《Id》 Chapter 1 1 The wind, which brushed a ridge of the Pleo Mountains, swept the Free City Nordburg. In the city, lights came on one by one as the sunset in the west. The Free City Nordburg was located at the northeast edge of the Kingdom of Scandia. The Kingdom of Scandia was in the northeast part of the continent. Although Scandia did not have a large territory, it was in command of a strong army. Despite not being one of the more substantial powers of the continent, it had managed to defend against many invasions of adjacent kingdoms and dukedoms for hundreds of years, thanks to its territory being composed of rugged mountains. It all came to an end twenty years before, due to the invasion of the overwhelmingly mighty Icarus Empire. Although Scandia then became a tributary of the Empire, Icarus ensured Scandia¡¯s independence, and Icarus has not interfered with Scandia¡¯s domestic affairs, as long as Scandia paid a yearly tribute. On the whole, there was no significant change in Scandia after it had become Icarus¡¯ tributary. On the contrary, Scandia¡¯s economy has constantly been improving thanks to the imperial gift granted by Icarus, of which the value even surpassed that of the yearly tribute provided by Scandia. Moreover, Scandia¡¯s national strength has expanded as its trade with Icarus grew more extensive year after year. Adjacent kingdoms no longer dared to invade Scandia, as they were afraid of Icarus¡¯ interference. Thus, Scandia has been enjoying a peaceful era for the last twenty years. Nordburg was a corporate town located at the northeast border of Scandia. The city autonomously maintained its public order employing its own guards, and it had its own judicial proceedings. It was how Nordburg has survived as an isolated city at the border. Three people were walking along the freeway from the capital of Scandia to Nordburg. A hairy man with numerous scars crisscrossing his face led them. At a glance, he looked like a man who had lived a tumultuous life. He wore a washed-out leather mail, and on his belt dangled a mace and a short sword. He looked like a typical mercenary soldier with a little shield and a large backpack on his back. A woman in a robe and a boy seemingly about eight years old struggled behind the man. The boy looked exhausted while the woman`s face was hidden deep in the hood. The struggling boy finally collapsed. Heartbroken at the sight, the woman turned to the man as she rushed to help the boy back up. ¡°Id is exhausted. Let¡¯s take a rest.¡± Hearing the woman¡¯s voice, the man stopped and looked back. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. But the checkups at the gate of Nordburg shall be intensified after sunset. That might be troublesome¡­¡­.¡± Realizing there was nothing to be done about the situation, the man walked back to the boy. Even whilst grumbling, he was fully aware that the journey had been too excessive for the boy. The eight-year-old boy¡¯s face was ashy pale as he gasped for air. The man arrived at the boy¡¯s side and handed him a canteen. Watching the boy about to chug the water from the canteen hastily, he said in a deep voice. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get a stomachache.¡± ¡°I got it, sir.¡± Having taken a couple of sips, the boy returned the canteen to the man. With the interaction between the boy and the man, it could be seen that they were not father and son. The hooded woman, still holding the boy, looked at the man. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The man frowned and wiped the sweat on his forehead. The woman slightly raised her head and stared at the Free City Nordburg, where lights were coming on one by one.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Are we going to live there?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s better to go to the Free City Nordburg if you no longer want to work as a mercenary. Besides, I have several acquaintances there. We can open a small pub, or I can at least hunt in the forest nearby the city to earn our living.¡± Slightly hesitating for a moment, the man murmured. ¡°I spent almost all of the money I had earned until now to purchase you and your son.¡± The woman just stared at the ground beneath her feet without saying anything. ¡°I believe you won¡¯t betray me¡­ by any chance.¡± The man turned his head after his harsh comment as a wave of regret surged within him. Feeling sorry, he could no longer face the woman. Unlike his appearance, he was tender-hearted, which proved his fatal flaw during the mercenary work. It was why he retired comparatively early. His comment, however, definitely burdened the hooded woman, Julia. A teardrop fell from beneath the hood, landing on the young boy Id¡¯s face. His pupils visibly shivered as he looked up at his mother. The boy stretched out his hand and reached for his mother¡¯s face beneath the hood. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, mom.¡± Id¡¯s appearance was quite impressive, considering his young age and the arduous journey he had been through. His greenish-blue pupils looked like a mix of sapphire and emerald. And his shining silver hair and flawless complexion made him look like a young noble from a high-class family. In stark contrast, the rags he wore as clothes led to a certain air of insignificance. ¡°We have rested enough. Let¡¯s go.¡± Mother and son stood up and started to walk. There was no hope to be found in their drooping shoulders. Having walked quite a while, they could see the gateway of Nordburg. Soldiers in chainmail were strictly guarding the gate. They were regular soldiers in metal mail, not the conscripts in padded clothes holding wooden spears, who could be typically found guarding the gates of smaller towns. Among the guards of Nordburg stood a big man wearing a helmet. He looked like a Knight as he wore plate chest armor and pauldrons over chainmail. He shouted harshly as the hairy man¡¯s group approached. ¡°Halt.¡± At the same time, the guards readied their spears. They showed clear intent to attack should the group disobey the order. Three people stopped after a short hesitation. The Knight approached them, taking off his helmet and looked around at them. ¡°Do you want to enter Nordburg?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°I am Knight Thomas, the head of gatekeepers in the Free City Nordburg.¡± The Knight Thomas looked the man up and down. ¡°You are armed quite heavily. Are you a mercenary soldier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Show me your identification card.¡± The man quietly thrust out a wooden card that hung on his belt. Having scrutinized the wooden card, the knight nodded. ¡°George. No surname. A second-class mercenary. Your face tells you have gone through hell and high water. Good. You are allowed to pass.¡± The Knight moved slightly to face the hooded woman. ¡°Take the hood off.¡± Julia hesitated at the command. As the Knight raised his brows, George hastily told Julia to remove her hood. ¡°Hurry up. Take the hood off.¡± Julia unwillingly took her hood off. Momentarily the eyes of the Knight widened. The woman was quite beautiful. She was a blue-eyed blond in her late twenties. But astonishingly, she was branded with a hideous complex pattern on her forehead. Every gatekeeper was paying attention to the brand on the forehead of the beautiful woman. As the Knight raised a signal, the guards approached the woman, spears raised. The Knight sternly ordered George. ¡°That pattern on her forehead is branded only on maids who have been expelled from the palace. Explain yourself.¡± The guards couldn¡¯t understand how anyone could brand such a beautiful woman with such a hideous pattern. The Knight Thomas, on the other hand, had a pretty good idea of the situation. Although he now works as the head of gatekeepers in such a remote location, he had served as a regular Knight in the palace in the past. There were so many maids at court where the King of Scandia lived. Most of them were from aristocratic families. Naturally, they were not daughters of lords with a large feudal territory such as marquises or counts. Usually, daughters of barons or baronets, who had a smaller estate, entered the palace as maids who took care of everyday life at court. Rules and etiquettes requested in the palace were many and complicated to a degree beyond imagination. It was nearly impossible to remember every rule and etiquette even for aristocrats¡¯ daughters educated well from their very early ages. Maids in high positions called Court Ladies or Maids of Honor were treated at the level of baronets and paid well. Therefore, many aristocrats¡¯ daughters made efforts to be a maid in the palace. But this was not the case for all maids. Women were needed to entertain envoys from powerful countries or distinguished Knights in the palace. For this job, they required young and pretty women, and these young women, mostly daughters of peasants or serfs, were also referred to as maids. They were a kind of high-class prostitutes. Maids from aristocratic families wore a blue-laced uniform with a blue sash, while maids from low-class families wore a red-laced uniform with a red sash. At least in Scandia, this distinction was quite well known. Of course, these two groups of maids were treated entirely differently. The red-laced maids couldn¡¯t move around the palace freely. They stayed in a separate building in the corner of the courtyard and executed their tasks when needed. Though their main job was to entertain foreign envoys or knights with contributions, some high-ranked aristocrats tended to visit them from time to time as well. Chapter 2 2 The Knight Thomas stared at the brand on the woman¡¯s forehead. Although at a glance, it seemed the shape of the brand was in disorder, there was an exquisite pattern within itself. ¡°You must have given birth to a baby of a high-class aristocrat, thereby breaking the rule.¡± The Knight said as he looked at the boy firmly holding the woman¡¯s hand, finally understanding the situation. Maids in the palace were punished in a few ways when they broke the rules. The most severe punishment for blue-laced maids was getting fired; in other words, they were expelled from the palace. As it had brought shame to their aristocratic families, blue-laced maids committing suicide after being thrown out of the palace was not a rare case. On the other hand, corporal punishments were usually applied to red-laced maids. The main problem for them was pregnancy. So, they avoided their nightly duties around the time of ovulation when they could get pregnant. When it was unavoidable, they took contraceptives. In case they bore a baby, corporal punishments were applied to them. In the worst case, they were expelled from the court branded on the forehead, just like the woman standing in front of the Knight. Branding a person might be as cruel as capital punishment. But they had a specific reason why they applied this kind of punishment to the red-laced maids who bore the babies of aristocrats. The intent was to prevent the babies¡¯ fathers from taking care of the maids. The Knight Thomas stared at the woman¡¯s forehead once again. The exquisite patterns revealed a detailed story. ¡°Unbelievable¡­... did you not even reveal the identity of the child¡¯s father? What a hopeless love story.¡± The woman kept silent. She was shattered by revealing the hideous brand in front of so many people. As the Knight had guessed, she did not disclose the identity of the baby¡¯s father. Her love for the child¡¯s father prevented her from causing any troubles to him and his family. The Knight looked at George. ¡°Explain why you brought her here.¡± George cautiously approached the Knight and showed him a piece of parchment. ¡°She fell into debt to get her son back. Then she landed in the slave market as she couldn¡¯t pay the interest and principal back. I purchased them, having paid a large amount of money.¡± The parchment George showed was a certificate of slavery. Thanks to his long-time experience at court, Thomas momentarily realized what had happened. Red-laced maids belonged to the palace. The unexpected baby was also considered an asset of the court. Red-laced maids expelled from the palace principally could not take their babies out. Suppose she had revealed the identity of the baby¡¯s father. In that case, his family might have taken care of the baby, putting up with the dishonor, and might have arranged at least the bare minimum of a living for the mother. After all, the baby was related by blood to the family. But the woman did not reveal the identity of the baby¡¯s father. So, the baby was destined to grow up as an attendant, property of the court. The woman, however, got back her child and took him out of the court, even falling into crushing debt. And she was forced to be sold at a slave auction market as she could not pay her debt back. Thomas shot George a surprised look. ¡°You paid two hundred golds for them? With that money, you could have lived your whole life a worry-free man.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. George awkwardly scratched the back of his head. ¡°Those were most of my savings¡­ I was planning on getting married and retiring soon anyway.¡± ¡°What a big spender.¡± Thomas looked at George and the woman in turn. The maids, brought up in the palace from their very early ages, differed from other commoners. Even though they had been from peasant or serf families, they constantly took care of their appearance as required for their job. Compared with other commoners, who had rough skin caused by working outside, the beautiful maid with smooth, white skin must have looked like an angel for George. Thomas, who had worked a long time at court, completely understood George¡¯s sentiment. ¡°Good. The documents are finished. You are allowed to pass.¡± The woman hurriedly covered her face with the hood as soon as Thomas allowed them to pass the gateway. She couldn¡¯t bear the guards¡¯ attention anymore. With a strained expression, George touched his money pouch hanging from his waist belt. ¡°Sir, how much toll do I need to pay? As you can imagine, I am now very poor.¡± Glancing at George, Thomas said. ¡°The toll is twenty silvers each. The child is exempted.¡± George counted silver coins hurriedly and paid the toll immediately. A forty silver toll was much cheaper than he expected. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± As the Knight raised his hand, the guards retreated and opened the gate. The wicket gate on the right side of the main gate was opened with a rough sound. After George¡¯s party entered through the gate, Thomas put his helmet back on. ¡°That¡¯s not a good choice. She looks different now, but she will end up looking just the same as other commoners soon enough...¡± Thomas knew that the maids accustomed to the palace life could not easily adapt to the life of a commoner. The problems would already start with the food and drinks. Having eaten soft bread made of polished wheat in the palace, the former maid would not very well eat the rye bread of lousy quality. Thomas already started predicting the problems the former maid would face, based on his experience at court. George¡¯s party was lodged in a shabby inn located on the outskirts of Nordburg. They could find roaches here and there creeping about the walls and floor. They washed their faces and hands at the well in the inn¡¯s backyard and went to the little pub on the first floor. The supper was humbled, to say the least, just like the cheap inn. A loaf of dark brown bread, a small bowl of foul-smelling fish soup, and a piece of dried bacon. As Thomas guessed, the former maid did not eat well. She frowned after a bite of bread. In stark contrast, George promptly scoffed his portion of food down. As a mercenary, he often ate food far worse than this. Id tried to eat all of his shares. Though he was accustomed to the good nutrition of the palace, he did not want to worry his mother, Julia. He forced himself to swallow the food with difficulties. Julia ate only a third of her bread. She was able to finish her soup. George swallowed the rest of Julia¡¯s bread and her bacon which she didn¡¯t even touch. Id ate up his portion of food. After supper, they entered their room and shortly after, Id came out again. The room was too small for three people, so it was suffocating to stay there. Id took a walk around the backyard of the inn. There was a small well at which he washed. There stood a large old stable on one side of the backyard where several horses were eating hay. Since it still was an early evening, Id strolled about the backyard for a long time. When Id felt tired after a long walk, he heard the low neighing of a horse. Id sat on the ground leaning his back against the fence of the stable. Suddenly teardrops started to fall from his eyes. He called for his mother quietly and buried his face between his knees. Having been expelled from the palace, Julia eagerly collected gold coins from some familiar aristocrats who pitied her. As she had entertained many aristocrats at court, she had collected many gold coins from them. Some aristocrats took her home and took care of her for a while. But when their wives came to know about her, she was cast out again. She collected money eagerly since she desperately wanted to take her son back from the palace. But the amount of money requested by the chief attendant of the court was unbelievable as it was illegal to let belongings of the court out. Julia couldn¡¯t get Id back until he became eight years old. In the end, Julia fell into debt to take her son back, and after a while, she was forced to go to a slave auction market with her son since she could not repay her debt. Nobody knew if the decision to take him out of the palace would result in a good or bad future for Id. If Julia hadn¡¯t taken him back, Id was supposed to be an attendant of the court. The main items of education were rules and etiquette. The education procedure was so intense and severe for little Id. Having been lost in deep thought, Id suddenly shivered. The rags he wore didn¡¯t protect him from the coldness of the northern city night. From now on, Id and his mother would live with George, a former mercenary soldier. Even though Id had never considered this kind of life, he believed it would be far better than life in the palace. It was too suffocating for him to live at court under the pressure of the intense education of rules and etiquette. Id looked up at the sky. The stars in heaven seemed sad. A familiar voice called to him. ¡°Id, are you here?¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Feeling his eyes water, he went to the well which Julia was standing beside as she smiled at Id. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s cold out here.¡± Id went back into the room, holding his mother¡¯s hand. George was sleeping on the bed lying spread eagle. His snoring sounds caused the small bedside table to tremble. Julia spread a sheet on the floor and laid on it, embracing Id. Id nestled in his mother¡¯s arms. ¡°Good night, my baby.¡± Id fell into a deep sleep, feeling his mother¡¯s soft hand in his hair. The day had been too much for an eight-year-old boy to tolerate. Chapter 3 3 The next day George got up early in the morning. He was used to getting up early from his mercenary days. He walked around the city looking for a house all day long. He needed a place to live with Julia and Id. But the price of houses in Nordburg was much higher than he expected. ¡°This is the only house we have available for twenty-five golds.¡± As he laid his eyes on the worn-down shack on the brink of collapse beside a small brook, George clicked his tongue. The middleman talked insidiously. ¡°There is no house cheaper than this. If you don¡¯t like this, the only way to live here is to go into the Forest of Evil Spirits and build a log cabin by yourself.¡± The middleman raised an arm as he indicated in the direction of the Forest of Evil Spirits to the north. George quietly shook his head and left without any words. He thought it would be better to live in a log cabin than in a small dirty shack on the brink of collapse. Julia and Id were brought to their home-to-be after living in the shabby inn for another ten days. George selected a mountain village, Derevnya, located within a three-day walking distance to the northeast from Nordburg. The residents of Derevnya cultivated slash-and-burn fields. The town of frontiersmen mainly living by hunting and logging was introduced to George by the mercenary guild of Nordburg. Derevnya was located deep inside the Forest of Evil Spirits. Since there lived various beasts, monsters and evil creatures, the village was a danger zone of its own. Even though death was an almost daily occurrence in the village, there was the merit that the village inhabitants didn¡¯t have to pay any taxes. The tax collectors of Nordburg avoided going to Derevnya due to the dangers involved. The Nordburg Mercenary Guild offered George a job as a village guard. The guard¡¯s wage in Derevnya may have been one-tenth of his old mercenary income, but the meager wage was no deal-breaker for George, who had already decided to leave his mercenary days behind him. ¡°If you take the job, they¡¯ll give you a place to stay, and you¡¯ve got family, they might even give you a log cabin separate from the others.¡± Because of the information provided by the officer of the Nordburg Mercenary Guild, George affirmed his decision to move to Derevnya. It seemed a good choice for George to take care of his new family without working as a mercenary soldier. Thus Julia and Id moved to Derevnya with George. Id looked back at the shabby inn he had lived in for ten days. ¡°Goodbye. See you again.¡± It took more than a week to get to Derevnya from Nordburg, although it usually only took three days to walk there. It was necessary to collect enough companions to protect themselves from monsters or evil creatures. Therefore, George¡¯s family had to wait for other visitors for a long time at the beginning of the forest before departing to Derevnya. The village was composed of several divisions, each of which was surrounded by a solid wooden fence. It was imperative to fence the town for the safety of the residents as monsters and evil creatures attacked people from time to time. The Chief of Derevnya greeted George, seeing him entering through the gate with his family, merchants and journeymen. ¡°Welcome. We were waiting for you.¡± Frontiers¡¯ villages like Derevnya usually welcomed experienced former mercenary soldiers like George since it was a substantial help to protect their homes from violent attackers. They provided George with a newly built log cabin and gave a warm welcome to his family. In front of the freshly built cabin with a fresh scent of wood, George was deeply moved. ¡°Look, this is our new home.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Id looked around the house, ¡®Our New Home¡¯. Those words had deeply moved him as well, even though the log cabin was not that magnificent like the spires or castle turrets he saw in the palace. Thus, the former mercenary, the exiled maid of the royal palace and Id, the bastard son of a noble, started a new life in Derevnya. George was a better head of the household than expected. He was diligent and meticulous. It was a rare sight to see amongst mercenaries who wandered battlefields with no concept of family. He loved and cherished Julia and played a fitting role as a father for Id. ¡°This is a present for you.¡± George gave Id a well-made bugle. It was made of a wild-boar tusk. Although not crafted by a professional, the bugle was of good quality. Id smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Call me dad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry... dad.¡± George frowned, but he did not blame Id. Id could feel George¡¯s good intention despite his harsh words. Having glanced at Id stroking the bugle with a gratified expression, George walked to the house. He was carrying a boar¡¯s leg on his back, his share of the game hunted that day. Julia would like it. George gained considerable popularity within a month of his stay in Derevnya thanks to his skills. People with various jobs gathered on battlefields. George had picked up many different skills from his previous mercenary colleagues. Though they were basic skills, they were enough to complete the many tasks that needed working in Derevnya. Repairing wagon wheels or horseshoes was not difficult for George. Repairing leaking roofs was also easy. Moreover, he was very skilled with the crossbow. When the village people went hunting, a part of the game was, without fail, always finished by his crossbow. In short, he became an essential asset to the village. Life in Derevnya was so peaceful. Id had nothing to do in particular, as George did almost all the housework. He just helped his mother clean the rooms or, at times, swept the backyard. He even got along with some boys of his age. Id was an unusual boy from his very early ages. He was perceptive towards other people¡¯s emotions. He could read other people¡¯s thoughts or hidden intentions precisely. It was a necessary skill he acquired growing up at court as he had to constantly hide his thoughts and emotions amongst the people of the court, and no matter how he felt, he always had to fake a smile. Young attendants in the palace were often cudgeled if they showed any sort of dissatisfaction. Id learned to see through the thoughts and intentions of other attendants whilst thoroughly masking his own. Thanks to this peculiar characteristic, Id got close to the boys in the village quickly. He did not suffer the bullying that was common at his age. There were four boys in the town of the same age, including Id. They romped around together within the boundaries of the wooden fence. Those were the happiest and most carefree moments of Id¡¯s life. Boys of Id¡¯s age tended to be curious and loved to tell many bizarre stories. The first story Id heard from his friends was of an older man living by himself on the northern fence. Derevnya is composed of several areas surrounded by a separate wooden fence. They cultivated farmland on the fields between the fences. Young and healthy men without family mainly lived in outer areas, and women, children and the old and weak people lived within the sizeable inner fence, which was considered safer. ¡°A one-armed old man with a terrifying face.¡± ¡°Alyosha¡¯s seen him shooting lightning beams from his eyes. He even said that anyone hit by them was burnt to a crisp.¡± Id was very intrigued by the rumors of the older man, who lived within the northern fence alone. At first, several young men had stayed in the same area as him, but for some reason, they had left one by one and finally, he was left alone. Nobody knew what he was doing there alone. The boys¡¯ curiosity towards the older man was natural. Everything about him was a mystery. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the northern fence.¡± Mitya, the leader of boys, incited them. ¡°But if we get caught, we¡¯d get in big trouble¡­¡­¡± The other boys hesitated. It was forbidden for the children to leave the boundaries of the inner fence by themselves. They were the easiest prey for monsters or evil beasts strolling around the village. Therefore, it was strictly prohibited for the children to go out of the fence without adults¡¯ protection. Should they get caught, it would mean brutal clubbing by the adults. But Mitya didn¡¯t care. It was the senselessness of a young leader. ¡°We just have not to get caught. We are going through our secret passage and take a quick look. We¡¯ll come back before anyone realizes we¡¯re gone.¡± The boys were persuaded by Mitya one by one. Their curiosity won over their fear. They cautiously approached the secret passage. The secret passage was a small hole at a rotten part of the wooden fence. Id carefully followed the other boys through the fence. It took a long time to get to the northern fence. There were watchtowers at each fence, guarded by the adults. The boys moved cautiously, staying out of their sight and arrived at the northern fenced area. Fortunately, the gate of the northern fence was open. The boundary of the northern area was much smaller than that of the central fence where the boys lived. ¡°Be careful, everybody.¡± The boys cautiously entered the northern area. Id finally got to see the older man whom he had only heard stories of so far. ¡°Goddamn brats!¡± Having heard his thunderous shout, the boys went pale. They ran away without even looking back. The older man had instantly been aware of their arrival through the fence despite the boys being very careful not to make any sounds. In contrast to the other boys, Id had not run away and was instead looking at the older man with interest gleaming in his eyes. The older man was a gray-haired man in his late sixties. He was standing shirtless, chopping firewood. Compared to his age, his upper body was very robust. He was just as well built as younger warriors. Chapter 4 4 The older man stared at Id curiously since he was the only one who did not run away. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you run away?¡± Id answered quietly. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and I wanted to see your appearance closely.¡± The older man¡¯s right arm was cut off around the elbow, and he was holding a heavy ax with his left hand. Having made a perplexed face, the older man shouted fiercely. ¡°Get out of here. I am not the sight to behold.¡± The older man¡¯s anger was conveyed to Id, and his fierce look shook Id¡¯s heart. Scared, Id ran away in the direction of the central fence. Thinking that the older man might follow him in anger, he ran as hard as possible without looking back even once to the central area. Looking at the back of the running boy, the older man sniffed. ¡°What tiresome kids! I have to lock the gate from now.¡± On the ax¡¯s blade held in the older man¡¯s left hand glittered intense aura when he stared at the firewood again. Judging from the aura, if he was a swordsman, his swordsmanship must be top-class, close to that of a master. It seemed that he took the manna in the air into his body to strengthen his muscles and the ax¡¯s blade. Invisible, the manna, which existed everywhere, was the source of life for all living creatures. The density of manna in the air varied widely from place to place. Usually, the thickness of manna in a deep forest or deep mountains was much higher than that in the city. It was why the monsters and evil beasts preferred to live in forests or mountains. They also used manna to strengthen their muscles instinctively. The density of manna in the Forest of Evil Spirits was higher than anywhere else in the world. So, many monsters and evil beasts gathered there, and consequently, it was called the Forest of Evil Spirits. Some top-notch swordsmen train themselves in forests or mountains to absorb manna into their bodies easier. Derevnya, located deep in the Forest of Evil Spirits, might be the best place for the swordsmen who train their swordsmanship with manna. Even in the same place, the concentration of manna varies depending on the time of day. Manna in the air becomes more concentrated and purer around dawn and dusk when the cosmic dual forces, the negative and the positive, harmonize with each other. The boys who returned to the central fence were severely punished. Scampering, they got caught by the guards on the watchtowers. Besides, the older man from the northern area informed the chief of the village of the incident. The boys¡¯ parents cudgeled them severely. Adults fixed and closed the hole on the wooden fence. But Id was not punished since George understood him. ¡°Did you want to go out of the fence that much?¡± George gently stroked Id¡¯s silver hair, who was nodding, scared. Grinning, George quietly told Id. ¡°I fully understand you. It¡¯s natural at your age. But don¡¯t go out of the fence without the protection of the adults. It is dangerous out there.¡± George has completely adjusted to his new life in Derevnya. It was so peaceful, and it could not be compared with his former life wandering the battlefields where almost every day he had to see the deaths of his colleagues. He was satisfied with the new life supporting his beautiful and devoted wife, even though he had purchased her in an auction, and his stepson, who he regarded as his biological son. When George saw Id¡¯s pellucid greenish-blue eyes, he felt like his soul, devastated in constant battles, was being cured. Id looked up at George¡¯s hairy face and asked him curiously.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°By the way, why did you retire from being a mercenary, dad?¡± George looked down at Id surprisingly. ¡°You are now calling me dad! Good boy.¡± George explained his story in a quiet tone. ¡°Mercenary soldiers rarely get married. It¡¯s not easy for them to marry since they wander battlefields all the time. Even if they get married, it is not easy to live with their family together. Anyhow, it is impossible to live on battlefields with a family, isn¡¯t it.¡± Usually, mercenary soldiers decided to retire around the age of forty. They were paid well since they risked their lives, but almost all of them wasted their earnings for amusement. There were not many mercenary soldiers like George who saved money for future life. It was not easy for a retired mercenary to have his own family. Mercenary soldiers who had been accustomed to slaughters were usually very tough. There were not many women who were interested in mercenary soldiers. From time to time, some mercenary soldiers got married to prostitutes who followed battlefields. Other mercenary soldiers forced women, who were plundered during wartime, to be their wives. These cases, however, did not result in happy endings, of course. Therefore, retiring mercenary soldiers popped in at slave markets. They made their families by purchasing slaves with almost all the money they earned for years, risking their lives. George was one of these cases. George dimly looked up at the sky. ¡°My heart started beating so fast when I saw your mother at the auction market. I did not know there could be such a beautiful woman in the world.¡± Knight Thomas¡¯ impression of George was quite precise. George fell in love at once with Julia, with fair skin and a slender figure, unlike peasant women. He ruffled Id¡¯s hair and said, ¡°You were a throw-in, Id. But I like you so much now.¡± Id beamed a smile at George feeling his outstretched hand on his head. Looking at Id¡¯s smile, George felt a little guilty. When George saw Id at the slave market, he worried that Id would be a pain in the neck. But it did not take too long for George to change his mind. Id¡¯s natural disposition made him as precious to George as Julia. Id¡¯s calm and tender nature purified George¡¯s soul, exhausted from killing opponents who were not his natural enemies on the battlefields. Some of them, killed by him, could have been his good colleagues if he had met them in another place under other circumstances. ¡°Your mother is preparing supper. Let¡¯s get in.¡± ¡°Yes, dad.¡± Smiling brightly, Id held George¡¯s big hand. George was happy. So were Julia and Id. Their happiness, however, did not last more than a year. Julia was a red-laced maid at court. To execute their job without problems, contraception was unavoidable. Therefore, they had to regularly take pills for contraception containing harmful ingredients such as mercury, which was potentially fatal. Julia slowly started showing symptoms after a latent period. The symptoms wouldn¡¯t have appeared if Julia stayed in the palace. The red-laced maids at court were periodically examined and treated by the sacred power of the priests to keep the symptoms at bay, but they were fatal to Julia, who left the palace. Julia lay bedridden precisely a year after their settling in Derevnya. Julia suffered from a grave illness. Her arms and legs got skinny, and her pale face was as white as a sheet. She could barely eat and spat blood from time to time. The happy time of George and Id was crushed due to Julia¡¯s illness. The older men, who treated people in Derevnya with folk remedies, couldn¡¯t even diagnose the nature of Julia¡¯s disease. Having been advised by an older man, who examined the symptoms of Julia fruitlessly, George decided to invite a priest from the Nordburg Sanctuary. Inviting a priest from Nordburg to Derevnya was highly expensive. George had to sell all the weapons and the armaments, which he used as a mercenary soldier, including a mace, a short sword and chainmail. Though he earned quite a large amount of money by selling weapons and armaments and gave all the money to Nordburg Sanctuary, they sent just a low-class priest to Derevnya to treat Julia only several times. The low-class priest clicked his tongue after he examined Julia¡¯s symptoms. ¡°It¡¯s a pity. She wouldn¡¯t have gotten into a fit if she stayed at court.¡± Nobody knew the name of Julia¡¯s disease. It was an occupational disease that only appeared in the red-laced maids of the palace. But it was not difficult to treat. ¡°This patient should get treated by sacred power periodically. That is the only way for her to survive.¡± George lost his sense. He already spent all his money to invite a priest from Nordburg once. It was impossible to invite priests periodically by working as a guard of Derevnya. After the treatment of the priest with sacred power, Julia¡¯s complexion improved visibly. She could even raise her upper body and sit. After she heard the explanation from the priest, she started to weep and apologized to George sorrowfully. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, George. You ruined your life by meeting me.¡± George could have lived happily if he had met an ordinary woman instead of Julia. The money he earned on the battlefields would have been enough for him through his old ages. However, George did not resent Julia. ¡°My time with you, Julia, is the happiest period of my life.¡± Chapter 5 5 Id and his family¡¯s lives had changed drastically. George stopped working as a village guard and started to hunt evil beasts in order to earn more money. Hunting boars or deer didn¡¯t make him enough money to pay for the numerous treatments for Julia. George could earn quite a tidy sum by hunting the black panthers and saber-tooth tigers that call the forest their home. Influenced by the forest of evil spirits, these evil beasts were twice the size of ordinary beasts. They were faster and more robust to boot. Although it was a risky endeavor for George to hunt the beasts alone, he didn¡¯t care. All he wanted was to extend Julias life, even just by a little. George hunted the evil beasts with his crossbow, the only weapon he had left from his time as a mercenary. He was additionally equipped with four spears on his back, a spike and a quiver of quarrels made by the blacksmith¡¯s workshop in Derevnya. All of his earnings were directly used to pay the Nordburg Sanctuary for Julia¡¯s regular treatment with sacred power. Id¡¯s daily life was also changed entirely. He had to take care of all the chores since Julia was bedridden all day long and George wasn¡¯t home for several days at a time when he went out hunting evil beasts. Id was busy from morning until evening. Quite frankly, the chores were too much for an eight-year-old to handle by himself. He had to fetch water from a significant distance from the village early in the morning. He was forbidden from using the well in the main area of the village since George was no longer a village guard. So he had to make multiple trips to a brook located a couple of kilometers away from the village. Following this, the boy had to prepare breakfast and feed his mother a bowl of soup, as Julia could barely move. After breakfast, Id chopped the firewood with a heavy ax to prepare for the coming winter. Cleaning the house, doing the laundry and sweeping the yard were all parts of a day''s work for Id, but he completed his tasks diligently without a word of complaint. Id said to his mother in a soothing voice as a determined light flashed through his eyes. ¡°You took care of me so well up to now. It¡¯s time for me to take care of you.¡± The eyes of George, who had returned from a five-day hunting trip, turned red. Julia, lying in bed, sobbed. The happy family had suddenly faced unexpected hardships. The following day George went back to hunting without rest. Id was able to buy a few more supplies with the money George gave him, and was even able to make some bread with the flour he bought. He then went to pick herbs in the mountains, which were suitable ingredients for the soup for his mother. Following such a lifestyle, Id started to become quite adept at completing all of his chores. ************ ¡°Yes! So many herbs!¡± Id¡¯s face brightened. He had found an excellent place to pick herbs. The women in Derevnya picked herbs in groups of ten to twenty people due to the hazardous nature of the surrounding areas. At first, Id had picked herbs together with the village women. But like that, Id couldn¡¯t collect enough herbs since they were divided up among all those present. Therefore, he had come alone to pick herbs, running the risk of being on his own. In his continued search for more herbs, Id eventually traveled deeper into the mountain, where village women never came to gather herbs. Looking at his bag filled with herbs, Id wiped the sweat off his brow. It was sufficient for at least ten days worth of soup. Standing up to go back home, Id abruptly paused. He felt the menacing energy of something not far from his location. Id was born with a very perceptive nature. He was good at sensing other people¡¯s hostility, as well as reading their hidden intentions. His ability also proved to be useful in combat as, before Julia lay sick in bed, Id had practiced fencing techniques taught to him by George against the older boys of the village. Even the teenagers were of no match against him as Id could predict his opponents¡¯ moves prior to their attacks. At that moment, Id¡¯s innate senses told him that something was targeting him. Judging from the level of its menacing energy, it must have been a large predator. Id remained calm and slowly walked in the direction of the village. ¡®If you encounter an evil beast, never run. If you do so, it will attack you without hesitation. Stay calm and evaluate the situation.¡¯ Remembering George¡¯s advice, Id kept on walking, breaking out into a cold sweat. The evil beast stalking Id revealed itself shortly. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Not far away from Id appeared a black panther that was as big as a large cow. The glittering eyes of the glossy pitch-black figure glared at Id. The black panther was undoubtedly regarding Id as his next prey. With nothing left to do, Id threw the bag filled with herbs at the panther and ran away. The beast followed. ¡°Help!¡± He shouted as loud as possible, but he knew nobody would hear him. It was too far away from the village.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The distance between the eight-year-old boy and the evil beast narrowed sharply. Having felt a hot breath on the back of his neck, Id threw himself to the ground. By a hair¡¯s breadth, something brushed by Id¡¯s back. His knees and elbows were scraped up and bleeding, but Id didn¡¯t care. ¡®I have to survive here. Otherwise, there would be nobody left to take care of mom.¡¯ Id regretted having come alone, separate from the group of village women, but what¡¯s done was done. As it seemed impossible to run away from the beast, Id faced the beast as he got into a fighting stance, desperately grasping the hoe he had brought with him. Having failed its first attack, the black panther stood in the path leading towards the village. Clenching his teeth, Id aimed the hoe at the beast. He used the grip taught by George, and surprisingly the blade of the hoe was held steady, even though his legs were trembling. The black panther gave Id a curious look as he casually neared him. The little hoe would be blown away with a light swipe of its paw. As it approached Id, the beast came to an abrupt stop, turning its head to the right. It had sensed something. Id followed its gaze. There, he was faced with the image of the old man living in the northern area of the village running towards them. As the beast glanced alternatingly between Id and the old man, it roared, revealing its canines and jumped towards the old man, having judged him to be the greater threat. Sssrrrrrrr The one-armed old man, running furiously, unsheathed his sword with his left hand. Kyaaarrrrrrr Having glanced at the sword, the black panther jumped up. As the old man and the beast clashed against each other, Id saw a barely visible trace of blue energy surrounding the blade of the old man¡¯s sword. Kyaaang With a wretched scream, a strand of blood sprayed through the air. Narrowly dodging the panther¡¯s sharp claws, the old man pierced its chest. The tip of the sword popped out the black panther¡¯s back and disappeared again as it was pulled back out. ¡°Shit, that was too much power. I made such big holes in the hide.¡± The old man, who pulled out the sword muttered in a low voice, turned and lifted his sword. With a throbbing sound, the panther¡¯s body trembled. Blood poured out of the panther¡¯s chest. The convulsing beast¡¯s body drooped. Glancing at the panther¡¯s body, the old man took a cloth from his waist and wiped the blood off his sword in a dexterous manner despite the lack of an arm. As he sheathed the sword, the old man growled at Id. ¡°Are you crazy? What are you doing out here alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry... and thank you¡­ for saving my life.¡± Staring at Id with fierce eyes, he pulled out a string and tied the panther¡¯s feet. ¡°I didn¡¯t save you. I hunted the panther. If it had been a wild boar, I wouldn¡¯t have cared about your life.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± He tied the panther¡¯s four legs together and cut off a thick branch of a tree. ¡°Who taught you that grip?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Who taught you the way you grip the hoe?¡± Id, who came to his senses, replied. ¡°Oh, I learned it from my father.¡± ¡°I see, the former mercenary... George was his name if I recall....¡± After the comment, he carried the panther on the branch. He left without saying anything else. Id looked at his back, motionless. ¡®Amazing... How can the old man kill that panther so easily?¡¯ Black panthers were notorious for sneaking into villages and eating the children. Id had once seen the villagers catch a black panther. At that time, they had thrown a net at the panther and entangled it, followed by numerous merciless spears stabbing its body. Nobody approached the beast until it died because if you got caught by its sharp claws, you would suffer severe injuries. Despite the known ferocity of the beast, the old man had killed the black panther so quickly. After dodging a blow of the panther¡¯s powerful paw at a close distance, he penetrated its chest with a simple stab. It was a marvelous move that ordinary people could never hope to achieve. It was by no means easy to penetrate the chest of the evil beasts due to the unnaturally tough layers of muscle and the hard bones. Even if a burly man poked hard with a spear, the spear''s blade would stop at about twenty centimeters, but it could not penetrate all the way through. And yet, the older man had managed the seemingly impossible feat. ¡°It was a tremendous skill.¡± After sighing, Id retrieved the dropped bag of herbs and carried it on his back as he hurriedly returned to the village. ¡°Who in the world is he? He must be an excellent Knight.¡± However, Id¡¯s judgment was followed by several questions. If, as he speculated, the older man had been a Knight in the past, there was no reason for him to hide in a mountain village like Derevnya. Any lord would welcome an outstanding Knight. A pledge of allegiance to a lord would allow him to live in leisure. The Knight was a high-income, high-quality workforce. Though even commoner Knights were guaranteed high incomes, Knights from noble backgrounds didn¡¯t have to worry about suffering in old age. Their families ensured their comfort as the Knights grew older. Besides, it seemed he was still an outstanding Knight despite his age. Having stayed in the royal court, Id knew how the Knights lived. ¡®Judging from the fact that he lives in a place like here, he might be a criminal.¡¯ The most plausible reason as to why he hid in this remote place was that he had joined a failed rebellion of a country and was chased out by the Knights of said country. Or he could have fled, having sinned against his lord. Regardless, the reason why he was living here had nothing to do with Id. He dropped the questions of the old man. Id had a lot more important things to do than question a stranger''s origin. Chapter 6 6 Julia¡¯s condition failed to improve. Although George poured all his earnings from hunting evil beasts into the Sanctuary of Nordburg, the priests¡¯ sacred treatments were barely sufficient to keep Julia¡¯s condition from deteriorating. The biggest problem was that George¡¯s income was not reliable. Going hunting didn¡¯t guarantee he would always catch evil beasts whose fur was sold at a high price. George had not seen an evil beast for almost an entire month recently. As a result, Julia hadn¡¯t been treated for a long time, although the treatment was meant to be done regularly. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaag¡± Unable to put up with the pain, Julia screamed desperately. George¡¯s face was haggard. It was hard to express in words the pain he felt, as his loved one suffered due to his lack of money for her treatment. Finally, unable to tolerate it, George stood up. ¡°What the hell¡­¡­.¡± He decided to travel to Nordburg and search for high-paying jobs. As a group of merchants from Nordburg was staying in the village, George didn¡¯t hesitate to join them on their return trip to Nordburg. He believed his friend working at the Nordburg Mercenary Guild would find a profitable job for him. ¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it.¡± Hearing George¡¯s comment, a grey-haired man opened his eyes widely. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯m going to sign a contract.¡± George¡¯s expression was determined. In contrast, his friend Ivan shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Are you crazy? Recruiting mercenaries at a high price in a battle between the feudal lords means they are losing. In nine out of ten cases, you¡¯re going to be killed.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it anyway. I need the money.¡± Ivan frowned. He had fought on the battlefield together with George for a long time before finding a job in the Nordburg Mercenary Guild. George was always quiet and not talkative, resulting in his nickname, the Gentleman of Silence. It was by no means uncommon for George to be so obstinate. Ivan was well aware that George had started a new life in Derevnya with his new family a year ago. So he didn¡¯t expect things to be so desperate when George visited him a moment ago with a gaunt face. ¡°Are there any lucrative contracts? No matter the risk, I want high payment.¡± Ivan thought George was kidding. ¡°Lords in a feudal battle with another lord pay higher than anybody else. At the moment, Baron Kozlov is recruiting many mercenaries at a hefty price because he is fighting against Viscount Korolyov. ¡°How much does he pay?¡± ¡°Baron Kozlov will pay thirty golds a month to a second-grade mercenary like you. It¡¯s quite a large sum, isn¡¯t it?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Thirty golds a month was by no means a normal sum. Any experienced mercenary worth his salt would question such a high price. ¡°Then, how much does Viscount Korolyov pay?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t decided yet whether they will recruit mercenaries or not. If they decide to recruit more mercenaries, the payment would be five golds a month for the second-grade mercenaries.¡± George nodded as he heard Ivan¡¯s answer. Five golds a month. It was a fair price for mercenaries who were recruited into such battles. He gave a determined reply. ¡°I¡¯m in. I¡¯ll be paid half of my wage beforehand, won¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Looks like you really need the money urgently. But the Korolyov family doesn¡¯t pay any amount beforehand. There are many mercenaries who want to fight for them.¡± ¡°No. I want to make a contract with Baron Kozlov.¡± ¡°What!? Are you insane?¡± ¡°I¡¯m completely sane. I mean what I said, I¡¯m going to be hired as a mercenary for the Kozlov feud. I am sure I am qualified for employment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand you... you are qualified, of course. The Kozlov family would like it if you fight for them. But why are you taking such a great risk? Money is important, but it means nothing when you¡¯re dead.¡± Ivan¡¯s concern made sense. Feudal warfare was the most radical and primitive way to resolve disputes between aristocrats who owned feuds. It was a war waged by mobilizing all of the land¡¯s capabilities and, as a result, distinguishing who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong. Usually, the winning side could exercise their authority over the losing side at will. The winning aristocrat could confiscate the loser¡¯s territory and even sell the serfs on the estate as slaves. That kind of feudal battle occurred between the two aristocrats whose territories were not far from Nordburg. So, almost all the mercenaries staying in Nordburg have been employed by the two aristocrats, respectively. It was no longer important where the dispute between the two aristocrats had started because it had already become a competition for pride between the two noble families. The actual problem was a significant difference between the size and the capacity of the two estates. The estate of Viscount Korolyov was a relatively substantial and solid feud. The lord managed it with considerable care, so there were many yields, and peasants and serfs of the estate lived a better life than other feuds. On the other hand, Baron Kozlov was a lord who made a mess of the estate¡¯s management and collected too much tax. So during the season of spring poverty, many peasants and serfs on the estate starved to death every year. Originally, Baron Kozlov was a member of the central aristocrats, who were in charge of Scandia''s state affairs. He was a count before he was defeated in a political dispute and, having been demoted, was thrown out to the estate adjacent to the northeastern border. All Baron Kozlov was interested in was somehow to find somebody who could back him up and help him return to the central political system. To obtain the required fund for his purpose, he collected abnormally high taxes from his estate. The estate of Baron Kozlov was the most impoverished feud in Scandia¡¯s northeastern region. He was then in trouble since he started a feudal battle against the adjacent feudal lord, Korolyov, under such circumstances. A dispute wouldn¡¯t have arisen if it weren¡¯t for the baron¡¯s pride as he had been a count and a member of the central aristocrats once before. Nevertheless, having received permission from the king, the two lords eagerly prepared for feudal warfare. They trained their private soldiers hard and recruited competent mercenaries. But in many aspects, such as the power of Knights, the number of ready troops and the supply system of food and armament, the viscount¡¯s army was predominant over that of the baron. ¡°Everybody thinks Baron Kozlov will be defeated. Commoners and peasants of the Korolyov estate are voluntarily supplying food and armament to their army. They don¡¯t want to belong to the Kozlov estate. Contrarily, the people of the Kozlov estate are hiding to avoid conscription. It¡¯s clear who will win.¡± Hearing Ivan¡¯s explanation, George frowned. ¡°Is Kozlov enlisting peasants and serfs?¡± ¡°Yes. Although Kozlov knows it will cause a major setback in the management of the estate, he has no other methods to fall back on.¡± A thoughtful lord would never conscript his people for a feudal battle. Conscripts were significantly weaker in combat than standing elite soldiers. There was bound to be a clear distinction between professionals and non-professionals. Besides, if conscripts died in battle, there would inevitably be a significant setback in estate production. Even if an elite soldier died, you could recruit a new man to train. There were many volunteers for soldiers. In case conscripts died, there would be no way to substitute those in charge of the production in the estates. Serfs, of course, didn¡¯t have the freedom to move from one estate to another. It¡¯s hard to find new peasants, especially for the estates like Kozlov''s, where the lord collects excessive taxes. As a result, the dead conscripts¡¯ farmlands would be devastated even after the war. So, if Baron Kozlov even conscripted, that meant he had only a slim chance of winning. ¡°Are you still going to join Kozlov''s estate?¡± George nodded, unshaken. ¡°Yes, if they¡¯re paying half in advance.¡± Having stared at George for a while, Ivan clicked his tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to you. But this is not a good choice at all. Nevertheless, I can see that I won¡¯t be able to convince you otherwise...¡± Reading the documents, Ivan continued. ¡°It is possible for you to get paid half in advance. I¡¯ll ask one last time before I enlist you. Are you sure of this?¡± George¡¯s answer didn¡¯t change. With fifteen gold coins, Julia could be treated by sacred power at least five more times. If he could see Julia sleeping in peace, he would have no regrets, even if he died on the battlefield. George was hired on the spot. Upon hearing that he was a second-grade mercenary, the baron¡¯s estate officer immediately paid fifteen gold to George. Those fifteen gold went directly to the Nordburg Sanctuary. Chapter 7 7 George returned to Derevnya together with a priest from the Nordburg Sanctuary. The priest, who had already treated Julia several times before, had an embarrassed look on his aged face. ¡°I am sorry we request money every time. But the situation in the sanctuary is so difficult that we can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. Thank you for coming all the way here to treat Julia.¡± Arriving at his house, George found Id sweeping the yard. ¡°Hi, dad.¡± ¡°Hi. I invited the priest.¡± George gave Id a paper bag with candies he had bought in the Nordburg marketplace with a bright smile. Id was so delighted since it was hard to find them in Derevnya. ¡°Thank you very much. It¡¯s been so long since I have had any candy.¡± Looking at Id, who was putting the small pieces of candy into his mouth, George gave a bitter smile. Most likely, he wouldn¡¯t be able to return once he went to Kozlov''s estate. It might be the last time he saw Id. After the priest¡¯s treatment, Julia¡¯s complexion got much better. She opened her eyes for the first time in a while. Julia asked in a weak voice. ¡°Is it you, George?¡± George held Julia¡¯s hand with his thick rough hands. Julia¡¯s eyelids trembled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°How did you manage to pay the priest again?¡± ¡°I caught a large saber-tooth tiger. You know its fur is quite expensive.¡± George hid the truth. He didn¡¯t want Julia to worry. Looking at George, Julia shed tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to meet me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. During my time with you, I have been the happiest I have ever been before. Don¡¯t cry.¡± George¡¯s face, as he was soothing the sobbing Julia, was dark. Nobody knew what would happen in Kozlov''s estate. However, George thought that the money he had received in advance was worth it to see Julia no longer suffering for the moment. George refrained from telling Julia anything that might worry her. ¡°I won¡¯t be home for about a month. Billy found a place where several saber-tooth tigers live together. It¡¯s quite far from here. I¡¯m going to get a few, and then, for the time being, we won''t have to worry about your treatment.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°It should be alright, and there are no other ways. It¡¯s hard to find a safe and lucrative job.¡± Grinning, George stood up. He had to sleep to leave for the Kozlov''s estate early on the following day. Instead of the chainmail he had already sold for Julia¡¯s treatment, he put leather armor into his backpack and hung a crossbow on it. He would most likely belong to an archery unit since it is not easy to find reliable archers for a feudal battle. He had also sold the short sword, which had kept him safe for a long time. He took a pike instead of it. Seeing George packing, Id approached him. ¡°Let me help you.¡± Slightly ruffling Id¡¯s hair, George smiled. ¡°I¡¯m already done packing.¡± George kneeled and looked into Id¡¯s eyes. ¡°Listen carefully. While I¡¯m absent, you have to take care of your mother and keep her safe. Got it?¡± Id nodded wordlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you are the man of the house while I''m gone.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! George grinned, tapping Id¡¯s shoulder a couple of times. ¡°All right, now, let¡¯s make dinner. It¡¯s been a while since we had a big meal. I have to travel pretty far tomorrow, so I want to have a big meal tonight.¡± Smiling shyly, Id went to the storehouse in the backyard. Julia was watching their backs with a lean face. ********************* The next day, George left early in the morning and never came back. Half a month after he had left, Id and Julia received only a blood-stained leather glove. Ivan handed George¡¯s keepsake with a mixed look. ¡°He was unlucky. While retreating, they were cut off by the Knights of the Korolyov¡¯s estate, and he lost his life. After a lance pierced his heart, a horse ran over him. At least, in his final moments, he didn¡¯t even have enough time to feel any pain.¡± Julia and Id were shocked when Ivan informed them of George¡¯s death. They had thought that George had gone deep into the Forest of Evil Spirits to hunt saber-tooth tigers. Having realized that George had gone to a dangerous battlefield to earn money for her treatment Julia was speechless. George had been killed on the battlefield and even his body hadn¡¯t made it back. The only thing returned to Julia was a leather glove, the only trace of him left. She constantly shed tears sitting on the bed holding the glove. ¡°The Kozlov estate refused to pay the remaining half of his wage. The guild will file an official complaint with them, but at this point, I don¡¯t think it will change much either way.¡± The feudal war ended in an unexpected draw. Baron Kozlov conscripted almost all the men in his estate. Though many more Kozlov¡¯s soldiers were killed during the battle, Korolyov''s army was also damaged much more than expected. The viscount was a lord who valued the lives of his soldiers. After many soldiers were killed in battle, he proposed a truce. Kozlov, who was on the brink of losing the war, agreed to the ceasefire. The feudal battle stopped. But the future of the Kozlov estate was bleak. More than half of the peasants and serfs of the estate were killed during the conflict. Most of the farmlands had been devastated, and the estate people would be impoverished sooner or later. As a result, Kozlov would lose the capacity to hire mercenaries. If the feudal battle started again, Korolyov would easily win the war without the pointless sacrifice of his soldiers. Viscount Korolyov was a wise man. Neither the result of the feudal war nor the situation of the aristocrats¡¯ estate was of any importance to Id and Julia at all. The question facing them was how to survive. Their situation had taken a significant turn for the worse. The most pressing matter remained that Julia could not survive unless she was treated regularly. ********************* Julia lay in bed with a deathly pale complexion as Id sat by her side, anxiously calling out to her. ¡°Mom¡­¡­ Mom¡­¡­¡± Julia took hold of Id¡¯s hand with trembling hands as he called to her while shedding tears. ¡°Baby¡­ My baby. How can I leave you behind all alone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave. Don¡¯t leave me alone, mom.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you either, Id. But I no longer have the strength to stay with you. Remember Just one thing.¡± Julia lifted her pale face and closely looked at Id. ¡°Your father is the second son of Duke Usachov. I haven''t told anyone of this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Julia saw an illusion of her first love. Sergei Mikhailovich Usachov was a famous young nobleman. He was a very kind person even to the red-laced maids from the families of peasants or serfs. When Julia started working after almost ten years of the educational period at court, she was only 18 years old. As soon as she met the handsome young nobleman, she fell in love, though she also knew it was just a one-sided crush to be left unanswered. Julia accidentally spilled wine on Sergei¡¯s clothes at a banquet. But Sergei didn¡¯t blame her. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t worry. I am sad that your beautiful face is filled with worry.¡± When Sergei entered the palace the next time, Julia slept with him. She bore his baby intentionally, not taking contraceptives. She just wanted to have his baby and not to think about her future troubles. In the end, the reality was stone cold. ¡°Is it true?¡± Having heard that Julia was pregnant, the young Usachov¡¯s face turned white. ¡°How could you do that¡­¡­.¡± His face was drained of all color. ¡°I¡¯ll be completely excluded from the family¡¯s succession scheme for defaming the family if this becomes known.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think about that earlier.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to blame you, but if this gets known, I won¡¯t be able to achieve all of the dreams and goals that I¡¯ve held in my heart since I was a child.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of this by myself.¡± Julia decided to shut her mouth. The only thing she wanted was Sergei¡¯s safety. Even though she was expelled from the palace, branded on her forehead due to her silence, Julia didn''t hold a grudge against him. Now, she wanted to see him one last time in her final moments. ¡°The family of Duke Usachov?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame him. It¡¯s all my fault. If you happen to meet him someday, please convey my last words, Id.¡± Looking at Julia with a tearful face, Id silently nodded. Id, of course, knew that the Usachov family would never accept him as a member as he had been educated to be an attendant of the palace for quite a long time. But he had to nod his head because he couldn¡¯t break his mother¡¯s heart in her last moments. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do that, mom.¡± ¡°Thank you, Id.¡± Julia, who nodded with difficulty, fell asleep and never woke up. Id, sitting on the bed closer to his mother, didn¡¯t move at all. Chapter 8 8 Julia¡¯s death was only known to the town¡¯s people a week later. ¡°Id! Oh my god! Why didn¡¯t you come out of the house?¡± An older woman had entered Id¡¯s house and shouted. She found the cold body of Julia and Id, who had fainted on the bed. ¡°Oh, Id, what a¡­¡­¡± The baker Irina, a neighbor of Id, recognized no sign of life in Id¡¯s home for too long. So she looked in Id¡¯s house and found the mother and son. She took Id to her house and took care of the exhausted little boy. ¡°Julia is dead. Somebody, go to her house.¡± As Irina shouted, village people gathered at Id¡¯s house. But Id didn¡¯t hear or see anything as he had lost consciousness. Even during the funeral, Id did not regain consciousness. Julia was buried in the graveyard of the village. The owner of Id¡¯s house was changed within a day after the funeral. The family of Igor, who bred hundreds of chickens, moved in to Id¡¯s house as it had a large backyard. Id, who came to his senses two days after Irina found him, despaired due to the fact that everything had been done while he was unconscious. ¡°Mom!¡± He couldn¡¯t see even the last appearance of his mother. Id cried, calling out to his mother endlessly. The sad cries continued until the village chief remarked cold-heartedly. ¡°Nothing changes while you cry like that. It¡¯s time to think about your future.¡± Id stopped crying, hearing the chief¡¯s remark and looked at him with swollen eyes. Though he seemed bewildered for a moment, the chief soon regained his solemn look. ¡°I¡¯ve asked the villagers, but there¡¯s no one in Derevnya who can afford to adopt you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for everyone to live here in Derevnya. You have to understand the villagers¡¯ circumstances as well.¡± As the chief said, the village was a place where pioneers barely made ends meet. Because life itself was so dangerous, there were many incidents causing the birth of new orphans. As such, there were no people who would take care of an eight-year-old boy. Usually, it would help if you were at least an early teen to help with the housework. Id was still only eight, leaving five years before he became a teenager, so no one could afford to feed and clothe him until then. ¡°The house you lived in has already been handed over to Igor. Though Igor¡¯s house is still empty, I can¡¯t give it to you since you are not qualified to own it according to the village regulations.¡± The chief continued looking into Id¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, I recommend you go to Nordburg with the merchants the day after tomorrow. I wrote a letter to Maria who¡¯s running an inn in Nordburg. She will hire you as a clerk.¡± Id was sitting silently. The chief stood up as if he had nothing more to say. ¡°You are allowed to stay at my house for two days. But you have to leave after that. Got it?¡± A sour look appeared on the chief¡¯s face for a moment as he was overcome with a guilty conscience, but it disappeared soon after. Being bound by useless humanity in this barren frontier village was tantamount to suicide. The chief thought it would be helpful for Id to be cool-headed rather than offer a helping hand. If an orphaned little boy is to survive, he must first learn the goings of the world. Id quickly came to terms with reality. The death of his stepfather and mother was not a dream but a reality. In other words, he has become an orphan with no place to turn to in the world. The little boy bit his lip slightly.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Now I have to take charge of my future. I must live for myself.¡± Two days later, as the chief said, Id would have to leave for Nordburg with the merchants, and yet, for some reason, he didn¡¯t want to do that. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to leave this village yet, as it was where the happy memories of George and Julia remained. But the reality was cruel, and there was no way for Id to stay in Derevnya by himself. ¡°If there is no way, I have to make one.¡± Id, with a slight nod, got out of bed. There was a determined look on the face of the small boy wearing nothing but rags. Id, who left the chief¡¯s house, visited the older man¡¯s log cabin in the northern area of Derevnya. The older man was known to be eccentric in the village. Owing to his character, his former neighbors, who had lived in the northern fenced area together with him, had left him one by one, and he lived all alone. But the older man was the only one in the village without dependents. In other words, his cabin was the only place where Id could have his way, to stay in Derevnya. Not caring if the villagers on the watchtower guards saw him or not, he entered the northern area. Now, Id had to persuade the older man to let him live in his house by any means. It was a thunder-like shout that greeted Id, who entered the gate of the wooden fence carefully. ¡°These damn kids! Walking in and out of here so brazenly, even disregarding the eyes of the villagers!¡± Id winced at the man¡¯s words and stopped walking. ¡°Fucking hell! Will you only start listening once you are beaten half to death?!¡± The log cabin door opened to the harsh words of the man with a thick club in his hand. He ran out violently but, having seen Id alone out there, he flinched. He seemed to have heard of what happened to Id recently. ¡°It¡¯s you. Get out of here. It¡¯s not a place for you to be.¡± Id plopped to his knees. ¡°Please take me in.¡± The sole inhabitant of the northern area stared at Id incredulously. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Just for five years. If you let me live with you for five years and I became a teenager, I would never bother you again.¡± The man shook his head sternly. ¡°Why should I take care of a little boy like you?¡± Id appealed desperately. ¡°I¡¯ll never be a burden. I can do the laundry and cook. And I won¡¯t ever annoy you.¡± The man recoiled. He was well aware of how Id had lived after his mother had become bedridden. It was well known that he was a hardworking child who was in charge of all of the housework on top of taking care of his mother, who could not get out of bed by herself. ¡°I can do the housework well. I can fetch water from the stream and clean the house and garden as well. I¡¯ll do everything you need me to. Just let me live here.¡± ¡°What a load of crap!¡± Though he looked a little intrigued by the offer, the old man remained stubborn. ¡°I don¡¯t want anybody to come into my space. And I¡¯ve done all of the housework well so far by myself. I don¡¯t need you. Get out of here right now.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡­¡± Id was desperate. ¡°I can¡¯t leave Derevnya like this. I am going to be expelled from the village tomorrow. I don¡¯t want to leave this village now, when all of my happy memories with my parents are here. I can¡¯t leave, not yet.¡± An awkward expression appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°This is annoying.¡± ¡°For five years, if it¡¯s difficult, for just a couple of years, let me live with you. During that period, I can organize my feelings for my late parents.¡± At this point the man was thinking of something else. Judging from the child¡¯s character, he felt the boy might have a knack for the sword. If he¡¯d had some patience and composure, he might have thought of teaching the boy. ¡®He has the guts and the undisturbed mind. His character is ideal for learning swordsmanship¡­¡­¡¯ After shaking his head as if to wipe away his thoughts, he turned away. ¡°It doesn''t matter what you want. Nobody¡¯s allowed to come into my space.¡± The man closed the door in Id¡¯s face. It was apparent that he was no longer interested in talking. The boy bit his lip hard when he was left alone outside the house. He was in a situation where he no longer had any other options. For a long time, Id stood there with little movement. Though Id did not make any noise, the man could feel the boy¡¯s presence outside, but he decided to ignored it. He thought that the boy would leave soon, tired of waiting. Perhaps because he was stressed a little, caring about the boy too much, he felt sleepy. The man fell asleep shortly after. Chapter 9 9 The following day, the old man living in the northern area of Derevnya woke up very early before dawn. Since it was still dark outside, he decided to stay in bed and recalled his past. The moment when he lost his right arm was an unforgettable nightmare to him.. ************************ ¡°I appreciate that you guys joined me.¡± A sturdy man in his forties was wearing plate armor with an armorial bearing of the lofty eagle on his chest. There stood twelve men in front of him. They were Knights belonging to the same Order, which the man in plate armor with the eagle armorial bearing had been the commander of. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, boss. It¡¯s natural for us to help you.¡± The man''s eyes slightly trembled as he watched the Knights with pleasant expressions. Even though they spoke casually, the decision they had made for him was by no means an easy one. They had resigned from the Order to help him with his private matters. This decision would change their whole life. Up until then, they had been members of an Imperial Order based in the capital of the Icarus Empire, but from now on, they would belong to the Knights of the Marquis Adelian. Above all, there would be a lot of repercussions as they intended to antagonize the Empire¡¯s prominent Duke family. They decided to help their former Commander at the risk of all the anticipated disadvantages. Out of thirty regular Knights of the Red Lion Order, twelve Knights were a considerable portion of its military power. ¡°After the feudal war, let¡¯s hit the pubs.¡± ¡°We might drink up all the liquor in your estate.¡± The Icarus Empire was the most territorial and powerful nation on the continent. The plate-armored man, Andrew Adelian, was the eldest son of Marquis Adelian, the head of one of the most distinguished noble families in Icarus. Andrew had been a swordsman since he was a kid. His family hired numerous famous teachers to teach him swordsmanship. So, at the age of twenty, he joined the Red Lion Order, one of the three Knights Orders under the direct command of the Emperor. Andrew Adelian, who had constantly been honing his swordsmanship ever since he was a small child, finally became the Commander of the Red Lion Order fifteen years after he had joined it. Although the Adelian family was a prominent one in the Empire, and it was essential for him to succeed the title of Marquis in due course, the Knight Commander of the Imperial Order was also a key position that could not be easily yielded. Therefore, Andrew had led the Red Lion Order for almost ten years, having postponed the succession of the Marquis title until the conflict between the Adelian family and the Cronos family occurred. A gold mine sparked the onset of the conflict at the border of the two estates. Though the gold mine was located near the border, it definitely belonged to the estate of Marquis Adelian, and the Adelian family had been mining it for the past thirty years. Out of the blue, Duke Cronos claimed ownership of this gold mine. ¡°On accurate measurement, it became clear that the gold mine belongs to my estate. So, I expect you to give it back to me immediately. On top of that, I want back all of the gold which you have mined for the past thirty years.¡± Land surveying was always bound to be subjective. The results were all different depending on the person who measured it and yet, Duke Cronos ridiculously requested all the gold produced for the last thirty years as well as the gold mine itself be returned. There was no reason for Marquis Adelian to give the gold mine to Duke Cronos. Above all, the gold mine was the source of the Adelian family¡¯s current richness.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°That¡¯ll never happen.¡± Both the Adelian and Cronos estates were strong powers with large territories on the western border of the Icarus Empire, which have been fighting against the monsters and orcs in the Plantio Mountains for more than five hundred years. The conflict between the two estates had escalated to a point where it was impossible to resolve peacefully. Therefore, it resulted in the feudal war as the Emperor gave permission for some unknown reason. Perhaps he intended to weaken the two forces, as they had the potential to pose a threat to the Imperial family in the future by making them fight against each other. Andrew could not stay put either. The fall of his family was as plain as daylight if they lost the battle of the lands. If they handed the gold mine over, the riches of the Adelian family would also disappear. At first, Andrew resigned from the Red Lion Order since it was impossible to participate in the feudal war as a member of the Imperial Knights. Besides, Marquis Adelian, Andrew¡¯s father, wanted Andrew to succeed in the title of Marquis as he had gotten fed up with disputing with Duke Cronos. Having resigned from the position of the Red Lion Knight Commander, he explained the situation of the two estates to his former men. ¡°I ask you, not as the Commander, but as a friend, if anybody is willing to volunteer, please help me in this battle.¡± Andrew expected only a few volunteers since almost all of them were from high-class noble families and would not easily fight against Duke Cronos¡¯ family. Surprisingly, however, twelve volunteers resigned from the Order and came to Marquis Adelian¡¯s estate in the plain armor of free Knights without any armorial bearings. ¡°We are here to join you.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t ignore your crisis.¡± Their choice deeply moved Andrew. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget this favor. Together with you guys, I¡¯m sure the Knights of Adelian will win over the Knights of Cronos. Let¡¯s go to the castle. A reception will be in place.¡± His body stiffened the moment he turned around with a big smile. A shadow popped out of the darkness. At that time, Andrew had come out to the border of his estate to meet the Knights. He immediately unsheathed his sword due to the possibility that the unknown shadow could be an enemy. ¡°Who is it? Identify yourself.¡± Twelve Knights also stared at the shadow with wary eyes. The shadow was revealed to be a brown-haired man who looked around thirty years old. The man in leather armor, usually the preferred choice of mercenaries, carried a longsword at his waist. As everybody looked at him, he grinned. ¡°I¡¯m in a bit of a pickle. I don¡¯t understand why the Knights of the Red Lion Order joined the Adelian family in this feudal war.¡± Andrew asked again with displeasure. ¡°I said, identify yourself. Who are you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to hide. I am William Cronos. You have probably heard of me.¡± Andrew was stunned. William Cronos was the second son of the Cronos family. In Andrew¡¯s memory, William was at least ten years older than him, which means he must be in his fifties. The man before him, who looked no older than thirty, claimed to be that very William Cronos. Anyhow, it was not necessary to discern the fact at that moment. The opponent belonged to the Cronos family, and the current location was clearly the territory of the Adelian family. Andrew¡¯s eyes were filled with an enraged violent temper. ¡°You must want to die if you¡¯re infiltrating our territory by yourself when the two families are at war.¡± Several Knights, who received Andrew¡¯s signal, pulled out their swords from the sheaths in unison. If they could catch this man, he would be a valuable hostage during negotiations with the Cronos family. ¡°Blame your own carelessness for trespassing on our territory.