was too much! Curse Hrundal!

    "What''s in it?"

    "Here, read it. Ah - turn around and face the wall while reading."

    Baron Mud opened the [Holy Painting] puzzledly.

    "Oh!"

    After turning just a few pages, he gasped in shock, his hands trembling.

    Baron Mud immediately pressed his head against the wall to read.

    "Ian, really, just one page..."

    Without the skeletons and ghosts, the underground dungeon was just an old underground structure.

    "[Bjorn. This painting book - it''s not just erotic pictures, is it?]"

    [Of course not. It contains powerful mystical powers capable of binding human souls.]

    While it appeared to be an absolutely devastating fap material on the surface...

    It still contained powerful divine magic, being made by a goddess.

    ''...But why did Hrundal draw this?''

    Ian was dumbfounded all over again.

    Setting aside the fact that it was lewder than most manga, why had a goddess spent her time drawing erotic manga in the first place?

    The nature of the mystical powers contained within needed to be thoroughly investigated later.

    "Wizard! We have trouble!"

    A thief came running in panic.

    "Outside... soldiers!"

    Ian followed the thief to check outside the fortress.

    Indeed, armed soldiers were waiting across the valley.

    Their leader in the most ornate armor was someone Ian recognized.

    "It''s Fin."

    "Pretty impressive. How did he track us here?"

    Ian and Belenka genuinely admired Fin''s tracking abilities.

    In the medieval era without proper maps, the skill to track a small group of fugitives this accurately was no ordinary feat.

    Moreover, Fin wasn''t alone.

    Local nobles who had heard rumors of Fin''s passage had come out to see what was happening.

    It was natural for them to come check when a noble passed by their territory with knights and soldiers in tow.

    Fin also spotted Ian''s group and shouted:

    "Thief leader, Wizard Ian, hear me!"

    "Belenka, was I a thief boss?"

    "Well, you kind of are right now. Not exactly wrong."

    Other nobles were watching.

    While Fin had called Ian a thief leader to disparage him, ironically Ian really was leading thieves at the moment.

    To the nobles'' eyes, Ian must look like an evil wizard playing at being a thief boss.

    "I, Fin of Dufel! Shall punish you villains who covet the family treasure and restore order!"

    "Waaaaaaah!"

    Thunderous cheers filled the valley.

    Faced with the overwhelming volume (though most was actually echo), the thieves trembled in fear.

    "W-we''re done for...! We''re all going to die!"

    "Damn it! Why''d we have to run into nobles!"

    To thieves who represented the lowest fantasy combat power, nobles were like the grim reaper incarnate.

    One wrong look could get their heads chopped off!

    "Don''t be too afraid."

    "W-Wizard?"

    Ian stepped forward before the thieves'' morale could drop further.

    If Fin launched an attack now, Ian would need to use the thieves at full strength.

    "Listen up, Fin Dufel! For someone who didn''t care about the treasure, you sure talk big! Why don''t you go back and study how to become a baron with Father Berum!"

    "Huh? Lord Fin didn''t care about the treasure?"

    "What does that mean..."

    The other nobles muttered amongst themselves.

    Outsiders couldn''t know the internal succession politics of House Dufel.

    They truly believed he had purely come searching for the family treasure.

    ''As expected of the cunning wizard. His tongue drips with poison!''

    Fin glared at Ian.

    But this was expected.

    A wizard''s specialty was just their crafty words.

    Anticipating this, Fin had prepared his own speech.

    "My beloved father always wanted for our ancestors'' lost treasure!"

    When Fin shouted, the nobles'' attention focused on him.

    "But he passed away without finding it! I know well my father''s lingering regret!"

    "Ohhh!"

    "In the name of our family! I shall sweep away you thieving rats and display the [Holy Painting] before my father''s grave!"

    At those incredible words, Ian''s jaw dropped and...

    "...Pfft!"

    Baron Mud failed to hold back his laughter.

    The Holy Painting... in front of his father''s grave...

    When Baron Mud laughed, Fin bristled with anger.

    How dare that lowborn bastard laugh at me!

    "Impudent fool! You think I won''t do it?! Then I promise! Additionally, I shall gather all the nobles here and their families! Each and every one shall appreciate the [Holy Painting]!"

    "Oh! How generous, Lord Fin!"

    "The lost treasure of House Dufel... I''m truly looking forward to it!"

    The nobles chatted cheerfully amongst themselves.

    Ian was stunned.

    Had Fin truly gone mad?

    Unable to watch any longer, Ian spoke up:

    "Hey, Mr. Fin Dufel. Is your career goal to become Count Pervert Public Indecency?"

    "...Are you mocking me!"

 Chapter 239

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "No, I''m serious."

    Ian was genuinely worried that Lord Fin might actually hold a public erotic manga reading session in front of the nobles.

    He could make such bold declarations now because he didn''t know what the ''family treasure'' contained...

    But once he saw what was inside, Lord Fin would find himself in quite the predicament.

    Yet here he was, shouting without thinking about the consequences.

    "Enough talking! It only wastes breath! Knights, charge! Go and cut off all those thieves'' heads!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Lord Fin issued attack orders to his subordinates without hesitation.

    Though there were various complications regarding the succession...

    If he killed Baron Mud and Ian here and recovered the family treasure, no variables would remain.

    Solve everything with force!

    This was the perfect plan!

    "Forward! For honor!"

    The knights and soldiers charged toward the abandoned fortress as one.

    With their numbers reaching 30-40 men, it made quite an impressive sight from afar.

    "Oh, they''re coming!"

    "Everyone stay calm and hold your positions! They have to enter the fortress anyway!"

    As the raid began, Belenka immediately took charge.

    Concealing her face with a black helmet, she commanded the battlefield as a black knight.

    Fin''s army quickly reached the abandoned fortress.

    Fin watched his brave subordinates with an expression full of anticipation.

    ''No matter how talented the wizard is, he can''t handle this many people alone!''

    That was true.

    In this medieval fantasy world, wizards were just people with unique foreign language skills, not superhumans who could massacre dozens.

    A simple crossbow barrage from afar could easily kill a wizard. Few had learned mysteries to block arrows.

    Lord Fin was confident his knights would quickly eliminate Ian and Baron Mud.

    "Out of my way! The vanguard is mine!"

    A knight with a massive build shoved aside the mercenaries and entered the fortress first.

    Upon spotting Belenka, he immediately shouted:

    "Well well, pretty one! You did well ignoring me back in Heltingen!"

    "? Who are you?"

    Belenka genuinely couldn''t remember him.

    Understandable, since she had ignored all the knights who invited her to dine and left straight for shopping!

    "Ha! Never mind! You''ll be my prisoner soon enough! Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. After all, you need to bear my children!"

    "..."

    Belenka swung her sword wordlessly.

    She had heard such stupid remarks countless times before.

    "Oh! For a woman, your blade is quite sha-"

    Belenka raised her sword tip in one fluid, natural motion.

    The blade drew a silver arc as it glinted with a subtle light.

    The longsword''s point pierced the knight''s neck.

    "Gu-gurk!"

    The knight collapsed, clutching his neck.

    A wound like that would be difficult to treat even with modern medical technology, let alone in this medieval fantasy world. It was undoubtedly fatal.

    That knight would be dead within 30 minutes.

    Belenka examined her sword tip as she spoke.

    Not a single drop of blood stained the longsword.

    "I could have taken you prisoner. But I killed you because I didn''t want to keep you alive. No complaints, right?"

    "Grrrk...!"

    Had he shown proper courtesy, Belenka might have treated him as a prisoner.

    But the enemy showed no manners, so she killed him.

    "Sir Diom has fallen!"

    "Damn it! Don''t rush! Form ranks first!"

    The knights and mercenaries who arrived next didn''t charge in recklessly like the dead knight.

    At the same time, they sensed their opponent wasn''t to be taken lightly...!

    ''Weren''t they supposed to be just thieves?!''

    ''What kind of monster knight is this...!''

    Most of Lord Fin''s forces were hired mercenaries.

    And naturally, Lord Fin hadn''t told the mercenaries any important information.

    Not only did Lord Fin himself not know Ian''s group''s capabilities, but he also worried they might not take the contract if he told them!

    But once they were on the battlefield, even if they''d been deceived into coming, they couldn''t run away with enemies right in front of them.

    Defeat on the battlefield meant death.

    "The black knight! Focus on the black knight!"

    They judged Belenka to be the core of the enemy''s strength and immediately moved to neutralize their ace.

    If they could just take down the black knight, the rest were really just thieves!

    "? What are you talking about, you lunatic."

    "You opened that to pull out..."

    Ian kicked Baron Mud.

    "Think logically. Is this the time for that?"

    "But you''re a wizard, so you might be able to..."

    Ian glared at Baron Mud in disbelief.

    Seriously, what do you think wizards are?!

    Ian ignored Baron Mud and focused on the [Holy Painting].

    Though it looked like an erotic manga that could carry a webtoon company''s revenue, it contained power left by the goddess.

    ''...Huh?''

    Ian was slightly surprised to find several human souls inside the book.

    Among Hrundal''s many titles was [Warden of Hell].

    Creating prisons to confine souls seemed to be nothing special for her.

    "[Bjorn?]"

    [Oh! Ian!]

    One of the souls trapped in the book was Bjorn.

    While other undead had found peace and vanished, Bjorn who was close to the book couldn''t easily escape.

    [Well, I''d like to get out, but I''m not sure how.]

    "[I can help with that.]"

    [Oh! Really?!]

    "[Just one favor I''d like to ask.]"

    [What is it? Hope it''s nothing too difficult.]

    Ian snapped his fingers and said:

    "[There are some folks outside trying to kill me and Baron Mud.]"

    [What?! Someone''s trying to harm my descendant!]

    Actually, that person is your descendant too.

    Ian swallowed those words.

    "[I''d like help driving them away.]"

    [That kind of thing, anytime!]

    But Ian needed to borrow the power of mystery.

    Since Bjorn didn''t want Baron Mud''s death, he decided to help Ian.

    "[When you''re ready, let''s head out.]"

    #

    As darkness began to fall, Lord Fin''s army grew tense.

    Their opponent was a wizard who wielded the power of darkness.

    Who knew what terrifying magic he might cast once night fell.

    "Are the crossbows well maintained?"

    "No problems, captain."

    The mercenaries stayed vigilant while being thoroughly prepared.

    The enemy had no water or food, so this would be decided within 3 days at most.

    The key was how to hold out for those 3 days.

    "Captain! Over there!"

    "Fire!"

    A human shadow appeared as the bushes rustled.

    The mercenaries fired their crossbows without hesitation.

    "...Huh?"

    Then something amazing happened.

    The arrows passed right through the human shadow.

    The mercenaries belatedly realized what it was.

    "G-g-ghost!"

    Two northern warriors in fierce barbarian-like attire. Beings that arrows couldn''t even hit!

    The mercenaries were certain they were ghosts.

    Logically, northern warriors wouldn''t be wandering around in the heart of the Holy Empire!

    And the mercenaries'' judgment was correct.

    "Wooooooo!"

    The warrior ghosts let out blood-chilling howls.

    Even mercenaries fighting for money had their morale instantly shattered upon encountering ghosts.

    "It''s necromancy! That wizard used necromancy!"

    "Run! Everyone run!"

    The mercenaries abandoned all their supplies and fled with just their bodies.

    When morning came, all that remained were pathetically abandoned food and supplies.

    Lord Fin''s army had evaporated overnight.

    "H-how could this happen...!"

    Ian and Baron Mud walked steadily forward with the black knight in front.

    Fin couldn''t believe his eyes even as he watched.

    "We meet again, my lord?"

    Ian grinned at Lord Fin.

    ---

 Chapter 240

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Lord Fin couldn''t believe the current situation.

    Only three people had escaped - a petty grave-robbing thief, a foreign female knight, and a wandering wizard...

    Lord Fin had gathered ten times their number to capture these three.

    And yet...

    ''Impossible!''

    Wizard Ian had completely ignored the numerical advantage and succeeded in capturing Lord Fin instead.

    "Your expression suggests you have much to say."

    When Ian spoke, Lord Fin snapped to attention.

    This was his last chance for negotiation.

    "I-I admit defeat! I accept my loss! So treat me as a proper prisoner!"

    "Hmm..."

    As Ian toyed with Anor-lsil, cold sweat ran down Lord Fin''s back.

    If Ian struck him down right here, Lord Fin couldn''t really complain.

    He had attacked Ian first in Heltingen.

    He''d even tried to assassinate him, so it wouldn''t be strange if Ian held a grudge.

    "Why should I listen to you?"

    "I-I am a noble! I demand treatment befitting the heir to House Dufel!"

    "That ship seems to have sailed."

    Ian pointed toward Baron Mud as he spoke.

    Both Ian and Lord Fin knew the will''s contents, so they could guess how things would play out.

    Baron Mud had successfully retrieved the lost family treasure.

    If they returned to Heltingen now, Baron Mud could claim his right to inherit the title.

    And that claim would be very strong.

    "...What do you want? Whatever it is, I''ll give it to you!"

    "Nothing really. Baron Mud can give me everything anyway."

    All Ian wanted was the Holy Painting.

    And Baron Mud had already promised to hand it over to Ian.

    Realistically, Lord Fin had no means to persuade Ian.

    Gifts of gold and silver? Ian already had plenty of gold. Though it was all stored in Talian, he had chests full of gold from looting the dragon''s lair.

    Position as Heltingen''s court wizard? Unnecessary. Why would Ian care about such a position?

    "Wait! Stop! Wizard!"

    Just then, a noble interrupted.

    It was Baron Maul, the lord of these lands.

    "Executing a noble would be dishonorable!"

    "Even though he branded me an assassin first and even tried to kill me?"

    "...Is this true?"

    Ian calmly explained the situation to the other nobles.

    The nobles who had initially listened with skeptical expressions grasped the situation after hearing Ian''s logical explanation.

    "Have you ever seen such a dishonorable person!"

    "Using such dirty tricks and failing. He got what he deserved!"

    The nobles unanimously condemned Lord Fin.

    Lord Fin was already finished anyway. They could freely insult the loser to curry favor with the winner.

    "Do visit our castle sometime, Lord Ian! We''ll give you a reception worthy of your station!"

    "A wizard like Lord Ian is always welcome! Hahaha!"

    "Safe travels."

    Ian finished his business-interactions with the nobles with a smile.

    Ian was clearly the victor here, and a wizard who had demonstrated impressive magic.

    No noble would take Lord Fin''s side at the cost of offending a wizard.

    The nobles waved goodbye and left with their retinues.

    Thanks for the entertainment~

    They had truly just come to watch the fight...

    "What will you do now, Ian?"

    When Belenka asked, Ian answered without hesitation.

    "Return to Heltingen."

    "What about Fin?"

    "He''ll stand trial."

    Belenka was slightly impressed by Ian''s cold judgment.

    Given Ian''s age, he might have given in to hot blood and executed Lord Fin on the spot.

    Actually, that wouldn''t have mattered much.

    Ian was a wandering wizard after all. He could just avoid Heltingen afterward.

    But that way, Ian might unnecessarily gain the reputation of a noble-killer.

    Outsiders didn''t know the internal circumstances around the succession.

    They passed around the unannounced will amongst themselves!

    "Arc Dufel here is the only candidate for next count."

    Though he disliked the situation, the chairman liked this count candidate.

    A bastard and former grave robber!

    What business did a lucky commoner who dug through others'' graves have becoming count!

    He clearly lacked knowledge and power, so they could gradually transfer real authority to the council by giving him money and women...

    "This guy''s a sucker, so just push him around as you see fit."

    "Ah, no... Lord Ian. Even for someone becoming count, calling him a sucker is a bit..."

    The chairman nervously watched Baron Mud''s reaction.

    But Baron Mud just scratched his belly and said:

    "Ian''s right! I don''t know politics! You folks handle all that complicated stuff yourselves!"

    "..."

    The chairman was amazed by Baron Mud''s brazen attitude.

    This bastard...! He really is a sucker!

    At the same time, he firmly made up his mind.

    For the council''s interests, having this Arc fellow as count was 100 times better than the greedy and scheming Fin.

    "The council supports Lord Arc Dufel!"

    "Don''t call a thief ''lord.''"

    "Let''s call him Lord Baron Mud! Hahaha!"

    Watching Baron Mud laugh happily, the chairman thought:

    Soon, one of the Empire''s cities would become a free city...!

    The age of citizens was not far off.

    And some time later.

    Baron Mud, Arc Dufel, ascended to become the next Count Dufel with the priest and council as witnesses.

    #

    As promised, Count Baron Mud handed the [Holy Painting] over to Ian.

    Though some retainers objected, when Baron Mud strongly pushed for it, the opposing voices dwindled.

    ''We''ve lived fine without this until now. What''s the problem?''

    ''And without Ian we wouldn''t have recovered the painting at all!''

    Baron Mud showed the [Holy Painting] to House Dufel''s priest.

    The priest turned pale and actively supported giving it to Ian.

    ''Th-This blasphemous pagan artifact is unnecessary! Let''s leave its disposal to the wizard!''

    ''? Just what''s in it...''

    ''A-Anyway, let''s hand it over!''

    When the words "blasphemous" and "pagan artifact" simultaneously flew from the priest''s mouth, no one dared object to the end.

    Ian smiled as he opened and closed the Holy Painting.

    A blasphemous pagan artifact?

    Every single word was fact.

    Ah~ Since it''s such a dangerous item, the wizard should keep it~

    ''Baron Mud said he''d escape on his own later anyway.''

    Because of Lord Fin''s trial, Baron Mud said he''d stay as count for now.

    When he got tired of and bored with being a noble, he''d slip away quietly.

    Since the city council was functioning anyway, Baron Mud''s disappearance wouldn''t cause many problems.

    ''I want to hurry to the university and study this painting.''

    It was a magical item obtained after a while.

    Though its appearance was a bit(?) unique, it was still an artifact.

    Ian planned to examine the painting''s magic as soon as he reached the university.

    As Ian headed toward the Imperial University.

    [...?]

    Ian woke up and opened his eyes in a strange yet familiar place.

    It was Hrundal''s ice palace...

    The palace entrance that appeared on page 1 of the Holy Painting.

    [No way?]

    Ian examined himself all over.

    Muscular limbs and orange hair.

    Ian had become a barbarian warrior.

    [...]

    As he blankly stared ahead.

    There stood Hrundal in Toptoon-style clothing, looking extremely embarrassed.

    She had a much more seductive and alluring expression in the original(?)...

    The provocatively dressed Hrundal stammered:

    [L-Long time no see? Ian?]

    [What are you doing there, Hrundal?]

    Ian asked in disbelief.

    It seemed he had somehow entered the [Holy Painting].

    ---

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "I summoned you here."

    The voice, initially hazy, grew increasingly clear.

    It was a sign that Ian was adapting to this world.

    "Hmm. So this painting book really was drawn by you, Hrundal?"

    "..."

    Hrundal hung her head, unable to speak...

    Ian found this new side of the goddess rather surprising.

    Come on, you drew it yourself.

    Why be embarrassed now?

    "Um... is there something else? But the main character is clearly you, Hrundal..."

    Before Ian could finish, Hrundal shouted with a red face.

    "N-No! The woman in the drawings isn''t me...! Just...! Someone who looks like me!"

    "?"

    Ian tilted his head but decided to go along with it.

    Though anyone could see it was Hrundal... if she said it wasn''t her.

    "Absolutely not! It''s not me, so don''t get confused! What woman would draw such lewd pictures using herself as a model!"

    "Ah. I understand."

    "Hmph. Good that you understand."

    Though the woman in the pictures wasn''t Hrundal, supposedly.

    She seemed to admit drawing them herself.

    "So Hrundal drew this?"

    "...Yes. I drew it."

    Hrundal shamefully acknowledged her work.

    Even for a goddess, drawing R-rated manga seemed embarrassing.

    "It''s just... something I drew to pass the time."

    "But you draw plenty of normal pictures usually."

    Ian tilted his head slightly at her flimsy excuse.

    Hrundal hastily added:

    "It''s like... an artist''s instinct, you could say..."

    "What kind of instinct?"

    "When you only draw clothed people all the time, sometimes you get the urge to draw naked ones... Ah. You wouldn''t understand."

    Naturally, Ian didn''t understand.

    Though Ian might be talented in both liberal arts and sciences, he wasn''t an art major.

    But drawing nude figures and drawing erotic manga seemed quite different...?

    "Anyway. You wanted to draw some spicy art, something like that?"

    "..."

    Hrundal just nodded silently with tightly closed lips.

    Ian couldn''t help smiling at how oddly cute she looked.

    "I understand. That could happen."

    "Thank you... So about that."

    This was Hrundal''s main point.

    "When you visit the Ice Palace later. Would you return that [painting book]?"

    "This?"

    Hrundal nodded.

    "No one''s touched it in so long I''d forgotten about it... But Ian, now that you''ve brought it back into the world, I''m worried."

    "If you were going to worry, shouldn''t you have just not drawn it in the first place?"

    "...You really don''t understand an artist''s heart at all."

    When Hrundal glared at him with crossed arms, Ian quietly averted his gaze.

    He''d better not push further or the goddess might get angry.

    "I''m not asking empty-handed."

    "Oh?"

    "This painting book has a bit of my divine authority in it. Can you guess what it is?"

    Ian nodded.

    He had a rough idea.

    The power to bind souls was Hrundal''s divine authority.

    "The power to capture souls."

    "Only half right."

    Hrundal smiled as she spoke.

    "My authority also includes the ability to create spaces where those souls can rest and live."

    "Oh?"

    "And most spaces are recreated based on that soul''s memories."

    Hrundal waved her hand, summoning souls.

    The souls of Bjorn and Junken.

    She retrieved the two warriors'' souls to her Ice Palace.

    "See? Commanding souls is nothing to me."

    Leaving the countryside with only farmers working the land and barons managing them (more like a village chief), it felt like his eyes were opening.

    "This seems like the kind of place that would have a university."

    It certainly did.

    Ian headed toward where the Imperial University was said to be, following winding roads.

    Being built in the mountains, all buildings pursued extreme space efficiency in their design.

    ...The Imperial University was no different.

    "Huff... huff..."

    Ian climbed the steep hill while dripping sweat.

    The nightmares of his university days began creeping back...!

    Why the fuck were all these universities stuck on hilltops?!

    "Oh. This must be the Imperial University."

    Belenka, relatively unfazed, looked around the Imperial University with a slight smile.

    The Imperial University looked quite different from modern campuses.

    The most striking difference was... almost no buildings had roofs.

    "...This is a university?"

    Ian stopped short of imagining a lush green campus.

    The university buildings were... mostly open-air amphitheaters!

    "Feels like I walked into the theater department by mistake."

    "? What''s that strange field of study?"

    Ian struggled to adjust to this exotic university setting.

    Classes weren''t some jester''s performance. What professor would teach in an amphitheater?!

    "Come now! Everyone gather round!"

    "Oh, the professor''s starting class!"

    But watching students rush over in crowds, Ian realized.

    ...They really did have classes in amphitheaters!

    These Imperial University students were hip as fuck.

    "Ian, let''s go too."

    "Uh... okay."

    Though Ian couldn''t adapt to this shocking open-lecture style, he followed Belenka to attend class.

    Being an amphitheater, anyone could just walk in, sit down, and become a student.

    The jester... no, professor on stage spoke:

    "Now! Today we''ll discuss mathematics!"

    "Ohhh! Mathematics!"

    Mathematics?

    Who just said mathematics?

    When Ian''s eyes went wide, Belenka sensed an inexplicable intensity from him...

    "Now! I have a stick here! We''re going to calculate Earth''s circumference with this stick. Does anyone know how?"

    Ian roughly understood the medieval university''s teaching style.

    The professor posed questions, and students who knew the answers would respond.

    "Calculate Earth''s circumference with a stick?"

    "I got it! We connect sticks equal to our stride length! Then wander the world measuring the whole way around!"

    "..."

    Ian quietly listened to the students'' discussion.

    As expected of university students, their answers were creatively terrible...

    When no correct answer emerged, Ian slowly raised his hand.

    "Oh! Yes! You there, handsome young man! Go ahead!"

    "I''m Ian Eredith. To measure Earth''s circumference with a stick, I believe we need one assumption."

    "Assumption? What''s that?"

    Ian carefully answered, considering medieval people''s perspective.

    "The assumption that Earth is spherical."

    Right. This was medieval times.

    These foolish medieval people wouldn''t yet know the world wasn''t flat but spherical...

    "Hahaha! No need to worry about that!"

    "?"

    "You might not know, but this world is actually round!"

    "???"

    "It was discovered back in the Golden Empire era. Hahaha!"

    Some students who''d done advance studying laughed at the ignorant(?) Ian.

    ''Heh. He thought Earth was flat.''

    ''What a hick. Must be his first time in this class.''

    Ian was too dumbfounded to close his mouth.

    Belenka, thinking Ian was shocked, offered gentle comfort beside him.

    "Don''t worry about it, Ian. I thought Earth was flat too."

    "..."

    Being treated the same as Belenka(...) Ian felt freshly wronged.

    Wait? Why were medieval people this smart?!

    ---

    [raei: lol the university I went to was also up a mountain...]

 Chapter 242

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    If Ian had misunderstood anything, it was the knowledge level of medieval people.

    Surprisingly, medieval people weren''t as ignorant as one might think.

    Of course, this being an isekai medieval world rather than the real medieval era made a difference.

    Still, given how similar human consciousness levels were, the ancients of both worlds must have had comparable intelligence.

    ''So medieval people didn''t believe in flat earth theory?!''

    Ian stood there stunned by this fresh shock.

    He had made this mistake after getting too used to the post-apocalyptic world of the Holy Empire.

    As with common post-apocalyptic tropes...

    While some regions had been utterly devastated with civilization reset to stone age levels.

    Other regions had preserved ancient knowledge and maintained their own version of ''modern'' civilization.

    The Imperial University in Dranheim was exactly like that.

    Classical knowledge had been preserved intact, making it a place overflowing with rational and logical learning!

    "I can prove that Earth is round!"

    A man wearing fur clothing raised his hand and spoke.

    Judging by his high-class attire, he seemed to be some noble''s son studying abroad.

    He didn''t miss this chance to show off his knowledge.

    "Oh! Come up here, student!"

    The professor gladly called the student up to the stage(?).

    Most classes at the Imperial University proceeded this way.

    The professor would pose a question first, then students with relevant knowledge would come up and continue the lecture.

    So as classes went on, at some point the professor would disappear and someone else would take over teaching.

    It was education conducted in a perfectly open space, purely for sharing knowledge.

    "Now! These are records of star movements in the night sky, documented by ancient Golden Empire scholars!"

    To summarize the presenter''s explanation:

    ''The constellations move irregularly in the night sky, which cannot be explained by the theory that the heavens move.''

    ''But if we assume Earth rotates, the movement of constellations aligns perfectly!''

    ''Therefore, Earth is spherical and rotates as time passes!''

    "Wow... unbelievable."

    Ian''s jaw dropped at the student''s logical explanation.

    Holy shit...

    Medieval people were doing science!

    Ian stared at the medieval student like some fascinating animal, but there was really nothing surprising about it.

    It wasn''t like medieval people had monkey-level intelligence.

    With the same human brains, they could reach perfectly logical conclusions.

    "Hmm. Ian. Do you understand what he''s explaining?"

    "? Of course I do."

    "All this talk about the sky moving... I don''t understand any of it."

    Belenka grumbled with crossed arms.

    "Won''t we get divine punishment for this?"

    "Hmph. As expected. Belenka. You''re definitely medieval."

    "???"

    Ian instantly felt at ease seeing Belenka''s reaction.

    Ah~ Now this was a proper medieval person!

    Worrying about divine punishment for studying constellations - she was the perfect medieval specimen!

    ''This is an information transmission problem.''

    Ian understood why such knowledge gaps existed between medieval people.

    It wasn''t about the absolute amount of information.

    It was about information bias.

    Medieval times didn''t have modern media like internet or smartphones.

    Even making one book required monks to painstakingly copy it letter by letter, so knowledge spread at a torturously slow pace.

    Thus 99% of medieval people lived and died without ever accessing proper knowledge.

    You need opportunities to access knowledge before you can even choose to learn!

    But the 1% of scholars.

    Those studying at universities, the frontlines of knowledge, possessed understanding that surpassed Ian''s common sense.

    So answering the question [Are medieval people ignorant?] was quite tricky.

    The knowledge gap was so huge that the answer was ''most are ignorant, but some aren''t''.

    The medieval people before Ian were that top 1% of ''intelligent'' medievals.

    "That concludes my presentation."

    *Clap clap clap!*

    The exchange student returned to his seat with a proud expression.

    "Excellent. As this student explained, our world is not flat but round. All those market maps showing cliffs at the world''s edge where you fall into hell are nonsense." ?

    ''Seriously. He''s disgustingly smart.''

    Though he insisted he wasn''t a genius, to Belenka Ian was definitely a genius wizard.

    While Ian was deeply absorbed in medieval math lectures.

    Belenka wandered alone searching for the magic department.

    #

    Everyone knew Ian was heading to the Imperial University.

    "Go empty out a dorm room and clean it thoroughly!"

    "Yes, professor!"

    Inglan had finished preparations well before Ian''s arrival.

    He wanted to help Ian focus only on studying without any worries!

    "Finished registration. Found lodging..."

    Though Ian was later than expected, Inglan took it in stride.

    Travel rarely went exactly as planned. Strange things happening on the road wasn''t unusual.

    ''To think the day would come to have magical discussions with Ian.''

    Inglan smiled contentedly while reminiscing about the past.

    Though their first meeting wasn''t pleasant, he had built up various memories(?) with Ian (Ian might want to strangle Inglan if he knew).

    He''d helped when nobles captured Ian... rushed to help right before the dragon fight...

    Inglan knew well how excellent Ian''s magic level was.

    Clearly, Ian was a wizard serious about magic.

    How else could he use all schools of magic so well without interest in magic!

    Ian must surely be filled with thoughts of magic and mystery.

    Even while eating, even while sleeping...

    "Professor! Lady Belenka the knight just visited!"

    "Belenka?"

    Inglan knew this knight.

    She was Ian''s friend and foreign guardian knight.

    If Belenka had arrived...

    "Ian must be here!"

    When Inglan shouted, the servant made a strange expression.

    "Well... he has arrived but."

    "?"

    "He''s currently giving a lecture in the mathematics department."

    "???"

    Inglan pondered what this meant for a moment.

    Our wizard Ian... doing what now?

    Math?

    MAAATH?!

    "Haha! Don''t joke around!"

    Inglan just laughed off the servant''s report.

    Come on~

    What a joke!

    Ian was a wizard to his bones, how could he possibly like math that only dusty scholars scribble about!

    Wizards should focus more on elegant phrases and sophisticated word choice!

    How could a wizard busy researching vocabulary that transcends emotion and reality be lecturing about math?

    "Must have heard wrong..."

    "Professor Inglan! Did you hear? They say Ian became a math professor!"

    "..."

    Eredith burst into Inglan''s room shouting that.

    Inglan''s jaw dropped belatedly.

    Really... Ian became a math professor?!

    What kind of nonsense...!

    Inglan and Eredith hurried to the mathematics department''s lecture hall.

    "Oh my goodness!"

    There he was, Ian completely absorbed in giving an open lecture!

    Inglan couldn''t contain his rising anger and shouted:

    "Stop right there! That young man is our magic department student!"

    Then the math professor listening to the lecture slowly approached and said:

    "What are you saying about our mathematics student?"

    "''Our mathematics''?"

    Eredith''s voice rose slightly.

    She unconsciously clenched her fists...!

    These shameless math nerds!

    How dare they seduce my innocent disciple?!

    ---

 Chapter 243

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Anger rising to his head, Inglan shouted without caring who heard:

    "You math nerds! Get out of the way!"

    "???"

    The math students moved aside with blank expressions.

    ''Well, he''s not wrong...''

    ''But why does it feel so offensive?!''

    Ian, deeply absorbed in his lecture, had no idea what commotion was happening.

    ''Ah. So this is happiness-''

    Ian was simply happy.

    Yes. This was the isekai life Ian had wanted.

    When you think of isekai wizards, performing rapid magical calculations is absolutely fundamental!

    High-speed spell calculations!

    Multiple circuit operations!

    Just hearing those terms made him smell the rich STEM vibes of formulas and equations being poured out by the bucketful!

    But in this weird fantasy world, wizards didn''t do spell calculations at all...

    ''That damn Maronius language!''

    These wizards calmly learned and taught the insane practice of memorizing words one by one to make sentences!

    How was that any different from Joseon-era nobles composing classical poems!

    Finally immersed in familiar academic knowledge, Ian felt his body and mind growing peaceful.

    Ah... if only he could spend his whole life just doing math...

    That''s when it happened.

    "Ian! What are you doing there!"

    "Ah. Inglan. Did you come to hear the math lecture?"

    Ian greeted Inglan with a gentle smile.

    In this moment, Ian was enlightened enough to compete with Buddha in virtue points.

    Ah, here comes a soul thirsting for mathematics.

    Haha. I shall gladly open the ark of knowledge and save you all...

    "What? Why would I listen to such useless classes?"

    "...!"

    Ian''s eyes suddenly went wide.

    Did he just... call math useless?!

    This is blasphemy!!!

    "No, Inglan! Don''t you know how useful mathematics is?"

    "Nope. Don''t know. Isn''t math just noble lords'' entertainment? It''s useless. Completely useless."

    "But if you go into applied mathematics, there must be jobs..."

    "They''ll hire you just because you studied math? Must be some generous noble!"

    "..."

    Ian''s jaw dropped in disbelief.

    He wanted to refute Inglan''s words but... amazingly, Inglan''s claims were facts!

    This medieval fantasy world didn''t have industries precise enough to require complex mathematical calculations...

    "Math is fine as long as you can count money."

    "Inglan! That''s just arithmetic!"

    "What''s the difference between arithmetic and math?"

    Ugh!

    Ian collapsed, grabbing his neck.

    You crafty old man! How dare you hit the math department''s trigger point so shamelessly...!

    "You''re... right... but we don''t study math just to count money?!"

    "Good grief. Ian. I don''t understand why you''re so obsessed with math. Isn''t math just the perfect subject for starving to death?"

    "..."

    As Inglan''s razor-sharp facts stormed through, the innocent math students trembled.

    "Ugh... math... useless after studying..."

    "Even the craftsmen''s guild won''t hire us..."

    "Math is just... fun... ugh..."

    "? I''m studying with my dad''s money, so I don''t care about getting hired."

    Except for the rich kid in expensive clothes, the other math students'' situations were similar.

    They hadn''t enrolled hoping to get jobs...

    In 1000 years that ''strange'' subject might rule the world, but.

    Unfortunately this was medieval times, and Ian was a wizard majoring in Maronius language.

    "Ah... another math student leaves to face reality."

    The math professor watched Ian with sad eyes but couldn''t stop him.

    He knew too well that in this medieval fantasy world, studying magic was the way to live well...

    "I''ll remember you. ''Mathematician'' Ian."

    The math students watched Ian with looks half pitying, half envious.

    #

    ''Where am I?''

    Ian blinked and looked around.

    It felt like numbers might fly and dance around any moment...

    But no numbers or equations appeared anywhere.

    "To use formal speech properly..."

    "What aspects must we understand to grasp the other party''s desires in conversation?"

    "What do you think is the crucial difference between ''do it'' and ''would you please do it''!"

    Words, words, words echoing from all directions...

    Ian realized.

    ''This is the magic department.''

    He had stepped into the Imperial University''s magic department - headquarters of those dirty isekai liberal arts students!

    ''I came... to study...''

    Ian suddenly remembered why he''d come to the Imperial University.

    Clearly, Ian had visited to raise his insufficient magic level.

    He planned to share knowledge with other wizards here and supplement his weak areas to increase his magic level.

    ''...I got too caught up in math.''

    Ian calmly collected himself.

    If he came to study, he should focus on his purpose.

    "Here. Ian. This is your room."

    Eredith volunteered to guide Ian.

    Ian''s room was quite cramped.

    Just a chair, desk, bed and wardrobe.

    "Pretty small, right? That''s because monks built it. The university doesn''t have many luxurious buildings."

    The university''s original buildings were monasteries, not schools.

    Originally monks gathered on the mountain to study scripture. That developed into today''s Imperial University.

    He could find a much fancier room by lodging outside campus, but.

    "No. This is enough."

    Ian didn''t particularly care about having a big room.

    Medieval living standards were predictable anyway.

    Whatever you expected, you''d get less, so he''d stopped expecting anything.

    "Then let''s talk about classes."

    Eredith said with a smile.

    "Last time in Talian, you briefly mentioned the level you''d reached?"

    "Ah. Yes..."

    He had really just mentioned it briefly.

    Ian had roughly said he could handle fire magic, wind magic, dark magic... that sort of thing.

    "I really wanted to see your magic but felt awkward asking back then."

    "You could''ve just asked."

    "Hehe. I didn''t want to pressure you. But during class, won''t it be much more comfortable for both of us?"

    Eredith''s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

    "This teacher wants to see her long-lost disciple''s magic!"

    Ian nodded.

    He also had lots of new magic to show Eredith.

    "So I registered you for all the magic department classes!"

    "?"

    "Classes from morning till night, every day!"

    "???"

    "Ah, you''ll have to teach some of them yourself!"

    "??????"

    Eredith spoke with a bright smile.

    ...Ian suddenly hated university.

    ---

 Chapter 244

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''...Morning already.''

    Ian yawned lightly as he watched the rising sun.

    Yesterday had passed in a blur.

    After dining with Inglan, Eredith, Salvador and Belenka, it was already midnight before he knew it.

    He wanted to meet Kira and Maria, but they were staying in the women''s dormitory, and there was no way for Ian to visit them in the middle of the night.

    The distance was enormous too.

    Ian suddenly realized just how vast the Imperial University was.

    ''Campus special: unnecessarily huge.''

    For some unknown reason, the Imperial University was absurdly large like modern universities.

    Because of this, Ian ended up just chatting excitedly with his acquaintances before returning to his private room.

    Time passed, and the next morning.

    Ian headed to the open lecture hall early to properly attend classes.

    ''They say over half of Imperial University''s lecture halls are open lecture halls.''

    This was information he''d heard from Inglan and Eredith yesterday.

    Since Imperial University pursued free sharing of knowledge, anyone could freely attend classes in open spaces.

    Though professors were in charge of classes, if you wanted to give your own lecture, you could just go up to the podium and start teaching.

    If such personal lectures became popular, they''d even be registered as official courses.

    ''Better do this right.''

    Though he''d dabbled in another subject yesterday due to nostalgia.

    Despite everything, Ian was a wizard.

    Even if he''d gotten momentarily distracted, he hadn''t forgotten his true calling.

    ''I came to study.''

    He''d even paused his mystery exploration journey to visit this university.

    If he gained nothing from this, it would be a massive waste of time.

    After washing his face with modern mindset, Ian grabbed his books and headed out into the empty streets.

    ''University student special: avoiding first period.''

    Whether modern or medieval, university students'' slacking was the same everywhere.

    Students attending first period like Ian were extremely rare.

    If parents sending expensive tuition knew, they might be appalled (though noble parents probably wouldn''t care at all).

    "Caw!"

    On the street, he saw a huge pigen[1] pecking at feed.

    Even the birds seemed to be living the easy life, befitting a university.

    "Hehe. You''re really eating well, aren''t you?"

    A female student with long brown hair crouched by a statue, absorbed in feeding birds.

    The huge black pigen suddenly fluttered up onto her shoulder.

    "Eek!"

    The female student let out a delighted scream.

    "Oh my. Do you like me?"

    "Caw!"

    "Aww, you''re so cute! You''re such a clever crow, aren''t you?"

    "Caw! Caw!"

    When the female student stroked its head, the pigen rubbed its wings affectionately.

    "...?"

    Ian rubbed his eyes.

    ...The pigen was too black.

    He''d thought it looked black because it was dark, but looking closer it was just a plump crow.

    Ian approached the crow in disbelief.

    "What are you doing there?"

    "Caw!"

    [Ah! Master, you''re here~?]

    "Cut the ''master'' crap."

    The pigen... no.

    The suspiciously plump crow''s name was Oberon.

    Oberon was a free crow who would hang around Ian when bored, cadge meals, and then disappear into the forest for days before returning.

    Both Ian and Oberon had long considered each other just good friends.

    Not a pet but... an animal friend maybe?

    "Ran out of food?"

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [There are too many owls in the mountains~! I''m gonna stay with humans for a while~!]

    "Must be nice not having to worry about predators."

    Ian was freshly impressed by Oberon''s crow-cunning.

    Having perfectly learned to use humans, Oberon would use Ian and other humans as shields to avoid predator attacks whenever things got dangerous.

    Ian didn''t really care whether Oberon used humans or not.

    When Ian held out his arm, Oberon instantly hopped onto it.

    The female student stared at Ian.

    Being an Imperial Princess didn''t mean she had fairy wings on her back or cried silver tears.

    She was just a person like Ian.

    The only difference was that she was more confident than others, giving her a lively charm.

    "Lady Hastria, did you sleep well last night?"

    "Did you also sleep well, Lady Belliera?"

    Though there weren''t many people out in the morning, every passing student greeted Elia.

    Amazingly, Elia returned every single greeting.

    So the greetings kept coming non-stop.

    ''Well, I''d want to greet her too.''

    A kind, pretty, well-mannered Imperial Princess acknowledging my greeting?!

    It was enough to make medieval university students'' eyes roll back.

    Elia walked proudly while receiving students'' greetings.

    She glanced sideways at Ian.

    As if showing off what kind of person she was.

    "You''re really amazing."

    "Oh my. Suddenly?"

    At Ian''s surprise compliment, the corners of Elia''s mouth turned up slightly.

    ...Actually, she had already researched the man called "Ian Eredith Raven" quite thoroughly.

    Recently they''d been busily cleaning the best room in the men''s dormitory, and professors had been making a fuss about a "special" guest coming to the university.

    A socially awkward university student might think "whatever" about anything happening at school.

    But naturally, Elia Hastria was the top female student on campus.

    When commotion arose even in the distant men''s dormitory, news would inevitably reach her ears.

    ''Ian Eredith Raven?''

    Elia immediately deployed people to gather rumors about wizard Ian.

    The results were beyond surprising, bordering on absurd.

    Something about a crow wizard~ patron saint of coffee~

    There were even rumors about him being a dragon slayer.

    ''No way.''

    As a sensible medieval person, Elia had filtered the rumors about Ian.

    That was obviously the right approach.

    The more rumors pass from mouth to mouth, the more sensational they become.

    If there''s nothing sensational to begin with, rumors don''t even spread!

    Why would people go around telling boring stories?

    ''But he can''t be completely unremarkable.''

    Even filtering out wild rumors, Elia had noted the "Eredith''s disciple" part.

    The Rising Star of Drawald, Fire Wizard Eredith.

    Such a terrifying fire wizard that soldiers who witnessed her summoned flames were shocked into idiocy.

    As that excellent wizard''s disciple, he must have something special - that was Elia''s thinking.

    ...So she had deliberately waited in front of Ian''s dormitory.

    She wanted to attend classes with Ian and verify his abilities.

    ''For now... he seems a bit countrified? Hehe.''

    Receiving countless nobles'' greetings was perfectly normal for Elia.

    But...

    How would it look to Ian, a farmer''s son!

    ''Golly, must be some super important person~!''

    ''All the passing ladies are bowing real deep-like~!''

    Just now, Ian had definitely been amazed watching the nobles greet Elia.

    ''Is it because he''s a commoner? He''s kind of cute~''

    Elia found Ian freshly adorable as he marveled at her.

    And Ian was indeed marveling at Elia.

    ''...Young ladies are greeting her as they pass?!''

    ''They''re using formal greetings like "Did you sleep well~"?!''

    ''They''re all university students going to morning lectures?!''

    Ian felt like he''d fallen into an isekai within an isekai.

    Is this... really the Holy Empire I know!

    Where are the knights swinging swords around! Where are the nobles making wizards play jester!

    ''...This is civilization.''

    Ian struggled to hold back tears of emotion.

    Imperial University.

    This was, without doubt, a civilized world.

    A sanctuary where he could briefly forget the post-apocalyptic atmosphere!

    "...? Ian. Are you crying?"

    Elia was momentarily flustered seeing Ian about to tear up.

    Is this really worth getting teary-eyed over?!

    ''Is it because he''s a wizard?''

    She struggled to understand Ian''s sensitivity.

    ---

    [1. raei: Pigen -> pigeon + chicken. Basically these pigeons are so plump and fat that the author is calling them pigeon chickens, but with the back half of the kr chars for chicken attached to the front for pigeon. Doesn''t really work for english. How do I combine pigeon and chicken?? pigken? picken? in the end I just stopped thinking and went with pigen.]

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The Imperial Academy swarming with noble children!

    ...He''d thought that was just another overused web novel cliche?.

    But the Imperial University in Dranheim was exactly that kind of place.

    ''Nobles everywhere.''

    The open lecture hall was filled with noble children from all over the Empire.

    "Ian, that''s Baron Dian''s son, and over there is Count Belliera''s daughter."

    "I see."

    Whenever a noble young lord or lady caught her eye, Elia introduced them one by one to Ian.

    Naturally, Ian couldn''t properly remember a single one.

    He had neither interest nor the leisure to memorize all these names flying past him.

    ''Well, there really are a lot of nobles...''

    Ian''s eyes glinted.

    ''...And she doesn''t introduce anyone who isn''t noble.''

    He''d noticed this fact by chance.

    Elia only introduced children from noble families to Ian.

    Perhaps that was natural for her as she had the incredible background of being an "Imperial Princess."

    But Ian felt an inexplicably strange sensation.

    ''Elia seems to be actively blocking commoners from approaching.''

    It might have been Ian''s imagination.

    But looking at just the facts, Ian''s guess was reasonable.

    With the Imperial Princess sticking close to Ian''s side, only noble types were gathering around him.

    Though commoner students seemed to want to approach Ian too, the Princess and nobles surrounding him had created a sort of commoner barrier.

    "You''re Eredith''s disciple?! I''m so pleased to meet you!"

    "If you ever pass through Baron Dian''s domain, please visit our mansion. Our territory is famous for truffles as a specialty. We''ll serve you an unforgettable meal."

    Hahaha hohoho~

    Though it was an open lecture hall, only wizards attended magic department classes.

    The noble faction students clustered around Elia were clearly the popular crowd in the classroom.

    Conversely, the students sitting gloomily in corners poring over books were almost all commoners.

    ''They look like good students.''

    Ian caught himself immediately after thinking that.

    Saying someone "looks like a good student" wasn''t exactly a compliment?

    Actually, Ian was more interested in the outcast loner students in the corners than the noble faction students.

    He really thought they would study better than the nobles.

    The Imperial Princess Elia and noble faction students!

    They might look glamorous, but would they seriously study magic?

    They''d probably just learn a few Maronius words and whenever they found magic-related documents somewhere they''d go "Oh my~ That''s Maronius language~ I learned it in university~" and that would be it.

    In short, they lacked motivation!

    It wasn''t like Ian''s career goal was to become some political bigshot wizard.

    What was the point of getting close to princesses and nobles?

    Moreover, as Elia herself said, she wasn''t even a woman who could freely wield her family''s power.

    She was just a young lady born into a good family who happened to have many high-ranking relatives.

    Ian had no need to cling to nobles.

    If he needed noble power, he could get Lucy''s help from Talian.

    He could even get something from Baron Mud if he hadn''t quit being count yet.

    "...Um, Ian."

    When Ian looked at the loner students in the corner.

    Elia gently grasped Ian''s hand.

    Feeling the sudden soft touch, Ian was slightly startled.

    What was this Western lack of personal space!

    Sure enough, Westerners really did grab hands without hesitation!

    "We''ve been talking amongst ourselves too much. I want to hear about you too."

    "About me?"

    "Yes. Are you married?"

    What kind of university students talk about marriage.

    Ian scratched his head as he thought that, but remembered this was a medieval fantasy world.

    This was the kind of world where people casually asked if you were married.

    "No, I''m not."

    "Hehe. That''s good news~"

    "?"

    Ian didn''t know, but stories of people meeting at university and ending up married were quite common.

    That was natural when you had eligible men and women in the same space.

    "When you have free time later, I''ll set up dinner appointments with some young ladies."

    "? Why?"

    "Why else? Wouldn''t it be nice to get close while we''re in school~?"

    Ian stared blankly at Elia in disbelief.

    Was this that university blind dating thing or whatever?

    Ian witnessed the dark side of Imperial University and couldn''t hide his dejected feelings.

    But wizards who had long studied mysteries and understood their nature could make the impossible possible.

    Ian succeeded in summoning deep darkness just as the sun was rising.

    [Ian! We''re here!]

    [It''s too bright to stay long! So hurry! What can we help with?]

    "..."

    Ian felt slightly embarrassed.

    Would the darkness mystery get mad if he said he just called them because he was bored?

    "[I called you because I wanted to see you.]"

    [That''s all?]

    [What a relief~! If it''s nothing urgent, we''ll be going!]

    Thanks to their deep friendship, the darkness mystery didn''t get angry.

    They were generously forgiving him just this once.

    Ian and the darkness mystery''s relationship had developed to this level.

    As the darkness dispersed, the students let out their held breaths all at once.

    "That was seriously spine-tingling!"

    "Magic... is amazing!"

    Eredith too gave unstinting praise for Ian''s magic.

    As an excellent wizard herself, she couldn''t fail to understand what Ian had just demonstrated.

    He summoned mysteries for no reason but to show off their friendship!

    Yet there wasn''t a hint of bad feeling between them.

    "Ian. You''ve grown wonderfully while traveling."

    "Thank you, Master."

    Eredith habitually reached out to pat Ian''s head but stopped.

    Her disciple had grown too tall to pat now.

    So Eredith just smiled instead.

    "Thanks for helping with class. Let''s have lunch together!"

    #

    Word of Ian''s magic spread like wildfire.

    "The new wizard...!"

    "Really? He summoned darkness in broad daylight?!"

    "Just with an incantation, no magic circle!"

    "Wow...! So cool!"

    Though only at university level, they too were scholars who had at least dipped their toes into magic.

    The student wizards clearly saw how high Ian''s magic level was.

    To them who hadn''t even finished learning Maronius language, it truly seemed like a dream-like realm.

    ''Magic that reverses day and night.''

    The chatty students spread rumors about Ian''s magic everywhere.

    "Ian!"

    As soon as Ian finished lunch with Eredith, Elia approached with a bright smile.

    Ian almost got goosebumps.

    Wait, I just finished eating. How did she know I''d appear here?!

    "Next is theology class! Let''s go together!"

    Elia boldly closed the distance with Ian.

    The personal space was much closer than in the morning.

    If she raised her hand high, their hands would brush.

    Sure enough, Western sense of personal space! Very close!

    ...But Elia''s attitude seemed too flirtatious for that.

    The Imperial Princess kept sticking close. Was this a green light?

    If this was his previous life, Ian might have suspected she was a con artist trying to harvest his organs.

    But there couldn''t be organ trafficking rings in medieval times...

    "...Dranheim Monastery was always bustling with monks who came to pursue knowledge. Though it''s been absorbed into the university grounds now, traces of that time remain..."

    Elia, who had been chattering away, suddenly fell silent.

    The sound of students talking cheerfully could be heard from afar.

    "Elia?"

    Ian turned his head toward where Elia was looking.

    And started.

    Elia''s expression was completely different from when she looked at Ian.

    Eyes tensed, lips tightly pursed.

    But she instantly returned to her usual expression and stepped forward.

    "We meet again, daughter of Laventa, Kira."

    A red-haired female student looked at Elia.

    Flying red hair. A vibrant smile.

    A beautiful student followed by many other female students-

    It was Kira Laventa.

    "Ah! Good morning Lady Hastria-"

    Just then, Kira''s eyes went wide.

    She had belatedly noticed Ian.

    "Ian!"

    Kira immediately ran to Ian and hugged him.

    ---

 Chapter 246

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Kira...?"

    "Oh my."

    Female students covered their mouths with startled expressions.

    But Ian had no time to look at them.

    Because he felt a terrifying gaze from beside him...!

    "Kira. Wait."

    "When did you get here! You should''ve at least told me you were coming! Why were you so late? Were you off exploring some new mystery again?"

    Ian started to push Kira away but stopped.

    He couldn''t take his eyes off Kira''s face as she looked up at him with a genuinely happy smile.

    Whatever else, she was drop-dead gorgeous.

    Ian freshly marveled at Kira''s medieval celebrity-level beauty.

    She really should''ve been born in modern times and become an actress.

    "Kira."

    "Ah, sorry!"

    Stepping back with a bright smile, Kira soon introduced Ian to the other female students.

    "This is my... um. Senior? that I mentioned before."

    "The dark wizard Ian we''ve heard about?"

    "We''ve heard so much about you!"

    Their relationship was somewhat ambiguous, which probably explained the introduction.

    Actually, it was closer to a master-disciple relationship than senior-junior.

    But since Ian hadn''t formally taken Kira as his disciple and had just helped her learn Maronius language, that introduction worked fine too.

    "Is this your first day at the university?"

    "There''s theology class next! That''s where you''re headed, right?"

    "Would you like to join us?"

    Giggle giggle.

    Ian felt dizzy as the female university students surrounded him, chattering away...!

    Though they surely weren''t wearing perfume or powder, he felt oddly overwhelmed by their presence!

    ''My energy... is being drained...''

    As an INFP, Ian had no immunity to actual university girls'' girl-talk...

    "Excuse me, everyone!"

    That''s when it happened.

    Elia, who had been just glaring intensely until now, spoke up.

    "Right now, Ian is my guest! Yet you barge in and chatter as you please... Have you no manners!"

    "Ah... sorry, Elia!"

    Though Kira apologized immediately, Elia''s expression didn''t soften.

    "If you have something to say, say it after class. Ian agreed to attend theology class with me!"

    "..."

    For a moment, Kira looked at Ian with eyes that seemed about to cry.

    A face asking ''Really?''

    She looked so genuinely disappointed that Ian briefly considered ditching Elia.

    But that didn''t seem right.

    Though Ian was friendly with Kira, he''d already made plans with Elia.

    Ignoring promises like throwing away old shoes didn''t match Ian''s personality.

    Plus his counterpart was the precious daughter of the highest person in the Holy Empire.

    She was the child of the Holy-Chief, so ignoring her might invite retaliation.

    "Kira."

    "Y-yes, Ian..."

    Ian glanced at Elia and said:

    "Well. That''s how it is.[1]"

    "!"

    Kira''s mouth dropped open in shock.

    Th-that''s how it is?!

    What kind of word choice was that...!

    While Kira was stunned by Ian''s wizardly bold word choice, the female students whispered behind her.

    "In front of commoners, Kira blatantly disrespected me. While showing off her friendship with you, she advertised the bond between real wizards..."

    "No no. Wait."

    "Yes?"

    Ian cut off Elia''s words.

    He truly couldn''t understand.

    What? She deliberately brought commoners to pretend being close to Ian?

    Ian could tell.

    Kira''s joy was definitely not an act.

    But Elia understood Kira''s actions as some kind of means to attack her...!

    "Elia. Aren''t you misunderstanding?"

    "Misunderstanding... you say?"

    "Kira was just happy to see me. She just happened to be passing by with friends and spotted me. There was no ulterior motive."

    "..."

    Elia stared at Ian for a while with cold, lowered eyes.

    Then she clasped her hands and muttered:

    "Though you may be a genius at magic... you know nothing about people''s hearts."

    Ian couldn''t help but laugh in disbelief.

    "Do you really think so?"

    Ian thought he understood why such differences in opinion arose.

    Elia didn''t know Kira, but Ian did.

    This was a matter of trust.

    "Yes. Because you''re not a woman, you have no idea about the ''ways'' women use to tear each other down."

    "...?"

    But when Elia put it that way, Ian felt just a tiny bit doubtful.

    True. Ian knew nothing about women''s shadowy battles.

    "Let me tell you something definitive right here."

    Elia spoke with sharp, glinting eyes.

    "Wizard Kira hates me. And she''s the type of woman who will do anything to damage my dignity."

    "..."

    There seemed to be some issue between Elia and Kira.

    But Ian couldn''t yet tell what that issue was.

    ''Damn civilized society...!''

    Ian suddenly felt resentful toward civilized society.

    Ah! If this were some rural baron''s domain, they''d skip this shadowy talk and start cracking skulls!

    Shouting things like ''You dare insult me?! Have at you!''

    And whoever won would take everything, such a romantic thing...

    ''...Shouldn''t happen.''

    Ian came to his senses.

    His opponent was the Emperor''s daughter. Fighting might not guarantee victory anyway. And why try solving things like a primitive person?

    Humans have shining intellect.

    And this university was where that intellect was honed.

    ''I should investigate first.''

    He wasn''t sure about Kira, but Elia clearly disliked her.

    In the absolute worst case, Elia might attack Kira.

    To prevent that, he needed to understand how the magic department operated.

    That''s when it happened.

    "Shh. You two, no talking during the priest''s sermon."

    "Ah. Sorry..."

    A student in nun''s habit approached and whispered.

    Not a real nun though.

    Just a part-time nun(?) who helped during classes.

    "You need to be considerate of other students. Right? Brother?"

    "...Maria?"

    "Yes, it''s me. Hehe."

    The part-time nun(?) who smiled while placing a finger to her lips was none other than Maria, the necromancer-in-training.

    ---

    [1. raei: the phrase is extremely casual and dismissive especially in a formal setting/polite speech. Hard to translate over to english.]

 Chapter 247

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Evening.

    Ian took a short walk with Maria.

    "Hmm. I already knew the Imperial Princess could be prickly since I''ve experienced it firsthand."

    "Experienced it?"

    Maria looked healthy, clearly well-fed and rested at the university. Her appearance made it hard to believe she was the same person who''d been locked in that village storehouse. Her black hair and dark eyes, identical to Ian''s, sparkled with life like a flower bud about to bloom.

    "Yes. Perhaps it''s because she''s the Emperor''s child, even though she''s a woman. The Imperial Princess wants to be the star of the magic department."

    Wants to be the star.

    Ian frowned slightly.

    "What''s that got to do with Kira?"

    "You don''t know? Kira is currently the most popular female student in the magic department."

    "...?"

    Maria explained the situation.

    Kira, the mysterious wizard brought in by Eredith and Inglan.

    With support from her two mentors, Kira had eagerly begun her university life and quickly became famous - every aspiring wizard knew her name.

    "Kira knows how to use magic."

    "True."

    "In this magic university, less than half the students can actually use magic."

    Ian nodded.

    This wasn''t particularly surprising. In his previous life, he''d seen countless examples of people unable to use their university majors.

    Was there some rule that magic university students had to be good at magic?

    Wasn''t that just prejudice?

    Though Ian made magic look easy by using it as naturally as breathing, magic was actually extremely difficult to learn and use.

    Learning Maronius language didn''t guarantee getting a mystery''s attention, and having a mystery''s attention didn''t mean you could control it just by learning Maronius language.

    Less than half of the Imperial University''s magic department students had ever used magic.

    But Kira was already quite a capable fire wizard.

    "A woman who uses fire magic just like Eredith, and an attractive one at that, actively participating in classes."

    "..."

    "Good personality, good looks, good skills. Even her sponsors are impressive. Hehe. No reason she wouldn''t be popular, right?"

    That was true.

    Kira was undoubtedly an SSS-tier beautiful university student worthy of the highest school caste rank...!

    She was born with looks, could act out the right personality, and had even learned magic from Ian - naturally other students would admire her.

    Everyone welcomed Kira''s arrival.

    Except for one person.

    Elia.

    "When I talked with Elia earlier, she seemed convinced Kira hates her."

    "That''s a completely baseless misunderstanding."

    Ian let out a relieved sigh as soon as Maria spoke.

    See, Kira didn''t have a sinister side after all...!

    Ian had genuinely worried that Kira and Elia were engaged in some kind of power struggle.

    From what he knew of Kira so far, she wasn''t the type to engage in those games.

    "Kira is just... overly scared."

    "Ah. I understand what you mean."

    Ian and Maria nodded almost simultaneously.

    Kira often pretended to be extroverted in front of others, and she was incredibly good at it.

    The reason was simple - she did it to avoid being looked down on.

    Coming from the streets, she''d had to put on airs to survive.

    It had become such a habit that whenever Kira felt uncertain, she defaulted to acting strong and confident.

    That Kira had started university life without Ian around.

    Like a lizard threatening its surroundings, she''d instinctively gone into "showtime" mode...!

    ''Hi everyone! I''m Kira, daughter of Laventa! Please take care of me!''

    ''Wow... she''s so pretty and friendly!''

    ''I heard she''s good at magic too! I want to be her friend!''

    Kira''s survival strategy had worked too well.

    Within a week, she''d become the magic department''s idol!

    "...By the way, why are you wearing nun''s clothes?"

    Ian looked at Maria with fresh eyes.

    While Kira had risen to become the school goddess, Maria was working as a part-time(?) nun.

    "When I said I wanted to study necromancy, they forced me to serve at the temple."

    "...The priests?"

    "No, the priests didn''t say anything. The magic professors suggested it."

    Necromancy was dangerous magic.

    Though all magic was dangerous in its own way, necromancy dealt with human souls. One misstep could lead to accusations of blasphemy.

    The magic professors had instructed Maria to build a pious image before delving into necromancy.

    They wanted her to advertise herself as ''I study necromancy but I''m a devout Heaven''s Faith believer~''

    "???"

    The student looked at Ian like he was crazy.

    What? Who''s doing what with who?

    Date? Daaaate?

    He ended up laughing in disbelief.

    Like the "Goddess of the Magic Department" Kira Laventa would actually date someone like you!

    The student''s curiosity outweighed his annoyance.

    As a fellow man, he was incredibly curious to see someone try confessing to the school goddess!

    Though she''d obviously reject him, that''s exactly what he wanted to see.

    He wanted to know how Kira would turn down the confession...!

    "Fine. Go ahead."

    "Oh, thanks!"

    "Good luck, idiot."

    The student whispered something to his friends and pointed at Ian.

    The men burst out laughing.

    Watching some crazy bastard try confessing to an SSS-tier beauty was premium entertainment you couldn''t buy with money.

    Not just the male students, but others were watching Ian too.

    Though gazes flew his way, Ian remained calm.

    As a wizard, he was already used to being stared at.

    How could mere gazes from university students in their early twenties faze him?

    Ian casually whistled.

    Oberon, who had been nestled in Kira''s arms, flapped his wings and flew to Ian.

    "Still seducing women, you alpha bird?"

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [Hey, that woman''s your subordinate~ I was just asking for snacks~]

    As Oberon moved, people''s gazes naturally followed.

    Kira spotted Ian too.

    "Ian!"

    "???"

    When Kira called Ian''s name, the male students watching were shocked.

    What... they knew each other?!

    "Are you busy, Kira? I wanted to get dinner together."

    "Not at all! I''m not busy! There''s a place nearby that makes great stew, let''s go there!"

    Ian licked his lips.

    Oh, campus food spot? Can''t resist that.

    Kira naturally led Ian away.

    Ian briefly made eye contact with the male students and gave a slight thumbs up.

    Thanks~ friends~ Your support seems to have worked~

    They couldn''t understand what was happening.

    She''s really... going to dinner with him?! This wasn''t just premium entertainment?!

    Though they had mountains of things they wanted to say.

    The male students could only stare at Ian in a daze...

    #

    ''This really feels like a university town.''

    Ian visited the restaurant with Kira. Below Imperial University, shops catering to students lined the streets.

    There were many establishments that doubled as restaurants and boarding houses, along with stores selling daily necessities and odds and ends.

    Merchants flocked wherever people gathered. This was an unchanging truth.

    "There''s no cafeteria at the university. It was originally a monastery, so they only had people who ate plain bread and raw food without cooking."

    "The temple seems quite austere too."

    Though monks were the original inhabitants(?) of Imperial University, now there were more students from outside.

    Naturally, many good restaurants had sprung up to cater to students who came to study from all over the Holy Empire.

    "School life seems to suit you."

    "Ah! About that! When I first came to school..."

    Kira chattered away, telling her stories.

    Her energy level was still high.

    To Ian, unnaturally so.

    "So I asked Professor Eredith..."

    "Kira."

    "Yes?"

    When Ian cut her off, Kira tilted her head.

    "Did you deliberately change how you talk?"

    "...How I talk?"

    Kira smiled brightly.

    She spoke with slightly lowered energy.

    "You''re right. When I''m with you, I used to talk more calmly like this."

    Ian smiled too.

    Now this was the Kira he knew.

    ---

 Chapter 248

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian spoke calmly to Kira.

    "I heard you''ve become popular at the university."

    In truth, he''d done more than just hear about it.

    He''d seen it clearly with his own eyes - the group of female students following Kira around, the male students stealing glances at her with passionate eyes.

    "Hehe. It just kind of happened."

    "...Was this what you wanted? Or..."

    Ian asked carefully.

    If Kira had wanted to become popular, he was ready to support her.

    Like Ian, Kira came from a commoner background, so she might have ambitions for success.

    Ian''s lack of interest in power made him the unusual one - in this era, any commoner would naturally aim for power equal to the nobles.

    ''Kira could succeed.''

    Ian was certain.

    If she wanted, she could become a court wizard with a duke-level noble as her patron.

    Not only did she have skill, but she also had a charm that drew people to her.

    ''But going by Maria''s words...''

    If success was what Kira wanted, Ian would support her.

    But was social success really what Kira desired?

    "Wanted..."

    Kira took a sip of beer and smiled shyly.

    Her dimpled smile was freshly beautiful.

    "I''m not sure."

    "Not sure?"

    "Yeah. I wanted to become a wizard, but... I never thought about what comes after."

    Ian understood what Kira meant.

    If ''becoming a wizard'' itself was her goal, Kira was already practically at the finish line.

    No, she''d essentially already achieved it.

    "You know why I wanted to become a wizard, don''t you, Ian?"

    "...I do."

    Ian remembered his first meeting with Kira.

    She had been a fake wizard, using fireworks to pretend she could do magic.

    And the reason she pretended to be a wizard was simple - to survive.

    "Back then, I was just desperately trying to survive. That desperation had clear limits. If I hadn''t met you, Ian... I might have already died a horrible death."

    "..."

    "But I did meet you, and learned how to handle the mystery of fire."

    Kira stroked the candle flame with an enigmatic smile.

    The flame danced between her fingers like a pet showing affection.

    Ian didn''t miss this display.

    ''Her skills have improved even more.''

    Kira''s affinity for fire was extraordinary.

    With proper training, she might one day surpass Eredith''s reputation as a fire wizard.

    "Now no one looks down on me. Professor Inglan and Professor Eredith take care of me too... Yeah. I just thought if I worked hard enough, things would work out somehow."

    Kira paused, taking a slow breath.

    She was clearly struggling to say what came next.

    Ian waited patiently for Kira to prepare herself.

    "I... what I want is..."

    "Take your time, Kira."

    "I..."

    Kira''s fingers trembled slightly.

    Ian covered the back of her hand with his own.

    Kira''s eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled and said:

    "I want to keep traveling with you...!"

    What Kira wanted wasn''t success or honor.

    It was simply continuing to travel with Ian...

    "Ian, I enjoyed every day traveling with you. The cold northern mountains were fun, the quiet monastery was interesting."

    "It was completely different from when I wandered around as a fake wizard, running away. I never knew traveling could be so fun."

    "I thought... maybe I didn''t need to go to university, we could just keep traveling like this."

    It was pure sincerity without a trace of deception.

    To Kira, traveling had just been a means of escaping detection with her fake identity.

    If she hadn''t met Ian, she''d still be wandering the roads just to avoid being caught.

    "But... we met black wizards."

    "And a dragon."

    "Yeah. And a dragon."

    But from their conversation, Elia didn''t seem like that kind of psycho.

    ''...But Elia ended up disliking Kira regardless.''

    If Kira wasn''t the problem.

    Then the issue must lie with Elia.

    ''Whatever it is, we need to resolve it quickly.''

    Once human emotions festered and burst, there was no going back.

    Ian didn''t want the university becoming a battleground.

    Especially not a fight between the Holy Empire Emperor''s daughter and his traveling companion!

    He decided to take action before things got out of hand.

    ''We''ll meet in the next class.''

    Ian took a sip of his lukewarm beer.

    #

    Power naturally attracted followers.

    Though her actual power was minimal, Elia Shakraine Hastria possessed a status unmatched by anyone else in the Empire.

    That of the Emperor''s daughter.

    The Imperial Princess of the Holy Empire!

    "What exactly is going on!"

    Bang!

    When Elia slammed the desk, her ''advisors'' didn''t dare make a sound.

    Her self-proclaimed advisors were noble children studying abroad at Imperial University.

    They were filled with schemes to build connections during their school days, hoping to ride Elia''s coattails to success if she rose to power.

    "Wizard Ian has a lover?! And it''s that Kira?!"

    "Ahem..."

    "They''re not lovers, just traveling companions, Your Highness."

    The advisors tried calming Elia, but her mind wouldn''t settle.

    Fine, let''s say Ian had a lover.

    As an accomplished wizard of marriageable age, he might have someone.

    But... why did it have to be that Kira!

    ''Absolutely not!''

    Elia''s eyes flashed.

    Though she went around telling everyone ''I''m not interested in power~'',

    In truth, Elia was more interested in power than anyone else at Imperial University.

    The bigger the dream the better, wasn''t that what they said?

    Elia''s dream was to become Empress of the Holy Empire.

    Though the chances were incredibly slim...

    Well, she was born as the Emperor''s daughter. Shouldn''t she at least try working toward that dream?

    ''I must become the best!''

    The reason Elia enrolled in Imperial University''s magic department was to build connections with future great wizards.

    For that, she needed to become the magic department''s number one.

    She needed to be the one choosing wizards, not having wizards choose her.

    She didn''t need to be good at magic.

    But she absolutely couldn''t lose in terms of presence.

    In that sense, [Kira Laventa] was a dangerous rival threatening Elia.

    ''If I could just get Ian...! Then everything would be over!''

    Wizard Ian was the best card Elia could play.

    If she became his friend, or better yet lover, she could use his magic to cement her position even further.

    She''d been trying to create opportunities to get close to Ian, but...!

    ''Kira Laventa!''

    That red-haired she-cat dared to steal her man?

    It wasn''t just about losing Ian.

    The problem was that Elia would have trouble controlling the commoner-wizard faction that Ian and Kira would create!

    What was a woman''s greatest advantage? The ability to seduce men and make them lovers.

    In Elia''s judgment, there were no male wizard students at the magic university who could match Ian.

    If the strongest wizard Ian paired up with Kira, Elia would instantly become irrelevant at school...!

    "Please calm down, Your Highness."

    "...I assume you''re speaking up because you have a solution, Lord Pals."

    The man called Lord Pals'' eyes gleamed.

    "The core issue is that Ian''s affections are directed toward Kira, isn''t it?"

    "Continue."

    "What if I could drive a wedge between Kira and Ian?"

    Elia thought quickly.

    If possible, it would benefit her position, but...

    Was there really a way?

    "How would you do it?"

    Elia asked in a serious voice.

    ---

 Chapter 249

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "This is ridiculous!"

    One of the Princess''s followers grumbled.

    Though many ears were listening, no one rebuked him.

    "How could Her Highness! Taking the side of that lowborn Pals or whatever his name is!"

    After their strategy meeting(?), Elia had decided to try a small scheme following Lord Pals'' suggestion.

    It was likely chosen because the strategy was low-risk either way...

    But the Princess''s followers were unhappy from the start that she''d adopted such a lightweight, shallow strategy.

    Why should someone of Imperial Princess status care what commoners think!

    Though wizards were well-treated in the Empire, they were still just tools of the powerful.

    Her followers firmly believed that within the small world of Imperial University, nothing would be impossible for Elia if she just pushed hard enough.

    Instead of wasting time with reconnaissance...

    Why not just openly ostracize wizard Kira? (They really didn''t get it)

    This was the kind of thinking that would have astounded Elia if she''d heard it.

    She wasn''t some tyrant, and had zero intention of building her reputation by crushing fellow students.

    But some of Elia''s followers were just thoughtless twenty-somethings hungry for power games.

    Idiots who joined the Princess''s faction just wanting to throw their weight around and feel superior!

    Elia would have kicked them out immediately if she knew, but they were shrewd enough to hide their true nature from her.

    "I heard this Pals guy is from some backwater countryside."

    "Ha! Noble in name only - just another commoner!"

    Among the nobles gathered around Elia, many despised commoners.

    Well, those wizard types were so arrogant!

    Though they understood wizards'' usefulness and played nice accordingly.

    There were quite a few nobles who resented these uppity commoners who dared put on airs just because they were good at studying.

    ''Rather than bow to wizards, I''ll study magic myself!''

    Some nobles studied magic precisely because they hated having to defer to wizards.

    That described many of the noble wizard students at Imperial University.

    "This is all because Her Highness is too conscious of that Ian guy."

    "That''s true."

    The followers couldn''t understand the Princess''s reaction.

    What did it matter to Her Highness if Ian and Kira were dating?

    Let those lowborns hook up - Her Highness should be dating young lords from no-ble families!

    ...This definitely wasn''t just them wanting to date the Princess themselves.

    They believed Elia was vastly overestimating Ian.

    "Is Ian really all that great?"

    "They say he''s a skilled dark wizard."

    "...Speaking of dark magic, I have an idea."

    One follower showed a box.

    It was a magical item given by their family as a university enrollment gift.

    "This is a [Box That Traps Sunlight]."

    "W-what?"

    "Study harder, idiot. You can store sunlight in here and take it out when needed."

    "Oho?"

    The followers'' eyes lit up.

    Wizard Ian was a dark wizard. And darkness was always weak to light.

    What would happen if they packed this sunlight box full... then "accidentally" opened it during Ian''s lecture!

    "He''ll definitely fail his magic!"

    "The mystery of darkness might go berserk!"

    Any proper wizard who heard this would have wanted to crack their skulls.

    Are you insane? Deliberately provoking a mystery into going berserk!

    But these were ''university students.''

    Meaning they knew absolutely nothing.

    As they say, fools rush in - they were convinced the berserk mystery would only cause trouble for Ian.

    What if the mystery of darkness attacked?

    "Then we''ll protect Her Highness!"

    "Yeah! Everyone gather your magic items!"

    A plan to sabotage Ian''s class while scoring points with the Princess!

    ...This sinister group moved secretly, hidden from Elia''s eyes.

    #

    "Then let''s have a light class session."

    Following Eredith''s suggestion, Ian took on two open lectures for students.

    Though almost all Imperial University lectures were open, the students attending varied.

    First were the basic lectures for students without foundational knowledge.

    These were hard to find instructors for, so the university paid to establish them.

    The basic math lecture Ian first attended at Imperial University and Eredith''s basic magic lecture fell into this category.

    The other open lectures were for presenting research and sharing ideas.

    Regular students couldn''t understand these even if they attended - they were lectures for professor-level students with solid specialized knowledge.

    The latter was the type of lecture Ian needed to focus on.

    "There was supposed to be a seminar this weekend, but it got pushed back because of the festival."

    "Festival?"

    "Yes. Young people playing around... who are we to say anything?"

    Wow! A university festival!

    Ian found it slightly absurd.

    Really, a university festival in medieval times?

    But young people''s love of fun was the same in medieval times as modern times.

    "They could be reading even one more letter instead of playing around!"

    "..."

    Ian suddenly felt his PTSD acting up.

    Come to think of it, Eredith''s specialty when teaching Ian had been working him to the bone without giving any breaks...

    "Don''t you agree, Ian? Kids these days study far too little!"

    "W-why?"

    What''s this. First day nerves? Or are they just naturally this slow?

    Ian looked at the followers with pitying eyes as he said:

    "It''s pitch black in here so we can''t see anything. How would you watch my dark magic?"

    "..."

    "..."

    The Princess''s followers were deeply impressed by Ian''s wise answer.

    Of course!

    This is a dark room, so we couldn''t see anything!

    Holy shit, are you a genius or what?!

    They''d been so focused on opening the sunlight box that they hadn''t thought of anything else.

    ''I-it''s fine...!''

    ''We can still open the sunlight box outside!''

    "Come on, let''s go."

    Ian led the dark magic students outside.

    Though a dark room was essential for communing with the mystery of darkness, there was no need to call mysteries on day one.

    ''Still, since I''m teaching''

    I should do my best.

    Ian smiled as he focused his mind.

    Though it was sunset, the light was still strong.

    But as a level 5 dark wizard, Ian no longer failed magic just because of brightness.

    "[Darkness.]"

    Ian casually called the mystery of darkness.

    Pitch black darkness writhed and gathered around Ian.

    [Hi Ian!]

    "Wow... is that dark magic?"

    "Amazing!"

    The students were captivated by the mystery of darkness Ian had summoned.

    This was their chance.

    Right now, when the mystery of darkness had shown itself!

    The Princess''s followers didn''t miss their opportunity.

    ''Now!''

    "Oops, my hand slipped...!"

    The follower widely opened the hidden sunlight box!

    "Ah!"

    "What''s happening?!"

    Blinding radiance poured out.

    The students screamed in panic.

    [Eek!]

    Even the mystery of darkness tried to flee in surprise at the sudden light.

    But Ian calmly controlled the darkness.

    ''Running is more dangerous!''

    "[Hide behind me!]"

    The mystery of darkness instantly understood Ian''s intent.

    The darkness clung to Ian''s back, stretching out long.

    The bright light made the darkness stretch long.

    Creating a massive shadow.

    "Ah...!"

    "Oh my!"

    Through the pouring radiance, the students clearly saw.

    The enormous shadow Ian had summoned and...

    How that shadow moved like a living creature!

    So this was dark magic!

    "Ahh!"

    Just then, the follower screamed and dropped the sunlight box.

    Maria had rushed over from behind and shoved them with her body.

    Maria immediately stomped and shattered the sunlight box.

    Crack!

    "W-what are you doing, you crazy bitch! That was expensive!"

    "The crazy one is you! Spraying light in front of the mystery of darkness! Are you sane? Do you want to die!"

    "You...!"

    The follower tried to get angry but fell silent upon meeting Maria''s eyes.

    Maria''s black eyes blazed with hatred and madness.

    "Enough. Maria''s right."

    Ian soothed and sent back the mystery of darkness.

    Maria''s words were probably? correct.

    Though Ian had never seen the mystery of darkness get angry before...

    This situation was enough to make it angry.

    An angry mystery was every wizard''s nightmare.

    "Tell me. Why did you bring light to a dark magic class?"

    "W-well..."

    Not just Ian, but even Elia glared at them.

    Only then did they realize this wouldn''t be brushed off as ''just a prank''...!

    "Ian!"

    Inglan came running from afar. He had been lecturing nearby.

    "W-what was that!? That doomsday monster shadow! What exactly did you summon during class!"

    Elia answered instead.

    "That was Ian... Professor''s quick thinking."

    "Quick thinking?"

    "Yes. It was magic to protect us from an accident!"

    As she spoke these words, Elia''s cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement and passion.

    ---

 Chapter 250

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "What?! Dark magic lecture and they brought a box of sunlight???"

    "They''re insane. What were they thinking?"

    The magic professors who heard about Ian''s incident unanimously cursed the perpetrators as terrorists.

    They knew just how dangerous it was to provoke a mystery.

    "Explain yourself! Why did you bring a sunlight box?"

    "Well... it''s a precious item my family gave me..."

    "Good heavens above. What kind of excuse is that!"

    Except for the perpetrator, no one showed even a shred of sympathy.

    Though they claimed to have ''accidentally'' brought it, the circumstances made it obvious they had deliberately opened the sunlight box.

    "I-I''m the son of Count Minerva...!"

    "So what?"

    "..."

    Naturally, noble authority carried no weight here.

    This was a magic university, and wizards knew how to handle nobles.

    "Thanks for your hard work until now. You can continue your studies back at your estate."

    "...!"

    In other words - pack up and get out.

    And not a single professor opposed this decision.

    They couldn''t keep teaching someone who would provoke mysteries ''for fun'' - who knew what major accident they might cause!

    "Ian. Don''t summon the mystery of darkness for a while. Though it seems fine on the surface, it must be quite angry."

    "I''ll keep that in mind."

    While consoling Ian, the professors also praised his clean handling of the situation.

    One wrong move and an angry mystery could have gone berserk.

    But like a skilled dark wizard, Ian had shown the wit to turn light into shadow.

    "Your skills were impressive. No wonder Inglan recommended you."

    "You''re too kind."

    "It was terrifying to think about. If that shadow you created had turned hostile toward humans, I don''t want to imagine what might have happened."

    Ian made an odd expression.

    The mystery of darkness hadn''t been that angry...?

    But the professors dropped comments whenever they ran into Ian.

    "Dark wizard! How''s the mystery of darkness doing?"

    "...? Just fine?"

    "Ian! I brought some dark crystals that the mystery of darkness likes! Try calming it down with these!"

    "??? No, it''s not that angry..."

    "Damn it, Professor Ian! I heard the university might close temporarily? Is that true?"

    "...Thanks for the useful information?"

    Ian was the only dark wizard at the university qualified to teach dark magic.

    So the other professors couldn''t gauge how angry the mystery of darkness actually was (though they''d long since decided it was definitely angry).

    Like all such rumors, this one grew wildly in a negative direction.

    The mystery of darkness was so pissed it would devour the sun! (Nope)

    Imperial University would fall into eternal darkness for a year! (Nope)

    Ian was doing his best to placate the mystery of darkness but would soon hit his limit! (Nope)

    And so on...

    "Ian! Can you tell when the mystery of darkness might attack?"

    "..."

    If I order it to, right now, Professor.

    Though the mystery of darkness might not be, Ian was starting to feel seriously pissed...!

    Really, how could wizards be such cowards?

    No matter how many times he said the mystery of darkness was fine, they wouldn''t listen.

    Before long, Ian discovered the source of these negative rumors.

    "Everyone, you saw the shadow Ian summoned! Remember that enormous, terrifying shadow! The mystery of darkness will soon destroy Imperial University!"

    "Damn it..."

    "Professor Inglan! Isn''t there anything we can do!"

    Inglan shouted to the professors with a melancholy expression.

    "There is. To appease the mystery of darkness, we need to buy lots of dark crystals."

    "...!"

    "For that, we''ll need to redirect some budget..."

    Ian watched Inglan''s actions in disbelief.

    This old man...

    Was he using this incident as an excuse to secure more budget!

    What an amazingly shrewd professor!

    "Inglan."

    "Ah! Ian! Perfect timing. About that huge shadow you summoned, if you could just call it again..."

    "Not interested in dying peacefully of old age, are you?"

    Stop the bullshit if you don''t want to die, Inglan.

    Getting imprisoned by black wizards and still not learning his lesson.

    "...Spare me."

    Ian sighed and let Inglan off.

    Inglan had pushed quite hard for Ian at the university.

    Though Kira''s admission had gone smoothly, getting the necromancy apprentice Maria in had been tough.

    But Inglan was the one who pushed through her admission.

    Ian felt awkward about going too hard on him.

    "Just stop spreading rumors and tell people everything''s fine."

    #

    During this Spirit Festival, she would earn Ian''s favor no matter what...!

    ''You can do this! Elia! You can do it!''

    As the two earnestly shook hands.

    They didn''t notice.

    The furtive eyes watching them through the window.

    #

    "Kira! The Spirit Festival is coming!"

    "You''re right. Time really flies."

    After enrolling at university, Kira had learned about the Spirit Festival at Imperial University.

    What started as a ceremony honoring saints who ascended to heaven... had just become a school festival (Imperial University was originally a monastery).

    "Kira, do you know the legend of the [Trial of Fear]?"

    Though the Spirit Festival had many events, the highlight was naturally the [Trial of Fear].

    At midnight, walking through pitch-black forest to feel fear of beings in the darkness - that was the main content of the [Trial of Fear].

    They said it was about experiencing the courage of ancient saints who boldly faced darkness... but.

    Really, it was just a test of courage.

    Ian would have found it absurd.

    Like, why the fuck is this medieval university doing courage tests...?

    "Won''t the Trial of Fear be dangerous?"

    "Dangerous? It''s so thrilling!"

    "Yeah! It''s super fun!"

    "?"

    But Ian had overlooked something.

    In medieval times, entertainment was naturally scarce!

    With dopamine-pumping entertainment nowhere to be found, these primitive-classic games were always popular.

    Modern or medieval, people loved thrills the same.

    And courage tests were easy to set up and fun to enjoy.

    "You know, they say couples who pass the [Trial of Fear] together receive the saints'' blessing for eternal love!"

    "...Haha. What an interesting legend."

    The female students squealed and got heated up with girls'' talk, but.

    Actually, Kira had little interest in silly love stories.

    ''I need to study magic...''

    Kira had a grand dream of traveling the continent with Ian.

    For that, she needed magical skill strong enough to handle black wizard attacks.

    After finishing his studies at university, Ian would set off again searching for mysteries.

    If she heard him say ''Sorry~ Kira''s too weak to bring along~'' then, Kira was confident she would burst into genuine tears...

    ''I have to work hard!''

    "Kira, um... are you thinking of going to the festival with Ian?"

    "Yeah! You two look so good together!"

    Kira''s followers'' eyes sparkled.

    The world''s top 3 most entertaining spectacles were watching fire, watching fights, and watching other people''s romance.

    What? My Love from the Star? Crash Landing on You?[1]

    Kira-Ian is my drama!

    This is how medieval times should be!

    Kira smiled slightly as she answered.

    "Ian won''t be interested in festivals like that."

    "What?! Why not?"

    "Because he''s such an incredible wizard."

    He''ll probably spend every spare moment studying.

    If Kira thoughtlessly said ''Ian! Let''s go play at the festival!'', she''d just be disturbing his studies.

    Meeting Ian in class was best after all...

    "Breaking news! Breaking news! Something huge happened!"

    "?"

    Just then, a lady came running from afar.

    Without even wiping the sweat from her brow, she spoke to Kira.

    "Imperial Princess Elia...! The Princess, get this...!"

    "Oh no! Was she assassinated?"

    "She made a date with Ian!!!"

    Kyaaaaaaah~!

    The female students were shocked.

    That''s worse than assassination! (It''s not)

    "No way!"

    Even Kira couldn''t hide her dismay.

    Date meant... festival date?

    Did they agree to go to the Spirit Festival together?!

    "Kira! Let''s go check right now!"

    "Right! Ian... Ian! He couldn''t have!"

    Kira thought briefly.

    What if this was just a false rumor?

    If she disturbed Ian while he was studying hard...

    Kira shook her head. The thoughts in her mind completely cleared.

    "...Let''s go."

    Study? Who cares about study right now?!

    Ian''s going on a date with the Imperial Princess!

    Time to go hardcore interrupt Ian...!

    Kira immediately deployed to intercept Ian.

    ---

    [1. raei: both My Love from the Star and Crash Landing on You are kr tv series.]

 Chapter 251

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''Stay calm, don''t shake.''

    Kira hurried her steps while steadying her nerves.

    After receiving reports from her followers, she arrived at the scene to find Ian and Elia indeed having an intimate conversation.

    Even at a glance, they looked quite close.

    ''...''

    The moment she saw Elia chatting side by side with Ian.

    Kira felt a flame burst to life in her chest.

    ''What are you doing? Right now?''

    Kira knew Ian well.

    Ian was a wizard who explored the world''s mysteries and communicated with them.

    He cared more about morning mist than gold and jewels, more about permafrost than crowns and cloaks.

    ''...She''s interfering.''

    Kira knew the name of the woman smiling softly beside Ian.

    Elia Shakraine Hastria.

    Daughter of Emperor Shakraine II of the Holy Empire.

    Leader of the noble faction with countless noble followers.

    Ian and Elia were strangers who''d only met days ago.

    So how could they be having such an intimate conversation?

    ''Elia deliberately approached Ian.''

    Elia had money and connections.

    Getting close to Ian must have been easy for her.

    So why did Elia approach Ian?

    ''To make him her own person.''

    Nobles always wanted talented individuals.

    For a wizard of Ian''s caliber, they would stop at nothing to bring him under their control.

    ''...Nobles are all like this.''

    Kira didn''t particularly resent nobles.

    She just thought their vastly different backgrounds meant there were things they could never understand about each other.

    But even so.

    How could they so carelessly waste the time of a wizard who came to university wanting to study seriously?

    ''Imperial Princess Elia... has no real intention of studying magic.''

    Like most nobles at Imperial University.

    More focused on networking with brilliant scholars than studying hard themselves.

    Elia was no different.

    That''s what angered Kira.

    ''Ian isn''t your toy to play with when you''re bored!''

    Kira was serious about magic. So was Ian. They shared the common ground of being [wizards].

    But that noble woman?

    She only thought of Ian as another subject, scheming how to use him for her own benefit.

    In short, she was an obstacle to wizards.

    And obstacles needed removing.

    Kira closed her eyes and recalled her father''s teachings.

    A jester who steps onto the stage becomes the master of the world in that moment.

    Enchant everyone with confident acting.

    Then no one will be able to look away from you.

    ''Let''s go, Kira!''

    Kira''s followers anxiously shuffled their feet watching Ian and Elia alone together.

    "What should we do?"

    "Kira, maybe we should plan first..."

    That''s when Kira strode forward without hesitation.

    "Kira?!"

    "I''ll go talk to them."

    "But... if the Imperial Princess gets angry..."

    Kira answered with a bright smile.

    "Aren''t we all just students here? And nobles who get angry at wizards tend to regret it!"

    "Ah!"

    The female students melted at Kira''s confident voice, covering their mouths.

    As expected of Kira! So cool!

    "K-Kira! We''ll support you!"

    "Go give them a piece of your mind!"

    With her Kira fan club bubbling with excitement, Kira approached Ian wearing a fresh smile.

    "Ian! I''ve been looking everywhere for you!"

    "Kira?"

    Ian tilted his head at Kira''s sudden appearance.

    Why was Kira here when she should be in the dorms?

    ''Her voice is in acting mode?''

    A voice like there were 24 cameras rolling.

    Whether he hung out with Elia or Kira or neither, Ian had nothing to lose.

    "Kira. You''re welcome to join us during the festival. But I have one condition."

    "A condition?"

    "I''ll be joining you for the evening as well."

    For just a moment, Kira''s [mask] cracked.

    Seeing Kira''s momentary flash of ''annoyance'', Elia smiled with satisfaction.

    See? You''re not completely inhuman after all? You do have emotions.

    "I was the first to claim Ian''s time. Since you joined later, you understand, right?"

    "Yes! I understand! But will it be alright for the Imperial Princess to be out so late? Won''t people worry?"

    "I''m just a powerless young lady~ I''m more worried about you? Since you''re so popular with men~ I''m concerned something might happen at night~"

    "..."

    "..."

    For a moment, an unnatural silence fell.

    Ian hugged himself as goosebumps ran down his arms.

    Shit. Is Professor Krysus nearby? Why''s it so cold?

    In the illusion of biting winds, Kira and Elia exchanged farewells.

    "See you at the festival then, Kira, daughter of Laventa."

    "Until then, Lady Hastria."

    After they left, Ian felt belatedly dazed.

    What was that? What just happened?

    Sure, Elia came to make a dogeza apology but.

    Then Kira suddenly ninja''d her way in...

    It was just, totally chaotic.

    Ian was left with an absurdly outrageous outcome.

    [During the festival, spend time with both Kira and Elia], straight out of some web novel...!

    If Kira, Elia and Ian had been old friends who could laugh and enjoy the festival together, that might work (replacing Elia with Belenka would be perfect).

    But the thought of being stuck between 100% acting mode Kira and barely-friendly Elia already made Ian''s chest tight...

    Why did Kira really come?

    "Brother. About our necromancy class..."

    "Let me ask first, Maria. This festival? What event happens in the evening?"

    Maria, who''d come about class, tilted her head slightly as she answered.

    "The [Trial of Fear]?"

    "Trial of Fear?"

    After hearing Maria''s explanation, Ian''s jaw dropped.

    Really, it''s just a courage test!

    Medieval people who lived in gloomy houses doing courage tests made no sense!

    "Brother, are you going to the festival? I thought you wouldn''t be interested in that kind of event."

    "I wasn''t planning to, but people keep trying to drag me along."

    "Ah. I see. Must be Kira."

    "? How''d you know?"

    Maria explained with a mysterious smile.

    "The [Trial of Fear] has a famous legend... didn''t you know?"

    "Legend?"

    Maria chuckled.

    "They say couples who pass the Trial of Fear together receive the saints'' blessing for eternal love."

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Just the kind of legend that romance-obsessed girls would love-

    [There''s somewhere I really want to go with you during the festival.]

    Suddenly, Kira''s voice echoed in his mind.

    "That''s... really a famous legend? You didn''t just make it up?"

    "At least among female students it is. Hehe."

    #

    Elia happened to spot one of her followers.

    "Lord Pals."

    Though from a minor noble family on the frontier, he was a man of exceptional magical skill.

    Other followers derided him as "lowborn trash", but Elia kept him close for his magical abilities.

    "Did you meet with Ian?"

    "Yes. Things got a bit complicated."

    Because of Kira''s sudden appearance.

    Elia looked directly at Pals as she spoke.

    "Lord Pals. I want to move up the plan. Is that possible?"

    Elia had entrusted Pals with [the plan to humiliate Kira].

    As a talented wizard, Pals could certainly make Kira suffer.

    "When should we execute it?"

    Elia closed her eyes briefly then opened them.

    "Spirit Festival. Evening. During the Trial of Fear."

    Pals smiled darkly, as if he''d been waiting for this.

    "An excellent choice, Your Highness."

    ---

 Chapter 252

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Since dawn, Ian had been preparing his bath water using a slave (a university-owned slave of pagan origin).

    "? Lord Ian. What are you doing?"

    "Taking a bath."

    "Ah! You''re recreating customs from the Golden Empire era? Such dedication to bringing book knowledge to life! As a scholar, I''m impressed!"

    "..."

    I''m just taking a bath, you lunatic.

    Since there were quite a few educated people around, most didn''t react to Ian bathing (though some still did).

    But educated or not, this was still a medieval fantasy empire.

    The common mindset was that bathing was something only barbarians did!

    Male students passing by expressed respect for Ian''s scholarly dedication(?).

    "What does it feel like being submerged in hot water!"

    Just try it yourself and you''ll know...

    "Be careful, Lord Ian! You could die doing that!"

    Thanks SO much for your concern.

    "Hmm. I understand your enthusiasm, but your research is lacking. In ancient Golden Empire bathhouses, they didn''t actually submerge themselves in hot water?"

    "[Water, surge forth!]"

    Splash!

    "Ow, hot! W-what are you doing..."

    "[Water, surge forth again!]"

    Splash!

    "Cr-crazy wizard!!!"

    The male students laughed watching the uptight scholar flee after getting splashed.

    Whether modern or medieval times, there were always people obsessing over such meaningless facts.

    "Picking a fight with a wizard. Either stupid or brave."

    "That stuck-up guy! I knew he''d get what was coming to him!"

    The students seemed to have quite a few grievances, each taking turns making comments as the scholar ran.

    Though it was noisy all around.

    ''...''

    Ian sat deep in thought, submerged up to his mouth.

    He recalled a recent memory.

    Maria had whispered:

    [I''ve heard that after the Trial of Fear, many couples are formed.]

    That made sense.

    The Trial of Fear was a medieval courage test. One with romance rumors attached.

    How many couples must naturally form after passing the trial together?

    [Then...]

    [As it concerns my respected sister Kira, I shouldn''t say much. However... hehe. I think Kira asked brother to attend the festival together knowing the rumors.] r?

    Ian thought so too.

    As the commoner faction''s top performer and idol of female students, there''s no way Kira wouldn''t know such a famous rumor.

    ''Doesn''t seem like bait to provoke Elia.''

    Though Elia paid a lot of attention to Kira, Kira didn''t care much about Elia.

    At least, that''s how the Kira Ian knew was.

    So it made no sense for Kira to pick a fight with Elia first.

    Then... was this really just a date invitation?

    Female friend suddenly asks to go out. Is this a green light?

    "Hmm."

    These sudden developments brought all sorts of thoughts to mind.

    If there weren''t any women around Ian, he might have seriously considered a relationship with Kira.

    Though Ian was reincarnated from modern times, he was now a resident of this medieval fantasy world regardless of his past life.

    That meant he''d need to marry, have kids, and live out his life here until dying of old age.

    A girlfriend? No reason not to have one.

    Kira was definitely an amazing woman.

    Her looks were unreal, she had a good personality, shared his interest in magic, and like Ian came from common origins.

    But there was just one problem.

    ''Lucy.''

    Ian already had someone like a girlfriend... no, she was his girlfriend.

    Though he hadn''t formally confessed, this was the West - a kiss pretty much meant they were dating.

    Having a girlfriend but getting involved with another woman.

    Especially a travel companion?

    ''What a fucking playboy... no, that''s not it.''

    Ian shook his head. Forget playboy - that would just make him trash.

    Of course, Ian''s relationship with Lucy wasn''t at the marriage-premise level.

    Bluntly put, even if Ian married someone else and sent Lucy a wedding invitation, all she could do was cry her eyes out.

    But Ian naturally had no intention of setting up house with another woman.

    Ian was a [Pure Love Fan] who preferred monogamy over harems.

    Plus with his modern sensibilities remaining, guys juggling multiple women just seemed... like players.

    ''How would I explain to Lucy later?''

    "Dunno?"

    Though rumors about Ian abounded, information spread slowly in medieval times, so his recognition didn''t easily increase.

    "Here we are. The restaurant I reserved~"

    As promised, Elia treated Ian to lunch.

    Having Kira tag along was unexpected, but she decided to think of it as showing imperial generosity.

    "Chef, explain to Lord Ian."

    "This dish is suckling pig roasted slowly overnight, seasoned with pepper..."

    Wow! Pepper barbecue!

    "Chef, what''s this?"

    "Roasted chicken seasoned with pepper!"

    Pepper chicken!

    "And this?"

    "Soup seasoned with pepper!"

    Pepper soup!

    "What about this?"

    "Bread seasoned with pepper!"

    Pepper bread!

    Wow! More pepper, fuck!

    Eating all this we''ll be shitting pepper instead of shit!

    Ian asked incredulously.

    "Just how much pepper did you use?"

    The chef proudly answered.

    "Almost all the restaurant''s pepper!"

    "Wow...!"

    The spectators(...) watching the Princess''s meal from outside the restaurant marveled.

    "Using so much pepper for one meal...!"

    "How extravagant!"

    "???"

    Ian was dumbfounded again.

    Look, eating is about the food, not throwing money around...

    What Ian overlooked was that this was a ''reception'' restaurant.

    Reception restaurants naturally served extravagant dishes.

    And the Holy Empire''s pathetic cuisine meant...

    Roasted meat heavily seasoned with pepper was their most luxurious meal!

    "Enjoy, Ian!"

    "..."

    I can''t enjoy this, Your Highness.

    Ian couldn''t help but smile watching the Princess tear into a pepper-coated chicken leg with her bare hands.

    Well. This really was medieval times.

    Fortunately or unfortunately, the three barely ate half the food before giving up.

    With everything drenched in pepper, this was inevitable.

    "Was the meal satisfactory?"

    "It was extravagant."

    "Very extravagant."

    Ian''s gaze naturally drifted to the street food.

    Just like how people will still make instant ramen after eating an expensive course meal at home.

    Noticing Ian''s gaze, Elia smiled bitterly and said.

    "Ian. Should we try some of those?"

    "I''d like that."

    "...Looks like lunch wasn''t quite enough."

    Ian smiled as he answered.

    "Since I''m not noble-born. Street food sounds good right now."

    "I''ll go buy some!"

    Kira shouted, meeting Ian''s eyes.

    What she brought back was fried rice.

    Yellow seafood fried rice.

    Ian took one bite and immediately marveled.

    Damn. This place is legit!

    As expected of a university district, it must be full of hidden masters!

    "Hey Kira! This is really good!"

    "Right? I was just thinking the same!"

    Ian and Kira chatted and smiled so naturally.

    ''...Those two. Travel companions, they said.''

    Elia blankly watched them.

    "How is it, Elia? Tasty right!"

    "Ah... yes."

    Elia nodded while nibbling at the fried rice.

    Though she''d tasted expensive food at the fancy restaurant she''d reserved...

    Frustratingly, this common street food that commoners ate tasted much better.

    ---

 Chapter 253

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian leisurely enjoyed the festival.

    ''Plenty to see here.''

    This medieval fantasy world lacked entertainment, so when people got a chance to have fun, they tended to make the most of it.

    Everyone came out determined to enjoy themselves, so naturally smiles bloomed everywhere.

    "Ah! Ian! Come dance!"

    "I want to dance too!"

    "? But this is a partner dance..."

    Being with Elia, a famous insider, and Kira who was cosplaying as one, Ian got dragged into every event they passed.

    And regardless of the event type, neither woman wanted to let go of Ian.

    "Wow... what''s with that guy?"

    "Dancing a duet with three people..."

    "So envious... no, what a lustful bastard!"

    Ian heard people whispering around them.

    Though Ian wondered ''Is this really okay?'', neither Kira nor Elia''s expressions changed.

    Since they were dancing so shamelessly, Ian couldn''t really say anything.

    ''Ah, whatever.''

    Ian put on his own shameless face.

    From today, I''m a harem protagonist...

    Ian set aside thoughts of future consequences and enjoyed the festival with the two female students.

    "Ladies! Want to try the ball tossing game! There are prizes for winners!"

    A jester performing on the street called out to Ian''s group.

    It was a juggling game where you toss and catch multiple balls.

    "Oh, I''m too clumsy for that~ Ian, want to try?"

    "I''m not good at such things. Kira''s good at this stuff, right?"

    "?"

    When Ian looked at her, Kira burst out laughing.

    "That''s too simple, I don''t bother with stuff like that."

    ''What''s this about...?''

    Elia stared at Kira in disbelief for a moment.

    A wizard, and a female wizard at that, being good at juggling games...?

    Kira stood next to the jester and started tossing and catching five balls simultaneously.

    The red and blue balls traced an arc that looked just like a rainbow.

    "Oho!"

    "What a master!"

    Elia''s jaw dropped while the jester clapped in amazement.

    "My~ you''re quite skilled! You could join our performance troupe right now..."

    Though the jester meant it as high praise.

    To Elia''s ears, it was a grating compliment.

    Jesters were among the lowest of the low in the Holy Empire.

    Since their job was selling laughter to others, they avoided conflict with people and were seen as easy targets - hence they were often subjected to various forms of violence.

    Bluntly put, you had to know how to laugh and joke even when someone slapped you to succeed as a jester (modern internet streamers also earn money while taking $1 insults).

    Though Elia disliked Kira, she acknowledged her magical abilities.

    Yet here he was suggesting such a talented wizard become a jester?

    Moreover, female jesters often combined dancing and music with... prostitution.

    Not something to say to a woman attending Imperial University.

    Elia crossed her arms and approached the jester.

    "This person is a student at Imperial University~ With all her studies, she won''t have time for jester work~"

    "Ah, r-right... haha!"

    "And please don''t make such suggestions to ladies? If she were less easygoing, you might have been in trouble."

    "I-I''m... sorry..."

    "If you want to perform at the next festival too~ you should watch your mouth, right?"

    Elia turned to Kira with a sweet smile.

    Though she disliked Kira, she''d stood up for her honor...

    "I''m so sorry, miss! Really! I spoke above my station like a fool!"

    "N-no, it''s fine, mister! Please lift your head!"

    "No! I deserve death! A mere jester not knowing my place!"

    "Really... it''s okay..."

    ''?''

    But Kira''s expression wasn''t bright.

    Even her practiced facade cracked as she visibly fumbled for words.

    Kira was clearly uncomfortable.

    That''s when it happened.

    Ian tapped Elia''s shoulder.

    "Ian?"

    The reason Ian defended that nameless jester...

    Must have been for Kira''s sake.

    Ian was truly a good person.

    So kind that.

    She couldn''t help but like him.

    That kind of person.

    Kira playfully bumped Ian.

    "You''re so cool, Ian!"

    "?"

    Kira managed her usual cool wizard act.

    But she couldn''t stop the back of her neck from turning red.

    "Kira. Your face looks kind of red..."

    "Since I''m embarrassed, could you not point it out?"

    When Kira smiled with her flushed face.

    Ian burst out laughing too.

    "Alright. Got it."

    "..."

    Elia silently watched the two of them.

    ''As expected... that woman...''

    Even she could see how well Ian and Kira matched.

    Meanwhile, Elia had only racked up failures.

    At this rate she might even start feeling defeated.

    ''Should I proceed as planned...!''

    If Elia had completely captured Ian''s attention, the operation wouldn''t be necessary.

    But given how things were going, she needed Pals'' help.

    Elia''s decisive moment would come in the evening.

    #

    "Ugh..."

    Ian collapsed onto a bench, totally drained.

    He was exhausted from dealing with people all day.

    Being between Elia and Kira was tiring enough, but since they were both school idol-level popular students, he''d run into all sorts of people.

    For an INFP like Ian, it had been an incredibly harsh outing.

    How did these popular types do this every day? Scary bastards...!

    ''They said they''d stop by the dorms first.''

    He needed to rest while he could.

    Ian started seriously zoning out, recharging his loner energy.

    Unlike those social butterflies, loners needed alone time like this.

    "The sunset is beautiful, isn''t it?"

    "???"

    Ian belatedly came to his senses.

    A suspicious looking man was sitting right next to him.

    He was a middle-aged gentleman with an impressively groomed beard.

    "I love this quiet moment at sunset. When the warmest afternoon light turns to the cool hues of dusk, it''s as if the sun''s death throes echo through the world - how thrilling."

    Ian sensed it immediately.

    This guy was either a scholar or wizard.

    The evidence? That ridiculously flowery word choice...!

    "Are you perhaps a wizard?"

    "Yes. Pleased to meet you, Crow Wizard Ian, Eredith''s disciple."

    The middle-aged man greeted Ian.

    "You really are black as they say?"

    "..."

    You fucking racist... he almost said!

    Ian sent sudden thanks to his parents for not birthing him with completely black skin.

    "Black hair and black eyes. Characteristics of the Isus people who ruled the ancient Golden Empire."

    "And you look completely Imperial."

    The man stroked his brown hair and laughed.

    "First time meeting you, Ian. I''m Demonite, I teach summoning magic at the university."

    "...Demonite?"

    Ian tilted his head. The name sounded familiar somehow?

    "It''s also the name of a famous summoner from the Golden Empire era. I chose it out of respect for him."

    "Ah. I see."

    Taking famous people''s names was common in the Holy Empire.

    Though using a Golden Empire wizard''s name specifically was a bit odd.

    "What are you doing here, Demonite?"

    "Waiting for the sun to completely set."

    Demonite said.

    "Since I''m in charge of this [Trial of Fear]."

    ---

 Chapter 254

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Using his barely functioning brain got him caught. Serves him right!"

    The Imperial Princess''s followers mocked their recently expelled companions.

    They''d gotten cocky trying to expose wizard Ian''s abilities, using obviously reckless methods that got them kicked out.

    "With those idiots gone, we just need to earn Her Highness''s favor!"

    Fewer people around meant more chances to stand out.

    The remaining followers put their heads together to figure out how to seize this opportunity.

    Time to show they were different from those fools who acted without considering Her Highness''s wishes!

    "Did you hear? Her Highness gave Pals a task!"

    "What?"

    The followers who were just about to become loyal servants were momentarily thrown by this unexpected news.

    Pals? That countryside nobody?

    How could Her Highness, with her noble blood, keep such a backwoods peasant close!

    "There''s no way someone like Pals can properly carry out Her Highness''s mission."

    "Exactly!"

    Ah... time to pause the ''loyal servant'' act.

    Even wanting to be loyal, first you had to become a favored retainer.

    If Her Highness had hired this Pals or whatever, what was the point of playing loyal servant?

    "Her Highness may have given Pals the task, but there''s no guarantee he''ll succeed."

    "Right. We need to watch him!"

    Some followers went looking for Pals on their own.

    To monitor whether he was doing his job properly!

    To nitpick every little thing!

    And while they were at it, inject their own opinions and stake their claim!

    Get their foot in the door!

    They had mountains of tasks lined up.

    "Lord Pals!"

    The followers finally managed to track down Pals with great difficulty.

    The Trial of Fear would take place in the mountains, and Pals was tasked with interfering with Kira during it.

    Though the remote mountain location made walking difficult, the Princess''s followers showed their passion by climbing it with nothing but burning loyalty!

    "You''ve come."

    "Yes! Listen here! If you''re given a task, you should report to us!"

    "Report, you say?"

    "We served Her Highness first, so of course you should report to your superiors! Don''t you have any common sense?"

    The Princess''s followers immediately bombarded Pals with aggressive words.

    Establish dominance!

    Show who''s boss and they won''t be able to talk back later.

    By crushing their spirit early like this, it would be easier to interfere with Pals'' work and steal credit.

    "Hmm. I neglected to consider you."

    "What did you say? Lord Pals, are you insane?"

    Apologize!

    The Princess''s followers shouted with their eyes!

    But when they met Pals'' gaze.

    They felt spine-chilling terror.

    Pals'' eyes... were different from his usual emotionless stare.

    The eyes of a killer, steeped in blood and destruction.

    "I''m... truly sorry you came here."

    "?"

    At Pals'' unexpected words, the followers were confused.

    "Gack!"

    "W-what is... kyaaaaah!"

    Hot liquid splashed their faces.

    One follower slowly wiped their face.

    "...!"

    A bright red, sticky liquid.

    Blood.

    "W-what is this... gurk!"

    They had no time to process what was happening.

    Wolf-like monsters burst out from all around the forest, slaughtering the Princess''s followers.

    After killing all the followers, the monsters gathered one by one around Pals.

    Pals stroked the monsters, and they growled affectionately like pets.

    "I don''t understand why they came."

    From the start, Pals had never cared about the Princess''s orders.

    He only followed the orders of the Regent of the [Golden Rule Society].

    The monster tamer, Pals.

    He was a black wizard loyal to the Golden Rule Society.

    And today, the great Regent had given his order.

    [Kill Imperial Princess Elia.]

    "As commanded."

    The order came at the perfect timing.

    Pals disappeared into the forest to carry out the Regent''s command.

    #

    Ian chatted briefly with Professor Demonite.

    "Well... I don''t know much about magic."

    "Right."

    "Does walking in darkness mean anything to a dark wizard?"

    You know perfectly well. You clearly know exactly.

    True to a medieval intellectual, the priest''s words hit the mark perfectly.

    The [Trial of Fear] was completely useless for Ian.

    When he could see clearly in the dark, how could it be a courage test?

    "Not really..."

    As soon as Ian opened his mouth, the women viciously jabbed his sides.

    Ian hastily changed his words.

    "...not much. I''m afraid of darkness too."

    [What?! Ian! Really? You''re scared of us?!]

    "Even dark wizards fear darkness?"

    "Of course."

    [No we''re not! We''re not scary!]

    [Oh no... Ian must hate us now!]

    The startled mystery of darkness shook back and forth.

    The priest shouted in surprise.

    "P-Professor Ian! The shadow there is moving!"

    "Ugh."

    Ian immediately stomped on the shadow.

    [Yay! Ian''s playing with us!]

    [Let''s run away!]

    "But... you just said you feared darkness..."

    "Shadows aren''t that scary."

    "...I-I see. Magic is truly profound..."

    Since Ian insisted he was scared of darkness anyway, the priest granted him permission for the Trial of Fear.

    "Ian. The forest is dark, so please don''t let go of my hand~"

    "Hold my hand too! Ian!"

    "..."

    The priest looked at Ian suspiciously.

    It seemed he wasn''t interested in facing unknown fears at all.

    He just came to fool around with girls?!

    Ian could easily find the women''s hands again in the dark even if he lost them.

    But saying that would be annoying, so Ian obediently held both women''s hands.

    Both Elia and Kira.

    Had supremely soft, heavenly feminine hands.

    ''A flower in each hand.''

    Ian smiled in disbelief.

    He felt like an isekai harem protagonist.

    Grrrr...

    As they walked the pitch-dark forest path, low growls echoed from somewhere.

    "...Eek!"

    Ian was indifferent, Kira gripped his hand tightly, and Elia let out a shrill scream.

    "You okay?"

    "I''m f-fine! *hic*"

    "?"

    Ian wasn''t scared at all.

    Darkness - he could see fine anyway.

    Monster howls - Professor Demonite''s work.

    When you know everything, what''s there to fear?

    But Kira and Elia were different.

    First, the pitch-dark forest was... much scarier than expected!

    True to the monks'' dedicated craftsmanship, it was truly pitch black, with creepy dolls placed here and there amplifying the fear.

    ''This is really scary...!''

    Grrrr!

    "Eek!"

    Elia unconsciously hugged Ian''s arm tight.

    The soft sensation against his arm made Ian quite troubled...

    ''Holy shit.''

    Ian half lost his mind.

    No wonder so many couples formed!

    Rustle!

    Ian turned toward the sound.

    And met eyes with something.

    ''What is that...?''

    Even in the darkness, a monster staring straight at Ian.

    The monster sprang like a coiled spring, leaping at Ian.

    "Kira!"

    Ian threw Elia at Kira while drawing and throwing Anor-lsil.

    "Kyaaaah!"

    The magic sword slashed the monster''s side before returning to Ian''s hand.

    "Ian?!"

    "Watch out! Monsters are coming!"

    ---

 Chapter 255

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''This shit again.''

    As his body moved naturally, Ian clicked his tongue.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    Really, he was supposed to be a wizard.

    Why was he reacting like some special agent in an ambush?

    If he''d had knight training it might make sense. But Ian''s only proper education was studying language with Eredith.

    It was like saying ''Wow, after graduating with a literature degree I got really good at shootouts with terrorists~''

    ''You piece of shit.''

    Ian drove Anor-lsil into the charging monster.

    Slash!

    Hot blood sprayed up, releasing a nauseating smell of entrails.

    "Ow. My arm hurts!"

    After swinging the sword just once, Ian immediately realized his true identity.

    Ah- that''s right.

    I''m a wizard!

    "[Spear of Flame!]"

    As soon as Ian finished his chant, an enormous flame spear appeared.

    "Kira-!"

    "I''m ready!"

    Ian hurled the flame spear toward the charging monsters.

    Boom!

    Searing heat spread in all directions as a pillar of fire shot dozens of meters into the night sky.

    ''That should call people.''

    A fire pillar this size would be clearly visible from hundreds of meters away.

    When students participating in an event suddenly see a pillar of fire?

    People would come running soon.

    "[Flames! Devour our enemies!]"

    [Excellent! BURN-IT-ALL! You pieces of firewood!]

    Kira skillfully summoned the mystery of fire.

    Her clean Maronius language pronunciation showed she''d practiced a lot.

    ''She must have studied hard.''

    The flames created by Ian and Kira were truly powerful.

    Strong enough that ordinary monsters couldn''t even approach!

    Since monsters were living creatures, they wouldn''t fight to the death.

    But Ian felt something strangely off about these monsters that had suddenly appeared.

    ''...Looks like they''ll keep attacking.''

    Starting with how they''d specifically targeted Ian''s group when everywhere else was quiet.

    Why hadn''t Professor Demonite responded to the monster attack?

    Why weren''t these monsters running away despite the pillar of fire?

    "I-Ian...!"

    "Stay calm. They won''t be able to charge in easily."

    Ian set the fires, and Kira fueled them.

    Thanks to them, the dark forest was as bright as day.

    Elia trembled as she watched the monsters'' shadows.

    "W-what are... those things..."

    "I''m not sure of the details. But these monsters seem to be controlled by a wizard."

    "A-a wizard?"

    Rather than crazed beasts risking their lives just to eat three people, they seemed more like monsters under a wizard''s control - that was more logical. ?

    Evil wizards enjoyed commanding monsters.

    ''There are a lot of them.''

    At least 30-40 by rough count.

    Wolf-sized, running on four legs, covered in horns - Ian had no idea what to call these things.

    ''Hellish beings?''

    They had too many unnecessary appendages to be living creatures.

    Most likely they were either artificially modified for combat or demons risen from hell.

    "Kira. Don''t let the fire die."

    "I won''t!"

    Being magically created fire, it would burn for a while even without fuel.

    Kira focused on communicating with the mystery of fire while watching ahead.

    "Ian..."

    Elia looked like she might burst into tears any moment.

    Though not a combat expert, she could tell.

    There were far too many enemies.

    "J-just hold on a bit. Lord Pals will bring help!"

    "That''s quite the positive thinking, Your Highness."

    Elia choked back a sob.

    Ian was certainly an amazing wizard.

    An excellent dark wizard who''d just demonstrated impressive fire magic.

    But...

    Unless he could cast spells like that continuously, there was no way to wipe out so many monsters!

    A wizard wasn''t a warrior.

    They weren''t skilled at cutting down charging enemies.

    What could just three people do against over 30 monsters charging at once?

    Especially with no knight holding the front line!

    "Ian...! Do you have magic that can eliminate them all?"

    "Not simple destruction magic, at least not right now."

    "...? What about non-destruction magic?"

    "Plenty of that."

    Elia was a student who studied magic as an elective, so her thinking was close to ordinary people.

    She assumed they had to kill the monsters to win.

    But Ian didn''t think that way at all.

    What was a wizard?

    Grrrr...!

    Pals'' monsters charged all at once.

    "[Flames!]"

    Kira desperately raised flames, but.

    The monsters found the weakest point in the fire and threw themselves through.

    Monsters attacking from all sides.

    "Ian!"

    Kira gritted her teeth.

    With ordinary magic, there was no way out of this situation.

    Perhaps like before.

    If they hid in the flames with Ian-

    ''...But what about Elia?''

    In that moment, Kira''s eyes met Elia''s.

    Eyes filled with helplessness and fear.

    ''No.''

    Kira couldn''t choose the option of abandoning Elia.

    That''s when it happened.

    "Put out the flames, Kira."

    "Ian!"

    Kira was startled but did as told, withdrawing the fire.

    As the flames vanished, Ian summoned the mystery of darkness in their place.

    The mystery of darkness embraced Kira and Elia.

    Like gently covering their eyes.

    "Don''t come out, no matter what. Got it?"

    "...Okay."

    When the flames disappeared, Pals was certain Ian had given up resistance.

    He had to have.

    His vaunted summoning magic!

    And that strange magic that activated without mysteries'' help!

    All failed, so what could he do now! Ian!

    ''The Regent will be pleased.''

    Mission accomplished and Ian, the society''s obstacle, eliminated too.

    All that time undercover near the Princess as a fake identity had paid off.

    Now he could serve as the society''s right hand beside the Regent-

    Pals'' delusions stopped there.

    ''What''s that?''

    Ian held something strange in his hand.

    Something Pals had never seen before.

    ''Cards?''

    They were none other than Arcana cards.

    Pals knew nothing about Arcana cards.

    Having spent his life studying only black magic in the Empire.

    ...But he instinctively realized.

    That was a dangerous item.

    Perhaps even more than items imbued with demon power!

    "[Mystery of the Hanged Man, hear me!]"

    Ian shouted as he drew an Arcana card.

    Would it really answer his call?

    Ian checked the card.

    Number 12. The Hanged Man.

    A card depicting an impure mystery that wailed in sorrow.

    The impure mystery answered Ian''s call.

    [I am...]

    As the world''s cracks split open, one steeped in deepest sorrow emerged from the depths.

    Pals couldn''t speak.

    "What... is... that monster..."

    Too twisted to be called a ''mystery'', but lacking the blind malice toward humans to be called a ''demon''.

    Pals realized as soon as he saw it.

    That thing... shouldn''t exist in this world.

    [I... heard a voice...]

    "[I called you. Sorrowful mystery.]"

    [Though I answered... I want to return quickly.]

    "[I''m sorry. Just cry out once and you can go back.]"

    The impure mystery glared around.

    The monsters exposed to its depressed and twisted gaze were overwhelmed by rising sorrow and terror, unable to move.

    As requested, the impure mystery vanished with a single scream.

    [Kyaaaaaaah!]

    Yelp, yelp!

    Eeeek!

    A spine-chilling scream echoed.

    At the impure mystery''s scream, the monsters fled without looking back.

    "D-don''t run! Kill that wizard!"

    Pals shouted desperately but.

    Out of control.

    The monsters just wanted to get away from Ian.

    The demon marks activated one by one.

    Pop!

    Magic that burst the hearts of summoned creatures who disobeyed their summoner''s orders.

    Corpses with burst hearts lay everywhere.

    All 30+ monsters died with burst hearts trying to flee from Ian.

    "Ah..."

    A man wreathed in darkness approached.

    Ian pointed Anor-lsil at Pals.

    "It''s over, black wizard."

    ---

 Chapter 256

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The black wizard Pals lowered his head.

    Ian thought Pals had given up everything.

    "H-hehehe..."

    "?"

    But at Pals'' response, Ian tilted his head.

    Really? Now?

    You''re laughing in this situation?

    "Truly amazing, Wizard Ian. I understand now why the Regent speaks of you so often."

    "What?"

    "Your magic... it''s not human. You received power from a god, didn''t you?"

    Correct.

    Ian''s Arcana magic had its power rooted in Hrundal, the Ice God.

    "How did a mere human communicate with a god?"

    "Hmm... Well? Stylishly? Elegantly? Technically?"

    "Hahaha! You madman!"

    Ian looked suspiciously at Pals laughing happily.

    Look, you''re finished. Do you maybe have some magic left?

    It was quite ridiculous seeing him act so nonchalant like some grand villain while at Ian''s mercy.

    "I admit it! Your magic is a level above mine! You could win the Regent''s favor!"

    "Are you telling me to become [Wizard Ian the Likable]?"

    Like if Ian''s good, thumbs up. Starting with me...?[1]

    Ian shook his head.

    Years after reincarnating and he still couldn''t escape the ghosts of internet communities.

    "Let me ask one thing."

    "What?"

    "Those. They''re [Imperial Watch Dogs], right?"

    A common breed of guard dogs in the Holy Empire.

    Ian looked at the monster corpses strewn about.

    He''d felt they looked familiar... they were hunting hounds created by modifying Imperial Watch Dogs.

    "Sharp eye. Yes, Imperial Watch Dogs."

    "..."

    No wonder they showed no fear of humans.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    Pals had captured masses of easily obtainable Imperial Watch Dogs and transformed them into monsters.

    Now they were all dead, turned into cold corpses...

    "Hey, did those puppies want to become horned monsters?"

    "What are you trying to say?"

    Pals laughed incredulously.

    "The dogs'' wishes don''t matter. I have the power. The power to transform things and change the world. That''s magic!"

    "...Magic''s foundation is communication. Did you respect those dogs'' will?"

    "Respect? Hahaha! How absurd! Ian, you have talent overflowing, but you still don''t seem to understand what magic is."

    This time Ian laughed. Because it was so ridiculous.

    Getting told "you don''t seem to understand magic" by some random black wizard who just showed up - it really grated!

    "Ah ah. Since you understand magic so well, tell me. What do you think magic is?"

    Pals answered without a moment''s hesitation.

    "Magic is domination."

    "..."

    "Evaluating the target''s will, overwhelming it with the wizard''s will, controlling them as you desire. That is magic."

    Pals'' view of magic was very different from Ian''s.

    Ian had learned magic as communication with mysteries. Source: his respected master Eredith.

    But Pals and the black wizards practiced magic differently from orthodox wizards.

    Their magic wasn''t communication but domination.

    The power to distort reality itself with overwhelming will, bringing about supernatural phenomena!

    Black wizards didn''t care whether their targets agreed or not.

    They were prepared to torment their targets with obsessive malice until they submitted.

    "Wizard Ian. Haven''t you ever found it strange?"

    "What?"

    "The nobles of this world. Those commonly called ''rulers''."

    "..."

    "Weak and incompetent, yet lucky enough to be born descendants of great ancestors. How do those with nothing to boast of but bloodline get called ''king'' and ''duke''?"

    "That''s..."

    Pals smiled broadly as he spoke.

    "An excellent wizard can face an army alone. Then a wizard''s value equals that of a noble''s army!"

    "..."

    "Wizards dominate all things in the world. Before the great power of domination, even kings and emperors should rightfully bow!"

    Pals'' words were somewhat exaggerated.

    What? An excellent wizard facing an army alone? How would that work?

    Having fought many battles himself, Ian knew that was impossible.

    However...

    Making a small army defeat a large army - that was entirely possible.

    But Ian kept thinking about Pals'' final moments.

    ''Pals died... waiting for someone.''

    ''Probably an ally who could turn the situation around.''

    Otherwise it was hard to explain why Pals suddenly became so talkative at the end.

    At least he hadn''t looked like someone sensing their death approaching.

    ''But Demonite killed Pals.''

    ''...So was he abandoned?''

    Ian briefly considered using necromancy to satisfy his curiosity.

    But thinking again, that seemed insane.

    Summoning a black wizard''s soul, what kind of trouble was he asking for?

    Plus Pals had contracted with demons.

    There was a very high chance he''d been dragged away by demons without even lingering in this world.

    Worst case, he might draw a demon''s aggro.

    ''Investigation will be tough for now.''

    In the end, Ian had to settle for an unsatisfying conclusion.

    Today''s conclusion:

    Something was going on at this Imperial University...?

    ''Hmm. What a mess.''

    The black wizard''s attack brought one major change to the university.

    The professors voluntarily started patrolling.

    "Professor Demonite!"

    "You''re truly amazing! If not for you, Imperial Princess Elia and Lady Kira! They''d all be dead!"

    Ian quietly crossed his arms watching Professor Demonite surrounded by students.

    Actually he just landed the final blow! I defeated the black wizard~!

    ...Though that wasn''t why he was watching.

    ''The only one who benefited from this incident.''

    Looking at the results.

    Demonite was praised as a hero by students and professors for killing the black wizard.

    Though he''d really just landed the final blow after Ian did all the work.

    The fact that ''Demonite killed the black wizard!'' wouldn''t change.

    "No, no. I''m more at fault for not detecting the monsters'' movements earlier."

    "By that logic! Ian should take some blame too!"

    "That''s right! A dark wizard should be on night patrol! Instead he''s off flirting with students!"

    ...What?

    Wait. A surprise attack of criticism here?!

    Idiots who loved badmouthing others existed everywhere, and Imperial University was no exception.

    There were groups who didn''t look kindly on Ian entering with Inglan and Eredith''s backing(?).

    Ian stepped forward in disbelief.

    But just then, a gentle hand grasped his shoulder.

    "In these situations, it looks a bit messy if the person involved steps in~"

    "Lady Elia."

    It was Imperial Princess Elia.

    She flashed Ian a sweet smile before striding forward confidently.

    "Still running your mouth about things you don''t understand? Young Baron?"

    "P-Princess?!"

    "I saw everything at the scene. Ian stopped the black wizard!"

    Actually a lie.

    When Ian summoned the impure mystery, Elia couldn''t see anything through the veil of darkness.

    But Ian won anyway so who cares?

    "I''d appreciate if you''d refrain from badmouthing the savior of my life."

    Elia spoke with a radiant smile.

    "Before I feel compelled to tell Father about your conduct~"

    "Ah, n-no... that..."

    Ian greatly admired Elia''s imperial princess power play.

    All that talk about having no power was just pretense!

    Though the Holy Empire''s Emperor might be class president level, a class president was still a class president.

    One word to a duke like ''Hey, your kids are getting out of hand lately?!''

    The duke would gather his counts and go ''Hey, are you guys insane?!''

    The counts would turn to their barons with ''Which of you bastards made trouble up there? Was it you?'' and medieval top-down bullying would begin.

    Though they wouldn''t go as far as overturning territories, it would definitely cause various headaches.

    "Hehe. I handled it, Ian."

    "That was impressive."

    "It was nothing~ Well then, I''ll be..."

    Ian grabbed Elia''s arm as she tried to leave.

    Elia''s complexion was deathly pale.

    As if she''d been sick for days.

    "Let... go."

    Without releasing his grip, Ian said:

    "Lady Elia. Are you alright?"

    "..."

    Elia didn''t answer.

    ---

    [1. raei: seems to be a korean meme. couldn''t find it.]

 Chapter 257

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "I have committed a grave sin, Your Highness!"

    "Please punish us!"

    "..."

    Elia stared blankly at her self-proclaimed followers who knelt before her.

    The day after Elia was attacked by the black wizard, her followers came to her sickroom, dropping to their knees and bowing deeply.

    "Keep quiet in the temple! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this from people who should know better!" the priest scolded the followers.

    The followers apologizing with bowed heads, the priest rebuking them...

    To Elia, it all felt like one enormous act.

    ''What are these people even doing?''

    Elia Shakraine Hastria was born into the House of Hastria.

    Shortly after her birth, her father became a candidate for Emperor and was elected ruler of the Holy Empire.

    Elia became an Imperial Princess while learning to walk, and grew up under Duke Hastria''s tutelage in place of her busy father.

    Wherever she went, people bowed their heads.

    Daughter of the Holy Empire''s Emperor. Member of the great House of Hastria.

    Without any effort on her part, she became the most noble lady in the Holy Empire.

    ''I wanted to become someone better.''

    For most people, such status would have been more than enough.

    But Elia wanted to increase her own worth even further.

    Like her respected father. Like Duke Hastria who raised her as his own daughter, she wanted to become a great ruler.

    But her hands were empty.

    Had she been born male, she could have taken up arms and gone to war, but she was female.

    She had neither innate talent for swordsmanship nor exceptional academic abilities.

    Her only notable trait was her radiant beauty.

    ''...Still, I won''t give up.''

    Though she could become a joint ruler through marriage, that was a last resort.

    She wanted to gather her own followers and carve out her own kingdom.

    Elia enrolled at Imperial University where young talent gathered, and there she found many followers.

    She seemed to have gained power, and her influence at Imperial University was indeed strong.

    Everyone acknowledged her as the core of the noble faction, and countless talented individuals would seek her out after graduation...

    Or so she had thought.

    ''Talented? Talented, really?''

    Elia looked once more at her kneeling followers.

    They were completely out of control.

    Some idiots got expelled for trying to mess with Ian, others constantly fought among themselves, and some even got themselves killed going to ''protest'' to the black wizard Pals.

    No, even Pals himself turned out to be a black wizard disguised as her follower...

    Did she truly have any real followers at all?

    Elia wondered.

    Were they really concerned about her wellbeing?

    Or were they just worried about their own futures being ruined?

    She hoped it was the former.

    Really. She sincerely hoped there were some among them who genuinely cared about her and were prepared to move forward with her into the future.

    ...But Elia knew that was just wishful thinking.

    What they wanted was only the value of her name.

    They were merely drawn to the titles of Emperor''s daughter and Hastria family member, rushing to make connections.

    ''What... have I been doing all this time?''

    Elia knew the answer.

    It was all just ''role-playing.''

    And now the game was over.

    Like some forgotten king once said, it was time to go home.

    "Leave."

    "But, Your Highness!"

    Elia returned to her sickroom and closed the door.

    A deep exhaustion washed over her.

    #

    Meeting Ian during her walk was pure coincidence.

    She''d planned to help since he seemed troubled, then leave.

    But she ended up getting caught.

    "Are you perhaps busy?"

    "No. Just taking a walk."

    "Then come walk with me."

    "..."

    "How was it? Fun, right?"

    "Huff... ugh...! My heart... feels like it''s going to burst...!"

    After landing softly on the ground, Ian checked on Elia''s condition.

    Her face was bright red and her arms were still tightly wrapped around Ian''s waist, refusing to let go.

    ''Well, she''s not dead so... probably fine?''

    No problems here.

    "Shall we go up again?"

    "What? WHAT?! Wait, let me rest a bit...! Kyaaaaaaah!"

    Ian grabbed Elia again and flew back up to the tower top.

    "Fun, right?"

    Elia started to say it wasn''t fun but stopped herself.

    She was worried Ian would just throw her off the tower again...

    "It''s fun... it''s fun so...! Please, stop!"

    "Then one more time?"

    "...Please, have mercy..."

    Elia whimpered weakly, her limbs feeling like jelly.

    She truly felt like her whole body would melt from shock.

    "I was wondering which novice air wizard was invoking the mysteries. So it was you, Ian?"

    "Oh. Master. Are you teaching?"

    Eredith and Ian spotted each other and burst out laughing.

    Though Eredith was famous as a fire wizard, she was also skilled with air magic and other types.

    After all, she was the one who had introduced Ian to all kinds of magic.

    "Ah, hello Professor Eredith."

    "Hello? Elia? You came with Ian?"

    Eredith looked back and forth between Ian and Elia before nodding in understanding.

    Ah, young love!

    "Class hasn''t started yet so you can sit there if you''d like."

    "Ah. We''ll head down in a bit..."

    "When class starts, you two can listen and go down together!"

    "..."

    Ah.

    Ian scratched his head. Suddenly he had an extra lecture to attend...

    Ian and Elia sat side by side on the tower edge, enjoying the cool view.

    Below the tower lay Imperial University and the town.

    Further down stretched mountain ranges and rivers cutting across vast plains.

    A perfectly peaceful and beautiful medieval landscape.

    Ian and Elia silently admired the view for a while.

    Ian spoke first.

    "Have you forgotten your worries a bit?"

    "...What?"

    Elia turned to Ian in shock.

    Ian was right.

    She''d been so busy screaming that she''d completely forgotten all her gloomy thoughts.

    And... one thought occurred to her.

    Then did that mean.

    Ian had deliberately brought her to the air wizards'' tower... for her sake?

    "I never said I had any worries."

    "Well, it was written all over your face."

    Ian said while slowly swinging his legs.

    "Want me to be honest? Your expression earlier - you looked just like a student about to drop out and go back home."

    "..."

    At Ian''s words, Elia gripped her skirt tightly.

    She couldn''t deny it because it was too accurate.

    "I understand. With a black wizard assassin running around, of course you''d want to go-"

    "No. That''s not it."

    Ian looked at Elia.

    Their eyes met.

    "Then what is it?"

    ''Should I tell him.''

    Elia hesitated. After resolving to pull Ian to her side, now she was showing him this weak side of herself...

    But Elia found herself speaking anyway.

    Because she knew that pretending to be strong wouldn''t change anything.

    "...I was just feeling down. I realized that I''m actually... nothing at all."

    ---

 Chapter 258

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian quietly listened to Elia''s story.

    "It''s just... with the black wizard''s attack and everything... Father and the Duke must be worried, so maybe I should return to our domain..."

    It was an understandable concern.

    Elia was a young woman who had just entered her twenties.

    Even in this world where people married early and grew up fast, twenty was still just twenty.

    An age busy worrying about the future.

    With nothing set in stone yet, she was thinking hard about what kind of future she should live.

    And Ian understood exactly what kind of worry this was.

    Because the Ian from his past life had already gone through these same concerns.

    "If I may ask - are you wanting to return home because of the black wizard? Or because things aren''t going as planned?"

    "..."

    Elia didn''t continue.

    Ian sensed it.

    Though both were factors, the decisive reason must be her sense of failure.

    "If it''s because of the black wizard, staying at the university would actually be safer. Traveling with mediocre guards could be dangerous."

    "...Thank you for the advice. But I want to go back to our domain."

    "As I thought. It''s because of your worries."

    What an unnecessarily sharp man.

    Since things had come to this, Elia decided to speak her mind freely.

    "When the black wizard attacked, I felt so worthless I couldn''t stand it."

    "Worthless?"

    "Yes. While you and Kira were desperately fighting to survive... I was just frozen in fear, unable to do anything."

    Ian comforted her in a calm voice.

    "That''s perfectly natural. It''s normal for untrained people to freeze up when attacked."

    "Then did Kira receive combat training?"

    ...That wasn''t it.

    Kira was naturally brave, and had grown used to combat from traveling with Ian.

    "She didn''t, and neither did I."

    "Ian. If you''re going to say everyone has different strengths, I already know that. I was just disappointed in myself for failing to meet my own standards." R��?No??????E?S?

    Her own standards, huh.

    Ian thought about it. It seemed Elia had set herself an incredibly high bar and was now berating herself for failing to clear it.

    She apparently wanted to show herself as capable in various ways.

    "I''m not sure what areas you think you''re lacking in."

    "...Really?"

    Elia spoke with a slightly mocking tone.

    "I can think of countless things - failing to manage my followers who caused trouble, not noticing the black wizard disguised among them!"

    "..."

    "Even the dinner I tried to treat you to was mediocre! And freezing up when the monsters appeared! Everything! Don''t you think I''m completely inadequate?"

    Elia glared at Ian as she spoke.

    "If I were Kira, would things have turned out the same?"