¡± There was a dumbfounded expression on the Knights¡¯ faces because the man did not look like a Knight at all. The body type of the Knights was completely different from that of commoners. To swing the swords and wear the heavy plate armor, it was necessary to build up a substantial amount of muscle. Usually, a knight¡¯s thighs are as thick as the average human waist. As if to prove it, the twelve Knights here were all muscular and big men. Contrarily, William had a relatively slender figure wearing thin leather armor. He could be considered a mage rather than a swordsman if he wore a robe instead of leather mail. ¡°Get him. I¡¯ll give a bottle of thirty-year-old Red Dragon to the guy who catches him.¡± Having heard Andrew¡¯s shout, the Knights¡¯ faces brightened. The Red Dragon was a very rare whiskey. Moreover, the thirty-year-old Red Dragon was extremely expensive. ¡°The Red Dragon is mine.¡± ¡°That''s bullshit.¡± The Knights rushed to William. It looked like they were trying to capture William alive. Watching as the Knights rushed toward him, William unsheathed his sword slowly. From the end of the blade, a reddish glow stretched toward a Knight. The burly Knight, who was rushing in front of the others, winced. The next moment he twitched. From a small part of his neck, not protected by the plate armor he was equipped with, blood gushed out. At the sight of the Knight screaming and collapsing helplessly, everybody was shocked. Another Knight, who approached William without unsheathing his sword as he was distracted by the Red Dragon, was recoiling awkwardly. William¡¯s sword stabbed between the breastplate and the left pauldron of the armor. Blood gushed through the thin joint of the armor. The knight sat down holding his shoulder, and a couple of his colleagues stepped back, supporting him. The pain caused sweat to flow down the wounded Knight¡¯s face. Chapter 10 10 Two Knights were beaten in the blink of an eye. One was stabbed in the neck and killed instantly. And the other was seriously injured, making it hard to fight anymore. They were members of the Red Lion Order, who had long been trained in a devil-like manner beyond human limits by Andrew. It was hard to believe the current situation in which they were beaten so one-sidedly. ¡°Be careful. He is incredibly fast.¡± The alert knights lifted their swords to protect their bodies. William swung his sword to shake off the blood that had been clinging to its blade. ¡°Actually, I feel sorry for Marquis Adelians family. My family never believed the gold mine was rightfully ours.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± William spoke to Andrew mockingly. ¡°Don''t be so naive.¡± William continued, enjoying the puzzled expression on Andrew¡¯s face. ¡°For a long time, we wanted to take the gold mine by force, but we didn¡¯t have enough strength for that. But if suddenly you acquire an incredible pillar to rely on, isn¡¯t it natural to covet that which you can easily take by force?¡± ¡°A backer?¡± William nodded, smiling wickedly. ¡°You are currently looking at that incredible pillar of strength are you not?¡± As soon as William finished his words, his long sword was covered by a blood-like dark red ardor vibrating forebodingly. Then, a bloody beam stretched out of the blade¡¯s tip, which made the body of the longsword twice as long. The Knights¡¯ eyes were filled with astonishment. ¡°What the¡­¡­¡± There was a rumor among the Knights. ¡®Even though it looks beautiful, the Aura Beam is a fatal power that destroys everything. And the swordsman in control of Aura Beam becomes an invincible being, capable of even nullifying even the legendary seven-circle Wizard¡¯s magic.¡¯ A Knight screamed. ¡°It¡¯s an Aura Beam.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± The Knights realized what exactly this ¡®reliable Pillar¡¯ was. They were terrified, and their will to fight evaporated in an instant. But William didn¡¯t give them another choice. ¡°Since you have already sided with the Adelian family, even resigning from the Imperial Order, you can¡¯t blame me for what happens now.¡± A nightmare followed. Knights tempered by severe training collapsed one by one. No one was able to defend against a single stab or a swing of William¡¯s sword even once. The Aura Beam was the cursed harbinger of death. Anything that came across the red Aura Beam was cut. A sword, a shield, plate armor and trained bodies¡­... None of them stood a chance.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The Knights were wiped out in an instant. William killed even the injured Knight, who was stabbed in his shoulder at the start of the fight, if it could even be called a fight. There was a tragicly comedic element in his figure screaming in horror at the last moment. The slaughter ended with him. None of the twelve Knights, who came to help the Adelian family, survived. ¡°It can¡¯t be. I can¡¯t accept this.¡± Angry at the death of his men, Andrew lunged in with his longsword. But the bloody Aura Beam was indomitable. Neither the swordsmanship of his family, which helped him become the Knight Commander of the Red Lion Order, nor the muscles of his body tempered like steel armor by extreme training, was meaningful in front of the Aura Beam. His sword broke the moment it hit William¡¯s blade. At the same time, his arm was cut off near his elbow. Looking at Andrew, who was standing absent-mindedly in front of his men¡¯s bodies and his detached arm on the ground, William sheathed his longsword. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you alive. I want you to be able to watch your family¡¯s downfall firsthand.¡± William turned his body, a sadistic grin plain to see on his face. In that situation, Andrew couldn¡¯t move at all. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and blood was flowing from where his arm had been cut off, but he didn¡¯t notice anything as he stared absent-mindedly. ****************** The memory of that day was always agonizing for the old man, Andrew Adelian. He shook his head and blew away his thoughts, but he still felt uncomfortable. Suddenly he got thirsty. The water bucket inside the house was empty. The water tub outside must also be empty, as he remembered he had poured all the water left in the tub into the bucket yesterday. ¡°I need to go to the stream to fetch some water.¡± It was still dark outside, but Andrew went out frowning. Since he didn¡¯t participate in meetings or events of the village, he couldn¡¯t use the well in the central area. So he had to go to the stream located a couple of kilometers away from the village once every three days to fetch water. Andrew¡¯s eyes widened when he came out. Id was sleeping on the ground, wet from the morning dew, and the large tub outside was full of water. He must have made at least three round trips to the stream all night. Frowning once again, Andrew drank water from the tub. Andrew¡¯s eyes trembled slightly as he looked at Id¡¯s tiny body, exhausted and asleep. It was Id¡¯s ninth birthday, which nobody celebrated as Julia and George had passed away. But Id¡¯s wish came true. The old man uncharacteristically yielded to Id''s stubbornness and allowed him to stay with him. ¡°You little rascal, you won, but this is a contract. So don¡¯t be lazy in doing the housework. Otherwise, I¡¯ll kick you out in a heartbeat.¡± Id nodded with a bright face. ¡°Thank you, sir. I won¡¯t be lazy.¡± So, Id stayed in Derevnya, living with the Old Man in the northern area. The chief didn¡¯t say anything about it. He just thought it was unexpected that the old man, who didn¡¯t enjoy the company of other people, accepted Id. Id lived in a hut that had been used as a warehouse since Andrew didn¡¯t allow him to enter his log cabin. After cleaning up the shabby warehouse and laying down a mattress made of straw, Id could have a somewhat cozy space for himself. Id worked hard all day long. He always got up early in the morning and fetched water from the stream. Filling the tub with clear water was the beginning of his daily routine. Cooking and laundry were also Id¡¯s responsibility. The food was always plentiful. Each time Andrew entered the forest, he returned with a few wild animals on his shoulder. Id cut the meat and smoked it to store it for a long time. Three days after Id started to live with him, Andrew had a nightmare. It was the same nightmare he had dreamt of hundreds of times for the last twenty years. He woke up, drenched in cold sweat and let out a deep sigh. Although more than twenty years had passed since that nightmarish day, he could not forget the terrible moment that had changed his life forever. ¡°I want to forget it. I really want to forget it now.¡± Andrew growled and wrapped his hands around his head. He knew he would never forget the incident until the end of his life. It was why the former Knight Commander of the Red Lion Order and the successor of the prominent Marquis family was hiding in the remote village deep in the Forest of Evil Spirits. Andrew recalled the time with a haggard face. He had been able to survive with the help of a territorial guard. The bleeding was so severe that he would have died on the spot if the guard had found him a little later. The Adelian family was eventually defeated in the feudal battle. William Cronos, who turned Andrew into a wreck, appeared on every important battlefield and unleashed the Aura Beam. His sword killed more than eighty Knights of the Adelian estate. Having lost almost all the Knights belonging to his estate, Marquis Adelian surrendered. Ownership of the gold mine, which had started the conflict, was transferred to Duke Cronos'' family. After the ownership of the gold mine was transferred, the Marquis family''s power and influence fell sharply. Right after the feudal battle, Marquis Adelian, Andrew¡¯s father, passed away. He was ill for a long time and the shock from the defeat in the feudal war became the final blow. Andrew succeeded the title following the funeral. A month later however, he handed his Marquis title over to his brother, Peter. ¡°I have to solve the mystery of the Aura Beam. Otherwise, the Adelian family will never regain its former glory.¡± Having been freed from the obligations of nobility, Andrew concentrated on collecting information related to the Aura Beam. Manna, the origin of energy for all living things, flowed in the air. It constantly moved, going up and coming down, going straight in every direction, making turns sharply or gently and sometimes gliding, circling and swirling. Mages implemented magic by rearranging the essential elements that made up manna. In other words, in the background of unimaginable chemical and physical phenomena of magic was the vitality of manna force. To make rearrangements of manna outside of their body, mages first absorbed manna into their bodies by breathing, then refined and concentrated it to carve a manna circle on their hearts. The circle functioned as a trigger when mages rearranged manna surrounding them. Usually, it took seven to ten years to carve a circle on the heart, although the period varied by a lot depending on the mages¡¯ affinity to manna. When people talked about a mage¡¯s talent, they meant the intensity of his affinity to manna. To be a Wizard with seven or more circles carved on his heart, mages had to learn and train themselves for a long period in isolation. However, manna was not the exclusive possession of mages. Chapter 11 11 Some top-notch Knights and first-class mercenaries used manna to reinforce their bodies and the blades of their weapons. The swordsmanship, which prominent noble families possessed exclusively or famous swordsmen declared as their signature skills, contained its own method of using manna force. It depended on the personal affinity to manna and the swordsmanship used, but the blade covered with manna force was reinforced multiple times. Top-class swordsmen, who could adequately use manna force, were able to cut steel armor or a steel-framed shield easily. When they used manna force, the blade of their weapon was covered with bluish energy, and the more intensively trained swordsmen were, the more distinct the energy got. It¡¯s not easy, of course, to train manna force. Even taught with high-class swordsmanship and trained intensively and adequately, it took decades to become a swordsman capable of using manna force. Andrew was one of the top-notch manna force users in the Icarus Empire. Actually, he had been considered one of the top three swordsmen in Icarus until he met William Cronos. After William had defeated him, he spent his whole life researching the secrets of the Aura Beam. Andrew couldn¡¯t accept that he lost to William, not being able to defend against a single blow of William¡¯s blade. Andrew had trained swordsmanship for more than thirty years by then. He had studied almost every kind of swordsmanship, including the Adelian family¡¯s secret techniques, in the whole Empire regardless of its origin. He had even studied the swordsmanship of the Cronos family. Therefore, Andrew had been confident he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone in a sword fight. The confidence, however, was shattered by William¡¯s new skill. Technically, you could not describe William¡¯s movements as swordsmanship. Step ¨C stab, step ¨C slash. Those were moves even a beginner swordsman was capable of. However, when the incredible speed and the overwhelming power of the red Aura Beam were added to the basic movements, they became invincible skills. Andrew could not overcome the fatal force of the glittering red beam, and his manna-enforced steel sword was destroyed at once as if it was a rotten wooden sword. If Andrew had been defeated being purely overwhelmed by William¡¯s sword skills, he might have accepted the result. Andrew spent his whole life afterwards trying to solve the secrets of William¡¯s new skill. Andrew paid a lot of money to the Thieves Guild and the Intelligence Guild. He visited every acquaintance who might have information on the Aura Beam. Consequently, he was able to approach the secrets to a certain degree. But the more information he got, the more he despaired. It seemed that the Knights, who traditionally trained manna force, would never be able to acquire the Aura Beam. Andrew had pledged in front of his father¡¯s grave that he would avenge their defeat by exploiting the Aura Beam. The only goal of his life was to kill William and get the gold mine back to his family. He even trained himself in swordsmanship with his left hand to the former level he had achieved with his right. However, despite his every effort and hard work, he could not find sufficient information on how to learn the Aura Beam. ¡°If William has found the way to get to the Aura Beam, there should be exact information about it somewhere in the world.¡± Eventually, Andrew went on a trip seeking clues. Though he had wandered all over the continent for about twenty years, he couldn¡¯t find the correct path. Half abandoning his hopes, he decided to stay in Derevnya in the Forest of Evil Spirits. By then, he was too old. He had started to feel nostalgic about his hometown. ¡°What happened to the family¡­¡­?¡± Andrew did not think about his family when he wandered for clues, but he started to worry about his family constantly as he got older. It was not difficult to guess what happened to the family during his absence now that the gold mine, the most significant source of the Marquisate¡¯s income, had been taken away. It must have been hard to maintain the Knights and the troops on the estate''s agricultural income alone.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Besides, Andrew¡¯s youngest brother Peter, who succeeded the title of Marquis against his will, was good at civil service rather than military. He would have become a good lord in a stable and peaceful time, but he was not an adequate leader in the time of crisis. Although at the time, Andrew had blindsided his brother by dumping the responsibilities of the family¡¯s fate on Peter for his search for information, he could not help but worry now. He wanted to go back home and spend the rest of his life there, but he could not. He was ashamed to go back to the family he had deserted for his greed and revenge. ¡°I could have confidently returned home if I had figured out the Aura Beam¡­¡­¡± Having realized that he might fail to obtain Aura Beam until the end of his life, he did his best to reinforce the manna force on his Aura Blade. But he had not achieved a satisfactory result. Nature¡¯s manna did not stay in one place for a long time. It tended to move constantly. So, Andrew could not concentrate the manna force on his blade to more than a certain degree by any means. He murmured harshly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Exhausted by the memories, Andrew heard Id¡¯s voice. ¡°Breakfast is ready.¡± The table outside was filled with food. It was a special diet with salad, smoked bacon, bread, cheese, and butter. Andrew¡¯s thick eyebrows raised. ¡°Where did you get cheese and butter?¡± Carefully looking at Andrew, Id replied. ¡°There was too much smoked meat in the warehouse. So I traded some meat for Aunt Anna¡¯s cheese and butter. If you don¡¯t like them, I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Having looked at cheese and butter silently for a while, Andrew nodded. ¡°This is good. Trade the meat in the warehouse as much as you like. There¡¯s too much, as you said.¡± Id¡¯s face brightened. ¡°I got it.¡± Not very sociable, Andrew rarely interacted with the villagers. Unlike Id, he had not dared to trade the smoked meat for other food produced by villagers. It had been a long time since he had had butter and cheese, so the breakfast was especially delicious. After the meal, Andrew went to the backyard for training. He trained in the way James Billford had revealed to him. Though he did not make any significant achievements with this method, he could not stop training just in case. Standing in the middle of the backyard, Andrew pulled a scroll out from a small bag. Scrolls with complex shapes and letters made it possible for ordinary people to use magic. At first, a mage had to draw a magic diagram on a parchment to make a scroll. Then the mage had to infuse manna force into the parchment so that magic could be released and used by tearing it. As the final step, the mage had to reprocess the parchment for prolonged storage of the magic in the scroll. Of course, not every magic could be contained in a scroll. The sorts of magic, which were possible to be contained in the scroll, were quite limited. Anyhow, the demand for scrolls was high since it was never easy for ordinary people to learn magic. Andrew used a couple of scrolls almost every day, putting his lingering feelings about Aura Beam on display. He counted the scrolls remaining in the bag, which were only enough for half a month of training. He smiled bitterly. ¡°I have to hunt several evil beasts soon...¡± Hunting evil beasts was the only way for Andrew to purchase scrolls from the Nordburg Wizard Tower. Compared to other scrolls implementing high-circle magic, the scroll he used was not so expensive since it contained only a simple basic spell. This particular scroll functioned to collect surrounding manna to a limited cylindrical space of two meters in diameter and two meters in height for a couple of hours. The high-density manna slowly swirled up and down in the cylindrical space. This scroll was initially developed for apprentice mages who train themselves to carve the first circle on their heart. Mages usually were not good teachers. For the mages who taught their disciples, drawing a magic diagram on the ground for each of them every time was a very tiresome task. So, mages made scrolls in bulk and let their disciples use them during their training sessions. Andrew purchased these scrolls to practice his manna breathing. Chapter 12 12 Andrew tore up the scroll, and at the same time, the magic built into it was activated. Mysterious diagrams appeared around him. As if an invisible wand was moving, the ground shifted slightly, and the color of the soil changed, then, finally a complicated diagram of two meters in diameter was completed. As the completed diagram glittered, the surrounding manna began to fluctuate. Andrew, standing in the middle of the magic diagram, closed his eyes. Essentially, it was hard to sense the presence of manna. Ordinary people, who were not particularly sensitive to manna¡¯s vitality, never felt manna force all their lives. However, Andrew could sense the high-density manna collected by the magic diagram. It might stem from being a top-notch swordsman who could use manna force to reinforce his blade. In that state, he began to breathe slowly and deeply. Andrew felt manna that was entering and exiting his body. As nature¡¯s rule was that manna did not stay in one place for long but constantly moved, most of the manna breathed in eventually left his body. The rest stayed in his muscles somewhat longer and was also eventually discharged after a few minutes. ¡®The first step to approach the Aura Beam is making a manna hall in your heart and concentrating the manna breathed in into that hall. I don¡¯t know the next step of how to move the concentrated manna from the manna hall to your blade, either.¡¯ Said James Billford. He continued. ¡®I succeeded in making a manna hall in my heart three years ago. But the quantity of condensed manna was insignificant. Moreover, I couldn¡¯t move the condensed manna out of the manna hall no matter what I tried.¡¯ James explained to Andrew how he trained to make a manna hall in his heart just before his death. Having obtained the information, Andrew trained almost every day to make a manna hall using the scrolls for more than ten years, but it was a fruitless endeavor. Motionless, Andrew concentrated on breathing as he stood in the middle of the magic diagram for two hours. At that time, Id was cleaning the house. He swept the garden, wiped the water tub, and cleaned the walls of the log cabin. It was hard to believe that Id was just nine years old as he completed the household chores just like an experienced housekeeper. ¡°All done.¡± After he finished cleaning outside, Id looked at the door of the log cabin. He was not allowed to enter the house. Though he was curious about what was inside, he suppressed his curiosity. If he upset the old man by accident, he might be kicked out. ¡°It¡¯s better to clean inside the cabin after asking for his permission.¡± Id, who had put down the rag, washed himself with the water from the water tub. There was sufficient water in the tub since he fetched water from the stream every morning. He also washed his clothes and hung them up to dry. Looking around to see if there was anything left to do, Id saw a wooden sword leaning against the warehouse wall. George had made it for him. Id felt his heart tighten when he remembered the wooden sword was there. He tried to contain his emotions, but it was an arduous task for a nine-year-old boy. ¡°I miss you, mom.¡± Gnawing at his lower lip, Id grabbed the wooden sword. Id¡¯s biggest fear was being by himself with nothing to do as it would just lead to more emotional anxiety. He started to practice sword skills taught to him by George. Vertical swing, horizontal swing, diagonal swing and stab forward. All that he learned from George were these basic skills for beginners. Though George showed him some combinations of skills and some more advanced skills, Id did not pay much attention to them. He had learned and practiced offensive skills only. He was not interested in any of the defensive techniques at all. Id¡¯s innate affinity to the vitality of manna always allowed him to read his opponents'' intentions before they even started to move. Id never felt any difficulties avoiding attacks from opponents of his age or even several years older than him. The only moment he had feared for his life was when he was under the black panther¡¯s attack. The evil beast¡¯s overwhelming speed and power undermined Id¡¯s instinctive drive to dodge.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Id swung his wooden sword without pause for about two hours. He couldn¡¯t stop his sword because he was afraid of recalling memories of Julia and George. Thus, Id¡¯s practice continued until Andrew, who had just finished his manna training on the magic diagram, shouted at him. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Astonished by the roar, Id dropped his wooden sword. Andrew was in a foul mood as he had accomplished nothing to open a manna hall in his chest again. He rebuked Id as if to vent his anger. ¡°I allowed you to live here because you promised to do the housework. But already, I see you lazing around.¡± ¡°¡­ No¡­ sir. I finished everything.¡± Id explained in haste. Fetching water, cooking, laundry and cleaning¡­¡­ Looking at the laundry hanging out neatly on the clothesline, Id said cautiously. ¡°I finished everything except cleaning inside the cabin. But I didn¡¯t do it yet because I was afraid that you might be angry. Should I clean inside the cabin?¡± Finishing his explanation, Id carefully studied Andrew¡¯s face. Looking around the house with a grim look on his face, Andrew opened the door to the cabin. ¡°This space is only for me. Don¡¯t even think about entering here. You don¡¯t have to clean inside the cabin, of course.¡± ¡°I got it. I will never enter it. Well, I¡¯ll prepare for lunch.¡± Andrew watched Id¡¯s back, rushing to the kitchen hurriedly with a sheepish face. It bothered him that he took out his anger on the poor child. ¡°Why is he practicing those useless skills?¡± Andrew entered the cabin shaking his head. The lunch was chevon steak. It was a rare meal since they could only eat chevon steak when Andrew hunted wild goats. Andrew cut the thick steak with a silver knife neatly. He always carried a set of tableware made of silver which Peter, his brother, prepared for him, worried about unexpected poisoning. Andrew observed Id eating steak with his woodenware which commoners usually used for their meals. In contrast to the woodenware, Id¡¯s table manners were not that of commoners. Id showed perfect etiquette that even the high-class nobleman, Andrew, admired. He stared at Id¡¯s face. ¡®Is the boy from an aristocratic family?¡¯ Having noticed Andrew¡¯s suspicious gaze, Id figured out what the problem was. He had used the etiquette taught in the palace. ¡°To tell you the truth, I was educated to be an attendant at the court since I was three years old. My mother was a maid in the Royal Palace of Scandia.¡± In a calm voice, Id told the whole story of his life. There was nothing for him to hide. Listening to Id¡¯s story, Andrew''s facial expression relaxed. ¡°I see¡­¡­¡± Nodding silently, he finished his meal. He became a little sympathetic towards Id. Id lived his whole life in a very hostile environment from birth to his first meeting with his mother just before his eighth birthday. He was educated with the rules and etiquette of the palace together with many other children. The attendant trainees were severely punished even when they only made minor mistakes. He witnessed, several times, a colleague being cudgeled to death due to a minor error they made. He had barely survived his life at court, relying on his instinctive affinity with manna, allowing him to avoid any dangerous situations. He didn¡¯t even understand the concept of ¡®love¡¯ or ¡®sacrifice¡¯ until he met Julia. ¡°In nine days, Id, you¡¯ll be eight years old. I am so glad that I can celebrate your birthday with you.¡± Julia had spoken such words when she had returned to the palace to pick up Id. Even though she was only able to take care of her son for several months before she lay sick in bed, this experience let her son realize the meaning of family and be ready to explore his unpredictable future life, albeit alone. Id¡¯s life was tranquil. It was far easier than taking care of Julia, who could barely move and was bedridden in her last days. In an attempt to avoid the agonizing memories, Id found new tasks to do when he was out of regular housework to complete. Maintaining the wooden fence, tending to the garden, cleaning the walls of the cabin every day¡­¡­ If Andrew didn¡¯t hate the smell, he would¡¯ve raised chickens and rabbits. In his spare time, Id continued to practice his sword skills. The sound of the wooden sword cutting through the air was quite harsh. Id was sweating and brandished his sword incessantly. Andrew sat in the shade, drinking beer and watching him practice. Id had traded the beer he was drinking for smoked meat. They rarely used money in mountain villages like Derevnya. They bartered goods for everyday life. Andrew furrowed his brows at the pungent taste of beer. ¡°It actually tastes pretty good for a mountain beer.¡± He hadn¡¯t had a proper drink since he had settled in the village. He never thought of bartering because he didn¡¯t get along with the villagers, but after Id had moved in with him, Andrew¡¯s diet had become incomparably abundant. Chapter 13 13 Id was concentrating on wielding his wooden sword, regardless of whether Andrew was watching him or not. Andrew thought Id had come to him because this clever boy wanted to learn his sword skills. Id must have been impressed by his capability to penetrate the black panther¡¯s chest with a single stab. What Andrew didn¡¯t know was that this poor little boy was nothing but desperate to distract himself from the memories of his late mother, thus working hard everyday, putting in his full effort into everything he did. Andrew had no intention of teaching Id swordsmanship. First of all, he was so absorbed in opening a manna hall in his chest that he did not want to distract himself with anything else. Besides, he had spent almost all of his life learning and practicing top-class swordsmanship. And his family had paid a large sum of money to invite prominent swordsmanship teachers from all over the Empire since he was five years old. He was unwilling to teach such sword skills to a mountain village boy who suddenly arrived on his doorstep one day. Even while he had helped his men train their swordsmanship when he had been the Knight Commander of the Red Lion Order, he had not taught them his own swordsmanship. When many young Knights from high-class noble families had requested to learn his skills, promising sufficient payment, he had been reluctant to teach them his sword techniques. Andrew and Id¡¯s cohabitation continued in peace without any problem. Contrary to Andrew¡¯s misconception, Id showed little interest in learning swordsmanship. He was just subconsciously swinging the wooden sword to dispel miscellaneous thoughts. He never asked Andrew to teach him sword skills. Andrew could spend more time than before on his manna training, swordsmanship training and meditation since Id did almost all of the housework. Except for hunting evil beasts for fur and skin or mountain animals for food, he solely concentrated on finding out how to reinforce and sustain his Aura Blade by manna force longer. Despite his efforts over the past decade, Andrew had yet to achieve any significant results. But considering the future of the Marquis family, he could not give up his mission. At first, Andrew did not show Id his manna training on the magic diagram. But as time went by, his trust in Id grew, so he asked Id to stand beside him during his manna training. He wanted Id to warn him, should a sudden disturbance be caused by wild beasts or villagers due to his vulnerability during his manna training meditation. So, Id started standing beside Andrew¡¯s magic diagram during his training which lasted a couple of hours. Id was instructed to stand still the whole two hours as Andrew asked him not to disturb him. The boy could not understand what the old man was doing standing on a strange picture. He just breathed deeply and slowly, keeping his eyes closed. Having gotten bored, Id started to mimic Andrew. He also breathed deeply and slowly for a long time, and his lower abdomen expanded and contracted following his breathing. Id was practicing abdominal breathing as children usually did. On the other hand, Andrew was taking thoracic breaths as adults typically did. His shoulders and chest swelled and shrunk as he inhaled and exhaled. With Id¡¯s breathing, the abundant manna of Mother Nature was sucked into his body and expelled repeatedly. Andrew did not notice that Id was imitating him since Id tended to finish his manna breathing before he did. Initially, Id just imitated Andrew, but gradually he immersed himself in manna breathing. While breathing manna deep into the lower abdomen, he felt familiar energy traversing all the way down to his lower abdomen and back out repeatedly. Though it was his first time feeling this energy inside his body, Id felt a certain intimacy with the energy. Although unaware, he had been interacting with this energy for a long time, from a very early age. Id did not know the energy was called manna, but he immediately recognised that this same energy guided his senses to recognize other people''s malice during his time at court. This energy also enabled him to maintain an advantage in his wooden sword battles with the older children, allowing him to predict their movements and intentions. Id was standing right next to the magic circle, where the density of manna was much higher than other places because he stood in the middle of the invisible corridor of manna being collected into the magic diagram. Still, manna there was not as dense as in the middle of the magic circle. As he concentrated on breathing, Id felt something warm and gentle moving in and out of his lower abdomen.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Id relaxed, feeling the familiar energy enter his body. Closing his eyes, he quietly contemplated the movement of the energy. If it were Andrew, he would try to trap the manna in his body by any means. But Id has not done anything to affect the energy¡¯s movement since he regarded the energy as a welcome old friend he met again after a long time. As Id did not try to control the energy deliberately, manna came in and out of his body without any qualms. Although at first, it caressed Id¡¯s abdomen like a breeze, it soon began to build up in the body little by little. The amount of manna that started piling up in the lower abdomen was insignificant, but Id immediately noticed it. ¡®Amazing. How can something like this build up in my body?¡¯ Encouraged by the phenomenon in his body, Id focused even more on his breathing technique. As time went by, the amount of manna piled up in his lower abdomen increased, and Id felt the manna circulate his torso along a specific complicated passage. Andrew did not notice until a year after that Id had begun to build up manna. Id, who had become ten years old, was fully focused on circulating manna inside his body. He was having fun increasing the amount of manna by manna circulation. It was truly amazing that the warm and gentle mass that came through breathing grew over time. Id constantly circulated manna whenever he was free. Breathing manna elsewhere has proven to be less fruitful than doing it next to the magic circle. But for Id, the amount of manna piling up in his lower abdomen was irrelevant. He just enjoyed the whole procedure of contemplation and meditation, circulating manna without any miscellaneous thoughts. On the ninth day after Id¡¯s tenth birthday, the young boy started manna circulation next to the magic circle right after Andrew had begun the process himself, standing in the middle of the magic diagram as usual. Suddenly, however, an area five centimeters below the navel heated up, and Id felt acute pain. He crouched with his forehead and knees pressed to the ground, holding his lower abdomen with his hands. The manna mass located in Id¡¯s lower abdomen with the size of an adult fist was being contracted drastically. Astonished, Id shut his mouth up with a hand to not disturb Andrew. Id endured the pain with all his might, but the pain grew bigger and bigger. First, it felt like a fireball in his stomach, and then later, it felt like a fire column was burning from the lower abdomen to the mouth. As the boy struggled on the ground with tightly clenched hands, Andrew stopped his meditation and shouted. ¡°I said, don¡¯t disturb me¡­¡­ What¡­?¡± Andrew¡¯s eyes widened. Confused, he approached Id. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Id was not able to answer him. Andrew watched Id suffer, with a stiff look on his face. Id¡¯s pain did not last very long, and he could soon feel the heavy aura in his lower abdomen. The warm energy accumulated through breathing condensed into the size of a walnut and settled beneath the navel. Id attempted to stand up, feeling Andrew¡¯s bewildered gaze. Before he could feel any wonder about the lump of concentrated manna settled in his body, Andrew asked in a trembling voice. ¡°What happened?¡± Id apologized before explaining the situation. ¡°I am sorry. I did not make a scene on purpose.¡± ¡°I asked you what happened.¡± Even though he was frightened by Andrew¡¯s unrelenting attitude, Id clearly explained the situation. ¡°Standing still for two hours without doing anything while you were training, all kinds of thoughts came to mind. So I tried to imitate you.¡± ¡°Imitate me?¡± ¡°Yes, I imitated your breathing training.¡± ¡°When did you start imitating me?¡± ¡°From the very first day, I started standing here. During your second training session in the evening, I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore because I thought of mom when I stayed still.¡± Andrew¡¯s expression got worse and worse. ¡°When did you feel the manna?¡± ¡°What is manna?¡± After Andrew¡¯s explanation, Id realized that the energy built up in his body was called manna. ¡°On the very first day¡­ I felt the manna come into my body and go out repeatedly. Though it was my first time feeling manna inside my body, I have been feeling it surrounding me in the air since I was four years old as far as I can remember.¡± Andrew¡¯s face was filled with astonishment when he heard Id¡¯s explanation. Id¡¯s manna affinity seemed unimaginable. ¡°When did manna start to accumulate in your body?¡± ¡°A few days after I started breathing it in. At the first stage, it piled up just little by little.¡± ¡°In your heart?¡± Id widened his eyes. ¡°No, not in my heart.¡± He pointed with his finger at the place about five centimeters beneath his navel. ¡°It built up here.¡± Chapter 14 14 Andrew, with his red, bloodshot eyes, shook his head slightly. What he heard from James Billford was that one had to make a manna hall around the heart. But he was not sure whether James¡¯ information was correct or not. So far, William Cronos was the only person who had the ability to perform an extended aura blade, Aura Beam, and nobody knew where his manna hall had been built. Andrew asked with a stiff look on his face. ¡°Tell me everything that happened.¡± Id described what had just happened nervously. Having heard that Id¡¯s lower abdomen heated up and the manna accumulated in his body concentrated into a walnut-sized lump and settled in his abdomen, Andrew was at a loss for words. Andrew realized that Id had just accomplished the task within a year, standing beside the magic circle, which he could not even start despite his constant efforts for more than ten years on the magic diagram using thousands of scrolls. Andrew recalled what James Billfold had said, laughing at him. ¡®They say that to wield the extended aura blade; you must be gifted enough to overcome the Two Odds of a Wizard. It means that the manna affinity should be that high.¡¯ The Two Odds of a Wizard was a saying suggesting that only one, endowed with natural talent, out of ten thousand, hoping to become a mage, can enter the world of magic. Of those that do successfully manage to become mages, only one mage endowed with exceptional talent out of a thousand mages can become a Wizard who has carved seven circles on his heart. James Billfold meant that only one talented person out of ten million people could be a wielder of the Aura Beam. At that time, Andrew did not believe James¡¯ words. Still, after listening to Id¡¯s experience, he thought, to accomplish his task, it might be necessary to have a talent that could overcome the Two Odds of a Wizard, which apparently had not been endowed to him. Manna had started to build up in Id¡¯s body within a few days of him starting breathing manna, while in Andrew¡¯s body, not even a little manna had built up in spite of his constant efforts for the last ten years. Andrew had just witnessed the overwhelming meaning of the Two Odds of a Wizard. Andrew stumbled into the log cabin without saying a word and did not come out for a long time. He did not even eat at all. Id had to keep clearing the untouched dishes he had been placing in front of the log cabin for Andrew. Having spent a week alone in the log cabin in endless agony, Andrew finally exited and opened the door to Id¡¯s room. ¡°Follow me.¡± Id, who was sitting in his room worrying about Andrew, came out with a surprised look. Andrew took Id to the backyard where they had been practicing manna breathing. Andrew tore up a scroll and a magic circle appeared. But he did not go up to the magic diagram and beckoned Id. ¡°Get into the magic circle and stand in the middle of the magic diagram.¡± Id, slightly hesitant, walked onto the magic diagram. ¡°Start training. Just the way you¡¯ve been doing until now.¡± Having glanced at Andrew with a nervous look, Id closed his eyes and began breathing deeply and slowly. As Andrew was watching, Id could not concentrate at first, but a couple of minutes later, Id gradually forgot everything else and was drawn into a meditative state. As soon as he started breathing properly, the hard lump of manna in his lower abdomen trembled. Apparently, the training on the magic diagram was different from training beside it. Id noticed that manna was much denser in the magic circle than outside. Two hours, the duration of the magic circle, passed in the blink of an eye. Recognizing that the effect of the manna circle had run out and the amount of manna inhaled into his body significantly decreased, Id stopped manna breathing and opened his eyes.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Although Andrew did not comment anything, his expression showed that he was troubled. He clenched his fists, turned his body, and gave a long sigh. Having observed the stream of manna around Id closely for the two hours, Andrew was convinced of the existence of a manna hall in the boy¡¯s body. ¡°Take a rest.¡± Id worriedly looked at the back of Andrew, who walked into his cabin silently. Andrew stayed inside for another whole day alone, not eating anything again. The old man, who had spent the day clearing his thoughts, came out of his cabin and spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Prepare a meal.¡± Id prepared porridge for Andrew, who had starved for over a week. As he put grains, shredded dried meat and vegetables in it and let it boil for a while, it exuded a savory smell. ¡°It¡¯s done. Please try it.¡± Andrew filled his stomach without saying a word. Id watched with bated breath. After the meal, Andrew beckoned Id. ¡°Follow me in.¡± Id carefully followed Andrew into the log cabin. His heart was pounding as he entered the place he had been banned from entering until now. The atmosphere in the inner room was cozy. In one corner was a log bed, and in the middle of the room was a round table. Various kinds of hides were piled up in a corner, and weapons were hanging on the wall. A sword, a shield, a mace and a battle-ax; it was the primary armament of a Knight. ¡°Sit there.¡± Id sat on the chair as Andrew told him to. The old man looking at Id with complex eyes sat opposite him. Id, who felt awkward, turned away slightly. As fate would have it, his gaze landed on the sword and shield. A shield engraved with a flying eagle and a longsword that exuded a light bluish glow. Andrew, who was following Id¡¯s gaze, asked ¡°You¡¯re interested in the sword and shield. Do you want to be a Knight?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Id¡¯s eyes sank coldly. ¡°I just want to be strong. I don¡¯t want anyone to be able to touch me.¡± Andrew¡¯s eyes flashed at Id¡¯s unexpected answer, but he did not say a word. The time of silence slowly passed by. After quite a while, Andrew said. ¡°I¡¯d like to make a suggestion.¡± ¡°A suggestion?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to make a contract with you,¡± Id was bewildered, but Andrew went on regardless. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a Knight. I¡¯ll teach you all the top-class swordsmanship that I¡¯ve learned at a high price as well as the secret swordsmanship of my family. And I¡¯ll hand over all the information I¡¯ve collected on the Aura Beam, such as the Bloody Beam of William Cronos.¡± Id, who had yet to understand Andrew¡¯s intention, was staring at him with a puzzled look. ¡°In return, I want you to fulfill my family''s long-cherished desire. I want you to retrieve the gold mine that the Marquis Adelian family lost to Duke Cronos.¡± Of course, Id could not understand Andrew¡¯s words. However, Andrew was sincere. He decided to raise Id, who showed unbelievable talent, to fulfill his family¡¯s long-cherished desire. In a quiet tone, he revealed his past to Id. ¡°I was the first son of the Adelian family, one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the Icarus Empire.¡± Id listened to Andrew with a shocked look. He could not understand why such a high-class aristocrat would hide in a mountain village like Derevnya. Andrew talked about his past emotionlessly, as if he were reading a history book. He explained why he handed over the title of the Marquis to his brother, why he wandered around the continent, and even why he could not return to the Empire. ¡°Anyway, this is the path I¡¯ve walked. I¡¯ve never told anyone about it before. Do you know why I¡¯m telling you my past?¡± Id nodded slightly, looking uncertain. Andrew continued, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°William Cronos¡¯ Aura Beam changed my life entirely. I call it Bloody Beam because his Aura Beam¡¯s grotesque dark red glittering reminded me of blood-hungry vampire fangs. If he had beaten me with pure swordsmanship, I would have accepted the result and complied with fate. But he cut my arm only with the power and speed of the Bloody Beam, which is unacceptable to me.¡± Andrew had never acknowledged William''s sword skills as high-class swordsmanship. His skills seemed relatively poor. So poor that if it were not for the Aura Beam, Andrew would never have lost to William. ¡°The body of the Aura Beam owner must be filled with manna, which significantly increases their physical abilities, such as muscular strength, agility and cognitive capability, compared to ordinary people.¡± Andrew continued, looking into id¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sadly, even though I have made efforts for the past twenty years wandering around the world, I couldn¡¯t obtain Aura Beam. For the last week, I¡¯ve thought about various things¡­ It seems to me that you are the closest person to the Aura Beam. You might be the one out of ten million people who will be able to overcome the Two Odds of a Wizard.¡± Chapter 15 15 Id¡¯s emotions, stirred up by Andrew¡¯s long agonizing story, were consoled by the warm and gentle vitality of manna built up in his lower abdomen. Andrew continued. ¡°Although you have an unbelievable affinity for manna, your talent might stay buried if it isn¡¯t nurtured. You would probably live the life of a hunter or farmer. So, I propose a contract to you.¡± Andrew explained passionately. ¡°If you learn the entire swordsmanship that I, the former Knight Commander of the Icarus Empire¡¯s Red Lion Order, have mastered and accomplish an extended aura blade simultaneously, you won¡¯t find an opponent that can match you on this continent.¡± Closing his eyes, Id started to meditate. Thanks to Andrew, Id realized the gentle energy that had been protecting him since he had been very young was Mother Nature¡¯s manna force, although it had not been Andrew¡¯s intention. Now that Id could constantly feel the manna in his body, he felt grateful for the current situation. Though Id¡¯s meditation lasted quite long, Andrew just watched him, sitting in tranquility. At last, Id opened his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never thought of becoming a Knight. All I wanted to do was live quietly and not be persecuted by anyone. But I think it¡¯s my destiny that I met you now that manna has settled in my body. And the manna is telling me you are not evil. So, I¡¯d like to accept your proposal with gratitude.¡± ¡°Great. Knight Andrew Adelian, commissioned directly by His Majesty, the Emperor, accepts Id as an apprentice. You¡¯ll be the successor of my sword, so you¡¯ll be handed down every sword skill I know, including the secret skills of the Adelian family.¡± Andrew walked over to the wall and picked up the sword hanging on the wall. As he unsheathed the sword, a brilliant light flowed out from it. ¡°Will you fulfill your duty as an apprentice to Knight Andrew Adelian?¡± Looking up at Andrew¡¯s face, Id nodded. ¡°Yes, I will.¡± ¡°Do you swear on your life to train in my swordsmanship and to do your best to obtain the Aura Beam?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°Do you swear to do your best to retrieve the gold mine of the Marquis Adelian family, making their long-cherished wish come true?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Id answered, looking into Andrew¡¯s eyes. ¡°Good. Then I¡¯ll teach you everything from today onward. The oath of a Knight is indescribably heavy. You and I must both take responsibility for it.¡± After speaking, Andrew tapped both of Id¡¯s shoulders with the sword, completing the oath. It was the moment Id, an orphan living in a mountain village, became an apprentice to Knight Andrew Adelian, who had once been the Knight Commander of the Imperial Order. ¡°Even I don¡¯t know if this is the right choice or not. But one thing I can promise.¡± Andrew¡¯s burning eyes were on Id. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°I¡¯ll bet everything on you. It may be a gamble, but regardless of the outcome, I¡¯ll never regret my decision.¡± Listening to Andrew¡¯s grim declaration, Id remained silent. After receiving an apprentice¡¯s pledge from Id, Andrew told him all the secrets he knew about the Aura Beam. He had discovered the contents of the secret mainly through the Information Guild and the Thief Guild over the past twenty years. ********************* It all started with a Wizard¡¯s experiment. Mudria was a kingdom that bordered the southeastern edge of the Empire. Since the Wizard Tower virtually had complete control over Mudria, they called it the Magic Kingdom. Alexandros, an aspiring mage, became a disciple of Prometheus, a seven-circle Wizard. Prometheus discovered by chance that Alexandros¡¯ affinity for manna was incomparably higher than the average person. As Wizard Prometheus wanted to experiment with magic using Alexandros¡¯ intimacy with manna, the former accepted the latter as a disciple. What sorcerers needed was control, not affinity for manna. They calculated, analyzed, synthesized, and rearranged the manna force surrounding them to manifest spells. The manna circles they carved on their heart just set off the magic realized outside their body. Unlike sorcerers, spirituals constantly communicated with manna through their affinity for it. So they interacted with other beings who have a high affinity for manna, such as spirits. Many kinds of spirits exist, such as the earth spirit - gnome, the fire spirit - salamander, the wind spirit - sylph, and the water spirit - undine. Prometheus had long worked to apply the spirituals¡¯ method of summoning spirits with his magic but failed, owing to his lack of affinity to manna. So he started the same experiment through Alexandros. Prometheus set a magic diagram that could draw the surrounding manna into the magic circle to increase its density and let Alexandros communicate with the manna on the diagram every day. But in this experiment, an entirely unexpected and bizarre outcome resulted. A lump of manna was placed in Alexandros¡¯ body, who had been meditating for a long time in the magic circle for manna concentration. ¡°What an interesting result! How could this happen?¡± Prometheus had never even heard of this happening to spirituals or warlocks. Of course, they didn¡¯t interact with manna in a magic circle. Inspired by the result of the experiment, the master and disciple made efforts to increase the amount of manna accumulated in the body and simultaneously were immersed in research to find a way to control the manna force in the lump. It was a long and complicated procedure to find a method to control the manna force concentrated in Alexandros¡¯ body. The procedural details had never been released outside the Wizard Tower. Thirty years after the first settlement of a lump of manna in Alexandros¡¯ chest, walked out of the Wizard Tower neither a great Wizard nor a great Spiritual but a great swordsman. Alexandros called himself a Sword Master. Alexandros defeated top-notch Knights of almost all countries except the Empire, traveling across the continent with Wizards. He did not visit the Icarus Empire because he worried about the pressure the Kingdom of Mudria would face from the Empire if he defeated Imperial Knights. Strange as it sounded, many aspiring swordsmen visited the Wizard Tower of Mudria. People who visited the Mudria Wizard Tower to learn the way of the so-called Sword Master had to sit around and wait for years doing nothing. Prometheus had died years before Alexandros perfected his sword. Alexandros had been traveling across the continent for several years. Duke Cronos, who was in charge of imperial diplomacy, was among the first in the Empire to grasp intelligence about Alexandros. ********************* ¡°Several families, including Duke Cronos¡¯ family, sent secret emissaries to the Mudria Wizard Tower. I don¡¯t know how the subsequent process went, but judging from William¡¯s sword, it seems clear that they have gleaned the necessary information from Alexandros.¡± Andrew, who continued to speak with a lonesome expression, was regretful. If Marquis Adelian, Andrew¡¯s father, had obtained the information around the same time as the Duke of Cronos, he might have been prepared. Their inability to acquire crucial information had terrible consequences. ¡°The information on how many owners of the Aura Beam exist and which families they belong to is currently unknown. William Cronos is the only publicly known owner of the Aura Beam in the Empire.¡± Duke Cronos has made the most of his brother, William, for the benefit of the family. However, no other family has revealed themselves to own an Aura Beam user because they were the most valuable secret weapons in the face of crisis. If the gold mine had not been taken away, Andrew would have used all of his family¡¯s capabilities to raise Aura Beam users. However, it took too long to figure out the secret behind William¡¯s sword. More than twenty years after the gold mine was stolen, the family could not have had enough capacity for that. There was a longing glow in Andrew¡¯s eyes as he looked at Id. ¡°If I had met you ten years earlier, I would have been able to raise you in my family¡¯s capacity¡­¡­¡± ¡°But ten years ago, I was not in this world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Relationships don¡¯t lead to things that easy. Anyway, I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯ve already entrusted you with the family¡¯s long-cherished desire.¡± Id looked at Andrew with a calm look. Id¡¯s life changed dramatically from the next day. He stopped everything he had been doing and focused on sword training. Andrew was an excellent teacher, experienced with teaching numerous Knights during his time as the Knight Commander of the Imperial Order. Id¡¯s body reeled back as his wooden sword recoiled. ¡°It is foolish to deal with the opponent¡¯s power with your own power. By letting your opponent¡¯s sword slip by at a slight angle, you can break the opponent¡¯s stance and seize an opportunity to strike back. It¡¯s not an easy skill since your opponents will control and adjust their angle of attack constantly. So you have to make the skill yours through repeated practice.¡± Id was quite different from the Knights who learned sword skills from Andrew. He constantly questioned many details of the swordsmanship. He wanted to know the purpose of every motion, movement, step, and stance. Id gradually transformed his sword skills with the enlightenment he gained from the conversations and sparring with Andrew. Andrew acknowledged that Id was a gifted genius not only for his affinity for manna but also for swordsmanship itself. Chapter 16 16 After finishing his sword training in the morning, Id practiced manna breathing on the magic diagram in the afternoon for four hours a day. As time went by, he could feel the amount of manna accumulated in his manna hall gradually increase, but Id did not know if he was training in the right way. Andrew did not know either. All the information he got from James Billford was that he sucked in and accumulated manna through breathing and made a manna hall around his heart. They did not know why the manna hall was formed not in the chest but the lower abdomen nor how to send the manna accumulated in the manna hall to the weapon in hand and through what procedure manna would implement Aura Beam. But the expected risk was too significant to blindly go to the Wizard Tower in Mudria and ask about these unknown issues. Id was forced to leave everything to chance and concentrate on training every day. As the volume of manna accumulated in Id¡¯s manna hall exceeded a certain amount, a part of it started moving out of the manna hall on its own. Detecting such movement, Id did not attempt to control it. To Id, manna was like a precious friend who protected and comforted him in his lonely and troubled childhood. It was a warm and comfortable substance that gently touched the boy¡¯s wounded heart. Id had confidence that it would do him no harm no matter what. Id just watched the manna¡¯s movement in his body casually. In the evening, Id learned reading, writing and the etiquette of a Knight. ¡°Although I cannot knight you myself because I¡¯ve handed over the Marquisate to my brother, it is not difficult to ask my family or acquaintance to make you a Knight when your sword skills rise to a certain level. But if you don¡¯t thoroughly learn the etiquette and have common sense about social structure and history, no matter how good you may be at swordsmanship, people won¡¯t easily recognize you as a Knight. It¡¯s all the more so because you are from a mountain village. Therefore, not only swordsmanship and manna training but also your studies should not be neglected. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bear your words in mind.¡± Every evening, Andrew struggled to pass on all the knowledge he had to Id. It included military knowledge, strategy and tactics. Having been educated for a long time as the heir to a time-honored family and once a Commander of an Imperial Order, the amount of knowledge he had was truly vast. Two months after Id built a manna hall in his lower abdomen, the two left Derevnya. Their new residence was a hunter¡¯s hut a day''s travel away from the village. Thick woodblocks surrounded two cabins in preparation for attacks from evil beasts. ¡°The villagers began to wonder what we were doing. Nothing good will come of rumors spread about us. Moreover, I chose this place because it seemed to be much richer in manna here than in the village.¡± The sound of wooden swords¡¯ clashing every morning had stimulated people¡¯s curiosity. Andrew, who had no intention of staying in the village for a long time, gave two pieces of black panther¡¯s fur to the hunters staying in the hut and sent them away. The hunters¡¯ hut was deep in the forest, the air rich with manna, making it perfect for Id to train. In addition, there were times when they did not see people all year round, so he was not disturbed during his training at all. Over time, the occasional visitor, namely evil beasts, became good training partners and prey for Id. To purchase scrolls for Id¡¯s manna training, Andrew wandered through the woods every three or four days for an evil beast hunt and every six months took the furs to Nordburg to exchange them for scrolls and everyday necessities. Id didn¡¯t leave his new residence in the forest for two years, preoccupied with training. One day Andrew was preparing to go to Nordburg with another bundle of fur and asked IdThis book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come with me this time? I¡¯m proud of you for following the training schedule for the past two years without complaining, so I¡¯m going to give you a present. I think it¡¯s time to use a real sword, not a wooden one.¡± Although he had grown a lot in the past two years, he was still a twelve-year-old boy. Going to a crowded city, where he had memories of visiting together with Julia and George, was a great temptation for young Id. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to go there once.¡± ¡°Then, prepare for it. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to take all furs this time because we had too many of them, but since we are going together, I¡¯m going to take all of them and get enough scrolls to cover for the foreseeable future. ¡°Yes, master.¡± Id nodded with a look of excitement. Id first packed Andrew¡¯s gear. As he put a shield on his back and crossed a battle-ax and a mace beneath it, a heavy weight pressed down on his shoulders. The first time he carried Andrew¡¯s weapons on his back, Id had a proud look on his face. ¡°If they are too heavy, you don¡¯t have to take them. The weight of the furs will also be considerable.¡± ¡°This is fine.¡± Combining the shield, battle-ax and mace, it weighed well over twenty kilograms. Although Id¡¯s body was the typical size for a kid his age, since the manna from the growing manna hall roamed his body, constantly reinforced his muscles and bones, Id¡¯s power was much stronger than even the burly and robust adults. Id, carrying Andrew¡¯s gear, picked up a large bundle of fur. Andrew, wearing thin chainmail and a sword around his waist, also held a large bundle of fur. Their journey was smooth. The evil beasts feeling Andrew¡¯s fierce ardor, never pounced on him before he showed any hostility towards them. By the time they were near Derevnya, the sun had already set, and they decided to stay in the village for the night. ¡°Thank you for the nice dinner and a nice bed, Aunt Anna.¡± They gave Anna two bunny skins and stayed at her place. Anna, who ran a lodging house in Derevnya, smiled warmly. Id¡¯s close relationship with the villagers had not yet been forgotten. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Id. Thank you for not forgetting to visit me.¡± As Andrew and Id were about to leave the village after an early breakfast at Anna¡¯s house, the chief stepped up to dissuade them. ¡°Stay in town for a few days and leave together with a merchants¡¯ group. It¡¯s too dangerous if you two go alone.¡± As Andrew ignored him, Id replied. ¡°It¡¯s OK. When grandpa shows up, the evil beasts run away.¡± Leaving the awkward-faced villagers behind, the pair left for Nordburg. Since there was only a dense forest between Derevnya and Nordburg, the two had no choice but to sleep out in the open. After settling under a large tree, Id said: ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the soup.¡± With his excellent cooking skills, it was always Id¡¯s task to prepare meals. While Andrew went to pick up firewood, Id prepared to boil the soup. The soup, made of grain powder, dried meat and dried vegetables with a few spices, was Andrew¡¯s favorite dish. Using very ordinary ingredients, the combination of the proper seasoning and ingredients had given off a rich flavor. Smelling the delicious soup, Andrew praised Id: ¡°It smells good. You are a natural at cooking.¡± ¡°I got the recipe from my stepfather. He said it¡¯s something they used to eat on the battlefield.¡± Although Id learned how to cook from George, the flavors in Id¡¯s dish were completely different from what George had made, as Id used many different seasonings compared to what George had taught him. ¡°I just mixed the ingredients in moderation and seasoned them properly.¡± Andrew never managed to achieve this ¡®properly¡¯, so he messed up every time. Thus he was dependent on Id to prepare meals. Id handed a large bowl full of soup to Andrew. ¡°It¡¯s the most enjoyable time of the day.¡± As Andrew received the bowl with a smile, Id poured the soup in his bowl, too. The two soon went to sleep after the meal. The next day, they would have to walk with heavy luggage all day, so they had to sleep as long as possible. Four days after setting off from the hunter¡¯s hut, the pair arrived at Nordburg¡¯s gate. It was early in the morning, and not many people were lined up to be inspected, so it was soon their turn. Unlike their usual roughness, the manner the guards greeted Andrew was prudent. Andrew, dressed in chainmail and a sword around his waist, looked like your typical Knight, and no one knew what would happen if they dealt with the proud Knight improperly. ¡°May I ask what brought you to Nordburg?¡± One of the guards asked Andrew carefully. ¡°I¡¯m traveling with my apprentice. I¡¯m here to sell the beast furs I hunted for travel expenses.¡± Chapter 17 17 Nordburg, which Id had once visited as an eight-year-old boy, was a busy city. Since it was like the business center of the Scandia Kingdom¡¯s northeastern region, many merchants visited the town, and many people resided in Nordburg. There were also many outsiders since loggers, hunters, herb collectors and adventurers gathered from all over the continent. As such, it was the issue of security that the Nordburg Government cared about most. Though the Mayor of the Free City Nordburg, Viscount Levin, had experienced Knights and well-trained guards, it was not enough to handle the security of a city with a population of more than a million. The lumberjacks known for their roughness, the evil-beast hunters and adventurers who were good at fighting were the ones who even the Knights could not belittle. In Nordburg, where security was unstable, everyone had no choice but to take care of his own safety. Andrew and Id headed to the blacksmith¡¯s first. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help much to train with a wooden sword anymore. From now on, you should train with a real sword so that you can get used to it and feel it as a part of your body. I brought you here since you need a sword that fits your body size.¡± They entered the blacksmith¡¯s street. Dozens of blacksmith¡¯s workshops lined each side of the road. The sound of hammers knocking on the iron bars rang out loud here and there. Andrew carefully listened to the iron tapping of the blacksmiths. He used the sword for a long time, and he was interested in blacksmiths¡¯ craft. To an experienced person like Andrew, the sound of an iron tap could help measure the blacksmith''s skills. Andrew stopped in front of a workshop, where exceptionally clean and regular taps were ringing out. ¡°Let¡¯s go in here and check the swords they made.¡± A clerk in his twenties greeted them. ¡°Are you here to buy a sword?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking for a sword that fits this boy¡¯s size.¡± ¡°Custom-made products, compared to ready-made ones, are expensive. Our workshop is slightly different compared to the other blacksmith¡¯s.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s hard to produce such sounds unless it¡¯s a dwarf craftsman. I want to meet the blacksmith and talk to him in person.¡± The startled clerk led them into the workshop. A dwarf, who was shorter than Id with broad shoulders, was hammering away at an iron bar in front of the red-hot furnace. The clerk interrupted the dwarf¡¯s work and quietly explained the situation to him. When Id, who had never seen a dwarf before, stared at him curiously, the dwarf bluntly said; ¡°You¡¯re dragging around a kid who¡¯s never even seen a dwarf before as an apprentice? Anyhow, you must at least know your way around swords a little, considering you were able to guess that I was a dwarf just based off of the sounds. Andrew nodded, smiling. ¡°Should there be any reason to not be able to tell when the difference is so clear?¡± ¡°You speak in a plausible way. Of course, the human race¡­¡­¡± Id tried to retort the dwarf¡¯s rude remarks, but Andrew, who noticed it, raised his hand and stopped Id. A dwarven craftsman like him was likely to have lived for a few centuries. Dwarves, albeit less than the elves, had a much longer lifespan than humans. The dwarf ignored Id and asked Andrew. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Are you here for a sword for that kid?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s time for him to begin using real swords.¡± The dwarf blacksmith took another close look at Id, seemingly sizing him up as his eyes wandered up and down. Lost in thought for a short moment, the dwarf suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°Yes, I have just the one, don¡¯t I.¡± The dwarf blacksmith began to rummage through a rack full of weapons in the corner of the workshop and pulled out a blade that was shorter than a regular longsword. ¡°The Mayor of Nordburg, Viscount Levin, originally ordered it for his son who¡¯s learning swordsmanship. The Mayor¡¯s son is sixteen years old, so it¡¯s a little long for that kid now. But if I forged a sword that fits him too well, you¡¯ll have to purchase a new one in two years. I made this sword with all my heart and soul, so I¡¯ll guarantee its quality in the name of Blackanvil.¡± ¡°Are you the master artisan, Blackanvil? I¡¯m honored to meet you.¡± Andrew said with a surprised look. Blackanvil was a well-known master artisan among swordsmen. Andrew, who took the sword, unsheathed it. A bluish blade appeared with a chilling sound. He could feel the intense ardor of the blade just by looking at it. ¡°It¡¯s an excellent sword, but it¡¯s too sharp to be used for training.¡± It was not quite appropriate to use such a sword for regular training. Beginners tended to accidentally cut themselves fairly often in the early stages. It could even lead to severe consequences using such a fine, high-quality sword for everyday training. ¡°That¡¯s why it was returned. I was asked to blunt the blade, but I couldn¡¯t do that because of my pride. I didn¡¯t want to ruin my masterpiece myself. If someone is too scared to train in the ways of the sword because of the sharpness of his blade, he doesn¡¯t deserve the swords crafted by us dwarves. Eventually, the Mayor gave up on the sword. But a kid who has learned the sword from a swordsman of your level... there shouldn¡¯t be a big problem giving this to him. I¡¯ve already received half of the sword¡¯s price from the Mayor, so if you pay the other half, I¡¯ll sell it to you.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Blackanvil requested fifty golds for the sword. At that price, they could purchase more than a dozen high-quality longswords. ¡°The sword is definitely worth it. I can¡¯t give you a discount.¡± Of course, the sword was perfect. Its center of gravity was well-matched, and the blade was flawless. The pommel and handle were also in perfect balance with the blade. It was a sword made by a dwarven master artisan. ¡®With a sword like this, fifty golds is by no means a high price.¡¯ Andrew, who agreed with Blackanvil inwardly, looked at Id. ¡°Would you like to grip the sword?¡± Id picked up the sword with trembling hands. The hilt was a little long and thick for Id¡¯s hand, but he liked the sword, and it felt as if it were made for him. Id spoke, entranced by the intense ardor radiating from the blade. ¡°This is a great sword.¡± It was not Id¡¯s first time holding a real sword. He had tried George¡¯s shortsword and Andrew¡¯s longsword before. However, the impression of the blade created by the dwarven artisan, Blackanvil, was completely different from before. Andrew smiled, looking at Id, who seemed at a loss for words, holding up the sword. ¡°I¡¯ll buy the sword. I¡¯ll be back in the evening since I have to sell the fur first. Thank you for showing me the great sword.¡± A smile spread on Blackanvil¡¯s face. It was nice to sell a sword to a person who recognized its value. He had felt bad all day after selling his sword to a pig-like aristocrat who did not even know how to hold it. Despite that, selling weapons to aristocrats resulted in plenty of money. ¡°Take the sword with you now. You can bring the payment in the evening.¡± ¡°Is that all right?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re a real Knight who knows what honor is.¡± ¡°Thank you for your acknowledgement. I¡¯ll come again in the evening.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to find the right owner for my sword.¡± Andrew, nodding his head, gave Id the sheath of the sword. Andrew also bought a sword belt and a leather strap to wrap around the hilt. ¡°I¡¯m gonna wrap the strap for you.¡± The Red Lion Order¡¯s tradition was that the senior Knights wrapped the leather strap around the juniors¡¯ sword handle. They had their own way of wrapping, and the strap wrapped around the handle was matured by absorbing blood and sweat through combat. As time went by, it clung tight to the owner¡¯s palm. A skilled Knight could guess the level of the opponent by looking at the sword handle. Id watched Andrew wrap the handle silently. Seeing Andrew wrapping, Blackanvil said with a smile, picking up his hammer. ¡°Icarus¡¯ way of wrapping the strap. Are you from the Empire?¡± ¡°I was appointed as a Knight there.¡± ¡°Icarus has produced many great Knights for generations.¡± Looking at Id, Blackanvil said; ¡°I expect you to become a Knight who won¡¯t bring shame to this sword.¡± Id bowed to him politely. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Thank you for the outstanding sword..¡± ¡°Hmph, good. The kid is not a complete idiot.¡± Turning his head, Blackanvil started hammering again. Andrew quietly left the workshop and handed the sword to Id. The strap-wrapped handle was arranged in an orderly fashion so that no knots and gaps could be found. It was hard for Id to describe the feeling of grabbing the strap-wrapped grip that stuck to his palm. ¡°I really like it. Thank you.¡± Andrew patted Id on the shoulder. ¡°First, let¡¯s go to sell the hide. Then we¡¯d better go to a pub and have a beer to celebrate buying the sword.¡± Chapter 18 18 The next stop for Andrew and Id was a leather shop. Many hunters lived in Nordburg even though they spent most of their time in the woods. In the leather shops on the city''s Main street, the hunters could sell the hides at any time. Since the shops had their workshops for processing, purchases of hides and sales of leather products took place simultaneously. The store Andrew visited was relatively well priced for fur, and he had conducted business in the store on several occasions before. The clerk was nervous when Andrew and Id pulled out a bunch of saber-tooth tiger and black panther hides. The clerk remembered that Andrew had brought fur of barely damaged quality on prior occasions, but it was his first time to receive such a large amount of hides. The clerk had a lot more saber-tooth tiger and black panther hides in front of him than what he had seen during the past year. It took quite a long time to examine the condition of the hides, but in the end, most of them were estimated to be of the highest quality. Andrew''s swordcraft was so excellent that he only made small holes in the beasts¡¯ chest, right above the heart, or cut the beasts¡¯ necks with one stroke. Andrew received a heavy bag of gold coins. "I gave you a generous price. Please come to our store again next time." "Thank you." Bored by the long inspection process, Andrew quickly stepped out of the leather goods street and headed for an inn. It was a shabby inn, but the beer on the first floor was superb, so Andrew often stopped by. As Andrew and Id sat in a large hall, a boy of Id''s age approached and took their orders. "What would you like?" Andrew familiarly ordered some food and beer. The boy who took the order went to the kitchen, and Andrew said, looking at Id. "I''ll go to the Wizard Tower alone. It seems that some greedy fools have been following us.¡± Id nodded silently. Id had already felt the eyes on them as they walked out of the leather shop. It was evident that the target of the greedy gaze was Andrew''s gold coins. ¡°The path to the Wizard Tower is often quite vacant. The likelihood that they make their move on my way there is high, so you should wait for me here.¡± Id nodded silently again. Despite Id''s praiseworthy improvements in learning swordcraft during the last two years, he was still only a twelve-year-old boy. If they were confronted with robbers, Id was likely to be a burden to Andrew. Id was aware that Andrew deliberately came to the crowded inn downtown to leave him in a relatively safe place. Andrew smiled at Id''s calm response. "It''s good that you pick up fast. After the meal, I''ll drop by the blacksmith''s and then visit the Wizard Tower. It won''t be long before I come back. So long as you have my weapons, no one will easily pick a fight with you." It was rare to pick a fight with an apprentice carrying his master''s weapons for fear of the master¡¯s wrath, but there were exceptions to everything. "Don''t worry about me. I have the sword you bought me today." Id replied a little playfully. The food was brought out quickly, and surprisingly tasted just as good as the beer. Andrew, who, for the first time in a long while, had a satisfying meal, got up from his seat. Packing a longsword and a bag filled with gold coins, he left the rest of his luggage with Id, leaving the inn in a relaxed manner.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Andrew stopped by the blacksmith¡¯s to pay for Id¡¯s sword and headed out of the busy downtown area to the Wizard Tower. All the while, he could feel the gazes that hungrily followed him. As the crowd grew scarce, Andrew went into a more deserted alley. He wanted to quickly take care of the pursuers and go to the Tower in peace. As predicted, Andrew soon found himself surrounded by dozens of men. Several footsteps were heard from the alley entrance he had passed by. Though surrounded, Andrew¡¯s expression remained tranquil. ¡®Now even third-rate thugs dare to attack an armored Knight in broad daylight. Nordburg¡¯s security is even worse than I thought.¡¯ Having clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, Andrew unsheathed his sword. The thugs¡¯ boss, Misha, was startled to see him draw his sword so smoothly. His facial expression was complicated. He had been tipped off by a source on the leather product street that the old man in front of him was carrying a fortune, but doubt started to cross his mind, as the realization that the man in front of him was a real Knight began to dawn on him. Fake Knights wearing chainmail and armor were a familiar sight in Nordburg, as many of them posed as Knights to intimidate others. Misha¡¯s greed took over as the money outweighed the potential danger of the old man genuinely being a Knight, roaming the city by himself. However, Misha was aware that on the off-chance, the man before him genuinely was a bonafide Knight, he was a dead man. Misha first sent his men to probe the old man¡¯s sword skills. Those ordered by the boss approached Andrew. Four thugs, two from each side, rushed in, brandishing spiked maces and clubs. In a flash, four severed arms fell to the ground, weapons still tightly clenched in their hands, as Andrew finished swinging his sword in several small motions, combined with short refined steps allowing him to pass the four men unharmed. At that moment, Misha realized he had provoked the wrong person and attempted to flee right away. But Andrew was running straight towards him. Having noticed that it was too late to run away, Misha took out two daggers from his boots and threw them toward Andrew. Andrew swung his sword to strike down the daggers and continued to pass by Misha. In the next moment, Misha¡¯s right arm fell to the ground. ¡°You have quite the nerve to attack a Knight.¡± Grabbing his shoulder with his left hand, Misha knelt, groaning. ¡°Please forgive me. I was foolish and believed you were a fake Knight.¡± Shaking his head, Andrew sheathed his sword. ¡°If you hurry to the temple, you may be able to attach the severed arm, though it¡¯s going to cost a lot. The day you meet me again will be your last.¡± Misha picked his severed arm, bowed to Andrew and hurried out of the alley. The others had already fled. Andrew continued towards the Wizard Tower at a rapid pace. Worried about Id, Andrew was in a hurry since he realized Nodburg¡¯s security was even worse than he thought. ************ ¡°Hey.¡± Id turned his head to the voice heard right beside him. A strange man in his thirties was staring at Id. His face was red clearly displaying the drunken state he was in. Having seen the desire in the stranger¡¯s blurry eyes, Id began to worry. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m interested in your mace. Let me see it.¡± Id¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°No, you cannot. This mace belongs to my master. As an apprentice, I must risk my life to protect it. It¡¯s not something a man like you can touch.¡± ¡°Master¡¯s mace? Are you saying even a scrawny little kid like you is an apprentice? Bullshit. Give me the mace.¡± Igor, a second-grade mercenary, was a greedy and short-tempered guy. He used a mace as his primary weapon. Igor noticed that Andrew¡¯s mace, which was currently in Id¡¯s possession, was a masterpiece made by a dwarven craftsman. His uninhibited desires were revealed in his drunken state. He had already caused trouble many times, even during missions, due to his drinking habits. ¡°Igoryok, stop it. The apprentice is carrying a shield with a crest.¡± Boris, Igor¡¯s former mercenary colleague, stopped him. He had quit his job as a mercenary and was working as a guard in Nordburg and had been drinking with Igor, an old colleague who hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. ¡°That kind of shield can be found everywhere. Does it make sense for an apprentice to a real Knight to be alone in a tavern like this?¡± Igor was adamant. He growled, glaring at Id again. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to give me the mace. I¡¯m just going to take a look at it. Why not? Show me the mace while I¡¯m still asking nicely.¡± The pub became quiet in an instant. The eyes of the people drinking in the pub were gathered on the two figures. Ignoring those gazes, Igor said to Id. ¡°Are you going to wait for me to beat you up or to hand over the mace now?¡± Id, who rose quietly from his seat with a calm complexion as he put his hand on the hilt of his sword, spoke: ¡°The weapon that my master entrusted to me is my life. I can¡¯t give it to someone like you as long as I¡¯m alive.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to force you then!¡± Shouting, Igor pulled out a mace of his own. His mace was dyed dark red after having been drowned in blood on the battlefields. As his opponent drew his weapon, Id also drew his own sword without hesitation. Chapter 19 19 Igor faltered at the light gleaming off of Id¡¯s sword. The spectators held their breath at the blade¡¯s livid ardour. Boris, with a stiff complexion, pulled at Igor¡¯s hem. ¡°To have a sword like that¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯s a real apprentice. This should be enough. Let¡¯s just drink some more.¡± Igor did not back down. He observed a slight tremble in Id¡¯s sword. Being as experienced as he was, Igor immediately deduced his opponent''s situation. ¡°It¡¯s your first time using a real sword! Do you think I¡¯d be scared just because you have a slightly sharper blade?¡± Igor hit the table with his mace and the table split in two, splashing wooden splinters everywhere. ¡°Give me your MACE!¡± Shouting, Igor swung his mace horizontally. The mace that flew towards Id¡¯s right shoulder, fully intent on crushing his scapula, ended up bouncing off harmlessly as Id slanted the angle of his blade and let the mace slide by, causing Igor to lose balance and stumble. Gripping his sword firmly, Id spoke calmly. ¡°Stand down. If you continue, I¡¯ll attack you without mercy.¡± ¡°Try it, you son of a bitch.¡± Igor swung his mace from top to bottom with bloodshot eyes. Id¡¯s pommel blocked the mace as Id nibbled at his lower lip. At that moment, all Id had in mind was to protect Andrew¡¯s weapon. Despite the bulging muscles in his forearm wriggling due to his efforts, Igor could not overpower Id. Indignant, he raged. ¡°You little bastard! You¡¯re not bad, huh? But this isn¡¯t nearly enough!¡± With all his might, Igor pushed Id¡¯s sword, and Id reacted instinctively. Having been honed through many sparring sessions with Andrew, Id¡¯s body was capable of reacting properly without further thought as the necessary skills had been imprinted into it. As Id turned his blade and shook off Igor¡¯s attack, the mace, having lost its target, crashed to the floor. As the mace came crashing down, Id continued his movement, raising his blade and extending it outwards in a simple but effective stabbing motion, penetrating Igor¡¯s exposed throat. Feeling Igor¡¯s convulsions pass through the blade, Id shuddered. Id blanked out due to the shock of his first murder. A guttural sound resounded from Igor as Id pulled out his sword, causing Igor''s blood to soak both his hands and the hilt of his sword. The leather strap wrapped by Andrew turned dark red. Igor¡¯s intermittently blood-spewing body crumpled to the floor helplessly. Boris¡¯ broke down in sorrow. ¡°No, Igor.¡± Although Igor¡¯s behavior was not righteous and the situation was clearly in favor of Id as his actions had been in self-defense according to the laws of Nordburg, Boris grieved over the death of his old colleague. A colleague to whom he had, on numerous occasions, entrusted his life. As it happened in the middle of the city, the city guards who received the report were soon dispatched. Nordburg¡¯s Chief of Security, Pavel, who was about to retire for the evening, arrived at the scene after receiving reports of a murder at a tavern in the vicinity of the Security Headquarters. There were so many outsiders in Nordburg that bar scuffles were an everyday occurrence for Nordburg. Even murder was not an uncommon sight on the outskirts of the city. However, a case in which someone was murdered in a pub on the city¡¯s main streets hadn¡¯t appeared in recent years.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Sitting in his original seat, clearly unaware of his surroundings, Id gazed at the bloody leather strap wrapped around the hilt of his sword. In front of him were the broken remains of the table. Having arrived on the scene, Pavel exchanged several words with Boris and then proceeded to approach Id. ¡°You are under arrest for murder.¡± The young clerk, who had previously taken Andrew¡¯s order, stepped forward in astonishment at the words of the Chief of Security. The clerk, Sasha, had a good impression of Id, so he did not want to turn a blind eye to Id being falsely arrested by the guards. Once Id was detained by the guards, he was likely to be punished, regardless of if he was guilty or not. Sasha intended to defend Id as he had overheard the obviously biased report Boris had given the Chief of Security. Sasha glanced at Boris, then spoke clearly to Pavel. ¡°It was self-defense. The dead mercenary tried to take away the apprentice¡¯s mace. The security guard with him tried to stop the dead mercenary, but the latter ignored the former. The mercenary broke the table and attacked the apprentice. He ignored the apprentice¡¯s warning as well and tried to hit the apprentice on the head with his mace. The apprentice had no choice but to attack the mercenary to defend himself.¡± Boris¡¯ face flushed as he was listening to Sasha¡¯s retelling of the story. Since Sasha gave a clear overview of the incident and there were so many witnesses, Boris had no excuse for making a false report to the Security Chief. Pavel could tell the truth the whole story from the look on Boris¡¯ face. However, the Security Chief could not just let someone get away with murder in the middle of town. ¡°I got a rough overview of the situation, but I have a few things to look into, so let¡¯s go to the Security Headquarters first. I¡¯ll take into account that clerk¡¯s testimony and make sure things are dealt with fairly.¡± In the meantime, Id had started to calm down from his shock and stood up. After giving Sasha a quick glance, he bowed politely to Pavel and responded. ¡°I understand the situation, but I require a little more time. It¡¯s almost time for my master to return. I¡¯ll go to the headquarters after I report the incident to him.¡± Listening to Id, Pavel said with an unpleasant look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not such an idle person. I¡¯ll leave a guard here to guide your master to the security headquarters when your master comes. Clean this place up and escort this apprentice to the Headquarters.¡± In response to his orders, a few guards came up to remove Igor¡¯s body, and Boris approached Id, who, taking a step back, lifted his sword and spoke in a stubborn manner: ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m guarding my master''s equipment right now. I won¡¯t follow you until he comes back.¡± Boris took a look at Pavel and pulled out his sword. Having witnessed the scene of Id killing Igor in a single strike, he took a cautious stance. Pavel looked at the two with interest. It was hard to believe that the young apprentice had beaten the notorious second-grade mercenary. Boris gripped his sword as hard as he could. He had to redeem himself as he had already lost a lot of credibility due to his false report. Id, who had already escaped the shock of his first murder, stepped quickly and struck Boris¡¯ sword with a quick and precise movement. The third time the two men¡¯s swords clashed, Boris¡¯ sword broke. It was the moment when the dwarf master artisan Blackanvil¡¯s masterpiece revealed its superiority over average swords. Pavel¡¯s deputy Aleksey stepped forward as Boris backed away with a stunned look. Aleksey was a skilled Knight in his late twenties who had been knighted by the Mayor of Nordburg, Viscount Levin, three years prior. Pavel, a Knight who had been training with swords for decades, recognized at a glance that Id¡¯s swordsmanship was the product of a prominent family that has refined their swordsmanship over many generations. He wanted to take a closer look at Id¡¯s sword skills, so he did not stop Aleksey from stepping up to fight against Id. Guests at the tavern, employees and the guards Pavel brought in; everyone watched the two with an excited look. Aleksey immediately started pushing back Id. Inferior in both strength and experience, Id was on the defensive. Id persevered, reflecting on the swordcraft he had learned from Andrew for the past two years. After suffering from containing Aleksey¡¯s offensive for about ten minutes, Id felt the manna in his body, as if it had sensed the crisis he was in, rushed out of the manna hall and started circulating along the manna passage rapidly. As the manna energy empowered his muscles, Id finally had enough space to launch a counterattack. As Id began to add strength to his strikes, Aleksey adjusted his position tensely. The match between the two lasted more than thirty minutes, with no clear victor in sight. The confrontation seemed like a practice match, as both sides refrained from using lethal skills. Surprisingly, Id held the advantage in terms of pure swordsmanship, but his lack of experience was apparent as his opponent managed to close the gap in swordsmanship. Sasha, fully absorbed in the fight he was witnessing, suddenly turned around as he heard a familiar voice. ¡°What happened? Why is he fighting against the guard?¡± Having purchased a bunch of scrolls from the Wizard Tower, Andrew returned in the middle of the confrontation between Id and Aleksey. Watching their fight, Andrew asked Sasha, who immediately recognized him and explained what happened in detail. Having heard Sasha¡¯s story, Andrew stepped between Id and Aleksey and shouted. ¡°Stop the fight.¡± The spectators, as well as the two who were fighting, looked at Andrew. Id, who stopped immediately, approached Andrew, bowing his head and stood beside him. Aleksey also went back to the Chief of Security. Chapter 20 20 Andrew asked Pavel. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s clear to see that my apprentice acted in self-defense. Why would you take him to the security headquarters?¡± Pavel replied, taking a closer look at Andrew. ¡°I¡¯m placing him under arrest for investigation because the testimonies are controversial.¡± Andrew responded in a cold tone. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you investigate here where there are a lot of witnesses if you are going to do it fairly? Unless my apprentice is guilty, I cannot allow him to be taken in honor of being a Knight. If you insist, I¡¯ll formally challenge you to a duel.¡± Pavel, intrigued by Id¡¯s swordcraft, was intrigued at Andrew¡¯s words. At the peak of his early forties in his career as a Knight, It was unimaginable for him to lose to a nearly seventy-year-old man, no matter how good the opponent¡¯s sword skills were. The Chief of Security, who had been watching Id for a while, looked at Andrew again and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s too cramped here, and we also don¡¯t want to cause any further damage. Why don¡¯t we go to the square?¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s do that.¡± As the two left the inn, all the spectators followed them. About two hundred meters from the inn, the square was located between the city hall and the security headquarters. The Mayor of Nordburg, Viscount Levin, who was looking down at the square from the terrace on the third floor of the city hall, sent his servant to inquire why so many people had gathered. Upon hearing the whole story from his servant, the Mayor came down to the square, accompanied by his Knight Commander and twelve Knights. Andrew strode out into the center of the square with a single longsword, leaving the rest of his luggage with Id. After giving a slight nod to the distant Mayor, he closed his eyes and relaxed. It had been decades since his last formal duel. He felt like he was back in the old days as a young Knight Commander. His body shuddered in excitement. Since the Mayor himself came down to the square, Pavel walked up to him to report how the situation had developed to the point of a formal duel between him and Andrew. The Mayor approved the formal duel and agreed on being an official witness of it. Pavel slowly walked out to the center of the square, standing opposite Andrew and performed the Knight''s salute. ¡°I am Pavel Ivanovich Borozov, a Knight of Scandia who was sworn in by Viscount Levin. I swear on the honor of the Knight to fight fairly.¡± Andrew responded in turn. ¡°I¡¯m Andrew, a Knight from the Icarus Empire. Please understand that I cannot reveal my family name due to certain circumstances. I swear on the honor of the Knight to fight fairly.¡± Andrew did not identify himself, but Pavel did not mind much. If the opponent were a fake Knight, he would die on the spot. Pavel charged his opponent with a big move from the start. After deflecting his sword several times, Andrew was a little disappointed because Pavel¡¯s skills were far from adequate to deal with himself, a former Knight Commander of the Red Lion Order. In fact, throughout the entire continent, there had been not more than five swordsmen who could have dealt with Andrew¡¯s sword when he had been a Knight Commander. Unluckily, Pavel had met the wrong opponent. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Conscious of the growing crowd over time, Andrew decided to end the duel quickly. As Andrew swung the sword vertically and hit his opponent¡¯s shield, Pavel''s balance was momentarily disrupted. Not missing the opening created, Andrew struck his opponent¡¯s right wrist with the hilt of his sword. Pavel¡¯s sword fell helplessly to the ground, and the sudden development silenced the spectators. Sheathing his sword, Andrew stepped back and looked at Viscount Levin, who claimed to be an official witness. Viscount Levin was also a Knight, although his sword skills were not very good. From Andrew¡¯s stance, he had thought Pavel might lose, but he did not expect such a Pavel to be defeated so effortlessly by a wandering Knight who hadn¡¯t even bothered to identify himself. ¡°Your sword skills are excellent. You¡¯re obviously from a prominent family of the Empire, so why don¡¯t you identify yourself now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wandering the continent for decades in search of something. Please understand I cannot reveal my family name for personal reasons.¡± Levin frowned as Andrew refused to reveal his identity when even the Mayor himself asked him. ¡°Judging from your skills, not only Nordburg but the entirety of Scandia has no Knight capable of matching you in a duel. However, I cannot allow you to leave unidentified after making a scene in the middle of the city. But, I have a suggestion. If you can beat the three Knights under my command in a three versus one, we can forget everything that has happened here today, and I¡¯ll ensure your and your apprentice¡¯s safety during your stay in Nordburg. If my Knights win, you have to identify yourself and explain why you caused the disturbance in town.¡± Levin knew that his demand was unreasonable, but he wanted to find out Andrew¡¯s identity somehow. He was worried that Andrew might adversely affect his political position, joining his rival. Simultaneously, Levin wanted to check the possibility of taking in Andrew as his Knight. As the matter had escalated significantly, Id could not hide his nervousness. Standing next to Id, Sasha put his hand on Id¡¯s shoulder and calmed him down. Id¡¯s eyes, looking at Sasha, were moist. He felt a massive burden as Andrew had found himself in trouble due to him. Three Knights, who received the Mayor¡¯s signal, besieged Andrew. Andrew charged at one Knight in front of him to escape the siege and occupy an advantageous position. The Knight raised his shield at an angle, weakening the force on Andrew¡¯s sword, and stepped sideways to block Andrew from escaping. He was the Commander of the Nordburg Order, Nikolay Bellerin, and formerly served as a Royal Guard of Scandia for over a decade. Although it was unknown as to why he had come to Nordburg, his sword was widely acknowledged. As Nikolay blocked Andrew¡¯s path, the second Knight, Ivan, who was on the right side of Andrew, stabbed him in the side. Andrew spun fast, dodging Ivan¡¯s sword and swung his sword at the third Knight Vladimir on the other side. The three were amongst the strongest in the Nordburg Order, but Vladimir''s skills were lacking compared to the other two. Andrew slashed Vladimir''s thigh, and he stepped back a few steps. As the siege was loosened, Andrew attempted to escape in Vladimir¡¯s direction. Nikolay charged at Andrew, aiming his shield at Andrew¡¯s right shoulder, just above the elbow area where his arm had been cut off a long time back. Nikolay Bellerin¡¯s swordsmanship was excellent, but he was a man from whom a chivalrous spirit was hardly expected. Andrew was struck by Nikolay¡¯s shield and rolled on the ground. He used the momentum from Nikolay¡¯s bash to continue to roll and swung his sword simultaneously, slicing at Ivan¡¯s calf, causing a significant wound and proceeded to spring back up to his feet. Since Ivan and Vladimir were forced to slow down due to injuries to the lower body, the match proceeded mainly between Andrew and Nikolay. However, Andrew struggled with the surprise attacks of the remaining two, so the three-on-one showdown lasted for more than an hour. At the three Knight¡¯ shield attack, Andrew suffered several crises, rolling on the ground. Whenever Andrew was in trouble, Id flinched and was about to rush out, but Sasha dissuaded him. ¡°If you rush in now, you¡¯ll put your master in even more trouble.¡± Sasha was right. Id had no choice but to bite his lower lip. Id¡¯s lip was bleeding. More than an hour after the confrontation began, Andrew¡¯s stamina began to run out. He seemed too old to handle the power of young Knights for a long time. Taking a deep breath, Andrew decided to finish the fight quickly, even if he had to take a risk. Andrew jumped into the air, swinging his sword vertically from top to bottom, aiming at Nicolay¡¯s head. As Nikolay lifted his shield to block the sword, Andrew used the recoil to turn sharply and attempted to cut Vladimir¡¯s left shoulder. Vladimir hurriedly lifted his shield to block Andrew¡¯s sword, but the shield could not withstand the intense force of Andrew¡¯s Aura Blade and split in half. Andrew extended the sword in a series of movements and stabbed Vladimir in his right forearm. Vladimir groaned and dropped his sword. Having lost both his sword and shield instantly, Vladimir stepped back and fell to his knees. Having incapacitated Vladimir, Andrew swung his blue Aura Blade at Ivan. As Ivan¡¯s sword broke in half and Andrew turned to face Nikolay, the corner of Nikolay¡¯s shield hit Andrew¡¯s chest. Rolling down on the ground again, Andrew felt something rising from inside. The internal injury seemed severe, but Andrew had to continue to roll on the ground again, swallowing the surging blood. When the dust rose as Ivan¡¯s shield struck where Andrew had been, Ivan shrieked and collapsed. His thigh was cut deeply by Andrew¡¯s blade and bled. The chainmail which protected Ivan¡¯s thigh was in tatters. Chapter 21 21 Having struck Niklay¡¯s sword several times and forcing him out, Andrew looked at Levin and said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop this confrontation here? In fact, in the past, I was the Commander of an Icarus Knights¡¯ Order.¡± Looking at Andrew¡¯s Aura Blade with a frightened look, Levin decided to step down in the name of saying that he was the former Commander of an Imperial Order. Even if Andrew was a wandering Knight, if he was a former Knight Commander of Icarus, the fact that his Knights lost to him was not going to be a big deal. Levin Judged neither himself nor his rival had any chance of recruiting Andrew. As Levin looked at Nikolay, noticing his superior¡¯s intention, he sheathed his sword and backed away. Nikolay was also frightened by Andrew¡¯s intense Aura Blade. As Ivan, Vladimir and Nikolay retreated to the other Knights, Andrew slightly nodded to Levin wordlessly and approached Id and Sasha. He could not talk anymore since blood poured out of his various wounds. Andrew went back to the inn where the tavern was along with Id and Sasha. Sasha hurriedly brought a key and opened the door to a double room. Andrew vomited blood as soon as he entered the room. Id gave first aid and put Andrew in bed, then told Sasha. ¡°Can you bring a priest or get a good potion?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late to call a priest now. I¡¯ll find out early tomorrow morning. It¡¯s not easy to get a potion made of sacred power from a high-ranking priest, but I think it¡¯s possible to get one made by a mage. I¡¯ll go find out the price.¡± The potion was liquid medicine made either of sacred power from priests or by the manna force of mages. It was effective in treating both internal and external injuries but was generally expensive. Although it was widely circulating because the sale of potions was the primary source of revenue for the temples, not only was the potion that the high priest instilled with divine power difficult to obtain, but the price was unreasonably high. Lying in bed, Andrew opened his eyes and said. ¡°I¡¯ve spent almost all the gold coins buying scrolls, so I don¡¯t have enough money to call a priest or buy a potion. Don¡¯t worry. This wound will heal after a night¡¯s sleep. The Mayor may change his mind, so let¡¯s go back to the forest as soon as tomorrow dawns.¡± Hearing that, Sasha said, kneeling beside the bed. ¡°Please take me with you, too. I can do anything well if you ask me to. The guard named Boris will surely retaliate against me after you leave. Since I¡¯m an orphan, no one in this city will protect me.¡± If Andrew had not accepted Id, he would have also worked as a clerk at a tavern of an inn in Nordburg like Sasha. He was the only one who actively defended Id when Boris¡¯ lie cornered him. ¡°Sasha is in danger of retaliation for trying to help me. I hope you accept him.¡± Andrew barely smiled, slightly nodded and fell asleep. Tired due to the eventful day, Sasha lay on the floor and fell asleep, too. Id lifted him up and laid him in the empty bed, and then he sat on the floor next to Andrew¡¯s bed with his legs crossed and started manna circulation. Recently, Id had been practicing his manna circulation without magic diagrams because he was out of scrolls, but that was not the only reason. He thought it was more important to refine manna in his manna hall and circulate it in his body to assimilate with each body part than to absorb more manna into his body. Even if Id did not control manna, once he concentrated on the manna hall in his lower abdomen, the manna circulated in his body by itself, developing its paths. Having originally only distributed inside the torso, the manna later made its paths all over his body, including his limbs, with the only exception being his head.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Having been absorbed in training for a while, Id put his hand on Andrew¡¯s chest as his breathing became rough. He did not mean to do something, but it was a casual act since he was worried for Andrew, who was in pain. As Id was circulating the manna in his body with his hand resting on Andrew¡¯s chest, manna concentrated on his palm, and warm energy flowed through his palm into Andrew¡¯s chest, which gently wrapped the wounds on the ribs and lungs. Though Id was taken aback by the unexpected flow of manna, he calmed down soon and observed it with his mind¡¯s eye, not engaging in the movement of his manna. The following day, the three hurried out of Nordburg and headed for their forest residence. Looking much better than the previous night, Andrew looked back on Id and said. ¡°I guess I¡¯m too old now. I was barely able to subdue three Knights under a Viscount of Scandia, not even Imperial Knights.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯ve been badly hurt due to me¡­¡­.¡± Andrew¡¯s wounds were quite severe. Nikolay¡¯s shield cracked a couple of ribs and tore a part of the left lung. Although Andrew spoke like it was nothing to reassure Id the night before, sleeping overnight would not have healed them. It was almost a miracle that he was able to travel the long way without proper treatment. ¡°Did you treat me last night?¡± Andrew remembered that warmth had wrapped around his wounds as Id had touched his chest though he had been half asleep, and then he had fallen asleep deeply, breathing comfortably. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened either. I was training in manna circulation and was worried due to your rough breathing, so I put my hand on your chest and then suddenly, the manna moved by itself. I¡¯m not sure if it treated your wounds.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we will need to buy any expensive potions.¡± Smiling, Andrew indirectly thanked Id. ¡°It was justifiable that you tried to protect my weapon. As my apprentice, you did what you were supposed to do, so don¡¯t disparage your actions. Your fault lies elsewhere, which is you are not strong enough yet. Given our goals, you should easily subdue mercenaries without killing them. So, don¡¯t worry about anything else and focus on your training.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve got a good sword, you have to familiarise yourself on how to handle it.¡± Sasha¡¯s eyes glistened with unknown expectations as he listened silently to the conversation between the two. After a four-day journey, the three returned to their residence in the woods, and Id returned to his daily routine. He built up his stamina by running in the woods, learned swordcraft from Andrew and trained in manna circulation on the magic diagram. He spent all his time training, except twice a day to cook their meals. Andrew experimented with whether Sasha had any intimacy with manna or not. Although Sasha tried breathing manna the way he learned from Id next to the magic circle when Id trained manna breathing and tried manna training on the magic diagram, unlike Id¡¯s case, the manna hall did not yet appear in his lower abdomen. However, Sasha¡¯s talent in swordsmanship was no less than Id¡¯s. Sasha, who learned swordsmanship from Andrew and Id, went on to grow remarkably. Four years later, after Sasha joined the other two, he was more than an adequate sparring partner to Id. Unlike Id, who used speed-based sword techniques concentrated on attacks, excluding the defensive technique, Sasha¡¯s swordsmanship was a paragon of Andrew¡¯s orthodox swordsmanship. In a way, the Knight Andrew Adelian¡¯s true successor might be Sasha, not Id. After realizing that from an early stage, Andrew taught Sasha with as much care as Id. When they had first met, Sasha had been shorter than Id, but he grew in physique running in the forest and hunting the beasts as well as being well-nourished. Four years later, he grew taller and had a larger physique than Id. One hundred and eighty-five centimeters tall and covered with fine muscles, Id had a more slender physique. In contrast, Sasha, who was over one hundred and ninety centimeters tall and had a great muscular body, was a huge man. After the three-on-one showdown at Nordburg, Andrew had become weaker and weaker over time. It was true that there was a noticeable change after the Nordburg showdown. However, it was uncertain whether it had been because of the aftereffects of the wounds, mental shock of realizing that he had become too old to handle even the Knights on the periphery, or a natural aging phenomenon at an age over seventy. Andrew even struggled to be Id¡¯s training partner after Id became sixteen years old. However, Andrew did his best to impart any more of his sword theory, knowledge and experience to Id. chapter 22 22 After returning from Nordburg, Id changed the method of his manna training. Id sat with his legs crossed at the inn in Nordburg, circulating manna on the floor next to Andrew¡¯s bed. It was a completely different posture from how he had been training, standing in the magic circle. Id placed his feet on the opposite thighs with the soles facing up and hands on the knees on the same side with the palms facing up. Id had long realized that some manna entered his body through the palms as well during the manna breathing, not only through the respiratory organs. That night at the inn, when he could not use a scroll, training his manna breathing on the floor, he wanted to experiment whether manna could be absorbed through his soles as well as palms, so he put his feet on the thighs with the soles facing up. As a result, it turned out that the quantity of manna that entered through the soles was much greater than that through the palms. Having returned to the forest residence, Id trained alternatively using two different postures. He sometimes trained standing on the magic diagram and sometimes sitting on the floor, placing his feet on the opposite thighs with the soles facing up to the sky, not using the scroll. The amount of manna entering through his breathing was higher when he trained on the magic diagram. Still, combining the amount of manna flowing through the breath, palms and soles of the feet, there was no significant difference between the two different ways of manna training. The amount of manna refined and piled up in the manna hall during the manna circulation was much more when he trained without magical assistance. Id gradually reduced the number of training sessions using scrolls and completely stopped a year later. As they did not have to buy scrolls, they no longer went to Nordburg. Except occasionally dropping by Derevnya to sell fur to merchants who visited there and purchase daily necessities, they did not leave their forest house. Id concentrated on training swordcraft and manna circulation. After he started manna training without scrolls, Id became suspicious whether the manna training needed a magic diagram at all. It might be possible for anybody, who could perceive the existence of manna, to create a manna hall in their lower abdomen by constant abdominal breathing and circulation of manna. It was outside the magic circle where Id¡¯s manna hall first appeared. Id thought that distorting the flow of manna by magic force would rather hinder the refinement of manna and accumulating the refined manna. Id¡¯s hypothesis developed further; Human beings, like other living things, lived by relying on the vitality of Mother Nature¡¯s manna. There might be people with less affinity to manna, but there should not be people without manna affinity at all. Id assumed even those with less intimacy with manna could make a manna hall in their body as long as they constantly trained manna circulation according to a correct method. It would only be a matter of time. Id taught Sasha the details of manna training and recommended him to practice his manna circulation every day. Sasha did not feel the need to make a manna hall in his body, but he followed Id¡¯s lead. Sasha considered manna training sessions to be the time to meditate on his understanding of swordsmanship. Even after several years since Sasha had begun to carry out manna circulation, a manna hall did not build up in his lower abdomen. However, Sasha kept circulating manna in his body every day as it gave him mental tranquility. The manna circulation in itself helped improve Sasha¡¯s swordcraft regardless of the establishment of the manna hall. Though Id¡¯s manna hall did not grow anymore after reaching the size of an apple, the amount of manna being refined and accumulated in it gradually increased. Id could not even imagine how much more manna could be stored in the small manna hall. Id was never in a hurry when it came to dealing with manna. To him, manna was still an intimate friend and a warm protector. While Id was training, manna wandered throughout his body, pioneering manna passages, and it breathed the vitality into all other organs as well as muscles and skeletons. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A cool wind blew, proving that autumn was coming. Andrew was sitting in an armchair covered with saber-tooth tiger fur, watching the sparring match between Id and Sasha. Id was wearing thin leather armor covering the torso over his tunic and carrying only a sword. Id made the leather armor himself, carefully tanning the deerskin as he wasn¡¯t too familiar with tanning leather, he wasn¡¯t able to use the tougher saber-tooth hide. He designed it to cover only essential parts of his torso to minimize interference with his fast movement. The hilt of his sword was shorter than the average longsword¡¯s hilt since it had been designed for the Nordburg Mayor¡¯s young son. Though Id had grown up enough to handle Andrew¡¯s longsword with ease compared to some years prior, he still preferred the ¡®Training Sword¡¯ made by Blackanvil since it was more compatible with the swordsmanship created by him. His swordcraft emphasized quick and spectacular attacks and excluded most defensive formulas, utterly different from Andrew¡¯s orthodox swordsmanship. The shorter hilt and blade of his sword helped him to unfold his skills. So Id decided to use his ¡®Training Sword¡¯ instead of a longsword, naming it a ¡®Middlesword¡¯. On the other hand, Sasha was wearing chainmail, holding a longsword and a shield in each hand. With a mace and a battle axe on his back, he was fully armed with Andrew¡¯s equipment. Last month Sasha turned seventeen years old, and Id would turn seventeen next month. Sasha attacked Id, wielding the sword fiercely. Sasha¡¯s attack, as he was treating the match like an actual fight, was already at a considerable level. Looking at his sword, Andrew was convinced that Sasha would be able to fully embody his sword in its heyday in several years. It was an outstanding achievement at a young age. Id¡¯s blade, which sometimes struck Sasha¡¯s sword or shield dodging his heavy attacks with a leisurely step, was covered in a brilliant blue aura. Id has not created an Aura Beam yet, but the power of his Aura Blade has already surpassed Andrew¡¯s Aura Blade. Id has consistently produced his own creative swordsmanship over the past few years. His swordcraft, which at this point was near completion, was superior to any other swordsmanship Andrew knew. Watching Id¡¯s manna training process, Andrew had confidence that Id would obtain Aura Beam sooner or later. If Id, who had superior sword skills, could even use Aura Beam, he would beat William Cronos¡¯ Bloody Beam. Closing his eyes and recalling William¡¯s face, Andrew spoke to himself in a low voice. ¡°I want to see the puzzled look on your face when Id¡¯s sword overwhelms you.¡± In the next moment, replacing William¡¯s face, Andrew recalled his brother Peter¡¯s face. Though it was an inevitable choice for him to leave the title of Marquis to his brother Peter and wander alone, it was always on his mind that he burdened his little brother too much. ¡°I¡¯ve always felt sorry for you, Peter. However, I did my best in my own way. Id will help you raise our family back up.¡± Thinking of seeing Peter for the last time, Andrew fell into a deep sleep and did not wake up again. When Id approached Andrew after the sparring session with Sasha, he was already cooling off. The expression on the face of the dead Andrew looked tranquil. Id and Sasha built a tomb where Andrew¡¯s armchair was located. It was Andrew¡¯s favorite place since it was sunny and a cool breeze could be felt. Id dug deep into the ground and built a solid tombstone. << Here rests The Knight Andrew Adelian. ¨C His loyal apprentices, Id & Aleksandr >> Id and Sasha, Sasha was the term of endearment for Aleksandr, burned down the log houses and wooden fences. If the place were left empty, hunters and herb collectors would come to stay. They did not want to disturb Andrew¡¯s tranquility. Looking at Andrew¡¯s grave for the last time, Id said. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up when I get the gold mine back. In the meantime, please rest comfortably.¡± Carrying tanned hides, Id and Sasha first headed to Derevnya. The villagers welcomed Id and Sasha. Sasha was also familiar with the villagers because he had visited the village several times with Id before. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up a lot, boys. Long time no see.¡± ¡°You guys could even get married now.¡± The villagers mourned when they heard of Andrew¡¯s passing. At that point, Id felt the simplicity of the mountain villagers who mourned for someone they had never known well. ¡°Now that your master is dead, why don¡¯t you come and live in town?¡± The chief spoke in a slightly uncomfortable voice. He remembered that he tried to send Id to Nordburg when he was small and orphaned. ¡°We have to go to the Empire to keep our promise with our master. Thank you for having taken good care of me in many ways.¡± Chapter 23 23 Having stayed overnight in Derevnya, Id and Sasha left for Nordburg early the next morning. It was a peaceful three day journey before they left the Forest of Evil Spirits. After a lot of manna had accumulated in Id¡¯s manna hall, the beasts could sense Id¡¯s energy from afar and avoided him. There was no longer anything that could be a threat to Id in the forest. ************ ¡°The current situation is awful, Lord.¡± A Knight, in his mid-forties, wearing armor and carrying a helmet on his side, said. Baron Kozlov, a fat aristocrat whose face was dripping with oil, was receiving a report by the knight. He shouted while wiping his sweat with a towel. ¡°How can I, once a high-profile aristocrat in the capital, be defeated like this by a bumpkin?¡± Kozlov, who could not control his anger, was reminiscent of an angry boar. Kozlov¡¯s Knight commander Aleksey bitterly smiled as he watched the scene. Though he knew well that his lord was unwise, he had no choice but to fight for his lord since he served as Kozlov¡¯s Knight for more than two decades after being knighted by him as a young man and then becoming his knight commander. His lord Kozlov had once been a central aristocrat, pushed back from the power struggle. He was on alert for an opportunity to return to the central political arena, not forgetting the splendid life he led in the capital. In his attempts to rise back to prominence, he received the animosity of his people as he collected excessive taxes for this purpose. The most ridiculous of Kozlovs decisions was picking a fight with Viscount Korolyov, the lord of the bordering feud. Citizens and soldiers of Korolyov¡¯s estate were loyal to Viscount Korolyov. His family has been taking good care of its estate for a long time over generations as an indigenous aristocratic family in the northeastern region. Eight years prior, there had been a territorial war between the two lands because Kozlov had belittled and insulted the provincial lord, Korolyov. Though it had ended in a draw at that time, thanks to Korolyov¡¯s backing down despite the prevailing war situation after heavy casualties on both sides, the spark of conflict had not been wholly extinguished. After the feudal war, the economic situation in the Korolyov Viscounty has improved over time. In contrast, Kozlov¡¯s estate gradually declined during the eight years. During the territorial war, Kozlov had conscripted a large number of citizens and specifically farmers into the war, among whom many casualties had occurred, resulting in a shortage of farmworkers. Korolyov did not forget the insult he had received from Kozlov and was looking for a chance to repudiate Kozlov¡¯s estate. As eight years had passed since the previous feudal battle and the balance of power between the two lands entirely collapsed, Korolyov began to provoke Kozlov little by little. He deployed small-scale squads of soldiers to camp at the already ambiguous boundaries between the territories. Having discovered this during a territorial inspection, Kozlov ordered Aleksey to send Knights to attack Korolyov¡¯s soldiers. Though Aleksey thought it might be a trap, he could not disobey the orders of his furious lord. Having lost a few soldiers, Korolyov used it as an excuse to declare a territorial war. As the official witness arrived from the capital with the King¡¯s permission for the feudal war, Kozlov realized his mistake, but it was too late to salvage the situation. ¡®Kozlov Barony¡¯s fate is over. The destiny of my men and I is already predetermined.¡¯ Aleksey sighed with an ominous foreboding. Kozlov was still not aware of this reality. ¡°Contact the Mercenary Guild right now, and hire competent mercenaries, as many as possible!¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Aleksey shook his head with a dark look. ¡°Since we didn¡¯t pay the balance for the dead mercenaries we hired eight years ago, the Mercenary Guild has informed us they¡¯ll no longer send mercenaries to our estate.¡± Unable to contain his anger, Kozlov shouted, smashing his hand on to the table. ¡°Conscript all the peasants! We must protect the territory by any means.¡± Aleksey could not disobey his lord¡¯s order, although he knew no more commoners should be conscripted for the estate''s future. After losing the feudal battle, the estate''s future would no longer be relevant to him. ************ Arriving in Nordburg, Id and Sasha went to the street of leather shops to sell the hides of the evil beasts and earn travel expenses to the Empire. Id went to the store he had visited with Andrew five years back. Though the quality of the hides brought by Id was no different, the price offered by the clerk was only a quarter of the previous price. At that time, almost all the hides had been estimated to be of the highest quality, but this time most of them were rated as secondary or inferior. As Id had a troubled look on his face, Sasha stepped up. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re stupid as we¡¯re too young? We have sold these hides three or four times more expensive to the merchants who visited mountain villages. Return them. We¡¯re going to another store.¡± A loud voice was heard from further inside the store and the store owner came out from the inner room with three bodyguards. ¡°Our staff worked for two hours sorting out the hides, so you will have to pay for the processing fees to take them back.¡± As Sasha put his hand on the hilt of his sword, hearing the nonsense of the store owner, the three rough bodyguards stepped up to Sasha holding his maces. Being afraid that Sasha would kill them, Id stepped up to the bodyguards and told the store owner. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anybody. Return the hides, and we will leave quietly.¡± Glancing at the guards, Id tried to persuade the store owner. ¡°If you pay me three golds for my staff¡¯s hard work, I¡¯ll return them right away.¡± The tip of Id¡¯s blade, pulled out of its sheath, touched the store owner¡¯s neck momentarily, and then several flashes could be seen lingering in the air. All three bodyguards dropped their weapons and stepped back, holding their wrists, as a drop of blood flowed down the store owner¡¯s chest. The terrified store owner, whose face turned blue, begged for Id¡¯s mercy, stuttering. ¡°P-p-please forgive me. I¡¯ll return your hides right now.¡± Having sheathed his sword, Id spoke to the owner in a calm voice. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that other shopkeepers are better than you. I visited this store with my master five years ago, and I still remember you. If you pay me the same price as then, I¡¯ll sell you the hides. I don¡¯t want to go through any more of this again.¡± The store owner entered the inner chamber and returned with a heavy bag of gold coins ¡ª five times the original offer, more generous than when Id had come with Andrew. Having received the gold coin bag with a bitter smile, Id calmed Sasha, who was still angry. ¡°Don¡¯t be too upset. We¡¯ll have another fight soon enough. It looks like there¡¯s useful travel stuff here. Let¡¯s look around.¡± In addition to leather goods, the store was selling various items. They bought some easy-to-use suits, leather boots, ropes and portable pots for camping. Leaving the store, Id said to Sasha. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the tavern where you worked before. On the way, we can observe their movements.¡± Sasha quickly understood the hidden meaning of Id¡¯s words and looked around. He could feel the eyes on them all over the alley. They went to the tavern where Sasha had worked as if they were taking a walk, ignoring their eyes. The taste of beer and food in the tavern was still excellent. Having had a laid-back meal, Id told Sasha. ¡°We have to leave Nordburg anyway, so let¡¯s not cause an unnecessary scene and just run away. Isn¡¯t there a way to the Southgate of the city that other people don¡¯t know well?¡± Sasha knew the alleys around the tavern better than anyone. ¡°Good. We haven''t run at full speed for a while. Shall we bet who¡¯s faster?¡± Id and Sasha ran more than ten kilometers in the forest almost every day for the last five years to train their bodies. They ran at great speed through a shortcut to Nordburg¡¯s Southgate. Security guards only checked on people entering the city, and unless a particular wanted order was issued, they did not care about people leaving the city. Id and Sasha, not slowing down, ran through the city''s south gate onto the highway to Scandia City, the capital of the Kingdom of Scandia. ************ Sergey Korolyov was the eldest son of Viscount Korolyov. Though he was still at a young age of eighteen, having trained in swordsmanship and military strategies and tactics systematically from an early age, he was a well-known talent in northern Scandia. Participating as a centurion in the feudal war, he led his soldiers across the border into the Kozlov estate. Since there were no defensive forces on the border, Sergey marched northward toward Kozlov Castle without any resistance. Chapter 24 24 The road from the Korolyov estate to the Kozlov estate had three branches, of which Sergey was in charge of the eastmost branch. During the march, Sergey entered a village, Slivovaya, and found no young men in town. They were all conscripted and taken to the Lord¡¯s Castle, and the men left in Slivovaya were the scrawny elderly. Many people in the village seemed to be on the verge of starvation because the army had collected food from each town to prepare for the feudal war. Sergey frowned and ordered his men. ¡°We are going to stay here overnight. Set up a camp and prepare porridge to share with the villagers.¡± It could cause trouble if the people who had starved for a long time were fed meat, so they boiled porridge with more grain than usual. The village women came out and helped the soldiers prepare the meal. Sergey told the villagers while they were eating with the soldiers. ¡°I¡¯m Sergey Korolyov, the successor to the Korolyov Viscounty. We are going to end this war shortly. I¡¯ll hand out some military food to you. I expect you somehow to find a way to survive the war. When the war is over, and we are in charge of this land, we¡¯ll come up with a food aid plan until harvest.¡± The villagers did not have much faith in the long-term plan of a young aristocrat who seemed less than twenty years old, but they expressed expectations for the immediate food distribution, even if the amount would be small. It was of no interest to them who the lord would be, provided they could make ends meet. ¡°If you ever get in touch with Slivovaya¡¯s conscripted soldiers, tell them to desert the army and hide for a few days until the war is over. Then, after the war, they¡¯ll be able to return to town without a hitch.¡± The following day, Sergey¡¯s Centria, who left a quarter of their military food in Slivovaya, marched to the Kozlov Castle. ************ Id and Sasha, who had left Nordburg and were running south, had to stop less than a kilometer away from the Southgate. More than twenty Nordburg gangsters were standing in the way waiting for them. The gang¡¯s boss in front of them was Misha, whose arm had been cut off by Andrew five years back. Since one of Misha¡¯s informants worked as a clerk at the store where Id had sold hides, Misha was fully aware of what had happened at the leather shop. Misha did not approach them downtown, fearing Andrew would appear. Even after he got information that Andrew did not show up in the tavern either, Misha led his men outside the city near the highway where they could wait to ambush Id and Sasha without any interference. Fully convinced that Andrew was not around, Misha led his men to block in their way. Though he had heard that Id had overpowered bodyguards in the leather shop, he did not think he would lose to the striplings. Misha threatened Id. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you are the apprentice to the old Knight who cut off my arm five years ago. I have to pay off my debt to your master today by severing your arm.¡± Although Id had never seen Misha before, It was easy to guess who he was since he had heard of the incident from Andrew. When Id was about to say something, Sasha stepped forward, unsheathing his sword. Seeing both of the thug boss¡¯s arms attached, he seemed to have successfully attached the severed arm back at the temple. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Id doesn¡¯t have to come forward to deal with a pathetic thug like you. I¡¯ll save Id the trouble of having to cut your arms off himself.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Misha turned to Sasha and recognised the sword Sasha was wielding to be Andrew¡¯s, which had cut his arm off. Misha shouted in a sudden rage. ¡°Why do you have that old man¡¯s sword? Where is he?¡± ¡°What¡¯s strange about the apprentice having the late master¡¯s belongings?¡± Listening to Sasha, Misha shot looks glaring with greed at Sasha¡¯s weapons one by one. ¡°Did you inherit all the equipment of the old Knight? I should be the one to have them as a form of revenge for the old man.¡± Grabbing the helve of his poleax tightly in his hand, Misha approached Sasha. Id had already lost interest in the situation. Not hesitating, Sasha waved his sword at Misha and shouted. ¡°How dare you covet our master¡¯s inheritance. I¡¯ll cut off your neck, not your arm.¡± Id told Sasha, watching the opponents¡¯ poleax and Sasha¡¯s sword. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the master¡¯s words. Don¡¯t kill people indiscreetly.¡± Then Id also pulled out his sword as Misha¡¯s four men surrounded him. Once the battle commenced, Misha realized that he had been too impulsive after clashing several times with Sasha. The young apprentice¡¯s sword overwhelmed him both in strength and technique. Frustrated, Misha shouted at his men. ¡°What are you just looking at? Attack him.¡± Two of Misha¡¯s men tried to swing their maces at Sasha¡¯s back and thigh. Jumping lightly, Sasha kicked a thug¡¯s chin who aimed at his thigh and then, spinning his body, swung the sword sideways at another thug who attacked his back. The man, kicked on the chin, flew about five meters and crashed onto the ground, gushing blood out of his mouth with a broken jaw. The other, who aimed at Sasha¡¯s back, was shaking, grabbing his right shoulder with his left hand, his right arm lay on the ground holding the mace, still twitching. Misha was discouraged entirely and faltered back, but Sasha ran straight at him. Misha managed to block Sasha¡¯s sword several times, but his right arm was finally cut off. Misha knelt on the ground and could not say a single word. Misha¡¯s other men all stood devastated, bleeding from their forearms or wrists, having dropped their weapons. Though Id did not cut their limbs off, he incapacitated them all with a single attack per person. The other gangsters who had chased Id since Nordburg had arrived, but they refused to approach the ridiculous scene before their eyes and were watching from afar. Id patted Sasha on the back and said, ¡°You held it in well. Let¡¯s leave without further delay..¡± The two leisurely continued south, but no one followed or spoke to them. Id and Sasha were not running as they had been. Still, they headed south along the national highway at a rapid speed. They planned to cut through the Kozlov estate and Korolyov estate, then through the Great Canyon of the Pleo Mountains to Scandia City. As the Kozlov Barony bordered the territory of the Free City Nordburg, the two soon entered baron Kozlov¡¯s land. The Kozlov Barony was the northernmost territory of the Scandia Kingdom, which bordered the Pleo Mountains to the west, the Forest of the Evil Spirits to the north, the Free City Nordburg to the northeast and the Korolyov Viscounty to the south. Since mountains and forests kept out the cold northwestern winds and the stream flowing through its center had abundant water, the Kozlov Barony was fertile. The territory could have been a prosperous land if only the lord had ruled it well. However, as the population decreased and its crop production dwindled, it became desolate. Kozlov''s tyranny over the estate had continued for almost twenty years. Shortly after entering the Kozlov estate, Id and Sasha encountered a group of Knights. During his touring of the northeastern border area behind the scenes with eight of his Knights to guard against the surprise attack by the Korolyov Knights, Knight Commander Aleksei encountered Id and Sasha, who crossed the border of the Barony from the direction of Nordburg. The quality of the Kozlov Order was poor since Baron Kozlov was stingy in nurturing talents. Out of the twenty-nine Knights of the Order, twenty-three belonged to the low-class leaving five intermediate-class Knights and one advanced-class Knight, Aleksey. Their quality was significantly inferior to the Korolyov Knights, which consisted of thirty-two intermediate Knights and three advanced Knights. Aleksey¡¯s swordsmanship was also estimated to be inferior to Knight Commander Daniel of the Korolyov Order. ¡°Stop. Why did you break into Kozlov territory without permission?¡± ¡°No one worked at the border post, so we could not get checked. We are going to the Empire via Scandia City.¡± ¡°Identify yourselves.¡± ¡°We are apprentices Id and Sasha who served Andrew Adelian, the Knight of the imperial Marquis family. Unfortunately, our master has died recently, so we¡¯re on our way to deliver his obituary and will to Marquis Adelian.¡± Sasha lifted the shield and showed the crest of the Marquis Adelian family. ¡°As we are in the feudal war and you have trespassed on the territory of our estate, we cannot blindly trust your words. Therefore, I¡¯ll take you to the Castle for investigation to make sure you are not the enemy''s spies.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been training in the woods for the past five years, and only arrived this morning in Nordburg. We didn¡¯t know that you were in a feudal war. If we had known beforehand, we would have taken a detour. So let us return to Nordburg and find another way to the Empire.¡± Chapter 25 25 Carefully analysing Id and Sasha¡¯s attires, Aleksey continued. ¡°So far as I suspect you are spies, I can¡¯t let you go so easily. So first, I¡¯ll check if you guys are real apprentices to an Imperial Knight. Denis, check out the sword skills of these striplings.¡± Knight Denis, ordered by Aleksey, stepped forward. He was one of the five intermediate Knights of the Kozlov Order, estimated as the best Knight in the Order excluding Aleksey. It was Id¡¯s first time to face a regular Knight, so he cautiously put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Although Denis was at a different level than the mercenaries or gangsters Id had dealt with before, his sword technique was incomparably inferior to any of the Nordburg Mayor¡¯s three Knights, who had engaged in the three-on-one fight against Andrew five years back. Though the two opponents were unaware of it, Denis was no match for Id, who had exceeded Andrew¡¯s sword skills a couple of years before. Almost simultaneously, their swords were unsheathed and clashed several times violently. Inferior in both strength and speed, Denis barely managed to block Id¡¯s last strike and took a few steps backward. Aleksey was shocked by the brilliant movements of Id¡¯s blade. He himself was not confident of winning so overwhelmingly against Denis. Aleksey approached Denis¡¯ side, telling Id. ¡°The young apprentice has great swordsmanship! I¡¯ll deal with it myself.¡± Aleksey gave Denis a few instructions quickly in a low voice and then stepped up to Id, putting down his shield and holding his two-handed sword. ¡°From your swordsmanship, I believe you were an apprentice to an Imperial Knight. Now that your master is dead, why don¡¯t you join the Kozlov Order? I¡¯ll ask Baron Kozlov to knight you immediately if you agree.¡± ¡°I have to accomplish what I promised my late master, so I can¡¯t be someone else¡¯s Knight. I¡¯m supposed to be a Knight of Marquis Adelian.¡± Staring at Id with a disappointed look, Aleksey raised his two-handed sword and rushed to Id. It was Id¡¯s first time dealing with a heavy weapon, Id attacked Aleksey with dazzling sword skills, taking faster steps, but Id¡¯s experience was insufficient to subdue the Knight, who wielded a two-handed sword wearing a full-plate mail, in a short time. Finally, after about a dozen minutes of violent clashes, Id, dodging the two-handed sword with unusual footwork, turned to Aleksey¡¯s left side and struck him hard on his pauldron. As Aleksey staggered back several steps due to the shock, Denis shouted. ¡°Stop.¡± When Id looked back, Denis glared at him, holding a sword to Sasha¡¯s neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t back down, I can¡¯t guarantee your friend¡¯s life.¡± Having been secretly instructed by Aleksey, Denis suddenly attacked Sasha with his three colleagues while Id was engrossed in the confrontation with Aleksey. Sasha, who was off guard, resisted the sudden attack fiercely, but his experience was still too lacking to deal with all four Knights at once. Though their behavior was shameful for Knights, the beleaguered Kozlov Knights had recently resolved to do anything. After losing the feudal battle, none of them would survive, and knighthood would be meaningless to the dead. Sheathing his sword and glaring at Aleksey, Id asked. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why on earth are you doing this to us, we have nothing to do with you people? If you make an unreasonable request, we will fight to the end even if we have to give up our lives.¡± Aleksey said, frowning due to the pain in his shoulder. ¡°If you help us a little bit, I¡¯ll return your friend and your master¡¯s equipment. Baron Kozlov will reward you, too. Let¡¯s go to the Lord¡¯s Castle and talk in detail.¡± The Knights seized all of Andrew¡¯s weapons Sasha had. Hearing Aleksey, Sasha shouted in a grim voice. ¡°Id, don¡¯t yield to the threats of these shameless cowards. I don¡¯t care even if I die. Show them what chivalry is.¡± As Denis hit Sasha¡¯s temple with the pommel of his sword, Sasha fainted. Looking at Sasha with mixed feelings, Id spoke to Aleksey. ¡°First, let me hear your offer. But if you force me to do something against the spirit of chivalry or to renege on what I swore to my master when I became an apprentice, I¡¯ll resist to the end even if I sacrifice my friend¡¯s life.¡± Looking into Id¡¯s eyes, Aleksey felt a deep skepticism about whether he could still be called a Knight. Nevertheless, the Kozlov Knights wanted to survive at any cost. The Knights returned to the Kozlov Castle with Id and Sasha. Id spoke when Aleksey instructed his men to lock Sasha in the castle¡¯s dungeon. ¡°If you are going to imprison my friend, I request you at least untie him so that he can wait for me comfortably and return all of his equipment. It is unacceptable for anyone to treat my late master¡¯s equipment recklessly. My friend won¡¯t be able to break out of the prison on his own anyways. If you don¡¯t comply with my requirements, I won¡¯t listen to your offer.¡± Aleksey ordered his men to comply with Id¡¯s requests and increase the number of the dungeon¡¯s guards. Kozlov estate¡¯s underground jail was so sturdy that it was almost impossible for anyone to escape on their own. Aleksey kept Id waiting in the reception room and headed to Kozlov¡¯s office to report the current situation. When Aleksey first saw Id, his idea was simply to use Id as bait. Id¡¯s height and body shape were almost identical to Baron Kozlov¡¯s only son Oleg Kozlov. Oleg, who turned twenty a couple of months back and resembled his mother, was handsome and slender. Probably because he resembled his father, who had been a civil official, he had no talent for swordsmanship. When he was young, he learned swordsmanship for about two years but gave up. When the feudal war began, Oleg¡¯s mother took her only son and four daughters to her father¡¯s estate. Unlike Sergey Korolyov, the heir to the Korolyov Viscounty, leading the war as a centurion, Oleg Kozlov had taken a completely different course in life. Given the frequent one-on-one showdown between the successors of each estate engaged in the feudal battles, Oleg¡¯s incompetence was a painful weakness for the Kozlov Barony. Aleksey saw that Id was slender, unlike ordinary swordsmen, so Aleksey thought of disguising him as Oleg Kozlov to provoke Sergey Korolyov. If they gave Id useless conscripts to attract Sergey to stall him, Aleksey might have a chance to lead elite troops to attack Korolyov¡¯s main camp unnoticed in the meantime. However, Aleksey revised his plan after he experienced Id¡¯s outstanding sword skills. Although Sergey Korolyov¡¯s swordsmanship was excellent and rumors spread that he would go to Scandia City next month to receive his knighthood directly from the king, he would never be Id¡¯s match. Therefore, Aleksey planned to put Id in Oleg¡¯s armor and incite a one-on-one confrontation with Sergey. If Sergey lost the one-on-one match, Korolyov¡¯s morale would fall. If lucky, Korolyov''s Knight Commander Daniel might lead some of his Knights to support Sergey, which would result in the weakening of Korolyov¡¯s main camp. ¡°Is our situation so difficult that we have to get help from a wandering apprentice?¡± Kozlov asked Aleksey with a disapproving look on his face. Though he knew, of course, that things were heading toward the worst-case scenario, his feelings towards his son and the knowledge that he had fled to the home of his mothers parent¡¯s during the war left a bitter taste in his mouth. ¡°Since the apprentice¡¯s swordsmanship is better than mine, he¡¯ll definitely win the match against Sergey. Now is not the time to second guess our actions, we have to be willing to do anything for survival. If we waste time like this, the castle will fall within two days. Given the characteristics of Viscount Korolyov and Sergey, if we ask for a one-on-one match in Oleg¡¯s name, they¡¯ll never reject it. The apprentice¡¯s physique is similar to Oleg¡¯s, so no one will notice he¡¯s a different person if he wears a helmet.¡± Even if the apprentice defeated Sergey in a one-on-one battle, the odds of winning the war were slim. However, as Aleksey said, it was time to try anything before it was too late. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll give you Oleg¡¯s armor. Do as you planned.¡± Having received Oleg¡¯s armor and helmet, Aleksey headed to the reception room where Id was waiting. Although there was no chance that Oleg would become a Knight, Kozlov had the finest magic armor made for Oleg to celebrate his twentieth birthday. Since Baron Kozlov intended to use it as ceremonial armor, he ordered it to be decorated as spectacularly as possible. After commissioning the dwarf master artisan, Blackanvil, to produce the armor, he requested Torres, the seven-circle Wizard of the Wizard Tower in the Scandia City, to engrave various magic diagrams on it. Baron Kozlov felt an ache after handing out Oleg¡¯s custom-made armor, which had been made at an enormous cost, to a wandering apprentice. Chapter 26 26 Aleksey, who elaborated on his plan to Id, made him an offer, ¡°I¡¯ll release your friend if you can disguise yourself to be Oleg Kozlov and beat Sergey Korolyov in a one-on-one duel.¡± Id, who had been lost in thought for a while after listening to Aleksey, finally made up his mind. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll have a one-on-one match with Sergey. Only, I¡¯ll just subdue him. I refuse to kill him. What happens next, that¡¯s your business.¡± ¡°Good. All you have to do is win the duel. I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Then try on the armor. If any part doesn¡¯t fit you, we need to fix it immediately.¡± Oleg¡¯s full plate mail fitted perfectly as if it had been custom made for Id. They may look similar, but Id¡¯s body was generally a little thicker than Oleg¡¯s because of his muscles. But Oleg, who had no intention of going into battles in armor, requested to manufacture it a little larger than his body size to ease movement at traditional or ceremonial events. Therefore, fortunately, the armor was made to fit Id perfectly. Aleksey said, looking at Id wearing the armor curiously. ¡°It''s magic armor, but the magic engraved on it won¡¯t be activated since it¡¯s not equipped with a magic stone now.¡± By injecting their manna forces into jewelry, sorcerers produced Magic Stones, which were very expensive and could be used for multiple purposes, for example like a magic communication device using a crystal ball. Kozlov decided to give Id the armor without a magic stone as he didn¡¯t want to have to lend even more items of value to a stranger. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m wearing it only to disguise myself as the lord¡¯s son. I don¡¯t need the magic armor anyway.¡± Aleksey called in two Knights and gave them orders. ¡°Aton, you work to ensure Sergey gets the information that Oleg Kozlov is guarding the western fortress. Information should be delivered naturally so that they don¡¯t notice that we leaked it. Denis, it¡¯s an important mission, so I need you to take care of it. You go to the Western Fortress with Id and make sure that Id and Sergey have a one-on-one confrontation. Take fifty soldiers with you and send messengers to the headquarters twice as often.¡± While Aleksey was instructing his men, Id was engaged in an invisible battle of nerves with the magic armor. The magic diagrams carved inside the armor were attempting to absorb the manna from Id¡¯s manna hall. The magic diagrams recognized the manna, which had been purified and accumulated in Id¡¯s manna hall, as a Magic Stone¡¯s manna force and intended to absorb it to activate the magic imbued into the armor. Sorcerers¡¯ magic force infused to Magic Stones was essentially the same as Id¡¯s manna because it was produced by rearranging manna. Id, who initially tried to block manna from being absorbed into the armor, soon changed his mind. Until then, Id had never been one to block manna¡¯s natural flow, so he let it go. Another reason was that he noticed the amount of manna absorbed into the armor was not that significant. Soon after, Id noticed a significant difference in the weight of the armor, and although at the time Id may not have been aware, this was due to one of the three kinds of magic inscribed on the armor, called Light Weight. Since the western fortress of the Kozlov Barony was a mountain fortress, the road to it was very rough. Except for two apprentices and two servants of Denis taken as messengers, the remaining forty-six soldiers were conscripts from serfs. They were dressed in thick cotton or leather pieces barely covering their torso, and the quality of their spears and shields was so poor. Denis let his servants carry his plate mail and only wore thin chainmail in preparation for the mountain march.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Take off your armor and let my servant carry it. It¡¯ll be hard to climb all the way to the fort in full plate mail.¡± Denis offered to have Ids armor carried, but Id refused it. ¡°It¡¯s OK. When I was training in the Forest of Evil Spirits, I ran in the rough forests with a much heavier load than this armor every day. So I¡¯ll walk like this. I can just treat it like physical training.¡± Id did not want to tell Denis that Light Weight had been activated. It would be difficult to explain how the magic was activated without a Magic Stone, and Id had no intentions to reveal the secrets of his manna Hall to those who threatened him and held Sasha as a hostage. The road was rough, and the march of Id¡¯s troops was slow. They camped under the mountain that night and could not reach the fortress until later in the following day. Despite the mountain trail, the march led by Id was incredibly fast, so when they arrived at the fort, the whole unit, including Denis and his apprentices, collapsed in exhaustion. Having looked at Id for a while with an astonished face, Denis gathered thirty fortress defending soldiers and the fifty soldiers brought by him. ¡°We have received intelligence that the main enemy troops will attack this fortress, so the Baron¡¯s son came here in person. From today, everyone will take emergency guard duty against the enemy¡¯s attack.¡± Denis watched Id as Id stepped forward to speak to the soldiers. ¡°It is impossible to conduct military training during the war, so you should try as hard as possible to replenish your physical strength. Raise your hand if you have any hunting experience.¡± Although most of them were serfs, those drafted from the villages close to the mountain had experience catching mountain animals during the agricultural off-season. So when a dozen soldiers raised their hands, Id pointed at five of them, young and big. ¡°You five will go hunting with me. It is difficult to carry out the war when you are malnourished.¡± Since the Kozlov Barony¡¯s territorial army was in insufficient food supply, the fifty soldiers, who came to the fort with Id, were also in poor condition, not to mention the thirty soldiers guarding the fortress. A discontented expression could be seen on Denis¡¯ face, but Id ignored it and led the five volunteers out into the mountain. Since Denis had introduced Id to the soldiers as Oleg Kozlov, he could not reveal his discontent outwardly as it may lead to the soldiers doubting Id¡¯s identity. On the surface, Id was the Commander of the unit, and Denis was the subordinate under his command. Entering the mountain, Id told the five soldiers he brought. ¡°All you have to do is follow me carefully. I will hunt by myself.¡± Hunting had been an everyday routine for Id, who lived in the woods for almost eight years. About three hundred meters into the forest, Id went off the road and jumped past the trees on his left. Three deer, who were grazing leisurely, collapsed with their neck pierced by Id¡¯s sword. Hunting deer was a piece of cake for Id, who had easily overpowered even evil beasts. Id called the soldiers towards him and instructed them to tie the dead deer to branches to carry them more easily. Then, he went a little deeper into the woods alone. After a while, he returned with a boar hanging over shoulder. Id, who went back into the woods with four new soldiers after bringing the hunted game back, caught three more wild boars. It took him less than an hour to return to the fortress after hunting three deer and four wild boar. The faces of soldiers preparing for a rich meal after a long time were bright, but Denis looked embarrassed. Id had quickly earned the hearts of the fort defenders. The following morning again, Id went into the mountain to hunt with his men. Until then, the Centuria in charge of Korolyov¡¯s western front had no plans to attack the fortress since the terrain was too rough and it was not a point of strategic importance. After taking control of the villages around the fortress, they were scheduled to march directly to the Lord¡¯s Castle. Having heard that fifty soldiers had been added to the fort defenders, the Centurion in charge of Korolyov''s western front sent a messenger to the headquarters, asking for instructions whether to capture the fortress with his troops stationed underneath the fort or not. However, unexpected instructions came from the headquarters. He was ordered to return to the main camp after handing over his mission to the Centurion in charge of the eastern front. Having obtained the intelligence that Oleg Kozlov entered the western fortress, Sergey Korolyov requested the headquarters to let him move to the western fortress to deal with Oleg. Korolyov''s Knight Commander Daniel sent a reserve Centuria from the main camp to the east, moved Sergey¡¯s Centuria to the west and ordered the Centuria stationed beneath the west fort to return to the main camp. Due to this series of deployments of troops, Korolyov¡¯s attack on Kozlov Castle was delayed by more than three days. Having earned time, Aleksey was keeping a close eye on the overall situation of the war, proceeding step by step with plans to attack the main camp of Korolyov confidentially. But, even if there was a chance, there would be only once. If they did not capture Viscount Korolyov in the surprise attack, there would be no way to turn the war back around. Chapter 27 27 Sergey was furious after seeing Baron Kozlov¡¯s tyranny in person. As soon as he took over the mission from the troops which had been in charge of Korolyov¡¯s western front, Sergey led his troops right up to the fortress. A messenger was sent forward from Sergey¡¯s unit and shouted at the guard of the fort. The fortress gate opened, and Id came out, dressed in the silver suit of armor with the helmet masking his appearance. Having seen the armored Knight, the messenger went back to his camp, then Sergey stepped forward and spoke, checking the Kozlov¡¯s crest on Id¡¯s armor. ¡°Are you Baron Kozlov¡¯s son, Oleg? Sergey of the Korolyov family asks Oleg of the Kozlov family for a one-on-one confrontation. I suggest replacing the battle of the west fortress with the duel between the two of us without needlessly sacrificing the soldiers.¡± Id, who did not want to tell a lie, drew his sword wordlessly. Seeing this, Sergey lowered his helmet¡¯s face shield and unsheathed his sword. Although Sergey could not identify his opponent, he did not think much about it, confident in his sword skills. Sergey attacked first, wielding his sword vertically. Id dodged his sword several times, with quick footwork without striking it back. Id felt the second magic diagram carved on his armor activate, absorbing his manna. It was the Anti Physical Force. Id basically ignored the effects of the magic since he had no intention of being struck by his opponent¡¯s sword regardless. Once again, Id was quite satisfied by the fact the the consumption of Manna force was surprisingly low. The amount of Manna he consumed could easily be replenished through his breathing technique later, and Id had already gotten accustomed to the feeling of his Manna being absorbed by the armor in order to activate the imbued enhancements. Sergey¡¯s swordsmanship was excellent considering he was just an apprentice, but it was not as good as that of Denis, the Knight Id had already dealt with. Having figured out Sergey¡¯s sword skills, Id decided to end the showdown quickly. When Id, who had just been avoiding Sergey¡¯s sword, suddenly swung his sword, clashing forcefully against that of Sergey. Unable to handle the abrupt power, Sergey¡¯s sword was sent flying and Sergey himself was forced to stumble a few steps back. Id approached Sergey immediately, manifesting the blue Aura Blade, and struck Sergey¡¯s right gauntlet with great precision and speed using the side of his blade. The tip of Id¡¯s sword was held against Sergey¡¯s neck by the time Sergey¡¯s sword, which had been sent flying, even managed to fall to the ground. After a while, Id withdrew his sword and asked. ¡°Do you want to try once again?¡± Sergey, who lost his fighting spirit due to Id¡¯s overwhelming sword skills, asked. ¡°Who are you? You are by no means Oleg Kozlov.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t accept the result, ask for a duel again any time. If you don¡¯t want to fight now, I¡¯ll go back to the fortress.¡± Staring blankly at Id¡¯s back, who had already turned to return to the fort, for a long while, Sergey led his troops down the mountain and reported his defeat to the headquarters. Upon hearing of his son¡¯s defeat, Baron Korolyov dispatched his Knight Commander Daniel and five Knights to the west fortress. Meanwhile, returning to the fort after defeating Sergey, Id called out to Denis. ¡°I defeated Sergey as promised, so free my friend. I no longer intend to fight your enemies in your stead. Go back to Aleksey with your apprentices and servants and let us be on our way.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. After staring at Id with a bewildered look for a while, Denis left the fortress and returned to the Kozlov Castle. After Denis left, Id gathered all the soldiers of the fortress. ¡°As you may have realised by now, I¡¯m not Oleg Kozlov. Given what the Kozlov¡¯s Knights do, it is certain that this war will end with the defeat of Baron Kozlov. You have no reason to lose your lives in a meaningless feudal war. Right now, if you enter the mountains in small groups. This war will be over within a few days. There will be no problem if you return to your village after then.¡± After hearing Id¡¯s words, the soldiers gathered food and scattered in twos and threes into the mountains. Having confirmed that all the soldiers had left, Id also left the fortress and headed for the Kozlov Castle. It did not seem that Aleksey would release Sasha that easily, so Id decided to rescue his friend himself, taking advantage of the disorder of the feudal battle. Hearing of Sergey¡¯s defeat, Daniel rushed to the fort, whipping the running horse relentlessly in order to arrive even a moment sooner. Having taught Sergey swordsmanship from an early age, Daniel cherished him like his own son. Known as the best swordsman in Scandia¡¯s northern areas, Daniel was considered one of the top ten swordsmen in the Kingdom. Looking at the depressed Sergey, Daniel attempted to comfort him. ¡°Defeat is an inevitable process you have to go through to become a high-class swordsman. What¡¯s important is that you didn¡¯t get hurt irreparably. From now, if you don¡¯t forget your duty as the heir to the Korolyov Viscounty and work hard, you¡¯ll be able to restore your honor later.¡± Nodding his head, Sergey said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see his face, but he cannot possibly be Oleg Kozlov.¡± ¡°Aleksey seems to be playing tricks, and I don¡¯t know yet who¡¯s involved, but I¡¯ll surely catch the boy who interfered with other people¡¯s war without regard for the consequences.¡± Daniel and Sergey led troops up to the fort, but all they found was an empty fortress. Sergey said to Daniel. ¡°I think we may have fallen into a trap. Isn¡¯t the enemy trying to raid our main camp while you¡¯re away?¡± Daniel said with a calm look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Their tricks won¡¯t work. Even with me missing, the two other high-class Knights in the main camp can beat Aleksey. Don¡¯t worry. Your father will be fine, and rather, it¡¯s a good opportunity. If Aleksey had gone for a surprise attack on our main camp, Kozlov Castle must be defenseless. If we attack now, we¡¯ll catch Baron Kozlov off guard without difficulty.¡± Chewing on his lower lip Sergey nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you said.¡± They marched with their troops towards the Kozlov Castle. Upon hearing that Daniel had rushed westward with five Knights, Aleksey immediately called all twenty-nine members of the Kozlov Knights Order and all fifty light cavalry units. Kozlov, who came to Aleksey preparing for a sudden attack, said with a perplexed look. ¡°Who¡¯s going to protect the Lord¡¯s Castle if you take the whole Knights Order and the light cavalry?¡± ¡°Now that Daniel is away, the number of Knights in their main camp will be less than twenty. If we miss Viscount Korolyov at this opportunity, we won¡¯t ever have a chance to win this war.¡± As Aleksey left with both Knights and the cavalry, Kozlov became fearful. In its current state, even just a few of Viscount Korolyov¡¯s Knights would be enough to take over the castle. They would not kill him, the aristocrat who had received a feud from the King, but he did not want to be taken to Viscount Korolyov as a captive. So Baron Kozlov prepared to run away with his valuables. After loading his valuables onto a wagon, Kozlov escaped through the north gate taking only four guards. He planned to go to his acquaintance, the Mayor of Nordburg, at first to ask for help and then try to find a way to escape to the estate of his wife¡¯s family where his son and daughters were staying. Id was watching from afar as Aleksey led the troops out of the Lord¡¯s Castle. As they completely disappeared from his sight, Id rounded the castle walls and found the most accessible place. The defense of the Castle, where the entire change of command had fallen into shambles, was a mess. Id found a relatively low wall and easily jumped into the Castle. He went to the dungeon''s entrance without hesitation, and no one stopped him in his armor with the Kozlov family¡¯s crest. The Knights, who had guarded the entrance to the dungeon, were called to Aleksey, and two conscripts, not even regular soldiers, were guarding it. Id approached them and said. ¡°The Knight Commander asked me to bring the captive.¡± Seeing Id¡¯s armor, the guard opened the door without asking any questions. When Id walked down the dungeon steps, the imprisoned Sasha, dressed in a light travel suit, was busy working out. Chain armor and weapons were neatly placed in the corner. ¡°Don¡¯t try to show off in front of me. Put on your armor and pack your weapons.¡± Hearing Id¡¯s low voice coming from behind the face shield, without a word, Sasha wore his armor, put mace and battle-axe on his back and held the sword and shield. Id called in a guard to open the prison door. As the two were about to escape the dungeon, Daniel and Sergey¡¯s troops broke through the castle gates. Id and Sasha hid at the entrance of the dungeon and paid attention to the outside movements. Situated in a square not far from the dungeon, Daniel and Sergey sent the soldiers to search for Kozlov¡¯s whereabouts. Chapter 28 28 ¡°We received information that Baron Kozlov has escaped on a carriage through the castle¡¯s north gate about thirty minutes ago.¡± Sergey, who received the report from a Knight, said, looking at Daniel. ¡°Kozlov could not have gone to the Forest of Evil Spirits. He must have gone to Nordburg. I¡¯ll catch him. Please continue to search the castle while I chase him down.¡± As Daniel nodded, Sergey and four Knights set off and raced at high speed to the north gate of the Lord¡¯s Castle. After Daniel had left, Aleksey attacked Viscount Koroylov¡¯s main camp with his own ploy. Only eighteen Knights remained by Viscount Korolyov`s side, with all of Kozlov¡¯s remaining strength, twenty-nine Knights and fifty light cavalries hoping to set an end to the war. As for Aleksey, he did the best he could do. When his troops were trying to force their way to where Viscount Korolyov was, more than a hundred of Korolyov¡¯s heavy cavalries rushed to meet them. Though the Kozlov Order had more Knights than Korolyov¡¯s in this battle, the latter¡¯s Cavalry outmatched the former¡¯s. Moreover, there was a significant difference in the Knights'' quality rendering the Kozlov Order''s numerical advantage practically meaningless. The balance between the two sides had drastically collapsed as Aleksey was besieged by two of Korolyov¡¯s high-class Knights, and soon his head fell. Though in feudal battles, the defeated side usually preserved their core strength and surrendered, the entirety of the Knights and Cavalry of the Kozlov family were destroyed in that battle. It was the complete downfall of the Kozlov Barony. Id and Sasha were hiding inside the entrance to the dungeon and looking for a chance to escape the Lord¡¯s Castle. However, less than ten minutes after Sergey left to pursue Kozlov, the Centuria in charge of Korolyov¡¯s eastern front arrived at the Kozlov Castle and searched it without leaving a single stone unturned following Daniel''s instructions. Most of Kozlov''s conscripts fled when the chain of command had crumbled, and most of the regular soldiers surrendered to Korolyov¡¯s force. They could not escape the soldiers'' eyes. The dungeon, where Id and Sasha were hiding was also swept by the search unit. Id made up his mind and came out of the dungeon, shouting to Daniel. ¡°We don¡¯t belong to the Kozlov Barony. I need to talk to the Knight Commander.