    Ian shook his head.

    "I don''t understand why you''re comparing yourself to Kira."

    "..."

    Elia stared at Ian with a truly dissatisfied expression.

    Why compare herself to Kira?

    Because Kira was so much better than her!

    Until now, Elia had thought of Kira as someone roughly equal to her - a kind of rival.

    Someone irritating and bothersome, but whose abilities she acknowledged.

    But...

    During this festival, Kira''s performance had been in a league Elia could never reach.

    Not just her ability to handle black wizards.

    But her skill at capturing people''s attention and...

    ...even her techniques for gaining Ian''s interest. Everything.

    If their positions had been switched, would things have turned out like this?

    "Ian. Tell me. If I were to ask you out right now, could you say yes?"

    "??? What''s with this sudden..."

    "Just answer!"

    Ian was baffled but answered anyway.

    "I''d say it''s too sudden."

    "So that''s a rejection?"

    "...Yeah?"

    "Then what about Kira?"

    Ian looked at Elia with a strange expression.

    What did this Imperial Princess eat? Why''s she suddenly playing matchmaker...

    "I''d reject her too."

    "WHAT?!"

    Ian felt slightly annoyed.

    Like, I just said no, why are you so shocked? Did I commit some terrible sin?

    This must be why women hate guys who confess mindlessly.

    The ''Kira Laventa'' wizard that you envied and admired... was actually a fake created through acting.

    That''s what Kira was saying.

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    He''d expected Kira to help, but hadn''t expected her to be this proactive.

    After all, Elia and Kira hadn''t exactly been on good terms.

    ''But Kira went that far...''

    Ian seized the opportunity to speak to Elia.

    "Everyone makes mistakes as they live. Lady Elia. Not properly understanding your followers, failing to deal with the black wizard - they''re all just mistakes."

    "Ian..."

    "The perfect superhuman you imagine doesn''t exist. Even Kira here became the current Kira through countless failures and trial and error. Being fascinated by surface-level illusions is unbecoming of a wizard."

    Elia hung her head low.

    If she looked at Ian''s face right now... she felt like she might cry.

    She felt unreasonably upset.

    Why hadn''t Ian enrolled earlier?

    No.

    Why hadn''t she met Ian earlier?

    If Ian had been close to her earlier...

    She might not have had to feel today''s sadness.

    ''I really... don''t want to lose him.''

    She couldn''t stay depressed when Ian was comforting her like this.

    Elia lifted her head with a much more relaxed expression.

    The young man with black hair swaying in the wind was looking at her.

    "You''re right. Ian...! I am studying magic after all!"

    "Yes. Please stay. Elia. As the Imperial Princess that people can trust and rely on."

    All kinds of emotions swirled in Elia''s chest as she looked at Ian.

    But none of them were negative.

    #

    "That was quite bold of you~"

    Before parting at the women''s dormitory, Elia had a brief chat with Kira.

    Kira had confessed that she normally put on an act.

    Depending on how it was used, this could become a weakness for Kira.

    It could become a weapon for those who disliked her to slander her with.

    Kira smiled quietly and said to Elia:

    "That''s because it was my true feelings."

    When Kira extended her hand.

    Elia gently pushed it away.

    Kira''s expression stiffened slightly.

    "There are too many eyes here~ There are many who wouldn''t want us to be friendly~"

    "...What do you mean?"

    Elia let out a small laugh.

    Kira was an excellent wizard but not an excellent leader.

    "Commoners trust and follow you, while nobles trust and follow me. If we''re seen as close friends, wouldn''t that weaken their faith in their leaders?"

    Elia whispered in Kira''s ear:

    "Clear your schedule later~ Let''s go out secretly, just the two of us~!"

    Kira had shown her true self to Elia.

    Elia didn''t dislike that Kira. If anything, she was starting to like her.

    A friend who shared genuine feelings - very different from her followers'' blind expectations.

    She wanted to get to know Kira better.

    ...And incidentally, gossip about Ian too.

    "See you next time~!"

    After parting with Elia, Kira returned to her room and sat on her bed.

    Though she''d cleared up past misunderstandings and had a heartfelt conversation with her...

    This actually hadn''t been planned.

    If she hadn''t heard Ian''s ''words'', she might have been much more cautious about opening up.

    ''Though I said I didn''t hear anything.''

    That was a lie.

    She had been watching everything since Ian and Elia went up the tower.

    [Ian. Tell me. If I were to ask you out right now, could you say yes?]

    [I''d say it''s too sudden.]

    [Then what about Kira?]

    [I''d reject her too.]

    ''That''s... right...''

    It was an obvious answer.

    Why would Ian, who was going well with Countess Talian, mess with Kira and abandon his girlfriend?

    It was such a sensible, wholesome decision.

    ''Ian is... really a good man...''

    As a woman, she even felt proud of such an answer.

    ...But.

    ''What was I expecting? You idiot.''

    Kira slowly curled up, covering her face with her palms.

    ...Though she should be blessing Ian and Lucy''s relationship.

    She hated and despised herself for being unable to do so.

    ---

 Chapter 259

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Several days had passed since the [Black Wizard''s Attack].

    Surprisingly, Ian''s daily life hadn''t changed much.

    This fact had already been established during the university management meeting.

    "Who''d have thought black wizards would cause trouble even in the north?"

    News of black wizards causing trouble in the Empire''s south was quite well-known.

    But the north was known as a relatively black wizard-free zone.

    Yet now there''d been a black wizard attack in the north?

    Everyone''s reaction was basically ''Well, it was bound to happen...''

    "From what I hear, they''re truly insufferable."

    "Like commoners who don''t know their place. They should just live and die quietly as they were born. Tsk tsk."

    "It''s what happens when people without talent force themselves to learn magic."

    "..."

    Ian''s jaw dropped slightly at the reactions of the university''s higher-ups.

    Wow... these bigwigs really didn''t care about black wizards at all.

    The nobles thought of black wizards as ''commoners getting uppity trying to advance themselves.''

    The wizards saw them as ''people who contracted with violent mysteries because they lacked ability.''

    They looked down on them with contempt rather than seeing them as a serious threat.

    This was because black wizards had never openly caused trouble in the north before.

    "Black wizards are just black wizards, no matter how skilled!"

    "Exactly! Our excellent Professor Demonite and Professor Ian took care of that black wizard!"

    Clap clap clap~

    Though he received unexpected applause, Ian wasn''t feeling great about it.

    True, he had dealt with the black wizard Pals.

    But many questions remained unanswered.

    Who had ordered Pals to attack, and what was their goal?

    Who was the person Pals had been waiting for while stalling for time? Were they still at the university?

    ''This fucking sucks.''

    Though he hadn''t told anyone else.

    Ian had the strange feeling he was being hunted by black wizards.

    The feeling of being targeted was way worse than he''d imagined.

    If he hadn''t been reincarnated as a wizard in this medieval fantasy world, he''d never have experienced this special situation!

    Wow! How rare! What a fresh experience~

    ''...Fuck.''

    "His Holiness the Pope said he''d send soldiers, so there''s no need to worry about the university''s safety!"

    "Other nobles have sent military funds too."

    Pals'' attack hadn''t significantly disrupted the academic schedule.

    If black wizards had kidnapped masses of students or if someone important had died, classes might have been suspended.

    But since the attacker had just gotten killed by a professor, they settled for increasing security.

    The Pope was happy to send soldiers since it meant more influence at Imperial University.

    That bastard just wanted to plant his people in the north...

    ''Besides studying, I need to prepare for black wizards.''

    Ian thought about it.

    His university duties had increased.

    If possible, finding infiltrated black wizards.

    "Then the seminar..."

    "Will proceed as planned!"

    But first, he decided to focus on the seminar.

    #

    Ian consulted with reliable wizards about the black wizards.

    Namely Eredith and... Inglan.

    ''Never thought I''d rely on Inglan.''

    Though Ian found it absurd, the fact remained that Inglan was trustworthy.

    Sure he was greedy and his head didn''t work well outside of magic.

    But unexpectedly, Inglan was a loyal person.

    "Black wizards..."

    Eredith and Inglan listened seriously to Ian''s words.

    "Indeed, Ian. Your suspicions make sense."

    "That Pals guy was an infiltrated black wizard. No reason there can''t be more like him."

    The two wizards reached the same conclusion as Ian.

    They couldn''t know how many, but there were likely disguised black wizards at Imperial University.

    The question was how to root them out.

    If this was some rural baron''s domain, questioning people one by one might work.

    Elia held something out.

    Ian was shocked when he saw what Elia had gotten.

    "No way, this is!"

    "Hehe. It''s an extremely~ rare item. I was lucky to get my hands on it!"

    Elia''s gift was...

    A mathematics book!

    And it was written in the ancient Coral Sea language!

    How did she know I loved this kind of thing!

    "Ahem. I didn''t counsel you just to get gifts..."

    "Aw~ It''s just a small token of appreciation. Please accept it!"

    Ian quickly hid the mathematics book before anyone could see.

    ''He really likes it?''

    Elia watched Ian with curious eyes.

    One of her followers had gotten the book saying Ian would like mathematics books as a gift...

    She''d thought they were talking nonsense, but seeing how happy he was felt strange.

    What kind of crazy person gets excited about receiving a math book as a gift?

    Yet there was such a crazy person right there.

    ''Wizards really are weird.''

    Elia found even Ian''s bizarre aspects charming.

    A wizard should have at least one eccentric trait, right?! (Not really)

    "If you need anything else in the future, just let me know."

    "I''ll take you up on that occasionally."

    #

    The seminar began as scheduled.

    Eredith had already spoiled the topic once before.

    ''She said it would be about Maronius.''

    Like lectures at any university, the seminar was held in a public lecture hall.

    The only difference was that everyone sitting there was a professor-level intellectual.

    Without a certain level of knowledge, you wouldn''t even understand the lecture.

    Ian attended the seminar with Eredith and Inglan.

    "Then... I''ll present my research findings."

    The wizard who stepped onto the platform was a thoroughly aged old man.

    He looked like he''d stepped right out of a fantasy illustration - a jolly grandfather wizard!

    "As some of you may know, let me introduce myself first. I am Forendal, a humble wizard."

    Forendal conducted his presentation with extremely practiced skill.

    Ian found himself unconsciously drawn into Forendal''s presentation.

    This was 76-year-old Grandfather Forendal''s final blazing seminar!!!

    ''He''s a true master.''

    As expected of a grandfather wizard you could trust.

    Forendal''s presentation was extremely clean.

    Among the professor-level wizards seated there, none would fail to understand Forendal''s presentation.

    The core of Forendal''s presentation was this:

    [On the Incompleteness of the Maronius Language]

    As everyone knew, the Maronius language was an artificial language.

    Like [Hangul] created by the King-God-General-Emperor True-King Sejong the Great, it was a language directly crafted by humans.

    Moreover, the Maronius language was incomplete.

    The Empire''s wizards were still working today to complete the magical language Maronius left unfinished.

    ''Archwizard Maronius.''

    He wasn''t called Archwizard for nothing.

    "And this... is a new magical word I discovered in Maronius''s research records."

    The Maronius language was incomplete.

    So wizards were constantly updating(?) the Maronius language to achieve a perfect magical language.

    Forendal shouted toward the sky:

    "Hwi-kara!"

    BOOM!

    "Oh!"

    "The wind moved quickly...! Did you see that lightning just now!"

    Suddenly, a status window appeared before Ian''s eyes.

    [Your knowledge of the Maronius language has slightly increased!]

    [Your understanding of wind has slightly increased!]

    ''Looks like he made something legitimate.''

    Ian nodded.

    That''s university for you.

    The experience farming was solid.

    ---

 Chapter 260

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian listened attentively to other wizards'' magical theories, farming experience points.

    [You have gained sufficient understanding of water''s movement.]

    [LV UP!]

    [Skill: Water Magic - Lv 4]

    [You are quite a skilled water wizard]

    ''Lucky.''

    Though you could gain experience by directly communicating with mysteries, you could also level up through learning from other wizards'' knowledge.

    The more mainstream the magic, the more experience points you could farm since more wizards presented on those topics.

    [You have gained sufficient understanding of fire''s movement.]

    [LV UP!]

    [Skill: Fire Magic - Lv 5]

    [You are a skilled fire wizard]

    [You have gained sufficient understanding of earth''s movement.]

    [LV UP!]

    [Skill: Earth Magic - Lv 4]

    [You are quite a skilled earth wizard]

    Through consistent lecture attendance, Ian secured decent experience points in water magic, fire magic, and earth magic.

    Obviously, the higher the skill level, the better.

    "How was my presentation?"

    "Still crystal clear as always, Master."

    Eredith burst into girlish laughter at Ian''s praise.

    "You were watching so intently!"

    Of course Ian paid close attention to the lectures - he needed those experience points.

    "Now it''s your turn, Ian!"

    ''Well then...''

    Inglan had specially squeezed Ian''s presentation into the seminar.

    The reason was simple - to prove he wasn''t just some fake wizard who got in through connections.

    Ian stepped onto the platform and addressed the audience:

    "Hello. I am Ian, a dark wizard."

    "Dark wizard?"

    "Hmm... dark magic..."

    The wizards quickly exchanged glances.

    And then...

    Bang!

    As if on cue, they all started getting up from their seats!

    "?"

    Ian stared at the wizards in slight confusion.

    Like, even for wizards famous for being eccentric...

    Could they really just get up and leave when a young wizard was about to present?!

    "Wait. Where are you going?"

    Ian asked the wizards.

    An unfamiliar wizard casually replied:

    "Going to get food."

    Food? Now?

    Ian quickly checked Eredith''s expression.

    Eredith didn''t look surprised at all. Like she''d expected this.

    So this wasn''t some sudden move by the wizards to mess with Ian...

    "I''m going to present about dark magic. Are you really just leaving?"

    When Ian asked, the wizards laughed happily and answered:

    "Ah~ I wouldn''t understand even if I stayed!"

    "???"

    "I spent twenty fucking years trying to learn that damned dark magic and couldn''t get past the basics. Bloody hell."

    "You can probably hear the voice of darkness well? To me it just sounds like mosquitoes buzzing~"

    "That mysterious damned darkness!"

    That was it.

    The wizards heading out for food were people who couldn''t understand dark magic at all.

    As wizards, they certainly had curiosity about dark magic.

    About 10 years ago, that is.

    But after trying everything and still being unable to hear darkness''s voice, they''d completely given up on dark magic.

    ''No way...''

    Ian was at a loss for words looking at the nearly empty lecture hall.

    It hadn''t been this bad when teaching dark magic to students!

    But it made sense.

    Students hadn''t yet climbed the [Peak of Ignorance].

    Since they knew nothing about magic yet, they''d think ''Ah! I''ll learn fire magic and dark magic, I''ll try learning everything!'' and challenge various types of magic. RA?No???S?

    People are naturally brave when they don''t know anything.

    Dark magic? How hard could it be! It''s just magic that makes things dark!

    But unlike students, these were ''wizards'' - intellectuals who had mastered their fields to some degree.

    They knew well what they were good and bad at.

    Though they could struggle through major magic like air and earth magic, and minor magic like water and fire magic with enough time invested...

    They''d realized unique magic like photon magic, dark magic, and space-time magic couldn''t be learned just by grinding away at it.

    What they wanted was information on ''how to effectively hear darkness''s voice.''

    Darkness had attributes of concealment and secrecy, making it an extremely difficult mystery to communicate with.

    But Ian had completely skipped the most important step of ''hearing darkness''s voice''!

    ''Ah~ Everyone can do this much right? Moving on~''

    ''What???''

    This was the decisive reason other wizards unanimously said ''dark magic is all about talent.''

    The wizards who''d left early for food had been wise.

    After finishing his presentation, Ian immediately felt hungry.

    "Um. Master. When should we go eat..."

    "Hello. I am Mackilo, an ice wizard, presenting on ice magic."

    As soon as Eredith heard ''ice magic'', she said:

    "Let''s go now."

    "...Agreed."

    Almost all the wizards who''d stayed for the dark magic presentation got up.

    Meanwhile Inglan stayed firmly in his seat.

    ...He was sleeping.

    "Everyone? The STRONGEST MAGIC ice magic presentation is about to begin!"

    "Wow~ Ice magic is so strong~ Ice magic is the best~"

    Ian halfheartedly cheered for the ice wizard while escaping the lecture hall with Eredith.

    #

    "How was the seminar?"

    Ian chatted with Eredith while eating at a restaurant.

    Just the two of them talking like this made him feel like he was back to being a kid.

    "It was informative."

    "Any parts you didn''t understand?"

    Ian answered with a smile:

    "None."

    Eredith smiled too.

    The child Ian had grown into a fine young man.

    "As you know, the Maronius language is incomplete."

    Ian nodded.

    The Maronius language - an artificial language used by all wizards in the Empire.

    Maronius, who in terms of Ian''s past life would have been an Einstein-level super genius, had single-handedly created a magical language capable of communicating with mysteries.

    But perhaps due to the limitations of being created by one person.

    The Maronius language was incomplete.

    "Among researchers, there''s a puzzle about the Maronius language."

    "A puzzle?"

    "A conspiracy theory? Or maybe we should call it a legend?"

    Eredith said:

    "Maronius... intentionally left the Maronius language incomplete."

    Ian tilted his head slightly.

    Intentionally left it incomplete?

    "More precisely, he abandoned it."

    "You mean he threw it away?"

    "Yes. The Maronius language is known as a magical language. Because through it, we can communicate with mysteries."

    Eredith explained calmly.

    The Maronius language was a language that enabled communication with mysteries.

    Yet strangely, the Maronius language had no [particles].

    For reference, particles are grammatical elements like ''to, from, by'' that attach to words to show their relationships or add meaning.

    Why were there no particles? Because the Maronius language used pictograms?

    But Chinese characters, which are also pictograms, had characters that functioned as particles.

    Similarly isolating languages like English used word position to serve the function of particles.

    This was the decisive evidence that made wizards evaluate the Maronius language as incomplete.

    "Wizards substitute for particles with their will."

    This was why you couldn''t use magic just by memorizing the Maronius language.

    Say there was a wizard who only learned the words for ''water'' and ''move''.

    Just saying ''Water! Move!'' to the mystery of water wouldn''t properly convey meaning since there were no particles.

    The wizard had to complete the sentence through will, and the mystery would move according to the wizard''s will after understanding that sentence.

    That was how magic worked for wizards in the Holy Empire today.

    "Doesn''t it seem too inconvenient?"

    "It does."

    If Maronius had properly created particles, magic would have been much easier to learn.

    Why hadn''t Maronius created particles?

    "He stopped creating the language midway."

    Eredith said.

    Maronius had abandoned the language creation partway through.

    "...Why?"

    "There are no records of that. That''s why it''s a puzzle."

    Eredith spoke in a lower voice:

    "However... if we assume Maronius had [perfectly] completed the language, he might have created a language capable of moving the laws of the world themselves."

    "The laws of the world..."

    Eredith nodded.

    "It''s what people call the [Omnipotent Language] legend."

    ---

 Chapter 261

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    After the seminar, Ian started his serious studies.

    He was challenging himself to learn [Advanced Magic] in earnest.

    "Ian. You''ll study fire magic too, right?"

    "Of course."

    "Then would you like to work on my research together?"

    For Ian''s academic achievement, Eredith gladly shared her research records.

    "Is it really okay to show me this?"

    "? What do you mean, Ian?"

    Eredith tilted her head, not understanding what Ian meant.

    Ian became genuinely worried about his master.

    Like, had he ever seen someone this naive!

    Haven''t you ever watched movies or dramas?! (She hadn''t)

    If you carelessly share your research, bad scholars will steal it and take all the credit!

    Though Ian would never steal Eredith''s research, she really did seem to lack caution.

    "Um... I mean, aren''t you worried someone might plagiarize or misuse your research..."

    "That wouldn''t be you, of course."

    "Obviously not."

    Eredith smiled and said:

    "No need to worry. The wizard community is small. Everyone mostly knows what research everyone else is doing."

    She meant that even if someone stole or plagiarized Eredith''s research, it wouldn''t be an issue.

    Since other wizards already knew it was Eredith''s research!

    "And hardly any wizards work alone. We need to present our results and sometimes get ideas from other wizards."

    Ian finally nodded.

    As expected, his reincarnated brain poisoned by modern fiction was the problem.

    "Hmm. But you know what? Ian, I''d actually be happy if you copied my research."

    "...?"

    "It would mean you understood what I was researching. That your achievements were that impressive. It would show you''d studied properly instead of slacking off."

    "Master..."

    Ian felt slightly moved.

    As expected, Eredith''s brain was wired differently from normal people.

    She was truly a genuine wizard who only knew magic!

    Eredith spoke with a bright smile:

    "So, Ian."

    "Yes! Master!"

    "By lunch tomorrow, could you organize today''s shared materials and add your thoughts?"

    "..."

    Wow! Homework!

    Ian''s eyes welled up slightly with nostalgia.

    He remembered the thrilling 18-hour study sessions with Eredith...

    This murderous amount of work!

    Yes... hehe. This was just like his master!

    "I-I''ll do my best..."

    "Looking forward to it~"

    Please don''t look forward to it!

    I''m just a talking potato! Master!

    Though Ian grumbled and complained, his eyes were already reading through the materials Eredith had shared.

    Eredith''s research records were, naturally, related to fire magic.

    ''A new magical language related to fire magic...''

    The Maronius language was incomplete, making it inconvenient to use.

    You had to communicate with mysteries through pure word combinations.

    Since it was pure luck whether mysteries would respond to certain words, wizards needed to know as many words as possible.

    Later wizards naturally tried to resolve these idiotic (sorry Maronius, but it''s a fact) aspects of the Maronius language.

    [I''ve discovered something! Fire prefers friendly terms like ''crackle-crackle~'' over formal expressions like ''O flame!'']

    [Oh? Is that true? Let me try. ''Crackle-crackle~'']

    [What half-burned log dares address me so casually!!!]

    WHOOSH.

    [...Huh? Guess not? Strange, it liked it last time...]

    Through some trial and error and noble sacrifices by wizards...

    Anyway.

    Thanks to countless scholars'' bleeding efforts, the Maronius language had greatly expanded from its initial form.

    And sadly.

    No one had managed to create words surpassing the stability of those Maronius devised.

    Sometimes addressing the mystery of fire with terms like [crackle~] or [hot cutie~] worked better than standard magical language.

    But conversely, there were times when the fire mystery would completely ignore such terms or even get angry.

    In the end, after going round and round, calling it [O Flame!] was safest.

    But still wizards didn''t stop their research.

    They kept striving endlessly to find better ways to communicate with mysteries.

    That was the proper attitude of scholars pursuing knowledge.

    How could they surpass Great Wizard Maronius!

    Surpassing Maronius''s achievements.

    That was the ultimate realm all wizards dreamed of.

    ''As expected.''

    Eredith too was thinking how to create new magical words related to fire magic.

    Fire magic was an extremely dangerous and unstable magic.

    The mystery of fire often tried to burn even its wizard.

    To fire, flames were ''good things'', and burning wizards was a ''good state''.

    Flames=good thing.

    But let''s try anyway.

    Sunlight poured through the wide-open window.

    Ian focused intently while scanning books without moving.

    The sunlight pouring through the window turned.

    To bright yellow sunset.

    To crimson dusk.

    Then to pale moonlight.

    ''Huh?''

    He''d thought the mystery of darkness kept whispering, but everything was already pitch black.

    ''Ah.''

    Should he go home?

    Ian started to get up but closed his eyes at the wave of exhaustion.

    He was damn sleepy.

    ''Let me just rest my eyes.''

    Ian could function fine in darkness anyway.

    He could either take a nap and study more, or head home.

    Ian slowly closed his eyes while slumped over his fire magic book.

    #

    "...up! ...I said!"

    "..."

    Ian came to his senses at some loud commotion.

    Had he slept until morning?

    "...Wake up! I said wake up!"

    Shit. I''m awake, mister.

    Sorry for sleeping in the library. I''ll leave soon.

    "Water! I brought water!"

    "Well done!"

    Just as Ian was about to open his eyes.

    Splash!

    "...?"

    A cold sensation from head to toe.

    Ian blinked, soaking wet.

    They... threw water on him?!

    For sleeping a bit in the library???

    ''Are they insane?''

    Ian was too dumbfounded to even get angry.

    Curious what kind of lunatic would throw water in a library, he opened his eyes and looked ahead.

    "???"

    "Oh! Heavens above, thank goodness! You''re not dead yet!"

    The brightly smiling old man didn''t even register.

    ''Hot...''

    Ian felt dizzy from the heat threatening to melt his whole body.

    Fire.

    Everything around him... was burning!

    ''Black wizards? Is the university under attack?!''

    The sky was black as night with ash and smoke.

    Only the blazing flames and flying soot showed just what kind of hellfire Ian had fallen into.

    "If you''re awake, get up quick! Stay sitting and you''ll burn to death!"

    "What... what is..."

    Ian stopped mid-mutter.

    Something was... wrong with his voice?

    "Yeah! Mind-blowing, right! But want to know what''s even more mind-blowing?"

    The strange old man shouted:

    "The crazy bastard who set the city on fire is our Emperor! Bwahahaha!"

    Ian almost said ''You can laugh at a time like this?'' but paused.

    Emperor? Why''s the southern Emperor coming up now???

    Ian finally looked properly at the old man''s face.

    Black eyes, black hair. And clothes that looked like just a sack with a belt...

    "???"

    "You alright?"

    The old man scratched his head watching Ian''s reaction.

    "This is troublesome. One mad Sulla is enough."

    ''Emperor Sulla...''

    Ian knew that name.

    The mad Emperor of the Golden Empire, Sulla.

    The crazy bastard who set his own city on fire saying he needed artistic inspiration...!

    "Emperor Sulla? The mad Emperor of the Golden Empire?"

    "Oh. You haven''t gone mad yet?"

    Emperor Sulla set his city on fire...

    That could only mean one thing.

    ''This is... the Golden Empire?''

    Nah~ No way~

    Ian pinched his cheek. But nothing changed.

    He''d fallen asleep reading fire magic books...

    And woke up in the middle of the burning Golden Empire? How could that make sense?

    Wow. What a vivid dream!

    That''s how Ian made sense of it.

    For now.

    ---

    [1. raei: artillery. Uh I think I used this guy in civ6. A unique of the Korean civ? lolol]

 Chapter 262

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Hmm. What a vivid dream.

    Ian got up with that thought, accepting what he''d experienced.

    Did he study fire magic too hard?

    He''d dozed off for a moment and woke up in the middle of the burning Golden Empire.

    And in the era of the mad Emperor Sulla, no less.

    "If you''ve come to your senses, hurry up and move!"

    "Ah. Right. Let''s do that."

    Ian tried to follow the old man while calming his pounding heart.

    He''d panicked when he thought he was about to burn to death.

    But now that he knew it was a dream, he felt incredibly relaxed.

    Ah, Master Wonhyo... is this what you meant to teach?

    Indeed, everything depends on your state of mind...!

    Ian was just about to start running.

    "Demius-!"

    Somewhere, a girl''s voice rang out.

    And Ian completely ignored it.

    If they''re calling for Demius, it''s not me!

    "What are you doing? Old man? Aren''t you going to run?"

    "...No. I heard someone calling..."

    "Like we can hear individual voices in this chaos."

    The man looked at Ian with an expression of disbelief.

    Well, he had a point but...

    Why did he look so annoyed?!

    The distant voice was a desperate girl''s cry.

    Honestly, shouldn''t any man at least look back once!

    But Ian was an iron wall.

    "This Demius person will help them. Let''s go our way."

    "...You think so?"

    "Demius-! I''m here! Over here-! Demius-!"

    Ian and the old man both looked toward the voice.

    The girl''s voice was aimed directly at Ian.

    The old man tentatively asked:

    "Sounds like they''re calling for you..."

    "Nah. Can''t be."

    "Can''t be? What''s your name?"

    "It''s Ian."

    "???"

    Ian? He''s saying Ian?

    What kind of backwater barbarian name-

    The old man scrunched up his face and shouted:

    "Stop joking around! This is no time for jokes!"

    "But you asked my name!"

    "Talking nonsense about ''Ian''! Like anyone would have such a primitive backwoods name!"

    "..."

    Ian was slightly shocked.

    Was the name Ian... really that provincial?!

    "Not your slave name! What''s your real name!"

    "...What''s your name, old man?"

    "I am Atheros!"

    Just as Atheros was about to say something to Ian.

    The girl''s voice rang out again.

    "Demius-!"

    "Damn it, let''s go!"No?v(el)B\\jnn

    If they could still hear her voice, it meant no one had helped the girl yet.

    Atheros wanted to help her just as he''d helped Ian.

    ''He''s a good person.''

    Ian immediately ran after Atheros.

    In front of a house with licking flames, Ian stopped.

    "Demius...!"

    The girl started crying as soon as she saw Ian.

    Ian was looking at the girl without much thought when.

    ''...What''s this?''

    Suddenly, his heart started pounding wildly.

    Ian knew this girl''s name.

    He didn''t know why.

    ''Liria.''

    Red-haired Liria.

    She was a mixed-blood, with native blood from conquered territories rather than pure Imperial blood.

    Because of her different trait - red hair - she hadn''t mixed well with other children her age.

    "Demius...! What do I do? I''m so scared...!"

    The moment he saw her frightened eyes.

    Ian was seized by a sense of mission that he absolutely had to save Liria.

    Again, he didn''t know why.

    "Ian!"

    "...Liria?!"

    Ian jumped in surprise.

    She was... Liria grown into an adult!

    "??? Who''s Liria?"

    "Huh?"

    "Ian... did you just... mix me up with another woman...?"

    Her tone dropping lower and lower.

    And her voice growing more depressed.

    Ian blinked.

    Looking again, the red-haired woman wasn''t Liria at all.

    It was Kira.

    "I''ve... never heard the name Liria before..."

    Kira spoke in a slow voice, looking down after being mistaken for Liria.

    The first woman Ian called for after fainting and waking up...

    Who was she? Someone he liked more than Countess Talian...?

    "No, that''s..."

    Ian slowly explained to the flustered Kira.

    "I had a dream, and there was a woman who looked like you in it."

    "...She looked like me?"

    Kira''s expression quickly brightened.

    Maria watched Kira with a small smile.

    ''Your expression control fails only at times like this.''

    Kira let out a small sigh of relief.

    If he''d confused her with a dream woman, that was fine.

    ...Maybe Ian''s subconscious had created a woman who looked like her.

    "Maria. What happened to me?"

    "You were found collapsed. We were worried since you were out cold all day."

    Maria checked Kira''s reaction before whispering quietly to Ian.

    "It was just like astral projection."

    "Then did you guide me back to my body?"

    "I just... tried."

    Maria was a necromancer, though still a novice.

    Since she dealt with souls, her intuition was probably right.

    ''Astral projection...?''

    Ian shook his head.

    He felt like he''d experienced a lot, but after waking, it all felt hazy and vague like a dream.

    ''It definitely wasn''t just a dream.''

    Ian was certain.

    Though the memories were vague, the vivid feeling that remained was real.

    So much so that he saw Liria''s face first when he looked at Kira.

    "Ian!"

    Hearing Ian had woken up, wizards came to visit.

    Eredith was the first to arrive.

    "You''re my disciple but this is too much! How could you study until you collapsed!"

    "Master. That''s not the important part."

    "What...?"

    Eredith slightly regretted suggesting joint research to Ian.

    She never imagined he''d study until he passed out!

    A wizard found collapsed in the library with books open?!

    Anyone would think he was research-obsessed.

    Ian looked straight into Eredith''s eyes and said:

    "I got a hint about massive flames..."

    Eredith couldn''t hold back and smashed Ian''s back.

    Like wizard like wizard, he really was research-obsessed!

    "You need to be healthy! To do research!"

    "Ow! Wait! That''s not what I-!"

    "What do you mean that''s not it!"

    Ian felt truly wronged.

    He hadn''t collapsed from studying, he''d just woken up from a weird dream!

    "Ugh! I''ll show you outside!"

    "Really, you! Ian! Stop right there!"

    The wizards coming to visit Ian stopped when they saw him running out like mad.

    "Didn''t they say he collapsed from researching?"

    "Professor Ian! Where are you rushing off to!"

    Ian answered immediately.

    "Going to experiment! I just had an idea!"

    "Heh. Rushing to experiment right after waking up..."

    The wizards looked back and forth between Ian and Eredith before nodding.

    Hmm. Indeed.

    Ian really was Eredith''s disciple!

    He was magic-obsessed!

    They''d been uncertain when he got in with Inglan and Eredith''s recommendations, but his passion for magic was genuine.

    "Let''s go watch too."

    "Yes, let''s!"

    ---

 Chapter 263

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Eredith couldn''t hide her bewilderment.

    Someone who just woke up after fainting suddenly gained magical inspiration?

    It wasn''t completely impossible, but...

    ''Ian''s a talented wizard. But could he discover new magic in such a short time?''

    Common sense said no.

    But as soon as she heard Ian''s idea, she had to revise her thinking.

    "It''s Damnation, Master."

    "Damnation?"

    Ian shared his thoughts with Eredith.

    "In the past, during the Golden Empire era, there was a massive great fire."

    "You mean the story of Mad Emperor Sulla."

    "Yes. The Imperials described that great fire in a particular way. They said [A scene from hell unfolded]."

    Eredith was briefly impressed by Ian''s thorough research.

    She thought he must have studied fire history hard in that short time.

    But Eredith shook her head.

    In the research world, senior scholars were worse than demons and evil spirits.

    They were demons who constantly tormented junior researchers by saying [Hehehe, I already tried that!]

    "We''ve already experimented several times trying to recreate the [Black Great Fire] incident."

    One of the terrible tragedies from when Emperor Sulla ruled the Golden Empire.

    The Black Great Fire.

    That fire which burned over half of Elium, the Golden Empire''s capital, had inspired many fire wizards. They tried to recreate those flames.

    But sadly, the fire wizards'' efforts ended in failure.

    The Black Great Fire was certainly a catastrophe for humans.

    But not for mysteries.

    Ignition and fire were just natural phenomena.

    Fire couldn''t understand humans'' sorrow over burning homes.

    "We tried words like ''great fire'' and ''hellfire'', but it wasn''t easy."

    "I''d imagine so. Those aren''t words the mystery of fire would easily understand."

    Eredith tilted her head slightly.

    Then was [Damnation] a word the mystery of fire could understand easily?

    Ian quickly explained further.

    This was the part Eredith would find hard to understand.

    "You might not believe this... Master. But I sensed a certain ''malice'' in the Black Great Fire."

    "...Malice, you say?"

    Since he''d seen it firsthand, he could say:

    "That fire was different from pure fire that just wanted to burn. It was more like it enjoyed destroying homes and driving people to despair."

    Eredith''s expression grew increasingly dark.

    If that was true, the magic Ian had been inspired to create would be incredibly dangerous.

    The learned Eredith knew what to call such power.

    "The power of destruction."

    Ian nodded.

    In a way, it was a paradigm shift.

    The idea was to draw flames from the mystery of destruction rather than the mystery of fire!

    "Good heavens."

    Eredith shook her head and picked up her quill.

    She perfectly understood the theory Ian proposed.

    And that theory was...

    truly terrifying.

    "So you''re saying we should call forth flames through the power of destruction, then convert and control it with fire magic?"

    "As expected of Master. You understood perfectly."

    Eredith felt chills as she reviewed Ian''s theory.

    Setting aside the theory''s accuracy...

    Just how had Ian come up with such a chilling method?

    It would be impossible to think of this approach without directly witnessing a great fire.

    Had he witnessed some similar catastrophe during his travels?

    "Ian. How will you start the first word?"

    "We should start by invoking destruction. We need words mixed with malice and curses."

    "Then [Ran of Rage] would be good."

    Eredith began writing letters with trembling hands.

    Though this was fire magic, from another perspective it couldn''t be considered fire magic.

    This was... closer to destruction magic.

    ''The causality is wrong.''

    Eredith had wanted magic to call ''massive flames''.

    But the magic Ian brought was closer to ''naturally producing huge flames while destroying things''.

    But the result''s the same, right?

    It''s magic that causes a great fire, right?

    Whatever the process, if you reach the desired result, it''s successful magic.

    So Eredith''s hand didn''t stop.

    ''Ian''s talent is real.''

    Unlike his dislike of studying texts, his ability to use and apply magic was beyond even Eredith''s grasp.

    Several thoughts crossed Eredith''s mind as she watched Ian.

    While it felt lucky that she could take Ian as her disciple-

    At the same time, how Ian would grow and what kind of wizard he would become.

    Eredith felt incredibly excited and.

    -also incredibly afraid.

    "As expected of Eredith! Excellently modified fire magic!"

    "Well done Professor Ian! Let''s go have celebratory drinks!"

    Ian returned to the university with the wizards.

    Though he laughed and chatted excitedly with the other wizards.

    Ian''s mood hadn''t really lifted.

    The reason was, naturally, that strange dream he''d had while unconscious.

    ''What was that?''

    While others were like ''Woohoo! What an amazing idea! How did you think of it?''

    Ian''s feeling was more like ''I don''t know either~! I''m scared~!''

    "So that''s why you skipped my class?"

    Before Ian sat Maria in her modified nun''s habit.

    Her face resting on her hands looked so cute-

    "Hehehe..."

    -or not.

    Ian felt his hair stand on end when Maria laughed softly.

    She was still a girl who gave off seriously creepy vibes.

    Like, if Lucy struck that pose, she''d look like an elementary schooler who''d learned new dance moves in class.

    Why did Maria look more like a succubus-vampire hybrid?

    Even her nun''s habit looked like she''d drowned its original owner and stolen it...

    "I was going to talk to other wizards about that ''dream''."

    Ian hadn''t explained in detail how he developed the [Damnation] magic.

    He just... didn''t want to.

    "...It felt ominous somehow."

    "I understand. You must be worried about the black wizards."

    Ian couldn''t quite grasp exactly what phenomenon he''d experienced.

    But it didn''t matter.

    He was a wizard, and exploring unknown knowledge was what wizards did!

    "Here''s today''s textbook."

    Ian showed Maria the book he''d prepared.

    He really hadn''t wanted to show it, but it was an unavoidable choice for the experiment.

    "Oh my."

    Maria covered her mouth in slight shock.

    For good reason...

    The cover of Ian''s prepared [textbook] was remarkable in many ways.

    It was a picture of an incredibly beautiful woman, but she was naked.

    Where did he find such a nice... no, such an obscene picture book?

    "This is a sacred picture book passed down in the north... not some super perverted manga."

    "What fascinating cover art. Ian, have you looked at the contents?"

    "...I have. Maria, the contents are too mature for you..."

    Maria tried to peek at the cover.

    Ian fiercely defended the perverted manga!

    "Th-this book is cursed! Women who look at it die!"

    "Oh my. How disappointing. Really."

    When Maria gave up so easily, Ian let out a sigh of relief.

    This wasn''t time to be casually sharing manga!

    Ian quickly brought up the main point before Maria could act up.

    "The northern goddess Hrundal left the power to capture souls in this book."

    "Souls... so it''s related to necromancy."

    Maria immediately understood Ian''s intention.

    Ian''s hypothesis was this:

    "I''ve visited Hrundal''s soul world before. And that world... was created based on the contents of this book."

    It was possible because it was a world made by a goddess.

    Normally, souls couldn''t create their own worlds.

    They might be able to recreate worlds they experienced in life, but.

    "In other words, I visited the memory world of some soul remaining in the fire magic book."

    "Hmm..."

    "Then I got too immersed in that world... and Maria, you guided my soul back to my body."

    That was Ian''s hypothesis.

    The hypothesis could be proven through experiment.

    "So. We''re going to do the same experiment again."

    "I understand. You want me to watch over you using necromancy, like before."

    "Yes. I want you to make sure I don''t get lost like last time."

    "Hehe. I''ll help gladly."

    ---

 Chapter 264

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Alright, let''s do this!"

    "Yes~ I''m all ready."

    Ian taught two classes.

    One was dark magic, and the other was necromancy.

    Originally there had been another professor teaching necromancy.

    But after getting caught digging up corpses from graves, they were executed(...) and Ian took over the class.

    Because of that incident, necromancy class''s popularity had hit rock bottom.

    There was only one student who wanted to take the course!

    That was Maria.

    You might worry - what happens if there are no students? Won''t the professor starve?

    But at Imperial University, professors were paid for ''teaching classes'', not by how many students they taught.

    Whether they had 1 student or 100, the pay was the same.

    Thanks to this, Ian had successfully privatized his necromancy class time.

    Since it was one-on-one class with Maria, couldn''t he do whatever he wanted?

    Ian completely abandoned teaching necromancy and indulged his selfish desires instead.

    Namely, goofing off during class time.

    "Please."

    "Hehe. I''ll do my best."

    Ian laid his head down over the open book.

    Ian tried to sleep with his eyes closed.

    It would have been shocking for any observer to see. A professor sleeping during class?

    But Ian was shameless.

    This is class too? Right?

    ''Just like last time.''

    Ian tried to sleep while slumped over the borrowed book.

    Though he''d been accidentally pulled into a soul''s memory world.

    For an accidental visit, he''d gained quite a lot.

    Especially getting to witness the [Black Great Fire] with his own eyes was huge.

    Diverse experiences were important for wizards. More experience meant better expression and understanding of mysteries.

    But... Ian had cheesed his way to new experiences by visiting soul worlds.

    ''Isn''t this amazing?''

    You level up just by sleeping?

    What are we waiting for? I didn''t bring a pillow! Time to DB!

    Ian came to university to level up his specs, and as long as he leveled up, the method didn''t matter.

    Wasn''t Ian''s magic created by cheesing status windows in the first place! (or so he believed)

    Cheese MK2.

    The [I Level Up Just By Sleeping!] operation.

    ''...Sleeping is the issue.''

    Next time he should pull an all-nighter beforehand, geez.

    Ian tossed and turned before finally falling asleep.

    #

    Ian slowly opened his eyes.

    ''Success... maybe?''

    An open field and a shabby hut.

    Ian paused while handling clay.

    ''What was I... doing again?''

    Pottery. Right.

    I was going to make pottery.

    [The novice necromancer denies your opinion.]

    "?"

    [The novice necromancer explains that you fell asleep seeking magical inspiration.]

    Magical inspiration?

    Ian looked around quickly.

    Strange? There was nothing around?

    "!"

    No way...!

    A ghost?!

    Ian jumped to his feet!

    There must be a ghost floating around!

    [The novice necromancer tells you to come to your senses.]

    "Eek! You evil spirit! Get out of my head!"

    "A fire wizard called Kvelin, someone I don''t know well."

    "Hmm..."

    Since Ian was just making casual conversation with Maria, he didn''t expect much from her.

    Until recently she''d just been doing menial work in the countryside - how much could she really know?

    If he ran into something he didn''t know?

    ''Time to use the Master card.''

    Though Ian had innate genius talent for magic, he was still a young man.

    Older wizards could have more total knowledge.

    And Eredith was... sorry to say, definitely an older wizard.

    She''d passed 40 long ago.

    Ian went to consult Eredith.

    After his recent experiences, he had things piled up to ask her.

    "Yes, come in Ian."

    Ian explained his experiences to Eredith.

    Whether she couldn''t quite grasp the necromancy-focused topics about souls and memories didn''t particularly matter.

    "Let''s just accept the necromancy parts as they are. Anything I add would be useless anyway."

    What mattered was what Ian had experienced in the soul worlds, and Eredith easily understood Ian''s story with her vast knowledge.

    And the result was quite shocking.

    "It seems, Ian, that the memory you experienced in your ''dream''..."

    Eredith said with a slightly furrowed brow.

    "Was Archwizard Maronius''s memory."

    "...Maronius?"

    Ian was slightly taken aback.

    He''d already figured out it was a primitive-ancient memory.

    But to say it was the memory of Maronius, the final boss of wizards?

    "Wait, Master. The name I heard was clearly..."

    "Demius. That was Maronius''s name before he took his new name."

    Ian scrunched up his face.

    Demius, Maronius, Mickey Mouse, fucking hell.

    Why are there so many names ending in -us? Zeus might as well show up too.

    Though the name Maronius was very famous, the Archwizard''s ''human era'' name wasn''t well known.

    Most people didn''t know it unless they were a living Wikipedia like Eredith.

    "What''s more certain is the name Liria."

    "Liria..."

    Suddenly, Ian recalled Demius''s memory.

    A girl with red hair and a frightened expression.

    "Liria was Maronius''s lover."

    "...Doesn''t seem like a famous name."

    Eredith shrugged.

    "They broke up right before Maronius made his name as a wizard."

    "Broke up?"

    "Yes. Don''t know who was at fault, but they were lovers briefly before separating."

    "And that''s... it?"

    If Maronius had had a wife, Ian would have at least heard her name.

    But Maronius''s lover wasn''t particularly famous.

    Ian had naturally assumed Maronius died a virgin.

    I mean... he was a Archwizard!

    It''s common sense that Archwizards are virgins, right?

    On that point, what Ian knew was correct.

    Maronius never took a wife until his death.

    "Maronius wanted to reunite with Liria. He thought she was his one and only soulmate."

    "...But Liria didn''t want Maronius."

    Ian''s mouth turned bitter. As a supporter of pure love, this wasn''t good news.

    In truth, first loves rarely work out. Childhood friend marriages are rare enough to be noteworthy.

    "Well. In my opinion, I think Liria wanted Maronius too."

    "???"

    "Though there are too few records to say for sure..."

    Hmm. Eredith hesitated slightly before speaking:

    "Liria died in an accident."

    "..."

    "She was attacked by monsters while riding in a carriage. And she became the Archwizard''s final lover."

    An awkward silence fell.

    Unlike Ian''s expectations, perhaps Liria had feelings for Maronius too.

    But what separated them was cold death itself.

    ---

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Through his conversation with Eredith, Ian finally understood exactly what he had experienced.

    No wonder he suddenly got hints about new fire magic - he''d glimpsed Maronius''s memories!

    At the same time, Ian thought that rather than studying random wizards'' memories bit by bit, collecting and studying Maronius''s memories would be much better.

    "Wait, Master. But I was reading a book by the fire wizard Kvelin?"

    "Kvelin was a famous wealthy man. He was known for using Maronius''s quill that he won at auction... didn''t you know?"

    Ian was dumbfounded by Eredith''s expression that seemed to ask ''Why wouldn''t you know that?'' It was amazing how Eredith knew such random trivia in a world without internet or Wikipedia.

    "So I read his memories because the book was written with Maronius''s quill."

    "In my opinion... that''s probably it."

    Hmm.

    Ian organized his thoughts.

    So he had discovered fragments of the Archwizard''s memories in an object Maronius had used.

    He had reconstructed them using necromancy received from Hrundal...

    ''Should I dig deeper?''

    The magic he''d gained after witnessing the [Black Great Fire] last time was new and powerful.

    If he explored more of Maronius''s memories, he might find even better magic.

    Right now, leveling up wasn''t optional for Ian - it was essential.

    He''d already crossed a point of no return with the black wizards.

    Ian needed to explore new mysteries to complete Anor-lsil.

    But dying pathetically to a black wizard while traveling would be quite embarrassing.

    Better to gain power while he could.

    Ian decided to dig deeper into Maronius''s memories.

    "Ian. There''s one piece of advice I''d like to give you."

    "Please do, Master."

    Eredith spoke with a rather serious expression:

    "I know you handle all sorts of magic. But I think it''s best if you keep the fact that you''ve glimpsed Maronius''s memories as hidden as possible."

    "That was already my plan..."

    Wary of black wizards, Ian had no intention of revealing all his magic.

    It was just like when Pals attacked.

    Using Arcana magic as a surprise card had worked perfectly.

    A true master always keeps 30% of their skills hidden.

    Though Ian wasn''t a martial arts master, he was at least a magic-master.

    "I''ll keep your research secret. But if you see any results or notice anything strange, you must tell me immediately."

    "I''ll keep that in mind, Master."

    #

    Ian''s university life fell into a routine.

    Wake up in the morning, wash up, attend required general education classes.

    He honestly didn''t want to attend, but the priests watched him so closely that he couldn''t skip (they were theology and history lectures).

    In the afternoons, he taught when he had classes scheduled and attended other professors'' lectures when he didn''t.

    The ideal scholar''s life - revolving around food, shit, sleep, and study!

    Having become a studying machine, Ian felt like he''d returned to living under the same roof as Eredith.

    While gaining experience through study, he also researched Maronius''s life.

    There was an overwhelming amount of material about Maronius''s life.

    The professors even kept throwing bits of knowledge at him, naturally building up his understanding.

    ''Um... Professor, sorry but I''ve been studying Maronius lately...''

    ''What?! Why didn''t you tell me earlier that you were doing such interesting... I mean, important research!''

    Like any field, professors at this level were crazy about newbies.

    The moment Ian mentioned ''Maybe I''ll look into Maronius~'', they swarmed him like starving piranhas.

    ''First! Read this book!''

    ''No no, you should start with this one! How can you say you''re studying Maronius without reading this!''

    ''Why are you fighting? Just read both! And add this one too!''

    ''Ho ho! What a method!''

    ''As expected, you''re a genius!''

    The books piled up beside Ian.

    Ian cried out in horror:

    ''No, professors! I can''t read this many!''

    ''Nonsense! Of course you can!''

    The university overflowed with materials related to Maronius. Natural for a place that just ate and researched.

    But surprisingly, Maronius''s actual objects were hard to find.

    When the Golden Empire fell, all of Maronius''s possessions were looted (the Maronius language was also widely leaked then).

    Ian being able to glimpse Maronius''s memories was pure luck.

    "Um~ I can get those though?"

    "?"

    Ian was startled and looked at Imperial Princess Elia.

    Wait, how long had she been there?

    "What research are you doing now? Are you creating terrifying destruction magic like last time with Lady Eredith?"

    When Ian made a strange expression, Elia giggled and answered:

    "You were saying to yourself ''I need to get Maronius''s objects~'' so I accidentally overheard."

    "Then about what you said earlier..."

    "Hm? Oh. I can get them! Maronius''s objects!"

    That''s right.

    Unlike Ian who was pure dirt spoon class (Ian was a serf''s son), royal-blooded Elia could easily obtain Maronius''s objects!

    "Getting Maronius''s objects would take quite a while..."

    "Huh? We have them at home though?"

    "???"

    "Like dishes and pencil cases Maronius used. We have those at home."

    Ian was momentarily dumbfounded.

    When you''re princess-level, do Maronius''s objects just lie around the house?!

    Of course, House Hastria having Maronius''s objects was likely just the result of rich people''s collecting habits.

    Maronius was famous as a Archwizard, and famous people''s objects were worth collecting.

    "If you need them, I''ll lend them to you."

    Elia''s eye-smile faded.

    She spoke in a serious voice:

    "It''s repayment for guiding me on the right path."

    "The right path?"

    "The one who caught me when I was wandering was clearly Ian~ And I plan to get revenge someday for what happened at the wind tower~"

    "..."

    Was the medieval bungee jump that unpleasant?

    Anyway, Elia agreed to ''just'' lend Maronius''s objects.

    She even said she''d have people gather a few more items.

    "The thing is... since these aren''t ordinary objects, it would be better if you came to see them yourself..."

    Elia winked and said:

    "Would you like to come see the Duke with me?"

    "...I''ll pass."

    As Elia said, since they were Maronius''s objects, it didn''t feel right to just send anyone to get them.

    But Ian had a reliable knight.

    Ian immediately went to find Belenka.

    "Hm? You want me to go to Duke Hastria''s domain?"

    Belenka was training under Salvador while also helping with university security.

    "Sure. I''ll go."

    Since she was staying because of Ian anyway, she immediately prepared to leave.

    "I''ll go too."

    "You too, old man?"

    "Sitting around at home makes me stiff."

    Though Salvador had been half-dead when he arrived at the university - natural after getting beaten by a dragon at his age.

    But after eating well and resting properly, he quickly returned to being a healthy old man.

    That part impressed even Ian.

    Even recovery was mastery level for a Sword Master!

    Getting restless, Salvador wanted to wander the continent again.

    Old person trait) Hates sitting still at home.

    It was welcome news to Ian.

    Belenka alone was reliable enough, but with Salvador too?

    "Please. Salvador. I''m counting on you, Belenka."

    "Right. Just a little walk."

    Belenka and Salvador soon left the university.

    Their destination was Duke Hastria''s domain.

 Chapter 266

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    illustrations: none

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    belenka and salvador quickly completed their dispatched mission.

    "we''re back."

    "oh, you returned quickly?"

    the distance between imperial university and duke hastria''s domain was quite far.

    yet there was only one reason they could finish their journey so quickly.

    "the roads were well-maintained."

    in the holy empire, roads built during the golden empire era were still going strong.

    in fact, with no plans to build new roads, they''d remain active for at least a few hundred more years.

    with bad luck, even a thousand years in the future, buses might cruise along while people exclaim ''wow~ these are roads built by the ancient empire!''

    it made you wonder - was the ancient civilization''s technology alien-level? for things to work perfectly after thousands of years?

    true to post-apocalyptic cliche?s, belenka and salvador quickly traveled along ''suspiciously well-engineered roads built by technologically advanced ancients.''

    "how is duke hastria doing?"

    elia came along to check the items.

    belenka honestly shared what happened in duke hastria''s domain.no?v(el)b\\jnn

    "he''s doing well. and your mother misses you terribly."

    "y-yeah, i figured..."

    elia tried to change the subject.

    elia''s mother (aka the empress) staying in duke hastria''s domain had thrown a fit when she heard about the black wizard''s attack.

    she didn''t care why the black wizard attacked her daughter - the fact that elia was attacked was what mattered.

    my precious daughter was attacked! we must do something immediately!

    but as ian knew, nothing much happened at the university.

    first, sending knights to another noble''s domain wasn''t simple.

    and elia had taken the initiative to ignore all her mother''s messages.

    her reason was ridiculous.

    it was obvious her mother would tell her to come home...

    she didn''t want to leave university so pathetically.

    ''i want to study!''

    she''d finally cleared out the sycophants and resolved to really apply herself. return home because mom called?

    like many young people with dreams, elia interpreted her mother''s worry as just the older generation''s excessive parental love.

    so she ignored all the empress''s messages.

    better to ask forgiveness than permission!

    she figured she could do what she wanted first, then apologize later!

    elia''s trust in the university''s wizards and knights played a part too.

    no matter how great black wizards were, causing trouble at a university with heightened security was impossible.

    so elia continued her university life like nothing happened...

    that''s when belenka and salvador visited the duchy.

    "was mother... very angry?"

    strictly speaking, elia didn''t need to worry about the empress''s mood.

    the empress was... just the emperor''s wife.

    the holy empire''s emperor was like a lucky chief elder, mainly mediating conflicts between major nobles.

    as proof, the emperor wandered the empire, personally visiting regions that needed problems solved.

    as if being group project leader wasn''t enough work.

    having to travel all over the empire made the emperor''s duties quite demanding.

    that''s why elia''s mother had planted herself in duke hastria''s domain.

    following the emperor around would be exhausting!

    indeed, traveling around the empire was incredibly tiring and difficult.

    so she chose to just stay at her in-laws(?).

    in duke hastria''s domain, the empress was just a freeloader.

    though she''d be respected as the emperor''s wife, she couldn''t expect more than that.

    "she seemed angry. but duke hastria paid no attention."

    "ah."

    though her mother''s feelings were completely ignored.

    elia felt oddly relieved.

    the ruler of duke hastria''s domain was, naturally, duke hastria.

    like other imperial nobles, the lord wielded king-like power in their domain.

    since duke hastria forgave elia, all good! that was her thinking.

    ''sorry, mother. i''ll be filial after graduation.''

    elia mentally muttered this common youth excuse while accepting the items from belenka.

    they were odds and ends maronius had used in life.

    "the duke said he''s cheering for you."

    "..."

    duke hastria taking elia''s side was largely thanks to salvador.

    the duke''s knights quickly recognized salvador''s identity.

    they were deeply moved that a [sword master] had come to run elia''s errand.

    though there was zero political intent - just a bored old man going for a walk (though a sword master''s "walk" was quite something)...

    duke hastria thought elia must be working hard at university and readily handed over maronius''s relics.

    "thank you for making such a long journey."

    "ha ha. it was nothing."

    salvador quietly whispered to ian:

    all that remained was mining useful inspiration.

    [beginning memory playback.]

    [synchronizing...]

    ''maria!''

    ian called maria before synchronization got too high.

    if synchronization got too high, ian would lose his sense of self.

    since he''d become maronius''s memories instead of ian''s memories, maintaining self-awareness was essential.

    [the novice necromancer calls your soul.]

    [remember.]

    [you are ''ian eredith raven''.]

    ''got it.''

    ian opened his eyes.

    blue sky came into view.

    neatly paved roads and people leisurely walking the streets.

    tall cathedrals and beautiful houses.

    ''i''ve arrived.''

    ian had returned to the golden empire.

    unlike last time, he maintained clear self-awareness.

    ''now, let''s see what situation this is.''

    ian prepared to carefully observe maronius''s life.

    just then, a red-haired girl came running from afar.

    liria, maronius''s first and last lover.

    "demius... is it true?"

    ian carefully observed liria''s face.

    she seemed slightly older than during the [black great fire], suggesting some time had passed.

    "you''re leaving elium?"

    liria''s desperate eyes held a deep appeal that could shake one''s soul.

    ian almost instinctively shouted ''surprise~ just kidding~!''

    but that was ian''s thought.

    ''demius''s'' emotions were completely different.

    ''...?''

    ian was startled by the unfamiliar emotions he felt from demius.

    demius was feeling... hatred and contempt mixed with disgust toward this cute and lovely girl!

    ''what''s going on?''

    clearly, things had been going well between them until the black great fire? there had been that kind of atmosphere?

    but why...?

    demius was about to say ''yes'' in a voice dripping with contempt and exhaustion.

    but ian couldn''t possibly make such a voice.

    well... because ian didn''t dislike liria that much!

    however, he needed to follow the [main story] for now, so he decided to move according to demius''s feelings.

    [you are ''ian eredith raven''.]

    ian is not demius.

    so he moved differently from the [original] demius.

    "sorry. that''s how it is."

    "...?"

    though the lines were different, the information conveyed was similar.

    ian quietly waited for the next line.

    but.

    liria''s eyes glowed red.

    "wh-wh-wh-wh-what..."

    "?"

    "wh-what... are... you...?"

    suddenly...

    liria started making strange robotic sounds!

    ian stared at liria in horror.

    [the novice necromancer warns you!]

    [the novice necromancer shouts for you to get out of there immediately!]

    messages rapidly appeared before his eyes.

    at that moment.

    liria spoke in a chilling voice as her eyes blazed red:

    "you. are. not. him."

    "..."

    fuck.

    liria kicked off the ground and leaped.

    before ian could even try to react.

    liria grabbed ian''s head with her bare hands and twisted it 180 degrees.

    since ian wasn''t an owl, his neck snapped and he died instantly.

    [you have died.]

    [ending memory playback.]

    "..."

    ian slowly opened his eyes.

    what the fuck was that just now?

 Chapter 267

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    "ian! are you alright?"

    ian got up coughing and sputtering.

    though his neck wasn''t actually hurt, phantom pain lingered.

    "maria. you saw that too?"

    "yes... it was quite shocking..."

    ian shook his head.

    what was that?

    maronius''s memories suddenly convulsed and...

    attacked ian directly.

    if ian had been a true medieval person, he would''ve run straight to a temple thinking ''i''m being punished for trying to peek at an archwizard''s memories!''

    but ian was a modern person familiar with modern fiction.

    ''...a defense system?!''

    among modern sinister technologies, computer technology surely ranked first.

    if maronius''s memories were a kind of data...

    having security programs protecting that data wouldn''t be strange at all.

    of course, he had no idea how maronius installed a ''memory security program''...

    ian could only interpret it as maronius laying down some magic to guard against necromancy.

    ''so he won''t let me freeload, huh.''

    ian chuckled at the thought.

    well, this was the famous maronius.

    there must have been countless necromancers like wolves trying to dig through his memories.

    he''d set up countermeasures, and they were working properly.

    "did monsters like that pop out last time too?"

    "no. when ''synchronization'' worked properly, nothing happened."

    the more ian identified himself as maronius, the less likely that [security program] would activate.

    the problem was that as synchronization increased, ian''s sense of self grew dimmer.

    he''d only get hazy dream-like memories... which diluted the whole point of peeking at maronius''s memories.

    "nothing we can do then."

    maria spoke like she was sighing.

    though ian usually treated her like a witch with all his ''creepy this'' and ''creepy that''...

    contrary to ian''s prejudice, maria was just a sensitive teenage girl (or so she thought).

    honestly, when ian encountered maronius''s security magic...

    maria was genuinely worried and greatly startled.

    maria was still an immature girl, both magically and age-wise.

    so when ian returned safely, she was simply relieved.

    he nearly fell into great danger, but made it back alive - she was truly glad.

    "maybe we should postpone investigating maronius''s memories, or work with other wizards..."

    "? what are you saying, maria?"

    "yes...?"

    ian stared at maria like he couldn''t understand.

    maria got chills the moment their eyes met!

    unlike maria who was happy about his safe return...

    ian''s eyes were filled with pure curiosity alone!

    don''t tell me he''s not even concerned about the monster?!

    "um."

    maria asked out of worry for ian.

    "are you going to continue investigating? there''s a strange monster there that maronius prepared..."

    ian calmly replied:

    "ah. don''t worry. we just need to neutralize that ''monster''."

    "..."

    maria couldn''t understand ian''s words.

    that was clearly an unprecedented monster.

    a monster hiding in someone''s memories that grabbed and killed approaching souls!

    yet how could ian so confidently say he could handle such a monster?

    maria quickly concluded with admiration:

    "i see. you know the monster''s true nature!"

    ian grinned and answered:

    "nope? i don''t."

    "?"

    for a moment, maria was dumbfounded.

    she wondered if this person was really the same amazing wizard who had saved her life.

    "then, how..."

    "maria. being afraid just because you don''t know something is overly simplistic thinking."

    ian spoke like he was giving a lecture.

    "fear comes from ignorance. when understanding and learning come first, fear disappears."

    "...i don''t quite understand. so, are you saying you''ll ''understand'' that monster?"

    "exactly. maria, what does a wizard do?"

    one who controls fire and water. one who calls lightning from the sky. one who peeks at dead people''s memories, and so on.

    maria recalled many definitions of ''wizard'' but.

    those were closer to ordinary people''s assessments based only on wizards'' results.

    ian gave the common sense answer.

    try communicating with a mystery and get rejected? then obviously you should run without looking back.

    ignoring the other party''s feelings for your own goals always leads to catastrophic relationships.

    for wizards and mysteries, it usually ends in the wizard''s death.

    "avoidance. wise."

    demonite affirmed ian''s decision. zero is better than minus. even idiots can do this math.

    it''s the same principle by which hero-wannabes challenging the stock market lose to rocks with zero returns.

    no need to get nagged ''ian~ just eat your food~'' while trying to get something from a mystery.

    but demonite''s inclination differed slightly from ian''s.

    unlike safety-oriented ian, demonite preferred risky magic.

    "but this situation can''t be solved by avoidance. isn''t that why you''re troubled?"

    "...true."

    magic is the process of humans communicating with mysteries.

    just as mysteries have their own tendencies, wizards each communicate with mysteries in their own way.

    "in such cases, how about pushing forward boldly?"

    "what?"

    push forward?

    ian found demonite''s suggestion intriguing.

    ian had too naturally skipped the option of ''pushing forward''. he''d judged that forceful methods couldn''t be good when dealing with mysteries.

    but...

    violence is also communication.

    though it''s one-way forceful communication... it''s not much different in terms of moving the other party.

    "when dealing with beasts," demonite began.

    "fear is often more effective than love."

    "..."

    "love is temporary and volatile. no matter how much you show affection and treat them well. in the end, what remains in memory are memories of fearsome and painful people."

    ian somewhat agreed.

    it''s the same logic as how dreams often feature bullies + military seniors + workplace superiors rather than parents.

    whether there''s affection or not doesn''t immediately connect to survival.

    but since fear must be eliminated, the brain remembers fear more easily.

    but ian countered demonite''s opinion:

    "but won''t they dislike us if we make them feel fear? it could lead to physical conflict too."

    demonite smiled slyly.

    it was like a professor''s smile upon finding a pleasing student.

    "once you succeed in frightening the other party, their opinion doesn''t matter."

    "i-i see..."

    "the same goes for physical conflict."

    demonite pointed to a distant castle and said:

    "one noble cannot fight and win against a hundred commoners. yet why do a hundred commoners fear one noble?"

    "that''s..."

    "because they know how to handle fear. nobles constantly teach commoners ''the consequences of rebellion''. though no one knows if rebellion would actually succeed or fail. at some point, commoners firmly believe they''ll face terrible situations the moment they rebel."

    demonite smiled kindly.

    "that is fear."

    as demonite said, when a hundred commoners rebel, you can''t be certain all hundred will ''definitely'' ruin their lives.

    but nobles teach commoners they''ll ''definitely be ruined''.

    because that''s how they keep their positions secure.

    "if humans can fear mysteries, mysteries can fear humans too."

    "i suppose."

    "let''s start by finding the mystery''s weakness."

    let''s say you urgently need a million won.

    you could borrow 100,000 won each from close friends to reach a million...

    but you could also extort a million from someone by finding their weakness and threatening them.

    the result - getting a million won - would be the same.

    ''but...''

    ian knew forceful methods could sometimes be the answer.

    but he didn''t like demonite''s approach.

    threats and submission would inevitably create victims.

    "thank you for the advice."

    "if you''d like to hear more details, shall we have a meal..."

    "no. this is enough. i''ll try solving the blocked part myself first, and if i really can''t, i''ll come find you."

    demonite stood up smiling.

    "then feel free to come anytime."

    ian thought while saying goodbye:

    ''to approach the security magic''s core, a forceful method is right.''

    but not threats like demonite suggested.

    he wasn''t sure how to threaten an artificial-seeming monster anyway.

    ian chose a more intuitive and practical method.

    "belenka!"

    "yes?"

    "teach me how to fight."

    belenka looked at ian like he was crazy.

    "fight?"

    ian aimed for the physical wizard class change!

 Chapter 268

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    "hmm..."

    belenka calmly listened to ian''s explanation.

    then she thought about it.

    "i don''t understand what you''re saying."

    ian openly showed his disappointment but.

    well, what could she do?

    truly, belenka couldn''t understand what ian was thinking.

    "so you need to break some magic. and you need force for that?"

    "that''s what i''m saying."

    "hmm... hmm..."

    no matter how she thought about it, belenka couldn''t understand using force to break magic.

    from the start, terms like ''soul world'' and ''guardian placed by a wizard'' were foreign to her.

    ian said:

    "since talking won''t work, i''ll beat it directly."

    but...

    for belenka, it was hard to even imagine a wizard beating something up in a soul world.

    "well. i suppose it''s not for me to judge."

    belenka cleanly gave up thinking about it.

    though she showed impressive knowledge in combat-related matters.

    in non-combat situations, she was someone who both disliked and couldn''t think.

    if a wizard says so, must be so.

    "then grab the sword, ian."

    ian grabbed the training sword as belenka instructed.

    holding a sword and facing an opponent, ian felt a strange excitement.

    though this would be a sensation knights felt in every battle, ian was a wizard.

    ian focused his mind and prepared for belenka''s attack.

    ah- i''ve finally grabbed a sword.

    now my medieval fantasy wizard service is terminated...!

    time to become a medieval fantasy swordsman!

    "hyah!"

    belenka swung her sword with a low shout.

    and.

    thud.

    "???"

    ian fell flat on the ground.

    wait, i was definitely ready to block the incoming sword...

    when did i fall?!

    belenka offered her hand with a smile.

    "that attack was a feint. the real one was a leg sweep."

    "th-that''s dirty!"

    "hehe. that''s what happens when you don''t know."

    like a veteran player crushing a fighting game newbie, belenka relentlessly pressed ian.

    ian shuddered at belenka''s wickedness.

    no wonder all the knight-newbies died! (actually died)

    ''his stamina isn''t bad.''

    surprisingly, ian kept up well with belenka''s training.

    he was a young man after all, and traveling around the empire had built decent basic fitness.

    but still, he couldn''t deny being a sword newbie.

    "well. playtime''s over."

    "???"

    ian stared at belenka in disbelief.

    playtime? this was just playtime?!

    "ian. sorry to disappoint, but you should drop the idea of winning through training."

    "why not?"

    "training works for those who''ve already trained. starting from scratch like you, it takes years to see results. you aren''t planning to train for years just to break one magic spell, are you?"

    "..."

    that wasn''t it.

    ian just needed to break through maronius''s security magic.

    "just teach me how to fight in specific situations. show me the right moves for those."

    "oh."

    in other words, crash course!

    perfect teaching for ian.

    ian explained how the security magic attacked.

    belenka moved according to ian''s description.

    "like this?"

    "holy shit. how''d you do that?"

    ian swung his branch faster before liria could recover her stance.

    "...ugh!"

    ''hit!''

    liria couldn''t react to ian''s attack.

    a clean hit landed!

    ian briefly felt intoxicated by the tingling impact in his hands.

    melee weapons are the best! the hit feedback is amazing!

    after just running his mouth from behind until now, actually swinging a weapon felt completely different.

    ''hmm. pretty grand thoughts for beating up a woman.''

    "...die! just die!"

    liria charged again.

    but her attack pattern never went beyond quick charge - wild swinging.

    he hadn''t noticed when being ambushed but...

    after training under master belenka, he could roughly see the movements.

    liria was... terrible at fighting...

    ''makes sense.''

    the creator of this murderous magic was maronius.

    liria''s movements would have been created by maronius too.

    though his magic might be great wizard level, his fighting was barely street brawl level.

    even in fighting games, proper training under a master quickly takes you beyond beginner level.

    for ian who''d received coaching from belenka and salvador, liria was nothing.

    ian successfully subdued her while dodging all her attacks.

    "i win, maronius."

    "..."

    "this cute girl is in my hands now. maronius. if you don''t want her to have a terrible time, show yourself right now."

    ''fear and threats.''

    fear sometimes works as another means of persuading mysteries.

    ian made his ice-cold threat while recalling demonite''s teachings.

    he didn''t actually plan to do anything to liria, but just the possibility would frighten the opponent.

    [...stop! i surrender! i yield!]

    ''as expected!''

    instead of the irritating one-word "die!" responses until now, a voice with proper reason.

    maronius''s memory that ian had so wanted to talk with.

    [who are you? who dares disturb my rest repeatedly!]

    "[i am ian...]"

    [ian eredith raven! i know! you idiot! how many times have you introduced yourself, think i don''t know?!]

    at the venomous voice, ian immediately picked up the fallen liria.

    hmm. that guy. still not ready to talk.

    "[oh. then let me teach you a new word. it''s called ntr...]"

    [n... what?]

    "[it means stealing a girl who has a boyfriend.]"

    ian smiled wickedly and grabbed liria''s cheek.

    ''maronius will react.''

    a fact he''d already heard from eredith.

    liria was maronius''s first and last girlfriend.

    though he didn''t know exactly how they broke up...

    no self-respecting man would just quietly watch some punk touch his girlfriend!

    [you bastard! take your hands off her this instant!]

    "[kuhehe... short on words? maronius? you can''t be so dense you don''t understand the situation.]"

    ian channeled 200% of demonite''s teachings and shouted in a voice full of evil:

    fear can overwhelm mysteries at the right moment!

    now, be afraid! maronius! tremble in fear! (no malice)

    fall into the pitch-black abyss of despair! (really no malice)

    if demonite saw this, he''d be confused asking ''did i teach him to be this evil?''

    but ian was confident.

    hey! this isn''t because i want to! i''m just practicing professor de''s teachings!

    anyway, ian put demonite''s teachings to perfect use.

    maronius''s soul surrendered to ian''s wickedness(?)...

    [i-i was wrong... please, just spare liria...]

    "[kuhehe... now you''re speaking sense!]"

    seeing ian''s evil smile, maronius''s soul shuddered.

    that malice-filled smile!

    we''ve caught a real psycho here!

    there had been countless necromancers trying to summon maronius''s soul.

    but most were so clumsy at even summoning souls that encounters like this never happened.

    yet this necromancer had not only summoned the soul nearly perfectly but also firmly maintained his sense of self in the memory world.

    ''what kind of person is he?''

    breaking into others'' memories, he must be an evil wizard trying to steal magical secrets.

    maronius''s soul glared at the wicked necromancer.

 Chapter 269

    tl/editor: raei

    status: 5/week mon-fri

    illustrations: none

    join the discord! here

    ''it''s actually working.''

    ian felt strange seeing maronius''s surprisingly cooperative soul.

    though he knew threats could be effective, he hadn''t expected them to work on an archwizard''s soul.

    ''well. an archwizard is just a smart human after all.''

    take king sejong who created hangul, for example.

    though he was clearly a super-genius who created a new writing system, he wasn''t some superhuman monster breathing lightning (that was admiral yi sun-sin, a different monster altogether).

    maronius too, though smart, was just human.

    ''not even the real him.''

    the mystery ian was dealing with was just memory fragments left on maronius''s possessions.

    since necromancers equate human memories with souls.

    memory=soul, so though they called it [maronius''s soul], it was clearly different from the real person.

    this wasn''t 100% the real maronius, but rather something that possessed maronius''s memories.

    but according to necromancers'' age-old arguments, something possessing memories was indeed their soul.

    (by necromancer logic, if a robot had all my memories, it would be ''me''.)

    [what do you want.]

    "[nothing in particular.]"

    [???]

    maronius''s soul stared at ian like he was crazy.

    like, this crazy bastard.

    breaks into my memory world then says he doesn''t want anything.

    "[i just wanted to observe maronius''s life up close.]"

    [... you summoned me just for that?!]

    "[just? is research a joke?]"

    [...]

    ian spoke soothingly.

    a carrot and stick approach.

    "[don''t worry, i won''t touch liria. as long as you don''t try to drive me out, that is.]"

    maronius''s soul sighed.

    [i hope you keep your promise.]

    ian tried to rewind and replay the memory from the start.

    but before that, a question occurred to him.

    "[why did you attack me though?]"

    [???]

    "[i mean, are you hiding some great secret? or did you have some reason to drive away intruders?]"

    maronius''s soul answered in disbelief:

    [how many humans in this world would like someone peeking into their head?]

    ah. ian understood.

    it was a security program for protecting privacy!

    privacy issues are important.

    especially for famous people like maronius.

    say they developed technology to look inside the minds of dead historical figures.

    honestly, he''d want to look.

    but from the perspective of the person getting their mind exposed, it would really suck.

    especially if those memories were embarrassing moments or things they wanted to hide.

    [do you really need to look at my memories?]

    ian thought about it.

    who are ''you'' to ask? you''re just a fragment of maronius''s memories, with only partial emotions and thoughts.

    but saying that directly would make maronius''s soul uncomfortable, so ian decided to answer politely.

    "[yes. i''m going to look.]"

    [... fine. look all you want then get out.]

    seated.

    ian wished he had popcorn as he started the memory playback.

    maronius''s soul helped with the screening(?).

    thanks to that, ian could experience the memories without losing his sense of self, like watching a movie.

    "demius. is it true? you''re leaving elium?"

    "yes."

    slightly outside the city center.

    on a hill overlooking the ancient civilization''s world, a young man and woman were talking.

    the topic was [breakup].

    "...why?"

    liria opened her eyes wide as if she couldn''t understand.

    maronius found her attitude detestable.

    because he thought all her actions were just an act to deceive him.

    "[wait. an act?]"

    [yes! what liria wanted wasn''t me!]

    "[then?]"

    "de-demius. that''s not... i mean..."

    "whatever i do, it''s my business right? huh? do i need your permission for everything!"

    "th-that''s not what i''m saying!"

    maronius''s voice rose.

    in his agitation, maronius blurted out words he shouldn''t have.

    no.

    words he shouldn''t say, but wanted to say even more because of that.

    because maronius wanted liria''s true feelings.

    "you! you go around playing with army officers without saying a word to me!"

    "...!"

    liria''s eyes went wide as she covered her mouth with her hand.

    shocked expression. trembling hands. tears slowly welling up...

    seeing liria''s weakened expression.

    maronius felt intense [pleasure].

    yes. so you do have some conscience.

    how does it feel getting caught cheating on your ''boyfriend''?

    but just being surprised wasn''t enough.

    maronius wanted liria to suffer more.

    as intensely as all the pain and wounds he had received combined.

    "what... are you talking about?"

    "amazing you can still play innocent. really amazing, liria."

    maronius said with a crooked sneer.

    "i saw everything. you and that officer together in the alley."

    tears streamed down liria''s face.

    she was... crying.

    "no. demius. that''s not..."

    "oh? what''s not?"

    "that person is... just. just a friend..."

    "ah. just a friend?"

    maronius found even liria''s tears detestable.

    why do women start crying as soon as they''re at a disadvantage?

    as if crying would solve everything?

    "drinking late at night, walking hand in hand, just the two of you... such good ''friends''..."

    maronius said with a laugh.

    "with such good friends, i bet you also kiss and fu-"

    slap!

    maronius''s head turned.

    a stinging pain.

    liria trembled like she was the one who''d been hit, even though she''d just slapped maronius''s cheek.

    "b-b-bad... demius. don''t say... bad things...!"

    but maronius didn''t back down.

    instead, maronius raised his voice.

    "you! you made me say bad things! liria!"

    "what are you talking about!"

    "you know how hard i work? working late every night to make my brother an officer! but what are you doing?"

    "..."

    "have you ever helped me with anything? no! nothing! but that''s fine. i don''t expect anything from you anyway!"

    "..."

    "then at least! couldn''t you not go drinking late with strange men? do you enjoy tormenting me that much? does it make you happy seeing me worried! liria!"

    "..."

    a deathly silence fell.

    both liria and maronius.

    it was too heavy a silence for young, inexperienced lovers to bear.

    liria cried endlessly, and maronius was sick of everything.

    just what was liria thinking?

    what thoughts made her meet the officer, what feelings made her talk with maronius?

    it was unknowable.

    of course it had to be.

    even using the same language. even being in the same space.

    people can never fully understand other people.

    since humans started using language, they often fall into the illusion that they can [communicate] with others.

    but perfect communication doesn''t exist.

    because language is imperfect.

    and imperfect language can''t fully contain human hearts.

    [ending memory playback.]

    maronius''s memory fragment ended there.

    "[teacher. where do i pay for the full version?]"

    [... i don''t understand your nonsense. if you''ve seen enough, get out.]

    at the polite dismissal, ian returned to the original world.

 Chapter 270

    tl/editor: raei

    status: 5/week mon-fri

    illustrations: none

    join the discord! here

    "you''re back."

    maria greeted ian as soon as he opened his eyes.

    her expression was strangely sentimental.

    ian understood maria.

    the memories of maronius they saw in the soul world were truly like a morning drama.

    "what time is it?"

    "the sun''s about to set."

    ian shook his head.

    though there was much he wanted to investigate, that was enough for today.

    "want to go get food together?"

    "yes~ of course."

    ian gathered his things and left with maria.

    #

    while eating, ian discussed maronius''s memories with maria.

    at first they just ate, but as the conversation heated up they ordered drinks too.

    sipping his beer, ian asked:

    "what did you think about peeking at an archwizard''s memories?"

    maria answered languidly with her characteristically creepy smile:

    "it was... fascinating."

    ian strongly agreed with maria''s response.

    setting aside the actual details of what happened...

    maronius''s memories were really intense!

    stories of romance between men and women!

    as even ancient goryeo songs note, other people''s love stories are addictively interesting.

    though he hadn''t really expected that kind of story.

    for maria it must have been a story worth stacking popcorn for.

    "who do you think was in the wrong?"

    maria clinked her glass lightly against ian''s outstretched one.

    clink.

    "can''t know. we just peeked at memories left on maronius''s dishes."

    "hmm... that''s true."

    "why? you don''t think so?"

    maria propped her chin on one hand and looked up at ian with slightly unfocused eyes.

    it would be a perfect pretty girl pose if not for the creepy vibe.

    "like you said, we only peeked at a moment of memory. but..."

    "but?"

    "i think maronius was in the wrong."

    ian smiled broadly.

    oh ho, time to open up some drama-level debate?

    arguments always make good drinking snacks.

    "why do you think that?"

    maria hesitated briefly but, reading the playfulness in ian''s voice, answered honestly:

    "maronius thought liria was... cheating, but there''s a high chance that wasn''t true."

    "well. we can''t know that."

    truly unknowable.

    because these were maronius''s memories, they were only maronius''s perspective.(nods)

    being strictly from maronius''s viewpoint, there was no way to know liria''s thoughts.

    if maronius had asked liria directly later, they could have known the truth but...

    ian shook his head.

    maria was a cute girl and a talented junior, but not a romantic partner.

    ian wasn''t some woman-crazy bastard.

    he had no reason to fool around with maria while lucy waited properly at home.

    "anyway. the point is, they were both wrong."

    "both sides theory. but we should learn more about the situation before deciding..."

    "that''s not it."

    "?"

    ian''s reason for saying both were wrong was simple.

    "neither of them apologized."

    "..."

    "think about it calmly for a moment. whatever wrongs were committed, if they wanted to continue their relationship they should have apologized."

    people make big and small mistakes throughout life.

    making mistakes is what makes us human.

    in societies obsessed with harsh punishment, people applaud sending someone to ruin over a small mistake...

    but were maronius and liria such a casual relationship that they should end over misunderstandings and mistakes?

    what''s important isn''t determining right and wrong to win over the other person.

    what''s important is understanding each other and maintaining the relationship to move forward.

    they could decide whether to break up or not after confirming if liria really cheated.

    but fighting while putting only their emotions first was too clumsy a response.

    ironically, ian understood such maronius and liria.

    because both were young, inexperienced lovers.

    "well. for us it''s just drinking conversation fodder."

    ian said with a smile.

    "next is magic class, maria."

    "magic, you say?"

    though maronius''s messy love story was interesting, strictly speaking it had little to do with ian.

    the reason ian decided to dig into maronius''s memories was ultimately for magic, wasn''t it?

    that''s what maria thought.

    though this outcome was interesting, it would be hard to achieve magical gains- she thought.

    but her prediction was wrong.

    ian, seasoned as he was, had already planned how to use the story gained through this necromancy.

    "first, maronius''s other memories likely have security magic too."

    "that''s true."

    though one memory was luckily broken through by a medieval fantasy swordsman.

    the more maronius''s magical achievements increased, the higher the security level was likely to be.

    that meant they''d have to raise hell every time they broke into memories.

    at that rate, they wouldn''t get satisfactory results even after 10 years.

    "so we need to make the security magic our own."

    "...how?"

    ian answered casually like it was obvious:

    "by talking and persuading?"

    getting low-level security magic would be the key to breaking the next security.

    that would be more effective for saving time.

    though ian didn''t get the magical inspiration he wanted, getting a key to break into the next memory wasn''t such a loss.

    if he could turn the security magic into a key, that is.

    "next time we gather, bring kira."

    "kira... you mean?"

    ian nodded.

    having peeked at maronius''s memories, now it was time to [persuade] his soul.

    kira''s abilities would be very helpful in persuading maronius''s soul.

    ian decided to bring kira to the next meeting.

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Hello! Lady Kira!"

    "Yes. How have you been, Lady Rubel?"

    Honestly, life had been good for Kira lately.

    Specifically, living conditions were good.

    ''...It''s too comfortable.''

    Kira waved to the female students greeting her warmly.

    They squealed and giggled among themselves like fangirls meeting a real celebrity.

    "Lady Kira! You''re beautiful today too!"

    "Really! You''re so pretty!"

    Kira handled the female students with perfectly practiced celebrity poise.

    When she first entered university, such enthusiastic reactions felt awkward.

    But at some point, Kira could genuinely handle the attention and admiration directed at her.

    Not acting - genuinely.

    ''This place feels like another world.''

    Brilliant sunlight poured onto the lawn.

    Pigeons pecking at feed suddenly took flight at the sound of students'' footsteps.

    Watching the flock of pigeons cross the blue sky, Kira fell into thought.

    Was this really the Holy Empire she knew?

    At least, it wasn''t Kira''s Holy Empire.

    The empire she knew was a civilization on the fringes where barbarism and violence overflowed, where human sacrifice happened without batting an eye.

    But after gaining the status of [wizard] and becoming a university student with help from wealthy sponsors, her world completely changed.

    Here there were no bandits, murderers, beggars, or wanderers.

    She could eat warm meals at set times and sleep safely in bed without worry.

    How was this even possible?

    Kira still couldn''t understand.

    When such a good place existed in the world...

    Why were bandits killing slash-and-burn farmers, kidnapping children to sell as foreign slaves just a short distance away in other domains?

    ''The world is unfair.''

    Though she''d always known this, she realized it anew.

    A gentle world for everyone didn''t exist.

    If Kira had been lucky enough to be born her father''s legitimate daughter and lived wealthy...

    Would she have become so serious about magic like now?

    ''...So. I must do my best.''

    Once born, you have to accept the world''s unfairness.

    Kira renewed her determination.

    Though born at the bottom, she would die looking upward.

    Though luxurious, privileged life belonged to nobles.

    Magic belonged to Kira.

    "Your expression looks bad~? Do you have something troubling you?"

    "Lady Elia."

    Coming to her senses belatedly, Kira found Imperial Princess Elia standing before her.

    Kira reflexively thought.

    That woman has never gone hungry.

    Never slept in grass under cold drizzling rain.

    Never trembled at wolf howls while hugging her father.

    "Just... thinking about the past."

    Elia, like Kira, was wildly popular with other students.

    But whenever Kira saw Elia, she felt more alienation than kinship.

    Though both were popular, Kira and Elia were completely different.

    Elia, raised in a noble family, naturally accepted university life''s abundance.

    But Kira found it hard to simply accept the clothes put on her.

    She was an outsider.

    How could an outsider like Kira enter university?

    ''...Magic.''

    Unlike Elia who originally lived in this world, Kira needed a reason to stay in this ''other world''.

    That was magic.

    Studying magic harder and achieving higher - that was Kira''s purpose for entering and her task going forward.

    She couldn''t forget her purpose by getting drunk on the crowd''s adoration.

    "I thought you''d come to the reading club... You must have been busy?"

    "Sorry, but I''m not interested in that. I wanted to focus on my current studies."

    Elia stared at Kira giving such a sharp response.

    In the past, she would have thought ''There she goes again, Red Hair'' at such a cold attitude.

    But Elia somewhat understood Kira as a person now.

    ''I want to focus on studying~'' wasn''t the usual deflection bitches used...

    She understood it really meant focusing on studies.

    ''Well. Still annoying though~''

    That was that and this was this.

    When none other than Imperial Princess Elia personally invites you to a meeting, you ignore it?

    Is this some kind of power play? The thought came naturally.

    Though she knew there was no malice, something she disliked was still dislikeable.

    "Studying is good, but you should participate in school activities too~"

    Ian calling Kira for something other than magic? No way, right?

    But.

    What if, just maybe.

    If Ian was feeling some kind of ''loneliness''.

    If research wasn''t going well and he wanted emotional support from an old companion.

    ...Or if he had even stronger feelings.

    ''Wh-what should I do?!''

    She just couldn''t calm down.

    Maria stared quietly at Kira''s reddening face-

    "Shall we go outside?"

    And dropped one line.

    #

    As soon as they were out of earshot, Maria:

    "You like Ian, don''t you?"

    "!!!"

    Hit Kira right in the solar plexus.

    Though not physically, a punch might have hurt less.

    Maria''s verbal violence - no, factual violence was... spicier than imagined.

    Kira felt too dizzy to think straight.

    "Wh-what are you saying? Maria? There''s no way I-I''d like Ian! Hahaha...! We''re just friends!"

    "Ah ah. I see... How disappointing. He seemed to have feelings for you."

    "...! Really?!"

    Maria coldly mocked:

    "No. That was a lie?"

    "..."

    Kira glared at Maria with a serious expression.

    Maria and Kira weren''t particularly close. They hadn''t had time to become close, and neither was the social type.

    "I won''t forgive jokes that cross the line."

    "I''m sorry. I just thought that you kept telling lies-"

    Kira shouted in a sharp voice:

    "Lies? You''re really running your mouth! Who are you to judge whether my words are true or not?"

    Maria calmly answered:

    "I thought you had feelings for Ian. That was my conclusion from watching you all this time."

    "...So?"

    "But since you deny it. Yes. I must have misunderstood."

    Maria smiled faintly.

    Though it was her usual creepy smile...

    Kira shuddered more intensely than usual.

    Not knowing it might be an ominous premonition.

    "Then only Countess Talian and I love Ian. Hehe."

    "...?"

    Kira blinked at Maria.

    Though it was clearly Imperial language, she couldn''t understand what she heard.

    Could Maria somehow know higher level Maronius language than her!

    "???"

    That was impossible!

    "Maria, what did you just..."

    "I said I love Ian. Since that moment he first understood my true heart, I always have."

    "..."

    Kira belatedly understood why Maria''s smile had been so creepy.

    Maria wasn''t afraid of others'' gazes.

    She didn''t consider Ian''s situation or her own position at all.

    Just calmly.

    Honestly confessing her true feelings.

    People instinctively fear unfamiliar things.

    Kira found Maria''s attitude unfamiliar, and thus frightening.

    "You... Do you even understand what that means?!"

    "Hehe. Would you explain it to me?"

    Kira opened her mouth then stopped.

    She felt like retching.

    That sticky, fearful emotion quickly turned to burning anger.

    "You mean you''ll steal Countess Talian''s man!"

    But Maria took Kira''s glare incredibly calmly.

    Kira trembled with fear again...

    "Hehe. I''m hurt you''d understand it that way."

    "???"

    No, what''s there to be hurt about! I''m right! You crazy bitch!

    Kira was dumbfounded but couldn''t bring herself to curse.

    Because Maria''s next words left her speechless.

    "Just because Ian is with Countess Talian... does that mean he can''t be with me?"

    "..."

    "Hehe. He can keep dating Countess Talian... and take me as a bonus? Why not?"

    No way.

    ...Kira''s world went black!

 Chapter 272

    Chapter 272

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The history of monogamy runs surprisingly deep.

    It emerged right as humans created civilized society.

    What? Wasn''t it normal back then for top-tier men to monopolize all the women?

    Actually, no.

    Monogamy was a kind of social security system.

    In barbaric times, as people commonly assume, strong and capable males often monopolized females, just like wild animals.

    Considering how most male animals die without ever getting near females, being forever single is actually quite "natural" in nature.

    Human males also had to give up their beloved females after taking gorilla punches from alpha males.

    But humans created civilization and artificially rejected what was "natural."

    It started with the development of agriculture.

    As farming began, the value of labor skyrocketed.

    Just scatter seeds and food multiplies like crazy!

    Proper farming required lots of people-

    And to multiply people, you needed lots of sex.

    The alpha males created monogamy as a social system to increase their group size.

    Don''t steal others'' partners, just stick with one person and live well!

    Under monogamy, you wouldn''t lose your wife or need to doubt whose children they were (in theory).

    They''re my spouse''s children, so they must be mine!

    While many males would end up wandering as outcasts under a system where males monopolized females,

    Under monogamy, everyone could have children, so groups stayed together.

    Perfect conditions for labor-intensive industry.

    Farm with many people, support population growth through farming, multiply people...

    That''s how civilized society was born.

    That''s why everyone except a few rulers adopted monogamy. It was more efficient and better for multiplying humans.

    So you could say loving monogamy is humanity''s ancient instinct...!

    "You''re insane," Kira said.

    In a way, it made sense that Kira felt chilled by Maria''s madness.

    As humans, we should revere monogamy and reject promiscuity!

    How...!

    How could she flirt with a man another woman had already claimed!

    Despite Kira''s horrified tone, Maria didn''t even blink.

    "I live following where my heart leads me."

    "..."

    "Yes, I love Ian. I have no reason to hide my feelings, nor do I want to."

    Kira wanted to ask:

    Was she saying that even if it meant coming between a couple, she''d follow her heart''s direction?

    That was... pure stubbornness.

    In a way, pure selfishness.

    Regardless of Countess Talian''s feelings, Maria just wanted to get closer to Ian because she liked him.

    "But... Ian... Ian loves Countess Talian..."

    "Yes, he does."

    Maria smiled.

    Kira thought that smile seemed off somehow.

    "But I think I can receive Ian''s love too."

    "...Why?"

    "Well, call it faith in men?"

    Maria whispered:

    "Every man harbors at least one wolf inside..."

    Kira got goosebumps all over from her whispered words.

    This girl is seriously scary!

    It was practically saying if Ian''s reason rejected her, she''d appeal to his instincts instead.

    While Kira felt afraid of Maria...

    She also thought Maria was incredible.

    Maria didn''t hide or distort her feelings - she tried to live honestly following her emotions.

    Maria was sincere about Ian.

    Sincere enough to convince even Kira in one go.

    "But... but there''s no guarantee Ian will like you..."

    "Hehe. Nothing in life is certain. I''ll work hard and make it happen myself."

    "Ah. That book is..."

    "Ahhhhh!"

    Ian jumped up from his seat, throwing aside his book.

    The book Kira opened...!

    Though it looked like super perverted manga on the outside, it actually contained a goddess''s divine power!

    The fact that it was both a book containing divine power AND super perverted manga was important.

    "My goodness."

    Even Maria, who''d been researching with Ian but never seen the contents until now, finally saw what was inside.

    Kira and Maria looked at Ian simultaneously.

    Ian spoke with 100% serious eyes:

    "It''s a magic book."

    "..."

    "Really, it''s a magic book."

    "U-um... I see..."

    Kira accepted it without much doubt.

    Many magical items were strange to begin with.

    Though Maronius created magical language, magic itself existed since ancient times.

    Anyone might think to borrow the power of sex to communicate with mysteries.

    The belief that masculine and feminine energies held mysterious power existed throughout history, after all.

    But for Ian to have something like this...

    It felt somehow embarrassing yet strange.

    Kira touched her reddened cheeks for no reason.

    "Hehe. Healthy, I see?"

    "...Would you prefer I was sick?"

    Should really finish Hrundal''s quest soon, geez.

    Ian quickly changed the subject, his face burning.

    "Kira. You know I''m researching magic, right?"

    "Yes. I''ve heard a lot."

    Recently, Ian had explored fire magic with Eredith.

    Kira had watched from afar as they demonstrated their terrifying magic.

    She was proud of Ian''s steady achievements.

    "I''d like you to keep this secret from here on."

    "I promise. I won''t tell anyone outside."

    Ian trusted Kira and continued:

    "Lately, I''ve been studying Maronius''s memories."

    "Maronius''s memories?"

    Kira marveled anew at Ian''s magical talent.

    Many had tried to study Maronius, but all failed.

    The reason was simple.

    Maronius died too long ago - even reviving his memories was difficult!

    But Ian had the [Soul''s Haven] skill gifted by Hrundal.

    He''d succeeded in reviving Maronius''s memories using divine power.

    "Long story short, I need your help convincing Maronius''s memories."

    "What kind... of help?"

    It wouldn''t be magical help. Kira was just a novice fire wizard.

    And Kira''s guess was correct.

    "I''d like you to play a woman called ''Liria.''"

    "Liria...?"

    Ian nodded.

    "Yes. Liria was Maronius''s girlfriend."

    Ian explained his plan to Kira.

    "I''ll play Maronius, you''ll play Liria, and we''ll try to convince Maronius''s soul."

    Ian as Maronius, Kira as Liria?

    But earlier, those two were lovers...

    Kira stammered out her question.

    "So... you and I... will act like... lovers?"

    Ian tilted his head and answered:

    "That''s right?"

    "...!"

    Kira froze on the spot.

    ---

 Chapter 273

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''Makes me think of the old days.''

    Maronius''s soul reflected.

    Being just a memory fragment, all he could do was recall and replay old memories.

    Though he often dwelled on these memories, today they felt particularly cold and bitter.

    The reason was simple.

    ''It''s because that green rookie showed up.''

    Ever since that black-haired young man''s visit, Maronius''s soul felt something ''special'' about replaying these memories.

    Perhaps the stranger''s visit had breathed new life into them.

    Simply put, they hit different than usual.

    ''Was I really such a fool?''

    Maronius''s soul smiled bitterly.

    Looking back, his younger self had been incredibly foolish.

    Even allowing for youthful inexperience, it was too much.

    ''Why... why did I push Liria so hard?''

    Regretting the past changed nothing.

    Yet he kept repeating these regrets, perhaps because human memory and imagination were too powerful.

    ''I should have trusted Liria more.''

    In his imagination, Maronius didn''t angrily confront Liria.

    Instead, they had a calm discussion and confirmed each other''s true feelings.

    That would have been the mature, rational solution.

    That''s how Maronius''s soul knew.

    It was too difficult a solution for his younger self to achieve.

    "[What are you thinking about so deeply?]"

    [...You again.]

    Lost in thoughts, Maronius''s soul frowned at the sudden unfamiliar voice.

    The black-haired wizard had returned.

    [I''ve shown you everything there is to see here.]

    Maronius''s soul said.

    That was true.

    Even if he wanted to show more, there were no more memories.

    He was just a fragment of Maronius''s memories after all.

    Being just young memories, he couldn''t even offer magical advice.

    Maronius vaguely guessed this wizard had come seeking knowledge.

    That''s why it seemed strange.

    There were only embarrassing youthful memories here - surely he realized he''d struck out?

    [Watching my foolishness repeatedly won''t change anything, rookie.]

    The meaning was clear: get lost.

    Like most ghosts, Maronius''s soul loved peaceful rest.

    He was just leftover memories of someone dead - what good would come from talking with the living?

    While souls with strong regrets and attachments might become evil spirits, that didn''t apply to Maronius''s soul.

    His regrets weren''t the kind that could be resolved by clinging to the living.

    "[Your memories might be fixed. But your imagination is different, isn''t it, Maronius?]"

    [?]

    "[I know what you imagine.]"

    To the dumbfounded soul, Ian boldly declared:

    "[I know you fall asleep every night imagining making up with Liria!]"

    [?!]

    Maronius''s soul stared at Ian in shock.

    No, how did he know... that wasn''t the point!

    What was wrong with this crazy bastard?!

    He should have been angry, but the direct hit left him speechless.

    "[I brought my friend to prove my theory.]"

    [...Don''t bring random people into others'' memories!]

    Did he think this was a playground?!

    Though he''d let this young upstart view memories somehow, he wasn''t about to let strange outsiders waltz in.

    Just as Maronius''s soul was about to return to security duty-

    "[Hello?]"

    Maronius''s soul met eyes with a red-haired female wizard.

    "[Nice to meet you.]"

    Maronius''s soul trembled.

    The moment he saw the red-haired woman, his PTSD kicked in...!

    Ugh, the awful memory of saying those terrible things to Liria!

    [You, you are...!]

    Seeing Maronius''s soul''s strange reaction, the red-haired wizard - Kira - whispered to Ian.

    Because Liria, his first and last love, had red hair.

    The female wizard Ian brought had possessed Liria''s body.

    Only then did Maronius understand what Ian was aiming for.

    ''Is that what he wants to show?''

    Maronius shook his head.

    Assigning roles to make Liria more vivid was a good idea but...

    Weren''t they still strangers?

    Another woman imitating Liria wouldn''t be interesting at all...

    "Demius. Is it true? You''re leaving Elium?"

    "Yes."

    [...?]

    But when Ian and Kira started their first lines.

    Maronius forgot everything he''d been thinking and focused completely on the two.

    ''They''re good...!''

    The female wizard playing Liria acted much better than expected.

    Really...

    It was like Liria had come back to life!

    ''What is this...? I can''t look away!''

    It made sense.

    The Liria ''in memory'' was familiar, seen thousands upon thousands of times.

    There was nothing new about her.

    But this Liria...

    Was a new Liria performed by a ''stranger''!

    Bad acting would have made her obviously fake.

    But Kira''s performance was perfect.

    Thanks to that, Maronius''s immersion shot up 200%.

    ''This feels right.''

    Kira thought as she skillfully acted.

    Ian had told her all the basic setup.

    ''Name is Liria. Mixed-blood foreigner, childhood friends with Maronius.''

    Kira was a master of acting.

    The moment she got her role, she instantly immersed herself.

    Their similar looks were also a plus.

    ''I''m helping Ian.''

    Kira put all her energy into starting her performance.

    The actors were Kira and Ian.

    The audience was just one person.

    Maronius.

    Kira and Ian began exchanging lines according to the prepared script.

    "Why...?"

    "I''m going to war."

    "I''m going to become a soldier."

    Kira paused before her next line.

    Her scene partner was Maronius, about to abandon Liria for war.

    But remembering the actor was Ian...

    ''This feels... awful.''

    Kira felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.

    This must be exactly how it would feel if Ian ignored her and did whatever he wanted.

    "Demius!"

    Kira shouted.

    "What are you saying! You definitely said! That war was just power struggles between rulers! That earning money by killing people was something to be ashamed of!"

    "...!"

    Ian was slightly startled by Kira''s fierce voice.

    Wow. What intensity?!

    Someone properly trained in acting was really different!

    Seeing Kira try so hard, Ian couldn''t lose either.

    Drawing on his acting skills honed through wizard-acting, Ian delivered his next line.

    "Yeah, so? Did I do something wrong?"

    Ian''s voice was exactly like that of a wizard speaking contemptuously to nobles.

    Hell yeah. My acting''s pretty good too, right?

    Just then, Kira glared intently at Ian.

    "...?"

    Wow. Kira''s acting was so realistic.

    Really realistic...

    "..."

    Ian felt slightly unnerved.

    ...That was acting, right? Right?!

    ---

 Chapter 274

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Maronius''s soul watched Ian and Kira as if entranced.

    Everyone makes mistakes.

    Like speaking carelessly in front of seniors when first entering university, caught up in excitement.

    Or trembling nervously at a boss''s casual question on your first day at work, only to think of the perfect answer later.

    That''s just human nature.

    How could anyone be perfect all the time? Even exceptional people make mistakes when coincidences pile up. Being imperfect is what makes us human.

    Thanks to invincible superhumans dominating movies, comics, and web novels, such verbal mistakes look like pure stupidity.

    But reality isn''t fiction.

    Everyone makes mistakes.

    And everyone lives with regrets about those mistakes.

    ''Ah...''

    Watching that long-ago argument replay before his eyes.

    Maronius felt like he couldn''t breathe.

    ''Why did I...''

    Young Maronius.

    That youth currently being played by Ian...

    Even to Maronius himself, looked incredibly foolish.

    ''Push Liria so hard...''

    His foolish, lacking, insufficient younger self.

    Maronius just wanted to close his eyes.

    Watching someone else act out your part felt completely different from merely remembering painful memories.

    "Whether I leave or not, what''s it to you?"

    "De-Demius, that''s not... I mean..."

    "Whatever I do, it''s my business right? Huh? Do I need your permission for everything!"

    "That''s not what I''m saying!"

    ''Stop it, you stupid idiot...!''

    Maronius genuinely cursed at his younger self.

    Pushing Liria like that. What did he hope to gain?

    His pitiful pride?

    A desperate message begging her to notice his suffering?

    ''Stop... just stop!''

    His younger self was going off the rails.

    Charging straight toward the cliff of destruction.

    Finally, young Maronius started ''that statement''.

    "You! You go around playing with army officers without saying a word to me!"

    "...!"

    And just like he''d seen thousands, tens of thousands of times before.

    Once again, Liria was wounded by that fool''s sharp words.

    Eyes wide open, tears falling steadily.

    ''I''m sorry.''

    Maronius''s soul swallowed his apology.

    It would be a lie to say he didn''t regret it.

    But what could he do?

    She was already gone from this world.

    ''I''m truly sorry.''

    He didn''t want to watch their reenactment anymore.

    Maronius was about to say that was enough.

    But right then.

    "If you''ve got something to say, say it."

    ''...!''

    Maronius was shocked.

    In his memories, he hadn''t backed down but kept pushing Liria.

    But...

    This ''Ian'' person playing Maronius...

    Was taking a step back, trying to have a conversation!

    ''Ah...''

    In that moment, Maronius couldn''t stop his body from trembling.

    Yes.

    That was it.

    What I should have done then.

    In front of her.

    Instead of hurting his beloved Liria, that''s what he should have done.

    The Empire had waged many conquest wars, mixing countless peoples together.

    Red hair like Liria''s was originally unseen in the imperial capital.

    Having foreign blood, she was treated as half an outsider.

    "Far away on some island, they say there are people with red hair and blue eyes living together. Demius, I just... wanted to hear about those people. Stories about my mother''s homeland... that''s why I went drinking."

    "I see."

    "But you''ve been looking so tired lately... and I thought if I told you about going to such places, you wouldn''t let me go..."

    Still hugging Maronius with all her might, Liria cried out:

    "I''m sorry! Demius! And I love you! I''ll never hurt you again!"

    Ian gently stroked Kira''s hair and said:

    "I love you too, Liria."

    Right then, the surrounding scenery started melting like paint.

    Maronius''s soul had stopped playing the memory.

    "[How was it, Maronius.]"

    [...]

    "[Maronius?]"

    Maronius''s soul couldn''t answer right away.

    He was crying.

    [...Lies.]

    After sobbing for a while, Maronius''s soul shouted.

    [Don''t lie...!]

    "[...]"

    [If it could be solved so easily...!]

    He couldn''t continue speaking.

    Ian gently asked:

    "[Then. Do you think it was more complicated?]"

    [...]

    "[I suppose my preparation was lacking. I should have found more active ways to convince Liria...]"

    Maronius''s soul sighed and said:

    [...No, rookie.]

    Watching Ian and Kira''s ''play'', he''d deeply reflected.

    And realized.

    ...Maronius and Liria.

    Their relationship could have resolved its misunderstandings this easily.

    Yet they''d worsened things because they were young, foolish, and proud.

    "[Hmm. Then you think Liria was really cheating? Not just a simple misunderstanding?]"

    [That''s... not it either...]

    Maronius''s soul hung his head.

    He just hadn''t wanted to admit it.

    The fact that if he''d had an honest conversation with Liria then, things wouldn''t have ended up like this.

    [I got angry... because the answer was ridiculously simple...]

    Maronius''s soul couldn''t continue speaking.

    Ian gently addressed the Archwizard''s memory fragment:

    "[That''s right. The mistake you made was simple enough for anyone to fix.]"

    [...]

    "[Maronius. Don''t you want to fix other memories too?]"

    [Other... memories?]

    "[They don''t have to be minor mistakes. For example, we could imagine a future where you and Liria became a married couple.]"

    If he accepted Ian''s proposal, he would become a ''key'' to viewing Maronius''s other memories.

    Ian thought he would accept the proposal.

    [I''ll... think about it.]

    "[Take all the time you need.]"

    Ian stepped aside to let the Archwizard''s soul consider thoroughly.

    [Ending memory playback.]

    [The novice necromancer calls your soul.]

    "Are you awake?"

    Ian opened his eyes.

    And immediately met Kira''s gaze.

    "..."

    "..."

    After a moment of silence.

    Ian spoke first.

    "You really are good at acting, Kira."

    "Ah, yes... thanks... you too, Ian."

    Ian and Kira couldn''t quite look each other in the eye.

    ---

 Chapter 275

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    At that moment, their eyes met.

    Thinking it would look weird to keep avoiding eye contact, Ian held Kira''s gaze.

    The problem was, Kira had the exact same thought.

    Naturally, Ian and Kira ended up staring at each other for a while.

    There wasn''t any particular meaning behind their gazes.

    It was more like casually looking because the other person was there, because a face happened to be in their field of vision.

    ''Hmm...''

    When Kira stared at him intently, Ian felt a strange competitive spirit rise.

    Oh ho, challenging me to a staring contest!

    Challenge accepted!

    Ian decided to observe her thoroughly, matching her stare for stare.

    Long red hair and large eyes.

    Slender shoulders, rounded chest, and smooth waist.

    Hmm. Drop-dead gorgeous - definitely our Kira.

    Ian suddenly thought how similar Kira and Liria felt.

    Not just because of the red hair.

    Their shy demeanor and soft voices were quite alike.

    "Ian."

    Suddenly, Kira called his name.

    "Yeah?"

    When Ian asked what was wrong.

    "...Just felt like calling you. You still feel like Maronius to me..."

    Kira said with a bright smile.

    Ian smiled too.

    He''d just been thinking of Liria while looking at Kira.

    "Kira. Thanks for helping today."

    "It''s nothing. I''m happy to help with requests like this anytime."

    Ian nodded.

    It hadn''t been a difficult favor, so he didn''t feel burdened either.

    If she needed compensation, he could get her a gift later.

    And since Kira was a wizard too, maybe examining Maronius''s memories would help her?

    "Hehe. You two had amazing performances."

    Maria gracefully approached and said.

    "I especially loved the part where Kira hugged Ian and shouted that she loved him. It gave me chills somehow."

    "..."

    When Maria looked at Ian with sticky eyes, Ian felt his usual slight creeps.

    Your eyes are what''s giving me chills right now...

    Ian gave Maria a slightly annoyed look.

    Ian and Kira had just put on a short performance.

    Though it was in a memory world with just one audience member.

    It was just acting.

    They''d acted as lovers to show Maronius''s soul.

    "What are you saying? That was Liria and Maronius."

    "But you two did the acting, didn''t you?"

    Maria was a girl before being medieval.

    Meaning she was crazy about romance between men and women.

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    Even if Maria loved romance, trying to pair up Ian and Kira?

    Lucy would jump in shock if she heard this while eating at home.

    "Ian, if Maronius''s soul agrees to guide us forward, will you keep acting as lovers with Kira?"

    "Probably? If that''s what he wants to see."

    Regardless of Ian''s wishes, they''d have to act if Maronius''s soul wanted to watch.

    Otherwise they''d have to break through increasingly tough security magic.

    The security level was low for these worthless young memories, but once they reached the period when he started creating magic in earnest, the security would be incomparably tougher.

    "Aah- I see-! I''m so looking forward to it."

    A blush rose to Maria''s cheeks.

    Though he wasn''t sure what she was looking forward to, she should separate the roles from the actors.

    The lovers were Maronius and Liria, not Ian and Kira.

    That kind of thinking would be rude to Kira-

    "I''m... looking forward to it too."

    "?"

    When Ian turned his head, he saw Kira smiling shyly.

    The smile on her delicate face was completely genuine - not a trace of acting.

    "Looking forward to what? Seeing Maronius''s memories?"

    "Maronius''s memories... those too. But..."

    Kira lightly scratched Ian''s hand with her fingernail.

    Ian''s shoulders twitched.

    "Acting with you. It was fun."

    Since coming to university, he''d learned that summoning was incredibly popular magic regardless of age or gender.

    The reason was simple.

    You could get your own pet!

    Wow! Pets! Familiars!

    Like some instinct carved into DNA, people loved having something to command.

    When starting summoning, you could tame small animals like RPG pets.

    That''s why summoning lectures were always popular.

    ONLY popular.

    "But making contracts with small animals is pretty difficult, you know."

    "What?"

    "They don''t know Maronius language. Instead of direct communication, you need to use expressions that convey will. Princess Elia, have you memorized all 220 emotional expression characters?"

    "..."

    Separate from popularity, summoning was still magic.

    Meaning it was fucking hard.

    When Elia closed her mouth, Ian realized.

    Ah ha, she hasn''t memorized them.

    "Well, Professor Demonite said he''d teach me the contract phrases~"

    Phrases? Phraaaases?

    You think you can make summoning contracts with just one memorized phrase?!

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    "What can you do with just that one?"

    "Well, first make the contract, then study step by step..."

    "How''s that gonna work?"

    Let''s say familiar contracts are like job recruitment.

    You''d need to calmly introduce yourself and explain "I''m this kind of person. Would you be interested in this kind of work?"

    But what if someone who barely speaks the language comes and says:

    ''Oh. You vely stwong~ I give money, work with me~''

    Would you take that job?

    Unless you had borderline intelligence issues, you wouldn''t fall for such broken speech.

    Especially if that person could only say that one phrase.

    "If you say phrases you don''t understand well, other mysteries might get attracted and just kill you."

    "..."

    "Stop with the silly ideas and go study."

    At Ian''s facts, Elia pouted.

    Demonite chuckled and cut in.

    "I''m not trying to make Elia do magic. I just thought I''d show her how contracts are made."

    "Aren''t you giving her false hopes?"

    "Let''s call it motivation instead."

    Ian couldn''t understand, but female students had suspiciously strong fantasies about cute pets.

    Though Ian didn''t like them approaching summoning with such casual attitudes.

    Demonite disagreed with Ian.

    He thought that desire could become motivation, fertilizer for studying summoning seriously.

    "But why me..."

    "Ah. I wanted to see you make contracts too, Ian."

    Demonite said.

    "After all, we have different views on summoning."

    "Hmm..."

    That was certainly true.

    Demonite preferred more aggressive methods than Ian.

    His way of contracting with small animals would likely differ from Ian''s too.

    "Since we don''t know which style Elia might have talent for, I thought we could show both."

    Ian nodded.

    Since Ian handled all sorts of magic, other professors often came seeking his opinion like this.

    "You have a small animal too, don''t you?"

    "You mean Oberon?"

    "Yes. How about telling us the story of contracting with that animal?"

    Ian tilted his head.

    Oberon was just something he''d picked up?

    Though it probably wouldn''t help much, since Demonite asked, Ian was about to call Oberon.

    But just then, someone approached calling out:

    "Ah, everyone''s here!"

    It was Inglan.

    He urgently addressed Ian and Demonite:

    "You two. Quickly pack your things and head to the village hall."

    "What''s wrong?"

    Inglan shook his head and answered:

    "Missing persons."

    "...Missing?"

    "Two children who went playing in the forest haven''t returned after a full day."

    Inglan added:

    "Seems some mystery is involved."

    ---

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''But is a mystery really involved?''

    Ian thought this, but kept it to himself.

    Ordinary people who hadn''t studied magic couldn''t tell what was and wasn''t mysterious.

    Sometimes they missed obvious mysteries right in front of them, while other times they made huge fusses over things that weren''t mysterious at all.

    Just look at how typical medieval people immediately blamed ghosts whenever anything spooky happened.

    "Missing persons. That''s serious."

    Demonite muttered.

    Though it was the harsh medieval era, people still worried about missing persons.

    Especially since children had disappeared.

    Though it was a barbaric age, concern for children hadn''t vanished.

    "Professor Inglan. You mentioned a mystery being involved..."

    "Yes, Professor Demonite. That''s why we need your help."

    Inglan explained the situation.

    Two children had gone playing in the forest.

    And hadn''t returned after a full day.

    The worried villagers sent hunters to search around the forest.

    And the hunters discovered something shocking.

    "Giant footprints."

    "Footprints?"

    "Seems a hill giant passed through."

    Ian crossed his arms and tapped his fingers.

    A giant, huh.

    True to the fantasy world, a giant had made the suspect list for kidnapping.

    "If they''re huge footprints, they must be from a giant."

    Like the experienced summoner he was, Demonite made a reasonable deduction just from the situation description.

    "But it''s strange. There''s no hill giant village nearby. And hill giants know this is a human stronghold."

    In this medieval fantasy world, non-human beings formed their own communities.

    Hill giants were one of the high-intelligence non-human races.

    Humans and hill giants had a sort of non-aggression pact, rarely entering each other''s territories.

    "I thought so too. But with footprints discovered, we need to investigate what''s going on."

    "You''re right."

    Not just Demonite, but Ian too wanted to investigate the scene.

    Well... finally a real mystery had appeared!

    Though he was studying hard at university and investigating Maronius''s memories.

    Directly encountering mysteries was just as important as theoretical study.

    "Inglan. Can we go now?"

    "Ah. Of course. Come along."

    With Inglan, Demonite, and Ian moving together, they gave off an aura that most university students couldn''t even make eye contact with.

    But Elia wasn''t ''most'' university students.

    "Professors! Are you going now?"

    "Ah. Sorry, Elia. The lesson later..."

    "Can I come too?"

    "?"

    Ian looked at Elia, slightly dumbfounded.

    Following was fine but... what did she plan to do?

    Demonite seemed to have similar thoughts but didn''t stop Elia.

    Field investigation could be part of magic training too.

    "You can come along, but you''ll need to be careful."

    "Thank you, Professor!"

    With Elia joining, the group headed straight for the village hall.

    #

    "Oh my! The wizards!"

    As expected.

    The village atmosphere was quite unsettled.

    Understandably so, since giant footprints had been found in the nearby forest.

    Even in this fantasy world, they didn''t encounter fantasy monsters every day.

    Giants were plenty fantastic even to medieval fantasy natives.

    "What exactly happened?"

    Ian asked the villagers for an explanation.

    But the answer came from an unexpected source.

    "I''ll explain."

    "Sir Salvador?"

    The ones who''d finished investigating the scene before Ian were none other than Salvador and Belenka.

    Living in a house near the university, the two were practically unemployed and could deploy quickly.

    "Ian. Salvador says it was indeed a giant."

    Ian glanced at Elia.

    Maybe the princess had somehow offended Demonite?

    Is he trying to quietly bury her!

    Ian felt slightly anxious but decided to bury his suspicions for now.

    ''A non-malicious giant kidnapping...''

    From one perspective, it could be seen as strange behavior by an eccentric giant.

    But...

    Honestly speaking, Ian still doubted Professor Demonite.

    Another monster attack, and Elia just happened to be at the scene again?

    He couldn''t help thinking of black wizards.

    ''There''s likely a black wizard hiding at the university.''

    A fact already proven by Black Wizard Pals''s attack.

    Ian stayed on guard.

    "Hahaha! Look here!"

    Demonite shouted.

    Ian rushed over.

    "The footprints continue this way!"

    "Demonite! Wait!"

    When he arrived, Demonite was nowhere to be seen.

    He was chasing the giant''s traces like crazy, leading Elia along.

    No, not like crazy - he just seemed crazy.

    "Elia! Where''s Elia!"

    "I''m right here~"

    "...?"

    Ian turned around in confusion.

    Elia was there.

    Wait, hadn''t she been with Demonite?

    "Hehe. Professor seemed to be going wild, so I cut my losses early~"

    "...Where did you learn words like ''cut losses''?"

    Elia said with a grin:

    "By the way, it was kind of exciting when you spoke casually earlier. Should we just drop formalities?"

    "If you need excitement, I''ll throw you from the wind tower again. And we shouldn''t drop formalities carelessly with others watching."

    "Tch. How stingy."

    Though Elia pretended to grumble, she soon smiled brightly and said:

    "Then how about when others aren''t watching?"

    "You really want that?"

    "Of course! Ian!"

    Ian smiled and answered.

    She wanted it so much. And it wasn''t a difficult request.

    "Alright. Elia."

    "Eek! I love it!"

    While chatting with Elia, Ian suddenly realized:

    "What about Professor Demonite?"

    "He wasn''t around earlier either. Maybe he went ahead?"

    Ian felt slightly flustered, but there was something more startling.

    Rustle!

    A nearby tree shook violently.

    Pushing through the forest, a huge face appeared.

    "!"

    "!"

    Ian reflexively pushed Elia behind him and prepared to use skill magic.

    He''d felt something was off-!

    Professor Demonite!

    "[Flames of...]"

    Just as Ian was about to activate his skill.

    The giant fully revealed itself.

    Standing nearly 4 meters tall, it...

    Was holding a ridiculously huge basket in one hand!

    The giant met Ian''s eyes and-

    "[Oh my, look here! A human!]"

    Covering its mouth, it shouted.

    "[So cute!]"

    "???"

    When Ian tilted his head in confusion.

    The 4-meter giant stamped its feet in excitement.

    ''This is ridiculous.''

    Ian seriously debated whether to complete his spell.

    ---

 Chapter 277

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Giants.

    When did Ian first learn about giants'' existence?

    The answer was, as everyone expected...

    During a lesson with Eredith, the Wikipedia goddess.

    ''There are beings called giants in this world!''

    ''Giants?''

    When Ian was still 11, a medieval elementary schooler.

    To spark Ian''s magical interest, Eredith told him all sorts of fantastic tales (though really, she just liked talking).

    When telling him about giants, Eredith had absolute faith he''d get super excited.

    I mean, he''s a kid!

    What kid stays calm hearing stories about giants?

    That''s grounds for revoking kid status!

    Plus, Eredith really wanted to see her cute disciple''s eyes sparkling while hearing an exciting story.

    But...

    ''Ah. So there are giants too?''

    ''...Too?''

    ''It''s nothing, Master.''

    Contrary to Eredith''s expectations, Ian brutally crushed his master''s hopes!

    Ian was reincarnated.

    So he could stay calm hearing about giants existing in this world.

    He''d seen plenty of giants (in fiction) in his past life!

    In short, his kid status was revoked.

    But failing as a kid meant passing as an adult.

    True to his ruthless Korean origins, Ian started asking about combat strategies.

    ''What should we watch out for when facing giants?''

    ''...Try not to fight giants at all, dear.''

    She''d wanted to hear her cute disciple go ''Wow~!''

    Eredith got sulky and lost motivation.

    So she drastically shortened the lesson content.

    ''Hill giants are the gentlest giants. Volcano giants are the most violent.''

    ''Oh ho.''

    ''Run immediately if you meet a volcano giant, but hill giants are likely to speak kindly to you.''

    ''I''ll remember that.''

    Ian stopped reminiscing.

    ''That happened.''

    He''d heard about hill giants in passing from Eredith.

    But while he knew they existed, he didn''t know the details.

    Professor Demonite could have explained more but...

    That guy had vanished without a trace.

    "I-Ian!"

    Elia pressed against Ian''s back and shouted.

    "It''s giants!"

    He didn''t mention that they''d agreed to drop formalities earlier.

    She must be really rattled to forget.

    "[Polymus! Look here! Real humans!]"

    "[Wow, really! Humans!]"

    BOOM-BOOM!

    There were actually two giants.

    When the two giants each spoke, vibrations like earthquakes spread out!

    "Eeeek!"

    Overwhelmed by the giants'' voices, Elia''s legs trembled.

    And Elia''s reaction was perfectly normal.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    Even if they were the gentlest giants, hill giants stood over 4 meters tall.

    One wrong step and humans would instantly head to heaven!

    And "gentle" was just something Demonite had mentioned briefly.

    The actual sight of hill giants was... truly terrifying.

    Rough, overgrown hair and tattered clothes.

    Cracked skin and bloodshot eyes!

    If Ian had been a knight rather than a wizard, he''d have seriously considered reverse-charging at such an overwhelming sight.

    No joke, three giants together could take down a dragon.

    "I-Ian! Use dark magic!"

    "What?"

    "Cast dark magic! Then we''ll escape in the darkness!"

    For crisis response evaluation, that deserved 100 points.

    Ian was a dark wizard who could call darkness even in daylight.

    No matter how mighty the giants were, summoning darkness would render them useless.

    "[Wow! She eats so well~!]"

    "[Must have been hungry~ So cute~]"

    Unexpectedly, the giants really liked Elia.

    #

    Ian chatted with the hill giants for a while.

    And realized a few things.

    Demonite had said hill giants were "friendly to humans."

    But Ian felt that description fell way short.

    Hill giants were... "fucking" friendly to humans.

    In other words, they were "human moms."

    "[How can they be so cute!]"

    "[Look at those blinking eyes!]"

    "[Look at them walk- oh my! They''re running!]"

    "..."

    To test the giants'' interest, Ian told Elia to dance.

    "What? Why me?!"

    "Because I can''t dance?"

    "Even a farmer''s son should know how to dance!"

    "I''ve only studied under Master my whole life?"

    "Ugh...!"

    In the end, Elia started her princess dance time in front of the two giants and Ian.

    Ian hadn''t made Elia dance just for fun.

    Dance was a language expressed through the body.

    Though Elia couldn''t talk with the giants, she could send a message of peace through gentle dance.

    "[That''s right~! Well done!]"

    "[So adorable!]"

    Ian tilted his head at the giants'' enthusiastic response.

    ''Hmm... is it that good?''

    Even though Ian had no interest in dance... he could tell Elia''s dancing was terrible.

    Elia was just randomly moving around!

    "Why, why are you looking at me like that!"

    Feeling Ian''s gaze, Elia stopped dancing and screeched.

    Seeing her red face, he might get dragged to the execution ground if he teased her...

    So Ian immediately got to the point.

    "I get it."

    "...What do you get?"

    "Hill giants really love humans."

    Honestly, even Elia''s parents at a school recital wouldn''t praise this much.

    But the reason the giants totally approved of Elia was simple.

    Because she was human...!

    Though he wasn''t sure what the giants'' aesthetic sense was like.

    To giant eyes, humans seemed to be incredibly cute and adorable creatures.

    After Elia softened the mood with her (random) dancing.

    Ian greeted the giants.

    "[Hello, honored giants.]"

    "[Y-yes! Hello!]"

    "[Ah, hello~! Human! Hahaha!]"

    The giants melted just from a greeting.

    Their eyes seemed to float with text saying ''cute cute cute cute~''

    ...Ian started finding the giants a bit scary.

    It made him wonder.

    ''How exactly do humans look to them?''

    Not being a giant, there was no way to know.

    "[How can you speak our language?]"

    "[I''m not speaking giant language. I''m conveying my will through magical language.]"

    "[???]"

    The giants didn''t easily understand Ian''s words.

    Giants had no concept of magic.

    "[Though I''m glad to meet you by chance... what brings you here?]"

    At Ian''s words, the giants made an ''oh right!'' expression.

    ...Ian was certain.

    These bastards were so distracted watching Elia''s cute act they''d forgotten the main point.

    "[We came to warn you!]"

    "[Warn us?]"

    The hill giant shouted energetically.

    "[Yes! One of our kind is targeting your humans!]"

    "..."

    Ian laughed dryly.

    Well that was quick. You bastards.

    ---

 Chapter 278

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    What exactly happened?

    Ian gathered what the hill giants said.

    The story was... quite absurd.

    "[In our village, there was a giant who kept a companion-human.]"

    "..."

    Elia, who struggled with Maronius language, asked Ian for translation.

    "Ian. What''s the giant saying?"

    Ian was speechless.

    Not because of poor Maronius language, but because he truly didn''t know how to explain.

    Companion-human? What''s a companion-human?

    If it''s a companion, fine, but what the fuck is a companion-human?!

    If a giant married a human and took them as a companion, well, he could sort of understand. The world is wide and there are many people with strange tastes.

    But the ''companion-human'' this giant spoke of was absolutely not a companion in the romantic sense.

    In older terms, it meant ''pet human''.

    Pet.

    An animal kept close and raised with love.

    The character �� in pet is the same as in toy (���).

    Meaning something kept for entertainment - in this case, a human raised for fun.

    ''Though they don''t seem to treat them completely like toys.''

    The giant had been politically correct, using ''companion-human'' instead of ''pet human''.

    Not a human raised for entertainment, but one kept for psychological comfort and emotional exchange.

    "One of the hill giants... raised a human?"

    "???"

    Ian, still maintaining modern sensitivities, could catch the subtle difference between pet human and companion human.

    But Elia, just a medieval native, absolutely could not.

    "Wh-what?!"

    Elia was shocked at Ian''s words.

    "Are-are they crazy?! Giants raising humans like cattle?!"

    "No, not raising. More like keeping them as friends or family?"

    "Livestock is livestock, what do you mean friends!"

    ...Is that so?

    In both lives, Ian had never raised animals.

    He had Oberon the crow familiar, but that clever bird was a free spirit who only visited Ian when bored.

    So Ian couldn''t answer this question.

    Could humans really think of animals as perfect family?

    "No matter how much you treat them like family, when famine hits they end up in the soup pot - that''s livestock!"

    "...That''s true."

    In the material abundance of modern times, this would be unimaginable.

    Running out of food? Having to skip meals because there''s nothing to eat?

    How is that possible? (Really doesn''t know)

    But humans overcoming famine happened less than 100 years ago.

    Only in modern society with extremely advanced technology, where food rots from excess, do people sell one bowl of dog food for $20.

    This medieval fantasy world had none of that.

    No matter how beloved a family dog was, when people were one step from starving to death, it had to be butchered for meat.

    So residents of this medieval fantasy world didn''t get too attached to animals they raised.

    It was a world where human survival itself was desperate.

    "A life lived with your right to life and death in another''s hands is no different from slavery."

    Excited Elia spat out high-level vocabulary.

    Though she didn''t study magic well, she was still an elite noble who received higher education.

    "That''s also true."

    Ian nodded, feeling the red blood stirring in his veins (human blood is naturally red)...!

    Rather than die a slave, revolution...!

    "[Eating family! What a horrible thing to say!]"

    But the giants shuddered at Elia''s thoughts.

    "[Only barbarian-giants eat the humans they raise!]"

    Ian immediately shot them a suspicious look.

    "[So there are giants who eat humans?]"

    "[...]"

    Why are you avoiding my eyes, you bastards.

    "[W-well there are giants who eat humans! But at least he''s not like that!]"

    "Um, Professor."

    Demonite didn''t even pretend to hear Ian.

    He''d completely fallen for the monster called hill giants.

    Ian shook his head.

    When executing Black Wizard Pals, he''d seemed like such a chilling cold-blood.

    Ian felt strange dissonance seeing him turn childlike before mysteries he loved.

    What kind of person was he really.

    But Ian''s thoughts couldn''t continue.

    Because Demonite suddenly charged at the giant!

    "Professor?!"

    "Hill giaaaaaant!"

    Screaming "hill giant," Demonite ran out and hugged the giant''s thick leg.

    Ian was left speechless...

    ''Crazy bastard.''

    If you showed a recording of Demonite''s behavior, ten out of ten would swear this guy must really be an outstanding wizard.

    Meaning even to Ian he looked like a completely insane wizard.

    "[Wh-what! What''s with this human!]"

    The hill giants shouted in surprise.

    Can''t blame them.

    When some old guy suddenly hugs your leg, you might be surprised...

    "[He''s so cute!]"

    "?????"

    "[I''ve never seen a human cling like this before!]"

    "[Such an affectionate one!]"

    Just then, Ian witnessed Demonite rubbing against the giant''s leg with affectionate gestures(...)

    Ian immediately squeezed his eyes shut!

    F/u/c/k!

    Professor, what the fuck is wrong with you?!

    It felt like blood would drip down if he opened his eyes now...

    "[Hug me! O giants!]"

    "[The human wants hugs! So cute!!!]"

    "[I-I want to hug them!]"

    Don''t hug him! You crazy bastards!

    When Ian whipped his head around, Elia gracefully approached and whispered.

    "Ian. I think I''m going to be sick."

    Me too, Princess.

    Ian desperately hoped Demonite''s aegyo(...) would end soon.

    #

    "Haha. That must have surprised you."

    Ian returned to the castle and got two horses.

    Elia rode in the giants'' basket. Ian and Demonite rode horses toward the giant village.

    Despite causing such a catastrophe(?), Demonite was calm.

    "Hill giants are beings with affection for humans."

    "...And?"

    "A great summoner sometimes needs to lower themselves to connect with mysteries."

    No, you lowered yourself way too much, fuck.

    ...is what he almost said.

    Though Ian grumbled like that, he wasn''t entirely unsympathetic to Demonite''s words.

    "It may look strange from a human perspective. But think about it. When an old dog shows affection to you, Ian. Would you find that strange?"

    Ian shrugged.

    It wouldn''t be particularly strange. It might even be cute.

    Young or old, all dogs are cute.

    By the same logic, the hill giants found old Demonite cute too.

    Young or old, all humans must look cute to giant eyes.

    "Chances to visit giant villages are rare. Because humans are forbidden from entering giant villages."

    Demonite said.

    "I hope you''ll gain much from this opportunity."

    Opportunity...

    Ian thought briefly.

    Did Demonite consider magical exploration more important than rescuing children?

    ''...Rescue first.''

    Whatever others thought, Ian''s priorities were clear.

    Rescuing the children was priority one.

    ---

 Chapter 279

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian followed the giants, traveling somewhere for quite a while.

    ''Where is this?''

    In the medieval era without maps or anything.

    After endless grasslands and mountains, Ian felt his concentration slipping in the bleak landscape.

    He felt it whenever traveling - nature was the world''s true master.

    The world was sickeningly vast, plants and trees having covered everything long ago.

    ''Green everywhere.''

    Ian thought while riding his horse through leaf-covered paths.

    With no concrete buildings in sight, it''s healing vibes all around, right?

    ''Healing... my ass.''

    "[We''re here.]"

    Polymus said in a heavy voice.

    "Wow...!"

    Elia gasped.

    This gathering of huge stone houses was the hill giant village.

    "[Seems Sephius already arrived.]"

    "[Yeah. Wonder if he''s meeting Sephina.]"

    Ian asked while heading toward the village.

    "[By the way Polymus, the giants'' names sound quite familiar?]"

    "[Ah. We used to be friendly with humans wearing skirts, and they gave us names and strange books as gifts.]"

    ''...The Golden Empire.''

    Though he simply said skirts, they were probably Golden Empire soldiers'' battle dress.@@@@

    Having experienced Maronius''s era, Ian knew this for certain.

    Ian smiled wryly.

    That damn Golden Empire. Their influence reached everywhere even in this medieval era. They really lived up to their nickname as the ancient empire.

    Giving imperial names to hill giants?

    "[Strange books?]"

    "[Some book about heaven''s mysteries or something...]"

    "[With no one who could understand it, it''s just sitting in storage.]"

    ''Must be scripture?''

    Ian roughly figured out the ancient Golden Empire''s diplomacy.

    They offered names and scripture as gifts to befriend the human-friendly hill giants.

    Though the empire fell and vanished, the custom of using imperial names carried on.

    "The giant village! Just looking at it makes my blood boil!"

    "..."

    You''ll die that way, old man.

    Ian considered stopping Demonite but shook his head.

    He figured such an outstanding summoner would know what he was doing.

    "Miss Elia! Follow me! Let''s study the giants'' ecology in detail!"

    "Ah, hahaha... Professor. I''ll stay with Ian."

    When Elia politely declined, Demonite looked shocked.

    "What are you saying! A researcher''s treasure trove is right before us! Ian has work to do, so let''s not disturb him and go explore ourselves!"

    Ian nodded.

    Hmm. As expected.

    That guy really doesn''t care about rescuing the kids.

    "Do what you want, Elia."

    Ian said.

    "It won''t take long anyway."

    Demonite might have forgotten, but Ian hadn''t come for fun.

    He''d come to rescue the missing children.

    He''d even turned down Salvador and Belenka''s offers to help (since the giants disliked large groups).

    Ian had the responsibility to take the children home.

    "To properly learn summoning, now''s the perfect time! Miss Elia!"

    "..."

    "I''ll go ahead! If you want to command rabbits as familiars, follow me!"

    Like every second counted, Demonite ran screaming into the village center.

    "[Giants~!]"

    "[???]"

    "[A human? It''s a human?!]"

    "[Oh my. How cute!]"

    Demonite spread his arms wide and jumped into the bewildered giants'' embrace.

    "[Hug me~~!]"

    "..."

    He really seemed insane.

    Ian turned away.

    To do such crazy things so naturally...

    Demonite must really be an outstanding wizard!

    Whatever Ian thought, the giants were busy showing Demonite affection(...).

    "[Look at those tiny hands and feet!]"

    "[So adorable!]"

    Demonite flapped his hands and feet.

    He really couldn''t look more ador?able...

    "[Hey! What are you doing there!]"

    Just then.

    A voice loud enough to shake stones echoed through the giant village.

    A giant who looked easily 5 meters tall, particularly huge even among giants, appeared.

    Polymus whispered.

    "[That''s the village chief.]"

    ''Guess giants choose their chief by size.''

    The giant chief harshly scolded the giants drawn to Demonite.

    "[You lot! What are you doing! If you see lost humans, you should show them the way home!]"

    "[We-we''re sorry...]"

    "[You guys really! Losing your minds whenever you see something cute!]"

    The chief paused, then gently reached toward Demonite.

    Since they kidnapped out of greed, they wouldn''t release them easily either.

    "[Sephius! Open the door!]"

    Boom boom boom!

    The chief shouted.

    There was a loud noise inside, then a shabby-looking giant poked his head out.

    "[Chief? Why are you...]"

    "[The humans you took. Hand them over right now.]"

    Sephius''s expression twisted.

    "[What nonsense is that! I picked them up in the valley-]"

    "[You''re the one talking nonsense! Taking them from a human village, yet!]"

    "[!]"

    Sephius''s eyes widened.

    ''How did they know?!''

    He''d told the villagers the new humans were ''baby-humans stranded in the valley''.

    Obviously a lie.