¡± As a man approached, in a full suit of armor with the crest of the Kozlov family, a Korolyov¡¯s Knight stood in his way and said. ¡°It is funny that you say you don¡¯t belong to the Kozlov¡¯s estate while wearing such high quality armor with their crest on it. Take off your helmet and identify yourself.¡± Id took off his helmet and held it by his side. ¡°I was forced to accept the request of the Kozlov¡¯s Knight Commander Aleksey to fight with the heir to the Korolyov Viscounty while wearing the armor of Baron Kozlov¡¯s son since he had captured my friend as a hostage and threatened his life. Now that I¡¯ve rescued my friend, I want to leave this place. I expect you to let us go.¡± Listening to what Id short to-the-point explanation, Daniel asked, approaching him. ¡°Did you defeat Sergey Korolyov? How dare you fight a duel disguised as the heir to the hostile territory during the feudal war? It is an unforgivable intervention. Drop your weapon and surrender. I¡¯ll make a decision to decide your fate after a thorough investigation of your history.¡± ¡°You are no different from Aleksey. I don¡¯t see any difference between Aleksey, who had many Knights ambush my friend and subdue him after challenging me to a duel, disregarding the chivalry of a knight, and you, who persecutes the innocent at your own convenience.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Smiling coldly at Id¡¯s provocation, Daniel said. ¡°You mean Aleksey¡¯s Knights overpowered your friend with the power of numbers? Identify yourselves.¡± Sasha came forward to answer Daniel¡¯s question. ¡°I was watching the one-on-one confrontation between Aleksey and my friend, Id, when Knight Denis, together with three other Knights, attacked and overpowered me. They were cowards with no sense of chivalry. We are Id and Sasha, apprentices to Knight Andrew Adelian from the Marquis Adelian family of the Icarus Empire. Now that our master has passed away, we are on our way to the Empire to deliver his will and become Knights of the Marquis Adelian family.¡± Daniel was intrigued that one of the four Knights who attacked the young apprentice was Denis. He was the only knight excluding Aleksey among the Kozlov Knights that Daniel remembered the name of. He once had a duel with a Knight under Daniel¡¯s, and Daniel, who had watched the fight had considered Denis¡¯ swordsmanship to not be too bad, at least he should be more than enough to single-handedly overpower these young apprentice knights in front of him. As Daniel contemplated the matter, Id spoke up once again. ¡°I¡¯d like to request a one-on-one confrontation with the Knight Commander. If I win, just let us go. If I lose, we will follow you to have this matter settled officially.¡± As Daniel hesitated for a moment looking at Id, Sasha said. ¡°Before your duel, I want to have a one-on-one match first. Anyone but you would be fine.¡± A knight, who heard Sasha¡¯s request, approached Daniel. He was Knight Fyodor, whose sword technique was estimated to be at the same level as Denis. As he heard that Denis had ambushed a young apprentice along with other Knights, he stepped up, feeling as though the honor of knights had been tainted. ¡°Commander, let me show this apprentice the swordsmanship of a true Knight.¡± As Daniel nodded, Fyodor grumbled to Sasha, drawing his longsword. ¡°It seems that you look down on Kozlov¡¯s Knights. I¡¯ll show you that Knights of the Korolyov Order are entirely different from them.¡± Having untied the mace and battle-axe from his back, Sasha unsheathed his longsword and approached Fyodor. The two men, who stepped up confidently at first, carefully took a long pause to gauge the other¡¯s skill. Sasha was cautious because he did not want to be a burden to Id anymore, and Fyodor was careful because of Denis¡¯ strange behavior and reaction to Id¡¯s words. It was Sasha who initiated the fight first. He parried Fyodor¡¯s sword at an angle with the shield, then stretched out his right arm to stab his opponent¡¯s neck. As Fyodor tried to stop the blade with his shield, Sasha pulled back his sword and spun his body. Fyodor¡¯s shield and Sasha¡¯s chainmail scraped by each other, and Sasha struck his opponent¡¯s left side with his sword, having rotated his body four hundred and fifty degrees. Fyodor, who was struck by an unexpected blow, staggered back with a few shaky steps. Sasha¡¯s strike was so strong that Fyodor¡¯s platemail was partially crushed. As the furious Fyodor rushed in and brandished his sword, Sasha leaned back with his left shoulder, dodging the opponent¡¯s sword and smashed his sword into the left thigh of his opponent. Fyodor regained his lost balance by grounding his left knee and lowering the edge of his shield. The tip of his blade grazed Sasha¡¯s chainmail, but there was only a shallow scratch on the armor. The chainmail, which Andrew had worn almost all throughout his lifetime, was made of special alloy by the dwarf master Grayhammer who had his workshop in Icarus City, the Empire''s capital. It was thin and lightweight but much more durable than standard chainmail. The next moment, by bashing his opponent¡¯s right hand with his shield, Sasha created a gap and held the tip of his sword to Fyodor¡¯s neck. After a glimpse at Daniel, Sasha returned to Id, sheathing his sword. Id whispered to Sasha. ¡°If I confront the Knight Commander, don¡¯t stay too far away from me and be prepared for a surprise attack. If things go wrong, break through the siege and escape. When you start to escape, I¡¯ll stop fighting and follow after you.¡± Sasha nodded slightly, and Id challenged Daniel once again. ¡°Will you accept my request for a duel?¡± Daniel¡¯s expression had become quite serious. Judging from the apprentice¡¯s skills against Fyodor which he had displayed just moments ago, he seemed to have mastered the orthodox swordsmanship of a prominent family. No longer able to belittle Id, who was most likely to be even stronger than Sasha, Daniel left his sword and shield to his servant and held his halbert. The halbert was the weapon he was most confident in wiedling, with an axe blade on one side and a hook on the other. As Daniel approached Id, the latter took a few steps forward to meet the Knight Commander, unsheathing his ¡®Middlesword¡¯. ¡°Your friend¡¯s swordcraft was excellent. Do you use the same skills as him?¡± ¡°While my friend has learned the orthodox swordsmanship passed down by our late master, my skills have been modified a lot. Therefore, you won¡¯t be facing the same swordsmanship when fighting against me.¡± Intrigued by Id¡¯s words, Daniel lifted the halbert, and its blade was wrapped by a bluish aura. Id¡¯s blade, which he extended forward parallelly from his chest level, was also surrounded by a blue aura. Id, who had never faced an opponent wielding a halberd before, decided to wait to let his opponent make the first move. His intent was to observe the movements of the weapon completely unfamiliar to him. Recognizing Id¡¯s intention, Daniel charged and swung his halbert rapidly and attacked him a dozen times from different angles, not lacking in fluidity when chaining the moves together. Chapter 29 29 Id used his outstanding quick footwork to avoid the unfamiliar weapon of his opponent, but the hook of Daniel¡¯s halberd managed to graze his armor as he was not used to the attack patterns of the halberd. Daniel saw a faint blue aura appear on Id¡¯s armor when he did manage to land a superficial attack. ¡°You¡¯re wearing magic armor.¡± Id stepped back and examined his armor but found no trace of the halberd¡¯s hook grazing it. Id himself was also surprised by the effect of the Anti Physical Force engraved on the armor, Id replied to Daniel, being somewhat at a loss, unable to explain the current situation. ¡°Although I¡¯m wearing Oleg Kozlov¡¯s magic armor, Baron Kozlov gave it to me without the magic stone. Knight Commander Aleksey told me it does not function as magic armor currently.¡± Id turned around and showed Daniel the empty socket. Daniel tilted his head after checking with his eyes that the magic stone was indeed not plugged in place. Although he watched the signs of magic being activated by the armor with his own eyes, Daniel had no choice but to dismiss it as a mistake since he had never heard of magic imbued into equipment manifesting itself without a magic stone. Regardless, Daniel, the experienced Knight Commander, was well aware that it was not the armor but the opponent¡¯s distinct Aura Blade, which he should be concerned about. It was well known that no matter how high-level diagrams for Anti Physical Force were carved on an armor, it would be useless if the Aura Blade of an advanced swordsman struck it directly. Initially, magic armor was produced not due to the need of the Anti Physical Force but the necessity of the Anti Magic Force. Since casting spells took a certain amount of time for sorcerers, it was almost impossible for them to win a one-on-one match against advanced Knights. However, from the Knights¡¯ point of view, there was plenty of possibility of being subject to long-range magic attacks or consecutive attacks by multiple sorcerers. So, most of the advanced Knights wore magic armor. Daniel was known as the best Knight in northern Scandia, and his armor was also magic armor with an Anti Magic Force diagram engraved into it. When Daniel started attacking again, Id counterattacked this time. Id worried that Daniels halberd might contact his armor again, reactivating the Anti Physical Force, so he charged in, passing by the halberd''s attacking range, stepping faster. Having approached his opponent, standing almost face-to-face to him, Id used the hilt of his sword to strike Daniel¡¯s left hand which held the bottom of the halberd¡¯s shaft. Daniel responded by turning his halberd around and attacking Id¡¯s head, dropping his left hand and holding the halberd only with his right hand, their weapons crossed. The next moment, the halberd¡¯s head flew about five meters and fell to the ground. The rest of the shaft that remained in Daniel¡¯s hand was sharply cut at the top. Taking advantage of the sword¡¯s rotational power, Id turned around and kicked Daniel¡¯s abdomen with his right foot. Daniel flew backwards, but Id no longer chased him. He sheathed his sword, spoke matter-of-factly as Sasha approached him positioning himself behind Id, ready to run at a moment''s notice should the need arise. ¡°Now, let us go as promised. We have neither reason nor intention to intervene in your feudal war.¡± Daniel told his men, looking at his halberd¡¯s shaft in his hand. ¡°We¡¯ll let them go. I¡¯ll issue a pass so that they don¡¯t have any problems getting through our territory. Prepare for it.¡± Looking back at Id again, Daniel asked.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°In which direction are you planning to go?¡± ¡°If possible, we want to go south through both the Kozlov Barony and Korolyov Viscounty, and then to Scandia City via Pleo Grand Canyon.¡± After checking the pass brought by a Knight, Daniel handed it to Id. ¡°Within our territory, you only have to show this to the guards and will be able to pass the checkpoints without a hitch. It was a good match. Good luck with you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration. Then we¡¯ll get going now.¡± Giving Daniel a slight nod, Id and Sasha quickly escaped through the south gate of the Kozlov Castle and moved further southward. The two traveled along the forest path close to the Pleo Mountains, which was on the western border of the estates. Eating and sleeping in the woods, hunting for small animals to cook their meals, they passed through the two estates in three days and exited the southern boundary of the Korolyov Viscounty. Their destination was the small town, Chernobugor, at the entrance of the Pleo Grand Canyon. After Id and Sasha left, Baron Kozlov was captured by Sergey and taken to Viscount Korolyov. Kozlov was expelled from his estate after signing the surrender documents. Traditionally, the lord, who lost the feudal war, was allowed to take a carriage of his goods and treasures with him. However, as Kozlov had been caught after abandoning all his men and fleeing alone, he was expelled with only a small travel allowance. ************ A loud voice broke out at a restaurant in Chernobugor. About a dozen customers in the restaurant paid attention to an old man sitting at the table close to the wall. The man in his sixties was a six-circle mage from the Icarus Wizard Tower, Benjamin. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡± Dima, a cold-looking mercenary in his early thirties, sitting opposite to Benjamin, responded to the outraged Wizard with a low voice. He was one of the first-grade mercenaries, who numbered less than thirty throughout the entire country. ¡°It means exactly what I said. If you want to go through the Pleo Grand Canyon, you have to pay one hundred golds. As you paid ten golds in advance, you need to pay me ninety more. You can pay forty now and give us the remaining pay when we arrive at the Empire''s border.¡± ¡°According to our contract, I¡¯m supposed to pay you thirty golds for hiring one first-grade mercenary and three second-grade mercenaries to escort me to the Empire¡¯s border, and I already paid ten golds in advance. Do you think it makes sense to change the terms of the contract on the way?¡± Dima said, taking out the contract and showing it to Benjamin. ¡°The contract says that you can cancel it or request a change in its terms when going to a place where special risks are expected. If you change your course to the southeast and go to the Empire via the Ur Kingdom, we can proceed according to the original contract.¡± ¡°It is widely known that it is difficult to get through the Grand Canyon. Isn¡¯t it the reason why people hire escorts at such a high price? If you thought the Grand Canyon was a particularly dangerous place, you should¡¯ve told me before we¡¯d left Nordburg.¡± ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t go through the Grand Canyon where large monsters often appear after receiving thirty golds. Since you are canceling the contract, I can¡¯t return your advance payment.¡± A mean smile could be seen hanging on a corner of the mercenary¡¯s mouth. As Chernobugor was a small town in the forest, there was no Mercenary Guild in town, let alone the Wizard Tower. If Benjamin terminated the contract, he would have no choice but to travel without an escort through the dangerous Grand Canyon. Even though Benjamin was a six-circle-master mage, Dima did not bat an eye. Even if Benjamin were a seven-circle Wizard, not a six-circle-master mage, magicians could not match him, an Aura Blade user at a short distance. Among the thirty or so first-grade mercenaries in the Scandia Kingdom, he was the only advanced-level swordsman who could use the Aura Blade. Looking at Dima¡¯s languid face, Benjamin reached the end of his patience. Benjamin signed the contract after writing in a clause stating that he terminated it. ¡°I¡¯ll surely report to the Nordburg Mercenary Guild about today¡¯s incident.¡± Leaving the disgruntled Benjamin behind, Dima left the restaurant with his colleagues without any signs of regret. Four mercenaries left Chernobugor and walked along the forest path in the direction of Nordburg. One of Dima¡¯s colleagues, a second-grade mercenary, Vanya, said. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t there be any trouble after doing this to a six-circle mage from the Icarus Wizard Tower?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dead men tell no tales. The mage has quite a lot of gold coins. In order to deal with our situation, we need the money. If he plans to walk back to Nordburg that mage has to travel past this forest path. We just need to wait for him in a good place around here and ambush him.¡± Dima led a free mercenary company consisting of thirteen mercenaries, but about a month back on a battlefield, most members were killed by large-scaled attacking magic of several sorcerers, leaving only four of them. Having lost nine members at once, Dima could not operate his free company properly and fell into the current state, forced to act as a guard dog and escorting this mage. Having a lot of grudges against the sorcerers, Dima happened to see Benjamin¡¯s heavy bag of gold coins and was overcome with greed. He decided to kill Benjamin and take away his money. ¡°Are you going to kill the mage?¡± Dima¡¯s other colleague, Volodya, who was rather timid as a mercenary, asked Dima. Chapter 30 30 ¡°We must accept several excellent recruits to our free company to be treated as well as we used to be treated, for which we need the mage¡¯s money. Once we¡¯ve taken his gold coin pouch, we have to kill him to avoid future troubles. We can¡¯t leave any possible traces behind that could lead back to us.¡± Volodya glanced at Irina, a female mercenary, as she wandered off of the main road into the woods. Although she was a second-grade mercenary like him, her skills were far superior to his. Volodya was always cautious when dealing with her. Irina, who was also Dima¡¯s lover, had never been opposed to his decisions, never questioning his commands. After a while, Irina came back out of the woods and suggested to Dima. ¡°I think this is a good place to set up an ambush. If we ambush him on the little hill in the forest, it would be easy to hide in the thick branches and to secure visibility in both directions due to the high terrain.¡± ¡°All right, then let¡¯s first grab a bite to eat and set up the ambush on the hill Irina mentioned.¡± The six-circle-master mage, Benjamin, was born in a mountain village on the border between the Icarus Empire and the Scandia Kingdom. When Benjamin was a child, his talent for magic was discovered by a mage from the Icarus Wizard Tower, who visited Benjamin¡¯s hometown. Since then Benjamin lived his whole life in the Wizard Tower with the goal of becoming a seven-circle Wizard for more than fifty years. When they become a four-circle-expert mage, most mages leave the Tower to help feudal lords participate in various wars and raise funds for their magic research. However, Benjamin had never left the Icarus Wizard Tower in his life ever since he had joined at the age of ten. Except when he earned research funds by creating magic artifacts or charging magic stones, he was confined to his lab, focusing on increasing the number of circles carved on his heart. Benjamin had become a six-circle-master mage before reaching the age of fifty, increasing the number of circles at a relatively fast pace. Still, he could not overcome the wall of the seventh-circle even after becoming sixty years old, even though he had trained harder than ever before during the last decade. Benjamin¡¯s father was a hunter. A few years after his son had left for the Icarus Wizard Tower, he moved to Nordburg with his entire family. Although the Forest of Evil Spirits was dangerous, it was an ideal hunting ground for a competent hunter. Benjamin¡¯s father retired after more than twenty years of work, taking good care of his family. His eldest son, Benjamin''s older brother, who had followed him around and learned to hunt, became a good hunter and took care of the family after his father had retired. Benjamin¡¯s father, over the age of eighty, died of old age, and Benjamin, who received the news of his passing, went to Nordburg to visit his family. The poor mage, who left the Wizard Tower for the first time fifty years, suffered an absurd incident in Chernobugor on his way back to the Icarus Wizard Tower. When Benjamin had arrived in Nordburg, he had had no problems as he had been accompanied by acquaintances who were advanced Knights. Having parted with his acquaintances in Nordburg, Benjamin had to hire mercenaries for safety on his way back through the Pleo Grand Canyon. After much consideration of various things, Benjamin decided to return to Nordburg and ask for help from the Nordburg Wizard Tower. It was apparently too dangerous to go through the Grand Canyon alone. Although on the way to Nordburg, he had met an ogre and three trolls, the Knights had dealt with them without a fuss at that time. So Benjamin did not think much about the danger of traveling through the Grand Canyon before. However, misfortune seemed inevitable if he decided to traverse the canyon on his own. There would be no chance that the monsters would wait for him to be ready and cast spells before attacking him. Having walked north from Chernobugor for half a day on the forest path, Benjamin prepared to sleep in the open, watching the sun setting on the mountains. The sun set early in the region because the high Pleo Mountains blocked the west. Baking beef jerky on the bonfire, Benjamin noticed someone else¡¯s presence. He looked around and found four people were approaching him as if to surround him. When Benjamin pulled out his magic wand, the man, coming to him from the front, said. ¡°Don¡¯t think about using magic. I can assure you that your head will fly before your casting is even halfway done.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As the man approached close enough, Benjamin could see his face, which became distinct in the bonfire. ¡°Dima, are you trying to rob someone you were escorting?¡± ¡°You should blame yourself for carrying too many gold coins. I was forced to escort a mage in needy circumstances, otherwise I would never do this out of my own volition. Last month, I lost nine colleagues I¡¯ve been with for years owing to you bastard sorcerers. Several sorcerers bombarded us with Fireballs, we weren¡¯t even able to recover our colleagues'' dead bodies afterwards. I ran around trying to defend against the magic attack, but no matter how hard I tried, I only managed to save three of my colleagues. Let¡¯s just say this is revenge for my dead comrades.¡± ¡°What I¡¯ve done all my life is research in the Wizard Tower. I¡¯ve never used attack magic against men, let alone kill people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just your case, but I have no qualms about attacking sorcerers. If you don¡¯t give up your gold coin bag, you¡¯ll be in for a rough ride.¡± As Benjamin lowered his magic wand, Irina stepped up to him and took it away, then took out the gold coin pouch from his inner pocket. ¡°It¡¯s quite heavy. We won¡¯t have to worry about money for a good while.¡± Irina said, handing the pouch over to Dima. Having received the gold coin pouch, Dima ordered Vanya and Volodya. ¡°Gag the mage and tie him to the big tree over there.¡± Sorcerers could cast spells without a wand. It just took longer to cast without it. Therefore, they put a gag in Benjamin¡¯s mouth to prevent him from using magic. Dima instructed Vanya and Volodya in a low voice when they returned after tying Benjamin to the tree. ¡°Make sure to remove any evidence that the mage may have left behind. We can¡¯t let anyone find out we ambushed the mage here, if the Icarus Wizard Tower were to find out about it, it would be the end of us. Once we kill the mage we are going to have to bury him in the woods where no one will find him.¡± It was unwise to have a grudge with sorcerers. The sorcerers, especially the mages belonging to Wizard Towers, were bound to avenge their colleagues at any cost. After Vanya and Volodya entered the forest, Dima and Irina sat by Benjamin''s bonfire. Benjamin struggled, belatedly noticing that the mercenaries were planning on killing him, but there was nothing he could do to save himself since the mercenaries tied him up tightly. Benjamin was deeply remorseful, thinking he was to be killed in this remote forest, having done nothing in his life other than study magic in the Wizard Tower. When Dima enlarged the bonfire and hung a pot over it, Irina prepared soup. Irina, who was seasoning the soup with grain powder, meat jerky and dried wild vegetables, suddenly stopped cooking and told Dima. ¡°Somebody is coming. Given that they are moving in the darkness in the forest, they must be bandits.¡± ¡°Argh shit, this is going to be annoying. It will be troublesome if there¡¯re witnesses.¡± Standing up with his weapon, Dima told Vanya and Volodya, coming back from the forest after digging up the pit. ¡°Uninvited guests are coming. Get ready.¡± The mercenaries listened to the distant footsteps and prepared for a fight. As the mercenaries could not leave witnesses behind, they had no choice but to kill anyone, regardless of who they were. Id and Sasha, looking for a place to sleep at night, came up to the light of the bonfire. Id was wearing only a thin leather armor, which he made of deerskin by himself, having taken off the platemail and put it in his oversized backpack. Approaching the bonfire with distinctive clatters of chainmail, Sasha asked the mercenaries. ¡°Excuse me, can we share the bonfire?¡± Relaxing from seeing their still young faces, Irina replied. ¡°Who are you, walking through the forest after sunset? The only people moving in the forest at this time are bandits.¡± ¡°Bandits? We are apprentices on a journey. It became dark on the way to Chernobugor, so we were looking for a place to camp.¡± Sasha replied to Irina with a look of bewilderment at the word bandits. Having carefully examined Sasha and Id, Dima said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to sleep in the forest with strangers. Find your own campsite elsewhere.¡± As Sasha did not want to discuss the matter anymore with the mercenaries, he moved to continue towards Chernoburor, offended by their cold attitude. In the meanwhile Id, who had his attention elsewhere, asked Dima as he observed Benjamin. ¡°Who is that person tied to the tree over there?¡± Irina thought, between the two, Sasha, wearing chainmail and having a longsword, was superior to Id, wearing a thin leather mail and carrying a large backpack. She even guessed the latter must be the former¡¯s servant. However, Dima recognized Id¡¯s unusual abilities from his movements. Dima thought Id might be an advanced swordsman, even though he still looked too young for that. So Dima had intended to let Id go somewhere else without creating a conflict with him by refusing to share the bonfire. When Id asked about Benjamin, Dima replied with a somewhat disappointed look. ¡°He¡¯s wanted in a fraud case, and we''re taking him to Nordburg.¡± Frowning, Id argued against Dima¡¯s answer. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a mage cheating for money. Why would a mage involve himself in a fraud case when mages can make as much money as they want with magic when necessary?¡± Chapter 31 31 Id recognized Benjamin¡¯s identity at a glance from his attire and manna force. As Id discovered Benjamin was a mage, Vanya and Volodya picked up their weapons and prepared to attack Id. Dima said to Id. ¡°You are a quick-witted boy. But this time around, your sharp senses have determined your fate.¡± At the end of Dima¡¯s words, holding two battle axes in both hands, Vanya stepped up to Id. Sasha blocked Vanya in front of Id and told the mercenary, unsheathing his longsword. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you.¡± Id moved aside to make room for Sasha and Vanya to fight, and coincidentally, he ended up close to Benjamin. Dima frowned, but he paid attention to the fight between Vanya and Sasha. Vanya was an experienced mercenary who spent more than a decade on the battlefield. Still, when he got into a one-on-one match with Sasha, he was overwhelmed by both his opponent¡¯s speed and power, and was forced to back down repeatedly. Though he managed to keep Sasha¡¯s sword at bay with his crisis management skills built up in countless battles, it did not seem like he would be able to last for much longer. As Dima signaled with his eyes, Volodya attacked Sasha with his short spear. Although Sasha was attacked simultaneously by the two second-grade mercenaries, he dominated the battle, overwhelming his opponents. Watching the fight between the three from a distance, Irina pulled two daggers out of her belt and threw them at Sasha. The two daggers, one thrown after the other, flew to Sasha¡¯s face and thigh at tremendous speed, but Id rushed in and with one stroke of his sword the two flying daggers were blown away. Watching Id¡¯s swordsmanship, Dima jumped at Id, brandishing his sword. As soon as Id struck down Irina¡¯s daggers, he moved toward the tree where Benjamin was tied and swung his sword twice to cut the rope which bound the mage tightly. Benjamin rubbed his hands a few times and ungagged himself as his tied hands were freed. ¡°Thank you.¡± Though Benjamin thanked him for the help, Id did not answer since he was already facing Dima. Striking his sword against Id¡¯s blade several times, Dima acknowledged his prediction was not wrong. Id¡¯s Aura Blade had a more vivid blue color than Dima¡¯s. Surprised that Dima¡¯s sword skills were superior to those of Korolyov''s Knight Commander Daniel, Id tensed up as he also had to prepare for Irina¡¯s daggers. Since Id faced Dima with the long-range attacks by Irina keeping him in check, the confrontation between the two became drawn out. Meanwhile, Sasha was also concerned about Irina¡¯s dagger attack, so he could not one-sidedly attack Vanya and Volodya anymore. Tensions were mounting in the small vacant lot in the forest amid the dizzying fights among the five. Irina was shocked as Dima was overwhelmed by the young apprentice. She had spent more than seven years as a mercenary together with Dima, but she had never seen anyone superior to Dima in one-on-one confrontations. As she was completely focused on her opponent and searching for any opportunity to attack him with her dagger, her face suddenly turned pale when she suddenly heard a male voice chanting. Turning her head, she saw Benjamin, the six-circle-master mage who had been freed, preparing a spell. Focused on Dima¡¯s confrontation with Id, she had forgotten that there was a six-circle-master mage who held a grudge against her. ¡°Fireball.¡± As Benjamin shouted out the start-up word. He had been chanting the spell incantation for a while in a low voice, a Fireball, having grown in size in his hands, flew towards Irina at a terrifying speed. Though Irina tried to escape as soon as she heard Benjamin''s initiator, she could not avoid it and was directly hit by the Fireball. The magic was on a different level when manifested by a six-circle-master mage than by four-circle mages Irina had often encountered on the battlefields. As flames engulfed her entire body, Irina was burned to a crisp as she screamed in pain.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°No!¡± Enraged by Irina¡¯s death, Dima rushed to Benjamin, wielding his sword at the mage, ignoring Id, who blocked his way. The next moment, Dima shuddered and stopped his movements. Dima''s last memory was seeing the tip of Id¡¯s sword, which had penetrated his heart, escape out of his chest. It was the vain end of Dima, the supreme mercenary of the Kingdom of Scandia. Benjamin kept chanting the spells without batting an eye as he watched Dima jump at him. Finally, he shouted the start-up words without delay when he completed casting the spells. ¡°Multiply Gravity.¡± Vanya, who was avoiding Sasha¡¯s sword, collapsed on the spot as the gravity around him increased by two hundred and fifty-six times in an instant. Vanya, whose bones were broken and crushed, died with a suppressed moan. Since Benjamin¡¯s anger was immense, even though this was his first time using his magic to attack other people, Irina and Vanya died mercilessly at his hands. Almost at the same time as Vanya¡¯s death, Volodya¡¯s head flew into the air at Sasha¡¯s sword. As Id and Sasha piled up the bodies of three mercenaries together, Benjamin, who regained his wand that Irina dropped, cast Fireball once again. Id said to Benjamin, watching the three flaming bodies of the former mercenaries. ¡°We are apprentices Id and Sasha. How did you end up in such a rough spot?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Benjamin from Icarus Wizard Tower. Thank you for saving my life.¡± Having sunk helplessly by the bonfire, Benjamin explained what happened to Id and Sasha. After listening silently to the end of the mage¡¯s story, Id said. ¡°We are on our way to the Icarus Empire, so why don¡¯t you join us instead of going back to Nordburg?¡± ¡°I was about to ask you to allow me to join you anyway. I want to hire you as escorts to the border of the Empire. What do you think?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to employ us. We¡¯ll keep you safe as best we can. It¡¯s not a problem as we are going the same way regardless and we can keep eachother company.¡± Benjamin responded by opening the gold coin pouch he had recovered from Dima, taking out a hundred golds and sticking them out to Id. ¡°I¡¯m giving these to you as you saved my life, so don¡¯t say no. I don¡¯t think we need to write a contract or anything. Just help me as much as you can if I¡¯m in danger. I don¡¯t know how far you are planning on going, but the more travel expenses one has, the better.¡± Id looked at Sasha with a bashful smile. As Sasha nodded slightly, Id said to Benjamin. ¡°I see. Thank you. I¡¯ll take them. We¡¯ll keep you safe until we reach the border of the Empire.¡± The mage smiled faintly and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now. I¡¯m so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open. We¡¯ll go a long way together, so let¡¯s hear each other¡¯s questions later.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare soup to eat for supper. How about eating some before sleeping?¡± ¡°No thanks. Have a nice supper. Sleep comes first for me now.¡± Benjamin lay by the bonfire to sleep. Id took a pot out of his backpack, hung it over the bonfire and boiled soup. As the savory smell began to spread, Benjamin sat right back up. ¡°It smells so good, so I can¡¯t just sleep. Let me have a taste of your soup after all.¡± As he began to fill a bowl with soup and handed it over to the mage, Id spoke. ¡°My late master also liked the soup I cooked.¡± ¡°May your master rest in peace. I was going to ask you later, but who raised such great apprentices like you?¡± ¡°Andrew from the Adelian family, the Marquis of the Empire.¡± ¡°Andrew Adelian? Do you mean the Knight Commander of the Red Lion Order? I saw him a couple of times when he visited the Icarus Wizard Tower. I¡¯ve heard rumors that he retired, having been defeated by Willam Cronos, but did he die in Scandia?¡± ¡°Yes. My master stayed in the Forest of Evil Spirits for the past seven years, teaching us swordsmanship, and passed away several days ago. He passed away as if he had fallen asleep, so we didn¡¯t know for a while that he had died. We are on our way to the Adelian Marquisate to deliver the news of our master¡¯s passing.¡± Benjamin turned around and looked at Sasha. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I inherited all the weapons and armor except for the full plate mail master wore and fell asleep in the end. Id was supposed to inherit master¡¯s equipment, but for some reason, master inherited them to me.¡± Id cut into their conversation. ¡°Now that Sasha has learned the entirety of master¡¯s swordsmanship, no wonder our master inherited his armament to Sasha.¡± ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t learn your master¡¯s swordsmanship authentically?¡± ¡°I intended to in the beginning, but my swordsmanship has changed a lot from the archetypes which my master had taught to me. My master didn¡¯t care much about my swordsmanship being altered, so I changed it a lot as I continued learning¡± Chapter 32 32 Benjamin reassessed Id. Although he talked as if it was nothing special, what Id said meant that he had created his original swordsmanship style, and at such a young age. Andrew must have held Id¡¯s new swordsmanship in high regard, not interfering with the process of its alteration. Looking into Benjamin¡¯s eyes, Id briefly talked about how he and Sasha came to Chernobugor after Andrew died. Benjamin showed interest when Id mentioned the magic armor since he had participated in manufacturing some suits of magic armor in the Icarus Wizard Tower. ¡°Can I see the armor you have acquired?¡± Id took the armor out of his backpack and handed it over to Benjamin. Having observed the magic diagrams engraved on the armor, Benjamin took a magic stone out of his backpack and plugged it into the socket. It was a beautiful magic stone with a ruby in the middle. As Benjamin chanted a simple spell, the three spells of the magic armor were activated at once. The magic armor covered in subtle red light shone brilliantly in the dark forest. ¡°It¡¯s a rare armor with three esoteric spells. I¡¯m sure a seven-circle Wizard was involved in its production. Can you tell me who made this armor?¡± The armor was the work of the dwarf master Blackanvil and the seven-circle Wizard Torres, the Owner of the Scandia Wizard Tower, but Id did not know this. ¡°I don¡¯t know who made it.¡± ¡°There are several seven-circle Wizards in the Icarus Empire and the Magic Kingdom Mudriya, but only one in Scandia. The spells were probably engraved by Torres, the Owner of Scandia¡¯s Wizard Tower. A dwarf master must have manufactured the armor itself, but I¡¯m unsure who he was. I¡¯ll give you my magic stone as a gift. Now, with the magic stone activating the Lightweight spell, it should be far more comfortable to wear the armor than carry it on your back during your travel.¡± Id thought for a moment about whether to tell Benjamin that the armor¡¯s spells already worked without a magic stone, using his manna, but he decided not to reveal his secret yet. Until achieving the Aura Beam, it would be better to keep it secret that he had created a manna hall in his body. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can give such a precious magic stone to me who you¡¯ve come across for the first time today. I don¡¯t wear the armor, not because it¡¯s heavy. I decided not to return this armor to the Kozlov family but to keep it since what they had done to Sasha and me was unforgivable. I will visit a blacksmith¡¯s workshop first and remove their crests on the armor before using it.¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t met you today, who I met for the first time today, I would already be resting six feet under. If you try to erase a noble family¡¯s crests on your armor at a blacksmith¡¯s, you may stir up trouble. I¡¯ll erase them for you. If you have any crests or patterns you want, I¡¯ll draw them instead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the status to draw a crest on my armor yet.¡± Benjamin smiled and tapped Id on the shoulder, then chanted a spell for a long time. ¡°Reformation.¡± When Benjamin spoke the starter, the armor was covered in purple light. As the Kozlov family¡¯s crests and colorful patterns disappeared, the armor turned into a modest form of silver armor, highlighting the delicate crafts of a dwarf.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Thank you for the soup. Now I have to sleep indeed.¡± The following day, the three left for Chernobugor. At Benjamin¡¯s advice, Id decided to put only the helmet in his backpack and wear the platemail since he had so much luggage that his backpack was about to explode. Chernobugor was a town on a hill in the middle of the Black Forest. It was a small town with about two thousand permanent residents, but it was crowded with a large number of travelers. A stone castle stood at the highest ground on the hill, and considerably sizable farmland was reclaimed outside the castle. There were eight gates on the castle''s outer ramparts, all open during the day, and no one checked the people going in or out. The castle¡¯s guards worked at watchtowers mounted on all sides of the ramparts, their mission was to monitor sudden attacks of monsters from the Pleo Grand Canyon. The three entered the castle through the northeastern gate of Chernbugor¡¯s outer ramparts. The gate was open, so they could see the luggage carts of large merchant groups move in and out. Chernobugor was centered around a radial road system that stretched from the inner ramparts to eight wide roads to the eight gates of outer ramparts. There were many shops on both sides of the street, and the restaurants they could see were crowded because it was lunchtime. Id¡¯s party entered a five-story building with a sign displaying the White Rabbit Inn. A restaurant was on the first floor, and the inn''s guest rooms occupied the floors from the second to the fifth. At the counter, a woman in her thirties, who in some ways resembled a big white rabbit, greeted the party with a bright smile. ¡°Are you staying or just eating? As you can see, there are no empty seats in the restaurant, so you have to wait a little while to eat.¡± Katya, the innkeeper, said, looking at Id. ¡°Do you have an empty triple room?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have triple rooms, so you need to book either a double and single room or a quadruple room.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take a quadruple room. We need to wash up because we traveled for a long time. Where should we go?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bathing facility in the backyard. Though it''s commonplace, it has a few private partitions for your convenience. Your room number is three-o-two. You can go up to the third floor by the stairs you see over there.¡± ¡°We are planning to have lunch after taking a bath, so could you make a reservation if there are any empty seats?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make a reservation. Would you like to order food in advance?¡± Id took Katya¡¯s menu and handed it over to Benjamin. After Benjamin placed a generous order, the three went up to the room. After taking a bath, the three came back to the restaurant. Id was wearing a simple suit for travel only with a sword hanging on his waist, but Sasha was wearing chainmail. There were still guests at the other tables in the restaurant, and only one table by the window was empty, on which the sign ¡®Reserved Seat¡¯ was placed. As soon as the party sat down, a lovely looking girl in her mid-teens served their food. ¡°Do you have some cool beer?¡± Hearing Benjamin, the girl answered, smiling. ¡°Yes, our beer is famous in this town. Three glasses?¡± Benjamin nodded. After the girl went to get beer, Id spoke to Benjamin, ¡°After eating, I think I¡¯ll have to stop by a store that sells leather goods. Since I carried too much luggage in my backpack, it looks like it¡¯s going to rip soon. I need to get a stronger backpack.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I need some stuff too, so let¡¯s take a look around the city in the afternoon.¡± Benjamin took his time drinking and eating. Id and Sasha were eating fast, fascinated by the proper food they had not eaten for a long time. Then a late teenage girl in travel wear approached them and said. ¡°Excuse me, can I join you?¡± The round table was quite large, so there were still two more empty chairs. Benjamin looked at the girl carefully and answered. ¡°All right. Are you traveling alone?¡± It was a rare case for a woman to travel alone, so Benjamin looked a little suspicious, but he did not refuse her request to join them at their table. After sitting down and ordering food, the girl said. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m Lara, an adventurer traveling here and there. Are you a sorcerer?¡± Benjamin, who grinned at a high-teen girl introducing herself as an adventurer, said. ¡°I am a mage from the Icarus Wizard Tower, Benjamin. Usually, don¡¯t several adventurers make a party together?¡± Seeing Benjamin¡¯s suspicious look, Lara said with a beautiful smile. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I began my journey, so I don¡¯t have a party yet. If I meet a good adventurer party, I will probably try to join them.¡± ¡°Then, it seems a bit too early to call yourself an adventurer.¡± ¡°You know, life itself is an adventure.¡± Benjamin thought Lara was a feisty girl, but when he saw her naive smile, he did not bother worrying about it anymore. Looking at Id drinking beer after the meal, Lara asked. ¡°Are you adventurers?¡± ¡°We are apprentices Id and Sasha. Nice to meet you.¡± Chapter 33 33 When Id introduced himself to Lara, two quarrels flew through the open window with a wind-piercing sound toward them. Id sprang up from his seat and swung his sword to strike the quarrels away. The next moment, he ran out of the restaurant to the street. Lara, Sasha and Benjamin followed him and saw that three men in black besieged Id, keeping him at bay for a while before running away soon after. Id did not chase them and walked over to where his party had watched him fight. The four people, each with a number of questions in mind, returned to the restaurant and sat down at the table again, an awkward silence hanging in the air. Lara, who had been looking down at her hands for a long time, opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind. ¡°Now that this has happened, I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯m from the Thieves¡¯ Guild of the Ur Kingdom. Since my parents were guild executives, I grew up at the headquarters of the Thieves¡¯ Guild from an early age. After my father, the former guild leader, was murdered last month, my mother, who had never wanted me to live as a guild member, took me out of the guild. The new guild leader declared my mother a traitor and sent men to the border of Ur and Scandia. When several of his men attacked my mother and me near the border, my mother sacrificed herself to give me a chance to flee. When I arrived here in Chernobugor, I thought I was out of the chase¡¯s reach, but they tracked me down all the way here. I saw a couple of familiar faces attack you, Id. Probably more guild members will arrive here soon. I don¡¯t want to put you in danger, so I¡¯ll go somewhere else now.¡± Unlike her bright appearance from before the incident, Lara¡¯s eyes were moist and slightly red. When Lara stood up from her seat, Id, who had kept looking into her eyes while Lara had told her story, dissuaded her. ¡°You must be tired of being chased around. Why don¡¯t you eat first? Including the crossbow shooter, at least four men are after you. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go alone.¡± Id stopped talking and looked at Benjamin for a while. As Benjamin did not react in any particular way, Id asked Lara. ¡°Where do you plan to go?¡± Listening to Id, Lara was looking at Benjamin. After Benjamin nodded, Lara sat back down and answered Id. ¡°You saved my life, and I didn''t even say thank you. Thank you so much. Since I¡¯ve only been concentrating on running away, I don¡¯t have any particular destination.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much to say I saved your life. I don¡¯t think you would have lost your life by such attacks. You seem to have great martial arts skills, and you are a sorceress too.¡± Surprised by Id¡¯s insight, Lara opened her eyes wide and asked him. ¡°How did you know I learned magic?¡± Benjamin replied to Lara instead of Id. ¡°Id recognized at a glance that I was a mage. He seems to have a special ability to read the flow of manna. How many circles did you carve on your heart?¡± ¡°My mother was a four-circle mage. She joined the Thieves¡¯ Guild since she¡¯d fallen in love with my father, who had been the former guild leader. I think my mother has been thinking about leaving the guild ever since my father died. She taught me magic since I was young, but I¡¯m still only at two-circles.¡± ¡°Can I take a look at your magic force?¡± As Lara nodded, Benjamin chanted a spell.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Magic Force Examination.¡± Benjamin, who used magic to examine Lara¡¯s magic circles and flow of manna surrounding her, said, ¡°You have great potential for magic. Will you follow me to the Icarus Wizard Tower and learn magic in earnest? Since Id and Sasha, who have excellent swordsmanship, will accompany me to the Icarus border, you will be able to escape the pursuit of the Thief Guild if you join us.¡± Although slightly taken aback by the offer, Lara carefully considered Benjamin¡¯s sudden suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ve learned martial arts from my father and magic from my mother since I was a little child, and I¡¯ve been thinking martial arts suit me better than magic. But now that I have no one to teach me martial arts, I¡¯m not sure what to do. If you allow me to accompany you, I¡¯d like to think more about my future on our way to the Icarus Empire.¡± Benjamin responded to Lara, nodding, ¡°All right, take your time to think about it. In the meantime, anytime you want to learn magic, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°Thank you for being so kind to me even though we¡¯ve only just met.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better thank Id rather than me. Though I met him for the first time yesterday, he saved my life. Judging by the sorcerer¡¯s sixth sense, he seems to have an ability to look inside people. Seeing that he¡¯s trying to help you, I believe you¡¯re a good person.¡± Looking at Id, Lara said, ¡°Thank you. Your swordsmanship was great. Are you going to be a Knight?¡± ¡°Yes, Sasha and I will go to the estate of our late master¡¯s family to be knighted there and fulfill the will he has entrusted us with.¡± The party of four, who wandered around the town in the afternoon and bought travel items, returned to the inn late in the evening. Lara decided to stay in the same room as the other three for safety. It was already past eleven when they returned to their room after a late dinner. Four people, who had been sleeping out in the open for a long time on their own individual journeys, fell asleep as soon as they lay in bed. In the middle of the night, a black dangling object crept through the door''s keyhole of Id party¡¯s room, and green smoke came out from its end. Having smelled the unpleasant odour, Id opened his eyes and rose to his feet. A sudden spell of dizziness hit him as he did. Having realized that he had been poisoned, Id sat back down on the bed and started manna circulation. Id¡¯s manna moved quickly to discharge the poison from his body. After half an hour of manna circulation, when Id discharged almost all the poison penetrated his body, four men in black intruded his room. They had been cautious, patiently waiting for the poison to take its effect. But that patience had come back to bite them as it had allowed Id to expel the entirety of the poison that had entered his body. Having seen Id¡¯s silhouette sitting on the bed, the intruders rushed at him, brandishing their weapons all at once. Id jumped out of bed, unsheathing his sword. After several collisions of weapons in the cramped guestroom of the inn in the darkness, moans were heard here and there. Id lit the lamp. All four intruders were moaning and bleeding as their hands holding their weapons were cut off. Their weapons were littered on the floor along with their severed hands. ¡°Everyone, sit in the middle of the room. If you don¡¯t follow my instructions, I will no longer be merciful enough to let you live¡± As the four intruders gathered in the middle of the room, Id approached Benjamin and put his left hand on his chest, still wary of intruders as he kept holding onto his sword with his right hand. The manna, which rose from Id¡¯s manna hall, flowed through his palm into the mage¡¯s chest, wrapped the poison and released it from Benjamin¡¯s body. A few moments later, the mage opened his eyes and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°There are intruders. They released poison into the room before they broke in. There¡¯s still some poison in your body, so stay put for a while.¡± ¡°Did you detoxify it? You have an interesting skill. But now that I¡¯ve come to my senses, leave it to me.¡± Benjamin raised his wand and chanted a spell. ¡°Detoxication.¡± The bluish magic force covered Benjamin¡¯s wand, and all the poison left in his body was released. He detoxicated both Sasha and Lara and woke them up. Having confirmed that all of his companions were safe, Id asked the intruders. ¡°Why are you so persistent in tracking Lara even though her mother is already dead?¡± As all the intruders remained silent, Lara asked a gray-haired, middle-aged man. ¡°Uncle Mateus, you were close to my father, weren¡¯t you? Why are you doing this?¡± Asked by Lara, the middle-aged man answered in a somber tone. ¡°The guild leader ordered us to catch you by any means necessary. Besides, your mother''s magic killed almost twenty guild members, so some members hold a grudge against you regardless of the leader¡¯s order.¡± Mateus, who had been silent for a while, opened his mouth again. ¡°I am sorry, Lara. Since all my family members are currently staying at the guild''s headquarters, I have to obey the leader''s order. You probably don¡¯t know yet, but the guild leader is the one who killed your father. He already poisoned your father, and he will make sure not to leave any loose-ends by letting you live. Many teams are chasing you beside us, so run as far as you can. And kill me. My family will only be safe if I die.¡± Lara took four tiny daggers out of her belt, tightly holding two daggers in each hand. Tears kept flowing down her eyes. Biting her lower lip, Lara threw all four daggers at almost the same time. All four daggers accurately hit the necks of the four men. Chapter 34 34 Id, who confirmed the death of the four intruders, asked Sasha. ¡°Can you call the innkeeper? We can¡¯t leave the bodies unattended in the room, so I think we should report this to the town¡¯s Security Force.¡± Sasha went downstairs and brought the innkeeper, Katya. She was not too surprised to see the bodies scattered in the room. ¡°Who are these people?¡± Id answered Katya¡¯s question. ¡°They are members of the Ur Kingdom¡¯s Thieves¡¯ Guild. They have been tracking Lara here, and while we were sleeping, they spread poison in the room and sneaked in. They left us no other choice than to kill them. You don¡¯t seem to be too surprised by the matter¡± Katya glanced at Lara and told Id. ¡°After what happened during the day, I thought maybe something else would happen. Chernobugor has such a large fluctuating population, which means it¡¯s a place where a lot of people from other regions or countries come and go, so this kind of incident often happens. I¡¯ve sent a man, so the Security Force will come here soon to take care of things.¡± Moments later, the squad captain, who was on watch at the Security Force office, came into the room with two subordinates. The squad captain said in a calm voice. ¡°I¡¯m Mikhail in charge of the Security Force¡¯s East Squad. Thank you for leaving the scene untouched. Under the circumstances, it appears that the dead here have trespassed in your accommodation, so I¡¯ll proceed with the investigation on the premise of self-defense. Who killed these men?¡± Lara answered. ¡°I threw daggers and killed them.¡± Lara told Mikhail in detail what had happened since escaping the Ur Kingdom''s Thief Guild. Mikhail, who did not interfere with Lara to finish her story, asked. ¡°Did you cut their wrists also?¡± Id answered instead of Lara. ¡°I¡¯m Id, an apprentice knight. When they broke in, my three companions were poisoned and unconscious. I went a little too far because my colleagues could have been in danger.¡± ¡°After that, did you detoxify the others?¡± Benjamin answered Mikhail¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m Benjamin, a mage from the Icarus Wizard Tower. After Id had woken me up, I detoxified myself and the others. It was a sort of anesthetic neurotoxin that zonks people for a while.¡± Mikhail bowed politely to the mage, filling out a document. After the four checked the document and signed it, the squad captain received a witness signature from Katya, the innkeeper. ¡°The investigation is over. We¡¯ll take care of the bodies. How long are you planning to stay in town?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Id replied to Mikhail. ¡°One of the dead said several tracking teams are still chasing Lara, so we are going to leave Chernobugor right now to enter the Pleo Grand Canyon.¡± ¡°Thank you for your cooperation. Have a safe trip.¡± The four, who thought they were lucky to have completed the investigation at the scene without going to the Security Force office, left to the southwestern gate of Chernobugor¡¯s outer ramparts, skipping their breakfast. They thought it would be better to clash with the pursuers in the desolate ravine rather than the crowded downtown area. There was a huge horse market about a hundred meters before the southwestern gate of the outer ramparts of Chernobugor Castle. The Grand Canyon was originally called the Wonders of Mother Nature, which was rarely visited by humans for a long time. Still, about two hundred years back, Scandia Kingdom began to construct a road in the middle of the eastern cliff of the canyon to expand its territory to the north. After decades of large-scale works, they managed to reach two hundred kilometers in the ravine and sent troops through the newly established path to the north to carve out territories. Consequently, Scandia¡¯s national power was greatly enhanced about a hundred years prior. Since then, many merchant groups have traveled up this road, contributing to the development of the northern area. However, there were many narrow sectors in between, where large wagons could not pass, so merchants were forced to carry their luggage on donkeys or mules. When they arrived at Chernobugor from the south, they disposed of their donkeys and mules at the horse market near the southwestern gate and purchased a wagon to continue their commercial travels. On the contrary, merchants who came from the northern area purchased donkeys or mules in the same horse market. Seeing the horse market, Id said to Benjamin. ¡°We have to go on a rough road for a long time. Why don¡¯t you ride a mule? If we carry our luggage on a mule, it¡¯ll help us prepare for possible threatening situations.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I rode a mule when I came here. The sun sets fast in the canyon, so it¡¯s hard to go more than ten kilometers a day even if we walk fast. We¡¯d better have mules to get through the canyon in about twenty days. Why don¡¯t you ride a mule too, Lara?¡± Lara replied to Benjamin. ¡°I¡¯m all right. I¡¯m confident in my abilities when it comes to walking.¡± Id bought two strong and healthy looking mules, one for Benjamin and the other to carry their luggage. After passing through the southwestern gate, the party moved at high speed and arrived at the canyon¡¯s entrance before noon. Maybe because it was the entrance, the width of the road was more than five meters, so there was not much inconvenience in moving fast. Id told his colleagues. ¡°By five o¡¯clock, it¡¯ll be completely dark, so it would be better to eat dried food on the move and move fast today. If many tracking teams are chasing Lara, as Mateus said, we should spread the distance as far as possible.¡± As the three agreed, Id led the party, speeding up their movement. The mules followed them well. Id said, looking back at Lara. ¡°If it¡¯s too hard, don¡¯t force yourself and tell me. Sasha and I are much faster than ordinary people because we¡¯ve been running in the woods for many years. You need to tell me when you¡¯re having a hard time so that I can adjust our travel speed for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m confident that when it comes to running, I won¡¯t lose to anyone. When my father taught me martial arts, the most emphasized thing was physical strength.¡± Id led the party fairly fast for more than three hours. Lara clung close behind him and followed him without showing any signs of hardship. Sasha, who was following from the rear end of the party, said, ¡°Id, the mules seem too tired, so we¡¯d better take a break.¡± The road narrowed to two meters wide. Id led the party to somewhat flat grass beside the road. They let the mules loose in the grass and took a rest. ¡°Seeing the road getting rough, it seems like a full-fledged canyon trip begins.¡± Benjamin responded to Lara¡¯s remark. ¡°The road will be rougher and rougher. You will meet wide and flat roads from time to time, but most sections are narrow and rough, less than a meter wide. The forest will become lush, and monsters will appear frequently, so everyone should be careful from here. By about four o¡¯clock, we¡¯d better find a suitable place to camp. If we can¡¯t find a place to sleep even after it¡¯s completely dark, we might get in trouble.¡± The speed of movement of the party, which had set off again after a short break, decreased significantly. The mules¡¯ steps slowed down since the road was narrow and bumpy. By the time the day began to darken, the party arrived at a large open place in front of a waterfall. A huge waterfall was falling from the top of the cliff, and the path they were walking along led to a tunnel behind the waterfall. As Id approached the edge of the cliff and looked down, he could see a pretty wide river running at the bottom of the canyon. They could also see several waterfalls from the western ridge on the opposite side, which looked even more spectacular from a distance. The tunnel behind the waterfall was artificially constructed. It was said that a considerable number of workers were sacrificed during the tunnel construction about a hundred years prior. Id, who had gone through the tunnel and proceeded a hundred meters more alone while the others rested, came back to the open place with a roe deer on his shoulder. ¡°It seems a narrow road continues for quite a while after the tunnel. We¡¯d better take a good rest here today and start early tomorrow morning.¡± Benjamin agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I remember I had to travel on quite the rough road for a long time before I got to this tunnel the last time I was here¡± Helping to put down the roe deer from Id¡¯s shoulder, Lara said, ¡°You said you were going for surveillance, and you prepared food for dinner at the same time. If you get married, I can see that you definitely won¡¯t starve your wife and children.¡± Id replied, blushing a little. ¡°Living deep in the Forest of Evil Spirits in the north of the kingdom for over seven years, I think I hunted once every other day. Hunting and securing food became a routine for me.¡± Chapter 35 35 Sasha grilled the roe deer meat after picking a relatively flat area of land and setting a bonfire. Benjamin, who was watching Sasha sprinkling salt and pepper after putting the meat on a skewer, asked Id. ¡°I must say, I do quite enjoy traveling with you guys. Could I trouble you to make the soup I tasted that night?¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯ll taste even better today since we have fresh deer meat instead of dry beef jerky. Sasha, please set another bonfire.¡± Lara offered to help Sasha as well. ¡°Let me grill the meat.¡± Salting a roe meat skewer, Lara had a chat with Benjamin. ¡°Id¡¯s soup must have been delicious, right? I am so hungry, so I can¡¯t wait to try it.¡± ¡°It was the best soup I¡¯ve ever eaten camping on a trip.¡± Most of the mages were gourmets, and Benjamin was no exception. Instead, he was particularly obsessed with delicious food as he lived in the Wizard Tower all his life. It was hard for Benjamin, who had been tamed by the delicious dishes cooked by top chefs working in the Tower, to eat food prepared by Knights or mercenaries during a long trip, but he had no choice but to endure since he couldn¡¯t cook himself. As the savory scent of grilled roe meat and Id¡¯s soup matched, Benjamin took a bottle of whiskey out of his backpack. When having dinner at the White Rabbit Inn the evening before, Benjamin had tasted Chernobugor Whiskey. After the party decided to purchase mules, he bought a box of Chernobugor Whiskey at a store near the horse market. Lara, who accompanied Benjamin to the liquor store, also purchased several bottles because Benjamin praised the taste of Chernobugor Whiskey so much, and the price was pretty reasonable. ¡°This whiskey tastes better than any other drinks I¡¯ve ever tried in the Icarus Wizard Tower, but don¡¯t drink too much as it¡¯s pretty strong.¡± After drinking a glass of whiskey and tasting a roe meat skewer alongside id¡¯s soup, Lara remarked with a happy look. ¡°Probably because the roe deer was still young, the meat is so tender, and your soup tastes so good, Id. Benjamin, can I have another glass of whiskey?¡± Benjamin, who was about to dissuade Lara from drinking strong whiskey too much, poured another glass wordlessly after seeing the slightly sad but expectant look in her eyes. During the past month, her parents died one after another, and Lara had to flee to escape the clutches of sure death, not even being able to grieve over her mother¡¯s death. She became a little emotional when she felt people¡¯s warmth for the first time in a while. However, Lara wiped her tears, controlling her emotions, and suggested a toast, lifting her glass. ¡°I think meeting you was the luckiest moment in my life. Yesterday, I saw a few young men of my age at the restaurant, so I asked to join you without any special reason. I¡¯m so happy to have met such good people like you. Let''s toast to our pleasant and safe trip.¡± Id, who emptied his glass without a word, refilled the soup bowls. Savoring Id¡¯s soup, Lara said, ¡°This is just like my mom¡¯s soup. I understand why Benjamin especially asked you for soup.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. As Lara glanced at Id with teary eyes, Id blushed and avoided her gaze. Lara kept chatting and drinking a few more glasses of whiskey, then fell asleep on the ground. As Id spread his leather armor on a flat spot and moved her onto it, she murmured a couple of unintelligible words and fell into a deep sleep. Opening her eyes at dawn, Lara saw Id and Sasha sitting on the ground in a strange posture. They sat on the ground with their shoes off and their legs crossed. Their feet were placed on the opposite thigh with the soles facing the sky. Their hands were on their knees with their palms also facing up. Slightly lowering their heads, Id and Sasha breathed slowly, their lower abdomen expanded and shrunk at a languid pace matching their breathing. After a while, opening his eyes after completing his manna circulation, Id asked Sasha. ¡°Any signs of a manna hall yet?¡± Sasha, who had been circulating manna for years using the method Id had taught him, had yet to make a manna hall. ¡°I didn¡¯t make a manna hall yet, but now I have a clearer picture of the manna circulating in my torso. I can distinctly discern the manna passages and the flow of manna through them, which I used to only vaguely feel before.¡± Id, who had been deep in thought for a while, explained to Sasha. ¡°As I told you before, I believe you should be able to create a manna hall sooner or later if you keep circulating manna every day. Right before creating the manna hall, the amount of manna circulating in your body will drastically increase. It¡¯s too early to say for sure, but I believe we can probably find a method to build a manna hall within a shorter period by manna circulation for those who don¡¯t have a special affinity for manna. When my manna hall was first built, I thought creating a manna hall was a prerequisite for manna circulation. I was mistaken since my manna hall was made in such a short period. But soon after, I realized the order was wrong. Now I¡¯m pretty sure that manna flows inside the bodies of all living creatures. Most people are just unaware of this natural energy flowing through their bodies. The first step in creating a manna hall is to recognize this flow, and you¡¯ve already accomplished this step. The second step is to intake more manna in the right posture and circulate it inside the body through the right path, and you are successfully performing this process, too. Haven¡¯t you ever felt a moment of stagnation at your lower abdomen during the manna circulation?¡± Sasha, who was pondering over Id¡¯s question, answered. ¡°I think I¡¯ve felt that a few times, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± Id continued to talk with a bright look. ¡°Good. Focus on the stagnation from now. It may be a precursor to the creation of a manna hall. Although you are circulating manna according to my method, your circulation path is a little different from mine. The difference was probably caused by the difference in physical constitution between the two of us, but I don¡¯t think it will matter.¡± While Sasha contemplated reflecting on Id¡¯s words, Id spoke to Benjamin and Lara, who were still lying down and pretending to sleep. ¡°I am not planning to keep the manna training of Sasha and I a secret from you. It is impossible to hide it while traveling together for a long time anyways.¡± It was considered taboo to peek at the training of others¡¯ confidential swordsmanship or martial arts without permission. Thinking that Id was teaching Sasha confidential swordsmanship while they were sleeping, Benjamin and Lara were a little embarrassed and pretended to sleep, even though they were already awake. Id said as Benjamin and Lara sat themselves up, returning the Magic Stone to Benjamin. ¡°Benjamin, the magic diagrams carved on my armor function without a Magic Stone since I have a manna hall in my body. I didn¡¯t tell you about it because I had to talk about many things, including my master¡¯s past, to explain the creation of my manna hall. However, now that we are to travel together for a long time, and Sasha and I have to practice manna circulation twice a day, I think I¡¯d better talk to you about the manna hall so that we don¡¯t feel uncomfortable with each other anymore. Can you keep this a secret for the time being?¡± When Id looked at Lara, who was intrigued by Id¡¯s words, she nodded earnestly. Benjamin asked Id. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret as long as you want. What you¡¯re talking about is the manna hall that the Aura Beam owner from the Mudria Wizard Tower created in their chest?¡± Id talked about the story of how he had made his manna hall in his body in detail. He had to talk much about his master, Andrew Adelian, too. Having listened to Id¡¯s long story seriously, Benjamin told him. ¡°Several years ago, the Mudria Wizard Tower revealed to the outside the method for creating a manna hall. And there was a rumor that several Aura Beam users would soon come out of the Tower after decades of training.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the method of creating a manna hall was revealed to the outside by the Mudria Wizard Tower. I don¡¯t even know if the training method the master knew was the same as the one used in the Mudria Wizard Tower, and I have no idea how they obtained Aura Beam after creating a manna hall in their chest. Why did Mudria Wizard Tower reveal the manna training method to the outside?¡± ¡°It seems that your master¡¯s training method you explained coincide with that method released by the Mudria Wizard Tower. Over the past few decades, countless people have flocked to the Mudria Wizard Tower to become a Sword Master, but my understanding is that not many of them have formed a manna hall. Moreover, it is known that very few of the people who succeeded in making a manna hall have obtained Aura Beam, and there must have been a lot of casualties in the process. So Mudria Wizard Tower released their training method for creating a manna hall and began to accept a small selected group of people who have succeeded in forming the manna hall through rigorous screening.¡± Chapter 36 36 Listening to Benjamin, Id felt as if his thoughts on creating a manna hall, which had been intricately tangled in his mind, had been sorted out to some extent. ¡°If the method used to make manna halls in the Mudria Wizard Tower is the same as the method used by my master, I don¡¯t think their way of magically distorting the manna¡¯s flow is a desirable way to create a manna hall. Anyway, no theory can be justified until I achieve the Aura Beam and confront William Cronos. As for me, I have no choice but to do my best in my own way.¡± As Benjamin and Id both remained silent, Lara, who was listening to the conversation between the two quietly, asked Id in a slightly desperate tone. ¡°Can I also learn your manna training method? If you teach it to me I promise to treat you as my master.¡± Looking into Lara¡¯s eyes, Id said, smiling. ¡°Sasha learned my method of manna circulation, but he doesn¡¯t consider me his master. We¡¯re just best friends. You¡¯re about the same age as us, so why don¡¯t you be our friend? I won¡¯t hesitate to teach my friend my training method.¡± Lara looked back at Sasha and asked. ¡°All right. I want to be your friend. What should I do to be your friend?¡± ¡°If we want to be your friends and you want to be our friend, we are already friends.¡± Sasha said without any change to his neutral facial expression. Lara spoke with a bright smile. ¡°Right. Now I got friends for the first time in my life.¡± Id said to Lara, ¡°Good, let¡¯s go on the road now. After the sun sets, I¡¯ll tell you the details of my manna circulation method.¡± At the end of Id¡¯s words, the four packed up and departed. The journey for the next ten days was peaceful. During the day, they tried to cover as much distance as possible, and in the evening, Id helped Lara and Sasha with their manna circulation. Id taught Lara his swordsmanship as well as his method of manna circulation. Lara, who had a good foundation for martial arts and naturally quick adaptation, showed an outstanding potential for swordsmanship. Lara had a short sword, which was her father¡¯s keepsake. The short blade was rather suitable for the use of Id¡¯s sword techniques. It was the dawn of the eleventh day after they entered the Pleo Grand Canyon. Just before dawn, it was still dark. Three young people circulated manna sitting on the ground, and Benjamin was in meditation. Benjamin was also interested in Id¡¯s method of manna circulation, even though he did not train using the method himself. Id suddenly bounced up and ran to the mules tied to a tree. Id, who stepped on and jumped up from a mule¡¯s back, swung his sword vertically, and there was a strong sound of iron crush. At the same time, a giant flying monster that was descending on a mule roared as it soared back into the sky. It¡¯s length from head to tail was well over fifteen meters. The monster had enormous wings shaped like those of a bat and huge claws shaped like those of a hawk. Coming to Id side, Benjamin said, ¡°It¡¯s a wyvern. I didn¡¯t see any wyverns when I went to Nordburg. I count three of them flying in the sky. If they attack again, buy me some time to cast my spells.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Observing the movements of the three wyverns floating in the sky, Id replied to Benjamin. ¡°Got it, but judging from their movements, I don¡¯t think the wyverns will attack us again. It seems they have another target.¡± After a while, three wyverns descended onto the shrub about a hundred meters away from the party and then flew into the sky, each clasping something with their claws. They were orcs who were snatched by wyverns. The orcs, a race that was typically a little shorter than humans, with broad shoulders and muscular physique, were less intelligent than other races such as elves or dwarfs, but they used their own language. Some orcs were also capable of using human language, albeit clumsily. Staring at the orcs, who were caught in the wyverns¡¯ claws and going into the sky, screaming, Id said, ¡°They are all armed. I think the orcs were trying to ambush us. There might be a lot of orcs in the shrub, so be prepared.¡± Benjamin mounted a mule, and three youths slowly advanced, escorting him in a triangular formation. Lifting his magic wand, Benjamin cast a spell, and after a while, he threw a Fireball toward the shrub. As the Fireball raged in the shrubbery, the dry bushes burned. Dozens of orcs ran out of the bush and fled. About a hundred orcs were hiding in the bush, a third of which were burned to death. After a while, Benjamin shouted another initiator. ¡°Aquawall.¡± A huge wall of water appeared in front of the burning bush and slowly passed through it. As the fire was extinguished, thick water vapor spread out. At that moment, a dozen quarrels flew toward Id¡¯s party from behind. Sasha blocked the quarrels in front of Benjamin with his shield, and Lara threw daggers, accurately striking two quarrels flying towards the loaded mule. In the meantime, Benjamin cast a spell, and Id ran out in front of the party, striking away most of the quarrels flying in his direction. Those who attacked the party with crossbows did not move for a while, hiding behind the rocks, probably wary of the mage''s magic attack. Having opened his backpack on the mule¡¯s back, Id wore his armor and told the party. ¡°Sasha, Lara, protect Benjamin.¡± As Id moved forward alone, a man dressed in full platemail rose from behind a rock and walked toward Id from the other side. The armored man spoke in a cracked voice. ¡°I don¡¯t have any business with you. If you hand over Lara, we¡¯ll withdraw.¡± ¡°You must be from the Ur Thieves¡¯ Guild. Lara is my friend, so you¡¯ll have to beat me first in order to get her.¡± Even before Id ended his speech, Lara stepped forward, shouting. ¡°Constantinus, you bastard. You poisoned my father and sent assassins after my mother. How dare you show up in front of me? I¡¯ll cut your head off myself.¡± Id told Lara who was approaching him. ¡°Lara, I understand how you feel, but the number of enemies seems to exceed twenty. If your fight with him here drags on, it will lead to an unfavorable situation for us, so leave this to me.¡± As he spoke to Lara, Id was already charging at his opponent at high speed. Lara returned to Benjamin¡¯s side reluctantly. Id tried to stab his opponent in the neck in a straightforward manner. As Constantinus dodged Id¡¯s attack to the left, four quarrels were shot at Id. Ignoring the quarrels, Id jumped over Constantinus¡¯ head, lifting his sword, and swung down his sword onto the opponent¡¯s helmet. Constantinus also raised his sword, but Id¡¯s sword cut his in half, splitting both his helmet and head. The quarrels did not damage Id at all, blocked by his armor¡¯s spell, Anti Physical Force. At that point, Benjamin shouted out an initiator. ¡°Lightning Bolt.¡± The four men who had shot their crossbows at Id were struck directly by Benjamin¡¯s Lightning Bolt and burned black. Although four others jumped out of cover to attack Lara, brandishing their weapons, two of them had their necks pierced by the daggers Lara threw, and the other two were cut in half by Sasha¡¯s longsword. Moving a few steps forward, Id shouted. ¡°If you surrender now, I¡¯ll spare your lives. Otherwise, everyone shall die here.¡± After a short period of silence, a dozen members of the Thieve¡¯s Guild came out of hiding with their hands up. ¡°Forgive us. We were forced to track down Lara because of the guild leader¡¯s orders.¡± Lara said, glaring at each and every one. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you guys ever again. Take the bodies with you. If I ever see you again, I¡¯ll definitely take your lives.¡± The Ur Thieves¡¯ Guild members quickly recovered the bodies and disappeared. Lara, who had been watching the scene with her jaw clenched tightly, turned around and moved forward. The others followed her silently. After the skirmish with the Thieves¡¯ Guild¡¯s pursuers, Lara became reticent. Even during the break, she concentrated on manna circulation without saying a word. As Lara, one of the two who initiated most of the conversation in the party, became silent, the other, Benjamin, also started to speak less. Lara was absorbed in her manna circulation, so much so that she meditated for over seven hours, skipping supper. Watching Lara¡¯s concentration, Sasha also increased his time in circulating manna. Benjamin had little expectation of the performance of manna circulation for himself as he was already too old. But he was interested in this new method of dealing with manna in a way that was entirely different from that of the sorcerers, so he experimented with Id¡¯s method from time to time. Id was the only one keeping the same routine as before. Chapter 37 37 It was the third day after defeating the members of the Ur Thieves¡¯ Guild. Though it was still early before dawn, Lara and Sasha were already absorbed in circulating manna, sitting on a piece of leather. Id told Sasha. ¡°Something¡¯s hiding in the forest, targeting our mules. Benjamin is still sleeping, and Lara seems to be undergoing a crucial moment in her manna circulation, please stop your manna circulation and protect them.¡± Sasha opened his eyes, sorting out his breathing. ¡°All right. Leave Benjamin and Lara to me. Are you going to attack it first?¡± Nodding silently, Id carefully moved to the woods, killing the sound of his footsteps. When he approached five meters in front of the suspected hiding place of that something, a huge shadow jumped out of the forest and attacked Id. Although Id could not identify its exact appearance as it was still dark, it was a monster that was twice his size. The giant club it held looked like a toy in it¡¯s massive hand. Id swung his sword horizontally, dodging the club by a hair¡¯s breadth. Id¡¯s Aura Blade flashed in the dark, and the monster¡¯s right arm was severed. Id, who took a few steps back, looked closely at the opponent. As the moon moved out from behind the clouds, Id could see a troll well over three meters tall with dark green skin. Id, who had heard that severed body parts of trolls could regenerate, jumped high into the air, lifting his sword over his head. Id¡¯s blue Aura Blade dug into the middle of the monster¡¯s forehead before the troll swung its left hand. As the monster¡¯s body slowly receded, Id kicked the troll¡¯s chest, pulling out his sword stuck in its brain. When the giant body collapsed with an enormous sound, Benjamin, who had already approached the troll, said to Id, putting the troll¡¯s blood in a large leather bag. ¡°Trolls¡¯ blood is the most important ingredient in making magic potions. If we sell it in Scandia City, we¡¯ll make a lot of money. Since you caught it, I¡¯ll give you seventy percent of the sales price.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need money. Rather, could you make me some magic potions?¡± ¡°All right. We can make more than a hundred bottles of potion with this amount of blood, but it¡¯ll take too much time. Let¡¯s stop by the Wizard Tower in Scandia City. We can sell the troll¡¯s blood, leaving enough to make ten bottles of magic potion, and I¡¯ll make the potions for you there.¡± ¡°I only need three bottles of potions so that Sasha, Lara and I can carry a bottle each for emergency use.¡± ¡°You are a man of no greed. Let¡¯s check the situation of the Scandia Wizard Tower first and decide how many bottles of potions I¡¯ll make.¡± Lara was still deeply immersed in meditation with manna circulation, even though the surroundings were tumultuous. Having finished meditation long after sunrise, Lara told the others. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± As Lara spoke for the first time in a long time, the other three showed particular interest. ¡°I¡¯ve concentrated on the manna circulation for several days to build up a manna hall quickly, but something strange happened to me. Instead of creating a manna hall in my lower abdomen, I think I engraved the third and fourth magic circle on my heart.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Benjamin immediately responded to Lara¡¯s words. ¡°Let me take a look at your condition.¡± As Lara nodded, the mage recited a spell. ¡°Magic Force Examination.¡± Examining the magic circles carved on Lara¡¯s heart, Benjamin was so surprised that he could not shut his mouth for a while. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen or heard of such a case before. How did this happen? On Lara¡¯s heart, the third and fourth magic circles were carved at the same time. I¡¯ve never heard of two magic circles being engraved simultaneously. It¡¯s impossible even in the theories of magic. When mages add a circle, they are required to learn all of the spells necessary for that circle. It usually takes several years for mages to learn every required magic and become experts of the circle. Only after mastering all the spells of the circle level, is a mage considered ready to move on to the next circle. I don¡¯t understand how Lara jumped past the third circle and became a four-circle mage. Tell me in detail about what happened to you for the past few days.¡± Lara explained what happened during her manna circulation. ¡°I started learning magic from my mother when I was seven years old, and I carved the second circle on my heart after two years. At that time, my mother was so happy that I was born with a magical gift, but after that, I couldn¡¯t develop a third circle for nearly nine years. I learned all three and four-circle spells from my mother theoretically. Still, I could use only rudimentary magic since I had failed to engrave the third magic circle on my heart. So I gradually lost interest in magic. When I started circulating manna according to the method Id taught me, for some reason, I kept thinking about the magic learned from my mother while meditating. I¡¯ve been thinking about magic theories as Id advised, even if mixed thoughts come to mind during manna circulation, not to try to force them out, but let it flow naturally in my mind. As time went by, the memory of the magic theories I learned from my mother became clearer. This morning, the manna suddenly gathered at my heart during the manna circulation, and new magic circles appeared.¡± Benjamin looked confused. ¡°Let¡¯s take time to study how two circles appeared at once. I think learning the magic of new circles will be the priority. You won¡¯t be able to learn all the spells of the three circles and four circles in a short period, so let¡¯s start with a few helpful spells for your journey. From what I¡¯ve examined, you seem to have a particular talent for magic based on the characteristics of the wind. Can you cast Magic Arrow?¡± Magic Arrow was one of the few spells Lara could confidently use. However, the two-circle Magic Arrow was not strong enough to be used in an actual fight. Lara tried to recite the spell for the three-circle Magic Arrow with Benjamin¡¯s help. Several transparent arrows flew toward and struck a large tree. Having checked the traces on the wood, Lara was pleased since it was at a completely different level compared to the two circle version of the spell. From the next day, Lara focused on learning Magic Cutter and Magic Missile, the four-circle spells with wind properties. She decided to learn other spells later and practice only those two spells while getting help and guidance from Benjamin. Lara showed exceptional talent for magic with wind properties, but her talent for other magic was mediocre. Benjamin told Lara. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to learn various four-circle magic as you are training in swordsmanship, too. Instead, I¡¯ll teach you two five-circle spells, Healing and Detoxication. Even if these spells are estimated to belong to the five-circle level, some four-circle mages also use them, though not to full effect. If you succeed in learning them, it¡¯ll be more helpful than carrying potions. It won¡¯t be easy now, but as you have already gone through such an unusual process, I don¡¯t think learning these spells will be impossible for you. If you use two five-circle spells, it¡¯ll also help you create the fifth circle sooner. Though I¡¯m a six-circle-master mage, I can also use a few seven-circle spells. So, even if it¡¯s hard, don¡¯t give up and keep trying.¡± Lara, who had devoted herself to practicing magic for several days, asked Id, who was cleaning a boar¡¯s legs to grill, one day. ¡°Now, it might be hard for me to build up a manna hall and become a swordmaster, am I right?¡± Lara thought Id¡¯s face reflecting the bonfire¡¯s light was beautiful while looking at him, absorbed in his thoughts for a while. ¡°Are you asking me if it¡¯s possible to master both magic and swordsmanship at the same time? Of course, I don¡¯t think it will be easy. Though I don¡¯t know much about magic, according to Benjamin¡¯s explanation, I understand that magic is basically a work of reprocessing, rearranging and shaping nature¡¯s manna force through highly sophisticated calculation. On the other hand, the method of manna circulation, which I created, is a procedure of purifying and concentrating manna to build up a manna hall, and consequently, increasing the amount of manna in the human body. By doing so, you can enhance the functioning of each body organ and send concentrated manna to the sword to create an Aura Blade. Ultimately, its goal is to strengthen the Aura Blade so that it can further develop into an Aura Beam. What do you think is the most important factor in this process?¡± Lara pondered for a while at Id''s question, but she couldn¡¯t fathom the question''s intent at all. As Lara shook her head, Id continued. Chapter 38 38 ¡°I don¡¯t have the exact answer either, but I think harmony is the essential prerequisite. Spirit, body and manna force; these three factors must be balanced and harmonized in their ideal form to make the proper Aura Beam. Manna circulation is a process of increasing the amount of manna circulating in your body. Still, at the same time, it is also a process of cultivating spiritual capability through meditation. My emphasis on physical training is also for harmony. I believe you can use the Aura Beam directly through body parts like fists or feet without weapons if you get into the State of Harmony. If you¡¯re fascinated by advanced magic, focusing only on manna rearrangement, and neglecting spiritual cultivation and physical training, of course, it would be impossible to be a master of swordsmanship. But if you understand the State of Harmony and make efforts to enter it, it would be possible to learn magic and swordsmanship simultaneously.¡± Benjamin and Sasha, listening to Id and Lara¡¯s conversation, were deeply immersed in their respective thoughts. While three people, including Lara, were engaged in wordless introspection, Id finished preparing dinner. The whole bore¡¯s legs were being baked over a bonfire, and the soup was boiling in the pot, hanging over another bonfire. Benjamin awoke from his thoughts and opened a bottle of whiskey. ¡°I feel like drinking a lot today. If I study your method of manna circulation properly, I may be able to achieve my dream of becoming a seven-circle Wizard, which I have failed for more than a decade. Recently, I had almost given up my life¡¯s goal of becoming a seven-circle Wizard, but you gave me new motivation today. I¡¯m going to think about the State of Harmony that you talked about. Most sorcerers, including me, are narrow-minded. We probably focus too much on the rearrangement of manna, so we have such personalities.¡± Slightly nodding in response to Benjamin¡¯s remark, Id told Sasha. ¡°Sasha, it may also be good that you focus more on training swordcraft than manna circulation. I believe there are various ways to enter the State of Harmony. It can be a better way for you to follow our master¡¯s training method since it¡¯s natural for a swordsman. Besides, unlike master, you can clearly feel the stream of manna in your body now, so I am sure you¡¯ll get good results.¡± Sasha smiled at Id but gave him no response. On the nineteenth day after entering the Pleo Grand Canyon, the party finished their ravine trip. After a few incidents in the canyon, Benjamin realized that Id¡¯s swordsmanship was much better than he thought at first. He was curious how far the young man, who was still a teenager, would develop his swordsmanship. Id¡¯s party moved out of the canyon and into the plains. The Central Plains, responsible for most of the grain production of the Kingdom of Scandia, were the feuds of some great aristocratic families who practically had power over the entire Scandia Kingdom. The party decided to take a break at a forked road, from where the distance to Scandia City, the kingdom¡¯s capital, was about a hundred kilometers south-southwest. If they had taken the other way to the southeast at the forked road and gone fifty kilometers more, they would have arrived at the territory of Duke Usachov, Id¡¯s biological father. Sasha was keeping an eye on Id, who was looking southeast. He seemed to want to tell Id something but decided not to speak. Id thought it was not the time yet, though he would have to visit Duke Usachov someday. After being knighted at the Adelian Marquisate and fulfilling his master¡¯s long-cherished desire, he would return to the Kingdom of Scandia to visit his biological father. There was nothing he wanted from Duke Usachov. He only intended to deliver his mother¡¯s will, and he thought he should see his biological father¡¯s face once. Id, who was staring at the road southeast during the break, told Benjamin.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°It seems the sun is going to set soon, so we need to decide where to sleep tonight. The map shows there¡¯s a small village a few kilometers ahead. There must be an inn in town, right?¡± ¡°As far as I remember, there was a large inn at the entrance of the village. I don¡¯t think we need to enter the village. Let¡¯s just stay at the inn on the national highway.¡± The village seemed to consist of only a hundred households, but the inn and shop at its entrance were considerably large. They appeared to be facilities for people traveling on the national highway. The party entered the shop attached to the inn first. It was connected by well-polished roads to the Empire¡¯s border, with large towns in between, so they did not have to carry around many things for camping. The party sold most of their travel items at the shop, leaving only some necessary items. Id sold his cumbersome travel packages and the large backpack and purchased a smaller one for armor and clothes. Lara, who dumped her old travel clothes and boots and bought three sets of travel wear and a new pair of boots, asked the clerk. ¡°Can I try on the leather armor hanging over there?¡± The clerk skimmed over Lara with a doubtful look and answered curtly. ¡°The price of that leather armor is five hundred golds. We only allow people who are capable of making payments, to try them on.¡± Hearing the price of leather armor, Lara gave up on trying it on and turned around. Benjamin asked the clerk. ¡°What kind of leather armor can be more expensive than high-quality platemail? Did you paint it with gold?¡± The clerk carefully looked Benjamin up and down and asked back. ¡°Are you a sorcerer?¡± ¡°Yes, I am a six-circle-master mage, Benjamin, from the Icarus Wizard Tower.¡± As Benjamin introduced himself by revealing his circle, the clerk¡¯s attitude became polite. ¡°The famous swordswoman Tanya of the Ur Kingdom wore that armor for a long time. It is a masterpiece of a dwarven craftsman made from buffalo hide of the Tartarian Kingdom, and Betelgeuse, the Wizard from the Mudria Kingdom, engraved magic diagrams on it. We also have our purchasing price, so I can¡¯t sell it for under five hundred golds.¡± ¡°Can I have a look at the armor?¡± Benjamin told Lara, having scrutinized the leather armor using magic. ¡°This leather armor is imbued with a seven-circle Anti Magic Force. If you like this, try it on.¡± As Lara hesitated, Id took the armor from Benjamin and examined it closely. Since Id had a long history of tanning leather and had once made his own leather armor, he had a reasonable opinion about the quality of leather products. Id asked the clerk. ¡°This is well-crafted leather armor. I can believe it¡¯s the craftsmanship of a dwarf master. How did you purchase this expensive armor?¡± The clerk replied to Id. ¡°In the estates to which our village belongs, there was a warriors'' battle recently. At that time, our Lord invited a few swordsmen, including Tanya. Tanya won a duel and acquired a magic armor to her liking, so she sold this leather armor to our shop owner.¡± Listening to the clerk, Id told Lara. ¡°Try it on. Let¡¯s see if it suits you first, and then we can consider buying.¡± As Lara took off her jacket and put on the armor, Sasha helped her tie the leashes. The magic leather mail looked good on Lara. It was easy to adjust the size to fit the body, unlike plate mail, so many swordsmen preferred leather armor. Moreover, the subtle yet elegant design of the armor matched Lara¡¯s appearance well, so, although she was still very young, she looked like an experienced Knight, who had gone through numerous battles. ¡°I was going to buy you some armor anyway. It looks good on you, but it¡¯s going to provide less protection. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to find a platemail?¡± With a slightly awkward smile, Lara replied to Id. ¡°Since both the martial arts I learned from my father and the swordsmanship I learned from you are based on fast footwork, I prefer this lightweight and comfortable armor. But the price is ridiculously high, so I think it¡¯s too much for me to buy this armor. I think I can find leather armor at a reasonable price in Scandia City.¡± Id checked the gold coins Lara and Sasha had. They had a little under one hundred golds and putting together what Id had, the total sum was a little over three hundred golds. Id asked the clerk. ¡°We like the armor, but we have only three hundred golds now. Could you give us a discount?¡± The clerk shook his head firmly. ¡°The shop owner strictly ordered me not to sell the leather armor under five hundred golds. I don¡¯t have the right to give a discount.¡± Chapter 39 39 Benjamin intervened in the conversation between Id and the clerk. ¡°I heard Tanya planned to visit the Icarus Wizard Tower to buy some magic items soon. When I meet her, I¡¯ll ask her how much she sold the leather armor for.¡± The clerk¡¯s pupils shook as he spoke urgently. ¡°It¡¯s up to us to decide the price of items we sell.¡± Benjamin said, staring into the clerk¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did you say the store owner prevented you from selling the leather armor at a price below five hundred golds? Call him. I¡¯ll ask him whether it¡¯s true.¡± The clerk replied in a downcast voice. His plan to pocket part of the sales price without the store owner knowing was ruined. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you at four hundred golds. It¡¯s impossible below that.¡± ¡°Three hundred and fifty golds.¡± When Benjamin bargained, opening his eyes wide, the clerk nodded helplessly. Benjamin looked back at his party with a satisfied look. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for Lara¡¯s leather armor. If I make some more potions from the troll¡¯s blood than planned, we¡¯ll earn more than I spend on this armor. So you can say that Id bought you the leather mail, Lara. I consider you my disciple, so I¡¯ll contribute a little to purchasing this armor.¡± Lara embraced Benjamin and Id alternatively, rejoicing. ¡°Thank you so much, Benjamin. Thank you, Id. I¡¯ll surely repay this favor to you.¡± Benjamin patted Lara on the shoulder and said. ¡°You have to train hard with the spells learned from me as well as the swordsmanship learned from Id.¡± Id said with a blush since Lara embraced him too firmly. ¡°We are friends.¡± After Benjamin paid three hundred and fifty golds, Lara said, leaving the shop in her leather mail. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the restaurant. I¡¯ll treat you to a hearty dinner tonight.¡± Lara ordered almost all the food on the menu. As the food kept coming out to the point where there was no open space on the table, Benjamin spoke as he took a sip of his beer. ¡°Who¡¯s going to eat all this food?¡± ¡°What are you worried about when we have Sasha?¡± Sasha, focusing on eating quietly, looked up at Lara¡¯s remark. Id seemed to have stopped growing already, but Sasha was still growing little by little. As the large Sasha rarely left food behind, Lara¡¯s comment was close to the truth. Sasha, covered with big muscles, exercised more than anyone else, and thus ate a lot. The dinner at the restaurant was satisfactory for the four people who spent a long time in the canyon. The clerk of the restaurant brought a bottle of wine to the party.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The manager told me to give this wine to you as a service because you posted a lot of sales at our restaurant. It was imported from the Kingdom of Mudria and is popular among the nobles of Scandia these days.¡± As Benjamin nodded, the clerk put down the tray and took the cork off the wine bottle. He then proceeded to pour the wine into four glasses. Id shouted after taking a sip of wine, standing up from his seat, since his manna reacted as soon as the wine entered his mouth. ¡°Everybody stop. There¡¯s poison in the wine.¡± The clerk took a dagger out of his boot and tried to stab Id, but Id pushed the chair he was sitting towards the clerk and unsheathed his sword. Sasha and Lara packed their weapons and guarded Benjamin. The next moment, arrows, quarrels and daggers flew toward the party through the windows. Id struck some arrows away and stabbed his sword out towards the clerk. The clerk, who was about to wield his dagger at Id, pulled it back to block Id¡¯s blade aiming his neck, but the tip of Id¡¯s blade momentarily changed direction and stabbed the clerk in the right shoulder. Although the clerk, who dropped his dagger, stepped back to avoid Id¡¯s next attack, the Aura Blade of Id, who caught up with him with a quick step, slashed into his neck. ¡°This man¡¯s body movements are extraordinary. I think he was trained as an assassin. Be careful, everyone. Lara, check Benjamin¡¯s condition.¡± Under Sasha¡¯s cover, Lara checked Benjamin¡¯s condition. He was unconscious with an ashy face. ¡°Not good. I think he is poisoned by some sort of deadly toxin.¡± Having glanced at Benjamin¡¯s complexion, Id said, ¡°Sasha, focus all your attention on protecting Benjamin and Lara. Lara, cast Detoxication.¡± Sasha nodded and lifted his shield, but Lara said in an uneasy voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never succeeded in completing the spell yet. How am I supposed to succeed now? If it goes wrong, Benjamin could lose his life.¡± Looking into Lara¡¯s eyes, Id said in a clear voice. ¡°I believe you can do it. Even if you fail, I¡¯ll save Benjamin after dealing with the assassins. So don¡¯t worry and just do your best.¡± Lara thought Benjamin wouldn¡¯t be alive until then, but she did not say her thoughts aloud and tried to concentrate on reciting the spell, holding Benjamin¡¯s magic wand. Id swung his sword at the assassins rushing in through the restaurant¡¯s entrance and windows. In an instant, five assassins were killed by Id¡¯s Aura Blade, which hit their vital points accurately without any mercy. Sasha blew away the heads of the two assassins who had bypassed Id. As the assassins¡¯ attacks faltered, Id told Lara. ¡°Lara, recite the spell, while circulating manna. It¡¯ll help you concentrate on manifesting magic.¡± Having listened to Id¡¯s advice, Lara sat on the floor and started manna circulation. As she calmed down, circulating manna in her body, the spell of Detoxication learned from Benjamin came to her mind instinctively. Lara, whose anxiety subsided, forgot about the surrounding situation and began to focus on casting the spell. Then the door behind the restaurant''s counter opened, and three people walked out and approached Id. He recognized one of them who belonged to the tracking team of Ur Thieves¡¯ Guild who had survived after encountering Id¡¯s party previously. The fat figure on the right looked aristocratic, and the tall and thin figure in the middle was new to Id, but somehow his face looked familiar. The man in the center said, ¡°I wanted to complete this mission easily, but you¡¯re not an easy one. Are you Id?¡± Id did not answer the question and asked back. ¡°What relationship do you have with Dima, the mercenary?¡± ¡°You are a quick-witted boy. Dima, whom you¡¯ve killed, is my brother. I¡¯ve never been very close to him in my life, but as long as I¡¯m his brother, I think I¡¯ll have to avenge his murder.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you knew what happened in the deserted forest. Your intelligence structure must be very competent. Are you the boss of this assassination organization?¡± The man in the middle was the boss of the Red Scorpion, the killers¡¯ organization. Hit squads of the Red Scorpion were notorious in the Scandia Kingdom, the Ur Kingdom and the northeastern region of the Icarus Empire. The inn Id¡¯s party dropped in at was the headquarters of the Red Scorpion. Residents of the village behind the inn were also mostly members of the assassination organization. Located in the transportation hub connecting the northern part of Scandia Kingdom with the Ur Kingdom and the Icarus Empire, it was easy to collect information and send assassins all over the place, so they used this place as their headquarters. Only a handful of people knew it was the headquarters of the assassins since Anton, the boss of the Red Scorpion, controlled his subordinates fairly well. ¡°I am Anton. The leader of the Red Scorpion. As we didn¡¯t meet to have a conversation, let¡¯s wrap up now.¡± Even before Anton finished speaking, four axes flew in from either side of Id, and Anton rushed to him with a battle ax in his right hand and a dagger in his left hand. The collaboration of the assassins was quite threatening as they had evidently been training together for a long time. Id rolled on the floor, then swung his sword aiming at Anton¡¯s ankle. Anton jumped into the air to avoid the attack, and Id, who bounced up from the floor, rushed to the survivor of the Ur Thieves¡¯ Guild, not slowing down. Before the thief¡¯s head could float up in the air and fall to the floor, Id, who made a big turn, approached the chest of an assassin who threw an ax at him and struck his solar plexus with the tip of his sword hilt. As Id attacked the others without dealing with him, Anton rushed to Sasha and swung the battle ax. Holding up his shield to block Anton¡¯s battle ax, Sasha stretched out his sword to stab Anton in the face. Astonished by his opponent¡¯s swordsmanship, Anton hurriedly stepped back. He was only concerned about Id¡¯s sword skills, but he was taken aback by the fact that Sasha¡¯s swordsmanship was at the level of an advanced Knight. At that moment, Lara shouted out in a clear and ringing voice. ¡°Detoxication.¡± Chapter 40 40 As a green light radiated from the end of the magic wand and enveloped Benjamin¡¯s whole body, he groaned softly as his complexion brightened. A few moments later, Benjamin opened his eyes and looked at Lara. ¡°You¡¯ve completed the spell. Great job.¡± Lara said with tears in her eyes. ¡°I thought you were going to die. Are you all right?¡± Not answering Lara¡¯s question, Benjamin took his wand from her and cast Detoxication on himself. And then he recited another spell, Healing. Anton, who was backing away from Sasha¡¯s attack, shouted aloud. ¡°What are you waiting for? Everybody, attack them.¡± Sixteen assassins attacked in unison, and Sasha shouted, running toward them. ¡°Lara, protect Benjamin.¡± Unsheathing her shortsword, Lara guarded Benjamin, who was chanting a spell. Sasha quickly incapacitated two assassins and chased Anton. Id¡¯s footwork accelerated, and screams broke out here and there. Six men collapsed, hit by Id¡¯s sword in a flash, and the remaining assassins began to flee. Anton shouted, struggling to block Sasha¡¯s sword, but his frightened subordinates escaped, not even looking back. Having glanced at Sasha and Anton in the confrontation, Id approached the fat nobleman sitting on the floor, trembling and not even trying to escape. ¡°Did you hire assassins to kill me? Who are you?¡± ¡°You took away my son¡¯s platemail without permission. Therefore, I¡­¡­¡±. Staring at the fat nobleman mumbling, Id said, ¡°You are Baron Kozlov! You are the lord of the Knights who shamelessly ambushed my friend, using him to threaten me into doing your bidding. You gave me the platemail through your Knight Commander to execute your scheme. And you are saying I stole your armor? So, you asked assassins to kill me to retrieve it? Do you still expect me to keep you alive, Baron?¡± As Id said in a cold voice and glared at him, Baron Kozlov lowered his tail and begged. ¡°I am sorry. It was my wrongdoing. Forgive me.¡± The village Id¡¯s party visited belonged to the estate of Marquis Bunin, Baron Kozlov¡¯s father-in-law. After Baron Kozlov was ousted from his estate, the Mayor of Nordburg, who had been close to him, lent him a carriage and let one of his Knights escort him to the Bunin Marquisate. Since Kozlov moved in a carriage on the national highway, he could enter the Grand Canyon a few days earlier than Id¡¯s party, who walked on the rough forest paths. Having arrived at the Marquisate, Baron Kozlov borrowed some money from his father-in-law and visited Anton. Though Marquis Bunin was not aware that Anton was the boss of the killers¡¯ organization Red Scorpion, Baron Kozlov, who had been involved in all sorts of gimmicks during his time as a central aristocrat, knew Anton¡¯s identity. Baron Kozlov, who came to Anton to commission the assassination of Viscount Korolyov, found out that Id¡¯s party visited the inn and asked Anton to retrieve his son¡¯s armor. Benjamin, who had cast the spell Detoxication once again and removed all the remaining poison from his body, approached Id and said,The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Is this Baron Kozlov? What a pig he is. Id, If you want, I¡¯ll make this man a real pig.¡± Upon hearing Benjamin¡¯s suggestion to Id, Baron Kozlov lay his face down and begged, putting his forehead on the floor. ¡°I am sorry. Please spare my life.¡± ¡°Did I say I was going to kill you? Living as a pig would also be an interesting experience.¡± Baron Kozlov was terrified and cried out. ¡°Please forgive me.¡± ¡°Why should I forgive you when you tried to kill me? Hmm, let¡¯s do this. I need a reason to forgive you.¡± Benjamin, who stopped talking for a while and glanced at Id for a moment, continued, ¡°You were going to pay for the life of other people. Now I am waiting for your proposal about how much you will pay for your own life. Of course, you¡¯ll have to pay enough for the contract. After seeing the amount of your proposal, Id and I will decide whether to forgive you or not.¡± At that time, they could hear Anton¡¯s scream. Sasha¡¯s sword pierced Anton¡¯s leather armor and was stuck in his heart. As Sasha pulled out his sword, blood burst out of Anton¡¯s chest, and his body collapsed forwards. Seeing it, Baron Kozlov took a gold coin pouch out of his inner pocket and held it out to Benjamin. ¡°This is a thousand golds for the contract with the Red Scorpion. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°A thousand golds for the contract to kill us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who asked Anton to kill you. An Ur Thieves'' Guild member put out the contract on your lives. I just asked Anton to retrieve my son¡¯s armor. I asked him to kill Viscount Korolyov. From two thousand golds of the contract amount, I was supposed to pay a thousand as an advance payment today and the balance after he completes his mission.¡± Benjamin, who took over the gold coin pouch from Baron Kozlov, took two pieces of parchment out of his bag and filled out both documents. One stated that since Baron Kozlov commissioned Mage Benjamin and Apprentice Id on a secret mission and the two completed their assignment, Baron Kozlov paid a thousand golds and gave the platemail Id was currently in possession of as a reward. The other was a confession from Baron Kozlov that he commissioned the Red Scorpion boss Anton to assassinate Viscount Korolyov. ¡°I¡¯m familiar with the behavior of nobles of inferior quality like you. I am suspicious of what you¡¯re going to do later relating to today¡¯s incident, so I¡¯ll have to get these documents signed by you, Baron.¡± Kozlov reluctantly signed both documents and staggered off into the dark path. When Id and Sasha dug a hole in the inn''s backyard and collected bodies, Benjamin cremated them with a Fireball. Lara, who searched the inn¡¯s guest rooms and the store in the meantime, came to her party and said, ¡°The shop is locked, and there is nobody in the inn. It looks like they didn¡¯t take guests for the convenience of attacking us.¡± Hearing Lara, Id told Benjamin. ¡°It¡¯s too late, so we¡¯d better stay the night here. Sasha and I will take turns to watch out for possible attacks, so don¡¯t worry and go to bed.¡± ¡°Thank you. I feel exhausted after recovering from the poison.¡± Four people entered a four-person room on the second floor of the inn. As they sat on the beds, Benjamin opened Baron Kozlov¡¯s pouch and handed out two hundred and fifty golds each to the other three. Then he pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his bag and poured it into a glass. ¡°These gold coins should be divided into quarters. I¡¯m going to sleep after a drink. Even though we¡¯ve already got out of the Pleo Grand Canyon, it''s still a tough trip. Anybody wants to drink some whisky, too?¡± Id took over the bottle and poured it into his glass, but Lara and Sasha declined. Lara asked Benjamin, getting ready to sleep. ¡°Can you really turn a person into a pig with magic?¡± Benjamin answered, smiling. ¡°Target Transformation is an eight-circle spell. No human being can cast the spell as far as I know. Dragons must be able to do it, I believe. It¡¯s a pie in the sky for me who hasn¡¯t even reached the level of a seven-circle Wizard.¡± The party laughed out loud together for the first time in a while. The party left the inn before dawn the next day and moved at high speed. Before departure, the party went to the stable to pick up their mules and found a two-horse wagon and several horses. Since there were no guests at the inn, the horses must have belonged to the Red Scorpion. They picked five horses that looked strong and tied two of them to the wagon. Id, Sasha and Lara rode the other three. Lara had a lot of experience riding horses. Id and Sasha had not ridden a horse before, but after they were taught the basics by Lara, they caught on fairly quickly. About an hour after the departure, five horses began to gallop. Except they stopped by a town for lunch, they moved almost nonstop all day. So, at dusk, they arrived at a place where they could see the outer ramparts of Scandia City. After becoming a tributary of the Icarus Empire thirty years back, the capital of the Scandia Kingdom grew more and more over time. After the city¡¯s population exceeded a million, a colossal town began to form outside its outer ramparts. As the city gradually expanded over time, with a population of more than five million, it became a megacity with almost a quarter of the total population of the Scandia Kingdom. As the gates of the outer castle were closed after sunset, the party entered an inn outside the outer ramparts of the city. They left the wagon and horses in the inn¡¯s stable and went to the restaurant on the first floor, but there were no empty tables. After booking a table at the counter, they came out to the street to look around the town. Large shops lined both sides of the main street to live up to the reputation as one of the largest commercial cities around the Icarus Empire. Chapter 41 41 Before leaving the inn, Benjamin asked the clerk about the location of the magic item store, and Lara asked for the location of a blacksmith¡¯s workshop. Id followed Benjamin, and Sasha went together with Lara. Fortunately, both shops were located not very far from the inn. As the restaurant clerk had already informed Lara, it was a dwarven blacksmith''s shop. The weapons on display at the shop Lara and Sasha visited looked unusual. Lara was interested in the belt on which small leather pockets with daggers were attached. Her belt was worn out here and there due to the rough battles she had experienced in recent times, and she lost most of the daggers that had been plugged into it. Lara found a solid belt with twelve daggers attached and tried it on. The dagger''s blade was twelve centimeters long, much shorter than a usual dagger. The dagger¡¯s hilts were so well designed that they looked like ornaments on her leather armor. Though it was pretty expensive, Lara paid for the belt without hesitation. Sasha checked on crossbows. Having been exposed to the quarrels shot by a crossbow a few times, he realized the power and efficiency of the long-range attack. A comparatively small black crossbow hanging on a wall caught Sasha¡¯s eyes. ¡°May I see the crossbow hanging over there?¡± The clerk said in an apathetic tone. ¡°Although our dwarf master made that crossbow, its string is too tough to load quarrels quickly, and its length is too short to hit the target accurately. Moreover, it was too expensive, so it hasn¡¯t been sold in years. Why don¡¯t you check on other crossbows?¡± At that time, a dwarf, coming out of his workshop to get off work, heard the clerk¡¯s remarks on the black crossbow and shouted. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? You have been introducing the masterpiece, on which I¡¯ve worked so hard, in that way? You¡¯re fired right now.¡± The dwarf looked up and down at Sasha and said, ¡°You look strong. Why don¡¯t you load a quarrel?¡± Sasha received the crossbow and a quarrel from the pitiful clerk and loaded a quarrel. Since Sasha had never loaded a crossbow before, he could not understand why the dwarf and clerk looked at him with such surprised looks when he loaded a forty-centimeter short crossbow, even though the string was somewhat tough. But, it was astonishing for the dwarf and clerk since Sasha held the crossbow with his left hand and pulled its string with his right hand to load the quarrel while ordinary people loaded quarrels, putting an end of the crossbow on the ground and the other end on their abdomens, pulling the string with two hands. The dwarf spoke a little trembling voice. ¡°Shoot it, aim at the armor hanging over there.¡± Because the blacksmith¡¯s shop was so large, the armor on the opposite wall was well over thirty meters away. Sasha said, looking at the dwarf. ¡°The armor may be broken. Will it be all right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to pay for it. Don¡¯t worry and shoot the goddamn crossbow.¡± As Sasha pulled the trigger, the quarrel flew with a tremendous wind-piercing sound, penetrated right through the center of the armor and pierced into the wall. The dwarf asked Sasha with a surprised look.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Did you aim for the center of the armor? Shoot one more time.¡± Sasha reshot the crossbow, making another hole on the armor just above the spot the first quarrel had pierced. The clerk was drooling with his mouth open, and the dwarf made a pleasant smile. ¡°I¡¯ll sell you the crossbow for the special price, fifty golds, and give you five quivers with twelve quarrels each for free. My name is Blackanvil. What¡¯s yours?¡± Sasha considered the price, fifty golds, was still very high and he was curious how much the original price was, but he did not ask the dwarf about it. ¡°My name is Sasha. Are you the blacksmith artisan who made Id¡¯s sword?¡± ¡°Who is Id?¡± Sasha briefly talked to Blackanvil about Andrew, Id and Id¡¯s sword. He had heard about how Id had purchased his sword and had recognized Blackanvil''s name. ¡°Oh, yes. That kid was Id. I¡¯m sorry to hear that your master is dead. He seemed like quite the Knight. Where¡¯s Id now?¡± ¡°He is at an inn located not far from here. We¡¯d like to treat you to dinner. What do you think?¡± Looking at Lara, Blackanvil asked, ¡°You chose good daggers. Are you a colleague of the boys?¡± Looking at Lara nodding and smiling, Blackanvil continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to throw the daggers?¡± Lara walked across the shop to the armor, at which Sasha shot the quarrels. Having stopped at about fifteen meters from the armor, she swung her hands three times consecutively. Twelve daggers were neatly stuck in a circle around the holes Sasha had made. Blackanvil was surprised by Lara¡¯s dagger throwing skill, but, on the other hand, Lara was more surprised by the sharpness of the daggers. The daggers pierced into the armor so deeply that their hilts were barely seen. ¡°Huh, what a party of prospects. Is Id as good as you are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time to see these sharp daggers. I feel like they were made for me because the size of the daggers is comparatively small, and their balance is so good. You must be a great artisan. Id is our friend, but, at the same time, he is our swordsmanship teacher.¡± At Lara¡¯s comments, Blackanvil became desperate to see the remarkable young man using the sword made by himself. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner tonight. I¡¯ll give you a dozen more daggers for emergency use.¡± Benjamin and Id found out the selling price of magic potions at a magic item store. They sold several types of magic potions depending on the quality, and the selling prices per bottle were between twenty and thirty golds. Benjamin asked the store manager for a meeting. ¡°I am the six-circle master from the Icarus Wizard Tower, Benjamin. I happened to have a pretty large amount of troll¡¯s blood, and I¡¯m going to make magic potions out of it. Do you want to buy them?¡± The man in his mid-fifties replied quickly. ¡°Certainly. I can buy as many magic potions as you have. How many bottles of them will you make?¡± ¡°The blood I¡¯ve got is enough to make more than a hundred bottles, but If I make them all, I¡¯ll have to stay for quite a long time here in the Scandia City. So I¡¯m about to make twenty bottles myself and sell the rest of the blood to the Sacandia Wizard Tower. How much are you going to pay for the potions?¡± The manager said with a wistful glance. ¡°If it¡¯s a potion made by a mage at your level, I can pay eighteen golds a bottle.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll bring the potions in several days. Can you tell me where I can find these materials written here?¡± Benjamin showed the manager a list of materials necessary for manufacturing potions except for troll¡¯s blood. ¡°We deal with all the materials listed here in this store. The total price is¡­¡­ yes, eight golds and thirty silvers, but I¡¯ll receive only eight golds.¡± Benjamin returned to the inn with Id after purchasing all the necessary materials for magic potions. Benjamin ordered a beer first after sitting in the reserved seat by the window, waiting for the party. Id asked, looking at Benjamin drinking beer at once. ¡°How long would it take to make potions?¡± ¡°If I rent a lab and focus on the production, I can make thirty bottles in a week.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to make only twenty bottles?¡± ¡°I¡¯m to give you three bottles each and keep a bottle myself for emergency use.¡± ¡°You can give us just a bottle each¡­¡­.¡± ¡°To go through a turbulent world, nobody knows what¡¯s gonna happen. It¡¯s better to carry sufficient potions. Although I still have not accomplished being a seven-circle Wizard, I believe I¡¯m the best magic potion manufacturer at the Icarus Wizard Tower. The potions will be helpful to you.¡± Lara and Sasha returned to the inn with Blackanvil. Id stood up from his seat and welcomed the dwarven master artisan, Blackanvil. ¡°I couldn¡¯t meet you at the Nordburg blacksmith¡¯s shop when I visited a few months ago. It¡¯s so nice to see you after a long time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a grown-up now. I¡¯m glad to see you again. I¡¯m sorry to hear about your master''s passing. I was tired of wandering around the world, so I took over a blacksmith¡¯s workshop a few years ago and settled down here in Scandia City. I happened to meet your friends today and heard of you, so I came here to have dinner with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you came.¡± Chapter 42 42 After Benjamin greeted Blackanvil, the party ordered food. Blackanvil ordered two bottles of wine. ¡°I like wine, unlike ordinary dwarves who only seem to be able to enjoy beer.¡± When the waiter brought the wine Blackanvil ordered, Benjamin cast a spell to see if it was poisoned. As Blackanvil saw Benjamin acting so cautiously, Sasha told Blackanvil about what the party went through on their way. After a sip of wine, Blackanvil asked Id. ¡°Now that you¡¯re all grown up, don¡¯t you need a proper longsword? I can make you a longsword that fits you perfectly.¡± ¡°No. For the swordsmanship I made, the sword I¡¯m using now is more suitable than a longsword. I call this sword made by you a middlesword. I will probably be using this middlesword for a long time to come.¡± Surprised to hear that Id had created his own swordsmanship style, Blackanvil looked at Sasha. Sasha just nodded without words. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that you created your original swordsmanship at your age. Can I see you using the sword I made?¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll spar with Sasha after dinner.¡± Blackanvil hurriedly finished his meal since he wanted to see Id use his sword as soon as possible. The others also scarfed their food down and went to the inn¡¯s backyard. Id was in his armor and helmet. Having put the battle-axe and mace down on the ground, Sasha made sure to be in the best condition, lightening his body for the spar, holding only his sword and shield. No one thought it strange since Knights often sparred at their accommodations during the trip. Some curious guests gathered to watch the two men¡¯s match. Id spoke to Sasha. ¡°Now that I¡¯m wearing magic armor, you don¡¯t have to worry about me getting hurt. Do your best to attack me as if it were a real fight.¡± Sasha nodded wordlessly, lifting his sword. Id waited for Sasha¡¯s attack, stretching his sword to the lower right. As Sasha kicked off his attack with a roar of shouts, the two struck their swords several times at dazzling speed. The combination of Sasha¡¯s heavy orthodox sword and Id¡¯s flashing sword that resembled flowing lightning, made it look like an artistic performance. When the confrontation lasted more than ten minutes, everyone watching held their breath. Sheathing his sword, Sasha said to Id. ¡°Although I did my best in my own way for a long time, it seems I still have a long way to catch up to your sword techniques.¡± Id smiled at Sasha and looked at Lara. ¡°Would you like to have a spar too?¡± Nodding vigorously, Lara unsheathed her shortsword and stepped forward. Smartly dressed in leather armor, Lara caught the spectators¡¯ eyes. Unlike the confrontation between Sasha and Id, Lara and Id¡¯s match of speed versus speed was way too fast for Blackanvil to follow with his eyes. After a while, Lara stepped back with a sullen look, dropping her shortsword. Id asked Blackanvil. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Your swordsmanship is great. I¡¯m pleased that the sword I made went to the right owner. And I agree that your middlesword is much better for your swordsmanship than the longsword. I don¡¯t think you need a new longsword. Sasha, I think your master¡¯s longsword fits you well. What do you think?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m going to use my master¡¯s keepsake for the rest of my life, cherishing it.¡± Having nodded, Blackanvil looked at Lara. ¡°Lara, I think you should use a middlesword like Id rather than a shortsword. I¡¯ll make a sword that fits you perfectly, so pick it up five days later at my workshop.¡± ¡°Thank you, Blackanvil. How much do I have to pay for it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll gift it to you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already given me a set of daggers free of charge. I want to pay for my sword.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about it later after I make the sword.¡± Four people and a dwarf, who decided to drink some more wine, went back into the restaurant. A man wearing a robe and pressing the hood down deeply was watching them in the corner of the backyard. It was late, so there was only one table of guests in the restaurant except for Id¡¯s party. Having ordered some more wine, Blackanvil asked Benjamin. ¡°Sasha said you were going to visit Scandia''s Wizard Tower to make magic potions. Is it true?¡± ¡°Right. We will visit the Wizard Tower tomorrow morning and stay there for a week.¡± ¡°Are you familiar with Torres, the owner of the Scandia Wizard Tower?¡± ¡°He belonged to the Icarus Wizard Tower for several years. I¡¯ve heard that he left Icarus Tower and moved to Scandia soon after he had become a seven-circle Wizard. I just greeted him when he came to the Icarus Wizard Tower for the first time. I didn¡¯t see him when he left. I¡¯ve heard that he had some conflict with Sirius, the owner of Icarus Wizard Tower when he left. I thought the conflict was resolved well later.¡± Blackanvil glanced at Id¡¯s armor once and began to speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize that armor at first because you removed all the patterns on it, but it is a collaboration between Torres and me. Since the rumors about Baron Kozlov are not good, I refused to make an armor for his son at first. After repeated requests from Torres, I decided to make it reluctantly. The production cost I received was a thousand golds because I mixed alloyed steel using black iron from the dwarf mine in the Tartaria Kingdom. I don¡¯t know how much Torres received for engraving magic diagrams on the armor. Marquis Bunin, Duke Belov and Duke Usachov are the three greatest aristocrats in the Scandia Kingdom. And Marquis Bunin, Baron Kozlov¡¯s father-in-law, is the biggest sponsor of Torres. At the time of manufacturing the armor, the relationship between Torres and me wasn¡¯t bad. However, with several visits to the Tower to make the armor and frequent contact with him, I felt something strange about him. Later, on a covert basis, I got suspicious of a conspiracy that he was trying to turn Scandia into a Magic Kingdom like the Kingdom of Mudria and seize the political power himself. For me, as a dwarf, it doesn¡¯t matter who takes power in the human world, so I stopped paying attention to it afterward. Now that I hear you¡¯re planning to visit the Scandia Wizard Tower, I can¡¯t help but worry. Wizard Torres is an ambitious man, so you¡¯d better be careful.¡± Id, who was listening carefully to Blackanvil, said, ¡°This armor was so expensive! Now I understand why Baron Kozlov tried to get it back so desperately.¡± Id spoke to Blackanvil about the whole story relating to the armor in detail. ¡°Anyway, by destiny, I¡¯ve come to use both the armor and sword you made.¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve noticed, Torres will recognize your armor as well. I think it¡¯s better not to show him your armor.¡± Id replied to him, smiling brightly. ¡°If Kozlov¡¯s father-in-law is his biggest sponsor, Wizard Torres must have known about my armor already. Even if he doesn¡¯t know yet, he¡¯ll know soon enough. As I¡¯m aware that Wizard Torres might be hostile to me, everything will be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I know Wizards will never win over a swordsman of your level, but Torres is not the kind of man who fights fair and square. It¡¯s never a good idea for you to go to the Scandia Wizard Tower.¡± Benjamin intervened in the conversation between the two. ¡°Torres was originally from the Kingdom of Hispa, where he conflicted with the dark mages. I heard he stayed at the Mudria Wizard Tower for several years before moving to the Icarus Wizard Tower after becoming a six-circle-master mage. Sirius conducted extensive research into his possible connection with black magic. It is known that they couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious at the time.¡± Blackanvil said, looking at Benjamin. ¡°When I did my research on Torres, there were no traces of black magic, either. However, I didn¡¯t like his insidious personality, so I kept my distance from him these days.¡± At that time, having glanced at the other guests¡¯ table, Id spoke to Benjamin in a low voice. ¡°Somebody has cast a spell.¡± On the opposite side of Id¡¯s table, a middle-aged couple dressed in ordinary travel suits were drinking beer. Listening to Id, Benjamin cast the spell Magic Force Examination. Sasha and Lara prepared for an unexpected situation, placing their hands on the sword hilt. Moments later said Benjamin, ¡°There are three mages here. Those two sitting at the table are five-circle mages. There is another mage in the backyard where you sparred. I¡¯m not sure, but I think he is at about the same level as me, a six-circle-master mage. The mage in the backyard has cast the spell, Manna Force Examination, to you. I don¡¯t know how he got the information about you, but I think he tried to check whether you made a manna hall in your body or not.¡± Chapter 43 43 Listening to Benjamin, Id got up from his seat and approached the middle-aged man and woman sitting at a table by the window across the hall. They also stood up, pulling out their magic wands from the inner pockets. They glared at Id, signs of nervousness clearly showed on their faces. Id asked them. ¡°Why are you spying on my party?¡± Entering the restaurant, a mage in a gray robe answered Id¡¯s question on behalf of the middle-aged man and woman. The mage, who had watched Id¡¯s spars with his friends in the backyard, came into the restaurant and took off his hood to reveal a wrinkled but handsome face in its mid-fifties. ¡°I¡¯m not here to spy on you but to protect you from imminent danger. I¡¯m Chiron from the Scandia Wizard Tower. Now that I¡¯ve revealed myself, I¡¯d like to talk to you about what has happened so far and what is expecting you in your future.¡± Chiron told the mid-aged man and woman. ¡°Well done. You go to the Wizard Tower first. I¡¯m going to have a little chat with these people.¡± After the man and woman went out of the restaurant, Id led Chiron to the table where his party was sitting. Benjamin spoke to Chiron. ¡°Are you Chiron? I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t recognize you. Well, it¡¯s been well over thirty years since we¡¯ve seen each other, so maybe it¡¯s natural not to recognize you. It seems like you have become a six-circle master as well. I think you¡¯ll be able to surpass me soon. Anyway, very nice to see you again.¡± Chiron had studied abroad at Icarus Wizard Tower for a year when he had been a two-circle mage. At that time, he had gotten magic tutelage from Benjamin, who had been a four-circle-expert mage in his mid-twenties. Unlike ordinary mages with difficult personalities, Benjamin was a kind teacher, so Chiron had good memories of him. ¡°Long time no see, Benjamin. When I was a teenager, you helped me a lot, but I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve never visited you even once until now. How are you doing, Blackanvil?¡± The mage Chiron from the Scandia Wizard Tower, who also greeted Blackanvil, sat down at the table under the guidance of Id. After greeting Sasha and Lara, Chiron explained why he had come to the inn. ¡°Id, when you confronted Viscount Korolyov¡¯s Knight Commander, Daniel, at the lord¡¯s Castle of the Kozlov Barony, a mage from the Scandia Wizard Tower watched your confrontation. Although he was a mere four-circle mage, it was not difficult for him to notice that your armor was activated without the use of a Magic Stone. He reported about you through the magic communication devices to Torres, the owner of the Scandia Wizard Tower, who immediately dispatched two five-circle mages from the Chernobugor Branch of the Scandia Wizard Tower to ascertain your whereabouts. Since the two mages had information that you had beaten the advanced Knight, Daniel, they didn¡¯t approach you too close. But, we could obtain quite detailed information about you since they consistently observed you from afar. The two five-circle mages found you in the forest near Chernobugor before you fought with the mercenaries and followed your party from there. They reported that you wielded your Aura Blade proficiently and might be able to use the Aura Beam like William Cronos, having established a manna hall in your body, judging from the battles you had been through during your journey. Torres asked me to confirm the existence of your manna hall as your party had arrived at Scandia City. Id, who was listening attentively to Chiron, asked him. ¡°At first, I thought you came to retrieve my armor at the request of Baron Kozlov. Why is the owner of Scandia Wizard Tower so interested in my manna hall?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Chiron remained silent for a while as if he were organizing his thoughts, and then began to talk., ¡°Without being able to access Torres'' thoughts, I cannot say the exact reason as I do not know myself. Please take into account that my speculation is the basis of much of what I am about to talk about. Over the years, Torres and Helene have been trying in every way to figure out how the Mudria Wizard Tower produced Aura Beam owners. Helene is the highest-ranked mage in the Scandia Tower, discounting Torres and me. People anticipate that she will be the first seven-circle Witch in the history of the Scandia Tower sooner or later. It¡¯s hard to expect the Mudira Wizard Tower to release their secrets. While Torres and Helena were struggling, they received the report on you. After the Mudria Tower opened the method of building up a manna hall, several volunteers succeeded in creating manna halls in their chest supported by the Scandia Wizard Tower. However, Torres has yet to find out how to operate the condensed manna in the manna hall to create Aura Beam. I assume that either Torres will coax you to stay at the Scandia Wizard Tower and help him study how to obtain Aura Beam, or, if you refuse, detain you and use magic to figure out how to operate the manna. If he uses seven-circle mental magic, it will be possible to find out the secrets from you directly whether you give your consent or not.¡± ¡°You said Torres received reports on my fights against the many tough opponents we have faced. Is he sure of being able to detain me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy, of course, for Torres alone, but his sponsor, Marquis Bunin¡¯s second son Yuri Bunin is one of the top three swordsmen in Scandia. He stays in the Scandia Wizard Tower now. I think Torres believes it would be possible for him to subdue you with the help of Yuri Bunin and Helene, the six-circle-master mage.¡± Id looked at his companions one after another, then told Chiron. ¡°Thank you for letting me know the details of the current situation. Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous for you to give me this information?¡± Chiron looked into Id¡¯s eyes for a while and continued. ¡°Torres is thinking of turning Scandia into a Magic Kingdom like Mudria, which is a ridiculous idea. The Kingdom of Mudria was established by a seven-circle Wizard originally. Although there hasn¡¯t appeared another seven-circle Wizard King after the founder, most Kings were six-circle mages. I understand that the current King of Mudria is also a six-circle-master mage. So, the Mudrian royal family and the Wizard Tower are like one body. However, things are different in Scandia. Trying to turn Scandia into a Magic Kingdom means a coup-d¡¯etat, and, success or failure, many mages and Knights will be sacrificed in the process. Although I¡¯ve not yet been able to resist Torres¡¯ ambition in earnest due to my lack of abilities, many mages in the Scandia Wizard Tower support me. Torres can¡¯t harm me recklessly either.¡± Benjamin told Chiron about the troll¡¯s blood and his plan to make magic potions at the Scandia Wizard Tower and asked Chiron. ¡°In this situation, it seems difficult for us to visit the Scandia Wizard Tower. Can you introduce me to another appropriate place to produce magic potions?¡± ¡°Since you are a six-circle mage from the Icarus Tower, Torres will never treat you disrespectfully, Benjamin. I¡¯ll lend you one of my labs, so you can make the magic potions as planned. I¡¯ll take over the remaining troll¡¯s blood, too. However, Id, you¡¯d better not visit the Scandia Wizard Tower. It won¡¯t be easy for Torres to come out of the Tower to catch you as long as you don¡¯t enter into his domain yourself.¡± Id asked Benjamin. ¡°Will you be all right alone? Why don¡¯t you go to the Icarus Wizard Tower with the troll''s blood and make potions there instead of stopping by the Scandia Wizard Tower?¡± ¡°As Chiron said, Torres cannot confront me easily. If he hurts me, he¡¯ll have to risk a war against the Icarus Tower. I don¡¯t think you have to worry about me. If anything happens, Chiron will help me. Now that I¡¯ve learned of Torres¡¯ bizarre ambitions, I think I need to go into the Scandia Wizard Tower and check on the situation myself. Besides, I want to make potions for you before we split ways at the border. What are you going to do in the meantime?¡± ¡°In the process of activating magic armor and detoxifying Benjamin using the manna in my manna hall, I found a clue about manna operation to create Aura Beam. The series of battles I recently underwent also helped me better understand the manna¡¯s flow in my body. I need some time to organize what I realized and concentrate on manna circulation. Originally I planned to find a place where the density of manna is higher after we escort you to the Empire¡¯s border. Now that I have some free time, I am planning to search for a place to train during your stay in the Scandia Wizard Tower.¡± As Id spoke of his plan, Blackanvil told him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come to my house? I hate the hustle and bustle of the city, so I built a house in the woods outside Scandia City and live alone. I have no idea about the density of manna, but I have a few empty rooms for you.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s in the forest, the manna flow would be much more tranquil than the turbulent flow downtown. Thank you for your invitation.¡± Benjamin told Chiron, ¡°If you have a communication crystal, please sell it to me. I lost my crystal ball during the journey, so I suffered a lot.¡± Chiron took a crystal ball out of his bag on his shoulder and handed it to Benjamin. ¡°I have some extra communication crystals in the Tower, so I¡¯ll just give this to you.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t have that now can I. I want to buy one of your extra crystal balls, too. This is with a magic stone inside, so it¡¯s eighty golds, and the extra crystal ball would cost fifty golds. So in total, one hundred and thirty golds. Here you go.¡±^r Chapter 44 44 Chiron received gold coins from Benjamin with an awkward smile. Benjamin input his old disciple¡¯s identification number into Id¡¯s crystal ball. ¡°I¡¯ll send you my new number through the communication crystal later. When someone tries to communicate with you, the crystal ball will vibrate, and its color will be changed. Just touching the crystal ball will open the communication channel.¡± Benjamin explained in detail to Id how to use the magic communication device. The next day, Benjamin went to the Scandia Wizard Tower with Chiron, and Id, Sasha and Lara followed Blackanvil to his house. The eastern and southern sides of the Scandia City were vast plains, but there were dense forests in the northwest of the city where the Pleo Mountains were passing by. Thus, the Scandia City had grown mainly in the eastern and southern directions when the town had expanded. On the way to Blackanvil¡¯s house in the woods about five kilometers from the outer ramparts of the city, the Capital Defense Forces were stationed. Although monsters have disappeared recently, about two thousand troops of a regiment were stationed on the outskirts of the city''s northwestern area, just in case. When Blackanvil greeted the familiar platoon captain at the checkpoint, and the party passed through it, they could see the endless forest of birch trees. White trees, densely packed in the fog, created a mysterious atmosphere that seemed to come straight out of a fairy tale, and a crystal clear brook was flowing out of the forest. It was called the Forest of Elves, as many elves had lived there in the old days, but few have been seen recently. Some people claimed to have seen elves in the forests, but those sightings were mostly treated as fake rumors. Others said that the elves had moved elsewhere after the establishment of a human city nearby, but nobody knew the truth. As the party trotted on horseback about a couple of kilometers into the forest along the stream, they saw a log house next to the brook. Though it looked like one large house from a distance, Id¡¯s party could discern three separate cabins as they got closer. The two-story house in the north was Blackanvil¡¯s residence, and the extensive cabin in the east was his workshop. The cottage by the brook in the west was a building with a warehouse and a sauna attached. Id¡¯s party tied their horses and a mule that pulled Blackanvil¡¯s cart under the awning attached to the warehouse and entered the two-story log cabin. ¡°I like this birch forest. Actually, this is why I decided to settle down in Scandia City. It is not easy for a dwarf to live with humans. If you stay here, it¡¯s hard to meet people even once a year, which is the best environment for me to dwell. There are three rooms on the second floor; you can take one each. I¡¯m going to heat up the sauna, so those who want to use the sauna can head in in about half an hour. You¡¯ll feel pretty good if you go into the stream afterward.¡± Id and Sasha were familiar with saunas, as their dwellings in the Forest of Evil Spirits also had sauna facilities. The two entered the sauna wearing only their underwear. Id sat on the spacious wooden bench in the middle and began manna circulation. When Sasha, who did not like to stay in the hot place for a long time, was about to exit, leaving Id behind, Lara entered the sauna. Sasha, who had gotten up from the bench, sat down again in a slouched posture. Although Lara covered her body with a big towel, Sasha couldn¡¯t look straight at her, so instead, he looked at the floor. Lara, who had been in a sauna for the first time, began to ask Sasha a lot of questions. Sasha had to explain to Lara how to use the sauna, but his gaze remained on the floor throughout the whole conversation. During the time Sasha and Lara finished the sauna and went outside, Id remained focused on the manna circulation without any movement.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Id did not come out until after the sauna cooled down. Because the log cabin was not completely sealed, the sauna was well ventilated even though it was sweltering inside for more than an hour. Id felt that the manna¡¯s flow was more lively than usual. He swam in the cold stream for a while after the sauna, savoring the flow of manna he had felt in it. Having prepared a lot of firewood in the afternoon, Id heated the sauna himself from dawn the next day and circulated manna in it for two hours a day. Although Sasha, Lara or Blackanvil came into the sauna while Id was in it from time to time, no one spoke to him because he kept his eyes closed and focused on manna circulation continuously, sitting in the middle of the bench. Usually, Id¡¯s manna circulation started from the left side of his body. However, on the second day after Id began to train in the sauna, the manna stream, which came out of his manna hall, directly climbed his spine and went up through the back of his head to the top. It encountered a small but sturdy wall at the top of his head. Though the manna stream crashed against the wall several times, it blocked the manna¡¯s flow like an ironclad castle. Still, the manna did not try to bypass the barrier and went back to the manna hall after circulating Id¡¯s body through the usual manna passages. The same phenomenon repeatedly appeared twice a day for several days. The process of knocking on the obstacle at the top of Id¡¯s head caused him tremendous pain. However, Id patiently endured the pain, neither giving up nor rushing. He instinctively realized that if he could break through the intangible obstacles on the top of his head, he would have taken one step further in his training. Still, he maintained his position as an observer of the manna flow as he had been up to then. On the seventh day of his stay at Blackanvil¡¯s, unlike the other days, Id skipped all three meals as he concentrated on manna circulation from dawn to evening. Two hours of training in the sauna at dawn was followed by an hour of training in the brook, and he entered his room to continue manna circulation sitting on his bed. At last, he fell into a trance. Sasha and Lara alternatively examined Id¡¯s condition, but they did not disturb his meditation. Id didn¡¯t seem to be aware of their presence next to him. At dusk, Id heard a sound akin to fireworks exploding in his head. The manna stream, which had repeatedly knocked on the barrier in the top of his head, finally broke the obstacle and opened a new passage. At that moment, the amount of manna flowing through Id¡¯s body increased explosively, and the main stream of his manna returned to his manna hall after circulating his whole body three times at a tremendous speed. Id¡¯s manna hall expanded twice, and a halo appeared over his head. Id experienced ecstasy as the pain that had tortured him for several days disappeared. The next day, Id realized that he had been completely transformed. Although there was no significant change in appearance, except that his skin was peeled off thinly and his height grew a couple of centimeters, Id felt that his bones and muscles were entirely different from before. Dressed in a travel suit and holding his sword, Id went deep into the forest alone at dawn. Having walked fast for about an hour, Id stopped in front of a small waterfall. A waterfall about fifteen meters high was falling on a large rock next to a pond. The sound of the waterfall was not loud; it sounded like a piece of beautiful music. Id jumped a distance of about twenty meters and landed on the sizable rock where the waterfall fell. Unsheathing his sword, he carefully followed the movements of the swordsmanship he created. His sword, which moved slowly in the beginning, grew faster and drew dizzying sword paths in the air at a tremendous speed. Eventually, from the end of his Aura Blade, about a meter of Aura Beam stretched out at the speed of light. As Id swung it toward the waterfall, the falling water seemed to have split in half for a moment. Id, who was about to retrieve his sword and sheath it, flew up to a birch tree standing on his left side. As he charged up to the tree, an arrow flew toward him. Id struck the arrow away with his sword and held out his sword in front of him, stepping on a branch of the birch tree. The tip of his blade touched the neck of a hooded figure. Then, a beautiful voice rang out from underneath the hood. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to hurt you at all. Why do you attack me?¡± Chapter 45 45 As the woman lifted her right hand from the quiver of arrows on her back and took off her hood, a beautiful face, the likes of which Id had never seen in his life was revealed. The girl, who looked less than twenty years old, was a beauty with long, luxuriant black hair. Her dark eyes, like obsidians, looked into Id¡¯s eyes. As Id hesitated and couldn¡¯t answer, she continued. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a human operating manna like you. I¡¯ve never seen an elf or a dwarf do that either. Who are you?¡± Only then did Id see pointed ears with slightly protruding ends between her rich hair. He retrieved his sword aimed at the girl¡¯s neck and asked in a somewhat shaky voice. ¡°Are you an elf?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m an elf, Selena. What¡¯s your name?¡± Id replied, a little embarrassed by the straightforward attitude of the elf named Selena. ¡°My name is Id. Not long ago, I was informed of someone targeting me, which was why I had mistaken you for an enemy. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why is someone after you?¡± Id felt a little embarrassed again by the elf¡¯s blunt question. ¡°It¡¯s a long story to explain in detail. In short, a powerful wizard is trying to take away something I have. Anyways, did you say you can feel a difference in the way I control my manna?¡± ¡°If someone operates manna as powerful as yours, any elf could feel it. If an elf, a race that has a special affinity to manna force in general, doesn¡¯t feel your peculiar manna operation, that would be strange.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so! I apologize once again.¡± Saying goodbye to Selena, Id jumped down the tree and headed for Blackanvil¡¯s house, but she followed him and asked, walking along beside him. ¡°What are you doing in this forest alone? I haven¡¯t seen a human walking alone deep in the forest recently. Besides, you are the first one who has ever been able to notice me.¡± Id spoke after a while. ¡°Do you happen to know a dwarf named Blackanvil? I¡¯m staying at his house with my friends for a few days.¡± ¡°Are you close to Uncle Blackanvil? I can¡¯t believe he invited humans to his house.¡± The two walked side by side without words for a while. Id asked Selena out of sudden curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that elves and dwarves are not on good terms. Are you close to Blackanvil?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a silly misconception of hasty generalization. Humans often misunderstand without reason. Of course, there must be some elves who don¡¯t get along with dwarves, but I like Blackanvil.¡± Id, who had been walking silently again, suddenly started to run fast as if he were bouncing off the ground. Selena also followed closely behind Id at a quick pace.Stolen story; please report. ¡°It¡¯s in the direction of Uncle Blackanvil¡¯s house, right?¡± Nodding quietly, Id jumped onto a tree overlooking Blackanvil¡¯s log house, and gently landed on a thick branch. Selena sat down next to Id without any noise. Lara was lying unconscious in front of Blackanvil¡¯s two-story log house, and the dwarf artisan Blackanvil was kneeling beside her, checking her wounds, not caring about the blood flowing out of his own wound on his arm. Sasha stood in front of them, clutching his sword and shield, but his left thigh was bleeding too. In front of him stood five Knights in full plate mail with the same geometric patterns and three sorcerers in fancy robes. Among the three sorcerers, the one in the middle told Sasha. ¡°I don¡¯t have any business with anyone else. If you could just tell me where Id is, I won¡¯t hurt you anymore. No more reckless resistance! Tell me the boy¡¯s whereabouts.¡± At that time, Blackanvil shouted in an angry voice. ¡°Torres, you¡¯ll have a hard time after doing this to me. Although I live alone in the human world, my tribe¡¯s dwarf warriors will not forgive you if you continue to persecute me.¡± ¡°Blackanvil, I am not afraid of dwarf warriors, but I don¡¯t want to antagonize you. I just have business with the boy named Id.¡± Having identified the situation at the scene, Id spoke to Selena. ¡°Please stay here.¡± Before Selena responded to him, Id jumped into the air, stepping on a branch, and spun around in the air, lightly landing between Sasha and Torres. A Knight hurriedly stepped forward to guard Torres and asked. ¡°Are you Id?¡± Id asked Sasha, ignoring the Knight¡¯s question. ¡°Sasha, what happened?¡± ¡°When I came out, Lara was already down, and Blackanvil was hurt. I fought with him for a while, but he is the strongest opponent I¡¯ve ever faced.¡± Sasha said, pointing to the Knight blocking Torres with his index finger. Blackanvil added onto Sasha¡¯s words and continued, ¡°He is Yuri Bunin, the second son of Marquis Bunin. Be careful. He is a peak-class swordsman and wears armor engraved with Anti Physical Force. When Lara was training swordsmanship here in the yard, he asked for your whereabouts. Lara didn¡¯t answer his questions, and he abruptly attacked her. There was an intense fight between the two for about ten minutes, but eventually, Lara was slammed away and fell unconscious after hitting her head on the ground.¡± As Id ignored him, Yuri Bunin shouted in a voice full of anger. ¡°Put on your armor. I¡¯ll show you the sword skills of the true peak swordsman.¡± Id said, looking at Torres, still not answering Yuri¡¯s question. ¡°I know what you want from me. My answer is ¡®No¡¯. I¡¯m not such a generous person to let those who hurt my friends live, but I¡¯ll give you a chance. If you retreat right now, I¡¯ll forgive your mistakes once, but if you step forward a step from where you are, nobody shall return alive.¡± Raging, Yuri did not wait for Torres¡¯ answer but swung his sword at Id. As Id¡¯s sword deflected Yuri¡¯s sword, the latter cut through the air, and the former stabbed Yuri¡¯s chest. At that moment, Id¡¯s Aura Blade and the Anti Physical Force of Yuri¡¯s platemail collided. Although the armor did not get pierced, Yuri retreated a couple of steps, shocked by his crumpled breastplate. Id moved to his opponent¡¯s left side with light footwork and cut at Yuri¡¯s right flank. Three Knights protected sorcerers, and the other Knight confronted Sasha. Sasha¡¯s thigh injury was but a flesh wound, so it did not interfere much with his movements. The sorcerers, escorted by the three Knights, began chanting spells simultaneously. Then, some arrows flew one after another from the tree where Id jumped down from. Although two arrows bounced off the Knights¡¯ shields, the third one killed a sorcerer instantly by piercing his neck. Surprised by the unexpected ambush, Torres stopped casting an attack spell and cast a Magic Shield. However, his casting time lengthened as he lost his composure. A Knight ran to the tree where the arrows were shot from, but he could find no one on it. Helene, the six-circle-master mage, focused on casting an attack spell, ignoring the arrows. When Yuri Bunin, who could not keep up with Id¡¯s fast movement, rushed toward his opponent with his shield in front of him, Id stabbed the opponent in the back of his neck, jumping over the rushing Knight¡¯s head. Yuri¡¯s helmet and armor were covered in the blue light of the Anti Physical Force at the same time, but Id¡¯s cobalt Aura Blade broke into the magic defense and penetrated Yuri Bunin¡¯s neck from behind. One of the top three swordsmen in the Kingdom of Scandia met his end without even a scream. The Knight, who was confronting Sasha, collapsed the next moment. Sasha¡¯s sword that stabbed his opponent in the heart was also covered by bluish light, though faint. ¡°Lightning Bolt.¡± After completing her casting, Helene shouted an initiator, and dozens of Lightning Bolts flew toward Id, who was approaching Torres. However, as Id brandished his Aura Blade several times, Helena¡¯s lightning bundles bounced off helplessly. Shocked by the scene, Helene sank to the spot. As Id rushed to Torres, speeding up. Two Knights attacked him simultaneously. One Knight was torn apart together with his sword by Id¡¯s shining Aura Blade, and the other was decapitated. Looking into Torres¡¯ eyes with a cold stare, Id swung his sword wide and struck the Magic Shield surrounding the wizard. Although Torres¡¯ Magic Shield defended Id¡¯s Aura Blade once, the manna forming the shield was dispersed by the first attack, and the magic defense disappeared soon by the second strike. Torres shouted in an urgent voice. ¡°I was wrong. I will¡­¡­¡± Torres couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and fell to the ground, bleeding from his heart. The Knight, who chased Selena, also collapsed, clutching an arrow stuck in his neck. As Id approached Helene, sitting on the ground, she bowed her head in resignation and made no sounds. At that time, an urgent voice was heard from a distance. Chapter 46 46 ¡°Id, don¡¯t kill her. She is only ignorant of the world, preoccupied with studying magic, but she¡¯s not a bad person by nature.¡± Chiron shouted, approaching Id quickly, and Benjamin followed him. As he arrived at Id¡¯s side, Benjamin said, ¡°I found out too late that they had come to you. I tried to inform you with the communication crystal belatedly, but I couldn¡¯t reach you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chiron said to Helene, supporting her standing up. ¡°You will be submitted to a disciplinary measure of the Tower¡¯s Senate. You should prepare yourself for severe punishment.¡± Helene said nothing, avoiding Chiron¡¯s gaze. All the people who came with her died, and only she survived. Her mind had gone blank, and she could not think of anything. In the meantime, Id and Benjamin went to Lara. Sasha wrapped the bandage around Blackanvil¡¯s wound to stop his bleeding while his own thigh was still bleeding as well. Id asked his friend. ¡°How¡¯s your wound?¡± ¡°It was just a slight scratch, but for some reason, it is still bleeding. It was probably due to that Knight¡¯s Aura Blade. It was pretty powerful. After stopping Blackanvil¡¯s bleeding, I¡¯ll treat it myself. You should check on Lara.¡± As Id put his hand on Lara¡¯s wound on the back of her head, his manna wrapped around her inner wound. The injury was not severe, and she seemed to be temporarily unconscious due to shock. Then, Benjamin chanted an initiator, standing in front of Lara. ¡°Healing.¡± Chiron, who had treated Blackanvil with Healing, recited another spell to treat Sasha. Selena appeared in front of Blackanvil as if she fell from the sky and spoke to him, ¡°Uncle Blackanvil, were you badly hurt?¡± The dwarf artisan greeted the elven girl with a bright facial expression. ¡°I knew it was you from the arrows that shot those guys. How did you come out of nowhere?¡± Selena briefed Blackanvil on how she met Id and had returned with him. Blackanvil said, looking back at Id. ¡°Thank you. You saved our lives. Your swordsmanship is much stronger than I thought. I was surprised to see Lara fighting neck-and-neck against Yuri Bunin for a while, and Sasha confronted him, not being inferior at all. Now, I don¡¯t know what to say having seen you finish one of the Kingdom¡¯s top swordsmen in a flash.¡± Id responded as he checked on Blackanvil¡¯s wound. As Yuri Bunin had not intended to hurt the dwarf seriously, his wound was not deep. The wound had already closed and healed for the most part, as Chiron had already treated him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to put you into trouble because of me. Training at your place for the past several days was fruitful, so my swordsmanship seems to have improved.¡± When Blackanvil was about to say something again, Lara woke up. ¡°What happened? Oh, Id, you came back. Did you deal with them all?¡± Id asked a question instead of answering her. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°How is your head? Do you have a headache?¡± ¡°No, not at all. That idiot body-slammed me, so I was pushed back. I think I need much harder training to improve my swordsmanship.¡± Lara, who set her heart on training biting her lower lip, found Selena and asked with a curious look on her face. ¡°Who are you?¡± Blackanvil replied to her instead of Selena. ¡°A young elf who visits me from time to time.¡± Id thanked Selena. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°I think I shot the arrows for nothing. You are the last person who needs my help. In all one hundred and twenty years of my life, I¡¯ve never seen a human as strong as you.¡± When Lara opened her eyes wide, surprised by Selena¡¯s age, Blackanvil explained, ¡°Elves live much longer than dwarves. Selena¡¯s age would be similar to yours in human terms.¡± Even after Blackanvil¡¯s remarks, Lara still looked surprised. While they were talking, Chiron gathered the bodies with Sasha¡¯s help and cremated them with Fireball. Chiron then returned to the party. ¡°I need to convene a Senate Meeting to get rid of those who have been actively involved in Torres¡¯ scheme and to elect the next owner of the Wizard Tower, so I¡¯ll get going. On behalf of the Wizard Tower, I¡¯d like to apologize to you.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s happening has nothing to do with you. You will be busy dealing with the Wizard Tower¡¯s problems and issues for now. Later, I¡¯ll visit Scandia Wizard Tower to see you again.¡± Id added to Benjamin¡¯s comments. ¡°I appreciate your help. I¡¯ll have to return to Scandia someday. I¡¯ll stop by your Wizard Tower to see you, then.¡± When Chiron nodded to Id, Blackanvil said, ¡°Well, when you¡¯re done with the urgent things, Chiron, stop by my workshop. Now that I believe you will be the next owner of the Wizard Tower, I¡¯ll prepare a small present for the celebration. Having said goodbye to the party, Chiron left Blackanvil¡¯s house, taking Helene, who was still looking down at the ground standing next to him. Id checked the injuries of Blackanvil, Lara and Sasha once again and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad that everyone¡¯s all right. I haven¡¯t eaten since yesterday, so I¡¯m starving. I have to prepare some food.