    Since Sephius had directly poached them from a human village.

    "[Polymus spilled everything you did. So bring out the humans right now!]"

    "[W-wait! Chief! This is too much! That''s!]"

    Sephius was greatly flustered.

    To think Polymus would catch his tail...!

    If he didn''t do something, he''d lose all the humans!

    Sephius immediately locked the door.

    The chief shouted in disbelief.

    "[Hey, hey! Sephius! You bastard! What are you doing!]"

    "[I''ll return the female human! But the male! Let us keep the male!]"

    "[What?! Hey! Sephius!]"

    There was a crashing sound.

    The chief''s face turned ashen.

    "[Damn it! Wait a moment! I''ll get people!]"

    "[? What''s wrong?]"

    "[Sephius is going to castrate the male human!]"

    "[...?]"

    For a moment, Ian didn''t understand what that meant.

    Castration?

    That... removing an animal''s reproductive organs... that?

    "[Most male pets raised in the village are castrated! They don''t go into heat and live longer that way!]"

    "..."

    Ian, having been modern, instantly understood the chief''s words.

    So... they''re going to cut off the boy''s nuts?

    To declare ''this is our pet'', bang bang bang.

    Hmm...

    Hmmmm...

    ...This got really fucked up.

    Ian took a deep breath and stretched out his hand.

    Then spoke in an unwavering voice.

    "[Stone wall there.]"

    [What is it, human?]

    "[Move aside.]"

    [...Understood. I will move.]

    Ian was a wizard.

    He knew how to put will into language.

    And the stone wall understood Ian''s will very clearly.

    Ian''s will...

    Was burning with hot rage.

    Rumble...!

    "[Wh-what is this?!]"

    The chief backed away in shock.

    Suddenly the solid stone wall cracked and...

    A hole big enough for people to pass through opened up!

    ''Did that human do this!''

    After instantly making a hole in the wall, Ian entered the house.

    He saw Sephius tying a child to a pillar.

    Ian shouted like lightning.

    "[Darkness!]"

    [Yes! Ian!]

    "[Erase everything in this room-!]"

    [As you wish!]

    Black darkness erupted like an explosion.

    The darkness, like Ian''s limbs, began swallowing everything into darkness according to his command.

    Not just light.

    Smell.

    Sound.

    Even sensation.

    [Dark magic: Abyss of Void]

    [A magic that explodes shadow''s secrecy to cover all senses. Even skilled dark wizards might lose their way in this magical darkness!]

    "[Wh-what is this!]"

    When magical darkness covered the room, Sephius screamed.

    But Sephius couldn''t hear his own voice.

    Light and sound, smell, even sensation.

    All dissolved into shadow''s secrecy.

    "[Ah... ah...?]"

    Like being isolated alone in space-

    Overwhelming solitude and terror.

    "[Ahhh! Ahhhhh! Ahhhhhhhh!!!]"

    ''...That did it.''

    As soon as he confirmed Sephius was paralyzed, Ian untied the child.

    ---

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "[What in the world...]"

    The chief giant who arrived late was horrified seeing the black darkness.

    Darker than a midnight cave, blacker than a crow crossing the night sky.

    If the chief had known the concept of space, he would''ve immediately thought of empty cosmic void.

    Light creates color.

    But that darkness without even a speck of light was pure blackness itself, terrifyingly empty.

    ''Sh-should I go in?!''

    Probably not.

    The chief didn''t want to walk into that intensely black space.

    An animal instinct maybe?

    Every fiber of his being screamed that going in would be fucked!

    "[H-hey~! Sephius!]"

    So the chief shouted from a distance.

    He might look like a super-coward, but anyone who directly witnessed that ominous darkness would agree.

    "[Are you okay? Answer if you can hear me~!]"

    Then a voice came from the darkness.

    "[It''s useless.]"

    "[...Human?!]"

    The one who answered the chief''s question wasn''t Sephius but the cute black-haired human.

    Ian was emerging from Sephius''s house with children held in both arms.

    ''He is cute though...''

    The chief shook his head.

    Sephius was trapped in pitch darkness, yet here he was thinking how cute humans were...!

    But it couldn''t be helped.

    That black-haired human was adorably cute.

    And this cute human appeared carrying tiny, young, adorable mini-humans (called children)!

    Damn, a cute one carrying cute ones! Isn''t that cheating?!

    "[This darkness is magical darkness I called through the mystery of darkness.]"

    "[Magic...?]"

    "[Yes. Darkness that hides even sound.]"

    Ian explained while calming the children.

    "[I''m a dark wizard who handles the mystery of darkness.]"

    "[...I''ve heard of this. Humans who can communicate with the world in strange languages. Wizards, they''re called.]"

    Actually, the reason the chief and Ian could converse was thanks to Ian''s magic but.

    The chief giant wasn''t sensitive enough to grasp such minor details.

    "[I''ll remove the darkness, but could you stop that giant from attacking us?]"

    "[Of course. Trust me.]"

    Ian withdrew the magical darkness.

    The chief thought Sephius would immediately charge at them but...

    Waaaaaah-!

    "[Sephius?!]"

    Sephius was howling like a beast, completely terrified.

    The experience of drifting with all senses stripped away in darkness where you couldn''t see an inch ahead was truly horrifying.

    The chief couldn''t easily understand Sephius''s reaction.

    Well, he hadn''t experienced it himself...

    Just being in a dark room, yet he''s this scared?

    ''Must not like dark places.''

    The chief drew his own conclusions while trying to soothe Sephius.

    "[It''s okay! You fool. Quick, get yourself together!]"

    "[Ch-chief...!]"

    Scolding Sephius could wait.

    He looked too unwell right now.

    "[Human friends. Let''s go to my house first.]"

    "[Fine.]"

    The chief headed to his house, taking the dazed Sephius along.

    Ian followed behind with the children.

    #

    "[Oh my, dear! Heavens!]"

    The giant-wife covered her mouth seeing the chief and Ian.@@@@

    More precisely, she was shocked seeing Ian, the children, and Elia.

    Heavens... what were these adorably cute creatures?!

    So incredibly cute!

    Nine out of ten commoners were farmers, so ''Hey you peasants!'' could become an insult.

    It was mainly used to mean dirty and lowly.

    Though Elia strongly denied it.

    The no-ble princess... might subconsciously view farmers as lowly?

    "I''m telling you I didn''t! Don''t look at me like that!"

    "Oh my. Sorry. This lowly one must have offended the princess''s eyes."

    "..."

    Seeing Ian tease her so casually, Elia was dumbfounded.

    You''re too difficult! Ian Eredith Raven!

    ''They say skilled wizards are weirdos. That''s a fact.''

    Ian ate with the children naturally.

    The children seemed to like Ian, a fellow commoner(...), slightly more than Princess Elia.

    Feeling somewhat left out, Elia pouted.

    "[Sephius. Now tell me. Why did you do such a stupid thing.]"

    While Ian, Elia, and the children ate.

    The chief unleashed his delayed scolding on Sephius.

    Though he''d let it slide earlier in shock, from the chief''s position this was quite infuriating.

    Even with the chief speaking directly, to so blatantly ignore him?

    It was so openly disrespectful, it made him curious.

    "[Thanks to that human letting you off! You almost caused big trouble!]"

    Elia whispered.

    "I think the giant just said you let him off. Is that true? Ian?"

    "How did you catch that correctly. Honestly, I did consider using lethal magic."

    Giants aren''t fireproof.

    If Ian had summoned a spear of flame with skill magic instead of calling darkness?

    Rather than being terrified, Sephius would have suffered horrible burns.

    If the burns were in the wrong place, he could have lost his life.

    From one perspective, Ian had let him off.

    ''Since this is a giant village. Better restrain the violence.''

    No matter how cute giants found humans, if Ian used violence the mood would get strange.

    Think about it. Dogs are cute, but dogs that bite people aren''t very cute, right?

    "Indeed. You judged wisely."

    Elia smiled brightly at Ian.

    She''d thought it several times, but Ian seemed better and better the more she saw him.

    Because she knew how difficult it was to restrain impulses and judge situations calmly despite having power.

    Elia tore meat for the children and said:

    "It would be nice to have a wizard like you by my side. Don''t you think?"

    Noble recruitment offers being routine, Ian answered casually:

    "I''ll think about it when I have time. For now my home is Talian."

    "Ah. You serve Countess Talian, right? I envy her."

    Ian half-heartedly ate meat while eavesdropping on Sephius.

    "[I''m sorry... but I really had no choice!]"

    "[What do you mean no choice?]"

    Sephius raised his voice.

    It was filled with sincerity.

    "[You know too, Chief! My sister...! She''s half-ruined now!]"

    "[...I feel for Sephina''s situation. But that''s that, and this is this.]"

    "[Chief!]"

    The chief shouted back just as loud.

    "[Even letting her keep Henry was being very lenient! You raised one human, isn''t that enough? You want to raise more?!]"

    When both raised their voices together, the building shook.

    This was a conversation between giants over 4 meters tall after all.

    The children clutched Ian tightly in fear.

    ''The kids are scared.''

    Though Ian who knew Maronius language understood what opinions the giants were exchanging.

    From the children''s perspective, giants shouting thunderously was naturally frightening.

    ''Better go stop them.''

    For the kids'' emotional wellbeing.

    Ian stood to mediate between the giants.

    But just then.

    "[Everyone. Stop.]"

    "[Sephina?]"

    The door burst open and a huge female giant appeared.

    Sephius''s sister, Sephina.

    ---

 Chapter 281

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here@@@@

    Ian quickly realized this stranger was Sephina.

    ''Her face is a mess.''

    Giants had many similarities to humans.

    Meaning just a bit of intuition was enough to judge if they were well or not.

    Anyone could see Sephina wasn''t doing well.

    "[That''s enough, stop now.]"

    "[Sephina...]"

    "[And Sephius.]"

    Sephina approached Sephius then.

    Wham!

    "???"

    Threw a full-force giant punch!

    Ian jumped in surprise. The punch''s power was no joke.

    Shit, didn''t that crack his skull?!

    But only the humans like Ian were startled.

    Not one giant was disturbed, all staying calm.

    In giant society, that level of punch clearly meant nothing.

    "I-Ian! That giant''s bleeding from his head?!"

    "..."

    Sephius stood up without even wiping the blood flowing from his forehead.

    It was clearly no? big? deal.

    "[Sister! Calm down and listen to me!]"

    "[Shut up. Who told you to secretly take humans? And you almost castrated them too.]"

    "[...]"

    "[You said you had no choice but planned to force a new human on me.]"

    Sephius was silent for a moment then said:

    "[Yes. That was my plan.]"

    "[Sephius!]"

    "[But sister, think about it! After Henry died, look how broken you became!]"

    "[You think about it! What would change by bringing new humans?! Could a new human replace Henry?!]"

    Sephina''s emotions must have overwhelmed her as tears started falling.

    "Ian. Those giants are talking too fast..."

    "She''s asking if raising a new human could replace the one she used to raise."

    Ian translated the giants'' conversation for Elia.

    Elia quietly stroked her chin as if thinking.

    "Actually, I had a dog at home when I was young."

    Not a story Ian could relate to.

    If Ian''s home had animals, they would''ve immediately been boiled for meat.

    Being a duke''s daughter, of course Elia could elegantly raise dogs at home.

    "It was Father''s hunting dog. It was good with humans so we often played together."

    "What happened to that dog?"

    "It died. Its side burst open during a boar hunt."

    "..."

    Ian flinched slightly but thought, well that''s how it goes.

    This was medieval times. Stories of dying in fights were incredibly common.

    A cruel death, but death was naturally cruel.

    "It was a brave hunting dog."

    "Yeah. Father really cherished that dog..."

    Elia shrugged.

    "He bought a new dog later, but I couldn''t get close to it. It was completely different from the dead one."

    Though he''d never raised animals, Ian sympathized with Elia''s words.

    Once you get attached to an animal, nothing can replace it.

    It becomes a completely special, one-of-a-kind family member.

    Sephius thought Sephina would regain her cheerfulness if she raised a new human but.

    That was Sephius''s delusion.

    Sephina didn''t want to raise a new human.

    She was just suffering because she couldn''t let Henry go.

    "Hoho. Ian. How about helping that giant?"

    "...Where are you speaking from, Professor."

    Just as he heard Demonite''s voice somewhere.

    Lo and behold, he popped out of Sephina''s basket?

    Wait, when did he come with Sephina?!

    Ian looked at Demonite in disbelief.

    At first he''d seemed like a black wizard organization''s spy but...

    The more he saw, the more he seemed like a normal wizard.

    That is, normally insane, right?

    ''Is this why other professors didn''t suspect Demonite?''

    Being naturally strange, everyone probably just accepted it when Demonite killed Black Wizard Pals too.

    "Well. Honestly, I don''t really want to get friendly with hill giants."

    Ian said reluctantly.

    Though hill giants were gentle beings who greatly liked humans.

    He just couldn''t hear anything!

    The chief firmly believed Ian wanted to live with Sephina.

    So this is... what they call selection(?)!

    "[First this black hair! Isn''t this color rare these days!]"

    Human coloring(?) was an important issue.

    Now that the Golden Empire was gone, black hair was extremely rare!

    Plus points for rarity.

    "[And this cute face!]"

    The chief thrust Ian''s face at Sephina.

    Meeting a giant''s face less than 1 meter away, Ian... just felt like his heart would stop.

    The giant''s face was incredibly fierce looking.

    "[Look! Isn''t he so adorable!]"

    Below, Elia burst out laughing.

    Ian immediately glared at her.

    Hey- just because it''s not about her, she''s laughing like that?!

    "It''s true! Our Ian is cute!"

    "...I''ll deal with you later."

    For now, Ian waved to make a good impression on Sephina.

    Sephina made a heart-fluttering(?) expression.

    ''This is ridiculous. Really.''

    How did giants'' aesthetic sense even work?

    "[H-he is cute... but... not enough to replace Henry.]"

    Sephina wavered briefly but.

    Still thought raising another human wasn''t right.

    If she raised a human to forget the pain of loss-

    Inevitably, another pain of loss would come.

    "[I don''t want special treatment from the chief again.]"

    "[...I see.]"

    The chief awkwardly put Ian down.

    Ian sighed and said to the chief.

    "[Chief. Don''t you understand yet? Raising a new human won''t help Sephina.]"

    "[Y-yes... I was just impatient...]"

    Then Sephina looked at Ian with curious eyes.

    Though he looked small and weak on the outside, just a handsome human-

    He said he could lighten her heart''s burden.

    Could that really be possible?

    But then, Ian lightly snapped his fingers.

    Pitch black darkness appeared, responding to Ian''s will.

    Sephius, hit with PTSD, screamed.

    "Ahhhhh!"

    "[What''s wrong? Sephius?]"

    Ignoring Sephius, Ian spoke directly to Sephina.

    "[Let me introduce myself to the giants. I am Ian, Eredith''s disciple, a wizard.]"

    "[A wizard...?]"

    "[As you can see, I can communicate with mysteries.]"

    Communication with mysteries.

    Sephina didn''t know what that meant.

    But...

    Judging from her brother''s intense reaction and the ability to handle pitch black darkness.

    This human was absolutely not ordinary.

    "[...So?]"

    To Sephina''s question, Ian answered with a smile.

    "[I will create an opportunity for you to have a final conversation with the human called Henry.]"

    "[...!]"

    Sephina covered her mouth.

    Her heart beat strongly.

    It had since the word "Henry" left Ian''s lips.

    Could it be...

    Was he saying she could meet dead Henry again?

    Really?

    "[How is that... meeting a dead human! That''s impossible!]"

    Sephina denied it but.

    Ian quietly refuted:

    "[No. It''s possible.]"

    "[...]"

    "[For wizards, nothing is impossible.]"

    Sephina could barely contain her surging heart.

    If she could really, really meet Henry one more time...

    Her heart''s burden would become much lighter.

    "[What... what do I need to do?]"

    When Sephina asked, Ian lightly snapped his fingers.

    The black darkness scattered like a lie.

    "[First, let''s go to your house.]"

    The giants watched Ian, at a loss for words.

    ---

 Chapter 282

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''What magic will Ian use?''

    Elia followed behind Ian, hugging her curiosity close.

    "Professor, why did you suggest helping that hill giant?"

    At Elia''s question, Demonite made a puzzling expression (at least to Elia''s eyes).

    She understood well that hill giants liked humans.

    But...

    Elia couldn''t shake the feeling that giants viewed humans not as equals, but with the eyes of strong to weak.

    By giant standards, humans were just cute ''animals'' after all.

    So she didn''t particularly like such giants.

    "Because it''s educational."

    "...Educational?"

    "Elia, since you haven''t properly learned magic yet you might not know. But communicating with mysteries basically means talking with non-human beings."

    Giants aren''t human.

    Obviously they shouldn''t be viewed by human standards.

    Different races think differently.

    Only those who can accept this can become great wizards.

    You can''t throw away chances to communicate with mysteries just because they don''t match human standards.

    "This is a good opportunity to glimpse another race''s way of thinking. Aren''t you curious how giants treat humans?"

    "..."

    Honestly, no. Not interested.

    Elia wanted to say that but didn''t speak honestly.

    Before professors, hiding 30% of your true thoughts was proper university student behavior.

    "I''m a bit more interested in taming small animals..."

    "Hahaha. Communicating with small animals comes naturally as you learn summoning. No, you can befriend rabbits just by waving a carrot."

    Wizards mustn''t think by human standards.

    They need a broader mindset that can embrace perspectives of other races.

    That''s why normal humans see wizards as crazy people.

    "Hill giants treat humans like cute animals. But isn''t that better than orcs thinking of humans as walking meat?"

    "That''s true but."

    "The giants themselves know. If humans and giants get too close, conflicts involving bloodshed will definitely happen. That''s why they live isolated in their village." Ra?No??E?s?

    Elia admired Demonite''s clean explanation.

    As expected of an Imperial University professor!

    Elia trudged along, exchanging conversation with Demonite.

    Walking through the giant village listening to the professor''s explanations, Elia looked like a girl group member filming a travel documentary.

    "[This is our house.]"

    Arriving at Sephina''s house, Ian quickly scanned the surroundings.

    He''d heard Henry hadn''t been dead long.

    So Henry''s traces remained intact throughout the house.

    ''Lots of things kept for memories.''

    Ian immediately prepared magic.

    The magic Ian would use was, of course, necromancy.

    ''The goddess gave me a good skill. Better use it well.''

    Closing his eyes and concentrating, Henry''s memories lingering throughout the house rose up.

    Memories are souls.

    Ian started reading fragments of dead Henry''s memories bit by bit with necromancy.

    "[What... are you doing? Now?]"

    Sephina approached worriedly when Ian closed his eyes and stood still.

    But Demonite stopped her.

    "[Leave him be. Ian is using magic now.]"

    "[I don''t really know what magic is... but there shouldn''t be any danger.]"

    Sephina habitually worried about humans.

    Meeting Henry would be nice, but she didn''t want to endanger humans for it.

    Thanks to Demonite''s timely intervention, Ian could maintain full concentration.

    ''The living soul already went to heaven.''

    Henry''s real soul was already taken by the Sky God.

    Only memory fragments remained in the house.

    But those memory fragments responded properly to Ian''s necromancy and were summoned.

    [What. Who the fuck is calling me?]

    [...?]

    Ian blinked at Henry''s summoned soul.

    Henry was a cantankerous old man.

    Being old was natural. He''d died after living a long life thanks to Sephina''s devoted care.

    But...

    [Was it you? Fucker. Got no eyes? Wanna die?]

    [???]

    [Shit. If my body was still good, I''d crack your head like a boiled egg. Hehehe.]

    Ian was too dumbfounded to speak.

    What the fuck is this guy?!

    [Are you Henry?]

    [Yeah! Nameless human! I am the great Henry! The only survivor of this hill giant village!]

    [Sorry. I assumed on my own you''d like Sephina.]

    That''s right.

    Sephina had very, very much cherished and loved Henry.

    She truly treated him like family. After Henry died, she fell into such depression the villagers worried.

    But separate from her devotion...

    Henry hadn''t particularly liked Sephina.

    [Yeah. It was good that giant saved my life. Without her finding me when I was stranded, I''d have died long ago.]

    Henry''s soul said.

    [But! Why the fuck wouldn''t she let me go home!]

    [...]

    [When she said this was my home, that I had to live here until I died, how could that make sense!]

    Henry had wanted to return home but couldn''t.

    When young, his physical condition was too poor for long journeys.

    If he tried escaping alone, other giants would catch and return him to Sephina, so escape was impossible.

    By his 40s, he''d given up hope of escape.

    He sensed this was his fate - to live here his whole life.

    ''Indeed. Makes sense not to like Sephina.''

    Ian thought.

    Since Ian was planning to arrange a final conversation between Sephina and Henry anyway.

    Henry should have equal right to speak too.

    [Henry.]

    [What.]

    [I''ll give you a chance. Say everything you want to say now.]

    Ian turned his head slightly.

    Demonite was staring straight at Ian.

    He probably roughly guessed what conversation Ian and Henry had.

    ''This might cause trouble.''

    Giving Henry control of the body now was dangerous.

    He was a human who died after being raised by giants his whole life.

    Would it be too paranoid to think Henry might try to take revenge on Sephina?

    A fight might break out.

    But Ian didn''t want to stop the necromancy like this.

    He could have passed fake messages to Sephina.

    But that wouldn''t be true communication.

    At least that''s what Ian thought.

    If not Ian.

    If Ian weren''t a wizard, could anyone have noticed the truth of their relationship?

    It was a failing grade decision as a summoner.

    Since summoning aimed to control mystery beings according to your will.

    But Ian trusted his judgment as a wizard more.

    [I''ll give you a chance. Talk with Sephina.]

    [...You serious? I shouldn''t say this but, I''m already dead. No consequences? I might pretend to be crazy and cause trouble?]

    [Do it if you want. If that''s what you truly desire.]

    [...]

    Henry paused, then asked Ian:

    [Why give me a chance? Didn''t you summon me to look good to that giant?]

    [That was part of it but.]

    Ian said with a smile:

    [I find it sad.]

    [...What exactly?]

    [Hill giants are a race that loves humans. Yet I find it funny and sad that a giant who lived her whole life with a human she loved so much never understood that human''s heart.]

    Ian lowered his voice slightly and said:

    [Whether you curse Sephina, hit her, or get angry. I don''t care.]

    [Why...?]

    [If Sephina truly loved you. She should be ready to accept everything about you.]

    [...]

    [She might reflect on her lacking past actions, but she won''t get angry at you.]

    Ian muttered.

    [If Sephina gets angry. Then I misjudged her heart. In that case I''ll just escape with magic.]

    [...]

    "Ha... hahaha! Hahahaha!"

    "P-professor? Are you okay?!"

    When Demonite burst out laughing, Elia''s eyes went wide in surprise.

    Ian said something really fast, then suddenly Demonite started laughing!

    "Really! Ian! Your magic...! Hahahaha!"

    "Professor?!"

    "Ah. Stop laughing. If this fails you''ll have to run too."

    "Hahaha... I know. That''s why it''s more fun!"

    Crazy bastard. Ian muttered.

    "[Those humans... why are they acting like that now?]"

    "[I don''t know either...]"

    The giant siblings tilted their heads in confusion.

    ---

 Chapter 283

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Elia didn''t really understand magic.

    As a complete beginner who hadn''t even mastered Maronius language yet, that was natural.

    Still, she could tell there was a clear difference in how Ian and Demonite viewed mysteries.

    ''Demonite thought Ian''s magic was fascinating.''

    Was it because Ian handled such unusual magic?

    ''Well... can''t deny that.''

    Ian''s magic was unusual indeed.

    But what had surprised Demonite wasn''t Ian''s unique magical abilities.

    It was his bold attitude of being willing to sacrifice control for the sake of communicating with mysteries.

    "Excellent! Ian! Show us what you can do!"

    Demonite shouted.

    Ian barely acknowledged him.

    I was going to do that anyway, Professor.

    Ian accepted Henry''s soul.

    Spirit possession - a common necromancer''s trick.

    Ian completely handed over control of his body to Henry.

    A potentially dangerous gamble.

    But Ian trusted Sephina''s sincerity.

    She would accept anything Henry did.

    That''s why Ian could stay calm even when Henry suddenly flipped over the table.

    "Arghhhh!"

    "???"

    Of course, Ian was the only calm one.

    "P-Professor! I think Ian''s gone crazy?!"

    "Hmm... the necromancy might have gone wrong. But let''s trust him and wait."

    "But...!"

    "Would Ian make such a mistake in this situation?"

    Though Ian''s state seemed strange...

    Elia and Demonite decided to trust him.

    They stayed still even when Ian drew a knife.

    "Fucking place! Fucking giant house!"

    "..."

    Ian pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the sandbag.

    When the giant sandbag they used as a sofa burst, the house started turning into chaos.

    "[S-sis. Shouldn''t we stop him?!]"

    Sephius stared at Ian in disbelief.

    What the hell...he said he''d let them talk...

    But suddenly trashing the house - what was the point of this?!

    "Kyaaaah! Ptooey!"

    Ian''s rampage didn''t stop.

    Trashing the house, spitting on the floor, flipping tables...

    Sephius and Elia shouted almost simultaneously:

    "Stop him!"

    "[Stop him!]"

    But...

    Demonite kept watching Ian with a calm gaze.

    ''Sephina is reacting.''

    The house''s owner Sephina was reacting to Ian''s rampage.

    Her reaction was...

    "[Ah... Henry...!]"

    "???"

    "[You really came back!]"

    "[?!]"

    Surprisingly, it was joy!

    "[You''re back! Henry! It really is you!]"

    "Fuck you!"

    "[That cursing! The way you punch holes in the sofa! The expression when you spit on the floor...!]"

    Hot tears flowed down Sephina''s fierce face.

    "[Sniff... Henry...!]"

    "[...]"

    Sephius was dumbfounded by his sister''s reaction.

    [Well... maybe I''ll talk to her when we meet in heaven.]

    Ian smiled as memories of his past life surfaced.

    If Sephina really died and met Henry again...

    Wouldn''t it be the dead pet human welcoming the giant?

    ''She''ll probably love that story.''

    Henry''s soul departed.

    When Ian opened his eyes again, he first saw the two giants.

    Sephina crying, and Sephius comforting her.

    #

    "[I want to apologize to Henry.]"

    After the necromancy, Sephina sought Ian''s wisdom.

    Having learned Henry hadn''t loved her, she couldn''t just let it be.

    Ian gave a textbook answer.

    "[I don''t have the answer.]"

    "[But...]"

    "[But the Sky God knows.]"

    "[The Sky God?]"

    What do you do when your head hurts?

    Hide behind the shield of religion.

    Ian quickly escaped by bringing up Heaven''s Faith.

    Since he''d only started this because of Demonite''s request, he hadn''t planned on dealing with the aftermath.

    The power of Heaven''s Faith could comfort Sephina''s tired soul.

    "[Submit to the great Sky and pray for Henry''s soul.]"

    "[...Alright. If that can atone.]"

    Sephina emerged from her chronic depression.

    Though it was slightly problematic that she was now filled with religious fervor instead.

    "[Chief. I''ll build a small house near the human village and live there.]"

    "[...Really? Is that your decision?]"

    Sephina nodded.

    She wanted to regularly meet with priests and talk.

    Her wish was to spend her remaining life watching and understanding humans.

    "[Very well. I trust you''ll manage.]"

    "[Thank you, Chief.]"

    "[But if things get hard, come back to the village anytime. You''ll always be welcome, Sephina.]"

    #

    Ian finished preparing to return to the village with the children.

    Demonite casually approached and spoke.

    "That was fascinating magic."

    "But ultimately failed magic."

    Sephina had thanked Ian.

    She was grateful he''d let her meet dead Henry again.

    "Why do you think that?"

    "If I''d lied, I could have gained more."

    Ian spoke honestly.

    If he''d used his specialty of wizard behavior (trickery), he might have gained more.

    But Ian hadn''t deceived Sephina.

    "Oh ho. Then why didn''t you lie?"

    "I thought it would be meaningless."

    Ian lifted his head to look at the sky.

    The same sky he''d seen in Maronius''s memory world.

    Maronius had made a decision he regretted his whole life because of a minor misunderstanding.

    Sephina too was regretting not understanding the heart of her companion-human of many years.

    Communication was this difficult.

    That''s why this time, Ian hadn''t wanted to profit from misunderstandings and misconceptions.

    That''s why he''d shown Sephina the truth.

    "Ian... you''re truly an upright wizard."

    Demonite said.

    "Do you know who benefits most when the world becomes chaotic? When communication becomes difficult and misunderstandings and lies overflow?"

    "...Wizards, I suppose."

    "Correct. Wizards have the wisdom to distinguish truth from lies. Using that wisdom, profiting from gaps of misunderstanding is nothing."

    Ian reflexively thought of and spoke a word.

    "Black wizards."

    They were the ones who wished for the world to become chaotic.

    The more difficult things became, the more valuable they would become.

 Chapter 284

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Walking with giants feels reassuring~"

    Actually, it had been the same on their way there.

    Hadn''t Polymus and his friend guided Ian''s group to the village?

    Ian nodded along with Elia''s words as they walked.

    ''I''ve done what I needed to do here.''

    Ian glanced at Sephina.

    She probably had a lot to do going forward... but that wasn''t Ian''s concern anymore.

    No, he didn''t want it to be his concern.

    Since Demonite started this, he planned to let him handle the aftermath.

    Ian still had his own work to do.

    Mining through Archwizard Maronius''s memories.

    This trip felt like something unexpected that had suddenly come up.

    When he got back, he needed to focus on his research-

    "Ah. Ian."

    Demonite casually approached.

    Ian found him strange every time he saw him.

    Seriously, what kind of stealth magic had this guy learned?

    At least make some noise when you move around.

    "Thank you for accepting my unreasonable request."

    "It wasn''t really difficult."

    That was honest.

    From the moment he''d heard Sephina''s story, his instincts had told him necromancy would be the solution.

    Though it hadn''t exactly gone smoothly... it had worked out somehow.

    "Professor."@@@@

    "Yes?"

    "What would you have done? With Sephina''s situation, I mean."

    Demonite answered with an enigmatic smile.

    "If I were in charge of healing her... I probably would have gone with giving her a suitable human."

    "A human..."

    "A slave. The university has plenty of slaves, doesn''t it?"

    That was a fact.

    Imperial University had many foreign slaves doing menial work.

    No one would criticize Demonite for taking a few for human sacrifice(?).

    Some devout priests might raise their voices... but wizards were the type who treated priests'' words like a dog eating grass.

    "Sephina just isn''t used to goodbyes."

    "...Does anyone ever get used to goodbyes?"

    Demonite shrugged.

    "Surprisingly, humans can get used to any emotion. The first time is always hardest. Same with goodbyes. After experiencing separation a few times, you can face it more calmly." ?a?NObE?S?

    "But giving her a new human doesn''t guarantee she''ll forget Henry..."

    "Hahaha! Ian! You''re thinking too seriously!"

    "?"

    "Our job is to make Sephina''s heart comfortable. At least while raising the new human, she''ll be happy."

    Demonite said casually.

    "Until the slave dies... for about 50 years."

    "..."

    "I don''t know what will happen after 50 years. She might get more depressed, she might raise another human, or she might lose interest in raising humans. But that''s not my concern, is it?"

    Like a proper university-educated wizard, Demonite''s logic had no holes.

    New problems might arise in 50 years but... why should he care?

    In 50 years, Demonite would already be dead!

    "A summoner''s trick."

    Ian nodded, understanding Demonite''s method.

    Many mysteries had ridiculously long lifespans.

    Such mysteries had absurdly warped senses of time.

    When making contracts with humans, if they said they''d repay in 50 years...

    Ah, just wait a bit and I''ll get my payment soon! That''s what they thought.

    But after 50 years?

    The wizard who owed the debt had already gone to heaven.

    Well~ Just die without paying~

    The mystery would be incredibly frustrated and pissed off, but what could they do?

    Storm into heaven?

    Feel confident about winning 1-on-1 against the Sun God?

    So?

    The most realistic method was human experimentation on slaves, but doing that would have Heaven''s Faith priests chasing after you shouting "You villain!"

    Even if they were slaves, wasn''t human experimentation crossing a line?

    Of course, black wizards just said fuck that and experimented anyway.

    Ian, who had zero desire to become a black wizard, naturally didn''t want to learn body modification.

    If you mastered it you could probably stretch your arms and do gum-gum gatling[1] stuff but...

    What was the point?

    "So the transmutation I''ll teach you is object transmutation."

    "Oh ho."

    This was similar to "alchemy" from modern content Ian knew.

    Actually, far away in the Sand Empire, there were wizards trying to turn things into gold, truly called alchemists.

    "It''s called alchemy in the eastern world. Hehe."

    Actually, the term alchemist was a joke to imperial wizards.

    Because no transmuter had ever succeeded in actually turning things into gold.

    If you can''t make gold, why call yourself an alchemist? (Really don''t know)

    That''s right.

    Alchemist didn''t mean a wizard who made gold... but a wizard who "wanted to" make gold.

    Red-faced eastern alchemists claimed-

    ''Th-the translation is wrong! The "gold" in alchemy means metal, not actual gold!''

    That''s what they said anyway.

    It was why transmuters didn''t call themselves alchemists.

    "Now then, let''s begin."

    Demonite skillfully started drawing a magic circle.

    Seeing the clean magic circle containing all essential words, Ian was genuinely impressed.

    Though he acted a bit strange, his magical skills were the real deal!

    "Professor. This part seems a bit incomplete?"

    "I did that intentionally."

    "?"

    "The mystery of transformation likes chaos."

    Fitting for a mystery that changed things, it disliked fixed existence.

    That''s why he employed the technique of writing only half the letters.

    Ian realized this was truly a difficult technique.

    When you fragment letters, meaning naturally becomes harder to convey.

    You had to fully convey your will to the mystery while fragmenting letters.

    ''This is really advanced stuff.''

    Demonite''s promise to teach good magic was genuine.

    "Shall we try?"

    Ian drew the transmutation circle as Demonite instructed.

    It was [Magic to turn iron into copper].

    "The key to transmutation is intense desire."

    "Desire?"

    "Act with absolute belief that the object will change."

    Following Demonite''s advice, Ian summoned the mystery of transformation.

    "[O formless one.]"

    [Yes, human! You called me!]

    Ian spoke carefully.

    "[Can you see...]"

    ''Belief is important, right?''

    "[Can you see this ''copper spoon''?]"

    [Copper spoon?]

    What Ian pointed to was an iron spoon.

    "[Yes. A copper spoon.]"

    Then the mystery of transformation cackled and shouted.

    [I see it! There''s a copper spoon!]

    The iron spoon soon changed to copper.

    Ian''s magic had succeeded.

    [New Skill Acquired!]

    [Magic: Transmutation]

    [Magic that twists forms and changes appearances. Beware. Once changed, forms don''t easily return!]

    Clap clap clap!

    Demonite applauded.

    "Excellent! Ian!"

    ---

    [1. raei: this is from one piece. source: google]

 Chapter 285

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The journey home was smooth.

    With two giants as escorts, no monsters dared approach them, just like on their way there.

    Though things had been serious when they left.

    Now that everything was finished, the mood in Ian''s party was quite relaxed.

    "This''ll build up your reputation again~"

    Elia smiled contentedly at Ian.

    Ian found it ridiculous.

    "Why are you happy about my reputation growing?"

    Elia replied shamelessly.

    "Well, the more famous Ian becomes, the more I''ll shine!"

    "..."

    Actually, Ian was already quite famous.

    Among Heaven''s Faith monks, he was known as Golden Finger Takarion''s friend and the patron saint of coffee(...).

    In Talian domain, which Ian could call home, he was treated as a hero - the Dragon Slayer.

    But as with medieval fame, reputation faded after traveling a few domains.

    Even at the university now, hardly anyone called Ian the Dragon Slayer.

    Of course, largely because ''he didn''t go around bragging about his achievements'', but even accounting for that, Ian''s fame was lower than expected.

    He was probably better known as an excellent dark wizard and Eredith''s disciple.

    "When Ian gets famous, he''ll be more valuable to hire later!"

    "..."

    Though he wasn''t sure why she assumed he''d be hired.

    Elia was already gleefully imagining using Ian as a court wizard.

    "Focus on studying first. Didn''t you want to learn summoning to control small animals?"

    "Ah. That?"

    Elia glanced at Demonite before speaking.

    "I was going to. But summoning... seems different from what I imagined."

    That was natural.

    With anything, there''s an enormous difference between how things appear and studying them as a major.

    Not the kind of magic you casually start just because you want to tame cute animals!

    "I don''t get what taming small animals has to do with talking to giants."

    When Elia grumbled, Ian shook his head.

    She should just stick to campus politics instead of studying.

    As Ian''s unofficial patron, the better Elia''s position, the better for Ian.

    "Ian. We have trouble."

    Suddenly, Demonite popped out and spoke.

    It wasn''t even surprising anymore.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Sephina answered instead.

    "[Wizard Ian! Big trouble!]"

    "[Why all the fuss...?]"

    "[Giants! Volcano giants have appeared!]"

    Ian moved in the direction Sephina pointed.

    Sephius was keeping watch.

    "[Sephius?]"

    "[Ugh...!]"

    Correction. Sephius was frozen in terror.

    Ian looked toward the horizon.

    ''There''s a fuck ton of them.''

    Ten... twenty...

    Almost forty giants were moving in a crowd.

    "[Why are there so many? Is there a war?]"

    "[I don''t know! The chief''s son probably came out on patrol...]"

    Meaning they weren''t moving with any particular purpose.

    Like humans, giants sometimes acted just to show they could make others move at their will.

    Watching other giants move according to their wishes confirmed their power.

    ''Like employees dragged along on the boss''s hiking trip.''

    If hill giants knew modern concepts, they would have applauded that comparison.

    As proof, only the giant in front looked excited while all the others looked miserable.

    "[What do we do! If they catch us, they''ll take you away!]"

    That was what worried Sephina.

    The two giants, being giants themselves, wouldn''t face harsh treatment.

    The problem was the humans.

    If the hill giants saw them with humans, they might insist on getting some too.

    No, they definitely would!@@@@

    The leader guiding the volcano giants was the chief''s young son.

    The type who''d consider it very important to collect ''tribute'' from hill giants encountered on the road!

    With forty giants watching, the chance of being let go was practically zero.

    "[Sephina. Can we escape?]"

    "[...No. They''ve already spotted us.]"

    Giants were so huge that hiding was nearly impossible.

    Though far away, they''d already seen each other.

    If they ran now, the volcano giants would happily chase them.

    Unless they''d killed someone and fled, as Demonite suggested.

    "[Halt! Who are you!]"

    A thunderous voice rang out.

    The volcano giants appeared, their burning hair flying.

    ''They eat humans, don''t they?''

    Unlike the gentle hill giants, volcano giants were fierce giants who didn''t shy away from cannibalism.

    If caught by them, they''d become dinner.

    "[H-h-hello...?]"

    Sephina awkwardly greeted them.

    The volcano giants stared at her.

    ''D-did they figure it out?!''

    Should she grab the humans and run now?

    "[Never seen your faces before. Where are you from?]"

    But fortunately they hadn''t been discovered.

    Since their hair was burning the same way, they''d been mistaken for fellow giants.

    Understandable.

    What kind of madman would think to disguise themselves by imitating burning hair?

    Ian tapped Sephius.

    It was his turn to speak, so move his mouth.

    But before that, one volcano giant suddenly reached out.

    Toward Elia.

    "[Why do you have so many humans...]"

    Ian immediately shouted.

    "[Stop!]"

    "[!]"

    "[???]"

    With no time to synchronize lip movements with Sephius, Ian just yelled.

    The problem was...

    Sephius hadn''t opened his mouth yet-

    And another volcano giant had witnessed it.

    ''Oh... shit!''

    Sephius panicked badly.

    Asking Ian to sync with his lip movements was fine but...

    He couldn''t even open his mouth!

    This was a complete disaster, right?!

    "[Wh-what...?]"

    The volcano giant muttered blankly.

    He was startled.

    He''d heard a voice but no one had spoken.

    ''Am I hearing things?''

    While Sephius and the volcano giant were confused...

    Ian quickly poked Sephius''s thigh again.

    Wizard behavior was about momentum.

    Whatever happened, you had to push forward!

    "[What are you looking around for!]"

    When Ian poked his thigh, Sephius at least pretended to act.

    He glared at the volcano giant with a stern expression.

    Though skipping the lip sync made it incredibly awkward...

    He still moved trusting Ian.

    ''No, speak...!''

    But Ian was about to go crazy with frustration.

    Once could be a mistake. But why wasn''t he moving his mouth the second time either?!

    He must have lost his judgment ability from panic.

    But the act couldn''t stop.

    Ian continued the voice acting.

    "[A-are you... speaking right now?]"

    The volcano giant asked in a trembling voice.

    Something was really weird.

    His mouth was closed but sound came out!

    Then the strange volcano giant shouted in a terrifying voice.

    "[Yes! Can''t you see!]"

    "[?!]"

    I can''t see anything at all!

    "[Ha! You! Never seen someone speak without opening their mouth?]"

    "[???]"

    This is absolutely the first time???

    Faced with this unprecedented sight, the two volcano giants froze.

    My god...

    There was a giant who could speak without opening his mouth!(not)

    He was no ordinary giant.

    "[Let me warn you. Touch my humans carelessly and I''ll blow your head off.]"

    "[...]"

    The volcano giants judged this mysterious giant was no common fellow.

    They needed their leader''s judgment.

    "[J-just wait a moment!]"

    The two giants hurried back to their leader.

 Chapter 286

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "[Come this way.]"

    The volcano giants bowed their heads.

    Their suddenly respectful attitude terrified Sephius.

    Sure, Ian had done some weird stuff...

    But did they really think he was someone amazing?!

    "[What are you doing, Sephius? Why aren''t you following?]"

    "[W-well... I''m a bit scared...]"

    When Sephius hesitated, Ian kicked his shin without any hesitation.

    "[Ow!]"

    "[Stop talking nonsense and follow me. What''s the point of backing out now?]"

    Sephius''s eyes watered.

    It hurt, but honestly he felt more wronged.

    He didn''t remember voting for this insane plan!

    Of course, Ian would have scoffed at such thoughts.

    In a democratic society, silence is also guilt.

    You need to speak up when you have complaints to protect your rights.

    Everyone should know how important it is to exercise their right to vote... (omitted)

    Watching Sephius get hit, Sephina sighed in relief.

    Thank goodness I''m not playing Ian''s part!

    "[I-Ian... don''t you think we should be a bit more polite...]"

    "[Sephius. Just close your eyes too.]"

    "[???]"

    Ian had thought Sephius could act somewhat decently.

    Surprisingly, Sephius was a complete coward with zero talent for deception.@@@@

    Ian quickly modified his plan.

    He''d eliminate Sephius''s role entirely.

    "[Close my... eyes?]"

    "[Yes. Just walk in the direction I tell you. It won''t be difficult.]"

    Sephius looked at Ian anxiously but.

    Seeing Ian''s calm expression, the giant decided to follow the wizard''s suggestion.

    Thinking ''Well, he must have something planned''

    Sephius closed his eyes as Ian instructed.

    With eyes closed, he slowly started walking.

    #

    "[What?]"

    Saul, sole heir of the northern volcano giants, couldn''t believe his subordinate''s report.

    "[I-it''s true!]"

    The reason was simple.

    His subordinate suddenly spouting incomprehensible nonsense.

    Saul seriously suspected.

    This bastard. Did he secretly learn human language while I wasn''t watching?

    "[So... there''s a giant who speaks without opening his mouth? Did I understand correctly? Balak?]"

    "[Yes sir!]"

    Saul considered smacking his subordinate''s head but...

    With transcendent patience, decided to hold back for now.

    Though it sounded like complete nonsense, it was still a subordinate''s report.

    Saul decided to trust his subordinate''s report as a superior.

    He had the mindset that if you don''t want to trust reports, do the work yourself.

    ''What is this?''

    Saul wracked his brain.

    Speaking without opening your mouth?

    Was it just a simple trick? Or was there something he didn''t know about?

    Giants were naturally unsuited for magic.

    Their characteristically insensitive nature and arrogant attitude toward everything made them poor wizard material.

    Instead, like dragons, they were born with decent magic resistance.

    Anyway, giants were a race far from technique.

    Never imagining the other party could be giants in disguise, Saul decided to meet this mysterious giant.

    "[Boss! It''s them! They''re coming!]"

    Just then, a subordinate came running to report.

    Saul found it ridiculous.

    Really, why make such a fuss about them coming?

    His side was a large patrol, while the other side was just two giants?

    "[...They''re getting closer, Boss.]"

    "[Boss! Should we s-stop them?]"

    "[He''s coming this way!]"

    Saul''s patience ran out.

    He finally smacked the head of the last subordinate to report (that''s why timing matters in life) and moved to see this ''giant'' in question.

    What could be so amazing to cause such a fuss...

    Then Saul froze in place.

    "[???]"

    Judging by the blazing head, they were clearly volcano giants but...

    One was walking with his eyes tightly closed!

    ''What is this?''

    A mysterious giant walking with eyes closed.

    His presence was truly overwhelming.

    ''No time!''

    As he strode forward fearlessly, Saul immediately rushed out too.

    "[A-as expected of the boss...!]"

    "[The chief''s blood runs true!]"

    The volcano giants admired Saul''s courage.

    Honestly, facing such an uncanny giant could have been delegated to subordinates, yet he went himself!

    Feeling his subordinates'' gazes, Saul shouted in a charismatic voice:

    "[Halt!]"

    Flinch!

    Unlike the noble wolf-like valiant Saul.

    A victor''s leisurely smile meant to crush the opponent''s fighting spirit.

    "[How foolish. Is your vision clouded from walking with closed eyes? This is your last chance. If you value your life, give an answer my subordinates will accept!]" Ra?O??B��s??

    Woooooooo!

    Another cheer erupted but-

    The giant''s closed eyes didn''t open.

    ''This bastard...!''

    He still kept his eyes closed?

    Saul quietly glared at his opponent.

    Then the eyes-closed giant spoke.

    "[I am Predius, heir of the Blue Will-o''-wisp tribe and disciple of the wizard Ian.]"

    Not a single easy word in there.

    Saul quickly organized his thoughts.

    ''Never heard of the Blue Will-o''-wisp tribe.''

    Must be a distant tribe.

    But he could accept that the other was an ''heir''.

    He liked how he handled his subordinate.

    The problem was the next part.

    ''A wizard''s disciple?''

    There are no giant wizards. That was common knowledge.

    ...Among wizards anyway.

    Saul, being a giant, had no ability to tell if someone was really a wizard or not.

    Though his head said it wasn''t possible...

    For someone who walked with closed eyes and spoke strangely, maybe they could be a wizard!

    "[Your warriors are excellent, northerner.]"

    "[...I am Saul of the Black Crater tribe.]"

    "[Yes. Saul. But my magic is just as excellent as your warriors.]"

    "[Ha! I can''t accept that!]"

    Suddenly Saul squeezed his eyes shut.

    ''?''

    Ian tilted his head.

    Did he suddenly need to go?

    "Haaaaaah!"

    Soon Saul let out a battle cry.

    Then something amazing happened.

    Saul''s burning hair grew almost 10 meters high.

    "[Oh! As expected of the boss!]"

    "[What incredible heat!]"

    It was impressive.

    Though the meaning was unclear.

    Then Demonite whispered.

    "It''s a show of force. A volcano giant tradition."

    "Show of force?"

    "Volcano giants are monsters with strong primal instincts. They demonstrate their strength like this to draw out submission from others."

    Ian nodded.

    If that''s how it worked, this was too easy.

    "[Haa... haa... how''s that!]"

    "[Impressive. However...]"

    Though he felt slightly sorry for this Saul.

    Ian had to get the children back safely somehow.

    ''Just make a flame pillar higher than 10 meters, right?''

    Ian immediately prepared fire magic.

    "[O flame! Blaze forth!]"

    As soon as he spoke the magic words, a terrifyingly blazing pillar of fire.

    At the same time, Sephius screamed.

    Uwaaaaaaahhhh!

    "[Huk!]"

    "[A-amazing force...!]"

    The volcano giants marveled.

    Sephius''s scream was desperate and tragic, as if drawing out his soul.

    Because...

    It was really hot.

    "[It''s hoooooot!]"

    "[That voice... that atmosphere!]"

    "[He is the blazing fire itself!]"

    The volcano giants stared at Sephius in awe.

    Sephius ran around wildly, screaming at the top of his lungs.

    He even stuck his hands in his hair trying to pat out the flames.

    "[He''s batting away the flames!]"

    "[What a bold provocation!]"

    No! You crazy bastards!

    Sephius wailed.

    Ian''s fire was... actually hot fire.

    Ian quickly lowered the temperature and whispered.

    ''[Sorry. To make the flames grow quickly, I had to start with real fire.]''

    ''[...Could have warned me... ;_;]''

    Though it was magically created fire.

    At least it was higher than Saul''s pillar.

    Suddenly Saul burst out laughing.

    "[Hahaha!]"

    Then abruptly bowed his head.

    "[You got me good. You are a giant with hotter flames than mine.]"

    ''...Did it work?''

    Following volcano giant tradition, Saul acknowledged him.

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 Chapter 287

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Saul showed a much more respectful attitude.

    Until just now, "Predius" had been just a mysterious giant.

    But he''d proven his exceptional abilities in front of everyone.

    Since he was also a young heir like Saul.

    He judged it wouldn''t be a problem to bow first.

    Actually, the other volcano giants acknowledged Predius too.

    ''He''s an incredibly extraordinary person...!''

    Just walking around with closed eyes would make someone seem obsessed with their concept.

    But showing mysterious abilities turned that concept into charm.

    ''What kind of person is he!''

    The giants felt both charm and curiosity toward Predius.

    At the drastically changed atmosphere, Sephina trembled.

    ''What... what is he really!''

    After just exchanging a few words, Ian had already started building relations with the volcano giants.

    Sephina looked at Ian with fresh eyes.

    She''d known he wasn''t an ordinary human, but never imagined he had such skills.

    "[You''re truly amazing.]"

    Saul said.

    "[I''m not called lukewarm myself... but I''ve never met someone as hot as you.]"

    "[I am pretty hot.]"

    Of course, since it was magical fire.

    But Saul hadn''t noticed that fact at all.

    That was natural.

    Giants were ignorant about magic, making them very vulnerable to magic-related thinking.

    "[But I''ve never met someone as hot as you either.]"

    That was true.

    Where else would you see a creature with fire coming from their body?

    Volcano giants were truly fantasy creatures.

    Ian had just said it out of curiosity, but Saul took it as praise.

    Saul''s face brightened.

    Though the other was superior, he still acknowledged Saul''s abilities.

    What excellent character!

    "[You''re too kind.]"

    "[When I return to my tribe, I want to tell my father about you. About meeting an amazing giant while passing through the north.]"

    Ian skillfully stroked Saul''s metaphorical ego and.

    Saul completely fell for Ian''s flowery words(...).

    If he''d known the other was a wizard, he would have been more cautious about the words.

    Saul had no idea wizards were medieval masters of smooth talk.

    For wizards, silver tongue was everything-

    And Ian was an experienced wizard with lots of practice.

    Wrapping one giant around his finger was nothing.

    "[Hahaha! I''ll tell my father too! About meeting an incredible big brother on the road!]"

    "[Big brother, is it.]"

    "[Does that displease you?]"

    "[No. I quite like it. Little brother.]"

    Ian spent some time chatting with Saul.

    Though Saul wanted to take Ian''s group home right away, Ian firmly declined.

    True to their name, volcano giants lived near volcanoes, famous for being extremely hot.

    Giants could handle it, but humans would collapse instantly.

    "[Big brother. Are you really keeping your eyes closed?]"

    "[Yes.]"

    Saul looked at Predius curiously.

    Walking with closed eyes - why such a strange thing?

    "[It''s part of training.]"

    "[Training?]"

    "[Yes. I''m studying magic under the human wizard Ian.]"

    Saul found Predius''s words hard to believe.

    He was a superior giant with hotter flames than Saul himself.

    Yet he was learning magic under a human?

    "[With magic, one can see clearly even with closed eyes.]"

    Things were already unsettled with hill giants kidnapping people.

    If volcano giants came charging in causing chaos, the university might really collapse!

    "[? Why not?]"

    ''This crazy...!''

    Ian was momentarily flustered, not expecting Saul to say he wanted to learn magic.

    What kind of giant is this interested in magic?

    Actually, Ian himself had sparked the interest in magic but.

    Still didn''t expect such enthusiasm that he''d volunteer to learn.

    Even suggesting kidnapping magic teachers!

    "[There''s... Ian''s master there!]"

    "[Ah. Must be an incredible wizard! I can learn from them!]"

    Just then, Demonite flashed a look.

    Should we kill him? Ian?

    Ian desperately made a negative expression.

    What do you mean kill him, Professor.

    "[Listen well. Ian''s master is a wizard called Eredith.]"

    "[Got it. Wizard Eredith.]"

    "[Wizard Eredith is incredibly dangerous! Eredith is a bloodthirsty maniac...!]"

    "?"

    Demonite looked at Ian.

    What''s with this guy? That kind of expression.

    But Ian brazenly ignored Demonite''s look.

    This was just to scare them!

    "[A bloodthirsty maniac?]"

    "[Yes...! Eredith is so cruel, she can''t sleep without killing someone each day! Specializes in giant hunting. Loves arson!]"

    Saul was startled.

    Wizard Eredith. Said to be Ian''s master...

    Way crazier than Ian?!

    No, more importantly, there''s someone like that in the world???

    ''Incredible!''

    "[Eredith is that much of a maniac?]"

    "[Indeed. The title ''Demon Lord'' suits her well.]"

    "[Demon Lord...!]"

    This should be enough. Ian thought.

    He''d been scared before, so this should work too.

    Indeed, Saul showed an understanding expression.

    "[I see. I shouldn''t venture into human territory then.]"

    "[I''m glad you understand.]"

    Ian exchanged a few final pleasantries with Saul before parting.

    Though Saul tried to keep them, Ian refused.

    Sephina and Sephius were reaching their limits too.

    "[Thank you for the valuable information.]"

    "[?]"

    "[I''ll remember to be careful of Wizard Eredith and Ian.]"

    "[Y-yes... don''t forget.]"

    Only after exchanging K-promises to have a meal together sometime could Ian finally leave.

    "[Whew! Thought we were dead!]"

    Sephina and Sephius sighed in relief.

    Though it had been dicey, they''d brilliantly deceived the volcano giants!

    That alone made them feel good.

    Demonite looked at Ian with an expression of disbelief.

    "Ian... you seem like... a strange person."

    Ian was bewildered in return.

    That''s rich coming from Demonite?!

    "Better than a professor who suggests killing at every opportunity."

    "? I''m normal. You''re the strange one."

    "What do you..."

    Ian and Demonite looked at each other like they were looking at strange people.

    Watching them, Elia just turned away...

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 Chapter 288

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    Meanwhile, in the volcano giants'' village.

    After finishing his patrol, Saul returned straight to the village.

    "[Welcome back, Saul]"

    "[Father! I experienced something incredible!]"

    "[Something incredible?]"

    Saul excitedly poured out his story.

    About meeting the mysterious giant, Predius.

    Skipping the minor details, he went straight to the core.

    "[You were right, Father! There really is an amazing wizard at the humans'' school!]"

    The chief burst out laughing.

    Wizards were troublemakers even giants were wary of.

    Underestimating them for their small size would get you badly hurt.

    "[Wizards are always troublesome. But an amazing wizard, you say?]"

    "[A wizard called Eredith, known as the ''Demon Lord'' among humans!]"

    "[Oh ho... Demon Lord...]"

    Saul spoke directly.

    "[Father! I want to learn magic too!]"

    "[What?]"

    The chief tilted his head.

    He''d never seen a giant who learned magic...

    ''This one might be different.''

    But Saul was a clever one. He might succeed at learning magic.

    "[First I want to win the Demon Lord Eredith''s favor.]"

    "[That''s not a bad idea.]"

    Being friendly with a wizard fierce enough to be called Demon Lord would be diplomatically helpful.

    "[But be careful. She''s a cruel human who can''t go a day without killing, she might attack you.]"@@@@

    "[I know. I plan to send gifts to win her favor first, then meet her in person later.]"

    If nothing else, Saul really liked the sound of this wizard Eredith.

    A bloodthirsty maniac!

    Someone with amazing magical powers worthy of the title Demon Lord!

    She seemed like someone he''d get along with.

    The chief had giants send gifts to the humans'' magic school.

    Tribute for the Great Destroyer.

    The tribute passed through subordinates'' hands and safely reached the ''magic school''.

    "G-giants!"

    "Invasion?! Is it an invasion?!"

    There was a minor incident of panic when volcano giants suddenly appeared.

    Hearing reports of giants arriving, the university''s magic professors rushed out in a group.

    "Huh?"

    "What''s this..."

    And the professors were bewildered.

    The volcano giants had appeared but...

    They just threw something down and left?

    "What is that?"

    "Sulfur... looks like [Heart of Volcano], an extremely rare material for fire magic."

    Eredith, an experienced fire wizard, immediately recognized what the volcano giants had thrown down.

    "As expected of Eredith! You really know your-"

    Inglan, who was about to praise Eredith''s extensive knowledge, startled when he saw the stone tablet with giant language.

    Eredith tilted her head at Inglan''s reaction.

    "Professor? What did you see..."

    Eredith looked at the tablet too.

    And flinched.

    [We present this gift to the Great Destroyer, Demon Lord Eredith.]

    "..."

    But there was something Ian didn''t realize.

    This was Imperial University, a gathering place for accomplished wizards.

    Searching for missing humans?

    Troublesome, but not impossible if asked.

    They were glad the most junior Ian had handled the annoying task.

    But it wasn''t an achievement worth high praise.

    ''...This really is a den of monsters.''

    It was similar to modern universities in some ways.

    Like how professors slouching around with coffee cups often looked like ordinary neighborhood uncles.

    But start digging into their academic achievements and you''d find monster-class accomplishments - similar principle.

    "But... you met not just hill giants but volcano giants."

    "Haha! Must have been scary!"

    Only Eredith acknowledged Ian''s efforts.

    She knew how fierce volcano giants were as monsters.

    Ian''s quick wit deserved endless praise.

    Yet they gave such lukewarm responses!

    ''Arrogant wizards.''

    Unlike Ian, Eredith was annoyed by the other wizards'' unnecessarily high pride.

    Ian had done the work they found troublesome, yet far from being grateful they reacted like this!

    "It''s fine, Master."

    "Ian...!"

    "It was good experience."

    That wasn''t just empty words.

    Not only had he gained summoning experience points from talking with giants, he''d learned transmutation from Demonite.

    Though he had no immediate use for it, it would surely come in handy while traveling.

    ''Should set a departure date too.''

    Other university fossils sometimes stayed attached to the university for over ten years.

    To train successors and write magic books.

    But Ian didn''t plan to stay at the university long.

    He needed to travel to complete Anor-lsil.

    He couldn''t waste time idly eating up grants.

    ''I''ve studied quite a bit.''

    Of course, defining "sufficient study" was endless.

    Ian vaguely thought ''enough to withstand black wizard attacks'' but it was hard to say exactly what level that meant.

    It might be faster to wait for the Pope to actively wage an extermination campaign and root out the southern black wizards.

    ''Though if war breaks out before then, it''s all for nothing.''

    The Pope was winning public support by beating up small-fry black wizards, but that was temporary.

    If war broke out in the south, even the Pope''s army couldn''t move freely.

    It would be a field day for black wizards.

    ''For now... focus on investigating Maronius''s memories.''

    "Ian! Count Dranheim highly values your achievements! He''s inviting you to a banquet..."

    "Not going, nope."

    Elia looked curiously at Ian''s indifferent response.

    Still young, he surely had ambitions for success...

    Yet he seemed so detached from power!

    ''Well. He''s reached this level by being obsessed with magic.''

    Attending magic school herself, Elia knew how difficult dark magic was.

    Without Ian''s incredible focus, he couldn''t have stood shoulder to shoulder with professors at such a young age.

    "But it''s a lord''s request..."

    "Ugh. Fine, I''ll just say hello and leave."

    Ian stood up.

    He''d thought entering university would let him focus only on study!

    But a wizard''s life had all sorts of annoying tasks too.

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 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Count Dranheim was known for liking wizards.

    Since he owned the domain where Imperial University was located, perhaps his fondness for wizards had developed naturally.

    But his true thoughts were unclear.

    Whether he truly respected and liked wizards, or just pretended to like them because a magic-teaching university happened to be in Dranheim - no one knew.

    Ian thought the latter was probably correct.

    If he liked wizards, he''d frequently invite them to parties.

    But the only people the count regularly sought out were noble students like Elia.

    He''d hardly heard rumors of the count hosting or entertaining wizards.

    "He''s being wise~"

    Elia hummed while speaking.

    "Wise?"

    "Yes. Count Dranheim isn''t interested in power. For someone like that, what''s the point of getting close to wizards?"

    Ian smirked.

    Not interested in power? Even passing dogs would laugh at that.

    But he understood what Elia meant.

    ''Not interested in power'' meant no ambition to become king.

    Though the Holy Empire fundamentally served an emperor, that didn''t mean lower nobles had no ambitions.

    Anyone who ruled over others naturally desired to become the supreme ruler.

    Would they stay content as a mere count, or establish a kingdom to become the highest authority?

    Some might be satisfied as imperial dukes-

    But others wanted their own kingdoms, however small.

    The Holy Empire had many such lower nobles.

    They''d be the first to celebrate if the Holy Empire collapsed.

    Titles weren''t earned through strength alone.

    You needed proper bloodline and legitimacy. And loyalty to the empire.

    How excited would they be when those ''restrictive'' requirements disappeared with the empire''s fall?

    "The Dranheim counts have always been loyal to the empire. This count is no exception."

    "A family of loyal subjects?"

    Elia smiled and said.

    "You could say that."

    If someone power-hungry and ambitious had become count, the empire would have taken action.

    After all, Dranheim had Imperial University.

    They couldn''t leave a place that produced the empire''s future talent in the hands of an anti-imperial count.

    If anyone showed suspicious behavior, they would have secured the university even if it meant stripping the domain.

    The fact that the Dranheim counts had managed the Imperial University without such unfortunate incidents...

    Meant they had that much trust from above.

    Elia had been grinning since earlier, apparently pleased with Count Dranheim''s loyalty.

    Ian honestly found it hard to understand.

    The Imperial Emperor was elected, not hereditary.

    Moreover, Elia wasn''t even promised to inherit any family...

    What did it matter if Count Dranheim was loyal? He was just a local noble.

    ''Does she want to become Emperor?''

    Ian made an educated guess.

    Looking at Elia''s behavior made it plausible.

    A foreign student who barely studied. More focused on socializing than studying.

    Even being friendly with Ian was just an extension of networking, wasn''t it?

    Making connections early for future politics wouldn''t be strange.

    ''...''

    Suddenly, Ian recalled Gerard the space-time wizard''s prophecy.

    That gloomy prophet had definitely told Ian.

    The empire was destined to fall.

    That prophecy might be connected to Elia too.

    If her goal was to become Emperor.

    ''No need to ask now.''

    Ian briefly understood the space-time wizard''s mindset.

    If Ian asked Elia right here "Do you want to become Emperor in the future?", would that question affect Elia''s future? Or not?

    Interestingly, he seemed more like someone who simply loved food rather than being greedy.

    Maybe it was his sharp eyes?

    "Don''t you have an ancient language name?"

    "Me?"

    Ian nodded.

    "No. Just Ian is all."

    "Young people these days really are different from the old days. When I was young, there were so many wizards at the university with ancient language names." ?��??O??BE??

    "..."

    "Haha. I guess trends come and go!"

    Ian was slightly bewildered.

    Wait. Why did this sound like something he''d heard in his past life?!

    People might be the same everywhere, even as times and technology change.

    "When you were young, that would have been during the previous emperor''s time."

    "Yes. Speaking of the previous emperor. If he hadn''t subjugated those orcs back then, the farmland around here would have been completely..."

    As expected.

    Elia skillfully brought up history and politics.

    And true to his age, Count Dranheim eagerly continued the political discussion.

    It was truly noble conversation and.

    Ian had no desire to join in these conversation topics.

    It''s not like he owned any domain. Nor had he received thorough history education.

    Ian had walked the path of magic his whole life.

    Ah! The worldly humans are chattering! Thinking this, Ian focused on enjoying the food.

    If nothing else, the count''s chef seemed very skilled.

    This place is really good. *munch munch*

    "...It seems they''ve finally made their move."

    "What move...?"

    "Don''t be shocked. They''re saying they have the Silverwind Margrave''s heir."

    "! What?!"

    Elia shouted.

    Mid-meal, Ian looked at Elia.

    Though he wasn''t sure what they were talking about, Elia had raised her voice in genuine surprise.

    "That''s impossible! Silverwind is gone! They''re an extinct family-"

    "I think so too. But what can we do when the Fargars say they found one? Must be either a rare genuine article or a well-made fake."

    With such an intense reaction, Ian got curious too.

    "What''s the big deal?"

    Elia frowned and said.

    "It''s complicated to explain everything..."

    "Then summarize?"

    "Even summarizing is hard. But the conclusion is..."

    Tap.

    Elia bit her fingernail.

    "Duke Fargar is going to start a war."

    "Ah. With Duke Roxlan?"

    "Yes. But that''s for later."

    "???"

    "First, they''ll fight with the Rashin Kingdom."

    Where the fuck is that?

    Ian''s head throbbed.

    These medieval patchwork maps were just ridiculous.

    Random tiny kingdoms popping up everywhere!

    "Rashin is just an excuse. More likely it''s really about Roxlan."

    "...If Fargar attacks Roxlan..."

    Count Dranheim stroked his mustache.

    "Your father will be busy."

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 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "This shit again."

    Ian said.

    That was his honest feeling.

    In this medieval fantasy world, wars big and small never seemed to end.

    From the smallest skirmishes between local barons over territory, to larger conflicts with other races and feuds between counts, all the way to full-scale wars between nations fighting with all their might.

    Wars between nations left their names in history easily, being huge in scale with many participants. And such large-scale wars always brought wild rumors with them.

    Duke Fargar''s invasion war was just like that.

    "Let me hear about it too."

    "So Ian''s interested!"

    "No? You just seemed to be talking without me so I wanted to join in?"

    Elia made a dumbfounded expression, while Count Dranheim burst out laughing.

    "Judging by how you speak, you must really be an extraordinary wizard!"

    The count was politely saying ''You''ve got no manners~''.

    Ian let the count''s words go in one ear and out the other.

    Being able to speak freely in formal settings was certainly a wizard''s privilege. That''s what''s great about being a wizard.

    Soon Elia collected herself and calmly explained the situation.

    "First, I''ll tell you about Margrave Silverwind. Have you heard the name before?"

    "No."

    Ian was a wizard, not a historian. How many nobles were there in the empire? He couldn''t memorize hundreds of domains. Over time, they even split into ''nominal'' rulers and ''actual'' rulers. ?a��o??b��S

    "Margrave Silverwind was officially Duke Roxlan''s vassal."

    "Was?"

    "They were destroyed by the Rashin Kingdom''s invasion."

    Count Dranheim continued.

    "Margrave Silverwind''s fall was very... unnatural."

    "Right. The Rashin Kingdom isn''t strong enough to defeat an imperial margrave."

    "Because they weren''t just a count. An imperial count?"

    In other words, they lost a fight they shouldn''t have lost. What was the reason?

    "This is just speculation but..."

    Elia spoke carefully.

    "I think Duke Roxlan abandoned Margrave Silverwind."

    "..."

    During the Rashin Kingdom''s invasion, Margrave Silverwind requested support from Duke Roxlan multiple times. But the duke''s reinforcements never came.

    "Silverwind was loyal to the empire, and pledged more loyalty to the emperor than Duke Roxlan."

    "...Must have caused friction."

    "Yes. The emotional divide between the two nobles ran deep."

    Count Dranheim burst out laughing.

    "If we just say that, wouldn''t it be hard for Ian to understand?"

    "But anything more would be baseless rumors..."

    "Then I''ll tell you."

    The count excitedly spoke while downing wine.

    "Duke Roxlan, well... they say Margrave Silverwind stole the woman he wanted as his concubine!"

    "Count!"

    Elia looked at the count with disgust, but the count, heated from alcohol, completely missed the imperial princess''s look.

    Ian nodded.

    It was definitely unofficial history. Just speculation by history buffs and the kind of juicy romantic gossip minstrels loved. Not very credible, but entertaining to hear.

    "There was bad blood between Roxlan and Silverwind before, but losing his lover was apparently the decisive factor."

    "...Haa. That story exists too."

    What exactly happened between the two nobles wasn''t clearly known. But in the end, Roxlan cut ties with Silverwind, and Silverwind fell to the Rashin Kingdom''s attack.

    The funnier part was that Duke Roxlan only started moving when Silverwind was about half defeated. Then the Rashin Kingdom stopped their advance as if they''d been waiting for this.

    So half of Silverwind went to Rashin, and half to Duke Roxlan.

    Afterward, the previous emperor summoned Duke Roxlan. Duke Roxlan claimed he was ''protecting'' Silverwind''s territory. Since Silverwind was wiped out, their domain would pass to distant foreign relatives who couldn''t come rule directly, so Duke Roxlan would govern on their behalf.

    That''s how Silverwind was forgotten by the world... until recently.

    Then out of nowhere, neighboring Duke Fargar announced he''d found an heir of the supposedly extinct Silverwind.

    It seemed hard to believe, but there must have been something credible for him to make an official announcement.

    ''Is it real?''

    Even Ian had to tilt his head at this.

    If a Silverwind heir really was alive, they could claim legitimate rights to their territory. They could make Roxlan and Rashin, the two usurpers, cough up all the territory.

    "I hear Duke Roxlan was breathing fire when he heard the rumor."

    "Of course he would. Obviously."

    The one who most fiercely denounced Fargar was, naturally, Duke Roxlan. Whether Roxlan really did screw over Silverwind or not was unclear- but anyway, he denounced Duke Fargar as a fraud who put up a cheap impostor.

    Duke Fargar''s response was simple.

    Yeah~ fuck off~

    Duke Fargar had already stockpiled numerous mercenaries and weapons. Anyone could see he was going to start a war... He planned to put forward the (supposed) Silverwind heir and crack Duke Roxlan''s skull.

    With the crazy neighbor sharpening his knife, Duke Roxlan got pretty scared. So he exercised the strongest right an imperial noble could use.

    ''Emperooor~ Help me!''

    ''...''

    Straight-up tattling to the emperor.

    That crazy warmonger is using a fake heir to try to invade my land!

    Receiving Duke Roxlan''s request for help, the emperor reportedly left to mediate between the imperial dukes while cursing "fuck fuck".

    Poor imperial emperor.

    "But His Majesty won''t easily take Duke Roxlan''s side."

    "I think similarly. That guy''s got some questionable things in his past after all."

    Transformed into a huge snake.

    "Kyaaaah!"

    Elia screamed.

    The huge snake instantly coiled around the count''s body.

    "Mmph!"

    The count struggled in panic but.

    Only his belly fat jiggled, with no other effect.

    The snake didn''t even glance at the count.

    Its triangular head was fixed only on Ian.

    [I warn you! Don''t take another step closer! Mystery wielder!]

    The count''s face turned blue, and Elia panicked not knowing what to do.

    Guards rushed in, but they too could do nothing.

    "C-count?!"

    "Mmph! Mmph!"

    [Mystery wielder! Can you hear me! If you can hear, make the humans back away! Quickly!]

    "..."

    [Do you want to see this human die!]

    Ian observed the staff-snake with a slightly crooked gaze.

    On the surface, it seemed to control the situation, but...

    ''It looks weak.''

    Honestly, it seemed like fodder.

    The old Ian would have felt overwhelmed by most mysteries.

    But current Ian was different.

    His sense for mysteries had grown incomparably stronger, and he''d encountered all sorts of powerful mysteries.

    Ian had even felt a dragon''s pressure.

    A mere staff-snake?

    ''Should I use transmutation.''

    He had just learned transmutation from Demonite after all.

    Ian decided to ask the mystery for help.

    [...?]

    The staff-snake felt confused by Ian''s calm response.

    A staff turned into a snake!

    Shouldn''t he be surprised?!

    But this black-haired human...

    Far from being surprised, he was observing it with extremely calm eyes.

    [Wh-what?]

    At that moment when the staff-snake felt uneasy.

    Ian suddenly shouted!

    "[You, snake!]"

    [!]

    "[Return to a staff!]"

    The moment Ian shouted the mysterious language-

    The staff-snake felt its body twisting!

    Ian''s powerful transmutation was unleashed.

    [N-no!]

    The staff-snake desperately tried to transform back into a snake.

    But the mystery wouldn''t follow its will.

    [I-I''m not a staff! I''m a snake!]

    [Kahahahah! Is that what you think?]

    The mystery spoke mockingly.

    [But that wizard says otherwise?]

    [No... no!]

    Writhe, writhe.

    The staff-snake endlessly shifted between snake and staff forms.

    Elia and the soldiers were horrified at the grotesque sight.

    "What is that!"

    "Monster! It''s a monster!"

    Ian shouted once more in a firm voice.

    "[Snake! Return to a staff!]"

    [Aaaahhh!]

    Thud, clatter...

    The completely transformed staff rolled on the floor.

    Ian slowly picked up the staff.

    The soldiers looked at Ian like he was a monster.

    Like, the wizard yelled at a snake and...

    The snake turned into a staff!

    "Are you alright?"

    Ian held out his hand to the count.

    "Cough, Kuk! I thought I was going to die!"

    The count said between coughs.

    "Thank you so much, Ian!"

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 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Count Dranheim praised Ian until his mouth went dry.

    "I swear, you must be the greatest wizard since Maronius!"

    Ian let the count''s praise go in one ear and out the other.

    Having nearly died, the count would say anything.

    "A-amazing! Wizard!"

    "To subdue a monster with just a word..."

    The guards could hardly contain their admiration.

    Though they served in the domain where Imperial University was located, that didn''t mean they got to see magic every day.

    Magic was always a wondrous phenomenon.

    When a single person used it so easily, they couldn''t help but be amazed.

    "I''m not impressive, that monster was just weak."

    Ian spoke honestly.

    The volcano giants were much tougher monsters.

    This was just... closer to a minor spirit.

    A staff that could turn into a snake! But in the end, it was just a snake.

    "Seeing the wizard speak so modestly..."

    "Must have been a terrifying enemy!"@@@@

    "???"

    Ian had spoken honestly, but the guards interpreted his words their own way.

    Like taking something crystal clear and making it mud clear.

    "No, really, it was nothing..."

    "Sniff! Must have been so difficult!"

    "He''s clearly trying to hide his struggles!"

    "..."

    These crazy people.

    Ian stared at the guards in disbelief.

    The guards thought Ian was being modest to deliberately hide his hardship.

    Well...

    Why else would a wizard be modest!

    The count and even Elia looked at Ian worriedly.

    "You... really struggled, didn''t you? Well, understandable."

    "Ian. Are you really okay?"

    Ian felt slightly exasperated.

    Some called it being annoyed, others called it losing patience.

    Ian was clearly a wizard, yet he couldn''t communicate with ordinary humans!

    He must be lacking in learning.

    "Actually, I won because I''m fucking strong."

    "No need to cover it up. We understand your struggles!"

    "That''s right! Count! Let Ian rest!"

    "Butler! Prepare the best bedroom for Lord Ian right away!"

    "..."

    Ian gave up on communication.

    Damn medieval people. They interpret everything however they want...

    Soon Ian was assigned the best room in the castle.

    They wanted him to stay the night.

    Ian took the snake-staff and went to his room.

    #

    "Who the hell left that devil''s toy of a staff there?"

    Count Dranheim grumbled for a while.

    Understandable, since his life had briefly hung in the balance.

    "Eastern merchants sold it as a precious item, my lord."

    The snake staff''s homeland was the far-off Sand Empire.

    "Be careful, Lord Ian. It''s truly a horrible thing."

    "Thanks for the concern, but I''ll handle it myself."

    "Haha! When you say it like that, I''ll trust you with it!"

    The count handed the staff over to Ian like he never wanted to see it again.

    Though he worried slightly about Ian with such a dangerous item...

    He believed the great wizard would handle it.

    [I''m sorry, Great One! Truly sorry!]

    Actually, the one who needed handling wasn''t Ian but the snake staff.

    ''Another way to deal with mysteries.''

    Ian fiddled with the snake staff, tapping it against his knee.

    Would it break if he knee-kicked it?

    Being male, Ian was kind of curious.

    Of course, he didn''t really plan to break it. He was just intimidating the staff.

    ''Fear is also one way to handle mysteries.''

    Demonite would have threatened the snake staff without a second thought.

    That person was quite insane after all.

    Ian decided to try Demonite''s way of handling mysteries.

    [Eek!]

    Though not a master of illusion magic, Ian was an insane wizard.

    Ian had instantly subdued Asu and made it his servant.

    On the condition of serving until Ian''s death!

    ''...Think I''ll do that?''

    Asu ground its teeth.

    Being kidnapped(?) to a strange place was bad enough.

    Now it had to serve a deranged wizard for decades!

    ''Should I just kill him!''

    Asu glared at Ian.

    No matter how great a wizard, he was human.

    He had to sleep at night, becoming defenseless.

    If it struck now, it could put Ian to sleep forever!

    But as Asu glared at Ian.

    Pure black darkness began gathering around Ian like a dance.

    ''...Oh.''

    Asu gave up on attacking.

    Befitting a wizard beloved by mysteries, the mystery of darkness filled Ian''s surroundings. Attacking Ian was impossible.

    Though the sneak attack was off the table, Asu didn''t feel too bad.

    Ian was an incredibly powerful wizard anyway!

    ''Forget revenge. Let''s just go home!''

    Asu secretly transformed into a snake.

    Though it didn''t know how long it would take, if it tried hard enough, couldn''t it reach its desert homeland?

    But right then.

    [Hello!]

    [Ah, hello...]

    [?]

    Strange djinn(?) appeared before Asu.

    Looking exactly alike, they seemed like twin djinn...

    But their aura was no joke.

    [I''m Arno!]

    [I''m Isil.]

    The djinn that appeared before Asu were none other than the mysteries of Anor-lsil.

    [Master made a new friend!]

    [So we came to say hello...]

    ''Friend? Friend my ass!''

    Until a few hours ago, Asu had been suffering death threats(...).

    How could it see Ian as a friend?

    But those simple-minded ones firmly believed it was Ian''s friend.

    [Ah. Yeah. Hi. Bye now!]

    [...Isil. I don''t think they like us?]

    [Maybe they''re just shy?]

    What dumb western djinn.

    Asu let the mysteries of Anor-lsil ramble as they pleased, then tried to slip out the window.

    But then.

    [Ah! Where are you going!]

    [Let''s go together~]

    Asu looked toward the voices.

    And was terrified.

    [Holy shit!]

    Sharp swords were flying at Asu!

    [Going hunting perhaps?]

    [Being a snake, might not know what to eat.]

    [Great! Killing things is our specialty! We''ll help you hunt!]

    Arno and Isil excitedly spun through the air.

    Clang-

    A cut candle rolled on the floor.

    Asu blankly stared at the piece of candle...

    Seeing Anor-lsil''s sharp blades, its manners instantly charged to 100%.

    Asu immediately said to the western djinn.

    [Wow~ seniors~! Night walks aren''t good for health~!]

    [Huh? Weren''t you trying to leave?]

    [Just wanted some fresh air, but I met you seniors~!]

    Seeing them instill manners even in an arrogant djinni, Anor-lsil was definitely a ma-gic sword.

    When their junior? spoke politely, Arno and Isil were delighted.

    Master Ian must have made a good friend!

    The two mysteries chatted with Asu all night long.

    ''...I want to go home!''

    Not knowing Asu was internally crying tears of sorrow.

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 Chapter 292

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    After safely returning from the dinner invitation, Ian came back to the university with his new staff.

    "Oh. Ian. That staff. Looks a bit different from before?"

    Eredith was the first to notice the strange mystery''s presence.

    Having wandered the continent experiencing mysteries her whole life, it wasn''t difficult for her to recognize unfamiliar ones.

    "You''ve imbued some magic into it!"

    Mysteries could attach themselves to objects too.

    Wizards commonly called this ''imbuing magic''.

    This imbuing usually happened by chance, though some wizards spent their whole lives studying just this.

    Eredith hopefully looked at her beloved disciple.

    Could Ian have experienced magic imbuing!

    "No? It''s not magic imbuing?"

    "Then why..."

    Eredith naturally thought Ian''s familiar mystery of darkness had attached to the staff.

    "Come out for a moment."

    But when Ian spoke casually.

    Shhhh!

    "?!"

    The staff suddenly started turning into a snake!

    ''C-creepy!''

    Though Eredith was a middle-aged woman, her sensibilities were eternally girlish.

    Like many women, she disliked snakes.

    The snake coiled around Ian''s arm and flicked its tongue at Eredith.

    [I am a great djin-]

    "Want to die? Who told you to stick your tongue out at Master?"

    Ian grabbed the snake''s neck and shook it.@@@@

    Asu made choking sounds.

    "As you can see, it''s a bit of an arrogant djinni."

    "..."

    Eredith was dumbfounded.

    The staff had been normal just yesterday, so this mystery must have come from visiting the count...

    But how did he catch a djinni that lived far away in the desert?!

    "You''ve found quite a rare mystery?"

    "Rare but useless."

    [Master! How can you say I''m useless! I have so many talents...]

    "Hey. Staff."

    When Ian spoke once, Asu dejectedly transformed into a staff.

    Eredith watched carefully how Ian handled mysteries.

    ''Indeed. Ian''s skills have improved incomparably from before.''

    Eredith was the one who had introduced Ian to all sorts of magic.

    But while introducing various magics, she hadn''t had high expectations.

    After all, learning multiple magics simultaneously was truly difficult.

    Though she hadn''t expected much, Ian had mastered diverse magics with surprising skill.

    Honestly, it defied Eredith''s common sense.

    To improve magical ability, you first had to encounter mysteries.

    Generally, mysteries were so rare that ordinary people might encounter one once in their lifetime, if at all.

    But Ian seemed to be solving the problem of meeting mysteries somehow.

    Did he have some hidden mystery-farm somewhere?

    ''His growth is incredibly fast.''

    Though Eredith was proud of her disciple''s rapid growth.

    On the other hand, she felt an inexplicable foreboding.

    ''I hope nothing goes wrong.''

    "Is your research going well?"

    "Yes. No problems so far."

    Her disciple was currently focused on uncovering an archwizard''s memories.

    No one could predict what results would come.

    But if proper results emerged...

    It would surely shock the imperial magic world.

    "Don''t push yourself too hard. You''re still young, so there''s plenty of time, right?"

    Ian nodded for show.

    Only a space-time wizard would know that.

    "Thanks for the offer, but I''ll decline."

    "...It''s so boring because it''s exactly what I expected. Can you tell me why?"

    It wasn''t difficult.

    "My research isn''t finished yet."

    "..."

    "If you wait a bit, I could drop by and give advice."

    Elia smiled like she''d expected this.

    "It''s such a you-like reason that I''m relieved."

    "?"

    Ian almost shouted ''What do you mean you-like!'' but stopped. If he were 5 years younger he might have.

    "Alright Ian. Let''s do this. I''ll go down first, and if you get interested later, come find me."

    Unlike Ian, Elia seemed to have no plans to stay at the university.

    Now that Fargar had put forward the Silverwind heir, military movement was just a matter of time.

    She wanted to help her father as soon as possible.

    "Alright."

    Ian readily agreed.

    It was an offer with no downsides for Ian. Creating a debt with the imperial family would make his future journey much easier.

    "Then Ian... see you later."

    Elia gave a polite farewell.

    A few days later, she left the university with many others.

    Most people could easily guess why she was leaving school.

    "...Well, they say a huge war might break out."

    "No way! Would dukes really fight? Fellow imperials?"

    "But if war really breaks out..."

    "His Majesty the Emperor won''t stand idle! Needless worry!"

    While fights between barons were just skirmishes.

    Fights between dukes were dangerous enough to shake the empire.

    As news spread that war would break out soon, noble students requested leaves of absence and returned home one by one.

    Of course, commoners and magic professors didn''t care about surrounding events at all.

    Yeah~ not my business~ I''m just a commoner with no territory to manage~

    Though some ambitious commoners left school hoping to achieve merit in the war, most were just treated as crazy.

    Having the mindset to achieve merit was good and all.

    But could they actually use magic properly?

    When they met ''real'' wizards on the battlefield they obviously wouldn''t be able to do anything. Their ambition was running ahead of their ability.

    Imperial University just became a bit quieter, everything else stayed the same.

    The same life of praying, studying, eating and sleeping.

    Though Ian was sliiiightly worried about Lucy in Talian, he settled for sending one letter checking on her.

    The sparks of war were burning in the south, the north was fine right? Obviously nothing would happen.

    ...He just wanted to send a letter. Really.

    The three commoners gathered in Ian''s research room thought similarly.

    "War, huh. Big trouble."

    "Well... as long as we don''t go there it''s fine."

    "Might have to go down later. Battlefields need wizards."

    Ian, Kira, and Maria.

    This crazy commoner party of a serf, jester, and maid... didn''t worry about the war at all!

    War was just high lords fighting over profits.

    As long as they weren''t conscripted, it had little to do with commoners.

    "People might come looking for wizards from the south."

    "Ian, whose side will you take?"

    "Me? I''m thinking the emperor''s side for now."

    Fargar, Roxlan, and the emperor would send people to the university to recruit wizard forces.

    Until then, Ian decided to focus on his research.

    "Well then, ready?"

    "Hehe. Of course."

    "I''m ready too."

    Ian set off into the memory world once again to meet Maronius''s soul.

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 Chapter 293

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    ''Been a while.''

    Having just returned from a brief outing, Ian felt refreshed.

    [How have you been?]

    [...You''re back.]

    In the empty soul world, Maronius''s soul listlessly greeted Ian.

    Ian looked around curiously.

    Last time he''d seen a mini-world composed of various memories.

    As if his will to live had been crushed, the soul world he returned to had become quite desolate.

    [Have you thought about it?]

    [Yes... I''ve thought a great deal.]

    He''d probably focused on whether it was right to change his past memories.

    Ian had shown Maronius an altered version of his ''dark history''.

    That experience had given Maronius''s soul tremendous shock.

    Whether positive or negative, they''d have to hear about that now.

    [I...]

    Maronius''s soul said.

    [Will cooperate with you, Wizard Ian.]

    Ian nodded.

    As expected.

    Maronius''s soul readily promised cooperation.

    [Show what you showed me to my other selves too.]

    [I will, Maronius.]

    #

    The research progressed smoothly.

    Using the cooperative Maronius soul, Ian began uncovering the archwizard''s memories one by one.

    ''Good thing Elia left lots of items.''

    There were many objects that could extract Maronius''s memories.

    In the memory world, Ian slowly collected Maronius''s memories.

    [Wait! Who are you...]

    [It''s me.]

    [...? What? You''re me?!]

    As Ian intended, the cooperative Maronius soul acted as a key to open entrances to other soul worlds.

    Working like a kind of key.

    [Let''s show our memories to this wizard.]

    [Impossible. Have you forgotten already? Everything ahead is just painful memories.]

    [I know. But that will change now.]

    [What do you...]

    Ian gestured.

    The other Maronius soul froze in shock.

    [Liria...]

    Because a red-haired woman appeared gracefully.

    [I am Wizard Kira.]

    [...]

    [I can show you what you wish to see.]

    Maronius blankly stared at Kira.

    He seemed to think Kira might be the real key.

    Ian nodded.

    Maronius''s secret: Has a red hair fetish.

    Better write that down when I get back.

    [...Very well. I''ll show you my foolish past memories.]

    [Thank you.]

    Thanks to the other soul''s persuasion and Kira''s presence, Ian could examine Maronius''s memories.

    His young memories, well.

    They flowed similarly to records left by other researchers.

    ''After fighting with Liria.''

    After a huge fight with Liria, Maronius ran away in anger.

    He actually left to enlist in the imperial army.

    Though an impulsive decision, the army surprisingly liked Maronius''s action.

    They felt young man''s spirit or something.

    Though formal enlistment was impossible, he could work as a helper doing odd jobs.

    Maronius decided to stay with Lupus''s unit.

    He roamed distant foreign jungles, fighting barbarians with Lupus.

    His sword skills never improved, but he gained strange minor abilities instead.

    [You''re at it again there?]

    [General.]

    Maronius smiled awkwardly at Lupus.

    [So. Can you still hear the ''voices''?]

    [Not still.]

    Maronius looked up at the great primeval forest and said.

    [Always, General.]

    [Good thing I can''t hear them. I can''t sleep when it''s noisy.]

    Lupus dismissed the ''voices'' Maronius heard as hallucinations.

    But to Maronius they were anything but.

    The ''voices'' had saved him from death.

    Maronius thought the ''voices'' must be guardian angels sent by heaven.

    [The shamans knew about the voices.]

    [Shamans? Did you talk with barbarians?]

    Maronius answered clearly.

    [Yes, General. I''ve been learning barbarian language lately because I had questions.]

    Lupus marveled.

    [Incredible. You learned a new language in just weeks?]

    That''s right.

    Unknown to himself until now, Maronius had exceptional language sense.

    An incredible linguistic talent beyond just genius.

    That talent.

    Would later elevate Maronius to [archwizard] status.

    [The barbarians call the voices I hear ''Mana''.]

    [Mana?]

    [Yes. Mana is a force sleeping equally in all things, responding to human will and able to communicate.]

    Lupus scoffed.

    [I know you''re an odd one, but don''t take barbarian legends too seriously.]

    The empire had such people spouting nonsense too.

    Frauds calling themselves occultists, claiming to study mysteries like digging up hidden roots.

    Mysteries?

    How could you study something inherently incomprehensible?

    Lupus''s thinking represented the average imperial mindset of the time.

    The Golden Empire people who pursued rationality and reason despised irrational thinking about mysteries and occult.

    Maronius was the same.

    [''Mana'' isn''t an unknowable force.]

    Like a proper imperial, Maronius started organizing the barbarians'' arbitrary theories.

    [''Mana'' moves according to world principles.]

    [Though I can''t explain those principles yet, they clearly exist.]

    [From now on, I''ll call it ''mystery''.]

    Maronius talked with barbarian shamans, studying the principles behind their magic.

    Based on the 101 characters barbarians used-

    Water, fire, sky, earth, light, darkness.

    He named each principle shamans experienced and struggled to express how they moved.

    Thus Maronius created the first [Maronius language].

    ...Letters that even Ian could read.

    [Carl.]

    [Haha. You know it!]

    Carl. Carl of the sky.

    One of the ''thousand magic characters'' (really 1000) Ian first learned when starting Maronius language.

    From that day, Maronius began researching how to convey his will to ''mysteries''.

    The first wizard-

    Had begun pioneering the path of wizardry through his own power.

    ---

    [1. raei: Inside Out is a disney movie! Pretty good one.]

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 Chapter 294

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    [That fellow learned some strange skills.]

    [Surprising the general doesn''t stop him.]

    Maronius poured all his time into laying the foundations of ''magic''.

    Though imperial soldiers pointed fingers saying he was learning barbarians'' wicked sorcery.

    [Bah. Leave him be.]

    [But...]

    [Though it''s a power we can''t understand, isn''t it useful? Let''s let him do as he pleases for now.]

    General Lupus skillfully calmed his subordinate.

    This was deep in the jungle called the ''Green Hell''.

    Magic proved helpful in many ways in this den where poisonous insects, diseases, ghosts and monsters ran wild.

    And wasn''t it better to rely on Maronius''s magic than barbarian shaman treatment?

    If Lupus had been a principlist, he wouldn''t have left alone a soldier learning wicked sorcery against Heaven''s Faith doctrine.

    But like most Golden Empire people, he was a rationalist who actively embraced studies that brought benefit.

    Under General Lupus''s tacit approval, Maronius experimented with magic daily, creating new letters.

    He was desperate.

    Maronius had no martial talent. He could never succeed as a soldier anyway.

    It wouldn''t be strange to be kicked out of the unit immediately.

    But with magic it was different.

    [Demius! Mosquitoes swarm every night, can you do something?]

    [Hmm... I''ll get a monster that eats mosquitoes.]

    [This fellow has a high fever.]

    [I''ll ask the shaman about treatment.]

    [Demius. When will it rain next?]

    [Probably... in about 3 days.]

    Maronius proved his worth by helping in various ways.

    While other imperial units retreated, sick of the jungle.

    Lupus''s unit alone succeeded in exploring deeper than anyone and gathering much information.

    [Truly amazing! I''d believe you were born here. How did you manage such long missions!]

    [Just luck, General.]

    Lupus''s unit received generous rewards for their mission success.

    The unit celebrated their success, gorging on bread, wine, and ham.

    [Demius! You clever bastard!]

    [Honestly we could never have succeeded without you.]

    [Sorry for calling you weird! But maybe ease up on learning barbarian magic now!]

    Praise poured from his comrades.

    Maronius felt strange emotions.

    ''Am I... being acknowledged?''

    For Maronius who''d lived as a fallen noble''s son, just helping his brother-

    His comrades'' recognition felt so sweet.

    The unit felt like home.

    Lupus and the unit members felt like family.

    [Demius. Our jungle mission is over now.]

    [...Is that so?]

    Sitting around a blazing campfire, Lupus and Maronius shared heated wine.

    Maronius looked at Lupus''s face lit by firelight.

    A warm, kind, but strong-faced man.

    ...Though just a fallen noble, he felt much more like a real father than his own who''d only made him work.

    ''General Lupus acknowledged my talent.''

    [But we''re going to the northern front.]

    [The north...]

    [You must have heard rumors? The natives on that small northern island have rich red hair.]

    [...]

    [They''re fierce too - still rebelling even 50 years after our empire conquered them.]

    Maronius had never met the ''northern island natives''.

    But he could imagine how they looked.

    ''Liria.''

    Liria''s beautiful red hair seemed to float before his eyes.

    [No. You can''t possibly understand.]

    Maronius''s soul blazed with red light of hatred.

    It was incredibly intense for a soul dead nearly a thousand years.

    [I''m a failure. A loser who made only the worst mistakes and lost everything.]

    That was the archwizard''s self-assessment.

    It was ironic.

    While countless later wizards praised him daily saying they''d never seen a greater wizard than Maronius.

    He himself judged his life a ''failure''.

    Hearing of Maronius''s desertion, Lupus immediately dispatched cavalry to catch him.

    Maronius faced military trial.

    He was sentenced to death for deserting while using heretics'' evil sorcery.

    People threw stones calling him [Demius who made a deal with devils].

    [I didn''t want to live. I thought it fine to just die.]

    But someone saved Maronius right before execution.

    General Lupus.

    [...Why did you save me?]

    The half-ruined Maronius asked.

    Lupus spoke with controlled emotion.

    [If I said it''s because I thought of you as family... that would be cunning pretense.]

    [...]

    [I highly value your talent. Your skills are like nothing anyone else in the empire can copy. I don''t want your ''magic'' to vanish from the world.]

    Lupus said.

    What he wanted from Maronius was just one thing - his magical talent.

    ...Those words were brutally honest.

    [From now on you''ll serve the imperial army as my slave.]

    [...I''ll follow your orders, General.]

    Later it was revealed.

    Both denouncing Maronius and branding him ''devil contractor''.

    And leading negotiations to extract him.

    Were all General Lupus''s work.

    When Maronius tried to leave his grasp, he whipped without hesitation.

    He truly only cared about Maronius''s talent.

    ...Even if he had to make him his slave, he wouldn''t let him go.

    #

    Afterward, Maronius served beside General Lupus, making him one of the empire''s most famous soldiers.

    [Lupus was an ambitious man.]

    He knew the empire''s roots were rotting.

    Repeated conquests and victories.

    The empire used slaves captured from conquered lands to cultivate countless crops, and the capital overflowed with cheap food imported from colonies.

    Homeland farmers suddenly competing with colonial crops fell into debt, losing the price war.

    Farmers who couldn''t pay became slaves, their land sold cheap-

    The empire losing its middle class gradually became a deformed society with only rich and extremely poor.

    The problem was that middle class had been core to imperial defense.

    While slaves increased explosively, the middle class that should become soldiers rapidly collapsed.

    When holes appeared in defense power?

    They had to hire barbarian mercenaries from abroad.

    But how could they entrust imperial lands to foreigners?

    [Lupus argued strong reforms were needed.]

    But reform was impossible.

    The imperial emperor then was Sulla, called the ''Mad Emperor''.

    He had no will to reform, just living in luxury and pleasure daily.

    Lupus, having built fame through war, planned a coup in the capital.

    Lupus''s coup succeeded.

    He killed Sulla and took the emperor''s throne himself.

    Later, Lupus granted Demius the name [Maronius].

    He had become the emperor''s wizard.

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 Chapter 295

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Time passed.

    As emperor, Lupus seemed better than Sulla.

    He opposed wealthy nobles and pushed policies to help poor commoners.

    He kept his promise to become emperor for reforms.

    But reforms ate away at Lupus''s political life.

    [Actions that create enemies.]

    Ian nodded.

    The privileged class was always conservative.

    Why bother changing the world when the present was pleasant and happy?

    Those who wanted change were always those struggling in life.

    And if reforms happened, their wealth might decrease.

    Nobles saw Lupus''s reforms as thorns in their eyes.

    They denounced Lupus as a terrible dictator who went against imperial spirit.

    So Lupus decided to raise a force to replace the existing nobles.

    [Maronius.]

    [Yes, Your Majesty.]

    [I''ll entrust you with an important task.]

    Lupus trusted Maronius.

    He had always been Maronius''s active supporter.

    Maronius followed Lupus like a father, trusting and depending on him.

    Not realizing he''d become Lupus''s puppet.

    [I''ll send people, teach them magic.]

    [...Magic, you say?]

    Maronius''s magic improved yearly.

    But it was still just beginning.

    Maronius was called ''archwizard'' not for wielding power to split mountains and shatter seas alone, but for creating magic.

    Magic back then couldn''t produce such power anyway.

    You could try, but couldn''t guarantee results.

    Maronius found Lupus''s decision strange.

    [Forgive my presumption... but magic isn''t something to teach widely.]

    [Because of Heaven''s Faith?]

    [Yes, Your Majesty.]

    Magic''s roots were barbarian shamans'' wicked techniques.

    Any learned person could find connections between ''Maronius language'' and barbarian sorcery.

    Naturally, Heaven''s Faith disliked belief in other religions.

    What if magic spread and weakened faith in Heaven''s Faith?

    Maronius knew magic''s limits himself.

    Though it could produce amazing results depending on use... it was immature and imperfect.

    Not worth opposing Heaven''s Faith to learn.

    [I''ll handle that.]

    But Lupus thought differently.

    Magic clearly had immense potential.

    Though immature as Maronius thought...

    Still enough to cause social waves.

    [But Your Majesty...]

    [I won''t hear objections. Just trust and follow me like always.]

    [...I''ll follow your orders.]

    What Lupus wanted was 100 wizards blindly loyal to him.

    He had zero intention of politically resolving noble opposition.

    Lupus was originally a soldier.

    Training 100 wizards to use as mercenaries, he wouldn''t fear noble armies attacking.

    Using wizards to crush noble armies-

    Then placing wizards in vacant positions to rule the empire.

    That was Lupus''s plan.

    Wizards would become the new noble class, useful in many ways.

    Nobles who could shoot fireballs from their hands.

    Weren''t they qualified to rule commoners?

    [Your disciples'' magic must have been impressive?]

    Ian tilted his head slightly.

    Maronius was magic''s founder. Yet killed by disciples'' magic. Was this surpassing the master?

    [The magic that killed me was original magic my disciples developed.]

    [Original magic?]

    [Pure murder spells.]

    Maronius explained.

    [They mixed death and transformation powers to create spells that were death itself. They killed countless humans to perfect the spells.]

    Ian paused.

    [The magic your disciples developed. Today it''s called ''black magic''.]

    [Ah. I see. Yes. It didn''t vanish.]

    [How could it?]

    Wanting to kill with magic might be human nature.

    Maronius being killed by black magic wasn''t surprising.

    That''s how the future archwizard died.

    ...Not very archwizard-like end.

    That was Ian''s impression.

    Just, a human death.

    #

    Did Lupus''s plan - crushing nobles with 100 magic warriors! - succeed?

    History already answered.

    The answer was ''no''.

    Lupus''s magic warriors... were fucking useless.

    Almost all wizards lost their ability to use magic within 3 years.

    ''Makes sense.''

    Magic was the process of communicating with mysteries.

    Imagine someone calls you repeatedly, whining to kill someone every time.

    Most mysteries weren''t interested in killing people.

    Why care if humans die? Humans were just part of the world, birth and death natural phenomena.

    Every meeting they only talk about their interests, even asking you to join in?

    Of course you''d cut ties.

    Mysteries quickly lost interest in wizards who only wanted murder.

    They got interested because humans appeared who could share will.

    If meeting proved boring, no reason to keep meeting.

    However, a tiny few wizards maintained their mysteries.

    Death, transformation, domination...

    Wizards applauded by mysteries that enjoyed harming others.

    And such wizards were mostly psychopaths.

    How could people who didn''t blink at killing and torturing be normal?

    They naturally fled from Lupus''s sight.

    Being socialized psychopaths, they never had loyalty anyway.

    No wonder psychopaths have advantages in pressure interviews.

    Those escaped wizards... became roots of continental black magic.

    Lupus, having ruined his ambitious plan, totally failed and faced a coup.

    The emperor who ousted Lupus faced another soldier''s coup... then someone else staged a coup...

    The Golden Empire just went to shit.

    After that, as everyone knows, collapse.

    ''Wait.''

    Ian thought.

    ''Without that bastard Lupus, seems the Golden Rule Society wouldn''t have existed.''

    Looking at it that way.

    The one who unleashed black wizards on the continent was actually the Golden Empire''s emperor?

    Even giving them thorough murder training!

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    Really was the root of all evil.

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 Chapter 296

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    After skimming through Maronius''s life, Ian paused his exploration to think.

    ''Well...''

    Thanks to all the artifacts Elia had gathered, he''d been able to examine the great wizard''s entire life, from youth to final days.

    Not in complete detail, of course - just the major events.

    After reviewing everything from start to finish, Ian realized one crucial thing.

    ''There''s nothing special here.''

    That was it.

    What Ian needed was practical magic he could use right now.

    Mysteries that only Maronius knew about, secret spells he''d never shared with others.

    But this guy...

    He''d been almost painfully transparent!

    He had zero talent for scheming or plotting - just someone who spent his whole life dedicated to research until he died.

    He truly was a great scholar, in the purest sense.

    ''I respect his academic achievements, but...''

    While Maronius was undoubtedly an incredible scholar and wizard,

    In every other way... he wasn''t much different from an ordinary person.

    Ian accepted this without disappointment.

    Perfect superhumans were rare, and there was no reason to be particularly let down that Maronius wasn''t one.

    If anything, the disappointing part was that his magic wasn''t much different from modern magic.

    ''No. It''s still too early.''

    Research into Maronius was truly a massive undertaking - one that could legitimately take a lifetime to complete.

    With enough time and resources invested, it would surely yield worthwhile results.

    The issue was that Ian had no interest in such leisurely research right now.

    He had promises to keep with both the Sky God and Ice God, so he wanted to fulfill those first before continuing his research.

    ...Looking at the current state of the empire, he wondered if there''d even be time for relaxed study.

    ''First... let''s finish the current quest.''

    Ian had made a deal with Maronius''s soul.

    In exchange for showing his memories, Ian would alter them to make them ''happier''.

    Since he hadn''t found much valuable information in Maronius''s memories themselves, he could focus on completing the quest and claiming his reward.

    [So, young scholar. Have you enjoyed my memories enough?]

    Maronius''s soul asked.

    The souls'' speech patterns varied slightly depending on their age.

    [Yes. Thank you for showing them to me.]

    [If you''re satisfied, that''s good. Now keep your promise.]

    Maronius''s souls gathered around.

    They all stared intently at Ian.

    Ian nodded lightly and said:

    [Of course. Do you have any particular developments in mind?]

    [...If needed, I''ll interject as we go.]

    An audience member wanting to jump into the show directly.

    Not Ian''s preferred type to deal with, but he allowed it.

    Since this was all a performance to satisfy Maronius anyway, he deserved that much authority.

    [Then let''s begin.]

    Ian started a new play, coordinating with Kira.

    #

    Ian became Demius.

    A young man of the Golden Empire.

    He was the same as Maronius from the memories, but with one key difference.

    "Hm? What''s wrong, Demius?"

    "..."

    There was a red-haired woman gently holding his arm.

    It was Liria.

    Demius could barely move his arm.

    The solid presence against his forearm was too distracting...

    "Are you angry?"

    "Angry? Me?"

    Demius squeezed their linked arms slightly.

    That soft sensation again.

    Demius was genuinely exasperated by Liria''s cluelessness.

    What man could possibly be angry with such a pleasant feeling at his side!

    The very question ''are you angry'' was fundamentally flawed!

    "I-I mean... I followed you here on my own. Even though you said not to."

    Liria spoke while carefully avoiding Demius''s gaze.

    It wouldn''t have been strange for Demius to be angry.

    This wasn''t the empire anymore.

    This was a distant expedition site - the middle of an infamously dangerous jungle.

    ...Recently, Demius and Liria had gotten into an argument.

    But it turned out to be a minor misunderstanding, and they quickly reconciled.

    Demius and Liria had shared their views about the future.

    Though the fight ended, Demius was a young man consumed by ambition for success.

    He had no intention of being consumed as a resource for his brother at his parents'' command.

    Especially now that he had Liria as ''family'' too?

    The audience''s gaze focused on her.

    Then Demius appears.

    Liria and Demius are lovers.

    And Demius asking for [encouragement].

    ''...!''

    Kira made her judgment quickly.

    Ian had passed the acting initiative to her.

    At this exact moment when Liria should give Demius the kind of [encouragement] only lovers can give.

    ''What should I do.''

    Kira thought.

    If it was Ian''s request... the best choice would be a warm hug.

    That would be appropriate for Kira and Ian''s relationship.

    But...

    If it was Demius''s request?

    They were lovers.

    They''d fought recently but dramatically reconciled, and promised to share their future together.

    Above all.

    Maronius''s souls were watching them.

    What kind of scene would the audience want to see?

    Kira easily reached her conclusion.

    Obviously they''d want to see something intense. No audience pays admission to see boring scenes.

    ''I need to... help Ian.''

    Ian had made a contract with Maronius''s soul.

    Since Maronius showed his memories, Ian needed to show something satisfying to the great wizard.

    Kira knew her role was extremely important.

    The character Liria was like a cheat key that moved Maronius''s heart.

    ''...This is to help Ian.''

    Kira told herself.

    A questioning echo came from deep in her heart.

    ''Really? Is that really what you think?''

    ''...Shut up.''

    Kira ignored her inner voice.

    And stepped forward.

    Demius was right in front of her.

    Yes. That was Demius.

    Not Ian.

    Liria reached out both hands to hold Demius''s cheeks.

    And then-

    Softly but intensely, she pressed her lips against his.

    A dizzying silence followed.

    [Ah...!]

    [Heavens, Liria...!]

    [Yes! That''s Liria! If it was Liria, my Liria would definitely have done that!]

    [I''m so glad I lived until now! ...Though I''m already dead!]

    Though Maronius''s souls were making a fuss,

    Kira couldn''t hear any of it.

    She just wanted to deeply feel this moment.

    Liria pulled back her lips.

    She could sense Demius''s startled gaze.

    She instinctively realized.

    ...Those were Ian''s eyes.

    The flustered Ian was so cute and lovable to her.

    The following acting wasn''t difficult because of that.

    Sweet words for her lover flowed naturally.

    "That''s my encouragement, Demius."

    "Uh... um..."

    Ian was completely thrown off.

    Kira whispered quickly.

    ''Keep going. Ian.''

    ''!''

    Ian finally came to his senses.

    Right, they were acting.

    But fuck, what''s with this kiss scene...

    Seeing Kira''s intense gaze, Ian collected himself.

    Right. Even modern actors film kiss scenes casually in movies and dramas.

    ...Acting is really fucking hard!

    Amazing! Respect to all actors!

    "Thanks, Liria. That gives me strength."

    "Be strong, Demius. Because I''m here by your side."

    ---

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 Chapter 297

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    Despite some awkward moments, Ian''s play progressed smoothly.

    ''Enough to satisfy Maronius.''

    Ian wanted Maronius to enjoy his performance and had picked out several suitable scenarios.

    But Ian''s efforts proved largely unnecessary.

    First, Maronius turned into a grinning fool whenever he saw Liria.

    [Mmm. Mmm. Just as expected.]

    [I never get tired of looking at Liria!]

    Just seeing himself (Demius) standing next to Liria seemed to make him happy.

    ...He was quite the hopeless romantic old man in many ways.

    And the second reason Maronius was easy to please:

    He had a very low threshold for entertainment.

    "Hey, stop right there! Don''t just walk in!"

    When Demius tried to join the unit.

    [?!]

    [Wait! You haven''t bonded with the unit members yet!]

    [That''s right! You''re supposed to start with grass cutting first!]

    Maronius''s spirits were shocked by Ian''s bold move.

    Starting with cutting grass, getting attacked by natives-

    Going through trials before learning magic was the proper route(?), after all!

    They were startled by his brazen charge into the unit.

    ''...Is he really this naive?''

    Ian honestly couldn''t understand Maronius''s reaction.

    He''d already seen these memories once.

    Shouldn''t he want something better this time around?

    It was something everyone had done at least once.

    When something happened to us, we stayed quiet in the moment-

    But lying in bed at home later, imagining ourselves smoothly controlling the situation and overcoming the crisis.

    But Maronius seemed a bit different from such ''normal'' people.

    He seemed to lack that kind of imaginative ability.

    "Who are you?"

    "I wish to see General Lupus."

    "What nonsense! If you don''t leave right now-"

    Ian lightly swung his staff.

    The guard''s eyes widened at his unexpectedly nimble movement.

    "You, what are you?"

    "I''m someone who studies languages. I heard the general''s having trouble with the natives. I can help solve that."

    "...If you have such business, come with proper authorization! Don''t skulk around like a thief!"

    The guard swung his spear.

    But Ian deflected it without difficulty.

    A result of medieval sword training from Belenka.

    "You bastard!"

    As Ian and the guard fought, commotion started spreading.

    "What''s going on here?"

    Soon the man in question appeared.

    ''Lupus.''

    The root of all evil. The future emperor.

    General Lupus, current leader of this jungle expedition.

    ''...Makes me want to assassinate him.''

    This was a kind of simulation world, so Ian''s gamer brain started working unnecessarily.@@@@

    In game terms, Ian was a repeat player.

    He knew that quickly dealing with Lupus would make things better for Demius''s future.

    But Ian shook his head.

    He wasn''t sure if Maronius wanted Lupus dead or not.

    Even if he did, he probably wouldn''t want him killed right now.

    After all, Maronius had complicated feelings of love and hate for him.

    "I apologize for causing a disturbance, General."

    "Hmm. I don''t recall having such a strange soldier under my command. What''s your name?"

    "Demius, sir."

    "What are you doing here?"

    "I requested to see you, General, but this soldier blocked me. He shows excellent military spirit."

    The soldier suddenly straightened up, and Lupus smiled with satisfaction.

    No one in the world disliked praise.

    When it was praise for a soldier under his command, it was certainly worth being happy about.

    True to his love of high positions, Lupus was pleased to see his subordinates working properly.

    "Poccos is indeed an excellent soldier."

    "I merely did my duty!"

    Road construction proceeded without issues, and Ian interrogated the newly acquired prisoners.

    Of course, he also obtained hints about magic in the process.

    "Demius!"

    "Liria."

    Liria ran from afar and threw herself into Demius''s embrace.

    A fresh spring-like scent came with her.

    "I heard you achieved something amazing! Oh my god, I can''t believe it!"

    "I got lucky."

    "I''m so glad I followed you! I, I really...!"

    Liria kissed him passionately.

    Ian accepted Liria''s kiss without hesitation.

    They were lovers who were comfortable with kisses like this.

    "I really love you! Demius!"

    "I love you too, Liria."

    A golden radiance seemed to shine from Liria''s happy smile.

    Ian knew this was Kira''s acting.

    That made it even more impressive.

    To perfectly act out the expression of a girl in love like that. Professionals were different.

    No wonder Maronius''s souls were entranced!

    [Maronius. Let''s stop here for today...]

    [What about next?]

    [Pardon?]

    [Next! When will you show us the next memory!]

    It wasn''t just one or two.

    All of Maronius''s souls were staring at Ian with sparkling eyes.

    Understandably so.

    This was a kind of festival.

    For spirits who''d been replaying empty memories for hundreds of years, these sweet and heart-fluttering new memories...

    ''They''re enjoying it.''

    This was excellent news for Ian.

    If Maronius was sufficiently satisfied, Ian could ask some magical questions after their contract ended.

    Feeling indebted to Ian, Maronius would gladly answer.

    [I''ll prepare as quickly as possible and return.]

    [We''ll be waiting!]

    Ian left the memory world.

    Opening his eyes, he found himself on the floor of his private research room at Imperial University.

    "Good work, Kira."

    Kira also rose groggily.

    Ian and Kira''s eyes naturally met.

    Slightly drunk with drowsiness, Kira smiled brightly and said:

    "It was nothing. You did all the hard work."

    "..."

    In that moment, Ian thought:

    Kira did look similar to Liria.

    That rose-red, captivating long hair.

    Those slender fingers and white cheeks.

    And those bright red lips.

    ...Those fingers had held his cheeks, those lips had pressed against his...

    "Ian?"

    "...Huh?"

    Ian snapped out of his reverie and answered.

    But that was just in the memory world.

    Kira was a professional.

    She wouldn''t think anything of it.

    "I''m a bit tired, so... is it okay if I head back first?"

    "Oh. Yeah. Good work."

    Kira stumbled out of Ian''s research room.

    Thud.

    As soon as she closed the door-

    Kira slumped down, hugging her knees.

    ...

    Her heart was beating wildly.

    Frighteningly so.

    ---

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 Chapter 298

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

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    As Ian explored the memory world, he picked up various types of magic.

    ''Oh.''

    Maronius was definitely a genius.

    Learning from him felt different than learning from Eredith somehow.

    The principles behind creating letters, reasons for deciding pronunciations, exact images that needed conveying - understanding the creator''s original intentions deepened Ian''s magical comprehension significantly.

    [You''ve understood the principles of magic creation!]

    [Learning efficiency increased for all future magic!]

    A learning speed buff.

    Ian already learned magic quickly through his status window, and now he had a buff on top of that.

    "Ah, Ian."

    "Master, you''re here?"

    Eredith came to Ian''s research room.

    "How''s the research going?"

    "Smoothly."

    Eredith smiled happily at the positive response.

    "That''s great. Since you''ve made progress, you can present next month."

    "Oh. Is it that time already?"

    Though Ian was conducting personal research, he still belonged to the university.

    He had an obligation to present his findings.

    "...Ian."

    Eredith spoke carefully.

    "At the next seminar... when you present your research results..."

    "Yes?"

    "I''d like you to also explain how you succeeded in your research."

    The fact that Ian was researching Maronius''s past was a secret known only to a few.

    Well, calling it a secret was a bit grand - Eredith just hadn''t told many people.

    The reason was simple.

    Research into Maronius''s soul had a long history, with many attempting the challenge.

    But results had been minimal.

    After all, he''d died an incredibly long time ago. Progress only came when related artifacts were excavated.

    But Ian was unearthing massive amounts of information at an incredible pace.

    Ian simply said he''d used the power of ''necromancy'', but...

    Hadn''t other necromancers tried the same research before?

    Countless attempts had been made to summon the great wizard''s soul.

    But only Ian had achieved proper results.

    Was it just overwhelming talent?

    Eredith couldn''t tell.

    She could have demanded an explanation from Ian directly, but she wanted her disciple to focus on his research.

    "I''ll do that."

    "Really?"

    "Of course I need to present my research process."

    Of course, some might find it hard to believe.

    Ian''s magic was... closer to divine arts than magic.

    Currently, the Sky God and Ice God - two supreme mysteries - were helping Ian''s magic.@@@@

    Until now, Ian hadn''t gone around announcing this.

    No need to draw attention unnecessarily. Plus it let him keep some of his power hidden.

    But when he presented his Maronius research records at the seminar, Ian''s magic would have to be revealed too.

    How people would receive it was another matter.

    "I see..."

    "Master?"

    Ian thought Eredith''s voice sounded strangely weak.

    "Ian. You''ll definitely do well."

    "...?"

    "You''ve always been like this since you were young. Whatever I taught you, you learned and mastered quickly. Honestly... you were much better than I was at your age." r?a?��?E?S

    "Master, why suddenly..."

    Eredith smiled at Ian as if nothing was wrong.

    ...Ian felt strange.

    This wasn''t like his master at all.

    Almost like someone about to leave...

    "Work hard on your research."

    "Yes, Master."

    Eredith left after saying those words to Ian.

    Kira kept her thoughts to herself.

    Maria began assisting with the necromancy.

    "Then, let''s begin."

    Ian and Kira continued their performance.

    #

    One surprising fact.

    Maronius didn''t particularly want to see Lupus''s downfall.

    [Why not?]

    Ian asked, genuinely not understanding.

    Lupus as a general was, well, decent enough.

    No, more than decent - he was a capable imperial general.

    You could tell just from how he recognized Maronius''s talent and actively used it.

    He could have complained about wicked heretical techniques, but he didn''t - that earned him points.

    But Emperor Lupus was different.

    He was just a crazy bastard - why want to defend that?

    [He was once my hero.]

    [...]

    [I don''t want to take his life.]

    Ian was dumbfounded but nodded anyway.

    [I''ll be considerate.]

    Ian waited for the right moment, then betrayed Lupus.

    Since he was destined to be eliminated by Lupus later anyway, he needed to cut that off early.

    Betrayed by his trusted right hand, Lupus screamed in agony.

    "Demius! Even you!"

    After ousting Lupus, Ian retired to the countryside with Liria.

    Though his father and brother grabbed his coattails and begged-

    "Oh, what?"

    "Please! Don''t leave! Demius! What will we do without you!"

    "How should I know? Figure it out yourselves."

    Ian talked back rudely to his not-father.

    But surprisingly, Maronius liked it.

    [Hell yeah! Well said!]

    This guy... might unexpectedly like exile story cliche?s?

    The retired Demius enjoyed a peaceful country life.

    Still creating magic, taking disciples.

    Making babies too...

    [We''ll skip this part.]

    [?!]

    [Don''t act disappointed.]

    Unless shot in the head, this scene wasn''t getting aired.

    Ian was a wizard, not a porn actor.

    The rest of daily life was mostly peaceful.

    Though assassins sent by nobles showed up almost daily...

    [Maronius. Stop sending assassins!]

    [Hm? You''re handling them well though?]

    [...]

    Sending more because he handled them well - he wasn''t right in the head.

    This was purely imaginary, and Maronius''s imagination played a huge part.

    Maronius thought ''Ah, someone like me in retirement would surely get assassins daily!'' and actually sent assassins to Ian every day.

    Ian blocked them all.

    [Do you hate seeing yourself living well that much?]

    [...]

    Maronius held his tongue.

    By chance... Ian had hit the nail on the head.

    [Yes.]

    [...Really?]

    [Honestly, I can''t imagine myself living well.]

    Ian sighed.

    Maronius seemed to have self-hatred.

    ---

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 Chapter 299

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    [Still thank you.]

    Maronius''s soul spoke.

    [All my life, I was trapped in my flawed past, suffering.]

    [That wasn''t your fault.]

    [Yes. I know. If we''re assigning blame, it should go to my foolish past self. But what''s the point in that?]

    Young Maronius stepped forward.

    [Thank you for saving Liria.]

    Then his soul shattered.

    As his lingering attachment to life vanished, he achieved enlightenment.

    [When you met Lupus. I liked your confident demeanor!]

    Another soul vanished.

    [Your burning passion for magic despite everything was impressive, young wizard.]

    [When you betrayed the emperor, it felt uncomfortable but... also satisfying.]

    Maronius''s souls disappeared one by one.

    After all souls vanished, only one remained.

    [If I had lived an ordinary life like you showed me. I would have been much happier.]

    The final soul said with a smile.

    [It feels like I''ve had a sweet dream, if only briefly. Thank you, Wizard Ian.]

    [I should be thanking you.]

    That wasn''t just empty words.

    While exploring Maronius''s memory world, Ian had gained a passive skill that increased his growth rate.

    Since he''d started this work hoping to gain something, he''d at least profited that much.

    [Before you leave, may I ask one question?]

    [What is it?]

    [About the ultimate goal of magic research.]

    The soul wore a puzzled expression.

    Something felt off.

    But Ian continued speaking.

    [Later wizards speculated that when your research was complete... all languages would be unified into one form. The so-called ''universal language''.]

    [Universal language?]

    The soul burst out laughing.

    [I can''t answer that part. I''m just a fragment of memories.]

    Ian slightly furrowed his brows.

    Though his necromancy was very powerful, perfectly reconstructing memories from hundreds of years ago seemed impossible.

    Actually, reconstructing memories to this extent was already incredible.

    He''d reached a realm other necromancers couldn''t even dream of.

    [However...]

    [?]

    [I''ll let you meet ''me'' directly.]

    [???]

    Ian was shocked.

    The person this soul said it would let him meet...

    Seemed to mean the real soul, not just memory fragments?!

    [Is that possible?]

    It was impossible by Ian''s common sense.

    In this medieval fantasy world, human souls belonged to the Sky God.

    Maronius''s real soul would have gone to heaven hundreds of years ago when he died.

    Wasn''t that why only memory fragments remained on earth?

    [This is your reward for all your hard work.]

    Though it defied common sense, he implied it was possible.

    From Ian''s perspective, there was nothing to lose.

    [If you''ll let me meet him... I''d be glad to.]

    [Good. Have your friends leave first. ''I'' want to talk with you alone.]

    Ian had Maria and Kira leave first.

    [Thank you for everything until now, Ian.]

    The final soul vanished.

    Soon brilliant rays of light fell from the sky.

    The light was so bright and pure that Ian unconsciously felt reverent.

    ''Is an angel falling or something?''

    The atmosphere suggested that.

    But soon the ground beneath turned white and soft like clouds, and Ian could hardly hide his bewilderment.

    It really felt like he''d ascended to heaven.

    [Your thought is correct, Ian.]

    [?!]

    [I imitated the appearance of heaven]

    A thunderous voice rang out.

    Ian looked up at the sky in shock.

    [However, I realized the completion of universal language isn''t something that can be achieved in one step.]

    [That''s...]

    [I created magic. I discovered how to communicate with mysteries that couldn''t be communicated with, and defined how to express magic through language and letters.]

    Universal language was the final stage.

    But Maronius''s magic had barely buttoned the first button.

    Because he''d found a way to share will with beings that couldn''t be talked to.

    [The next step is your turn, Ian.]

    Magic can develop further.

    So it must advance to the next stage.

    The person Maronius designated as capable of opening magic''s second door was...

    Ian himself.

    [Me...?]

    [You seem unsure.]

    Ian''s expression was complex.

    Well, it''s not like he''d sworn to dedicate his whole life to magic.

    How could he open the door to magic''s next stage?!

    [But you''ve already transcended the limits of existing magic.]

    [What?!]

    Maroniel pointed to himself with a meaningful smile.

    [Did you not complete one coherent memory by gathering my memory fragments?]

    [But that''s...]

    Ian stopped mid-sentence.

    This isn''t my magic?!

    Well, it is my magic... but it''s magic the Ice God of the North gave me as a gift for catching her drawing porn...

    [The magic to restore your memories was given by the goddess of the North.]

    Ian answered almost defensively, but Maroniel kept smiling.

    [You''re mistaken about something. Ordinary humans can''t freely handle divine gifts like you do.]

    [...?]

    [Haven''t you found it strange? Though called a gift, you use divine power you''ve never handled before however you want.]

    Ian closed his mouth.

    Of course he hadn''t found it strange!

    Because...

    Ian''s magic just had all its usage instructions written in his status window!

    [Well, I have this status window...]

    [Status window?]

    [There are these strange letters I can see...]

    Ah.

    Ian stared blankly at Maroniel.

    ...He thought he understood what Maroniel was saying.

    He belatedly remembered.

    When he met the Ice God Hrundal, they''d already had this conversation once...!

    [Hrundal said my ''status window'' isn''t something transcendent... but just magic I created.]

    [Hahaha. Yes. You already know the answer, don''t you?]

    Maroniel said.

    [Ian. You''ve already surpassed the magic I created.]

    [...]

    [You''re the first wizard to open magic''s next chapter.]

    Maroniel summoned something.

    A gem burning brilliantly with heavenly light.

    [Everything is ready, Ian.]

    Ian took the gem Maroniel held out.

    As if it had been waiting, a message appeared in his status window.

    [Dazzling celestial power! You''ve obtained the power of stars!]

    [Take it to Arno and Isil, they will absorb the power of stars themselves.]

    Maroniel fluttered his wings.

    The angel was disappearing into the heights of heaven.

    Ian silently looked up at the sky.

    [Go forth, Ian. Go forth and open a new golden age of magic.]

    The angel''s echo rang like church bells.

    [The Great One has prepared all plans for you. Meet Him. He will brightly light your path.]

    Ian slowly closed his eyes.

    "...Ian? Ian!"

    He heard Kira''s voice.

    When he came to, Ian was on the floor of his research room.

    In his hand was an unnaturally beautiful gem.

    ---

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 Chapter 300

    Chapter 300

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Ian, are you okay?"

    Kira worried about Ian''s condition.

    At first glance, something clearly wasn''t right.

    Whatever he''d seen alone, Ian sat there dazed, unable to snap out of it.

    "Let''s wait for now."

    Maria spoke calmly.

    "..."

    Though slightly anxious,

    Kira quietly waited for Ian to recover.

    And that wait proved effective.

    "Ah."

    After about five minutes, Ian came to his senses.

    "Sorry. What did you say?"

    "..."

    No, maybe he still hadn''t fully recovered.

    Worried about Ian, Kira asked:

    "Ian. What did Maronius tell you?"

    Ian''s expression went blank again.

    ''Open a golden age of magic.''

    That''s what Maronius had said.

    At first glance, it sounded like a personal wish.

    But then he''d added:

    ''The Great One has prepared plans for you.''

    Plans for Ian.

    Right. The Sky God was a divine being, might have drawn a bigger picture than mortals could imagine.

    Like reincarnating Ian into this world.

    Gifting him transcendent talent.

    ...Or sending a space-time wizard who foresaw Ian''s fate to his side.

    ''I knew this world was fantasy.''

    Ian thought.

    ''...But fuck, it''s really fantasy.''

    Meaning it was more fantasy than he''d thought.

    Soon Ian would complete Anor-lsil and meet the Sky God.

    That was probably part of the Sky God''s plan.

    ''...''

    Ian briefly considered.

    Maybe he should just quit and run.

    He''d already known this was a world with transcendent beings. In a fantasy world full of mysteries, of course there could be gods.

    But thinking about receiving attention from such divine beings...

    Honestly, it felt overwhelming.

    Because he was anxious.

    What lay at the end of fate?

    Where was life''s final destination? What awaited Ian at the journey''s end?

    Ian didn''t know, but the Sky God probably did.

    That''s why he was anxious.

    Worried he might be getting pulled into an inescapable whirlpool of misfortune.

    But soon Ian shook his head.

    ''...Don''t think such weak thoughts, Ian.''

    Running wasn''t an option.

    Where could he run from a divine being?

    Better face fate head-on.

    Complete the quest, meet the Sky God, and ask directly.

    About Ian''s mission.

    The reason he was born in this land.

    "Ian. Are you really okay?"

    Kira''s hands suddenly cupped Ian''s cheeks.

    "Yeah, I''m fi-"

    As Ian tried to remove her hands, he met Kira''s eyes.

    And felt de?ja? vu.

    This scene. Where had he seen it...?

    "..."

    "..."

    Kira was thinking the same thing.

    Right. When they were Demius and Liria, it felt like this.

    They were lovers who casually caressed each other''s cheeks...

    "My, how intimate."

    At Maria''s comment, Kira quietly stepped back.

    Her face was bright red.

    "N-no... it just became a habit..."

    Ian was about to smile and say it was fine.

    That''s when-

    "Ian! Is Professor Ian here!"

    An unfamiliar voice called from outside.

    A professor Ian wasn''t particularly close with.

    "Yes?"

    Not only was the sudden visit strange, but their tone sounded serious.

    The professor shouted without preamble:

    "Something terrible has happened!"

    "What is it!"

    Ian raised his voice too.

    But when the professor continued,

    Ian froze in place.

    "Professor Eredith has disappeared!"

    "..."

    Just now, what...

    Or they wanted to use her to draw someone out.

    If it was the latter.

    The person the black wizards were targeting was Ian.

    ''Then they''ll definitely come looking for me.''

    That was Ian''s conclusion.

    If their target was Eredith herself, his guess would be wrong.

    But if they''d taken Eredith as bait to draw Ian out, the black wizards would definitely come for him.

    Ian headed to the forest to prove his theory himself.

    "Kira."

    Ian said to Kira.

    "There might be a fight. If things get bad, run."

    "What?"

    She knew he said it out of concern for her.

    But Kira didn''t like Ian''s worry.

    "Don''t joke around, Ian. Do you seriously think I could run away alone while watching you? Really?"

    "..."

    "I''m not Liria. I''m Kira, daughter of Laventa."

    Kira gripped Ian''s hand tightly and said:

    "I''ll protect your back."

    "Kira."

    "So Ian. We definitely won''t lose. Just like we never have before!"

    Ian nodded.

    He''d fought many battles with Kira.

    Ian decided to trust in Kira''s fire magic once again.

    "Then, I''m counting on you."

    "Yes!"

    Ian walked through the forest confidently.

    He believed that if anything happened, Maria would bring Salvador and Belenka.

    And if the black wizards weren''t actually targeting Ian.

    Then nothing would happen, right?

    ''...''

    But unfortunately, Ian''s guess wasn''t wrong.

    Black wizards appeared in groups before Ian''s eyes.

    "You''ve saved us the trouble of searching, Ian."

    Ian didn''t look at the black wizards.

    There was no point since he wouldn''t recognize them anyway.

    Though he knew their faces, he wasn''t close enough to really know them.

    Ian''s guess that black wizards were hiding in the university was correct.

    "That''s my line."

    Instead, Ian looked at the black wizard whose face and name he knew.

    "Professor Demonite."

    The summoner Demonite.

    He appeared before Ian, holding Eredith captive.

    "To think Professor was a black wizard... I''m disappointed. Though our paths differed, I thought we had some things in common."

    "Disappointed, you say. The feeling''s mutual."

    As soon as Demonite finished speaking, the black wizards burst into sinister laughter.

    Immediately, Demonite made a gesture.

    Sharp thorns flew from the darkness.

    Thud!

    One laughing black wizard died, hit by the thorns.

    The black wizards all dropped to their knees.

    "Please forgive our rudeness."

    But Demonite didn''t stop.

    He kept gesturing.

    Dozens of thorns began raining down like arrows.

    "W-wait a minute...!"

    "This is too much!"

    The panicked black wizards belatedly scattered in all directions, casting their magic.

    "???"

    Ian doubted what he was seeing.

    "Ian."

    "Y-yes?!"

    "Didn''t you receive any message from Miss Belenka or Professor Inglan?"

    I didn''t hear anything?!

    Well... the first person he met after waking up was that strange professor!

    "I only met Professor Peron!"

    "Tsk. So that person was a black wizard''s pawn too."

    "???"

    Right then.

    Eredith freed herself from her bonds and shouted at Ian:

    "Ian! I''ll explain later! First attack the black wizards!"

    What the hell...

    At the same time, desperate screams erupted from the dark forest.

    "Y-you...! Demonite!"

    "You bastard! Are you betraying us?!"

    Demonite let out a sinister laugh rivaling the black wizards and shouted:

    "Well now. I was never on your side to begin with, was I?"

    "!"

    Finally things started making sense.

    Ian stared at Demonite in disbelief.

    Professor Demonite, the summoning teacher.

    He was a double agent - working for the university while being part of the black wizards'' secret society.

    ---

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 Chapter 301

    Chapter 301

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian assessed the situation.

    Eredith hadn''t been kidnapped by the black wizards.

    She''d been ''pretending'' to be kidnapped.

    How was that possible?

    Thanks to Demonite''s existence.

    "Damn it, kill them all!"

    "Wait! If we touch that black-haired wizard...!"

    "Who cares! We need to survive first!"

    The black wizards'' shouts rang out.

    Ian''s task was clear.

    Wipe out all hostile wizards!

    "[Flames! Ignite!]"

    A black wizard cast fire magic.

    Fire magic was always effective on the battlefield.

    Its killing power was the highest among all elemental magic.

    But not this time.

    Ian''s side had two excellent fire wizards.

    "[Burn right there!]"

    "?!"

    The moment the black wizard used fire magic, Eredith jumped in with perfect timing.

    She made the flames they summoned burn fiercely in place.

    [Hahaha! Good! Good! Burn everything!]

    The mystery of fire was destructive by nature.

    Flames couldn''t exist without burning something.

    To cast fire magic, fire wizards had to distinguish between what to burn and what not to burn...

    Distinguishing ''what not to burn'' caused great stress to the mystery of fire.

    Fire was an arsonist that wanted to burn everything indiscriminately!

    Eredith exploited this nature of fire.

    Bang!

    A massive explosion occurred with a blinding flash.

    The black wizard preparing fire magic was consumed by flames.

    Eredith snapped her fingers and shouted:

    "Ha! You''ve seen the end of fire magic!"

    Kira smiled slightly watching Eredith.

    That was a terrible inside joke only fire wizards understood.

    Q: Know what the end of fire magic is?

    A: Becoming the flame yourself!

    Since he became a flame himself, you could say he saw fire magic''s end.

    Ian shook his head watching the two fire wizards.

    These fire wizards were seriously insane.

    Making jokes about burning to death!

    "I''ll kill you!"

    Other black wizards attempted transformation.

    "Awoooooo~!"

    The magic the black wizards chose was werewolf transformation.

    An incredible magic that granted the body of a beast.

    "Wow! Furry!"

    "???"

    Usually, transformation magic was visually terrifying.

    How could seeing someone shed their human form not be scary!

    Especially for Heaven''s Faith believers who thought heaven gave souls and earth gave bodies, transformation magic seemed even more terrifying and evil.

    But Ian was unimpressed by transformation magic.

    Werewolf transformation? Just common furries, right?

    Besides, Ian had met real werewolves before.

    Werewolf transformation was much better than black wizard Karenne''s magic.

    Karenne did spider-human transformation - visuals so shocking they''d make an arachnophobic faint on the spot.

    "Are you mocking us!"

    "Arrogant bastard! Die!"

    The werewolves, taking Ian''s exclamation as provocation(?), all leaped at him.

    "Ian!"

    Eredith shouted in shock.

    Wizards were strong when completing magic, but otherwise just humans with rich vocabulary.

    Unless knights took the vanguard, even excellent wizards could be in danger at close range like this.

    "Said we''d just clear out the underlings first, fight later."

    "That was the plan..."

    Things went slightly off track when Ian jumped in.

    The rest was easy to guess.

    "Seems the black wizards'' pawns contacted us before Miss Belenka could."

    Around when Demonite said that.

    "Ian!"

    Belenka and Maria arrived late.

    Though the situation was already over.

    "Instead of standing around here, let''s go to the restaurant for some warm wine."

    "Now that''s what I like to hear."

    Eredith suggested.

    Ian''s group moved to a nearby tavern.

    #

    With people gathering from here and there, the numbers were quite large.

    Not just Ian, Kira, and Maria-

    But Eredith and Demonite, Salvador and Belenka too.

    It was hard to believe this small group had dealt with dozens of black wizards.

    "??? Why are you here?"

    "How rude. I''m also partly a university scholar, such a respected-"

    "Grave robber?"

    "..."

    Professor Inglan grumbled quietly.

    Ian, that sneaky bastard. Using cheat keys like that!

    Though it wasn''t clear why Inglan had joined the drinking party.

    "What exactly happened, Master?"

    Ian asked while sipping warm wine.