¡± Id dissuaded Lara and Sasha from helping prepare the meal and went into the kitchen alone. In addition to borsch and the lamb steaks garnished with potatoes, mushrooms and onions, he prepared vegetable soup, fried vegetables and potatoes for Selena. While Id was setting the table in the dining room, Blackanvil went down to the basement and brought a few bottles of wine. Selena remarked when the party was all seated. ¡°Humans eat really big meals.¡± Having tasted the stir-fried vegetables and potatoes with a curious look, she continued. ¡°It¡¯s my first time eating it, but it¡¯s really delicious. Elven food doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± Blackanvil said, pouring wine into Selena¡¯s glass. ¡°It¡¯s my first time eating with you. I know the elves love wine, but do you cook your food?¡± ¡°We cook some kinds of mushrooms, but usually we eat fresh without cooking or fermented food in an elven way. I¡¯ve never thought about the taste of food in particular except for fruits, but today is an interesting experience for me.¡± Selena asked Lara, sitting next to her. ¡°Can I try a small slice of your meat?¡± Lara, who had never heard of an elf eating meat, was a little surprised but cut her steak and put a slice on top of Selena¡¯s stir-fried vegetables. ¡°Do elves eat meat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if other elves eat meat, but this is my first time eating it.¡± Selena, who carefully savored the taste of lamb steak in her mouth, said, ¡°It¡¯s not inedible.¡± Watching the meat-eating elf, Lara told Id and Sasha. ¡°Id, I think your swordsmanship has improved to another level. Can you use Aura Beam now?¡± Sasha, did you see his Aura Beam when he was fighting with the intruders?¡± Sasha shook his head, and Id told Lara. ¡°I need some time to organize my thoughts on it. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Selena intervened in the conversation between the two. ¡°Is there meat in that red soup? Can I taste a little of it?¡± Id put the remaining borsch in a bowl and handed it to Selena. ¡°I made the borsch by boiling beef bones, and there are some pieces of beef in it.¡± After sniffing at the borsch, Selena scooped up a little soup with a spoon. She told Id, savoring the taste of borsch with her eyes closed. ¡°This is much more delicious than the lamb steak. Is it delicious food in itself, or are you good at cooking?¡± As Id looked embarrassed, Lara replied instead. ¡°People may have different tastes, but I prefer Id¡¯s dishes to those of restaurants.¡± Benjamin and Sasha nodded in agreement, and Blackanvil said, ¡°He grilled the same meat, but it¡¯s completely different from what I grilled. It¡¯s amazing.¡± Selena suddenly announced, looking at Id¡¯s blushed face. ¡°I feel like seeing the human world. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Although none of them responded to Selena¡¯s comments, everyone acknowledged the addition of the elf to their party. Benjamin took the potions out of his bag and handed them three bottles of potion each. As if he admitted Selena as a member of the party, he gave her three potions, too. ¡°I could only afford to make seventeen bottles. I don¡¯t think we need to go back to Scandia City to sell potions. I feel sorry for the manager of the magic item store, but I don¡¯t have anything to sell to him. How much longer do you think you will need for your training here Id?¡± Id answered, putting his potions into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ve already achieved unexpected achievements here and finished the check-up in the morning, so I can leave any time. Let¡¯s leave early tomorrow morning.¡± Chapter 47 47 After the meal, Blackanvil brought a sword from his workshop. Though undecorated, it was an elegant sword, which was a little shorter than Id¡¯s middlesword. Any swordsman would have acknowledged that it was a masterpiece made by a master artisan. Receiving the sword from Blackanvil, Lara challenged Sasha with great joy. ¡°Sasha, how about a little spar?¡± Sasha walked out to the yard with his sword. After a five-minute spar with Sasha, Lara truly came to appreciate Blackanvil¡¯s work. ¡°This is an excellent sword. I¡¯ve always envied Id¡¯s sword, but I think this is better than his. Thank you, Uncle Blackanvil. How much do I need to pay for the sword?¡± Lara called the dwarven artisan Uncle Blackanvil like Selena. Blackanvil and Lara looked at Id at the same time. Listening to the conversation between the two, Id just smiled brightly. Blackanvil responded to Lara. ¡°I cannot say it¡¯s better than Id¡¯s, but I can say it¡¯s no worse than his middlesword. I don¡¯t need to receive any extra money from you. Since the price of raw materials had risen much more than when I produced Id¡¯s sword, It¡¯s the same as giving it to you at the cost even if I receive a hundred golds. But don¡¯t go spreading the word that I sold it to you for only a hundred gold. But do you have that much money?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯m richer than I look.¡± Lara told Blackanvil how they took away Baron Kozlov¡¯s gold coins prepared for a contract killing. ¡°If I had known, I would have priced the sword higher.¡± Lara quickly put a pouch of a hundred gold on Blackanvil¡¯s palm and stuck her tongue out. ¡°No, it¡¯s too late.¡± Later in the evening, Selena followed Lara into her room. Watching Selena preparing to sleep in her room, Lara asked her. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to tell your family that you¡¯re going on a trip with us?¡± At Lara¡¯s question, Selena looked at her for a while with an awkward facial expression trying to figure out what Lara meant, and then said, ¡°Elven mothers bring up their child for about ten years after birth, and then young elves live together in communities for about fifty years being educated by the village elders. But after being independent at around sixty years old, no one interferes with the life of elves. There¡¯s no such thing as individual families in elven society.¡± An elf and a human had spent the night chatting about various things, and the next day, when they woke up in the same bed, they had already become best friends. The party said goodbye to the dwarven master artisan Blackanvil and left his home for the south. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ************ Tensions increased in the aristocratic society of Icarus City, the Empire''s capital. The nobles, who had been enjoying peace for the past twenty years, gathered in twos and threes to exchange information on the two sudden pieces of news and kept a close eye on what would happen. The first piece of news was that Duke Cronos would hunt a dragon. And the other was that the Evergreen County, one of the southern territories sharing borders with the Paruberian Federation, had been ravaged by an unexpected invasion of Paruberian Warriors, and the heir to the estate had been captured by the enemies. The Paruberian Federation was a tribal alliance bordering the Icarus Empire with the vast Paruberian Desert. Intermediate trades between the northern parts of the continent, including the Icarus Empire, and the southern parts of the continent made the Paruberian Federation rich for a long time. Still, it has always been a nation ravaged by civil wars, unable to overcome the limit as a federal state of more than fifty tribes. Twenty years back, Carl VI, the late father of Carl VII, the current Emperor of the Icarus Empire, had sent a hundred thousand expeditionary troops to conquer the Paruberian Federation. At that time, all tribes of the Paruberian Federation had united around the Hesuth Tribe and resisted, expertly exploiting the desert terrain to defend against the invaders. The imperial army was forced to retreat, having lost almost half of its troops. Carl VI had tried to send expeditionary forces to the Paruberian Federation a few times after that defeat but failed to fulfill his wish in the face of opposition from the aristocrats and passed away nine years back. Summoned by the young Emperor, Count Henderson sat on the sofa in the reception room, closing his eyes. Although Count Evergreen, who had hurried to his estate having heard of his eldest son¡¯s kidnapping, was his political enemy, Count Henderson was sympathetic to him since the latter also was a lord of one of the southern estates bordering the Paruberian Federation. The Henderson family has been one of the central pillars of the imperialists who have devoted their heartfelt loyalty to emperors over generations. Henderson himself was trusted by Carl VII enough to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary forces four times already. He was waiting for the meeting, wondering whether the Emperor would put the dragon hunt or the Southern Expedition under his charge. After a while, the door to the reception room opened, and a familiar young eunuch came in and spoke to Count Henderson in a low voice. ¡°His Majesty wants to meet you in the gazebo of the Willow Pond.¡± The Willow Pond was located in the Emperor¡¯s private garden, where nobles were not allowed to enter. Count Henderson straightened out his clothes, thinking the mission would be more complicated than expected. On the pavilion in the middle of the pond, the Emperor was sitting alone. In front of the bridge leading to the pavilion, Knight Commander Marcus of the Cosmos Order, one of the three Imperial Orders, was guarding alone. Nodding to Marcus slightly, Henderson walked to the gazebo. ¡°Let us skip the formalities, Count Henderson. Take a seat, please.¡± There was a worried look on the handsome face of the young Emperor. ¡°As you know, the savages of the south have invaded the imperial territory. So, I ordered the nobles of all ranks to mobilize their Knight Orders and soldiers. I am going to call up two hundred thousand troops. I just signed a proclamation to appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Expeditionary Army. Subjugate the barbarians and show them the great dignity of the Empire.¡± Count Henderson acknowledged Carl VII commands, bowing his head. ¡°I heard that Count Evergreen volunteered to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Expeditionary Army. There could be some backlash.¡± ¡°I cannot appoint an incompetent man to an important position for worry of opposition from the aristocracy. Take the Black Bear Order and three thousand troops of the Central Army. Visit the eastern territories to take over the Knight Orders and soldiers from the lords. Viscount Jordan, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, will collect the troops from the western estates.¡± The Black Bear Order was one of the three Imperial Orders, along with the Cosmos Order and the Red Lion Order. The Emperor¡¯s dispatch of his own Knight Order meant that he would do his best on the southern expedition. For Count Henderson, it meant that he must achieve a positive result in the war. He felt pressured but proud as the Emperor showed confidence in him. Though he has not taken complete control of the nobles yet, the young Emperor was a wise ruler. If Count Henderson succeeds in his southern expedition, the Emperor¡¯s power will be consolidated, and it would be only then that he would be an Emperor in both name and substance. When Count Henderson, who felt a great responsibility, stood up and tried to show his respect to the Emperor, the latter raised his hand to stop the former and spoke in a low voice. ¡°There¡¯s something more important than the southern expedition. You must have heard that the Duke of Cronos plans to hunt a dragon. After William Cronos had obtained Aura Beam, the Duke family constantly tried to bring up more Aura Beam owners. However, it seems they haven¡¯t had any tangible results for the past thirty years. It¡¯s not easy to build up a manna hall in the human body, and even if they succeed in making a manna hall, it is far more difficult to operate the manna to achieve Aura Beam. Through the countless failures, the Duke of Cronos must know the difficulties better than anyone else. Now that William Cronos is in his mid-eighties, Duke Cronos must feel on edge. All the aristocrats the Cronos family has persecuted could rise against them if William Cronos dies. I recently obtained information that Duke Cronos figured out how to raise Aura Beam owners using a Dragon Heart in a relatively short period. Otherwise, the Duke wouldn¡¯t go on a dragon hunt, which is extremely risky.¡± Dragon Heart was where long-living dragons stored refined manna condensation, so its function was very similar to Id¡¯s manna hall even though its size was much bigger than his. It was a red sphere about the size of a watermelon that formed inside the dragon¡¯s neck. It was called the Dragon Heart since its color and shape were similar to the heart, but the dragons¡¯ real heart was in their chest. Chapter 48 48 Carl VII felt threatened by the Cronos family¡¯s excessive expansion of power with William Cronos backing them. The imperial family had also secretly pressured the Mudria Wizard Tower and obtained a swordsman who could use Aura Beam after two decades of hard work. Still, there was no guarantee that he would win over William Cronos. Over the past thirty years, the Duke Cronos family has constantly expanded its power. Almost half of the imperial aristocrats were openly on the side of Duke Cronos, so the Emperor was making every effort to keep him in check. Hearing the inside story of Duke Cronos¡¯ dragon hunt, Count Henderson was surprised by the abilities of the Imperial Intelligence Department as well as Duke Cronos¡¯ ambition. Suppose the Duke nurtured many more swordsmen who could use Aura Beam. In that case, he might rebel against the Emperor or he could consolidate his power to declare an independent country. ¡°So, I decided to intervene in Duke Cronos¡¯ dragon hunt.¡± Count Henderson glanced at the Emperor¡¯s face, cringing at his words. The young Emperor looked determined. ¡°As you may already know, the dragon hunt is impossible only with Knights. The support of seven-circle Wizards and six-circle mages is essential for it. No matter how well you drive the dragon into a corner, it will be of no use if it flies away. Therefore, you need the support of sorcerers using magic to delay the dragon¡¯s flight. The owner of the Icarus Wizard Tower, Sirius, informed me that his sorcerers would participate in Duke Cronos¡¯ dragon hunt. He will dispatch Regulus, the seven-circle Wizard, and twenty mages for the hunt. After the hunt, the Wizard Tower will take all the magic books and magic reagents found in the dragon¡¯s lair. Denebola, another seven-circle Wizard, has decided to join your Southern Expeditionary Army as a war mage. Sirius will dispatch a considerable number of mages with him. Why don¡¯t you meet Denebola before your departure to coordinate your schedule and the list of the war mages who will take part in the Southern Expedition?¡± Count Henderson had many questions, but he just listened to the Emperor. He was well aware that the Emperor had yet to get to the point. ¡°A few days ago, I met the Duke of Cronos and told him that I will also be involved in the dragon hunt. I want you to take care of this job before you go south.¡± Contrary to Count Henderson¡¯s expectations, the Emperor put both crucial missions in his charge. It was time for Count Henderson to ask questions. ¡°Do you want me to deprive Duke Cronos of the Dragon Heart?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. William Cronos may be in on it, so I can¡¯t force you to carry out such an unreasonable mission. What I demanded from Duke Cronos in exchange for participating in the dragon hunt was not the Dragon Heart but the treasure in the dragon¡¯s lair. Regardless of whether Duke Cronos will succeed in winning Dragon Heart or not, I can¡¯t stand by and let him take over the dragon¡¯s treasures and harvest more power. You just have to check whether they obtain the Dragon Heart or not and then bring the dragon¡¯s treasure.¡± ¡°Do you think Duke Cronos will fail to win the Dragon Heart?¡± ¡°According to what I¡¯ve researched in all the imperial libraries, there have been a few successful dragon hunts in imperial history, but there was only one successful case of obtaining a Dragon Heart. When dragons are completely cornered and ready to die, they release all the manna collected in their Dragon Heart at once and send it back to nature. Cronos may be prepared for it, but it won¡¯t be easy to stop the dragon from dismantling its Dragon Heart. I have gathered some materials that might help you, so take them when you leave. You have to hurry since Duke Cronos will hunt the dragon in fifteen days.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. When Count Henderson came out of the Emperor¡¯s private garden, the young eunuch handed him the materials related to the dragon hunt. Count Henderson analyzed them meticulously In his wagon while going to the Black Bear Order¡¯s headquarters. Duke Cronos¡¯ target dragon lair was located at the border between the Icarus Empire and the Scandia Kingdom, where the Polermone Mountains met the Pleo Mountains. The two mountains were originally one long mountain range, but they called the part on the imperial side Polermone and the part in the Scandia Kingdom¡¯s territory Pleo. Of the two mountains, the most rugged range was the area where the dragon lair was located. Due to this rough terrain, the border between the two countries had been considered an insurmountable natural barrier for a long time. The hunting target that Duke Cronos has determined using his family¡¯s entire intelligence force was a relatively young dragon about three thousand years old, raising a hatchling about two hundred and seventy years old. Duke Cronos judged that if his dragon hunters took the hatchling hostage, the dragon would not escape easily, even if they attacked it severely. Usually, when a dragon¡¯s hatchling started to fly by itself at about three hundred years old, it was recognized as a dragon and became independent. Until then, dragon¡¯s hatchlings were fully protected by their parent and educated to develop as a dragon. Dragons had no gender distinction since they were hermaphrodites. Sometimes they mated with other dragons to give birth, but in many cases self-fertilized. The gold dragon with the properties of wind, set by Duke Cronos as his target, would be an easier target for humans to deal with than red dragons with the attribute of fire or the blue dragon with lightning. Dragons, estimated to have a lifespan of about ten thousand years, grew little by little until death. Although humans did not dare to hunt dragons over four thousand years old, considered as Ultimate Creatures, some young dragons have been hunted by humans, though rarely. The dragons hunted by humans were very young dragons under the age of two thousand years, and there was no record of hunting older dragons in imperial history. After reading through the materials, Count Henderson called his deputy, Paul, who was riding a horse, to get on his wagon. Having handed the materials over to Paul, Count Henderson said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to take part in the dragon hunt, so just skim through the materials. I will take only the Knights of the Black Bear Order on the dragon hunt. Ordinary soldiers will not be helpful; only the casualties will increase. After I leave, you wait for the three thousand Central Army soldiers to be ready. After they are ready, visit the estates with them starting from the northeastern regions to the southeastern areas, checking the number of troops called from each estate. And then lead them to the Henderson County. I¡¯ll join you as soon as the dragon hunt is over.¡± Knight Commander Arthur was on standby after gathering all members of the Black Bear Order at their headquarters. In Icarus, the number of Knights in one Order was set at thirty, while some other countries did not have a fixed number. So, there were various numbers of Knights in their Order, ranging from twenty to fifty. In the past, unskilled Knights had sometimes entered the Order through connections or even using bribes. But in recent years, such cases are rarely seen since existing Knights in the Order no longer tolerated incompetent Knights who joined through the wrong path as the treatment of Knights belonging to the Order improved significantly. As the role of the Knight Orders in wars grew, the salaries of Knights belonging to the regular Orders increased several times compared to decades before. Since, in some cases, under the guise of sparring, existing Knights maimed those who entered the Knight Order by expediency or even killed them, few tried to enter an Order using underhanded methods these days. In the event of vacancies in a Kight Order, only those Knights recognized for their sword skills after sparring with three of the existing Knights were accepted. In the case of the three Imperial Orders, which many advanced Knights wanted to enter, there was a reserve list of about ten Knights in preparation for vacancies. The Knight Commander Arthur welcomed Count Henderson, who entered his room with his deputy Paul. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to participate in a war with you again.¡± The Black Bear Order had fought two wars in the army under the command of Count Henderson. The thirty-six-year-old relatively young Knight Commander, Arthur, appreciated Count Henderson¡¯s command of his troops. Hence, Arthur welcomed that the Emperor appointed Count Henderson as the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Expeditionary army. ¡°I look forward to your outstanding contribution to the Southern Expedition. I will be putting my trust in you once more. Well, there¡¯s one thing we need to do before we leave for the south. Did you get a message from the palace?¡± ¡°I just got it. But, a dragon hunt out of the blue, isn¡¯t it too risky before an imminent war?¡± ¡°Our mission is to acquire the treasure in the dragon lair. The Cronos¡¯ Knights and sorcerers from the Wizard Tower will take charge of the dragon hunt, so don¡¯t be too aggressive and be careful not to cause any casualties to your Knights. If any casualties occur to the Black Bear Order, the mainstay of the Southern Expeditionary Army, even before the opening of the war, would be in big trouble.¡± Chapter 49 49 Knight Commander Arthur of the Black Bear Order had already heard the rumor a month ago that Duke Cronos was preparing to hunt a dragon. It had been a hot topic between him, Knight Commander Marcus of the Cosmos Order and Knight Commander Ares of the Red Lion Order. ¡°As you know, the dragon¡¯s body is worth a fortune. If the Cronos family takes over the dragon¡¯s body, their power will be even greater than it is now.¡± The dragon¡¯s bones and scales were used for manufacturing high-end weapons and armor, and the dragon¡¯s blood and flesh were materials for magic reagents. Even the dragon¡¯s tendons were used to make strings of longbows and crossbows. Therefore, the dragon¡¯s body was a treasure trove in itself, with nothing to throw away. ¡°That¡¯s why we decided to join the hunt and take possession of the treasure in the dragon¡¯s lair. If Duke Cronos takes the treasure in addition to the dragon¡¯s body, it might cause bigger troubles to the Emperor.¡± Nodding a few times, Arthur said in a low voice mixed with concern. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll do my best to carry out the mission without a hitch. However, participating in the dragon hunt can cause casualties no matter how careful you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also concerned about that. Do you have a preliminary list of Knights who want to join the Black Bear Order?¡± ¡°Yes, there are thirteen Knights we can accept as a regular member of the Order anytime.¡± ¡°Great. My deputy, Paul, will stay here in Icarus City until the three thousand troops of the central army are called in. As a countermeasure against possible vacancies, please call in the thirteen Knights to join Paul¡¯s unit and post a request for permission to the Emperor to operate the Order with forty-three Knights for a limited period. I¡¯ll report to him the same content officially. And, let all the apprentices and servants of your Order move with Paul¡¯s army, too. Since it¡¯s rugged mountainous terrain, there¡¯s no way to move on horseback, so leave all the heavy equipment to them and make the Knights carry necessary equipment only. When we get to the site, we¡¯ll leave all the horses and wagons to the village down the mountain and move on foot. Only thirty Knights, including you, will participate in the dragon hunt.¡± ************ Id¡¯s party was relaxing in a small town adjacent to the highway. The horses were exhausted from the rushed journey, so they decided to take a rest early in the afternoon. There was only a half-day distance left to Kontsevaya, the gateway town before entering the border area, so they did not have any reason to hurry. After an early dinner, the party drank some wine, preparing to part with Benjamin. A one-day walk from the Empire¡¯s border post, Kontsevaya had a branch of the Icarus Wizard Tower. Although it was pretty unusual to make a branch of the Wizard Tower in a mountain town with a population of less than five thousand, the Kontsevaya Branch was established to provide convenience to the sorcerers traveling to Scandia, the number of which has increased rapidly in recent years. Id told Benjamin. ¡°Tomorrow is the last day of our journey together. Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for us.¡± Pouring wine into Id¡¯s empty glass, Benjamin replied.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I should be thanking you. How many times have you saved my life? I spend most of my time researching in my lab, so whenever you need my help, come to the Icarus Wizard Tower. Keep the communication crystal well, and keep in touch with me from time to time.¡± After purchasing the communication crystal from Chiron, Benjamin had contacted the Icarus Wizard Tower to explain his situation and ask for help. Having received the report that Benjamin, one of the highest-circle mages in the Icarus Wizard Tower, not counting the three seven-circle Wizards, had suffered in a foreign country, Sirius immediately took action. Alcor, the branch head of the Free City of Greenhorn, the largest city in the northeastern region of the Empire, sent four Knights to Kontsevaya to meet Benjamin and escort him to Greenhorn. This was why Id¡¯s party and Benjamin decided to split ways in Kontsevaya. ¡°Both Sasha and Lara are now at a critical juncture in their manna training. So, we decided to travel along the Polermone Mountains to concentrate more on manna circulation while traveling. Since the manna saturation in the mountains is much higher than in other places, it¡¯ll help us train. Once we get to the Adelian Marquisate, it¡¯ll be hard for us to concentrate on manna training, so I am going to do my best to help Sasha and Lara establish a manna hall in their body before then.¡± Lara¡¯s affinity to manna was much higher than Sasha''s. While in terms of her physique and physical fitness, she was much inferior to Sasha and could not beat Sasha in sword spars. However, in terms of operating manna, Lara already reached a similar level as Sasha, who had trained manna circulation for a long time under Id¡¯s guidance. Id, who had broken the last barrier on the top of his head and entered a new phase of manna operation, was advancing toward the State of Harmony that he had theoretically established before. Having complimented the incomplete parts of the manna circulating method he created, Id became convinced that even ordinary people could create a manna hall as long as they put a lot of effort into manna circulation according to his method for a sufficient time. Each had developed differently, but in Id¡¯s view, Sasha and Lara¡¯s bodies were at the state just before a manna hall was built up. Id decided to slow down the party¡¯s trip and create an environment where the two could concentrate on the manna training. Id and his friends did not feel any difficulties traveling in the mountains, and it was even more comfortable for the elf Selena to move through the mountains. The next afternoon, the party who watched Benjamin enter the Kontsevaya branch of the Icarus Wizard Tower went to the horse market to sell their horses. Horses were nothing but a burden to them who decided to travel along the mountains. After purchasing some camping equipment and enough food for a long stay in the mountains, they left Kontsevaya, heading south. Benjamin went west along the paved road constructed by the Icarus Empire using a lot of human and material resources. Id¡¯s party took the hunter¡¯s path in the direction of the juncture where Pleo Mountains naturally changed into the Polermone Mountains. As they left the national highway and entered the forest path, they could feel the abundance of manna in the air. After walking about two hours along the hunter¡¯s path, Id¡¯s party prepared to camp at dusk. ¡°I felt a little uncomfortable after I left the Forest of Elf, and now I realized the reason. The human world certainly lacks enough manna saturation. After entering the forest, I feel better again.¡± As an elf, a much more manna-sensitive race on average than humans, Selena felt a more pronounced change in manna distribution than her human colleagues. She has been questioning some sort of uncomfortable physical condition for the past couple of weeks and found out the cause after entering the forest. Id told Selena, smiling at her. ¡°Right. Though I¡¯m not as sensitive as you, I definitely feel the difference.¡± Lara, who was listening to the conversation between Selena and Id, nodded and expressed sympathy. Sasha was the only one who looked unsure. Looking at Sasha¡¯s sour expression, Id told him. ¡°Sasha, judging from your Aura Blade, I think a manna hall will soon be formed in your body. For the time being, why don¡¯t you reduce your sword training time and devote more time to manna circulation?¡± Sasha himself was unsure if he was ready enough to make a manna hall, but he trusted Id. In the more than six years with him so far, his advice has never produced a false result. He knew that his physical sword training was rapidly developing his swordsmanship, but again he decided to follow Id¡¯s advice. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll spend more time in manna circulation as you advise.¡± ************ The Free City Greenhorn, the largest city in the northeastern region of the Empire, was the prime trading and transportation hub. The Kingdom of Scandia and the Dukedom of Nirus were within a day¡¯s distance on horseback, and they could reach the Kingdom of Ur in three days. With a population of about two million, Greenhorn was a large city spanning over a distance of twelve kilometers on average between the inner and outer ramparts. The northeastern part of the city was well maintained as a commercial area, and the wide main street from the northeast to the southwest was lined with hotels and inns. However, since a few days prior, Knights and sorcerers have been flocking to the hotels to the point where there were no vacancies. Benjamin entered a suite room on the third floor of Four Seasons, the largest hotel in Greenhorn. It was the room of Regulus, one of the three seven-circle Wizards of the Icarus Wizard Tower. ¡°Long time no see, Benjamin. I heard you had a pretty hard time in Scandia?¡± Chapter 50 50 Among the three seven-circle Wizards of the Icarus Wizard Tower, Regulus was the only one who had a strained relationship with Benjamin. Sirius, the owner of the Wizard Tower, helped Benjamin in many ways for decades since the latter had entered the Wizard Tower. So Benjamin regarded Sirius as his master. The other seven-circle Wizard Denebola was Benjamin¡¯s best friend. However, Benjamin and Regulus, who had become six-circle masters around the same time, had been in competition since childhood. Benjamin had been ahead of Regulus by a sound margin for decades, but in the end, Regulus had been the first to reach the level of a seven-circle Wizard, while Benjamin had not been able to break the wall of the seventh circle for more than a decade. Regulus¡¯ original name was Jack, but he changed his name after becoming a seven-circle Wizard. It was known that there were only thirteen seven-circle Wizards throughout the whole continent, and most of them changed their names after engraving the seventh circle on their heart, about which no one argued against. ¡°I had a few difficulties, but I overcame them well after meeting good young friends. I¡¯ll never forget the experiences in the Scandia Kingdom.¡± Regulus showed a cynical facial expression at Benjamin¡¯s remarks and briefed him on why he came to Greenhorn. ¡°¡­... so I joined the dragon hunt planned by Duke Cronos. Why don¡¯t you join us, too? I¡¯ve already received permission from Sirius for your joining my party.¡± Though hurt by Regulus¡¯ unilateral notice, it was hard for Benjamin to overcome the temptation of the dragon¡¯s magic books. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go with your party.¡± Benjamin, who exited Regulus¡¯ room, went to his disciple Simon¡¯s room. ¡°How have you been, Master? I was worried when I heard the news of the incidents that happened to you.¡± Simon had been Benjamin¡¯s most cherished disciple since he was just eight years old. Benjamin was thinking about various ways to make Simon, who had already become a five-circle-expert mage in his twenties, a seven-circle Wizard as soon as possible. Simon was a disciple like his own son for Benjamin, who had still not been married even after reaching the age of sixty. ¡°There were difficulties, but meeting great young swordsmen made the troubles a blessing in disguise.¡± Benjamin told Simon in detail what had happened since he had met Id and Sasha. Having listened to Benjamin for over an hour, Simon asked a question. ¡°Are you saying that the manna circulation method that Id created could also help sorcerers?¡± ¡°Nothing is certain yet, but I think it might help me break through the wall of the seventh circle, judging from the fact that Lara carved the third and fourth circles on her heart simultaneously. If you are interested, I can teach you Id¡¯s method. Later, I¡¯ll introduce you to Id so that you can talk to him in person.¡± Simon was half in doubt. But knowing how much his master cared about him, Simon couldn¡¯t help but believe in what Benjamin said to a certain extent. Still, it was hard to believe that a young man less than twenty years old had created such a marvelous method of manna circulation. ************This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. It has been ten days since Id¡¯s party had entered the mountain. Sasha was unsure because there was no clear border in the mountains, but he felt as though they had entered the territory of the Icarus Empire because rangers, who had not been seen before, had appeared for the last few days. The rangers seemed well-trained and agile in their movements, but the party circumvented them without much strain. Approaching close to the party in the forest, not being noticed by the elf Selena, was almost impossible even for the rangers, no matter how well they were trained. Several rangers found traces of Id¡¯s party, but no one could find them. Though Id was not afraid of encountering rangers, he did not want to go through unnecessary troubles. So, he was looking for a large cave where they could set camp without being exposed to the outside during the night. When the sun slowly sloped westward, Id, who finally found an adequate cave, went inside alone to check if there were any dangerous beasts or monsters, leaving his party outside. About twenty meters inside the cave, Id found a small human figure running toward him from the opposite side rapidly. As Id put his hand on the hilt of his sword, wary of the figure, several Magic Arrows flew at him with a sharp wind-piercing sound. As Id swung his sword to deflect the Magic Arrows, a Magic Missile followed them. Having extinguished the Magic Missile brandishing his sword from top to bottom, Id ran toward the opponent who launched the magic attacks. Although not outwardly noticeable, Id was astonished. He had already encountered some high-level sorcerers and even fought a seven-circle Wizard Torres. Still, Id had never seen a sorcerer who had carried out magic attacks as fast as the opponent in front of him. The power of the spells were not particularly superior to that of other sorcerers, but the time for chanting a spell was significantly shorter than even the Wizard Torres¡¯. He even questioned if the opponent was chanting at all. It looked like the magic attacks were carried out with just a chant of initiators. Id, who was rushing to the opponent, suddenly stopped. It was so dark in the cave that he had not noticed it earlier, but he realized that his opponent was a small girl looking to be about twelve years old when he saw her up close. The girl also opened her eyes wide and looked at Id with incredulous expressions. ¡°Who are you? Why did you attack me all of a sudden?¡± The girl asked a question instead of answering Id. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± Id gazed at the girl calmly for a while before answering. ¡°I am Id. I was looking for a cave big enough to set a bonfire inside with my companions.¡± ¡°A scary monster lives in this cave. She¡¯s not here at the moment because she¡¯s out hunting, but if she sees you, you won¡¯t be safe. Follow me. I know a suitable cave nearby for your purpose, so spend the night there and leave early in the morning.¡± The girl ran out of the cave, only having said what she wanted to say and not waiting for Id¡¯s answer. Numerous questions crossed Id¡¯s mind, but he quietly followed the girl. She ran past Id¡¯s party outside the cave and into the forest on the opposite side. Lara shouted, looking at Id following a small girl. ¡°Id, what happened? Who¡¯s that girl? ¡°Just follow me for now. I don¡¯t know much about her, either.¡± Just saying so, Id followed the girl into the woods. The rest of the party had no choice but to follow him. About five hundred meters into the forest, a cliff was blocking the front, and there was a small pond in front of the cliff. A waterfall was falling from the cliff into the pond, but it has not rained much lately, so the quantity of the water was not much. Turning alongside the pond, the girl approached the waterfall and then went straight behind it. As Id followed the girl, the rest of the party also entered the cave behind the waterfall. The cave was pretty spacious, and its ceiling was high, but it was so dark inside that they could not identify their surroundings clearly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d build a bonfire in the cave? There¡¯s no firewood here. If you want to make a fire, go get some firewood.¡± As Id and Sasha went outside to collect the dry branches, only the three girls were left in the cave. The small girl questioned Selena. ¡°Elf, why are you with humans?¡± Selena looked at the girl with a stiff look, not answering her question. Then the girl asked Lara. ¡°What do you have to do with that Id fellow?¡± Lara found the girl¡¯s personality interesting. It was strange for a little girl to stay alone in the mountain, and it was also interesting to see a young girl who had no particular reactions after seeing an elf. ¡°The four of us are friends. I am Lara, and she is Selena. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I am Spica. Well, friends? Interesting. Three human kids and a little elf are friends¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did you call us kids? But you are a kid!¡± Spica was lost in thought without responding to Lara¡¯s outburst. As Selena also seemed to be musing about something, Lara said nothing more. When the silence among the three girls grew longer, Id and Sasha returned. Sasha was carrying a deer on his shoulder, and Id was holding a large bundle of dry branches. Lara and Spica were delighted at the sight of the deer. Spica''s eyes were shining brightly. Lara cheered towards Sasha. ¡°You¡¯ve caught a big deer. That¡¯s great, I¡¯m starving already.¡± Chapter 51 51 Sasha smiled at Lara. ¡°Yeah, you look starved. Should I grill a lot of meat?¡± Spica replied to Sasha instead of Lara. ¡°Grill the whole thing. I can eat that much by myself.¡± Sasha stared at the little girl with a dumbfounded look but prepared the whole deer without a remark. Having dexterously removed the skin and intestines outside the cave, he skewered the whole deer on a long and thick branch. Id set a bonfire between two thick branches he fixed into the ground. Sasha put the deer over the bonfire and sprinkled salt and spices, and a delicious smell filled the cave. Having set another bonfire, Id boiled vegetable soup. During the process, Selena made a request as well. ¡°Don¡¯t put only vegetables in the soup, but some meat too. I¡¯m going to eat meat from now on, starting with deer meat tonight.¡± ¡°Is that alright?¡± ¡°Yes, meat is edible. You don¡¯t have to prepare vegetarian food for me. When necessary, I¡¯ll pick fruits or mushrooms, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡± When Id nodded to Selena, Spica intervened in their conversation. ¡°Elf, why do you want to eat meat? My share will be reduced.¡± Sasha said, laughing. ¡°I¡¯ll have less meat than usual, so don¡¯t worry.¡±. ¡°You have to keep your promise.¡± When the dear meat was broiled enough, Sasha cut a large slice and gave it to Spica, but, shaking her head, she cut off a whole leg and devoured it. The girl, who ate one leg at tremendous speed, said, cutting another leg off. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? Don¡¯t whine about me later after I eat it all.¡± Lara quickly cut off slices of the meat and started eating it, but the other three stared blankly at the odd little girl eating deer meat at an incredible pace. When Spica ate more than half the deer, Selena said, ¡°You are not a human. Who are you?¡± Looking at Selena, Spica said, smiling strangely. ¡°It¡¯s hard to identify a polymorphic being, as it changes its nature entirely. The elf is insightful as expected!¡± After carefully examining the appearances of Lara and Id alternately, Spica shouted an initiator. ¡°Polymorph.¡± Spica¡¯s body grew bigger and bigger, turning into a golden dragon figure. Although the body was only five meters long, and the wings were still too small to fly, the appearance was definitely that of a gold dragon. The next moment, Spica¡¯s body shrank again and turned into a high-teen girl. She had almost the same height and body figure as Lara, and her face resembled Id except for her long blond hair, light brown eyes and delicate jawline.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°As I was the only one who was too small here, I changed my appearance. Do you like it? Well, you don¡¯t look surprised to see a dragon¡¯s hatchling.¡± As no one in the party responded to her, Spica told Lara. ¡°If you have any extra change of clothes, give me some. It must be uncomfortable for you to see me naked, though it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± She was naked since her clothes were torn apart during the transformation. Id and Sasha had already been looking at the cave¡¯s entrance, turning their heads. Lara took out a suit of travel clothes and gave it to Spica. As she dressed herself, she told Selena. ¡°Usually, dwarves and elves get stiff with fear when they see dragons. You are a unique elf.¡± Gazing into Spica¡¯s eyes, Selena said, ¡°It is true that most creatures generally fear dragons, but some of them do not. Most humans shiver when they meet dragons, but some of them are as calm as my friends here. On rare occasions, there appear even reckless human beings who hunt dragons. No elves would try to hunt a dragon, but not all elves get stiff when they meet a dragon. What¡¯s more, aren¡¯t you still a fragile hatchling that needs a lot more time to awaken as a genuine dragon? There¡¯s no reason for me to be afraid of you.¡± ¡°What did you say? A fragile hatchling? Would you like to get beaten up by a fragile hatchling today?¡± Id intervened between the two girls when the elf and the dragon¡¯s hatchling set off a stormy atmosphere as if about to start a fight. He gave Selena a soft look and talked to Spica. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s finish eating. There¡¯s still a lot of meat left, and you did not even taste my soup yet.¡± As Id attempted to calm the riled up mood, Spica¡¯s facial expression, which had been scrunched up in fury, soon relaxed. As the party sat around the bonfire again and began to eat, Selena asked Spica in a calm voice. ¡°As far as I know, dragon hatchlings¡¯ contact with other kinds of intelligent beings, especially humans, before they awaken as true dragons, is strictly prohibited. Is it alright for you to be interacting with us like this?¡± Listening to Selena, Spica looked a little worried. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to come into contact with humans. I¡¯ve been studying so much lately that I came out to play while my mom was out hunting. I came all the way here because I was intrigued by Id¡¯s abilities to disable my magic attacks so easily. It would be a big deal if my mom finds out that I contacted humans, so I¡¯ll go back to my lair in a little while.¡± Id burst into laughter at Spica¡¯s comments. ¡°So the scary monster you mentioned in the other cave was your mother?¡± ¡°He he, that¡¯s what humans call us, isn¡¯t it?¡± Although Spica said she would return to her lair shortly, she talked with Id¡¯s party for a long time. Mostly she asked questions and the others took turns answering. When the conversation stopped for a while, Lara asked Spica. ¡°Why did you transform into a little girl?¡± ¡°If you want to do Polymorph, you have to observe your target closely. When I was a kid, I ran into a hunter and his daughter, so I transformed into something similar to her. It¡¯s better to be small when I go around secretly without my mom¡¯s knowing, but from now, I¡¯m going to polymorph like this.¡± Id was slightly uncomfortable with Spica¡¯s current appearance. She had based her appearance off of him, and anyone who saw them together would believe she was his sister, but he did not express his feelings. Listening to their conversation, Sasha started to circulate manna, sitting in the posture he learned from Id. After accepting Id¡¯s advice, Sasha carried out his manna circulation whenever he could. One day, his manna circulation, which had started an hour before dawn, continued until noon. After a while, Lara also started her manna circulation. Selena said she did not feel good staying in the cave for a long time and climbed up a large oak tree at the entrance of the cave. Spica asked Id. ¡°What are they doing now?¡± Id briefly explained to Spica the method of manna circulation, which he had created. ¡°What you call a manna hall seems similar to a Dragon Heart, even though the Dragon Hearts are made in the neck, not in the lower abdomen. I think the process of refining and condensing manna according to your method is exactly the same as the process of making a Dragon Heart. Now I understand why you are so strong. You use the manna condensed in your manna hall when you fight. I also want to learn your manna circulation method. My current polymorphous body is just like the actual human body, so, I think, I can learn it, too.¡± Id did not know if it was alright for Spica, a dragon hatchling, to learn his method of manna circulation, but he decided to take it easy since he thought Spica¡¯s mother would solve it even if there was a problem. As Id explained to Spica in detail how to breathe, circulate manna, and what pose to take during training, Spica immediately sat in the posture and started manna circulation. After a brief look at Spica circulating manna without difficulties, Id started his own manna circulation. After a half-hour of training, Id opened his eyes since he heard a tremendous roar. Id looked around at his party. Having stopped their manna circulation, Lara and Spica looked at him, but Spica¡¯s condition seemed abnormal. Her face was pale, and her hands were shaking. Id asked, holding her hands. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you alright?¡± ¡°My mom is yelling at me to run away. I think she is in danger.¡± Astonished, Lara asked, ¡°So that¡¯s a dragon roar? Who could threaten a dragon?¡± Spica was just trembling, shaking her head, without a word. Id left Spica to Lara and approached Sasha, still carrying out his manna circulation. As Id was carefully examining Sasha¡¯s condition, Selena entered the cave and said, ¡°It¡¯s a dragon roar. Spica, I think your mother is looking for you.¡± As Spica said nothing, Lara replied instead. ¡°The dragon is not looking for Spica. It¡¯s telling her to run away from danger.¡± Id returned and told Lara and Selena. ¡°Sasha seems to be at a crucial moment of his manna training. He is probably just a step away from manifesting his mana hall, so I don¡¯t want to disturb him. Please, protect Sasha. I will go to Spica¡¯s mother to find out what is going on.¡± Chapter 52 52 They heard a roar again. Hearing the sound, Spica began to shed tears. ¡°I think my mom got hurt. She¡¯s screaming. I¡¯ve never heard my mom make that kind of sound in my entire life.¡± Id asked, trying to calm down Spica. ¡°Tell me the way to where your mother is. I¡¯ll go there to help her.¡± ¡°If you go straight into the cave where we met, you¡¯ll see a basin surrounded by mountain peaks at the end of the cave. From the cave¡¯s exit, you can see the entrance of another large cave on the opposite cliff, which is my lair. As my mom is in her original dragon body now, she¡¯s probably in the basin.¡± Id patted Spica on her shivering shoulder several times. ¡°You¡¯d better stay here. I¡¯ll go find a way to help your mother.¡± Spica said in a trembling voice. ¡°No, I have to go with you. My mom wouldn¡¯t know if you are trying to help her, and she might attack you without me by your side. As far as I know, there has never been a dragon hatchling who grew to adulthood after losing its parents. What I¡¯m trying to say is, there is no meaning in running away alone when my mom is in danger.¡± ************ James, the third son of Duke Cronos, watched the gold dragon descending from the sky. The dragon, which had been gliding with its wings wide open, soon disappeared beyond a ridge. James asked Henry, the Knight Commander of the Griffin Order. ¡°Are you sure the cave in front of us is a dragon lair? It looks like the dragon landed over the mountain¡­¡­¡± ¡°The place where the gold dragon landed is a small basin surrounded by peaks. That cave is connected to the basin. Although the cave is large enough for the dragon to stay in its original body, they said it mostly lives in its lair in a polymorphic human figure.¡± The Duke of Cronos had sent thirty Knights and twenty apprentices of the Griffin Order for the dragon hunt. The four advanced Knight Orders belonging to the Duke Cronos family were all similar in their battle powers, but the Griffin Order was estimated to be the strongest by a small margin. Knight Commander Henry was regarded as one of the top ten swordsmen in the Icarus Empire. The twenty apprentices also consisted of those who were supposed to be knighted soon with outstanding sword skills. James was confident that the battle power of the Griffin Order was more potent than that of the Black Bear Order dispatched by the Emperor. James had visited William Cronos to ask for help before leaving for the dragon hunt but had been rejected by him. William Cronos was skeptical of Duke Cronos¡¯ plan to bring up Aura Beam owners in a short period, using a Dragon Heart. The method Duke Cronos had acquired was only theoretical and had not been proven yet, so many people sympathized with William¡¯s skepticism. However, for James Cronos, who was desperate to occupy an advantageous position in the succession race for the duke title, the success of the dragon hunt was of paramount importance. Wizard Regulus and twenty-one mages, including Benjamin, would have to play the most crucial role of the dragon hunt. Wizard Regulus cast Manna Force Examination to locate the gold dragon¡¯s hatchling. Even though the capacity was small, the dragon¡¯s hatchling also had a Dragon Heart. Therefore, it would be possible to identify its location by Manna Force Examination if it was nearby. James asked Wizard Regulus. ¡°Did you locate the gold dragon¡¯s hatchling?¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no dragon¡¯s hatchling in the lair. Do you think the dragon might hide its hatchling somewhere else?¡± James replied to Wizard Regulus, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think the dragon hid its hatchling out of concern of human attacks. Besides, the gold dragon can only have found out about our existence just a little while ago. Even if it had wanted to hide its hatchling, it wouldn¡¯t have had enough time.¡± Wizard Regulus said with a frown. ¡°If so, it means that the dragon hatchling went out of the lair on its own, which is an unlucky coincidence. Now, our plan to prevent the dragon from escaping into the sky with the hatchling as a hostage would be impossible to implement.¡± James glanced at Count Henderson and replied to Wizard Regulus. ¡°There¡¯s no other way, so let¡¯s leave everything to chance and enter the dragon¡¯s lair.¡± Listening to James Cronos, Count Henderson said, ¡°We¡¯ll guard the sorcerers. As you know, given the dragon¡¯s magical powers, the sorcerers are the most important forces in our dragon hunt?¡± Though James was offended reading Count Henderson¡¯s intention not to spearhead a dangerous attack, he thought it was rather a good suggestion since he would have had to allocate some Knights from the Griffin Order to guard the sorcerers if the Black Bear Order had not taken the job. As a matter of fact, protecting sorcerers was as dangerous as attacking the dragon because the dragon¡¯s magic attacks would obviously be focused on them. As the Griffin Order entered the gold dragon¡¯s lair, piles of stones began to assimilate from all over the place. They changed into stone golems and attacked the intruding Knights. Four Griffin Knights, including Knight Commander Henry, used Aura Blades to smash the stone golems, and the other Knights, who could not yet use Aura Blades, wielded battle axes to deal with the stone golems. Many stone golems were destroyed, but after a while, they recovered their original shape and once again swung their fists at the Knights. Some of the apprentices, exhausted from the giant golem¡¯s constant resurrection and attacks, were hit by the golem¡¯s fist and seriously injured. Seeing this, Wizard Regulus ordered the mages. ¡°Everybody, cast Manna Force Examination and find the golems¡¯ cores. The stone golems will continue to revive unless their core is destroyed.¡± Casting Manna Force Examination himself, Wizard Regulus shouted at Henry, the Knight Commander of the Griffon Order. ¡°Commander, the core of the stone golem in front of you is located on its right flank.¡± As Henry swung his Aura Blade according to Regulus¡¯ advice, the golem¡¯s right side burst, and a green lump the size of a watermelon fell to the ground, splintering into pieces. The stone golem, of which the core was destroyed, crumbled into small stones and never moved again. The Knights of the Griffin Order moved forward, destroying stone golems one after another with the mages¡¯ help. In the battle against the stone golems, three apprentices were killed, and two Knights and five apprentices were severely injured. Benjamin told Regulus. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with Simon to treat the wounded Knights and follow you later.¡± As Wizard Regulus nodded, James pushed ahead deep into the dragon¡¯s lair leading the Knights, leaving the wounded to Benjamin and Simon. ************ Gold dragon Vega, returning to its lair after catching two wild boars to feed her hatchling Spica, saw humans gathered in front of her lair, but she did not care much about them. There had been humans who broke into her lair every few hundreds of years, but most of them were killed by the fists of stone golems she had made as her lair¡¯s guardians. Landing in the small basin of about eighty meters in diameter surrounded by mountain peaks, Vega polymorphed into a blonde looking to be in her thirties and entered her lair. Gold dragon Vega, who confirmed with the Manna Force Examination that Spica was not in the lair, spoke to herself. ¡°She went out to play during my absence again. I¡¯m gonna have to scold her today.¡± Vega, who cast another Magic Force Examination, expanding the scope of application to find Spica, frowned. The gold dragon felt that a core she had planted in a stone golem guarding her lair¡¯s entrance on the other side was destroyed and that the manna inside it was scattered. Vega¡¯s facial expression grew worse as she noticed the cores of the other stone golems were also destroyed one by one. ¡°They are pretty good. Where did these humans come from?¡± Speaking to herself, Vega returned to the basin where she had landed. She thought the humans¡¯ battle power was no longer negligible, so she moved to a place where she could easily transform into her original dragon body. Even then, Vega did not recognize the humans as a real threat. Her interest was solely in finding Spica¡¯s whereabout. James and Henry led the Griffin Order through the dragon¡¯s lair at high speeds. There were no more obstacles to stop them while passing the lair. Coming out of the exit leading to the basin, they found a blonde beauty standing in the middle of the basin, looking at them expressionlessly. James shouted at her in a slightly excited voice. ¡°Are you the gold dragon?¡± The woman was staring at them without any response, and her eyes were on Henry. He seemed to be perceived as the most threatening being by the dragon. James, angry at the thought that he was ignored, told Henry. ¡°Attack her.¡± Nodding,, Henry ordered his men. ¡°The apprentices stay here to protect James, and the Knights siege the dragon.¡± All one hundred and twenty Knights belonging to the four Knight Orders of the Cronos family were provided with full plate mails enchanted with Anti Magic Force. The ambitious Duke Cronos spent a great deal of money making magic armor, which no other aristocrats could ever dream of. Since it was reckless to put apprentices clad in armor without Anti Magic Force into combat against dragons, the originators of magic, Henry left twelve apprentices with James. As Henry rushed head-on toward Vega, the rest of the Knights ran to the side to encircle them. Chapter 53 53 The way dragons manifested magic was essentially different from how human sorcerers cast spells. Human sorcerers embodied magic, gathering manna from nature to reprocess and rearrange it using the magic circles engraved on their hearts as a medium. On the contrary, dragons implemented magic directly using the manna contained in their Dragon Heart in the shape of highly purified condensation. Since dragons did not need to recite spells for a long time, they could cast various spells rapidly and continuously. As Vega shouted out initiators consecutively, tens of Magic Missiles and several Magic Cutters flew out in all directions. A Magic Missile that hit a Knight in the neck took his life instantly. Another Knight failed to deflect a Magic Cutter spinning with a tremendous force and collapsed with his right arm severed. However, the other Knights approached the gold dragon, coping well with her magic attacks. Ten Magic Missiles were focused on Knight Commander Henry, and a Magic Cutter roared toward him. Henry hit the Magic Cutter with his Aura Blade, holding up his shield to block the Magic Missiles. A couple of Magic Missiles struck his armor, escaping his shield but failed to injure him seriously. For the past year, Henry¡¯s armor and shield were elaborately produced for the dragon hunt by Grayhammer, a dwarven artisan, and Sirius, the owner of the Icarus Wizard Tower. Henry, who had stepped back a few steps by the shock of the Magic Missiles, rushed back toward Vega. As her series of magic attacks ended up knocking down only a couple of Knights, and the others narrowed the siege, Vega felt a sense of crisis. Gold dragon Vega decided to return to her original body to use her Dragon Breath, the dragons¡¯ most powerful attack. ¡°Polymorph.¡± Turning into a large gold dragon nearly twenty meters long, Vega burst into a roar to warn her hatchling Spica of the danger. She inhaled manna to the utmost to breathe out the gold dragon¡¯s Wind Breath. But then, Regulus, who was standing at the entrance of the gold dragon¡¯s lair, ordered the sorcerers. ¡°Everyone, attack the dragon''s left wing.¡± The sorcerers had already recited their most confident attacking spells to prepare for the dragon¡¯s transformation into its original body. As the gold dragon¡¯s Wind Breath struck the Knights in the shape of thousands of wind blades, various attack magic of the sorcerers hit the dragon¡¯s left wing. Regulus also shouted an initiator. ¡°Lightning Lancer.¡± On the spot of the gold dragon¡¯s left wing where the other sorcerers¡¯ magic attacked, Regulus¡¯ Lightning Lancers hit. Although the dragon is a creature born with a natural resistance against magic, Vega¡¯s second roar contained her utmost pain as nineteen mages¡¯ magic attacks were followed by twelve consecutive Lightning Lancers of a seven-circle Wizard on the same spot on her left wing. Vega realized that she would not be able to fly for a while until the wound on her wing was healed. Eleven Knights hit by the gold dragon¡¯s Wind Breath collapsed, bleeding through the cracks of their armor, but the remaining seventeen Knights approached the wounded dragon and persistently attacked its hind legs. Vega¡¯s right hind leg began to bleed as Henry¡¯s Aura Blade made a pretty deep cut on it. Furious Vega, whose retreat into the sky was prevented by Wizard Regulus, attacked him, ignoring the Knights. ¡°Hellfire.¡± A scarlet sphere about a meter in diameter with a black dot in the middle flew at tremendous speed to Wizard Regulus, who was casting another spell. A Knight of the Black Bear Order, guarding Wizard Regulus, tried to block the gold dragon¡¯s Hellfire, but it was impossible. The Hellfire burned Regulus¡¯ six disciples standing next to him without a trace, as well as Wizard Regulus and two Black Bear Knights closely guarding him. Benjamin, who came to the basin belatedly after treating the wounded Knights, saw the scene and shouted to the mages urgently. Now that Wizard Regulus died, Benjamin, the senior mage, had to lead the remaining mages.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Everybody, stop casting attack magic and cast a Magic Shield.¡± After giving an order to the mages, Benjamin approached Count Henderson and spoke to him. The two were close enough to each other that Benjamin had made magic armor for Count Henderson¡¯s two sons. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous here. Place Black Bear Knights behind the Magic Shields of the mages.¡± Benjamin and his disciple Simon also cast Magic Shields. Knight Commander Arthur of the Black Bear Order stood next to Benjamin to guard him, who was chanting a spell. The Hellfire was peak-level magic hard to implement even for the three-thousand-year-old gold dragon. Gold dragon Vega, who felt it hard to use other magic straight away, swung her tail to attack the Knights wielding swords at her hind legs. Benjamin felt a certain solemnity in the sight of the gold dragon pounding Knights without backing down while bleeding a lot from her legs and left wing. He thought the gold dragon¡¯s movements were artistic. Having killed two Knights nearby her hind legs with her tail, Vega persistently attacked Knight Commander Henry. She wanted to get rid of him first, who was hurting her most painfully. James Cronos stood absentmindedly for a while, witnessing the scene that Regulus, the seven-circle Wizard, was struck by the gold dragon¡¯s Hellfire and burned to the ground. After a while, he shouted at the apprentices next to him, watching the gold dragon enter the bitter fight at close quarters with the Knights. ¡°Join the combat. We must subdue the dragon.¡± James told Count Henderson when the twelve apprentices of the Griffin Order rushed to the gold dragon. ¡°Count Henderson, please order the Black Bear Order to join the battle, too.¡± Hearing James¡¯ request, Count Henderson looked at mage Benjamin and Knight Commander Arthur once and replied. ¡°His Majesty''s order to the Black Bear Order was to protect the sorcerers from the Icarus Wizard Tower who participated in the dragon hunt. We can¡¯t lose more mages as we have already lost the seven-circle Wizard Regulus, one of the most valuable assets of the Icarus Wizard Tower and six six-circle mages.¡± James¡¯ face turned red with anger at Count Henderson¡¯s answer, but he could not speak bluntly to one of the Emperor¡¯s closest aides, so he held it in, biting his lower lip. James said to Benjamin, who finished casting and spread his Magic Shield. ¡°Please support the Griffin Knights with magic attacks.¡± Benjamin stared at James for a while and said in a low voice. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know the details well since I joined this dragon hunt belatedly, from what I¡¯ve heard from Wizard Regulus, I understand that our sorcerers¡¯ mission was to keep the dragon from flying away. Even though the gold dragon killed Wizard Regulus, he seems to have completed his duty admirably.¡± Listening to Benjamin, James spoke up. ¡°If you break your promise with the Duke of Cronos and don¡¯t cooperate with us, the duke will become resentful.¡± ¡°Are you threatening the Icarus Wizard Tower? I¡¯ll deliver what you said to Sirius, the owner of the Wizard Tower.¡± When James and Benjamin argued, the fight between the gold dragon and the Griffin Knights was nearing the end. Vega, who had been attacking the Knights fiercely by swinging her tail and right wing, suffered so much damage to her hind legs that she sank to the ground. At that time, Knight Commander Henry jumped onto the dragon¡¯s head and put his blue Aura Blade in the dragon¡¯s left eye. Vega burst into a painful roar, clutching Henry¡¯s torso with her right forefoot. Henry, who missed the hilt of his sword stuck in the dragon¡¯s eye, struggled to escape the dragon¡¯s grip but could not overcome Vega¡¯s power. Henry¡¯s armor bent inward, breaking his ribs, and when the broken ribs poked his lungs, the Knight Commander drooped with blood in his mouth. The gold dragon, who had poured out all her energy, put her head on the ground and closed her eyes. Henry¡¯s sword hilt was sticking out between the gold dragon¡¯s left eyelids. Only two Knights and five apprentices from the Griffin Order survived the fierce battle against the gold dragon. James shouted at the survivors. ¡°Cut off the dragon¡¯s neck and take out its Dragon Heart. Be careful not to damage the Dragon Heart.¡± The two Knights who survived the fight against the gold dragon led their wounded bodies up onto the dragon¡¯s neck and began to remove scales. Upon confirming the gold dragon collapsed, Benjamin ordered the mages to find magic books and magic reagents in the dragon¡¯s lair. Count Henderson ordered the Black Bear Order to find the dragon¡¯s treasure. James, who could not transport the dragon¡¯s body due to the unexpected casualties suffered from the Griffin Order, used his communication crystal to call up the reserve forces waiting in the village below the mountains to the dragon¡¯s lair. ************ Spica, who was running through the cave where she had first met Id, shouted an initiator. ¡°Magic Light.¡± Several shiny little beads appeared over Id and Spica¡¯s heads, brightening the dark cave. The two speeded up running. They heard the third dragon roar as they proceeded about three kilometers in the cave. Spica felt the agony of Vega¡¯s roar, and her legs shook so much that she fell to the ground. Id lifted Spica in his arms and ran faster. Chapter 54 54 Id ran a couple of more kilometers with Spica in his arms to the cave''s exit. Upon arriving at the basin, Id tried to grasp the current situation. A gold dragon was lying on its stomach with its head on the ground in the center of the basin. Id saw the gold dragon opening its right eye for a moment and closing it again. As he tried to step out of the cave to approach the dragon, an unfamiliar voice was heard in his mind. << Don¡¯t come out of the cave. I am gold dragon Vega. I¡¯m using Telepathy now. You don¡¯t have to talk to me as I can read your mind. >> Spica whispered to Id to put her down. Vega¡¯s voice was heard by the two at the same time. As Spica stood next to Id, Vega¡¯s voice was heard again. << Spica, why were you in his arms? Are you injured? No, there¡¯s no time, so I¡¯ll read your memories. Don¡¯t resist me reading your memories. Get rid of distracting thoughts from your mind and stay still. >> Vega, who read Spica and Id¡¯s memories for a while to understand what happened to Spica, continued. << Id, it is incredible for you to enter the State of Harmony with a human body. Although I have lived for more than three thousand years, I couldn¡¯t reach that state yet. >> A question came to Id¡¯s mind when he heard Vega¡¯s comments. ¡®Do dragons enter the State of Harmony?¡¯ << There is not only the State of Harmony but, furthermore, the State of Ultimate and the State of Myth for dragons to reach. There¡¯s not much time left for me, so hear the details from Spica later. >> Vega concentrated the manna circulating in her body on her brain to demonstrate Telepathy, which drastically drained her vitality. << I¡¯ll be straightforward. I want to conclude a contract with you, Id. If I die and Spica doesn¡¯t get my help, it¡¯s improbable that she, still a mere hatchling, will survive and awaken to become a true dragon. But fortunately, Spica is over two hundred and seventy years old, and I have already given her almost all the knowledge she needs to learn as a dragon. Now, if she trains properly only for a few more decades, her Dragon Heart will mature enough, and perhaps she will be able to awaken to a dragon without me. You¡¯re a human who entered the State of Harmony on your own, so I believe you can help Spica awaken. If you swear to protect Spica until her awakening and to help her awaken, I¡¯ll give you my Dragon Heart. >> Dragon¡¯s scales were made of metallic components that were hard enough to become material for various weapons and armor. Although the gold dragon almost died and could not physically resist at all, dismantling its scales on the neck took a long time. James Cronos unsheathed his sword and climbed onto the dragon¡¯s neck since he could not just watch the slow process. His sword was a magic sword made by the legendary Grand Wizard Rigel, one of the three founders of the Icarus Empire, which was the heirloom of the Cronos family. The Duke of Cronos had given the magic sword, entrusting James with the dragon hunt. James shouted an initiator to activate the magic sword. ¡°Power Up.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The magic sword made of meteoric iron vibrated as it turned red. One of Vega¡¯s scales fell off as James swung down his magic sword. Vega¡¯s Telepathic Connection was interrupted for a moment by the pain of detaching her scale but soon resumed. << If I die, my Subspace Pouch will disappear, and the treasures in it shall be revealed. I don¡¯t want to give my treasures as well as my Dragon Heart to these savages. So I¡¯m going to put my Dragon Heart into my Subspace Pouch and hand its ownership over to you. Will you swear to make a contract with me? >> When a few more scales fell off the gold dragon¡¯s neck, the flesh under the scales was revealed. As James split the flesh, the Dragon Heart was exposed to the outside. It looked like a giant ruby about the size of a watermelon. << As you see, we don¡¯t have much time, Id. Make a quick decision. >> Vega¡¯s right eye opened again and watched Id. Looking at Vega¡¯s light brown eye glistening, reflecting the sunshine, Id made the decision. He thought in his mind. ¡®I¡¯ll protect Spica while I¡¯m alive, and also, although I¡¯m unsure if it¡¯s something I can do, I¡¯ll do my best to help Spica awaken as a true dragon. I swear on the name of my late master Andrew Adelian.¡¯ When James tried to swing his magic sword to completely separate the Dragon Heart from the dragon¡¯s neck bone, it shone brightly and rose five meters up into the air. And then, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in the air and swallowed the gold dragon¡¯s Dragon Heart. The shadow flew rapidly toward Id and disappeared over his head. << Now, the possession of my Subspace Pouch was handed over to you. If you just think of your Subspace Pouch in your mind, you¡¯ll be able to open it. Take Spica and leave here. >> Vega¡¯s right eye was closed again, and her head tilted to the left. Spica and Id noticed gold dragon Vega was dead. While the mages from the Icarus Wizard Tower and the Knights of the Black Bear Order searched the dragon¡¯s lair, Benjamin and Count Henderson were standing at the entrance of the dragon¡¯s lair, watching what happened in the basin. Benjamin¡¯s eyes naturally followed the dark shadow¡¯s movement and met Id¡¯s. Benjamin did not know what was going on, but he quickly noticed that he was not in a situation where he could talk to Id. As Benjamin circled in the air with his indicative finger, Id nodded to him, understanding what he meant. And then Id turned around and ran into the cave, holding the weeping Spica in his arms. Benjamin shared the thoughts with Id that it would be better to talk to each other later through the magic communication. Count Henderson asked Benjamin. ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡°The young man is my lifesaver who saved my life not once, but It¡¯s my first time to see the girl. I think James will ask the Black Bear Order to help him chase the young man. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°The Emperor sent me here to keep Cronos in check. We will take the gold dragon¡¯s treasure as we intended, and Cronos won¡¯t obtain its Dragon Heart, so the best results came out. There¡¯s no reason for me to help Cronos. The Black Bear Order has to go on a southern expedition, so I have enough excuses not to help James Cronos.¡± Looking at Count Henderson grinning, Benjamin was relieved. Since the gold dragon almost destroyed the Griffin Order from the Cronos Duchy, it would be improbable for James to track down Id immediately if the Black Bear Order did not cooperate with him. Since the dragon¡¯s lair was so far from the Cronos Duchy, Id would have already gone far away by their reinforcements¡¯ arrival, even if James asked for support through magic communication. However, as more than a half of the Empire¡¯s nobles stood on Duke Cronos¡¯ side, Benjamin was worried about how long Id could escape from their pursuit. James Cronos was out of his mind for a while because of what happened in front of him so unexpectedly. However, after a while, he urgently asked Count Henderson and Benjamin for cooperation as they forecast. ¡°Most of the Griffin Knights are killed or severely wounded, as you¡¯ve seen, so I need your help. Support me some men to track down those who took the Dragon Heart and ran away.¡± Count Henderson shook his head firmly. ¡°The dragon hunt of the Black Bear Order and me is over. We have finished our assignments entrusted by His Majesty, so we will withdraw as soon as we find the dragon¡¯s treasure. The Black Bear Order must leave for the southern expedition with me, so there¡¯s no more time to delay.¡± Benjamin said after Count Henderson. ¡°The Icarus Wizard Tower lost one of the three seven-circle Wizards and six six-circle mages, which are losses hard to recover. So we¡¯ll leave as soon as we find magic books and magic reagents.¡± James, who was lowering his head listening to their refusal, ordered the survivors of the Griffin Order. ¡°Two apprentices remain here to guard the dragon¡¯s body until the reserve forces come, and the rest follow me.¡± As James Cronos jumped into the cave where Id disappeared with Spica, two Knights and three apprentices followed him. A Knight took the lead with a torch, but moving fast in the dark cave was not easy. Furthermore, it was difficult to raise their speed recklessly because there might be an enemy¡¯s raid in the dark cave. James had a feeling that the cave would continue endlessly. After meeting a fork road in the cave, James finally concluded that it would be impossible to track down the man who stole the Dragon Heart only with the remaining members of the Griffin Order and took out a communication crystal from his backpack. Chapter 55 55 Id, who ran as fast as he could to the cave¡¯s exit with Spica in his arms, paused and looked over the terrain outside. The distance from the cave¡¯s exit to the opposite forest was about thirty meters, and it was an open area filled with rocks in between. It seemed he could move to the forest without leaving any trace on the rocks. Paying attention not to leave a trail, Id slowly advanced about twenty-five meters toward the woods and jumped up onto a large birch tree. Standing on a thick branch, he checked if any marks remained on the path he had taken. After confirming that there were only faint footprints on the rocks he stepped off, Id swung his sword a couple of times. The Aura Beam that stretched out of his sword stirred the air, causing winds to erase the faint traces left on the rocks. Id jumped from tree to tree to move to the cave where his party was staying. When he landed on a branch of the tall oak tree at the entrance to the cave, Selena, who was also standing on the tree, said, ¡°You¡¯re back safe, Id. What happened to the dragon?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go into the cave and talk together with others. Did Sasha finish his manna circulation?¡± ¡°I was just in the cave and saw him still sitting in the same position.¡± Id took Selena into the cave. Spica was still weeping in his arms. Vega¡¯s pain had been so vividly transferred to her through Telepathy that she could hardly calm down. When they entered the cave, Lara, who was carrying out her manna circulation sitting next to Sasha, stood up. Having put down Spica next to Lara, Id examined Sasha¡¯s condition. ¡°Let¡¯s have a cup of tea. I have a lot to tell you guys, and we¡¯ll have to wait for a long time for Sasha to finish his manna training. We need to stay here tonight.¡± Lara boiled a pot of green tea over the bonfire and distributed it to everyone. Spica, who took a few sips of warm tea, calmed down and stopped crying. Id told Lara and Selena in detail what had just happened in the basin. ¡°Sasha¡¯s in deep meditation. I don¡¯t want to wake him up now. It won¡¯t be easy for the dragon hunters to track me down because I didn¡¯t leave any trace outside the cave. I don¡¯t know what happened, but Benjamin was directing the mages. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be involved in pursuing me, so, I think we don¡¯t have to worry too much about the dragon hunters. The armor and shields of those who attacked Spica¡¯s mother were painted with the arms of the Duke Cronos family, the twin-headed griffin. Although I have never seen the crest before, I¡¯m sure it is Cronos¡¯ since I clearly remember when my master described it to me. Most of Duke Cronos¡¯ Knights were killed in the battle against Spica¡¯s mother, so they¡¯ll have to call reinforcements to track me down. As they¡¯ll need some time for it, I don¡¯t think we have to rush off. Benjamin will contact us via communication crystal, so let¡¯s move after getting information from him.¡± Id looked at Spica sitting next to him wordlessly. ¡°Do you feel better?¡± As Spica nodded, Id continued. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Even I could barely stand your mother¡¯s agony transferred by Telepathy. I understand how shocking it must have been for you. If you circulate manna for a while, as I taught you earlier today, it might help you calm down. I¡¯ll protect you until you awaken to be a genuine dragon as I promised your mother, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Spica moved to Sasha¡¯s side and began her manna circulation. ************ James was very nervous seeing his father, Duke Cronos, appear on the communication crystal. Upon hearing James¡¯ explanation of the situation, Duke Cronos remained silent without changing his facial expression. And then he spoke in a monotonous tone. James felt that his father was furious. James might have been given another opportunity to make up for his mistake if his father had yelled or cursed. But listening to his father speak in a very businesslike tone, James thought that his chance for succeeding the duke¡¯s title had disappeared forever. ¡°I¡¯ll send Count Perkins¡¯ rangers to find the man who took the Dragon Heart. Join the rangers with the remaining Knights of the Griffin Order and help them identify the target. I¡¯ll also dispatch reinforcements from here. No matter how long it takes, don¡¯t think about returning home unless you retrieve the Dragon Heart.¡± Eleven Ranger Units operated by imperial aristocrats were active in the Polermone Mountains. Since the borders with the three Kingdoms, Scandia, Ur and Tartaria, were made up of the Polermone Mountains, the operation of the Ranger Units specialized in mountain battles was essential for border defense. As most of the nobles, who had estates in the eastern region of the Icarus Empire, were imperialists, Duke Cronos¡¯ influence on the east border was not significant. Still, Count Perkins, who bordered the territory of the Ur Kingdom and ran two Ranger Units, stood on Duke Cronos¡¯ side. James reported to Duke Cronos. ¡°We need the support of the sorcerers to track the man down, but the mage Benjamin, who is in charge of the sorcerers after Wizard Regulus died, refused to cooperate with us.¡± ¡°Two mages contracted with our family are on standby in Greenhorn, so I¡¯ll send them to you.¡± Most of the sorcerers were raised in the Wizard Towers. On the whole, the sorcerers did not teach magic to anyone other than their disciples who belonged to the same Wizard Tower, even though there were some exceptions like Lara, who learned magic from parents or acquaintances. Some sorcerers like Benjamin stayed in the Wizard Tower almost all the time throughout their whole life, making magic items to cover their research expenses. Still, most of the sorcerers, who spent their youth in the Wizard Tower and became a four-circle-expert mage, left the Wizard Tower for a certain period to be employed by wealthy nobles. They carried out missions given by the lords and even participated in feudal wars as war mages. After being employed by the aristocrats for several years, sometimes for more than a decade, and earning enough money for further research, they returned to the Wizard Tower to become a higher-circle sorcerer. Working for feudal lords for a certain period was inevitable for most sorcerers since they had to spend more research expenses as the number of magic circles increased. Since it cost a lot of money to hire sorcerers, even wealthy nobles could employ only a few of them. Still, Duke Cronos hired many mages, including three six-circle mages. Aldebaran, a six-circle-master mage from the Mudria Wizard Tower, even signed a lifetime employment contract with Duke Cronos and was granted a pretty large piece of land in the Cronos Duchy. As the seven-circle Wizard Regulus participated in the dragon hunt, Duke Cronos did not send his own mages to the dragon¡¯s lair. Still, he put two six-circle mages, Antares and Fomalhaut, on standby in the Free City Greenhorn, just in case. The Duke of Cronos, who ended the communication with James, immediately contacted Count Perkins through the magic communication crystal. ¡°Long time no see, Count Perkins. Something urgent has come up, so I¡¯ll have to borrow the Ranger Units you are running.