    Having woken up right after meeting an angel and jumping into battle, his head was spinning.

    "Sorry I couldn''t tell you beforehand, Ian."

    Eredith explained calmly.

    As Ian guessed, after Elia''s attack, Eredith focused on searching for black wizards within the university.

    And found some evidence.

    ...Evidence that Demonite regularly contacted black wizards of the [Golden Rule Society].

    Eredith immediately reported the situation to Professor Inglan.

    Then Inglan said:

    ''Ah. Professor Demonite is a cleric from the Relief Monastery.''

    ''???''

    ''He infiltrated the Golden Rule Society on the abbot''s orders.''

    Ian almost grabbed Inglan''s collar.

    "What! You knew everything?!"

    "Yes... it was my burden to bear..."

    As already known, the university originated from a monastery.

    It became a university as people seeking knowledge gathered at the monastery.

    And Demonite originally came from the monastery.

    "I received a request from the abbot to infiltrate and scout their formation while pretending to be a black wizard."

    "What an incredible mission!"

    Inglan laughed happily.

    Belenka asked with interested eyes:

    "Weren''t you suspected?"

    Demonite shrugged.

    "Well. After I killed a few from the start, they all thought I was just a wizard blinded by success."

    "..."

    Ian nodded.

    That was just like him.

    Not being suspected because he kept killing people.

    He looked exactly like a black wizard!

    "I was tasked by Antios, the ''Regent'' leading the Golden Rule Society, with monitoring inside the university."

    "Monitoring the university?"

    Demonite pointed at Ian.

    "More precisely, I was tasked with monitoring you, Ian."

    ---

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 Chapter 302

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Monitor me?"

    Ian scowled.

    These black wizard bastards. What grudge did they have to monitor Ian who was holed up in the university?

    All Ian had done was...

    Ruin Celestial Wizard Bertholdt''s necromancy plan, interfere with Karenne''s wizard assassination operation, and drive out Regent Antios and the black dragon Predius?

    He barely even clashed with them?

    "..."

    At Ian''s explanation, not just Eredith but Inglan and Demonite too wore dumbfounded expressions.

    "Were you planning to take down the Golden Rule Society alone?"

    "No, I just ran into them on the road?"

    "...To think you''d mess with all the black wizard executives alone. Incredibly reckless."

    When Demonite stared at Ian with shocked eyes, Ian felt strangely wronged.

    Hey, you infiltrated the black wizard organization as a spy!

    I fought much more fairly than you!

    Really, I only fought who I met on the road!

    "Reckless? That''s rich coming from you, Professor."

    "Not at all, Ian. You''re the most... extreme wizard I know."

    "??? That''s what I should be saying?!"

    Demonite and Ian shook their heads looking at each other.

    Sigh. To think such an extreme wizard exists...!

    Really someone they didn''t want anything to do with!

    Ian''s shock was certainly understandable.

    Demonite had infiltrated the Golden Rule Society alone, successfully acting(...) like a black wizard without raising any suspicion.

    The Golden Rule Society''s black wizards were completely fooled, showing Demonite''s acting skills.

    While spying on the Society''s plans, he contacted every black wizard hiding in the university.

    When black wizard Pals attacked, Demonite had promised to support him.

    Of course, he betrayed and killed him instead.

    Demonite had planned to eliminate all hidden black wizards the same way.

    He staged the ''Eredith kidnapping incident'' to draw them out.

    Originally he planned to fight with help from other wizards and Sir Salvador...

    But Ian moved earlier than expected, forcing him to switch to Plan B.

    "Professor Eredith was excellent bait."

    "...Why''s that?"

    "Because she''s someone you care about. Precious people make effective bait."

    Ian looked at Demonite with suspicious eyes.

    How could he say such things so casually while claiming not to be a real black wizard?!

    "Regent Antios... wants to meet you."

    Ian sighed.

    Seems he''d made quite a few enemies among black wizards.

    The Golden Rule Society''s leader wanted to meet him, after all.

    "He seems to want you to join the Society."

    "??? Me join the Society?"

    Demonite shrugged.

    "He thinks you''re a wizard who directly inherited the ancient Golden Empire."

    "Why?"

    "Black hair and black eyes. Features of Golden Empire people."

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    The reason they wanted him to join was... just his looks? Seriously?

    Ian waited for Demonite to add something more, but that was it.

    It really was just because of his appearance.

    Ian was certain.

    Regent Antios.

    That guy was insane.

    Just how much did he love the Golden Empire?

    "One more thing everyone should know."

    All eyes focused on Demonite.

    "Evidence suggests the Golden Rule Society is manipulating the southern war from behind."

    "...?"

    Questions appeared on everyone''s faces.

    Demonite spoke with conviction:

    "The ones who started this war are the Golden Rule Society."

    #

    Ian couldn''t understand how that was possible.

    The Golden Rule Society... they weren''t that impressive, right?

    He''d met them several times and beaten them all. That''s why he could think that.

    But that only applied to Ian.

    For ordinary humans and nobles, black wizards were extremely dangerous.

    Black wizards would use any means necessary for success.

    Bertholdt used necromancy to control corpses, Karenne set deadly traps with powerful transformation magic.

    Antios even commanded a dragon.

    Any of their magic would be tremendously powerful in normal situations.

    "I''m going to inform the Papacy about this."

    "Why the Papacy specifically?"

    Ian smirked.

    Actually, Ian would present alone - the others were just showing their faces.

    Since they''d helped with his research.

    "L-let''s go! Ian!"

    "Yeah. Let''s head up."

    Ian went up to the seminar hall.

    Countless wizards packed the seats tightly.

    ...Completely different from his dark magic presentation when people left to eat.

    Understandably so.

    The subject of Ian''s research presentation this time was...

    None other than research on Archwizard Maronius''s soul.

    Archwizard Maronius!

    Magic that stirred every wizard''s heart, filled with romance.

    "Hello everyone."

    Ian''s voice filled the seminar hall.

    Without trembling or hesitation.

    Ian was a complete wizard-

    Here to share his magical achievements with others.

    "I am Ian, Eredith''s disciple."

    "Ian Eredith Raven!"

    "Hero of Talian! Dragon Slayer!"

    Someone screamed.

    Laughter erupted here and there.

    The presentation started with quite a soft atmosphere.

    "Before beginning, I''ll demonstrate one magic for you all."

    "Oh!"

    "Magic demonstration!"

    People wore excited expressions.

    Magic demonstrations were rare sights only seen at magic department seminars.

    Naturally, wizards loved watching others'' magic too.

    Magic was always an exciting spectacle!

    Ian stared ahead.

    [Choose magic skill to use.]

    [1. Spear of Flame]

    [2. Lightning Spear]

    [3. Hrundal''s Blessing]

    ...

    Ian chose [Lightning Spear] without hesitation.

    "Huh?"

    "What''s he doing?"

    The wizards waiting for Ian''s incantation tilted their heads briefly.

    He said he''d use magic, but why was he keeping his mouth shut?

    But right then.

    "L-look there!"

    "??? What is that?!"

    When lightning began flickering in Ian''s grasp...

    All wizards at the seminar panicked.

    "L-lightning?!"

    "But... how?"

    No incantation.

    No mystery.

    But lightning definitely ''existed'' in Ian''s grasp.

    It was a phenomenon impossible to explain with existing magical common sense.

    Crackle!

    Ian threw the sparking lightning spear toward the forest.

    BOOM!

    Thunder roared with a blinding flash.

    Undeniably, unmistakably lightning magic...!

    A silence like cold water being poured fell.

    No one.

    Not a single wizard understood how Ian had grabbed and thrown lightning.

    No Maronius language, no mystery.

    Then could this even be called magic?

    That''s when Ian spoke again.

    "Everyone."

    "..."

    "This is magic."

    Ian declared.

    In that moment, it was as good as defined.

    Though completely different from existing magic...

    This was magic.

    ---

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 Chapter 303

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Eredith knew Ian''s magic was strange.

    ''Ian is walking his own path.''

    Eredith had gathered diverse knowledge wandering the continent.

    It wasn''t for nothing that Ian called her the Wikipedia wizard.

    At first, Eredith thought Ian''s magic was northern shamans'' Arcana magic.

    ''Magic without using Maronius language.''

    Northern magic, preserving the primal mysteries intact, was closer to faith and prayer than systematic magic.

    In Ian''s words, Arcana magic was ''RNG bullshit magic''.

    RNG bullshit magic. Where had she heard that before?

    Right. It had the same nature as priests'' holy magic.

    Holy magic also worked by offering sacred pleas and receiving corresponding answers from great heaven.

    Arcana was RNG. Holy magic was RNG.

    Then what was the common point between these magics?

    The power''s source was divine beings.

    The god governing Arcana magic was the northern Ice God Hrundal.

    The god managing holy magic was Heaven''s Faith''s Sky God.

    In other words, both magics were divine power rather than human power.

    ''But...''

    Eredith had watched Ian''s strange magic several times.

    When clashing with the black dragon Predius, Ian used magic unlike anything Eredith had seen before.

    She''d thought it was just Arcana magic then...

    ''It''s different from Arcana.''

    Ian''s magic was different from any magic Eredith knew.

    The same conclusion came no matter how many times she thought about it.

    Then what exactly was Ian''s magic?

    ''...Created magic.''

    Eredith carefully reached her conclusion.

    Unique magic where existing rules didn''t apply.

    It could only be seen as magic Ian had created.

    This was completely different from modifying Maronius language.

    It was an entirely new system of magic, fundamentally different from its roots.

    Was that possible?

    Of course it was.

    Maronius had created magic by weaving language.

    There was no law saying Ian couldn''t create new magic.

    "What in the world...?"

    "Professor Ian! What kind of trick is this!"

    The seminar was full of accomplished wizards.

    Unless they were blind, they couldn''t miss Ian''s magic.

    Eredith waited for her disciple''s presentation, seized by strange anticipation.

    Her heart pounded.

    Though he was certainly the child she''d taught and raised...

    Now she was in the position of being curious about Ian''s magic.

    For her who always craved new magic, what could be more joyful!

    "You all probably know I''ve been researching Maronius''s memories."

    When Ian opened his mouth-

    The surroundings went quiet as if water had been poured.

    Everyone stared at Ian.

    Their eyes shone as if not wanting to miss a single word.

    "Though I gained much knowledge from his memories..."

    Ian spoke while looking straight ahead.

    "He advised me thus."

    "...Advice?"

    "Magic must evolve, and now is the time to advance to the next stage."

    "..."

    It wasn''t easily understandable content.

    Someone asked:

    "Did Maronius himself teach you magic?!"

    Ian answered:

    "No. He only showed me magic''s background and creation process."

    "T-then! That magic just now...!"

    "This is magic bestowed by a pagan god while traveling the north."

    Some priests wore shocked expressions.

    Though wizards were indifferent to religion, learning pagan magic!

    "Brother Ian! No matter what, that''s...!"

    "My presentation isn''t over yet, Brother."

    "..."

    When Ian spoke gently, the priest closed his mouth.

    Ian was right.

    #

    For days, Ian spent busy days.

    Starting with visitors (fucking many) asking about his demonstrated magic, having magic discussions with Eredith and Inglan, and having Arno and Isil absorb the star gem.

    [Goal: Create true Anor-lsil]

    [Gather all items below to draw out Anor-lsil''s power.]

    [1. Something containing sky''s power]

    [2. Something containing cloud''s power] - Achieved!

    [3. Something containing wind''s power] - Achieved!

    [4. Something containing star''s power] - Achieved!

    [5. Something containing sun''s power]

    [6. Something containing moon''s power]

    [When true Anor-lsil is complete, the Worship the Sky! challenge begins.]

    ''Hrundal promised to give one...''

    Hrundal promised to gift something containing sky''s power.

    What remained were treasures containing sun and moon''s power.

    "Arno. Isil. Can you tell which direction?"

    [Hmm... South! We need to go south!]

    [I-I think south is good too...]

    Anor-lsil''s power grew stronger.

    Now it could guide them to the next destination for its own completion.

    If he collected two more treasures in the south.

    Ian could meet the Sky God.

    ''...I''m reincarnated.''

    Ian wasn''t medieval.

    He was reincarnated, with a different mindset from others.

    Why he reincarnated into this medieval fantasy world - he still didn''t know.

    But meeting the god-

    Would resolve one of Ian''s long-standing questions.

    ''The south next?''

    Now rumors had spread everywhere, so Ian knew the south was a battlefield.

    But Ian chose to head south.

    Not only was his goal in the south...

    The black wizard movements Demonite revealed were quite suspicious.

    He knew they were plotting something strange.

    But this time they''re messing with the Emperor?

    If by chance the empire fell to black wizards, it would be very troublesome for Ian.

    That needed preventing.

    ''Should prepare to leave soon.''

    He''d finished enough theoretical study.

    He''d gained the magic learning speed bonus from Maronius''s memory world.

    Now Ian needed more experience.

    Ian briefly imagined his travel course.

    First go to Talian to greet Lucy.

    Then head south along the river!

    ''Good.''

    The sun had set and everywhere was dark.

    But Ian casually went for a walk.

    Darkness was no obstacle to a dark wizard.

    "Sob... sniff...!"

    "?"

    But right after going out for a walk, he heard a strange sound outside.

    Checking what it was-

    "...?"

    Ian was taken aback.

    A woman was crouched crying in the grass.

    "Kira?"

    It was none other than Kira.

    Kira belatedly noticed Ian and jumped in shock.

    "I-Ian?!"

    Tear tracks remained on her face.

    ''...Why am I thinking of Liria?''

    Seeing Kira''s tears, Ian felt an indescribable unpleasantness.

    Ian immediately grabbed Kira''s wrist.

    "Ian!"

    "Come on. Tell me what''s wrong inside."

    Kira was helplessly pulled along by Ian to his room.

    ---

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    Click here!

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''Ian is leaving.''

    Kira found herself lost in thought more often lately.

    While walking, while eating.

    Suddenly. Ian''s face would appear like a lie.

    She''d always liked Ian.

    But if her previous affection was closer to admiration for a great colleague, lately her feelings were... closer to romantic interest.

    ''Ian is an incredible wizard.''

    She''d always thought so, and now had confirmation.

    Ian was indeed a genius.

    Exploring Maronius''s memory world, Ian gained much knowledge.

    She didn''t know what advice he received from Maronius.

    But Ian seemed like someone who''d decided his path.

    His revealing his magic at the seminar showed that.

    ''But... what am I?''

    Kira blankly stared at the sky.

    Though Ian had become much better than when they first met.

    She remained at a standstill.

    Con artist. Liar. A woman inflated by pretense with no substance-

    Yet she was the woman standing closest to Ian.

    The memory world might have been a place of learning for Ian.

    But Kira gained no magical inspiration despite peeking at the great wizard''s memories.

    She was distracted by romance.

    Specifically, she was absorbed in ''playing romance'' with Ian acting as Demius while she acted as Liria.

    Kira knew well how Maronius loved Liria.

    Making excuses about helping Ian, she tried her hardest beyond what was necessary.

    ...Yes. They were excuses.

    Kira didn''t care about the great wizard''s memories.

    She was just happy and enjoying the pseudo-romance with Ian.

    But all things must end.

    The memory world exploration ended, and Ian was setting out on his own path.

    Ian would travel further away.

    And she would be left behind alone.

    "Kira? Have you heard?"

    "...Hmm?"

    "Ian. They say he''s leaving the university."

    Kira nodded mechanically.

    It was time.

    Not surprising since she''d expected it.

    Just a little sad.

    "They say he''s stopping by Talian first."

    "..."

    "Kira."

    Maria quietly stared at Kira.

    Her eyes held a deep, quiet, but unknowable power.

    "If you go to Talian like this, the Count might notice your feelings. No, she definitely will."

    "...My feelings?"

    Kira clenched and unclenched her fist.

    Though she wanted to ignore it, the moment she couldn''t ignore any longer had arrived.

    To continue traveling with Ian...

    She had to face Lucy Talian.

    When she met Count Talian, could Kira explain her feelings well?

    Should she hide them instead?

    Reassure them that she and Ian were nothing, just colleagues, and could continue as before?

    Kira was confident.

    Deceiving others and acting emotions was her specialty.

    But...

    Would that really be right?

    She had an urge to change her false self. It was a very old urge that had existed since she started making her name as a fake wizard.

    Using lies and acting, she could avoid uncomfortable situations.

    But then Kira would remain a liar again.

    "Convincing Count Talian will be extremely difficult. It''s scary too."

    "..."

    "But I''m always supporting you."

    Maria gently embraced Kira.

    At that moment.

    Kira roughly pushed Maria away.

    ...Maria''s eyes were smiling.

    "I think I understand why Ian says you give him chills."

    "Hehe. My impression isn''t the best."

    "Speak plainly, Maria."

    Kira glared at Maria with cold eyes.

    "Since coming to university, you''ve been constantly pushing me. To confess... to Ian. Right?"

    "Yes. I won''t deny it."

    Maria smiled.

    It was that creepy smile unsuited to her age that made Ian panic.

    "But from a third party''s perspective, you''re incredibly frustrating."

    "...What?"

    "If I were in your position. If such luck fell into my hands, I wouldn''t think twice before running to Ian."

    "You...!"

    "Didn''t I say before? I love Ian. Not respect - in an erotic sense. Hehe..."

    She had said it.

    She wanted to forget because it was so shocking, but she still remembered.

    To be able to say "I like him" so openly.

    ...Maria was the strangest woman Kira knew.

    "I''ll handle my own business!"

    "Yes. I''m sure you will."

    Kira glared sharply at Maria.

    Surprisingly, Maria stared back with her smile gone.

    "Tell me. Why are you trying to match me with Ian? If I get closer to Ian... isn''t that bad for you?"

    Kira made an extremely sensible statement.

    Within her common sense and moral framework, it was so obvious that asking felt foolish.

    If Kira started dating Ian, wouldn''t that disadvantage Maria?

    Maria said herself that she liked Ian!

    "If you want, I''ll answer."

    Maria spoke in a slow tone.

    "First, you said your getting closer to Ian would reduce my chances... but it''s actually the opposite."

    "The opposite...?"

    "Yes. If you start dating Ian, my chances increase too."

    Kira was too dumbfounded to continue speaking.

    No, does she have any common sense?!

    But hearing Maria''s explanation, Kira soon got chills.

    "I have virtually no chance of dating Ian anyway."

    "..."

    Objectively, that was admissible.

    Ian already had Count Talian as his lover, and whether Kira would be added was uncertain.

    There was no way attention would turn to Maria.

    "The current Ian values loyalty to Count Talian."

    "That''s natural for lovers..."

    "Yes. It is natural. But if there are two lovers. Would that weight remain the same?"

    "..."

    Kira instantly understood what Maria meant.

    In short, it was the ''first is hardest'' strategy.

    When a man has one girlfriend, getting a new woman makes him inhuman scum...

    But when he already has two girlfriends, it''s easier to be forgiven for bringing a third!

    That was why Maria strangely pushed Kira.

    If Kira took the hit(?) and got scolded(?) by Lucy first...!

    The third girlfriend position would be relatively easier to get!

    "Are you insane?!"

    Kira screamed at Maria''s unparalleled way of thinking.

    But Maria was calm.

    "I''d rather ask you."

    "W-what..."

    "If only one woman can sit beside Ian. Do you really think that would be you?"

    "...!"

    Kira trembled pale-faced.

    That was the question she''d been agonizing over until just now.

    And the answer was already clear.

    The answer was ''no''.

    If truly only one woman could sit beside Ian-

    It should be someone more beautiful, noble, commanding vast lands and many subjects than her.

    Coldly speaking, even Count Talian wasn''t perfectly suited for Ian.

    Lucy, Kira, Maria. All failed.

    So Maria smiled.

    "If no one can monopolize Ian, I think we should share him among ourselves. Hehe. That way when a woman who can truly steal Ian''s heart appears later, we can drive her away, right?"

    "..."

    It was an unparalleled mindset.

    Preparing to establish territory early to deal with when a woman truly suited for Ian appears!

    "T-that''s... insane..."

    "Yes. Then drop out."

    "!"

    "Honestly, I had hopes for you. I thought you truly loved Ian. But maybe bringing in Belenka would be more promising."

    Kira was too shocked and scared to speak at Maria''s plan to share(?) Ian with others.

    Should she tell Count Talian! Lucy Talian everything?

    ...But then Maria would tell everything Kira did with Ian at university.

    Kira getting hurt didn''t scare her.

    But seeing Ian suffer... she absolutely didn''t want that.

    ''What... should I...''

    Kira fled the place.

    No matter how much she thought, no answer came.

    She hated and pitied herself who could neither approach nor leave Ian.

    "Sob... sniff...!"

    Unable to sort out her feelings, Kira burst into tears alone.

    It felt like her heart might settle after crying a bit.

    Right then.

    "Kira?"

    "I-Ian?!"

    Kira ran into Ian out for a walk.

    "Ian!"

    "Come on. Tell me what''s wrong inside."

    That''s how Kira ended up caught by Ian.

    #

    "Tell me. What''s wrong?"

    "..."

    "Did someone bully you?"

    "N-no! Absolutely not!"

    Though Maria''s face flashed through her mind.

    For now Kira denied it.

    ''W-what should I do...''

    Just the two of them alone.

    No one could hear their voices.

    ...Maybe it was the perfect chance.

    Even without Maria saying it, Kira knew.

    If she didn''t move forward, she''d stay in place forever.

    "Ian."

    "Yeah?"

    Kira hesitated briefly.

    Her face reddened and her gaze kept dropping.

    Her heart felt like it would burst.

    ---

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 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Kira paused for a moment.

    An awkward yet warm atmosphere hung in the air.

    Ian sheepishly scratched his cheek.

    ''What''s with her... again.''

    He thought he''d rarely seen Kira act this awkward before.

    But as he breathed in the gentle air floating through the room, Ian felt a strange sense of de?ja? vu.

    Though Ian thought he didn''t know this feeling-

    That was just his misconception.

    In truth, Ian had experienced this atmosphere several times before.

    He simply hadn''t noticed because the mood was always bright and free, and he was too absorbed in his research topics.

    ''Kira.''

    Ian looked down at the red-haired young woman.

    Her shoulders were narrow, her face delicate, and her cheeks flushed as red as her lips.

    ...Yes.

    Very occasionally, Kira-

    Couldn''t hide such a shy expression in front of Ian.

    No. "Shy" might be too light a term.

    That was probably...

    ...the expression of a girl in love.

    Just a casual observation.

    Ian wasn''t a girl and couldn''t understand the emotions of a girl in love.

    But Ian knew another young woman who made such tender expressions.

    Lucy, the Countess of Talian.

    Just once.

    When he spoke with Lucy alone in Talian Hall-

    Ian had seen that same expression.

    ''Kira is.''

    Ian gazed at Kira.

    She still couldn''t look him directly in the face.

    ''Perhaps.''

    An instinctive realization hit him.

    Not through any other sense, but animal instinct whispered to Ian:

    ...This woman sees you as her mate.

    ''Does she... like me?''

    Finally, Kira met Ian''s eyes.

    She lightly bit her lip.

    She too had instinctively sensed what thoughts were crossing Ian''s mind.

    Just now, he''d caught onto her true feelings.

    ''Ah.''

    Anyone who wasn''t a fool could understand.

    Acting this awkward, wearing such an anxious expression that clouded the room''s atmosphere - anyone would notice.

    ''He... found out.''

    It was over.

    Kira felt an odd sense of relief.

    Though a crucial decision that could shake her fate and future lay before her, relief came before tension.

    She couldn''t help it.

    Kira had suffered for far too long.

    The inevitable catastrophe felt almost like sanctuary.

    A sweet rest, like a gift bestowed on her past self who had struggled so much.

    "Ian. The reason I was crying was..."

    "..."

    "I had something to confess to you, but... I couldn''t find the courage."

    Kira spoke in a much more relaxed voice.

    Ian gently closed and opened his eyes.

    ...He never directly met Kira''s gaze again.

    "What was it?"

    "Just..."

    Kira wasn''t a space-time wizard.

    But strangely, she felt she could predict the future.

    Her connection with Ian...

    Would end tonight.

    "I like you, Ian."

    "..."

    "I love you."

    Kira smiled.

    It had been such a simple thing. How much time had she spent suffering, unable to do this easy thing?

    Ian smiled too.

    But unlike his usual smile, this one was somewhat hollow and bitter.

    "Doesn''t seem worth crying over?"

    "You don''t know how much I agonized over this."

    Everything was over.

    Like a bird hatched from its egg can never return to it...

    A person who steps into the future can never go back to the past.

    That fact pierced Kira''s heart with sorrow.

    "How much, how much I thought about it, over and over..."

    "...Kira."

    "So many times...! So many times doubting, looking back, thinking it through again and again...!"

    Kira couldn''t contain her rising voice.

    The reason was simple.

    She was afraid.

    Unbearably afraid of the future she predicted drawing closer.

    Though she''d sworn never to show tears to Ian.

    Her cheeks were already wet with fallen tears.

    "...I can''t help loving you..."

    "..."

    "Your smile. Your profile riding a horse, your hair swaying in the wind...!"

    "When you''re absorbed in magic, when you taught me magic with such joy!"

    "When you casually joked around, always laughing and chatting happily!"

    "That journey where we faced morning dew at dawn and saw rainbows in the morning, all that time spent with you...!"

    Kira spoke through her tears.

    "I want it all to be mine...!"

    After that, Kira quietly sobbed.

    She spoke no more.

    She likely had nothing left to say.

    Kira had burned everything she had.

    Burned it pure white, leaving no regrets.

    "Honestly... well."

    Ian carefully chose his words. Fortunately, this was something he was used to.

    A proper wizard should mind their choice of words, after all.

    "I''m shocked."

    "..."

    "It''s the first time someone''s told me they like me this way."

    "...First? What about Countess Talian?"

    "Lucy was more indirect about it. She''s nobility after all."

    "How... noble of her."

    Kira''s voice rose slightly with a hint of sulking.

    Since I''m not nobility, I don''t know how to be indirect!

    "I think you''re a wonderful woman too, Kira."

    "..."

    Don''t call me wonderful.

    Say you like me.

    Please.

    "If... I''d met you a bit earlier. Well. I definitely would have fallen for you, Kira."

    "...I see."

    Kira nodded.

    And was slightly surprised at how little her emotions stirred.

    It made sense though.

    This was the ending she''d expected.

    It was completely logical.

    What would change by confessing to a man who already had a girlfriend?

    It would just... make things awkward.

    Ian spoke with what sounded like a sigh.

    "I''m sorry. With Lucy here, I can''t bring myself to ask you to be with me."

    "I understand. I expected this."

    Thud. The conversation ended.

    "I''ll head back first. Good night, Ian."

    "Yeah. You too."

    Kira closed the door.

    Firmly and solidly, as if it would never open again.

    ---

    For the first time in a while, Ian had trouble sleeping.

    He was usually a good sleeper.

    So good at falling asleep that he wouldn''t even notice the mystery of darkness frolicking nearby.

    "Hmm..."

    Life really fucking sucks.

    He tried reading but couldn''t focus at all.

    Ian went out for an aimless walk.

    "Seriously..."

    Ian recalled last night''s events.

    And couldn''t believe it.

    Okay sure, he was reincarnated into another world, that''s true.

    But what the hell is this?!

    Getting confessed to by multiple women? Are you fucking kidding?!

    He wasn''t some harem web novel protagonist.

    Why was this happening to him!

    "Haah..."

    In his past life, when soap opera-level relationship drama happened at university, he was the one munching popcorn going "Tsk tsk, those promiscuous socialites, what do you expect!"

    Ian was a pure love advocate then and now, and wasn''t in a position to understand such drama.

    Wasn''t this kind of thing the result of not handling your own business properly???

    He''d thought it happened because people gave mixed signals and messed around with multiple people.

    But now that he found himself in such a situation, it made him reflect.

    ...Had he been flirting a lot with Kira?!

    He didn''t think so!

    "..."

    Come to think of it, pretending to be lovers while exploring the memory world probably played a big part.

    For several days, even Ian had seen Kira as a "woman."

    ''Honestly. Really honestly.''

    Ian thought while crossing his arms.

    ''Isn''t Kira pretty?''

    The answer was obvious.

    Kira just had the misfortune of being born in the wrong era and becoming a wandering con artist - if she''d been born in modern times, she would''ve been a top star that average men couldn''t even dream of approaching.

    She was just naturally overflowing with charm and beauty.

    The reason Ian had such useless thoughts was simple.

    Being truly honest...

    He did like Kira too.

    Pretty, good personality, they had a lot in common. How could he not like her?

    He just respected her as a traveling companion and didn''t approach her romantically since he had a girlfriend.

    ''Hmm. I''m trash.''

    Ian thought with a slight smile.

    So what. He likes Kira too. What''s he going to do about it?

    Dump Lucy and switch to Kira?

    That would go against Ian''s pure love aesthetics(?).

    ''How did those socialites handle situations like this.''

    Ian started thinking ''When I wasn''t popular with women I couldn''t even have these worries~! So lucky lucky~!'' but stopped because he felt like a complete lunatic.

    Lucky my ass.

    "Oh my, brother."

    Just then, Maria approached Ian as she passed by.

    She was wearing a nun''s habit, probably coming back from her part-time job(?).

    "Your face is full of worries. Are you alright?"

    Her outfit was a nun''s habit, but her lines were cult-like.

    Not wanting to spread gossip, Ian made up an excuse.

    "The Imperial Dukes are waging war in the south. I''m just so worried about the empire''s future that I can''t stand it!"

    "Ah. I see."

    Maria stared straight at Ian''s face as she spoke.

    "I thought you were worried about Kira."

    cough cough!

    Ian choked trying to tell such a shameless lie.

    Heaven''s Faith''s Sky God must have punished him.

    Ian stared at Maria in shock.

    How did she know that?!

    Had she awakened space-time magic?!

    ...That couldn''t be.

    Maria had been acting as a professional matchmaker lately after all.

    "Actually, Kira came to me for advice recently."

    "...Kira did?"

    "Yes. It was about romance..."

    Maria gave a gentle smile.

    But it was gentle by Maria''s standards, and to Ian, it was just creepy...

    Ian nervously swallowed.

    "Judging by your expression, it seems she''s already confessed."

    "..."

    Ian was deeply impressed.

    Girls really have no fucking secrets between them!

    They know absolutely everything!

    In truth, Maria had just been pushing Kira from behind, but Ian had no idea about that.

    "You rejected her confession, right?"

    "Well... that''s what happened."

    "Heheh. I don''t mind. Though Kira will probably leave your side."

    "..."

    Ian held his forehead, getting a headache.

    Kira leaving? That could happen.

    After getting rejected, she might disappear somewhere he''d never see her again.

    Ian had a conscience too. He couldn''t just ask her to remain good friends.

    "But... I don''t quite understand your decision."

    "Which part?"

    Ian looked at Maria with bewilderment.

    What was she talking about now. Was she suggesting he should two-time?!

    "Kira really, really liked you."

    "..."

    "And I got the feeling that you cared about Kira too."

    Maria spoke in a gentle voice.

    "Am I wrong?"

    Ian couldn''t deny it.

    He had just been thinking about Kira until moments ago after all.

    "Yeah. I like her. Honestly, what man wouldn''t like an amazing woman like Kira."

    "Hehe... very nice..."

    "?"

    Ian wondered what she meant by that.

    How would Ian liking Kira be good?

    Regardless.

    Maria continued:

    "Then, why not accept Kira''s feelings?"

    "???"

    It was really bizarre hearing such words from a girl in a nun''s habit.

    Was there a sister who encouraged affairs?!

    "What do you..."

    "A man having multiple women in his house isn''t strange, is it? Wasn''t that normal in your village?"

    Ian felt very odd.

    Maria was talking about polygamy.

    It wasn''t completely unheard of in the Holy Empire.

    Ian had seen husbands with multiple wives while traveling.

    He hadn''t thought much of it.

    Just that some people lived that way.

    "I was a bit surprised by your decision. It seems you love Countess Talian so much that you won''t leave any room for other women."

    "That''s..."

    "So much that you don''t care how hurt Kira gets. How much pain she''ll feel having to leave alone..."

    "Hey, when you put it that way you make me sound like the bad guy."

    Maria smiled as she spoke.

    "You are the bad guy."

    "???"

    "Since you made Kira cry."

    Ian wore a blank expression.

    I made a woman cry, does that actually make me a bad man?

    He could only shake his head in disbelief.

    Whoopsy forgot to post.

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 Chapter 306

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "You and Kira are very alike in many ways," Maria said in a sing-song voice.

    "Both being admirable wizards. Both always showing incredible courage."

    Ian found himself nodding unconsciously.

    Though Kira herself rarely admitted it, she was objectively an excellent wizard.

    Not many wizards were born with the mystery of fire''s interest.

    Actually, even without exceptional talent, she could have succeeded anyway.

    Fire wizards were always in high demand after all.

    Furthermore, Kira was brave.

    Not just empty praise - her actions had proven it time and again.

    Though Kira felt fear, she never ran away to save herself.

    How many times had she stood by Ian''s side even at the risk of death?

    "Even your views on romance are similar."

    "...Views on romance?"

    "Just like you, Kira idealizes loving only one person."

    "..."

    Yes. Like Ian, Kira was also a pure love advocate(?)...!

    If Kira had somehow ended up with another man instead of Ian, she would have dated him without hesitation.

    Why? Because that was pure love.

    Finding another man would only come after things ended with the current lover.

    By Ian''s standards, it was an extremely normal and healthy view of romance.

    That was exactly what Maria was pointing out.

    Since both Ian and Kira were pure love advocates, it would have been great if they''d started dating from the beginning.

    But Lucy Talian had cut in line(?), leaving Kira in a position of growing distant from Ian.

    Now even if she wanted to get closer to Ian...

    With Lucy by his side, she could neither advance nor retreat.

    To have Ian, she''d need to drive Lucy away.

    But that would completely destroy Kira''s principles about romance.

    So Kira had decided to just confess to Ian and be done with it-

    And Ian, supporter of pure love, had naturally rejected Kira''s confession.

    That''s just how it happened.

    "Both you and Kira prioritize your current lovers above all else."

    "That''s true..."

    "Hehe. If either of you had been prepared to share your heart with another... wouldn''t things be different?"

    Though Ian found it absurd...

    He felt himself being slowly convinced by Maria''s words...!

    Setting aside Kira as another person.

    What if Ian had been reincarnated dreaming of becoming a harem master in another world!

    Would the current situation even be a problem?

    Things got complicated because Ian had never even considered a harem.

    "Then..."

    This was a situation caused by their conflicting views on romance.

    In other words, it could be resolved if one of them changed their view.

    Since they couldn''t change Kira''s mind.

    Ian would have to change his thinking.

    "Are you really okay with Kira leaving like this?"

    "..."

    "I know Countess Talian weighs on your mind but..."

    Maria spoke with her characteristic creepy smile.

    "Women are ultimately shaped by how men handle them."

    "...Where did you learn to talk like that?"

    "From the woodcutter in our village. He had three wives?"

    Ian was shocked watching Maria casually spout such problematic words.

    Damn. This really is the medieval period!

    "Go on. Kira hasn''t left yet."

    "But..."

    Maria''s whispers were enough to crack Ian''s pure love principles.

    ...Ian had never dreamed of being a harem master in another world.

    He would have been satisfied just growing old happily with his beautiful wife (Lucy).

    But life doesn''t always go according to plan.

    A moment of choice had come to Ian.

    He needed to decide right now.

    Would he live looking only at Lucy, or would he accept Kira''s feelings too?

    ''I''m not a modern person.''

    Ian thought.

    ''...I''m medieval.''

    Call it a cowardly excuse if you want.

    Ian changed his mind after hearing Maria''s advice.

    Kira was a brave woman.

    Last night, she had poured out everything and confessed to Ian sincerely.

    There could be no doubt about that confession.

    Kira truly loved Ian.

    Yet when rejecting her confession, he hadn''t said "I don''t like you" but rather "I can''t because I''m dating someone else."

    Was that really an appropriate response to Kira''s sincerity?

    Kira had bravely shown her heart, but Ian had responded with excuses.

    So Ian reorganized his thoughts one more time.

    ''Sincerity deserves sincerity.''

    ...Honestly, Maria''s encouragement had given him some courage too.

    But it couldn''t be helped.

    Ian''s mindset still retained some modern remnants.

    Instead of overthinking things like a modern person-

    Just focus on what''s right in front of you.

    Ian wasn''t modern, but a wizard in a medieval fantasy world.

    In a world without firm principles, just live however you want!

    ''Hmm. I''m such fucking trash.''

    Ian grinned as he ran forward.

    ''...But I like it!''

    "Maria! Thanks for talking to me! I''m going to see Kira!"

    "Hehehe... Your joy is my joy, isn''t it?"

    Maria waved her hand gently.

    She felt immense satisfaction watching Ian run off.

    Having lowered Ian''s pure love preference...

    Creating third and fourth wife positions wasn''t impossible!

    "Hehehehe..."

    Both Kira and Ian would feel indebted to Maria psychologically.

    If they got together, Maria''s help would have played a huge role.

    Kira and Ian would take Maria''s side.

    Then...

    Could Countess Talian alone stop Maria from joining in!

    "Really... I can''t wait."

    Maria returned to the dormitory, unable to hide her smile.

    If Ian had seen it, he would have told her to smile properly...

    ---

    As Ian and Maria predicted, Kira was packing her things.

    Ian would leave for his journey soon anyway.

    Kira would just leave a bit earlier, heading in a different direction.

    ''I had to leave anyway.''

    Until now Ian had taken care of Kira''s travel and study expenses.

    But with some skill and plenty of fame gained, money wasn''t much of an issue for Kira anymore.

    Though she still had much to study, she could learn gradually over time.

    She was a fire wizard and had mastered most of the magical language used in fire magic.

    Her ability to handle unfamiliar mysteries might be lacking but... she''d manage somehow?

    Kira had always done fine alone.

    ...Until she met Ian.

    "Take care, Ian."

    For just a moment, Kira regretted it.

    What if she''d held back her confession and kept traveling as friends like before?

    ''Maria. That evil girl.''

    Kira briefly resented Maria but.

    Soon laughed hollowly.

    What good would come from suppressing her feelings and acting out lies?

    Kira had chosen moving forward over hesitation, and got hurt because of it.

    But this wound would make her a better person.

    Growth is always painful after all.

    "...Ah."

    Kira hurriedly wiped her tears.

    She thought she had no tears left to cry.

    But thinking of Ian kept making them fall.

    "I need to... go out..."

    She couldn''t go outside with puffy eyes.

    Kira decided she had no choice but to sit blankly for a while.

    That''s when-

    "Ah. Kira. You''re in your room?"

    "Ian...?"

    Ian suddenly entered Kira''s room.

    Kira stood up in surprise.

    Wait. This was the women''s dormitory...?

    How did he get in!

    Did he use magic?!

    "I met the dorm mother on the way. When I said I needed to talk to you briefly, she let me in."

    "..."

    She''s really slacking on her job!

    While internally cursing the dorm mother, Kira managed her expression.

    She worried she might look ugly from crying just now.

    "Kira. Can you spare a moment? There''s something I really need to say."

    "Y-yeah... of course. Sit here."

    Kira naturally offered the spot beside her.

    As Ian approached, his body heat and scent made their presence known.

    Such a familiar feeling.

    But one she could no longer have.

    ...Kira almost cried again.

    "Why... did you come?"

    Kira asked in a tearful voice.

    "Are you okay?"

    "I asked... why did you come!"

    Ian reached out to wipe Kira''s tears.

    Kira tightly hugged his arm.

    Ian was startled, and Kira glared at him with glistening eyes.

    "What did you want to say?"

    Ian wiped her tears with his other hand.

    Naturally, Kira ended up in a position of being held by Ian.

    "I felt my answer yesterday wasn''t sincere enough."

    "...What do you mean?"

    "I accepted that you like me, but were you really satisfied with my answer?"

    "..."

    Kira started to nod but stopped.

    Accepted it?

    Honestly... no.

    Kira had shown her true feelings. Then Ian too should have given an answer worthy of that.

    Like saying he liked Lucy much more than her.

    Or that he wanted to date her instead of Lucy.

    Though shameless... Kira had secretly hoped for the latter answer.

    "If not... what will you do?"

    Ian looked straight into Kira''s eyes as he spoke.

    "I want to give you a proper answer now."

    Kira nodded.

    "I''m ready."

    Ian took a breath, then spoke.

    "I know you like me. But I don''t want to abandon Lucy to date you."

    "..."

    "Because I love Lucy."

    Not much different from yesterday''s answer.

    Even cruel in how it hurt her heart.

    "But..."

    "?"

    "I really like you too, Kira."

    "...?!"

    "Yes. You might have felt it too. In the memory world... I really felt like I was dating you."

    Kira nodded as if entranced.

    The experience of "pseudo-dating" Ian was a precious memory Kira treasured deeply too.

    Though it was acting, Kira had been truly happy then, being Ian''s lover.

    But... Ian had felt similarly!

    "I think I love you as much as I love Lucy."

    "..."

    "No, maybe... even more."

    Ian said.

    "If... you''re okay with it. Want to live with me?"

    "!"

    Kira stammered in shock.

    "B-but... Countess Talian..."

    "I won''t break up with her. I want to live together with both you and Lucy at Talian Hall."

    Then Kira cried out sharply.

    "T-that won''t work!"

    "Ah... I guess not..."

    "Countess Talian will kill me! She''ll murder me!"

    "?"

    Ian realized Kira''s concern was oddly different from his.

    "You''re okay living with another woman?"

    "That''s not the problem!"

    "...?"

    "Living with Countess Talian... I-I can''t do it..! Let''s just get separate houses!"

    Ian was briefly silent.

    ...Was this what they called maintaining two households or whatever?

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    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 307

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian realized something unexpected.

    Though Ian hadn''t known it...

    The people around him saw Lucy as a proper(?) noble!

    ''Why though?!''

    Then he remembered.

    Ian had followed Lucy since she was a fugitive. Having spent so much time close to her, he knew well that she was actually just a cute one-trick pony(...).

    ''She''s not a cat or something''

    Truthfully, physical attraction played a big part in Ian being drawn to Lucy. If Lucy hadn''t been attractive, Ian probably wouldn''t have chosen her.

    Such ''physical'' characteristics sometimes led to unexpected results.

    Like right now.

    "Haah... I...!"

    Lucy appeared to be a proper noble on the surface, so timid people tended to be scared of her.

    And Kira''s personality was... naturally somewhat shy.

    So Kira was genuinely troubled.

    Ian''s offer was very kind, but living together with Countess Talian was another matter entirely!

    ''H-he offered first...!''

    Kira thought while looking up at Ian.

    She was afraid that if she harshly rejected Ian''s proposal, she''d be truly abandoned this time.

    Ian understood what misconception Kira had.

    "No, Kira. Lucy won''t kill you or anything."

    "Maybe not in front of you! But when you''re not looking..."

    "...That won''t happen."

    Ian pondered briefly.

    Was he speaking too confidently about knowing Lucy?

    What if after Ian brought Kira home, Lucy really hired assassins!

    ''Can''t imagine it.''

    Ian shook his head.

    He just couldn''t picture Lucy summoning assassins and shouting "That''s how it is, Ian! Now die!"

    Ian judged that Lucy wasn''t that kind of person.

    If he was wrong? Then his judgment of character was lacking.

    Lucy wasn''t the obsessive type.

    If she''d been worried about such things, she would have said something or taken action.

    But Lucy didn''t care much about how Ian behaved.

    She was the type to carefully choose her own actions, focusing on cautiously closing the distance with Ian.

    Though they''d known each other a long time, wasn''t it only recently that she properly showed her feelings?

    ''The water''s already spilled.''

    It couldn''t be undone.

    As Maria had said.

    That very macho statement about women being shaped by how men handle them.

    "I swear on my magic and my master''s name, I''ll protect you, Kira."

    "...Ian."

    "I don''t think Lucy will try to kill you, and if Lucy dislikes you, I''ll help you do whatever you want."

    Only then did Kira nod with a relieved expression.

    "Then, you''re going to Talian?"

    "Yeah."

    "I''ll go with you. I need to... meet Countess Talian."

    Kira lightly grabbed Ian''s hand.

    Her fingertips... were trembling delicately.

    Ian placed his other hand over hers to calm her.

    ---

    Ian didn''t hide the fact that he was dating Kira.

    Though he wasn''t exactly announcing it to everyone.

    Originally, both Ian and Kira were popular figures who commanded students'' attention.

    Ian as a young genius wizard, Kira as an idol(?).

    "Breaking news~! Professor Ian and Miss Kira are dating!"

    "Kyaa!"

    Crowd gathering.

    The female students gathered whenever they had time to spread gossip (in Ian''s opinion), and news of their relationship became so widespread that everyone at the university knew about it.

    "...But Professor Ian, I heard you had a noble girlfriend..."

    "Pfft, who cares about nobility? If I had someone like Miss Kira, I''d date her too!"

    "? Your preferences..."

    "Ah."

    There were rumors about Ian having another lover.

    But since the distance was far, confirming the truth was impossible.

    Eredith blessed her disciple''s romance with pure intentions.

    "I didn''t think you were the type to chase women, but you''ve already got two wives? The priests won''t like that."

    "We''re not married yet..."

    As soon as Ian said that, Eredith narrowed her eyes and stared at him intently.

    "Hmm. You shouldn''t make it sound like you''re playing with two women without intending to marry them."

    "I-I will. I''ll marry them."

    "Good! Of course you should!"

    Eredith was a well-traveled medieval person and was indifferent to men marrying multiple women.

    Originally, Eredith herself was someone uninterested in marriage.

    Even now past 40, she cared about nothing but magic and travel.

    "Um... Master, have you ever thought about marriage..."

    "I have no interest in leaving my blood in this world. What matters for humans is intellect, not blood and flesh."

    Eredith said with a smile.

    "Ian. You''ve inherited my knowledge, so I''ve accomplished everything I wanted!"

    "Master..."

    If one defined children as inheritors of their parents'' genetic traits.

    Then perhaps Ian could be called Eredith''s spiritual son.

    If genes could be inherited, why not memes?

    Ian''s master was Eredith.

    That''s why he was called Ian Eredith.

    "You''ll need to travel to complete your unique magic."

    "Yes. I plan to journey through the south."

    "Be careful. The south is a battlefield. Everything''s chaotic. It''s the perfect environment for black wizards to roam."

    News of Ian leaving the university gradually spread.

    Ian said his farewells to the university wizards, including Inglan.

    "Make sure you come back! Ian!"

    "Yeah! Show us that tantalizing magic and disappear somewhere, we won''t let you get away with it!"

    Ian''s magic remained a hot topic at Imperial University.

    From whether it even counted as magic,

    To how different it was from existing magic and how to reproduce it - the debates were endless.

    Naturally, when presenting a new theory, experimental proof and reproducibility were essential.

    Ian had shown the theory and demonstration but postponed the reproduction part.

    Others needed to succeed in using Ian''s [Skill Magic] too.

    But Ian''s magic wasn''t yet at a level where it could be shared with others.

    The Sky God held the key to that secret.

    Still, Ian needed to meet the Sky God.

    "Well then, I''ll be going."

    Ian prepared for his journey and left Imperial University.

    Kira and Maria, Sir Salvador and Belenka joined as traveling companions.

    "Yes. We''ll be waiting."

    "Come back again! Ian!"

    Eredith and Inglan waved.

    ---

    It was a winter day when the cold wind was blowing.

    The journey started smoothly.

    The weather was getting colder, and Araz region was located in the northern part of the empire.

    The advantage of winter:

    Bandits freeze to death.

    This wasn''t a joke, but true.

    Most bandits were homeless(...) people, and in winter, those who slept outside usually died with frozen faces.

    So the empire''s bandits started preparing for winter when it got cold.

    Raiding villages diligently, killing travelers...

    Using that wealth to build camps and prepare for winter.

    Therefore winter travel was safe, if you didn''t freeze to death.

    The problem was that most people did freeze to death.

    "...Does this old man really have to depart in this weather!"

    Sir Salvador shouted while shivering.

    His hometown was by the southern Coral Sea, which was much warmer than the empire''s north.

    "Sir Salvador. How about using ''Master Sergeant'' instead of ''old man''?"

    "?"

    Salvador didn''t understand what Ian meant but listened since it came from a wizard.

    "This Master Sergeant thinks this isn''t good weather for traveling!"

    "Perfect."

    Ian was impressed.

    He thought he''d heard that speech pattern before - it was from the military!

    Why do old people refer to themselves in third person anyway.

    Ian had never been old so he didn''t know.

    "? What effect does that spell have?"

    "It''s not a spell though?"

    "???"

    Salvador looked at Ian with an ''I-I''ve been tricked...!'' expression but.

    Ian smoothly ignored it and rode on.

    Actually, Salvador was the one who felt the cold most among the group.

    "Kira. Are you cold?"

    "...No. I''m warm."

    Thinking it must be cold, Ian called Kira to sit in front of him on his horse.

    With the two of them pressed together, wrapped in a cloak like a blanket.

    If you''re still cold like that, you must have a pituitary disorder.

    Maria held a small magic flame that Kira had secretly made for her.

    Belenka just didn''t feel the cold.

    "Aren''t you cold?"

    "It''s cool but fine. My hometown was much colder than this."

    Honestly, Ian found Belenka a bit fascinating.

    Strong body and resistant to cold.

    Just naturally tough as a person?

    "My joints are aching all over!"

    "You must have had a hard life."

    "You''ll understand when you reach my age!"

    Ian smiled and snapped his fingers.

    A warm small flame flew to Sir Salvador.

    "Oh! This is exactly what I wanted!"

    "It won''t last long. Throw it on the ground if it gets too hot."

    The mystery of fire found it easy to make things hot but hard to make them lukewarm, as it went against its innate nature.

    "We''re almost at Talian though."

    Ian''s travel speed was quite fast.

    Everyone except Maria was a veteran traveler, and the roads were quiet because of winter.

    Bandits stayed by their campfires, and giant monsters hibernated.

    "I''m glad to see Talian is peaceful."

    Ian expressed his honest impression.

    Originally this medieval fantasy world was a world of chaos.

    Where rebellion and war could break out at any time.

    But Talian''s winter was calm.

    "I never thought I''d miss a warm glass of wine this much."

    As they got closer to Talian, Kira found it harder to control her trembling.

    It wasn''t just from the cold.

    "Oh! Who do we have here!"

    "It''s been a while, Baron Damon."

    Ian ran into Baron(real) Damon.

    Though formerly a bandit leader, he''d become a real noble after Lucy recognized his title.

    "Wizard Ian! If you''re heading to Talian Hall, let me guide you!"

    "Thank you."

    Baron Damon grinned seeing Kira in Ian''s arms.

    "You''re dating Kira?"

    "Yes. That''s how it turned out."

    "I knew it! Fighting is how people grow close!"

    Ian and Kira smiled at each other simultaneously.

    They had fought something like a battle when they first met.

    "Countess Talian! Come see who''s here!"

    "What is it? Do we have guests?"

    Lucy''s voice was heard.

    ...Kira squeezed her eyes shut!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 308

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Returning to Talian after so long, it was still peaceful.

    Though the weather was chilly, Ian felt warmth.

    ''...Because this is a place I can call home.''

    Not every wizard enjoyed wandering like Eredith.

    Actually, Eredith was the unusual one - finding joy in wandering wasn''t easy.

    Short trips could be fun, but after a certain point, you start missing home.

    In that sense, Talian held deep meaning for Ian in many ways.

    This was Ian''s home.

    ...For now, anyway.

    "Welcome back! Ian!"

    A young lady in a pointed hat and fur coat came running excitedly.

    Ian almost burst out laughing.

    Even well-dressed medieval nobles just looked like people cosplaying medieval characters.

    If this were a romance fantasy world, she''d have appeared in a beautiful dress.

    Lucy was still Lucy, even meeting again after so long.

    "I''m back."

    "Hehee."

    Lucy hugged Ian tightly in front of everyone.

    It might have been embarrassing in public, but nobody minded.

    Anyone who needed to know was already aware of Ian and Lucy''s relationship.

    "Don''t just stand there, come in everyone!"

    "Ho ho. Pardon the intrusion, Countess."

    Ian''s group entered Talian Hall one by one.

    Except for one person.

    A red-haired wizard who hesitated until the end.

    "Shall we go? Kira?"

    "...Please protect me, Ian."

    "I''ll try."

    "N-not try! I''m seriously scared to death!"

    Ian glanced at Lucy.

    In her fur coat for winter and pointed hat supposedly worn by ''dignified'' noble ladies, Lucy...

    ...Just looked like a college freshman enjoying Halloween cosplay.

    Was this supposed to be noble dignity?

    "Huh? Are you looking at my coat?"

    "Yeah. Haven''t seen it before."

    "Hehehe... How is it? Pretty right! I bought it right away when a passing merchant was selling it!"

    Lucy had gold coins rotting away from abundance.

    After defeating the black dragon Predius, gold had come in by the chest.

    Lucy was using that money to buy pretty clothes...

    "Sure. If it makes you happy, that''s what matters."

    "Hehe."

    "...Just stay healthy."

    Looking at Lucy, Ian really didn''t think she would kill Kira or anything.

    Though he might need to worry about her getting seriously upset.

    But that...

    As Maria said, wasn''t that something Ian could soothe? somehow?

    ''Being manly is really hard.''

    Ian couldn''t help but smile.

    Seriously. Since reincarnating into another world, he''d been having all sorts of strange worries.

    Ian followed Lucy into Talian Hall.

    Being lunchtime, rich food aromas filled the air.

    Though they were sudden guests, Lucy gave them her full hospitality.

    "You must be tired from traveling, please eat as much as you''d like!"

    "We''re grateful for your kindness, Countess."

    Sir Salvador expressed thanks on behalf of the group.

    As if excited to have guests for meals after a long time, Lucy chatted happily.

    Most of it was trivial small talk.

    Seeing a funny-looking bird in the forest, slash-and-burn farmers almost causing a forest fire...

    "??? That doesn''t sound funny though?"

    "Oh come on, nothing serious happened!"

    Well, that''s what she said.

    Though Ian couldn''t quite understand Lucy''s mental world... seeing her happy smile made him lose any desire to comment.

    Lucy seemed to be really enjoying life in her own way.

    Though her path overlapped with Ian''s...

    She had her own life to live.

    "I don''t see any refugees around."

    "They''ve already returned to their hometowns."

    Talian''s vassal nobles had apparently left with their people to rebuild their homes.

    It would probably take over a decade to properly restore their hometowns that the black dragon Predius had destroyed.

    Lucy had generously shared gold and grain with her vassals.

    "That was the agreement from the start."

    "Were there any problems?"

    "Lots of monsters. You know orcs love raiding ruins."

    Thanks to that, Lucy''s popularity in the Talian region had apparently reached sky-high levels.

    For at least several decades, Lucy would be seen as the leader of the Talian region.

    Having defeated a dragon and actively helping the barons.

    "That dragon bastard brought so many monsters, the mountains have become orc dens."

    "It''ll take some time to drive them all out."

    "That''s why we''re recruiting more knights."

    Baron Damon said with a hearty laugh.

    He had somehow become Lucy''s important vassal.

    Pretty impressive career advancement for a former bandit leader.

    "Ian, there''s nothing for you to worry about! Hahaha!"

    "That''s worth celebrating."

    Talian was developing regardless of Lucy''s intentions.

    In that sense Lucy was incredibly lucky.

    From being driven out by rebellion to becoming a notable noble in the region.

    And all without... lifting a finger.

    ''Hmm. Lucky indeed.''

    Though lunch had ended, Lucy fussed about preparing dinner right away.

    Well, it was fussing by Ian''s standards. To others, it was quite reasonable behavior.

    Noble banquets took a long time to prepare.

    They needed to start now to have dinner ready by evening.

    "Lucy."

    "Yes???"

    "I need to tell you something important. Really important."

    "Now? I''m busy though."

    "...No. It''s important."

    This girl just listens through her nostrils-

    Ian quickly shook his head.

    No. Think nice thoughts... nice thoughts...!

    Lucy is sweet and cute!

    Isn''t that enough?(It''s not)

    "Well. Should we go to my room then?"

    Lucy led Ian to her room with a bright smile.

    Seeing that 100% happy pure smile...

    Ian felt a slight pain in his chest.

    Even if it was for Kira''s sake, causing pain to another person wasn''t pleasant.

    Ian and Lucy. Just the two of them in the room.

    Ian got straight to the point.

    "Lucy. I... found someone I like."

    "..."

    Lucy''s eyes went wide, and she collapsed onto the bed.

    "...I see."

    Surprisingly, Lucy wasn''t shocked.

    She''d been somewhat prepared for this.

    Ian was an exceptional wizard. Even if Lucy was willful, she understood that much.

    Would no women really approach a wizard of Ian''s caliber during his travels?

    That was impossible.

    After all, Lucy herself had been one of those women.

    So Lucy had instinctively expected it.

    If one day... Ian brought another woman.

    Just think of it as inevitable.

    "What... kind of person?"

    "A wizard. She grew up in an even poorer commoner family than me."

    Lucy''s mood improved slightly.

    If it had been some duke''s daughter or small kingdom''s princess, Lucy would have felt outmatched...!

    A commoner? At least Lucy won in bloodline!

    "A commoner wizard... what do you like about her?"

    "She''s a fellow wizard. I felt we had a lot in common. Enough to want to face the future together."

    "...Yeah. I understand."

    Lucy wasn''t an exceptional woman.

    Even if Ian didn''t outright call her thick-headed, Lucy was self-aware enough to know that.

    She wasn''t smart like Ian, nor did she have good bloodline like high nobles.

    Her domain was just a common rural town.

    Just going to big cities, there were women far more elegant and refined than Lucy everywhere.

    "..."

    Lucy slowly took off her pointed hat.

    It was a fashion item she wore trying to look like a refined modern woman(?)...

    If Ian wouldn''t look at her.

    What was the point of dressing up prettily?

    Making a fuss wouldn''t solve anything.

    She had known this day would come.

    ...She''d just been living each day hoping it wouldn''t be today.

    ''Right... for a wizard like Ian. A rural noble like me wouldn''t be enough.''

    Lucy clenched her fists.

    Though she was just lucky, she had achieved being Ian''s girlfriend.

    She was clearly aware of the possibility of Ian finding another woman.

    But.

    That didn''t mean she wanted to give up Ian quietly...!

    "So. What do you want from me?"

    "Lucy. I..."

    "Want to break up because you found a new woman?"

    "..."

    "I don''t really like that?"

    Lucy roughly gathered and swept back her dark blue hair.

    Ian couldn''t take his eyes off her.

    Lucy''s plan to appeal to Ian through fashion items was fundamentally flawed...

    ''She looks much better without the hat.''

    Ian felt his heart flutter seeing Lucy''s long straight hair.

    Men naturally love women''s long hair!

    "Why should I? Am I supposed to just go ''Oh, I see~'' and step aside because you found a new woman?"

    "No, that''s not what I..."

    "Right. I''m not anyone special. Just a common rural noble of the empire."

    Lucy grabbed Ian''s collar with both hands.

    ...But there was no strength in her fingers.

    Lucy''s large eyes were already glistening with sadness.

    "But... I''m still a noble. Ian Eredith Raven."

    "..."

    "I''m not... someone you can just... throw away whenever you want...!"

    Ian removed Lucy''s hands as he spoke.

    "Lucy. That''s not what..."

    "I-I don''t want to break up with you! So go tell that woman! No matter what she does, I''ll stick with you as long as I can...!"

    "No, I''m not throwing you away! I won''t throw you away!"

    "Then! Prove it!"

    In that moment, Lucy reached out and grabbed Ian''s cheeks.

    Lucy''s soft lips covered Ian''s.

    A warm silence flowed for a moment.

    "...Well done, Ian."

    "Is that something to praise?"

    Ian was dumbfounded, but Lucy''s expression had improved.

    Taking advantage of the moment, Ian quickly spoke.

    "I thought about it a lot too. I sincerely want to marry you, Lucy."

    "...!"

    "But I found someone else I want to live with too. That''s... I have no excuse. I''m sorry."

    Lucy thought with her arms crossed.

    "So, marrying me is confirmed?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then... well. Fine."

    Lucy kissed Ian again.

    "Honestly. I had that thought. A man like you would be hard to keep to myself."

    "...Really?"

    "I''m not stupid. I know at least that royalty keeps multiple women."

    "???"

    She seems pretty stupid though?

    Ian almost said.

    He didn''t understand why she was comparing him to royalty.

    But... if that''s how Lucy thought about it. Well.

    "Great kings in history had multiple wives. So you''re fine too. Even the Sultan in the distant Sand Empire has something called a harem, right?"

    "..."

    "Though if you bring in 100 women like the Sultan... that would make me angry."

    "Lucy..."

    "As long as it''s not too many. I''m okay with it."

    Ian smiled as he asked.

    "Even though I''m not royalty?"

    Lucy hugged Ian tight and murmured.

    "...You''re already my prince, Ian."

    All that stuff about her being stupid - completely retracted.

    Ian hugged Lucy back.

    She was Ian''s cutest bride in the world.

    "I love you, Lucy."

    "I-I... love you too, Ian."

    God damn.

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 Chapter 309

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    After Lucy parted with Ian, she immediately summoned Kira.

    "I''d like to speak with just the two of us, so Ian, please leave."

    "Um..."

    Ian hesitated before speaking.

    "Just remember one thing. Kira is... someone I want to be with."

    "I know."

    Lucy smiled as if reassuring Ian.

    With that, Ian had nothing more to say.

    He could only trust Lucy.

    After Ian left, Kira entered.

    "Ah."

    Lucy carefully observed the female wizard she hadn''t seen in a while.

    A commoner like Ian.

    But after studying at university, she was now a capable fire wizard holding her own.

    ''She''s beautiful...''

    Lucy marveled anew.

    She''d known about Kira''s beauty before. Kira had been there when they fought the black dragon.

    Lucy had only been vaguely aware that she was a beautiful wizard who needed to be watched as Ian''s companion.

    ...Of course, Lucy had forgotten about it after sleeping and waking up.

    When Kira left for university, Lucy forgot she was supposed to be wary of her.

    Lucy had her own excuses, to be fair.

    Helping her vassals, taking care of her subjects.

    And incidentally, she was (sort of) busy buying pretty clothes from merchants.

    ''As a fellow wizard... Ian probably needs someone like her.''

    Couples sharing the same profession was very common in this medieval fantasy world.

    With large-scale industry underdeveloped, domestic crafts made up a huge portion of work.

    Since goods were produced at the household level, it was common for entire families to be devoted to a single profession.

    If the father was a blacksmith, the whole family would help with the smithy work.

    Since Ian was a wizard, having a wizard wife would be good.

    Being family, they could share important secrets.

    And when seeking magical advice, she''d be the first to ask, serving well as Ian''s assistant.

    ''Something I can''t do.''

    Of course, Lucy, Ian''s wife-to-be, could learn magic.

    But...

    Lucy hated studying...

    She avoided even learning letters because it was annoying, let alone magic!

    ''If that woman helps Ian...''

    Lucy thought seriously.

    ''Isn''t that the same as me helping Ian?''

    This was the kind of thinking that would''ve made Ian spawn question marks above his head if he knew.

    What? How does Kira helping Ian count as Lucy''s contribution?

    But Lucy had a typical noble''s mindset.

    Since Lucy outranked Kira...

    A subordinate''s achievements naturally become the superior''s accomplishments!

    Kira helping Ian = Lucy being a good supporting wife(?) - a miraculous equation was formed!

    ''As long as she''s not a bad woman...''

    For reference, bad woman = someone trying to separate Lucy from Ian.

    Since Ian vouched for her, she probably wasn''t a bad person, but...

    If she tried to monopolize Ian and push Lucy away, then Ian or not, it wouldn''t matter.

    She''d show her the wrath of Lady Lucy, Countess of Talian!

    "It''s nice to meet you aga-"

    Just as Lucy was about to speak.

    As soon as their eyes met, Kira bit her lip slightly-

    Then dropped to her knees on the floor.

    "...?"

    Though Lucy was startled.

    Kira bowed her head so deeply her forehead touched the ground.

    In that deeply prostrated position, Kira spoke:

    "I won''t make excuses..."

    "W-what?!"

    "I''ll accept any punishment."

    Kira cast aside her usual act and faced Lucy with her true personality.

    She felt this was the time to show sincerity.

    ''W-why is she acting like this?!''

    But Lucy couldn''t adjust to Kira''s sudden change in demeanor.

    Kira usually put on wizard-like airs in front of Lucy.

    Her specialty was pretending to be an accomplished wizard!

    So Lucy remembered Kira as a confident and beautiful wizard...

    ''What punishment is she talking about...''

    With Kira taking such a submissive posture, Lucy was actually scared.

    Did she do something terribly wrong?!

    ''No way?!''

    "W-wait a minute!"

    "...Yes, Countess?"

    "You..."

    Lucy grabbed Kira''s hands with trembling fingers.

    With a 100% pure expression, Lucy cried out:

    "A-are you pregnant?!"

    "???"

    "Oh my, I haven''t even done that yet..."

    Kira''s face turned bright red as she waved her hands.

    "No! Absolutely not!!!"

    "Then... why suddenly bow down?"

    "..."

    Lucy thought Kira had done something terrible and was asking for forgiveness.

    But that wasn''t it.

    Then... what was she apologizing for?

    Kira was too shocked by Lucy''s innocent question to speak properly.

    "I... um..."

    "It''s okay, just tell me."

    "With Ian..."

    Kira squeezed her eyes shut.

    She was a wizard. Meaning she had an unnecessarily rich vocabulary.

    What word should she add here?

    We connected emotionally? Our fates intertwined? Fell in love?

    ...Had an affair?

    Any words she chose seemed like they would hurt Lucy.

    Whatever the process, Kira was the one who stole Ian from Lucy.

    If Kira hadn''t interfered, Lucy would have had Ian all to herself.

    Kira would understand if Lucy hated her.

    "Wow...!"

    But Lucy covered her mouth with slightly flushed cheeks.

    Kira stared at her blankly.

    ...That didn''t look like the expression of a hurt woman?

    "Ian is so mean! He only kissed me!"

    "???"

    "So... how was it? The atmosphere, the feeling..."

    "I-I don''t know what you mean..."

    Belatedly.

    Kira remembered she had stopped at "With Ian..."

    What inappropriate word had Lucy imagined would follow?

    Oh my! How naughty!

    ...Kira''s face turned even redder.

    "No! I-I''ve only kissed too...!"

    "Oh. Really..."

    Lucy flopped down on the bed with a deflated expression.

    Kira... almost laughed at how carefree she seemed.

    Kira had never properly talked one-on-one with Lucy before.

    Lucy hadn''t been interested in Kira, and Kira had been somewhat uncomfortable with Lucy.

    But after their brief exchange, both realized almost simultaneously.

    Lucy was.

    And Kira was.

    Not as bad a person as they''d thought... maybe.

    "To you, Countess..."

    Kira continued.

    Though frightening, these were words she had to say.

    "I presumptuously got too close to Ian... I sincerely apologize many times over for crossing lines I shouldn''t have."

    "..."

    "I''m truly sorry for having to tell you this way."

    Lucy looked down at Kira before letting out a small laugh.

    She''d wondered what Kira was building up to say.

    It was an understandable thought but... not one Lucy liked hearing.

    "I get what you mean."

    "Yes, Countess."

    "You have quite the self-awareness for a commoner? Ah, I mean that in a good way."

    "...What?"

    Lucy poked Kira in the side.

    Then pulled the startled Kira to her feet.

    "You get told you''re pretty a lot, right?"

    "...Yes."

    "And you notice how men''s gazes change when they look at you?"

    "That''s true...?"

    These questions made no sense to Kira.

    Lucy said with a giggle:

    "So basically, you''re apologizing because Ian fell for your beautiful~ looks?"

    "...Whaaaat?!"

    Kira stammered in shock.

    She swore to the heavens! She''d never once thought that!

    "Or did you deliberately seduce Ian? Trying to get involved with a promising young wizard?"

    "I never did that! Ian and I were purely travel companions...!"

    "Right. I''m sure that''s true. You know what kind of man Ian is, don''t you? He''s not the type to mindlessly follow a beautiful woman''s seduction."

    Kira nodded glumly.

    Though she couldn''t be completely certain...

    The Ian that Kira knew was the type who would yell "HAH!" and smack a stunning beauty over the head with his staff if she tried to seductively trap him.

    Kira realized belatedly.

    Ian wasn''t someone who approached women because he was captivated by their looks.

    "You know, Ian. He came to like you not just for your looks, but for who you are as a person."

    "..."

    "If he fell for you just because you were close to him, shouldn''t he have shown interest from when you first met?"

    If Ian had been there, he would have been amazed at such logical reasoning.

    You...! You''re not Lucy!

    How are you thinking so intelligently!

    But like all women, Lucy too could think remarkably coolly and objectively when it came to love and marriage.

    There''s a reason women are always reading romance fantasy.

    Everyone''s an expert when it comes to romance.

    "But Ian dated me before you?"

    "T-that''s true..."

    "Right. Ian and I had time to get to know each other. We became a couple because we were sure about each other."

    Lucy said with a smile.

    "Just like you now."

    "..."

    "So have confidence. You''re someone Ian chose too, right? Let''s not talk about who stole whom. Unless you want to fight me?"

    "N-no, not at all...!"

    Kira almost dropped to her knees again.

    Her legs had gone weak.

    ''...She accepted me.''

    Though she didn''t collapse, she couldn''t hold back her tears.

    Kira wiped her tears while sniffling.

    Lucy scratched her cheek, feeling awkward.

    "Don''t cry. It makes it look like I made you cry."

    "T-that''s not it...! hic!"

    Once the tears started flowing, they wouldn''t stop easily.

    Lucy waited with a small smile until Kira calmed down.

    ''She''s an innocent one.''

    It wasn''t a bad feeling.

    If she couldn''t monopolize Ian anyway, she''d rather share him with someone compatible.

    And Kira was a rare good woman who kept her pure heart.

    "I want to talk more with you. Want to come with me?"

    "Y-yes... yes!"

    Kira said while wiping her tears.

    "I like you too, Countess!"

    "Yes, yes~"

    Lucy looked at Kira with fresh eyes.

    How did someone like this manage to act like a cool wizard in front of others?

    It really was impressive acting ability.

    In the end, Lucy didn''t let Kira go until the banquet was ready.

    The evening banquet was lively.

    Though lunch had been excellent too, dinner was a proper welcoming feast that Lucy had personally prepared.

    The table was piled high with fragrant, hearty dishes including a whole roasted pig.

    ''Hmm... country cooking.''

    Though Ian kept being reminded of the overflowing tables at his grandmother''s house...

    That was just by his standards.

    "Oh ho. This is impressive."

    "What a feast."

    By medieval standards, it was indeed a hiiiigh class banquet worth rolling your eyes at.

    While modern people could eat roast pig at any local festival,

    For medieval people, it was a rare feast they might have once a year if they were lucky.

    "Listen as you eat."

    Lucy stood and spoke.

    "I have something to tell everyone."

    Lucy suddenly made eye contact with Kira.

    Ian watched while pausing his meal.

    Though Lucy probably wouldn''t do anything bad to Kira...

    You never know, right?

    No, those novel sites are full of fierce cat-fight stories...

    A noble and wizard''s fiery battle over Ian! might break out.

    Then Ian would have to risk his life breaking up the two.

    When Kira stood up, all eyes focused on her.

    Lucy declared:

    "From today, I''ve decided to make Kira, daughter of Laventa, my lady-in-waiting."

    "?"

    Ian was slightly taken aback.

    Lady-in-waiting? Kira?!

    "Therefore, I''m putting Kira in charge of managing my wardrobe from now on."

    No. What is this-!

    I object!

    Ian almost raised his voice.

    Wardrobe management?! Is this some new form of harassment?! Is that what this is?!

    But the burst of applause that followed made Ian tilt his head.

    "An excellent decision, Countess!"

    "Indeed. Talian Hall needs a maid too."

    "?"

    Sir Salvador casually called Kira a maid.

    Being called a maid... something about the tone felt strange?!

    "Hey, Belenka. What''s going on here?"

    "Ah. You wouldn''t know this, Ian. This is noblewoman culture."

    Belenka explained on behalf of commoner-born Ian.

    "Noble ladies usually make women they trust their ladies-in-waiting. It''s like making them vassals."

    "Vassals?"

    "Wardrobe keeper is an incredibly important position. For men, it''s equivalent to treasurer."

    "...?"

    Naturally, noblewomen''s clothes were incredibly expensive.

    Not only that, they also stored all their necklaces, earrings, and other precious jewels together.

    Appointing Kira as Lucy''s wardrobe keeper meant...

    In other words, Lucy was entrusting all her valuables to Kira.

    "Since Kira''s a wizard, she probably won''t actually do the work."

    Belenka said while clapping.

    "But the fact that she''s been appointed the Countess of Talian''s closest aide doesn''t change!"

    "Oh..."

    Indeed. That was a good thing.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 310

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Lucy gave Kira an official position.

    This simple fact made a clear statement:

    A new alliance between nobility and wizardry.

    "I hear the Countess of Talian got herself another wizard."

    "Well now. Our Countess has good fortune. How''d she get two wizards in a rural domain like this?"

    "Must be the Countess''s grace!"

    Even peasant farmers mentioned Kira''s name over drinks.

    The presence of wizards always inspired both fear and awe among commoners.

    When foreign invaders attacked, wizards were reassuring allies.

    But when they wandered around acting crazy, people could only tremble in fear.

    The initial reaction to Ian had been mostly fear too.

    But since Ian never harassed the people and got involved in major incidents affecting the domain, he naturally became a respected wizard.

    "Everyone be careful! They say the new wizard''s a fire wizard!"

    "Fire magic!"

    "One wrong move and you''ll burn alive!"

    The farmers shuddered and hurriedly gulped down their beer.

    Even talking about wizards wasn''t easy.

    Someone quickly changed the subject.

    "B-but how amazing is our ruler to bring such a fire wizard here!"

    "O-of course! Even other nobles tremble before the Countess!"

    Time to praise Lucy Talian, Countess of Talian.

    Great Lu-cy!

    Divine Lu-cy!

    As if trying to forget their irreverence in gossiping about the wizard, the farmers rushed to praise their ruler.

    As if that would erase their disrespect.

    "The ruler''s quite popular."

    "Well, she got plenty of gold from slaying that dragon."

    The more shrewd merchants quietly drank while glancing at the people''s reactions.

    A ruler having the people''s trust was quite meaningful.

    For one thing, there wouldn''t be any rebellions, right?

    Merchants naturally preferred stable lands under strong rulers over chaotic areas.

    That way they could get help quickly if anything happened.

    Moreover, the taxes on Talian''s farmland were significantly lower compared to other regions.

    "It''s a strategy to draw in farmers from other domains."

    "Looks weak but quite cunning, this Countess of Talian."

    After the black dragon Predius ravaged the Araz region.

    Araz could hardly be called a good place to live, even as empty words.

    Most nobles who got involved in fighting the dragon took losses, while those who quietly hid gained indirect benefits.

    Only the Countess of Talian grew wealthy by directly slaying the dragon and claiming the spoils.

    But the Countess didn''t stop at slaying the dragon.

    She announced a tax reduction policy limited to the Talian region, declaring she wouldn''t hold back support until the people''s lives stabilized.

    After her announcement, many people came to Talian.

    To receive the tax benefits.

    The benevolent Countess boldly declared she wouldn''t tax newly cultivated farmland at all-

    Even now with most refugees returned home, Talian''s population kept growing rapidly.

    As population grew, craftsmen and merchants gathered.

    Even wandering knights seeking to hunt monsters knocked on Talian Hall''s doors almost daily.

    "They say the Countess of Talian is quite clever."

    "Just look at how she outmaneuvered rebels and reclaimed her domain alone."

    The merchants shared what information they knew.

    Their common assessment of the Countess was:

    ''Cute as a rabbit but cunning as a fox!''

    ''A great noble with power to slay dragons yet peacefully commanding other barons'' loyalty!''

    ''Always showing a beautiful smile but never revealing her thoughts - a perfectionist!''

    "If the Countess got a new wizard..."

    "She might be preparing for war."

    The merchants nodded.

    They knew the south was unstable. The flames of war could spread north anytime.

    The wise Countess must have prepared wizards in advance for that moment!

    "Wizard Ian and Wizard Kira..."

    "Having two wizards makes Talian hard to mess with."

    "She brought in wizards at just the right time, the Countess..."

    "Haha! No wonder they call her the wise fox-like Countess!"

    Though the conversation was more sophisticated than the farmers'',

    The merchants too ended up praising Lucy.

    ...Sister Mionia of Talian, drinking alone.

    Was so dumbfounded she forgot to drink her beer.

    ''...Aren''t they too biased?!''

    The Countess was a good person but...

    She definitely wasn''t some mastermind manipulating everyone with brilliant intellect?!

    "Sister. Want some meat?"

    "Ah. Please help yourself, Brother Jubal always eats well."

    "Hehe. Meat good."

    Mionia pondered while giving her meat to Jubal.

    The chances of those rumors being true were... honestly very low.

    Then, were they just randomly spread rumors?

    Or... did someone deliberately spread them?

    ''Surely not Ian?''

    Ian''s face came to mind first.

    That exceptional wizard might have shown some strange talent.

    Mionia kept imagining possibilities, forgetting even to drink.

    ---

    "The Countess of Talian''s popularity has grown tremendously in such a short time."

    Ian had just gone for a walk with Belenka.

    Lucy was busy showing Kira her clothes and jewelry, supposedly teaching her duties.

    ...She probably just wanted to show off her jewelry.

    If no one else, Ian could tell.

    "Ah. Lucy told me about that."

    "Is it true the Countess wants to expand her domain?"

    Belenka asked out of pure curiosity.

    Lucy implemented tax reductions to increase Talian''s population.

    At this rate, becoming a regional power was just a matter of time.

    "If the Countess is preparing for conquest, I''d like to help."

    A typical wandering knight''s mindset.

    Join the war, achieve merit, and get granted land along the way!

    Belenka held some expectations.

    Since Lucy had a personal friendship with her, wouldn''t she give generous rewards for accomplishments!

    But Ian snorted.

    "You think Lucy would wage war?"

    "She might?"

    "Do you seriously think that?"

    "...Thinking about it again, no."

    Ian and Belenka laughed at the same time.

    Given Lucy''s personality, she''d never attack neighboring domains to become a conqueror.

    "Then why implement tax reductions?"

    "Just because."

    "..."

    Belenka wore an expression of disbelief.

    No way, just because?!

    Is that really true???

    But it was true.

    Lucy really did reduce taxes ''just because''.

    Of course, the exact reason was to help people who suffered from the dragon.

    ''I have lots of money, so no need to collect much tax!''

    ''...That money. I gave it to you.''

    ''Thank you~ Ian! Love you!''

    ''...''

    "Then what about the tax exemption policy for newly cultivated land?"

    "She forgot to send tax collectors."

    "No. How could..."

    Belenka shot something like curses with her eyes.

    ...Honestly Ian understood.

    How could someone who forgets to send tax collectors to their own land be a noble?

    Tax collection was a ruler''s powerful right, one nobles never gave up no matter what.

    Natural since it directly affected their livelihood.

    "What does Lucy do with all that time?"

    So annoyed she directly used the Countess of Talian''s name.

    It felt similar to how people in our country use politicians'' real names when angry.

    "These days I hear she''s learning needlework from Sister Mionia?"

    "..."

    "Soon I''ll probably get a handkerchief Lucy made herself."

    Belenka shook her head as if dizzy.

    "Damn. Talian will collapse soon."

    "But isn''t the fact that Talian''s developing?"

    "..."

    That''s right.

    Though Lucy spent time doing needlework(...) in her room.

    Talian was becoming an increasingly bustling domain.

    "No. Why is the domain doing well!"

    "Well. Maybe she''s just lucky?"

    Life is? Like Lucy.

    Whether your individual ability is good or not.

    If you''re born with good timing and luck, you can easily rise to a certain level.

    Lucy was proof of this fact.

    Actually, Lucy was doing fairly decent domain management.

    Because she did ''nothing''.

    Better than foolish rulers who mess things up trying to do something.

    Similar to how a rock is better than someone who loses money in stocks.

    "You''re so lucky."

    "Why?"

    "Your bride''s dowry is growing by itself."

    The Talian domain was actually Ian''s too.

    Since Lucy was Ian''s, Talian was also Ian''s(?).

    The domain developing by itself. Had to feel good.

    "Well. The wealthier the better if your second bride''s living there too."

    "That''s true."

    Belenka gave Ian an interesting look.

    "Honestly. I thought you were the type not interested in women."

    "Why. Disappointed?"

    "No. Just surprised. Thought it would end with Kira''s one-sided love."

    Belenka had noticed Kira''s subtle glances toward Ian.

    But she hadn''t expected Ian to accept Kira''s feelings.

    Ian wasn''t the type to chase women, and his spot wasn''t empty either.

    But Kira succeeded.

    Maybe Ian... didn''t want to watch Kira leave hurt.

    "Hm. Surprisingly the type who falls when pushed?"

    "What are you talking about suddenly."

    "No. Just..."

    Just then, familiar faces appeared in the distance.

    Lucy and Kira. And Maria.

    "Ian!"

    Lucy naturally linked arms with Ian.

    Watching that, Kira carefully hugged Ian''s other arm.

    Suddenly Ian had women on both arms.

    Belenka couldn''t help commenting:

    "What a player."

    "..."

    Though Ian felt wronged, he didn''t argue.

    Whatever the case, having two wives was a fact.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 311

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian explained his future plans to Lucy.

    "So..."

    Lucy tilted her head as she spoke.

    "You''re going to find materials in the south to complete your magic sword?"

    "Yeah."

    "What''s so good about completing the sword?"

    Ian explained in terms Lucy could understand.

    "I''ll be able to use magic more freely."

    "But you''re already good at magic, Ian."

    "Not just Maronius''s way. In my own way."

    "???"

    Lucy''s mouth fell open.

    Ian held his forehead and lowered his head.

    This... wasn''t going to be easy.

    Kira spoke up instead.

    "Imperial magic is a single system. It uses the magical language created by Archwizard Maronius. But Ian has developed magic different from Maronius''s system..."

    "Oh..."

    Though Kira explained earnestly enough to make one pity her.

    Lucy pitifully couldn''t understand a word...

    "Let me put it simply."

    Ian attempted yet another ''simple explanation''.

    Belenka watched Ian and Kira''s pitiful efforts with a slight smile.

    Though they could''ve given up.

    It was almost admirable how they refused to give up(?) on Lucy until the end.

    "I created new magic."

    "That''s really amazing, right?"

    Kira nodded vigorously.

    "Enough to change the history of magic."

    "Then shouldn''t you continue researching magic?"

    "That''s exactly why I''m heading south."

    Finally Lucy understood Ian''s purpose.

    Ian used his own unique magic instead of Maronius''s magic.

    But the problem was...

    Even Ian didn''t know the principles behind his own magic.

    Until recently that hadn''t mattered.

    How many people understand how smartphones work while using them? Most people enjoy smartphones without knowing the principles.

    But if you want to spread that smartphone to many people...

    Naturally you need to know how it works and how to make it.

    Doesn''t it already feel like your head might explode?

    That was exactly the path Ian was taking.

    "I only know how to use magic. Not how it works."

    "Then completing the magic sword means..."

    "Meeting the being who granted me magic."

    Lucy''s eyes went wide.

    Though ignorant, she wasn''t so clueless she couldn''t understand what Ian meant.

    "You mean meeting the Sky God..."

    Ian nodded.

    Ian was an innate wizard born with mysterious magic.

    Though Ian''s mind, steeped in modern content, thought that ''magic'' was a [Status Window]...

    Through meeting Hrundal and Maronius, Ian realized he held the key to opening a new age of magic.

    Whether to open that door could only be decided by meeting the greatest mystery.

    That was why Ian needed to complete the magic sword Anor-lsil.

    "So you''re traveling again."

    Lucy said, her voice slightly deflated.

    She knew wandering was essential for wizards.

    But... actually hearing Ian say he was leaving, the feeling of regret wouldn''t disappear.

    Ian was Lucy''s lover.

    Wasn''t it natural to want to keep your boyfriend close and see him often?

    "This time might take a while."

    "...Longer than before?"

    "Since I plan to complete Anor-lsil and meet the Sky God..."

    It would be an arduous journey.

    Even Ian couldn''t predict how long it would take.

    As Lucy was about to lower her head, Ian patted her shoulder and said:

    "But I promise. After this journey ends, I''ll stay in Talian for a very long time."

    "...How long?"

    "5 years? 10 years? Maybe even longer."

    Ian looked at Lucy with a smile.

    "From now on, I''ll only travel when I have a reason to."

    Travel needs a reason.

    In other words, if there''s no reason, there''s no need to travel.

    Ian was no longer a wanderer.

    He had a home to return to-

    And a wife waiting for him at home.

    "The wedding would be good during that break time."

    "...!"

    Lucy nodded eagerly.

    Ian had given her a definite timeframe.

    The wedding would be... after Ian returned from his next journey!

    Lucy forgot people were watching and jumped straight into Ian''s arms.

    Actually, they''d stopped by Talian to see Lucy.

    As soon as their few days of rest ended, Ian immediately prepared to depart.

    With just the carriage left to pack, Ian lingered briefly in front of it.

    "The Countess of Talian was grinning ear to ear."

    "I''m happy too."

    Ian said with a shrug.

    "After this journey ends, I''ll come back and marry Lucy."

    "...People who say things like that never make it back home."

    Ah.

    Ian chuckled.

    Come to think of it, this was a death flag?

    In his past life he''d never used it, having neither a girlfriend to marry nor travels to undertake.

    Somehow he was using it now after reincarnating in another world.

    Seeing Ian laugh, Belenka''s expression grew somewhat serious.

    "Ian. Let me warn you in advance. Traveling through a war zone isn''t easy."

    "I figured as much."

    Currently, Duke Fargar was reportedly leading troops toward the Silverwind region.

    The forward base was already complete, and skirmishes were breaking out everywhere.

    "Warm hospitality comes from full granaries. War makes everyone poor, so miserly people will rule the streets."

    In peaceful times, wizards received good treatment everywhere.

    But when war broke out, that changed.

    Wizards were useful yet dangerous beings.

    Meeting an unaffiliated wandering wizard like Ian, who knew what they might do.

    Of course, Ian had the backing of Imperial University and the wizard council (like all wizards).

    But desperate nobles might do crazy things without thinking of the consequences.

    "Better prepare thoroughly."

    "Hire some mercenaries if you can."

    Ian nodded.

    The south had become too dangerous to travel with just companions like before.

    "Preparing for travel, I see."

    "...?"

    Just then, someone walked into the courtyard.

    It felt so natural that Ian thought it was a local resident out for a walk.

    "Gerard!"

    "It''s been a while, Ian."

    It was none other than Gerard the space-time wizard.

    Though space-time wizards could appear anywhere anytime since they handled teleportation magic...

    Still couldn''t shake the feeling he''d popped up out of nowhere.

    "Did you use teleportation magic?"

    "No. I''ve been staying in Talian for several months."

    "...Without telling Lucy?"

    "Why should I tell her?"

    "..."

    Ian greatly admired such matchless shamelessness.

    Indeed. Gerard truly was an Imperial wizard...!

    "What brings you to Talian..."

    "Can''t say."

    Ian gave a hollow laugh.

    Hearing that un-pleasant answer made meeting a space-time wizard feel real.

    Space-time wizards were naturally suspicious types who only whispered secrets among themselves.

    "It''s related to the future."

    Gerard explained somewhat kindly?.

    Though it didn''t help understand at all.

    "Well. If you say so."

    Ian just went along with it.

    "Ian. I saw your future become fixed."

    "Fixed?"

    "One born with the fate of stars. And one who received the Empress''s blessing - you''ll form marriage bonds with them."

    Ian wore an interesting expression.

    That... sounded like Arcana-style phrasing.

    Gerard seemed versed in Arcana magic too.

    "Lucy is the star and Kira is the empress, that''s right."

    "Very good."

    Gerard nodded with a satisfied smile.

    ...Come to think of it, he was the one who brought Kira to Ian.

    Originally Kira was supposedly fated to become a Sultan''s wife in the Sand Empire.

    "Gerard. Did you want me to become partners with Kira?"

    "I just wanted that future to become fixed. If you''d rejected Kira, I would''ve had to find another future."

    Indeed.

    Gerard was the one who brought Kira to Ian.

    "The reason... you won''t tell me, right?"

    Gerard smiled meaningfully and said:

    "Of course. But if Kira becomes pregnant with your child, I can tell you about a new future."

    "..."

    Pregnancy.

    Ian sensed something.

    And asked incredulously:

    "Wait, is the prophecy not about me... but about my child?"

    "Quick-witted. That''s exactly right."

    No. This space-time wizard... just how far ahead could he see?

    To be able to prophesy about Ian and Kira''s child!

    ...Ian formed a backwards hypothesis.

    What if Gerard had glimpsed the future of Ian and Kira''s child.

    And that''s why he brought Ian and Kira together...?

    ''Let''s stop thinking about it.''

    Ian shook his head.

    The more he thought about space-time magic, the more his head throbbed.

    "Any other questions?"

    "I''m good. You won''t tell me anyway."

    Gerard glanced meaningfully.

    Leave Belenka behind. Take a short walk - that was the meaning.

    Ian followed Gerard briefly down a path.

    "You chose a difficult path, Ian."

    Ian easily understood Gerard''s meaning.

    He meant Ian''s choice to inherit Maronius''s will and meet the Sky God.

    "You have power."

    "Well. I suppose."

    "Power no one else in this world has. With your unique magic that only you can wield, you could become the empire''s strongest wizard."

    Though it sounded like obvious flattery, somehow it carried more weight coming from a space-time wizard.

    "You could have become a king, a hero."

    Though they were grand words, Gerard spoke in the emotionless voice typical of space-time wizards.

    So Ian wasn''t excited either.

    "Why did you choose the path of a wizard?"

    "You already know, Gerard."

    Ian said while taking light steps.

    "I''m just someone born with strange power by chance. I''m satisfied traveling the world, seeing and experiencing many things."

    "Is that so."

    "King or hero. To reach those positions would require spilling much blood. I... for reasons you don''t know, don''t really like such bloody fights."

    "..."

    "Gerard?"

    Gerard closed his eyes silently for a while.

    Ian was slightly surprised.

    ...His fingertips were trembling, turned blue.

    "Ian Eredith Raven."

    "Ah. Yes."

    "I''ll... open one path for you."

    "A path?"

    Gerard opened his eyes.

    With a stern expression, he said to Ian:

    "If... you ever want to give up everything."

    "?"

    "Come to the space-time wizard council and find a woman named Tanya."

    "What''s this suddenly..."

    "She will make you a space-time wizard."

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

    It helps the website and helps people find this novel!

    If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi.

    Click here!

 Chapter 312

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Though Ian had mastered various mysteries, there was still one he hadn''t encountered.

    The mystery of time and space.

    Time and space were both the clearest truths composing the world and mysteries that everyone knew but no one could understand.

    What is space? What kind of beings are we who live in that space? Why do we move from existence to non-existence, and why does time flow from future to past?

    Answering these questions would require advanced physics knowledge and discourse about the universe.

    Ian was neither a physicist nor an astronomer.

    He only had basic knowledge like ''The universe was probably created by the Big Bang~'' and knew only that ''There''s a theory that time was created by the expansion of the universe~''.

    Actually, even physics majors couldn''t answer these questions precisely.

    If answers existed, humanity would have already developed teleporters or time machines.

    But...

    In this barbaric and primitive medieval fantasy world, there existed wizards who understood and utilized time and space.

    Those who could foresee the future and handle teleportation magic.

    The space-time wizards.

    Time and space were [modern mysteries] that hadn''t fully revealed their secrets even to modern people.

    Ironically, medieval fantasy wizards could converse with them precisely because they couldn''t penetrate the secrets of space-time.

    Conversing with incomprehensible beings - that is, with mysteries - was wizards'' specialty.

    "Gerard. Becoming a space-time wizard..."

    "A branch has come to you."

    The mystery of space-time was one of the hardest mysteries for humans to approach.

    Just as the mystery of darkness Ian handled was very difficult for ordinary wizards to find, the mystery of space-time could only be handled by those born with space-time''s interest.

    That''s why Ian couldn''t learn space-time magic.

    But now, Gerard told Ian.

    A branch had come where he could learn space-time magic.

    "Space-time wizard is one of many possibilities given to you."

    "...I see."

    Since opportunities to learn space-time magic came very rarely and extremely limitedly, there was over 99% chance of missing it without another space-time wizard''s guidance.

    So the birth of new space-time wizards almost always depended on guidance from existing ones.

    "By possibility, you mean there are futures where I don''t become a space-time wizard?"

    "Of course."

    Like all space-time wizard prophecies, there was no compulsion.

    Ian could become a space-time wizard, or not.

    But Gerard''s added [condition] was rather chilling.

    "When I want to give up everything."

    "..."

    "Is that a prophecy, Gerard?"

    Gerard nodded.

    The motion was slightly heavier than usual.

    "Space-time wizards see various futures."

    Gerard said.

    "We can know which futures reach which destinations. But we can''t know which direction reality will flow."

    "Because the present is chaotic."

    "Exactly. While future and past are fixed, everything in the present churns. Even minor accidents frequently change the future entirely."

    That''s why space-time wizards didn''t carelessly speak prophecies.

    It only made an already chaotic present even more chaotic.

    "Ian. You have enemies."

    "..."

    "I see futures where you defeat your enemies, and futures where you submit to them simultaneously."

    Most futures space-time wizards saw were like that.

    Rather than definitively stating ''Ian will win the coming battle''.

    Space-time wizards'' future alteration was guiding reality toward either ''the future where Ian wins'' or ''the future where Ian loses''.

    Oh, Ian won? Well, then the future goes this way.

    Oh? Ian lost? Then it''s that way?

    "If... you grow tired of life in reality. The path of becoming a space-time wizard exists, Ian."

    Ian shrugged.

    It wasn''t particularly appealing.

    "If I become a space-time wizard, I''d be like you, right?"

    "Like me?"

    "Unable to say a word about the future. Running around working hard everywhere trying to bring reality to the future decided by the space-time wizard council. That kind of person."

    Gerard showed a rare smile.

    "Sharp insight. So accurate it''s almost unfair."

    The future of becoming a space-time wizard was clearly just one of many possibilities.

    "Then Ian. Go forth and challenge fate."

    Gerard turned his back to Ian.

    "Fight and settle things. Whichever path you walk, I''ll sincerely cheer you on."

    Ian answered with a smile.

    "Instead of cheering, couldn''t you give some helpful advice?"

    Surprisingly, Gerard nodded.

    Wow! This works?

    "Beware the man in green clothes. Then good things will happen."

    "...?"

    "Well then."

    With those final words, Gerard melted away into the bare forest.

    Ian watched the space-time wizard''s retreating figure while exhaling white breath.

    Whatever future awaited Ian.

    He would move forward.

    ''Should head back.''

    ---

    Ian returned to Talian Hall alone.

    And thought briefly.

    He''d learn space-time magic right away if the conditions were decent.

    What? Learn it when he wants to give up?

    Better not learn it at all.

    It was a meaningless offer to someone like Ian who was happy with his current life.

    Especially thinking about after the journey ended.

    Planning to settle in Talian for about 5 years.

    Learning space-time magic didn''t really matter either way.

    And who knows?

    5 years might stretch to 10, 15 years.

    ...Though Ian wasn''t a space-time wizard, he somehow felt such a future awaited him.

    If Lucy and Kira had babies, he probably wouldn''t travel like now.

    ''...Medieval people become adults so fast.''

    Actually, modern people were the ones marrying late.

    Coming from a world overflowing with unmarried people in their 30s to one where you were called an old bachelor/maid in your late 20s, the gap felt huge.

    ''After meeting the Sky God.''

    Ian hurried his steps while stretching lazily.

    "Oh. Ian. You''re back?"

    "???"

    Returning to Talian Hall, an unfamiliar person had arrived.

    A traveler wearing a green hat and green windbreaker...

    ''A man in green clothes?!''

    Ian instantly recalled Gerard''s ''prophecy''.

    Wasn''t it that good things would happen if he was careful of men in green clothes?

    "Belenka, who is this...?"

    "Ah. A traveler from the south."

    The man greeted Ian with an elegant hand gesture.

    "Pleased to meet you, noble one. I am Aesis, a minstrel."

    "A minstrel?"

    The man in green''s name was not Zelda... but Aesis.

    Even saying he was a minstrel.

    "He says he watched the war in the south then immediately fled north."

    Though it could sound insulting depending on interpretation, Aesis calmly nodded.

    "I saw Duke Fargar leading his army. The Duke''s valiant forces literally swept away Rashin''s rabble. Like waves washing away a sand pile."

    Belenka listened to Aesis''s story with fascinated eyes.

    Being a minstrel, his storytelling skill was excellent.

    "You watched quite a battle."

    "One of the most glorious moments in my life."

    Being a knight, Belenka showed great interest in others'' war stories.

    ...But Ian couldn''t focus on Aesis''s tale at all.

    ''Is this the guy?''

    Beware green clothes.

    The space-time wizard''s warning wouldn''t leave Ian''s mind.

    Medieval minstrels were welcomed everywhere.

    "These green clothes are a minstrel''s symbol."

    "Oh ho."

    "Wearing green clothes, we rarely get attacked first."

    Rarely meant they still got attacked sometimes.

    Minstrels were medieval singers and storytellers.

    Medieval songs largely fell into two categories.

    First were folk songs.

    Rootless songs hummed by village farmers, later called the root of all roots among people''s songs.

    Folk songs were so trivial that almost no one except laborers sang them. They didn''t want to hear them either.

    Why would anyone want to hear songs others sing while farming?

    Second were sacred songs.

    Starting with songs priests created for religious ceremonies, they spread among priests and monks.

    In medieval times, almost all professional songwriters were religious people.

    When wondering who would dedicate themselves to things unrelated to survival, guessing religious people was right over half the time.

    Because religious people didn''t care about survival issues...

    They spent their spare time on non-productive work making books and songs.

    Having nothing but time, the songs religious people ground out were quite excellent.

    There was just one minor issue.

    "[Heaven''s grace falls like rain~]"

    "...What''s he saying?"

    Namely, the lyrics were incomprehensible!

    "Just ancient language. All priests'' hymns are like that."

    Minstrel Aesis said he''d sing a quick song, and sang none other than a famous hymn.

    Though quite tacky by modern standards, it was a very natural song choice for medieval people.

    Originally all good songs were made in temples.

    That''s what they did after eating!

    Not surprisingly, everyone except Ian and Sister Mionia couldn''t understand Aesis''s lyrics.

    People who knew ancient language were naturally rare.

    "How was it?"

    "I liked it. Lucy, what about you?"

    "Um... felt like sitting in a temple."

    Though brutally honest feedback, Aesis didn''t look hurt.

    It was Ian who had requested the song anyway.

    "If Lord Ian enjoyed it, I''m satisfied."

    Aesis said with a smile.

    "You must have enjoyed it more since you understood the lyrics."

    Ian thought briefly.

    ''The lyrics are fine.''

    Aesis''s ancient language skill was excellent.

    Almost no jarring pronunciation.

    "Kira."

    Ian secretly called Kira to talk privately.

    "About Aesis''s song. How did it sound to you?"

    Kira tilted her head slightly.

    "Not bad... but not good either."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. With that skill level, he''d have trouble making a living anywhere."

    This was the assessment of Kira who had traveled with professional performers since childhood.

    Ian trusted Kira''s evaluation.

    ''A minstrel with good ancient language skills but poor singing ability...?''

    Ian looked at Aesis again.

    ''What''s with this guy?''

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 313

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Aesis was a suspicious man.

    ...At least to Ian.

    Everyone else warmly welcomed Aesis''s visit.

    "So, where are you headed?"

    Like any wanderer, a minstrel''s visit was always welcome. They brought easy access to news from distant places.

    Lucy treated Aesis with the hospitality due a traveler, and he satisfied her by sharing various tales from the south.

    ''...Hmm.''

    Though Ian observed Aesis carefully, he couldn''t pinpoint anything specifically suspicious. Sure, he was a poor singer but good with ancient languages, but couldn''t there be minstrels like that? While singing ability was important for minstrels, one could still make a living if they told entertaining stories well enough.

    "I should return to Fargar."

    "To Fargar?"

    Lucy tilted her head. It seemed odd that he''d go back after just fleeing the battlefield.

    But Aesis explained with a smile:

    "I''ve heard the news from the north. Apart from the dragon appearing, nothing unusual happened."

    "That''s true."

    The north had always been quiet, then and now. But the flames of war still burned in the south.

    "After traveling around a bit, I realized something. I''m creating heroic poems about the battlefield. I doubt I''ll find good inspiration in the north."

    "Heroic poems!"

    Minstrel songs combined music and poetry. Though influenced by religious music, they were more like popular songs with religious elements removed and mass appeal added.

    One type was Romance.

    Knights riding across battlefields, sharing tender love with noble ladies!

    That was truly a man''s Romance!

    "Lucy, you like heroic poems?"

    "Yes! Romance is always fun to listen to! Especially super tragic love stories!"

    "..."

    Ian felt briefly dazed. Being in this primitive-ancient world, words close to their modern etymology kept popping up everywhere!

    "Noble Count of Talian, do you have a favorite song?"

    "Tristan and Isolde!"

    "Ah, then I shall sing that for you."

    Aesis broke into song again. As Kira had said, he wasn''t an exceptionally talented singer, but the narrative itself was so entertaining that it made for an engaging performance.

    "He can barely carry a tune," Kira delivered her brief review. Her criticism was as sharp as any red-spectacled critic''s, though considering Kira''s skill level, even that was high praise.

    But while Kira was picky, everyone else praised Aesis''s abilities. People tended to be impressed by those less skilled than themselves.

    "What a magnificent song!"

    "Sniff... it''s just so sad, no matter how many times I hear it."

    Ian watched Aesis and thought.

    ''Did I get it wrong?''

    Gerard had said to "beware the man in green clothes."

    But could he be certain Aesis was that man from the prophecy? It was too early to say. There was nothing obviously concerning about him right now.

    As they welcomed Aesis, Ian''s preparations for departure were completed.

    Aesis very naturally requested to join them.

    "Since you''re heading to Fargar, it must be heaven''s guidance."

    "Ha ha, just good luck I suppose."

    None of Ian''s companions objected to having a minstrel join them. Sir Salvador of course, and both Belenka and Kira agreed to let Aesis come along.

    "What do you think, Ian?"

    Ian cast his vote in favor too.

    "The more traveling companions, the better."

    "I''m grateful for your generous decision, Lord Ian."

    Ian''s reason for deciding to take Aesis along was quite simple - he didn''t want to leave a suspicious person behind in Talian.

    If Aesis was the man from the prophecy, who knew what he might do after they parted ways? Letting him loose in Talian could start an avalanche of problems.

    And if Aesis wasn''t the prophesied man, well, there was no harm in traveling with another minstrel companion.

    Ian left Talian in the prepared carriage.

    "Come back soon~! Ian!"

    In weather so cold their noses turned red, Lucy cheerfully waved goodbye, unbothered by the frigid dawn air. She truly was a girl as pure as starlight.

    Ian returned her farewell wave from the distance. Kira also gave Lucy a small wave.

    "You seemed to get along well with Lucy without me around."

    "Ahaha... the Count of Talian was just so welcoming."

    Kira twisted her long hair awkwardly while laughing.

    "She''s really a wonderful person."

    "Lucy''s good with people."

    Lucy was the perfect example of someone you''d describe as "just a sweetheart."

    She was a good person. Almost too good...

    ''Stay healthy and wait for me.''

    Ian thought with a slight smile.

    "What did Lucy say to you?"

    "She told me to take good care of you."

    Kira said with a broad smile.

    "But that''s... just basic, isn''t it?"

    "Basic?"

    "Since Ian is my... fiance?..."

    That was true. Ian was Kira''s fiance?. Ian had also begun taking more conscious care of Kira. After all, Kira was his fiance?e.

    Just then, Ian felt someone''s gaze. He instinctively knew who it belonged to.

    ...It was Maria.

    The black-eyed girl was intently watching the couple with an eerie(?) stare.

    "...Something to say, Maria?"

    "Not at all. Hehe. Just watching you two makes me happy."

    Ian thought to himself that Maria was still just a young girl after all, getting moved by adult romance! (Though there was barely any age difference.)

    While Ian found Maria''s reaction heartwarming, Kira wore a sour expression.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Ah, nothing. Just..."

    Ian wasn''t disappointed by Kira''s reaction. Maria did have somewhat gloomy(?) tendencies! Her stare could feel uncomfortable.

    "Maria could have stayed to study at the university."

    "How could I? My place is by his side."

    Ian had originally planned to support Maria''s magic studies. But since she insisted on coming along, he figured he''d let her do as she pleased. Trying to force anything on Maria might lead to terrifying consequences.

    "Lord Ian..."

    Aesis, who had been quiet, spoke up.

    "You seem to receive the love of many women."

    "Don''t misunderstand - I''m no playboy."

    Aesis gave a light laugh at Ian''s joking response.

    "Is that lady your sister?"

    Maria blinked before answering:

    "Not at all. Though I respect and love him, we don''t share a single drop of blood."

    "Ah, I see. I was mistaken since you look similar."

    They both had black hair and black eyes. Since they were both magic users too, it was understandable to mistake them for siblings.

    "Did you know?"

    "?"

    Aesis was a storyteller, and always had tales ready to lighten the mood. This time, he chose [The Secret of Black Hair] as his topic.

    "That the empire''s black-haired people are actually descendants of the ancient empire."

    Aesis said with a grin.

    This was the traveling minstrel''s trump card story. With two black-haired people present! He had no doubt both Ian and Maria would find it interesting.

    However...

    "I know. It''s a famous story."

    "Oh my. Is it famous?"

    Soon Maria was looking at Aesis with an expression that said ''trying to show off with a well-known tale~?''

    "..."

    Aesis felt instantly wronged!

    No, famous story?! The secret of black-haired imperials was an obscure tale known only to a select few...!

    "T-then! Do you also know why the ancient imperials live mixed with imperials of various hair colors?!"

    "? The Holy Empire is only an empire in name - it actually has no connection to the ancient Golden Empire."

    "!!!"

    "Current Holy Empire residents came from the north, so they''re a different race. That''s why they have different hair colors."

    Aesis''s jaw dropped.

    That was truly high-level knowledge!

    Where did she learn such information?!

    "M-my, you''re very knowledgeable, Lady Wizard...?"

    "No need to flatter me. Anyone who knows would know this."

    Ian really thought that way.

    Because... Ian''s "anyone who knows" consisted entirely of wizards and professors he''d met at university!

    Such simple history was common knowledge at university? After spending time in a place dense with knowledge, Ian had forgotten how pitiful medieval "average" knowledge truly was.

    The medieval period wasn''t an era without knowledge.

    It was an era with huge knowledge disparities.

    While universities discovered and researched knowledge comparable to modern times, that knowledge never spread!

    How could you share knowledge with others?

    Through books? With such poor printing technology? Through word of mouth? That was difficult and could get distorted along the way!

    In a world without internet or anything similar, knowledge spread very, very slowly.

    So even having knowledge like Aesis''s put one among the more learned.

    "Got any more interesting stories?"

    "T-then... Ah! Far out at sea, there lives a monster called a [whale]..."

    "You mean fish bigger than sailing ships?"

    "!!!"

    No way, how did he know...?

    "R-rainbows! Do you know what lies at the end of rainbows?!"

    "Hmm. Perhaps a pot of gold is buried there? Though rainbows don''t actually touch the ground."

    "!!!"

    Aesis''s mouth fell open.

    He knew Ian was a wizard, but...

    Actually, the wizards of this medieval fantasy world weren''t incredibly knowledgeable!

    Though interested in knowledge, few were as widely learned as Ian. Wizards typically only cared about knowledge related to their specific magical specialties.

    "T-then...!"

    "That''s enough. It was plenty entertaining."

    Ian spoke without hiding his disappointment.

    He''d thought a minstrel might know something special...

    But he knew nothing at all! (Not true)

    Aesis felt deeply wronged by Ian''s reaction.

    Hey, what am I supposed to do if you already know everything I know!

    In that moment, unable to suppress his indignation, Aesis revealed a ''secret'' that only he knew.

    "About the young Baron Silverwind under Duke Fargar''s protection."

    "?"

    "Did you know he inherited the blood of the ancient empire, just like Lord Ian?"

    Aesis declared triumphantly.

    No matter how knowledgeable, surely he wouldn''t know this latest news!

    Aesis''s strategy worked perfectly.

    ''The young Baron Silverwind has black hair?''

    Even Ian didn''t know that.

    How could Ian possibly know what members of an extinct house looked like?

    Enjoy the chappy!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 314

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian recalled his dinner with Count Dranheim.

    During that meal with Ian, Elia, and Count Dranheim, the Count had shared some basic background about the southern war.

    ''Duke Fargar attacked the Rashin Kingdom.''

    The justification was clear.

    In the past, the Rashin Kingdom had attacked and devoured the territory of Margrave Silverwind.

    When Silverwind faced Rashin''s invasion, they immediately requested help from Duke Roxlan, but no reinforcements came, and Rashin succeeded in taking the Margrave''s lands.

    ''Too late,'' Duke Roxlan''s army finally arrived and drove out Rashin with terrifying momentum.

    Rashin was forced to retreat after losing half of their occupied territory.

    ...Afterwards, Rashin and Roxlan maintained an awkward standoff, neither side willing to provoke the other.

    ''Half held by Roxlan, half by Rashin - but it all originally belonged to Silverwind.''

    They say Silverwind fought to defend their territory down to the very last person.

    And then... they all died.

    "We know from surviving portraits. The Silverwind family were beautiful men and women with black hair for generations."

    "Well, there are many ancient imperials in the southern empire."

    The barbarians came from the north.

    The southern Holy Empire, being relatively close to the imperial capital, still had many bloodlines from the Golden Empire.

    If Ian had been born in the south rather than the north, he probably wouldn''t have been teased so much as a child.

    "That''s why the young Baron Silverwind under Duke Fargar''s protection faces much suspicion."

    "Suspicion of being an impostor."

    "Exactly."

    Aesis''s eyes sparkled as he spoke. His joy at telling his tale made him the very picture of a storyteller.

    "Clearly, Silverwind was annihilated while resisting Rashin''s invasion."

    "Couldn''t someone have gotten lucky and survived?"

    "That''s exactly what Duke Fargar claims - that they''re protecting a survivor they found by chance."

    Ian found himself somewhat interested in Aesis''s story, both because the tale itself was intriguing and because he was curious about the situation in the south.

    "You followed Duke Fargar in the south?"

    "Yes. Actually... I saw the young Baron Silverwind from afar."

    "Oh? What were they like?"

    Aesis paused briefly before answering.

    "An incredibly beautiful woman."

    "Woman? The young Baron is female?"

    "Yes. Like a black rose blooming on winter ice."

    Ian lightly imagined what the young Baron might look like - black hair, snow-white skin, and a proud expression.

    "If my companion hadn''t told me she was the young Baron, I would have thought she was Duke Fargar''s lover."

    Aesis excitedly shared what he''d seen and heard on the battlefield.

    "...You can easily spot Duke Fargar''s position by looking for his banners."

    "Oh?"

    "This is the Duke''s banner, and next to it there''s one with this crest..."

    Ian hesitated slightly.

    While the Duke''s crest wasn''t familiar, the one beside it... he felt like he''d seen it somewhere before.

    "This is the Silverwind banner."

    "..."

    "They always raise both banners together to show their unity."

    Aesis glanced sideways at Ian''s expression.

    But Ian maintained his composure.

    ''Could just be my imagination.''

    "You said the Rashin Kingdom is losing?"

    "Ah, yes. The Duke''s army fights remarkably well."

    Ian smoothly continued the conversation.

    Aesis followed Ian''s lead and continued with his next story.

    Until sunset, Ian exchanged various small talk with Aesis.

    As the sun set, Ian''s group began preparing to make camp.

    While the workers hired from Talian set up the campsite, Ian briefly called Maria aside.

    "Maria. A moment."

    "Yes?"

    Maria, who had been reading by the campfire, followed Ian to a secluded spot.

    "What is it?"

    "Do you still have that signet ring your grandmother owned?"

    Maria nodded.

    Among her grandmother''s possessions was indeed a signet ring.

    Because of that ring, Ian had once thought her grandmother might have been a rather successful highway robber(...).

    After all, it wasn''t something a countryside old lady should have!

    "Here it is."

    Maria took the ring from her chest and held it out to Ian.

    She seemed to have kept it preciously as her grandmother''s keepsake.

    Ian slowly examined Maria''s signet ring.

    ''...As I thought.''

    The crest engraved on the ring matched exactly with the Silverwind crest Aesis had described.

    It wasn''t Ian''s imagination.

    This signet ring belonged to an extinct noble house.

    ''Was she really a highway robber...?''

    Ian started thinking that but shook his head.

    While her grandmother might truly have been a highway robber who robbed nobles, or someone who happened to acquire the ring by chance...

    "?"

    When you factored in Maria''s existence, the story changed.

    ''Maria''s way of speaking.''

    She had explained it before.

    Maria''s grandmother had claimed to be a princess from a small kingdom.

    Maria had dismissed it as the ramblings of a senile old woman, but...

    Perhaps Maria''s grandmother had been a Silverwind survivor.

    ''Not direct blood relation. A relative or branch family member.''

    Maria''s peculiar way of speaking had apparently come from her grandmother.

    She certainly spoke more like a noble lady than a country girl.

    Could a simply senile old woman have perfectly reproduced such upper-class speech patterns?

    ''...She deliberately hid the truth from Maria.''

    Maria''s grandmother had gone to her grave without revealing the truth to Maria.

    She likely judged that if word got out about Silverwind survivors, their lives would be in danger.

    Ian looked at Maria again.

    Black hair and black eyes.

    And the signet ring in her palm...

    ''The truth... is unknowable.''

    He couldn''t know who Maria''s grandmother really was, or if Maria truly was a Silverwind survivor.

    But one thing was certain...

    To an outsider.

    Maria would definitely appear to be a legitimate Silverwind survivor...!

    ''The house is already extinct.''

    Anyone who could verify if Maria was truly a Silverwind was already gone from this world.

    Meaning whoever claimed it first would win.

    As it happened, someone had already made that claim.

    ''Duke Fargar.''

    Duke Fargar claimed he was protecting the young Baron Silverwind.

    Though there were many suspicious aspects, people generally accepted it.

    Why?

    Because a Duke said so!

    Claims needed power behind them - the same words from someone powerless were just nonsense.

    Just like the mumblings of Maria''s grandmother in her final years.

    ''This... isn''t good.''

    Ian organized his thoughts.

    If.

    Just if, assuming Maria was the real Silverwind heir.

    What would happen if he brought her to the south like this?

    First, Duke Fargar would be displeased.

    His ''young Baron'' would be exposed as fake while simultaneously destroying an important justification for the war.

    Conversely, Duke Roxlan would be relatively pleased.

    It would make a good excuse to stop Fargar.

    ...And provide a clear target for elimination.

    ''Whether she falls into either Duke''s hands...''

    Ian frowned.

    ''They''d both want Maria dead.''

    "Um..."

    Maria gently tugged at Ian''s sleeve.

    "You look troubled."

    "..."

    Yes, it''s because of you~

    ...He could say that, but Ian wasn''t that cold, so he put it gently instead.

    "Just have something on my mind."

    "Is it about me?"

    Ian patted Maria''s head.

    Really, it was all just his speculation.

    Nothing was certain, so there was no need to make Maria uncomfortable.

    "It''s nothing. I''ll tell you when the time is right."

    "Hehe... a secret with you... my heart''s suddenly starting to race."

    "..."

    Do you have arrhythmia?

    Ian stared at Maria in disbelief.

    This girl gets excited over anything since she has nothing else to get excited about-

    "Caw! Master!"

    Just then, Oberon landed on Ian''s shoulder with flapping wings.

    "You''re heavy, you crazy bird."

    "Caw!"

    [Heavy~! Where would you find a lighter bird than me~!]

    Ian exchanged brief greetings with Oberon before getting to the point.

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [I found a suspicious person behind that tree~!]

    "Suspicious person?"

    [Someone wearing green clothes~!]

    ''Must be Aesis?''

    Ian whipped his head around.

    Of course, Aesis was nowhere to be seen.

    According to Oberon, Aesis had been hiding and watching Ian and Maria''s secret meeting.

    He probably couldn''t hear their conversation, but he must have seen enough to spot the signet ring.

    "Where''s green clothes now?"

    [Just left~!]

    Ian hurried up the hill.

    ...He could see Aesis stealing a horse and fleeing from the camp.

    ''This might be for the best.''

    No need to wonder who the prophesied man was anymore.

    The man in green that Gerard warned about was Aesis.

    Ian shouted loudly from the hilltop.

    "Aesis! Where are you going!"

    Aesis quickly spotted Ian and answered.

    "Just have somewhere to pop by! Don''t mind me!"

    If Ian hadn''t heard Gerard''s prophecy, he might have replied "Sure, take care~" - it was that natural a response.

    But Ian had heard the prophecy from Gerard.

    That good things would happen if he was careful of the man in green clothes.

    "Come back for a moment! I need to talk!"

    "Sorry! But I''m in a bit of a hurry-!"

    Aesis had already fled beyond arrow range.

    In this medieval fantasy world, you might think there was nothing more that could be done.

    But...

    "Will you use magic?"

    "I must."

    Ian was a wizard.

    He might not know much about ''medieval''~

    But ''fantasy'' was definitely his domain!

    "[O stallion running there!]"

    Ian immediately sent his will to Aesis''s horse.

    "[Where are you going, leaving your beloved mare behind!]"

    [???]

    "[Can''t you hear your mare crying anxiously! Can you call yourself a man!]"

    Neeeeeigh!

    Aesis''s horse, which had been running well, suddenly changed direction.

    Aesis was greatly startled.

    "What, what''s going on?! Why suddenly-!"

    Aesis tried desperately to control the horse, but it was useless.

    ...The horse ran madly back the way it came!

    ''Earlier the wizard was muttering something strange...''

    Aesis realized this was Ian''s doing.

    ''Magic that controls animals!''

    Left with no choice, Aesis had to abandon his horse.

    Meanwhile, Ian slid down the hillside.

    "What are you doing, Wizard Ian!"

    "That''s my line - why ignore me and run away when I just want to talk?"

    For a moment, Ian and Aesis exchanged glances.

    That brief instant was enough.

    The two recognized each other as enemies.

    Surprisingly, Aesis pulled out a dagger.

    "...Nothing personal!"

    Minstrel Aesis.

    His second occupation was assassin.

    Drawing his dagger with amazing speed, Aesis had absolute confidence Ian would fall bleeding.

    Since Ian wasn''t his assassination target, he even showed the courtesy of aiming away from vital spots.

    He was a pro-assassin, and pros don''t work without payment.

    Who knows? Someone might pay to have Ian killed later.

    Aesis would never work for free.

    Aesis''s dagger flew swiftly.

    Clang!

    "???"

    And collided with something in mid-air before falling.

    ''What... is that!''

    The object that knocked down Aesis''s dagger was none other than a flying sword.

    A Flying Sword!

    "Asu!"

    Simultaneously, Ian''s staff stretched out-

    Shhhhhhh!

    And transformed into a terrifying snake.

    "Ugh, aaaaah!"

    The staff-snake coiled tightly around Aesis''s neck and roared fiercely.

    "You bastard. Throwing knives at people?"

    "..."

    Aesis kept his mouth shut, having nothing to say.

    Losing to a wizard in close combat...

    It was too absurd.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 315

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian felt grateful to Gerard for once.

    ''So you can give useful advice after all?''

    Though space-time wizards were crafty bastards, they occasionally did helpful things like this. That''s why people couldn''t completely hate them.

    "S-something terrible! The wizard...!"

    "You mean Ian?"

    Ian returned to camp with Aesis captured.

    Belenka, who had been supervising the servants, rushed out as soon as she got the report. She looked back and forth between Ian and Aesis with an incredulous expression.

    "What happened here, Ian?"

    "This guy attacked me."

    "???"

    Ian explained what had occurred. With Maria as a witness, the explanation wasn''t difficult.

    "Good grief."

    Belenka said with a frown.

    "So he was watching you the whole time, then tried to escape when he had the chance?"

    "Aesis, want to tell them yourself?"

    "..."

    Aesis kept his mouth shut, staring at the ground.

    Belenka clicked her tongue at his response.

    "So much for not judging people by appearances."

    Aesis was promptly tied to a large tree.

    Ian gathered his companions for an emergency meeting.

    "The minstrel was an assassin?"

    "Yes, Sir Salvador."

    Most hadn''t expected it. Even Ian wouldn''t have suspected without Gerard''s warning.

    "Well damn."

    Sir Salvador seemed dumbfounded.

    "We''re still in the north, yet assassins are already after us..."

    "He doesn''t seem to be sent by black wizards."

    "Ian, didn''t you say he targeted you?"

    As his companions knew, Ian''s enemies were black wizards.

    Specifically, black wizards of the Golden Rule Society.

    But Ian judged that Aesis wasn''t their minion.

    "I only exposed his true colors by catching him. He tried to leave camp right after seeing Maria and me together."

    "You and Maria?"

    Ian nodded and spoke to Maria.

    "Show them the signet ring."

    Maria took out the ring from her chest.

    Those who had heard Aesis''s story were shocked when they saw the crest.

    "No way...!"

    "Ian, this is..."

    "Yes. It''s identical to what Aesis showed us."

    It was the crest of House Silverwind, the southern Margrave.

    That signet ring had emerged from Maria''s possession.

    Kira narrowed her eyes and spoke:

    "Isn''t this the ring Maria''s grandmother had?"

    Kira also remembered Aesis''s story.

    She couldn''t help but connect the Silverwind crest to the black-haired girl.

    Kira''s jaw dropped as she spoke:

    "D-does this mean... Maria is from Silverwind...?"

    Belenka added:

    "The circumstances certainly point that way."

    But Sir Salvador spoke more cautiously:

    "Let''s not jump to conclusions. We need to verify how Maria''s grandmother obtained this ring first."

    "But Sir, I don''t think others will consider it that deeply."

    When Ian said this, Sir Salvador nodded heavily.

    "That''s... true. A black-haired girl appearing with a lost signet ring - anyone would think she''s a Silverwind survivor."

    "However legitimate Duke Fargar''s heir might be, they''d have trouble competing with Maria."

    If the legitimacy had been certain in the first place, there wouldn''t have been voices doubting Duke Fargar.

    If rumors had spread as far as Dranheim in the north, the young Baron Silverwind''s legitimacy must be notably weak.

    What if Maria appeared in the south in this situation?

    "...This seems like no ordinary problem."

    Sir Salvador grasped the situation easily.

    Aesis''s target wasn''t Ian.

    It was Maria.

    "Um..."

    Just then, Maria tugged gently at Ian''s collar.

    With an anxious look unlike her usual self.

    "Won''t you explain to me too? What this all..."

    Ian felt slightly incredulous.

    An heir of a fallen noble house hiding from enemies, growing up thinking they were a commoner...

    What kind of cliche? was this?

    "Maria. The truth is... you might be nobility."

    "..."

    "Likely the sole heir to the Margrave of Silverwind''s title."

    Maria kept her head slightly bowed, showing no particular reaction.

    She just nodded quietly, as if processing the information.

    In a way, Aesis''s appearance was actually beneficial.

    It let them discover early that someone was targeting Maria.

    "Aesis hasn''t killed himself."

    "...That''s a pretty brutal observation."

    Belenka observed Aesis with sharp eyes.

    As a former wandering knight, she''d heard many rumors about assassins.

    "Failed assassins often commit suicide."

    "To avoid torture?"

    "Exactly."

    Assassins often chose death to prevent information leaks and avoid torture.

    What good would come from an assassin staying caught?

    No one would pay ransom for an assassin.

    Why would anyone pay to retrieve a failed assassin?

    Most ended up dying under brutal torture or being sold as slaves.

    But Aesis didn''t seem in a dying(?) mood yet.

    "Must mean he has a plan."

    Ian went with Belenka to interrogate Aesis.

    Sure enough, Aesis tried to negotiate as soon as he saw Ian.

    "This situation is most regrettable, Wizard."

    "What''s regrettable? That I''m still alive?"

    Aesis immediately shook his head.

    "My mission was to track the girl called Maria."

    "Who gave you the mission?"

    "I don''t know. Client confidentiality is essential when hiring informants."

    Belenka whispered.

    "Should we beat him?"

    "...No. He seems to be telling the truth for now."

    Like a typical medieval knight(...), Belenka''s first thought was violence.

    But Ian didn''t feel much need to beat Aesis up.

    He didn''t seem to be lying.

    "Though I suspect it''s Fargar''s people."

    "Evidence?"

    "None. Just an informant''s instinct."

    It wasn''t completely baseless.

    If Fargar''s people had noticed Maria''s existence, they''d have plenty of reason to send an assassin.

    "I received some support to complete my mission."

    "Support?"

    "First, backing from a wizards'' group called the Golden Rule Society."

    "...!"

    Belenka noticed something and quickly whispered.

    "Ian. If it''s black wizards from the Golden Rule Society..."

    Aesis pursuing Maria.

    And support from the Golden Rule Society.

    Ian inserted one connection between these two keywords.

    "Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt."

    "Right. That guy... he''s the one who targeted Maria before."

    The necromancer Bertholdt.

    He was the wizard who had tried to turn Maria into a black wizard but was driven away by Ian''s interference.

    Bertholdt had plenty of reason to pursue Maria.

    "Whether Fargar or Roxlan, their interests might align with Bertholdt."

    "...Since they both aim to hunt down the black-haired girl."

    In other words, Aesis''s deployment was a joint effort between an imperial duke and black wizards.

    "Wizard Ian."

    Aesis spoke softly.

    "I have reinforcements provided by my client and the Golden Rule Society."

    "Reinforcements?"

    "Enough forces to annihilate your mere handful of people."

    "And?"

    When Ian asked, Aesis answered confidently.

    "Spare my life. Then I''ll tell the reinforcements lying in wait that the time isn''t right yet."

    Belenka offered her opinion.

    "Doesn''t seem like he''s lying."

    "But can Aesis control his allies?"

    "He''ll have to if he wants to live."

    Belenka shrugged.

    "They probably don''t think Aesis was caught anyway."

    "Just curious - why''s that?"

    "Because he got caught in such a ridiculous way."

    Ian and Belenka laughed together.

    That''s right.

    Ian had uncovered Aesis''s identity thanks to Gerard''s prophecy.

    Because Gerard had warned about Aesis beforehand, Ian was the only one who viewed him with suspicion.

    Aesis had barely acted suspicious and probably never imagined being discovered.

    "They''ll think Aesis is still infiltrating."

    "Perhaps."

    "Better avoid pointless fights since we don''t know how many enemies there are."

    It was a reasonable assumption.

    "Aesis. Can I trust you?"

    When Ian asked, Aesis answered as if he''d been waiting:

    "Of course. If I betray you, you may kill me on the spot."

    "Swear to heaven. If you''re leading me into a trap, you''ll become a sinner forever barred from the heavenly realm."

    "...I swear by Heaven''s name."

    Aesis swore to heaven.

    To medieval people, this was equivalent to swearing on your mother''s life, or even more serious.

    Many would rather swear on their mother than heaven''s name.

    Family couldn''t guarantee the afterlife after all...!

    "Lucky us."

    Belenka said.

    "We almost got ambushed without knowing anything."

    "I''ll have to thank Gerard later."

    "Gerard?"

    "The space-time wizard gave me a prophecy."

    Belenka opened her mouth in admiration.

    "So that''s how!"

    Though the situation was chaotic, Ian continued moving forward.

    Suddenly returning to Talian might raise the enemies'' suspicions.

    Plus, Ian needed time to organize his thoughts.

    "Ian! I told the servants! For now, I said Aesis was caught stealing!"

    "Well done, Kira."

    Ian glared briefly at Aesis.

    Aesis whistled while pretending not to notice.

    "Better a thief than a corpse, right?"

    "For an assassin, you sure care about staying alive."

    "I''m a professional. Just trying to make a living here."

    ---

    Ian''s carriage continued along the road.

    And before long, the enemies Aesis had warned about appeared.

    "Kehehehe! Stop right there if you want to live!"

    "B-bandits!"

    The servants naturally thought the enemies were bandits.

    "Aesis. Your turn."

    "Leave it to me."

    Aesis walked proudly toward the bandits.

    And shouted loudly:

    "I am the minstrel Aesis! I wish to have a word!"

    The bandit leader shouted back:

    "Kehehehe! A word? I have just one thing to tell you! ''[Say hello to Heaven for me!]''"

    "W-what do you mean! I-I have connections with Duke Fargar..."

    "Don''t care if it''s Fargar or flies! Just prepare to die!"

    Woooooooah!

    The war cry echoed through the mountain path.

    Ian and Belenka looked at each other briefly.

    "Doesn''t seem to be working?"

    "Indeed. Aesis must have lied..."

    Aesis rushed back and fell to his knees.

    "It''s unfair! I really do know those bandits!"

    "Then why aren''t they listening to you?"

    "...I don''t know."

    Belenka silently drew her longsword.

    Aesis bowed his head at amazing speed and begged with clasped hands.

    "I-it''s true! Please spare me!"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 316

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Aesis was truly wronged.

    He really had received support from the Golden Rule Society!

    "That man is famous as ''Savage'', a notorious bandit!"

    "Savage?"

    Aesis eagerly spilled everything he knew.

    As soon as he received his infiltration mission from the client, he met with members of the Golden Rule Society at the arranged location.

    He had met two key figures.

    A wizard who controlled monsters, and that bandit known as ''Savage'' visible in the distance.

    "He''s such a lunatic that he definitely won''t listen to me!"

    Belenka kept her sword drawn as she glared at Aesis for a moment.

    Aesis''s neck was drenched in cold sweat.

    "Is he really that crazy?"

    "Y-yes! They don''t call him Savage for nothing!"

    Aesis hastily explained.

    Savage.

    The man was more infamous for his deranged behavior than for being a bandit leader.

    "He collects the fingers of his captives and bathes in the blood of his executed enemies!"

    "Hmm. What else?"

    "He puts human flesh under his saddle to make jerky and eats it!"

    Ian responded nonchalantly:

    "So he just has a thing for human byproducts?"

    "Well, sounds crazy enough to qualify."

    Aesis was dumbfounded by Ian and Belenka''s reactions.

    How could they be so unfazed after hearing about Savage''s deranged acts?!

    The guy was a monster who ate people!

    "Once, he even killed one of his men just for kicking his dog!"

    "...? Sounds justified to me."

    "???"

    Ian and Aesis stared at each other in disbelief.

    As someone from the modern world, Ian was instilled with contemporary ethics about not harming animals.

    But in medieval times, livestock were creatures you''d eat if needed, so they were rarely valued above humans.

    Murder could send you to hell, but kicking a dog wasn''t a hell-worthy sin!

    Being a thoroughly logical medieval person, Aesis couldn''t understand Savage killing someone over kicking a mere dog.

    They would even boil and eat dogs if they ruined crops!

    "Anyway. So he''s too crazy to listen to you, is that it?"

    "Y-yes! Sir Knight!"

    Belenka warned Ian.

    "Be careful, Ian. He doesn''t seem like an easy opponent."

    "Right. If black wizards prepared him, he''s probably not your average madman."

    Ian kept his guard up while watching ahead.

    Though he''d been surrounded by enemies countless times.

    Underestimating an opponent would be pure insanity.

    With lives at stake, they had to give it their all.

    "Kehehehe! Attack! Attack!"

    Savage issued the attack order without hesitation.

    At that moment.

    Rumble rumble...!

    "W-what''s that?!"

    "Landslide!"

    A massive pile of earth crashed down behind the path Ian had taken.

    Their escape route was cut off.

    "Here they come! They''re coming!"

    "W-we need to run!"

    With their retreat suddenly blocked and bandits surging forward like a wave, Ian''s servants fell into panic.

    Being ordinary people without combat training, their fear was understandable.

    Sir Salvador drew his sword and tried to control the servants.

    "Don''t panic! Maintain formation! If we scatter now, we all die!"

    The servants barely managed to control their terror and gathered around Sir Salvador.

    "Kehehehe! Don''t let a single one live! Let''s have a blood festival!"

    "Kyaaaah!"

    "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

    Savage charged forward while licking his blade.

    The fact that he didn''t cut himself despite the wild movement showed this wasn''t his first time.

    "Who''s the leader! Who will entertain me!"

    "I''m your opponent!"

    Belenka blocked Savage''s path.

    Clang!

    The two longswords locked together.

    "Kehehehe! I am madness! I am death! I am Savage!"

    "...Would you please shut up and fight?!"

    They called him Savage the Mad.

    But he was so noisy he should''ve been called Savage the Chatterbox.

    The mountain path instantly became a battlefield.

    "Protect the wizards!"

    While Sir Salvador commanded the servants and Belenka held off Savage.

    Ian, Kira, and Maria-

    The three wizards observed the battlefield with calm eyes.

    Actually, Savage... wasn''t really crazy at all.

    His ''madness'' was a kind of roleplay.

    In other words, his insanity was just a concept.

    And this wasn''t particularly unusual.

    After all, people obsessed with personas didn''t just fall from the sky one day.

    Everyone has an instinctive desire to experience being someone completely different from themselves.

    Psychologists call this a persona.

    So Savage''s madness was like a mask, a persona-

    Something somewhat detached from his true nature.

    ''Bandits are rough.''

    The mad persona wasn''t something Savage had chosen because he liked it.

    ''To control rough men, you need both ability and charisma.''

    Savage had ability.

    He was an excellent swordsman who had never met a proper match.

    But born a commoner with mediocre intelligence and a timid personality, Savage couldn''t follow the path of becoming a knight through noble connections.

    However, being a skilled swordsman, Savage was semi-forcibly recruited when he encountered bandits.

    With nothing going for him except swordsmanship, he became caught up in the internal politics of the bandit group.

    Then by chance, he met someone who would become his mentor.

    A mad beggar.

    ''Why do you deliberately act crazy?''

    ''Simple. People naturally fear what they don''t understand... That''s why madmen are scary. Because you can never predict what they''ll do!''

    Savage practiced acting crazy by following the beggar''s example.

    Collecting severed fingers... splashing around in pools of blood from decapitated corpses...

    ''W-what''s he doing?''

    ''He''s completely insane!''

    The beggar was right.

    Though his madness was artificial, the bandits feared Savage''s insanity.

    Combined with his natural sword skills and others'' fear.

    Savage quickly gained many followers.

    ''Hey Savage! What are you eating?''

    ''Keheheh! The flesh of the guy we killed yesterday!''

    Savage would shout while chewing dried pork.

    While telling others he was eating ''human flesh''.

    ''Haha! You madman!''

    But the bandits believed Savage''s lies.

    His reputation as someone capable of anything had been established!

    And when someone kicked his beloved dog, he accidentally killed them.

    He hadn''t meant to kill them but... he was just too angry to control himself at that moment.

    Who wouldn''t be angry if someone kicked their cute puppy!

    ''That Savage. He killed a guy just for messing with his dog.''

    ''...What a psycho.''

    Though he was a bit more sensitive in some areas.

    Ultimately Savage''s madness was roleplay, and he was essentially a dull and timid man.

    Rumble rumble-!

    That''s why.

    "???"

    When he heard the thunderous noise behind him, Savage lowered his sword and stepped back.

    ''W-what is this...?''

    Another landslide occurred.

    This time... blocking their path forward.

    ''What... what is this...? What''s going on...?!''

    Though he didn''t show it outwardly, Savage was greatly startled.

    Cutting off the enemy''s escape route was part of the plan.

    The monster-controlling wizard had promised to help with that.

    But to cut off Savage''s retreat too?!

    This meant they were completely trapped front and back!

    "Tch! Quite thorough for a mere bandit!"

    Belenka glared at Savage as she spoke.

    From their first exchange of blows, she had judged he was no ordinary swordsman.

    Savage''s swordsmanship was truly excellent.

    He could match Belenka evenly!

    "So you were just stalling for time!"

    "..."

    But there was one thing Belenka couldn''t understand.

    It was Savage''s sword style.

    Though his mouth spouted nonsense about being [Madness] and [Death], making a lot of noise...

    His actual swordplay was extremely precise and delicate, almost like watching a skilled female swordsman.

    What happened to the madness?

    Belenka, who had expected him to charge recklessly like northern berserkers, couldn''t help but be suspicious of Savage''s graceful(?) bladework.

    But now, when the second landslide occurred-

    Belenka was convinced.

    Savage, that guy...

    Had deliberately used precise and gentle swordsmanship to buy time!(Wrong)

    "K-kehe... Kehehehe!"

    Though startled, Savage laughed anyway.

    He tended to laugh when things happened.

    "How fun! So very fun!"

    Actually, it wasn''t fun at all.

    "Savage! What''s going on here!"

    The sharper subordinates asked.

    They too sensed something was wrong with the situation.

    "T-this is now the Colosseum of Death! The slaughter will continue until blood flows like a river-!"

    "Colosseum of Death!"

    "Hahaha! What a mad plan you''ve prepared, Savage!"

    "..."

    Actually there was no plan at all.

    Even Savage wondered why their escape route had vanished.

    ''I don''t know what''s going on but...''

    Savage quickly racked his brain.

    ''If we subdue them all, something will work out!''

    He wasn''t smart enough to fully grasp all the confusion.

    "Alright! It''s a slaughter party-!"

    "I am a gladiator of the Colosseum-!"

    "..."

    His bandit companions were just as dim-witted as him...

    But right then.

    "Kira."

    "Yes."

    Ian, having finished conferring with his companions, signaled Kira to move.

    Kira raised her arm diagonally toward the sky.

    Crackle, crackle...!

    "???"

    At the same time, there was a sound like something burning-

    Whoosh!

    A massive fountain of flame erupted from Kira''s hand!

    "Aaaah!"

    "Good heavens...!"

    "It''s fire magic! Lady Kira''s magic!"

    Kira shot fireworks into the sky, using them as sparks to summon even greater flames.

    "[O burning flames!]"

    Soon, a ring of fire descended from above.

    A ring perfectly sized to trap the bandits.

    "F-fire!"

    "Damn! What do we do?!"

    "Savage! Don''t you have a plan?!"

    The bandits trapped in the burning circle looked at Savage with hopeful eyes.

    Maybe the mad Savage would have a way to break through that ring of fire!

    "..."

    But Savage remained silent.

    Though he was an excellent swordsman, he was still just a bandit.

    How could he break through flames with his bare body!

    "Colosseum my ass. Have you ever even seen a real colosseum?"

    Ian walked steadily to Belenka''s side.

    "Took you long enough."

    "Something felt off from the start."

    Ian pointed his finger at the high mountain.

    "Necromancer Bertholdt has come. Maria agreed too."

    "...!"

    Ian had sensed something ominous, so he had conserved his magic.

    Ian''s magic wasn''t infinite either, so he couldn''t just use it carelessly.

    With Salvador and Belenka holding their own, he''d figured they wouldn''t lose to mere bandits anyway.

    Salvador and Belenka had indeed blocked the bandits'' attacks without much difficulty.

    "A necromancer..."

    "They blocked both paths at once, trapping both us and the bandits."

    Ian spoke calmly.

    His voice sounded almost cold.

    "To prevent us from escaping a battlefield full of corpses."

    "..."

    Having realized their opponent was a necromancer, Ian had decided to keep all the bandits alive.

    From the start, the bandits had been sent to die.

    "Belenka. Get ready. Bertholdt is coming."

    Ian said.

    The real attack was about to begin.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 317

    Chapter 317

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian''s instinct was correct.

    Using Kira''s magic, he temporarily halted the battle with the bandits.

    Then loud noises began echoing from beyond the mountain.

    "W-what is that...?"

    "Something''s coming!"

    Monsters emerged, tearing through the forest.

    "W-what are those things!"

    "Ugh...!"

    The monsters were hideous, even repulsive in appearance.

    "What in heaven''s name are those cursed things?!"

    Even the battle-hardened Belenka was shocked at the unfamiliar monsters.

    Simply put, they were walking piles of corpses.

    With limbs sprouting all over their bodies-

    They were horrific undead monsters, clearly made by stitching together dismembered human parts, with heads, chests, and stomachs haphazardly attached.

    "...I''ve never seen anything like this in my life."

    Even Sir Salvador, who had traveled with the Knights of Santiago, had never encountered such corpse-pile monsters.

    Only one person knew what they truly were.

    That person was Ian.

    "Those are monsters called [Kings of Men]."

    "...Kings of Men?"

    Salvador let out a bitter laugh at the absurd name.

    He''d seen many kings in his time, but never one so grotesque!

    "They''re monsters among monsters, forged with the darkest of black magic."

    As Eredith''s disciple, Ian had extensive knowledge.

    The [King of Men] was among the strongest undead monsters Ian knew of.

    Like most men, he remembered strong things well.

    When Eredith had taught him about ''the most dangerous monsters'', the [King of Men] had made that list, which was why he remembered it.

    "Sir Salvador. Keep the servants back and don''t let them get anywhere near that thing."

    "Understood."

    Ian issued orders while staying extremely alert.

    He was a wizard, not a warrior.

    Though experienced in combat, he wasn''t the type to enjoy fighting.

    ''Bertholdt, you bastard. You came prepared...!''

    The [King of Men] was an incredibly powerful undead monster.

    Strong enough to defeat even a formidable drake one-on-one.

    In groups, they could even take down dragons.

    So Bertholdt bringing a [King of Men] was equivalent to Ian bringing a drake.

    It meant he was determined to bury Ian here and now.

    "[Spear of Flame!]"

    Ian used skill magic without hesitation.

    [Skill: Using Spear of Flame.]

    A massive spear of fire appeared in mid-air.

    Though lacking flames or mystery-

    Ian summoned a perfect spear of fire.

    "...That''s Ian for you."

    Kira looked up at Ian with awe in her eyes.

    Ian''s magic was always nothing short of miraculous.

    Whoosh!

    With a thunderous roar, the flame spear pierced the King of Men.

    The King of Men burst into flames while dripping rotten fluids.

    "Did we get it?!"

    Sir Salvador shouted.

    But the King of Men kept moving steadily even as it burned.

    ''It''s cold and damp.''

    Ian quickly realized why it was still moving.

    Like the walking corpse pile it was, the King of Men was half-frozen, saturated with rotten fluids.

    The massive amount of moisture stored in the corpses naturally provided resistance against fire.

    "Kira! Release the bandits!"

    "Okay!"

    Kira withdrew the ring of fire.

    At the same time, Ian shouted loudly:

    "Run if you want to live-! Those who''ll face this monster, gather under the knight''s banner-!"

    Kira frowned slightly.

    The way he put it, she thought everyone would just run away.

    Indeed, many bandits fled without looking back.

    But over half the bandits began gathering around their leader Savage.

    Ian called out to Savage:

    "Hey! You madman!"

    "Keheheh! You mean me?!"

    "Join us over here!"

    Savage considered seriously.

    Should he listen to the enemy he''d just been fighting?

    Or side with the black wizards who, though suspicious, had planned this attack from the start?

    ''...Siding with the black wizards might be better.''

    Honestly... Savage was scared of black wizards.

    Though he talked big about being mad, Savage was nothing compared to black wizards'' true madness.

    They were real lunatics who murdered people while casting magic!

    What if they executed him as a traitor for joining Ian''s side?

    Right then.

    "Yaaaah!"

    "What are you doing, you idiot!"

    One bandit bravely charged at the King of Men.

    He was a true madman deeply inspired by Savage''s fake insanity(?), trying to prove himself by defeating the King of Men.

    And honestly, charging made some sense.

    The King of Men just looked like a huge pile of corpses on the surface.

    Being large and slow, it seemed possible to dodge if you moved quickly!

    He might have thought he could take it down since Ian had already set it on fire.

    "Die, monster!"

    As the bandit charged, the King of Men...

    Suddenly split its body in half.

    Inside were countless worms clustered in human form.

    The worms emitted an indescribably strange light.

    "...Huh?"

    The bandit collapsed as if his legs had given out.

    Then he began crawling into the King of Men''s body on his own...

    "W-what is that."

    Belenka muttered with a pale face.

    Ian spoke as if sighing:

    "That''s the King of Men."

    "What do you mean..."

    "It''s a monster made by jamming human souls into worms that emit powerful psychic waves."

    "Human souls... in worms...?"

    "Each worm draws in human souls. In theory, it can trap tens of thousands of souls. Humans trapped in the worm bodies desperately call their physical bodies..."

    "..."

    "That''s how that pile of corpses was created."

    One by one, the bandits fell to their knees and began crawling on the ground.

    All heading to the same destination.

    ...Inside the King of Men''s body.

    As if drawn by the king''s call, they voluntarily entered the monster''s belly.

    Unable to just watch this, Ian used a second skill magic.

    "[Spear of Lightning!]"

    [Skill: Using Spear of Lightning.]

    A blinding light poured down.

    As soon as it saw the threatening light, the King of Men wrapped corpses around itself again.

    Boom!

    The lightning struck the King of Men.

    ...But it still wouldn''t fall.

    ''The corpse pile is too thick.''

    Though fire and lightning burned and scorched the corpses.

    It was useless as it kept absorbing the bandits'' corpses.

    It was an undead monster that grew stronger the more corpses it had.

    Unless all the corpses were destroyed or its core inside the corpse pile was dealt with, it wouldn''t fall.

    "Ha, hahaha...!"

    An unfamiliar laugh rang out.

    Though he''d never seen the face before, Ian immediately knew who it was.

    There weren''t many souls this filthy and foul...!

    "Bertholdt-!"

    "It''s been a while! Wizard Ian!"

    He was the necromancer of the Golden Rule Society.

    [Heavenly Wizard] Bertholdt.

    "Maria! My lovely lady! Have you been well?"

    Maria shouted with a voice filled with icy hatred:

    "Shut that filthy mouth-!"

    Sir Salvador was shocked as he looked at Maria.

    Maria always wore a (creepy) smile and was kind to everyone...

    To think she could hate someone this much?!

    A cold wind scattered Maria''s black hair.

    Ian, Maria, and Bertholdt stared at each other from a great distance.

    "Wizard Ian!"

    Bertholdt spoke first.

    "I already know you''re going to meet Duke Fargar!"

    "...?"

    Ian was rather bewildered.

    No idea where he got that information but...

    Seems like he''s got it wrong???

    While Ian was heading south, he hadn''t planned to meet anyone specific yet.

    But Bertholdt was convinced Ian was going to meet Fargar!

    "As always, you''ll try to interfere with us!"

    "...Wait. Actually, I''ve never tried to interfere with you."

    It was true.

    Ian was just traveling around.

    He just happened to beat up(?) black wizards he unfortunately ran into!

    But naturally, Bertholdt didn''t believe Ian''s words.

    "You dare say that!"

    "..."

    "If it weren''t for you, Maria would be my apprentice creating undead by now!"

    Maria tried to shout something, but Kira and Belenka pulled her shoulders back. She held back for their sake.

    "Karenne wouldn''t have lost her body, and the Regent would have turned the north into a crucible of terror!"

    Ian shouted in disbelief:

    "Are you bragging about that?!"

    Saying it like that, these black wizards really were evil bastards!

    No matter how many times he thought about it, Ian hadn''t done anything wrong!

    "Because of your worthless sense of justice! Do you even know how many years the golden age of magic has been delayed!"

    But Bertholdt... just kept saying what he wanted to say.

    Seemed like that''s what he came to do from the start.

    "Thinking of your crimes, tearing you apart right here wouldn''t be enough-!"

    "..."

    "But the merciful Regent has decided to give you one last chance!"

    Last chance?

    Though bewildered, Ian was curious about what came next.

    "What is it? This chance?"

    "Follow me and you''ll find out."

    Ian snickered.

    "You think I''m a fucking idiot? Following you would be insane."

    "Hahaha! Your opinion doesn''t matter! Wizard Ian!"

    Bertholdt burst into maniacal laughter.

    "I will! Defeat you! And bring you before the Regent-!"

    As he finished speaking, countless forms began appearing behind Bertholdt.

    Many zombies and a few ghouls.

    At the same time, the King of Men let out a horrifying roar.

    "Ooooooh-!"

    An unbelievable number of undead for a single necromancer to control.

    ''Damn this Bertholdt bastard. Unnecessarily competent!''

    "H-here they come...!"

    "Please-! Heaven help us!"

    The undead army poured toward Ian like a flood.

    The old Ian would have... honestly, half given up.

    He probably would''ve just drawn Arcana cards and let whatever happen.

    But Ian had learned various magic at Imperial University.

    "Kira!"

    "Ready! Ian!"

    Kira called upon the mystery of fire.

    And Ian, the mystery of destruction.

    "[Flames of Destruction!]"

    A wave of blazing fire poured down as if to devour the world.

    A dangerous magic that could burn everyone including Ian''s group if not careful.

    But Ian succeeded in controlling the power of destruction with almost genius-like intuition.

    He had already succeeded once before.

    "[Spew forth the Flames of Karma-!]"

    A rain of fire poured down.

    The massive fiery downpour completely incinerated the charging undead monsters, leaving not even a single bone.

    For a moment, everyone watched in a daze.

    ''All those undead... turned to ashes...''

    [Savage the Mad] was half stunned by the magical duel between the two insane wizards.

    Both the necromancer summoning an army alone.

    And Ian sweeping them all away with a rain of fire.

    They both seemed like something beyond human.

    "Hey! Madman!"

    Ian called to Savage.

    The bandits playing separately would only help restore the King of Men''s HP.

    He needed to get them to join his formation under Salvador''s command.

    "Y-yes sir?!"

    "...? Huh, you''re not doing the kekeke thing."

    Ian tilted his head when Savage responded normally(?).

    Savage scratched his forehead awkwardly as he answered.

    "Um... I don''t think this is my place anymore."

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 318

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Here, the ones having the hardest time on the battlefield-

    Weren''t Ian and Bertholdt exhausting themselves in magical combat.

    Nor Salvador, Belenka and Savage fighting in fierce close combat.

    ''Fuck...!''

    ''Please! Save us!''

    ...It was the servants who had followed Ian on his journey.

    They were just loyal residents of Talian.

    They''d come along partly to look good for their lord, since Ian would become Lucy''s husband, and partly to travel.

    While this was a battlefield for Ian, for the servants it was pure hell.

    "Be careful! Don''t get near that corpse monster!"

    ''Like we''d want to. Fuck...''

    ''Heaven protect us- Heaven protect us- Heaven protect us-''

    Sir Salvador skillfully commanded the servants.

    Though commanding untrained servants might seem pointless, the difference between having command and not having it was enormous in battle.

    A commander''s presence unifies troops.

    Prevents them from running when they want to flee.

    Determines when to advance or retreat, maintaining the overall formation.

    ''...There''s no way out!''

    Though skilled, Salvador''s command soon hit its limit.

    There was no path of retreat.

    Commands meant nothing when physically trapped - even the great Sir Salvador had no options.

    "Sir! I''ve come to help!"

    "???"

    Salvador stared in bewilderment at the man running toward him.

    It was none other than the bandit known as [Savage the Mad].

    Suspicious enough that a madman was acting normal...

    Plus he''d been crossing swords with them just moments ago.

    "What do you want!"

    "W-well..."

    Savage spoke in a very normal tone.

    "Wizard Ian asked me to come."

    "...Lord Ian?!"

    "He said to help you..."

    Salvador was dumbfounded.

    The guy who''d been going "Keheheh!" just minutes ago had suddenly become a normal person!

    ''Did Ian''s magic cure his mental illness???''

    Though many things seemed suspicious, Salvador accepted Savage''s help for now.

    A terrifying monster was rampaging ahead.

    Since it absorbed corpses, using cannon fodder as shields was meaningless.

    ''Lady Belenka. She fights remarkably well.''

    The warrior facing the massive corpse monster was Belenka.

    Salvador watched her for a while with complex emotions.

    If he''d been just 10 years younger.

    He might have been standing in her place.

    ''...My era has ended. Time to yield the place of glory to the young.''

    Salvador didn''t harbor unnecessary ambitions.

    Leaving the monster to Belenka, he led the others to clear out the remaining undead.

    "Take heart! Warriors!"

    Salvador gripped his sword tight with wrinkled hands.

    Though his body was old, his soul was still that of a noble warrior.

    The servants looked up at Salvador with dazed expressions.

    Though not warriors themselves, the warrior''s roar kindled a small flame in their hearts.

    "Death is always beside us! But today is not their day-!"

    "W-waaaah...!"

    "Today is our day-!"

    "Waaaaaaah!"

    "Fight! Warriors! For victory and glory!"

    The aged knight cut down the charging undead.

    Savage and the bandits joined behind him, while the servants swung their weapons awkwardly.

    ''...I leave the rear to you! Ian!''

    The massive undead beast.

    If they couldn''t defeat the [King of Men], everything would be for nothing.

    But Salvador trusted Ian.

    Because he was a wizard who created miracles.

    Salvador focused on fighting the undead.

    ---

    Ian used another skill magic.

    "[Warriors of the Goddess! Awaken!]"

    [Skill: Using Hrundal''s Blessing.]

    Holy ice settled on Belenka''s armor like silver frost.

    It was the blessing of Hrundal - ice goddess, ruler of the dead, and warden of hell.

    With the buff, Belenka began facing the King of Men alone.

    "Haah!"

    Belenka had fought without yielding even against the black dragon Predius.

    Her outstanding martial prowess showed perfectly even against an undead monster.

    "Grooooar!"

    Dozens of heads sprouting from the corpse pile screamed in agony.

    Bizarre appendages of tangled arms and legs struck at Belenka like spider legs.

    Any hit would mean instant death.

    But Belenka dodged every attack while steadily cutting away pieces of corpse.

    "Damn!"

    Though the King of Men''s attacks all missed and Belenka maintained steady damage-

    The situation favored the King of Men more.

    It was simply too massive.

    Removing a few corpses made no visible difference.

    Meanwhile one hit would kill Belenka - the height of unfairness.

    "Hiding behind a proxy while cowering in the back! You coward! Wizard Ian!"

    "Look who''s talking? Necromancer?"

    Bertholdt threw some barbs trying to provoke Ian.

    In wizard battles, concentration and composure were crucial.

    Getting emotional meant defeat!

    "What, feeling brave? Want to fight me one-on-one?"

    "What an idiotic suggestion! Why would I do that?"

    Ian had gathered quite a few strange items during his travels.

    The flying sword, Anor-lsil and the djinn Asu who could transform into a snake.

    Though confident he could beat them up close with his powerful magic(physical)...

    ''It won''t be easy.''

    Unless Bertholdt was a fool, he wouldn''t carelessly approach Ian.

    Until the King of Men captured Ian, Bertholdt would never let his guard down.

    ''We''re running out of time.''

    Ian looked toward Belenka.

    She was holding on for now, but who knew how long she could keep the King of Men''s aggro.

    ''Destroying the King of Men is impossible.''

    Ian was certain.

    With level 8-9 earth magic, they might have been able to crush it by throwing boulders.

    But Ian hadn''t invested much in earth magic, nor was he a level 8-9 wizard.

    "Hahaha! Just give up! Ian! Then I might even spare your friends'' lives..."

    "Shut up for a bit. Let me think!"

    Ian waved his hand as he shouted.

    "[Wind! Blow away sound!]"

    "--- ! --- --!"

    Though Bertholdt said something from afar, Ian couldn''t hear it.

    Bertholdt tried to dispel the magic in panic, but he saw no way to break Ian''s air magic.

    ''What is this magic?!''

    As someone from the modern world, Ian knew very well that air transmits sound-

    But Bertholdt, being medieval, lacked the flexibility to connect the mystery of air with sound.

    ''What did he do?!''

    While Bertholdt struggled, Ian cast another spell.

    "[Let darkness conceal all-!]"

    Pitch black darkness wrapped around the King of Men.

    Ian''s darkness could confuse even undead.

    "Well done! Belenka!"

    "Ian!"

    Belenka skillfully withdrew and high-fived Ian.

    In the magical darkness, Ian faced the King of Men.

    The King of Men thrashed about wildly, confused.

    ''Trying to kill a monster like that was wrong from the start.''

    It would''ve been nice if the Spear of Flame or Lightning had killed it.

    If the easy path wasn''t available, they had to find another way.

    Since wizards used language and voice to work magic.

    "[You, soul-devouring monster!]"

    Ian commanded the King of Men with powerful will.

    A wizard''s voice carried power.

    Ian''s will penetrated the wall of corpses, reaching the core worm swarm.

    "[Show your face now!]"

    The corpses split apart revealing the clustered worms.

    They showed extreme hostility toward Ian.

    [Go away!]

    [The souls are ours!]

    Ian felt pissed off for the first time in a while.

    Mere worms, what?!

    Human souls belong to them?!

    [H-help us-!]

    [Please save us-!]

    The poor souls tried to escape from the worm bodies-

    But the worms clustered tightly together, refusing to release the souls.

    Ian shouted at the King of Men again.

    "[Release the souls and return to your hole now!]"

    [Go away! Don''t interfere with us!]

    "[You fucking piece of shit worms!]"

    Bertholdt had created something truly terrible.

    Ian sensed it.

    These worm bastards couldn''t be reasoned with.

    Consumed by greed, they would never be persuaded!

    If they wouldn''t release the souls willingly, what could be done?

    There was only one answer.

    Force them to release the souls.

    Historically, the counter to those who misused human souls was the divine.

    Why gods?

    Because their power over souls was far greater than mere worms!

    Ian immediately prayed to the Sky God.

    Using holy magic.

    "[Answer if you hear my voice!]"

    [Yes, Ian. I''m listening.]

    "[These fucking worm bastards won''t let go of your children! If you permit it, I''ll send them all to heaven!]"

    [Good idea. But my friend would do that job better than me, Ian.]

    Suddenly, a status window appeared before Ian.

    A message he hadn''t seen in a while.

    [Skill: Consuming Soul''s Sanctuary to create new skill.]

    [Do you accept?]

    Ian immediately accepted.

    When a message appeared after praying to Heaven, there was no reason not to accept!

    [Skill: Obtained Undead Annihilation.]

    [New skill automatically saved to empty skill card.]

    The Soul''s Sanctuary skill gifted by Hrundal transformed into Undead Annihilation.

    In that moment, Ian heard Hrundal''s voice.

    [This is an order, Ian. Show these foolish ones who disrupt the netherworld''s order what hell''s rules mean.]

    Of course, Hrundal.

    Ian''s holy magic succeeded.

    Ian prayed to both gods and declared:

    "[I am Heaven''s proxy and the one who restores the netherworld''s order-!]"

    [Lies-! You dare use their voice...!]

    "[Spew forth the souls-!]"

    Brilliant radiance like sunlight poured from Ian''s staff tip.

    The ''King of Men'' tried to hold onto its captured souls until the end-

    But it couldn''t resist the divine light imbued with godly power.

    [No-!]

    The souls held by the worms rose into the sky and vanished.

    As the souls were released, the bodies naturally lost strength and collapsed.

    Thud, thud...

    The corpses fell.

    Only a cluster of worms remained at Ian''s feet.

    "Ian!"

    ''...The darkness has dispersed.''

    The Sky God''s borrowed power seemed to have driven away Ian''s darkness.

    Belenka couldn''t hide her amazement.

    The massive corpse monster lay scattered in pieces!

    "The King of Men? Did you kill it!"

    Ian looked down at his feet.

    And crushed the squirming worms with one step.

    Crunch!

    Ian answered Belenka:

    "Yeah. I killed it."

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

    It helps the website and helps people find this novel!

    If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi.

    Click here!

 Chapter 319

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian confused the King of Men with darkness, then defeated the undead with holy power.

    It seemed simple when put that way...

    "What exactly happened...?"

    "I don''t know either."

    "The wizard... won!"

    Those who didn''t understand the process thought Ian had defeated the undead with incredible magic!

    From ordinary servants and bandits-

    "...Truly remarkable."

    "I-is that magic?!"

    "Yes. That''s a wizard''s true power."

    To Salvador and Savage.

    "What... was that..."

    Even Bertholdt.

    Trying to break Ian''s interference magic, Bertholdt was greatly startled when rays of light suddenly poured down.

    And when he came to his senses, the King of Men was dead!

    ''How did he do it?!''

    Bertholdt didn''t know what happened in the darkness.

    He never imagined Ian could use holy magic too.

    "No... how did you make that!"

    Bertholdt screamed as if coughing blood.

    Without question, the King of Men was the strongest undead a necromancer could create.

    His masterpiece made with blood and sweat!

    How could it fall to Ian''s hands!

    "Seems it''s over."

    A woman walked out from behind Bertholdt.

    After briefly surveying the battlefield, she snorted in disbelief.

    "This Ian fellow. Is he some god of magic?"

    "...What?"

    "That guy used holy magic."

    Bertholdt''s jaw dropped.

    He knew Ian could use fire magic, shadow magic, and various other spells...

    But holy magic?

    Well, he could use it. Holy magic was the magic of the faithful.

    But holy magic powerful enough to defeat the King of Men required someone at the level of a high priest.

    It was impossible for someone who learned it as a hobby!

    "This will certainly inflame the Regent''s obsession."

    Despite losing the black dragon, Antios''s fixation on Ian had only grown stronger.

    He must have seen through Ian''s unreasonable potential.

    "..."

    "Wake up, Bertholdt. We need to flee soon."

    Bertholdt looked up at the woman with resentful eyes.

    "Did you know this would happen?"

    Maybe she did.

    She was a space-time wizard after all.

    Her name was Larabel.

    Once an evil wizard who used space-time magic for personal gain, she had been driven away after being defeated by Ian.

    "Perhaps?"

    "What kind of answer-"

    "Space-time wizards aren''t gods, idiot. Space-time magic glimpses the most likely future among countless possibilities."

    Bertholdt gritted his teeth but couldn''t bring himself to snap at Larabel.

    Like it or not, Larabel was his lifeline here.

    She had [Space Movement] magic after all...

    "Holy magic? Holy magic?!"

    "Save the chatter for later. We''re leaving first."

    Larabel prepared space movement magic.

    Almost simultaneously, Ian appeared before the two wizards using flight magic.

    Ian was bewildered to find Larabel.

    "You...!"

    "It''s been a while, Wizard Ian. You''re looking well?"

    "...Who are you?"

    Damn. I''ve seen her somewhere. Where was it?

    Larabel shouted with a reddened face:

    "We met in the Devosi Barony! You idiot!"

    "Ah... now I remember. Didn''t Gerard catch you then?"

    Larabel gave an evil smile.

    "Yes. Gerard caught me then."

    "Did you escape?"

    "No! Gerard isn''t that careless a wizard."

    Ian frowned slightly.

    If she hadn''t escaped.

    What was Larabel doing here?

    "I made a deal, kid."

    "A deal?"

    "I don''t know what you think of Gerard. But he''s not someone you can trust."

    "..."

    "He''s a pitiful slave to fate. No, actually all space-time wizards are slaves to fate."

    Larabel giggled.

    "Because they know the future, they can only move by attaching reasons to every action. Gerard''s no different!"

    Ian said in disbelief:

    "You''re talking like some final boss..."

    "Final boss?"

    "But aren''t you really bad at space-time magic?"

    "..."

    "All your prophecies were wrong too."

    Larabel''s face turned bright red as she shouted:

    "T-they can be wrong sometimes!"

    Ian nodded.

    At least she had the conscience not to claim she was good at magic!

    In any magic, skill differences clearly existed.

    Compared to Gerard, Larabel was a small fry space-time wizard.

    Though Ian wasn''t too concerned about her running with black wizards...

    ''She made a deal with Gerard?''

    Gerard had never told Ian about that.

    Actually, he only ever said exactly what was needed before disappearing, rarely engaging in any personal chat.

    "Let me give you advice! Ian!"

    Larabel shouted while raising her finger.

    "If you drop everything and return to Talian right now! Good things will happen to you!"

    "Good things?"

    "A pit of fate blocks your path-! If you act recklessly, you''ll be ruined!"

    Ooh. A chilling prophecy.

    Strangely opposite to Gerard''s prophecy.

    Gerard hadn''t tried to stop Ian''s journey.

    Rather, he''d almost pushed Ian forward, prophesying about possible dangers on the road.

    Believe Gerard vs Believe Larabel?

    That''s how it felt.

    "Whatever you say. I''m still going south."

    "What a foolish decision..."

    "Honestly, I can''t trust your words."

    Ian said casually.

    "Your prophecies. Aren''t they pretty useless?"

    "What an insult-!"

    "It''s written all over your companion''s face?"

    Larabel whipped her head around, and Bertholdt hurriedly tried to control his expression.

    Honestly... Bertholdt didn''t trust Larabel''s abilities either.

    She hadn''t even properly prophesied the outcome of this battle!

    "If you want to prove your skill, try giving more specific prophecies."

    "You want free prophecies? No way!"

    Ian quickly threw Anor-lsil.

    But Larabel was slightly faster.

    "Fate will devour you-!"

    With a curse like a scream, Larabel and Bertholdt vanished.

    Anor-lsil stuck in the frozen ground.

    Ian retrieved his magic sword and returned.

    Though an unexpected battle had occurred, they''d achieved a great victory.

    "W-we won-!"

    "Waaaaaah!"

    The servants who''d escaped death rejoiced the most.

    Sir Salvador, Belenka, Kira and Maria were happy too-

    But some people still couldn''t smile.

    "Caw! Master!"

    Oberon landed on Ian''s staff tip with flapping wings.

    [How dare a lowly creature sit on whose head-]

    "He can sit if he wants?"

    [-What fortune to receive such honor! Truly lucky bastard!]

    Asu hissed but didn''t chase Oberon away, watching Ian''s reaction(...).

    Oberon called out to Ian in human speech:

    "Hey! Bad guy!"

    "What?"

    "Bad guy! Caw!"

    While this was completely normal to Ian''s companions.

    Savage and the bandits were literally bug-eyed with shock.

    "H-he''s talking with a crow!"

    "He can''t really be talking! He must be pretending!"

    Most bandits thought Ian was just pretending to talk with animals.

    But when Oberon soon found someone, they covered their mouths in shock.

    "Aesis. So you''re alive."

    "Ah... yes... um..."

    It was Aesis, the minstrel-cum-informant-cum-assassin.

    They''d briefly lost track of him in the chaos.

    He had been hiding to avoid the fight.

    "Didn''t run away?"

    "...Haven''t received the final payment from the black wizards yet."

    Ian smacked Aesis''s head with his staff.

    "Ow!"

    "Such touching professional spirit. So. Were you planning to get paid by Bertholdt if I lost?"

    "N-nothing personal!"

    Ian hit Aesis again.

    Why?

    Just because he felt like it.

    Watching Aesis get beaten, Savage gulped hard.

    ''They say skilled wizards have weird temperaments...''

    That rumor was true!

    Ian''s skill was obvious even to a blind person.

    Not only incredibly skilled, but with a nasty temper too...!

    ''I love it!''

    Savage was thoroughly impressed with Ian.

    He was a fashionable(?) madman who got excited by violence and madness.

    Following such an exceptional wizard...

    He''d surely get to witness incredible madness!

    "You bastard!"

    Savage picked up a stick from the ground and promptly hit Aesis.

    "Ow...?"

    Aesis was startled, then looked at Savage in disbelief.

    Ok, Ian made sense but.

    Why are you hitting me???(Really don''t know)

    Ian was equally bewildered and asked Savage:

    "What are you doing?"

    "I saw the wizard punishing a traitor! Thought I''d help a bit!"

    Traitor?

    "Hmm. You were my enemy until like 30 minutes ago?"

    "But aren''t we comrades who faced the same monster together?!"

    Savage looked to Sir Salvador for agreement.

    Salvador burst into weak laughter.

    Being a mercenary by birth, he didn''t particularly dislike rough men.

    "Well... becoming enemies or allies depending on contracts is normal."

    "What do you think, Sir Salvador?"

    "We were planning to hire mercenaries anyway. Their help might not be bad."

    Savage prostrated himself with a broad smile.

    Ian was briefly impressed.

    Not even from a Confucian country, yet performing such a clean full bow!

    You''ve got talent as a scholar...!

    "Thank you! My lord!"

    Actually, Ian could have dealt with Savage however he wanted.

    The fight was over and Bertholdt had fled.

    No one would care about the lives of mercenaries hired by a necromancer to make corpses.

    There''d be no consequences for killing them but...

    Ian took Salvador''s advice and decided to use Savage as a temporary mercenary.

    The stronger the front line, the better for a wizard.

    ''...!''

    Seeing Savage successfully switch sides, other bandits rushed forward.

    They were dead men unless they surrendered anyway.

    They ran past Ian straight to Aesis.

    "???"

    "Die! You traitor!"

    "W-wait! I''m on your side...!"

    The bandits beat up Aesis one after another(...) trying to prove their innocence.

    Aesis felt so wronged!

    Hey, I''m in the same boat as you guys...!

    "Can''t miss out on this."

    Even Belenka casually looked for a branch.

    "You want in too?"

    Belenka smiled with pure malice.

    "Yeah. Looks fun, doesn''t it?"

    "..."

    These, these medieval barbarians.

    Ian shook his head but-

    People were already beating up Aesis like they were enjoying some traditional game.

    Aesis became like a pin?ata screaming:

    "Lord Wizard! Save me! Lord Wizard-!"

    It was a happy moment for everyone except Aesis.

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 Chapter 320

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "That''s enough," Ian said, stopping the bandits who were thoroughly enjoying their pin?ata game.

    "Th-thank you for your mercy, Lord Wizard," Aesis muttered weakly, his body battered and bruised.

    He looked slightly, just slightly pitiful, but...

    He had brought this on himself, so Ian let it slide.

    If Aesis had stayed by Ian''s side, he might have earned praise. Instead, he''d hidden trying to save his own skin.

    This was why fence-sitters had trouble surviving.

    When you need to choose sides, pick your path decisively! (Though you must be prepared to face the consequences if you bet wrong)

    As Ian approached, Savage bowed deeply.

    "I admire you greatly, Lord Wizard!"

    "...? Thanks."

    Though Ian had no idea what there was to admire.

    Apparently Ian destroying the undead with magic had left quite an impression.

    "I want to become as terrifying as you, Lord Wizard!"

    "??? I''m terrifying?"

    Ian grabbed a passing bandit to ask:

    "Am I scary?"

    "N-no, not at all! How could someone as handsome as you be scary, Lord Wizard!"

    The bandit answered while trembling.

    If he answered wrong here?

    He''d end up just like that [King of Men] lying over there...

    Fortunately he must have picked the right answer, as Kira standing behind Ian nodded with a smile.

    As expected.

    Ian said with relief:

    "Me, scary? That''s nonsense."

    Ian really disliked the rumor that [Wizards are temperamental!]

    That was just a useless prejudice!

    Though he had conveniently used it while traveling sometimes.

    But that didn''t mean he enjoyed having the wizard''s image tarnished.

    "Does anyone here think I''m scary?"

    If there were any, he''d clear up the misunderstanding and treat them well~

    The bandits, thoroughly intimidated, answered:

    "N-no, not at all!"

    "Lord Wizard, scary? Which bastard would say that?!"

    Ian scowled and shouted:

    "Hey, it''s okay to be scared of me, you bastard!"

    "Y-yes, of course!"

    "Some people might be scared! Hahaha!"

    The bandits were at a loss, terrified(...) of Ian.

    To them, Ian was truly an incredible wizard!

    He could summon massive flames and single-handedly destroy huge undead monsters.

    If they weren''t afraid of someone like that, they weren''t cut out to be bandits in these parts.

    Savage watched with sparkling eyes as Ian berated the bandits.

    Indeed... this wizard!

    He was so wonderfully temperamental!

    "..."

    Belenka shook her head watching this scene.

    #

    "So that''s the black wizard you''ve been dealing with."

    While the servants cleaned up the battlefield, Ian held a brief meeting with his companions.

    Bertholdt''s visit had been quite threatening.

    They hadn''t even reached the south yet, but the black wizards were already watching Ian''s movements.

    "Bertholdt is quite infamous in the south... just a real bastard."

    Sir Salvador glanced briefly at Maria''s expression.

    Arms crossed and eyes closed, Maria looked gloomy and murderous even to strangers.

    Without her usual gentle (though terrifying to Ian) smile, her expression looked truly menacing.

    "Ho ho. I knew you were beloved by black wizards, but seeing it firsthand is different."

    "Sorry for dragging you into this fight."

    Ian genuinely felt that way.

    The fight with black wizards was Ian''s burden.

    Sir Salvador was just a traveling companion.

    "When we reach the south, we should probably part ways."

    When Ian said this, Sir Salvador gave a mischievous smile.

    "You''re making me sound like a coward, Ian."

    "..."

    "I''ve lived my whole life on battlefields. In my youth I fought as the Emperor''s soldier, and in my old age I''ve fought evil monsters."

    "Sir Salvador..."

    "One more black wizard won''t change anything at this point."

    Sir Salvador said with a hearty laugh.

    "Aren''t black wizards just like any other evil monster? By slaying them, I can atone for the sins I committed in my youth."

    Sir Salvador had been traveling with the Santiago Knights from the start.

    He hunted monsters not for wealth or fame, but for his own cultivation and good deeds.

    "I''ve hunted plenty of monsters with the Knights of Santiago."

    Sir Salvador chuckled.

    "This time I''ll hunt black wizards with you."

    Though indirect, Sir Salvador was essentially saying he would lend his strength to Ian''s fight.

    "...Thank you, Sir."

    "Ho ho. Though I wonder how much help an old knight can be. But even an old dog can still guard the house."

    Sir Salvador expressed his will to stay with Ian until the end.

    Ian had Aesis brought outside to confess about his mission.

    "My mission was to find the Silverwind heir, and if possible, eliminate them."

    "Hmm... I wonder if they know about Maria''s existence."

    "They probably haven''t figured it out themselves. If they had, they would have chosen Maria as the ''stand-in.''"

    Unable to find Maria, they must have chosen someone else as a stand-in.

    That was Ian''s theory.

    But one of the Imperial Dukes had noticed Maria''s existence and hired informants.

    How could a country girl''s existence reach the ears of an Imperial Duke?

    "If someone tipped off the Duke, it was probably black wizards."

    Everyone nodded at Ian''s opinion.

    Besides Ian''s group, only Bertholdt knew about Maria''s existence.

    Though they might have discovered her by coincidence...

    The chances of a girl from a remote village becoming known to a Duke were extremely slim.

    "Then this attack..."

    "From start to finish, Bertholdt probably planned it all."

    Bertholdt had targeted Ian from the beginning.

    He informed the Imperial Duke about Maria and used her as an excuse to receive informants and troops.

    As a result, he had nearly defeated Ian.

    "It''s probably... Fargar''s side."

    "I think so too."

    Fargar and Roxlan.

    Between the two, who would benefit more from Maria''s death?

    Probably Duke Fargar.

    It would reduce the chances of his ''stand-in'' being exposed while also allowing him to recover Maria''s signet ring.

    "Ian. About this journey."

    Kira carefully offered her opinion.

    "What if we return to Talian for now and watch how things develop?"

    It wasn''t a bad suggestion.

    Though Ian had reasons to travel south, it wasn''t a time-limited mission.

    Since the treasure wasn''t going to grow legs and run away, they could wait for the flames of war to die down.

    But Belenka voiced her opposition.

    "Waiting won''t change much."

    "Really...?"

    "If the war ends quickly, returning now wouldn''t be bad. But no one knows when the fighting will end."

    It was an opinion befitting a war expert.

    Ian asked further.

    "How long do you think it''ll take?"

    "At best, it might end in a few years. But... if it drags on, there''s no end in sight."

    Sir Salvador shrugged and added:

    "It could take 10 years, it could take 20."

    "..."

    Ian was freshly reminded that this was the medieval era.

    Medieval wars, once they started dragging on, had no end.

    If you holed up in a castle and refused to come out, you could easily last decades!

    So stopping travel because of war was nearly impossible.

    By the time the war ended, Ian might be a 50-60 year old grandfather (by medieval standards)...

    And he wouldn''t be the only one aging.

    Lucy and Kira would be the same.

    Since no one could predict how Talian would fare or how things would change by then, halting the journey here was too unstable a choice.

    "...And."

    Maria, who had kept quiet until now, offered her opinion.

    "If the side backed by black wizards wins this war, their influence will grow beyond control."

    "..."

    It was a valid point.

    Having helped an Imperial Duke achieve victory, they would gain tremendous benefits.

    This was not at all welcome from Ian''s perspective.

    "And I want to stay by your side."

    They could send Maria back to Talian alone.

    But if that information reached the Duke''s ears, Talian itself might come under attack.

    Ironically, the safest place for Maria was right by Ian''s side.

    ''...''

    Though it gave him a headache, Ian made his decision about the journey''s direction.

    Originally he needed to find treasure to strengthen Anor-lsil, but...

    With the situation increasingly going to hell,

    He''d have to stabilize the south first...!

    "The Golden Rule Society is clearly working with the Imperial Duke."

    Ian told his companions.

    "And the Duke is even targeting Maria, one of our companions."

    "So what do you want to do, Ian?"

    Ian pointed at the map.

    "First, we''ll seek out the Emperor."

    "The Emperor?"

    The Imperial Emperor.

    Amusingly, he was someone whose goals aligned with Ian''s.

    After all, who would be most stressed by Dukes fighting each other!

    The Emperor too would want the south stabilized.

    "What if the Emperor won''t meet with you?"

    "Well, I''m friends with the Imperial Princess."

    When Ian said this confidently, Sir Salvador recalled Princess Elia''s face.

    With that young lady''s help...

    Ian could certainly meet the Emperor!

    "But are you really that close? Aren''t you just acquaintances?"

    "We''re already on informal terms. We''ve even traveled together."

    "Traveled!"

    Traveling with a female friend(?)!

    That said it all.

    Even considering it was medieval times!

    "My, you..."

    Sir Salvador looked at Ian enviously(?).

    "I didn''t see you that way. Just how many women do you know!"

    "..."

    "J-just kidding."

    When Kira, Belenka, and even Maria''s eyes flashed dangerously...

    Sir Salvador immediately added "Just kidding~"

    Truly a move worthy of an Imperial Sword Master.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 321

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    On the journey south.

    Ian''s journey was, in a word, a flex.

    Not in the sense of doing yoga on the road (flex originally meant stretching).

    "Belenka."

    "Yeah?"

    "Here. Distribute this among the bandits."

    What Ian handed over was none other than a coin purse.

    Belenka was surprised at the coins filling the purse.

    "When did you get this?"

    "I didn''t - the servants were carrying it."

    "..."

    Belenka looked at Ian with suspicious eyes.

    Ian''s mood instantly soured.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "N-nothing."

    Belenka answered awkwardly.

    "I thought you might have stolen the servants'' wages... but you''re not that kind of scum."

    Ian chuckled. Of course not.

    Surprisingly, servants received wages even while traveling.

    In this medieval fantasy world, weekly wages were more common than monthly ones.

    The reason was simple.

    Paying after Sunday made calculations easier!

    After spending Sunday piously honoring Heaven, they''d practice worldly corruption on Monday by spending their money wildly.

    Though Heaven would probably rage "Don''t just pray, actually practice what you preach...!"

    But what could you do? Most humans living in this land lived day by day.

    The mindset was mostly "As long as today is fun, nothing else matters."

    "Got it from the servants since we need to pay the bandits."

    "Ah. I see."

    Actually, strictly speaking, that money purse belonged to Ian.

    The servants'' employer was Lady Lucy of Talian.

    Lucy belonged to Ian(?), so that money was Ian''s too...?

    Joking aside, it actually did include Ian''s personal funds.

    Some of the money from selling fairy silk was mixed in there.

    "Hey, madman."

    "Yes! Savage, reporting!"

    "Here''s money. Share it fairly with your men."

    "Ah...! Thank you!"

    Though Savage acted normal(...) around Ian''s group, he kept up his madman act in front of the bandits.

    "Kehehehe! Boys! Money! Money!"

    "That''s our Savage!"

    "These noble folks sure spend big!"

    Sir Salvador and Belenka commanded the bandits while...

    "Lady Kira, Lady Maria, preparations for departure are complete."

    "Then let''s move out."

    Kira and Maria managed the servants from Talian.

    And Ian?

    He just loafed around.

    He had nothing to do anyway.

    He could feel both servants and bandits were uncomfortable around him.

    ''...Feels like being a department head eating alone.''

    He only talked with his companions who were like executives(?).

    When everyone got busy with camp preparations, Ian really had nothing to do.

    Anyway.

    Whenever small or large issues arose, Ian opened his magical money purse.

    "Lord Wizard! We found a boat to cross the river, but they want payment!"

    "Oh?"

    "Should we make an example of them?"

    Savage asked while rubbing his hands together.

    Ian struck Savage''s head with his staff.

    "Ow!"

    "Cut the nonsense."

    Ian paid the boatman a fair price.

    The boatman fell to his knees, crying tears of gratitude.

    "Sniff...! Thank you! Thank you so much, my lord!"

    This was a medieval fantasy world full of thugs.

    Getting stiffed on ferry fees was commonplace, but Ian showed respect by paying even a mere boatman!

    "Why did you pay him?"

    "?"

    "If we drew our swords, he''d ferry us for free."

    Ian stared at Savage in disbelief.

    This bastard. His way of thinking was something else...

    "Even mention robbery in front of me and I''ll tie you all up and hang you from trees."

    "S-sorry... my friends just prefer that way."

    Ian understood a bit more about Savage.

    He was an idiot.

    Beyond being smart or dumb, he was someone without his own principles.

    Even his ''madness'' act was copied from someone else.

    Though good at fighting, he was the type to be easily swayed this way and that.

    Ian avoided fights when possible and paid when payment was due.

    He had plenty of money anyway.

    They''d brought ample travel funds from Talian. No need to pinch pennies over minor disputes.

    Thanks to freely spending money during travel, Ian''s group moved very quickly.

    They swiftly traveled south by river-

    Covering about half of Fargar''s territory.

    ''The Duke must be further south anyway.''

    The Rashin Kingdom that the Duke had gone to strike first was in the empire''s southeast.

    Ian was passing through the relatively northern area, specifically around the empire''s central region.

    ''If we pass through quickly, we won''t run into the Duke''s men.''

    Past Fargar, then to Roxlan.

    The [Emperor''s Moving Palace] in Roxlan was Ian''s destination.

    "Lord Wizard! Lord Wizard!"

    "What?"

    "We have trouble!"

    After moving quietly and quickly for so long, Ian felt a strange nostalgia at hearing "We have trouble!" again.

    Hmm. Right right. It was about time for something to happen.

    "Black wizards or monsters?"

    "N-no!"

    Ian looked surprised.

    If not black wizards or monsters-

    That meant humans.

    "Knights!"

    "Knights?"

    "They serve someone called Count Consla!"

    Ian glanced at his companions.

    Anyone know Count Consla?

    "Count Consla is Duke Fargar''s vassal."

    Sir Salvador said.

    Having served as an imperial knight in his youth, he knew about many noble houses in the empire.

    "If they''re Fargar''s people, I''d rather not get involved."

    "I agree."

    Sir Salvador said lightly.

    "But it shouldn''t be anything serious. They probably just want to exchange greetings."

    Ian nodded.

    In this medieval fantasy world, travelers were excellent sources of information.

    Especially someone like Ian leading a sizable group of travelers - they''d want to talk out of curiosity if nothing else.

    "Sir Salvador. Care to join me?"

    "Of course."

    Ian took Salvador, Belenka, and Kira to meet the knights (bringing so many companions was to avoid having to explain things later.)

    As the servants reported, a group of knights stood on the road.

    "Good day to you, friends!"

    Sir Salvador offered a friendly greeting.

    But none of the knights responded to his kind words.

    "..."

    Ian was slightly annoyed by the knights.

    But he kind of understood.

    Most medieval knights were thugs and ruffians anyway...

    "Are you the leader?"

    "Ho ho. I''m no leader."

    Sir Salvador stepped back slightly and introduced Ian.

    "This is Wizard Ian."

    "...A wizard?"

    Belenka stepped forward and spoke:

    "Ian Eredith Raven - disciple of Wizard Eredith, the Dragon Slayer of Talian, and patron saint of coffee."

    "..."

    Though all true...

    Ian felt strangely embarrassed.

    Medieval introductions were kind of cringeworthy, weren''t they?

    Having someone else introduce you made you sound like you had a superiority complex?!

    Ian was just a wandering wizard.

    "Ian. Wandering wizard."

    The knights whispered among themselves before one stepped forward.

    He seemed to be their leader.

    "Sorry, but I''ve never heard the name Wizard Ian."

    "That''s possible."

    Ian understood completely.

    Ian was mainly known in the empire''s north, in Araz.

    "You said wandering wizard?"

    "Yes."

    "So you serve no master?"

    Ian tilted his head slightly.

    Serve a master.

    Well, there was someone like that...

    "I serve Lady Lucy, Vicountess of Talian."

    "Talian... hm? Isn''t Talian a barony?"

    "Things happened."

    Ian answered lazily, not wanting to explain.

    He wasn''t their tutor. If they were curious, they could find out themselves.

    "Hmm..."

    The knights briefly exchanged words among themselves.

    "What''s with calling us here just to..."

    Belenka grumbled.

    After a moment, the knight spoke again.

    "As a servant of the Count, you must understand honor and respect."

    "Honor and respect?"

    What was he trying to say with such fancy words.

    Ian burst out laughing at the knights'' next words.

    "Duke Fargar is currently working to restore justice to the empire."

    "Sure, whatever. What''s that got to do with me?"

    The knights briefly looked annoyed but continued:

    "My master Count Consla moves as one with the Duke, like his shadow."

    "Okay, and? What''s your point?"

    The knight cleared his throat.

    "Count Consla highly values the Count of Talian and wishes to share friendship for future alliance."

    "Oh for fuck''s-"

    "???"

    Ian gave up questioning the knights.

    Their tongues were writhing like eels - listening any longer might kill him from anger!

    "Belenka. What are they saying?"

    Ian asked the knight-speak translator directly.

    And Belenka''s performance was spot on.

    "They want money."

    "Money?"

    Ian was briefly dumbfounded.

    Hey, where in that speech did they mention money?!

    "They''ll be our friends if we pay them."

    "Ah, friendship fees."

    What were they, rental friends?

    Charging 1000 yen per hour or something?

    Drake Longtail would laugh his ass off if he heard this.

    How can someone extorting money be a friend?

    "We don''t have money."

    Ian said straight to the knights'' faces.

    Of course, whether Ian had money or not was Schro?dinger''s coin purse - you''d have to check to know.

    Well. Were they planning to search Ian''s luggage?

    If he said he had none, what could they do?

    "Money?! You dare insult our honor!"

    "Oh. Was I mistaken? Sorry?"

    "You''ve already made your mistake! You won''t move a step until you compensate for our tarnished honor!"

    Ian said to Belenka:

    "Money really is their goal."

    "Told you. It''s a common tactic."

    As soon as money was mentioned, they jumped straight to talk of insults.

    These guys were already MAX eager to pick a fight with Ian.

    When Ian completely ignored them, the knights all drew their swords.

    Ian sighed and said to the knights:

    "Hey. Let me see your master''s face."

    "...What?"

    "I want to talk with Count Consla."

    Ian pointed his staff at the knight.

    "Sending knights to extort travelers? Is Count Consla a bandit chief?!"

    "...Such insolence!"

    The knight raised his sword.

    At the same time, Ian called upon the mystery of darkness.

    "[O darkness!]"

    Instantly, everything went pitch black.

    Night fell in broad daylight.

    "W-what''s this?!"

    "Stay calm! Don''t panic everyone!"

    Though they shouted not to panic.

    How could anyone stay calm being suddenly thrown into darkness?

    The knights were in chaos-

    The soldiers who emerged late couldn''t help the knights fight.

    Ian jumped into the darkness holding just his staff.

    After a moment.

    The darkness lifted.

    "The enemy commander-! Is down!"

    There was Ian, holding the captured knight.

    The knights and soldiers were at a loss.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 322

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian briefly pondered.

    ...He''d won, but would this lead to complications later?

    It was entirely possible.

    Count Consla''s liege lord, Duke Fargar, was away on campaign.

    As they say, when the tiger''s away, the fox becomes king.

    With no noble to answer to, Count Consla might make decisions however he pleased.

    No, he definitely would.

    "I-I am the first son of Baron Traton..."

    "Kehehehe! Didn''t ask!"

    In front of the captured knights, Savage licked his blade.

    The knights felt more fear than disgust seeing the blade become covered in saliva...

    ''We might be executed...!''

    In this medieval fantasy world, knights had a (relatively) low chance of dying.

    First, being well-equipped with good armor and weapons meant they wouldn''t die in fights with common thugs.

    Also, many were nobles, so their family connections could save them.

    Executing a noble''s son or daughter could bring unpredictable retaliation.

    Since sparing them meant getting ransom money in thanks, it was usually more profitable to keep them alive.

    "Ian. What shall we do with the prisoners?"

    "Usually we''d negotiate ransom, right?"

    "Typically, yes."

    Sir Salvador nodded.

    "But we don''t have time for leisurely negotiations right now."

    "What''s your opinion, Sir?"

    "Hmm. I think we should just let them go."

    A bit disappointing, but that was the wise choice.

    If they had time, they''d be thinking about how to get ransom money.

    But Ian currently had invisible pursuers on his tail.

    Whether black wizards or Imperial Dukes.

    Until they met the Emperor, an attack from either side wouldn''t be surprising.

    Of course, Ian would counterattack if attacked...

    But deliberately letting yourself be pursued just because you could fight back was something only a madman would do.

    This wasn''t some RPG game.

    Since there was nothing to gain from defeating enemies, Ian wanted to avoid combat when possible.

    "Good thinking."

    They could execute the knights, but that would only increase their enemies.

    The south was chaotic enough - no benefit in making more enemies.

    "Belenka. Go free the knights."

    "Alright. But first, we should confiscate their armor and weapons..."

    "No. Just release them as is."

    Belenka looked slightly surprised.

    Even if they gave up on ransom, why give up taking their equipment?

    The knights wouldn''t complain about losing their gear.

    After all, they were the losers and Ian was the victor.

    "Ian. A knight''s armor is very expensive."

    "I know."

    Medieval knight''s armor was costly.

    It was cutting-edge technology and literally a matter of life and death.

    The better your armor, the closer to invincible you became on the battlefield.

    If you had money, why skimp on it!

    "That knight''s lamella armor alone could buy three decent farms."

    Though Belenka couldn''t take her eyes off the knights'' equipment, clearly tempted.

    Ian coolly gave up on the armor.

    For one, they weren''t desperate for money.

    And he didn''t want to create pursuers by stealing their stuff.

    "Sorry, Belenka. But meeting the Emperor is more urgent right now."

    Ian''s apology was sincere.

    After winning a battle and taking spoils, sharing with your knights was expected.

    From Belenka''s perspective, she was losing out on extra compensation, so her disappointment was understandable.

    "Well... can''t be helped."

    Belenka didn''t make a fuss.

    She knew Ian''s journey wouldn''t be easy.

    Ian released the knights just like that.

    "You may go now."

    "?!"

    "You''re just... letting us go?"

    The knights raised their voices in surprise.

    Ian pushed Savage aside(...) and said:

    "Yes. I''m a traveling wizard, and I could have demanded ransom from your house or sold your equipment for travel funds."

    "..."

    "But I decided to let you go."

    Ian spoke while making sure they appreciated it.

    This show of generosity was absolutely necessary.

    If you didn''t make them appreciate it... they wouldn''t be grateful!

    Ian wasn''t some saint.

    With the clear goal of reducing pursuers, he needed to get value equal to giving up their equipment.

    "Th-thank you..."

    "But... why are you releasing us?"

    Ian said to the knights:

    "I''m releasing you for two reasons. First, out of respect for Count Consla, the lord of these lands."

    "!"

    The knights'' confusion turned to surprise at this unexpected answer.

    Releasing them out of respect for Count Consla!

    ''Even though he''s a wandering wizard, he respects nobility!''

    ''What an honorable person...!''

    Wizards were typically willful and temperamental.

    But what about this wizard Ian!

    He spoke as properly as an honor-bound knight!

    "Second, because I valued your loyalty."

    "Loyalty?!"

    The knights looked at each other in confusion.

    Hey, do you have this loyalty... thing?

    No? I thought you had it!

    They were indeed knights under Count Consla''s orders.

    But like Ian and Belenka''s relationship, while they served Count Consla, they had some independence in their actions.

    Along with their official mission of [collecting tolls from passing travelers], they were also carrying out the side mission of [filling their own pockets].

    Naturally, this wasn''t behavior befitting honorable knights.

    It was closer to highway robbery than knightly conduct.

    But Ian, whether blind(?) or not, was praising the knights as honorable!

    "For a knight, demanding money from travelers is shameful behavior."

    "..."

    When Ian suddenly spoke this blunt truth, the knights couldn''t raise their heads...

    But at his next words, their faces brightened.

    "However, you were simply doing your utmost to fulfill your lord''s orders."

    "!"

    "Though Count Consla''s orders were wrong, your devotion to your lord moved me."

    "...!"

    "I cannot hold knights with such deep loyalty responsible for their defeat."

    "Ooh!"

    Now that you mention it, that''s right?!

    We were loyal knights after all!(Not really)

    Whatever the situation, it was all in how you framed it.

    And Ian''s framing technique(?) really appealed to the knights.

    How could they not be happy about changing from defeated robbers to loyal knights!

    Suddenly one knight dropped to one knee.

    Like dominoes, the other knights also knelt in succession.

    "What an amazing decision! Wizard!"

    "To think we''d hear praise for knightly loyalty from a wizard''s lips!"

    The knights'' reaction was truly enthusiastic.

    Ian''s decision had worked perfectly.

    ...Watching this scene, Aesis asked Belenka in disbelief:

    "Hey, is this wizard always this good with words?"

    "Know what wizards do? They study talking after eating. This is normal for them."

    Though she called it an ordinary skill, Belenka''s expression was pleased.

    Ian''s manipulation(?) was always impressive.

    Aesis himself was pretty skilled at talking from his work as an informant.

    But this eloquence that instantly captivated thuggish knights wasn''t something you could learn from just a bit of practice.

    "Return and tell your lord Count Consla this."

    Ian spoke with a powerful voice.

    A wizard who handled mysteries had different vocal projection than ordinary people.

    It was similar to how common folk felt instantly overwhelmed meeting celebrities.

    Someone used to speaking loudly before crowds naturally had a voice with both authority and depth.

    "Though the world may be in chaos, one must not gather wealth through unjust means. Those who rule over others must always govern without shame under heaven."

    "Ooh..."

    "Truly wise words. Right and proper."

    The knights were completely won over by Ian''s words.

    Ian had merely spoken obvious ''right things''...

    But coming while releasing them completely unharmed, his words carried special weight!

    When someone you like speaks truth, it becomes twice as convincing!

    "You said you were Wizard Ian?"

    "Yes."

    "I''ve met many wizards, but never one as wise and prudent as you."

    Ian was slightly dumbfounded.

    Wise and prudent?

    You just feel that way because I''m letting you go for free...

    If Ian had stripped their equipment while saying ''don''t do bad things~'', would they think the same?

    They''d probably be cursing ''That bastard''s being hypocritical!'' instead!

    "We''ll never forget this kindness, even in death."

    "If you really want to repay me, pray for me and my friends at a temple. Pray our journey ends safely."

    Ian''s companions smiled deeply, and the knights'' expressions showed fresh admiration.

    Because Ian was some great sage?

    No!

    Really, because he let them go for free!

    Though he asked for prayers, that was basically free (priests would be appalled at this idea), so it was like promising not to change his mind later.

    "It would be even better if you could tell us what lies ahead."

    "Oh! Where are you headed, Lord Ian?"

    Earlier they''d been swinging swords demanding money-

    Now they were as friendly as lifelong friends.

    Ian had to smile.

    This was just how medieval people lived.

    "Straight ahead? Sorry, but you''d better turn back here."

    "Turn back?"

    "Baron Bandarin has blocked the way ahead."

    Ian was thinking ''who does he think he is blocking a public road'' when he realized something.

    "Is he Roxlan''s vassal?"

    "Yes. He absolutely hates people from Fargar''s side crossing over."

    Made sense.

    When Imperial Dukes growled at each other, naturally their vassals became awkward with each other too.

    ''We need to cross into Roxlan anyway.''

    Not something to openly tell Fargar''s knights.

    "As thanks for respecting our honor, we''ll escort you for a while, Lord Ian."

    Ian considered refusing but accepted for now.

    Since they said "for a while", well.

    "Then I''ll be in your care."

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 323

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Count Consla was one of the empire''s countless nobles managing a quiet rural territory.

    "Chief Steward! How are the battle preparations coming along!"

    "...Proceeding as planned."

    Like most imperial nobles, Count Consla was a hereditary noble.

    He was one who had sworn to guard and rule lands distributed by First Emperor Brifford to his subordinates, passing them down through generations.

    When the First Emperor first distributed lands, the empire''s atmosphere was fairly decent.

    The ''Imperials'' were mostly barbarians who had crossed from the north, busy adapting to their new lives in new lands.

    The Dukes who had been ''tribal chiefs'' acknowledged and respected the Emperor who had been the ''great chief.''

    After all, it was an old tribal tradition.

    So the First Emperor could confidently entrust imperial lands to the Imperial Dukes.

    However...

    After hundreds of years, the imperial nobles had become half-strangers to the Emperor.

    This was natural since the Holy Empire had no fixed imperial family, instead adopting a system where the Emperor was elected.

    What was the point of deep loyalty when the imperial family kept changing?

    Count Consla too had much stronger loyalty to Duke Fargar than to the Emperor.

    "His Grace the Duke must be desperately awaiting reinforcements!"

    "..."

    "Oh! The battlefield calls to me, yet here I rot like manure in this backwater!"

    The Chief Steward barely held back from saying "Please read the room."

    When Duke Fargar marched out, he summoned his trustworthy and loyal vassals.

    ...In other words, he summoned ''only'' the trustworthy and loyal vassals.

    While others sang of war and conquest...

    Count Consla had been waiting desperately for the Duke''s summons.

    Planning what achievements he''d make in this war!

    But no matter how long he waited, no orders came.

    Duke Fargar was well aware of Count Consla''s loyalty.

    He was also aware that the Count wasn''t particularly reliable...

    The ancient sages said that of any five people, one must be garbage (Feat. Master Jirobo[1]).

    By the law of idiot preservation, any group must have someone lacking.

    Though Count Consla would never admit it...

    He honestly wasn''t much of a noble.

    Though he was a Count by birth, as a person he was just mediocre.

    The Chief Steward considered snapping "If His Grace didn''t call you, mustn''t there be a reason?" but...

    Valuing his life, he chose to keep quiet.

    "I''ve diligently gathered war funds! Summoned knights too!"

    "..."

    "As soon as provisions are secured, I''ll conscript farmers and march out!"

    Count Consla had indeed summoned knights.

    But they were bandit-knights who enjoyed robbery.

    To secure war funds, Count Consla ordered his summoned knights to collect "tolls."

    It was practically an order for legal plunder.

    Extorting travelers and merchants would block his territory''s future development in the long run...

    But Count Consla didn''t care at all!

    What mattered to him was sharing the glory of war at Duke Fargar''s side, not pondering territory management like some penny-pincher.

    Naturally, a noble should become a war hero!

    ''...Let him do as he pleases.''

    Though a self-willed noble, Count Consla was tolerable.

    At least... he was a noble.

    What could you do if the Count wanted to act this way?

    "T-terrible news!"

    "What is it."

    Just then, a soldier came running to report.

    "Sir Sayer and the other knights...! Have been taken prisoner by a wizard!"

    "???"

    What the-

    Count Consla asked incredulously.

    "Wizard? Prisoner? What are you talking about?"

    The soldier explained everything.

    The knights trying to collect taxes (written as taxes, read as extortion) from passing travelers had been defeated by those same travelers!

    Actually, the traveler was a wizard named Ian who was quite famous in Araz.

    "Such insolence!"

    Bang!

    Count Consla was enraged.

    Those knights were-!

    They were talents meant to achieve glorious military deeds at beloved Duke Fargar''s side!

    In Count Consla''s mind, Ian was naturally remembered as an ''evil and crafty wizard.''

    Why?

    Because he''d dared touch my knights!

    "Black wizard! He must be a black wizard!"

    Count Consla shouted.

    Knights defeated by a wizard - he must definitely be an evil black wizard!

    A reckless sense of justice began blazing in Count Consla''s heart.

    He would strike down the evil wizard and save his suffering territory (which wasn''t actually suffering)-!

    "Ready my horse!"

    "My lord, please reconsider..."

    "Silence!"

    The Chief Steward was dumbfounded.

    Hey, didn''t they just say the knights were defeated?!

    How would this stupid... no, naive noble lord handle a wizard that even the knights couldn''t defeat?

    "My lord. Take the hunters with you."

    "Ah! Right! Tell those bowmen to follow too!"

    Count Consla charged out of the castle like the personification of ''recklessness.''

    The Chief Steward heaved a deep sigh.

    Even someone like him got to be a noble just by having the right parents...

    The class system had its absurd aspects sometimes.

    Count Consla brought every available soldier and archer.

    The Count''s banner flew high, followed by armed soldiers.

    It was quite a sight from afar.

    "My lord! We see them!"

    "Hahaha! Foolish ones! Daring to cause trouble in Count Consla''s lands and think they can escape!"

    Count Consla commanded without hesitation.

    "Sound the horn!"

    Buuuuuu-!

    The battle horn sounded.

    The enemy''s(?) movement stopped.

    Count Consla drew his sword and adjusted his helmet.

    Before that evil wizard could cast his dark magic, he''d quickly cut off his head-

    "?"

    "My lord! It''s the knights!"

    But Count Consla couldn''t charge.

    From the enemy lines(?), knights suddenly started riding forward!

    "A mere wandering wizard has knights with him?!"

    Seeing the approaching knights, Count Consla finally understood.

    So that''s why our knights were defeated!

    "Give me that bow!"

    "My lord! Please wait..."

    Count Consla grabbed a bow and fired without warning.

    The infantry captain had no time to speak.

    Neeeigh-!

    The horse fell with a pitiful cry.

    The knight naturally fell with it.

    "Hahaha! All show on the outside, worthless inside!"

    The infantry captain''s jaw dropped.

    No! This crazy noble lord-!

    "My lord!"

    "Why do you keep calling!"

    "You just shot Sir Sayer!"

    "...?"

    What?!

    Count Consla stared ahead in disbelief.

    "No?!"

    Why is this real???

    Count Consla scratched his head.

    The knight who''d fallen to his arrow was Sir Sayer, Count Consla''s own knight...

    "Why is he charging from the enemy lines! So confusing!"

    Really? What the fuck?

    The infantry captain shot the Count a look close to cursing, but.

    The milk was already spilled...

    ''No choice...!''

    Count Consla slowly rode forward.

    Though he had clearly shot his subordinate by ''mistake''...

    His pride wouldn''t let him admit that fact.

    So he tried to make his mistake not a mistake.

    "You bastard!"

    Count Consla suddenly bellowed at Sir Sayer.

    "How dare you betray me and side with the wizard!"

    "???"

    "Filthy traitor!"

    At the sudden horn blast, Ian stopped his march.

    The knight at Ian''s side immediately spoke:

    "Oh! It seems His Lordship has come!"

    He brightened and rode out eagerly.

    Whether from genuine loyalty or just acting tough after Ian''s encouragement earlier...

    He clearly welcomed Count Consla''s arrival.

    Ian waited for the knight to speak with the Count.

    But right then.

    Neeeigh-!

    "?"

    Ian couldn''t believe his eyes.

    The Count had suddenly shot his own knight with an arrow!

    "...Filthy traitor..."

    Hearing the distant voice, Ian couldn''t hide his amazement.

    No way, did this Count...

    Shoot his knight thinking he''d betrayed him?!

    Is he completely insane?

    "No...!"

    "What is this..."

    The knights at Ian''s side were also greatly shocked.

    Count Consla didn''t know Ian had ''simply'' released the knights.

    He probably couldn''t even imagine it.

    People who released prisoners without taking ransom or equipment were extremely rare!

    So his misunderstanding was somewhat understandable.

    "He''s going to kill someone at this rate."

    Ian immediately rode toward the Count. He had to stop this madness of the Count attacking his own knights.

    "Ha-lt!"

    Just then, archers appeared and aimed at Ian.

    They must have judged him an enemy seeing him charge toward the Count.

    Ian shouted in exasperation:

    "Lower those bows right now, you idiots!"

    But though the archers hesitated, they didn''t retreat.

    Seems they were watching their commander''s reaction.

    Ian shouted again.

    It wasn''t magic.

    Using magic might make the excited archers loose arrows recklessly.

    But what Ian shouted was as good as excellent magic:

    "I am the disciple of Wizard Eredith, Dark Magic Professor at Imperial University, and-!"

    "!"

    "The Count of Talian''s fiance?!"

    One by one, the archers began lowering their bows.

    Disciple of Wizard Eredith? Imperial University Professor?

    Those are some fancy words~

    The country bumpkin(...) archers didn''t understand the first two titles.

    But ''Count''s fiance?'' was impossible to misunderstand unless you were an idiot.

    Wow! They''re marrying a noble lord!

    Better not shoot or we''re fucked~!

    "What are you doing! You lot! Right now-"

    The infantry captain tried to press the archers.

    But at Ian''s next words, he shrunk back.

    "Anyone who keeps aiming at me, I''ll use magic to permanently pluck out all their hair-!"

    "..."

    The infantry captain quietly stepped back.

    Ahem... baldness was a bit...

    Even medieval people living day-to-day feared hair loss...

    Having cleared all interference, Ian reached the Count and immediately shouted:

    "Stop right now! Count!"

    "...Who are you."

    "Wizard Ian."

    Count Consla looked at Ian with a crooked gaze.

    So this green boy is why I''m going through this trouble?

    He shouted angrily:

    "What? Wizard Ian? Never heard such a name!"

    "..."

    "A wet-behind-the-ears brat using his master''s name! I can guess your skill level!"

    The moment Count Consla shouted that-

    Sir Sayer gestured to the Count with trembling arms.

    "M-my lord...!"

    "What?"

    "Y-you shouldn''t... say such things...!"

    "?"

    "He''s... a wizard...!"

    Count Consla looked at Ian in confusion.

    Ian''s expression was... quite peculiar.

    At the same time, Ian thought.

    Ah... so now.

    You want to try some medieval WWE with me, is that it?

    "Did you just say I''m a weak wizard? Just now?"

    Ian flicked his hand lightly.

    Then something amazing happened.

    Ian''s shadow began writhing and climbing up his body...!

    Count Consla stared at Ian in panic.

    ...This seems like it might have been a mistake...?!

    ---

    [1. no idea who this is. a dude from naruto comes up on google. Doesn''t look like a ''master'' tho.]

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 324

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    They say it takes two hands to clap.

    Meaning things need to work together to succeed.

    "Did you just say I''m a weak wizard? Just now?"

    Ian skillfully made his shadow move, preparing for some medieval WWE.

    As a somewhat experienced wizard, Ian was quite used to putting on a show to satisfy his audience.

    But as soon as Ian made his shadow move-

    "W-wait a moment!"

    Count Consla raised the white flag.

    "There seems to be a misunderstanding. I don''t think you''re a weak wizard at all!"

    "...?"

    Ian was briefly bewildered by the Count''s sudden change of tune.

    It completely contradicted what he''d just said.

    But Count Consla had been operating without any thoughts(...) from start to finish.

    "Earlier... I was just too excited! Hahaha!"

    "You find this funny?"

    "..."

    Ian took another look at the Count, just to be sure.

    And confirmed it.

    ''This guy''s totally scared...''

    That fearful expression. Those unconfident eyes.

    The look of a terrified person that Ian had seen countless times.

    "Ah! Now I remember! Wizard Ian!"

    Count Consla flipped his words around like turning over his palm.

    The infantry captain behind him heaved a deep sigh, but the Count was too oblivious to notice.

    "The Count of Talian''s fiance?! A wizard''s disciple! And you attend university too!"

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    Hey, those are all things I just said earlier!

    Indeed they were.

    The Count was simply parroting back what Ian had just shouted moments ago.

    His earlier statement about ''never hearing Ian''s name'' was probably closer to the truth.

    ''Should I keep this up? Or not?''

    Ian briefly considered his options.

    From the looks of it, his opponent didn''t seem to know about or want to engage in the Calling of Wizards.

    The Calling was a kind of show.

    It was closer to nobles and wizards exchanging formal introductions according to classical rules, by mutual agreement.

    Therefore, if one side refused the Calling, the other side couldn''t force it unilaterally.

    "F-first dispel your magic!"

    Ian''s fighting spirit completely deflated and he simply dispelled the magic.

    Looking at the Count''s state, there was no point expecting anything more.

    Ian returned his shadow to its original place.

    At that moment, Count Consla''s eyes lit up...!

    As soon as Ian dispelled his magic, the Count quickly ordered:

    "Sir Sayer! Attack that wizard immediately...!"

    But the Count''s knight moved even faster.

    He threw his helmet(...) and hit Count Consla in the head.

    The Count''s eyes rolled back as he fainted.

    The knight shouted loudly:

    "The Count has collapsed!"

    The infantry captain brightened and shouted:

    "Oh no! What a terrible accident! Quick, move the Count to the rear!"

    "Yes sir!"

    "..."

    This must be what real medieval WWE looked like.

    While Ian stood there dumbfounded thinking this, the Count was carried away by his soldiers.

    "...I apologize on his behalf, wizard. The Count isn''t usually like this, but lately he''s been rather heated about the war..."

    "He doesn''t seem very wise."

    Ian shook his head.

    Looking forward or back, it was all a mess.

    Count Consla.

    Just why had that man come here in the first place...?

    #

    Fortunately(?), the Count soon regained consciousness.

    As soon as he opened his eyes, he shouted:

    "The wizard! Sir Sayer!"

    "We''re right here, Your Grace."

    The first to welcome the awakened Count was Sir Sayer.

    The Count excitedly started to...

    "Sir Sayer!"

    "Keep your voice down, my lord."

    "..."

    He almost... shouted.

    But faced with Sir Sayer''s stern expression, he couldn''t bring himself to raise his voice.

    Count Consla was a mature and rational man who controlled his anger very well.

    Ah! Sir Sayer must have something important to say! That''s all he thought.

    It definitely wasn''t because he was scared.

    "My lord, you were very rash earlier."

    "W-what do you mean?"

    "Wizard Ian is simply a traveling wizard. How could you order an attack on an innocent traveler!"

    The knights standing around Sir Sayer nodded in unison, as if rehearsed.

    "???"

    Count Consla was completely bewildered by the situation.

    Wait...

    Wasn''t attacking innocent travelers your specialty?!

    What nonsense were these bandit knights spouting!

    "If he''s such a great wizard, a surprise attack..."

    "Surprise attack?! You''re trampling on our honor, my lord!"

    "???"

    Since when did you lot have any honor?

    The Count stared at his knights with wide eyes.

    These weren''t sons and daughters of noble houses, just thieves who''d become knights!

    What was this nonsense about honor?!

    Count Consla didn''t know.

    The knights had already received a heavy dose of chivalric spirit(...) from Ian.

    Though it might only last a week at most.

    But right now, they were the very embodiment of knights who served their lord and protected the weak.

    "What''s gotten into you all?!"

    "You''re the one who''s wrong, my lord!"

    "Wizard Ian is a wizard who understands honor!"

    "He''s wise and prudent too!"

    "We must treat him as an honored guest!"

    As the knights each added their piece, the Count''s head began spinning...

    Until just half a day ago, these same men had been robbing travelers on the road.

    What magic had possessed them to start babbling about honor?

    "Alright! Alright!"

    Faced with the knights'' collective protest, the Count surrendered.

    He lacked both the guts and conviction to ignore the knights'' objections.

    "I''ll apologize and welcome Wizard Ian as a guest!"

    "A wise decision, my lord!"

    Later, the Count would learn why his knights had collectively thrown such a fit.

    They were repaying their debt to Ian for releasing them for free(...).

    But for now, the Count could only agree with his knights'' demands without understanding why.

    #

    Meeting the ruler of a region while traveling was almost inevitable.

    News of travelers spread easily.

    Especially for travelers like Ian who moved with a large group.

    In fact, Ian''s group was closer to a war band than mere travelers.

    They were combat-focused travelers carrying weapons who could instantly transform into mercenaries if paid.

    With Ian and his companions at the center, followed by over a dozen servants and dozens of bandits, their numbers were quite significant.

    "I acknowledge you as my guest, Wizard Ian."

    "But Count, didn''t you just say you were going to attack me..."

    "Attack? What attack? You must be mistaken!"

    "..."

    Ian was already tired of dealing with Count Consla.

    If they''d done the Calling, he might have received proper treatment.

    But from what he heard, Count Consla didn''t even know what the Calling was.

    "How is someone like him a Count?"

    "Being noble isn''t much. Get your title recognized and you''re noble."

    Rulers of large cities or regions couldn''t dissolve or change their titles, as it would threaten the legitimacy of the titles.

    For example, the Count of "Seoul City" couldn''t split it into the "Gangnam Barony" and "Gangbuk Barony."

    "Seoul City" was an ancient domain, its boundaries solidified by history and tradition.

    Split Seoul in two? Are you mad? That would be the obvious response.

    But territories that were small or less important could expand or shrink over time.

    While the "Jeolla Province" duchy''s borders wouldn''t change much over time, the territories of the "Gwangju Count" and "Naju Count" could grow or shrink, something like that.

    In Count Consla''s case, his territory had shrunk over time.

    "He used to be a noble with many vassals in the empire''s early days, but over time his barons gradually broke away," Belenka said.

    She had gathered basic information from talking with the knights.

    "All that''s left is one small direct territory. Though his title is Count, his power isn''t much different from other barons."

    The title of ''Count'' was tied to the territory, so it hadn''t changed. As long as imperial law listed it as "Count Consla''s domain", whoever ruled it was Count Consla. (Though it might be demoted to a barony over time)

    A noble''s power naturally grew or shrank with time.

    So the question "Who''s stronger, a count or a baron?" was very difficult to answer.

    It would be clearer to ask "Who''s the most prominent noble these days?"

    Moreover, in this medieval fantasy world, there were still many undeveloped regions, so new territories and cities could emerge anywhere.

    "Since you''re my guest, I''ll escort you until you leave my territory! Ah, no need to thank me!"

    "..."

    "But where are you heading with such a large force, Lord Ian?"

    Ian''s group only numbered a few dozen, but by medieval standards that was indeed a ''large'' force...

    This many men was about what a baron might muster.

    In other words, enough to somehow raid a small rural territory.

    "If we go this way, we''ll reach Roxlan..."

    Count Consla eyed Ian suspiciously.

    "Perhaps... you''re planning to join Roxlan''s army..."

    "And if I am? What then?"

    "...That would be most unfortunate, Lord Ian!"

    According to Belenka''s information, Count Consla was a fervent supporter of Duke Fargar.

    Fervent but not particularly favored... (Understandable, Ian thought)

    If Ian said he was joining Roxlan, the Count might start raining arrows from afar.

    Count Consla was just that kind of person.

    Ian found it too bothersome to explain, so he decided to make something up.

    "I''m on Duke Fargar''s side."

    "...? Really?!"

    Count Consla''s eyes went wide.

    He seemed genuinely surprised.

    "Then why are you heading toward Roxlan..."

    "It''s Duke Fargar''s orders."

    "The Duke''s orders...?"

    "Ask that guy for details."

    Ian pointed at Aesis.

    Following behind them, Aesis was startled to find Ian pointing at him.

    What? Me?

    You want me to explain?

    Ian''s eyes said:

    Yes.

    Aesis returned the look:

    I-I can''t do it! Such a sudden explanation...

    Ian turned his head sharply.

    Can''t do it? Then die.

    "..."

    Conversation over.

    Whimpering(...), Aesis explained to the Count.

    "Lord Ian... received a very secret mission from the Duke."

    "A secret mission!"

    "Shh! Your voice is too loud! Do you know Chief Steward Panzel?"

    "Ah, of course!"

    "He gave Lord Ian the request."

    "...!"

    Aesis was a minstrel, informant, and assassin.

    He already had plenty of information about Duke Fargar, so making up a fake mission was child''s play.

    "It''s a secret mission he wouldn''t entrust to anyone else."

    "Oh...!"

    "That''s how much the Duke trusts Lord Ian."

    Though bad luck had gotten him caught by Ian, Aesis was a capable informant in his own right.

    He easily managed to butter up Count Consla.

    Soon the Count''s view of Ian changed completely.

    "Hahaha! Lord Ian! Do you need anything?"

    "No, I''m fine."

    Ian continued forward with the Count''s army as escort.

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 Chapter 325

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Count Consla believed Aesis''s words completely.

    He was convinced Ian was an important figure secretly carrying out Duke Fargar''s orders.

    "What is the Duke planning now?"

    "I cannot say."

    "...! Of course. He must be preparing a most secret plan...!"

    Ian was genuinely perplexed.

    Was Count Consla''s intelligence truly on Lucy''s level?

    ...But since such unkind thoughts shouldn''t be directed at his adorable wife, Ian quickly changed his mind.

    Truly someone who became noble purely through bloodline.

    It was a chronic problem of the class system.

    No matter how great and intelligent the ancestors were, it all meant nothing if their foolish descendants ruined everything.

    "Then... did the Duke mention me or..."

    "I cannot say."

    "...! Such thorough security! I can see why the Duke trusts you so!"

    "..."

    Ian called Aesis over.

    "Hey, what did you drug the Count with?"

    "...Unfortunately, nothing."

    If Aesis had used his special spy drug, it would have at least made sense.

    But the Count was pure innocence itself, simply believing Aesis''s words were true.

    Ian decided to just ignore it.

    "Your Grace! Lord Ian!"

    One of the Count''s knights came running breathlessly.

    "Banners ahead!"

    "Banners?"

    "Baron Bandarin''s banners!"

    Count Consla shouted in fury:

    "The insolent fool! How dare he enter my lands without permission!"

    The infantry captain quietly commented:

    "This isn''t Your Grace''s territory."

    "Ah... really?"

    Ian had marched quickly, almost leaving Count Consla''s domain behind.

    That''s why Baron Bandarin had appeared.

    "This is bad...!"

    Count Consla spoke with anxious eyes.

    "Lord Ian. We''d better turn back."

    "Go back the way we came?"

    "Yes...! Baron Bandarin is no ordinary man! He''s the devil''s bastard!"

    Sir Sayer, the Count''s knight, briefly added explanation.

    "Baron Bandarin is from the eastern regions."

    Ian reflexively looked at Belenka.

    Belenka was from Baekguk in the east.

    The east had numerous large and small countries.

    There were so many small nations in the east that almost no one knew all of them.

    Baron Bandarin was a noble who had come to the Holy Empire from the east.

    "He''s infamous for his cruel nature and love of plunder."

    Sir Sayer spoke frankly.

    "You''d better follow His Grace''s advice, Lord Ian."

    But Ian shook his head.

    They didn''t have time to turn back.

    Retracing their steps would be clear waste.

    "No time. If enemies attack, we''ll just drive them off."

    "But still, no matter what...!"

    "Besides, their banners are close enough to see. Would they give up pursuit just because we run now?"

    If the Count fled deep into his territory, perhaps.

    But to flee that quickly, he''d have to abandon all his soldiers and escape alone.

    It was already too late to turn back.

    "This isn''t Baron Bandarin''s land, right?"

    "...No, it isn''t."

    "Then he has no justification to eliminate us."

    Sir Sayer slightly furrowed his brow.

    Though justification was lacking, such things could always be manufactured.

    Attacking because they served different lords would be justification enough.

    "Damn. I don''t know about this."

    Sir Sayer looked around.

    Ian''s group was remarkably calm.

    "Hey, Lady Belenka!"

    "What?"

    "Aren''t you going to persuade your lord?"

    A loyal knight wouldn''t stand by while their lord got caught in dangerous battles.

    Though Sir Sayer asked with that thought in mind...

    "I happen to agree with Ian."

    "...What?"

    "No need to retreat. I don''t know what kind of man Baron Bandarin is, but we''re plenty strong too."

    Sir Sayer thought Belenka was overconfident in her abilities.

    From any angle, Ian''s group looked like a one-man party centered on Ian.

    Excluding Ian, they were all seemingly unremarkable people.

    Three young women and one old man.

    The only impressive-looking ones were the mysterious mercenaries(?) guarding Ian.

    "Kehehehe! A fight!"

    "Oww! Oww!"

    "..."

    Even they seemed mentally unstable.

    ''He must be counting on the Count''s men...''

    Sir Sayer was convinced Ian was trusting the Count''s soldiers.

    That made him even more anxious.

    The Count''s army was... much weaker in battle than Ian probably expected...

    ''Should I trust Lord Ian''s magic?''

    Though he couldn''t shake off his unease.

    The enemies were already right in front of them.

    "Halt-!"

    Knights on horseback appeared on the field.

    Count Consla muttered with a pale face:

    "Good heavens. They''re all cavalry...!"

    Surprisingly, Baron Bandarin''s soldiers were all mounted cavalry.

    He must have deliberately organized his forces as cavalry to increase mobility.

    Even if the Count had decided to retreat late, they would have been quickly pursued.

    "Lord Ian. Here, we shall...!"

    Sir Sayer and the Count''s other knights stepped forward.

    Though a threatening enemy had appeared...

    Now was the time to repay their debt to Ian!

    "I''m coming too."

    "Are you sure?"

    "We should at least hear what they have to say, shouldn''t we?"

    The knights nodded.

    "Let''s go!"

    Ian took the other knights and went to meet Baron Bandarin.

    As said, they were from the east - their appearance was quite foreign.

    Snow-white skin, pale golden hair, and eyes clear as ice.

    As soon as Ian met Baron Bandarin, he said:

    "You''re from Wintz in Baekguk?"

    The Baron answered with surprise:

    "Correct. How did you know?"

    Ian pointed behind him with his finger.

    Belenka was surveying the Baron''s formation from horseback.

    "Never expected to meet someone from home here."

    Belenka picked up the Baron''s words:

    "It''s not so strange. We all came to make money, didn''t we?"

    Baron Bandarin laughed and said:

    "People from Baekguk are all alike."

    Sir Sayer watched their conversation with surprised eyes.

    First, he was surprised Baron Bandarin hadn''t attacked immediately.

    The unexpectedly soft atmosphere was even more surprising.

    He''d heard Baron Bandarin was an aggressive warmonger, but was he actually someone you could reason with?

    But Sir Sayer''s thoughts were soon proven wrong.

    "Enough small talk. Are you the leader?"

    "For now. But didn''t you see Count Consla''s banner?"

    "I saw it. But that idiot doesn''t seem like the type to come out as representative. And he didn''t."

    Ian nodded.

    He calls the Count an idiot so naturally.

    "Are you insulting my lord right now?!"

    "Ah, you''re the Count''s knight? My words may be harsh, but they''re not wrong."

    "Regardless of right or wrong, an insult is an insult! I cannot let it slide!"

    Sir Sayer charged at Baron Bandarin.

    "Much too fine a knight compared to the Count."

    Baron Bandarin swung his sword widely.

    It looked like a huge, slow movement but...

    When Sir Sayer came to his senses, he''d been struck in the side and was falling from his horse.

    "Aaagh!"

    A dismounted knight was easy prey.

    Sir Sayer was captured instantly.

    Baron Bandarin looked at Ian and said:

    "We''ve gained a prisoner. Care to negotiate?"

    "Get to the point."

    "First, Count Consla will have an audience with Duke Roxlan."

    Though he said "audience," it was closer to kidnapping.

    Indeed.

    Count Consla was about to become a prisoner without even seeing the battlefield...

    That''s what happened when the Count strayed too far from his territory.

    But that had nothing to do with Ian.

    "And?"

    "You''ll come with us for a while."

    Ian chuckled and said:

    "I''m just a passing traveler. Of all the nobles I know, none who harassed travelers came to a good end."

    "Just a traveler? Are there travelers who move around with so many mercenaries?"

    "I have quite a few enemies. And the world''s dangerous these days, isn''t it?"

    "Now I''m even more curious. I really want to bring you to my castle."

    "If I refuse?"

    Ian lightly predicted what would happen next.

    If words didn''t resolve it, they''d naturally use violence.

    Battle would break out.

    Then Ian would literally smash Baron Bandarin''s army.

    Though they were outnumbered, this side had three wizards.

    Even setting Maria aside, just Ian and Kira could turn the battlefield into a sea of fire.

    But unexpectedly, the Baron didn''t immediately suggest fighting.

    "Then let''s make a wager."

    "A wager?"

    "Just three people. Each side picks three warriors, and whoever defeats all their opponents gets their way. How about it?"

    Ian was intrigued.

    Decide by duel?

    For medieval times, this was an incredibly peaceful solution.

    "Fine. If your side wins, I''ll come along quietly."

    Baron Bandarin went back to select his candidates.

    Ian also had to pick three great warriors.

    "Lord Ian! Let me fight!"

    "If you would choose me..."

    "I''m Count Consla''s territory''s greatest warrior...!"

    Ian pushed aside all the rabble(?) and first picked his two most reliable people.

    "Belenka. And Sir Salvador."

    Those two were the most skilled knights Ian knew.

    "And for the third..."

    Belenka raised her hand and said:

    "I recommend Savage."

    "Savage?"

    Ian looked at the bandit fighter standing there awkwardly.

    If Belenka acknowledged him, he must be quite good?

    "Hey, madman. Want to fight?"

    "If you''ll pick me, I''ll earn my keep."

    "Good. You''re in."

    And so Ian''s warriors were decided.

    A woman, an old man, and a madman(?) - what an incredible lineup...

    "Hey traveler, did you come for the circus instead of dueling?"

    The Baron''s subordinates burst out laughing.

    Ian understood.

    Ah, this is trash talk, is it?

    "You lot look more like beggars. Better to be clowns than beggars."

    "Ha! Still cocky for now!"

    Actually, Baron Bandarin''s side was the cocky one.

    Naturally, since a woman, an old man, and a madman had stepped up to duel.

    If this were the martial arts world, they''d be opponents worth being cautious of.

    Unfortunately, in the fantasy world there was no saying like "beware women and old men."

    "Ho ho. I''ll go easy on you, young man."

    And Ian''s group''s first warrior was...

    None other than [Sword Master] Salvador!

    Bearer of an honorable title bestowed by the Emperor himself!

    "Yaaaaah!"

    "I envy your overflowing strength! But a sword isn''t just a stick swung with force, young man!"

    Sir Salvador defeated three warriors straight in a row.

    3-0.

    Ian''s complete victory.

    Baron Bandarin couldn''t close his gaping mouth.

    Just then, someone shouted:

    "Sword Master! Sir Salvador!"

    Someone had recognized Sir Salvador.

    Baron Bandarin was dumbfounded.

    First, he had no idea why an imperial Sword Master was here.

    And why was a Sword Master acting as bodyguard for a mere "traveler"!

    "You... who are you?"

    The Baron looked at Ian as he spoke.

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 Chapter 326

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Baron Bandarin hadn''t acted rashly.

    The reputation of [Sword Master] Sir Salvador was very famous throughout the empire.

    Though enough time had passed that he''d become a legend of the past...

    Even so, Sir Salvador still commanded warriors'' respect.

    "I must apologize."

    The Baron immediately apologized to Sir Salvador.

    Since he hadn''t particularly been disrespectful, there wasn''t really anything to forgive.

    "Ho ho. Thank you for understanding."

    Baron Bandarin cleanly gave up his expedition''s objective.

    It was a bold decision, despite having brought quite a few soldiers.

    Moving troops cost money.

    He might have attacked just to make the money worthwhile.

    But the Baron accepted the duel''s outcome and cleanly gave up on Ian.

    "Go back, Count Consla. Let''s pretend we didn''t see each other today."

    "Hmm. Hmm. We''ll call it that!"

    Count Consla could be considered saved from death.

    One wrong move and he would have (forcibly) visited Baron Bandarin''s castle.

    "Lord Ian."

    Count Consla and his knights bid farewell.

    "We''ll be heading back now."

    "Take care and have a safe journey."

    Ian casually added:

    "Watch out for black wizards on your way back."

    "Black wizards?"

    "Yes. They''re running wild in the south."

    "We''ll be careful."

    Though unlikely, Ian wanted to prevent Count Consla from joining hands with black wizards.

    "Duke Fargar really hates black wizards."

    "...! I knew it! What a righteous man!"

    After giving a few warnings, Ian parted ways with Count Consla.

    "Let''s go, Baron."

    "Haha! Indeed!"

    Ian followed Baron Bandarin into Roxlan.

    ---

    Before parting with Count Consla.

    Ian called Aesis and said:

    "I''m heading to Roxlan like this. Do you have other plans?"

    "Well... I failed my mission, so I''m not sure what to do."

    For now, Aesis was alive.

    Though it was closer to just barely being alive.

    Usually spies like Aesis were killed when they failed their missions.

    In an era without human rights, captured spies could be killed freely if desired.

    That''s why Aesis had first begged for his life.

    "You''re a professional, right?"

    At Ian''s question, Aesis answered with a strange smile:

    "Of course. I charge even for killing a single rat."

    Ian was slightly exasperated.

    Though he wasn''t sure what kind of professional pride an assassin had...

    Well, since he claimed to be a pro, it seemed worth trusting him with work.

    "I saved your life. Right?"

    "...Yes."

    "I''ll pay you in gold coins. So work for me."

    Aesis nodded.

    "Mixing personal feelings with work is somewhat amateurish... but you did save my life. I''m personally grateful."

    Aesis readily accepted Ian''s request.

    Of course, on the condition of proper payment in gold.

    "First, go back and investigate who hired you."

    "I suspect it was someone from Fargar''s side... but understood."

    Normally informants shouldn''t investigate their clients.

    But now the client had changed, right?

    Aesis would investigate without hesitation.

    "If Duke Fargar is involved, lurk around him."

    "Lurking is easy. But assassination is beyond my abilities."

    "Wasn''t planning to ask for that anyway."

    What would be the point of assassinating Duke Fargar without understanding the situation?

    Unnecessary chaos would only help black wizards run wild.

    "Gather information and report regularly."

    "How should I report?"

    "Use carrier pigeons."

    Using trained pigeons for letter delivery was a method informants often used.

    Though Ian wasn''t an informant, so Aesis worried if he could handle pigeons properly...

    ''No need to worry about a wizard.''

    Aesis thought with a smirk.

    Being a skilled wizard, Ian must know how to handle birds.

    "Alright. I''ll first investigate the client, then infiltrate Duke Fargar''s camp depending on the situation."

    Ian nodded.

    He decided to trust in Aesis''s abilities.

    Though he didn''t expect much...

    It would be good if he succeeded, but no great loss if he didn''t.

    "Then I''ll contact you by carrier pigeon."

    Aesis returned toward Fargar''s territory with Count Consla.

    That was just days ago.

    Meanwhile, Ian traveled through Roxlan with Baron Bandarin.

    "Never expected to meet someone from Baekguk here. Really surprising."

    "Everything seems to surprise you."

    Many of Baron Bandarin''s people were easterners.

    While the empire''s north had a simple ethnic makeup, the south was much more diverse.

    From people of the Coral Sea in the south to desert empire traders seeking commerce to easterners who''d crossed from the cold, barren east.

    With Sir Salvador from the Coral Sea, Belenka from the east, and Ian''s staff(?) from the desert empire.

    Ian''s group could be considered quite a PC party.

    "You brought quite a lot of subordinates."

    Ian said while looking at the Baron''s soldiers.

    An extremely expensive force composed entirely of cavalry.

    Horses were famous for eating money like hippos, and they couldn''t be raised in large numbers without proper climate and environment.

    Training riders who could handle horses well was also work.

    The Baron burst into hearty laughter and said:

    "What else would we do? Got to earn every coin we can!"

    Ian couldn''t help but smile.

    His money talk felt just like seeing a male version of Belenka.

    "Do all people from Baekguk love money this much?"

    When Ian said that, Belenka laughed as if he was ridiculous.

    "What else would warriors who left home want in a foreign land? There''s only money."

    Well. It made sense.

    Warriors who left home were a kind of mercenary, and most mercenaries dreamed of earning lots of money abroad to live large back home.

    In Baron Bandarin''s case, he''d claimed territory and become an imperial citizen.

    Anyway.

    Baron Bandarin had originally planned to capture Count Consla.

    Normally this would be unthinkable.

    No matter how incompetent Count Consla was, he was Duke Fargar''s vassal.

    Touching him would naturally bring the Duke running.

    But now, Duke Fargar was away from home.

    Not just the Duke, but many of his vassals had followed him to the battlefield.

    No one would come running even if he touched another noble!

    So Baron Bandarin had set out thinking he might capture Count Consla and squeeze some ransom money.

    Of course, he hadn''t expected to meet Ian.

    "A wizard! No wonder the escort was so impressive!"

    The Sword Master escort was certainly impressive.

    Though Sir Salvador himself probably wouldn''t admit it.

    "What brings you to Roxlan? The war, I assume?"

    The Baron believed without doubt that Ian had come to join Duke Roxlan''s forces.

    It was only natural for wizards to appear on battlefields after all.

    "No. I came to meet the Emperor."

    "The Emperor? Why?"

    Baron Bandarin tilted his head.

    What''s the point of meeting the Emperor???

    A real man should earn glory on the battlefield!

    "Let''s just say I have things to discuss."

    The Baron shrugged.

    "He won''t see you."

    "Why not?"

    "The Emperor''s quite busy these days."

    "?"

    This time Ian tilted his head.

    Well, he must be busy.

    With two Imperial Dukes growling at each other, how could he not be?

    But the Baron meant something slightly different.

    "They say he''s holed up in the palace and won''t come out. There are rumors he''s sick too."

    "Sick?"

    "That''s the rumor. But I doubt it. Probably just buried in work."

    That made sense.

    Though the Emperor might be like a group project leader(...), he was still Emperor.

    Nobles naturally had to bow their heads to him.

    People with grudges against nobles would all run to the Emperor asking him to resolve their issues.

    Since the Emperor regularly moved his palace, people had to actively plead their grievances when he was nearby.

    "There''s even been a rebellion recently. He won''t have time for you."

    Ian barely held back a sigh.

    The south really was complete chaos.

    Setting aside the war, what rebellion?

    Ian didn''t know since he hadn''t experienced many wars, but war and rebellion actually went together like two sides of a coin.

    When military power weakened from war, someone would quietly attempt independence.

    "Is it someone the Emperor needs to worry about?"

    "A guy called Count Mokrick. Young Hastria has already been dispatched, I hear."

    Ian unconsciously raised his voice:

    "Young Hastria?"

    "Ah. There''s Elia Hastria, the Emperor''s daughter..."

    Elia Hastria.

    He''d wondered what she''d been up to since leaving university...

    So she was suppressing rebels?!

    "What will you do, Ian?"

    Belenka whispered quietly.

    Ian''s expression was quite sour.

    He''d originally planned to meet the Emperor with Elia''s help...

    But Elia had left to suppress some rebellion, and the Emperor was too busy to meet anyone.

    "...We''ll move as planned."

    "To meet the Princess?"

    Ian nodded.

    In this chaotic situation.

    The university connection(?) felt quite reliable.

    And Ian thought he could communicate well with Elia.

    Elia could become his ally.

    "Let''s go to Elia."

    Ian decided to meet Elia before the Emperor.

    ---

    Elia Hastria was looking down at a map with her chin propped up.

    "Your Highness!"

    "What is it?"

    At the following report, she couldn''t hide her startled expression.

    "A visitor has come."

    "A visitor?"

    "Someone called Ian Eredith... says he''s some kind of wizard..."

    "!"

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 Chapter 327

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    In the empire, rebellion was a serious crime.

    Though serious, not many attempted it.

    First, there wasn''t much reason to rebel.

    This medieval fantasy world had a loose feudal system.

    Though the Emperor was the nation''s ruler, his power was similar to any great noble.

    Local nobles enjoyed king-like authority in their territories, so there was no need to overthrow superiors to become king.

    Why need a crown when you already live like a king?

    Yet nobles planning rebellion popped up everywhere.

    Their reasons varied.

    Some were unsatisfied with their titles, some disliked the empire. Some might try allying with foreign powers after falling out with their lords.

    In this context, Count Mokrick''s rebellion was truly novel.

    The reason was simple.

    None of the surrounding nobles knew why he had rebelled!

    "Give us concessions! Guarantee us things!"

    "...? What''s wrong with that guy?"

    "Must''ve eaten rotten radishes."

    The empire''s south was becoming increasingly chaotic with two dukes growling at each other.

    Besides Count Mokrick, all sorts of bizarre incidents were breaking out everywhere.

    Count Mokrick was Duke Roxlan''s vassal, just another known imperial noble.

    If anything special, the Count''s fortress served as a kind of gateway between the empire''s interior and exterior.

    This might sound like an important role...

    But crucially, Count Mokrick''s fortress had no imperial road.

    The ancient empire''s road, that is.

    Though the territory had potential as a strategic point, without the ancient road its value was halved.

    In fact, due to poor transportation, hardly anyone used the Count''s fortress.

    So it was more like "wants to be a strategic point."

    Useful in emergencies, but otherwise unremarkable.

    Therefore, Count Mokrick''s rebellion became known to all as a "very annoying" incident.

    "He started a rebellion from that mountain valley?"

    "Who''s going to suppress it? Not me."

    "Ahem... my joints are acting up..."

    Duke Roxlan''s vassals showed little enthusiasm for suppressing the rebellion.

    Well... it was annoying.

    Who had time to deal with a mountain valley count''s rebellion when Duke Fargar was happily dancing with swords outside?

    Besides, you could clearly only earn merit fighting Duke Fargar!

    With vassals lukewarm, Duke Roxlan also found it annoying.

    He wanted to show imperial ducal dignity... but not right now.

    It helped that he had an unpaid all-purpose servant nearby.

    The Duke tossed the annoying homework of rebellion suppression to the Emperor...

    "Emperor! An insolent fool has appeared trying to illegally occupy your territory!"

    Though that insolent fool was the Duke''s vassal.

    Should he personally deal with it? Who kno~ws?

    It was wordplay using imperial law.

    By imperial law, all empire territory and its attachments belonged to the Emperor.

    Legally speaking.

    But the Emperor had "lent" that land to his vassals-

    After about 200 years of lending, the vassals came to think the land was theirs.

    But now?

    They could make the selfish argument that since imperial land belonged to the Emperor, he should suppress rebellion!

    When the Emperor tried exercising influence over vassals, they''d foam at the mouth screaming about oppression and tyranny!

    He''d have nothing to say even if the Emperor left a note saying "Fuck this shit ?" and got truck''d on his way home.

    When Duke Roxlan declared he was "busy now," the Emperor sighed deeply and prepared to suppress the rebellion.

    ...By borrowing soldiers.

    He wanted to move imperial troops, but like Duke Roxlan that wasn''t really possible.

    The Emperor decided to "borrow" troops from neighboring Duke Hastria.

    The Emperor was from House Hastria anyway.

    In politics, sometimes you had to dig into your own pockets.

    "Your Majesty. I''ll join too!"

    "Very well. Do so."

    While House Hastria''s forces were moving-

    Elia Hastria also asked to join.

    That''s why Princess Elia went to the battlefield.

    ''The situation isn''t good.''

    Marching with Hastria''s army, Elia realized the battlefield situation was worse than expected.

    Not that they were losing.

    They say even a mutt fights hard in its own yard.

    No matter how strong Count Mokrick was, he couldn''t defeat House Hastria''s soldiers.

    Since open battle was clearly impossible, the Count had only one strategy.

    Space defense.

    ''Nope~ Not leaving the castle~ Won''t come out till I die of old age~''

    Medieval fortresses were mostly difficult to capture.

    Especially mountain fortresses like Count Mokrick''s stuck on a ridge - better for mental health to just give up and move on.

    The Hastria commander knew this well.

    Commander Sir Kanbento never planned to attack the Count from the start.

    "First we''ll occupy all nearby villages, collect taxes, and siege for about 3 years."

    "Three years?!"

    Sir Kanbento''s chosen card was simple but powerful.

    ''Nope~ We''re not going home either~ We''ll live here till we die of old age~''

    Simply settling down on someone else''s land and acting as lord instead.

    "But three years..."

    "The war makes it hard to recruit wizards. When the southern situation stabilizes and we can invite wizards from university, we can move."

    "..."

    Indeed.

    An enemy holed up in a fortress could space defend for decades.

    But this wasn''t just medieval times, it was a medieval fantasy world.

    ''Nope~ Our castle has wells and wheat fields~ Never going outside, just gonna make babies here~''

    ''Go ahead~ We just need to bring a wizard~''

    A skilled wizard could break even the strongest castle.

    ...The problem was such skilled wizards were hard to recruit.

    Most wizards loved research and wandering.

    The more skilled, the more focused on gathering experience and wisdom by traveling the world.

    They weren''t beings nobles could summon at will.

    "If we made siege engines instead...!"

    "Haha. Your Highness. Siege engines are very expensive. Not something to bring to someone else''s war."

    "..."

    Sir Kanbento just planned to sit right in front of Count Mokrick and endure from the start.

    Why bother fighting hard climbing mountains? Was someone''s child kidnapped in the fortress?

    Eventually Duke Roxlan or the Emperor would send reinforcements anyway.

    ''Not good... really!''

    Elia bit her lip anxiously.

    Originally she''d planned to quickly suppress the rebellion and return to her father''s side.

    She didn''t know much about war, and hadn''t expected Sir Kanbento to simply settle down without consideration.

    ''There''s... something about this war.''

    On the surface, Fargar and Roxlan seemed to be opposing each other.

    But arriving at the scene, Elia smelled conspiracy beyond that in the air.

    It was hard to explain exactly what.

    But she trusted her instincts.

    The feeling that investigation would reveal something.

    ''Father''s illness must be connected...!''

    The rumors of the Emperor being sick were true.

    He suffered from lethargy, insomnia, and loss of appetite.

    Though priests and wizards examined him, he showed no improvement.

    Elia regretted hastily leaving her father''s side.

    She''d thought she could learn something from Count Mokrick...

    Who knew things would get so complicated.

    "Sir Kanbento. I''ll look for a way to capture Count Mokrick''s fortress."

    "? You, Your Highness? There''s no need..."

    "I studied magic at Imperial University."

    I''m a wizard too! Elia wanted to say.

    But Sir Kanbento''s response was lukewarm.

    Understandably so.

    Could graduating from some university department give you expert knowledge?

    An undergraduate was just an undergraduate, no matter how talented.

    "Don''t overdo it."

    "I understand."

    So Elia began pondering ways to break through Count Mokrick''s fortress.

    As Sir Kanbento advised, she didn''t plan to overdo it.

    If she found no solution after about a month... she''d give up and return to her father''s side.

    ...Though she''d be labeled a Hastria who fled the battlefield.

    Watching her father''s condition was more important to her.

    As Elia examined maps and investigated the surrounding geography.

    "Your Highness! A visitor has come!"

    "?"

    Ian had arrived at the battlefield.

    Anyone could see Ian wasn''t an ordinary visitor.

    You don''t call someone leading a company''s worth of soldiers just a visitor.

    "Ian!"

    Elia ran out hurriedly.

    There... stood the black-haired wizard.

    "It''s been a while, Elia."

    "It really is you, Ian!"

    Eredith''s disciple, Ian.

    The wizard known by various nicknames at university - Crow Wizard, Dragon Slayer of Talian, Patron Saint of Coffee(?), and so on.

    "Ho ho. Good to see you again, Your Highness."

    "Good to see you."

    "Sir Salvador! Lady Belenka!"

    Ian had come with faces familiar to Elia.

    Moreover.

    "Hello, Lady Hastria."

    "Eek! I''m so glad to see you! Kira!"

    Even Kira, her university friend(?).

    Such welcome faces for Elia who''d been trembling with anxiety.

    Elia looked up at Ian with expectant eyes.

    Surely he hadn''t come with this group just for a neighborhood walk!

    "What brings you here?"

    Ian answered honestly.

    "I came because I have a favor to ask..."

    Elia''s eyes sparkled as she shouted:

    "Then let''s make a deal! Ian!"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 328

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The terms Elia offered were simple.

    In exchange for Ian helping her, she would help him in return.

    From Ian''s perspective, there was no reason to refuse.

    "So we help each other?"

    "Yes!"

    "Alright. I''ll help you, Elia."

    At Ian''s straightforward answer, Elia jumped for joy.

    "Thank you! Ian!"

    It wasn''t a particularly difficult request for Ian.

    She just wanted him to use some magic.

    Similarly, Ian''s request wasn''t burdensome for Elia.

    Getting him an audience with the Emperor was child''s play from her position.

    It was a win-win deal for both sides.

    "Come on! First I''ll introduce you to Sir Kanbento!"

    Sir Kanbento, commander of the expedition force, greeted Ian warmly.

    Both because he was Elia''s university friend.

    And because he was a wandering wizard who had brought quite a few soldiers.

    "Welcome, wizard."

    Ian nodded and took a seat.

    Sir Kanbento filled Ian''s cup with wine and said:

    "What brings the great wizard of Talian all the way to the south?"

    "I''m hardly a great wizard."

    Ian took a sip of wine before answering.

    "I heard the south was in turmoil, so I came to check on my friend''s wellbeing."

    Ian offered the polite pleasantry.

    If he''d truly come out of concern for a friend, it might have been touching.

    But Ian wasn''t that close with Elia.

    Sir Kanbento wasn''t so blind as to miss that fact.

    ''He must want something from Her Highness.''

    But regardless of his reasons, Ian was still reinforcements who had brought troops.

    That alone deserved a warm welcome.

    "Friendship is more precious than all the gold in the world. What noble character you have, wizard."

    "You''re too kind."

    After exchanging pleasantries, Sir Kanbento brought out a map.

    It contained information about Count Mokrick''s fortress.

    "Count Mokrick''s fortress is quite tricky to attack."

    "It seems so."

    "The road is too treacherous for large forces to attack at once. There are many good ambush points, and the elevation differences between high and low ground are severe. Reckless attacks would just make us arrow fodder."

    In short, Count Mokrick''s fortress was a ''nasty'' place.

    Taking it wasn''t impossible if they threw enough soldiers at it...

    But it wasn''t worth that kind of sacrifice.

    There was good reason Sir Kanbento had given up on attacking as soon as he arrived.

    "So what''s the plan, Sir?"

    "Plan? Just keeping them from crawling out is all we can do."

    Fighting could bring both losses and gains.

    But not fighting?

    Zero losses, zero gains.

    Sir Kanbento had calmly set up defensive lines and focused on intercepting any of the Count''s raiding parties.

    Time was on his side anyway.

    ''He''s incredibly level-headed.''

    Ian was slightly impressed by Sir Kanbento''s command.

    Was this the experience of a veteran commander?

    He definitely wasn''t the type to waste soldiers just trying to earn glory.

    "But with your help, Lord Ian... we might be able to mount an offensive."

    The reason Sir Kanbento hesitated to attack was that victory seemed unlikely through brute force alone.

    But with a wizard''s help, that changed everything.

    On the battlefield, a wizard''s power was practically divine.

    The ability to reshape terrain, make it rain, and rain down fire!

    Sir Kanbento glanced at Elia and said:

    "Actually... Her Highness had an idea..."

    "Oh? What is it?"

    Elia confidently declared:

    "Operation Field Mouse!"

    "Operation Field Mouse?"

    "Yes! I learned summoning at university!"

    ...Did she?!

    She seemed to have picked up various things following Professor Demonite around.

    Ian tilted his head but decided to go along with her claim.

    "So you''ll summon mice with magic?"

    "I''ll summon hordes of mice to gnaw through their gates!"

    Ian nodded seriously.

    The idea was good.

    But ONLY the idea was good.

    "The concept is decent."

    "Right!"

    "But what if they release cats?"

    "!"

    C! A! T! S!

    Elia froze with a dumbstruck expression.

    Modern people often forget this fact-

    But cats, for all their cute nicknames, are... actually fearsome predators.

    In nature, cats can hunt down most small animals.

    If Elia summoned lots of mice...

    And the fortress countered by releasing lots of cats?

    It''s not like Elia was some wizard with a lifelong bond with mice.

    The mice gathered by a novice wizard wouldn''t show enough loyalty to attack gates while ignoring cats.

    "Hahaha! Your Highness! I''m afraid we''ll have to abandon the mouse-summoning plan!"

    "Sigh... I suppose so..."

    Elia sighed dejectedly.

    This was the limit of magic learned at an undergraduate level.

    "Sir Kanbento. Have you requested their surrender?"

    "Of course."

    "Let''s try once more then. This time I''ll speak to them directly."

    Sir Kanbento nodded readily.

    Judging by his slight smirk, he seemed quite entertained by the situation.

    Understandably so.

    Rather than a bloody warrior''s battle, he got to watch wizards duel with wit and wisdom!

    "Will you use magic, Ian?"

    "Let''s see how things go first."

    Ian departed with Sir Kanbento to scout the enemy position.

    Though it was just scouting, Ian brought all his companions along.

    Partly because explaining things later would be annoying.

    And partly because Ian''s companions were elite talents who lived up to the term "quality over quantity."

    Especially with Sword Master Salvador accompanying them, Sir Kanbento even allowed Elia to come along.

    Feeling relaxed, Elia caught up on gossip with the others, loud enough for Ian to hear while discussing strategy with Sir Kanbento.

    "Ian''s getting married?!"

    "Yes... to the Countess of Talian..."

    Kira said with a shy smile.

    "And... I''m getting married too."

    "Oh my! To who?!"

    "To Ian as well..."

    "Heaven help us! Tell me everything!"

    Maybe it was because they were all women, but the girl talk was getting heated.

    Sir Kanbento chuckled and said:

    "Never seen Her Highness this excited before."

    "Well, women do love romance talk."

    "Ahem... so, is it true you have two wives?"

    When Ian gave him an exasperated look, Sir Kanbento awkwardly added:

    "Just... asking out of envy..."

    "Let''s set aside the nonsense and discuss the fortress more."

    Sir Kanbento cleared his throat and continued.

    "Since we haven''t engaged them directly, we don''t have a perfect grasp of their strength."

    Without actual combat, it was hard to judge if they were strong or weak.

    But who needs combat to make judgments.

    "In terms of numbers though, our forces are overwhelming."

    The expedition force had superior numbers.

    The key was how effectively the enemy could use the terrain.

    "And they have one wizard with them."

    "I see."

    Though wizards were rare, you could easily encounter one or two on a battlefield.

    Actually, meeting them outside battlefields was harder.

    Wizards generally loved wandering, and rarely gathered except in places like universities.

    "That''s the fortress there."

    Ian carefully examined Count Mokrick''s fortress.

    Narrow paths, high walls.

    Simply throwing infantry at it would definitely result in heavy losses.

    They''d need siege engines at minimum, or a wizard''s help.

    "You made the right choice not attacking."

    Sir Kanbento answered with a quiet smile.

    He wasn''t some young knight who''d ruin things with youthful rashness.

    ''I''d at least like to know why they rebelled.''

    If they had demands, negotiation was possible.

    But the enemy''s demands were frustratingly vague.

    They claimed to rebel [to correct Duke Roxlan''s tyranny]...

    Wasn''t that the kind of claim you could twist to mean anything?

    "They''ve spotted us."

    There was commotion beyond the fortress.

    Just as Ian was observing them, they had spotted Ian as well.

    "We should withdraw soon."

    "Wait a moment."

    Having come this far, he wanted to try talking.

    Ian shouted loudly:

    "Listen, Count Mokrick! I am Ian, wizard of Talian! Let''s stop this meaningless fighting and talk-!"

    Soon a voice returned from the castle.

    "Get lost-! Outsider! You know nothing of the contempt and discrimination we''ve suffered! We won''t stop fighting until our rights are restored-!"

    What contempt were they talking about?

    Ian tried to ask more questions, but the other side showed little interest in dialogue.

    Instead, someone else stepped forward.

    "[Listen, wizard of Talian!]"

    ''Maronius language?''

    Ian''s ears perked up at the familiar language.

    Using a magical language meant the speaker was definitely a wizard.

    "[As a fellow wizard, you should understand-!]"

    ''Is he going to cast magic?!''

    Once a wizard started speaking, anything could happen.

    Ian raised his guard while listening carefully to the wizard''s words.

    Ready to respond if any mystery was invoked.

    The wizard shouted:

    "[I''ve already received research funding from Count Mokrick-!]"

    "...?"

    "[So I need to stay here at least three months-!]"

    Rumble-!

    The fortress walls trembled.

    Count Mokrick''s soldiers cried out in fear and awe:

    "The wizard is using magic!"

    Even Sir Kanbento looked up tensely at the wizard.

    Magic that could shake an entire mountain...!

    This was no ordinary person!

    "Wizard Ian! He seems to be casting something! Can you do anything?"

    "Ian! What kind of magic is that?"

    "..."

    "..."

    While Kanbento and Elia had no idea what the wizard had said.

    Kira understood roughly. And Ian understood perfectly.

    "Ian. That... doesn''t sound like he wants to fight?"

    "Yeah. Seems that way."

    Ian scratched his cheek.

    He wasn''t sure about Count Mokrick.

    But the wizard didn''t seem interested in fighting...?

    Ian tried talking once more.

    "[I am Ian, disciple of Wizard Eredith!]"

    The other side replied:

    "[I am Reize, disciple of Wizard Carl!]"

    "?"

    Wizard Carl?

    That name sounded familiar.

    Ah right! Carl the Earth Wizard.

    One of the wizards who had helped rescue Inglan!

    Ian immediately shouted:

    "[Earth Wizard Carl is your master?!]"

    There was a moment of silence.

    Then came the reply:

    "[...You said you''re Wizard Ian? Who do you think you are, throwing around my master''s name so casually!]"

    Ian answered:

    "[I am Carl''s friend!]"

    "???"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

    It helps the website and helps people find this novel!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 329

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Reize couldn''t hide his bewilderment.

    He was a young wizard who could ''use'' earth magic and studied under Earth Wizard Carl as his master.

    Originally an innkeeper''s servant, he had tended to the traveling Carl and received magic training as a reward.

    ...Actually, Reize still couldn''t understand why he''d become a wizard.

    Earth Wizard Carl was a man as silent as stone.

    He had looked Reize over, muttered "Hmm... hmm..." a few times to himself, then taught him earth magic.

    Why on earth???

    But Reize never found the courage to ask Carl "Why did you make me a wizard?"

    And Carl... ''naturally'' offered no explanation for his actions.

    It was incredibly characteristic of Carl.

    After teaching Reize magic, Carl set off traveling again.

    Studying earth magic by himself, Reize became a wandering wizard like his master.

    ''Master''s friend?!''

    Carl was an extremely quiet man, and honestly, Reize hadn''t felt very close to his master.

    But once a master, always a master.

    Do parents explain to their children why they gave birth to them?

    Just as people formed parent-child bonds following the ways of the world, Carl and Reize had simply become master and disciple by chance (or so Reize comfortably believed).

    That''s why.

    Reize absolutely couldn''t ignore this ''friend of master'' who appeared before him.

    Whatever was going on, he wanted to hear the story!

    "[Can you tell me more about master?]"

    When Reize showed interest, Ian nodded.

    If someone was willing to talk, of course they should talk.

    "[Too many eyes here, let''s talk lat-er!]"

    Ian raised his hand high.

    Lightning struck from the sky, turning the world pure white!

    "What the-?!"

    "Damn...! This wizard seems as strong as ours!"

    "That''s not the point! That wizard is furious!"

    He wasn''t furious at all.

    Ian had just called down lightning because he thought people might get suspicious if he talked too casually(...).

    Of course, his skill level was remarkable.

    Reize instantly sensed Ian''s magic was no ordinary power.

    "[How-! Shall we meet!!!]"

    Rumble-!

    "Our wizard is counterattacking!"

    "Hahaha! We''re not pushovers either!"

    Reize shouted while shooting stone fragments toward Ian.

    His earth magic packed quite a punch in these rocky mountains.

    "What?!"

    "Ian! Be careful!"

    Startled, Belenka and Sir Salvador rushed to protect Ian.

    But... Ian''s expression was strange.

    "It''s fine, Sir."

    "???"

    "It won''t hit me anyway."

    Whoosh!

    A massive stone fragment swept over Ian''s head.

    Of course, Ian''s expression didn''t change at all.

    But Sir Kanbento ducked in terror.

    At the same time, he thought:

    I''d heard he was no ordinary wizard, but...!

    This wizard! What incredible nerve!

    A rock that could have crushed his skull flew past, yet he didn''t even blink!

    "...Could it be?!"

    Realizing something, Sir Kanbento stared at Ian with his mouth agape.

    "You already knew the magic wouldn''t hit you!"

    "? Yes, I did?"

    "!!!"

    As expected!

    Sir Kanbento was genuinely amazed.

    How skilled must one be to see through another wizard''s magic like reading their palm!(Not really)

    When Sir Kanbento looked surprised, Ian calmly explained the situation.

    Since he didn''t know Maronius language.

    He wouldn''t understand what Ian and Reize had discussed.

    "It''s alright. After talking with him, I think I understand this wizard."

    "!"

    Sir Kanbento sensed it.

    This wasn''t mere false modesty.

    This was [overwhelming] confidence...!

    "With just a few words... you figured out (his magic) completely!"

    "Ah. Yes. Well, he (didn''t hide his background) anyway."

    Though not a wizard, Sir Kanbento understood skill superiority.

    Take swordsmanship for example-

    To fully grasp an opponent''s technique, you need to be at least several moves ahead.

    Yet Ian had instantly grasped the opponent''s magic (not really) without batting an eye!

    He must be a master (of magic) several levels above!

    Sir Kanbento silently marveled for a moment before turning to Elia with sparkling eyes:

    "Your Highness! What an extraordinary wizard you have as a friend!"

    "Um... yes, Ian is quite amazing...?"

    Elia thought Sir Kanbento''s reaction was slightly odd but didn''t dwell on it.

    Well... men did tend to like flashy things...

    Ian''s magic probably looked impressive!

    Only Kira, roughly understanding the situation, blushed by herself.

    Better not to know what the two wizards were discussing...

    "[When you come find me, I''ll prepare a suitable place!]"

    "[A suitable-! Place-!!!]"

    Ian stopped using Maronius language.

    He figured Reize would understand well enough by now.

    "Reize- Carl-!"

    Clear imperial language rang out.

    The soldiers watching the wizards'' chilling magical duel(?) observed tensely.

    Though they couldn''t understand the earlier conversation...

    Now they could understand the imperial language!

    "Reize, disciple of Carl!"

    Ian shouted loudly.

    "Do you know the level of your precious master Carl''s magic?!"

    "!"

    Count Mokrick''s soldiers gasped.

    They instantly understood why Ian had suddenly switched to imperial language.

    Because...

    "The mystery of earth laughed at Carl''s magic! Hahaha!"

    He was publicly [insulting] Reize''s master, Earth Wizard Carl...!

    Insults to one''s master are several times more shameful than insults to oneself!

    "What did you say?!"

    Reize shouted in a sharp voice.

    Immediately, Count Mokrick''s soldiers rushed to defend their proud wizard!

    "You honorless wizard-!"

    "How dare you attack another''s master! You coward!"

    Ian whistled softly.

    Ooh. That got quite a reaction.

    Judging by the enemy''s response, this approach seemed promising.

    Ian continued shouting steadily, ignoring the flood of criticism.

    "Your master''s magic was so funny it made the mystery of earth roll rocks around-!"

    "What!!!"

    "That bastard-!"

    "Shut his mouth right now-!"

    Reize trembled.

    To say Master Carl made the mystery of earth laugh so hard it rolled rocks...!

    What an outrageously...!

    Complimentary statement!

    That''s right.

    Though Ian''s tone was (seemingly) insulting-

    He was actually praising(...) Carl''s earth magic skill.

    Ian had cleverly crafted a statement that only wizards could properly understand.

    To ordinary people it might sound like Carl''s magic was being mocked...

    But actually, wasn''t he saying Carl skillfully pleased the mystery of earth with his eloquence to draw forth earth''s power!

    At the same time, Reize was dumbfounded.

    Wizard Ian, was it?

    His skill at deceiving(...) others was extraordinary!

    Was he actually a con man rather than a wizard?!

    Regardless of such thoughts, Reize immediately played along with Ian.

    Reize was quite sharp for a wizard (his innkeeper instincts hadn''t disappeared).

    "You dare say...!

    Our master''s magic made the mystery of earth laugh!!!"

    Reize shouted at the top of his lungs, pretending extreme anger.

    Ian answered in a thoroughly provoking voice:

    "Yes! It burst out laughing! Hahaha!"

    "Archers! What are you doing, you useless fools!"

    "Yes! Silence that wizard''s filthy mouth at once!"

    How dare they...! Make their beloved wizard''s master a laughingstock!

    Bang!

    Reize pounded the castle wall and shouted:

    "That''s it! I''ll chase him down! I''ll crush him myself!"

    "P-please wait, Lord Wizard!"

    When Reize tried to rush out of the castle, the soldiers frantically held him back.

    Taking such obvious bait(?) was bad enough...

    But if Reize left the castle, they''d lose their reliable [wizard] pillar!

    But Reize was unstoppable.

    "You expect me to stay quiet after hearing such words?!"

    Gotta go praise him right away~

    No one would guess Reize''s true thoughts...

    "Well..."

    "A person of honor can endure any insult to themselves!"

    Reize declared.

    "But how can one who knows honor endure insults to their master!"

    "...!"

    If Ian had seen it, he would have thought ''he''s definitely a wizard~'' - it was that passionate a sermon.

    A wizard''s voice naturally carried deep persuasion.

    After all, wizards made their living with words.

    "Sniff...!"

    "Lord Wizard!"

    The soldiers wiped away their tears(...) and let Reize go.

    Thinking Wizard Reize was truly honorable!

    "We''ll help you too, Lord Wizard!"

    "Open the gates! I swear to heaven, we''ll cut out that black wizard''s tongue!"

    "...You guys."

    Can''t you just go away since you''re in the way?

    Reize thought this but still brought the soldiers along.

    He judged Ian would handle things appropriately.

    When the gates opened and enemies poured out, Sir Kanbento immediately tried to turn his horse around.

    "The enemy comes. Lord Ian! Let''s flee!"

    But Ian shook his head.

    "No need to run."

    "...Again?!"

    Sir Kanbento stared at Ian in disbelief.

    Just how much confidence did this crazy wizard have-!

    To not even think of fleeing before so many soldiers-!

    Ian whispered to Sir Kanbento:

    "Pardon me, but may I make a request?"

    "Please let it be something I can understand..."

    Sir Kanbento spoke half-resignedly.

    "Could you go down first and bring up a few bottles of wine?"

    "Wine?"

    Sir Kanbento nodded immediately.

    A wizard asking for wine...!

    What magic will he work with that!

    "What will you use the wine for!"

    Ian answered honestly.

    "To serve that wizard."

    "...?"

    "The wine we had earlier was quite good."

    Sir Kanbento nodded.

    Ian saying he would ''serve wine'' must mean...

    He''ll turn that wizard blood-red like wine!(Not really)

    "I''ll send the finest wine!"

    "Oh. Thank you."

    Parting from Sir Kanbento, Ian headed alone into the deep forest.

    Though the enemies tried to catch both Ian and Sir Kanbento-

    Neither was the type to be caught by such rabble.

    Ian was an exceptional shadow magic user.

    When he truly meant to hide, no tracker could find him.

    Reize smoothly ditched the soldiers and met Ian privately.

    "...That was quite a remarkable way to arrange a meeting place."

    "Just a wizard''s little trick."

    Ian opened the finest wine (there was a note saying ''Good luck! Lord Ian!'' How kind!) and talked with Reize.

    "To the great Earth Wizard, Carl."

    "...To the great Fire Wizard, Eredith."

    The two cups clinked lightly.

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 Chapter 330

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian had a brief conversation with Reize.

    They shared basic information about what they did, their relationships, and how they''d ended up here.

    "An innkeeper''s servant became a wizard..."

    "Haha. Hard to believe, isn''t it? But..."

    "No? I believe it."

    To ordinary medieval folk, this would sound like ''What kind of cheap scam wouldn''t even work in back alleys!'' but.

    Ian thought Reize''s story was true.

    First, he had little reason to lie.

    And Earth Wizard Carl... might well have taught Reize magic ''for no reason.''

    Well, he must have had some reason.

    But he probably just didn''t explain it.

    That stone-silent earth wizard would do exactly that.

    "Carl really doesn''t talk much."

    "He won''t say a word even to me, his disciple. You can imagine."

    Reize clinked glasses with Ian.

    No idea where it came from, but it was truly excellent wine.

    "But did master really blow away rocks with earth magic?"

    "..."

    Ian felt slightly guilty and didn''t answer right away.

    Actually... Ian himself had blown away those rocks.

    But he didn''t want to tell that story to Reize.

    It had been such an extreme act that even Carl had screamed ''Are you insane?!'' when he saw it...

    So Ian brazenly put on his poker face and answered:

    "Yes. Carl''s magic was terrifying."

    "Ohhh...!"

    "That guy, you know how he blasted rocks and destroyed someone''s castle walls?"

    Reize nodded vigorously.

    Master would...! totally do that!

    In Reize''s mind, Carl was truly a great wizard.

    "That''s quite extreme. Some might think he''s insane."

    "No, it wasn''t that..."

    "He destroyed a castle just to make threats, and that''s not insane?"

    "..."

    Ian spoke seriously:

    "Calling master''s actions insane is rash, Reize."

    "Ah... I apologize. Master must have had his reasons. But I would never do such a thing."

    Ian suspiciously enthusiastically defended(...) the earth wizard Carl.

    Carl would have been baffled to see it.

    But Ian didn''t mind at all.

    He had no time to discuss earth magic with Reize anyway.

    And there was no downside to building up Carl in front of Reize.

    Carl didn''t seem the type to feel hurt about this either.

    "Sorry, but could I make a request?"

    Once the mood had lightened sufficiently, Ian got to the point.

    "I''d like you to withdraw from Count Mokrick''s rebellion."

    "...I understand the situation."

    Having exchanged the necessary information, Reize understood Ian''s intent.

    Ian needed to suppress the rebellion quickly and reach the Emperor, so he was asking Reize to step aside.

    "But I have a reputation... I just took payment recently, being defeated right away would look pathetic."

    "I understand your concern about reputation."

    Reputation was important for wizards.

    The higher the better.

    Higher reputation meant better treatment, easier jobs, and more money.

    And the fastest way for wizards to build reputation was on the battlefield.

    Do some ''dirty work'' in battle a few times, and your fame would spread far and wide.

    After that, you''d be treated as a skilled wizard and could travel without worrying about expenses.

    If Reize fled now, his reputation would take a hit.

    ''Though probably not too badly...''

    After all, he was a young wizard with many chances to build reputation ahead.

    An famous old wizard would flatly refuse Ian''s offer, but being young left room for negotiation.

    "But you build reputation to help with future research, right?"

    "Well, yes."

    "I''m friends with Princess Elia."

    "!"

    Reize was genuinely impressed.

    He''d thought Ian was with Hastria''s forces just because he had connections with Duke Hastria...

    But friends with Princess Elia!

    "I''ll put in a word with Elia. If it''s her request, neither Duke Hastria nor the imperial family will ignore it."

    Duke Hastria and the imperial family.

    At those two names, Reize stopped thinking.

    Wasn''t reputation built to work with important people anyway?

    If there was a chance to work with a Duke and Emperor, only an idiot would pass it up.

    "If that''s true, I''ll gladly follow you, Lord Ian."

    "On Wizard Eredith''s name, I''ll introduce you to Elia. You can get work through her if needed."

    When Ian invoked Eredith''s name, Reize immediately dropped his doubts.

    When an orthodox wizard like Ian staked his master''s name, that carried serious weight.

    "I look forward to working with you, Lord Ian."

    "Likewise."

    Ian and Reize shared the remaining wine amicably.

    With this, the rebel wizard was dealt with.

    ---

    "Will Ian be alright?"

    Elia couldn''t hide her worry.

    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust Ian''s "I''ll handle it"...

    But she couldn''t help worrying.

    Angry enemies had been pursuing him.

    And Ian had even heavily provoked the enemy wizard.

    By insulting his master''s honor at that!

    Though she knew war was inherently dirty-

    Elia felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing Ian act so aggressively.

    Maybe...

    She worried he might kill the enemy wizard.

    Though glory belonged to the victor.

    Murder was still a heavy sin, wasn''t it?

    The depth of sin in murder was what made mercy shine so bright.

    "He''ll be fine."

    "...You really trust Ian, don''t you."

    Unlike Elia who couldn''t sit still from anxiety, Kira sat deep in thought with her arms crossed.

    Elia thought Kira''s reaction was too cold.

    Kira always had a cool image but.

    Wasn''t she too calm when her fiance? had gone off to fight?

    "? Didn''t you hear what Ian and Reize were saying earlier?"

    "...What did they say?"

    Kira smiled lightly.

    Her Maronius language skills had improved incomparably from before.

    Having defined herself as a wizard, she''d studied harder than any university student.

    With the clear goal of staying by Ian''s side, her abilities had grown rapidly.

    She was already beyond undergraduate Elia''s level.

    "Those two never intended to fight."

    "?"

    "Reize''s master, Earth Wizard Carl, knows Ian."

    "???"

    Reize''s master and Ian knew each other?

    Elia''s mouth fell slightly open.

    The wizard world was so small!

    "Wait, then Ian insulting Reize''s master..."

    "He never insulted him?"

    "???"

    "No wizard would consider that an insult."

    It was completely incomprehensible to Elia.

    So she laughed helplessly.

    "I guess I''m not a wizard after all..."

    Kira smiled softly and said:

    "Just attending magic school doesn''t make you a wizard."

    If Kira was right, Ian would return safely.

    And indeed, Ian did return safely.

    "Your Highness! Wizard Ian has returned!"

    Elia rushed out to check the situation.

    Wizard Reize was with Ian.

    ...Thanks to Kira''s advance explanation, it wasn''t too surprising.

    "Elia. You should act discreet."

    Kira whispered.

    "Some people won''t understand Ian and Reize''s relationship."

    Elia nodded, feeling strangely moved(?).

    To think she was a noble receiving counsel from a wise wizard...

    It felt like she''d leveled up!

    "Lord Ian! Who is this?"

    "This is Wizard Reize. As you can see... I''ve taken him prisoner."

    The "prisoner" Reize spoke:

    "I surrendered without resistance and request appropriate treatment."

    "Of course, wizard."

    Sir Kanbento welcomed Reize without hiding his joy.

    Actually, it was foolish to label wizards as enemies or allies.

    Wizards were inherently uncontrollable variables.

    Building friendship normally and requesting help with important matters was the most effective way to deal with wizards.

    Sir Kanbento grinned and whispered to Ian:

    "Did the wine I sent help?"

    "Ah. It was excellent stuff. Thank you, Sir."

    Ian licked his lips unnecessarily as he spoke.

    That wine was delicious. Should ask for a few more bottles later.

    "Hahaha! After capturing a wizard, what''s a bit of wine!"

    Sir Kanbento welcomed Reize as a guest and gathered everyone.

    "Now let''s discuss our offensive."

    To attack Count Mokrick''s fortress.

    Originally he''d planned to wait indefinitely until the southern situation calmed.

    But with the enemy losing their wizard and gaining one themselves.

    Not attacking now would be dereliction of duty.

    The situation was overwhelmingly favorable.

    "Our forces will take the front."

    Sir Kanbento''s army would attack the fortress head-on.

    "Sir Salvador, could you handle the side paths?"

    "Good idea. We''re all pretty good at mountain climbing."

    Sir Salvador and Ian''s bandits would take the side paths.

    "And... Lord Ian?"

    Sir Kanbento asked Ian.

    "I''d like your magical help attacking the fortress... what magic can you use?"

    Ian answered without hesitation:

    "Various kinds."

    "?"

    "I can use earth magic, air magic, fire magic, water magic..."

    "???"

    "Honestly, I don''t know military tactics. I''ll follow your command, Sir Kanbento, so just tell me when you need magic."

    Sir Kanbento couldn''t hide his bewilderment.

    When asked what magic he could do, answering ''various kinds''...

    Was this some wizard metaphor?!

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 331

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Ian can handle multiple types of magic."

    Elia provided additional explanation.

    Ian was not only skilled at magic, but showed talent in various types.

    Sir Kanbento had never seen anything like it.

    "I heard mastering even one type of magic is difficult..."

    "I didn''t deliberately learn multiple types."