¡± When Count Perkins¡¯ face with sharp eyes appeared on his communication crystal, Duke Cronos spoke directly of his business. After briefly explaining what happened during the dragon hunt, Duke Cronos asked Count Perkins. ¡°How long does it take to mobilize your Ranger Units to search for the man?¡± ¡°A unit on guard in the northern part of my estate may arrive at the dragon¡¯s lair tomorrow. It will take three days for the other unit in the south to move there.¡± ¡°I want you to mobilize both of your Ranger Units for the search. Let the Commander of the North Unit meet my son James tomorrow to hear the description of the man who took the Dragon Heart. In addition, I¡¯ll send two six-circle mages to help your rangers. It¡¯ll take two days for them to arrive at the scene. I¡¯ll fully compensate you for your cooperation.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll send my Ranger Units to James.¡± After communicating with Count Perkins, Duke Cronos called his aide to arrange an emergency meeting. Chapter 56 56 Benjamin, who heard from Simon that the mages found magic books and magic reagents, followed his disciple to a stone chamber in the dragon¡¯s lair. Magic reagents and materials for magic items were piled up on one side of the stone chamber, and hundreds of magic books were packed in a bookshelf on the opposite wall. However, having skimmed through the magic books, Benjamin murmured, tilting his head. ¡°It¡¯s strange. These magic books are valuable, but all of them were written by human sorcerers. There¡¯s not a single book written by a dragon here. The gold dragon may have kept the magic books it wrote separately, so we need to look for them.¡± Benjamin ordered the mages to search the vast dragon¡¯s lair again. While the mages scattered to search for the dragon¡¯s magic books, Benjamin scrutinized the stone chamber with Simon. Having been looking around the stone chamber for a long time, Benjamin discovered that the cabinet displaying small sculptures and ceramics next to the bookshelf was under a spell of Optical Illusion. Benjamin cast a simple spell to lift the illusion, as the gold dragon Vega did not worry too much about someone breaking into its lair, and the magic operating on the cabinet was not of a high level. When the illusion was cleared, a small room behind the cabinet was revealed, where Benjamin found more than a hundred magic books believed to have been written by the gold dragon. Count Henderson entered the stone chamber as Benjamin looked through a magic book with a satisfactory smile. ¡°You¡¯ve found a secret room. Did you find magic books written by the gold dragon?¡± ¡°Yes, I did. Humans cannot imitate dragon¡¯s spells as they are, but it¡¯s interesting to read their magic books. In fact, human magic has developed based on research on dragons¡¯ magic. Did you find the gold dragon''s treasure?¡± ¡°Yes, we found a huge amount of gold bars and jewelry. As the Emperor sent the Red Lion Order to Greenhorn to safely transport the dragon¡¯s treasure to Icarus City, the Black Bear Order and I only need to move the treasure there. The Red Lion Order will escort you and your mages to the Wizard Tower, too.¡± Both Benjamin and Count Henderson were pretty satisfied, but they were unaware that the gold dragon Vega stored her most valuable magic books and treasure in its Subspace Pouch that she had handed over to Id. Benjamin asked Count Henderson. ¡°James Cronos is unlikely to come back here. Judging from Duke Cronos¡¯ nature, he¡¯ll never give up the Dragon Heart. How do you think it will go?¡± ¡°Of course, Duke Cronos will never give up the Dragon Heart, and he will try to catch the young man, who took the Dragon Heart, with all his family¡¯s might. First of all, one of Duke Cronos¡¯ supporters, Count Perkins, who has an estate near here, will help the chase. Duke Cronos will send another advanced Knight Order soon, and William Cronos can also participate in the chase.¡± Having noticed Benjamin¡¯s facial expression darkening, Count Henderson continued. ¡°You must be pretty close to the young man. If you tell me more about him, I can probably give him some useful advice.¡± Benjamin hesitated for a moment but thought Count Henderson¡¯s advice would be of great help to Id. ¡°Can you keep what I¡¯m about to talk about Id a secret? Though I think your advice will help Id, he won¡¯t like me telling his story to anyone else.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I promise to keep the secret on my honor.¡± ¡°Thank you. I trust you.¡± Benjamin talked about his journey in the Scandia Kingdom to Count Henderson in detail. Count Henderson could not hide his surprised look listening to Benjamin''s long story. It was a story hard to believe, but Benjamin had no reason to lie to him. ¡°It¡¯s a story hard to believe; to show such an achievement at such a young age.¡± ¡°Once again, I ask you to keep the secret.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I swear I¡¯ll never speak to anyone else on the honor of my family. Can I talk to Id in person as I urgently need to advise him? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise of him to go to the Adelian Marquisate now.¡± ¡°All right. I was about to communicate with Id, anyway.¡± Benjamin restored the Optical Illusion of the secret chamber and took his communication crystal out of his bag. As soon as he attempted to communicate, Id¡¯s face appeared on the communication crystal. ¡°How are you doing, Benjamin? I was waiting for your call. How did you end up in the dragon¡¯s lair.¡± Benjamin explained to Id how he had become involved in the dragon hunt and what had happened before Id had arrived at the basin. ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s what happened! According to the information I got from the gold dragon¡¯s Telepathy, I think she looked down on humans too much. She thought she had the ability to subdue humans without being harmed, but using Hellfire in a fury after losing the function of her wing due to the unexpected magic attacks was the cause of her death.¡± Id briefly explained to Benjamin what he and the gold dragon Vega had telepathically communicated with. However, Id did not want to talk about Spica, so he said that the gold dragon had given her Dragon Heart to him just because she had not wanted to be deprived of it by dragon hunters. ¡°I agree with the gold dragon. The idea of humans hunting dragons over three thousand years old was reckless in itself. Anyway, the gold dragon is dead, and you have its dragon heart. Duke Cronos will chase you to the end. William Cronos can also show up. It¡¯s never good for you that the gold dragon handed its Dragon Heart over to you. Well, I¡¯d like to introduce you to Count Henderson for advice. He is a centerpiece of imperialists and my long-standing acquaintance.¡± When Count Henderson¡¯s face appeared next to Benjamin, Id looked into his eyes for a while without saying a word. After a brief greeting, Count Henderson explained to Id the purpose of his participation in the dragon hunt under the order of the Emperor. ¡°The Emperor and I believe that Duke Cronos is a greater threat to the safety of the Icarus Empire than the Paruberian Federation. I think the Cronos family has been preparing for a rebellion against the Emperor for a long time. Why don¡¯t you join hands with us with the same purpose, as you have to fight Duke Cronos and William Cronos to keep your late master¡¯s will?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your ideas.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you should go to the Adelian Marquisate now. Duke Cronos has constantly threatened Marquis Adelian for the past thirty years. Through the feudal war, Duke Cronos occupied about a fifth of Adelian¡¯s land, including the gold mine. Marquis Adelian even lost his Lord Castle. He now stays in the southwestern corner of his territory. If you go there now with the Dragon Heart, Duke Cronos will try to occupy the whole Adelian Marquisate.¡± ¡°What advice would you like to give me?¡± Id¡¯s calm voice made Count Henderson feel the strain. Thinking he should not treat Id as an inexperienced young man under the age of twenty, Count Henderson said after clearing his mind. ¡°I think you need to buy some time to build your strength until you have the confidence that you can beat William Cronos. However, it¡¯s never easy to keep running away from Cronos¡¯ pursuit in the Empire''s territory. I happen to be the Commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army, so why don¡¯t you join my army? The war zone can be the best place for you to hide from the chase of Duke Cronos. In addition, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the war and receive compensation accordingly. If your swordsmanship is as excellent as I¡¯ve heard from Benjamin, it won¡¯t be hard for you to make an immense contribution to the war. I expect you¡¯ll develop your abilities to beat Willam Cronos through a lot of hands-on experience as you participate in the southern Expedition for a few years. Also, I¡¯ll arrange for you to be conferred with the title of nobility by the Emperor if you make a significant contribution to the war. If you meet Marquis Adelian and join forces with him after that, it will be far easier for you to deal with the Duke Cronos family.¡± Id¡¯s counterproposal on Count Henderson¡¯s offer was simpler and clearer than the latter expected. ¡°I can agree to join the Southern Expeditionary Army, but I don¡¯t want to be conferred with the title of nobility. I swore to my late master to be a Knight of Marquis Adelian. I expect you to put my party and me in a frontline reconnaissance unit, and in any case, my party has to be with me in the same unit. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for the safety of my party. And I don¡¯t want to kill Paruberian troops unless it¡¯s inevitable. I won''t join the expedition if you intend to reprimand me for letting the Paruberian troops live. The commanders of all levels should be well informed of this issue.¡± Count Henderson noticed that Id was a kind of person who could not be easily conciliated. He knew from his experiences that if a person like this becomes an enemy, it would be much harder to deal with than people like William Cronos. Count Henderson wondered what Id had in mind about the Imperial Family of Icarus. Although Andrew Adelian had been the Knight Commander of the Red Lion Order, one of the three Imperial Orders, the Adelian family was not an imperialist. Chapter 57 57 Count Henderson carefully sounded on Id¡¯s thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re from the Kingdom of Scandia, so it¡¯s hard to ask you for your blind loyalty to the Emperor of Icarus. What would you do if you were later placed in conflict with the Emperor for any reason?¡± Id responded without any hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m about to become a Knight of the Adelian family, an aristocrat of the Icarus Empire, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll conflict with the Emperor, but if that happens, I¡¯ll leave the Empire. I don¡¯t want the Adelian family to be in trouble because of me.¡± Having looked into Id¡¯s eyes for some time, said Henderson, ¡°You have been recognized for your abilities by both the gold dragon and mage Benjamin, so I¡¯m going to trust your abilities, too. When I was a rookie knight apprentice, I also received several instructions from Knight Commander Andrew Adelian of the Red Lion Order. I can¡¯t say you¡¯re not meant to me. Let¡¯s defeat Cronos¡¯ ambition together. I¡¯ll accept all of your terms and conditions. How can I help you escape Duke Cronos¡¯ pursuit and join my army? I¡¯ll do anything I can.¡± ¡°I need to hear from my party, so please give me some time. Let me contact you again later.¡± ¡°Do that. I¡¯ll check more about Cronos¡¯ movements in the meantime.¡± Having disconnected the communication, Id looked around the party. Sasha was still lost in meditation. At the beginning of Id¡¯s contact with Benjamin, Selena was brought in by Lara. She came down from the oak tree and was listening to Id and Henderson¡¯s conversation. Spica told first. ¡°I¡¯ll be next to you wherever you go, Id. You don¡¯t have to ask my opinion.¡± Lara said after Spica. ¡°I¡¯d have to agree with you. If we have to go to war, we have to. Sasha¡¯s opinion would be the same as mine.¡± Id told Lara. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take part in the war actively. I will fight when necessary, so all you have to do is be careful not to get hurt and defend yourself.¡± Lara replied with a smile. ¡°Would that work on the battlefields? I may be so, but Sasha can¡¯t be just defending himself. I¡¯ll protect myself, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Selena said as Id smiled a little awkwardly. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t suit an elf going to the desert. I¡¯ll have to prepare a few things before going there. It would be an interesting experience.¡± Spica asked Selena. ¡°What are you going to prepare? Are you trying to communicate with Undines? I know you are a top-notch Spiritual and have intimate affinities with Sylphs of the Wind and Gnomes of the Earth. But I don¡¯t think you have close connections with Undines of the Water or Salamanders of the Fire.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Selena replied to Spica, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯re reading my thoughts. Thank you for your compliment, but I¡¯m not that great a Spiritual. Anyway, I need to increase my affinity with Undines so as to endure in the desert. By the way, I¡¯m not afraid of dragons, but I¡¯m not hostile to dragons either. I think we should be together for a long time, so why don¡¯t we be friends with each other?¡± Spica replied with an expressionless face. ¡°If you don¡¯t ignore me, there¡¯d be no reason for me to dislike an elf. Although I¡¯m still a hatchling, I¡¯m a dragon clan who communicates with Spirit Kings. You must be one of the top-notch Spirituals, even among the elves, who have produced many great Spirituals. You don¡¯t have to be humble in front of me for no reason.¡± Selena told Id, who was listening to their conversation with interest. ¡°I was born with an intimate affinity with Sylphs and have communicated with Gnomes without any difficulties, but it¡¯s not easy for me to be related with Undines. Therefore, I¡¯d like to create a manna hall using your method of manna circulation to try to connect with them. Can you help me?¡± ¡°I can help you any time, but I¡¯m not sure if my method can be applied to elves.¡± ¡°While listening to your explanation about the manna circulation and manna hall, I got something in mind. I was inspired by the fact that gold dragon Vega compared your manna hall to the Dragon Heart. I think I can solve the problems that arise from the difference in body structure between elves and humans. Anyway, usually, elves are born with a much stronger affinity to manna than humans.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll do my best to help you create a manna hall in your body.¡± With the consent of all but Sasha, Id activated his communication crystal again. Count Henderson was connected through Benjamin¡¯s magic communication crystal. ¡°After consulting with my party members, I decided to join your Southern Expedition. We¡¯re all specialized in moving in the forests, so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to get out of Cronos¡¯ pursuit on our own. I don¡¯t think you should get involved in this openly. We¡¯re heading south along the Polermone Mountains, and we''ll join your troops after leaving the mountains. Please tell me where to meet you.¡± ¡°All right. I plan to stay at the Ramada Hotel in the Free City Blackfield, the largest city in the southeastern region of the Empire, for a week from the fifteenth of next month. If you don¡¯t meet me there, come to the Lord Castle of the Henderson County.¡± ¡°All of us are good at moving fast in the forest, so there won¡¯t be much delay. Then we¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Wait, Benjamin says he has something to tell you, so wait a second. And from now on, you¡¯ll have to communicate directly with me, so I¡¯ll send you the identification password of my magic communication crystal.¡± As Id memorized Count Henderson¡¯s identification password transmitted to his communication crystal, Benjamin and his disciple Simon appeared on it. ¡°Id, I wish you all the best. I have a favor to ask of you. This is my disciple, Simon. He became a five-circle mage in his twenties, which is the first case in the history of the Icarus Wizard Tower, so I have high expectations for him. I believe your method of manna circulation will help his further magical achievement. I could teach him your method, but it would be far better for him to learn from you directly, so I¡¯m about to have Simon join Count Henderson''s Southern Expedition. Can you teach him your method of manna circulation?¡± Id, who briefly looked at a handsome man in his mid-twenties reflected on the crystal ball, said ¡°I don¡¯t know if my method will help you with your magic training, Simon. But I¡¯ll teach you my method of manna circulation if you want, as I¡¯ve seen Lara¡¯s case. Our party will welcome Benjamin¡¯s disciple.¡± Sasha¡¯s manna circulation continued until dawn the next day. Looking at Sasha awakened from his contemplation at dawn, Lara realized that he had changed somewhat even though she could not describe the difference in words. ¡°You woke up, Sasha. Did you create a manna hall?¡± Having stared blankly at Lara¡¯s face for a moment, Sasha answered her question. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think I made a manna hall in my lower abdomen.¡± Id, who woke up listening to the conversation between the two, approached Sasha. Sitting behind Sasha, Id told him, putting the right hand in the middle of Sasha¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything and stay still.¡± As a stalk of manna flowed out of Id¡¯s hand and entered Sasha¡¯s body, the latter flinched a little but soon regained his composure and began to contemplate the movement of Id¡¯s manna moving through his manna passage. Id¡¯s manna moved to Sasha¡¯s lower abdomen and stayed around the newly created manna hall for a while. Having retrieved his manna from Sasha¡¯s body, Id said, ¡°My assumption was correct. There may be a difference in the length of time for each person to create a manna hall. Still, if you keep doing manna circulation regularly, even if you are not born with a particular affinity to manna, you can make a manna hall sooner or later. Also, the manna condensed in Sasha¡¯s manna hall is much better refined than the manna initially concentrated in my manna hall, which means it¡¯s not right to utilize magic diagrams to make a manna hall.¡± Spica spoke to Id. ¡°As Vega said, the manna hall built up by your method of manna circulation is essentially the same organ as a Dragon Heart. Dragon Hearts are created by themselves without any special method, but it takes a long time to be created. In my case, it took almost a hundred and fifty years building up my Dragon Heart.¡± Spica called her dead parent by the name Vega now, while she had called Vega ¡®mom¡¯ when she was alive. Spica did not seem to be aware of the change, but it was due to the dragons¡¯ unique objectification. As dragons were extremely independent creatures, they rarely interacted with other dragons once they were awakened as true dragons and became separated from their parent. The same was true in the relationship with their parent. The parent dragon and the child dragon lived a completely independent life without invading each other¡¯s territory after separation. Id recalled the knowledge about dragons he had heard from Andrew and found the change of naming that happened to Spica interesting. Chapter 58 58 Id responded to Spica. ¡°A hundred and fifty years is not that long for dragons who live nearly infinite lives, from a human point of view. The dragons¡¯ standards cannot be applied to humans with a lifespan of less than a hundred years. I heard from my master that about three hundred years of a dragons¡¯ hatchling period is used to build up their Dragon Heart and condense sufficient manna necessary for dragon hatchlings to awaken as a genuine dragon, during which the parent dragons protect their weak and vulnerable hatchlings without sleeping.¡± ¡°My Polymorphic Body is the same as a human body, so I¡¯ll create a manna hall in my lower abdomen, too, and I¡¯ll protect myself by learning swordsmanship from you. Let me tell you a secret of Vega.¡± Seven hundred years before, three heroes, Icarus the Great, Grand Wizard Rigel and Magic Swordswoman Vega, had appeared in the Icarus Kingdom and established the Icarus Empire, having merged dozens of countries. There had been more than fifty small countries in the current territory of the Icarus Empire. The Icarus Kingdom, where the epic tale of the three heroes had been initiated, had been located in the northeastern region of the Empire, of which the territory had included the land of the Free City Greenhorn. It was a small Kingdom with a population of less than ten million. Icarus the Great had been the seventh prince of the Icarus Kingdom and later called a Sword Master. Grand Wizard Rigel had founded the Icarus Wizard Tower. The mysterious magic swordswoman Vega wearing magic armor and using a magic sword had been known to have contributed the most to the establishment of the Icarus Empire among the three but suddenly disappeared after moving the capital of the Empire to the current Icarus City. ¡°That mysterious magic swordswoman Vega was the gold dragon Vega who gave birth to me. As we shared her memory through her Telepathy you should already be aware, she looked down on humans too much, which resulted in her defeat. She had swordsmanship, magic armor and a magic sword to fight against the human Knights, but she did not use them.¡± Watching Id nodding, Spica continued. ¡°Vega had two ways to defeat the humans. The first way was to fly up into the sky before the humans reached the basin, launching magic attacks from a distance beyond the human sorcerers¡¯ reach. The other way was to wear the magic armor and return to being the mysterious magic swordswoman, who had been invincible seven hundred years ago and deal with the human Knights. However, being distracted by finding my whereabouts, she was caught off guard by a human wizard¡¯s surprise attack. She had also overlooked that human swordsmanship has been developed further over the last seven hundred years.¡± At the beginning of the Icarus Empire¡¯s history, there had been a rumor that Icarus the great had been defeated by the mysterious magic swordswoman Vega in sparring, but the rumor had disappeared alongside Vega''s disappearance. Spica, who was speaking objectively, was no longer sad but furious. Dragons, aged between two thousand and three thousand years, often transformed into other races and enjoyed a different life, just like Vega. The boredom of an overly long life span was why they enjoyed this kind of Entertainment from time to time. Some dragons immersed in their Entertainment too much, sometimes forgot that they were dragons during the play. However, dragon hatchlings were not allowed to interact emotionally with other species, especially humans. Spica was rapidly humanized while staying with Id¡¯s party. Dragons, the strongest creatures, did not tend to search for revenge even if other species killed dragons. They just blamed the carelessness of the murdered dragon. However, the humanized Spica showed her burning vengeance against the Duke Cronos family. It was a separate emotion from her objective perception of Vega. After a simple breakfast, the party left the cave behind the waterfall and began moving south at a rapid pace.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ************ Five people gathered in the Duke Cronos¡¯ office. On the left side of Duke Cronos in the middle, William Cronos sat with his eyes closed. He could never be seen as an old man in his eighties. In his mid-fifties, William Cronos had fought Andrew Adelian, which had been more than thirty years back, but he looked almost the same as then. On the right side of Duke Cronos sat a six-circle-master mage Aldebaran from the Mudria Wizard Tower. On William Cronos¡¯ left side sat Knight Commander Gabriel of the Pegasus Order. And on Aldebaran''s right side sat a man in his late thirties with sharp eyes, looking over Willam Cronos¡¯ appearance. Duke Cronos told Willam Cronos. ¡°Uncle William, I expect you to participate in tracking down the man who took the Dragon Heart. Obtaining a Dragon Heart is a crucial issue for the future of our family.¡± William Cronos opened his eyes and asked Aldebaran instead of Duke Cronos. ¡°Did you claim that you can bring up dozens of Aura Beam Owners in a few years, using a Dragon Heart?¡± Aldebaran responded to William Cronos. ¡°Yes, sir. After careful examination of the records left by Wizard Prometheus and Sword Master Alexandros, I was convinced that the important condition for producing Aura Beam Owners was not the concentration of manna in the magic diagram used for manna training but the purity of manna. If we extract highly purified manna concentrated in the Dragon Heart, I think we can raise a lot of swordsmen capable of wielding the Aura Beam in a short period of time.¡± ¡°The important thing is not the purity of manna, but the trainee¡¯s innate affinity to manna. Manna¡¯s purity accumulated in the manna hall can be increased through refining processes.¡± ¡°You are right, but the problem is that it takes too long to get through the refining process. Also, if you use a Dragon Heart, I believe even those with no particular inborn affinity to manna can become swordsmen capable of Aura Beam.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a merely imaginative hypothesis, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t agree with you at all.¡± William Cronos said, looking at Duke Cronos. ¡°I¡¯m staying out of this, Duke. Why do you need my participation when you have that guy.¡± As William Cronos added, looking at the man sitting next to Aldebaran, everyone watched him. The man asked William Cronos. ¡°Do you know me?¡± William Cronos replied to him with a cynical expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know your name, but I know you¡¯re one of those who recently acquired Aura Beam at the Mudria Wizard Tower. I¡¯ve heard rumors that the Duke is hiding some swordsmen who returned from the Mudira Wizard Tower after achieving Aura Beam. Now that the situation is urgent, it seems I¡¯m seeing one of them here today.¡± Willaim Cronos continued, looking at Duke Cronos. ¡°I think I¡¯ve done my business, so I¡¯m leaving. I advise you not to waste your time on useless things.¡± William Cronos rose from his seat and left the Duke¡¯s office. The relationship between Duke Cronos and William Cronos, who were at odds over the succession of the family¡¯s title, has always been cold. William Cronos, who wanted his grandson to take over the Duke¡¯s title, and the Duke, who tried to hand over the title to one of his sons, could not get along well. As William Cronos said, Duke Cronos worked for decades to raise swordsmen with Aura Beam by sending children with innate affinity to manna to the Mudria Wizard Tower and has gained five Aura Beam Owners a few years before. He kept them secret, and Chris, sitting next to Aldebaran, was one of them. The former Dukes of Cronos had vested small feuds in the Cronos Duchy in two Viscounts and four Barons. Chris was an illegitimate child of one of those nobles, Viscount Hamilton. Born to a serf¡¯s daughter, Chris was found to have manna affinity at an early age and sent to the Mudria Wizard Tower at the age of five. He stayed there for more than thirty years, training to obtain an Aura Beam. He had witnessed many children sent to the Mudria Wizard Tower who had died by manna backflow, but he was lucky enough to survive and obtain an Aura Beam. Although Duke Cronos had paid him a lot of monetary compensation, he struggled to resist the desire to show his power and skills to the world. After William Cronos left his office, Duke Cronos spoke to the three remaining men. ¡°This is a crucial matter for the Cronos Duchy, so I want all three of you to go to the Polermone Mountains. According to the information I received this morning, the man who stole the Dragon Heart has been moving south along the mountain range since entering the Polermone Mountains from Scandia. Take the Pegasus Knights and block his expected route to retrieve the Dragon Heart. On the way, keep in close contact with Antares, Fomalhaut and James to check his route.¡± Chapter 59 59 Id¡¯s party advanced more than fifty kilometers in six hours. It was an unimaginable speed considering the rugged mountainous terrain, but all of them were accustomed to running in the forest. As twelve Sylves, summoned by Selena, informed them of the Rangers¡¯ location in advance, Id¡¯s party could avoid them with no issues. Count Perkins¡¯ Rangers, who later noticed that their siege was broken, chased Id¡¯s party at full speed but failed to catch up with them. Id, who had been looking for a cave to stay in for the night for more than an hour, spoke to his friends. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here. I¡¯ll enter the cave up there to check if it¡¯s safe.¡± The cave was well ventilated, and there were no traces of dangerous beasts or monsters. Id, who returned to his party, said, ¡°As it is most important to secure enough time for manna training while traveling along the mountain range, we won¡¯t move more than six hours a day. Still, we will arrive at Blackfield within due time. Let¡¯s stay in that cave tonight. Sasha and I will go hunting since we have to eat well to train while traveling. In the meantime, please prepare bonfires in the cave, Lara. Spica, how much do you need to eat a day?¡± Considering their size, dragons did not eat that much. Wyverns and ogres ate much more than dragons. Dragons that entered the State of Harmony at around the age of four thousand ate only a minimal amount. The old dragons in the State of Ultimate hardly ate and maintained their vitality only with manna. Spica responded to Id. ¡°I confirmed that I could accumulate manna in my Dragon Heart in the virtual space with the method of manna circulation I learned from you. Regarding this life as a kind of dragon¡¯s Entertainment, I will train my manna in the polymorphic human body until my awakening. If I fail to awaken as a dragon, I¡¯ll die a human. As a human being, I don¡¯t need to get bigger, so I¡¯ll only eat as much as Lara eats from now on.¡± Sasha responded to Spica. ¡°Lara also eats a lot.¡± Lara reacted sharply to Sasha¡¯s comment. ¡°No matter how much I eat, would I eat as much as you, who eats like a bear?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ uh¡­.¡± As Sasha blinked his big eyes a few times at Lara''s remark and headed for the woods to hunt, Id told him ¡°It should be fine for you to go alone. A deer or a boar will be more than enough. I¡¯ll prepare soup in the meantime.¡± After a while, Sasha returned to the cave with a boar. Seeing it, Spica stood at the entrance of the cave and cast an initiator. ¡°Optical Illusion.¡± At the entrance to the cave, some images of large trees appeared. Even at a close distance, it seemed difficult to find the entrance to the cave. ¡°Though I¡¯m not good at other magic yet, my Polymorph and Illusion are not worse than Vega¡¯s. In order to sneak around not being noticed by Vega, I practiced these two spells really hard. Human sorcerers won¡¯t find the entrance to the cave easily.¡± After hearing Spica¡¯s comments, the party relaxed and enjoyed the meal. Munching on wild boar meat in her mouth, Spica spoke to Id.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Can you do me two favors? First, I want to learn swordsmanship from you, like Lara. And my other request is that I want you to give me Vega¡¯s magic armor and sword.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard to teach you my swordsmanship, but do I have Vega¡¯s magic armor and sword?¡± ¡°They are in your Subspace Pouch.¡± ¡°Ah, I see, but how can I get them out?¡± ¡°Vega already told you how. Close your eyes and think of your Subspace Pouch.¡± When Id recalled his Subspace Pouch closing his eyes as Spica advised, the objects in it brushed past Id¡¯s mind like a panorama. Id, who thought only Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart was in his Subspace Pouch, was surprised. There were a lot of weapons, jewelry and gold coins in the pouch. There were gold bars, too, but there were many more gold coins because Vega prepared them for use during her time in the human world. Browsing through the things in his Subspace Pouch, Id said to Spica. ¡°What do Vega¡¯s magic armor and sword look like? There are so many suits of armor and swords in here that I can¡¯t discern which one Vega used to use.¡± ¡°Vega¡¯s magic armor looks like a belt. Do you see a sky blue metal belt? Her magic sword is in a sheath with a large ruby, sapphire and emerald embedded into it. It¡¯s probably next to her magic armor.¡± As Id found the items he was looking for, he thought about wanting to take the two items out. A shadow appeared in the air, and Vega¡¯s magic Armor and sword popped out of his Subspace Pouch. Having received them, Spica put the sky blue belt on her waist and spoke an initiator. ¡°Magic Armor On.¡± Dozens of metal bands were released out of the belt one after another, covering Spica¡¯s body. The beautiful magic armor glistening in sky blue was a one-piece full body armor, covering Spica¡¯s entire body, including her head. When Spica lowered her face shield, they could only see her eyes from outside. Even her hands were covered by gauntlets. Seven hundred years back, the gold dragon Vega had prepared to transform into a human swordswoman and enjoy her time as a human for a long time. At first, she had learned various styles of swordsmanship from several human masters but concluded that it would be difficult to defeat peak Knights with swordsmanship alone. Paying attention to the magic armor used by some human Knights, Vega had captured five dexterous dwarven artisans and returned to her lair with them. After decades of hard work with the dwarves, referring to the magic armor made by human Wizards, Vega had created a masterpiece of the belt-shaped magic armor. Such magic armor had been manufactured neither by human Wizards nor by other dragons before, and never since. Vega had made several experimental magic suits of armor before completing her favorite sky blue one. Magic armor that had not met her expectations had never been used and thrown into a corner of her Subspace Pouch. Vega¡¯s magic armor had needed a huge amount of manna to activate, so she had had to study how to use her Dragon Heart¡¯s manna efficiently, even in her polymorphic human body. Spica also learned from Vega and used her method. However, since Spica¡¯s Dragon Heart did not have enough capacity yet, she could not wear Vega¡¯s Magic Armor for a long time. According to their experiments a few years prior, Vege could use the Magic Armor without any time constraints, while Spica was able to wear it for only an hour. After dismantling the magic armor, Spica handed it to Id. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it on? Vega said you¡¯ve already entered the State of Harmony, so I believe you can use the magic armor without any time constraints.¡± Interested in the magic armor made by the dragon, Id wore the sky blue belt around his waist. The metal belt was a little thicker than ordinary leather belts, but Id did not feel uncomfortable when he wore it. When Id just thought of the initiator and did not speak it out yet, the magic armor was activated. In an instant, metal bands covered Id¡¯s whole body at a speed that was incomparable to when Spica wore the armor, and a huge amount of manna escaped Id¡¯s manna hall and flowed into the magic armor. However, when Id circulated manna in his standing position, it was soon replenished in his manna hall. After breaking the obstacle in his head, Id could circulate his manna freely in any posture. He could carry out manna circulation while standing or even moving at a fast pace, so no matter how hard he overworked his body, the manna in his manna hall never ran out. Wearing the magic armor, Id could understand why Vega had said he had already entered the State of Harmony. Although Id did not know, if he had not been in the State of Harmony, it would have been impossible for Vega to hand over her Subspace Pouch to him. Until then, Id had not recognized that he had already entered the State of Harmony as he had yet to meet other people or beings who had achieved the same state. ¡°I remember when Vega talked about the State of Harmony, she also mentioned a couple of subsequent states. Could you tell me more about the three states?¡± At Id¡¯s request, Spica remained silent for a moment to sort out the knowledge she learned from Vega and then began to talk. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand exactly what kind of states they are because I¡¯ve only been unilaterally injected with knowledge about them and have never experienced them myself. So, I have no choice but to just tell you what I heard from Vega. You can probably understand them better than me since you have already reached one of them. The organ that builds up under the seventh, and at the same time, the last neck bone of dragons and called by humans as a Dragon Heart, can also be called a middle manna hall according to your terms. Dragons have two more manna halls. An upper Manna Hall forms on the forehead between the eyes, and a lower manna hall under the spine between the wings. While manna is stored in high volumes in the Dragon Hearts, it is concentrated only when necessary in upper and lower manna halls. And when not required, the concentrated manna dissolves and circulates all over the body. Therefore, even if humans dissect the bodies of dragons, they won¡¯t find the dragons¡¯ upper and lower manna halls. These two manna halls only have virtual spaces where manna can easily gather, so they don¡¯t have any substance in some ways.¡± Chapter 60 60 Spica continued, taking a sip of tea. She felt thirsty talking about a subject that she didn¡¯t understand well. ¡°The manna of the upper manna hall is mainly used for spiritual activities, while the manna in the Dragon Heart is mostly for the manifestation of magic. Dragons¡¯ lower manna hall supplies manna for their physical activities, like your manna hall in your lower abdomen. As the flight requires the most manna among dragons¡¯ physical activities, it is natural that our lower manna hall is located between the wings. The State of Harmony means two trinities. The first one forms among the upper, middle and lower manna halls, and the other among spirit, manna force and body. I learned that when these two trinities are achieved at the same time, you can reach the State of Harmony.¡± Lara and Sasha focused on Spica¡¯s explanations. They were similar to what Id told before but contained slightly different contents as well. Id understood what Spica tried to explain. He knew that his manna flowed differently in the manna passages inside his forehead and chest. A relatively spacious passage of manna was formed right in front of the obstacle in his head that had been removed during his stay in Blackanvil¡¯s house. When Id circulated manna, its flow slowed down there, and a considerable part of manna stayed there for a long time. There was a similar space in the manna passage between his lungs. Id realized that his method of manna circulation, which he used to use before removing the obstacle in his head and Sasha and Lara were still training with, had a defect. At the same time, he also realized how to rectify the problem. Spica continued after a short pause. ¡°Although there might be time differences, most dragons enter the State of Harmony at around the age of four thousand. From this point on, dragons rarely eat food and live with manna as their primary energy source. As the skeleton and scales continue to grow, dragons grow in size, but dragons that have reached the State of Harmony lose their weight gradually. Many dragons stay in the State of Harmony until death, but some dragons enter the State of Ultimate at around the age of seven thousand. I learned that it is the state where the spirit, body and manna force are almost unified, but I have no idea what it means. Anyway, the dragons, who enter the State of Ultimate, completely transform. Blood and flesh disappear, leaving only organs related to manna circulation. When I first heard Vega¡¯s explanation, I imagined the scene that a dragon¡¯s whole body becomes a giant Dragon Heart. Anyway, from this point, dragons can use high-end magic like Teleportation. The State of Myth is literally entering the realm of gods, so ordinary creatures can¡¯t explain it. The dragons, who reached the State of Myth, sooner or later, execute a Dimensional Teleportation to the world of gods, so we don¡¯t need to know much about that.¡± Listening to Spica, Id felt the necessity to organize the concepts of how human beings entered the State of Harmony. He might be the first human who had reached it. As he could not ask anyone or refer to any records, he had to observe himself and establish new concepts. Thinking it would take a long time, Id asked Spica about another issue. ¡°What happens to the Dragon Heart when a dragon dies?¡± ¡°When a dragon in the State of Ultimate dies, all parts of the dragon¡¯s body, including the Dragon Heart, break down by itself and return to Mother Nature¡¯s manna. When a dragon, who has not reached the State of Ultimate yet, feels its life is over, he uses magic to break down his own Dragon Heart. In either case, a manna storm occurs during the disintegration of the Dragon Heart. So usually, dragons choose a place to die where there is no life close to them as much as possible, but from time to time, lives are damaged or affected by the manna storm.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Id responded to Spica. ¡°Vega gave her Dragon Heart to ask me to keep your safety, but I am unsure if it¡¯s right for me to keep it. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to send it back to Mother Nature?¡± ¡°Vega taught me how to dismantle a Dragon Heart, but I¡¯ve never used it before, of course. Therefore, I am unsure if I, a hatchling, can cast the spell properly. Vega might have had other reasons for giving you her Dragon Heart, so, I think, you should decide its disposal carefully.¡± As Id nodded and fell into his thoughts, the others started their manna circulation. *************** James Cronos had completely missed the whereabouts of the person who took the Dragon Heart. He began searching for clues little by little after meeting Harry, the Commander of Count Perkins¡¯ northern Rainger Unit, and two six-circle mages, Antares and Fomalhaut, sent by Duke Cronos. Commander Harry reported to James Cronos. ¡°My men confirmed that four people entered the Polermone Mountains a week ago, following the hunter¡¯s path from the Kontsevaya side of the Scandia Kingdom. Judging from the traces they left, I believe now five people are traveling together. The girl you saw at the gold dragon¡¯s lair seems to have joined the party recently in the mountains. They¡¯re moving south at tremendous speed.¡± James spoke to Harry with an edgy look. ¡°You are saying they broke through the siege of your three-hundred-stong Rangers so easily?¡± Harry replied without hiding his displeasure. ¡°They got out even before we made a proper siege. It was already too late when we were ordered to move.¡± As the atmosphere between James Cronos and Commander Harry became strained, a six-circle-expert mage, Antares, intervened. ¡°Judging from their traces, they must have a top-notch Spiritual and a six-circle-master mage in the party. Given their abilities, the Rangers alone can¡¯t catch them.¡± Antares evaluated Spica as a six-circle-master mage. Having been even more offended by Antares¡¯ comments, Harry responded brusquely. ¡°I¡¯ve asked the southern unit to take a tight siege. If we track down them while the southern unit keeps their course, we¡¯ll soon be able to surround them.¡± James spoke in a calm tone as if to appease Harry. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to undervalue your Rangers. I just wondered how they had moved so fast. Antares, how far do you think we are from them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably not more than ten kilometers. If we leave early tomorrow morning, we might catch up with them before dusk.¡± Looking around Harry¡¯s Rangers, James Cronos ordered. ¡°Let¡¯s camp here tonight. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow an hour before dawn. We must catch them tomorrow.¡± *************** When Id¡¯s party, which departed early in the morning, advanced about thirty kilometers south, Selena, who had been talking to Sylves, informed Id. ¡°About three hundred Rangers are two kilometers ahead. Since their siege is pretty wide, Sylves advise we''d better take a long detour east or west.¡± The party stopped at Selena¡¯s words. After a while, Id told his companions. ¡°Let¡¯s just break through the siege in a wedge-shaped rank. I¡¯ll be at the front. Spica stands behind me on my left, and Sasha behind Spica on her left. Lara stands behind me on my right, and Selena behind Lara on her right. On my first signal, Spica and Lara launch magic attacks. Lara, cast a spell in advance, please. You need to attack extensively since the aim of magic attacks is not to kill the Rangers but to confuse their formation. Sasha, Selena, please shoot your bows at the center of the Ranger¡¯s camp at my second signal. Don¡¯t try to increase the hit rate but shoot as many arrows as possible. When I break through the center of the Rangers¡¯ camp, stick close behind me, narrowing your formation and focusing on defense. Suppose the distance from the person in front of you is more than two meters apart while on the move, you must immediately notify. Don¡¯t forget that maintaining distance between colleagues is the most important thing in the breakthrough. Once we completely penetrate their camp, we¡¯ll turn our formation into a single file. Sasha leads and follow him in order of Spica, Lara and Selena. I¡¯ll be at the rear. We will advance as fast as we can to widen the distance from the trackers as much as possible. Any questions?¡± Id waited for a while after he finished talking, but no one asked any questions. As Id began to move again, the other four followed him, forming a wedge-shaped rank as Id instructed them. Though Id speeded up gradually, everyone kept up well. Commander Richard of Count Perkins¡¯ southern Ranger Unit, had called thirty squad leaders at dawn to order operations. ¡°Reduce the spacing between each Ranger from ten meters to five meters. Even though there would be a risk that they will detour far away, I believe they are more likely to try to penetrate our siege. Instruct your Rangers to keep the colleagues on either side in sight.¡± Chapter 61 61 Around noon, a scout reported to Commander Richard of Count Perkins¡¯ southern Ranger Unit, who had built a tight siege net instead of covering broad boundary. ¡°Five people are approaching here quickly from the north. Given their speed, they¡¯ll be here in ten minutes.¡± Commander Richard sent a signal. Rangers, who had built a siege at intervals of five meters from both sides, gathered to the center. More than a hundred Rangers centered on Commander Richard made a dense formation, while the remaining two hundred also narrowed the siege from both sides to the middle at high speed. After a while, Commander Richard saw five men rushing toward him. Dozens of Magic Arrows attacked both sides of the Rangers. Commander Richard was confused since the opponents¡¯ operation was too unusual. They charged into the thickest central camp, attacking both sides as if they were trying to destroy three hundred Rangers with only five people. Rangers were vulnerable to large-scale, long-range attacks because they did not use large shields due to the characteristics of the unit. The formation of the Rangers, which had been disturbed by the rapid rally to the center, became dizzier as they avoided Magic Arrows followed by Magic Missiles and Wind Cutters. Casualties continued on both sides of the southern Ranger Unit. Commander Richard ordered. ¡°Shoot the crossbows.¡± While Rangers loaded the crossbow, Sasha¡¯s quarrels and Selena¡¯s arrows flew toward Rangers¡¯ central camp and caused several casualties. Id, who approached Commander Richard¡¯s ten meters ahead, shouted at his colleagues. ¡°Selena, Sasha, narrow the gap between you. Sasha, protect Selena. Lara, Spica, stick closer to me.¡± As Id wielded his sword, the rest of his party, except Selena, also unsheathed their swords. Selena held a shortbow in her left hand, putting her longbow on her back. Id¡¯s platemail shone silver, and Spica¡¯s Magic Armor sparkled sky blue under the meridian sun. Dozens of quarrels shot by the Rangers flew toward Id¡¯s party, but Id¡¯s five-meter Aura Beam, stretched out of his sword, deflected most of them. Several quarrels shot from both sides avoided the reach of Id¡¯s Aura Beam and flew toward his party. Lara blocked a couple of quarrels with her sword. A quarrel hit Spica¡¯s magic armor but bounced out helplessly, not overcoming the Anti Physical Force engraved on her magic armor. Sasha swung his sword to strike away two quarrels flown into Selena. Selena shot her short bow consecutively while running and knocked down a few Rangers. As Id wielded his Aura Beam at the central camp of the Rangers several times, more than twenty Rangers, including Commander Richard, collapsed momentarily and their camp split. Though several Rangers attacked Id¡¯s party, wielding battle axes and maces, but were simply repelled by Sasha and Lara¡¯s Aura Blades. Having broken through the Ranger¡¯s ranks, Id turned around and said, ¡°Sasha, take the lead. The others follow Sasha closely. Run as fast as possible.¡± Sasha ran past Id, and Spica, Lara and Selena followed him. Since the elf, Selena, was the fastest of the three when moving in the forest, Selena was located at the rear to maintain the group''s speed. Id rushed face to face at the Rangers chasing his party. When a dozen Rangers were knocked down by Id¡¯s Aura Beam, they stopped chasing. Id turned around and sprinted in the direction where his party disappeared. The Rangers stared blankly at Id¡¯s back, disappearing into the forest.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Four hours after Id and his friends broke through the camp of Count Perkins¡¯ southern Ranger Unit, the northern unit led by James Cronos arrived at the scene. Ron, the deputy of Commander Richard of the southern Ranger Unit, was still working on the site. Commander Harry of the northern Ranger Unit asked him. ¡°Where¡¯s Commander Richard?¡± ¡°He was seriously injured and unconscious, so they took him to the Headquarters. The damage to the southern unit is seven dead, one hundred and five severely injured, and one hundred and twenty-eight wounded. All seriously injured Rangers need long-term care, and we cannot put more than half of the lightly wounded Rangers into an operation now, either. With the absence of the Commander, the southern unit is currently unable to carry out operations. The opponents were two boys and three girls, and they were not damaged at all.¡± Ron reported to Commander Harry in a somber tone. ¡°You mean five young men unilaterally beat the three hundred Rangers?¡± As Ron tried to answer, James held him back. ¡°We need to save time, so please report directly to the Duke.¡± James took out his communication crystal and connected to Duke Cronos. ¡°The party of the man, who had stolen the Dragon Heart, broke through the siege of the Count Perkins¡¯ southern Ranger Unit after defeating them in a full-scale battle. For more information, it would be better for the field commander to report you directly.¡± Ron appeared on the Duke Cronos¡¯ magic communication crystal. ¡°Are you the Commander of the southern Ranger Unit?¡± ¡°No, the Commander was seriously injured and taken to the headquarters. I¡¯m Ron, his deputy.¡± Ron gave Duke Cronos a detailed report of the battle four hours before. Duke Cronos questioned Ron. ¡°Did you say the young man in platemail used Aura Beam?¡± ¡°Yes, Duke. He used the Aura Beam several times, which was not something we could deal with. The southern Ranger Unit would probably have been wiped out if he continued the combat. The battle power of the other four was also beyond our control.¡± Duke Cronos asked again. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard the Mudria Wizard Tower had brought up such a young Aura Beam Owner. It is also new to me that an Aura Beam Owner wears full plate mail. How many Rangers were killed by his Aura Beam?¡± At Duke Cronos¡¯ questions, the mage Antares answered instead of Ron. ¡°It¡¯s unusual for an Aura Beam Owner to wear full plate mail, but it¡¯s not something you can¡¯t understand if the young man wore magic armor with a Lightweight spell. According to the information we received from the Rangers, the party came from the Kingdom of Scandia. The Scandia Wizard Tower is more suspicious than the Mudria Wizard Tower, so I expect you to mobilize the intelligence organization in the Scandia Kingdom. Seven Rangers were killed in today¡¯s battle; two by quarrels, one by an arrow, one by a Magic Missile, and three by Wind Cutters. Although the Aura Beam Owner injured some Rangers, he didn¡¯t kill anyone. Given that his Aura Beam cut down the rocks and trees around here, I have no choice but to admit that he intentionally did not kill his enemies. As you know, his behavior contradicts the characteristics of Aura Beam Owners raised by the Mudria Wizard Tower, who don¡¯t overcome the impulse for murder. Therefore, I don¡¯t think the young man, who took the Dragon Heart, was brought up by the Mudria Wizard Tower. There are two sorceresses in his party. One is estimated a four-circle mage, but the other seems to be a six-circle-master mage. We need a mage, more potent than Fomalhaut and me, in the tracking board who can deal with the six-circle-master mage.¡± The Aura Beam Owners raised by the Mudria Wizard Tower were so cruel that they rarely let their opponents live. It had been a rare exception that William Cronos had not killed Andrew Adelian. Duke Cronos also thought that the man, who took the Dragon Heart, was not an Aura Beam Owner brought up by the Mudria Wizard Tower. The Duke was confused since no Aura Beam Owners had been raised by other than the Mudria Wizard Tower yet. ¡°The reinforcements have already departed. The reinforcements, including six-circle-master mage Aldebaran and Aura Beam Owner Chris, will be able to deal with them. I¡¯ll check the Scandia Wizard Tower. James, are you sure the Aura Beam Owner is the one who took the Dragon Heart?¡± ¡°Many people witnessed him here because he didn¡¯t wear a helmet. I am sure he is the one I saw at the dragon¡¯s lair.¡± Duke Cronos ordered. ¡°Keep track of them, but avoid fighting them until the reinforcements arrive. Don¡¯t miss their whereabouts. James, contact Aldebaran right after this communication and explain the current situation in detail.¡± Chapter 62 62 As Duke Cronos instructed, James Cronos immediately connected the magic communication with mage Aldebaran to elaborate on the battle between Count Perkins¡¯ southern Ranger Unit and the party of the man who had taken the Dragon Heart. After communicating with Aldebaran, James told Commander Richard¡¯s deputy, Ron. ¡°I¡¯ll go after the party now with the northern unit. Please pick up the Rangers who can join the chase and follow us after you¡¯ve sorted out the situation here.¡± *************** For the last week, Id¡¯s party repeated the same routine; advancing to the south about fifty kilometers a day and training swordsmanship and manna in the evenings, having found a suitable cave or other places to camp before sunset. As they entered the border area between the Icarus Empire and the Tartaria Kingdom, having passed the border area between the Icarus Empire and the Ur Kingdom, the mountain terrain became rougher. Id sometimes led his party to a ridge and sometimes to a valley. A week after the battle with Count Perkin¡¯s southern Ranger Unit, they moved along a sheer cliff. The ridge, which was covered with rocks, was pretty spacious, but it was so high that you could not see the bottom when you stood on the cliff and looked down. At around four p.m., the group stopped the day¡¯s trip long before sunset. Id, who found a huge groove in a rock, went down into it and examined the ground condition. The height from the top of the rock to the bottom of the groove was about five meters, and the ground in it was relatively flat, which seemed a good place to spend the night. The oval rock groove had enough space for five people to camp. As Id sent a signal, his friends also came down to the bottom. ¡°I think we¡¯ve moved enough today, so let¡¯s stay here tonight. I expect all of you to focus more on manna training today. I believe the manna saturation here is higher than in other places. How do you feel, Selena?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. This is a much better place to train manna than a cave.¡± It was still too early for dinner, so the party put down their luggage and prepared for manna training. Spica, who spread a piece of leather on the ground in one corner, was the first to start the manna circulation. She was more eager to train manna than anyone else. Three days after learning Id¡¯s method of manna circulation, she had succeeded in creating a manna hall in her lower abdomen. It was not surprising that Spica, who had a Dragon Heart though now in a virtual space, made a manna hall in a short period. Spica¡¯s manna hall was still smaller than a walnut, but she was rejoiced at her achievement and engrossed in the manna circulation. As Lara and Selena sat next to her to prepare for their manna circulation, Sasha suggested Id. ¡°Let¡¯s spar before manna training. The paths of my sword¡¯s movement have changed a little since I made my manna hall, but I haven¡¯t adapted to the new changes yet.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s study the changes together.¡± Id and Sasha went to the other side from Spica and started sparring. Instead of starting their manna circulation, Lara and Selena watched the match between them. The movement of the two Aura Blades, which had been moving slowly at first, became faster and faster over time. The footwork of Id and Sasha have also accelerated. Later, it became difficult to recognize their movements clearly, and only the silvery sounds of the two Aura Blades hitting each other resonated. The aura which covered Sasha¡¯s blade shone brighter blue than before. Lara stared at their confrontation blankly. She had confidence in her talents and thought she would be able to catch up with Sasha¡¯s swordsmanship sooner or later. However, watching the match between Sasha and Id, she realized that the gap between Sasha and herself was rather widening recently. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Sasha took a few steps back after wielding his Aura Blade eighteen times consecutively, using the confidential sword skills of the Adelian family. Sheathing his sword, Sasha said to Id. ¡°I thought I¡¯ve caught up with you a little since my sword skills improved recently, but I think I thought wrong. Are you improving faster than I am, or was I not aware that the difference in sword skills between us was originally bigger than I thought?¡± Id approached Sasha and tapped him on the shoulder a few times. ¡°I believe you¡¯ll be an owner of Aura Beam one day.¡± Sasha asked Id with a surprised look. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s possible? I still believe only those trained in a unique method developed by the Mudria Wizard Tower can acquire an Aura Beam. Of course, you¡¯re an exception. But you were born with an affinity to manna at the level of a dragon or an elf. I don¡¯t think your case can apply to me.¡± Id replied to Sasha with a big smile. ¡°When I told you that you could create a manna hall, you said something similar to what you just told me now. But you made it, didn¡¯t you? It may take a long time, but I¡¯m sure you can acquire an Aura Beam. William Cronos had to spend almost thirty years in the Mudria Wizard Tower to achieve an Aura Beam. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need that much time to get it. I think you can become an Aura Beam Owner sooner than expected if you continue to train with patience and confidence. I hope you inquire into the State of Harmony that Spica and I explained while training manna. You¡¯ll become an Aura Beam Owner through a different route from mine, but we¡¯ll end up in the same place. Your talent for swordsmanship is as good as mine. Try to create your own swordsmanship by refining what you learned from our master.¡± Although Sasha could not agree with Id¡¯s opinion that his talent for swordsmanship was as good as Id¡¯s, he did not say it. It was good that he had a new goal regardless of whether it would be possible or not. Sasha thought he was destined to live as a swordsman anyway through his entire life. Spica stopped the manna circulation at the sound of Id and Sasha sparring and watched them. After their sparring, Spica asked Lara, sitting next to her. ¡°Can you keep up with the movements of their swords with your eyes?¡± Lara answered, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think Sasha¡¯s sword was that fast, but after his manna hall was created, his sword seems to have become extremely fast. I can¡¯t follow its movements with my eyes.¡± ¡°I feel better that I¡¯m not the only one who doesn¡¯t follow their swords¡¯ movements. I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s alright for a dragon¡¯s hatchling to feel this much inferiority to humans.¡± Lara¡¯s look was ridiculously distorted. ¡°If you say so, what should I, who feels inferior to you, do?¡± Spica¡¯s appearance was different from Lara¡¯s since it was polymorphic based on Id¡¯s, but the facial expressions of the two girls at the time looked alike. Spica asked with a frown. ¡°Do you feel inferior to me? Why?¡± ¡°You made a manna hall just a few days after you learned Id¡¯s method of manna circulation.¡± Lara, who had been confident in her affinity to manna and talent for swordsmanship, was pretty intimidated as Sasha and Spica had recently created their manna halls one after the other. Besides, Sasha¡¯s swordsmanship improved noticeably. Selena interrupted the conversation between the two girls. ¡°Sasha¡¯s sword is more than twice as fast as before, and his Aura Blade was immensely strengthened. The operation of his swordsmanship has become more sophisticated, and the movements of his blade more accurate. I think Sasha¡¯s swordsmanship has entered an entirely different stage. A stereotype framework has constrained his swordsmanship so far, but now his sword moves smoothly and freely.¡± Lara questioned Selena. ¡°Do you see all of their swords¡¯ movements?¡± Selena answered Lara¡¯s question in a monotonous tone without any change of expression. ¡°Elves have good eyesight. That is why many elves shoot bows well. I don¡¯t think you need to feel inferior to Sasha or Spica at all. It may be natural that Sasha¡¯s swordsmanship is now rapidly evolving. From his early ages, he learned all orthodox swordsmanship from Andrew Adelian, who was one of the best swordsmen in the Icarus Empire, and he has been carrying out manna circulation steadily for the past several years. His efforts are now paying off as he has been spending more time in manna circulation recently in the manna-rich Polermone Mountains and building up his physical strength, running fast every day under heavy burdens in rugged mountainous terrain. Your manna affinity is much higher than Sasha¡¯s, and your innate talent for swordsmanship is never worse than Sasha¡¯s. Sooner or later, your sword skills will also improve rapidly.¡± Though Selena spoke indifferently and calmly, her comments were a bit of comfort to Lara. Selena thought Lara would not be able to catch up with Sasha in the field of physical strength no matter how hard she made efforts, but she did not feel it necessary to tell Lara about that. Chapter 63 63 The party stored their heavy luggage in Id¡¯s Subspace Pouch while traveling to speed up their trip, but Sasha declined Id¡¯s suggestion. He was still carrying on his back a battle-ax, a mace and a shield inherited from Andrew as well as his heavy backpack. Sasha was even wearing chainmail, so the weight of his luggage and equipment was heavier than Lara¡¯s. Nevertheless, he was not far behind the speed at which elf Selena, the forest race, moved in the mountains. As Sasha and Id had been running and hunting every day for several years in the Forest of Evil Spirits since twelve, their stamina has exceeded human limits. After creating a manna hall, Sasha¡¯s muscular endurance even improved. Id also knew well that Sasha¡¯s heavy equipment and luggage would help him build his physical strength, so he did not recommend any more when Sasha refused to put them into his Subspace Pouch. After sparring with Sasha, Id told Spica. ¡°Have you already finished your manna circulation? Our sparring must have disturbed you.¡± ¡°Manna circulation can be done later, but your sparring is not that I can see often. I thought it would help my sword training, but I haven¡¯t seen anything practical.¡± Id responded with laughter. ¡°You are too hasty. Sasha and I had spent most of the time clinging to the sword training for the past several years. You seem too greedy to do well already when you¡¯ve learned swordsmanship just for days.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect to do well already either, but I need to understand at least a little bit. I can¡¯t even see how the swords move.¡± Watching Spica, who resembled him so much, Id thought it would be great if she were his real little sister. Id, who lived as an orphan for most of his life, had long hoped to have a sibling. His consideration of Sasha as his own brother and his easy acceptance of Lara, having been in trouble, and Selena, a different race, were also linked with this feeling of Id. He spoke soothingly in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you sword skills, step by step, so don¡¯t be too impatient. Well, I¡¯ve thought about it for the past few days, and I still believe Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart should be sent back to Mother Nature. Why don¡¯t we try to dismantle it here? There seems to be no life and only rocks everywhere around here. I believe the manna storm will harm neither us nor other lives. The rock walls will protect us.¡± As Spica hesitated to answer, Selena told Id. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that over the past few days, you¡¯ve been looking for places with dense manna distribution, going back and forth between ridges and valleys to fix our lodgings. It must have been to help us train manna. If Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart is dismantled, Vega¡¯s manna with very high purity and density will fill this groove for a certain period. Why don¡¯t we carry out manna circulation in the meantime? I don¡¯t think it would be that dangerous if we lean our back on the rock wall, even if a manna storm occurs. Elves and humans are all parts of Mother Nature, not to mention dragon¡¯s hatchling, so It would not be that strange if each of us takes Vega¡¯s manna a little.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Id thought Selena had a point and asked Spica. ¡°What do you think of Selena¡¯s opinion?¡± Thinking that Vega¡¯s manna would be kept in her body even though a little, a new feeling soared in Spica¡¯s mind that she had never felt before. She bit her lower lip tightly and made up her mind. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll try to cast a spell for the disintegration of Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart.¡± Spica went to the center of the rock groove and began to draw a magic diagram with a branch. It was a small magic diagram only a meter in diameter, but she spent more than half an hour drawing it packed with bizarre shapes and pictures. Once again, she carefully checked the completed diagram, and after putting Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart in the middle of it, she told her friends. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll cast a dismantling spell, so everyone, lean against the rock wall to prevent from being swept away by the manna storm.¡± Sasha, Lara and Selena began their manna circulation sitting far from the Dragon Heart, leaning their backs on the rock, but Id sat right in front of Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart. Spica told him. ¡°Id, it might be too dangerous there. Why don¡¯t you lean against the rock, too?¡± ¡°I want to feel Vega¡¯s manna up close. I¡¯d like to appreciate what I couldn¡¯t communicate with her enough due to lack of time. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m confident in protecting myself even in the worst-case scenario.¡± When Spica whispered a starter for the disintegration and retreated to the rock wall and sat down, Id felt thin streams of manna released like threads from Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart. The manna streams, which had been released gently little by little at first, grew thicker and more, and after about ten minutes, they filled the rock groove and made a whirlwind. A tremendous amount of pure manna, that matched the word Manna Storm, was driven, but Vega¡¯s manna had no adverse effect on Id, who was sitting right in front of her Dragon Heart and facing the whirlwind of manna. Although an incredible amount of manna came into his body and roamed wildly along his manna passages, he remained calm. Soon after, Vega¡¯s manna naturally mixed with Id¡¯s manna, going back and forth among his upper, middle and lower manna halls. When stayed at the lower manna hall, Vega¡¯s manna was condensed in it, which had already been highly concentrated and seemed there was no more room for additional manna. When manna moved to Id¡¯s middle manna hall, ensuring its presence to him, the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure of his childhood that had been forgotten recently flooded to him like a panorama. The images of his mother Julia, stepfather George, and master Andrew came to his mind one after another, bringing back his feelings when he had been with them. Id could also become sympathetic with their feelings of those times. In addition, the faces of childhood friends and villagers of Derevnya, servants of the Scandian Palace he had met at even earlier ages, and even those who later fought with him appeared as if they were right in front of him. Every kind of emotion was raised and wiped out in turn repeatedly. The rising emotions seemed to purify the remnants of memories that had been deep inside Id¡¯s heart. As manna climbed up to Id¡¯s forehead and gently embraced and caressed his upper manna hall, he peeked at the lofty spirit and solitude of the dragons living nearly ten thousand years. Id distinctly felt the substance of the three manna halls¡¯ trinity. As manna continued to move back and forth among three manna halls, the harmony among the spirit, body and manna force, which looked one like three and three like one, was naturally accepted as if it had always been with him. The true self of the first human being to reach the State of Harmony was engraved in Id¡¯s mind, just like a full moon, which had been hidden in the clouds, stood out and shone onto the dark forest. At that moment, Id could guess a part of the State of Ultimate at the far end of the road he was destined to walk. Selena was feeling manna circulating in her body several times more than usual. As an elf, a species that generally had much more affinity to manna than others, she did not feel uncomfortable even if the amount of manna circulating in her body increased dramatically. She calmly observed the changes in her body using her own creative method of manna circulation, referring to Id¡¯s method, but there was no sign of the manna hall being created. An hour after Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart began to disintegrate, the manna storm it caused decreased little by little. Still, she focused on the manna circulation, not giving up the hope for building up a manna hall. Spica felt Vega¡¯s manna gently caress her newly built manna hall in her lower abdomen. As Vega¡¯s manna accumulated in her manna hall little by little, she felt the motherhood of Vega again, which had already been objectified and forgotten. Vega¡¯s manna circulated Spica¡¯s body as naturally as it had initially been in her body. As Spica felt Vega¡¯s manna all over her body, the embarrassment and anxiety that she had been left alone as a hatchling was gradually relieved, and her body and mind were relaxed. As time went by, she became more and more immersed in her manna circulation. Chapter 64 64 Lara accepted Vega¡¯s manna tougher than anybody else in her party. Vega¡¯s manna, circulating violently through her body, rushed into her heart and carved the fifth magic circle on it. Several five-circle spells learned from Benjamin elicited her fifth magic circle. Though adding three circles in less than a year was a great fortune that every sorcerer would envy, Lara was not so happy since what she really wanted was a manna hall, not a magic circle. However, after about two hours of manna circulation surrounded by Vega¡¯s manna, Lara felt intense pain in her lower abdomen that she had never experienced in her entire life. Her pain was so exquisite that she could not even scream and eventually passed out. Not as much as Lara, but Sasha also underwent drastic changes under the influence of Vega¡¯s manna. His manna hall grew, repeating rapid expansion and contraction. Sasha also felt severe pain in the process, but he remained relatively calm. His physical firmness, strengthened over the past six years by training beyond human limits, allowed him to endure the extreme pain. Judging that too sudden expansion of the manna hall might backfire, Sasha stopped circulating manna when his manna hall doubled. He wanted to train swordsmanship outside the rock groove to exhaust some part of the manna newly accumulated in his manna hall. Sasha did not want to disturb his friends who were still immersed in manna circulation. Lara collapsed while struggling with pain when Sasha was about to climb up the rock wall. After checking her pulse and breathing, Sasha thought Lara was not in a dangerous condition, though she was unconscious. He laid her on leather sheets in a comfortable posture. Sasha, who sat next to Lara, watched Id circulating manna in front of Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart. After a couple of hours, Lara woke up, moaning. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°There was a sudden surge of unbearable pain in the middle of the manna circulation¡­¡­ I don¡¯t remember anything after that. I think I fainted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with your body. You¡¯d better get some sleep.¡± As Sasha pulled his coat out of the backpack and covered Lara, She soon fell asleep. After confirming that Lara was asleep comfortably, Sasha climbed up the rock wall and went out of the rock groove. As the manna storm was already subsiding, Sasha did not find it difficult to get out of the groove. On the broad ridge, Sasha unraveled the sword skills he had learned from his master, Andrew Adelian, one by one. Though he moved simply and slowly at first, as time went by, the movements of his sword became more complicated and faster. A man and a woman appeared on the ridge where Sasha practiced sword techniques. The woman was a rare beauty with impressive blue hair, slightly taller than Lara. The man had a solid figure that was a little smaller than Sasha but over a hundred and ninety centimeters tall. The two ears sticking out through his hair showed that he was not a human but an elf. Having watched Sasha train for a while, the elf unsheathed his sword and rushed at him. The confrontation between the elf and Sasha continued for a long time. Although it seemed to be in a tight balance, Sasha realized over time that the elf was not doing his best. None of his sword techniques could disrupt the elf¡¯s balance or footwork while Sasha was in danger by the opponent¡¯s sharp and powerful attacks several times. Although he was well aware that his opponent was not his match, Sasha did not give up and continued the swordfight. Facing the elven swordsman, Sasha realized many loopholes in his sword skills that he had never noticed before. The match between Sasha and the elven swordsman lasted for more than half an hour. Id, who finished his manna circulation, came out of the groove between the rocks and watched their confrontation. Id spoke to Sasha, having watched their swordfight for another ten minutes.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Sasha, back off. Please protect our friends down there.¡± Sasha swung his sword at the elf, making him step back a couple of steps, and retreated to the edge of the rock groove where Id was standing. Id approached the elven swordsman. ¡°My name is Id. What¡¯s yours?¡± The elf showed interest in Id. ¡°I¡¯m Tristan. Will you be my sword fight partner instead of that boy?¡± ¡°Why do you want to have a swordfight with me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no particular reason. Why would a swordsman need a reason to compete with another swordsman? My wife told me a Dragon Heart was disintegrated here, so we came here to check what happened. I was interested in that young man¡¯s swordsmanship, so I tested his sword skills a little bit. You look much better than him. Why don¡¯t we have a spar?¡± In Id¡¯s view, the elven swordsman named Tristan was unlikely to step down until he had a swordfight with him. Tristan did not seem malicious but seemed to have a great passion for swordsmanship. Unsheathing, Id stepped up a little closer to the elven swordsman, Tristan, feeling a competitive spirit. ¡°Let me learn your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Excellent unsheathing! I expect an interesting match.¡± The swordfight began as Id stabbed Tristan in the chest, and the latter blocked the former¡¯s sword, holding his sword diagonally. Id attacked Tristan with fast footwork and daedal sword movements, while the latter defended the former¡¯s attacks with minimal movements. Although the elven swordsman fought back powerfully from time to time, Id softly changed the paths of his opponent¡¯s sword. For about fifteen minutes, the confrontation between the two was balanced. As Id¡¯s blade began to glow shiny blue, Tristan¡¯s blade was also covered with a bright green aura. In contrast between Id¡¯s light footwork and Tristan¡¯s solid footsteps, their Aura Blades clashed with each other dozens of times, making crisp sounds. About ten minutes later, the two stopped fighting and took a few steps back simultaneously as if they had promised each other in advance. When Tristan lifted his sword obliquely, three-meter-long Aura Beam stretched out from the end of his blade. Id also created an Aura Beam of a length similar to the elven swordsman''s. They spent a while observing the opponents¡¯ Aura Beam. All members of Id¡¯s party had come out of the rock groove to watch the confrontation between Id and Tristan. However, Selena and Spica paid attention to the blue-haired woman leaning against a rock on the opposite side rather than the match between the elven and human swordsmen. With a pale face, Lara, who had yet to overcome the aftermath of the severe pain, asked Selena. ¡°Are there many elven Aura Beam Owners?¡± Selena glanced at the blue-haired woman once again and answered Lara¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ve seen several elven swordsmen using Aura Blades but never heard of an elven Aura Beam Owner. Male elven warriors learn swordsmanship because orcs and monsters are always threats to the elves living in the forest, while female elves usually learn archery.¡± Lara questioned again. ¡°Did you know the elf, Tristan, before?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of his name before. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not from the Forest of Elf in Scandia. Well¡­¡­ Spica¡­¡­ right?¡± Though Selena asked Spica an incomprehensible question with a stiff look, the latter answered as if she understood what Selena meant. Her face was as stiff as Selena¡¯s ¡°I think so. She must be older than Vega.¡± Lara asked the two, who had an incomprehensible conversation, looking at the blue-haired woman. ¡°What are you talking about? Tell me in a way I can understand.¡± Selena replied to Lara. ¡°I don¡¯t think the woman over there is a human. She must be a transformed dragon.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the elf, Tristan, say that she was his wife? Do you mean a polymorphed dragon married an elf?¡± Spica answered. ¡°It¡¯s possible if she¡¯s earnestly enjoying her life as a human being.¡± Lara stared at the woman on the opposite side of the ridge with an edgy look. Lara, of course, had never heard of any human with blue hair. She looked at Sasha, watching the confrontation between Id and Tristan attentively. Even though Selena and Spica said that the blue-haired woman was a dragon, Sasha did not change his expression as if he had already known it. Lara asked Sasha. ¡°How did you know that the woman over there was a dragon?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it. Just, the elven Aura Beam Owner is much more interesting than a dragon for me.