    Regardless of the reason, Ian''s ability to use various magics was excellent news for Sir Kanbento.

    Didn''t this mean one wizard could provide magical support equivalent to several?

    "Then can you disable their gates!"

    Ian nodded.

    "The earth''s power is strong here, so I''ll try breaking through with earth magic."

    "Ohhh!"

    Actually, the earth power gathered at the fortress was what Wizard Reize had accumulated for his own magic.

    But with Reize leaving the battlefield, it had become ownerless power.

    Only waiting for Ian to put it to good use.

    "Good! We''ll begin the offensive as soon as preparations are complete!"

    The moment Sir Kanbento''s declaration ended, there was commotion everywhere.

    The spark of battle had been lit.

    Among the bustling people.

    Elia grabbed Ian''s arm with a bright smile.

    "Thank you, Ian."

    "For what?"

    "Just... everything."

    Ian smiled and answered:

    "Save that kind of talk for after the fight''s over."

    "Okay!"

    Ian helped Sir Salvador prepare for battle.

    ---

    Several days later at dawn.

    As the sun rose, the army advanced.

    Buuuu-!

    The deep horn echoed through the mountains.

    Sir Kanbento''s Hastria forces and Count Mokrick''s army faced each other across the castle walls.

    Tension showed on the soldiers'' faces.

    Though they hadn''t expected a siege, circumstances had changed and battle was unavoidable.

    ''Heaven... please protect me!''

    ''After this battle, I''m retiring and going home...!''

    The soldiers each made their wishes to heaven.

    The sky was cloudless and clear, the dawn light brilliantly dazzling.

    "Beautiful weather."

    Ian rode his horse up beside Sir Kanbento.

    While humans might spill blood fighting below, the sky shone nobly blue as if unconcerned.

    ''Nice breeze.''

    Ian closed his eyes and listened to the wind''s voice.

    Perhaps because they were in the mountains, the wind was more vigorous than on flat ground.

    He could use air magic if needed.

    "Are you sure you don''t need my help?"

    Earth Wizard Reize asked.

    Ian had chosen earth magic to break the gates.

    He thought getting help from an earth wizard might be better.

    "It''s fine. I''ve done this before."

    "...?"

    Reize tilted his head slightly.

    The young wizard Ian had destroyed a castle with magic before?

    But doubting seemed foolish, so Reize just nodded.

    "Then I''ll take my leave."

    "Go ahead."

    Reize was officially Ian''s prisoner.

    Though no one was watching him(...) he was still a prisoner.

    Rather than awkwardly supporting Hastria''s army, he was told to just relax in the tent.

    Ian''s magic alone was enough.

    "Then, I''ll begin."

    "I''m counting on you! Lord Ian!"

    Ian skillfully drew a magic circle and called upon the mystery of earth.

    "[O mystery of earth!]"

    Thanks to Reize''s previous magical setup, Ian could easily borrow earth''s power.

    "[Exhale mightily-!]"

    The wizard''s voice echoed deep into the mountain range.

    Though the soldiers couldn''t understand what Ian was saying-

    They could certainly tell the wizard was chanting strange spells.

    "The wizard is using magic!"

    "Everyone bow your heads!"

    Though what connection bowing had to magic was unclear...

    At least lowering your body brought psychological comfort?

    Both Hastria''s forces and Mokrick''s men instinctively flattened themselves.

    And that choice proved correct.

    "Ra har rehulus-!"

    When the mountain-echoing incantation ended.

    Crack-! Crackcrackcrack-!

    A massive wedge-shaped rock began rising beneath the gates.

    "The, the gates!"

    "The gates are breaking!"

    Mokrick''s startled soldiers hurriedly brought junk to build barricades.

    But it was only temporary.

    The gates with shattered hinges soon fell with a death rattle.

    Boom!

    "...Magic never ceases to amaze."

    Sir Kanbento, who had been blankly watching Ian''s magic, gave orders a beat late.

    As promised, Ian had destroyed the gates, so it was time to move the army.

    "All forces!"

    Sir Kanbento shouted with all his might.

    "Advance-!"

    "Uoooooh-!"

    Hastria''s army charged up the slope with battle cries.

    With the gates wide open, capture was only a matter of time!

    "Archers!"

    Archers appeared on the walls.

    Though the gates were broken, that didn''t make advancing easy.

    The path to the castle was narrow and steep.

    Raining arrows from above could make Hastria''s forces hesitate.

    Seeing the archers, Ian immediately prepared his next spell.

    "[O wind!]"

    Cold wind moved according to Ian''s will.

    "[Surge forth!]"

    Ian''s chosen magic was a simple gust spell.

    It wasn''t difficult magic.

    Just asking the wind to rush forward quickly!

    [Ahaha! Yes! Let''s fly!]

    The mystery of wind always loved to rampage, especially here in the swift mountain winds.

    Soon a tremendous gust swept toward the castle.

    Ian had simply made wind blow but...

    Mokrick''s archers were greatly dismayed.

    "Headwind?!"

    "Why the fuck is there suddenly a headwind-!"

    Arrows were weapons that rode the wind.

    With a headwind, their power would naturally plummet.

    Mokrick''s arrows dropped without even reaching Hastria''s forces.

    Sir Kanbento looked back and burst into hearty laughter.

    He saw the young wizard with his staff chanting spells.

    "What a versatile wizard indeed!"

    "Is this wind your work, Lord Wizard?"

    "Yes! Magic wind!"

    Sir Kanbento couldn''t help but recall an old battlefield saying.

    Wizards were said to be gods of the battlefield.

    That was true.

    The presence of a skilled wizard could completely reverse the flow of battle!

    Without Ian, how many casualties would there have been?

    Sir Kanbento didn''t want to imagine.

    "Press forward quickly! Don''t give them time to regroup!"

    "Yes sir!"

    Sir Kanbento swiftly spurred his horse.

    Hastria''s brave soldiers followed behind.

    Sir Kanbento''s vanguard instantly broke through the shattered gates.

    "St-stop them!"

    "Defend the barricade!"

    Mokrick''s soldiers thrust spears from behind the barricade.

    But a hastily made pile of junk was no match for a well-trained army.

    Sir Kanbento leapt from his horse and instantly scaled the barricade.

    The surrounding area became a sea of blood as the knight swung his sword.

    "I am Kanbento who serves Lord Hastria! If you value your lives, bow your heads and surrender!"

    "S-someone stop that knight!"

    "Stand aside! In Count Mokrick''s name! I, Bikan, shall face you!"

    Clang!

    Sir Kanbento swung his sword.

    At the same time, a severed head rolled on the ground.

    "Si-Sir Bikan!"

    "Sir Bikan has fallen!"

    Blood-soaked Sir Kanbento roared:

    "You backwoods country fool, who do you think you''re facing-!"

    "Eek!"

    Though he had one-shot the enemy knight, Hastria''s soldiers weren''t surprised.

    They were elite troops serving Duke Hastria, one of the empire''s five great dukes.

    How dare some country count''s knight challenge them!

    "Re-retreat!"

    "Abandon the outer walls! Fall back to the inner castle!"

    Mokrick''s soldiers fled with ashen faces.

    They had already sensed it.

    This fight had no hope of victory anymore.

    Their wizard was gone.

    The knights'' skill was completely outmatched!

    Count''s soldiers or not, they had to find a way to survive...

    "After them! Don''t let the enemy escape!"

    Sir Kanbento ordered.

    Victory was now in sight.

    But right then.

    "Sir Kanbento!"

    A familiar voice called from afar.

    "Sir Salvador!"

    It was Sir Salvador, who had left to attack the side paths with Ian''s men.

    "Pull back your soldiers! Now!"

    "?"

    Sir Kanbento hesitated at Salvador''s strange shout.

    What was this suddenly?

    Had the old man suddenly wanted glory???

    "..."

    Though confused, Sir Kanbento followed Salvador''s direction.

    Thinking a Sword Master wouldn''t speak nonsense.

    "Standard bearer! Wave the flag! Trumpeter! Sound retreat!"

    "Y-yes sir!"

    As the trumpet sounded and the command flag waved, Hastria''s forces stopped pursuing and gathered around the banner.

    Less than a minute after ordering retreat.

    BOOM!

    "???"

    A massive explosion filled the air with thick dust.

    "Ugh... cough!"

    Someone tumbled down in front of Sir Kanbento.

    ...A foreign knight in pitch-black armor.

    "Lady Belenka?!"

    The black knight was Lady Belenka, Wizard Ian''s bodyguard knight.

    Belenka spat out bloody saliva and gripped her longsword.

    "A-are you alright?!"

    "...Took a solid hit. How embarrassing."

    Belenka glared ahead while quickly explaining.

    "We found Count Mokrick!"

    "The Count?!"

    "Yes! He learned black magic!"

    "???"

    Sir Kanbento wore a blank expression, unable to comprehend.

    Count Mokrick learned black magic?

    What nonsense was this...?

    Black magic was still proper magic.

    Learning it properly took easily 10 years of dedication.

    Was she saying Count Mokrick had trained in magic for years in preparation for today''s rebellion?

    "Sir Kanbento! Have you ever hunted monsters?"

    "I have! Did the Count summon monsters?!"

    Belenka shook her head.

    Sir Kanbento was immediately dumbfounded.

    "No! He became one!"

    "???"

    "It''s fucking transformation magic!"

    A massive monster emerged through the dust cloud.

    Kyaaaaa-!

    "...Heaven help us."

    Sir Kanbento didn''t want to believe that thing was the transformed Count...

    Enjoy the chappy!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 332

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian calmly observed the battlefield.

    Though wizards had the privilege of hanging back safely, this was an important battle and Ian''s help might be needed at any moment.

    The outcome seemed mostly decided already. The gates were broken and Sir Kanbento''s soldiers were pouring in like a flood. Even Sir Salvador''s special unit appeared to be performing well.

    ''Just need to capture Count Mokrick and head back,'' Ian thought.

    As he leisurely rode toward the castle, he hoped the enemies would surrender, but if they chose to fight to the death, he''d have to use magic again. For enemies with nowhere to run, magic would be lethal.

    "Caw! Master!" Just then, Oberon fluttered down onto Ian''s staff.

    "What is it?"

    "Monster! Monster!"

    [I saw a huge monster!]

    "..."

    Ian frowned deeply. Why did something always have to go wrong?

    "Inside the castle?"

    [Yes!]

    ''Count Mokrick must have connections with black wizards,'' Ian thought as he hurried forward.

    The rebellion had seemed too reckless, but if black wizards were pulling strings behind the scenes, it made more sense.

    Ian entered through the main gate and immediately felt something strange.

    ''This magic feels familiar...''

    A massive half-human beast was rampaging inside. The mystery of transformation emanated from the monster - meaning it had been artificially transformed by magic.

    "Keep your distance! Don''t approach first!"

    Knights had already surrounded the monster, led by Sir Salvador who had experience hunting monsters. Salvador, Belenka, and Sir Kanbento''s movements stood out most, though Belenka''s movements were somewhat sluggish. She must have been injured in the fighting.

    "I-I hate fights like this!" The swordsman supporting Belenka was none other than Savage.

    Savage displayed an oddly cowardly swordsmanship style, but through sheer coincidence proved excellent at keeping the monster in check.

    The knights were holding firm, but that was all they could do.

    "Argh!"

    "Damn it! Fall back!"

    The monster was too large and violent. Proper weapons were needed to face it. Swords were versatile against humans but merely adequate against monsters.

    Ian immediately prepared his magic.

    "[Spear of Flame!]"

    [Using Skill: Spear of Flame]

    A blazing fire spear appeared. Ian hurled it straight at the monster.

    BOOM!

    The fire spear struck true, but the monster kept moving with flames covering its body.

    ...Though it wasn''t completely unscathed. As flesh melted and burned away, what lay beneath the skin was revealed.

    "W-what is that!"

    "Urgh...!"

    Twisted human bodies were trapped beneath the monster''s skin, packed in like sausages. The compressed humans were powering the monster''s movements.

    "Lady Mokrick!" someone screamed - one of Count Mokrick''s knights.

    Trembling like a madman, he cried out: "That''s- that''s Lady Mokrick!"

    He had recognized the woman''s face embedded in the monster''s upper thigh.

    "The young master is there too... and the nurse..."

    Human faces floated beneath the peeled skin. They had one thing in common - they were all members of Count Mokrick''s family.

    "Now I understand how a mere human transformed into such a massive body," Ian''s voice rang out ominously as he uncovered the horrific truth.

    "This monster was made by fusing Count Mokrick''s entire family together."

    Ian continued: "That''s why it''s so huge."

    "..."

    Ian''s eyes met those protruding from beneath the monster''s torso. The man with dead fish-gray eyes was Count Mokrick himself.

    "You''ve created quite something," Ian called out while preparing his next spell.

    "Haven''t you, Karenne?"

    The monster''s neck twisted 180 degrees. Embedded in the back of its head was the face of a beautiful woman Ian knew.

    "Do you have some grudge against our society, Ian?!"

    It was Karenne the Transmuter. She was the one who had fused Count Mokrick''s family together.

    Chaos is the power of black wizards. The more chaotic the world becomes, the more valuable magic becomes. When law and order break down, those with power naturally become kings.

    The Transmuter Karenne had infiltrated Count Mokrick''s domain on the Regent''s orders.

    ''Theo of House Gremlin, you say?''

    ''Yes... he''s being pursued by assassins...''

    ''Hmm. I can''t ignore a noble''s troubles. Open the gates.''

    Using her "boyfriend" Theo as cover, Karenne met privately with Count Mokrick. She easily took control of the Count''s body.

    After possessing Count Mokrick, Karenne immediately declared independence and attempted rebellion.

    Though the sudden declaration of independence baffled surrounding nobles and the Count''s retainers alike...what could subordinates do when their lord had declared it?

    Count Mokrick''s castle was in the mountains, making it difficult for outside forces to approach. This made the Count''s decisions absolute.

    Thus began Count Mokrick''s rebellion...though Karenne had no particular plans.

    What could she accomplish with one tiny county? Her role was simply to be a thorn in the Emperor''s side - prolonging the war and deepening conflicts between nobles!

    Since Karenne only needed to help the Regent, she planned to keep playing Count Mokrick for a while.

    But then...

    ''The wizard was defeated?''

    ''Yes... another wizard suddenly provoked him...''

    The earth wizard Reize guarding the castle had been defeated.

    By whom?

    ''It was a wizard called Ian...''

    ''!!!''

    Karenne was dumbfounded.

    Wizard Ian? That dark wizard?!

    Why was his name coming up here?!

    ''Are you certain? Wizard Ian?''

    ''Yes, certainly.''

    Karenne immediately exploded in fury...at Heavenly Wizard Bertholdt.

    ''You utterly incompetent fool! All talk and no action!''

    Indeed. Bertholdt and Karenne had been given different missions, each using their specialties to carry out the Regent''s orders in different places.

    And Bertholdt''s mission was...to bring Ian before the Regent.

    But Ian appearing here meant that idiot Bertholdt had failed!

    ''My lord! The gates have been breached!''

    The bad news arrived, but Karenne wasn''t particularly disappointed. She''d expected this since hearing of Ian''s arrival.

    ''Everything''s gone wrong again! Damn it!''

    Karenne immediately used whatever magic she could. She cast magic to fuse all of Count Mokrick''s family together, centered on the Count''s body.

    Combining the whole family created quite a substantial mass. Karenne transformed the fused humans into a monstrous form.

    She controlled the monster''s body to fight the invaders.

    "You''ve created quite something! Haven''t you, Karenne!"

    "Do you have some grudge against our society, Ian?!"

    Karenne was sick of Ian.

    Just what was his problem?! Why did he keep interfering with their society''s work?!

    ''If I can eliminate him here...!''

    Karenne moved to crush Ian.

    But right then...

    "Lord Wizard!"

    "???"

    A face attached to the monster''s lower jaw called out.

    Though startled, Ian recognized the face.

    "Theo Gremlin?"

    It was none other than Count Gremlin''s son, Theo.

    Ian hadn''t known what happened to him after Karenne kidnapped him...but hearing him call out like this, he didn''t seem completely broken at least.

    "Save me! Please save me!"

    "No, darling! Are you crazy?!"

    Though Karenne cried out in shock, Theo wouldn''t stop.

    "Every moment alive is endless agony! I want to ascend to heaven and rest eternally! Lord Wizard!"

    "Shut up! Darling! You''ll pay for this later!"

    "End my suffering!"

    "..."

    Ian retracted his assessment of Theo being unbroken. His condition seemed very precarious.

    Suddenly the monster stopped moving.

    Ian looked up at Theo. As part of the monster''s composition, he might have some control over its body.

    If so, Theo must be the one who stopped it now.

    "Theo! Are you prepared?!"

    "I am!"

    "No! Darling!"

    Ian called upon the mystery of devastation. The battlefield covered in blood and carnage was the perfect place for devastation to take root.

    At the same time, he summoned the mystery of flame from the burning ground.

    "[Flames of Devastation!]"

    The monster had withstood normal fire magic...but how would it fare against infernal flames empowered by devastation!

    Ian hurled the infernal flames at the monster''s head.

    "[Burn everything to ash!]"

    A massive pillar of flame erupted with a blinding flash.

    This was destructive power far beyond a normal fire wizard''s magic - terrible flames crafted solely for devastation.

    "Good heavens..."

    Sir Kanbento crossed himself while shielding his face.

    Though he had witnessed magic several times before, this power was incomparable to any other magic.

    ''Is this human ability? Or divine punishment from heaven?''

    It seemed almost like the power of a god.

    The monster, now a huge mass of meat, burned like a torch for a long time.

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 Chapter 333

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    A massive charred pillar stood alone in the plaza where the flames had died out.

    The pillar of charcoal, with human forms faintly visible throughout, exuded an eerie menace that would disturb even those who didn''t know its origins.

    No one wanted to approach such a horror movie prop.

    The soldiers and knights lingered around the pillar, eyeing each other hesitantly.

    But Ian and Kira strode fearlessly through the embers toward it.

    "Lord Wizard! It''s dangerous!"

    "Thank you for your concern."

    When Ian picked up a burning bone fragment with his bare hands, the soldiers instantly realized they should have kept quiet.

    The wizard must know what he''s doing!

    Ian and Kira were skilled in fire magic and well beyond getting burned by mere embers.

    "Kira. We need to search thoroughly."

    "Okay."

    Ian was looking for the Transmuter Karenne.

    He didn''t believe she was dead.

    After all, they''d been in this situation before.

    Back when he''d encountered Karenne in Baron Vincents'' domain.

    Even then, Ian and his fellow wizards had completely frozen her.

    But despite immobilizing her body, Karenne had somehow escaped the ice.

    She''d abandoned her body and latched onto Theo instead.

    Though she was an enemy, Ian respected Karenne''s abilities.

    The magic to freely attach and detach bodies was unique to her alone!

    That''s why Ian suspected she wasn''t dead.

    ''I won''t let her escape.''

    He simply hadn''t had time to chase her before.

    Having just defeated Karenne, there was no reason not to finish things now.

    "Hmm... I can''t tell, Ian."

    Kira gave up.

    Everything was covered in black charcoal dust, making it impossible to find any trace of Karenne.

    "Maybe she burned completely..."

    "That would be nice."

    Ian poked through the charcoal pile a few times before giving up.

    At least she wasn''t hiding in the ashes.

    Like Kira said, it would be best if she''d burned up...

    "Alright Kira. Let''s try magic."

    "Summoning magic, right?"

    Ian decided to try magic one last time before giving up if they couldn''t find her.

    "Want me to help?"

    "Hmm... sure..."

    Ian took Kira''s hand and headed somewhere.

    ---

    "What a mess..."

    Though the battle was over, mountains of work remained.

    Especially for Sir Kanbento as the army''s commander.

    "This is a complete disaster."

    Sir Kanbento clicked his tongue.

    For a siege, the death toll was surprisingly low.

    The battle had been completely one-sided.

    Hastria''s forces had utterly crushed Count Mokrick''s soldiers.

    Between the quality difference in troops,

    The presence versus absence of wizards,

    And the gap in legitimacy,

    It hadn''t even been a real fight.

    "But it''s still a great victory!"

    When Elia smiled brightly, Sir Kanbento returned an indulgent uncle''s smile.

    Who cares if things were messy!

    Not when his lady was so happy!

    Count Mokrick and his vassals would have much to answer for, but that wasn''t Sir Kanbento''s concern.

    He''d come to do a job, and with it done, he could return home.

    Though the return journey would take quite some time.

    "The black wizard killed all of Count Mokrick''s family."

    "How terrible..."

    "Even if we wanted to hold someone accountable for the rebellion, there''s no one left."

    "Though I wonder if they were really responsible in the first place."

    Sir Kanbento shook his head, recalling the black wizard''s terrifying form.

    That monster belonged in nightmares.

    He felt he''d need to make a generous donation to the temple and light many candles before he''d feel better.

    Everyone who saw that filthy, horrific sight must feel the same.

    "Where''s Ian, by the way?"

    Elia and Sir Kanbento had naturally settled in Count Mokrick''s room in the inner castle.

    This was where the victors belonged after all!

    But Ian, who''d contributed so much to their victory, was nowhere to be seen.

    "Should we look for him?"

    "Hmm..."

    Elia tilted her head.

    Ian wasn''t a child - there was no need to worry just because he was briefly out of sight...

    "No, Ian must be tired too. No need to bother him."

    Ian wasn''t the priority.

    What mattered to Elia now was quickly handling the aftermath and preparing to return.

    He must be resting somewhere.

    Just as Elia was thinking this.

    Suddenly a soldier poked his head through the door.

    "...?"

    When Elia and Sir Kanbento looked at him simultaneously, the soldier said with an awkward smile:

    "Haha... don''t mind me."

    "...Aren''t you one of the Count''s soldiers?"

    "Yes sir."

    Sir Kanbento was slightly dumbfounded.

    One of Mokrick''s soldiers shows up at the commander''s room and says don''t mind him.

    This fellow has quite the talent for verbal flatulence.

    Meaning his words were indistinguishable from farts.

    "Who gave you permission to wander around?"

    "I''m following Sir Salvador''s orders."

    "Sir Salvador?"

    The soldier reported:

    "Sir Salvador said the escaped black wizard might be moving around the castle."

    "?!"

    Elia''s eyes went wide with shock.

    The black wizard could survive even those flames? Really?!

    "The black wizard escaped? So you''re searching for them?"

    "No? I''m looking for cats?"

    "???"

    Sir Kanbento wanted to smack this soldier but held back considering Elia''s presence.

    Wait, didn''t he just say the black wizard escaped?

    Now what''s this nonsense about cats-

    "Cats?"

    Sir Kanbento asked incredulously.

    "What, are you looking for the black wizard who escaped as a cat?"

    "Oh. How did you know?"

    "???"

    Sir Kanbento''s jaw dropped, but Elia clapped her hands and exclaimed:

    "Ian ordered this!"

    "Yes. By Wizard Ian''s command."

    Elia understood why Mokrick''s soldiers were wandering around.

    They''d need the castle''s soldiers'' help to find cats hiding inside.

    "Sir Kanbento! I''m going to help Ian!"

    "As you wish."

    Elia ran out saying she''d help search for cats with summoning magic(?).

    Seizing the opportunity, Sir Kanbento swiftly smacked the back of the soldier''s head.

    "Why did you hit me?!"

    "Learn to report properly."

    "...?"

    "If you don''t want another hit, hurry up and get back to work."

    The soldier shuffled away, and Sir Kanbento clicked his tongue.

    Ugh. Country soldier standards.

    This knight couldn''t wait to return home.

    ---

    After finding a cat somewhere, Elia headed to the room where Ian was staying.

    She immediately burst out in amazement.

    "Wow!"

    It was a cat lover''s paradise and a cat allergy sufferer''s hell.

    Black cats, white cats, orange cats, calico cats-

    The whole place was nothing but cats.

    Ian was calmly enjoying tea time with Kira in the middle of the cat horde.

    Two wizards drinking tea while buried in cats.

    Was this a medieval cat cafe?

    "This is incredible!"

    "Oh? Elia''s here?"

    Elia made her way through the cats to Ian.

    They seemed to have gathered every cat in the castle...

    What could they possibly need so many cats for?

    "I brought a cat too..."

    "Thanks, Elia."

    Ian took the cat Elia offered and set it down.

    Then he held out some strange herb while muttering oddly.

    If the soldiers saw this, they''d shout ''The wizard is casting spells again!''

    But the content was quite different from magic incantations.

    [Let go! Human!]

    "[Relax and take a nice long sniff of this.]"

    [? What is this?]

    What Ian offered was none other than catnip.

    A plant known to affect only cats - basically cat drugs.

    Though not actually addictive, it was a plant cats went crazy for.

    The cat that sniffed the catnip immediately became woozy.

    [Heeeung...]

    "[Nice, right? Go play with your friends over there.]"

    Ian set out cats and catnip in the room, waiting for new cats.

    Though Elia had no idea what Ian was doing.

    In truth, this wasn''t a medieval cat cafe...

    It was more like a cat opium den!

    Cats high on drugs sprawled everywhere!

    Ian had gathered all the castle''s cats and gotten them high on catnip.

    Then about an hour later, he confiscated all the catnip.

    [Let go! Human!]

    [Give back my love-meow!]

    The cats immediately protested en masse.

    Ian said with a gentle smile:

    "[Do me a favor and I''ll keep sharing this paradise with you.]"

    [Meow!]

    "[Search this area thoroughly. If you find any suspicious creatures you''ve never seen before, catch them and bring them to me.]"

    Ian waved the catnip back and forth.

    The cats'' eyes followed the catnip''s movement...

    "[Go!]"

    [Meow! Meow!]

    As the cats scattered in formation, the watching soldiers burst into admiration.

    Wow! As expected of Lord Wizard!

    He''s controlling cats like his own minions!

    "Ian! What''s that herb? You used it to control the cats, right?"

    "That''s right. This is ''magic'' herb."

    "I knew it!"

    Kira smiled awkwardly beside them.

    Actually, to her it looked less like magic and more like... drug dealing.

    But anyway, since they''d released the cats.

    Kira smiled and rested her head against Ian''s chest.

    Ian had released the animals just in case.

    Besides setting out cats, he''d also had Oberon organize bird surveillance.

    In truth, it might just be Ian being paranoid.

    Even Ian half-thought Karenne had burned to death.

    But that evening.

    "Eek! What is that?!"

    "Ugh. How grotesque."

    The cats appeared carrying a hideous human head.

    It was Karenne, who had escaped as just a head.

    [This looks suspicious-meow!]

    "[You''re good hunters, aren''t you?]"

    Bad feelings never lie.

    Ian smiled contentedly as he sprinkled catnip.

    [Heeeung...]

    The cats immediately entered happy time.

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    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 334

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian interrogated Karenne alone.

    This was to prevent her from possessing anyone else''s body.

    Though such precaution might seem excessive...

    Better safe than sorry, so Ian decided to proceed carefully.

    "It''s unfortunate things ended up this way."

    Karenne snorted at Ian''s words.

    Though she was just a head - and a grotesque one at that, with half being Theo''s head rather than her own.

    Yet the venomous glare characteristic of black wizards remained undimmed in her eyes.

    "I don''t need your pity, you stupid, foolish child."

    Even at death''s door, Karenne''s spirit remained unbroken.

    You could feel the determination of someone who''d lived life as an underdog through sheer malice and stubbornness.

    If she hadn''t gone down the wrong path, she might have achieved greatness in a different way.

    ...Though history has no room for "what ifs."

    "I''ll say it again - our clash was coincidental."

    "Ha. Coincidental?"

    "You know it too, don''t you? Our goals simply crossed paths. That''s why we clashed."

    Ian spoke with a sigh.

    "I''m not validating your past. Whatever happened in your childhood, learning black magic was wrong."

    "Hahaha! Are you preaching? You''re a wizard, not a priest!"

    "I''m saying this because I acknowledge your magic."

    "..."

    "Karenne. You''re an exceptional wizard. Even if you chose the wrong path."

    Ian''s feelings toward Karenne were somewhat complicated.

    Yes, she was an absolute bitch who deserved punishment for her crimes...

    But Ian couldn''t help noticing her talent.

    Being good at magic despite being such a horrible person - it was oddly irritating.

    "The wrong path..."

    Karenne spoke mockingly.

    "Are you the type who thinks lowborn people shouldn''t have power?"

    "Not at all."

    "Someone like you, chosen as a space-time wizard''s puppet, wouldn''t understand... but I had to learn magic to survive. I didn''t care if it was the ''wrong'' path."

    "..."

    "I never walked a wrong path to begin with. I just walked paths others feared and avoided."

    "Don''t you think there''s usually a reason when everyone hates something?"

    "Not everyone has to be the same. Even if 100 people oppose something, if I think it''s right, then it''s the right path!"

    Her words flowed smoothly.

    Though coming from someone who''d practiced magic by torturing people to death, they carried zero credibility...

    When 100 people say "Let''s not kill people!" and someone responds "Well I disagree? You should all kill too!" - we call such people insane.

    Karenne was thoroughly insane-

    And that''s precisely how she''d attained such a high level of magic.

    "Wizard Ian."

    Karenne spoke almost dreamily.

    Being just a head, she seemed to be losing strength quickly.

    "I acknowledge your magic too. You truly are... an excellent wizard."

    "And?"

    "I''ll tell you the same thing. You''re walking the wrong path."

    "..."

    "Listen well. The space-time wizards are not your allies."

    For a moment, Ian recalled Gerard''s face.

    The face of the wizard who had guided Ian''s journey until now.

    "Do you know the Regent''s goal?"

    "...More or less."

    "The Regent will correct this empire''s false order and create a new nation for wizards."

    Ian already knew this.

    Regent Antios aimed to establish a nation for wizards.

    "A golden age of magic is coming...!"

    Karenne muttered.

    "Even my ''crimes'' that you pointed out won''t be crimes anymore."

    "...Won''t be crimes?"

    "Of course! Why should it be a crime for wizards to eliminate common people for magical experiments! It''s for the advancement of magic!"

    Ian understood why talented black wizards were drawn to the Golden Rule Society.

    Antios had promised them a bright future.

    A society ruled by wizards.

    A society where wizards stood above the powerless and could exploit their inferiors for magical advancement.

    That was the "golden age of magic" Antios desired.

    ...But Ian still couldn''t agree with Antios''s vision.

    Though Ian also wanted magical advancement.

    Magic should exist for human happiness.

    Archwizard Maronius had dreamed of a world without misunderstandings.

    He would never have wanted a future where wizards exploited and slaughtered others.

    "I also want magic to advance."

    "...!"

    "But that advancement should be a process where humans and the world progress together, not humans exploiting other humans."

    "..."

    "That is the magic Archwizard Maronius began."

    Ian spoke quietly.

    "And that is the future of magic I will inherit and develop."

    Karenne was silent for a while.

    Whether from exhaustion

    Or having nothing to say, Ian couldn''t tell.

    After an awkward silence, Karenne spoke:

    "Is that your will? Or the space-time wizards'' will?"

    "It''s my will, my intention."

    "Ha, haha... Really? Is that so..."

    Karenne closed her eyes.

    Surprisingly... a tear rolled down her cheek.

    "Now it''s all over... everything''s ruined..."

    "..."

    "Damn it... now I''m curious about the future you''ll create."

    Ian smiled sharply.

    "Even so, the underground prison is the only place for wizards like you. Idiot."

    "Of course. Hehe. You''re right."

    Laughing weakly, Karenne suddenly opened her eyes wide:

    "One piece of advice, Ian! Don''t trust the space-time wizards!"

    "I''ll decide that for myself."

    Those were her final words - Karenne never opened her eyes again.

    Ian picked up the now-silent head and left the room.

    Karenne was dead.

    In truth, she should have died ages ago by any normal standard.

    Even for a wizard, escaping with just a severed head wasn''t exactly a natural ability.

    In that sense, Karenne''s transmutation magic was truly exceptional.

    If she''d been a normal wizard, Ian would have wanted to ask her to teach him magic first.

    Karenne left final words as she died.

    "Ian... please grant me one last request."

    "You''re quite shameless, aren''t you?"

    Ian listened to Karenne''s last wish.

    And was dumbfounded.

    "Save my love... Theo."

    "..."

    That had been on Ian''s mind too.

    Theo of House Gremlin was... just someone Karenne had kidnapped.

    Though she''d kept him until her final moments.

    He didn''t need to share her fate, did he?

    "I prepared a body. Just need to properly insert the brain."

    "You think I can do that?"

    "Yes."

    "..."

    Sharp bitch.

    Ian grumbled quietly.

    He actually could handle transmutation magic.

    He''d learned the basics from Professor Demonite.

    Though the materials hadn''t been human then... techniques were meant to be adapted, weren''t they?

    "Let me ask one thing. Do you truly love Theo?"

    "Of course! I planned to spend my whole life with him!"

    Then Theo, from the other half of the head, managed to speak one desperate line:

    "No I don''t... you crazy bitch..."

    "Hehe. My darling is so shy?"

    "I said no... you crazy bitch..."

    Ian clicked his tongue.

    A noble being kidnapped and obsessed over by a female black wizard?!

    Thank goodness it wasn''t me!

    Ian finally decided to resurrect Theo.

    Though granting Karenne''s request felt uncomfortable...

    Letting an innocent person die didn''t sit well with him either.

    Ian carried the dangling head to where Karenne said she''d hidden the body.

    "Hey. Is that it?"

    "Yes. That''s it."

    "...Crazy bitch."

    Ian cursed without thinking.

    Karenne was truly an insane woman.

    With time short, Ian quickly performed the resurrection ritual.

    The mystery of transmutation faithfully obeyed both Karenne and Ian''s will.

    "Mmm... where...?"

    "Hey, Karenne. It worked."

    Karenne didn''t answer.

    She''d breathed her last during the ritual.

    "...What is this?!"

    Theo, awakening in a complete body, screamed while frantically feeling himself.

    Ian patted Theo''s shoulder and said:

    "I did my best."

    "No...!"

    Theo was speechless.

    He was overjoyed to be free from that crazy bitch Karenne''s bonds.

    But...

    His body had become female!

    "Karenne said she only prepared a body for herself, so there was no male body available."

    "What do you mean...!"

    Theo cried out in shock.

    It was a woman''s voice identical to Karenne''s.

    "Then... what am I supposed to do now? What about inheriting my title? Marriage?!"

    "I asked about that too. Karenne said to just live alone thinking only of her forever. Though she said she''d accept it if you married a man?"

    "Aaaaaargh!"

    Though Theo wailed... there was nothing Ian could do.

    Just had to give him time to accept reality.

    Ian clicked his tongue watching the feminized Theo.

    The vicious transmuter had turned her "lover" into a woman as her dying echo and passed away.

    A simple wish that he never date women again.

    Ian felt a brief moment of pity for Theo but...

    Wasn''t it partly his own fault for dating someone without even checking if they were a black wizard or not?

    "This is impossible!"

    If he found a transmuter as skilled as Karenne, he might be able to become male again.

    Though Ian had no idea where such a wizard might be or what they might be doing.

    Ian dusted off his clothes and returned to the inner castle.

    Somewhat satisfied with having eliminated one of the Golden Rule Society''s executives.

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 Chapter 335

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The aftermath didn''t take long to handle.

    Count Mokrick''s entire family, who should have been held accountable, was dead, and Karenne the black wizard, the root of the problem, had also perished.

    With everyone who needed to take responsibility dead.

    All that remained was to appoint a temporary lord and leave.

    "We need to appoint someone reliable," Ian said with slight concern.

    In truth, this had just been an annoying incident cleverly orchestrated by a black wizard...

    But that was from the perspective of those in power.

    For the common people, their lord dying and being replaced was an enormous event.

    Naturally, when those in power changed, the lives of those below changed dramatically.

    Whether positive or negative, change was inevitable.

    Though it was someone else''s domain...

    As someone originally from farming stock, Ian felt somewhat concerned for the ordinary farmers.

    It would be unpleasant if some scoundrel took over as heir.

    "We''ve appointed a well-respected knight as temporary lord."

    Not the actual lord, but acting lord.

    "A knight living in the county, right?"

    "Of course. A knight born and raised here."

    Since they''d appointed a local.

    Ian nodded in understanding.

    Appointing someone from the county would be far better than bringing in an outside knight as temporary lord.

    "He should hold things together until the proper heir appears."

    Ian nodded.

    The true heir''s character wasn''t his concern.

    As long as someone who could stabilize the farmers'' lives had been appointed, Ian was satisfied.

    Duke Roxlan would handle the rest of what happened in Count Mokrick''s domain.

    "This finished much faster than expected."

    Sir Kanbento had been grinning from ear to ear.

    After all, what human doesn''t understand the joy of finishing work!

    Anyone who doesn''t feel supreme joy at the prospect of going home must be a demon, not human. (Ian remembered meeting some demons in his past life...)

    "His Majesty will be pleased."

    Sir Kanbento laughed cheerfully while patting Ian''s shoulder.

    "Lord Ian, your contributions to this battle were enormous."

    "Thank you for saying so."

    "Hahaha! I''ll certainly report your achievements to His Majesty, so think about what rewards you''d like to request!"

    It wasn''t empty praise.

    This battle had indeed ended quickly thanks to Ian.

    They''d originally planned to lie around complaining for years, but now they were heading back after just weeks!

    "I''ll be satisfied just meeting His Majesty."

    "Ah. I heard from the Princess. You have a request for His Majesty?"

    Sir Kanbento skillfully commanded the army.

    March preparations were completed in no time.

    "Well then! Let''s head back!"

    Hastria''s army and Ian''s soldiers began moving toward the Emperor''s palace.

    The victorious army''s steps were light and cheerful.

    "Oh, is that the wizard? The one who turned a man into a woman?"

    "Shh! Watch your mouth! He might cast a spell on you too!"

    Ian turned his head toward the voices.

    The soldiers frantically avoided his gaze...

    Ian shook his head.

    These ignorant fools who didn''t know the first thing about magic.

    "Ian, did you really cast a spell on Lord Gremlin?"

    The story of [Theo Gremlin] had become quite famous.

    A noble captured by a black wizard who was freed...

    But was cursed to become a woman - a terrifying(?) tale.

    The kind of story medieval people loved-

    And with Karenne dead, the role of wizard who turned Theo into a woman naturally fell to Ian...

    Strictly speaking, it wasn''t entirely wrong.

    Ian was the one who put Theo''s mind into Karenne''s spare body.

    "It wasn''t my doing."

    "I see."

    "...Though I didn''t have much choice."

    Wow! Instead of just dying, they lived on as a woman~!

    Looking at it with positive thinking~

    Of course, Theo wasn''t exactly thinking positively and was still depressed...

    But that wasn''t Ian''s problem.

    Theo returned to House Gremlin with the knights'' help.

    After adding another dark rumor to Ian''s reputation.

    Elia rode beside Ian, keeping him company.

    "Ah~ I want to get back quickly!"

    Throughout the journey back, Elia''s expression sparkled with joy.

    Understandably so.

    They hadn''t sullied Hastria''s name with defeat, nor had Elia accumulated dishonor by returning early.

    Instead, they''d swiftly crushed the rebels and were returning victorious!

    Considering this was a medieval fantasy world, it was quite an achievement.

    Typically, rebels would hole up in their castle and endure.

    Those suppressing rebellion would have to either spend years wearing them down, or negotiate a compromise.

    But what had Elia and Sir Kanbento achieved?

    Perfect victory without any negotiation!

    An unquestionably optimal result.

    And that result was possible thanks to Ian''s involvement.

    "Ian, are you sure you won''t work for House Hastria?"

    Completely taken with Ian''s magical prowess, Sir Kanbento had repeatedly asked Ian to work for Duke Hastria.

    But Ian politely declined.

    The reason was simple.

    He didn''t want to become a medieval long-distance father!

    Ian''s home was now undeniably Talian, no matter what anyone said.

    The place where his adorable (truly) fiance?es waited for his return.

    Now he''d return and marry, then follow the normal(?) process of building a family and raising children.

    Leave childcare to his wives while he went to work in Hastria alone?

    What unfair parenting!

    ...Though in reality, the servants would handle childcare.

    But emotionally, Ian didn''t want to abandon his wives and children for work.

    Well... maybe if he got sick of home life someday, he might take off (the adult world is complicated).

    But for now, Ian wanted to preserve domestic peace as long as he could.

    "Hastria is too far."

    "..."

    Elia stared at Ian before breaking into a grin.

    "Why are you smiling?"

    "Just thinking. I wonder what would''ve happened if I''d proposed to you right when we met."

    Ian just laughed at Elia''s spicy joke.

    He''d become numb to confession attacks... or rather, marriage proposals after receiving so many.

    When traveling alone, he''d heard "Will you marry me?" as often as "Hello."

    "You''d have been rejected immediately."

    "Hmm. Really? Are you sure~?"

    As Elia leaned in with sparkling eyes.

    Ahem, a head suddenly intruded with a forced cough.

    "Stop fixating on what''s already passed, Lady Hastria?"

    "Tch."

    The red-haired wizard Kira immediately pushed Elia aside and took her place next to Ian.

    Elia pushed out her lower lip.

    She''s already the second wife...

    Couldn''t there be a third position?

    But Elia shook her head.

    She was already Princess Hastria and the Emperor''s daughter - she had her pride.

    She had no intention of begging to become the third wife.

    She could always borrow Ian''s abilities through other means.

    And having built friendship with Ian, she was already in a much better position than other nobles.

    "Besides, I''m not interested in a man with two wives."

    "That''s a relief."

    Elia laughed lightly.

    "I hope everything goes well and you live happily in Talian, Ian."

    "Giving well-wishes before I''m even married?"

    "Just earning points early!"

    Ian laughed along.

    "That way I can ask a favor or two in the name of our friendship, right?"

    "Well, if it''s for friendship."

    A wizard will gladly act to preserve old friendships.

    And so Ian, Kira, and Elia chatted away as they rode.

    Ian finally arrived at the imperial palace with Hastria''s army.

    Or more precisely, the [Emperor''s Moving Palace].

    The Holy Empire''s Emperor was elected by vote.

    Choosing representatives by vote was a beautiful tradition dating back to their northern tribal days.

    The Holy Empire people, branched from northern barbarians, still maintained the practice of electing Emperors by vote.

    As a result, the Empire''s Emperor was becoming like a group project leader with all the duties but none of the power...

    Yet it remained unchanged that the Emperor was the empire''s true master.

    All imperial lands belonged to the Emperor.

    In other words, the Emperor had both the right and duty to involve himself in everything happening in the empire.

    A typical empire''s Emperor would start by building a solid administrative system to implement his will.

    Dispatching imperial officials throughout the empire to govern everything happening on the land-

    That was how a centralized empire worked.

    But the Holy Empire''s Emperor was a democratically(?) elected Emperor.

    Though all imperial lands belonged to the Emperor, he couldn''t actually act like the owner!

    The local nobles, the fake owners(?).

    That is, the lords would resist the Emperor''s tyranny(?).

    ''Though this land was lent by the Emperor! He can''t do as he pleases! Because he lent it to me!''

    ''???''

    Nonsense, but true.

    The Emperor had lent his lands to nobles for too long.

    After lending land for hundreds of years, though the Emperor remained the legal ruler, the local lord became the practical ruler.

    Thus the Emperor couldn''t dispatch officials to implement his will.

    They''d obviously all be killed by the local nobles...

    So how to govern the empire?

    The answer was extremely simple.

    If you can''t send officials... go yourself!

    Thus was born the [Emperor''s Moving Palace].

    The Emperor traveled throughout the empire''s lands, exercising authority as needed.

    Currently that imperial palace had arrived in Duke Roxlan''s domain.

    To mediate the conflict between Duke Fargar and Duke Roxlan.

    "This is the imperial palace! Ian!"

    "..."

    Ian was briefly speechless seeing the ''palace'' before him.

    What''s a palace? The Emperor''s house.

    And the Holy Empire''s Emperor... lived in tents.

    No joke, actual tents.

    ''Nomads? Beggars?''

    Ian couldn''t contain his amazement entering the imperial capital(?).

    The Emperor''s Moving Palace had to travel throughout the empire.

    So each major imperial city had at least one building used as an imperial palace.

    But when handling urgent matters like now-

    They just packed a ton of tents and moved.

    Truly a nomadic method.

    Looking at the gers(...) that would impress even Mongols, Ian couldn''t hide his sympathy for the Emperor.

    Wait, the Emperors in web novels he''d read in his past life lived luxuriously in magnificent palaces!

    This Emperor had to live in tents!

    "Out of the way! Move it! You''re in the way!"

    Some older man passed by Ian.

    Elia kindly explained:

    "That''s the Imperial Treasurer!"

    "...He lives in a tent too?"

    "Huh? Of course?"

    Ian barely held back his tears.

    Imperial officials having to sleep in tents just to follow the Emperor!

    "Ah! Lady Elia!"

    The Treasurer recognized Elia and called out.

    "Back already? Did you finish the job properly?"

    "Yes! It''s all done!"

    "Excellent! Then hurry to His Majesty!"

    The Treasurer said while waving a stack of papers:

    "His Majesty has collapsed again!"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi.

    Click here!

 Chapter 336

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The Emperor had collapsed.

    Upon hearing this news, Elia''s expression darkened.

    She clutched Ian''s collar and said, "I didn''t expect to need your help so soon. Can you help me, Ian?"

    "Of course, naturally."

    Ian was planning to meet the Emperor anyway. Besides, he wasn''t heartless enough to ignore Elia''s father collapsing.

    "Ah! Your Highness!"

    "Step aside. I''m going in."

    The knights guarding the Emperor''s bedroom showed hesitation.

    Elia nearly lost her temper.

    "Did you not hear me?"

    "Well..."

    The knights glanced at each other defensively and said:

    "The wizard ordered us not to let anyone in..."

    "Wizard?"

    The knights explained.

    The Emperor''s health had been gradually deteriorating since arriving in Roxlan.

    With the cause unclear, the Emperor found himself in a difficult situation.

    They''d urgently sought out doctors but...

    The people who came to treat the Emperor were, naturally, [medieval doctors].

    "Wait a minute."

    Medieval? Doctors?

    Those two words that should never go together...

    Had an extremely ominous ring to them.

    Ian asked with a growing sense of dread:

    "These doctors did treat His Majesty?"

    "Of course they treated him properly."

    The knight stroked his mustache and said:

    "They drew about a liter of blood."

    "..."

    Why did bad feelings never turn out wrong...

    Ian was dumbfounded hearing about the ''treatment'' the doctors had performed.

    They were actual medieval doctors!

    Why were they real?!

    "...And His Majesty is still unwell?"

    "Unfortunately so. Even after drawing a cup of blood daily, he''s not improving. The disease must have spread to his bones."

    At that, Elia burst out:

    "Sir Sandor!"

    "Ah. My apologies, Your Highness. But hiding it won''t make it go away. Sometimes we must face uncomfortable truths."

    "..."

    "It''s not too late - quickly offer candles at the temple. If Your Highness prays, His Majesty''s condition might improve."

    Ian grew even more incredulous hearing the knight''s testimony.

    What? Drawing a cup of blood daily?

    And he still hadn''t died?

    Wow. Our Emperor is quite robust~

    ...Ian knew why these mysterious medieval doctors had drawn so much of the Emperor''s blood.

    Because he''d nearly experienced it himself.

    From none other than... Eredith.

    As a medieval child, Ian had frequently fallen ill.

    Children naturally have weaker immune systems and get sick often.

    On Earth he could have bought fever medicine at a pharmacy and slept it off, but such wonderful medicine didn''t exist in medieval times.

    Instead, Eredith had come to his bedroom carrying a knife(...).

    It was the first time Ian had begged his master to spare him...

    Eredith had smiled brightly and said:

    ''Ah. The knife scared you?''

    ''Y-yes...''

    ''Don''t worry. I''ll just draw a little blood.''

    ''???''

    Eredith had kindly explained.

    People got sick because too much bad blood accumulated in their bodies.

    So first they''d draw out blood, then when fresh blood filled back in, health would naturally recover(?) - this medical technique was called [bloodletting].

    ''No! Master! Absolutely not!''

    ''Ian, this is cutting-edge medicine popular in the far Desert Empire...''

    ''No!!! Don''t do it!!!''

    ''...''

    Ian had stubbornly shaken his head and protected his blood vessels.

    In the end, Eredith couldn''t break Ian''s determination (she thought Ian was just a timid child).

    ''Sigh... Then let''s just take medicine...''

    ''Yi-kiyat ho!''

    Ian set aside the heartwarming(?) childhood memory.

    Eredith had gathered so much knowledge wandering the world that she truly believed bloodletting was an effective modern medical treatment.

    It had apparently been hugely popular in the Desert Empire.

    Knowledge spread very slowly in medieval times.

    Even facts discovered 100 years ago counted as ''new'' knowledge in this medieval fantasy world.

    So naturally, bloodletting was considered an amazing advanced medical technique!

    "Then who''s treating His Majesty now...?"

    "Ah, not those doctors. They left saying they had urgent business. Currently Wizard Forendal is treating him instead."

    Ian frowned briefly.

    Wizard Forendal?

    The name sounded familiar somehow...?

    Had they met at the university?

    Since all sorts of wizards had passed through Imperial University, Ian was somewhat acquainted with other wizards.

    Just in case, Ian told the knight:

    "Please inform them that Wizard Ian is interested in His Majesty''s health."

    "Wizard Ian?"

    The knight tilted his head and went into the bedroom.

    Shortly after...

    "Wizard Ian! You may enter!"

    The knight bowed to Elia as well and said:

    "Your Highness may enter too."

    "...Thank you."

    Ian entered the Emperor''s bedroom with Elia.

    As expected...

    The Emperor''s bedroom was... just a tent.

    That thin man wrapped in blankets was none other than Shakraine II, Elia''s father and Emperor of the Holy Empire.

    ''He looks weak.''

    Emperor Shakraine II was the highest-ranking person Ian had ever met.

    As Emperor of the Holy Empire, there was no doubt about that.

    But...

    Seeing him lying alone fighting illness under this awkward silence in a tent.

    He looked less like an untouchable ruler and more like just another human being.

    This was why those in power hated showing weakness.

    They didn''t want to acknowledge being human, suffering from illness and dying just like everyone else.

    Ian shook his head.

    What hardships in someone else''s territory(?)...

    "Welcome, Elia."

    "...Father."

    Elia naturally knelt beside the Emperor''s chair.

    She clung to his arm and wiped away his cold sweat.

    "To achieve victory so quickly. You might have military talent."

    "Not at all. I was simply blessed with good connections."

    The Emperor''s gaze naturally turned to Ian.

    For a very brief moment, Ian''s eyes met the Emperor''s.

    And Ian was impressed.

    The Emperor''s eyes were surprisingly sharp and alive for someone ill.

    "So you''re Elia''s blessing. Wizard Ian."

    "Elia is my blessing, Your Majesty."

    When Ian spoke lightly, the Emperor let out a low laugh.

    "A relationship where you''re each other''s blessing. Truly a match made in heaven."

    "I think so too."

    "You look young. Are you married?"

    "...I have fiance?es."

    "What a shame."

    The Emperor smiled faintly and beckoned to the wizard.

    "Forendal. Do you know this handsome young man?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Wizard Forendal.

    Seeing his face, Ian definitely remembered.

    That wizard! They''d met at a seminar before!

    Ian wasn''t the only one who recognized the other.

    "Ian Eredith."

    Wizard Forendal greeted him in a friendly voice.

    "Good to see you again."

    "Likewise, Forendal. You gave a presentation at the seminar, right?"

    "I had a good opportunity to participate."

    Ian was newly struck by how small the wizard world was.

    Everyone knew each other through just one connection.

    This was why when rumors spread of nobles harassing a wizard, they could all rush over together.

    "Forendal. I''d like to speak with my daughter, would you give us some privacy?"

    "Of course, Your Majesty. Please talk comfortably."

    Forendal very naturally took Ian outside with him.

    Ian walked through the tent village briefly with Forendal.

    Though strictly speaking, it was closer to a military camp than a tent village.

    The Emperor had brought his army after all.

    "I didn''t expect to meet you in a place like this, Ian."

    "Neither did I."

    Ian asked Forendal:

    "What brings you here?"

    Forendal very naturally shared information with Ian.

    "His Majesty summoned me. A common occurrence for wizards."

    Money. Or friendship.

    Friendship was how the Emperor had drawn in Forendal.

    "I owe His Majesty many debts of gratitude."

    "I understand."

    Wizards constantly travel in search of mystery.

    While wandering the world, they sometimes receive help from nobles.

    Such small favors become connections.

    "Is His Majesty... very ill?"

    "I can''t say he''s well."

    Forendal was a wizard, not a doctor.

    One might think he could heal with magic, but that was the domain of clerics, priest-wizards.

    "Though I''ve been responsibly performing bloodletting..."

    There it was!

    Bloodletting!

    Ian exclaimed in horror:

    "Stop that immediately!"

    "?"

    "No, stop it! Forendal!"

    Forendal understood Ian''s shock.

    Someone ignorant of bloodletting might react that way!

    So he kindly explained:

    "Ian, bloodletting is a cutting-edge treatment developed in the Desert Empire, a medical procedure that effectively removes bad energy from the body..."

    "No! Forendal! Bloodletting has more side effects than benefits!"

    When Ian shouted with conviction...

    Forendal tilted his head in confusion.

    What''s this? Bloodletting was definitely a modern (over 10 years old) treatment...?

    Did this young wizard know something about modern medicine?

    "Do you know about bloodletting?"

    "Yes! You know who my master is!"

    "...Miss Eredith."

    That made sense.

    Wizard Eredith was famous for her encyclopedic knowledge.

    Her disciple might well know about bloodletting.

    "I''ve read a medical text by a Desert Empire scholar named Ibn Sina! It detailed the dangers of bloodletting!"

    Ian shouted passionately.

    ...Of course, the content was complete bullshit.

    But he had no choice.

    No matter how much he argued from modern medical perspectives, Forendal wouldn''t listen.

    He had to insist it was new knowledge from the Desert Empire, the medieval-advanced nation!

    "Ibn Sina? I''ve never heard that name..."

    But Forendal wasn''t easily fooled.

    Unlike ignorant farmers, he was a wizard with diverse experience and knowledge.

    Left with no choice, Ian brought out his trump card.

    Ian tapped the ground with his staff.

    Then something amazing happened.

    The staff transformed into a snake!

    "Forendal. Do you know what this is?"

    "What is... this? It doesn''t seem imperial!"

    Forendal didn''t recognize the Desert Empire djinni.

    He apparently had never traveled to the Desert Empire.

    "This is a mystery of the Desert Empire called a djinni."

    "Ohhh!"

    "I received a medical text from the person who helped me obtain this djinni. He also said bloodletting was nonsense!"

    At first he''d wondered what Ian was talking about.

    But as he kept listening...

    It started making sense!

    The result of Ian''s captivating(?) rhetoric combined with convincing props.

    "We must stop the bloodletting."

    "Hmm... but..."

    "I''ll speak to His Majesty about it."

    Forendal seemed hesitant, but Ian could tell.

    He had already been convinced by Ian.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

    It helps the website and helps people find this novel!

    If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi.

    Click here!

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337

    Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Having convinced Forendal, Ian quickly sprang into action.

    He needed to do something before Wizard Forendal killed(...) the Emperor.

    In truth, Ian didn''t have any special means to treat the Emperor''s illness.

    But wasn''t anything better than letting him continue receiving [bloodletting]?

    "Elia. I''d like to examine His Majesty..."

    "Really?!"

    Elia, who had been worried about the Emperor, jumped for joy at Ian''s words.

    "Thank you! Let me know if you need anything!"

    After securing Elia''s cooperation, Ian headed straight for the Emperor''s bedroom.

    Wizard Forendal became uneasy the moment he met Ian.

    Wizards typically don''t ignore their inner intuition.

    Forendal felt something ''off'' as soon as he saw Ian...

    He reported this intuition to the Emperor.

    "Uneasy?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty. I sense... some kind of fateful power from that young wizard."

    From an ordinary person, such words would sound so nonsensical you''d wonder if they''d been drinking.

    But the speaker was a wizard.

    Whether his words were nonsense or not couldn''t be known without testing.

    "Hmm..."

    The Emperor didn''t take the wizard''s advice lightly.

    "Wizard Ian, you said. We shall be careful."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty."

    Though he''d secured the Emperor''s promise, it proved useless.

    ...Since Ian had Princess Elia as his companion.

    Remembering Forendal''s advice, the Emperor responded negatively when Ian visited.

    "Your Majesty, please stop the bloodletting treatments."

    "The treatments? Why?"

    "Bloodletting has severe side effects."

    "...Though I appreciate the advice, I''ll manage my own health."

    Ian shot Forendal a pleading look, but-

    Forendal had no choice but to ignore Ian''s gaze.

    ...He shared secrets with the Emperor.

    In truth, the Emperor wasn''t ill.

    Well, he had been sick.

    The doctors and Forendal had already treated him.

    Forendal had previously diagnosed that the Emperor''s health was improving.

    But the Emperor refused to leave his sickbed.

    The situation surrounding him was extremely troublesome.

    With the Emperor himself refusing to stop being a patient, all Forendal could do was keep treating him like one.

    "I see."

    When the Emperor politely refused, Wizard Ian withdrew quietly.

    Forendal was slightly confused by Ian''s behavior.

    If his intuition was right, Ian wasn''t the type to withdraw so easily?

    Forendal thought his intuition had been wrong.

    ...But it hadn''t been.

    As soon as Ian left the bedroom, he scurried straight to Princess Elia.

    And shouted:

    "Elia! Your dad won''t let me treat him!"

    "What?!"

    Elia immediately threw down her book and ran to the Emperor.

    She clung to the Emperor and pestered him all day.

    "Father, why won''t you accept Ian''s treatment!"

    "Well, you see..."

    "Please, at least let him examine you! For my sake!"

    Though the Emperor was reluctant to admit it, he teetered precariously on the line of being a daughter-obsessed father.

    When Elia clung to him crying all day, the Emperor couldn''t stand it!

    Finally, he surrendered.

    "Wizard Ian. Show me your skill then."

    "Of course, Your Majesty."

    Forendal watched Ian''s examination while trying to hide his anxiety.

    The milk was already spilled.

    The best scenario would be Ian proving incompetent and failing to discover what illness the Emperor had.

    If he was planning to extort treatment fees using the examination as an excuse... that would actually be better.

    They could keep the secret with money!

    Forendal''s wish seemed to be coming true.

    "Oh my!"

    "How do you see my condition, Ian?"

    "It''s serious, Your Majesty!"

    The Emperor wore a strange smile, and Forendal sighed in relief.

    The Emperor wasn''t sick, but this young wizard didn''t know that!

    Even Eredith''s disciple was nothing special after all!

    "Though the exact cause is hard to determine, one thing is certain."

    "What''s certain?"

    "Your Majesty is weakened from blood loss."

    "?"

    The Emperor reflexively looked at Forendal.

    What was this wizard saying?

    ...Indeed, Your Majesty.

    The reason for the Emperor''s confusion was simple.

    Forendal had already enthusiastically told the Emperor that [bloodletting] was good for health.

    Because Forendal himself believed bloodletting was beneficial!

    According to rumors popular in the far Desert Empire-

    The human body is composed of various fluids, and when the balance between these fluids is disrupted, humans fall ill.

    People under heavy stress like the Emperor inevitably end up with excess blood.

    When people get excited their faces turn red, because the excess blood produced by excitement reaches their face.

    So how to manage stress?

    Obviously by drawing out blood!

    So Forendal had regularly drawn the Emperor''s blood, and the amount drawn exceeded a liter...

    If Ian knew, he might have mistaken it for some vampire-making dark art.

    Why draw blood from a healthy person? Planning to make jerky?

    The Emperor whispered to Forendal:

    ''This young fellow. He puts too much faith in his knowledge.''

    ''Yes. We can probably just ignore him.''

    Though Ian was an excellent wizard, he wasn''t an excellent healer.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    Wizards communicated with the world; they weren''t experts in medicine and health.

    They could understand(?) if Ian''s medical knowledge was lacking.

    "Your Majesty. I''ll prepare medicine for you, please be sure to take it."

    "Very well. Thank you indeed."

    The Emperor accepted Ian''s request with a laugh.

    While still whispering to Forendal:

    "He seems a greedy wizard, making fake medicine."

    "Perhaps so."

    "If Ian tries to extort money from Elia, please stop him."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Watching Ian try to provide excessive treatment(?), the Emperor''s suspicion grew rapidly.

    Though he''d said he was close friends with Elia.

    Could our innocent daughter have been deceived?!

    But suspicion was just suspicion.

    Not knowing the details, the Emperor decided to observe Ian for now.

    And when Ian brought his ''medicine''-

    The Emperor became convinced Ian was a fraud.

    "What''s this red stuff?"

    "It''s a potion made from tomatoes."

    "...Tomatoes?"

    The Emperor stared at the ''tomato potion'' with a dubious expression.

    Of course, Ian had called it a potion to appeal to medieval sensibilities...

    But it was really just tomato juice.

    Fresh juice made by blending tasty tomatoes with ice!

    A fake potion but real juice, created using Ian''s modern trivia knowledge.

    Today''s living tip: Tomatoes are good for anemia.

    Rich in vitamins and iron, they were perfect for an Emperor who''d suffered bloodletting-bullshit.

    "This isn''t poison?"

    "No..."

    Tomatoes were unfamiliar food to the Emperor.

    Though they were commonly eaten further south, this region was still unfamiliar with them.

    "Your Majesty. It''s safe to drink."

    Forendal whispered.

    "The rumors about tomatoes being deadly are false. I ate them often while traveling the Coral Sea."

    "Oh ho."

    Though tomatoes were unfamiliar, the Emperor drank it down smoothly, thinking of it as medicine.

    The taste of tomato juice, which he was trying for the first time in his life, was quite good.

    ''This is delicious?''

    The Emperor thought,

    How could medicine taste this good...

    This must be fake medicine!

    The Emperor nodded while looking at Ian.

    Of course.

    This fraud(?) was clearly a disreputable wizard trying to make money selling fake medicine made from unfamiliar tomatoes to imperials.

    He needed to quickly warn Elia to cut ties...

    "Does it suit your taste?"

    "Quite good indeed. No, delicious."

    "I''m glad. When your health improves, please take this medicine with beef steak."

    Though Ian wasn''t a doctor, he knew food could be medicine.

    Both beef and tomatoes were good for anemia!

    Eating them together would cure the Emperor''s anemia at least.

    Once the anemia improved?

    His health would recover more easily!

    Meanwhile, they could find a real doctor (who didn''t know bloodletting) to examine the Emperor - perfect.

    "Making medicine for me. Thank you indeed, Ian."

    "Your Majesty''s health is my joy."

    Both the Emperor and Ian.

    Neither thought health could be restored by mere tomato juice.

    But...

    Ian''s treatment matched surprisingly perfectly.

    Well, the Emperor had no illness except anemia after all!

    "Father! Your complexion has improved!"

    "...?"

    Elia noticed the Emperor''s changes first.

    Though the Emperor deliberately wore makeup to look pale, he had become healthy enough to show through(...) the makeup.

    "R-really?"

    "Yes! The improvement is visible!"

    "..."

    This wasn''t supposed to happen!

    The Emperor quickly wiped off his makeup and hurried to the mirror.

    In the mirror appeared a surprisingly vigorous middle-aged man(...).

    The Emperor was horrified.

    No! My skin!

    Why! Why does it look so good!

    It never looked this good even with that supposedly healthy bloodletting!!!

    "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

    "No I''m not! After taking Ian''s medicine... I''ve become too healthy!"

    The Emperor burst out angrily.

    His improved health(...) let him express anger vigorously.

    "Duke Roxlan will see through my feigned illness!"

    "Is there still no meeting planned?"

    "Not yet enough."

    The Emperor grumbled thinking of the troublesome Duke.

    "That petty Duke believes I''ll definitely intervene between Fargar and Roxlan."

    That was actually why the Emperor had come.

    But the Emperor didn''t want to blindly mediate between the Dukes.

    If imperial forces were wasted mediating the conflict, who would benefit?

    Obviously the nobles would.

    The imperial nobles wanted the Emperor to remain a permanent figurehead and group project leader.

    But the Emperor naturally wanted to build his own power.

    Increasing influence by mediating between Fargar and Roxlan was good-

    But depleting imperial forces was another matter.

    So the Emperor had deliberately avoided meeting Duke Roxlan.

    He''d fallen ill too conveniently.

    Poor health made the perfect excuse.

    The Emperor kept ready to move at any time while watching how the relationship between the two Dukes changed.

    Duke Roxlan must be furious.

    Because the Emperor wouldn''t immediately take his side!

    But why should the Emperor unconditionally side with Duke Roxlan?

    Especially such a shady noble with suspicious rumors.

    "Forendal. Can you use magic to make me look sickly?"

    "I can try..."

    "That''s enough."

    Worried about looking too healthy, the Emperor deliberately asked Forendal to use magic.

    And that became the problem.

    "Your Majesty!"

    "What is it, Ian?"

    "I''ve discovered the cause of your illness!"

    "...?"

    Ian.

    With truly ghostly intuition, had seen through Forendal''s magic!

    "Your Majesty has been cursed with evil magic!"

    Elia covered her mouth in shock.

    "Heavens! What evil wizard would do such a thing!"

    "..."

    Forendal silently broke into a cold sweat.

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 Chapter 338

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

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    "Let''s have a talk."

    After sending Elia out, the Emperor met privately with Ian.

    "Wizard Ian. About my illness..."

    "That would be Wizard Forendal''s work."

    "!"

    The Emperor was impressed by Ian''s sharp observation.

    Forendal had mentioned it several times.

    Ian was qualitatively different from those cheap frauds who picked up a few magic words and pretended to be wizards.

    He was an orthodox wizard who had properly studied magic under Wizard Eredith!

    Though this must have been his first time seeing such magic, Ian already understood its principles.

    "Hah. Young people are fearsome."

    Forendal smiled.

    Though they say it''s a senior''s fate to eventually be surpassed by junior disciples, experiencing it firsthand felt strange.

    Ian''s skill was comparable to Forendal''s.

    No, in some areas Ian was likely far superior to Forendal.

    "Your Majesty."

    "...Yes. I ordered it."

    As expected, though anticipated.

    The evil energy lingering around the Emperor had been created by Forendal.

    Ian thought for a moment.

    Why would they do such a thing?

    The Emperor had been cosplaying as a patient.

    He''d openly received bloodletting treatments and spread rumors everywhere about being deathly ill.

    The reason the Emperor needed to be sick...?

    "Is there someone you don''t want to meet?"

    Ian briefly recalled his modern memories.

    In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, didn''t the Chancellor of the Cao family refuse visitors daily to avoid meeting a red-faced man...

    That was the only intuitive reason Ian could think of for the Emperor to fake illness.

    And that guess was correct.

    "I don''t want to burden a wizard with troublesome talk."

    When the Emperor hesitated, Ian said:

    "Perhaps it''s something I need to hear."

    "It''ll be political talk. Are wizards interested in politics?"

    The Emperor thought Ian was like other wizards who wandered in search of mystery.

    That assessment was half correct.

    While Ian did seek mystery, he also wanted to resolve Maria''s situation.

    "Though I am a wizard who wanders seeking mystery, I have some political concerns of my own."

    "Ho. A wizard''s political concerns. Now I''m curious."

    Forendal went outside and carefully guarded the door.

    No one should know what transpired in the Emperor''s bedroom.

    Having already had his secret exposed, the Emperor decided to seek Ian''s wisdom instead.

    Ian was Forendal''s university colleague and his daughter Elia''s friend.

    He barely qualified as someone to confide in.

    "Duke Fargar is currently crushing the Rashin Kingdom."

    "I''ve heard the rumors."

    Ian knew all too well how things were going in the empire''s south.

    Duke Fargar had ''coincidentally'' found a survivor of House Silverwind.

    He''d started a war to restore the title to Silverwind''s rightful heir.

    Silverwind''s old territory had been split and occupied by the Rashin Kingdom and Duke Roxlan.

    Could a mere duke invade a nation called a kingdom? One might wonder.

    But imperial dukes were dukes in name only - their power rivaled foreign kings.

    The Rashin Kingdom in particular was an ethnic minority state holding unnecessarily vast territory.

    As the vast territory suggested, most of Rashin Kingdom''s land was wasteland.

    Historically, the Rashin Kingdom had been... the Desert Empire''s punching bag.

    Wedged between the Holy Empire above and the Desert Empire below, the Rashin Kingdom was a weak nation.

    When Duke Fargar deliberately drew his sword, the Rashin Kingdom was being pushed back without offering proper resistance.

    "I heard fertile land is rare in the Rashin Kingdom. It''s strange they''d give up Silverwind''s land so easily."

    "They haven''t given up."

    The Emperor rested his chin in his hand and said:

    "They know Duke Fargar won''t stop here."

    It meant that even after crushing the Rashin Kingdom, the Duke''s sword wouldn''t return to its sheath.

    Let''s say the Duke completely drove out Rashin.

    Would he just say ''Well that was fun~'' and quietly go home?

    He''d say ''Hey everyone! We haven''t found all of Silverwind''s land yet!'' and keep fighting!

    This wasn''t something the Duke could decide on his own.

    He had already hired numerous mercenaries and called his vassals to arms.

    War was fundamentally a business.

    Stories about fighting evil enemies~ mostly appeared only in storybooks.

    The purpose of war was ultimately money, and thus many nations waged war like running a business.

    Not just in this medieval fantasy world, but on Earth too, war was business.

    Until when?

    Until right before World War I.

    Until WWI, wars were ''honorable'' fights with clear winners and losers.

    So commanders showed each other courtesy, and crazy things like allowing first strikes weren''t uncommon.

    To them, war was business and work.

    But the weapons of mass slaughter that appeared in WWI changed the concept of war.

    The traditional battlefield where you subdued enemies and enjoyed glory...

    Became a killing field where everyone who jumped in died.

    In other words, in this medieval fantasy world, war was still considered ''good if you win.''

    The horrors of war? Its futility?

    Only weaklings felt such things!

    A truly brave knight should crush all enemies and collect treasures!

    It was an incredibly naive concept of war, ignorant of machine guns, tanks, and poison gas...

    "Fargar will inevitably clash with Roxlan."

    Fargar''s warriors were hungry for victory.

    With victory would come land, women, and livestock!

    By now Ian could understand.

    The claim about returning land to Silverwind''s heir was really just an excuse.

    What Fargar truly wanted was Roxlan''s land.

    "Have you ordered them to stop the war?"

    Ian asked the Emperor.

    The Emperor was master of the empire.

    The chairman of the imperial apartment complex ordered his tenants ''Stop fighting!''

    And the result!

    "I did. Long ago."

    "...They ignored you."

    A completely unsurprising dismissal!

    They were imperial dukes.

    They were madmen who''d only follow the Emperor''s orders if they had reason to.

    I''m a du~ke? Why should I listen to the Emperor?

    If this were an Eastern empire, the Emperor would have immediately raised a massive army to sweep away the traitors.

    But unfortunately this was the Holy Empire.

    "The dukes have no reason to follow my orders."

    "..."

    Ian was slightly dumbfounded.

    What? They need a reason to follow the Emperor''s orders?

    Fuck. What kind of Emperor was this?

    "This isn''t a situation that can be resolved with force."

    "Then the worst outcome will occur."

    The Emperor pressed his forehead and said:

    "Duke Fargar''s maternal family is the Roland royal family."

    The Roland Kingdom. A country Ian had heard of.

    The country where Belenka''s father had served as a knight, and Belenka''s original destination.

    Unlike the Holy Empire, the Roland Kingdom was a true ''kingdom'' that had achieved centralized rule.

    The Roland Kingdom''s king could wield truly king-like power (if this sounds strange, it''s just your imagination).

    "If I move troops, Duke Fargar will request aid from the Roland Kingdom."

    Ian spoke as if sighing:

    "It seems Duke Fargar doesn''t mind leaving the empire."

    "Sigh... why else would he attack a fellow imperial duke."

    Though bitter, it made sense in a way.

    Imperial dukes already enjoyed king-like power.

    So why? Why stay bound to the empire as an alliance (as they thought of it)?

    Of course, if they actually became independent and established the Kingdom of Fargar, reality might be harsher than imagined.

    But didn''t people tend to act when drunk on sweet dreams?

    ...Ian could understand why the Emperor used illness as an excuse to seclude himself.

    If he promised to mediate with Duke Roxlan, the flames of war might spread uncontrollably.

    But to declare cutting ties?

    That couldn''t be an option for the imperial Emperor.

    Like it or not, the Emperor had to protect the empire.

    "I keep requesting talks with Duke Fargar."

    "Will the Duke agree to talks?"

    "I''ll have to set acceptable conditions."

    Such conditions would naturally involve territory.

    For instance... having Duke Roxlan spit out Silverwind''s territory that he''d previously swallowed.

    The problem was whether Duke Roxlan would accept such conditions.

    "What about Duke Roxlan?"

    "I''m deliberately buying time. When Fargar''s sword reaches his neck, Roxlan won''t be able to hold out."

    The Emperor seemed to have made up his mind somewhat.

    He''d side with Fargar and make Roxlan spit out the Silverwind territory he''d eaten.

    That had both legitimacy and fairness.

    It would be an ideal choice if only Roxlan would accept it.

    Of course, the Duke wouldn''t quietly follow the Emperor''s will.

    Though every choice would lead to trouble-

    This was how imperial Emperor''s work had always been.

    A world where everyone was happy didn''t exist.

    "Hmm..."

    Having heard everything, Ian organized his thoughts briefly.

    Then he said to the Emperor:

    "Your Majesty. Just perhaps..."

    "Speak your mind."

    The Emperor was ready to listen to the wizard''s wise counsel.

    But Ian''s words surprised even the Emperor.

    "What if it were revealed that [Silverwind''s heir] that Fargar presented was fake?"

    "...?"

    The Emperor asked in confusion:

    "Duke Fargar wouldn''t have prepared so carelessly? How could you possibly prove that?"

    Ian smiled mysteriously.

    After all, the Emperor didn''t know that Ian had House Silverwind''s signet ring...!

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 Chapter 339

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The Emperor was intensely curious about Ian''s idea.

    If Duke Fargar''s presented heir was proven fake, Fargar''s justification would instantly evaporate.

    Though medieval people tended to act recklessly on average.

    Still, justification remained an essential element of war.

    War without justification was simply invasion, nothing more or less.

    If the Silverwind heir was fake...

    The Emperor would immediately order Duke Fargar to stop the war.

    If he ignored it?

    The Emperor could declare Fargar a traitor and gain the right to summon vassals to protect the empire.

    Hastria, Araz, Gazuus.

    The other three imperial dukes would join the Emperor''s side.

    Though the Roland Kingdom backed Duke Fargar, facing three imperial dukes was different.

    With three imperial dukes involved, they couldn''t lose even if the Kingdom''s ancestors rose from their graves.

    The Roland Kingdom wasn''t stupid. They wouldn''t join a fight they''d clearly lose.

    Duke Fargar would fall, and the Emperor would reclaim all the traitor''s territory.

    Territory distribution was the Emperor''s discretion, so flatterers would swarm around him...

    In short, only the Emperor would benefit.

    ''Duke Fargar will stop the war...!''

    It was a perfect scenario for the Emperor.

    If the Duke stopped fighting, that would restore imperial authority in its own way.

    While creating debt with Duke Roxlan, it would make Roxlan mindful of the Emperor.

    Everything worked out perfectly.

    If Ian could prove the other side was fake.

    But how?

    Even if Ian was an exceptional wizard, that seemed impossible?

    "Tell me quickly. What magic can resolve this? Is there magic that can determine someone''s bloodline!"

    Ian shook his head.

    "There''s no such convenient magic, Your Majesty."

    "...Then how?"

    "Among my acquaintances, there''s someone who remembers House Silverwind''s fall."

    "!"

    The Emperor easily grasped Ian''s meaning.

    Someone who remembered Silverwind''s fall...!

    They could determine if the heir Fargar presented was real!

    "Wait. Wait."

    "?"

    "This isn''t a conversation to have casually."

    The Emperor summoned Wizard Forendal.

    "You called, Your Majesty?"

    "Have discreet servants bring us drinks and food."

    Ian nearly rolled his eyes.

    A supposedly sick person asking for alcohol...

    But Ian knew.

    The Emperor was faking illness, so drinking was fine.

    That''s why he wanted to drink secretly!

    "I''d be very grateful if you''d join us."

    "If Your Majesty insists."

    Shortly after, Forendal brought an impressive spread.

    Being the Emperor''s table, the presentation was excellent.

    "Here! Lord Ian!"

    The Emperor filled Ian''s cup generously and said:

    "Let''s have an honest conversation!"

    What comes with alcohol?

    Hospitality.

    The medieval era was no different.

    Emperor or whatever, if you want something from someone, you start with hospitality!

    ''Not bad.''

    Ian accepted the Emperor''s drink, thinking things were going better than expected.

    "Hahaha! You drink like a real man!"

    ''...I''ve barely had a few cups, you Imperial bastard.''

    Ian felt slightly odd when the Emperor started obvious flattery.

    The Emperor seemed like a likeable person.

    His struggles as the empire''s group project leader(...) were sympathetic.

    At least he knew how to respect others, making him a decent noble.

    "So! Got a lover?"

    "Countess Talian is my fiance?e."

    "Then what about that red-haired woman clinging to you?"

    "...She''s also my fiance?e."

    "What?! Two fiance?es? Now that''s a man!"

    "..."

    The Emperor roared with laughter and raised his cup.

    "To a true man! Cheers!"

    "Cheers."

    The Emperor chatted with Ian, trying to win his favor.

    Though receiving imperial hospitality was nice...

    Ian knew it wouldn''t be free.

    ''The Emperor wants the war stopped.''

    If the war stopped, the Emperor would be satisfied.

    Whatever happened in the process... honestly, wasn''t the Emperor''s concern.

    But Ian had to care.

    After all, Maria''s fate was at stake.

    To the Emperor, Maria was nothing.

    If Maria got hurt or died during the process of stopping the war... the Emperor wouldn''t care much.

    That''s why Ian approached carefully.

    ''Must get everything possible.''

    Fortunately, the cards Ian held could be called the best possible hand.

    Ian held the initiative in negotiations.

    "Well, Lord Ian. They say you''ve reached remarkable heights at a young age?"

    "Nothing so remarkable."

    Forendal shook his head, and the Emperor laughed.

    They knew Ian was being modest.

    "No point hiding it now that you''re exposed. You''re truly an exceptional wizard."

    "..."

    "I hear wizards must experience something called mystery to reach mastery?"

    Perhaps because Forendal was present.

    The Emperor knew much about wizards.

    "I know it''s an unreasonable request for a wizard."

    "Your Majesty."

    "Help me, Ian."

    Wizards rarely involved themselves in nobles'' power struggles.

    They had neither time nor reason.

    But Ian had reason to help the Emperor.

    ...Though the Emperor didn''t know it.

    Ian didn''t immediately accept the Emperor''s proposal.

    First, he had to play hard to get.

    In negotiations, the needier side should start low.

    "Hmm..."

    Ian didn''t answer right away.

    The Emperor was disappointed but didn''t show it.

    Ian was a wizard.

    This level of aloofness was expected!

    As if persuading wizards could ever be easy!

    Forendal cleared his throat and said:

    "Ian. Since it''s His Majesty''s request, perhaps you could try harder..."

    "I wonder?"

    "..."

    When Ian made a Gen-Z expression that practically screamed ''I don''t want to,'' Forendal sighed like an older generation.

    These young wizards-!

    This was the imperial Emperor!

    Didn''t he understand how meaningful it would be to earn the Emperor''s debt!

    "As I said before, I''m still traveling. I don''t want to waste time on nobles'' squabbles."

    "But you wanted to meet His Majesty..."

    "That was Elia''s request."

    Forendal could understand Ian''s words, which made it more frustrating.

    For wizards, exploring mystery was most important.

    Even an imperial Emperor''s request couldn''t stop a wizard''s journey.

    "Lord Ian. I''m sorry, but I need your wisdom."

    "Is that so."

    "I''m asking you. In exchange for borrowing your time, I''ll give you a gift."

    "Gift?"

    The other party was a wizard.

    Even the Emperor didn''t think he could employ Ian for free.

    He naturally had to offer bait.

    "How about choosing one treasure you want from the imperial treasury?"

    Forendal looked surprised.

    The Emperor''s offer was extraordinary.

    Though saying the imperial history was long might be questionable, it was still imperial.

    There must be many mysterious objects wizards would want to study!

    ''Not bad?''

    Treasure hunting was among Ian''s goals for his southern journey.

    He might find something useful in the imperial treasury.

    No reason to refuse an offered gift.

    "I appreciate the offer but..."

    When Ian still hadn''t accepted, the Emperor asked again:

    "Is there some other reason?"

    Ian nodded.

    Now came the main point.

    "As I mentioned, my acquaintance remembers House Silverwind''s fall."

    "Yes, indeed."

    "If I help Your Majesty... wouldn''t that person''s safety be threatened?"

    The Emperor understood Ian''s words.

    Ian''s real hesitation was worry for his acquaintance!

    Understandably so.

    Getting involved with an imperial duke''s affairs - they could reasonably fear retaliation.

    "Hahaha! So that''s what you were worried about!"

    The Emperor burst into hearty laughter.

    Such worries, the Emperor could easily resolve!

    Just send some soldiers and problem solved!

    Or invite them to Hastria!

    "Don''t worry! I''ll protect your acquaintance!"

    Ian made a doubtful expression.

    "Really?"

    The Emperor answered immediately.

    "Of course! Forendal here will be our witness!"

    Forendal nodded too.

    "I''ll stand with His Majesty."

    The Emperor and his wizard promised.

    Ian didn''t miss this moment.

    You promised to protect them, right? Really?

    "Then... trusting you both, I''ll cooperate."

    When Ian spoke, the Emperor smiled broadly.

    Finally he had the key to deal with those troublemakers!

    ...But not even 30 minutes later, the Emperor had to frown again.

    Happiness was a luxury for the imperial Emperor...

    Now! Let me introduce!

    Ian''s acquaintance!

    The person who remembers(?) House Silverwind''s fall!

    "No...?"

    The Emperor was shocked seeing the girl Ian brought.

    From the flow of conversation, this girl seemed to be Ian''s acquaintance...

    "I greet Your Imperial Majesty."

    Maria gave an elegant curtsy as her grandmother had taught her.

    The Emperor was even more shocked!

    Why was her manner like that?

    Could this girl really be-!

    "L-Lord Ian! This young lady is...!"

    "Maria. Show him."

    "Yes."

    Maria showed her signet ring to the Emperor.

    On the ring...

    House Silverwind''s crest was clearly engraved...!

    The Emperor and Forendal were simultaneously speechless.

    Sure, he''d said he''d bring someone who remembered Silverwind''s fall...

    But fuck, they didn''t expect it to be the actual person!

    The Emperor swallowed hard while staring at Maria.

    The brightly shining family signet ring.

    This black-haired girl was the true heir of the fallen Margrave.

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 Chapter 340

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The Emperor wrapped up his conversation with Ian and sought Forendal''s wisdom.

    The wise wizard gladly became the Emperor''s confidant.

    "What do you think?"

    "Regarding Ian first, he seems to be playing a game that''s rather uncharacteristic of a wizard."

    The Emperor barely held back a sigh.

    Indeed.

    ''Uncharacteristic of a wizard'' was the common impression of Ian.

    Ian''s strategy resembled that of a noble rather than a wizard.

    Hiding his true intentions while leading the other party to walk willingly into a trap.

    It was a cunning approach typically mastered by nobles who managed large cities.

    City nobles would understand this perfectly.

    They had to navigate countless personal interactions while securing their own interests.

    But Ian was a wizard, wasn''t he?

    How often did wizards need to engage in such maneuvers?

    Moreover, there existed a culture of mutual respect between wizards and nobles, making such scheming unnecessary to get what one wanted.

    In that sense, Ian''s cunning was unwizardly.

    "...Perhaps among the mysteries Ian wields, there is one that grants a cunning disposition."

    "Or he''s simply meticulous by nature."

    The Emperor shook his head.

    He''d been caught off guard, assuming his opponent was just a typical wizard.

    It felt like he''d been thoroughly outplayed.

    "As one problem disappears, another emerges."

    "Surely it''s nothing compared to a civil war within the Empire."

    "That''s true enough."

    Not the best scenario, but a passable second choice.

    The ideal situation would have been for the Emperor to freely decide Maria''s fate.

    First, use Maria to invalidate Duke Fargar''s justification for war��

    Then select a suitable person from House Roxlan to marry Maria.

    This would naturally merge the Roxlan and Silverwind titles.

    A (forced) marriage alliance, in essence.

    In this case, the Emperor could suppress Fargar while simultaneously creating a debt with Roxlan. Without shedding a drop of blood.

    ...Of course, the girl Maria might suffer unimaginable pain.

    As everyone familiar with the situation knew, Duke Roxlan viewed Silverwind as a thorn in his side.

    The return of a daughter from a house he''d previously drowned couldn''t possibly please him.

    And now she''s to become his daughter-in-law?

    Without question, Maria would become the Duke''s plaything.

    The Emperor knew Duke Roxlan''s eccentric personality all too well.

    However...

    For the Empire''s balance, the Emperor could readily sell off the daughter of a long-extinct house without hesitation.

    Does that seem cruel? If so, that''s normal.

    In the machinations of state affairs, individual happiness tends to be torn to shreds like a rag caught in machinery.

    "If we hand Maria over to Duke Roxlan, everything would be resolved."

    "But that''s impossible."

    "...Yes. I made a promise to Ian."

    The Emperor had not the slightest interest in a Silverwind survivor.

    How many fallen noble houses existed within the Empire?

    A loyal noble who served the imperial family might have remembered them, but...

    Like most margraves, the Silverwind family had been nobles with little interest in central politics, including the Emperor.

    Silverwind had conflicts with Roxlan, and consequently disappeared.

    If there was one contemptible aspect, it was that Roxlan had sold imperial lands to the Rashin Kingdom and pretended ignorance.

    Since Duke Roxlan himself had created grounds for the Emperor to catch him, the Emperor merely pretended to tolerate it.

    Frankly speaking��

    The Emperor had nothing to gain by making Maria the Countess of Silverwind.

    What good would creating a countess do?

    She''d just end up being crushed by Duke Roxlan again.

    How could the Emperor possibly intervene in affairs happening at the southern edge of the empire?

    If that were possible, he would have long abandoned this role as a mere group project leader.

    The Emperor grappled with his thoughts repeatedly, but only one idea kept surfacing.

    Ah-! I want to sell off Maria-!

    I want to make her a ducal daughter-in-law-!

    "Should I ask Ian?"

    "...I suspect he''ll refuse."

    "Let''s try anyway!"

    With his heart pounding, the Emperor went to meet Ian!

    ***

    "...That''s what I think. What do you say, Ian!"

    "I refuse."

    A razor-sharp rejection!

    The Emperor didn''t take it... as a personal wound.

    His position was far too harsh for such trifles to cause injury.

    "Haha. Indeed. You care for the girl."

    Forendal laughed and added:

    "I saw you several times at the university. You were diligently teaching Maria magic."

    Naturally, because she had talent.

    Maria possessed the gift of a necromancer.

    Ian simply wanted to nurture Maria''s potential.

    ''Just as my master made me a wizard.''

    Ian had never been stingy about teaching magic to others.

    Now, carrying on Maronius''s will, he was even more open to it.

    ''Marrying Maria into House Roxlan...?''

    Though he''d immediately refused, Ian gave it serious thought.

    Perhaps it could be a good opportunity for Maria.

    Maria was a black-haired girl who possessed the Silverwind signet ring, but��

    A mere ring wouldn''t transform a country girl into a countess.

    Army, money, or the support of many people.

    Without such practical power, she would merely be an easily exploited item.

    But what if Maria became a daughter-in-law of House Roxlan?

    On the surface, it seemed reasonable.

    Ian still vividly remembered his first meeting with Maria.

    Her miserable state, tied up in a village granary, condemned as a witch by the villagers.

    If Ian hadn''t rescued her, Maria might have been burned at the stake.

    And now that girl could become a ducal daughter-in-law overnight?

    Here was a medieval social-climbing story that put Cinderella to shame!

    Wow! When does the serialization begin, medieval author?

    Becoming Countess Silverwind might be impossible, but becoming a daughter-in-law of House Roxlan was entirely feasible.

    ...However, Ian also recalled Count Dranheim''s words.

    [Duke Roxlan, you know. I heard he lost a woman he wanted as his concubine to the Margrave?]

    [There had been friction between Roxlan and Silverwind before, but the stolen lover issue was decisive.]

    Duke Roxlan viewed the Silverwind family with disdain.

    ...So what about Maria?

    ''Simply handing Maria over seems too irresponsible.''

    Ian had no intention of making Maria a ducal daughter-in-law.

    Not yet, at least.

    His thoughts might change after assessing the atmosphere in House Roxlan, but��

    Maria''s own will was most important.

    ''If it''s possible, it could be good for Maria.''

    Ian nodded, thinking this way.

    Consider this.

    Maria, though somewhat eerie, was undeniably a beautiful girl who captured men''s attention.

    She was young now, but by her mid-twenties, her beauty would be extraordinary.

    Should such a beautiful girl struggle through life as a traveler?

    Especially while becoming a necromancer who converses with the dead?!

    Being part of a ducal family, bossing around maids, would be a hundred times better.

    Having reached this conclusion, Ian called for Maria.

    "You called for me?"

    "Yes, Maria."

    Ian relayed the Emperor''s proposal to her.

    Would she consider becoming a daughter-in-law of House Roxlan?

    Surprisingly, Maria showed little reaction.

    She quietly gazed up at Ian with her large eyes.

    Maria spoke.

    "Do you want me to marry someone from House Roxlan?"

    "..."

    That wasn''t really the case.

    Just... it seemed better for Maria.

    Why, daughter-in-law of a ducal house. Sounds impressive, right?

    Ian answered honestly.

    "Well. I''m satisfied as long as you''re living happily."

    "...Really?"

    "Of course."

    Maria then closed her eyes briefly before saying:

    "I''m... happiest when I''m by your side."

    Ian asked, just to be sure:

    "If you become part of a ducal family, you''ll become nobility too. You know that, right?"

    "Yes. Of course."

    "You can live in a nice house eating delicious food. The Duchess of Roxlan might make your life difficult, but Elia and I could help with that somehow. You still don''t want to marry?"

    Suddenly, Maria reached out.

    She wrapped her arms around Ian''s neck with a speed that startled even him.

    Ian tried to step back in alarm, but��

    Maria clung to him like some face-hugger and wouldn''t let go!

    "Wait, hang on��"

    Ian was flustered.

    He could feel not only Maria''s slender arms but also the soft touch of her chest and thighs.

    This girl Maria��!

    She was clearly doing this knowing full well that her body was pressing against Ian!

    Maria narrowed her eyes and whispered:

    "I don''t want to marry anyone else."

    Ian briefly met Maria''s eyes and panicked.

    Maria''s long eyelashes were eerily, yet disturbingly seductive.

    He thought he''d grown accustomed to women after meeting Lucy and Kira.

    But Maria was different.

    She had an innate sensuality that was on another level.

    Lucy from Talian was practically a kindergartener in comparison! (Sorry Lucy, but that''s the truth!)

    "I can''t even imagine... marrying someone else."

    "Maria, let''s talk with a bit of distance..."

    "I have wishes too, you know."

    "..."

    Ian felt Maria''s body trembling slightly.

    Indeed it was.

    Maria buried her face in Ian''s shoulder and spoke slowly.

    "Duke, count. I don''t care about such things."

    "But this is about you, Maria."

    "...Please."

    Maria looked up at Ian. Her eyes were moist with tears.

    ...Ian barely resisted the urge to embrace her tightly.

    "They say my family is already gone. Honestly, I don''t even know if I''m truly a member of that house."

    "..."

    "My memories are... nothing but pain."

    Squeeze

    Maria''s grip tightened around Ian.

    As if she never wanted to let him go.

    "I grew up without parents. I worked as a maid in other houses just to feed myself."

    "Maria."

    "And... the whispers of the dead have tormented me my entire life."

    Ian slowly stroked Maria''s head.

    As his confusion subsided, only one girl remained before his eyes.

    An orphaned girl who had struggled against pain and fear.

    "The one who freed me from that suffering... was you."

    A tear rolled down Maria''s cheek.

    In her short life stained with pain��

    Wizard Ian had been a savior, like a beam of light.

    "If not by your side, where else in this world could I possibly belong?"

    Ian realized anew.

    Maria''s feelings toward him were...

    Much heavier than he''d thought.

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 Chapter 341

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian met with the Emperor to firmly convey Maria''s wishes.

    Marriage to Roxlan was off the table!

    "Ah... I see."

    The Emperor couldn''t hide his disappointment as he spoke.

    "That''s a good choice. Actually, I thought it was a bad idea too."

    "..."

    A lie that wouldn''t fool a child.

    The Emperor had been the very one enthusiastically recommending Maria''s marriage.

    This was just lip service to sound good to Ian.

    "But Lord Ian."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "Your choice... you understand it''s a difficult path to walk, don''t you?"

    "Of course."

    The Emperor had wanted to cut ties with Maria and end the war.

    That would have been better for him in every way.

    If Maria wasn''t handed over to Roxlan...

    The situation would become far more complicated.

    "Lord Ian, you don''t want to give Maria away."

    The Emperor asked with a decidedly serious expression.

    "But what do you think Duke Roxlan''s thoughts are?"

    "..."

    There was no question about it.

    From Duke Roxlan''s perspective, Maria was an absolutely valuable card to hold.

    He would want to get his hands on her by any means necessary.

    "Duke Roxlan will try to take the Silverwind girl from you."

    "...I''ve considered that."

    "Consideration isn''t enough. The Duke won''t be particular about his methods. He''ll likely consider forceful and barbaric approaches."

    "..."

    "And I''m sorry, but I cannot clash with Duke Roxlan."

    Ian nodded.

    This was something Ian could fully understand.

    As Emperor of the Empire, he needed to support Duke Roxlan''s actions.

    If not support, then at least remain silent.

    The Emperor interfering with a Duke''s actions could be seen as meddling in internal affairs by other dukes.

    Even though he had made a promise to Ian, he couldn''t risk friction with a duke.

    Therefore, protecting Maria from Duke Roxlan was��

    entirely Ian''s responsibility.

    "That girl seems quite close to you, from what I observed."

    Close?

    Yes, they were certainly close.

    "During our travels. I showed Maria... hope."

    "Hope?"

    "When I first met Maria, she was in terrible shape. She was suffering terribly, especially from being enslaved by magic."

    Ian told the Emperor a brief story.

    The mysterious tale told by a wizard was fascinating enough to make even the imperial Emperor''s eyes widen with interest.

    "...I can hardly believe it."

    "Which part?"

    "All of it, from beginning to end. A tale of necromancers, undead, and wizards..."

    To Ian, it was just a bizarre story from his travels.

    But to an ordinary person, it was an incredibly sensational tale.

    The Emperor looked at Ian with fascination and said:

    "I understand why Maria doesn''t want to leave your side."

    "She''s a precious connection."

    "I sincerely support you, Ian."

    All the Emperor could do was block Duke Fargar''s interference.

    Ian needed to begin preparing to face Duke Roxlan alone.

    "It''s been a meaningful conversation, Your Majesty."

    Ian bowed to the Emperor and left the private chamber.

    ***

    Ian shared his thoughts with his companions.

    Surprisingly, Sir Salvador showed his displeasure.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to fight for Maria.

    "Hmm. A struggle between the powerful. Just hearing about it exhausts me."

    The honorable Sword Master had fought by the previous emperor''s side in his younger days.

    He must have dealt with nobles several times.

    "Ian. One shouldn''t get involved in power struggles."

    "Did I get involved because I wanted to?"

    "Just saying it out of concern. Simple concern."

    What elderly concern when you''re not even an old woman.

    Ian almost said that, but decided against it.

    Well, don''t they say men produce more female hormones as they age?

    Sir Salvador might already be an old lady(?) for all he knew.

    "Though it''s not like hunting down black wizards..."

    Sir Salvador smiled wryly and said:

    "Drawing one''s sword for a lady is also a knightly virtue."

    "Maria is still a commoner though."

    "Haha! She''ll become nobility once we win here, won''t she!"

    The term "Lady" wasn''t something you could attach to just any woman.

    Lady was a high-class term used specifically for noble women with titles.

    This was a medieval fantasy world where rigid social hierarchy was alive and well.

    How could a mere commoner be called Lady!

    That''s why Lady Lucy was acceptable, but Lady Kira was not.

    Kira simply wasn''t of high enough rank!

    So when knights talked about fighting for a "Lady," it sounded incredibly romantic...

    But in reality, it was essentially the same as fighting for a female ruler.

    "But this matter is quite troublesome."

    Sir Salvador was the first to offer his opinion.

    He was a man who had witnessed both the WWE and UFC of the nobility firsthand (not that nobles were professional wrestlers).

    Though conflicts might look the same on the surface, there were real conflicts and fake ones.

    For example, the conflict between Duke Fargar and Duke Roxlan was clearly a real fight to anyone observing.

    It was a serious situation that could end in a life-or-death struggle.

    Then what about the relationship between Ian and Duke Roxlan?

    In Sir Salvador''s view, there was room for negotiation here.

    In other words, a staged game was possible.

    "Couldn''t Maria simply claim her title from His Majesty the Emperor?"

    Kira asked an innocent question.

    Though she had dealt with nobles before, she didn''t understand their ecology well.

    Well... titles, how hard could they be? Couldn''t you just claim them?

    That''s how Lucy of Talian inherited her barony!

    "That''s impossible."

    Sir Salvador cut in sharply.

    Kira immediately looked dejected.

    Ian gently patted Kira''s back.

    "The Countess of Talian was clearly the rightful heir in everyone''s eyes. It was a succession any noble would recognize."

    "What about Maria?"

    "Her background isn''t clear. The only evidence is a signet ring. She might be acknowledged as Silverwind blood, but she can''t gain anything beyond that."

    In short, she had legitimacy but no power.

    That''s why Duke Fargar had put forward an impostor as justification for war.

    Let''s say Maria went to the Emperor and said, "Please make me a countess!"

    Unless the Emperor was taken with Maria''s beauty(...), he had absolutely no reason to make her a countess.

    "But Duke Roxlan has to acknowledge Maria anyway, right?"

    Kira frowned as she spoke.

    "To stop Duke Fargar, he needs to recognize Maria as the real Silverwind. Then shouldn''t succession of the title be possible?"

    Sir Salvador chuckled and replied:

    "He would acknowledge her, yes."

    "Then..."

    "There are many ways to deny her the title. Later, he could force her into marriage and absorb the line, or simply kill her secretly."

    "..."

    Kira looked at Maria with slight alarm.

    Maria just sat quietly with an indifferent expression.

    "Even the Emperor can''t do much about what happens at the southern edge of the empire."

    Sir Salvador then turned to Ian.

    "Ian wants to prevent that."

    "That''s right."

    It wasn''t for nothing that the Emperor had mentioned a "difficult path."

    Certainly, if Maria stepped forward, imperial normalization would happen faster. The less chaos, the better for Ian.

    But Maria ending up with Duke Roxlan? Failure.

    Hiding Maria completely? War breaks out - failure.

    Ian losing to Duke Roxlan? Failure.

    Maria being killed by assassins sent by Duke Fargar? Failure.

    The Emperor had no intention of trying to meet all these crazy conditions.

    That''s why he wanted to sell off Maria from the beginning.

    "Ian. Do you have a plan in mind?"

    "I''m considering options."

    "Then let me offer some advice."

    A knight is a real-world problem solver.

    Whether through negotiation. Or by cutting the opponent in half.

    Resolving problems by any means necessary is the knight''s way.

    "When you meet Duke Roxlan, give up completely on the territory issue."

    "You''re saying we should abandon the land?"

    Sir Salvador''s advice was straightforward.

    In essence, it was the "give what needs to be given" strategy.

    "What Duke Roxlan wants is land, not some mere name."

    "That''s true."

    The name of the land could be Silverwind or Two Hill Village or anything else.

    For nobles, what mattered was who collected the taxes.

    If Maria gave up all territorial claims, Duke Roxlan would have no reason to get his hands on her.

    What good would it do to take just the packaging when the tin can was empty?

    "But I don''t think he''ll easily believe us."

    Sir Salvador shrugged in agreement.

    It was a fair point.

    Even if she gave up the land now, if she changed her story later, Duke Roxlan would want to tear her mouth apart.

    Why would the Duke let Maria go on faith alone?

    "Well. We need to bring in a trustworthy witness."

    "A trustworthy person?"

    "Someone reliable who has no interest in the land?"

    Ian first thought of Heaven''s Faith priests.

    If a priest vouched for the promise, perhaps Duke Roxlan would believe it.

    That''s when it happened.

    "Ian. I think you should be the witness yourself."

    "...?"

    Belenka, who had been listening attentively, offered her opinion.

    Ian asked in confusion:

    "Am I someone with no land greed who''s trustworthy?"

    "Aren''t you?"

    "The first part might be true, but not the second. Why would the Duke trust me?"

    Then Belenka dropped a suggestion.

    It was half-insane, half-genius.

    "Why not introduce yourself as Maria''s fiance??"

    "???"

    "If it''s her husband''s word, he''ll trust it enough."

    Sir Salvador was flabbergasted, but also largely agreed.

    "That could work... certainly if Ian were her fiance?, it would be believable."

    "Wait, why?"

    "First, you''re already the Countess of Talian''s fiance?, right? The north and south are far apart. Since you already have territory, he''ll be less suspicious than if you had nothing at all."

    "What kind of..."

    "Plus, you already have two fiance?es. He''d believe that Maria is your third fiance?e. You''d just look like an ordinary womanizer."

    "..."

    Is it fine for me to become a womanizer, Sir???

    Ian was dumbfounded, but what annoyed him was that the argument was somewhat persuasive...

    It was certainly true.

    If Ian said, "I''m going to marry Maria, so I''ll take her and you can have the land~," that would have its own kind of credibility.

    Ian, who already had two wives, would appear to others as someone with a hobby(?) of collecting wives.

    But that was just theory.

    Actually going through with it seemed like pure madness.

    Isn''t there a saying that [If you act crazy, you''re actually crazy]!

    "Wait, Kira is right here listening. Isn''t this going too far?"

    Ian pulled Kira closer as he spoke.

    Kira had been anxious about Lucy, and now bringing up even a fake engagement seemed a bit-!

    But Kira responded impassively:

    "I don''t mind?"

    "...?"

    "You''re trying to help Maria, right? I''m fine with it."

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 342

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian found it difficult to hide his bewilderment at Kira''s words.

    She was fine with it? Really?

    Was she just going along with the mood?

    "Since Kira says she''s fine with it, I suppose we can proceed as planned," Salvador said.

    "Wait, isn''t anyone going to ask for my opinion?" Ian protested.

    Sir Salvador laughed heartily and replied, "For the sake of our adorable Maria, surely you wouldn''t refuse!"

    Ian felt an eerie gaze and turned his head.

    Maria was smiling with obvious delight.

    She was clearly enjoying this situation...!

    "Hehe. I''m looking forward to it."

    "...Don''t get your hopes up."

    Whatever she was hoping for.

    Ian barely suppressed a sigh.

    Well, at least they had a solution to their problem.

    Better to put out the immediate fire first and worry about the consequences later.

    "Alright... I''ll pose as Maria''s fiance? and negotiate directly with Duke Roxlan."

    Clap clap clap!

    Belenka smiled as she applauded, and the rest of his companions joined in the applause.

    ...Ian felt a strange sense of wariness.

    Belenka, Kira, Maria.

    All the women around Ian seemed to be hiding something from him...

    Once their roles were decided, Ian moved quickly.

    First, he sent letters to the nearby temple.

    He needed to find a priest who would accompany him to meet Duke Roxlan.

    "Oh! I''ll find you a priest!" Elia exclaimed.

    She had heard the news and came looking for Ian as soon as he sent his letters.

    There was no point waiting until a priest could be found.

    Ian promised to go with the priest Elia would send.

    While waiting for the priest to arrive, Ian briefly shared his plans with the Emperor.

    The Emperor thought Ian''s idea was quite decent.

    Ian would take Maria away, and in exchange, offer the land!

    Since they couldn''t use the land anyway, it was a profitable enough deal to just hand it over and leave.

    "Still, be careful, Ian."

    "There''s no need to worry, Your Majesty. I''m just going there to talk."

    The Emperor shook his head.

    "You don''t know Duke Roxlan."

    "That''s true."

    "Duke Roxlan is an irrational man. Fearful yet cunning, cowardly yet cruel. When struck once, he''ll use any means to retaliate."

    Ian frowned slightly.

    Unlike the democratic world, in a class-based society, what kind of leader you got was completely random.

    With good luck, you''d get a competent ruler and prosper.

    But with bad luck, you''d get an incompetent ruler and everyone would suffer.

    That''s why democracy was considered superior to monarchy.

    In a democratic society, since representatives were chosen by vote, generally speaking, idiots wouldn''t be elected.

    Generally speaking...

    "Thank you for your concern."

    Ian made his own preparations to meet the Duke.

    If things went wrong, he could always use magic and escape.

    When the priest Elia had found arrived, Ian prepared to go meet Duke Roxlan.

    But the priest brought an unexpected guest with him.

    "Shala-! Ian Eredith Raven! My soul brother!"

    "???"

    Ian seriously considered who this well-mannered young man walking alongside the priest might be.

    What? Did he know this person?

    Judging from his shabby robe, he seemed to be associated with Heaven''s Faith...

    But as for religious people Ian was close with...

    "Who are you?"

    "Hahaha! Ian! Such a joker! Don''t you recognize me?"

    After exchanging a few words, Ian figured it out.

    "...Takarion?"

    "It''s been a while, friend! I''m glad to see you''re still doing well! Hahaha!"

    Ian''s mouth fell open.

    This dignified-looking young man was none other than Takarion of the "Golden Fingers"!

    Ian understood why he hadn''t recognized Takarion''s face.

    Takarion had... lost an incredible amount of weight.

    So much that his facial features were now clearly visible!

    He looked completely different from when he used to munch and chomp at food.

    "Wait, why are you..."

    "Hm? Is something wrong?"

    Ian couldn''t believe the transformed face before him.

    What was this? Some kind of prank?

    With his newly slim face, Takarion exuded a serious handsomeness.

    If you introduced him to a Korean reincarnated in this world as "This person is a monk," they''d exclaim, "I knew it!" His was that kind of face.

    That bastard...! He was what they call an "unscratched lottery ticket"...!

    "Why are you here?"

    Ian asked in bewilderment.

    Takarion should have been at the monastery, so why had he appeared in the south?

    Takarion answered as if it were the most natural thing:

    "To write, of course!"

    The priest beside him added:

    "Brother Takarion came down to record the war."

    The priest spoke with absolute confidence.

    "He''s the greatest writer of our age, after all."

    "..."

    Apparently, this priest had been too deeply moved by Takarion''s entertaining gospel.

    You know how when you read an incredibly fun web novel, you feel like the author must be amazing at writing everything!

    He seemed convinced that Takarion''s war records would be absolutely entertaining.

    "Have you finished the next gospel?"

    "Of course! That''s why the abbot let me go."

    Ian felt a deep sense of pity rising from the bottom of his heart.

    That guy... had really been imprisoned just to write!

    How medieval, to completely disregard an author''s human rights.

    "I never imagined I''d meet you in the south. This must be heaven''s arrangement!"

    Ian didn''t particularly agree, though he couldn''t deny it was an amazing coincidence.

    Of course, the south was a hot spot right now, so there was some possibility they might meet.

    But Ian was a wizard, and Takarion was a monk, right?

    They weren''t exactly the kind of people you''d expect to meet on a battlefield.

    There was no choice but to view it as a fateful encounter.

    "I received your letter saying you needed a priest!" Takarion exclaimed excitedly.

    "You found a fiance?e! Congratulations!"

    "..."

    Ian recalled the letter he had sent recently.

    It mentioned that he needed a priest to accompany him and his fiance?e to meet Duke Roxlan...

    Takarion must have read that letter.

    "Is it Kira? It''s Kira, right? Isn''t it?"

    That was technically correct.

    Ian was engaged to Kira, after all...

    "Ian! What are you doing there?"

    "Ah! Miss Kira!"

    "...Who are you???"

    As soon as Kira appeared, Takarion''s eyes went wild(...) and he greeted her elegantly.

    Classic otaku trait: going crazy over female characters, whether 2D or 3D.

    Though his appearance had changed considerably, Takarion''s inner nature remained the same.

    "It''s me! Takarion!"

    "What?!"

    "Hahaha! Are you engaged to Ian by any chance?"

    Kira''s face turned slightly red.

    Takarion immediately applauded in admiration!

    "Ohhh-! Pure love between comrades-! Delicious! Absolutely delicious!"

    "...Are you insane?"

    Pure love between comrades, what nonsense.

    Ian found Takarion''s antics difficult to endure.

    Perhaps it was because he was a writer, but his emotional expressions were unnecessarily abundant.

    "So you''re going to meet Duke Roxlan with Kira. What''s the reason?"

    "Well, you see..."

    Ian tried to explain the situation to Takarion.

    But before he could, Ian''s companions came flooding out. They must have heard the commotion outside.

    "Ian. Do we have a visitor?"

    "? That face looks familiar..."

    "?"

    Ian pulled Maria closer and said:

    "Actually, this is my fiance?e."

    "?"

    "I''m going to meet Duke Roxlan with her."

    Takarion couldn''t understand Ian''s words.

    Ian calmly recited the prepared scenario-

    "W-What?!"

    Takarion couldn''t close his mouth, which had fallen open in shock.

    "You have three fiance?es?!"

    "Yeah. That''s how it turned out."

    "Holy-!"

    After a long time, Ian got to witness Takarion going berserk...

    "You spawn of a fallen demon! Drop dead!"

    Wow. An extremely religious reaction.

    Ian couldn''t help but chuckle in disbelief.

    Takarion had been thrilled to meet Ian after so long.

    ...But that feeling was shattered within five minutes of their reunion.

    "You think you''re the Sultan of the Desert Empire..."

    Takarion muttered, half out of his mind.

    "A wizard, setting up a harem..."

    Takarion was a learned man of letters, and knew many stories from the distant Desert Empire.

    Among the knowledge that had captured Takarion''s interest was (naturally) information about the Sultan''s harem.

    So many women existing for a single Sultan!

    Of course, this was a simplistic notion since Takarion wasn''t from the Desert Empire.

    The actual harems of the Desert Empire weren''t imperial brothels, after all.

    But... what would a Holy Empire citizen know?

    Takarion had featured harems in his gospels several times.

    Reflecting his own desires(?), he depicted them as places where corrupt Sultans engaged in decadent pleasures with exotic beauties.

    One man living with multiple women!

    And now, before Takarion''s eyes was a madman who had set up a real-life harem...!

    "Excuse me... is the monk alright?"

    Looking at the elegant black-haired beauty, Takarion was stunned.

    Was Ian truly traveling around collecting wives?!

    Where did he find such a cute and pretty girl...!

    "He says he''s tired from traveling."

    "Oh dear. Should I bring something to drink?"

    "Please do, Maria."

    After sending Maria away, Ian said to Takarion:

    "As I explained earlier, this is a serious situation."

    Takarion rose sluggishly.

    "We''re at a crossroads that could either prevent or trigger a civil war within the Empire."

    Thanks to Ian''s earlier explanation, both Takarion and the priest roughly understood the situation.

    "...I see. All for the sake of love."

    The priest looked at Ian and said:

    "I''m pleased to participate in such a noble cause, but I feel somewhat inadequate for the responsibility."

    "?"

    "Sir Ian, would you allow me to bless your engagement?"

    "No, wait a moment."

    Ian was alarmed.

    If they received the priest''s blessing, Ian and Maria''s engagement would become a sacrament!

    Ian, already half-assimilated into this medieval fantasy world, felt uncomfortable with matters involving Heaven''s Faith (especially since the Sky God had actually shown interest in him).

    To actually receive a priest''s blessing was a bit...!

    Weren''t we just supposed to be putting on a show?!

    "This may be a life-risking mission."

    "..."

    "Please grant me this permission."

    He had a point.

    The priest was going to be a witness based solely on the words of the Emperor and Ian.

    It was possible he might be killed by the Duke if things went wrong...

    He needed strong conviction that he was working for the future of these young people and the Empire.

    "I''ve brought some warmed wine..."

    Maria peeked her head in, gazing intently at Ian.

    As if she would stay there until he answered!

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 Chapter 343

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    After much back and forth, Ian finally decided to receive a priest''s blessing.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    When walking into danger of his own accord, he could at least uphold a priest''s dignity.

    "...With this, these two young people have received heaven''s blessing."

    Since Ian desperately wanted to avoid anything grandiose(...), he borrowed a small prayer room, prepared candles and holy water, and received the blessing.

    The ceremony took place in the quiet dawn.

    The priest and Takarion.

    Only Ian and Maria attended the ceremony.

    Throughout the blessing, Maria continuously murmured something.

    Of course, she didn''t speak loudly enough for Ian to hear.

    So Ian couldn''t tell what prayers Maria was offering.

    However...

    Maria''s figure praying to Heaven was incredibly devout and earnest.

    Enough to understand what a sincere prayer truly looked like.

    "Let''s eat breakfast and then depart."

    "Yes, Father. Thank you."

    Ian returned to the lodgings with Takarion.

    Maria remained in the prayer room the longest.

    "Worried?"

    "...Kira?"

    A familiar voice sounded from outside the prayer room.

    The red-haired female wizard, Kira, walked in with steady steps.

    Kira naturally stroked Maria''s hair and said:

    "So in the end, you chose Ian."

    "...Will you hate me?"

    Kira roughly tousled Maria''s hair.

    Maria looked up at Kira in confusion.

    "Yes. I will hate you."

    "..."

    "Unlike the gracious Countess Talian, I don''t want to be generous toward women who cling to my man."

    Kira was completely serious.

    She had always been a supporter of pure romance between men and women, a pure-love advocate.

    Somehow, she had betrayed her own beliefs...

    But her innate tendencies hadn''t changed.

    Honestly, Kira disliked how Maria refused to leave Ian''s side.

    She knew Ian was working hard to normalize the south.

    But wouldn''t things be much easier if Maria announced she was leaving to find her own life?

    The reason Ian took the difficult path was entirely for Maria''s happiness.

    That''s the kind of man Ian was... the man Kira loved.

    "But you probably don''t care about my feelings at all, do you?"

    Maria gave a wide smile.

    In that moment, Kira found Maria genuinely annoying.

    Truly, she was a self-centered woman.

    "Yes. I know you''re uncomfortable with me, but I have no intention of giving up on my dream."

    "Dream?"

    "Heeheeheee..."

    When Maria laughed eerily(?), Kira felt shivers run down her spine.

    Now she understood why Ian was so terrified - that smile!

    "As I''ve said before, I have no intention of giving up on Ian."

    "...I''d like to say something, but..."

    Kira folded her arms and grumbled.

    Increasing Ian''s fiance?es?

    Obviously she didn''t like it.

    If Ian were truly a womanizer who brought in a woman he''d just met and declared her his lover, Kira would genuinely collapse.

    Having two wives was already strange enough.

    ...However.

    Kira felt indebted to Maria.

    The reason was simple.

    The person who had connected Ian and Kira was none other than Maria.

    At the university, when both were hesitating.

    Kira knew that Maria had been the one who pushed them both forward.

    Without Maria''s help, Kira might have left Ian''s side forever, never to return.

    "Maria. Do you truly love Ian?"

    Maria stared briefly at the extinguished candle.

    Though the flame had gone out long ago, white smoke still rose from it.

    And that smoke��

    Caught the breaking dawn light and sparkled brilliantly.

    "Ian."

    Maria smiled as she spoke.

    "He''s truly like a light that illuminated my life which was filled with darkness."

    "..."

    "He gave me life. So surely you understand my desire to dedicate everything to him?"

    Kira smiled and nodded.

    She agreed with the part about Ian bringing light��

    And simultaneously, she confirmed just how deep Maria''s love was.

    No matter what happened, she would never give up on Ian.

    "You''re truly remarkable, Maria."

    "Heehee. I''ll take that as a compliment."

    Kira turned away without hesitation.

    How to seduce(?) Ian was entirely up to Maria.

    Kira had no intention of actively helping Maria''s love venture. She didn''t want to increase Ian''s wives with her own hands...

    But conversely, she had no desire to hinder Maria either.

    If it was destined��

    She would accept Maria standing by Ian''s side.

    "...Good luck, Maria."

    Kira murmured in a voice too quiet to be heard.

    If this matter went well, Maria could obtain what she desired so desperately.

    Kira gazed at the rising morning sun, lost in lengthy contemplation.

    ***

    Takarion''s joining was unexpected but brought some pleasant changes.

    "Oh! Takarion! Please sign my book!"

    "Ah. Of course!"

    [Takarion with the Golden Fingers]''s popularity was impressive even in the south.

    It was living proof that sellable writing sells(?).

    If northerners enjoyed it, southerners would too!

    Ian fell into curious reflections as he watched the empire unite through Takarion''s gospel...

    "Haha! Ian! Look at this! Takarion''s signature!"

    "Congratulations, my lord."

    Sir Salvador had gotten Takarion''s signature and was grinning broadly.

    Knowing the joy of receiving an autograph from a favorite author, Ian simply went along with it.

    "Takarion. I''m counting on you."

    "I''ll help as much as I can."

    Ian exchanged a light handshake with Takarion.

    Takarion would accompany them to the negotiations with Duke Roxlan.

    "Wizard Ian. There''s word from the Duke."

    "Has he accepted?"

    "Yes. Depart now."

    Ian, Maria, Takarion, and the Emperor''s priest.

    Only these four were invited by Duke Roxlan.

    "Will you be okay? Ian?"

    Belenka saw Ian off, asking this until the very end.

    She was concerned that Ian had to meet the Duke without proper escorts.

    "I''ll be fine. One more swordsman wouldn''t change anything anyway."

    "Depends on which swordsman."

    Ian waved Anor-lsil and said:

    "If something urgent happens, this friend will protect me."

    "...Right. You''re a wizard after all."

    Duke Roxlan''s castle was located not far from the Emperor''s residence.

    The streets were thick with the atmosphere of war.

    Armed soldiers were visible everywhere. Mercenaries drunk and causing trouble could be seen throughout.

    "Eek! Don''t break that!"

    "Hehehehe. Then who told you to make it so flimsy?"

    Ian spotted a mercenary destroying a perfectly good tavern and promptly kicked him in the rear.

    Ian had enough travel experience now to use violence against random mercenaries on the road.

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say he''d become an excellent medieval person.

    "Ugh! What the fuck?!"

    "Just a passing wizard, you bastard."

    As Ian made Anor-lsil float in the air, the mercenary instantly turned pale.

    He hadn''t even taken a drop of hangover medicine, but his drunkenness vanished in an instant.

    "W-wizard?!"

    "If you''ve been drinking, go home quietly. Don''t destroy other people''s livelihoods."

    "Y-yes, sir! Understood!"

    The mercenary fled in a hurry.

    "Thank you! Thank you! Lord Wizard!"

    The tavern server repeatedly expressed her gratitude.

    The priest crossed himself, and Takarion gave a thumbs up.

    The territory was definitely abnormal because of the war.

    ''What is Duke Roxlan doing?''

    Even if he had hastily gathered mercenaries, shouldn''t discipline be maintained better than this?

    Ian passed through the town and arrived at Duke Roxlan''s castle.

    The security was stricter than any noble''s castle he had seen during his travels.

    "I am Wizard Ian."

    "Enter."

    The soldiers didn''t show fear despite knowing Ian was a wizard.

    This was evidence they were elite troops who had received proper training.

    Duke Roxlan''s castle was quite magnificent.

    The statues lining the corridor were particularly impressive.

    "This way."

    A maid guided Ian somewhere.

    Ian, now somewhat familiar with medieval castle layouts, guessed where they were heading.

    ''The dining hall?''

    He was correct.

    The place Ian arrived at was the banquet hall of Castle Roxlan.

    It was an enormous grand banquet hall of impressive scale.

    Warm air and massive amounts of food greeted Ian.

    Duke Roxlan had arranged a banquet to coincide with Ian''s arrival.

    "Oh my, over there..."

    "Two with black hair?"

    The guests whispered about Ian and Maria''s appearance.

    Normally, Ian''s black hair would have attracted more attention, but��

    The people here were slightly more interested in Maria.

    Ian firmly held Maria''s hand to ensure she wouldn''t be startled.

    "..."

    Though she didn''t seem particularly likely to be surprised.

    Pushing through the crowd, Ian headed straight for the seat of honor.

    He saw an old man conversing with other nobles.

    ''The most villainous-looking person should be Duke Roxlan.''

    That was the Emperor''s tip.

    And that tip was incredibly helpful.

    Because right over there was an old man who resembled Nosferatu.

    Ian approached the vampire-like old man without hesitation.

    "Oh. Who do we have here."

    The old man quickly recognized Ian as well.

    It would have been harder not to recognize him.

    In the empire, men and women with black hair were truly rare.

    "Wizard Ian."

    The old man grinned.

    It was a smile that gave one chills to rival Maria''s.

    "Duke Roxlan."

    Duke Roxlan removed his gloves and extended his hand.

    His impressively long fingernails, easily over 3 centimeters, were striking...

    "Yes. A pleasure to meet you."

    Ian took the Duke''s outstretched hand.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 344

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Come, eat to your heart''s content!"

    Duke Roxlan didn''t ask Ian anything at all.

    He simply offered him the best seat and piled up mountains of food.

    "..."

    Ian slowly sampled the food the Duke had provided.

    The taste itself wasn''t particularly remarkable. Just typical medieval fare found in any noble''s residence��oily and rich in flavor.

    Ian checked for any traces of poison or drugs, but couldn''t find anything suspicious.

    Genuinely, the Duke simply wanted to feed Ian well.

    "Thank you for your invitation, Your Grace."

    "Priests of Heaven''s Faith are always welcome."

    The Duke extended equally warm greetings to the priest and Takarion.

    Except for one person.

    Maria.

    "..."

    The Duke examined Maria with an icy gaze that rivaled a vampire''s, then pretended to lose interest and turned away, disappearing somewhere.

    Ian felt the stares of nobles pouring over them.

    Most nobles remaining in Duke Roxlan''s banquet hall were, naturally, the Duke''s people.

    The Duke had invited Ian''s group to a place where many people would see them.

    ''...He wants rumors to spread.''

    This was a trap set by Duke Roxlan.

    The Duke had only heard that Ian was traveling with a Silverwind survivor, but hadn''t yet confirmed whether it was true.

    The news could be real or fake.

    But regardless of its authenticity, rumors about Ian and Maria would begin spreading the moment they appeared here.

    The Duke would keep truly important information to himself while letting vague rumors circulate among others.

    With his information advantage, the Duke could easily "determine" the truth behind the rumors.

    This was likely Duke Roxlan''s method of handling information and gossip.

    ''They said he was cunning.''

    Playing games right from the start.

    No wonder the Emperor disliked meeting Duke Roxlan.

    "Maria. Don''t mind the others. Let''s just focus on eating."

    "Yes."

    "Eat what you like, but don''t overindulge."

    Ian quickly surveyed the banquet hall as he thought.

    Outside, they talk of war, yet here the nobles feast extravagantly?

    That impression wasn''t entirely wrong.

    The Duke''s purpose in hosting this banquet was likely to strengthen the bonds within his faction.

    Regardless of what happened outside, hosting a large banquet like this was an excellent way to demonstrate their stability.

    While also raising the loyalty of nobles in his faction.

    "I haven''t seen your face before! Who are you and where are you from?"

    A noble approached Ian, swirling a glass of wine.

    Nothing unusual for a banquet setting.

    Ian couldn''t tell whether this person approached out of simple curiosity or on the Duke''s secret orders.

    "Me, sir?"

    "Yes! You! Is that your lover beside you? Or family?"

    "..."

    He must have been an influential noble, as all eyes immediately turned toward them.

    Everyone was now looking at Ian.

    If Ian had been a naive countryside wizard with no immunity to noble society, he might have felt intimidated in such a setting.

    But Ian was an experienced wizard.

    Being the center of attention was so familiar to him that it had almost become tedious.

    "She''s my apprentice."

    "Apprentice?"

    "I''m a wandering wizard, and she is my disciple."

    "Ohhh...!"

    The nobles'' eyes lit up immediately upon hearing the word "wizard."

    Wow! A wizard!

    The larger the battlefield, the more significant a wizard''s presence becomes.

    A skilled wizard could completely alter the flow of battle.

    With combat against Duke Fargar looming, every wizard was a welcome addition.

    "As expected of Duke Roxlan...!"

    "However he managed it, he''s brought a wizard to our side!"

    Ian didn''t spoil the mood by saying, "I''m not actually on your side."

    Naturally, Ian had enough social awareness to avoid that.

    "Duke Roxlan is indeed an admirable lord."

    This banquet hall was crawling with pro-Roxlan nobles.

    Without hesitation, Ian chose the most appropriate response.

    Namely... praising the Duke!

    "It''s only natural for people to follow someone so admirable."

    "Hahaha! This fellow has quite a silver tongue!"

    When Ian made pro-Roxlan comments, the nobles were predictably pleased.

    Duke Roxlan? Great!

    A wizard? Great!

    A wizard who admires Duke Roxlan? Super-great!

    "Come here and share a drink with me!"

    "Not so fast! Wizard, have a drink with me first!"

    With practiced skill, Ian shared drinks with the nobles and engaged in trivial conversations.

    Working as a wizard had improved his conversational abilities.

    His talent for discerning others'' intentions and understanding them without misinterpretation had reached an exceptional level.

    A wizard communicates with all things.

    Humans were no exception.

    "Where on earth did you learn to speak like that?"

    "I learned everything from Lady Eredith."

    "Eredith? Eredith Manskal?"

    "The fire wizard!"

    Captivated by Ian''s eloquence, the nobles lost track of time as they chatted.

    Someone who communicates well receives good treatment wherever they go.

    From a distance, the priest and Takarion watched Ian mingling with people, quietly impressed.

    "He''s truly sociable, isn''t he?"

    "That''s wizards for you."

    Ian was an INFP.

    According to the latest pseudo-science theory of MBTI, Ian''s introverted personality meant he shouldn''t be capable of proper conversation with others.

    Yet here he was, chatting freely with nobles.

    Pseudo-science is pseudo-science because it doesn''t fit reality.

    He might suffer the side effect of being drained later, but when he put his mind to it, Ian''s eloquence could captivate multiple people.

    This was precisely why one shouldn''t carelessly listen to a wizard''s words.

    As Ian conversed with the nobles, he observed the Duke from the corner of his eye.

    ...The Duke was clearly examining Ian as well.

    ''Cunning old man.''

    Ian thought while maintaining his smile.

    The banquet continued day and night.

    Drunken people appeared everywhere regardless of time or place, keeping the castle atmosphere elevated.

    Anyone watching might think it was a New Year''s party.

    Whether this was a morale-boosting banquet or a last supper remained to be seen...

    But with everyone engaged in noisy conversations, paradoxically, private spaces emerged.

    Ian stealthily made his way to the room the Duke had assigned him.

    Duke Roxlan was already waiting for him there.

    "Welcome."

    "Thank you kindly, Your Grace."

    Ian found himself responding sarcastically without meaning to.

    But it couldn''t be helped.

    He had spent the entire day on edge, dealing with drunken nobles.

    Carefully weighing how much information to reveal to whom.

    Meanwhile, Duke Roxlan?

    Using age as an excuse, he''d been relaxing comfortably in his room.

    Ian could tell.

    The reason the Duke had confined Ian to the banquet and left him there all day��

    It was a shallow tactic to mentally exhaust Ian and gain the upper hand in negotiations.

    Not a strategy befitting someone of ducal rank.

    But Duke Roxlan had no qualms about employing underhanded methods.

    The Emperor''s words were absolutely right.

    Though he smiled on the surface, Duke Roxlan was truly a despicable noble.

    "Forgive me. Given the circumstances, we needed a banquet to boost morale."

    "I seem to have intruded at an inconvenient time."

    "Far more inconsiderate is someone acting on their own without sending me a single message first."

    Duke Roxlan smiled, revealing his canine teeth.

    "Don''t you think?"

    "..."

    Ian had no desire to engage in verbal sparring with the Duke.

    Honestly, he felt like he might collapse from exhaustion.

    The Duke''s intention had succeeded, one could say.

    "Well... I''ve heard the gist of the story."

    The Duke looked back and forth between Ian and Maria.

    After a brief silence, the Duke spoke.

    "I hear you''re marrying that girl?"

    "...Yes."

    Duke Roxlan snickered.

    It was clearly a sneer.

    "Did you court her knowing her birth, or were you simply captivated by that pretty face?"

    "That''s a question not worth answering."

    Duke Roxlan paused briefly, glaring at Ian for just a moment.

    Few nobles could talk back to the Duke''s words.

    Even those in the Duke''s circle probably couldn''t properly voice a single criticism to him.

    Given the Duke''s personality, he was unlikely to tolerate unpleasant counsel willingly.

    But Ian wasn''t someone who needed to worry about such things.

    The Duke had just been called "impertinent" for the first time in ages.

    But Duke Roxlan quickly composed his expression.

    His change in demeanor was as swift and natural as changing masks.

    "How we met isn''t important."

    "Haha. Yes... that''s right..."

    Duke Roxlan tapped his long fingernails together as he spoke.

    "What matters is that the girl is the rightful heir to the Silverwind title. Isn''t that right?"

    "Of course."

    "Haha... hahaha...!"

    "?"

    When the Duke suddenly started laughing, Ian grew concerned about his health.

    He already looked emaciated. Was something wrong with him?

    After laughing for quite some time, the Duke said:

    "You truly know nothing."

    "..."

    "Well, it''s your ignorance that allowed you to bring that girl before me."

    Ian frowned.

    Something wasn''t right.

    Duke Roxlan knew something that Ian didn''t.

    "I''ll teach you something special."

    The Duke spoke in an eerie voice.

    "That girl is not the rightful heir to Silverwind."

    ...Shit.

    What the hell?

    "If you''re asking whether she''s a descendant of Silverwind, then yes. She is Silverwind. I can tell. But she is not the ''rightful'' heir."

    Ian was slightly dumbfounded.

    The Duke wasn''t some kind of Silverwind detector. How could he arbitrarily decide who was legitimate and who wasn''t?

    Still, it was a story worth continuing to hear.

    "If she''s not the rightful heir..."

    "It''s simple logic."

    Ian inwardly sighed.

    Being a medieval person himself, Ian understood what the Duke meant.

    Naturally, the rightful heir to a title would be the noble''s child.

    ...But in medieval times, there existed children who weren''t legally recognized.

    Commonly known as [bastards].

    "That girl is Silverwind''s bastard."

    Duke Roxlan said with a snicker.

    "A bastard-survivor!"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 345

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Duke Roxlan was... triumphant, to put it simply.

    That girl you''ve been cherishing and protecting is actually a bastard!

    His expression seemed to say, "How about that? Terrible, isn''t it?"

    But...

    Ian''s mind remained perfectly calm.

    So... Maria was a bastard?

    So what?

    Ian had always thought of Maria as just a country girl anyway. That''s what she actually was.

    Though she spoke strangely due to some unusual education... her character wasn''t bizarre enough for Ian to care.

    Ian had never treated Maria like a noble in the first place.

    Learning that she was a bastard now didn''t make him bat an eye.

    He''d never planned to use Maria to claim land anyway.

    Moreover, Ian had no particular opinion about bastards.

    Only devout Heaven''s Faith believers were the type to despise bastards.

    With his modern memories, Ian simply thought, "What a barbaric age where children born of adultery roam around," and moved on.

    "Well, that''s interesting."

    "...?"

    "You''re quite impressive, Your Grace. You even know the secret of Maria''s birth."

    "???"

    Duke Roxlan was bewildered by Ian''s reaction.

    What...! He''d clearly told him she was a bastard!

    How could he remain so indifferent?!

    "She wasn''t born with proper blessing. She''s cursed from birth. Are you still fine with that?"

    Ian snorted at the Duke''s thinly veiled threat.

    He sure loves his curses.

    What brings people into the world is fu-cking, not some nonsense about curses.

    "Perhaps we should just get her blessed then."

    "If you believe in Takarion of the Golden Fingers, that fellow is just a mere monk��"

    "I have my own connections with Heaven''s Faith. I''m a saint, after all."

    "???"

    This wasn''t a lie.

    In the north, Ian was occasionally known by the strange nickname [Guardian Saint of Coffee] (a rumor spread by Takarion).

    In fact, beyond that, Ian was friendly with Heaven''s Faith priests for various reasons.

    Even Maria had done volunteer work as a nun at the university!

    "Besides, whether Maria is a bastard or not seems completely irrelevant."

    "...What?"

    "Your Grace called Maria a bastard, but you have no proof."

    "Proof?"

    "Meanwhile, Maria possesses the Silverwind signet ring. Interestingly, a ring can serve as evidence. Unlike Your Grace''s ''speculation.''"

    Duke Roxlan glared at Ian for a while.

    "Speculation... Yes. Speculation. I have no evidence."

    "Then there''s no problem..."

    "But my memory tells me. Maria. That child is the daughter of a filthy whore."

    In that moment, Ian saw it.

    A blazing fire behind the Duke''s eyes.

    It was a flame of the soul ignited by rage, hatred... and obsession.

    ''This is dangerous.''

    A wizard''s intuition warned him.

    The Duke clearly harbored enormous emotions toward Maria.

    "I remember that whore''s face clearly. The Margrave of Silverwind... that stupid big-mouthed bastard seduced her and she spread her legs for him. They actually married! She fell completely for his empty promise to make her a countess!"

    Ian recalled an old memory.

    From Count Dranheim''s banquet��

    [Duke Roxlan, you know. I heard he lost a woman he wanted as his concubine to the Margrave?]

    ''...So the gossip was true.''

    "Maria! That bitch has the exact face of her filthy whore mother!"

    Duke Roxlan shouted as if screaming.

    For the first time since meeting Ian, he was explosively revealing his emotions.

    "Wizard Ian! I warn you! Don''t trust that bitch Maria! She has the same whore''s blood flowing through her veins as her mother��!"

    The Duke glared at Ian with a face twisted by hatred.

    Even while receiving the Duke''s glare, Ian felt neither fear nor trembling.

    Because he knew the hatred wasn''t directed at him.

    The target of the Duke''s hatred was... Maria.

    "That bitch is using you. Just like her mother did."

    Ian asked out of courtesy.

    Why was it a courteous question?

    Because he didn''t expect a rational answer anyway.

    And Ian''s guess was correct.

    "Why do you think that?"

    The Duke replied as if having a fit.

    "I can tell��! You��! You''re being deceived��!"

    "..."

    Ian shook his head.

    Fortunately(?), Ian had never experienced NTR in either his past or present life.

    So he had no idea what it felt like to be NTR''d.

    However... Duke Roxlan, as he himself had said, had been NTR''d.

    His lover had been stolen by the Margrave of Silverwind.

    Because of this, he had developed an enormous hatred that Ian couldn''t even imagine.

    Given that he was already described as gloomy and petty (according to the Emperor), his desire for revenge was understandable.

    ''This isn''t good.''

    Ian''s intuition whispered.

    Staying here any longer could lead to disaster...!

    "Well. It''s none of my business if you keep courting that girl and get stabbed in the back."

    "..."

    "You''re right. Regardless of the truth, she can be recognized as Silverwind''s heir."

    The Duke''s voice changed.

    He spoke to Ian in an infinitely kind and gentle voice.

    "Tell me what you want."

    "...Recognize Maria as the rightful heir to Silverwind. In exchange, we''ll relinquish all rights to the territory."

    "Not difficult. Good. Let''s do that."

    Duke Roxlan offered his hand.

    Ian took the Duke''s hand.

    The Duke''s hand was strangely cold.

    "I''ll write up the certificate tomorrow. Come to my room with the priest."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    The secret meeting ended.

    After saying goodbye to the Duke, Ian returned straight to his room.

    Maria, who hadn''t spoken a single word until now, slowly opened her mouth.

    "...Are you tired?"

    "Maria."

    "I''m... a bit tired."

    Maria smiled faintly.

    It was truly a smile devoid of energy.

    "Learning about a past I didn''t know... and receiving such intense hatred because of that past."

    Maria stared blankly at the ceiling and murmured.