¡± Chapter 65 65 As Id and Tristan¡¯s Aura Beams collided with each other, the pattern of their swordfight entirely changed. The movements of Id, who used quick footwork to avoid the opponent¡¯s attack when fighting with Aura Blades, slowed down, and the match became a confrontation of power versus power. Id and Tristan¡¯s Aura Beams clashed about twenty times with thunderous sounds. As Tristan, who stopped attacking, stepped back and sheathed his sword, Id also backed off. With a satisfactory smile, Tristan looked at Id with curious eyes. ¡°You are even more potent than I expected.¡± Also sheathing, Id spoke politely to Tristan. ¡°I learned a lot from your swordsmanship. Thank you.¡± ¡°You are the first swordsman since William Cronos to defy my Aura Beam. You can be proud of yourself.¡± ¡°Have you fought with William Cronos?¡± ¡°Not long after I returned home after traveling around the human world with my wife, I met him around here. I think it was about ten years ago. We fought for about half an hour, but neither of us tried to take a risk and conclude the confrontation, so it ended in a draw. I think I have a lot to talk with you about. Why don¡¯t you stop by my house? It¡¯s not far from here.¡± When the match between Id and Tristan ended, the blue-haired woman and Id¡¯s friends approached them. The blue-haired woman told Spica. ¡°Hey kid, you are half a hatchling, half a human. It won¡¯t be easy for you to awaken as a dragon. You know, dragons don¡¯t take care of other dragons¡¯ abandoned hatchling.¡± What the blue-haired woman said was true. Since dragons rarely cared for the other dragons¡¯ hatchlings, it was improbable that the lone hatchling without a parent would survive and awaken as a true dragon. Even if the gold dragon Vega had had enough time before death, she would not have thought of entrusting Spica to another dragon. Spica retorted to the blue-haired woman. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask dragons to take care of me, either. Vega entrusted me to Id. If I can¡¯t awaken as a genuine dragon, I¡¯ll die a human.¡± As Spica spoke, looking at Id, the blue-haired woman also glanced at Id for a moment. ¡°Are you Vega¡¯s hatchling? What happened to Vega?¡± Spica talked about Vega¡¯s death to the blue-haired woman briefly and asked her. ¡°Do you know Vega? What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I am Callisto. I had originally lived in the Plantio Mountains and met Vega once when I moved here a hundred years ago. At that time, I heard that Vega was raising you. Did you say Vega left you to that young man when she died?¡± When Callisto tried to talk something to Id, Tristan said first. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk long here and go home. Id, what do you think?¡± After a glance at his party, Id said, ¡°Thank you for your invitation. Then, we¡¯ll stop by your house for a while.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Tristan and Callisto headed down the steep mountain path for about a couple of hours to a valley where a crystal-clear stream flowed. High and steep rocky cliff blocked the west of the valley, but relatively low hills formed dense forests in the east. The full moon warmly shone on the valley, and it did not feel stuffy for a valley. The stream flowing from north-northwest to south-southeast was relatively wide for a valley brook. It was abundant in the quantity of water and fast in current. A sizable two-story log cabin stood twenty meters from the stream and thirty meters from the rocky cliff. On the first floor of the house, there were only a large living room and a dining room with a kitchen, and on the second floor, three bedrooms. Selena said. ¡°This is a typical human house. I didn¡¯t expect the house where an elf and a dragon live together looked like this.¡± Callisto replied to Selena. ¡°I¡¯ve lived as a human for over a hundred years. It¡¯s natural for me to live in a house like this.¡± Id asked, ¡°This valley is pretty spacious and has a very suitable terrain for people to build a mountainous village, but it seems there are no people at all in the whole valley.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°There was an orc village here a hundred years ago. I heard there had been a human village before then. The orcs had occupied the human village and driven the humans out of this valley. Since a violent blue dragon kicked out the orcs and built her lair in this valley, no other species have been around, not just orcs or humans. Sometimes dwarves are brought in for the blue dragon¡¯s lair decoration, but they leave as soon as they¡¯re done their mission.¡± Tristan pointed his finger at the entrance to a large cave in the middle of the cliff seen through the large living room window. Callisto, the violent blue dragon, glared at Tristan. ¡°It¡¯s a slander that I¡¯m violent. All I¡¯ve done was transform into the main body every few years and roar. If I don¡¯t do that periodically, I¡¯m afraid some things would come into this valley and live while we¡¯re traveling around the human world. I hate having noisy things around my house.¡± Apart from Callisto¡¯s real personality, it was true that she had never done anything violent in this valley. When she first appeared in the valley, all the orcs fled on their own, and neither monsters nor predators invaded her territory. The presence of the four-thousand-year-old dragon was that threatening. Only small herbivores like roe deer and goats and small carnivores like foxes and badgers came to the valley to drink water. Eventually, the entire valley became a dragon lair. Callisto said, looking at Id. ¡°Did Vega give you her dragon heart to entrust Spica to you? Are you confident you will awaken her as a dragon?¡± Callisto could sympathize with the reason why Vega had given her Dragon Heart and entrusted Spica to Id. Dragons were excessively devoted to raising their hatchling. Callisto, who had brought up her hatchling before, was well aware of the dragon¡¯s mad motherhood. Dragons¡¯ maternal love was absolute during parenting, even though it disappeared like a wash after the hatchling became independent. When Callisto had raised her hatchling, a stupid ogre had once threatened it. Then, the furious Callisto had slaughtered all ogres that had been living in the mountain where her lair had been. Callisto wondered if the young man named Id had the ability to awaken Spica as a true dragon. She began to observe Id closely. Feeling the curious eyes of the blue dragon, Id replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have that ability either. Thanks to Vega, I realized I had already entered the State of Harmony, and I think this was probably the reason why she entrusted Spica to me. I¡¯m going to show Spica the way to the State of Harmony.¡± Callisto was surprised to hear that Id had entered the State of Harmony and cast a spell to check whether it was true. She was a dragon who had lived for nearly four thousand years and had a prediction that she would enter the State of Harmony shortly. She had never imagined that a young human being would have entered the State of Harmony that she had yet to reach. However, the result of her Magic Examination came to the same conclusion as Vega¡¯s. It seemed to her also that Id was already in the State of Harmony. Callisto¡¯s attitude toward Id has changed considerably. ¡°You surprised me many times today. Anyway, I understand Vega¡¯s decision. With death on the verge, she would have had no other option. But, why did you disintegrate Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just thought it was right to return Vega¡¯s Dragon Heart to the arms of Mother Nature. Nevertheless, my party, including myself, received unexpected help in the process of dismantling her Dragon Heart.¡± Callisto found a highly concentrated manna hall in Id¡¯s lower abdomen through a Magic Investigation. She checked the other members of Id¡¯s party and found manna halls in the bodies of Sasha, Lara and Spica. Callisto understood Id¡¯s remark that they had been helped by Vega¡¯s manna when dismantling it. Lara created a manna hall while circulating manna in the rock groove surrounded by Vega¡¯s manna. Although her manna hall was still small in size with low manna density, Lara felt proud of it. She had yet to tell her friends about her manna hall, but Id noticed that she had made it. Spica¡¯s manna hall had the characteristics of Dragon Heart, though it was located in her lower abdomen instead of her neck. Dragon Hearts and human manna halls were similar in that they refined and accumulated natural manna, but their growth processes were different. While Dragon Hearts grew very slowly but steadily, human manna halls grew step by step, repeating expansions and contractions. Although Spica¡¯s polymorphous body was the same as that of humans, the growth of her manna hall progressed very slowly like a Dragon Heart, which was barely noticeable. Sasha¡¯s manna hall has grown as large as Id¡¯s, but the concentration of manna accumulated in it has not yet been very high. Sasha laid the foundation for being a peak swordsman. Furthermore, depending on his efforts, he could become a Sword Master in the State of Harmony one day. Chapter 66 66 Selena suddenly asked Tristan a question. ¡°After learning the method of manna circulation from Id, I modified it to suit the elven body structure. I¡¯ve already trained manna for months, but there is no sign of manna hall yet in my body. As an Aura Beam Owner, you must have created a manna hall, right? Can you teach me how to do that?¡± Tristan answered Selena¡¯s question. ¡°If the manna hall you¡¯re talking about means something like a dragon heart, there¡¯s no manna hall in my body. I¡¯ve just achieved Aura Beam after training my Aura Blade for almost three hundred years. A lot more manna indeed circulates in elves¡¯ bodies than any other species except for dragons, and even more manna in my body than any other elves. Still, no manna has condensed in any part of my body.¡± Id, who was listening to the conversation between the two elves, expressed his opinion on Tristan¡¯s mention. He first explained to Tristan the trinity of the three manna halls formed in the dragon and human bodies and then continued. ¡°During our swordfight with Aura Beams, I thought you¡¯d long been in the State of Harmony. In the case of dragons, manna condenses only in their middle manna hall, the Dragon Heart, whereas manna concentrates only in the lower manna hall in my lower abdomen. In either case, the other two manna halls exist only as virtual spaces, but when needed, a large amount of manna gathers there momentarily. My guess is, in your case, all three manna halls exist as virtual spaces.¡± Having glanced at Callisto for a while as if asking for consent, Id explained Vega¡¯s knowledge and his opinion of the State of Harmony to Tristan in detail. Callisto cast Magic Examination to check Tristan during Id¡¯s explanation. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about the possibility of a race other than dragons entering the State of Harmony before, so I haven¡¯t noticed it till now, but I think it¡¯s true that Tristan has already reached it. Amazingly, you guys could enter the State of Harmony without a Dragon Heart. Come to think of it, it¡¯s not that surprising that an elf born with an exceptional affinity to manna entered the state. However, you, who have reached the State of Harmony with a human body, are a subject of research.¡± Smiling at Callisto¡¯s comment, Id asked Tristan. ¡°Could you tell me about William Cronos¡¯ Aura Beam?¡± ¡°His Aura Beam was fast and powerful, but there was something unnatural in it. After competing with you today, I could realize the difference between his Aura Beam and ours. Aura Beam, which I understand, is an extension of Aura Blade. The abundant manna from nature circulating in my body manifested as an aura on my blade, and after training swordsmanship with my Aura Blade for a long time, I naturally achieved Aura Beam, the extended Aura Blade. Though there must be a great difference in the period of training Aura Blade, I think you went through a similar process to me.¡± Id nodded wordlessly. ¡°It seems that something artificial was involved in William Cronos¡¯ process of obtaining Aura Beam. Probably, he skipped the stage of Aura Blade and went straight to the stage of Aura Beam though I can¡¯t imagine how that¡¯s possible. Anyway, when fighting him, I thought he could concentrate manna on the muscles of his right arm and legs faster than me. If I compare him with you, I think he¡¯s a little faster, but you¡¯re much better at swordsmanship itself. The power of Aura Beam is almost the same. On the whole, it seems you are more potent than he was ten years ago. However, nobody knows how much he¡¯s improved over the past decade.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Your information helped me a lot. I appreciate you.¡± Listening to the conversation among Callisto, Tristan and Id, Selena decided to study how to condense manna in her upper manna hall. Most of the elves, like humans, had obstacles in their heads that blocked the flow of manna, but some elven Spirituals like Selena were born with obstacles that were not solid by nature. Id removed the barrier in his head through a rough process, but Selena¡¯s obstacle was easily broken during the manna circulation. Recently, Selena had been trying to build a manna hall to summon an Undine. For that, it was necessary to focus on the upper manna hall. Selena and Spica talked to Tristan and Callisto ramblingly about what they had been through. Tristan, who had been absorbed in listening to their stories, suggested. ¡°From what you¡¯ve told me, it seems like you¡¯ve had a hard time coming all the way here. I recommend you to stay here tonight to have some good rest. If you go up a little bit over there, you¡¯ll find several hot springs on the road. Why don¡¯t you get into a hot spring to relax your burdened muscles? I¡¯ll prepare your dinner in the meantime.¡± Tristan pointed to a narrow path into the rocky mountain. Id¡¯s party willingly followed Tristan¡¯s recommendation. The weather, which entered autumn, was chilly, and Tristan¡¯s suggestion to take a bath in a hot spring was fascinating. ********************* Late in the evening, James Cronos¡¯ tracking squad arrived at the ridge where Id and Tristan had a swordfight. Despite the difficulties caused by the fast movement of Id¡¯s party, Count Perkins¡¯ Rangers followed the traces left by them so well that they were only half a day apart from Id¡¯s party. The ridge was dotted with traces of Id¡¯s party. The mages, Antares and Fomalhaut, cast spells to analyze the traces left on the ridge and in the rock groove. Fomalhaut reported to James Cronos. ¡°There was a swordfight between two swordsmen using Aura Beams here. The party we were chasing seemed to have stayed in the rock groove over there. Two people climbed up here on the path to the southeast over there. It seems that the young man, who took the Dragon Heart, had a swordfight with Aura Beams against one of the two newcomers.¡± ¡°What was the result of the swordfight?¡± ¡°Considering that the newcomers and the group we were tracking went down southeast together, the swordfight seems to have been close to a practice match. If the new Aura Beam Owner has joined their party, it¡¯s not a desirable situation for us.¡± Antares, who had cast the spell Levitation to descend to the bottom of the rock groove where Id¡¯s party had stayed, told James. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m afraid they have disbanded the Dragon Heart down there. There are traces of a manna storm in the rock groove.¡± James Cronos¡¯ face turned gray when he heard Antares¡¯ report. ¡°Why would they dismantle that precious Dragon Heart?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guess why they did it, and as I said, I¡¯m not sure if they really disbanded the Dragon Heart. Anyway, I¡¯ll have to report to the Duke in a hurry.¡± Through his communication crystal, Antares sent Duke Cronos and mage Aldebaran magic images that Fomalhaut and he collected on the ridge and in the rock groove. After reviewing the magic images reported by Antares, Duke Cronos linked the magic communication with Aldebaran. ¡°Aldebaran, did you get Antares¡¯ report? What do you think of it?¡± Aldebaran replied to the Duke¡¯s question with a deep frown. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure until I check with the person who took the Dragon Heart, but judging by the Antares¡¯ magic images alone, it seems that a manna storm has occurred there, as he reported. I¡¯ll be able to encounter the party of the man who took the Dragon Heart in a few days. However, it might be dangerous to fight them when they are with the new Aura Beam Owner with our current members. As we have to wait until they break up with the new Aura Beam Owner, it can take longer for us to meet the young man who took the Dragon Heart.¡± Duke Cronos groaned. ¡°Given that there¡¯s a probability that they¡¯ve already dismantled the Dragon Heart, I think we should move on with the second plan, too.¡± ¡°Are you going to attack the Kingdom of Sakha? Although Sakha is a small country, its magical power is formidable. King Gregorius IV¡¯s maternal uncle, the Court Wizard Arcturus, is a seven-circle master, and both his sons, Kochab and Pherkad, are also seven-circle Wizards. I¡¯ve heard that many of Arcturus¡¯ disciples are six-circle masters, and the Knight Commanders of the Royal Guard and three Royal Orders are also peak swordsmen. Besides, the Countess of the Henderson County, bordering the Sakha Kingdom, is Gregorius IV¡¯s sister. Count Henderson won¡¯t stand still if we attack Sakha.¡± ¡°I know all of them well. A Prince and a Princess, siblings of the Emperor, also married Sakha King¡¯s daughter and son. I won¡¯t attack the Sakha Kingdom publicly. I¡¯m going to send several elite members to bring the Dragon Heart secretly. If we get support from Wizard Betelgeuse, the owner of the Mudria Wizard Tower, we will find a way to bring the Dragon Heart from Sakha¡¯s Royal Storage without causing a noisy scandal. The future of the Duke Cronos family hangs on the Dragon Heart, so I¡¯ll do anything to get it.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask the Mudria Wizard Tower for support.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. As we need seven-circle Wizards, not mages, I think I need to talk to Wizard Betelgeuse myself. Please make sure to check whether the gold dragon¡¯s Dragon Heart was dismantled or not.¡± Chapter 67 67 As Id and his friends climbed about two hundred meters along the mountain path Tristan had shown them, they could see some hot springs on the road. Id and Sasha, who yielded a hot spring to the girls, climbed a hundred meters further and went into a hot spring with moderate depth. The bodies of the two friends, who took off their clothes on a rock and became naked, were in contrast. Id had smooth skin without a scratch, while scars covered Sasha¡¯s body. After the two immersed themselves in the hot spring to their necks, Id spoke to Sasha. ¡°It seems your manna hall has been completely enlarged. How do you feel?¡± ¡°Excellent. I believe my swordsmanship is improving fast after creating a manna hall. It may still be a hasty wish, but as you said, I feel like I could be an Aura Beam Owner someday.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen. Now that your manna hall seems to have accumulated sufficient manna, you can use it to heal your wounds yourself. Give it a try.¡± Id taught in detail Sasha how to treat internal and external injuries using manna condensed in his manna hall. Sasha began manna circulation sitting in the hot spring. When he treated wounds on his own, new scars made in recent months in the Polermone Mountains gradually faded and eventually disappeared. Although the old scars did not go away, Sasha stroked his skin with a satisfied look. ¡°It is an amazing method of healing. This is why your skin is so smooth. I don¡¯t think I need Benjamin¡¯s magic potions anymore.¡± ¡°You might need them. If you¡¯re seriously injured, the magic potions will save your life, so keep them safe. The old scars will disappear when you reach the State of Harmony. Until then, you have to live with them like the Orders of Military Merits.¡± ¡°Did your scars go away after you got in the State of Harmony?¡± ¡°Right. I had a few scars on my legs and chest earned at a young age, but they suddenly disappeared one day. Probably, I entered the State of Harmony then. After entering the state, not only the skin but also the muscles and bones seem to have changed significantly, but it¡¯s hard to explain in words. Perhaps, the State of Ultimate that gold dragon Vega mentioned would entirely reconstruct your body, but it will be impossible to get there in our lifetime.¡± The two friends enjoyed the hot spring bath for over an hour. They recovered for the first time in a long time from their accumulated fatigue. Lara shouted from the bottom. ¡°Let¡¯s go down. I am starving.¡± Id and Sasha wore clothes after coming out of the hot spring reluctantly. Tristan¡¯s table was full of dishes. Various kinds of wild greens, mushrooms, meat and even bread and dairy products looked delicious. Lara asked Tristan. ¡°Do elves eat this much meat? I am surprised that you even produce butter and cheese.¡± Tristan responded to Lara, smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t like meat very much, but I eat it from time to time to increase my muscle mass. I buy dairy products in a human village. There¡¯s a pretty large human village over the forests about one hundred kilometers southeast. I drop by the village twice a month to get dairy products and flour. As Callisto likes bread, we bake it almost every day.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. For elf Tristan, a forest species, one hundred kilometers in the forest was not a long distance. Beyond Id party¡¯s expectations, Tristan¡¯s cooking skills were excellent. They enjoyed a satisfying dinner with the wine Tristan recommended. Furthermore, it was exciting and informative to hear about Tristan and Callisto¡¯s journeys around the human world over the last hundred years. The story about the travel in the Paruberian Federation, in particular, caught the party¡¯s attention. Spica wanted to hear more details about Paruberia. ¡°We plan to join the Expeditionary Army of the Icarus Empire to the Paruberian Federation. I¡¯d like to hear more about your experiences in Paruberia, Callisto.¡± ¡°There are many good places to travel. Why do you want to go to the battlefield?¡± Id explained why they decided to participate in the Icarus-Parubeira War. There were many things to explain, starting from the feudal war between the Adelian Marquisate and Cronos Duchy to the reason for Duke Cronos¡¯ dragon hunt, so Id¡¯s story was prolonged. Still, Callisto and Tristan listened to Id¡¯s long story with an exciting look. Callisto began to talk about their journey in Paruberia twelve years before. ¡°We went to the Paruberian Federation to catch dark mages and dark elven warlocks as we heard rumors that they had joined forces to summon evil monsters from the Devildom. We¡¯d been scouring the Paruberian Desert for over a year at the time, but we could find neither dark mages nor dark elven warlocks. There were traces of summoning evil monsters in the desert, so I don¡¯t think it was a false rumor. At that time, Tristan and I thought the dark mages had already left Paruberia and gone somewhere else. Recently, I heard rumors that the dark mages appeared there again. If you meet dark mages in Paruberia, please contact me. We can fly there quickly.¡± Callisto handed a beautiful light purple communication crystal to Id. ¡°I also have a communication crystal. Just tell me your magic communication password. I¡¯ll inform you if I meet dark mages.¡± Callisto and Id exchanged magic communication codes. Still, Callisto gave Selena the light purple communication crystal. ¡°Nobody knows what will happen in the war zone, so you¡¯d better carry another communication crystal with you. I always felt uncomfortable not being able to catch the dark mages and dark elven warlocks. As you¡¯re going to the Paruberian Desert now, I expect to take this opportunity to catch them. Crazy humans or elves, who try to summon evil monsters from the Devildom to this world, show up from time to time, which bothers me so much.¡± Dragons believed they were created as guardians of this world. They did not intervene in conflicts between other species except when one of the five intelligent species, dragons, elves, dwarves, humans and orcs, was on the verge of extinction due to conflicts between species. They rarely intervened in human wars, either. Dragons, who enjoyed playing in the polymorphic human body, occasionally influenced human history, but even then, they did not go beyond a certain limit. Nevertheless, dragons directly intervened if someone evoked evil monsters from the Devildom to use them for the war. As a balance and guardian of this world, Dragons could not accept the evocation of evil monsters from the Devildom. It was natural for the blue dragon Callisto to pay keen attention to the news that dark mages appeared in the Paruberian Desert. Silly humans evoked even a Devil King from the Devildom as well as evil monsters. The last invocation of a Devil King had been carried out a thousand and three hundred years back. Mara, one of the twelve Devil Kings of the Devildom, had been invoked by thirteen dark mages. Three dragons had fought to send Mara back to the Devildom, and two of them had been sacrificed at the time. This incident was handed down as one of the myths humans could not believe since the dragons had sent Mara back to the Devildom before he had influenced the human world. However, dragons remembered it as vividly as it had happened yesterday. Bermut, a red dragon in the State of Ultimate, who had survived until the last moment of the fight against Mara and lifted the invocation of the dark mages, had not lived even a thousand years afterward and died at the age of eight thousand years, an early age for dragons to die. Tristan talked about the tribal countries that made up the Paruberan Federation. ¡°Paruberia is a federation of about fifty tribal countries, with two tribes, Hesuth and Dunibar, having overwhelming powers over the other tribes. Twenty years ago, when the Icarus Empire¡¯s army invaded Paruberia, Hesuth was the most powerful tribe, which has its territory in the southeastern part of the Paruberian Federation. Their territory borders the East Sea and the Kingdom of Sakha to the north. I heard Hesuth accumulated considerable wealth by import and export as they¡¯ve traded by the East Sea with many countries in the east and far south of the continent. Although half of Paruberia is desert, Hesuth¡¯s territory is fertile land to produce abundant agricultural products. Their strong Warriors have been firmly defending their territory for hundreds of years. The sword skills of the Hesuth Warriors, who I¡¯ve dealt with, were outstanding. When the Imperial Army invaded twenty years ago, the Paruberian Allies centered on the Hesuth Warriors defeated them.¡± Id asked Tristan. ¡°When you say they were the strongest tribe twenty years ago, do you mean they are not anymore?¡± Tristan took a sip of wine into his mouth and slowly savored it. ¡°Dunibar, another powerful tribe located in the southwestern part of Paruberia, has been vying for the post of the Federal Chairman for a long time as a rival to Hesuth. King Assan Hesuth, who was the Chairman of the Paruberian Federation at the time of the war against the Icarus Empire, lost more than half of his tribal Warriors. Eventually, after the war, the Federal Chairmanship was handed over to Ibrihim Dunibar, the King of the Dunibar tribe, who suffered relatively little damage. Though King Ibrihim is the Chairman of the Paruberian Federation now, it¡¯s no wonder even if King Assan regains his Chairmanship sooner or later, as the two most powerful tribes are in a tight balance. I suspected that the dark mages might have supported King Ibrihim when he took the Paruberian Chairmanship, but I haven¡¯t been able to find them even though I¡¯ve been wandering the land of the Dunibar tribe for more than a month. Well, I¡¯ll have to bring a few more bottles of wine.¡± Chapter 68 68 Tristan, who went down to the basement warehouse, brought three bottles of wine and a wooden box. Tristan said, giving Selena the wooden box. ¡°Selena, it¡¯s been a long while since I saw an elf, so I want to give you a present. I¡¯m not fond of the elves living in the forests for nearly a thousand years, disconnected from the other world. I support the courageous elven life who travels around the extensive world like you. Living in solitude in the woods would be fine after getting far older. This is an egg of the wyvern I ride around. When I had to rush to a faraway place, I felt uncomfortable riding Callisto, so I tamed a wyvern fifty years ago and have been riding it until now. Callisto magically arranged the condition in the box, so it¡¯ll hatch in a month. If you tame the cub by feeding it from birth, you can ride it in a year. You¡¯ll have to raise it for a few more years to let another person on board with you. In about five years, a few more people will be able to ride your wyvern. Icarus¡¯ Imperial Army also uses Wyvern and Griffin Riders as scouts. If you raise the wyvern well, it¡¯ll be useful in the desert.¡± Selena took the wooden box cautiously. ¡°Thank you so much, Uncle Tristan. Well, where are you from? You¡¯re definitely not from the Forest of Elf in the Scandia Kingdom.¡± Tristan replied to Selena, looking at her warmly. ¡°I¡¯m from the Forest of Elf over the Plantio Mountains close to the west coast of the continent. It is dozens of times more extensive than the Forest of Elf in Scandia, where you were born. Along the west coast of the continent, endless forests stretch long. The genera of trees that grow north and south of the forests are entirely different. It¡¯s not peaceful there because the orcs and monsters living in the Plantio Mountains constantly invade our forests. Many elven Warriors fight to protect the Forest of Elf against them, so there are many excellent sworders and archers. There are also many Spirituals who summon salamanders and gnomes to deal with orcs and monsters.¡± As elves did not get married, it was rare for female elves to talk this closely to male elves. Elves had a disproportionate gender ratio, with about ten times more females than males. So, when a female elf of childbearing age visited a male elf and asked him to sleep together, the male elf almost accepted it as mandatory. After becoming pregnant, the female elf left the male and gave birth to and brought up her child alone. In the elven society, where males were not involved in parenting at all, a system of marriage could not be established. Therefore, intimate relationships between male and female elves were rarely formed. However, as both Tristan and Selena were unusual elves traveling around outside the elven society, and Tristan was almost five times older than Selena, they did not feel awkward having an intimate conversation with each other. Starting with Lara, one by one went upstairs to the bedrooms on the second floor, and finally, when Sasha went up, Tristan and Id were the only ones left to talk about swordsmanship drinking wine. Tristan knew almost all elven and human swordsmanship, as he has been confronted with countless elven sworders and human swordsmen over the past three hundred years. Tristan¡¯s comments on various swordsmanship were valuable references to Id, and they became motives of further development in Id¡¯s swordsmanship later. The following day, Tristan and Id stood facing each other in an open space about twenty meters from Tristan¡¯s house. Tristan spoke to Id. ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to be more serious than yesterday. Be careful.¡± Not responding to Tristan¡¯s warning, Id slowly unsheathed his sword. Id stepped up to Tristan as a blue Aura Beam stretched out from the end of his sword toward the low right. Tristan met Id approaching him with a green Aura Beam stretching upward out of his sword. Id¡¯s blue and Tristan¡¯s green Aura Beams combined to create a spectacular scene under the blazing morning sun. Id¡¯s friends stood in front of Tristan¡¯s house and watched the showdown between the two Sword Masters in the State of Harmony. They were even unaware of the absence of Callisto. The two Aura Beams, bumping into each other with thundering sounds for about half an hour, suddenly disappeared. When Id¡¯s friends realized the swordfight was over, the two swords had already been sheathed. Tristan told Id.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°It seems that you didn¡¯t do your best yesterday, either. Your swordsmanship will soon overtake mine.¡± Id answered. ¡°Thank you for teaching me many things. I¡¯ll do my best to show you a better performance next time.¡± After the confrontation between the two Sword Masters, Id and his friends said goodbye to Tristan and went south along the valley. They could not say goodbye to Callisto as Tristan said she would not come back until late in the evening. When Tristan watched Id and his friends¡¯ backs leaving, Callisto talked to James Cronos on a mountain path overlooking her house. James Cronos, watching the swordfight with Aura Beams hiding in the rocky mountain with his tracking squad, wondered when a young woman appeared alone in the deserted valley. ¡°What are you, a young lady, doing alone in this remote place? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± Grinning, Callisto responded to James. ¡°Why are you hiding in a place like this and peeking at someone else¡¯s house? Here is the vicious blue dragon Callisto¡¯s lair. Wouldn¡¯t it be dangerous?¡± When Callisto glared at Antares and Fomalhaut, it seemed as if blue beams stretched out of her eyes. It was a blue dragon¡¯s Dragon Fear. The mages shuddered with dread at the moment, and Fomalhaut even collapsed. James Cronos and Ranger Commander Harry unsheathed their swords simultaneously. Callisto burst into laughter as she watched James¡¯ grip shake finely. ¡°Did you participate in dragon hunt with those sword skills? What reckless jerks you are!¡± Harry said in a trembling voice, taking a step back. ¡°We have never participated in the dragon hunt. We just joined the pursuit of those who took the Dragon Heart.¡± ¡°What are you going to do by pursuing them? Are you going to take the Dragon Heart from the young people with your battle power? An orc passing by would laugh at you.¡± Antares tried to say something, but he could not speak out in fear. Callisto said, looking at James Cronos. ¡°Didn¡¯t you join the dragon hunt, either?¡± James Cronos said, grabbing the hilt of his sword firmly. ¡°The gold dragon killed most of the sorcerers and Knights who participated in the dragon hunt.¡± Callisto said, softening her facial expression. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so nervous. Dragons don¡¯t avenge the death of other dragons since it will undermine the dignity of the dead dragon. Of course, If you are about to hunt me, it¡¯s a different story.¡± As Callisto¡¯s eyes turned blue again, James Cronos could not say anything and just shook his head. ¡°Even if you catch up with Id¡¯s party, it will only shorten your lifespan with your abilities. So I recommend you to go back.¡± James plucked up his courage and asked Callisto. ¡°Is the name of the young man who uses Aura Beam Id? He took our Dragon Heart.¡± Callisto replied to James, grinning. ¡°Your Dragon Heart? Hmm, you didn¡¯t even know his name. Do you want the Dragon Heart so badly enough to risk your life? But it¡¯s too late. Id has already dismantled the gold dragon¡¯s Dragon Heart and returned it to Mother Nature. That¡¯s a natural ending.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± The gleaming blue Dragon Fear rose again from Callisto¡¯s eye as James Cronos shouted. ¡°Dragons don¡¯t lie. This is my lair. Get out of here right now. If you hang around here another ten minutes, I¡¯ll grab you all and chew you up.¡± James led his tracking squad in the direction that Id¡¯s party disappeared, but Callisto did not stop them since it was so clear that they would not be a match for Id¡¯s party.¡± About an hour later, James¡¯ tracking squad stopped running. They were already out of the valley, and the mages, who had been running fast casting the spell, Haste, could no longer run. Ranger Commander Harry told James as the trackers took a break. ¡°The Dragon Heart has already been dismantled. Are you going to keep pursuing them? Let¡¯s give up now.¡± James told Harry with an angry face. ¡°How can you believe what the blue dragon said? Dragon Heart is not something you can give up so easily. We have to catch them and check it out for ourselves. Don¡¯t forget that our reinforcements are coming. You seem frightened by the young man¡¯s Aura Beam, but our reinforcements include an Aura Beam Owner, too. We¡¯ll fight them after our reinforcements arrive, so just do your best not to miss their tracks.¡± Chapter 69 69 Ranger Commander Harry was discontented with James Cronos, but the former could not disobey the latter¡¯s order since he was Duke Cronos¡¯ son. If Duke Cronos got angry, Count Perkins, Harry¡¯s lord, could not handle it. James Cronos informed mage Aldebaran, the leader of the reinforcements, of his coordinates on the map and the expected route of Id¡¯s party through magic communication. Harry¡¯s Rangers were back on track to follow the trail of Id¡¯s party. It was not that difficult for the Rangers to track Id¡¯s party since the latter did not pay much attention to their traces, but the distance between the two groups increased as Id¡¯s party began to travel faster. ********************* Five days had passed since Id¡¯s party left Tristan¡¯s house. Set in a small cave, Id¡¯s friends were immersed in manna circulation after dinner. With noticeable progress since creating a manna hall, Sasha, Spica and Lara were more eager for manna circulation than ever before. After meeting Tristan, Selena also found some clues to modify her method of manna circulation. She devoted much more time to manna training than before. Id alone was thinking about something with a large map spread out on a rock. Lara, who first finished her manna circulation, asked Id, sitting down next to him. ¡°Id, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you look so serious?¡± After creating a manna hall, Lara became visibly brighter than before. Feeling better thanks to Lara, Id responded, smiling at her. ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong. I was just thinking about our schedule. From the map, it seems we¡¯re in the territory of the Tartaria Kingdom.¡± ¡°Do you mean we were in the wrong direction?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve continued traveling southward as we had originally planned. We just entered the territory of Tartaria since its southwestern part sticks out westward.¡± ¡°Then, we can just turn southwest and go back into Icarus¡¯ territory, right? I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re worried. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a border in the mountains.¡± ¡°If we turn southwest here, we¡¯ll go down the mountains. I don¡¯t think Cronos¡¯ pursuits have given up on us yet. We¡¯ll bump into their trackers or reinforcements soon, and I think it¡¯s better to fight them deep in the mountains. If we fight their reinforcements on the fields, we¡¯ll be overexposed to Duke Cronos. It would be better not let Duke Cronos know that we will join the Count Henderson¡¯s army.¡± Id paused and pointed his finger at a spot on the map. ¡°This is Kurban, a large city in the Tartaria Kingdom near the borders with the Icarus Empire and the Mudria Kingdom. As it is a city where the borders of the three countries meet, there must be a considerable floating population in Kurban. According to the map, Kurban City and Free City Blackfield are connected with a highway. I¡¯m thinking of disguising ourselves as a merchant group at Kurban and riding a carriage to Blackfield along the highway.¡± Id, who had paused for a while, continued, looking at Spica, who had finished her manna circulation and joined Id and Lara. ¡°I think we¡¯ll need quite a lot of money to disguise as a merchant group, but I¡¯m wondering if I can use the gold coins in Vega¡¯s Subspace Pouch at my disposal.¡± Spica stared at Id blankly as if his question was incomprehensible to her. ¡°Since your mother Vega died, I think her property should belong to you.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Only then did Spica understand Id¡¯s words. ¡°Dragons don¡¯t give or inherit their property to their descendants. As Vega has handed over the possession of her Subspace Pouch to you, all that is in it is yours. I asked you for Vega¡¯s magic armor and magic sword since I¡¯m too weak now, but I¡¯m not interested in any other items or treasure in your Subspace Pouch. If I awaken as a genuine dragon, I will collect my treasure on my own, and if I don¡¯t, the treasure won¡¯t mean anything to me. So, from now on, when you spend Vega¡¯s money, don¡¯t ask my opinion.¡± There was an implicit symbiotic relationship between dragons and dwarves from time immemorial. Dwarves provided jewels and gold to dragons who liked shiny things, and the latter protected the former, who were relatively less combatant, from their enemies; monsters, orcs and humans. Nodding to Spica, Id said, smiling. ¡°All right, but if you need anything from the Subspace Pouch, feel free to tell me any time. I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡± Lara asked Id. ¡°What kind of disguise plan do you have in mind, which made you have this serious conversation with Spica?¡± ¡°I think If we pretend to be wealthy merchants from a country further east than Tartaria, it¡¯ll be easier to pass the check at the border. In order to succeed in my plan, we must erase our traces and completely escape from Cronos¡¯ pursuit. Tomorrow, I plan to move twice as much as before since we must first distance ourselves from the chase.¡± Having finished their manna circulation, Sasha and Selena were listening to Id, too. Lara, a former thieves¡¯ guild member, came up with an idea for Id¡¯s identity disguise plan. ¡°I think we can commission the Kurban Thieves¡¯ Guild to forge our identification cards. When we get to the city, I¡¯ll find out the guild¡¯s headquarters.¡± Spica told Lara. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask thieves to forge our identification cards. With a sample, I can magically create things like identification cards as many as we need. Just ask them for a sample.¡± Id¡¯s party, who had been talking about the identity disguise plan and the city of Kurban for a while, decided to sleep early to leave early the next morning. The following day, Id and his friends, who started earlier than usual, traveled more than fifty kilometers before noon. They arrived at a large vacant lot in the middle of a dense forest at noon. The vacant lot they stopped at for lunch was about seventy meters long and fifty meters wide, surrounded by dense oak forests. There were piles of logs on one side. Id spread out a map on a stump in the middle of the vacant lot and checked their current location. The vacant lot they stopped at was such a large logging ground that it was marked on the map. There were several villages along a fairly wide road to the southeast. They must have been the villages of loggers and hunters. If you followed the narrow mountain path to the southwest, you could enter the Icarus¡¯ territory again. Id decided to go straight south through the woods as before. Sasha said to his companions. ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch here. Make bonfires while I hunt.¡± Sasha headed for the oak forest across the logging ground. ********************* While Duke Cronos¡¯ Reinforcement Unit was having breakfast with jerky at the logging ground, the six-circle-master mage Aldebaran was on magic communication with James Cronos. They talked through communication crystals several times a day to check each other¡¯s location. It was ten o¡¯clock in the morning. ¡°Aldebaran, we found a cave where they supposedly stayed last night. It¡¯s about fifty kilometers north of the logging ground where you are now. If you come north from there, you will see them in a few hours. As the Rangers will chase them, we will be able to encircle them back and forth.¡± Aldebaran, who had been looking at the map for a while, said to James. ¡°If the direction of their movement you are estimating is correct, it would be better to encounter them here than to fight them in the dense forest even without roads. We¡¯ll wait for them in ambush near this logging ground. If you find any traces of them changing their direction, contact me immediately.¡± Aldebaran knew that they had entered the Tartarian territory the day before, but he didn¡¯t care much about it. Having checked his map once again, Aldebaran asked Knight Commander Gabriel of the Pegasus Order. ¡°According to their expected route informed by James, they¡¯ll pass through this logging ground within the next hours. I believe it would be advantageous for us to fight in this vacant lot rather than in the woods. If we ambush that forest, we¡¯ll find them before they find us.¡± Gabriel agreed with Aldebaran. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Are you going to place a separate attacking order, or shall we attack them as soon as they approach our ambush?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll launch attacking magic first. As soon as I cast a spell, attack them, please.¡± Having nodded, Gabriel led the Pegasus Order to the south of the vacant lot. Following them, Aldebaran talked to the Aura Beam Owner Chris. ¡°As you know, the success of our mission depends on you. While we deal with the others, you just have to concentrate on the Aura Beam Owner. The Dragon Heart must be in the gold dragon¡¯s Subspace Pouch if they did not dismantle it. The gold dragon has handed over the ownership of its Subspace Pouch to the Aura Beam Owner Id. Therefore, the contents of the Subspace Pouch will be revealed to the outside if you kill him.¡± Chris replied to Aldebaran with a mischievous look. ¡°I¡¯ve spent thirty years in hell trying to acquire Aura Beam. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lose to such a stripling.¡± Chapter 70 70 Around noon, Id and his party appeared at the logging grounds. Though Aldebaran began to cast a spell with great tension, Id¡¯s party did not come straight into the forest where Cronos¡¯ reinforcements ambushed. They took a rest, sitting on stumps in the vacant lot. The distance between the man presumed Id and mage Aldebaran was about forty meters, a little too far for a surprise attack. When Aldebaran finished casting Aqua Blast, his most confident attack spell, a big man from Id¡¯s party approached the ambush alone with a crossbow in his left hand. As Sasha entered the forest, Knight Commander Gabriel of the Pegasus Order sprang out from behind a large oak tree and swung the sword at him. At the same time, Aldebaran shouted an initiator. ¡°Aqua Blast.¡± As a huge water column flew from behind his back, Id jumped into the air, doing a full one hundred and eighty, and swung his Aura Beam vertically from top to bottom. The water column that collided with Id¡¯s Aura Beam exploded but caused no damage to Id¡¯s party. Id rushed toward the forest where the magic attack was launched. Selena climbed up to the top of a thirty-meter-tall oak tree to find the location of the ambush. Lara stood next to Spica, unsheathing her sword as the latter¡¯s magic armor wrapped around her body. Spica pulled her magic sword out of the sheath. As soon as Sasha noticed the surprise attack, he threw the crossbow at Gabriel and unsheathed his sword lifting the shield. After blocking Sasha¡¯s crossbow with his shield, Gabriel rushed to Sasha, wielding his sword several times in a row. Sasha stepped back to retreat out of the forest and join his companions. But when he took a step out of the woods, a red Aura Beam flew into his chest. Sasha held up the shield to block Chris¡¯ Aura Beam wielding his Aura Blade at it almost simultaneously. Id, who was running toward Sasha, saw the red Aura Beam and jumped up to swing down his blue Aura Beam at the middle-aged man attacking Sasha. However, Id¡¯s response was a little too late, and Chris¡¯ Aura Beam cut a corner of Sasha¡¯s shield and split his blade. It tore Sasha¡¯s chain mail and made a long and deep wound in his chest. If Sasha¡¯s intense Aura Blade hadn¡¯t reduced the power of Chris¡¯ Aura Beam, he would have died instantly. After attacking Sasha, Chris shot a red Aura Beam from the end of his sword to block Id¡¯s blue Aura Beam. Id was furious to see Sasha stumbling back with a severe wound on his chest. Id¡¯s manna hall seethed up momentarily, and he smashed Chris¡¯ Aura beam with all his might. When two aurae collided, there was an explosion. Chris¡¯ Aura Beam, which blocked Id¡¯s attack, faltered and blurred, then Chris was pushed back, spouting blood from his mouth. Id once again swung his Aura Beam diagonally, splitting the body of the Knight Commander Gabriel, who was chasing Sasha. In the eyes of Aldebaran, who was casting another spell, Gabriel¡¯s sliding upper body, which had been split diagonally together with his armor, seemed unrealistic. However, Aldebaran had no time to surprise since Id rushed toward him, shooting up a shiny blue aura. Selena jumped from tree to tree to secure visibility to shoot arrows at the enemies. When she moved to the sixth tree, she arrived in a position to attack the ambush. Having loaded an arrow, Selena pulled the bowstring carefully. Her first target was a man who appeared to be a sorcerer. Pegasus Knights surrounded Aldebaran in layers. As Id wielded his Aura Beam at them, the three Knights in the front row collapsed simultaneously. When the mage Aldebaran¡¯s face turned pale, Id reversed his body as Chris, who had retreated at the first collision with Id, attacked his back. As the two Aura Beam Owners moved away from him, Aldebaran let out a sigh of relief. But then, he heard the last sound of his life. Lara held Sasha, who stumbled back, and laid him on the ground. She poured a bottle of Benjamin¡¯s magic potion into the wound on his chest and made Sasha drink another bottle. Then she began casting Healing with concentration. Spica was as furious as Id. After checking Sasha¡¯s condition for a moment, she ran to the enemies shouting an initiator. ¡°Hellfire.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. As mage Aldebaran, astonished by Spica¡¯s voice, was about to say something, a scarlet sphere about fifty centimeters in diameter with a black dot in the middle raided him. Aldebaran and four Knights of the Pegasus Order around him burned down without traces, and several other Knights suffered severe burns. Selena¡¯s arrows flew to the Pegasus Knights, who were at a loss, having been attacked by the Hellfire. Six of Selena¡¯s arrows hit the faces of the Pegasus Knights, who were almost unprepared. It was a tragedy caused by their carelessness that they had not lowered their faceguards. The remaining nine Knights, overwhelmed by a series of attacks by the opponents, abandoned their wounded colleagues and fled. Id¡¯s blue Aura Beam struck Chris¡¯ red Aura Beam repeatedly. Each time the two Aura Beams collided with each other, the red aura¡¯s light gradually faded. At the fourth collision, Chris¡¯ Aura Beam that blocked Id¡¯s strike over his head split, and his body also split vertically from the top of the head to the crotch. Id glanced at the fleeing Pegasus Knights but did not pursue them. He returned to Lara, who was treating Sasha. Having just finished casting Healing for the second time, Lara told Id with a tired composure. ¡°I don¡¯t think Sasha¡¯s life is in danger. But it¡¯ll take some time for him to come to his senses. Let¡¯s find a place around here for Sasha to take a rest and recover.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lara. Let me check Sasha now, and you take care of Spica, please.¡± Spica was utterly exhausted and fainted since she used all manna from her newly built manna hall in her human body and a considerable portion of manna from her Dragon Heart in her natural body located in the virtual space so as to initiate Hellfire engraved on Vega¡¯s magic sword. Selena, who came down from a tree, asked Lara. ¡°How¡¯s Spica?¡± ¡°She is entirely exhausted. It will take some time for her to recover.¡± Listening to Selena speaking to Lara, Id grabbed Sasha¡¯s wrist and sent his manna into Sasha¡¯s body to check his internal injuries. Fortunately, Lara¡¯s Healing spells had cured Sasha¡¯s internal injury to some extent. If Lara¡¯s treatment was a little late, she might not be able to save Sasha¡¯s life. Having retrieved his manna from Sasha¡¯s body, Id carefully removed Sasha¡¯s broken chainmail and torn tunic. He poured another bottle of Benjamin¡¯s magic potion on Sasha¡¯s chest and then wrapped the wound tightly in bandages. Having taken extra clothes from Sasha¡¯s backpack, Id put them on Sasha and gathered all of his equipment. Broken chainmail, broken longsword, cracked shield, battle-ax, mace, crossbow, quarrel barrel and backpack were all stored in Id¡¯s Subspace Pouch. Most of them were relics of his late master, Andrew Adelian, so he could not throw away the broken weapons. Id, who made Sasha lie comfortably and went to Spica, grabbed her wrist and spilled his manna into her body. Spica¡¯s manna hall was almost empty. Her Dragon heart in virtual space must have been in a similar condition. The Hellfire, imprinted on Vega¡¯s magic sword, required too much manna for Spica yet. Spica knew this would happen, but when she saw Sasha collapse, she could not overcome her anger and forced herself to use the Hellfire. Id told Lara and Selena. ¡°First, let¡¯s find a place where Sasha and Spica can recover comfortably. Lara, please carry Spica on your back. Selena, can you remove our traces?¡± Selena replied to Id. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll completely erase your tracks and follow you, not leaving my traces.¡± Id said, nodding. ¡°Let¡¯s move before Duke Cronos¡¯ other reinforcements come.¡± Id, who carried Sasha on his back, chose the broad road to the southeast instead of going straight south through the forest as planned initially, followed by Lara carrying Spica on her back. They moved at a pretty fast pace, even though they carried a person on their back. Id and Lara went down the mountain to the territory of the Tartaria Kingdom. The southern part of the Polermone Mountains was not as rugged as the north. Moreover, the way down to Tartaria was not as steep as the way down to Icarus. Id, who found a small mountain village at dusk, entered the yard of a two-story log house. A woman in her early twenties who was feeding chickens in the yard looked surprised. She was carrying a newborn baby, and a girl about three years old was holding her skirt. ¡°My friends are hurt, so we need a place to rest for a few days. If you rent me a room, I¡¯ll give you this.¡± The woman gulped as Lara spoke softly, showing a gold coin. One gold coin was enough money for her family to live in abundance for several months. Relieved that the sudden visitors were teenagers, the woman answered Lara, entering her house. ¡°Come in.¡± After laying the baby in a cot, the woman said, going upstairs. ¡°Follow me, please. You can use both rooms on the second floor. My husband who went hunting won¡¯t come back until the next week.¡± After putting Spica on the bed, Lara said to the woman, giving the gold coin to her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another gold coin if you provide us with meals while we stay here. You don¡¯t have to prepare special food. The meal you usually eat is fine for us. And please don¡¯t tell the villagers that we¡¯re staying at your house.¡± The woman nodded, holding the gold coin firmly in her hand, and went downstairs. Chapter 71 71 After her friends left the logging ground, Selena summoned six Sylphs. The Sylphs, as beautiful as the elven Spiritual who evoked them, twirled over Selena¡¯s head, fluttering their airy clothes. Selena, who climbed up a large tree, asked the Sylphs. ¡°Please erase the traces of my friends.¡± The Sylphs caused gusts and whirlwinds around the logging ground. Sand, leaves and twigs stirred up, disrupting the traces of the fierce battle. After a while, the winds stopped, and the Sylphs flew away along the road to the southeast, carefully erasing Id and Lara¡¯s tracks. Selena, who came down to the narrow path to the southwest, summoned two Gnomes. The Gnomes that looked like baby bears or big dogs rose from the ground. ¡°Run.¡± Gnomes ran southwest toward Icarus¡¯ territory, disrupting the footprints left behind by Cronos¡¯ reinforcements when they had come up to the logging ground. Selena followed them, leaving her faint footprints. Having run about ten kilometers at high speed, Selena sent gnomes back to the Spiritdom, then climbed up an oak tree. She returned to the logging ground, jumping from tree to tree. ********************* Count Perkins¡¯ Rangers arrived at the logging ground three hours after the battle between Id¡¯s party and Duke Cronos¡¯ reinforcements. James Cronos, who had been running anxiously for a couple of hours after losing communication with mage Aldebaran, witnessed the disastrous scene. Two bodies were left unattended at the logging ground, and Knights killed by severe burns were scattered in the forest south of the vacant lot. James muttered to himself. ¡°They are Aura Beam Owner Chris and Knight Commander Gabriel of the Pegasus Order.¡± Mage Antares said in a trembling voice, indicating the forest burnt by the Hellfire. ¡°Someone cast a Hellfire. That¡¯s not human magic. Did the blue dragon come here? The Pegasus Order and mage Aldebaran seem to have been eradicated by a single Hellfire.¡± James Cronos had seen Wizard Regulus and two Black Bear Knights burn down without a trace by the Hellfire at the gold dragon¡¯s lair. He thought the Hellfire¡¯s power was tremendous, but the scope of its application was not that broad. James Cronos and mage Antares went into the forest to examine the bodies of the Knights. Seven Knights were killed by severe burns, three by the Aura Beam, and six by arrows. James told Antares. ¡°Some of the Knights, along with Aldebaran, seem to have been hit directly by the Hellfire and turned into ashes. However, considering that the burnt range is not that large, there are likely to be survivors.¡± Antares agreed with James¡¯ guess. James instructed the Rangers to find the survivors and check in which direction Id¡¯s party went. After searching around the logging ground for about an hour, Ranger Commander Harry reported to James. ¡°There are no survivors around here. If there were survivors, they would have gone southwest along the path over there. I think those we had been tracking also went the same way. There is no trace of human movement elsewhere. Perhaps they went after the survivors who had fled.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up. We have to catch up before we miss their marks.¡± Ranger Commander Harry said with a determined look. ¡°I¡¯m out of this mission. Even if Duke Cronos would be angry or Count Perkins would rebuke me, I can do nothing about it. I don¡¯t want to kill all my men.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Harry led his Rangers¡¯ Unit back to the north along the way they had come to the logging ground. There was no way to persuade the Rangers, who witnessed Aura Beam Owner Chris being halved by Id¡¯s Aura Beam. The faces of the two mages, Antares and Fomalhaut, who followed James to the southwest along with the narrow path toward the territory of the Icarus Empire, were filled with intense fear. Selena had been watching their movements for an hour or so, standing on a branch of a leafy tree from a considerable distance. After confirming that the Rangers had returned to the north and that only the remaining three had disappeared to the southwest, Selena moved from tree to tree again. In the sky, three Sylphs flew, guiding Selena to her friends. James and two mages, who descended the mountain about twenty kilometers, met nine Pegasus Knights resting on the side of the path. The defeated Knights sat down on the ground in disarray. One of the nine survivors, David, was one of the three Pegasus Knights who could use the Aura Blade. As the other two were killed by Id¡¯s Aura Beam, now he was the only one in the Pegasus Order. James asked David. James tried to speak in a calm tone, but still, his voice was filled with anger. ¡°Did you guys run away from the battleground?¡± David replied despondently. ¡°A girl¡¯s magic attack burned mage Aldebaran and some of my colleagues without a trace. The Aura Beam Owner cut Gabriel and Chris in halves. To be honest, I don¡¯t even remember how I escaped from there. We were no match for them. I¡¯m sorry.¡± James and David appeared on the communication crystal of Duke Cronos, who was anxiously waiting to hear from the reinforcements. James reported in detail what he had seen and heard. However, he intentionally omitted the story that the survivors of the Pegasus Order left the scene during the battle. The shocked duke remained silent for a long time. In the dragon hunt, he lost two advanced Knight Orders, a six-circle-master mage recruited with a fortune and an Aura Beam Owner raised by decades of hard work. The seven-circle Wizard Regulus¡¯ death strained his relationship with the Icarus Wizard Tower. Despite these enormous losses, he eventually failed to acquire the Dragon Heart. James continued to report. ¡°Rangers searched everywhere around the battleground but could not find out which direction they had gone. It is impossible to track them down anymore when the frightened Rangers have withdrawn. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Duke Cronos instructed. ¡°David, return to Cronos City with the remaining Knights. James, go to the Ramada Hotel in the Free City Blackfield and wait until further instructions are given.¡± While Duke Cronos¡¯ other sons could not even become Knights, his third son James was one of the Knights using an Aura Blade, who were less than a hundred throughout the Icarus Empire. The duke could not easily give up on him in spite of his failure. ********************* Selena knocked on the window of the upstairs room of the hunter¡¯s log house where her friends stayed. Said Lara, who opened the window. ¡°Strangely enough, it doesn¡¯t break. Are you too light, or is the branch too strong?¡± Selena was standing on a thin branch of a persimmon tree. Selena, who smiled at Lara awkwardly, entered the room. ¡°How¡¯re Sasha and Spica.¡± ¡°They are alright.¡± Sasha and Spica were lying on two single beds in the room, respectively. After hearing Selena¡¯s brief on Cronos¡¯ pursuit¡¯s movement, Id told Selena and Lara. ¡°You guys go to the next room and get some sleep. I¡¯ll be here.¡± Spica came to her senses the following day, but Sasha was still unconscious. Selena occasionally summoned Sylphs to look around the mountain village. In her spare time, she concentrated her mind on evoking an Undine. Circulating manna in accordance with the method she modified after meeting Tristan, Selena tried to accumulate manna in her forehead despite repeated failures. Selena was confident that the condensation of manna in the upper manna hall would be possible. As soon as Spica came to her senses, she circulated manna all day long. Spica, who finished her manna circulation late at night, told Id and Lara. ¡°When manna ran out after casting the Hellfire, I thought I would die. It took more than twelve hours to restore manna to my manna hall. I don¡¯t know how long it will take for my Dragon Heart to be restored.¡± Id looked worried. ¡°You¡¯d better not use the Hellfire for the time being. You were lucky this time.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t use it anyway unless my Dragon Heart is recovered, even if I want to. You should train me harder in my swordsmanship.¡± The Hellfire was considered the exclusive property of red dragons. ¡°Vega had been obsessed with Hellfire since even before she was a thousand years old. I guess she didn¡¯t like gold dragons considered weaker than red or blue dragons. However, Hellfire imprinted on Vega¡¯s magic sword is like a childish prank compared to that used by Bermut, the red dragon in the State of Ultimate, who had sent the Devil King Mara back to the Devildom. I heard that Bermut¡¯s Hellfire had the power to burn an entire human city in a moment. Vega should have focused more on the magic like Perfect Storm that suited a gold dragon.¡± Lara imagined the scene of the red dragon Bermut using Hellfire. She trembled at the image of hell in the story that her mother told in her childhood. It had already been thirty years since William Cronos obtained an Aura Beam at the Mudria Wizard Tower. Id thought that not a few people besides William Cronos would have won the Aura Beam during that time. The Aura Beam Owner he had met the day before was evidence to support his thought. Id did not know how many Aura Beam Owners Duke Cronos or other nobles of the Icarus Empire would have. Although he defeated Duke Cronos¡¯ Aura Beam Owner the day before, Id was unsure of the outcome if he met two or more Aura Beam Owners simultaneously. That would have put his friends in danger. Id¡¯s worries deepened. Chapter 72 72 Id stared at Sasha, who was lying unconscious. He was lost in thought. The day before with a moment¡¯s carelessness, he almost lost his friend he had always been with since twelve. He should have looked around more cautiously in anticipation of the arrival of Duke Cronos¡¯ reinforcements. Id believed Sasha might one day be able to reach the State of Harmony and become a Sword Master creating Aura Beam. He thought the same thing would happen to Lara, too. The day could have come sooner than expected, but it might take decades. As long as they were with him, they would be at risk of meeting Aura Beam Owners at any time. Id felt the need to come up with a self-defense plan for Sasha and Lara. ¡°When Sasha was attacked by the Aura Beam user yesterday, although his sword was broken, his Aura Blade mitigated the power of the Aura Beam. If Sasha wore armor carved with intense Anti Physical Force, he might not have been injured as seriously as now. We need to get full plate armor engraved with intense Anti Physical Force for Sasha, Lara and Selena at Kurban or Blackfield.¡± Spica, who seemed to be still struggling to recover her strength, furrowed her brow. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to find armor elsewhere. It would be hard to find better armor than Vega¡¯s.¡± ********************* When dragons polymorphed into a human body to experience human life, they usually turned into sorcerers. No dragon became a swordsman and contributed to creating an empire like the gold dragon Vega. Though her swordsmanship, learned from some peak human swordsmen, was excellent, she was still obsessed with making the best-performing magic armor and sword. Before she appeared in the human world as the magic swordswoman Vega in earnest, she spent more than a decade making magic armor and sword with dwarves. Making a magic sword was not difficult, and she succeeded in engraving a diagram for the Reinforcement spell and imprinting her favorite attack magic, Hellfire, on it within a year. However, it was not easy to produce magic armor because the conditions she wanted were pretty tricky. First of all, Vega hated the cumbersome process of putting on and taking off armor with the help of apprentices or servants. After years of research, Vega created a belt-shaped armor that was easy to put on and take off. It was the prototype of magic swordswomen Vega¡¯s sky-blue magic armor. Dwarven artisans mobilized to produce her armor had to develop all sorts of ideas to meet her requirements. Vega¡¯s emphasis on making the prototype was on reducing the weight of the armor. She carved magic diagrams for Lightweight and Reinforcement on the prototype. Encouraged by the successful production of the prototype, Vega tried to embed Anti Physical Force and Anti Magic Force into the armor but found an unexpected problem. The surface area of the belt-shaped armor was too small to add diagrams for both spells. Vega first made two sets of armor with only Anti Physical Force added and two with Anti Magic Force. But she could not give up either of them and agonized over reducing the size of the magic diagrams while maintaining their magical effect. However, it seemed almost impossible to embed two more spells in armor at the same time, other than Lightweight. Vega, who had been struggling for a long time, eventually went to the gold dragon Astra, who had given birth to her, even though she had expected to be scolded. As independent dragons rarely visited their parent, Vega suffered from the nagging she had heard at her hatchling period as soon as she met Astra. ¡°You are two thousand three hundred years old, but still, you are so immature that you have come up with these strange things. I¡¯ve never seen nor heard of a dragon becoming a magic swordsman.¡± ¡°You also used to enjoy Entertainments polymorphed into a human body when you were young, didn¡¯t you? Why are you blaming me?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I lived as a Witch, not to be a swordsman like you. Do you think dragons match swordsmen?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference between a swordsman and a Witch when a dragon transforms into a human anyway? Come on, just help me out.¡± Astra bickered with Vega over her behaviors for a while, but she was interested in the challenges that Vega brought. It was natural for dragons, the origin of magic, to be intrigued by complicated problems related to magic. After nearly a month of sleep-deprived research, the two dragons finally had decided to give up minor parts of Anti Physical Force and Anti Magic Force¡¯s effects and succeeded in engraving diagrams for three spells simultaneously on belt-shaped armor. ********************* The collaboration between the two gold dragons, Astra and Vega, was the sky-blue armor worn by Spica. ¡°Two sets of orange armor without Anti Magic Force have the best performance in terms of Anti Physical Force. Vega said it¡¯s about fifteen percent more effective in Anti Physical Force than my sky-blue armor.¡± Hearing Spica¡¯s explanation, Id took all belt-shaped armor out of his Subspace Pouch. They were one white, two orange and two green ones. Id tried on three different types of armor, checking the magical effect embedded in each type. In the prototype, the white armor engraved with Lightweight and Reinforcement, he felt as comfortable as in his travel suits. He could hardly feel the weight of the armor. The green armor carved with Anti Magic Force and the orange armor with Anti Physical Force were a little heavier than the white prototype but much lighter than Id¡¯s original armor produced by the dwarven artisan Blackanvil and the seven-circle Wizard Torres. The green armor¡¯s performance in terms of Anti Magic Force was about ten percent better than Spica¡¯s sky-blue armor. These excellent magic armors had been stuck in the corner of the Subspace Pouch for seven hundred years just because they had not satisfied Vega. Id recommended Selena and Lara to try the armor on. Selena chose green armor, and Lara selected orange one. As Selena tied the belt around her waist and said ¡®Magic Armor On¡¯¡¯, the green armor gently moved around her body. In the body of Selena, an excellent Spiritual, a much larger amount of manna circulated than ordinary elves. She could easily put on the belt-shaped magic armor. It was in contrast to Spica, who transformed into a human body and still had difficulty wearing the magic armor for a long time. ¡°This is really cool and nice armor. Armored elf sounds weird, but I like this. As Id said, I won¡¯t be helpful close to the Aura Beam users, so I¡¯ll stay away from them. I don¡¯t need armor with Anti Physical Force since the spirits will protect me when it gets really dangerous. Spirits will just return to the Spiritdom, not die, even though Aura Beam his them.¡± Lara could not wear the magic armor because she had yet to have enough manna accumulated in her manna hall. Looking at Selena enviously, Lara bit her lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m going to wear this armor, even if I have to spend all of my spare time in manna circulation every day.¡± ¡°I believe you will be able to put the armor on soon. Well, it won¡¯t be easy for you for now, but I¡¯ll teach you how to circulate manna on the move, so please try it.¡± Id explained the method in detail to keep circulating manna lying down, standing up, or even walking around. It was a difficult task for Lara yet, but she kept trying, though failing repeatedly. After much consideration, Id chose the light green armor. He was attracted to the white prototype in which he felt almost no weight. Lighter armor could be better for quick movements when he was able to handle magic attacks without magic armor. However, sorcerers and Aura Beam users could attack him simultaneously. Besides, he was worried about the presence of the dark mages warned by Callisto, so he chose the green armor engraved with Anti Magic Force. Sasha¡¯s consciousness returned on the third day of their stay in the hunter¡¯s log house. Having checked his physical condition, Sasha sat on the bed, crossing his legs and treated himself with his own manna as he learned from Id. Self-treatment using the manna in his manna hall has worked quite well. When Sasha opened his eyes after a couple of hours, the scar on his chest faded. His internal injury was getting a lot better. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You guys had a hard time because I wasn¡¯t good enough.¡± Lara said as she handed Sasha boiled watery soup with grain and chopped vegetables. ¡°It was force majeure. I¡¯m so glad you¡¯ve got better. Everybody was worried about you. While you were unconscious, we talked about how to prepare for the fight against Aura Beam users.¡± Lara gave Sasha a detailed account of what the party had been talking about. Sasha, who was eating soup while listening to Lara¡¯s explanation, looked at Id. ¡°You look much better. Did self-treatment work?¡± ¡°Yes, it did. I think I¡¯m all right now. We don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s leave early tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to rush like that. We still have plenty of time until the date we promised Count Henderson, and we can go straight to the Count¡¯s estate if we don¡¯t meet the appointment in Blackfield. Recovering your body condition is the first thing to do.¡± Chapter 73 73 As Sasha nodded, Id continued. ¡°From now on, keep all unnecessary equipment in my Subspace Pouch and carry only a longsword and a shield. Quickness and speed seem to be the most important things in dealing with Aura Beam owners, so you¡¯d better always keep your body light.¡± Id presented Sasha with a belt-shaped armor, a longsword and a small shield to mount on his forearm. ¡°This is the armor Lara told you about earlier. Try it on.¡± When Sasha put on the belt and activated it, orange armor covered Sasha¡¯s whole body, accompanied by a satisfying sound. ¡°This is good armor, but can we defend against an Aura Beam with this?¡± ¡°Your Aura Blade is on its way to its zenith. I definitely saw that man¡¯s Aura Beam momentarily be stopped by your Aura Blade that day. I¡¯m sure the armor¡¯s Anti Physical Force will help you.¡± Sasha nodded but looked unsure. Spica told him. ¡°The sword and shield are magic items that have the best performance among Vega¡¯s collection. They are the works of the Grand Wizard Riegel, who contributed to the foundation of the Icarus Empire and was also the founder of the Icarus Wizard Tower. Since very powerful Reinforcement spells are engraved on them, I believe they won¡¯t break like last time.¡± Sasha put the round, convex shield less than thirty centimeters in diameter on his left forearm, then clasped the hilt of the longsword. Looking at it, Id said, ¡°Judging from the Aura Blade you showed that day, I think you might be able to obtain Aura Beam much faster than I initially expected. You might be an Aura Beam user in several years. I believe this equipment will protect you in the meantime.¡± Sasha said, stroking the blade with his left hand. ¡°Shall we spar? It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Id said, smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. You need to recover first.¡± Sasha was stubborn, so the party left the hunter¡¯s log house the following day for Kurban. Five days passed until they could see Kurban¡¯s outer ramparts since they slowed down and moved only thirty kilometers a day. Approaching about two kilometers from Kurban at dusk, Id¡¯s party stayed in the woods and waited for the day to darken completely. Id asked Selena ¡°Can you ask the Sylphs to look around?¡± ¡°The Sylphs are checking a radius of about ten kilometers, so they¡¯ll be back soon to tell me the results.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. After a while, twelve Sylphs flew over Selena¡¯s head and twirled. What the spirits said could only be heard by the Spirituals who summoned them, so the others could not hear what the Sylphs had reported to Selena. After the Sylphs flew away again, Selena said, ¡°There are some hunters and woodcutters nearby, but no one seems to be tracking or following us. I¡¯ve asked them to keep an eye out, so they¡¯ll let us know as soon as any suspicious ones show up.¡± Id said, ¡°Good, then when it¡¯s completely dark, let¡¯s go over the outer ramparts. Sasha, will you be able to manage?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m all better now.¡± Lara and Selena changed into black robes, usually worn by nuns. Spica wore Lara¡¯s dark gray suit and wrapped her blonde hair in a gray scarf. Id and Sasha wore dark navy clothes and wore black mail coifs on their heads, which Id took from the Subspace Pouch. As the sky darkened, Selena sent a Sylph to find the section of the castle wall with the least guards, and the party safely crossed the outer ramparts into Kurban, avoiding the surveillance of guards. Having entered a dark alley without lighting, they changed their clothes again. When the party had crossed the ramparts to avoid the guards'' eyes, they wore dark clothes and hid their bright hair to prevent the reflection of light, but if they walked around the city in that state, they could catch people¡¯s attention. Lara wore the best clothes she had, and the others changed into plain clothes. Looking at the party¡¯s attire, Lara said, ¡°I think that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll find out where the Thieves¡¯ Guild is, so act naturally without attracting people¡¯s attention, following me.¡± Lara spoke, looking at Id. ¡°To request the Thieves¡¯ Guild for something, you need to look rich. If you have suitable jewelry in your Subspace Pouch, lend it to me for a while.¡± Id took a brief look at Lara and took a small case made of cocobolo from his Subspace Pouch. ¡°I think this will look good on you. It¡¯s a gift for you.¡± Birds, trees and a valley were elaborately carved in relief on the cocobolo case Id gave Lara. The case itself looked pretty expensive. When Lara opened the case, a set of emerald jewelry appeared. The set, consisting of a necklace, earrings, and a ring made of emerald and platinum, looked modest at first glance, but it was one of the finest masterpieces of Vega¡¯s collection. Stunned by the glittering emeralds for a while, Lara asked Id once she had snapped out of her stupor. ¡°Is this your proposal?¡± As Id blushed and tried to say something, Lara interrupted him and said, ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Why are you so embarrassed? You said it was a gift, so I¡¯ll never give it back.¡± As Id nodded with a smile, Lara was adorned with jewels. Lara led the party while Sasha and Selena paired up, and Id paired up with Spica to follow Lara from a distance. The two pairs walking in a complicated alley looked like lovers. Lara took her party to busy streets with colorful lights. The Thieves¡¯ Guild and Intelligence Guild headquarters were usually in fashionable areas that led the city¡¯s night culture. The two guilds, where intelligence was essential, emphasized entertainment districts of cities where a lot of information was gathered and set their headquarters in the middle of these entertainment districts, disguised as restaurants or inns. Even if there was a headquarters in the city''s outskirts, most of the members had no choice but to work in the city center. Streetlights were turned on all over the small square, and Lara, standing on one corner of a six-way street filled with hotels, bars, dance halls, and restaurants, went further to a young man smoking cannabis standing by the door of a small bar. The young man, who appeared to be about the same age as Lara, was small but had sharp eyes. Lara asked the young man. ¡°Did Hermes come to this city today?¡± Lara¡¯s question was slang used by members of the Thieves¡¯ Guild and their clients, meaning they want to buy information from the guild or request it for a case. The young man, who quickly rolled his pupils and looked over Lara, answered her briefly and went into an alley. ¡°You should ask Hermes about Hermes.¡± Lara followed the young man. He circled the complex back alleys for about fifty meters and stopped in front of a five-story building. The antique-style building was hung with a sign saying Hermes Inn. Lara entered the inn without hesitation, passing the young man standing by the main entrance of the inn and taking out cannabis. She approached the front desk and asked a man who appeared to be the inn¡¯s manager. ¡°Do you have suites?¡± Except for luxury hotels in large cities, it was uncommon to run suites, but when people dealing with the Thieves¡¯ Guild asked for suites, it meant they wanted to request the guild for an expensive case. The manager looked carefully at Lara¡¯s necklace and handed her a key that read ¡®307¡¯. The party, who followed Lara into the inn and were sitting on the sofa in the lobby, also took rooms. Perhaps because there were not many customers at the inn, the manager gave up two rooms on the third floor as requested by the party. After a while, the party gathered in Lara¡¯s suite room. The suite room, consisting of a bedroom and a living room, had a large double bed, and two long sofas were placed on both sides of the living room, making it seem comfortable and spacious enough for five people to stay at night. There was also a bathroom in the room, so everyone unpacked in Lara¡¯s room and took turns bathing to relieve the fatigue of the trip. Lara said while Selena was taking a bath. ¡°The Thieves¡¯ Guild will be monitoring everything we do anyway, so we don¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Let¡¯s take a rest here and go down to the bar in the basement at about eleven. They must take requests at the bar. The jewels you gave me definitely attracted some attention, Id. The Thieves¡¯ Guild here must think we are appetizing prey by now.¡±