    "Is happiness... really this difficult to achieve?"

    "..."

    "I just... thought having you was enough."

    Ian sat down beside Maria and said:

    "Everyone is born with their own destiny. Some are born incredibly lucky, while others easily fail despite trying their hardest. It''s truly unfair."

    "Hehehe... It really is."

    "But once you''re born, life is entirely your own. How you end it is in your own hands."

    Ian smiled and stroked Maria''s hair.

    Maria''s life could be defined in one word: [screwed over].

    It had been a continuous series of unfortunate events.

    But Maria hadn''t given up.

    Trusting Ian and those around her, she calmly faced her fate.

    Even coming to meet the Duke directly had been remarkable.

    Ian didn''t dislike that about Maria.

    "I''ll support you, Maria."

    "..."

    "You''ll definitely find happiness."

    Maria quietly reached out and caressed Ian''s cheek.

    Her cheeks were flushed red.

    Ian felt an inexplicable chill...

    What was this? Was it because of her necromancy talent?

    "You''re truly kind."

    "..."

    "Yes. I''ve properly received your encouragement."

    Maria looked up at Ian and smiled.

    It was that eerie smile that made Ian uncomfortable(...).

    "I''ll try my best to become happy...!"

    "Hmm. Yes. It''s good to see you making an effort."

    "Hehehe..."

    Ian wanted to look away.

    Seriously, couldn''t she fix that smiling habit?!

    It was... scary, like a madwoman!

    But it felt awkward to directly tell someone, "Could you stop smiling like a crazy person?"

    He brushed it off as just Maria''s personality.

    "Well then."

    Maria whispered near Ian''s ear.

    "It''s getting late... shall we go to bed?"

    "..."

    Ian strangely didn''t feel like sleeping at all...

    It absolutely, definitely had nothing to do with Maria.

    Really.

    "I''ll pass."

    "?"

    "You go to sleep first, Maria."

    When Ian refused to sleep, Maria looked up at him with what seemed like a disappointed(?) expression.

    "Aren''t you tired?"

    "I am tired, but I have things to do."

    That''s right.

    The reason Ian didn''t go to bed was because of Duke Roxlan.

    ''The Duke said he''d write the certificate tomorrow.''

    But... would he really?

    After seeing those eyes and that hatred?

    Ian didn''t trust Duke Roxlan.

    As the Emperor had warned, the Duke was a sinister person.

    He was clearly obsessed with Maria.

    Would he really willingly provide a certificate releasing Maria?

    Of course, Ian would be grateful if he did...

    But his wizard''s intuition warned him.

    Never trust the Duke.

    ''Good thing I prepared in advance.''

    Fortunately, Ian hadn''t come to meet the Duke ''unprepared.''

    The Emperor had warned him multiple times.

    He''d planned countermeasures in case things went wrong.

    Ian went out onto the balcony, looked at the sky and said:

    "Oberon."

    A crow with pitch-black feathers appeared, flapping its wings.

    "Caw! Master!"

    "Go tell Kira to read the scroll I gave her."

    "Scroll! Caw!"

    Oberon lightly soared into the night sky.

    The pitch-black crow disappeared into the sky without a trace.

    That''s when it happened.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    "Wizard! Are you in your room!"

    An unfamiliar voice.

    "I''m here."

    "Open this door. Now!"

    Maria looked at Ian with surprised eyes.

    Ian muttered curses under his breath.

    No wonder he felt uneasy��!

    "I''m with my fiance?e. Would I just open the door?"

    "...I''ll give you time to get dressed."

    Ian smirked.

    Oh, how very mannerly~

    "Just tell me what this is about!"

    Then came an absurd response.

    "We''re investigating a murder!"

    "What?"

    "A body was found in the garden! We need to investigate, so open this door immediately!"

    Hmm. I really don''t want to open it.

    A murder case at such timing.

    Ian shook his head.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 346

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    A few days earlier.

    Ian summoned Kira and Belenka.

    "Kira. Take this."

    "What''s this?"

    Kira curiously examined the object Ian handed her.

    It looked somewhat familiar...?

    "It''s a scroll."

    "A magic scroll?!"

    "Yes. I made it while we were resting."

    Kira marveled anew at Ian''s craftsmanship.

    A wizard of Ian''s caliber could naturally create magic scrolls.

    But Ian rarely made them, simply because he found it tedious to scribble with a pen while traveling.

    However, this wasn''t a situation where he could afford to be lazy over such trivial reasons.

    They were dealing with Duke Roxlan.

    Not only did the Duke command an enormous number of soldiers, but he might also be hiding exceptional measures unknown to Ian.

    If he went in with inadequate preparation, Ian would surely be at a disadvantage.

    So Ian had taken the time to create two scrolls.

    "...Why are you giving this to me?"

    Kira asked out of genuine curiosity.

    Shouldn''t Ian use the scrolls he''d worked so hard to make?

    Why give them to Kira?

    "I had a chat with Elia the other day."

    "Yes?"

    Ian briefly relayed his conversation with Elia.

    To summarize the key points��

    Using magic in the Duke''s castle was fine, but mass slaughter spells were absolutely forbidden.

    "Hmm... that makes sense."

    Belenka nodded.

    It was straightforward logic.

    The only person who might confront Ian directly was Duke Roxlan himself.

    And the Duke''s vassals wouldn''t oppose Ian as long as he didn''t infringe on their lands.

    That''s how feudal society worked.

    The most important point was "don''t harm other nobles."

    If Ian carelessly used mass slaughter spells and some innocent noble got caught in the crossfire... the aftermath would be problematic even for someone like Ian.

    "If I clash with the Duke, I''ll send Oberon to you."

    "...And that''s when I use the scroll?"

    "Yes. I''m counting on you."

    Ian placed a light kiss on Kira''s cheek.

    A casual expression of affection in Western culture.

    It would be unthinkable in a small Eastern country, but Ian was a resident of this medieval world.

    As proof, Kira reciprocated with a kiss on Ian''s cheek.

    Smooch-

    "Okay! Leave it to me!"

    Kira smiled brightly��

    While Belenka maintained a completely neutral expression as she waited for the next instruction.

    In truth, Belenka had no particular thoughts about it.

    Unlike some easily flustered Easterners who''d make a big deal out of a simple peck!

    "One is a Rain scroll. The other is a Wave scroll."

    "?"

    Rain? Wave?

    Setting aside their unclear purpose.

    These were scrolls Kira couldn''t use.

    Kira was a fire wizard, not a water wizard.

    "Ian. I still can''t use water magic..."

    "Don''t worry. I''ve modified them so you can."

    Ian handed Kira a card.

    It was an Arcana card created by Hrundal.

    "What''s this?"

    "It''s my magic."

    Kira realized that these magic scrolls had been made using Ian''s [unique magic].

    A new communication method using the power of gods, different from the Maronius language system.

    "You don''t need to communicate with the Mystery of Water."

    "Really...?"

    "Yes. Just read what''s written on the scroll. The gods will assist your magic."

    Kira examined the scroll with an astonished expression.

    If there was no need to communicate with Mystery... even Kira, who wasn''t close to the Mystery of Water, could use water magic.

    A new form of magic that completely destroyed existing concepts.

    That was Ian''s unique magic.

    ''...If Ian completes his research on unique magic.''

    Kira looked at her fiance?.

    ''How dramatically will the world change?''

    If the concept of magic changed, the world would change too.

    At the end of Ian''s journey, a world completely different from the present awaited.

    Kira felt immense joy and pride to be traveling alongside such a wizard.

    "Belenka. About our bandits."

    "Yes?"

    "Have they ever been on a boat?"

    "?"

    Belenka gave an incredulous look... but since she was dealing with Ian, she quickly regained her composure.

    It wasn''t the first time Ian had said something outlandish.

    "I doubt it. Why would bandits ever need to ride boats?"

    "Hmm. Then have Sabui train the bandits."

    "...Training to ride boats?"

    "Yes."

    Ian explained his plan.

    And Belenka couldn''t close her gaping mouth.

    It was just too absurd.

    "I forgot. This is just like you, isn''t it?!"

    "Got a better idea?"

    "I don''t know! I don''t even want to think about it!"

    Ian chuckled as he patted Belenka''s shoulder.

    After the meeting concluded.

    Belenka began climbing a high mountain with Sabui and the bandits.

    "Oh! Are we going to battle? Has Duke Fargar invaded?!"

    "..."

    "Hahaha! Mountain warfare is my specialty! I''ll definitely achieve military glory!"

    Sabui was excitedly chattering away��

    But Belenka looked at him with pitying eyes.

    "?"

    "It''s not battle. We''re not going to attack anyone."

    "Then why the weapons...?"

    "We''re going for training."

    Ah~ So that''s what it was~

    Sabui understood Belenka''s order and nodded.

    After all, with a major battle possibly looming, they needed to train in advance!

    "Here it is."

    "???"

    Sabui was bewildered by the location Belenka had brought them to.

    It was deep in the mountains, a place bandits typically favored.

    The problem was... there was a small boat sitting on top of a boulder.

    This bizarrely out-of-place structure left Sabui momentarily confused.

    But he quickly lost interest.

    A boat that had nothing to do with Sabui anyway...

    "Get your bandits on that boat."

    "...?"

    Excuse me? Get on that boat sitting on a boulder?

    We''re still at least 1000 years from the invention of Viking rides?!

    Of course, Sabui would have no idea what an amusement park Viking ride was.

    But his expression conveyed roughly that level of bafflement.

    "Move quickly."

    "..."

    Sabui was dumbfounded... but he did as instructed regardless.

    Fortunately, Sabui''s nickname was [Sabui the Mad].

    Even if he did something crazy, the other bandits would understand!

    Sabui burst into maniacal laughter and ordered his bandits:

    "Kehehehe! Get on that boat!"

    "? Why? Are we building a mountain fortress there?"

    "Just get on when I tell you to!"

    The bandits boarded the boat, having no idea what was happening.

    It was a small vessel that could barely float on a lake, just large enough for several dozen bandits to move it.

    Belenka commanded the bandits:

    "Grab the oars."

    "...?"

    "From now on, we''ll train to row in unison."

    "???"

    When the bandits gave bewildered looks, Belenka kindly explained.

    Of course, even Belenka herself didn''t understand the purpose...

    But since Ian had said so, she thought "I guess that''s how it is~" and continued:

    "Ian is now going to meet Duke Roxlan."

    "Yes... and?"

    "Your help might be needed there."

    Belenka said:

    "When that happens, we''ll ride this boat to help Ian."

    "..."

    The bandits stared at each other with blank expressions.

    Hey, did you just hear that...?

    Holy shit, she says we''re going to row a boat from a mountaintop to rescue a wizard!

    How does that even make��

    Just then, thunderous applause erupted.

    Clap clap clap clap!

    "?"

    Sabui was clapping like a madman!

    With an expression that screamed deranged lunatic to anyone watching, Sabui foamed at the mouth and shouted:

    "As expected! As expected of Lord Wizard! He plans to move the boat with magic!"

    The bandits glared at Sabui in disbelief.

    This crazy bastard��

    Come on, is the wizard some kind of god?!

    How could he possibly move a boat stuck on a mountaintop!

    But the bandits only glared at Sabui without saying anything.

    It wasn''t the first time Sabui had done something crazy...

    "Just train enough to maintain your balance. Understood?"

    "..."

    "Hey you bastards��! Sister Belenka is talking to you��! Answer her! Do you want to die?!"

    "Ah. Yes..."

    Not a single bandit... believed Belenka''s words.

    They might have believed her if she''d said this was punishment for lazy bandits.

    If they were going to practice rowing, why not at least put them on a lake?

    Dragging them to a mountaintop and telling them to practice boating? Was she joking?

    "Kehehehe! Set sail! Set sail! Row, you bastards!!!"

    "..."

    Madman.

    Sabui was the only one excited here. (Actually, even Sabui wasn''t excited...)

    But since the knight had ordered it, the bandits reluctantly began training.

    Thanks to Sabui forcing enthusiasm and creating an atmosphere, they managed to make some progress.

    The bandits spent all day rowing against the air, returning to their quarters when it got dark.

    "Ugh, this is such bullshit."

    "I''d rather die than do this."

    For several days, the bandits climbed the mountain daily to practice rowing.

    Then one day��

    Drip, drip, drip...

    "What''s that?"

    "Looks like it''s raining outside?"

    Raindrops began to fall from the gloomy dark sky.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    "Open this door immediately��!"

    "I told you I can''t open it until Duke Roxlan arrives!"

    Ian was turning the room upside down to build a barricade.

    Unfortunately, having not been part of any protest movements in his past life(...), Ian only knew how to make flimsy barricades.

    "Are you confessing to murder! You vile wizard!"

    "How many times do I have to say it! I was with Duke Roxlan��!"

    Ian couldn''t even laugh sarcastically.

    How soon after their secret meeting had the soldiers come charging in?

    And with the excuse of investigating a murder case, no less!

    "Ah! The Duke just explained!"

    A knight shouted from outside the door.

    "He said he was too tired today and didn''t step foot outside his room!"

    "..."

    "How dare you spread such lies! Wizard!"

    "For fuck''s sake! I was just with Duke Roxlan��!"

    "Stop squawking like a parrot! Show us evidence! Do you have any?"

    Ian closed his mouth.

    Evidence that he''d met with Duke Roxlan?

    None.

    It had been a secret meeting with no witnesses.

    A boisterous banquet was taking place in the hall...

    Duke Roxlan had deliberately summoned Ian to a space where "no one" was present.

    And when negotiations with Ian didn''t go as planned��

    He immediately backstabbed him.

    "Did the Duke really say he never met me?"

    "Yes! Now confess your crime! Wizard! You used magic to kill someone!"

    Ian had never seen where the body was discovered.

    But he was certain all the "evidence" would be prepared.

    This was Duke Roxlan''s castle��

    Fabricating evidence was something the Duke could do while picking his nose.

    If the Duke said "Arrest that man!" just once, Ian would become a criminal without question or trial.

    A fair trial? In the medieval era?

    That would be impossible even if Sir Lesach suddenly dropped from the sky.

    This was Duke Roxlan''s castle, after all.

    That''s why Ian refused to take a single step outside the room.

    "If you open the door now and beg for forgiveness, you might avoid the worst outcome!"

    "Hmm~ Go away~ Not coming out~"

    "...How insolent, this wizard!"

    Ian used earth magic to completely seal the room.

    The ultimate act of holding out.

    "What about the wizard?"

    "Well... he used magic to put up a wall so..."

    "Forget it. He''s just a rat in a trap anyway."

    Duke Roxlan smiled with satisfaction.

    The sight of the wizard desperately struggling with magic even looked cute.

    Yes. This was inevitable...

    If he''d taken the hint and abandoned Maria when warned, none of this would have happened.

    The world is vast and women are plentiful.

    Why insist on choosing a flawed woman like Maria?

    Unless one had a broad mind like Duke Roxlan.

    "Well then..."

    The Duke leisurely went to meet Ian.

    It was time to begin the ''real'' negotiations.

    But before the Duke could exchange even a few words with Ian:

    "Y-Your Grace!"

    "What is it?"

    "Y-You must come outside��!"

    A subordinate shouted to the Duke.

    What frivolous commotion was this?

    The moment Duke Roxlan stepped outside the castle��

    "?"

    The Duke doubted his own eyes.

    "What... is that?"

    Even after hearing his subordinate''s report, the Duke still couldn''t comprehend the situation.

    "It''s a ship��! Coming this way��!"

    "A ship...?"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 347

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Oberon the crow diligently carried out Ian''s instructions.

    Ian''s request for help reached Kira without the slightest delay.

    "Ah. It''s Oberon?"

    "Caw!"

    Kira removed the letter tied to Oberon''s leg and read it.

    It was a letter from Ian stating that Duke Roxlan''s attitude seemed suspicious.

    ''Just wait a little, Ian.''

    Kira immediately gathered Ian''s companions.

    Following Ian''s prior preparations,

    she intended to send troops to help.

    A rescue team consisting of Belenka, Sir Salvador, and the bandit Sabui was organized.

    After climbing the mountain, Kira used the magic scroll.

    "[Rain clouds��!]"

    The scroll worked flawlessly.

    Though Kira had almost no talent for water magic��

    the scroll made by Ian allowed her to use magic regardless of her water affinity.

    Soon, a heavy rain began pouring from the dark sky.

    "What a tremendous downpour."

    "Belenka! Get ready!"

    "Alright. I''m counting on you."

    Belenka and Sir Salvador boarded the boat they had prepared in advance.

    Kira used the second scroll Ian had entrusted to her.

    "[Mystery of the lake��! Obey my will��!]"

    Kira drew a stream of water from the nearby lake.

    The pouring rain opened a water path��

    and the overflowing lake lifted the boat.

    "There''s no crazier madness than this."

    Belenka let out a hollow laugh as she was drenched by the rain.

    Though she had followed Ian for a long time and seen all sorts of amazing things,

    Ian always appeared with new insanity, as if testing the limits of a wizard''s capabilities.

    Belenka liked that creativity of his.

    "Keep your direction steady, Sabui. If we crash into the castle wall, we''re all dead!"

    "Yes!"

    Riding the stream of water, a small boat crossed the mountain path.

    Villagers who had rushed out because of the sudden rain were astonished to see a boat coming down from the mountain.

    "W-what is that?!"

    "A boat is floating away��!"

    The boat carrying Belenka and the bandits raced toward the Duke''s castle at tremendous speed.

    And precisely��

    the boat crashed into the bridge connecting the outer and inner castle.

    Thud��!

    Belenka jumped onto the bridge and shouted:

    "Make way��!"

    "W-who are you!?"

    "Take me to Wizard Ian! Now!"

    Though Belenka shouted orders, no soldiers followed her commands.

    ...At the same time, Belenka sensed it.

    This was definitely enemy territory, and Ian''s safety would be difficult to guarantee!

    Belenka pulled down her pitch-black helmet and shouted:

    "Sabui��! I''ll open the path! Follow behind me!"

    "Uooooooh!"

    Wizard Ian''s forces began advancing relentlessly toward the inner castle.

    The Duke''s startled soldiers rushed out, but they were no match for Ian''s army.

    "What''s all that commotion downstairs..."

    "B-big trouble! Enemies are approaching!"

    "???"

    "Are you too drunk? What enemies suddenly..."

    The nobles lingering in the banquet hall were bewildered by the sudden report.

    The night was utterly confusing for them.

    Clearly until the afternoon, they''d all been laughing and drinking together...

    Then in the evening, a body was suddenly discovered.

    Then they were told the murderer was the visiting wizard.

    And now what?

    Enemies are approaching?

    "Lock the doors!"

    "Y-Your Grace!"

    "Open the armory! Get crossbows any way you can, and give one to everyone!"

    "Your Grace! I-I don''t know how to shoot a crossbow..."

    Slap!

    "Stop whining! If you refuse to arm yourself, I''ll take it as a sign you''re willing to sit and die!"

    "..."

    The noble who''d been slapped by the Duke suddenly felt wronged!

    Most nobles here were just people who came to drink and enjoy themselves.

    They simply attended because the Duke held a banquet!

    Few truly devoted themselves to the Duke.

    A banquet was a casual affair, and given the chaotic situation in the south, they had simply come as guests not wanting to fall out of favor with the narrow-minded Duke.

    But now...

    Arm themselves and fight against enemies?!

    What kind of insane nonsense��!

    "Block the enemies no matter what happens!"

    Duke Roxlan shouted with a metallic voice.

    The Duke''s eyes burned with rage and indignation.

    ***

    ''They''ve arrived.''

    Ian realized that Oberon had properly fulfilled his mission.

    Heavy rain poured down, and then the outside suddenly grew quiet.

    The soldiers monitoring Ian''s room had disappeared.

    Why had they vanished?

    The answer was simple.

    A new situation requiring soldiers had arisen...!

    "Let''s go, Maria."

    "Yes."

    Ian collapsed the stone wall he''d created with earth magic and left the room.

    "Huh?! You!"

    He encountered two soldiers left as minimal guards��

    "I''m going for a walk because it''s stuffy in here."

    "..."

    "Any objections?"

    Seeing the magic sword floating behind Ian''s back, the soldiers instantly became obedient(...).

    If they''d been knight-level, they might have fought.

    But the soldiers guarding Ian''s room were low-ranking pawns.

    They had no reason to sacrifice their lives for the Duke''s loyalty.

    "What are you all doing! Seize him immediately!"

    One soldier awkwardly rushed forward.

    An opportunist blinded by promotion prospects.

    Ian simply swung his staff and struck the soldier down.

    Whoosh��!

    "Eek!"

    Neither Ian''s staff nor his sword were ordinary items.

    Two or three low-ranking soldiers had no chance of winning against Ian armed with magic items.

    Using the soldiers as guides, Ian escaped the inner castle.

    Outside the castle, the pouring rain made it impossible to see even a foot ahead.

    ''Kira did it properly, huh?''

    Though he had only made the scrolls, even Ian wasn''t sure of their exact power.

    Ian rarely used water magic, and there hadn''t been enough time for testing.

    But the power of the magic scroll he witnessed was satisfactory.

    With this level of downpour, the river would overflow and drainage would be difficult.

    Through reconnaissance, Ian had determined that Duke Roxlan''s castle would be vulnerable to heavy rain.

    An outer castle built along the river and an inner castle surrounded by a moat.

    Relying heavily on water for defense, they would struggle to cope with a flood.

    Of course, a minor rainfall couldn''t cause a flood.

    So Ian had devised a plan to cause an overflow from the mountain behind the castle and draw that water to the inner castle.

    Ian''s plan worked perfectly.

    Though it required the utterly ridiculous act of placing a boat on a mountaintop...

    His troops had successfully infiltrated using the waterway Kira created.

    ''Over there.''

    Ian spotted the abandoned bridge where the boat had been left and ran toward it.

    Before long, Ian encountered forces flooding into the inner castle.

    At the forefront was a black knight in pitch-black armor.

    Ian stopped walking and called out:

    "Belenka!"

    The black knight removed her helmet.

    Long blonde hair poured down like a waterfall.

    Belenka grinned and waved her hand.

    "You''re safe, Ian?"

    "Of course. Thanks for coming so quickly."

    "All thanks to a certain crazy wizard who prepared everything properly."

    Belenka didn''t forget to praise the bandits as well.

    It wasn''t easy to go along with such madness.

    But despite their grumbling, they had followed Belenka''s instructions well.

    "Sabui and the bandits worked hard too."

    "When this is over, I''ll give you all a bonus."

    Sabui grinned from behind.

    Money is always good!

    The bandits'' morale was also high.

    While rowing on the mountain, they had experienced serious regret thinking, ''What kind of bullshit is this?''...

    But after infiltrating the inner castle riding the water stream, the bandits collectively fell into a dopamine overdrive.

    What medieval person would ever experience riding a boat down from a mountain!

    "Ian! The Duke?"

    "Haven''t seen him."

    "We need to hurry. This isn''t over until we capture the Duke!"

    Sir Salvador shouted in a resolute voice.

    He was right.

    Ian had committed the insane act of bringing his troops to the Duke''s castle.

    This wasn''t something that could be resolved with mutual apologies and handshakes.

    Like it or not, Ian had to capture Duke Roxlan.

    "The Duke probably headed for the tower."

    "I think so too."

    Built for surveillance purposes, the tower was the highest and narrowest place in Duke Roxlan''s castle.

    A location optimized for holding out.

    He couldn''t hold out for long, but he only needed to last until the Duke''s soldiers arrived.

    However...

    "There''s no need to rush."

    At Ian''s relaxed attitude, Sir Salvador gave a bitter smile.

    That''s right.

    The Duke only needed to hold out until his subordinates came, but those subordinates couldn''t come to save him.

    Precisely because... of the flood Ian had caused.

    The river by the outer castle had already overflowed, and one would need a boat to enter the castle.

    But on a day with such heavy rain, launching a boat would be difficult.

    "It may take some time, but let''s carefully pursue the Duke."

    "Understood."

    Ian and his forces methodically cleared the inner castle.

    Though he had delayed reinforcements, this was still Duke Roxlan''s castle.

    There were countless knights and soldiers loyal to the Duke.

    But they couldn''t stop Ian''s soldiers.

    No matter how numerous the troops, they were meaningless if they couldn''t fight as a unit.

    Duke Roxlan had already chosen to flee��

    In the midst of confusion, his soldiers were defeated one by one by Ian''s army.

    "[Darkness!]"

    Ian supported the army with magic from the rear.

    But surprisingly, Ian''s magic didn''t play a significant role.

    "Light! Bring the light!"

    "There must be some ancient artifacts around here...!"

    The Duke''s storehouse contained many artifacts capable of countering wizards.

    Particularly, artifacts emitting light were excellent at countering Ian''s darkness magic.

    "I''ll buy some time!"

    "Lord Wizard!"

    Additionally, a couple of wizard lodgers in the Duke''s castle rushed out.

    Even if they couldn''t defeat Ian, they were enough to weaken his magic.

    ''If only I could use fire magic.''

    Ian felt regretful, but it couldn''t be helped.

    If he used fire magic, he could burn everything...

    But there would be too many random civilian casualties.

    So rather than finding a way to break through the enemies'' magical countermeasures��

    "Belenka. Go sweep them all away."

    "Alright. Just wait a bit."

    Ian chose to simply overwhelm them with physical force.

    After all, isn''t there a saying that "a weak body makes the mind suffer"?

    With Belenka, Sir Salvador, and even Sabui.

    With three world-class knights, Ian had no reason not to choose physical force.

    And magical nonsense couldn''t stop Ian''s army.

    If the enemies used magic, Ian could counter them in return!

    "Surrender! I surrender!"

    "Very well. I respect your honorable decision."

    As a result, Ian quickly conquered the Duke''s castle.

    With just one exception.

    The tower where Duke Roxlan was holed up.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 348

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''How did it come to this?''

    Duke Roxlan couldn''t keep his body still.

    He paced back and forth, organizing and reorganizing his thoughts.

    ''...When we finished negotiations, the situation wasn''t this bad.''

    Up until the moment he imprisoned Wizard Ian, the situation had been very favorable for the Duke.

    No, he''d thought it was already won.

    Ian was trapped in a room.

    And Duke Roxlan had prepared countermeasures to deal with a wizard in advance.

    He calculated that no matter how skilled the wizard might be, he''d have no defense against the artifacts waiting in the treasure vault.

    The wizards lodging with him had even confirmed this, making him all the more confident...

    ''That cunning bastard!''

    The Duke couldn''t contain his anger and stomped his foot.

    He''d even opened the castle''s treasure vault and prepared magical countermeasures in advance...

    Yet cleverly, Wizard Ian hadn''t fought with magic!

    He did use magic. Just not for combat.

    Ian combined several spells to make soldiers spring forth into the Duke''s castle.

    The Duke was utterly dumbfounded...

    But he quickly collected himself and decided his next move.

    When Ian''s soldiers charged in, the Duke instinctively knew the situation was extremely unfavorable.

    The Duke had given all his knights leave to hold the banquet.

    The banquet was an event for "morale boosting," so naturally, knights had the right to rest.

    If he''d said, ''The banquet is just an excuse, stay here in case of emergency~'', he would''ve been criticized for sinisterly plotting.

    But now, the [Banquet Operation] had come back to trap the Duke.

    No.

    It was strangling him.

    "Sir Pyrak?"

    "...Still not in sight."

    The Duke''s aide answered, struggling to steady his trembling voice.

    This was the high tower of the castle.

    A place with a clear view of the surroundings.

    Having surveyed the situation personally, he knew how tangled things had become.

    ''The river has overflowed and blocked the path...!''

    Tremendous rain poured from the sky, and on a day like this, there was almost no way to cross the outer castle.

    When the rain stopped and the water receded.

    At the earliest, in a day or two.

    At the latest, foot travel would be difficult for up to a week.

    Even at the fastest, reinforcements wouldn''t arrive until tomorrow evening.

    They could get across quicker by boat, but that would drastically reduce the number of soldiers who could cross at once.

    "The current is still too strong to launch a boat..."

    "Damn it all to hell!"

    Duke Roxlan exploded with rage.

    The situation, the timing, was all too coincidental.

    He''d deliberately emptied the castle of soldiers for his scheme, but Ian had shown up with soldiers instead!

    Not only had he brought his own troops, but he''d also cut off the path with rain and currents.

    A natural paranoid, Duke Roxlan even suspected that Ian might have seen through his plan.

    Of course, that wasn''t the case.

    Ian''s carefully prepared operation had simply perfectly countered Duke Roxlan''s plan.

    "...Just hold out."

    The Duke gritted his teeth and shouted.

    "If we hold out for just one day! No, just half a day! My knights will cut off that impudent wizard''s head and place it at my feet!"

    Duke Roxlan made his judgment.

    Time was on his side.

    After all, no one knew what had happened between Ian and the Duke.

    The Duke''s vassals would think Ian had suddenly attacked the Duke.

    If so, the Duke would have the right to summon his vassals.

    In half a day at the earliest.

    By tomorrow at the latest, the Duke''s knights would arrive!

    "Wizard Stera!"

    "Y-yes?!"

    "I''m counting on you. When this is over, I''ll give you a cart loaded with bags of gold coins."

    "Th-thank you, my lord."

    Wizard Stera awkwardly stood up and expressed her gratitude.

    She wasn''t one of the Duke''s close associates.

    She was just a lodger who''d been on her way to the bathroom when she ended up fleeing with the Duke.

    ''I came here for free food and drink. What terrible luck!''

    She had no clear understanding of the current situation.

    In fact, most of the Duke''s retainers didn''t understand either...

    They only knew that a man called Wizard Ian had brought soldiers, and they''d die if caught.

    Not knowing who Ian was, Stera prepared her magic anyway.

    Better than dying while daydreaming.

    With the wizard''s help, Duke Roxlan prepared to hold out.

    The Duke thought time was on his side.

    And Ian thought the exact same thing.

    ''It''ll be disadvantageous if we drag this out too long.''

    The reason Ian could take the drastic measure of bringing soldiers was because of the Emperor''s protection.

    The Emperor was the type who''d snicker with glee at the Duke''s misfortune.

    It''s not like Ian attacked the Duke without reason.

    If he won, he could toss the aftermath to the Emperor.

    But to worry about the aftermath, he needed to win now.

    "What about the nobles?"

    "We''ve gathered them in the banquet hall."

    After capturing the castle, Ian quickly disarmed the guards.

    He also prevented the nobles from leaving the banquet hall.

    Sir Salvador personally directed this part.

    "No accidents happened, right?"

    "Of course not. Sir Salvador gave the orders directly. And Sabui isn''t that stupid."

    Thanks to the experienced knight''s instructions, no nobles were injured or killed.

    This was excellent news for Ian.

    If some innocent noble had been harmed, Ian would certainly have faced the consequences.

    "Let''s go see."

    Ian moved to the banquet hall with Belenka.

    Sir Salvador was already dealing with some nobles.

    The atmosphere, however, was tense.

    ''It would be strange if it was good.''

    When Ian appeared, the nobles'' gazes all flew toward him.

    Some gazes were hostile, but Ian brushed them off without concern.

    Being the center of attention was familiar to him.

    Moreover, these nobles were people he''d chatted with during the day''s banquet.

    "Wizard Ian."

    An elderly noble spoke up.

    He was the implicitly elected representative of the nobles.

    "What exactly is happening here?"

    Ian bowed his head and replied:

    "I apologize for the delayed explanation."

    "Hmm..."

    "This incident occurred due to an unfortunate friction between Duke Roxlan and myself."

    Several nobles frowned.

    Someone shouted:

    "I don''t know what kind of friction, but was it right to bring soldiers to an imperial duke''s castle?"

    Ian answered without batting an eye:

    "These soldiers are not people I summoned."

    "?"

    "They''re the handiwork of my friend and fiance?e, Wizard Kira."

    This wasn''t a lie.

    They were soldiers summoned by Kira''s magic.

    Of course, they came because Ian had requested help.

    "Wizard Kira? Why would they...?"

    "Because they learned I was in danger."

    "...Danger?"

    Ian calmly surveyed his audience.

    The nobles held their breath as they watched Ian.

    Ian''s speaking skills, honed through countless wizard-behaviors, had long surpassed ordinary levels.

    An exceptional speaker captures people''s attention before even speaking.

    As people''s concentration increased, Ian spoke in a clear voice:

    "Before news of the body being discovered, I was having a private meeting with Duke Roxlan."

    "For what reason?"

    "To discuss my fiance?e."

    "? You mean that wizard Kira?"

    Ian pulled Maria closer and said:

    "No. A different fiance?e."

    "...?"

    The nobles understood Ian''s words and chuckled.

    This wizard certainly lives an enjoyable life!

    "My fiance?e here has the family name [Silverwind]."

    "?!"

    "Yes, the Silverwind that was Duke Roxlan''s vassal."

    Several nobles wore expressions that seemed to say "I knew it!"

    In truth, a few sharp-eyed individuals had been eyeing Maria suspiciously since the day''s banquet.

    But they hadn''t dared to ask directly.

    It was already strange that the vanished Silverwind had reappeared, let alone that they''d come to Duke Roxlan''s castle!

    "Lies!"

    Ian expected such an outburst.

    He replied calmly:

    "It''s not a lie."

    "Cut the nonsense! You murderer!"

    That person probably sincerely believed Ian had magically killed someone.

    Ian shrugged.

    People naturally believe only what they want to believe.

    For such people, evidence needed to be thrust before their eyes.

    "I swear to heaven. Wizard Ian is speaking the truth right now."

    "Who are you...?"

    Two people approached Ian''s side.

    Takarion and the priest.

    With a monk and priest asserting the truth, the nobles couldn''t hastily voice opposition.

    Of course, they merely couldn''t voice it "hastily."

    Nobles with naturally rash personalities continued to say whatever they wanted.

    "Swindlers! You must have been paid! Corrupt clergy!"

    "Very well. Then let me show you different evidence."

    "...?"

    Ian moved to where the body had been found.

    "Ian."

    "Would you like to try?"

    Ian stepped aside for Maria.

    Maria took a light breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

    Maria''s magical abilities had developed incomparably since before.

    She had helped Ian at the university and made progress on her own as well.

    And Maria originally had talent for necromancy.

    "What is she doing...?"

    The nobles didn''t know what Maria was doing��

    "Wow! Necromancy!"

    "?"

    "It''s REALLY difficult!"

    A well-traveled wizard immediately noticed Maria''s magic.

    [Necromancy] was among the rarer schools of magic.

    Suddenly.

    Maria rolled her eyes back and cried out in a desperate voice:

    "Baltanka��! I''ll kill youuuu��!"

    "!!!"

    The nobles jumped in surprise.

    To call out a strange name so desperately out of nowhere?

    It was behavior impossible to believe as an act.

    Moreover, this person called Baltanka was a real person.

    He had been caught watching(...) Maria''s magic and was dragged before Ian.

    "Are you Baltanka?"

    "I-I''m sorry! I''m sorry!"

    "If you wish to confess your sins, speak to the heavens, you foolish man."

    "..."

    When Takarion stared him down, Baltanka trembled.

    He had witnessed necromancy for the first time in his life��

    And in extreme terror, he knelt at the feet of the clergyman, confessing all his sins.

    "I-I killed someone for money!"

    The nobles gasped in shock.

    This man was the true criminal in the murder case.

    "But the Duke! Duke Roxlan ordered me to do it! He said he''d cancel my debts!"

    "Hmm. Is that so?"

    The corners of Ian''s lips turned up ever so slightly.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 349

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''They''re confused.''

    Ian observed the nobles with their divided opinions.

    "Lies! All lies!"

    "Be reasonable. How could a foreign wizard have prepared all this?"

    "Then! Are you saying Duke Roxlan orchestrated this?"

    "That seems to be the case."

    "What disloyalty!"

    The nobles gathered in the banquet hall were either vassals of Duke Roxlan or people with connections to him.

    But not all nobles were dedicated to the Duke.

    That''s just how the feudal system worked.

    As long as they fulfilled their contractual obligations, they didn''t care what others did elsewhere.

    Of course, blood is thicker than water, so most were friendly toward Duke Roxlan.

    However...

    "His Grace would never stoop to such vile tactics!"

    "A witness has already come forward, yet you still spout nonsense?"

    "...A paid witness!"

    "This conversation is pointless."

    While some nobles insisted on Duke Roxlan''s innocence even if their skulls were cracked open(...),

    Others rationally assessed the situation and concluded the Duke had schemed against Ian.

    "But why would His Grace bother setting a trap for a wandering wizard..."

    "If he was targeting a Silverwind child, it''s entirely possible."

    "..."

    Ian let the nobles argue among themselves.

    Even though time was on Duke Roxlan''s side, Ian was in no hurry.

    Rushing could ruin everything.

    An imperial duke was like a monster with multiple heads.

    If you targeted just one head, you could be counterattacked.

    The correct approach was to break down the surrounding nobles supporting the Duke one by one.

    "If it''s about Silverwind..."

    "If it''s about Silverwind, then it''s possible."

    ''This is working well.''

    And just as Ian had expected��

    The nobles gradually began to suspect Duke Roxlan.

    If the Duke had unilaterally set a trap to capture the Silverwind heir... that would be reprehensible behavior even for a duke.

    Duke Fargar''s threat wasn''t a crisis for Duke Roxlan alone.

    Naturally, Duke Roxlan would issue a call to arms to counter Fargar''s threat.

    And who would have to fight?

    Duke Roxlan''s vassals, of course.

    No one enjoys taking up arms when invaders appear.

    The same went for nobles.

    They wanted to live comfortably in their domains where they were treated like kings.

    Only war-crazed dopamine addicts would want war when they already had everything.

    If Maria truly was the Silverwind heir, that would provide enough legitimacy to stop the war.

    And the Duke tried to swallow up such an important person all by himself?

    If he had simply done it without being caught, there would have been no issue.

    But... he was caught by Ian.

    Not only caught, but beaten and forced to flee.

    Nobles who wanted to undermine Duke Roxlan''s influence seized this opportunity.

    "His Grace has clearly crossed a line this time," an elderly count declared.

    Many nobles agreed with him.

    "We must hear the Duke''s explanation!"

    "I sincerely hope he provides a proper answer!"

    Public opinion tilted increasingly toward the anti-duke faction.

    From the nobles'' perspective, there was no reason not to support the anti-duke faction.

    If Duke Roxlan''s influence decreased, it would naturally benefit his vassals��

    And they had the opportunity to send Duke Fargar home.

    Even nobles who didn''t particularly dislike the Duke quietly joined the anti-duke faction.

    "Traitors!"

    "Their loyalty is thinner than parchment!"

    The pro-duke faction grumbled bitterly from behind...

    But what could they do in this situation?

    Shouting "I can''t lose the Duke!" wouldn''t change anything.

    The advantage had already shifted to Ian.

    "I will now go and formally ''protest'' to the Duke," Ian announced to the nobles.

    Ian''s ''protest'' was justified.

    The nobles understood him.

    "I''ll go with you!"

    "I won''t accompany you, but I support your restoration of honor."

    After all, Ian had been framed for murder by the Duke.

    He had nearly been arrested.

    Even if Ian was just a wandering wizard, he still had a wizard''s honor!

    In such a situation, "letting it go" could never be the right answer.

    When honor is insulted, one repays with skill!

    That was the way of nobility.

    Ian led his knights and boldly went to confront Duke Roxlan.

    It was time for the "real negotiation."

    Duke Roxlan prepared for a desperate defense.

    Half a day.

    He firmly believed that if he could just hold out for half a day, brave knights would come by boat to rescue him.

    Moreover, the Duke''s army was in a semi-war state.

    Just outside the castle, countless mercenaries had set up tents.

    They were all like wild dogs who had caught the scent of war.

    And now, an opportunity to save the Duke?

    They would all fight over each other for the chance to earn merit!

    "Everyone," the Duke said gravely.

    The atmosphere in the tower was extremely solemn.

    Naturally.

    In about 30 minutes, they would be engaged in a life-or-death battle!

    "If you survive this battle... I will never forget the debt I owe you."

    "...!"

    The Duke''s guards burned with a mixture of tension and eagerness.

    Regardless of how they got here... they stood by the Duke in his final moment.

    If they lost, they would lose their lives��

    But if they won, they could receive tremendous rewards!

    This was a chance for a life-changing opportunity.

    "I will sacrifice my life to protect Your Grace!"

    "My sword is yours!"

    "I just realized! I have lived only! For this very moment!"

    The Duke''s guards competed to spew nonsense...

    No, they poured out fervent loyalty pledges.

    ''These lunatics...!''

    Wizard Stera felt like she would collapse from disbelief.

    If you want to die, do it among yourselves!

    I''m! Just! Someone who was dragged here while going to the bathroom at night!!!

    Stera wanted to escape from this suffocating tower immediately.

    But if she said, "Hahaha~ This is uncomfortable so I''ll head home~," someone overcome with excessive loyalty would immediately swing their sword shouting, "Die! Traitor!"

    The atmosphere was one where betrayal would not be tolerated.

    Wizard Stera desperately racked her brain.

    Specifically... how could she surrender without getting hurt...

    ''Why should I risk my life fighting for this duke bastard?''

    Though she didn''t know Wizard Ian, surely he would accept her surrender.

    After all, they were both wizards.

    Tap, tap, tap...

    "!"

    "They''re coming!"

    As footsteps were heard outside, the guards tensed and drew their swords.

    ''This is truly maddening!''

    Wizard Stera also prepared her magic.

    It was to avoid dying if Ian used an area-of-effect spell.

    But no magic came.

    In fact, there was no attack at all.

    Ian fearlessly approached the tower entrance.

    Duke Roxlan couldn''t understand Ian''s behavior.

    ''He''s attempting dialogue in this situation?''

    From the moment Ian summoned soldiers, negotiation became impossible.

    Either the Duke would be captured or Ian would be. They had to fight until one of them fell.

    And time was on the Duke''s side.

    If he could just stall a little longer, Ian would have to face the Duke''s knights.

    But when the Duke saw those following Ian, he frowned.

    They were nobles.

    Some of the nobles from the banquet were following Ian!

    "Duke Roxlan."

    Ian called out to the Duke in a gentle voice.

    It was a voice full of courtesy��

    No one present could find fault with Ian''s respectful manner.

    The nobles were impressed to see Ian maintaining his manners until the end.

    ''If it were me, I would have started cursing right away...!''

    ''Even toward an enemy, he never loses his respect!''

    In truth, it wouldn''t have been a problem if Ian had cursed at the Duke.

    Wizards were known for their eccentricities.

    And since the Duke had tarnished Ian''s honor, his anger would be justified.

    But Ian remained conscious of public opinion.

    To successfully deal with the Duke, he needed the nobles'' support.

    "Wizard Ian."

    Duke Roxlan spoke in a gloomy voice.

    "I cannot believe this. I invited you as a guest. And yet you dare attack my castle?"

    Ian smirked.

    Ah~ That approach?

    The Duke''s excuse was predictably obvious.

    He would paint Ian as Duke Fargar''s agent.

    The Duke indeed spoke as Ian predicted.

    "Answer honestly and I''ll spare your life. Did you receive orders from Duke Fargar?"

    "!"

    The soldiers in the tower looked at Ian in surprise.

    So that''s why he suddenly attacked His Grace!

    He was an agent sent by Duke Fargar!

    Ian slowly shook his head.

    Duke Roxlan still didn''t realize his plan had been exposed.

    "Your Grace. It''s over. Let''s stop the act."

    "What...?"

    "Your friend Baltanka confessed everything."

    Ian looked directly at the Duke and said:

    "He said you intimidated him and prepared a body in advance."

    "..."

    "I also found all the props you prepared. You did a good job making the culprit look like a wizard."

    The Duke glared at Ian with cold eyes.

    But he quickly changed his expression with astonishing speed.

    It was an impressively skillful control of his face.

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about."

    "You don''t understand?"

    "That''s right. This is all news to me."

    Ian nodded.

    He had anticipated that the Duke wouldn''t engage in negotiations.

    Admitting now would mean surrendering everything.

    Ian hadn''t expected him to, anyway.

    But the Duke''s brazen denial angered many people.

    Especially the clergy.

    "Duke Roxlan! Heaven is watching! Have you no shame!"

    "Murder conspiracy and false accusation... your sins run deep, brother."

    Takarion and the priest publicly condemned Duke Roxlan.

    Usually, clergymen were annoying for always speaking the truth...

    But now, they were commendable for speaking the truth!

    "Shut up! What do you know!"

    Duke Roxlan shouted, emanating murderous intent.

    "Keep babbling as you please, and I''ll rip out your tongues!"

    The priest, shocked by the Duke''s madness, fell silent momentarily.

    Threatening clergy wasn''t normally possible without extreme audacity.

    So the priest hesitated slightly.

    Duke Roxlan... could he actually be innocent?

    Is that why he could be so confident?!

    But Takarion continued to shout without intimidation.

    His resolute figure reminded Ian of Isila the monk.

    "If I have no tongue, I''ll denounce you with my pen! Duke Roxlan!"

    "What...? How dare a mere monk..."

    "It is you who should not be mistaken! Worldly power is but an illusion! You and I are both merely humans under heaven!"

    Speak your mind, Takarion!

    Ian was slightly impressed that Takarion would speak up.

    Monk Isila seemed to have taught him well.

    "We can discuss details later. First, please come out of that stifling tower."

    "Ha! Try to drag me out if you can!"

    The situation was now completely reversed.

    The Duke was holding out, and Ian was trying to extract him.

    Ian selected an appropriate spell to deal with the Duke.

    But just then:

    "[Storm and lightning!]"

    "?"

    A magic language burst forth from the Duke''s formation.

    Magically created lightning sprang up in all directions...

    "Gyaaaaaah!"

    ...and electrocuted Duke Roxlan.

    The Duke collapsed, drooling.

    Ian looked ahead in confusion, wondering what had just happened.

    A wizard was desperately waving her hands.

    "I did it! I used magic!"

    Ian didn''t quite understand what was happening, but he didn''t miss this golden opportunity.

    "Capture them all!"

    Ian shouted as he magically broke the lock.

    Ian''s soldiers poured in instantly.

    "Uh... huh?!"

    The Duke''s guards were all arrested before they could even react.

    Their planned desperate resistance never even began.

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 Chapter 350

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "I-I''m innocent!"

    "I''d like to say that, but..."

    Ian had a brief conversation with the wizard.

    The woman who introduced herself as Wizard Stera was a skilled air mage.

    Stera was the one who had taken Duke Roxlan down with a surprise attack.

    "I just wanted to end everything!"

    "I understand."

    Right before Ian was about to clash with Duke Roxlan��

    Stera unleashed a spell she had prepared in advance on the Duke.

    She had made the decision to side with Ian after observing the situation.

    After hearing her circumstances, it was understandable why she''d want to join Ian.

    Stera was an unfortunate wizard who had been staying as a guest lodger and somehow ended up among the Duke''s closest confidants...

    Ian definitely had the moral high ground.

    Already sick of the Duke, she simply blasted him with the magic she had prepared, ending the fight.

    This was good for Ian in many ways.

    Not so much for Stera, though.

    "How was I supposed to know the Duke was that weak!"

    "..."

    As an air mage, Stera had mimicked the Mystery of Storm to create a small lightning bolt.

    She had shot lightning at bandits several times during her travels and was confident in creating lightning strong enough to knock a person unconscious.

    So she confidently fired lightning at the Duke...

    The problem was that Duke Roxlan was much weaker than Stera had anticipated.

    Strictly speaking, it was indeed Stera''s fault.

    Duke Roxlan was visibly a frail old man.

    Just because he looked pale like a vampire didn''t mean he had a vampire''s durability.

    But Stera had fired lightning without considering the Duke''s condition��

    And now, the Duke was unconscious and fighting for his life(...).

    Naturally, the elderly have weaker bodies than the young.

    Young people can get up after falling down, but the elderly might die on the spot.

    In the worst case, Duke Roxlan could die right here.

    If that happened?

    Congratulations! You''ve become a duke-killer!

    "I know that!!!"

    Stera shouted, looking like she might faint herself.

    Ian was about to explain the situation but stopped.

    Stera seemed well aware of the seriousness.

    "You can''t abandon me?! If you do, I''ll tell Eredith!"

    "...Act your age. Let''s stay calm."

    Ian replied with a slight jolt.

    ...In truth, he had briefly considered cutting ties with her, but she was a fellow wizard who knew Eredith.

    He intended to help her escape with her life, at least.

    As for dealing with the aftermath? Not his problem?

    "You''ve helped me greatly, so I''ll help you avoid the worst outcome as well."

    "Ah... that''s enough for me."

    Stera grumbled but accepted.

    As an experienced wizard, she understood the ecology of nobility well enough.

    If Duke Roxlan died... she''d have to flee.

    Well, the dead person would be unfortunate, but what could she do?

    If she escaped far away to Gazuus or Araz, the people of Roxlan would be left sucking their thumbs.

    Moreover, the Imperial University was in Dranheim, Araz.

    If Stera deliberately hid herself in the university, there would be nothing they could do.

    The worst scenario for her would be imprisonment in Roxlan''s dungeon...

    But Ian would prevent that, so she was somewhat relieved.

    "For now, stay confined to your room. Belenka will guard you."

    "Thank you..."

    Stera trudged away, completely drained.

    ***

    The sun rose without fail the next day.

    Roxlan Castle was eerily quiet the following day, as if the previous night''s chaos had been a mere dream.

    All the traffic control had already been completed.

    Ian had sent his soldiers away, keeping only a few guards, and Roxlan''s security returned to the hands of Roxlan soldiers.

    The nobles hadn''t left and remained in the banquet hall.

    ...Because Duke Roxlan had collapsed.

    Even if he''d set a vile trap and told brazen lies, a duke was still a duke.

    Nothing could be done until the Duke regained consciousness, but he was knocked out by lightning.

    The doctor said he might die in the worst case.

    The clergy prayed diligently for the Duke''s recovery.

    What a tremendously helpful action for the Duke.

    Ian wrote a letter to Elia informing her about the castle''s situation while receiving news from outside.

    "I hear Duke Fargar''s army has begun advancing."

    Belenka, having gathered information from the knights, reported everything she''d learned to Ian.

    "How coincidental."

    "The timing is terrible."

    Just as Duke Roxlan had fallen��

    Duke Fargar had begun his advance.

    After sweeping away the ragtag army of the Rashin Kingdom, he was moving toward his next target.

    If they wanted to stop Duke Fargar without war, now was the only opportunity.

    "But I don''t think we need to worry."

    Ian nodded.

    Even though Duke Roxlan had fallen, there shouldn''t be any problem stopping Duke Fargar.

    That was because Maria was safe.

    Currently, the Emperor was staying in Roxlan.

    Duke Roxlan is down? Then the Emperor can step in!

    Roxlan would be upset about being excluded from negotiations... but it couldn''t be helped.

    "Roxlan''s in a desperate situation too. They''ll have to deal with it somehow."

    Belenka''s prediction was correct.

    That evening.

    Duke Roxlan''s son arrived at Roxlan Castle.

    He had rushed all day after receiving an urgent message.

    "Is that the Duke''s son?"

    "Seems like it."

    Ian watched the Duke''s son''s arrival alongside Belenka.

    He was unmistakably Duke Roxlan''s son.

    The bushy hair, pale face, and gloomy eyes...

    "He really looks like him."

    "Well, he is his son."

    He resembled Duke Roxlan so closely that you might believe the Duke had somehow rejuvenated.

    ''Nothing resolves easily.''

    Ian''s head was already throbbing at the thought of dealing with Duke Roxlan''s son.

    Ian was just a wizard.

    Now he had to wrestle with nobles in another WWE match.

    This was exactly why wizards rarely accepted titles.

    Always arguing with nobles while missing out on important magic training!

    "Wizard, Count Francis is calling for you."

    He''d already been informed.

    Count Francis = Duke Roxlan''s son.

    "I''ll go now."

    Ian headed to the room where the Duke''s son waited.

    Count Francis was praying with his hands clasped before a holy painting.

    Whether it was for show or genuine wasn''t clear, but he passed as a Heaven''s Faith believer.

    "Pleased to meet you, Wizard Ian."

    Count Francis spoke in a chilling voice.

    With his vampire-like appearance and spine-tingling voice, it was hard to tell if he was Count Francis or Count Dracula.

    ''The young Duke Roxlan... must have been quite frightening.''

    Ian was grateful he''d met the Duke in his old age...

    "You dealt with my father quite impressively."

    Ian was slightly amazed by Count Francis''s first words.

    Savage...!

    This man, a savage son...!

    What an unfilial son!

    "I regret how things turned out. But please understand it wasn''t entirely my fault."

    When Ian spoke respectfully, Count Francis smiled slightly.

    "I''m not blaming you."

    "...?"

    "I knew such a day would come. My father... Duke Roxlan, is not a righteous man. He''s always harbored suspicious spirits and set traps like a spider."

    Ian nearly blurted out, "Wow! You know him so well!"

    This guy, is he really Duke Roxlan''s son?

    He knows the Duke too accurately!

    "Though it''s inappropriate for a son to say, my father''s situation is his own doing."

    Ian gained a fresh understanding of just how fractured Duke Roxlan''s character really was.

    What on earth had he done to make even his son so disgusted?

    "If my father doesn''t recover, I''ll have to stop Duke Fargar."

    "Probably."

    No joke, Count Francis might be promoted(?) to Duke Roxlan if things continued this way.

    That would happen if Duke Roxlan died!

    "I heard you''re planning to marry the Silverwind heir."

    "..."

    Ian simply nodded.

    Something, something felt off, but...

    It wasn''t exactly a situation where he could deny it, was it?

    "That''s right."

    "My father would have tried to take your fiance?e."

    "...That''s what happened."

    Count Francis nodded and said:

    "My father once lost his concubine to the Margrave of Silverwind."

    "I''ve heard rumors."

    "She was as pure as a lily. Too pitiful to be captured by a man like my father."

    They say people covet what they cannot possess.

    The gloomy Duke wanted to possess Maria''s beautiful, pure mother.

    But the woman the Duke loved fell for a handsome middle-aged man...

    "At a banquet where vassals gathered. She became Silverwind''s woman."

    Count Francis spoke with an eerie laugh.

    As if enjoying some delicious gossip.

    "My father, having lost his concubine, couldn''t honorably challenge him to a duel. Instead, he smiled kindly and congratulated the couple."

    "And schemed behind their backs."

    "It''s his innate nature."

    The rest was as Ian knew.

    Duke Roxlan joined hands with the Rashin Kingdom and destroyed the Margrave of Silverwind.

    And then before the Duke... appeared the daughter of the woman he had loved.

    Who didn''t call him father.

    Duke Roxlan immediately plotted to eliminate Ian and take Maria.

    Though he was thwarted by Ian''s magic.

    "A twisted possessiveness."

    Count Francis spoke in a deflated voice.

    "Father shouldn''t have abandoned Silverwind like that. That''s not what someone in a duke''s position should do."

    "..."

    "So I sincerely bless you."

    "?"

    Suddenly?

    Ian was slightly taken aback, but Count Francis approached without hesitation and offered his hand.

    Ian grabbed the Count''s hand in confusion.

    "I have very important information for you."

    "...Please tell me."

    "Get married as soon as possible. Have children quickly too."

    "???"

    No, that''s for me to decide��

    Ian was about to say, but stopped.

    The engagement with Maria was fake from the start, so what more could he say!

    "I sincerely want to right my father''s wrongs."

    Count Francis spoke to Ian with gloomy yet forthright(?) eyes.

    He already looked at Ian as Maria''s husband!

    "For that, we need to establish House Silverwind as soon as possible."

    "..."

    "We need children from you and Maria."

    Ian felt like he might die from the pressure of Count Francis''s gaze.

    "There''s no need to rush like that..."

    "No. We must hurry."

    Count Francis said.

    "Do you know that your wife is a bastard?"

    "Was that true?"

    "It is. Maria''s mother never married the Count of Silverwind."

    Ian faltered at the Count''s next words.

    "Don''t be surprised. The Margrave of Silverwind had a daughter born from his legal wife."

    "That''s..."

    "There''s a high possibility that Duke Fargar has secured that woman."

    "!"

    Ian couldn''t continue.

    If that was true...

    Then Duke Fargar wasn''t holding a fake heir...

    But a true heir with even greater legitimacy than Maria!

    "So marry quickly and start a family."

    "But..."

    Count Francis spoke in a low voice, almost whispering:

    "I''ll take care of the woman Duke Fargar found."

    "..."

    His voice remained spine-chilling.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 351

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Count Francis''s information was truly ''important.''

    Ian quickly organized his thoughts.

    ''The woman Duke Fargar has might actually be a true Silverwind survivor.''

    The process of confirming her identity would have been somewhat crude.

    Just as Duke Roxlan had seen his former lover in Maria''s face��

    Someone might have recognized the former Count of Silverwind in her features.

    To put it coldly... she just resembled her parents.

    "Why do you think Duke Fargar''s representative is legitimate?"

    When Ian asked, Count Francis answered with a chilling smile.

    "Wandering wizard. I have more spies than you might imagine."

    "You take after your father."

    Count Francis flinched slightly but maintained his smile.

    Somehow, his manner of controlling his expressions resembled his father exactly.

    "Blood will tell, as they say."

    Count Francis acknowledged his own devious side.

    "But someone must do this work. Without my information, Duke Fargar would have succeeded in staining the Empire with blood."

    "Perhaps so."

    Count Francis continued to explain.

    In truth, his explanation wasn''t much different from Ian''s expectations.

    The survivor presented by Fargar was... a woman who ''strongly resembled'' the Count of Silverwind.

    "They say she looks very much like her father."

    "If she didn''t resemble him that much, they wouldn''t have presented her as the heir."

    Count Francis agreed.

    "True. The truth doesn''t matter. A face that can convince everyone. That''s what''s important."

    This was probably possible because they were in a medieval fantasy world.

    There was no magic to verify birth��

    The most effective method to prove identity was none other than [appearance].

    A child resembling their father?

    Must be legitimate!

    "But our side has the signet ring."

    "I know. But being too complacent will ruin everything."

    Yet a resembling face alone had its limits.

    As a noble, one needed a way to prove their identity.

    Maria had that item.

    The signet ring.

    ''...Something feels off.''

    Ian sensed a strange awkwardness.

    If Fargar''s survivor was truly the Count of Silverwind''s daughter,

    Shouldn''t the family signet ring be in her possession?

    Why had the ring ended up in the hands of Maria, who was a bastard?

    But Ian quickly shook his head.

    He wasn''t a medieval detective.

    Whatever the reason, the ring was in Maria''s possession.

    That gave her far more legitimacy than a woman who merely looked similar.

    "Those who support Duke Fargar won''t acknowledge Maria''s existence."

    "How troublesome."

    Count Francis patted Ian''s shoulder and said:

    "That''s why we need you."

    The situation favored Maria, but sitting idly might lead to defeat.

    That was Count Francis''s thinking.

    What should they do then?

    Count Francis wanted to quickly make Maria the Countess of Silverwind.

    It was a kind of preemptive occupation.

    If both were claimants, wouldn''t the first to claim it be the rightful owner?

    He wanted not just to grant a title, but to establish a complete household.

    With a wizard husband(?) and children, it would be a complete noble family by anyone''s standards.

    Of course, simultaneously, Count Francis''s [spies] would ensure Fargar''s survivor ceased to be a survivor...

    "I''ll make your wife the Countess of Silverwind."

    Ian sensed something was seriously wrong...

    "I''ll arrange the engagement ceremony as well."

    "Um... Count?"

    "I promise there will be no disadvantages regarding past matters."

    Count Francis looked at Ian with satisfaction and said:

    "As long as you marry Maria."

    "..."

    Wait, something seems really off about this?!

    Ian couldn''t bring himself to respond.

    Count Francis moved boldly forward.

    He confirmed that Duke Roxlan was unable to perform his duties.

    He immediately declared himself the Duke''s proxy.

    "Currently, Duke Fargar is advancing toward Roxlan with his army. In such a situation, we cannot leave the Duke''s position vacant."

    "..."

    The nobles looked at each other, but no one raised objections.

    Well... he was right.

    Oddly enough, a leader''s authority strengthens during a crisis.

    Strong unity is needed to face external threats.

    The leader must fulfill that role.

    Therefore, crisis is opportunity for a leader.

    Lose and you lose everything, win and you become supreme.

    "As the proxy of Duke Roxlan, I declare."

    Count Francis took advantage of his father''s collapse to reign as the nobles'' leader.

    "Roxlan stands with the Silverwind heir."

    "...!"

    Nobles who didn''t understand the situation were greatly bewildered.

    But those familiar with the events reacted as if they''d been expecting this.

    "What is the meaning of this?"

    "Actually... I heard the Silverwind heir secretly approached Duke Roxlan."

    "But then...!"

    "The Duke tried to capture the heir... and ended up like this."

    The rumor about Duke Roxlan setting a trap was no longer something that could be concealed.

    The nobles despised the Duke''s vile behavior.

    "How could someone of ducal rank, for such a petty reason...!"

    "Duke Roxlan was always a mean-spirited man."

    A minority of nobles defended the Duke, but most condemned him.

    Many had already harbored doubts about Silverwind''s downfall.

    They were furious that instead of showing grace to the survivor who appeared, he had schemed against her.

    Therefore, there was no issue with Count Francis acting as the Duke''s proxy.

    He chose a different path from his father, just as he had initially told Ian.

    He recognized Maria and sought to restore her position as Margrave of Silverwind.

    From House Roxlan''s perspective, this offered little benefit.

    But... the Count did it ''anyway.''

    "Rectifying my father''s wrongdoing is only natural."

    If weighing the gains and losses, this did benefit Count Francis personally.

    It clearly demonstrated that he was different from the previous Duke Roxlan.

    Nobles who disliked Duke Roxlan''s characteristically sinister personality applauded Francis''s ''fair'' actions.

    "Um... Count?"

    "No need to thank me, Wizard Ian. I''m merely doing what should be done."

    Ian could hardly hide his uneasy expression.

    With the sudden change in leadership, the situation had shifted greatly in Maria''s favor.

    Not only was Maria being granted a title, but the Count had declared he would return the margraviate territory to her.

    Was that good?

    Honestly... yes, it was.

    It was good, but...

    "Behold this young bride!"

    "Ohhh!"

    Count Francis introduced Maria to the nobles with a shout.

    "Though she endured harsh humiliation, she survived and blossomed! Isn''t it beautiful and moving!"

    Clap clap clap!

    The nobles applauded without exception.

    They had already decided to switch their allegiance to Count Francis.

    This meant they were prepared to roar with laughter even if he told a terrible joke.

    And merely celebrating a newlywed couple?

    Piece of cake!

    "The birth of a new House Silverwind!"

    "Blessings to the young couple!"

    "Hahaha! How enviable! Wizard Ian!"

    "..."

    Ian wanted to shut all the nobles'' mouths.

    Take it easy, you bastards!

    ''Wait, why is this...?''

    Ian''s reason for pretending to be Maria''s ''fake fiance?'' had been simple.

    He just wanted to help Maria!

    The initial plan was for Ian to take Maria away, while using the land to appease Duke Roxlan.

    But things started to go wrong when the Duke showed excessive greed.

    Ian somehow found a way to survive...

    And now, he was actually going to marry Maria...?

    "How the hell did it end up like this!"

    Ian muttered in disbelief.

    But no one cared about Ian''s thoughts.

    After all, he was publicly known as Maria''s real fiance?!

    The future duke candidate, Count Francis, had already decided to support Ian��

    And the nobles following Francis would naturally recognize Ian''s marriage.

    Whether Ian wanted to get married or not!

    ***

    "Ian!"

    After the storm of events had calmed,

    Imperial Princess Elia hurriedly came to see Ian.

    She clearly knew what had happened from reports...

    But who could have imagined Ian would actually end up marrying Maria!

    "Did you take down Duke Roxlan because you wanted to marry Maria?!"

    "No!"

    Who takes me for someone obsessed with collecting wives!

    Ian was speechless, but had nothing to say.

    Could he possibly escape now by saying, ''Hehe~ Actually, I was just a fake fiance?~''?

    Even stray dogs barked "There''s Silverwind''s fiance?! Wow!" when they saw Ian.

    "Count Francis said he''d restore her title on his own!"

    "That''s great!"

    "Yes! It''s great!!!"

    Ian shouted while clutching his head.

    He had wanted things to go well for Maria!

    But not like this!

    Elia was about to say something but flinched and turned away.

    "Well... the problem was that you''re too competent."

    "?"

    What kind of nonsense was that?

    It sounded like she was saying Ian should have fallen for Duke Roxlan''s plot and ended up in a dungeon?

    "Anyway, I don''t know. Just think of it as a good thing and enjoy it!"

    "..."

    "I''m leaving!"

    Elia left as if fleeing from something.

    What''s wrong with her��Ian wondered as he turned around.

    He couldn''t help but flinch in surprise.

    ...Because Kira stood there with folded arms, staring at Ian with an odd expression.

    "Oh, w-when did you get here?"

    "I''ve been here for a while. You didn''t notice?"

    Ian knew Kira''s personality well.

    Kira was... a pure-hearted girl who greatly valued sincere love between men and women.

    She was someone who had felt extreme terror at the thought of approaching a man who already had a fiance?e.

    And now Ian was suddenly setting up to marry Maria?

    ...Ian didn''t want to imagine what would happen next.

    "It''s a misunderstanding, Kira."

    "What is? That you''re actually going to marry Maria?"

    "..."

    Hearing it from his fiance?e''s mouth made it truly shocking.

    Kira sat in a chair and crossed her legs.

    Then with a faint smile, she said:

    "Care to explain?"

    ...Ian''s mouth went completely dry for no reason.

    Why was he so nervous over this?!

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian explained the current situation earnestly.

    Being a wizard, his tone was incredibly logical and persuasive.

    ...Ian had a nice voice.

    Kira savored Ian''s voice as he continued speaking, like she was listening to music.

    ''He''s truly sincere.''

    Kira smiled slightly.

    She knew Ian would genuinely engage in conversation.

    But theory and reality are different.

    They say you can know ten fathoms of water but not one fathom of the human heart.

    No one can perfectly predict how others will react.

    People''s hearts change from moment to moment.

    The person I knew yesterday isn''t exactly the same person I meet today.

    People can change even in the span of a day.

    This is why young couples easily separate.

    A husband thinks he knows his wife, and a wife thinks she knows her husband��

    But the person I knew yesterday might be completely different from who you are today.

    It was the same in Kira''s case.

    Even if the marriage with Maria was unwanted...

    Ian might suddenly desire a count''s land, or develop a taste for having multiple wives.

    The Ian that Kira ''knew'' wasn''t that kind of person.

    But a person''s appearance can change in countless ways depending on time and place.

    Ian could have transformed due to the fortune that had accidentally rolled in.

    But...

    "So Count Francis recommended marriage."

    Ian calmly explained the situation with a serious attitude.

    He was exactly the Ian that Kira knew.

    ''Ian is trying to communicate.''

    Perhaps it was an occupational habit of wizards.

    No matter who they spoke with, wizards attempted conversation first.

    Aren''t wizards those who communicate with all things?

    An excellent wizard like Ian especially despised communication errors.

    ''I can feel Ian''s heart.''

    Kira smiled warmly as she looked at Ian.

    Ian trusted Kira.

    The belief that if he explained the truth, Kira would understand him.

    Trust is essential for couples.

    And Kira confirmed that Ian trusted her.

    ''If I''m going to live with someone for the rest of my life... shouldn''t it be with someone who trusts me and communicates with me?''

    Kira was certain.

    She truly loved Ian.

    Fervently enough that she would have no regrets spending her life with him.

    "Stop. That''s enough, Ian."

    Kira said.

    "How should I put this... I think it''s fine even if you really marry Maria."

    "...?"

    Ian was shocked.

    He had wanted to persuade Kira...

    But wasn''t this too successful?!

    He would have been grateful just for success, but this felt like an overwhelming victory!

    "Kira. If you''re forcing yourself..."

    "No, Ian. I''m sincere."

    Like a proper wizard, Kira explained her decision logically.

    "First, Maria isn''t a woman you seduced, right?"

    Ian nodded.

    He could swear to the sacred heavens��he had never tried to seduce Maria.

    Though Maria did like Ian to a suspicious degree!

    "Second, this isn''t a marriage you intended."

    That was true.

    From the beginning, Ian had only intended to free Maria, never planning to receive any land.

    It was just that things had gotten complicated and ended up like this.

    "Third."

    Kira gently wrapped her arms around Ian''s neck.

    He could feel her soft chest and the beating heart beyond it.

    "I''m happy that you cherish me, Ian."

    "..."

    "Not making decisions on your own. Not making absurd excuses. Explaining things as they are and trying to talk with me... it was wonderful."

    "Kira."

    "Seeing you now... I think you''ll never ignore or abandon me in the future."

    Kira rose on her tiptoes, bringing her face close to Ian''s.

    Their breaths mingled, they were so close.

    "Can I trust you? Ian Eredith Raven?"

    No light explanation was needed.

    Ian pressed his lips against Kira''s.

    After a while, Ian said to Kira:

    "Do you remember how Maronius lost his first love?"

    "It was because of a misunderstanding. Because they couldn''t trust each other and couldn''t communicate."

    "That won''t happen to us. I''ll make sure of it."

    Communication with people is difficult.

    But Ian would succeed.

    Because he was a fine wizard.

    "...Yes."

    Kira burrowed into Ian''s arms and said:

    "I''ll trust you, Ian."

    ***

    Ian had a brief conversation with Maria.

    It was brief because the outcome was obvious regardless of how deeply they talked.

    "Maria. About the marriage Count Francis mentioned..."

    "Oh my, I''d love to!"

    "..."

    Maria looked at Ian with a shameless smile.

    Ian sighed.

    Right. He hadn''t expected her to refuse...

    "Maria. I already have two fiance?es..."

    "That doesn''t matter."

    "We might have to live in Talian..."

    "That would be wonderful!"

    "...Count Francis will give you land, you know? Don''t you want to manage your own territory?"

    Maria tilted her head and said:

    "What? Me?"

    "..."

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    She was truly a medieval Gen Z.

    "I''d rather leave it to Count Francis, if possible?"

    The Count would absolutely love that.

    Ian couldn''t understand Maria''s decision.

    Even if Ian was a reincarnator.

    Maria was a genuine medieval person, wasn''t she?

    A chance for social advancement was right in front of her!

    It was an opportunity to go from a country girl to a countess with her own land!

    But Maria didn''t care about managing land��she just wanted to stay by Ian''s side.

    As a countess, she could eat good food and live a life commanding servants.

    With land, she could live without working for the rest of her life.

    Why do women like Cinderella marriages?

    Isn''t it because they can live in splendid houses spending money freely?

    And yet...

    Maria chose Ian without a moment''s hesitation.

    She preferred Ian over living leisurely in a county for the rest of her life...

    It was almost frightening.

    "I''ve always dreamed of a life with you."

    Maria said, holding Ian''s hand.

    "Now that the opportunity has come... I want to fulfill my dream."

    "...A dream, is it."

    Maria approaching him while mentioning dreams.

    Ian felt slightly dizzy.

    What on earth did she want, to be so obsessed with Ian?

    Ian had only saved her life, nothing more!

    ''Do I really have to live with her?''

    Ian had thought of Maria as a cute yet eerie(...) little sister.

    ...But that sister wasn''t going home!

    Soon, Ian''s home would become Maria''s home!

    ''Count Francis must be getting a headache too.''

    The Count would be assuming Maria would settle down in the county.

    Of course he would.

    He had gifted her a title and land as a set��he wouldn''t expect her to kick it away and leave!

    But Maria wasn''t going to live in Silverwind.

    Ian planned to live in Talian��

    And naturally, Maria would end up living in Talian too.

    Since her dream was to live by Ian''s side.

    ''I''ll think about that later.''

    The future could be considered after everything was resolved.

    "Caw! Master!"

    "Back already?"

    Oberon landed lightly on Ian''s staff.

    Ian tossed a few peanuts to Oberon.

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [There are many people! So many!]

    Ian looked up at the sky.

    What Oberon had gone to see was Duke Fargar''s army.

    ''The inevitable has arrived.''

    Everything would end once Duke Fargar retreated.

    "Lord Ian."

    A servant came looking for Ian.

    "Count Francis is looking for you."

    "I''ll be right there."

    Duke Roxlan''s conference room was gloomy.

    There had been a lot of talk about Duke Fargar coming.

    But...

    That madman actually came...

    Some nobles had thought that maybe the Rashin Kingdom''s army would stop the Duke''s forces.

    But Duke Fargar had easily devoured the Rashin Kingdom''s army and marched toward Roxlan.

    As everyone had expected, the Rashin Kingdom wasn''t even worth a single meal.

    "Damn scarecrows."

    "Don''t insult scarecrows. At least they can defeat sparrows."

    If Duke Fargar''s army had been defeated by the Rashin Kingdom forces, they could have just laughed, "Hahaha~ what losers~" and been done with it.

    But no such miracle occurred.

    In truth, the reason Rashin Kingdom forces had been able to occupy Silverwind''s land was because Duke Roxlan had been backing them.

    Since the Duke did nothing, no one else moved!

    But Duke Fargar, armed with a powerful justification, swept away the Rashin Kingdom forces like cutting through straw.

    And that blade had now reached Roxlan''s doorstep.

    "Don''t worry too much. Duke Fargar will stop here."

    "I wish that were true."

    Roxlan''s vassals had responded to the call to arms to protect their lord.

    But... honestly, the nobles didn''t want to fight Duke Fargar.

    Why had the Duke invaded?

    Wasn''t it to return the Margrave of Silverwind title to its rightful heir?

    And why had the margraviate disappeared in the first place?

    Answering "Because the Rashin Kingdom invaded!" was just wordplay.

    The answer was obvious.

    It disappeared because Duke Roxlan played his sinister games!

    But the vassals were obligated by feudal contract to protect Duke Roxlan.

    Duke Roxlan had destroyed Silverwind entirely through [scheming]��

    Without clear evidence, the Duke''s wrongdoing couldn''t be disputed.

    If Duke Roxlan had been well, who knows what other tricks he might have played.

    But the situation was different now.

    "We have the moral high ground."

    The leader of the pro-Roxlan faction(?) was Count Francis.

    More precisely, Count Francis serving as Duke Roxlan''s proxy.

    "We have Silverwind''s rightful heir."

    In Duke Roxlan''s camp were Maria and Ian.

    Moreover, the Emperor and imperial forces were also staying in Roxlan.

    "Duke Fargar will return empty-handed."

    Count Francis said, his eyes gleaming.

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 Chapter 353

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Count Francis invited Ian to join the meeting.

    "It would be an honor."

    Ian discreetly assessed Count Francis''s demeanor.

    Despite the complications, Ian had been at odds with Duke Roxlan until recently.

    Strictly speaking, their conflict couldn''t be considered fully resolved yet.

    It was more like a temporary lull because the weakened Duke had gone into recovery.

    But Count Francis paid no mind to this.

    "You and I will be in the same boat. No need to feel too burdened."

    "..."

    It''s plenty burdensome, though.

    Ian was Maria''s official fiance?.

    This meant that Ian, too, would likely become an ally of Count Francis.

    The value of an exceptional wizard was always high.

    Ian could understand why Count Francis was being so friendly.

    "This concerns your future wife. Don''t you want to support her?"

    "I suppose that''s true."

    Count Francis whispered secretively.

    "Besides... you should see for yourself."

    "?"

    "I mean the representative Duke Fargar has put forward."

    The Count made a slicing gesture with his hand as he spoke.

    "That way, if anything happens later, you can ''handle'' it."

    "..."

    I really don''t want to do this.

    Ian wore a sour expression, but

    Count Francis patted his shoulder and said:

    "The company of a fine wizard is always welcome."

    That was true.

    Duke Fargar would certainly bring a wizard with him as well.

    That would be necessary to detect any magical tricks from the other side.

    Ian accepted the Count''s proposal.

    "Very well. I''ll join you."

    "An excellent decision."

    Ian strolled along the castle walls with Belenka.

    In the distance, Duke Fargar''s army could be seen setting up camp.

    It was clearly an immense force.

    "See how each unit has raised their own banner?"

    "Yes. Are those all different flags?"

    "They are."

    The scene looked strange to Ian.

    Thousands of soldiers had gathered, but each unit had a different banner.

    Why weren''t they all unified under Duke Fargar''s banner, which would look more imposing and stylish? Why this patchwork?

    The reason was simple.

    It was a mixed force cobbled together from various armies.

    First, Duke Fargar hadn''t distributed banners to the other forces.

    Well... that would cost money.

    Making banners was labor-intensive work.

    And labor? That naturally required wages.

    It would be nice if all the armies were uniformly coordinated, but that would require enormous funds.

    In ancient armies, the principle was that soldiers paid for everything themselves.

    Food, clothing, shelter.

    All came out of your own pocket.

    Having the state support soldiers was a post-medieval development.

    When everything was self-funded, how could you afford matching uniforms?

    That''s why medieval army equipment varied widely.

    Banners were no exception.

    "Those are mercenary banners. Those belong to vassals who answered the call."

    Belenka gave Ian a crash course in battlefield observation.

    "Generally, if a banner falls, that unit is considered defeated."

    "Interesting."

    The number of troops varied depending on the size of the mercenary company or noble''s forces.

    Some were tiny units of around 10 men, while others were massive forces exceeding 200-300.

    So having many banners didn''t necessarily mean having more troops.

    But it was possible to make a rough estimate.

    "Hmm. Looks like about 3,000 men."

    3,000 men!

    That should be an intimidating number that makes your legs tremble!

    ...Or so one might think, but Ian was rather unimpressed.

    Ian knew of a tiny, hyper-centralized nation in the East.

    Even from that speck of land, armies of 10,000-20,000 emerged without difficulty.

    Just 3,000 men?

    Truly a Western barbarian-sized force.

    "That''s fewer than I expected."

    "Well, yeah. Only those who smelled money would have followed him."

    Ian understood Belenka''s point.

    Duke Fargar''s army consisted only of men who enjoyed war and plunder��a truly dangerous force.

    It couldn''t be otherwise.

    After all, this was an army raised to help others.

    He wouldn''t drag along conscripted peasants for such a war.

    "Not an opponent to take lightly."

    Ian asked out of curiosity:

    "Have you ever participated in a large-scale war?"

    Belenka shook her head.

    "No. The battlefields I fought on were at most skirmishes between barons. I''ve only heard stories about real wars."

    Though she lacked experience, Belenka''s knowledge of warfare far exceeded that of ordinary people.

    This is why bloodline matters.

    Being born into a knight''s family meant starting from a completely different place than peasant commoners.

    "Count Francis seemed confident there wouldn''t be a war."

    "In theory, yes. But the world doesn''t run on theory, does it?"

    It was better to prepare for battle, she meant.

    "Belenka. When negotiations begin, watch over Kira."

    "Understood."

    No one could predict the outcome of negotiations.

    If things went wrong...

    Duke Roxlan''s castle would become a battlefield.

    That''s why Ian assigned Belenka to guard Kira.

    "Any messages for the others?"

    "Not really. They''ll all manage fine."

    Sir Salvador had left to guard the Emperor.

    Sabui had gone with Sir Salvador.

    Ian and Maria would be under Count Francis''s protection.

    All those close to Ian were safe.

    However��

    ''This is the perfect opportunity for black wizards.''

    There was just one concern weighing on his mind.

    Ian had encountered black wizards several times on his journey south.

    The transmuter Karenne had even directly interfered with the Emperor.

    Would such black wizards simply leave this negotiation alone?

    ''I can''t let my guard down until the very end.''

    If the southern war was prevented and imperial chaos suppressed, black wizards wouldn''t be able to act as freely as before.

    A peaceful world would allow Ian to travel as he pleased.

    Ian calmly prepared for negotiations with Duke Fargar.

    As expected, the Duke''s envoy arrived.

    "His Grace desires a conversation."

    "Good. Let''s determine the meeting location."

    Count Francis handled the envoy with skilled diplomacy.

    A hill not far from the castle was chosen as the meeting place.

    It would be a conference with only nobles participating, without armies, from both sides.

    Ian climbed the hill with Maria.

    "Is it okay not to bring Sister Belenka along?"

    "It''s fine. Trust Count Francis''s guards."

    Maria seemed concerned about Belenka''s absence.

    But Ian wasn''t worried.

    He had magic prepared for various situations.

    With his magic sword and transforming staff, he wouldn''t be helplessly defeated in close combat.

    ''It''s certainly chaotic here.''

    Ian glanced at Duke Fargar''s soldiers.

    They looked like absolute vagrants, but their eyes were fierce beyond compare.

    They were genuine medieval killers.

    Thugs who murdered people, stole possessions, and committed plunder and rape without a second thought.

    Having already tasted blood while ransacking(...) the Rashin Kingdom, they craved more wealth and would gladly swing their swords for it.

    When they reached the hilltop, Duke Fargar was already waiting for the Roxlan contingent.

    Duke Fargar was a man with a rigid appearance.

    Angular face, stern expression, swollen ears.

    He looked like a human-shaped statue that had come to life.

    Duke Fargar tossed just one sentence at Count Francis.

    "Let''s go inside."

    Then he swiftly entered the tent.

    "...Ian."

    At that moment, Maria tugged on Ian''s sleeve.

    He could understand why she grabbed him.

    Behind Duke Fargar stood a woman with black hair.

    Translucent skin, oval face, and moist eyes.

    She was beautiful enough to draw admiration.

    Ian unconsciously turned to look at Maria.

    ''They look alike...''

    Not just in appearance, but something about their aura felt similar.

    That distinctive dark? atmosphere.

    If Maria had an eerie quality��

    This woman emanated a lonely, cold presence.

    Ian recalled the assassin Aesis''s exaggerated reaction.

    ''Didn''t he say she was a cold-featured beauty?''

    She did have a face worth getting excited about.

    "Let''s go."

    "...Yes."

    Ian led Maria into the tent.

    The seating naturally divided into two sides.

    Duke Fargar and his vassals.

    Those following Duke Roxlan''s proxy.

    The conference room was filled with tension, leaving no room to breathe.

    "I''ll state my demands."

    Duke Fargar abandoned any ice-breaking pleasantries and jumped straight to the point.

    "Fine."

    "..."

    But Count Francis was just the same kind of person.

    The vampire-like Count similarly couldn''t care less about ice-breaking.

    As a result, only Ian felt suffocated...

    "This is the rightful heir to the fallen Margrave of Silverwind. Lisa Silverwind."

    The black-haired woman stood and bowed her head.

    Even in the suffocating conference room, her beauty remained striking.

    Several nobles from the Roxlan faction swallowed dry saliva.

    This woman...

    Though they were seeing her for the first time and knew nothing about her!

    Somehow she looked noble!

    Ian couldn''t help but recall Count Francis''s words.

    ''A woman who secured the heir position with just her face...''

    Though it seemed absurd, the persuasiveness of her appearance was considerable.

    Even Ian almost acknowledged [Lisa Silverwind]''s legitimacy.

    "We''ve reclaimed Silverwind''s lost lands from the Rashin Kingdom."

    Duke Fargar said in a rigid voice.

    "To fully restore the title, we want Roxlan to return the Silverwind lands it currently occupies."

    Duke Fargar''s demands were direct and clear.

    In short, "Give us the land!"

    If Roxlan responded with "I don''t want to?"

    Duke Fargar would likely give the order to advance, frowning that angular jaw of his.

    To punish the greedy Duke Roxlan!

    But Count Francis didn''t say no.

    The Count answered with a sinister smile:

    "Your desire to restore the Silverwind title is most admirable."

    "..."

    "However, we''ve already decided to return the title to the ''rightful'' heir of Silverwind."

    Duke Fargar frowned.

    "Explain yourself in detail."

    "Of course. Nothing difficult about that..."

    Count Francis gave a signal.

    Maria took a deep breath and stood up.

    Lisa Silverwind quietly stared at Maria.

    "This black-haired girl''s name is Maria Silverwind."

    Maria slowly bowed her head.

    Duke Fargar''s nobles noticeably murmured among themselves.

    Even Ian had to admit��

    Maria''s appearance was distinctly noble.

    No less so than Lisa Silverwind!

    Duke Fargar stared at Maria for a while��

    "I don''t know where you found such a fake."

    He threw an extremely blunt statement.

    You''re saying she''s the real heir?

    I can''t accept that!

    Count Francis responded with a vampiric, wicked smile (at least in Ian''s eyes):

    "On what grounds do you make such an outrageous claim?"

    "Do I need grounds? Just like Roxlan blood, you present pathetic schemes."

    "There are no schemes here. Truth and falsehood. That is all."

    The Count gestured.

    Maria stretched out her hand, displaying the signet ring.

    ...It was a brief moment, but Ian didn''t miss it.

    The momentary agitation shown by Lisa Silverwind.

    "This ring is proof that Maria is Silverwind''s true heir."

    "..."

    "Surely a ''real'' heir would possess at least one item that could serve as evidence?"

    Duke Fargar glared at Count Francis with sharp eyes.

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 Chapter 354

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The Emperor''s ''Moving'' Palace.

    Wizard Forendal stepped outside the tent for a moment.

    A familiar face, an elderly knight, was dozing while leaning against the wall.

    ''He has every right to be tired.''

    From intense training? Returning from grueling reconnaissance?

    No.

    Sir Salvador, the elderly knight, was approaching 60 years of age.

    In medieval times, a 60-year-old man was truly ancient��someone who could die today without anyone finding it strange.

    Forendal, a wizard also advanced in years, didn''t wake Salvador despite catching him napping.

    He sympathized with the old man''s fatigue.

    When you get older, simply standing becomes exhausting.

    "Hey! Old man!"

    But a passing knight nudged Sir Salvador.

    A young, spirited knight who knew no fear.

    "If you''re tired, go back to your quarters! Stop hanging around in armor for no reason!"

    Several knights snickered.

    They knew this old man was ''Sword Master'' Salvador.

    They also knew he was a knight who had once campaigned alongside the previous Emperor.

    But... what did that matter?

    How impressive he might have been in his prime wasn''t visible to the naked eye.

    What the knights saw was��

    An old man who couldn''t shed his armor even in his twilight years, someone who had grown weak with age.

    A knight should earn military achievements in his youth and acquire land.

    That way, he could live comfortably in old age.

    Seeing someone wearing full armor at an age when death loomed close was a subject of mockery, not reverence.

    "Ha ha. I dozed off. Thank you for waking me."

    "If you fall asleep in front of me one more time... I''ll put you right in a soft bed! I''ll even tuck you in!"

    Since there was no word for ''tsundere'' in medieval times, Forendal merely chuckled.

    My, what a respectfully disrespectful fellow��

    "I told him to get some rest."

    "...Sir Forendal?"

    "Sir Salvador isn''t the Emperor''s servant. Respect a free knight."

    "Ahem."

    After chasing away the young knight, Forendal approached Sir Salvador.

    Salvador smiled awkwardly and said:

    "I''m indebted to you."

    "Not at all. If anything, I''m the one indebted to you."

    This wasn''t an empty pleasantry.

    Sir Salvador was guarding the Emperor at Ian''s request.

    [Be wary of black wizards, Sir Knight.]

    [I''ll keep that in mind.]

    Ian had warned Sir Salvador.

    If negotiations concluded and the southern war ended��

    All the covert activities of the black wizards would become useless.

    That''s why Ian predicted the black wizards would make at least one more move.

    The problem was that these opponents were like medieval terrorists��impossible to predict when or where they might appear.

    Ian had assigned guards to people the black wizards might target.

    The Emperor, specifically.

    "It''s truly reassuring to have you standing guard day and night."

    Forendal said with a smile.

    "After all, you were honored with the title of [Master of the Sword] by the previous Emperor."

    "Ha ha."

    Sir Salvador gave an awkward laugh.

    All that was from his younger days.

    Now he was just an old, worn-out knight.

    Especially after being beaten by the black dragon Predius, Salvador felt his body deteriorating rapidly.

    Yet there was just one reason he couldn''t put down his sword.

    There were still too many enemies of the sacred heavens in this world.

    "Would you like to come in for a late supper?"

    "Ah... well."

    "Leave the watch to the young ones and rest a while."

    Salvador rubbed his face tiredly and nodded.

    Better to rest properly and switch shifts quickly than to doze while on guard.

    Salvador shared bread and stew with Forendal, exchanging idle conversation.

    The discussion between two men at the end of their lives was pleasant.

    ...So pleasant they didn''t immediately notice the commotion outside.

    "F-Forendal, sir!"

    A knight came running in, stumbling over his words.

    "A dragon...! A dragon has appeared!"

    "?"

    Forendal and Salvador stopped their conversation.

    Only then did they realize there was quite a commotion outside.

    Forendal asked in bewilderment:

    "A dragon? You say a dragon has appeared?"

    The knight nodded frantically.

    "Yes! The knights are trying to stop it now...!"

    A gust of wind swept past them.

    Sir Salvador had moved with lightning speed.

    Forendal hurriedly followed behind him.

    Shortly after��

    Forendal confirmed the reality of the dragon that had suddenly appeared.

    ...Along with the fiercely billowing flames.

    "AAAAARGH!"

    "S-save meeee!"

    The dragon hovered low above the ground, spewing hot flames.

    Knights'' bodies burned like kindling.

    Neither steel armor nor sharp blades were of any use against the dragon''s flames.

    Through the fire, the dragon''s pitch-black body was revealed.

    ...Sir Salvador cried out in shock:

    "Predius...!"

    It wasn''t a mistake.

    This enormous black dragon was indeed Predius.

    The very same dragon that Wizard Ian had defeated in Talian territory!

    ''It didn''t die back then?!''

    Dozens of knights were guarding the Emperor, but...

    They were woefully inadequate against a dragon.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    Even Ian had undergone extensive preparations to face the dragon.

    But here, there was no way to counter it.

    The Emperor had merely come to mediate between the dukes!

    "[Flames! Soar upward!]"

    Suddenly, the flames the dragon was breathing shot straight up into the air.

    The knights who had been fleeing the flames breathed sighs of relief.

    And shouted:

    "A wizard! A wizard has come!"

    A red-haired wizard appeared, parting the fire and smoke.

    It was Kira, the fire wizard.

    Kira spotted Sir Salvador and called out:

    "Sir Salvador! It''s Predius! The black wizards have made their move!"

    "...Yes. My eyes weren''t deceiving me!"

    Belenka also frowned.

    Salvador, Kira, and Belenka.

    They were all warriors who had faced the evil black dragon Predius in Talian, but...

    None were confident they could defeat the black dragon a second time.

    Unlike in Talian, they were completely unprepared for this situation!

    Sir Salvador drew his longsword, but couldn''t think of any way to defeat the dragon.

    KYAAAAAAAH!

    The black dragon, Predius, roared.

    A terrible sound that scattered despair in everyone''s hearts.

    ***

    ''This is unbearably uncomfortable.''

    Ian focused intently on observing the meeting.

    Duke Fargar and Duke Roxlan''s proxy.

    The two great nobles glared at each other in silence, as if unwilling to yield an inch.

    They both knew.

    That whoever lost here would lose everything.

    Nevertheless...

    The advantage was tilting toward Duke Roxlan''s proxy.

    Toward Count Francis.

    ''Fargar will eventually back down.''

    This wasn''t something that could be resolved by making a scene.

    Both sides claimed to have the Silverwind heir, but...

    While Lisa Silverwind only had a face resembling her parents,

    Maria had the family signet ring.

    People would think:

    ''Maria must be the rightful heir since she received the signet ring from her parents.''

    It was small evidence, but evidence nonetheless.

    Duke Fargar''s army would eventually withdraw.

    After all, he couldn''t possibly defeat both Duke Roxlan and the Emperor in one stroke!

    It was just as Ian was thinking this.

    "Your Grace."

    Someone appeared from Duke Fargar''s side.

    He whispered something quickly to the Duke.

    "Hmm."

    Duke Fargar uttered a single word.

    Then he stood up abruptly.

    Count Francis frowned and said:

    "Where are you going so suddenly?"

    The Duke answered without looking back:

    "This stupid waste of time is over, Count."

    "?"

    "Your shallow schemes don''t even match your father''s footsteps."

    "???"

    Duke Fargar mounted his horse and promptly departed for his camp.

    Count Francis, suddenly abandoned(?), looked dumbfounded.

    "What''s wrong with that man?"

    The Count''s curiosity was satisfied in less than ten seconds.

    A messenger arrived for the Roxlan contingent as well.

    "Your Grace! Your Grace!"

    "What is it?"

    "Someone... someone has attacked Duke Fargar!"

    "...?"

    Count Francis stared at the messenger with a bewildered expression.

    What nonsense is this��

    At that very moment.

    BWOOOOOOOM!

    The heavy sound of a horn resonated through the air.

    "That... war-crazed lunatic!"

    Count Francis was shocked.

    The horn they just heard was Duke Fargar''s signal to attack!

    The Duke had given the order to advance!

    "W-we need to return immediately!"

    The Roxlan nobles scrambled to their feet.

    Though they weren''t entirely sure what was happening...

    None wanted to be the fool who sat still and got captured.

    When they returned to the Roxlan camp, they were horrified.

    They could see Duke Fargar''s cavalry gradually defeating Roxlan''s mercenary units.

    Count Francis growled:

    "Tell me! Who attacked Duke Fargar?"

    "I-I don''t know!"

    "Do you want to die?!"

    "I''m sorry! A mercenary unit without a banner charged in on their own...!"

    The Roxlan nobles wore expressions of utter disbelief.

    They couldn''t help it.

    If they had just sat quietly, Roxlan would have won the negotiations decisively.

    But some crazed mercenary unit couldn''t wait and struck Duke Fargar first!

    What glory-obsessed madman would do such a thing?!

    When Roxlan''s mercenaries attacked, Fargar''s soldiers responded in kind.

    The Roxlan knights who witnessed this��

    ''Huh? Our side is getting beaten?''

    ��rushed out to save their allies.

    And thus, small-scale local conflicts between baronial forces erupted here and there!

    From Roxlan''s perspective, this was absolutely not what they wanted.

    ...But from Fargar''s view, they had been unexpectedly struck during negotiations.

    Duke Fargar, who was already dissatisfied with the situation, immediately sounded the horn for advance.

    "Your Grace! Baron Vairin has dispatched troops to support the front!"

    "Your Grace! A report from the Iron Brothers. They''re advancing to block the enemy cavalry charge..."

    Reports came flooding in without pause.

    Count Francis exhaled a defeated sigh.

    Given how things had turned out, the war had slipped beyond his control.

    Battles were fought by knights and soldiers on the battlefield.

    All commanders could do was make the best tactical decisions to secure victory.

    The current situation was extremely chaotic.

    Though it was difficult to determine right from wrong, someone had to make decisions.

    And Ian thought to himself,

    This situation was a truly unpleasant coincidence.

    "Your Grace."

    "Ah. Yes, Wizard Ian."

    Count Francis looked at Ian with gleaming eyes.

    They were the eyes of a commander considering where to deploy the wizard most effectively.

    But Ian had no intention of rushing to the battlefield.

    "I''ll go check on His Imperial Majesty."

    "Hmm... there''s no need for you to go personally."

    Of course someone should go to the Emperor.

    But why Ian specifically?

    ''Black wizards might be involved.''

    Ian thought calmly.

    If this sudden outbreak of war was a black wizard''s scheme...

    They would somehow try to prevent the Emperor from intervening.

    Ian wanted to confirm the Emperor''s safety with his own eyes.

    "I''ll be back shortly. Please look after my wife."

    "Ah. Very well. Go ahead."

    Since Ian was leaving Maria behind, the Count let him go without protest.

    Ian immediately mounted a horse and rode toward the Emperor''s palace.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 355

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    As Ian raced toward the Emperor, he sensed something was terribly wrong.

    ''What''s happening...?''

    The battle was clearly taking place near Roxlan Castle.

    Yet somehow, the area around the Emperor''s Moving Palace seemed more chaotic...

    "Hey."

    Ian grabbed a passing soldier and asked:

    "What''s happened and where?"

    The soldier recognized Ian as a wizard from his distinctive attire.

    He responded with a voice stiff with discipline:

    "Sir! A dragon has attacked His Imperial Majesty!"

    "?"

    Dragon?

    A dragon?

    Ian stared at the soldier in disbelief, but the man''s expression was deadly serious.

    ''A dragon...!''

    Dragons rarely attacked humans.

    Most dragons in this medieval fantasy world disliked humans, so seeing one in human territory was uncommon.

    Human cities weren''t suitable habitats for dragons.

    For a human equivalent, it would be like deliberately crawling into a dark sewer to slaughter rats.

    Only a being with nothing better to do, or one thoroughly evil, would undertake such an act willingly.

    ''Black wizards'' doing?''

    Ian immediately thought of the black wizards from the Golden Rule Society.

    Regent Antios.

    The leader of the Golden Rule Society was a summoner capable of calling forth dragons.

    But Ian had already killed Predius, the dragon Antios had summoned.

    So... could that man possibly control two dragons at once?

    ''Fucking hell...''

    He''d anticipated a black wizard attack.

    But Ian never imagined they would bring a dragon.

    ''I did assign Sir Salvador...''

    But could Sir Salvador actually stop a dragon?

    Ian rode without rest.

    As he approached the Emperor''s quarters, he found only devastated ruins.

    Terribly burned corpses and tents.

    Ian felt like he was reliving the nightmare of Talian.

    This was 100% a dragon''s handiwork...!

    "Ian!"

    A familiar voice called out.

    It was Kira and Belenka.

    Despite the situation, Ian felt an almost strange sense of relief.

    Just seeing them safe brought him joy.

    "You''re both alright."

    "Yes...!"

    Kira ran straight into Ian''s arms.

    Ian embraced her tightly, then asked what had happened.

    "It was Predius."

    "...?"

    "Ian. Predius has returned..."

    Only then did Ian understand how the black wizards had brought a dragon.

    They weren''t controlling two dragons.

    They had brought back the black dragon Predius...!

    ''But how?''

    Honestly, Ian couldn''t comprehend it.

    Hadn''t he killed Predius by piercing its brain?

    Could it be a zombie dragon?

    "Was it really Predius?"

    "Yes. Belenka confirmed it too. There was a scar in one of its eyes."

    "..."

    It was definitely Predius.

    Belenka herself had stabbed the black dragon''s eye, so she couldn''t mistake it.

    Ian felt anxiety creeping up inside him.

    Bertholdt, the celestial wizard who brought the human king.

    Karenne, the transmuter who transformed into a noble to interfere with the Emperor.

    And now��

    Antios, appearing with the black dragon Predius.

    "What about the Emperor?"

    Kira slowly shook her head.

    "They took him."

    "..."

    "I''m sorry, Ian. We just... weren''t strong enough..."

    So that''s how it was.

    Ian quietly stroked Kira''s hair.

    He wasn''t angry.

    If anything, he would have been more upset if Kira had been injured trying to protect the Emperor.

    While the Emperor was important... he wasn''t more precious than Kira.

    First, Ian cursed the Emperor''s guard knights.

    Useless scarecrows. No, at least scarecrows could defeat sparrows!

    They couldn''t even defeat one dragon? What kind of imperial guards were they!

    The guards would have felt unfairly criticized if they''d heard.

    If they had the power to defeat dragons, would they be mere knights? They''d be off claiming their own lands...

    In truth, even Ian hadn''t anticipated the dragon''s appearance.

    The Golden Rule Society had invested nearly everything in this attack.

    "It''s alright."

    "...Really?"

    Kira looked up at Ian with an expression asking if he was serious.

    But Ian meant it.

    The Emperor being kidnapped?

    It was unfortunate, but...

    The milk was already spilled.

    The question now was how to handle the aftermath.

    "War! War!"

    A standard-bearer galloped past, shouting at the top of his lungs.

    "Duke Fargar is attacking Roxlan!"

    "Shit!"

    "They''re really going to war! Those damn nobles!"

    Kira clung tightly to Ian''s arm.

    She had never participated in a large-scale war.

    "Ian..."

    What do we do now? She swallowed the rest of her question.

    The Emperor was gone, and the embers of war blazed hot.

    Ian had been thrown into the midst of chaos.

    Kira expected Ian to deliberate for a long time.

    But Ian''s contemplation was brief.

    "Belenka."

    "Is that an order, Ian?"

    "...Yes. Tell Sabui to prepare the troops."

    Ian looked up at the sky and said:

    "We''re joining the war."

    Rescue the kidnapped Emperor vs. Stop Duke Fargar.

    Ian chose the latter first.

    The reason was simple.

    Even if Ian rescued the Emperor, if Roxlan crumbled in the war, Ian would be in a difficult position.

    Ian had sided with Count Francis, Duke Roxlan''s son, not the Duke himself.

    Roxlan''s defeat meant Count Francis''s defeat.

    Taking over as Duke''s proxy while his father was bedridden... only to lose a war?

    Count Francis''s support would be utterly destroyed.

    Then Ian would have to watch the crazy old stalker play out a regret-obsession-ruin scenario with Maria.

    Ah. That would be problematic.

    Additionally, stopping Duke Fargar would foil the black wizards'' scheme.

    What the black wizards wanted was for Roxlan to fall and the southern Empire to descend into chaos.

    But if Roxlan won?

    Peace would be maintained, with or without the Emperor!

    ...To be brutally honest, in the worst case, the Empire could survive even if something happened to the Emperor.

    The Emperor was essentially the Empire''s class president.

    You could always elect a new one...

    Of course, Ian would take action before it came to that.

    Regardless of the Emperor''s usefulness, he was Elia''s father.

    "Ian!"

    A familiar voice called out.

    Takarion approached Ian with a terrified expression.

    "What''s happening? Why is there suddenly a war...!"

    "Takarion."

    Ian spoke calmly.

    "Pack your things and leave immediately."

    "But..."

    If this were a JRPG-like world, a monk might have some role to play in war.

    Perhaps... providing healing from the rear.

    But this wasn''t a world where clergy classes went around healing.

    Takarion was simply someone who understood Heaven''s Faith theology exceptionally well.

    He couldn''t fight, nor did he have specialized medical knowledge.

    Monks didn''t belong on battlefields.

    But away from the battlefield, he could certainly be useful.

    "Takarion. I believe the person who kidnapped the Emperor is a black wizard."

    "!"

    "Can you inform His Holiness the Pope about this?"

    Takarion nodded frantically.

    Ian definitely knew something about this incident!

    "I''ll definitely inform the Pope! Ian!"

    "Good. I''m counting on you."

    Ian felt a bit sorry for Takarion.

    He was just... trying to help Ian when he suddenly got caught up in a war.

    Takarion packed as quickly as possible and left, but��

    Even that was difficult as he was jostled by crowds.

    He wasn''t the only one fleeing.

    Countless people terrified of war were becoming refugees, heading toward other territories.

    ''Damn medieval times...''

    Some might call this era romantic, where a single sword could make someone king.

    But it was also a barbaric age when human lives crumbled like sand castles.

    Ian, too, couldn''t escape the medieval warfare.

    "Ian! We''re ready!"

    "Find a suitable position and stay there. I''ll go meet Duke Roxlan''s proxy."

    Ian led his army toward Roxlan Castle.

    Duke Roxlan''s proxy.

    Count Francis knew little about warfare but much about scheming.

    ''...They''re fighting.''

    Count Francis had never studied military science.

    He wasn''t close to swords from childhood, nor did he have any interest in mercenary tactics.

    So even as he watched the armies tangled in battle��

    His only impression was: Oh, they''re fighting~

    And he wasn''t foolish enough to attempt what he knew nothing about.

    "I''ll leave the command to Sir Pyrak."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    After appointing Sir Pyrak as commander, he thoroughly searched Roxlan Castle.

    More precisely, he searched Duke Roxlan''s chambers.

    When something strange happened in Roxlan.

    Count Francis believed that pinning the blame on Duke Roxlan would be correct about half the time... that was his thinking.

    He hoped his suspicion would prove wrong.

    ...But ominous things rarely miss their mark.

    "Your Grace. We found these documents in the Duke''s room..."

    Count Francis examined the documents handed to him by the investigator.

    He nearly tore the precious documents to shreds.

    ''This crazy old man...!''

    The documents were none other than��

    Records of dealings with a suspicious black wizard organization called the [Golden Rule Society].

    The content was simple.

    If war broke out, they would use black magic to stop Duke Fargar...!

    He knew what kind of person his father was... but this was beyond belief.

    A mad plan to counter enemies with black magic!

    Had he lost touch with reality after concocting schemes in his room for too long?

    If they borrowed power from black wizards, rumors would inevitably spread.

    It was questionable whether ducal authority could suppress such talk.

    But Duke Roxlan seemed to have a strange self-assurance that his plan would succeed.

    He must have successfully executed countless such schemes in his younger days!

    ''This is the work of black wizards.''

    Count Francis was certain. As someone who had devised plenty of schemes himself, he could be confident.

    The black wizards had deliberately started a war to lend their black magic power.

    Duke Roxlan would win the war.

    ...Along with the stigma of having received help from black wizards.

    Even assuming victory in war, what would happen afterwards?

    ''He''ll need more power to maintain his title.''

    It was a vicious cycle.

    To suppress the backlash from using black magic, Duke Roxlan would need even more power.

    And the black wizards would gladly lend their strength.

    Eventually, he would become an undeniable ally of black wizards.

    Duke Roxlan wouldn''t avoid such a situation.

    He would rather enjoy it.

    If necessary, even if it meant turning the Empire upside down!

    ''He''s insane. Truly insane...''

    Count Francis''s hands trembled.

    His father''s darkness was deeper than he had imagined.

    Just then:

    "This war is the handiwork of black wizards, isn''t it?"

    "!"

    The Count turned around, startled.

    A black-haired wizard was looking at him with calm eyes.

    As if��

    He had known everything all along.

    "Duke Roxlan joined hands with black wizards."

    "...Indeed."

    Count Francis nodded as if entranced.

    "A wizard''s wisdom is truly remarkable."

    Then he let out a hollow laugh.

    "No... it''s your wisdom that''s exceptional. Wizard Ian."

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 356

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian had a brief conversation with Count Francis.

    "To think my father would join hands with black wizards."

    "You must be disappointed..."

    "It''s so typical of him that I can only sigh."

    "?"

    Count Francis reassured Ian by showing no disappointment whatsoever about Duke Roxlan''s madness.

    He already had the duty to lead the vassals as Duke Roxlan''s proxy.

    A stable mindset was a hundred times better than wavering.

    "How is His Imperial Majesty?"

    "Ah... he''s been kidnapped."

    "?"

    Count Francis opened his eyes wide, and Ian had nothing particular to say.

    When black wizards brought a dragon and carried the Emperor off...

    What could Ian''s companions have done? They had no effective countermeasures.

    Ian felt responsible for this incident.

    But abandoning the battlefield to chase after the Emperor would be incredibly foolish.

    Who knew what traps the black wizards might have set?

    Right now, Ian needed to focus on the battlefield.

    "I heard a dragon appeared and created chaos. It seems the Emperor was kidnapped during that confusion."

    "...With a dragon, there''s nothing to be done."

    Count Francis could only respond like that, at a loss for words.

    Special equipment was needed to catch a dragon.

    The Count knew that there was no answer when a dragon suddenly dropped from the sky.

    "I''ll try to resolve the Emperor''s situation as soon as the battlefield calms down."

    "You will?"

    Count Francis showed a surprised expression before quickly reverting to his distinctive vampire-like smile.

    ''And he calls himself a devout Heaven''s Faith believer.''

    The Count had naturally investigated Ian''s background.

    He''d gathered some strange information about Ian being a "Guardian Saint of Coffee," but...

    Overall, he''d learned that Ian was friendly with Heaven''s Faith.

    ''What a truly diligent young man.''

    Count Francis was also a fairly devout Heaven''s Faith believer.

    As a high-ranking noble, he sometimes had to devise dirty schemes...

    But that made him all the more devoted to praying to god and confessing his sins.

    The Count personally sponsored several monasteries.

    Ian''s devout behavior greatly pleased him.

    "Fighting black wizards won''t be easy."

    "Light never bows its head even when darkness deepens."

    "Oh..."

    Ian had simply habitually quoted a phrase from an ancient book he''d read at the university��

    But Count Francis found Ian''s answer extremely satisfying.

    This young man, intelligence shines through his every word!

    This was only natural.

    Ian was an exceptional wizard. How could a renowned wizard possibly be thick-headed?

    But the Count didn''t think that far.

    People tend to see twice the beauty in the actions of those they like.

    Count Francis appreciated intelligent people.

    "Let me know if you need my help."

    "Thank you, Count."

    The Emperor''s situation was beyond the Count''s control now.

    He needed to focus on the matter at hand.

    "Let''s go to the conference room."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    Like Ian''s companions...

    This was also Ian''s first time participating in such a large-scale battle.

    He had plenty of combat experience.

    But he hadn''t fought in a major human vs. human battle since the recapture of Talian.

    Now he faced an enemy force of approximately 3,000 men.

    "Report, Sir Pyrak."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    Compared to armies of 1,000,000 men in some Eastern world, Western medieval forces numbering in the thousands might seem insignificant.

    But a thousand men is actually a much larger number than one might think.

    "After the initial collision, seven units engaged with the enemy."

    "What''s their status?"

    "They''ve sustained damage but are still deployable."

    The two armies had clashed, and seven of Roxlan''s units had engaged the enemy.

    Each unit varied in number and equipment, making it impossible to calculate the exact casualties.

    However, if one unit (company) comprised roughly 100 men, then approximately 700 men had fought, by rough estimation.

    "Approximately 100 men have died, and twice that number are wounded."

    "..."

    The reason for the "approximate" death count was that missing soldiers were included among the dead.

    They simply counted the unit''s numbers, and those missing were presumed dead. Who had time to count corpses individually?

    Later, if survivors returned to their units, the death count would decrease.

    "Not good."

    Out of Roxlan''s 700 men, about 300 were dead or wounded.

    In a single engagement, nearly half the army had been decimated...

    Fargar''s army was undoubtedly strong.

    "Thanks to our widely deployed formation, we were able to minimize casualties."

    The result of the initial engagement favored Fargar.

    "How many soldiers remain?"

    "About 2,500, Your Grace."

    "...Not enough."

    Of course, 2,500 soldiers would be more than enough to defend Roxlan Castle.

    The problem was... the people outside the castle.

    Those within the castle walls would certainly survive, but residents outside would become targets for plunder and slaughter.

    "Another 2,500 soldiers will gather within a week."

    That was good news.

    But it didn''t help the immediate situation.

    In a week, the entire territory could be reduced to ashes and more.

    And the mercenaries Duke Fargar had hired were exactly the type who would commit such atrocities.

    "We''ll need to conduct interception operations."

    "A wise decision, Your Grace."

    Count Francis gave a textbook answer, and Sir Pyrak seized the opportunity to shower him with praise.

    Surely, such minor expressions of loyalty accumulated to influence promotion!

    "Select those who can ride horses and form a cavalry unit."

    "I''ve already selected candidates."

    For reference, "those who can ride horses" = "those who have their own horses."

    The principle is that soldiers pay for their own equipment...

    "Have them fight with the goal of buying time."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    The strategy meeting could be summarized as ''doing what needs to be done.''

    Elaborate tactics like ''Baron Kim will ambush with 100 men on the hill, Baron Jeong will block the path with 200 men...'' were the domain of tacticians like Zhuge Liang.

    Most wars involved battles that followed common sense.

    There was little communication between units anyway.

    See an enemy?

    Oh? Should we fight? That level of battle was most common, with tactical decisions limited to determining when to fight.

    Fargar''s army couldn''t attack the castle �� instead they would raid farms �� so Roxlan''s strategy was to prevent the raids.

    What Fargar wanted was for Roxlan to be provoked by the raids and engage in a large-scale battle.

    "Your Grace. There''s another important preparation..."

    "Speak."

    Sir Pyrak spoke while glancing cautiously at the wizards.

    "We need to prepare for magical attacks from the enemy."

    Sir Pyrak spoke as politely as possible, lowering himself almost to the point of subservience.

    It couldn''t be helped.

    If the enemy launched magical attacks, only allied wizards could counter them.

    But wizards weren''t soldiers...!

    Shouting ''Block their attacks!'' might be met with ''Why should I?'' in response.

    Usually, it was nobles who had relationships with wizards.

    That''s why Count Francis stood up.

    And bowed his head.

    He was addressing the wizards participating in the strategy meeting.

    "I believe Roxlan has treated you all well thus far."

    The wizards nodded.

    They had stayed in Roxlan as guests and received various subsidies from the Duke.

    The reason nobles treated wizards with such hospitality was precisely for moments like this.

    "For the sake of your friendship with Roxlan. Won''t you lend us your power?"

    The answer was virtually predetermined.

    One by one, the wizards spoke to the Count.

    "Roxlan''s crisis is my crisis. I''ll help as much as I can, Your Grace."

    "I''ve been honing my skills for a day like this! You can count on us!"

    Ian also addressed the Count:

    "I won''t disappoint you, Your Grace."

    "...I''m counting on you."

    Count Francis might not trust everyone, but he definitely trusted Ian.

    After all... Ian would soon become part of the Roxlan family!

    Having a wizard as a vassal made him feel incredibly secure.

    "Then I ask that each of you do your best from your positions."

    "Yes! Your Grace!"

    Ian merged his troops with the Roxlan army.

    Though they were just a handful, they were better than nothing.

    Sabui took the role of acting unit commander, while Belenka temporarily joined the cavalry.

    "Good luck, Ian."

    "You too, Belenka."

    Belenka rode off, disappearing toward the cavalry unit.

    It would have been good if Sir Salvador joined too, but...

    "...Sorry. I''m... not in the mood."

    "I understand, Sir."

    Sir Salvador had fallen into something like depression after being defeated by a dragon again.

    He''d always been a man who kept his distance from the secular world, fighting only monsters. Ian didn''t want to force him to fight.

    Sir Salvador would stop the black wizards in his own way.

    Ian naturally joined the other wizards.

    Roxlan had seven wizards in total.

    "Originally there were eight!"

    One wizard grumbled.

    "Wasn''t her name Stera...?"

    "She messed up badly and ran away."

    Several wizards snickered.

    They were definitely wizards, maintaining their cheerfulness even in this situation.

    "Come on! Let''s each share our specialties!"

    The world of magic was vast and profound.

    Since they couldn''t predict what strange magic the enemy might use, they needed to prepare for every situation.

    "I''ve studied air magic!"

    "I''m a water wizard."

    "I, um, handle fire a little..."

    "I''m also a water wizard."

    "My specialty is water magic too..."

    Excluding Ian and Kira, three of the five wizards shared the same specialty.

    A wizard exclaimed happily:

    "That''s fortunate! At least we won''t lose control of the river!"

    A small river flowed around Roxlan Castle for defense.

    If there were skilled water wizards among the enemies, they would find it awkward to use the river.

    But on this side, there were three water wizards.

    Most likely, they wouldn''t lose in magic involving water!

    "She''s a fire wizard. And I''ve studied shadow magic."

    "Oh! Shadow magic!"

    "Have you encountered the Mystery of Darkness?!"

    The wizards looked at Ian with curious eyes.

    The Mystery of Darkness was difficult to encounter.

    It had properties of secrecy and concealment.

    Without natural aptitude, shadow magic was extremely difficult to learn.

    "At least we won''t be ambushed at night!"

    The wizards divided into zones and began guarding the castle.

    ***

    That night.

    A small boat stealthily approached Roxlan Castle along the small river.

    Ian shook awake a water wizard who had been soundly sleeping(...).

    "Wake up."

    "Huh... what? Is it my shift already?"

    "Enemy approaching."

    "!"

    Ian quietly peered through the darkness.

    A person in robes was muttering something toward the castle.

    It was a magic incantation.

    "Water magic! Water magic!"

    Being a water wizard himself, he responded immediately.

    "I''ll hold them off. Go call for help!"

    "Wait..."

    Before Ian could stop him, the water wizard hastily stripped off his clothes.

    He immediately jumped into the river.

    Splash!

    Ian watched the scene for a moment.

    ''...There''s a huge skill gap!''

    The difference between the enemy water wizard and our water wizard was noticeable...?

    The enemy calmly used spells from the boat.

    But our water wizard had to soak himself completely in water to use his spells.

    Their fundamental familiarity with water was completely different.

    Splash! Splash!

    As expected��

    When the enemy water wizard used magic, our wizard couldn''t resist the spell!

    "Blub! Blub!"

    "..."

    "Flowing water! Cough! Cough! Rise! My friend��"

    [I don''t know anyone like you!]

    Ian was momentarily dumbfounded watching the water wizard drowning(...).

    Not all wizards have the same skill level.

    Especially since wizards are so rare, anyone with even a little magical ability could receive respect.

    ''He''s going to get himself killed.''

    Before the water wizard drowned, Ian quickly used his magic.

    Skill Magic, [Water Wave].

    "[Wave, move!]"

    Ian''s magic was swift and powerful.

    Since it used a completely different method than the Maronius language, it had the advantage of being unpredictable to opponents.

    Sure enough, the enemy water wizard was caught off guard and lost control of the water.

    The violent wave flipped the small boat over.

    Our flailing water wizard shouted to Ian:

    "Has reinforcement already arrived?!"

    Ian answered while throwing a rope:

    "No. I used magic."

    "? Water magic?"

    The water wizard blinked at the surging waves.

    ...That''s better than my magic!

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 357

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian left the dazed water wizard behind and approached the enemy wizard.

    The wizard spotted Ian and immediately prepared for battle.

    Indeed, the opponent was a wizard with far more experience than our water wizard.

    Ian remained cautious.

    After all, the opponent was a water wizard.

    Facing a water wizard on a river was as challenging as facing a shadow wizard in darkness.

    [Be careful. I sense all kinds of power from that one.]

    "..."

    The Mystery of Water warned the enemy wizard.

    The opponent''s water manipulation skill was clearly exceptional; he didn''t even bother to acknowledge Ian, who had some proficiency with water magic.

    Ian abandoned any thought of engaging in a battle of wills with the opposing wizard.

    The Mystery of Water would side with the enemy wizard anyway.

    Ian sought help from a different mystery.

    "[Breath of winter.]"

    [Do you call upon me, human?]

    The mystery Ian chose was the Mystery of Cold.

    It was already chilly outside.

    The Mystery of Cold is effective against the Mystery of Water.

    When water freezes, it becomes difficult to use it for magic as desired.

    "..."

    The opponent frowned as he watched Ian using cold magic.

    "A face I''ve never seen before."

    Ian had used water and cold magic.

    Since wizard numbers were so few, a wizard who handled both water and cold magic would be identifiable.

    How could someone not know a wizard of that caliber...?

    The wizard looked at Ian with a puzzled expression.

    "Who is your master?"

    Having received proper wizard-etiquette education, Ian replied with respect for his master:

    "Wizard Eredith. I am Ian, disciple of Eredith."

    "...?"

    The opposing wizard looked bewildered.

    "Eredith? Isn''t Eredith a fire wizard?"

    "You know her well."

    The wizard didn''t conclude that Ian was lying.

    If someone wanted to deceive using a master''s name, they would have chosen a more plausible lie.

    He could have mentioned a famous water wizard''s name, but Eredith of all people?

    "For Eredith''s disciple to handle water magic at this level..."

    "..."

    After saying it, Ian felt strange, as if he was telling a lie.

    Come to think of it, that was true, wasn''t it?

    If the opponent shouted "Stop lying! You fraud!" Ian would have nothing to say in response.

    "If you think I''m lying..."

    "Eredith certainly found an excellent disciple!"

    "?"

    Ian briefly admired the opposing wizard''s flexible thinking.

    It''s impossible for Eredith, a fire wizard, to have taught a water wizard (X)

    Eredith found an excellent disciple! (O)

    Ian liked this wizard''s mindset.

    "Hmm... who is your teacher, sir?"

    Respectful language flowed naturally from Ian''s mouth.

    Suddenly, the atmosphere became academic.

    Although they were enemies just moments ago, that didn''t particularly bother Ian.

    Anyone who respects your master is worthy of respect!

    "I am Orode, disciple of Kigline, young man."

    "Orode Kigline."

    Ian exchanged a light handshake with Orode.

    After introducing themselves, neither felt like fighting anymore.

    But just to be sure, Ian asked:

    "Well... are we going to continue, Orode?"

    Orode answered decisively:

    "No? I surrender."

    He smiled broadly and said:

    "I don''t think I''d win even if we went all the way. And I don''t want to fight bloodily with a talented junior water wizard."

    Orode seemed confident that Ian was a water wizard.

    That made sense.

    He had never heard of or seen Skill Magic.

    So he thought Ian''s ability to summon waves with such incredible speed was remarkable!

    "Um... my specialty is actually shadow magic."

    "?"

    "I''ve studied water magic, but not enough to deserve your praise."

    "???"

    Orode tilted his head, confused by Ian''s words.

    So the waves from earlier were cast by someone who hadn''t even properly studied water magic?!

    "You''re not a junior water wizard???"

    "No."

    Ian tensed slightly, wondering if Orode might shout "How dare you deceive me! Impudent!" and attack with magic.

    Just then:

    "Ohhhhh! It''s not over yet! Wizard!"

    A "corpse" suddenly rose from the water.

    Looking closely, it was our water wizard...

    "Ian! You''ve worked hard alone until now!"

    "..."

    "But now there aren''t one but two! Two wizards will face you simultaneously!"

    Orode sighed deeply and asked Ian:

    "Is that guy really a water wizard?"

    "Yes. He said so himself."

    Orode looked back and forth between the water wizard and Ian with disapproval.

    The fire wizard''s disciple had excellent magical skills and good manners...

    Yet the actual water wizard was behaving so poorly.

    Wizards from other schools would mock him endlessly!

    "Hey. Young friend."

    "...Are you talking to me?"

    "Yes, I''m talking to you. What''s your name?"

    The water wizard hesitated, then glanced at Ian.

    Ian, isn''t this person our enemy...?

    Ian answered with a subtle smile.

    Not anymore?

    Finally, the water wizard spoke with a tense voice:

    "I am Carter, disciple of Davine..."

    "Ah~ Davine?"

    "...Do you know my master?"

    "Of course. We studied under the same master. Davine is my junior~"

    "..."

    No wizard of the Empire could escape this ruthless wizard-cartel...

    Ultimately, water wizard Carter had to make a choice.

    Continue fighting, considering the opponent an enemy? Or respectfully serve someone he now viewed as his master''s senior?

    Carter''s decision came quickly.

    "It''s an honor to meet you, Senior!"

    He immediately bowed his head deeply!

    As Carter''s bow made a "splash~!" sound on the water surface, Orode smiled contentedly.

    This kid. He may not be good at magic, but his character is quite acceptable!

    "Well well. It''s getting late, shall we go have a drink?"

    "Um... where are you going...?"

    "Roxlan Castle! I''m a prisoner now! Hahaha!"

    "..."

    Ian returned to Roxlan Castle with his "captured" Orode.

    Count Francis, who had been meeting with vassals, questioned Ian when he suddenly appeared:

    "What''s going on?"

    "I''ve captured an enemy wizard."

    "...?"

    The nobles and Count Francis simultaneously raised question marks over their heads.

    What did he do to capture an enemy wizard so quickly...?

    "We competed in magical skill, and I surrendered first."

    Orode proudly(...) admitted defeat.

    Seeing this, Count Francis couldn''t contain his delight.

    He''d heard Ian was a decent wizard, but to score a victory so early!

    "Well done indeed, Ian."

    "Thank you, Your Grace."

    The nobles were equally pleased.

    To significantly weaken the enemy''s magical forces right from the start!

    "Ian! You''ve captured an enemy wizard... wait? Master Orode?!"

    "Who''s the captured wizard... Master Orode???"

    Roxlan''s wizards came out to see and were shocked to recognize Orode.

    Wizard Orode was famous among water wizards.

    "Water wizards. Attention."

    "...!"

    "Haha. Just joking. I''m just a prisoner now. A prisoner."

    The water wizards doubled over with laughter.

    Oh my~ Our senior''s hu-umor has completely destroyed our stomachs...

    ...Suddenly turning gloomy, the water wizards wanted to go home.

    They glared at Ian resentfully.

    If only Ian had lost, this wouldn''t have happened!

    "Senior, what magic defeated you?"

    "Water magic."

    "?"

    "Ian, that fellow uses water magic incredibly well?"

    The wizards looked at Ian with incredulous expressions.

    What magic did he use to defeat Orode with water magic???

    Orode smiled broadly and said:

    "Keep an eye on that fellow. He''s no ordinary wizard."

    He predicted that Ian''s magic would demonstrate tremendous power on the battlefield.

    If his water magic, which wasn''t even his specialty, was that good, his other magic would be even more impressive.

    ***

    And a few days later.

    Orode''s prediction became reality.

    Fargar''s army viewed the situation optimistically.

    They had already beaten the Rashin Kingdom like a punching bag, and their morale was sky-high.

    They believed they wouldn''t lose once a large-scale battle began.

    Though their opponent was one of the imperial dukes, Fargar''s army didn''t flinch.

    First of all, Fargar''s troops were qualitatively superior.

    Most of their soldiers were properly armed men-at-arms.

    These men, somewhere between knights and regular soldiers, were veteran fighters with years of battlefield experience.

    In contrast, the troops Roxlan would bring were predictable.

    Vassals reluctant to fight would send units with just enough numbers, mixing farmers with thugs.

    Hastily conscripted soldiers would mostly lack proper equipment.

    "But it will be dangerous once reinforcements arrive, Your Grace."

    "I know."

    Of course, if Roxlan pressed with superior numbers, the battle would be manageable.

    Fargar knew this too.

    "Provoke them into a full-scale battle."

    That''s why Duke Fargar planned a strong provocation strategy to lure Roxlan into abandoning their defensive position.

    "Turn the farmlands to ashes with cavalry."

    "Yes! Your Grace!"

    The strategy Duke Fargar chose was a type of chevauche?e.

    In other words, plundering raids.

    Plundering effectively disturbs public sentiment and weakens enemy morale.

    Naturally, local farmers are friends and family of the soldiers.

    What good is it if only soldiers stay safe inside the castle?

    While innocent farmers are plundered!

    Roxlan''s soldiers had two choices:

    Bravely rush out to confront Fargar''s invaders��

    Or cowardly hide behind castle walls until the plunderers passed...

    Duke Fargar targeted exactly this psychology of soldiers.

    From the command''s perspective, holding position was the correct choice.

    Just wait a little, and other vassals would send reinforcements. Then they could fight together!

    But... could the soldiers endure that?

    Could they just watch as enemy cavalry ravaged their land?

    "Advance the troops while conducting raids."

    Duke Fargar pointed to the path leading east past Roxlan.

    "Defeat enemy reinforcements one by one here."

    "Yes! Your Grace!"

    Fargar''s army was a veteran force that had already devoured several castles.

    If Roxlan hesitated, they would quickly be surrounded and defeated piecemeal.

    Even better, favorable news arrived for Fargar''s side.

    "Your Grace! They say the Emperor has been kidnapped by a dragon!"

    "...What?"

    Duke Fargar could hardly believe it, but he had to as the same report kept arriving.

    He had been considering driving the Emperor out if necessary.

    But a dragon kidnapping the Emperor!

    What incredible luck!

    "Is heaven helping us?"

    This was the perfect opportunity.

    Duke Fargar decided to secure as much territory as possible before the Emperor returned.

    "Send a wizard."

    "A wizard, sir?"

    "Roxlan Castle is protected by a river. A water wizard might accomplish something."

    Duke Fargar made a stronger move.

    Let''s create a variable by deploying wizards from the start!

    If a wizard weakened Roxlan Castle, they could skip the tedious plundering and begin a siege immediately.

    So he dispatched an excellent water wizard, but...

    "Captured, you say?"

    "I-I have no excuse! Your Grace!"

    "Behead all those who escorted the wizard."

    "Your Grace! Spare us! Your Grace!"

    They had lost one of Fargar''s wizards so uselessly!

    It could only be seen as bad luck.

    But variables were common on the battlefield.

    Duke Fargar, undiscouraged, implemented his next plan.

    "Send the cavalry."

    "Yes!"

    The cavalry, excited at the prospect of plundering, departed.

    Duke Fargar had no doubt that the cavalry would brutally massacre farmers.

    But then...

    "They returned empty-handed?"

    An unexpected report arrived.

    The cavalry had returned without any plunder!

    Why on earth?!

    Had they suddenly developed a thin sense of compassion?

    "Um... Your Grace. About that..."

    After hearing the explanation, Duke Fargar was so dumbfounded he lost his words.

    "On the way to the village... we got lost..."

    "And you call that an excuse?"

    "I-it''s true! There''s an evil wizard in enemy territory!"

    The Duke asked with a mindset of at least hearing the excuse:

    "An evil wizard?"

    "Yes! A truly evil wizard who summons darkness!"

    To summarize what happened:

    Duke Fargar''s cavalry... got lost because it was too dark.

    It was clearly a wizard''s mischief.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

    It helps the website and helps people find this novel!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    After water wizard Orode was captured,

    the wizards prepared for a full-scale magical assault.

    "Duke Fargar seems to be in a hurry."

    That was the conclusion of Roxlan''s nobles.

    Although how to use wizards was at the command''s discretion...

    Generally, wizards were employed to assist in large-scale battles.

    On a chaotic battlefield, the power of magic was tremendous.

    Rather than deploying them in small operations and risking losses, it was better to save their power for the main battle.

    As those in the know understood, magic became more powerful the more time wizards had to prepare.

    This was due to enhancement elements like magic circles.

    Yet Duke Fargar had invested in a wizard for a surprise attack.

    "He must have heard the news that the Emperor is gone."

    "Hmm..."

    The nobles nodded.

    It was certainly a gamble worth considering.

    Water wizards were strongest when water was available.

    If they fought Roxlan in the plains as Duke Fargar intended, water wizards would inevitably be less effective.

    That''s why he could attempt to capture the castle with magic.

    But...

    He probably never expected wizard Orode to be captured by Ian.

    "Excuse my impertinence, but I''d like to ask one question, Wizard Orode."

    "Go ahead."

    "Why exactly were you captured by Ian?"

    A noble asked with a suspicious tone.

    Some nobles actually did suspect Orode.

    They wondered if he had deliberately gotten captured on Duke Fargar''s orders to infiltrate enemy territory.

    "From what I''ve heard, you''re quite skilled."

    The water wizards nodded vigorously.

    They were curious too.

    Surely a water wizard of Orode''s caliber could have evaded Ian''s pursuit?

    But Orode shook his head.

    "I determined I couldn''t escape."

    "...Really?"

    "This fellow is a shadow wizard."

    Orode said, looking at Ian.

    "If he blocked the light around me with shadow magic, I would lose my way."

    Orode knew shadow magic well.

    An exceptional shadow wizard could bring night-like darkness even during the day.

    "I lacked the courage to flee through darkness."

    While some found this explanation acceptable, others weren''t easily convinced.

    "But if you were determined to return, you could have dived underwater and escaped..."

    "I lacked the will as well."

    "...?"

    When the nobles raised their eyebrows, Orode kindly explained:

    "Duke Fargar. That man treats wizards like absolute shit."

    "!"

    Orode continued.

    Duke Fargar had been holding wizards captive, refusing to release them��

    And many wizards were already exhausted from fighting.

    That''s why Orode had surrendered without much resistance.

    It was bothersome to try breaking through Ian''s magic and escape.

    Even if he tried, it didn''t seem like he could easily get away.

    So... he just surrendered.

    "If that''s true, it''s certainly good news."

    The nobles quickly exchanged opinions.

    Indeed, Duke Fargar had been fighting for quite some time, from beating the Rashin Kingdom until now.

    And wizards... aren''t those who enjoy fighting.

    What good were gold and treasures if they had no time for their vital mystery research!

    Wizards would want to help Duke Fargar quickly and get back to their own business.

    But according to Orode, the Duke refused to release them.

    It made sense.

    After gathering wizard forces with such effort, why let them go? How would he fight future wars?

    "Thank you for the valuable information."

    Count Francis treated Orode with respect as a guest.

    Though the Emperor had disappeared, it was still worth holding out for some time.

    "How is the evacuation of farmers progressing?"

    "We''ve brought in all residents near the castle, but there''s nothing we can do for farmers in the plains."

    "There''s no choice but to send cavalry."

    Count Francis was preparing cavalry to counter Duke Fargar''s mounted forces.

    That''s when Ian spoke up.

    "Count, I''d like to briefly join the cavalry..."

    "You? With the cavalry?"

    Ian nodded.

    He wanted to inflict as much damage as possible on Duke Fargar.

    Even if not a decisive victory, he needed to create a stalemate at least.

    That way, he could go search for the Emperor.

    ''Though Elia and Hastria are working on the Emperor''s situation...''

    After the kidnapping, Elia and Hastria had immediately formed a pursuit team to track the black wizards.

    Though uncertain of their chances of success...

    He had to consider the possibility of their failure.

    The longer Ian spent on the front lines, the more dire the Emperor''s situation would become.

    Of course, the black wizards wouldn''t harm the Emperor recklessly.

    They wanted the imperial throne to remain vacant.

    But that didn''t mean Ian could sit idle for a year or two on the battlefield.

    Ian simply wanted to resolve matters quickly��

    But Count Francis was deeply impressed by Ian''s proactive attitude.

    ''He captured an enemy wizard, he could be strutting around...''

    Ian was a young wizard.

    As is natural for young people, when they achieve something, they want to boast about it!

    With the title "Wizard who captured Orode" emblazoned on his forehead, he could swagger around and no one would complain.

    After all, Ian really was an exceptional wizard!

    Yet far from boasting, Ian wanted to rush to the frontlines immediately.

    Why?

    Was his loyalty to Roxlan overflowing?

    Absolutely not.

    The answer was obvious.

    ''He wants to achieve merit for his wife...!''

    Count Francis nodded, reaching this reasonable(?) conclusion.

    Even with the Count''s backing, Maria taking over a county would inevitably draw attention.

    But...

    What if her husband was a war hero!

    The more achievements Ian made in this war, the more reluctant other nobles would be to interfere with Maria.

    How could anyone mess with a woman whose husband was a heroic wizard of war!

    ''Wizard Ian... truly loves his wife...!''

    Count Francis gazed at Ian with warm approval.

    Among Heaven''s Faith teachings was the instruction to [Love your spouse].

    A simple yet difficult teaching to practice.

    Love is a value that crumbles all too easily in the face of worldly troubles.

    Yet here was a young man working so diligently for love...!

    "Very well, Ian. Join the cavalry as you wish."

    "Thank you, Your Grace."

    "And..."

    "?"

    "...For your fiance?e''s sake. Do try not to get hurt."

    Ian stared blankly at Count Francis.

    With a face like a vampire, how could he deliver such a sweet line?!

    "Ah... I''ll keep that in mind."

    Ian bowed his head and couldn''t see��

    But the nobles clearly saw Count Francis''s expression.

    The Count genuinely seemed to like Ian.

    Enough that he would gladly hand over Maria and Silverwind if it meant keeping Ian tied to Roxlan!

    ''That fellow will definitely become part of the Roxlan family.''

    "Haha! Lord Ian! I''ll lend you some equipment��"

    "? I don''t need any?"

    "Don''t be shy! I have plenty of spare gear..."

    "I appreciate the thought. But if you have excess equipment, why not donate it to Roxlan?"

    "Uh, um...?"

    Count Francis smiled, revealing his canines.

    "How truly loyal."

    "..."

    The nobles wanted to befriend Ian but had no idea how to approach him.

    If he were an ordinary young man, he would be easily swayed by a fine sword and horse!

    Wizards... what on earth should they give as gifts?!

    While the nobles dithered, Ian left the castle.

    As expected, Fargar sent cavalry to raid farmers.

    Intended to provoke Roxlan, they mercilessly killed people and set fires.

    "Those sons of bitches��!"

    From Roxlan soldiers'' perspective, it was enough to make their blood boil.

    In small-scale territorial conflicts, the unwritten rule was to leave farmers alone.

    Farmers were valuable.

    Without farmers, who would tend the fields? Ancestral spirits?

    Even if you conquered territory, it was a mere empty shell without farmers to work the land.

    However...

    That logic only applied to conquest wars aimed at governance.

    Fargar''s army had no intention of consuming Roxlan from the beginning.

    They couldn''t digest it anyway.

    The invaders'' goal was to plunder thoroughly and spend the coming winter comfortably.

    Fargar''s cavalry plundered so zealously they would strip even the farmers'' undergarments.

    "Those bastards, they''re foreigners, right?!"

    "Fuck! They''re Roland Kingdom troops!"

    Strictly speaking, they weren''t Roland Kingdom troops.

    They were Fargar''s forces, wearing Roland Kingdom armor and resembling Roland Kingdom people suspiciously...

    Whether they were foreign mercenaries making money in the Empire or immigrants from the Roland Kingdom��

    They had not a speck of patriotism for the Empire, committing massacres without hesitation.

    Upon spotting the enemy cavalry, Ian immediately used Skill Magic.

    "[Lightning spear!]"

    With a thunderous roar, a glowing lightning spear appeared.

    Ian hurled the lightning toward Fargar''s cavalry.

    BOOM!

    Neighhhh!

    The riders tumbled from their horses.

    Even without direct hits, the lightning spear was excellent against cavalry.

    It terrified the horses, making them throw their riders and flee!

    Roxlan''s cavalry didn''t miss this opportunity.

    "Charge��! For the Homeland��!"

    "Long live Roxlan��!"

    Though Fargar''s cavalry attempted to resist, they stood no chance.

    Roxlan''s cavalry completely overwhelmed them.

    "Thank you for your work! Sir Wizard!"

    Roxlan''s cavalrymen all clamored to shake Ian''s hand.

    Being "cavalry," most came from wealthy backgrounds.

    But Ian''s magic was so clean and perfect that even cavalry pride had to bow.

    Without magical support, who knows how difficult the battle would have been.

    "You all worked hard too."

    Though victorious, there was no time to celebrate.

    Ian diligently moved with the cavalry, engaging Fargar''s mounted units.

    "This seems endless."

    "Do you have any ideas, sir?"

    Ian pondered for a moment.

    Fargar''s army clearly showed signs of being high-tier units.

    Even regular soldiers had excellent equipment.

    The cavalry was even more impressive.

    If they continued fighting small-scale engagements, Roxlan''s cavalry would accumulate casualties.

    "Let''s try blocking their sight."

    "Their... sight, sir?"

    The cavalrymen looked at Ian curiously.

    They already knew wizards were naturally good riders.

    But seeing him perfectly cast magic while following the cavalry for days was newly impressive.

    Ian chose a location with complex paths and drew a magic circle.

    It was a magic circle that gathered darkness.

    "Oooh...!"

    The cavalrymen gasped in amazement.

    The wizard seemed to be scribbling something on the ground...

    Suddenly the surroundings darkened like night!

    "This will be difficult to pass through."

    Ian''s words were true.

    The enemies were reluctant to pass near the darkness-filled magic circle, and those who recklessly entered became easy prey.

    "You''re incredible, Sir Wizard."

    The cavalrymen were genuinely astonished by Ian''s magic.

    How many variables could a single wizard create?

    No wonder nobles trembled before wizards!

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 359

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Duke Fargar''s army was in a gloomy mood.

    Their raids hadn''t been as rewarding as expected.

    "So you wandered lost in the forest and only just returned?"

    "...My apologies, Your Grace."

    The Duke was more dumbfounded than irritated.

    What kind of magic could possibly make them lose their way so thoroughly?

    "Ah, there''s a devilish wizard there!"

    The vassals began defending the cavalry one after another.

    After all, their own cavalry units were partially involved too.

    "It''s the wizard''s mischief, Your Grace."

    "He seems to be the same wizard who summoned lightning."

    "You mean the wizard who moves with the cavalry?"

    Duke Fargar contemplated deeply.

    Wizards did occasionally assist nobles in wars, but rarely this proactively.

    Either the wizard had truly befriended the nobles, or there were critical interests at stake.

    Either way, it was nothing but a nuisance for Duke Fargar.

    "Is there no wizard who can counter the enemy shadow wizard?"

    "..."

    "I''ll grant 100 gold coins to whoever brings me his head."

    Not just the nobles, but even the knights'' eyes gleamed with excitement.

    A hundred gold coins for a single head!

    If I were a wizard, I''d volunteer immediately!

    But the wizards'' reactions were cold.

    "I''m sorry, Your Grace. With my level of magic, it''s impossible to capture a shadow wizard."

    "The matchup isn''t favorable for me..."

    "The mysteries haven''t been responding well lately."

    The wizards collectively complained of poor condition, as if they''d coordinated their excuses.

    In truth, the wizards weren''t in great shape.

    They had been continuously using magic since the battles with the Rashin Kingdom.

    Requesting help from the mysteries couldn''t be done endlessly.

    If someone constantly contacted you begging for help, would they still be considered a friend?

    [Lately it feels like you''re just using me...]

    "[Not at all, my friend. I have a truly important matter...]"

    [Fine. Important matters... I''ll tolerate it. For now...]

    The wizards had been sweating daily trying to placate the mysteries.

    Despite having used magic numerous times already, Duke Fargar continually demanded new spells.

    "Find new magic that can break through the shadow wizard''s spells."

    "..."

    "What about using fire magic to burn down the forest?"

    The fire wizard glanced nervously at the Mystery, wearing an awkward expression.

    [(???)]

    "..."

    Seeing the Mystery of Fire standing with folded arms, staring at him, he simply couldn''t bring himself to say "Certainly!"

    "I''m sorry, Your Grace, but if I use fire magic now, the spell might run wild."

    "Run wild?"

    "I''ve been suppressing the mystery too much. Fire naturally loves to burn everything in its path. If I summon it again, it might cause uncontrolled arson regardless of my intentions..."

    "Tch. So you''re saying you''re useless."

    "..."

    The fire wizard''s pride was wounded, but he couldn''t say anything in response.

    Honestly... the wizards were afraid of Duke Fargar.

    He was the kind of man who ordered massacres without batting an eye.

    If he treated peasants'' lives as insignificant as flies, why would wizards be any different?

    Even wizards had to be careful with their behavior.

    If they openly protested against Duke Fargar, they might be beheaded for disturbing military discipline.

    No, that stone-faced human would definitely do just that.

    ''I want to go home...''

    Seeing the wizards'' reluctant responses, Duke Fargar simply had them removed from sight.

    "Steward. The wizards'' morale is low. Provide them with high-quality gold coins as consolation."

    The steward cautiously studied the Duke''s expression.

    "Um... Your Grace. I''m not sure if the wizards will be pleased to receive money..."

    "?"

    Duke Fargar gave him a look that seemed to say, ''What nonsense are you talking about?''

    "Is there anyone in this world who dislikes money?"

    "...No, Your Grace."

    "Good. That settles it."

    The Duke''s judgment was generally correct...

    But gold coins would hardly soothe the wizards'' hearts.

    Their greatest desire was to escape their current situation where they were forced to use magic.

    But the iron-disciplined soldier Duke Fargar couldn''t grasp such subtle considerations.

    They''ll receive money and feel better, then fight well! Simple!

    "Shadow wizards must be weak against light. Have the cavalry carry light-emitting magical items."

    "Yes, Your Grace."

    Though the wizards were unavailable, the Duke believed he could somehow overcome magical darkness.

    Indeed, the cavalry did manage to pass through the curtain of darkness.

    "Your Grace! The cavalry that left with magical items!"

    "Have they returned already?"

    "No! They''ve all been captured by the enemy!"

    "...?"

    Duke Fargar exclaimed in confusion.

    "What kind of magic defeated them this time?"

    "I-it wasn''t magic, they say!"

    "?"

    The soldier stammered his report.

    "They just... lost in combat..."

    "..."

    Duke Fargar was utterly speechless.

    The darkness magic circle Ian had set up effectively hindered the enemy cavalry''s movements.

    But Ian judged that the enemies would soon find a way around it.

    "They''ll either bring a light wizard or gather light-emitting magical items."

    The latter was likely correct.

    While light wizards were extremely rare, magical items that emitted light were surprisingly common.

    After all, items that produce light are always useful, aren''t they?

    Both then and now, wizards frequently created objects that generated their own light.

    Consequently, magical light wasn''t particularly unusual.

    "A wizard needs to use their brain, but magical items don''t matter."

    Hearing this, the cavalrymen brightened and exclaimed:

    "You know magic that can neutralize magical items!"

    Ian tilted his head and replied:

    "I don''t have such magic?"

    "?"

    "We can just take them by force."

    "..."

    Physical neutralization magic.

    Fighting a wizard directly would be problematic, but objects were a different story.

    Just raid them and take the items!

    "But Fargar''s forces won''t fall that easily..."

    "My friend will help us, so don''t worry."

    "!"

    Once again, the cavalrymen looked at Ian with eyes full of expectation.

    A wizard''s friend!

    They were bursting with excitement over what might appear!

    A massive bear? An eagle the size of a bull? Or perhaps a lion?!

    Ian rode away and returned with his friend.

    "I-is this your friend?!"

    It was Belenka, the Black Knight in midnight armor.

    "This is my friend, Belenka."

    "Pleased to meet you."

    The wizard''s friend (human).

    The cavalrymen couldn''t hide their disappointment and said to Ian:

    "Why is the wizard''s friend a person?!"

    "???"

    Ian was dumbfounded.

    What on earth were you expecting?!

    Belenka spoke in a slightly sulky voice:

    "Sorry for being human."

    "N-no, Sir Knight. That''s not what we meant..."

    Whatever the cavalrymen had expected...

    Belenka was definitely Belenka.

    She displayed exceptional combat prowess, crushing the cavalry units carrying magical items.

    "Wow...!"

    The cavalrymen watched Belenka''s fighting in awe.

    This was the same overwhelming strength that had once astonished Ian in Talian.

    "What kind of magic is that, Sir Wizard?"

    "Ah, that is what we call ''genius.''"

    "?"

    Trying to break through Ian''s magic with magical items was pointless if they lost in combat.

    And so Fargar''s cavalry naturally fell into a hellish dilemma.

    If they gathered to break through Ian''s darkness, Belenka would demolish them��

    But if they split up to raid, they couldn''t overcome the magical darkness!

    Eventually, Fargar''s cavalry ceased their raiding activities.

    Cavalry was a high-tier military class, not to be wasted like infantry.

    With these successive victories, Roxlan''s morale soared.

    "Hahaha! Those Fargar bastards! They''re nothing special!"

    Count Francis spoke in a calm voice:

    "Fargar''s army is certainly strong."

    "..."

    The boastful noble immediately closed his mouth and looked nervously at the Count...

    "Despite that, the reason we''ve been able to achieve victory..."

    Count Francis looked at Ian with appreciative eyes and said:

    "Is thanks to the help of an exceptional wizard."

    The sharp-witted nobles quickly followed his lead.

    "Wizard Ian!"

    "He''s Roxlan''s fortune! Hahaha!"

    The wizards also smiled and applauded.

    Though they were fighting on Roxlan''s side for now, they lacked the enthusiasm to fight earnestly.

    Power struggles among nobles were nothing new, after all.

    They received money as compensation, but if they damaged their relationship with the mysteries for money, they''d be missing the point.

    A wizard who loses their magic is nothing.

    "I hear he''s fighting so diligently for his fiance?e."

    "What a passionate young man!"

    Ian let the surrounding praise go in one ear and out the other.

    The war wasn''t over yet.

    "Your Grace. Fargar''s army is now..."

    "Hmm. Yes."

    Count Francis tapped the table.

    The nobles'' attention naturally gathered.

    "They''ve abandoned their raiding strategy and begun advancing."

    "!"

    It was an extremely bold move.

    Normally, one doesn''t carelessly break formation when enemies are nearby.

    The difference in fighting power between an army with good formation and one without is like heaven and earth.

    Even the strongest army can be easily defeated if ambushed while their formation is broken.

    "If they''re advancing..."

    "It must be Humar Hill. If they''re moving their camp, that''s the only place!"

    Currently, Roxlan''s vassals were sending armies of various sizes to support their lord.

    If all the armies combined safely, they would number about 5,000.

    That would be sufficient to face Fargar''s forces.

    Knowing this, Fargar chose to advance.

    He intended to occupy the hill leading to Roxlan��

    And then defeat each arriving reinforcement one by one.

    An enraged noble shouted:

    "We must strike them from behind immediately!"

    There was logic to his words.

    Armies are vulnerable when marching.

    Moreover, to just leave an enemy force relocating to a strategic position?

    Unthinkable!

    "Then let''s first send out 100 cavalry to..."

    "100 cavalry? Are you joking?! We should leave only minimal guards and deploy everyone!"

    "But what if they''ve set a trap? What if they''re waiting to induce a rotation?"

    "How frustrating! They''re an army on the march! What are you so afraid of?"

    "? What? Afraid?"

    The nobles naturally split into two factions.

    One advocated attacking them from behind immediately! The other suggested observing the situation first!

    But the majority was leaning toward hitting them from behind.

    "Cowards!"

    You scared?

    "My! Cowards, you say! Such important matters require caution...!"

    "What, are your legs trembling at being called a coward?"

    You triggered?

    "...I''ll have to show you my courage in person!"

    The nobles were brimming with confidence after their consecutive victories.

    They weren''t yet frightened enough to suggest avoiding battle!

    It would be helpful if Count Francis would say something at this point...

    Unfortunately, the Count knew almost nothing about combat.

    "Enough. We''ll make a decision tomorrow afternoon."

    "Yes, Your Grace!"

    After dismissing the nobles, Count Francis secretly summoned Ian.

    He wanted to borrow the wizard''s wisdom.

    "Ian. What do you think?"

    "..."

    But... Ian didn''t have much to offer either.

    Ian was no Zhuge Liang.

    He knew next to nothing about strategy and tactics.

    However, Ian had made many friends during his travels.

    "I''ll seek wisdom from a wise person."

    Ian hurried off to Sir Salvador.

    ''Sword Master'' Salvador was the ultimate war expert!

    Fortunately, Sir Salvador gladly offered his wisdom.

    "Position your forces forward, but don''t get too close to the enemy."

    "I see."

    "That alone will make Fargar''s army feel pressured."

    "What if they ignore us?"

    "Then you need to teach them a proper lesson."

    Ian relayed Sir Salvador''s opinion exactly��

    And the next day.

    Roxlan''s army left the castle and began establishing a camp.

    The distance between the two armies was neither too far nor too close.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 360

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Though Ian knew little about war, he was a magic expert.

    Ian met privately with Count Francis.

    "How is Duke Roxlan''s condition?"

    Count Francis answered casually.

    "Not good."

    "...Was he injured that badly?"

    "Precisely. He''ll likely remain bedridden until the war ends."

    "Are you certain?"

    "Absolutely certain."

    Ian shot him a suspiciously curious look.

    Wizard Stera had claimed she''d moderated her power when striking the Duke.

    Was Stera''s magic that unrefined?

    Or was there something Ian didn''t know?

    Of course, Ian wasn''t particularly interested in House Roxlan''s circumstances.

    Currently, Count Francis was performing admirably as the Duke''s proxy.

    He was doing a good job, so there was no need to interfere.

    "Sir Salvador''s advice was extremely helpful."

    Roxlan had positioned their army forward.

    It was a demonstration that they''d strike from behind if given the opportunity.

    "But there''s still an uncertain element."

    Ian understood what Count Francis meant.

    "You''re referring to the black wizards."

    "Yes. Do you have any ideas?"

    Currently, black wizards were hiding within Roxlan''s army.

    More precisely, black wizards or their minions.

    Duke Roxlan had contracted with the Golden Rule Society to borrow the power of black magic.

    Once battle commenced, they would certainly reveal themselves.

    Naturally, it would be better not to receive help from black wizards.

    One mistake and Roxlan could be branded as an ''evil'' force.

    Duke Roxlan had apparently formulated a mad plan to actively use black magic.

    But Count Francis had no intention of following his father''s path.

    "I''m always happy to eliminate black wizards."

    Count Francis patted Ian''s shoulder and said:

    "If you resolve this black wizard problem, I''ll never forget the debt."

    "..."

    You''re welcome to forget it, honestly.

    Ian was beginning to feel burdened by Count Francis''s increasingly friendly behavior.

    This man tried desperately to promote Ian at every opportunity.

    He probably wanted to support the future Margrave of Silverwind''s husband in advance.

    Yet Ian had absolutely no intention of living in Silverwind.

    Why on earth would he live in the far southern edge when he had perfectly good land in Talian?

    Still, being on good terms with the future duke wasn''t bad for Ian.

    The Count could help counter black wizards. Ian might need his help someday.

    "I do have something in mind..."

    "Then do it."

    "?"

    I haven''t explained it yet?

    But Count Francis gave an eerie smile and said:

    "I''ll provide whatever you need. Go stop the black wizards'' mischief."

    ...That was the kind of unlimited trust that made Ian bow his head involuntarily.

    "Thank you, Count."

    "No need for thanks. Go do your work. And become a husband your wife can be proud of."

    Ian bowed to the Count and left.

    Though he never intended it, Ian had become a quasi-expert on black magic.

    The reason? He''d beaten up too many black wizards.

    But more than anything, he''d spent time with a genuine black magic expert.

    ''Professor Demonite.''

    Professor Demonite not only taught Ian transmutation but also brilliantly taught him how to act like a black wizard(...).

    Of course, he wasn''t actually a black wizard.

    But he was such a psycho that he could perfectly deceive other black wizards, serving effectively as a double agent.

    Ian decided to imitate Professor Demonite''s methods.

    He wasn''t sure how well it would work...

    But he judged it worth trying.

    ''Black wizards operate as a cell organization.''

    That was both why black wizards could persistently survive and why Ian''s plan might work.

    Most black wizards operated in cells, without a strong reporting system.

    Especially in infiltration operations like this, they could only move according to their initial instructions.

    ''The leader of the black wizards currently operating in Roxlan Castle is... Black Wizard Brie?.''

    Through Count Francis, Ian had acquired all the documents Duke Roxlan had received.

    Based on these documents, he prepared an appropriate scenario.

    It wouldn''t matter much if the plan failed.

    Ian already had Count Francis''s trust.

    The actual battle might become a bit more difficult, but that was the only penalty.

    Ian decided he needed to act boldly.

    There wasn''t much time anyway.

    The large-scale battle wasn''t far off.

    First, Ian approached Sir Pyrak and reported.

    "What is it, Lord Ian?"

    "I need your help, Sir. It concerns the black wizards."

    "!"

    Sir Pyrak had already received instructions from Count Francis.

    If it involved black wizards, he was to give Ian all possible assistance.

    "Tell me."

    "The bald man with the brown beard from the Black Eagle mercenary company is definitely a black wizard."

    "My goodness... I''ll arrest him immediately."

    Ian had several black wizards arrested this way.

    Then he carefully examined the condition of each captured black wizard.

    ''Someone suitably stupid yet loyal...''

    The Golden Rule Society was a secret organization.

    In fiction, secret organizations are often portrayed as ultra-elite groups.

    But that''s just a setting created for dramatic tension.

    Usually, secret organizations are full of bottom-feeders.

    Why would accomplished elites join a secret organization? They all want to climb to the top in the light.

    Therefore, many of the Golden Rule Society''s wizards were mediocre.

    Additionally, since black magic could be practiced through murder or torture, there were many nasty characters.

    ''That one looks good.''

    Ian singled out a stubborn-looking black wizard.

    He was bald with a brown beard.

    His face was a mess, probably from being beaten during capture.

    Ian took a deep breath.

    He''d acted like a wizard many times before, but this kind was new.

    ''Like Professor Demonite.''

    But Ian moved confidently.

    He was long past the point of fearing failure.

    In the cold underground dungeon.

    Ian met privately with the captured black wizard.

    "...Who are you?"

    The bald black wizard glared at Ian with cold eyes.

    Asking about Ian''s identity? +50 points.

    Ian liked straightforward types!

    Method acting came naturally.

    "You stupid fool."

    "...?"

    "I told you to be careful. Yet you got yourself caught."

    When Ian suddenly hurled what sounded like insults, the bald man looked flabbergasted.

    "What nonsense are you talking?"

    "No need for you to know, simpleton. These new recruits are always..."

    "???"

    Ian muttered while touching various parts of the prison cell.

    There was... an escape route.

    Beyond the thin wall seemed to be a cliff.

    "Keep watch for anyone coming."

    "Hey, who do you think you are��"

    Shing!

    Ian drew Anor-lsil and pressed it against the wizard''s throat.

    Thin droplets of blood trickled down the blade.

    ''Like the Professor.''

    Ian smiled slyly and said:

    "Does my word not sound convincing? Or would you prefer I kill you right here?"

    "...Well, that''s. You need to explain��"

    "I command, you obey. Simple enough explanation?"

    "..."

    The black wizard looked like he wanted to say something, but no one had the guts to voice their opinions when threatened with a blade.

    "...I''ll obey."

    He nervously watched Ian''s movements while keeping lookout.

    Of course, no guards came.

    Ian had already cleared them away.

    The important thing was...

    To the black wizard, it appeared that Ian was helping him!

    Since black wizards were still ''wizards,'' they had basic knowledge of the Maronius language.

    They could easily recognize that Ian was drawing a magic circle.

    "Listen while you watch. As you probably expected, the association''s membership list has been leaked."

    "...!"

    "I don''t know who leaked it or how. But only a few names were exposed. Therefore, the operation proceeds as planned."

    Thud.

    Ian subtly concealed the completed magic circle with darkness.

    Hidden by concealment power, guards would never discover it.

    "Keep an eye out and escape from here. I''ve arranged a servant position at the stables. Wait there."

    "Th-thank you..."

    Ian looked directly at the black wizard and said:

    "And tell Brie?."

    "!"

    "If he continues to move this carelessly, his head will roll."

    The black wizard couldn''t meet Ian''s eyes.

    Black Wizard Brie? was the current leader of the black wizards.

    Yet this stranger spoke the leader''s name as casually as calling someone''s pet dog!

    "Wh-who should I say sent the message?"

    "Demius. He''ll understand."

    "...! Yes! Lord Demius!"

    ***

    The next day.

    The bald black wizard escaped from prison, exactly as Ian intended.

    The guards were amazed by the black wizard''s mysterious magic and clicked their tongues.

    "How did he manage to break through the wall?"

    "Even the wizard didn''t know. It''s not our fault."

    The guards naturally knew nothing about magic��

    And when Wizard Ian himself inspected the prison, he couldn''t find any magic circle.

    So the guards thought:

    That black wizard...

    Must be incredibly skilled at magic!

    ***

    With the clash against Fargar imminent.

    The black wizard''s existence seemed to be forgotten...

    Black Wizard Kan found it difficult to calm his pounding heart.

    As a black wizard belonging to the Golden Rule Society, he had been disguised as a mercenary to carry out his mission.

    But suddenly he was dragged away by the guards��

    And ended up imprisoned!

    He had no idea what to do.

    Just when he thought everything was over...

    [Demius. He''ll understand.]

    A mysterious young man appeared and helped Kan escape...!

    Kan recalled ''Demius''s'' words.

    [I told you to be careful. Yet you got yourself caught.]

    [No need for you to know, simpleton. These new recruits are always...]

    [I command, you obey. Simple enough explanation?]

    An attitude accustomed to giving orders.

    A harsh yet caring tone.

    And above all��

    The appearance that Lord Antios, head of the Golden Rule Society, preferred!

    Pure imperial black hair!

    And even the archaic name ''Demius''!

    ''...He must be a high-ranking official!''

    Kan was convinced that ''Demius'' was one of the Golden Rule Society''s executives.

    Otherwise, why would he secretly help him escape?

    ''I need to find Brie?!''

    Kan hurried to report this to Brie?.

    Lord Demius had passed critical information to Kan.

    Specifically... that the association''s membership list had been leaked.

    The sudden arrests must have happened because of the leaked list.

    Since they didn''t know ''who'' leaked it, they needed to contain the situation quickly.

    "Brie?!"

    Just as Kan was about to meet Brie?.

    "Huh? Kan!"

    "?"

    Kan tilted his head, witnessing an unexpected scene.

    The team leader, Brie?, was... being held captive by other wizards?

    "Weren''t you taken to prison?!"

    "Um... I got lucky and escaped."

    "That''s fortunate!"

    Kan couldn''t contain his curiosity and asked:

    "But why is Brie? in that state?"

    "Hah. Hear it yourself."

    Kan approached Brie?.

    Brie? stammered as he explained the situation to Kan.

    "These bastards... found gold nuggets in my room and have been acting like this since morning."

    "Acting like what? You''re the bastard! What you''re doing is fucked up!"

    A black wizard shouted.

    "Tell us! That gold! Who gave it to you!"

    Brie? cried out indignantly.

    "I didn''t receive it from anyone! I took it from a crow that was carrying it!"

    "Fuck, do you think that makes any sense? You crazy bastard?"

    "It''s true, dammit! Fuck!"

    "..."

    Kan stared blankly at Brie?''s face.

    The sudden arrests.

    The leaked list.

    And... the suspicious gold nugget.

    Before he knew it, Kan blurted out:

    "Brie?."

    "Yeah?"

    "Where did you get that gold?"

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 361

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "This isn''t working."

    Kan joined the other black wizards.

    Brie? felt personally betrayed by Kan.

    "You bastard...!"

    "Sorry, but you need to properly explain the gold nugget. Until then, I can''t trust you."

    "A crow really was carrying the gold nugget..."

    Brie? was telling nothing but the absolute truth.

    Recently.

    A crow carrying gold in its beak had truly passed right before his eyes!

    Brie? quickly chased away the crow and snatched the gold.

    Of course he did.

    When a bird carrying gold passes right in front of you, who wouldn''t take it?

    He didn''t think deeply about why a crow would be carrying gold.

    He simply thought, "What a talented crow!" and moved on.

    It must have found it somewhere by luck!

    Crows naturally like shiny things, after all.

    "I''m sorry! You bastards! I''m sorry!"

    "Are you ready to tell the truth?"

    "Fine! I''m sorry for trying to keep it all to myself!"

    The only part Brie? felt guilty about was attempting to keep the gold nugget all to himself.

    Honestly... he did get blinded by gold.

    But if you''re lucky enough to get your hands on gold, wouldn''t you want to avoid sharing it with your comrades?

    Why should I share my good fortune with others?

    That''s what Brie? thought��

    And his comrades were somewhat accepting it, moving toward releasing him.

    Though the source of the gold was still suspicious...

    If he claims he took it from a crow, what more can they do?

    Since Brie? had apologized, his comrades would get a piece of the gold too.

    A happy ending for everyone.

    But just one person.

    Kan alone couldn''t accept it.

    "Stop evading and tell the truth!"

    "But, really...!"

    Brie? looked at Kan as if he were being strange.

    His comrades felt the same way.

    Wasn''t that explanation enough to let it go?

    "Kan. What''s wrong with you?"

    Kan shouted excitedly:

    "I haven''t told you properly how I escaped!"

    "Ah... that''s right."

    "In prison, a wizard named [Demius] helped me."

    "Demius?"

    The comrades blinked their eyes.

    Naturally, it was a name none of them had heard before.

    "Who''s that?"

    "A young man with black hair..."

    "Isn''t that Wizard Ian?"

    The comrades listened intently to Kan''s story.

    After piecing it together, they couldn''t help but reach a similar conclusion to Kan''s.

    The sudden investigation and Kan''s capture.

    The narrow escape.

    And now... Brie? being caught with a gold nugget.

    "Brie?. You..."

    No way?

    The comrades stared at Brie? with disbelieving eyes.

    Had Brie? betrayed the black wizards?!

    Brie? was dumbfounded.

    "Hey, you idiots! I would never sell you out!"

    "But the leaked membership list..."

    "Duke Roxlan collapsed recently! Someone must have stolen it then!"

    Duke Roxlan had been secretly dealing with the Golden Rule Society.

    It was a plausible explanation.

    But Kan still hadn''t removed his suspicions.

    "Then why haven''t they captured us until now?"

    "Well... maybe they''ve been busy?"

    Though casually thrown out, his answer was surprisingly correct.

    Count Francis and the Roxlan nobles had been preoccupied with stopping Fargar''s raiding operations.

    They hadn''t had the leisure to weed out black wizards quietly lying low.

    It was factually accurate, but Kan wasn''t convinced.

    "So my arrest was a coincidence. And you getting gold was also a coincidence?"

    "Hey. Are you that upset? Fine! I''ll specially give you a larger portion of gold!"

    "..."

    The comrades looked at Kan.

    It was a signal to stop.

    The situation was suspicious, but wasn''t it a bit much to tear into a comrade based on mere suspicion?

    Right at that moment.

    "What are you all doing there!"

    "!"

    A group of armed soldiers appeared.

    They were knights and soldiers on patrol.

    "Illegal gatherings are prohibited. Especially now!"

    "Um... Sir Knight. That''s..."

    The black wizards quickly exchanged glances.

    Should they stab them and run?

    If they were arrested now, things would go seriously wrong.

    "State your affiliations one by one."

    "..."

    "Hurry!"

    The black wizards all belonged to different units. That was part of their disguised infiltration.

    ''Should I use magic...?''

    Kan seriously considered eliminating the soldiers with black magic.

    But at that very moment��

    "Leave them be."

    "...?"

    A black-haired wizard appeared.

    The black wizards immediately recognized who he was.

    ''Wizard Ian...!''

    Previously, they had thought he was just a wizard working for Roxlan.

    But according to Kan''s testimony...

    Ian''s true identity was Black Wizard Demius.

    A high-ranking executive of the Golden Rule Society (or at least suspected to be)!

    "? Sir Wizard?"

    "I ordered them to gather."

    "Ah... I see."

    The knight accepted this and withdrew without protest.

    The rumor of Ian''s significant contributions in stopping Fargar''s cavalry was very well-known.

    As a wizard favored by the future duke, there was nothing to gain by confronting him.

    Wizard Ian.

    ...Or Black Wizard Demius looked around and sighed.

    "How much longer must I clean up after you?"

    "!"

    The black wizards looked at Ian in confusion.

    "Who are you...?"

    Ian introduced himself casually.

    "Pleased to meet you. I am Demius."

    "..."

    ''What the fuck, who''s Demius? Do you know?''

    ''No idea. How am I supposed to know all the higher-ups!''

    Black hair that the Regent liked.

    And the name Demius, reeking of ancient imperial heritage.

    Ian was, by anyone''s measure, a high-ranking black wizard...!

    The black wizards naturally didn''t know any executive named Demius.

    But...

    Being accustomed to cell organization activities, they assumed Ian must truly be an executive of the Golden Rule Society.

    All except one person.

    Black Wizard Brie?.

    ''This guy...''

    Brie? calmly examined Ian.

    ''Who the hell is he?!''

    He was a decent enough wizard to be entrusted as the leader of black wizards.

    He had even exchanged letters with the society''s executives...

    He''d heard names like Bertholdt and Karenne, but Demius was completely new to him.

    Brie? was suspicious of Ian''s identity.

    First, his timing of appearance was extremely suspicious.

    He had shown up so conspicuously to save a black wizard in trouble.

    Wasn''t the timing too perfect?

    "It''s an honor to meet you, Lord Demius."

    Brie? offered his hand to Ian.

    Simultaneously, he prepared magic.

    Specifically, transmutation.

    ''Transform my hand into a blade...!''

    He planned to subdue Ian the moment their hands touched.

    "Yes. Good to see you."

    But Ian didn''t extend his hand.

    Instead, he abruptly thrust out his staff.

    "?"

    As Brie? hesitated in confusion.

    Ian''s staff... suddenly transformed into a snake!

    "Staff into snake!"

    The black wizards let out exclamations of admiration.

    It was truly exceptional transmutation!

    As expected of a high-ranking black wizard!

    The staff-snake immediately wrapped around Brie?''s neck.

    "Gack! Gack!"

    Ian kicked Brie? hard in the stomach.

    With a thud, Brie? fell to his knees.

    "Preparing magic the moment we meet."

    Ian spoke in an icy voice.

    "Wizard Brie?. There''s so much I want to ask you."

    "I-I''m sorry! Lord Demius!"

    Brie? slammed his head to the ground in terror.

    He had discreetly prepared magic, yet this man had instantly detected it!

    Could he really be a high-ranking black wizard?!

    ''Like the Professor.''

    Ian recalled Professor Demonite''s psychotic(...) behavior and imitated it perfectly.

    "A man who apologizes after trying to use magic on me at first sight?"

    Ian kicked Brie? dispassionately.

    Even the watching black wizards were frightened.

    "Um... Lord Demius..."

    "What is it?"

    "..."

    The black wizards lost all desire to protest when they saw Ian''s nonchalant expression.

    To beat someone so casually...

    Truly a high-ranking black wizard!

    A genuine psychopath!

    "Black Wizard Brie?."

    "Y-yes... yes!"

    "Have you been dealing with Count Francis?"

    "...What?!"

    Kan reflexively looked at Brie?.

    Count Francis?

    The man who had taken over as Duke Roxlan''s proxy after the Duke collapsed!

    "What do you mean by dealing..."

    "You agreed to receive gold in exchange for handing over the personal information of your black wizard comrades. Isn''t that right?"

    "!"

    Brie?''s eyes bulged.

    Where did such a blatant lie come from��!

    "Lord Demius. What are you saying?"

    "I obtained documents from Count Francis''s room. Documents stating that ''an anonymous informant'' would be rewarded with gold for cooperating in purging black wizards."

    Ian showed Brie? a document.

    The document truly bore Count Francis''s seal.

    ...Well, of course it did��the Count had created it at Ian''s request!

    For Count Francis, who was well-versed in various schemes, forging such a document was nothing.

    The Count''s forged document was extremely convincing.

    "My God, Brie?!"

    "Is that true?!"

    The black wizards glared at Brie? in shock.

    Kan slapped his knee.

    I knew it! He seemed suspicious from the start!

    So Brie? was the traitor all along!

    "..."

    Brie? felt as if all the blood was draining from his body.

    This was a plot.

    Someone had clearly targeted him and set a trap!

    "...That''s a forged document."

    "Forged?"

    "I swear to heaven, I have never betrayed my comrades!"

    "Hmm... is that so."

    As Ian made a gesture to back off, Kan rushed forward and shouted:

    "Lord Demius! This bastard has gold!"

    "Kan! Shut your mouth!"

    Ian glared at Brie? with Professor Demonite''s piercing gaze(...).

    Brie? immediately closed his mouth.

    "Brie?. Where did you get the gold?"

    "Well... that..."

    Brie? spoke with a trembling voice.

    "I took it from a passing crow..."

    "..."

    "..."

    A silence with a distinctly different feel than before.

    Brie? cursed his past self for not resisting momentary greed.

    He had simply picked up a gold nugget that happened to roll by...

    Who could have imagined it would become a noose around his neck!

    "Took it from a crow..."

    Step, step.

    Ian walked toward Brie?.

    Brie? cried out desperately.

    "It''s true! A crow really was carrying gold and... gack!"

    Ian strangled Brie? with the staff-snake.

    "You couldn''t prepare a more plausible excuse, I see."

    "Gack! Gaaaack!"

    "No. You never included me in your plans to begin with."

    Brie?''s face turned blue.

    The black wizards clenched their fists in fear.

    This wasn''t a simple reprimand.

    It was an act of taking a life as punishment.

    "The society''s members are everywhere, Brie?."

    Thud.

    Brie? collapsed to the ground.

    ...And never moved again.

    "Remember this, all of you."

    Ian spoke in a soft voice.

    "For traitors, there is only death."

    "We''ll remember, Lord Demius!"

    Although they had just witnessed a man being killed before their eyes, none of the black wizards protested against Ian.

    They feared him.

    Ian addressed the black wizards:

    "From this moment until the operation ends, I am your leader."

    "Yes, Lord Demius!"

    Ian''s infiltration was successful.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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 Chapter 362

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    After seizing leadership of the black wizards, Ian quickly took stock of his personnel.

    Though there''d been no formal handover, he managed easily using records left by the deceased Brie?.

    ''As expected...''

    Ian confirmed his suspicions while examining Brie?''s records.

    The black wizards had planned to attack Roxlan''s army right as the battle began.

    The more chaos escalated, the more black wizards smiled.

    Their reason for attacking Roxlan was simple.

    Roxlan had been fighting much better than expected.

    At this rate, they might achieve victory without the black wizards'' help.

    To balance the scales, the wizards had planned to subtly strengthen Fargar''s side.

    But that plan had crumbled to dust.

    Ian had executed Brie? and seized leadership of the black wizards.

    The black wizards obediently followed Ian''s instructions.

    ...Because Ian had eliminated anyone who wouldn''t comply.

    Controlling others through fear.

    This was Professor Demonite''s method, not Ian''s.

    But it proved highly effective against black wizards.

    Many black wizards were poorly educated.

    Elite individuals with higher education could enjoy sufficient wealth and glory without learning black magic.

    Black magic was the magic of the forsaken.

    Consequently, black wizards tended to fixate on immediate power and fear.

    Even knowing Ian was Count Francis''s associate, they weren''t particularly wary of him.

    Rather than thinking, "A Roxlan wizard approaching us?" they thought:

    "Lord Demius must be exceptional to have earned the future duke''s trust!"

    "Is this everyone?"

    "Yes, Lord Demius."

    Ian decided to deal with the black wizards exactly as Professor Demonite would.

    He briefly considered whether there might be another way to use them.

    But rather than risking variables with half-baked schemes, clean elimination was better.

    Ian secretly "kidnapped" Maria, then summoned the black wizards.

    "I''ve captured the Silverwind heir."

    "!"

    "If this woman disappears, Duke Fargar can attack Roxlan with peace of mind."

    Ian had asked Maria to play along intuitively.

    "This woman is the Silverwind heir!"

    "Ohh!"

    The black wizards were astonished.

    They''d wondered what the high-ranking black wizard had been planning while undercover...

    So he''d been scheming to kidnap an important figure!

    Ian laughed like a black wizard(?) while threatening Maria.

    "Haha. How do you feel now, Maria Silverwind?"

    Your turn, Maria!

    Show us how terrified you are!

    When Ian removed the cloth covering Maria''s mouth, she shouted energetically:

    "I''m so... happy! Dear!"

    "?"

    Is that the right line? Maria?

    Ian stared at her in disbelief.

    But Maria boldly continued her performance.

    "To be able to escape like this with my beloved!"

    "...No, Maria."

    "Hurry dear! Before the Duke''s knights catch up to us!"

    "..."

    Feeling sparkling gazes upon him, Ian turned his head.

    The black wizards were looking at Ian with eyes full of admiration!

    One black wizard shouted:

    "You''ve already brainwashed her!"

    "..."

    I didn''t brainwash her.

    Really.

    "Kyahaha! Playing with an innocent maiden''s heart!"

    "As expected of Lord Demius!"

    The black wizards naturally(?) assumed Ian had brainwashed Maria with black magic.

    Otherwise, why would she cling to Ian with eyes so deeply in love!

    "...When this is over, I''ll teach you my magic too."

    "We''re honored, Lord Demius!"

    Ian led the black wizards to the appointed location.

    The place where he''d had soldiers lying in ambush.

    "There they are! Open fire!"

    The soldiers immediately showered the black wizards with arrows.

    Maybe a high-ranking black wizard with exceptional skills could have defended himself.

    But black wizards of disposable quality had no talent for blocking incoming arrows.

    The ability to block arrows was a highly advanced skill.

    "Gack! Gack!"

    "What the hell! Who are they!"

    "It''s an ambush!"

    Black wizards who knew how to use weapons hastily pulled out hatchets and the like.

    But most became arrow cushions and died.

    Those who belatedly tried to respond with magic met their end at Ian''s blade.

    "Demius! You...!"

    The black wizards cried out in shock.

    "You were a traitor!"

    "That''s right. Go repent in heaven, kids."

    "You son of a��!"

    Ian swung Anor-lsil, cutting down the black wizards.

    Even a novice swordsman like Ian could manage backstabbing.

    Dozens of corpses appeared in an instant.

    "Thank you for your work, Sir."

    "Not at all! It was an honor to serve you, Sir Wizard!"

    Ian patted the Roxlan knight''s shoulder.

    With this, most of the black wizards had been eliminated.

    A few might have survived, but they couldn''t execute the operation anymore, so they could be ignored.

    Ian reported this to Count Francis.

    "You''ve finished just in time."

    "Just in time... you mean Fargar''s army is moving?"

    The Count nodded.

    "They''ve started moving again."

    ***

    Armies naturally move slowly.

    It''s not one or two people moving, but thousands simultaneously.

    Just counting soldiers, there were thousands.

    Add servants and slaves handling menial tasks, and the number grows much larger.

    The procession of people was visible even from a great distance.

    "Fargar is provoking us, Sir."

    Sir Pyrak observed the battlefield as he spoke.

    After confirming Roxlan''s forward positioning, Fargar had briefly halted movement.

    They''d paused in case Roxlan might charge at them.

    But the waiting was over.

    Having confirmed that Roxlan''s objective was to buy time, Fargar resumed the advance.

    "Will you respond?"

    "We must."

    Fargar would have already completed battle preparations.

    Though they appeared to be marching unguarded��

    If Roxlan charged, they would instantly form battle formations.

    That''s why they had briefly hesitated earlier.

    But even knowing this, Roxlan had to move.

    If left alone, Fargar would occupy the high ground without shedding a drop of blood.

    That would make the situation even more troublesome.

    "Advance!"

    At Sir Pyrak''s command, Roxlan''s army slowly began to advance.

    A dry wind wrapped around the battlefield.

    This wasn''t the usual WWE match.

    This was the first large-scale battle since the initial clash between Fargar and Roxlan.

    Today, many would die.

    Ian also moved to support the battle.

    "Sir Pyrak."

    Ian approached Sir Pyrak, the commander, and said:

    "Regarding magical support..."

    "It''s not urgent at the moment."

    On the battlefield, wizards have two main roles.

    First: Raining magic down on the enemy''s heads.

    Second: Disrupting enemy wizards'' magic.

    Generally, wizards focus more on disrupting enemy magic.

    After all... not many wizards enjoy unleashing mass destruction magic.

    It''s a matter of life and death.

    A large-scale fire spell could burn countless enemies to death��

    But the fire wizard who must burn people would experience extreme psychological stress.

    Therefore, wizards focus more on disrupting enemy magic rather than actively launching magical attacks.

    "Instead, I''d like you to block enemy pursuit when we retreat."

    Sir Pyrak anticipated that Roxlan would retreat first.

    They were inferior in both numbers and quality of soldiers.

    The wizards nodded.

    "Leave it to us."

    Normal retreats typically result in heavy casualties, but with wizards helping, the story changes.

    "Then I''ll head out as well."

    Sir Pyrak was slightly concerned about the wizard going to the front, but he didn''t stop Ian.

    "See you again this evening, then."

    Ian shook hands with Sir Pyrak, then went to find Belenka''s banner.

    That''s where Ian''s army was��Belenka, Sabui, and the bandits.

    "You''re here, Ian?"

    Belenka welcomed Ian naturally.

    Though her face wasn''t visible beneath her helmet, she was probably smiling.

    With Ian joining them, she would feel more confident.

    "You didn''t need to come fight."

    "I came precisely because I don''t need to fight."

    "Haha. That''s true enough."

    The objective of this battle was to hinder the enemy''s advance.

    They just needed to fight adequately and then retreat when magical support was withdrawn.

    Roxlan had no intention of fighting to the death.

    Time was on Roxlan''s side.

    Therefore, Ian also aimed to save as many soldiers as possible.

    His shadow magic could be used to protect their soldiers.

    "See that banner?"

    Belenka pointed to a prominently raised flag.

    "That''s Duke Fargar''s banner."

    "Oh. It looks different up close."

    Ian stared at the Duke''s banner and felt something was off.

    The Duke''s banner was... much larger than expected.

    "Belenka. Do they normally make command flags especially large?"

    "They do make them larger, but that''s..."

    Ian and Belenka fell silent almost simultaneously.

    The Duke''s banner wasn''t simply large.

    It was just... much closer than the others!

    "Belenka! That thing''s coming toward us?!"

    "Duke Fargar is a madman."

    Indeed.

    Duke Fargar''s unit was an overwhelming vanguard.

    No, it would be more accurate to say they were protruding as if asking to be ambushed!

    "It''s the Duke!"

    "Capture the Duke��!"

    As the Duke''s banner approached, Roxlan''s units began rushing out one after another.

    If they could just break that banner, the war would be over!

    But soon something astonishing happened.

    The units charging toward Duke Fargar collapsed at an incredible speed.

    Ian was genuinely impressed.

    Duke Fargar was...

    A man of such tremendous strength that calling him the medieval version of Xiang Yu was no exaggeration.

    "This guy''s a fucking maniac?"

    "Not just any maniac."

    After instantly grinding through Roxlan''s units, Duke Fargar, joined by his following army, charged forward like a wedge.

    Straight toward Ian''s unit.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 363

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "Enemy! The enemy is coming!"

    The scout shouted.

    It wasn''t particularly helpful.

    Anyone with eyes could see Roxlan approaching.

    "They''re coming."

    Duke Fargar muttered as he adjusted his helmet.

    "Will you go yourself, Your Grace?"

    "Of course."

    The Duke would fight on the front lines, wielding his sword personally.

    He had always done so, and had won every battle.

    The soldiers trusted him.

    To the soldiers, Duke Fargar was a symbol of victory.

    "His Grace is going forward."

    "Support the Duke!"

    While the rest of Fargar''s forces slowly changed formation��

    The Duke''s personal unit instantly pivoted to face the enemy.

    Duke Fargar didn''t even wait for his subordinates before immediately charging toward Roxlan''s forces.

    "Long live Duke Fargar!"

    The morale of the Duke''s unit was frighteningly high.

    That''s why, despite the Duke charging ahead alone, no one faltered.

    Instead, they followed closely behind, eager to join the attack.

    Indeed, Duke Fargar began crushing enemies while displaying tremendous prowess.

    "Duke Fargar! I shall defeat you here and raise the honor of our family..."

    "Hmm."

    Roxlan''s knights challenged the Duke boldly.

    But no knight lasted even three exchanges.

    "Argh!"

    "...What even is that? A human? Or a monster?"

    "That crazy Duke!"

    As Roxlan''s forces hesitated, Fargar''s army descended on them ferociously.

    As expected, the battle situation turned unfavorable for Roxlan.

    Roxlan''s commander, Sir Pyrak, calmly observed the battle.

    ''They''re fighting worse than I expected.''

    He knew Roxlan was weak. He also knew Fargar was strong.

    But theory and practice are different, aren''t they?

    You never know until you try, as they say��Sir Pyrak had thought Roxlan might fight well in an actual battle.

    But there was no reversal.

    Duke Fargar used himself as bait to draw in Roxlan''s forces, and Roxlan, rushing to defeat the Duke, found themselves on the receiving end instead.

    ''A bold strategy.''

    Sir Pyrak summed up Duke Fargar''s tactics in one phrase.

    The Duke''s approach was extremely aggressive.

    He concentrated all aggression on himself, then turned the tables.

    It was an extremely high-risk plan��if the Duke fell, the war would end right there!

    But the Duke had the ability to execute such a dangerous plan.

    He had actually wiped out all the Roxlan forces that rushed him.

    ''It''s certainly bold, but...''

    Sir Pyrak slightly furrowed his brow.

    He understood the Duke was strong.

    He also understood the Duke''s desire to inflict maximum damage by drawing aggression.

    But...

    ''Isn''t this too extreme?''

    Duke Fargar''s penetration was far more aggressive than expected.

    A forward charge with no regard for what was behind him, truly deserving the expression ''sticking his neck out''!

    ''If this is a tactical decision, you''re a mad strategist, Duke Fargar.''

    Under normal circumstances, Sir Pyrak should have sounded the retreat horn.

    The battle''s objective had already been accomplished.

    The purpose of this battle was to provoke Fargar''s forces and prevent them from advancing easily.

    It was a fight meant to send the message: "If you try to advance while ignoring us, you''ll get screwed."

    But Duke Fargar was being far more ambitious than expected.

    That fact made Sir Pyrak hesitate.

    If he sounded the retreat, they would let the Duke get away with his madness.

    But if they didn''t retreat now?

    Roxlan''s casualties would snowball.

    ''Should we capture the Duke now... or turn our backs and flee?''

    Sir Pyrak contemplated deeply.

    He had no choice.

    His decision now would determine the future.

    ...Soon, Sir Pyrak made his decision.

    "Prepare to retreat."

    "Yes, sir!"

    Sir Pyrak chose to retreat.

    ''I cannot gamble with the soldiers'' lives...!''

    If they captured Duke Fargar here, they would win the war.

    But if they failed?

    They would ruin a war that would naturally turn favorable if they just waited!

    Therefore, Sir Pyrak chose a safe move instead of a dangerous gamble.

    Even if they couldn''t capture Duke Fargar, there were still many ways to win the war!

    "Um... Sir Pyrak?"

    Right at that moment.

    "The enemy''s command flag is... retreating?"

    "?"

    What did you say?

    Sir Pyrak examined the battlefield situation once more.

    And his mouth fell open.

    "What in the world...!"

    It was true.

    Duke Fargar had penetrated deep into enemy lines.

    But the Duke''s banner was... quietly slipping away!

    ''The Duke is retreating?''

    The thought that it might be a trap briefly crossed his mind.

    But if he had planned a strategic retreat, he wouldn''t have penetrated so deeply into enemy territory in the first place.

    Then there was only one answer.

    Duke Fargar was truly retreating!

    "Cancel the retreat! Concentrate attacks on Duke Fargar!"

    Sir Pyrak shouted excitedly.

    ***

    "Holy shit..."

    Ian was speechless after witnessing Duke Fargar''s might.

    Changing the battlefield''s atmosphere with just one person''s strength...

    This seemed familiar.

    During the recapture of Talian.

    Belenka alone had nearly reversed the battle''s outcome.

    In medieval warfare, individual combat ability was extremely important.

    First, the number of participants was small.

    With battles involving hundreds or thousands, a single person''s impact became that much greater.

    Also, an individual''s lethality was low.

    Typically, after cutting down two or three people, one would tire and move to the rear.

    Therefore, it was an environment conducive to the birth of "heroes."

    People like Belenka or Duke Fargar.

    "Argh!"

    "Sir Maude has fallen!"

    Duke Fargar was literally charging forward like a madman.

    Ian could understand why the Duke was moving so boldly.

    Duke Fargar also knew Roxlan would eventually choose to retreat.

    Therefore, he wanted to inflict maximum damage before they escaped.

    "Is this guy insane?"

    "He''s definitely insane. What if he gets surrounded?"

    Both Ian and Belenka were at a loss for words at the Duke''s audacity.

    He should show a reasonable amount of disregard for Roxlan''s forces.

    But charging forward without looking back? What kind of behavior was that?

    What was even more infuriating...

    Duke Fargar''s strategy was working perfectly.

    "Stop the Duke! Gack!"

    "Hmm."

    "Damn it! Baron Raphie has fallen!"

    Roxlan''s forces were falling one after another.

    Ian couldn''t stand by any longer.

    If he remained passive, there would be no soldiers left to retreat!

    "Belenka! Let''s go!"

    "Right!"

    Instinctively, Ian felt they needed to stop Duke Fargar to enable a retreat.

    Since the Duke had charged ahead alone, Ian''s forces could easily engage the Duke''s unit.

    Excluding Ian, two units were attacking the Duke.

    The Duke was already being ganged up on(...).

    Despite this, the Duke was easily overwhelming both units.

    The secret was... none other than equipment advantage.

    "???"

    Ian was shocked when he saw Duke Fargar''s armor.

    "Wait, that''s...!"

    Belenka shouted.

    "Ancient full plate armor!"

    ''Was it really made by ancients?''

    The armor Duke Fargar wore was none other than full plate armor.

    That is, armor covering the entire body in metal plates.

    ''He seems to have confused the era by about 500 years?!''

    Full plate armor was equipment that only appeared in the late medieval period.

    It immediately claimed the title of supreme armor��

    And remained in active use even after the spread of muskets in the 16th century, truly the strongest armor!

    But in Ian''s world, full plate armor had not yet been developed.

    Or so he thought...

    Yet Duke Fargar was wearing gleaming full plate armor.

    A fantasy world was truly a fantasy world.

    "Belenka! Sabui! Stop Duke Fargar!"

    "As ordered!"

    "Kehehehe!"

    But Ian didn''t hesitate to issue the attack order.

    The Duke had to be stopped, even if he were wearing the grandfather of all plate armor.

    The Duke, having just felled an opposing knight, paused when he spotted Belenka approaching.

    Belenka''s pitch-black armor exuded a unique intimidation.

    Duke Fargar swung his sword at Belenka.

    Clang!

    ...And realized.

    This Black Knight was cut from a different cloth than the knights he''d faced so far!

    "So Roxlan has a decent knight after all."

    Duke Fargar commented, but Belenka ignored him.

    The Duke didn''t mind.

    He was naturally taciturn.

    He had simply remarked upon finding a worthy knight after so long.

    The Duke wanted to capture Belenka and make her his prisoner.

    Because he wanted to keep her around after the war ended!

    But the fight was not easy.

    "Kehehehe!"

    "? What madman is this..."

    Sabui instinctively supported Belenka.

    Even wearing full plate armor, Duke Fargar struggled to withstand the combined attack of two people.

    "Your Grace!"

    "Help the Duke!"

    Knights moved to assist the Duke.

    But they couldn''t break through Ian''s magic.

    "[Darkness!]"

    Ian used shadow magic.

    Using other magic wasn''t viable��the mysteries'' attention was too scattered.

    The wizards of each formation were monopolizing the attention of their friendly mysteries.

    There was no guarantee they would answer Ian''s call, let alone produce proper results.

    But shadow magic was different.

    A rare magic that only Ian could handle!

    "W-what is this!"

    "A shadow wizard! There''s a shadow wizard!"

    "Get out the magical items! Hurry!"

    The enemies were aware of the shadow wizard''s presence.

    Unfortunately, the Duke''s unit was equipped with light-emitting magical items.

    But it didn''t matter.

    While they were caught by Ian''s magic��

    Duke Fargar had suddenly found himself cornered!

    "...Impressive."

    The Duke observed the mysterious warriors pushing him back.

    The Black Knight in midnight armor, and the man using strange yet precise swordsmanship.

    The combat ability of these two exceeded Duke Fargar''s.

    Moreover, busy swinging his sword, the Duke couldn''t retrieve his light-emitting tools.

    Everything around was gloomy...

    And the Black Knight wouldn''t fall.

    His subordinates were rushing to support him, but the Duke couldn''t know this.

    ''Perhaps I overdid it.''

    Duke Fargar frowned.

    Who would have expected Roxlan to have such an excellent knight?

    Duke Fargar made a quick decision.

    If he were captured here, everything would end!

    ''I must escape...!''

    The Duke rushed alone through the darkness, heading in the direction where his subordinates should be.

    "Your Grace! Where are you, Your Grace!"

    "Damn it! Enemies everywhere!"

    Once the Duke left his position, his army immediately fell into chaos.

    But it couldn''t be helped.

    Because of Belenka and Sabui, the Duke couldn''t maintain his position.

    "Retreat! Retreat!"

    "No! We can''t leave His Grace behind!"

    "His Grace has already retreated!"

    To escape Ian''s darkness, the Duke''s army slowly began to withdraw.

    Heaven helped them��Duke Fargar managed to reunite with his unit.

    "Your Grace!"

    "Retreat slowly without panic. And watch for pursuers!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    Duke Fargar had to admit it.

    In this battle, he had pushed his offensive too aggressively.

    "Sound the retreat horn!"

    Bwoooo-!

    When the horn sounded, Fargar''s forces prepared to retreat in perfect order.

    With just one exception.

    Duke Fargar''s unit.

    "[Darkness! Devour the light!]"

    "Damn it!"

    Just when they thought they''d escaped the darkness.

    A second darkness appeared!

    Duke Fargar instantly sensed the situation was precarious.

    While everyone else was retreating...

    If Duke Fargar alone couldn''t retreat, he might really be in trouble!

    "Your Grace! Your Grace! Where are you!"

    "I''m here!"

    "Escort His Grace!"

    "I''ll go!"

    Even with light-emitting magical items, this was a chaotic battlefield.

    Ian''s darkness firmly gripped Duke Fargar''s unit.

    "[Please! Darkness!]"

    "What is this...!"

    Duke Fargar was astounded by the consecutive curtains of darkness.

    Had Roxlan hired some shadow wizard battalion?

    What was this endless darkness?

    The answer was simple.

    It was the result of Ian''s persistent spellcasting.

    "Belenka! Don''t let the Duke escape!"

    "Of course not!"

    Ian pursued the retreating Duke, continuously casting curtains of darkness.

    As a result.

    Duke Fargar''s banner wandered chaotically across the battlefield, all alone.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    ''I won''t let him escape.''

    Ian relentlessly pursued Duke Fargar.

    He knew full well that capturing the Duke now would mean victory in the war!

    It didn''t matter how many enemies remained.

    "[Darkness!]"

    Each time Ian cast his dark veil, the Duke''s unit lost all sense of direction.

    "Your Grace! Where are you?"

    "Escort His Grace!"

    "He''s here! His Grace is over here!"

    "Where the hell is ''here''?!"

    A special characteristic of medieval armies - they cluster around their banner.

    Anyone who''s been in a crowded place knows this.

    The more densely packed a location, the harder it is to see.

    This is even more true on a battlefield where hundreds or thousands of people are jostling against each other.

    That''s why units need banners.

    You need to know exactly where you are and who you''re fighting with!

    But Ian''s darkness prevented the army from gathering effectively.

    When you can''t see where the banner is, it''s impossible to regroup properly.

    "Your Grace! Where are you?"

    Ian''s darkness didn''t last long.

    It wasn''t easy summoning darkness during daylight.

    And the Duke''s unit was putting up some resistance using light-emitting magical items.

    But in the chaos of battle, even that brief interference was effective.

    "Your Grace!"

    "He''s over here!"

    "Shit, when did he get all the way over there?"

    Gather, disperse, gather, disperse...

    Each time Ian''s darkness appeared, the Duke''s unit was forced to repeat this cycle.

    As a result...

    The Duke''s unit, which had numbered several hundred men, was reduced to less than half without a single arrow being fired.

    Not to mention how painfully slow their retreat had become.

    "Damn it all! Wizards! Set fire to everything!"

    The vassals watching the situation hastily mobilized their wizards.

    They intended to use fire magic to shake off their pursuers.

    But even that proved difficult.

    "It''s not easy. The flow of the mystery is distorted..."

    "Shut up! Don''t you see His Grace is in danger?"

    The wizard warned of the risk, but the vassals refused to listen.

    The nobles were burning with anxiety.

    If the Duke fell, everything would be lost!

    "If you don''t use magic right now, we''ll consider you a traitor and execute you."

    "..."

    The nobles finally resorted to threatening the wizard at swordpoint.

    The wizard sighed inwardly and reluctantly cast the spell.

    This was exactly why he hadn''t wanted to get involved in noble power struggles...

    When nobles become desperate, they care nothing for a wizard''s circumstances and just try to wring magic out of them.

    "[Mystery of Fire!]"

    Magic was cast from Fargar''s formation.

    It was magic utilizing a magic circle.

    The enemy wouldn''t be able to counter it easily.

    Magically created flames dropped into the middle of the battlefield.

    The Fargar nobles watching the scene shouted:

    "What?!"

    The wizards'' flames were, bizarrely, moving toward Fargar''s own formation!

    "Wizards! What are you doing?"

    "T-the mystery is running wild!"

    "What did you say?!"

    The fire wizards had attempted to use fire to cut off the pursuers from Duke Fargar.

    But the Mystery of Fire had already been harassed by the fire wizards several times.

    [I can''t take this anymore-!]

    Having received yet another (in the mystery''s opinion) meaningless command, the Mystery of Fire charged furiously toward the fire wizard who had summoned it. r???O?b?S??

    Was it going to teach the nasty wizard a lesson?

    No!

    It was going to show this boring wizard what real fun was all about!

    [Why do you keep telling me to burn and then stop! Fire should be set spectacularly! Everything should be burned to the ground!]

    "[Calm down, my friend!]"

    [Fire that doesn''t spread is worthless! I''ll show you! I''ll burn the whole world-!]

    The Mystery of Fire thought:

    If I show our boring friend what real arson is like...!

    He''ll be so moved that he''ll join me in burning the world! (Not really)

    The Mystery of Fire, with pure goodwill, tried to teach the fire wizard the essence of flames...

    But what was goodwill from the mystery''s perspective was nothing but calamity for humans.

    "A-aaahhh!"

    "Run! The fire''s spreading this way!"

    "Roxlan bastards set the place on fire!"

    The fire wizards were speechless witnessing the disaster.

    "..."

    They had warned about this several times!

    The nobles were equally shocked.

    "Your Grace!"

    Duke Fargar, who had been retreating, found his escape route blocked by the fire his own men had started(...).

    Left with no choice, the Duke had to face his pursuers.

    The troublesome Black Knight and the wizard were closing the distance at a frightening speed.

    ***

    "Ian! Kira must have done it!"

    Belenka shouted excitedly.

    But Ian tilted his head slightly.

    ''This doesn''t seem like Kira''s style...?''

    Kira was a fire wizard born with natural talent.

    As a wizard beloved by the mysteries, Ian could usually tell from how the mystery moved that ''this is Kira''s magic.''

    But these flames seemed too wild to be Kira''s magic?

    Ian sensed that the Mystery of Fire was completely worked up.

    It wanted nothing more than to burn everything in sight.

    Indeed, the flames were devouring everything around them at a terrifying pace.

    "Run! Get as far away as possible!"

    War or not...

    In the face of this sudden natural disaster, human squabbles seemed like children''s games.

    Both Roxlan''s army and Fargar''s forces scattered in all directions to escape the massive pillar of fire.

    There was no way the battle could continue in this situation.

    "It seems the matter is settled."

    Belenka pointed her sword at Duke Fargar and approached slowly.

    It was exactly as she said.

    If the Duke didn''t surrender now, he would be caught in the flames and burn to death.

    Ian also approached the Duke.

    "Surrender, Your Grace."

    "..."

    Duke Fargar stood motionless as a statue.

    He was clearly filled with deep regret.

    "When did you prepare such a trap?"

    Ian shrugged his shoulders.

    This wasn''t my doing at all.

    But regardless of Ian''s response, the Duke was already firmly convinced this was the work of Roxlan''s wizards.

    ...Ian himself had thought that Roxlan''s wizards had prepared some kind of magic.

    "Huh."

    Duke Fargar sighed and then said:

    "I surrender."

    He sheathed his sword.

    "If you surrender without resistance, I promise treatment befitting your station."

    Belenka also sheathed her sword as she spoke.

    Duke Fargar was defeated.

    It was the result of multiple variables piling upon each other.

    If the Duke hadn''t pushed so aggressively, if Ian and Belenka had been defeated by the Duke, or if Fargar''s wizards had succeeded with their magic, this outcome wouldn''t have occurred.

    But the battlefield is a realm of chaos where countless variables run wild.

    Without the ability to foresee the future, it''s impossible to always make the correct judgment.

    "Belenka. Take the Duke to the castle."

    "What about you?"

    "I need to put out this fire before I return."

    Belenka nodded slowly.

    "Alright. Don''t be too late coming back."

    ***

    While extinguishing the magical fire, Ian realized what had happened.

    ''The mystery went berserk.''

    It was self-inflicted.

    Fire is a mystery that naturally burns.

    When artificially restricting its burning range, it would naturally feel constrained.

    Moreover, Fargar''s fire wizards had been continuously using fire magic throughout several battles.

    Yet when Duke Fargar was at a disadvantage, they forced the use of magic anyway.

    It was absurd, but not incomprehensible.

    After all, not all wizards successfully cast magic every time.

    [Burn! Burn everything!]

    "[Yes, yes. Come this way, and I''ll give you plenty to burn.]"

    [Oh! I rather like you!]

    Ian took the Mystery of Fire and climbed a nearby hill.

    As if it had been waiting for this moment, a downpour began.

    "Impressive victory, Ian."

    "I thought you''d run away, Stera?"

    The one who had summoned the rain clouds was Stera, the air wizard.

    She had watched the entire battle from this hill.

    "Now we should escape."

    Stera said, looking down at the battlefield.

    "Do you know how terribly chaotic the south has become?"

    "Because of the war?"

    "No. Because a dragon appeared."

    Ian hadn''t known, but he could easily imagine it.

    When a dragon appeared in the north, several domains were destroyed overnight.

    Wasn''t that why Talian had become a refugee haven?

    Now that a dragon had appeared in the south, it wouldn''t be strange if several domains had been destroyed.

    "From what I hear, the dragon is being controlled by an evil entity."

    "An evil entity?"

    "A black wizard, I mean. So be careful."

    Ian never expected to hear such words from Stera of all people.

    ''A dragon, huh...''

    Ian had defeated a dragon once before.

    Though it had been a tough battle and a narrow victory.

    And now he had to fight that damn dragon again.

    ''Fuck it, let''s do this.''

    Ian thought as he watched the dying flames.

    He didn''t want to keep having enemies at his back forever.

    Now that the southern war was ending, there would be plenty of manpower available.

    It was time to finish off the black wizards and the dragon once and for all.

    "I''ll see you at the university later. I''ll buy you a meal then."

    "Looking forward to it."

    After parting with Stera, Ian returned to Roxlan Castle.

    Roxlan Castle was in a festive mood.

    "Good work, everyone!"

    "That we won... I can''t believe it!"

    In a word: ecstatic.

    No one had expected to defeat Duke Fargar so easily.

    As a result, Roxlan had become a crazy army that had defeated a stronger force with fewer soldiers...!

    "Long live Roxlan!"

    "Long live the Duke''s proxy!"

    The smiles wouldn''t fade from the nobles'' faces.

    Belenka, Kira, Maria.

    Everyone was enjoying the victory together.

    "You''ve all worked hard."

    Count Francis said.

    "There''s a mountain of work ahead of us... but for today, let''s forget about it."

    "Ohhh!"

    "Eat, drink, and rest well."

    Everyone in Roxlan Castle took a day to rest and wash away the fatigue of battle.

    Ian also relaxed with ease.

    ...Until that evening.

    When a sudden voice called out:

    "Enemy raid!"

    "Shit."

    Ian grabbed his sword and staff as he left his room.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 365

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian rushed outside.

    "What the hell..."

    He tried to quickly assess the situation.

    Flames were rising from various parts of the castle, and armed soldiers were fighting each other.

    The scene was unbelievable even as he witnessed it with his own eyes.

    Weren''t they all Roxlan soldiers?

    Had they all gone mad?

    "There''s the wizard!"

    "Capture the wizard!"

    Guards who spotted Ian charged straight at him.

    Though he didn''t understand the situation, Ian immediately used magic.

    Fortunately, it was nighttime.

    A shadow wizard at night is as powerful as an ice wizard in winter!

    "[Darkness!]"

    "Stop him! Don''t let him use magic!"

    "Damn it! How is he so fast?"

    The soldiers tried to prevent Ian''s magic, but��

    Ian had grown enough to freely cast spells even in the midst of battle.

    Moreover, it was night, and Ian had chosen shadow magic.

    [Ian! We''re here for you!]

    Darkness descended in the blink of an eye, as if absorbing all light.

    Having extinguished the flames, Ian wouldn''t lose now...!

    Ian weaved between the soldiers, swinging his staff.

    "Gack!"

    "Fuck!"

    He could have slit their throats with his sword, but he chose non-lethal force.

    He still didn''t understand what was happening.

    "Sir Wizard!"

    A soldier appeared who addressed Ian respectfully.

    This was clearly an ally.

    "Explain the situation! Why are Roxlan soldiers fighting each other?"

    The soldier explained between heavy breaths.

    "Duke Roxlan has started a rebellion!"

    "???"

    What?

    Ian''s brain momentarily froze.

    It was like hearing words that should never go together!

    Seeing Ian''s dumbfounded expression, the soldier hastily added:

    "I mean...! Duke Roxlan attacked Count Francis!"

    "Fucking hell."

    Ian immediately understood why Roxlan soldiers were cutting each other down.

    The old man who had been knocked unconscious by an electric shock, Duke Roxlan.

    The Duke had regained his senses and attacked his own son.

    "What a messed-up family!"

    The soldier couldn''t bring himself to respond, but his expression showed complete agreement with Ian''s assessment.

    Having grasped the situation, Ian considered what to do.

    The answer came quickly.

    "Where is Count Francis?"

    "I''m sorry! I''m still trying to figure that out myself!"

    As expected.

    Roxlan Castle had become pure chaos.

    It made sense.

    They had just captured Duke Fargar, and everyone''s guard was down.

    Count Francis had even provided alcohol for the tired soldiers.

    If this was planned, the timing was impeccable.

    "Thanks for telling me. Go back to your duties."

    "Aren''t you going to help the Count, Sir Wizard?"

    "How can I help a Count whose location I don''t know? First, I need to gather people and stop the enemy."

    Ian decided to start by gathering his closest companions.

    The first to join him was Belenka.

    "Ian! You''re safe!"

    "You too, Belenka."

    Belenka gave Ian a quick embrace.

    She must have been in a hurry, wearing only chain mail over her women''s clothes.

    "What about the others?"

    "Kira should be with Sir Salvador."

    "And Maria?"

    "...I don''t know."

    Belenka''s information was correct.

    Kira had remained safe from the rebel attack(?) because she was with Sir Salvador.

    "Ian!"

    "Yes, Kira. Sir Salvador. I''m glad you''re both safe."

    "We''re fine, but the castle is a mess..."

    They found all their companions except for one.

    They couldn''t locate Maria.

    "Who saw Maria last?"

    "I did. We were drinking together, but she said she was tired and went to bed early."

    Ironically, the person who had spent the most time with Maria was Ian himself.

    He had only fallen asleep briefly and woken up...

    Yet in that short time, Maria had disappeared.

    "Everyone, let''s find Maria first!"

    Ian''s group split up to search for Maria.

    Though they couldn''t find her, they discovered an important clue.

    "Margravine Silverwind went to meet Count Francis!"

    "...Thank you for telling me."

    Maria had gone to meet Count Francis.

    It didn''t seem like she went of her own accord.

    Most likely, Count Francis had summoned Maria regarding the succession issue.

    If so, Maria was probably with Count Francis.

    Ian rushed to Count Francis''s quarters with his companions.

    "Who''s there... gack!"

    Ian threw Anor-lsil, taking down a soldier.

    The situation was too urgent for hesitation.

    "Shit! The wizard''s here!"

    "What are you waiting for! Push them back!"

    Duke Roxlan''s soldiers charged, but��

    They had no chance of breaking through Sir Salvador and Belenka.

    "Pathetic."

    Belenka cut down all the charging soldiers and rushed into the Count''s room.

    "...Fuck."

    Ian cursed under his breath as he surveyed the room.

    Count Francis had collapsed.

    ...With a long sword pierced through his abdomen.

    "Who... is there..."

    "Count? Can you speak?"

    Surprisingly, Count Francis hadn''t yet died.

    "Ian, is that you..."

    "What happened?"

    The Count slowly closed his eyes as he spoke.

    His eyelids trembled, likely from the rising pain.

    "My father... finally called upon black wizards..."

    "..."

    "Actually, my father awakened long ago... I''ve been keeping him confined until now..."

    Ian nodded.

    This was somewhat expected.

    Quite some time had passed since Duke Roxlan lost consciousness.

    The Duke had awakened a while ago, but...

    Count Francis, who held the actual power, didn''t hesitate to imprison his father.

    It wasn''t due to simple lust for power.

    Count Francis knew.

    If he released a monster like Duke Roxlan now, something terrible would surely happen.

    ...The most certain method would have been to eliminate the Duke, but��

    Count Francis couldn''t bring himself to harm his father.

    That became his downfall.

    Duke Roxlan was a vicious old man.

    He had hidden a magical device to contact black wizards.

    Freed from confinement with the help of black wizards, Duke Roxlan mercilessly attacked Count Francis.

    After subduing Count Francis, Duke Roxlan...

    Without a moment''s hesitation, stabbed his son in the stomach with a sword.

    Had the Duke been ten years younger, Count Francis would have died instantly.

    The reason the Count survived was simple.

    Duke Roxlan was an old man.

    Lacking strength in his hands, he couldn''t pull out the sword after stabbing Count Francis.

    So... he just left the sword embedded and departed.

    Perhaps the Duke placed significance in the act of ''stabbing'' his son itself.

    After that, whether his son lived or died seemed irrelevant to him.

    "Where is Duke Roxlan now?"

    Count Francis whispered weakly.

    "...He left with the black wizards."

    Ian clenched his fist tightly.

    His strength surged involuntarily.

    "Then Maria..."

    The Count uttered just one word.

    "I''m sorry..."

    It was clear.

    Maria had been with Count Francis.

    And...

    ''Duke Roxlan!''

    She had been taken by Duke Roxlan and the black wizards.

    Both had shown such disturbing interest in Maria...!

    "Ian."

    Belenka wrapped her hand around Ian''s.

    She slowly unclenched his fist as she spoke.

    "Don''t make the Count talk anymore. If he keeps speaking, he''ll die."

    "...Can he be saved?"

    "Maybe. It depends on how badly the blood vessels are damaged... if the bleeding can be stopped, he might live."

    Ian released Count Francis.

    He had done his best.

    His fate now rested in heaven''s hands.

    "Someone... help Count Francis."

    Though Ian said this, no one answered.

    Only Belenka patted Ian''s shoulder.

    "It would be best to leave that to Sabui."

    "..."

    "Ian. You''re going after Maria now, aren''t you?"

    The question was so obvious that Ian didn''t answer.

    Maria Silverwind.

    Their connection had continued through layer upon layer of coincidence.

    Ian had tried to give Maria her own future, but��

    Maria had instead entrusted her future to Ian.

    Ian wasn''t a fool.

    He knew that Maria truly��

    Genuinely and deeply loved him.

    Her love was deeper and heavier than any woman''s love Ian had ever encountered.

    That''s why he hadn''t hastily drawn conclusions.

    But...

    Running away now made no sense.

    ''I''ll bring Maria back.''

    That damn Duke Roxlan and the insufferable Golden Rule Society.

    He would blast them all away and return...!

    "Yes. I''m going after Maria."

    "If you go without me, I''ll be disappointed in you as a person, Ian."

    Belenka said with a smile.

    Only then did Ian realize.

    In this place, no one��

    Not a single person would abandon Ian to help Count Francis.

    "Let''s go together, Ian."

    "We should hurry. The sooner we move, the happier Maria will be."

    "...Understood."

    Their objective was set.

    Ian hurried after the black wizards with his companions.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 366

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    After recovering from the electric shock.

    He secretly requested help from the Golden Rule Society through a spy he had been cultivating.

    Thanks to this subordinate, whom he had groomed without the knowledge of his son or vassals, he was able to contact the Regent of the society.

    "You''ve suffered greatly, Your Grace."

    "Yes... help me. I''ll make sure your compensation is generous."

    Antios, the Regent of the Golden Rule Society, accepted Duke Roxlan''s proposal.

    It was already a troubling time for him.

    Things had gone according to plan up until kidnapping the Emperor and starting the war...

    But he had lost contact with the black wizards who had infiltrated Roxlan.

    ''Probably Ian''s doing.''

    That was Antios''s assumption.

    And his assumption was correct.

    At that time, Ian had been working with Count Francis to eliminate the infiltrated black wizards.

    ''Truly an impressive fellow.''

    Antios had already received reports of mission failures.

    Bertholdt''s plan had failed.

    Karenne''s plan had failed.

    All of these were incidents involving the wizard Ian.

    Plans without Ian''s interference had all succeeded, but...

    Strangely enough, every plan Ian became involved with ended in failure.

    Antios felt some kind of mystical fate at work in this pattern.

    Though a black wizard, Antios was still a wizard.

    He wasn''t the type to ignore signals sent by the world.

    ''His fate is closely intertwined with ours.''

    "Don''t worry. We will help you, Your Grace."

    "Thank you."

    Normally, Antios would have ignored Duke Roxlan''s request.

    Duke Roxlan had already failed once.

    He was an aging old man without the strength to build a future together.

    The worst possible choice for an ally.

    Nevertheless, Antios joined hands with Duke Roxlan.

    Was it out of loyalty?

    Not at all. It was simply because Duke Roxlan was an excellent card for manipulating Ian.

    ''I must settle things with Ian once and for all.''

    Antios held thoughts similar to Ian''s.

    Whether to turn Ian into a black wizard.

    Or to eliminate him from this world...

    The current existence known as Wizard Ian needed to be removed.

    As long as Ian existed, Antios was convinced the Golden Rule Society would never achieve its [Great Work].

    This was the conviction of a wizard who could hear the voices of the world and fate.

    "However, you must follow my orders until we deal with Ian."

    "I understand. In return, lend me the dragon after we handle Ian."

    "Agreed."

    Antios and Duke Roxlan concluded their deal.

    Everything went according to plan after that.

    Roxlan helped Antios create chaos in Roxlan Castle��

    And Antios, following Duke Roxlan''s ''strong'' suggestion, kidnapped Maria.

    Now, Ian would grow anxious.

    To recover Maria, he would have to seek out Antios.

    In a place where he couldn''t know what preparations Antios had made.

    Antios and Duke Roxlan hurriedly rode along a narrow mountain path.

    "I feel uneasy."

    Duke Roxlan muttered.

    Antios nearly let out a snort.

    The statement was absurd.

    "What troubles you?"

    "I raised my son wrong. I was too indulgent with him."

    So that''s why you stabbed your son in the stomach?

    I''m sure that proper discipline made you feel much better.

    These thoughts crossed Antios''s mind, but he didn''t voice them.

    Duke Roxlan was simply a crazy old man.

    "I never expected him to betray me and nurture traitors."

    "Nothing in this world is less obedient than one''s own children."

    "Was your son the same?"

    Antios answered with a dry smile.

    "Who knows. My son died long ago."

    "Hmm. He must have gone to a better place."

    "Heaven, you mean? I''m not convinced heaven is a ''good'' place."

    "...?"

    Duke Roxlan looked at Antios as if he were insane.

    In Heaven''s Faith worldview, heaven = an incredibly good place.

    Not considering heaven��a fantastical land everyone desperately wants to reach��as a good place?

    "Well... do you believe in a different god?"

    Antios shook his head.

    "I''ve met many gods, but none would grant my wish."

    "Your wish?"

    Antios spoke softly while riding.

    "I asked them to bring my dead son back to life."

    "..."

    "Every god is opposed to returning the dead to the world of the living. Only demons said they would grant my wish."

    Antios looked naturally at Duke Roxlan.

    The Duke unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins.

    Inside Antios''s pupils, tremendous malice and madness were swirling.

    ''As expected of a black wizard... completely insane.''

    Duke Roxlan didn''t consider himself a villain.

    Though he had schemed against countless people throughout his life and even stabbed his own son, he was certainly not an evil person.

    Why?

    Because he donated generously to the church!

    No matter how powerful, no one can escape death.

    Duke Roxlan understood this well.

    So he offered substantial money and asked for forgiveness of his sins.

    He calculated that if many priests prayed for him, he wouldn''t go to hell...!

    Therefore, Duke Roxlan was certainly not an evil person.

    But Antios was different.

    True to his black wizard nature, he openly blasphemed against divinity.

    Claiming demons were greater than gods!

    Had he ever seen such a damnable person!

    "Did you know? Countless demons are imprisoned beneath the earth."

    "Isn''t that written in the scriptures?"

    "Exactly. The underground prison... that is, hell, is guarded by an eternal watchman who never sleeps."

    Antios smiled at Duke Roxlan.

    It was a smile mixed with obsession and madness.

    "With the power of magic, I will pull down the guardian of hell."

    "...You intend to bring down hell itself?"

    "Yes. And with the help of demons, I will resurrect my dead son."

    Duke Roxlan was too shocked to respond.

    It was a horrifying plan with too many flaws to even begin addressing.

    "Why not ask Heaven for help instead?"

    "I already did. They said such things cannot be done."

    "..."

    "To maintain the world''s order, my son doesn''t matter to them. So I decided to ignore the world''s order as well."

    Duke Roxlan was convinced.

    This man was a patient suffering from delusions...

    But a capable patient nonetheless.

    Capable enough to lend significant power to Duke Roxlan.

    ''As long as he helps me eliminate the traitors.''

    "Regent."

    Black wizards approached and addressed Antios.

    "We''ve secured Lisa Silverwind."

    "Good work."

    Lisa Silverwind, the heir being held by Fargar''s forces, had also fallen into Antios''s hands.

    The kidnapping wasn''t difficult in the chaotic aftermath of the defeat.

    "Now then..."

    Lisa and Maria. Along with Duke Roxlan.

    The preparations for establishing the society''s support base were complete.

    "Together, let us usher in the golden age of magic...!"

    "Long live the Regent!"

    The time had come for the Golden Rule Society to rise to the surface.

    ***

    The situation in the south could be summarized as ''everyone is busy.''

    Roxlan Castle was divided into factions supporting the Duke and those supporting the Count��

    Vassals without close ties to the Duke slipped away to their domains, reluctant to get involved in the family feud.

    Fargar''s army was in disarray, having lost its leader.

    A black-haired wizard approached this confused Fargar army.

    Most soldiers didn''t recognize the wizard, but the knight beside him was unmistakable.

    "It''s the Black Knight! The Black Knight has come!"

    "You mean the one who brings darkness?!"

    "Shit, let''s see that face!"

    Fargar''s soldiers rushed to see the visitors.

    And they were greatly impressed.

    Indeed, a female knight in pitch-black armor had arrived!

    "Black Knight! How do you control the darkness?"

    "? That wasn''t me."

    "???"

    Although many battles large and small had taken place in the previous rotation.

    The most impressive battle was undoubtedly between [Wizard Ian]''s forces and Duke Fargar''s army.

    That eerie fight where pitch-black darkness spread in all directions!

    It was a battle where magical darkness was cast everywhere, a fight no one could have missed.

    And the name that appeared most frequently on people''s lips was [Black Knight].

    The reason was simple.

    Simply... visually, the Black Knight was the most noticeable.

    When darkness fell and enemies fled, a knight in pitch-black armor would arrive and cut down everyone in sight!

    It couldn''t help but leave a strong impression on people.

    Many soldiers thought the Black Knight herself was spreading the magical darkness.

    The image fit so well!

    So the Fargar soldiers bombarded the Black Knight with questions.

    But the Black Knight, Belenka, answered in confusion.

    "How could I possibly spread darkness?"

    "It wasn''t you?!"

    "It was obviously the wizard''s work."

    No way! That can''t be true!

    The Fargar soldiers looked at Belenka with desperate(?) expressions, but the truth couldn''t be changed.

    They were slightly disappointed, but...

    They marveled again when they saw the wizard who appeared next.

    A young wizard with pitch-black hair...!

    Someone like him would definitely use dark magic!

    "Are you the shadow wizard?"

    "Yes. I am Ian, disciple of Eredith."

    The Fargar soldiers gave the sudden visitors a reasonably warm welcome.

    They had just fought a battle, but only Duke Fargar''s direct unit had been crushed by Ian.

    Most of Fargar''s army hadn''t even properly fought before the battle ended.

    Given the nature of the mercenary business where yesterday''s enemy becomes today''s friend, there was no hostility toward strangers.

    Of course, that applied to the soldiers and mercenaries.

    The higher-ups were a bit different.

    "Wizard Ian is here?"

    "Insolent bastard! He clearly came to mock us!"

    Fargar''s nobles were half-crazed after losing their Duke so pitifully.

    And now a Roxlan wizard had come to visit!

    "You! How dare you come here!"

    A wizard shouted angrily, but��

    The opponent was Ian...

    Ian answered without blinking:

    "I came because I thought Fargar might have some mercenaries to spare."

    "???"

    The Fargar nobles stared at Ian in disbelief.

    What? A Roxlan wizard looking for mercenaries in Fargar''s camp?!

    "Ah. I have no connection with Roxlan anymore."

    "What nonsense...!"

    "It''s true. If you don''t believe me, send someone to Roxlan Castle."

    The Fargar nobles belatedly tried to assess the situation, and��

    Soon learned shocking news.

    "The Duke''s proxy has fallen...?"

    "Duke Roxlan swung a sword at his own son?!"

    The quick-witted nobles immediately made their judgment.

    The war was over...!

    From now on, as in typical medieval times, it was every man for himself!

    "So, you''re Wizard Ian?"

    "That''s right."

    "Why are you looking for mercenaries?"

    "I have some people I need to chase down."

    "Then, would you like to hire my soldiers?"

    While the slower Fargar nobles glared at the betrayer(?), the��

    Noble dealing with Ian didn''t care at all.

    The war was over anyway, and they only needed to go home.

    What good was returning empty-handed (though they had already extorted plenty from the Rashin Kingdom)!

    They needed to earn whatever they could!

    "I need to borrow them immediately."

    "Don''t worry! They''re ready to mobilize right now! Hahaha!"

    Ian scouted through Fargar''s formation, recruiting useful mercenaries.

    Perhaps... he would have to fight a dragon.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 367

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    News of the incident at Roxlan Castle spread quickly.

    In truth, it couldn''t have been kept secret.

    Even in times of war, nobles maintained communication networks with each other.

    Moreover, both enemies and allies were nobles of the Holy Empire.

    "...What will you do now?"

    "What else? We have to return home..."

    The biggest reason for Fargar''s army deciding to disband was the loss of both Duke Fargar and Lisa Silverwind.

    If even one of them had remained, they might have argued to continue fighting, but...

    The Duke was captured, and Lisa Silverwind had disappeared.

    "I''m heading back first."

    "Travel safely."

    The nobles who had been most aggressive in attacking Roxlan left first.

    Nothing would be more unjust than lingering and getting arrested.

    Fargar''s army began to disappear, each group following their own leaders.

    Their steps were heavy as they trudged back home.

    This was because their carts were loaded with mountains of spoils they had plundered from the homes and nobles of the Rashin Kingdom...

    "Ah... we could have earned more..."

    "Get a grip. The war is over."

    War is a business.

    And in this era, wars were often fought by mercenaries, professional soldiers for hire.

    The mercenaries who had earned several years'' worth of income at once scattered, seeking new wars.

    This time they wouldn''t look for small conflicts with meager rewards(?)...

    They would seek battlefields with high stakes, where domains and titles were on the line.

    ***

    Ian had no trouble finding new mercenaries.

    "Choosing us! An excellent decision, Wizard!"

    In truth, he could have managed without hiring mercenaries, simply bringing Sabui and his bandits.

    But Ian had left Sabui in Roxlan Castle for Count Francis''s sake.

    Though the Count was in a coma.

    It wouldn''t feel right to let Duke Roxlan win so easily, would it?

    That''s why he left reliable, immediately helpful forces with the Count.

    Just in case some over-zealous Duke-supporting noble might bring an army.

    "I''ll be counting on you."

    Ian tracked the enemy''s trail with the mercenaries.

    They had no trouble finding traces of carriages.

    "Oberon."

    "Caw!"

    [Yes! Master!]

    Ian released Oberon to scout the area.

    Having worked with Ian many times, Oberon completed the reconnaissance neatly and returned.

    "Caw! Caw!"

    [There are people! Many people!]

    "Any sign of Maria or the dragon? Or an ill-tempered old man?"

    [No! But there was a kind lady!]

    Ian moved to the location Oberon mentioned.

    The ''kind lady'' spotted Ian and called out.

    "Oh my goodness! Ian!"

    "Fancy meeting you here, Elia?"

    The place Oberon had discovered was none other than a campsite where Elia and the Hastria forces were resting.

    "How did you get here?!"

    "I followed Duke Roxlan and he led me here."

    Elia''s face hardened as she fell into thought.

    Finally, she spoke.

    "I think... Duke Roxlan is heading to the black wizards'' headquarters."

    "Headquarters."

    It was as expected.

    Ian didn''t know where the black wizards'' headquarters was.

    The Golden Rule Society was, after all, a secret organization.

    "This is perfect, Ian!"

    Elia squeezed Ian''s hand as she spoke.

    "We''ve been searching for the black wizards'' headquarters all this time!"

    "So you still haven''t found His Imperial Majesty."

    "No... but we''ve finally made it this far, haven''t we?"

    Ian, who had been following Duke Roxlan, and Elia, who had been searching for the black wizards, had converged on the same path.

    This was evidence that the black wizards'' headquarters wasn''t far.

    "Ian! Let''s join forces!"

    It was a proposal Ian had no reason to refuse.

    Ian and Elia spent time searching the surrounding area together.

    If Elia had been tracking the black wizards correctly, their headquarters must be nearby.

    Duke Roxlan would have to pass through this route.

    "Elia. What''s that?"

    "A ballista. We set it up to catch the dragon."

    Ian slightly furrowed his brow.

    ''That''s not enough.''

    Ian had faced the black dragon Predius himself.

    Predius''s combat ability was, quite literally, insane.

    He was a monster that had been defeated only through the combined efforts of two drakes, dragon-slaying spears, the Knights of Santiago, and the support of wizards...

    Yet the Hastria forces had set up only two ballistas.

    ''Damn it...''

    "Elia. Sorry, but I''ll stay at the camp for a while."

    "...What?"

    Elia looked at Ian in surprise.

    Ian wasn''t the type to skip out on a search because it was tedious...

    "Why stay at the camp?"

    "I need to set up some magic circles."

    "Magic circles... don''t tell me it''s because of the black wizards?"

    When Ian nodded, Elia''s expression showed slight disappointment.

    "Ian. I came to rescue my father. You can trust the Hastria people."

    "I do trust them. I trust them plenty."

    "Then why the magic circles?"

    "The black wizards aren''t the problem. The dragon is."

    "...Is the dragon really that strong?"

    Elia had never faced a dragon before.

    She seemed to think of it as just a powerful monster...

    But having fought Predius directly, Ian would never underestimate a dragon''s combat ability.

    "Honestly, I''m not sure if our forces can win."

    "Is it that bad...? Even with the ballistas?"

    "Those aren''t enough."

    When Ian insisted strongly, Elia backed down.

    Despite everything, Elia trusted Ian.

    She believed that a wizard of Ian''s caliber wouldn''t talk nonsense.

    "Alright. Then I''ll leave the camp reinforcement to you."

    Ian stopped searching and began setting up magic circles in the camp.

    ''The air is heavy.''

    While setting up the magic circles, Ian naturally sensed the surrounding mysteries.

    This forest was filled with death, pain, and madness.

    It wasn''t clear whether this was a natural formation or artificially created...

    But it was definitely a suitable location for black wizards to establish their headquarters.

    ''I could utilize the Mystery of Death here.''

    With this assessment, Ian set up magic circles to borrow power from the Mystery of Death.

    For whatever reason, this forest was saturated with the power of death.

    The Mystery of Death quickly responded to Ian''s call.

    ''Let''s try raising some simple undead.''

    [Who, who disturbs our sleep...!]

    "[I am Wizard Ian. The representative of the one who carries out Heaven''s will.]"

    [Oh, ohhh...!]

    Clatter, clatter...!

    Frozen bones began gathering around the magic circle one by one.

    The soldiers watched in horror.

    "Holy shit, what is that?"

    "Mr. Wizard! Is that, is that magic even allowed?"

    Necromancy that moved bones looked grotesque and eerie to anyone watching.

    Eventually, an aggressive soldier tried to interrupt Ian''s ritual.

    "Hey, you. If you don''t understand something, couldn''t you at least stay quiet?"

    "Fire Wizard!"

    But Kira blocked his path.

    Having grown into a full-fledged wizard in her own right, Kira glared at the soldiers with eyes sparkling with mystery.

    The soldiers who met the fire wizard''s gaze stepped back, startled as if burned.

    After all, no one wants to get close to fire.

    The soldiers momentarily felt the terror of being burned alive.

    "That''s not evil magic."

    "...Even though it raises the dead?"

    "Directly killing people to make undead slaves would be evil magic. But Ian is just borrowing the power of the dead."

    "Th-that''s a difficult concept to grasp..."

    None of the soldiers understood Kira''s explanation.

    If they could understand it at once, they''d be mystery practitioners, not soldiers.

    But at least no one tried to interrupt the ritual anymore.

    [I, I want revenge...!]

    [The wizards who tortured and killed me...!]

    [Help me! Avenge my grievance!]

    Ian understood the nature of the ominous mystery permeating the forest.

    As suspected, this was a place where black wizards had captured, tortured, and killed people for their magical training.

    They had left it as a training ground for necromancers since it was the black wizards'' den anyway.

    But Ian had the ability to fully utilize their resources.

    "[Cold, freeze!]"

    Ian used the help of the Mystery of Cold to strengthen the frozen bones even further.

    He firmly fused the bones gathered in the magic circle with ice.

    "[Dead ones! Do you truly seek revenge?!]"

    [We do! Let me have my blood price!]

    "[Then move! I shall gift you their blood!]"

    Crack! Crack!

    The frozen bones melded together, beginning to form the shape of a massive human.

    Both Ian''s mercenaries and the Hastria forces.

    Those ignorant of magic watched in terror as the monstrous creature stretched awake.

    "Seriously! Is that really acceptable magic?!"

    "If that thing goes berserk and attacks us...! We''re all fucked!"

    Kira smiled and snapped her fingers.

    Small sparks scattered beautifully.

    "You don''t know Ian''s skill yet. So just watch quietly. Ian''s magic never fails!"

    Kira''s words were true.

    The ice-skeleton giant Ian summoned appeared to be perfectly under his control.

    Though "control" might be a generous term.

    Ian had simply established clear communication with the dead.

    The dead had risen out of hatred for the black wizards and desire for revenge.

    Why would they attack innocent people?

    Of course, the ability to communicate so clearly without misunderstandings was indeed a wizard''s skill.

    A wizard is one who communicates with all things.

    The undead are no exception.

    "Wow..."

    Elia stared blankly at Ian''s summoned creature.

    When he said he would set up magic circles, she had expected something like flame-shooting traps.

    But who would have thought it would be a summoning circle?!

    Elia herself was a "wizard?" who had studied magic superficially.

    She could immediately tell that Ian''s summon was exceptional.

    "Well done! Ian!"

    Elia smiled and ran to Ian.

    "Now we can rest easy even with the dragon!"

    "Not yet."

    "...?"

    Elia was slightly taken aback.

    A summon of that caliber could defeat most fantasy monsters.

    Yet he said it wasn''t enough?

    "Princess!"

    A Hastria knight shouted.

    "Enemy forces ahead! Let''s move to safety!"

    Elia and Ian looked at each other briefly.

    The enemy had made their move.

    "Looks like the black wizards have crawled out."

    "That''s actually better. It''s better than fighting where there are no ballistas."

    It was more like fighting when the time was right.

    Ian had used birds to detect Duke Roxlan''s procession approaching.

    Since it would be inconvenient for Ian and Elia to be sitting around, the black wizards had also emerged.

    ''I''ll deal with the black wizards as quickly as possible... and then capture Duke Roxlan!''

    Maria would be with Duke Roxlan.

    Given his strange obsession shown so far, that was 100% certain.

    "Enemies approaching! Numerous undead monsters!"

    The black wizards'' army had a very unusual composition.

    No humans, just a mixed force of orcs, goblins, and undead.

    The sheer numbers were threatening.

    But Ian had already summoned his undead creature in advance.

    "[It''s the black wizards'' army! Crush them!]"

    [Ohhhhh!]

    The ice skeleton giant swung its massive foot.

    Normally, bones are light and weak. Bones break easily.

    But bones frozen solid by the Mystery of Cold are vicious bludgeons that achieve both mass and strength.

    Craaaack!

    Something shattered with a sound, and an orc was smashed to pieces.

    Simultaneously, the clash began.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 368

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    The flow of battle was favorable to Ian.

    Though the black wizards had gathered a substantial number of monsters and undead.

    Even so, they were only about equal to Ian''s mercenaries in strength.

    Moreover, the Hastria forces Elia had brought were elite soldiers specially selected for their courage.

    She couldn''t bring just anyone on a mission to rescue the Emperor, her father, could she?

    So the Hastria forces fought exceptionally well.

    "Maintain the formation! Draw in the orcs!"

    "Light infantry! The goblins are flanking! Take the left wing!"

    "Already on it!"

    The Hastria forces had been tracking the black wizards.

    They hadn''t found the headquarters yet and were on standby...

    But paradoxically, because they''d been waiting with nothing to do, their combat effectiveness was high.

    The power of an army resting at full health in camp is tremendous!

    "Kyaaaah!"

    The black wizards also released beasts from their formation.

    These were magical beasts, their bodies twisted through transmutation magic to forcibly weaponize them.

    The monster-class beasts could effectively fight against regular infantry.

    But Ian''s formation included the skeleton giant he had summoned.

    [Twisted life! I shall free you from your pain!]

    "Screeeech!"

    The great sword made of bone and ice struck the beast.

    The beast was split in half without resistance, dyeing the surroundings crimson.

    "My goodness. What is that undead?!"

    "He mixed the Mystery of Cold, which has good synergy with undead..."

    "Tsk. Seems like the work of a wizard trained in both necromancy and cold magic."

    The black wizards couldn''t hide their surprise at Ian''s summon.

    Magic that mixed multiple mysteries was naturally more difficult than ordinary magic.

    Though one might wish to handle all mysteries, most people were only compatible with one or two.

    To summon that ice-skeleton giant, one would need to master both necromancy and cold magic.

    A technique that ordinary wizards couldn''t even imitate.

    Something only someone like Ian, who had learned various types of magic evenly, could accomplish.

    "Even so, he''s just a cold wizard...!"

    Cold-hatred existed even among black wizards.

    Though the opponent was a wizard skilled enough to imbue undead with the power of cold, so what?

    He''s still just a cold wizard after all!

    "Bring the crossbows!"

    "Turn them into porcupines!"

    Besides orcs, goblins, and undead, the black wizards had many other troops.

    For instance, mercenaries.

    They were vicious villains who would extract a child''s liver for money, scoundrels hired by the black wizards with generous pay.

    A rain of arrows flew from beyond the forest.

    The black wizards'' mercenaries fired their crossbows indiscriminately, regardless of whether their allies were in the way.

    After all, those getting hit were just orcs, goblins, and undead!

    "Raise the shields! Princess! Mr. Wizard! This way!"

    Though not many soldiers died from the arrows, they were still a nuisance.

    Bows and arrows are quite cumbersome weapons to carry.

    The hastily deployed Hastria forces wouldn''t have brought many of them.

    Instead, they had brought javelins and throwing axes...

    But these were no match for crossbows.

    However, this side had two excellent fire wizards.

    "Let''s go to the bonfire."

    "Yes!"

    Wizards are time-honored DPS classes.

    Fire wizards are true-DPS classes recognized even by medieval people.

    They wouldn''t lose in a ranged firepower battle!

    "[Fireball! Rise!]"

    Ian and Kira pulled fireballs from the bonfire.

    In many fantasy novels, the Fire Ball spell appears as a weak beginner''s magic.

    But that''s by the standards of worlds with tremendously powerful magic.

    In this medieval fantasy world, a fireball is a sufficiently powerful spell.

    At least it has enough power to burn two or three people!

    "Here''s your fireball, assholes!"

    Ian threw fireballs toward the enemy mercenaries.

    The enemies panicked at the sight of a wizard shooting fire with bare hands.

    "That crazy bastard!"

    "What''s he throwing! Shit!"

    The enemy mercenaries hurriedly moved positions, but the surroundings were already turning into a sea of flames.

    The orcs, goblins, and undead couldn''t break through the Hastria soldiers.

    The enemy mercenaries were thrown into confusion by Ian and Kira''s fire magic.

    "Keep pushing forward!"

    Elia shouted with a hopeful voice.

    Now all they needed to do was crush the enemy infantry and capture the black wizards hiding in the rear!

    Then they could find the way to the black wizards'' headquarters!

    But Ian had different thoughts from Elia.

    "Elia. Command the soldiers to prepare for retreat."

    "...? What are you saying? We''re winning!"

    She was right.

    The black wizards'' army was getting utterly destroyed by Ian and Elia''s forces.

    All they needed to do was pursue and claim victory.

    Why suddenly retreat?

    "The dragon will come soon."

    "..."

    But Ian judged that victory was impossible.

    For one reason only.

    The existence of the dragon, fantasy''s strongest creature.

    ''The black wizards know they''re going to lose.''

    This was something he realized during the battle.

    The black wizards'' army was much weaker than expected.

    If they had seriously intended to fight, at least Necromancer Bertholdt would have been deployed.

    But Bertholdt''s undead were nowhere to be seen.

    This meant that these forces were merely bait.

    ''As expected... we need more preparation.''

    Ian had moved with the sole purpose of retrieving Maria.

    But looking around, he realized they would need additional preparation.

    At minimum, they would need the help of drakes to face the dragon.

    The question was how long it would take to bring the drakes...

    ''...''

    In Talian, Ian had summoned drakes using a space movement scroll.

    But the number of scrolls Ian currently possessed was... zero.

    Not knowing space-time magic, Ian couldn''t use spatial movement magic.

    He could certainly bring drakes.

    But.

    Could he be sure Maria would be safe in the meantime?

    With the obsessive Duke Roxlan joining the black wizards'' ranks?

    Ian pondered and pondered again.

    Whether to fight the dragon now, risking danger.

    Or gather more strength and fight again later.

    But his deliberation didn''t last long.

    "Dragon-!"

    A scream-like shout rang out.

    Flapping its massive wings, the black dragon revealed itself.

    "Predius...!"

    It was the same black dragon they had encountered in Talian.

    But there was a slight difference.

    First, it was silent.

    "Grrrr..."

    Predius only growled while drooling, not saying a single word to Ian.

    Ian found this slightly strange.

    Clearly, Predius had been stabbed in the eye and brain by Ian.

    For someone who should view Ian as a mortal enemy, shouldn''t it have something to say, if not a friendly "Hello~ How have you been~" then at least something?

    Instead, an unfamiliar wizard addressed Ian.

    "Pleased to meet you, Ian Eredith Raven."

    "...Antios."

    A wizard who would ride a dragon and speak to Ian.

    The leader of the Golden Rule Society and a damnably competent summoner...

    None other than "Regent" Antios.

    "I was just thinking of inviting you. Thank you for coming to me of your own accord."

    Ian asked directly.

    "Where is Maria?"

    Antios answered without concealment.

    "Duke Roxlan has her."

    He quietly raised his hand.

    "Let''s continue our detailed conversation... inside."

    At that moment, Belenka shouted.

    "Everyone get down!"

    Predius opened its mouth.

    With a blinding flash, explosive flames poured out.

    It was dragon''s fire.

    "Ah, aaaahhh!"

    "Hide! To the valley!"

    "No! We must protect the ballista!"

    The Hastria forces were truly elite soldiers.

    Even after being swept by the dragon''s flames, they didn''t falter.

    Knowing they would be finished if they lost the ballista, they desperately defended it.

    As soon as the flames poured down, Kira rushed forward.

    "Get out of the way!"

    "M-miss Wizard?!"

    "[My dear friend! Please, I beg you, avoid me!]"

    [Hmm. If you say so.]

    The flames pouring toward Kira split in two and passed around her.

    Like water splitting around a rock, Kira blocked the dragon''s fire.

    "Woooow...!"

    The Hastria soldiers were awestruck by the fire wizard''s magic that blocked the flames.

    "Don''t just stand there! Target the dragon!"

    "Ah... yes!"

    When Kira shouted, the soldiers loaded the ballista.

    Simultaneously, a massive shadow fell over them.

    "Kira!"

    Belenka snatched Kira as if tackling her.

    The two rolled on the ground together.

    Thud!

    With a heavy vibration, something fell in front of Kira.

    It was a severed human arm.

    "..."

    Kira gritted her teeth and glared at the dragon.

    When the flames failed, it had simply body-slammed the ballista and crushed it!

    The dragon immediately swung its tail, trying to destroy the next ballista.

    "You monster!"

    An old knight blocked the dragon''s path.

    It was Sir Salvador.

    "Grrrrr!"

    "So you''ve even lost the ability to speak! Hideous beast!"

    "Kyaaaaah!"

    "In Heaven''s name! I''ll end your evil deeds here!"

    Sir Salvador charged courageously.

    The dragon''s attention turned to Sir Salvador.

    That brief moment was enough.

    "Fire!"

    One ballista had been destroyed, but another remained.

    Ping!

    "Kyaaaaah!"

    "We did it!"

    Remarkably, the ballista''s massive arrow succeeded in piercing the dragon''s body.

    But...

    ''It''s not enough!''

    The dragon was merely inconvenienced in its movement.

    Its life wasn''t in danger...!

    "[Dead one! Stand against the black wizards!]"

    [Of course!]

    Ian''s skeleton giant also charged at Predius.

    Boom!

    For a very brief moment, the skeleton giant seemed to grapple with Predius.

    But the difference in physique was too great.

    No matter how large, a skeleton is still made of bones.

    It couldn''t match the dragon''s muscle power.

    "Kyaaah! Kyaaaah!"

    Crack, craaack!

    Predius roared fiercely.

    The dragon pinned down the skeleton with its strength, then raised its claws and savagely tore at the skeleton''s face.

    [No...! I cannot fail like this...!]

    Crack, craaaack!

    Crunch!

    The skeleton giant''s head was shattered.

    Predius casually shook off the ice fragments.

    "That... monster!"

    "God! Protect us!"

    The humans, except for Ian''s companions, half lost their minds witnessing the dragon''s combat power firsthand.

    Literally overwhelming power...!

    Even Ian''s group, who already knew how monstrous Predius was, shuddered.

    "Ian!"

    Belenka called to Ian.

    Without Ian''s magic, they couldn''t continue fighting.

    This meant that the decision to continue the battle or not rested with Ian.

    "..."

    But Ian couldn''t answer immediately.

    ''What''s going on...?''

    He was observing Predius.

    Certainly, Predius''s condition was strange.

    It was a dragon with a cruel and evil personality.

    In the previous battle, it had been quite talkative, shouting "Die, you insects!" and so on...

    Why wasn''t it saying a single word now?

    If Ian had been an ordinary warrior, he wouldn''t have cared about such things.

    It''s a monster, who cares if it speaks or not?

    But Ian was a wizard.

    He was someone who paid more attention than anyone to whether communication with an opponent was possible.

    "Predius!"

    "..."

    "Have you come for revenge because I stabbed your eye?"

    "..."

    The dragon still didn''t answer.

    ''Wait a minute.''

    A thought crossed Ian''s mind.

    ''If communication with Predius is impossible...''

    Ian looked up at Antios.

    ''How is that guy controlling Predius?''

    Ian''s mind was instantly engulfed in the flow of magical thinking.

    ...

    The dragon''s combat power was still overwhelming.

    But some clue for dealing with it appeared...!

    Enjoy the chappy!

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 Chapter 369

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ian had discovered a hint for dealing with the dragon.

    But...

    ''There''s not enough time to figure out the exact method.''

    Ian was a wizard.

    He was undoubtedly an expert at observing and communicating with mysteries.

    But expert or not, he needed time to use his abilities.

    If he just had a little time to talk with this unusually silent Predius...

    He was certain he could discover something.

    Ian surveyed his surroundings.

    The battle situation was clearly unfavorable.

    His skeleton had already been smashed to pieces, and Predius had easily destroyed the ballista.

    Though the mercenaries and Hastria forces were still intact, they were no match for the dragon.

    Well, they might be able to buy some time by throwing themselves at it.

    But that would mean terrible sacrifices.

    Ian wasn''t heartless enough to order soldiers to "die for the greater cause!"

    "No!"

    "Sir Salvador!"

    Belenka rushed to assist Sir Salvador.

    At present, they had no means to hold the dragon back.

    They could only buy time through infantry sacrifices...

    But no matter how exceptional Belenka and Sir Salvador were as knights, directly drawing the dragon''s attention was madness.

    "Urgh...!"

    "Grab the javelins! Hurry!"

    The Hastria soldiers hastily took up javelins, but their resistance was pitiful.

    Javelins could barely pierce the dragon''s hide.

    Even if they luckily struck where the scales were thinner, they couldn''t inflict enough damage to kill the dragon.

    "...Ian."

    Kira looked at Ian with trembling eyes.

    He was the only one who could create a variable now.

    "It seems the outcome has been decided."

    Antios moved Predius forward.

    The black wizard stood atop the dragon''s head, looking down at Ian.

    Their positions perfectly represented the current situation��a clear hierarchy of high and low.

    Ian quietly gazed back up at Antios.

    "Do you have something to say?"

    "Of course."

    Antios said.

    "I''ve won, Wizard Ian."

    "..."

    "You won''t deny it in this situation, will you?"

    A single dragon had completely flipped the situation.

    The orcs, goblins, and vicious mercenaries who had fled were now regrouping around the dragon.

    The more enemy infantry gathered, the harder it would be to defeat the dragon.

    "I''ll give you a choice."

    Antios spoke in a gentle voice.

    "You can struggle until the end and meet a miserable demise. Or..."

    He extended his hand toward Ian.

    "Join the Society."

    "..."

    Join the Society.

    A simple yet clear proposal.

    Antios was now inviting Ian to become a black wizard.

    Ian slowly closed his eyes.

    ''I need to buy time.''

    Time was what Ian needed most right now.

    Given enough time, he could prepare magic to counter the dragon.

    And... he had no choice.

    If he chose to struggle to the end, they might not even achieve victory, and the bodies of the fallen would pile up like mountains.

    That wasn''t the outcome Ian wanted.

    Still carrying the sensibilities of a modern person, Ian couldn''t act like a medieval king who would sacrifice his subordinates for his own purposes.

    "If I surrender. What about the others?"

    "What would you like to happen?"

    "...Set them free."

    If Antios refused, Ian was prepared to fight to the death.

    But Antios replied casually.

    "Fine, whatever."

    Antios understood to some extent.

    Even a mouse will bite a cat when cornered.

    Leaving an escape route would prevent meaningless loss of strength.

    "But that woman is an exception."

    Antios pointed at Kira.

    He would take Ian and Kira as prisoners but release everyone else.

    "That''s..."

    "It''s fine, Ian."

    Kira nodded.

    Her eyes said it all.

    Two was better than one.

    Rather than sending Ian alone into enemy territory, Kira preferred to go with him.

    Ian ended his deliberation.

    Continuing to fight here would create too many casualties.

    "I surrender. I''ve abandoned resistance and request treatment as a prisoner."

    "Ah... of course."

    Antios smiled with satisfaction.

    Immediately, a scream-like shout rose.

    "Ian! I''ll stay too!"

    It was Belenka.

    But Ian shook his head.

    "No. You go back, Belenka."

    "...What?"

    "There''s no need for you to be captured too. Instead, go back and find some solution."

    Belenka''s expression showed she had much to say, but��

    "...Understood."

    She didn''t resist and followed Ian''s order.

    Handing Ian over to the black wizards was terribly unsettling, but...

    Belenka trusted Ian.

    If it was Ian, he''d have some kind of plan.

    Perhaps...

    This surrender was deliberately chosen for some purpose...!

    "Ian..."

    Elia looked at Ian with a hardened face.

    "...I''ll definitely come for you."

    "I''m counting on you, Elia."

    Antios and the black wizards took Ian and Kira deeper into the forest.

    Ian had become a prisoner of the Golden Rule Society...

    ***

    Ian walked slowly along the gloomy forest path.

    ''I don''t want to admit it but...''

    Walking with the dragon Predius, summoner Antios, and various minor black wizard troops.

    On the surface, Ian seemed to be a helpless prisoner.

    However...

    ''If I can just find a breakthrough, this might not be so bad.''

    Yes.

    Truly, the situation wasn''t as bad as it might seem.

    ...Ian definitely wasn''t going insane from the shock of defeat.

    This was the result of rationally assessing the situation.

    The reasons Ian evaluated the current situation positively were as follows:

    First, he could buy lots of time.

    He hadn''t had enough time to save Maria and deal with the dragon...

    But now that Ian had become a prisoner (alongside?) Maria, he''d have a chance to watch over her.

    He could likely find the Emperor as well.

    If he could find a way to escape, this would actually save time.

    Additionally, the ''Regent'' Antios was, for now, showing a friendly attitude toward Ian.

    This was the decisive reason for Ian''s positive assessment.

    "We''ve finally met, after much difficulty, Wizard Ian."

    "I wasn''t particularly eager to meet you."

    "Your will doesn''t matter. What matters is the will of the world."

    At first, Ian couldn''t understand.

    After all, how much damage had Ian done to the Golden Rule Society so far?

    During his travels, Ian had consistently interfered with the Society''s plans both large and small.

    He''d even recently killed one of the Society''s executives.

    Yet Antios didn''t seem particularly concerned.

    "The world''s will told me that I''d be better off crushing you all."

    "Hmm. Ian."

    Antios spoke in a deadly serious voice.

    "Your ability to understand mysteries is worse than I thought."

    "?!"

    What...?!

    Ian was so shocked that he momentarily forgot who he was talking to.

    Me... not understanding mysteries well?!

    ''Actually, that might be surprisingly accurate.''

    But Ian quickly regained his composure.

    It wasn''t entirely wrong when he thought about it.

    While Ian excelled at meeting and communicating with mysteries, he lacked knowledge about researching mysteries he hadn''t encountered.

    The reason was simple.

    He could meet most mysteries anyway!

    Thus, Ian had rarely tried to pursue mysteries he hadn''t yet encountered.

    Ian could meet mysteries almost instinctively.

    Whether they were new or familiar mysteries.

    "Have you ever wondered why we keep colliding with each other?"

    "..."

    No, he hadn''t.

    Well, he had, but he hadn''t delved too deeply into it.

    The reason Ian and the Golden Rule Society kept clashing...

    Wasn''t it just bad luck?

    But Antios had just mentioned mysteries.

    This suggested there might be some flow that Ian hadn''t been conscious of.

    "At first, you accidentally discovered one of our members. That was a minor collision."

    "..."

    "But driving out Bertholdt and eliminating Karenne... that was clearly an unnatural flow."

    "Why do you think so?"

    When Ian asked, Antios readily answered.

    "Because it''s beyond the realm of coincidence. Think about it, Ian. When objects collide, what happens?"

    "They bounce off each other."

    "Right. Our fates should have done the same. But instead of bouncing away, you''ve delved deeper and deeper."

    That was the point Antios was highlighting.

    The connection of fate.

    Ian and the Golden Rule Society were intertwined unnaturally closely.

    It could be coincidence, if it were coincidence.

    But Antios was a wizard who could read mysteries.

    Could such a flow of world events really be considered normal?

    "Listen carefully, Ian."

    Antios said.

    "This is an artificial result."

    "An artificial result?"

    "Yes. Someone manipulated your fate, and that''s why the future changed."

    "..."

    Ian thought of someone''s face.

    The one face that perfectly fit this situation.

    "...A space-time wizard."

    "Who else could it be?"

    Antios patted Ian''s shoulder.

    That touch was surprisingly affectionate.

    "Our collision is no coincidence. It''s fate. You were originally destined to become a member of the Society, Wizard Ian."

    "..."

    "But those damned space-time wizards changed the future."

    There was only one reason space-time wizards would manipulate the future.

    [For a better future.]

    "Your fate was stolen by space-time wizards."

    "Stolen..."

    "They intercepted you, who was meant to join the Society! They turned you into a pawn for their future manipulation!"

    Antios''s voice was fanatical.

    Just from his delivery, one could sense what an excellent wizard he was.

    For just a moment...

    He even made Ian think, ''Am I the victim here?!''

    "And yet you trust the space-time wizards? You think they''re leading you to the ''right'' future!"

    "..."

    "Think carefully, Ian. Our fates have barely overlapped like this. Whether you''ll continue as a slave to the space-time wizards or become the master of your own fate. The choice is yours."

    Simultaneously, another face flashed through Ian''s mind.

    Eredith.

    [If Gerard hadn''t introduced you, I would never have taken a disciple.]

    If Antios was right...

    The person who had twisted Ian''s fate was clearly the space-time wizard Gerard.

    Gerard had prevented the future where Ian joined the [Golden Rule Society]...

    Instead, he created a future where Ian became Eredith''s disciple!

    What a terrible thing!

    He''d missed the perfect opportunity to become a black wizard!

    ''...I don''t really feel that way though.''

    Truly.

    Perhaps Ian had already been so thoroughly gaslighted by the evil space-time wizards that he couldn''t think properly.

    But one thing was certain...

    Ian was content with his current fate.

    If Ian had become a black wizard, he would certainly have committed terrible crimes.

    Of course, at the end of the black wizard route, an incredible outcome that Ian couldn''t even imagine might have awaited him.

    After all, black wizards liked to wield magic violently.

    Perhaps he''d have reached an ending as a cruel ruler dominating people with magic.

    But... Ian had no regrets.

    What? Dominate the world with magic?

    Create a world where wizards are kings?

    He had no interest in such things.

    Ian had become Eredith''s disciple and thoroughly enjoyed the privileges of being a wizard.

    He''d had countless adventures in this medieval fantasy world and overcome numerous challenges with magic.

    And... he''d gained lovely wives.

    Now, regarding this reversed fate?

    Whatever.

    But answering honestly might get him eaten by Predius(...), so he lied.

    Pretending to be interested in Antios''s words...!

    "Well... I never did like space-time wizards. Sneaky bastards with too many secrets."

    "So your head isn''t completely useless."

    Antios replied with satisfaction.

    "Do you know what Great Wizard Maronius''s final wish was?"

    "Maronius''s final wish?"

    "He wanted to complete the universal language and usher in an age of wizards."

    Ian knew this fact.

    What Maronius wanted was a world advanced through magic...!

    "The purpose of the Golden Rule Society is to recreate the glory of the ancient Golden Empire through magic. That era when wizards sustained the empire..."

    Antios said solemnly.

    "Ultimately, wizards will become the empire, bringing about a golden age of magic. Thus carrying on the Great Wizard''s will! The age of wizards will begin!"

    Antios was completely wrong.

    The world Maronius wanted wasn''t one where wizards became kings.

    What he wanted was just one thing:

    A world without misunderstanding and conflict.

    Magic was merely a tool to create such a world.

    But Ian applauded.

    "Excellent. Truly excellent."

    Now he had a better understanding of what kind of person Antios was.

    Enjoy the chappy!

    Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.

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    Click here!

 Chapter 370

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    Ironically, Antios and Ian shared the same goal.

    Opening a new era with more advanced magic.

    But their methods of reaching that destination couldn''t have been more different.

    Ian created new magic through divine power and his own unique abilities.

    Antios sought to destroy the existing order and usher in an age of wizards.

    Either way, this medieval fantasy world would ultimately become more magic-friendly.

    Whether through the emergence of powerful spells or the creation of a society led by wizards.

    Different methods, but similar pursuits.

    Ian could vaguely understand Antios''s thinking.

    "Though I''m not sure what this ''age of wizards'' means," Ian said, pretending disinterest.

    "If it advances magic though..."

    "Isn''t the advancement of magic every wizard''s desire?" Antios replied.

    The advancement of magic��every wizard''s desire.

    Wizards explore mysteries, but no one knows what lies at the end.

    No one will know until they reach that point.

    "Welcome to the Golden Rule Society, Ian."

    "I haven''t said I''m joining yet."

    "Hahaha. Then take your time looking around before deciding."

    Antios led Ian to the society''s headquarters.

    The Golden Rule Society.

    Black wizards who revered the ancient Golden Empire and sought to usher in a golden age of magic...

    They were, without question, a medieval secret society.

    ''Might have been kind of cool if they weren''t such bastards.''

    Pushing aside all the complicated circumstances.

    Just from the pure perspective of Ian the traveler...

    He felt a slight thrill.

    It was a visit to a new place, after all.

    And throughout his past and present lives, this was his first time visiting a secret society!

    Wow! A secret society!

    CIA! MI6! National Intelligence Service!

    Granted, national intelligence agencies and secret societies are completely different, but...

    Anyway, they''re invisible to the public eye, right? Secret, right?

    So Ian was genuinely curious about what the Golden Rule Society would look like.

    Would it be a gathering of wizards wearing robes with sophisticated designs?

    "Welcome to the Society, Ian."

    Antios proudly introduced the organization.

    Ian looked around with amazement.

    "Wow! This is a perfect disguise!"

    "Disguise?"

    Antios wore a puzzled expression, but Ian didn''t notice.

    Because...

    The Golden Rule Society was truly in the middle of nowhere!

    Dozens of tents dotted a wide open space. Those were quarters for mercenaries from outside.

    Next to them stood a massive cave entrance leading underground.

    Judging by the garbage scattered around the cave, there were clearly living quarters nearby.

    A society building with that secret-magical-organization feel?

    None!

    Mysterious fountains and gardens?

    None!

    Just the occasional person in medieval clothing wandering around and the foul stench of manure from livestock.

    On the surface, the Golden Rule Society lived a life barely distinguishable from medieval slash-and-burn farmers.

    So Ian concluded:

    Ah! This is a disguise!

    They''re cosplaying as farmers to hide from people''s eyes!

    "It''s so well done! Anyone would think real people actually live here."

    "? Real people do live here."

    Come on~ Stop joking~

    Ian thought Antios was making a joke.

    The place looked more like a refugee camp than a secret society!

    "Isn''t this just a disguise?"

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about. This is our society."

    "..."

    That joke... isn''t funny...

    Ian realized Antios was serious��

    And was immediately shocked.

    Wait, you said secret society...!

    Why are you so poor?!

    "Then where''s the society building?"

    "That cave."

    "...And the living quarters?"

    "That cave."

    "Are you perhaps not black wizards but a primitive human cosplay group?"

    "?"

    The reality was brutally cold...

    Soon Ian heard an explanation from Antios that was equally cold.

    Contrary to Ian''s misconception, this truly was the Golden Rule Society.

    First of all, the Golden Rule Society was an illegal magical research group.

    They ruled over a few small farming villages and collected taxes... but even large bandit groups did that (Baron Damon in Talian had done the same).

    Without proper domain, their financial power was inevitably garbage.

    In short...

    They had no money!

    "Wait. Why is a secret society broke?"

    "Because we''re operating on a knife''s edge."

    Antios explained calmly.

    He had established this as the society''s temporary residence.

    In the medieval economic system that began and ended with agriculture, not having a domain was a fatal disadvantage.

    So Antios had planned to leave at the right moment.

    Hide, gather strength, scheme, and when the world fell into chaos, attach themselves to a suitable power.

    Then establish a real society headquarters.

    That was Antios''s plan.

    "But black wizards are still wizards. Haven''t you ever lent your power to nobles?"

    "We have. And received payment too."

    "Then where''s that money?"

    "We gave it to Predius."

    "..."

    Ian cleared his throat.

    So that''s why there had been suspiciously large amounts of gold coins in Predius''s lair.

    It was all money earned by the society.

    The very money that Ian had looted and Lucy had spent freely.

    "Running a society requires money for all sorts of expenses."

    "I suppose so."

    Ian understood what "operating on a knife''s edge" meant.

    They dumped all their earnings into the society''s growth without any special reinvestment.

    There''s a limit to underground earnings anyway.

    The Golden Rule Society needed to secure strong backing as quickly as possible.

    "But the wait is over," Antios said.

    "We''ve captured the Emperor and Duke Roxlan."

    "And?"

    "We''re going to drive the Emperor mad."

    "..."

    "We''ll instill in the Emperor a delicate madness��not severe enough to provoke Hastria to action, but sufficient to make governing the empire impossible."

    Black wizards grow stronger in chaos.

    "Duke Roxlan is our ally. With the Duke''s patronage, the society''s magic will grow explosively."

    "...The other nobles won''t sit still."

    "It doesn''t matter. If they declare war, all the better for us. Black magic is stronger in war than any other magic."

    Ordinary mysteries don''t care about human life and death.

    Why would campfires, raindrops, and dust care about human lives?

    When someone dies, they just think, ''Ah~ Life and death are just part of human existence~'' and move on.

    But the mysteries that black wizards explore are a bit different.

    Take demon wizards, for instance.

    Oh? A person died? Delicious fun~!

    And necromancers. The mysteries of death, summoning, and magical beasts, and so on.

    Among the mysteries that black wizards explore, many take interest in human life.

    Thus, black magic can exert tremendous influence in war.

    This isn''t about how powerful it is.

    It''s about sustainability.

    For orthodox wizards��

    Those who master the mysteries of sky, earth, fire, and water��war is virtually worthless labor.

    What joy does a mystery find in burning people with fire?

    Once or twice might be fine, but repeated dozens of times, even mysteries grow weary.

    Wizards may gain rewards and dopamine from winning wars, but mysteries couldn''t care less about that.

    But for demon wizards who manipulate demons?

    Or summoners who handle magical beasts?

    War is simply enjoyable!

    Because they know how to enjoy pain and bloodshed!

    However, using black magic brings Heaven''s Faith priests chasing after you, shouting, "You devil!"

    What? You find joy in people dying? Have you ever seen such children of the devil! And so on.

    That''s why Antios had thrown the empire into chaos.

    When problems erupt everywhere, the Heaven''s Faith church inevitably loses focus.

    In peaceful times, if a noble dabbles in black magic, the entire empire would punish them.

    But in times of chaos, in a medieval era without public authority, who would punish black wizards?

    The Emperor would lose his judgment under magic��

    And Duke Roxlan would deliberately nurture black wizards.

    The age of black wizards would dawn.

    Imperial nobles aren''t particularly righteous.

    Between "Remaining loyal to the Emperor, following priests'' words, and living virtuously" versus "Subjugating weaker nobles and expanding power," many would choose the latter.

    With the entire world becoming a battlefield, black wizards would grow even stronger.

    That was the world the Golden Rule Society desired.

    Black wizards are naturally interested in turning the world upside down.

    Many come from humble origins.

    Black magic is what people learn when they crave power after being ignored and despised. No magic specializes in destroying people quite like black magic, so it''s natural.

    "I promise you��you have talent as a black wizard, Ian."

    "..."

    Was that an insult? A compliment?

    His feelings were mixed, but he couldn''t deny it.

    Ian knew it himself.

    If Ian were to learn black magic... he could learn it incredibly quickly.

    His magical talent was nothing short of genius.

    "I''ll introduce you to Bertholdt. Go around with him."

    "Sure."

    Antios entered the cave (...) and returned with someone.

    A face that now felt familiar.

    None other than Necromancer Bertholdt.

    "What?!"

    Bertholdt was startled the moment he saw Ian.

    "Regent! Is this real?!"

    "Of course it''s real. Would I bring a fake?"

    "You''re making a mistake, Regent!"

    Bertholdt''s reaction was almost hysterical.

    Surprisingly, Ian found this reaction comforting...

    In truth, this was the reaction he''d been expecting.

    Antios''s attitude had been too unexpected.

    "Ian Eredith Raven! That bastard has ruined the society''s plans multiple times!"

    "It wasn''t his will."

    "But still...!"

    Antios spoke cynically.

    "If someone swings a sword at you, hate the person holding it, not the sword. What use is hating the sword?"

    "..."

    "Get your head straight. Our enemy is the space-time wizards. Ian is just their chess piece."

    But no matter what Antios said, Bertholdt wouldn''t change his mind.

    No, it wasn''t bringing Ian here that bothered him.

    It was treating him like a guest that was unbearable!

    Ian had even killed the society''s executive, Transmuter Karenne.

    Shouldn''t he at least be bound?!

    "Bertholdt. Introduce the society to Ian."

    "What?!"

    Me?!

    Bertholdt looked like he''d rather die, but this was a golden opportunity for Ian.

    A chance to scout the enemy territory with Antios''s permission.

    Understanding the society''s structure and planning how to rescue Maria and the Emperor...!

    "I''m looking forward to it, Bertholdt."

    Bertholdt glared at Ian.

    Have you ever seen such a shameless bastard!

    Enjoy the chappy!

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    Click here!

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371

    TL/Editor: raei

    Status: 5/week mon-fri

    Illustrations: none

    Join the discord! Here

    "That was a close call."

    The mercenaries left the forest, grumbling with relief.

    They were the mercenaries Ian had hired.

    For them, the joy of survival outweighed the pain of defeat.

    "...Wait, let''s talk for a moment."

    But there were others who felt differently.

    Elia and Ian''s companions.

    Elia, Belenka, and Sir Salvador.

    The moment they left the forest, they immediately began a strategy meeting.

    "I should have stopped the dragon... I''m ashamed."

    "This isn''t the time for apologies. We need solutions."

    Sir Salvador couldn''t lift his head.

    He had fought the black dragon several times, but had lost every time...

    His background as a leader of knights who specialized in monster hunting seemed wasted (or so he thought).

    But unlike Sir Salvador''s self-blame, the other two didn''t consider him incompetent.

    Well... they were facing a dragon, after all.

    It was the same dragon that Ian had barely managed to fight using dragon-slaying spears and summons.

    They should be glad to have survived such an unfavorable battle.

    "Ian... became a prisoner voluntarily to protect us."

    "..."

    Elia spoke, suppressing her emotions.

    The person who felt the most anguish at these words was none other than Belenka.

    She had wanted to stay by Ian''s side until the end.

    Had it not been for Ian''s orders, she certainly would have.

    Belenka knew.

    Ian was a wizard with peculiar talents.

    He had exceptional rhetorical skills typical of wizards, and his ability to handle mysteries was beyond question.

    But his most remarkable trait was his strange way of thinking.

    He came up with and implemented ideas that seemed bizarre, almost like they didn''t belong to this world (which was true).

    Because of this, she didn''t think Ian had been captured without a plan.

    He must have come up with some unusual idea and allowed himself to be taken prisoner...

    ''But what good does that do now?''

    Belenka clenched her fist.

    Even if this was part of Ian''s plan, the fact remained that they had lost to black wizards.

    Belenka wanted only one thing.

    To rescue Ian safely.

    "Gathering more troops would be... inefficient, right?"

    "I believe so. An army of mere numbers can''t defeat black wizards."

    Elia recognized that this was a special situation.

    Their opponents were black wizards without proper domains.

    If attacked, they could simply abandon their land and relocate.

    To make matters worse, Duke Roxlan had switched to the black wizards'' side...

    If they didn''t crush them now, they would become an even bigger headache.

    "I''ll return to Hastria first."

    "Hastria''s knights would certainly be helpful."

    The dragon controlled by the black wizards was a terrifying enemy.

    Gathering forces would waste time.

    But even if they attacked, the black wizards without domains could simply pack up and move.

    Yet sending inadequate forces would only result in defeat by the dragon.

    Creating a force of elite heroes might work, but...

    How easy would that be?

    "Then I''ll ask the capital''s knights for assistance."

    "Thank you, Sir."

    Elia would seek help from Hastria''s knights.

    Sir Salvador would request aid from the capital''s knights.

    No one knew how long it would take to gather forces and launch an attack...

    But doing something was better than sitting idle, hoping the problem would solve itself.

    The survivors returned to the Emperor''s Moving Palace.

    "Princess!"

    "I''m sorry. I couldn''t bring back His Imperial Majesty..."

    "No! We''re just glad you''ve returned safely!"

    The Emperor''s servants welcomed Elia enthusiastically.

    They had good news to deliver.

    "Princess! His Holiness the Pope has sent someone!"

    "...The Pope?"

    Elia hurried to meet the person sent by the Pope.

    "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Hastria."

    "I am Elia Hastria. And you are...?"

    "Reshach."

    A servant leaned in to whisper:

    "Sir Reshach is a famous black wizard hunter from the south...!"

    "Ah!"

    Holy Knight Reshach.

    A knight who could use holy magic, who had gained fame by hunting down numerous black wizards.

    The Pope had indeed sent proper reinforcements.

    "You...?"

    "Fancy meeting you here again, Sir Belenka."

    Belenka was slightly surprised to recognize Reshach.

    Wasn''t he the same holy knight she had fought alongside against Bertholdt?!

    "Where''s Ian?"

    "...You came too, Takarion."

    Belenka quickly figured out what had happened.

    Takarion, who had hastily left Roxlan Castle.

    He had safely reached the Pope and returned with reinforcements...!

    "Ian has become a prisoner of the black wizards."

    "What?!"

    Takarion was genuinely shocked.

    How could Ian have been captured by black wizards!

    "How did that happen?"

    "The enemy summoner brought a dragon."

    "Heaven preserve us!"

    Sir Reshach immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

    This was completely different from ordinary black wizard hunting.

    A summoner skilled enough to control a dragon...!

    Capturing such a person alone would deal massive damage to the black wizards!

    While the Pope aimed to expand his influence by defeating black wizards,

    Sir Reshach fought against black wizards to save innocent victims.

    "It''s good that you brought wizards."

    "Wizards?"

    When Sir Reshach gestured, a group of ''wizards'' entered in a flurry.

    "Hello! Princess!"

    "How vulgar to just say ''hello''!"

    "It''s their choice how they greet her."

    "Hmm."

    The ''wizards'' were meeting Elia for the first time.

    But not Belenka.

    "You''ve come too?"

    "Oh my, Sir Belenka!"

    A woman with a gentle voice approached.

    She placed her hand over Belenka''s and said:

    "It''s been a while! Is Ian with you?"

    "Ian is... a prisoner of the black wizards..."

    "What?!"

    With the arrival of the wizards, things suddenly became lively.

    Wizards typically don''t worry much about others'' feelings...!

    And they''re even chatty!

    "Just a moment, please!"

    Elia stepped forward to clarify the situation.

    The wizards belatedly introduced themselves.

    "Noble one, I am Herta, a wandering wizard."

    "I''m Krysus! Krysus Montana!"

    "Wizard Anton... at your service."

    "Earth wizard Carl."

    They were people with strong personalities, typical of wizards.

    Sir Reshach provided additional explanation.

    "They''re wizards I met while tracking black wizards."

    "I see...!"

    Sir Reshach and the wizards.

    They had all crossed paths by chance while pursuing the common goal of tracking black wizards.

    "They''re all highly skilled wizards."

    Elia looked at the unexpected reinforcements.

    Holy Knight Sir Reshach and the Pope''s soldiers.

    Plus four skilled wizards...!

    "I apologize for asking this upon our first meeting, but could I request your assistance?"

    "If it concerns black wizards, we''ll help in any way we can."

    After all, that''s why they had come.

    These weren''t people who would shy away from fighting black wizards!

    "Then...!"

    Elia spread out a map.

    Belenka and Sir Salvador.

    Sir Reshach and Takarion.

    Herta, Krysus, Anton, and Carl. Four wizards in total...!

    With this many people, they could attempt another attack on the black wizards!

    "Now, let''s begin our strategy meeting!"

    Elia started organizing an expedition force once again.

    ***

    Meanwhile, Ian was formulating his own escape plan.

    He couldn''t even dream that Elia and his companions would return.

    There was no effective way to deal with the dragon...

    And by the time they gathered enough forces to confront it, the black wizards would have already finished choosing sides with Duke Roxlan.

    The issue was time.

    Moving one step ahead of the enemy was paramount.

    "Here''s the meditation room."

    "It''s cramped."

    "...This is the storage room."

    "Why is it empty? Did thieves come?"

    "......This is the research lab."

    "It''s shabbier than a magic university break room."

    Ian was so preoccupied with devising an escape plan that he responded almost automatically.

    Snap.

    But... Ian''s ''automatic responses'' were only comments that grated on Bertholdt''s nerves!

    This bastard! Is he bragging about being a university graduate?! Right now!

    "Got a problem with it?!"

    "I''ve got plenty of complaints."

    Finally showing your true colors!

    Bertholdt glared at Ian as if he wanted to drown him in a single breath.

    "A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body."

    "...?"

    "With your living conditions in such a state, no wonder there''s no progress in magic."

    But Ian''s ''complaints'' were completely different from what Bertholdt had expected.

    "Eating well and resting well are so important. Magic university wizards prioritize material comfort for a reason."

    The black wizards watching burst into laughter.

    The society''s poverty was a joke even to its members.

    "Hehe... privileged people like you don''t understand the misery of living in hiding."

    "Why should wizards live in hiding?"

    "...What nonsense. Don''t you know how much Heaven''s Faith hates black wizards?"

    Ian snorted and extended his hand.

    With a simple gesture, a pile of bones squirmed and rose.

    "!"

    "Necromancy?! How can he do it so easily...!"

    Using the [Skill Magic] method made casting magic this easy.

    Of course, this was a completely unknown approach to black wizards.

    Ian flicked his hand again.

    Like a flint, sparks flew and disappeared.

    Clearly fire magic.

    "That''s what happens when you only use black magic."

    "..."

    "Magic isn''t just black magic. The more diverse magic you learn, the better."

    Just as the black wizards were about to speak, Ian turned his back.

    Using a variety of magic is beneficial.

    But black wizards didn''t give up ordinary magic because they wanted to.

    Except in unusual cases like Ian, magic is typically extremely difficult to learn.

    Finding a teacher is like reaching for the stars.

    Magic university?

    If you had the wealth to enter a university, why would you dabble in black magic?

    ''Such a show-off...!''

    The black wizards burned with jealousy as they watched Ian''s magical skill.

    But at the same time...

    ''...I could do that too, if someone taught me.''

    They envied Ian''s magic, thinking that with proper instruction, they could attain such abilities.

    Enjoy the chappy!

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